High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2059: Chapter 280: Combine Vertical and Horizontal

”Hunting Dance? Last night?”

The next morning before Divination Class, Nicholas looked puzzled as he chatted with Zheng Qing: ”What opening dance, I’ve never heard of it... Do we need to attend? Will we lose credits if we don’t go?”

Zheng Qing was caught off guard by this answer.

Originally, he brought up the topic just to make small talk and subtly inquire about how the Fringe Hunting Team was considering the finals’ rules, but unexpectedly received this kind of response.

It took him a while to recover from his surprise.

”Credits won’t be deducted, of course,” the young cost student mumbled, trying to skip past the topic: ”It’s just a minor social event... completely on a different level compared to the finals.”

”Yes, the finals.”

The veteran’s sallow face seemed to light up, and his previously shaky eyes shone with unexpected vitality: ”...Originally, I didn’t expect the fringe to make it this far! It all started with a suggestion from the Great Sage, and then Fifi encouraged me to try... I never imagined we’d come this far.”

Zheng Qing noticed that more than one classmate was secretly watching the two of them—the discussion between the leaders of the two hunting teams entering the ’Campus Cup’ finals was certainly a topic worth boasting about in friend circles.

Thus, he decided to cut to the chase.

”Listen to me,” the young cost student interrupted Nicholas’s rambling with quick speech, glancing around the room: ”Objectively speaking, we have to admit, our two hunting teams are the weakest among the nine teams that entered the finals... our progress has a bit of luck involved.”

Nicholas nodded repeatedly, without any sign of denial.

”So,” Zheng Qing returned his gaze directly to this veteran who once led him on tours around the academy, slightly emphasizing his tone: ”After internal discussion, Absolution suggests that our two hunting teams collaborate after entering the Silent Forest, to confront other stronger hunting teams together... hoping to enter the final hunting ground first while other teams are in chaos.”

Nicholas widened his eyes in surprise, clearly not expecting Absolution to propose such a suggestion. Zheng Qing tried hard to focus on the sigil on the veteran’s forehead, avoiding direct eye contact with his trembling pupils.

”No need to reply immediately,”

After a brief pause, giving Nicholas time to digest the news, Zheng Qing resumed speaking, ending the conversation: ”You can go back and discuss it with Fifi, with your other team members... or Sister Korma, and then get back to us.”

While speaking, he glanced at the front row of the classroom, where Liu Fei Fei and Jiang Yu were whispering; Li Meng sat sulky in front of an open divination textbook, cheeks puffed like a pouting pufferfish.

Zheng Qing wasn’t too confident about whether the Fringe Hunting Team would agree to Absolution’s proposal for collaboration.

Throughout the Divination Class, he noticed more than once the paper mice crawling between Nicholas, Liu Fei Fei, and Carmen. This was a good sign, indicating that the fringe was seriously considering the proposal as well.

Likewise, Absolution wasn’t idle.

During this Divination Class, Professor Yi skipped the normal syllabus and discussed many topics related to dream divination—due to the recent period where the campus hunting party had been held in Dreamland, young wizards’ interest in dreams had notably increased—and then during practice, several young hunters from Absolution attempted to use the Dream Divination Technique to peer into Absolution’s future.

”The lunar phase affects our dreams!”

”When you divinate into dreams, your soul hovers between reality and illusion, a domain of the river of time, and this is the principle that allows dreams to glimpse the future... while the lunar phase hangs in the sky, simultaneously closely linking with reality and illusion, its changes create a subtle interaction with diviners’ dreams...”

On the stage, Professor Yi’s voice was very soft, and on the lectern in front of him, an incense duck that had consumed a spiritual pill paced steadily, occasionally spreading thin tendrils of smoke purposely with even and odd numbers.

Half of the class was already in dreamland—at Zheng Qing and Xiao Xiao’s table, Zheng Qing was awake, while Xiao Xiao slumbered—the sleeping students were responsible for divining post-wakefulness and reporting their results to the teacher; the awake ones were responsible for making tea.

Yes, making tea.

The Dream Divination Technique taught today by Professor Yi required the use of tea, ensuring a balanced mix of dried lemon, willow bark, plantain seeds, and fragrant bee grass, placed in tea bags made of ice silkworm silk, immersed in hot water, and throughout this process ensuring the tea water remained calm without ripples, while preventing tea bag damage to avoid nightmares for the diviner.

With a playful mindset, Zheng Qing was eager to nick the ice silkworm silk tea bag and witness Doctor Xiao being jolted awake from his dream.

But considering disrupting classroom discipline would likely lead to receiving penalties from Professor Yi, coupled with his curiosity about the divination results, he ultimately suppressed his mischievous inclination.

Next time, let’s play then, Zhang Qing thought with slight regret, using tweezers to pick a plantain seed from the dish, attempting to maintain balance on the scales.

”...Many prophetic dreams occur on full moon nights, while dreams during the waning moon may more likely depict the past rather than the future; looking out for this is crucial.”

The curtains surrounding were tightly closed, making the classroom pitch black, and Professor Yi used magic to summon a bright, dazzling full moon, which hung from the ceiling. Though the moon was fake, the moonlight was undeniably real, meticulously collected and refined by the professor during a full moon.

When Xiao Xiao awoke from his dream, the tea was suitably warm. While he was still groggy, Zheng Qing handed him a cup, coaxing him to drink half of it, then placed the cup before the doctor, waiting for the tea to settle.

Without time to put on his glasses, Xiao Xiao mumbled incantations, spending a good while before squinting at the reflections in the tea.

”What’s up, what’s up? Did you see anything? What did Absolution do during the finals?” Zheng Qing eagerly questioned. Similar to him, a majority of the classmates were urging their sleepy peers for dream interpretations.

Xiao Xiao didn’t answer immediately.

He continued gazing at the tea while fumbling to pick up and don his glasses from the desk, wearing an expression of contemplation.

Zheng Qing curbed his curiosity, patiently waiting. Before the doctor could articulate his thoughts, the red-faced male wizard in the front row suddenly turned around and moved towards the two of them.

”I just dreamt my brother said Absolution should partner with the campus hunting team?” Zhang Ji Xin scratched his head, puzzled, clearly uncertain whether he dreamt a divination dream or daydreamt about what was on his mind.

”A classic ’Combine Vertical and Horizontal’ dilemma.”

Xin Fat Man also turned around, commenting in feigned seriousness: ”The alliance of weak against the strong is vertical; yielding to the strong to attack the weak is horizontal... Absolution’s current choice is whether to resist the Qin State or comply with the Qin State.”