High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1931: Chapter 152: ”Truth, Philosophy and My World View” (Part 1)

”Nightmare?”

In the dormitory, the familiar voice of Doctor Xiao sounded: ”...Just in time, it’s about that time anyway, since you’re awake, don’t go back to sleep, get up and do the morning routine.”

Zheng Qing opened his eyes, staring at the peeling paint on the ceiling and the copper mirror hanging in midair slowly rotating on a fine string, momentarily speechless.

The panic in the dream quickly dissipated under the calmness of reality, but the soreness of his body unmistakably reminded him of the struggles in his sleep last night.

”Hey, if you’re awake, get up, don’t lie on the floor.” Xiao Xiao approached, giving the warlock a light kick: ”It’s almost October, the ground is quite cold.”

Zheng Qing shivered instinctively, quickly sitting up from the floor. Not because the ground was cold, but because the kick from the doctor reminded him of the one he got from Sister Korma in his dream.

Not far off, the snoring of Xin Fat Man and Tuan Tuan alternated, while the chirping of birds could be faintly heard from outside the window.

The sprites chattered, carrying steaming hot towels, a toothbrush, and water, flying lightly to the warlock, signaling him to wash up.

The warlock sat cross-legged on the floor, unmoving.

”Are you in a daze?” Xiao Xiao brushed his teeth, looking at the warlock in surprise.

Zheng Qing naturally couldn’t tell his companions about last night’s terrible experience——he’d bet that if he recounted it truthfully, he’d be mocked as ’Zheng Zha’ for a whole day, no, a whole month!

Leaning against the six-pillar bed, he sat on the floor, and after a moment, replied in a deep tone:

”Monday to Friday, getting up doesn’t mean I’m awake; Saturday and Sunday, being awake doesn’t mean I’m getting up... The separation between soul and body is so clear, proving the classical magic theory’s dualism of spirit and flesh has broad practical significance.”

”No, you’re just being lazy.”

Doctor Xiao spat out the mouthwash, took the belt handed by the sprites, calmly corrected: ”...Being lazy might be related to sand hour larvae, but it definitely has nothing to do with any magic theory.”

The sand hour larvae, also called lazy bugs, caused quite a stir in the academy around this time last year, and it was by treating the sprites with sand hour royal jelly that Zheng Qing had saved up during that time.

However, Zheng Qing was not truly discussing any damned dualism theory. He just wanted an excuse to avoid the doctor’s probing.

Seeing Xiao Xiao no longer dwelling on his nightmare, the young cost student quickly got up to wash.

This positive attitude persisted until the morning routine ended.

”Why didn’t Poseidon come to join you for the morning routine today?” Xiao Xiao asked casually while cleaning the graffiti off his old turtle’s shell.

”Hmm, maybe sleeping in.” Zheng Qing answered vaguely——he certainly couldn’t tell Xiao Xiao that the little fox was probably chasing butterflies at Greenhill Mansion——while pointing to the sky: ”What’s that? It’s coming towards us, right!”

In mid-air, a giant paper crane was circling, craning its neck, searching for its target.

Xiao Xiao dropped the turtle, stood straight, raised his arm, and whistled. The paper crane flapped its paper wings calmly and landed on the short warlock’s arm, lightly pecking at the leg of his glasses.

”The latest campus newspaper,”

the doctor adjusted his glasses, unfolded the paper crane, keeping only the front page, and tossed the rest to Zheng Qing: ”...Didn’t the fat man say yesterday that Professor Yao had an article published in the campus newspaper? I’m very interested.”

Zheng Qing shrugged, took the ’extra’ pages but didn’t open them, instead squeezing next to Xiao Xiao, reading the front page together.

The front page featured a large article by Professor Yao titled ”Truth, Philosophy and My World View,” but this article wasn’t the only content on the front page; in the bottom right corner of the newspaper, there was an inconspicuous yet noticeable small article.

Zheng Qing’s eyes first landed on that piece.

The content was simple, announcing Professor Emma’s appointment as the new Vice-President of First University, succeeding Lady Shi Hui. Following this news, it mentioned that after Professor Emma successfully advanced to the (Quasi) Legendary Rank, the Great Wizard Conference of the Mage Alliance sent a congratulatory message.

”What tier is a Quasi-Legendary?” Zheng Qing had never heard of this classification before.

”It’s a euphemism for failing to advance to Legendary.” Xiao Xiao unusually showed a bit of sharpness, pausing before adding: ”As the term suggests, it’s stronger than a Big Wizard but not truly a Legend, somewhere between top-tier Big Wizard and Legend... Having glimpsed the splendor of Legend during the advancement ceremony, thus one might exhibit some of a Legendary Wizard’s power. Hmm, one might even be capable of casting one or two Legendary magic spells.”

”Professor Emma,” Zheng Qing’s gaze lingered for a few more seconds on the article, sighing slightly: ”...Such a pity.”

Yet it was unclear whether he pitied Professor Emma’s failed advancement, or lamented Professor Yao not becoming First University’s Vice-President.

”Your breakfast!” came Xin Fat Man’s shout from afar.

No one paid him any mind.

Zheng Qing and Xiao Xiao stood at the edge of the grass, each holding one side of the campus newspaper’s front page, their heads close together, intently reading Old Yao’s article.

When the fat man finally arrived breathlessly, upon seeing this scene, he was first stunned, then a curious look appeared: ”Old Yao’s article? Would any of you be kind enough to explain it to me after you’re done?... Although the editors got the draft yesterday, honestly, no matter how many times I read it, I can’t grasp it... my mind’s blank after finishing, no idea what it says.”

Still, no one paid attention to him.

Zheng Qing sniffed, reaching into the paper bag held by the fat man for a meat bun, while pointing with his finger to where he was reading, continuing word by word:

”...Among high-level magicians, you’ll hardly find one without ideals and beliefs. However, these ideals and beliefs differ from those of ordinary wizards.”

”For mortal masters, on the one hand, they wish for truth’s favor, yet on the other hand, fear the impact of reality’s truths. This feeling resembles a child’s emotional elevation towards their father. When it comes to truth, wizards establish a personal connection to it to some extent, regardless of how many ideals and beliefs are involved in this connection.”

”But ’I’ am obsessed with the causation in all these connections. For ’me,’ the future is as inevitable and definite as the past. Ideals are not sacred, but purely a matter of reason.”

”...’My’ ideals and beliefs manifest in this form: a fascination with the harmonious regularity of nature, a harmony revealing such profound rationality; compared to which, all meaningful wizardly thought and arrangement are merely its tiny reflection. As long as ’I’ can free myself from the enslavement of base desires, this understanding will be the guiding principle of ’my’ life and exploration. Undoubtedly, this understanding is closely linked with the recognition shared by magical geniuses across eras...”