Destiny is a good word.
Because no matter what goes well or poorly for you, blaming fate is never wrong.
But for Zheng Qing, fate feels more like a synonym for misfortune, like the noose on the execution stage, tightening around his neck, refusing to loosen even a bit.
Just like now, that noose tightened a bit more.
The young cost student couldn’t help but tug at his loose collar, feeling a bit suffocated. The mont Jiang Yu read the title of that article, he felt things might go awry. Counting the days, it’s been seven weeks since the "Daily Horn Newspaper" published that report, and he didn’t expect anyone to pay attention to it anymore.
Or rather, anyone to make a fuss about it again.
He thought the storm would have died down with the passage of ti—especially after just experiencing the Winter Hunting, witnessing palm-sized mountains descending from the sky, almost burying his mory of the article deep within his mind—then suddenly, it got ruthlessly dug out again.
No wonder Xin Fat Man called it an ’old news’.
Thinking this, the young cost student couldn’t help but cast another angry glare at the fatty, who shrugged innocently, shoving another sugar-coated sour plum into his mouth.
Jiang Yu’s clear voice reading the newspaper echoed among the four listeners.
Everyone was fully focused and very quiet—only so, like Xiao Xiao, were truly listening carefully to the content of the article; so, like Zhang Ji Xin, were pretending to listen seriously; and so, like Zheng Qing, were listening anxiously, afraid to miss any word.
Only when the witch read the part ntioning a certain unnad source saying ’he is quite flirtatious, having ambiguous relationships with many witches’, did the audience stir a bit uneasy.
A few warlocks cleared their throats simultaneously, with the cost student’s cough being the loudest.
As if a few coughs could erase certain words from the newspaper.
The witch reading the newspaper appeared unfazed, seemingly hearing none of the noise close at hand, continuing to read the newspaper in her hand calmly, making soone increasingly on edge.
A long ti passed.
Once the witch finished reading, Zheng Qing sighed heavily in relief—thankfully, thankfully, the report from Beta Town Post, although carrying its usual cynycism, still retained a certain degree of big newspaper elegance, not carelessly quoting those scalp-tingling rumors—if he had the choice, he definitely wouldn’t have foolishly asked the fatty for that newspaper.
"I didn’t want to beco famous."
After a pause, he dryly spoke, breaking the subtle atmosphere first, looking at the noticeably displeased Xiao Xiao: "Doctor, you know much, do you think I have that so-called..."
He glanced at the newspaper again before rembering the awkward term: "... that histrionic personality disorder?"
Xiao Xiao adjusted his glasses, expressionless: "Hard to say, after all, I’m not a professional, but according to the criteria listed at the end of the article—self-absorption, lack of consideration for others, emotions easily swayed and susceptible to suggestion, shallow thinking, actions and speech appearing naive and juvenile—from so perspective, I feel it matches your condition very well."
Zheng Qing’s mouth twitched slightly, turning to Zhang Ji Xin, switching topics with sincerity: "...Moreover, Elder, I wasn’t aiming to challenge your brother’s status."
Zhang Ji Xin’s brother, Uncle Zhang Zhi, is the current Lei Zhe.
The previously read article ntioned ’so observers believe student Zheng Qing is challenging Lei Zhe’s leadership at Jiuyou Academy’, a notion particularly unsettling for him.
Upon hearing Zheng Qing’s defense, the red-faced male wizard laughed heartily: "Honestly, you don’t need to challenge him. He’ll probably retire next year; you can try succeeding him then... But Doctor, when did you accept Beta Town Post’s ’routine query’? I thought smart people wouldn’t bother with them."
"I didn’t."
Xiao Xiao frowned, glancing at the newspaper in the witch’s hand, simply explaining: "That statent was material submitted by the hunting team during the student board’s moral inquiry before the Winter Hunting... all routine official jargon... the specifically quoted phrase was sothing I complained to the student board while submitting materials, didn’t expect them to overhear and quote it."
"Does the hunting team need to undergo a moral review for Winter Hunting?" Zheng Qing felt he heard such a thing for the first ti.
The short warlock took a deep breath and retorted stiffly: "Do you know the procedures the hunting team must go through for Winter Hunting? How many docunts need to be submitted?"
Zheng Qing was rendered speechless.
Indeed, these clerical tasks were always handled by the doctor before.
He exchanged a furtive glance with Zhang Ji Xin, both lowering their eyelids simultaneously.
"No wonder the Post talks behind your back."
Xin Fat Man licked the sugar off his fingers with sudden realization—he was talking about the ntion of Xiao Xiao and Teacher Sima in the report—then confidently speculated: "The Post surely approached you for interviews, and not just once, but you didn’t agree, so they are gossiping in the report... right?"
"Or perhaps to diminish the persuasion of opposing viewpoints."
Jiang Yu abruptly spoke, pointing at the newspaper to analyze: "Throughout the article, all positive descriptions involving Brother Qing were labeled as ’questionable’, ’accused’, ’widely disputed’, ’unverified’... Conversely, words from those anonymous sources were stated confidently. The doctor said a few nice words about Brother Qing, then the next paragraph they were tagged as ’biased’ and ’unreliable’."
"I’m very familiar with such tricks; indeed it’s the Post’s usual routine." The fat wizard nodded repeatedly.
Xiao Xiao also slightly nodded, acknowledging the witch’s analysis.
Only Zheng Qing, upon hearing those two ’Brother Qing’, felt suddenly startled, forcefully turned his head and pressed the shoulder of the Absolution Hunting Team diviner, striving to maintain a steady voice: "And what about those so-called ’sources’ or ’anonymous critics’, is there any way to divine their identities? Can’t let them spout nonsense unchecked..."
Xiao Xiao hissing slightly through clenched teeth, slowly pried open the young cost student’s fingers one by one.
"Impossible," he spoke truthfully, appearing rather helpless: "Not to ntion their statents are carefully crafted, ambiguous, difficult to legally convict... Just Beta Town Post alone has hundreds of interference spells, protecting their sources... I’m not even a registered wizard yet."
"Are you belittling yourself? Your divination skills are far superior to most registered wizards I know." Jiang Yu spoke again, cheerfully praising the Absolution diviner before shaking the newspaper, glancing at a certain restless warlock beside, slightly emphasizing: "Additionally, there’s one more thing..."
She laid the newspaper flat on the desk, pointed at the last line of the article, seemingly casually inviting Zheng Qing: "...The Baddminton is over for this year... I will take you to Shanglin Garden Spring Hunt next year."
The young cost student looked at her confusedly.
"Beta Town Post is so detestable, actually speaking ill of Teacher Sima." The witch seed to find a very apt reason, expression righteous: "So anything that can embarrass them, we should do!"
"That’s right."
"True."
"Should make them lose face!"
The other three warlocks nodded unanimously in agreent, entirely ignoring soone’s bewildered appearance.
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