After sitting long, the lamp burned low; I rose to see the Northern Dipper slanting.
Children fought off sleep, keeping vigil amid the night's cheerful clamor.
Wizards' New Year's Eve vigil rituals were much the same as those of ordinary people.
The "great similarity" lay in lighting the New Year Fire, with the whole family sitting together and keeping vigil through the night until dawn. The entire process was almost identical to the ancient customs of ordinary people. The "minor difference" was that wizards' New Year Fire could truly ward off evil and plague, while Nian Beasts were real magical monsters.
Of course, in modern times—especially in places like Puji Island, where wizards gathered—so-called Nian Beasts were merely Magical Creatures with strange habits. Many wizards even specifically waited in the wilderness or by lakes and seas, hoping to catch a glimpse of these extremely rare legendary Magical Creatures.
It was Zheng Qing's first time celebrating the New Year in the Wizarding World, so he could not help feeling a trace of curiosity.
After coming to the Wizarding World, if he had any childhood wishes, then aside from a little mermaid he could keep in a bathtub, there was probably the "Nian Beast."
He had always been very curious about what this legendary monster looked like. Though the School Library had pictures of them, as the saying went, "What one learns from books always feels shallow in the end." The descriptions in books were still separated by a sheet of paper, leaving him somewhat unsatisfied.
But considering he had just been attacked by crows, had yet to sort out the aftereffects lingering in his body, and had spent the night crushing cups and plates, collapsing tables and chairs, and causing one accident after another, the young publicly funded student wisely made