Being praised and complimented felt good.
But being falsely praised was unsettling.
Zheng Qing had not cast the lightning spell; it had been cast by the interviewer, Thomas. The spell had not destroyed half a street either—it had merely made a bit too much noise. Most importantly, that supposedly powerful Suppression Talisman had only been an ordinary Calming Talisman. The pig demon had simply fallen asleep under its effects.
Zheng Qing raised his head, his face flushed bright red.
Even he did not know whether he was red from coughing or because those exaggerated compliments had made him uneasy.
He let out a heavy breath, intending to turn around and have a proper talk with the people at the next table about what had happened at Daming Market, lest the rumors spread everywhere.
Across from him, Xiao Xiao was sipping juice in small mouthfuls, eyes narrowed as he listened intently to the conversation at the other table.
Seeing the topic going off track again, Curly Haired Dog grew anxious. He coughed heavily several times, interrupting the others' discussion of scholarship students, then asked in an extremely solemn tone, "Do you know who that wild demon at Daming Market was?"
The neighboring table immediately fell silent.
Zheng Qing gave up on explaining himself for the moment and pricked up his ears curiously.
He knew that pig demon had originally been a fat man with three chins, because he had dealt with both the pig demon and the fat man.
But what did these unfamiliar wizards know?
"Who was it?" someone at the next table urged impatiently.
"I won't say his name. Guess first." Curly Haired Dog played it mysterious. "He was an Alpha scholarship student, ranked seventh in the Coin Sequence. He was vice president of the Alpha Student Union and had a club under his name. The hunting team he formed ranked seventeenth in the entire university."
A chorus of sharp breaths came from the table. Clearly, his companions had already guessed who the young man was.
Zheng Qing looked utterly baffled.
This riddle did not sound as though it was about that dead fat man, but rather the fat man's older brother.
He remembered that the fat man with three chins had once bragged that his older brother was also a scholarship student at First University, and even an upperclassman. But the fat man had never revealed his brother's name.
"Impossible!" A voice from the table behind him suddenly rose. "I saw him at Jinling Market yesterday morning. How could he have turned into a wild demon a month ago?"
"That's ridiculous. How could someone ranked seventh in the Coin Sequence turn into nothing more than a wild demon?" another voice objected.
"I never said he was the wild demon at Daming Market. I wasn't finished." Curly Haired Dog finally stopped being cryptic and lowered his voice. "The wild demon at Daming Market was his younger brother—his full brother, born to the same father and mother!"
A wave of realization swept across the table.
Then a series of sighs and tongue-clicks came from next door, with all manner of lamentations and regrets spilling endlessly from their mouths.
Zheng Qing viciously stirred the cream of corn soup in front of him, as though he were stirring his own brains.
This was information asymmetry! he thought indignantly. If I knew more about the school, I would definitely know who that guy was too.
The wizards at the next table had finished eating and were preparing to return to their cabins.
As they got up, they continued discussing the matter.
"I heard he wants to seek justice for his younger brother."
"From whom?"
"Who else?" one voice sneered. "Four Seasons Market's Management Committee had nothing to do with this in the first place. Trident Sword did capture the wild demon, but they were only doing their job. Besides, he probably doesn't have the nerve or influence to provoke Trident Sword."
"So he can only go after that first-year student." Another voice sounded faintly gleeful. "A Jiuyou freshman who loves showing off so much and doesn't understand the slightest thing about keeping a low profile. Perfect for him to take his anger out on."
"They're from the same academy, after all. When the time comes, we probably won't be able to stay out of it."
"That's right. If Alpha people come to Jiuyou to make trouble, those upperclassmen will definitely bristle."
Curly Haired Dog and his companions chatted idly about gossip as they leisurely left the dining hall.
Behind them, Zheng Qing stared blankly at the mashed potatoes on his plate, his face full of distress.
Li Meng's cousin. The fat man's older brother.
Before he had even entered school, he already had to face two very real threats and find a way to earn living expenses. He was only going to school—why was it so hard?
Turning his head, he happened to see the little monk Shi Yuan put down his chopsticks.
The white rice and small plate of greens had been eaten clean.
"Have you taken vows?" Seeing the austere little monk, Zheng Qing suddenly felt that he should not have so many troubles.
"No, this humble monk gets airsick." The little monk shook his head, his face full of misery.
Li Meng giggled from across the table.
Zheng Qing pretended not to see it and nudged Xiao Xiao beside him.
"I understood most of the terms they used just now. But there was one thing—this 'Coin Sequence'—that I didn't understand at all. Explain it to me."
"To explain the Coin Sequence, we'll have to go a little farther back." Xiao Xiao tapped the empty cup beside his hand and looked around. "Where did those little sprites go?"
Zheng Qing also looked up. Sure enough, the little sprites that had originally been flying all around the dining hall had vanished.
"They need to eat and rest too." Impatiently, Zheng Qing snatched his cup away and asked, "Orange juice again?"
Xiao Xiao nodded with reserved dignity.
"I want Green Bee!" Li Meng cried from the side again.
"Minors aren't allowed to drink alcohol." Zheng Qing refused decisively.
When he returned to the table carrying two glasses of orange juice, Xiao Xiao had already taken out his thick black-covered notebook and begun slowly flipping through it.
"A hundred years ago, Mackie Wood, the Student Union President of First University, founded First University's comprehensive rating society—the Wand."
"Every January 1st, on New Year's Day, the Wand released a rating report called Arcana. This report included twenty-two figures who had exerted significant influence on First University during the year—they were called the Major Arcana—as well as fifty-six figures who had held unique influence over the four academies during the year—they were called the Minor Arcana."
"These figures included, but were not limited to, the school's professors, lecturers, staff, and students."
"What does the Wand use to produce this report?" Zheng Qing could not help asking. "Does a report issued by a student organization really carry any authority?"
"I know about this." Li Meng eagerly raised her hand and answered, "I heard my grandfather, my father, and my older brother all say that being included in Arcana by the Wand was an exceptionally outstanding and remarkable achievement, whether for professors or students. The Beta Town Post has exclusive reprint rights for this report, so every January 2nd, the paper releases an extra special edition devoted specifically to publishing it. I heard this report is even submitted as supporting material during the Wizard Alliance's rank review meetings."
Zheng Qing nodded noncommittally. Li Meng's words still made it sound impressive despite his not fully understanding it.
"Students who make this list receive corresponding credit rewards from the school," Xiao Xiao added.
Zheng Qing immediately gained a more intuitive understanding of the report's authority.
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