Chapter 55 - Four Colleges
Chapter 55 of "High School of Demon Hunting" kicks off with thrilling moments: âDonât display your ignorance at this time.â Seeing Zheng Qingâs puzzled look, Xiao Xiao lowered... Read more!
âDonât display your ignorance at this time.â Seeing Zheng Qingâs puzzled look, Xiao Xiao lowered her eyelids and returned her gaze to her notebook.
âTo know what you know and to not know what you donât, is knowledge!â Zheng Qing retorted quickly.
âBut in front of other academies, you must learn to uphold the honor of our academy.â A stern voice came from the side as a thin, red-robed veteran student approached.
His sleeves and collar had a black border, signifying that he was a second-year veteran student.
At the first university, with each year of progression, a black border is added to the collar and sleeves, marking their approach to becoming a registered wizard in a black gown.
The surrounding freshmen looked at this senior student with awe.
âDonât be too restrained, but be mindful of your image and formation.â The veteran student looked at them, earnestly reminding them, âIn front of other academies, you all represent Jiuyou.
Each of you is Jiuyou Academy.
We can show our ignorance before our own, but donât flaunt our humility before those guys.â
Zheng Qing clamped his mouth shut, resisting the urge to retort.
Silence is golden, silence is golden.
He turned his gaze elsewhere.
In the square, the four teams of freshmen were clearly delineated.
Jiuyou Academyâs red robes and Starry Sky Academyâs blue robes were on the left side of the stone gate; Alphaâs white robes and Atlasâs yellow robes were on the right side.
There were no trees around the square, after the students landed, the clouds in the sky also vanished.
The scorching sun unabashedly poured upon the white jade ground, the freshmenâs already dry collars gradually dampening with sweat.
The senior students hadnât fully entered the stone gate, so the freshmen had to wait patiently under the blazing sun.
This struck Zheng Qing as odd.
He thought that after what happened on the private plane, the school would do more to reassure the freshmen.
Forget mental comfort, they should at least allow people to rest earlier.
But it seemed no one mentioned this.
The line to get inside was inching forward at an unbearably slow pace.
When he snapped out of his thoughts, the somewhat arrogant veteran student had already left.
Xiao Xiao was holding her notebook, explaining the features of several academies to a few surrounding freshmen.
Li Meng was propping her chin, lazily playing with Poseidon while sitting on her suitcase.
Little Fox hid in a shadow cast by a few freshmen, sprawled out with his eyes discreet, turning a blind eye to the foxtail grass in Li Mengâs hand, only occasionally wagging his tail to show that he was still alive.
âAlpha students, theyâre all self-righteous assholes.
Many of these assholes are heirs of millennia-old clans, incredibly well-versed in noble tactics.
They enjoy veiled threats and posturing, but most of them are just paper tigers.â Xiao Xiao spoke sharply, almost as if she was a different person.
Zheng Qing glanced at the white-robed crowd in front of the right gate.
At least superficially, these Alpha students didnât seem to be bad, on the contrary, they stood out among students from all academies with their appearance.
Handsome men and beautiful women, elegant in manner, composed in demeanor, maintaining high decorum even under the scorching sun.
âAtlas Academyâs yellow robes, however, are different from Alphaâs white ones.
If Alpha values the purity of bloodlines, then Atlas advocates purity of spirit.
This academy is full of fanatics of religions like Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Christianity, Eastern Orthodoxy, Shamanism, etc.
Theyâre all a bunch of lunatics.â
This statement was also quite harsh, Zheng Qing held back his laughter, recalling his teacherâs words ânever argue right or wrong with religious fanaticsâ, he agreed and nodded seriously.
Not far from them, Atlas Academyâs students were in groups of two or three, their expressions solemn, dignified demeanor, neither whispering nor chumming around, waiting quietly under the sun.
Next to them were Alphaâs noble-like academy students, making Jiuyou Academy and Starry Sky academyâs freshmen look disorganized by comparison.
âThe blue-robed Starry Sky Academy, it doesnât match the elegance and tranquility of this color at all.
This academy is full of fighters.
Small battles every three days, large battles every five, utterly barbaric.
If there comes a day when the infirmary of Starry Sky Academy doesnât receive a patient, it means everyone is already at the hospital.â
It seemed that Xiao Xiaoâs evaluation of the other academies was quite sharp.
But it must be said, these evaluations do have a sharp, penetrating touch to them.
Zheng Qing recalled his interviewer, Thomas, who used the Thunder Curse unrestrained on the streets of the Great Ming Pavilion and couldnât help but sigh.
He saw a few restless freshers in the blue team next to him, lifting their blue robes, ready to take action.
âI always feel that the red robes of our Academy should be swapped with the starry sky blue robes.
Donât you think the explosive vibe of the red robes fits those savages who only have muscles in their brains better?â Li Meng tossed away the foxtail grass in his hand, dragging his suitcase next to him, and grumbled, âBlue robes look so pretty, unlike these red robes, which look silly.â
She shook her somewhat oversized red robe, looking rather unhappy.
The corner of the robe fluttered, stirring up a small gust of wind.
Poseidon, amused, moved closer, and then rolled out with a dusty face amid Li Mengâs screams.
Zheng Qing pretended not to know the little wretch.
He turned his head, looked at Xiao Xiao, and changed the subject, âI remember the interviewer said something different to you.
He said Alpha values talent, Atlas values belief, etc.â
âPrecisely because the way students are admitted is different, it results in differences among the students,â Xiao Xiao said, slapping his notebook with utmost seriousness.
âAlpha screens students with talent, but most talents are subtly transformed over a long period of time.
This leads to many talented students being born into wizard families, making Alpha Academy synonymous with wizard families.â
âSimilarly, Atlas values faith.
Who has the purest and most steadfast faith?
Only those devout religious believers.
Atlas Academyâs class divisions are different from ours, they divide classes based on faith.
Like the Mahayana Buddhism class, Theravada Buddhism class, Tibetan Buddhism class, etc.
Atlas has the most classes among all academies.â
âWhat about us?
Whatâs special about our Academy?
I remember our Academy emphasizes examinations!â Zheng Qing asked eagerly.
The few red-robed students gathered around also urged impatiently.
âA group of scholars, what else can be special.â Xiao Xiao said with a straight face.
In anticipation of the Academy and setting high expectations for himself, Zheng Qing immediately showed extreme dissatisfaction with this answer.
No one likes being belittled.
Unless theyâre a masochist.
Xiao Xiao continued to critique Jiuyou in the same tone he used to evaluate other academies, âThose without an entrance ticket need to take an exam to gain entry.
Those aristocratic disciples have their parents to guide them, those religious believers have their seniors to guide them, and those battle fanatics stake their lives to make it in.
And us?
If we donât demonstrate our worth through examinations, who will care!â
âWhy would fate favor you in such a vast world!â
âTherefore, the journey of life is tough, gentlemen strive to improve themselves ceaselessly.â A tall male student nearby disagreed and joined in.
He stretched out his hand, smiled at both of them and said, âLevel 08 of Jiuyou Academy, Tang Dun.â
âZheng Qing.â Zheng Qing nodded, extending his hand in a friendly manner.
He remembered this male student.
After the tall silver-haired elder in a black robe left, the freshers on the square fell into a quite chaotic situation.
This male student actively organized the freshmen to line up in sequence, demonstrating good leadership.
âNo discrimination against those without a noble lineage, but there are many great and magical inheritances; no rigid shackles, but spiritual freedom and independence; no violent oppression, everywhere is filled with spiritual energy, passion and dreams.â Tang Dun pointed to the teams not far away, waving his hand energetically, âTo be precise, ours is a great academy.â
Xiao Xiao closed his notebook, not bothering to refute.
âWell said.â Zheng Qing pondered over Tang Dunâs words, âBut the features donât seem to stand out.
Those traits seem to fit into any other academy.
Why not just distribute us directly into other academies?â
âBecause of pride.â Tang Dunâs voice was very low, âThe pride that flows in our blood, the pride buried in our hearts, the pride seared deep into our souls.â
âPride?â Zheng Qing mulled over the word again, looking perplexed.
The other students around also fell silent.