At eight-thirty that evening, Zheng Qing packed up his books early and left the library.
Xiao Xiao went with him.
The hunting ground Zhang Jixin had applied for was located at the edge of Silent Forest, close to Silent River. By the time they arrived, night had completely fallen. The trees in the distant forest were pitch-black, faintly swaying beneath the moonlight like a host of ghosts dancing under the moon.
The babbling of Silent River drifted through the night wind, adding a touch more chill to the air.
Several light orbs of varying sizes had floated before the two young wizards, swaying and bobbing lightly as they illuminated the way. They had been summoned by Zheng Qing's The Little Stars Shine.
But at one point, the young publicly funded student suddenly put away his spellbook. The light orbs abruptly shattered, turning into clusters of tiny motes that scattered through the lush grass like a swarm of fireflies returning home, weary from flight.
"What are you doing?"
Youzui's diviner found this rather baffling. He took out his own spellbook, intending to cast another Illumination Spell. "We haven't even entered the hunting ground yet... Aren't you afraid there might be a few Red-banded Snakes hiding in the grass ahead?"
Although a bite from a Red-banded Snake would only waste a dose of Detoxifier, spending money and enduring needless pain over trouble that could have been avoided was hardly wise.
Hearing Xiao Xiao's question, Zheng Qing did not explain immediately. He simply pressed down on the other boy's hand as he was about to open his spellbook and whispered urgently, "To hell with the Red-banded Snakes!... You never said she was coming?!"
Before his words had faded, a glimmer of light emerged from behind the trees not far ahead. Then a group