A pale blue spell-light swept past.
Several invisible pairs of scissors seemed to appear in the air. Before Zheng Qing's academy robe could hit the ground, it turned into pieces of cloth of varying sizes amid a string of dense, crisp snips. Then dozens of thin rays of light darted up and down, stitching them into wizard hats of various sizes in moments.
Xiao Xiao flicked his hand, and the little red hats landed neatly in his companions' hands.
Zheng Qing examined the finished product in his hand. The stitches were crooked, like ants had crawled across them, a stark contrast to the dazzling magical display from before.
It was clear that magic depended on the mind; knowing an incantation did not mean one could cast it perfectly.
"Throw them to those 'Red-hatted Shan Xiao,' and we should be able to send these uninvited guests away."
The You Zui diviner adjusted his glasses and lowered his head again to the rows of Counting Rods in the snow. His brows were tightly furrowed, as though he had noticed some incomprehensible changes.
Weighing a little red hat in his hand, Zheng Qing hesitated. Instead of casually tossing it out like the Fat Wizard, he summoned a vine and carefully hung it from a low branch not far away.
"Hee hee hee~"
Amid hurried laughter, a gray figure sprang from the woods and swayed onto the branch in a few quick movements. It glanced at the young public-funded student, grabbed the Little Red Riding Hood, made a proper hand-over-heart salute, and placed the red hat on its head. In the blink of an eye, the Shan Xiao vanished into the boundless wind and snow.
"Remarkable... It really turns invisible after putting on the hat." Zheng Qing marveled at the sight.
"So