Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil.

As soon as he finished speaking, Dumbledore slowly raised his wand.

Beams of dazzling light burst forth from the tip of the wand, shooting precisely at the spiders lurking in the surrounding darkness like sharp swords.

The moment the light struck the spiders, those spiders that were previously wriggling and scurrying suddenly became motionless, falling into complete silence, their bodies devoid of life, as if they had instantly turned into stiff sculptures.

Immediately afterwards, a gentle breeze blew by, and these "sculptures" shattered instantly, turning into countless tiny fragments that were scattered by the wind and disappeared without a trace.

Puni blinked.

Such powerful magic, such a swift and decisive attack...

Watching the giant spiders instantly turn into scattered fragments, Puni snapped out of his shock. He gripped his wand tightly, his gaze falling on Dumbledore, and asked softly, "Professor, what kind of magic did you just cast? I've never seen such an effect before."

Upon hearing this, Dumbledore smiled gently and calmly explained, "It's nothing special; I just made a small modification to the petrification spell."

As he spoke, he gently put his wand into his robe pocket, his voice still gentle and calm, as if his casual act of dispelling the spiders' encirclement was nothing more than a trivial matter.

Should we make only a few changes?

Puni doesn't think so.

From his perspective, this magic requires the caster to remain completely silent throughout the spellcasting process, without uttering any incantations. Furthermore, the waving motion of the wand must be continuous and fluid, without any pauses. The slightest mistake could lead to the failure of the magic, or even backfire on the caster.

After dealing with the spiders around him, Dumbledore smiled gently and slowly turned around, his gaze falling on the towering tree behind him.

Then he spoke, his words echoing slowly through the silent forbidden forest: "Friends from the forest, since you are already waiting here, why don't you come out and meet us?"

However, there was no response from behind the tree. The surroundings remained silent, with only a gentle breeze rustling the leaves and the occasional chirping of birds in the distance breaking the monotony, which only made the silence behind the tree seem more deliberate.

Dumbledore waited patiently for a moment, and seeing that there was still no movement behind the tree, he raised his hand, ready to speak again and try to persuade the other party to show himself.

Just as he was about to speak, a young yet steady voice suddenly came from behind the tree, breaking the silence: "Guests from outside the forest, please don't misunderstand. I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation, nor did I have any malicious intent. Please don't take offense. However, I must remind you that those spiders will soon gather again. You should leave here as soon as possible to ensure your safety."

The voice sounded very young, but it lacked the impetuousness of youth. Instead, it revealed a maturity and composure beyond its years, and it was also very polite. You could feel from the words that the other party had no hostility.

Puni's heart skipped a beat.

He was right; it wasn't just the giant spiders spying on them from the shadows, but also someone else.

The other party was very friendly and sincere, but he never showed up. He hid behind a big tree, deliberately concealing his figure, making it impossible for anyone to see his appearance or determine his identity.

Seeing this, Dumbledore showed no displeasure. Instead, he maintained his gentle smile and said softly, "Ahem, thank you for reminding me, my friend. Since you are so concerned about our safety and willing to offer this advice, could you please show yourself and tell us about the current situation in the Forbidden Forest? After all, I am the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is both my responsibility and my duty to protect the peace of this area and to know everything about the Forbidden Forest."

After a moment of silence, a deep voice responded from behind the tree: "Alright, I'll come out to see you."

As these words were spoken, a tall, dark figure slowly emerged from behind the tree.

Puni looked over.

This figure was actually half again as tall as Dumbledore, with a tall and strong build that gave off a strong sense of oppression.

When the figure fully emerged from the shade and stood in the light, Puni realized that the person's upper body was human, while the lower body was that of a horse with strong limbs covered in thick hair, and a belt made of rough animal hide around its waist.

The centaur looked at Dumbledore with a hint of respect in his eyes, took a half-step back on his forelegs, and made a standard centaur salute, saying respectfully, "I know you, Headmaster of Hogwarts Castle. You may call me by my name, Xinglun."

"I was patrolling the Forbidden Forest when I stumbled upon those giant spiders."

Xinglun abandoned his formalities, his expression turning serious, and slowly said, "Recently, food in the Forbidden Forest has become increasingly scarce. In order to fill their stomachs, the spiders have become more and more ferocious, constantly encroaching on the activity areas of other animals and attacking innocent creatures without any scruples, posing a great threat to the inhabitants of the Forbidden Forest."

As he spoke, Xinglun turned slightly to the side, raised his front hooves, and showed Dumbledore and Penny the scars on his body.

Puni looked closely and saw that Xinglun's strong body was covered with wounds of varying sizes and depths. Some wounds had scabbed over and healed, leaving dark marks, while others had not fully healed and were still dark red with slight swelling at the edges, indicating that they had been injured recently and were still throbbing.

In addition, Puni noticed that Xinglun's limbs and torso were wrapped with some sticky white spider silk. The silk was stuck to his hair and looked somewhat messy. The texture and pattern of this silk were exactly the same as the spider web they had just seen on the tree branch. It must have been entangled by the spider silk sprayed by those giant spiders.

Puni pondered to himself, and judging from the scene before him, Xinglun must have accidentally stumbled into an ambush trap set by the spiders while on patrol and was attacked by the giant spiders.

Chapter 105 The Centaur Tribe

Just when he was in danger and unable to escape, he and Dumbledore happened to arrive. Dumbledore used magic to repel the spider, which inadvertently saved Xinglun from the spider's clutches.

After hearing Xinglun's words, Dumbledore's smile gradually faded, and he fell into deep thought.

He knew perfectly well that the Forbidden Forest was not actually under the jurisdiction of Hogwarts. All sorts of creatures lived in this forest, including centaurs, trolls, unicorns, and so on. They had lived and multiplied here for generations and were more like the native inhabitants of this land than the wizards.

Long before Hogwarts was established, these creatures had already taken root in the Forbidden Forest, possessing their own rules for survival and their own territory.

However, Dumbledore also understood that the reason these giant spiders had become so rampant and violent in the Forbidden Forest was ultimately inseparable from Hagrid.

Hagrid had always been too lenient with these giant spiders, not only failing to restrain them but also frequently providing them with food. Over time, their numbers grew, and they became increasingly audacious, beginning to attack other creatures and disrupt the ecological balance of the Forbidden Forest.

Therefore, to some extent, as the headmaster of Hogwarts, I do bear some responsibility for not stopping this situation in time.

Dumbledore lowered his head, his brows furrowed, lost in deep thought. His aura became calm as he pondered how to solve the problem of the Forbidden Forest spider infestation and how to express his sincerity to the centaur tribe.

Just then, Puni's gaze slowly fell on the centaur Xinglun, scrutinizing him carefully, not wanting to miss a single detail.

He could clearly see that behind the tall centaur, a simple wooden bow was slung across his back. The bow was made of tough tree branches, its surface was polished very smooth, and it was wrapped with several dark ropes, making it look very sturdy.

Beside Xinglun hung a quiver made of animal hide, containing more than a dozen arrows. The arrowheads were sharpened and gleamed with a metallic luster, clearly indicating their extremely high lethality.

In addition, on one side of Xinglun's animal skin belt, the hilt of a dagger can be vaguely seen. The hilt is made of animal bone and has simple patterns engraved on it. It is cleverly hidden among the fur and cannot be found without careful observation.

Xinglun seemed to notice Puni's gaze but didn't pay it any mind. He simply raised his hoof and kicked the damp ground hard, making a dull thud. His face showed obvious disgust as he said heavily, "You're right. Since the heavy snow, food in the Forbidden Forest has become extremely scarce. Those spiders can't find enough to eat, so they've become increasingly aggressive. They've clashed with our centaur tribe many times recently, and many of our tribesmen have even been bitten. Our tribe's leader has made up his mind to take action to control their numbers and prevent them from continuing to harm other creatures in the Forbidden Forest."

Dumbledore then snapped out of his reverie, his gaze falling on Xinglun. He carefully examined the respectful and composed centaur and slowly said, "If I have the opportunity, I hope to meet with your tribe's chieftain to discuss the spider infestation in person and explore some possibilities for cooperation. Also, there is something else I need your help with."

Upon hearing this, Xinglun looked puzzled. He first glanced at Penny, who was standing next to Dumbledore, then looked back at Dumbledore, somewhat confused: "What do you need my help with? Do you want to know the way out of the Forbidden Forest?"

In his view, Dumbledore, as the headmaster of Hogwarts, possessed profound magic and had students by his side. Leaving this area should have been an easy task for him, and he wouldn't have needed to ask him for help at all.

Dumbledore shook his head gently and explained with a smile, "No, you misunderstood me. We are entering the Forbidden Forest to find a place that has existed for about a hundred years. According to the clues, it should be next to a lake."

Xinglun frowned, lost in thought, and after a moment slowly shook his head: "There are many lakes in the Forbidden Forest, large and small, scattered in various corners of the forest. I can't be sure which one you're referring to right now."

“There are many pillars near that lake,” Dumbledore said.

Xinglun's confusion gradually dissipated. After a moment's thought, he slowly nodded: "I do know a few places that match the description. However, some of those places are close to our tribe's territory. I cannot lead you there without permission. We must return to the tribe first, report this matter to the chief, and obtain the chief's consent before I can take you there."

After saying this, Xinglun bowed deeply to Dumbledore, performing a standard centaur greeting, his expression sincere and somewhat apologetic: "Please wait a moment, Headmaster and this young wizard, I will return as soon as possible to give you an answer."

Dumbledore smiled and nodded, his tone gentle and certain: "No problem, I'm sure Bane will agree to my request."

He was quite confident. Bain, as the leader of the centaur tribe, was always reasonable, and since he had come in person, they had no reason to refuse. Moreover, they had no ill intentions in coming and could even help the centaurs solve the spider infestation problem to some extent.

After receiving the reply, Xinglun did not delay any longer. He immediately turned around, put all four hooves on the ground, and ran quickly towards the centaur tribe. His figure quickly disappeared into the dense forest, leaving only a series of rapid hoofbeats that gradually faded into the distance.

Dumbledore and Penny remained where they were, not moving around, quietly waiting for Starren's reply from the tribe.

While waiting, Puni couldn't help but turn to look at Dumbledore.

"Professor, it seems you brought me to the Forbidden Forest for another reason?"

"You'll find out when the time comes," Dumbledore said with a smile.

Puni nodded and changed the subject.

“Professor, these centaurs are completely different from what is described in the textbook. The textbook says that centaurs are aloof, fierce, and do not like to interact with humans. But when I talked to Xinglun just now, I found that he is actually very friendly and can communicate well with people.”

Dumbledore laughed heartily upon hearing this, somewhat pleased: "Haha, you're right. Many textbook descriptions are too one-sided. Centaurs are actually a very proud race. They have a long history and place great importance on their traditions, still maintaining a tribal way of life to this day. Different tribes of centaurs have different personalities. Some tribes are relatively friendly and willing to have limited interactions with humans, but most tribes are quite resistant to outsiders and don't like being disturbed. The tribe that Starborne belongs to should be considered relatively friendly."

Dumbledore and Penny waited quietly for a short while before a rapid "clatter, clatter, clatter" of hooves came from the distant woods. The sound grew clearer and clearer as it approached their location.

Puni looked in the direction of the sound and saw a tall figure running quickly along the path. It was Xinglun, the centaur who had just returned to the tribe to report.

Xinglun was incredibly fast, its hooves pounding the damp fallen leaves, splashing up bits of mud. It only stopped abruptly when it reached the two of them, its chest rising and falling slightly. It had come at breakneck speed without delay.

He bowed slightly and gave Dumbledore a respectful but urgent salute, his voice echoing slowly through the silent Forbidden Forest: “Your Excellency Headmaster Dumbledore, our leader Bain has granted your request and has specially sent me back to guide you and this young wizard to the lake with the stone pillars. Please stay close to me and do not trigger any traps.”

Dumbledore smiled gently and nodded slightly to Xinglun, sincerely expressing his gratitude: "Thank you for your hard work, Xinglun. I'll trouble you to lead the way."

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Puni beside him.

Puni nodded slightly and followed closely behind Dumbledore, quickly catching up with Xinglun's pace.

Xinglun walked at the front, his steps light and steady, showing his familiarity with the path. He took each step perfectly, avoiding the thorns and potholes on the ground.

The trees along the way grew taller and denser, their lush canopies layered upon each other, completely blocking out the sky. Only a few scattered rays of sunlight pierced through the gaps between the branches and leaves, casting faint patches of light on the damp ground, creating a flickering effect. The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which felt soft underfoot and made a soft "rustling" sound.

Along the way, they encountered several centaurs, each of them tall and muscular, exuding a powerful aura. These centaurs held ancient-looking bows and arrows, the bowstrings taut, their eyes sharp, vigilantly watching their surroundings. They were probably on patrol, guarding the safety of the tribe's territory.

Unlike Starron, who enthusiastically led the way, these patrolling centaurs merely glanced at Dumbledore and Penny with indifferent eyes, without any extra expression or intention to greet them. After a moment, they continued their patrol along the route through the woods.

Looking at these tall centaurs, Puni quickened his pace and walked to Xinglun's side, asking softly, "Xinglun, are all these patrolling centaurs your people?"

Xinglun nodded slightly, continuing to lead the way while patiently explaining, "That's right, they are like me, members of the tribe responsible for patrolling. Every day, they patrol around the tribe's territory to prevent spiders and other dangerous creatures from entering. Just now, while I was patrolling, I encountered an ambush by a group of spiders. There were so many of them that I ran too fast to get rid of them and accidentally got separated from the patrol team, which is why I got tangled in those annoying spider webs. Luckily, I met you."

At this point, Xinglun scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, a look of annoyance on his face. As a patrolling centaur, he had inadvertently strayed from the group and even fallen into a spider's trap...

It would be so embarrassing if word got out!

Puni's gaze followed the passing patrolling centaurs.

He noticed that these centaurs were shirtless, revealing well-defined, hard muscles, and their bodies were covered with scars of all sizes and depths. Some of the scars had healed, leaving dark marks, which were likely the marks left by years of hunting and fighting.

Completely piqued by his curiosity, Puni continued to press, "Xinglun, besides your tribe of centaurs, are there other centaur tribes in the Forbidden Forest? I always thought there would be many centaurs living in the Forbidden Forest."

Xinglun slowed his pace, walking along the path as he answered his question unhurriedly: "There are no other tribes. Now, in the Forbidden Forest, there are only some centaurs who were expelled from their tribes for violating tribal rules. However, they mostly hide deep in the Forbidden Forest and rarely appear near our territory or have any contact with the outside world."

He paused, then added, “Our tribe is small, and we rely on and protect each other. So unless someone does something that angers the entire tribe, such as betraying their people or breaking tribal traditions, they will not be easily expelled from the tribe. Being expelled is the most severe punishment for us centaurs.”

"Moreover, those giant spiders are constantly expanding their prey range, encroaching on a lot of our hunting grounds, and frequently attacking our people, which has had a great impact on our lives."

Xinglun continued, "Therefore, our leader Bain is planning to gather all the centaurs in the tribe to discuss countermeasures and find ways to limit the range of these spiders' activities, so that they can no longer harm the creatures in the Forbidden Forest."

When Xinglun mentioned that the chief was going to summon all the centaurs to discuss countermeasures, Puni asked, "Does this summons also include those centaurs who were expelled from the tribe? After all, they are no longer members of the tribe. Won't they be unwilling to come back and help?"

Upon hearing this question, Xinglun stopped and slowly turned around: "Of course, that includes them. Regardless of whether they are members of the tribe or centaurs, all living beings living in this Forbidden Forest have a responsibility to protect it. This Forbidden Forest is the common home of all living beings, and protecting it is everyone's duty. No one can stand aside."

Puni listened quietly to Xinglun's words, and involuntarily recalled the descriptions of centaurs in wizarding books.

Most of those texts depicted the centaurs as a rude, violent, and xenophobic race, saying that they disliked contact with humans and would even attack humans who trespassed into the Forbidden Forest.

Through his interactions with Xinglun and by witnessing firsthand the appearance of the patrolling centaurs, Puni discovered that this was not the case.

Although the horsemen have their own traditions and unique way of life, and do not like to be disturbed by the outside world, they are essentially kind, brave and responsible. They know how to protect their homeland, how to cooperate, and how to be tolerant of every creature living in the Forbidden Forest.

As his thoughts wandered, Puni suddenly remembered something. He touched his pocket and found several empty bottles inside.

“Xinglun, there’s something I want to tell you. I read in a wizarding book that the venom of the giant spider is a very precious potion ingredient that can be used to make a variety of potions. I know you often have conflicts with spiders, so you must have collected some of their venom. If you have any, I can exchange them with you at a reasonable price. It would be my small contribution to help ease your burden.”

After listening to Puni's suggestion, Xinglun looked apologetic and slowly shook his head, saying sincerely, "I'm sorry, I may have to disappoint you. We centaurs rarely trade with wizards; it's a tradition of our tribe. Moreover, the venom of those giant spiders is of no practical use to us. It can't be used for hunting or defense, so we've never collected it, and naturally, we don't have any venom to exchange with you."

As he said this, Xinglun's gaze inadvertently swept over Dumbledore, who was standing silently to the side, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

In his view, it was quite unusual for this young wizard to dare to make a deal with him in front of the Hogwarts headmaster, and for Headmaster Dumbledore not only not to stop him, but also not to show any anger on his face. This was something he found hard to understand.