Threat from Star Coin Sequence Seven

It feels good to be praised and complimented.

However, being falsely praised makes one feel uneasy.

Zheng Qing hadn't cast the lightning spell; it was the interviewer, Thomas, who had cast it. The spell hadn't destroyed half the street, it had just made a bit of noise. Most importantly, the so-called powerful suppression talisman was just an ordinary Calming Talisman, and the Pig Demon had fallen asleep under its effect.

Zheng Qing looked up, his face flushed red.

He didn't know if his face was red from coughing or from the unease caused by the false praise.

He let out a heavy breath and decided to turn around and chat with the people at the next table about what had happened at Daming Market, to prevent rumors from spreading.

Across from him, Xiao Xiao was sipping his juice in small sips, his eyes narrowed, listening intently to the conversation at the other table.

Seeing that the topic was going off track again, the curly-haired dog grew anxious. He coughed heavily, interrupting the others' discussion about scholarship students, and asked in a very serious tone, "Do you know who that Wild Demon at Daming Market was?"

The next table fell silent.

Zheng Qing abandoned his intention to explain immediately and pricked up his ears curiously.

He knew that the Pig Demon had originally been a fat man with three chins, because he had interacted with both the Pig Demon and the fat man.

What did these unfamiliar Wizards know?

"Who was it?" the people at the next table couldn't help but urge him on.

"I won't tell you the name, you guess first," the curly-haired dog said mysteriously, selling the suspense. "He's a scholarship student from Alpha, ranked seventh in Star Coin; he's the vice-chairman of the Alpha Student Union and also has a club under his name; the hunting team he formed is ranked seventeenth in the entire university."

A gasp came from the next table, clearly his companions had already guessed who this male student was.

Zheng Qing looked bewildered.

This riddle didn't seem to be about the fat pig, but about the fat pig's brother.

He remembered that the fat man with three chins had boasted to him that his brother was also a scholarship student at First University, and moreover, a senior scholarship student. But the fat man had never revealed his brother's name.

"Impossible!" a voice behind him suddenly rose. "I saw him at Jinling Market yesterday morning, how could he have become a Wild Demon a month ago?"

"It's ridiculous, how could someone ranked seventh in Star Coin only transform into a Wild Demon?" another voice objected.

"I didn't say he was the Wild Demon at Daming Market, I haven't finished speaking," the curly-haired dog finally stopped playing coy and lowered his voice. "The Wild Demon at Daming Market was his younger brother, his own brother, his full brother!"

The table was filled with understanding.

Then, sighs of "tsk tsk" came from the next table, with various words of emotion and pity pouring out of their mouths.

Zheng Qing stirred his corn chowder in front of him fiercely, as if stirring his own brains.

This is information asymmetry! he thought indignantly. If I knew more about the school, I would definitely know who that guy was.

The Wizards at the next table had finished their meal and were preparing to return to their cabins.

As they got up, they continued their discussion.

"I heard he's going to seek justice for his brother."

"Seek justice from whom?"

"Who else could it be?" one voice scoffed. "The Four Seasons Market management committee has nothing to do with this; Trident Sword did catch the Wild Demon, but they were purely on official duty, and he probably doesn't have the guts or the means to provoke Trident Sword."

"So he can only go after that freshman," another voice said with a hint of schadenfreude. "A freshman from Jiuyou who likes to show off so much, not knowing how to keep a low profile. He's just being used as a punching bag."

"After all, they're from the same academy. We might not be able to stay out of it when the time comes."

"That's right, if people from Alpha come to cause trouble in Jiuyou, the seniors will definitely go ballistic."

The curly-haired dog and his companions chatted about gossip as they leisurely left the restaurant.

Behind them, Zheng Qing stared blankly at the mashed potatoes on his plate, looking troubled.

Li Meng's cousin, the fat man's brother.

Before even entering the school, he had to face two very real threats and also figure out how to earn a living. Why was going to school so difficult?

He turned his head and happened to see the young monk Shi Yuan putting down his chopsticks.

The white rice and the small plate of green vegetables were eaten clean.

"Are you taking vows?" Looking at the simple and austere young monk, Zheng Qing felt that he shouldn't have so many worries.

"No, I get motion sickness," the young monk shook his head, his face full of pain.

Li Meng chuckled opposite him.

Zheng Qing pretended not to see and nudged Xiao Xiao beside him:

"I understood most of the words they were using in their conversation just now. Only 'Star Coin Sequence' I didn't understand at all. Can you explain it to me?"

"To explain 'Star Coin Sequence', we have to go a bit further back," Xiao Xiao tapped the empty glass in front of him and looked around. "Where did those little Elves go?"

Zheng Qing also looked up to search. Indeed, those little Elves that had been flying around the restaurant had all disappeared.

"They also need to eat and rest," Zheng Qing impatiently grabbed his cup and asked, "Is it still orange juice?"

Xiao Xiao nodded demurely.

"I want Green Bee!" Li Meng called out again from the side.

"Minors are not allowed to drink alcohol," Zheng Qing flatly refused.

When he returned to the dining table with two glasses of orange juice, Xiao Xiao had already taken out his thick, black-covered notebook and begun to slowly flip through it.

"One hundred years ago, Mackie Wood, the student council president of First University, founded the First University Comprehensive Rating Society—the Wand."

"Every year on January 1st, New Year's Day, the Wand releases a rating report called 'Arcana.' This report includes twenty-two individuals who have had a significant impact on First University during the year—they are known as the 'Major Arcana'; and fifty-six individuals who have had a unique influence on the four colleges during the year—they are known as the 'Minor Arcana.'"

"These individuals include, but are not limited to, the school's professors, lecturers, janitors, and students."

"How does the Wand compile this report?" Zheng Qing couldn't help but ask. "Does a report issued by a student organization have any authority?"

"I know about this," Li Meng said, raising her hand very eagerly. "I heard my grandfather, my father, and my brother all say that anyone listed in 'Arcana' by the Wand, whether a professor or a student, has achieved something outstanding and remarkable. The Beta Town Post has exclusive reprint rights for this report, so the January 2nd issue of the Post will have a special supplement dedicated to publishing this report; it's said that this report is also used as supplementary material in the Wizard Alliance's rank assessment meetings."

Zheng Qing nodded noncommittally. Li Meng's words still left him with a sense of awe without full understanding.

"Students who make this list will receive corresponding academic credits as a reward," Xiao Xiao added.

Zheng Qing immediately gained a more intuitive understanding of the report's authority.