Zheng Qing was prepared for the witch’s skepticism.

"I suspect someone is cursing me."

Copying Jiang Yu’s posture, he sat up slightly, glanced around, lowered his voice, and put on an appearance of caution and unease: "Though I don’t have direct evidence yet...辛胖子的 spell definitely wouldn’t harm me under normal circumstances!"

Jiang Yu’s expression immediately turned serious.

"A curse?"

Her slender eyebrows furrowed slightly, fingers rolling a silver whistle that appeared unknowingly, slowly rotating: "No direct evidence, meaning you have indirect evidence?"

Zheng Qing, feeling a bit guilty, touched his earlobe.

"Not particularly reliable information," he tried to display a trace of hesitation, explaining quietly: "I got word from the Greenhill Mansion saying a secret society at school is targeting me. Of course, there’s also the possibility it’s coming from outside... Anyway, you probably noticed something strange around me lately, like last week’s Magic Potion Class, where the cauldron exploded before me; the gargoyle under our dorm suddenly went out of control; then encountering crazed squirrels during class, etc. Including this practice class accident, I believe they’re all their doing."

He spoke both quickly and at length, half-true and half-false.

The truth was, indeed, there was a secret society at school targeting him, and those endless incidents were undoubtedly real; the falsehood was this news wasn’t from Greenhill Mansion.

He himself was the convenor of that secret society.

Half-truths often hold the most persuasive power, and Zheng Qing believed Jiang Yu wouldn’t and couldn’t go check at Greenhill Mansion to verify the truth of his words; yet, she’d also deeply trust this claim because of the source.

For a moment, the warlock felt a deep sense of guilt.

However, contrary to Zheng Qing’s imagination that the witch would continue investigating the secret society, Jiang Yu grabbed the whistle immediately after his explanation, blowing a brisk, sharp sound to halt the flying Haired Dragon.

Like waves crashing back after hitting the shore.

The clouds around the Haired Dragon violently churned with its ’emergency brake,’ colliding in the Void to form tangible white masses, causing even the sunlight to appear twisted. But unlike the external violent reaction, the Haired Dragon’s body stopped with firm steadiness, not giving Zheng Qing even a sense of imbalance from the sudden stop.

Then, the young Dragon Beast turned its head, snake-like neck twisting onto its back, its big watery eyes looking curiously at the standing witch, warm air from the nostrils evident even in the high altitude.

Eee-oo?

It issued a tentative inquiry from its throat.

Zheng Qing was also a bit dazed by Jiang Yu’s somewhat intense reaction.

"You..." he stuttered, instinctively standing alongside the witch.

"No more. You should’ve told me about this earlier!"

Jiang Yu looked at him reproachfully, stomping on the back of the Haired Dragon decisively, commanding: "Turn around, back to school... I think you need to discuss this with Dean Yao. Judging by this practice class scenario, this goes beyond a mere prank curse... As for Spring Hunting, I’ll notify my family!"

The last sentence was said to both the Haired Dragon and Zheng Qing—clearly intending for him not to worry unnecessarily.

Zheng Qing couldn’t help but brood. If he knew he could leverage the witch’s concern to avoid the trip, he wondered if he would’ve risked it in the practice class.

At the first thought of this, he suddenly felt disgustingly shameless and instantly snapped back to reality.

Eee-oo?!

The Haired Dragon hesitantly glanced in a distant direction, then turned back, looking pitifully at the witch. Clearly, its task was to escort the young wizards to a certain place, this command’s priority was likely the highest. Yet simultaneously, Jiang Yu held substantial sway over it, coupled with its immaturity, facing such dilemma it became slightly lost in confusion.

"No need to return."

Zheng Qing grabbed the witch’s wrist, suddenly smiling: "The curse, it’s all just a guess of mine, and the intelligence mentioning secret society is concerning a small club in school; they surely wouldn’t pursue me outside campus. Even I don’t know where I will be in an hour, how could they?"

Jiang Yu, surprised by the warlock’s abrupt action, flushed slightly, instinctively retreating, but feeling the determined force on her hand, her resistance softened greatly.

"It’s still dangerous," her voice unconsciously lowered, but the tone retained a degree of insistence.

"Is it more dangerous than when we used the Starry Sky magic circle with Sister Korma in Silent Forest?" He jokingly cited an example, instantly realizing perhaps it was not suitable, quickly remedied: "I mean, is it more dangerous than the war we experienced in the Black Prison? We’ve witnessed Legendary Wizard battles, why be afraid of a few stealthy Black Magic curses? We’re planning to graduate this semester... If we let fear of curses prevent us from going out, socializing, living in constant fear, wouldn’t we become a joke?"

Though not exactly impassioned, his words expressed a clear stance to the witch.

Especially the last sentence, causing Jiang Yu to waver a bit.

Zheng Qing shook his new robe with a smile, adding: "Plus, for this Spring Hunting, I bought new robes and Hunting Clothes, it’d be a shame to waste them."

Jiang Yu raised another hand, tidying his collar, chiding: "Didn’t you say not to buy new ones? I recall you mentioned during Under the Moon Ball, Greenhill Mansion prepared many ceremony robes and Hunting Clothes for you, most haven’t been worn... You could have brought a few to Shanglin Garden."

Zheng Qing chuckled awkwardly.

He wouldn’t dare wear Su Shi Jun’s bought robes to Miss Jiang’s hunting party, not yet that senseless.

Perhaps guessing the boy’s thoughts, the witch smiled slightly: "Su Councilor has good taste, spending her money, saving my effort, why not?"

Zheng Qing refused to continue the topic.

"Let Damao set off again," he kicked the soft ’blanket’ beneath, held the witch’s hand, showing a determined expression: "Rest assured, I’ll stick with you at the hunting party, I trust you... worst case, any real trouble, the elders present won’t sit idly by..."

The Haired Dragon rested its head on its back, listening to the young wizards conversing, glanced left and right, enthusiasm radiating.

To it, everything outside appeared so novel.

Including hesitation.