Whether he watched others burn him or burned himself, it was a thoroughly novel experience. For a moment, Zheng Qing felt a certain kinship with those ancient wizards who had deliberately let themselves be caught so they could enjoy a bath of flames.
So he had originally intended to watch the entire parade.
But as he shot Fatty Xin a vicious glare, he happened to glimpse a familiar mask—a wizard wearing a Crow Mask slipped past the corner of his eye and disappeared into the dark woods beside the road.
Black Cat abruptly rose, his amber pupils gleaming in the firelight. The mask had vanished so quickly that he had not seen its number, but its appearance was unmistakable. It belonged to the crows who had appeared at the School Hunt Competition.
"What is it?" The wizard wearing the White Mask glanced at Black Cat.
"Shh! Not a sound!"
Black Cat hissed for silence. Like a cat that had spotted a mouse, he crouched low, clambered nimbly along the thick branches on either side of the road, and leaped after the wizard without a sound.
The Sin Eater chuckled softly, twisted, and turned into a streak of shadow, vanishing as well.
Most of the wizards hiding in the trees to "join the parade" had gathered among the branches on either side of the road. Once Black Cat passed beyond the roadside trees and deeper into the woods, his surroundings soon grew quiet. The lush foliage formed layer upon layer of dark green barriers, shutting out the parade's clamor and shouting. Before long, those sounds grew as indistinct as distant wisps of cloud and mist.
Without human voices intruding, the stillness of the night spread around him.
The gentle night breeze, the rustling leaves, the meek chirping of insects, and the