High School of Demon Hunting
Chapter 864 - 212: The Principles of Conducting Oneself in Society

Chapter 864: Chapter 212: The Principles of Conducting Oneself in Society

On Friday night, which was two days ago, Li Meng had invited a few acquaintances to Greenhill Mansion to help a little maid named Su Ya collect and organize pumpkins.

Worried about his companions noticing the relationship between him and Su Shijun, the guilt-ridden cost student tried to escape the day’s work by feigning "eye disease." Thus, he sent Professor Yao a Paper Crane, falsely claiming his eyes were uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, Old Yao was not at school at the time, resulting in the failure of his plan.

Luckily, in the end, the young wizard managed to leave the classroom early, thanks to Old Yao’s reply, and ultimately escaped disaster with the help of a Transformation Potion.

Now, with Professor Yao standing before him, bringing up the past, the warlock couldn’t help but feel guilty.

"Oh, that day... it’s fine, it’s all right now. I got some sand in my eye that day, and I overreacted a bit," Zheng Qing blinked, the lies spilling out smoothly, attempting to bluff his way out: "Later I washed it with eye drops, and then it was all right."

The excuse was sufficient and smooth. The only mistake was that he seemed to have forgotten that he was standing in front of a Big Wizard.

Moreover, a Big Wizard deeply skilled in subjects like curses, divination, healing, and more.

Although Professor Yao wouldn’t casually use mind-reading or soul-fetching magic on his students, it did not mean that the old professor couldn’t see the guilt fleeting across the young cost student’s face.

Lying in front of Old Yao was indeed not a wise move.

The Professor, holding a Feather Pen in one hand and resting the other on the papers on the lectern, stared at the young cost student, and his brows gradually furrowed.

Gazing intently until the young wizard felt uneasy and started to feel a chill, the professor finally spoke slowly:

"I do not recall ever teaching you to lie... You come to First University to learn how to wield various magic skills, to understand the principles of human conduct, to learn how to stay true to yourself on the path of seeking truth."

"Not to learn how to tell lies."

"Do you remember what I said at the start of the semester? The longer you’re exposed to magic, you’ll find that losing oneself is the most terrifying thing in the world. If you lose yourself, what else is left of ’you’?"

"It’s like navigating a desolate narrow path, with muddy swamps on either side. If you follow this winding path closely, naturally you won’t make a mistake; however, if you decide to take a shortcut through the mud to save trouble, inevitable is the mud that clings to your shoes... Worse still, you could fall into a pit, or be consumed by the swamp."

"In a moment of thought, there is gain and loss; within choices lies great terror."

"You stand here, do not go back, think clearly before you speak."

After saying this, he paid no further attention to Zheng Qing, leaving him foolishly standing to one side lost in thought. Old Yao then directly removed the barrier, called over a few students waiting outside, eager for consultation about exam questions, and began cordially explaining various key points and difficulties.

The witches sitting in the front row threw curious glances at Zheng Qing, with Li Meng even in the mood to pull a face at him; while the companions sitting in the back corner just glanced up at the warlock still standing by the lectern, and seeing he hadn’t returned, lowered their heads and resumed whispering amongst themselves.

No one realised Zheng Qing was being punished to stand.

He seemed more like he was standing next to the professor, listening intently to the explanation of queries.

The young cost student stood there, his complexion turning pale and then flush, his emotions a tumult like a spilled condiment, sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty all mixed together.

It was only at this moment that he suddenly realized he had somehow become accustomed to telling lies.

From childhood to adulthood, whether it was his family or Mr. Wu, they all taught Zheng Qing to be honest and diligent. Because his sphere of activities was limited back then and he lived under their watch every day, Zheng Qing had always been well-behaved and obedient.

But when he traveled alone overseas and entered into the unfamiliar Wizard University, the sudden relaxation in his living environment and his desire to escape or find shortcuts when encountering difficulties inadvertently led him to pick up the habit of lying.

To friends, teachers, classmates, and even to cats, mice, and parrots, when he thought about it carefully, it seemed that Zheng Qing had told them lies to varying degrees. Some were deliberate, as he wanted to take shortcuts to achieve his goals; some were due to the restrictions of the Silence Contract, preventing him from telling the truth; but many were unintentional, and he made silly mistakes without realizing it.

That was terrifying.

Sentences like "Do not do evil, however slight," "A dike’s collapse starts with an ant hole," "A great tree grows from a tiny sprout," and so on swirled in his mind, intermixed with the terrifying things Old Yao had once said about ’being lost in delusion,’ which made him even more uneasy.

It did not take Old Yao long to discuss the topic with others, but for Zheng Qing, this short period of time was excruciatingly painful, even more so than the entire meeting he had attended that evening.

When the professor turned his head and looked back at the young cost student, Zheng Qing was ready to confess everything to Old Yao.

But the professor waved his hand, stopping him.

"You still don’t understand," he said seriously, shaking his head as he looked at the warlock, "I’m not forcing you to confess secrets that you don’t want to, or shouldn’t say. That would be unreasonable and impractical."

"Is the world just black and white, and the speech only true or false? I’m not saying you can never tell a lie, nor am I saying you should always tell the truth, regardless of the circumstances. That’s not magic."

"You are no longer a child. You should know what should be done and what should not be done."

Zheng Qing thought he had a clear understanding, but after hearing Old Yao’s words, he became somewhat confused again—was he supposed to tell a small lie, or the truth, or use some kind of magical method?

"So, do I say it or not?" he hesitated, attempting to ask, "Is it okay not to say it?"

"If you don’t intend to tell me the truth, how should you have answered my original question?" The professor did not give him a definitive answer, but countered with a question of his own.

Zheng Qing thought for a few seconds.

"Sorry, sir, I don’t know about that matter," he sincerely looked at Old Yao.

Old Yao nodded in satisfaction, his countenance finally becoming somewhat more genial:

"Avoidance is not the solution, but it is certainly much better than telling lies... You are now standing with one foot on a narrow path and the other foot hanging over a swamp. Where you decide to step determines how solid the ground beneath your feet will be."

"Let me ask again."

"On Friday, you told me the Flying Crane had an eye discomfort, how is it now?"

"It has been taken care of, Professor," the young cost student answered honestly.

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