Hearsay

Sprites were hailed as one of the greatest creations in the Wizarding World in the past five hundred years.

They freed wizards' hands and served as their assistants. Wizards could use their spare minds and hands for more meaningful things instead of cautiously watching flames or trembling as they held glass vessels.

According to Xiao Xiao's explanation, sprites were magical Alchemical Creatures produced in groups. No two groups of sprites in the world were exactly alike.

Take Seeding Type sprites, for example. While they were still seeds, their grower had to prepare a suitable potion according to their own ideas and intentions. Until they sprouted and matured, those sprites could survive only on those potions.

Their lives were tightly bound to those of wizards. If the wizard who had grown them died, the sprites would also die once their supply of potion was cut off.

Zheng Qing felt that this was deeply unfair.

"They're intelligent beings too. Isn't this against ethics?" Zheng Qing racked his brains, trying to find the right words.

"What is intelligence? What is life? Are they intelligent beings? Whose ethics do they conform to?" Xiao Xiao fired off a string of questions. With each one, he picked a grilled scallop onto his plate.

Zheng Qing was left speechless. He could only silently pick up some squid rings for his own tray.

"This is a very profound philosophical question, and it's hard to explain in just a few words." Xiao Xiao finally picked up a glass of juice, took a sip, and concluded, "But according to the general consensus of the Wizarding World, sprites are Alchemical Products somewhere between intelligence and chaos. They cannot be regarded as intelligent life. Besides, wizards' ethics do not apply to them."

Zheng Qing gloomily ladled himself a bowl of corn chowder.

As he watched the sprites flitting around them, he could not shake the feeling that Xiao Xiao was wrong.

"Over here!" Li Meng waved her little hand from not far away. Having claimed a large table, she called the two of them over.

Little monk Shi Yuan sat quietly beside her. In front of him were only a bowl of white rice and a small plate of boiled bok choy.

Their table stood not far from the enormous floor-to-ceiling window. Sitting there, Zheng Qing could clearly see the rolling sea of clouds and the dazzling sunlight outside.

After setting down his tray, Zheng Qing lazily leaned back against the soft leather sofa.

A strong fragrance rushed over from behind him.

"What's that smell?" He sniffed, feeling that the scent was strangely familiar.

"Curly Haired Dog." Xiao Xiao sat opposite him and explained without expression.

Li Meng spat the juice in her mouth onto the floor with a puff. Bent over at the waist, she laughed so hard she could barely catch her breath. Several sprites rushed over in alarm, bringing her a stack of wet wipes while swiftly cleaning the stain from the floor.

Little monk Shi Yuan finished chewing the rice in his mouth and murmured, "Amitabha."

Zheng Qing turned to look and could not help laughing as well.

Behind him sat a tall, skinny boy. He was the very same boy whose perfume Xiao Xiao had previously judged inadequate, and whose scent Li Meng had described as Curly Haired Dog.

The boy was eating at a table with four or five companions. Hearing the laughter, he glanced over in confusion. Then, frowning, he quickly withdrew his gaze.

Although there was a small lump of potato in the mashed potatoes that had not been fully crushed, the sauce on the squid rings was a little too spicy, and the quail eggs smelled slightly too strong, Zheng Qing had to admit that the ingredients in this buffet restaurant were remarkably fresh. He gulped down a mouthful of corn chowder and stuck out his tongue.

He raised his head. Across from him, Li Meng's little cheeks were puffed out, crammed full of food, making her look exactly like the hamster at home. Xiao Xiao slowly chewed his grilled scallops, his eyes fixed on the patterns on their shells as though he could see a New World in them.

The arrogant voice of Curly Haired Dog came from behind them.

"Have you heard about Four Seasons Market being attacked by demons a while back?"

Zheng Qing raised his eyebrows and sat up a little straighter.

What had happened in Daming Market was probably the most thrilling experience of his eighteen years. Whether it was the lightning spell Thomas had unleashed or the pig demon the fat man had transformed into, both had appeared in his dreams more than once.

As someone who had experienced it firsthand, he was very interested in how other wizards viewed the incident.

The conversation behind him carried over clearly.

"Yeah, yeah. The newspapers have been arguing about it endlessly. Apparently, nine markets under Four Seasons Market were attacked by unidentified wild demons. The Management Committee's officials, big and small, were all formally reprimanded by the Wizard Council. It seems quite a few people died." The speaker talked rapidly and somewhat breathlessly, probably with a mouth full of food.

"The Beta Town Post counted eight deaths and twenty-one serious injuries." A sharp voice sneered. "As if no one could see through their little word game. If you were injured in a wild demon attack, was there really any chance of surviving?"

"Gentlemen and Ladies reported it much more accurately. Their death toll was twenty-nine." Another voice seemed less confident as it weakly added, "The papers said the Wizard Alliance has sent out nine Investigation Teams to inspect Four Seasons Market's security measures and procedures. The relevant reports will be submitted and released at the end of October."

"I'm curious too. They say the troublemakers in those markets were all wild demons, and there were very few of them. Most markets only had one wild demon." The last voice spoke slowly, full of puzzlement. "By regulation, a Wizard Alliance security squad should be stationed at every market. The security squad shouldn't have been unable to suppress even a single wild demon."

"The security squads were transferred away." The breathy voice, still stuffed with food, spoke again. "My uncle is a captain in the security squad at Jinling Market. They were reassigned a month ago to help defend the New World. The orders came down in a real hurry, and he only managed to send word home. My aunt has been worried something might happen, and lately she's been crying to my mother all the time."

"Could the natives of the New World be launching a major counterattack?" The slow voice sounded interested as it asked, "Logically, the situation there should be very stable. There shouldn't be a manpower shortage."

"No, no." The breathy voice sounded again, and Zheng Qing could practically see its owner frantically shaking his head. "My old man asked around. It seems First University had some kind of mission and recalled many high-ranking wizards stationed in the New World. That's why they're short on people over there. There hasn't been any native attack."

The topic had drifted farther and farther afield when Curly Haired Dog, who had started it, gave a light cough and drew everyone's attention back.

"Did you know that among the markets attacked, one had no wizard casualties at all?" Curly Haired Dog drew out the last word, leaving everyone wanting more.

"Isn't that Daming Market?" The sharp voice remained dripping with mockery. "A few days ago, Daming Market's Management Committee was even awarded a collective honor by the Wizard Council—for this very matter."

"How shameless!" Someone beside him immediately cursed. "Trident Sword was the one that captured the wild demon. They say the people from the Management Committee never showed themselves from beginning to end. How could they have the nerve to accept that honor?"

"Trident Sword only took the wild demon away. Apparently, the one who suppressed the wild demon in Daming Market was a freshman from First University this year." Someone added, "My neighbor's child works in an office at Trident Sword and said that freshman is a publicly funded student from Jiuyou Academy."

"I heard that too. Apparently, that publicly funded student cast a lightning spell! His spell destroyed half a street outright!"

"And talismans. I heard that freshman also used an extremely powerful Suppression Talisman. The wild demon in Daming Market was knocked unconscious on the spot!"

"Publicly funded students really are incredible!" Everyone around them clicked their tongues in admiration.

Zheng Qing lowered his head and began coughing violently.