High School of Demon Hunting
Chapter 179 - 103 Hundred Herb Gardens_1

Chapter 179: Chapter 103 Hundred Herb Gardens_1

Leaving the still-rumbling experimental building, the freshmen walked down a quiet long corridor around Lin Zhong Lake and led by Professor Li Qihuang to the backyard of the academy. They stopped in front of a small two-story detached building.

The professor asked the students to wait for a moment while he went straight into the building.

When Professor Li re-emerged from the building, the black professor’s gown he had been wearing was gone. Instead, he was wearing a grey short-sleeved shirt, similar to that worn by school workers but slightly different in style.

He wore a large brimmed straw hat, held a long-mouthed brass spray pot in one hand, and a wooden long handled pointed shovel in the other, looking like a farmer.

"This is the botanical garden of Jiuyou Academy, and one of the largest spiritual gardens in the world." Professor Li held the shovel, his originally hunched figure suddenly appearing much straighter. He then waved the brass spray pot in his hand and added: "This is the fascinating part of potion studies I had mentioned earlier — the magical world of plants."

"Here we not only have amazing tonic medicines such as the Fuligo of Clam Shell, the Century Polygonatum, the Thousand Year-old Ginseng Child, the Snow Lotus from the Iceberg and Dendrobium, but also Red Flower Weed which can poison fish; the Yellow Bark Tree,which can be eaten without bloating; the Shrub Grass, which has white flowers and black fruits, looks like a leek, and can not only cure carbuncle but also dispel illusion techniques, etc."

"Today, I will guide you through the garden’s splendor."

"Before entering the garden, I need to remind you, do not touch any plant in the garden without permission, whether you think it’s a beneficial grass or a harmful tree, or even if you see a man-eating flower swallowing a stray Ginseng Child, and can’t help your foolish sense of justice."

"Do not touch any plants."

"Perhaps the plant you touch will wither due to external stimulus... At that point, you won’t be able to settle the matter with a few jade coins."

Professor Li raised his voice, warning everyone solemnly.

The students nodded obediently, hurriedly noting down the details the professor had mentioned.

"Excellent. Lastly, put away your textbooks, notebooks, and even stationary before entering the garden. Just bring your ears and eyes and take notes after leaving the garden."

Zheng Qing froze, stuffing his stationary into his grey cloth bag with disappointment and looking around nervously.

Without his pen and paper, a scholar is as insecure as a swordsman without his sword.

"Hurry up, pull yourself together." Xin Fat Man pulled the daydreaming free student and followed the professor.

Zheng Qing revived, immediately perking up, and hurriedly followed along with the other students.

In Jiuyou Academy, every school has its own botanical garden for cultivating magical plants commonly used in teaching.

At the beginning of their enrollment, Nicholas had brought Zheng Qing here, but they had only passed by the entrance, gaining a cursory understanding of the place.

Turning around the small building, they came upon a thin and crumbling arched gate with a dark wooden sign hanging above, painted with the words "Hundred Herb Garden" in green paint.

Mysterious symbols were carved into the stone slabs on the walls on either side of the gate. The symbols were hollow, through which the lush vegetation in the garden could be seen.

"I thought the school would at least cover the botanical garden with a glass dome." Zheng Qing looked at the plants inside the garden through the cracks on the wall and couldn’t help but say to Xiao Xiao, "I didn’t expect it to be merely protected by this simple rundown wall."

Xiao Xiao, without his notebook in his arms, was much more irritable.

He raised his eyes to look at Zheng Qing, didn’t say a word, but his gaze clearly expressed his contempt.

Zhang Ji Xin stood by, perfectly explaining Watermelon Head’s scorn: "Don’t underestimate this broken wall. When I came to get a task a few days ago, Uncle Sistanda warned us not to casually stick our hands into those crevices on the wall, it could kill."

Zheng Qing was startled.

He just remembered that the punishment task Zhang Ji Xin received from the school labor committee was to do odd jobs in the botanical garden. This made the words from his mouth suddenly more credible.

The surrounding students seemingly realized this and crowded over, asking Zhang Ji Xin about the happenings in the garden.

"Did somebody really die? When did it happen, how many people died? Was it due to poisoning or because they were killed by the protection magic in the garden?" Duan Xiao Jian enthusiastically inquired about the deaths.

"Have you been in the garden? How big is it inside? I heard that you have to be checked before entering and leaving the garden. Is that true?" Another female student nervously asked this rather awkward question.

"Who’s Uncle Sistanda?" Zheng Qing also curiously joined in.

Zhang Ji Xin didn’t expect his classmates to have such a strong curiosity. After a moment, he somewhat managed to organize his thoughts and chose a few questions to answer:

"Uncle Sistanda is the custodian of Hundred Herb Gardens, like Old Man Hemingway, they’re both senior staff."

Zheng Qing responded: "Uncle Sistanda didn’t tell us in detail about the deaths in the garden. After all, it’s not a good thing to start with. However, he mentioned that this wall is imbued with a very powerful curse, connected to Jiuyou Academy’s Protection Array. Any unauthorized invasion will be met with a full blow from the academy’s Protection Array."

Zheng Qing originally stood by the entrance, carefully touching the gray peeling paint on the wall. Peering through the gaps in the wall, he ardently watched a red plant in the garden that was running in circles around the field. He was eager to replace the short, fat old man following behind the plant, holding his waist and stamping his foot.

Hearing what Zhang Ji Xin had to say suddenly startled him, making him backpedal in fright and almost tripping over.

This scene causes a few of his peers to burst into fits of laughter.

"Don’t worry, as long as you don’t have ill intentions, you’ll be safe." Zhang Ji Xin reassuringly helped him.

"Who will judge whether I have ill intentions or not?" Zheng Qing stood upright with a flushed face and retorted, "I won’t trust my life to a botanical garden."

"Very wise." A cold female voice chimed into their conversation.

Zheng Qing turned his head, it was Jiang Yu.

She sternly looked at the few students huddled near the courtyard wall, dissatisfaction in her voice: "This is one of the school’s important areas. Nothing could be too cautious...You guys are too rash."

Without waiting for the others to reply, she continued: "Quickly go over there, Professor Li is distributing safety suits... If you’re late, there might not be any that fit."

After she spoke, she didn’t wait for them to respond and hurriedly waved over another group of students.

"Protective suits?" Following Zhang Ji Xin, Zheng Qing headed towards Professor Li, asking curiously.

"Oh! I almost forgot." Zhang Ji Xin annoyingly said, "Entering the garden doesn’t require a body search, but you do need to put on protective clothing. It’s partly to protect the plants in the garden, and in part to protect ourselves."

"These protective suits are all standard models, they have every type, but the quantity is limited. We have a lot of people here today, if we’re late, we might not be able to pick suitable clothing."