High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2130: Chapter 251: The Unlucky Stand-In

”Dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth, wealth and beauty all have their fate.”

”However, you need not suffer.”

”Just speak of worldly matters, how many lonely souls dwell alone.”

”Longing endlessly, better let them rest in peace sooner...”

Dylan tapped his feet in a swift rhythm, dancing with dazzling little steps as if he were a tiny nighttime whirlwind, spinning around the Absolution and Fringe Hunting Teams, humming a tune he just learned, completely ignoring Xiao Xiao’s stern face and the surprised glances from the hunters of the Fringe Hunting Team.

The previously ’accidentally’ soaked robe, thanks to Doctor Xiao’s superb magic skills, had already been dried, except for some dried water plants clinging to the hem, looking almost as good as new.

But this did nothing to soothe Mister Blood Werewolf’s wounded soul.

”Zheng... Zheng Qing?”

A short, unfamiliar witch came panting up to him, blocking the boy’s dance path, her face flushed, stammering as she held up her hand, ”You, you dropped something, something on the ground, on the ground.”

In her palm was a cufflink inlaid with a black gemstone, its pale gold base shimmering with enchanting colors in the gentle moonlight.

But in Dylan’s eyes, this black, glass-like object was nowhere near as captivating as the eyes and pale neck of the pretty young girl in front of him; even the gem’s brilliant sheen couldn’t compare to the sweet blood flowing through the witch’s veins.

”Oh, thank you so much.”

Mister Blood Werewolf seemed to return to the full-moon ball in the Thorn Ancient Castle, gracefully placing a hand on his chest, bowing slightly, and courteously expressing his gratitude, ”This world is truly less hopeless because of girls like you, full of justice and kindness...”

The short witch’s face turned even redder with a whoosh.

”Have you said that to Su Councilor too?” She clutched the cufflink excitedly, no longer stammering as at start.

”When...”

Dylan hadn’t even finished saying ’However,’ when an arm reached out from the side, grabbing his collar and pulling him sideways, choking Mister Blood Werewolf and forcing him to swallow his words.

”Sorry, he’s been drinking tonight... a bit too much.” The diviner of the Absolution Hunting Team first apologized to the short witch, then resolutely dragged ’Zheng Qing’ towards the retreating hunting team, whispering quickly and warningly, ”...Don’t forget your own identity!”

”Your cufflink!” The short witch called out a reminder from behind.

Mister Blood Werewolf turned his head back and waved his hand magnanimously, ”Give it...”

Before he could finish, Doctor Xiao, who had originally been holding his collar, somehow stood beside the short witch, took the black gemstone cufflink, and thanked her politely, ”Thank you very much, thanks!”

He then pocketed the cufflink and returned to Dylan’s side, pushing him towards the hunting team’s direction without further ado. Dylan turned back and still saw the little witch standing on tiptoe, waving goodbye energetically.

”How rude, just how rude.” Mister Blood Werewolf grumbled, ”How could you just leave such a lovely girl like that?”

”You should thank me.” The diviner of the Absolution Hunting Team pushed up his glasses and said coldly, ”At least tomorrow morning, while you’re asleep, you won’t have to worry about being shot and having your coffin shattered at noon.”

”It won’t happen, it won’t happen.”

Dylan waved his hands repeatedly, laughing dryly, about to explain when several more witches popped up from somewhere, giggling and blocking the two boys, holding out notebooks, feather pens, pointed hats, and even white socks, asking ’Zheng Qing’ for autographs.

The 1,300 to 1,700-year-old Blood Werewolf had never experienced such a scene, and with pairs of charming eyes staring at him, he had no resistance whatsoever, unknowingly leaving the diviner beside him and being surrounded by a group of witches.

Xiao Xiao stood outside the crowd, watching the boy inside, who was all smiles, with perpetual frowning brows.

Before he could think of a way to drag his companion out of the ’mire’.

All of a sudden, a familiar scream came from a distance:

”Zheng Zha!!”

Xiao Xiao quickly turned his head, looking forcefully towards the direction of the voice, unsurprisingly spotting an angry Li Meng under a nearby seven-leaf tree.

Beside Li Meng, another witch’s silhouette was cloaked in the pitch-black tree shade, expression indistinct.

The short warlock instinctively gasped, shivering with a chill.

Yet the Blood Werewolf surrounded in the crowd of witches had no awareness of the imminent danger—he hadn’t even registered someone calling out ’Zheng Qing’s’ nickname.

Being an excellent diviner, Xiao Xiao rarely faced such unprepared situations, so when Li Meng approached with the witch, he was still quickly sorting through possibilities in his mind, having not yet come up with a final response plan.

”Didn’t you promise to help Meng Meng with her studies tonight?” Xiao Xiao chuckled nervously, rubbing his hands, his gaze darting over Li Meng’s small shoulders to the tall witch.

Jiang Yu lowered her eyelids, seeming not to hear the laughter and chatter from the close-at-hand crowd.

”Mind your own business whether I study or not!” Li Meng’s eyes blazed with fire at the words ’study session’, as if stepping on a cat with a tail: ”And, who gave you the right to call me Meng Meng? You believe I can report you to Teacher Sima!”

Xiao Xiao immediately lowered his head sheepishly.

”Meng Meng!” Jiang Yu warned her cousin with a glance, ”Mind your manners!”

Li Meng pouted and shut her mouth, but when looking at ’Zheng Qing’, inexplicably, she showed a pleased expression. This unusual look made Xiao Xiao increasingly uneasy.

Encircled by the witches, ’Zheng Qing’ finally noticed the two ’uninvited guests’ outside the crowd, cheerfully waving his hand to greet them.

This time, even Li Meng sensed something amiss, her small brows furrowing, ”Is he crazy?”

Jiang Yu didn’t look at the warlock in the crowd.

Instead, she turned to Xiao Xiao, ”Doctor, how far along is the hunting team’s training tonight? I remember there’s a simulated combat exercise planned, right.”

”Huh? Ah... yes, yes, yes, there is.” caught off guard, nodding his head vaguely.

The witch nodded slightly, unhurriedly approached the group of witches requesting signatures, and issued a gentle dismissal: ”Sorry, but the Absolution Hunting Team still has many training tasks tonight... if you have other needs, feel free to come back after training or tomorrow. Tomorrow evening at 7 PM we’ll have a class meeting in the East Teaching Building, Room 601, and Zheng Qing should be in class.”

Then, she raised her head, her tone becoming increasingly gentle, ”Zheng Qing, Dr. Xiao just mentioned there have been some slight adjustments in the simulated combat exercise, we’d need to verify it ... as the Absolution Hunting Team Leader, you wouldn’t want the team to encounter any trouble in training, would you?”

’Zheng Qing’ looked at Xiao Xiao with puppy eyes.

Doctor Xiao, however, lifted his head, scrutinizing the moon in the air, as if discerning something extraordinary in the star signs above.

On the other hand, the witch had already whipped out a law book, flicking out a series of small jade sculptures that landed and transformed into menacing monsters, sitting crouched all around, mischievously rubbing their fan-sized paws while eyeing Zheng Qing.