High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2342: Chapter 563: Night-Blooming Jasmine

Confirming the identity of the unfamiliar wizard didn’t take too long.

Xin Fat Man hadn’t yet finished a box of popcorn chicken when the paper crane from The First University’s School Works Committee and Trishula’s Beta Town office flew into Zheng Qing’s hands, verifying relevant information—including the liaison’s basic details, portrait, and magical characteristics.

This made Zheng Qing feel somewhat paranoid.

”Sorry, I recently encountered some wizards impersonating Trident Sword, so I’ve been a bit cautious.” The young student put away the letter and apologized conversationally.

”It’s alright. In fact, I appreciate your serious attitude when executing tasks.”

The liaison waved his hand with a smile: ”Maintaining vigilance at all times is a basic quality of a successful hunting team. Many seasoned teams fail due to negligence in seemingly insignificant places.”

”What arrangements has the school... or the bureau made?”

”The school dispatched a special tactical subteam of the assistant team, as well as a patrol team from the School Works Committee. Trishula temporarily added two crisis support groups. Plus, the hunting teams executing tasks related to ravens have assembled a force equivalent to seven standard hunting teams in total... Besides, the school and Trident Sword have a joint department, including diviners, therapists, and alchemists as support personnel who don’t participate directly in combat but provide ongoing support. I belong to this latter group.”

A standard hunting team consists of five registered wizards.

Seven standard hunting teams make thirty-five registered wizards.

Know this: the battle efficiency of organized hunting teams versus scattered wizards is incomparable. Seven standard hunting teams are sufficient to defend a small portion of a wall on the Black Prison Battlefield or easily wipe out a small Giant Tribe in Silent Forest. It can be said that the school and Trishula value the newly discovered illegal laboratory greatly.

”Just half a month ago, a passing patrol team from the School Works Committee took down the illegal laboratory of the Black Wizard you are tracking... I heard you were having finals at that time?”

As they spoke, the liaison had already guided the young wizards of the Absolution Hunting Team into the woods’ depths. Everyone wore Armour Horse Charms, moving quite quickly.

”Yes, we could hear the sound of Thunder Curse outside the academy during exams. Half the sky was illuminated red by spell light, and I thought a Great Demon had broken into the school.” Zheng Qing, though having confirmed the other’s identity, remained cautious, ensuring the hunting team maintained a rough formation and could activate the First Rank battle formation shape at any moment.

Codenamed ’Buns,’ the liaison seems like light smoke, leading the way, not minding the young wizards’ caution, merrily chatting: ”... certainly not a Great Demon, but because it happened suddenly and the response was hasty, it gave the other party time to react. As a result, the Black Wizard blew up the laboratory’s defensive magic array, causing a big mess... This time, such flaws won’t occur.”

”Where is that laboratory located? Can we leverage the power of the School Guardian Array? I remember the School Guardian Array has a strong suppressive effect on magical fluctuations of that magnitude.”

”No Black Wizard—or wizard conducting Black Magic experiments—would place their laboratory right under The First University’s most sensitive nose.”

The liaison did not mock the young wizard’s question but half-jokingly explained: ”They’re just extreme, not stupid... that laboratory is over thirty kilometers from the Guardian Array’s outermost perimeter... Nevertheless, because it’s on Buji Island, the people from the School Works Committee said they can use a ritual to lower a small piece of the School Guardian Array’s projection. But, of course, this is only what I’ve heard, I haven’t seen it yet.”

”Why did you choose ’Buns’ as your code name?”

”Eh?”

This sudden and jumping question was evidently beyond the liaison’s range of thought. He even slightly paused, looked back carefully at the fat wizard who asked the question, hesitated momentarily before answering: ”Well, because my girlfriend’s code name in the hunting team is ’Buns Boss,’ so I can only be called Buns.”

This is indeed a very compelling reason.

Zheng Qing glared accusingly at the fat man.

The fat wizard looked disappointed, quietly stuffed the already pulled-out box of baked buns back into his watch—he thought he had run into someone with shared interests.

Just when Zheng Qing wanted to ask something else, suddenly, he caught a faint yet intensely dense floral fragrance, stirring up an inexplicable sense of annoyance and restlessness within him.

He intuitively signaled a change in formation.

In just a moment, the distance and position between the five hunters of the Absolution Hunting Team underwent subtle but precise adjustments. A thin layer of blue magical envelope slowly rose, isolating the peculiar floral fragrance.

Only then did Zheng Qing start contemplating what he had just done, what flower the scent belonged to, and what to do if the opposing party was a disguised Black Wizard leading Absolution into a trap, among other considerations.

At least his mind maintained a trace of clarity, not immediately flipping open the law book and using a Binding Spell to tie up the ’Buns’ in front, suspending him in the air.

Slightly turbulent magical fluctuations transmitted forward.

The liaison, belatedly aware, turned around, glanced at the young wizards like startled cats, and couldn’t help but laugh: ”Don’t worry... we’re almost at the destination... those ravens planted a large field of night-blooming jasmine nearby, using magic to keep the flowers blooming year-round, to expel any approaching insects or wizards and keep the laboratory secret.”

Zheng Qing suddenly understood.

Night-blooming jasmine is an evergreen shrub, also called moonflower or night fragrant flower. Its normal flowering period is in summer and autumn, with a strong fragrance and a yellow-green bell shape, possessing significant medicinal value. Yet, like all medicine, it has potential toxicity. If its fragrance reaches a certain concentration, it can cause wizards within to feel dizzy and have difficulty breathing, severely leading to fainting. Even at lower concentrations, it can expel mosquitoes and small magical creatures nearby.

Additionally, bouquets of night-blooming jasmine are used in many Southeast Asian wizards’ spirit blessing rituals to mask the scent of corpses with its potent fragrance.

After advancing several hundred meters, Zheng Qing suddenly felt a bright clarity before his eyes—the Absolution Hunting Team had entered an open area.

As far as the eye can see, within a radius of several miles, all trees have been cleared; even the low shrubs and humus layer are leveled, with the distant woods resembling a low wall surrounding the perimeter. The clearing has no grass, only a bald little hill resembling a Pyramid, suddenly standing in the midst.

Zheng Qing bent down, picked up a handful of soil, still able to smell the dense floral fragrance within.