High School of Demon Hunting-Chapter 2466 - 687: On the Living Dead

Saturday.

Originally it should have been a happy day.

No professors endlessly nagging, no need to shuttle between classrooms, sleep until you naturally wake up, combine breakfast and lunch together, throw your textbooks as far as you want.

But for Zheng Qing, all this beauty is yesterday’s intoxication, with faint sadness being the taste of today.

Simply because he still has class today, and it’s five classes augmented with time conversion. Two in the morning, ’Laws and regulations nine Chapters’ and ’Imperial Decree Studies’, two in the afternoon, ’Introduction to Dimension Theory’ and ’Convergence Principle’, and one at night, ’Abus Duo Conjecture’, totaling fifteen hours, fair and square.

Some of these classes, just a glance at the names makes one’s head swell.

Plus the bad news brought back from attending the Seven Sins meeting last night.

All this makes Zheng Qing’s face overcast early in the morning, the low pressure almost visibly surrounding him, so much so that Xiao Xiao seriously considered whether to forcibly make him drink a dose of Euphoria Potion after morning class.

"If you go to class in this state, you might as well go find Old Yao to handle your suspension procedures first."

Xiao Xiao warned, pushing the breakfast into Zheng Qing’s hand: "In your current state, I’m worried that even if you cast a Binding Spell, it will summon a Devil vine."

"Ge Zhitianxi, cast to the squirrel!"

With a casual pat on the Law book hanging by his waist, pale green spell light flashed by, several slender vines emerged from the void and securely bound a squirrel that darted near the two. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The little guy squeaked mournfully.

"See, it’s still Ge Li, not Devil vine." The young cost student said with a gloomy face, pulling at the corners of his mouth into a smile, whether fierce or twisted.

Xiao Xiao adjusted his glasses, glanced at him, stepped forward, squatting in front of the squirrel, scrutinizing for a while, after poking the little guy a few times with his fingertip, he finally shook his head and took out a small silver knife to cut the vines off the squirrel.

"Just a normal twin-tailed squirrel, not a wizard using Transformation." The diviner of the Absolution Hunting Team sighed heavily: "Though, don’t be too paranoid... maybe this is where devils are most terrifying; they always hit the weakest part of your heart."

"This isn’t being paranoid, it’s preventing problems before they arise."

Slowly chewing the mushroom pie from the paper bag, Zheng Qing kept a wary eye on every figure inclined to approach him, answering gloomily: "As for suspension, suspension is impossible... even if dead, turned into zombies or soul, still there’s no escaping being dragged back to continue classes."

Xiao Xiao didn’t dwell on the issue further, handing Zheng Qing a drink, easing him: "I recall hearing someone say before, there are three states of existence in the world: living, dead, and living dead.

Having heart, air, mind, thoughts, seeing what is seen, hearing what is heard, speaking what is spoken, that is living;

Having no heart, no air, no thoughts, no perception, seeing nothing, hearing nothing, unable to speak, that is dead;

Having heart, air, no thoughts, no ideas, seeing but not perceiving, hearing but not hearing, speaking insincerely, that is living dead."

"I am the living dead now."

Zheng Qing gave himself a very fair assessment, sipping a little of the drink, raising eyebrows in surprise: "Orange juice? How fresh, first time having pie with orange juice..."

"I just thought sour and sweet things might bring a bit of good mood." Xiao Xiao glossed over the detail lightly, continuing the topic, "And when I read this classification, I always thought when people are awake, they’re alive; asleep, they’re dead. If asleep but can wake, then they’re living dead; asleep unable to wake, then they’re dead."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Zheng Qing took a big swig of orange juice, glancing sideways at the short Warlock.

"Seeing your state today, I’ve suddenly realized my previous understanding was wrong." Xiao Xiao comfortingly patted the young cost student’s arm: "Asleep ones are indeed living dead, yet awake ones can be living dead too. Some are clearly asleep, but pretend to be awake, this is bad... very bad."

"Are you suggesting I’m in a dream now?" Zheng Qing marshaled his sparse brain cells to attempt comprehending the increasingly mystical words of the doctor.

"That’s what I’m saying."

Xiao Xiao gazed at him with a touch of pity: "You now don’t even know if you’re awake or asleep... definitely the living dead... so, be clear, young man, don’t be scared by the nightmare of sleep. Raise your head and look around, how beautiful and real the world is!"

Zheng Qing cast a Sobriety Spell on himself first, confirming he wasn’t dreaming.

Then, shaking his head, he snatched the Joy Substance from Xiao Xiao’s hand which had been taken out earlier, tilting his head back to swallow it.

"Psychological massage is useless," he burped, feeling joyful signals spreading from his stomach to limbs, his face involuntarily breaking into a radiant smile: "Magic should play its role at times like this..."

A gust of wind struck from the side.

The young Warlock, agile after just taking a magic potion, darted to the side as a slightly blurred, petite silhouette heavily collided with Xiao Xiao nearby, the two rolling on the grass.

"So soon?!" Zheng Qing muttered, the first reflex in his mind being the devil striking, instinctively drawing the Colt silver python, flicking off the safety.

"No, don’t be excited!" Xiao Xiao lay on the ground, covering his nose, vigorously waving at Zheng Qing: "You go first, you go, this is not your concern..."

"Ah, sorry, sorry!"

The petite silhouette bounced up from the ground instantly, revealing a cute, pretty face, though blushing, anxiously apologizing to the two Warlocks: "I was experimenting with the newly learned ’Wind Spell,’ didn’t control the direction well... Did you bleed? That’s very sorry indeed!"

She seemed to not notice the Charm Gun someone was holding.

Zheng Qing looked at the witch bowing ninety degrees, then at Xiao Xiao still dazed covering his nose, finally shaking his head.

"Then you solve it yourself, I have to go to class... See you!" Before the words fell, he activated the Invisibility Talisman hanging on his belt, rapidly disappearing from the scene.

Faintly in his peripheral hearing came Xiao Xiao’s muffled voice:

"... No problem... you just need to hold this True Word Stone, say ’I didn’t mean to,’ if the stone doesn’t light up, you can leave..."