High School of Demon Hunting

"I’ve always said that you’re a swaying pendulum, indecisive, and bound to run into trouble sooner or later. Don’t look to me for advice; the path you’re taking is too rugged. I don’t have the experience to offer you any guidance."

Xiao Xiao calmly commented while holding a piece of tea oil-stained velvet cloth, meticulously wiping his Bamboo Slip Law Book, ignoring Zheng Qing’s dejected expression and simultaneously providing him with a more dreadful news: "——By the way, Li Meng is forming the ’Monarchist Faction,’ and Xin Fat Man has confirmed he’s joining."

The black gemstone cat, having ’died’ once in the morning, was now revived and was currently lying bored between the pages of Zheng Qing’s spread-open "Basic Study of Changes - University Second Grade" textbook, its little paws batting at the characters darting about the pages.

It only showed interest by raising its head and perking up its ears whenever Xiao Xiao mentioned a certain unfamiliar term.

"Wait, what did you just say? Monarchist Faction? What monarch? Who’s the monarch, Li Meng?"

Unable to resist, Zheng Qing rubbed his ears, feeling that he might not have heard clearly—could it be that someone at Wizard University was going to create a ’Monarchist Faction’? The utterly unrelated concepts made him suspect he had ear trouble.

"A faction led by Su Shijun, or one that treats Su Shijun as the lord... That’s roughly the idea." Xiao Xiao kept his head down tidying his Law Book but managed to answer Zheng Qing’s confusion: "Li Meng likely just started this thing, hasn’t really begun promoting it, and is just taking her ’platform’ piece to quietly recruit people. So, for now, you don’t need to worry too much."

Zheng Qing tugged at the corners of his mouth.

The black gemstone cat tugged at its ears.

How could he not worry!

Last night, because a bowl of water remained unsteady, the Big Fox and White Jade Cat had quite a tussle with it, one mandating Zheng Qing to head to Greenhill Mansion every night to discuss his graduate thesis, the other inviting him to the study hall to review his coursework—that morning, upon retrieving the black gemstone cat and witnessing that extreme pull scene, he once felt fortunate to have an avatar.

And then upset, wondering why he only had one avatar.

"Isn’t Li Meng Jiang Yu’s cousin? Why would she be doing this ’Monarchist Faction’ thing." The young assistant student failed to realize his error, mumbling and questioning the little witch’s actions.

However, Doctor Xiao stood from an objective stance, seeing things incredibly clearly.

"Because she never intended to drag her cousin into your fiery pit... nor does she want her idol to have any entanglement with you. To my knowledge, her sole goal in establishing this Monarchist Faction is to ambush you."

Xiao Xiao finally raised his head, adjusted his glasses—his eyes and remarks equally sharp: "——You think too ideally, so you underestimate and overlook risks in the real world, always mistakenly believing others share your views."

Those words were almost an accusation.

Zheng Qing rarely felt his face heat up.

He then realized another matter.

"Did you just say Xin Fat Man joined Li Meng’s Monarchist Faction?" The captain of the Yuzui Hunting Team felt he’s been stabbed in the back, instinctively kicking the empty chair in front: "Where’s the fat man? Feeling guilty, so he’s avoiding me?"

It’s Tuesday morning.

There’s over half an hour before Divination class starts.

Theoretically, Xin Fat Man should already be at his spot, flipping through the various newspapers received that morning. But Zheng Qing had yet to see any trace of him till now.

Xiao Xiao shrugged, re-lowered his head to continue maintaining his Law Book.

Zheng Qing soon wouldn’t need to concern himself with the fat wizard.

Because Jiang Yu entered the classroom.

The moment she came in, her sharp eye fell upon the corner where several warlocks from the Yuzui Hunting Team usually sat. The black gemstone cat, sensing their peril first, dashed right into Zheng Qing’s hood.

Luckily, only a few minutes were left before class began. The witch was occupied checking Li Meng’s homework from the night before, not really going to the back row to ’chat’ with him.

Not until after class.

As the Divination professor’s figure just departed the classroom.

A slight fragrant breeze swept into the warlocks’ corner.

"Good morning."

Xiao Xiao courteously greeted the witch.

"It’s already noon," Jiang Yu simply corrected Doctor’s time view, slightly furrowing her brows: "Where is he? Under the desk?"

Xiao Xiao turned his head, glanced at the empty seat beside him.

Reached out to feel the still slightly warm chair.

"He was sitting here a second ago." The Yuzui Hunting Team’s diviner stroked his Crystal Ball, speaking sincerely: "If you don’t believe it, you can ask Fat Man."

Xin Fat Man laboriously raised his arm.

"I’ll testify: Today, he doesn’t know what’s gotten into him, kicked me over ten times during class!" The Fat Wizard casually badmouthed someone—though he dared not confess before Jiang Yu that he joined some ’Monarchist Faction,’ thus got kicked by Zheng Qing.

"Excellent."

The witch raised a brow, hugging the notes in her arms, turned, and briskly left the warlocks’ corner.

Xiao Xiao and Xin Fat Man exchanged glances, simultaneously shaking their heads.

"In the forest, turning to flee when confronted with danger is the most foolish move." The Fat Wizard commented on Zheng Qing’s choice, implicitly expressing regret as if he’d see someone’s corpse by night.

"In truth, he shouldn’t have entered the forest at all." Xiao Xiao saw things more clearly.

"Forest? Hunting? What are you guys talking about? Does Yuzui have training arrangements this week?" Nearby, Zhang Ji Xin appeared baffled, feeling detached from the world.

The Fat Wizard spun around in his seat, raised his hand, and patted the red-faced warlock’s shoulder.

"Among us, you’re the only one not yet paired, and there’s a reason for that." He nodded his head, an expression inviting a punch.

...

...

Evening.

After Mo Lu Studies.

Zheng Qing returned to his dorm, immediately noticing the black gemstone cat dazed on the desk. Tuan Tuan squatted curiously beside it, teasing the half-alive black cat with the tip of its tail.

"You didn’t go to the cat fruit tree?" Zheng Qing furrowed his brows tightly.

He initially planned to play deaf and dumb, letting his avatar receive the brunt of the earlier waves, not expecting this one seemed to have the same idea? It could only be his avatar.

"She’ll get along well, right?" The black gemstone cat lay prostrate on the desk, staring at the slowly turning copper mirror beneath the ceiling, muttering to itself.

Zheng Qing sighed, not beginning his usual small tasks—ever since the resonance test, the assisting group assigned him fewer and fewer small tasks which instead afforded him more rest time—but first flying two paper cranes, then turning back into the tent.

"You go to Greenhill Mansion, listen to what arrangements they have there for the graduate thesis."

The young male voice, slightly stuffy, transmitted from the tent, followed shortly by a black cat squeezing out through the tent gap, glaring at the still immovable black gemstone cat, warning: "——I’ll confirm with Furry Bean, if you don’t go tonight, after this, I’ll replace you with another gemstone as my avatar!"

"What about you? You’re going to the cat fruit tree?"

"Do I look that stupid? I flew the main bodies two paper cranes... later, you go to Greenhill Mansion to discuss the thesis, and I’ll go find the Little White Cat to research graduation plans."

"And the two at the cat fruit tree?"

"——Hopefully, as you say, they’ll get along well."

Xiao Xiao and Xin Fat Man quietly watched the drama until the two cats’ shadows completely vanished into the night. Only then did the Yuzui Hunting Team’s diviner shake his head in awe: "Three people, three dates... Only magic can create such a miracle!"

"No, it’s that magic can create such a scumbag!" Xin Fat Man expressed, his face full of indignation.