High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1919: Chapter 140: Refuting Rumors

The next day, Saturday.

Rarely, Xin Fat Man got up early, finished washing up, and headed straight to the Pedestrian Street. Zheng Qing and Xiao Xiao hadn’t completed their morning classes, and the Fat Wizard showed up with breakfast and the freshly printed newspaper smelling of ink for his two companions.

”I knew it!”

The chubby campus reporter shook the newspaper in his hand, making it rustle, full of indignation: ”...The Beta Town Post is all a bunch of gutless cowards with no professional ethics! Either don’t publish it, or once published, stand by it... Unlike now, where words are like spilled water, and they end up swallowing their own spit back!”

That comment sounded quite disgusting.

Zheng Qing frowned, reached out two fingers, and picked up the newspaper in Xin’s hand.

The latest issue of the Beta Town Post had published a small section in a conspicuous black box in the corner of its front page—

”Around 9:40 PM on September 11 (July 23 on the lunar calendar, JiChou year GuiYou month JiWei day), certain unidentified wizards distributed materials titled ’Beta Town Post Extra’ in parts of the teaching building at First University. After communication between the Post’s editorial department and various relevant authorities, it is confirmed that these materials were not published by the Beta Town Post, and their content does not align with the facts. The Post has never released this extra. We hope all students will not believe or spread rumors, improve their ability to distinguish false information, and actively cooperate with the campus in tracing the illegal wizards infringing the Post’s reputation and rights. Special Statement: Board of Directors of Beta Town Post (Seal) Editorial Department of Beta Town Post (Seal) September 12, 2009 (July 24 on lunar calendar, JiChou year GuiYou month GengShen day)”

”Oh, that response time.”

The young cost student flicked his finger against the piece with a small section of the statement, clicking his tongue in admiration: ”I thought a big company like the Post would have a response speed akin to the Thunder Dragon... where it takes three to five months after a stimulus to react.”

”You must be thinking of the legendary thousand-mile long Candle Dragon, not the Thunder Dragon,” Doctor Xiao suggested seriously: ”The Thunder Dragon responds slightly slowly, but not as slow as three to five months.”

”Get the picture, get the picture.” Zheng Qing waved his hand, not intending to argue with the Doctor on this topic. Instead, he turned to Xin: ”Did you hear any interesting rumors when you went to buy the newspaper?”

”Sure did!”

The Fat Wizard handed the bag containing breakfast to his companions, glanced around with caution, and lowered his voice: ”According to the street, that extra was printed secretly by a few temporary employees of the Post during non-working hours. Of course, this kind of statement hasn’t been officially confirmed by the Post...”

”Temporary employees again!” Zheng Qing was quite speechless: ”Is there no better excuse?”

”No, no, no, that’s not the point.” The Fat Wizard interrupted the cost student’s complaint, speeding up his speech slightly: ”The crux is, it’s said those temporary employees are from the North District, hired by the Post from the North Beita Town... because labor costs are cheap, many places have been recruiting Northern District Wizards lately.”

As soon as the North District was mentioned, naturally, it would involve Sister Korma. The Atonement Hunting Team’s few warlocks were on good terms with the newly minted Big Wizard, and upon hearing this, their demeanor became more serious.

”Are we sure they’re Northern District Wizards? From Gini Cottage?”

”Uncertain... A rumor, how could it be so clear?”

”Sister Korma wouldn’t be foolish enough to cause trouble with Old Yao at a time like this.”

”She’s indeed not foolish, but those wizards playing with frogs under her might not be so smart,” Zheng Qing instinctively recalled the North District Wizard he encountered last semester in the alleys of the North District.

He had forgotten the wizard’s name, but the monstrous behavior of sacrificing a companion and summoning an evil presence still had the young cost student feeling uneasy: ”...I’ve always thought the sacrifice spell Sister Korma devised was a bit extreme. If casting magic requires drawing the innocent’s life every time, the caster is sure to be affected, becoming intense and eccentric.”

”North District Wizards are intense by nature.” Speaking on this subject, Xin Fat Man, who had done an in-depth report on Northern District Wizards last year, had more to say. He shook his head and sighed heavily: ”Without Sister Korma, they’d worship even more evil creatures, hold even more brutal rituals... because only by mastering certain magic can they safely leave the Silent Forest and stay securely on this island.”

”They should be allowed to leave Buji Island.” Zheng Qing stated without hesitation.

Xiao Xiao adjusted his glasses calmly, asking: ”Then what about the Wizard’s Codex? What about the Stealth Act passed by the Great Wizard Conference? Though Tricksters possess weak mana, they’re ultimately a mana-holding group, and their entry into commoner society would undoubtedly cause another kind of disaster... This has been repeatedly confirmed by Great Diviners, and many Magic History Experts have glanced at those catastrophic timelines.”

”Disaster?” Zheng Qing felt it was incredulous: ”A group of Tricksters?”

”A group of Tricksters possessing wizard status as defined by the Codex, capable of acquiring wizard lineage, possessing mana,” Xiao Xiao corrected: ”I’ve heard a very straightforward reasoning... Tricksters entering commoner society can easily acquire wealth and status, which signifies strong power. With power, they naturally pursue higher ’needs’ such as longevity, non-aging, or immortality.”

”If it were a group of ordinary people pursuing those elusive concepts, at most they’d just squander resources and fall for scams. But they’re wizards, real wizards, who’d use the spirit meat—the true flesh and soul—of commoners to please the deeps of the Starry Sky or certain more evil entities to fulfill their desires.”

”This isn’t fantasy; it’s a fact that will inevitably occur.”

Thinking about those terrifying visuals made Zheng Qing shiver, and his previous slight displeasure with the Alliance’s control over Northern District Wizards vanished immediately.

He took out a meat bun from the bag, bit it viciously, and the scalding meat juice made him tear up, blurring his vision significantly.

”What about the Campus Newspaper?”

The warlock wiped his tears and seemed to remember something, turning to the Fat Wizard, inhaling sharply, and asking with vague words: ”Isn’t the Campus Newspaper planning to say something regarding that extra? Since you’re so ’professional.’”

”That extra wasn’t published by us.”

In this regard, Xin Fat Man was particularly ’smart.’ He rolled his eyes at Zheng Qing, picked up a meat bun from the bag, and swallowed it whole, his voice becoming equally muffled: ”...I reckon the Campus Newspaper will also issue a statement shortly, severely condemning those troublemakers.”

”I thought you’d work hard to verify the matters revealed by that extra,” Zheng Qing sipped his soy milk, grinning at the Fat Wizard.

”I’m not that foolish.” Xin curled his lips, picked up another meat bun, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed with determination.