What had earned Professor Yi's remark of "so bright" was naturally not the little fireball that had burst from the Paper Crane.
It was the thread of fate connected to the sheet of letter paper.
While the Divination professor stared at that thread and rapidly calculated in his mind, Old Yao had already finished reading the letter. With his pipe clenched between his teeth, he tucked it into his robes.
"Something happened at the school?" Professor Yi asked casually, his vacant gaze fixed on the distance. For him, this was hardly difficult; a single glance told him where the far end of that "very bright" thread was attached.
"Mm." Old Yao took a draw on his pipe and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. His brows were tightly knitted, and he looked weighed down with worry. "According to our earlier calculations, the Xuanhuang Fruit should have ripened in another fortnight, so I arranged for Little Su to help watch the place for the time being..."
"Which Little Su?"
"The one all the boys like."
"Oh."
"...Only it seems the plan couldn't keep pace with events." Professor Yao let out a heavy sigh. "This morning, she was supposed to go to Danhaag for an inquiry meeting, but unexpectedly received an emergency summons from the Black Prison on the way... Then the school was temporarily left without a guardian... And in that brief interval, the Guardian Formation was activated."
"What a coincidence." The vacancy in Professor Yi's gaze gradually faded, and a little life returned to his eyes.
"There are no coincidences under fate." Professor Yao took the pipe from his mouth and tapped it against the wall, knocking the ashes from its bowl before refilling it with apricot-red tobacco. "...But it's all right. The school is more than capable of protecting