ã€ŠTransform into a magical girl after getting off workã€‹


 Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Commuting, Train, Magical Girl

    At daybreak, awakening alone on a bed made for two.

    Lin Yun instinctively reached for the pillow beside him, only to grasp nothing but emptiness.

    It was always like this.

    He always fantasized that it was all just a dream, that his partner was still by his side.

    Gazing nkly at the ceiling, he took a moment to calm his emotions before sitting up in bed.

    The loved one had passed, and a new day began as usual.

    Washing up, shaving, dressing, grooming himself; it was all an immutable routine.

    Stepping out of his room, he nced toward the neighboring room, his daughter''s, with a "Knock before entering" sign stuck on the door. That too, never changed.

    He took out the prepared instant breakfast from the fridge, heated it up quickly and ate in haste, then left a portion for his daughter, who was likely still asleep, before quietly leaving the house.

    The morning rush hour in Fangting City was particrly intense; driving was practically impossible, so Lin Yun seldom drove to work, preferring to squeeze into the crowded electric train.

    It was packed, but it was fast and ensured he arrived at the office on time.

    He reached the nearest station from his home, waited about three minutes for the train, and was pushed by the crowd into the carriage, finding an empty handhold near the window as if he had grasped a lifeline amidst stormy seas.

    Looking down, he turned on his phone and saw messages from his boss assigning tasks early in the morning in thepany group chat. He let out an involuntary sigh.

    Scouring the group chat''s idle chatter for valuable information and pondering how to tackle the tedious tasks awaiting him at the office, Lin Yun felt increasingly disheartened and simply turned off his phone, his mind going nk as he savored the rare stillness amidst the crush of the train.

    Before long, a scream suddenly echoed through the carriage.

    Following the first scream, a chorus of rmed shouts rose from all around.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Tracing the sound to its source and following the direction of the crowd''s gaze outside, Lin Yun''s eyes roved and quickly found the focal point, understanding why everyone was gasping¡ª

    A giant, meatball-like monster was clinging to a distant high-rise building, baring its fangs and ws in a rather terrifying disy.

    Remnant Beasts; that was what people called them.

    They often appeared suddenly in human cities, destroying and killing aimlessly, an enigma to this day, and a significant threat to societal safety.

    Physical attacks couldn''t harm them, not even high-powered heat weapons could strike effectively, which caused great distress.

    However, Remnant Beast attacks had been infrequent in Fangting City in recent years.

    Time had turnedmon knowledge into a vague memory, and people had gradually be ustomed to days without sudden Remnant Beast attacks in their peaceful lives.

    No wonder they were so panicked by this unexpected event.

    Thismotion of negative emotions did notst long before it was abruptly interrupted.

    For a pale blue streak of magic shot across the sky, striking directly at the Remnant Beast between the buildings.

    As if responding to the challenge of the blue streak, the spherical monster opened its horrific maw and let out a thunderous roar.

    Thereafter, as the train moved further away, it was no longer possible to see what ensued.

    In the train, some were still shaken, others cursed incessantly, and a few cheered jubntly.

    For they all recognized that blue streak of magic¡ªit could not be anything else, it was undoubtedly the Magical Girl.

    The appearance of the Magical Girl seemed as though she was born to counterbnce the Remnant Beasts.

    It''s uncertain who first termed them "Magical Girls", it could have formed naturally or might have stemmed from those popr children''s animations¡ªeither way, Magical Girls became synonymous with "cleaning up Remnant Beasts".

    Some deemed it a conspiracy or scam, others saw them as modern heroes, but without a doubt, people cared about the existence of Magical Girls, it was something they couldn''t ignore.

    Lin Yun felt the same.

    "A color I''ve never seen, a new Magical Girl... they still appear, huh."

    There was no particr emotion in his words, one could even say they were devoid of any feeling, only his furrowed brows revealed that his mind was anything but calm.

    He knew this day was bound toe.

    However, Remnant Beasts and Magical Girls were, after all, far removed from the lives of ordinary people, and as long as one wasn''t identally caught up in their affairs, the two would forever run parallel, never intersecting.

    There was no reason for him now to keep paying attention to such things.

    The train rumbled on.

    Emerging from the station with the crowd, navigating through traffic to reach the office building where hispany resided, Lin Yun started his full day''s work.

    The enterprise where he worked was an elevator firm called Gao Sheng, which mainly handled the production and sales ofmercial elevators, and he was the chief of the after-sales department.

    Thus, his days were inevitably filled with back-and-forth haggling with clients; any slightlyrger order would end uping back to him if there wereplications; minor endless matters always left one''s head tingling.

    He conscientiouslypleted report meetings, tediouslymunicated over business, forcibly maintained his energy to carry out task handovers, and in a daze, wrapped up the filing of documents.

    Nearing seven in the evening, having declined the following dinner invitation, Lin Yun left thepany, faced the already darkening sky, and silently trod the path home.

    The dim streetlights cast their glow over the streets, yet failed to illuminate his face, walking in the shadows of skyscrapers, Lin Yun''s expression was lost.

    He often felt his recent life to be dull.

    The seemingly set position at thepany was bing increasingly tiresome.

    The long-unchanged interpersonal rtionships were narrowing his perspectives more and more.

    The near-freezing family situation left him clueless on how tomunicate with his child.

    And though in his prime, his bodycked vigor and was frequently gued by minor ailments, with persistent pain in his shoulders and neck.

    Recalling further, it seemed all the turning points traced back to a rainy funeral, where, standing baffled in front of that soaked gravestone, with his daughter''s muffled sobbing in his ears, all the happiness he firmly believed in seemed to be washed away by the rain, leaving only an oppressive suffocation. It appeared that since his wife''s passing, there was no such thing as joy in his life.

    A car horn from the road jolted Lin Yun back to reality from his own world.

    Was he too engrossed in the past?

    There were many things he cared about, countless problems arose, yet he could not find the root cause among them.

    Ambling towards the station, a sudden phone call interrupted his train of thought.

    Picking up the phone, ncing at the disyed name, Lin Yun hesitated momentarily but ultimately moved his finger to the answer button.

    After answering the call, apanied by a clear ringtone, a woman''s voice came through from the other end:

    "Off work yet? Want to grab dinner together tonight?"

 Chapter 2 The Restaurant and the Junior

    Hong Siyu was a familiar stranger to Lin Yun.

    They were familiar because they had known each other for a long time, in fact, they could be called old friends. They had met back in middle school when they could be described as partners.

    Strangers, because they had gradually drifted apart years ago, and now Lin Yun simply couldn''t fathom what was on the other''s mind.

    Although she had been contacting him frequentlytely, seemingly wanting to rekindle their old friendship, he hadn''t figured out her intentions.

    Or rather, he wasn''t very interested in knowing them.

    "The kingdom announced the new Magical Girl card rankingsst month, and there are two new rising stars."

    Like now, for instance.

    Amidst the clinking of sses, the woman spoke to him with a jesting tone while holding her wine ss.

    To be honest, though she was past thirty, whether it was due to good maintenance or something else, the woman in front of him still retained her charm and youthful beauty.

    Upon hearing her words, Lin Yun paused in his movements but still maintained a poker face as he responded, "What''s the point of talking about this now?"

    The womanughed, "Is it pointless to take an interest in our juniors?"

    Lin Yun took a sip of lemon water and vaguely replied, "It''s no longer relevant to me, so why should I be concerned?"

    "That kind of lie won''t fool one of our own, you know. You can''t really detach yourselfpletely, can you?"

    The woman then took a sip of red wine, her meaning clear, "After all, you were once..."

    "Stop."

    Mid-sentence, she saw a finger tapping on the center of the table.

    Lin Yun extended his index finger but did not meet her gaze:

    "I believe I''ve said that I don''t want to talk about it."

    The two fell into silence for a moment.

    Hong Siyu stared at him, then after a while, revealed a cryptic smile:

    "Fine, let''s not talk about that. How about the issue with the house I bought before?"

    With that, the conversation shifted back to mundane domestic matters.

    Lin Yun absentmindedly picked at his food while the woman drank her wine with a smile stered on her face.

    The ambiance in the high-end restaurant was refined, and the progress of the dinner moved on with each change of the tes by the server.

    However, just when Lin Yun felt that the dinner was more than halfway through, the woman opposite him suddenly threw out a topic he couldn''t ignore.

    "Oh, there''s something else."

    She was clearly tipsy when she uttered these words, so her tone became much more casual, "It''s about the new Magical Girl in Fangting City; she established a connection with us today."

    Across the wine table, the woman''s radiant smile was enticing, "What do you think, is this rted to you?"

    The two sat at opposite ends of the table, creating a stark contrast in their images. The woman looked young and beautiful, while Lin Yun seemed dispirited, bearing a worldly-weary demeanor.

    Those unaware of the truth might think that there was at least a decade''s age difference between the two, not realizing that they were actually peers.

    "I''ve heard a little about it, what are you trying to say?"

    Lin Yun held his ss with one hand and took another sip of lemon water, continuing to feign indifference.

    "Ah, you''ve already heard? You''re more well-informed than I thought, even though I''m the one with the official position. It makes me feel kind of defeated..."

    The tipsy woman upon hearing this, exaggeratedly wiped her eyes.

    "If you''re aware of your status as an official, you wouldn''t gossip about insider information loudly in public."

    Lin Yun tapped the table to stop her, "Also, don''t act up in the restaurant. Haven''t you noticed the strange looks we''re getting from other diners here?"

    "Did I hear you say thirty-five? Are you mocking lonely, older, unmarried women?" Hong Siyu''s eyes widened.

    "Nobody mentioned thirty-five, nor did anyone bring up your age. Don''t try to create a fuss, let''s get to the point."

    After a day of busyness, Lin Yun was already exhausted. Listening to hermotion only deepened the throbbing in his head.

    If it wasn''t for her call, he could be enjoying some peace on his sofa at home instead of listening to a drunk woman cause a scene in an expensive restaurant.

    "The point?"

    The woman across the table tilted her head, strangely adorable for her age, "I wanted to have a chat with you?"

    "...I mean the Magical Girl thing you just mentioned."

    "Hmm? Didn''t you already know?"

    "Just because I know it doesn''t mean you can skip exining."

    "Not exin?"

    "Get on with it."

    "You''re actually scolding me? When I''m the one treating you tonight!"

    Lin Yun felt his blood pressure undergoing severe fluctuations.

    He knew that reasoning with someone drunk and hysterical was impossible, but the nonsense spouted by the intoxicated woman in front of him was giving him a splitting headache.

    The other party was not someone he could just casually deal with at a normal dinner meeting; she was someone with whom he truly needed tomunicate, making the conversation at the table extremely difficult.

    "Put your untimely stubborn emotions aside for a moment, can you tell me what''s the situation with the new Magical Girl? Did she just appear recently? How long has she been active? What extent have you reached in your coordination efforts with her?"

    Therefore, Lin Yun took himself out of the rhythm of the other person''s dialogue and took the initiative, seeking directly the information he wanted.

    The "coordination" mentioned in his words was actually the city government''s approach to Magical Girls.

    This world possessed extraordinary powers.

    Remnant Beasts and Magical Girls were both existences starkly different from ordinary people.

    Every corner of the world might see the emergence of Remnant Beasts, and every city in the world might have a Magical Girl.

    Thus, every city, whether overtly or covertly, had an established agency tasked with recruiting talented individuals to deal with matters rted to Remnant Beasts. Simultaneously, they would reach out to the Magical Girls in the city, helping them to quickly, efficiently, and with minimal risk deal with the appearing Remnant Beasts and carry out the protection of ordinary people.

    Over time, this had be a tradition.

    The government agency responsible for coordinating with Magical Girls and dealing with Remnant Beasts was called the "Abnormal Strategy Bureau," or "Abnormal Strategy Bureau" for short.

    The Abnormal Strategy Bureau took charge of contacting the Magical Girls within the city, extending goodwill, offering support, and achieving cooperation, which had be a standard procedure.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The Hong Siyu before him was actually a member of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    That''s why she called herself an "official personnel" and could reveal news rted to "Magical Girls."

    "Ah ha... what were you asking about? Magical Girls?"

    Struggling to speak coherently, Hong Siyu squinted her eyes as if searching through the remnants of her rational mind, and stuttered, "Ah, right, I remember now, Magical Girls! Well, in that case, it should be starting soon!"

    "...What''s about to start?" Lin Yun was slightly taken aback by her words.

    "I mean, the interview and report on the new Magical Girl, on the city''s channel. It''s tonight!"

    Hong Siyu seemed to briefly regain her rity and pped her forehead, "Remember to watch it! Then you''ll have all the answers to your questions!"

    After saying this, she seemed topletely lose her strength, slumping onto the table.

    Before long, even breathing sounds came from across the table. Lin Yun examined her closely and was convinced the woman had indeed fallen asleep on the dining table.

    "All answers? Why?"

    He asked again, but unfortunately, this question was doomed to go unanswered.

    He called the waiter over, went to the front desk to settle the bill, returned to the table, and with a helpless sigh, looked at Hong Siyu who had fallen into a deep sleep.

    After repeatedly calling her without sess, he could only support Hong Siyu, leaving the restaurant under the strange gazes of those around him.

    Finding her car keys in her wallet, he opened her car door, dumped her in the passenger seat, fastened her seatbelt, and then sat in the driver''s seat, igniting the engine.

    On the night roads, the car headed toward Hong Siyu''s home.

    The rush hour had passed, and the traffic on the streets had be smooth. Watching the night scene on the streets, Lin Yun felt his mood lift ever so slightly.

    A hand rested on his knee.

    "Senior..."

    Hong Siyu''s groggy voice resounded beside him.

    "What is it?" Lin Yun nced at her and responded.

    "You say... Ayah has been gone for almost two years now, why can''t you consider me for once?"

    A somewhat depressed voice came from the passenger seat.

    "I''m not married yet, you know. Can you imagine how hard it is for me to wait?"

    Lin Yun fell silent for a moment.

    He didn''t really want to answer the question, nor did he know what to say.

    After driving on the highway for a while, he finally decided how to express his feelings and began to speak:

    "I¡ªhaven''t convinced myself yet."

    He paused, then added:

    "I''ve not convinced myself to let go of her."

    Nevertheless, the conclusion he had taken so long toe to was not heard by the other party. The faint sound of breathing began again in the brief period of silence, and it seemed that Hong Siyu had fallen asleep once more.

    In a daze, Lin Yun thought he heard a very faint sob:

    "I''m sorry."

    The voice was so vague and hazy that it took him a long while to realize it actually said "I''m sorry."

    Whether this voice was Hong Siyu''s sleep talk or his own illusion was now impossible to determine.

 Chapter 3 Face-to-Face Conversation

    Lin Yun drove Hong Siyu''s red car to her apartment, and then returned to his own home by tram. By the time he entered the foyer, the clock was already pointing to ten o''clock.

    Subconsciously, he nced at the shoe cab by the door and noticed his daughter''s shoes were carelessly left on the ground. Lin Yun straightened them out and then headed towards the living room.

    If what Hong Siyu had said was correct, there should have been a TV interview with the new Magical Girl tonight.

    He turned on the TV, looked at the content on the city channel, saw a cheap idol drama airing during the night slot, and realized that the news segment might have already passed. Lin Yun then opened hismunicator and searched online for the city channel''s broadcast that evening.

    Soon, he found the rey of the evening news on the official website.

    One item was the news from this morning about a Remnant Beast attacking the downtown area.

    The news report covered the damage and casualties caused by the Remnant Beast in that block, and then, with a turn of phrase, stated that the new Magical Girl had taken down the creature. Although she was a novice, she had already made a remarkable contribution to public safety.

    Next, the screen switched to the scene, where the reporter stated that they had seen the new Magical Girl and were about to interview her on-site.

    Before long, this previously mysterious Magical Girl made her first appearance on the news interview.

    What came into view was a girl giving the impression of a fairy tale.

    Golden pigtails, a pale blue dress, a bright yellow belt wrapped around her waist, tied into an exaggerated bow at the back, a round gem pinned to her chest, and a small top hat on her head.

    "Hello everyone, uh, I am the new Magical Girl, my name is Bai Mei..."

    Merely from the costume, one would not get the impression of a batant," but rather, wonder which ball the little girl had run out from.

    But such attire is typical for a Magical Girl.

    Most Magical Girls fight in such outfits and, more paradoxically, no matter how much their clothes seem to limit movement, their actions are never affected by such morous outfits.

    Naturally, the first impression such Magical Girls give is not "powerful" but "cute".

    However, watching the Magical Girl in the news video, Lin Yun felt that something was off.

    This "off" feeling wasn''t based on anything particr, but was so intense that he quickly realized the nature of this feeling¡ªit was familiarity.

    He felt familiar with the Magical Girl on the screen.

    Where had he seen this girl before? This thought emerged in his mind, and he subconsciouslypared the Magical Girl in front of him with his memories.

    Deep down, he already had a hunch but kept refusing to consider the possibility he least wanted to ept.

    Yet without considering that direction, there was no exnation for the familiarity, no answer.

    So, when he hesitantly brought the least desired possibility to the forefront, Lin Yun froze.

    Because he couldn''t ept it.

    How could it be her? Why would it be her? How could it be her?

    Countless questions formed in his mind, questions led to confusion, confusion turned to restlessness, and then transformed into anger.

    Approaching midlife, Lin Yun seldom felt such intense rage in his daily life, as if it would burst forth from his chest, leaving his brain nk.

    He couldn''t understand.

    Why was the Magical Girl Lin Xiaolu? His daughter?

    With no mood to continue watching the news, Lin Yun put down themunicator, feeling only turmoil in his thoughts, his emotions far from calm.

    ¡ª¡ªHe needed to have a good talk with her.

    Such an idea surfaced in his heart.

    Even though he and his daughter, Lin Xiaolu, had been in a cold war for a long time, barely exchanging a few words daily, he still needed to fulfill his duty as a father and have a proper talk with her.

    If she became a Magical Girl of her own volition, he needed to tell her about the pros and cons and let her weigh them again.

    With this in mind, Lin Yun suddenly stood up and headed straight for his daughter''s room.

    [Knock first].

    Such a note was pasted on the door.

    The familiar handwriting¡ªwhen had this note first been stuck to the door of his daughter''s room?

    In the two years since his wife passed away, too many conflicts had arisen between father and daughter, and he had always been bad at expressing himself, resulting in their rtionship reaching this current state.

    The two of them were clearly rtives who depended on each other in this world, yet they barely spoke a few words throughout the day. Even if they did, it was only the most basic daily arrangements, without any heart-to-heart conversations.

    Lin Yun''s fingers paused on the door, then he took a deep breath and knocked:

    "Are you asleep, Lulu?"

    There was no response from inside the room.

    Feeling slightly heavy-hearted, Lin Yun waited a little longer, quickly settled his emotions, and knocked again.

    Still, there was no response.

    The light tapping on the door disappeared without a trace, like a stone sinking into a deep pool.

    Lin Yun hung his head with a somber expression.

    If it were any other day, he would probably have decided to give up by now. He would feel that the situation was irreparable and that it was best to give each other space and let time heal the gap.

    But not this time. Even if what followed made the rtionship with his child worse, he had to convey what he wanted to say.

    So he wouldn''t stop.

    Click.

    Just as he was about to knock for the third time, the door in front of him was suddenly pulled open.

    A girl, not very old and d in pajamas, stared at him with an annoyed expression, greeting him with a retort:

    "I''m awake, what do you want?"

    Her wary look was like that of a cat with its fur standing on end.

    Seeing his daughter like this again, uncooperative, and thinking how he hade to talk to her out of concern, Lin Yun felt a wave of frustration and anger. He felt that this girl was so irritating, he really should scold her.

    But the words stopped at his lips.

    He suddenly didn''t know what to say.

    Should he directly ask his daughter if she had be a Magical Girl? And then scold her for doing what is seen as a good deed in anyone''s eyes?

    Or start off by bluntly telling her about the dangers of being a Magical Girl and urge her to quit immediately?

    Not to mention how he could support his own statements with evidence, but wouldn''t such a direct approach touch the fragile and sensitive nerves of the child?

    Backtracking a bit¡ªwas it appropriate for him, as a father, to start this rare conversation by negating his child''s actions? He wanted to understand his daughter''s true thoughts, but was she really willing to open up to him? Could he really achieve his goal with such stern dialogue?

    How could he, as he was now, make his child believe in him?

    However I thought about it, the answer was the same: impossibility.

    Lin Yun couldn''t help but start thinking, what exactly were the words he truly wanted to tell her? Stripping away these external conflicts, not discussing the estrangement that had umted before, he wanted to know his daughter''s true thoughts, but what about his own sincerity?

    As his thoughts raced in his daughter''s gaze, he felt as if in the end, every thought turned into nothingness, leaving only one voice:

    "It''s been several days since we''ve seen each other, Daddy misses you a bit."

    This was, after stripping away anger, anxiety, worry, and guilt, the only sincerity he had left.

    He might not be able to make his daughter happy, he might also not be able to resolve the issues between them, but at least for now, he wanted to see her.

    Learning that his daughter had be a Magical Girl, he now wanted to see if the child was all right, if she was afraid, if her emotions were stable.

    The girl standing at the door heard this sentence, her furrowed brow raising slightly, then rxing, the expression on her face also bingplicated.

    "Now? Just for this sort of thing?"

    "Yes, because I was afraid you''d be angry if I called you this morning."

    Lin Yun''s somewhat wooden face cracked into a smile: "Now that I''ve seen you, I feel much more at ease."

    The girl with ck hair raised her nose and sniffed, pursed her lips, paused for a long while, and then hesitantly began to speak:

    "Are you drunk?"

    "Maybe? After all, I did drink quite a bit tonight."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Lin Yun, following his heart''s feelings, spoke candidly: "I''m really happy you''re willing to open the door."

    "¡­So now that you''ve seen me, what next?" His daughter still looked troubled.

    "Nothing much, just wanted to ask how you''ve been recently, if you''re happy at school."

    Lin Yun stood in ce, waving his hand: "I won''t ask about your studies, you can handle that yourself, and I''m not in a position to lecture you."

    The conversation between the two paused once again.

    Seemingly surprised that her father would ask such a question, the daughter eyed him strangely, but soon, with an air of nonchnce, replied:

    "Oh, it''s pretty ordinary, nothing''s happening."

    "There seems to have been a dangerous incident near your school, are you alright?"

    "Danger¡­ it''s nothing, I can handle it well."

    "Do you need me to pick you up?"

    "You do your thing."

    "How''s the phone I bought for your birthdayst month?"

    "It''s good."

    "No problem with the dinner that the hourly worker cooks?"

    "No problem, Aunt Liu is a good cook."

    "Has anything good happened recently?"

    "Good things?"

    The daughter raised her eyebrows upon hearing this, seeming a bit puzzled, but quickly, as if thinking of something, her expression became hesitant.

    "Don''t know, but anyway, there hasn''t been anything bad."

    Nothing bad¡­

    A stir went through Lin Yun''s heart.

    "Is that so, then there''s nothing more I can ask."

    Listening to his daughter''s somewhat ambiguous answer, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, taking a step back: "Lulu, Daddy is sorry."

    His statement was met with a brief silence.

    "¡­It''s toote to be saying these things now."

    The girl behind the door spoke softly, nced at him once more, and started to push the door closed:

    "Go to sleep, don''t bother me anymore."

    Click.

    The door in front of him closed.

    Lin Yun, standing outside the door, seemed lost in thought and remained there for quite some time before heading to his own bedroom.

    In the end, he still hadn''t broached the topic of the "Magical Girl."

    He couldn''t say it; he couldn''t ask; whenever he thought of the term, his throat would be unbearably dry.

    But not saying it now didn''t mean he had given up.

    In the course of the conversation just now, Lin Yun had alreadye up with another way in his mind. Perhaps, using that method, he could tell his daughter some information about the Magical Girl and be confident that she would take his words seriously.

    Opening the door to his bedroom, he loosened his formal attire, set down his briefcase, and with a determined look, walked towards the wardrobe in the corner of the room.

    The master bedroom had two wardrobes for the two owners'' clothing, onerge, ced against the wall, and the other small, tucked into the corner.

    Lin Yun''s clothing wasn''t plentiful, apart from a few sets of casual attire hemonly wore, he only had suits for official asions.

    He opened one of the drawers, which contained some old clothes, many of which he wore when he was young, styles that no longer fit his age or the trends.

    After removing the clothes stacked on top, he slowly reached in, and pulled out a palm-sized gift box.

    "¡­19 years."

    He eximed in a trance.

    He, who had once ignored his wife''s objections and tucked away this box, had never thought there woulde a day when he would take it out again. Back then, he only felt that life was already satisfying, everything was settled, and there was no reason to bring out the contents of the box anymore.

    However, as the years passed, until today, learning that his daughter had be a Magical Girl, he realized that running away would never solve any problem.

    Gently unlocking the sp of the box, prying open its somewhat stiff lid, he looked at the object inside, silent for a long time.

    It was a gemstone flower with a broken pattern.

    A gemstone covered in fine lines, already tainted with dust.

    It had another name; people always called it "Heart Flower."

    And in this world, there was only one kind of person who would have such a peculiar treasure.

    ¡ªA Magical Girl.

 Chapter 4 Mysterious Call

    Lin Yun and An Ya were childhood sweethearts.

    Since a very young age they had been in the same ss and became friends. An Ya was a very lively and mischievous girl, so gender never became a barrier to their friendship. They got along really well and were inseparable.

    However, there came a short period of time when, as they both gradually grew up and entered adolescence, they started to be aware of the differences between their genders, making their interactions somewhat awkward. Also, because they went to different schools after advancing to the next educational level, they began to drift apart.

    Until one day, an event caused An Ya to re-enter Lin Yun''s life, turning everything upside down.

    ¡ªAn Ya had be a Magical Girl.

    She emerged in front of him like a resolute angel, saving both Lin Yun and the people around from sudden danger.

    Strong, steadfast, beautiful.

    The childhood ymate had be someone to be admired from afar, so different from the tomboyish troublemaker in his memories that he even felt she was somewhat a stranger.

    But An Ya was happy, for she felt she had a friend to share her secret with, and that this friend was her once somewhat estranged childhood sweetheart. Their rtionship was rekindled, killing two birds with one stone.

    However, being a Magical Girl was not a rxed identity. The number of Remnant Beasts in the city kept increasing and getting stronger, and there came a day when An Ya waspletely overwhelmed by the never-ending stream of enemies.

    That''s when Lin Yun stepped in, and so, he too became a Magical Girl.

    After that, they encountered many things, met morepanions, and went through more perilous battles but ultimately persevered and even became heroes who saved the city.

    In the end, as an adult, Lin Yun gave up the power and identity of a Magical Girl and returned to a normal life.

    To say it was normal, but it wasn''t quite normal; after all, his wife was a Magical Girl.

    He and An Ya were married.

    The two lived a life filled with love, had a cute daughter and enjoyed family happiness. Everything seemed quite natural, with the hero who saved others from crises hanging up his armor to return to a peaceful and happy life.

    It should have been like that.

    "It should have..."

    In the crowded hustle of the early morning, Lin Yun was squeezed among themuters on the train, staring numbly at the scenery outside the window as always.

    A week had passed since he found out that his daughter had be a Magical Girl.

    Perhaps because he had poured out his true feelings for the first time in a long while that night, Lin Yun felt that the atmosphere between him and Lin Xiaolu had improved a bit. At least when they were together at home, his daughter would give him a symbolic nce instead ofpletely ignoring him and treating him like air, as she did when their rtionship was at its worst.

    In this way, it could be considered a small step forward in repairing their father-daughter rtionship.

    He was somewhat relieved.

    Regarding the safety of his daughter being a Magical Girl, he chose to stay in contact with Hong Siyu, asking her to keep an eye on Lin Xiaolu as an official from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, prioritizing his daughter''s safety.

    Lin Yun somehow sensed that Hong Siyu might have some romantic feelings for him, so now that he was actively contacting her, not bringing up the matter at all felt somewhat like he was being a scoundrel, wanting to make that rtionship clear.

    But Hong Siyu kept denying it, iming she couldn''t even remember the nonsense she spouted while drunk that night, and told him not to take it seriously.

    The matter was thus shelved.

    As for what Lin Yun did that night after taking out the Heart Blossom.

    He wanted to try transforming.

    The identity of a Magical Girl had long be a distant memory for him, and the feeling of fighting and even killing the Remnant Beasts had also been forgotten. He could hardly remember what it felt like to battle.

    Had he really fought against such monsters as a matter of course?

    The thought unconsciously crossed his mind.

    In truth, although he had retired, strictly speaking, he hadn''tpletely lost the power of a Magical Girl. Regardless of the issues involved, he should still be able to transform.

    However, that night, his attempt to transform failed.

    As he reached for the Heart Blossom, there was no response at all.

    The dust-covered Heart Blossom was just like a truly inanimate object, showing no change whatsoever.

    This left Lin Yun unsure whether to feel relieved or worried.

    Relief came from the fact that he seemed to really have lost his power; many of the thoughts that had tortured him in his mind had dissipated to some extent. However, he worried that without his power, he might not be able to assist his daughter when she faced crises she couldn''t resolve on her own.

    As a result, he couldn''t use the identity of a Magical Girl to tell her certain things.

    Yes, he had once wanted to reach out to his daughter as a Magical Girl.

    As a father, he couldn''t tell her things that might not be believed even if spoken out loud, but as a "senior Magical Girl," he had enough standing and reasons to speak.

    To tell her about the dangers of being a Magical Girl.

    To tell her what this power meant.

    To tell her who the enemies really were.

    To tell her how to make herself stronger to better protect herself.

    If it was a senior Magical Girl speaking these truths, his daughter would have no reason to not take them seriously.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He had so much he wanted to say to his daughter, but he didn''t know how to begin.

    The silence of the Heart Flower made him abandon this idea.

    Whether he had truly lost his power, or he no longer qualified to be a Magical Girl, or for some other reason, none of it seemed important anymore.

    During this period, a Remnant Beast appeared in the city again. Fortunately, it was eliminated by Lin Xiaolu without much trouble, and the subsequent damage was also minimal.

    The only thing that surprised Lin Yun was that unlike the previous television interview, the media''s reaction to this Remnant Beast attack was sparse.

    He wasn''t sure if it was a sign of the times changing, that the Abnormal Strategy Bureau had started taking a low-profile approach, or if people''s attention had shifted elsewhere. Regardless, despite the increasing frequency of Remnant Beasts in the city and the emergence of a new Magical Girl, the incidents didn''t spark much public discussion.

    Even the TV station''s interview seemed to vanish after it was broadcast, and the videos he had found online were quickly buried by new content from the TV station''s official website.

    In the era when he served as a Magical Girl, both the media and the public loved to make Magical Girls the center of conversation.

    His mind filled with countless thoughts, Lin Yun followed the flow of people to hispany and began another day at work.

    It was still the familiar and tedious tasks, but perhaps due to a shift in his mindset, he felt that the previous sense of anxiety had diminished considerably.

    He stayed busy until noon. After eating his work meal and while sitting in the office processing unfinished paperwork, Lin Yun suddenly received a phone call.

    The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number.

    Although he didn''t know who it was, he still pressed the answer button and held the phone to his ear:

    "Hello?"

    All he got was a hissing busy tone.

    Frowning slightly, Lin Yun waited two seconds, then asked again:

    "Hello? Who is this?"

    "...Be careful."

    "What did you say?"

    "Hiss."

    "Hello?"

    "Be careful of tonight''s Remnant Beast."

    A single sentence made Lin Yun''s eyes widen.

    "What do you mean? Who are you?"

    He couldn''t help but press on, but after saying just that, the other end of the call went silent.

    Before long, the hissing noise turned into the busy tone of a disconnected call.

 Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Crisis

    "Be careful of the Remnant Beasts tonight?"

    This sentence had Lin Yun feeling anxious and unsettled throughout the afternoon at work.

    The reason was nothing else but the overwhelming amount of information it conveyed, which made it impossible for him to dismiss it as a mere nuisance call or prank.

    His daughter was a Magical Girl, a fact only known to him and Hong Siyu besides themselves; as for the fact that he himself had once been a Magical Girl, probably only a very few people knew. Moreover, he was sure that those privy to this information would only be his current or formerpanions.

    Could the call have been from Hong Siyu, then?

    It was possible, but why would she y such tricks and make an anonymous call? As an official, Hong Siyu had earnestly promised him that she would take extra care of his daughter. Such a topic could have been discussed openly.

    Adopting the principle of "better to be safe than sorry," he sent a message to Hong Siyu:

    [Did you call me?]

    [?] was the reply he received.

    It seemed not to be her.

    Several candidates crossed his mind, each dismissed in turn, leaving Lin Yun still without a clue.

    So, was it just a prank call that had identally hit the mark?

    This possibility was actually not small, it might even be said to be quite high, since many scam calls these days followed this pattern, spouting all sorts of nonsensical words; however, as long as the number of attempts wasrge enough, there would always be a few who, for one reason or another, took them seriously.

    Lin Yun tried to convince himself of this, but his heart would not settle.

    Thus, evening came. His preupied appearance caught the eye of a colleague who had worked with him for years, who even went so far as to ask if he had encountered any trouble. Lin Yun shook his head, not wishing to share such a hysterical-sounding topic with others.

    He took the subway home, not arriving until it was dark. Lin Yun looked toward the shoe cab in the entryway with apprehension, and to his relief, his daughter''s shoes were there. He passed through the living room, saw the washed dishes and utensils in the kitchen sink, walked to his daughter''s room, and saw light seeping through the gap under the door¡ªall signs that Lin Xiaolu was still at home.

    This eased Lin Yun''s mind somewhat.

    If there were any dangerous Remnant Beasts appearing, as long as his daughter stayed at home, her safety was ensured.

    Besides, if there were any urrence of Remnant Beasts, Hong Siyu had no reason not to inform him.

    With a strange feeling in his heart, Lin Yun finished dinner and entered his study to deal with work that hadn''t beenpleted at thepany. Between tasks, he kept a close watch on his daughter''s room, ensuring that there was no situation where Lin Xiaolu could sneak out without his knowledge.

    All through midnight, nothing unusual happened. When the clock struck 12, a day''s toil left Lin Yun feeling unable to stay awake; only after a long wait did he lie down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

    In a haze, he had no idea how much time had passed.

    But at a certain moment, he thought he heard some unusual noise.

    In the midst of darkness, Lin Yun woke up with a start.

    His heart raced inexplicably, and his breathing quickened. He didn''t remember if he had been dreaming, but upon waking, his mood seemed to have worsened a great deal.

    Groping in the dark, he picked up his phone; the screen lit up, showing the time as 2:10 AM.

    Although he had just awoken, Lin Yun felt a strong premonition deep inside after bing aware of his surroundings.

    This premonition was so strong that it felt eerily familiar, and it instantly reminded him of thest time he had experienced something simr.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡ªThe day his wife passed away.

    "...Impossible, right?"

    The words slipped out, tinged with doubt even he could hear.

    Lin Yun got out of bed, hurriedly opened the bedroom door, and looked in the direction of his daughter''s room. No longer caring about scruples or hesitation, he rushed to her door and knocked on it.

    Nothing happened.

    Lin Yun wasn''t discouraged; he knocked repeatedly, louder and louder. The hollow sound echoed in the dark hallway, yet still no response came.

    "Impossible, right?" he repeated the phrase.

    ncing at the door and the blurry note in the dark night, Lin Yun gritted his teeth and began to turn the doorknob.

    Creak.

    The door was locked.

    He didn''t know if his daughter usually locked her door. After all, he had never tried to open it before, but now, this situation couldn''t help but make him think negatively.

    Could she have sneaked out by herself?

    Picking up his phone, he began to dial Hong Siyu''s number, but the response was nobody answered.

    Opening the search engine, he started typing keywords like "Fangting City," "Remnant Beasts," but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Evenst week''s incident had already been buried under various new hot topics, without a trace to be found.

    It seemed as if in an instant, all coincidences collided, and he suddenly lost all leads on the movements of the Remnant Beasts in Fangting City.

    Naturally, he had also lost all control over his daughter''s whereabouts.

    He tried to calm himself down and told himself that no one answering the door didn''t mean his daughter had run out alone in the middle of the night to deal with Remnant Beasts. It was simply that his daughter, as always, disliked him¡ªa mid-night away from dealing with a neurotic dad knocking on the door out of nowhere; such an exnation was actually quite reasonable and made much more sense than the unfounded spections in his head.

    Only, he strangely believed the premonition in his heart.

    So he looked at his call log, the second page, the third fromst entry. It was from noon, that suddenly iing call from apletely unfamiliar number.

    His finger hovered over that entry for a long time, holding some kind of hope, he pressed the number.

    It connected.

    This caused his breath to hitch.

    Each second of dial tone during the call felt as long as a century, listening to the "beep ¡ª¡ª beep ¡ª¡ª" long tones, Lin Yun clenched themunicator.

    Then, the other side picked up.

    "Hiss hiss."

    It was still heavy with static.

    It was as if the signal was severely disrupted, the voice choppy and assaulting Lin Yun''s eardrums until, at a certain point, all the noise dissipated into nothing.

    "In the suburbs, at the wend park."

    Just a few words, and the call was hung up.

    The surroundings returned to silence once again, as if it were just another ordinary night.

    Putting down his phone, Lin Yun turned his head to look at the living room inside the house. He saw the faint moonlight casting a hazy white glow on the floor, bright yet quiet, in but peaceful. It seemed to be another image deep in his heart, another voice, telling him at this juncture, "Don''t go."

    If he stepped out of the house now, those things he had sacrificed so much to maintain would cease to exist.

    But for Lin Yun, such a decision was meaningless. When his child''s safety was weighed on the scales, the chips on the other side had long since be unimportant.

    Moving his feet, he nearly bolted out the front door.

    He unlocked the door to the SUV he had not driven in a long while and shoved the key in. Then, amid the roar, he hit the road with a force far exceeding the city''s speed limit.

    "I must go."

    As if to inculcate a concept within himself, he muttered.

    Right now, he could even feel his blood rushing to his brain, making it buzz.

    The speed of the car continued to rise. He drove with the speed of a racer, pressing the gas pedal to its controble limit, running red lights, and speeding all the way. Traffic vitions or idents were inconsequential at the moment, for he knew that no matter what, he must reach his daughter first.

    He carried with him the Heart Flower, which had been silent for so long. Although he had tried before and had not been able to transform into a Magical Girl, he still harbored some unrealistic hope.

    Or rather, there was a notion in the back of his mind telling him that this time, he could do it.

    His mind was a whirl of chaotic thoughts, and he couldn''t articte his current state, a muddle of emotions, memories, and physiological stress that rendered his thoughts utterly illogical.

    The only clear thought was, "I don''t want anything to happen to my daughter."

 Chapter 6: Chapter 6 The Past, The Wrong Path

    On the elevated bridgete at night, the shadows of speeding cars whizzed by.

    Behind the steering wheel, Lin Yun''s brows were tightly furrowed. Even with him going at full throttle, sprinting at top speed, it had taken him nearly 20 minutes to get near the Wend Park from home. And for him right now, every second that passed was torment.

    However, during this anxious journey, he had managed to pick up some long-neglected knowledge from the jumble of thoughts in his mind and had rified a few things.

    Why exactly had he be a Magical Girl?

    This was a question that he had once firmly etched in his heart, a question that he had raised again after 19 years. Looking out of the car, under the dim yellow streetlights, some equally distant memories began to surface. And those dated back even further, to 22 years ago.

    In fact, he was somewhat surprised that he could still faintly recall it¡ªit was an evening after school had let out.

    "Can I go fight?"

    On the street bathed in the setting sun, the young Lin Yun asked the Fairy, that resembled a rabbit, this question.

    The Fairy, calling itself the "Seeder," told him:

    "How could you, you''re a boy! Only girls can possess the talent to be a Magical Girl, and that too is one in a million!"

    "Why can''t a boy do it?"

    "I''ve already said, Magical¡ªGirl¡ªit''s in the name, girl! That''s why only girls can be Magical Girls!"

    "Then I won''t be a Magical Girl, a Magical Boy, a Magical Big Brother, a Magical Superman, anything''s fine¡ªI also want the power of magic!"

    The youth''s voice was full of determination as he shouted these words, and not far away, between the buildings, a fierce battle was taking ce.

    His childhood friend¡ªAn Ya, who was also a Magical Girl, was battling the ferocious Remnant Beasts.

    Only, unlike the several battles he had seen before, this time the Remnant Beasts were not only massive in size, but there were also two of them, and An Ya, facing multiple high-strength enemies, clearly showed signs of being overwhelmed.

    She was undoubtedly at a disadvantage.

    Watching An Ya struggle under the Remnant Beasts, having been hit by their attacks several times, her situation was precarious. Lin Yun couldn''t help but raise his voice again, shouting at the rabbit-like Fairy, "Can''t you see? An Ya is in danger! Isn''t she the Magical Girl you chose?"

    "Ugh... I really am troubled," said the Fairy with a rueful expression, "I am very worried about An Ya, true, but magic is a power that only girls can have; there''s no other option but to be a Magical Girl, and all those things you''re talking about simply don''t exist."

    "Magical Boy, Magical Big Brother, Magical Superman or anything like that¡ªif it were possible, I''d want to help you, but it''s not; I can only grant the power of a Magical Girl¡­"

    "Let me try!"

    "Huh?"

    "Let me try, to see if I can be a Magical Girl!"

    "Have you gone mad? I told you, it has to be a girl!"

    "Just let me try!"

    "How are we supposed to ''just try'' something like this?"

    "Tell me how to be a Magical Girl¡ªI''ll do it!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "...You really do know how to scare someone."

    Facing the young man''s resolute and persistent attitude, and with the distant An Ya indeed in crisis, the Fairy had no choice but to relent, "Fine, let it be on your head then, you said to try it."

    It extended its paw to the fluff around its waist and, after some rummaging, pulled out a round, crystal-clear gemstone from between the hairs.

    The size of the gemstone was a quarter the size of its body, and the sight of it suddenly being pulled out looked very odd, but neither the person nor the Fairy facing each other were in any mood to care about such trifles.

    "This thing is called the Seed of Heart, the seed of power for a Magical Girl," the Fairy said gravely.

    "Hold it, press it to your chest, feel its presence, connect with your heart¡ªif it reacts, then you have the talent to be a Magical Girl; if not, then you have no hope at all."

    "Seed of Heart..."

    Looking at the gemstone in the Fairy''s w, the young man murmured the name of the object.

    He knew full well that what he was saying was unreasonable. Since the other party had said that only girls could be Magical Girls, there must be some reason for it.

    But now, he had no choice, because the situation was so urgent that if he, as an ordinary person, wanted to save An Ya, he should take a shot at even the most impossible task.

    Taking the gemstone-like object, Lin Yun immediately clenched it in his hand and pressed it against his heart.

    Connect with your heart.

    That was the key point he remembered, and without any dy, he devoted himselfpletely to it.

    He closed his eyes and gradually shut out everything else. While not far away, the rabbit-like Fairy watched with a worried face as Lin Yun held the Seed of Heart in his hand.

    A few breaths passed and the Seed of Heart showed no change.

    As the one-minute mark approached, the Seed of Heart still showed no reaction.

    Just as the fairy rabbit''s heartbeat was gradually calming down, convinced that it could confirm failure, a change urred.

    At first, it was a very faint light that leaked out from between Lin Yun''s fingers, like scattered sparks, resembling fireflies. Then it turned into trailing, clear light, transforming into streaks of pure luminescence.

    What rose from the young man''s gradually unfolding hands was a pure white sphere of light emitting a sacred glow. It revolved with the gem-like Seed of Heart, aloft, and eventually merged.

    In an instant, the light burst forth.

    White light radiated from the surface of the Seed of Heart, forming a halo that enveloped Lin Yun.

    The light, though not overwhelmingly bright, shone like the moon in the sky, not dazzling, yet bright enough to illuminate the night.

    "Is this really... you... you actually seeded? You''re really a boy?"

    Faced with an unprecedented fact, the fairy rabbit beside him was shocked and even began to speak without thinking, "Could it be you just look more like a boy, so you''re fooling around with me?"

    However, the boy within the light paid no attention to its nonsense, but looked up with a resolute gaze towards the fairy before him, his eyes zing with determination.

    "What should I do next?"

    ¡ªWhat should I do next?

    That question seemed to travel through time and space.

    Because it was the same question that Lin Yun needed to consider right now.

    Beneath the night sky, in the silent and empty wend park parking lot, he casually threw his car into a spot and ran toward the depths of the woods along a path.

    Actually, what to do, the answer was already there. His feelings at this moment were so simr to those of that twilight 22 years ago.

    Perhaps many things had changed, but many others had remained; at least this sentiment of "must save the important person" was exactly the same.

    With such emotions, could his Heart Flower still connect with him?

    He raised his hand, harboring a tinge of doubt.

    ¡ªThe gemstone flower in his hand was already shining with a deep blue light.

    "...Sigh, really, there''s no helping it with you, kid, but right now we can only treat the dead horse as if it''s alive," the fairy mumbled.

    In a daze, he seemed to return to that day beneath the setting sun.

    After expressing shock briefly, the fairy rabbit quickly adjusted its attitude and began to instruct him with precision:

    "First, having established the link with the Seed of Heart, you should be able to feel the magic power, that is, the energy that serves as the bond between you and the Seed of Heart."

    "Now, what you need to do, is to activate it using a simple Flow of Magical Power."

    The young man nodded, closed his eyes again, and while sensing, he summed up in his mind:

    The first step is to grasp the Magic Power.

    "Divert your Flow of Magical Power and connect your limbs and forehead to the Seed of Heart, then adjust them to bnce each other."

    The second step, divert the Magic Power, then bnce it.

    "Then it''s about constructing the standard Magic Runes, ah, if you don''t know... Look over here, I''ll show you."

    The third step is to construct the standard Magic Runes.

    "Lastly, think of a Transformation Spell as the initial switch. Though rarely used, don''t make it too weird; something cute is better, otherwise, if the kingdom reviews it, you''ll be ordered to change it."

    The fourth step, settle on the Transformation Spell.

    With the stepsplete, it was now time to transform.

    The memory of the young boy and the middle-aged man at this moment seemed to ovep, coexisting simultaneously here.

    But, this was ultimately but a phantom.

    The boy, filled with passion and hope, shouting the newly made embarrassing spell, set off toward the aerial battlefield to save the girl he cared about, armed with his new power.

    The middle-aged man, whose fiery spirit had long since cooled, still stood here, alone.

    His pace slightly faltered, he shook his head, dispelling the stray thoughts from his mind and resumed his brisk walk forward.

    The light flourished, and a brilliant blue Magic Power burst out from his hands in an instant, sweeping around like a turbulent flow, lifting the hem of his clothes and his hair.

    With no extra movements or sounds, he raised his hand and pressed the Heart Flower to his chest. Then, he coldly uttered two words:

    "Transform, body."

 Chapter 7 Park Shadows

    ```

    Clutching her magic wand and sporting golden pigtails, the magical girl hovered high in the air, gazing down at the wend forest under the night sky.

    What was a verdant and charming park filled with natural beauty during the day had be akin to a predator''s gaping maw in the darkness, waiting for its prey to wander in.

    This faint sense of danger gave her a chill up her spine, making her involuntarily frown.

    "Xiaolu, I''ve got a bad feeling about this."

    The voice,den with gravity, rose beside her ear.

    The speaker was a peculiar creature resembling a kitten, pink all over, fuzzy, with a pair of tiny wings on its back that inevitably brought to mind a fairy from a fairy tale.

    The fairy flew up behind the girl, its face clouded with worry: "Although it''s very faint, the residual magic power around us is making my fur stand on end, and our opponent this time might be very dangerous."

    "...You''re right, I can feel it too."

    The magical girl, or rather Lin Xiaolu, tried hard to suppress the fear in her heart, staring intently at the woods in the park below: "Although I can''t quite exin it, I also feel it''s very dangerous."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    However, despite her words, she didn''t stop her movements. Waving her magic wand, she slowly descended onto the grassy expanse of the park. Lin Xiaolu quickly surveyed the surroundings for any enemy presence to ensure it was safe.

    This action yielded nothing, but the vague unrest lingered in her heart.

    "Moka, can you still sense the enemy''s location?"

    She turned to the pink fairy for help.

    The fairy, known as "Moka," closed its eyes. After a moment of silence, it suddenly snapped them open: "It''s no good. Even though I could lock on to the enemy in this park before wended, now I can''t sense its exact position."

    Lin Xiaolu was startled: "Have we ever encountered this situation before?"

    "Not at all."

    Moka looked helpless: "I should have told you before. As a fairy, it''s also my first time in the material realm, and there are many things I don''t understand."

    "Moka... you''re so useless."

    "Saying such hurtful things to a fairy, I might actually get angry!"

    The magical girl and the fairy moved slowly across the grassy field of the wend park, all the while attentive to any traces around them. But as nearly ten minutes passed and they approached the central area of the park, they still found nothing.

    Floating midair, Moka couldn''t help but speak again: "Xiaolu, should we retreat for now?"

    The magical girl asked in confusion: "Why?"

    Moka exined: "I have a feeling that the Remnant Beasts this time is not just any simple enemy, and the two of us may not be a match for it. It would be more prudent to go back and learn more from the adults at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and seek help."

    "Ah? But isn''t seeking help from adults, isn''t that behavior a bit out of character for a magical girl?"

    "Now is not the time to be stubborn in such strange circumstances!"

    "Uh... got it."

    The persistent chill at her back made Lin Xiaolu relent, and she quickly took the fairy''s advice: "If we don''t find anything by the time we reach the park center, we''ll leave."

    Moka nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Quickly, then!"

    With that, they had an agreement: if they still hadn''t encountered the enemy by the time they reached the park center, they would head straight home.

    Stepping across the grass, in no time they could see the outlines of the pavilions and water features at the park''s center. Having reached their destination, Lin Xiaolu lifted her spirits and strode forward.

    "Still no sign of the Remnant Beasts."

    The girl blinked and looked to the side: "Moka, can you sense anything now?"

    She was met with emptiness.

    The fairy that should have been flying by her side was nowhere to be seen.

    "...Moka?"

    Only the magical girl''s lonely voice was trapped in the park.

    Realizing that things were evolving beyond her control, Lin Xiaolu finally became anxious and started to look around for herpanion.

    "Moka?"

    The dense forest acted as a perfect sound barrier, isting her voice from the outside world.

    And so, with a somewhat frantic heart, she took a couple of steps, when suddenly she heard a rustle from the bushes beside her.

    Her heartbeat skyrocketed, and the magical girl immediately turned towards that direction. After some flustered positioning to prepare for battle, she called out somewhat fiercely, yet nervously:

    "Who''s there? Come out!"

    The response was a very faint voice: "Quickly..."

    "What?"

    ```

    "Run! Xiaolu!"

    This time, the Magical Girl heard it clearly.

    And as she picked up the distant sound, a blurry pink shadow also flew over from afar, then crashed into her arms.

    What appeared at this moment was precisely her partner Moco, who had suddenly vanished earlier.

    However,pared to the unscathed appearance from a few minutes prior, Moco was now covered in wounds, one of her wings was missing, and a deep gash stretched across her body, with pink glowing particles fluttering incessantly from the wounds, looking terribly wretched.

    Yet, at this moment, Moco wasn''t concerned with her own injuries but instead tried to shout, "Run, the Remnant Beast this time..."

    ¡ª¡ª"Hrrrrrrr."

    The growl, like that of a wild beast, came through the shadows of the nearby woods.

    Moco didn''t get a chance to continue speaking as a fearsome monster emerged from the darkness, its sharp ws digging deeply into the mud, making no sound as it eerily appeared in front of Lin Xiaolu.

    "Grrrrrr, roar!"

    There was no doubt that this was a Remnant Beast.

    Because no animal in a park could possibly have a bodyrger than 4 meters, nor could it have two heads.

    The dark purple fur coated with an unidentifiable liquid, eyes glowing with an eerie green light filled with brutal murderous desires, and peculiar tubr structures protruded from its body, connecting to its drooling twin heads.

    Just standing there was enough to send a chill down one''s spine.

    This was something that, as a Magical Girl, Lin Xiaolu should find impossible to encounter.

    After all, as a Magical Girl, there was no reason to fear a Remnant Beast.

    She had obtained this power to fight the Remnant Beasts and protect others from harm, so why should she fear the enemy she was supposed to vanquish?

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t understand, yet she couldn''t suppress the negative thoughts in her heart.

    Could she possibly lose?

    Just as the thought crossed her mind, it was interrupted by a voice from outside:

    ¡ª¡ª"Xiaolu!"

    Her partner''s voice resounded in her ears once more, "Hurry up and move!"

    It was Moco, Moco was calling for her to flee.

    At this moment, she suddenly remembered the action she should have taken from the start¡ªsurvival.

    Raising her Magic Wand, the air around the girl began to pulsate and then, apanied by a roaring sound, she soared into the sky. She had entered the park flying and, naturally, fleeing via the aerial route seemed the safest choice.

    Lin Xiaolu thought this, but she noticed that the Remnant Beast on the ground showed no reaction, even as she chose to escape through the air, it just stood silently in its ce, watching everything with those eyes that glowed faintly green.

    Is there a trap?

    Before Lin Xiaolu had time to think further, she realized her upward flight hade to a halt.

    In its ce was an intense pressure from behind.

    The injured Fairy askedboriously, "What''s wrong, Xiaolu?"

    The sudden halt in her escape clearly puzzled the Fairy.

    Noticing the confusion and panic on her face, the Fairy couldn''t help raising its paw towards its head, only to feel a repelling force, and then its paw was bounced away.

    "Magical Barrier..."

    This time, even the Fairy''s face showed a hint of despair, "It''s over; this was a trap from the beginning!"

    In an instant, both the Magical Girl and the Fairy''s spirits plummeted to rock bottom.

    However, unlike the Fairy, Lin Xiaolu still retained some instinct for battle and was constantly watching the Remnant Beast below her field of view.

    What chilled her heart was not that her escape was blocked, but the expression that appeared on the grotesque face of the Remnant Beast below once she stopped.

    Could Remnant Beasts make such human-like expressions?

    Pondering this, she suddenly felt a pause in her vision, and in a blur, the enemy had disappeared from sight.

    "¡ª¡ªXiaolu!"

    And the next moment, amid the Fairy''s cries of despair, she got her answer.

    The w of the Remnant Beast had already reached in front of her throat.

    Thest thing she saw was the malevolent and mocking sneer that should never have been present on a Remnant Beast''s face.

 Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Magical Girl Emerald Sparrow

    At the moment when Lin Xiaolu and the nearby Fairy were almost in despair, the horrific scene they had anticipated did not ur.

    The w of the Remnant Beast, which had almost pierced the delicate white neck of the young girl, was stopped at thest moment.

    Because in the blink of an eye, a deep blue Magic Wand, of unknown origin, was positioned beneath its w, blocking the fatal attack on the Magical Girl.

    Lin Xiaolu, standing behind the Magic Wand, had not even had time to make sense of the situation, and was only slightly aware that she had just narrowly escaped death when she was forcefully pushed by a hand and involuntarily stumbled backward.

    "Step back,"

    the neer said.

    It was at this moment that Lin Xiaolu finally saw who had saved her:

    The deep blue Magic Power, which appeared as substantial as fire burning, radiated from the center and dispersed into flickering sparks.

    And amidst them stood a petite girl with an indifferent expression.

    She was dressed in a dark navy Lolita-style gown, withplex and gorgeous decorative ribbons, her long blue hair neatly tied into a princess braid at the back of her head, and arge Bo covering her head.

    "If you truly wish to be a Magical Girl capable of protecting a city like Fangting City..."

    She began indifferently, her voice like that of a robin yet carrying the authority of a superior, "then watch closely, my battle."

    As her words fell, the me-like Magic Power around her dissipated into nothingness.

    "Magical Girl, flower card certification number 41076, Emerald Sparrow, extermination mission begins."

    "Grrrooooooooarrr!"

    The two-headed Remnant Beast, which had until now been repelled by the mysterious girl wielding the Magic Wand with one hand, issued a violent roar of uncontainable fury upon realizing the change in its adversary.

    The intelligence of the Remnant Beast was not enough to facilitate any rational dialogue with the Magical Girl before it; instead, it exhibited near-human intelligence in fully disying its feelings of humiliation.

    I will kill you too.

    Had it been capable of speech, it likely would have uttered something along these lines. Then, gathering strength throughout its body, the tubes covering its surface pulsed, emitting a faint green glow as something was channeled toward its legs.

    In an instant, it repeated its previous trick and vanished from the spot once again.

    The mysterious girl, expressionless, lifted her Magic Wand and deflected an attack to the side and rear of her body.

    ng!

    The Remnant Beast, which had suddenly appeared in the air, had its outstretched ws and full-force assault effortlessly neutralized.

    After deflecting the attack, the girl showed a hint of perplexity on her face: "Is this speed from an Inchworm... Why would there be an Inchworm in Fangting City now?"

    However, no one present could answer her question.

    "Roooooarrrrrr!"

    Lacking the intelligence to engage in structuredmunication with the Magical Girl opposing it, the Remnant Beast, having had its attack parried, let out an even more infuriated roar. The sound waves generated by the roar nearly flipped over Lin Xiaolu and Moco, who were watching the battle from the side.

    Then, the offensive from the Remnant Beastmenced once again.

    The faint green ws shimmered in the darkness, falling like a from all directions towards the mysterious girl. Its enormous size did not hinder its speed. In fact, Lin Xiaolu, who was observing from the side, could not track its movements despite its massive form.

    But this speed seemed to pose no threat at all to the petite deep blue Magical Girl.

    With a simple sway of her figure, she quietly appeared several steps away in an open area, easily dodging the dense and swift attacks of the Remnant Beast.

    This was not the end.

    Realizing that its target had dodged, the Remnant Beast, although it had missed, quickly locked onto its target again and pressed forward with its assault.

    "Zzzt¡ª"

    A teeth-gritting metallic scraping noise erupted between them.

    The mystical girl moved nimbly within a confined space, dancing lightly as she leaped about, asionally drawing out her magic wand to ward off some exceedingly tricky attacks, and beneath the fierce onught of the Remnant Beasts'' scratching and wing, she didn''t sustain even the slightest injury.

    "Roarrrrr!"

    After a period in which neither could gain the upper hand, it was evident that the Remnant Beasts were growing impatient. With an angry roar, they shed with a burst of green glow from the soft tubes around their bodies, then suddenly sprinted forward a short distance¡ªonly to disappear once again right before striking,unching an attack almost simultaneously from behind the mystical girl.

    The heart-stopping offensivested only a moment; any hint of negligence in one''s reaction would result in a gruesome demise. Yet the girl still blocked the strike with perfectly precise movements, showing no signs of strain.

    However, the end was still not in sight.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Both of the Remnant Beasts'' enormous heads opened their maws almost simultaneously, revealing gleaming white teeth and drooling saliva. As the girl''s magic wand collided with its sharp ws, the beast seized the brief interval to viciously bite down toward her neck.

    In that moment, Lin Xiaolu, who had been watching from the side, finally grasped the state of the battle, feeling as if her heartbeat had nearly stopped.

    It was also at this time that the girl about to be bitten simply watched, showing no intention of raising her hand to defend herself.

    The gaping jaw descended.

    But it failed to close.

    Time seemed to freeze at that moment. The Remnant Beast''s head, which should have bitten the mystical girl, could not advance even a fraction more.

    Upon closer inspection, one would realize that the Remnant Beast was still in motion, but it appeared as though something was obstructing it, allowing only minor movements.

    "¡ª¡ªFor defensive maneuvers, I''ll demonstrate up to this point," said the petite girl suddenly from beneath the shadow of the Remnant Beast.

    This left Lin Xiaolu by the side stunned for a moment before she realized the other was speaking to her, and she nodded somewhat nkly, "Ah, okay... thank you?"

    The mystical girl nced at her, then returned her gaze to the Remnant Beast in front of her, which for some reason was unable to move, and continued, "Now then, it''s time to end this."

    From start to finish, it seemed she had never taken this Remnant Beast seriously.

    She simply reached out her hand, lightly touching the void as if she were strumming a harp. She gently curled her fingers upward, and suddenly straight indentations appeared on her delicate fingertips.

    Then, deep blue magic power slowly became visible from all around.

    One strand, two strands, three strands, each emitting a clear, luminescent glow.

    Four strands, five strands, six strands, formed into a delicate.

    To Lin Xiaolu''s eyes appeared a that shimmered with blue light,posed entirely of lines of magic power.

    A vast amount of magic silk suddenly appeared in the previously dim forest, lighting up the surrounding darkness, dispersing the chill brought by the Remnant Beasts and firmly locking the massive creature in the center like an inanimate doll motionless.

    Only then did Lin Xiaolu notice that, without knowing when, the mystical girl''s magic wand had disappeared.

    In its ce, what she held in her hand was a pair of small, intricately patterned tailoring scissors.

    "Magic construction, separate," she dered.

    Following that, the threads of magic power wrapped around the Remnant Beast began to surge as if alive.

    The deep blue threads of magic moved together, interweaving autonomously. Multiple ends connected, threaded through and stretched, eventually constructing a hollow short sword that seemed to be crafted from metallic wire.

    The mystical girl held it in her hand, as if it were a delicate toy devoid of any power.

    She lifted it toward the Remnant Beast''s forehead with an expressionless face.

    Though the Remnant Beast was firmly suppressed by the magic lines and already aware it faced death, there was not a trace of fear in its violent gaze¡ªonly the desire for ughter and destruction ingrained in its instincts.

    Even at this point, it was still trying to break free from its bonds,unching an attack at the Magical Girl before it.

    The girl waited no longer, gently lifting her hand and making a swift, clean swipe.

    The deep blue magic exploded with a blinding light in the night forest, illuminating the surrounding sky.

 Chapter 9: Chapter 9 After the Fierce Battle

    After the great battle, the furious roars of the Remnant Beasts and the thunderous explosions of magic power battling finally vanished.

    The wend park at midnight reimed its usual calm.

    The remnants of magic power and smoke dissipated, leaving only the corpses of monsters in the woods.

    The mysterious girl with deep blue hues gathered the magic silk lines that spread out around her, and the small scissors in her hand transformed back into a magic wand. With several nimble leaps, she arrived beside the skeleton and pulled out a brooch-like object from its neck. Sparkling lights began to emerge from the Remnant Beast and gathered towards her.

    Lin Xiaolu, not far away, recognized what the girl was doing after a moment of scrutiny.

    She was collecting the "Echoes" of the Remnant Beast.

    The so-called "Echoes" refer to the remnants of magic power and soul fragments left after a Remnant Beast is defeated.

    Magical Girls defeat Remnant Beasts, gather Echoes from their bodies, and hand them over to the Seeder. The Seeder then sends the Echoes back to the Magic Kingdom, which judges the contributions of the Magical Girl based on the strength of the Echoes and distributes rewards ordingly.

    That is the reward system between Magical Girls and the Magic Kingdom.

    At the moment, even though Lin Xiaolu was the one who first discovered and engaged in battle with the Remnant Beast, there''s no doubt that it was the mysterious Magical Girl who appeared out of nowhere and dealt the finishing blow, so it was only natural for her to collect the Echoes.

    Lin Xiaolu made an effort to catch up and walked up to the side of the mysterious girl.

    She wasn''t concerned about things like Echoes, as she had something else on her mind to say.

    However, before she could speak, the mysterious girl asked first, "You''re a new recruit, aren''t you?"

    "Ah? Uh, yes."

    Caught off guard by the other''s question, Lin Xiaolu subconsciously replied and then remembered that she also had something to say, "I wanted to thank you for lending a hand..."

    "Where is your Seeder? Hasn''t it told you not to challenge Remnant Beasts beyond your capabilities alone?"

    However, the mysterious girl''s words came at her like a barrage of bullets, not giving Lin Xiaolu a chance to continue, "And yourpanions? Didn''t you notify them before you set out?"

    As she listened to the other''s questions, Lin Xiaolu felt her head spin, "Seeder? Companions? It''s just me..."

    "Huh?"

    Hearing this, the mysterious girl lowered her eyelids in disbelief, "You''re by yourself? No, aren''t you the Magical Girl from Fangting City?"

    Lin Xiaolu spoke hesitantly, "Um... yes, that''s correct. Is there a problem?"

    The mysterious girl did not answer her.

    Rather, her gaze was no longer on Lin Xiaolu, but on the Fairy¡ªMoke¡ªwho had been trying to make itself less noticeable beside them.

    "Hey, you, Fairy over there, are you this child''s Seeder?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The addressed Moke had been hiding behind Lin Xiaolu all this time, constantly avoiding the mysterious girl''s gaze until now, when it was called out, it reluctantly emerged, "Um, hello?"

    "It''s not as casual as a simple ''hello,'' is it?"

    The mysterious girl put her hands on her hips, somewhat aggressively, "I have a whole host of questions waiting for you. Why is this city, Fangting City, in this state?"

    She pointed at the bewildered Lin Xiaolu next to her, "How can such arge city only have one novice Magical Girl who can''t even use a Magic Wand?"

    "This child has probably fought in less than five battles, right? In other cities, such a newbie would need to be led by a Magical Girl of Leaf level or above to join battles. You just threw her into a solo fight against an Inchworm, did you want to kill her?"

    Moke shook his head in haste, "Certainly not, I didn''t mean to harm Xiaolu!"

    Lin Xiaolu chimed in to exin as well, "It''s not Moke''s fault! Tonight, I insisted on going ahead with the action!"

    "Why is that?"

    The mysterious girl crossed her arms, evidently determined to get to the bottom of this, "What about the other Magical Girls of Fangting City?"

    "I don''t know..."

    "Hmm?"

    Moke''s voice was faint, betraying a guilty conscience, "I mean, I just don''t know..."

    "What are you saying? I can''t understand."

    The mysterious girl looked unimpressed, "A Seeder doesn''t know where the Magical Girls it''s responsible for are?"

    "Yes."

    "Even though you contracted with them yourself?"

    "Um..."

    "Even though each one has to be registered and documented in the Magic Kingdom?"

    "Uh... there''s no reason I must tell you, right?"

    Moke''s expression visibly wavered, but it still retorted stubbornly, "Although I am a Seeder, I''m not obliged to casually disclose the local personnel distribution to an outsider Magical Girl!"

    The mysterious girl, upon hearing this, nodded in agreement, "Indeed, you make a good point; safeguarding information is the mark of an excellent Seeder."

    Relieved by the girl''s seeming concession, Moke sighed. But before it could catch its breathpletely, the girl''s next statement made its expression freeze again.

    ¡ª"What if I tell you I''m an inspector?"

    "Nonsense, don''t, don''t try to trick me!"

    The pink cat-like Fairy blustered and gestured wildly, "You-you-you-you can''t fool me-me-me-me, I don''t believe-lieve-lieve-lieve you just happen to be-be-be..."

    Lin Xiaolu, squatting to the side, remarked in amazement, "Moke, you''re shaking like you''ve been electrocuted."

    The mysterious girl looked doubtfully at Moke, but still seriously pulled a badge resembling a brooch from her cor, touched it lightly with her finger, and instantly activated the shining magic circuit, revealing the pattern on its surface: a deep blue background, with a floral pattern etched on the top; Favo Runes faintly inscribed a name on the left side, though it was obscured by the extending finger; there was also a crown-like shiny icon with the flourish-written number "41076" beside it.

 Chapter 10: Chapter 9 After the Fierce Battle_2

    She shed her badge briefly, but before Moke and Lin Xiaolu could make out the inscription, she tucked it away again.

    "Even though you might have heard this just now, I''ll introduce myself anyway."

    With a cold gaze directed at the magical girl and fairy in front of her, she tilted her head up slightly and began with a bit of haughtiness, "I am a patrol officer from the Magic Kingdom, magical girl Emerald Sparrow, certified with the floral emblem, badge number 41076. I am now in charge of the stationed investigation regarding the abnormal situation in Fangting City, and I hope you will cooperate."

    The cat-shaped fairy''s eyes widened, "Ah-ah?"

    "Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah..."

    Overwhelmed by shock, Moke could only produce a hoarse squawk. Eventually, with a bewildered expression, she raised her head, "Meow meow meow? Meow meow meow. Meow meow meow meow!"

    Lin Xiaolu also widened her eyes, "Moke has started talking gibberish!"

    "Oh¡ªseriously!"

    After a brief struggle, the cat-shaped fairy could not resist grabbing its own ears and shouted in desperation, "Alright! I admit it! I''m not the original Seeder of Fangting City, okay? I ran away on my own!"

    "I myself only arrived in this cityst month, nning to seek out a senior I knew, but when I got here, I found out there was nothing in this city!"

    "Nini, the senior, wasn''t here at all! This city doesn''t have a single magical girl; instead, right when I arrived, I faced an attack by Remnant Beasts! And then I found out, nonsensically, that I had been appointed the Seeder here!"

    Lin Xiaolu, hearing this, showed a shocked face, "Wait? Then does that mean? At that time?"

    Moke chuckled miserably, "Yes, that Remnant Beast was targeting me. In my desperation, I saw you seemed to have the talent to be a magical girl, so I chose you!"

    "And you told me I was a once in a hundred-year prodigy, destined to be the greatest magical girl?"

    "I made that up on the spot!"

    "You also said that the Remnant Beast randomly appeared there and attacked the citizens?"

    "That was also a lie!"

    "Ah? Eh? You, you liar!"

    "I''m a liar! I''m rotten!"

    Seeing the rtionship between the two on the verge of copsing, the magical girl who called herself Emerald Sparrow had no choice but to interrupt their pointless quarreling: "Enough, you two, stop for a moment."

    With a somber look, she pressed down on her palm: "I need to confirm something again. That fairy... Moke is your name, correct? You''re saying that you only arrived in this cityst month and at that time you didn''t find any Seeder or magical girl in the city?"

    Moke, who hadpletely given in to despair, nodded her head gloomily, "Yes, that''s right."

    "But you were able to choose this youngdy here..."

    Lin Xiaolu raised her hand, "My name is Lin Xiaolu."

    Emerald Sparrow turned to Moke, "And you could form a contract with Lin Xiaolu, enabling her to be a magical girl?"

    Moke drooped her head, "Hmm."

    Emerald Sparrow pressed on: "So you are saying that you weren''t originally a Seeder, but after arriving in Fangting City, you found yourself appointed as the Seeder here?"

    Moke continued to nod, "Hmm."

    "Unheard-of."

    Emerald Sparrow pondered, pinching her chin, "The Magic Kingdom''s orders should not be something taken lightly. Didn''t you try to contact the kingdom to understand the specifics?"

    Upon hearing this, Moke, who already had a gloomy face, sank even lower.

    This sparked some unpleasant suspicions in Emerald Sparrow''s mind.

    "You, did you perhaps..."

    She couldn''t help but point her finger at the cat-shaped fairy.

    Moke turned her head to the side, eyes closed, and admitted:

    "Yes, I severed all means of contact when I ran away."

    "Great, now I''ve started to get a headache."

    As these words left her, Emerald Sparrow involuntarily supported her forehead with one hand: "So you mean all reliable sources of information are lost, what''s happened in Fangting City ispletely unknown, and the magical defense forces are virtually nil at this moment?"

    "That''s right, just like that, Lady Patrol Officer, you have to help us!"

    With that, Moke quickly grabbed onto the newly formed rtionship. She approached with her appealing cat features, looking teary-eyed and pitiful, and clung to Emerald Sparrow''s shoulders:

    "Just tonight has been extremely dangerous. If you hadn''t suddenly arrived, Lin Xiaolu and I would''ve beenpletely obliterated right here. If it continues like this, we definitely won''t be able to withstand the increasingly strong onught of the Remnant Beasts!"

    "Stop the ttery! Let go first!"

    Emerald Sparrow frowned and shoved it away, "You need my help? How can I help?"

    Undeterred by being pushed aside, Moke put on a pleasing smile on her cat face: "Well, you just need to contact the kingdom and ask for some backup forces. If it were the other officers with the floral emblem then..."

    "Floral emblem? Keep dreaming."

    Emerald Sparrow gave her a sidelong nce: "And regrettably, I must tell you I cannot make contact with the kingdom right now, because I do not have a magic mirror on hand."

    The cat-shaped fairy covered its mouth: "Can''t make contact? Don''t tell me you''re also a runaway..."

    "I am not, I have approval from the royal court to act alone outside."

    Emerald Sparrow slightly raised her eyelids, cutting off its baseless conjecture: "The issue withmunication is a personal matter of mine, and I do not wish to exin further at the moment."

    The situation seemed to have reached an impasse. Moke, unable to hope for reinforcements, reverted back to a state of utter despondency, while Emerald Sparrow was contemting something.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Truth be told, she was somewhat irritated, even considering whether she should, at the very least, punish the fairy in front of her¡ªthe cause of the trouble¡ªunder her authority as a "Patrol Officer." But considering her past experience with the unreliability of fairies, she knew that bullying them was the most pointless thing to do.

 Chapter 11: Chapter 9 After the Fierce Battle_3

    Before she could make up her mind, Lin Xiaolu, left aside and forced to listen in confusion, finally found an opportunity to speak, hesitantly raising her hand:

    "Um, Excuse me, are you Emerald Sparrow... senior?"

    Emerald Sparrow turned to look at her, her expression somewhat inexplicable: "Just call me Emerald Sparrow."

    "Then... Emerald Sparrow?" Lin Xiaolu tentatively called out.

    "Why hesitate?"

    Emerald Sparrow slightly arched an eyebrow, clearly not too pleased with Lin Xiaolu''s reaction, but she didn''t delve into it, instead steering the conversation back on track: "If you have any questions, just ask quickly, you don''t need so many formalities."

    "Oh, well..."

    With some hesitation, Lin Xiaolu took a deep breath, her eyes drifting momentarily before closing, her hands clenched in front of her chest:

    "I think it''s amazing!"

    "Huh?" Emerald Sparrow was taken aback.

    "I mean, you said to watch your battle, and now I feel amazing, really excited! No, I am moved!"

    After voicing what was in her heart, Lin Xiaolu seemed to discard all her reservations, speaking faster and faster: "Even now, my heart still hasn''t stopped pounding, my pulse is racing!"

    "Since I was very young, I have always loved Magical Girl anime. I thought the Magical Girls in the animations were cute and powerful, able to do many things that I dream of doing but can''t achieve, they''re really radiant!"

    "Wanting to change myself, wanting to forget the things I hate, wanting to fly out of a suffocating life, so when I found out I could be a Magical Girl, I was really happy, I felt like all my dreams could finallye true!"

    At this point, she finally paused, her speech slowing: "But, after bing a Magical Girl, I discovered that nothing changed apart from having to fight disgusting monsters all the time, I still hated everything around me, I even began to hate myself."

    "However, just now, when I was about to be killed by that Remnant Beast, thinking I was about to leave this hateful world, you appeared, Emerald Sparrow!"

    "Your battle, it was so cool! So graceful! Just like the Magical Girl in the animations appeared right in front of my eyes, just like a fantasy character became real, so truly, I was really moved!"

    Lin Xiaolu''s stream of heartfelt exmations touched Emerald Sparrow.

    Because she never knew, that this is what her daughter had been thinking.

    Yes, her own daughter.

    Emerald Sparrow was Lin Yun.

    She had driven dozens of kilometers from home to the park in order to save her daughter from the Remnant Beasts, and after 19 years, she transformed into a Magical Girl once again as Lin Yun.

    She hadn''t immediately revealed her identity to her daughter, instead putting on airs as a "Patrol Envoy", deliberately adopting an aggressive tone to talk, just to intimidate the Seeder called "Mork", to obtain information from it easier.

    But what she hadn''t expected was that although she had managed to intimidate the Seeder, she had gleaned no new information.

    Apart from realizing that Mork was a dud and that the situation in Fangting City wasn''t optimistic, she didn''t acquire any new information.

    Instead, it was her daughter Lin Xiaolu''s words that caught Lin Yun by surprise.

    "And besides the fighting, the weapons also have style!"

    During Emerald Sparrow''s silence, Lin Xiaolu continued to gush unabated, her eyes alight, as if there were stars twinkling in them: "They''re very imposing. They make one feel reassured and secure!"

    "You''re really cute, small and adorable!"

    "Your outfit is also very pretty!"

    "Even the way you talk is cool!"

    This string ofpliments, some bordering on cheesy, increasingly flustered Emerald Sparrow. Although her face retained its coolposure, the corners of her mouth began to twitch involuntarily.

    Lin Xiaolu had unleashed a barrage of praise until finally, she bowed deeply:

    "Therefore, I want to be a Magical Girl like you, to be the ideal version of myself. Could you teach me!"

    This sentiment dealt a tremendous blow to Emerald Sparrow.

    She couldn''t help but ponder why things had turned out this way.

    From the moment Lin Xiaolu was born, their rtionship as father and daughter had alreadysted fourteen years, but in all those yearsbined, she had never heard so much praise from her daughter. Especially the phrase "I want to be like you," not even during the most harmonious periods had Lin Xiaolu ever said such thing to her.

    Yet it was that very sentiment, so moving to her, that now put her on the spot.

    Could she reveal the truth at such a moment when her portrayal as "Emerald Sparrow" had gained her daughter''s approval and aspiration?

    If her daughter knew that this "Emerald Sparrow" who had descended from the sky, whom she so admired, was actually her annoying dad, wouldn''t she be disappointed?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    She might even hate her more, making it even harder for them tomunicate in the future.

    As these thoughts sprang up in her mind, her vision blurred momentarily to see Mork again approaching with tears streaming down, pleading with an expression of utter distress: "Honorable Patrol Envoy¡ª"

    "Emerald Sparrow senior!"

    Lin Xiaolu also looked over with stars in her eyes.

    Both the Fairy and her daughter looked at her with imploring eyes, their pitiful faces crowding into view, and Emerald Sparrow felt her thoughts bing increasingly muddled.

    Adding to that was Lin Xiaolu''s earlier praise, which had moved her deeply, used to the long-term chill in their rtionship, and now less rational thoughts began to push to the forefront of her mind.

    "Alright, alright?"

    Emerald Sparrow, under these circumstances, made a promise that her former self would never have agreed to.

 Chapter 12: Chapter 10 Suspicions

    "Okay, I''ve understood the situation, and we''ll contact the branches in other cities to see if we can ry the situation to the Magic Kingdom through the other Seeders,"

    Listening to the voiceing from the phone, Lin Yun gazed out of the window with lifeless eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed with a hint of helplessness, "Yeah, thank you, sorry to trouble you."

    It was the morning of the following day, and Lin Yun was in his own office.

    He was on a call with Hong Siyu.

    The unexpected event from the previous evening had ultimately affected his sleep, so at the moment, he was groggy and not in the best condition.

    However, he had many matters to deal with and couldn''t rest. Setting aside the massive amount of work piled up at thepany first thing in the morning, he had many questions tomunicate with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau concerning the previous night''s encounter at the wend park.

    In order to ensure his daughter''s safety, he had participated in the battle under the alias of the Magical Girl "Emerald Sparrow" and repelled the enemy, but the incident was far from over. After all, from any perspective, it seemed as if a dark hand was controlling everything from behind the scenes.

    In the end, he identified four main points of suspicion.

    First was the fact that he couldn''t contact Hong Siyu at the time when the Remnant Beasts appearedst night.

    He had no officialmunication with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau; currently, he was basically exchanging information through his personal rtionship with Hong Siyu. But the previous night, this link was severed.

    ording to the feedback from Hong Siyu, not only did she not receive his call, but there was also no trace of a missed call on her call history. It was as though Lin Yun had never made the call in the first ce.

    But that was impossible. Lin Yun clearly remembered contacting Hong Siyu after realizing his daughter was missing, but his call went unanswered.

    Secondly, there was the mysterious phone call he received at noon on the day of the incident, which became unreachable thereafter, only returning a voice prompt stating "The number you have dialed is not within the service area."

    The appearance of the caller was sudden and the purpose unclear, offering information then abruptly disappearing¡ªwhy was this?

    The third point concerned the abnormal magical barrier at the scene.

    This was not technology that Remnant Beasts should possess, at least, an Inchworm-level Remnant Beast did not have this ability. And yet, Lin Xiaolu and he had only encountered one Remnant Beast at the scene, meaning there had to be at least one other enemy hidden in the shadows.

    However, this enemy never made an appearance, even as they watched the Remnant Beast be defeated and made no move. What exactly was their goal?

    Lastly, there was the huge question and threat concerning the Seeder called Mo Ke''s im that, before its arrival, there were no Seeders or Magical Girls in Fangting City.

    Not to mention theck of clues for this matter, there wasn''t even a starting point for investigation¡ªit was entirely a ck box.

    All these four points of doubt might be rted to a conspiracy involving Lin Xiaolu, forcing him to pay close attention.

    But the fragmented information was overwhelming, and with what he currently possessed, he couldn''t piece together the truth, causing his already sleep-deprived brain to throb with pain.

    "So, how does it feel to make aeback?"

    The question from Hong Siyu on the still ongoing call pulled Lin Yun back from his contemtion.

    Gripping the phone, he lowered and then raised his hand again, contemted the question briefly, and gave his response:

    "Pretty bad."

    It was very bad indeed: the decline in magic power, rusty skills, and the current state of Fangting City all worried him.

    What was more important was that the oue of this sortie wentpletely against his expectations.

    Although his initial intent was simply to save his daughter, once he had sessfully rescued her, he started to consider whether he could bluff the Seeder and perhaps deceive some information out of it. After gathering enough intelligence, he nned to reveal his identity to his daughter and have a happy ending.

    But in the end, he got little useful information, didn''t disclose his identity, and ended up impulsively agreeing to Mo Ke and Lin Xiaolu''s requests. Now he had to conceal his identity while simultaneously guiding Lin Xiaolu through Magical Girl training.

    While this could also fulfill his goal of municating with his daughter," it wasn''t the way he wanted it to be.

    But thinking of his daughter''s confession to Emerald Sparrow the night before, he felt that revealing himself at this point might plunge both of them into an exceedingly awkward situation. So, he ended up not disclosing the truth.

    Just thinking about continuing to y this awkward game of identities made him involuntarily massage his temples.

    "Bad, huh... That''s quite a personally characteristic answer,"

    Hong Siyu seemed to chuckle over the line, "Senior, you shouldn''t always push yourself so hard, when a man reaches middle age, there are times when he should admit it."

    "May I hang up now?" Lin Yun responded with an indifferent attitude to the inappropriate joke that had suddenly popped up.

    Hong Siyu this timeughed even louder, "Haha! Just a couple of jokes for fun, are you getting shy now?"

    At that moment, the office door was pushed open, and a man with a scruffy beard walked in. Upon seeing Lin Yun on the call, he exaggeratedly gestured towards his mouth and then towards the door, using bodynguage to ask, "Should I step out?"

    Lin Yun quickly shook his head, saying into the phone, "Let''s just leave it at that, we can talk about other things next time."

    Then hepletely ignored the protest on the other end from Hong Siyu and pressed the hang-up button.

    With the call ended, he let out a sigh of relief as if a burden had been lifted.

    "Look at you, can''t me me for trying."

    A stack of documents was thrown onto the desk in front of him, and the man with the scruffy beard approached with a strange smirk, "I heard a woman''s voice; have you finally decided to move on and find someone new?"

    Lin Yun pulled a wry smile, helplessly looking at him, "Which ear of yours heard that I was flirting with someone?"

    "The left one."

    The man across didn''t seem to care at all, "Anyway, sign here."

    This man was named Liu Guanshan, the director of external affairs dispatch, and also someone who often interacted with Lin Yun at the same business level.

    The two had be acquainted when they were both junior employees and had worked together for many years, maintaining a pretty good rtionship, the kind where they''d asionally have a drink or two together.

    So their conversations were rtively unreserved, touching on topics like being a widower, which Lin Yun didn''t mind discussing with him.

    Taking a pen out of the holder, Lin Yun started signing the documents while exining, "Not to say I''m not in the mood for it, I also don''t dare, my child at home and I are already at odds, and if I really told her I wanted to find a stepmother for her, she would make a huge fuss."

    Of course, these were just polite words. The real reason was that he didn''t want to find someone; it was just that saying so outright would seem too pitiful, and he didn''t want to leave that kind of impression in the workce.

    "Still fussing? Just give her some more pocket money to appease her," Liu Guanshan suggested carelessly, plopping down on the corner of the desk. "It''s the same with my kids, quiet them down with a little something and all''s good."

    "I''ve told you before, it''s not about pocket money," Lin Yun replied while continuing to sign, "If I had known what she was thinking before, it wouldn''t have gotten to this point."

    "Want one?" Liu Guanshan, sitting on the desk, pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket.

    "I''ll have it after I finish signing."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Hengyun side said they''re finishing up tonight, invited us for dinner, are you going?"

    "No, I''m going home to be with my kid."

    "Oh, so family-minded?" Liu Guanshan teased.

    "Just think of me as family-minded," Lin Yun replied with a touch of mncholy.

    Indeed, he had ns to spend the evening with his daughter, but unfortunately, it wouldn''t be in the capacity of a father.

    His daughter bing a Magical Girl was an irreversible reality, and no matter how unwilling he was to ept it, he would now have to act based on this fact.

    And first on the list of subsequent actions was undoubtedly teaching.

    ¡ª¡ªHe had to be a good senior Magical Girl, going to guide his own daughter on how to train in the evening.

 Chapter 13: Chapter 11 The First Lesson of the Magical Girl

    "Today is the first time, so let''s start with somemon knowledge that Magical Girls need to know,"

    Standing on the silent rooftop of an office building at dusk, Emerald Sparrow, with her arms crossed, said to Lin Xiaolu in front of her, "First, I need to tell you how to assess the strength of your opponent and yourself, and to avoid fighting battles that you can''t win."

    "Okay, please teach me a lot!"

    Lin Xiaolu replied eagerly.

    To avoid the evening rush hour and arrive on time for their appointment, Lin Yun changed into a Magical Girl in a corner away from the crowd immediately after work and left thepany through high-altitude flight.

    The outfit of a Magical Girl was very conspicuous in an urban environment. With the intent of not drawing attention, she chose the rooftop of an office building not far from her home as the meeting ce, which was convenient for Lin Xiaolu to get to after school. In addition, the top floor of this building was normally sealed off and not open to others, so they didn''t need to worry about being disturbed.

    Now, what she was about to do was to provide the first lesson in Magical Girl guidance to Lin Xiaolu.

    "I haven''t told you before, but Remnant Beasts are categorized ording to their evolutionary stages, starting from the most basic ''eggs'' and progressing to higher levels such as ''Inchworm,'' ''Pupa,'' ''Molt,'' and several other life stages. Each evolution is a leap in strengthpared to the previous stage, and ordingly, they be more dangerous."

    "It sounds like they''re insects..." Lin Xiaolu first responded with an instinctive aversion, then fell into thought.

    "Just consider them like insects,"

    Emerald Sparrow added expressionlessly, "They won''t have any empathy when they kill you, or even eat you, so when you kill them, you should do it as if you''re crushing harmful insects and not harbor any sympathy."

    She lifted her hand and spread out five fingers, "Furthermore, corresponding to that, we Magical Girls also have five stages of power development. More precisely, this process is called ''Blossoming'', which signifies that to cultivate one''s Seed of Heart from a seed to a flower, you have to go through five stages."

    "At the outset, like you are now, it''s a seed."

    Emerald Sparrow extended her hand palm-up, pointing to Lin Xiaolu''s chest, "This represents the initial stage of your heart and abilities, a round gem that looks quite simr to a seed, indicating that you''ve just be a Magical Girl and everything is still unclear."

    Lin Xiaolu had a moment of realization, "So that''s how you knew I was a newbie before?"

    "No, it''s simply because you''re too weak."

    Clearly, Emerald Sparrow''s response was more cutting, "The stages of Blossoming normally do not manifest on the Heart''s Gem at your chest. Regardless of how developed the powers are, the transformed state will always show a round gem."

    She looked up, gesturing to her own chest, where beneath the choker at her neck, there was a small, round gem hanging. However, since her outfit always featured a soft cape that kept the gem partially concealed, it had not been noticed until now.

    Lin Xiaolu, who had just been metaphorically knocked down by a single sentence, looked over and instantly brightened, "Ah... this outfit really is cute."

    "You''re focusing on the wrong thing, idiot."

    Emerald Sparrow sighed, "Anyway, I can''t demonstrate the other stages to you right now, as unleashing Magic Power in the center of the city would be too conspicuous. For now, memorize their names as if you were reciting a textbook."

    "The slumber of ''Seed'' in New Dream and True Origin, lying dormant."

    "The ''Sprout'' of Budding in Essence and Assembly, stretching out."

    "The ''Leaf'' of Vine in Mysteries and Spell Techniques, reaching forth."

    "The ''Bud'' of Bing in True Self and Wonders, nurturing life."

    "The ''Flower'' of Awakening in Superbody and Flourishing, bursting into bloom."

    Lin Xiaolu listened to the lengthy, almost poetic words of Emerald Sparrow, her eyes zing over a bit, "That is¡ªuh, Seed? And then what was it?"

    ¡ª"Just remember it as Seed, Sprout, Leaf, Bud, Flower for now¡ªthe rest are descriptions of the capabilities in each stage. You''ll understand when you get there!"

    The one who suddenly spoke up from the side was Echo, the cat-like Fairy who had been following Lin Xiaolu, "I suggest not to aim too high too soon; just remember that your next stage is ''Sprout''."

    Emerald Sparrow nced at Echo, neither approving nor disapproving of its interjection, and continued,

    "The stage of ''Seed'' is just like its name. It refers to the formation of your Seed of Heart and the initial construction of your own source of Magic Power, enabling you to begin using Magic Power forbat. You should understand what this feels like."

    Lin Xiaolu pondered, "As for feeling... Although I don''t understand it, as long as I think about using Magic Power to do something, I subconsciously achieve it."

    "If you want to move faster, you''ll subconsciously use Magic Power to elerate; if you want your attacks to reach further, you''ll disperse your Magic Power; if you want to fly, you can use it to lift yourself up."

    Emerald Sparrow gave her several examples, "As soon as the thought urs, your body moves on its own, right? That''s the Magic Power source at work."

    "The Magic Power source creates a bridge between your body and mind while generating Magic Power internally and externally, allowing for a two-way flow of Magic Power, which imbues the connection between body and mind with magical properties."

    "In simple terms, having a Magic Power source means using Magic Power bes an instinct."

    Hearing this, Lin Xiaolu raised her hand to ask, "Do Remnant Beasts also have a Magic Power source?"

    "Yes, since it''s called the ''Magic Power Source,'' it''s the origin of all magic power. The power of magic is born from the Magic Power Source, and Remnant Beasts are no exception. In fact, the Echoes we recover are the remnants of the Remnant Beasts'' Magic Power Sources."

    Emerald Sparrow extended her hand, pointing to her Heart''s Gem: "As for Magical Girls, the Magic Power Source is right in the Heart''s Gem, which is something that must never fall into the wrong hands."

    She paused for a moment before continuing: "Let''s move on to the next phase of blossoming, which is called ''Bud'', and the characteristic of a Bud we refer to as..."

    Between the buildings, the girl''s voice drifted into the night sky with the wind.

    A big and a small Magical Girl were here asking and answering questions, and time slowly passed by.

    Lin Yun said a lot, and Lin Xiaolu listened a lot, feeling that the outline of the magic world had never been so clear.

    Although there was still a lot she didn''t understand or remember fully, the world of the Magical Girls, as described by Emerald Sparrow''s words, made her feel once again that bing a Magical Girl was the right decision.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Her feelings for the identity of Magical Girl were no longer just a nebulous admiration for a character on a children''s show, butced with a longing for a new world.

    With this longing, as the day''s lessons came to an end and they were saying their goodbyes, she took out her mobile phone.

    "Um... Emerald Sparrow, do you have a mobile phone for this world? I mean..."

    She started to speak somewhat awkwardly but proposed enthusiastically, "Can we exchange numbers?"

    Mobile numbers mean daily lifemunication. Establishing such a connection would inevitably lead to more interactions in their daily lives.

    Emerald Sparrow knew that if she was only Emerald Sparrow, she had no reason to reject this request.

    Exchanging information between Magical Girlpanions is necessary, whether for reporting the location of Remnant Beasts or formunicating progress in investigations.

    In the Magic Kingdom, Magical Girls often use magic mirrors to contact each other, but since neither Emerald Sparrow nor Lin Xiaolu had magic mirrors at the moment, mobile phones were the best choice.

    So, after a brief thought, she pretended to speak nonchntly: "I do have one, but I didn''t bring it with me. Give me your number, and I''ll get in touch with youter."

    She couldn''t give Lin Xiaolu her number right away¡ªit was Lin Yun''s number, and regardless of how strained the rtionship between Lin Yun as a father and his daughter was, they at least knew each other''s contact information.

    To establish contact with Lin Xiaolu in reality as Emerald Sparrow, she would have to get a new number, and even buy a new mobile phone.

    The expense behind this didn''t matter much to Lin Yun; it was like a necessary sacrifice to make for his daughter.

    Thinking this, she pretended as though she was hearing the number for the first time and took note of Lin Xiaolu''s shared number.

    But if she could establish a new connection with her daughter, then she hoped she could learn more about her daughter''s inner thoughts, understand her a bit more, and bridge the gap between them a little further.

    She closed her eyes, wishing for this in her heart.

    Lin Xiaolu was also full of hope.

    She wanted to get to know Emerald Sparrow, to see what her everyday life was like, to see what her life was like, and to get closer to the Magical Girl she admired in her dreams.

    And perhaps, that would also change this self she disliked, right?

    However, neither of them under the night sky could have imagined that the numbers they exchanged would be used the very next day.

    It wasn''t because of the Remnant Beasts, but a much rarer urrence.

    When Lin Yun, sitting in his office, discovered his newly purchased mobile phone ringing, and saw "Lin Xiaolu" as the contact on the screen, he had to immediately pull out the Seed of Heart and transform into the appearance of Emerald Sparrow.

    She sat back in her office chair and pressed the call button, when a deafening shout immediately came from the other side:

    "Lord Patrol! I''ve found one!"

    The voice was clearly Moco''s, and she was very excited: "I''ve found a girl with magical talent. We can recruit a new Magical Girl!"

    A new Magical Girl.

    Emerald Sparrow furrowed her brows because in her heart, she actually didn''t want to increase the number of Magical Girls indiscriminately. On one hand, it meant bringing a girl into a dangerous world, and on the other, ensuring the quality of team members was difficult.

    But Fangting City was indeed in need of more Magical Girls at the moment, and she also had to consider building a team for Lin Xiaolu, and as she currently was, she could ensure the safety of the neer...

    A string of thoughts crossed her mind in mere moments, and she smoothed her eyebrows, making a decision, her voice calm:

    "Where?"

 Chapter 14: Chapter 12 Electronics District

    Fangting City, Sunset District, near Central Avenue in the electronics street, this is the most bustling pedestrianmercial area in the entire city.

    Emerald Sparrow rubbed her wrists as she walked out of a rarely trodden alley, ignoring the asional nces sweeping around her, and after passing about two intersections, she saw Lin Xiaolu in school uniform at the agreed ce.

    She quickened her pace and walked up, greeting her in a lukewarm manner, "I''m here."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Emerald Sparrow?"

    Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaolu looked over, her eyes widened initially, then sparkled, as she circled around Emerald Sparrow, eximing with the expression of someone seeing something rare, "You look so pretty, this dress is super cute!"

    "Is that so?"

    Emerald Sparrow lifted her sleeves and looked from side to side, nomittally, "Thanks for thepliment."

    "Ah... I''m so jealous, I wish I could wear something that gives off this light and fluffy feel, that''s the Magical Girl style I want!"

    "I think you could pull it off."

    "Can I take a picture?" Lin Xiaolu pulled out her phone, eager to try.

    "Hmm... do as you please?"

    It wasn''t that Emerald Sparrow couldn''t tell whether a piece of clothing was cute or not; it was that she didn''t even know what she looked like in her current outfit, as the dress she was wearing was just purchased, and she hadn''t even tried it on.

    Emerald Sparrow had not prepared any regr clothes for her Magical Girl form, so when notified that the target was in the electronics street, she had no choice but to go to the department store to buy some clothes for herself in order to reach the busy streets in the guise of Emerald Sparrow.

    Since it was too conspicuous to enter the mall directly in her Magical Girl outfit, she ended up going to the children''s clothing section while still in the form of Lin Yun.

    As an average adult male, Lin Yun stood at 183 cm tall, and even at the age of 14 when he first gained his Magical Girl powers, he was around 170 cm, a number that is very healthy among males and even envied by many of the same sex. But for some reason, when he transformed into a Magical Girl, into Emerald Sparrow, his proud height shrank to a mere 139 cm.

    Was this a case of extremes turning into their opposites, or some strange coincidence? Lin Yun never quite figured it out.

    This also meant that when he wanted to buy clothes for Emerald Sparrow, unless custom-made, it was very difficult to find women''s clothing that fit normally.

    Inparison, buying children''s clothes was much more convenient and straightforward, not only were the sizes easier to match, but there were also both dresses and trousers avable. Hence, iming to be shopping for his daughter, Lin Yun provided the sizes that would fit Emerald Sparrow and, weed warmly by the clerk, entered a children''s clothing store.

    During this time, the sales associate even asked if he had a photo of his daughter, saying that a clear picture would help to offer more suitable suggestions. Lin Yun, who didn''t indulge in vanity and wouldn''t keep pictures of himself as a Magical Girl on his phone, simply chose a few pieces rumored to be "thetest season''s models" of clothes and left promptly.

    After exiting the department store, he casually found a seemingly decent chain express hotel by the roadside, booked an hourly room to change clothes, and then took the high-flying route directly to the electronics street.

    As for whether the clothes fit or not, he wasn''t worried.

    He was actually aware that Emerald Sparrow''s appearance was "exquisitely cute" from a general aesthetic standpoint, even standing out amongst Magical Girls known for their above-average looks.

    For this reason, as long as she wore normal clothes and matched her essories and hairstyle appropriately, it wouldn''t look too bad.

    Although, as a father, being called "cute" by his daughter made him feel conflicted and even a bit weird, these feelings were quickly smoothed over.

    What could he say? Responding in a nonchnt manner was already the best approach.

    Without much small talk, after this one-sided fashion show, Emerald Sparrow directly got to the point:

    "So? Where''s the kid that Mok said about?"

    "Ah, about that¡­"

    Upon mentioning this, Lin Xiaolu blinked and slowly turned her head towards Mok, "How should I put it, we lost track?".

    "Lost her?" Emerald Sparrow also nced towards Moke.

    "Not at all!"

    Seeing Emerald Sparrow''s gazeing over, Moke shuddered and immediately retorted, "It''s not that I lost track of her, but that the child kept burrowing into crowded ces, where her magic power''s aura waspletely obscured!"

    "So, in the end, you still lost her?" Emerald Sparrow ced a hand on her hip.

    "Well, you''re not wrong about that," Moke muttered guiltily. "But I can feel that she is still in this area, I just don''t know her exact location."

    "You, this guy..."

    Emerald Sparrow drooped her eyelids and sighed softly. She could guarantee that this pink cat was the most unreliable Seeder she had ever encountered in her career as a Magical Girl.

    Other Seeders, being fairies, tend to be a bit mischievous, but they usually perform their primary duties without issue. They might not always be the best assistants for Magical Girls, but at least they arepetent in finding talented children, conveying messages between the kingdom and the Magical Girls, and sensing the location and strength of Remnant Beasts. These supportive tasks are actually done quite adequately.

    But Moke? Not to mention its often clueless state, even when performing its duties, it gave people an impression of clumsiness that was truly disconcerting.

    Those things could be put aside for now, though. The most pressing matter was to find that girl with the magical talent. So, Emerald Sparrow didn''t dwell on it and quickly moved the conversation forward, "What can we do now? Wait here for Moke to pinpoint her location?"

    "Um... how about we go check out a few stores?"

    Lin Xiaolu suggested, "That girl must havee here to shop and won''t leave in a hurry. Why don''t we join in the fun? We might bump into her along the way."

    "Not reliable."

    Emerald Sparrow shook her head and analyzed calmly, "She might have juste to buy something and would leave afterwards. If we take our eyes off her even for a moment, letting her slip away from the electronics district would only make her harder to find."

    "How about we let Moke continue the search while we y?"

    Lin Xiaolu''s suggestion elicited a startled "Eh?" from Moke.

    "That seems to not be an issue..." Emerald Sparrow''s agreement shocked Moke even more.

    It hurriedly flew to the middle of the two, waving its paws frantically, "You can''t do that! Even if I bear the responsibility for losing her, you can''t just leave me alone to have fun. That would be too cruel!"

    "What makes you think you have a say in this?"

    Emerald Sparrow gave it a nce and sighed again, "Well, yeah, I can''t trust you to tail her alone either."

    "Since that''s the case, let''s use the most straightforward method. I''ll split up with you and stand guard at the two entrances of the electronics district. As soon as we spot the target, we''ll..."

    ¡ª "Do what?" The questioning voice came from beside Emerald Sparrow''s ear.

    "Call each other and then intercept the girl, waiting for Moke toe..." Emerald Sparrow continued, but within seconds, she suddenly realized something was off about the voice that had asked the question, or rather, it was somewhat unfamiliar.

    She nced at Lin Xiaolu and noticed her looking upwards towards her own head with an expression of timidity.

    Emerald Sparrow wondered: My head? My hair? No, at this height, she''s not looking at the top of my head, but behind me?

    After a brief moment of thought, aware of what might be the case, Emerald Sparrow swiftly turned around to see a strange, young girl standing there with her hands behind her back, a look of curiosity in her pure eyes and a merry smile on her face.

    The girl looked quite young, only slightly taller than Lin Xiaolu, with a childlike face, but her attire seemed quite sophisticated and shy.

    She wore a ck waist cincher skirt with suspenders paired with a loosece-trimmed white blouse, showcasing an ample youthful charm. Her ck hair was shoulder length and fluffy, with slightly curled tips, and her bangs were dyed purple at the ends. Her face wore a light makeup, with the sheer lips obviously coated with lipstick. False eyshes beneath her eyelids made her bright eyes even more captivating. There was a glint on her earlobe, probably from an earring she wore.

    She looked at thebination of the two people and one creature, took a step forward, and leaned in towards Moke, "What about that cat over there, is it a holographic projection? Augmented reality?"

 Chapter 15: Chapter 13 Tentative

    Emerald Sparrow looked at the girl in front of her, her heart stirring slightly.

    It wasn''t because of the girl''s clothing and appearance, as she disliked judging people by their looks.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Instead, it was the "cat cat" the girl mentioned, which was obviously Moke, who had been following them around.

    Ordinary people couldn''t see fairies like Moke, and they often couldn''t even sense the presence of fairies, which showed that the girl before her was no ordinary person.

    Combining her question with Lin Xiaolu''s reaction behind her, it wasn''t hard to deduce that she was the girl with "magic power talent," the very person they were looking for.

    "You, when did you sneak up here!"

    Somehow, Lin Xiaolu had already hidden behind Emerald Sparrow, facing the girl with a somewhat blustering courage, "I clearly saw you and your group walking ahead!"

    "Walking ahead... ah, I found an excuse to split off from them."

    The girl blinked her eyes and smiled, "Because I saw you following me, I wanted toe over and ask what you were doing."

    "Seeing me? Impossible!"

    Lin Xiaolu shook her head and pointed at the girl, "With so many people on the street, I have been blending into the crowd, how could you have noticed that I was tracking you!"

    "But, you are wearing the uniform of the same school as me."

    As the girl said this, she tilted her head, "In this area, I only saw you as a fellow student, so you stood out in my eyes."

    "The same school? Don''t try to exin it with that kind of reason..."

    Halfway through her sentence, as if realizing something, Lin Xiaolu took a closer look at the girl''s appearance, then eximed with shock, "Ah, I remember now! That group of bad girls from our grade, you''re one of them!"

    The term "bad girl" caught the attention of Emerald Sparrow beside her; she couldn''t help but take another nce at the girl.

    With her makeup, dyed hair, and pierced ears, this look could indeed be considered "bad girl" at the middle school level, but there wasn''t any manifestation of the "bad" element.

    "Bad girl group... hahaha."

    The girl didn''t show any clear aversion to the term, and evenughed as though she had heard something amusing, "That''s a funny way to refer to us. Is that how the school calls us? Or is it your original creation?"

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t answer but stepped back a couple of steps and grabbed onto Emerald Sparrow, "Emerald Sparrow, this person is very dangerous!"

    "Dangerous?" The girl seemed puzzled by such abel.

    Lin Xiaolu spoke with conviction, "I''ve seen girls like her in that bad girl group bullying other girls before!"

    "But I''ve never bullied anyone."

    The girl retorted, "That''s nder!"

    "Even if you haven''t bullied anyone, your appearance is still corrupting public morals!"

    "This is simply dressing oneself normally."

    The girl pouted, "Isn''t it better for a girl to make herself look a little more fashionable?"

    "Because it''s too shameful!"

    Lin Xiaolu shook her head repeatedly, "Dressing like that is one thing, but that group flirts with boys every day! There was even one who got suspended for being in an empty ssroom with a boy..."

    "Doing it with your boyfriend, huh? That wasn''t me either."

    The girl raised an eyebrow, sounding a bit exasperated, "And I haven''t even been flirting with guys because I think dating is such a hassle. I''ve properly turned down every confession that I should."

    "Doing... Why did you just say that word outright, you, are you a hooligan?"

    Lin Xiaolu''s cheeks flushed with a mix of shame and annoyance, "Even if I haven''t done that kind of thing, you dressed up like that is meant to attract the attention of boys, isn''t it!"

    "Well, that part is true."

    The girl admitted frankly, though her smile remained serene and she looked rather innocent, "But don''t you find the reactions of the boys amusing? The way they want to look but are too shy to actually do it is so funny."

    "You actually, actually..." Lin Xiaolu was truly flustered.

    Seeing that the topic of the girls'' conversation was veering off course, Emerald Sparrow finally couldn''t help stepping in, sighed, and interrupted them, "Ladies, could you both pause for a moment, please?"

    She gestured towards the side, indicating, "I won''tment on whatever issues you have with each other, but making amotion in the street like this is really not appropriate. Look, people around us are already watching."

    Only then did Lin Xiaolu and the girl stop to look around and realized that indeed, many people were watching them and some were even taking photos with their phones.

    It wasn''t hard to understand why: three youthful-looking girls, one of whom was quite young, all standing together. Each one fresh-faced and cute, almost like idol celebrities, arguing on the street¡ªit wouldn''t be surprising for people to think it was a new pop group filming a variety show or a web video.

    To avoid drawing further attention, which would make many topics unapproachable, Emerald Sparrow took the lead and brought up a suggestion, breaking the increasingly outrageous conversation by pointing in a different direction, "Have you thought about going somewhere else to talk this out?"

    Upon hearing this, the girl first looked startled, then smiled with a touch of confusion, "Eh? But, I don''t even know what you guys do, why should I follow you?"

    "We''re tracking you."

    Emerald Sparrow stated tly, "Because you''re special, and we have something to discuss with you."

    "Tracking?"

    The girl immediately covered her mouth, showing a somewhat scared expression, "How can that be, actually being tracked, what do you want to do? I''m feeling unsafe and confused, can I pay you to let me go?"

    "Since you approached us on your own, it''s obvious that you''re actually interested, right?"

    Emerald Sparrow did notment on her somewhat exaggerated act but continued in a calm tone, "Up to now, you''re still curious about that pink cat flying in the air, aren''t you?"

    "Well... maybe?" The girl''s response was still nomittal.

    Magic Power, seeing that Emerald Sparrow mentioned her, fluttered her wings and moved towards them, about to speak and showcase herself, but she was stopped by a look from Emerald Sparrow. Intimidated by her authority, she obediently waited there, silent.

    "I can tell you that all your vague sensations are correct¡ªthey all truly exist."

    Emerald Sparrow kept Magic Power in check and turned back to the girl, hands on her hips, "Whether it''s the attraction you sense from that pink cat or the inexplicable sense of danger you felt when you saw me, it''s all real."

    "If you want to know why, thene with me."

    Seeing a touch of astonishment finally appear in the girl''s expression, clearly struck by her words, she felt the timing was about right, a good moment for a disy of ''catch-and-release'' tactics. So, she lifted her chin, her demeanor turning slightly haughty: "I''m not going to force you. You can refuse right now and leave, but my invitation won''te a second time."

    With that said, she turned and walked away, leaving the girl staring at her retreating back.

    And Magic Power and Lin Xiaolu also quickly caught on; Magic Power immediately fluttered her wings to catch up, while Lin Xiaolu turned back to give the girl a fierce re, then hurried to follow Emerald Sparrow.

    "...Ah, can''t help it, in the end, I''m the one who got hooked,"

    The girl paused for a moment, then let out a somewhat resigned smile and stepped forward, following the others.

 Chapter 16: Chapter 14 Confession

    ```

    Walking along one side of the electronics street and passing several intersections, the crowds around them began to thin. The girl, who had kept silent for about ten minutes, seemingly couldn''t suppress her curiosity any longer and struck up a conversation with Lin Xiaolu:

    "Hey, who is that child up ahead?"

    She moved closer to Lin Xiaolu, deliberately lowering her voice, "She seems quite impressive when she speaks. Does shee from an influential background?"

    Lin Xiaolu nced at her but did not respond.

    "Or is she your sister?" the girl continued to ask.

    "...No."

    Unable to hold back, Lin Xiaolu said with a hint of annoyance, "That is Elder Emerald Sparrow. You should be more respectful."

    "Why should I call her ''Elder''?"

    The girl blinked her eyes, "And you mentioned respect... So she really is an important person? Some kind of young miss?"

    This time Lin Xiaolu did not respond.

    After all, Emerald Sparrow had said that they would talk when they reached another ce, and Lin Xiaolu did not want to disrupt her n.

    Seeing that Lin Xiaolu became unresponsive after being prodded a couple of times, the girl could only retreat a step in slight embarrassment, slouched her shoulders, and turned to observe the surrounding streetscape instead.

    They had left the bustling center behind. On both sides of the street were mostly older stores, unlike the center where every inch ofnd was worth its weight in gold, the rent here supported individual shopkeepers to run their businesses for long periods.

    Yet, this was still amercial street. Apart from the various shops and the passing crowd, there wasn''t much in the way of scenery. After looking around for a while, the girl lost interest and opened her mouth again:

    "By the way, I don''t think I even know your name?"

    "..."

    "Don''t be so standoffish,e on, tell me."

    "...Lin Xiaolu."

    "Lin Xiaolu? It sounds like Xiaolu, a deer, doesn''t it? It''s nice, sounds kind of cute too. My name is..."

    ¡ª¡ª"We''re here."

    The voice of Emerald Sparrow came from ahead, interrupting their conversation.

    She turned her head to give them a quick nce, maintaining herposure, and pointed to a small alleyway on the side, her tone t, "Go in through here."

    Without waiting for a response, Emerald Sparrow moved on, leading the way into the dimly lit alley. Lin Xiaolu and Moke followed close behind.

    The girl trailing at the back watched the two enter such a ce with an air of nonchnce, her face showing signs of nervousness for the first time.

    ¡ª¡ªWhy a small alley?

    Was it a robbery? A threat? Or perhaps a killing to silence someone?

    Words that fit the scene quickly sprang to mind. The girl grimaced, suddenly uncertain whether she should continue to follow.

    Yet, the words previously spoken by Emerald Sparrow echoed in her ears, and her intense curiosity about the two girls'' origins remained. Havinge this far, she saw no reason to back out now.

    Thus, the girl pursed her lips, hiding her slight unease, kept her posture rxed, and moved forward once more.

    Turning into the alley, she saw Emerald Sparrow and Lin Xiaolu standing there. Walking a bit further, one could see a wall erected in front of them: it was a dead-end.

    Emerald Sparrow looked up at the sky, then turned her head back at the sound of footsteps at the entrance of the alley and looked at the girl. She reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out her Heart Flower, advancing silently toward where the girl stood.

    Why is sheing this way? What is she going to do?

    The girl tried hard to maintain her smile and conceal the nervousness on her face, but such control was inevitably limited. The next move by the other side caught herpletely off guard:

    Emerald Sparrow transformed into a Magical Girl.

    To the girl watching, it appeared that a bright light was emitted from Emerald Sparrow''s body, her blue hair lifted by an unseen wind, and her light yellow puff-sleeve dress changed into another outfit¡ªa navy blue, sleeved Lolita dress. A bo, seemingly out of nowhere, adorned her head, and the decorations around her were as extravagant as a fairy tale princess''. In her hand, she held a wand, intricately carved with unknown patterns.

    The girl did not know the identity of Emerald Sparrow, and naturally, she did not recognize this as the transformation of a Magical Girl, but the scene before her eyes well exceeded her understanding.

    ```

    In the fleeting moment of her bewilderment, Emerald Sparrow extended her palm to her:

    "Grab my wrist."

    "Ah, okay?" the girl instinctively reached out.

    Emerald Sparrow caught her wrist in return, staring intently into her eyes, "Next, hold on tight."

    They grasped each other''s wrists. What was this, some sort of ritual? A secret signal?

    The girl''s wavering thoughts brought forth many associations, and without fully understanding Emerald Sparrow''s words, she merely nodded mechanically.

    Then, she felt her feet leave the ground.

    She had never before experienced such a sensation of weightlessness that enveloped her whole body. The scenery whizzed past her in an entirely illogical manner. She turned her head to the side with wide eyes and finally realized her predicament:

    Was she flying?

    Then came the uncontroble scream that burst forth from her:

    "Aaaahhhhh!"

    Emerald Sparrow, holding the girl, followed a path she had chosen, avoiding angles where they might be seen by others, flying up high along the wall of a dead-end alley''s building.

    After dodging thest few windows, she took a few steps as though stepping on something in the air, proceeded a distance forward, and then brought the girl to a rooftop.

    A stream of pale blue magic particles surged up from below, and Lin Xiaolu, also transformed into a Magical Girl, flew to the same spot.

    "Ha, ha, I thought I was going to die..." Once Emerald Sparrow let go, the girl with weak knees realized she was back on solid ground and sat down on her knees, her face full of fear.

    "Hmph, you''re scared after flying just such a short distance?"

    Lin Xiaolu, who hadnded with ease, looked over smugly: "I got used to it in no time when I first started."

    But her little boast didn''t receive the reaction she wanted, as the girl seemed to havepletely ignored her, which made Lin Xiaolu, who was previously gloating somewhat, pout with annoyance.

    "You can transform directly here; it''ll be more convenient to exin things."

    Emerald Sparrow spoke without waiting for a response: "Let''s get to know each other first, what''s your name?"

    "Ha... Are you asking me?"

    The girl, who had just about recovered, lifted her head: "My name is Xia Liang."

    "So, Xia Liang,"

    Emerald Sparrow nodded her head before abruptly asking, "Have you ever heard of Magical Girls?"

    She didn''t intend to beat around the bush but cut straight to the chase.

    In fact, if beforeing here she had been hesitant to recruit this new Magical Girl and only wanted to take a look; after meeting this girl named Xia Liang, she understood the potential she possessed was extraordinary.

    Even as an ordinary person who had not yet be a Magical Girl, she could sense the Echo from afar and even track it in reverse. And upon seeing her, the alertness she did not express also indicated that she could feel Emerald Sparrow''s Magic Power far exceeding her own.

    Such characteristics could certainly be described as that of uncut jade.

    The identity of a Magical Girl is full of danger for children without talent, but for genuine prodigies, it''s an opportunity, a chance to obtain Magic Power far beyond the ordinary.

    Just as she would worry about Lin Xiaolu''s safety as a Magical Girl, but would respect her daughter''s decision once it was made, she should also give the girl before her the right to choose,

    Let her choose for herself, Emerald Sparrow thought secretly.

    "Magical Girl?"

    The term seemed to connect something for Xia Liang, causing her eyes to widen slightly; the series of strange events made her specte, "I know what it is, but are you saying..."

    "My name is Emerald Sparrow."

    Emerald Sparrow nodded expressionlessly and then pointed to Lin Xiaolu: "She is Bai Mei."

    "We eradicate Remnant Beasts, protect the city and its residents. That is, we are the Magical Girls of Fangting City."N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 17: Chapter 15 Choices

    Xia Liang often wondered if the life she led every day was truly the one she wanted.

    She drifted aimlessly through school,ughing and joking with those "friends" who had a bad reputation, and after school, she''d go to the so-called "inte celebrity hotspots" to check in. Then, she''d go home alone, pretending on social media that her life was quite fulfilling and singing praises of it.

    Was she happy? Probably.

    She had learned to apply makeup, to dress well, to be fashionable. She had made friends and be the focus of the boys'' attention. Shouldn''t she be happy with such a life?

    Yet, she often felt that the smile on her face didn''t belong to her. The more she kept up the charade, the more cynical she became, and the more the emptiness inside her grew unbearable.

    In her desire to fill that void, she craved attention, craved recognition.

    She knew that her "friends" didn''t actually like her.

    They felt they lost their shine standing next to her, felt she stole the attention that should''ve been theirs, and more importantly, she wasn''t really one of "them."

    The reason was simple: Xia Liang refused to partake in "work."

    No matter how much they boasted or urged her, Xia Liang was always unwilling to join. She felt that real friends shouldn''t be like that.

    But this resistance was being eroded over time.

    If she epted the "work," would her "friends" ept her more?

    If she epted the "work," could she seek a closer rtionship?

    After entertaining such thoughts, Xia Liang''s stance became less firm.

    So today, after school, upon receiving another invitation from her "friends," she finally figured everything out.

    That''s that then.

    She agreed.

    She followed her "friends" to the electronics district, heading to the meeting ce they had mentioned.

    Giving up meaningless perseverance and pride, forgoing unnecessary principles and illusions, she could pursue a more practical, more real love.

    She felt ready, having made up her mind.

    ¡ªBut then she saw a cat.

    A pink cat, flying in the air.

    It was following a girl who looked somewhat petite, wearing the same uniform as hers, with a ponytail, sneakily trailing behind them.

    What was this about?

    Her inherent strong curiosity made it impossible for Xia Liang not to pay attention to what was happening behind her.

    What was more, as soon as she saw the pink cat, she felt as if she had received some kind of call, a desire to get closer.

    In that instant, a voice emerged in her heart, telling her she should go, she should find that pink cat, she could obtain something very important for herself.

    So, she stopped in her tracks in the middle of the street.

    Walking in the middle of the group, her sudden halt made the other girls immediately notice her unusual behavior, and they asked with some confusion, "What''s wrong?".

    Xia Liang turned to them, uncertain whether she should mention seeing a flying pink cat and wanting to go check it out.

    She noticed the girl walking at the front, the usual center of their little circle, also turning around and ncing at her with a somewhat inexplicable look.

    "I..."

    She hesitated to speak, but during this process, she slowly made up her mind, "I just remembered I have something to do, I might have to leave first today."

    Then she smiled, showing a somewhat apologetic expression, waved her hand, and said to the others, "Have fun, okay!"

    Having said that, she was about to trot away.

    "Xia Liang."

    The girl in front called out to her at that moment.

    With her phone in hand, her fingers adorned with long nails tapping rapidly on the screen, her gaze not returning to Xia Liang, she said, "If you leave today, then don''t bothering back afterward."

    Xia Liang''s steps faltered.

    She turned around to look at the girl, then slowly looked to the side at her "friends."

    Perhaps she was hoping that everyone wouldugh it off with their usual frivolity, cursing and ignoring her, allowing her to leave.

    But this time, each of them looked at her with a somewhat strange gaze.

    No, it wasn''t a strange gaze after all. She knew it well¡ªher daily life at home had long acquainted her with such looks, she couldn''t be mistaken.

    ¡ªThat gaze was called indifference.

    Maybe she really couldn''t blend in with them.

    It wasn''t until this moment that Xia Liang recognized this reality.

    No matter how much she smiled forcibly, no matter how much she ttered, she could never be one of them, she was never meant to be theirpanion from the start.

    The strange call from afar was still intense, as if urging her toe quickly.

    The cracks she''d covered and ignored in her daily life now formed a deep chasm, separating her from the girls before her.

    Xia Liang finally put away the smile she had always worn, and looked seriously at her "friends." She nodded:

    "Okay."

    Without any further words, she turned around and left quickly without looking back.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    What she hadn''t expected was that, ten minutester, this sentence would take her to the rooftop of a tall building.

    Kneeling on the ground, her heart racing, she also had to listen to the girl named "Emerald Sparrow" spouting what sounded like fanciful nonsense.

    "Magical Girl?"

    She had heard of them, she knew what Magical Girls were.

    Magical Girls are a profession often found in children''s cartoons, typically representing love and justice, battling various viins.

    At the same time, Magical Girls are also the Guardians of this world, fighting against Remnant Beasts that asionally appear in the city, real warriors indeed.

    Perhaps, for many young girls, bing a Magical Girl was a dream, even though they knew it involved facing dangerous battles, they would still long for the glittering self in gorgeous attire.

    But for the general public, Magical Girls are too distant and mysterious.

    If it was a normal day, upon hearing someone im to be a Magical Girl, Xia Liang would likely take them for a fraud or treat the statement as a joke,ugh it off, and swiftly change the subject.

    But now was different, she had just been caught by the girl in front of her and experienced the sensation of flying through the sky.

    Whether it was the other party''s abrupt change of clothes, the ability to ascend into the air, or the anomalous flickering particles when they moved, everything told Xia Liang that she had encountered the real deal.

    "So, what do you want from a Magical Girl like me?"

    She had never been on a ne before in her life and her very first flight experience turned out to be being carried up into the sky by someone, which was all too much for her heart to bear, causing her to feel somewhat dazed.

    Therefore, she could only follow the other person''s logic in asking questions, without any reason to object.

    Then, she heard something that made her even more bewildered:

    "Do you want to be a Magical Girl?"

    Be a Magical Girl?

    Could she really be a Magical Girl?

    Xia Liang had never even considered this question.

    She was just an ordinary girl who was never paid attention to, who had never really been noticed; she never thought she could be something so special.

    Even during those nights spent relying on fantasy and prayer, she had never thought she could be a Magical Girl.

    The term was too dazzling; she felt it would scorch her if she got too close.

    "I need to make it clear to you beforehand, bing a Magical Girl is not as wonderful as the public imagines,"

    Emerald Sparrow said seriously, cautioning her: "There will be danger, fatigue, and annoyance. The only advantage is that,pared to ordinary people who can only sit and wait for doom when facing Remnant Beasts, you will have the power to counter the danger."

    "...Will the clothes be as cute as yours?" Xia Liang suddenly asked.

    Unlike her somewhat whimsical question, no one noticed the sparkle in her eyes.

    Her question caught Emerald Sparrow off guard, but she quickly recovered and nodded, replying, "The outfit of a Magical Girl is just as you imagine."

    "Can I brag to others that I''m a Magical Girl?" Xia Liang continued to ask.

    "Not unless it''s an emergency."

    "Even though there''s danger, at least I''ll be taking action with you all, right?"

    "Until you grow stronger, I will be responsible for ensuring your safety," Emerald Sparrow nodded in promise.

    "Then there''s also..."

    ¡ª"Ah, seriously, despite finally finding someone talented, why does it have to be this frivolous girl!"

    Not far away, Lin Xiaolu, who had changed into a pale blue dress and now sported golden twin ponytails, interrupted Xia Liang''s question with indignation: "I do not want to bepanions with this kind of person at all!"

    "Don''t be willful, Bai Mei."

    Emerald Sparrow nced at her: "This girl''s talent may be very strong and could be a significant asset."

    "But..."

    Lin Xiaolu paused at those words, looking somewhat aggrieved towards Emerald Sparrow: "Her frivolous attitude doesn''t look anything like a Magical Girl¡ª"

    ¡ª"I want to be one, you know."

    Xia Liang suddenly spoke.

    After the series of questions before, she had adjusted to the difort of suddenly flying up and had gotten to her feet; she was now walking to the edge of the rooftop.

    In fact, since she said goodbye to her "friends" and chose to follow the guidance of her heart, she had already made her choice.

    She nced at Lin Xiaolu, lifted her hand to her earlobe, rubbed it vigorously for a moment and then let go, her hand now held two shiny objects that she flung down to the ground without hesitation.

    She took out her phone, swiftly selected over a dozen names from her contacts list, and brought up the editing interface. After a moment''s hesitation, she resolutely hit "delete."

    "I''ve decided. If everything you''ve said is the truth, then all these things don''t matter at all, and it''s fine to let them go."

    Setting down her phone, she spread out a smile, her eyes shimmering with expectation as the wind on the rooftop tousled her shoulder-length ck hair:

    "But anyway, I want to be a Magical Girl!"

 Chapter 18: Chapter 16 Strange Tale Investigation

    Three dayster at noon, inside Lin Yun''s office.

    Havingpleted his morning''s work and with no other tasks at hand, Lin Yun had a rare moment of peace for a lunch break where he could sit at his desk and scan the news on hisputer screen with the limited time avable.

    Five days had passed since the night Lin Xiaolu faced danger, and in that time, besides his job and teaching a few magical girl rookies, he had also started searching the inte for various news reports, focusing on those rted to Remnant Beasts and magical girls in Fangting City.

    It wasn''t that he wanted to use such an inefficient method, but the feedback from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s investigation was far from smooth. In fact, even the Fangting City branch of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau seemed to have no idea why magical girls and Remnant Beasts had vanished over the past two years.

    ording to the files provided by Hong Siyu, there had been a total of 132 magic-rted crimes and attacks in Fangting City over the past two years. Of these, 129 weremitted by magicians, with 125 cases solved by the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, resulting in arrests; the remaining three were attacks by Remnant Beasts, all urring within the half-month after Lin Xiaolu became a magical girl.

    In other words, before that, there were zero sightings of Remnant Beasts for two years.

    It wasn''t the rare urrence Lin Yun had initially thought, but rather aplete absence of sightings.

    Correspondingly, the records in the Fangting City branch of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau showed that not a single one of their employees had ever had contact with the Seeder, "Nini"; they didn''t even know if this Seeder had ever visited Fangting City.

    Whether "Nini" deliberately didn''te, or encountered some misfortune on the way, remains a mystery.

    What''s more troubling is that without the Seeder, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau has even lost the means to contact the Magic Kingdom.

    The Magic Kingdom has always held an aloof attitude towards the material realm. The Abnormal Strategy Bureau, nominally, has the right to contact magical girls and assist them in their work, but in reality, has no qualification to bind or manage them.

    Besides therge central cities, the governments of smaller and medium-sized cities simply do not have the capital to negotiate with the Magic Kingdom.

    This has resulted in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau merely serving as a logistical support agency for the magical girls, providing post-battle services and appropriately protecting their data and privacy.

    What they can actually do mainly revolves around managing the various actions of ordinary magic practitioners¡ªmagicians in the city, recruiting suitable magicians, and arresting criminal magicians. As for magical girls, they have no rights to interfere with them.

    The actions of magical girls, whether they aremendable or in vition of the rules, fall under the jurisdiction and management of the Kingdom alone.

    Under such unequal and oppressive rules, the Fangting City branch of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau can only try to reach out to other cities'' bureaus and attempt to contact the Kingdom through other cities'' Seeders to inquire when their city''s new Seeder will assume their duties.

    The initial three times, the answer they received was "soon to be assigned", but after three times, the Kingdom ceased to respond.

    And so, both parties fell into a strange stalemate, the Kingdom ignoring any inquiries about the new Seeder from Fangting City, and the Fangting City bureau not daring to pry further.

    Fortunately, for some reason, Remnant Beasts also vanished during these two years, allowing the vast city to muddle along amidst anxiety and hesitation.

    ¡ª Until Moke arrived in the city.

    It sounded as if all new doubts were pointing towards Moke.

    But in Lin Yun''s own judgment, this likelihood was very low.

    It wasn''t blind faith on his part, but because he knew a deeper secret: within the Magic Kingdom, fairies are absolutely loyal to the royal court.

    Of course, due skepticism could not becking, so these past few days he often pressured Moke, as Emerald Sparrow, to try to obtain information from it.

    The conclusion was fruitless; Moke couldn''t reveal anything.

    Out of options, Lin Yun retained his final doubts and left a Tracking Spell on it to monitor its general movements, then refrained from expending further fruitless efforts on this issue.

    In fact, he was more inclined to believe that the arrival of Moke disrupted some kind of bnce in Fangting City.

    However, this hidden bnce waspletely submerged below the surface, and to fully grasp it required further investigation.

    The contribution that the Abnormal Strategy Bureau could offer was limited, and Hong Siyu''s attempts to send requests for assistance to the Magic Kingdom through other cities also remained unanswered for the time being. At this moment, it seemed only he could handle all of this.

    He had to n for the worst-case scenario: the Magic Kingdom would not send support.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    This was also the reason he agreed to recruit Xia Liang.

    As to why he came to this conclusion, that was due to reasons unrted to the current events.

    So it has be this, him alone in front of aputer, flipping through news, diligently searching for any threads or traces. Of the news items that many bureaus couldn''t determine were rted to the magic-side or not, his extensive experience could provide judgment.

    The good news was that he really did find some leads.

    Initially, he tried to look for clues from thest two years, but the pickings were slim, revealing only that the number of missing persons had increased; he reluctantly expanded the scope to five years, and then ten years, even to the extent that the photos in the old news reports showed glimpses of An Ya, but aside from worsening his mood, he still couldn''t find anything.

    At the end of this fruitless search, Lin Yun resorted to a method he initially didn''t want to use: Urban Legend Search.

    This method wasn''t his own creation, but rather came from another magical girlpanion he had in Fangting City during his younger days¡ªSu Shengzi.

 Chapter 19: Chapter 16 Strange Talk Investigation_2

    Su Shengzi was keen on collecting urban legends and ghost stories, and after thorough research, she fused her findings into a theory that sounded utterly nonsensical yet held a shred of reason: over seventy percent of the urban legends reportedly "seen with one''s own eyes" originated from Remnant Beasts.

    The reason this theory was considered nonsense was that itcked any rigorous statistics; it was merely something Su Shengzi came up with one afternoon while sitting at home, drinking tea, and suddenly pping her hands on her head.

    It held a bit of reason because this theory subtly aligned with the evolutionary logic of the Remnant Beasts: once Remnant Beasts evolved to the "pupa" stage, they needed to "build nests" to store sufficient Magic Power and nutrition to kick-start the evolution of the next stage.

    After nest building, the pupa-stage Remnant Beasts would designate a certain area as their stronghold, causing the entire region''s space-time to warp and form their nest, which was also their "pupa." Afterward, they would hunt with their nest at the center.

    By the pupa stage, Remnant Beasts were no longer brainless like in the egg stage, acting purely on instinct, but now they possessed a kind of intelligence akin to wild beasts. They began to operate more covertly, evading the tracking of the Magical Girls and the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and fulfilling their need to feed.

    The strength of the pupa-stage Remnant Beasts and the abundant food within their nests also attracted many lower-level Remnant Beasts to parasitize within, although these lower-level Remnant Beasts were not in a feudal rtionship with the pupas; if they were spotted by the pupa-stage Remnant Beasts, they would simply be devoured as snacks.

    The diet of the Remnant Beasts was all-epassing, naturally including other Remnant Beasts as well.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    As such, the behavioral logic of the pupa-stage Remnant Beasts made it very likely for urban legends to arise in the city areas they inhabited.

    If it were a city normally guarded by Magical Girls, relying on normalmunication with the outside world and extensive, long-term patrols by many Magical Girls, it would be nearly impossible for pupa-stage Remnant Beasts to hide within the city.

    Their pupa served as a protective shell for themselves, but also as a cage locking them in ce; once the nest was discovered, they essentially had nowhere to run, and could only wait to be mobbed by a group of Magical Girls showing up at their doorstep, or fight to the death against elite Magical Girls called to the scene.

    But Fangting City was different.

    Lin Yun now suspected that there might be pupa-stage Remnant Beasts hidden in Fangting City, and they could be rted to the series of strange urrences here.

    The long-term absence of Magical Girls was enough time for the birth of pupa-stage Remnant Beasts, and the vastness of Fangting City provided them with space to hide. Moreover, the fact that "Remnant Beast attack incidents ceased to exist" could also be exined by the existence of pupa-stage Remnant Beasts, so this suspicion was not unreasonable.

    He shared this spection with Hong Siyu, and Hong Siyu also treated it as important and promised to assist in the search. However, considering it involved Remnant Beasts, he did not want to just wait idly for news.

    Now, since the news provided no information, it seemed he really needed to start with urban legends.

    He used key phrases like "Fangting City," "urban legends," and "ghost stories" to extract information on various forums and media, and he already found quite a few dubious and strange rumors from them.

    For example, "the singing in the sewer," "the mirror-reversed abandoned construction site," "the flickering streetlight," and many more half-true, half-false supernatural stories made Lin Yun shiver in broad daylight.

    But these messagescked solid evidence, and to really find clues, he feared he might have to personally verify them one by one to know which were more credible.

    Thinking this, he was about to move the mouse to switch web pages when he suddenly felt a vibration from his pocket.

    It was his phone, and it was the "Emerald Sparrow''s phone." He determined this by its position within his pocket.

    It looked like he would have to assume the form of a Magical Girl again, he thought.

    Three days ago, he and Lin Xiaolu had found Xia Liang in the electronics district and smoothly got her to be a Magical Girl. After a quick check of Xia Liang''s condition, they exchanged contact information and disbanded on the spot.

    After that, every evening, two days apart, Lin Yun would gather the two of them at the usual ce to impart knowledge rted to Magical Girls.

    This included how to train and enhance Magic Power and themon knowledge that a Magical Girl should possess, but most importantly, it focused onbat awareness when battling with Remnant Beasts.

    He discussedmon instinctual behaviors of Remnant Beasts, where usual weaknesses appeared, what moves to be wary of, and so on.

    Many of these are the wisdom handed down by our predecessors, and quite a few are lessons Emerald Sparrow summarized from her own experience. The rationale should be sound. However, ording to her n, after a few days of theoretical teaching, she might still have to wait for an opportunity for a battle and practical application.

    She pulled out her phone and nced at the screen, indeed it was a call from Lin Xiaolu. Lin Yun thought for a moment and then sighed softly as she transformed into Emerald Sparrow, before answering the call:

    "Hello? What''s up?"

    "Ah, Senior Emerald Sparrow?"

    Unlikest time when Moke snatched the phone, this time, the voice Emerald Sparrow heard truly belonged to Lin Xiaolu: "Sorry to bother you, but Moke just found a Remnant Beast!"

    As expected.

    Emerald Sparrow wasn''t surprised; it was pretty much what she had anticipated. Several days had passed since thest Remnant Beast attack, and it seemed about time for the next one to appear.

    So without saying much, she got the location and the current status of the Remnant Beast from Lin Xiaolu and got ready to leave.

    But just as she was about to hang up, she heard a voice outside the door that made her catch her breath.

    ¡ª"Minister, are you there?"

    Someone hade.

    She could tell whose voice it was, without a doubt, it was from a subordinate in her department.

    What to do? Was there enough time to undo the transformation? It seemed not!

    A string of thoughts flew through Emerald Sparrow''s mind, and just as she was pondering these, she saw that the door handle to the office had already been pressed down.

    A young man counting the documents in his hands pushed open the door, then raised his head and looked around the room¡ª

    Only to see an utterly empty room.

    "Huh? When did the minister leave?"

    He felt somewhat strange; if he remembered correctly, he had seen his own department''s minister enter the office.

    He poked his head out and looked both left and right again, confirming that the office was genuinely empty. He then scratched his head, looking puzzled, before turning and leaving.

    What he didn''t realize was that just behind that empty desk, in the space beneath it, a petite girl was curled up, looking ufortable, staring at her phone screen, her thumb resting on the spot where she had just hung up the call.

    Until the footsteps faded in the distance did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. It was lucky her reactions were fast, not only had she hung up the call in time, but she had also swiftly hidden under the desk.

    Otherwise, whether it was the conversation that Lin Xiaolu might have heard afterward or being seen by the person entering the office as Emerald Sparrow, either situation would have been quite troublesome.

    It seems she''d have to lock the door before taking calls next time.

    Thinking so, she peered through the gap under the desk, waited until she was sure no one was at the office door, then undid the transformation and clumsily crawled out from under it.

    She casually straightened her clothes, walked out of the office as if nothing had happened, and once out of view of others, she immediately quickened her pace, hurrying to the reported location of the Remnant Beast.

 Chapter 20: Chapter 17 Magical Girl Xiaojin

    Emerald Sparrow arrived at the scene to find the area where the Remnant Beasts were already cordoned off. The citizens who had nned to pass through were being evacuated, and the local residents within the area were also being ushered out under the guidance of officials.

    As it was midday and the Remnant Beast had appeared at an intersection, there were very few casualties among the public who encountered it first. Most people had managed to escape in time, so the mood in the crowd still seemed stable, without causing any unrest.

    Emerald Sparrow didn''t linger too long at the barricade line; she just made sure that the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was taking action. With a push of her heels, she dashed out from a gap between nearby buildings, flying toward the location of the Remnant Beast, which was also the center of this area.

    After arriving at the scene, she discovered that she was the only one there.

    However, it made sense. Her full-speed flight was certainly faster than the other two, and the distance to the incident site was not too far. It was perfectly normal that she arrived first if she had left at the same time as they had.

    "Its form hasn''t solidified yet, just an egg-level little guy, huh."

    Landing by the roadside, Emerald Sparrow looked at the Remnant Beast resembling a huge egg-shaped mass of flesh. It was throwing a tantrum because it couldn''t find prey, recklessly destroying the surrounding buildings. She raised her hand; the Magic Wand she had been holding floated up:

    "Magic Power construction extraction."

    As her words fell, the Magic Wand dissolved into scattered particles of light, and a small, ornately decorated pair of dressmaker''s scissors appeared in Emerald Sparrow''s hand. The sapphire blue magic particles gathered around her, with shimmering Magic Silk encircling her body, giving off a slightly dangerous aura.

    Within Emerald Sparrow''s vision, the space around her had long been filled with blue Magic Power Lines. The Remnant Beast in the center of the area was like prey caught in a spider''s web, already unable to escape.

    She stretched out her hand, cing her thumb and ring finger on two strands of Magic Silk, and slowly began to hook her fingers in the same direction.

    As she manipted the lines, thework of Magic Power Lines around the Remnant Beast tightened ordingly. In nearly a breath''s time, its range of movement waspletely restricted, and soon after, it was thoroughly bound in ce by the Magic Silk.

    The Remnant Beast, feeling the restriction, did not realize it had been captured. Even though it was immobilized, it continued to make futile attempts and let out earth-shaking roars, trying to intimidate Emerald Sparrow not far away.

    The roar of the Remnant Beast carried a burst of wind, raising a tumult at a distance of more than ten meters, lifting Emerald Sparrow''s clothes. Even at that distance, she could smell a strong scent of blood.

    Emerald Sparrow was expressionless.

    Following her usual practice, after restraining the Remnant Beast, she would directly proceed to kill it.

    But this time was different. She merely restrained the beast as if she had finished her own work, standing silently by the road with one hand on her hip, waiting.

    She was waiting for Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang.

    Both were new Magical Girls who needed ample realbat experience to umte. An egg-level Remnant Beast was unquestionably a quality punching bag: first, its movements were sluggish, and second, its attacks were not so fatal to Magical Girls. Even if something unexpected urred, with Emerald Sparrow on the sidelines, there would be no major issues.

    Therefore, she did not intend to personally kill this Remnant Beast. She only prevented it from destroying public buildings, nning to let the two neers practice on this beast.

    Before long, apanied by a pale purple glow, a figure rapidly flew in from the horizon.

    The purple glow headed straight for the Remnant Beast and Emerald Sparrow''s position, plummeting down. Afternding with great speed, it sshed up ripples of Jinzhi''s color in the magic power, as if hitting the surface of water.

    The neer stood up straight from amid the ripples of light, shook her head to arrange the hair clinging to her face, then turned to look at Emerald Sparrow with a smile:

    "Ah, I''ve arrived! Using Magic Power to cushion thending really is fast, little senior!"

    "The ''little'' is unnecessary." Emerald Sparrow''s eyelids drooped.

    The arrival was none other than Xia Liang.

    She was wearing a Jinzhi-colored cinched-waist dress adorned with wavyce frills, a light yellow shawl cor top that was separate from the dress, and a half-open cardigan of the same light purple hue to match. The massive bow tie at her chest impressioned a sense of mystery yet was cheerful.

    Her likewise violet hair slightly curled at the tips, creating a gentle inward wave that seemed to defy gravity, and on her head sat a Jinzhi-colored soft hat wrapped with a yellow ribbon. Crescent moon-shaped earrings dangled from her earlobes, exuding a sense of luxury and fashion.

    This was Xia Liang''s transformed look as a Magical Girl, which fit very well with her Magical Girl codename¡ªXiao Jin.

    The costume of a Magical Girl reflects the personality of the one who transformed, so Xia Liang''s outfit was the most mature in style among the three, even though she was actually the youngest by age.

    Looking at the girl who hadnded, Emerald Sparrow''s face remained calm, yet her mind was filled with admiration.

    When she had first found Xia Liang, she had a premonition that this child''s talent might be extraordinary, but the skill she had shown now was beyond Emerald Sparrow''s expectations.

    The "magding" she referred to was a technique Emerald Sparrow had only mentioned during yesterday''s lesson, which enabled Magical Girls tond without slowing down after flying,pleting the descent at the highest speed possible.

    For a girl who had been afraid of flying just a few days ago, to swiftly adapt to flying with magic power and even master advanced techniques beyond Lin Xiaolu in just a few days, Xia Liang could truly be called a natural Magical Girl.

    "You''ve mastered thending technique so quickly, well done," praised Emerald Sparrow without stint.

    "Hmph hmph."

    Flushed with tion, Xia Liang squinted happily and took quick little steps to reach Emerald Sparrow''s side. Looking at the Remnant Beasts bound not far away, she said with a hint of wonder in her voice, "Is that a Remnant Beast?"

    "Eh¡ªso this is what they look like up close, so big, so disgusting!"

    Although she repeated "disgusting," her face was brimming with curiosity, "But why isn''t it moving? Did you take it out, junior?"

    "I told you to drop the ''junior''."

    Emerald Sparrow corrected with a touch of resignation, but she wasn''t insistent. With a gentle flick of her finger in the air, several blue Magic Power Lines appeared one after another: "Be careful, the Remnant Beast is still alive. It''s not moving because I''ve already tied it up."

    Immediately, Xia Liang''s attention was drawn to the Magic Silk lines, and she leaned in with widened eyes, "So pretty! These are your Magic Constructs, aren''t they, junior? Is this like a guitar string?"

    "My Magic Constructs are silk threads and scissors," Emerald Sparrow shared openly. "Don''t get too close, these threads can both bind enemies and be extremely sharp. I don''t want to identally hurt you."

    "Are you concerned about me?"

    The smile on Xia Liang''s face carried a hint of tease, but still, she obediently stepped back, her mood seemingly cheerful, "You seem so aloof, but junior, you''re actually quite sensitive."

    "Please, no sappy talk when it''s unnecessary," said Emerald Sparrow, still expressionless.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ¡ª¡ª"You two over there, even though you''ve only met a few days ago, don''t get so chummy behind others'' backs!"

    As they conversed, a shout suddenly came from mid-air, and both Emerald Sparrow and Xia Liang looked up toward the voice, seeing a pale blue arc of light descending from the sky.

    Almost ten minutes had passed since Emerald Sparrow had restrained the Remnant Beast, and atst Lin Xiaolu arrived.

 Chapter 21: Chapter 18 First Cooperation

    "She''s already subdued the Remnant Beasts in such a short time, truly worthy of an Inspector!"

    Lin Xiaolu had justnded, and Moke, who followed closely behind her while pping a pair of tiny wings, popped out from behind her and began to tter her with a tone that sounded quite fawning.

    This kind of behavior wasn''t something new in the past day or two, which made Emerald Sparrow wonder if Moke had been involved in corruption within the Magic Kingdom and fled to the material world because of that. Otherwise, there seemed to be no reason for it to be so concerned about the title "Inspector."

    No matter how much Emerald Sparrow ignored or refuted this clumsy brown-nosing, it didn''t stop Moke from doing it.

    If children were to witness this kind of daily groveling and ttery from a fairy, they would likely be disenchanted with the concept of "fairies" from then on.

    With a silent sigh, Emerald Sparrow didn''t bother with Moke and instead shifted her attention to Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang.

    Clearly, from the moment Lin Xiaolu arrived, the atmosphere between those two was far from harmonious. Lin Xiaolu, who hadnded from the sky, wore a look of disgruntlement, contrasting sharply with Xia Liang''s beaming smile.

    Emerald Sparrow saw Lin Xiaolu''s inexplicable hostility towards Xia Liang but thought Xia Liang''s behavior, which seemed to revel in agitating Lin Xiaolu, was also problematic.

    Seeing that the two were about to start bickering again, Emerald Sparrow held back the urge to sigh, pped her hands together, and said, "Alright, no fighting for now."

    She pointed at the Remnant Beast not far away, trying to redirect their focus, "Today''s Remnant Beast isn''t very strong; my assessment is that it''s around Egg stage, which means as long as you two cooperate and perform normally, you should be able to take care of it quite easily."

    As she spoke, Emerald Sparrow looked towards the Remnant Beast not far away, which was still bound by the strands of silk, struggling futilely to break free. Such struggles were useless, but the barely intelligent Remnant Beast couldn''t realize that.

    She once again manipted the magic silk in the void, loosening the web binding the Remnant Beast slightly, and turned back to the two neers, "I''ve already told you about the type and weaknesses of this Remnant Beastst night. Now, I will release its restraints, and you two will fight. Unless the situation bes very dire, I won''t intervene."

    As the silk threads dispersed, the Remnant Beast that had been crouching rose up, shaking its massive and bloated body, and with its limited intelligence, identified the three Magical Girls at the street corner as the real enemy.

    It shook its head, baring its teeth in a snarl, and roared at them again:

    "Grrraaarrghhhh!"

    "Don''t worry, Senior Emerald Sparrow."

    Faced with the angry Remnant Beast, Lin Xiaolu was not afraid at all. She lifted her Magic Wand, confidently saying, "I''ve been studying hard thesest few days; the me now ispletely different from before!"

    "Fighting this big fellow... sounds like fun!"

    Xia Liang, however, seemed to bepletely focused on something else.

    Both were very determined, which Emerald Sparrow found somewhat reassuring, so she said no more, nodding quietly to them.

    Then the pale blue and jinzhi-colored Flow of Magical Power burst forth and intertwined. The two Magical Girls soared into the air one after the other, creating a gust of wind as they flew past Emerald Sparrow and charged toward the massive Remnant Beast.

    Egg-stage Remnant Beasts are the most numerous, most frequently appearing, and also the weakest of their kind in this world.

    "Weak" here is rtive to Magical Girls; although Egg-stage Remnant Beasts vary in strength, even the strongest Egg-stage ones often fall to the joint attack of two to three Seed-stage Magical Girls. As for the weaker ones, they can be taken down by a rookie who has just be a Magical Girl.

    For this reason, both the material realm and the Magic Kingdom have conducted the most thorough research and gathered the mostprehensive experience on Remnant Beasts, particrly at the egg stage.

    Unlike the higher-order Remnant Beasts, those at this stage primarily rely on physical attacks.

    Their most distinguishing feature is that they develop special organs that utilize magic power.

    Based on these special organs, along with characteristics such as body type, behavioral logic, and habitat, people have categorized egg-stage Remnant Beasts into dozens of types, making it easier for Magical Girls to identify and efficiently eliminate them.

    Explosive membrane type, corrosive w type, rotting scale type, splitting skin type, organ covering type... Different types of Remnant Beasts have different abilities due to their special organs. For instance, the ws of the "corrosive w type" can corrode objects, while the inter-skin Flow of Magical Power of the "splitting skin type" endows them with extremely high surface temperatures.

    As for the Remnant Beast they encountered this time, ording to Emerald Sparrow''s experience, it undoubtedly belonged to the "dissolving chamber type."

    Its characteristics include a rtivelyrge body size, usually over ten meters in height; an abundant secretion of mucus on its surface to reduce damage and assist in movement; and a special organ called the "dissolving chamber," which can mix undigested prey with body fluids and then shoot it out with the force of a high-pressure water cannon, powerful enough to prate ordinary concrete.

    This type of Remnant Beast is actually not thatmon because they tend to reside in watery ces. The urban environment doesn''t suit their physiological habits. Instead, they often congregate in the wilderness, but that''s not something a city-based Magical Girl like her needs to worry about.

    Now that they''ve rarely encountered one, it was perfect for Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang to use it for practice.

    However, contrary to what Emerald Sparrow expected, the two neers she was instructing were not so much seamlessly coordinated as they were a disorganized mess.

    The battle had not been underway for long when Lin Xiaolu nearly got shot down by a Magic Power Beam from Xia Liang.

    "You¡ªdo you want to kill me?"

    Seeing the jinzhi-colored Magic Power streaking close by, she quickly stopped flying and immediately started yelling angrily at Xia Liang.

    "Sorry, so sorry," Xia Liang was aware it was her mistake, so she quickly apologized with a smile.

    When the Remnant Beast used its dissolving chamber to attack for the first time, Xia Liang had already extended her Magic Wand, gathered the Mana Cannon, aimed at the exposed weakness of the Remnant Beast, but had to abort the attack because Lin Xiaolu suddenly moved into her nned firing trajectory.

    "Ah, seriously!"

    A clear opportunity to make a difference was lost. Even Xia Liang felt a bit angry under such circumstances, but she still had to put the overall situation first, continuing to fly around the Remnant Beast, looking for other angles to attack.

    The two of them fought the Remnant Beast for dozens of rounds with what could be deemed a clumsybination, and after a long battle, they caused little effective damage to the Remnant Beast but wore themselves out considerably.

    Emerald Sparrow, who was standing to one side, saw everything very clearly.

    Xia Liang undoubtedly had a strong talent as a Magical Girl. Despite having only trained for a few days and this being her first battle, she seemed to have a natural intuition for finding the right position to attack the Remnant Beast with magic from a distance.

    Inparison, Lin Xiaolu was somewhat less adept but still dared to engage fiercely. She had rtively richbat experience for a neer and actively sought the Remnant Beast''s weak points using a closebat mode with high mobility.

    Either of these two, if fighting alone, would likely have had the chance to take down this Remnant Beast on their own and might have done so with greater ease than now.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    But when they formed a team and needed to coordinate with each other inbat, their inclination towards different fighting styles, coupled with ack of awareness to work with a partner, resulted in a disastrously ineffective oue.

 Chapter 22: Chapter 19: Things Fall Like Rain

    The battle between Remnant Beasts and Magical Girls was a process of ebb and flow. After two Magical Girls expended a great deal of stamina and magic power on rookie cooperation mistakes, the Remnant Beast, given a chance to catch its breath, gradually gained the upper hand.

    The slime that coated the surface of melt chamber-type Remnant Beasts, along with their amorphous bodies, endowed them with strong regenerative capabilities. Even while they were continuously attacked, they could still slowly recover. Therefore, although this Remnant Beast was always on the defensive, it hadn''t sustained any fatal damage.

    And when the firepower suppression from the Magical Girls gradually became less dense, the well-preserved beast began its counterattack.

    The sign was that Lin Xiaolu, who had been constantly maneuvering around the Remnant Beast, suddenly felt that the area affected by its ground ps had increased. She began to struggle to dodge its attacks.

    She looked up and noticed carefully that the Remnant Beast had covered its ws in arge amount of slime, which increased the contact area when it pped the ground. This way, even if she wasn''t hit by the ws directly, she''d still be stuck if the slime reached her.

    Moreover, with the frequency of the Remnant Beast''s attacks on the ground, the slime quickly soaked the ground around it, allowing it to move faster as it squirmed forward. Its huge body gradually began to show unusual mobility, making it difficult for Xia Liang, who had been providing long-range firepower from the air, to hit the target.

    If they had been full of magic power, both Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang could have frivolously expended their magic to speed up and keep up with the beast''s movements. But in the current situation, wasteful magic consumption without quick results would only lead to a more unfavorable situation in the battle.

    Thus, the two magical girls, who had been fighting individually, had no choice but to start thinking about a cooperative n.

    "Hey, you over there!"

    Lin Xiaolu, while dodging the beast''s ps, called out to Xia Liang in the sky, "Do you have enough magic power left?"

    "Magic power?"

    After releasing another Magic Power Beam that sshed on the beast''s head, Xia Liang asked with confusion, "I have some, Xiaolu, do you have any ideas?"

    "Don''t use such friendly terms; I''m not that close to you!"

    Running along the graveyard of ws sunken in the asphalt, Lin Xiaolu also returned to mid-air, "If you have magic power, then I will lure it to reveal a vulnerability, and you take the opportunity to st it with all your strength."

    "You want me to attack?"

    Xia Liang blinked and then smiled knowingly, "Ah, you mean you don''t have enough magic power to attack?"

    "You''re so annoying!"

    Lin Xiaolu retorted irritably but didn''t deny it. Although she didn''t like Xia Liang much, she knew that priorities had to be set. She then changed direction and flew towards an area beyond the reach of the beast''s ps.

    The melt chamber-type Remnant Beast had strong self-healing abilities, but they weren''t invulnerable; theirmon weak points were in the mouth and belly. Since these beasts usually maintain a prostrate stance, it is difficult to hit their belly, so the most operationally valuable target is the mouth.

    And the most direct way to entice it to expose its weakness was to induce it to use the melt chamber to attack.

    Once it used the melt chamber, because of the location of the chamber, it necessarily had to raise its head and open its mouth, stopping its movements.

    With this strategy in mind, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang conserved their magic, reducing the frequency of their attacks, and refrained from wasteful expenditure. They also induced the Remnant Beast to attack more frequently.

    This strategy soon took effect. Once the Remnant Beast realized it wasn''t being injured much, it attacked more rapidly and became more negligent in its own defense.

    Until itpletely gave up on defense and, when Lin Xiaolu deliberately exposed a vulnerability, chose to attack with the melt chamber.

    Rearing its head, the melt chamber in the Remnant Beast''s chest contracted, pumping its bodily fluids mixed with arge amount of magic power towards the spray port beneath its jaw.

    "Grrraaaarrrghhhh!"

    Apanied by a furious roar, several huge liquid bombs were fired from beneath its jaw.

    Boom! Boom! Bang!

    Near the ground, Lin Xiaolu kept running, flicking the water cannon shots behind her. The misfired bombs hit the surrounding roads and sidewalks, creating giant craters.

    She turned her head and called out to Xia Liang in mid-air:

    "Now''s the time! st your Magic Power Beam right into its mouth!"

    "Got it! Hmm... but it feels a bit hard to control?"

    Xia Liang, who had found a good position, raised her Magic Wand high. The magic power, far exceeding that of an ordinary magical girl, gathered in front of her, forming an extremely unstable orb, "Anyway, let''s give it a try."

    Seizing the moment the Remnant Beast fired the water cannon, she pressed down on the wand. As the beast had just finished its attack and its mouth was still wide open, she aimed right into it and released the concentrated Magic Power Beam.

    The attack from the Jinzhi-colored Magic Power Beam was incredibly fast. It shot toward the Remnant Beast before it could react and then struck heavily against its body.

    It was precisely for this reason that the group realized the point of impact was not quite right only when the Mana Cannon hit.

    Their original n was to strike directly into the mouth of the Remnant Beast and then damage its internal tissues, to cause irreversible harm.

    However, after hitting, the group realized that this attack, which had drained almost all of Xia Liang''s magic power, seemed to have missed the intended target.

    "Ah, it seems like I missed?"

    Looking at her Magic Wand, Xia Liang smiled embarrassingly.

    It was off, yet it wasn''t.

    This was the judgment made by the Emerald Sparrow who was standing aside.

    Because that beam of Magic Power hit near the Remnant Beast''s dissolution chamber.

    The dissolution chamber of the Remnant Beast had a thickyer of flesh and was constantly secreting mucus for protection, so it wasn''t a weak spot.

    But the location hit by the beam was unusual. It wasn''t the exterior of the Remnant Beast''s dissolution chamber, but ultimately the beam hit the ejection port.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The ejection port of the dissolution chamber, being small and hard to hit, was not considered a regr weakness. But in reality, it was one of the frailest parts of its body.

    So it died.

    The intense Flow of Magical Power backflooded directly from the underside of the Remnant Beast''s jaw into the ejection port, emitting a blinding light from the Jinzhi-colored magic, piercing through its body andpletely breaching it.

    The Remnant Beast didn''t even have a chance to respond before the Magic Power Beam destroyed its entire body, instantly taking its life.

    Undoubtedly, despite the deviation from the target, the effect it caused was still very crucial.

    The Emerald Sparrow standing aside thought so.

    Even if there was an ident in the middle, the Remnant Beast was sessfully brought down, so a miss could be understandable... right?

    Her thoughts suddenly halted.

    As the magic powerpletely prated the Remnant Beast''s dissolution chamber, she suddenly remembered something:

    Usually, the liquids in the dissolution chamber were keptpressed inside through physiological activity and the magic power of the Remnant Beast. So, what would happen if the Remnant Beast died and its dissolution chamber was damaged, losing its physiological function?

    Her pupils started to constrict, an expression of disgust almost uncontrobly appeared on her face. The Emerald Sparrow immediately shouted at the two Magical Girls floating in the air:

    "Idiots, get out of the way!"

    Without pausing, she herself dispersed her magic power and leaped up. Apanied by a whooshing sound, she retreated tens of meters away almost instantly.

    However, the two Magical Girls near the Remnant Beast weren''t so lucky.

    Xia Liang had just used arge amount of Magic Power to fire the Magic Power Beam and hadn''t been able to readjust her rhythm; Lin Xiaolu had been on the move close to the ground and not only didn''t grasp what the Emerald Sparrow was saying but also didn''t understand the situation at hand.

    Therefore, the next moment, the Remnant Beast that Xia Liang had pierced exploded.

    It exploded in the literal sense, with the whole body bursting open like a firework.

    What followed was the noxious mucus that had been stored andpressed inside its body also spraying into the sky, and then falling from the air like torrential rain.

    This mucus by itself didn''t have any lethal power; it could only form an effective attack after beingpressed and expelled by the Remnant Beast. So even if itnded on humans at this moment, it wouldn''t cause harm.

    The only problem was that this mucus was a mix of undigested biological tissue and the bodily fluids of the Remnant Beast, which meant it had one characteristic: it really stank.

    "Yaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Under the scorching midday sun, the foul-smelling mucus was sshed onto the two Magical Girls, eliciting a mournful outcry.

 Chapter 23: Chapter 20 Going to Your Home

    "Whimper... rgh, rgh... whimper whimper whimper..."

    After the dust of battle had settled, Lin Xiaolu knelt on the ground, continuously retching while tears welled up in her eyes.

    Ever since she had been drenched in the foul-smelling organizational fluid, she had been vomiting on the ground, followed by bursts of crying. Then she would retch again, cry some more until her tears and snot flowed uncontrolled.

    "It''s okay, it''s okay."

    Emerald Sparrow squatted beside her, gently patting her back andforting her in a cold yet gentle voice, "It''s just a bit smelly, and no one else saw it. Just take a good bath when you get home and you''ll get rid of the smell."

    Seeing her daughter tortured into such a state, it was truly hard for Emerald Sparrow not to feel distressed.

    So even thoughforting her like this was somewhat out of character, she couldn''t help but do it.

    "Emerald Sparrow... ugh, rgh rgh, rgh... waaahh..."

    Lin Xiaolu, with tearful eyes, looked towards Emerald Sparrow, but as soon as she tried to speak, she couldn''t help retching again.

    Xia Liang wasn''t faring much better, leaning against a traffic light pole, pale as a ghost. However, she had a stronger will than Lin Xiaolu. After a few initial gags, she managed to hold back her physiological reaction with considerable self-control, and did not vomit on the spot, barely maintaining herposure.

    The acidic and rotten stench on site was enough to make anyone''s stomach turn, even a battle-hardened Magical Girl like Emerald Sparrow who had seen her fair share of filthy battlegrounds felt nauseous and couldn''t help covering her mouth and nose with her hand.

    After squatting beside Lin Xiaolu for a while and realizing that she probably wouldn''t be getting better anytime soon, Emerald Sparrow then flew over to Xia Liang, asking with a hint of concern, "How are you feeling, any better?"

    "Ugh... It''s a lot better than at the beginning."

    Xia Liang covered her mouth, her face a portrait of suffering as she forced a smile, "It''s just that my head feels sticky and ufortable. Could you use something like water magic?"

    "Sorry, I''m not really knowledgeable in that area."

    Emerald Sparrow was honest about it.

    The "water magic" Xia Liang mentioned did exist and wasmonly known as the Life Water Spell, but this Spell Technique wasn''t within Emerald Sparrow''s expertise.

    For a Magical Girl, using Spell Techniques bes a basic ability once their powers have blossomed to the ''Leaf'' stage. However, mastering a variety of Spell Techniques still requires a lot of effort in learning and research.

    In the past, Lin Yun had only a faint interest in learning Spell Techniques, focusing only on the basic techniques to aid inbat and not putting in much effort beyond that. The techniques he had mastered weren''t many.

    But under the current circumstances, there was no need to rely solely on the Life Water Spell to solve the problem. So, after waiting a while longer until Lin Xiaolu''s condition had somewhat improved, Emerald Sparrow proposed to them both:

    "Since the Remnant Beasts have been taken care of, you should both go home and wash up, then rest well."

    Lin Xiaolu, lying on the ground, spoke with difficulty, "But, uh... I still have to go to school this afternoon..."

    "Don''t worry about that."

    Emerald Sparrow waved her hand to show it wasn''t an issue, "The reason we coordinate with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau is to resolve situations like this. I''ll pass on what happened to them, and they''ll contact the school to sort out the attendance issue."

    In fact, if it weren''t for the presence of Xia Liang, she wouldn''t even need to use the channels of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau; it would simply be a matter of Lin Yun making a phone call to the school to ask for a sick leave on behalf of his daughter. An adult has many ways to handle such affairs.

    "Um... alright then... rgh." Having heard Emerald Sparrow''s words and having no more objections, Lin Xiaolu weakly stood up from the ground.

    Once standing, she took a moment to focus her attention and looked around to confirm her bearings, re-establishing her sense of direction. After considerable effort, she squinted her eyes and seemed to remember which direction her home was in.

    Lin Xiaolu took two steps in the designated direction, nning to wait until her magic power had recovered before flying towards her home, but soon she realized that there seemed to be someone following her.

    She looked at the Emerald Sparrow standing not far away, confirmed that someone else was trailing behind her, and then stopped, squinting as she turned around: a magical girl in purple stood behind her, a smile on her face.

    Without a doubt, it was Xia Liang.

    When Xia Liang saw Lin Xiaolu turn around, she seemed oblivious to the unweing look in her eyes and simply raised her hand to wave and smiled obediently. She made no attempt to exin her actions.

    "What are you following me for?"

    Lin Xiaolu asked irritably.

    "Hmm... looking for a ce to take a bath?" Xia Liang replied naturally but with some uncertainty, as if she were seeking a public bathhouse.

    "Don''t follow me, go back to your own home to bathe." She had no interest in Xia Liang''s half-true, half-false rhetoric and bluntly threw out the sentence, turning her head and walking away.

    However, after just a few steps she realized something was wrong; the footsteps behind her did not fade away, clearly, Xia Liang was still following her.

    "You! What is it?"

    Feeling genuinely angry this time, Lin Xiaolu turned around again and stared directly at Xia Liang''s face: "I think I''ve already told you not to follow me, what do you really want to do?"

    "Nothing much."

    Xia Liang blinked innocently: "I just wanted to go and see your house, that''s all."

    "Ha? Why should I let you go to my house?"

    Lin Xiaolu looked puzzled: "Why don''t you go back to your own house?"

    "Hmm..."

    Xia Liang seemed genuinely contemtive for a moment, then tilted her head and responded: "It seems I can''t do that?"

    "I don''t care about your attitude... Anyway, why is it a question?" Lin Xiaolu furrowed her brows.

    At these words, Xia Liang first smiled brightly, her face showing a trace of pride. Then, as if she was about to announce something remarkable, she puffed up her chest and said:n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ¡ª¡ª "Because I''ve run away from home."

    Silence.

    At that, Lin Xiaolu froze on the spot, even the quiet Emerald Sparrow at her side raised its eyebrows, looking at Xia Liang with a somewhat astonished expression.

    Fortunately, the Emerald Sparrow was an adult after all and quickly realized the situation at hand. It felt that it was probably better for the daughter to continue the conversation to foster closer rtionships, so it poked Lin Xiaolu from behind.

    Regaining herposure, Lin Xiaolu could only ask incredulously, "What... what did you just say?"

    Hearing Lin Xiaolu''s question and seeing both of them looking at her, Xia Liang, who thought she hadn''t made herself clear, blinked and repeated herself:

    "Ah, what I mean is, I''ve run away from home and now I don''t really have anyce to go, so I was wondering if you could give me a ce to stay?"

 Chapter 24: Chapter 21 Post-Event Cleanup

    The mist in the bathroom was thick, swirling with steam under the heatmp. Lin Xiaolu scooped up a handful of water to ssh on her face, leaning back in the tub, her expression gradually shifting from nk to rxed.

    After spacing out for a while, her unfocused pupils regained their sparkle. She slowly submerged her face into the hot water, and the bubbles she exhaled "burbled" up to the surface, making a "plop and ssh" sound.

    It was still the afternoon, but nearing the end of it, and Lin Xiaolu was washing away the dirt from battle in the bathroom of her own home.

    Shethered up with shower gel several times, followed by numerous rinses, and only after washing andbing her hair through several more cycles did she finally settle into the bathtub, allowing her nerves to thoroughly unwind.

    Without a doubt, today''s sh with the Remnant Beasts, although fraught with issues and surprises, also yielded significant gains.

    Beyond acquiringbat experience and cooperation, she also gained some insight into the rarely-seen Acidity Remnant Beasts. At least after such a battle, Lin Xiaolu felt she indeed learned something.

    The teaching methods of Emerald Sparrow were sessful.

    With increasing reverence for Emerald Sparrow in her heart, Lin Xiaolu couldn''t help but close her eyes, fantasizing about the day she would be the ideal Magical Girl under Emerald Sparrow''s guidance.

    By then, she''d surely be mature, aloof, powerful, beautiful¡­

    The daydreams in her head unwittingly brought a smile to Lin Xiaolu''s face, her lips slightly upturned, brows raised, clearly in a very good mood.

    ¡ª¡ª"Are you done soaking?"

    "Wah!" The sudden voice by her ear startled Lin Xiaolu.

    Turning her head, she saw Xia Liang, wrapped in a bath towel, standing beside the tub, smiling at her.

    Her wet ck hair still had some steam rising from it, clearly just out of the shower area next to her.

    "Not yet, not yet."

    Lifting her face from the water, Lin Xiaoluined, "It is already quite generous of me to let you shower while I''m bathing. Once you''re done, just go out and wait. This is my home, and I''m not going to give up the bathtub for you."

    "Eh¡ªbut I got drenched in dirty water too and want to soak in the bath quickly."

    While she spoke, Xia Liang inched closer to the rim of the tub, "How about I squeeze in? I don''t mind."

    "I mind, okay! You''d squash me to death! Yuck, how disgusting!"

    Blocking with her hand on the edge of the tub, Lin Xiaolu outright rejected three times, "Do you even know the difference between host and guest? Don''t push your luck!"

    "Then may I please ask your permission?" Xia Liang pleaded with hands joined and eyes squeezed.

    "Lowering your attitude won''t work! Out, now!"

    "I''m reaching."

    "Don''te over, and don''t let yourself in! I told you, don''t¡ª"

    The quarreling noises in the bathroom grew louder. Even though it was difficult to discern the specifics, the blustering voice of Lin Xiaolu could be heard even in the living room.

    Emerald Sparrow was perched side-saddle, sitting on the sofa in the living room, staring thoughtfully at the object in her hand.

    It was a half-destroyed green disc-shaped metal piece, corroded so badly it was pocked and uneven, unrecognizable from its original form.

    She found this object among the remnants of the beasts as she was about to leave the previous battlefield. Feeling it was somewhat unusual, she took it with her on a whim.

    Staring at the disc, she couldn''t shake the feeling that it resembled a... valve?

    Why would there be such a thing inside a Remnant Beast?

    Feeling as though she might have caught onto a clue, memories that were dormant in her mind started to stir. Emerald Sparrow simply leaned back, settled against the back of the sofa, and looked up thoughtfully.

    ¡ª¡ªClick.

    The bathroom door not far away suddenly swung open, and the previously muffled noise became clear.

    "Hurry up¡ªget out!" Lin Xiaolu''s angry voice followed.

    "Yikes! Don''t pull so hard, my bath towel ising off!"

    Then, came Xia Liang''s voice.

    Lin Xiaolu paid no heed to her, firmly pushing Xia Liang out of the door: "You''re so annoying!"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Bang!

    And then, the bathroom door was mmed shut.

    Left outside, Xia Liang could only wrap herself in a bath towel and walk out of the bathroom, passing through the living room where she came eye to eye with Emerald Sparrow, looking up.

    Unlike when they first met a few days ago, Xia Liang now looked quite different.

    The dyed highlights that once adorned her bangs had somehow been washed away, and her wavy hair ends had been straightened out. Without the embellishment of light makeup, her youthful features were fully exposed, clearly revealing her to be just a middle school student.

    If the Xia Liang seen in the electronics district was a fancy and fashionable girl, now the gently smiling Xia Liang seemed like nothing more than a well-behaved, quiet good child.

    Emerald Sparrow, whose gaze was initially scattered, gradually focused as she looked at Xia Liang dressed only in a bath towel, and after a moment''s pause, she suggested:

    "Why don''t you find a bathrobe to wear?"

    "Hmm? That might work."

    Xia Liang happily epted but soon encountered a new problem: "But do we have a bathrobe here?"

    "Clean bathrobes are in..."

    Emerald Sparrow instinctively started to answer but then remembered she was not Lin Yun. Even though she was in her own home, she couldn''t reveal her status as the homeowner; on the surface, she was just a guest like Xia Liang.

    So without giving anything away, she changed her words: "If there''s a storage cab by the bathroom door, maybe it''ll be in the cab? You could also ask Bai Mei."

    "Bai Mei? Oh, hmph, then I''ll go ask her."

    Xia Liang seemed oddly zealous about provoking Lin Xiaolu, and upon realizing she had another reason to bother her, she immediately chuckled and headed back to the bathroom.

    Maybe it''s because just a little poke will make her explode like a startled animal? Seems fun?

    Based on the personalities of the two, Emerald Sparrow coulde up with such an answer.

    She didn''t mind Xia Liang''s clearly harmless provocations; as long as they didn''t breed hatred, they were just youthful jokes and roughhousing.

    Yet, watching Xia Liang''s retreating figure, her development noticeably more advanced than that of her peers, Emerald Sparrow felt a parental concern Lin Xiaolu''s growth.

    My daughter is not going to be short, is she?

    Although at 14 there''s still hope, with many years ahead for Lin Xiaolu to catch up and turn things around, there''s currently no sign of it.

    Logically speaking, as Lin Xiaolu''s parents, Lin Yun and An Ya are not exceptionally tall but certainly above average. Lin Yun, the father, is over one meter eighty, and An Ya, the mother, is close to one meter seventy. There was no reason Lin Xiaolu should be shorter than her peers, yet her current height was far below the average at one meter forty-three.

    What could be the reason?

    Emerald Sparrow set the broken disc aside, stood up silently, and walked towards the kitchen.

    She tiptoed to the sink to rinse her hands, then opened the sterilizer cab and took out a few tea cups.

    Expertly arranging the tea cups in a row, adding tea leaves, she pushed up on the balls of her feet, her face expressionless as she stretched a little higher and then lifted the hot water pot, pouring the boiling water in.

    Considering Lin Xiaolu''s personality, she wouldn''t think to brew tea for the guests. That task inevitably fell to her.

 Chapter 25: Chapter 22 Companions and Trust

    Emerald Sparrow finished pouring the hot water and carried a few teacups back to the living room, just in time to see Xia Liang, draped in a bathrobe, walking out from the direction of the bathroom.

    "Found it in the kitchen."

    To avoid any misunderstanding, she exined this as she arranged the freshly brewed tea on the coffee table.

    Setting down the cups, pushing the teapot, she returned to the sofa, picked up her tea, and Emerald Sparrow was silent for a moment before she lightly began:

    "Why did you run away from home?"

    When she asked this question, she did not look at Xia Liang because she didn''t want to put too much pressure on her.

    Although it was just a hunch, she could feel that Xia Liang might be harboring quite a few secrets.

    "Ahaha, this... can I just gloss over it?"

    Facing this question, Xia Liang''s voice sounded somewhat husky, with a tinge of probing in her tone.

    Emerald Sparrow''s eyebrows raised slightly, "What would be a good excuse to gloss it over with?"

    "Let me think... the usual squabble with family, how about that?" Xia Liang looked around hesitantly and smiled as she raised her right index finger.

    "Sounds pretty believable."

    Emerald Sparrow neither confirmed nor denied and sipped gently from the edge of her teacup before she said, "Is that what you told Bai Mei as well?"

    "Xiaolu hasn''t asked me yet."

    Xia Liang shook her head, looking somewhat disappointed, "She agreed to let me stay at her home without knowing anything, and I had prepared so many interesting reasons."

    "That child, although she won''t admit it, is indeed a bit stubborn, so don''t bully her too much."

    Emerald Sparrow set her teacup down, her profile turned towards Xia Liang, "But, this ''Xiaolu''... did she tell you her real name?"

    "Huh? She mentioned it when we first met."

    Xia Liang was clueless but detected something else in Emerald Sparrow''s tone, "Is there a problem?"

    "There is. When appearing in public as a magical girl, it''s customary to address each other by code names."

    Emerald Sparrow''s eyes lowered, "I am Emerald Sparrow, you are Little Jin, Lin Xiaolu is Bai Mei. When you transform into a magical girl, the code name is your name."

    "It''s not just with enemies and strangers. Even among magical girls, revealing one''s real name and true identity is something thates after mutual trust has been established."

    "Don''t expose your vulnerable side to those you don''t trust, unless you''re strong enough."

    With these words, Emerald Sparrow looked up, her hands sped together, "That''s why I will always use your code names when you''re transformed. It''s not just because I''ve only shared the code names with you¡ªrtionships need to be reciprocal. It''s also because it''s a good habit."

    Xia Liang nodded in understanding and then suddenly pped her hands, "Can I apply to change my magical girl code name to ''Xia Liang'' now?"

    "Don''t ask foolish questions."

    "But I''ve already told Xiaolu my name, what should I do?"

    "Do nothing."

    Emerald Sparrow sighed, "Amongpanions in the same city, real names are bound to be shared eventually. But when you leave Fangting City and meet magical girls who are not yourpanions, that''s when you need to be mindful of this."

    "Companions, huh..."

    Muttering this word, Xia Liang''s eyes flickered, then she narrowed her eyes and bowed her head, wrapping her bathrobe around her more tightly, "So, am I now just glossing things over with apanion?"

    "Suppose so?"

    Emerald Sparrow, not noticing Xia Liang''s small gesture, or rather, pretending not to care, stood up and patted her skirt, "Being cautious with enemies and strangers, and offering trust topanions as much as possible, is the policy for magical girls."

    "Bai Mei is a na?ve child; she will believe you. I know you''re a good kid, and I''m willing to believe you too. No one will force you to say anything you don''t wish to say."

    "So, when you feel you trust us enough, then you can share what''s on your mind."

    After all, every Magical Girl from the material world, to varying degrees, has her own inner confusion.

    She did not voice this thought.

    "Little senior¡­"

    Emerging from a subtly somber mood, Xia Liang lifted her head as if touched by something.

    She slowly began to speak, as if wanting to say something, then pursed her lips, hesitated, and once again lightly opened her vermilion lips¡ª

    ¡ª"I''m done with my bath, sorry to keep you waiting, you can go in¡­"

    Xia Liang''s words were interrupted by a brash voice. Lin Xiaolu, dressed in casual home clothes and with a towel around her neck, emerged from the bathroom still wreathed in steam.

    Halting her speech midway, she entered the living room and saw the two sitting there, meeting their somewhat odd gazes, and couldn''t help but stop her original line of talk, widening her eyes: "What''s up? Were you talking about something just now? The atmosphere feels a bit strange¡­"

    Emerald Sparrow nced at Xia Liang, who simrly turned her gaze. They looked at each other for a moment, one closing her eyes, the other showing a somewhat helpless smile.

    It seemed the previous conversation could not continue.

    "Just simple chatter, nothing much."

    Emerald Sparrow casually brushed away Lin Xiaolu''s question, took a sip from her tea cup, set it down, and walked toward the balcony:

    "Well, since you all are settled here, I''ll take my leave now, there are other things to take care of."

    She really couldn''t stay longer, after all, she had slipped out during her lunch break, and the afternoon still held work for her. Now, already dyed by an unexpected hour, if she didn''t return soon, it might cause problems.

    "Eh, you''re leaving already? Stay a bit longer, Emerald Sparrow."

    Hearing that Emerald Sparrow was about to depart, Lin Xiaolu reflexively wanted to persuade her to stay, her eyes darting around in search of a reason for her to linger. Finding none, however, she caught sight of the several cups of hot tea on the table: "...what''s with the water there?"

    "Couldn''t sit still, found it in the kitchen."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Without breaking stride, Emerald Sparrow walked to the edge of the balcony, looked back at the living room: "Was thirsty, so I took the liberty of making tea, but it''s a bit hot, remember to let it cool a bit before drinking."

    "See you tomorrow." That was her final remark.

    With that, she did not linger, leaped from the railing, and disappeared into the air with a stream of azure Magic Power.

    Leaving Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang behind, staring at the now empty balcony.

    "So... so..."

    After Emerald Sparrow left, Lin Xiaolu stood in ce, frowning, staring nkly ahead, muttering to herself.

    "I actually don''t think it''s anything?"

    Guessing she was displeased with Emerald Sparrow''s hasty departure, Xia Liang smiled wryly and waved her hand, trying to smooth things over: "Little senior always speaks her mind, so she probably really has things to attend to, and isn''t just making excuses. There''s no need to be upset with her, right?"

    "...so cool."

    "What?"

    "So cool!" Lin Xiaolu lifted her face, her eyes sparkling with stars.

    "Huh?" Xia Liang was taken aback once she understood what Lin Xiaolu was saying.

    "Did you see it? You saw it, right?"

    In aplete turnabout from her typical distant attitude toward Xia Liang, Lin Xiaolu pointed to the balcony, her zeal reminiscent of some street-corner preacher, her hands gesticting: "Did you see it? That move, talking while jumping off the high point and then flying away with a burst of Magic Power. Don''t you think Emerald Sparrow''s moves were super cool? I want to learn that too!"

    "Um¡­ I guess?"

    Watching Lin Xiaolu buzz with excitement over this strange urrence, Xia Liang managed a polite smile while internally recalling the words Emerald Sparrow had said before:

    Single-minded, huh? Seems about right.

 Chapter 26: Chapter 23 Pretense and Deception

    By nine o''clock at night, Lin Yun dragged his exhausted body through the front door of his home.

    When he returned to thepany in the afternoon, his superior had reminded him about his increasing absenteeism recently. Then, back in his office, he turned on his work cell phone only to find it flooded with missed calls from subordinates and clients.

    It was a good thing he had turned off his phone and left it in the office, or he might have been harassed by calls even while dealing with the Remnant Beasts.

    Busy for half a day, he finally left work under the cloak of night, rushing home on the electric train.

    As he walked into the living room, he saw Xia Liang sitting on the couch, ying with her phone.

    Since she didn''t bring any change of clothes, she seemed to be wearing Lin Xiaolu''s pajamas. What was somewhat loose on Lin Xiaolu appeared quite form-fitting on her.

    Alerted by the noise at the entrance, Xia Liang looked over in Lin Yun''s direction and, after a moment''s hesitation upon seeing a strange uncle enter, she quickly grasped the situation. Standing up, she greeted him with a politely sweet smile,

    "Hello, Uncle!"

    With her appearance easily giving off a "gentle" and "well-behaved" vibe, Xia Liang enhanced these aspects for the moment, indeed casting a very favorable impression. She matched the stereotype of the "good child from someone else''s family" perfectly in the eyes of most parents.

    She did put on quite a convincing act.

    Lin Yun loosened his tie and made a mental note.

    However, in this situation, he didn''t have the right to call her out, as currently, he was Lin Xiaolu''s father, not Emerald Sparrow, so he had to pretend that he didn''t recognize Xia Liang at all.

    "Oh, are you Xiaolu''s ssmate?"

    He wasn''t used to smiling, but he tried to lift the corners of his mouth to appear kinder, and he managed it.

    "Are you here to y with Xiaolu?"

    "Yes, we were just doing our homework together!" Xia Liang said cheerily, tantly lying.

    "And you''ve finished?"

    "It''s sote; aren''t you going home?" Lin Yun asked, his expression unchanged, with no intention of exposing her lie.

    "Xiaolu asked me to stay over and keep herpany, so I took the liberty!" Xia Liang said with both sentiment and politeness.

    "I see, have you talked to your family about it?" Lin Yun asked, his tone mild.

    "I''ve exined the situation, but it''s not confirmed yet. I''m waiting on your approval, Uncle," she replied.

    "Heh, why wouldn''t I agree? You young people should hang out more..."

    With that, the two of them chatted amiably in the living room.

    Lin Yun, taking advantage of his status as a parent, asked her a number of questions about family and education, trying to glean information about her home life. But Xia Liang''s responses were simrly watertight, giving nothing away while acting the part perfectly.

    Before long, the head of a girl with a single ponytail peeked out from a nearby room.

    Lin Xiaolu leaned against the doorframe, curious about what the two were discussing in the living room, and spied covertly.

    However, her attempt at stealth was rather amateurish, and Lin Yun, with his keen eyes, quickly noticed her. He didn''t indulge Lin Xiaolu and called out directly,

    "Xiaolu, have you been a good host to your ssmate tonight?"

    "Uhm..."

    Caught in the act, Lin Xiaolu had no choice but to step out from behind the door. She nced at Lin Yun, then at a snickering Xia Liang and responded reluctantly,

    "We ordered takeout."

    "You invited your ssmate to stay the night. Have you thought about where she''s going to sleep?"

    "Er..."

    Once again, Lin Xiaolu got stuck, umming and ahing without being able to articte a response, eventually murmuring discontentedly,

    "Not yet."

    In fact, what Lin Yun didn''t know was that until half an hour ago, Xia Liang was still lingering in Lin Xiaolu''s room.

    But because Xia Liang had been idling by as Lin Xiaolu was doing her homework, asionally pestering her, she ultimately got chased out of the room.

    Not to mention preparing a ce for Xia Liang to sleep, Lin Xiaolu wished she could drive this person out of the house entirely. However, she couldn''t bring herself to do something so heartless, and in the end, she simply banished Xia Liang to the living room and stayed alone in her room.

    "Just wait a moment, there are spare nkets in the master bedroom, I''ll go look for them."

    Fortunately, Lin Yun didn''t expect his daughter to be very thorough in her hospitality ¡ª he was already surprised she was willing to lend her clothes to someone. In keeping with the mostmon rules of hospitality, he felt obliged to prepare a ce for Xia Liang to rest.

    Upon returning to the master bedroom, he found several sets of rarely used bedding in the top of the wardrobe. He picked out one that was the right size and had a suitable pattern, shook it out to confirm it was clean and usable, then folded it up and carried it to Lin Xiaolu''s bedroom door.

    "Leave these here for now, I''ll go find a soft pad to bring over."

    After handing the nkets to Lin Xiaolu, he gave her these instructions.

    "...Thank you, but this is enough,"

    Lin Xiaolu said, holding the nket and slightly lowering her head: "This is my responsibility, I will take care of it."

    "Do you know how to make a bed on the floor?"

    ustomed to this by now, Lin Yun didn''t feel slighted at all, but simply raised an eyebrow and asked, "Or do you n to share the bed with your ssmate?"

    "I know how, it''s no problem, go do your own thing," Lin Xiaolu insisted.

    Clearly, she did not wish for Lin Yun to continue ying host to Xia Liang.

    Having interacted with his daughter as Emerald Sparrow for so many days, Lin Yun had begun to guess her thoughts a little.

    Perhaps, even though she disliked Xia Liang, Xia Liang was, after all, connected to her identity as a Magical Girl. Lin Xiaolu had her own ideals and aspirations about being a Magical Girl and thus wished not to let these matters intersect with her detestable old dad.

    What a stubborn child, it''s hard to tell whom she takes after.

    If he were Emerald Sparrow at the moment, then she probably would have been quite happy to ept his help, right?

    With a sigh in his heart, but without any alternative, Lin Yun could only step back, raising his hands to show he didn''t intend to interfere further, "Alright then, let''s do it your way."

    The somewhat strange and stiff atmosphere at the bedroom door also caught Xia Liang''s attention.

    She had been sneakily paying attention to the situation nearby, and after witnessing the exchange between Lin Yun and Lin Xiaolu, she finally realized that the rtionship between the father and daughter seemed a bit too cold and rigid.

    She needed to help mediate a bit.

    So, she put away her phone, pretending to be unaware and oblivious, and approached them:

    "Ah, are Xiaolu and Uncle preparing my bedding? I''m really sorry, thank you both!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    A somewhat forced thank you broke the frozen mood, allowing the father and daughter''s tense conversation to soften.

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t like Xia Liang or her own dad, but with both of them in front of her, she couldn''t manage to be too rejecting towards either of them, so she could only echo dully, "Mhm."

    "That''s great! I''m actually a bit tired."

    With an exaggerated p, Xia Liangughed and pushed on Lin Xiaolu''s back, nudging her toward the room: "Then I''ll help you; let''s make the bed together."

    Lin Yun stood still, watching as the two of them walked step by step into the room, during which Lin Xiaolu looked back at him, and he simply waved with one hand, silently saying, "Good night."

    Well, may as well hope the young ones get along better.

 Chapter 27: Chapter 24 Lin Xiaolus Memories

    That night, the gray-ck sky was as if stained with ink, the moon appeared hazy, and the stars were dim.

    Lin Xiaoluy on her side by the window, curled up, quietly gazing into the boundless night sky.

    Mork did not know when he had fallen asleep on the head of the bed, his back was covered with translucent wings resting on his shoulders, and his pink fluff trembled slightly, making not a single sound.

    From the floor beside the bed came the asional faint sound of fabric rubbing against each other¡ªclearly, someone was tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

    "Xiaolu, are you asleep?"

    Suddenly, Xia Liang''s voice rose in the dark room.

    She did not get a response; Lin Xiaolu remained silent, as if she heard nothing.

    "I mean, this outfit is a bit tight, it feels constrictive when I try to sleep."

    But Xia Liang was never one to care for such things, speaking to herself when no one else would: "So can I sleep naked?"

    "...No."

    Stirred by this conversation, Lin Xiaolu''s night-time mncholy was disrupted as she drooped her eyelids and vetoed Xia Liang''s suggestion.

    She initially rejected the idea offhand and then, realizing what Xia Liang meant by "the clothes are tight," she felt even more annoyed: "Wearing my clothes, sleeping in my room, where do you get so many requests from? Believe it or not, I''ll make you sleep on the sofa in the living room?"

    "Sleep naked?" Xia Liang blinked, her cheeks flushing.

    "Of course with clothes on!" Lin Xiaolu gritted her teeth.

    "I was just joking, besides, it wouldn''t be good if your family saw."

    "You do realize this is my house, right?"

    The jokes were only half-said, and for a moment both fell silent.

    After a while, Xia Liang, hugging the nket to herself and tightening her arms around it, closed her eyes:

    "You know, Xiaolu."

    "What now?" Having already opened her mouth to speak, Lin Xiaolu couldn''t pretend to be silent anymore, so she could only respond irritably to Xia Liang.

    "Are you and your dad on bad terms?"

    Xia Liang''s question froze Lin Xiaolu''s expression on her face.

    With her back to Xia Liang, Lin Xiaolu moved her face closer to the inside of the pillow, her voice became even more muffled: "Can you tell?"

    "Mhm, I felt it."

    "Is that so, but it''s none of your business, right?"

    When it came to this topic, Lin Xiaolu''s voice became a bit hoarse: "Or are you also going to lecture me?"

    "Not at all."

    Xia Liang said softly in the night: "I was just a bit curious."

    "Curious about what?"

    "Your dad should be concerned about you, he''s actually quite good to you."

    "...How do you figure? Just because you exchanged a few words with him?"

    "Not the words, but the attitude and expressions."

    At this point, Xia Liang''s tone became rather serious: "Whether parents truly care about their children or not can be seen in these small details."

    At this, there came another prolonged silence.

    Lin Xiaolu did not say a word, seemingly lost in thought, while Xia Liang also chose not to say more at this time.

    After a long while, as if having decided on something, Lin Xiaolu spoke: "Does he seem like this now?"

    Xia Liang was puzzled by the question: "Now? Was he different before?"

    "Of course."

    In the dark, Lin Xiaolu''s expression was unclear, but her voice seemed to be squeezed out of her throat, carrying an indescribable resentment:

    "If you haven''t seen it, you can''t understand it, the truly unreasonable part about him. That cold, heartless face is chilling."

    "It''s been the same since I was little, work, work, work, if not overtime then socializing. When he was at home, he just had a stern face, as if he was never happy about anything, as if he didn''t care about anything. The same went for me, he''d only relentlessly enroll me in tutoring sses, buy me practice books, and then tell me to study hard."

    "At that time, Mom would always say to empathize with him, to forgive him. Even if she prepared a table full of dishes for a holiday and he''d call to say he wasn''ting home to eat, she still had noints."

    "And then one day, she died."

    "Everything was fine the day before, but the next day he suddenly told me Mom was dead, from now on it would just be him and me, and then he neither gave a reason nor provided a conclusion. I asked him to let me see Mom for thest time, guess what his answer was?"

    Apparently not expecting Lin Xiaolu to throw a question her way at this moment, Xia Liang reacted slightly: "Uh... your dad didn''t agree?"

    "Hmph, what he said was ''Forget about her.''"

    Lin Xiaolu snorted, but there was no smile on her face: "He casually packed away her belongings, casually hired a few people, and casually held a funeral, as if everything was abruptly over just like that.

    "Then, he disappeared halfway through the memorial service, found in an embrace with a young woman from who knows where."

    "Was he really working outside? Did he really consider Mom at all? I don''t know, but I was very worried, and very scared. When I asked him for a reason, he''d avoid the topic; even if I cried in front of him, he showed no reaction, only saying stuff like he was also very upset and other nonsense."

    "Ultimately, we argued. I can''t even remember what we both said, I only remember that I really told him all my anger and iprehension, and then he pped me."

    "What did he say? ''You think I''m doing all this for whom?'' Is that what he said?"

    "For whom, really? Certainly not for me, and certainly not for Mom, right? Otherwise, why would he be cuddling up with other women at home just a few dayster?"

    "It seemed like they were so loving on normal days, but as soon as she truly passed away, he immediately changed his attitude. Is this what Mom meant by understanding him?"

    "And then I ran away from home."

    At these words, Xia Liang''s eyes widened slightly.

    As if suddenly realizing something, she looked in the direction where Lin Xiaolu was, but in the pitch-ck room, Lin Xiaolu was still turned away from her.

    "So I won''t ask you why you wanted to run away from home. I know under what circumstances a person would want to escape."

    Her voice was muffled, the nameless anger having receded at some point, though it was unclear whether it had disappeared ory hidden deeper within.

    "I stayed at a ssmate''s house for many days, during that time I didn''t go to school, just sat silently by myself."

    She continued with her past experience: "And then on some day, it seemed like my ssmate''s parents contacted the school, the school informed him where I was, and he came looking for me."

    "That was probably the first time I saw him so disheveled, dark circles under his eyes like a ghost, unshaven beard, unruly hair, not wearing his usual business suit that he wore all year, just a shabby jacket and he came looking."

    "He said ''Let''s go home.'' At that point, I thought to myself, we''vee to this, what reason do I have to go back with you?"

    "But seeing him like that, I don''t know why, but my heart softened. Was it sympathy? Or just feeling wronged? By the time I came to my senses, I had already taken his hand as if possessed by spirits."

    "Since then, it has been like it is now; I hardly interact with him, he seems to be making up for something, and has transformed into a ''good father,'' but that''s all."

    As she came to this point, it seemed that she was relieved having finished what she wanted to say, the emotion dissipating, and she took a long breath, slowing down her speech.

    "That''s it, it ends here."

    Lin Xiaolu closed her eyes: "Are you satisfied with this boring story?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Xia Liang didn''t answer right away. She didn''t realize when she loosened her grip on the nket, she seemed to remember something, her mind drifting.

    After a while, she lowered her eyelids and responded softly: "Yeah."

    "Then that''s good."

    Lin Xiaolu pulled the nket over herself, covering her face halfway: "I''m going to sleep now."

    The room was quiet, and after a while, steady breathing sounds came from Lin Xiaolu''s bed, leaving Xia Liang alone, wide awake, lying on the mattress on the floor.

    She no longer fussed over the slightly tight clothes on her body, nor did she care about the bedding she and Lin Xiaolu had put together, which had ended up rather poorly.

    She seemed to say something, but the words were audible only to herself.

    Eventually, in the dim midnight, Xia Liang also slowly sumbed to sleep.

 Chapter 28: Chapter 25 Tumi

    It was the day of An Ya''s funeral.

    Dark clouds filled the sky, chilling winds gusted, and a fine, drizzling rain whispered down in a mist.

    Lin Yun, holding a ck umbre, walked straight ahead without looking sideways, not even noticing as his feet stepped in puddles. His solitary umbre drifted in the wind like a ck mand flower.

    Sshes flicked from beneath his shoes, scattering across the ground, as he looked ahead to see a woman waiting for him.

    She stood in the rain with no umbre, the relentless drizzle borne on the nting winds pelting her, trickling down her hair.

    The woman was in her twenties and, since it was a funeral, wore a ck women''s suit. The lines of her face were somewhat stern, giving her an air of valiance.

    When she saw Lin Yun approaching, she lifted her head, her pale face streaked with paths of rain.

    "I''m sorry,"

    she muttered, her voice hoarse, "We werete."

    Lin Yun said nothing.

    He didn''t know what to say, or perhaps, what he wanted to hear wasn''t "I''m sorry."

    Everyone who knew An Ya started their conversations with apologies. It was as if everyone had taken on the me for An Ya''s death themselves, and more importantly, their grief was genuine.

    But if An Ya''s death was their fault, what then was the murderer who had killed her? And what was he, powerless to apologize to nothingness?

    Starting conversations with apologies like this, to whom was he to pour out this unbearable emotion?

    At 16, he might have wept loudly, at 26, perhaps shed tears. Now over 30, as the sole remaining head of the family, in front of his daughter, in front of all the guests, there was no longer any room left for tears.

    What remained was silence, it could only be silence, after all, even speaking one more word might choke him up, how was he supposed to speak?

    His silence, however, did not mean the woman in front of him would not continue.

    "We trusted too much, relied on senior Cherry... or rather, we underestimated the enemy and becamecent,"

    the woman said, clenching her fists, her face filled with remorse, "She told us as usual that ''she could handle it alone'' and that we shouldn''t get involved. We all believed that someone as strong as a Magical Girl like her couldn''t possibly encounter any mishaps, but in the end..."

    Please, no more.

    Lin Yun wanted to tell her he didn''t want to know how An Ya died, but he understood that it wasn''t possible.

    "By the time we got there, senior Cherry had already been... and the enemy fled right in front of us."

    Her voice grew increasingly soft, her tone somber, "I''m sorry, we couldn''t do anything, we were utterly useless. As herpanion, I am a sinner."

    The sound of the rain persisted.

    Lin Yun took a step, walking towards the woman''s direction.

    The woman remained standing in ce, but her hands clenched tighter, and she closed her eyes.

    Asrades in battle who had left apanion to die alone, one who had always cared for them, such a despicable act would understandably be met with a violent response from the family, and she was prepared for it.

    But Lin Yun didn''t react that way.

    He simply extended his umbre over her head, gently embraced her, and patted her shoulder.

    "Don''t me yourself, you all did your best, Tumi,"

    he said, his voice rough and his expression detached, but with a soft undertone, "From now on, just do what you need to do."

    The woman addressed as Tumi stood under the umbre, at first widening her eyes in shock, then after a brief pause, tears began to flow, "Cornflower..."

    "Don''t,"

    Lin Yun shook his head, interrupting her, "I don''t like that code name."

    "...Then, senior Emerald Sparrow."

    Tumi tried to hold back her sobs, covering her mouth and keeping silent for a while. After a long breath, she looked at Lin Yun, attempting to steady her voice, "No, Mr. Lin Yun."

    "We''re nning to leave Fangting City," she dered.

    Clearly, that was the message she had truly wished to convey.

    Lin Yun''s fingers twitched slightly, but his face remained expressionless; he simply nodded and asked, "When?"

    "It should be within this week."

    Tears still gliding down her cheeks, Tumi reached up to wipe them away. "Even though we let the enemy escape, we have determined from their appearance and behavior that it wasn''t just Remnant Beasts that killed Senior Sakura, or at least, not only Remnant Beasts."

    Not just Remnant Beasts.

    That statement captured Lin Yun''s attention.

    "Behind this matter, there seems to be a mysterious organization that our country has been investigating. They appear to have some means of cooperating with the Remnant Beasts."

    Sniffling, Tumi''s red-rimmed eyes began to show a determined light: "So we''re going to join the special investigation group organized by the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, following the murderer''s trail to root them out."

    "...Very dangerous?" Lin Yun asked, his eyes lowered, sensing the hidden implication in her words.

    "It seems so. It appears to be the investigation group with the highest casualties in the Bureau."

    With a twisted smile, Tumi forced out a somewhat unsightly grin: "But if we don''t do this, we probably won''t be able to face ourselves again."

    "After we leave, a new Seeder wille to Fangting City, and it will choose a new Magical Girl. The new one will protect the city, and it''s time for us old-timers with not much time left to step down."

    "There''s also Senior Chaoyan... she retired many years ago, and is now known as Hong Siyu, an employee of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. She will alsoe to Fangting City through a transfer."

    She rambled on, listing one thing after another, meticulously covering everything she knew.

    Lin Yun listened to her for a long while, neither taking a stand nor interrupting.

    "I wish you sess."

    Only after she finished did Lin Yun nod, extending the umbre in his hand towards Tumi: "Take it with you."

    Tumi didn''t ept it.

    She looked at Lin Yun, giving a bitter smile and shaking her head.

    After exchanging long looks, Lin Yun understood her intent; he silently retracted the umbre, gave Tumi a deep look, and turned to leave.

    "...Mr. Lin Yun, you don''t need to respond to what I''m about to say."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Yet, as he took two steps away, Tumi''s voice followed from behind.

    This time, her voice carried a hint of hesitation: "After I applied to join the special group, someone found me, iming to be an officer under Lord Golden Green Cat''s Eye."

    Hearing the name mentioned by Tumi caused Lin Yun''s pupils to constrict.

    But Tumi had said no response was needed, so he didn''t turn around; he just stood still, listening quietly with his back to her.

    "She told me that this matter is now deeply entangled. In fact, just this week, a Flower Card certified official disappeared during an investigation. So she asked me to pass on a message from Lord Golden Green Cat''s Eye to you:"

    ¡ª¡ª"''Think clearly about what you''re shouldering now, don''t do anything rash.''"

    After those words, there were no more sounds from behind him.

    Realizing this marked the end, Lin Yun paused for a long time before finally, following Tumi''s earlier instructions, he didn''t react and continued walking away instead.

    After he had left, a faint yellow Magic Power flow erupted from an empty corner, a weak rainbow light piercing the rain-shrouded sky.

    A yearter, Tumi joined the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s extramural investigative squad and encountered unknown enemies during an operation.

    Following a brutal battle, in order to ensure the secure transmission of information, she volunteered to cover the retreat and sacrificed herself in the coastal city.

    After her death, a teammate, also from Fangting City, took over her position andunched a new round of investigations.

    As for this, Lin Yun was yet unaware.

 Chapter 29: Chapter 26: True Form and Magic Power Constructs

    Fangting City''s downtown area was always brightly lit at night. From a high vantage point, the intermingling neon lights and streetmps formed a shimmering river of light.

    Emerald Sparrow leaned against the rooftop''s guard, staring at the iplete blue disc in her hand with a dazed expression.

    After several days of investigation, she had all but confirmed that this object was a kind of valve from the sewer system. Without a doubt, since it was found inside the body of a Remnant Beast that was the type to dissolve cavities, it indicated that the beast had once lived in the sewers of the city.

    But normally, that was impossible. With the immense size of this type of Remnant Beast, there weren''t many areas in the city''s sewer system where it could move freely, and it seemed particrly challenging for it to hunt for food, let alone remain hidden andpletely unnoticed by people.

    Unless there was some entity within the sewers that provided it with food while also concealing its tracks.

    Like "Pupa" stage Remnant Beasts.

    In the two years since Tumi and the others had left, what exactly had happened in Fangting City that even Pupa stage Remnant Beasts could take root and build nests?

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t ignore this issue. Combining this with the urban legend she had found online about the "singing in the sewers," she had been searching everywhere for the potential Pupa stage Remnant Beast for the past several nights.

    Unfortunately, there were no results as of yet.

    ¡ª"Emerald Sparrow?"

    The voice of a young girl came from not far away.

    Emerald Sparrow looked up and saw Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang watching her from the side. She then realized she seemed to have drifted off into her thoughts, and it was already time for ss.

    On the same rooftop and terrace, which had nearly be her regr teaching spot, all she needed to do was send a notification on her phone after work, wait for her two "students" to arrive, and ss could begin.

    "It''s nothing, I was just thinking about something."

    After briefly exining why she was lost in thought, Emerald Sparrow stood up and walked toward the center of the terrace: "If both of you are here, then let''s get started. Tonight, I''m going to teach you some advanced stuff."

    "Advanced?" Lin Xiaolu showed a somewhat interested expression. "Does that mean you''re going to talk about how to deal with Inchworms?"

    "I think your idea of advancement is a bit too ambitious," Xia Liang said with an amused smile.

    "What I think has nothing to do with you, right?" Lin Xiaolu retorted with a pout.

    The two of them began their usual bickering upon meeting each other, repeating their meaningless squabbles as they followed Emerald Sparrow for a while. Then they saw her turn around and scan the group, clearing her throat twice to signal them to stop and get to the main point:

    "Let''s start directly. What we''re discussing tonight is a capability that''s very important for every Magical Girl: Magic Power Construction, also known as Magic Equipment."

    "Oh!" Both Magical Girls responded enthusiastically, pping their hands, withments like "finally" and "so it''s this one" praising the uing lesson.

    Emerald Sparrow paused for a moment, waiting for their apuse to end, before she continued, "Regarding Magic Equipment, I have already given you a brief introduction before, but this time I will exin in more detail."

    "First, to give you a refresher, every Magical Girl gains their own Magic Equipment when their powers blossom to the Bud stage. Magic Equipment is the manifestation of a Magical Girl''s true essence, so each person''s Magic Equipment is different, unique to them. This, you should all remember."

    "As for true essence, it is the aggregation of a Magical Girl''s Magic Power and her soul. By cultivating Magic Power and strengthening spiritual thought to enhance intuition, and eventually developing the Seed of Heart to merge both, one forms their true essence."

    "Once a Magical Girl has formed her true essence, her power''s blossoming phase reaches the Bud stage. From this stage on, a Magical Girl''s appearance in her transformed state bes fixed and will no longer change, and she also undergoes an explosive increase in Magic Power. Thus, the Bud stage is a significant milestone for Magical Girls; reaching it in power blossoming greatly enhancesbat abilitiespared to before."

    As Emerald Sparrow reached this point in her exnation, Xia Liang couldn''t help but look up in contemtion, then showed a strong initiative, raising her hand to ask a question.

    "Go ahead," Emerald Sparrow always felt she wasn''t up to any good, but still gestured for her to proceed.

    Given permission, Xia Liang immediately asked with a grin, "So Junior, did you reach the Bud stage at age ten?"

    As expected.

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but pull down her eyelid, feeling that she had already gotten used to Xia Liang''s style.

    "What strange question did you ask during the ss!"

    Before she could respond, however, it was Lin Xiaolu who first stood up, "Show some respect to Senior Emerald Sparrow!"

    "Is that question very strange?" Xia Liang asked with an innocent face.

    "You''re clearly making fun of her height¡­"

    Lin Xiaolu wanted to call out Xia Liang''s pretense, but she stopped midway upon realizing it was inappropriate, turning her head to look at Emerald Sparrow, only to find Emerald Sparrow was also looking at her expressionlessly.

    For a moment, she was at a loss whether to advance or retreat, actually not knowing what to say.

    "Hmm? Sorry, I didn''t mean it that way, I was just curious," Xia Liang said with a smile, squeezing her eyes apologetically, "After all, if one really enters the bud level at the age of 10, that would be considered quite a talented genius, right?"

    "Ah, speaking of which¡­" Lin Xiaolu, who had been frozen, finally became aware and looked at Emerald Sparrow with curiosity.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "No, it''s just that my appearance seems younger after transforming," Emerald Sparrow responded to their puzzled looks, her face still expressionless as she answered straightforwardly, "In terms of age when bing a Magical Girl, I''m actually about the same as you girls."

    The rather cold reply obviously didn''t satisfy the other two Magical Girls, but she didn''t mind the disappointed look on their faces and simply stopped the conversation about age and height.

    "Let''s get back to magic outfits," she said, pping her hands to signal a return to the main topic, "Once a Magical Girl has her true form, the magic outfit as a manifestation of that true form will naturally be born. It will be the most suitable weapon for you, even if you don''t know how to use it when you first get it."

    "The innate potential of magic outfits is differentiated; some Magical Girls'' magic outfits are naturally stronger than others, and this will be specifically assessed during the kingdom''s examination, but let''s not delve into that for now."

    "But even if the innate potential is insufficient, the magic outfit can still grow through the Magic Girl''ster efforts."

    "When the magic power and soul that make up your true form are greatly enhanced, the magic outfit will also evolve and be stronger than its initial state. And in the end, what determines the power are the magic power, the soul, and the mastery of it¡ªthese three are the basics of using a magic outfit."

    "Now, let me demonstrate with my own magic outfit¡­"

    The ss continued as usual.

    It had been two weeks since Lin Xiaolu became a Magical Girl, and over a week since Xia Liang became one. The basic knowledge imparted by Emerald Sparrow kept increasing daily.

    From the most basicmon sense at the beginning, toterbat skills, and now advanced abilities.

    Lin Xiaolu''s talent was neither good nor bad, but fortunately, her attitude was quite serious, and she made a point to remember what she learned.

    Xia Liang was an out-and-out genius. Although she always seemed somewhat distracted, she actually grasped everything Emerald Sparrow taught very quickly.

    The former Emerald Sparrow actually hadn''t done much to mentor neers. The only junior Magical Girl she had interacted with before retiring, codenamed Chaoyan, who was Hong Siyu, only worked with her for less than half a year.

    Now, watching the two newbies grow little by little under her personal guidance, one of whom was her own daughter, gave her an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

    And so, about two hourster, having covered various bits of knowledge, Emerald Sparrow stood on the rooftop, watching the two Magical Girls say their farewells before leaving.

    To provide them with a safer environment for growth.

    The image of the shattered blue disk shed through her mind. Emerald Sparrow waved goodbye with a calm expression, and at the same time, she made a firm decision in her heart.

 Chapter 30: Chapter 27 Grand Welcome

    "Yes, I understand, very sorry,"

    In the dimly lit sewer, a somewhat tired man''s voice came from above.

    "Yes, okay, if your maintenance staff can''t handle it, we wille to provide service as early as tomorrow morning..."

    It was 11 p.m., and Lin Yun stood at the opening of a sewer, phone in hand, his face expressionless yet his tone earnest as he promised the person on the other end of the line.

    Then he hung up the phone, opened the text messaging interface, typed out a message, and sent it off. Only then did he put away his phone and let out a long sigh.

    Investigating locations rife with urban legends, receivingints about his subordinates over the phe into the night, and getting an earful for theck of signal previously in the sewer, all of it was truly exhausting to both body and mind.

    But fortunately, there weren''t many locations left. If the chrysalis-stage Remnant Beasts really existed in the sewers of Fangting City, tonight he would be able to drag them out from their hiding ces.

    Holding onto the heart-shaped flower, he transformed once again into the Magical Girl, Emerald Sparrow, and flew towards the next rumored location against the night sky.

    "The Song in the Sewer," as an urban legend recently popr on the inte, had many variations, but tracing back to the source, most posts iming firsthand experience said it happened in Fangting City.

    The content of this urban legend is roughly that when passing by a sewer at night, one could asionally hear a faint, eerie yet beautiful song. Though it wasn''t in humannguage, it seemed to convey some sort of emotion. It was like the legend of the siren, tempting passersby and arousing a desire to explore.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Once someone was captivated by the song, they would invariably be drawn closer to its source, even to the point of moving the manhole covers to try to listen to the melody from a closer distance. Ultimately, they would be grabbed by hands reaching out from under the manhole cover and dragged into the darkness.

    If someonepletely ignored the song and showed no interest, they would be entrapped in the same area as if they had encountered a ghost hitting a wall. The song from the sewer would grow stronger and closer until they were fully lost in it.

    Only those who showed enough appreciation, yet were notpletely captivated, could safely leave the area where they heard the song.

    As this strange tale spread, some even began to seriously im that seeing an open and unsealed manhole cover meant someone had been harmed, and it was guaranteed that news of a missing person could be discovered nearby.

    But Emerald Sparrow didn''t manage to see any of that.

    Every time she searched the sewers while enduring the stench, apart from missing people, she barely even saw any rats. The gloomy and oppressive sewer only had the asional sound of water flow and the breeze.

    Recalling the narrative of the urban legend, Emerald Sparrow concentrated on her hearing, attempting to capture any trace of the so-called "song," but never once did she seed.

    Just like that, she floated and flew through the maze-like pipes for a good half hour.

    The constantly recurring sight of the drab yellow walls and dense pipes was tiresome, but Emerald Sparrow still forced herself to continue searching. Regrettably, the expedition still yielded nothing.

    Having failed to find what she was looking for, Emerald Sparrow had no choice but to head towards the next location. However, as she prepared to pick a path to leave, she suddenly realized something was amiss:

    ¡ª¡ªHalf an hour, she had flown for so long, yet she hadn''t encountered a single exit?

    Her already somewhat dull consciousness instantly became alert, and the dormant magic power began to stir. Emerald Sparrow moved her hand, drawing several patterns in the air. Then, she released her magic power, sending it out in circr waves around her. She stayed in ce, waiting quietly, and after a period of investigation, she realized she might have finally found the right ce.

    Not only because she sensed extremely faint traces of magic power, but also because of the clearly abnormal spatial structure here: it was not a normal city sewer at all but rather a sewer in appearance only, the reality being abyrinthine space like an ant colony, with ovepping and nestedpartments.

    This was the unmistakable sign of a chrysalis-stage Remnant Beast''sir, a distortion of the space that originally existed in reality.

    Adjusting her flying posture, lowering the height at which she floated, Emerald Sparrow released several balls of magic power from her sleeves, illuminating her surroundings. Her hands kept moving, rapidly tracing lines in the void. Apanying these actions, several Favo Runes leapt from her fingers, flying into the surroundings and forming a translucent Magical Barrier, the light of which, together with the runes, soon extinguished.

    All these actions had used up half of the Spell Techniques she had at her disposal. The Spell Techniques she had learned were mostly for exploration and protection, and when facing powerful enemies, there could never be enough.

    After making this series of preliminary preparations, Emerald Sparrow braced herself with renewed vigor to face the enemies that mighte at any moment.

    Chrysalis-stage Remnant Beasts had been rtively rare adversaries for her in the past, but now, 19 yearster, her strength had indeed diminishedpared to what it once was. For enemies she couldn''t be sure of defeating, a cautious mindset was most important.

    Traversing the sprawling passageways, Emerald Sparrow would first let her magic orbs light up the surroundings at each intersection to avoid being ambushed by enemies lurking in the dark.

    This subconscious vignce soon paid off¡ªshe spotted a lurking Remnant Beast on the ceiling of a passageway around a corner.

    Like a chunk of rotten flesh smashed against the wall, its pulpy meat was stuck to the walls, and flesh-like tendrils secured its form; undoubtedly, it was a Larval-stage Remnant Beast.

    "Thump"!

    In a few breaths'' time, it was pierced by a Magic Power Beam from the hurried Emerald Sparrow, its intimidating shriek forever caught in its throat, as it fell heavily onto the water surface, sshing up filth.

    Extending a hand, pinpoints of starlight converged within, collecting the echoes of these Larval-stage remnants, and Emerald Sparrow continued forward.

    From the encounter with this Remnant Beast, the number of enemies she faced along the way only increased.

    A multitude of Larval-stage Remnant Beasts, and even a few Inchworm-stage ones, swarmed toward her from all around the tunnels. It was as if something was directing them, enabling them to precisely locate Emerald Sparrow.

    Emerald Sparrow was undaunted.

    Such level of adversaries would not have required her attention if it were not for a demonstration for the neers. With her Magical Armor deployed, lethal Magic Silk threads spread in all directions, and many of the advancing Remnant Beasts collided with them before they could react, being sliced into chunks by the de-sharp fments.

    She walked on expressionlessly, with Remnant Beasts asionally shrieking as they fell along her path.

    The sewer passageway had transformed into a ughterhouse, only the ughtered were not livestock, but Remnant Beasts. The stench of blood even overpowered the inherent fetidness of the sewer, and the yellow water turned into red rivers tainted with the blood of the beasts.

    Emerald Sparrow didn''t count the number of Remnant Beasts she had killed, only remembering that eventually, she even became toozy to collect the echoes of the Larval-stage.

    Until atst, she heard singing.

    This was not the indistinct soliloquy mentioned in rumors but a grand and magnificent chorus, like that of an extravagant performance.

    What appeared before her was no longer the narrow and cramped tunnels but a massive cavern that, under normal circumstances, would be inconceivable in a sewer.

    Unable to see the ceiling, she could only spot the intertwined pipes and tiles, with countless sewer openings stretching out from the cavern walls and a vast amount of sewage cascading down from all sides, gathering into a seemingly bottomless pool.

    Above the pool, was the source of the singing.

    It was neither a siren nor a mermaid, but without question, it was a Remnant Beast.

    Emerald Sparrow looked up, and the first thing that caught her eye was flesh, chunks of flesh, limbs of flesh.

    Intestine-like flesh hung midair, draped across the whole cavern like festoons, as if in celebration of a festival. At the center, a huge Remnant Beast dangled from the air, its body a mix of flesh-colored pink and red, resembling a fish stripped of scales and skin, but void of fish eyes and gills, leaving only a massive mouthpart.

    This giant mouthpart was moving just like a human''s, writhing, and the enchanting song that it emitted echoed around the corridors, the intense reverberations mingling together into a chaotic chorus that sounded sacred and solemn.

    There were no humannguages in it, yet Emerald Sparrow seemed to understand its meaning:

    It was weing, weing the arrival of the Magical Girl.

 Chapter 31: Chapter 28 Choir and Dancers

    "Boom¡ªSsh!"

    A violent sound echoed through the underground cavern.

    Countless flesh whiskers fell from above, heavily mming into the water and sending up columns of water several meters high.

    The fish-shaped Remnant Beast at the center twisted its body, opening and closing its mouthparts as if dancing a sinister, ominous dance, all the whilemanding the flesh around it with its vigorous song to attack the Emerald Sparrow.

    The Emerald Sparrow hugged the surface of the water, circling at low altitude along the edge of the cavern to dodge the meaty whiskers that asionally surged towards it, then raised its Magic Wand and tentatively fired a few Magic Power Beams at the Remnant Beast in the center.

    But as soon as the Magic Power Beams hit the Remnant Beast, they vanished without a trace, like a fish sinking into the abyss, eliciting no reaction from the creature, nor causing any harm.

    From Emerald Sparrow''s point of view, she could see that the Magic Power Beams simply disintegrated silently upon touching the surface of the Remnant Beast, dissipating without a sound.

    "Is there really a cocoon shell?"

    This revealed a hint of surprise on her face for the first time since she had arrived, "Has it evolved to this extent already?"

    A cocoon shell is a defensive ability extended by pupa-stage Remnant Beasts as they continue to amass nutrients and evolve into higher forms, granting them a certain degree of absorption and protection against pure magic attacks.

    Remnant Beasts are already extremely resistant to physical damage, so when they evolve a cocoon shell, it means that they are almost impervious on the defensive end and very difficult to damage. This thought alone could make most people feel powerless.

    Luckily, the word "shell" is part of "cocoon shell," which indicates its nature¡ª it can be shattered by Magical Girls.

    To damage a Remnant Beast through its cocoon shell, there are generally two methods: one is to use an overwhelming amount of Magic Power to attack continuously, using brute force to break the shell; the other is to employ abilities that cause neither physical nor purely magic damage.

    The first method corresponds to a siege, which is the least demanding tactic, requiring only a sufficient number of Magical Girls,¡ªeven if all are Seed-level neers. A group of Magical Girls attacking en masse with Magic Power can break through the cocoon shell directly and reach the Remnant Beast.

    Of course, if an extremely powerful Magical Girl were to arrive, crushing the pupa-stage Remnant Beast with their overwhelming individual magic power to break it open would also be within the realm of possibility.

    The second method epasses more approaches but generally requires a higher level of capability; the mostmon of which is magic weaving. The power of magic weavinges from the Magical Girl''s essence, a product of the soul united with Magic Power, which naturally has a certain restraining effect on the Remnant Beast''s cocoon shell.

    Therefore, when the numbers are insufficient, the Magical Girls participating in the hunt need to be at least Bud-level.

    ncing back at the Remnant Beast in the center as she flew at high speed, the Emerald Sparrowposed herself once more: although the presence of the cocoon shell surprised her, it was not beyond her expectations, for this was the very reason she hade alone.

    To this day, there are only three Magical Girls in Fangting City, clearly not enough to break a cocoon shell. Considering that the other two had not mastered magic weaving, even if they hade, they would not have been able to inflict effective damage, so Emerald Sparrow decided not to involve them.

    Now, it appeared that knowing there was only one enemy, the fish-shaped Remnant Beast was particrly unrestrained, dancing even more wantonly in response to Emerald Sparrow''s counterattacks, summoning even more tendrils from all directions stretching towards her.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Emerald Sparrow''s face remained calm, her garments rustling, her hair floating in the air, and she slightly opened her lips:

    "Magic Weaving, unfold."

    She murmured as the Magic Wand in her hand transformed into magic that scattered, the dense and twinkling Magic Silk threads intertwining, connecting the entire space of the cavern.

    The flesh limbs were stopped, the tendrils were severed, and the Remnant Beast''s blood sttered in all directions, but not even a single drop soiled her clothes'' hem. She continued to fly, and in an instant, the surroundings were empty, devoid of any sign of the enemy.

    But this grand choral symphony performance was far from over.

    The vast cavern was the stage, and the Remnant Beast at its center was the conductor of this concert, as well as its own choir, with the flesh limbs hanging in the cavern acting as members of its symphony orchestra and backing dancers.

    The performance had not stopped, so the attacks would continue.

    As one wave of offense dissolved, the tentaclesy shredded on the ground, its song abruptly changed into a mournful chant,pletely different from what hade before.

    In the midst of the singing, as if summoned by some force, a series of bubbles suddenly emerged from the dimly lit pond below the cave, and countless objects emerged from beneath the water''s surface, rising high into the air.

    Emerald Sparrow had not yet made out what was drilling up from the water, but an inner alertness caused her flight path to suddenly change.

    "Thump"!

    The very instant she changed course, a projectile made of dirty water shot past her original trajectory, smashing directly into the cave''s inner walls with a thunderous noise.

    It was a water cannon.

    Emerald Sparrow realized, and within moments of thought, she understood what lurked beneath the pond. From her aerial view, the densely packed objects revealed their true forms: they were all heads of Remnant Beasts.

    ¡ªHeads of dissolution-type Remnant Beasts.

    The choral singing was mournful and tragic, but as the soprano rose, the rhythm strengthened, with high notes fluctuating and dominant seventh chords lifting the emotional peak of the music, seemingly reaching its climax.

    "Boom, boom, boom"!

    One after another, water cannons rhythmicallyunched from the pond below towards Emerald Sparrow''s position.

    "Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh"!

    Tentacles that sounded like whip des slicing through the air swung down from on high, carrying a piercing wind as they targeted the figure in the sky.

    Emerald Sparrow twisted her body mid-flight like a bullet, elerating once again.

    Such dense and dangerous attacks would be difficult for any Leaf-ranked Magical Girl to escape unscathed, but not for her.

    Emerald Sparrow, like a solo dancer infiltrating a symphony, flitted between the various sections with light steps and intense movements that were surprisingly in harmony, as though she too became part of the performance. Dodging the attacks continuously and counterattacking with her Magic Gear, the solo dancer leaped from the edge of the music pool, charging towards the conductor''s podium at the center.

    She easily bypassed the brass section, the woodwinds could not trip her up, the violinists were halted by her Magic Silk to the side, unable to hold back her leaping figure.

    The singer on the podium felt challenged.

    It was both a singer and a conductor; the concert should not escape its control. Outsiders ought to quietly appreciate from below the stage, not barge in and disrupt its performance.

    The grand wee was over; what followed was the expulsion of the disruptive audience.

    And so, it closed its mouth.

    As the central fish-shaped Remnant Beast mped its huge jaws shut, the once thunderous song also abruptly ceased.

    The strings of flesh banners suspended in the air writhed, inted, the hanging chunks of flesh tore open, and mouths bristling with sharp teeth unfolded from within, tongues extending; the hatchling stage Remnant Beasts below also retracted their dissolution chambers, stopping the relentless barrage of water cannons and baring the mouths that should have been their weak points.

    Emerald Sparrow''s pupils contracted slightly.

    She raised her hand sharply and made an umon gesture towards the densework of silk thread in the air.

    Immediately after, a deafening auditory st emanated from all directions, piercing the cave''s inner walls, blowing away the umted pond water, and nearly shattering all foreign objects within the space.

 Chapter 32: Chapter 29: End of the Song and the Crowd Disperses

    Emerald Sparrow mentioned in her lessons to Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang that a Magical Girl''s magic outfit could grow through hard work and dedication.

    This was not an unfounded assertion, as she herself was a testament to that. When she first became a Magical Girl, her magic constructs were not like this.

    Back then, she didn''t have the seemingly endless amount of silk threads she has now, nor did she have the tailor''s scissors she held in her hands. All she had was a sphere made of Magic Silk, which, if one were to liken it to something, resembled a ball of yarn.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    When the ball of threads unfurled, it released a limited quantity of Magic Silk, whose strength was barely sufficient, possessing almost no lethality, only asionally useful for restraining the movements of Remnant Beasts. Such a weak magical outfit caused Lin Yun considerable dismay for a long time; not only did An Ya console him, but even Su Shengzi, who was always so wilful, spared a few words offort in the spirit of humanity.

    For a long time afterward, Lin Yun treated his magical outfit as a means of controlling his enemies, engaging inbat using basic Magic Power techniques.

    This situationsted until he was promoted to the Leaf level, and after immersing himself in Spiritual Thought, he found the strength of his Magic Power Lines had significantly improved. They could bind stronger enemies and turn the Magic Silk into sharp edges capable of cutting through weaker Remnant Beasts.

    He began to specialize in abat style that manipted the silk threads. The more he used it, the more proficient he became; the more it evolved, the more powerful it grew; the number of silk threads were ever-increasing, and their strength became as firm as rock.

    However, such abat method had its limits.

    As the strength of the threads themselves reached their limit, increasing the lethality of the magic outfit became an arduous task, and Lin Yun once again felt the constraints of his own abilities.

    Was there anything more that could take him further?

    Lin Yun had pondered that in the past, desperately wishing to grow stronger. Then, as if in response to his desire, his magic outfit transformed once again¡ª

    The threads interwove and drew together, constantly changing shape under Emerald Sparrow''s maniption. As if pulled by a giant hand, they shed their semi-visible state and took on a new form:

    Azure Magic Silk inteced to form a cube as exquisite as a sculpture, with an empty center protecting Emerald Sparrow inside. Its surface too was adorned with intricate openwork patterns, making it appear as a delicate piece of art.

    The mightiest sonic attack of the fish-shaped Remnant Beast was thwarted by this seemingly fragile work of art.

    "Quite exaggerated, if it had more time, I might not have just seen a chrysalis-stage Remnant Beast," Emerald Sparrow said.

    She rxed her grip, and the web of lines that protected her frayed, the cube of protective silk threads dissolving with it. With a cold expression, she muttered to herself, "Good thing I''m not toote."

    No sooner had she finished speaking, the sky full of Magic Silk emitted a deep resonance.

    As if responding to the Remnant Beast''s grand disy earlier, the hum of the threads went from low to high, and then the Magic Silk connecting the whole cave started to revolve.

    They spun, descended, and converged orderly, forming pieces of openwork des that appeared harmless, crafted from Magic Silk and emerging along the inner walls into midair. More and more floating des appeared until atst, a sea of azure light enveloped the scene.

    If the strength of the silk was insufficient, then they would weave fabric from the silk. And if the fabric was too soft, then they would make the silk tough and hard.

    When the "fabric" made of silk reached a certain level of strength and sharpness, the "fabric" too would be invincible.

    "Masterpiece," that''s the name Emerald Sparrow gave to this form of her magic constructs.

    She had used this power the previous night when she had rescued Lin Xiaolu, but then it was merely against an Inchworm-stage Remnant Beast, nowhere severe enough to unleash her full power.

    Now, she could act at will.

    The fish-shaped Remnant Beast at the center of the cave was nowpletely bound without anyone noticing, its mouthparts opening and closing, but its highlypressed body could only emit "roaring" sounds of airflow.

    Emerald Sparrow raised her hand and once again touched a few strands of Magic Silk, and the sharp buzzing sound around her stopped with this action.

    The concert had ended.

    The pervasive azure light rushed toward the center where the Remnant Beast and the chunks of flesh around it were located, moving as fast as lightning. In an instant, all that could be heard was a "shushing" sound.

    The enormous fish-shaped Remnant Beast, the myriad egg-stage Remnant Beasts scattered across the ground, and the previously active tentacles all turned into a shower of fragments under this single strike.

    ...

    ...

    The cavern rumbled, and the space began to crumble gradually.

    Amidst the filth and rotten flesh on the ground, points of light like a neb surged up, flowing into the palm of Emerald Sparrow''s hand.

    Upon reaching the chrysalis stage, the Remnant Beast''s Echoes became something to treasure, as they could secure greater contributions within the kingdom and also meant ess to higher quality resources.

    These resources were of no use to Emerald Sparrow herself, but without a doubt, they could help Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang enhance their strength faster, enabling them to stand on their own sooner.

    In earlier years, some had calcted that under the premise of optimal resource distribution, just three chrysalis-stage Echoes could ensure that a Magical Girl with extremely low talent could blossom into a leaf-stage. And taking into ount that the Magical Girl herself would also engage in Magic Power training and Spiritual Thought, three Echoes were actually more than enough.

    Unfortunately, at this moment, Emerald Sparrow had no way to contact the kingdom to exchange resources, and it seemed she would have to personally return there in the near future.

    Thinking this, Emerald Sparrow''s Magic Power surged beneath her feet, intending to burst out of the cavern as quickly as possible.

    Yet, just before she left, she suddenly felt something and looked down, only to see a structure resembling an altar in the middle of the pool, adjacent to the remnants of the Remnant Beast.

    An altar?

    The space was on the verge of copse and did not support her staying any longer, so she could only imprint this scene in her mind. Emerald Sparrow took another deep look at the ce, then without lingering any longer, she elerated and flew away from the cavern like the wind chasing lightning.

    With the chrysalis-stage Remnant Beast in, the nest it forged naturally dissipated without a trace. Therefore, as Emerald Sparrow left the cavern, she also left the previously intricate spacebyrinth. By the time she returned to reality, she found herself in an unknown sewer.

    She continued to fly and quickly found an exit. Popping open a manhole cover and flying out, she left the foul-smelling sewers and returned to the surface with its fresh air after a long absence.

    However, the expression on Emerald Sparrow''s face didn''t improve upon her return.

    She floated down to the ground and almost immediately took out her phone. After confirming she was reconnected to the signal, she immediately selected a number and dialed it.

    "...Hello?"

    Soon, a somewhat drowsy female voice came through, "In the middle of the night, what''s up?"

    "I think I need some exnations," Emerald Sparrow said while kicking a manhole cover beside the road, so it fell back into ce.

    "What exactly has the Abnormal Strategy Bureau been keeping from me?"

 Chapter 33: Chapter 30 Late Sleep, Late Rise, and the Outcome of Conversations

    Under normal circumstances, Lin Yun''s daily routine was very regr.

    He would wake up at 6:30 in the morning and rest at 11:30 at night, repeating this cycle to ensure he had enough mental energy to handle his work.

    His biological clock was equally precise, and he would inevitably open his eyes promptly at around six o''clock unless he was overly fatigued.

    However, there''s always an exception to the rule. The night before, after finishing work, he had taught a lesson to two magical girls; then he rushed to the sewer and fought his way through an entire nest of pupa-stage Remnant Beasts; and finally, had a lengthy phone call with Hong Siyu to verify the situation. By the time the back of his head touched the pillow, it was already five in the morning.

    As a result, he had overslept.

    When Lin Yun opened his eyes from his drowsiness, it was already 7:05.

    He nced at the space beside him, then picked up the mobile phone on his bedside table, and his eyes gradually widened as he saw the time disyed on the lock screen. Tossing aside the nket and stepping into his slippers, he hurried towards the wardrobe.

    Rushing through his washing in the bathroom, Lin Yun brushed his hair with a toothbrush in his mouth, buttoned up his shirt while rinsing, and amidst the bustle, he couldn''t help but recall the phone call that had caused him to sleep especiallyte:

    The conversation fromst night had not yielded much information, ording to Hong Siyu''s ount: During her two years in Fangting City, sightings of the Remnant Beasts were rare, with the only encounter with an Inchworm being provided by Lin Xiaolu during the attack she experienced, let alone a pupa.

    If it hadn''t been for Lin Yun personally heading to the sewer to kill the pupa, it might have remained undetected until it developed into a "molt"¡ªand by that stage, Fangting City could have faced a catastrophe.

    Lin Yun did not entirely believe this.

    Setting aside whether he trusted Hong Siyu¡ªif possible, he did not wish to doubt a former junior¡ªthe information provided by Hong Siyu might already be the extent of what she could find, but the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s database might not contain everything.

    Rather, Lin Yun''s suspicion was directed towards the Abnormal Strategy Bureau itself; he felt that they were still hiding something. The underground force in Fangting City was too conspicuous, and the Bureau should not bepletely unaware.

    He knew that the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was helpless against magic-rted forces involved with the Remnant Beasts, but they shouldn''t be entirelycking information.

    The current situation only left two possibilities: either the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was a bunch of useless, good-for-nothing bumblers, which he could live with; or the Bureau actually knew things, which a very few people controlled, and such information wasn''t even entered into their database.

    Lin Yun much preferred thetter scenario, so he had to meet with the local high-ranking officials of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    Even if the enemy only had a name, he had to get that name.

    But as an ordinary citizen, requesting to meet with the high-level officials of an exclusive institution like the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was wishful thinking; he had to reveal an identity to oblige them to meet him.

    He had such an identity, even two of them, but it was tough to choose between them. He was uncertain whether to go as Lin Yun or as the Magical Girl, Emerald Sparrow.

    Under the identity of Lin Yun, he was a rtive of both thete Magical Girl "Sakura" and the current Magical Girl "Bai Mei".n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s approach to handling the identities of Magical Girls was "bidirectional secrecy", except for specific high-level officials and the liaisons directly in contact with Magical Girls, they would neither reveal the true identity of Magical Girls to others nor inform the rtives of Magical Girls about the information rted to the Magic side.

    In this regard, they actually did very well, even attending An Ya''s funeral without revealing their origins and notmunicating any messages to Lin Yun¡ªafter all, 19 years had passed, Lin Yun''s liaison had long been promoted to headquarters, and the former high-level officials had retired one after another. The ultimate result of bidirectional secrecy was that even the local Abnormal Strategy Bureau didn''t know Lin Yun''s true identity. The true identity of the Magical Girl "Emerald Sparrow" had long since be a secret archived and thrown into the central bureau''s database.

    However, if Lin Yun indicated that he was already aware of his wife and daughter''s true identities and had some understanding of the Magic side''s series of knowledge, then the nature of the situation would bepletely different. As a rtive of a sacrificed Magical Girl, he had every right to demand a meeting with the executives of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and to be informed of the rted truths. At that time, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, other than requiring him to sign an agreement not to disclose information about the Magic side to the public, had no means to restrain him.

    The advantage of this n was that it was robust. While he could meet with the top brass of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, it wouldn''t rm anyone in the Bureau with unclear motives. The downside was that the information obtained might still be iplete, as the other party might not be willing to disclose everything due to him being a civilian.

    As for using the identity of Emerald Sparrow, that was easy to say¡ªthe other party would certainly not dare to hide anything and would reveal everything they knew.

    But this course of action would have far-reaching effects: firstly, Emerald Sparrow''s liaison with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was Hong Siyu, whose information was processed, and the Bureau only knew of her as "Bai Mei''spanion". Once she revealed her original background, it might rm the mysterious forces hidden within Fangting City; secondly, she had not officiallye back yet, only operating within a small range in Fangting City. If news of her return reached the Magic Kingdom, it might cause unnecessary trouble.

    In light of this, Hong Siyu also proposed to mobilize Lin Xiaolu, letting her contact the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, but Lin Yun always felt that it was risky to let his daughter be the operator, as she might just be fooled by the other party. In the end, he vetoed that idea. Moreover, he did not wish to deceive his daughter again under the guise of Emerald Sparrow.

    After weighing the options, Lin Yun chose to proceed cautiously and meet with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau as "Lin Yun".

    Following various discussions about details and tugging over the distribution of work responsibilities, Lin Yun continued discussing with Hong Siyu all the way until dawn was near. It was only after arranging all the matters that they concluded the long phone call.

    It really was quite an ordeal.

    Yawning lengthily, Lin Yun, standing in front of the mirror and mocking himself, took a look at his appearance: aside from the heavy dark circles under his eyes, he managed to make himself look somewhat presentable. He didn''t spend any more time on it, grabbed the suit jacket hanging on the chair back, and walked toward the door with long strides.

    As he opened the main bedroom door, he habitually nced to the left but saw that the door next to his was also ajar. Lin Xiaolu, with her hair in disarray, emerged from her room, sleepy-eyed, holding a leather strap in an attempt to tidy up the hair at the back of her head, but as she shifted her gaze, it met his.

    Standing in the corridor at their doorways, father and daughter fell into an odd silence.

    In the end, it was Lin Xiaolu who broke the deadlock, pretending as if she hadn''t seen anything, stepped back a few paces into her room, and with a "click", closed the door.

    About two minutester, she reopened the door, pretending nothing had happened, peering around as if to walk out, but found Lin Yun still standing at the doorway.

    "Why haven''t you left yet?"

    After a brief awkwardness, she red at Lin Yun.

    Lin Yun, now wearing his coat and tying his tie, seeing that she was getting upset just as she was leaving, couldn''t help but sigh and said, "I was about to ask you the same thing. You''re leaving at this hour? You''re going to bete, aren''t you?"

 Chapter 34: Chapter 31 Morning Trivial Matters

    "What does it have to do with you?"

    Lin Xiaolu nced away, seemingly resistant to Lin Yun''s inquiry, but after a short while, she looked back at him: "Besides, aren''t you the same with beingte?"

    "This time was just an ident," Lin Yun finished tying his tie and picked up the briefcase beside him. "I got busy with work and didn''t get back until the early morning; I''m not usually like this."

    "Then, my case is also an ident."

    Lin Xiaolu muttered, "I just got homete and still had to practice... do homework, that''s why I went to bed sote."

    Lin Yun just looked at Lin Xiaolu, and Lin Xiaolu looked back at him ntwise. In a rather awkward standoff, it was ultimately the father who gave in.

    "Gob your hair first."

    Lin Yun''s face showed helplessness as he carried his briefcase and turned towards the kitchen. "What do you want for breakfast? Instant noodles, bread, or should I boil two eggs?"

    "Ah? Breakfast?"

    Raising her eyebrows, Lin Xiaolu first looked surprised, then puzzled: "Is it that time already?"

    "I''ll drive you to school in a bit," Lin Yun took off his suit jacket and draped it over the chair next to the dining table.

    "I don''t need it; you can go on your own."

    "What if you''rete?"

    "...If I''mte, I''mte." Lin Xiaolu sounded a bit guilty but still defiant.

    Does this child n to fly to school? Doesn''t she know themotion her magic power makes when she flies isparable to setting off fireworks?

    Putting everything in his hands on a chair, Lin Yun simply watched his daughter for a moment, then shrugged expressionlessly:

    "Fine, but first gob your hair. I''ll boil the two eggs."

    "I told you there''s no need..."

    Lin Xiaolu wanted to continue refusing but suddenly widened her eyes as if she realized something. Her grip on the doorframe tightened, and her tone softened a bit: "Oh, I got it, I''ll go, okay?"

    And then she unwillingly headed towards the bathroom.

    From Lin Yun''s perspective, Moke suddenly flew through the door and whispered something in her ear. Lin Xiaolu''s attitude softened abruptly.

    It seems Moke knows better than she does. He thought to himself.

    This guess was not wrong, indeed it was exactly the case.

    "Moke, what did you mean by what you said, that even frivolous girls can fly to school but I can''t?" After walking into the bathroom, Lin Xiaolu lowered her voice and looked disapprovingly at Moke floating beside her.

    After finishing her Magical Girl coursest night, Lin Xiaolu''s tasks were far from over, as she still had homework to catch up on when she got home.

    Usually, this was her own business, but ever since she met Xia Liang, an idle figure would be by her side when rushing homework, and even sometimes tried to convince her to stop doing homework and y games together.

    Ever since the day she imed she was running away from home and stayed overnight at Lin Xiaolu''s, Xia Liang often shamelessly showed up for dinner. In her words, it was because the meals prepared by hourly maid Liu were better than those at her own home.

    Seeing her attitude, if it weren''t for the worry of leaving a bad impression on Lin Xiaolu''s parents, she might even continue to freeload a ce to sleep.

    Although Lin Xiaolu disliked studying, she resisted even more being lumped together with what she saw as "frivolous girls," and so the more Xia Liang harassed her, the more she insisted on finishing her homework. Afterpleting it, she even defiantly pulled out review questions untouched before, preparing for the uing final exams.

    Regardless of the oue, she ended up studying until the early morning. Her spirit wasmendable.

    But as a result, Lin Xiaolu overslept that morning and coincidentally encountered Lin Yun, now yawning profusely whilebing her hair in the bathroom.

    "Who told you that you still haven''t learned Magic Power Reception?"

    Hearing Lin Xiaolu''s slightly dissatisfied questioning, Moke''s cat face vividly showed a ridiculing expression: "Xia Liang mastered it in two days, yet some people can''t learn it even in two weeks!"

    "Xia Liang..."

    Squeezing theb a bit too tightly, Lin Xiaolu looked at Moke with a subtle gaze, "The two of you have gotten pretty closetely."

    "Meow haha, after all, Xia Liang is gentle, cute, and a genius. We''re justmenting that we didn''t meet sooner."

    Moke clutched its chest dreamily, "She evenplimented me for being smart and reliable!"

    "Why do I feel like you''ve been simply swept off your feet by her sweet-talking?" Lin Xiaolu''s eyelids drooped.

    No wonder she felt that way; after all, Xia Liang seemed to like Moke''s cute looks a lot, often holding it like a pet and saying nice things to make it happy.

    Even though Lin Xiaolu had been with Moke for a longer time, ever since that night when Moke, under Emerald Sparrow''s cross-examination, admitted to deceiving Lin Xiaolu, it hadn''t received any more kindness from her.

    The love itcked from Lin Xiaolu was fulfilled by Xia Liang and was even morevish, which exined why Moke kept talking about "Xia Liang" all the time now.

    "That''s jealousy and prejudice! As a Seeder, it''s my duty to get along well with my contracted Magical Girl!"

    Moke shook its head to correct Lin Xiaolu and then said with self-satisfaction, "Are you jealous, Xiaolu? Feeling threatened because Xia Liang is so outstanding and wanting to win my affections back?"

    "Who''s jealous? Jealous of a dumb fairy whose head is filled with nothing but question marks?"

    Lin Xiaolu pursed her lips and turned her gaze back to the mirror, focusing on the hair standing up on her head, her movements unceasing, "And what about that ''Seeder''s essential course''? You didn''t teach me the basics of being a Magical Girl at all, leaving me to trouble Emerald Sparrow in the end."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Dumb fairy?"

    At these words, Moke shuddered and flew to Lin Xiaolu''s back to give her a fierce tap with its paw, "I can''t let such a harsh remark slide! And I did tell you a lot of stuff, just not about how Magical Girls train and battle, that''s all!"

    "Would a typical Seeder not know that?" Lin Xiaolu cast another sidelong nce at it and asked, airy as ever.

    "Of course they would... um, actually, they would know. But my case is a bit special..." Moke evaded the issue.

    "Because you''re a shoddy imposter pressed into the job?"

    "Can''t you use a less venomous phrase?"

    "So, a refugee who smuggled themselves out of the Magic Kingdom."

    "That''s not making the evaluation any better!"

    "You called me a genius when you made me a Magical Girl, but now you mock me for being dumb every day."

    "Um..."

    Intimidated by the heavy resentment in Lin Xiaolu''s words, Moke had no choice but to soften its tone and admit sincerely, "Alright, alright, it''s my fault. I shouldn''t have said that. Please don''t be mad, okay?"

    "A sleazy fairy who gets held against girls'' chests and rubs his face all over."

    "You''re still going on about it!"

    "A suspect on the run for suspected embezzlement."

    "That''s pure nder! Xiaolu, you''re the idiot with failing grades in math!"

    "Shh¡ª the fairy con artist who deceives little girls!"

    "A stunted dwarf with dyed development!"

    ...

    In the nearby dining room, Lin Yun caught a boiled egg from the pot with a slotted spoon, cing it into cold water. After flicking the water off his hands, he grabbed a ss and fetched a carton of milk from the refrigerator. As he carried the prepared breakfast to the table, he couldn''t help but nce towards the bathroom.

    Hearing the muffled argumenting through, he raised an eyebrow in puzzlement:

    "...What''s going on?"

 Chapter 35: Chapter 32 After the Traffic Jam

    After a noisy morning, by the time Lin Xiaolu hadbed her hair and shuffled to the dining table in her slippers to finish breakfast, it was already 7:25 a.m.

    During that time, probably feeling that Lin Yun, as an ordinary person, couldn''t see the Fairy, she and Moke still stared each other down now and then, extending their cold war from the bathroom to the breakfast table.

    Lin Yun fully exhibited his acting skills by feigning ignorance and turning a blind eye. He silently cleaned up his dishes, gave them a quick wash, and put them into the sterilizing cab before picking up his things and looking at Lin Xiaolu.

    He didn''t speak, but his intention was clear: "Would you like me to drive you?"

    Lin Xiaolu remained silent.

    If Lin Yun chose to drive her to school at this time, it meant he was prepared to bete himself. She only didn''t want to ept his kindness, not that she didn''t understand it.

    Every act of kindness she epted from her father was one less reason she had to resent him. She didn''t want their rtionship to improve so easily; otherwise, she would find it impossible to hate him. And if not for her, who would remember her mother''s grievances?

    So she lowered her head, avoiding Lin Yun''s gaze.

    This was probably a silent rejection.

    "If you really want to go by yourself, don''t me me if you''rete."

    Lin Yun was used to this behavior, and his emotions barely fluctuated. After all, Lin Xiaolu''s sulking wasn''t new¨Cit would be surprising if she had cheerfully agreed. If she didn''t want to go with him, he wouldn''t force her.

    Having gathered his things and changed into his shoes, he stepped out into the apartment hallway, heading for the elevator.

    "Squeak!"

    But he hadn''t walked ten meters when the door to their home opened again.

    He turned his head, only to see Lin Xiaolu peeking half her body through the door crack, still tilting her head and looking down, her lips moving as if whispering something.

    "Your voice is too low, I can''t hear you," he said.

    Lin Xiaolu halted her movements.

    Her gaze wandered, first to the floor, then to the wall, then sweeping past Moke, who was smirking, and finally stealing a nce at her dad.

    In the end, she took a deep breath, turned toward Lin Yun, closed her eyes, and shouted, "I said wait for me to go back and get my schoolbag!"

    ...

    ...

    In Luoming District, under the overpass on Xidian Road,

    Lin Yun stared at the stationary traffic ahead, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel.

    Fortunately, he had already anticipated the traffic jam, so he remained calm. After all, he was the one who was sure to bete, as long as his daughter could arrive at school on time before eight.

    Sitting in the backseat, Lin Xiaolu looked out the window in silence, her thoughts a mystery. Beside her, inside her schoolbag, Moke peeked out curiously at the two people in the car.

    After ncing at his daughter''s state through the rearview mirror, Lin Yun figured some conversations had to happen, so he decided to broach a topic, "Lulu, do you have your final exams next week?"

    Bringing up exams at a time like this is, of course, touching a sore spot for any child.

    "Hmm." Therefore, Lin Xiaolu''s response was nonchnt, clearly not interested in borating on the subject.

    "How''s your preparation going?" Lin Yun tried to keep his tone gentle to avoid pressuring his daughter.

    "So-so."

    "I remember at the end ofst semester, you said you were in the middle of your ss, right?"

    "About that."

    "Do you have any target rankings this time? If you achieve it, Dad can buy you a little gift."

    "...No need."

    Lin Xiaolu paused, her voice somber, "You already bought me something for my birthday."

    She was referring to the month of May, more precisely, her birthday on the fifth of May. Back then, Lin Xiaolu, who had not yet encountered Moke and had not be a Magical Girl, was just an ordinary middle-schooler troubled by the woes of adolescence and life.

    On her birthday, she adamantly refused Lin Yun''s suggestion to spend the day together, iming she had other ns to hang out with friends and told him to mind his own business.

    Unable to persuade his daughter, Lin Yun went to attend a work function but left early, preupied and unable to focus, returning home ahead of time with the birthday present he had bought for Lin Xiaolu¡ªa new smartphone.

    It was only upon returning home that he discovered Lin Xiaolu didn''t have "other ns" that evening. She hadn''t gone out to have fun with friends, but instead had stayed home alone, singing herself a birthday song and eventually blowing out the birthday candles by herself.

    Lin Yun, who had identally stumbled upon this scene, felt both heartache and anger. He questioned his daughter why she had to hurt herself in such a manner, and Lin Xiaolu, furious and embarrassed, refused to answer, leading to another cooling period in their rtionship where they hardly spoke for a long time.

    It was many dayster when Lin Yun saw his daughter transformed into a Magical Girl on a TV report that their stagnant rtionship started to move forward slowly once again.

    "I''m sorry, Lulu."

    Looking at the moving traffic ahead, Lin Yun suddenly said, "On your birthday before, I should have insisted on staying with you."

    "Bringing this up now?"

    Lin Xiaolu widened her eyes in surprise, but after ncing at Moke in the school bag beside her, she put on an indifferent air: "Doesn''t matter, it''s been so long since then."

    "It''s not about how much time has passed."

    Lin Yun shifted into reverse and lightly stepped on the elerator, the vehicle slowly starting: "Because I will remember, I will feel uneasy."

    "... Remember?"

    Lin Xiaolu muttered the word to herself.

    At first, her face was expressionless, then it shifted to a smile that wasn''t quite a smile, and finally, her brows furrowed, and she sat up straight like an angered little animal, choking out, "You can still say that word? Remember? Have you forgotten what you said when mom died?"

    She would never forget the words this man had said to her before her mother''s funeral, for he said to "forget her." And yet, here he was talking about "remembering" and feeling "uneasy"¡ªhow was she supposed to believe him?

    "I am very sorry about your mother."

    Facing Lin Xiaolu''s anger, Lin Yun''s tone remained calm, his hands gripping the steering wheel as he looked at the road ahead: "At that time, I truly didn''t know how to tell you, so I could only use such a vague way."

    "Because I remember her, I feel heartbroken and pained, so I hoped you, as a child, would forget her, that with time, your pain would fade and you could grow up happy."

    "But I didn''t anticipate that you understood more than I gave you credit for, and my concealment didn''t allow you to let go of these things and be happy; instead, you were often mncholic."

    "If my words at that time made you cold-hearted, or if you''ve always had doubts about her death, I think... we can find a time to talk it over."

    Thest sentence made Lin Xiaolu in the back seat pause her breathing.

    It took her several seconds to understand what Lin Yun was saying, and she even forgot to be angry, her heart filled with questions: "Talk, what is there to talk about?"

    "Of course, it''s about your mother, and about me."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Lin Yun sighed deeply: "You''ve grown up now, and it''s time to be honest about the things I never told you before. I just need a bit more preparation, a bit more time, can you wait for me a bit longer? I promise it won''t be too long, and when the dayes, I''ll tell you everything."

    At this, he paused, then took a deep breath before finally voicing the sentiment he''d long harbored: "So, can you give me a chance to make amends, Lulu? About your mother''s matter, the past of running away from home, and your birthday¡ªcan you give me a chance to make it right?"

    The car fell into a prolonged silence.

    Lin Yun waited for Lin Xiaolu''s response, while Lin Xiaolu was digesting his words. She thought, hesitated, and finally made a decision.

    "... Parents'' meeting." Lin Xiaolu''s muffled voice rose from the back seat.

    "What?"

    "After the final exams next week, the school will have a parents'' meeting."

    Lin Xiaolu, chin rested on her hand, continued to stare out the window at the passing scenery: "If you''re willing, thene."

    "Parents'' meeting?"

    Lin Yun, whose expression had always been somewhat t, was momentarily unable to remain calm at this response: "You mean..."

    "Let''s get this straight, it was you who wanted toe."

    Interrupting him, Lin Xiaolu suddenly turned her head, her gaze meeting Lin Yun''s in the rearview mirror, and she said somewhat fiercely: "So if youe up with excuses to bail again, I won''t talk to you at all for the next year!"

    "... Heh."

    Lin Yun suddenlyughed.

    Hisughter was joyful, relieved, as if it had been a long time since he''d been this happy.

    This unexpectedugh made Lin Xiaolu feel embarrassed: "What are youughing at?"

    "Nothing, I''m just genuinely happy," Lin Yun said with a smile.

    "Finding joy in such things? How annoying!" Lin Xiaolu''s eyelids drooped.

    "I promise you."

    "What?"

    "A year... no, forget about a year, if I renege this time, you can ignore me for a lifetime."

    "Boring stakes, I''m not interested."

    "Then let''s not worry about that, in any case, I''ll definitelye."

    Lin Yun''s earnest promise seemed to stir something in Lin Xiaolu, but she pressed down her emotions and maintained a stern expression: "... Hmph, let''s hope."

    In the dawn light, the car finally broke free from the traffic on the elevated road, gathering speed as it raced into the distance.

 Chapter 36: Chapter 33 Abnormal Strategy Bureau

    "The Abnormal Strategy Bureau of Nanyun City replied yesterday, saying that their Seeder has already submitted a report to the Magic Kingdom and confirmed the existence of a Seeder registered under the name ''Moke,'' although the rted resume ispletely nk."

    Several days had passed since Emerald Sparrow defeated the pupal-stage Remnant Beast. Lin Yun and Hong Siyu were driving together towards the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    Flipping through the documents in her hand, Hong Siyu sat in the car, her voice t as she said, "Regarding the disappearance of Fangting City''s former Seeder ''Nini,'' the kingdom''s response was ''a case has been filed, please contact the new Magical Girl to continue the previous investigation''? Strange, was this matter already reported to the kingdom before? And they don''t n to send any reinforcements?"

    "... I expected as much; it''s probably rted to me."

    Hearing Hong Siyu''s words, Lin Yun, who was driving, suddenly spoke up with a sigh, "When I retired, I should have erased my name directly from the investigation agency."

    His identity as a Magical Girl was a hidden card for the local Abnormal Strategy Bureau, but not so much for the Magic Kingdom.

    Magical Girls in the material world gain their power and, after serving for ten years, wille to their retirement period. At this stage, they have two choices: one is to join the Magic Kingdom, which is abundant in magic power, to be a native of the kingdom, thereby solving issues like magic power decline and continue serving as a Magical Girl; the other is to stay in the material world, but retire from the identity of a Magical Girl, be an ordinary person, and receive a generous financial package from the kingdom, enough to ensure financial freedom for thetter half of their lives and lead a peaceful and happy life.

    Most Magical Girls, tired from ten years of battle, choose to retire. There are also those who do not wish to give up their magic power or their youthful appearance who decide to settle in the Magic Kingdom. But regardless of the choice, a record is left with the kingdom.

    Besides the rules mentioned above, there is actually an exception, known as "Lifetime Magical Girl."

    When a Magical Girl earns enough merit on significant asions, the royal court will host a ceremony to bestow this title upon her. From then on, neither aging nor illness will cause her to lose the power of the Magical Girl, and the choice to stay in the kingdom or the material world is left to them.

    Lin Yun and An Ya were actually both exceptions to this rule.

    As a result, even though Lin Yun had long registered to cease activities, his codename still remained on the list of the royal court and the investigation agency, even noting his retirement location in Fangting City.

    More detailed information would not be stored there, but it was enough to let people know that Fangting City had an "old predecessor."

    "Predecessor, are you very familiar with the investigation agency?" Having gone through the normal retirement process, the former Magical Girl Hong Siyu turned her head with some confusion.

    "After all, I held the title of Patrol Envoy and had some dealings with them in the past."

    Gripping the steering wheel, Lin Yun muttered to himself in astonishment, "I can even guess who made the decision."

    "So no reinforcements then?" Hong Siyu rested against the back of her seat with the documents in her arms.

    "It means that from now on, we can just consider looking for new people," Lin Yun replied with equal resignation.

    However, it was better for them not to send anyone, he thought. After all, he didn''t want to renew contact with some "old acquaintances."

    "Looking for new people... there are only three of us now," Hong Siyu counted on her fingers, "Wouldn''t it be better to have a few more?"

    "I don''t know, and, when counting people, don''t include me."

    Lin Yun corrected with a look of difort, "I don''t want others to know about myeback."

    "Alright, alright¡ªI''ve heard you say that so many times my ears could grow calluses."

    Hong Siyu pretended to cover her ears, fudging over it with an indistinct reply, "But if you continue to act, word will get out eventually, right?"

    "Then we''ll deal with that when it happens."

    Lin Yun set the tone for the conversation with that remark, and for the rest of the trip, the two did not broach that topic again.

    As the car gradually approached its destination, the imposing building of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau slowly came into view.

    The existence of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was not a secret; however, its mode of operation varied depending on the city.

    In Fangting City, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau operated openly as an official organization, with its office boldly situated in the midst of the city.

    The car passed the security checkpoint, where Hong Siyu showed his work credentials to the guard, and after a brief verification, they were granted entry into the office area of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    Lin Yun, while adjusting the steering wheel, looked through the window at the building not far off, his mind teeming with thoughts.

    His request for a meeting had been epted by the Abnormal Strategy Bureau several days ago, and not only that, this meeting was arranged to take ce within the bureau, where he would be received by the current director.

    Without a doubt, the director''s personal involvement in the conversation meant the matter was receiving considerable attention; however, whether this attention was well-intentioned or had an ulterior motive, he did not yet know.

    "Rx, don''t look so tense as if facing a great enemy, our director isn''t that stern," Hong Siyu remarked with a somewhat frivolous tone as he walked into the building beside Lin Yun. "The olddy is quite talkative, whatever you want to ask, just go ahead and ask."

    "Your opinion of her seems pretty good?"

    Scanning a few key points of his attire, Lin Yun responded with some surprise, "Usually over the phone, you have a litany ofints about your colleagues at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau; I thought there weren''t many people there you held in high regard."

    "Shush! Don''t talk like that here at the office!"

    Hong Siyu immediately signaled for him to be quiet, and after making sure no one was around, he pped Lin Yun lightly, "You''re scaring me. If a colleague heard that, wouldn''t they think I was badmouthing them behind their backs?"

    "I think the word here should be ''exposing'' rather than ''misunderstanding''."

    When they reached the elevator and Lin Yun pressed the button to go up, he looked at Hong Siyu and asked, "Which floor?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "The eleventh floor," Hong Siyu replied, then added, "When I first started working here, I was quite looked after by the director. It''s evident that she''s a person with a lot of ideas. As someone who doesn''t possess magic power and can''t reach the extraordinary, she''s really trying her best in many aspects."

    "Really?" Lin Yun''s expression remained unchanged, but his interest in the uing meeting grew stronger.

    The elevator ascended swiftly amidst a mechanical hum, with the numbers on the disy screen rapidly changing, and in a short while, they reached the designated eleventh floor.

    The two exited the elevator, and Lin Yun followed Hong Siyu towards the interior of the floor. After turning a corner, they saw a pair of imposing wooden swing doors on the wall.

    Hong Siyu knocked on the door gently, and after a voice from inside called "Come in," he looked at Lin Yun beside him, then gestured for him to precede with a "please" gesture. Thus, Lin Yun straightened his cor and walked into the office behind the swing doors alone.

    What caught his eye was a full floor-to-ceiling window, bookcases standing solemnly against the walls on either side, and a massive desk in the center.

    And behind the desk, a standing elderlydy who was bowing slightly in greeting to him.

    ¡ª"Good day, Mr. Lin Yun."

 Chapter 37: 34 Chapter Claw Mark

    The elderly director looked to be about sixty years old, with deep-set features, bright eyes, and a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and on her cheeks, yet her expression was stern yet pleasant.

    She was d in a dark brown woolen coat, her graying blonde hair neatlybed back, giving her a capable appearance, as she watched Lin Yun with a smile.

    A Westerner?

    Lin Yun had his suspicions, but he didn''t voice them. Instead, he nodded calmly in greeting, "Hello, Director, may I ask how I should address you?"

    "Just call me Mosi, titles are nothing but a formality," she said evenly.

    "Please take a seat, I believe we will have much to discuss," the woman continued, her tone gentle.

    Lin Yun followed her lead and sat down in the chair in front of the desk, exhaling softly, then looked up and said, "I am here today not for any other reason, but to find the truth."

    "The Abnormal Strategy Bureau has many truths unknown to the public, which one do you need?"

    Mosi gestured with one hand, inviting him to speak further, "Perhaps, we could start with discussing your situation?"

    "My situation should be well-known to your agency, and I''d rather not go into tedious detail," Lin Yun said.

    Lin Yun nodded, deliberately making his tone a bit more tense before getting straight to the point, "At the funeral two years ago, I encountered a young woman who told me that my wife was actually a Magical Girl."

    "Afterwards, I began to sort through my wife''s belongings and found a secret diary among them, which indeed recorded her experiences as a Magical Girl. Moreover, ording to the diary, she had be aware of some hidden dangers shortly before she died."

    This statement was thirty percent truth and seventy percent fiction; only the information he knew was true, while the way he obtained it waspletely fabricated. To avoid arousing suspicion, Lin Yun did his best to ensure his words and actions were consistent, maintaining eye contact with Mosi to emphasize the sincerity in his speech.

    "I am just an ordinary man, unable to do much in the face of such extraordinary beings, and can only treat it as bad luck, even though I know there was another reason for her death, I''m powerless to investigate. The least I could do was to follow herst wishes and raise our child well."

    He stared intently into Mosi''s eyes, "However... as you already know, I identally discovered that even my child has be a Magical Girl."

    "My wife died because she was a Magical Girl, what about my child? I cannot predict what might happen to her next; if she too, were to encounter an ident... I''m sorry, just the thought of such a future makes me feel suffocated."

    "So I must ask you, I feel I have the right to know, who is the murderer? And can you protect my daughter?"

    After finishing saying this, he took a deep breath and looked down, "I apologize if I appeared a bit agitated."

    He didn''t expect to deceive the other party solely with lies, so most of his words were his true feelings. The only difference was that the real him did not believe the Abnormal Strategy Bureau could protect his daughter; he had already chosen to take matters into his own hands.

    "...I am very sorry to have you revisit such painful memories," Mosi said, closing her eyes after hearing his story, then after a moment of thought, she spoke again.

    "As for the murderer you mentioned, who killed your wife, that is actually why I wanted to meet with you alone, Mr. Lin Yun, the husband of Mrs. Sakura," she said.

    "Why?" Lin Yun sensed something significant in her words.

    With her eyes still closed, Mosi''s expression grew more serious, "Because this is merely a guess of mine that I prefer not to disclose in public. To the outside world, especially within the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, what I am about to say is very much against our ts and philosophy."

    "You mean?" Lin Yun''s gaze sharpened.

    Opening her eyes, Mosi''s hands thaty on the table interlocked, "¡­Mr. Lin Yun, do you think that all the Magical Girls in this world represent justice, fighting to protect the people?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "¡­Isn''t that the case?"

    Her words made Lin Yun startle, his heart rising with some caution, "Without magical girls stepping up, ordinary people would never have such an easy life."

    Though he retorted orally, he had another answer in his heart to Mosi''s question. It''s just that "Lin Yun" had no reason to know it.

    "I do wish that were the case, and that''s exactly why the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was established, but evidently, that''s not the case."

    Mosi, having no doubt, stood looking at Lin Yun, "Magical girls fight to protect, mainly due to the emotional bias brought about by their genuine social rtions, but more importantly, due to the management and constraints from the Magic Kingdom side. In reality, if a magical girl abandons morality and conscience, and dares to confront the kingdom, it''s entirely feasible for her to inflict this harmful power on humans, or even on theirrades."

    "...Unbelievable," Lin Yun echoed that sentiment.

    "Yes, unbelievable, but usible."

    Mosi nodded, "That''s also why among magical girls, there would be rebels, and even defectors."

    "Escaping the constraints of the Magic Kingdom, using this power for evil deeds, harming others, seizing power,mitting misdeeds without any scruples, such magical girls do exist."

    "In recent years, an evenrger group of such magical girls has gathered together, secretly opposing the kingdom while brewing conspiracies for certain goals. They even, for some unknown reason, walk with Remnant Beasts, being just as... no, they are even more dangerous, existence to be avoided at all costs."

    "Based on their certain characteristics, and as they refer to themselves, this group of defector magical girls is known as ''w Mark''."

    It was this statement that shocked Lin Yun deep down.

    Mosi''s earlierments were actually known to him; indeed, there were defector magical girls in the Magic Kingdom. But as far as he knew, such magical girls would be marked as wanted by the kingdom, with most being pursued and captured by investigators, and few sessfully defecting.

    That there would be enough defectors to form an organization and even walk with Remnant Beasts was something unheard of. "w Mark" was a term he had never encountered. He had never known such a group existed.

    Therefore, he showed appropriate confusion and further inquired, "My wife''s diary never mentioned this name."

    Mosi shook her head, "That''s because their emergence is a recent affair, and even I found out by a series of coincidences. It''s normal that Ms. Sakura''s earlier diaries don''t contain any records of it."

    "You are suggesting, my wife''s death could likely..." Lin Yun furrowed his brow.

    "I suspect Ms. Sakura''s death is rted to w Mark, as ording to her contact, Ms. Sakura was a powerful magical girl who had been inbat for many years. Theoretically, if a Remnant Beast appeared that even she could not defeat, then such a beast would have already destroyed Fangting City by now."

    Lin Yun could not be clearer about what Mosi was speaking of.

    As a powerful magical girl, An Ya easily dealt with ordinary Remnant Beasts, often taking them on solo; otherwise, she couldn''t have so effortlessly been stationed in Fangting City for over twenty years.

    And the current strange happenings in Fangting City, if indeed wrought by this group known as "w Mark," would all make sense.

    Yet, he still had some unclear matters, like right now.

    "So, why are you telling me all this?"

    Looking at Mosi, Lin Yun slowly asked, "If speaking of these things truly presents a risk, why then tell me, a mere ordinary person?"

    "...I''ve said it, we will have much to discuss. Because, seeing you, I can''t help but be reminded of my former self."

    Mosi''s expression remained kind, but his words carried an indescribable solitude:

    "My daughter, while she was still alive, was also a magical girl."

 Chapter 38: Chapter 35: The Trolley Incident

    "Mr. Lin Yun, employees of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, although they are more remarkable thanmon civilians and many have even mastered magic power as ordinary people, such level of power is, to the nation, no different from an ant trying to shake a tree."

    "The Remnant Beasts that require several, or even a dozen, of our personnel with equipment to barely handle are but the mostmon prey for the Magical Girls."

    "After giving so much, we end up being just a tool between the nation and the material world. Removing the trivial obstructions the Magical Girls might encounter in their actions, swaying between multiple forces, striving to soothe the public''s emotions¡ªthis is the true situation of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, and its real function."

    "We are merely gloves for the nation, and the protection a glove provides is so fragile."

    "Therefore, I cannot promise you that we have the ability to protect your daughter. But I hope you can believe that I will do everything possible to help her and herpanions avoid dangers they might encounter."

    "I feel your pain."

    Mosi''s words, Lin Yun etched them into his heart.

    Even if the conversation that followed revolved only around some minor Q&A, he would still find himself recalling the content of this dialogue from time to time in the following days.

    One simple conversation was not enough for him to discern Mosi''s stance and thoughts, but he had no choice but to take seriously the information she had provided. It was not just about the nation and the "w Marks," but also about her own matters.

    "My daughter was a Magical Girl before her death."

    That sentence made him think about a lot, both about the present and concerning the future.

    Mosi said she would find a suitable opportunity in the future to pass on the information she had about w Marks to Lin Xiaolu.

    She only hoped that Lin Yun would keep a mutual secrecy between them, Lin Yun should not divulge her statements about w Marks and the views of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, and she would not reveal the fact of their conversation to Lin Xiaolu.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Miss Bai Mei seems to be unaware of her mother''s matters, and in keeping with the principle of mutual confidentiality, we have not informed her either. You may have your own arrangements regarding this, but in my opinion, you should tell her the truth yourself as soon as possible."

    This was what Mosi said at that time:

    "Children eventually grow up, and a child who bes a Magical Girl may grow up even faster than you imagine."

    Dayster, on the tram, Lin Yun looked at his phone.

    It was a short text from Lin Xiaolu, consisting of just three words:

    [Remember toe].

    Leaning back in his seat and enjoying the rare chance to sit down on the tram, his mood lightened as he responded with two words, [Definitely].

    Time passed quickly, and ever since he had made a promise about the truth to his daughter in the car on the day he took her to school, he could feel that Lin Xiaolu''s attitude softened a bit more.

    Although the change was just slight, from being unwilling tomunicate, and mostly negative and resistant when talking, with barbs in her words, to asionally having a calm everyday conversation. However, the very fact that his rtionship with his daughter had shifted at all was already the most valuable experience.

    Therefore, facing the parent-teacher meeting he had spoken of before, he was thoroughly prepared.

    When work required him to do overtime, he switched shifts with someone else; when colleagues invited him out, he excused himself with the promise to treat them another day; when clients made requests, he arranged well in advance for a specialist to deal with them. All work-rted matters were pushed aside, and nothing could stop him from attending the parent-teacher meeting.

    Now, he took an early tram to Lin Xiaolu''s school in the afternoon.

    Without notice, a fine rain began to fall outside the window, and the persistent threads of rain streaked across the ss, leaving trails behind. Lin Yun leaned quietly in the tram, cradling his rare excitement as he waited for the moment of arrival.

    To ensure his work wasplete and he carried no extra burden today, the many days of overtime work had left him somewhat tired. As he sat for a long time in his seat, sleepiness crept up, and he struggled to keep awake, lest he miss his stop.

    Just as he was fighting his drowsiness, he was startled by a scream in a moment of haze.

    ¡ª¡ª"Ah!"

    It was such a sound that jolted him to full alertness.

    Immediately after, the carriage began to shake violently.

    Lin Yun, sitting in his seat, managed to grab the handrail just in time to keep himself from being thrown about, but he saw several passengers tumbling from the front to the back of the carriage.

    Amidst the chaos, piercing screams rose and fell, and the lights in the carriage flickered on and off, squinting his eyes in annoyance.

    The tram was still moving He first looked outside through the window behind him and, seeing nothing, struggled to get up from his seat. He grabbed the handrail across the aisle and staggered towards the window, looking in the direction from where the impact came¡ª

    A huge beastly Remnant Beast was clinging to the top of the tram, with a passenger impaled on its ws, blood spilling profusely from the wound in the passenger''s abdomen. His head hung motionless, most likely dead already.

    "Damn, at a time like this?"

    Lin Yun couldn''t help but curse under his breath, but the ringing of his phone at his waist quickly brought him back to his senses.

    He took the phone out of his pocket and sure enough, it was Emerald Sparrow''s phone, and the iing call on the screen was from "Bai Mei".

    ncing around, he saw that many passengers were lying on the ground, wailing inconsbly, but a few seemed less affected, merely sitting in their seats with faces full of terror. His heart tightened as he realized he couldn''t transform here.

    So, he ignored the call and left his seat once more, stumbling toward the front of the violently shaking carriage, where he found a safety hammer on the side wall.

    Clutching the safety hammer, he clenched his teeth, steadied himself, and started to smash it heavily against the window.

    At first, the people inside didn''t realize what he was doing, but when they did, they all started to shout words of dissuasion.

    "Don''t do that," "Stop it," "Are you trying to kill yourself?" Their cries came one after another, but Lin Yun didn''t stop his movements, continuing to pound the window with the hammer until cracks appeared in the corners of the ss, until he had shattered all four corners, and then the entire window broke apart.

    The exploding ss shards flew about in the shaking vehicle, some sweeping across Lin Yun''s face, even leaving behind thin lines of blood. Lin Yun changed his position from kneeling to standing on the seat.

    He looked through the window at the rapidly passing scenery, his hand gripping the vibrating phone, paused, and his expression became resolute.

    Then, amid the shocked cries around him, he jumped out of the window.

    The rail tracks of the light rail train were set at a certain height above the ground, but not too high, leaving Lin Yun with limited time. Jumping out of the window, he was thrown into the air by the strong inertia, tumbling continually.

    He gripped his heart shard, and the light swirled.

    Azure blue magic power radiated in all directions, and Emerald Sparrow emerged from the brilliance of the magic. From the moment she appeared, the magic power surging from behind her propelled her to fly after the train.

    She took out the phone, which had stopped vibrating, and hit the redial button. Momentster, the call connected.

    ¡ª"Emerald Sparrow, Mosi said there''s been a Remnant Beast attack in the direction of Luo Ming Line 4!"

    Lin Xiaolu''s voice immediately came through the phone, urgent, "I''m still at school, it will take me a while to get there, but I''ll hurry, and I''ll send you the exact location right away, and Xia Liang, we should be able to..."

    "No need."

    Emerald Sparrow cut her off, "I''ll be there soon, don''te."

    "Why?" Lin Xiaolu asked.

    "I remember you mentioned there''s a parent-teacher meeting at school today, right?"

    "But..." Lin Xiaolu still wanted to argue.

    "The Remnant Beast this time is an Inchworm, do note over."

    Emerald Sparrow sped up her speech, replying calmly amidst the howling wind, "I happen to be nearby, not far from the scene now, and I can see what the Remnant Beast looks like. No doubt, it will be dangerous for you toe. Let me handle this one alone."

    "So do your own thing, don''t get distracted, and if your parents arrive at school and find you''re not there, it would be hard to exin, right?"

    "Um..." Lin Xiaolu''s response was noticeably hesitant.

    "Leave it to me then. Don''t worry, I''m strong."

    Emerald Sparrow said this and then pressed the end call button, ending the conversation.

    The azure blue magic power followed the train, flying along, and after a few brief elerations, it surged forward a distance, with Emerald Sparrow catching up to the Remnant Beast''s carriage in just a handful of seconds.

    At that moment, the Remnant Beast was savagely tearing at the carriage, and the section of the carriage under its ws waspletely ripped open. Passengers were screaming as they were plucked out and sent into its tooth-filled maw.

    And just as a young man was wailing, struggling to free himself from its ws, the movements of the Remnant Beast''s paw halted. It was as if it had been hit by the legendary Binding Spell, seemingly bound by something¡ªits forearm trembling, appearing to exert force, yet unable to lift even a fraction of an inch.

    The brief respite allowed the young man to catch his breath, and in his terror, he opened his eyes as if realizing something and looked not far away.

    Where his gazended, there stood a girl in a dark blue dress with a grim expression on her face atop the carriage. The howling wind blew her blue hair under her hat backwards, and the rain did not hide the almost murderous expression on her face:

    "If you''re looking to die, could you pick another time, and not stand in my way of attending a parent-teacher meeting, beast."

 Chapter 39: Chapter 36 Before the Parents Meeting

    In Fangting City''s Sunset Middle School, on the third floor of the main teaching building, Lin Xiaolu stared nkly at the ended call on her phone. After pausing for a few seconds, she let her arm fall and ced the phone down. She looked toward the window in the hallway, where a fine, continuous rain fell outside. In this incessant dreary weather, her mood had sunk a bit as well.

    Perhaps "sunk" wasn''t quite the right word¡ªwhat she felt was more like a sense of loss.

    The Emerald Sparrow had told her "no need toe," which surely was well-intentioned. She didn''t want Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang to be in danger, nor did she want them to miss the important parents'' meeting. The consideration within that message was clear to anyone, wasn''t it?

    Yet, even if the Emerald Sparrow had no ulterior motives, her words could be interpreted in another way. The "no need toe" might as well mean "youring would be useless."

    There was no scorn or belittlement in this, only the stating of a fact: in the eyes of the Emerald Sparrow, the two newbies were fragile, in need of protection, and not at all capable of contributing to the fight.

    When faced with an Inchworm-ss Remnant Beast, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang, merely at the Seed level, could y no role. Even though they had undergone nearly a month of learning and training, in the face of the Inchworm, they would probably still end up as a burden.

    In name, the Emerald Sparrow and Lin Xiaolu, Xia Liang were rades" as Magical Girls, but in reality, the two newbies simply couldn''t keep pace with her or stand alongside her.

    As Fangting City was currently in crisis, the Emerald Sparrow still had to fight alone.

    So, was it really right to proceed in this orderly fashion?

    That''s what Lin Xiaolu wondered.

    Being protected, cared for, and taught by such a senior did give her a sense of security. Perhaps, just like now, by leaving all the dangerous tasks to the Emerald Sparrow, and following her n to gradually improve her own strength, she could naturally be a skilled Magical Girl, right?

    There would be no risks, no obstacles, with only time, effort, and talent being necessary.

    This path to growth sounded so logical, safe, and sensible. Just as any good mentor would do, diligently arranging the safest possible path for their juniors.

    But if that was understandable, where did this feeling of loss within her hearte from?

    She couldn''t figure it out.

    "Are you okay? Xiaolu."

    The Fairy resting on Lin Xiaolu''s shoulder saw her looking downcast and asked with some concern.

    Lin Xiaolu merely shook her head.

    The time for the parents'' meeting was drawing near, and most sses had already ended for the day. Students were leaving their ssrooms and walking along the corridors to the outside of the teaching building, preparing to meet their arriving parents.

    Thus, the number of people in the hallways gradually increased, and the passing stream of pedestrians became more dense. Lin Xiaolu couldn''t chat with the Fairy at such a time.

    She put her phone back in her pocket, pped her hands on her cheeks to remind herself to regainposure, and refocused her attention on the uing parents'' meeting. Then she turned and walked back toward the ssroom.

    The rain outside grew heavier; she needed to go back and get her umbre.

    Passing through the nearly empty ssroom, Lin Xiaolu pulled her backpack from her desk and took out an umbre. When she stepped out from the ssroom door again, she happened to see a familiar figure:

    It was Xia Liang.

    "Xia Liang!"

    The Fairy that had been worried about Lin Xiaolu immediately defected, leaping from her shoulder and, before she could react, darted into Xia Liang''s embrace, leaving Lin Xiaolu standing there with a disgruntled look as she watched the interaction between the two.

    However, this was a school, filled with ordinary people who couldn''t see Fairies. Engaging too much with the Fairy could lead other students to think she was strange, talking and gesturing to thin air. Thus, Xia Liang also knew to show restraint, merely petting the Fairy before letting her go, to avoid odd behavior.

    "How is it?"

    After putting the Fairy down, she looked at Lin Xiaolu with a smile: "Is your dad about to arrive?"

    "How would I know the whereabouts of that person?"

    Lin Xiaolu frowned in displeasure, "He might not even show up."

    "Then why did you take an umbre?"

    "...Anyway, there''s nothing else to do, so I''ll just go to the school gate and have a look."

    "Pfft." Xia Liang covered her mouth and giggled.

    "You''re so annoying!"

    Lin Xiaolu said with irritation, "If you have nothing else to do, go back to your own ss!"

    "Alright, alright, let''s drop it."

    After pacifying Lin Xiaolu like one would a child, Xia Liang slightly toned down her expression, "I just wanted to ask about the message you sent earlier, about the Remnant Beast on the light rail tram..."

    "Emerald Sparrow went." Lin Xiaolu''s eyes briefly shed as she answered tersely, "Alone."

    "...I see, it''s like that again." Xia Liang seemed a bit stunned as she blinked, but she quickly grasped her meaning.

    Compared to Lin Xiaolu, Xia Liang was more sensitive in social matters. Therefore, she recognized Emerald Sparrow''s actions earlier and understood them more clearly.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    She knew why Emerald Sparrow went alone.

    After a brief silence between them, Xia Liang recovered her spirits and smiled, offering Lin Xiaolu reassurance, "But there''s no helping it. Since it''s like this, let''s just face the parent-teacher meeting head-on."

    "...Yeah."

    Lin Xiaolu nodded with aplex look, "I know worrying isn''t going to help."

    After exchanging these pleasantries, Xia Liang waved goodbye to Lin Xiaolu and walked off towards the other end of the school building, while Lin Xiaolu continued on toward the school gate with her umbre.

    With the parent-teacher meeting imminent, the school gate had already gathered a dense crowd of people. Students were meeting up with their parents there, then leading them to their respective sses.

    Lin Xiaolu opened her umbre, avoiding the puddles on the ground, and skipped over to the gate in a few bouncy steps.

    She stood on tiptoe, looking around in all directions, trying to find Lin Yun''s figure in the crowd, but it was difficult to see clearly amid the sea of heads with her stature.

    After expending a lot of fruitless effort, she realized this approach wasn''t very effective. So she dropped back down on her heels and stood still, preparing to try a different method: finding a less crowded spot and waiting there.

    After all, with her height, it was somewhat hard to find someone in a crowd, but for Lin Yun, with his stature, it wouldn''t be difficult to see past obstacles to find his daughter.

    What she needed to do was to make herself easier to find.

    Lin Xiaolu held her umbre and found an unupied corner by the flowerbed at the school gate. After making sure she was visible from the entrance, she stood there, quietly waiting.

    The flow of people at the gate became denser, more sses finished, and students either waited inside the building or came to the gate to meet¡ªafter all, the parent-teacher meeting was also going to reveal the end-of-term report cards, and it was always good to appear well-behaved before knowing whether they''d failed the exams or not.

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t care about her report card. She had never been fond of studying, and after bing a Magical Girl, she treated learning purely as a mandatory task. Although she knew her grades wouldn''t be great, the idea of trying to curry favor with Lin Yun over such a thing was out of the question.

    She hade to the school gate simply because she wanted to see.

 Chapter 40: Chapter 37: Umbrella

    The rain intensified, and the nting wind did not cease. Lin Xiaolu, despite holding an umbre, still had raindrops blown onto her from time to time.

    After a while, at the school gate, the crowd had already passed the peak of its gathering.

    With only about ten minutes left before the parents'' meeting was to start, most of the students'' parents had already taken their ces, even beginning to strike up conversations with each other in the ssrooms.

    After guiding their parents to the ssrooms, the other students made their choices. Those who usually traveled alone on ordinary days would go home as usual, while the rest gathered in the library or gymnasium, waiting for the parents'' meeting to end.

    The yground and the open area outside the teaching buildings were empty, as no one wished to stand in the rain.

    The crowd at the gate became even sparser, leaving only a few students like Lin Xiaolu waiting with their umbres. Seeing that there were hardly any people left, the security guard at the gate also stepped out of the security room and dutifully closed the main gate, leaving only the side entrance for pedestrians to pass through.

    Lin Yun still hadn''t arrived.

    The deluge became more ferocious.

    Lin Xiaolu took out her phone and looked at the message history she had sent earlier. The reply "Definitely" was particrly striking.

    She remembered the time when her mother was still around.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    As a frencer, An Ya''s schedule was much more flexible than Lin Yun''s, so it was always her who attended the parents'' meetings.

    Compared with Lin Yun''s rigorous approach to time management, An Ya was much moreid-back, often running on time or arrivingte, and she always managed to gloss it over with augh. If she ever really angered Lin Xiaolu¡ªlike the time she got the date of the parents'' meetingpletely wrong¡ªshe would buy lots of snacks and toys, then take Lin Xiaolu to the amusement park until her daughter''s dissatisfaction waspletely dissolved by the sweet bombardment, and then would look at her pitifully and ask, "Lulu is the most understanding, won''t you forgive Mommy?"

    "Don''t save all the tacit understanding for things like this."

    Moments from the past shed before her eyes as Lin Xiaolu murmured to herself while staring into the torrential rain.

    She felt that she shouldn''t really care whether Lin Yun kept his promise.

    It was just a parents'' meeting. No one hade to attend in the past two years, and she hadn''t felt that it was a problem.

    Rather, if she hadn''t told Lin Yun about the parents'' meeting today, she would have been like in previous years, exining the situation at home to her homeroom teacher and thenpletely disregarding the parents'' meeting, leaving school early to go home.

    If she had gone home early now, she might even have caught the afternoon''s cartoon show. The new series of Magical Girl animations had already aired up to the tenth episode, right?

    Come to think of it, ever since she became a Magical Girl for real, she hadn''t had the time to watch the cartoons anymore.

    Did she really need to be so concerned about the parents'' meeting now?

    As for that man, she had already been disappointed in him long ago, and she had no trust in him whatsoever. Whether he came or not, it was unlikely to cause her any emotional ripples.

    She was standing here now just because she had initiated the topic of the parents'' meeting; noting to see would seem irresponsible, it was a disy of her sense of duty.

    His tardiness or even a no-show was his own affair and would not affect her.

    Once the parents'' meeting began, if he still hadn''t arrived, she would turn around and leave. As for the ss number, that was a matter of sending a text message.

    Lin Xiaolu thought grimly, expressionless.

    However, regardless of her rationalizations, that familiar figure never appeared at the school gate.

    Even as she tried to distract herself by refreshing social media on her phone screen in an attempt to pass the time, Lin Xiaolu still felt restless, her gaze asionally flicking toward the school gate.

    Thest student waiting there finally saw their mother arrive, and the rims of their two umbres met, as mother and child chatted andughed under the shelter.

    Lin Xiaolu stamped her foot, the heel repeatedly striking the ground, kicking up water and making a "squelching" noise.

    "Could it be he''s really noting?"

    No sooner had she spoken these words, as if to confirm something, a burst of music suddenly sounded, its melody melodic yet harsh through the school speakers, like the sound of thunder, pulling Lin Xiaolu back to reality from her thoughts.

    For the students of Sunset Middle School, this tune was familiar; it was the sound of the ss bell.

    And today, with altered schedules, it was the signal that the parents'' meeting had started.

    ...

    ...

    Lin Yun was running in the rain.

    The oue of the battle was not in doubt. Having the ability to defeat the Cocoon on his own, beating the Inchworm was not difficult.

    However, because the battle took ce on a fast-moving train, the constantly changing space made it hard for him to use his silk threads for a quick resolution, and recklessly using mighty moves like his masterpieces risked involving other passengers. In the end, he had to pick up his basic Magic Power skills, which he had been neglecting for a while.

    In such a condition, even though he had defeated the Inchworm as quickly as possible, it took him a few steps longer than usual.

    After the light rail train stopped, and perhaps because it was his first time fighting outside of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s control, there were quite a few onlookers around after he defeated the Remnant Beast. He spent some extra time dispersing the crowd gathering around the Remnant Beast.

    Finally, after contacting Hong Si and exining the situation to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, he avoided the surrounding crowd who kept taking photos and took to the air, flying directly towards Sunset Middle School.

    As usual, he found a secluded alleyway, reverted to his true self after emerging from it, and ran towards his destination.

    Since he rushed off in a hurry, he left his umbre on the train, so he was forced to squint and press on through the pouring rain.

 Chapter 41: Chapter 37 Umbrella_2

    His face was still bleeding from the cuts made by ss shards when he broke out from the car window earlier, exposed to the pouring rain, causing an indescribable sting.

    This pain was negligible to him; what he truly cared about was the time: without a doubt, he was alreadyte.

    He had beente even before hended on the ground; now, he was just trying to mend the pen after the sheep were lost, wishfully thinking that he could hurry up a bit more.

    Yet, deep down, he also knew that Lin Xiaolu might not be there waiting for him.

    It was he who insisted oning to the parent-teacher meeting, something Lin Xiaolu wasn''t necessarily enthusiastic about;bined with such dreadful weather, even if he made it to the school, it might just be a way to satisfy himself.

    Let it be for self-satisfaction, then.

    Comforting himself with these thoughts, he saw the gate to Sunset Middle School emerge through the heavy rain and then quickened his pace once more, passing through a pedestrian side gate.

    Standing at the school entrance, he gasped for air, his chest heaving, scanning around the flowerbed in vain for the figure he imagined. In the end, he found nothing.

    No one was here, and naturally, neither was Lin Xiaolu.

    Gazing at the deserted flowerbed, Lin Yun''s heart sank: even though he had been prepared, facing this scene still made him sad.

    His heavy breathing dispersed in the rain, failing to take away the gloom within. He didn''t want to make excuses; the fact was he hadn''t made it on time.

    Just the thought of his daughter''s face, imagining the expression she would have due to his broken promise, filled him with regret.

    He had screwed up again.

    That''s what he thought, standing there, utterly bedraggled and for a moment, at a loss for what to do. He knew he could still make it to the parent-teacher meeting if he went into the school building now, but the greatest purpose of his trip was already lost.

    Before long, Lin Yun silently reached out his hand, his wet fingertips touching the phone in his pocket: at least he needed to ask which ssroom it was.

    ¡ª"Why did it turn out like this?"

    A somewhat familiar voice suddenly came from behind Lin Yun, and his hand paused in mid-air.

    Turning around, he saw Lin Xiaolu standing with an umbre, leaning against the pir beside the gate, looking at him puzzled.

    "Lulu..." he began, but found his voice slightly hoarse.

    "You''re toote, ten minuteste."

    Lin Xiaolu''s eyelids drooped as she raised her hand to reveal the glowing phone screen, the digital clock at the center disying the time: "It''s already 4:40."

    Lin Yun couldn''t respond, trying to pull a smile on his face to express his apology, but his awkward facial management failed to convey such a nuanced expression and ended up with a weird twist of his mouth.

    Bypassing Lin Yun''s series of strange actions, Lin Xiaolu simply nced at his distressed look, pointed to his still-bleeding face, and repeated her question: "Why did you end up like this?"

    "On the way, the light rail tram encountered a bit of an issue and suddenly stopped running..." Lin Yun exined.

    "Remnant Beasts?" Lin Xiaolu''s words left him speechless.

    "Ahem, no."

    He didn''t want Lin Xiaolu to realize that he was at the same ce as "Emerald Sparrow" at the time, so he cleared his throat roughly and said: "Why would you think of something as dangerous as Remnant Beasts?"

    "Because the Luoming Line was attacked by Remnant Beasts, it''s... what the news said." Lin Xiaolu paused in her speech, then, pointing to her cellphone, "You were on that light rail tram, weren''t you?"

    "No, I fell off a bike on the road."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Lin Yun tried to appear nonchnt: "The tram stopped running, so I had to scan a bike from the roadside."

    "Let''s put an end to theme lies," Lin Xiaolu said in a muffled voice.

    The man''s strained smile, now ovepping with the yful one her mother used to give when she was asionallyte, gradually merged with her memories.

    When she had once run away from home, and he hade to her ssmate''s house to find her, his haggard and weary appearance was the most disheveled she had remembered him. Today, he looked even more distressing: not only was his usually neat business attirepletely soaked, but his usually well-groomed hair also clung to his forehead like a pot lid, and the small wounds on his face were quite unsightly.

    Seeing the man who always appeared as a corporate elite transformed into this state, Lin Xiaolu thought she should feel likeughing, but for some reason, she just felt a bit of a sting in her nose. All of a sudden, she realized that adults often aren''t asposed as they seem on the surface.

    Looking at this man she knew so well yet felt so distant from, she felt for the first time that his rigid and silent exterior had cracked open a bit, allowing her a glimpse of something much more real.

    It was something she had once desperately longed for and something she had never considered up to now. It seemed that through this, she truly understood him a little better.

    So, her heart lightened, her furrowed brow rxed, and she raised her arm:

    "Catch."

    She handed out the umbre she was holding.

    "Huh?"

    Lin Yun, slightly bewildered, stared at the umbre Lin Xiaolu was offering and hesitantly epted it, "You mean..."

    "I stood at the school gate for half an hour holding it."

    Lin Xiaolu turned her face away, avoiding Lin Yun''s gaze, "Hold it for me; my arms are tired."

    And so she passed the umbre over, naturally standing beside Lin Yun and stepping under its shelter. She stretched her sore arms and shook the rain-soaked sleeves of her own.

    After a moment, seeing that Lin Yun still hadn''t moved, she looked up somewhat impatiently, "What are you standing there for? Don''t we have a parent-teacher meeting to attend?"

    "The parent-teacher meeting, yes, the parent-teacher meeting."

    In that instant, Lin Yun felt as if a warm current had cleansed his heart, joyful and somewhatforted. He gripped the umbre tighter and followed Lin Xiaolu as they stepped towards the school building.

    Father and daughter thus walked together, sharing an umbre, slowly making their way to the ssroom through the rain.

    The ck umbre swayed slightly amidst the heavy downpour, maintaining its small protected space, slowly disappearing into the rain curtain.

    Thunder rumbled in the sky, and the rain fell in gusts with the wind.

    Water pooled on the road surface, rippling as a snail was trapped in a puddle, its slow pace preventing escape, only able to retreat helplessly into its shell, waiting for the imminent death.

    Just then, from under the eaves nearby, a hand reached out, gently lifting the snail from the water and setting it on the dry ground beside.

    The owner of the hand, afterpleting this act, stepped back a few paces, retreating to a spot where the rain could not reach.

    Xia Liang squatted there alone.

    A look of satisfaction crossed her face as she quietly watched Lin Xiaolu and Lin Yun disappear into the distance, but as their figures vanished, a touch of destion appeared on her face.

    Staring nkly as the snail extended its tentacles from the shell and began to crawl slowly, she inexplicably thought about the night she pretended to run away from home and stayed at Lin Xiaolu''s ce.

    Or rather, the night she initiated the conversation, but after hearing Lin Xiaolu''s confession, blurted out a response.

    It was a sentence she dared not say too loudly, afraid to reveal her true feelings:

    "I really... envy you."

 Chapter 42: Chapter 38 Practice of the Magical Girls Magic Power

    "As I mentioned before, although magical girls use magic power almost instinctively due to the existence of a magic power source, it doesn''t mean we can''t control it precisely. The problem of your magic power being consumed too quickly arises not just from ack of magic power on your own, but fundamentally from using magic power without any restraint."

    It was now two days after the parents'' meeting, at night, in Lin Xiaolu''s home.

    Emerald Sparrow was sitting on her own sofa, lecturing two neers.

    Because there were some special arrangements for today, she had told her daughter two days in advance, in her identity as Lin Yun, that she needed to go on a business trip to the next city for one day and wouldn''t return home that night.

    Afterward, she informed the two neers in her identity as Emerald Sparrow that the next lesson might need to be moved indoors and that she would request a venue from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, asking if they had any objections.

    She hadn''t considered what kind of reaction would result frombining these two pieces of information, but the result was Lin Xiaolu volunteering to have the first indoor lesson at her own home.

    After pondering, Emerald Sparrow thought it was fine and agreed to go with the flow.

    The content of the lesson that day was about precise control over basic abilities, how to n the use of one''s own magic power.

    The four basic abilities of a Seed level magical girl are flight, enhancement, Magical Power Release, and Magical Power Perception. After all, it''s just the initial stage of ability awakening, so the means avable are very limited.

    As they advance to the Bud level and obtain magic power constructs and to the Leaf level where they learn to use Spell Techniques, thebat methods of magical girls will gradually diversify, and the differences in style will be increasingly apparent.

    However, no matter what stage, the basic abilities that they have from the Seed level are the most frequently used, so many further techniques have been derived from this foundation.

    For example, the ability to fly has derived techniques such as "Hover," "Magic Power Reception," "Bullet Launch," "Perpetual Flight," "Super Speed sh," and many more, which can change the effect of the flying ability and control the consumption of magic power more precisely.

    And Lin Xiaolu''s skills in controlling magic power could be described as terrible. For instance, when she flies, she always squanders magic power. Not only is her power consumption too fast, but her flying speed is also not fast. Moreover, due to the excessive waste of magic power, it has the effect of setting off fireworks, which, while spectacr,cks practicality.

    The purpose of Emerald Sparrow''s lecture today was to try to correct this shoring of hers, or at least to make clear the goal she should strive for in the future.

    Sitting there and talking for two continuous hours could make even a magical girl like herself thirsty. So she picked up the teacup in front of her, took a sip to moisten her throat, and then spoke again.

    "Anyway, that''s all for the technique side of things for now. But to forge iron, one must be strong oneself. Besides consciously controlling magic power consumption inbat, the reserve of your own magic power is also very important."

    She set down the cup and stretched out her right hand: "You''ve mentioned that the school has final exams before, and I haven''t inquired about them, but today I need to check on your progress in increasing your magic power."

    Several Favo Runes spread out from the palm of her hand, forming a halo around her arm, with the patterns within flickering on and off, looking like the magical formations from fictional stories.

    Clearly, this was some sort of special Spell Technique.

    Emerald Sparrow, with an expression of calm, signaled to the two neers, "Now transform and then release your magic power towards my rune array. This is the practical assessment of your magic power training."

    She had already emphasized the importance of daily practice to Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang in the first lesson she gave them, and had taught them methods that magical girls could use to improve themselves.

    The core strength of a magical girl lies in magic power and soul. The talent of a magical girl in her practice can be seen from her soul''s sensitivity to magic power and her innate total amount of magic power.

    But the strength of the soul and willpower can only be manifestedter in the awakening stage, so in the early stages, magic power is a more important indicator.

    The total amount of magic power of a magical girl is not absolute because magic power can increase with effort. The total amount of magic power of a genius who is content with the status quo and does not seek to improve can be surpassed by the continuous effort of a mediocre person.

    There are mainly two types of self-effort for growth, referred to by magical girls as "Strength Training" and "Spiritual Thought."

    The focus of Strength Training is to quickly increase magic power.

    This method is just like its name, increasing magic power by continuously using it. Not only duringbat but even in everyday life, one can actively release and practice it.

    Strength training, although quite significant for enhancing magic power, has virtually no effect on the soul. Moreover, using this method to increase magic power is more exhausting, and maintaining it long term requires a very strong will and perseverance.

    Spiritual Thought, on the other hand, can enhance both magic power and the soul, providing a more bnced approach.

    The underlying principle is to stimte one''s own soul through the magic power source within the Seed of Heart, allowing the soul to drive the magic power, mutually integrating and refining them, thereby achieving simultaneous growth of both powers.

    Of course, in terms of efficiency in increasing magic power, Spiritual Thought is actually much weaker than strength training, but its advantage lies in its steady progress.

    Both methods are neither superior nor mutually exclusive; they simply serve different purposes. Strength training is more suitable for Magical Girls who wish to rapidly increase their magic power in the short term, while Spiritual Thought is for daily practice.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Only by umtively practicing Spiritual Thought daily, allowing both the magic power and soul to meet the advancement criteria and their integration sufficient to form one''s essence, can a Seed-tier Magical Girl bloom into further capabilities and reach the Bud-tier.

    Under Emerald Sparrow''s watchful gaze, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang each transformed and then, with hesitant expressions, released their magic power.

    The pale blue and Jinzhi purple magic power took the form of two light trails, connecting to the rune array created by Emerald Sparrow. Amidst the variations of brightness and obscurity, plenty of information became known to Emerald Sparrow.

    To be honest, it was somewhat better than she had expected.

    If one must give a precise figure, with the least consumption for a single Magical Power Release as the unit, then Lin Xiaolu could release it approximately 50 times, and Xia Liang about 90 times; inparison, during their encounter with the Melting Chamber Remnant Beasts before, these numbers were around 40 and 75.

    To make such noticeable progress in less than a month while bncing daily life and magic power practice was enough to surprise Emerald Sparrow.

    "Hmm, satisfactory," Emerald Sparrow said, retracting the Spell Techniques array in front of her, and a trace of satisfaction appeared on her face. "Both of you have performed quite well."

    Upon hearing this, the two novices, anxious in their hearts, both sighed in relief.

    Indeed, for kids like them who didn''t enjoy studying, the evaluation from Emerald Sparrow made them more nervous than end-of-term school exams.

    Lin Xiaolu was well aware that pleasing the always-demanding Emerald Sparrow was already something to be proud of.

    Yet for her, this was not enough. Merely satisfying Emerald Sparrow was not her true desire.

    So, after passing this evaluation, and after hesitating several times, she chose to speak up, "Emerald Sparrow."

    "What is it?" Emerald Sparrow responded, looking toward her.

    As their eyes met¡ªhers calm and clear, like blue gemstones¡ªLin Xiaolu felt an indescribable pressure, and the words she had intended to say suddenly stuck in her throat.

    Would what she was about to say seem presumptuous? Would Emerald Sparrow think she was overreaching?

    A multitude of thoughts arose in her heart, causing her to regret her impulsiveness and unconsciously wanting to retreat.

    But as this desire to retreat just began to rise, she remembered the man standing in the rain days before and the feeling that had stirred within her upon meeting him:

    Adults aren''t always asposed as they appear on the surface.

    Emerald Sparrow, who had always prided herself as a mentor and adult, was it really as effortless for her as she made it seem?

    Thus, Lin Xiaolu clenched her fists, made up her mind once more, met Emerald Sparrow''s gaze, and said firmly,

    "How strong do I need to be to join you in battle when a crisis arises?"

 Chapter 43: Chapter 39: White Tiles, Character Tiles, Flower Tiles

    Lin Xiaolu''s question was quite sudden, which made Emerald Sparrow involuntarily retort, "Why do you want to ask that?"

    "Because that day, you said on the phone not toe over..." Lin Xiaolu replied in a low voice.

    "Do you think I was finding you useless?"

    Emerald Sparrow''s eyebrows raised slightly as she exined, "Not at all, I didn''t mean that."

    "But, Emerald Sparrow, you''ve actually been acting alone all this time, haven''t you?"

    Lin Xiaolu stared into Emerald Sparrow''s eyes: "There was a time before when you would always stare at something in your hand, lost in thought, and often mentioned investigating something. I''ve often thought: Could it be that Emerald Sparrow has been fighting alone in ces we don''t know about?"

    She clenched her own skirt, her voice gradually rising: "I know Emerald Sparrow is strong, but even so, I can''t help but worry. I don''t want to just anxiously fret in the background; I want to help you!"

    "That day wille."

    Emerald Sparrow looked down, her voice clear and cold, yet with a touch of reassurance: "You are neers, just needing time to grow. My generation will step off the stage, and the future will surely be yours."

    "The future, huh..."

    Chewing on the word, Lin Xiaolu pondered, then shook her head: "But, rather than the future, I think now is more important."

    "I''ve said before, I want to be a magical girl like you, Emerald Sparrow. I don''t want to get used to standing behind you and end up losing the courage to stand beside you."

    "So, I want to try to be stronger. I will be careful not to get hurt, and when there are Remnant Beasts that I can join in on, please let mee with you," she said earnestly.

    Her words were sincere, and the intensity of her feelings even stirred a subtle sense of envy in Emerald Sparrow.

    This was the envy felt by her fatherly self toward her magical girl self, resentful that the identity of Emerald Sparrow could make Lin Xiaolu open her heart so proactively.

    "...I''ve understood your sentiments, and I''m pleased."

    Suppressing the strange emotions in her heart, she decided to take Lin Xiaolu''s request seriously: "Since that''s the case, I will give you a specific answer."

    "First, I can take you with me when I go into battle, but if we encounter Inchworm-level or higher Remnant Beasts, I need you to watch from a distance, because those are indeed fights you cannot currently intervene in."

    "Second, you want to know how strong you need to be to help me; I will exin that to you now."

    "I''ve mentioned before that I am Flower Card certified, number 41076. As for what exactly a ''Flower Card'' is, has Moco told you about it?"

    Upon hearing this, Moco, who was drowsily lying in Xia Liang''s arms, twitched her ears and lifted her head in confusion: "Huh, what?"

    "The certification matter," Emerald Sparrow repeated.

    Looking puzzled, Moco said, "Certification... I haven''t talked about it yet. Is the Patrol envoy thinking of having Xiaolu and Xiaoliang take the certification test?"

    Moco appeared confused: "Didn''t this year''s exams already end? Isn''t it a bit too early to talk about this for them?"

    "It is a bit early, so I''m justying it out there as a goal for them," Emerald Sparrow said.

    Emerald Sparrow turned to Lin Xiaolu: "Let me first exin that the Magic Kingdom has a specific grading for a magical girl''sbat ability, known as ''certification cards'', just like this one."

    She took off the deep blue badge at her neckline, gesturing: "Certification cards, depending on the grade, are categorized from low to high into ''White Card'', ''Character Card'', and ''Flower Card''. Except for the ''Flower Card'', which is issued directly by the royal court, White and Character Cards are obtained through specific tests."

    "You and Xiaojin are currently uncertified magical girls. To advance to ''White Card'', you need to participate in the test held in the Magic Kingdom."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "However, the exams are usually scheduled for March, and it''s already June. You''ll have to wait until next year''s session. By then, if you continue to study diligently, you should be able to attain White Card certification."

    "Once you be a White Card, I will acknowledge that you can handle your own and allow you to join more dangerous battles; when you be a Character Card, you will be able to help me in perilous fights; and when you be a Flower Card, I can entrust my safety to you with peace of mind."

    "Flower Card..."

    Lin Xiaolu was taken aback, repeating the phrase to herself.

    Xia Liang, standing to the side, also seemed contemtive and then a bit eager to try.

    "Put the matter of the Flower Cards aside for now and think about your White Card exam. Even though it''s not until next March, given your current pace, you need to start preparing now, and frankly, time is quite tight."

    Emerald Sparrow extended her finger and said, "If you want to pass the exam next year... hmm, your summer vacation ising up, isn''t it?"

    Both of them nodded subconsciously.

    "Well then, for this entire summer vacation, I''ll put you through the devil''s training every day, striving to get all of you to Bud level and master your Magic Power Constructs within two months," dered Emerald Sparrow, pointing her finger at the two in front of her.

    "Eh, two months?"

    "Isn''t that a bit..."

    The two neers simultaneously showed a somewhat troubled expression because they knew from the past month of training how long it would take to reach the standard of Bud level.

    "That''s why I said it will be tense, you can drop out at any time," Emerald Sparrow said expressionlessly.

    "Umm... if it''s to help out Emerald Sparrow!"

    The uneasy feelings didn''t trouble Lin Xiaolu for long; she quickly weighed what was more important and reignited her fighting spirit.

    No matter how difficult the road ahead, she must try her best and catch up to Emerald Sparrow!

    That''s what she thought in her heart.

    ¡ª¡ª"However, speaking of exams and summer vacation, I have another question for you,"

    Emerald Sparrow picked up her teacup again, took a sip of tea, and let her bangs cover her eyes, "Bai Mei, Xiaokin, how did your end-of-term exams at school go?"

    As she asked the question, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang, who were still full of fighting spirit, felt a chill and involuntarily shuddered.

    No wonder, since the tone Emerald Sparrow used when bringing up this topic was several times colder than usual.

    As for the reason why, we have to trace back to the parent-teacher conference two days ago.

    Braving the heavy rain and rushing to the school, Lin Yun went to Lin Xiaolu''s ss, and then received a report card that made him suspect there had been a printing error.

    Out of a hundred points: Chinese 77, Mathematics 53, English 63, Physics 42... The scores on the report card were not just shocking, they were practically unbearable to look at.

    It would have been enough to stop there, but after the parent-teacher conference ended, Lin Xiaolu''s form teacher specifically asked him to stay behind. Without mentioning his external embarrassment out of politeness, the teacher first criticized him for beingte and suggested that he was not setting a good example for his child; then he earnestly told him to pay attention to his child''s education issues.

    Lin Yun was truly at a loss for words, only able to offer an apologetic smile and say sorry. Then he went home with his daughter who had a somewhat guilty look in her eyes.

    On the way, he tried to bring up the matter of her grades, but Lin Xiaolu''s attitude was defiant, giving off the impression that she couldn''t care less, leaving him at a loss for what to say next.

    After considering it all, he felt there was only one most efficient way.

    Looking at the photos of the two report cards on her phone, Emerald Sparrow fell into thought.

    If Lin Xiaolu''s grades could still be described as ordinarily bad, then Xia Liang''s were nothing short of appalling.

    "Failing all subjects? A single-digit score in mathematics?"

    Looking up at Xia Liang, who was sitting there properly and looking the part of a good, studious girl, Emerald Sparrow took a deep breath and turned off her phone''s screen.

    "Since it hase to this, there''s no other way."

    She crossed her arms and looked at the two before her with a serious gaze, "Starting today, we''ll enter the devil''s training stage, and in addition to preparing for your certification test, there will be one more item."

    ¡ª¡ª"Every night, you''ll have to study properly."

 Chapter 44: Chapter 40: Summer Night Study Session

    In the eyes of ordinary people, Magical Girls are synonymous with being extraordinary. Although some regard them as part of a conspiracy or a hoax, most are eager to believe that Magical Girls are mysterious, powerful, and radiant.

    They vanquish dreadful monsters without ever asking for anything in return, their existence so pure and beautiful.

    If you were to conduct a survey in any elementary or middle school asking girls what their dreams are, "Magical Girl" would undoubtedly be among the top choices.

    Longing and desire are the main motivations for this, but there''s also an unspoken reason:

    Bing a Magical Girl provides an excuse not to study anymore.

    "I''m already a hero protecting humanity and involved in such dangerous battles. Is studying really still necessary?"

    Holding this thought, it''s not umon for Magical Girls to abandon their studies.

    Even though retired Magical Girls cannot disclose their identities, rumors on the inte¡ªoften baseless¡ªsuffice to confirm that the lives of Magical Girls who retire normally are quitefortable.

    Fighting Remnant Beasts allows them to exchange Echoes for contribution and rewards, and a substantial wealth subsidy is avable after a standard ten-year service upon retirement. This means that retired Magical Girls can livefortably even without working.

    Emerald Sparrow''s unique experiences meant she didn''t get to enjoy these benefits, but that didn''t mean she couldn''t imagine them.

    The reason she hoped Lin Xiaolu would study hard was because she believed: In the future, when Lin Xiaolu returned to society, she might not have to work, but she must notck the ability to work, lest she be a digitally illiterate person with no education.

    This is a simple expectation of a parent.

    She had seen what the lives of the most lethargic, shut-in, retired Magical Girls could look like.

    It was that of a retired Magical Girl she once visited, who lived in a luxury bachelor apartment filled with an odd smell. The ce was cluttered with all sorts of trash: takeout containers scattered across the floor, beer cans, and dirty clothes strewn about everywhere.

    Because of her high standards, she continuously failed to find a suitable marriage partner; she spent her days addicted to video games, enjoying the feeling of being ttered online as a wealthy woman; she ran a stream with a virtual image resembling her transformed self, though barely anyone watched, leading a life as stagnant as mud.

    Just thinking about Lin Xiaolu turning into that, and associating it with the social news of young shut-ins treating their parents like servants, made Emerald Sparrow feel almost suffocated.

    "You''re not getting this angle?"

    Sitting beside Lin Xiaolu''s desk, Emerald Sparrow saw Lin Xiaolu looking puzzled at a math problem, and leaned in closer.

    Lin Yun had maintained good grades during her student days. Although she didn''t make it into a prestigious university, she didplete her master''s degree. So, handling some middle school-level science knowledge was not difficult for her.

    She quickly reviewed the question and, after some thought, began to solve it, carefully writing out each step to avoid skipping too much and confusing the two children.

    As for her handwriting, she wasn''t worried¡ªit was slightly different than usual. Besides, Lin Xiaolu had hardly ever seen Lin Yun''s handwriting growing up, so it was unlikely to trigger any associations.

    The pen, a rollerball, made a "tap, tap" sound as it intermittently touched the notebook, with Lin Xiaolu propping her cheeks with her hands, Xia Liang supporting the back of Lin Xiaolu''s chair, the two of them maintaining such a posture as they watched Emerald Sparrow solve the problem.

    "Hmm... So, why are angle AOE and angle DOE equal?" After watching for some time, Xia Liang suddenly asked.

    Emerald Sparrow paused in her writing, lifted her pen, and made an imaginary line along OE: "Because OE is the angle bisector of angle AOD."

    "Why?" Xia Liang pressed on.

    Looking up at her, Emerald Sparrow pointed with her pen to a line in the problem: "Look, it says here in the question, this is a given condition."

    "But these two angles don''t look the same size on the diagram?" Xia Liang pointed at the illustration on the paper, still puzzled.

    "...That''s just a mistake in the drawing by the person who set the problem. They are actually the same," Emerald Sparrow patiently exined.

    "They clearly aren''t the same?" Xia Liang looked confused, an expression quite different from her usual feigned silliness; it was obvious she truly didn''t understand.

    Realizing this, Emerald Sparrow could only helplessly say, "Yes, in this case, you go by the text."

    She now understood how Xia Liang had been achieving those sorts of grades in mathematics.

    It wasn''t intentional mischief, nor had there been an ident. It was simply because she really didn''t understand the material. To make things worse, she had an overactive imagination when it came to things she didn''t grasp.

    As the saying goes, the answer exnations of top students converge despite different approaches, while the mistakes of poor students are bizarre and varied. Each struggling student has a unique misunderstanding of the things they cannot do.

    Luckily, although Xia Liang was a genuine underachiever, under Emerald Sparrow''s supervision, she still had some will to learn and was quite intelligent. As long as Emerald Sparrow made the problems clear, she was able to understand quickly.

    As for Lin Xiaolu, her grades had always been better than Xia Liang''s, although her mind was rtively slow, and she clearly took longer to understand things. Armed with a somewhat stronger foundation, keeping up with Emerald Sparrow in their studies wasn''t too difficult.

    Emerald Sparrow sat at the table, urging the two girls to start from the beginning and study the knowledge for each subject. Whenever they encountered points they didn''t understand, she would exin them personally, and things proceeded rtively smoothly.

    Her voice was cool and crisp, sounding like a thrush''s gentle song, and even when she exined mathematical problems that the two girls usually couldn''t fathom, it sounded quite pleasant to the ears.

    The moon hung in the azure sky as the girls listened to Emerald Sparrow''s voice, sometimes pondering, sometimesing to realizations. The night study session gradually fell into a good rhythm.

    And so, when the time passed ten o''clock and Lin Xiaolu began to yawn and show signs of fatigue, Emerald Sparrow closed the textbook in her hand and said softly, "That''s enough for today."

    "Ah, it''s finally over¡­"

    "So exhausting."

    It was as if they had been "released from prison," and the previously serious faces of the two girls instantly became filled withments.

    Seeing both of their disheartened looks, Emerald Sparrow sighed, although she knew there was a suspicion of feigning pitifulness, "If you could study with this efficiency every evening, you wouldn''t have to do this every day."

    She had already looked through the girls'' junior high textbooks, and if she just focused on exining the difficult and important points, a summer vacation would be more than enough to cover the material.

    With these words, the previously downcast pair perked up, their expressions changing so swiftly it was clear there was no attempt to hide their feelings.

    But then again, why not let it slide when they could be considered her "juniors"?

    Looking at them, Emerald Sparrow''s eyes softened somewhat.

    The long night of teaching and studying was over, and Lin Xiaolu needed to wash up and rest, so it was time for everyone to part ways.

    After bidding farewell to the two with a smile, Xia Liang walked out of the apartment building where Lin Xiaolu lived alone.

    Gazing at the few dim street lights still shining on the road, the smile that had been on Xia Liang''s face gradually faded, revealing a hint of bewilderment.

    Had there been nothing else on her agenda, she would have transformed into a Magical Girl and flown straight home by now. That was how she had always left Lin Xiaolu''s ce in the past, but now, she felt disinclined to do so.

    She wanted to walk on this night-time road.

    The study session with Emerald Sparrow and Lin Xiaolu, while not unpleasant in feeling, had stirred a subtle restlessness in her.

    Like a dream, she had be the legendary Magical Girl, gained like-mindedpanions, and a devoted mentor. To her former self, this was a happiness she wouldn''t have dared to imagine. Yet, these days, she felt an increasing sense of emptiness inside.

    The void in her heart remained unfilled, still thirsting for something, and as time passed, it continued to grow, asserting its presence to her such that she could not ignore it.

    What exactly was this feeling of emptiness?

    On the night road, Xia Liang walked with her head down, constantly examining herself. With each step forward, her shadow under the lights stretched and shortened, again and again.

    After passing several intersections in silence, just as she was about to enter another district, she suddenly sensed something and stopped in her tracks.

    "That... I''ve been wanting to ask since a while ago,"

    she said with a puzzled look, smiling helplessly as she turned around, "Little junior, why have you been following me all this time?"

    Not far under the streetlight, Emerald Sparrow stood boldly. In the darkness of the night, light bathed her figure, making her stand out conspicuously.

    She should have left in another direction, but there she was, following behind Xia Liang without any attempt to hide her presence,

    and upon hearing Xia Liang''s query, she responded indifferently in a t tone, "I''m nning to go to your house."

    "... Why?" Xia Liang asked, taken aback.

    "If you want a reason, there''s nothing special, really," said Emerald Sparrow, hand on her hip, her face devoid of any excess expression, as if what she was about to say was indeed trivial.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    But when she actually said it, Xia Liang''s heart raced:

    ¡ª¡ª"It''s just that, I suddenly felt like running away from home too."

 Chapter 45: Chapter 41 Late Night House Visit

    On the day of the parent-teacher meeting, Lin Yun noticed Xia Liang standing alone under the porch of the library.

    It was purely by chance.

    Had he not nced in that direction while passing the library, preupied with thoughts of his daughter''s education after the meeting, he would never have realized that Xia Liang was leaning there alone, disying a gloomy expression so different from her usual demeanor.

    It was precisely that scene that led him at the time to decide he must find time to properly understand Xia Liang''s situation.

    After all, having known Xia Liang for only a month as Emerald Sparrow, he had vaguely perceived many peculiar things about the child.

    The subtle attitude when they first met in Electric Street; the personality entirely different from the one Lin Xiaolu described from her school; the hesitant words when she imed she had run away from home; and the lonely expression she showed when alone at the parent-teacher meeting... all these concerning behaviors seemed to point to a fact: Xia Liang''s rtionship with her family did not appear to be optimistic.

    This led to today''s visit, under the pretext of a study session, when Emerald Sparrow decided to take a look at Xia Liang''s home.

    Xia Liang''s house was also in the Sunset District, in an old neighborhood on the edge of the third ring road around Fangting City, said to be built over twenty years ago.

    She was unwilling to fly, so Emerald Sparrow did not ask, silently following behind her. They entered the neighborhood, turned a corner, and saw rows of worn six-story residential buildings.

    The buildings were spaced apart, with older housing structures that seemed suitable for installing exterior elevators, easier to maintain, perhaps?

    A variety of thoughts sprouted in Emerald Sparrow''s mind as she looked at the rows of buildings, and then she shook her head, dismissing the messy ideas from her thoughts.

    Walking up the stairwell into one of the buildings, they soon arrived at Xia Liang''s home.

    "Pleasee in."

    Xia Liang opened the door, pressed the light switch in the entrance hall, and motioned to Emerald Sparrow, "No one wears these slippers by the door, so you can just pick any pair you like."

    Emerald Sparrow looked down at the ground and indeed found several pairs of slippers of different sizes arranged neatly as Xia Liang had said.

    Is there no one at home?

    This scene raised doubts in her mind, but she remained silent, just nodding to Xia Liang.

    After changing into the slippers and walking into the living room, the entirety of the house came into view: The interior space was notrge, and though it was themonyout of three bedrooms and a living room, the total area was rtively small. The home''s decor and furniture were somewhat outdated, but clean and tidy, which gave it a somewhat austere warmth.

    What was particrly strange was that Emerald Sparrow hardly saw any household appliances in the house.

    Not only was there ack of white goods, but there was also no television in the living room. In front of the wall where a couch faced, there clearly was a TV stand, yet only a vase sat atop it.

    Furthermore, this setup rendered the house somewhat lifeless, or to say, without the breath of living.

    If there were no voices, the entire home was silent, only the hum of the fluorescent light in the living room ceiling was audible.

    "Would you like some tea?" Xia Liang asked with a smile as she walked to the tea cab in the dining room.

    "No need," Emerald Sparrow, still looking around, responded casually.

    "Then you must be too tired and nning to rest?"

    Xia Liang blinked and said, "But before resting, you should take a bath, right? Though heating the water might take a little time."

    "No rush..." replied the distracted Emerald Sparrow.

    "Where would you like to sleep if you''re sleeping over?"

    Before she could finish, Xia Liang interrupted, "There''s a spare room, and the bedding has been washed. But if you like, you can sleep with me, though?"

    "I''m morefortable sleeping alone."

    "Eh? Since you''re here already, isn''t it better to sleep together? I actually quite fancy sleeping with you."

    "No trouble, I''m just simply staying for one night."

    "Should I go and prepare the bedding in the single room then?"

    "We don''t need this for now."

    "Ah, why don''t you sit down first?"

    "...Xiaojin."

    Interrupting Xia Liang''s rapid-fire questions, Emerald Sparrow calmly looked at her and asked directly, "Is there no one else at your home?"

    Her question plunged Xia Liang into silence.

    Perhaps it would be more urate to say that Xia Liang had been relentlessly asking questions, even willing to interrupt Emerald Sparrow in an attempt to change the subject, as a form of avoidance. She had guessed the question Emerald Sparrow might ask next and had been continuously evading, not wishing to touch upon the subject.

    Xia Liang kept the smile on her face, but it became unnatural. After a long silence, as if resigned to her fate, the smile that seemed to be for show finally copsed into a look of helplessness: "They''re not here."

    "Not here as in...?" Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but frown.

    "Not here means not here; they''re not in this house, and they will never return," Xia Liang said lightly.

    She looked at Emerald Sparrow with aplex expression, and Emerald Sparrow also silently looked back at her. The buzzing sound from the light overhead continued, annoyingly loud.

    "Huh¡ª"

    After a while, Xia Liang averted her gaze and sat down on the sofa, letting out a sigh as if she had shed some burden, and asked, "Did youe over here because you wanted to confirm this?"

    "That''s right." Still pondering the meaning of "not here," Emerald Sparrow responded without hesitation.

    "Why did you notice?" Xia Liang turned her head to look at her, "Was it because of the conversation we had in Lin Xiaolu''s living room before?"

    "Not entirely."

    Emerald Sparrow too walked to the edge of the living room sofa and sat down along the armrest: "Rather than that conversation, a more significant reason is that you seem very lonely."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Lonely?"

    Reaching a hand to her cheek, Xia Liang first appeared a bit dazed, then broke into a bitter, self-deprecating smile: "Why would it be loneliness... Could it really be that obvious?"

    "Consider it an adult''s intuition."

    Emerald Sparrow looked down, swiftly moving past the topic: "After all, we''rerades now, so I felt I should know more about you. I hope you''re not offended."

    Xia Liang was, without a doubt, a member of Fangting City''s Magical Girl squad. In theory, everyone should let their guard down and be more united. However, Lin Xiaolu harbored unteral hostility towards Xia Liang, which meant progress in their rtionship was always minimal.

    Emerald Sparrow initially thought she should let the younger generation resolve such emotional issues on their own. But seeing how the situation was bing increasingly severe, it wasn''t wise to continue to ignore it, and she had to take matters into her own hands.

    At this moment, having decided to act, it was even more necessary to delve deeper and understand the real answers.

    "...Junior, that''s a pretty sly way to put it."

    Hearing Emerald Sparrow''s exnation, Xia Liang''s smile turned a bit more bitter: "You put it that way, and now I really have no room to avoid answering, do I?"

    She leaned back on the sofa, looking distracted, then closed her eyes: "But I also feel, both Junior and Lin Xiaolu are trustworthy. I shouldn''t keep these things buried in my heart."

    "So, please don''t take it too seriously, just take it as a diversion and listen to my story."

    Her tone slowed down, almost nostalgically, as she began to recount: "This is indeed my home, the ce where our family of three once lived, but now, I am the only one here."

    "My father is dead." Xia Liang slowly lifted her head, "My mother is in prison."

    At her words, Emerald Sparrow''s eyes gradually widened.

    The fluorescent light overhead was still bright, but at that moment, even the irritating hum of the electricity briefly vanished.

    After another pause, Xia Liang turned to look at Emerald Sparrow, her voice rough: "The reason is, she killed my father."

 Chapter 46: Chapter 42: The Good Child

    Xia Liang always remembered a phrase from her childhood: Good children are loved.

    These words from her mother, back when her parents were still affectionate and life was happy, echoed in her mind, "Is our little puppy obedient? Only good children are loved, and Mommy likes good children too."

    "Little puppy" was her nickname at that time because she liked to bite people when she was angry, so whenever she opened her mouth, her parents wouldugh and say, "The little puppy is biting again."

    Xia Liang felt that she wasn''t a little dog, and she could be very well-behaved. From then on, she rarely bit anyone when she was angry.

    She became the good child in the eyes of her parents and their friends.

    She was sweet and affectionate at home, earning her parents'' doting love with her sweet smiles; in social settings, she was sensible and polite, eliciting praise from rtives and elders; at school, she was obedient and diligent, serving as a role model for her ssmates.

    The harder she tried to be more well-behaved and sensible, the happier and more fulfilling her life seemed to be, and Xia Liang grew ustomed to this. But everything changed a few yearster.

    She didn''t know whether the cause was her father''s mention of "finding another job" or her mother''s talk of "being swindled out of arge sum of money," but from then on, she seldom saw smiles on her parents'' faces.

    Her father always wore a frown when he came home, and her mother frequently sighed and became more irritable.

    Whenever this happened, Xia Liang would step forward, trying to cheer them up and make them smile.

    This approach worked at first; when Xia Liang put on her cute and obedient act, her parents would force a smile andugh with her. But as time went on, no matter how hard Xia Liang tried, it was no longer effective.

    She found it strange, wondering if it was because she wasn''t well-behaved enough to make her parents happy anymore.

    One day, she discovered that her mother started taking money from the house.

    Her mother imed she could earn money, but after bringing some back at the beginning, the money she took never returned.

    Her father began toe home less often, and even when he did, it was only to argue with her mother, angrily using her of "gambling the family''s money away," while her mother used him of "being unemployed and having an affair."

    At that time, Xia Liang scarcely understood these words; she knew gambling and affairs were bad, but she had never imagined they would happen in her own home.

    She mustered her courage, for the first time deciding not to be the good child, because she wanted to convince them to stop fighting¡ªconstant arguing would surely harm their rtionship.

    But this attempt failed, and her parents dismissed her, telling her to "get out of the way."

    So Xia Liang reverted to being the good child again. No matter how her parents fought, she stopped trying to interfere, but instead kept showing them her smiling face.

    She continued to study hard at school, bringing home many certificates, hoping her good performance would make her parents a bit happier. Yet, these certificates ended up being tossed carelessly on the table, as if they were mere scraps of paper.

    As the parental fights escted into violence one day, the certificates were soaked by spilled boiling water, their inscriptions rendered illegible.

    Eventually, her father began to hit her mother, and then insisted on getting a divorce.

    He dered he''d had enough of such a woman, he had a new love, and he wanted to choose his own happiness.

    Her mother, undoubtedly, disagreed. She had yet to prove that she was the backbone of the family, that she could recoup the lost money; she believed that her father was equally responsible for this.

    Household items were sold off, and the conflict between her parents intensified, leaving Xia Liang to hide behind a crack in the door watching their quarrels before returning to her homework.

    ¡ªShe had to be the good child because good children are liked.

    Then one night, she heard her father in a rage.

    He yelled, "Why did you touch my personal money, I''ll kill you, you wretched¡­".

    Her mother was screaming too, saying, "If you dare, just try and hit me!"

    And then, they really came to blows. Among the dull thuds, roars, and screams, when Xia Liang cautiously peered out from the door, she could only see her mother, standing blood-stained, holding a knife, and her father lying motionless at her feet.

    "Come here."

    That was the first thing her mother said when she saw Xia Liang.

    Xia Liang felt afraid because her mother''s voice was devoid of warmth, and the knife was gripped tightly in her hand.

    But she was a good child, and good children obey. Mommy liked good children, so she had toply.

    She walked over.

    Her mother stabbed her with a knife.

    The sensation was painful, very ufortable, but Xia Liang still remembered she needed to be a good child, so even though she screamed in pain, she held back her tears and did not cry.

    The police who broke in took away her mother, and also took away Xia Liang, who had nearly been killed.

    In the end, as she watched her mother being taken away, she struggled and showed her mother the ingratiating smile she always had.

    ¡ª¡ª"Stop smiling so foolishly."

    That''s what her mother said, "It makes me sick."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    In that moment, it was as if something shattered within Xia Liang''s heart, leaving behind nothing but a pitch-ck, bottomless void.

    Just like that, she lost her parents.

    Rtives were unwilling to take care of her, and inexplicably, the family members who used to visit asionally had long stopped associating with her family.

    Xia Liang became a child nobody wanted.

    She didn''t want to leave home, but neither did anyone want to take care of her, so she lived alone in that house, surviving on the subsidies provided by the municipal government.

    In school, the ssmates who had disliked and rejected her for being "the good child from someone else''s family" got wind of the rumors somehow. They started shouting that her mother was a murderer and turned it into a rhyming chant, singing it whenever they saw Xia Liang.

    The school teachers were also powerless, unable to control the children''s behavior in private no matter how they scolded them in ss. It was only on thest day of elementary school, as the children graduated, that a teacher spoke to Xia Liang in a tone tinged with the frustration of unmet hopes:

    "They''ve all acted like this, so why can you, silly child, still manage to smile?"

    Why could she still smile? Xia Liang didn''t know the answer to that herself.

    In fact, was she really still smiling?

    There was no longer anyone who would see her smiles, no point in showing off her docile nature, but she still did so subconsciously.

    So, upon entering middle school, due to the rumors from elementary school, still no one wanted to be her friend.

    No matter how Xia Liang fawned or ingratiated herself, everyone would only avoid her in fear.

    The only ones willing to ept her were those referred to by others as "tough girls" and "delinquents." They thought that the fact Xia Liang''s mother killed someone and went to jail was really cool.

    "But you look too in."

    That''s how they described her, "Want to join us? Fix yourself up first, okay?"

    So Xia Liang learned to put on makeup.

    If dressing up well made them ept her, then she would dress up; if acting frivolously matched their mindset, then she would mimic them; if it required money for them to see her for who she was, then she''d give them money.

    To be epted, to be cared for, to hear words offort, to have close rtionships, to have "love."

    The emptiness in her heart could not be filled, and like a dying person clutching at straws, she followed in the footsteps of these "friends," hoping they would turn back and look at her.

    Until she reached the edge of the quagmire, and saw her friends standing in it, beckoning to her.

    She began to want to refuse, to back away, but she was firmly trapped, an unnamed force pushing her, trying to shove her into it.

    There was no turning back.

    When she had given up, ready to calmly ept that future, another force appeared, firmly pulling her back from behind.

    Then, someone grabbed her wrist and lifted her out of the endless darkness into the azure sky.

    That beautiful blue was the color of the sky, just as clear as the pair of eyes facing her.

    She asked herself:

    "Do you want to be a Magical Girl?"

 Chapter 47: Chapter 43 The Privilege Called "Caprice

    "Bing a Magical Girl," this event shone like a light into Xia Liang''s ordinary life, offering her an escape, a chance to save herself.

    So much so that she didn''t hesitate, not even stopping to consider what she might have to give up, and chose to ept.

    "Because for me, that was the first time in many years that I''d felt needed," Xia Liang said, her eyes flickering as she looked at Emerald Sparrow.

    "I was lucky. At that time, the invitation from you and Xiao Lu, to be a Magical Girl, was aplete surprise, a dreamlike experience."

    "Then why do you feel troubled now?" Emerald Sparrow nodded, maintaining a calm demeanor as she continued to ask questions. However, after hearing the "story" from Xia Liang''s mouth, her heart was far from as serene as it appeared.

    She didn''t offer immediatefort because she was well aware that Xia Liang had endured much to reach today, to maintain her current moral character rather than bepletely consumed by past experiences and a dreary life. What she needed was not "sympathy."

    She wasn''t telling this story to seek such fruitless emotions. Sympathy, to personal suffering, was the most lightweight, the cheapest form of benevolence requiring no responsibility.

    If she hadn''t known Xia Liang and had only heard of a tragedy through social news, she would''ve expressed her sympathy without a second thought; but she knew Xia Liang, the Magical Girl she had chosen for Fangting City and her daughter''s future team¡ªa real person in front of her, waiting to be guided, and she needed to genuinely help her.

    "Why the trouble? Honestly, I''m also confused about my feelings right now," Xia Liang admitted, touching her chest involuntarily, her expression lost. "Without a doubt, I feel happy, this month has been more meaningful than the past year, but where does this emptinesse from?"

    ...Is it fundamentally "loneliness"?

    Emerald Sparrow remained silent, making her judgment internally.

    Putting herself in Xia Liang''s shoes, living alone in this house filled with both happy and sad memories. After her duties as a Magical Girl were done,ing back to face solitude every day, she would feel lonely too.

    Realizing this, she knew what she should say.

    "Xiaojin."

    After gathering her thoughts, Emerald Sparrow began, "What are your feelings towards your mother now?"

    Without a doubt, Xia Liang''s mother had the most significant impact on her development. Yet, the idea of "being a good child" that her mother instilled in her led to Xia Liang''s current self-doubt.

    Emerald Sparrow believed that she might not be able to eradicate the influence of this idea on Xia Liang with just a few words, but at least she had to tell her what was right.

    "My mother? To be honest, I''m not clear myself," Xia Liang pondered Emerald Sparrow''s question, her head drooping in contemtion. "I guess I still have some attachment to her? That''s why I''ve been seeking an answer from her, but since then, no matter how many times I visit the prison, shepletely refuses to see me."

    "Then, if I may be so bold,"

    Sitting up straight, Emerald Sparrow looked at Xia Liang earnestly, "I think what your mother said was wrong."

    "...Many people have told me that," Xia Liang lifted her head, chuckling dryly. "But no one has ever exined why. What do you think, senior?"

    "Because ''obedience'' and ''being loved'' have no causal rtionship," Emerald Sparrow said with a cold expression, yet her tone was very serious.

    It was crucial for her to help Xia Liang sort out these thoughts, to understand the difference between the two.

    "Haha, that''s true. Although, I actually came to that realization a long time ago," after a moment of shock, Xia Liang spoke with a touch of bitterness. "I know that being obedient is useless. If only I had stood up for myself sooner before that day, perhaps I wouldn''t have had to be a child without a home? After all, back then, I was just constantly self-satisfying,forting myself."

    "The human heart isplicated, so don''t me yourself for these things; you''ve done very well,"

    Shaking her head, Emerald Sparrow interrupted her self-reproach, "Besides, I want to say that there''s nothing wrong with being obedient; well-behaved children should be praised andmended. However, at the same time, ''willfulness'' is actually a child''s privilege."

    "Willfulness?" Xia Liang was momentarily stunned.

    "Willfulness," Emerald Sparrow affirmed calmly.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    With eyes widening, Xia Liang said, puzzled, "But surely, being willful would just annoy adults and then they''d dislike you, right?"

    "You''re imagining adults too one-dimensionally,"

    Emerald Sparrow pressed down with one hand, signaling her to listen patiently, "Constant willfulness can indeed be annoying, but appropriate willfulness is also a form of endearment. It could even be seen as a way of acting spoiled."

    "Huh?" Xia Liang voiced her astonishment, "Even if you say that..."

    "A child who is too obedient, because they never act willfully, they never express their desires, they appear too perfect and idealized, and that might make bad adults feel ipetent,"

    Lowering her gaze, Emerald Sparrow exined slowly, "In front of such a sensible child, adults don''t feel capable, they might even need the child to console them, as if they are the ones who arepletely unreasonably acting like children."

 Chapter 48: Chapter 43 The Privilege Called "Caprice"_2

    "If it were ordinary parents, they would reflect on whether they were inadequate; but for those whose hearts arepletely filled with darkness, they would alienate, reject, and even grow weary of such children."

    "If I were to specte, that must have been what your mother felt in the end. When you tried tofort her, it only hurt her pride."

    "So, you see, you are not in the wrong ¨C it was your mother who was not up to the task. When ying the roles of mother and daughter, she failed far more than you did."

    Emerald Sparrow had said all this and, seeing Xia Liang trying to understand, she did not speak further, giving her time to digest it.

    Xia Liang, in her repeated contemtion, found that she didn''t know how to refute Emerald Sparrow.

    "...In that case, what should I do?"

    After a long silence, she said softly, "Even now that I realize all this, it''s toote to make amends."

    "I''ve said before, it''s not your fault to begin with, so what is there to mend?"

    Feeling a headache over Xia Liang''s obsession with this matter, Emerald Sparrow sighed, "If you really can''t let go, then just keep it stored away for now and look forward."

    Xia Liang remained silent, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

    "Like I said before, how about learning to be willful first?"

    Emerald Sparrow''s tone softened as she lifted her index finger, "Not just smiling to please others, but learning to be a little selfish, to consider your own interests."

    "That sounds a bit difficult."

    Xia Liang forced a smile, her expression strained, "And even if I need to learn to be willful, how do I do it?"

    "You can start by showing your true feelings to your teammates: Bai Mei and me."

    Emerald Sparrow turned her lifted index finger to point at herself, "Even now, I am here."

    "What?"

    "I am an adult who can ept and tolerate willfulness, so you can try expressing the thoughts you''ve suppressed, and I won''t dislike you for it."

    Emerald Sparrow offered her analysis calmly, "Whether you think my teaching is too strict, or my attitude too indifferent, start by voicing these things. Even if I might not ept them, it will definitely help us understand each other."

    "Wow, that''s amazing!"

    Upon hearing this, Xia Liang showed something like admiration for the first time tonight, her tone even rose a little, "Junior, you really sound like an adult when you say that!"

    "There''s no ''sound like'', I am an adult, much older than all of you," Emerald Sparrow retorted, pulling down her eyelid.

    "So, how should I begin?" Ignoring Emerald Sparrow''sst remark and setting upon a new target, Xia Liang began to ponder.

    "Start with everyday life, whether it''s school or your Magical Girlpanions, do you feel any dissatisfaction?" Emerald Sparrow offered her suggestion.

    "I, I feel..."

    Xia Liang looked up, seemingly thinking hard, "I feel... am I being ostracized?"

    "At school?"

    "...No, in the squad." Xia Liang nced at Emerald Sparrow stealthily.

    "The squad?"

    It took a few seconds for Emerald Sparrow to grasp what Xia Liang was trying to say, and she arched an eyebrow, "Ostracized? Why do you feel that way?"

    "Probably because Xiaolu is somewhat biased, no, Junior, you''re biased too?"

    As if she had figured out a crucial point, Xia Liang pped her hands, stating confidently, "Right, both of you are biased!"

    "Junior, even though you always seem cold to everyone, you always show a bit more care towards Xiaolu; Xiaolu is even worse, so enthusiastic towards you, Junior, but always fierce with me!"

    Xia Liang''s eyes widened, her speech elerating, "Even though I find her behavior funny, being treated that way all the time can sometimes feel hurtful!"

    Maybe it''s because she finds angering her "funny" that she''s being ostracized, she thought to herself, without uttering the words aloud. Emerald Sparrow looked at Xia Liang with some inexplicable expression, carefully choosing her words and acknowledging her sentiment:

    "Bai Mei and I knew each other earlier, so we are indeed more familiar with each other."

    "I don''t think it''s for that reason. The level of mutual concern between you and Xiaolu is definitely not that simple."

    Xia Liang frowned, showing a rare sign of displeasure, "Xiaolu said that you saved her, so she admires you a lot. What about you, Junior? You say you are an adult, a mature Magical Girl, speaking of which, Xiaolu mentioned something about her father nning to remarry..."

    At that, Xia Liang seemed to realize something, her face showing a mix of rm and fear as she quickly covered her mouth.

    But by then, it was clearly toote to perform that action, Emerald Sparrow had already taken three steps in two and moved in front of her, delivering a hard knock to her head.

    "Ouch!" Xia Liang screamed.

    "Recklessly ndering doesn''t fall within the ''capricious'' category, talking nonsensees with a price," she said.

    Emerald Sparrow sat back on the sofa, arms crossed: "That was a warning, I didn''t use much force, but next time it might not be the case."

    "I won''t dare next time," Xia Liang said, holding her forehead.

    "Anyway, I admit that the problem you mentioned exists, so what do you want?"

    Bringing the conversation back on track, Emerald Sparrow continued to ask, "To learn to be capricious, you first need to face your own true thoughts. You feel that I''m biased, so how would you like me to change?"

    "Let me think..."

    Contemting her response, Xia Liang said, "Maybe ask me when you have questions about the lessons during ss? Don''t just ask Xiaolu?"

    "I''ll pay attention," Emerald Sparrow nodded.

    "Also, don''t always notify mest when you find Remnant Beasts!"

    "...Sorry."

    "Just now during the study session, I actually didn''t understand a lot of things!"

    "I will teach you."

    "When I do well in my magic power practice, praise me more, because I actually work very hard!"

    "And there''s more..."

    As if opening the floodgates, Xia Liang began to list one demanding requirement after another as soon as she voiced the first.

    Some of these requests were indeed things that Emerald Sparrow hadn''t properly addressed, while others were trivial matters, things that Emerald Sparrow wouldn''t have noticed unless Xia Liang voiced them at this moment.

    Even though the usual Xia Liang appeared to be impulsive and outspoken, it was clear that this "impulsiveness" was also the result of careful consideration.

    The one now rattling off these minor issues, was the true Xia Liang opening up her heart.

    Summing up her thoughts, Xia Liang continued, while Emerald Sparrow asionally expressed her own opinions, until Xia Liang had mentioned every single point she could think of.

    "And the most important one!"

    Xia Liang raised her head, her smile more genuine than ever before: "I, want to get along better and be closer with Xiaolu, and the senior!"

    "Closer?"

    This request puzzled Emerald Sparrow, who then exined, "Magical girlpanions are already very closerades-in-arms by nature, and as you gain more experience fighting side by side¡ªeven reaching my level of strength¡ªour bond is destined to be very close."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "No, it''s not that kind of closeness!"

    Gesticting with her hands, Xia Liang said, "Magical girlpanions are a very important rtionship, so we should be better than average friends, right? I want that more affectionate, heartwarming kind of..."

    The kind that could fill the void of "love" caused by the fragmentation of her family.

    Understanding what she meant, Emerald Sparrow internallypleted the sentence for her.

    Lacking love, yearning for love, Xia Liang, always pursuing connections with others, still hadn''t felt "love." Therefore, she felt lonely.

    What she sought from Emerald Sparrow and Lin Xiaolu was not only the bond betweenrades or mentor and student but familial affection to fill the void of her absent family.

    Perhaps, this was her clearest expression in her innocence: it seemed that she hoped their magical girl team could be her next "family."

    It was exceedingly "capricious" of her to make such a presumptuous request after only a month of acquaintance.

    "So, what exactly do you mean by closeness?"

    Emerald Sparrow leaned forward on the couch, listening to Xia Liang''s words.

    Yet, it was precisely because of Xia Liang''s nearly obsessive notion that she felt the girl before her was truly a child at heart with many naive ideas.

    Hearing Emerald Sparrow''s question, Xia Liang paused for a moment, then put her hands together and smiled sweetly and demurely.

    "I''ve mentioned it before, senior," she said.

    Her eyes sparkled with a pleading look as she gazed at Emerald Sparrow:

    "How about we sleep together tonight?"

 Chapter 49: Chapter 44 Sleeping Together

    In the midst of steaming vapors, a hand fumbled through the white mist to turn off the shower head, shutting off the hot water.

    Emerald Sparrow stepped out of the shower, simply wiped off the water from her body, and untied her hair, looking towards the bathroom mirror.

    In the mirror, a girl with deep blue hair stared back expressionlessly, her symmetrical and slender frame looking as fragile as a doll''s.

    It seemed to be the first time she had bathed in this body since hereback, Emerald Sparrow thought to herself.

    When she first became a Magical Girl in her youth, there were times when it was necessary to clean this body; she would always wash hastily with her eyes closed, her cheeks burning red. Even making eye contact with the opposite-sex body in the mirror would make her tense from the nervous hormones, almost afraid to look too long.

    Time had passed, and now, looking at this child-like body after being married for many years, she no longer harbored any impure thoughts.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Instead, as the situation had changed, in her eyes now, the state of a Magical Girl''s transformation was no different from a weapon. This body was both a weapon and armor, to her it was like a soldier''s armor, just appearing to be fragile and ornate on the outside.

    However, with magic''s ability to halt the passage of time on the body of a Magical Girl, asionally seeing that unchanged face from decades ago in the mirror would give her a sense of temporal discement, as if she was still living in the past.

    Not wanting to indulge in these emotions, Emerald Sparrow closed her eyes, averting her gaze from her mirror image, refusing to dwell on it any further.

    After putting on the clothes prepared by Xia Liang, rolling up the overly long sleeves and trouser legs, she walked out of the bathroom, seeing Xia Liang rummaging through the closet looking for pillows.

    "Let me help," she suggested, and the two of them began to busily work together.

    There was only a small single bed in Xia Liang''s room, so for the sake of sleep quality, she decided to use her parents'' master bedroom.

    As she put it, "It''s just sitting empty anyway, and it''s good to use it to amodate guests."

    It took about ten minutes to neatly arrange the bed and put away the extra items into the wardrobe. Looking at the bed in front of her, Emerald Sparrow''s expression grewplicated.

    Although she now appeared to be just a little girl, she was essentially still an adult male. Now, to lie in the same bed with a girl she had only known for a month, who was about the same age as her own daughter, the ethical pressures weighed heavily on her.

    In the meantime, Xia Liang had returned to her own room, not knowing when, and was now back with a pillow from her bed, standing by the bed and looking at Emerald Sparrow expectantly.

    The situation was like a bow drawn taut, needing only the final push; any refusal now would only hurt the child.

    Torn inside, unable to utter any harsh words, all Emerald Sparrow could do was sigh, "Let''s just turn off the lights and sleep then."

    "Okay!"

    The long-awaiting Xia Liang happily agreed.

    Closing the master bedroom''s door and turning off the ceiling light, Emerald Sparrow and Xia Liang slipped under the covers one after the other, lying on the bed.

    With many reservations in mind, Emerald Sparrow deliberately maintained some distance from Xia Liang, ensuring there would be no casual physical contact between them.

    It wasn''t that she had any thoughts about Xia Liang; in fact, facing such a child, she couldn''t muster a man''s way of thinking about the opposite sex. She simply felt she needed to uphold an adult''s responsibility and maintain basic decorum.

    Unfortunately, though that was what she thought, Xia Liang didn''t seem to agree.

    Afterying on her side, with her back to Xia Liang for a while, Emerald Sparrow''s pillow had not even warmed up when she felt a pair of arms reach from behind and then wrap around her.

    "Ah, as I thought, holding you feels soft and fragrant, even better than a plush pillow..." Xia Liang''s voice came from behind her.

    With her hands encircled around Emerald Sparrow, her expression became somewhat stiff, and although she pushed lightly with her hands to no avail, she could only ask somewhat helplessly, "Can you let go?"

    "No," was Xia Liang''s straightforward reply.

    "Don''t you think it''s too cramped to sleep like this?"

    "This is a rare opportunity to cuddle up with Little Senior while sleeping, I''m going to hold on until my arms go numb."

    "...That''s just too willful."

    "After all, it was you, Little Senior, who asked, and tonight I am just that willful kid," Xia Liang responded in her ear.

    Hearing this unequivocal answer, Emerald Sparrow knew there was no room for negotiation and could only close her eyes and sigh, "I''m starting to regret this now, it feels like I''ve really gotten myself into trouble."

    "Hehe, Little Senior, you seem quite simr to Xia Lu in this respect," Xia Liang behind herughed softly without minding.

    "In what way?" Emerald Sparrow simply asked back.

    "Tough on the outside, soft on the heart," Xia Liangmented, "she speaks harshly, but her actions often contradict her words."

    "I''m really getting out of bed now."

    "Don''t," Xia Liang said, even though her words conveyed otherwise, her grip around Emerald Sparrow tightened a little more.

    With a sigh that couldn''t be held back, Emerald Sparrow let herself be held by Xia Liang for a while and, realizing that the girl behind her still hadn''t fallen asleep, asked again:

    "The things we talked about tonight, about your parents... do we need to tell Bai Mei?"

    "There''s no need."

    "Why not?"

    "If I just blurted it out, considering Xiaolu''s personality, she might start feeling sorry for me."

    Xia Liang whispered, "I don''t want ''sympathy'' to make our rtionship weird. I want to build a good rtionship with Xiaolu and be true friends. If our feelings were mixed with ''sympathy,'' I''d be very unhappy."

    "It''s fine to tell me, though?"

    "Hehe, after all, little senior is a mature adult, right?"

    Having said that, Xia Liang paused slightly, as if to confirm, she asked Emerald Sparrow, "Is it okay to think this way?"

    "As long as you''re happy, it''s your family matter, and it''s your freedom to speak about it or not," Emerald Sparrow said with her eyes closed, her tone gradually softening.

    But as she uttered these words, she suddenly felt her shoulder be a bit moist.

    In silence, turning her head slightly, she saw Xia Liang burying her face in her shoulder. In the darkness, her bangs covered her face sopletely that her expression was invisible.

    But Emerald Sparrow could guess¡ªshe was crying.

    Why she was crying at a time like this was beyond Emerald Sparrow''s understanding; all she could sense was that Xia Liang didn''t want her to see through her feelings, so she pretended to know nothing and closed her eyes again, allowing Xia Liang to hold her.

    "Thank you, little senior."

    Soon after, Xia Liang''s somewhat rough voice came from behind again.

    She knew that crying at such a time was quite inappropriate, but it had been so long since someone needed her, so long since someone listened to her talk so much, and even took the initiative to tell her that it was okay to be "willful." With so many "long time no sees"ing together, she felt as if she were in the midst of a beautiful dream.

    "It''s nothing," Emerald Sparrow responded lightly. Because she knew that, at such a moment, a lukewarm eptance was the appropriate attitude.

    "Little senior."

    "Hmm?"

    "I''m going to work hard for the qualification badge examination."

    Lowering her voice, Xia Liang''s words carried a hint of resolution, "I want to grow stronger too, and then, one day, I will be standing beside you."

    Emerald Sparrow''s breathing paused for a moment.

    "...You will, you all surely can," she then encouraged Xia Liang in a cool yet gentle tone.

    After saying this, as if something had urred to her, she continued with a bit of hesitation, "But since you mentioned it, I''ve just made a decision; I''m just not sure what you think about it."

    "What is it?"

    "From next time on, we should have our study sessions at your ce."

    Emerald Sparrow said this with her back still turned to her, so in the darkness, Xia Liang couldn''t see Emerald Sparrow''s expression at that moment.

    However, she knew what her own expression was like.

    Burying her face in Emerald Sparrow''s back, her heart leapt with joy, and she tried hard to restrain her upward-curving lips before softly replying:

    "Mhm, I''d be honored, really."

 Chapter 50: Chapter 45: After the Overnight Stay

    Early in the morning, waking up in bed, Emerald Sparrow instinctively reached out her hand toward the pillow, but then she realized something and stopped herself.

    Because she remembered that this was not her own room, there was someone by her side, Xia Liang.

    Bathed in the morning light, Xia Liangid breathing evenly on the bed, clearly still deep in sleep.

    Memories of the previous night came flooding back, and Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but let out a long sigh of relief.

    She definitely did not want to sleep with Xia Liang again in the future.

    Setting aside the fact that she had been firmly hugged before falling asleep, even after Xia Liang dozed off, it took a great effort for her to move out of his embrace. To avoid waking the sleeping Xia Liang, Emerald Sparrow tried inching his hands away little by little, but several times the semi-awake Xia Liang would suddenly hug her tightly, foiling her efforts in the end.

    It wasn''t until close to dawn that she finally managed to extricate herself, finally free from the stifling feeling of confinement and able to get some proper sleep.

    And so came the early morning, when the now awake Emerald Sparrow quietly hopped out of bed. She took off her nightdress, and strands of blue magic silk rose from under her feet, winding around her body in circles. Once the glow faded, the silk had reshaped into her usual dark blue dress.

    After fixing the nkets on the bed, Emerald Sparrow gave another nce at the still sleeping Xia Liang, making sure her movements hadn''t disturbed him, then she confidently walked towards the room''s balcony.

    ¡ª¡ªnot because she was leaving without saying goodbye, but because she had to go to work next.

    For a junior high student like Xia Liang, it was now the summer vacation, a time to indulge in sleeping in without worrying about beingte. But Emerald Sparrow couldn''t, because adults don''t have summer vacations.

    In fact, because she had stayed outst night, she would need to sneak back home before work to grab her briefcase and other office supplies.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Finding the balcony of Xia Liang''s house, Emerald Sparrow leaned on the railing and with a light leap, she jumped into the air. She then flew upwards driven by the surge of magic power, piercing into the high altitudes that were beyond the line of sight of ordinary people.

    To avoid alerting anyone to the sound of her flying, Emerald Sparrow always controlled the noise of her magic power, choosing high altitude routes¡ªthus keeping out of sight to the greatest extent possible.

    Making such a route choice was well and good in other seasons, but now it was summer. The sun rose earlier and the daytimested longer, forcing her to face the scorching sun as she flew high in the morning sky.

    All the way she squinted her eyes, adapting to the ring sunlight of the summer morning, now and then ncing down to check her trajectory. In a brief moment, Emerald Sparrow found her home and quickly made a rapid descent. The windows of high-rise apartments were limited in how wide they could open, so she attempted to slip back in through her own balcony once more.

    But this n encountered a snag.

    When she tried to slide open the ss door of the balcony, she found it immovable. Bearing the reflected sunlight off the ss, she looked inside and saw that the door bolt wastched.

    Good burrs'' thwarting instinct, just that it was applied to herself now.

    Emerald Sparrow thought to herself.

    After all, with her father on a business trip, it was proper for a minor alone at home to lock the doors and windows.

    Of course, such simple measures could only stop burrs or thieves, not a magical girl. Emerald Sparrow extended her hand to release magic power, allowing it to seep through the balcony door gap. She then employed her magical gear, maneuvering the magic silk from within to move the securitytch, eventually unlocking it.

    Standing in ce, she hesitated for a moment whether to change back to her original form, it didn''t take long for Emerald Sparrow to reach a conclusion; she would first check the situation inside.

    She put away her magical gear and gently pushed open the balcony door, stepping lightly, moving towards her own bedroom. But before she could make it out of the living room, she heard a sound that made her heart skip a beat.

    ¡ª¡ª"Inspector?"

    Turning her head, she saw that it was Moco, currently sprawled on the sofa, lifting its head, looking at her with a somewhat astonished look.

    Its wingsy t on its back, its expression drowsy, still groggy from sleep, obviously just awakened from a deep slumber.

    Since Moco usually slept in Lin Xiaolu''s room, and the spell cast on it could only vaguely indicate its presence in the house, Emerald Sparrow had never considered the possibility of it being in the living room, resulting in her beingpletely witnessed entering the house.

    A sense of relief rose in her heart, and she calmed her heart which beat much faster than usual, feeling somewhat relieved that she hadn''t chosen to revert to her original form on the balcony.

    Under the current circumstances, she didn''t have much time to react, so she pressed down the nervousness in her heart and pretended as if nothing was amiss, and countered with a question:

    "Are you here?"

    "Yes, I am?" Just awakened from sleep, Moco clearly hadn''t grasped the situation yet.

    "Then it''s good timing, I came specifically to find you."

    Nodding, Emerald Sparrow spoke gravely, "I should''ve mentionedst night that I was nning to provide Bai Mei and Xiaojin with some special training during their vacation."

    "Special training... oh, it''s for the certification test, right?" Realizing what Emerald Sparrow was referring to, Moco sat up, pping its wings, "I understand, what are your orders, my lord Inspector?"

    Moco usually was a very mischievous and self-centered fairy, but it showed an umon level of obedience and respect when faced with Emerald Sparrow, or more specifically, when faced with the title of "Inspector."

    This actually was something that bewildered Emerald Sparrow quite a bit, but now was not the time to inquire.

    "I''d like you to be responsible for supervising their training during the day."

    With her arms crossed in front of her chest, she looked calmly at Moco: "Is that alright?"

    In fact, in her original n, she had not intended for Moco to take on this task, since no matter how one thinks about it, this silly Seeder could hardly be expected to keep two rookie magical girls in line.

    She had nned to convert her training program into a text document and send it to Lin Xiaolu via message, expecting her to follow it along with Xia Liang, while she would only be responsible for assessing their progress each evening.

    However, at the moment, she had to think of a reason to hoodwink Moco, so she had no choice but to say so.

    "Eh? Supervising Xiaolu and Xia Liang''s training?"

    Upon hearing this, Moco''s ears shot up immediately, its expression visibly excited, yet it still demurred, "Wouldn''t it be more prudent if you did it yourself, considering they are going to take the test next year? Is it really appropriate to entrust such an important task to me now?"

    "I have my own work during the day, so I can''te in person."

    Emerald Sparrow exined nonchntly, "Besides, what''s wrong with that? Aren''t you their Seeder, after all? Isn''t taking charge of something like this part of your job?"

    "But¡­" Moco still wanted to decline.

    "I believe in your ability," Emerald Sparrow said earnestly, staring at it, "No one is born perfect. Although you became a Seeder by ident, being chosen means I believe you have potential unique to you."

    "My lord Inspector!"

    Moco wore a look of ttered surprise: "You actually have such confidence in me!"

    "I do indeed have great faith in you, but whether potential can be turned into strength requires your performance," Emerald Sparrow pressed on, as if hinting at something more.

    "Since you put it that way¡­"

    With excited expression, Moco fluttered its wings and sprang from the sofa, eximing loudly, "Yes, leave it to me! I will definitelyplete the task!"

    The conversation between the two ended with Moco''s excited oath.

    Afterward, Emerald Sparrow ryed the training details she had prepared to Moco, spending about ten minutes ensuring it understood its responsibilities.

    With usible reasons and thorough evidence, Moco waspletely convinced by Emerald Sparrow''s words, and it began to take the task seriously.

    Although she had managed to muddle through, Emerald Sparrow also wished to retreat to her room buoyed by this momentum. Still, seeing the reverence on Moco''s face, she knew doing so would only raise new doubts in it.

    If Moco harbored doubts, Lin Xiaolu would inevitably do the same, which was something she did not wish to happen.

    In the end, unable to think of another excuse, Emerald Sparrow, maintaining an air of superior aloofness, left her home with a face of arrogance, but with a silent sigh in her heart, under Moco''s respectful gaze.

    That day, Lin Yun, who didn''t bring a bag to work, consequently made three apologetic phone calls.

 Chapter 51: Chapter 46: Hong Siyus Guess

    Another morning, Lin Yun sat in his office, staring nkly at theputer screen.

    It had been a week since he stayed over at Xia Liang''s ce, and Xia Liang''s motivation in both her magical and academic studies had clearly strengthened. As the two new magical girls weed their summer vacation, Lin Yun continued his arduous work life.

    Of course, when saying arduous, it was mainly because of the pressure he put on himself.

    Not only did he have to work, but he also needed to review the knowledge from junior high to help Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang with their tuition. Besides these, there was another important task: he had to fight the Remnant Beasts.

    Whether it was because summer had arrived and the Remnant Beasts had be as dense as mosquitoes, he wasn''t sure. Previously, he would only encounter one every ten days or half a month, but now they appeared every few days.

    Even a few days ago, two different ces suffered attacks at the same time.

    Fortunately, both Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang could now be considered beginners inbat, capable of dealing with even strongerrval Remnant Beasts. Eventually, they joined forces with Emerald Sparrow to handle the Beasts at both locations simultaneously.

    Even though Lin Yun was well aware of his own capabilities, he had to admit that Fangting City''s squad of magical girls was indeed short on members.

    They werecking in battle, teaching and training, and even in gathering information.

    In the past few years'' records of Remnant Beasts in Fangting City, he and Hong Siyu had found quite a few clues, nearly certain there were other hidden Remnant Beasts. However, due to theck of information, they didn''t know if any had reached the pupal stage.

    In such a situation, coupled with the substantial gains from recent fights against Remnant Beasts, Lin Yun couldn''t help but think: Perhaps he shouldpletely give up the idea of a reclusive life and simply resign?

    The Echoes that magical girls obtained from exterminating Remnant Beasts could actually be used to acquire wealth.

    While they couldn''t be directly exchanged for money in the material world, whether it was obtaining currency from the Magic Kingdom or exchanging it for gold, silver, and jewels, there were countless ways to turn contributions into wealth.

    If magical girls didn''t mind being exposed and arrested by the investigation agency, they could even exchange contributions for supplies or weapons, selling them to civilians of the kingdom or lower-ss magicians in the material realm, which was a guaranteed lucrative trade.

    Of course, very few people were willing to exchange their magical girl status and power for such shady wealth. That''s why weapons and supplies from the Magic Kingdom remained highly priced among magicians in the material world.

    As a magical girl with a lifetime appointment, Lin Yun couldpletely abandon his current job and live off the ie from fighting Remnant Beasts. In fact, An Ya always imed to be a frencer, and this "frence" job was being a magical girl. She even joked with Lin Yun before, asking if he wanted her to provide for the entire family.

    Now, a lifestyle simr to An Ya''sy before Lin Yun: earning rewards by hunting Remnant Beasts, he could even use just a small portion of the Echoes for family expenses, and the rest could be used to enhance the team''s strength.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    This kind of life seemed quite feasible, but Lin Yun was still hesitant.

    The reason was nothing more than unwillingness.

    When he was seventeen, the decision to give up being a magical girl and return to a normal life, focus on college entrance exams and job-seeking, was never about personal gain.

    He didn''t want to be a magical girl, he didn''t even want to get entangled with the Magic Kingdom again, and he has been refusing to contact the kingdom personally to this day, for many moreplicated reasons.

    With these thoughts, a memory shed through his mind: a scene in a small hospital room, where a man lying on a bedughed and said something to him.

    "...Dad, was my decision back then really the right one?"

    Leaning back in his chair, he murmured to himself.

    However, this question was doomed to have no answer. The one who could have given him an answer was no longer in this world, even buried in the corner of his memory, unable to converse with him again.

    Immersed in his thoughts, just as he was struggling with his next choice, suddenly, the cellphone in his pocket rang.

    Picking up the phone, the caller ID showed it was Hong Siyu.

    He looked at the screen, paused for a moment before picking up the phone and pressing the call button: "Hello?"

    "Senior, are you there?" Hong Siyu''s voice came from the other end of the phone.

    "Yes," he responded in a low voice.

    "Did we recruit any new members recently?" The voice from the other side sounded quite frivolous.

    Lin Yun looked at theputer screen and said indifferently, "If there''s nothing important, can I hang up on you?"

    "A little clue won''t cost you a limb. There''s no ''Xiao Jin'' in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s records up till now, which should prove how trustworthy I am, right?" Hong Siyu sounded somewhat dissatisfied.

    "There isn''t. I was just worrying about being short-staffed."

    This statement was half true, half false.

    In Lin Yun''s view, while Fangting City''s magical girls were indeedcking manpower, it also wasn''t suitable to continue recruiting in the short term.

    In the long run, recruitment was necessary; Fangting City had to rebuild its young defensive magical force, and he couldn''t bear it all alone forever. However, in the short term, bringing in new magical girls could create gaps in his protection.

    The most sensible n was to first elevate Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang Kaihua to the seedling stage before considering recruiting new teammates.

    "Eh¡ª"

    Hong Siyu dragged out her tone, clearly somewhat skeptical, but she did not continue to press the issue, "Then I have some news; do you want to hear it?"

    "Speak," Lin Yun responded sinctly.

    "Alright, it''s about the issue of assistance we discussed before. The Investigation Institute is unwilling to provide personnel, so I contacted several Abnormal Strategy Bureaus in the central cities. They''ve all received simr responses from the locale Seeders, all saying that they can''t send assistance."

    Hong Siyu''s voice carried an indefinable emotion, "However, the Abnormal Strategy Bureaus from York City and Jinn City, the answers they got from the Seeders were... more interesting?"

    "What answers?" Lin Yun''s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

    With a bit of abruptness, Hong Siyu asked, "Senior, have you ever asked me if I was hiding anything from you?"

    "Yes, I''ve asked that."

    "Well now, it''s my turn to ask you the same question."

    The yfulness left Hong Siyu''s voice as it steadied, "Have you ever neglected to tell us something in the past?"

    Lin Yun''s expression turned solemn, yet his voice remained unfluctuating, "I''m not clear on what you''re implying?"

    "Because I got some replies from them that might be different from what we imagined before."

    After a brief pause in her speech, Hong Siyu continued, "Shall I read them out?"

    "...Go ahead," Lin Yun said somewhat helplessly.

    For he had already guessed what Hong Siyu meant by "different answers."

    Noise of fingernails tapping on the screen came through the phone, seemingly Hong Siyu operating something on her mobile. Shortly after, her voice came again:

    The Seeder from New York City, ''Pikari'', said exactly this: ''We''re about to enter the next 20th year, I certainly don''t want to get involved in this mess.''

    The Seeder from Jinn City, ''Little Youyou'', said: ''Are you talking about Fangting City? The one that person is in? Maybe let''s not. After all, they don''t dare to go.''

    "And even if someone tried to inquire further, they would act as if there were deep secrets not to be disclosed."

    After sharing this, seeing that Lin Yun remained silent, Hong Siyu fell silent on the other end as well.

    After a moment, her voice returned with a hint of hesitation, "Senior, this ''next 20th year'' should refer to next year, right? And what they mentioned must be... or at least, must be different from the Investigation Institute''s reasons, right?"

    Lin Yun closed his eyes.

    Just as he had always insisted to Echo that his codename was "Emerald Sparrow", even though that really was the name he currently used, he did this because he was in Fangting City and was concerned about how Echo might react to his previous codename.

    Seeders or, say, Fairies, they were different from Magical Girls. At least in certain matters, they always seemed to know more than Magical Girls.

    "Ha, of course, I would have guessed even if you didn''t tell me, though I can''t be sure," he said.

    Lin Yun remained silent, and Hong Siyu continued as if she were speaking to herself, "I wasn''t a Magical Girl back then, but Sister Shengzi told me that about 20 years ago, after the ''Garden'' defense battle, you were summoned to the Rose Pce..."

    ¡ª"That''s enough, Hong Siyu."

    He interrupted her, opening his eyes with an expression that was somewhat wooden, and even somewhat stern, "No need to go on, you''ve guessed correctly."

    "Really?"

    "Yes, at least in part, you''re not wrong."

    "That truly is an unimaginable feat."

    There was a touch of exmation in Hong Siyu''s voice, "So it''s true, no second Magical Girl dares to do that, right?"

    "Who knows?" Clearly not wanting to continue this topic, Lin Yun neither confirmed nor denied.

    "So this means we really won''t have any reinforcements, right?"

    "Yes, we won''t."

    "If that''s the case..."

    Perhaps sensing the stiffness in the atmosphere, Hong Siyu shifted the topic proactively, "Senior, you mentioned before that you''re conducting special training for the rookies for next year''s certification test?"

    "Yes." His tone slightly lifted as she mentioned this matter.

    "Then, if you can''t free up any time in the short term, how about trying another option?"

    Hong Siyu asked tentatively, "For instance, letting me take a look?"

 Chapter 52: Chapter 47 Early Summer

    Summer vacation is undoubtedly a holiday, yet the emphasis invariably falls on "summer."

    Mid-July, with early summer temperatures already scorching, the streets are filled with the shrill cries of cicadas, noisilyining about the relentless heat of the sun.

    Warm breezes sweep past the lush street trees, yet even in their shade, there''s hardly any coolness to be found, with the air thick with heat, making every breath feel like an inhtion of fire.

    Lin Xiaolu sat quietly on the sofa in the living room, her eyes tightly closed. Although she was at home, she had transformed into her Magical Girl self, with her hands sped in front of the Seed of Heart at her chest, deep in thought, with Magic Power surging around her.

    The cab air conditioner in the living room hummed as it pumped out cool air, making the temperature inside considerably cooler than outdoors, so even in such weather, she could settle down and cultivate properly.

    The clock on the wall moved silently; its hour hand had unknowingly made most of its circuit, pointing precisely to eleven o''clock.

    "Time''s up, take a break!" a voice came from beside her.

    Retrieving her thoughts from the lengthy Spiritual Thought, Lin Xiaolu slowly opened her eyes and withdrew the Magic Power that surrounded her. After a moment of daze, she took a deep breath, her expression bing lively again.

    Turning to the direction from which the voice hade, she saw the pink, cat-shaped Fairy sitting there proudly, giving orders. As the Fairy saw Lin Xiaolu looking at her, it wagged its tail and said, "That''s great, the past few days of Spiritual Thought haven''t been disrupted at all. You''ve made noticeable progress, Xiaolu!"

    "...Well, thanks for thepliment."

    Her reflex was to pull a face, but Lin Xiaolu managed to control her expression.

    The summer vacation intensive training had been going on for just over half a month, and Emerald Sparrow did indeed do as promised, multiplying the tasks for Magic Power cultivation and academic learning several times over, mercilessly stripping Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang of nearly their entire vacation.

    If it were anything else, Lin Xiaolu would have lost her patience by now, but first, she had actively requested this training; second, the n was made by a senior she greatly admired; and third, it concerned whether she could be an independent Magical Girl. With all these reasons stacked together, she couldn''t afford to ck off.

    And after this period of intensive training, not only did her own Magic Power and soul grow steadily stronger, but she also finally started to handle Magic Power with some ease.

    Of course, she was still no match for another new recruit who started at the same time.

    "Brr, so cold, can''t we turn up the temperature on the air conditioner?"

    Xia Liang, who had snuggled up behind her, whispered herint, "I feel so cold my legs are shaking. I just can''t concentrate."

    "Then go to another room," Lin Xiaolu nced at her.

    "But it''s too hot without air conditioning, right?" Xia Liang replied with a coy smile.

    "What''s with all the demands? If you want to befortable, go back to your own house!" Lin Xiaolu red fiercely at her.

    "You know as well as I do, my house only has that old air conditioner." Xia Liang leaned back on the sofa and grabbed a cushion to her front, letting out a contented hum, "Ah, much better, I feel like I could take another nap now."

    Originally, ording to Emerald Sparrow''s idea, the training ce for the rest of the summer vacation should have been set at Xia Liang''s house. Whether it was indoor training during the day or study sessions at night, it was supposed to help alleviate some of Xia Liang''s loneliness by having them all at her ce.

    But on this matter, for some reason, Lin Xiaolu becamepetitive and insisted her own house was also suitable. In the end, the daytime special training location was changed to Lin Xiaolu''s house. This has led to the awkward situation where they train in one ce during the day and switch to another in the evening.

    "...You''re the only one who has the time for this," Lin Xiaolu said, seeing her sofortable, she suddenly felt a bit anxious, "especially since you''re progressing so fast."

    After Xia Liang made up her mind half a month ago, she focused entirely on improving her strength, repeatedly surprising Lin Xiaolu and even Lin Yun with her talent.

    Not to mention her rate of Magic Power growth, her soul strengthening speed was unreasonably fast, and her control over Magic Power came effortlessly. In at most another half month, both her Magic Power and soul were expected to reach the threshold to form their true essence.

    In contrast, a Magical Girl of average talent would need at least six months to a year to reach this stage from scratch.

    At the moment, Xia Liang was just waiting to master the key to forming her true essence, and then she could gracefully evolve to the Seedling stage and obtain her own Magic Power structure.

    Although Lin Xiaolu''s talent wasn''t bad, it still fell short of Xia Liang''s by a lot. To reach this standard, she probably had to wait until after summer vacation.

    "Speaking of which, you haven''t gone into detail yet."

    Enjoy new stories from m-v l''e|-NovelBin

    Clutching her pillow, Xia Liang suddenly said, "You mentioned a few days ago that you received some strange messages from a liaison, what''s that all about?"

    "Hmm? It was about an evil magical girl operating near Fangting City..."

    Lin Xiaolu propped her chin up with a casual air: "What''s her name? ws?"

    "I don''t know her real name, but it''s definitely not the one you mentioned."

    Feeling a bit helpless about her se attitude, Xia Liang said, "But an evil magical girl? I didn''t know such people existed."

    "Isn''t that normal?"

    Lin Xiaolu nced at her: "After all, magic can hurt people."

    "True, that''s quite different from what they show on TV," Xia Liang couldn''t help but sigh.

    "On TV? Non-harmful magical girls? You must be talking about the animations from years ago."

    "Not anymore?"

    "Not for a long time."

    Lin Xiaolu sat up and counted on her fingers: "From the era of ''Magic Cannon Girl'' to the recent ''Colorful Heaven''s Angel,'' magical girls have been having to keep their battles with enemies away from ordinary people."

    "Xiaolu, you seem to know quite a bit about magical girl animations?" Xia Liang noted the information in Lin Xiaolu''s words.

    "...I watch them asionally." Lin Xiaolu turned her face away.

    "asionally?" Xia Liang asked, as if confirming.

    "asionally." Lin Xiaolu affirmed resolutely.

    The two locked eyes, with Xia Liang''s gaze carrying a hint of inquiry. Lin Xiaolu, though feeling a bit guilty, stubbornly held her gaze.

    It seemed she really didn''t want others to think she liked magical girl animations.

    "Hmmph, I won''t ask about that anymore. Let''s talk about something else. What would being an evil magical girl be like?"

    Seeing that teasing was futile, Xia Liang changed the subject: "Would an evil magical girl still chase away Remnant Beasts?"

    "I don''t know, as I would never do anything evil."

    "...Fair enough, I probably wouldn''t either."

    Rarely stopped by a single retort from Lin Xiaolu, Xia Liang continued to inquire: "So, what should we do if we actually encounter one?"

    "I asked Emerald Sparrow about it. She said to just be careful when deploying and to report any unfamiliar magical girls to her directly."

    After thinking for a moment, Lin Xiaolu said, "I remember Emerald Sparrow mentioned being a ''Patrol Envoy.'' Capturing evil magical girls must also be part of her duties, right?"

    "A Patrol Envoy, huh..." Xia Liang raised her head.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡ª"Ding dong."

    Just as the two were about to start another round of gossip with this new term, the doorbell rang suddenly from the entrance.

 Chapter 53: Chapter 48: The Seniors Junior

    "Is that a doorbell?"

    Lin Xiaolu, who had been resting her chin in her hands, lifted her head and straightened up, "At this time?"

    Xia Liang poked her head out from the side and asked, "Is it a courier?"

    "I don''t know, I haven''t ordered anything," Lin Xiaolu tly denied.

    "Then could it be something your dad bought?" Xia Liang suggested another possibility.

    "Him? I''ve never seen him order anything online."

    Still negative about the possibility, Lin Xiaolu had just responded when she hesitated again, "But I wouldn''t rule it out..."

    "So, shall we open it?"

    Looking at the front door in the entryway, Xia Liang seemed eager to try, "Anyway, it''s daytime, should be fine, right?"

    "Whether it''s daytime or not, the security in our residentialplex should be fine," Lin Xiaolu seemed to be persuaded.

    Stretching out her hand, Xia Liang summoned a purple magic power, which materialized into a magic wand in her grip, "So shall I transform into a Magical Girl and stand aside, ready to strike if it''s a bad guy?"

    Rolling her eyes at her and staring for a while, Lin Xiaolu initially wanted to ask "Why don''t you go," but realizing it was her own home, thought she should show some responsibility. Squashing those thoughts, she stood up from the sofa, "That seems possible."

    Waving her hand to cancel her Magical Girl transformation, Lin Xiaolu shuffled toward the front door in her slippers, taking small steps; Xia Liang, meanwhile, clutched her magic wand and knelt on the sofa, only her head peering out, stealthily watching the situation unfold.

    Lin Xiaolu frowned as she walked to the door, her hand pausing on the doorknob. She pressed down and cautiously opened the door.

    ¡ªWhat greeted her eyes was apletely unfamiliar woman.

    This woman appeared to be in her twenties, rtively tall, with bright features, and shiny ck hair styled into a simple C-curl. She wore a printed white open-neck T-shirt on top, a high-waisted denim skirt on the bottom, and carried a chic cross-body bag, exuding the vibe of an efficient female office worker.

    "Who are you?" Lin Xiaolu was somewhat dumbstruck.

    "Oh, so this is the senior''s... truly adorable!"

    But the woman in front of her didn''t seem to find Lin Xiaolu strange at all, her eyes lighting up, "I''ve only seen photos before, but you''re even cuter in person!"

    Her blithe admission left Lin Xiaolu even more baffled, "So who are you exactly?"

    "Who I am isn''t important, what''s important is that it''s my first time meeting you, Lin Xiaolu, right? Come give aunty a hug!" The woman enthusiastically opened her arms.

    "Why should I? I don''t want to!" Lin Xiaolu couldn''t help but step back two paces.

    The strong sense of confusion left her momentarily unsure of what to say. Themotion in the living room brought Xia Liang and Moke peering over as well.

    Seeing the standoff between the two, Xia Liang was startled at first, then quickly grasped the context of the situation. Turning to the woman at the door, she smiled and said:

    "Ah, hello sister, whom are you looking for?"

    Her demeanor and etiquette were impable, making it seem as if she were the actual child of the household.

    And her greeting instantly made the woman''s day, "Ah? You''re calling me sister? Hahaha, you are so sweet."

    Because she was wearing her outdoor shoes, she couldn''t step inside, so she just stood in the hallway waving and beckoning, "Come here too, let sister give you a kiss!"

    "Um, that''s just¡­"

    Overwhelmed by the other''s excessive enthusiasm, even Xia Liang couldn''t help but show a troubled look.

    "So who exactly are you?" Lin Xiaolu, pushed to the side, asked again.

    It wasn''t until her third inquiry that the woman at the door seemed to snap out of her excessively enthusiastic state. She regarded the two girls in front of her with a serious gaze. Seeing their bewildered expressions, she realized she hadn''t yet introduced herself.

    Indeed, such familiarity from a stranger was bound to leave others at a loss for how to respond. Therefore, she cleared her throat twice, tempering her expression slightly.

    "Ahem, it seems you don''t know who I am, so I should introduce myself briefly."

    Lifting the shoulder bag she was carrying, she fished out a small ck card and waved it in the air: "I am Hong Siyu from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, the liaison responsible for coordinating with your senior, Emerald Sparrow. Besides, I was the resident Magical Girl of Fangting City ten years ago."

    Her movements were crisp and efficient, and her smile was friendly, but the simple words she uttered contained an abundance of information that left the two girls at the door somewhat stunned.

    "Emerald Sparrow''s... liaison?"

    "A Magical Girl from ten years ago?"

    Clearly, the girls each had different points of interest.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Lin Xiaolu, of course, was more concerned about the interpersonal rtions of Emerald Sparrow. It was impossible for her not to be curious about what kind of person Emerald Sparrow''s liaison was.

    As for Xia Liang, she naturally arrived at the same question as Lin Xiaolu, but thetter half of what Hong Siyu said carried information that was evidently more critical.

    Seeing that her introduction had sessfully captivated the two girls'' interest, Hong Siyu at the door knocked on the doorframe. She was no longer as overly passionate as she was upon first arrival, and suggestively asked, "After saying so much, aren''t you going to invite me to sit inside?"

    The two girls exchanged a nce. Xia Liang gave a subtle squeeze of her eyes, and Lin Xiaolu reluctantly fetched a pair of shoe covers from the shoe cab at the entrance, handing them to Hong Siyu: "Here."

    "Hehe, then big sister will respect your wishes ande in."

    Taking the shoe covers from Lin Xiaolu''s hand, Hong Siyu deftly slipped them over her square-toed shoes and entered the apartment with a joy that others couldn''t understand.

    As she stepped into Lin Xiaolu''s home, she instinctively surveyed her surroundings. Her gaze moved from the dining area to the living room, rested on the dining table, the clock, the cab... and then the neatly ced sofa, her face revealing a trace of nostalgia.

    It''s really been a long time.

    She mused to herself.

    Such peculiar behavior caught the curious attention of Lin Xiaolu standing by, and Xia Liang was also somewhat puzzled. However, out of politeness, they quickly led Hong Siyu to the living room.

    Xia Liang turned to make tea in the kitchen, while Lin Xiaolu pointed casually to the couch, her expression a bit tense: "That''s it. Please, have a seat."

    "Are you feeling shy?" Hong Siyu asked, turning to her.

    "Not at all."

    Lin Xiaolu replied stiffly, "Please don''t treat me like a child." Discover stories with mvl

    "Shyness isn''t exactly a trait exclusive to children."

    Hong Siyu found an open spot on the sofa and took a seat casually: "Us adults can feel that way too, you know? Though we might give it a more serious-sounding name, like social anxiety."

    "...I said I''m not."

    "Alright, alright, you''re not."

    Hong Siyu chuckled somewhat teasingly, while patting the space next to her: "Then could youe and sit next to me, so that I can take a good look at you?"

    "Umm..." Faced with this request, Lin Xiaolu stood frozen in ce, not moving an inch.

 Chapter 54: Chapter 49 Unexpected Visitors

    ```

    This awkward reaction made Hong Siyuugh even more, "Just kidding, no need to be so tense."

    Having said that, she voluntarily leaned back to increase the distance between them appropriately, showing her friendly attitude.

    Seeing her demeanor, Lin Xiaolu rxed a bit, but still looked vignt. She did not sit next to Hong Siyu but remained standing and said, "So, what does Emerald Sparrow''s contact person want withing to my house?"

    "Not just as Emerald Sparrow''s contact person, but also as a former Magical Girl."

    Hong Siyu shook her head, correcting, "The difference is quite big!"

    "What specifically?" Lin Xiaolu raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical, "After a Magical Girl retires, she just bes an ordinary person, right?"

    "From the level of Magic Power, indeed so. I''m now just a physically healthy, weak woman."

    Facing Lin Xiaolu''s challenge without wavering, even remaining unbothered by the term "ordinary person," Hong Siyu said confidently, "But, my understanding and knowledge of magic surpasses yours."

    "Anyway, it''s not more than Emerald Sparrow''s, right?" Lin Xiaolu said somberly.

    "Ahem... Don''t say such things, it makes you less cute."

    Choked up by Lin Xiaolu''s words for a moment, Hong Siyu faltered and put her palms together, "Anyway, I happened to take a day off today, so I volunteered toe over and check on you all. I''ve heard that you''re studying with Seeder now?"

    "Following it? It''s nothing more than ackey strutting around in borrowed plumes," Lin Xiaolu scoffed.

    ¡ª¡ª"I''m a Fairy, and even by appearances, I''m a cat, calling me ackey is nder!" Moke, who was at the side, protested solemnly.

    "These past few days you''re so pompous you''re only short of barking!" Lin Xiaolu red at it.

    "What''s wrong with barking? After all, some people can''t even be ackey if they wanted to."

    Moke''s whiskers twitched, and it opened its mouth wide in retort. It was particrly smugtely and unconcerned about Lin Xiaolu''s disparagement: "With your rate of progress, you''ll remain a junior for life, turning from an active junior into a retired one, and that will be your perpetual rtionship!"

    "What did you say!" Lin Xiaolu was immediately incensed, ready tosh out, but then she nced at Hong Siyu sitting nearby, and the words that reached her mouth were forcefully swallowed back down.

    From an active junior to a retired one, and then eternally only having that level of interaction¡ªif what Hong Siyu said was true, then she herself seemed to be a living example.

    Such a "textbook case" sitting in front of her made her unsure of what to say.

    Fortunately, ordinary people with scarce Magic Power can''t see Fairies, and naturally, they can''t hear what Fairies say, so Hong Siyu simply looked up, curious, "Is your Seeder here? Are you arguing?"

    "Ah¡­ Uh, it''s nothing," Lin Xiaolu said, somewhat embarrassedly evading the question.

    Soon after, Xia Liang, who went to the kitchen, also came back with several cups of tea. Seeing the two talking, she put down the teacups and asked, "What are you talking about?"

    "Just chit-chatting, chit-chatting."

    Hong Siyu picked up her shoulder bag from her leg, ced it on the side, and waved over to Xia Liang, "I mean, I wanted toe and see how you''re doing since I heard from Emerald Sparrow that you''re nning to take the certification test next year?"

    ```

    "So it is, do you have any advice?"

    Xia Liang understood Hong Siyu''s intention and obediently sat next to her, "Moreover, you said you retired as a Magical Girl ten years ago, how can you prove your identity?"

    "That, of course, would be with this!"

    Hong Siyu fumbled in the bag beside her and pulled something out, extending it in front of them.

    In her hand was a badge with a purplish-red background. In the center, the number "41422" was written, surrounded by numerous tiny Favo Runes that were difficult to see clearly. Above the numbers, a name was also inscribed in runes, although Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang could not understand it.

    They had seen Emerald Sparrow''s authentication emblem before, andpared to hers, Hong Siyu''s badge had one significant difference aside fromcking some intricate and mboyant decorations: its surface was dull and gray, unlike Emerald Sparrow''s, which had a Flow of Magical Power that made it look iridescent.

    "This is the badge from my time as a Magical Girl, and though it''s a word badge, it''s been deactivated since I retired. Now it''s merely an ornament," Hong Siyu exined nonchntly, as she stuffed the badge into Xia Liang''s hand: "Take a look, everyone, take a look!" Discover exclusive content at mvl

    Thus, the two girls leaned in and examined it closely.

    This was the first time they had the chance to observe an authentication emblem up close since they had be Magical Girls. Emerald Sparrow, although she had shown it to them previously, was never willing to disy it too much.

    Xia Liang poked the badge in her hand with her index finger, asking with some curiosity, "Speaking of which, it''s said that the authentication badges are a symbol of a Magical Girl''s strength. How are they different from the Flowering Ranks?"

    "Can ability blooming to the flower level make one eligible for a flower badge?" Lin Xiaolu also added from the side.

    ¡ª¡ª"Of course, it can!"

    "Actually, that''s not the case."

    As her voice fell, two sounds arose simultaneously, but the answers werepletely different.

    The one who abruptly interjected with an "of course" was Seeder, while Hong Siyu''s response was in the negative.

    Seeder immediately covered her mouth as if she had done something wrong after hearing Hong Siyu''s response; Hong Siyu, being an ordinary person, had no reason to hear Seeder''s voice, so she continued on her own, "To put it simply, a flower badge represents the elite among those at the flower level; as well as a minority who have not reached the flower level, yet have made significant contributions as Magical Girls."

    "The assignment of a flower badge is subjective, based on the royal court''s recognition level of a Magical Girl, so situations arise where a very strong Magical Girl is only a word badge, which is what we call adult corruption."

    After taking back the badge from Xia Liang, Hong Siyu, in high spirits, ced it casually to one side: "But overall, just consider flower badge holders as the most sessful ones among Magical Girls, they indeed count as ''big shots''."

    "Eh? That means..."

    Lin Xiaolu, btedly aware, nced at Xia Liang, and seeing no surprise on thetter''s face, could only exim herself, "Emerald Sparrow is actually a big shot?"

    "Haha, you just realized that now?" Xia Liangughed helplessly.

    "Emerald Sparrow must have told you that she is a ''Patrol Envoy'', right? That''s her official position as a big shot; in fact, most flower badge Magical Girls hold nominal positions at the Five Major Institutes."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    When it came to these matters, Hong Siyu was like a treasure trove: "The five major power organs under the royal court, the Investigation Institute, the Finance Institute, the Research Institute, the Civil Administration Institute, and the Magical Affairs Institute ¡ª the entire operation of the Magic Kingdom relies on this system."

 Chapter 55: Chapter 50 The Meaning of the Inspector

    "It sounds like a ratherrge government..."

    Xia Liang couldn''t help but nce upward, lost in imagination, "Magic Kingdom, the name made me think it was a ce like a fairy tale world."

    "If you look only at appearances, it truly is like a fairy tale."

    Hong Siyu shook her finger again, "But unfortunately, the Magic Kingdom is not just a fairy tale. Just the management of the vast team of Magical Girls in the physical realm requires a lot of manpower, not to mention governing the civilians living within the kingdom. A structured administrative body is indispensable."

    "In that case, the role of a Magical Girl seems to carry a heavier meaning..."

    Lin Xiaolu appeared somewhat downcast, "It feels like what the public sees as a mysterious and powerful hero, in reality, still can''t escape the mundane powers of the world."

    "That''s precisely because Magical Girls are still ''human'' and not transcended symbols."

    Her words were filled with child-like wishfulness, but it caused Hong Siyu to sigh softly, "Because they still have attachments, desires, and connections with others, the world of Magical Girls is also full ofplex human rtionships."

    "So that''s why there are Evil Magical Girls?" Xia Liang followed up with a question.

    "Yes, that''s why there are the evil ones..."

    Hong Siyu was about to continue in that vein, but she stopped upon realizing what she was about to say, wearing a puzzled expression, "Who told you about this?"

    Xia Liang looked toward Lin Xiaolu, who frowned openly, "My contact told me, what about it?"

    "Ah, then I probably guess what happened."

    Her confusion resolved, Hong Siyu nodded with sudden realization and then continued, "Well then, I''ll speak freely, the existence of Evil Magical Girls is indeed because of this. Just as in our physical world, there are good citizens and criminals, you can''t ensure that everyone''s character is kind-hearted."

    "But doesn''t the Seeder choose Magical Girls based on whether their hearts are pure?" Lin Xiaolu nced at Moke.

    "To be precise, the Seeder only looks at whether you have Magic Power and a natural talent in the soul," Hong Siyu spread her hands.

    ¡ª¡ª"I can''t see that kind of thing you talk about, it''s the Seed of Heart that judges your innermost desires."

    Moke also interjected, "However, for children filled with dark thoughts in their hearts, the Seed of Heart should not react."

    "Even if one''s heart is truly kind at the time of being chosen, a Magical Girl''s term is a full ten years; no one knows if their mentality might change during this period."

    Hong Siyu looked at the two girls in front of her, her tone flippant, "You see, just like me, ten years ago I would never have imagined I''d still be single now."

    No one responded to her.

    The example she brought up was so sensitive and painful that both girls fell silent for a moment.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Eh, aren''t you going tough a bit? I thought I was using quite an embarrassing story for a joke," Hong Siyu appeared a bit surprised.

    "Well,ughing at something like that seems a bit..." Lin Xiaolu turned away her face.

    "If you''ve been retired for ten years, then this year you must be..." Xia Liang also showed a slightly sympathetic smile.

    "Don''t be like that; your reactions are making me feel embarrassed!"

    Hong Siyu couldn''t help but p the sofa, "Alright, forget it! I shouldn''t have made that kind of joke! Back to the main topic! Let''s continue talking about the Evil Magical Girls!"

    "Listen carefully! Since the beginning, whenever a Magical Girl vites regtions and discipline, the Magical Affairs Institute would dispatch a specialized investigation team to gather evidence, and then arrest the offending Magical Girl."

    "In addition to that, if a criminal with magical affinity other than Magical Girls, such as a Magician, causes significant and severe trouble, the Institute will also deploy to investigate and capture them."

    "You can think of the Magical Affairs Institute as the police of the magic side. From the lowest level Magicians to the highest level Magical Girls, and even Flower Card Girls, as long as they break the rules, they will be the targets of investigation and arrest."

    "And the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, which we are part of, deals most with the Magical Affairs Institute and even could be said to be a subsidiary organ of these two major institutes when it involves matters of Magical Girls."

    "As for the Inspector, they are special agents of the Magical Affairs Institute tasked with investigating extremely serious criminal cases. Since the threshold for bing an Inspector is basically Flower Card status, there are only a few, and generally speaking, if they take action, it means something big has happened."

    Having said this, Hong Siyu reached for the tea that Xia Liang had brought over, "Now you know, don''t you? Just what kind of a big shot this Inspector, Emerald Sparrow, is."

    The lengthy talk made her feel a bit thirsty, so she brought her lips to the cup, intending to drink the tea to moisten her throat.

    "So, in fact, she counts as one of your direct superiors?" It was at this moment that Xia Liang asked innocently.

    "Pfft¡ª¡ªcough cough cough!"

    The tea she had just sipped sprayed out as Hong Siyu coughed violently, "How could you...e to that conclusion?"

    "Well, you see, the Inspector is a big shot in the Magical Affairs Institute, right? And you said the Abnormal Strategy Bureau is sort of subordinate to the Institute, so doesn''t that make the Inspector your superior too?" Xia Liang counted on her fingers, earnestly sorting out the logic, "Or is it that they are too high-ranking to actually manage?"

    "Cough, to be precise, an Inspector does not manage affairs, they are only responsible for investigating cases."

    Pulling out two tissues, Hong Siyu wiped her mouth as she exined to Xia Liang, "Although they have great power and the Abnormal Strategy Bureau must cooperate with them as much as possible during an investigation, they generally do not, nor do they have the obligation to interfere with the operation of the Bureau."

    "Of course, based on this, Emerald Sparrow''s status and situation as an Inspector are even more special, which is why she can stay in one ce and leisurely serve as your enlightenment tutor."

    As she spoke, Lin Xiaolu seemed to recall something and stared at Moke, who was feigning ignorance and even whistling to appear nonchnt.

    "You are now under the protection of Emerald Sparrow, so you can avoid dangerous matters, and not deal with theplexities of the Magic Kingdom and real interpersonal rtionships. Concentrate on your studies. But you should also be prepared, such a life won''tst long."

    In the end, that is how Hong Siyu concluded.

    From her understanding of Lin Yun, with his utterly stubborn temperament, he must be like a silent gourd, never willing to talk about these things openly.

    He would think that such matters are not suitable for children to understand too early, so he would exin nothing, just keep everything to himself, ponder alone, and bear it alone.

    Since his return using the codename "Emerald Sparrow," many of his actions clearly had deep intentions. Yet even Hong Siyu, who had once been hisrade, couldn''tpletely figure them out.

    The reason she had said so much upon her arrival today, even discussing things that might be tooplicated for children, was actually to encourage them to know and understand more, then take the initiative to go to Emerald Sparrow for further information.

    Her final words clearly left an impression on the two children, who showed different expressions.

    Lin Xiaolu''s emotions were quite transparent; just by looking at her expressions, one could clearly feel her reluctance about the idea that "Emerald Sparrow would leave"; Xia Liang had better control over her expressions but her face also showed a thoughtful look.

    The clock on the living room wall moved silently, passing the half-past eleven mark, inching toward the twelve that represented noon.

    ¡ª¡ª"Speaking of which, Sister, I have one more question."

    After some reflection, Xia Liang suddenly asked, "Since you say the Inspector doesn''t actually manage things, then who in the Magical Affairs Institute is actually responsible for deploying Magical Girls?"

 Chapter 56: Chapter 51 Gemstone Scepter

    "Noticed something?"

    Hong Siyu raised an eyebrow, but then her expression became somewhat troubled, "But I can''t just blurt it out. If Emerald Sparrow doesn''t agree, it wouldn''t be right for me to tell you guys privately."

    "Can''t say it?"

    Xia Liang grew even more curious, "Why does little junior need to agree?"

    "What? Little junior¡­ Hahaha!"

    Hearing Xia Liang''s nickname for her, Hong Siyu couldn''t help but burst outughing, "That nickname is interesting. You actually call her little junior?"

    At this, Xia Liang just tilted her head in confusion, clearly not understanding what was so funny.

    But the sharp-witted girl immediately sensed a good opportunity and leaned in, showing a slightly pitiful expression, "Little junior is so kind, she definitely won''t me you. Please, tell us sister."

    "ying cute is cheating!"

    Struggling to resist Xia Liang''s charm offensive and nearly spilling the beans, Hong Siyu still didn''t give in easily, "I can tell! But you guys have to admit that what I know is somewhat useful, right? Emerald Sparrow wouldn''t tell you these things. She''s afraid you''ll aim too high."

    The remark was obviously aimed at Lin Xiaolu, who was still fixated on the previous conversation about not being as good as Emerald Sparrow.

    "Hmm¡­"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Her curiosity piqued and now put on the spot, Lin Xiaolu had to set aside the threads of worry in her mind, considering the new issue.

    She really wanted to maintain her pride, but what Hong Siyu was hinting at might have a substantial rtion to Emerald Sparrow, making it hard for her to refuse.

    "Fine, let''s just say what you know is useful."

    After a while, she could only puff her cheeks and admit somewhat unwillingly, "So I''ve acknowledged it, now can you talk?"

    "Hmph! That''s more like it!"

    Finally getting the acknowledgment she wanted, Hong Siyu lifted her mouth corners with satisfaction and began, "Since you''ve asked so nicely, I suppose I can make the effort to enlighten you."

    "First a question, have you ever paid attention to your own code names?"

    "Code names?" Lin Xiaolu was clueless about Hong Siyu''s intentions and could only reply with some bewilderment, "My code name is Bai Mei, right?"

    "And this little sister here¡­" acknowledging her, Hong Siyu then looked towards Xia Liang.

    "My name is Xia Liang."

    "Alright, then Xia Liang, your code name?"

    "Mine is Xiao Jin, probably referring to little brocade or cryptanthus, I guess?" Xia Liang answered, tapping her chin.

    "Now I can tell you, my former code name was Chaoyan, and as you all know, Emerald Sparrow''s code name. Do you see themon theme?" Hong Siyu winked at them suggestively.

    "They are all flowers?"

    "Flowers indeed."

    Both magical girls, one after the other, gave the same answer.

    "Yes, that''s correct. The code names of magical girls are actually all flower names."

    Hong Siyu raised her chin proudly, as if the conclusion was her own, "The moment you became a magical girl, your code name would emerge in your mind along with the awakening of the Seed of Heart. It''s the proof that you have gained power. You can think of it as your wish enabling the Seed of Heart to blossom into a flower."

    "However, you might''ve guessed that there are always exceptions to anything."

    "While it''s true that every magical girl has a code name corresponding to a flower, in reality, there are also magical girls whose code names do not follow this convention."

    "Why, don''t their Seeds of Heart have code names?" Lin Xiaolu asked doubtfully.

    "No, that''s not it."

    Hong Siyu shook her head, "But to exin it clearly, I need to tell another story here."

    "Can''t you just say it directly?" Lin Xiaolu was somewhat annoyed by her cryptic manner.

    "No way. I must tell a story first!" Hong Siyu insisted firmly.

    "Why do you have to insert a story here?"

    "You''ll regret it if you don''t listen!"

    "Ohe on, cool it, Xiaolu. We''vee this far," Xia Liang got between them ying peacemaker, persuading Lin Xiaolu, "Anyway, it''s almost lunchtime, so why not just listen to it, right?"

    Her words indeed managed to soothe Lin Xiaolu.

    "Fine¡­ but make it short," Lin Xiaolu, who was actually a bit easier going with a soft approach, reluctantly agreed after Xia Liang''s gentle persuasion.

    "Alright, alright, alright."

    Hong Siyu responded perfunctorily, then adjusted her state and tone, speaking as if narrating:

    "The reason why the Magic Kingdom is called a kingdom is that it''s a nation, yes, just like the ''nation'' described in history books."

    "Since it''s a nation, naturally, it has its leaders, and within the Magic Kingdom, ruling over everything is the Queen from Rose Pce."

    "The Queen has a very exquisite and magnificent Gemstone Scepter, and set at the tip are five extremelyvish gems, all her most cherished jewels."

    "One day, the Queen bestowed the gems from the scepter to the Magical Girls she appreciated and trusted the most, at the same time delegating her power and authority to them."

    "The so-called power refers to the power of the Five Major Institutes, giving both the institutes and the gems to those Magical Girls; and authority meant an even more transcendent power within the kingdom."

    "At the same time, the Magical Girls who were given the gems no longer bore the names of flowers as their code names, but instead were granted the names of those gems by the Queen."

    "Because of this, these Magical Girls were also known as ''Gemstone Scepter,'' the pinnacle of power and strength among Magical Girls in the kingdom."

    "The investigation bureau we''re talking about corresponds to the power of one of the Gemstone Scepter, the Magical Girl who corresponds to the golden green gem on the scepter¡ªher code name is Golden Green Cat''s Eye."

    "Using the Queen''s gems as code names..."

    Lin Xiaolu''s eyes sparkled as she listened: "It sounds so magnificent!"

    Even Xia Liang was full of longing as she nodded.

    "Right?"

    Hong Siyu shrugged her shoulders, speaking with a hint of nostalgia: "Every Magical Girl reacts the same way when they first hear the story. I was no exception in the past."

    "Only your senior, Emerald Sparrow, remained as expressionless as if her face were frozen when she heard the story, without any reaction whatsoever."

    As soon as this was said, Lin Xiaolu, who had been enthralled with the idea of "using gems as code names," immediately halted and then stood up straight, also adopting a calm demeanor.

    "So, that ''Golden Green Cat''s Eye'' is the one in charge of the investigation bureau, and thus also the top boss of your Abnormal Strategy Bureau?" On the other side, after grasping the content expressed by Hong Siyu, Xia Liang asked once more.

    "You child! Always bringing up the most troublesome topics, why do you keep asking these kinds of questions?"

    Hong Siyu couldn''t help but sigh: "But if I must say, indeed, Lady Golden Green Cat''s Eye should be considered our top boss."

    "What about the Magical Affairs Institute?" Xia Liang continued to inquire.

    "The Magical Affairs Institute... its power has not been delegated and still lies with the Queen, that is, within the royal court."

    Hong Siyu stroked her chin, her thoughts inspired: "Come to think of it, can the Queen also be considered our direct superior?"

    "Ah, you''re starting to tter yourself," Lin Xiaolu teased, without mincing words.

    "You too! Haven''t I told you not to say things that make you less adorable?" Hong Siyu retorted with slight annoyance after being consistently poked where it hurt.

    After broaching the topic of the Gemstone Scepter, they chatted a bit more about the current state of the Magic Kingdom. As noon struck twelve, Hong Siyu stood up, stretchingnguidly.

    "Hmm¡ªwhat do you all n to eat for lunch? Takeout?"

    "There are leftovers cooked by the hourly maid in the fridge," Xia Liang replied honestly, slouched on the sofa.

    "Leftovers?"

    Hong Siyu waved a hand dismissively: "No need for those! Since I''m here, let me show off my culinary skills! What else is in the fridge?"

    "That... If you''d like to eat fresh food, I can actually cook a bit,"

    Xia Liang sat up cautiously and suggested with a smile: "It might not be gourmet, but it should be edible."

    "Letting a kid cook for you is just not proper. Now watch me demonstrate the culinary skills of a single youngdy!" Hong Siyu dered grandly.

    "You''re more of a middle-aged woman, aren''t you?" Lin Xiaolu said mercilessly from the side.

    "You little rascal, if you keep talking like that, your sister is going to cry!"

    "I get it, I get it, be nice. Don''te any closer, okay?"

    Amidst the chaos, Hong Siyu eventually put on an apron and made her way into the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge for various vegetables and frozen meats.

    Behind her, Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu watched her busily moving back and forth. Her movements seemed adept, yet they felt an unease in their hearts.

    "It should be fine, right?" Lin Xiaolu couldn''t help murmuring.

    "Ah haha, she said it herself, so let''s trust her,"

    Xia Liang offered a reassuring smile, then looked toward the kitchen. But as she observed Hong Siyu''s increasingly concerning spice ratios, her own smile began to freeze:

    "It should... right?"

 Chapter 57: Chapter 52 Elevator Entrance

    At nightfall, Lin Yun walked out of the office building, feeling listless. He gazed at the bustling streets, turned around, and, as always, started his journey home.

    He walked through the sparsely popted residential streets, wandered around themercial area near the light rail station, avoiding the hands of skimpily d women reaching out from the crowd, and stopped in front of a shopping za.

    The brightly lit expanse of the building made him feel as if he were in a different world.

    The conversation with Hong Siyu that morning seemed to echo in his ears, and about whether to resign and fully return to the path of the Magical Girl, he had preliminarily made a decision:

    ¡ªFinish the monthly summary meeting and take care of a few tasks at hand, then he could apply for resignation.

    Before leaving, he even made a special trip to the general manager''s office. He mentioned the resignation, negotiated the handover of his tasks, and then left thepany.

    The reason he didn''t go straight to the station after work, but took a detour to themercial area, was actually because an important date was approaching.

    For instance, his wedding anniversary with An Ya.

    This year marked the 15th year of marriage with An Ya, which, in more romantic terms, should be called a "crystal wedding," a day worth celebrating for couples in this period.

    That was precisely why he suddenly remembered such a date, considering whether he should buy An Ya a gift she would like when it arrived.

    He remembered An Ya liked jewelry, and she treasured every piece he bought for her; since it was their "crystal wedding," a crystal jewelry piece would be very appropriate.

    He could wait until their anniversary to purchase the gift, wrap it carefully, and ce it in An Ya''s vanity box.

    ¡ªAnd then, on her death anniversary, he would personally take it to her grave and present it to her.

    Because An Ya''s death anniversary fell just one week after their wedding anniversary.

    This was actually a very sad and ironic matter. But for Lin Yun, besides revenge, it was his best way of paying tribute to An Ya.

    As for revenge, every time he picked up this idea, Lin Xiaolu''s face would appear in his mind. It did not dissuade him from the thought, but it made him realize that the time was not right, at least not yet.

    Taking a deep breath, Lin Yun collected his emotions, tightly clutched his briefcase, and stepped forward.

    He entered the shopping za and silently roamed from one storefront to another. Faced with the enthusiasm of many salespeople, he listened attentively, took it as a reference, and nodded politely in gratitude.

    After about an hour, he had roughly visited all jewelry stores on the first floor of the shopping center, marking the surveyplete but then walked out the entrance with a hint of disappointment.

    It couldn''t be said that he was dissatisfied, but he always felt something was missing.

    Only when he left themercial area and returned to the station did he suddenly feel hungry, and then realized he had even forgotten to eat dinner.

    Standing on the light rail tform, Lin Yun watched the approaching train, its headlights bing increasingly bright, piercing through the dense crowd, illuminating the weary homeward path.

    "I''ll heat up some leftovers when I get back," he muttered to himself, and then followed the crowd onto the train, finding a moment of peace hanging onto the strap in the carriage.

    On his way home, he pondered what to discuss at tonight''s study session, reviewing middle school textbook knowledge over and over in his mind, which unexpectedly made him recall life in junior high.

    Continuing daily life while being a Magical Girl; thinking about textbook knowledge on the way home¡ªhow simr, yet how vastly different.

    Engrossed in such thoughts, he arrived at the upscale apartment building where he lived.

    As he walked into the corridor, nning to head straight to the elevator, he met a womaning from that direction.

    It was Hong Siyu.

    "Ah, you''re finally off work?"

    Seeing Lin Yun, she greeted him quite naturally.

    "Done with work, and in a few days, I probably won''t have to go anymore."

    He replied quite frankly, "Anyway, thank you for today."

    "There''s nothing to thank me for. Getting to see a lovely junior like you is a treat for an old girl like me, whose phantom limbs of the heart are almost withered."

    Hong Siyu waved her hand nonchntly: "But for you, just don''t mind if I say something extra."

    "Extra?" Lin Yun asked, raising his eyes slightly, obviously catching the important point of her words.

    "Never mind, don''t worry about it," Hong Siyu said casually with a chuckle, "Anyway, I''ve stayed long enough today. I''m heading back now."

    "So what exactly did you say?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "I told you not to take it to heart, since it wasn''t something you deliberately hid." Hong Siyu winked at him, "Just get along well with the kids from now on."

    Having said that, she waved goodbye to Lin Yun and walked towards the parking area not far away.

    Watching her figure recede, Lin Yun pondered for a moment before shaking his head and heading back to the elevator.

    However, when he reached the entrance to the elevator, he just happened to see one closing its doors and ascending to his own floor.

    This gave him an inexplicable sense of rm.

    The scene at the entrance of the apartment a moment ago shed through his mind. In an instant, he pinpointed where this unease wasing from:

    "...Just now, there shouldn''t have been anyoneing in from the outside."

    ...

    ...

    After dinner time, having chatted for a while in the living room, Hong Siyu bid farewell to the two girls and left Lin Xiaolu''s home through the entryway.

    Returning to the living room and copsing onto the sofa in one breath, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang fell silent, entering a state of exhaustion and lethargy.

    "If I had known, I would have just had some leftovers at lunch," Lin Xiaolu muttered softly while lying on the sofa.

    "Even if she wanted to cook herself, I should have stopped her," Xia Liang sighed as well, "I just didn''t expect it to be that disastrous."

    Even after dinner, the two still dwelt on that "memorable" lunch.

    Hong Siyu had wanted to showcase her culinary skills, and if by that she meant torturing her guests, she had certainly seeded.

    Judging from her knife skills and control of the heat, there was not much wrong with the food she prepared; however, when it came to seasoning, it was nothing short of a disaster. It wasn''t just a matter of the food being unptable; it tasted like something only someone who had lost their sense of taste could concoct.

    It was as if all the vors in the food had their ratios swapped: what should have been salty turned sour, and what should have been sweet became bitter. The end result waspletely inedible.

    In the end, only Hong Siyu managed to eat the meal normally, asionally asking the two girls, "Why aren''t you eating?"

    So,e dinner time, at thebined insistence of Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu, they ended up making do with the leftovers from the fridge.

    After a somewhat raucous day of study, Lin Xiaolu was thinking about taking a short rest on the sofa to gear up for the evening study session when she suddenly felt something stuck under her thigh.

    She shifted to the side and quickly discovered it was Hong Siyu''s ID badge.

    Somehow, Hong Siyu had carelessly tossed the badge there and had forgotten to take it back.

    Picking up the small badge, Lin Xiaolu couldn''t help but exchange a baffled look with Xia Liang before asking, "What should we do?"

    "Do you have her contact information?" Xia Liang, having seen what she was holding, was also surprised.

    "No," Lin Xiaolu couldn''t help but grab at the hair on the side of her head.

    "Then let''s have Emerald Sparrow return it to her... What''s wrong?" As Xia Liang pondered a solution, Lin Xiaolu''s actions stunned her.

    Because Lin Xiaolu had already stood up from the sofa and was stuffing the badge into her pocket, "She should have just gone downstairs; I can still catch up to her."

    "Do you really need to rush?" Xia Liang, turning to lean on the back of the sofa and watching Lin Xiaolu head to the entryway, said helplessly, "Emerald Sparrow will be here tonight anyway, and you can just return it to her tomorrow, right?"

    "It''s not right to lose something on the first visit as a guest."

    At the door, Lin Xiaolu waved nonchntly, "It''s okay, I''ll be right back."

    She put on her sandals, stepped out the door, then pressed the elevator button and took the elevator down to the ground floor.

    Exiting the elevator, she heard Hong Siyu''s voice not far away. She immediately took out the badge from her pocket, lifted it, intending to stride out of the elevator area and quickly return the item.

    But her steps halted the moment she stepped out of the elevator.

    Because she saw Hong Siyu standing with someone she definitely hadn''t expected to see, and they seemed to be conversing quite familiarly.

    That person was not a stranger either; it was her father, Lin Yun.

 Chapter 58: Chapter 53 Lin Xiaolu Gave Up Thinking

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t listen carefully to the conversation between Hong Siyu and Lin Yun.

    Because, at that moment, her mind was a nk.

    The dialogue between them, with only phrases like "junior" and "get along well" reaching her ears, failed to elicit any response from her.

    She couldn''t remember what she was doing at the time; she seemed to just be standing there in a daze until she saw Hong Siyu leave, then she dashed into the elevator like a fugitive and ran home.

    The fact that her father knew Emerald Sparrow''s contact was too much for her to process, leaving her unclear about what exactly should be troubling her.

    Did he already know that she was a Magical Girl? If her father already knew she was a Magical Girl, wouldn''t her deception over these days seem like a joke?

    That woman named Hong Siyu suddenly visiting her home, was it really just on Emerald Sparrow''smission? Since he knew a woman named Hong Siyu, what exactly was their rtionship?

    Even more so, there was a question she least wanted to consider: did Emerald Sparrow also know her father?

    All these possibilities made her feelpletely overwhelmed whenever she thought about them.

    In fact, she had always harbored a vague doubt: was Emerald Sparrow''s treatment of her too gentle and caring?

    She hadn''t taken it seriously before, even actively ignoring the issue, because deep down she hoped that Emerald Sparrow''s concern was simply a matter of favoring and liking her.

    Emerald Sparrow was her idea of the perfect Magical Girl, like a virtual character stepped out of an animation, fulfilling all her beautiful aspirations for a Magical Girl. She genuinely admired and revered Emerald Sparrow, so she hoped that she too was special to Emerald Sparrow.

    But she couldn''t convince herself: what made her worthy of Emerald Sparrow''s attention?

    Clearly in terms of ability, she could only stand behind Emerald Sparrow as a background; regarding talent, Xia Liang was more outstanding; as for personality, she knew her indirect and unpleasant demeanor was not appealing.

    For such a perfect Magical Girl, what reason was there to be so special towards her?

    And it wasn''t until today, when she saw her father talking to Hong Siyu, that she realized that there could actually be an answer to this question.

    If her father really knew Emerald Sparrow, then Emerald Sparrow''s deliberate care might just be a request from her father, merely an exchange of favors between adults.

    This wasn''t umon in schools, where students with connections at home might receive more attention and guidance from teachers, almost like an opaque practice.

    But, what could her ordinary father provide in return to make Emerald Sparrow care about her?

    If one were to think more radically, could it be possible that Emerald Sparrow had a deeper connection with her father?

    She always emphasized that she was an adult; could it also be a hint that she might be more intimately rted to her father, that they could have¡­

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t want to think further, the possibilities were too numerous, beyond her ability to delve into them.

    All she knew was that, stuck in such a train of thought, she was somewhat distracted for the rest of the night.

    Even after receiving a message from Emerald Sparrow in the newly created group chat, informing her to go to Xia Liang''s house for a study session, Lin Xiaolu still couldn''t shake these muddled thoughts.

    Xia Liang''s words offort, filled with a bit of worry, couldn''t calm her down.

    As the night deepened, and Emerald Sparrow exined problems to her in a cool voice under the light, she also didn''t absorb a single word.

    She really wanted to ask right there, to ask Emerald Sparrow if she knew her father; to ask if her care was merely a matter of obligation. Yet, she was equally afraid that if the answer was affirmative, this beautiful scene would cease to exist.

    Even with her distraction, when she still didn''t grasp a problem after it was exined several times, Emerald Sparrow would still patiently exin the approach to her over and over again, hoping she would understand. Such a splendid and yet illusory kindness made Lin Xiaolu even more reluctant to break this dream.

    If she couldn''t figure it out, then she wouldn''t think about it; she would wait until it actually happened.

    That was the ostrich mentality she adopted at the table.

    Just pretend nothing is known, continue to hypnotize oneself, and enjoy the moment as it is.

    Lin Xiaolu gave up on seeking answers.

    However, a few dayster, just when Lin Xiaolu thought she had sessfully forgotten it all, another incident abruptly yanked her out of her state of self-deception.

    ¡ª¡ªShe found out that her father was actually grooming and dressing himself.

    It wasn''t like when he would get ready for work, meticulously styling his hair and suiting up; rather, he was genuinely sprucing up from an aesthetic standpoint.

    He pulled out casual shirts from his wardrobe, which he hadn''t worn for who knows how long, and paired them with a summer-style silk linen blend suit jacket. After a long hiatus, he used those seldom-touched men''s grooming products to cleanse his face, and then went to the barber for a haircut, significantly rejuvenating his overall appearance.

    Lin Yun was already good-looking, and with careful grooming, his tall and well-proportioned physiquebined with his somewhat weathered but handsome face, exuded an impressive gentlemanly charm.

    This sort of behavior would be no issue for most people, buting from Lin Yun, who hardly had any leisure in his life, it was quite strange, so much so that it shocked Lin Xiaolu as if struck by a bolt from the blue. Find adventures on mvl

    "No, no... This is just too abnormal."

    The next morning, Lin Xiaolu, head bowed and covering her forehead, said with a nk expression, "He would never normally do something like this."

    "Haha, even if you say that..." Xia Liang chuckled dryly beside her.

    In the past two days, she too had been worn thin by Lin Xiaolu''s restless mental state. She had breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Lin Xiaolu seeming to improve, only to find that today she was even more erratic, prompting Xia Liang to struggle to offerfort, "Maybe your dad has just been invited to some special event?"

    "Him? An invitation?"

    Lifting her head from her slump, Lin Xiaolu red with bloodshot eyes, "Exactly what kind of event would make a 35-year-old man dress up so mboyantly?"

    "Um... perhaps, attending someone else''s wedding?" Xia Liang tried to y dumb.

    "It''s an affair, it''s an affair!"

    pping the sofa beside her, Lin Xiaolu eximed loudly, "It means he''s going to meet a woman for a date!"

    "I think saying it''s an affair is a bit..."

    Xia Liang felt her face was about to freeze with a forced smile, "And there''s no evidence that he wants to find you a stepmother, right?"

    "Let him find whoever he wants, I don''t care about that."

    Pouting, Lin Xiaoluined, "I just don''t want him to be dating that woman named Hong Siyu, she doesn''t look very decent at a nce."

    Moreover, there was another possibility she hadn''t voiced.

    That is, if, just if, it wasn''t Hong Siyu who was going on a date with him, then... what should she do?

    The mere thought that this could be a possibility caused the unrest she had been suppressing to surge, overwhelming Lin Xiaolu''s remaining rationality.

    "No! I must figure out what''s going on!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    With renewed resolve, she swiftly stood up, "Magic!"

    "Hmm?" Magic, called by her name, had no clue what was going on and responded in a daze.

    "When he really sneaks out that day, you''re going to help me!"

    Lin Xiaolu clenched her fists, shouting loudly, "I''m going to follow them!"

 Chapter 59: Chapter 54 Following

    That Saturday, Lin Yun left the house alone, dressed in casual attire.

    On his day off frommuting, he rarely chose to drive, heading alone to the central business district of Luoming District.

    He had hinted at the incident in the apartment building elevator to Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang, but whether they really didn''t know or pretended to be clueless, they showed no reaction to his hints.

    However, that evening, when he exined school knowledge to Lin Xiaolu as Emerald Sparrow, her absent-minded expression lingered in his mind.

    Upon reflection, following the promise he made on the day he took Lin Xiaolu to school, it was time to have a serious talk with his daughter, to at least inform her about An Ya, instead of keeping her in the dark.

    With these thoughts, Lin Yun silently turned the steering wheel. After driving past an intersection and moving along the road for some distance, his eyebrows suddenly twitched.

    It was because he felt a magical reaction emanating from the Heart Flower he carried with him.

    It was a sign that a spell technique he had set up had been triggered.

    In the past, during the initial encounter with Moke, who was suspicious and enigmatic, Emerald Sparrow secretly ced a tracking spell technique on it to monitor its movements.

    Later on, although Moke proved with its actions that it was a genuine fool within and without, considering it was generally apanied by Lin Xiaolu, Emerald Sparrow did not remove the spell technique, to ensure they could be located in case of an emergency.

    Gently touching the Heart Flower, Lin Yun''s extended hand gradually surged with azure magic power, his hand which belonged to an adult male became ethereal, and within the illusion, a small hand mimicked his posture, resting on the gem-encrusted flower.

    Instantly, a sense of connection emerged in his mind¡ªthe spell technique he hadid was right behind him.

    Why would Moke be following him?

    Feeling quite puzzled, Lin Yun did not show it, instead, he let go of the Heart Flower, allowing everything to return to normal. He pretended as if he had noticed nothing and continued to drive.

    Soon after, as the car was forced to a stop at a red light at an intersection, he saw a pink head stick out from the side of his car window.

    Without having to look closely, he knew that the head must belong to Moke; there was no need for guesses.

    At that moment, Moke clung firmly to the car window with its paws, eyes wide, its face pressed t against the window, looking ratherical.

    Around its neck hung a mobile phone for some reason, which seemed very simr in style to Xia Liang''s. It was lucky that fairies had an integrated cognitive disorder, otherwise the pedestrians on the road would have been scared half to death by a floating phone in mid-air.

    Lin Yun continued to feign ignorance, ncing surreptitiously at Moke outside the car window, and after careful scrutiny, finally confirmed something: hanging around its neck was indeed Xia Liang''s own mobile phone.

    In other words, at least its current bizarre behavior was rted to Xia Liang.

    Considering what he saw in the elevator that went straight to his floor, he couldn''t help but specte: could it have been Xia Liang that day?

    What exactly was she up to?N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Xia Liang''s smiling face came to mind, and Lin Yun could not fathom her thoughts at the moment, but what he was about to do was not something that needed hiding, so he was not concerned about their little acts.

    After all, he had said before that as an adult, he should be tolerant of a child''s small caprices.

    Continuing to drive toward his destination, what Lin Yun didn''t know was that there were two girls tailing him in a taxi hundreds of meters behind.

    ¡ª¡ª"We''ve caught up with the target."

    Staring at her mobile phone screen, Lin Xiaolu furrowed her brows, "Moke has confirmed through the car window, it''s definitely him."

    "I mean... is this really necessary?"

    Xia Liang, who was dragged into this and had her mobile phone forcibly taken away, felt somewhat helpless, "Even if your dad is really going to meet another woman, that is his freedom, isn''t it?"

    "I''m not trying to interfere with that."

    Lin Xiaolu mumbled quietly, "Besides, he was already so close with another woman at mom''s funeral, now it''s just a meeting, what difference does it make?"

    "But you were saying before that his behavior is an affair..."

    "Ah, really! I just misspoke, don''t nitpick at a time like this!"

    Pouting in denial, Lin Xiaolu hurriedly shifted the topic, "Anyway, what we''re focusing on now isn''t the fact that he''s going out on a date, but who he''s nning to meet!" Enjoy new tales from mvl

    "Right, right, right." Watching Lin Xiaolu''s reaction, Xia Liang chuckled teasingly, "So, it means if the person is someone you don''t care about, then it wouldn''t matter to you if their date were sessful, right?"

    "...It wouldn''t matter." Lin Xiaolu said stubbornly.

    "What if it''s actually Hong Siyu, who came to our house a few days ago?"

    "I would reveal to Emerald Sparrow her real intention for getting close to us, letting her know about that woman... huh, huh?" Lin Xiaolu, btedly realizing something, raised her head, "What did you just say?"

    "Hong Siyu?"

    "I don''t care how you refer to that woman, what I''m talking about is the word before that!" Lin Xiaolu corrected.

    "A few days ago?" Xia Liang blinked innocently.

    "Don''t try to confuse me, you said ''our house,'' right?" Lin Xiaolu then widened her eyes.

    "Yeah, I said it."

    "That''s it, I''ve corrected you many times, I told you, that''s my house, you''re really pushing your luck too far!"

    "Is that not allowed? I really wish we could be just like a family." Xia Liang said softly, teasing, "If that were the case, I could call you ''sister,'' how about that, Sister Xiaolu?"

    "Don''t make it sound so cheesy."

    ncing at her with some disdain, Lin Xiaolu sighed, "Anyway, my house is my house, your house is your house. These concepts shouldn''t be mixed up."

    Having said that, she continued to stare intently at her phone, closely monitoring the movements of Magic Power and her own father.

    Quiet settled in the car for a moment.

    The driver sitting in front, who could actually overhear the conversation behind him, clearly found it inappropriate to chime in on such obvious familial issues. He reminded himself to stay out of others'' family matters and maintained his silence as well.

    "Xiaolu."

    After watching the phone with Lin Xiaolu for a while, Xia Liang suddenly called out her name, "You said, if your dad''s date isn''t that sister, but just like you said, is..."

    "It won''t be."

    Cutting her off mid-sentence, Lin Xiaolu stared at her phone without looking up, making it impossible for Xia Liang to see her expression, "I must believe in Emerald Sparrow, it won''t be."

    "But you were suspecting it yourself just a few days ago, weren''t you?"

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t speak.

    Because she didn''t know how to answer that question.

    In fact, the possibility she least hoped for had been hovering in her mind until she chased Lin Yun out of the house. However, at this moment, she surprisingly became a bit calm.

    Emerald Sparrow''s actions and speech from the past days resurfaced in her thoughts, slowly restoring her confidence: the Magical Girl she admired wasn''t the type to recklessly interfere in someone else''s family.

    Even though, deep down, she also harbored a tiny bit of hope: if she really was going to have a stepmother, maybe...

    So, this act of tailing was less about catching someone in the act and more about giving herself closure.

    Staring at the red and blue dots on her phone, representing the two parties'' locations, Lin Xiaolu was silent for a long time.

    She knew, no matter what thoughts she harbored in her heart, the real answery ahead.

 Chapter 60: Chapter 55 Anti-tracking

    Lin Yun paused at the jewelry store counter.

    The salesperson was enthusiastically marketing the store''s goods to him, repeatedly asking and attempting to confirm his choices, but Lin Yun turned a deaf ear to it all.

    Because his attention was entirely on Moke at his side.

    At this moment, Moke was brazenly sitting on the counter in front of him, thrilled by the sight of the jewelry, asionally ncing at Lin Yun, then continuing to immerse itself in its own world.

    In its eyes, the ordinary people around, including Lin Yun, probably couldn''t see it.

    It wasn''t surprising for it to think this way; after all, Lin Xiaolu and Moke had never once doubted Lin Yun''s identity as an ordinary person, and Moke often roamed freely in front of him. And he had fully demonstrated theposure of an adult, indifferent to whatever Moke did.

    As a result, even though Moke was now tracking him, it dared to bepletely unhidden.

    If Lin Yun remembered correctly, just over half a month ago, when he was instructing it on how to supervise two novices in their magical training, it had been determined and highly energetic. He hadn''t expected it to fall in with bad influences so soon.

    Well, he shouldn''t have counted on it in the first ce. Enjoy more content from mvl

    With a silent sigh, Lin Yun wished to continue ignoring its presence, but now Moke was lying directly beneath his line of sight,pletely obscuring the item the salesperson was introducing, and unintentionally dragging Lin Yun''s attention onto itself.

    What to do?

    He had no choice but to start pondering this question.

    After a moment''s consideration, he felt that continuing to indulge Moke in this manner just wouldn''t do; he had to scare it a bit, to keep it from being so impudent. So, he reached out and poked towards where Moke was sitting.

    "Meow!"

    Startled by Lin Yun''s sudden movement, Moke let out a strange cry and scurried away in a roll, looking nervously and somewhat uncertainly at Lin Yun.

    "Could you show me this one, please?"

    Lin Yunpletely ignored it and used his finger to point towards a crystal pendant in the showcase, "I can''t see it clearly through the ss."

    When he stretched out his hand, he didn''t even know which item he would end up pointing at; he was simply trying to trick Moke. So in fact, he had no interest in the pendant. But since he had taken the action, it was better toplete the pretense.

    This behavior was very natural and there was no w in motive alone; it seemed as though he simply wanted to look at that piece of jewelry. Thus, from a distance, Moke heaved a sigh of relief, and its initial tension rxed.

    It began to believe once again that it would not be discovered.

    Shifting its body, Moke moved back into Lin Yun''s field of vision, settled in a different spot, and nned to continue its "tracking" from a closer range.

    "Ah, sorry¡ª"

    Lin Yun once again reached toward where Moke was, "And could you show me this one too, thank you."

    "Wow!"

    This time he had no intention of poking Moke directly, so he simply made a gesture with his hand, but with the earlier incident fresh in mind, Moke tensed up and reflexively jumped.

    Only when it realized that Lin Yun''s hand did not actually reach out did it understand it was just a "false rm."

    But Lin Yun didn''t n to let it off so easily.

    Afterward, he interacted with Moke a few more times, half in earnest, half in jest, interspersed with various feints to disrupt any pattern, confusing Moke about his intentions. On one hand, it still thought Lin Yun couldn''t see it, but on the other hand, it was often startled by Lin Yun''s abrupt movements. Eventually, it began to doubt its own luck and finally learned to behave, staying at a distance rather than constantlying closer.

    This distance was just right, and Lin Yun stopped bothering it.

    A man and a fairy moved through the shopping center in such a peculiar rtionship until at one moment, Moke, clearly bored, picked up its phone from around its neck. It mimicked a conversation, then acted as if it was receiving a call. Afterwards, as if it had received some new instructions, it nced at Lin Yun twice and then pped its wings, turned around, and left.

    Lin Yun quickly realized that the opportunity hade.

    He didn''t know whose idea it was for Magic Power to track him this time, but it didn''t prevent him from tracking Magic Power in return to see what the other party intended.

    So he gave a cursory nce at the products in front of him and, polite and naturally, bid farewell to the sales clerk before heading in the direction Magic Power had left.

    The shopping mall was bustling on Saturday, with dense crowds, even in the luxury goods section where many customers lingered, so Lin Yun didn''t need to deliberately hide his tracks. All he had to do was follow at a distance behind Magic Power, and when it scanned the area, he just needed to slightly conceal his figure.

    He followed Magic Power onto the elevator and up to the third floor; shortly after, he saw Magic Power fly to the atrium in the center of the building and meet up with two girls who were waiting there.

    There was no doubt, these were the two people Lin Yun had anticipated.

    At a nce, he could recognize that the girl with the simple ponytail, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and sandals, was Lin Xiaolu; the other, with hair naturally draped over her shoulders and a T-shirt covered by denim dungaree shorts, was Xia Liang. Both girls were leaning over the atrium railing, seemingly looking down at something.

    Upon seeing Magic Power fly over, as if due to some mimunication over a phone call earlier, Lin Xiaolu quickly started arguing with it:

    ¡ª"What ''you''re always worried about being touched when you''re too close''? Then stay a bit farther away."

    "And if you get too far away, you might lose him? How could you lose such a big living person?"

    "How can I follow him? Watching from above the atrium is the safest. What if I go down and he notices me following him?"

    The somewhat faint sound of the conversation was directly in front of Lin Yun. Since Lin Xiaolu hadn''t intentionally lowered her voice, the content was clear to hear.

    He looked down from the side of the atrium, somewhat puzzled, and noticed that from this angle, he could just sweep a view of the luxury goods area, suddenly understanding what the two girls were doing here.

    "Xiaolu."

    It was at that moment Xia Liang spoke up with some concern, "Have you spotted your dad over there?"

    "Do I need to look? He''s been wandering around those few ces for over an hour now and he''s still by himself."

    Lin Xiaolu drew out her words, resting her hands on the railing and tilting her head back, "I''m starting to wonder if he''s been stood up?"

    "But I seem to have lost sight of him from over here." Xia Liang said with an awkward smile, "Can you find him?"

    "Huh?"

    Reminded by Xia Liang''s words, Lin Xiaolu hurriedly peered down, but looking left and right, she couldn''t spot her father anywhere, which left her somewhat dumbfounded, "No way, did we really lose him?"

    The phrase "How could we lose such a big living person" had just left her mouth less than two minutes ago, only to be validated and thrown back in her face, making her flustered and embarrassed, her ears feeling a bit warm.

    She quickly opened her mobile phone, trying to locate him again, but then she remembered that Magic Power, which served as the tracker, had already flown back, and she could no longer pinpoint Lin Yun''s position.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    So Lin Xiaolu could only stand there, holding her phone, dumbfounded.

    The two girls stood beside the atrium, at a loss what to do, with the instigator Magic Power lookingpletely indifferent to the situation, making the scene quite awkward for a moment.

    Not far away, Lin Yun heaved a sigh.

    With the situation having escted to this point, he had no choice but to go and ask what the matter was.

    So he stepped forward and walked slowly behind Lin Xiaolu and then gently tapped her on the shoulder:

    "What are you doing?"

    "Ahhhh!" Lin Xiaolu was so startled, she almost jumped.

 Chapter 61: Chapter 56 A Farce

    She screamed and turned around, Lin Xiaolu first took a "thud thud" series of steps back, bumped into the railing behind her, and then, identally slipping, her head mmed straight into the ss pane by the railing.

    "Ah!"

    Her head throbbing with pain, she couldn''t help crying out in pain, followed by falling down to the ground.

    Luckily, Lin Yun was quick to react, bending over and reaching out to grab Lin Xiaolu''s arm just before she actually fell, pulling her upright on the spot.

    "Are you okay?"

    Seeing Lin Xiaolu with a grimace of pain, he subconsciously reached out and rubbed the back of her head, and seeing apparently no wound, he breathed a sigh of relief, "Lulu, you should be more careful when you walk."

    ¡ª"It''s all because you scared me!"

    Lin Xiaolu straightened up and removed his hand from the back of her head, saying somewhat indignantly, "Don''t suddenly talk behind someone''s back like that!"

    "I saw you two here acting all sneaky, of course I had toe over and ask."

    Lin Yun raised his eyebrows and said, "You''ve been crouched here on the third floor for so long, you really think I didn''t notice?"

    In fact, he indeed had not noticed; it''s hard for anyone to imagine someone would be watching them from a high floor of a shopping mall. But now that he had found them, he needed some other reason to justify it.

    This kind of reason would be somewhat far-fetched on any ordinary day, but fortunately, the two girls had been tracking him first and felt guilty about it, so they didn''t question the excuse he gave.

    "I''m sorry, Uncle, I was wrong."

    Xia Liang reacted the quickest, immediately ying the good kid, with an innocent face saying, "I didn''t mean to, I was just curious."

    "Who''s acting sneaky? I was standing here fair and square!"

    Lin Xiaolu''s attitude was not so friendly, and having just hit her head, sheined while holding the back of her head, "Can''t I just see what you''re up to?"

    "Then why are you two here?" Lin Yun stared into her eyes.

    Lin Xiaolu could only remain silent and look away.

    She didn''t answer, but as always was bad at hiding her emotions, her guilty expression was all too apparent, so Lin Yun had his answer and asked again, "You followed me here?"

    "I was just a bit curious as well," Lin Xiaolu muttered.

    "You''re curious too?"

    Lin Yun suddenly felt it a bit funny, "You two made such a fuss, standing here for so long, all because of this?"

    "What''s wrong with that? Aren''t you the same, why would you go out alone on a day off dressed up like this,"

    Having been exposed, Lin Xiaolu decided to go all out, admitting somewhat defeatist, "You''re all dressed up so formally, I thought maybe this trip was because you were nning, were intending..."

    Only then did Lin Yun understand why she was here.

    He nced at Xia Liang, who looked a little embarrassed, smiling apologetically, lowering her head with some guilt, clearly aware that tracking someone was not a good thing.

    Enjoy exclusive chapters from mvl

    Indeed, why was he making a fuss over children.

    He chuckled to himself, decided to let go of the slight amount of dissatisfaction he had left, and looked back at Lin Xiaolu to confirm:

    "You thought I was nning on finding you a stepmother?"

    "What else?" Lin Xiaolu looked up at him, a trace of confusion in her expression.

    "How could that be? Even if I were looking, I would definitely ask for your opinion first."

    Lin Yun shook his head, then sighed somewhat, "You know, you probably don''t remember clearly, today is actually your mom''s and my wedding anniversary."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Lin Xiaolu couldn''t help but widen her eyes.

    "Wedding anniversary?"

    She repeated the phrase to herself, suddenly feeling a bit tongue-tied, "Eh? But, but I''m sure thatst year and the year before there was nothing..."

    "This year is the fifteenth anniversary; your mom and Ist celebrated this day on our tenth anniversary, when you were only nine years old."

    Lin Yun continued, "Besides, you know that in a week we have to visit your mom, and I need to prepare some gifts for her."

    "Ha..." Lin Xiaolu exhaled a dazed breath.

    Releasing the hand from the back of her head, she gazed at Lin Yun, then looked down, repeating to herself again, "So that''s why... I thought it was because..."

    At the moment, she didn''t even know why she felt relieved.

    Her father was not out on a date with another woman, but simplymemorating her mother.

    Although it still did not mean he had no connection with the woman named Hong Siyu, nor did it mean he didn''t know Emerald Sparrow, but at least this proved that the wild thoughts in her head when she came...

    Lin Xiaolu felt her cheeks burning.

    Xia Liang started giggling to the side, gently nudging her arm, "I told you it might not be what you think, but you wouldn''t believe me."

    Lin Xiaolu nced at her, knowing in her heart she had made a fool of herself, but her nature was not to keep quiet and ept loss, instinctively wanting to retort.

    But before she could say anything, she suddenly saw Lin Yun''s somewhat sentimental expression, and it felt as though a basin of cold water had been sshed over her heart. The words that had reached her lips were swallowed back down.

    "...I know, I was wrong."

    She honestly admitted her mistake, muttering in a low voice, "If that''s so, then I''ll go home in a bit."

    "After everything that''s happened, why talk about going home now?"

    Lin Yun let out a sigh, trying to muster a smile on his face, "Since you followed me here,e help me pick something out. Think of it as us choosing a gift for your mom together."

    "I..." Lin Xiaolu hesitated, looking at him. After realizing she had made a mistake, she didn''t know what to say.

    "Let''s go." Lin Yun patted the railing, pointing down at the courtyard, "Or are you not nning to go to the grave sweeping next week?"

    "How could I not?"

    As soon as they touched on this topic, Lin Xiaolu''s spirits were roused again, and she murmured softly, "Even if you don''t go, I will."

    "Then what are we waiting for?"

    Lin Yun took a couple of steps towards the elevator, then turned back to look at her, "Or do you want to keep standing up here, acting like a marshal on themand tform?"

    "...Do you think I want to?"

    "Then hurry up," Lin Yun urged.

    "Fine, I got it."

    "Is there anything in particr you want for lunch?"

    "...Ice cream."

    On the other side, having witnessed the whole scene, Xia Liang felt a sense of relief at the gradually harmonizing atmosphere between father and daughter.

    Perhaps there was a small amount of envy, even jealousy, in her heart, but those feelings were secondary. What mattered more was that Lin Xiaolu was her friend, and she could genuinely share in the joy of her friend getting along well with her parents.

    "So, Uncle, Xiaolu."

    She waved at the two, with a bright smile on her face, "In that case, I''ll head back on my own, okay?"

    "You..." Lin Xiaolu frowned, wanting to say something.

    But she had barely uttered a word when Xia Liang interrupted her, "Xiaolu, you go ahead and seriously consider the gift. Your mom will definitely be happy."

    She didn''t give Lin Xiaolu the chance to finish what she was about to say, even though they both knew that these words might have been meant as a plea to stay.

    In her view, it was a rare opportunity for this father and daughter tomunicate well, and there was no need for her to stand around like a third wheel, making everyone feel ufortable.

    So, having said her piece, she turned around and quickened her pace, heading towards the crowd as if to escape. But before she could blend in with the crowd, she was stopped in her tracks by a voice from behind her.

    ¡ª¡ª"Hey there, ssmate."

    The man behind her had said, "If you''re not busy, why don''t youe along with Xiaolu?"

    "...No need, thank you, Uncle. I can get back by myself quite easily." And so she turned, declining with a smile.

    "No need to be formal, you''re Xiaolu''s ssmate, Xia Liang, right?"

    Lin Yun tried to keep his tone and expression as gentle as possible, "Thank you for putting up with her antics, so I also owe you thanks."

    He really didn''t know what Xia Liang was thinking at that moment, but it didn''t prevent him from remembering the words "Don''t y favorites" that a vulnerable Xia Liang had said to Emerald Sparrow on that night.

    Although he wasn''t Emerald Sparrow now, and she wouldn''t realize this, it wasn''t an excuse for him to leave this girl by the wayside.

    "Come with us, I''ll treat you to lunch, and then drive you home."

    He looked at Xia Liang, speaking with a certain earnestness.

    Xia Liang looked at him, her mouth opening slightly, but she didn''t know how to refuse further.

    "Stop dawdling," Lin Xiaolu took the opportunity to finish her sentence, crossing her arms and looking away, "Isn''t it what you said before? You hoped I''d treat you like family. Now you''re ying coy?"

    Xia Liang looked between Lin Yun and Lin Xiaolu, noticing a kind of concern in their gaze looking back at her.

    Reason told her that she was just an outsider here, and seeing the close family rtionship of others was only a question to her own heart.

    Yet, emotionally, she yearned for that kind of rtionship which she longed for but couldn''t have.

    "Should I get closer to them?" she asked herself, trying to hold herself back,

    But at such times, the concern and invitation of the father and daughter in front of her cracked open a small gap in the barriers she had set for herself, bringing a warm feeling to her heart again.

    Well, it''s okay to be willful sometimes.

    Recalling someone''s teaching, she nodded her head, showing a smile that was somewhat reluctant, yet also genuine,

    "Then, I won''t stand on ceremony."

 Chapter 62: After Lunch Chapter 57

    Lin Yun could never have imagined that the wedding anniversary he originally nned to spend alone, wrapped in nostalgia and sentiment, would ultimately turn into a family outing with two kids, bustling and noisy all the way.

    Standing alone at the counter, listening to the clerk''s endless exnations, turned into the three of themughing and chatting happily with the clerk.

    Though Lin Yun wasn''t good atmunication, he managed to convey his requirements precisely; Lin Xiaolu didn''t like interacting with others, but her cute appearance and jumpy nature made others can''t help but tease her; Xia Liang was the most talkative, always managing to cheer up the clerks, so both sides quickly got along well.

    The shopping process became easy and delightful.

    There were also misunderstandings, where people thought they were a family,plimenting Lin Yun, "Your two daughters are very cute." In response, Lin Yun had to make some simple rifications, Xia Liang seemed quite pleased, while Lin Xiaolu kept a straight face¡ªif angry was not quite the word, then it was unclear what she was feeling.

    They visited many shops, and eventually, in a jewelry store called "World''s Best Oddities," they found a gift that met the requirements.

    It was a crystal ne, with a silver chain and a pendant made of Hibiscus Stone, also known as rose quartz. The Hibiscus Stone was cut into a shape resembling a cherry blossom and was encircled with a ring of gold, looking fresh and lovely.

    Lin Xiaolu quite liked that piece of jewelry, but couldn''t say why; Xia Liang thought the style was a bit old-fashioned but kept quiet seeing the mood. In the end, it was Lin Yun himself who made the decision, buying the item.

    There was no other reason, just for that cherry blossom on the pendant.

    Such a crystal cherry blossom suggested to him as soon as he saw the ne that a voice in his heart was telling him: this is the one.

    So, having decided on the gift, the trio went to browse other floors. Lin Yun suggested buying clothes for Lin Xiaolu, who refused, and ultimately they went along with Xia Liang''s suggestion and all three headed to the cinema.

    After watching a popcorn movie, they left the theater around one in the afternoon. The three chose a trendy tea restaurant for their lunch spot.

    Lin Yun pretended to be an ordinary parent, Xia Liang, supposedly Lin Xiaolu''s good ssmate, both clearly aware of each other''s secrets, yet each maintained their personas and engaged in a conversation that was half true, half false, causing Lin Xiaolu on the side to doze off.

    Lunch was halfway done, and it was nearly two o''clock, just when the three people in the restaurant were in a state of deep rxation, suddenly, there came a distant boom.

    "Boom!"

    Like the sound of a heavy object falling that signifies the copse of a building, it overpowered all the hustle and bustle in the entire mall.

    In the aftermath of the noise, people first fell silent, then confusion took over, and panic soon followed.

    The customers in the restaurant were restless, some took out their phones to try to get in touch with the outside world, others walked out of the restaurant at once, wanting to see what the source of the noise was.

    Yet amidst the chaos, only the table where the man and two girls were sitting maintained an umon calm.

    "Xiaolu, Xia Liang, we need to move out quickly!"

    In a perspective that ordinary people could not perceive, a creature called Moco spoke quite seriously, "I can sense that Remnant Beasts have appeared nearby!" Stay connected with mvl

    What it thought was a covert shout was actually heard loud and clear by the other three present.

    And in fact, even if it hadn''t spoken, the three had a simr guess as to the cause of the boom¡ªit was probably Remnant Beasts.

    But at this critical moment, not one of them was able to express the thoughts in their hearts.

    Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang still believed that Lin Yun was just an ordinary person, he should at least not possess magic power; they could only guess that he had some knowledge of the magic side of things, and might even know that his daughter was a Magical Girl. However, that particr veil between them had not yet been pierced, and suddenly bringing up the matter of magic right now was somewhat ufortable.

    The reason for Lin Yun''s silence was even simpler because he was pondering, "How much should ''Lin Yun'' as an identity, actually know about the affairs of Magical Girls."

    With the pressing situation, though it had arrived in a bizarre fashion, the Remnant Beasts had already emerged. It was definitely not appropriate for the only three Magical Girls in Fangting City to be all sitting around this dining table.

    Next, not only did the two neers in front of him need to head into battle, but he also had to find an excuse to leave and transform into Emerald Sparrow and cover for them on the scene, just in case the attacking Remnant Beasts proved to be too powerful.

    So, should he be the one to start this conversation?N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Looking at the two girls in front of him, who also seemed hesitant to speak, he had to make a decision.

    From the moment he noticed Lin Xiaolu following behind him that morning, he had realized that at least some truths could no longer be concealed.

    That they knew of his acquaintance with Hong Siyu meant it would be difficult for him to im ignorance about the Magical Girls.

    But should he admit here and now that he was aware of his daughter and her friends'' identities as Magical Girls?

    After some thought, he felt that there was actually a better way.

    But first, he needed an excuse to exin how he knew about the Remnant Beast attack.

    Wordlessly, he took out his phone from his pants pocket, feigned fiddling with it for a while, and essed the message interface. After waiting a moment, sure enough, an evacuation notice from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was sent to his phone.

    Since the Remnant Beast attack urred in a bustling, densely popted shopping center, there were many witnesses, and the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s response was indeed fast. Merely seconds after the loud noise, a notice was sent out to the mobile phones of citizens across the city, advising them to avoid that location if traveling and to flee as quickly as possible if they were there.

    As a result, the other customers in the restaurant finally realized what was happening; many of them stood up in panic and started to run towards the exit.

    "A Remnant Beast attack? That''s so dangerous!"

    He furrowed his brows and handed his phone with the notification over to the girls, putting on a worried face, "It looks like we can''t stay here any longer, let''s leave right away too!"

    To seem genuinely anxious, he did not give the two girls a chance to respond. He picked up his coat from the chair, stood up alongside the table, and gestured with a wave, "Ask the staff if there''s another way out, the main entrance is already blocked!"

    His acting was quite exaggerated; had it not been for the surrounding crowd also in a state of panic, it would have been easy to see through.

    His n, in fact, was quite simple: to rush into the crowd outside with the two girls, then pretend to be separated, allowing them enough room to move, while he himself would find a ce to quietly transform.

    In between, he would use Lin Yun''s phone to call Lin Xiaolu''s number twice to show concern, so as not to give them away. Once the Remnant Beast was dealt with, he would get back in touch with them: he would say they got separated and arrange a meeting ce to regroup.

    In this way, neither party needed to expose each other''s identity and enough face could be saved; any irregrities afterwards could also be exined.

    However, the two girls did not know his n.

    Although their details differed, their thoughts were actually aligned: as Magical Girls, when faced with a Remnant Beast attack and innocent civilians suffering, they should not choose to flee.

    So, even after hearing his words, they still sat in their seats withplicated expressions.

 Chapter 63: Chapter 58 Daughters Confession

    "Hurry up, the Remnant Beasts must have already started moving; there''s no time left!" Amidst the chaos, Moke urged from the side.

    Every customer in the restaurant had already crowded at the doorway, and a stampede had almost urred in the corridor outside. Amidst all the noise, Xia Liang spoke up.

    "I''m sorry, Uncle, Lulu."

    She apologized with a smile, with a sense of etiquette, "I might not be able to just run away like this."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Don''t be willful, right now..." Lin Yun started to persuade her, but was forced to stop mid-sentence because Xia Liang''s next action was beyond his expectations.

    In front of the two, she unabashedly pulled out a round gem from her pocket.

    That gem emitted a Jinzhi-colored misty glow, perfectly round and wless, flickering uncertainly in the sight of the onlookers.

    And everyone present knew that this was her Seed of Heart.

    "Uncle, I am a Magical Girl."

    Xia Liang opened her palm and ced the Seed of Heart right in the center, gazing at him earnestly, "If I leave now, there would be no one to fend off the Remnant Beasts."

    Lin Xiaolu was astonished as she watched her, struggling to grasp Xia Liang''s intentions, and was about to say something when she saw Xia Liang wink at her.

    ¡ª¡ªIt''s enough for only one of us to be honest.

    She understood that this was what Xia Liang meant.

    "Is this a toy? Now is not the time for jokes!"

    Lin Yun continued to pretend ignorance, wanting to help her smoothen things over, but Xia Liang didn''t give him the chance. With a sh of light, her Seed of Heart had already flown up, apanied by a scattering Flow of Magical Power visible even to ordinary people.

    She didn''t transform on the spot, merely because there were still other people around.

    "You, you''re actually a Magical Girl..."

    Now, even Lin Yun didn''t know how to react and could only mechanically recite lines devoid of emotion.

    Given the situation, Xia Liang''s actions were, in fact, appropriate. Among the three of them, one needed to take action immediately, and since Lin Xiaolu and Lin Yun didn''t want their identities revealed, it had to be her who openly confronted everything.

    Indeed, there was no need for her to hide her identity from Lin Yun. After all, Lin Yun was Lin Xiaolu''s father, and she wasn''t deeply entwined with him. Under such circumstances, even if her true identity was revealed, it wasn''t a problem.

    It made sense, but the speed of her decision still caught Lin Yun off guard.

    In reality, it was also a bias in his perception.

    From his own experience, revealing one''s true identity is indeed serious, but he subconsciously overlooked something: When ites to real identities, the other Magical Girls differed from him.

    They hid their identities merely to protect personal privacy, unlike him who couldn''t dare let strangers know his true persona.

    Xia Liang revealed her identity and didn''t let Lin Xiaolu speak up; she intended to deal with the Remnant Beasts herself, thereby providing Lin Xiaolu with cover.

    Lin Yun could guess her thoughts as well and knew there was no point in persuading her further.

    He then turned to Lin Xiaolu, "So, Lulu, we..."

    "Dad."

    She didn''t pick up on his train of thought, instead, she nced sharply at Xia Liang before taking a deep breath and suddenly calling out.

    For the first time since their disagreement two years ago, she properly called him by this title.

    This was a long-missed address for Lin Yun.

    If it had been an ordinary day when his daughter called him this way, he would have been very happy¡ªin fact, he still felt the same¡ªbut at this critical moment, he knew what her use of this term signified.

    Continue your adventure at §Þ??

    "Thank you for pretending you didn''t know, but it''s not needed anymore."

    She turned her head to look at Lin Yun and said calmly, "I have to go because I am also a Magical Girl."

    With those words, she too extended her hand, opening her palm.

    A pale blue Seed of Hearty there, except for the color, it was exactly the same as Xia Liang''s.

    She had understood long before that her status as a Magical Girl might not be a secret. The reason she hadn''t admitted this to Lin Yun was that she felt it wasn''t yet the right time, and she still needed courage.

    And at such a moment, she had already made her decision.

    Lin Yun sat back down in her chair.

    The location of the Remnant Beast''s attack was some distance from here, so there was actually no need to rush to escape. The evacuation notice from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was just to be safe rather than sorry, and the other customers'' panic stemmed solely from their fear of the Remnant Beasts.

    With two Magical Girls right before him, even if he were truly an ordinary person, there was no need to worry about "prevention," and it would be illogical to continue acting so frightened.

    His gaze swept over the two girls in front of him, thest traces of tension on his face fading away, reced by resignation, "¡­Decided?

    "Yes." Lin Xiaolu nodded earnestly.

    "It has to be us." Xia Liang repeated.

    "¡­Sigh, you two."

    Lin Yun couldn''t help butugh and cry, "Why not just follow me out and then pretend to get lost? You''re giving up the identities you''ve concealed for so long so easily, are you really okay with it?"

    "What, you knew all along, didn''t you?"

    Lin Xiaolu muttered, drooping her eyelids, "You acted so convincingly, making me struggle so much in my act."

    Shaking his head, Lin Yun didn''t respond.

    "Do we need to leave one person behind to escort you out first?" Xia Liang suddenly suggested, "It''s not safe to walk out just like this."

    "If you all are going to fight the monsters, what danger could I possibly be in?"

    Lin Yun waved his hand at her, "Us adults are already relying on young girls to fend off the enemies, it wouldn''t make sense for you to go out of your way to protect us."

    "Go on, you''re in a hurry, aren''t you? Whatever you want to say, let''s wait until youe back, there''s only one thing I ask of you."

    He turned his face, looking earnestly at Lin Xiaolu, and advised with deep sincerity, "No matter what, be careful."

    It wasn''t through the mouth of Emerald Sparrow, but for the first time as a father, that he said these words to Lin Xiaolu.

    However,pared to when he first learned that Lin Xiaolu had be a Magical Girl, both their mindsets had changed.

    It had been nearly two months since his daughter became a Magical Girl, and he had seen all the effort she had put into getting stronger.

    Perhaps being a Magical Girl was indeed dangerous, but it was also the only way for ordinary people to obtain real magical power, a precious opportunity that countless magicians longed for but could not get.

    She had already chosen this path, so his only choice was to help her walk steadier and farther.

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t respond again.

    She looked deeply at Lin Yun, her gaze sweeping over Moke and Xia Liang, then turned her head and ran out of the restaurant.

    Moke followed closely behind, and Xia Liang smiled at Lin Yun before catching up with them.

    Lin Yun responded with a wave goodbye, sitting still in his ce. He nned to find a secluded corner to turn into Emerald Sparrow after they left, ensuring someone was there to support the two neers.

    Just then, as he was calcting in his mind, Xia Liang unexpectedly stopped.

    ¡ª¡ª"Ah, speaking of which, I almost forgot."

    Standing at the entrance of the restaurant, she seemed to remember something, took out her mobile phone, and started to scroll through her contacts:

    "Just to be on the safe side, I''d better make a call to my little senior first."

    She spoke casually, but at the same moment, Lin Yun, still pretending, remembered something very crucial that he had been forgetting: Emerald Sparrow''s phone was in his possession, and¡­

    It wasn''t turned off.

    Feeling a sense of doom, he instinctively reached into the inner pocket of his coat, but he was already toote to catch up with Xia Liang''s actions.

    Before his hand could touch the outline of the phone, he saw Xia Liang''s eyelids lift slightly, evidently she had found Emerald Sparrow''s number.

    He wanted to shout out, but he knew that even his voice wouldn''t be able to stop Xia Liang now.

    She smiled charmingly, while he grimaced. Then, as she pressed the call button on the screen, a few secondster, Lin Yun looked stiffly at his own chest.

    The pleasant ringtone arose from there, melodious and clear, resounding through the already empty restaurant.

 Chapter 64: Chapter 59: The Mobile Phone Incident

    Since Lin Yun had disguised himself as Emerald Sparrow in front of his daughter, carrying two cell phones had be a habit for him.

    In order not to reveal any ws when using them, he even deliberately sought advice from a female sales assistant in a gship store before purchasing the phones. Heeding her suggestion, he chose a cell phone case for "Emerald Sparrow''s phone" to make it look a bit more feminine.

    There were only three contacts on this phone, namely Lin Xiaolu, Xia Liang, and Hong Siyu.

    To ensure that he could promptlymunicate with them in case the Remnant Beasts appeared or there was an emergency, Lin Yun would not purposely turn off the phone or set it to silent mode; he only switched it to vibrate while at work.

    Today was no exception.

    When he left for work in the morning, he took extra care to carry Emerald Sparrow''s phone with him, taking it out of the pocket of his usual business attire to ensure that hismunication with the two girls as Emerald Sparrow was smooth.

    However, at that time, he hadn''t anticipated that the two young girls would have followed him, and even tracked him all the way to the shopping center.

    At first, he was focused on acting to deceive Moke; after encountering the two girls, he started figuring out how to help them save face in this awkward situation; andter while shopping, he became immersed in the sentimental mood of this special day,pletely forgetting the ticking time bomb in the inner pocket of his jacket.

    As a result, it had led to the present situation: the clear ringtone made Xia Liang shift her gaze his way, while he reached inside his jacket, holding the phone and not knowing whether he should take it out.

    In just a few short seconds, several ns shed through Lin Yun''s mind:

    The first option was to quickly lower Emerald Sparrow''s phone volume to the minimum and then take out his own phone, pretending to have just received a call.

    This n was the most logically sound, but operationally difficult¡ªhe had set his ringtone to both ring and vibrate so as not to overlook any calls.

    Even if he could mute the phone volume entirely, in the nearly deserted restaurant, the sound of vibration was equally hard to ignore.

    The second option was to answer the call but cover the mouthpiece of Emerald Sparrow''s phone with his hand so his voice wouldn''t be picked up by this phone; then take out Lin Yun''s phone and pretend to receive a call from someone else.

    Logically, this n also had minimal ws, but operationally it was even more challenging. First, he couldn''t ensure that he wouldpletely cover the mouthpiece, and even a slight leak of sound would give him away; second, this would make his actions quite odd, with his right hand inside his coat and his left hand reaching over to his right side to answer a call on his other phone; it would look very strange no matter how one saw it.

    Thest option was to simply hang up the call and then call Emerald Sparrow using Lin Yun''s phone, ensuring that Xia Liang would only receive a "busy" signal when she tried to call.

    This was operationally simple and he could definitely seed if he chose to, but logically there was a huge w: he couldn''t exin why the ringing stopped on his end, and Xia Liang''s call was disconnected at the same time.

    While he was still weighing his options, Xia Liang had already taken action first.

    She held the phone to her ear, tilting her head towards Lin Yun with a look of confusion and inquiry in her eyes, "Uncle, aren''t you going to answer your phone?"

    Lin Yun knew there was no time left to dy.

    "Hmm, thank you for the reminder, I was just thinking about something and didn''t notice."

    He replied with an expressionless face, trying to distract Xia Liang through conversation while he began to fiddle with the side of the phone, attempting to find the volume button to at least silence the ringtone for now.

    As far as he was concerned, although several ns had beenid out, it didn''t mean they couldn''t be mixed together. He would have to y it by ear and take things as they came; there was still a chance he could bluff his way through.

    "Strange indeed... let''s try hanging up," Xia Liang muttered to herself, her fingers deftly tapping on her phone screen. Your journey continues on §Þ??

    In the moment following her action, the ringtone in the restaurant stopped.

    The empty restaurant returned to its previous silence, with only the hustle and bustle of the shopping mall''s busy walkway outside the showcase windows filling the air with exmations and screams, while the restaurant''s ss partition created a boundary, separating the inside and outside into two worlds: outside was chaotic and crowded with a panic-filled tumult; inside was starkly quiet, with an awkward hush.

    Indisputably, Xia Liang had just pressed the end call button.

    Following this series of maneuvers, she first nced at Lin Yun while holding her phone, blinking her eyes innocently, then eximed with astonishment, "Ah, it really stopped?"

    Lin Yun looked at the restaurant''s undecorated ceiling and took a deep breath.

    His hand, which had been at his chest, now limply fell to his side.

    "Uncle, you have someone else''s phone on you."

    Seemingly understanding the situation, Xia Liang tried to restrain herself, but still, a somewhat sly smile appeared on her face, "It''s a bit of a leap to ask, but it''s that person I''m thinking of, isn''t it?"

    "You guessed right," Lin Yun conceded with the resignation of a boiled pig, his voice devoid of any inflection, openly admitting it.

    "Why would the phone of Little Senior... no, Emerald Sparrow Senior, be with you, uncle?"

    After getting Lin Yun''s response, Xia Liang seemed even more confused, "I remember Junior used my phone at my cest night..."

    "We know each other, and I found this morning that she left her phone at my house."

    Lin Yun numbly opened his mouth, vainly throwing out a reason made up on the spot, "Although it''s not what you think, we do maintain a certain contact."

    "Going to find Uncle in the middle of the night, and then leaving your phone at your house..."

    Xia Liang''s mouth gradually opened wide, "You mean, you two really have that kind of rtionship?"

    "I don''t know what rtionship you''re referring to, but I don''t think so," Lin Yun closed his eyes.

    "Uncle, even if it''s consensual, it''s still illegal to have that kind of rtionship with a child, you know?"

    Frowning, Xia Liang said somewhat sternly, "And Emerald Sparrow is so cute, how could you have the heart to do bad things to her?"

    "...As I said, we''re not that kind of rtionship, it''s just intersecting because of Lulu and the Magical Girl stuff," Lin Yun sighed helplessly.

    "Moreover, she should have told you, right? She''s much older than you guys, an adult the same age as me."

    "That''s not okay either."

    Xia Liang pouted, showing rare displeasure, "Even if you''re both adults, I still think it shouldn''t be like that, and that''s not fair to Xiaolu, right?"

    "ssmate, I can assure you, it''s really not like what you think."

    Lin Yun, enduring the awkwardness inside, put on a grave face and argued earnestly, "I know you''re worried about Lulu, and I also know that Lulu is not quite ready to ept a... uh, stepmother. So there''s really no romantic rtionship with the ''Emerald Sparrow'' you''re talking about."

    "Really?" Xia Liang sounded skeptical.

    "If I had to say, she''s actually more closely rted to Lulu''s mother."

    To divert her attention, Lin Yun exined, half-truthfully, "This, if you want to know, I''ll tell you on the way back."

    "Her mother? You mean..." Xia Liang wanted to ask more, but her words were cut off as she hesitated.

    Because at that moment, both the phone in Lin Yun''s chest pocket and in her hand vibrated.

    Picking up the phone, Xia Liang saw that Lin Xiaolu had sent a message in the Magical Girl squad''s group chat:

    [@Xiaojin: What on earth are you doing, hurry up and get over here!]

    [@Emerald Sparrow: There''s a Remnant Beast attack at Luoming District''s Jinbao Shopping za, are you free now, Emerald Sparrow? Ah, no hurry.]

    "...Looks like we really can''t continue this chat."

    After reading the information on the screen, Xia Liang let out a helpless smile, "So Uncle, if you can get in touch with Emerald Sparrow, could you let her know? After all, she instructed us to inform her whenever Remnant Beasts appear."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    While she was full of doubts, she ultimately knew what was more important: neighborhood gossip could wait, but taking care of the Remnant Beasts was the top priority.

    "I will."

    Seeing a chance to end this awkward conversation, Lin Yun did not hesitate to choose to stop. He looked up at Xia Liang, nodding with feigned seriousness, "Hong Siyu should be able to get in touch with her."

    "Phew, we can talk about the rest when we get back then."

    Exhaling, Xia Liang put away her phone and waved to Lin Yun, "As for the stuff earlier, I''ll just take your word for it."

    "It''s all true," Lin Yun said expressionlessly, "just don''t exaggerate things to Lulu."

    "Don''t worry, I won''t tell Xiaolu,"

    Xia Liang said yfully with a mischievous grin, "I know, after all, if I told her these things, who knows what she might start to imagine."

    Lin Yun thought to himself that she had just been wildly specting, but in the end, he didn''t retort and just silently watched as Xia Liang left the restaurant.

    Watching the girl run off, he leaned back in his seat and let out a long sigh, his tense nerves finally rxing somewhat.

    Forget all that for now, he thought, first figure out where to transform.

 Chapter 65: Chapter 60 Fulfilling the Promise

    The Remnant Beast that attacked the shopping center was massive, but it wasn''t very strong.

    ording to Emerald Sparrow''s observations, this Remnant Beast belonged to the moremon split-skin type, and I have taught many techniques to counter this kind of Remnant Beast; in terms of individual capability, it was merely somewhat powerful among egg-level beasts.

    Such a Remnant Beast, although more than sufficient to wreak havoc on a shopping center, was somewhat indulging in wishful thinking when faced with thebined efforts of two Magical Girls.

    Moreover, both Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu had grown significantly strongerpared to two months ago.

    Not to mention Xia Liang, who had nearly reached seed-level in recent days, even Lin Xiaolu had made rapid progress through hard learning and training. And their cooperation had started to take shape, at least they no longer hindered each other, so the battle carried no suspense from the very beginning.

    As Xia Liang unleashed a Magic Power Beam from the tip of her wand, the impaled Remnant Beast copsed heavily onto the ground.

    Emerald Sparrow hid alone in the shadows, quietly watching the entire battle unfold, with a look of satisfaction on her face.

    Enjoy exclusive chapters from §Þ??

    She felt happy for the growth of the two neers, and reassured by the gradual improvement of their rtionship.

    After confirming that the Remnant Beast had been taken down, and the Echo had been collected, she left secretly once more, heading back to where she had parked her vehicle.

    She couldn''t reveal herself this time because she had already asked Hong Siyu to tell the two neers that she was upied with other matters. Appearing suddenly now, especially in front of Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang, would onlyplicate the misunderstandings that had not been fully resolved earlier, which she didn''t want to see.

    Therefore, she took the fastest route back to the parking lot and quickly got into the car to change back into Lin Yun''s appearance.

    After driving out of the garage and parking on the roadside, he contacted Hong Siyu, instructing the Abnormal Strategy Bureau to send someone to take care of the aftermath at the scene; then Lin Yun used his phone to open the map and shared his location with Lin Xiaolu. After doing all these things, he stood by the car, waiting.

    About ten minutester, he saw the two girls walking out of the shopping za, unharmed.

    He cracked a smile and waved to them, with Lin Xiaolu nodding awkwardly while Xia Liang returned a sweet smile.

    "Well done, I''m proud of you," he said.

    Following the simple encouragement and praise, he continued, "The Abnormal Strategy Bureau will arrive shortly, get in the car, I''ll drive you both home."

    This had been arranged beforehand, so the two girls got into the car without further dy, and the three of them slowly drove away from the shopping center.

    As the car traveled a distance, silence enveloped everyone; nobody spoke.

    Lin Yun and Lin Xiaolu remained silent, while Xia Liang just sat with a smile watching the strange atmosphere between the two, not intervening.

    ¡ª¡ª"So, when exactly did you find out? About me bing a Magical Girl."

    Ultimately, it was Lin Xiaolu in the backseat who couldn''t contain her curiosity any longer, asking first, "Was it the day that woman named Hong Siyu came over? Or even earlier?"

    "The day you appeared on TV," Lin Yun said candidly, eyes on the road ahead.

    "Huh? Appeared on TV ... So I was discovered within just a few days?"

    Lin Xiaolu was momentarily baffled, then realization dawned: "Wait, so that''s why you started talking all weird that night?"

    "You thought I was on a drunken rant?" Lin Yun raised his eyebrows.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Wasn''t it?"

    "... On that evening at dinner, Hong Siyu found me directly to inform me you had be a Magical Girl."

    Not lingering on the topic, Lin Yun nced at the rearview mirror and exined indifferently, "However, that was only part of the reason. When I said I ''wanted to see you,'' I was also telling the truth."

    "To see if your daughter, who had be a Magical Girl, had turned into an alien?" Lin Xiaolu retorted somewhat irritably.

    "To see if my daughter, who had be a Magical Girl, was still as cute as ever," Lin Yun joked ndly, "Besides, even if you had turned into an alien, you would still be my daughter, and that wouldn''t change."

    Leaning back, Lin Xiaolu rested against the back of the chair with a snort, "Let''s just say that''s the truth."

    She chose to let it go, and the issue was left at that.

    The silence continued as the car moved on.

    "Still, Lulu, I was actually really upset that night," Lin Yun spoke up after a while, turning the conversation, "Seeing you be a Magical Girl, I was genuinely worried, and you could even say a bit sad."

    "Why?" Lin Xiaolu furrowed her brow as if she could see the man facing away from her, focusing her gaze on the driver''s seat.

    "Because I was afraid of losing you because of it."

    Looking through the windshield, recalling the emotions of that day, Lin Yun''s voice inadvertently carried a hint of sorrow: "That night, I actually wanted to tell you that being a Magical Girl is a very dangerous identity, but at that time... I found it hard to express."

    "You think I wouldn''t have listened?"

    "Probably." Lin Yun didn''t deny it.

    "...Anyway, it''s all in the past now."

    "Yeah, sorry, maybe I should have trusted you a little more."

    As he uttered those words, Lin Yun couldn''t help but reveal a wry smile.

    After all, the cost of not being able to tell the truth at that time far exceeded his imagination. To protect his daughter and tomunicate with her afterward, he disguised his identity and took a huge detour, telling countless lies to the point where he was nowpletely at a loss for how to reveal the truth.

    "It doesn''t really matter, does it?"

    Lin Xiaolu had no idea what Lin Yun was feeling when he said that. She blinked her eyes, rxed her brows, and said somewhat bewilderingly, "Are you perhaps being too pessimistic? I remember the number of Magical Girls who actually sacrificed their lives isn''t that high; most of them retired normally, right?"

    Having said that, she became somewhat proud: "And not to brag, but I am actually very safe now; after all, I have really impressive seniors protecting me."

    Her demeanor made Lin Yun somewhat at a loss whether tough or cry, uncertain if he should continue the conversation.

    But some things still had to be said, so he adjusted his emotions and asked lightly, "...Is her name Emerald Sparrow?"

    This question caused Lin Xiaolu, who was in the back seat, to freeze.

    "So you actually know?"

    She murmured to herself, stunned for a few seconds before suddenly sitting up straight. Not bothering to hide it, she grabbed the headrest of the front seat, leaned close to Lin Yun''s ear, and her tone immediately became fervent, even somewhat excited, "You know her? What is your rtionship with her? Did shee to Fangting City because of you?"

    Lin Yun didn''t provide a direct answer to these questions.

    He wasn''t very keen on discussing "Emerald Sparrow" with his daughter as her father because if he wanted to keep his identity hidden, every word he said could constitute a lie.

    However, at this moment, exining the origin of Emerald Sparrow to his daughter, at least part of it, had be imperative.

    So he knew that it was time to fulfill the promise he had once made to his daughter.

    "Lulu."

    Gazing forward, Lin Yun brought up the promise from a month ago, "Do you remember what I told you before, that I would tell you some truths?"

    "Ah, the one you mentioned that morning in the car, right?"

    As he brought up the matter, Lin Xiaolu calmed down a bit and let go of the front seat, "Is it rted to what you''re going to tell me now?"

    "It is rted, or rather, this is the answer you want to know."

    Releasing one hand from the steering wheel, Lin Yun took his phone with the other, swiped a few times to find the message interface with Lin Xiaolu.

    His thumb paused above the screen for a moment, and then, he finally sent the message he had prepared earlier.

    Following that, a picture was sent to Lin Xiaolu''s phone via the message.

    He put down his phone and said with a sense of relief, "Take a look, if you see the photo clearly, many of your questions should be answered."

    That was the best exnation he could offer.

    Lin Xiaolu picked up her phone, filled with puzzlement, and Xia Liang leaned forward with interest to take a look. But when they opened the photo and truly saw what was in it, they both widened their eyes in disbelief.

    Because the content of the photo far surpassed their knowledge.

    It was of four girls dressed in splendid attire, of varying heights, with striking appearances, yet one could tell they were all in the bloom of youth.

    The background of the photo seemed exaggerated as well, apparent at first nce to be taken under a sunset, atop a colossal object that resembled the remains of a Remnant Beast.

    From just this detail alone, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang could guess: they were all actually Magical Girls.

    The four girls had very different charms and postures. The one standing on the far left wore a white silk gown with a deep purple robe over it and a round hat on her head, an elegant purple-haired girl looking at the camera with a calm and intelligent smile; the orange-haired girl on the far right was dressed in an ornate golden dance dress, holding her chin up high with a proud and self-satisfied smile on her face.

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t recognize these two Magical Girls, so when she saw them, her gaze merely paused briefly before moving on.

    But when her attention shifted to the middle of the photo, the duo in the center, one tall and one short, in abination of pink and navy blue, made her eyes widen.

    The navy blue figure was all too familiar to her because the person in the photo was hardly different from the present; however, the pink figure, although so unfamiliar, still allowed her to recognize the identity of the person in the photo based on the somewhat recognizable features:

    "This is... Emerald Sparrow and... Mom?"

 Chapter 66: Chapter 61 Old Photos

    Lin Xiaolu pinched the edge of her phone, her fingers unconsciously applying force.

    She could see, in the photograph, the magical girl dressed in a cherry blossom pink puffy skirt,ughing with others, embracing with some indefinable emotion the somewhat shy blue-haired magical girl by her side.

    Two people, who shouldn''t have had any connection in her understanding, stood intimately together in this photograph, prompting Lin Xiaolu to unconsciously open and close her lips without being able to utter a single word.

    "Is this how it is?" She really wanted to ask again.

    But if there had been any doubts in her mind before, they certainly vanished the moment she saw this scene.

    Yes, it should have been like this all along.

    Her mother''s many unusual behaviors while she was alive; why her father was so secretive when she died; why the mysterious magical girl, Emerald Sparrow, took special care of her... all the reasons fell upon the answer "Mother was a magical girl."

    It was like a lock that couldn''t be opened had found its original key, which, with a light turn, clicked open.

    The her of the past never felt that her mom had any connection with the identity of "magical girl." In her memory, her mom was always a strange housewife who liked to insist she was a frencer.

    Her personality was carefree to the point of being scatterbrained, her actions werezy and sloppy, and sometimes she was even more childish than herself. But she truly loved her, spoiling her as a good mother.

    She could recall the scenes of snuggling in her mother''s arms watching magical girl cartoons on TV; she hadn''t forgotten the smile on her face when she told her, "I want to be a magical girl when I grow up."

    All of a sudden, Lin Xiaolu remembered many, many things¡ªher mother who used to sleep with her as a child but left midway; her mother who, growing up, would suddenly say she needed to go buy something during meals; her mother who had agreed toe to the parent-teacher conference but failed to show up,ter iming she got the time wrong.

    "So that''s how it is..."

    Before she knew it, her vision was blurred by tears, spilling over her eyelids, streaming down her cheeks, and sprinkling onto the phone screen.

    Her throat tightened and her voice choked. She felt that she should not be this weak now that she was a magical girl herself,mitted to saving others, but she could not stem the sobs no matter how hard she tried.

    "So it was like this."

    The real magical girl had always been by her side, and she had been the child favored by a magical girl from the beginning.

    Only, it was not until two years after she lost her that she came to know all this.

    At first, Lin Xiaolu just wept, but soon she covered her face, sobbing uncontrobly.

    She had thought that in the two years since her mother''s passing, she had already cried enough, shed enough tears. She thought she had gotten through it, be numb, and wouldn''t break down crying over her mother''s things like this anymore.

    But unexpectedly, when she discovered the additional link of "magical girl" between her and her mother, she suddenly found that she still had so much to tell her mother.

    Bing a magical girl isn''t as easy as she had imagined.

    Remnant Beasts are so disgusting, so hateful, so frightening.

    Practicing magic power is very hard and dull.

    The Magic Kingdom seems to be a veryplicated ce.

    Emerald Sparrow is a very nice person.

    She hasrades to fight alongside now.

    She might have started to understand her father.

    And... she hadn''t realized that even after two years, she still missed her so much.

    A myriad of thoughts mingled with sorrow, locked inside the small cabin of the car. Although the vehicle sped along the road, there were memories that lingered, unable to be left behind.

    Lin Xiaolu cried heartbreakingly, while Xia Liang beside her did not know how tofort her, and Lin Yun in the front seat remained silent, saying nothing more.

    At least in his eyes, it was good that one could cry at such times.

    If one kept grief and tears bottled up in their heart, and buried longing and regret forever deep within, then after a long while, they might not even be able to confirm if those feelings still existed.

    The crying in the car continued for a long time, until Lin Xiaolu gradually stopped and started to sob softly. Xia Liang patted her back and then continued to question Lin Yun: Continue your saga on §Þ??

    "Uncle, but if what you''re saying is true, there seems to be another issue with this photo."

    She looked at the photo of Emerald Sparrow and An Ya and asked with some confusion, "If Xiaolu''s mother is a Magical Girl from the same era as Emerald Sparrow, then she should have retired by now, right?"

    As far as she and Lin Xiaolu were aware, Emerald Sparrow was a resident of the Magic Kingdom.

    After all, Emerald Sparrow never mentioned which city she was from, and she always emphasized that she was much older than them. Other people corroborated that she was a "very important person," indeed not seeming like a Magical Girl from the material world.

    The two girls had actually always been skeptical of Emerald Sparrow''s im that she was an adult, but now that they saw this photo, their remaining doubts also disappeared.

    "She didn''t retire."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Seeing that Lin Xiaolu''s emotions were much more stable, Lin Yun sighed inwardly and continued expressionlessly, "Because Lulu''s mother is special. She is a lifetime Magical Girl, different from others."

    This brand new concept left both Lin Xiaolu, with tears on the corners of her eyes, and Xia Liang, who wasforting her, feeling bewildered.

    ¡ª¡ª"Lifetime? Xiaolu''s mother was a lifetime Magical Girl?"

    Different from the two confused girls, the one with the biggest reaction in the car was actually Moke.

    That was not surprising, for of everyone present, aside from Lin Yun, only it knew what that term meant.

    Seeing that Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang had no concept of this, it immediately exined, "A lifetime Magical Girl means that because of some special achievement or deed, one is allowed to remain forever in the material world. It''s a really amazing proof of strength!"

    "Mom¡­ was she very amazing as a Magical Girl?"

    Lin Xiaolu asked while choking up, repeating the words said by Moke, then as if realizing something, she looked up nkly, "Then, then how exactly did Mom die?"

    While asking, she reminisced, and suddenly remembered another critical point, staring straight ahead at the driver''s seat as if she could see through the back of the chair and into her father''s eyes:

    "When you originally told me to ''forget her,'' was it because of this reason?"

    This question went straight to the heart of the matter. After her sadness and longing had been released, she finally realized that her mother''s death was not so simple.

    Lin Yun didn''t speak.

    His silence was not a refusal, but a consideration.

    His gaze drifted towards the rearview mirror where he made eye contact with Lin Xiaolu, whose eyes were reddening. In that gaze, he could see that although there was sorrow, her eyes were still clear.

    Then he spoke up.

    "...During these days as a Magical Girl, you must have heard something about how a Magical Girl''s strength is determined, right?"

    Lin Yun took his eyes back, staring somewhat woodenly out the front windshield at the road: "White Piece, Character Piece, Flower Piece. Although I''m not very clear about the specifics, she had a title before she died."

    His words paused slightly, but there was not a sound from the back seat.

    Whether it was Lin Xiaolu, or Xia Liang and Moke, they were all captivated by his words, holding their breath, quietly waiting for the rest of what he had to say.

    Perhaps at this moment, he should be lighting a cigarette to add to the atmosphere.

    Such an idea came to Lin Yun out of nowhere, but he didn''t have the habit of smoking, and he could just let out a long sigh, as if exhaling his own worries:

    "It''s said that, in thetter half of her career as a Magical Girl, the other Magical Girls acknowledged her as ''the strongest Flower Piece''."

 Chapter 67: Chapter 62 Sprout Level

    ```

    In truth, Lin Yun knew very little about An Ya''s death.

    Since he wasn''t present at the scene and had not seen the body, all the information he had came from the ounts of younger Magical Girls.

    Yet even so, he still couldn''t understand how An Ya could possibly have died.

    The recognized Flower Card Magical Girl, whose strength was said to be at the pinnacle of Magical Girls, what''s more, "the strongest Flower Card" at that?

    Merely stationed in Fangting City, for An Ya, it was akin to a leisurely stroll through her own backyard; not to mention danger, to the Remnant Beasts, she was probably the real catastrophe.

    However, her death was so abrupt and easy it felt unreal, like a majestic mountain that loomed before everyone one second, was silently reduced to t ground the next.

    An Ya died, her crimson blood blooming from her chest like a cherry blossom tree adorned with red spider lilies. She closed her eyes, a satisfied and happy smile on her face, as if she had seen something wonderful, slipping into a sweet slumber.

    But the road to this dream was one-way, and once An Ya set off on it, she could never turn back.

    Lin Yun never got to witness such a final moment.

    When the other Magical Girls arrived, shocked and grieved by An Ya''s death, and tried to carry her body away, An Ya''s body turned into fine magic particles and scattered before their eyes.

    She didn''t leave the slightest trace in this world.

    In the end, what could record her existence was just that small grave marker.

    This was also the reason Lin Yun couldn''t let Lin Xiaolu see An Ya''s body: because there was no body, and he couldn''t exin why.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    At the time, Lin Xiaolu found his behavior inexplicable, even angry. But now, knowing the truth, she began to feel that she had perhaps been wrong.

    Several days had passed since Lin Yun and An Ya''s wedding anniversary.

    Since learning the truth that her mother was a Magical Girl, Lin Xiaolu had been distracted, her mind wandering no matter the task.

    Lin Yun continued to handle the final handover of his resignation, ready to fully immerse himself in the affairs of Magical Girls.

    The Seeder would fish for three days and then spend two days drying itss, pursuing its Seeder business inconsistently. Most of the time, it stayed at home watching the two neers train, and asionally, it went out to search for new Magical Girls.

    ording to it, there seemed to be simr traces found in the Lixing District, which gave it some lead to follow.

    As for Xia Liang, as the more talented one among the two new Magical Girls, in these days, she had reached the threshold of the Seed and Shoot level with a speed that would astonish anyone.

    And, as expected, on this day she encountered the opportunity to construct her Essence.

    The Essence of a Magical Girl is a concept that sounds mystical but is actually quite concrete. In terms of actualposition, it''s a special structure thatbines a Magical Girl''s magic power and soul around a core of Magic Power.

    It is the foundation of all subsequent abilities of a Magical Girl, be it magic conjuration, Spell Techniques, or otherwise; one must possess an Essence. It is also the source of the Magical Girl''s life, for a Magical Girl can recover from any severe injury as time and magic power heal, as long as the Essence remains undamaged.

    ```

    Simrly, this also meant that once a Magical Girl''s true form was destroyed, her life woulde to an end.

    This is precisely why Magical Girls need to protect their sources of magic power: After all, the source of magic power is the core of the true form, and if the source is damaged, the true form will be severely affected.

    And now, Xia Liang was undertaking a task rted to this: she aimed to construct a new true form with her own source of magic power as the core.

    The time was ten o''clock at night, and the location was Xia Liang''s home. When the study session was half over, as if struck by a moment of inspiration, she suddenly told the two of them that she felt ready.

    Under the careful instructions of Emerald Sparrow and the bored gaze of Lin Xiaolu, she began her attempt to construct her true form.

    Holding her Seed of Heart in her palm, Xia Liang closed her eyes and quietly felt the surge of magic power within her.

    Consciousness is the outward expression of the soul. She captured and followed the flow of the magic power, letting her consciousness form a simr wave pattern; then, she reversed the process, guiding the magic power and manipting the frequency of its fluctuations to match that of her soul.

    As the fluctuations of her soul and the magic power gradually ovepped, she continued the two-waymunication with her source of magic power as the core, uniting them to form a new power.

    Gradually, the Seed of Heart in her hand emitted a glow unlike any other day.

    Like a seed in soil sprouting under the nourishment of water, the originally round Seed of Heart began to change its shape, morphing from a perfect sphere into something that resembled a water droplet. A tiny point stood at the top of the gemstone, looking rather cute.

    Of course, by this stage, the Seed of Heart was no longer just a Seed of Heart, it deserved a new name¡ªSeed of Heart Sprout.

    Jinzhi-colored magic power radiated from the Seed of Heart Sprout in waves, enveloping Xia Liang within, imprinting the fluctuations of magic power onto Xia Liang''s shadowy figure, which then vanished in an instant, merging back into Xia Liang herself.

    Lin Xiaolu, who was lying not too far away, couldn''t help but rub her eyes: she didn''t know if it was her illusion, but she seemed to see two Xia Liangs, except one of them appeared translucent, like a mirage.

    Emerald Sparrow stood with her arms crossed, watching quietly as Xia Liang constructed her true form, nodding from time to time, again marveled at Xia Liang''s talent.

    A sessful construction of the true form on the first attempt, she didn''t know how many such records there were in the Magic Kingdom, but it was truly a rare sight in her own experience.

    Twenty-two years ago, in Fangting City''s Magical Girl Squad, among the first batch of primary members, the record for the fastest construction of the true form was held by Su Shengzi: she achieved it in three tries. The slowest record was An Ya: she attempted a full seventeen times.

    Of course, An Ya''s high number of attempts wasn''t entirely an issue of talent. In fact, her talent as a Magical Girl was very high, but she was the first in the squad to reach the bottleneck of the sprout level.

    Back then, the squad in Fangting City was even more awkward than they are today¡ªthey didn''t have a senior mentor like Emerald Sparrow, just a bunch of clueless youngsters. Only a rabbit Fairy named Wo Bo could provide some knowledge of cultivation, but its teaching level could hardly be called brilliant; it might even be described as misleading.

    Remembering that it took her a full ten attempts to construct her true form under that pesky rabbit''s guidance, Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but sigh at how times have changed.

    As the Jinzhi-colored glow faded, Xia Liang stood up, opening her eyes and holding the wless Seed of Heart Sprout in her hand, she gave Lin Yun and Lin Xiaolu a yful smile.

    Clearly, she had seeded.

    And with the construction of the true formplete, reaching the sprout level, this also meant the next step¡ªshe would awaken her own magic-powered construct.

 Chapter 68: Chapter 63 Diversion

    Magic Power Outfit, also known simply as Magic Outfit, is an importantponent of a Magical Girl''sbat abilities.

    Emerald Sparrow had also exined this to two neers before, with the awakening of the Magic Power Outfit apanying the blossoming to the bud stage, the total amount of Magic Power increases, significantly enhancing a Magical Girl''sbat capabilities.

    Of course, all this is predicated on the Magic Outfit itself being suited forbat. After all, there are exceptions like Emerald Sparrow who, at the initial awakening of their Magic Outfit, had almost nobat abilities, only an increase in their total Magic Power.

    And now the most important thing is to see what Xia Liang''s Magic Power Outfit looks like and what abilities it has.

    "So... What should I do to use it?"

    Raising her arm and looking around, Xia Liang was somewhat puzzled, "You say it''s the ''True Self,'' but I feel like I haven''t changed much? Although my Magic Power does seem to have increased a lot."

    "True Self is a part of you, how could it feel strange just because of constructing the True Self?"

    Still with her arms crossed, Emerald Sparrow exined sinctly, "As for using the Magic Power Outfit, you need to take out your Magic Wand first."

    Upon hearing this, Xia Liang obediently raised her Magic Wand, holding it level in front of her, "Like this?"

    "No specific action is required, just try to channel your Magic Power into the Magic Wand as you usually do," Emerald Sparrow continued to instruct.

    "Ha... like this?" Xia Liang did as told and released a small stream of Magic Power.

    Instantly, her Magic Wand reacted in a waypletely different from before.

    When her Magic Power made contact, the surface of the Magic Wand rapidly lit up with a luminous pattern, and then, just like Xia Liang a few minutes earlier, it produced ovepping phantom images.

    The phantom images of the Magic Wand flickered and pulsed like distorted images, starting to change shape in a way that waspletely different from its original form.

    Tiny magic particles burst forth along the luminous pattern, enveloping the undefined Magic Wand within, floating and spinning in the air, looking like a small neb.

    Xia Liang couldn''t help but widen her eyes, admiring the spectacle with some amazement.

    Lin Xiaolu, who was originally only mildly interested, finally picked up some curiosity and focused intently in Xia Liang''s direction.

    "Actually, the Magic Wand is the most basic form of the Magic Power Outfit, the external manifestation of your own power. It''s just that at the seed stage, a Magical Girl without the True Self cannot discover its true form."

    Looking at the neb formed by magic particles in front of Xia Liang, Emerald Sparrow said indifferently, "But now, its state is proving to you that you have earned this qualification."

    "... And then?"

    As Xia Liang pondered, she asked with interest, "What should I do next?"

    "Say your own code name."

    Emerald Sparrow slightly lifted her chin and gestured to Xia Liang, "Thenmunicate with your Magic Outfit, which also serves as a deration to your awakening Magic Outfit, extracting it from its current state to reveal its true form."

    Xia Liangposed herself and nodded seriously.

    She looked at the Magic Power Flow in her palm, controlling her slightly nervous yet excited emotions, and took a deep breath:

    ¡ª¡ª"Jinzhi, Magic Power Outfit, Diversion."

    The previously clustering magic particles paused slightly and then began to move upwards, exploding in all directions.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The scattered Magic Power ceased its momentum before touching the ceiling, descending in a light rain, forming a small screen of light. Xia Liang watched her palm in some astonishment:

    The object that appeared was somewhat unexpected to her.

    "This is... my Magic Power Outfit?"

    Because there, all that was present was a palm-sized makeup mirror.

    In the ordinary imagination, a "Magic Power Outfit" being a weapon forbat should, therefore, look more lethal. However, in reality, the appearance of a Magic Power Outfit isn''t necessarily what is conventionally thought of as a "weapon."

    Just like Emerald Sparrow''s outfit is made up of what peoplemonly understand as sewing tools like thread and scissors, and some Magical Girls have even stranger outfits: writing pens, watering cans, handkerchiefs... The diverse array of Magic Outfits reflects the individual differences among Magical Girls.

    The power of magic equipment has no rtion to its appearance; it solely depends on the user''s proficiency, depth of development, and the equipment''s potential.

    Therefore, Emerald Sparrow wasn''t surprised that Xia Liang''s magic equipment was a mirror.

    On the other hand, after a brief moment of astonishment, Xia Liang picked up the mirror and looked at her face from various angles, but noticed no changes.

    "Is that all it does?"

    She muttered to herself, then a thought shed through her mind, and she decided to try injecting Magic Power into it. She immediately raised her hand, and Jinzhi-colored Magic Power emanated from her palm, attempting to make contact with the mirror.

    ¡ª"Although I agree with your attempt to use Magic Power, I suggest you not do this inside the house."

    Seeing her actions, Emerald Sparrow promptly intervened and pointed outside the window, saying, "If you don''t want to identally blow up your home, it''s best to find an open space."

    "Ah, sorry, sorry."

    Regaining her senses, Xia Liang apologized with a smile: "I got a little ahead of myself."

    After briefly apologizing to Emerald Sparrow, she left the house with Lin Xiaolu and Emerald Sparrow and headed for an open space she knew of.

    Once outside, havingnded in a rtively open area, Xia Liang couldn''t wait to use her magic equipment, starting to infuse her mirror with Magic Power.

    As expected, driven by Magic Power, Xia Liang''s magic equipment began to reveal its true abilities. Soon, they discovered several simple functions of her equipment:

    The most primary was the change in shape and number; Xia Liang could control her mirror magic equipment, increasing its number or erging its surface area. The number could go up to about five, and the maximum surface area was only 1 square meter. She could manipte their movement freely within a radius of about twenty meters.

    Beyond this, the mirror had two uses:

    The first was to block and reflect Magic Power to a certain extent, capable of reflecting Magic Power that made contact with its surface after weakening it. Through trials with Xia Liang and Emerald Sparrow, whether it was a Magic Power Beam, a scattered Flow of Magical Power or magic particles, or even structured Spell Techniques, all could be reflected by Xia Liang''s magic equipment.

    However, its current limit was only enough to bear the strength of a Magic Power Beam casually cast by a seed-level Magical Girl.

    The second use was the teleportation of Magic Power; Xia Liang could allow Magic Power that touched the mirror''s surface to be teleported out from another mirror. With this ability, within the range she could control the mirrors, she could redirect Magic Power Beams originally shot towards any location.

    The limit of this ability was noticeably higher, and even when Emerald Sparrow increased the strength of the Magic Power Beam to near-leaf level standards, it could still be teleported and redirected by the mirrors.

    It could be said that, although this mirror magic equipment had no direct destructive capabilities, it had significant functional development potential.

    "Does it seem like magic equipment with a strong supportive role?"

    As if she had discovered a new toy, after testing all the functions of the equipment, Xia Liang concluded: "Although it might be challenging to use well inbat, it could require some thinking."

    "For now, it indeed doesn''t seem to possess any lethal capacity."

    Emerald Sparrow was also attentively studying Xia Liang''s magic equipment, and quite aptly gave her own verdict: "But from my preliminary observations, if you wish to make it lethal, after reaching leaf-level, there will be many Spell Techniques that could synergize with your equipment."

    "So should I set my sights on reaching leaf-level now?" Xia Liang said with a tongue-in-cheek attitude.

    "How many times have I told you not to aim too high too quickly?"

    Raising her hand, she lightly tapped on Xia Liang''s forehead, and Emerald Sparrow nced at her, saying, "Don''t think about that now; give your magic equipment a name first."

    "Ow! I''m against physical punishment in education!" Xia Liang eximed, covering her head.

    "I didn''t use any force at all." Emerald Sparrow replied, expressionless.

    "But it''s the delicate heart of a young girl that''s been hurt!" Xia Liang feigned anger.

    "Does your delicate heart have a name for the magic equipment?" Emerald Sparrow ignored her protest and asked with drooping eyelids.

    "Oh, about the name, actually, I already knew it when I awakened," Xia Liang slightly lifted her head, holding her magic equipment, her excitement palpable to anyone:

    "Its name is ''Diversion.''"

 Chapter 69: Chapter 64 Night Talk (Part 1)

    After researching the use of the magical attire with Xia Liang, the time had neared midnight. The three of them parted ways at the clearing, each heading back to their own homes.

    Emerald Sparrow walked slowly away from the clearing and looked off into the distance. Just as she found a rtively hidden spot to take off and fly home, she realized someone was still following her.

    It was Lin Xiaolu.

    Lin Xiaolu stood beside her, head lowered, hesitating, with an expression of wanting to speak but stopping short, clearly having something on her mind.

    "What is it?" Emerald Sparrow asked directly.

    Lin Xiaolu looked up at her, then dropped her gaze again, "Emerald Sparrow."

    Seeing her use her code name, Emerald Sparrow turned around to face her seriously, indicating she was listening.

    "I heard a few days ago about, you know, the thing with my mom."

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t meet Emerald Sparrow''s eyes and spoke softly, "She was actually a Magical Girl too, right?"

    "Mhm."

    "And she was once your teammate."

    "That''s right."

    Emerald Sparrow did not hide anything regarding these questions because she knew Lin Xiaolu''s doubts stemmed from the old photo she showed her a few days ago.

    Whether to tell Lin Xiaolu that "Emerald Sparrow" knew An Ya had been something he seriously considered. After all, without a doubt, doing so would link the identity of Emerald Sparrow with Lin Yun in Lin Xiaolu''s mind.

    Although there was no reason for her to realize the two were one and the same, the risk, inevitably, had increased.

    But Emerald Sparrow was also clear that she could not deceive Lin Xiaolu with two identities forever. As the time they spent together grew longer, one day, Lin Xiaolu would realize that "Lin Yun" and "Emerald Sparrow" never appeared together.

    She actually didn''t like the feeling of deceiving her daughter either, but due to the father-daughter rtionship, until now, the identity of "Emerald Sparrow" was still necessary.

    There were many issues that she couldn''t discuss in detail as Lin Yun but didn''t mind borating on a bit more as Emerald Sparrow.

    Now, seeing her daughter had doubts about the photo, she felt it was her duty to answer properly.

    After getting a confirmation from Emerald Sparrow, Lin Xiaolu continued to ask, "So, what kind of Magical Girl was my mom¡­?"

    "Your mom¡­"

    What kind of Magical Girl was An Ya? Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but start to reminisce at the question.

    From her perspective, strong, upright, shining... these many adjectives could all be ced on An Ya because, indeed, she was an outstanding Magical Girl who upheld a heart of goodness.

    But if she had to choose one trait that stood out the most, these words weren''tprehensive enough.

    To describe An Ya, there was a more fitting word.

    "Probably, optimism," Emerald Sparrow murmured softly.

    "Optimism?" Lin Xiaolu was puzzled.

    This wasn''t the answer she had envisioned; after all, the word sounded too ordinary, not even like it was describing a Magical Girl.

    "Never despairing no matter how strong the enemy, never giving up regardless of the situation, and never sinking however severe the setback. She was probably, that kind of person."

    To Lin Xiaolu''s puzzled look, Emerald Sparrow exined, "Even though she might not have been the strongest or the wisest, and sometimes you might even think of her as a fool who only knows how tough stupidly, her mood was always infectious. It made you feel like things hadn''t reached a dead end, that there was still a chance for change, that as long as she was there, hope still existed."

    This answer filled Lin Xiaolu with wonder.

    But what followed was a surge of inferiority swirling in her heart:

    "In that case, my mother must have been a Magical Girl who was adored by everyone, right?"

    "Speaking of facts, that is true," Emerald Sparrow didn''t avoid the topic and simply nodded in affirmation.

    "Then, are you a bit disappointed now?" Lin Xiaolu suddenly asked.

    "Hmm?" The sudden shift in topic caught Emerald Sparrow off guard.

    "I''ve been thinking about this for the past few days, because, Emerald Sparrow, you actually came to Fangting for my mother''s sake, didn''t you?"

    Lin Xiaolu unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes, "So,pared to my mother, I must have disappointed you."

    "Is that what you think?" Her thoughts caused Emerald Sparrow to frown as well.

    "I really don''t want to think this way... but I can''t see any other possibility."

    Lin Xiaolu''s voice was somewhat hoarse, "I know what kind of person my mother was, and I can imagine that if she were a Magical Girl, her passionate personality would definitely have made her popr with everyone."

    "By contrast, my talent is not good, and my character is bad. I''m not like Xia Liang who knows how to be likable, and I always make difficult requests. It must be quite annoying, right?

    "And then, seeing how different I am from my mother, don''t you feel a great sense of disappointment? After all, if it weren''t for this rtionship, what good qualities do I possess to keep your gaze on me?"

    Emerald Sparrow moved a bit closer to Lin Xiaolu.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    She tried to see clearly the expression on her daughter''s face as she spoke, but Lin Xiaolu turned her head away, almost talking to herself:

    "I heard from that woman called Hong Siyu that you are an inspector, and actually an important figure in the Magic Kingdom too, right? And it seems you only came to Fangting City to investigate the disappearance of a senior named Mo Ke. But in the end, because you found a good-for-nothing like me, you have to waste your energy on me every day. It''s so unfair to you."

    Emerald Sparrow''s cool voice held a tinge of confusion, "You''re saying, you want me to just leave you alone?"

    "No, it''s not like that!"

    Lin Xiaolu quickly raised her head, exining in a somewhat flustered manner, "I''m not trying to drive you away, how could I possibly think that! I really hope you can stay here; it''s just that, at the moment..."

    "You now feel that you''re not worth it?" Emerald Sparrow thought for a moment and then summarized for her.

    "You could, could say that," Lin Xiaolu stuttered in response.

    "If I tell you now that it''s not like that, you''ll think I''m just consoling you, right?"

    "...Yes."

    Lin Xiaolu''s soft answer merged with the night sky.

    Seeing her answer this way, Emerald Sparrow knew that her daughter indeed had apse in self-identity and even felt inferior, hence she was very downhearted.

    This gloomy mood had been quite obvious these days, as Lin Xiaolu was not a child good at hiding her emotions.

    Emerald Sparrow had been wanting to find an opportunity to talk with her and now, seeing the moment hade, she suggested in due course:

    "Then, would you like to go for a walk together?"

    "Go for a walk at this time? What for?" Lin Xiaolu was a bit puzzled.

    "Let''s talk about something else as we walk.

    Emerald Sparrow turned to the side, pointing towards the path ahead, indicating for Lin Xiaolu to apany her: "For instance, now that you know about your mother''s identity, do you have any other thoughts?"

 Chapter 70: Chapter 65: Night Talks (Middle)

    "Other thoughts..."

    Although she still hesitated emotionally, Lin Xiaolu subconsciously followed Emerald Sparrow''s steps.

    She began to try to analyze herself, pondering whether there were other factors contributing to her low spirits these days, and as she walked on, an answer gradually emerged in her mind:

    "Actually, when I first learned about these matters, I felt somewhat sorry for my dad."

    Emerald Sparrow suddenly stumbled next to her, almost falling to the ground.

    Lin Xiaolu quickly extended her hand to support her, "What''s wrong?"

    "There seems to be a hole in the ground." Emerald Sparrow, having regained her footing, put on a stern face, pretended to be calm to show she was alright, and on the basis that vision was unclear at night, made up an excuse on the spot.

    "Really?" Lin Xiaolu looked back in confusion, only to see the road under the moon''s silvery light smooth and even, without any sign of the "hole" mentioned by Emerald Sparrow.

    But she didn''t give it much thought and didn''t try to investigate further, assuming she just couldn''t see it, and turned around to continue following Emerald Sparrow.

    "You and your father... Did something happen before?" Walking on a somewhat quiet sidewalk and to change the subject, Emerald Sparrow asked.

    The thought of asking this question had lingered for a long time; she really wanted to know, from the daughter''s perspective, what exactly the standoff with her father was all about.

    Lin Yun had always felt that the conflict with his daughter mainly stemmed from ack of care and poormunication, so after Lin Xiaolu ran away from home, he had been trying to make amends. However, as he began to interact with his daughter in the guise of Emerald Sparrow and gradually understood some of her true thoughts, he realized that the truth might not be so simple.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Rather than saying something happened, it should be more like a one-sided misunderstanding,"

    Lin Xiaolu followed closely behind Emerald Sparrow, "Back then, when my mom died, he hid the whereabouts of her body on the one hand, and on the other hand, he was with another younger woman. That made me think that he didn''t love my mom anymore and wanted to abandon her and me to be with other women."

    "Later, after arguing with him and running away from home, many things became very rigid, but I''ve always felt it was his fault, so I never thought about forgiving or understanding him."

    "Hah, thinking about it now, it might have also been my own arbitrary judgments."

    "Because he was very strict with me when I was young, so harsh that it was almost detestable, so when I thought he was in the wrong, even though I asked him for reasons on the surface, I didn''t really want to hear an answer; I had already judged him in my heart."

    The two walked along, slowly crossing the Xizhao Bridge spanning the Xiting River. It was nearly midsummer, and in the hot night, only the breeze over the water remained cool.

    There wasn''t much traffic on the bridge at midnight, and Emerald Sparrow and Lin Xiaolu walked one after the other on the sidewalk, their crisp footsteps echoing on the bridge.

    "...And now?" Instead of expressing her own opinion on Lin Xiaolu''s "self-reflection," Emerald Sparrow simply continued to ask.

    If she were just "Emerald Sparrow," she could judge Lin Xiaolu''s right and wrong from the perspective of a bystander; but as a party to this parent-child standoff, she actually knew that under thoseplex circumstances back then, it couldn''t be said who was right or wrong between her and Lin Xiaolu.

    Both she and her daughter''s initial intentions were to maintain the existence of their family, but due to different information known: the daughter didn''t know her mother was a Magical Girl; different identities and feelings: as a father, she hadn''t understood her daughter''s doubts and helplessness at the time. In the end, these led to a significant rift.

    When it came tomunicating with the child, herself as a parent should have been more proactive, but back then, she hadn''t realized that.

    On the other side, Lin Xiaolu continued, "Because he showed me the photos of you and mom before, I know now that he did not want me to know the true nature of mom''s death at the time."

    "After all, ording to him, my mom was actually a very powerful Magical Girl, but died under mysterious circumstances. Facing an enemy capable of killing my mom, even if I knew the truth and even harbored hatred because of it, I probably wouldn''t know what I could do."

    "As a result, because I didn''t know why my mom died, I always thought it was a simple ident and focused all my resentment and hostility on him."

    "He must have had good intentions by doing that, but I responded to him in such a way..."

    ¡ª¡ª"If you could just tell your dad what you''re thinking, he might be really happy, right?"

    Emerald Sparrow suddenly spoke up, "Instead of telling me here, it would be more effective to tell him directly."

    "Isn''t it a bitte to say that now?" Lin Xiaolu''s face showed a look of worry.

    "It''s never toote."

    Emerald Sparrow shook her head, turned her face to the side, and looked expressionlessly at the river under the bridge, leaving one to wonder what she was thinking, "When ites to family rtionships, no one can guarantee they won''t make mistakes."

    "You are being a daughter for the first time, and your dad is being a father for the first time. You''re both novices in your roles, so it''s inevitable that you''ll make all kinds of mistakes. If the error is still within the realm of what can be forgiven, why not give each other another chance?"

    "Besides, when ites to this matter, your dad may have already stopped ming you."

    In her words about this matter, there was an indistinct emotion, as if she had her own experience regarding it. Although it was vague, even the slow Lin Xiaolu could feel a bit of it.

    So she looked at Emerald Sparrow somewhat nkly and asked subconsciously, "Emerald Sparrow, do you... do you have children?"

    Emerald Sparrow stopped in her tracks and gave her a sidelong nce.

    "Guess."

    After dropping those two words, she continued to walk ahead.

    Lin Xiaolu quickly jogged to catch up.

    For some reason, Emerald Sparrow didn''t ask anymore, and Lin Xiaolu just followed her silently. In this way, the two of them walked to the middle of the bridge, reaching the center of the Xiting River.

    Looking down, her gaze flicked to one side, Lin Xiaolu''s expression wasplicated.

    Because she felt that since she had already decided to voice the doubts in her heart, there were some issues she shouldn''t avoid.

    This matter was different from everything she had spoken of before. As a Magical Girl, what she was about to say could truly disappoint Emerald Sparrow.

    It had nothing to do with her mother''s identity or her conflicts with her father, but was about disappointment in Lin Xiaolu herself.

    Although she kept asking Emerald Sparrow if she was disappointed in her, in reality, she didn''t want Emerald Sparrow to dislike her at all.

    If possible, she also hoped to be like Xia Liang, always able to behave affectionately in front of others; always able to liven up the atmosphere and make others happy; and always to be so outstanding that Emerald Sparrow would be satisfied with her.

    But now, not to mention those things, it seemed she had even lost the very basic qualities of a Magical Girl.

    Because these days, she had gradually started to feel like she was losing the courage to fight.

    Should she really speak of such things? If she kept silent about it, if she just pretended everything was fine, at least she could continue like now...

    At that thought, Lin Xiaolu''s train of thought stalled.

    Because she suddenly saw Emerald Sparrow turn her head and look at her with those clear, deep blue eyes.

    In the moonlight, those eyes were like the purest sapphires, touched with a hint of silver, and seemed as if they could speak, looking at her with encouragement.

    Lin Xiaolu pursed her lips and then, gathering all her courage, opened her mouth.

 Chapter 71: Chapter 66 Night Talk (Part 2)

    "Emerald Sparrow!"

    She suddenly eximed loudly, "I have another thought that''s rather passive, or should I say, cowardly! I feel I must say it!"

    "Before I knew the true cause of Mom''s death, I could face the dangers confronting Magical Girls with a normal heart. But ever since I learned the truth, I''ve started feeling conflicted!"

    "I can''t tell if it''s hatred or fear, nor do I know which is stronger. But I do know that I''m disgusted with my own thoughts."

    Hearing her words, Emerald Sparrow didn''t immediately judge but instead countered, "Why? Because of what happened to your mom?"

    "...I''ve been thinking about these things these past few days and started feeling that knowing the truth isn''t necessarily a good thing."

    Lin Xiaolu replied with aplex expression, "Just ''knowing that Magical Girls can die'' and ''knowing a Magical Girl who died'' arepletely different feelings."

    "It once seemed like such a distant matter to me, but it suddenly feels like it happened right beside me; even in my dreams, I''m starting to feel restless."

    "It''s odd, isn''t it? I''ve been a Magical Girl for so long, but only these past few days have I begun to feel afraid, even more so than thoughts of ''revenge.'' I''m thinking more about ''withdrawal'' and ''escape.'' I keep thinking, if one day I meet the enemy who killed my mom, will I end up dead like her?"

    "I''ve entertained thoughts of ''revenge,'' but I''m afraid of the very act of ''revenge,'' and even want to run far away, continue pretending to be ignorant."

    "But if I do that, am I still worthy of being my mother''s daughter? What''s the meaning of having this power? When I think of this, even my resolve to keep fighting begins to waver."

    "Doesn''t it sound ridiculous? I''ve always wanted to know the truth about my mother''s death, but after knowing it, I''ve started to regret it. All these negative feelings in my heart: fear, guilt, self-denial... make me feel like it might have been better not to know."

    "I''m truly pathetic. I told you, Emerald Sparrow, that I wanted to be stronger, to be of help to you, but just because I learned a bit more, I''ve started to waver and feel fear."

    "Even though Xia Liang learned the same thing, she has even managed to reach the Bud Stage so quickly, while I still..."

    Her words trailed off.

    Because she suddenly felt a somewhat cold hand taking hold of hers.

    "Why apologize for such a thing?"

    Emerald Sparrow looked at her earnestly, "Before you''re a Magical Girl, you''re first and foremost a kid who hasn''t grown up. Fearing death is an instinct not even adults can evade, so why belittle yourself over it?"

    "But if I don''t stand up and seek revenge, then my mom''s death..." Lin Xiaolu said somewhat frantically.

    "No one is obligated to stand up," Bai Mei interjected.

    Emerald Sparrow firmly grasped her hand, cutting her off, "Revenge is not something you should even be considering; as Sakura''s teammate, revenge is something for us adults to handle."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Not consider revenge?"

    Lin Xiaolu asked nkly, "In that case, how can I be at peace? What should I do? Can I really continue as before, immersed in my own world as if I know nothing?"

    "Forever defeating weak Remnant Beasts like it''s a game, then tell myself with self-satisfaction that I''ve protected this city?"

    "Even if so, won''t theree a day when an enemy I can''t handle suddenly appears, and then I will, I will also..."

    She felt her thoughts were in disarray.

    As she said, all the negative emotions were mixed together, causing an unprecedented low in her self-identity.

    What she didn''t know was that, in fact, most children who be Magical Girls out of simple impulses or aspirations end up in some degree of confusion.

    For Lin Xiaolu, the trigger for this confusion was the truth about her mother''s death.

    Initially, upon learning this information, she might have first felt a sense of longing for her mother. But that was quickly followed by a strong sense of dislocation.

    Lin Xiaolu, who had always found sce in Magical Girl animations, had an overly idealized and one-sided imagination of the term "Magical Girl."

    It seemed as if everything about Magical Girls had a filter in her mind; anything slightly rted became filled with fantasy and fairy-tale colors.

    That''s why she was so unhesitating about bing a Magical Girl and could be brave in battles with Remnant Beasts ¨C because in her mind, she had be the "protagonist," meant to escape from all the unpleasantness of reality, to dwell within a beautiful dream.

    However, this filter shattered when she learned her mother''s true cause of death and saw how her progress couldn''tpare to herpanions.

    The concept of "Magical Girl" became increasingly ovepped with reality in her cognition, making it impossible for her to view the term as an imaginative sanctuary any longer, instead bringing her many thoughts about her actual situation.

    Responsibilities, crises, losses, death... many inevitable negative concepts came tumbling over from the other side of the filter, bing Lin Xiaolu''s new worries.

 Chapter 72: Chapter 66 Night Talk (Part 2)_2

    For this very reason, in times like these, she would subconsciously seek help from Emerald Sparrow, from the Magical Girl in her mind. After all, for her, Emerald Sparrow was the ce where the "filter" remained most intact.

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t delve so deeply into these matters, but that didn''t prevent her from feeling that Lin Xiaolu urgently needed her help now.

    These troubles and anxieties seemed to have twomon sources¡ªack of security and feelings of inferiority.

    So, what exactly should she say to her daughter, and what could she do, to make her daughter feel better right now?

    Once she had figured this out, she was already aware of what she had to do. If she had to sum it up in one phrase: to patch the gaps and mend the oversight.

    "Bai Mei, there is no need to be so anxious."

    Therefore, after organizing her thoughts, Emerald Sparrow took the initiative to speak, "I''ve always told you not to aim too high, this attitude should not only be reflected in honor and strength but should also be applied to the meaning of life."

    "Feel it carefully, do I really exist here?"

    Reaching out her other hand, Emerald Sparrow gently grasped Lin Xiaolu''s hands with both of hers, "Can you feel it? I am standing right here, in front of you, holding your hand."

    Lin Xiaolu looked down, then nodded nkly.

    "Then you should understand, this is your true feeling, this is the reality you have."

    Emerald Sparrow locked eyes with her, earnest in tone, "It''s not that you are facing hatred, enemies, and unknown dangers all by yourself. The reality is that I am here, I will guide you, and I will protect you, so nothing will happen to you."

    "If you are feeling lost right now, then don''t rush, take your time to think, slowly make your decisions."

    "If you are afraid of the fighting, I will deal with the enemies; if you don''t want to seek revenge, I will take revenge for Sakura; all the things that you can''t figure out can be thought through slowly, because you are still a child, you have plenty of time to grow."

    "Even if you say that you no longer want to be a Magical Girl, that you want to stay away from dangerous battles, to be an ordinary girl, it''s also..."

    At this, she suddenly stopped.

    It seemed that she momentarily recalled something, Emerald Sparrow pursed her lips slightly, vaguely struggling, but that expression was ephemeral, her cool gaze softening into a kinder look when she turned to Lin Xiaolu, "That would be okay too, because, after all, you know, I am a ''big shot'', and I can make that happen too."

    What she didn''t mention was that, under normal circumstances, a Magical Girl wanting to be ordinary again only had two paths: to report back to the royal court and to retire honorably. The former procedure was almost a formality, scarcely anyone ever went through with it.

    Lin Xiaolu would not know this, nor was there a need for her to know.

    She remained looking dazed, but after clearly hearing what Emerald Sparrow said, she slowly shook her head:

    "I won''t do that, I want to continue being a Magical Girl."

    "Is that your true heart''s desire?" Emerald Sparrow asked softly beside her.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "...Yeah."

    Her unfocused gaze bing sharper, Lin Xiaolu nodded slightly more firmly, "This is the one thing I am certain of, because even now, being a Magical Girl is still my dream."

    Even with a multitude of thoughts swirling in her mind, her confusion and bewilderment have always been about "how to be a good Magical Girl," not "whether to continue being a Magical Girl."

    And about Emerald Sparrow saying she would be with her...

    "But Emerald Sparrow, you are going to leave, right?"

    At this thought, she brought up another line of thinking, "You are a big shot from the Magic Kingdom, and your stay in Fangting City is only temporary; even if you stay here longer, one day, you will leave, right?"

    "When that dayes, after you''ve left... is it that when I see you again, I''ll have to look at you from afar like looking at the mayor or some official?"

    Emerald Sparrow was somewhat silent.

    She tried to let go of her hand but found that at some point, it had been sped back by Lin Xiaolu and she couldn''t pull it away.

    Without trying to forcibly break free, they held this impasse for a moment, and then she pretended to nod calmly, "Yes, I will leave, and I cannot lie to you about this."

    But the reason was different from what Lin Xiaolu thought, it wasn''t because she was an "Inspection Envoy."

    "So, it will happen after all."

    Hearing her answer, Lin Xiaolu''s expression turned a little despondent, "That means, days like this summer won''tst much longer, right?"

    The first thought that surged in her heart was reluctance, but soon, she managed to convince herself.

    After all, the months since she met Emerald Sparrow felt like a beautiful dream to her: bing a Magical Girl, making new friends, learning her mother''s true identity, improving her rtionship with her father significantly, and even making progress in her school studies with Emerald Sparrow''s guidance.

    Even now, with new worries, it was not Emerald Sparrow''s fault; it was just her own tendency to overthink.

    She told herself she had already gained so much from the other''s arrival and should not continue to be greedy.

    ¡ª¡ª"However, the timing of departure is primarily up to you."

    What Lin Xiaolu did not expect was that beneath the calm tone, Emerald Sparrow''s words suddenly took a sharp turn: "I will wait until you, you and Xia Liang, even your entire team, have grown up and can stand on your own before I leave."

    These words left Lin Xiaolu momentarily frozen on the spot.

    Seizing the moment, Emerald Sparrow quietly released her hand: "Does that give you a little more sense of security?"

    "But, but for someone like me to be a powerful Magical Girl, it might not happen until I retire..." Still shocked by Emerald Sparrow''s words, Lin Xiaolu spoke without thinking.

    "Then I''ll just wait till you retire," Emerald Sparrow said lightly, turning her face aside.

    Hearing this, Lin Xiaolu felt her heart skip a beat.

    An indescribable emotion, perhaps best named as a startled sense of cherished happiness, surged through her in an instant.

    She couldn''t help but clutch her chest and stammer, "That would mean ten years..."

    "Yes, ten years," Emerald Sparrow said, still with an indifferent expression.

    This made Lin Xiaolu even more incredulous: "But that makes no sense, why would you go to such lengths for someone like me? Even if you were close to my mother, I still don''t think I''m worth it."

    "Who said you weren''t worth it?"

    With a hand on her hip, Emerald Sparrow looked askance at Lin Xiaolu: "If you''ve already given up on expecting more from yourself, if you no longer recognize your own potential, how can you ever be the person you want to be?"

    "But can I really make it that far?" Lin Xiaolu stillcked confidence.

    "Hasn''t Mo said it? You''re a genius."

    "It said itself that it was just fooling me on the spur of the moment..."

    "It also said that sometimes, fairies themselves can''t figure out the truth from the lies."

    Gazing at the distant river, Emerald Sparrow said calmly, "The reason I choose to stay in Fangting City, as you guessed, is indeed because of your mother, but also because this is the city I once protected. I don''t want it to be destroyed by the Remnant Beasts."

    "However, I can no longer stay here forever. After Sakura''s demise, we of the older generation must pass the baton to the next. I have seen you and Xia Liang here, and I havee to understand you, so I believe in the potential of you, the next generation."

    "Perhaps Mo spoke on a whim, perhaps you don''t believe in yourself, but I do believe that there wille a day when you will be a Magical Girl who can protect everyone."

    "The so-called ten years is just a bet and a bottom line. In my view, you''ll definitely get stronger and won''t need nearly that long."

    Emerald Sparrow''s decisiveness finally lifted much of the gloom from Lin Xiaolu''s heart.

    Her hand moved from her chest to form a fist, and a new light sparked in her eyes: "Emerald Sparrow, do you believe in me?"

    "No matter how many times you ask, the answer will be the same, I believe," Emerald Sparrow said as she stepped back to calmly watch her daughter: "So don''t sell yourself short, lift up your head, you''re no less than anyone else."

    After speaking, she half-turned, ready to move on, and then checked with Lin Xiaolu: "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

    Lin Xiaolu looked at the petite figure in front of her, and thest traces of bewilderment in her eyes also faded away. Her previously gloomy expression brightened and even seemed gentler.

    She shook her head, no longer speaking, and took small steps to catch up with Emerald Sparrow, walking alongside her.

    The crisp sound of footsteps began to echo on the empty bridge once more, yet unlike the dull sound on the way there, the sound was now lively and in unison. Their steps moved slowly from the center of the bridge toward the opposite shore, crossing the river, traversing the long walkway, and finally, gradually fading into the unknown yonder on the other side.

 Chapter 73: Chapter 67 Fairy and Friends

    The Fangting City First Social Welfare Institute is located in the Lixing District and is one of the only tworge welfare institutions in the city.

    Many children who have lost their parents in idents and have no one to care for them, or elderly people who are left uncared for in their old age, are, with their consent, taken in by the city government and brought here to receive rtivelyprehensive care.

    The welfare institute upies arge area, with nearly 3000 beds and more than 400 staff members, providing rtively privileged medical conditions sufficient to rehabilitate every disabled elderly person and child.

    Bai Jingxuan had lived here for three years.

    In those three years, she had grown from a confused child to one who could understand reason. Most other children in the welfare institute came and went, being adopted after a brief stay and entering a new family, while she alone was left behind, like an inferior product left over in a vegetable market.

    Indeed, speaking purely in terms of character, Bai Jingxuan was not a difficult child to get along with. She was very quiet and sensible. Compared to other children her age, even some who were older, her behavior appeared somewhat precocious.

    In terms of appearance, she was also quite cute, with fair skin and a clean face, attractive features, and a bob haircut that came down to her chin, whichbined with her attire and behavior¡ªmade her a bit tomboyish and indeed endearing.

    However, the medical eye patch she wore over her left eye revealed to outsiders a fact: there was a problem with this eye.

    Indeed, she was missing an eye.

    Not only that, but she also had an undiagnosable, difficult-to-treat congenital disease. Its symptoms were intermittent dizziness and weakness, with severe episodes even leading to partial loss of control over her limbs.

    This series of issues caused the couples who tried to adopt her to hesitate upon learning the truth, and there was nock of those who gave up outright. Aftering and going like this, ultimately no one wanted to take Bai Jingxuan away.

    So three years passed, and Bai Jingxuan still lived here.

    From time to time, people would ask her if she was sad, but she actually didn''t think there was anything bad about living this way: the caregivers in the welfare institute were very kind to her; the grandparents there also liked her a lot, often calling her over to chat; including the head of the welfare institute, Aunt Liu, who would also often look after her.

    Perhaps the only downside was a bit of loneliness.

    These days, in the afternoons, she liked to go alone to the shady part of the courtyard, where she would quietly read.

    This was a habit she hadn''t had before; in the past, she would not seek out such quiet ces alone, preferring busier spots instead. Regardless of whom she was with, chatting a bit would make her feel more fulfilled inside.

    The reason she now did this was that she had a little secret.

    Or, to be more specific, she had made a new friend.

    ¡ª"Xuan! I''m here!"

    With the calling from above, on this agreed-upon afternoon, Bai Jingxuan weed the one she had been waiting for.

    So she put down the book in her hand, looked left and right to make sure no one had seen her, and then discreetly waved to her "friend" above, greeting in a soft voice, "Good afternoon, Fairy Miss."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    She had made a fairy friend.

    This friend looked like a pink cat but was only as big as two of her palms. It had a pair of transparent wings on its back and was fluttering in the air, surrounded by tiny glowing orbs, really just like the fairies described in fairy tales.

    "I''ve told you many times, just call me ''Moke'', ''fairy'' is too formal!"

    Descending leisurely from the sky, the self-proimed fairy "Moke" said to herself, "Just as I wouldn''t call you ''human'', such a term is actually quite impolite."

    "Um, I understand, Moke." And so Bai Jingxuan obediently nodded her head.

    Her acquaintance with Moke began several days earlier in the afternoon.

    At that time, she was just passing by this ce when she impulsively decided to take a break in the shade because of the hot summer weather, and it was this action that led her to meet the fairy flying down from the sky.

    She didn''t even know what a fairy was at the time, only seeing a cat flying in the air and finding it extremely novel, so she couldn''t help but strike up a conversation with it.

    What surprised her even more was that the cat could actually talk.

    It was then that she learned that such beings were the legendary "fairies".

    The self-proimed "Moke" was very witty and willing to talk to her for a long time, telling her many fairy-tale-like stories. Later, the words "magical girl" began to appear in its descriptions.

    Bai Jingxuan knew about magical girls.

    It would be more urate to say that her life was saved by a magical girl.

    In the year she turned eight, her parents took her out to the hospital for a routine check-up for her incurable congenital illness, and it just so happened that they encountered a Remnant Beast.

    At that time, Bai Jingxuan didn''t even fully grasp what was happening, only remembered sitting in the hospital lobby with her parents, chatting andughing, when suddenly there was a strong impact around them.

    A rampaging Remnant Beast crashed into the hospital and began to destroy and ughter like a mad creature.

    The hospital was damaged by the attack of the Remnant Beast, and a great number of medical staff and patients lost their lives in that incident. Later, Bai Jingxuan heard people say that it was the most tragic casualty event in Fangting City in nearly a decade.

    In that event, Bai Jingxuan lost her parents and her left eye but was the only person who survived.

    A magical girl arrived just in time, saved the remaining people, and defeated the Remnant Beast.

    Although Bai Jingxuan was still young at that time and her sense of life and death was not so acute, as she grew up, she came to understand the debt of gratitude she owed for the saving of her life.

    Therefore, she had a favorable impression of magical girls.

    However, in Moke''s words, magical girls seemed to shed the halo perceived by others and became more real, more a part of everyday life.

    It told her many amusing little stories rted to magical girls and even imed to know the magical girls of this city. ording to its examples, the magical girls of Fangting City included those who failed school exams, those who were so clumsy they couldn''t even learn how to use magic power, and even some who bullied fairies out of a sense of superiority.

    Although she didn''t know how much of this talk was true and even though it contained several negative remarks, it didn''t stop Bai Jingxuan from finding it interesting, and as a result, her admiration for magical girls grew a bit more.

    Because she felt that it was precisely because magical girls were actually just ordinary people that their willingness to fight, to save others, was all the more precious.

    It was when she began to think this way that, two days ago, when she and Moke were enjoying the afternoon together and had a pleasant chat, Moke suddenly made her this proposal:

    "Xiao Xuan, do you know? You can actually be a magical girl too!"

 Chapter 74: Chapter 68 Marks Mind

    In recent times, Moke felt that its status as the Seeder in the Magical Girl squad of Fangting City had been gradually diminishing.

    ording to what it had heard, the Seeder in every city was supposed to be amunication hub between the kingdom and the local government and a guide for the Magical Girls, undoubtedly deserving of love and respect. However, the treatment it received in Fangting City was entirely different.

    Emerald Sparrow was an inspector for the Investigation Bureau, and her status was undoubtedly higher than Moke''s, so herck of courtesy was tolerable; Lin Xiaolu was a Magical Girl it had contracted with, yet because of a small lie it initially told her, they were at odds every day; only Xia Liang treated it with tenderness, but it seemed that her gentleness was not for the Seeder, but rather because she regarded it more as a pet.

    Although Moke knew that it was somewhat ipetent as a Seeder, and even previously had no idea what its role entailed, its progress should have been obvious to all; there was no reason for discrimination!

    Even the high-ranking inspector of the Investigation Bureau, having seen its performance, looked at it with new eyes and offered heaps of praise. Wasn''t that proof enough of its worth?

    Moke thought it certainly couldn''t be its own fault.

    Since it wasn''t wrong, the issue of its status within the team must simply be bad luck. Hence, it needed toe up with a n to change everything.

    Since old rtionships were hard to alter quickly, the best strategy now was obviously to cultivate more Magical Girls who were on the same side as it, forming a group with itself at the forefront.

    Would it be difficult to break the mold of being just a mascot, once it had an ally standing with it, and gradually make Xiaolu and Xiaoliang recognize its qualities?

    Of course not!

    This was Moke''s entire n.

    So, when it stumbled upon a new potential Magical Girl in Lixing District days earlier, its first reaction wasn''t to immediately go back and notify the other team members. Instead, it wanted to take it slow, gradually building rapport with the girl.

    So far, the process was going quite smoothly.

    The girl Moke found in the welfare institution of Lixing District was named Bai Jingxuan. She seemed sensible and well-behaved at a nce, and though younger than the other team members, there was no problem with her bing a Magical Girl.

    Taking advantage of its greater worldlinesspared to such a young girl, Moke quickly gained her favor and friendship.

    At first, it simply chatted with her about interesting things in life, listened to her minor daily troubles, and scrounged up its not-so-extensive experiences in the Magic Kingdom to share with Bai Jingxuan.

    As conversations progressed, Moke began to harbor a few ulterior motives and intermittently mentioned Magical Girl matters, candidly revealing itself as Fangting City''s Seeder. However, it embellished the truth significantly, painting itself as highly respected and revered, critical to the team''s sess, whilepletely ignoring the fact that it was nearly reduced to a mascot.

    Moke boasted thus, and Bai Jingxuan listened as such. She never questioned the veracity of the information in Moke''s words, though she did asionally voice her own doubts:

    "Miss Fairy, if you get along so well with the other Magical Girls, won''t they be jealous if youe to talk to me alone?"

    "Jealous? Perhaps, but they can only wait, enviously longing for my return! After all, as the Seeder, it''s my task to seek out new Magical Girls!"

    At this, Moke justughed proudly, forgetting itself.

    This peculiar rtionship continued for several days; as the girl and the Fairy grew more familiar with each other, their "friendship" genuinely deepened.

    Moke had not forgotten its somewhat impure motives, but the child''s pure nature also affected it. Its fondness for the girl, initially born entirely out of self-interest, had genuinely grown.

    For Bai Jingxuan, her thoughts were much simpler. After all, she was unaware of Moke''s scheming, entirely blind to the multitude of calctions behind its actions.

    She simply began to lower her guard around Moke.

    Initially, she had been quite curious about this sudden appearance of a Fairy, yet maintained basic wariness. However, as the days went by, she admitted that Moke, as a friend, was quite interesting. Plus, a subconscious sense told her that Moke''s nature probably wasn''t bad.

    So when Moke told her, "You too can be a Magical Girl," she was surprised and even felt a little joy, but it wasn''t to the extent of being shocked.

    "But, I''m frail and I have an illness that''s hard to cure and affects my movements; can I still be a Magical Girl?" she asked.

    "No worries, as long as you be a Magical Girl, no matter how poor your original health is, you can be just as healthy as anyone else!"

    Mo Ke promised confidently, "After all, that''s the power of a Magical Girl, the power to bring hope!"

    "Really? Even my eyes won''t be a problem?" Bai Jingxuan couldn''t help but touch her eye socket that held a prosthetic eye.

    "No problem, no problem! You have to believe in magic!" Mo Ke patted his chest assertively.

    "So, how do I be a Magical Girl?"

    Bai Jingxuan imagined it dreamily, then frowned with worry, "Is it like applying for a subsidy, where I need to write an application letter? What if my handwriting is too ugly."

    "It''s not thatplicated, I just need to find you, and the other team members have to be willing to ept you, that''s all."

    Mo Ke sat in the shade, proudly flicking his ears, "In a few days, I''ll introduce you to them, and give them a big surprise!"

    Two days passed after that conversation, and so wee to today.

    Mo Ke kept his promise to find Bai Jingxuan to bond, and they happily chatted away the afternoon. Here, he regained his lost confidence, then, with a pat on his rear, nned to head home.

    He was already pondering when would be the best time to introduce Bai Jingxuan to the rest¡ªwhen he could most impress upon the others his key role.

    Would it be better when Emerald Sparrow was stressed about not having enough people and he casually remarked, "Mission aplished, I''ve already found a new prospective Magical Girl"?

    Or would it be when he and Lin Xiaolu were bickering and she said he was useless as a Seeder, and he could stare her down with a smirk and reveal the truth?

    The thought of being able to turn his reputation around in the squad made Mo Ke so excited that his whiskers and tail nearly sprang up to the sky.

    After bidding farewell to Bai Jingxuan, he climbed over the wall of the orphanage and floated down the path he hade. Closing his eyes, he indulged in his own fantasies, nodding and humming a tune, feeling light and joyful.

    However, after flying about hundreds of meters, nearing the next block, he abruptly felt a pain in his head, as if he had run into some obstacle, and reflexively tilted his head up due to the reaction force.

    "What the, who leaves their car in the middle of the road..."

    His mood spoiled, Mo Ke opened his cat eyes wide, ready toin loudly, but he could not continue what he started.

    Because there was nothing in front of him.

    There was no car, wall, or telephone pole like he''d imagined¡ªno obstacles at all, not even pedestrians. The street before him appeared entirely unobstructed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    It was as though the hard object his head seemed to have hit was just an illusion.

    A possibility suddenly urred to Mo Ke.

    To him, this possibility was actually quite familiar, because ever since he arrived in Fangting City, this wasn''t the first time it had happened.

    He extended his paw, gently pushed forward, pressed down, and felt as if there was an invisible wall in the air in front of him, blocking his way forward.

    "...It''s over, meow."

    After a moment, he muttered to himself, somewhat dazedly.

 Chapter 75: Chapter 69: The Incident

    In the afternoon, as she watched Moke leave over the wall, Bai Jingxuan stood up from the shade and stretched herself gently. Patting her jeans a few times, she picked up the book in her hand, turned around, and left from the courtyard.

    It was strange, it seemed like since noon today, she hadn''t seen anyone in the orphanage.

    The courtyard where she had met Moke was a bit secluded, but considering the number of people in the orphanage, there should have been someone passing by identally. On regr days, if she wanted to chat with Moke, she had to lower her voice and pay close attention to the movements in the corridor, shutting her mouth immediately if someone appeared.

    That was because Moke said that ordinary people couldn''t see fairies, and here she was talking to Moke, which would only make others think she was talking to thin air.

    Bai Jingxuan didn''t want to be misunderstood in such a way, she didn''t object to life in the orphanage, but she was still somewhat hopeful to be adopted. If she was deemed to have mental issues for "talking to air," then that little hope would be dashed.

    But today, she had been watching the corridor and had not seen anyone pass by at all.

    This situation was somewhat abnormal, but not particrly strange, so Bai Jingxuan didn''t pay it much mind.

    Was today some special day, or was there some event?

    She was just thinking that, holding her book in her arms, slowly walking through the corridor.

    Bai Jingxuan''s usual resting room was some distance away from this courtyard, requiring her to pass through an entire sanatorium building. The only advantage was that, considering her medical condition, her room was arranged on the first floor, so she didn''t need to climb stairs.

    Walking alone in the somewhat quiet corridor, her gaze passed through the ss windows beside her, looking towards the office building across the courtyard.

    In a vague glimpse, she thought she saw a few dark figures sh by there.

    "That floor, if I remember correctly..."

    Looking in that direction, she finally felt something was off, and then, she quickened her pace.

    ...

    ...

    Liu Wenqin had been the director of Fangting City''s First Orphanage for ten years.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    She might not say she knew the orphanage like the back of her hand, but when it came to the equipment and staff distribution, she had it memorized.

    With over 400 employees, she couldn''t remember every single person''s name, but she was very familiar with the heads of each department within the orphanage.

    So, when she wanted the entire orphanage to grind to a halt, for everyone not to resist, she only needed a few phone calls to make it happen.

    "Yes, Lan, exactly, don''t resist them at all, right, just make sure the guys in your department stay calm, they won''t get rough before then."

    After finishing thest call and putting down her mobile phone, Liu Wenqin breathed a long sigh of relief.

    Then she looked at the man who had been standing in front of the filing cab the whole time, pushing down the panic and fear in her heart and said as calmly as she could, "I''ve done as you asked, when exactly do you n to leave?"

    On hearing her words, the man in front of her slowly turned his body in her direction, revealing his full figure:

    He was a tall, thin man with a pale face and a scar over his eyebrows.

    He looked to be in his twenties, rtively young, with two wisps of mustache over his lip that gave him a somewhat sinister appearance; his hair, somewhat long, was tied in a small braid at the back of his head. For some reason, a few strands of his dark hair faintly shimmered with a purplish-red hue.

    The man wore a long ck robe, adorned with gold, sinister hieroglyphics made of strange characters that Liu Wenqin couldn''t understand. Although she couldn''t make out what they represented, from a distance, they were unsettling.

    ¡ª¡ª"A wise decision, I want to apud you, Ms. Liu."

    He wore an inscrutable smile on his face and said with a somewhat strange voice, "Your several phone calls will save the lives of thousands, you truly are the epitome of a welfare director, and I respect you for that."

    "Then could you please put your words into action and stop those under yourmand from troubling a group of helpless elderly and children?"

    Liu Wenqin felt her hands trembling, but she still insisted, "They simply cannot resist you, and no one here has the ability to do so either. Take whatever you want, but why must you kill people!"

    The reason she said this was that at that very moment, right at the door of her office, a sturdy man in a guard''s uniform was leaning against the door frame. His head hung low, a baton lying at his side, and blood flowing down his uniform, leaving a hollow where his heart should be.

    He was the security director of the welfare institution, who had hurried to the director''s office as soon as he sensed something amiss, attempting to resist the man in the ck robe.

    He was brave and strong, those who caused trouble in the institution on normal days were no match for him, so even knowing the man before him was strange, he had not flinched and charged directly at him. However, his valor was futile before the ck-robed man, and he got killed in an instant by some unknown force, copsing at the doorstep.

    Afterward, the group of ck-robed people who had apanied him dispersed on the spot and headed to various ces in the institution, killing those who dared to resist in a bloody and brutal manner. They then coerced Liu Wenqin into sending a signal of "surrender without death" to all departments, quickly taking control of the entire welfare institution.

    "For efficiency''s sake, madam."

    In response to Liu Wenqin''s questioning, the man spoke very politely, but his words were unceremoniously blunt: "We need to eliminate potential dangers at the fastest pace¡ªthat is to say, the call you are about to make to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau on your phone, if not hung up immediately, will result in no more survivors in this welfare institution. Please believe me, we act faster than the Abnormal Strategy Bureau can arrive."

    At his words, Liu Wenqin''s heart tightened, and the hand behind her office desk paused. She looked at the man with uncertainty, then somewhat dejectedly at the mobile phone screen in her hand, reluctantly ending the call.

    "You are all a bunch of devils!"

    After giving up on seeking help from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, she used angrily, "You know very well what kind of people these elderly and children are here. How can you bear toy hands on them if you have any conscience as a human being?"

    "What kind of people? Of course, I know. To sum it up, they''re all pitiful, aren''t they?"

    The man in the ck robe spread his hands with a sneer, "Children who''ve lost their loved ones, elderly without anyone to take care of them, many among them are disabled, some even incapable of living independently, it''s indeed sad."

    "But, pitiful people, heh, pitiful people."

    He changed his tone, as if chanting on a pilgrimage, "Who in this world is not a pitiful person? Those without glory are born fruitless, and in death they return to nourish the soil, giving thanks to the grace of the Lord. Even in true death, they should thank me, for at this moment, they share in the Lord''s grace."

    As he spoke these words, his expression was full of piety and loyalty, as if this was indeed what he truly believed, even though such beliefs seemedpletely nonsensical to ordinary people.

    "You expect them to thank you? Unreasonable, you are truly a lunatic..."

    Liu Wenqin''s eyes widened and her throat moved. She looked at the man before her in disbelief, as if she were observing some kind of monster, "What exactly do you want bying here?"

    This question made the man pause hisment.

    He lowered his hands, looking at Liu Wenqin behind the office desk with a trace of disinterest, and in his strange voice, he said:

    Chapter Continue:

    "To speak the truth, although it would only cost us time to kill everyone here, you have met my demands by not disturbing our meeting with the interference from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, so I don''t mind showing a bit of what pettymonfolk consider goodness."

    "Our people have already started searching this welfare institution, and it doesn''t matter if you continue to hide it. But you should know that once we find the target ourselves, the answer you keep will lose its corresponding value."

    "So, the question I asked you when we first met, I will ask again, and I hope this time you will give me a proper answer."

    He walked slowly towards Liu Wenqin''s office desk, ignoring her attempts to back away, he lowered his head, ced a hand over his left eye, and with an exaggerated motion, he pulled back his eyelid:

    "This is thest time I will ask, tell me Ms. Liu, do you have a girl here who lost her left eye?"

 Chapter 76: Chapter 70: Everyone Flees on Their Own

    Tian Sheng had never imagined that he, aw-abiding civilian magic enthusiast who never sought out danger, would one day face a terror attack from a grey magic organization.

    As an ordinary caregiver at Fangting City''s First Welfare Institute, he was now using spell techniques to conceal his own presence, hiding alone in the utility room of the convalescent building.

    He had chosen to work in this welfare institute for two reasons: first, because of its stable environment and good sry; second, it allowed him to study magic spell techniques in his spare time.

    He had been a caregiver here for five years and his level of research on spell techniques was just enough for him to be considered a beginner. Recently, he had been considering changing jobs and trying to enter the local Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    But, coincidentally, just a day after he had this thought, the welfare institute experienced a terror attack.

    The attackers were well-trained, adept at bypassing and disabling the rms, controlling most of the ordinary people, and killing those who dared resist. They used bloody methods to plunge the entire nursing home into silence.

    The moment Tian Sheng realized something was wrong, his first thought was self-preservation¡ªto secretly escape. But he soon found out that the entire block was sealed off by arge magical barrier. Trying to leave was impossible; not only did heck the time to analyze the structure of the barrier, his meager magic power wouldn''t be enough to break through it.

    This further proved that the perpetrators of the terror attack were not ordinary criminals. It was very likely the grey magic organization that even civilian magicians dreaded.

    The grey magic organization is a general term used to refer to groups of magicians engaged in illegal activities. These groups are often dens of iniquity, home to viins involved in illegal research and criminal activities. To put it bluntly, they are crime syndicates with the power of magic spell techniques.

    Such organizations are actually not umon, and every member poses a great threat to the public. Even someone like Tian Sheng, who also studied spell techniques, preferred not to deal with them.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    After all, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was responsible for maintaining order in the city, destroying several dens a year and arresting arge number of magician criminals. Such people would eventually be arrested; he just needed to stay far away from them.

    He had always believed this to be true, and indeed it had been.

    He never imagined that such an audacious group would attack a public service institution operated by the city government in broad daylight.

    With the enemy''s sudden arrival and their overwhelming strength, all he could do was hide alone.

    Although he had a basic grasp of spell techniques, he was far from being proficient, let alone being called a "Magician". Considering the number and strength of the spell techniques he mastered, his repertoire was pitiful. If he tried to challenge an entire group on his own, he would likely die without knowing how it happened.

    Fortunately, he still had a sufficient amount of magic power. Continuing to use spell techniques to hide his breathing and magic fluctuations was not a problem, and he wasn''t worried about being discovered for the time being.

    He was prepared to y it safe, to wait right there until the Abnormal Strategy Bureau came to the rescue, acting the part of a hiding turtle.

    But after being hidden in the utility room for a while, sounds from the hallway caught his attention.

    It seemed that someone was passing by. Unable to maintain the resolution he had just set, he couldn''t help but stealthily push the door open a crack to peek outside.

    Then, he saw a somewhat familiar figure.

    ...

    ...

    Bai Jingxuan had not managed to return to her room as usual.

    As she hastened to get back to her room, she saw several masked figures in ck robes.

    She did not know what these people were here for, but just by looking at theplete silence within the welfare institute, and the menacing posture of these people, Bai Jingxuan felt that she should not expose herself to their sight.

    So, she hid.

    Continuing to walk in the corridor was undoubtedly dangerous, and returning to her room wouldn''t ensure that these people wouldn''te looking for her, so Bai Jingxuan had no choice but to turn around and run back the way she came.

    ording to her n, she had not encountered any uninvited guests on her way here, so the courtyard should still be safe.

    But this hope was doomed to be dashed.

    For she had barely stepped out of the sanatorium''s porch when she heard voicesing from ahead:

    "Still haven''t found her?"

    "We''ve searched everywhere in this open space where someone could hide, but no, nothing."

    "Dammit, where could a little girl hide? Could the ce be marked wrong?"

    "Impossible, the informant''s information is always urate. After the incident at the Sunset Civic Hospital, the whereabouts of all witnesses were recorded. That child was definitely brought here."

    "Hasn''t anyone adopted her?"

    "No adoption information prior to this, we''re currently confirming with the staff here."

    "So where could she be? Surely no one is hiding her?"

    "We can''t rule out that possibility. Anyway, let''s send the results here to Agent Three, and he''ll decide whether to search the rooms one by one."

    After such a conversation, the two of them fell silent. Soon, noisy footsteps arose and began to approach in the direction of Bai Jingxuan.

    The content of their conversation left Bai Jingxuan confused; she could only make out that they were possibly talking about herself by catching phrases like "Sunset Civic Hospital" and "little girl."

    Because three years ago, the ce where she and her parents had met their fate was indeed the Sunset Civic Hospital, and since then, she was the only orphan taken to this welfare institute.

    Realizing she might be their target, Bai Jingxuan''s mind teemed with spection, but she quickly shook her head, realizing this was not the time for wild thoughts¡ªit was time to find another way out.

    The people looking for her seemed to harbor ill intentions; hiding seemed to be the best option.

    Bai Jingxuan was a child of action. Thinking quickly, she silently retreated along the wall, treading lightly as she turned to leave. She had to escape before the others entered the corridor and while she was still out of their sight.

    Two staircases at either end of the corridor led to the second floor, and though she didn''t know how many of them were upstairs, it seemed her only escape route.

    Bai Jingxuan tiptoed up the stairs. But after just a few steps, the sound of footsteps at the entrance of the corridor changed. That noise signified that someone had moved from the cement floor outside the building onto the tiled floor inside.

    They had arrived.

    Listening to the footsteps that grew closer behind her and feeling her heartbeat quicken, Bai Jingxuan pursed her lips, held her breath instinctively, and hastened her pace upstairs.

    Because the stairs were wide, she had to reach the second floor before they reached the staircase entrance topletely avoid their line of sight.

    Two groups progressed through the corridor with entirely different states of mind, and as Bai Jingxuan drew closer to her goal, the corner of the second floor came into view. She felt as if she could already see the scene of her sessful escape.

    However, at that very moment, she suddenly felt numbness in her lower leg, followed by a loss of control over it.

    Unable to exert force in her leg or climb the steps further, her limb felt like a malfunctioning mechanical part, devoid of any life. Unable to stop her forward momentum, Bai Jingxuan fell forward, tumbling down the stairs. Chapter Your:

    tter.

    The abrupt sound of clothing and body colliding with the stairs echoed through the corridor.

 Chapter 77: Chapter 71: Walking Together

    The footsteps in the corridor on the first floor stopped.

    Two figures in ck robes lifted their heads, looking warily towards the staircase on the second floor.

    There, Bai Jingxuany motionless on the ground, not wanting to get up like a turtle retracting into its shell.

    Although she also knew it was futile, whether feigning death or pretending ignorance, it could not change the fact that she had already been exposed. But to fail to escape in this manner was still something she found hard to ept.

    For her old illness to recur at such a time was incredibly inconvenient.

    The condition she suffered from was a congenital disease that hospitals could not diagnose, with unknown triggers, and no simr cases in her family''s gic history, yet it urred exclusively in her.

    The clinical manifestation of the disease was what she was experiencing now: her limb muscles suddenly lost control, apanied by weakness, as if partially paralyzed. Unlike traditional epilepsy, Bai Jingxuan''s thinking remained clear during these episodes, and she could normally perceive time and changes in her external environment.

    The seizures were unpredictable, and no known medication could alleviate them. The only constion was that the disease usually affected only the skeletal muscles and typicallysted only a few minutes; Bai Jingxuan remembered hearing from a caregiver that if the disease had affected her heart muscle, she might not have lived this long.

    And now, having a seizure at such a critical moment, it made no difference which part of her body was affected¡ªit was all the same for Bai Jingxuan.

    The two figures in ck robes who had heard the noise were alreadying up the stairs, spotting her lying on the steps.

    She even saw one of them pull out a device resembling amunicator and begin to report their discovery to someone.

    She wanted to stand up and continue to escape, but the effects of her condition had not yet worn off, and it would be several minutes before her legs were back under control.

    She tried to use her hands to support her body and crawl, but she could not possibly be faster than two fully able-bodied humans.

    She was probably beyond help, being found by these people was unlikely to be a good thing; it was just a pity she had not yet be a Magical Girl.

    Bai Jingxuan thought.

    No longer struggling, she closed her eyes, epting her fate.

    Then, a pair of hands passed under her armpits, lifting her high.

    Immediately after, she felt herself being turned sideways, as if someone had hoisted her onto their shoulder.

    "It''s not time to give up yet!"

    A somewhat shaky voice called out by her ear.

    Opening her eyes, she saw the rapidly receding corridor and the two figures in ck robes chasing from a distance.

    Hadn''t she been caught by them?

    Bai Jingxuan was momentarily stunned, unable toprehend her situation, and tried to twist her head to look at the person carrying her. Even though she could only see the back of his head, the vaguely recognizable silhouette allowed her to identify who it was.

    "Uncle Tian?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    It was a male caregiver named Tian Sheng, who though not responsible for her regr care, was someone she had encountered frequently and was quite familiar with.

    But where did hee from, and why was he taking her away?

    She did not ask this question, so Tian Sheng wouldn''t know her thoughts. But perhaps coincidentally, Tian Sheng was also pondering the same thing:

    Why was he fleeing with this child? Why had he emerged from that storeroom?

    Wouldn''t it be better to stay hidden inside and wait for rescue? Whye out looking for death?

    He recognized Bai Jingxuan and knew of the child''s ordeals, indeed holding a degree of sympathy for her. However, this level of sympathy was far from enough to risk his life for her.

    But when he was hiding in the storeroom and saw the child lying motionless on the stairs, as if seeking death, his feet moved first.

    He pushed open the door that had only been left ajar and rushed forward withrge strides.

    Before the terrorists could catch the girl, he hoisted her onto his shoulder, then began to sprint along the second-floor corridor.

    Faced with the sudden appearance of Tian Sheng, the robed figures were only stunned for a moment before they began to move their feet, following without hesitation, and thus began a chase in the corridor.

    Tian Sheng was not an athletic champion, his running speed not particrly outstandingpared to the average adult male, cing him at a disadvantage and in a passive position during the pursuit.

    In contrast, the robed figures chasing him were clearly well-trained, their running speed surpassing Tian Sheng''s. Hence, even though they startedter, the distance between them kept shrinking.

    Even more dangerously, when Tian Sheng nced back, he noticed a purple-ck glow shing in the hands of a robed figure.

    ¡ªThat was a prelude to using Spell Techniques.

    Looks like there''s no dragging this out, he thought.

    "Hold tight, I won''t have time toe back for you if you fall off again! "

    Ignoring the girl''s confused shout, he loudly ordered her and then released his grip on Bai Jingxuan''s jacket, instead mping her lower legs in the crook of his arm while pulling out two cubical objects, resembling dice, from his front pocket.

    These were the Spell Technique''s media he''d prepared.

    For a typical magician to study, master, and use Spell Techniques, some basic elements are necessary: Magic Power, soul, and media.

    Magic Power is the energy source for the Spell Techniques, which activates and supplies Magic Power to trigger the Spell Techniques'' inscription, enabling them to produce effects.

    The soul is the mechanism for controlling the Spell Techniques, reliant on the soul''s guidance to ensure the stability and direction of the Spell Techniques so that their final effect meets the user''s requirements.

    The media are the central hub for the operation of Spell Techniques. Magicians rely on previously collected materials and spend considerable Magic Power, physical effort, and time to carve the Spell Techniques'' inscriptions, integrating the final oue into a small device.

    Byparison with modern firearms, Magic Power is the bullet, the soul is the hand, and the media is the firearm itself. It''s only by pulling the trigger of the firearm with the hand that the bullet can be fired to inflict damage. Chapter Explore:

    However, for magicians, their media, painstakingly inscribed with their own Magic Power, thus maintain extremely high consistency with their personal Magic Power waves and cannot be used by others.

    Media also have durability, and as they are used more and more, their efficiency in releasing Spell Techniques decreases until they are eventually scrapped and unusable.

    When that dayes, magicians can only once again create media for the corresponding Spell Techniques.

    This has led to the rtively small number of magicians in modern society. To engage in the study of Spell Techniques, one needs to possess rtively superior innate Magic Power. Most ordinary people have too weak inherent Magic Power; secondly, one must have a high level of education to grasp theplex theories of Magic; thirdly, ess to knowledge of Magic Spell Techniques; and on top of this, sufficient finances to buy the materials for making media. It is indeed exceedingly difficult.

    As a result, many magicians who struggle to make ends meet have no choice but to take the criminal path.

    Tian Sheng considered himself aw-abiding good citizen; he earned the money to buy materials from his own hard work, which is why his progress was rtively slow, and he had only just managed to step over the threshold of being an Observer.

    There are three stages of strength for magicians: Observing, Contacting, and Controlling, and he was the most inexperienced novice in the first stage.

    It was unrealistic to confront those terrorists head-on; what he could do was to buy a little more time.

    And now, taking out his own Spell Technique media, he was about to use a Spell Technique even a novice could handle¡ªMagical Barrier.

 Chapter 78: Chapter 72 In Times of Danger

    As one of the Basic Series Spell Techniques, the Magical Barrier is an essential for most magicians, even for Magical Girls.

    The barrier serves many purposes. Firstly, it can act as a defense against others'' Magic Power attacks; secondly, it can create an enclosed space for trapping enemies, protecting oneself, soundproofing and isting noise, or even serving as an experimental site. It''s incredibly versatile.

    The colossal Magical Barrier that now enveloped the orphanage was also an application of this Spell Technique.

    However, Tian Sheng was not capable of achieving such a feat. To have a Magical Barrier cover such argeplex of buildings was beyond the reach of even the most advanced controllers, let alone individuals. It had to be the work of an entire group.

    It must have been the work of the group chasing after him.

    Selecting one of the dice that looked the newest from his hand, he grasped it, and amidst the surging Magic Power, intricate shining lines lit up on the surface of the dice.

    The robed figures behind him were also radiating brilliant light, and following that, multiple red Magic Bullets resembling mes shot out from their hands, aiming straight for Tian Sheng''s head.

    At that same instant, just as the Magic Bullets were about to hit, Tian Sheng handed the dice behind him, and in the blink of an eye, a hexagonal Magical Barrier suddenly unfolded behind him.

    Several Magic Bullets hit the Magical Barrier behind Tian Sheng, instantly creating tiny cracks in the barrier and emitting a screeching sound like metal being torn apart.

    The Spell Technique used by the robed figures was called me Bullet, amon energy-based attack Spell Technique that took on a specific form, known for its destructive power among spells of the same ss. Its power was far greater than that of ordinary small-caliber firearms.

    In the midst of the struggle, both could clearly see that aside from the me Bullets that hit the barrier, those that missed struck the walls of the nearby corridor, easily sting out several deep holes.

    The two Spell Techniques contended behind Tian Sheng for less than two seconds before the me Bullets extinguished, but his Magical Barrier also blew apart.

    Boom!

    The structure of the Spell, shattered at the closest distance to his body, propelled Tian Sheng forward with the explosion of the me Bullet, exceeding his running speed and sending him flying into the air where he began to tumble uncontrobly.

    It seemed it hade to an end.

    As he was tossed through the air, he realized this fact in a daze.

    Once he hit the ground, the two behind him would certainly be ready with the next spell, and by then, both he and the little girl on his shoulder would likely have no chance to escape.

    He did not know that their target was Bai Jingxuan, but it did not prevent him from wishing that this unfortunate child from his brief decade of life would survive.

    In the field of Spell Technique research, he might not count as a magician, but in real life, he was a caretaker at the orphanage.

    His duty as a caretaker reminded him that these children who ended up here due to life''s misfortunes deserved a happy future.

    So he gathered hisst bit of strength and let go in mid-air, choosing a rtively low angle to throw the girl on his shoulder, Bai Jingxuan, out.

    After a moment, hended first, crashing to the ground and wincing in pain.

    Not far from him, Bai Jingxuan fared slightly better, falling onto the ground sideways and rolling several times along the corridor before stopping.

    She lifted her head, blinking through her dust-covered face, and looked at Tian Sheng with some astonishment.

    "Your illness shouldn''tst this long, right?"

    Tian Shengy on the ground, squeezing out an ugly smile towards Bai Jingxuan: "Don''t let all my effort be in vain, run."

    It was then that Bai Jingxuan realized that her legs had regained some sensation.

    Yet,pared to the sensation and agility returning to her legs, she felt an immediate heavy weight on her heart.

    She was a sensible child; she knew what needed to be done in such a situation.

    Despite her reluctance, she understood the circumstances and Tian Sheng''s intentions, knowing that it was her duty to turn around and leave to honor his efforts.

    "Thank you."

    Without hesitating, she said softly, then pushed herself off the ground, staggeringly getting to her feet and running towards the distance.

    Behind her, Tian Sheng watched her go with a forced smile, then clenched the dice in his hand, his expression turning fierce as he forced out the next Spell Technique at the figures behind him.

    The futile battle began once again.

    Listening to the intense sound of Spells shing behind her, Bai Jingxuan almost turned back but managed to suppress the urge, clenching her teeth and continuing to run.

    Before long, she finally reached the stairwell on the other side of the corridor.

    It was there that she encountered another unexpected presence.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "...Moco?"

    She saw outside the corridor window, a pink cat-shaped Fairy was repeatedly tapping on the ss, opening its mouth wide as if it was trying to shout something at her.

    Without time for hesitation, she opened the window and let Moco in.

    "Xiaoxuan! Huff, huff... I finally found you, run!"

    Moco burst in through the window, initially shouting with excitement and then pausing to catch its breath before continuing: "I heard their conversation, they are after you!"

    With an agitated tone, it delivered an outdated message.

    "Yeah, I got it."

    Equally out of breath but internally unflustered, Bai Jingxuan nodded.

    "Eh? You already know?"

    Moke was first taken aback, his face showing some embarrassment, then he straightened up and said seriously, "Anyway, the whole orphanage is now sealed off by a magical barrier, and it''s not realistic to think about escaping. But we can find somewhere to hide first!"

    "Where do we hide?" Bai Jingxuan asked somewhat nkly.

    "Eh? You don''t know where to hide?"

    Moke was taken aback again, his face showing a bit of embarrassment, but he quickly became serious again, "Anyway, just start running! Those guys behind us are going to catch up soon! The sound of the fight just now will attract other bad people!"

    He wasn''t wrong about that.

    Because he was also attracted by the sound of the explosion.

    Discovering that the orphanage was sealed off, Moke''s first thought was to go back and look for Bai Jingxuan, but on the way, he overheard the conversation of the people in ck robes and learned that their target was his friend.

    In a burst of urgency, he rushed to Bai Jingxuan''s room, only to find it empty, and he had to run around like a headless fly, searching for the girl''s figure.

    Moreover, with magic power fluctuations caused by magicians everywhere in the orphanage, his already weak sense of perception waspletely confused.

    He even thought the girl had been captured, and at one point considered venturing into a more dangerous area to check. If it weren''t for the explosion that just happened, he wouldn''t have been able to find this ce.

    Regrettably, as a fairy withoutbat power, even if he sessfully met up with Bai Jingxuan, aside from providing that outdated message, he had no power to protect her. After a brief exchange, he could only urge Bai Jingxuan to find a safer direction to run.

    So they picked a direction and ran together towards the third floor.

    By the time they reached the third floor, they saw people running down the corridor, so they had to head towards the fourth floor.

    Bai Jingxuan kept running, but the scenes in the corridors in front of her were gradually losing their meaning.

    Tian Sheng''s act of rescuing her from danger reminded her of a more distant memory.

    Her thoughts were no longer in the orphanage but had returned to three years ago, during the disaster that changed her life, in the midst of noise and screaming and the severe pain in her left eye, she felt the arms that embraced her from the sky.

    In the fear and chaos, that was the safest haven. Chapter Discover:

    She could still remember, trying hard to open her right eye to see what was happening when the girl in the pink puff dress caught her eye.

    Was she the legendary magical girl?

    "Are you okay? Can you hold on a bit longer?"

    The girl''s hair color was simr to the color of her dress, a reassuring cherry blossom pink. She looked at her with a concerned and caring expression, holding out an empty hand, and several strange patterns invisible to the naked eye flew out of her hand,nding on Bai Jingxuan''s left eye, which was numb with pain.

    Then, Bai Jingxuan felt no more pain.

    Her consciousness foggy at the time, she didn''t know what to say, so she could only nod gently to the girl, unable to even utter a word of thanks.

    "Well, just wait a little longer, and soon you''ll be at peace," said the girl as she set Bai Jingxuan down on somewhat t ground. "If you''re scared, close your eyes."

    Then, she rose into the air again amidst a burst of pink light.

    Bai Jingxuan did not close her eyes. Although she was scared and felt dizzy due to blood loss, she was determined to watch the direction the girl left in, wanting to see the oue of everything.

    She saw the girl head towards the monster. She saw the girl block the monster''s attack with her brightly shining magic. She saw a fancy magic wand appear in the girl''s hand.

    Then, she heard the girl''s right and dignified chant:

    "Magical girl, card authentication number 41055, Sakura, extermination mission start!"

    That was thest scene Bai Jingxuan remembered before losing consciousness.

    As the memory began to blur, Bai Jingxuan''s steps also slowed.

    She no longer continued to run. Her speed slowed more and more until she finally stopped in her tracks.

    Moke, who was fleeing with her, turned back upon not seeing her, and when he saw Bai Jingxuan standing still, he hurried back to her and asked with concern, "What''s wrong? Is your illness acting up?"

    "Fairy little... Moke."

    Bai Jingxuan''s thoughts gradually coalesced, emerging from her memories, and the scenes in front of her eyes became clear again.

    The memory that the pink magical girl left her during the disaster, like a seed, had always been buried deep in Bai Jingxuan''s heart.

    After three years, this seed had been covered in dust and even seemed lifeless, but now, in the midst of another disaster, she had found it again, picked it up anew.

    She was once just an ordinary victim of the Remnant Beasts'' attack, lying on the ground looking up at the glow of the magical girl, watching her own savior.

    And now, everyone in the orphanage was also in a crisis. The director, Uncle Tian, the caregivers, the other children, and the elderly... How many of them needed such a savior?

    It was time to make a decision and to stand up.

    She took a deep breath, spoke up, and felt an unprecedented rity in her heart:

    "Please tell me, what do I need to do to be a magical girl?"

 Chapter 79: Chapter 73 The Radiance of Vitality

    Tian Sheng sped his abdomen, lying in a deserted ward, panting heavily.

    The somewhat charred wound in his abdomen seeped blood slowly, and he could only treat it using a simple healing spell but recovering in a short period of time was too difficult.

    In the battle with those ck-robed men, he had been defeated as expected.

    He had no chance of winning a two-on-one battle from the start; the enemy surpassed him in both their spell arsenal and their magic power, not to mention their numerical advantage. They only needed to use the most basic Magic Bullets for suppressing fire, and he didn''t even have a chance to raise his head.

    And that was before the enemies who came down from the upper floors to reinforce.

    Facing a whole team of ck-robed men, Tian Sheng was utterly powerless and utterly defeated.

    The Magical Barrier he set up would be shattered in less than two seconds, and his own Magic Bullets couldn''t break through the enemy''s defense, easily warded off by their barrier. In the end, he had no choice but to jump out the window in a sh of wit, yet in the very act of taking to the air, he was pierced in the abdomen by a me Bullet.

    The enemy didn''t give him a chance tond and adjust; standing at the window, they sprayed a barrage of fire at Tian Sheng below, attempting to put him to death.

    Tian Sheng avoided most of the attacks, rolled across the ground, and once again rushed into the corridor. Still, he was hit by the remaining Magic Bullets in the process and fell to the ground, life and death unknown.

    His final resting ce was in the blind spot of the second-floor window, but the ck-robed men suspected that Tian Sheng was still breathing, so they sent two more to check the body. The rest didn''t linger, and after reporting back, they followed the direction in which Bai Jingxuan had left.

    Taking advantage of this gap, Tian Sheng had crawled and rolled into an empty ward, finally managing to lie down inside.

    The situation had be what it was now.

    To tell the truth, if thest medium in his hand hadn''t been a healing spell, he probably would have been dead by now.

    Although relying on his better knowledge of the terrain to find a hiding spot, the injury to his abdomen was more than enough to kill an ordinary person. Not to mention that there were two ck-robed men searching outside the door, meticulously. Even if he had not left any bloodstains when he escaped here, it would not take long for those men to find this ce.

    He had acted as a hero on impulse, but that didn''t mean he had resigned himself to death. Rather, he was still full of the desire to live.

    He didn''t want to die yet.

    He hadn''t spent all his savings in the bank, there was still material left at home, and the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s half-year preparation for recruitment hadn''t started. If he died here, all this would turn into nothing.

    Somehow, he had to find a way to survive.

    All three spell mediums in his hand had been used up; the barrier had been used the most, already showing obvious signs of reduced efficiency; the Magic Bullet was next, but the conversion efficiency was still normal; the simple recovery he was currently using was no help in battle.

    He struggled to sit up from the ground to prepare for the impending battle, a movement that tugged at his abdomen and caused his face to contort in pain. He wanted to crawl under the bed next to him for cover, but his injuries no longer allowed him to move further.

    Listening to the noise getting closer and closer outside the door, Tian Sheng clenched the dice in his hand, ready for ast stand.

    The wards next door were being opened one by one, and he could faintly hear the screams of the nurses and patients in the next room. But the ck-robed men had little interest in the ordinary people in the wards; after searching, they left quickly, and soon arrived at the door of his empty ward.

    Suddenly, the door in front of him was pushed open.

    Almost at the same instant, Tian Sheng fiercely powered up the magic, activating the Magic Bullet medium in his hand. Several grey Magic Bullets emerged from the patterns on the surface of the dice, carrying immense destructive power as they shot out.

    Swish!

    The Magic Bullets emitted a piercing screech, instantly sting toward their target, striking the enemy behind the door and exploding into a cloud of grey magic particles upon impact.

    At the same time, several Magic Bullets shot back at him from straight ahead.

    Clearly, the enemy was also always prepared to attack.

    With prior preparation, Tian Sheng once again deployed the magical barrier and, due to the too low conversion efficiency of the medium, instantaneously evaporated thest bit of his magic power. Seeing the precarious structure of the barrier before him, he felt a pang of pain in both his brain and heart, almost crying out in agony.

    But this was all he could do, he thought. If he were to score his own performance on the spot, he would not hesitate to give himself full marks.

    After all, the level of his spell techniques was apparent. The fact that he could go this far was already quite an achievement. As for the oue, he could only leave it to fate.

    Thest barrier before him blocked the enemy''s counterattack, and Tian Sheng, enduring the pain, straightened up and squinted his eyes. He looked behind the door, to the two figures that were faintly visible behind the light of the exploding magic bullets.

    And as the light faded, the hope that had been on his face also gradually sank away.

    His surprise attack had not been effective.

    The robed figures had not revealed any weaknesses from beginning to end because they were performing their search while maintaining a barrier. Every time they opened a door, they were already fully prepared. There was no chance for a sessful sneak attack.

    Tian Sheng''s all-out final assault had merely caused a few ripples on the barrier before them.

    With no magic power left to continue the fight and his mediums reduced to useless objects, Tian Sheng stopped supporting his body and resigned to his fate, lying on the ground.

    Not far away, the robed figures had already stepped into the sickroom, each stride deepening his gloom. They were like grim reapersing to harvest lives, now standing in front of Tian Sheng.

    If he died here, what would be of everyone in the ward? Would Old Li, who always took care of him, be safe? Could Bai Jingxuan, that child, manage to escape sessfully?

    Would his parents feel sorrow upon learning of his death? Should his friends, who were waiting to team up for online gaming tonight, remember to clear his hard drive? As for a girlfriend... oh, what a pity, he didn''t have one.

    Such thoughts flitted through Tian Sheng''s mind before his death.

    But quickly, he mocked himself: Well, what does it have to do with a dead man like himself?

    He let go of the dice in his hand and closed his eyes, finally losing hisst will to survive, calmly facing his own demise.

    ¡ª"Isn''t it too early to give up?"

    However, after Tian Sheng closed his eyes, such a voice suddenly came from beside his ear.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    It shocked him into opening his eyes once more, only to see a pale green glow.

    A delicate dancing shoe stepped next to his arm, followed by a light figure that stepped towards him from behind and walked out beside him.

    He propped himself up on his side and twisted his head to look in the direction of the neer, glimpsing their face in a daze:

    A light green stage dress as the main color, with the upper body entirely in white, but with light green decorative patterns on the bubble sleeves, the long skirt nearly touching the floor, carefully maintaining a length that did not hinder movement.

    The petite girl walked out from the glow, holding a magic wand that resembled a conductor''s baton in her hand, covered with long sleeve armlets. The end of her green side ponytail was mixed with a few strands of white highlights, looking cute yet somewhat sacred, with a glimmer of vitality.

    "Step back, Uncle Tian. Leave these people to me," the girl said,

    her eyes, a pair of yellow-green heterochromia, lifted her magic wand and pointed at the several robed figures before her, speaking in a gentle, yet resolute voice:

    "Magical Girl, Bo Xue,mence breakout operation."

 Chapter 80: Chapter 74 Magical Girl Bo Xue

    "What are you talking about? A Magical Girl?"

    Grasping a specially mademunication device, the ck-robed man with braids furrowed his brow and spoke with ill humor, "It seems I must remind you to make use of that stiff brain of yours as it''s supposed to function: there''s a barrier outside right now, making it impossible for a Magical Girl to break through. Or are you trying to say it was that blue brat who''s suspected to be at the leaf stage? Do you really think she coulde here?"

    After his words ended, the voice on the other side of the call buzzed for a while, adding to his surprise, "A Magical Girl sprung up within the barrier? You mean, you saw a Fairy? Why would there be a Fairy here?"

    As the person on the phone continued to speak, his expression grew progressively darker and the grip on hismunication device tightened until, as if he could no longer bear to listen, he abruptly hung up.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Stowing themunication device inside his robe, he started to pace in ce, walking back and forth anxiously.

    He seemed as if he desperately wanted to remain calm, but no matter what, he couldn''t maintain hisposure; the news from the phone agitated him so profoundly that he finally punched the wall beside him.

    "The intended ritual sacrifice turned into a Magical Girl? This is not some kind of amusing joke."

    He red with wide eyes and murmured with his head buried low.

    After a pause, and once he had calmed down a bit, he waved at the ck-robed people by the door and gestured to the office desk behind him, "All of you,e in and watch over the esteemed Miss Liu. Don''t let her do anything that would be disadvantageous for us all."

    After speaking, he nced backward at Liu Wenqin to make sure she wasn''t making any superfluous movements, then turned and strode briskly out of the office, facing the others.

    Since he now knew his destination - the location of the one-eyed girl - there was no need for him to waste any more time bickering with Liu Wenqin.

    Guarding her was a task for his subordinates.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    Bai Jingxuan had be a Magical Girl.

    In a moment of urgency, after revealing her determination to Mork and picking up the Seed of Heart, she had managed to transform after a brief teaching session, albeit still somewhat confused.

    The code name she received was "Bo Xue".

    Having sessfully acquired the power of a Magical Girl, she rushed without dy to the floor where the magic power fluctuations were most intense, finding Tian Sheng who was in a desperate battle against an enemy.

    Seeing that Tian Sheng was at a significant disadvantage and might even lose his life if she were anyter, she intervened in the battle without hesitation.

    This was her first encounter with the so-called magic world in her life.

    The power of a Magical Girl was regarded as a dimensionally reductive strike against worldly magicians; in terms of the total and quality of Magic Power, and even the physical capabilities post-transformation, she far exceeded ordinary humans.

    The three stages of a magician''s strength: Peeking, Contacting, Mastering. Each stage is a leap in power for the magician, but, even for the highest-level controllers, it is impossible to match a Magical Girl.

    So when Bai Jingxuan joined the battle, the oue was already determined.

    The two ck-robed men had many Spell Techniques at their disposal. ording to Tian Sheng''s estimate, they were likely skilled practitioners at the Contacting stage; they were equipped with a variety of energy-based and fundamental Spell Techniques, and they even prepared soul-attacking spells targeting the spirit. But to Bai Jingxuan, who had be a Magical Girl, all these were meaningless.

    The gap in absolute Magic Power and Soul Power could not be bridged by any technique.

    As a new Magical Girl born mere minutes before, Bai Jingxuan hadn''t even mastered the four basic capabilities of her kind, and she had noplete concept of the extent of her abilities. She couldn''t speak of fine-tuning her powers, if she could use them correctly, it would be considered a swift mastery.

    When she tried to gather her Magic Power tounch an attack, she couldn''t control it at all. She had just concentrated the Magic Power at the tip of her Magic Wand when it suddenly dispersed, exploding into a burst of pale green fireworks.

    Even so, when she roughly released a vast amount of Magic Power all around her, it produced an effect simr to interference waves: she used Magic Power far surpassing her opponents to scatter the structure of their Spell Techniques, erasing them into nothingness.

    This left the robed figures momentarily stunned.

    Bai Jingxuan was quick to change her approach. Realizing she wasn''t good with Magic Power-rted abilities, she simply put them aside, waved her Magic Wand, and knocked out several robed figures with closebat, easily ending the battle.

    Having dealt with the enemy and saved Tian Sheng, the urgency of the situation finally began to ease.

    Of course, they had only dealt with a few robed figures, the crisis was far from over.

    After a brief rest and discussion, it was Tian Sheng who took the initiative to propose that the two, along with Fairy, turn direction and head toward the outskirts of the orphanage.

    ording to Tian Sheng, he felt that the priority was to break through the outer Barrier Spell Form, clear a path for escape, get timely assistance from the outside world, and prepare for the next step of rescuing the mass within the orphanage.

    He knew the basic principles of the Barrier Spell Form, and the only reason he couldn''t get through it before was due to insufficient Magic Power, but now it was different¡ªthey had a powerful source of Magic Power: a Magical Girl.

    With him identifying the breakthrough points and Bai Jingxuan outputting Magic Power, they stood a great chance of breaking the barrier.

    However,

    "Cough cough... You''re Bai Jingxuan, right?"

    Being flown through the air by Bai Jingxuan, Tian Sheng, holding his abdomen, said, "What exactly happened after you escaped, how did you be a Magical Girl?"

    Until the moment he spoke the word, he still found it somewhat unbelievable.

    For most Magicians, the term "Magical Girl" was like a mountain looming over them, almost insurmountable throughout their lives.

    After all, inparison to the power of a Magical Girl, their efforts seemed like a joke.

    Years, decades of painstakingly umting Magic Power, studying Spell Techniques, only to find they couldn''t match up even to the weakest Magical Girl. Knowing this would make anyone feel envious or jealous, followed by a profound sense of helplessness.

    The criteria for selecting Magical Girls in the Magic Kingdom are quite rigorous; the Fairies always find girls who are both exceptionally talented in Magic Power and Soul Power, and who would also be quite capable if they pursued the path of a Magician.

    Their naturally high talent for Magic Power, coupled with the extraordinary Magic Power brought by the Seed of Heart, ultimately creates a professional magic user who surpasses Magicians on all dimensions¡ªthe Magical Girl.

    The onlyfort for Magicians is that if there are very few of themselves, then Magical Girls are even rarer, and they mostly stay active within the circles associated with the Magic Kingdom, rarelying into direct contact with Magicians.

    They are seen as outside the norm, and even as non-existent; this is the attitude of most Magicians toward Magical Girls.

    Now, Tian Sheng had seen a Magical Girl with his own eyes, and what was more extraordinary was that the other party was an acquaintance he had known before.

    And to think that just a while ago, Bai Jingxuan was a child in need of his rescue, and now, had be a Magical Girl with far more power than himself, even defeating enemies in seconds, which understandably gave him mixed feelings.

 Chapter 81: Chapter 75: Formidable Enemy

    "Hmm, I indeed am Bai Jingxuan, but the matter isplicated, and it''s hard to exin clearly right now,"

    Bai Jingxuan, having no clue about Tian Sheng''s thoughts, tried to control the flight direction while summarizing her answer to his question, "If I were to exin it briefly, it would be because I encountered a fairy."

    "A fairy?"

    Tian Sheng blinked, turning his head to look at the Moke flying alongside: "You mean this thing?"

    "What do you mean ''this thing''? Are all human magicians as impolite as you?"

    Hearing his reference, Moke was somewhat displeased and said, "I am a Seeder, a Seeder! To you, that would be like a high-ranking official from the kingdom!"

    Tian Sheng was just as puzzled by the term Seeder, and only after Bai Jingxuan continued to exin did hee to understand its meaning, somewhat enlightened, he said, "So, this fairy is the messenger responsible for selecting Magical Girls, and it had actually sought you out already?"

    He pondered briefly and quickly began to make various associations: "Then, the incident at the orphanage today, could it be..."

    "Yeah, although I don''t know why, it seems they were after me."

    Hearing this, Bai Jingxuan looked down, feeling somewhat disheartened: "I might have implicated everyone at the orphanage."

    "Hey! What are you talking about? This isn''t about implicating anyone; without you, they would still be a bunch of scoundrels, just harming others instead. You''re the victim; you don''t need to bear their crimes mentally,"

    Tian Sheng wasn''t concerned as he defended her, "Let''s not talk about this pointless subject. Rather, your Magic Power... I don''t know if it''s just my imagination, but I feel that my wounds are healing faster aftering into contact with this magic than when using healing spells. Did you do something?"

    He had been seriously injured during the battle, suffering from a potentially fatal puncture wound. Even using a healing spell could at best keep him alive, but ever since Bai Jingxuan rescued him, he felt the wound gradually became less painful.

    Even now, pressing gently on the wound, no fresh blood seeped out.

    "I don''t know, I didn''t do anything."

    Bai Jingxuan was just as puzzled and could only shake her head. After a moment, she seemed to remember something and looked towards the fairy, "Moke, do you know why?"

    Moke didn''t know.

    The fairy wished it could respond that way when called upon.

    As a halfpetent Seeder, it really only had a rudimentary understanding of Magical Girls, otherwise it wouldn''t need Emerald Sparrow to handle the teaching.

    Bai Jingxuan''s Magic Power seemed to naturally possess the ability to heal others, but whether this was a special case or amon phenomenon; whether it was a good or bad thing; or even if there was any historical record of it in the kingdom, it knew nothing about it and naturally couldn''t offer a clear exnation.

    "Well, how should I put it..."

    Considering it needed to maintain a reliable image in front of Bai Jingxuan, Moke had to rack its brains and pondered, "I remember seeing something like this in a book before, it should have a precedent, but it''s indeed very special."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The answer seemed important, yet ambiguous, left for a future understanding.

    After all, neither Lin Xiaolu nor Xia Liang had exhibited this trait in their Magic Power, making Bai Jingxuan''s case rtively unique. Whether there was a precedent or not, if there was, it would match what it had said; if there wasn''t, it could simply say it remembered incorrectly. Either way, the exnation was in its court.

    "What kind of book was it?" Bai Jingxuan held an interest in the topic of books, and when Moke mentioned it had read about it in a book, she followed up with a question.

    "You''ll get to see itter! "

    Worrying about being found out, Moke quickly and adamantly changed the subject: "Anyway, this isn''t the time to talk about this. First, let''s focus on getting out of the barrier! Then I can conveniently call for reinforcements!"

    It silently nned to call over the patrol enforcerter and ask her if she knew.

    Bai Jingxuan and Tian Sheng clearly had more questions, but there wasn''t time for further idle talk as they soon arrived at the edge of the orphanage''s district, beneath the barrier.

    Having reached the location from its memory, Moke flew over first and tried to push through, finding that its paw still could not break through, it immediately waved its arms calling out, "Here, here!"

    Bai Jingxuan descended slowly from the sky, nodded, and then supported Tian Sheng as they walked to the barrier''s edge.

    After being supported to the right position, Tian Sheng reached out, sensed the strength and direction of the barrier''s magic, closed his eyes to ponder for a moment, then patted Bai Jingxuan''s shoulder lightly:

    "It''s okay now, let me stand on my own."

    Having been suffused with Bai Jingxuan''s Magic Power throughout the flight, his injuries had improved significantly. Although the wound still hurt, it was no longer life-threatening; he was just in a weak state.

    Bai Jingxuan was slightly worried but obediently released her hold, standing aside. Seeing that Tian Sheng seemed to be able to stand on his own, she rxed a bit but still kept an eye on his condition, in case he suddenly fell.

    Tian Sheng stood in ce, took a few deep breaths, then looked up at the barrier in front of him, starting to observe its structure.

    "When I say so, attack the points I specify with your magic to disrupt its operational structure, and then I will seize the opportunity to dismantle the barrier," he said.

    He raised his hand, pointing towards several spots on the barrier: "If we go in order, that would be 30 degrees to the left of your position, then above..."

    ¡ª"The order of attack should be you first, then that damn fairy, and finally the uncooperative priestess."

 Chapter 82: Chapter 75 Strong Enemy_2

    Almost simultaneously, a voice came from behind them, interrupting Tian Sheng''s words.

    The group, taken aback, turned around to see a man in a ck robe slowly approaching from the nearby wall. His face was grim, yet he still wore an inscrutable smile:

    "Sorry, I do appreciate your efforts in this process, and it pains me to let your hard work go to waste, but if I let you continue like this, my own efforts will be for naught. Oh, no, thanks to that damned Fairy over there, it should be said that it has already gone to waste."

    Strangely enough, despite being alone, his words were filled with disdain for the two humans and the fairy before him.

    Unlike the ck-robed men Bai Jingxuan had encountered before, this man not only spoke with an unpleasant sense of superiority, but his ck robe was also not of ordinary design. It was outlined with strange, sinister patterns in golden thread, making those who looked at it feel uneasy.

    Instinctively raising her Magic Wand, shielding Mo Ke and Tian Sheng behind her, Bai Jingxuan said warily, "Are you the one who trapped everyone here?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Trapped everyone? Oh, you mean the people in this welfare home?"

    Upon hearing this, the man stopped in his tracks, then shook his head: "No, child, I have to tell you that you seem to have misunderstood something. The ''everyone'' you''re talking about is of no value to me. The one I was looking for from the beginning was only you."

    Bai Jingxuan gripped her Magic Wand a little tighter: "Why?"

    "Why? Do I really need to spell it out for you? Don''t you realize that your so-called illness, the strange illness that can''t be diagnosed and cured by modern medicine, is it really just an illness?"

    The man in the ck robe grinned, unashamedly: "You are special, child, your ''illness'' has never been a bad thing. Instead, it is proof of your uniqueness, of being chosen."

    "The reason is quite simple, because, from the beginning, it wasn''t a physical issue, but rather it came from your soul, your Magical Power."

    "Children like you are born to be chosen by the master; you are different from others: born with stronger souls, more special Magical Power, so strong that itpletely mismatches your body, which cannot bear it."

    "In other words, your body is like a truck that is ''overloaded'' with too much cargo," he exined.

    "An overloaded truck, whether it elerates or brakes, will face much more difficulty, even turning is more troublesome, and it''s very prone to losing control. Your body is the same, and since you can''t even utilize your power properly, it manifests as an illness, with your own body not under control."

    "So, here I am, I am here to relieve you from this predicament."

    "The master selects special sacrifices like you, and their mission is to return to the embrace of the master and contribute to its return to this world."

    With that, he reached out towards Bai Jingxuan: "Now, can you feel my goodwill, child?"

    "...Don''t listen to him, it''s all nonsense."

    Tian Sheng, looking feeble, ced his hand on Bai Jingxuan''s shoulder from behind: "He may sound convincing, but in reality, the so-called ''contribution'' is a sacrifice, using living people as a sacrifice to the so-called Evil God¡ªthis guy is probably some sort of cultist from god knows where."

    "Cultist?" Upon hearing Tian Sheng''sments, the man''s eyes widened as if he had heard something utterly surprising.

    "Hahaha! You mediocre beings, already forgetting the glory that is rightfully yours, and you dare to call us cultists?"

    He firstughed loudly, then his face suddenly fell, as he raised his hand and said in an ominously deep voice, "Don''t make meugh, you ignorant swine."

    "Watch out!"

    Seeing the man''s posture, Mo Ke immediately voiced a warning.

    Of course, even without her reminder, Bai Jingxuan was already aware of what the man was about to do. Almost instinctively, she turned around and abruptly pushed Tian Sheng aside using her ability to fly, dodging to the side.

    At the same moment, it seemed as if the patterns on the man''s raised sleeve suddenly brightened, and a twisted sphere formed by Magical Power with a radius of several meters suddenly appeared where Tian Sheng had been standing.

    If it weren''t for Bai Jingxuan''s quick reaction, Tian Sheng might already have been hit by this unexpected attack.

    "Shadow Vortex?"

    Tian Sheng, who had fallen to the ground, turned his head in astonishment towards the ball that resembled a Spell Technique: "No, this size, this speed, and this power... it''s impossible, even a controller shouldn''t have such Magical Power!"

    On the other side, after helping Tian Sheng dodge the man''s attack, Bai Jingxuan immediately recognized the situation at hand and began her counterattack.

    Her use of Magical Power was still somewhat unskilled, and she worried that using Magical Power Release at such a time might backfire, so she decided to continue the close-quarters battle. She enhanced her body with Magical Power, then charged forward, picking up her Magic Wand and swinging it directly at the man.

    During previous fights, that was how she had taken care of those in ck robes.

    The physical strength of a Magical Girl far surpassed that of ordinary people, and with Magical Power reinforcement, an uncontrolled blunt strike was enough to easily kill a person.

    And if against ordinary ck-robed people Bai Jingxuan might still hesitate to hold back, when facing this strange man, she dared not take any chances. Even though she didn''t wish to kill, she still put all her strength into it to prevent the man from using some strange technique.

    "ng!"

    Nevertheless, her attack was blocked by the man.

 Chapter 83: Chapter 75: Formidable Opponent_3

    It wasn''t even using spell techniques, merely raising her hand, and she was able to block her magic-power-enhanced attack.

    "How is that possible... a human actually withstands a Magical Girl with their body?"

    Macka, standing nearby, couldn''t help but be astounded, and even fell into confusion for a moment: "Even if Xiao Xuan is just a newbie who has just transformed, it shouldn''t be like this, no, this is too strange, am I dreaming?"

    "Humans inferior to Magical Girls? Hah."

    The man couldn''t help but snicker upon hearing this, "Indeed, that is an undeniable fact. But, it doesn''t apply to me."

    He exerted force in his arm, and with a mere push outward, a tremendous power transmitted from Bai Jingxuan''s Magic Wand, shaking her so much that she continuously retreated, stumbling back several steps.

    "How could this be... such great strength." She looked at the man before her in surprise, somewhat in disbelief.

    Although she had only acquired the power of a Magical Girl recently, she had a certain understanding of her strength after the transformation. After all, the ck-robed men she had encountered before were supposedly normal adults, whose strength wasn''t much in front of Bai Jingxuan.

    But the man in front of her waspletely different; Bai Jingxuan had the feeling that, although she had be a Magical Girl, the struggle just now was still like a child facing a wild beast.

    Even considering her small stature and light body weight as factors, it wasn''t a reason for her attacks to be ineffective.

    This man, his strength was not on the same level as a normal human being, prompting one to wonder if he was even human at all.

    "What''s wrong? Is your prided Magical Girl power ineffective, feeling panicked?"

    Cracking his neck, the man smirked: "''The power of a Magical Girl is supreme''? I''m tired of hearing that phrase, it''s quite rebellious and desecrating..."

    He raised his hand, and purple-ck Magic Power began to condense in his palm: "Let me teach you a lesson, the superiority of strength has nothing to do with status."

    With his gesture, a mass of purple-ck magic power spheres just like before suddenly appeared, but this time, their number was densely packed. Countless spheres gathered around Bai Jingxuan and Tian Sheng, giving them no time to react before exploding violently.

    "Be careful!"

    Bai Jingxuan instinctively tried to repel these spheres with her Magic Power, but found itpletely ineffective: the man''s Magic Power was much stronger than that of other ck-robed men, even surpassing hers. Instead of dissolving the structure of his spell techniques, her Magic Power was being prated in reverse, and his spell techniques quickly bombarded her side.

    In a moment of urgency, Bai Jingxuan made a swift judgment and immediately kicked off, her Magic Power propelling her to fly and shift in the air, once again shing to the side with Tian Sheng in tow.

    But this time, before she evennded, she saw the man take action. Leaning his body and lifting his leg along with a fewrge strides, he rushed towards her intendednding spot.

    She would be caught uponnding.

    Bai Jingxuan understood his intent and immediately tried to adjust her flight direction, but it was ultimately toote, and the man''s punch struck her in the chest.

    Thunk!

    It was as if she was struck by some huge force; Bai Jingxuan flew out directly and heavily hit the barrier not far away.

    The severe impact made it feel like all the air in her lungs was squeezed out, and the pain made her entire body feel as if she were having a re-up of a chronic illness, devoid of any other sensation, so much so that she couldn''t even emit a cry of pain.

    "Cough cough... ugh..."

    Like a broken doll, Bai Jingxuan slid down from the barrier, kneeled on the ground, and began to cough painfully.

    Tian Sheng, on the other hand, even though he wasn''t directly attacked by the man, was also injured by the densely packed Shadow Vortex around him, and after falling to the ground, he had a hard time standing up again.

    "Xiao Xuan!" Macka, seeing Bai Jingxuan deeply wounded, urgently called out.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The three who had originallye to the barrier were now reduced to just it alone, and this call caught the attention of the man.

    His figure swayed slightly, and he grabbed Macka''s wing with one hand, then pinched its head with the other hand.

    "Ahhhhhh!"

    Caught by the head, Macka screamed in terror but couldn''t break free from the man''s grasp.

    "Sneaking in here without reason, casually turning the sacrificial person I had set up into a Magical Girl, you have indeed given me quite the gift."

    He pressed Moke''s head tightly, a somewhat sinister smile appearing on his face, "You so-called royal courts really can''t change your ways, always repeating such disgusting acts."

    "In one year, we''ve searched every city in the southwestern Donghua Region, only to find a suitable sacrifice in this city a few days ago. Even though we''ve been acting at the highest speed, even directly risking being caught by the fake royal court''s investigators to take someone, you still got here before us."

    "Hahaha! Hahah... Tch, it really isn''t the least bit funny."

    "Fairy, oh fairy, by what right do you so easily destroy all my efforts?"

    His voice came through gritted teeth, and the pressure in his palm increased, "Ridiculous appearance, inexplicable motives, illogical behavior, you''re just like a pathetic clown. Why would I be ruined by something like you, after all the effort I''ve put in for so long?"

    "Do you feel the pain? Next, I''m going to crush your head, extract your magic power source from this ridiculous doll-like body, then refine it into a medium as material for spell techniques, and make youpensate for this foolish loss for the rest of your life."

    "Ugh... ah..."

    Being grabbed by the head, Moke struggled, seeming to want to say something.

    "Oh? Do you have anyst words?"

    The man raised his eyebrows slightly, loosening his grip, "If you cane up with some interesting repentance, maybe I can let you die a quicker death."

    Moke caught his breath slightly.

    He stared at the man for a moment and then suddenly blurted out, "Xiaoxuan! If you can''t beat him, run!"

    This cry reached Bai Jingxuan by the barrier, and she opened her eyes slightly in pain.

    The man''s actions paused slightly.

    Then, as if hearing something quite amusing, the smile on his face grew more vicious, "Run? Don''t worry, none of you will get away."

    "That stupid pig, you, and the disobedient sacrifice as well, dare to make a fool of me, you''ll all pay for your actions!"

    Having said this, he applied pressure to his palm again, intending to kill Moke outright.

    Just at this critical moment, his action was interrupted once more.

    It wasn''t the injured Tian Sheng adding insult to injury, nor was it the fallen Bai Jingxuan. Instead, a Jinzhi-colored magic power beam shot from the sky, striking directly at his wrist.

    "What the hell is this?"

    Letting go instinctively, the man quickly retreated, avoiding the magic power beam, and looked astonished in the direction it came from. There in the sky not far away, two figures floated, having appeared as if from nowhere.

    Upon closer inspection, they could be recognized as two girls.

    Before he could identify the neers, a barrage of Jinzhi-colored magic power beams rained down like a hail of bullets, forcing him to keep retreating. During this time, a figurended from the side, helping up Bai Jingxuan, who had already fallen to the ground.

    "Are you alright?" the neer asked with concern.

    "Cough, cough, I''m okay, but Moke and Uncle Tian, they''re in danger."

    Bai Jingxuan endured the pain and forced herself to look up, pausing when she saw the attire of the people before her, "You are..."

    But the neer didn''t reply, instead, standing up silently, golden hair fluttering, with a light blue skirt sweeping past Bai Jingxuan.

    "How did you get in here?" the man not far away shouted with a mix of anger and embarrassment, "Over and over again, why do you keep wrecking my ns? What is that woman from w Mark doing, anyway?"

    The two girls gave no reply to his questions.

    "Harming civilians, bullying the old and young, abusing power over the weak,mitting all kinds of evil deeds, subjecting vulnerable groups to terror, arbitrarily viting cityws for your selfish desires, it all ends here!"

    The girl standing in front of Bai Jingxuan dered righteously, "Magical Girl, Bai Mei!"

    The other person descended amid a barrage of covering fire to stand beside her, "Magical Girl, Jinzhi!"

    Then, in unison, they proimed, "Now, we will judge your misdeeds!"

 Chapter 84: Chapter 76: The Time to Root Out Traitors and Quell Rebellion

    On a midsummer afternoon, Lin Xiaolu returned to consciousness from a long stretch of Spiritual Thought, sitting on the couch with the air conditioning on, listlessly picking up her phone in the living room.

    She breezed through some boring messages on social media and chuckled at a few short videos before putting her phone down, sensing something amiss, and saying with confusion, "Hasn''t Fairy been out for too long?"

    "Rx, it has its own things to do."

    Leaning on the couch, Xia Liang drawled, "Didn''t we talk about this before? The search for potential Magical Girls is making progress or something."

    "But this is too long; usually, it''s back before or around lunchtime, but now it''s almost three in the afternoon."

    Resting her chin in her hand, Lin Xiaolu pondered for a moment and then abruptly looked up, making a sudden judgment, "Something''s fishy."

    "What''s fishy?" Xia Liang askednguidly, already used to her somewhat jumpy logic.

    "Fairy is keeping something from us," Lin Xiaolu said with conviction.

    "Fairies need their privacy too. But I didn''t expect, do you actually care about it that much since you always end up arguing with Fairy?" Xia Liangughed aloud with sarcasm.

    Lin Xiaolu rolled her eyes, hitting the couch cushion beside her, "Care? I''m suspicious!"

    "Alright, alright."

    Xia Liang sat up, using the back of the couch for support, and stretched, "Hmm¡ªif you''re suspicious, should we go and check it out?"

    "We can''t, right? Isn''t it almost time for the afternoon practice?"

    "Just ask the junior for a leave of absence."

    "How can we bother Emerald Sparrow with such a reason?"

    "Hmm, if you say so..."

    Nomittally pulling out her phone, Xia Liang typed a message into their group chat and said with finality, "Okay, sent!"

    "What? I just told you not to do it, and you just went ahead and sent the message! Withdraw it now!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Seeing her actions, Lin Xiaolu raised her eyebrows and then turned to try to snatch Xia Liang''s phone, "Give me your phone!"

    "Hng-hng, no way, we should be honest in times like this."

    Avoiding Lin Xiaolu''s attempt to grab it by lifting the phone high with her slight advantage in height and reach, Xia Liang dodgedfortably andughed. After a brief scuffle, she suddenly felt her phone vibrate and so she blinked and lowered her raised phone, "¡­Ah, a reply?"

    Being unable to wrestle the phone away and feeling somewhat annoyed, Lin Xiaolu was also surprised, "A reply? That fast?"

    "Yep, instant reply."

    Swiping through the messages, Xia Liang drawled out, imitating Emerald Sparrow''s usual cold, calm tone, "Let me read it out for you: ''You can go, but be sure toe back on time in the evening. If there really is a new recruit, notify me, and I''lle overter.''"

    After reading the contents of the message page, she shed the screen toward Lin Xiaolu, "That''s pretty much it, seems like she''s agreeing?"

    Lin Xiaolu ignored her and retreated, pulling out her own phone and seriously read through Emerald Sparrow''s words. After confirming it matched what Xia Liang said, she found a string of other information trailing behind, "What''s this? An address?"

    "Lixing District, going west 150 meters from the intersection of Xihelu with Yuyun Road..."

    Xia Liang immediately continued reading, "Huh, isn''t this near Fangting City''s First Welfare Institute?"

    "Is this Fairy''s location?"

    "It seems so, but why would the junior know where Fairy is?"

    "Just a location; what''s so strange about Emerald Sparrow knowing it?"

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t find anything problematic and said proudly, "For a Magical Girl as powerful as her, she must have lots of tricks up her sleeve we haven''t seen yet. Don''t limit her capabilities with your narrow view."

    Just by looking at her expression and not listening to what she''s saying, you might think her arrogance was about herself.

    "Haha¡­that''s true, the junior probably was already prepared," Xia Liang could only respond with a dryugh to Lin Xiaolu''s fervent fan talk.

    The two agreed on the odd circumstance and didn''t dwell on it further. Soon, Lin Xiaolu spotted another point of suspicion:

    "Speaking of the welfare institute, aren''t there a lot of children there?"

    "Calling others children, but they might not be younger than us."

    Xia Liang helplessly corrected, "But considering that, it''s indeed suspicious. If we leave now, perhaps we could catch them in the act?"

    "But, about the practice..." Lin Xiaolu was still hesitant.

    As she struggled to decide, Xia Liang suggested, raising her index finger, "Then how about I go alone to check it out and tell you the result?"

    "You¡ªah! You''re really...!"

    That was thest straw for Lin Xiaolu, who could no longer sit still. Her internal struggle ended with curiosity winning out, and she sprung to her feet, "I can''t stand it anymore! Let''s go! Who''s afraid?"

    It was during the summer vacation, and with Emerald Sparrow''s green light, there were no obstacles for them to go out.

    So, after quickly changing into casual clothes for going out, the two took a light rail train to Lixing District.

    Fangting City''s First Welfare Institute was on the edge of Lixing District, near the suburbs, but fortunately, the transportation was very convenient and did not take much effort to reach.

    Passing through the somewhat deserted station, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang walked leisurely along some of the older streets, ncing left and right, taking in the surroundings.

 Chapter 85: Chapter 76: The Time to Root Out Traitors and Quell Rebellion_2

    Lixing District is located on the easternmost side of Fangting City and is one of the earliest established administrative divisions there. Therefore, the basic infrastructure is also rtively early, whether it''s the roads or the surrounding buildings, all areparatively old. Due to the development mainly shifting westward over time, it eventually became known as the "old district," where both the pedestrian flow and traffic gradually thinned out.

    Moreover, since it was a weekday afternoon when Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang arrived at this block, they could clearly feel theck of vitality.

    Fortunately, not far from there was their destination¡ªthe First Welfare Institute of Fangting City. As a building that housed arge number of people, the surrounding facilities were very well-equipped, which to some extent alleviated the sense of destion.

    A few minutester, as they continued to move forward, they could already see the Welfare Institute''s buildings and walls in the distance. After confirming that it matched the location provided by Emerald Sparrow, they quickened their pace, nning to catch Moko by surprise.

    However, this n was thwarted as they neared the Welfare Institute.

    For they discovered that an invisible wall had appeared out of nowhere, blocking their advancement.

    After feeling around and taking a closer look, Xia Liang realized that the obstruction in front of them wasn''t truly "invisible," but merely difficult to discern.

    With her perceptual abilities, she could sense that there was a considerable amount of magic power circting within the structure in front of her. Clearly, it was a Magical Barrier.

    "Xiaolu,"

    Xia Liang''s expression turned somewhat grave, and the usual smile on her face also diminished slightly, "I''m afraid the situation isn''t what we thought."

    Lin Xiaolu reached out and touched the transparent wall in front of her, seemingly reminded of some unpleasant memories, her brows furrowed tightly, "Could this be... a Magical Barrier?"

    Both of them were no longer novices like when they first became Magical Girls; they now possessed a better understanding of Basic Series Spell Techniques like the "Magical Barrier."

    In this world, not many people could use Spell Techniques; they were either magicians from the material realm or Magical Girls whose abilities had bloomed to a level beyond the leaf stage. No matter which type of person it was, appearing around the Welfare Institute and setting up a Magical Barrier was abnormal.

    "Better notify Emerald Sparrow first,"

    Lin Xiaolu''s memories of Magical Barriers were far from pleasant, and an inexplicable sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu made her first instinct to call for help. She immediately took out her phone and dialed Emerald Sparrow''s number.

    Previously, Emerald Sparrow had repeatedly stressed to her that should she encounter an event that might exceed her abilities, she must notify her first. Although unsure why such an overly protective requirement was in ce, this did not prevent Lin Xiaolu from following her advice.

    Only this time, after waiting with her phone for a moment, her expression became somewhat bewildered: the dialed call rang for a long time, but in the end, there was only a voice message indicating that no one had answered.

    "No answer?" This was an oue Lin Xiaolu had not anticipated.

    "Leave a message in the group. Let''s try if we can break the barrier with magic power,"

    Faced with a somewhat urgent situation, Xia Liang took out her own Seed of Heart and decisively transformed: "In this situation, if we have to wait for the junior to answer the phone, Moko might be in danger inside."

    Upon hearing this reminder, Lin Xiaolu realized it wasn''t the time to just stand idly by. After leaving a brief message in the group, she also took out her Seed of Heart and transformed into a Magical Girl.

    After both transformed, they began attacking the barrier with Magic Power Beams, trying to breach it by force. However, although their attacks caused the barrier to tremble continuously, they still couldn''tpletely destroy its structure.

    After several unsessful attempts and seeing their magic power depleting quickly, they had to stop once again.

    Lin Xiaolu looked visibly anxious, while Xia Liang, who had also failed to make a breakthrough, stared at the barrier in front of her, seemingly deep in thought, "Perhaps, we should try a different approach."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "What approach? Do you have a better idea?" Lin Xiaolu asked, somewhat puzzled.

    "You''ll know if we try,"

    Xia Liang smiled mysteriously and then raised her Magic Wand, "Xiaojin, Magic Power Structure Disassembly."

    With her chant, the Magic Wand in her hand transformed into a magic power neb, then rbined to form a small vanity mirror¡ªthis was her Magic Power Structure, Diversion.

    Lin Xiaolu, who was beside her, recognized Xia Liang''s Magic Power Structure but couldn''t think of its use, "Why are you taking out Diversion?"

    "All right, don''t ask so many questions. Just watch,"

    Without further exnation, Xia Liang started her attempt. She divided the handheld mirror into several pieces and then adjusted one of the mirrors to berge enough, nearly the height of a person.

    Next, she ced the person-sized mirror against the Magical Barrier in front of them.

    "One of Diversion''s abilities is to transmit magic power between mirror surfaces, changing its direction. That is to say, magic power thates into contact with its surface will be transferred to the opposite mirror,"

    Xia Liang began to exin, "The junior mentioned in her lectures before that although a Magical Barrier is a Spell Technique, the essence of Spell Techniques is still magic power, just arranged in a specific state ording to the Spell Technique''s structure. So, if my guess is correct..."

    She stretched out her hand, pointing to the other mirror that wasn''t attached to the barrier.

    Lin Xiaolu turned her head to look and saw that the mirror was indeed twinkling with lights, indicating that magic power was passing through. That the mirror was transmitting magic power meant there necessarily was a source.

 Chapter 86: Chapter 76: The Time to Root Out Traitors and Quell Rebellion_3

    At this moment, even with her limited capacity for understanding, Lin Xiaolu guessed what Xia Liang wanted to do.

    At the same time, Xia Liang moved the half-human-high mirror in front of her, like a magician, turned sideways to Lin Xiaolu, and gestured toward the spot where the mirror had been:

    "You see, my guess was correct."

    The direction she pointed to, on the previously seamless magical barrier, amidst the faint flow of magic power, a gap had appearedrge enough for a person to pass through.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ...

    ...

    "There''s not even a slight reaction from the barrier outside. It seems you''ve used some tricky little methods," said the man in the ck robe. Upon having his imminent victory interrupted, he initially felt annoyed; however, he quickly adjusted his emotions while sizing up the neers: "However, light blue and purple, eh? And thest one hasn''t arrived? So those mongrels are still somewhat useful."

    Not being able to kill Molke and letting him escape amid the chaos certainly fueled his anger. But since that wasn''t his main objective, he was not going to lose hisposure over it.

    "You know about us?" Lin Xiaolu asked cautiously, feeling somewhat uneasy due to the confident tone in the enemy''s words.

    "Know about you? Rather, why wouldn''t I know about you?"

    Having regained hisposure, the man shook his head slightly and cracked a strange smile: "For instance, the strongest among you is that shortest blue brat, right? She''s not with you now?"

    "We have no reason to report ourpanions'' whereabouts to the enemy."

    Seeing Lin Xiaolu''s expression bing somewhat off, Xia Liang took over the conversation proactively: "Whether shees or not, we will subdue you here. Terrorizing with magic power, the only thing waiting for you is arrest."

    "Oh? Really? Are you unwilling to report, or unable to report?"

    The man, however, was indifferent to her words and didn''t concern himself with the besieging situation either, stretching out his hand as if tallying up goods, counting the people in front of him: "Three magical girls, one fairy, a pig... not worth counting, and finally, four sources of magic power? That''ll do, it can at least make up for part of the loss of a sacrifice."

    "What are you muttering about?"

    Lin Xiaolu, interpreting something else in his words, asked seriously, realizing that Emerald Sparrow not answering the phone might not be simple: "What happened with Emerald Sparrow? Do you have other aplices?"

    "Emerald Sparrow? Is that the nickname of that blue brat?"

    The man shrugged his shoulders: "Sorry, I really don''t know what specifically will happen to her. After all, the request I made to that mongrel was just not to interfere with my ns."

    "Mongrel?" The word the man kept muttering finally caught Lin Xiaolu''s attention, "So you do have aplices?"

    "Curious? Want to ask more? But my mood for chatting has almost run out; it''s time to get down to business."

    Lifting his head, the man''s expression remained unchanged, but his voice grew increasingly loud: "Knowing more is pointless because, after whates next, you and she will share the same fate¡ªdeath!"

    With those words, a chilling magic power suddenly spread around him.

    He produced a purple-ck lump of flesh from nowhere, raising it in front of him. That lump of flesh emitted a strange glow, throbbing intermittently as if it possessed its own life.

    "What is... that?"

    Xia Liang, with a slightly stronger magical power perception, couldn''t help covering her nose and mouth: "It feels disgusting."

    "Disgusting? This is as ignorant as it ismentable. This is a treasure of the same nature as your Heart''s Gem."

    Gazing at the lump of flesh in his hand, the man''s smile took on a touch of devotion and gentleness: "Don''t you think there''s a sort of irresistible beauty to it? After all, if we were to use your naming conventions, it could be called the ''Remnant Beasts'' Organ.''

    ''Remnant Beasts'' Organ''..."

    It wasn''t until she saw his stance that Lin Xiaolu, who had been haunted by a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, seemed to finally understand something, her expression turning somewhat dazed.

    She finally understood why, ever since she had seen the magical barrier enclosing the orphanage, she had been feeling a persistent sense of irritation deep inside her heart.

    Because months ago, when she had just be a magical girl for barely a week, she had encountered a simr situation in the suburban wend park.

    Trapped within the barrier in the wend park and facing an Inchworm-stage Remnant Beast, if not for Emerald Sparrow''s timely rescue, she would have probably died there.

    And now, at this moment, she suddenly recalled the perilous night in the wend park, remembering a doubt that had nearly been forgotten.

    That was, when she was barely hanging on under the ws of the Inchworm-stage Remnant Beast; the expression she saw on the face of the Remnant Beast was almost human.

    Could a Remnant Beast possibly have such a humanized expression?

    Without a doubt, that was impossible.

    After all, lower-evolved Remnant Beasts should have very limited intelligence.

    Moreover, after that incident, Lin Xiaolu had hunted many Remnant Beasts with Emerald Sparrow and had never seen another with such a human-like individual. Most of them wererge and deformed creatures, and even among the Inchworms, few had the bipedal form of that night.

 Chapter 87: Chapter 76: The Time to Root Out Traitors and Quell Rebellion_4

    Perhaps they were never "merely Remnant Beasts" from the start.

    "You are, no, could it be you guys are..."

    Lin Xiaolu began to speak somewhat astonished, but stopped as the words reached her lips.

    Because she immediately realized a deeper issue.

    When she first became a Magical Girl, she encountered a barrier trap, as well as a hunt resembling a trap; now, in this welfare institution, something simr seemed to be happening to that newly appeared Magical Girl.

    Then, another even more chilling question arose.

    There was no need to ask this man about his origins anymore; the answer was self-evident; the biggest scheme should be something else:

    "...There have been no Magical Girls in Fangting City for nearly two years, what does that have to do with you?"

    As she asked this question, even she could feel her brain buzzing.

    "It seems you have made some connections. Do I need tomend you for your sharpness?"

    Instead of answering her question, the man countered with a question, his somber tone in stark contrast to his devout and mild facial expression: "Or could it be that the disconnect of the worker in Fangting has something to do with you?"

    "Worker... Is that what you call each other? This really does have something to do with you!"

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t even know what drove her to keep asking questions.

    The truth she suspected was too cruel, making her somewhat reluctant to think about it, but her body was still acting, stubbornly pursuing the truth.

    "What exactly is going on, what have you all done?" Thus, she asked, clutching her Magic Wand tightly.

    "What have we done? You should understand. Even if not used as sacrificial offerings, the Heart''s Gem of a Magical Girl is a very valuable source of Magic Power. Just based on benefits alone, it''s tempting enough to move hearts, not to mention when dealing with a mortal enemy?"

    Answering Lin Xiaolu''s question somewhat irrelevantly, the man stared at the piece of flesh in his hand, without ncing at her: "Naturally, there is only one way to deal with mortal enemies, total annihtion is the only answer."

    "The worker of your city, codenamed Eleven, right? That fellow must havee looking for you, hadn''t he? But now you''re all still alive here, so he really is dead, isn''t he?"

    "Heh, not only did he die on the job but also leaked information; failing to clean up the fairies and Magical Girls that managed to escape ruined my ns. Worker Eleven really left behind a mess..."

    "Well, it doesn''t matter, a useless dead man is just that, dead. Although I don''t like cleaning up after such rubbish, for now, let me take over his duties."

    For some reason, ever since he pulled out that piece of flesh, his talk became incoherent, like talking to himself with logic that was hard to follow¡ªa bit like sleep-talking¡ªmaking it extremely difficult to understand.

    But as the conversation progressed to this point, even if she only understood a small part of the information, it was enough for Xia Liang, who had been at a loss, toe to her senses, and she looked at the robed man with a sense of dread:n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Are you saying, you are... hunting Magical Girls?"

    At this moment, the man no longer wished to converse with them.

    He pressed the piece of flesh to his chest, his expression changing from mild to excited, then bing fervent and fierce, even somewhat frenzied.

    "Despicable false kings, now is the time for me to act upon the will of the master and extinguish you all here!"

    He cried out loudly, chanting, and the flesh in his hand burst into intense Magic Power. He looked at the several Magical Girls in front of him, his eyes bulging, sharp teeth visible through the corners of his split mouth:

    "This is the time to root out traitors and rebels."

    As his words fell, dark Magic Power enveloped his bodypletely, a cloud of ck mist surged, and within the gloom, the man''s originally human form began to growrger, eventually reaching several meters in height.

    Through the swirling mist, a beastly head baring its full set of fangs and red-glowing eyes peeked out from the ck fog. Amidst the shing golden runes, the exaggerated and terrifying body adorned with tubes also revealed itself from the cold Magic Power.

    By this moment, what stood before everyone was no longer that man.

    Indeed, if one were to speak of its essence, what was before them was no longer human.

    ¡ªIt was a Remnant Beast.

 Chapter 88: Chapter 77 Outside the Office Building

    Lin Yun set down his phone and continued to organize the files on his desk.

    After lunch break ended, Xia Liang rather unexpectedly sent him a text message, saying she suspected Moke was making false military reports, iming to go out in search of Magical Girls but never returning, and therefore wanted to conduct a tracking investigation.

    Recalling how not long ago he had been their subject of investigation, and now, they were turning their sights on Moke, Lin Yun found it amusing but didn''t decline.

    He activated the tracking spell he had previously set on Moke, and after a brief sensation, he located Moke''s position and shared it with the two girls through the group chat.

    "However¡­ an orphanage, huh?"

    As he tidied up the files, his thoughts began to wander. "Could it really be a new recruit?"

    While he wasn''t very enthusiastic about recruiting new Magical Girls, if he truly encountered a child with talent, the final decision might still fall into their hands.

    After all, following the conversation with his daughter, not only did Lin Xiaolu temporarily resolve her issues, but he also came to understand many things.

    He was about to resign from the job he had been doing for nearly ten years and fully devote his energy to matters rted to Magical Girls. And once he had made that decision, it also meant one thing¡ªhe would one day seek the truth behind An Ya''s death.

    At the time, even though he knew there was something fishy about his wife''s death, he did not take any action because of a reminder from the Golden Green Cat''s Eye: He was now a father, the only rtive his daughter had, and if something happened to him, there would be no one left to care for his child.

    But the situation had changed. His daughter had also be a Magical Girl.

    Although the process had been somewhat serendipitous and not entirely pleasant, since she was very determined to continue down this path, as her father, he should support her as much as possible.

    That led to another choice: to train his daughter to be strong enough to protect herself against all adversaries before choosing the right moment to leave.

    Thus, the thought of helping his daughter build a team arose once again.

    When he had first recruited Xia Liang, he had harbored such a notion, butter realized that his life was too busy¡ªworking during the day while being a Magical Girl by convenience, and tutoring the two children at night.

    Under such a cramped schedule, if he hastily recruited a new Magical Girl, not only would heck the time to teach another person, but there could also be gaps in ensuring their personal safety.

    He hoped that while helping his daughter build a team, every child could grow safely and sturdily, and only face the real storms when their wings were fully grown.

    Now that he had chosen to resign, he felt more confident about recruiting someone new.

    This was also why he actively agreed to Xia Liang''s request to track Moke.

    After he had arranged the files on the desk neatly aside and confirmed there were no oversights, he stood up from his seat and took one final look at his office desk.

    To say that he felt no nostalgia for this job would actually be untrue.

    He had worked in this position for a long time and, although there were many hardships and unpleasant moments, he had also made many friends and achieved significant growth. More importantly, this job had been a way for him to shape his social identity.

    He had chosen to retire from being a Magical Girl and enter society as a key employee. Aside from not wanting to live off past achievements and hoping to provide additional financial security for his family life through work, and giving himself other duties, essentially, it was about rity of self and maintaining integrity.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The essence of a person is the sum of their social rtionships: it''s precisely because of meeting different people, living together, and influencing each other that each person bes a unique individual.

    Lin Yun left his office, gently closing the door behind him, exhaling a long breath.

    This chapter came to a close.

    After this, he would head to the general manager''s office to say goodbye and then fully resign, ending this chapter of his career.

    Passing by the External Affairs Department, through the ss partition, his gaze intertwined with that of his former colleagues; he saw Liu Guanshan sitting at his desk with his feet up, smiling and waving at him.

    Let''s have a few drinks when you''re free.

    That was what his lips seemed to say.

    "Give me a break, who drinks without a gathering?" Lin Yun murmured with a smile behind the window.

    When he arrived outside the general manager''s office and saw that the door was ajar, he paused his steps, straightened his cor, and then knocked gently on the door.

    "Pleasee in."

    A somewhat hoarse voice came from inside the door.

    As Lin Yun walked in, he could see the general manager of hispany, a man named Wang Tengfei, sitting behind the desk, smiling at him.

    The reason he was a general manager and not a president was because Gao Sheng was actually a franchise brand.

    Its small-scale and household elevator business spread throughout the southern Donghua Region, with headquarters located in the nearest central city¡ªYannan City.

    When An Ya was still around, Lin Yun would sometimes travel on business; after An Ya passed away, to better take care of Lin Xiaolu, he actively requested to move to the after-sales department. Though busier, at least he was always in Fangting City.

    At that time, he alsomunicated with the general manager in front of him.

    The change of position back then, and the resignation now, the person he was having the conversation with remained the same, but his mindset hadpletely changed.

    "Old Lin, take a seat, have you really thought this through?"

    Wang Tengfei pointed to the chair in front of the desk, "Let''s not beat around the bush, you are our veteran employee, and very capable. I was actually thinking of promoting you in a couple of years, bing a manager would have been no problem."

    "As for the situation at home, those who need to know are aware; your attendance has been a bit of an issuetely, everyone can understand; if you can get over this hurdle, wouldn''t everything be alright?"

    Unfortunately, this hurdle seemed impossible to get over.

    Lin Yun sighed to himself.

    If it were just normal fluctuations in life, he could bear it. But now, bncing work and the affairs of a Magical Girl had be untenable, and he had to choose the side that was more important to him.

    And now, without An Ya, Lin Xiaolu was the heaviest weight on the scale.

    "Manager Wang, we have discussed this matter many times, thepany has been good to me, it''s just that I have some personal reasons."

    As the saying goes, don''t p a smiling face, so Lin Yun too, apanied his words with a smile: "I do have quite a few things to deal with at home, and I don''t know how long it''s going to take. Continuing would only trouble thepany, it''s better to make a decision sooner."

    "It''s not troublesome at all, everyone understands, you''re taking this too seriously."

    Wang Tengfei wanted to persuade him further, "If you have issues at home, why not just take a long leave? We''re old pals, why go to such extremes?"

    "Ah, Manager Wang..."

    Lin Yun pretended to sigh, the two continued their insincere exchanges until they had fulfilled all the niceties, concluding the conversation.

    In the office that afternoon, only the sound of their conversation could be heard, mingling with the hissing of the air conditioning if one listened closely.

    The sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows, castingrge patches of light on the office floor.

    But within those patches of light, a tiny ck dot had appeared without anyone noticing.

    The ck dot grewrger and heavier, bing hard to ignore, even faintly taking on the vague semnce of a human figure.

    Lin Yun, facing the window and still speaking with Wang Tengfei, gradually slowed down his speech as he started to make out the scene outside the window, until he finally stopped talking altogether.

    There was someone outside the window.

    The general manager''s office was on the 17th floor of the office building; it was impossible for someone to be outside.

    But at this moment, indeed, there was someone standing in the distance outside the window, looking towards the office building where Lin Yun was.

    It was a girl.

    A girl with a smile, wearing a ck dress.

 Chapter 89: Chapter 78: Emerald Sparrow and Sparrow

    Is it a magical girl?

    Upon seeing the silhouette outside the window, Lin Yun''s first thought was just that. After all, only a magical girl, who could fly freely and dressed so fancily, generally fits the bill.

    It wasn''t to say that a magician couldn''t imitate a simr style of dress, but unfortunately, a magician with enough magic power and spell proficiency to smoothly float in the air was most likely past the age of "girl."

    Then, why would a magical girl appear there at this time?

    Lin Yun didn''t recognize the face of the girl in the ck dress; he was sure she wasn''t any of his "old acquaintances." She likely wasn''t a neer from Fangting City either; otherwise, Lin Yun would have had no reason not to recognize her.

    Was she a magical girl from out of town?

    Many questions surfaced in his mind, and then Lin Yun began to think about his next move.

    Should he transform into a magical girl to inquire about her intentions, or should he pretend not to see her and let here and go as she pleases?

    Transforming right now was clearly out of the question.

    Currently, he was in the general manager''s office. If he transformed, he would inevitably be seen by Wang Tengfei, who was an ordinary person, which would be an unnecessary leak of information.

    Although the aftermath could be taken care of by the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, having him sign a confidentiality use, or even using spell techniques to subtly suggest that he forget about the incident, transforming in front of someone else was something Lin Yun hoped to avoid as much as possible.

    Ignoring the situation wasn''t an option either, because he couldn''t allow a magical girl of unknown origin, not knowing if she was friend or foe, to roam freely in Fangting City.

    In any case, without discussing anything else, he at least couldn''t continue wasting time in the general manager''s office.

    So he spoke up, ready to end his conversation with Wang Tengfei: "Mr. Wang, I''m sorry, but I have some matters to attend to next, and I won''t take up more of your time. What''s next..."

    But mid-sentence, Lin Yun''s pupils suddenly contracted.

    He saw the girl in the sky, her long hair dancing in the wind, her ck dress coated with ayer of gold in the sunlight.

    He saw the earthen-yellow magic power shining in the girl''s hand, pointing directly towards the office building.

    At this point, he could finally confirm that the visitor meant no good.

    "Mr. Wang."

    Lin Yun wasted no more words and stood up abruptly, seriously warning Wang Tengfei, "Get down."

    The abruptness of his words made it impossible for Wang Tengfei to understand.

    And he was destined not to have the time to understand, because as soon as he saw Lin Yun stand up, Lin Yun didn''t utter another word, but instead ran towards where there should have been only a floor-to-ceiling window behind him.

    Then, a burst of azure light shed beside him, and a secondter, a dull thud of shattering ss came from behind.

    The next second, a powerful vibration came from outside the window, like an earthquake, making everyone in the office building feel an extremely strong shaking sensation.

    "Ah? Did it miss?"

    Not far away, the girl in the ck dress looked at the building edge that now had arge crater: "Strange, I was sure I had aimed properly."

    "Oh well, if it missed, I''ll just shoot again."

    ¡ª¡ª"No matter how many more times you try, you won''t be able to hit me."

    Such a voice suddenly came from not far away.

    Following the direction of the voice, the girl saw a petite girl wearing a dark cyan long dress, floating in the air just like herself, with an indifferent expression on her face.

    Seeing the other person, the girl was first taken aback, but then the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing a somewhat inexplicable smile, "Ah, you really are here?"

    "''Really are here''? Are you looking for me?"

    Emerald Sparrow, standing opposite her, extended her hand, and magic coalesced into a magic wand in her hand, "Greeting with a bombardment-type spell is hardly polite, you have one more minute. First exin why you havee here, then your intentions."

    "Ah, sorry, I indeed should have introduced myself first."

    As if truly sorry for such "rudeness," the girl bowed slightly, "Hello, I was once a registered Magical Girl in the Magic Kingdom, under the Ministry of Finance. My tenure was about fourteen years ago, my codename was ''Golden Bell''."

    "However, that name is a thing of the past now. You can call me ''Sparrow''."

    "If you don''t understand what this codename means, then allow me to introduce us, a group of truly free Magical Girls, we are ''w Mark''."

    "Are you satisfied with my self-introduction?"

    At this point, the girl who called herself "Sparrow" lifted her head, and the smile on her face gradually became more defiant:

    ¡ª¡ª"Likewise, the former Cornflower, if I may?"

    Almost simultaneously as she uttered these words, without any warning, an extremely strong beam of magic had already shot out from the palm of her hand, aimed directly at where Emerald Sparrow was.

    Not far away, Emerald Sparrow, still astonished by Sparrow''s words, reacted swiftly. Her eyes widened, she raised her hand, and amidst several Favo runes, a simple magical barrier formed in an instant, timely blocking the sudden attack from the girl who imed to be "Sparrow."

    "It seems you do know quite a bit."

    The barrier held against the magic beam, locked in a stalemate of magical intensity. Emerald Sparrow looked up at Sparrow, her expression turning even colder, "Knowing full well it was me, you dared toe to Fangting City and provoke me? Or did you think that mentioning a discarded name would allow for a sessful sneak attack? Is everyone in your organization called w Mark as foolishly bold as you?"

    Her words caused Sparrow''s smile to falter momentarily, her eyebrows twitching as if quite displeased, but this emotion was quickly concealed, leaving only a bright smile:

    "Ah, of course not."

    "Although just a former Cornflower, you were indeed a Cornflower once. I didn''t expect to easily kill you with a simple sneak attack; you old birds still have some substance after all."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "But what if I told you my reliance is actually this?"

    As she spoke these words, the originally earthy-yellow magic beam was suddenly enveloped by a surge of purple-ck magic.

    And when the purple-ck magic made contact with Emerald Sparrow''s magical barrier, the once immovable barrier aged instantaneously, bing incredibly thin and brittle, then a web of cracks appeared.

    The process was too brief for Emerald Sparrow to make any reparations, and the barrier shattered, exploding right before her eyes.

    Boom!

    With nothing left to obstruct its path, the beam obliterated the magical barrier, engulfing the space where she had been, piercing through Emerald Sparrow directly.

 Chapter 90: Chapter 79 Aegis

    The suddenly flickering light traced a long straight line across the sky, finally catching the attention of passersby nearby.

    Not just that, people who had encountered an attack in the office buildings and were in a state of confusion and panic finally noticed the disturbance in the sky and realized that what they had experienced was not an earthquake.

    "What''s going on, thunder?"

    "There''s a chunk missing from the edge of that building, is it a Remnant Beast?"

    "I didn''t see any Remnant Beasts, they''ve probably been wiped out, right?"

    On the streets below, crowds of pedestrians gathered and began to discuss animatedly in many voices.

    Although no one knew exactly what had happened, when no visible threat could be seen with the naked eye, the innate curiosity of people made them choose to spectate rather than flee.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    What they didn''t know was that at this very moment, high above, the threat was still present.

    "Hey, hey, hey? Is there still a response? It can''t be just this extent, right?"

    After the ck and yellow light dissipated, Emerald Sparrow lowered her hand and revealed a somewhat listless expression: "If you were taken down just like that, I would have to seriously debate with your fans whether you are all bark and no bite."

    Know that before this mission, she had actually been quite interested in this "Cornflower," the former star attraction.

    ording to the intelligence she had, even though the former star''s current state was probably not great, she should have been able to have a good fight with her.

    As one of the few lifelong Magical Girls in the Magic Kingdom, Cornflower''s name was the stuff of legends during the time when she had just be a Magical Girl.

    Every Magical Girl who prided herself on her genius had to acknowledge the name "Cornflower" before boasting about her own exceptional talent.

    Reaching the bud level within two years, making significant contributions in the "Garden" defense battle, and simultaneously receiving both the honors of star attraction and lifetime Magical Girl, she was unprecedentedly summoned by a personage from the Rose Pce at that time. In terms of reputation, Cornflower was peerless.

    Reputation, talent, strength, image... With all these elementsbined, during that period, many of the new generation Magical Girls imed to be fans of Cornflower.

    Just that the duration of this legend wasn''t longsting. Merely three years after her debut, Cornflower suddenly disappeared from both the Magic Kingdom and the public eye.

    Some said she had sacrificed herself in battle against an extremely powerful Remnant Beast; others said she had retired and married a royal from the Rose Pce; there were even rumors that Cornflower was a fake identity, with someone else behind it...

    However, some days before, Emerald Sparrow had heard another version.

    That version was, Cornflower had actually¡ª during the "Garden" defense battle¡ª

    ¡ª"Masterpiece, number four, Aegis of Shelter."

    The cool and indifferent voice interrupted Emerald Sparrow''s thoughts.

    A misty, translucent light red up, drawing her gaze as well.

    Where Emerald Sparrow had been floating before, now appeared a huge circr shield crafted from interwoven indigo Magic Silk threads, like a hollowed-out sculpture.

    This was Emerald Sparrow''s "Masterpiece."

    Woven from silk threads, solidified in entanglement, it created a special weapon¡ªan advanced application of Emerald Sparrow''s silk magic equipment.

    Because theposition of the magic equipment included Soul Will as well as Magic Power, it could still withstand attacks, even against Emerald Sparrow''s power that could corrupt Magical Barriers.

    Even though its surface was eroded and pockmarked, this masterpiece faithfullypleted its task, protecting its master.

    The petite blue-haired girl stood behind the shield, unscathed, her expression changing from the previous coldness to a somewhat serene one.

    "This kind of corrosive Magic Power is something I''m seeing for the first time," she said.

    She loosened her tense fingers, and the shield made of Magic Silk in front of her instantly disintegrated. Emerald Sparrow changed her hand gesture, dismissing the remaining threads around her, "Is this your special reliance? Or do all of you from the so-called w Mark possess such dangerous Magic Power?"

    Based on her pastbat experience, such a characteristic was extremely unfamiliar.

    The Magic Power of most people in the world is non-specific, and she had met one person with inherently unique Magic Power. Such individuals are usually called "Deviants" by the Magic Kingdom, but the manifestation waspletely different from this Magical Girl she was facing now.

    Now she suspected that this strongly corrosive Magic Power might be a unique technique of the organization named "w Mark."

    "Your roundabout intention is too obvious, old hag," said the sparrow.

    Seeing that her attack seemed ineffective, the sparrow became somewhat intrigued but still remarked, "Retiring in such a remote city to grow old, it''s no wonder you are ignorant of the current world situation. But why would I have any reason to tell you?"

    Earthy yellow Magic Power condensed in her hands into a Magic Wand, which she lifted and pointed straight at Emerald Sparrow''s face, "Defeat me first, then think about extracting information!"

    The tip of the Magic Wand immediately shed with light, and then, a Magic Power Beam more powerful than before shot out towards Emerald Sparrow once again.

    This time, Emerald Sparrow, prepared in advance, lightly tapped the ground with her foot, effortlessly drifting sideward for several meters to dodge the attack.

    She turned back and retaliated with two Magic Power Beams, forcing the sparrow to move to the area she had predetermined, and then she picked up the threads of Magic Silk around her, trying to control her opponent with her magic gear.

    On the other hand, the sparrow had already investigated what abilities the former top yer''s magic gear had. Although the instantaneous creation of weapons was a bit surprising, thebat style using Magic Silk to bind the enemy was expected. She knew she couldn''t fight within the web of her threads¡ªit would be too easy to fall into her opponent''s rhythm, so she quickly created distance between herself and Emerald Sparrow, moving towards a space with fewer buildings.

    Emerald Sparrow''s Magic Silk threads needed to leverage against something, requiring a surface to anchor their ends.

    Therefore, the best battle scenes for her were indoors, caves, the ground, or at least within a cluster of buildings, where she could weave her web more effectively.

    Beyond that, dealing with high-speed moving targets could be very difficult, a fact Emerald Sparrow knew all too well.

    So, when she saw her opponent moving towards a more open location, she had to ponder her options. After weighing the pros and cons, she decided that capturing the mischievous Magical Girl was essential, so she packed up her magic gear and followed closely.

    In the high skies, unsuitable for using magic gear, it turned into a pure aerial duel.

    Blue and yellow Magic Power fiercely collided in the air, countless Magic Bullets and Magic Power Beams appearing from various directions, only to disappear after shooting off into the unknown. The two Magical Girls continued to fly at high speeds, trying to shoot each other down with their Magic Power Bullets.

    The sparrow seemed to have arger reserve of Magic Power than Emerald Sparrow, so she squandered her Magic Power, using elerated movements to continuously pressure Emerald Sparrow''s flight path.

    Emerald Sparrow was more meticulous and frugal with her Magic Power use, never making unnecessary moves or elerations. Even faced with frequent shootings, she made only minor angle adjustments to narrowly avoid the trajectories.

    She tried to lure the sparrow back toward the office building clusters, but her opponent clearly wasn''t fooled and instead fully exerted her mobility, aggressively closing in on Emerald Sparrow.

    It wasn''t until the sparrow had reduced the distance between them in the air to less than ten meters that she suddenlyughed.

    Then, her words, carried over the "whoosh" of the airflow, reached Emerald Sparrow''s ears:

    "Sparrow, Magic Power Construct Eject."

 Chapter 91: Chapter 80 Sestus

    The next moment, Emerald Sparrow saw the sparrow''s magic wand transform into a flurry of sparkling magic power.

    She had felt the other''s position closing in on her and had also realized that Sparrow might have some close-quarters ability at her disposal.

    A sense of rm shed through her mind, but fortunately, Emerald Sparrow was prepared; as the runes flew out from her sleeve to form a barrier, she had already begun to retreat backwards.

    The direction in which she retreated was also carefully chosen, a ce that would allow her magical equipment to gain leverage.

    "Too slow!"

    Sparrow noticed Emerald Sparrow''s intention to move and pulled a grotesquely shaped w-like magical equipment from the chaotic flow, then swung the rope at its end, hurling it toward Emerald Sparrow''s direction with a forceful throw.

    Almost simultaneously, Emerald Sparrow felt her retreat slowing down.

    The magical equipment tossed out by Sparrow was like a hawk''s w, a throwing weapon with four de toes, three in the front and one in the back, attached to a rope which Sparrow held in hand.

    In the material realm''s understanding, such a weapon or throwing weapon is known as Flying w.

    As Sparrow threw the Flying w, the magical equipment generated a strange attraction, pulling living things in its vicinity like a ma and slowing down Emerald Sparrow, its target, in flight.

    What''s more, even though it wasn''t initially aimed at Emerald Sparrow, once she was affected and her speed reduced, it seemed to consciously change its trajectory and darted toward her.

    In a sh, Flying w already reached in front of Emerald Sparrow.

    Seeing her attack about to hit, a satisfied smile spread across Sparrow''s face.

    This was precisely why she waited to use her magical equipment until they were closer; her equipment had a dual effect of seeking and attracting the target within a certain range. Coupled with its inherent lethality, if employed, it was sure to heavily injure the enemy.

    Tracked by her gaze, the Flying w went straight for the figure of Emerald Sparrow not far away, and soon, a muffled "puff" sound suggested it had hit its mark.

    Everything had gone as expected; she and her adversary were asymmetrically informed, and it was precisely this disparity that gave her the upper hand in this battle where the enemy was in the open and she lurked in the shadows.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Ha ha! Told you, there''s no escaping me!"

    Laughing loudly, Sparrow pulled on the rope to drag back the Flying w''s end and retrieve Emerald Sparrow from afar.

    But when the rope was pulled and gradually reeled in, she suddenly realized: there was nothing on it.

    On the de toes of Flying w, there were only a few strands of dissolving magic silk, a reminder of what she had caught.

    "This is¡ª"

    She couldn''t help but widen her eyes.

    ¡ª"A decoy doll I wove on the spot.""

    A cool voice came from behind her.

    Behind her, Emerald Sparrow was already there, her magic equipment in hand transformed into spectacr form, having be a pair of massive gauntlets wrapped around her hands.

    "Masterpiece, number two, the mighty Sestus."

    Without another word, she murmured and swung the gauntlets on her hands,nding a heavy punch to Sparrow''s back.

    Sparrow hadn''t even the time to look back before she felt an immense force strike her from behind.

    Boom!

    A thunderous sonic boom erupted from the sky, making countless onlookers stop in their tracks and look up.

    Then they saw a small figure falling from the sky, crashing down hard on an empty stretch of the road.

    Thud!

    After the vast impact noise, what appeared before their eyes was the road surface, almostpletely shattered upon impact, the flying dirt and rocks, and in the deep crater, the dark figure lying at the bottom.

    "Finally caught this one, now... I''ll notify the Abnormal Strategy Bureau toe pick up the person."

    Descending slowly from the air and pausing about ten meters above the ground, Emerald Sparrow dissipated the gauntlets from her hands and sighed while looking down at the crater on the road below:

    "However, I''m afraid the Investigative Institute really needs to be called in this time."

    The rebellion organization known as w Mark had indeed surfaced in Fangting City, boldlying to challenge her to a fight. Such a serious incident was not something she could just gloss over.

    Not to mention, ording to the head of Fangting City''s Abnormal Strategy Bureau, these people might also be connected to the disappearance of the former Seeder "Nini." Even the mysterious emerging Remnant Beasts in the underground could be their doing. Even for the safety of her daughter, she had to eradicate those that had extended their reach into Fangting City.

    Having finally caught their tail, capturing all those who stirred trouble in the shadows and driving them out was essential for the uing activities of the Ting City squad.

    But the reason she sighed was that once the Investigative Institute got involved, there was no way her return to action could remain a secret.

    As an agency she was associated with, the Investigative Institute had countless ties to her, some of whom could be called "old acquaintances." Once the news of her return spread, her routine life in Fangting City of working and taking care of her child would likely be disrupted.

    Truth be told, though she had been ready to face these consequences since the day she decided to quit and even took out the heart''s flower from her wardrobe, now that the moment had arrived, she still couldn''t help feeling a bit mncholic.

    Pushing aside these thoughts, it was time to call someone to take this person into custody.

 Chapter 92: Chapter 80 Sestus_2

    She pondered in her heart, ready to take out her phone and call Hong Siyu, but as her palm barely touched the phone, she realized it had already started vibrating ahead of her.

    Looking at the screen, she saw the name "Lin Xiaolu" and couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.

    Emerald Sparrow remembered the message Xia Liang had sent her in the group chat earlier, saying they suspected that Moco had found a prospective Magical Girl but kept it a secret, intending to follow and investigate.

    The reason for the call at this time must be rted to this matter.

    Although logically she should exin the situation first to Hong Siyu and the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, after a brief hesitation, she decided that Lin Xiaolu''s call was more urgent.

    With the expectation in her heart, Emerald Sparrow lifted her thumb to the screen, ready to tap the call button.

    But she never managed to press it.

    "Whoosh!"

    For almost at the same moment, a ck shadow suddenly swept over from her wrist and struck her hand with great speed.

    Emerald Sparrow''s peripheral vision caught this scene, and she quickly withdrew her hand in time, but because the target of the sneak attack was too small and came too quickly, she only managed to retract her hand. Her phone, which she had been holding, was hit and fell into the bushes next to her.

    Without time to check on the condition of her phone, Emerald Sparrow immediately looked toward the small ck shadow that had suddenly attacked her, and after seeing its form clearly, she expressed her confusion: "Sparrow?"

    She was not calling out the code name of an enemy.

    Instead, the small ck shadow she saw was not something else, but a little sparrow pping its wings.

    A normal sparrow shouldn''t have such a high flying speed, and their flying endurance is rtively weak. How could it be fast enough to catch a Magical Girl like her off guard?

    "...Ouch, that hurts."

    As Emerald Sparrow involuntarily began to ponder, although the sparrow was still above and there was a distance from the ground, its voice clearly emanated from the pit.

    "I''m not dead yet, and you''re still thinking about making phone calls at a time like this. Should Imend you for being a former ace?"

    Emerging once more from the pit, the sparrow reappeared within Emerald Sparrow''s field of vision.

    She was still conscious, and could even be said to still havebat ability, which surprised Emerald Sparrow.

    She knew the power of using her masterpiece for a heavy blow: without using advanced Spell Techniques or defensive magic gear, most Magical Girls at the Leaf or Bud level would not be able to withstand such an attack.

    Given the physical quality of a Magical Girl, taking a punch from a masterpiece,

    Let alone this Magical Girl named Sparrow being taken by surprise by her own sneak attack from behind, even if Emerald Sparrow herself were to stand still and take a blow, it likely wouldn''t be easy to endure.

    Therefore, the fact that Sparrow still retained the ability to move was quite astonishing.

    This suddenly appearing Magical Girl, who imed to be a former Character card, should have her ability stage within the range of Leaf to Bud level.

    It''s not that there are no Ace-level among the Character cards, but those who have evolved to Ace level without the qualification to obtain the Ace card do not identify themselves as Character cards out in the open; they feel it would be demeaning.

    The key point is, Emerald Sparrow was very clear: she could not beat a Magical Girl who had evolved to the Ace level.

    As a Magical Girl''s abilities evolve, with each stage increase, starting from the Bud level, every step is a massive bottleneck, and crossing it leads to a significant increase.

    From Leaf to Bud, from Bud to Ace, with each leap, a Magical Girl''sbat ability adds an important dimension.

    Emerald Sparrow was very clear about her currentbat capability.

    And precisely because of this, she could in turn be sure that this so-called Sparrow Magical Girl was not of the Floral ss.

    However, having suffered a heavy blow from the Masterpiece Gauntlets and mmed into the ground, she was in a more wretched state than before, and her clothes made of magic showed numerous tears, indicating that the damage was not light.

    Yet her current appearance once again baffled Emerald Sparrow.

    For at some point, Sparrow had lost her human left arm, reced instead by a pair of magic wings with ck bases and yellow spots, which looked quite sinister.

    Her eyes also underwent a strange change, the most obvious feature being that her irises became huge, nearly upying the entire eye socket; the remaining sclera was no longer the white of humans, but had turned ck.

    "Haven''t seen it before? Then you should feel happy," the Sparrow lifted her head, showing the purple-ck Heart''s Gem below her neck, and widened her eyes, her face filled with excited andbative smiles, "Don''t get distracted, the real show is just beginning."

    She lifted the half of her body that had transformed into bird wings, the pitch-ck magic feathers pping, scattering magic like a flood in all directions, stirring up wave after wave, even reaching the onlookers who hade to watch. The magic waves caused a burst of cries and screams, and many people started screaming the moment magic touched them,

    This kind of magic was corrosive and harmful even to the magic of Magical Girls, let alone to ordinary people with weak magic. The corrosion and destruction of the tiny magic rted to life within their bodies was a pain far beyond the tolerance of ordinary people.

    Emerald Sparrow, who had been observing the situation and nning to retrieve her cellphone, no longer had the time to do what she wanted. She could only use her magical armor and materializeyers of thread from the street corner to block the ck magic rushing towards the bystanders.

    "Stop gawking here, run!" she yelled at those who were still dazed.

    ¡ª"Didn''t I tell you not to get distracted!"

    On the other side, Sparrow was excitedly howling and leaping into the air once again. This time, her speed was so fast that the trajectory couldn''t even be seen by ordinary people.

    Not only that, the Little Sparrows that had previously ambushed Emerald Sparrow from the shadows also took to the air with her, several small sparrows following alongside her like wingmen in the sky. These little birds opened and closed their beaks, surprisingly spitting out tiny magic bullets.

    The little magic bullets, seeming only asrge as green beans and not lethal in power, had the advantage of speed, difficult to discern with the naked eye, making it easy for ordinary people to be hit.

    ck and blue magic intertwined in the sky once again, and this time, the blue was clearly in a defensive position.

    After turning into what she called her "half-beast form," Sparrow''s physical strength and speed were not the only things to improve¡ªher magic power also escted by a level,pletely suppressing Emerald Sparrow.

    If anyone knowledgeable were observing this battle, they would notice: although Emerald Sparrow far exceeded Sparrow in the flexibility ofbat intuition and nning of magic use, Sparrow''s methods could be described as overwhelming strength, firmly taking the upper hand in pure magical output.

    However, Emerald Sparrow wasn''t in a hurry, or rather, she remained very calm.

    Even though the situation was passive, she was still conserving her magic power, blocking Sparrow''s shy and frequent attacks with abined defense of barrier and Masterpiece, and she was looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

    "Why not unfold the Wonder? Cornflower!"

    Such a solely defensive stance also made Sparrow quite bored, feeling like she was simply knocking on a turtle shell,pletelycking the pleasure ofbat.

    Therefore, she released her magic again, taking out her Flying w magical gear.

    The pitch-ck magic spread from her right arm, and the tips of the Flying ws also started emanating an ominous color. She flung her arm in mid-air, like throwing a spear, hurling it with force towards Emerald Sparrow.

    The Flying w magical gear, also wrapped in pitch-ck magic, hit hard against the Masterpiece conjured by Emerald Sparrow. But this time, the force was far greater than before: even though it still failed to prate the Masterpiece, it still sent it and Emerald Sparrow behind it flying.

    "Or is it, as the rumors say..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Pulling back her magical gear with her remaining right hand, Sparrow once againughed unrestrained:

    "During the ''Garden''s'' defense battle, you had a problem with your Heart''s Gem because you used a power that exceeded the limits, right?"

 Chapter 93: Chapter 81 Black Ash Dawn (4k)

    The Wonder, is an ability that magical girls grasp once they reach the bud stage.

    As a true manifestation of the ability of Soul Will, it has an intricate rtionship with magic attire.

    In Sparrow''s imagination, as a magical girl who had once bloomed to reach the bud stage, Cornflower was undoubtedly supposed to possess this ability.

    And since she had demonstrated the ability to suppress Cornflower without using The Wonder, there was no reason for Cornflower not to unfold her own Wonder.

    This undoubtedly confirmed a rumor she had once heard: during the "Garden" defense battle, Cornflower had overexerted her powers, causing damage to her Heart''s Gem, and after persisting in battle for another year, she chose to retire in secrecy. The ce of her retirement was the city she once protected¡ªFangting City.

    Such rumors at first didn''t seem credible: damage to the Heart''s Gem should be nearly crippling for a magical girl, and if the source of magic power sustained severe damage, it could even lead to bing mentally impaired. How could she retire intact?

    But if one thought about it logically, the rumor seemed to make sense.

    Because everyone knew that Cornflower''s teammate, also a lifetime magical girl and known as "the strongest flower card" Magical Girl Sakura, was still active in Fangting City. If Cornflower were certainly residing somewhere in the material world, Fangting City was undoubtedly the ce with the greatest likelihood.

    Now, every detail of the rumors Sparrow knew was gradually being confirmed, which made her start to believe: perhaps thatst bit, that Cornflower''s Heart''s Gem was damaged, was also true!

    Sparrow''s original purpose foring to Fangting City was to collect some information, as well as to make a deal with those madmen who called themselves ck Ash Dawn.

    That''s because she had learned beforeing that a squad from ck Ash Dawn, akin to pce guards, had arrived in Fangting City and nned to stay for a while.

    ck Ash Dawn was a strange organization that began operating in the material world about ten years ago, mostlyprised of human magicians from the material world, with a minority of ounders who had defected from the Magic Kingdom or the inter-realm. Gathering together, they refuse to acknowledge the rule of the current Magic Kingdom court and research the power of the Remnant Beasts in secrecy.

    To fulfill their goal of rebelling against the court, their deeds were downright unconscionable: from ughtering and torturing civilians to terrorist attacks on public facilities and even city governments, not to mention the ndestine trafficking of various prohibited items¡ªthey weremitting every conceivable misdeed.

    Such brazen behavior naturally attracted the aggressive suppression by the Investigative Bureau, but they were like rats that couldn''t be exterminated¡ªremove one batch and another appears, sprouting all over the world andmitting crimes.

    As a magical girl with roots that she prided in being pure and strong, she had always disapproved of this bunch of freaks, but had to admit that they held the most magical materials in the material world besides those magical girls still in service.

    If it had been earlier when she was still in office, she naturally wouldn''t need to seek materials through such gray channels. But after defecting from the Magic Kingdom for many years and having joined w Mark, she had to seriously consider the expenses for her daily research.

    After arriving in Fangting City and collecting some local intelligence, she suddenly remembered another rumor she had heard.

    This city was where "Cornflower" had retired.

    Two years ago, Sakura, the strongest flower card magical girl of the Magic Kingdom, died under unknown circumstances. This event caused a massive shock among many magical girls on the magic side, and even a handful of people¡ªSakura''s fans¡ªwent to Fangting City to investigate.

    These visitors turned Fangting City upside down, killing all the Remnant Beasts in the vicinity, and even approached Sakura''s teammates and husband to inquire about the situation but didn''t obtain any useful information.

    Among them, some had believed the rumor, convinced that Cornflower was residing in Fangting City and wanted to hold her ountable for Sakura''s death.

    But no matter how hard they searched, no one found where Cornflower was.

    It was as though the rumor was indeed just a rumor, an impractical fantasy of some people.

    And when Sparrow arrived in the city, that fervor had already faded, with both Sakura''s teammates and her fans unanimously believing that the murderer had fled elsewhere and were chasing the fugitive in other cities. With the loss of several elite magical girls all at once, Fangting City seemed to have entered a gap period in magic side forces, and the magical girl squad stationed there was showing signs of a generation gap.

    In such circumstances, Sparrow made contact with the local ck Ash Dawn squad.

    She didn''t know why these lunatics chose to stay in Fangting City or where they got their information, but regarding the trade with Sparrow, they made a request: that she, on a particr day, take care of Fangting City''s current magical girl squad.

    If she could kill those magical girls, good; if not, she must at least hold them off, and the primary target was a magical girl wearing dark blue clothes with blue long hair.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    As they exined, this magical girl had shown the ability to use Spell Techniques, at least of the leaf level, far beyond the other two rookies, and it was crucial not to let her disrupt their ns.

 Chapter 94: Chapter 81: Black Ash Dawn (4k)_2

    The Sparrow had long since defected from the kingdom, crossing swords with her former colleagues, and harbored no aversion to the act of killing a Magical Girl. Naturally, she agreed to their request.

    Then, she began her observation of the "Blue Magical Girl."

    At first, she stayed near the scenes where Remnant Beasts appeared, to first confirm what the target looked like.

    Worried that the other party might detect her Magic Power and thus scare them off, she always had the small sparrows that apanied her do the observing from a distance. Later, she deduced the departure point of the Blue Magical Girl bybining the locations of the Remnant Beast appearances with the timings and directions of the girl''s appearances, sending sparrows to trace her steps backwards.

    To confirm the target''s movements, she deliberately lured some Remnant Beasts to attack the groups of people she suspected. Then, during an attack on a monorail train, the Blue Magical Girl truly showed up.

    From this, she became certain that the Blue Magical Girl''s usual area of activity had to be in Fangting City''s Luoming District.

    As the surveince deepened, she not only gradually ascertained the ces where the other party usually hung out¡ªa skyscraper¡ªbut also began to notice something: this Blue Magical Girl bore many simrities to the rumored "Cornflower."

    Without telling anyone else, she began to collect some photos from twenty years ago, and without even needing topare them closely, she could confirm that this Magical Girl was indeed Cornflower!

    Thus, today''s carefully prepared battle ensued.

    The Sparrow''s n was to defeat Cornflower here, ideally capturing her alive. Not only could this bolster her own reputation, but it might also be lucrative: she remembered that many years ago in w Mark, someone had expressed a strong interest in this former legend.

    Even after she transformed into her half-beast form, she at one point even thought she was about to im victory.

    She could prate Cornflower''s Magical Barrier, knock her out of the sky, and attack her magic silk-woven shell as if she were pummeling a punching bag. But as the fight dragged on, she realized a serious problem: the opponent hadn''t sustained any injuries from the beginning to the end.

    Even more so, due to a difference in the finesse of Magic Power strategy, despite her own extensive depletion of Magic Power, Cornflower remained hidden within her magical armored shell, unwilling to show herself.

    This couldn''t continue, she realized that.

    As much as she hated to admit it, if Cornflower maintained a defensive stance, then before breaking through her defensespletely, her own Magic Power would run out first.

    She had to force the other party to expose herself from her defense.

    "It doesn''t bother me, but are you really nning to keep hiding behind your shell?"

    So, she spoke out, waving her magical equipment, "If you keep stalling without deploying your wondend, your littlepanions might be in danger."

    These words were actually made up. She herself was very curious about where the newly initiated rookies might be. But as the saying goes, all is fair in war¡ªif just a few careless words could disrupt the opponent''s footing, it was undoubtedly a worthwhile strategy.

    The provocative words she had casually invented produced an unexpected effect. As soon as the words fell, Emerald Sparrow behind the masterpiece''s back stiffened.

    Hearing Sparrow''s words, she almost instantly remembered the call she hadn''t answered earlier, and also recalled the recent whereabouts reported by Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu.

    They had gone to Lixing District to find Moke, could something really be amiss with that?

    Although she was aware it might be verbal deception, she still diverted some of her focus during the battle to sense her own spell techniques. Immediately, she was shocked to discover that the tracking spell she had set on Moke had failed.

    "You have an aplice?" Her gaze became deep and concentrated.

    "An aplice? Rather not, I''m not with those crazies and freaks." The Sparrow scoffed dismissively, continuing to taunt, "But you''re right, your littlepanions are not here, maybe they''re fighting with a bunch of vicious viins right now? Without your help, can they really win?"

    Ignoring the nonsense she had spouted at the beginning, this sentence, on the other hand, was not a lie.

    Although she didn''t know what the people from ck Ash Dawn were looking for, once they found it, given their habits, a bloody and brutal sacrificial massacre was likely inevitable. And in that process, if the other neers and rookies of Fangting City came up against them, they would probably be in grave danger.

    "If you deployed your wondend now, maybe you could actually beat me and go support them, huh?"

    Feeling that her words indeed had an effect, she began to embellish, trying to further provoke the other''s emotions, "Of course, that''s in the best-case scenario. If things escte too quickly on that end, the seedlings you''ve painstakingly raised might already be dead, who knows?"

    Then, not sure if it was an illusion, the air around seemed to suddenly freeze.

    Following that, it was as though the air pressure dropped, making it somewhat difficult to breathe.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Indeed, it''s about time to end this."

    The tense fingers gradually loosened, and the masterpiece shield that had been gathered in front of her once again dispersed into awork of magic silk. Emerald Sparrow thus gave up all her defenses.

    She shook her somewhat stiff palm, her somewhat cold gaze focused on Sparrow:

    "It''s unlikely I''ll get anything out of asking where youe from; strange ck magic power, seemingly a characteristic of the entire organization; half-beast form, a special state that seems to be rted to the Remnant Beasts; a purple-ck magic power gem, the base color of the source of magic power has changed... It looks like that''s all there is."

    As she muttered to herself, the once waning deep blue magic power around her gradually receded as well, fading away like a me losing its warmth.

    "Oh? So you''vee out just like that? It seems, although you''ve been out of the game for many years, you still have some courage."

    The sudden calm demeanor disyed by Emerald Sparrow felt strange to Sparrow, but she couldn''t figure out where this inexplicable sense of discord came from. She was satisfied with the sess of her provocation and then loudly said, "But posturing is useless, I can feel that your current total magic power is even less than that of an average bud level!"

    "Hmm, you''re right," Emerald Sparrow suddenly admitted calmly.

    "Huh? What''s right?" This honest attitude caught Sparrow off guard, "Have you lost your mind?"

    "As you said, I''m in a bad state right now."

    As if talking about something unrted to herself, Emerald Sparrow spoke evenly, "Due to multiple reasons, I must admit that I can''t reach the strength of my peak period right now."

    "You''re saying this now? Are you conceding?"

    Feeling an inexplicable tightness in her heart, even a trace of unease, but Sparrow couldn''t fathom where this apprehension came from, "You''re telling me you can''t deploy your wondend, can''t beat me, are you seeking mercy?"

    "No, I just want to rify something."

    The long hair behind her head rose on its own, strands of soft hair dancing in the air. The rustling sound of airflow arose, and the magic silk around Emerald Sparrow also undted, tracing gentle ripples like chasing after the traces of the wind.

    Looking at the half-figure enveloped in dark magic power not far away, she spoke calmly and naturally, as if stating an obvious fact:

    "To beat you, I don''t need a wondend."

    The next moment, the deep blue magic power erupted again, only this time, it reversed the previous momentum. Her magic power no longer appeared in an orderly fashion but overflowed around her wildly, with an intensity that made it hard to open one''s eyes.

    If earlier Emerald Sparrow''s magic power was like a trickling stream, now it was like a surging river, vast and endless, with grand momentum.

    Emerald Sparrow stood tall, her eyes shimmering with deep blue light, and the Heart''s Gem on her neck seemed to be filled with magic power, bing incredibly luminous.

    She extended a hand, and even the nails on her fingertips looked as if they were painted with fluorescent nail polish, emitting a deep blue light:

    "It''s about time, let''s make this quick."

 Chapter 95: Chapter 82 Wang Tengfei

    Wang Tengfei grabbed his coat and left the office building, trotting towards the direction where the azure light twinkled.

    At forty years old,bined with years of sitting for long hours and socializing, his physique and stamina no longer supported him running like a young man. He was already panting after only a few hundred meters.

    From the way he was running wildly, one could hardly imagine that this middle-aged man had once been a sprinting champion on his high school track team.

    In fact, even Wang Tengfei himself had almost forgotten.

    After graduating from high school, he entered society, and with the help of his family connections, he rose through the ranks in the Gao Sheng conglomerate. Before 40, he had already be the general manager of a division, a sess in the eyes of most people.

    In terms of position, he would surely be able to ascend to headquarters in the future, and perhaps even secure a key management role there; financially, even without considering his family''s older generation, his personal wealth was already considerable among the middle ss, and he would certainly be even wealthier in the days toe.

    Is this a sessful life? Of course, it is.

    But humans are always greedy, or rather, always longing for what they have not had or have lost.

    For example, his own youth.

    The memories of youth are like a treasure box; although the contents might no longer be worth mentioning to him now, every time he took it out to look over and y with, he always obtained the purest and most straightforward joy.

    And with age, as various minor ailments began to appear in his body, he found himself reminiscing about his youth more and more frequently.

    But time had passed for far too long.

    Apart from some deeply engraved memories, his recollection of his younger self had be increasingly blurry.

    What did he like back then? What was he thinking about? What did he want? What was he truly pursuing? Some answers he still vaguely remembered, others even he couldn''t articte anymore.

    However, among the things he did remember, there were always a few streaks of color in the clear sky.

    They were pink, blue, purple, orange... the colors of the Fangting City sky, the colors of the Magical Girls.

    The young Wang Tengfei was an avid fan of Magical Girls.

    And among them, he especially admired that one who rescued him from an attack by the Remnant Beasts and, after dispersing the crowd, left people with only the sight of a blue silhouette from behind.

    This shade of blue, when he was still a young man, had disappeared without a trace at some point.

    No more sightings of that blue silhouette were reported, whether on television, in the print media, or on the inte.

    Following the disappearance of such a Magical Girl, people had all sorts of spection and rumors, but none were confirmed, and nobody knew the truth.

    Those who adored that Magical Girl, those who adored Cornflower, one day, simply never saw Cornflower again.

    Wang Tengfei was the same.

    From initial confusion, to subsequent worry and anxiety, and finally to sadness and helplessness. As years passed and the world changed, this emotion had faded to just a faint remembrance.

    It had faded so much that only that streak of blue was left at the bottom of his heart, yet he no longer deliberately thought about it.

    So, when a shade of blue almost identical to the one in his memory appeared in the corner of his field of vision, he even started to doubt his own eyes.

    Could it be her? Is it really her?

    With emotions he could no longer clearly distinguish swirling in his heart, he followed the blue and ck trajectory in the sky, running towards the end of the light.

    Along the way, he saw the damaged roads, the disced crowds, the buildings protected by blue Magic Silk threads, yet that premonition only grew stronger.

    Such a premonition was finally confirmed when he atst neared the scene.

    The source seemed endless; blue Magic Power effused wildly, surging like tumultuous waves, bursting with blinding brilliance. The radiating light was so dazzling that it made it difficult to discern any figures within.

    Only a ck figure could be seen desperately fleeing through the waves of Magic Power.

    ¡ª¡ª"What a joke!"

    Chased by seemingly endless strands, Emerald Sparrow weaved between buildings, darting frantically¡ªeven with Magic Power output at maximum and flying at her fastest speed, she couldn''t shake off the blue wave of Magic Power behind her.

    Within that wave, a small figure, glimmering with blue light, followed closely behind with a surprisingly nimble grace.

    "This kind of Magic Power, this amount of Magic Power..."

    Swinging her magical armament, she annihted several strands about to entangle her feet, Emerald Sparrow shouted in a mix of shock and anger, "Are you mocking me!"

    Yet behind her, Emerald Sparrow, bathed in a blue glow, silently pursued, offering no reply.

    As the distance between them closed, and sensing the right moment, Cornflower reached out to grab several strands. She slowly tightened them while flying at high speed, and apanied by the wave of Magic Silk, she chanted softly:n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Masterpiece, the first, the sharp dius."

    The surrounding threads began to buzz.

    Amidst the wave, they dispersed and converged under Cornflower''s guidance. Pieces of hollow sword des formed from Magic Silk broke free, floating in midair.

    Then, the wave of threads turned into a wave of des.

    Cornflower had used this move before in the sewers, fighting a pupa stage Remnant Beast, and even then, she only resorted to it for the final blow, achieving a one-strike kill of her target.

    Now, wielding even more and stronger Magic Power, when she used the same move again, it was naturally even more ferocious.

    "Cornflower¡ª"

    Seeing countless masterpiece des surging towards her, Emerald Sparrow finally stopped fleeing. Turning towards Cornflower, she screamed and roared, spreading her ck Magic Power wings. Feathers erupted from within, like des shing through the air, directly confronting the tide of blue des.

    ck des interweaved with the blue ones in the sky, resisting briefly before being rapidly annihted. The dual-colored Magic Power des shed and contended, but as Emerald Sparrow''s shrill cries filled the air, the encounter turned into a one-sided crush.

    The ck Magic Power belonging to Emerald Sparrow, despite its strong corrosive ability, ultimately dissipated.

    Like a bird shot by a shotgun out of the skies, the ck Magic Power wings scattered, signalling the end of the battle like feathers floating down from above.

    The tide of blue Magic Power extinguished thest trace of ck, slowly receding. A figure fell from the sky, powerless, crashing to the ground.

    That was a woman who seemed to be in her twenties.

    The woman appeared quite thin, wearing a set of ordinary home clothes that made her look like a passerby who had just stepped out for a walk. Now, shey powerless on the ground, unconscious.

    Without a doubt, this woman was the true identity of Emerald Sparrow.

    After a Magical Girl was defeated, unless her true form waspletely destroyed, she would not die. No matter how severe the injuries incurred in transformation, as long as the true form remained unharmed, recovery would alwayse in time.

    As shey on the ground, unable to rise, the blue figure that had been chasing her also finally stopped. Then, descending from the air, shended feet first on the ground, light and elegant.

 Chapter 96: Chapter 83 Fans

    Emerald Sparrow looked rather indifferently at the sparrow on the ground, and as she stepped forward, Favo Runes flew out from her sleeve cuff. Soon, the runesnded on the unconscious sparrow''s neck, encircling the Heart''s Gem and forming a blue pattern resembling a cor.

    That wasn''t all. She then conjured a small Magical Barrier that enveloped the sparrow as if it was a dome of containment.

    This was one of the Spell Techniques that every Magical Girl under the investigative institutes had to master and that only they could master: Magic-Sealing Arts.

    The conditions for its deployment were quite stringent; it could only be used after neutralizing the enemy''s resistance. True to its name, this technique couldpletely seal the opponent''s ability to use magic and transform, with its duration fluctuating ording to the caster''s Magic Power strength.

    Emerald Sparrow hadn''t nned on killing the sparrow because, ording to the information she had received earlier, this so-called "w Mark" organization was a prime target for the state''s manhunt. Keeping a live captured member could possibly reveal substantial information.

    Although there were indeed some issues between her and the state, the chaos that this group of sparrows had caused in Fangting City had reached her limit of tolerance.

    If there had been any hesitation before, she had now made a firm decision: once this affair was over, she must call in the investigative institute.

    After doing all this, she finally took two unsteady steps backward and dissipated the Magic Power emanating from her body.

    Nobody noticed that she was now drenched in cold sweat.

    To say the least, her condition was actually far worse than what she had let on; the severe pain in her head alone made her feel as if her skull was about to explode, a level of pain that would have made an ordinary person cry out in agony.

    Emerald Sparrow wasn''t surprised because she knew this was an old injury.

    Her true form was damaged, her Heart''s Gem shattered¡ªeverything the sparrow had said earlier was true. What she didn''t know was that Emerald Sparrow''s injuries were even more severe than she could imagine. So, another one of her conjectures was correct: as a Magical Girl who had once reached the rank of Rei, Emerald Sparrow could no longer open her own Wondend.

    Not only the Wondend, even the most basic quality of a Magical Girl: the total amount of Magic Power, had also significantly diminished due to the injury, forcing Emerald Sparrow to adopt a conservative approach to using Magic Power in her usual tactics.

    The outburst of intense Magic Power just now had not been without its source but was the result of Emerald Sparrow igniting her Magic Power source in disregard of her injuries, restoring her original total amount of Magic Power.

    This would allow her Magic Power to temporarily return to its peak level, but the cost was a further triggering of her physical and spiritual injuries, apanied by excruciating headaches. As the duration of peak-level Magic Power was extended, the pain would be more and more intense until she ultimately fell into unconsciousness.

    Lin Yun''s decision to retire in the past was inrge part due to her injuries.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    In her fight with the sparrow, she had not intended to employ such drastic measures but had nned to feign weakness to draw out a war of attrition, depleting the opponent''s Magic Power through a defensive counter-attack strategy before looking for a chance to deliver a fatal blow.

    This n would not have required a surge of Magic Power or led to such intense consumption of it, and would have also allowed her to extract information from the opponent during the fight¡ªa strategy with multiple benefits.

    However, once the opponent revealed that Lin Xiaolu might be in danger, Emerald Sparrow realized that whether it was true or not, she could no longer afford to dy.

    Even just as a precaution, she needed to resolve the battle quickly.

    That was why she had ignited all her Magic Power and swiftly defeated and apprehended the sparrow.

    Next, she would notify the Abnormal Strategy Bureau to firste and collect the captive, then rush to thest location she sensed Mokai, to find out what was really going on.

    It was only when her thoughts reached this point that she suddenly remembered something: her cellphone had been knocked away during the fight.

    And now, she was not in the ce where the phone had fallen. Going back to get the phone would dy her far too much.

    In such a predicament, she noticed a bystander not far away, looking in her direction.

    So she walked straight up to the somewhat stunned bystander and extended her hand:

    "Excuse me, may I borrow your cellphone for a moment?"

    However, it was only after she casually uttered those words that she realized the person seemed familiar¡ªno, all too familiar.

    Wang Tengfei handed over his phone, dazed.

    In his mind, there was only one thought: it was really Cornflower.

    The girl standing in front of him, despite more than twenty years having passed, he could still recognize her face. Although he had changed a lot, the girl seemed exactly as she was back then, as if time had paused on her, unchanged at all.

    "Is¡­ is it Cornflower?"

    As he watched the girl in front of him operate the phone with both hands, he couldn''t help but ask.

    Then he saw her hands pause.

    The pause was just for an instant, and she quickly resumed her actions, typing in a string of numbers and bringing the phone to her ear, as if the previous pause had been nothing but Wang Tengfei''s illusion.

    While waiting for the call to connect, she looked at the man in front of her, her feelings slightlyplicated, but her expression calmly stated, "You recognize me?"

    Recognizing the man in front of her as her general manager and hearing her former codename from him, she found it hard to describe her feelings at the moment.

    "Ah? I, well¡­"

    Opening his mouth, Wang Tengfei vaguely remembered that he had many questions he wanted to ask; after all, he had indeed been a fan of the girl in his youth, and her disappearance had left him with many confusions and regrets.

    But now, he suddenly realized that he couldn''t recall any of those questions.

    No matter how much he had liked her, no matter the regret and unwillingness he had felt, all that was left were a few words; he could no longer remember those emotions.

    Like an old, faded photograph in a frame: its contours were still clear, but it had turned pale. The questions that once filled him, like the color in the photographs, had be distorted, and the emotions they contained had grown as indifferent as water, unable to stir any ripples in his heart.

    "I¡­ used to be your fan."

    After thinking it over, that was all he could manage to say.

    Emerald Sparrow, hearing his words and observing the man in front of her, pondered for a moment, and then responded just as indifferently, "Thank you."

    She didn''t know what else to say.

    Then, as the call connected, she heard Hong Siyu''s voice and stopped paying attention to Wang Tengfei. After having conveyed the situation on-site and the specific location to Hong Siyu, and after giving many instructions regarding the custody of the sparrow, she hung up the call and returned the phone back to Wang Tengfei.

    "That¡­"

    Receiving his phone back from Emerald Sparrow in a daze, Wang Tengfei hesitated and then asked, "Are you, perhaps, the old Lin?"

    At that, it felt as if the temperature around them dropped a couple of degrees.

    Emerald Sparrow''s previously calm and cold expression froze on her face, and after a short while, she sighed inwardly.

    It seemed she had still been found out, she thought somewhat helplessly.

    Previously, in the general manager''s office, because the sparrow had tried to attack the office building in an attempt to force her to reveal herself, she had had no choice but to transform on the spot.

    Although she had tried her best to divert Wang Tengfei''s gaze during the process, and only changed into Emerald Sparrow before bursting out of the office building, it seemed the process wasn''t meticulous enough, and he had still noticed something was amiss.

    At times like this, any attempt to exin would only make things worse, so she just withdrew her hand somewhat coldly and stated indifferently, "Working in the real world, after all, requires a bit of disguise."

    She only said that much, leaving the rest for Wang Tengfei to think about for himself.

 Chapter 97: Chapter 84: Anger (5k)

    As soon as these words came out, Wang Tengfei did indeed imagine many possibilities.

    Was the person named "Lin Yun" a disguise of the Magical Girl Cornflower from the beginning? Or was Lin Yun also a person with extraordinary powers, who hadmissioned Cornflower to disguise herself as him? Or perhaps

    He was aware of Lin Yun''s bereavement from two years ago. It''s not so much to say that the hottest gossip at thepany at the time was whether the female subordinate from the after-sales department who had her sights set on Lin Yun could take the opportunity to advance her position.

    And the truth was, until that female subordinate climbed another branch and was transferred to the headquarters, there had been no progress in her rtionship with Lin Yun.

    In days gone by, everyone thought this was because Lin Yun was consumed by sorrow, unable to move on from the grief of losing his spouse. Now, thinking back on it, Wang Tengfei tasted a different vor in the story.

    Add to that the fact that whenever thepany had team-building activities, Lin Yun always liked to work quietly by himself, and when it came to entertainment, he always adhered to his principles, never getting involved with other women at service establishments...

    Thebined experiences of working together for over a decade made Wang Tengfei feel as though he had guessed the truth.

    "So you transformed into Old Lin... Is this also magic?" That''s why he asked.

    His spection was that "Lin Yun" was just a false identity used by Cornflower in the material world society.

    Even though this conjecture was quite bizarre, the many clues from the past seemed to point in this direction, and when it came to matters rted to magic, a bit of strangeness was within the realm of reason.

    "More or less."

    Emerald Sparrow had no intention of continuing to exin and left behind an ambiguous response before taking two steps back, ready to turn and leave.

    Now that she had resigned from thepany, she and Wang Tengfei were just familiar strangers; there was no need to say anything more to him. For her, the most important thing now was to rush to thest known location of Morko, to see if her daughter and her party had indeed encountered a crisis.

    As for the leak of her identity, she would notify the Abnormal Strategy Bureau afterward, and they would naturally send someone to handle it. After receiving the Bureau''s psychological suggestion, Wang Tengfei would subconsciously treat today''s experience as a bizarre dream and gradually forget about it over time.

    The intense headache still hadn''t eased, but Emerald Sparrow knew she had no time to waste. She retracted thest strands of Magic Silk, opened her palm, and the Magic Wand reappeared in her hand.

    ¡ª "Cornflower!"

    It was then that Wang Tengfei''s voice once again reached her from behind: "Are you resigning and leaving because a dangerous enemy has appeared in Fangting City again?"

    Emerald Sparrow didn''t turn around, but instead started to summon her magic power, preparing to take to the air once more.

    "You don''t have to resign! If you don''t have time, I can offer you a nominal position here!" Wang Tengfei urgently added.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    To this, Emerald Sparrow still gave no response.

    Seeing that the figure he had admired from a distance in his youth was about to leave like this, Wang Tengfei suddenly found himself at a loss for words, because he truly didn''t know what else he could say.

    He was very sessful, but his sess was still confined to the world of ordinary people.

    He was wealthy, but money was so useless before the might of magic.

    He felt that every word he spoke was an insult to his once passionate and pure self, and every time he tried to measure those beautiful memories with interests, a voice told him: stop talking, shut up.

    Perhaps he really should shut up; silence is the best choice.

    When Lin Yun submitted his resignation to thepany, when Cornflower once again appeared in this city, he should have understood that some things had already ended.

    No matter why she disappeared in the first ce or why she spent so long as an ordinary person in this ordinary branchpany, when she revealed her true identity before him, everything in the past hade to an end.

    Perhaps watching her leave like this was the most sensible choice.

    Still, he really wanted to speak out, not for the present but for his past self. If that was the case, how should he express himself now?

    Watching the figure gradually ascending in front of him, he seemed to understand in a daze.

    All of a sudden, he knew what he should say.

    "Cornflower! Keep it up!"

    He suddenly shouted, his hoarse voice echoing like a teenager''s at this moment: "The people who supported you before are still living in this city; although we don''t mention it on purpose, we all remember you!"

    "Although I don''t know why you disappeared, you must be fighting once again for something we cannotprehend, most likely an enemy beyond our understanding!"

    "But if you need any help, we will all stand up and help you because you were our hero once!"

    "So, cough cough, so..."

    Looking at the increasingly distant figure, he strained his voice and shouted: "Don''t suddenly disappear again, okay!"

    After shouting these words, he felt a sharp pain in his throat, followed by a bout of coughing. His body, weakened by smoking and drinking, with strength diminishing with age, could no longer easily call out loudly.

    But even if shouting was painful, he felt as if his past self, the one who adored the Magical Girl, was surfacing from the depths of memory''ske, the once-blurred image bing clear once again.

    He couldn''t reim that youthful impulse, but it seemed he had reimed himself.

    Then, he saw that figure level with the sun, far away, gave him a gesture.

 Chapter 98: Chapter 84: Anger (5k)_2

    She was waving her hand.

    As if promising "no problem," the girl waved her wrist, and after hanging in the air for a few seconds, she once again burst forth with magic power, flying towards the other end of the sky.

    Only leaving Wang Tengfei watching that shrinking figure, although he felt somewhat mncholic, for some reason, he suddenly revealed a smile of relief.

    "Let''s finish early for the afternoon."

    Above the azure sky, a royal blue magic power trail spanned the heavens. Although it was not apanied by the other three colors as before, that solitary blue was straight and clear, upright and steadfast.

    That was the blue many people remembered.

    It was also the blue that belonged to Fangting City.

    ...

    ...

    "¡ª¡ªRoarrrrrrrrrrrr!"

    A massive beast w mmed down from mid-air, tearing apart the concrete pavement and sending up clouds of earth and debris.

    In Lixing District, inside Fangting City''s First Welfare Institute, the battle was still ongoing.

    After retreating from the position of the Remnant Beast''s attack, Lin Xiaolu clenched her magic wand, turned back fiercely, and shot several magic power beams at the Remnant Beast''s head. However, once the pale blue beams touched the Remnant Beast, they could only leave shallow wounds.

    "Rawr!"

    An attack that couldn''t severely injure the Remnant Beast only made it angrier. The Remnant Beast, resembling a tiger or leopard, stood upright with its robust, enormous body and in just two steps crossed over to Lin Xiaolu''s front, then it pounded down again at her position.

    "Damn it!"

    Swinging her magic wand, manipting the magic power to move again, Lin Xiaolu shouted with some reluctance, "Why is it so hard! This guy!"

    "Xiaolu, don''t be impulsive, conserve your magic power!"

    Xia Liang earnestly reminded from the side. The Deflection Mirror beside her flickered, creating several duplicates that dissipated the ck magic bullets asionally spat out by the Remnant Beast into nothingness: "This guy''s epidermal defense is very abnormal, much harder than the typical Inchworm!

    If the man who had turned into the Remnant Beast still retained his full reason and could speak, he would certainly have been scoffing at them now.

    Because among the three Magical Girls present, not to mention Bai Jingxuan who was aplete newbie, the other two also couldn''t breach its defenses.

    Closebat attacks could only leave slight dents, and long-range magic shots could only scrape the surface skin. Even if it didn''t dodge their attacks at all, it never suffered any substantial damage.

    If its transformation after bing a Remnant Beast had to be ssified ording to the evolutionary traits of the Remnant Beasts, it was probably at the Inchworm stage.

    Compared to the earlier stages, it possessed stronger magic power and its special organs further mutated, covering most of its body. The disproportionallyrge ws indicated that the transformed man was likely in an evolved state of the w-corroding type.

    Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu had seen Inchworm-stage Remnant Beasts before. Although Emerald Sparrow had always required them to keep away from battles involving Inchworm-level or higher, they knew about the range of their strength.

    At the very least, Xia Liang as a genuine Bud-level Magical Girl, should not bepletely helpless against it.

    Even if her magical equipment couldn''t significantly enhance her attack power and had only been acquired for a few days without full development, she shouldn''t be like now, only capable of inflicting superficial wounds on the man who turned into a Remnant Beast.

    And even though she couldn''t harm the man, the fight had to continue. Behind them was the welfare institute, home to countless innocent elders and children. Losing there was unthinkable.

    The light blue and violet magic power surrounded the giant beast, continually maneuvering and dodging, relentlessly pounding and shooting,

    On another front, Bai Jingxuan assisted Tian Sheng to sit aside, step by step following his directions to remove the magical barrier epassing the welfare institute.

    "Hurry, Xiaoxuan!"

    Moke, while keeping an eye on the distant battle, urged anxiously: "I feel like the situation over there is getting stickier!"

    Since the initial reinforcements and beginning of their battle with the man, Lin Xiaolu and the others had been gradually losing momentum.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Initially, they could press the attack frequency with their spirit. But as the Remnant Beast realized their attacks were ineffective, that spirit began to decay endlessly with the extended rhythm of the fight.

    By now, there was almost no chance of a turnaround.

    Therefore, Moke and the others could only hope to keep the Remnant Beast at bay long enough to dismantle the barrier quickly and call Emerald Sparrow for assistance.

    Time passed second by second, the progress of removing the barrier steadily advancing until at a certain moment, the previously invisible barrier began to flicker with unstable ripples.

    "This is it! Cough cough..."

    Tian Sheng, sitting by the roadside, shouted excitedly, then due to aggravating his wound, weakly sat back down: "Only a few structural points left!"

    Bai Jingxuan didn''t say much, nodded obediently, and continued the task of removing the barrier.

    However, different from the steady progress on this end, problems had finally emerged in Lin Xiaolu''s battle after a long duration.

    The first was a mistake by Lin Xiaolu herself. When dodging the Remnant Beast''s close attack, she failed to choose the right position, and in mid-air, she found herself right in the path of the magic bullets.

    The deep purple-ck spheres, each the size of a basketball, spit out by the enemy flew directly at Lin Xiaolu in the air, about to hit her.

    It was at this moment, a mirror suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking those magic bullets.

    That was Xia Liang''s magic equipment, which could deflect the enemy''s magic attacks. But under these circumstances, she could only manage to deflect and weaken the attacks, without even enough time to set up another mirror for teleportation.

 Chapter 99: Chapter 84: Anger (5k)_3

    Her hasty response under pressure had led to even greater risks, for the Remnant Beast''s reaction speed was faster. Almost at the same moment she chose to use her magic armor to protect Lin Xiaolu, it had lunged forward, a w striking Xia Liang squarely.

    As a budding Magical Girl, Xia Liang had not mastered Spell Techniques, and naturally, she was unable to deploy any barriers when the beast got close. She took the full brunt of the attack head-on.

    "Xia Liang!"

    Lin Xiaolu called out in shock and anger.

    Her shouting was of no use and couldn''t halt the Remnant Beast''s advance. She could only watch as Xia Liang, struck by the beast, was sent flying like a sandbag and crashed heavily against a nearby wall.

    The Remnant Beast turned its gaze toward Lin Xiaolu.

    After dealing with the biggest threat among the two, it knew, even with its intelligence greatly diminished from its human state, that it was time to end the battle.

    The green tubes coiling around its body suddenly began to pulsate, and streams of purplish-ck Flow of Magical Power pumped from its heart, coursing towards every part of its body, inting its already grotesque form with more sinister veins.

    Then, facing thest remaining Magical Girl at this location, it kicked off with its legs.

    Lin Xiaolu, watching from a distance, suddenly felt a stutter in her vision, and the enemy before her eyes vanished in a blur.

    A strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu made her hold her breath instinctively.

    It was happening again.

    She couldn''t help but think.

    Just like that night in the wend park, she had fallen into a trap that had been set for her beforehand, encountering the Remnant Beast''s hunt within the barrier.

    Back then, she had no power to resist and was quickly defeated by the Inchworm, almost having her head chopped off. If it hadn''t been for the sudden arrival of Emerald Sparrow, who took that hit for her, she would be dead by now.

    Thinking back, it was from that moment that she began to hold Emerald Sparrow in high esteem, harboring deep admiration and love.

    But this time, even Emerald Sparrow herself had been struck by the enemy''s attack, and she could no longer hope to be saved by someone else.

    Would she die here, just like her mother, sacrificed in battle?

    She suddenly remembered the question she had asked Emerald Sparrow a few days ago.

    At that time, Emerald Sparrow told her, if she couldn''t understand it, then she shouldn''t overthink it. She was still only a child, and Emerald Sparrow would protect her, giving her ample time to make her decision.

    That feeling of being protected was truly wonderful¡ªpeaceful, warm, and blissful. She even wished that she could remain a child forever, hiding in that gentle haven.

    But things were different now.

    Even though she was in danger, she didn''t feel that urge to shrink away. What was it she felt? Fear? Regret? Resentment?N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Maybe all of those, but more importantly, she felt anger.

    Anger toward the enemy before her.

    Not only because they attacked a ce like the welfare institute, not only because they nearly killed a new Magical Girl of Fangting City, and not just because they had just severely injured her friend.

    But also because that man''s words had insulted and trampled upon the concept of the Magical Girl.

    They imed nobility and righteousness but engaged in setting traps and ughtering innocent girls. Their very existence was an affront to the dream of the Magical Girl.

    The faces of the Magical Girls she had seen in TV animations since her childhood, to her friends, her seniors, and perhaps now she had to include a junior, all of these Magical Girls'' faces surfaced in her mind.

    Magical Girls ought to be sparkling and beautiful¡ªthat''s what she had believed all along.

    So, she felt a surge of intense anger at the man''s talk of "hunting" and "besieging" Magical Girls.

    The beautiful image she had always admired and cherished was easily trampled by the man before her, and she couldn''t even begin to imagine the despair and helplessness in the hearts of those girls who had just be Magical Girls, still pure in spirit and full of future aspirations, when they were killed.

    The more she couldn''t imagine it, the more fiercely the anger burned, the more intense it became, until it seemed as if it would burst through her chest.

    At the same time, this rage was also directed at herself, at the profound sense of powerlessness deep within.

    Because, even with such anger, she was unable to do anything.

    Merely a rank-and-file Magical Girl, she couldn''t even harm the enemy and was toyed with as if in mockery; she might even die here in what followed.

    It was truly disgraceful.

    She sneered in her heart.

    She thought more than anyone else, but at the crucial moment, she was more useless than anyone. Emerald Sparrow was fighting the enemy; Xia Liang was protecting her; even the new girl was working hard to remove the barrier and release the hostages; yet she, even though she was on the battlefield, was like a mere spectator.

    She could almost see Emerald Sparrow looking at her with disappointment in her eyes, just by closing her own.

    Indeed, she thought. If she really died here, she would probably only disappoint Emerald Sparrow even more, wouldn''t she?

    But for some reason, she couldn''t help but recall the evening of a few days ago.

    She remembered what Emerald Sparrow said to her by the river that day, she remembered Emerald Sparrow holding her hand, she remembered Emerald Sparrow saying to her, "I''m here."

    In a daze, she felt as though her hand was truly being held by someone, as if Emerald Sparrow was indeed there, wrapping her hands around hers once again with a touch that was cool yetforting.

    "Believe in the possibilities within yourself."

    Then, the voice of Emerald Sparrow spoke in her ear.

    That phrase caused Lin Xiaolu to suddenly open her eyes.

    She began to feel something different: the touch on her hand grew increasingly real, intense, and undeniable.

    Her gaze shifted to her hand, and all she saw was a silvery white.

    It was Magic Power, but not the familiar light blue, rather a silvery-white Magic Power.

    She saw the white Magic Power in her hand, burning fiercely like mes, shimmering, and what followed was a power that filled her entire body.

    In the eyes of the Remnant Beasts, the Magical Girl who had been foolishly still and seemingly resigned to her fate was suddenly bursting with an incredibly strong Magic Power.

    It began to disperse like a tide all around, the white Magic Power illuminating everything on the girl ¡ª her eyes, the Heart''s Gem on her chest, her hair; even the nails on her fingers were shing with intense white light.

    The fierce white light, like a dazzling sun, made the Remnant Beasts lurking in the shadows feel as if their own Magic Power was retracting into their bodies, as if about to be driven away, losing its rightful strength.

    Looking up from the burning white Magic Power, the girl widened her zing white eyes, like a hawk locking onto the swiftly moving Remnant Beast in an instant.

    A beam of Magic Power, resembling mes, was fired from the tip of her Magic Wand, striking directly at thending spot of the Remnant Beast, and the dangerous aura forced it to halt its steps to avoid the attack.

    And it was this pause that once again exposed it to the view of Lin Xiaolu.

    "It''s truly revolting, it''s about time to stop," she said, frowning at the Remnant Beast that had revealed itself, her chin held high as she spoke, the Magic Power around her body violently fluctuating:

    "Now me... I just can''t hold back my anger anymore!"

 Chapter 100: Listing Remarks

    Hello readers, I''m Arc Salt, the author of this article.

    Thank you for reading my work, and I''m honored to share my story with you through the serialization of web novels. I sincerely hope you will enjoy the present and the story toe.

    Since I''m willing to write a novel, it''s clear I''m someone with a strong desire to express myself. Faced with my very first postunch afterword, I actually want to cram many thoughts into it. But after careful consideration, never mind. Wouldn''t it be better to spend that time writing more of the main text?

    What remains is a brief introduction of myself, to discuss my writing career¡ªI hesitate to tarnish the term ''writing''¡ªDuring my earlier student days, I created some free anime fan works under a different pen name on Qidian (fan works couldn''t be published back then). Later, due to injuries, academics, and other reasons, I stopped writing and left the scene, only to take up web novel writing again recently because I couldn''t suppress my rampant daydreams.

    While I may be considered an old hand in terms of the time I''ve been in the industry, the creative work I did through fan fiction didn''t allow me to develop my skills in plot structuring and pacing well. After years of not writing, my weakened literary skills and ability to construct narratives left me quite ashamed. So I might as well face up to it and call myself a new writer.

    My current work, "After work, then be a Magical Girl," or by the original title I had in mind: "A[LI]CE," is actually a challenge and attempt for myself. I''ve constructed a rtivelyplete outline and setting for it, andid down many foreshadows early on, with the hope that they will sustain me to finish this book properly.

    Therefore, if signing a contract and publishing were to be seen as analogous to the old days of print publishing (though it might be a stretch to elevate myself so), this book would be considered my debut work.

    Thank you to those who are willing to support and subscribe to my debut. Your uing subscriptions will be the first royalties of my life.

    If you have endured the free chapters with my uncontrobly light novel-esque trantion tone, the use of pointless attributives, the nd plot arrangements, and battle scenes that are painful to write but stubbornly attempted... all I can say is, "Thank you for your patience."

    Although I promise to try to correct these aspects and aim for improvement, these elements are likely to continue to pervade my writing for the time being. I apologize to readers who dislike these features yet still give me a chance, and I am sincerely grateful for your tolerance and patience.

    If you say you like them, well, then perhaps we''ve already be kindred spirits.

    After all, despite being full of ws I''m well aware of, this book is truly the fruit of my serious contemtion and creative efforts. Your willingness to like it means a great deal to me.

    As theunch day approaches, and experiencing this for the first time in my life, I''m quite nervous and excited, regardless of how well it does. This experience is precious to me.

    That''s enough about me personally. Let''s move on to discuss updates.

    Since I''m also employed full time, I usually write aftering home from work, which makes my update schedule irregr. During the worst of times, I went several days with inadequate sleep.

    The universal expectation for web novels is a daily update of 4,000 characters, challenging for me since I write slowly and like to ponder over the minutiae and the choice of words. I hope that whatever I present to the readers, at the very least, is readable to myself, even if it''s not ornate.

    Going forward, I will strive to adapt to this update pace. However, afterunching, I will prioritize quality over the initial surge for rmendation spots and update volume. Therefore, if sometimes I really can''t manage 4,000 characters, I ask for your understanding.

    As for the update on the day of theunch, I''ll have a small burst, updating 6,000 and aiming for 8,000 characters to conclude the current plot arc, and then, it should be an even more interesting sequence of events than what''s been seen so far.

    Lastly, I''d like to express my gratitude once again to the readers who are willing to pay and subscribe to this book: Your support will be the motivation for me to keep writing. And I also apologize to those readers who''ve read this far and are now ready to leave: I''m sorry my work did not meet your standards for consideration.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Let''s witness the unfolding story together, and then meet again in the endnotes of the first volume.

    Arc Salt, February 28th, 2023

 Chapter 101: Chapter 85: The End of Evil (4k)

    ```

    ng!

    On the edge of the district, apanied by a booming cracking sound, the already teetering Magical Barrier finally burst and shattered, disappearingpletely.

    "It''s open!"

    "That''s awesome!"

    Bai Jingxuan couldn''t help but smile, cheering softly in excitement. Moco came up to hug her, celebrating thepletion of the task together.

    Slumped to the side, Tian Sheng watched the Magical Barriere down; his heart, which he had been holding up, finally found its ce and settled. He let out a long breath, then smiled and passed out.

    He had held on for far too long.

    In the midst of her excitement, Bai Jingxuan noticed this scene. She immediately opened her mouth, but before she could examine Tian Sheng''s condition, she noticed the district nearby tremble violently, then ignite with fire-like Magic Power.

    The white Magic Power invaded the district, its white brilliance like that of the sun falling upon this ce, but it wasn''t scorching. Instead, it provided a sense of security and warmth to those within it, filling them with inspiration.

    Opposite to normal people, the man in the state of a Remnant Beast felt suppressed. His entire body tensed up, his Magic Power turned cold and sluggish, shrinking back as if facing a natural enemy.

    It was an extremely abnormal situation, however, having transformed into a Remnant Beast, he was too numb to realize this.

    It still followed its previous actions, leaping with all its might along its original trajectory, charging at Lin Xiaolu.

    Dodging the pervasive white Magic Power, this time, it was an attack resembling self-sacrifice: its ws aimed directly at Lin Xiaolu''s throat, intending to kill her with this strike.

    But this n failed to seed. When it sprinted towards Lin Xiaolu, it noticed those shining white eyes that hadpletely locked onto it.

    Lin Xiaolu''s heart was filled with rage, but her mind was clear.

    Facing this sudden white Magic Power, she felt unfamiliar and didn''t know how to use it. Yet, in the midst of battle, with the Remnant Beast''s attack imminent, her mind mysteriously came up with the most suitable response.

    Reflected in her eyes was the vicious and brutal figure of the Remnant Beast, but what she saw wasn''t just the Remnant Beast before her.

    In that instant, she was back to that night in Wend Park. It was the same Remnant Beast waving its ws at her, the same attack about to reach her throat, as though she once again stood before a lethal assault, facing the Remnant Beast that would kill her.

    She could feel the cool touch on the hand holding the Magic Wand, which allowed her to remember clearly: facing an enemy farrger than herself, Emerald Sparrow had blocked all attacks with just a Magic Wand.

    "Take a good look at my battle."

    That was what Emerald Sparrow had said when she first appeared before her.

    For her, that was the beginning of everything. And now, facing a scene identical to that beginning, she felt she could offer another answer.

    Could she do it? She didn''t have a definite answer. But she felt that she had to do it.

    With systematic training and morebat experience, she was no longer who she used to be.

    So, as the attack came hurtling toward her throat, she raised her Magic Wand.

    ng!

    The Magic Wand, with certainty, blocked the Remnant Beast''s w strike.

    "Roarrr!"

    Angered that its attack had not seeded, the Remnant Beast roared and howled, lifting its other w and smashing it down directly towards Lin Xiaolu''s head.

    Dodging to the side, she withdrew the Magic Wand that had been under the Remnant Beast''s w and turned it around, then shed horizontally at the beast''s wrist.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ng!

    Again, the Magic Wand blocked the Remnant Beast''s attack.

    Her eyes, filled with glowing white Magic Power, gave her an incredibly clear vision. The powerful Magic Power also reciprocally enhanced her own physical abilities, allowing her body, which was only of seed-level, to match the Remnant Beast''s strength in their sh.

    Her small frame seemed to contain immense strength, engaged in the most direct and primitive struggle with the Remnant Beast amidst the zing white mes.

    Staring hard, Lin Xiaolu entered a state of selflessness as she deflected all the attacks in a series of collisions. When a w appeared in the Remnant Beast''s attacking stance, Lin Xiaolu extended the tip of her wand, concentrated white Magic Power at the tip of the wand, and a burning Magic Power Beam shot straight at the Remnant Beast.

    "Grrraaaa!"

    The Magic Power Beam pierced through the Remnant Beast''s bicep, causing it to howl sharply.

    Severe pain drove it into a rage, but it did not give up, elerating once more, attempting to attack Lin Xiaolu from behind. However, she seemed to have a premonition and ced her Magic Wand behind her, perfectly blocking its attack.

    This sequence of movements was so fluent, as if there were another figure involved.

    "So this is what it feels like... to really see."

    Lin Xiaolu murmured to herself, her gaze growing intense once more. She pulled out her Magic Wand, struck the Remnant Beast under its jaw, the white Magic Power surged, and she once again hit the Remnant Beast''s shoulder with the Magic Power Beam.

    "Hiss!"

    This time, the Remnant Beast''s entire w arm was prated and broke apart.

    "Roarrrrr!"

    This time, the intense pain finally awakened the Remnant Beast''s original intelligence, surpassing its instincts for destruction and murder, making it realize: It had to run away.

    Transforming into a Remnant Beast through the beast''s core was not without a price. Besides shortening one''s lifespan to a certain extent, the consciousness of the one transformed would bepletely bestial during the transformation, and their intelligence would drop drastically.

 Chapter 102: Chapter 85 The End of Evil (4k)_2

    This beastly consciousness is also a double-edged sword, enhancing the transformed person''s instinctive intuition and giving them sharper reactions inbat, yet it can also cause a disruption in their judgment ability, making it very difficult to discern the strength of friends and foes alike.

    Within the instincts of Remnant Beasts, there is never a notion of seeking benefits and avoiding harm, only destruction and ughter, unless they are truly at death''s door, they wouldn''t recognize what danger is.

    And at this moment, facing the fire-like Magic Power, it finally felt a profound sense of fear.

    By using this white Magic Power, Lin Xiaolu could easily harm it, rendering its originally formidable defense as thin as paper in front of her.

    The purple-ck Remnant Beast Magic Power curled up, shrinking back as if resisting intersection with this white Magic Power, the innate fear of power finally awakened its reason.

    So, it howled and then, seizing the retreat momentum after the attack, it violently turned around and, with a few leaps, fled the scene, trying to escape.

    Lin Xiaolu had not expected the enemy in front of her to suddenly change direction and opt for escape, her face stern as she fired several Magic Power Beams at its fleeing trajectory. However, to her surprise, even when the Magic Power hit its back, it still couldn''t be stopped.

    She furrowed her brow, ready to incite her Magic Power to chase, but suddenly noticed that a mirror had been set up in front of her at some unknown time.

    Turning her head, Lin Xiaolu saw Xia Liang not far off lying on the ground, slightly opening her eyes, somewhat in disarray as she gestured a cutting motion toward her.

    "Give it a ruthless one." she said.

    Looking up, Lin Xiaolu saw that, ahead on the path, six mirrors had appeared out of nowhere, positioned at angled locations in a circle, all pointing in the direction of the fleeing Remnant Beast.

    "Holding a grudge now?" she couldn''t help but ask.

    Xia Liang then found a morefortable position to lie down, smiling as she closed her eyes: "This is called attending to official duties."

    So, the zing white Magic Power Beam erupted toward the mirrors set up along the road.

    The white beam of light quickly hit the nearest mirror and then transmitted down the line, jumping forward at a terrifying speed along the zigzagging path. Finally, the light concentrated in the distance, striking the Remnant Beast''s body head-on.

    This time, the Magic Power Beam prated its chest without any hindrance.

    "Roar¡ªahhhhh!"

    Purple-ck Magic Power continuously leaked out, the huge form began to shrink, and the deep howls of the Remnant Beast turned into human cries of pain. The man retrieved his human form from within the pitch-ck Remnant Beast body, as the contorted beast''s head gradually revealed his original visage.

    "So it is, so it is..."

    He ran forward frantically with an expression of pain and struggle on his face, but for some reason, there was also a hint of excitement: "To think there''s another sacrificial offering, so this is how Gong Chu Eleven died... To have two sacrificial offerings appear in this city in such a short time!"

    After being pierced by the white Magic Power, he could feel his life and Magic Power quickly seeping away, but it was this very fact that steeled his resolve.

    He did not want to die here yet.

    "It''s not over yet, it can''t be over..."

    Seeing that Lin Xiaolu was about to catch up from behind, he finally set his face in determination, with a pained expression making a decision, grasping the purple-ck flesh on his chest and then squeezing fiercely.

    Boom!

    The green tubes throughout his body exploded, and the purple-ck mist that was flowing within burst out, forming massive clouds of fog, which stood in front of Lin Xiaolu, obstructing her view.

    This blood fog was a product of him damaging his own beastly organs, stimting the Remnant Beast blood and Magic Power within, containing intensely potent poison and hallucinogenicponents. It was both a trump card meant for perishing together with the enemy and a means to continue causing trouble for the enemy after death.

    But now, he used it cleverly, not fully activating it, but rather using it as a smokescreen.

    Blocking his own movements with the blood fog, the man''s face was strained with bulging veins, yet he bore the pain silently, covered his chest and suddenly jumped up.

    Behind him, Lin Xiaolu summoned up her white Magic Power, continuously dispersing the blood fog around her. Unafraid of the effects of the poison fog, she quickly broke through it, but when she emerged, the man''s figure had vanished from her view.

    "Damn it, where did he go!"

    She hurriedly looked around but could not see which way the man had gone.

    Meanwhile, beneath her blind spot, a ck figure had swiftly climbed up a nearby building and started to jump clumsily among the high rises.

    The man''s transformation into a Remnant Beast was nearly over, deting like a punctured balloon. His originally huge body, inted to four or five meters tall, was now barely over two meters, which gave it a somewhatical look.

    However, he could not afford to care about his appearance and injuries, with his face twisted in ferocity, he leaped desperately towards the outskirts of the district.

    "A city, two sacrificial offerings... and a mysterious Magical Girl, Fangting City, there must be some other secrets here."

    He muttered to himself, strategizing, "This is indeed a big surprise, I must survive and get this information out, bring it to ''the Moth,'' then I can get stronger..."

    In the midst of his escape, his words suddenly stopped.

    It might have been an illusion, but from the distant sky, he thought he saw a sh of azure blue.

    "Blue?"

    Realizing something, his expression started to grow dark.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He remembered the target he had been avoiding on this journey, but behind him was the sacrificer wielding white magic power; there was no possibility of turning back to escape anymore.

    Changing direction now and trying to leave from the side would probably be toote. By his estimations, in a dozen seconds or so, he would collide with that fast-moving person, their paths inevitably intersecting.

    In that brief moment, driven by a strong desire to survive, he began to devise a new n. When his gaze fell on the crowd below the high-rise buildings, an idea suddenly dawned on him:

    He might be able to blend in with them.

    The other''s flying speed was fast, so in a sudden encounter, it would likely be impossible to use any powerful offensive moves right away but would instinctively choose to defend.

    If that was the case, he could bluff and pretend to engage the opponent head-on, when in reality, he would use a feigned attack to draw their attention, causing them to instinctively attack or defend, allowing him to quickly dive towards the street below.

    Once in the crowd, even if he was pursued again, he could use the lives of ordinary people as bargaining chips to negotiate with these Magical Girls.

    The man went through his calctions in his mind, and during that brief pondering, the distant blue light had already approached. Immediately, he steeled his resolve and leaped towards the direction of the light.

    Almost the instant he leaped, he first fired several purple-ck Magic Bullets upwards, then suddenly changed direction, plummeting towards the ground below.

    Faced with the sudden attack, the opponent would have to defend themselves somehow, and he would use that opportunity to create a window of time; then there might be a chance...

    Boom!

    His thoughts halted right there.

    Because the blue light, like aet, shot straight through his body, the azure Magic Power trail piercing him and enveloping his entire being in a radiant glow with intense destructive force.

    The man, or the Remnant Beast, was instantly torn in two.

    The severed body twirled in the air, and thest thing the man saw was the blue figure, with two question-filled words arising in his mind.

    Leaf tier?

    Then, his consciousness plunged into silence.

    After piercing the man in the sky, the blueet suddenly stopped midair. The petite blue-haired girl emerged from the Flow of Magical Power, subconsciously holding her forehead, then shook her Magic Wand with a look of disgust.

    After shaking off the Remnant Beast''s blood from it, she turned her head and clicked her tongue:

    "Tch, disgusting bug."

 Chapter 103: Chapter 86: The Crisis Concludes

    As Emerald Sparrow rushed anxiously to the locationst marked by the positioning spell techniques, the personnel at the scene had already been evacuated.

    With their leader gone, the remaining robed figures were almostpletely no match for the few magical girls. Realizing the tide had turned, they scattered like birds and beasts, and aside from a few bewildered youngsters, no one chose to resist ¨C they either fled or surrendered.

    Besides their leader, referred to as "Troop Touch Three" ¨C the man in ck robes, the rest of their members were just magicians. Everyone knew that magicians stood no chance against magical girls.

    Most of the elderly and children in the orphanage had been rescued, but a few of the staff and security personnel had sacrificed themselves in the resistance, casting a somber mood over the scene.

    Emerald Sparrow descended from the sky to the entrance of the orphanage, focusing her attention on magical power perception, and quickly detected the remnants of the previous battle.

    It was indeed not hard to find, after all, the ground was littered with broken walls and ruins, the cracked pavement was barely recognizable, and everywhere were traces of magical power sts.

    Then, she saw the three magical girls gathered together.

    To be precise, it was Xia Liang who had undone her transformation and was lying on the ground, while another green-haired magical girl, whom she had not met before, was wrapping her own magic power around her; and Lin Xiaolu sat copsed on the side, watching.

    This scene made her heart tighten, and then she quickly descended and ran to the girls'' side with small quick steps.

    "I''veete, what happened?" she asked anxiously, looking towards Xia Liang on the ground, only to see Xia Liang enveloped in a green magical glow, eyes tightly closed, her face serene.

    "Ah, Emerald Sparrow, you''re here, have you beaten your enemies over there?"

    Lin Xiaolu, sitting on the ground, first brightened up with surprise upon her arrival. But then her head drooped somewhat despairingly, "Sorry, because of a mistake I made in the middle of the fight, Xia Liang... to protect me..."

    She couldn''t continue.

    The injury Xia Liang sustained did indeed stem from her own carelessness; if it weren''t for the white magic power she usedter from an unknown source, the magical girls present might have all perished because of that mistake.

    Although she was mentally prepared, she still didn''t want to see the look of disappointment in Emerald Sparrow''s eyes.

    "How could this¡­"

    On the other hand, upon hearing Lin Xiaolu''s words, Emerald Sparrow''s eyes widened with difficulty epting the news.

    She hadn''t expected that, even after dealing with the enemy as swiftly as possible upon receiving the news and hurrying to the scene, such an incident would still ur.

    Xia Liang had just sacrificed herself like that.

    Unsure of what to do, she could only gently kneel on the ground, sadly cradling Xia Liang''s hand, looking down at Xia Liang''s calm face without words for a moment.

    She remembered this girl''s usual smile, recalled the stories of her past, and remembered her once-expressed longing for love.

    But now, she had died here, and all that she had once longed for had nothing to do with her anymore.

    She had once epted Xia Liang as a magical girl, seeing her talent, and she had confidently thought she could protect this gifted sapling, but it was just such a crisis marked by an ident.

    "I''m sorry, if I had noticed something was wrong sooner, if I could have gotten here earlier..." she closed her eyes, her voice heavy with sorrow.

    ¡ª¡ª "Uh... Junior? What are you talking about?"

    However, before she could finish her words, a familiar voice interrupted her,ing from the ground.

    Emerald Sparrow opened her eyes bewilderedly, only to see Xia Liang looking at her with confused eyes and a somewhat awkward smile, "Although I''m sorry to interrupt you, I need to rify, I''m not dead, okay?"

    Then Emerald Sparrow froze.

    She stared nkly at Xia Liang for a few seconds; then turned to Lin Xiaolu, who also had an embarrassed expression; and finally looked at the neer who, due to the sudden event, had not yet grasped what was happening.

    "...if I could have gotten here earlier, there wouldn''t have been so many innocent sacrifices."

    She repeated the words like reading from a textbook, emotionless, dryly finishing the sentence.

    Having said that, she straightened her face, intending to stand up: "I will go check the orphanage area over there, tally up the victims and remaining injuries, and notify the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "We''ve already informed the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."

    To their surprise, even that way was blocked. Xia Liang spoke with the calmest and most frivolous tone, "The battle here has already ended, and the first we notified was the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. We couldn''t get through to your cell phone, junior, and were nning to look for you in a bit."

    "It''s more like,"

    She squinted her eyes with some teasing and curled her lips up: "Junior, did you think I was dead just now? Were you sad? Were you grieving for me?"

    With these words, the scene instantly erupted into chaos.

    "Eh? Emerald Sparrow, you thought Xia Liang was dead?"

    Lin Xiaolu, finally understanding the inexplicable conversation from earlier, eximed in surprise. Then, seeing Emerald Sparrow staring at her expressionlessly, she realized she had spoken out of turn, and hastily waved her hands in exnation:

    "No, I didn''t say that! I just meant that she got hurt protecting me, and I''m reflecting on it!"

    But she waspletely unaware that by pushing off responsibility so cleanly, she had utterly dismantled thest step beneath Emerald Sparrow''s feet.

    Bai Jingxuan, who was standing to the side, finally caught on after hearing her words. She looked at Emerald Sparrow, who had just arrived at the scene, with her hair slightly disheveled and looking travel-worn, and her expression became a bit subtle.

    She wanted tough, but she remembered that the people before her should all be her seniors, and she shouldn''t be so disrespectful.

    Yet, in her eyes, the kid who seemed younger than herself and had misunderstood the situation upon arrival, nearly mourning for her still-being-treated teammate, looked somewhat adorable.

    Despite appearing somewhat aloof and seemingly difficult to get along with, the way she spoke told a different story.

    She thought so in her heart.

    "...I''m d you''re alright."

    On the other hand, knowing that she couldn''t wash away the embarrassment of the blunder, Emerald Sparrow could only nod her head in resignation and respond dryly.

    And she couldn''t help but nce at Lin Xiaolu again.

    "That''s not what you should be saying here, right?"

    Lying on the ground, Xia Liang shook her head and looked at Emerald Sparrow with clear eyes: "Junior, didn''t you notice? In this battle, Xiaolu was the one who yed a crucial role."

    Those words awakened Emerald Sparrow.

    Only then did she realize that the battle had already ended before she had arrived.

    Xia Liang was obviously incapacitated due to severe injuries; the green-haired neer seemed in a bad state as well; but Lin Xiaolu alone, apart from looking tired, was surprisingly unharmed.

    Without a doubt, what Xia Liang said was true¡ªthe three rookies had defeated an enemy whom Emerald Sparrow thought was unbeatable, and key to that victory was her own daughter.

    Looking around at the messed-up terrain and guessing the intensity of the battle that had taken ce, she then turned her head back to Lin Xiaolu.

    Lin Xiaolu, hearing Xia Liang mention her name and then seeing Emerald Sparrow looking at her, realized that she had forgotten to take credit for their victory out of fear of being criticized.

    She had wanted to say more, but recalling her thoughts and feelings during the battle, her ears began to burn with heat.

    In the end, under Emerald Sparrow''s gaze, she merely nodded modestly: "Mhm, we won, against that enemy."

    After hearing her daughter''s affirmation, Emerald Sparrow''s gaze softened.

    She had always been overly protective of the neers, so she truly hadn''t expected that they could defeat such an enemy without her.

    Perhaps her thoughts had indeed been too conservative. But having this notion disproved in such a way, she only felt relief.

    The earlier embarrassment seemed less significant; she remembered the Remnant Beasts she had casually dealt with on her way here and then looked at the three girls present, feeling somewhat enlightened:

    "Well done, you did very well, I am proud of you!"

 Chapter 104 Chapter 87 Liu Wenqin

    ``` Experience new stories with empire

    The support from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau always arrived btedly, but in terms of post-crisis management, they were fairlypetent. From Luoming District to Lixing District, both incident sites had been secured and quarantined by personnel from the Bureau.

    In Luoming District, the damaged areas were the most disparate, and the roads and infrastructure had suffered the heaviest damage, thankfully with few casualties; in Lixing District, the destruction was nearly limited to the vicinity of Fangting City''s First Welfare House, but it resulted in the loss of many innocent lives.

    The work of repairing and reconstructing the affected areas, evacuating and arranging follow-up for people in danger, investigating andforting eyewitnesses at the scene, and arresting and escorting the terrorists involved a massive amount of work revolving around a crisis that had onlysted a few hours.

    Those who called themselves ck Ash Dawn magicians would be sent to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau for further interrogation, awaiting sentences based on their crimes and the attitude of their confessions, ranging from the revocation of their ability to use spell techniques to the death penalty; the dead man in the ck robe would have his body taken to therge central Abnormal Strategy Bureau and through its gates sent to the Research Institute in the Magic Kingdom.

    As for thest and most troublesome individual, the w Mark Magical Girl Sparrow, she would be detained in a special containment facility in Fangting City, waiting for the investigation team from the Magic Kingdom to arrive.

    This was Emerald Sparrow''s own wish and was strongly supported by the Fangting City Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    ording to Director Mosi, this was not only about handling a case well, but also a good opportunity to re-establish contact with the Magic Kingdom.

    Therefore, through the Seeder of the neighboring Qingyan City, the Fangting City Abnormal Strategy Bureau immediately passed the information to the Magic Kingdom''s Investigation Institute and received a reply a few dayster: The Institute would send an investigation team to Fangting City.

    Unlike the previous indifferent attitude, the Institute obviously ced more importance and care on the members of the "w Mark" organization.

    However, these were things that would happenter.

    After this sudden crisis, which was promptly quelled, and before the people from the Kingdom arrived, Lin Yun, who had sessfully resigned, still had a few things to do.

    He needed to settle the newly joined Magical Girl, Bai Jingxuan; assist the Abnormal Strategy Bureau with some final post-crisis work; and then, he would face the day he had long prepared for: An Ya''s anniversary of death.

    Lin Yun knew practically nothing about Bai Jingxuan, the girl who had unexpectedly be a Magical Girl during the ident. Besides discovering that her magic power seemed to naturally possess a special quality upon their first meeting, he only knew that she lived in the welfare house and was an orphan.

    But even an orphan, unless they are an abandoned baby, would have had parents and a family at some point, and out of the need to learn more about her, Lin Yun decided to meet with the director of the welfare house¡ªMiss Liu Wenqin.

    Of course, not as Lin Yun, but in the guise of Emerald Sparrow.

    Due to this need, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau also specially granted a favor for Emerald Sparrow: normally, when ordinary peoplee to know the true identity of a Magical Girl, they should be given psychological suggestions in a timely manner to forget the matter. However, after this incident, the Bureau didn''t immediately subject Director Liu to psychological suggestion. Instead, they temporarily allowed her to retain full awareness of the incident, to bettermunicate with Emerald Sparrow.

    Thus, on the morning of the day following the end of the incident, Emerald Sparrow met with Liu Wenqin in the welfare house director''s office.

    "I''m already aware of the purpose of your visit, and to be honest... I really hadn''t expected to encounter such a thing at my age," Liu Wenqin said somewhat helplessly from behind the desk, her arm in a cast: "Although I''ve always known that magic exists in this world, having these events happen so close to me still feels a bit unreal."

    "I''m very sorry that we failed to detect the situation in time and that we couldn''te to the rescue immediately."

    Sitting in front of the desk, Emerald Sparrow said, holding the teacup prepared by Liu Wenqin: "It was supposed to be our task as Magical Girls to promptly eliminate the Remnant Beasts. As the captain of the Fangting City team, I feel deeply apologetic about it."

    ```

    Upon hearing Emerald Sparrow''s words, Liu Wenqin, who sat behind the desk, was momentarily stunned before she spoke, "I''m sorry, before we start discussing Xiao Xuan''s matter, may I ask you a question first?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Please ask." Emerald Sparrow watched her calmly.

    "Although my memory isn''t very clear either... are you, by any chance, called Cornflower?"

    Eyeing Emerald Sparrow''s attire carefully, Liu Wenqin hesitated a bit and said, "It might be a bit presumptuous to ask this. If you don''t know who Cornflower is, just disregard my question."

    The office fell silent for a moment.

    "...I am."

    Polishing the teacup in her hands and after a long silence, Emerald Sparrow maintained herposure and nodded, "If you''re referring to the Magical Girl known as Cornflower, then that''s me."

    "Haha, no wonder, I felt you looked familiar the moment I first saw you."

    Relieved and with a smile, as if recalling something, Liu Wenqin''s demeanor rxed significantly, "If I recall correctly, you were the Magical Girl of Fangting City twenty years ago. I asionally saw you on the news back then, and my daughter was quite fond of you."

    "Twenty years ago? Then, your daughter now..." Emerald Sparrow caught the information in her words.

    "Yes, she now has children of her own."

    With her hand covering her mouth as if the topic brought her great joy, Liu Wenqin said, "She even nned to volunteer as a nurse here at the welfare home for a while. Unfortunately, she ended up beingzy and missed the chance to meet her childhood idol."

    Emerald Sparrow shook her head, "After so much time, even if someone paid attention as a child, they probably have forgotten by now."

    "How could that be? She still mentions your name asionally when she sees any news rted to Magical Girls."

    Liu Wenqinughed and said, "Back then, you were the city''s great hero. Those who liked you would always remember your name."

    Emerald Sparrow had heard this same sentiment not long ago from Wang Tengfei.

    Since returning to a life away from the public eye, she had been trying to hide her traces and never once interacted closely with regr people. She had never expected that, after making contact with people at such close quarters as a Magical Girl, so many would still remember her.

    "Speaking of which, have you been Fangting City''s Magical Girl for these twenty years? You mentioned you are now the captain. What happened to the other kids from before? I remember their names were Sakura and Lan Xiang... and one kid whose name was quite long?"

    Emerald Sparrow did not respond, and Liu Wenqin continued speaking. Halfway through, she realized something problematic in what she said and waved her hands apologetically, "Ah, I''m sorry, I unconsciously thought of you as the children from back then."

    "It really feels like Magical Girls are quite miraculous. Even after so many years, there is not a single sign of aging, you still look so young, just like a child."

 Chapter 105 Chapter 88 Signature

    "...Director Liu."

    Seeing that Liu Wenqin''s topic of conversation had begun to stray, Emerald Sparrow had to interject, "This is not part of the prearranged discussion content."

    "Oh, sorry, it''s just that this is my first time seeing a Magical Girl up close, so I talked a little too much about my extra thoughts," Liu Wenqin stopped, smiling apologetically, "I''ve asked everything I wanted to ask, so let''s get back to the main topic."

    She quieted her excess enthusiasm and shuffled through a stack of papers on the desk. The aging director pulled out a dozen or so forms that were bound together and handed them to Emerald Sparrow.

    With some confusion, Emerald Sparrow took the small stack of documents and briefly skimmed through them, only to realize: these were Bai Jingxuan''s medical reports and many documents and proofs from before she was received by the welfare center.

    Inside, Bai Jingxuan''s experiences were described in detail and officially: the reasons she was admitted into the welfare center and her current status.

    Gently pinching the paper, Emerald Sparrow didn''t speak, simply flipping through the documents in silence.

    From the papers, she saw many things, learned about the peculiar illness with which Bai Jingxuan was born; knew she had lost her parents and her eyes in a Remnant Beast attack; and likewise knew she had waited three years in the welfare center without being adopted.

    Emerald Sparrow didn''t consider herself someone overflowing with sympathy, but she did possess the basic empathy of an adult. Holding such documents, she only felt a great heaviness in her palms.

    The attacks by Remnant Beasts were never just flimsy numbers. Even though Magical Girls and the Abnormal Strategy Bureau were responsible for maintaining the security of the city, casualties were still inevitable.

    Each casualty, merely a count of ck letters on white paper in the archives, often meant the shattering of a family behind them.

    "Xiaoxuan is a child I''ve always watched with concern, and I''ve often heard the caregivers talk about her. All I can say is that her situation is indeed very... special."

    Seeing Emerald Sparrow looking down at the documents, Liu Wenqin added from behind her desk, "Her parents died in a Remnant Beast attack ident, and her life afterwards became very inconvenient. Although her behavior is usually quite normal, we aren''t sure if what she shows is truly how she feels."

    "If we said before, such things were unforeseen disasters that wemon people couldn''t even imagine; but now, having be a Magical Girl, possessing the ability to defeat and kill Remnant Beasts, I''m very concerned about what kind of emotions she might harbor."

    "She''s always been quiet and sensible, and it''s precisely because of this that everyone''s even more worried. The severity of the hatred she might hold towards the Remnant Beasts, and how this hatred might affect her, are things I can neither predict nor control."

    "In a ce like ours, the care the caregivers can provide her is ultimately limited; with no one willing to adopt her, she might alwaysck a proper mentor to guide her in her life ahead."

    "But Miss Cornflower, if it''s you, who has once saved this city... I believe you can set her on the right path."

    "Not only to be a Magical Girl like you but more importantly, to guide her out of her own emotions and gain a new perspective on the world." Discover stories at empire

    Director Liu spoke these words with great sincerity.

    Not just as the head of the welfare center but also as an elder, these were her genuine concerns for the child Bai Jingxuan.

    "...I will," Emerald Sparrow lifted her head from the documents, looked at Liu Wenqin, and replied calmly and earnestly.

    Bai Jingxuan had already be a Magical Girl with Moke''s help and thus was a member of the Fangting City Magical Girl Squad, as well as Lin Xiaolu''s current and futurepanion. Whether it was out ofpassionate concern or due to the sense of responsibility as a Magical Girl senior, she had no reason not to properly nurture her.

    Having learned about her experiences and condition from Liu Wenqin, it would facilitate me to teach her ording to her aptitudes and help her grow properly.

    With this, the purpose of the conversation had been achieved.

    And when Emerald Sparrow had finished reviewing the materials and expressed her gratitude, Liu Wenqin suddenly lowered her voice as if whispering, and said:

    "I heard from the staff at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau that after this incident, I will gradually forget these things without any negative effects."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "So, I suppose I''ll also forget that Xiaoxuan became a Magical Girl, and I''ll forget that I have met you, right?"

    "That''s why I still need to say a very serious thank you. I would like to express gratitude on behalf of everyone at the orphanage, and I wish you sess in your future endeavors."

    As she spoke, she hesitated slightly and then, with an apologetic smile, flipped open the notebook on her desk, took out a bookmark, and handed it to Cornflower:

    "Though it was meant for my daughter, could I ask for your autograph?"

    Looking at the bookmark she handed over, Emerald Sparrow picked up a pen. There wasn''t much she could reply with, all she could say was "Thank you."

    With mixed emotions, she wrote down "Cornflower" on the bookmark and bid farewell to Liu Wenqin, who was behind the desk. After leaving the office, she looked back to see Liu Wenqin sitting there, waving calmly and smiling at her.

    Liu Wenqin appeared very open-minded about the impending erasure of her memories. But both Emerald Sparrow and she knew that even if they met again, they would only be strangers.

    Perhaps for most ordinary people, returning to tranquility by forgetting these events was the most secure choice.

    On the way home, Lin Yun sat in the light rail train, gazing out at the streetscape through the window, lost in thought.

    The Abnormal Strategy Bureau had acted quickly, in just a single day the neighborhood around the orphanage had been mostly repaired, leaving only some peripheral areas still fenced off for safety.

    Although he hadn''t been back to thepany to see it, he was also aware that the office building''s repair wouldn''t take long. The spell techniques of Magicians were far superior for these kinds of taskspared to ordinary construction crews.

    There had been too many incidents in the past few days, so he had been maintaining a taut mental state. Now, with the conclusion of the incident and follow-ups winding down, he needed to rx and make ns for the future.

    He had officially resigned from Gaoseng Company, which exined why he could afford to visit the orphanage leisurely on a workday morning. However, after resigning, he wasn''t sure if he should just "take it easy" at home.

    Although he would be active as Emerald Sparrow during the day, Lin Yun, as a father, felt he shouldn''t tell Lin Xiaolu that he had quit his job. After all, being jobless was something that could significantly impact a middle-aged man''s image.

    He was still deciding whether to keep his resignation a secret or to find a nominal job with no real substance or ie.

    And with his resignation, Xiaolu''s summer vacation was still ongoing. How to train them after he started supervising them formally also needed consideration.

    Bai Jingxuan, orphan, disabled, outsider.

    These keywords flickered in Lin Yun''s mind,pelling him to seriously consider the educational issues ahead.

    "Anyway, let''s talk to her first."

 Chapter 106 Chapter 89 The First Conversation with Bai Jingxuan

    "Although it is our first meeting, you don''t need to be so formal. Please, have a seat."

    "Yes, Teacher."

    "You don''t need to call me teacher; you can call me Emerald Sparrow."

    "Understood, Teacher."

    "Why insist on calling me teacher?"

    "The caregivers said it''s more polite to address someone who teaches you as ''teacher.''"

    "Among magical girls, we don''t call each other by mentor and student. For someone more experienced, we just use ''senior.''"

    "Got it! Senior Teacher!"

    "...You might as well keep calling me teacher."

    The above conversation took ce on the same afternoon.

    At Lin Xiaolu, also known as Emerald Sparrow''s home, while the other two girls were practicing their magic power in the living room, Emerald Sparrow took Bai Jingxuan away from them to the dining room for a one-on-one talk.

    This was the first time Emerald Sparrow had a direct conversation with this neer, and it was also the first time she saw what Bai Jingxuan truly looked like.

    Unlike her appearance with a short bob and a medical eye patch, which made her seem fragile and delicate, there was a subtly masculine air about Bai Jingxuan when she spoke.

    Perhaps it was her simple and crisp trouser outfit, or the bright light in her right eye, or even the subtly mature tone in her speech. Altogether, these elements could make one feel as if they were conversing with a quiet, precocious little boy.

    Emerald Sparrow had thought that with such experiences, the child in front of her would show a more introverted and closed-off personality, but, contrary to what she had imagined, Bai Jingxuan appeared very normal.

    And this normalcy,bined with her experiences, was strangely fascinating.

    But obviously, this wasn''t something that could be resolved through conversation at the moment, what she had to do now was simply to get to know who Bai Jingxuan was, and her talents as a magical girl.

    Undoubtedly, having an identity as a "deviant," Bai Jingxuan was quite special even among magical girls.

    As for her character and behavior, they matched Emerald Sparrow''s initial impression; the child did not show any issues.

    However, after the conversation had smoothly progressed for a while, during a pause as Emerald Sparrow considered what to ask next, Bai Jingxuan suddenly spoke up, "Um, teacher, there''s something I want to ask you."

    "What is it?" replied Emerald Sparrow casually.

    "You mentioned earlier that we are the magical girl team of Fangting City, right?"

    "Yes."

    "Then, is there a magical girl here who wears a pink dress and has pink hair?"

    This question made Emerald Sparrow sharply raise her eyes.

    Without a doubt, Bai Jingxuan was describing An Ya.

    Hearing a familiar description from the mouth of a stranger made her somewhat surprised for a moment, but she soon suppressed her fluctuating emotions, maintaining herposure as she asked, "Why do you ask?"

    "Because, if she is still in Fangting City, I would actually like to meet her."

    Bai Jingxuan looked at Emerald Sparrow, her remaining right eye clear, "Three years ago, I encountered an incident with Remnant Beasts attacking, and she saved my life from that crisis. I''ve always wanted to thank her."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    This child? Was she saved by An Ya?

    This information left Emerald Sparrow momentarily stunned.

    But she soon realized that it was entirely possible.

    The records showed that Bai Jingxuan had encountered an attack by a Remnant Beast three years ago, and at that time, An Ya was still alive and active in Fangting City. With An Ya''s strength, saving a child from a disaster would not have been difficult.

    However, once the truth of the matter was confirmed, Emerald Sparrow didn''t know how to respond to Bai Jingxuan.

    Because An Ya was already dead.

    Should she tell her right here that the Magical Girl she wanted to meet had already sacrificed herself? Would such news be too cruel for her?

    But if she didn''t tell her, after all, it wasn''t a secret, how long could she keep it hidden?

    Considering the child in front of her had already experienced the loss of her parents to the Remnant Beasts, and recalling Liu Wenqin''s request for her to help the child understand and handle everything she had been through properly, Emerald Sparrow felt she might have to lie again.

    She could feel that the gratitude and admiration for Sakura, or in other words, An Ya, were probably the main reasons this child could face the identity of a Magical Girl positively. If she were to recklessly cut this thread, then all that would be left to tie her to the identity of a Magical Girl would be her power and the hatred stemming from her parents'' death at the hands of Remnant Beasts.

    Emerald Sparrow had seen such Magical Girls, who, driven by the death of their loved ones at the hands of Remnant Beasts, lived every day in mes of hatred and would one day be consumed by those mes.

    No matter what, she should not let Bai Jingxuan be like that.

    So, in response to Bai Jingxuan''s question, she could only feign indifference, "We in Fangting City did have such a Magical Girl, but she left two years ago."

    "Two years ago?"

    Upon hearing this, Bai Jingxuan''s expression clearly showed a touch of disappointment, "I see, I was hoping to meet her after bing a Magical Girl."

    Emerald Sparrow could only maintain her silence.

    She couldn''t tell Bai Jingxuan "you will be able to meet her someday," because even she couldn''t bring herself to say those words.

    If possible, she would have liked to meet An Ya again as well.

    Not to mention, she didn''t want to keep deceiving this somewhat pitiful child.

    The conversation had brought her to a point where she already had some ideas about how to train Bai Jingxuan, not just in developing her abilities as an anomaly; more importantly, she needed to preserve the child''s positive image of being a Magical Girl, at least, to make her feel that life after bing a Magical Girl was good, was happy.

    Only by doing so could she ensure that when the time came to tell her about An Ya, the child would not lose her positive emotional bond and fallpletely into negative thinking.

    Combining her experiences, she had to make the worst assumption, that even if the child seemed normal now, she had to be prepared ordingly.

    Moreover, whether it was an illusion or not, Bai Jingxuan''s unusual calmness felt to her like a dormant volcano. Such a volcano might appear silent and seem safe, but it still hid fierce and ragingva within.

    Emerald Sparrow hoped this was just her imagination.

    "So, about that pink Magical Girl, I remember her saying her name was Sakura? Miss Sakura, where did she go?" Unaware of Emerald Sparrow''s considerations, Bai Jingxuan just asked with some confusion.

    "Where she went...?"

    Carried away by the question, Emerald Sparrow looked at Bai Jingxuan, then slowly lowered her gaze, her thoughts bing somewhat hazy, "Perhaps to a ce free from worries for Magical Girls?"

    At least she hoped An Ya was free from worries.

    If there was a ce the soul could go after death, then as a Magical Girl who had saved countless lives, An Ya should rightfully go to the abode of the virtuous.

    The abode of the virtuous should have a wonderful and peaceful life, and should havemendation for her deeds in life. In such a world, Emerald Sparrow hoped An Ya could have everything she wanted.

    And without a doubt, this question made her think of tomorrow.

    Tomorrow would be the anniversary of An Ya''s death.

 Chapter 107 Chapter 90 The Anniversary of a Death

    Another Saturday hade, and Lin Yun was up early as always.

    He no longer needed to linger for social obligations or work overtime, but he still had to spend the entire night helping two elementary school underachievers with their studies, followed by lesson nning, which ultimately meant he could only rest around dawn.

    Fortunately, at this age, his need for sleep was greatly reducedpared to when he was young; six hours was already enough.

    After getting cleaned up as usual, still dressed in a ck suit, Lin Yun took out the ne he had prepared the previous week from An Ya''s vanity box and stepped out of the bedroom.

    After a quick handling of ingredients from the fridge, he woke Lin Xiaolu, and father and daughter had breakfast together before driving to the cemetery where An Ya was buried.

    Sincest week''s wedding anniversary, when Lin Xiaolu''s attempt to follow Lin Yun was unsessful but she instead learned the truth about her mother''s death, the rtionship between her and Lin Yun had basically started to thaw.

    Although due to the long period of cold war, even as the estrangement gradually healed, their interactions were still somewhat awkward and stiff. But at least, Lin Xiaolu no longer deliberately showed Lin Yun a cold face, and asionally she would hesitantly initiate a conversation with Lin Yun, showing an obvious intention to mend their rtionship.

    For Lin Yun, this mode of rtionship was satisfying enough.

    As a father, he had not made any furtherments about Lin Xiaolu being a Magical Girl; after all, he knew from his identity as Emerald Sparrow that his daughter was already on the right track.

    The only thing that may have been unexpected was the battle a few days ago.

    ording to the descriptions of the three girls afterward, Lin Xiaolu used an unknown type of white Magic Power at a critical juncture and defeated an enemy whose strength was clearly above that of an Inchworm.

    The enemy''s identity was also very strange, as it turned out to be a Magician capable of transforming into a Remnant Beast.

    Lin Yun had never heard of the origins of thetter; however, as for the Magic Power disyed by Lin Xiaolu, his guess actually coincided with the one by the man in ck robes from ck Ash Dawn.

    Indeed, it was possible that Lin Xiaolu was also a deviant.

    Though neither he nor An Ya had shown any qualities of being deviants, just as Bai Jingxuan''s parents were ordinary people, the special nature of Magic Power didn''t necessarily manifest in every generation.

    But all these were still only spections; the specific details would need further investigation with Lin Xiaolu in the future.

    After undergoing an identity check at the entrance of the cemetery, Lin Yun parked the car at the entrance''s parking lot and entered the public cemetery with his daughter. After finding An Ya''s tombstone, Lin Yun quietly ced the flowers he had prepared in front of An Ya''s grave and then hung the prepared ne next to it.

    Actually, in the Donghua Region, every city once had the custom of burning spirit money tomemorate the deceased. However, as cities developed and burials became centralized, this custom gradually faded away.

    The evolution of this tradition resulted in the practice of giving gifts.

    Anything that the deceased loved in life, be it alcohol or clothing, could be brought to the grave; it could be left there until the next visit, when it could be taken back.

    Because the city''s public graveyards were under rtively strict management and regtion, with guards patrolling to prevent unauthorized entry, there was no need to worry about left gifts being stolen.

    In the past, Lin Yun hade to the cemetery several times, not only on anniversaries but also on significant holidays, for it was his only way to remember An Ya.

    Lin Xiaolu, on the other hand, did note here very often, because as a junior high school student, she neither had time nor the ability to go to the cemetery by herself. Adding to that the two years of cold war with Lin Yun, naturally, there was no chance for them toe together.

    Carefully counting, this was only her third visit here since her mother''s funeral.

    If before,ing here meant bearing pure sadness and remembrance, this visit in front of her mother''s tombstone brought with it many different thoughts.

    Not just the longing that erupted from learning her mother had been a Magical Girl, but also the reflections from talking to Emerald Sparrow and facing and oveing a formidable enemy in recent days.

    Standing in front of the small tombstone, she felt that if her mother were alive now, they would have so much inmon to talk about.

    "Mom, I''m here."

    So, she slightly opened her mouth and began to share her story.

    Starting from when she met Moke and became a Magical Girl to her encounters with Emerald Sparrow and her growth, to gainingrades¡ªshe shared every detail as if she was truly reporting to her mother, a lot, a lot.

    If she hade earlier, she probably would have mentioned more of the distant past, including but not limited to her awful experiences during the cold war with her father. But now, she found she no longer wanted to bring up those things.

    Instead,pared to her experiences after bing a Magical Girl, those past grievances seemed much less important.

    Listening to Lin Xiaolu''s words, Lin Yun stood by silently.

    The things he wanted to share with An Ya, he now found inconvenient to speak aloud in front of his daughter, so he could only silently tell her in his heart: he had ultimately chosen toe back.

    He had returned to face the things he should have epted long ago, to face some people he did not wish to see again, and also to face his original desire.

    He no longer needed to speak of the more numerous matters; he had thought it through thoroughly, and after resigning, he had already made up his mind.

    So the father and daughter lingered by the grave for a long time, until Lin Xiaolu had finished all she wanted to say, then she slowly stood up and looked at Lin Yun.

    Lin Yun noticed that the corners of her eyes were slightly reddened.

    "Dad."

    After inhaling, Lin Xiaolu spoke, "I''ve made up my mind."

    "What decision?" Lin Yun''s face showed no emotion, feigning ignorance.

    "I will definitely keep going on the path of being a Magical Girl."

    "Then eventually be strong enough to uncover all the truths and to protect everything I want to keep safe," Lin Xiaolu said with determination.

    "That''s a grand idea, but I believe in you," Lin Yun softly agreed.

    "I want to find the enemy who killed Mom and defeat her; I also want to protect the people in the city, mypanions, and even the Emerald Sparrow..."

    She continued, her voice getting softer and her head gradually lowering, until she added in an almost inaudible whisper, "...and you."

    Lin Yun, who had been somewhat heavy-hearted moments ago, couldn''t help but smile.

    He reached out and caressed Lin Xiaolu''s head, then gave it a rub and said, "Dad, you know, I''m not that old yet. I''ve got legs, and I know to run when troublees, so you better take care of yourself first."

    "Don''t mess up my hair." Trying to move his hand away, Lin Xiaoluined quietly, "And it''s an old wives'' tale, rubbing the head stops you from growing tall."

    "You have to believe in your genes, believe in your potential," Lin Yun replied, drawing back his hand and looking at the nearby gravestone, "Inheriting from me and your mom, you shouldn''t be too far off."

    "Really?" Lin Xiaolu asked, her eyes wide with skepticism.

    "At least that''s what I believe."

    Turning around, Lin Yun gestured to her, "Alright, let''s go back. Have you thought about what you want for lunch?"

    "Believe in myself... Howe that''s what the Emerald Sparrow says too?"

    Lin Xiaolu muttered to herself but quickly started walking, catching up with her father''s pace, "It doesn''t matter, there should still be leftovers fromst night."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "You, girl, just talked about wanting to grow taller, how can you grow by eating leftovers?"

    "Why can''t you grow from eating leftovers?"

    "Because they''re not nutritious."

    "Then what should we eat, go out?"

    The sound of their conversation faded away as the father and daughter left the gravestone, chatting about lunch topics while they started on their way home.

    Meanwhile, the gravestone in the cemetery stood there quietly, adorned with flowers, a ne hanging on one side, reflecting a dim glow under the near-noon sunlight, casting a warm hue.

 Chapter 105 Date (Part 1) (5k)

    [Bai Mei: Emerald Sparrow, when are you guysing back?]

    [Emerald Sparrow: A bitter, probably in the evening.]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    [Bai Mei: Thatte? Then we''ll order takeout for lunch, okay?]

    [Emerald Sparrow: Mhm, thank you for taking care of it. Is everything going smoothly on your end?]

    [Bai Mei: Don''t worry, leave it to me!]

    Staring at her phone screen, Emerald Sparrow slowly sipped her tea, felt a bit relieved, and put her phone back on the table.

    It was after lunch, sitting in an elegantly atmospheric tea restaurant, Emerald Sparrow and Xia Liang were resting in their chairs. On a nearby wall, a clock steadily ticked, its clear sounds blending with the gentle music, creating afortable and pleasant environment.

    The lunch spot chosen by the two was a tea restaurant called Qin He, suggested by Xia Liang after seeing it rmended online, not part of the original itinerary nned by Emerald Sparrow. The restaurant was bustling with business, and they had spent an hour just waiting in line. Once they got in, the surrounding booths were packed with customers, almost no vacant tables to be seen.

    Emerald Sparrow wasn''t particrly interested in such inte-famous restaurants, and she didn''t have a preference for any particr dishes, so Xia Liang was in charge of ordering. The result was a table full of attractive-looking dishes, which Xia Liang then photographed with her phone, one after another.

    Regardless of how the meal tasted, Xia Liang seemed satisfied at least.

    As Emerald Sparrow ced her phone back on the table, Xia Liang, who had been figuring out how to take a prettier picture of a small cake, looked up and asked with her phone in hand:

    "What''s up?"

    "Nothing much, Bai Mei was asking where we are right now." Emerald Sparrow answered matter-of-factly, without showing any expression.

    "Why do you still call her Bai Mei?"

    Xia Liang asked with a teasing smile, "Since they are not around anymore, you can just call her Lulu... Ah, I mean, do you usually call her Lulu?"

    Emerald Sparrow stared at Xia Liang, her eyelids drooping, and said, "I''ve told you before, it''s a matter of self-awareness as a Magical Girl."

    "Hm¡ª"

    With a somewhat nomittal hum, Xia Liang raised her tone slightly, then put down her phone and picked up the spoon next to the cake, "Even though you''ve already started to call me ''Xia Liang'' directly, you still insist on calling Lulu ''Bai Mei''. You''re just shy, aren''t you?"

    "... As I''ve said, I haven''t figured out how to exin it to her."

    Emerald Sparrow nced away, a bit helplessly, "Anyway, if you''re rested, we can head out now. There''s more to do in the afternoon."

    "Wait a second."

    Xia Liang suddenly raised her hand to indicate that she had an idea, her face beaming with a smile, "I just thought of a ce I''d like to go."

    Seeing Xia Liang''s suggestive smile, Emerald Sparrow felt a twitch in her brow but still respectfully asked, "Where do you want to go?"

    "Well, since we''re already near the electronics district, and the weather has turned from rain to clear..."

    Xia Liang gestured toward the windows of the restaurant, eager, "Let''s go look at clothes, shall we?"

    ...

    ...

    A momentter, not far from the tea restaurant, inside a clothing store.

    "Awesome! That outfit really suits you!"

    Inside the shop, Xia Liang emerged from the fitting room, her eyes wide as she looked at herself in the mirror wearing her newly chosen attire, while the salesperson did not skimp onpliments, "Miss, you''re simply a born model, even our promotional photos can hardly show off the clothes as well as you do!"

    Xia Liang and Emerald Sparrow were at a casual women''s clothing store called "remedy," known for targeting young women, especially those between the ages of fifteen and thirty.

    "Haha, thank you."

    Xia Liang chuckled her thanks to the salesperson and adjusted the short pink sweatshirt she wore, smoothing out a slight wrinkle in her skirt, then hiked her white ankle boots, twirling to get a full view of the outfit, "But, um... it feels a bit childish, doesn''t it?"

    After looking over her clothes for quite some time without making up her mind, Xia Liang turned back to Emerald Sparrow, "What do you think, senior? Does this outfit suit me?"

    "It''s very pretty, very cute, very harmonious, very stylish," Emerald Sparrow responded expressionlessly, with the precision of a robot, "I think it suits you well."

    That was a habit she had developed while apanying her wife An Ya shopping to select clothes.

    Whenever An Ya chose clothes and wanted Lin Yun''s opinion, it wasn''t really about wanting feedback but rather just to hear himpliment her; what she finally chose often had little to do with Lin Yun''s input.

    Of course, it wasn''t just with An Ya, in fact, apanying members of the old Fangting City squad shopping was a usual urrence for Emerald Sparrow ¡ª or rather, Cornflower, as the only Magical Girl in the team whose true form was male, Lin Yun was also seen as a reference for heterosexual aesthetics, which meant he was frequently asked, "What do you think of this outfit?"

    Without answering, he would get asked repeatedly; too cursory an answer would attract disapproval, and over time, Emerald Sparrow had developed a set of sophisticated evasive responses.

    Noticing the superficiality in Emerald Sparrow''s words, Xia Liang first narrowed her eyes in slight dissatisfaction, but then quickly seemed to think of something, with a smile on her face that became somewhat ambiguous.

    "Sister,"

    She suddenly said, addressing a nearby sales associate, "Do you have clothes here that would fit this child?"

    "This child?"

    The sales associate nced at Emerald Sparrow and then nodded, "Our smallest size should probably be about right?"

 Chapter 105 Date (Part 1) (5k)_2

    "Since it''s almost the same..."

    Xia Liang smiled and leaned two steps toward Emerald Sparrow, her voice yfully teasing, "Hehehe, little junior, why not give it a try?"

    "Try what..."

    Emerald Sparrow, who had been somewhat distracted, slowly came back to reality and, after gradually understanding the meaning behind Xia Liang''s words, looked emotionlessly toward the various outfits in the store. After staring at the clothes for a while, she turned her head back and said to Xia Liang earnestly, "I''m not wearing them."

    "Why not?"

    Xia Liang expressed her disappointment, "Little junior, you don''t have many regr clothes, do you? And most of them, like the one you''re wearing, are basically children''s clothing. Why not try something that makes you look a bit more mature?"

    "I''m not like the rest of you."

    Furrowing her brows slightly, Emerald Sparrow crossed her arms and said with heartfelt sincerity, "For me, as long as the clothes are enough for daily changes and don''t look too shabby, that''s sufficient. I don''t need, nor do I like to dress up all fancy like that."

    "Have you ever worn them before?" Xia Liang suddenly asked.

    This question made Emerald Sparrow stiffen, and after making eye contact with Xia Liang for a moment, she nodded her head reluctantly, "I have."

    What she didn''t outright say was that it wasn''t just a matter of having worn them, but rather that she had practically worn them all.

    Not to mention the styles that had been popr in the past ten years, at least twenty years prior, she had tried on every fashion that was trendy among young girls, all at An Ya''s request.

    If one were to delve into the reasons, they would have to start from a long time ago.

    From the beginning, An Ya showed a very active attitude toward Lin Yun bing a Magical Girl.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    At first, when she met the Magical Girl Lin Yun, she thought she was a girl from another area, but when Lin Yun revealed her identity, An Ya was overjoyed and readily epted the truth.

    An Ya never had thoughts like "It''s disgusting for a boy to be a Magical Girl." On the contrary, she seemed to adore the Magical Girl form of Lin Yun even more.

    Using An Ya''s favorite cheesy line to express it:

    "My favorite boy is Lin Yun, my favorite girl is Cornflower, my two favoritesbined is the most invincible favorite in the world."

    And because of this, An Ya was actually very keen on dressing up the Magical Girl Lin Yun.

    It started with just matching some of her old clothes, but as time went on, it evolved into casually picking out clothes while shopping, and eventually turned into a bizarre tradition proposed by her, called "Cornflower Image Renewal Day."

    Every so often, the Fangting City squad would take the Magical Girl Lin Yun to specially select clothes and customize new everyday outfits for her.

    Most Magical Girls look decent after transformation, even though their styles focus differently, but most are also cute, pretty, delicate and unique. The appearance and temperament of Cornflower, however, can be described as rare. Described by her old teammates, it gave off a "noble feeling," "like a nobledy from somewhere."

    A few teammates, especially An Ya, treated the Magical Girl Lin Yun like a dress-up doll, trying various styles of dress on her.

    So, although Emerald Sparrow herself wasn''t interested, she couldn''t deny that she had worn various kinds of women''s clothing. With so many urrences, she becamepletely ustomed to wearing various dresses in that appearance.

    "So you have worn them!"

    Hearing Emerald Sparrow''s response, Xia Liang excitedly clenched her fist, "Since it''s not your first time, I also want to see little junior in different clothes. Just try them on!"

    "Yeah, I want to see too!" chimed in the store clerk nearby.

    Emerald Sparrow looked at the two people in front of her and, recalling Xia Liang''s inexplicable smile and suggestion at the restaurant, she instantly knew: this had been her n all along.

    However, since the purpose of her outing today was to make Xia Liang happy, and the experiences of the morning couldn''t exactly be described as delightful, it didn''t hurt to go along with Xia Liang''s wishes now.

    "But let''s get this straight first."

    She looked up at Xia Liang, her tone serious, "I won''t wear clothes that reveal too much skin."

    ¡ª¡ª"That''s perfect!"

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    As her words fell, Xia Liang and the store clerk high-fived in celebration, cheering in session as if they had conquered some challenge, the atmosphere buzzing with excitement.

    Then, led by Xia Liang and with suggestions from the clerk, the two began to enthusiastically discuss what type of clothing suited Emerald Sparrow''s temperament and figure.

    Off-shoulder jackets, dungaree dresses, cartoon hoodies, knitwear... various types of clothing passed through Xia Liang''s hands and into Emerald Sparrow''s, who then put them on with an indifferent face and stepped out of the dressing room with a chilly expression.

    And even though her reactions were cold, the enthusiasm of the other two did not wane in the slightest.

    ording to the outfits Emerald Sparrow put on, the sales clerk even personally helped change her hairstyle, including but not limited to ponytails, buns, and braids... while Xia Liang took photos from all angles with her cell phone on the side.

    Looking at the girl in the mirror wearing unfamiliar clothes and listening to the clerk''s ttery, Emerald Sparrow''s eyes widened slightly as she suddenly felt a sense of temporal dislocation.

    It was as if she had returned to the times when she went out with the old squad, and outside the dressing room,ughing and joking, were An Ya, Margaret, Su Shengzi...

    Only, such feelingssted for merely a brief moment before she snapped back to reality, her thoughts shifting from the past back to the present.

 Chapter 105 Date (Part 1) (5k)_3

    "How is it? Little junior."

    After finishing the photo shoot, Xia Liang walked over, put her hand on Emerald Sparrow''s shoulder, and looked into the mirror, "I think this one is the most satisfying."

    Emerald Sparrow looked at herself in the mirror and saw that she was wearing a loose, short cardigan with long sleeves, a high-waisted skirt, white socks, and canvas shoes on her feet, all of which added a youthful student vibe to her demeanor.

    Her appearance as a Magical Girl was somewhat youthful, but in this outfit, she seemed to take on a slightly more mature air, looking much more grown-up, at least like a middle school student.

    It was precisely this point that led Emerald Sparrow, after a brief moment of silence, to nod subconsciously in approval, "I think it''s quite nice."

    It wasn''t merely a perfunctory response, but genuine satisfaction.

    So, after nearly an hour of trying things on, and stopping only because the store clerk was neglecting other customers, which was bad for business, Emerald Sparrow and Xia Liang walked out of the store with several bags in hand.

    By that time, it was already the afternoon.

    "Ah, that was satisfying!"

    Holding her phone, Xia Liang moved forward while browsing through the photos she had taken earlier, "I could never see you in these clothes normally, but now I can save them all."

    "...I''d really prefer you to delete them."

    Carrying a paper bag, Emerald Sparrow paced down the street, "If you really don''t want to delete them, then at least be a little careful not to let those photos slip to the other members."

    "Eh? Is it bad to show them to Xiao Lu?"

    Xia Liang raised her phone and shook it, "I think she''d be really happy to see them, after all, you''re very cute."

    "You know what I''m trying to say."

    Emerald Sparrow gave her a sidelong re, "No means no."

    "So this is our little secret then?"

    Xia Liang grinned, pressing the phone against her chin, "With this, our secrets umte even more."

    Emerald Sparrow remained silent to her deliberately teasing words.

    Replying too earnestly would only encourage Xia Liang''s yful spirit; replying too carelessly might make Xia Liang feel snubbed. The best response was no response, handling it neutrally.

    The two walked along the pedestrian street for a while, crossed the road they''de by, and once more reached another block. Emerald Sparrow didn''t speak, and Xia Liang didn''t ask, just asionally throwing out a question in light conversation.

    Before long, having turned a corner, Emerald Sparrow spoke softly, "We''re here."

    "Where?" asked Xia Liang, puzzled.

    "Our next stop, a privately operated pour-over coffee shop."

    Emerald Sparrow reminisced as she spoke, "It was also where Fangting City''s team used to meet up after school. I''m not sure if it''s still in business, but let''s go check it out."

    "Like how we used to have to meet on the rooftop of a building?" Xia Liang asked, somewhat pensively.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Something like that," answered Emerald Sparrow nonchntly.

    "Eh... You guys used to meet in ces like this?" Xia Liang was somewhat astonished, "Was there some special reason?"

    "Is it that strange? Going to a caf¨¦ shouldn''t be unusual."

    "Well, it''s not about going to a caf¨¦ being unusual, but the kind of caf¨¦ you''re talking about seems a bit..."

    Explore hidden tales at empire

    While speaking, Xia Liang stretched out her hand, pointing towards the opposite side of the street, "Look, it should be that one over there, right?"

    "What kind of caf¨¦? It should just be an ordinary..."

    As Emerald Sparrow followed where Xia Liang was pointing, she saw a coffee shop indeed in the ce of her memory. However, as she got a clear view of the coffee shop''s sign and decor, it was as if she forgot what she was about to say, abruptly swallowing her words.

    In her memory, the location across the street was supposed to host a small, exquisite coffee shop with a Western Region style, slightly quiet business-wise but with a very particr atmosphere and equipment.

    But now, what entered her view wasn''t the shop she remembered.

    A girl dressed in a ck and white maid uniform was standing at the door, enthusiastically promoting to passing pedestrians; the storefront was decorated in a breezy pink style, giving off a very girly vibe; the name of the coffee shop was written in cursive on the sign, but beside the logo was a miniaturized version of a maid outfit.

    And such an outfit, in the public''s mind, had a specific name: maid attire.

    ¡ªIt was a maid caf¨¦.

 Chapter 106 Date (Part 2) (4.5k)

    ```

    "...it looks like the old shop is gone."

    Gazing at the storefront not far away, Emerald Sparrow turned, intending to leave with Xia Liang, "But then again, it makes sense; so many years have passed, it would be unusual for these shops to still be around. Let''s go."

    She nudged Xia Liang''s arm, signaling her to follow, but found that Xia Liang hadn''t moved.

    Not only that, but as Emerald Sparrow was about to leave, Xia Liang caught hold of her sleeve, anchoring her to the spot, momentarily unable to continue forward.

    "Come on, try it, junior."

    She looked at Emerald Sparrow with a smile, "We''re already here, why not take a look?"

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but shake her head, "No, I think..."

    ¡ª "Are the two youngdies interested in our store?"

    It was then, the caf¨¦''s signboard girl suddenly took two steps toward them and said loudly, "We have a special event today! There are discounts on certain items, and you can get rewards forpleting little games!"

    Her resounding voice directly interrupted Emerald Sparrow, clogging her words of refusal in her throat.

    "Eh? Really? What kind of event is it?"

    In contrast, Xia Liang had already excitedly run to the doorway, chatting with the signboard employee, "I''ve never been to a maid caf¨¦ before. What exactly do we do?"

    "Well... it''s just some verymon little games, nothing difficult. Just beat our store''s sisters to win a prize."

    The employee at the door exined kindly, "And even if you don''t win, as long as the store''s sisters recognize your effort, you can still get a reward."

    "As for today''s event, well¡ªlook."

    She pointed to a ground-to-ceiling window nearby. Looking through the window to the caf¨¦, a group of young female employees wearing colorful costumes could be seen moving about: "Our theme this time is Magical Girl Day." Read exclusive content at empire

    Magical Girl Day.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The moment she uttered these words, Emerald Sparrow inwardly sensed trouble, but it was already toote; Xia Liang''s eyes were already gleaming.

    "That sounds so fun!"

    That''s what she said.

    Not fun at all.

    Emerald Sparrow argued in her heart.

    However, today''s outing was primarily about Xia Liang''s wishes. If she found it interesting, there was no need for Emerald Sparrow to dampen her spirits; she just followed her into the coffee shop in front of them.

    Upon entering, all the staff turned around and greeted in unison, "Defenders of love and justice, today we''re here to cheer for your smile, wee to Fangting City''s Magical Girl secret base!"

    The uniform greeting made Emerald Sparrow''s eyelid twitch.

    "Normally, we''d say ''Wee home, young master'' or ''Wee home, youngdy,'' but because it''s a special theme day, we''ve changed the greeting."

    The signboard girl next to them chuckled and exined, "How is it? Does it feel like something out of a Magical Girl TV animation?"

    "It does, it does!"

    Surveying her surroundings with unrestrained interest, Xia Liang''s face was brimming with uncontroble curiosity as she praised, "Even the wall decorations are magic wands; it''s really well made!"

    "Please follow me, the seats over here offer a clearer view of the entire cafe."

    The signboard girl led them to an avable double seat, then pointed to the tabletop sign, "If you''d like to order, you can do so online, take a look and see what interests you! I''ll excuse myself for a moment!"

    After giving these instructions, she quickly walked away.

    Emerald Sparrow and Xia Liang consequently sat down and browsed the menu on their phones. Each studying the options for a moment, they then discussed and selected the desserts and drinks they wanted.

    Xia Liang ordered a fruit tea, a te of cupcakes, and a bowl of ice cream; Emerald Sparrow opted for something simpler ¨C atte.

    The business inside the cafe was actually quite good. Many customers could be seen interacting with the employees in Magical Girl costumes. Fortunately, the speed at which the meals were made was not held back by the bustle, and soon enough, the desserts ordered by Emerald Sparrow and Xia Liang were brought over by a staff member dressed in a blue dress.

    Seeing the person''s face, Emerald Sparrow raised an eyebrow¡ªfor it was the very same signboard girl who had just left.

    Now, she had switched out of the maid outfit she wore at the door and was dressed in a blue coat and puff skirt, reminiscent of a Magical Girl, her face smiling as she ced their desserts on the table.

    "Weren''t you the signboard outside?" Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help asking.

    "Shift change, shift change, can''t just stand outside all the time."

    The girl in the blue dress chuckled as she exined, "If you stay out in the sun too long, your skin will darken."

    "Really."

    Unsatisfied with the perfunctory reply, Emerald Sparrow responded nomittally, took the te from her hands, and then picked up her ordered coffee.

    "Interested in the Magical Girl costumes in the store?"

    Before Emerald Sparrow could bring her cup to her lips, the signboard girl leaned in again, "The costumes in our store are all based on real designs."

    "To be more specific, these Magical Girl dresses actually have prototypes that can be found online, and each one belongs to a famous Magical Girl."

    ```

 Chapter 106 Date (Part 2) (4.5k)_2

    "For example, take a look at the outfit I''m wearing. It''s the famous Magical Girl from Tiandu City in the Northern Central Metropolis¡ªBlue Star''s costume."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Upon hearing her words, Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but nce at her clothes. Afterparing it with her memory of "Blue Star," as mentioned by the other party, she found that indeed, as the other person had said, it was very simr to the actual costume.

    With this thought, she looked around at the uniforms of the other staff members and could tell that these clothes indeed seemed somewhat familiar. Many of them she recognized, some from old times when she saw them on her fellow Magical Girls, and some from news or fleeting glimpses on the inte after they had retired.

    Putting aside the fact that the girls wearing these clothes were busy serving tea and water, seeing such a wide range of Magical Girl costumes in such a ce provided a unique experience.

    With a slightly raised opinion of the ce, Emerald Sparrow took an interest in watching the nearby staff members going about their business while she took a sip of her coffee.

    However, just as she began to calmly savor the coffee in her hand, another staff member deftly walked past her. The uniform on this employee almost caused Emerald Sparrow to inhale her coffee down the wrong pipe.

    "Pfft¡ªcough cough cough!"

    Bending over and coughing violently a few times before catching her breath, Emerald Sparrow pointed at the passing staff member and said to the nearby signboard girl, "That outfit... that''s not supposed to be..."

    "Oh, little sister, do you recognize it? This is the costume of Fangting City''s Magical Girl, Sakura. "

    The staff member standing beside her didn''t know why Emerald Sparrow had such an intense reaction and simply assumed she recognized the origin of the dress, continuing to exin with a smile, "Speaking of Sakura, she is the pride of Fangting City. Although she hasn''t been active for a long time, she has saved countless people in this city in the past."

    "Ah, yes, I remember now."

    After settling her emotions slightly, Emerald Sparrow turned her face sideways, following up with the conversation, "I saw it on TV before, so that costume looked a bit familiar."

    Because her reaction had been quite strange, and not wanting the signboard girl to realize that, Emerald Sparrow tried to let the topic slide by looking at the other staff members'' outfits, attempting to change the subject.

    But before she could find a witty diversion, her gazended on another staff member not far away, and shepsed into a long silence.

    The dark navy Lolita long dress, the big Bo¡ªjust by these features, she knew this was her own, Emerald Sparrow''s Magical Girl costume.

    Her gaze was noticed by the signboard girl, who followed the direction of Emerald Sparrow''s eyes, seeing clearly which uniform the other staff member was wearing, and then she asked promptly, "Are you interested in that outfit?"

    "No, not really, just casually looking." Emerald Sparrow quickly shifted her gaze away from the staff member''s clothing.

    "If I remember correctly, what she is wearing is also the dress of a Fangting City Magical Girl."

    But the signboard girl didn''t listen to Emerald Sparrow''s exnation and spontaneously added, "However, the original owner of that dress is a Magical Girl who retired a long time ago. I think her name was Cornflower?"

    Emerald Sparrow could only continue sipping her coffee with an air of indifference, pretending to be silent.

    "Come to think of it, little sister, your hair is blue, so you might look really good in that dress."

    The signboard girl pped her hands together suddenly, "We have a little game today that''s just about this, wearing a Magical Girl uniform that matches one of the staff''s, and then taking a photo as a keepsake. Want to give it a try?"

    "No need." Emerald Sparrow refused curtly.

    "If you don''t want your photo disyed in the store, you can keep it private, too!" The signboard girl carried on suggesting, yet she didn''t receive any more response from Emerald Sparrow.

    At that moment, Xia Liang, who had finished taking photos of desserts, raised her head and looked at the signboard girl: "Sister, are you sure you haven''t got it wrong? That Magical Girl you mentioned, her name really is ''Cornflower''?"

    "Yes, it should be quite a famous code name, after all, she''s also an old-time hero from Fangting City, and you can still find her name in some old news articles now." The signboard girl reported as if she treasured her knowledge of Magical Girl trivia, evidently well-acquainted with the information.

    "Huh... So her name is Cornflower."

    Xia Liang curved her lips slightly, throwing a meaningful nce toward Emerald Sparrow and said with profound implication, "It seems I got confused; I''ve mistaken her for another Magical Girl called Emerald Sparrow."

    "Emerald Sparrow?" Upon hearing this, the signboard girl looked puzzled, "I''ve never heard of that code name."

    Listening to the conversation between the two of them, Emerald Sparrow silently lowered her head. She sipped at her coffee, pretending not to hear their conversation while contemting how to decline the suggested "little game."

    "Then, I''ll give it a try."

    Just as she pondered how to politely decline, Xia Liang, following their conversation, suddenly raised her hand, "It''s the ''Cornflower'' dress you mentioned. I''ll give it a go!"

    "Oh! You want to try, little sister? No problem. The dressing room is over there."

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    The signboard girl immediately got energized, encouragingly speaking, "We''ve prepared at least two of each Magical Girl uniform, so feel free to choose, and don''t worry about any conflict!"

 Chapter 106 Date (Part 2) (4.5k)_3

    The two of them reached a consensus, and Xia Liang immediately agreed to the requirements of this "little game." She rose from her seat and followed the other person toward the staff resting area inside the store.

    With the help of a staff member, Xia Liang quickly changed into the "Cornflower style" Magical Girl uniform, and following the rules of the game, she stood back-to-back with the staff member wearing the same outfit, starting to try out various posing gestures.

    "Let me see, which gestures and lines would be appropriate..."

    After a few attempts, she found the best pose and angle. Xia Liang smiled lightly as she picked up the blue Magic Wand and struck a battle pose back-to-back with the staff member, winking at the camera with her right eye, "The safety of Fangting City is under my protection!"

    "Ah¡ªso cute, fantastic!"

    The model girl who was taking pictures put down her phone, covering her chest with a somewhat intoxicated look, "It''s just like a real Magical Girl! For sure, the most suitable image for a Magical Girl is that of a younger girl!"

    Themotion here undoubtedly attracted the attention of many people in the store, not just the nearby staff members, but also some of the customers turned their gaze over.

    Xia Liang was quite cute to begin with, so the effect was pretty good when she donned the Lolita dress, although it was quite different from the original "Cornflower" image, it didn''t hinder the effect after putting it on, there was a style all its own.

    Even though the staff members were all wearing Magical Girl style gorgeous uniforms, few could achieve the effect like Xia Liang did, and this was what surprised many people.

    "You win, you win, I''ll give you a 30% discount... no, a 40% discount!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The model girl seemed quite satisfied with Xia Liang''s look, and after reveling for a while, she actively suggested, "Do you want to try others?"

    "Really? Isn''t the game supposed to end here?"

    Xia Liang blinked her innocent eyes, seemingly a bit troubled as she said, "Won''t I be dying your work, sisters?"

    "For others it might be dying work, but for you it''s no problem!"

    The model girl shook her head repeatedly, negating what Xia Liang said, "Look, it''s not just me, the staff members around here are all quite curious to see you in different uniforms!"

    With that, the nearby staff members also waved at Xia Liang, some made a heart shape with their hands, or thumbs up, to express their anticipation and encouragement.

    "In that case... I shall dlyply!"

    And so, Xia Liang ended up trying on more than half of the Magical Girl uniforms in the store.

    Most were replicas of outfits worn by famous Magical Girls from other regions, and there were also a few worn by Magical Girls from Fangting City, including the Sakura dress that Emerald Sparrow had seen earlier.

    Emerald Sparrow initially showed a hint of nostalgia at the beginning, but soon returned to her usual calm.

    Your next read awaits at empire

    The surrounding staff and customers pped and cheered from time to time, and there was even someone who whistled twice, then was quickly reminded and warned by the staff and sheepishly settled down.

    Emerald Sparrow sat quietly on the side, silently watching the whole process.

    Not until Xia Liang felt she had yed to her heart''s content and didn''t intend to try on any more outfits did she change back into her original clothes and return to her original seat.

    Seeing her like this, Emerald Sparrow thought she was ready to be quiet for a while, but just as this thought emerged, Xia Liang suddenly turned to Emerald Sparrow and said:

    "Little junior, do you want to give it a try?"

 Chapter 107 Date (Part 2) (3k)

    Xia Liang''s suggestion, once made, immediately received the endorsement of the poster girl, who also promptly spoke up to encourage:

    "Right, I think it would be really suitable for you, little sister!"

    "Thank you, but I don''t like doing things that draw too much attention."

    Emerald Sparrow spoke in a t tone, continuing to decline, "You guys go ahead, don''t worry too much about me."

    Her refusal was not only because she didn''t want to make a spectacle of herself with a costume change before so many people, but also because changing into "Cornflower''s" clothes in such a setting would be far too ostentatious.

    After all, if she really appeared here dressed in a fashion simr to her Magical Girl outfit, just one person at the event who had seen the real Cornflower would likely be shocked by the resemnce to her appearance, leading to a series of unnecessaryplications.

    Her deliberate refusal caught Xia Liang''s attention, who, after blinking her eyes and thinking for a moment, guessed the reason she was unwilling to put on that outfit.

    Realizing that indeed there would be impropriety in doing so, but also truly wishing to see Emerald Sparrow try on the uniforms, Xia Liang had a stroke of inspiration and turned to the poster girl to ask, "Sister, do you have any other clothes here that might be suitable for her?"

    "Other clothes? If you still need something that fits this little sister''s figure..."

    The poster girl pursed her lips slightly, as if searching her memory, and before long, she spoke again and reached a conclusion, "Ah, now that you mention it, there actually is one."

    "Really?"

    Xia Liang showed a pleasantly surprised expression, sweetly smiling at the poster girl, "Thank you, sister, for the trouble!"

    "Hmm, it''s no trouble."

    The praise from Xia Liang made the poster girl quite pleased, and she continued, "If you hadn''t reminded me, I would have almost forgotten. In the first batch of uniforms we customized, there indeed was one that, althoughpleted, was left aside as it didn''t fit anyone in the store properly."

    "I remember the original design was from that Magical Girl who has recently appeared in Fangting City, what was her name, ''Bai Mei'' I think?"

    Emerald Sparrow, who was trying to appear calm on the side, nearly spat out her coffee.

    Xia Liang, after a brief moment of being stunned, tried hard not to burst intoughter, covering her mouth and shaking with giggles, managing to suppress herughter only after a great effort. Not even the silent re from Emerald Sparrow could make her hold back.

    "Pfft...great idea!"

    Finally calming down enough to speak, Xia Liang sped her hands together, "Come on, let''s give it a try, junior!"

    "Don''t want to."

    Emerald Sparrow spoke sternly and firmly in her refusal.

    "Why not?" Xia Liang blinked innocently.

    "No reason, just don''t want to."

    Emerald Sparrow crossed her arms, shifting her body back into the chair, "Not everything needs to have a reason."

    "Don''t say that."

    The poster girl had at some point moved next to Emerald Sparrow and said with a smile, "Look, little sister, your friend has already done it, don''t you want topete and see who is cuter?"

    "Sorry, I''m not interested."

    "You don''t have to take photos if you don''t want to, we will restrain other customers from taking photos at will, and with enough uracy, you can get a higher discount!"

    "Thanks, but no."

    "There are very cute plush toys among the small gifts."

    "Understood, but I don''t need..."

    ¡ª "Just this once! Come on, try it on, junior!"

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    Xia Liang pleaded with joined hands, looking pitifully at Emerald Sparrow, "Please!"

    "Right, right, consider it a request from me as well," the poster girl added from the side, "It''s just a try, no harm in that."

    "Please!"

    "Please!"

    The persistent begging from both sides finally cracked the cool facade on Emerald Sparrow''s face, and just as Xia Liang was about toe even closer, Emerald Sparrow extended her hand to stop her and said sternly, "Enough, that''s it, stop talking."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    She realized that if she didn''t agree, these two would probably keep on pestering her.

    To be honest, she didn''t quite understand why people, including An Ya, always wanted to see her change outfits. But since she had already changed at the clothing store before, doing it again here didn''t seem like too much trouble.

    So she sighed deeply and finally lowered her gaze, murmuring, "Just one piece."

    Considering they were in a public setting, she refrained from saying much, but she determined, in her mind, that she would definitely have a serious talk with Xia Liang once they got back.

    Several minutester, having refused others'' offers to help with changing clothes, Emerald Sparrow entered the dressing room alone, and came out wearing a light blue dress.

    She had a petite hat perched on her head and had changed her hairstyle into twin ponytails. With an expressionless face, she walked back to where the staff were standing and stopped, standing motionless like a wooden peg, devoid of any superfluous movements.

    "Oh wow!"

    Even though her reaction was so aloof, the poster girl still pped excitedly, "Amazing! It suits you so well!"

    As she pped, she continued to appraise Emerald Sparrow, feeling that the clothes were just incredibly fitting on her, even subtly matching her aura. Taking a deep breath with a certain resolve, she blurted out, "Forty percent off! No, seventy percent off!"

    "Huff... that''s too..."

    Xia Liang, who had managed to suppress herughter until now, once again nearly burst outughing. Her shoulders shaking, she grabbed her phone and snapped away, "It''s like you''re carved out of the same mold!"

    Emerald Sparrow''s eyes drooped as she let Xia Liang take pictures. After a long moment, she squeezed out a somewhat reluctant sentence, "Just make sure not to spread them around."

    As Xia Liang umted more and more "secrets" in her hands, Emerald Sparrow had begun to care less and less.

    The more debts one has, the less one worries¡ªas the saying goes. Once the other party possesses enough leverage, umting more debt is merely a quantitative change that doesn''t alter the bnce or rtionship between the two sides.

    Of course, this indifference did not mean endless indulgence orpromise. Thus, when the poster girl egged her on from the sidelines with, "One more, one more!" Emerald Sparrow turned and left without a word.

    As for taking a photo with the staff, that was even less likely.

    Even if they promised not to disy such photos in the shop, no one could guarantee they would keep their word, and she certainly wasn''t about to patrol the ce every day.

    Even among the selection of clothes they brought out for her, she had caught a glimpse of one that looked like An Ya''s, but after merely a brief pause, she took a deep breath and raised her voice.

    "Enough is enough!"

    Thus, after somemotion, the "little game" between the two of them in the maid caf¨¦ finally came to an end.

    Xia Liang had her fill of fun, whereas Emerald Sparrow felt utterly exhausted. After both finished their desserts and drinks, they returned to the counter to settle the bill.

    The poster girl who had been serving them the whole time also followed them back to the counter.

    "You''re handling the check-out too?" Emerald Sparrow asked in confusion, as she took out her phone ready to pay.

    "Ah, that''s because I''m the acting manager here," the girl behind the counter said with augh, somewhat embarrassed, "This shop used to be my aunt''s, but she isn''t aroundtely, so I''m taking care of it."

    "Your aunt? How long has she been doing business here?" Emerald Sparrow caught a crucial piece of information from the girl''s words.

    "Around four or five years, I guess? But it was only this year that she adapted to the trends of the electronics district and turned the shop into a maid caf¨¦," the poster girl replied.

    "Four or five years... then it seems it doesn''t match up," Emerald Sparrow muttered to herself.

    "Doesn''t match up? Are you looking for something, little sister?"

    "It''s nothing much, I was just hoping to find an old shop that used to be in this location."

    "The old one... Ah, you mean the old grandfather who used to run a caf¨¦ here," the poster girl suddenly realized.

    "You know about him?" Emerald Sparrow was somewhat surprised.

    "Yes, I do."

    The poster girl, while checking the bill, continued, "Actually, the coffee we serve still has his guidance in it."

    "Where is he now? Has he stopped doing business?"

    "You''re asking about the old caf¨¦ that was here? It''s just moved to a different location. It''s still in business, even within this district," the girl answered.

    Emerald Sparrow had only been making casual conversation with a probing attitude, but as she finished paying, grasping the meaning in the girl''s words, she looked up and blinked, "Hmm?"

    "If you want the address, little sister, I can also give it to you."

    After finalizing the bill, the poster girl looked up and smiled, "And as for the earlier mentioned gifts, we have dolls, coffee cups, and all sorts of daily goods. If a female customerpletes the role-ying game, she can actually take home the Magical Girl theme costume she wore. Would you like it?"

    "Just the address, thanks. I''ll pass on the costume."

    After declining the inappropriately timed offer, Emerald Sparrow took the address offered by the girl as well as the coffee cup she collected from the counter, and left the caf¨¦ with Xia Liang.

    The provided address was not far from their current location, a mere 500 meters or so by foot, but the spot was a bit hidden since it wasn''t directly on the street but shared an entrance with another shop and was on the second floor.

    Arriving at the entrance of the building, Emerald Sparrow looked up and saw a sign next to it that read, [Fangting Terrace Coffee, this way to the second floor].

    This name instantly awakened Emerald Sparrow''s memory.

    Without a doubt, this was the name of the coffee shop from her recollections.

 Chapter 108 Xia Liangs Doubts

    "It really is still here..."

    Emerald Sparrow, carrying emotions she couldn''t quite discern herself, spoke hesitantly as she stopped in front of the sign.

    "This is the ce?"

    Xia Liang, who was standing next to her, looked up toward the second floor of the small building but couldn''t see anything and once again lowered her head. "Why would a cafe be on the second floor?"

    "Maybe it''s a matter of rent."

    Emerald Sparrow briefly shared her guess and walked a short distance inside the first floor with Xia Liang before stepping onto the staircase. "Anyway, let''s go up and take a look."

    Xia Liang didn''t say anything else and just looked around curiously as she followed Emerald Sparrow up the stairs.

    Upon reaching the second floor, just by standing at the top of the stairs, they already smelled the faint aroma of coffee and, upon looking around, they could see an open door.

    At this point, Emerald Sparrow felt a kind of homesickness stir within her heart.

    If information was correct, then the cafe in front of her should be the one the old squad in Fangting City often visited, but could it still resemble what she remembered?

    She didn''t even know it had changed address and moved once. From this perspective, the cafe of her memories didn''t actually exist anymore.

    "What''s wrong?" On the other side, seeing Emerald Sparrow''s somewhat stunned expression, Xia Liang asked in surprise.

    "...No, nothing." Snapping out of her thoughts, Emerald Sparrow shook her head lightly. "Just feeling a bit sentimental."

    Without thinking further, she led Xia Liang into the cafe.

    What came into sight was a long bar with various equipment for making coffee behind it. Approaching the bar, Emerald Sparrow saw an elderly man busily at work.

    The old man looked to be in his sixties, his hair partially graying, but overall he appeared spry and not too aged.

    And most crucially, although his appearance had changed significantly from Emerald Sparrow''s memory, many features were enough to prove one thing¡ªhe was the owner from twenty years ago.

    She could still recall the times she and her old squad would go to the cafe, back when the owner, then in his forties and merely middle-aged, would stand behind that very spot at the bar, personally serving customers who came and went.

    When the incognito Magical Girls burst through the door, chatting andughing, he would smile and scold them to quiet down before asking, "The usual?"

    Although he would daily mutter such downspirited things as "Schoolgirls should hurry home and study," he would still reserve their usual table, setting aside a special seat for these "little regrs."

    He and the Magical Girls were never particrly close, nor did they seek to understand each other, but as the cafe''s owner and customers within that space, they shared an unspoken understanding.

    However, Emerald Sparrowter left the Magical Girls'' team and had never visited this ce again with her squadmates. The image of the owner in her memory had been frozen in his forties.

    Now, seeing the old man behind the bar, the once blurry face in her memory became clear once more, but things had changed.

    Upon seeing someone approaching, the old man looked up from his work, and noticing the two very young girls, he was initially surprised, raising his eyebrows, then quickly smoothed them out, adopting his professional business demeanor to greet them:

    "Wee, youngdies, what can I get for you?"

    "Nothing much, just here looking around," Emerald Sparrow replied honestly.

    "Looking around? Heh, youngdy, we don''t really have any interesting toys here."

    The old manughed helplessly, thinking it was just a joke or a prank, but as his gaze settled on Emerald Sparrow''s blue hair, he suddenly paused.

    Blue hair wasn''t amon color.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    It was rumored that people from foreignnds had blue hair, but Fangting City, being a rtively secluded city in the Donghua Region, wasn''t a ce where many foreigners lingered for long.

    In fact, with the old man''s years of experience, he had only seen a few people with blue hair.

    And among the customers he had dealt with in his own cafe with that hair color, there was only one person in his memory.

    "You... could it be..."

    First, he adjusted his sses and squinted, beginning to speak in a tone not even he was sure of, but then slowly became more certain. "Did your mother send you here?"

    His question rendered Emerald Sparrow''s already somewhat sorrowful eyes dead still.

    "...Something like that."

    But she knew that such a misunderstanding wouldn''t be harmful to her¡ªshe couldn''t exin to a normal person that she was a Magical Girl, whose appearance didn''t change with time once transformed¡ªgoing along with what he said was the more rational choice.

    Her affirmation made the old man''s face light up with sudden recognition.

    "I knew it!"

    As though reminiscing something, he abruptly patted the counter and pointed at Emerald Sparrow, "I remember now. About ten or so years ago, a group of girls often came to my shop. One of the short ones had blue hair just like you, and... well, I can''t remember what she looked like, but was it simr?"

    After saying this, he couldn''t help but turn to look at Xia Liang, examining her face carefully: "And you... are you also one of the daughters of that group of girls? But you don''t seem to resemble them that much?"

 Chapter 147 108

    The Magical Girl named An Ya, codenamed Sakura, was the center of the team and the most enthusiastic one. Although her personality was a bit careless andzy, even somewhat silly, she had the most resolute heart and fighting beliefs, always managing to infect everyone with her positive emotions.

    The Magical Girl named Asou Haruka, codenamed Margaret, was a senior from Dongying State and was a year older than the other members of the team. Although her personality was very mboyant and confident, she never treated others with condescension. Her fighting style was also the boldest and most unrestrained in the team.

    The Magical Girl named Su Shengzi, codenamed Lan Xiang, was a youngdy with a mysterious background and an independent genius. She had a set of very personal but also clear standards for recognizing things, so she always madements that seemed normal from her perspective but nonsensical to others.

    In that coffee shop that no longer exists, at the table in the corner, four young girls sat there, each with different personalities and expressions, asionally chatting with each other, ying around, or bickering.

    There, the four girls grew from their initial greenness and naivety step by step. They entered the most beautiful years of youth, and in addition to the vitality characteristic of youth, their expressions also contained much more.

    Later, the four became five.

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    The one who joined the team was a quiet girl named Hong Siyu.

    She wore sses, looked somewhat quiet, and even a bit stiff and wooden. She always spoke in a very soft voice and timidly. A slight impatience in someone''s expression would make her stutter or unable to speak at all.

    When Hong Siyu joined, the members of the Fangting City squad were already high school students, and she was a junior high school student at the same school as three of them.

    She was saved by Cornflower during a beast cmity and waster discovered to have the talent of a Magical Girl, which led her to join the Fangting City Magical Girl squad.

    It was for this reason she always looked up to Cornflower, acting like a little follower.

    The girls talked about everything here, dreamed about their future, and painted their youth.

    Until, one day... the Magical Girl named Cornflower announced her departure.

    The story, like a song abruptly interrupted, even though it seemed to have a continuation, was given a stark full stop.

    ¡ª"Junior sister?"

    The calling voice brought Emerald Sparrow back to reality.

    She then realized that she had finished telling the story she wanted to tell but was still lost in her thoughts, not speaking again for a long time.

    "Sorry."

    Emerald Sparrow cleared her throat and said lightly, "As one gets older, one tends to subconsciously immerse oneself in memories."

    "It''s nothing, no need to be so polite,"

    Xia Liang shook her head, rested her elbows on the table, and propped her chin in her hands, "It''s just that after hearing so much from Junior sister, there''s still one question that hasn''t been answered."

    "What question?"

    Emerald Sparrow replied, "Did I miss something?"

    "Well... Now it''s my turn to say sorry,"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Xia Liang smiled apologetically and continued in a lower voice, "I know this question might be personal, and I''ve been curious for a long time, but if Junior sister doesn''t want to answer, just don''t reply."

    "Because I haven''t systematically studied Spell Techniques, I don''t know if there''s such a technique. Is there really a magic that can change one''s gender?"

    "I mean, Junior sister... how exactly did you manage to appear as a man?"

 Chapter 109 A Surprise

    In the corner booth, you could hear a pin drop.

    Emerald Sparrow looked intently at Xia Liang, blinked twice after a long while, suddenly not knowing what to say. Or rather, Xia Liang''s question took herpletely by surprise, leaving her with no prepared response in her mind.

    She had never anticipated that Xia Liang would think on such a level.

    But her silence did not make Xia Liang realize anything; rather, when she asked that question, she was also very nervous herself, afraid of angering Emerald Sparrow, so she only dared to lower her head and stealthily nce at the other party, bravely continuing to list the other possibilities she could think of:

    "So what exactly is the state, does it really involve aplete transformation into a male, inside and out?"

    "Is there really such a spell technique that canpletely change someone''s gender, turning a magical girl into a male, even to the extent of reproducing with other females?"

    "Or are you saying that your usual ''Uncle Lin'' appearance is just a kind of illusion and not a real transformation into ''Uncle Lin''? But if that''s the case, how did little Lue into being..."

    Even though the tone of her questioning was very meek, as soon as the topic was broached, Xia Liang became increasingly talkative, even tending to exhaust all possible answers in her imagination. It seemed that this doubt had indeed been pent up in her heart for a long time.

    However, as Emerald Sparrow listened to her, the hand resting on the table gradually clenched.

    The truth that "Lin Yun and Emerald Sparrow are the same person" had already be a fact for Xia Liang, so she could openly reveal everything to Xia Liang without any burden, since she didn''t need to hide anything.

    But now, the issue that Xia Liang was discussing was no longer within that scope.

    "Why would you think that?"

    She interrupted Xia Liang''s speech and asked gently, "Why not consider other possibilities? Like, I''m originally male?"

    "Junior, you are taking me for a fool with impossibilities."

    Xia Liang slightly lifted her head: "It''s simply not possible for a male to be a magical girl; even I know that much."

    "Maybe I am an exception," Emerald Sparrow countered dispassionately.

    "If you, Junior, really are an exception..."

    Upon hearing this, Xia Liang began to imagine a little, thinking of her quite intimate interactions with Emerald Sparrow these past few days. If Emerald Sparrow were actually a man in reality...

    "Junior, would you be taken away by the police for questioning?" she said with some uncertainty.

    Seeing Emerald Sparrow''s eyelids droop, as if she were on the verge of rolling her eyes, Xia Liang hastily chuckled and said, "Just kidding, just kidding. After all, we both know that''s impossible."

    "Because the true form of a magical girl should be the appearance of her soul, right?"

    "From the moment of transformation into a magical girl, our image is formed based on our own original appearance, and as we advance to the Sprout level, the body of a magical girl solidifies and remains unchanged forever by time."

    "So, no matter what your outward appearance might be, Junior, your initial appearance, the one when you became a magical girl, it''s still now, the girl before my eyes, right?"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Her reasoning was evidence-based and logically sound. If a passerby who didn''t know better were to judge, they would think her words made a lot of sense. And if the person concerned wasn''t herself, then Emerald Sparrow would also admit her reasoning was sound.

    Only, that''s an "if."

    "A good child''s curiosity should know its limits."

    She slightly raised her eyes, looking expressionlessly at Xia Liang: "You are a smart and sensitive child, so you also know that it''s time to stop."

    What she meant by "stop" was not just the issue at hand.

    Xia Liang also understood the implication in her words at that moment.

    The eyes that were filled with curiosity gradually dimmed, as she knew what Emerald Sparrow was truly conveying to her, so her lips parted slightly, but in the end, she did not insist on anything more.

    "...It seems, I indeed got a bit too excited today," she said.

    Her eyes cast down, a bittersweet smile with a hint of apology appeared on her face: "Sorry."

    Emerald Sparrow watched her like this, and after a while, she leaned on the table and slowly stood up.

    "Let''s go back."

    She said so.

    When she said those words, the time was already nearing evening. After a bustling afternoon''s schedule, the sunlight had begun to turn dim, casting an orange hue across the sky.

    The atmosphere between the two shifted from its previous liveliness and frivolity to an awkward silence. Emerald Sparrow''s footsteps rang clearly as she took the lead, with Xia Liang quietly following behind. They bid farewell to the caf¨¦ owner and retraced their path back to the parking lot, then got into the car.

    Emerald Sparrow tentatively searched with her foot beneath her in the unfamiliar driver''s seat, found the raised pedal, and then adeptly pulled out the safety belt next to her and buckled it in front of her.

    Then, as the car started, she said, "I''m actually not ming you."

    "I once told you,pared to you, I am an adult, a grown-up. I have also promised you that to show my care for you, I can allow some of your whims and will not get angry at you."

    "You don''t need to apologize to me, because I''m not upset with you for your behavior today. In fact, I''m quite relieved that you had fun."

    "Before we came out today, I was also a bit uncertain. After all, we are not from the same generation. On matters of magic and study, I can serve as your senior and teach you with a serious attitude; but if you need a friend, someone like family, to have fun with when we go out, I didn''t have that confidence."

 Chapter 110 Birthday Party

    Hours earlier, before Emerald Sparrow and Xia Liang had returned in the afternoon, Bai Jingxuan and Lin Xiaolu had finished lunch and began to decorate the living room.

    They had learned about Xia Liang''s birthday from Emerald Sparrow. The task given to them by Emerald Sparrow was to prepare a surprise for Xia Liang before the two returned.

    After a brief lunch break, Lin Xiaolu took the initiative to handle the living room''s decor, while Bai Jingxuan naturally headed to the entryway, taking out the gs and fairy lights she had prepared early, and hanging them from the ceiling.

    Due to theirck of height, both of them chose a very clever method: they transformed into Magical Girls and used the flight ability of the Magical Girls to hover in the air, thus making the decorating process much more effortless.

    As Bai Jingxuan diligently ced the decorations at equal intervals and breathed a sigh of relief, she nced over at the living room and saw Lin Xiaolu''s silhouette meticulously working, which sent her into deep thought.

    Having joined the Fangting City team for over a month, she still hadn''t figured out the rtionship between the three senior team members.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Her teacher¡ªSenior Emerald Sparrow, the team''s captain, indeed took on the responsibilities of a senior, guiding every Magical Girl in the squad, a person whom Bai Jingxuan felt very admirable.

    However, the rtionship between herself and the teacher was indeed purely that of student and teacher, yet the teacher''s rtionship with the other two seniors seemed not so simple and had facets that she couldn''t see.

    As for the other two seniors, the rtionship between Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang puzzled her even more.

    Lin Xiaolu always seemed to be angry at Xia Liang, and Xia Liang was always intentionally provoking Lin Xiaolu. The two seemed to be at odds on the surface, always arguing over trivial matters whenever they were together. This situation even made Bai Jingxuan feel like she wanted to mediate at one point.

    But when she delved a little deeper, she found that things weren''t quite what she thought?

    Their constant confrontations did not stem from pure dislike; rather, although Bai Jingxuan couldn''t quite understand it, their rtionship didn''t seem as bad as it appeared on the surface?

    After all, if Lin Xiaolu truly disliked Xia Liang, she wouldn''t be preparing for her birthday with such joy, right?

    ¡ª"After all, she''s just that kind of inarticte person."

    A voice suddenly rang out beside her ear.

    Turning her head, Bai Jingxuan saw a pink cat floating next to her, yawning.

    "Ah, Moke, you''re back!"

    Having just finished her task, Bai Jingxuan descended from midair, put on a soft smile, and said to Moke, "How was your day? Did you find any new Magical Girls?"

    "No good, no good, no progress at all."

    pping the wings on its back, Moke cradled its paws with a helpless expression, "It''s strange, ever since that incident, there have been fewer Remnant Beasts, and no new potential Magical Girls. Isn''t thispletely diminishing my role?"

    "Isn''t it better to be a little more peaceful? You don''t really like fighting either, Moke."

    "No! I am your Seeder, without Remnant Beasts and neers, what''s the difference between me and a pet living in a human''s house?"

    "...You can talk?"

    "Xiaoxuan! How can such a good child say such a vicious thing!"

    "Eh? But Moke, you can talk, that''s different from ordinary pets, isn''t it?"

    "I am not a pet! Don''t hold me to the standard of a pet!" Moke couldn''t help but cry out in indignation.

    ¡ª"You two, if you''ve got nothing better to do than chat,e over and lend a hand!"

    Lin Xiaolu called out from the living room with impatience, "We''re not done yet, where''s the time for chitchat?"

    "Sorry, Sister Xiaolu, I''ming right now."

    Bai Jingxuan quickly took the remaining decorations and ran to the living room, then looked up and asked Lin Xiaolu who was in the air, "Which side should I work on?"

    "The side near the balcony."

    Lin Xiaolu pointed casually and continued with the task at hand.

    Bai Jingxuan didn''t ask any further and once again floated to the middle of the room, following beside Lin Xiaolu to finish the remaining decor work.

    Because they didn''t have to climb or move adder like ordinary people, their efficiency was actually quite high. In no time at all, theypleted the nned task and decorated the entire first floor of the vi just as they wanted it.

    Cleaning up the leftover wrapping paper and fragments of decorations on the ground, Bai Jingxuan looked around the living room,

    "Sister Xia Liang will probably be really happy when she sees all this, right?"

    "Dare she not be?"

    Lin Xiaolu said with annoyance, "I''ve taken so much trouble to serve her; if she''s not happy, I might have to turn the tables."

    "How could that happen." Bai Jingxuan shook her head, "Although I am not Sister Xia Liang, if it were me..."

    "You feel a bit envious?" Lin Xiaolu asked, turning to look at her.

    "Ah? No, that''s not what I meant, I didn''t want to trouble you guys..." Bai Jingxuan, with her little thoughts exposed, waved her hands frantically, trying to cover up.

    "It''s no trouble at all, your turn wille, on your birthday."

    Lin Xiaolu nced at Bai Jingxuan, "You can start thinking about what kind of cake you want for your birthday now."

    "That''s way too early, my birthday is still a long way off!"

    Bai Jingxuan instinctively tried to deny it, but she couldn''t help but start to daydream, "But birthday cakes, huh."

 Chapter 110 Birthday Party_2

    ""It''s not too early, is it? Think about it, what could go wrong?"

    Lin Xiaolu huffed: "Just wait and see, everyone has a birthday, and when ites to mine next year, I''m going to sit on the couch and boss Xia Liang around to do things for me!"

    "Is that so?"

    Hearing this, Bai Jingxuan blinked and couldn''t help blurting out straightforwardly: "Sister Xiaolu, you always talk badly about Sister Xia Liang, but it seems like you actually have a decent rtionship with her?"

    "Who has a good rtionship with that person?"

    Lin Xiaolu''s voice was brimming with irritation as she said with a displeased face: "It''s only because Emerald Sparrow told me to do so, otherwise I wouldn''t bother with such thankless tasks."

    ¡ª¡ª"What she means is that if the patrol officer hadn''t instructed how to arrange things, she might have just celebrated Xia Liang''s birthday in an ordinary way."

    Mo Ke chuckled mischievously from the side: "Probably just buying a cake and helping sing a birthday song? If known a little earlier, maybe there would have been a handmade gift?"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Don''t twist my words!" Lin Xiaolu red at Mo Ke with annoyance, "What I''m saying is, I wouldn''t celebrate that person''s birthday at all!"

    "So why did you secretly go buy a gift and hide it under your bed yesterday?"

    "Huh? How did you know... No, what nonsense are you talking about!"

    "I saw it! You even sneaked it back while avoiding Xia Liang!" Mo Ke eximed pointing at Lin Xiaolu.

    "That''s not true! It was just something I bought casually on the way!" Lin Xiaolu argued loudly.

    "So you did buy something!"

    "Are you annoying or what, I hate you so much, you idiot Mo Ke!"

    "I''m the idiot? So, what does that make you, who can''t even deceive an idiot? Big idiot Xiaolu!"

    "Moron Mo Ke!"

    "Big moron Xiaolu!"

    This pointless argument continued for a while, even Bai Jingxuan''s intervention only managed to halt their open quarrel, leaving them both sitting and fuming in their respective corners.

    Not until Xia Liang and Emerald Sparrow returned from outside did Lin Xiaolu and Mo Ke stop their sporadic exchanges of insults.

    Of course, the unpleasant feelings ultimately didn''t carry over to the birthday celebration.

    With the crisp sound of hand-pulled confetti cannons and friends'' birthday wishes for Xia Liang, the evening birthday party came to its most boisterous conclusion, leaving everyone with unforgettable memories.

    That night, in the dark living room, everyone gathered around the candle-lit birthday cake, singing the birthday song for Xia Liang and waiting for her to blow out the candles.

    That night, in the brightly lit dining room, girls and fairies alike cut into the cake, savoring the sweetness, celebrating the birthday person''s step closer to bing an adult.

    That night, at the stairway corridor, everyone pulled out their pre-prepared birthday gifts and handed them to Xia Liang.

    Emerald Sparrow''s gift was a brand new plushie because Xia Liang seemed to like sleeping with such stuffed toys, so she specially prepared one that wasn''t already in her room.

    Bai Jingxuan''s gift was a handcrafted card, made by herself at the welfare institute from cardboard and craft paper, all theponents were handmade.

    Thest one to be presented, prepared by Lin Xiaolu, was a pair of earrings.

    "Because I said you looked frivolous wearing that sort of thing, you took off and threw away your original pair, right?"

    She looked away, shifting her gaze as she ced the dainty box in Xia Liang''s hand: "I mean... anyway, I''m not going to apologize, but I don''t like owing people, so I bought it when I saw it, take it or leave it."

    In response, Xia Liang first covered her mouth, speechless for a moment, then suddenly lunged forward and hugged Lin Xiaolu tightly in her arms.

    "What are you doing? That''s so cheesy, let go already!"

    Embraced by Xia Liang, Lin Xiaolu struggled, trying to pry her hands off: "I already said it was just something I picked up randomly, what are you getting all emotional about?"

    "...Thank you."

    Yet, Xia Liang did not tease further, but chose the simplest, most sincerenguage to express her feelings to Lin Xiaolu.

    Her words were so straightforward that Lin Xiaolu couldn''t find an excuse to refuse her gratitude and could only cast a seeking gaze towards the other two for help.

    But neither Emerald Sparrow nor Bai Jingxuan showed any intention of intervening; instead, they both watched the embracing duo with satisfied expressions.

    The birthday party for Xia Liang ended in such a peaceful atmosphere.

    Of course, Moco didn''t prepare any presents, but it ended up eating the most cake.

    The celebration eventually came to an end, and after the magical girls had celebrated the birthday together, it was time to take down the decorations on the first floor and for Emerald Sparrow to dispose of the trash in the designated area.

    Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu had to go to school the next day, so after washing up, they wished each other goodnight and went to their respective rooms to sleep.

    Bai Jingxuan went to the basement alone¡ªsince she didn''t need to attend school for the time being, she dedicated most of her energy to training, working so hard that Emerald Sparrow had to watch over her to prevent injuries from overtraining.

    Thus, the two stayed in the basement until nearly eleven o''clock, stopping only because of Bai Jingxuan''s fatigue. Emerald Sparrow stopped the yawning girl who still wanted to continue, clearly stating that she needed to sleep.

    Bai Jingxuan was a sensible and obedient child, so sheplied with Emerald Sparrow''s order and honestly went to her room to sleep.

    After shutting the basement training room, Emerald Sparrow was thest one to return to her own bedroom.

    Weary from a busy day, she sighed softly, took off her coat, and prepared to wash up and go to bed. But just as she was about to undo the button at her cor, she noticed the mirror on the bedside table flickering slightly.

    It was not just any mirror, but the magic mirror given to her by the Investigation Agency tomunicate with Golden Green Cat''s Eye.

    The flickering text on the mirror reminded Emerald Sparrow that she had a missedmunication request.

    Her brows furrowed as she moved closer to the bedside, picked up the magic mirror, and gently tapped the screen, only to see that the call was indeed from the Investigation Agency.

    Did Golden Green Cat''s Eye have something to tell her?

    With that thought and her habit of handling things sooner rather thanter, Emerald Sparrow extended her hand and several Favo Runes fell from her fingertips, striking the surface of the magic mirror.

    She chose to find out now.

    The dance of the Fairy on the screen didn''tst long; the image flickered, and soon a girl wearing a golden top-hat appeared on the screen, gazing solemnly at the mirror.

    Emerald Sparrow recognized her, as she was the magical girl who hadst handled her call, connecting her to Golden Green Cat''s Eye.

    "Inspector, good evening, thank you for epting our call."

    The girl on the other side of the magic mirror bowed slightly, then raised her head, her voice serious, "Please forgive us for disturbing you at this hour. But, in the Southeast Donghua Region, in the area where you are, there''s been an incident that none of us wanted to see."

    "What is it?"

    Emerald Sparrow watched the magic mirror expressionlessly: "Don''t tell me it''s another pointless spiel from our Dean?"

    "...I''m sorry, but this time, it''s indeed a rather serious matter."

    The magical girl in the mirror bowed again and continued, "ording to themunication channels of our Investigation Agency, and the information provided by the magical girls in Bai''an City near your location: the team that was previously dispatched to Donghua State Region, the Cat Tail Squadron, who had been in contact with you, they..."

    "Have disappeared in the Southeast Donghua Region."

 Chapter 111 Baian City

    "Hmm, nothing much, I''ll be back in a month. When you are with your friends, make sure not to overdo it, and don''t fall behind on your schoolwork. Especially since Emerald Sparrow is also going out, you''ll need to learn to be more self-disciplined without her watching over you,"

    On the slowly movingnd cruiser, a deep male voice rose from the seat by the window.

    "Is Auntie Hong going to take care of you guys? Can she cook? Or should I arrange for a part-time worker toe and cook for you where you''re staying?"

    Lin Yun held his phone, leaning back in his seat, his eyebrows slightly raised, "Can you do it by yourselves? Are you sure?"

    As his words fell, there seemed to be the buzzing of a girl''s voice from the other end of the phone. Lin Yun listened attentively before speaking again, his voice tinged with a hint of helplessness, "Alright, alright, you''re not a child anymore, I get it, Dad shouldn''t be questioning you like this."

    After going over a few more mundane matters of daily life, he hung up the call and let out a long sigh.

    It had been two days since he received the notice from the investigation agency, and at the behest of his "boss" Golden Green Cat''s Eye, he had left Fangting City and was en route to Bai''an City.

    Because he had to leave Fangting City, he was faced with a troublesome issue: Lin Yun and Emerald Sparrow would both be disappearing from Fangting City.

    Considering that Lin Xiaolu mighte home midway, it wouldn''t do for her to find her father unexpectedly absent as well, raising all sorts of odd spections. Therefore, Lin Yun had no choice but to notify Lin Xiaolu ahead of time as a father that he had to go on a business trip.

    Luckily, he had previously mentioned to Lin Xiaolu the possibility of his having to go away on business, akin to nting a seed, and now it came in handy. Subsequently, this didn''t raise any further suspicions from Lin Xiaolu.

    Afterwards, he, in the guise of Emerald Sparrow, informed the three neers that she might be leaving Fangting City for some time.

    This news naturally caused a strong reaction among the three young ones.

    Lin Xiaolu, who was the most unable to mask her thoughts, bombarded with a series of questions upon hearing that Emerald Sparrow was leaving Fangting City: whether she would nevere back, whether she was dissatisfied with them, whether the mission in Fangting City waspleted... She fell just short of writing "Don''t leave" on her face, and it took Emerald Sparrow quite an effort to calm her down.

    Xia Liang''s reaction was rtively mature. Her first thought was Emerald Sparrow''s role as an "Inspector", inquiring whether Emerald Sparrow had received some new assignment. After a positive response, she also appropriately expressed her concerns.

    As for Bai Jingxuan, she was quite calm andpliant, easily epting the fact that Emerald Sparrow was leaving. However, she also raised her own concern: how to proceed with their magic power practice and lessons.

    Her time with the team was still short, and although she had taken a liking to the other Magical Girls, her emotional bonds were not yet so deep. She seemed more concerned about theck of a guide once Emerald Sparrow left, rather than Emerald Sparrow''s departure itself.

    Her concerns were not unfounded. In fact, Emerald Sparrow had also taken this into consideration and proposed several backup ns:

    The first was to bring over Hong Siyu. Although she no longer possessed magical powers, her knowledge was notcking; the second was to leave behind a training program and periodically check in on the neers by phone to understand their progress and offer guidance; thest option was for the entire Fangting City team to move to Bai''an City.

    The girls uniformly favored the third option, but after much thought, Emerald Sparrow did not agree to it.

    The reason was that the city they were headed to was the one where the investigative team had gone missing, and it was unknown what kind of enemies might be lurking there. No matter what, the safety of the neers was paramount.

    Thus, even though Lin Xiaolu strongly opposed the first option, the result ended up being abination of the first and second ns: Hong Siyu was responsible for the day-to-day guidance of the girls, while Emerald Sparrow would periodically check their progress.

    Having settled this, the next day, Lin Yun boarded thend cruiser leaving Fangting City, heading for Bai''an City.

    To ensure that all arrangements were without issues, he also, in his role as a father, exchanged messages with Lin Xiaolu to assure each other''s safety and inquired briefly about the situation back home before hanging up the phone with peace of mind.

    Sitting by the window, looking out at the protectives surrounding thend cruiser''s walkway, and beyond it, the endless barren wilderness, Lin Yun fell silent for a moment.

    The mission assigned by the investigation agency was about to formally begin.

    ording to the information received through the magic mirror that night, the investigation agency''s Cat Tail Team had lost contact about a week ago.

    After bringing the sparrow back to the kingdom and going through the interrogation of the investigation agency, the Cat Tail Team learned of traces of activity by w Mark in the southeast Donghua Region and once again returned there. They began investigating based on the sparrow''s intelligence.

    After searching through many cities, they finally headed to Bai''an City as nned.

    However, that was thest message they left for the Investigation Institute.

    In the days that followed, the Cat Tail Squad, which should have provided daily reports to the Investigation Institute, did notmunicate at all, even when themunications department of the institute reached out proactively, there was still no response.

    After that, the institute made inquiries to Bai An City''s Abnormal Strategy Bureau and the Seeder, learning that the Cat Tail Squad had indeed gone to Bai An City. They simply didn''t request the assistance of local resident Magical Girls; they merely had a short exchange and left.

    Nobody knew where they went afterwards.

    Considering the dangerous nature of the situation, the institute dispatched two more investigation squads to Bai An City for investigation, while also contacting the nearest inspector to assist with the work.

    And the unfortunate inspector chosen for the task was none other than Emerald Sparrow, who resided in the southeastern Donghua Region.

    Emerald Sparrow did not refuse the assignment.

    The incident had urred in the Donghua Region, near her own city, meaning the danger could very well spread to Fangting City at any moment. If she refused, by the time the institute appointed another inspector to handle it, it was uncertain what other variables could arise.

    More importantly, ording to the report, the status of the Cat Tail Squad was "missing"¡ªa word that spurred some associations in her mind.

    Because there was something she had always wondered about¡ªa Seeder in Fangting City who was still "missing."

    This Seeder named Nini had likewise "gone missing" after heading to the Donghua Region to resume duties in Fangting City. Neither the city''s Abnormal Strategy Bureau nor the royal court had any clue about its whereabouts, and no one even knew if it had ever arrived.

    The situation was eerily simr to the current plight of the Cat Tail Squad.

    Emerald Sparrow didn''t think this was a coincidence, especially with the previous murky situation concerning the attack on Fangting City by Sparrow and others. To get to the bottom of this, she decided to proactively strike.

    The scenery on either side of the ovend pathway began to change as the ovend ship moved forward. When the ship neared its destination¡ªBai An City¡ªthe deste wastnd views faded, reced by hints of green that appeared in people''s field of vision.

    As the ship docked at the pathway''s mooring area, the announcement broadcast that the passengers'' journey on the ovend ship had concluded. Lin Yun packed up his phone, stood up from his seat, grabbed his luggage, and followed the stream of people down the deck.

    Stepping off the ship and into the port, the bustling scene made him feel somewhat surreal.

    The spacious waiting hall was a flurry of diverse shapes and sizes: some hurried along with their luggage, some carefully navigated the crowded streams while carrying children, and others rested on the hall''s seats, idly scrolling through their phones out of boredom.

    Beyond the security checkpoint was a vast shopping center, located between the port''s building and the exterior entrance, upying prime real estate, bustling with noise and people.

    Passing through the center, Lin Yun could see travelers of all kinds in the surrounding shops and restaurants¡ªtourists like himself from afar and locals spending in the center before their journeys. The lively atmosphere washed away the somberness of traveling across the vast destend, swiftly imparting a sense of civilization''s warmth to those just disembarking.

    This also calmed Lin Yun''s previously anxious mood.

    After all, based solely on the information provided by the institute, Bai An City seemed like a gaping maw ready to devour Magical Girls at any moment, with the entire city shrouded in clouds of impending crisis.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Only bying here in person, seeing ordinary people''s lives, and witnessing their continued stable routines, did Lin Yun realize once again¡ªMagic was never the entirety of this world.

    However, if the underlying threat was not resolved, the present prosperity would ultimately be no more than a fragile illusion, easily shattered.

    Gathering his emotions, Lin Yun straightened his mindset and continued walking out of the shopping center.

    He crossed the external security channels and came to the outside za where vehicles packed with luggage and supplies moved slowly along. After navigating through the traffic and leaving the parking lot, he officially entered Bai An City in the early evening.

    Having arranged a pickup through his phone, he stood expressionlessly at the port''s parking area waiting, during which many people enthusiastically approached to rmend their travel groups and hotels. However, Lin Yun''s aloof expression and steely demeanor quickly discouraged them, and they tactfully sought other prospects.

    Lin Yun paid no attention to these people, not only because he had already booked his hotel, but also because his primary objective was not to check in and rest.

    Given the urgency, even though it was now early evening, it did not deter him from heading straight to his first destination¡ªthe Bai An City Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

 Chapter 112 Accidental Encounter

    Bai''an City, located in the southeast of the Donghua Region, is quite a famous tourist city with its richndscape of mountains and waters, natural attractions. What''s even more noteworthy is that it is also the renowned city of music, where numerous world-ss music festivals and expositions are held every year.

    It boasts thergest concert hall in the entire Donghua Region, as well as the two biggest music schools, filling the entire city with a strong artistic atmosphere. Not only are the buildings on the streets brimming with various tributes and ingenious designs, but one can also often see huge music venues and musicians performing on the streets.

    Therefore, tourists and music enthusiasts from all over the world often linger here, resulting in a very prosperous tourism industry.

    When Lin Yun informed the driver that his destination was Music Park in the economic development zone of Bai''an City, the driver treated him as a tourist visiting from out of town, and he kept introducing the local attractions of Bai''an City and how to buy the specialties.

    Lin Yun didn''t mind the misunderstanding, so he chatted with the driver off and on about the things to pay attention to while touring Bai''an City, looking every bit like someone truly there for sightseeing.

    Of course, he was not actually a tourist and the purpose of his visit to Bai''an City was not for tourism. So, the Music Park to which he was heading was actually the real destination of his trip¡ªthe Abnormal Strategy Bureau of Bai''an City.

    In the material world''s magic side, there''s amon knowledge: the existence of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau in every city is different.

    The Abnormal Strategy Bureau of Fangting City is the mostmon kind, making no secret of its status as a government institution and its management functions for magicians, owning a vastplex of buildings as its headquarters.

    The Abnormal Strategy Bureau of Bai''an City, on the other hand, differs from this. ording to the intelligence given to the Emerald Sparrow by the research institute, its address is located underground at the Music Park of Bai''an City, with all entrances and exits existing in an extremely secretive manner. If someone is unaware of this, ordinary people would never be able to locate the Abnormal Strategy Bureau of Bai''an City.

    The reason why it is located underground at the Music Park is also very pragmatic: when the Abnormal Strategy Bureau first set up its headquarters here, the economic development zone of Bai''an City was still a deste and uninhabited suburban wilderness.

    It''s just thatter on, as the city developed and expanded, this wilderness was eventually designated as a new urban district. And with various real estate and public facilities constructed on the surroundingnd, the plot of emptynd above the Abnormal Strategy Bureau became notably conspicuous.

    At this point, if the Abnormal Strategy Bureau didn''t construct some sort of building over its headquarters, it would have been equivalent to telling people where to dig for the silver.

    Thus, this ce eventually became a music park fitting with the city''s characteristics.

    If Lin Yun remembered correctly, when the construction of this music park waspleted, the online media made quite a stir about it. At that time, An Ya even asked him if he should take little Lu and have a family trip here.

    At that time, Lin Yun did not agree immediately, wanting to wait until the hype had died down and the reputation of the attraction had stabilized before considering it as a family vacation destination. But by the time that day came, the notion of a ''family vacation'' no longer existed.

    Sitting in the taxi, gazing out at the bustling street through the window, Lin Yun''s thoughts drifted for a moment.

    In the evening, as the taxi left the port area and officially entered Bai''an City, arriving at the location marked for the Abnormal Strategy Bureau on the map, the sun was nearing its descent, with only a trace of orange glow left in the sky.

    The traffic crawled slowly through the congested roads, forming a long line, waiting impatiently at each traffic light. asionally, vehicles would dart through gaps, trying to overtake or changenes, making the traffic conditions even worse. The noisy honking was incessant, stirring restlessness in people, adding to the irritation.

    As time passed, the afterglow of the sunset gradually faded, and the city''s sky began to darken. But almost simultaneously, brilliant neon lights began to shimmer, with the entire Bai''an City lighting up with colorful lights, and as the night took over, Bai''an City seemed to grow even livelier.

    This bustling scene became a canvas reflected on the car window, all captured in Lin Yun''s eyes.

    If one were to say that upon his initial arrival, all Lin Yun felt was a sense of simple liveliness, now that he truly entered Bai''an City, everything felt so warm and real.

    Had the Cat Tail Squad disappeared in such a city?

    He couldn''t help but think this thought.

    And as if in response to his musings, the next moment, a huge roar erupted from ahead on the road.

    The noise of the car horns, the mixture of music from the streets, and the driver''s words in the car, all were scattered by the roar.

    Lin Yun immediately turned his head and looked forward through the car window, but under the night sky, the neon lights obscured the view, making it impossible to see clearly what had happened.

    The road was still blocked, and the traffic remained at a standstill, as if the roar was just an illusion and nothing had actually urred.

    Soon, the music from the streetside overpowered the unease in people''s hearts again, and the passersby, who were still a bit shocked and confused, began to move anew. They looked around in slight bewilderment, uncertain whether they should continue to walk forward.

    "Master, stop the car," Lin Yun said.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    But Lin Yun was different from them. His experience as a Magical Girl allowed him to make a judgment right away: there must be some situation up ahead.

 Chapter 113 An Overly Simple Battle

    Before Lin Yun could take further action, he saw the blonde girl suddenly pull herself out from the garbage bin, covered in dirt and unidentified stains, pressing her lips together as she lifted her head.

    She didn''t speak, but the look she gave Lin Yun seemed to say everything.

    Watching her, Lin Yun couldn''t help but take two steps back.

    "Why are you stepping back?"

    The girl''s face was pale, but she still approached Lin Yun step by step, "Are you feeling guilty?"

    "I have no reasons to feel guilty."

    Lin Yun gestured with his hand for her to stop, "Anyway, let''s just stop this, shall we?"

    "You want me to stop just because you said so?"

    The girl subconsciously lifted the corners of her mouth, intending to scoff, but then she realized the implication in Lin Yun''s words and couldn''t finish what she was about to say.

    She furrowed her brows, lifted her hand, and sniffed in front of her nose. Then, as if she had smelled something, she stuck out her tongue like a cat ovee by a foul odor, closed her eyes as if greatly irritated, and shook her head desperately.

    However, this did not rid her of the influence of the smell; she couldn''t help but crouch down again, opened her mouth, and dry-heaved for a while before standing up once more, with a look of palpitations on her face, and also somewhat at a loss.

    "Are you alright?"

    Seeing her like this, Lin Yun couldn''t help but ask, "How about we stop now and find a ce to clean up?"

    "Don''t want to."

    The blonde girl lifted her hand, trying to dry her face, but the stains trickling down her forehead made her face turn green, and then she puffed out her cheeks, looking like she was about to vomit, "I am a Magical Girl, just some dirty garbage water, it can''t possibly affect me! As long as I de-transform, even if I were injured, it would heal, let alone dirt..."

    "It''s very dirty,"

    Before she could finish her sentence, Lin Yun corrected her seriously, "You should really get cleaned up quickly, otherwise the smell might linger, and that''s not good."

    He wasn''t changing the subject or trying to provoke her; in fact, he was stating the truth.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Although a Magical Girl in a transformed state can avoid damage, no matter how severe the injury, as long as it does not affect the true form, it won''t harm the body itself. However, the dirt umted on the body''s surface is different.

    Since the stains are not part of the Magical Girl''s body, even if the transformation ends and the true form is restored, these stains will remain intact.

    And this ismon knowledge for most Magical Girls.

    Lin Yun''s words made the blonde girl freeze on the spot, as she too realized the issue. After standing dazed for a moment, her face gradually took on a strange smile, which seemed to be tinged with a hint of hysteria.

    If Lin Yun wasn''t mistaken, there was also a shimmer of moisture at the corner of her eyes.

    "Guh¡ªhahahahaha! So what!"

    Forcing herughter to sound careless, the girl said loudly, "Do you think this will crush my spirit, shake my resolve? I tell you, that''s impossible, don''t even think about it!"

    "Withdraw now? Go back and take a bath? I refuse!"

    Without waiting for Lin Yun to exin further, she began to gather her magic power, her right hand forming an empty grip, as a Magic Wand suddenly appeared in her hand, "I will definitely catch you here!"

    "I have no idea what you''re talking about!" Lin Yun maintained his constructed identity, likewise responding righteously, "I warn you for thest time, don''te any closer! Otherwise, I''ll definitelyin to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau about a negligent Magical Girl like you!"

    "I''ve told you, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau has no authority over me!"

    The girl shouted, and with a raise of her hand, a Magic Power Beam shot towards Lin Yun.

    The beam was very abrupt, but luckily, Lin Yun was prepared. He dodged to the side, avoiding this attack.

    But after he did so, he realized that he had done something unnecessary.

    Perhaps considering that he might not be an enemy on the level of the Remnant Beasts, the girl''s Magic Power Beam wasn''t fired with much force; even though it missed Lin Yun, it only scuffed a ck mark on the ground nearby.

    If Lin Yun had taken the hit, he might have been able to affirm his identity as an ordinary person; but now it was toote, as his subconscious, instinctive reaction was to dodge.

    Thus, even if the girl across from him was slow to catch on, she was bound to notice something amiss.

    "Hmph, an ordinary person? Able to dodge a Magical Girl''s attack?"

    The blonde girl grinned, "I knew it, that burst of magic power was so clear, how could it be my imagination? You, a guy who looks like a bad guy, you''re definitely deceiving me!"

    "I look like a bad guy?" Her other deductions were not problematic, but it was thest statement that took Lin Yun by surprise.

    "You, with that clean and sharp, stern and cold appearance, are most likely a pervert in private! The gentle beast is you!"

    Pointing at Lin Yun, the girl spoke loudly as if she had solved some puzzle, "You''ve exposed yourself, now surrender to me!"

    As she finished speaking, she raised her hand and discharged several more Magic Power Beams.

    The two of them chased each other through the alley, with Lin Yun using various covers to evade the girl''s pursuit, while once again extending his hand to his chest, considering whether to reveal his identity to her.

    This contemtion ultimately dyed his actions, allowing a Magic Power Beam to brush past his sleeve, carrying away a piece of torn fabric.

 Chapter 114 The Missing Magical Girl

    "This guy, always boasting that he''s fine, and look at the mess he''s made."

    In the skies above Bai''an City, a girl''s voice suddenly emerged, "Ugh, it stinks to high heaven. What on earth did she do to end up like this?"

    "Muguet said she saw a suspicious person," another female voice whispered, as faint as a mosquito''s hum.

    "I know, that''s why I''m curious about why she ended up like this."

    The girl who spoke first sounded perplexed, "Whether she won or lost, she shouldn''t be perfectly unharmed and passed out in an alley, right?"

    The girl flying in the air, with golden hair, frowned as she tried to think. A Continuous stench assaulted her senses, making her face scrunch up and keeping her thoughts from focusing.

    "Bai, Bai Ji." The frail voice spoke up again.

    "What''s wrong?" asked the green-haired magical girl known as Bai Ji, raising an eyebrow.

    "There seems to be someone ahead."

    This statement made the green-haired girl pause and focus her attention ahead ¡ª indeed, there was someone there. To be precise, with the magical girl''s vision, she could see it was a girl.

    A girl dressed in a dark blue dress, with a golden magic robe draped behind her.

    Emerald Sparrow was waiting for them here.

    Previously, after watching the team of magical girls take to the sky amid the crowd, she made a brief decision to follow after them.

    Although her initial intention ining here was to head to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, the investigation into the Bureau''s missing team was clearly a matter that made the magical girls a more valuable source of information than the Bureau itself.

    Originally, her n was to make contact with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau first, get information from them, and then use the Bureau to contact the local magical girls and the Seeder. Now, it seemed she had spared herself that effort.

    So, she followed the team of magical girls once more and covertly got ahead of them, waiting in front.

    "Hello, may I ask who you are?"

    After seeing Emerald Sparrow, the magical girl known as Bai Ji, while guessing her identity as a magical girl, still maintained a cautious distance and politely asked.

    "Flower card verification 41076, magical girl Emerald Sparrow."

    Emerald Sparrow nodded gently in greeting: "From the Investigation Bureau, under the highest orders, I may need to inquire about some matters with you."

    "Flower card?"

    This introduction evidently caught Bai Ji''s attention, and after hearing the word "Investigation Bureau," she let down some of her guard. She scrutinized the gold magic robe on Emerald Sparrow and hesitated, "Could you be...?"

    "I''m an Inspector."

    Emerald Sparrow was straightforward: "Our investigation team has gone missing in your city, and I''m responsible for resolving this matter."

    "In, Inspector?"

    The magical girl in the pale pink dress gasped, her usually faint voice rising in volume: "Isn''t that a very important person? I remember even my sister is only..."

    "Mimosa!"

    Bai Ji nced at the pale pink-dressed magical girl with some annoyance, "Don''t talk about unnecessary things."

    "Oh, okay..." The magical girl in the pale pink dress immediately realized her slip-up and shrank in a little.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "I''m sorry for my teammate''s improper remarks," Bai Ji said after a brief bow to Emerald Sparrow, still keeping her distance and speaking earnestly, "It''s just that Bai''an City is actually in a very special situation right now. Please don''t me me for being skeptical, but may I ask if you could provide something to verify your identity?"

    The request was somewhat impolite, and she seemed to be aware of it, so when she made the request, Emerald Sparrow could clearly see that Bai Ji''s posture was a bit stiff.

    However, Emerald Sparrow herself didn''t mind these formalities; resolving the issue smoothly was what mattered most to her. So without much talk, she simply took off her verification badge and showed it to Bai Ji: "This is my badge."

    At this, Bai Ji''s expression rxed, and she carefully examined the content on the badge in Emerald Sparrow''s hand.

    "41076, flower card, and there''s the Inspector''s symbol, no mistake... Cornflower?" Bai Ji paused, clearly taken aback by the code name on the badge.

    "Personal privacy." Emerald Sparrow did not intend to borate on the code name issue and put away her badge, "This should be sufficient to prove my identity, can we now discuss the matter at hand?"

    "No, I just... Okay."

    Bai Ji paused for a moment, then continued, "You''re asking about Senior Cat Tail and the others, right? They came to Bai''an City about ten days ago, and the first thing they did was..."

    ¡ª "Waaahhhh!"

    Halfway through her sentence, she was abruptly interrupted.

    Because the golden-haired girl who had been slumped over her shoulder suddenly began to thrash violently. At first, she screamed nonsensically before breaking free from Bai Ji''s shoulder and plummeting straight down.

    Fortunately, the golden-haired girl reacted quickly enough, using her powers to stabilize herself in mid-air just as she realized she was falling. Then she abruptly opened her eyes, looking panicked, "I don''t want to be caught by some weird uncle!"

    Her series of antics drew the attention of everyone present, and it was only after she had calmed down a bit that Emerald Sparrow looked at Bai Ji and asked, "What''s going on?"

    "Huh, huh, huh? Bai Ji? Mimosa? Why are you here?"

    The golden-haired girl was clearly still out of the loop, looking around in a daze, then noticing Emerald Sparrow not too far away. After staring intently for a moment, she suddenly pointed at Emerald Sparrow and loudly eximed, "Ah! It''s the person who saved me!"

 Chapter 115 Baian City Abnormal Strategy Bureau

    Following the group of local Magical Girls as they left the New District of Bai''an City, Emerald Sparrow flew with them to a street in the Old Town district.

    The street they arrived at was somewhat old, and most of the buildings by the road had seen better days; however, this did not affect the normal life of the people who had been living there for a long time.

    Because it was the Old Town district, the street was lined with shops of various storefronts. Bai''an City is known for its music, so a considerable number of the shops incorporated this element; there were music bars, piano stores, and concert halls.

    And the ce that the Magical Girls took Emerald Sparrow to was an old piano store that looked like it had quite some history.

    "This is our usual base of operations,"

    Bai Ji introduced it as follows, "It''s a piano store founded by Lamp''s parents. Later, her parents handed over the piano store to her, so now Lamp is the manager here."

    The exterior of the piano store might have been old, but the interior was clean and well-organized, with a faint scent of wood that indicated someone had put in a lot of effort. The store''s furnishings were nothing extraordinary, with various brands and models of instruments hanging on the walls, andrger items like pianos disyed in the inner section of the store. Even though it was already evening, there were quite a few customers still lingering.

    Emerald Sparrow followed Bai Ji and the others through the business area in front, and the group entered a small door at the back, leading to the second floor of the piano store. After climbing somewhat cramped and steep stairs, they emerged into a surprisingly spacious area¡ªa private living space that was filled with the air of domestic life.

    This ce seemed to have originally been a recording studio, as some old recording equipment was still ced in the corners, indicating its former use. But now it had been transformed into a living area, furnished with various pieces of furniture.

    It was here that Emerald Sparrow first met the Seeder of Bai''an City¡ªPolly.

    This Fairy named Polly had an appearance akin to a small roon, covered in fluffy fur with a very honest and cute exterior.

    And when Emerald Sparrow first encountered it, it was... ying the guitar.

    It was a hard to describe scene, as the seemingly adorable little roon sat on the floor with a guitar spread out in front of it, one w pressing the chords while the other deftly plucked the strings.

    The melody of the song was slow and mncholic, as if it conveyed endless sorrow. Meanwhile, it also felt somewhat familiar to Emerald Sparrow. She had not been following pop music for years, but it seemed like a song that had been popr several years ago.

    Seemingly realizing the arrival of people outside the door, the little roon gradually stopped ying, lifted its fuzzy head, and greeted the Magical Girls: "Yo, are you back, girls? Has it been tough?"

    The atmosphere, which had an indefinable quality to it, was shattered the moment it spoke. Despite its small roon appearance, it produced a strong male voice, even somewhat husky. Its tone carried an air of disaffected nonchnce, rhythmic as if it were rapping.

    Before Bai Ji and the others could respond, it turned its gaze to Emerald Sparrow, "Who is this big shot, you''re bringing her home? Are the Remnant Beasts handled, has Lamp been found?"

    "Polly!"

    Bai Ji dragged out her voice with a hint of helplessness, "Stop your rapping, thisdy is an Inspector from the Magical Affairs Institute!"

    "Cool, baby, you''re actually telling me this girl is an Inspector..."

    Halfway through its rhythmical speech, the little roon suddenly seemed to understand the implications of Bai Ji''s words. It paused, seriously sensing Emerald Sparrow''s Magic Power, then with a human-like bewildered expression on its fuzzy face, it cleared its throat and spoke again as if nothing had happened: "Oh, my apologies, Inspector."

    Inspectors from the Magical Affairs Institute were usually deployed for special cases, and during their investigations, they had the authority to summon any local forces in the region involved in the case, which naturally included Seeders and Magical Girls.

    Although the hard requirement for an Inspector was to be a Flower Card, and no Magical Girl who had reached such a position would bother to trouble a Fairy just for fun, this did not prevent Seeders from generally showing respect towards them.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    On the contrary, the senior officials of the Magical Affairs Institute, also influential figures among Magical Girls, often became the indirect and sarcastic target of the Seeders'' jokes.

    "Nice to meet you, I actually don''t mind in what tone you talk to me."

    Emerald Sparrow drooped her eyelids slightly in a modest bow, then continued in a cool voice, "I just hope that you can provide sufficiently valid information."

    "Oh, alright then."

    Wiping the nonexistent sweat from its forehead, the little roon spoke in a voice like a broadcaster''s, "So, what specifically would you like to ask?"

    Emerald Sparrow cut straight to the point, asking about her own doubts.

    The discussion went rtively smoothly. Although the little roon spoke in a somewhatical manner, its words were well-organized. After their conversation, Emerald Sparrow quickly obtained several pieces of valid information, rifying the whole sequence of events:

    Initially, ten days ago, the missing Cat Tail Squad came to Bai''an City, approached the local Abnormal Strategy Bureau and the Magical Girl Squad, and asked many questions. Two days before they disappeared, they hadmunicated with Lamp, discussing "some rather abnormal recent events in Bai''an City."

    After that, roughly a week ago, the Cat Tail Squad suddenly vanished one day,st seen in the New District of Bai''an City.

 Chapter 116 Hall

    Almost at the same moment the Emerald Sparrow spotted the Remnant Beast, the feeding beast also noticed her.

    The two briefly locked eyes across the space; the beast abruptly dropped the corpse it was holding, leapt up from the office desk, and lunged straight towards the Emerald Sparrow at the doorway.

    "Roar!"

    The Emerald Sparrow''s face grew slightly cold, and as she opened and closed her palm, a magic wand appeared. Just as the Remnant Beast charged in front of her, she forcefully swung at its head.

    ng! Boom!

    The magic wand struck with force, mming the Remnant Beast hard onto the ground.

    The downed beast immediately struggled to get up and let out a continuous, threatening growl. However, the Emerald Sparrow did not give it the chance to rally. She turned her wand towards its head and unleashed a barrage of Magic Power Beams, turning its skull into a pile of ashes.

    After dealing with the Remnant Beast, she swiftly flew to the side of the body that had been discarded earlier, examined the corpse, and confirmed that this unfortunate Abnormal Strategy Bureau employee had indeed lost his life.

    The Remnant Beast that appeared in the office wasn''t particrly strong¡ªprobably only at the level of an egg. Yet for ordinary people and even magicians, it was a disaster like a natural catastrophe, no wonder such a horrific scene was caused.

    Apart from that one employee whose body remained intact, the other victims were left in such a state that not even aplete corpse could be pieced together, which goes to show how atrocious the acts of the Remnant Beast had been.

    After searching the office and failing to find any useful information, the Emerald Sparrow had no choice but to return to the doorway. She spread her palm over the remains of the Remnant Beast, attempting to recover its Echo.

    However, alongside the Emerald Sparrow''s attempt, the remains of the beast dissipated into a wisp of ck smoke under her gaze, leaving behind nothing.

    This was a Remnant Beast without an Echo.

    It took the Emerald Sparrow a few seconds to acknowledge this fact, but even with her eyes bearing witness, she still found it hard to believe this was true.

    From her past experience and knowledge, such Remnant Beasts could not possibly exist.

    A Remnant Beast without an Echo is virtually equivalent to one without its own source of Magic Power. As a creature purely made of Magic Power, a beast without a Magic Power source fundamentally shouldn''t be able to survive.

    The Magic Power source to a Remnant Beast is what the heart is to humans. A human without a heart cannot sustain life. How then could a Remnant Beast without a Magic Power source exist, let alone hunt and fight with her as it did moments ago?

    The Emerald Sparrow couldn''t understand it.

    Still, after a brief moment of confusion, she quickly cast that emotion aside. She knew that now was not the time to ponder this question.

    She was very aware of what her current task was. Rather than researching why the Remnant Beast didn''t produce an Echo, investigating the current state of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was the top priority.

    For example, why was there no response from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau when they were attacked by the Remnant Beast? Even if they couldn''t fend off the beast, they could have escaped or sought refuge. At the very least, they should have notified the local Magical Girls toe and deal with the Remnant Beast.

    The question didn''t puzzle the Emerald Sparrow for long because, when she took out her phone to inquire with the team in Bai An City, the symbol at the top of the screen provided the answer.

    ¡ª¡ª[No Signal].

    The Emerald Sparrow wasn''t surprised; if anything, she was relieved, for her understanding of the situation had advanced one step further: The signal here had been cut off, and no messages could get out.

    She didn''t know if the Abnormal Strategy Bureau in Bai An City had any special means of externalmunication, but she assumed there probably wasn''t any.

    Which meant that from the moment the attack began, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau headquarters, situated underground and originally akin to a safe fortress, had be a massive sealed cage, trapping Abnormal Strategy Bureau employees and Remnant Beasts together.

    What exactly was the current state of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau in Bai An City?

    Besides this office where someone was killed, where had the other employees gone?

    How many people were still alive? Were there other Remnant Beasts here?

    The Emerald Sparrow needed to first rify these questions.

    She put away the magic wand in her hand,id the deceased Abnormal Strategy Bureau employee t on the ground, closed his eyes, and left the office. She continued to search on the first floor of the bureau, but no matter how hard she searched, she could no longer find a room with people in it.

    The empty corridors echoed with her solitary footsteps. The bright lights shone directly onto the tiled floor, reflecting a series of ring white circles. These white dots formed a line that seemed to lead endlessly into the distance, as if the space itself had be an endless maze.

    In the perpetual underground space where day and night are indistinguishable, the dead silence seemed to even devour time itself.

    The Emerald Sparrow began to feel the atmosphere grow stuffy; even though the surrounding environment was bright and open, it couldn''t erase the pervasive sense of unease. Most of the offices were just like the one she had seen earlier, doors wide open, various furnishings scattered about in disarray, with not a living creature in sight.

    This was very abnormal.

    The Emerald Sparrow thought to herself.

    Even if the Abnormal Strategy Bureau had been attacked by Remnant Beasts, the interior should not look as strange as it did now.

    She could understand why it was so quiet and deserted since most would choose to flee in the face of an attack by Remnant Beasts. In this respect, the employees of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau were no different from ordinary people.

    But if things were really that simple, the bureau should not be presenting the current scene.

    The two biggest inconsistencies were: the building was too well-preserved, and there were not enough corpses.

    It wasn''t that the Emerald Sparrow wished any curse upon the bureau; rather, factually, the Remnant Beast she had disposed of must have wreaked havoc within the Abnormal Strategy Bureau for quite some time.

    The office where the Remnant Beast was located was hundreds of meters away from the bureau''s main hall. Over such a long distance, the Remnant Beast would not have refrained from destruction and ughter.

    A Remnant Beast, innately filled with brutal instincts, usually operates on the logic of killing any living creature in sight and destroying everything around when there''s nothing to kill.

    Even the Remnant Beasts that had previously appeared in Fangting City, transformed by the cultists of ck Ash Dawn, were unable to restrain their innate nature as Remnant Beasts, and their behavior logic would bepletely beast-like.

    It made no sense for such a life form to have advanced several hundred meters withoutpletely suppressing its instincts and refraining from all destruction.

    Could it really just be that this particr Remnant Beast was too special?

    Emerald Sparrow pondered thus, but she still couldn''t convince herself.

    If at the beginning the situation had merely strayed from Emerald Sparrow''s expectations, now it had exceeded her imagination, and the whole picture started to be enigmatic and elusive.

    With many doubts and confusions, which weren''t unraveled during the investigation, Emerald Sparrow eventually stepped out of the office area and returned to the first-floor lobby of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    As when she had arrived, the lobby was still deserted, with rows of lights embedded in the gigantic spherical ceiling, the white light far brighter than that of the office area corridors.

    Looking at the ss turnstiles leading in all directions around the lobby, and imagining the usual bustling scenes, Emerald Sparrow paused for a moment, then shook her head.

    She decided to check out the other floors.

    Emerald Sparrow walked into the elevator beside the lobby and, after observing briefly inside the elevator car, she noticed that the elevator only went downwards. The top floor was designated as [-1F], and the other floors followed in descending order. Considering this was an underground building, such ayout wasn''t surprising, and Emerald Sparrow didn''t give it much thought before pressing the button for [-2F].

    Soon enough, the elevator doors slowly closed, and a breeze blew within the car as it descended with rumbling noises, then stopped after a short period, disying the information for [-2F].

    Theck of any mishap along the way actually surprised Emerald Sparrow.

    Watching the elevator doors open slowly without expression, Emerald Sparrow stepped out from the elevator door to take a good look around this so-called second basement floor, trying to grasp the general outline at first nce.

    However, when she clearly saw the surrounding furnishings, her brain buzzed with confusion.

    For what she saw was not a second underground floor at all. Before her eyes was still the brightly lit first underground floor lobby.

    Had the elevator not moved?

    With that doubt in mind, Emerald Sparrow turned back into the elevator car and looked up at the screen above, but the screen that had disyed [-2F] in her memory had changed, now showing [-1F].

    Had she pressed the wrong button? Misread it?

    Emerald Sparrow raised her head, trying to find the button from her memory, and only then realized how naive her previous thought had been.

    Indeed, not only the previously seen [-2F] button was missing, but she couldn''t find any other number at all.

    [-1F]

    [-1F]

    [-1F]

    [-1F]

    [-1F]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    All the buttons that met her eyes bore the same number.

    A series of buttons for the first basement floor were densely packed on the control panel, and the only number she could find throughout the whole elevator car was this one, as if mocking her silently.

    Standing there, she stared nkly at the control panel for a while, silent. Then Emerald Sparrow took a step, leaped out of the elevator, and ran towards the staircase entrance nearby.

    She used great force to pull open the door to the stairwell, throwing it aside, and was faced with a staircase that led to both the upper and lower levels. Emerald Sparrow didn''t hesitate, running straight downstairs. When she arrived at the next level''snding, she forcefully pulled open the door to the stairwell and burst into the space outside.

    ¡ª It was the lobby.

    The unchanging lobby of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s first floor.

    The empty hall, the zing white light, the buzzing sound of electric currents¡ªall were exactly the same as the space she had been in earlier, without any alteration.

    Emerald Sparrow, expressionless, continued to run.

    This time, her target was the main door to the lobby¡ªthe ss turnstile she had passed through when she entered.

    After passing through the turnstile, the white corridor she encountered was still the same one she had traversed earlier, as if she had finally arrived at a brand-new space. However, Emerald Sparrow''s mood didn''t improve; she kept running forward without any expression.

    She had a growing feeling that things wouldn''t be so simple.

    Indeed, they weren''t. After retracing her steps, returning to what should have been her initial area, the view before her eyes was nothing like she had expected.

    What she saw was still that ss turnstile.

    A frosted ss door that let faint light shine through its haziness, yet obscured whaty behind it. It looked exactly the same as the one she had seen before.

    Emerald Sparrow gazed steadily for a moment, not showing any signs of panic, just kept moving forward. After passing through the ss turnstile, she raised her head, looking once more at the space behind the door.

    Of course, this time, the sight before her eyes didn''t surprise her either.

    Here, still, was the lobby of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

 Chapter 117 Nest

    At this moment, Emerald Sparrow finally understood the dissonance she had been feeling all along.

    That lingering sense of mild crisis since entering the Abnormal Strategy Bureau; the alienation brought on by the surrounding scenery; and a faint yet familiar sense of nausea. All these sensory elements mixed together, forming a dissonance within her heart, warning her of the abnormality here.

    After seeing this scene, Emerald Sparrow vaguely had an answer in her heart as to what this space truly was.

    However, to fully confirm this answer, there was still one thing she needed to do¡ªreturn to the office where the Remnant Beast had been discovered earlier.

    With this thought in mind, Emerald Sparrow did not wish to dy any longer. She immediately activated her magic power, levitating her body, and flew in the direction she remembered.

    She sped along the hallway, with the scenery of the corridor shing past the corner of her eye at high speed, just as unchanging as what she had seen before. But now that she had an answer in mind, she was no longer perplexed by it.

    Ignoring any potential distractions en route, Emerald Sparrow flew straight to the office where the Remnant Beast was previously found and pushed the door open with a forceful gesture.

    Upon opening the office door, all she saw was an exceedingly ordinary office.

    No corpses, no blood stains, no ashen remains of the Remnant Beast, only the bright white light as in the other rooms, and various office items ced haphazardly around.

    All traces had vanished, the previously found clues were nowhere to be seen, as if they had never existed in the first ce.

    However, upon seeing this scene, a flicker of understanding swiftly crossed Emerald Sparrow''s eyes.

    The reason was simple, this was the answer she was looking for.

    "So that''s what it is."

    Speaking softly and looking at the situation in front of her, Emerald Sparrow did not step further inside but with an utterly certain tone, she judged, "This is indeed a ''Nest''."

    The "Nest" she referred to was a characteristic ability of the chrysalis-stage Remnant Beasts.

    As a symbol of the chrysalis-stage Remnant Beasts, themon form of a "Nest" is a twisted reality of the original space, ayered and nested spatial maze.

    Inside a "Nest," the scenery is not born out of nothingness but is a product of capturing and imitating the surrounding space based on its location, then replicating, multiplying, and distorting everything on this foundation.

    If the nest of a Remnant Beast is located outside the city in a deste space, then its nest disys the form of a boundless wastnd; if the nest is within ake, then it shows as an endless expanse, directionless, never reaching the surface of the water.

    Emerald Sparrow has seen such instances more than once, the most recent just a few months prior.

    Back then, Emerald encountered a chrysalis-stage Remnant Beast under Fangting City. The beast had built its nest in the city''s sewers, resulting in the nest appearing as an ant colony-like staggered maze of sewer pipes.

    At that time, just like now, Emerald had stepped into the beast''s nest while following the trail of the Remnant Beast, and was absorbed into the maze.

    Starting from this premise, everything Emerald Sparrow had discovered after entering the Abnormal Strategy Bureau fell into ce with a reasonable exnation¡ªbecause this was not the real Abnormal Strategy Bureau but a beast''s Nest that simted it.

    The spatialposition of this nest consisted of replicating and extending the space of the first floor of the Bai An City Abnormal Strategy Bureau, joining countless spaces simr to the "first floor" to form aplete nest.

    Emerald Sparrow was not trapped in an inescapable Strategy Bureau but was surrounded by countless "first floors of the Strategy Bureau," which, although structurally identical and replicating all non-living objects, could not replicate living creatures.

    Therefore, it was natural that there would be no corpses or bloodstains in the office before her, because the "first floor" where the victims were killed was not the same space where Emerald Sparrow was currently standing.

    Emerald Sparrow hade here to confirm this point.

    However, with the unraveling of this puzzle, another question now presented itself before her.

    That is, this chrysalis-stage Remnant Beast was absolutely not ordinary. A typical beast of this stage could not achieve such a feat.

    The usual Remnant Beast "Nest" merely imitates the essential elements of the surrounding space. Simr to the camouge of a chameleon, the goal is to hide the nest, making it less obvious, so the beast''s nest is often but a rough imitation of the original space.

    To replicate the entireyout of an Abnormal Strategy Bureau floor sopletely without any mistakes, as seen here, is beyond the intelligence of a Remnant Beast.

    Given the intelligence of a chrysalis-stage Remnant Beast, they simply couldn''t grasp what the decor within human structures was or what purpose it served. How could every detail be so precisely replicated?

    This also exined why the beast could have its nest right next to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, yet no information had reached the Magical Girl¡ªbecause this was certainly not a simple case of a Remnant Beast building its nest.

    With an answer in mind, Emerald Sparrow naturally knew what she needed to do now, which was, undoubtedly, to find the owner of this nest and kill the Remnant Beast.

    As for how to search, Emerald Sparrow''s method was simple¡ªrelease her Magical Power Perception and proceed in the direction with the strongest response.

    Within the nest, the concepts of space and time were blurred, so from the moment she began her search, even she did not know how long it had taken.

    With a clear mind and without distracting thoughts, Emerald Sparrow maintained the sharpest state of awareness, ensuring she could detect any abnormal magic power fluctuations promptly.

    However, just as she was prepared to expand her sensing range once again, a very faint fluctuation of magic power appeared within her perception area.

    This weak fluctuation was like a candle flickering on the brink of being extinguished¡ªthough still burning, it blinked uncertainly. Had it not been for the consistent high concentration of Emerald Sparrow, she might have subconsciously overlooked it.

    And when she stopped to carefully confirm, she discovered that this fluctuation was not far from the area where she was located.

    So, without hesitation, Emerald Sparrow immediately moved toward the direction of the perceived magic power fluctuation.

    After passing through several stairways and crossing many "first floors," she finally found her target: in the deserted office, there was a girl sitting against the wall.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    To be exact, she was a Magical Girl, because Emerald Sparrow could see that the girl was holding a gem in her hand, shaped like a budding flower.

    That was an unopened Heart''s Flower, so she must be a Magical Girl at the bud level.

    The girl looked to be about 18 years old, at an age where she was gradually shedding her youthful naivete and starting to appear somewhat mature. From this, it could be inferred that she must have been a skilled Magical Girl for many years.

    However, her current state was far from well; she hadpletely reverted to her human form with blood continuously seeping down her forehead. Even her transformed state could not be maintained, clearly indicating that her magic power had been exhausted.

    Emerald Sparrow squatted down, reached a hand in front of the girl''s breath to check for breathing, and upon detecting it, she immediately pressed down on the Heart''s Gem in the girl''s hand and began to pour her own magic power into it.

    As the azure magic power steadily flowed into the girl''s hand, the Heart''s Gem began to glimmer with a deep brown light and, atst, returned to its radiant state.

    The revival of the Heart''s Gem and the replenishment of abundant magic power allowed the girl against the wall to slowly regain consciousness. She opened her eyes from the depths of oblivion and then met the gaze of the half-squatting Emerald Sparrow.

    The girl was momentarily dazed and then sharply startled, her instinct to draw back, but evidently forgot she was in a corner, so with a "thunk," the back of her head struck the wall.

    The intense pain snapped the girl back to full alertness. She grimaced as she clutched the back of her head and after a moment looked up at Emerald Sparrow with a somewhat embarrassed smile, "Uh, sorry... May I ask who you are?"

    "Considering I just saved you, the question ought to be posed by me first."

    Releasing the girl''s hand from the Heart''s Gem, Emerald Sparrow stood back up, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

    "Me?"

    The girl nced at Emerald Sparrow, her expression stiffening slightly, then, with a forced elevation of her voice, she digressed, "I don''t know what you''re talking about."

    But just as she finished speaking, she noticed Emerald Sparrow''s gaze fixed on her left hand. She looked slightly to the side and saw the Heart''s Bud in her hand still twinkling, and she immediately realized she had told a very poor lie.

    After a subtly awkward silence, the girl smiled again sheepishly, and then answered frankly, "My code name is Lantern. I''m a local Magical Girl from Bai''an City."

    She did not persist in hiding her identity because she could tell that the girl in the dark cyan dress before her was also a Magical Girl, and since the other had chosen to save her, she probably wasn''t a bad person.

    Having stated her own identity, she then looked back at Emerald Sparrow, hoping for a corresponding answer.

    What she did not know was that Emerald Sparrow had already anticipated her response.

    "I am a Patrol Envoy sent by the Investigation Institute to Bai''an City."

    Emerald Sparrow spoke concisely, "I am here looking for a missing investigation team in Bai''an City and have already made contact with the local Magical Girl team. They told me there''s a missing member called ''Lantern.'' Is that you?"

    Lantern was momentarily taken aback, "The local Magical Girl team, you mean...?"

    "Among them, there''s a Magical Girl named Bai Ji and a Seeder called Polly. Before I came here, they had asked me to look for you."

    In order to quickly gain the trust of the Magical Girl before her, Emerald Sparrow shared everything without reservation, "It''s just that I also came here by ident, and to my surprise, you''re here too."

    "Aha! So that''s what happened!"

    Hearing news of herrades invigorated the girl considerably, "Have you met Bai Ji and the others? How are they now... cough, cough!" Find exclusive stories on empire

    Perhaps because of her overexcitement, the excessive motion aggravated the girl''s still-healing wounds, causing her to suddenly cough violently.

    Emerald Sparrow immediately pressed down on her shoulder somewhat helplessly and pushed her back against the wall.

    "They are still safe for the time being. In fact, the only concern everyone had was for your safety."

    She shook her head, finished updating on the Bai''an City team''s status, and steered the conversation back on track, asking Lantern, "So, can you tell me, what exactly happened to you before you ended up here? Why did you faint? Have you seen any sign of the Cat''s Tail team?"

 Chapter 118 The Course of the Event

    "This is a bit..."

    Upon hearing this, Dengzhou first hesitated slightly, then smiled awkwardly, "It''s actually a bit embarrassing to say. Could you notugh?"

    "What happened?"

    "I actually found the person, but I didn''t win the fight."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Pointing at his own forehead, Dengzhouughed, "Originally, I followed the enemy to thisir, thinking I had a chance to challenge a pupal stage Remnant Beast, but the result was..."

    "The result was?" Emerald Sparrow raised an eyebrow.

    "The result was I almost got caught myself and almost ran out of magic power before I was barely able to escape."

    When this topic came up, Dengzhou unconsciously scratched the back of his head, "I didn''t expect that man to be so strong."

    "That man? Do you mean you''ve found the culprit?"

    Emerald Sparrow prodded, "Can you be clearer? What exactly happened?"

    "It''s a long story. Actually, it dates back to a week ago, when the Investigation Bureau''s team went missing."

    Dengzhou shifted backward to get morefortable, pondering how to begin, "But where should I start? Miss Inspector, have you heard about what happened before from Bai Ji and the others?"

    "If you''re talking about what happened to the investigation team after they went to Bai''an City, then I''m vaguely aware of it."

    Emerald Sparrow nodded, "ording to Bai Ji''s description, you seem to have provided quite some information to the investigation team."

    "Yes, but that''s not all."

    Dengzhou added, "Actually, Senior Cat Tail from the investigation team warned me when we first met to not take things lightly. The case they''re investigating is much more significant than imagined. It seems ck Ash Dawn is preparing something very dangerous."

    "ck Ash Dawn?"

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but feel puzzled, "The records in the Investigation Bureau indicate that they were investigating w Mark''s movements."

    "ording to Senior Cat Tail, that was their initial objective upon arriving in the Donghua Region,"

    Dengzhou corrected, "But the priority of this objective changed after they conducted a widespread investigation in the Donghua Region. Because they found many clues pointing to the same thing¡ªck Ash Dawn is plotting something in the southeast Donghua Region."

    "So you''re saying what they were actually investigating was rted to ck Ash Dawn?"

    Emerald Sparrow furrowed her brows, "What are those guys plotting?"

    Whether it was w Mark or ck Ash Dawn, Emerald Sparrow actually knew very little about these organizations because their emergence and rise happened entirely after she retired.

    If it weren''t for that previous attack on Fangting City, she might not even be clear about the distinctions between these organizations.

    "We don''t know."

    To Emerald Sparrow''s question, Dengzhou simply shook his head, "However, Senior Cat Tail did tell me something before she disappeared."

    "What is it?"

    "About the disappearance of Magical Girls over the past two years."

    Dengzhou crossed his arms over his knees, staring into Emerald Sparrow''s eyes, "Inspector, do you know, ck Ash Dawn has actually done quite a few bad things in the Donghua Region. They even have someone specifically responsible for attacking the newly appointed Magical Girls."

    "There''s no need to be so formal, just call me Emerald Sparrow." Emerald Sparrow nodded slightly, "As for what you mentioned, I have heard of it."

    That some members of ck Ash Dawn could harness the power of Remnant Beasts, even going as far as hunting down Magical Girls, was something she had already learned from Lin Xiaolu.

    In fact, the reason she now stood here in the capacity of a Magical Girl was significantly rted to ck Ash Dawn. Experience more on empire

    If it weren''t for that day, that night in the Fangting City Wend Park, when someone among them wanted to make a move on Lin Xiaolu, she wouldn''t have so resolutely be a Magical Girl once again.

    In a sense, Emerald Sparrow herself was deeply affected by this event.

    "Emerald Sparrow? Is that the code name given to you, Lord Inspector?" Lantern asked without thinking.

    "Correct," Emerald Sparrow continued nodding.

    Seeing Emerald Sparrow''s confirmation, Lantern went on, "Then, Ins... Emerald Sparrow senior, do you know how many Magical Girls have disappeared in the Donghua Region in the past two years?"

    "...How many?" Hearing her ask like this, Emerald Sparrow vaguely felt an ominous premonition.

    "There are 11 who have certified identification cards recorded in the files."

    Lantern looked at Emerald Sparrow earnestly, enunciating each word, "This number does not include those Magical Girls who disappeared quietly. In fact, quite a number of girls were at the novice stage and hadn''t yet received their certification cards; some even vanished before they could make contact with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. Although not recorded in the archives, based on the feedback from Seeders in various ces,bined with these children, the number is probably double. In the end, probably more than 20 Magical Girls have disappeared in thest two years."

    "Two years? 22 people?" Emerald Sparrow said, somewhat shocked, "That many? How many Magical Girls are there in the entire Southeast Donghua Region, and 22 disappeared in two years; howe it was only discovered recently?"

    "This is also a significant mystery in the incident; unfortunately, we have no leads."

    Hugging her knees, Lantern lowered her eyes, "I heard that in some cities even Seeders have disappeared; I don''t know where such bad luck struck."

    Upon hearing this, Emerald Sparrow also looked away, expressing no opinion on the matter.

    "Anyway, we have many doubts about this, and ck Ash Dawn seems very keen and persistent on hunting Magical Girls. Moreover, they have repeatedly emphasized words like ''ritual'' as if they are involved in some strange activities."

    Seeing that Emerald Sparrow was silent, Lantern began to speak herself, "When Cat Tail senior visited, she also asked me if I had encountered any abnormal incidents in Bai''an City; those could very likely be signs of ck Ash Dawn''s covert actions."

    "In fact, in my usual activities, I have indeed sensed some strange urrences..."

    Lantern began to describe and listed several locations that she found odd, together with the reasons.

    The reason it''s considered odd is that Lantern herself couldn''t clearly exin her feelings. The ces she listed were where she had either patrolled or fought, but afterward, she always felt that something was still hidden there.

    The list she provided was eventually delivered to Cat Tail''s hands, and the next day, the investigation team started inspecting the ces mentioned on Lantern''s list.

    In the initial days, Cat Tail would asionally contact Lantern tomunicate some progress in the investigation. However, immediately afterward, one day, Cat Tail suddenly fell silent without trace.

    Lantern contacted the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, and after a considerable amount of manpower was spent searching throughout Bai''an City, they found no trace of Cat Tail and the others. With no other choice, they decided to report the matter to the Investigation Institute.

    While waiting for someone from the Investigation Institute, Lantern, restless as always, felt deeply involved in this matter and wanted to search for more clues. Thus, she joined forces with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and carried out a detailed investigation around the locations she once reported, attempting to find any traces.

    Anything suspicious, whether objects or persons, was thoroughly cataloged and eventuallyid out on the desks of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    After studying those materials, Lantern pinpointed several highly suspicious individuals and, after another day of tracking investigation, she focused on a particr man.

    ording to the files, this man was once a mage who had been arrested and penalized by the Abnormal Strategy Bureau for engaging in gray market dealings. After serving his sentence and being deprived of his Spell Technique abilities, he became a jobless vagrant.

    This man had appeared several times around the locations Lantern had designated during the period surrounding the Cat Tail squad incident, with very suspicious behavior.

    After focusing on this man, Lantern decisively took action, attempting to track him down. However, to her surprise, during the tracking process, she inexplicably lost her way.

    After following that man into a certain underground passageway, she became lost within, and after several turns, realized she had entered a space resembling a nest.

    At first, she thought she had reached the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, but soon, she encountered several workers trapped inside just like her; from their words, she learned that this ce was not the real Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    Knowing this was a nest of pupal Remnant Beasts, she refocused her goals and started looking for the nest''s core, aiming to defeat the Remnant Beasts.

    Lantern''s magical gear had the ability to track and investigate, so in fact, she quickly did just that. She found the center of the nest, and more importantly, she also found the very man she had been tracking.

    ¡ª¡ªThat man was feeding the Remnant Beasts.

 Chapter 119 United Offensive

    "Wait, what did you say?"

    Emerald Sparrow furrowed her brows and interrupted the Lantern''s words, "Humans feeding Remnant Beasts? Are you joking?"

    "I would never joke about this kind of thing,"

    Lantern emphasized with a serious expression, "But had I not seen it with my own eyes, I probably wouldn''t believe it either."

    "Humans feeding Remnant Beasts..."

    Chewing over the information provided by Lantern, Emerald Sparrow pondered for a moment, realizing another blind spot in this information, and suddenly looked up to ask, "What is he feeding them with?"

    No one answered her question.

    Lantern simply shook her head, not speaking.

    However, Emerald Sparrow already had a guess in her heart. Even though Lantern said nothing, she could guess roughly. Therefore, she said solemnly, "Is it people?"

    "...Yes." Lantern''s voice carried a hint of helplessness, "I couldn''t save them."

    Emerald Sparrow''s expression turned icy.

    Her fingertips twitched slightly, subconsciously drawing inwards as if to make a fist, but after a moment of hesitation, she ultimately didn''t make that gesture.

    For a moment, she almost let the words "how dare they" slip out. But facing her wasn''t an enemy; it was apanion who had been injured in battle, and there was no need to disy her anger in front of apanion.

    Coldness and fury, those were reserved for the enemy. This group known as ck Ash Dawn had already left an extremely negative impression in her mind.

    Remnant Beasts are a disaster for humans, an enemy of Magical Girls, and every human who lives in the material world has, more or less, a direct or indirect negative interaction with Remnant Beasts.

    On the lighter side, it might just be seeing reports of Remnant Beast attacks online; a little more serious, perhaps someone you know died in a Remnant Beast attack; or worse, your ce of residence and life being destroyed by Remnant Beasts; some are even victims of the beasts themselves.

    Growing up in such an environment, whether one is an ordinary person or a Magician, one should not feel any sympathy for Remnant Beasts.

    Yet, this group calling themselves ck Ash Dawn repeatedly crossed this line, making Emerald Sparrow increasingly intolerant.

    Striving to calm the emotions that surged for an instant, Emerald Sparrow made her voice calm again before asking Lantern, "So, you went straight for it?"

    "So, I went straight for it," Lantern admitted honestly.

    "You were injured, what about the enemy?"

    "At first, I did manage to inflict serious damage on that Remnant Beast, but after that man came out...," Lantern shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

    Clearly, she wasn''t satisfied with the oue herself.

    "The Abnormal Strategy Bureau employees you encountered in the nest before, did you manage to arrange for them?" Emerald Sparrow continued to ask.

    "I had nned to deal with the Remnant Beast and then help them leave, but since I didn''t win, naturally there was no follow-up,"

    Lantern smiled sheepishly, "So, they should still be hiding somewhere, right?"

    Her answer made Emerald Sparrow recall the office stained with blood she encountered on her way here.

    This was not the Abnormal Strategy Bureau but merely a Remnant Beast''s nest, something she already knew. Thus, the offices here should be empty; there shouldn''t be living people inside.

    Considering this, the victims in that office were clearly ordinary people from the outside world, and it was even very likely... the same people Lantern had mentioned.

    "Is something wrong?"

    Lantern noticed Emerald Sparrow''s silence.

    "It''s nothing."

    Emerald Sparrow shook her head, choosing not to reveal the truth to Lantern, but to lightly skip over it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Realizing this fact didn''t make her more indignant; on the contrary, she felt somewhat aloof because, at that moment, the instigator of this incident had be an unforgivable person that must be dealt with. Continue your journey at empire

    Tightening the golden Magic Robe draped behind her, Emerald Sparrow asked Lantern, "Can you still find the center of the nest now?"

    "Now? Although I didn''t record the route when I fled, using the abilities of my magical gear to find my way back shouldn''t be a problem..."

    Lantern blinked, "Do you n to go, Guard Captain?"

    "For me, the sooner the better,"

    Emerald Sparrow said as she stood up, "How is your injury? Do you need me to move you to a somewhat safer location?"

    "There won''t be a problem with magic power,"

    Lantern moved a bit, slowly bracing herself against the wall, "As for fighting, my true form didn''t suffer much damage. Against pupal stage Remnant Beasts..."

    "If it''s just a pupa, leave it to me,"

    Emerald Sparrow supported Lantern''s arm, helping her to stand, "Lead me there now; it''s time to settle the issues here."

    After walking a few steps with Emerald Sparrow''s assistance, and hearing her words, Lantern was slightly stunned and then spoke somewhat emotionally, "Emerald Sparrow, although you look quite small, the words you say are very reassuring."

    "Praising someone while bringing up a shoring isn''t going to make them happy,"

    Emerald Sparrow said expressionlessly, "Or are you emphasizing how short I am, that it''s ufortable to support you, and the second half of your sentence is there to cover for yourself?"

    "No, no, no, you think too poorly of me,"

    Lantern waved her hands in defense, "I just thought of someone I know when I heard you say ''leave it to me,'' that''s all. Maybe because she''s also from the investigation branch, it feels like you have this subtly reliable aura when you say such things."

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 120 Spider

    The sudden attack interrupted the man''s actions and choked back the scornful words that were on the cusp of escaping his lips.

    He stared at the magic-imbued dagger protruding from his chest, his eyes widening, making a "heh heh" noise without being able to utter a single word, as blood spilt from his throat, causing him to cough uncontrobly.

    "Lamp, go see how that Remnant Beast is doing now, if possible, subdue it and check if there are any survivors in those tumors."

    After pulling out the dagger that had pierced the enemy''s back, Emerald Sparrow mercilessly kicked him to the ground, tied him up with Magic Silk threads, and then directly applied several Favo Runes to his body, forming the Magic-Sealing Arts: "I''ll interrogate this guy."

    "Okay." Lamp nodded, activated his magic power to levitate, and charged towards the cocoon in the sky.

    Soon, the Remnant Beast''s growls and the explosion of magic power mingled into one, indicating that a battle had alsomenced high above.

    Emerald Sparrow looked up briefly at the fight above, then lowered her head to gaze at the man bound on the ground with an ice-cold look: "Name, status, purpose."

    "Heh... heh..." But the man was unable to respond; he only kept bleeding profusely from his throat. His mouth gaped open, his eyes bulging, gasping for breath, and it seemed as though he would not live much longer.

    His appearance was pitiable, but Emerald Sparrow felt no sympathy or empathy for him; she just watched him quietly.

    Since entering this den, everything she had seen and learned pointed to one fact¡ªthat the man before her was a downright viin. Such a person did not deserve any sympathy.

    She kept staring at the man on the ground, silent.

    Dozens of secondster, observing the man still acting as if on the brink of death yet seemingly struggling for life, Emerald Sparrow spoke again: "Are you done pretending?"

    Her words seemed to be a signal; after giving her a steady look, the man finally ceased making unintelligible noises, and instead slightly raised the corners of his mouth: "You are smarter than her, Little Miss."

    "I''ve never heard of a human being who could defeat a Magical Girl of the Lei rank, but my intuition tells me such a person should not end up like this after being stabbed through the heart."

    Emerald Sparrow said coldly: "Now, you have two choices, tell me where the missing Magical Girl is and your ns, and you may eithermit suicide or be killed by me in one stroke; or refuse to answer my questions, and the Magic Kingdom has ways to make you talk, but you may not have a peaceful death."

    The man rxed his bulging eyes, gazing at Emerald Sparrow silently for a long time, and after a slight pause, he sighed: "Too bad, I don''t like ying the fool."

    His statement slightly confused Emerald Sparrow, and after a moment, she realized what he meant and looked down at her skirt.

    "It seems you do not wish for a peaceful death?"

    Emerald Sparrow asked, then crouched down, holding her skirt. Magic Silk threads condensed into a dagger in her hand. She extended it towards the man''s eye: "Or do you hope I engage in more inhumane actions so that you''ll be willing to answer my questions?"

    "I don''t want to waste time with scum, so I don''t want to hear any more nonsense from you. In three seconds, give me your choice, or this dagger will blind you."

    "One."

    "Two."

    "I''ll talk." The man tried to turn his head aside, but the Magic Silk threads had him firmly fixed in ce, making it impossible for him to move, "You really are merciless, much colder than the other Magical Girls who came before me."

    Shick!

    "Ah!"

    The dagger grazed by the man''s eye socket, cutting his lower eyelid open, making him scream in pain on the spot.

    "Your eyes are spared, but your nonsense has earned you extra pain."

    Emerald Sparrow removed the dagger: "Now, name, status, purpose."

    After gasping for a while, the man spoke feebly: "Spider, Ash Guard, collecting sustenance."

    "Exin these terms you''re using; don''t speak in riddles to me." Emerald Sparrow narrowed her eyes.

    "You really don''t know?" Hearing her words, the man appeared slightly startled, then nced at her face and disyed a puzzling smile, "Interesting, you are indeed like the nickname they call you, a bird in a cage, true to the name."

    Emerald Sparrow raised the dagger, shing it across his mouth.

    "Ugh!" The man couldn''t help but groan again.

    "Are you provoking me with my codename to anger me?"

    Throwing the dagger aside, Magic Silk threads once again condensed into a new dagger in her hand, and Emerald Sparrow''s voice rose slightly: "Actually, I don''t mind if you continue doing so, but time is short. I hope you reduce your nonsense, or by the time this interrogation is over, my promise might just be empty words."

    "...Spider is my codename."

    Seeing that Emerald Sparrow waspletely unphased by his provocation, the man finally spoke somewhat honestly: "My status is Ash Guard, so I have my own codename."

    "Ash Guard? Is that a rank within your hierarchy?" Emerald Sparrow asked coldly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Court-front Ash Army, Pce-front Ash Guard, King-front Ash Envoy,"

    Gasping, the man uttered three terms: "This isn''t any secret, especially for your Investigation Bureau, it should already be informationid bare."

 Chapter 121 Rules

    The purple-ck magic power dissipated, and the putrid stench grew more intense as the shrieks of the Remnant Beasts echoed throughout their. The figure of the spider was gradually enveloped by the smoky veil of magical power, and that blurred silhouette twisted under the watchful eyes of the two Magical Girls, emitting a grating sound that made one''s teeth ache.

    The shadow grew from the size of an ordinary person to something much taller, merging with the spider Remnant Beast beneath it. When the smokescreen cleared, standing before the two was no longer the man they had seen, but a monster with an upright torso covered in an exoskeleton.

    The monster was about the same height as the previously encountered white spider, with a vaguely recognizable original form. Its rtionship with the spider was unclear, but its transformation seemed to further evolve it into something even more terrifying.

    Gazing at the Emerald Sparrow, trapped within thework of flesh and blood alongside her magical armor, the monster slightly raised its head and split its mouthparts, emitting a hissing sound akin toughter.

    However, during the brief seconds of its transformation, Emerald Sparrow was not without action.

    Almost at the same instant the purple-ck magic power erupted, the Heart''s Gem on her neck, along with her eyes, began to shine, and a blue light burst from her flesh. In a moment of eye contact with the Remnant Beast, she burst through the restraints surrounding her.

    Bearing the intense headache that erupted almost simultaneously, Emerald Sparrowmanded the magical armor to leap forward and shouted, "Lamp, act now!"

    The enemy chose to turn into a Remnant Beast, leaving no room for debate¡ªonly a fight to the death remained between them.

    The deep brown Flow of Magical Power fell with her words, and the glowing nail gun made a series of breaking sounds as it thrust towards the beast on the ground.

    "Squeak¡ª"

    The Remnant Beast responded to the attack of the two Magical Girls with its own shriek, as purple-ck magic power swept up from around them, entangling the girls in battle.

    After a brief series of booms and impacts, the two Magical Girls retreated back out of the magic smoke andnded on the ground.

    "So¡ªhard!" Lamp shook her hand and winced, "It''s shell is several times harder than a pupa''s! Is the Half-Molt really that strong?"

    "...No." Emerald Sparrow replied indifferently, "That thing hasn''t molted yet."

    "Eh?" Lamp turned her head in surprise, "So it''s a pupa?"

    "It''s not a pupa either."

    Emerald Sparrow released the masterpiece de that she had been gripping tightly in her hand, and as the threads reformed, a weapon resembling a two-handed sword appeared in her hand: "More precisely, such a creature should be called a ''Shell Breaker,'' or ''Half-Molt.''

    "That sounds like such an odd name..." Lamp murmured.

    "A true Molt is something only a Bloom ss can handle."

    Grasping the two-handed sword in her hands, Emerald Sparrow lowered her center of gravity and her voice: "If it were truly a Molt, you would never have had the chance to see me alive before."

    "Is it really that exaggerated?" Lamp was now properly shaken, "I thought the Bud ss was already a match for a Molt, after all, look, powerful Leaf ss can generally take on a pupa alone, right?"

    "The evolutionary stages of the Remnant Beasts are only rted to their life stages, not directly corresponding to the Magical Girls'' awakening of powers."

    Emerald Sparrow sighed: "Why don''t you, a Bud ss, even know this? What level is your certification badge?"

    "White badge..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Lamp mumbled with some embarrassment: "I was promoted to Bud ss at the beginning of the year, I went to take the certification exam for the alphabet badge in March, and I failed..."

    Emerald Sparrow nced at her somewhat helplessly, about to say something when threads of flesh shot explosively out of the smoke towards their direction.

    The expressions of the two Magical Girls turned serious again as they leaped in different directions, dodging the attack.

    However, what surprised them was that the strand of shot thread seemed tock force. After missing its target, it briefly flew a distance before mming into the wall of their beside them and bursting into a stter of blood with a "pop."

    Almost at the same time, their was filled with the sounds of "pop" "pop," incessant to the ear.

    Hearing these sounds, Emerald Sparrow paused briefly, then as if realizing something, she urgently shouted at Lamp, "Barrier!"

    "Eh?" Lamp sounded puzzled, but she still instinctively threw out a Favo Rune from her sleeve, erecting a Magical Barrier in the blink of an eye before her.

    That was not the end, as Emerald Sparrow also activated her magical armor, weaving the threads once again into a hollow protective, epassing both of them inside.

    Then, intense rumbles made the wholeir shake violently.

    "What is this exactly?" Amidst the noise, Lamp raised her voice and asked Emerald Sparrow.

    "It''s their,"

    Emerald Sparrow watched the changes outside her magical armor intently, gritting her teeth as she forced out the words, "The previousir belonged to that big puppet, but this is its ownir."

    "Air beyond a pupa, does that mean..."

    Lamp pondered Emerald Sparrow''s words, looking up with her at the sky above.

    After the booming noise, they found themselvespletely immersed in a different space.

    Unlike the style of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau with its bright white lights and silvery-white walls, their had changed into something repulsive.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 122 Spider Web

    The sudden attack forced Emerald Sparrow to abandon her n to continue the assault. She used her magic power to perform a swift ukemi in midair, spinning her body and pounding heavily on the spider spear with her gauntlet, narrowly avoiding the attack from below.

    However, this did not mean the end of the crisis. The Remnant Beast in front of her was aware that the Magical Girl had been affected by the rules, and naturally, there was no reason to stop there. The Remnant Beast quickly caught up, attempting to pursue Emerald Sparrow.

    In the critical situation, Lantern timely intervened, taking Emerald Sparrow''s ce, and the two Magical Girls fought as they retreated, finally managing to fend off the Remnant Beast''s round of attacks.

    Only, the Magic Silk on Emerald Sparrow''s elbow remained unattended to.

    In the lulls ofbat, she repeatedly tried to cut the Magic Silk that bound her, attempting to break free, but to no avail. The Magic Silk created by the rules waspletely unaffected by her magic armor or her magic power.

    What was more important was that, as she saw clearly the Magic Silk on her arm, she realized that it seemed to be identical to those that bound Cat Tail and others. This finally made her understand the meaning behind the Spider''s words before transforming, "personal experience".

    The previous Cat Tail Squad had apparently also fought against the Spider, and the reason the whole squad fell to it was clearly that they had not ovee the Remnant Beast''s rules.

    Even for herself, after her elbow was entangled by the special Magic Silk, not only was it difficult to fold and move her arm, but even the cirction of magic power there became very sluggish.

    "How''s the situation?" Lantern, seeing Emerald Sparrow''s grim expression, couldn''t help but ask, "Can''t you get rid of it?"

    "I''m afraid we need to think of another approach,"

    Emerald Sparrow gave up dealing with the Magic Silk on her body, taking a breath, "We need to figure out its rules first, otherwise even our attacks will be restricted."

    The Magic Silk on her arm had appeared while she was attempting to pursue the Remnant Beast. Although she didn''t know whether the two were rted, it didn''t prevent her from being cautious beforehand.

    "But..." Lantern started, then paused, meanwhile ncing up at the spider web in the sky.

    Emerald Sparrow followed Lantern''s gaze upward, only to see that the magical power fluctuations of Cat Tail and the others on the spider web above were bing fainter.

    With their magical power perception as Magical Girls, it wasn''t hard to track the movement of these magical energies: all were being drawn along the Magic Silk into the body of the Remnant Beast.

    Clearly, due to the exhaustion from the previous fight, the Remnant Beast had sped up the rate at which it was absorbing magic power. And at this rate, Cat Tail and the others would likely die of weakness before the fight was over.

    Emerald Sparrow fell silent.

    She wasn''t without a n for victory in her heart, but speed and sureness obviously couldn''t be attained at the same time.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    If she wanted to ensure that she and Lantern both defeated the Remnant Beast in front of them unscathed, she must not act rashly; she had to observe the opponent''s rules clearly before finding an opportunity to attack.

    If she wanted to save Cat Tail, she certainly wouldn''t have the time to slowly figure out the rules; she could only adopt a more aggressive approach.

    "Lantern, let''s split up."

    After weighing her options, she spoke up again, "You go up to save them; I''ll deal with this Remnant Beast below."

    "Eh? That''s not a good idea!"

    Lantern quickly shook her head upon hearing this, "Senior, you''ve already been influenced by its rules. If someone has to stay, it should be me who is in a better state!"

    "You''ve just been seriously injured, how good could your condition be?"

    Emerald Sparrow nced at her, "And you''ve already lost to it once before, I can''t trust you to handle it alone."

    "But..." Lantern wanted to object, but Emerald Sparrow didn''t give her the chance to argue.

    "Don''t waste time."

    Pushing Lantern away, Emerald Sparrow assumed abative stance facing the Remnant Beast that was about to attack again from the air, "Without the troublesome rules, I am confident I can quickly finish it off."

    As her words fell, Magic Silk once more shot out from the darkness, Emerald Sparrow controlled her magic armor and charged out, once again engaging in a fierce battle with the Remnant Beast.

    Blood-red Magic Silk mixed with dark purple magic power entwined with the azure Magic Silk in their, her magic-made masterpiece des shing intensely with the Remnant Beast''s exoskeleton, both sides momentarily locked in a stalemate.

    Ultimately, Lantern followed Emerald Sparrow''smands, putting aside the needless worries in her heart, and flew towards the spider web in the sky. Leaving Emerald Sparrow on the ground locked in an incredibly dangerous battle with the Remnant Beast.

    The unthinking Remnant Beast couldn''tprehend why the two Magical Girls had split up; as far as it was concerned, with only one Magical Girl remaining in front of it, it was undoubtedly a prime opportunity to quickly kill her.

    So, it disregarded the departing Lantern andunched an even more ferocious assault on Emerald Sparrow.

    Not long after the battle began, Emerald Sparrow''s arm, which had originally been entwined with Magic Silk, waspletely wrapped up, utterly losing the ability to manipte magic power.

    This forced her to abandon fighting with both hands, switching to a one-handedbat inbination with her magic silk threads, but inevitably, this made her fighting style biased towards defense.

    With only one hand able to move normally, she had to prioritize keeping the other safe; if both hands lost their ability to act, the situation would be even worse.

    Aside from that, her head hurt.

    The side effects of unleashing her magic power at full force were bing more and more severe, even disrupting her movements several times. The intense pain made her clench her teeth to avoid crying out in pain; her body''s instincts were urging her to finish the fight quickly, but she knew now was not the time for a quick resolution.

 Chapter 123 Farewell Performance

    "Zh¨±" is dead, died so abruptly that everyone failed to react in time.

    Prior to this, to thoroughly investigate the disappearance of the Cat Tail Squad, the Investigation Institute had not only dispatched the patrol Magician Emerald Sparrow to the scene but also sent two additional investigation teams.

    These two new investigation teams set out from the Magic Kingdom, traveling day and night due to the urgency of the mission. Although these Magical Girls had done their utmost, reaching Bai''an City as quickly as possible, none had anticipated just how speedy the Magician Emerald Sparrow would be.

    Having arrived in Bai''an City the day before, by the next morning she had located the enemy''sir, and by that evening she had resolved everything, humans andir alike, and also rescued the target of this mission¡ªthe Cat Tail Squad.

    This left these Magical Girls both admiring and disappointed: admiring because Emerald Sparrow''s actions were very sleek and cool, quickly uncovering the truth and disposing of the enemy, which is always the aim of the Magical Girls from the Investigation Institute; and disappointed because the case was closed even before they arrived, essentially making their journey a wasted effort.

    This sense of disappointment,bined with their hatred towards the enemy, ultimately turned into redirected anger.

    The subsequent Magical Girls from the Investigation Institute carried out a devastating carpet-style strike against the ck Ash Dawn power that still remained in Bai''an City.

    With the death of Zh¨±, the ck Ash Dawn in Bai''an City had be leaderless and scattered. Without their only leader andcking the strength to contend with the Magical Girls, they naturally fell apart and were thoroughly defeated.

    At first, there were some heretics who had gained the ability to transform, stubbornly resisting in corners, attempting to use the power of the Remnant Beasts to escape fate, but in the end, they could not avoid death when encircled by Magical Girls, and were summarily executed. The remaining members, upon learning of Zh¨± and others'' deaths, dutifully chose to surrender¡ªwithout any means to counter the fury of a group of Magical Girls.

    The conspiracy that had been nned in Bai''an City for many years was finally exposed, causing a shock to the entire magic side of Bai''an City.

    Ordinary Magicians couldn''t know what the people of ck Ash Dawn had done, but that didn''t stop them from learning about a highly dangerous Remnant Beast that had silently ughtered so many lives. The incident became widely known because it affected just too many people.

    ording to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s subsequent iplete statistics, due to the schemes of Zh¨± and others, as many as 400 civilians lost their lives, directly or indirectly, in theirir.

    It also became the most severerge-scale Remnant Beast attack in Bai''an City in nearly a decade, with an impact far worse than that of any visible Remnant Beast attack.

    The reason no one had noticed anything amiss was that these cases had all been concealed within the frequent Remnant Beast attacks. Many civilians who encountered attacks at various scenes and fled in panic were bewitched by Zh¨±''s ability, unknowingly falling into the traps he had prepared and thus bing the "casualties" who disappeared.

    No one knew that these people could have avoided death and even when the Abnormal Strategy Bureau marked them as "casualties," they were still struggling on the brink of death in their of the Remnant Beasts.

    With so many people involved and the scope so wide, the incident naturally made everyone in the magical side of Bai''an City feel insecure. For a time, most capable Magicians chose to move away to live in other ces, simply because the incident that urred here was too horrifying.

    However, with the copse of Zh¨±''sir, a very few survivors were able to live on.

    Among these survivors were Magical Girls directly rescued by Emerald Sparrow, as well as Abnormal Strategy Bureau staff who had strayed into the area, and a handful of civilians. Civilians would receive appropriate constion andpensation, while the surviving staff, afterpleting the relevant evidence collection, would be granted a long paid vacation andprehensive psychological treatment.

    As for the Magical Girls from the investigation teams, led by Cat Tail, that territory was beyond the scope of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s jurisdiction.

    They would be returned to the Magic Kingdom, which would then undertake attempts to treat and rehabilitate them.

    Because they had been trapped in their for too long and suffered severe exhaustion of their Magic Power, which damaged their true selves... It remained questionable whether these Magical Girls could return to the front lines to fight again.

    However, before the subsequent personnel from the Investigation Institute took her back to the Magic Kingdom, Cat Tail, who had been in aa the entire time, briefly regained consciousness once.

    Upon learning that her rescuers were Lantern and Emerald Sparrow, she expressed her thanks with a feeble body, and she also ryed another message to Emerald Sparrow:

    "Patrol Magician, the situation in Bai''an City is just a minor reflection; their nning here may have been foiled, but please be careful. Based on our previous investigations, at least four other cities are experiencing very abnormal incidents."

    This became herst message to Emerald Sparrow before returning to the Magic Kingdom.

    She ryed her investigative findings to Emerald Sparrow in the briefest of words before her imprisonment in Bai''an City, not mentioning anything about a handover process. The implication was that she was attributing all the merit to Emerald Sparrow as a sign of her gratitude.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Emerald Sparrow wished to say that she didn''t need the other to do this, but after Cat Tail finished speaking, she fell back into aa, and it was unclear whether this was due to a genuineck of energy or simply a refusal to give Emerald Sparrow a chance to argue.

 Chapter 124 Before the Festival

    Bang!

    A sudden knocking sound echoed in the previously quiet living room, causing Lin Xiaolu, who was holding a rag, to lift her head.

    "What the heck?"

    Harboring full-blown confusion, Lin Xiaolu surveyed the ss in front of her and finally spotted a splotch of ck dirt above the window. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a bug that had smashed into the ss.

    "Ugh, that''s really disgusting!"

    Comining with a hint of annoyance, she climbed onto the windowsill, hands and feet working together, and opened the window''s safetytch. Standing on tiptoe and craning her neck, she reached the rag outside to try to wipe off the stain on the window.

    However, just as she stretched her hand out the window, her feet suddenly slipped, and her entire body tilted backward, falling away from the window.

    "Aaah!"

    The short cry of rm didn''tst long because a pair of hands suddenly reached out from behind and steadied the about-to-fall Lin Xiaolu.

    ¡ª¡ª"Be careful, Xiaolu sis."

    The neer spoke, "Actually, you could have transformed if you couldn''t reach."

    Blinking, Lin Xiaolu tilted her head back and saw Bai Jingxuan standing behind her, looking at her with a somewhat concerned expression.

    "Umm..."

    It took her a while to recover from the shock of nearly falling, and after a bit of sulking, she organized her thoughts and stood up pretending not to care, "It''s fine, it''s fine! Anyway, falling from this height wouldn''t have mattered much. Always relying on a magical girl''s powers doesn''t lead to personal growth!"

    "Is that really so..."

    Taking a few steps back after letting go, Bai Jingxuan looked skeptically at Lin Xiaolu, "But I think that even if you learn to stand on tiptoe to wipe windows, it won''t lead to any substantial growth."

    "You can''t consider itbor if the body isn''t exerting effort!"

    Lin Xiaolu raised her index finger, pontificating, "Besides, I read in a book that frequently standing on tiptoe and jumping is the way to grow taller!"

    Her statement left Bai Jingxuan at a loss for words.

    After being silent for a while, she first nced at Lin Xiaolu''s height and then thought about herself, unable toe up with any relevant words for the current situation.

    After a moment''s pause, Bai Jingxuan hesitantly began to speak, revealing an encouraging smile,

    "Well, when you put it that way, it does make sense!"

    "It''s toote for that kind of talk after being silent for so long!"

    Lin Xiaolu sighed while holding her forehead and then hung her head as if admitting defeat, "Let''s just drop it."

    "Ah, well... I think that height development is something that you can''t really tell about until someone is an adult."

    Seeing her mood plummet instantly, Bai Jingxuan hastily tried to offerfort, "After all, there''s the saying, ''A girl changes eighteen times between childhood and womanhood,'' right? Height is included in that!"

    "I don''t need to beforted about my height by a grade-schooler who''s about as tall as me! And about changing eighteen times as a girl, I''m almost fifteen, soon there won''t be any chance left!"

    Lin Xiaolu vented in frustration, "I''ve been drinking milk and exercising, and I get a full 8 hours of sleep, what gives!"

    "Xia Liang is already taller than me, what''s the deal with you? Are you taking hormones or something?"

    "I''m considered short in the academy..." Bai Jingxuan exined in a soft voice.

    "Ugh!"

    As the saying goes, lies do not hurt people, but the truth is a sharp knife. Bai Jingxuan''s exnation left Lin Xiaolu without words, choking on what she had been about to say.

    Unable to vent her surging emotions, Lin Xiaolu became more and more frustrated until she could only pick up the rag she had dropped, angrily scolding the bug stuck to it, "It''s all your fault! You made me look like a fool!"

    Heaven help the insect; the dead bug probably never imagined that it could be med for such a mishap.

    "A bug? Did it hit the window?"

    Bai Jingxuan turned her head towards the rag in Lin Xiaolu''s hand and asked in confusion, "Is there one here too?"

    "''Also''?"

    Her words drew Lin Xiaolu''s attention, prompting her to turn around, "You encountered one too?"

    "Yeah, a moth crashed into the kitchen window," Bai Jingxuan pointed towards the kitchen, chirping, "It was probably attracted by the lights inside the house, right?"

    As if to prove her point, an insect was flying around the living room light, asionally bumping into thempshade and making a slight noise.

    Both girls were captivated by the insect, watching its movement until it gave up hitting thempshade and flew away.

    "...Speaking of which, there have been more bugs around these past few days. Even though the weather is cooling down and it''s autumn, I keep finding clothes moths on the walls inside the house. Are theying in to warm up?"

    "Could it be that something''s gone rotten in the kitchen?"

    "That''s impossible. We''ve only moved here a month and a half ago. There''s no way food goes bad that quickly," Lin Xiaolu pondered with one hand on her hip, "$$$ "Looks like we need to get some insect repellent."

    "How about trying mothballs?"

    Bai Jingxuan suggested, "I remember the teacher prepared a lot of cleaning supplies in the storeroom."

    "The teacher... huh."

    Lin Xiaolu sat down listlessly by the windowsill and sighed deeply, "Emerald Sparrow has been gone for almost half a month now. When will shee back, I wonder."

    "Didn''t you ask the teacher in the group chat before, sis?"

    "I did ask, but what I asked was whether she woulde back for the Full Moon Festival."

    "I remember the teacher said she wouldn''t being back, right?"

    "...Yes."

    Lin Xiaolu stared at the floor, subconsciously kicking her feet a couple of times: "She said her work isn''t finished, so she won''t being back."

    That had been Lin Xiaolu''s answer from the message two days prior.

    She had sent messages to both her father and Emerald Sparrow, asking about their ns for the Full Moon Festival.

    In the end, Emerald Sparrow indicated she wouldn''t be returning and told her to spend a good festival with her family; Lin Yun, however, told her he woulde back for the celebration.

    That was indeed an answer somewhat beyond Lin Xiaolu''s expectations.

    Originally, she was somewhat troubled, pondering what she should do if both were toe back for the festival¡ªhow she should arrange her schedule.

    It''s a tradition in Donghua Region, the Full Moon Festival is a time for family reunions, and in most cases, being with one''s blood rtives takes precedence. If Emerald Sparrow and her dad were both to return to Fangting City for the festival, she might need to celebrate first at the secret base and then go home to spend the festival with her dad. Even though she actually preferred celebrating at the secret base with her friends.

    Now the problem had be simple; with Emerald Sparrow not returning, she naturally only had the option of going home for the festival.

    "It''s a bit disappointing," Bai Jingxuan said softly.

    "Isn''t that the truth?"

    Lin Xiaolu agreed: "But you must be the most disappointed, after all, the surprise you prepared has to be postponed again."

    Bai Jingxuan and Xia Liang treated this secret base like a second home. If Emerald Sparrow didn''t return and Lin Xiaolu went back to her own home, their Full Moon Festival would indeed be a lot lonelier.

    "No, it''s not about the surprise or anything. I just want to wait for the teacher toe back so I can tell her properly..."

    Bai Jingxuan waved her hands frantically: "After all, it''s really not proper to talk about this kind of thing over the phone."

    "What is it? It''s not like it''s anything bad."

    Lin Xiaolu sighed: "You''ve even surpassed me, who became a Magical Girl two months earlier, by being the first to awaken your Magic Dress, so be a little more confident."

    "Lin Xiaolu..."

    The sorrow in her tone left Bai Jingxuan somewhat at a loss: "Am I making you unhappy?"

    "Unhappy?"

    Looking at Bai Jingxuan, Lin Xiaolu squinted and propped up her chin: "How could I be happy? I''ve been a Magical Girl for almost five months and still just a seed ss, even a primary school student who joinedter has mastered Magic Dress, how could I be anything but discontent?"

    "This, I..."

    Bai Jingxuan opened her mouth but didn''t know what words offort to say.

    The two fell into silence, looking at each other wordlessly.

    ---"Pfft, what''s with that expression of yours!"

    Seeing her reaction, Lin Xiaolu burst intoughter after a while and pinched Bai Jingxuan''s cheek: "I''m not such a petty person. I wouldn''t hold a grudge over something like that. Don''t look so glum, as if I''m bullying you."

    "It''s true I''m not happy, but it''s because I feel too ipetent, and it has nothing to do with you."

    "But Lin Xiaolu isn''t ipetent at all."

    With Lin Xiaolu pinching her face, Bai Jingxuan said earnestly: "I think you are amazing."

    "I''ve already said that being consoled by a primary schooler doesn''t cheer me up."

    Letting go helplessly, Lin Xiaolu grinned: "On the contrary, thinking about my current situation makes me feel even more defeated."

    "But I..."

    Bai Jingxuan tried to persuade her further, but her words were soon interrupted by the noise from the entrance.

    Thud!

    Apanied by the crisp sound of a door closing, two cheerful greetings reached their ears: "I''m back!" "I''ve returned!"

    It was none other than Xia Liang and Moke.

    Xia Liang entered the house dressed casually with sparkling earrings, looking quite fashionable, and was carryingrge and small stic bags: "Can someone help me with these things? They''re so heavy!"

    "Ah, yes!"

    Bai Jingxuan immediately went to help, with Lin Xiaolu casually following behind. Seeing Xia Liang, she quickly suppressed the slight smile on her face.

    "What''s with that expression?"

    As Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan walked into the living room together, she saw Lin Xiaolu with the same sullen face as always and was puzzled: "Is it that time of the month?"

    "What are you talking about, you''re the one on your period! I''m just in a bad mood!"

    Countering irritably, Lin Xiaolu approached Xia Liang with a cloth: "What took you so long just to buy some stuff?"

    "Well..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Hearing this, Xia Liang grinned with delight: "I happened to run into two ssmates at the mall, and after giving them some advice, we got to talking, and had lunch together."

    "Eh---"

    Lin Xiaolu groaned: "So you left the two of us at home to do the chores while you went off to be the social butterfly?"

    "What do you mean chores, you were the one who yed rock-paper-scissors with me, saying whoever lost had to go buy groceries."

    Xia Liang also pouted, somewhat aggrieved: "I haven''t forgotten the triumphant look on some people''s face when they won. Now you''re going back on your word?"

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 125 Emergency Dinner

    "You bullied me into only being able to use rock and paper! Still want to play now?"Mo Ke popped out from the side, joining in the taunt, "We''re the ones going out to enjoy a lovely afternoon tea, while you can only stay at home cleaning and eating dust, meow ha ha!"

    "Afternoon tea?"

    Lin Xiaolu glanced at it and said indifferently, "Anyway, it''s Xia Liang who''s having a good time chatting with her classmate, you''re just air there, aren''t you?"

    "Besides, even if we don''t play rock-paper-scissors, don''t you have to go out for a walk every afternoon? Going out with Xia Liang just means changing the place, right?"

    "What are you saying!" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Mo Ke instantly got furious, puffing up and glaring, "How many times do I have to say it, this is the work of a Seeder!"

    "The work of a Seeder is to run to the orphanage and spill the dark secrets of your companion to unsuspecting little girls?"

    Lin Xiaolu narrowed her eyes, "Really impressive, no wonder you are called a big liar."

    "What orphanage, I haven''t been there for a while now..."

    Mo Ke subconsciously started to retort but suddenly realized what Lin Xiaolu meant and paused, then looked towards Bai Jingxuan, "Xiao Xuan?"

    All he got was a slightly embarrassed smile from Bai Jingxuan:

    "Sorry, was that something I shouldn''t talk about?"

    That afternoon, while cleaning the living room, she had shared some of her past experiences with Lin Xiaolu, and in the flow of conversation mentioned the things that happened when she first met Mo Ke. Lin Xiaolu hadn''t shown any noticeable reaction while listening, so Bai Jingxuan didn''t realize that what she said was essentially betraying Mo Ke.

    It was more than just "shouldn''t talk about."

    Mo Ke wanted to shout just that but it was too late, and he could only look stiffly towards Lin Xiaolu.

    "What''s wrong? Why are you staying so far away from me?"

    Lin Xiaolu put her hands on her hips, staring at Mo Ke, "Heard you still want to play rock-paper-scissors? Come a bit closer to me then."

    Mo Ke flapped its wings and took two steps back, "Meow ha ha, don''t want to play anymore, meow."

    "Don''t want to play?"

    Lin Xiaolu sneered and lifted her fist, "That won''t do; now I demand to continue playing rock-paper-scissors, my hand against your face."

    Mo Ke shivered all over, backing away even further, "That''s not a rock-paper-scissors game! Meow!"

    With that, it turned and flew towards the stairwell, escaping down to the basement.

    "Don''t run! Stop right there!" Lin Xiaolu shouted chasing after it, charging down the stairs with it.

    Left in the living room, Bai Jingxuan and Xia Liang watched as the two of them started fighting the moment they met and now ran off out of sight, only able to exchange a helpless glance.

    "Forget about those two childish ghosts, let''s clean up the things we bought and put them in the fridge," said Xia Liang with a smile.

    The two of them then went back to the kitchen together and started dealing with the various plastic bags piled up there.

    Opening these bags, Bai Jingxuan surveyed the fresh vegetables packed inside. At first glance, nothing seemed special, but upon a closer look, she couldn''t help exclaiming, "Xia Liang, the vegetables you picked are of great quality!"

    The appearance of the vegetables in the bags was excellent; even the worst among them was at least good quality.

    "I''m quite confident about that," Xia Liang said somewhat proudly, "After all, I''ve been living alone for a long time, so skills like grocery shopping and cooking I''m quite proficient at."

    "That''s amazing!" Bai Jingxuan praised earnestly, "I need to learn well too."

    "It''s a pity that I was only asked to buy groceries close to noon," Xia Liang efficiently organized the fridge, "The best selection had already been picked over by that time."

    ¡ª"But I don''t remember agreeing that grocery shopping should take four to five hours."

    Lin Xiaolu''s voice suddenly emerged overhead; she was holding Mo Ke in one hand and had the other hand on her hip as she walked forward, "Because of you, Bai Jingxuan and I could only have takeout for lunch!"

    "Even if you came back as fast as possible, you still wouldn''t have had time to make lunch, would you?"

    Xia Liang smiled helplessly, "Plus, I did send you a message saying I wouldn''t be back for lunch."

    "You just wanted takeout for yourself!" Mo Ke, caught in her hand, shouted, "Full of oil and salt, you''ll end up with a face full of pimples!"

    "Mind your own business!" Lin Xiaolu rubbed Mo Ke''s head vigorously and said in annoyance.

    After venting her emotions, she tossed Mo Ke aside, squatted in front of the plastic bags on the floor, rummaged through the edges, and after confirming the contents, she looked up and said:

    "Speaking of which, everything we bought is fresh produce; there''s no pre-made food."

    "You didn''t ask for pre-made food," Xia Liang replied as she stuffed vegetables into the fridge, "And constantly eating industrial products is not good for health; it''s safer to make it yourself."

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t respond to her but was still searching for something in the bags; not long after, she tossed the bags aside, looked up and asked, "So, what about our dinner?"

    "Dinner?"

    Xia Liang blinked twice, unsure how to respond for a moment.

    "I told you before you left, didn''t I? To pick up something that we could eat directly for dinner," Lin Xiaolu said with her arms folded across her chest, "Now, where''s our dinner?"

    The words finally reactivated Xia Liang''s memory. She looked into the plastic bag again, was still for a moment, then couldn''t help but exclaim, "Ah, I forgot!"

    "You really forgot!"

    Lin Xiaolu pointed at her: "You said playing with your classmate wouldn''t interfere with serious matters; isn''t this a big problem?"

    "Um... I can''t argue with that." Xia Liang looked downcast and admitted honestly.

    "Now, tell me, Director of Imperial Cuisine!"

    Lin Xiaolu knocked on the fridge door making a "bang-bang" noise, pointing at Mo Ke who had just received a lesson, "Where is our dinner? Be careful, or I''ll have your head!"

 Chapter 125 Emergency Dinner_2

    "Your Majesty, your humble servant deserves to die a thousand times."Xia Liang laughed awkwardly, going along with Lin Xiaolu''s play, and clasped her hands in salute, "I beg Your Majesty to give your humble servant a chance to make amends, I will get to it right away."

    "Very well, I want to eat bird''s nest with chicken strips soup, sea cucumber with pork tendons, and fish tongue with bear''s paw!"

    Withdrawing her hands, Lin Xiaolu loudly announced a few dish names, "If these dishes are not seen later, I will have your head!"

    Xia Liang glanced at the groceries she had bought, gauged the gap between reality and expectations, and could only wipe the cold sweat from her forehead, "Your Majesty, it''s hard for a clever wife to cook without rice, your humble servant can''t do it."

    "Off with your head!"

    "Your Majesty, spare my life!"

    "...Uh, I don''t know if I should be the one to say this."

    Bai Jingxuan, looking at the two''s nonsensical little play, raised a hand and spoke in a faint voice, "It''s already six thirty now."

    Her words wound up the two others like clockwork, making them both turn to look at her.

    "Six thirty?"

    "Six thirty!"

    Both of them exclaimed with alarm.

    The reason for their strong reaction was that this time meant one thing¡ªHong Siyu was about to arrive.

    Since Emerald Sparrow left Fangting City and arranged for Hong Siyu to take care of them, every day, between about six to seven o''clock, the off-duty Hong Siyu would make a special trip to the secret base.

    If Hong Siyu arrived and found out that the kids had not had their dinner yet¡­

    "Is there still time to make dinner now?"

    After the outcry, Lin Xiaolu asked somewhat blankly.

    "If it''s something simple, maybe half an hour?"

    Xia Liang, having some trouble, fiddled with the pile of ingredients in front of her, "Boiling noodles should take even less time, right?" sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "So how much longer till she... Hong Siyu gets here?"

    "According to the time she gets off work, probably at most ten minutes. If it''s earlier, she might already be here, right?"

    After Xia Liang said this, she seemed to realize something herself and abruptly stopped. She stared fixedly at the ingredients in front of her and then exchanged a glance with Lin Xiaolu.

    The two said nothing, but the meaning conveyed in their eyes was the same: big trouble.

    During this time of looking after the three little ones, Hong Siyu had confidently entered the kitchen several times, but the results she produced were such that the girls had to plead with her to leave the kitchen.

    One could only say that when it came to cooking, Hong Siyu''s enthusiasm was commendable, but nothing else about it was.

    Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang had experienced her culinary skills, so they had taken early precautions against her cooking results. Mocha, however, had drunk the soup made by Hong Siyu without any defenses, flopped down onto the dining table, and had to be moved aside to lie down for quite some time before regaining strength.

    Only Bai Jingxuan, for some reason, was able to tolerate the completely disordered taste of the meals and ate calmly till the end.

    But after that, Lin Xiaolu, Xia Liang, and Mocha all began to strongly oppose Hong Siyu entering the kitchen of the secret base.

    Unfortunately, even though they had explained the reasons to Hong Siyu and clearly stated that her culinary skills were very problematic, they still couldn''t stop her enthusiasm.

    In the face of their opposition, Hong Siyu became more determined, showing an attitude of "accepting the challenge," went home to study and improve her cooking skills. Then, without knowing what exactly she had researched, she declared herself "fully evolved" and once again entered the kitchen without heeding any objections.

    The result was a table full of even worse dishes.

    This time, even Bai Jingxuan started to show signs of distress in front of the dishes she made.

    With such consistently steady levels of culinary skills, naturally, everyone didn''t want Hong Siyu to continue cooking.

    However, given the current situation, if dinner was not ready, there was no guarantee that Hong Siyu, who would come to take care of the girls, wouldn''t get a whim to show off her skills.

    Lin Xiaolu certainly didn''t want her to show off.

    "What do we do? Should we order takeout?" Picking up her phone and opening the food delivery app, Lin Xiaolu stuttered, "Will it make it in time? Maybe I should transform and fly over to pick it up?"

    "This is not the time to think about your takeout."

    Smiling somewhat helplessly, Xia Liang started to take off her coat, "Well, I wanted to rest when I got home, but now I have to do it myself."

    "Can one person make it in time?"

    Lin Xiaolu suggested with some concern, "Should I help out a bit?"

    "The best help you can give is to not add to the chaos. Okay," Xia Liang walked into the kitchen, pulled out arm guards to wear, and approached the stove, "I''ll need you to pass things to me when I ask for them."

    "That little task? No problem!" Lin Xiaolu was confident.

    "Maybe I should be the one..." Bai Jingxuan, who wanted to follow into the kitchen, was stopped outside by Lin Xiaolu.

    "Hot oil and sharp knives are too dangerous. Just wait for us to finish!" That was her reasoning.

    And as the work in the kitchen got underway, Xia Liang also got busy in front of the stove.

    As for Lin Xiaolu, she had been obediently waiting for Xia Liang to assign her tasks, but as time ticked away, she realized there didn''t seem to be much for her to do.

    Bored, she could only stand behind Xia Liang, commenting on her work:

    "Isn''t there too much water here?"

    "The vegetable strips are cut too thick, and they''re so messy."

    "It feels like the eggs aren''t beaten evenly."

    "The sauce for the ingredients is so bland, it doesn''t compare to Emerald Sparrow''s..."

 Chapter 125 Emergency Dinner_3

    Bang! Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Xia Liang slammed the spatula heavily on the chopping board beside her, tilted her head, and although she wore a smile on her face, her eyes were devoid of any amusement: "Shut up."

    Lin Xiaolu immediately shrank like a startled quail.

    The work in the kitchen continued.

    Just like that, Xia Liang moved with haste, and in just over ten minutes, a simple plate of noodles was ready. The two girls carried the cooked noodles out of the kitchen and returned to the dining room.

    "Luckily, that woman... Hong Siyu came later than usual today." Clasping her hands around the bowl, Lin Xiaolu let out a long sigh, "If she had come in the middle and insisted on meddling, that would have been troublesome."

    "You weren''t much help just standing there, were you?"

    Xia Liang smiled with narrowed eyes: "Next time you talk too much in the kitchen, remember who''s holding the knife, okay?"

    "I get it already..."

    Lin Xiaolu responded with a muffled voice, poked her chopsticks into the bowl, and stirred, picking up a strand of noodles and slurping them up.

    Then, her expression turned extremely odd.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Xia Liang, puzzled, followed with a bite of noodles and her expression too became subtly altered: "...Ah, no salt?"

    "Why is that a question?" Lin Xiaolu tapped the edge of her bowl irritably.

    "Because I did it so quickly, I can''t even remember what I''ve done..." Xia Liang pursed her lips.

    After a moment of silence, Lin Xiaolu put down her chopsticks: "Off with her head!"

    "Your Majesty, spare my life!"

    Off to the side, Bai Jingxuan silently watched the interaction between the two, expressionless as she swallowed her noodles, then suddenly spoke up: "Speaking of which, isn''t it much later than usual for Sister Hong to not have come by now?"

    "It''s probably something to do with work."

    Lin Xiaolu, unconcerned, fetched several cans of pickles from the refrigerator: "If she doesn''t come, she doesn''t come."

    "Don''t say that. After all, we did prepare her dinner portion, so let''s send her a message and ask."

    As she spoke, Xia Liang opened her phone to compose a message and sent it to Hong Siyu. Soon, the phone buzzed, indicating a reply.

    "What did she say?" Lin Xiaolu asked.

    "Let me see..."

    Xia Liang scrolled through her phone: "She says she probably won''t make it tonight because she has to work overtime."

    "Why?" Lin Xiaolu asked as she struggled with the pickle jar lid.

    ¡ª"Is it because of the recent exams at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau?"

    ¡ª"She says the Abnormal Strategy Bureau is about to have a recruitment exam soon, and she needs to be involved in setting the questions."

    Almost simultaneously, two voices rang out, but they came from two different people.

    Xia Liang read the text message out loud, only to realize she wasn''t the only one speaking. Following the sound, she looked over to see Bai Jingxuan uttering something similar.

    "Did you know, Xiaoxuan?" Putting down the phone, she asked, somewhat puzzled.

    "Yes."

    Bai Jingxuan nodded: "Because someone I know told me about it."

    "Who? Someone from the orphanage?"

    "A caretaker from the orphanage."

    Bai Jingxuan replied softly, looking down: "You sisters must have seen him before."

    "We''ve met him?" Xia Liang tilted her head.

    "It was that time when the bad guys came to make trouble at the orphanage." Bai Jingxuan continued to explain, "The uncle who was with me at that time, it was him."

    "I think I have some impression of him?" Lin Xiaolu tapped her chin.

    "That impolite guy!" Moke, sitting behind Bai Jingxuan, crossed her arms and declared.

    "Yeah, I met him previously when I returned to the orphanage, so we had a brief chat."

    Bai Jingxuan nodded: "He mentioned he was preparing for an exam recently, and if he passed, he wouldn''t be working at the orphanage anymore."

    "Is the job at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau that good?" Lin Xiaolu finally twisted open the jar of pickles and placed it on the table, looking at Bai Jingxuan: "The way you talk about it, the difficulty of the exam to work there seems pretty high?"

    Silence fell upon them.

    Because both Bai Jingxuan and Xia Liang looked at her as if she were an alien creature.

    "Do you never listen to what Sister Hong says?"

    Before long, Xia Liang was the first to start explaining: "The Abnormal Strategy Bureau, that''s the best job a common magician could hope for!"

    "The best job? They''re just a bunch of people responsible for menial labor fixing up the city, aren''t they?" Lin Xiaolu blinked innocently.

    "They''re also in charge of managing personnel from the magic side other than the Remnant Beasts and Magical Girls."

    Xia Liang laughed dryly: "That description is a bit too dismissive."

    "Eh... so, that uncle going to take the exam is actually quite a tough ordeal?"

    Lin Xiaolu lifted a mouthful of noodles with some pickles, her voice completely flat: "Then let''s wish him success on his exam."

 Chapter 126 Recruitment Exam

    ```"Heh¡ª"

    Lifting his head amidst the bustling crowd, Tian Sheng couldn''t help but yawn.

    With dark circles under his eyes and his hair a messy bird''s nest, he donned an old-fashioned jacket... Had it not been for the examination pass clipped to his clothing as he stood outside the entrance of the exam hall, one might mistake him for a homeless man from who knows where.

    In fact, due to his suspicious appearance, a security guard nearby had been covertly watching him. Tian Sheng, though unobservant, could feel the prickling sensation of being watched.

    He awkwardly grabbed the bottle of mineral water in his hand and took a gulp to show he was harmless, as he moved away to a spot further from the crowd.

    The reason he looked like this was not by choice but because he simply had no time for personal grooming.

    To prepare for the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s recruitment exam, he had been studying tirelessly every night. Apart from his daytime job at the welfare institute, he devoted all his time to studying and solving problems, leaving him with no energy to tend to life''s trivialities.

    The recruitment exam of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was a significant opportunity for most magicians seeking stable employment.

    As long as one had no criminal record and a clean background, any magician could attempt to pass the exam and join the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. This would give them official status and access to resources and environments far superior to those available to civilian magicians studying Spell Techniques.

    As a law-abiding civilian magician, Tian Sheng''s mastery of Spell Techniques was mediocre, but that didn''t deter his desire to join the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    In this period, even his sleep got squeezed. Despite knowing there was an exam today and going to bed early last night, the sleep debt accumulated over many days could not be repaid in a single day.

    At times like these, Tian Sheng found himself missing his student days years ago; back then, he could pull all-nighters for days on end and be fully refreshed after just one sleep. Now, he lacked the energy for such feats.

    Gently running his finger over the corner of his eye to wipe the tears squeezed out by the yawn, and looking at the entrance of the exam hall, Tian Sheng couldn''t help but smack his lips, "I''ve got to catch up on sleep these next few days."

    Even though the exam hadn''t started yet, he was already daydreaming about the carefree days to come after walking out of the exam hall.

    No wonder his mind wandered¡ªhe had indeed put in a lot for today''s exam. The hardship was finally about to come to an end, and naturally, he was a bit inexplicably excited.

    Fueled by this excitement, he had arrived at the exam hall entrance early in the morning, waiting there before it even opened.

    Of course, it seemed he wasn''t the only one with this idea; many other applicants gathered at the gate, waiting.

    Some were murmuring under their breath, probably reciting their materials; others stared intently at their printed notes without moving their gaze, cramming at the last minute; and some spread out books and question collections right on the spot, frantically reviewing the key and difficult questions.

    Heh, a bunch of dunces.

    On the fringe of the crowd, looking at this scene, Tian Sheng felt a slight easing of the strain from his days of preparation, as a sense of aloof superiority emerged in him.

    A mysterious smile crept onto his face as he savored a sip of the mineral water in his hand as if it were some exquisite beverage.

    Unfortunately, no one present could appreciate his feelings. His odd behavior only made him look more suspicious, prompting the security guard to be more vigilant.

    So, with only half an hour left before the start of the exam, when the doors to the exam hall were opened, other applicants were allowed to enter normally, but only Tian Sheng was stopped at the entrance.

    After being questioned back and forth by the security guards, and his information being checked and rechecked, Tian Sheng was eventually allowed into the exam hall amid apologies from the guards. By then, only fifteen minutes remained until the start of the exam.

    Clenching his water bottle and a bag of stationery, he walked briskly until the security booth at the gate was out of sight. Then, suddenly turning around, Tian Sheng flipped the middle finger in the direction he had come from.

    After flipping the middle finger, as if feeling that was not enough to vent his frustration, he clenched his teeth and stuck out his pinky finger, then reversed it to give a thumbs up, and with both hands, he extended his middle fingers towards the distance... It wasn''t until passing applicants began to look at him with strange glances that Tian Sheng retracted his hand and continued on as if nothing had happened.

    If he really got hired, he definitely planned to come back and show those guards. He thought slyly to himself.

    Of course, that was just wishful thinking.

    This time, the recruitment exam was not held at the headquarters of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, but at a training institute under its jurisdiction. The location wasn''t close to the urban area, and even by car, it took more than half an hour to get there. That meant, if he wanted to come back here in the future, he would have to spend an extra half an hour''s worth of car fare, which just wasn''t worth it.

    With these scattered thoughts floating through his mind, Tian Sheng followed the stream of people into the exam hall, recalling his exam room and seat number, searching through the hallway for exactly where his test would take place.

    The building where the exam hall was located was somewhat old, and from the style of the interior decor, it could be seen that the building had seen some years. Such constructions were not uncommon in the welfare institute where he worked, and walking among them subconsciously took him back to his regular workdays.

    The same old architecture, the same lively atmosphere, suddenly calmed his mind, which had been somewhat irritated.

    At the same time, it brought back to mind a recent concern.

    Starting a few months ago, he began to feel like he had forgotten something.

    This feeling was indistinct and confusing; he just suddenly couldn''t remember what exactly he had done over the past few days.

    He vaguely remembered that he should have been going to his job at the welfare institute as usual when a crisis hit: A gray magic organization infiltrated the institute, planning a vicious terrorist attack that killed many people.

    Even though it should''ve been an unforgettable experience, he always felt it was as unreal as a dream.

    In his memory, he seemed to have been hiding in the utility room the whole time, only daring to come out after the terrorists were subdued by the Magical Girls and the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    ```

    But, his subconscious kept telling him: things were not like this, everything was not that simple. His experiences should be much more exciting than this.

    That left him utterly puzzled.

    He was very clear about what kind of person he was: greedy for life and pleasure, fear of death. If he were to really face a terror attack, he would definitely hide in a secluded place until the end, which would be the most fitting behavior for his character.

    He would never rashly expose his life to danger, that would be too unwise.

    That was the contradiction he felt: the behavior in his memories completely matched his character and his interests, everything was so logical, so why did he still feel so false?

    Why did he feel that he should have been a contributing character in the terror attack at the welfare institute?

    Was it just a foolish teenage complex at play?

    As these questions circulated in his mind, he didn''t pay attention to the scene in front of him for a moment and suddenly felt someone bump into his shoulder.

    He turned his head and saw a young male wearing the Abnormal Strategy Bureau uniform, with an examination hall badge on his chest, who appeared to be the invigilator for this examination.

    "...Ah, sorry." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Provoking an invigilator in an examination hall wasn''t a wise choice, so thinking of his exam results, Tian Sheng quickly bowed his head to apologize, "I just got distracted, didn''t watch where I was going, I''m really very sorry."

    His apology was straightforward, but after he finished speaking, there was no response from the other side.

    The young man who had bumped shoulders with him, for some reason, stopped and stood in place, silently looking at him, not saying a word.

    This immediately made Tian Sheng''s scalp tingle, and he began to worry if the other party held a grudge against him. It would be very bad to be remembered by an invigilator before the exam. If the other party really was that petty, he was afraid he might suffer during the exam.

    He had prepared for this examination for so long, how could he tolerate his efforts being nullified by external factors?

    Perhaps he should explain further to seek the other''s forgiveness.

    As he thought this, he began to recall in his heart, pondering on how he could have possibly offended this man in that brief moment, yet he could not find any reason at all.

    Was it because his daydreaming in the examination hall gave the invigilator a bad impression? Or did the other person simply dislike physical contact?

    While he was unable to figure it out, the young man in front of him suddenly moved again.

    He still didn''t speak, there wasn''t even a change in expression, as if he hadn''t seen Tian Sheng at all. Without giving Tian Sheng any more opportunity to speak, he just turned around and walked away, leaving Tian Sheng behind.

    This left Tian Sheng somewhat dumbfounded, uncertain whether he should still go after him to explain.

    If he followed, what if the other party found him annoying; if he didn''t follow, was he missing his last chance to apologize?

    This choice wasn''t easy, hence, he began to sweat from his forehead. As he fretted about this, he suddenly felt his nose itch and subconsciously reached to scratch it when he saw a small shadow suddenly burst forth from his hand, then fly towards the front.

    Tian Sheng''s dynamic vision wasn''t bad, so he could vaguely make out that it was a moth.

    Under his gaze, the moth flew straight ahead and eventually fluttered behind the strange young man within his sight, circled for a moment, then quietly landed on his collar.

    This completely froze Tian Sheng''s thoughts.

    What''s going on? What happened? Did he see wrong?

    A stream of questions emerged in his mind, causing him to unconsciously rub his eyes and look again, but the moth was gone.

    "...Is it a Spell Technique?" Tian Sheng murmured to himself, "Forget it, it''s better not to talk to such a strange person anymore."

    He had come here for the exam, not to meddle in other affairs. No matter how strange the invigilator seemed, it was none of his business.

    Perhaps the invigilator''s bizarre behavior earlier and that moth were just a warning? Or maybe a prank? Well, whatever.

    Your next chapter awaits on empire

    He shook his head and stopped thinking about it, continuing on his way in the direction he had come from. Soon, he and the young man in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau uniform both left the area, disappearing at the ends of the corridor.

    The somewhat secluded passageway once again returned to silence.

    Of course, to say it was silent wasn''t quite accurate, because if someone had stopped to listen carefully, they would hear a very faint noise.

    Tian Sheng hadn''t noticed that the direction from which the young man appeared was rather unusual.

    The young man had come out from a security exit in the hallway, and the faint noise originated from within the shadows of the security exit. Upon closer examination, one could hear a subtle "rustling" sound coming from it.

    The soft sounds of friction and collision were hidden in the darkness, unnoticed by anyone.

 Chapter 127 Another Mysterious Call

    ```Click, clack, click, clack.

    Noises emanated from the darkness.

    Rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle.

    The faint and chaotic sounds never ceased.

    Emerald Sparrow stood in an empty hall, looking around in confusion. Discover exclusive content at empire

    Why was she here?

    Her memory felt blurry, and her consciousness wasn''t very clear, as if she was in an Illusionary Realm, yet the sensations were all so real.

    As she stepped forward, the crisp sound of her heels hitting the ground scattered in all directions, the invisible sound waves acting as echoes that dispersed the chaotic noise.

    After a brief moment of silence, it was replaced by a sound of whispering.

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t identify the source of the voices, among which seemed to be men and women, old and young, but the only commonality was that they were all laughing.

    The laughter merged with the reverberation of footsteps, layer upon layer, again and again, growing sharper until it culminated in a piercing noise.

    The noise continued to spiral upwards, assaulting her ears as if to burst her eardrums, causing intense headaches.

    This real sensation of pain caused Emerald Sparrow to frown and she instinctively used Spell Techniques to try and shield herself from the noise. However, as she began to act, the piercing sound also vanished.

    Echoes, speech, laughter¡ªall dissipated, as though they had never existed. Everything returned to the beginning, with only the faint and chaotic sounds in the darkness remaining.

    What exactly were those sounds?

    Emerald Sparrow was somewhat puzzled.

    Just as she intended to continue forward to investigate, a light suddenly appeared in her field of vision.

    The blinding light came from behind her, casting a long shadow in front of her on the ground. She could see her dress''s slightly shaking hem in the shadow and her Bonnet, which had become a perfect round shape; there was no doubt that the complete humanoid figure was herself.

    That shadow, belonging to her, stood silently in place, just like the person it represented.

    What was the source of this light?

    She tried to employ her sluggish thoughts to figure it out, but her mind felt like a clump of sticky paste, unable to turn. As confusion grew in her heart, Emerald Sparrow tried to look behind her, but she found the shadow in her view starting to change.

    Very abruptly, just in the blink of an eye, as if a few frames had been removed from a video, another shadow that overlapped hers appeared. Then, as that shadow flickered and wavered, it began to stretch out with each flicker.

    Something had appeared behind her. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Emerald Sparrow realized this.

    But she couldn''t turn around.

    Every hair on her body stood on end at that instant, her limbs turned icy and stiff, and her innermost instincts were screaming at her not to look back.

    At that moment, the shadow that covered Emerald Sparrow finally stopped flickering and assumed a distinct shape right before her eyes.

    It was an insect with outstretched wings.

    Or, to be more precise, it was a moth.

    It was only at this moment that Emerald Sparrow finally realized that the faint and chaotic sounds had long been right by her ear.

    She lifted her hand to look at her arm¡ª

    ¡ª¡ª["Attention all passengers, attention all passengers, this journey has now ended, you have reached your destination, Fangting City."]

    "...Huh, ha!"

    Lin Yun took a deep breath and abruptly opened his eyes, sitting straight up from his seat.

    Panting subconsciously for a moment, he looked around in a daze, only to find himself in an unfamiliar cabin.

    The noisy surroundings and the announcement overhead gradually brought back the memory of where he was¡ªhe was on a landship, on the way back to Fangting City from Bai''an City.

    "Did I fall asleep?"

    Muttering to himself, he turned to look out the side porthole and saw his face faintly reflected on the reflective glass. It was not until this moment that he realized his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

    ```

    It seemed he had only had a nightmare.

    Only now could Lin Yun confirm this.

    Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his cellphone and checked the time. He discovered that there were two missed calls showing up in the message column. One was from Lin Xiaolu, and the other was from an unrecognized number.

    After unlocking his phone, he tapped into the message interface and saw the message left by Lin Xiaolu that read, "What time will you get home tonight?"

    That little girl actually knows how to care about this?

    Lin Yun couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows.

    After all, he wasn''t returning to Fangting City as Emerald Sparrow for the holiday, but as Lin Yun. Although the father-daughter relationship with Lin Xiaolu had eased a lot, they often lacked common topics. For his daughter to send such a message in advance was already quite considerate.

    Feeling somewhat comforted by this, his expression softened as he typed in the reply box, "I''ll be home in an hour."

    It was something that had been arranged well in advance, considering that today was the Full Moon Festival.

    Several days before, Lin Xiaolu had sent messages asking both her father and Emerald Sparrow whether they would come back for the festival.

    She didn''t realize that both her messages ended up in front of the same person, and the difference in tone made Lin Yun wryly smile.

    However, he ultimately did not agree to the holiday request as Emerald Sparrow. Of the two messages Lin Xiaolu sent, he only responded affirmatively to one: the message sent to Lin Yun.

    As for Emerald Sparrow, he made the excuse that the investigation was not over, work was busy, and so he casually refused.

    The main reason for making such a choice was that Lin Yun still wanted to spend the Full Moon Festival with his daughter as a father. Even though he knew Lin Xiaolu might prefer to spend it with Emerald Sparrow.

    For the people of the Donghua Region, the Full Moon Festival is a holiday with special symbolic significance, emphasizing the reunion of blood relations and familial bonds.

    Maybe it was more relaxed to interact with his daughter as Emerald Sparrow on ordinary days, but the Full Moon Festival was different. This was a holiday that should belong to family. No matter what each other''s wishes were, he should spend it well with his daughter as a father. This was not just an emotional selfishness, but also a statement of their relationship to each other.

    Another reason was that on a rare holiday, he did not want to use his energy on the brain-burning identity game anymore.

    The investigative work in Bai''an City had drained a lot of his energy, and the sequelae from overexerting magic power in the battle against the spider had not subsided, causing him to occasionally suffer from bouts of migraines.

    Now, Lin Yun just wanted to return home and enjoy a peaceful holiday, seeking a moment of tranquility for his soul.

    After replying to the message from Lin Xiaolu, he followed other passengers out of the airship and officially set foot on the soil of Fangting City. During this time, he also checked the call history, browsed through the missed calls, and dialed back the unidentified number.

    Regrettably, no one answered.

    Just as he was about to dismiss it as a wrong number dialed by someone or a simple prank and was putting his phone down, suddenly he felt the vibration of an incoming call.

    Upon closer look, it was that same unrecognized number.

    After connecting the call, he lifted the phone to his ear and asked with some confusion, "Hello, who is this?"

    The hissing sound that came from the other end of the conversation made him catch his breath.

    He remembered that sound. And the next sentence from the other side seemed to be imminent as a result.

    "...Be careful."

    With the rise of that voice, Lin Yun felt as if he was returned to 5 months ago, during the time when he first learned that Lin Xiaolu had become a Magical Girl.

    The same unknown number, the same indistinct voice. And that same "be careful."

    Despite being surrounded by a noisy and clamorous crowd, he felt like he had fallen into a pit of ice, as if all the hustle and bustle had nothing more to do with him.

    "...Is it you?" Realizing the purpose of this call, he immediately demanded in a grave voice, "What''s the situation? Who exactly are you? And what is about to happen?"

    "Hiss."

    "Hello?"

    "Be careful tonight''s... Hiss."

    The latter half of the sentence from the other end of the phone was drowned out by signal interference, leaving Lin Yun completely unable to understand, so he immediately asked, "What did you say?"

    "Be careful, tonight''s..."

    [Beep, beep, beep]

    However, this time, the person didn''t even finish their sentence before the hissing sound turned back into the busy tone of a hang-up phone call, leaving Lin Yun standing among the crowd, staring at the now dark screen of his phone, his face stern as water.

 Chapter 128 Homecoming

    Several months ago, before he had resigned from the elevator company, Lin Yun would receive calls from various unfamiliar numbers every week.Most of them were clients or collaborative enterprises discussing business, so even if the parties were initially unknown to each other, these unfamiliar numbers would subsequently be added to Lin Yun''s contact list for easier communication next time.

    However, there was always one number without a note in Lin Yun''s contact list.

    This number had even become a dead line, but he kept it in his contact list just in case he couldn''t find it when necessary.

    It was the same number that, five months earlier, on the night Lin Xiaolu was in danger, had informed Lin Yun of the location of the attack.

    Lin Yun had never forgotten about this incident; in fact, he had actively investigated the true identity behind this number, but to no avail. In the end, he could only save it in his contact list.

    What he hadn''t anticipated at that time was that after such a long while, he would receive another call from this person, who had now changed their number.

    What was their intention? Why did they provide information without revealing their true identity? And why did they feel the need to operate from the shadows?

    Pondering these questions, Lin Yun took a ride back to his home.

    Despite the many unanswered questions in his heart, he had to temporarily suppress them, as the most important thing now was to go home and see his daughter.

    Whether it was for the prearranged festival or to prevent the crisis warned of by the mysterious caller, it was imperative that Lin Xiaolu stayed within his sight to avoid a repeat of the previous incident.

    However, this also meant that tonight he might not be able to take Lin Xiaolu out. Otherwise, according to the original plan, he had intended to go moon-viewing with his daughter.

    Every year during the Full Moon Festival, Fangting City would plan a grand moon-viewing event. The government would set the venue, attract investments, and hold a celebration and evening party for the Full Moon Festival.

    The celebration did not charge any admission fee, but offered a rich array of exhibitions and performances, with special areas designated for moon-viewing, so quite a portion of the populace would join in with their families. Lin Yun was naturally no exception in previous years.

    It was precisely because of the pleasant memories of moon-viewing at the festival that he wanted to take Lin Xiaolu again today.

    This plan originally had no issues, but after receiving the second mysterious call, Lin Yun was forced to abandon this idea.

    Maybe next year, if there would still be a chance then.

    Carrying this thought, Lin Yun returned to his high-rise apartment and took a long deep breath as he inserted the key into the lock.

    Before he could take the next step, he felt the lock turn and saw the front door suddenly open, with the light inside immediately shining into the corridor.

    ¡ª"Ah, you''re back?"

    Standing behind the door was a figure Lin Yun hadn''t anticipated, his nominally former junior, Hong Siyu.

    Hong Siyu stood at the doorway in casual home wear, her already youthful appearance even more radiant in these clothes.

    Seeing that it was Lin Yun outside, she pulled the door open with a teasing smile and asked, "The busy man has finally come home. Do you want to have dinner first or take a shower?"

    "Stop it."

    Lin Yun was somewhat exasperated, "Acting so young at our age, what''s the point?"

    "Bringing that up the moment you see me?"

    Hong Siyu widened her eyes, "Is that what a gentleman should do? Criticizing a lady''s age right off the bat?"

    "Do we have to go through this every time we meet?"

    Pushing her aside, Lin Yun stepped into his home, "You better start explaining, why are you in my place?"

    "What do you mean why am I in your place..."

    Hong Siyu stepped aside with some dissatisfaction, "Because today is the Full Moon Festival."

    "I know today is the Full Moon Festival."

    Changing into slippers in the entryway, Lin Yun carrying his overnight bag looked at Hong Siyu, "But what does that have to do with you being in my house?"

    "The thing is, I came here to celebrate the festival."

    Hong Siyu seemed perplexed, tilting her head she retorted, "Would you rather I spend it all alone in my own home?"

    "I was hoping you''d go back to spend it with your parents."

    Lin Yun sighed with resignation, "They''re still in Fangting City, right? Don''t you visit them for the holidays?"

    "Haha, senior, you really don''t know me at all."

    Hong Siyu laughed heartily, waving her hand, "I don''t have any elders to visit now."

    "¡­I see."

    Not sure whether to be shocked by the fact in Hong Siyu''s words or puzzled by her seemingly indifferent attitude, Lin Yun realized he might have broached an off-limit topic. After a brief silence, he changed the subject:

    "Fine, I have no objection, have you discussed it with Xiaolu?"

    "Her objection was quite significant. She said ''I don''t want a woman with ulterior motives at my home for the Full Moon Festival'', such hurtful words."

    Hong Siyu proudly crossed her arms: "But I didn''t care at all! I nagged and pestered her until she agreed!"

    "This isn''t something you can just let slide, care a little about it."

    Glancing at her, Lin Yun narrowed his eyes: "And you actually did something as childish as nagging and pestering... Can''t you be a bit more aware that you''re an adult?"

    "I''m 16 years old this year, you know."

    "Huh."

    "What are you laughing at?"

    "Nothing, it''s good to have a young mindset."

    "Are you implying I''m old again?"

    "I''m implying you''re acting cutesy."

    Hanging her luggage on the couch, Lin Yun took off her jacket and loosened the tie at her chest: "So why are you the one opening the door? Where''s Lulu?"

    "Probably because of telepathy? I felt someone at the door so I came."

    Hong Siyu whispered with her voice slightly lowered: "Let me ask again, dear senior, would you like to eat first or take a bath?"

    "Stop with the silly jokes."

    Lin Yun couldn''t help but click his tongue: "If I really had to say, let''s arrange dinner first. Did you make it?"

    "I didn''t," said Hong Siyu with a mischievous grin.

    "Then what are you asking for?"

    "I''m just asking if you want to eat, didn''t say I made it."

    "...Fine, then I''ll order food," Lin Yun said flatly as she pulled out her phone. Continue reading at empire

    "Oh, no need to order. It should be almost ready," Hong Siyu

    "Ready? Who? Don''t tell me Xiaolu has learned to cook."

    "Xiaolu alone might not manage, but this time it''s a group effort."

    "Everyone?"

    After a brief pause, realizing what Hong Siyu meant, Lin Yun looked towards the closed kitchen sliding door.

    He strode forward, gently slid the doors apart and saw the scene within:

    ¡ª¡ªThree girls were busily and efficiently preparing dinner.

    "Xiaolu, the radish!"

    "Here, here!"

    "Xiaoxuan, the egg mixture!"

    "Ready!"

    Xia Liang was busy stir-frying at the stove, Lin Xiaolu was slowly chopping vegetables on the cutting board, and Bai Jingxuan was holding bowls, comparing the recipe and mixing spices on the side.

    Perhaps because they were so focused, none of them noticed Lin Yun''s arrival.

    In the end, it was Mocha, idly floating around, who saw Lin Yun. Mocha flew to Lin Xiaolu''s shoulder, giving it a pat, prompting her to come back to her senses and look towards the back, the entrance of the kitchen.

    Upon seeing Lin Yun, she briefly froze. Then she opened her mouth, seemed somewhat embarrassed, not knowing what to say, looked away, and then rather stiffly said, "Dad, welcome home."

    Her words also caught the attention of the other two girls, who stopped their work and looked towards the kitchen entrance.

    "Hello, Uncle!" Bai Jingxuan greeted crisply and politely.

    It was her first time meeting Lin Yun, but that didn''t stop her from determining the identity of the man in front of her through Lin Xiaolu''s statements.

    "Uncle, long time no see." Xia Liang smiled subtly, maintaining her good-girl image as she greeted Lin Yun.

    Of course, that depended on ignoring the fact that after she said this, her lips continued to move silently as if she were still saying something.

    S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 129 Clues (8k)

    "Hmm, I''m back."Lin Yun tried to smile affably as he lifted the corners of his mouth, feigning as if it was his first time seeing Bai Jingxuan and asked, "I''ve already met the student on the left, and who might this be on the right? Your friend too?"

    He paid no attention to Xia Liang''s subtle movements, for he wasn''t interested in deciphering whatever trouble the vexing girl was stirring up again¡ªmore precisely, he could already guess what Xia Liang was secretly signalling.

    Bai Jingxuan and Lin Xiaolu stood by watching; he still needed to maintain the secrecy of his identity in front of these two, So presenting himself as a proper elder was certainly the safest bet.

    As for Bai Jingxuan''s identity as a Magical Girl, he didn''t plan on exposing it, even though from the standpoint of "Lin Yun" he had every reason to speculate on this, but continuing to play dumb was also reasonable.

    "...Stop beating around the bush."

    However, Lin Xiaolu was unable to grasp Lin Yun''s thoughts. She wiped her hands with a rag and looking up at her father, she straightforwardly responded, "This child, like Xia Liang, was also my companion when I was a Magical Girl."

    From her point of view, she had brought outsiders home for the holiday, So it was best to clarify their identities and the situation to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

    Besides, even though her father indeed met Bai Jingxuan for the first time today, everyone present today¡ªXia Liang and Hong Siyu¡ªwere all related to Magical Girls, so he had no reason not to guess Bai Jingxuan''s identity.

    In any case, she had long given up on hiding the matter of the Magical Girl from her father; by being straightforward about everything, she felt no mental burden.

    "My name is Bai Jingxuan." Bai Jingxuan also hurriedly introduced herself.

    "...Oh, so this child is also a Magical Girl, so young and yet so impressive."

    Lin Xiaolu''s blunt revelation merely surprised Lin Yun momentarily before he quickly figured out how to respond. His face showed a dawning understanding, acting like a commoner who was clueless: "Nice to meet you, thank you for taking care of Lulu all this time."

    "Not at all! Actually, it''s Lin Xiaolu who has been looking after me..."

    The two then exchanged pleasantries, the elder being cordial and kind, the younger being reserved but polite, presenting an image of harmony. To an outsider, there would be no hint of the undercurrents.

    As for those who knew the ins and outs, both Xia Liang''s and Hong Siyu''s expressions were somewhat ambiguous, seeming to smile but not quite, which made Lin Xiaolu glance at them strangely.

    While the two on this side engaged in meaningless formalities, the few people nearby were occupied with their own thoughts, Of all those present, only the mind of one Fairy still dwelled on the stove in the kitchen.

    When Emerald Sparrow ignored the idle formalities between Lin Yun and Bai Jingxuan and turned her gaze to the frying pan, she immediately puffed her cheeks and glared, shouting, "You guys! The pan is burnt!"

    Only then did everyone present notice the smell of char sweeping through the kitchen. The girls, who had previously put down their work, saw the frying pan already beginning to smoke and immediately became dumbfounded, rushing over in a hurry.

    However, the incident happened so abruptly and the action was so rushed that they were unprepared, so gathering unpreparedly around the stove consequently led to a series of even more troubles.

    ¡ª"Woah! It''s spitting fire!"

    "The spatula... the spatula... the spatula is so hot!"

    "I, I''ll go get some water!"

    Bai Jingxuan picked up an empty bowl, intending to reach for the sink, but, being too short and not watching her step, she tripped over Lin Xiaolu''s foot just two steps away and lost her balance.

    As the bowl flew from her hand and she was about to fall, Lin Yun, quick to react, reached out and grabbed her by the collar at the back of her neck, then caught the bowl soaring into the air. This prevented what could have been a kitchen tragedy.

    "I''m sorry..." Bai Jingxuan, held up by Lin Yun, stared at the ground in a daze; after a while, she looked up, saw the bowl in his hand, and spoke in a stutter. Stay updated via empire

    "It''s alright, as long as you''re not hurt."

    Lin Yun released Bai Jingxuan''s collar and returned the bowl to her hands: "Don''t rush, be careful."

    He didn''t let Bai Jingxuan go back to cooking, because looking at the chaotic scene, he knew it was time for him to take over dinner. Since he had returned to his own home, there was no reason to let a bunch of youngsters bustle about the kitchen any longer. That would be beneath the dignity of an adult, and safety was utterly out of the question.

    "However, what about you?"

    Before stepping up to the stove, he turned back and glanced at Hong Siyu: "It was already bad enough to leave cooking to the kids before, and now you''re just standing there doing nothing? Is this how you usually take care of people?"

    "You''re asking me?"

    Hong Siyu blinked innocently a couple of times: "You''ve wronged me; it''s not that I don''t want to help, but it''s a long story..."

    "Make a long story short." Lin Yun interjected.

    Hong Siyu grinned, showing a thumbs-up while pointing at herself: "I''ve been banned from the kitchen."

    Lin Yun was silent but couldn''t help rolling his eyes at her.

    With one of the two adults present almost unreliable, he didn''t bother saying more to Hong Siyu, stepped forward, and took over the girls'' task, personally picking up the kitchen utensils.

    "Alright, I''ll cook, you guys go and play."

    He said this, freeing the girls from the kitchen. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Having cooked himself often back at the secret base, though he''d been away for many days, returning to familiar tasks in the kitchen was like second nature. Unlike his height of 138 as Emerald Sparrow, being at a familiar altitude made his movements with cooking utensils much more convenient.

 Chapter 129 Clues (8k)_2

    However, he was still careful, making sure to create some distinctions in seasoning and heat control to differ from "Emerald Sparrow''s methods."After all, if the tastes were too similar, it would inevitably arouse Lin Xiaolu''s suspicion.

    Besides, the girls had already prepared some dishes before he returned, so he didn''t need to put in much effort¡ªhis remaining task was simply to cook the rest of the ingredients.

    In this way, after a brief flurry of activity, the festive dinner was ready. The Full Moon Festival, originally planned for two, became much livelier with the addition of others.

    Lin Yun had also considered whether or not to invite the other members of the Magical Girl team to his home for the festival. Having only him and Lin Xiaolu celebrating would, after all, create an inevitably dull and awkward atmosphere.

    Improving his relationship with his daughter didn''t mean that he had much more in common with Lin Xiaolu, in fact, outside of his Magical Girl identity, he still had very little to share with his daughter.

    Talk about hobbies? He and his daughter didn''t really share any common interests, and he himself could hardly claim any personal hobbies.

    Talk about school? It may be fine if he did it as Emerald Sparrow, but asking Lin Xiaolu about her grades in his father''s voice would probably only make the conversation more stiff. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Beyond that, the girls of the Fangting City team had undoubtedly become close friends over several months of interaction, and forcefully separating them on such a day didn''t seem like a good idea.

    If he could get Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan to come over as well, then undoubtedly the aforementioned issues would be mitigated¡ªlet the younger generation mingle by themselves.

    The only problem was how to bring it up¡ªmaking such a request as Lin Yun would seem suspiciously motivated; as Emerald Sparrow, it would be too abrupt.

    What he hadn''t expected was that before he could decide, Hong Siyu had already brought the entire team to his home, resulting in the current scene.

    From this perspective, he had to thank Hong Siyu, who might have acted on a whim but undoubtedly saved him from a bit of trouble.

    Additionally, from a safety standpoint, having the Fangting City team gathered in his home was without question the best option.

    The unclear call he had received in the evening was like a thorn stuck in Lin Yun''s heart.

    The person told him to "be careful," but what exactly to be careful about was left unanswered.

    Would it be like the night Lin Xiaolu encountered danger, a trap perhaps? Or could powerful Remnant Beasts be preparing to attack Fangting City?

    Amidst this joyful atmosphere, Lin Yun''s mood remained tinged with concern.

    So, after the dinner had gone on for a while, Lin Yun found an excuse to return to his room, where he retrieved the magic mirror used to communicate with the investigation agency. He submitted both the results of his recent investigation in Bai An City and the details of the unclear call to the investigation agency.

    Having done this, he rejoined the others for dinner in the dining room.

    After some calm reflection, he concluded that what he most needed to do now was to stay alert, watch for any potential enemies that could appear at any time, and keep an eye on the new Magical Girls at home.

    No matter what the potential enemies intended to do, ensuring that the kids were under his direct supervision meant there wouldn''t be any issues.

    Time passed by under Lin Yun''s slightly tense mood.

    The others present didn''t seem to notice anything off with Lin Yun, only Xia Liang seemed to sense that his mood was different than usual.

    So, she discreetly made a gesture to Lin Yun before sending a message to Emerald Sparrow''s phone, asking if something had happened.

    Lin Yun didn''t reply to her.

    Instead, he logged into the Fangting City team''s group chat using Emerald Sparrow''s account, and while extending festival wishes to the other Magical Girls, he reminded them to be careful when he wasn''t around, as the Donghua Region might not be very peaceful recently.

    The girls seemed more focused on the fact that Emerald Sparrow wasn''t present for the festival; they didn''t pay much attention to the phrase "be careful," which seemed unrelated to Magical Girls.

    Stay updated with empire

    This made Lin Yun secretly send several more messages, emphasizing the possibility of "danger," before the girls finally took notice.

    Thus, after the dinner ended and the girls went to the living room to watch TV, Hong Siyu offered to leave.

    "It''s a rare holiday, I better go back to catch up on sleep. The recruitment exams these past days have worn me out," she said.

    Lin Yun didn''t press her to stay and accompanied Hong Siyu to the door, watching her remove her shoe covers and put on her coat.

    "You''ve really been troubled these days, taking care of them at the secret base," he said, choosing his words carefully as they stepped outside: "And thank you for bringing the kids over today."

    "Is that all?"

    Hong Siyu swung her bag over her shoulder, her eyes smiling at him: "There''s no need for thanks, considering our relationship, right?"

    "I don''t recall having any strange relationship with you," Lin Yun calmly denied.

    "Strange relationship? How come, is a senior-junior relationship strange?"

 Chapter 129 Clues (8k)_3

    Hong Siyu widened her eyes, "What I was trying to say just now was ''It is only natural for magical girls of different generations to help each other'', but what are you talking about, senior? I completely don''t understand.""...Is that so."

    "What''s with that bland reaction? I seized the opportunity to turn the tables on you, at least give me some feedback?"

    "No, you are right."

    As Lin Yun walked along the corridor beside her, he said, "Helping each other is only natural, I apologize."

    "Ah, here it comes again, getting all serious all of a sudden! Even though..."

    Hong Siyu began to complain with some dissatisfaction, but she suddenly paused mid-sentence.

    Her gaze moved from over Lin Yun''s shoulder to something behind him, as if she saw something, and inexplicably pursed her lips.

    "What''s the matter?"

    Lin Yun turned his head to follow her gaze but could only see the empty hallway and the black garbage bags placed beside the public trash can.

    "Hmm... no, it''s nothing."

    Hong Siyu''s eyes were a bit glazed, but after a moment, she returned to her usual expression and laughed carelessly, "Just felt like I needed to sneeze suddenly, but I managed to hold it back."

    "...Don''t make it look so scary over something like that."

    Lin Yun drooped his eyelids and said, "And is there a need to hold it back? It''s not that embarrassing."

    "For a woman, it is embarrassing and damaging to one''s image," Hong Siyu shook her finger, "Senior, you need to be careful. Always making such comments to eligible females, you''re not going to find a stepmother for Lulu like that."

    "I''m getting on in years; I don''t need that ability anymore."

    Lin Yun said indifferently, "I don''t have such thoughts, and Lulu doesn''t seem to like it either, things are fine as they are now."

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    "Just staying single?" Hong Siyu tilted her head.

    "What else?" Lin Yun said, puzzled.

    "No, I mean... ah, forget it, this is fine too."

    After a brief pause, Hong Siyu let out a sigh of relief, "Let it be then, staying single isn''t bad, after all, I''m single too."

    "Then go get married," Lin Yun glanced at her, "Economically, there''s a retirement subsidy for magical girls, socially, there''s work at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, and you could be considered a beauty. Could you really not find anyone if you tried?"

    All he received was silence.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Do you think... I qualify as a beauty?"

    "Is that strange? I''m not inclined to deny the objectively existing facts."

    "It is strange! I feel like you''ve never seen me as a member of the opposite sex!"

    "..."

    "Why aren''t you speaking now, senior?"

    "I''m thinking about how to phrase it in a less hurtful way."

    "The fact that you''re thinking about it is hurtful enough!"

    "Then I apologize, exactly as you say."

    "Huh? Beware, I might just start crying and complaining about a scumbag in the hallway now!"

    "What are you, a con artist out of nowhere?"

    "A scammer would want your money, I''m free, wanna try?"

    "Stop making such tasteless jokes."

    With a helpless sigh, after seeing Hong Siyu to the elevator door, Lin Yun suddenly asked, "Are you sure you want to go? I actually suggest you stay."

    "Huh? What do you mean, senior, you want me to stay over?" Hong Siyu covered her mouth.

    "It''s just that I''m a bit worried, it might not be very safe later on."

    "Not very safe? Why?"

    "Remember the unknown phone number I told you about?"

    Lin Yun glanced back to make sure no one else was around, lowered his voice, and said emotionlessly, "I received another call this afternoon."

    "Strange phone calls... ah, that one? Really?"

    Hong Siyu''s eyes widened with surprise, "Did the person on the other end tell you that something dangerous could happen again?"

    "Correct."

    Lin Yun spoke with a somewhat serious tone, "Almost exactly like last time."

    "Do you mean, the incident at the wetland park?"

    "Yes."

    Lin Yun nodded, "So I''ll have to trouble you to inform the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, and it might be best if you stayed..."

    Ding¡ª

    The sound of the elevator interrupted his advice. The apartment building''s elevator stopped in front of them and slowly opened its doors.

    Both of them standing at the elevator door fell silent for a moment, neither one speaking.

    "...Well then, I''m going."

    In the end, it was Hong Siyu who broke the silence first, stepping into the elevator and waving back at him, "I''m aware of what you said."

    "Are you sure?"

    Lin Yun furrowed his brow, "In case you encounter any dangerous Remnant Beasts on the way..."

    "It''s alright."

    The elevator doors began to close, and Hong Siyu shook her head, then lifted her eyes to look at Lin Yun, "After all, no matter what kind of Remnant Beasts I encounter, you can take care of them, right, senior?"

    "I will do my best." Standing in the hallway, Lin Yun nodded.

    "Is that so, then I''m relieved."

    Hong Siyu let out a slight sigh of relief, a smile on her face as she looked at him, her voice growing softer:

    ¡ª¡ª"I''ll leave it to you, senior."

    Her voice carried out of the elevator, finally cut off in the hallway with a "bang" as the doors closed shut.

    Lin Yun stood in the deserted corridor, watching the closed elevator doors, deep in thought.

    He wasn''t a fool; in fact, he was acutely aware of what Hong Siyu was thinking. But those thoughts were somewhat inappropriate for the two of them at the moment.

    Let alone the fact that he didn''t harbor corresponding feelings, even if he did, there were too many insurmountable real-world issues between them. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Hong Siyu was clearly aware of these as well, so even though she teased him incessantly, she never made her feelings explicit.

    In fact, this was an unspoken understanding between them.

    Their relationship was that of former companions, of a magical girl senior and junior, and it was best, it could only be that way.

 Chapter 129 Clues (8k)_4

    Any further change could easily destroy this connection, make it deteriorate, and ultimately turn into something no one wanted to see.At first, he didn''t care and had even tried to express his refusal to Hong Siyu outright, but since the other party was unwilling to be clear and acknowledge it, he also tactfully dropped the matter.

    They were no longer children after all, and relationships between adults always required such careful nurturing of each other''s distance. Everyone has true feelings hidden in their hearts that they never articulate, and there''s no need to delve too deeply. Insisting on having everything completely transparent is impossible.

    At the end of the day, between two adults, as long as they can maintain their personas till the end, the true feelings hardly matter. Preemptively bringing up the topic of going further would only spoil the delicate balance they had achieved.

    So, the way things were now was sufficient.

    This was the unspoken consensus that Hong Siyu and Lin Yun had reached.

    After watching the elevator''s floor indicator reach the first floor, Lin Yun turned quietly and walked back to his home.

    Hong Siyu was not willing to stay, but he needed to return quickly. The warning from the unclear call earlier still rang in his ears; he had to stay vigilant and make sure that the newcomers at home were under his protection.

    Fortunately, nothing untoward or dangerous had occurred afterward.

    The three new Magical Girls and their Fairy were comfortably staying at home, gathering together for idle chatter and play; the full moon hung high outside the window, pure, bright, and casting silver light throughout the entire city; occasional bursts of brilliant fireworks added warmth to the family reunion festival, and everything seemed peaceful.

    It was just like any ordinary Full Moon Festival, with nothing out of the ordinary.

    Time passed moment by moment until it was nearly ten o''clock. The girls were still gathered in the living room, watching a movie found from who knows where, even Moca was enthusiastically sitting with them.

    Just as Lin Yun thought about when to send them to bed amidst the bustling noises not far away, he carried the washed fruits from the kitchen to the living room. However, the conversation happening in the living room suddenly caught his attention.

    ¡ª "Don''t think about shirking it! You''re the one throwing out the trash tomorrow!"

    "No way, I won''t do it! I''ve done it for three days in a row, I''m on strike, meow, on strike! Making a Fairy do this kind of work is simply abuse!"

    Those were Lin Xiaolu and Moca''s voices.

    "That was the punishment you accepted yourself when you snuck a bite last time! You said you''d take out the trash for a whole week."

    "I now feel that your demand is excessive! I want to renege!"

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    The two continued their elementary school-level quarrel, uttering entirely insubstantial words, but upon hearing their conversation, Lin Yun''s hands loosened abruptly.

    Thud.

    He quickly reached to save the fruit platter, managing to catch most of the fruits, but some of the oranges and pears still scattered onto the floor.

    The fruits that had fallen to the ground rolled everywhere as if out of control, yet Lin Yun remained still, without the slightest intention to chase them immediately.

    "The fruits are spilled!"

    Moca was the first to shift her attention from the argument and noticed the scene. Several girls immediately came over, wanting to help with the fallen fruits on the floor.

    "It''s okay, I can take them to wash again..."

    After a dry explanation, Lin Yun casually picked up a few oranges from the floor and looked toward the several girls: "What you were just talking about, throwing out the trash... what was that about?"

    "Throwing out the trash?"

    Lin Xiaolu paused slightly, then responded: "It''s nothing big. We just have a chore schedule among ourselves, and the order is usually decided by playing rock-paper-scissors."

    This was the first time Lin Yun had heard of this, a sign that since he had left Fangting City, the little trio had stirred up quite the commotion in their secret base.

    "Rock-paper-scissors for taking out the trash?"

    Lin Yun looked bafflingly at Lin Xiaolu: "So, who were you talking to just now?"

    "...When you say that, it''s with it, oh."

    Lin Xiaolu pointed at Moca floating at a side: "It''s the Fairy that made us into Magical Girls, generally called the Seeder."

    "There''s nothing over there." Lin Yun ignored the teasing smile of Xia Liang nearby, continuing to maintain his persona as an ordinary person.

    "Hmm, because ordinary people can''t see Fairies."

    Without any doubts, Lin Xiaolu earnestly explained: "But they really do exist, and you can feel them if you reach out."

    "Invisible yet tangible?"

    Carrying the act through, Lin Yun reached out to touch Moca, and after expressing his amazement, he opened his mouth to ask again:

    "So, you''re saying that you just had the fairy... take out the trash?"

    "Mhm." Lin Xiaolu nodded, "It''s actually not a problem, it just went out and took out the trash a moment ago." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Is, is that so..."

    Lin Yun felt that he was nearly at a loss for words and could only mechanically open his mouth to speak.

    Since his return as a Magical Girl, except for the night of Lin Xiaolu''s peril, he had never felt as icy cold in his heart as he did now.

    His brain was as if it had been struck by a heavy blow, leaving only a buzzing sound that made his thoughts sluggish.

    The saying "ordinary people cannot see fairies" is actually a relatively broad description.

    This description is not absolute; in fact, the reason ordinary people cannot see fairies is that they lack sufficient Magic Power.

    Generally, to see a fairy, one must at least be a Magician who has just begun to understand the craft, as only then do they possess the Magic Power needed to see fairies.

    As for Magical Girls, even uncontracted reserve Magical Girls usually had a level of Magic Power close to that of a Magician while still being mortals, so it was easy for them to see fairies.

    However, retired Magical Girls would not have this ability.

    To ensure that retired Magical Girls do not misuse their powers after leaving the kingdom, the kingdom would reclaim and seal their Magic Power, reducing it to the level of an ordinary person.

    In other words, a retired Magical Girl''s internal Magic Power would not be much stronger than that of an ordinary person. In such cases, they naturally would not be able to see fairies.

    As a Magical Girl who retired through the regular procedure, Hong Siyu was no exception. In fact, according to her own words, and her previous behavior, she had lost her Magic Power and could no longer see fairies.

    But just now, through Lin Xiaolu and Moco''s conversation, he finally realized what Hong Siyu had been looking at by the door.

    Hong Siyu was looking behind him, at the trash bin behind him, at the garbage bag beside it, and at... at that time, the one who was strenuously carrying a bag of trash flying over...

    ...Moco.

    Impossible.

    This was Lin Yun''s immediate judgment.

    His reason told him it was impossible because the matter was inexplicable and incomprehensible.

    Sealed Magic Power was not supposed to supply Magical Girls with magic again, like a car without a fuel tank. Without the source of energy, a Magical Girl''s Magic Power would not be much better than that of an ordinary person.

    And this change was almost irreversible, because he had never heard of a Magical Girl who had retired and managed to regain the qualification to use their powers from the kingdom.

    So, if that''s the case, why did Hong Siyu see Moco?

    Lin Yun mechanically picked up the fruit from the ground and brought it back to the kitchen, standing by the sink, appearing utterly calm on the surface, but his thoughts were roiling ceaselessly.

    It was at this moment that he suddenly heard his phone ringing again.

    He took his cell phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen. The number made him focus: it was the same unfamiliar number that had contacted him that afternoon.

    Almost instantly, he pressed his finger to answer the call and put the phone to his ear. Lin Yun regulated his breathing, trying to sound as calm as possible, and asked, "Hello?"

    "...Ssss."

    The noise of the signal came through from the other end once more.

    "Quick... go..."

    Following that, came a voice even weaker than the previous instances.

    "What?"

    "...Quickly go find her."

    "Who?"

    "Go find... go find..."

    The chaotic noise grew stronger, even drowning out the already faint human voice, making it even weaker. Just as Lin Yun thought this call might end up unresolved like the previous ones, the jumbled signal suddenly cleared.

    Almost simultaneously, a voice clear yet feeble came through from the other side of the call to Lin Yun''s ear.

    ¡ª¡ª"Cornflower, hurry and find Chaoyan, it''s going to be too late!"

 Chapter 130 Pursuit

    ```The track of deep blue magic carved swiftly across the pitch-black night sky before quietly vanishing into the thick clouds, silently crossing over much of the city.

    Glancing at the phone screen between her fingers, the bold "Call Failed" pushed Emerald Sparrow''s anxiety even higher. With a gloomy expression and clenched teeth, she kept increasing her flying speed toward Hong Siyu''s apartment from her memory.

    She couldn''t stay at home any longer.

    Because whenever she tried to contact Hong Siyu with her phone, she couldn''t get through no matter what she did.

    She knew that separating from the new recruits now might play right into the enemy''s hands; the mysterious phone call leaking information could also be a trap set by the enemy. But her intuition told her that what was said on the phone was true.

    The moment the caller uttered "Cornflower" and "Chaoyan," which belonged to Hong Siyu''s Magical Girl alias, the credibility of their words increased. Moreover, it was completely in line with Emerald Sparrow''s own deductions.

    Retired Magical Girls were almost never able to regain their Magic Power, an iron rule of the Magic Kingdom; to see a Fairy, one had to possess more than the average human''s Magic Power.

    So, the fact that Hong Siyu, a retired Magical Girl, could see Moke was absolutely impossible.

    Under the premise of this knowledge, re-evaluating the words Hong Siyu uttered upon leaving, Emerald Sparrow instantly tasted a very strange implication.

    Did she already know something?

    "Leave it to you, senior," what did she want to express?

    Even, her sudden decision to send all three kids to her house tonight, was she guarding against something?

    The emergence of one truth spurred the birth of more new questions. Emerald Sparrow felt her mind drowning in uncertainties, struggling even to untangle a single thread of thought.

    To gain the answers to all these, the most essential thing she should do now was to find Hong Siyu.

    This was also why she headed to the apartment where the other lived immediately.

    Following the path memorized in her mind, she flew to Hong Siyu''s apartment balcony, casually tore open the latch with Magic Silk, and virtually hurled herself into the apartment, calling out:

    "Hong Siyu!"

    However, there was no response in the empty apartment.

    Emerald Sparrow understood that the worst-case scenario had indeed happened.

    Hong Siyu had left her house nearly an hour ago, and without any mishaps, she should have undoubtedly returned home. If she was not at home now, she definitely went somewhere else on the way.

    Where could she have gone? Where was she able to go? And no matter where she went, was the current situation really her own decision?

    With these questions, she turned on the lights in Hong Siyu''s home and looked around, trying to find any trace or clue in the apartment.

    Hong Siyu''s apartment could not be called tidy, but it wasn''t particularly dirty and disorganized¡ªaside from the quilt casually thrown on the bed and a trash can overflowing with garbage, it was relatively well-ordered.

    Emerald Sparrow crouched beside the bed, rummaged through the bedside table for a while, and found nothing but some personal clothes and knick-knacks.

    Then she turned direction, opened the wardrobe, only to find that the clothes inside had exceeded capacity and poured out as the doors swung open. Had she not been quick with her reflexes, she would have likely been buried under the onrush of fabric.

    Securing the clothes with Magic Silk, Emerald Sparrow searched the wardrobe and still found nothing. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    She moved to the island counter of the open kitchen next, picked up beer cans from the countertop, only to discover that the aluminum cans were all empty, and the dried inner walls suggested they had been there for quite some time.

    This seemed to indirectly indicate that Hong Siyu had not returned to this apartment for several days.

    Was it because she had been taking the new recruits to the secret base after work in recent days, or was there another reason?

    The investigation didn''t solve the issue but instead added to the growing list of questions. Emerald Sparrow tried to find clues about Hong Siyu''s whereabouts in the apartment, but still came up empty-handed.

    The investigation hit a deadlock here.

    With no other choice, she pulled out her phone once again, opened the contact list, and felt like she should seek help from that unknown number to see if they could offer any more clues.

    Pressing the call button, she held the phone to her ear while her gaze continued to sweep across the room, but as her eyes skimmed past the balcony''s sliding doors, she suddenly froze, unable to shift her gaze elsewhere.

    ¡ªShe saw a moth.

    Not the typical insect by any means, but a moth so large it nearly reached the size of a washbasin.

    The moth was currently resting quietly on the outside of the balcony''s glass door, naturally drooping its wings, standing upright, as if it were observing the scene within the apartment.

    The word "observing" was used because Emerald Sparrow felt a strong sense of being spied upon.

    She felt like she was being watched by an insect.

    The phone at her ear was still unanswered, but as she stood there, maintaining the position of making a call, staring fixedly at the moth outside the balcony, the familiar static noise suddenly buzzed in her ear.

    The strange moth before her was eerie indeed, but finding Hong Siyu was of utmost importance to the current Emerald Sparrow, so she decisively shifted her focus back to the call, immediately asking:

    ```

    "Hello? Where is Hong Siyu?"

    Each cryptic call would cut off just when crucial information was about to be given, leaving her unsure how long this one might last. Without beating around the bush, she asked the most crucial question straightaway.

    "Hiss¡­ hiss¡­ hiss¡­"

    It seemed that her question had been heard, as the sounds from the other end of the line started to fluctuate more intensely.

    After a prolonged bout of indistinct noise, a voice fainter than before finally spoke up again: "High up... very high¡­"

    "Very high?" Emerald Sparrow immediately furrowed her brows and repeated.

    "¡­ usually would go to¡­" The feeble voice kept pausing, sending fragmented words into Emerald Sparrow''s ear.

    She strained to discern the speaker''s words, attempting to remember them all, but the voice kept getting fainter and fainter until it was barely audible.

    "Hello? Can''t hear you, are you still there?" Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but call out to confirm.

    Only static remained on the other side of the call.

    "Hello?"

    The static did not change at all.

    "Are you there?"

    ¡ª"Boom!"

    Just as Emerald Sparrow was raising the volume in an attempt to hear the other side more clearly, a thunderous roar suddenly blasted through the call, sending a jolting shock through her entire body, nearly causing her to throw her phone out of her grasp.

    Fortunately, her quick reflexes saved the day as she immediately caught the slipping phone with a beam of Magic Silk, but when she looked at the screen again, it showed that the call had been disconnected.

    Determined, Emerald Sparrow dialed the number again, but after a brief wait, she was met with the message that the other party "had switched off their phone," without leaving any room for doubt.

    This encounter with the unknown number had come to an inconclusive end.

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    Emerald Sparrow gazed blankly at her phone screen for a while before suddenly looking toward the balcony''s floor-to-ceiling window, only to see the enormous moth still plastered against the glass, spreading its wings. Despite not making a sound, its quivering antennae almost seemed to carry an emotion, as though mocking her.

    This scene only served to sour her mood even further. Deciding not to leave this odd creature any chance of survival, she lifted her hand and fired a Magic Power Beam.

    The deep blue Magic Power pierced the burglar-proof glass of the floor-to-ceiling window almost instantly, engulfing the giant moth within. However, when the Magic dispersed, she found that her Magic Power Beam hadn''t hit anything but the glass. The moth that had been on the window vanished without a trace, like a mere illusion.

    Emerald Sparrow quickly stepped forward, crouched down, and inspected the shattered floor-to-ceiling window. After confirming that no insect remains were present, she felt even more puzzled.

    Had she seen an illusion?

    To confirm this, Emerald Sparrow lifted her head and looked into the distance, searching for any trace of the moth''s departure, but the dark, quiet night sky held no flying objects.

    Perched on the balcony, Emerald Sparrow stood on her tiptoes and squinted around: Apart from a few lights, Fangting City nearing midnight had nothing else. There were no spare vehicles or pedestrians on the roads, and the shops and high-rises had mostly turned off their decorative yet functionless lights, casting the silence of the city where nothing else seemed worthy of attention.

    However, when Emerald Sparrow''s gaze continued to travel further into the distance, a somewhat familiar silhouette of a building suddenly caught her eye.

    At first, she did not realize what the silhouette was. But as it dawned on her, her gaze abruptly froze in that direction ¡ª because she remembered that place was the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    The home of Hong Siyu was not far from the Fangting City Abnormal Strategy Bureau, only a little over a kilometer away. She probably chose to rent there for the convenience of getting to work.

    Perhaps she could go to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau to ask about the situation? Emerald Sparrow mulled it over; however, at this hour, the true management layer of the Bureau would have already left for the day. Even if she went, what could she possibly find out?

    Moreover, from her current perspective, the distant Abnormal Strategy Bureau was engulfed in boundless gloom, with every window pitch-dark, not a single light shining through.

    Unable to see even a sliver of light, could there really be anyone at the Bureau?

    This lead seemed to be another dead end. So, with a soft sigh, Emerald Sparrow negated her own idea and turned to leave. But just as she was about to turn around, her feet froze, and her eyes slowly widened in shock.

    The Abnormal Strategy Bureau ¡ª how could it be unoccupied?

    After all, as the ultimate magical management organization for a city, aside from magical girls themselves, the Bureau was invariably staffed at all times.

    Even now, close to midnight, even if only a few administrative departments and on-duty teams remained, it should not look as desolate and unlit as it did, seeming entirely abandoned.

    Something was amiss.

    Emerald Sparrow felt her recent experiences in Bai''an City stirring to life; the memories, still fresh, reminded her with stark clarity of what she had encountered there.

    The events in Bai''an City had ultimately been left in the hands of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. So, what about Fangting City?

    It wasn''t that she doubted the competence of the Fangting City Abnormal Strategy Bureau, but during several previous attacks, the Bureau had indeed not shown the necessary alertness.

    And even without any concrete evidence, an idea inexplicably formed in her mind:

    ¡ªShe might now need to make a trip to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

 Chapter 190 131 crowns with heaven disappeared on the ceiling

    When Emerald Sparrow stepped through the doors of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, it was just as she had seen before; there wasn''t even a trace of light around, and everything in the darkness was utterly silent.Unlike the usual darkness caused by a lack of light, within the profound spaces of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, not even the vision of a Magical Girl could make out anything clearly, only the vague outlines of objects.

    It only went to show that something was amiss with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    Emerald Sparrow stood still, casting an exploratory spell technique that flickered with magic power into the hall in front of her. Only after confirming that there were no hidden ambushes in the darkness did she put on several layers of barriers and formally entered.

    As she walked forward, her footsteps echoed in the empty hall.

    Click-clack, click-clack.

    Along with her progress, a certain sound emerged from the darkness.

    Rustle-rustle, rustle-rustle.

    The faint and chaotic sounds never ceased.

    This caused Emerald Sparrow to stop in her tracks within the vast hall, looking around with a sense of strangeness. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Why did it all feel so familiar to her?

    She continued walking forward, the crisp sound of her heels striking the floor scattering the surrounding noise, and after a brief silence, what replaced it were whispers.

    There were men and women, old and young, but the one thing they had in common was that they were all laughing.

    The laughter awakened Emerald Sparrow''s memories, finally allowing her to recall the source of this familiar feeling¡ªthat it was exactly like the dream she had experienced before.

    The hall in the darkness, the laughter from an unknown source, the situation was identical to her dream.

    However, having realized this, Emerald Sparrow''s frown deepened.

    She couldn''t understand the connection at all.

    Without a doubt, what she was currently experiencing was reality. So, what exactly was that previous dream? A premonition? A warning? Or some kind of trap?

    With no one to answer the doubts in her heart, she couldn''t be stopped; she simply quickened her pace and continued on.

    She wasn''t afraid of peril nor enemies; her only worry was not finding clues or being unable to resolve issues.

    And as she kept moving, the sneering laughter intertwined and overlapped with the echo of her footsteps, growing increasingly shrill, until it evolved into noise, just like in that dream of Emerald Sparrow''s.

    Emerald Sparrow''s face remained expressionless, unfazed, as she simply raised her hand to strengthen the barriers around her, blocking out the sound waves the noise brought.

    "Boring tricks," she said, not succumbing to the noise attack like she had in the dream. Instead, she reached out and grasped her azure magic wand in hand, murmuring softly, "Magic Power construction, disperse."

    Countless blue strands of Magic Silk surfaced around her in response to her words. Layer upon layer, they vibrated and began to spread out with the gesture of her lifting fingers.

    The Magic Silk swiftly sliced through the surroundings; each strand was as sharp as a blade, emitting a uniform sound of cutting air as they targeted every corner of the space.

    If the enemy had a physical body, avoiding such an attack would be impossible.

    As long as there was a reaction to Emerald Sparrow''s attack, be it retaliation or obstruction, she could quickly pinpoint the enemy''s location.

    Emerald Sparrow didn''t believe in the dream, but nor would she ignore its warnings. She preferred to believe that indeed there was an enemy present in this space.

    However, Emerald Sparrow had no time to play hide-and-seek with that enemy; she needed to move quickly, the faster, the better. She knew her time was not so plentiful.

    So her magic was to force that enemy out from the darkness.

    The Magic Silk spread out in all directions, and as the attack reached every corner of the space, echoes, voices, and laughter all dissipated into nothing, as if they had never existed.

    But the sensation transmitted back through the silk made Emerald Sparrow''s eyes widen slightly.

    "... What a joke."

    It had been a long time since she last uttered that phrase.

    The silk had indeed struck the enemy, clearly cutting through something that wasn''t part of the building, different from inanimate objects, and by the feel of it, obviously a living thing.

    Yet, every strand of silk had hit the enemy.

    Every single one.

    To confirm the feedback she received, Emerald Sparrow amplified her magic power output, making all strands of Magic Silk burst forth with even stronger magic power. The powerful destructive force inflicted further damage on the targets it hit, and the light of the magic finally illuminated the darkness a bit more.

    Emerald Sparrow looked up towards the ceiling of the hall, and her breath caught in her throat.

    She couldn''t quite believe her eyes.

    If she had to draw a comparison for what she was seeing now, it would go back to a long time ago when Lin Yun had been searching his house for the source of moths due to an infestation.

    Back then, he had turned over many normally concealed dark corners just to find out where these omnipresent little bugs were gathering. In the end, the place he found was an utterly neglected corner in a storage room, underneath an abandoned mattress.

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    There he had seen swarms of moths, so densely packed that it might cause anyone with a fear of insects to scream.

    Now, within Emerald Sparrow''s sight was a similar scene.

    Only what she saw weren''t insects, but Remnant Beasts. On the ceiling of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, there swarmed countless Remnant Beasts moving busily and shrilly screeching.

 Chapter 131 Ceiling_2

    These Remnant Beasts were mostly the size of ordinary people, which compared to common Remnant Beasts could be said to resemble children, but their numbers were so great as to send shivers down one''s spine.The noise in the darkness was none other than the collective hissing of these Remnant Beasts as they gathered together in the dark.

    At this moment, the Remnant Beasts that had been hit by the silk threads were clearly becoming agitated, and the pain started to unsettle them. Unwilling to continue squeezing into the same spot, many of the Remnant Beasts were already shifting their bodies, trying to detach themselves from the crowded ceiling.

    As these Remnant Beasts thrashed about, something else fell from the ceiling and crashed to the ground.

    Emerald Sparrow moved forward in silence, looking at the object on the ground under the glow of magic power¡ªit was a square object, small like a card.

    Picking up the object with the silk thread, it revealed its true identity: an Abnormal Strategy Bureau staff ID card.

    The ID card was perfectly preserved; the plastic casing was undamaged, allowing Emerald Sparrow to clearly see the photo and personal information on it.

    Only, the owner of the ID card was likely already in dire straits.

    Emerald Sparrow stared at the ID card silently for two seconds before looking up again with an icy countenance devoid of any emotion.

    She raised her hand, and the silk threads in the air hummed with her movements, responding to her actions, ready to unleash a slaughter upon the horde of monsters on the ceiling at the next moment.

    Kill these monsters, and let them pay for the sin of killing humans.

    It was as if a voice inside her said so. Stay updated with empire

    Yes, kill these monsters, it is only right¡ªthey should¡ª

    Suddenly, Emerald Sparrow let go of her hand.

    No, that wasn''t her own inner voice just now.

    She clutched her chest and said.

    That was a voice that had suddenly appeared in her mind, and its first sentence was to have her kill the Remnant Beasts on the ceiling.

    Something was wrong, Emerald Sparrow told herself.

    It was only natural for a Magical Girl to kill Remnant Beasts, so why would it urge her to do so?

    The dream she had that afternoon seemed to have an inducement of its own, skewing her mentality. Why?

    At this thought, Emerald Sparrow suddenly looked up once more, finally realizing that there was something off about these Remnant Beasts as well.

    Ordinary Remnant Beasts, acting on instinct, are devoid of rationality. The instincts of Remnant Beasts are to destroy and to feed; if a target as saturated with magic power as a Magical Girl came into their sight, they would definitely attack.

    That is to say, if there was nothing abnormal about the Remnant Beasts on the ceiling, Emerald Sparrow should have been under relentless attack from the moment she stepped into the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    But they hadn''t.

    Even when Emerald Sparrow wounded them with her magical gear, they still had no intention of attacking, merely moving their bodies, trying to get away from the attacked position.

    These Remnant Beasts were just curled up on the ceiling, hissing, screaming, threatening, as if they didn''t have the impulse to destroy and feed but were instead... frightened?

    Why were they frightened? What were they afraid of?

    At this moment, Emerald Sparrow felt she was closer to the truth than ever before.

    She looked down again at the ID card stained with mucus on the floor, stared at the unfathomably clear employee photograph on it, pondered for a moment, and suddenly remembered something.

    An incident that had occurred not long ago.

    She had been to Bai An City, fell into a Remnant Beasts'' nest, and in a lair resembling the Bai An City Abnormal Strategy Bureau, she found an office with the corpse of an Abnormal Strategy Bureau staff and a Remnant Beast.

    The incident wasn''t that unusual; Abnormal Strategy Bureau staff straying into a nest and getting killed by Remnant Beasts is a common occurrence.

    But there were some details that were very strange.

    Firstly, the door of that office was ajar.

    With just their savage instincts, Remnant Beasts have no reason to leave a door intact, let alone politely close it after entering an office; similarly, if an Abnormal Strategy Bureau employee discovered there was a Remnant Beast inside, there''s no reason to go in and even close the door.

    Under such circumstances, neither Remnant Beasts nor humans have any reason to close the door.

    Secondly, in the Bai An City nest, the lantern had told her that it had protected those Abnormal Strategy Bureau employees and sent them to find a room to hide in.

    That is to say, those Abnormal Strategy Bureau staff should have actively found that office and hid inside together.

    Thus, the Remnant Beast must have appeared after the fact, appearing before the hidden victims only to catch them all in one fell swoop.

    These two facts were contradictory.

    If it was the Abnormal Strategy Bureau staff who found the vacant office first and then hid inside, how did the Remnant Beasts that came later enter the office without destroying the door?

    Could she speculate that the door which was ajar might not have been that way originally, and that the innocent victims tried to escape the office, opening the door from the inside before dying?

    So, what did that imply?

    ¡ªThat the Remnant Beast had somehow appeared in the office due to some trigger?

    Appeared suddenly?

    This phrase sent chills down Emerald Sparrow''s spine. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Even Remnant Beasts at the chrysalis stage cannot teleport freely through space, so a single Remnant Beast certainly couldn''t have suddenly appeared. If it truly did "suddenly appear", then what form might that appearance take?

 Chapter 131 On the Ceiling_3

    She looked up at the ceiling, watching the Remnant Beasts squirming in place, as Emerald Sparrow slowly, once again, spread her hands.However, this time she wasn''t using her magic to manipulate the enchanted armor to kill these monsters but allowing the Magic Silk to flow among them, scraping by, as if looking for something.

    As expected, her actions elicited a response. With the silk stirring among the group of Remnant Beasts, more and more unidentified objects started to fall from the air, landing on the ground with a crisp sound.

    Emerald Sparrow stepped forward, and after confirming one by one, she found that these were all various personal belongings of humans: identity tags, glasses, watches, cell phones, ballpoint pens, and so on.

    What was more surprising was that, aside from the damage caused by falling from a great height, these objects were all exceptionally well-preserved.

    Emerald Sparrow stared at the items on the ground for a long time without a word.

    ¡ª "Why don''t you do it?"

    A voice came from behind her.

    "I can''t kill them," Emerald Sparrow replied.

    "But they are Remnant Beasts," the voice continued to question.

    The question carried a certain straightforward bewilderment, as if it genuinely sought an answer from Emerald Sparrow, and along with this question, Emerald Sparrow became aware of a shadow under her feet. Discover exclusive content at empire

    A shadow much longer than her own, completely covering her shadow.

    "They are Remnant Beasts, but they are also not Remnant Beasts."

    Emerald Sparrow did not turn around but continued to look at the personal items on the ground, her voice low: Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "They were supposed to be... human."

    Her answer plunged the one behind her, who had asked the question, into silence.

    This was the conclusion Emerald Sparrow had ultimately reached: those Remnant Beasts on the ceiling were human. In fact, a considerable number of them were once staff members of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau in Fangting City.

    The Abnormal Strategy Bureau in Bai''an City was the same. The tragedy in that office was not caused by an external enemy; rather, it was because... someone among them had turned into a Remnant Beast.

    An employee who was hiding in the office turned into a Remnant Beast and attacked the other unsuspecting colleagues, leading to that tragedy.

    She should have thought of it sooner.

    Black Ash Dawn had mastered a technique known as "Beast Entrails," which allowed humans to gain the power of Remnant Beasts, even to control the Beasts. Then, this technology could certainly have other applications.

    For instance... turning ordinary people into Remnant Beasts.

    However, this technology must not be as perfect as their "Beast Entrails"; it''s impossible to retain the user''s will like Beast Entrails, let alone revert to being human after use.

    Emerald Sparrow could feel that those creatures above her head were just crudely stitched together.

    Combining humans and Remnant Beasts into one, like zombies, lacking both consciousness and fighting ability.

    Even calling them Remnant Beasts was a stretch, because their frail bodies and magic power were simply incapable of supporting combat like true Remnant Beasts; they were even inferior to the lowest tier, the egg phase.

    The things on the ceiling, at this very moment, were just a group of pitiable "monsters."

    "But now, they are Remnant Beasts."

    The voice behind Emerald Sparrow said, "If we don''t kill them, they will eventually take the first step in hunting out of hunger. As they begin devouring living things and acquiring more magic power, they will also start to grow stronger and then become a real threat."

    "But they are human," Emerald Sparrow muttered, "Innocent humans."

    "They are monsters, monsters that must be eliminated."

    The voice behind Emerald Sparrow declared, "We no longer have the capability to revert them back to their original form; their human side has been completely stitched with the Remnant Beast, and these parts will later become nutrients for their transformation into true Remnant Beasts."

    "I know,"

    Emerald Sparrow spoke calmly, but her hands slowly clenched tighter: "I... know."

    "You promised me, ''no matter what kind of Remnant Beast, you could eliminate it.''"

    The voice continued, slowly approaching Emerald Sparrow: "Now is the time to fulfill that promise. These things are not human anymore, just monsters."

    ¡ª "Senior."

 Chapter 132 Sorry

    ¡ª¡ª Boom!In the dead of night, a violent explosion erupted from the city center, the thunderous boom awoke Lin Xiaolu from her sleep.

    "...What''s going on?"

    Groggy, she climbed out of bed, looked out the window of her room toward the distance, and as her vision of the outside world came into focus, she first experienced a brief moment of confusion before her eyes widened in realization.

    "Wake up, Xia Liang! Bai Jingxuan!"

    Turning around, Lin Xiaolu woke up the other two girls who were still deep in sleep, pointing outside the window she yelled, "Something''s not right, there''s some strange noise!"

    The two, who had been immersed in the land of dreams, had no choice but to crawl out of their bedding, rubbing their eyes, and joined her by the window, subsequently rendered speechless.

    ¡ª¡ª A gigantic purple-black pillar of light rose from the city center, shooting straight into the sky, piercing through the clouds. Even the surrounding drifting clouds were dyed purple, swirling around the column, glittering with ominous light.

    The sleep-addled Bai Jingxuan took two steps forward, trying to get a little closer to the window to get a better look, but as soon as she approached, she saw a large moth crash into the window with a "snap."

    "Ugh!"

    Startled by the noise, she stumbled backward, the sleepiness in her head instantly dissipated by the fright.

    "Really, something like this gets in the way at a time like this!"

    Seeing Bai Jingxuan startled by the sudden appearance of the moth, Lin Xiaolu slapped the window in frustration to chase it away, then went to the wardrobe and opened the door: "Hurry up and get dressed! Even though I don''t know what''s going on, we need to get out!"

    "Can''t we just transform and go out?" Xia Liang yawned and asked, "It feels so troublesome to change clothes at a time like this."

    "Shouldn''t shoes be enough?" Bai Jingxuan suggested instead.

    "You two..."

    Lin Xiaolu cast a glance at them, hands on her hips, starting to speak with a tinge of irritation, but before she could finish, she felt the purple light from behind intensify.

    It left her unfinished words stuck in her throat.

    "It''s Remnant Beasts!"

    The just roused Fairy also joined them, pointing outside the window and shouting, "Xiaolu! I can sense the aura of Remnant Beasts! And it''s powerful, more powerful than any we''ve seen before! This one is definitely a big one!"

    Unfortunately, nobody paid attention to its words. Even Bai Jingxuan, who had the best relationship with Fairy, only symbolically agreed a bit.

    After all, the scene outside the window was too conspicuous. Even a fool, upon seeing the current situation, would know that the purple column shooting straight into the sky was definitely not normal.

    Lin Xiaolu realized that if she insisted on changing into a full set of casual clothes before going out, she might be too late when she arrived at the scene. Reluctantly, she changed her plan, grabbed a coat from the wardrobe, draped it over herself, and headed to the front door: "Forget it, let''s just hurry."

    Knowing the urgency, the other two followed her out of the room. The three girls and the Fairy hurried out of the room door, not even having time to switch on the light, and dashed towards the house door together.

    Lin Xiaolu wanted to remind them to keep their voices down, not to wake her father, but seeing that they had already run to the hallway, she decided not to say anything and instead stood in the corridor, feeling a bit guilty as she glanced toward her father''s bedroom door.

    Not to look would have been better, for when she did, what she saw was an ajar door.

    The door is open?

    This made Lin Xiaolu pause for a moment.

    "What are you still standing there for?"

    Before she had time to ponder, Xia Liang, not far away, whispered: "We don''t have time to waste, let''s go!"

    "Yeah... right."

    Lin Xiaolu could only suppress the suspicion that had flared up in her heart, and followed the others to the front entrance. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire

    She didn''t have time to confirm whether the door was open, nor did she know if her father was in the room.

    Perhaps he forgot to close the door when he went to sleep?

    She reasoned with herself, then joined her companions as they stepped out of the house.

    ¡ª¡ª

    ¡ª¡ª

    "Senior."

    The title uttered by the person behind Emerald Sparrow undoubtedly confirmed her identity: She was Hong Siyu. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    But upon hearing this title, Emerald Sparrow felt a heaviness in her heart.

    She just stood there rigidly for a moment, her gaze fixed on the ground, before finally struggling to contain her thoughts. She turned her head slightly, intending to look back.

    ¡ª¡ª "Don''t look back yet, Senior."

    However, Hong Siyu stopped Emerald Sparrow''s movement.

    Her voice was calm and clear at the moment, seemingly without trouble: "Just listen and talk to me. That''s enough."

    "...I hate people who are all secretive and evasive."

    Without directly responding to the request, Emerald Sparrow looked down at her shadow on the ground and suddenly sighed, "Why didn''t you tell me directly? Why play this disappearing act and not answer any phone calls? When did the Abnormal Strategy Bureau become like this?"

    "Hmm... who knows? I''ve forgotten too," Hong Siyu responded in a frivolous voice: "And you talk about being secretive; weren''t you the least honest one? How much did you hide about what happened back then? I''ve always been kept in the dark."

    "If you''re willing, I can tell you after this is over," Emerald Sparrow kept her head down, her voice somber, "So tell me, do you have any way? A way to turn these people back?"

    "I don''t know, but I guess there isn''t one,"

 Chapter 132 Sorry_2

    Hong Siyu dragged out her tone as if contemplating, "The person who did this never planned to turn these people back, after all, they are just test subjects and fodder."Enjoy more content from empire

    "...Who is the person who did this?"

    "You know, I can''t say, senior."

    "So, what exactly is your stance now?"

    Emerald Sparrow''s voice was somewhat stern, "Are you still a retired Magical Girl? An employee of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau? Or... have you already become one of Black Ash Dawn?"

    After she asked the question, Hong Siyu''s voice disappeared for a moment.

    Moments later, she spoke up again, "Your question really breaks my heart, senior."

    "In your eyes, am I someone who would turn traitor so easily? Having been a Magical Girl for ten years, to betray to such a disgusting organization and engage in vile deeds?"

    Hong Siyu''s voice carried a hint of discontent as if she was somewhat angry, "Even at this stage, I still thought of having you deal with the Remnant Beasts here. If I had really betrayed, why would I tell you this?"

    "...Yes," Emerald Sparrow pursed her lips, her gaze flickering before she took a deep breath with a complicated expression, "I indeed shouldn''t have doubted you."

    "I can''t tell you who did it, and it''s not because I don''t want to talk, but because I can''t,"

    Hong Siyu''s voice was filled with a sense of grievance, "Otherwise, I would have told you about the ambush on Xiao Lu back then, why would I beat around the bush until now?"

    "Xiao Lu? You mean that time at the Wetland Park? It started back then?"

    Emerald Sparrow''s speech paused, "That means, I indeed came too late."

    "Not really late, rather you came too early, senior."

    Hong Siyu suddenly laughed, "Don''t you know the reason I told you to stay at home? You rushing over at this time, it kind of breaks my heart."

    "If I don''t come now, would I still be able to meet you?"

    Emerald Sparrow asked, puzzled, "If I really delayed until later in the night, or even until tomorrow, you wouldn''t have talked to me this much, right?"

    "...That''s also true." Hong Siyu sighed, "It''s always good to talk a bit more, although I''d rather not chat with you, senior, under these circumstances. Wouldn''t it have been nice to let my farewell in the elevator be the last one?" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Just ''I''ll leave it to you''? That kind of irresponsible crap?" Emerald Sparrow raised her voice and retorted, "You''re content with dropping such a phrase and then leaving me to deal with this mess alone?"

    "After all, I had no other choice." Hong Siyu laughed awkwardly, "You''ve seen it, I''ve botched it."

    "There''s still room for redemption." Emerald Sparrow stared at the shadows on the ground, murmuring, "There''s still time, we still have a chance to make amends."

    "Yeah, there''s still time," Hong Siyu agreed, "Now, if we clear out all the monsters here and then go beat the culprit gloriously, everything still has a chance."

    "That''s not what I''m talking about."

    "Senior, you should still have Ray-class combat power, right? Although winning might be a bit difficult... it does seem a bit far-fetched? But it doesn''t matter, I believe in you, you always manage to work miracles."

    "That''s not what I''m talking about."

    "Xiao Lu and the others have grown a lot by now, they shouldn''t just be a drag anymore, right? Oh, maybe you''ll have a surprise when you hurry to meet up with them? Hehe, I won''t give away too much here."

    "Hong Siyu." Emerald Sparrow started, her tone serious, "You know, I''m not talking about that."

    "...But we must do as I have said, senior."

    Hong Siyu''s voice also grew softer, "Can you see it? There, in the center of the city."

    Along with her voice, a ray of moonlight pierced the boundless darkness, illuminating the dim hall with silver-white light, and a glass curtain wall revealed its true form.

    Outside the glass curtain wall lay the nightscape of Fangting City.

    Even though it was separated by an incredibly vast distance, Emerald Sparrow could see a beam of purple-black light that rose from the ground to the sky, piercing the cloud layer, lighting it up as well.

    By a rough estimate of the distance, the position of the light column was quite far from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, but despite the distance, Emerald Sparrow could feel a thick sense of ill omen.

    "...What is that?" Emerald Sparrow asked in an even tone.

    "A Remnant Beast... perhaps?"

    "Why a question?"

    "Because compared to the usual Remnant Beasts, it might not be so pure."

    "...What do you mean ''pure''?"

    "You know, don''t you, senior?"

    Hong Siyu''s voice was suppressing some kind of emotion, "What that Remnant Beast fed on to grow."

    "...Are you involved in this?"

    "I don''t know."

    "You don''t know?"

    "Yes." Hong Siyu replied softly, "This is the only thing I truly don''t know, but I think that if I had known, I definitely wouldn''t have done it."

    Emerald Sparrow turned her face, looking at the distant purple-black light column, her expression somber. She knew that this light column was probably the result that Black Ash Dawn had gone to great lengths to achieve.

    What Hong Siyu had mentioned, the issue of "what that Remnant Beast fed on to grow," they both knew the answer, but it was difficult for either of them to voice it.

    Just before Bai An City''s Spider died, it had told her that Black Ash Dawn was looking for "nourishment" for the Remnant Beasts, and this nourishment had no limits: they could be humans, other Remnant Beasts, Fairies, or even Magical Girls.

 Chapter 132 Sorry _3

    So, what Hong Siyu said about "definitely not doing it" was actually a statement.She was saying that even though she seemed to have certain connections and entanglements with the mastermind behind the scenes, and even was involved in this matter from an early stage, she had not betrayed.

    "...You don''t have to make such a promise," Emerald Sparrow spoke again, feeling her voice to be incredibly hoarse.

    "I do, senior." Hong Siyu''s tone was very solemn, "There are some things I don''t want you to misunderstand."

    "I won''t misunderstand."

    "You''ve already misunderstood, haven''t you?"

    "I just need to know if you''re with Black Ash Dawn now, as long as you''re not, then there''s no misunderstanding."

    "I''m not." Hong Siyu''s reply was calm and clear.

    "...That''s good then." Emerald Sparrow didn''t know what she felt as she said those words.

    "So, senior, even though you''ve come early, we''re out of time," Hong Siyu did not dwell on the topic but gently hinted, "The real culprit is over there, the Magical Girl should clear the Remnant Beasts blocking the way and face the real enemy."

    Clear the Remnant Beasts.

    Emerald Sparrow had completely understood what Hong Siyu was saying because she had pieced together all the puzzles related to her and found the answer to the matter.

    But precisely because of this, she had never felt such aversion to the phrase "clear the Remnant Beasts."

    Before fully understanding the situation, she told herself that Hong Siyu was "at a high place." What this "high place" was, Emerald Sparrow had come to know after seeing the sight on the ceiling.

    A few hours earlier, when Hong Siyu left her own house, she said something strange, and now she understood the meaning of those words.

    Retired Magical Girls should not have the Magic Power to see Fairies, but Hong Siyu had achieved that, and Emerald Sparrow had found the answer to how she had done it.

    She finally knew the reason behind Hong Siyu''s peculiar taste in cooking that she demonstrated in everyday life.

    Also, five months ago, on the initial day she discovered her daughter had become a Magical Girl.

    It was a day as terrible as ever after An Ya''s death; she had just got off work, and the sky had just darkened. Before she knew Lin Xiaolu had become a Magical Girl, Hong Siyu called her and asked if they could "have dinner together."

    At the restaurant, this junior who hadn''t had much interaction with her for a long time chatted about a lot of trivial stuff and subtly informed her of the news that Lin Xiaolu had become a Magical Girl.

    Then, she escorted the drunk Hong Siyu home.

    She couldn''t remember what the drunk Hong Siyu had said at the time, but she felt as though she was back in that alcohol-scented driver''s seat. Among the sour taste, on the passenger seat beside her, there was a blurred whimper:

    ¡ª¡ª"I''m sorry."

    It was a phrase that the Emerald Sparrow at the time could not understand.

    "I..." she began, but had no idea what else she could say, feeling only her blood rushing and her brain buzzing, "I can''t..." Stay connected with empire

    "You can do it, senior; that''s why I''m asking you, please," Hong Siyu''s voice became softer, with a hint of encouragement: "Because only you can do it here; I believe in you, just like in the past, bring a miracle to this city."

    "After all, you are the person I admire the most."

    After these words fell, Emerald Sparrow felt the buzzing in her head had disappeared. The whole world seemed to have lost its voices, turning into an empty void, entering a silent, colorless illusionary realm.

    Without blinking, Emerald Sparrow was expressionless. She slowly lowered her head, looked at her own feet. She gazed at the spot that originally cast a shadow.

    There should have been a shadow there, a shadow representing "Hong Siyu." But at this moment, she couldn''t find the thing she wanted to see.

    Although she could see a shadow, the one on the ground didn''t belong to Hong Siyu or even to a "human."

    The shadow cast from behind her onto the ground in front of her was just that of a moth with spread wings, standing tall, completely enveloping itself.

    It looked so alien, and yet, it wasn''t alone. For in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, there was more than just one moth''s shadow.

    Countless pitch-black moth shadows stretched out from the ceiling, from beyond the walls, from all directions; they crawled, knelt, praised, but all faced the same direction¡ªthe dark purple pillar of light in the city center.

    They encircled Emerald Sparrow in layers, like a vortex, ready to swallow the tiny figure at any moment.

    "Hong Siyu," Emerald Sparrow called out again, breaking the silence amidst the infinite dark shadows.

    But no answer came from the call.

    She stood there, expressionless, staring unwaveringly at the ground before her, suddenly feeling a desire to laugh, and at the same time, a sense of suffocation.

    She didn''t feel happy; rather, she no longer knew what other expression she could make.

    "''Sorry,'' a word that I should have said... right?"

    Emerald Sparrow suddenly looked up, mumbling unclearly. Then, she finally slowly turned around, toward her back.

    "I''m the one who should apologize to you, Hong Siyu."

    She had never looked back before, not only because of Hong Siyu''s request but also because she had guessed what she would see, and so didn''t want to, nor dared to look back.

    She knew the moment she turned around, all the good times and reminiscences would be easily torn apart like a thin piece of paper, never to retrieve a trace of warmth again.

    But she had to turn back; she needed to confirm, to tell herself that the person she wanted to say "sorry" to was no longer there.

    A Remnant Beast, tall as several people, stood there.

    Its wings, spread like a flower in full bloom, emanated a purplish-red glow beneath the moonlight. Its wings, dotted with countless black and white spots, formed bizarre and fantastical patterns.

    Its eyes were dark and profound, swirling with a sinister purple-black luster as if to see through everything. The furry body was lean and slightly ferocious, instinctively inspiring fear.

    Under the moonlight, the Remnant Beast stood silently, gazing at Emerald Sparrow. It didn''t make any sound, of course, it couldn''t speak either.

    It merely stood lightly in front of Emerald Sparrow, then extended its proboscis, gradually approaching her.

    The slender proboscis enlarged as it came closer to Emerald Sparrow''s pupils, then gently reached next to her neck, spreading out, its thin tubes and sharp teeth emerging from the sticky saliva to touch her seemingly delicate and fragile neck. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Emerald Sparrow closed her eyes.

    In the darkness, she seemed to see once more the familiar figure of her junior. She stood before Emerald Sparrow, placing a hand on her neck, looking at herself with dark eyes.

    No more clumsy imitation, no rough lies, no contrived foolishness. These things wouldn''t affect Hong Siyu''s true heart anymore, she had shed all her usual disguises, just like when she first met Emerald Sparrow, looking at her with a shy yet resolute expression, opening her mouth:

    "Go ahead, senior."

    "Magical Girl... it''s time to drive away the Remnant Beast."

 Chapter 133 The Strange Boy

    ```14-year-old Hong Siyu didn''t believe in miracles in this world.

    Or rather, "miracle" was a term that had little to do with her.

    From birth, she seemed to be a child slightly more unlucky than those around her. No matter what she did, the results often fell short of being smooth and satisfactory.

    So, when she was knocked over by someone behind her while helping at the class snack booth during the culture festival and spilled the seasonings she was holding, she wasn''t surprised at all.

    Ah, it''s like that again.

    She could only think this way.

    The seasoning bottle, with its lid open, slipped from her palm and fell into mid-air. The reddish-brown sauce inside tumbled towards the mouth of the bottle and was about to spill out.

    Hong Siyu couldn''t catch the bottle in time, so she could only futilely extend her palms in vain, her eyes wide watching the seasoning bottle dance in the air.

    Then, in her view, a hand reached out from the side.

    That hand firmly grasped the seasoning bottle that had almost tipped over onto the griddle. Not much of the sauce inside had spilled out, and it had retained its original form.

    Hong Siyu stared somewhat dumbfounded at this suddenly outstretched hand, uncertain of how to react.

    Looking up, the owner of the hand was a tall and handsome boy.

    The boy''s features were not stunning, but the combination was pleasing to the eye and harmonious; he had neatly cut short hair and wore his school uniform with meticulous care, giving off an impression of introversion and seriousness, like the "scholar" mentioned in classic novels.

    However, the boy''s expression was indifferent, bordering on cold. He simply caught the seasoning bottle that fell from Hong Siyu''s hand and handed it back to her without another word.

    "... Thank you."

    Hong Siyu managed to squeeze out these two weak words, barely audible like a mosquito''s buzz.

    "You''re welcome," the boy replied in a measured tone.

    After he took his share of snacks from the booth, he didn''t show any sign of seeking gratitude from Hong Siyu. As if what he had done was truly a trifling matter, he easily walked away.

    His figure just disappeared into the crowd.

    ¡ª¡ª "Ah, isn''t that the guy?"

    As Hong Siyu watched the boy leave, her classmates also noticed the scene. Seeing the boy''s retreating figure, they blurted out subconsciously, "That''s the junior, I remember, he''s quite famous."

    "Famous?"

    Hong Siyu looked at her classmate with some confusion, "I don''t remember him at all."

    "Of course a dedicated student like you, who doesn''t pay attention to worldly affairs, wouldn''t know," her classmate said with a smile. "That senior is known as the school''s playboy. Isn''t he dating two or maybe three upperclassmen?"

    "Eh? Eh?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The classmate''s revelation shocked Hong Siyu out of her hazy emotions, she exclaimed incredulously, "Playboy?"

    "Don''t be fooled by his looks."

    The classmate churned the egg beater, her tone wistful, "Though he seems like a handsome guy, you can never judge a book by its cover. If you approach him recklessly, you''ll likely end up being played with and ruthlessly abandoned at the end."

    "Played with? I-I didn''t think of such things!"

    Hong Siyu hurriedly defended herself, suddenly feeling her ears warm, "And besides, it''s wrong to have an early romance! That''s not something we should be considering!"

    "Are you a primary school student? So innocent," her classmate said with some disdain. "Your behavior just now, it was obvious you had a crush, right? Love at first sight?"

    "What?"

    The frankness of the classmate''s words made Hong Siyu''s cheeks burn. Instinctively, she reached forward, grabbing the shoulders of her classmate, "I did not!"

    "Then why were you staring at his back the whole time?"

    "I really wasn''t! It was just that he helped me out just now, so I was a bit concerned about that!"

    "Really?"

    "How could it be false..."

    The two carried on with their pointless argument until the class monitor, in charge of overseeing the booth, noticed the decline in snack output and even a supply shortfall. Only then did he turn his attention to the two slacking off in the corner and came over to interrupt their dispute.

    Hong Siyu thus returned to her place and picked up the seasoning bottle again, resuming her snack-making tasks.

    However, because the bottle had slipped from her grip once already, she now held it with extra care to prevent further mishaps.

    Such fortuitous help from a passerby like earlier wouldn''t occur a second time, right?

    She thought this way and gradually, amidst the busyness, forgot about the boy.

    ...

    ...

    14-year-old Hong Siyu was a somewhat unlucky child.

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    Because she was unlucky, she wouldn''t rely on elusive luck; she always tried her best, depending on her efforts to secure a definite future.

    Hence, she was a student who studied diligently and had excellent grades.

    To be more specific, she was the top student in her grade.

    She always used all her spare time to stay in the school''s library. While others enjoyed their youth, she was quietly immersed in her studies in a quiet corner of the library.

    It was only during these times that she felt a rare sense of peace, because this was her own little world, where she could indulge herself in the sea of books without any external disturbances.

    ```

 Chapter 133 That Strange Boy_2

    However, over the recent period of time, she had gradually become aware of another person in the library¡ªa boy, one she had a bit of an impression of.He had helped her out during the Culture Festival a few months ago, something Hong Siyu had only recently remembered.

    She didn''t know when exactly this boy had started studying in the library, since the past version of her had never paid attention to which other students were there.

    It was just that a few days ago, this boy and another beautiful girl came to the library together. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Whether it was the handsome boy or the beautiful girl, had they appeared in the library on their own, they might have merited a subconscious couple of glances, but nothing more.

    But when the two of them appeared in the library together, they became the focus of everyone''s attention.

    Surrounding them were doubtful, envious, and contemptuous gazes, and many students even found it hard to concentrate on their studies, feeling embarrassed to be in the same room; they closed their books and left the library that day.

    Even though that boy and girl were only studying and hadn''t done anything extra.

    Hong Siyu didn''t leave.

    It wasn''t that she didn''t want to leave; rather, she couldn''t. Her mother wouldn''t be picking her up until much later, and unless she went back to the classroom, she had nowhere else to go.

    It was on that day that she overheard the quiet conversation between the beautiful girl and the boy and learned the boy''s name.

    Lin Yun. Discover exclusive tales on empire

    It was a name that suited his appearance very well. Like gentle sunshine, not dazzling, but not hiding its luminous essence, either.

    Afterwards, Hong Siyu gradually discovered that Lin Yun was also a regular visitor to the library.

    Moreover, he seemed to be genuinely focused on his studies.

    Apart from that time he studied with the beautiful girl, Lin Yun always came and went alone, silently picking out reference materials and sitting quietly in a corner of the library, working through problems and reading books.

    He didn''t initiate conversations with others and didn''t care about the looks from the people around him, coming to the library and leaving at the same time every day, like a robot.

    Of course, there were a few days when he wouldn''t show up at the library.

    That was normal; everyone has their own life after all.

    Hong Siyu was simply aware of this boy, nothing more; in fact, their interactions had never gone beyond the "Thank you" and "You''re welcome" exchanged during the Culture Festival.

    There was no reason for them to interact more.

    That''s what Hong Siyu thought, until one day in the library when she fell from the air while trying to grab a book that was placed very high up.

    She had stood on a chair and stretched herself to reach for the book, but lost her balance when the chair slipped from under her.

    In that critical moment, a hand reached out from behind her and caught the collar of her neck, saving Hong Siyu from crashing to the floor.

    The fright of falling made her heart beat uncontrollably; it took a while before she could calm herself down, turn around, and see who had helped her, only to find it was the boy named Lin Yun.

    "That... thank you?" she said weakly, uncertainly, not knowing what else to say, so she offered her thanks to him in a tone even she wasn''t sure about.

    "No problem." Lin Yun replied just as succinctly, "Be careful."

    His voice was calm and clear, and it sounded quite pleasing¡ªprobably because it was just the two of them and very quiet, his voice carried clearly into Hong Siyu''s ears.

    Once he confirmed that Hong Siyu was steady on her feet again, he let go of her collar, straightened the chair on the floor, and then, without saying anything more, he left just as easily.

    Hong Siyu watched his retreating back until he disappeared among the bookshelves, then slowly turned her head back in a daze, looking again at the bookshelf.

    It was only after she had selected the books she needed and moved away from the bookshelf area that she realized Lin Yun had left the library. Contrary to his usual habit of neither arriving late nor leaving early, he had departed at an atypical time.

    Hong Siyu didn''t ponder it deeply and continued with her usual study routine in the library, reading and solving problems until it was time for her mother to pick her up from school, at which point she stood up from her seat and packed her study materials.

    However, before leaving, she suddenly noticed something on Lin Yun''s seat.

    She approached it and found a book.

    It was a junior high school textbook.

    The edges of the textbook were curled, showing it had been flipped through many times, and opening the cover, one could see "Lin Yun" neatly written on it.

    Flipping through the pages, she could see dense annotations and notes, even using different colored pens to indicate which revision round each note was made in.

    It was evident that the book''s owner was very meticulous and serious about his studies.

    Perhaps because he left in a hurry, he had left the textbook behind, or maybe he didn''t want to bother and intentionally left it in the library.

    Hong Siyu didn''t know the specific reason, but that didn''t stop her from placing the book inside the library''s storage cabinet. After all, no one could guarantee that the book wouldn''t be thrown away during cleaning or picked up by other students.

 Chapter 133 That Strange Boy_3

    "I''ll tell him about this when he comes tomorrow," Hong Siyu thought.But what she hadn''t expected was that after that day, she never saw Lin Yun again.

    The figure that had become somewhat familiar had disappeared from the library.

    In the days that followed, one month, two months, whenever Hong Siyu''s gaze landed on the seat Lin Yun preferred, all she saw were the empty chairs and tables.

    Should she deliver his textbook to his classroom?

    Hong Siyu occasionally pondered this question. But the thought of the possible implications always drained her of any courage to act.

    A completely unfamiliar girl bringing a textbook a boy left behind one or two months ago to his classroom? It sounded too strange! It would seem as though she had some ulterior motive.

    She had no such thoughts about Lin Yun, just a bit of attention, no need to take such a step.

    That''s what Hong Siyu told herself. So, from beginning to end, she never touched the textbook left in the storage cabinet. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    And so time passed, another month, two months, a long while. The seat in the library where Lin Yun used to sit was now occupied by others.

    Another generation of students studying in the library had come¡ªthe impending senior high school entrance exams probably accounted for the many junior seniors who chose the library for study after school.

    Gradually, Hong Siyu found the noisy library harder to endure.

    Not wishing to let the somewhat chaotic environment affect her studying, she began studying in the empty classroom of her class after school.

    Months went by this way, and the junior seniors graduated.

    It was only after their graduation that Hong Siyu returned to the library for her after-school studies, back to her familiar seat, continuing her unchanged routine.

    Then, one day, she remembered Lin Yun again.

    As it seemed, she hadn''t seen him since then.

    Thinking about this piqued her curiosity, and Hong Siyu went back to the library''s storage cabinet. After rummaging through it, she found the textbook she had placed there.

    He indeed had not taken the book.

    For some reason, Hong Siyu wasn''t surprised at all.

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    Was it because she had put the book in the cabinet that he had later been unable to find it? But she had waited in the library for those months, and surely she would have told him where the textbook was if he had bothered to come.

    She took the textbook out of the cabinet, lightly wiping off the fine dust with a tissue, feeling an indescribable emotion stirring within her.

    Should she muster the courage to return the textbook to his classroom? After all, there was no relationship between them, and she harbored no superfluous thoughts; it was just returning a book, nothing serious, right?

    Or should she spend more time waiting in the library? Perhaps, during the two months she was absent, he actually did come by.

    Come to think of it, he was also a junior senior; now that he had graduated, was it possible that she would never see him again?

    With Lin Yun''s textbook in her hands, Hong Siyu stood in front of the cabinet, her emotions fluctuating.

    She felt a very faint, yet very naive emotion in her heart. Holding onto this textbook made her feel somewhat strange.

    What exactly was it? Hong Siyu wasn''t sure. All she knew was that to prevent the book from being discarded as trash, she quietly took it from the locker.

    And just like that, she kept it with her all along.

 Chapter 134 That Special Girl

    At 15, one year older, Hong Siyu was a girl with a tendency for fantasy.Rather, it was precisely because she rarely interacted with people and spent most of her time immersed in her own world that she unconsciously turned to fantasizing.

    Ever since a certain catalyst in the second year of junior high, the shadow of a certain boy began to appear frequently in her fantasies.

    At first, he would inexplicably show up in various story segments she conjured up in her mind, and Hong Siyu did not ponder it deeply; but as time passed, his image not only did not fade with time but became even more vivid.

    As to why things had transformed in this manner, Hong Siyu was well aware¡ªit was because she had used that boy''s textbook.

    When she first took the textbook, she was in her second year of junior high, but now, in her third year, that boy''s left-behind textbook had become the content of her current studies. And whenever she flipped through those worn pages, reading the traces he had left in the textbook, Hong Siyu would inexplicably find her thoughts swayed by his words.

    That boy, Lin Yun, was very handsome, with a cool personality, and even his handwriting was so beautiful, it felt like they would get along well.

    This thought would often arise in her mind and then gradually expand until, after expanding to a certain extent, she would feel embarrassed by her somewhat indelicate fantasies.

    This can''t go on, Hong Siyu, thinking about a boy every day who doesn''t know you and whom you''ll likely never meet again, swinging through emotions¡ªwhere''s the demeanor of a good student? If this continues, there''s no need to study or make friends, drowning in daydreams¡ªwhat kind of behavior is that?

    She admonished herself in this way, and attempted to put away the secretly kept textbook, to stop flipping through it. But this resolution lasted only a few weeks before she, unable to suppress her feelings, took the book out again.

    After all, it was an existing set of study notes¡ªit would be too wasteful not to refer to it.

    She flipped through the textbook pages with utmost care, sneakily, deceiving herself into believing she was doing something untoward.

    What she had never imagined was, even though she had fantasized about many scenarios of reunions with that boy, when she finally encountered him again, it was in a situation she had never anticipated before.

    During the junior high''s cultural festival in her third year, her school was attacked by Remnant Beasts. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The Remnant Beasts, appearing from nowhere, suddenly charged into the campus, launching indiscriminate attacks on the people immersed in the celebratory atmosphere, plunging the crowd into instant panic. Discover exclusive tales on empire

    When Hong Siyu saw a Remnant Beast''s wide-open maw in front of her, with each sharp fang clearly visible, she was virtually petrified on the spot, forgetting even the thought of running away.

    But at this moment of utter urgency, a hand reached out from who knows where, grasping her sleeve.

    "Don''t just stand there, run!"

    A voice that was somewhat familiar, yet also somewhat strange, rang in her ear. Right after that, she was held tightly by that hand, pulling her along, and she unconsciously began to run. Then, she followed him into an empty classroom in the teaching building.

    When the roars outside the door gradually ceased, and the crisis seemed to have passed for a moment, she looked at the boy in front of her and uncontrollably shouted the name that was in her heart:

    ¡ª"Lin Yun"?

    "You know me?"

    The boy leaning against the classroom door looked down, somewhat surprised, looking toward her.

    "Ah, no, I..."

    Facing his confusion, Hong Siyu had no idea how to explain.

    Tell him that she had seen him twice in school and spoken only two sentences in total? Would he think she was a stalker?

    Or to tell the truth, that before he graduated, he had lost a textbook in school, and she had kept it secretly? That seemed even more suspicious?

    "I used to... see you often in the library."

    After a long time, she faintly managed to squeeze out an answer, then tried hard to change the subject: "Weren''t you already graduated? Why did you come back all of a sudden?"

    "Cultural festival, invited back to take a look."

    Lin Yun casually explained his presence, and then his gaze returned to the outsides of the classroom door: "It''s just that I didn''t expect to encounter this kind of thing so soon after coming back."

    "This kind of thing?"

    "Remnant Beasts."

    "That, Lin Yun... senior, aren''t you scared?"

    "Do I look like I''m not scared?"

    "Um, actually, you seem to be taking it quite in stride."

    "...I''m just calmer, that''s all."

    Bracing the classroom door, Lin Yun glanced outside, then looked back at Hong Siyu: "I''m going to leave. Remember, if you don''t want to die, lock the doors and windows well in a sealed space, stay quiet. If the Remnant Beasts attempt to attack the doors and windows, find a way to hide in cabinets or under tables, to mask your scent."

    "Eh?"

    Hong Siyu couldn''t help but voice her surprise: "Leave? Now? Why?"

    "...Sitting here waiting for death is not an option."

    Lin Yun paused slightly, then said expressionlessly: "I''ll see if I can go out and save a couple more people."

    "No, no, no, that''s like a death sentence!"

    Seeing that he was about to open the classroom door, Hong Siyu quickly approached the door, pressing against it: "Don''t be rash, going out now will get you killed by the Remnant Beasts!"

    "I''ve been observing; that Remnant Beast has gone elsewhere."

    Lin Yun said calmly: "It''s okay, even if seen, as long as you''re quick enough, you can still find a place to hide, right?"

 Chapter 134 That Special Girl_2

    "Huh?" Hong Siyu felt that the other party''s comments were utterly unreasonable.Rather, it was the first time she realized that Lin Yun had such a side to him.

    Previously, based on bits and pieces of information she had gathered and her own extrapolations from various external factors, she had always thought that Lin Yun was the type of quiet boy who, like herself, was more reserved.

    Although his reputation at school wasn''t very good, and it seemed that many people gossiped about him being involved with two girls at the same time and being a big playboy implicated in puppy love and cheating, Hong Siyu always felt that the Lin Yun she knew wouldn''t do such a thing.

    How could such a meticulous, determined, indifferent, and handsome person trifle with a girl''s feelings?

    But now, the personality that Lin Yun was displaying was shattering Hong Siyu''s former imagination.

    She seemed to have always been immersed in her imagination without really getting to know him, and Hong Siyu recognized this point once again. However, before her girlish emotions could fluctuate, a roar from outside the door once again interrupted her thoughts.

    ¡ª¡ª "ROAR!"

    As the roar thundered, the door in front of them shook violently and a tremendously sharp claw pierced through the classroom door from the outside, reaching out in front of them.

    Seeing that purple-black claw tinged with a hint of blood, Hong Siyu nearly screamed, barely managing to cover her mouth with her hand to suppress any undue noise. Then, she looked helplessly at the calm boy before her.

    Lin Yun said nothing, just made a silencing gesture toward her, then dodged the claw that had stretched into the classroom and continued to hug the classroom door, peering through the gap at the situation in the hallway.

    His bold actions sent Hong Siyu''s heart racing to her throat.

    The two maintained an eerie silence, with Lin Yun frowning at the situation outside the door, and Hong Siyu standing slightly behind, waiting for the Remnant Beast''s next move. Inside and outside the door, a strange equilibrium was achieved for a moment.

    The fragile balance was, after all, unsustainable, so before long, another crashing sound came from outside the classroom.

    Boom!

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    The classroom door was torn open by the Remnant Beast once more.

    "ROAR!"

    Clearly, the Remnant Beast had confirmed there were people in the room.

    "What what what what do we do!" A panic-stricken Hong Siyu stuttered as she backed away, "It''s coming in!"

    "Yeah, it''s coming in," Lin Yun calmly nodded.

    "Now is not the time to repeat what I said, right?" Hong Siyu''s eyes widened, feeling on the verge of collapse, "If this continues, we are going to die!"

    "Don''t worry, we won''t die."

    "Eh? Do you have a plan?"

    "I... don''t have a plan, but someone will come to stop it."

    "Who?" Hong Siyu asked, full of hope.

    "Magical Girl." Lin Yun answered with certainty.

    The classroom fell into silence for a moment, and even as the Remnant Beast had nearly torn half the door apart, with most of its claw inside, the awkward atmosphere remained undisturbed.

    "...Are you joking, senior?" Hong Siyu tried to make her tone sound less like she was talking to a fool, "Expecting a Magical Girl at a time like this? That kind of illusory thing?"

    "Is it so strange?" Lin Yun glanced at her, "Where there are Remnant Beasts, there will be Magical Girls. Isn''t that a matter of course?"

    "What kind of logic is that?"

    Hong Siyu pointed at the beast at the door, but her fingers trembled like a sieve: "We''re not in a cartoon on TV, that thing is about to come in, can''t you stop joking around!"

    "It''s okay, the Magical Girl will come."

    "Why do you have such bizarre confidence!"

    "Wait for me a moment; I''ll just go out for a bit." Without responding to her question, Lin Yun said this and walked straight to the classroom window, pulling open the one facing outside the building.

    "Huh?" Watching his inexplicable behavior, Hong Siyu felt increasingly unable to keep up with the pace of events, "But this is the fifth floor, where are you going?"

    "Out for a bit." Lin Yun indicated towards the window.

    "...Oh."

    It''s over, he''s going to jump to his death.

    That was Hong Siyu''s first thought.

    Since bringing her into the classroom, he had been speaking nonsense, probably because the attack of the Remnant Beast had pushed him to the brink of mental breakdown. Now he was also in a state of collapse, which was why he was acting so abnormally.

    Thinking this, Hong Siyu felt a slight sense of solidarity with Lin Yun.

    Maybe she should jump with him? In her short-circuited state of mind, Hong Siyu also had a few mad thoughts. She felt that if she was going insane, it might as well be with a boy she kind of liked at the end of her life.

    But just as she had made up her mind and looked towards the window again, wanting to express her feelings to that boy, she found that Lin Yun''s figure had already disappeared from the opened window.

    He had already jumped out.

    Hong Siyu looked at the wide-open window, all the expressions she had been preparing frozen on her face.

    Almost at the same moment, the shattered classroom door could no longer withstand the Remnant Beast''s destruction and burst apart under its impact, exploding into debris. The Remnant Beast''s dark form poked through the doorway of the classroom, its bulging eyes staring straight at Hong Siyu, and then it opened its mouth.

    ¡ª¡ª "ROAR!" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    It seemed delighted to have found its prey.

    With the only companion in the classroom gone, facing the fearsome Remnant Beast on her own, Hong Siyu felt she had even lost the ability to scream, only able to slowly back away.

 Chapter 134 That Special Girl_3

    She backed away step by step, facing the Remnant Beasts, staring intently at the opposition. It wasn''t until she felt the cold wind whooshing in from outside the window that she realized she had no way out, yet the Remnant Beasts continued to press forward relentlessly.So, what exactly is the situation now?

    Her gaze gradually grew distant as Hong Siyu leaned against the window, sliding down somewhat powerlessly to sit. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The long-awaited school festival was ruined by an attack from the Remnant Beasts, destroying what should have been a leisurely day.

    There were so many people at the scene, but the Remnant Beasts pursued her relentlessly, even following her all the way into the classroom of the academic building.

    She had just run into a boy she had some interest in, but in such a messy situation, he had even jumped out of a window in a state of mental collapse.

    "What the hell."

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    She couldn''t help but speak up, her voice trembling slightly, "Why do I have to be so unlucky?"

    They say every cloud has a silver lining, but her life so far had been a single shade of grey, and now it seemed she was doomed to die prematurely at the claws of the Remnant Beasts. She had so many things she still wanted to do; wasn''t all hope lost now?

    She truly had no other options.

    In such a small and enclosed space, she couldn''t possibly escape from the claws of the Remnant Beasts; obviously, a monster like that wouldn''t reason with her and simply let her go.

    "Is there a Magical Girl out there?"

    In the end, she could only lift her head and shout into the void in defeat, but after saying these words, she couldn''t help but laugh at her own foolishness: "Why am I even saying such stupid things?"

    She watched as the Remnant Beasts approached her, opened its huge mouth once again in front of her. She could even smell the foul breath from its mouth.

    But this time, there would be no one to grab her hand and flee with her.

    "...Forget it, it''s so pointless, just finish it."

    She closed her eyes in resignation: "Someone as unlucky as me could never encounter a Magical Girl."

    ¡ª¡ª"That''s not necessarily true."

    A detached and clear voice arose from behind her.

    The voice was lively and melodious, like a nightingale singing in the night, resonant and piercing. Just hearing that voice made Hong Siyu feel as if her spirit had been refreshed.

    Then, she felt blue light flowing past her face, and a petite figure brushed past her.

    "ROAARR!"

    The sudden appearance of this figure also startled the Remnant Beasts.

    The Remnant Beasts, sensing a threat from the petite figure, raised its claws without hesitation and mercilessly launched an attack on it as it darted forward.

    Acting on instinct, its counterattack was nothing if not swift. However, within the azure light, the small figure remained unmoved.

    "Opus Three, Piercer of Saras."

    The crisp voice chanted a series of phrases, then a shining blue lance sprang from her hands, piercing straight through the chest of the Remnant Beast. The lance, carrying an immense force and momentum, sent the Remnant Beasts flying out.

    Thud!

    With a brilliance that Hong Siyu couldn''t even see clearly, the lance erupted in dazzling light and then pinned the Remnant Beasts against the classroom wall with it.

    The fight was over in an instant. The fierce and imposing Remnant Beasts were no match for the small girl, who took it down in just a brief encounter.

    Then, the girl landed gracefully before Hong Siyu.

    "It''s all over now."

    She stood still, turned around, and her navy blue dress swirled with her movement, reminiscent of a blooming Cornflower. The large Bonnet on her head trembled slightly from the action, adding a sense of spirited liveliness. The girl''s delicate and adorable face was turned toward Hong Siyu, her calm demeanor tinged with a touch of warmth:

    ¡ª¡ª"Because, the Magical Girl has come."

 Chapter 135 The Strange Relationship

    16-year-old Hong Siyu still didn''t want to believe in miracles.She had always believed in her mother''s teachings, adhering to the principles of "no such thing as a free lunch" and "he who does not work, neither shall he eat," firmly maintaining that all gains are the result of hard work and effort.

    Even when she encountered a Remnant Beast attack in ninth grade and met a Magical Girl, she always felt it was just a fluke, that her future life wouldn''t cross paths with such extraordinary things again, and that she would continue with her ordinary life.

    And for this reason, after diligent study, she was admitted to Fangting City''s best high school with extremely outstanding grades.

    Everything seemed to be back on track, and following this path, she was bound to continue as an honors student. She would get into a better institution of higher education, receive a better education and diploma there, and then find a well-paying job, eventually becoming a mature member of society.

    Most kids her age always hoped their futures would be extraordinary, hoping to become special and not just an ordinary part of the masses. But Hong Siyu didn''t think that way; a definite life plan gave her a sense of security.

    However, she never imagined that at this turning point, fate would play a joke on her. Even though she didn''t believe, something that amounted to a "miracle" for her still happened.

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    She became a Magical Girl.

    In her first year of high school, during another Remnant Beast attack, she was chosen by a mysteriously odd Fairy rabbit and became a Magical Girl.

    Was this "luck" or "misfortune?" Hong Siyu couldn''t figure it out.

    To speak of luck, it wasn''t entirely so. She had never entertained the thought of being a Magical Girl; such scenes and identities, with the associated responsibilities, weren''t what she wanted.

    But to speak of misfortune, that wasn''t quite right either. Because after becoming a Magical Girl, she met other Magical Girls in the city and suddenly had many friends.

    All she knew was that her ordinary life plan had become empty talk the moment she became a Magical Girl, because a Magical Girl is destined to be extraordinary.

    And the thinking about whether all of this was luck or misfortune was ended on a particular afternoon.

    "Speaking of which, Emerald Sparrow, haven''t you shown our junior your true form yet?"

    It was an ordinary evening, after school, when the Magical Girl quintet of Fangting City gathered. One of them, who went by the codename Margaret, suddenly spoke:

    "We''ve all shared our true selves with her, isn''t it time you show some sincerity too?"

    "Uh..."

    The blue-haired girl who had been silently drinking her beverage twitched her shoulders, then looked up, her face annoyed as she glared at Margaret: "What kind of trouble are you trying to stir up?"

    "How can you call it ''stirring trouble?'' This is my genuine wish."

    Margaret rested her chin in her hand, her face teasingly smiling: "I''ve been looking forward to this scene for a long time. Since it''s so boring today, let''s treat it as a little extra entertainment, shall we?"

    "Who takes their teammate''s embarrassing situation as entertainment just because they are ''bored''?"

    Emerald Sparrow shot her a look: "Rejection, I don''t want to."

    "You''re really harsh with your words."

    Margaret wasn''t happy with her words, but she smiled nonchalantly and shrugged her shoulders: "I don''t have such wicked intentions, sister, relax a little."

    Their conversation did not continue, but it caught the attention of Hong Siyu sitting to the side. She noticed the undertone in their exchange.

    Should she ask?

    She weighed her decision internally and ultimately didn''t make up her mind, so she stayed quiet.

    However, her silence didn''t mean the others didn''t have their thoughts.

    ¡ª¡ª"What? What are you talking about?"

    A gentle voice tinged with playfulness came from aside. A long-haired girl suddenly emerged, leaning on Emerald Sparrow''s shoulder: "Letting Ah Yun show Xiao Hong her real form?"

    "Didn''t you hear?"

    Emerald Sparrow glanced at her: "Also, don''t call us by our real names or nicknames. Use our Magical Girl codenames."

    "What does it matter? There''s no one else here anyway."

    The girl propped herself on Emerald Sparrow''s shoulder and leaned in closer: "So, will you transform or not? I want to see too! Just do it today!"

    "No transformation."

    "Come on, transform."

    "No transformation!"

    "Please, transform!"

    "I said no transformation, mean it''s no transformation!"

    Emerald Sparrow pushed the girl''s chin with her hand, pushing her to the side: "And keep your distance, you''re too close!"

    "Humph, I want to see!"

    The girl clung to Emerald Sparrow''s arm like a sloth, refusing to let go: "It''s been so long since I''ve seen you transform in front of me, Ah Yun!"

    "It''s exactly because you treat it like a circus act every time that I don''t want to," Emerald Sparrow said through clenched teeth.

    ¡ª¡ª"You guys, you should consider the feelings of the person in question for such matters, right?" S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The last to speak was a girl who had been sitting at the edge, holding a book. She stopped Emerald Sparrow and the other girl''s bickering, raised her head, and spoke to Hong Siyu: "What do you think, newbie? Do you think it''s necessary to confirm each other''s true identities?"

    This question seemed to remind the others present. Whether it was the two girls who were pulling and tugging at each other, or Margaret who had already given up on the matter, all turned their attention to Hong Siyu.

 Chapter 135 That Wonderful Relationship_2

    For a moment, Hong Siyu unexpectedly became the focus of the entire squad''s gaze, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable.Hong Siyu had never been accustomed to the attention of others, especially when many people stared at her, she found even speaking became extremely difficult.

    So when everyone was watching her, waiting for her answer, she found herself unable to utter a single word for quite some time.

    All she could do was open and close her mouth, continuously trying to eke out a few words. But even if her face turned red with the effort, like a fish out of water, she made no sound at all.

    This caused Emerald Sparrow, who had been frowning and unwilling, to smooth her expression.

    "Don''t be nervous, just say what you think," she said.

    She let go of the hand that had been pushing against the young girl''s face and rolled her eyes at her, turning back to Hong Siyu and saying, "This isn''t that serious, but after you know the truth, it might be a bit hard to accept."

    "Hard, hard to accept?" Hong Siyu finally managed to catch her breath and stammered along.

    "Yes, because I have kept something from you on this matter," Emerald Sparrow said.

    Emerald Sparrow shook her head gently, looking at her calmly, "In fact, you should have seen my true form."

    "Seen, seen?"

    Hong Siyu felt dizzy again: "Where?"

    The appearance of a magical girl stems from their true form, and a part of the true form is born from the soul, so it will look quite similar to the person''s own appearance. In other words, Emerald Sparrow''s true form should also be that of a delicate and beautiful girl, like a princess.

    But no matter how much Hong Siyu searched her memory, she couldn''t find a girl who looked similar to Emerald Sparrow.

    "It depends on whether you want to know or not," said Emerald Sparrow with a sigh. "If you do want to know, then I have no reason to keep it from you."

    Did she want to know?

    Hong Siyu couldn''t help asking herself.

    She first met Emerald Sparrow at the junior high cultural festival when, out of the blue, she was saved from the attack of Remnant Beasts. Before that day, Hong Siyu had never come so close to a magical girl.

    That day, she lost the boy she cared about but met Emerald Sparrow.

    Latter on, due to chance and becoming a magical girl herself, she saw Emerald Sparrow again, but not as the one being saved, but as a junior magical girl. This actually made her somewhat happy for a time.

    Ever since she first saw Emerald Sparrow, she had always appeared to Hong Siyu as a magical girl. In her mind, Emerald Sparrow was always that magical girl who made a dazzling entrance through the window, uttering words like "a magical girl has arrived."

    Did she really want, or was it necessary, to confirm Emerald Sparrow''s true appearance?

    "I, might..."

    She started hesitantly but gradually made up her mind after speaking: "Perhaps not... right?"

    This response made all the magical girls who had been watching her widen their eyes.

    Emerald Sparrow was no exception; she seemed very surprised by Hong Siyu''s answer but still asked, as if to confirm, "Why?"

    "Because, senior Emerald Sparrow, just being you is enough."

    Unable to bear the gazes, Hong Siyu lowered her head and murmured softly, "Even if I don''t know what you are really like, I absolutely trust you. So, I''d prefer not to make you feel troubled over such a thing."

    This answer once again silenced the other team members. After a moment, they unanimously turned their gazes towards Emerald Sparrow.

    Soft smiles, mocking smiles, intrigued smiles; each person''s expression was different, but they all conveyed the same silent message. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Emerald Sparrow understood this as well. So she looked around and finally stood up from her seat, saying to Hong Siyu: "Come with me."

    "Huh? What?" Hong Siyu asked, puzzled and unable to grasp the situation.

    "Don''t ask, just come," said Emerald Sparrow.

    "Oh, okay."

    Eventually grasping Emerald Sparrow''s somewhat bashful intent from her expression, Hong Siyu felt a sudden surge in her heart and then stood up as well.

    The two found a secluded corner where no one was around and, after confirming there were no surveillance devices, Emerald Sparrow let out a breath of relief and forced a calm demeanor, saying, "Just don''t scream out loud later."

    "Why?"

    "If you ask again, I won''t transform,"

    "Okay."

    Hong Siyu instinctively swallowed and then closed her mouth.

    But she was still puzzled, why did the atmosphere feel so strange?

    No matter what, this was just magical girls confirming each other''s true forms. She didn''t have so many concerns with the other seniors, so why did it feel like a highly private issue when it came to Emerald Sparrow? It even gave her a sense of subtle excitement.

    If one didn''t know the full story, it was almost like she was forcing someone to undress.

    With this terrible thought in mind, Hong Siyu didn''t ask any further questions because she could feel that Emerald Sparrow must have made up her mind and that any more words might stop her from continuing.

    Under their mutual gaze, Emerald Sparrow reached toward the Heart''s Gem at her chest, and then whispered a phrase.

    Shortly after, blue Magic Power radiated outwards, and Emerald Sparrow''s appearance gradually became ethereal in the light, revealing a new figure within.

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    When Hong Siyu clearly saw the face within the light, she experienced, after a long absence, the sensation of her mind crashing.

 Chapter 135 That Wonderful Relationship_3

    Because, amidst the glow wasn''t just anyone, but the very boy she had always been thinking about, whom she had mourned just a few days ago¡ªLin Yun....

    ...

    At the age of 20, Hong Siyu began to believe in miracles just a little.

    Her life had become much more colorful than before.

    Becoming a Magical Girl didn''t just mean she was exposed to the extraordinary world of magic, it also meant she would come into contact with people from all over the world.

    Before stepping into this world, she had never imagined that the world of magic could be so vast and magnificent, hiding so much that most mortals would never know about, secrets that only those who possessed magical power could begin to glimpse the truth of.

    Time flew by, and as she continued her studies, she also found time to be a Magical Girl, despite the process being very hard, she ultimately held strong. As a cardholder of the Lei rank among Magical Girls, she was active in Fangting City and even got admitted to a prestigious local university.

    The only regret was that the person she liked had stopped being a Magical Girl due to an injury.

    Yes, the person she liked.

    At first, Hong Siyu had a tough time accepting that the boy she cared about and the girl she had a good feeling about were the same person.

    But after that, she clarified her feelings for herself, she felt that she truly liked Lin Yun, or rather, liked Emerald Sparrow. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    This affection was not merely as friends, but a genuine, romantic liking; she had special feelings for Lin Yun.

    Unfortunately, she didn''t work with Lin Yun for very long because in the same year she became a Magical Girl, a worldwide onslaught of Remnant Beasts erupted.

    That year, countless Remnant Beasts appeared out of nowhere, and it wasn''t just their numbers¡ªeach one was terrifyingly powerful, bringing a huge disaster upon the whole world.

    That year was later referred to by people as the "Great Calamity."

    Numerous Magical Girls and even Magicians went forward one after the other, sacrificing their wealth, power, and even their lives for this disaster, and eventually securing a future for human civilization.

    Innumerable Magical Girls and humans were sacrificed in this catastrophe.

    Emerald Sparrow was one who, in a battle that was nearly hopeless, used a power that should not have been used, resulting in irreversible damage to her Heart''s Gem and source of Magic Power, losing most of her strength.

    This wasn''t even the first time Emerald Sparrow had done this.

    Hong Siyu heard from other seniors that a year before that year, a terribly brutal war had erupted in the Magic Kingdom, and Emerald Sparrow had likewise used methods that overdrew her own strength, leaving her with hidden injuries even then.

    It would be more astonishing to say that after overdrawing herself twice, she didn''t die, but was only seriously injured.

    While Hong Siyu deeply regretted Emerald Sparrow''s retirement, there was nothing she could do. She knew that the current Emerald Sparrow hardly had any strength left, and forcing her back into battle would be an irresponsible act.

    Let it be, her senior had already given too much to protect everyone; it was time for her to enjoy a peaceful life. Continue reading stories on empire

    That''s what Hong Siyu thought.

    Once she graduated, found a job, she would then confess to him, and if he agreed to marry her, she would retire early from her position as a Magical Girl and spend the latter part of her life in peace with him.

    All these plans were going smoothly, without an issue. Perhaps the only problem was that she hadn''t yet mustered the courage to express her feelings to Lin Yun.

    But that was okay; on the day of her graduation, even if she had to force herself, she would take that step. Hong Siyu believed in that.

    So, she continued her life as both a university student and a Magical Girl. Until one day, while chatting with her teammates, her senior, An Ya, said something quite surprising:

    "Ah, speaking of which, we''re getting engaged in a few days!"

    This statement suddenly silenced the previously lively atmosphere.

    Hong Siyu could feel that Su Shengzi and Asou Haruka, who had been talking animatedly, suddenly fell silent, and their expressions couldn''t be said to be joyful.

    An Ya was getting married so young?

    That was her first thought.

    Who is she marrying? Is he that bad? Why do the other seniors seem unwilling?

    That was her second doubt.

    ... And why do the others look at me with pity?

    That was her third worry.

    "An, An Ya, have you been in a relationship all this time?"

    Fortunately, when speaking to familiar teammates, she could manage to speak properly, so she directly asked, "I can''t believe I never knew, and why the sudden engagement, with whom?"

    She could feel that, after saying this, everyone looked at her again, as if by some unspoken agreement.

    Did she say something wrong? Hong Siyu didn''t understand.

    "Little Red, I''m sorry!"

    And An Ya, breaking away from her usual carefree demeanor, suddenly bowed with her hands clasped earnestly.

    Why is senior apologizing to me? Hong Siyu was still very confused.

    Her confusion didn''t last long because soon, what An Ya said gave her the answer:

    ¡ª¡ª"I''m getting engaged to Lin Yun in a few days!"

 Chapter 136 The Journey Home

    At thirty-three, Hong Siyu had once forgotten the word "miracle."Just as she had hoped for during her student days, she had become the most ordinary of workers, laboring in an unfamiliar city.

    Of course, to say she was a worker, her place of work was slightly special¡ªit wasn''t a regular civilian enterprise or institution, but the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    In her twenty-second year, she fled Fangting City.

    After graduating from university and receiving her diploma, she left the city without even saying goodbye to her teammates, merely sending out a message before silently disappearing from the port.

    She did not attend An Ya and Lin Yun''s wedding, nor the full-month celebration of their child.

    This was not her initial intention; she had always tried to maintain a smooth relationship with An Ya, but in the end, she realized she couldn''t do it. So, she fled to a city where no one knew her, and she knew no one else.

    She went to the central city of the Donghua Region farthest from Fangting City¡ªTiandu City, where she registered, spending the rest of her Magical Girl career.

    Later, An Ya called her several times, hoping Hong Siyu would return to Fangting City, but she declined politely each time.

    An Ya hadn''t done anything wrong; she simply pursued her own love and received a response. In this matter, she didn''t have to care about her own feelings, as she wasn''t the one in the right.

    That''s what Hong Siyu thought.

    She knew An Ya was seemingly ditzy, yet a sensitive person. The tolerance and gentleness she showed towards friends was the reason An Ya was able to become the captain of the Fangting City squad. Even with the horrible attitude Hong Siyu held in this matter, An Ya still hoped to mend their relationship.

    In contrast, Hong Siyu''s own behavior in this situation was so unfeeling, she felt disappointed with herself.

    But truly, she couldn''t do it.

    Perhaps it was for this reason that she never made a breakthrough in her magical ability, forever remaining at the bud level. After all, the wish she made when she became a Magical Girl was to become happy.

    Later, Hong Siyu settled in Tiandu City with a permanent residence, bringing her mother there and decisively settling down. After completing ten years as a Magical Girl, she naturally chose to retire and then joined the Abnormal Strategy Bureau headquarters in Tiandu City. Aside from returning home with her mother during holidays to see relatives who were not close, Fangting City completely disappeared from her life.

    Then, when her mother passed away, she never went back to Fangting City again.

    An Ya still occasionally made calls, and Hong Siyu would sometimes answer, listening to the other side talk about what had happened in Fangting City.

    An Ya, after getting married, was clearly a bit more mature than in her youth, though she would still act foolishly without rhyme or reason, but she had become much more worldly wise. She would tell Hong Siyu about the new members of the Fangting City squad, and even intentionally introduce the newcomers to Hong Siyu, but she no longer mentioned the matter of her returning, merely silently expressing her own thoughts.

    Hong Siyu never gave a response in this regard, as if she didn''t catch the implications in An Ya''s words.

    And so, time flew by, until one day, An Ya stopped calling her.

    At first, she felt a sense of relief, thinking that An Ya had finally given up on futile persuasion and let go of the past. But soon, a piece of internal news from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau left her stunned.

    ¡ªThe strongest ace of the Magic Kingdom, Cherry, had been sacrificed.

    At the moment she learned of An Ya''s death, she didn''t even know how to describe her feelings.

    Was she happy? Relieved? Satisfied?

    She couldn''t deny that those self-loathing emotions uncontrollably overflowed from her heart at that moment.

    The object of her envy and avoidance for so many years had just vanished from the world.

    But she knew those dark thoughts weren''t everything.

    Afterward, she took the initiative to apply to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau headquarters in Tiandu City, requesting a transfer to Fangting City to assist in the training and coordination of new Magical Girls and to investigate An Ya''s cause of death.

    The headquarters agreed to her request and reassigned her back to Fangting City.

    It meant that after many years, she could finally see the person she cared and longed for once again.

    With what face should she confront her senior? She thought as much on the day before returning to Fangting City, and couldn''t wait to visit An Ya and Lin Yun''s home, eventually managing to see Lin Yun as she had wished.

    But she never imagined that Lin Yun would look like that when she saw him again.

    He was a gaunt middle-aged man with a lackluster gaze and unkempt beard. His clothes were still neat and tidy, but even the most crease-resistant suit couldn''t correct a person''s spirit; he looked so weathered and lost, Hong Siyu could hardly find a trace of his former self in this man.

    He was no longer the handsome youth of the past.

    Even upon seeing her, he didn''t show any particular reaction, simply greeting her in a basic manner.

    Was this the man she had been yearning for all these years, the one she had fled to another city like an ostrich to avoid, now having made the special trip back just to see?

    S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 136 The Journey Home_2

    At that moment, Hong Siyu felt nothing but absurdity. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Yet, the next sentence spoken by the man before her seemed to grasp her heart with an invisible hand.

    "Go back," he said, "return to your own life."

    He stood at the doorway, his dull eyes showing no emotion, "Don''t get involved in this matter. There''s nothing left here worth your sentiment."

    Hong Siyu didn''t know with what mindset the man had uttered those words, but upon hearing them, she felt she must do something.

    Whether for him or for herself, she had to do something.

    But what could she possibly do?

    She was just a coward, a loser, an idiot who fled to a strange city and hid for eleven years because the person she liked married someone else. What could she do for the man before her?

    She had always been inarticulate, not good at socializing. Her personality determined that she couldn''t be someone who could enlighten others.

    At thirty-three, Hong Siyu had lost the youthful bloom of a young girl, the power of a Magical Girl, and the concern of past companions. Standing there, she was no longer of the same world as the man before her. He was an innocent civilian whose wife had been murdered; she was an official from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    Never had she felt the distance between them so great.

    The passing of time had silently transformed everything. All former innocence and naivety were irretrievably lost, leaving behind two people alienated by life appearing so feeble and ugly.

    Miracles and magic had once embraced them, but for some reason, they had not left even the slightest mark on them. The dazzling career of a Magical Girl seemed like a dream. After the dream faded, all that remained in reality were remnants.

    It shouldn''t be like this.

    That''s what Hong Siyu believed.

    She knew that the man before her had once possessed the right to be a "lifetime Magical Girl." Even though he had been severely injured back then and could no longer wield such power, a spark of miracles still lingered in him.

    He shouldn''t be like this; he couldn''t be like this.

    But could she, with her awkward tongue, truly convey her feelings properly?

    Was there a way for her to break through the barrier separating them and boldly tell him the words that she had never dared to speak before?

    Even she didn''t know why, at that moment, she subconsciously chose a course of action. She forced a smile that she would never have worn before and said to the man with a surprisingly hearty demeanor,

    "What''s this? Meeting a junior you haven''t seen in years, why the gloomy face?"

    She wasn''t one to show such smiles or speak such words, always preferring to keep her thoughts to herself. But now, she was forcing herself to speak out, frankly, just like someone else would.

    Because she knew, she had always envied that person.

    She envied that person''s frankness, optimism, and perseverance. All the things she had never achieved, that person had.

    That''s why she had successfully found love and come together with this man.

    What would she say, seeing her husband like this? What would she think, knowing she had died? What would she do, when trying to encourage someone?

    Musing and contemplating, Hong Siyu started to laugh, to jest, to joke around.

    She knew whom she was imitating.

    She didn''t want that person to be dead at all. Even if it was because of her death that she had the chance to be here, she would have preferred it was the other person here instead.

    But as things stood, a life that had passed could not be brought back; all she could do was emulate.

    She wanted to become An Ya.

    ...

    ...

    At thirty-three, Hong Siyu wanted to find a miracle.

    To find that miracle, to revive "Lin Yun''s" spirit, she must first uncover the cause of An Ya''s death.

    The Fangting City squad from eighteen years ago had become history. The current Magical Girls stationed in Fangting City had left to pursue the real culprit. As the only person related to the case remaining in the city, many tasks fell upon Hong Siyu.

    She was responsible for liaising with the local Abnormal Strategy Bureau; she had to assist the next Seeder in cultivating new Magical Girls; she had to investigate what happened to An Ya before her death. To this end, she needed to contact the local Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    After remotely consulting with the local authorities and scheduling an appointment, she went to the local Abnormal Strategy Bureau building the following day.

    Upon returning from Tiandu City, after seeing the grandeur of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau headquarters, Hong Siyu was surprised to find that what she remembered as a magnificent structure was now just a common building.

    Walking through the hall of the building, among the passing staff of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, there seemed to be a few familiar faces, possibly ones she had encountered over a decade ago, but Hong Siyu couldn''t recall any of them clearly.

    Instead, it was the new faces among them who seemed to notice Hong Siyu, casting glances at her as she walked by.

 Chapter 136 The Journey Home_3

    For some reason, these gazes made Hong Siyu feel a subtle discomfort.They seemed not to be the scrutinizing eyes of colleagues, nor the assessing glances exchanged between the opposite sexes, but rather, they seemed to conceal something else, an indistinct malice.

    However, she didn''t pay too much attention to it and merely quickened her pace to get out of their sight, then shook her head, trying to dispel the unease. From the elevator ascending, to passing through the bustling crowd, she quickly made her way to the director''s office. She knocked gently on the door, and after waiting a moment, she heard a voice from inside:

    "Come in."

    Hong Siyu walked in to see a blonde woman who appeared energetic and competent, yet somewhat aged, sitting in the office, currently nodding with a smile in greeting.

    "Nice to meet you, my name is Mosi."

    She said quite politely, "Hello, comrade from Tiandu City."

    Perhaps it was due to the details in her movements and tone, but her words felt like a breath of spring air.

    She wasn''t the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau that Hong Siyu remembered, when Hong Siyu left Fangting City eleven years ago, the director at that time was a bald man with a receding hairline.

    They must have had a change of personnel.

    Hong Siyu wasn''t suspicious and stepped forward to shake hands with her, "Hello, I''m Hong Siyu."

    "Thank you for your assistance; it''s a great honor for our Fangting City."

    The aged lady claiming to be Mosi said this, giving Hong Siyu''s hand a gentle shake before releasing it lightly, "I hope we can work well together in the future."

    Hong Siyu noticed her hands, hands that didn''t match Mosi''s apparent age, looking white and smooth.

    The lady seemed to be very good at taking care of herself.

    She thought this, but at the same time, began to feel something was amiss.

    The two sat down face to face on either side of the desk, and after a brief rest, Mosi was the first to speak, "So, although it may be a bit presumptuous to ask, I still hope to confirm, have you been assigned any tasks by your superiors upon arriving in Fangting City?"

    Her tone was very calm, but to Hong Siyu, there was a subtle discomfort in it. She started to scrutinize, ponder everything around her, but still could not pinpoint the source of this discomfort.

    But this was the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, in broad daylight, what could possibly make her feel so uneasy?

    "Sorry, I cannot disclose that at the moment." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Thinking this, Hong Siyu shook her head outwardly and politely replied to her, "But that''s just a requirement of the mission, I will tell you when the time is right."

    "I see, then I won''t press any further."

    Mosi replied with a kind smile, "Let''s just wish the secret mission of the headquarters a smooth success then. If you need it, we can also assist with your work at any time."

    The two continued their idle chat, with Mosi periodically throwing out questions that were completely out of the blue, while Hong Siyu considered her responses carefully, trying to answer as cautiously as possible.

    But gradually, as time passed, Hong Siyu started feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

    This discomfort was hard to describe; it was like being tickled from the inside with a feather, a tingling sensation interspersed with pain spreading from her arm, making it progressively more difficult for her to concentrate.

    She began to feel dizzy.

    There seemed to be something rustling around in her head, scuttling and unsettling, as if traversing and agitating her brain, making her consciousness grow heavier.

    "Speaking of which, I''ve heard a rumor before that in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau of a big city like Tiandu City, there are quite a few retired Magical Girls. Miss Hong, have you heard about this?"

    Mosi suddenly brought up this topic, looking interestedly at Hong Siyu, "It''s a fascinating rumor, isn''t it?"

    She seemed to need to answer the question.

    Hong Siyu told herself this.

    But at this moment, she found she could no longer speak, as if her body was no longer under her control, and her consciousness seemed to have split from her body, divided in two.

    She began to see her vision darken.

    How... strange...

    She felt her brain spinning.

    What''s... happening to me?

    She felt her body growing lighter.

    Who am I...?

    She felt the urge to fly.

    Struggling to lift her hand, she reached for the inside of her jacket, where the Abnormal Strategy Bureau headquarters provided its staff with weapons that enabled ordinary people who have not mastered Magic Power to combat Magicians. Hong Siyu tried to take it out, as she felt she had encountered an enemy.

    But she was already unable to do so.

    Her legs, which she had managed to stand on, no longer had the strength to support her body, and her weakened feet no longer had the power to move forward. Hong Siyu thus collapsed sideways from the chair, then heavily fell to the ground.

    As she drifted out of consciousness, it seemed to her Mosi stood up from behind the desk, approached her and slowly extended a hand.

    The scene froze at that moment.

    On the tips of that hand, a moth was perched, silent and still.

 Chapter 137 The Blue Emerald Sparrow Under the Cage

    Thirty-five years old.Hong Siyu had spent two years in a daze. Explore stories at empire

    ¡ª¡ª"What''s wrong with you today?"

    One day, in the restaurant at night, the man sitting opposite her asked somewhat oddly, "You''re not making any sense. Have you been drinking before you came here?"

    Not making any sense... It''s quite normal, actually.

    She smiled bitterly to herself.

    Because whenever she tried to reveal the truth, all the organs in her body responsible for producing sound would fail, leaving her unable to utter a single word.

    Her body felt as though it was no longer her own, her consciousness alternately alert and dormant. Even when she acted while being alert, her every move was hampered as if controlled by hidden mechanisms. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Information that was forbidden to mention couldn''t be spoken aloud, and thoughts that weren''t allowed to surface would be subconsciously forgotten. Often, she didn''t even know what she was doing.

    Was she still human? She couldn''t even figure it out anymore.

    But she had to exist this way, she had to persist. Because she had so much information, so many things to tell the man in front of her.

    So she forced a smile, picked up the wine glass, and offered it to the man before her:

    "The kingdom announced the new Magical Girl card rankings list last month, adding two rookies all at once."

    What she actually wanted to say was: Margaret has become a cardholder now, are you really content to give up the power of a Magical Girl entirely?

    "What''s the point of talking about this now?" The man clearly didn''t want to engage in this topic.

    "Is it pointless to pay attention to the juniors?"

    What she actually wanted to ask was: If you watch me more closely, can you detect even more abnormalities from me?

    "It''s no longer of any concern to me. Why should I pay attention?" But the other party was still evading.

    "You can''t fool your own with such lies. You can''t be completely uninvolved, can you? After all, you were once..."

    After all, you were once honored with the title "Lifelong Magical Girl," and you still have the chance to become a Magical Girl again.

    Hong Siyu lowered her eyes and thought to herself in silence.

    There was so much she wanted to tell him, but she couldn''t; there were so many requests she wanted to make, but she couldn''t voice them.

    Over these two years, she had hinted indirectly far too many times, but his attitude was also clear: he didn''t want to get involved with anything related to Magical Girls anymore.

    He never explicitly stated his reasons, but Hong Siyu could tell from his expression that it wasn''t a decision made on a whim, but rather due to some deeper consideration.

    Probably, from her position, from her identity, she no longer had words that could move this man. After all, to him, she was just a junior he had met in school, a teammate he had worked with for six months. Her words carried little weight to him.

    But time was running out.

    The actions of Black Ash Dawn were becoming more frequent, more cities in Donghua State were being infiltrated, and if this continued, there would be no chance left.

    Thus, there was clearly only one option left.

    She closed her eyes and silently apologized in her heart.

    It might be somewhat underhanded, but if it could bring back the Magical Girl from her memories, then let herself be a little more underhanded.

    ¡ª¡ª"The new Magical Girl from Fangting City has connected with us today. How about it, does this have anything to do with you?"

    ...

    ...

    Black Ash Dawn planned to continue hunting Fangting City''s Magical Girls, aiming to nip the newly emerged Magical Girl known as Bai Mei in the bud.

    Hong Siyu had known this information early on.

    She couldn''t tell Lin Yun about this, and even less could she subtly suggest anything related to it, as it would be impossible for her to go against Mosi''s will. Lower Remnant Beasts cannot defy the orders of higher ones; this was an iron rule.

    But she had never intended to tell Lin Yun about this directly.

    So she waited in a haze until one day, when Black Ash Dawn was planning to stage an ordinary Remnant Beast attack that evening and then target the Magical Girl named Bai Mei.

    Hong Siyu briefly recovered her clarity from the haze.

    Magical Girl Bai Mei, that was the code name of Lin Yun''s daughter, Lin Xiaolu.

    This was the opportunity she had been seeking.

    She couldn''t voice what she knew, but that didn''t mean there were no other means; Mosi had always thought she was completely under control, but there were still ways to circumvent the controls and pass on information.

    That day at noon, she asked an acquaintance to get her a brand new SIM card, then she took the card to a secret room in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. After sneaking inside, she found a purple cage in a device.

    It was a cage made of purple-black Magical Barriers and Spell Technique runes, containing a dispirited-looking puppy. The puppy''s back should have had a pair of wings, but the feathers had been plucked, leaving only bare flesh wings.

    ¡ª¡ªThat was a Fairy, the Seeder of Ting City, or rather, what should have been the Seeder of Ting City, named Nini.

    Two years ago, Mosi murdered the newly born Magical Girl in Fangting and then captured this Seeder named Nini, keeping her imprisoned here.

    Its feathers were valuable Magic Power materials, so Mosi took them; its Magic Power was the rare Fairy Magic Power from the material world, so Mosi was extracting them; two years had passed, and what was once a spry Seeder had become weak and was barely hanging on to life.

 Chapter 137 The Blue Emerald Sparrow Under the Cage_2

    It lay in the cage, watching Hong Siyu walk in from outside the door, the shadow of the person at the entrance reflected in its lifeless eyes, but there was no reaction."You''re the Seeder, right?"

    Hong Siyu said this without further explanation, handing her cell phone to the fairy that resembled a small dog: "Then, you should still retain the ability to sense the Remnant Beasts and Magical Girls in this city."

    Nini silently watched Hong Siyu from inside the cage, not saying anything.

    It could feel that the woman before it was also a Remnant Beast in human skin, it had no reason to heed her words.

    Hong Siyu didn''t mind its non-cooperation and simply pushed the cell phone a bit closer: "I have no demands; I only hope you will sense what you can sense, and when the time is right, tell the person on the other end of the phone what you know."

    Nini still made no movement; it would not submit to the enemy.

    Hong Siyu and it locked gazes for a moment. She searched in her pocket, then pulled out several cookies and pieces of candy, slowly stuffing them through the bars of the cage.

    "...What exactly do you want to do?" Nini finally spoke, still very cautious.

    "Remnant Beasts cannot defy the will of their superiors; there are some things I can''t do myself."

    Hong Siyu explained, "But my superiors haven''t forbidden me from meeting the Seeder nor have they forbidden me from giving you a hint."

    "...You want to betray your superiors?"

    Nini shifted her gaze slightly: "Or is this just an act you''re putting on for me?"

    "Whatever it is, you don''t have any other choice, and neither do I."

    Hong Siyu gripped the cell phone tightly, her voice low: "If this continues, in less than a year you''ll be drained of magic power, and then you''ll turn into that woman''s experimental material. It''s better to place your hopes on this call instead; after all, it''s just a phone call, I''m not asking you to betray anyone."

    "Who''s on the other end of the phone?"

    "The Inspector." Hong Siyu softly said.

    The fairy paused for a moment, then, as if realizing something, swallowed:

    "What do you want me to tell him?"

    "Just tell him..."

    Biting her lip, Hong Siyu slowly uttered two words: "Be careful."

    ...

    ...

    What happened next need not be elaborated upon.

    Hong Siyu did everything she could, and she indeed brought the Magical Girl from her memories back to stand again. The moment she saw the Emerald Sparrow, she knew her task was over.

    As for the Black Ash Dawn''s plan, she could not do anything about it.

    From the moment she entered the office of the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau in Fangting City, she was already a Remnant Beast; some subtle moves under the pretense of not defying her superiors were already her limit.

    She chose to meet her beloved for the last time on the night of the Full Moon Festival, then to leave, waiting in this land now a nest of Remnant Beasts, quietly for her final transformation.

    However, what she hadn''t expected was that in the final moment of her life, she would see that person again.

    She saw the Magical Girl, dressed in a dark blue dress, enter from the main door of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, her expression solemn and her steps hurried, so determined. Read new adventures at empire Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Was this a delusion on the brink of death, or was it fate''s last consolation to her misfortune?

    Hong Siyu didn''t know the truth, but that didn''t stop her from stepping out of the crowded mass of Remnant Beasts and then, quietly positioning herself behind the Magical Girl, she made her final request:

    ¡ª¡ªDo it.

    Then, her consciousness plunged into boundless darkness.

    She was not a qualified Magical Girl. Hong Siyu understood this.

    Because, at the time she first became a Magical Girl, compared to the other children, her initial motivation was selfish and weak.

    If most girls who became Magical Girls did so with full courage and determination to fight for a common future for all, then she had always been that selfish one, fixated on her personal happiness.

    She took this path praying for her happiness, striving to keep up with the light of her companions, but when she lost that initial motivation and could no longer see the light ahead, her path came to an end. That was why her awakening could only take her this far, that shining light was never meant to favor her forever.

    Having lost the light and the future, she could no longer go on.

    So, this is where it all ends, right?

    Hong Siyu thought quietly as the tide-like darkness overwhelmed her consciousness.

    An unqualified Magical Girl who even after retirement managed to mess everything up; perhaps this was her retribution.

    If one''s consciousness has someplace to go after death, what should she say when she sees An Ya? Would she feel regret and disappointment about her actions?

    But then again, she wasn''t really human anymore, was she? Having turned into something like a Remnant Beast, could she even go to the same place as a Magical Girl after death?

    Hong Siyu felt her thoughts growing more and more blurred.

    The thick darkness was adhering to her thoughts, sinking into an abyss, her foggy consciousness stiffening with the cessation of thought, the last ounce of lucidity flickering like a candle in the wind, struggling to shine its last gleam of light.

    In the vast darkness beyond, she could sense it: somewhere far away, the azure light was growing increasingly brilliant.

 Chapter 137 The Blue Emerald Sparrow Under the Cage_3

    That was Emerald Sparrow''s magic power, the magic power of a Magical Girl. Without a doubt, the moment it erupted, it would claim her own life."¡ª"

    But it seemed like she could hear someone calling out something. Enjoy more content from empire

    Was it her senior?

    Hong Siyu felt that if she still had a body at that moment, she would have been able to smile sincerely.

    Even if she died as a Remnant Beast, at least she would die at the hands of a Magical Girl, at least in the hands of someone she liked, wouldn''t that be the best outcome?

    "¡ªHong Siyu!"

    The voice became clearer and clearer, and this time, it entered Hong Siyu''s ears with absolute clarity.

    This allowed her, who was about to lose consciousness, to once again gain a bit of lucidity. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Why could she still hear?

    She couldn''t help but be puzzled by this.

    Is death such a long and painful thing? Even after completely losing perception of the outside world, does one still keep having delusions and hallucinations?

    It''s enough already, she didn''t want to live like this any longer, let it all end quickly.

    She complained in self-abandonment. But then, she felt her hand being grasped.

    Hands that should no longer exist were now being felt with an unmistakable sense of a firm grip.

    Who is it?

    She couldn''t help wanting to open her eyes, but a mysterious force firmly glued her in place, still unable to move.

    "¡ªHong Siyu!"

    The voice came from afar once again, but this time, it was much closer.

    And when this cry reached Hong Siyu''s consciousness, that originally distant and dazzling blue light finally arrived in front of Hong Siyu.

    She felt herself starting to rise.

    From an endless darkness, dragged by a powerful force, ascending towards the sky that had once seemed out of reach.

    "¡ªHong Siyu!"

    She could hear the shout clearly, right by her ear.

    Hong Siyu suddenly opened her eyes.

    Vision, hearing, touch, taste, the senses that should have been cut off were once again distinctly feeding back to her brain, the world becoming clear and real again.

    She saw familiar buildings, familiar halls, familiar moonlight.

    This was the Abnormal Strategy Bureau in Fangting City that she knew, the place where she had worked unwillingly for two years, and now, it had become ruins. Crumbled walls, cracked ground, shattered glass; she was lying amidst a chaotic pile of rubble, under the pristine moonlight.

    And her hand was being tightly grasped by another.

    In the midst of the azure magic light, the petite girl was drenched in blood and stains from unknown sources, her diamond-bright hair tainted with dust, appearing so pitiful.

    Her eyes and fingernails flickered with a blue light, the Heart''s Gem on her neck also shone with a blinding blue light, and even her hair shimmered with the richness of magic power.

    She looked like an angel fallen to Earth, watching Hong Siyu with an inexplicable smile.

    Hong Siyu had never seen Emerald Sparrow smile like this.

    "It''s all right now," she said with a voice that was cold yet gentle, and for some reason, while smiling, tears glimmered at the corner of her eyes: "Because, the Magical Girl is here."

    In her hand, she held a small pair of tailor''s scissors.

    Attached to the scissors were countless blue threads, its surface covered in intricate patterns that trembled with each breath of magic power.

    No, those weren''t patterns.

    Hong Siyu realized this.

    The things on the scissors were cracks.

    Subconsciously, she raised her hand, and what she saw was not the grotesque limb of a Remnant Beast as she had imagined, but her familiar hand, just a bit pale from blood loss.

    She looked to her side and saw a massive Remnant Beast shaped like a moth lying next to her, split open and gutted, but empty inside.

    As if something had been scooped out from within.

    She couldn''t help but think this.

    "Senior," she couldn''t help but ask: "What did you do?"

    "Just killed the Remnant Beast in an ordinary way," Emerald Sparrow gently put down the scissors in her hand, pressed down on Hong Siyu''s hand and said, "Isn''t that what you asked for?"

    This answer stunned Hong Siyu.

    She looked at Emerald Sparrow for a while, wanting to say that this was no time for jokes, but the words turned into a sob, and then she cried out:

    "It was so scary! Senior! It was so dark, so uncomfortable, so frightening, I was really afraid of dying!"

    "Mhm, I know."

    "I didn''t really want to just die like that, but I thought there was no saving me, and I just wanted to not burden you too much when I died, to let you deal with this quickly. But I didn''t want to die at all!"

    "Mhm, I know."

    "But I also didn''t want to really become a Remnant Beast, I didn''t want to eat people, I didn''t want to hurt anyone, and I especially didn''t want to hurt the children. I felt that if it ever came to that, it would be better for you to kill me..."

    Hong Siyu cried like a child, her voice loud and constant until her tears almost ran out, her voice hoarse, then she paused, gradually softened her voice, and stammered:

    "Senior, I like you."

 Chapter 137 The Blue Emerald Sparrow Under the Cage_4

    "Hmm, I know.""It''s not the kind of liking one has for a friend, it''s the kind of liking one has for the opposite sex."

    "Hmm, I know that, too."

    "So, do you know that I''ve actually had a crush on you since my second year of junior high?"

    "...I''m sorry."

    "But you know, I''m already thirty-five now, no longer the young and beautiful girl of that time. I''ve grown old like this and turned into such a disgusting monster, you wouldn''t like me anymore, would you?"

    Sniffling slightly, Hong Siyu forced a somewhat unsightly smile: "I can only muster the courage to confess under these circumstances, and even then, it''s such a troubling confession. Pretend you didn''t hear it and don''t reply, okay?"

    "...Hong Siyu."

    "What is it?"

    "You don''t have to pretend to be An Ya anymore, you are not her," Emerald Sparrow said softly.

    Hong Siyu paused for a moment, looking at Emerald Sparrow''s face, and fell silent. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Stay updated with empire

    "You could feel it, huh?" she closed her eyes weakly, "I thought you were really as dense as a log."

    "Hong Siyu."

    "What now?"

    "Thank you, for helping me to clarify some things." Emerald Sparrow gently let go of Hong Siyu''s hand.

    "What, realized that you could actually move on?"

    "That''s not it."

    "I guess not, after all, for an old woman like me..."

    "That''s not it, either." Emerald Sparrow''s somewhat ethereal voice interrupted Hong Siyu.

    This made Hong Siyu feel as if she had realized something and opened her eyes once more. She looked earnestly at Emerald Sparrow, carefully observing every detail of the other party, only to feel that the Magical Girl she should be familiar with seemed different.

    "Senior..."

    She breathed slightly harshly, her voice beginning to tremble: "What exactly have you done?"

    Emerald Sparrow didn''t explain anything, just silently put away the scissors and stood up from the ground.

    Then, Hong Siyu saw the scene behind Emerald Sparrow.

    Countless blue Magic Silk threads extended from behind Emerald Sparrow, each connected to the Remnant Beasts on the ceiling. The glowing blue threads wove into a huge web, the rushing magic power shuttling back and forth on the threads, forming a sea of light, and like a pair of wings, unfolded from behind the girl.

    The tips of the wings connected to the Remnant Beasts, which were once human, and calmed the restless beasts down, making them peaceful and serene as if they had fallen into beautiful dreams, sleeping in the quiet.

    Hong Siyu found it hard to put the dazzling and gorgeous sight into words.

    But she began to feel an inexplicable sadness.

    Because she knew this was not something Emerald Sparrow ought to be able to do now.

    "Don''t be so tense; I haven''t used that move yet."

    As if seeing through Hong Siyu''s thoughts, Emerald Sparrow calmly said: "I''ve simply had an epiphany."

    "I used to unilaterally, and even arrogantly, believe that I was the hero who saved everything, and in the stories, after saving the world, the heroes could retire and live a peaceful and happy life with their loved ones."

    "But the real world is not like the stories, and I am no hero. I''m just a normal person who was fortunate to have gained power, and happened to save some people during the battles."

    "I''ve failed as a husband and as a father. I didn''t protect my lover and wife well enough, and if this continues, I won''t be able to protect my daughter either. If it really comes to that, all of my efforts will be in vain."

    "So, at least while I can still fight, I can be a Magical Girl who does her duty, right?"

    She looked at Hong Siyu, the smile on her face so bright: "A Magical Girl is supposed to bring hope, miracles, and salvation. Whenever a Magical Girl arrives, darkness, despair, and pain should be dispelled and destroyed."

    "Let me be that existence. As long as I''m able to fight, I will make sure that all evil within my sight has nowhere to hide, and I will bring hope to you all."

    "So, sorry, although I do not dislike you, I cannot let go of the past and have chosen the future. I''m probably destined not to be your person."

    Hong Siyu knew that Emerald Sparrow had made a certain choice.

    It was not simply a personal choice in terms of emotions, but rather a more significant one, with profound implications. Once such a choice was made, it was like a machine that had started, its operation irreversible, unstoppable.

    "Don''t do this."

    She spoke weakly, trying to get up to dissuade, but then she realized she didn''t have the strength. She was too weak now; she couldn''t even stand up.

    "Get a good rest, sleep for a while."

    Emerald Sparrow spoke softly to her, and then, the silk threads behind her surged, stirring up gusts of air in the autumn night, as if Cui Niao had flapped its wings.

    In the ruins of the shattered Abnormal Strategy Bureau, the remaining steel skeleton was like a giant cage, but the cage had lost its lock. The Cui Niao inside the cage now spread its wings, looked up at the sky, sang out loud, ready to fly towards the distance once more.

    ¡ª¡ª"When you awake, it will be daylight."

 Chapter 138 Beneath the Pillar of Light

    In the heart of Fangting City, under the dark purple barrier, the battle of the Magical Girls had been raging for quite some time, entering an intensely heated phase.A massive, cocoon-like flesh mass hovered within the barrier, with a gigantic Remnant Beast head poking out from the top, continuously spewing a dark purple Magic Power breath onto the surrounding ground.

    This Magic Power carried a potent corrosiveness that would decay the surface of any building it touched, leaving the central district in total disarray, unrecognizable from its former prosperity.

    The only solace was that on the night of the Full Moon Festival, the downtown commercial area didn''t have a large gathering of people, and the very few individuals present had chosen to flee upon sensing danger, sparing many civilians from the collateral damage.

    Above the scorched city blocks, light blue, Jinzhi purple, and pale green Magic Power tangled with the lone Remnant Beast.

    "Xiaolu, this Remnant Beast is on a completely different level from our previous opponents; it''s an enemy the likes of which we''ve never encountered. Its evolutionary stage must have already reached the chrysalis level!" Experience more content on empire

    Lying on Lin Xiaolu''s shoulder, Moke raised its voice against the wind:

    "Chrysalis-stage is different from the ordinary Remnant Beasts we usually encounter. They have a structure on their surface called chrysalis shell. If our Magic Power output can''t exceed its threshold, we''ll never be able to inflict any damage!"

    "You know about Remnant Beasts too?" Lin Xiaolu narrowly dodged a burst of dark purple Magic Power, but her expression bore no sign of panic.

    "Are you questioning this now?" Moke''s voice grew louder.

    "No, how should I put it... it just feels... a bit surprising?"

    "This isn''t the time to be discussing this! If this continues, even if all of your Magic Power is depleted, you won''t be able to harm it!"

    "Alright, alright, I get it, I get it!" Lin Xiaolu replied loudly while she flew at high speed in the air, "In any case, we just need to shatter its outer shell, right? Just like the annoying guy we met at the welfare institute!"

    "This one is much stronger than that brutal thug!" Moke corrected.

    "Who cares, we are not the same as before! We''ve properly considered this in our strategies!"

    Lin Xiaolu raised her hand to signal to Xia Liang: "Xia Liang!"

    "I know!"

    Following Lin Xiaolu''s call and Xia Liang''s response, several mirror-like surfaces shimmered, rotating and moving to encircle the central Remnant Beast. Different colored Magic Power from the three Magical Girls converged on the mirrors, briefly circulating before focusing and aiming at the head of the Remnant Beast.

    "Bai Jingxuan!"

    "Got it!"

    The Magical Girl with a green ponytail spread her hands, and the small box she had been clutching opened suddenly, releasing a light and nimble melody that caused the already powerful Flow of Magical Power directed at the mirrors to surge even more.

    This was Bai Jingxuan''s Magic equipment, named Heavenly Sound.

    Its capability lay in controlling Magic through resonance to play different melodies. Depending on the rhythm, melody, and timbre of the music, it would exert various effects on the surroundings.

    Because she had only recently awakened and developed her skills, Bai Jingxuan had only managed to develop two uses for it: invigorating the body and activating Magic Power.

    The former could speed up the body''s self-healing capabilities or consume some energy to enhance a person''s physical abilities; the latter, like what she was doing now, played music in the most unadorned way through her Magic equipment to activate Magic Power, making it more lively and agitated.

    As a result, she managed to make the Magic Power gathered at Xia Liang''s magic mirror equipment even more tumultuous.

    A week ago, under the joint guidance of Hong Siyu and Xia Liang, Bai Jingxuan achieved the blossoming of her bud-stage capabilities and acquired her own Magic equipment.

    At that time, she didn''t fully understand the ability of her Magic equipment nor mastered the method to use it, so she kept her discovery to herself, deciding not to inform Emerald Sparrow.

    Her original idea was to wait for Emerald Sparrow''s return before revealing this to her as a surprise, while simultaneously expecting some praises.

    The others guessed Bai Jingxuan''s thoughts and deliberately kept it to themselves, choosing not to mention it to Emerald Sparrow.

    However, nobody anticipated that the ability of this Magic equipment would be employed in battle before Emerald Sparrow''s return.

    The raging Magic Power Beam was ignited from the surface of Xia Liang''s Magic equipment, blending light blue, Jinzhi purple, and pale green Magic Power together and launching it towards the distant Remnant Beast.

    The flood of Magic Power arrived in an instant, converging to a point and exploding on the head of the Remnant Beast. At first, the body surface of the Remnant Beast wrinkled up, resisting the Magic''s impact with a structure resembling an outer skin. But soon, that structure broke under the combined attack of the three girls, tearing a vast gap. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The trio-colored Magic Power Beam penetrated the cracked skin, striking the head of the Remnant Beast squarely.

    "Aaaooh, aaaooh, aaaooh, aaaooh!"

    The deafening cries rose above the city center as the pained Remnant Beast writhed within its cocoon, emitting an indecipherable scream. Then, it quickened its attack pace, unleashing another corrosive Magic Power breath on the Magical Girls.

 Chapter 138 Beneath the Pillar of Light_2

    Three novice Magical Girls, or rather, the new generation of Magical Girls, were already prepared, and as soon as the Remnant Beast released its breath, they dodged in an instant. The attack of the Remnant Beast did not have any effect."We did it!"

    Seeing that the attack had not only reached but even exceeded her expectations, Xia Liang couldn''t help but clench her fist and quietly cheer.

    "Even a chrysalis stage is no big deal!"

    Lin Xiaolu retreated to her side, wearing a proud expression, "As long as we can break through the defense once, we can definitely do it a second time, wearing this big guy down is absolutely no problem!"

    "And what does that have to do with you?"

    The Moke perched on her shoulder couldn''t help but pour cold water on her, "Obviously, it''s the other two people''s Magic Equipment at work, so why is a seed-level here blustering?"

    "Huh? A Fairy that can''t even keep up with flying speeds and can only perch on others has the nerve to criticize me?"

    Lin Xiaolu glared at it disdainfully, "The progress of Magic Power blossoming doesn''t explain everything, okay? My Magic Power has been growing continuously over the past few months, and it''s definitely much stronger than a regular seed-level now!"

    "Isn''t that still seed-level..." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Moke muttered softly but did not refute Lin Xiaolu''s statement.

    Because what Lin Xiaolu said was the truth. Over those months, even though she never touched the threshold of her abilities blossoming, her Magic Power never stopped growing.

    Initially, her Magic Power was not much different from that of the average seed-level, but with subsequent growth, especially after the fight at the orphanage, it had reached far beyond the seed-level.

    If it weren''t for the fact that Lin Xiaolu had not yet completed her blossoming to obtain her own Magic Equipment, no one would believe she was merely a seed-level.

    "You two, don''t argue at a time like this."

    Xia Liang smiled somewhat helplessly on the side, rallying her own Magic Equipment again, "Let''s focus our energy on taking down this big guy now, shall we?"

    "...You''re right."

    Lin Xiaolu, who initially wanted to argue with Moke, suddenly dropped the idea of contention and looked towards the increasingly berserk Remnant Beast nearby, gripping her Magic Wand tighter, "The battle isn''t won yet, celebrating now is indeed a bit premature."

    Bai Jingxuan beside them did not interject, but silently released Magic Power, playing the Music Box''s melodies.

    The battle commenced once again.

    Chrysalis stage Remnant Beasts, compared to lower-tier Remnant Beasts, have the greatest advantage of owning their own lair and innately high defensive capabilities provided by their chrysalis shell.

    However, this chrysalis, for some unknown reason, appeared alone in the city center without its lair. This also meant there were no eggs or Inchworms for it to command and use in combat, severely weakening its fighting ability.

    The Magical Girls had found a way to break the Remnant Beast''s defenses, essentially discovering the key to defeating it, negating all the advantages it had at its evolutionary stage. Therefore, the battle inevitably took a one-sided turn.

    With Xia Liang as the lead, Bai Jingxuan providing amplification, and Lin Xiaolu offering Magic Power, the trio worked together, firing one Magic Power Beam after another through the transformation of their Magic Equipment¡ªan assault so powerful, it could no longer be referred to as a Magic Power Beam, but more fittingly as a bombardment.

    The continuous bombardment sent the chrysalis in the sky retreating at every turn, increasingly emitting wails and screams as its wounds multiplied and actions grew weaker.

    Clearly, it couldn''t hold on much longer.

    "Moke! Grab my phone!"

    After launching another bombardment, Lin Xiaolu pulled out her phone from the pocket of her apron and handed it to Moke, "Once we''ve taken care of this big guy, remember to take a photo for Emerald Sparrow to see!"

    "...Aren''t you a bit too excited?"

    Moke took the phone somewhat reluctantly, "Treating the battle so frivolously, be careful that the Inspector doesn''t criticize you after seeing the photo."

    "Emerald Sparrow wouldn''t do that." Lin Xiaolu was noncommittal.

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    "I think it''s better to first explain the situation to the junior?"

    Xia Liang suggested on the side, "Although we rashly challenged the chrysalis stage Remnant Beast and managed to win with the right timing and location, she''d still worry if she knew about it first thing, wouldn''t she?"

    "Better not to scare the teacher." Bai Jingxuan also added in a low voice.

    "Hmm... that''s also true."

    Lin Xiaolu floated in midair and pondered for a while, then lifted her Magic Wand again, "Then, let''s discuss how to report this afterwards. For now, let''s first..."

    She stopped speaking halfway through.

    Not just her, Bai Jingxuan and Xia Liang by her side also suddenly halted. All three turned their gazes simultaneously towards the ground not far away.

    The purple-black pillar of light in the center of the district radiated blinding brightness; naturally, it cast the shadows of airborne objects onto the ground, stretching them endlessly.

    At this moment, an additional shadow had appeared before the three, seemingly out of nowhere.

    This was an extraordinarily long shadow cast from above, faint at first but growing distinctly darker like ink as it spread to the feet of the Magical Girls.

    From its shape and contour, the shadow resembled a colossal moth.

    At this moment, the owner of the shadow silently hovered in front of the Remnant Beast. Its form was negligible compared to the immense Remnant Beast, as diminutive as an ant to an elephant. However, the shadow at its feet almost covered an entire block in front of it, far surpassing the size of the chrysalis-stage Remnant Beast.

 Chapter 138 Under the Pillar of Light_3

    enshrouded by the dark figure beneath them, an immense sense of oppression and danger eroded the nerves of several magical girls; there was no doubt that everyone could sense the hostility of the newcomer. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.merely facing the master of the shadow from afar, lin xiaolu felt her breathing become labored, the magic power around her slowing to a crawl, even her heartbeat started to race, her body tensing as if encountering a natural predator.

    her eyes slightly widened, breathing quickened, she fixated on the distant figure and silently tightened her grip on the magic wand in her hand.

    such tension and apprehension were all too familiar to her; in fact, she had experienced this feeling more than once, which allowed her to easily identify its nature: it was the premonition of facing a lethal threat, of impending death.

    the master of the shadow made no move, seemingly observing the magical girls from afar, suspended motionless, like a statue.

    after a brief standoff, the indistinct entity flickered slightly.

    when its figure reappeared after the flicker, it was already mere meters from the magical girls, startling those who were on high alert; lin xiaolu, reacting almost reflexively, raised her hand and fired a magic bullet.

    however, the magic bullet had no effect whatsoever; it didn''t even come close to touching the mysterious figure, inexplicably disintegrating before it could reach them.

    it was then that the girls could clearly see the face of the newcomer¡ªa robed figure in black.

    the figure had a slender and elongated build, entirely cloaked in black, with no distinguishing features visible. the black robe was familiar to the magical girls¡ªthey had seen this style of attire before, worn by the man from the orphanage known as "soldier touch three."

    "...black ash dawn."

    lin xiaolu uttered the name she had heard at that time.

    the robed figure before them, however, was different from the man they remembered.

    the black robe was adorned with more intricate and fine patterns of dark gold which, albeit sinister, could be clearly discerned in their outline: it was a gold, spread-winged moth.

    atop the robe was a high hat, replacing the hood, with its long brim pressed low, concealing the face below and hiding the visage. find your next adventure on empire

    "you''ve really exceeded my expectations."

    the robed figure suddenly spoke out, and from beneath the hat, a somewhat hoarse female voice emerged: "to grow to such an extent in merely five months, even able to suppress a pupal-stage remnant beast, is quite rare among magical girls."

    her words seemed like praise, but not a single magical girl believed she was complimenting them.

    "...who are you?"

    as the first among them to regain her composure, xia liang extended a hand to restrain the somewhat anxious lin xiaolu and spoke first, "always skulking in the shadows, aren''t you bold enough to reveal your true self when doing evil deeds?"

    she was nervous as well, her voice somewhat raspy. but even in such a situation, she didn''t forget to provoke their adversary, trying to extract information from the opposition.

    she had a clear thought: this mysterious black-robed figure likely wasn''t an enemy the three of them could handle; if anything unexpected happened next, they at least needed to ascertain the enemy''s identity to report it.

    "such an obvious little scheme, what an adorable child."

    xia liang''s rudimentary provocation obviously didn''t fool the robed figure, but instead of getting angry, the voice even carried a hint of amusement: "very well, we, as supporters of our lord, have always disdained hiding our names."

    she reached up, grabbed the hat atop her head, and with a fierce pull, removed it. an aged, elderly face was thus revealed to them.

    it was a golden-haired, somewhat aged woman, her face bearing a peaceful smile.

    "nice to meet you for the first time, children of fangting city, my name is mosi."

    so saying, she inclined slightly, as if offering a bow: "or you may translate my name from the western region''s language, using the tongue of donghua region, to describe me, call me, ''moth''."

 Chapter 215 139

    ```under the purple-black column of light at nightfall, the howls of the remnant beasts gradually subsided amidst mosi''s spoken words.

    even though wounds still covered its body and the flesh cocoon wrapping it was scarred all over, mosi''s presence seemed like a special signal, returning it to tranquility as if it were a well-behaved pet.

    "be careful, this woman is dangerous!"

    the mosi perched on lin xiaolu''s shoulder solemnly warned, but no one present cared about what it was saying.

    except for mosi, the magical girls were all ready for battle.

    "well then, before the main show begins, let me make sure everyone''s accounted for. the child with the green magic power... you''re the sacrifice those underlings of ''touch'' found, right? it''s better those worthless ants didn''t take you away."

    turning her face, mosi looked towards bai jingxuan, maintaining a peaceful smile: "you have a nice scent on you, different from ordinary magical girls, rather closer to those hybrids."

    her words took bai jingxuan aback.

    what mosi mentioned clearly referred to the incident several months prior, when "soldier touch 3" and others attacked the orphanage. this statement seemed to indicate that the attack was somehow related to her. however, she evidently didn''t intend to continue on this topic, merely mentioning it before quickly turning her gaze to xia liang.

    "two months of seed rank, five months... are you about to reach leaf rank? truly a terrifying talent, a terrifying child. if left unchecked, you could become quite a remarkable figure in the kingdom in the future."

    she feigned a sigh, then unabashedly fixed her gaze on the heart''s gem on xia liang''s chest, inexplicably licking her lips: "therefore, your magic power will also be the finest ingredient."

    this pointed statement turned even the usually smiling xia liang''s expression sour, her mouth corners drooping into a somewhat chilly demeanor.

    mosi continued to shift her gaze, after evaluating two others, turned her attention to lin xiaolu.

    "...it''s a bit of a pity, you''re really nothing like her at all." s§×ar?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    she said: "as a magical girl, compared to your mother, you''re just too ordinary."

    just a single sentence changed lin xiaolu''s complexion drastically.

    "how do you know about these things?"

    clenching her magic wand, lin xiaolu demanded in a deep voice: "have you met my mother? what are you trying to say?"

    "don''t be so nervous, child. what i want to say depends on what you want to know."

    mosi''s expression was gentle, and if not for the situation, she resembled a kind elder: "i know many things you don''t, and before the main show starts, you can take your time to find out."

    "i don''t believe that someone who turned the city center into ruins would appear before us just to have a chat and play the caring grandmother for a while."

    xia liang suddenly spoke up from the side, calmly challenging her: "you must have some other plan, otherwise, there was no need for you to show up."

    "smart, you''re absolutely right."

    mosi applauded, praising: "but you might be mistaken, my plan has already been completed, and discussing the process is pointless. right now, i just need some spectators." your next read awaits at empire

    "spectators?" xia liang caught onto the word.

    "yes, spectators. two years, nineteen cities, nine altars, all the preparation was for the result of this very moment."

    a smile played on mosi''s lips: "such an exciting scene would be too lonely without some spectators present."

    "...two years?"

    for both xia liang and lin xiaolu, it was a year that could elicit strong reactions. even lin xiaolu quickly sensed that something was amiss.

    "yes, two years."

    mosi tilted her chin up slightly: "starting from the death of the magical girl codenamed sakura, your mother."

    in an instant, lin xiaolu''s pupils constricted.

    this was the first time she had heard her mother''s codename from an enemy''s mouth.

    she already knew from her father that her mother had died as a magical girl, but she had never understood the full story.

    lin xiaolu had only the memory of weeping at her mother''s grave two years prior, along with countless moments of sorrow and remembrance.

    an injury that leaves a bone-deep wound on the body will heal over time; the wound will close as the body heals itself; but the scar will never fade away.

    moreover, for lin xiaolu, the pain of the wound "her mother''s passing" had not diminished even to this day.

    "what''s your connection to this, to her death?"

    she spoke up, only realizing how much she was trembling when she began to speak: "who exactly are you?"

    "i thought i already introduced myself, i am a moth."

    mosi continued to smile softly, then gently pulled at the collar of her robe, revealing a scar that extended from the side of her neck downward:

    "i''m one of the former twelve ash envoys of the black ash dawn, and your mother''s, sakura''s, past enemy."

    "a past enemy?" lin xiaolu felt somewhat bewildered by mosi''s words.

    "yes, child, past."

    mosi looked back briefly towards the massive remnant beast behind her: "but now, many things are different."

    her gesture made lin xiaolu''s heart skip a beat.

    "to nourish a remnant beast, especially to raise one of exceptional quality, exquisite ingredients are indispensable."

    ```

 Chapter 216 139_2

    mosi explained indifferently, "ordinary humans indeed have magic power within their mortal flesh, but magic power without a true foundation is, after all, just inferior nourishment. it''s barely enough to stave off hunger, but insufficient for nurturing growth.""to make a remnant beast of sufficient quality, one must feed it premium ingredients: only the magic power of remnant beasts, magical girls, and fairies is valuable. and among these, the stronger and more refined the magic power, the better."

    "so, in this matter, i need to thank your mother."

    "what are you... talking about?" lin xiaolu felt a growing sense of ominous foreboding.

    "can''t you feel it?"

    mosi still looked unwaveringly at the distant remnant beast: "it contains your mother''s magic power within its body."

    even though she had guessed what mosi was hinting at, the moment lin xiaolu learned the truth, her mind went blank.

    she instinctively raised her magic wand.

    "don''t be rash, bai mei!"

    feeling the surge of magic power at her side, xia liang immediately stepped in front of lin xiaolu. she didn''t want lin xiaolu to engage recklessly with the opponent, fearing she might suffer a significant loss.

    however, when she touched lin xiaolu''s arm, she realized that lin xiaolu wasn''t making any excessive moves.

    a gush of pale green magic power exploded furiously from her side, and a figure charged toward mosi amidst the surging magic.

    "bo xue?" this was unexpected for her.

    among the magical girls present, bai jingxuan might have been the youngest, but she had always been the most sensible and quiet. even though her usual style of fighting was somewhat aggressive, she had no reason to act recklessly against such an unknown enemy.

    but now, even while lin xiaolu was still incapacitated by her intense emotions, bai jingxuan had already dashed forward.

    this really was the worst timing.

    understanding instantly why bai jingxuan had done this, xia liang felt a bitterness in her mouth.

    before this, nobody had told bai jingxuan that the magical girl "sakura" had died, nor had anyone told her that lin xiaolu was sakura''s daughter.

    until now, bai jingxuan still believed that sakura was merely a common senior to the magical girls of fangting city, who had left fangting city for some special mission, which was why there was no further news about her.

    everyone was waiting for the right moment¡ªone where they could tell bai jingxuan the truth and control and comfort her emotions, preventing her from becoming too despondent.

    all knew that sakura was the core pillar of support for bai jingxuan''s spirit as a magical girl.

    it was her admiration and gratitude toward sakura that drove her to become a magical girl, and her greatest wish after becoming one was to meet sakura. this emotional drive constituted the magical girl "bo xue"; it could even be said to be all that bai jingxuan was at the moment.

    her existence as a magical girl was a subconscious emulation of sakura. sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    therefore, upon hearing mosi''s words, she was the first to rush out.

    the music from the music box had begun playing at some unknown time, and bai jingxuan, without any intention of defending herself, strengthened her body with magic power and then, without a second thought, swung her magic wand at mosi. continue reading at empire

    mosi stood still, catching bai jingxuan''s strike with her left hand without dodging.

    "not bad strength, doesn''t seem like the physical quality of a sprout." after feeling the force transmitted from the wand, she commented with some surprise. however, surprise did not equate to taking it seriously. after intercepting the attack, she let go of the wand, looped her arm around it, and reached straight for bai jingxuan''s neck.

    in the nick of time, bai jingxuan dodged by tilting her head. her offensive did not slow down as she spun and once again swung her wand at mosi''s head.

    "it''s no use," mosi smirked, meeting bai jingxuan''s attack head-on.

    bai jingxuan slightly raised her head, her expression remaining calm, devoid of any particular emotion, but her heterochromatic yellow-green eyes were now tinged with a hint of blood-red:

    "really?"

    no sooner had she spoken than intense fluctuations of magic power coursed through her wand where it made contact with mosi. the melody from the music box had abruptly changed, and the restrained magic power fluctuations within bai jingxuan became incredibly wild.

    then, bai jingxuan''s magic power exploded at close range to mosi.

    it wasn''t a wise decision because bai jingxuan hadn''t evaded the blast herself. detonating the frenzied magic power would certainly hit mosi at such a distance, but she would undoubtedly be injured as well.

    however, the anticipated scenario of mutual injury did not happen.

    as bai jingxuan ignited her magic, all of it vanished into thin air in a fraction of a second.

    "truly," mosi nodded with a smile.

    then, she casually raised her hand, a point of dark purple magic power gathered at her fingertip, and she tapped it lightly on bai jingxuan''s forehead: "you''re too mischievous, my sacrifice."

    bai jingxuan''s somewhat reddened eyes narrowed.

    ¡ªthump!

    no one could see when mosi had activated her magic bullet, let alone evade it. in just an instant, bai jingxuan was struck head-on by the magic bullet and sent flying.

    boom!

    struck by mosi, bai jingxuan fell from the sky like a meteor, crashing into the buildings on the ground, causing an entire tall building to collapse with her.

 Chapter 139_3

    "xiaoxuan!"the mokey that had been perched on lin xiaolu''s shoulder leaped down all at once, hastily flying toward the ruins below.

    xia liang also witnessed the entire process, her inaction not born of unwillingness to help but from the sheer brevity of the event. in just a few seconds, the tide of battle had shifted from bai jingxuan charging into the fray to being sent flying, a turn of events that caught everyone off guard.

    but before she could turn back to rescue bai jingxuan, xia liang felt the hand that she had kept in front of lin xiaolu being pushed aside.

    upon looking again, lin xiaolu was already charging out with her magic wand in hand. the pale blue trails of her magic almost intertwined with the pale green ones left by bai jingxuan just before she was knocked away, both of them launching an offensive against mosi in quick succession.

    "i told you not to act impulsively! she''s just trying to provoke you!"

    xia liang looked up, somewhat futilely shouting at lin xiaolu''s receding back, but obviously unable to recall her already departed comrade. after a brief moment of indecision, she had no choice but to follow suit:

    "ah! seriously, i can''t with you guys!"

    meanwhile, lin xiaolu could no longer heed what xia liang was saying.

    for as she initiated her attack on mosi, mosi had also raised her hand, her amethyst-black magic gathering at her fingertips before rippling outward in all directions. s~ea??h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "danger!"

    xia liang, following behind, immediately invoked her magical gear, placing the diversion in front of the ripple that was about to hit lin xiaolu. before she had the chance to activate her ability to transfer magic, a massive force of impact harshly struck upon her gear''s surface.

    crack!

    the mirror surface of xia liang''s magical gear was directly shattered by mosi''s spell technique.

    "hmmph!"

    the damage to the gear caused xia liang to feel a sudden pain in her head, a groan escaping her lips, and the surrounding mirrors, still intact, seemed somehow more illusory.

    the ripples created by the spell technique lightly damaged and then broke xia liang''s mirrors, the remaining force undiminished as it continued to spread towards lin xiaolu.

    lin xiaolu remained fearless.

    the pale blue magic surrounding her abruptly shifted, radiating a touch of silver-white amidst its burning glow.

    as if she were cloaked in silver-white flames, she raised her hand, and a white blaze collided with the amethyst-black magical ripples, the fierce collision dissipating into nothingness, but also significantly weakening the dark magic.

    lin xiaolu used the same tactic once more, brandishing her magic wand and blocking mosi''s spell technique with several more barriers of silver-white flames.

    then she raised her hand, and the flames transformed into dozens of magic bullets that hurtled towards mosi with booming sounds.

    "white magic? spell techniques? no, that''s not it..."

    mosi''s tone carried a slight hint of confusion as she caught a silver-white magic bullet in her hand, only to feel as though her palm had been scorched, her entire hand''s skin turning blackened and charred.

    she looked at her palm, first pausing in surprise and then smirking, an intrigued expression playing across her face: "a nature i''ve never seen before? interesting."

    while she was pondering, lin xiaolu had not given up her offensive, concentrating pale blue magic in her hands once again, this time coalescing into a long spear of phantom flames.

    she remained silent, eyes intently fixed on mosi not far away.

    the playful smile on her adversary''s face made her feel an inexplicable unease in her heart.

    but with the situation at a critical juncture, regardless of whether her attack would be effective, she couldn''t abandon this opportunity. she brandished her arm, preparing to throw her spear.

    ¡ª "don''t attack."

    a somewhat familiar voice caused her action to halt. discover exclusive content at empire

    azure light shone down above her head as countless threads of magic silk cascaded like tassels, and a figure appeared in front of her without her noticing.

    it was the sudden arrival of this person who stopped lin xiaolu''s attack.

    mosi''s smile widened from afar.

    behind her, xia liang exhaled with slight relief.

    lin xiaolu looked dumbfoundedly at the person who had appeared so abruptly, blinked her eyes in disbelief, then hesitantly said:

    "...emerald sparrow?"

    "yes, so hold back your attack."

    turning her head from the resplendent azure, emerald sparrow looked toward lin xiaolu with a softer voice:

    "it''s alright now, let me handle this."

 Chapter 140 Interrogation

    the arrival of emerald sparrow clearly didn''t take mosi by surprise, as evidenced by the bright smile on her face.she could also tell that emerald sparrow was different from before, but even when confronted with the sky full of magic silk threads and the tangible brilliance of magic power, her expression remained unchanged.

    even so, she inexplicably began to applaud.

    "after a long wait, our main character has finally arrived," she said.

    mosi spoke with a hint of frivolity, "but it seems you quite liked the ''gifts'' i left for you, to the point where you wasted quite a bit of time on them. i never thought you''d take such a liking to the trinkets i made so casually."

    "you call those people... you call them ''gifts''?"

    emerald sparrow looked at mosi with a calm face, showing no trace of joy or sorrow: "that''s a joke that''s completely unamusing."

    "it''s no joke." s§×arch* the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    mosi shook her head: "haven''t you realized that i''ve shown you a new possibility through them? a presence never before seen, combining human tameness with the magic power of remnant beasts, they''re the most suitable for mass-producing high-quality ingredients. aren''t you moved?"

    "all i can see are the sad lives that you''ve toyed with and desecrated."

    emerald sparrow''s fingers twitched slightly, but her emotional state remained externally unchanged as she looked indifferently at mosi: "now tell me, what exactly did you do to hong siyu... no, what did you do to those ordinary people from the abnormal strategy bureau?"

    "what did i do? can''t you see?"

    mosi feigned shock as she widened her eyes: "the fusion of remnant beasts with humans, the layering of life''s traits, isn''t this obvious?"

    "merely sewing remnant beasts onto human bodies cannot create such profane beings."

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    emerald sparrow stared at mosi: "you embedded the magic core of remnant beasts directly into their bodies, and used the most violent methods to completely change their physical and spiritual structures. this isn''t any layering of life, you''re creating degraded remnant beasts."

    "it''s simply because mortals are too weak."

    mosi smiled faintly: "what i have endowed them with is the prototype of the beasts'' viscera, only slightly uncontrollable. if they could possess magic and souls surpassing the remnant beasts, then they might be able to reverse-utilize this power, instead of being transformed by the magic of remnant beasts."

    "you know that''s impossible."

    emerald sparrow''s expression became colder: "the magic power and soul strength of ordinary humans are nowhere near that of remnant beasts; by performing such acts, you''re killing them in another way."

    "who says no?"

    mosi remained composed: "but what of it? would you feel any emotion for the livestock on a farm?"

    "see the little creature behind me? even if i slaughtered every wild remnant beast in fangting city, or even the entire southeast donghua region, and added those useless magical girls, it still wouldn''t be enough to feed it."

    "in order to truly provide it with enough nourishment, we need to use artificial magic cores to breed such ''meat pigs'', and only those ''meat pigs'' can satisfy this little creature''s dietary needs."

    "i''ve spent a full two years on this; if it weren''t for such a grand technological innovation, even with my status and exhausting all the magic resources of this region, it wouldn''t have been enough to achieve such a result. such a great technology, doesn''t it move us?"

    no sooner had her words finished than several blue magic threads suddenly cut towards her neck from her side, but they were stopped by mosi''s left hand wrapped in magic power.

    "are you in such a hurry?" mosi asked leisurely.

    "because i don''t want to waste time here listening to your nonsense."

    emerald sparrow manipulated the magic threads: "why did you turn hong siyu into that? if it was, as you said, to find food for the remnant beasts, why did you torment her for two years?"

    "torment? are you referring to miss hong?"

    mosi seemed surprised: "you actually think that was torment?"

    swoosh! clang!

    emerald sparrow''s magic threads once again aimed to cut at mosi''s vitals but were blocked once more.

    "i''ve said it before, i don''t want to hear your nonsense," emerald sparrow stated coldly.

    "then you''ve misunderstood me because, for me, this is actually a very meaningful experiment."

    mosi shook her head and smilingly continued: "i''ve always been curious about what differentiates retired magical girls from ordinary people. if, after losing their magic core, they could regain it, could they recover their power? "

    "miss hong is a very valuable experimental subject for me, allowing me to understand this. i replicated the magic core of a remnant beast into a near-heart''s gem structure and pushed it into the vacancy left by miss hong''s original magic core, wanting to see if she could become a magical girl relying on the magic of a remnant beast¡ªjust like the mongrels of claw mark."

    "but the results proved that retired magical girls truly no longer possess the traits of a magical girl. not only did she not die outright like an ordinary magical girl would when forcibly embedded with a remnant beast''s magic core; instead, she integrated well with the magic core and became a real remnant beast."

    as mosi said this, she spread her palms with a hint of pride: "the experiment proves that retired magical girls are indeed just ordinary people after all, with no difference from the other ''meat pigs'', aside from retaining some self-consciousness."

 Chapter 140 Questioning_2

    "from this point of view, i should also thank miss hong for her existence allowed me to resolve a long-standing confusion. you magical girls are indeed beautiful ''treasures''."clang!

    threads of magic power converged into a masterpiece shaped like a sword blade. emerald sparrow manipulated her magical equipment, clashing with mosi in battle. purple-black and deep blue magic scattered in all directions, countless magic bullets colliding in the air. their movements, too quick for ordinary eyes, parried back and forth, neither gaining the upper hand for a moment. s§×ar?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "you really are the scum of the earth, mosi."

    emerald sparrow enunciated every word: "no, i''ve seen more than one person from black ash dawn during this time, all of you are genuine scumbags."

    "please don''t describe us with the lowly term ''scumbag''."

    mosi smirked coldly: "being born in this world, becoming an ordinary human, is the greatest tragedy."

    "if it weren''t for scum like you, where would the tragedy come from?"

    emerald sparrow transformed the magical equipment in her hands into a long spear and swept it toward mosi: "thugs and villains mocking the suffering of victims, don''t make me laugh!"

    "do you think the root of the problem is because of us?"

    mosi parried emerald sparrow''s attack and countered: "without black ash dawn, beasts and magical girls would still exist in this world. humans slaughtered by wild remnant beasts, those affected by the waves of battle magic are still countless. in the face of the power of magic, the fragile lives of humans are meaningless!"

    "magical girls are fighting on behalf of the people! they''re driving away and exterminating remnant beasts, maintaining the stability of this world. why would you shift the blame to magical girls?"

    while blocking mosi''s counterattack with her masterpiece shield, emerald sparrow manipulated more threads to restrict mosi''s movement: "wasn''t your daughter a magical girl too? before gaining their powers, each one of them was an ordinary girl, sacrificing their most precious youth, even their lives, to protect others! how can you not understand that!"

    "...why is it that others'' daughters sacrifice their youth, and my daughter had to sacrifice her life?"

    mosi''s voice suddenly turned cold.

    she lifted her hand, and the spell techniques in her grasp abruptly transformed, becoming creations of magic power like circular saws, replacing the previous ripples and fiercely cutting toward emerald sparrow: "why do others'' daughters not have to give up anything, yet my daughter had to sacrifice everything for this never-ending battle?"

    "i have never understood this question. can you answer me, cornflower?"

    "i''ve worked in the abnormal strategy bureau for so many years, starting from the lowest level employee and eventually becoming one of the top leaders; from the small city in the western region all the way to your donghua region, i''ve seen too many, too many magical girls."

    "there are too many girls who became magical girls with good intentions, but they became exceedingly arrogant and dismissive under the corruption of power and authority, and in the end, they still didn''t need to pay any price."

    "however, my daughter, my only treasure, carried that initial purity of heart through to the end, executing it until her last moment."

    "she would persuade me to understand those overbearing magical girls; she would have me comprehend the court of that lofty magic kingdom; she would kindly cultivate good relationships with everyone in the abnormal strategy bureau; she would rescue every innocent person struck down by remnant beasts, regardless of the cost."

    "yet, such a magical girl, deemed in your eyes as rightfully so, died in the great calamity nineteen years ago, crushed by the merciless wave of remnant beasts, and all that could be found in the end was a shattered heart''s gem."

    "her death wasn''t unusual amidst the great beast calamity; after all, so many magical girls died in that disaster. she gave her life for her ideals. i grieve, but i respect her will."

    "but,"

    mosi paused. she looked at the emerald sparrow maneuvering skillfully among countless circular saws, drawing closer with agility, and said coldly, "the magic kingdom has completely forgotten her contributions."

    "there is no glory for the martyred, no posthumous honors for the sacrificed; even the most basic subsidy for the fallen magical girls has not been delivered to my hands."

    "her sacrifice has not even caught the attention of those so-called ''comrades'' within the kingdom."

    "i tried to contact the magical affairs institute, but nobody would deal with me; i sought the royal court, but i didn''t even qualify to be received; i found the investigation office, and even though i convinced the magical girls there to speak for me, there was still no follow-up."

    "look at those magical girls who dodged the great beast disaster, who didn''t participate in the battle, and hid in the rear. they have given up nothing, yet they still possess powers above others, and have their lively lives. however, they enjoy the adoration of the ignorant masses and become the ''heroes'' in the stories of others."

    "they have given up nothing, yet they can easily trample over me, insulting and treading upon everything i have. even though i have given my all for the so-called ''protection,'' for the so-called ''justice''!"

    "i, a high-level executive of the abnormal strategy bureau, even then had worked for nearly twenty years for the bureau, devoted infinite effort and time to the protection of the city; my daughter, a noble, pure magical girl, so lovable and pitiable, gave up everything for the sake of being a magical girl."

    "the magic kingdom''s royal court is unwilling to cast even a glance at people like us."

    "a hypocritical, incompetent, corrupt, and arrogant kingdom, that doesn''t even see us in their sight!"

    her smile vanished from her face, all that could be seen was endless anger, and she shouted loudly at cornflower, "tell me, cornflower, what is the point of being a magical girl like this?"

    "to lure young girls into becoming magical girls with dreams and hope, to use them in an utterly cruel and indifferent manner, then to discard them casually¡ªwhat is the point of having such a magic kingdom?"

    "you think beasts represent savagery, destruction, and slaughter, but what about magical girls and the magic kingdom? aren''t you also symbols of arrogance, oppression, and indifference?"

    "i cannot stand it! i cannot tolerate these people who occupy my daughter''s achievements like cuckoos taking over the nest, and even insult her sacrifice. but i have no power, no strength to seek revenge against the hypocritical royal court, against the arrogant magical girls!"

    "only the grace of the lord, only the strength of the beasts, can allow mortals to transcend themselves and confront the magical girls!"

    "you ask me why i can''t understand the sacrifice of magical girls? now i ask you, why can''t you understand the suffering of ordinary people in this world?"

    "during the great beast disaster nineteen years ago, didn''t you see the needless sacrifices of magical girls, the innocent mortals that died tragically, the pretension and perfunctory actions of the royal court?"

    "how many people in the material world paid the price of their lives to fend off this disaster, even yourself, who made countless sacrifices to save fangting city now?" experience tales at empire

    "didn''t you see? didn''t you doubt? didn''t you feel indignant?"

    "if not, then why, at that time, did you refuse queen''s appointment?"

    "why did you become the only one in the world to reject the position of the gemstone scepter, forgo the possibility of the sapphire scepter, and give up enjoying the fruits of your own labor as a magical girl?"

    looking at the emerald sparrow who had already made her way to her, mosi''s voice shifted from excitement to calm but still asked with utmost clarity:

    "lady cornflower, the one bestowed with the name of the last gem above the queen''s scepter, who actively renounced everything¡ª?"

 Chapter 141 Fierce Battle

    "gemstone scepter... sapphire... so that''s how it is."not far from the battlefield, xia liang couldn''t help murmuring to herself in sudden realization upon hearing mosi''s words.

    just now, while emerald sparrow and mosi were engaged in battle, she and lin xiaolu hadn''t been idle; they took the opportunity to rescue bai jingxuan, who had been knocked down.

    bai jingxuan had sustained serious injuries. mosi hadn''t held back at all when attacking her, knocking her out with a single magic bullet, and she remained unconscious. fortunately, her breathing was still steady, indicating that her condition wasn''t too critical.

    "what? how did the gemstone scepter come up?"

    lin xiaolu, supporting the lying bai jingxuan, lifted her head in confusion after hearing xia liang''s words, "and who is cornflower? was she also a former teammate of emerald sparrow and mom?"

    clearly, she was still completely out of the loop.

    "cornflower... is the name of the last remaining sapphire on her majesty''s scepter."

    before xia liang could explain anything, mosi suddenly spoke up, "her majesty''s scepter once had five gemstones: ruby, emerald, sapphire, diamond, and cat''s eye. later, she bestowed four of these to her chosen magical girls, and they became the gemstone scepters. only the sapphire remained, never sent out, always on her majesty''s scepter."

    "the name of the gemstone... you mean..."

    it dawned on lin xiaolu, who then gasped, "the ''cornflower'' they''re talking about, could it actually be emerald sparrow''s..."

    "yes, if the young predecessor accepted the identity of the gemstone scepter, then her code name would now be ''cornflower'',"

    xia liang also looked toward the battlefield with a complex expression, "but somehow, it still feels like there''s something strange about this statement..."

    the girls'' discussion could not influence the actual state of battle.

    dark purple and brilliant blue magic power continued to violently collide in the sky, the onslaught of ingenious spell techniques never ceasing. had emerald sparrow not intentionally moved the battle into the air, the streets below would''ve likely been flattened already.

    facing mosi''s interrogation, emerald sparrow remained unperturbed; rather, her expression had grown cold to an extreme, impervious to any change from mosi''s words: read exclusive chapters at empire

    "you scum, with only your moral bottom line and intelligence capabilities surprising me."

    "you''re right, i refused the sapphire gemstone scepter; i was dissatisfied with the arrogance of the kingdom''s court. but are you, such scum, also qualified to criticize others?"

    blue threads of energy again condensed in emerald sparrow''s hands, manifesting as a pair of double swords, her voice icy as she looked up, "let me say it again: stop making me laugh."

    "if all you say is true, then your daughter was a respectable magical girl, and you, in the past, might have been a competent warrior from the abnormal strategy bureau. but, none of that is related to who you are now."

    "you regard the lives of ordinary people as worthless; you treat the convictions of the upright as playthings. from the moment you took the lives of the innocent, you retained only a human shell, in essence just a monster."

    "you claim your daughter made sacrifices, and you express how unfair it is for her. if you truly care about her efforts, if you are really indignant about her fate, then when you strike down those innocent, kindhearted magical girls, is your daughter truly in your heart?"

    slashing apart the incoming magic bullet, emerald sparrow said coldly, "stop insulting others'' sacrifices, you are not worthy."

    hearing such words, mosi laughed again. but it was not the calm smile from before; it was one tinged with malice and madness, a hysterical cackle.

    "hahaha! you dare to speak of my daughter to me?"

    "my daughter is dead! she has entirely perished in the great beast calamity, never to return! since she is gone, what do the rest of the people living in this world, whether sinful or virtuous, have to do with me?"

    her eyes wide with murky pupils devoid of any light, her expression fierce, she said, "i only had one daughter, what are those other ants and swine to me? their lives hold no value whatsoever in my eyes." sea??h th§× novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    the black and blue magic power intertwined.

    "...then my view was not mistaken at all."

    halting her flight, emerald sparrow raised her masterpiece in the air, magic power surging anew, "you truly are nothing but scum, devoid of any value for understanding."

    "understanding? i don''t need your understanding."

    mosi laughed with her head held high, "actors simply need to perform on stage according to the director''s instructions; i never thought you could understand my true intentions."

    "the stage is set, the audience in place, the leading actor ready. the pre-show announcements have concluded, and now, it''s time to unveil the real performance."

    underneath the dark purple pillar of light, the remnant beasts, which had been gradually quieting down, were now, unbeknownst to when, floating above mosi''s head.

    the layer of riddled cocoons outside them had been discarded close by the light pillar, and the remnant beasts that emerged were considerably reduced in size, their bodies clean, the white fluff on their skin trembling slightly. they resembled newly hatched insects fresh out of the cocoon, waiting to wake and spread their wings.

    the remnant beasts hovered silently, suspended a mere arm''s distance above mosi''s head, seemingly awaiting her next move.

    "cornflower, if you''ve experienced that great beast calamity, you should understand," she said.

 Chapter 141 Fierce Battle_2

    lifting her hand and touching the remnant beast above her head, mosi continued, "just as life in this world has never been equal, neither have the remnant beasts ever been equal."the emerald sparrow paid no attention to her words.

    as soon as she noticed the newly emerged remnant beast hovering over mosi''s head, she activated her masterpiece and lunged forward, fiercely swinging her blade at mosi''s neck without a word.

    however, the masterpiece that had never failed before melted away before it could touch mosi.

    "don''t you understand? you can''t stop it! the ritual was complete from the moment i appeared here!"

    a sinister smile crossed mosi''s face along with a hint of triumphant madness, "the beast master''s power has descended upon me, and now it''s time for you to witness the glory of the master."

    at that moment, the dark purple pillar of light finally revealed its true form. it was a massive altar on the ground, with countless intricate runes on it as well as various materials infused with strong magic power fluctuations.

    with just one glance, the emerald sparrow saw the flesh and blood of remnant beasts in those heaps of materials mixed with... the heart''s gem of a magical girl.

    "by the grace of the master, in thanks to the mighty power of the beast, in the era of survival of the fittest, i will be the ultimate victor!"

    mosi recited aloud as if chanting, then declared loudly:

    "this is the time, to eradicate the traitors!"

    boom.

    as her words fell, the newborn remnant beast above her head subtly thrummed its body, emitting a sound akin to a heartbeat.

    boom.

    the light on the altar grew even stronger once more, fully enveloping mosi and the remnant beast in the glow of magic power.

    boom.

    ¡ª"roarrrrrrr!"

    unearthly roars emanated from mosi''s mouth, and her human skin began to crack and peel away, exposing the sinewy muscles and blood-streaked bones underneath.

    her entire body turned to ash in the heartbeat-like pulsations, then the ashes swirled out of the brilliance, like a dark nebula.

    huge, yellow-brown plush wings unfurled from within the pillar, adorned with patterns of unspeakable strangeness that induced nausea with just one look.

    a ferocious set of white-gray elongated limbs stretched out of the pillar, studded with myriad interlocking spines that instilled terror with a mere wave.

    a colossal figure, dozens of meters tall, slowly emerged from the light column, as a pair of enormous compound eyes flashed with dark purple light, looming down upon the emerald sparrow on the ground.

    the massive moth floated high above the entire fangting city.

    it was the early hours of the morning, and the thunderous noise had awakened those who had already fallen into deep sleep. many who lived close to the central district got out of bed and couldn''t help but open their windows, only to see the gigantic moth in the sky.

    "wow! what is that?"

    "a movie? special effects?"

    "that must be a remnant beast, right? no, are there really remnant beasts that big?"

    the just-awakened people did not realize the seriousness of the situation. indeed, because fangting city had not seen any remnant beasts for years and the troubles of the past few months had been swiftly handled by the new generation of squads, many had almost forgotten what it was like to be attacked by remnant beasts.

    however, this puzzlement was destined not to last long.

    soon, people realized that in addition to the gigantic moth in the sky, countless remnant beasts had started to move within the city.

    from ordinary moths to remnant beasts several meters tall, from the city center, swarms of remnant beasts began to ravage the entire fangting city.

    in an instant, the initial confusion and mockery turned into screams and wails.

    the night following the full moon festival, which should have been peaceful and serene, was destroyed in an instant.

    lin xiaolu and xia liang, who had been outside the battle, immediately mustered their spirits and began to fight the low-level remnant beasts that appeared suddenly. however, for two magical girls to quickly clear the overwhelming numbers of remnant beasts was an impossible task.

    what''s more, they had to be distracted to protect bai jingxuan, who was unconscious, and moke, who had no fighting ability and could only defend as they fought and retreated.

    "is that big thing in the sky the old hag transformed?"

    driving away the remnant beasts nearby with her silver-white magic power, lin xiaolu gritted her teeth, "damn it! if only i could use my magic armor, i would definitely go up there and thrash her good!"

    "you wouldn''t win,"

    moke, resting on her shoulder, sighed helplessly, "your perception is just too poor. you still haven''t realized that it has molted?"

    "molted?"

    "yes, molted! it''s a level of evolution for the remnant beasts! have you forgotten already?"

    "that thing above the cocoon?"

    "with only four levels in total, what else could it be?"

    moke patted lin xiaolu''s shoulder, "you really are an idiot!"

    "huh? you only remember a bit more trivia than me, what are you so proud of?" enjoy more content from empire sear?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "trivia? hmph, do you even know the biggest difference between a molted one and an ordinary remnant beast?"

    "what is it?"

    "..."

    "why have you suddenly become mute? don''t play coy, you fairy simpleton!"

    ¡ª"the biggest difference is that we have completely mastered our own ''rules''."

    an unrecognizable voice suddenly appeared in lin xiaolu''s mind, causing her brain to throb.

    her eyes widened as she turned to look aside, only to find the gigantic moth was already hovering above her, its sinister compound eyes peering down from on high.

 Chapter 141 Fierce Battle_3

    at that instant, lin xiaolu felt she had almost forgotten how to breathe.she could see a limb of the remnant beast stretching out, a jointed limb covered with spikes falling towards her direction. but what was merely a limb for the remnant beast appeared to lin xiaolu like a toppling giant tree, with no chance of dodging.

    ¡ª "don''t even think about it!"

    another voice rang out from the sky.

    deep blue magic power surged wildly as emerald sparrow followed the remnant beast closely, gripping her magical weapon. she appeared like a streak of light and struck abruptly, slashing across the remnant beast''s body.

    whether it was because her actions were too swift, or the remnant beast failed to notice her attack, this time, emerald sparrow''s masterpiece faced almost no resistance, striking the remnant beast with ease.

    the flow of magical power burst forth from the blade of her masterpiece, adding several strikes to the giant moth. blue light pierced directly through the remnant beast''s body, shining out from its back.

    emerald sparrow''s attack nearly cleaved the giant moth in two.

    "emerald sparrow!"

    only then did lin xiaolu finally catch her breath, seeing the remnant beast, which alone suffocated her with its presence, injured so effortlessly by emerald sparrow, her face unconsciously revealed a trace of joy.

    but that joy didn''t have the chance to transform into words of thanks.

    for almost at the same moment emerald sparrow''s magic power slashed through the remnant beast, the deep blue glow completely disappeared.

    everything that had passed through the moth''s body¡ªthe blade''s brilliance, the threads of magic power constructed by emerald sparrow, and even the unintentional magic power she exuded¡ªall vanished.

    the magic power flow that should have split the remnant beast''s body became nothingness, as if it had never existed at all, leaving no injury on the remnant beast.

    "do you feel the disparity, cornflower?"

    the remnant beast''s voice poured directly into the minds of those present, seemingly taunting with a proud laugh, "hehe, but it''s really too boring to shatter you now. the show has just started, struggle a bit more."

    the annihilative magic power flowed once again.

    as the remnant beast''s words ended, the deep blue magic power that had disappeared from thin air reappeared before everyone. only this time, it was the remnant beast that was wielding it.

    the process seemed lengthy, but in reality, it took less than a breath. all the released magic power was seized, and before emerald sparrow could even process what had happened, she could only attempt to reassemble her stance and try to reconstitute her magical gear and spell techniques for defense.

    but it was still too slow.

    after disappearing and reappearing, the masterpiece''s bladed threads reversed their direction of attack, slashing heavily onto emerald sparrow at a speed none could see clearly.

    emerald sparrow''s masterpiece, originally woven to kill remnant beasts at chrysalis stage or higher with its lethal force. both its blade sharpness and the spell technique structure intertwined were designed to easily cut through chrysalis shells.

    purely in terms of physical defense, remnant beasts were much stronger than magical girls, meaning an attack capable of injuring a chrysalis-stage remnant beast could inevitably harm a leaf-stage, even some magical girls at the bud stage with insufficient body strength.

    and at this moment, to inflict damage on this clearly molt-stage remnant beast and to save lin xiaolu in time, emerald sparrow had no margin to hold back whatsoever. s§×arch* the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    ¡ª "emerald sparrow!"

    enjoy exclusive content from empire

    within lin xiaolu''s cry of alarm, the masterpiece''s blade easily penetrated the petite figure in the air.

 Chapter 142 Prey

    remnant beasts, as a type of monster that existed well before the material realm''s human civilization, no one can say for sure when they were born.the most widely known theory is that all remnant beasts'' lives and powers actually come from the same source, a powerful entity that left behind neither name nor image. however, in the existent research on the magic side, there isn''t any evidence to support this theory.

    but belief doesn''t require evidence, and there have never been a shortage of people who believe this claim. the "master" mentioned by black ash dawn actually refers to this unknown entity.

    they call it the "beast lord."

    "the great beast calamity nineteen years ago, while bringing a disaster to the material realm, left behind a wealth of valuable treasures for the study of remnant beasts'' power."

    the voice of the remnant beasts, filled with a hint of amusement, clearly penetrated the consciousness of every magical girl present, "a great number of remnant beast remains that have not been stripped of their echoes, a great number of lives damaged by the beast''s magic power, and a great number of data from battles. these were unattainable by black ash dawn in times of peace, but during the great beast calamity, they were easily within reach."

    "after that, we extracted a rare crystal stone from a very special part of some remnant beasts. surprisingly, every remnant beast that had these crystal stones embedded in its body showed more or less phenomenon of magic power enrichment." s~ea??h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "their body structures were more robust; their unique organs were further developed; even the evolution of intelligence was extraordinary."

    "we conducted a detailed study on this crystal stone and eventually found that it has the function of devouring a large amount of magic power and purifying it, before nourishing it back out as some sort of special energy. this special energy could greatly promote the evolution of remnant beasts, raising the upper limit of their evolution."

    "however, the stock of this crystal stone was far too scarce. we dissected all the remnant beast remains we found from the calamity, yet we only obtained a sparse few. and the amount of magic power it required was too immense, the mere magic power could not at all support its consumption. our experiments progressed extremely slowly."

    "for the first experiment, it took us more than ten years to create a fully evolved exuviation stage remnant beast. but the good times didn''t last; the remnant beast''s body collapsed at the end of its evolution, turning into a pool of magic power-infused flesh."

    "the second experiment started two years later than the first one, took even longer, but the outcome didn''t differ; it collapsed."

    "after two more failures, i ruled out various possible inducements and realized that it wasn''t our approach that was wrong, but the ''food'' was not suitable."

    "we created a large number of meat pigs to feed the remnant beasts, but mere meat pigs were not enough. just like humans can develop various problems if they are picky with food, remnant beasts also need a ''balanced diet''."

    "fairy''s magic power, magical girl''s magic power, beast''s magic power, all are indispensable."

    "to prove this conclusion, two years ago, i made a decision in our latest breeding round: i took a portion of magic power from some floral card magical girls and fed it to our remnant beast. then, a variance emerged: its growth rate far exceeded that of previous experiments, and it even showed a considerable degree of intellectual evolution."

    "i knew, my experiment had succeeded."

    the giant moth slowly flapped its wings, gazing at the blue-haired girl lying on the ground, "so i need to thank your teammate, cornflower. it was sakura''s death that provided me with a sufficient amount of floral card magic power, giving me a glimpse of the possibility of success."

    emerald sparrow did not speak.

    because she truly was injured.

    stripped of her magical outfit by the remnant beast, she then suffered a solid strike to her body.

    indeed, a magical girl''s body is made up of magic power and doesn''t have biological organs in the traditional sense, but the damage from the magical outfit is not to the magical girl''s body, but to a deeper layer: the soul.

    her soul was nearly severed in half, and the pain of such a cleave was enough to cause a typical magical girl to lose control of her body.

    at this very moment, emerald sparrow lay on the ground looking up at the giant moth in the sky with an expressionless face, quietly listening to the other party''s proud and complacent statement.

    "...you seem to lack an audience." explore new worlds at empire

    yet even with such an injury, her voice betrayed no pain ¨C as calm as ever, "i''m not interested in your story of enduring hardship and persevering for many years."

    "is that so?"

    mosi''s voice carried a hint of surprise, "i thought you would be at least a little moved by your old teammate''s death."

    "if all you wanted was to anger me, then you''ve already achieved your goal long ago,"

    emerald sparrow''s voice remained steady, "but if you''re trying to tell me ''you killed sakura'' to shake my resolve, then all i can answer you is, impossible."

    "oh? i deliberately preserved the altar until now, you should have sensed sakura''s magic power from the ritual earlier, doesn''t that convince you?"

    "so what?"

    emerald sparrow did not avert her eyes, but no one knew what she was truly thinking beneath her calm exterior, "sakura is dead, her heart''s gem has vanished, i have long been aware of this fact. your actions merely clarify to me that her death is indeed inextricably linked to you."

    "you have no understanding of what the ''strongest floral card'' truly means, nor do you grasp what she was capable of. sakura had overcome countless enemies deemed invincible, time and again, to reach that position."

 Chapter 142 Prey_2

    she braced herself on the ground with both hands, slightly straightened up, and her tone gradually became serious, "you scum think you can defeat her, or even kill her?""don''t make me laugh, you''re not worthy of uttering her name."

    mosi fell silent for a while, and then she laughed again:

    "hahaha, good, i really like your indomitable spirit," she said.

    "that''s why i set the stage for today, at this most solemn occasion, and even invited these adorable little spectators," she said, waving her wings and pointing with her joints toward the newcomers nearby, "i can''t prove to you right now whether i can kill sakura, but what about these little ones? what do you think?"

    "like that girl over there, sakura''s daughter, her father seems to have been involved with you as well. if i were to kill her here, could you still keep that icy face of yours? i''m looking forward to it."

    "...don''t even think about it," the emerald sparrow supported her body with silk threads, allowing herself to stand up once again.

    "then it all depends on your performance."

    as mosi said this, she lifted her limbs, and countless dense, dark purple spheres appeared in midair, "how long can you protect her, cornflower?"

    as her voice fell, several of those dark purple magic power spheres pummeled down like meteors toward where lin xiaolu was located.

    lin xiaolu and the others were originally fighting with the remnant beasts while trying to get closer to the emerald sparrow, but when they saw the spheres falling from the sky, they immediately turned to evade. however, the dark purple magic power spheres seemed to have a mind of their own, shifting their trajectory with lin xiaolu''s movements.

    the emerald sparrow turned into a streak of light, reaching the newcomers in a blink of an eye. her magic armor formed a huge net in front of her, blocking the falling magic power spheres, attempting to stop them.

    but before the magic power spheres could touch the magic armor, the magic silk threads she had woven disappeared into thin air.

    without hesitation, she casted the favo rune again, and several magical barriers quickly enveloped the newcomers, separating the magic power spheres. however, these magical barriers also dissipated instantaneously. s§×ar?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    lin xiaolu below, seeing the situation turn dire, also raised her hand and swung a silver-white magic power flame toward the magic power spheres, but just like the emerald sparrow, it vanished midway.

    "not one-off, can be stored in multiple segments."

    the emerald sparrow muttered to herself in midair, and as the magic power spheres were about to hit lin xiaolu, her gaze intensified and she sped up again. she rushed in front of lin xiaolu and took the impact of the magic power sphere with her own body.

    xia liang, seeing this, also quickly unleashed her own magic armor, surrounding the emerald sparrow with several mirrors, attempting to divert the sphere''s magic energy elsewhere. but her magic armor couldn''t withstand such a caliber of magic power, and even before mosi made them disappear, the mirrors shattered entirely.

    crack.

    "gah...ugh!"

    xia liang''s face suddenly showed fine cracks and she was propelled away.

    as for the emerald sparrow, at the heart of the magic power explosion, it goes without saying; the heavy blow to her soul made her plummet like a kite with a broken string, only to be hastily caught by lin xiaolu below.

    "xia liang! damn it! emerald sparrow! how are you!"

    she touched the emerald sparrow''s nose in a bit of a panic, looking at her tattered and scorched dress and calling out somewhat helplessly, "are you okay? emerald sparrow?"

    the emerald sparrow''s eyes, which had been tightly shut, opened again at lin xiaolu''s call, and then she slightly sat up and grabbed lin xiaolu''s hand.

    "i''m fine."

    after catching her breath, the emerald sparrow calmly looked at lin xiaolu, "i''m here, don''t worry, nothing will happen."

    "what do you mean ''nothing will happen''! it''s already the second time! you''re already hurt like this!"

    lin xiaolu''s voice carried a hint of a sob, "don''t treat yourself like this. if she wants to kill me and you find it a hindrance in battle, then it''s better to just..."

    the emerald sparrow said nothing more.

    she just pinched lin xiaolu''s hand, signaling her to stop talking, and then struggled to stand up once again, looking up into the sky at mosi.

    "i thought your melodrama would go on for a while longer," mosi sneered.

    "why don''t you show her more of your sacrificial spirit, let me see more tear-jerking scenes?" she taunted.

    "i don''t want to waste my breath on scum," the emerald sparrow replied calmly and firmly, "if you want to see a tragedy, go slowly watch your own ending in hell."

    "hahaha, interesting. since you''re so eager, let''s continue," mosi said.

    dark purple magic power spheres appeared once again above everyone, and mosi''s voice rose, "let''s see, without the use of magic, just with your already scarred body, how long can you keep them safe?" find exclusive stories on empire

    as they looked at the dense magic power spheres in the sky, the emerald sparrow''s expression remained unchanged, mosi''s face filled with terror, xia liang''s gaze fell hopelessly, and lin xiaolu also looked deathly pale. she turned to the emerald sparrow and instinctively began to speak, but didn''t know what to say.

    mosi''s attack didn''t waver with the will of the magical girls.

    the dark purple magic power spheres plummeted down once more, and again, it was the emerald sparrow who blocked them with her body.

    "hahaha, it''s truly rare to see someone so distinguished, a former ace among magical girls, now a gemstone scepter, reduced to such a sorry state!" mosi laughed loudly.

    "where is your magic armor? where is your wonderland? where is your profusion? fighting like a seed class, not even worthy of that, is just too laughable!"

 Chapter 142 The Prey_3

    "you''ve been spouting madness like a little brat all along, do you think i''m not aware? overexerting yourself twice, first in the garden defense and then during the great beast catastrophe, your power has long since dwindled to a mere tenth of what it was!""look at yourself now, how pitiful!"

    "this is the magic kingdom! these are its heroes! heroes who save the situation in war, who save cities in the material realm, only to end up being humiliated like this!"

    "that''s exactly why you are my best prey, the finest ingredient for me to ascend to higher heights!"

    as her words fell, more magic power spheres emerged around her.

    "...so it is."

    emerald sparrow looked up at the sky now tainted with purple-black, her gem-like eyes reflecting the silhouette in the light: "your target has been me from the start."

    "realizing now? it''s already too late!"

    mosi laughed wildly, "what city, what humans, what kingdom and investigation bureau, these things were irrelevant to my plan from the beginning. all i need is you."

    "feeding a vast number of worthless pigs for two years to grow a remnant beast on the brink of collapse, then in one fell swoop acquiring a large amount of high-quality magic power, sufficient to bring its inner magic power back into equilibrium from a magical girl. this way, i can rapidly achieve the results i desire!"

    "and what better prey than a former bearer of the gemstone scepter, severely injured, in seclusion for many years, oblivious to the outside world?"

    "once i obtain your source of magic power, allowing the beast''s innards to complete their final replenishment, i can break through the cocoon''s limits, ascend to a higher rank, and become an existence nearing the pinnacle¡ªa king cocoon!"

    "i sent that useless mob of underlings to attack your old friend''s daughter, and sure enough, you showed up; i had them attack the man related to you, and sure enough, you took the bait; i had the spider attract the attention of the investigation bureau, and you rushed there immediately; i had hong siyu deceive your cognition, and you were none the wiser!"

    "i prepared so many smoke bombs to delay the ceremony, so many troubles to slow you down, and sure enough, you stepped right into my predictions, ignorant enough to make me pity you!"

    "you are like a bird living in a cage, trapping itself beneath the barriers, completely unaware of the many dangers approaching from the outside world. sad, laughable, lamentable!"

    "put away your useless defiance and kneel before me in the end. " s§×arch* the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    her voice grew cold: "just as i''m utterly incapable of protecting my own daughter now, you are utterly incapable of protecting those little girls. kneel down and pray for my mercy, and i might spare their lives, allowing them to become my new test subjects."

    the remnant beast''s segmented limbs lifted high, under the fluttering wings, numerous purple-black magic power spheres flickered uncertainly, pulsating with a destructive aura: "of course, you may refuse, and i don''t mind devouring a few more heart''s gems in the final ritual."

    it thus looked down upon emerald sparrow, awaiting her reply.

    however, the answer obtained was no answer.

    emerald sparrow did not respond to her words.

    her dark blue hair was tinged with dust, her body draped in a torn dark blue dress with burnt edges. despite appearing to be at an absolute disadvantage, emerald sparrow still stood there upright and composed, calmly watching mosi.

    "...no direction."

    "huh? what are you mumbling about?"

    "when magic power disappears, there is no direction."

    "so what? answer my question!"

    "no need to answer; i don''t want to waste words on nonsense."

    emerald sparrow spoke indifferently, "i''ve figured out your rule."

    that statement, like throwing ice into boiling water, instantly quieted the previously exuberant mosi.

    "...oh?"

    after a long pause, she spoke again with a playful tone, "well, that''s unexpected."

    "unexpected what? surprised that i could guess your rule, or surprised that i''m not an idiot?"

    emerald sparrow narrowed her eyes slightly: "from the beginning, you''ve been throwing out all sorts of topics, your own experiences, sakura''s death, the kingdom''s system, and my past... isn''t it just to lead my thoughts astray and scatter my thinking?"

    "in the midst of battle, you prattle on incessantly like a noisy clown for no other reason that i can see, except you are trying to dominate our thought process."

    "using various topics that you think would stimulate me, that would pique my interest, to force me to engage, thereby making me overlook, to voluntarily ignore thinking about the essence of your rule."

    "after all, your rule seems insolvable, as though it could block anyone''s magic attack, but when it comes down to it, it''s just a single statement:" enjoy exclusive content from empire

    "¡ªthe person with the largest shadow seizes the magic power of others."

    her words left mosi in silence once again.

    "nonsense," mosi mocked after a moment, "if that''s the conclusion you''ve arrived at, then you''re only going to lose even more miserably."

    "is that so?"

    emerald sparrow was noncommittal, "since that''s the case, then why haven''t you removed that blindingly bright column of light after your ''ritual'' ended? why do you keep pointlessly moving its position, letting your shadow cover us the whole time?"

    "well, let''s just say that''s the case."

    "yes, let''s just say that''s the case," emerald sparrow repeated mosi''s words, then extended her hand, pointing behind it:

    "after all, the magic silk i left behind you hasn''t vanished until now."

    following the direction of emerald sparrow''s finger, mosi looked behind itself, only to see a small segment of blue magic silk fixed to the ground at some point, which was quietly emanating a halo of magic power.

    it maintained its posture, gazing at that small segment of magic silk, then after a moment turned its head and abruptly spread its wings wide. in an instant, its massive shadow enveloped the entire area around emerald sparrow.

    watching that segment of silk, it wasn''t until this moment that mosi realized it might have truly underestimated this magical girl who had retired from the scene for many years.

    "you''ve actually been considering this issue all along."

    looking at emerald sparrow, it clicked its tongue in wonder, "if it weren''t for the fact that we''re enemies, i might actually have to ask for your guidance to find out what it is that allows you to stay so composed?"

    "the first rule is not to listen to the nonsense of you beasts."

    "that''s indeed a great honor for me."

    "the second rule, is because i have long been fighting countless battles between rules."

    emerald sparrow continued, "guessing and concealing rules is of utmost importance, and i don''t think you would overlook this. after all, once the truth of the rules is figured out, your rules lose their threat."

    "oh? even if you know the rules, what can you do?"

    mosi stated emotionlessly, "you still can''t use your own magic power, can''t use your own artifacts. and you, right now, can no longer use the wonderland, you have no means to resist all this..."

    ¡ª "who said i can''t use wonderland?"

    emerald sparrow interrupted it, staring straight at mosi, "did i say i couldn''t use wonderland?"

    "hmph, bluster!"

    mosi snorted, "your heart''s gem and artifacts have long been damaged, just being alive is a miracle, forcibly using wonderland? do you think such a lie has any meaning?"

    "whether it''s a lie or not, we''ll know after we fight."

    emerald sparrow spoke calmly, "as long as i know your rules, then your rules will no longer have any effect."

    "alright, come on."

    mosi paused, then smiled, "let''s see your wonderland, and let''s see what desperate measures you can muster at this point!"

    emerald sparrow didn''t continue the conversation with mosi.

    she silently spread her hands, the sparse deep blue magic power flowed through her body once again, and within the intertwining silk threads, a small pair of dressmaking scissors, barely the size of her palm, gradually materialized between her fingers.

    the silver-blue scissors seemed engraved with dense, complicated patterns, but upon a closer look, one would realize those patterns are actually cracks. the scissors were in fact merely an outline, fragile to the point that they might completely shatter with any careless movement.

    emerald sparrow gazed at the scissors in her hand, as if she was reminiscing about something, yet also seemed slowly letting go of something.

    "...sorry, for always using you so roughly."

    she reached out to stroke the scissors, her voice soft, "but, let me be headstrong one more time."

    picking up the scissors, she drew out magic silk from the joints of her fingers, emerald sparrow waved her hand, resolutely facing the remnant beasts in the sky.

    "magic power assemble, exude; wonderland, unfold, and here sever all of this¡ª"

    commanding with her mouth, her will growing firmer, the deep blue magic power surged like a high-pressure sensation, even the cracks on the scissors were glowing, as if they were about to shatter and explode at any moment.

    then, raising her voice, for the first time since her return, she called out her artifact''s name:

    ¡ª "weave of fate."

 Chapter 226 Volume One Finale: Night, Dawn, Magical Girl

    "weave of fate" was a very weak magical equipment.this was once the consensus of the magical girl squad in old fangting city.

    as the equipment obtained by emerald sparrow when she was just a bud, weave of fate initially was nothing but a cluster of seemingly pointless magic power lines. few in number and lacking in tenacity, even when used to entangle an enemy, it appeared incredibly frail.

    at that time, whenever she faced a formidable enemy with her companions, while they all drew out their own magical equipment, emerald sparrow could only wield those sparse threads, taking on the tasks of harassment and meat shield.

    for this reason, during the early stages of her life as a magical girl, emerald sparrow never relied on her magical equipment to fight.

    this did not mean she gave up on developing her magical equipment. after all, it was a common understanding that a magical girl''s equipment would evolve as she grew.

    and as the saying goes, hard work pays off. weave of fate indeed underwent evolution. the first time was when emerald sparrow turned 15, at the time of her awakening to the rank of bud and her initiation into her own wonder, her magical equipment inexplicably gained a pair of small tailoring scissors.

    these scissors were excessively tiny, so initially, emerald sparrow didn''t realize what their purpose was, thinking them like her threads, needing time to grow.

    but after months of waiting, she finally discovered that the scissors seemed to retain that form permanently. after several attempts, she also discovered their true use¡ªthey must be used in conjunction with the threads.

    it seemed that due to this discovery, she soon achieved the third form of weave of fate¡ªa ruler.

    threads, scissors, a ruler¡ªthe combination sounded like a sewing kit but when combined, they exhibited a powerful combat force beyond anyone''s imagination. hence, at that time, emerald sparrow, even at the level of a bud, could challenge remnant beasts far surpassing the strength of an ordinary bud and even emerge victorious.

    however, even so, the abilities of a bud have their limits, while the strength of the enemies did not.

    when she was 16, during the defense battle of the magic kingdom''s garden, emerald sparrow encountered an unprecedentedly strong enemy. her entire escort squad was caught in a grueling battle, many members were on the brink of death, and the center of wisdom of the magic kingdom¡ªluennolay¡ªwas at the edge of being breached.

    in that battle, for the first time, emerald sparrow used a technique that should not have been used.

    it was a technique that, it was said, every magical girl could only use once in their life and that would inevitably result in their true form shattering and possibly even death upon use.

    emerald sparrow used it, and she defeated the strong enemy.

    she even survived, but the cost was her own true form and magical equipment¡ªher scissors were nearly ruined, becoming almost unusable.

    it''s just a minor injury, emerald sparrow told herself. she even achieved another awakening afterwards, officially stepping into the level of a flower.

    she continued to be active as a magical girl, fighting.

    although due to the impact of the garden defense battle, she voluntarily distanced herself from the power center of the magic kingdom, it didn''t stop her from still having a heart for battle.

    so, when she was 17, during the year known as the "great calamity, great celebration," a beast calamity like none seen in a century erupted in the physical realm. the magical girl team of fangting city encountered terrifying remnant beasts that none of them together could repel.

    when she saw her companions in danger, despite some hesitation, emerald sparrow once again used that forbidden technique.

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    she became very strong, gaining power far beyond the ordinary. she won again, and even accomplishing such a feat, she still did not die. but the cost yet again was her magical equipment¡ªher ruler shattered.

    unlike the scissors, the ruler couldn''t even retain its shape, turning into a pile of rubble, completely disappearing from the world. s§×arch* the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    what followed was extreme side effects: the heart''s gem cracked, her true form became flawed, her abilities as a magical girl significantly degraded, using a relatively larger amount of magic power would cause severe headaches, further damaging the heart''s gem, and what should have been an effortlessly wielded wonder became a tremendous burden.

    participating in the battles of the fangting city squad in such a state, she had become a drag.

    even though she had earned the honor of a lifetime magical girl in the kingdom, even though the royal court had once invited her to become the final gemstone scepter, in the world of magic, without power and the ability to fight, all honors were mere empty talk.

    thus, disregarding her teammates'' objections, emerald sparrow chose to retire.

    her teammates had all become stronger than her, and an ya was improving at a pace of leaps and bounds each day; there was no longer anyone who she needed to help, no one she needed to protect.

    she was also very tired, having fought valiantly for three years, defeating unprecedented strong foes, and saving cities in peril¡­ she felt her brief career as a magical girl had made a sufficient contribution, and thus, it seemed fitting to put a full stop to it.

    in comic book stories, heroes always live happily ever after saving the world, and the world is so vast it won''t stop spinning for the lack of anyone. the retirement of a magical girl would not have that profound of an impact.

    she once thought that way.

    ¡ª"but no, that''s not how it is."

    emerald sparrow closed her eyes slightly: "life is not a comic book story, i am not a hero from the stories, i wasn''t able to truly solve problems, it was but self-satisfaction for my own endeavors."

    since the day he learned of an ya''s death, he who was now just lin yun, was consumed by guilt, always blaming himself.

 Chapter 227 Volume 1 Final Chapter: Night, Dawn, Magical Girl_2

    if i hadn''t chosen to retire, if i had fought alongside an ya, would things have turned out differently?i don''t know the answer to that question and maybe i will never know. an ya''s death, like a raging inferno, turned what was once a fairytale story into ashes.

    all i can do is reminisce over those burnt pages, endlessly blaming myself.

    i want revenge, but i am not without attachments. i know how strong an ya was, and i can imagine how dangerous her killer must be. if something were to happen to me during my quest for revenge, what would become of my daughter?

    but if i don''t seek revenge, that poisonous fire constantly scorches my heart.

    i''ve embraced those past dreams countless times in my sleep, and upon waking, i''ve fumbled hopelessly at the empty side of the bed, the anger and sorrow almost becoming an inescapable curse, locking me firmly in the past.

    eventually, i could only tell myself helplessly that i''m just an ordinary person, that i couldn''t and shouldn''t think about these things anymore.

    so i might as well focus on my work, focus on raising my daughter. as a single father, that might be the most normal choice.

    if everything really could just stop here. if my daughter had never stepped into the world of magic.

    but when everything happened, when the shadows lurking in fangting city, even in the donghua region, emerged and even threatened my daughter, then such "normalcy" could be discarded.

    "i don''t have lofty ideals. what i want to do is just protect the people around me. but i fled before, i failed, i didn''t keep my promise, i didn''t follow my own heart."

    "so this time, i will not allow it to happen again."

    "black ash dawn, i''ve come to know your actions, understand what you''ve done, and see the ugliness you''ve shown. no matter what part you played in an ya''s death; no matter what you''re still plotting in the physical world; no matter how much you hate the material realm. my stance towards you is unequivocal."

    emerald sparrow lifted her head, her pupils overflowing with magic power shone like a bright moon in the night sky:

    ¡ª¡ª"starting today, get out of fangting city, or i''ll personally drive each one of you out."

    silver-blue threads cascaded from the night sky, interweaving layers around her, a vast structure began to take shape within the web of threads, enclosing the central district of fangting city.

    like the grandeur of a fairy tale story, a cerulean castle radiating pure light stood majestically.

    this was emerald sparrow''s wonderland.

    it was as magnificent as the castles children imagine belonging only to princesses and princes in fairy tales. yet, it wasn''t made of stone, but of countless intricate magic silk threads woven together into a spectacle.

    the night sky, once tinged with purple-black magic power, was instantly isolated by the immense castle. regardless of whether they were magical girls, mosi, or those remnant beasts on the ground, all were enveloped by the castle.

    furthermore, beyond the castle, endless threads stretched out in all directions, extending throughout the entire fangting city.

    the chaotic streets, the shattered houses, the crowds that had been fleeing, all couldn''t help but look up, watching this miracle unfold. the ferocious and agitated remnant beasts also inexplicably calmed down.

    it wasn''t because they were marveling at the silk rain in the night sky, but because those threads traversing the sky were heading for them.

    infinite blue threads descended from the sky, immobilizing every remnant beast that roamed the city, and then, the threads connected them to the castle. find more chapters on empire

    "are we saved?"

    someone in the crowd asked tentatively at first, but soon, more daring individuals approached the remnant beasts, reaching out to touch the fearsome creatures.

    the remnant beasts, which had still been wreaking havoc and killing moments before, now stood like statues, motionless. and then the people realized, the attacks of the remnant beasts were truly over.

    "we''re saved! we''re saved!"

    "it must be a magical girl!"

    people began to cheer, to weep. the disaster had come so suddenly and ended just as swiftly, miraculously, leaving the survivors to revel in the gratitude of being alive.

    and this scene wasn''t just playing out in the city. unseen, amongst the ruins of what was once the abnormal strategy bureau, where "remnant beasts" that had been hung from the ceilings, now sprawled among the rubble, were also peacefully, quietly sleeping.

    ¡ª¡ª"out of control? no... their magic power has been deactivated. why? this is unprecedented, and there''s no reason for it."

    inside the silver-blue castle, mosi felt the changes in the magic power inside the bodies of the remnant beasts and felt an inexplicable unease. it asked the figure wrapped in threads not far away: "what did you do?"

    emerald sparrow didn''t respond immediately.

    it wasn''t that she didn''t want to engage with mosi ¡ª although that was indeed the case ¡ª but because she felt as if her body almost didn''t belong to her anymore. s~ea??h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    intense, excruciating pain filled her consciousness, as if threatening to tear apart her soul. she clenched her jaw tightly, worried that if she let out even a whisper, she would scream aloud.

    clinging tightly to the threads in her hands, as if to conduct the pain away, she slowly lifted her head amidst waves of agony, glaring intensely at mosi.

 Chapter 228 Volume 1 Final Chapter: Night, Dawn, Magical Girl_3

    then, she slightly lifted the scissors in her hand, which were on the verge of shattering.this action made mosi feel extremely endangered.

    after transforming into a remnant beast, as a fully developed exuviae, it could not only retain its human intelligence but also utilize the instincts and intuition of the remnant beasts.

    ordinary remnant beasts lacked intelligence and couldn''t comprehend what survival crisis meant, but that didn''t mean their instincts weren''t sharp. it was such perception and intuition that made mosi realize that whatever emerald sparrow was about to do, it was definitely something very dangerous.

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    "don''t even think about it!"

    it couldn''t possibly allow the opponent to use a move that threatened itself, so it cried out, also calling upon its own rules, trying to affect the magic power surrounding emerald sparrow and cover it once again.

    that''s what it had done before; it had succeeded in negating emerald sparrow''s magic power and taken away her masterpiece, which had stopped her from taking any further action.

    it had thought the process would be the same this time, but it hadn''t expected its attempt to fail.

    the dense web of threads inside the castle was unaffected and remained intact there.

    "impossible!"

    mosi exclaimed, "how can there be magic power that my rules can''t affect!"

    "...because... this isn''t magic power at all."

    emerald sparrow barely opened her mouth, gritting her teeth as she spat out these words, and then without waiting for mosi to act further, she resolutely swung the scissors in her hand.

    click.

    there was no sound from her action of waving the scissors, but mosi felt as if it heard a noise from the void, like the crisp friction sound when scissors close.

    in that instant, it felt as if it had lost something.

    what had it lost? there was no sensation on its body, no abnormalities in its spirit, it had no idea what change had occurred when the scissors were swung.

    but when mosi used its compound eyes to look at its body and observe its own changes, it was stunned.

    the sharp limb-like legs that were originally there had vanished without a trace, leaving behind a pair of human hands.

    they were tiny hands connected to the massive body of the remnant beast, as delicate as fluff, but it could not fail to recognize them, for they were its own human hands. s~ea??h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "what have you done?"

    it asked again, but this time the meaning was entirely different, the words laden with an uncontrollable horror.

    it knew what emerald sparrow had just cut off with the scissors; it wasn''t its body, nor its soul, not even magic power, but the part of it that was the remnant beast.

    the scissors hadn''t brutally chopped off its limbs but had erased the "remnant beast''s appendages" from its body.

    "impossible, your magic power couldn''t possibly affect me, your magical weapon couldn''t possibly work on me..."

    it muttered to itself, retreating continuously due to the intense feeling of threat, "i can cover your magic power, i can take that weird pair of scissors from you, and i want to use it to get back at you..."

    click.

    the crisp friction sound rang out once more.

    mosi almost reflexively looked down following the sound of friction, and this time, it was its lower half as a remnant beast that had disappeared.

    "impossible!"

    it howled in anger and futility and, seeing that retreating was useless, turned direction and once again used its own rules, but this time its target was the scissors in emerald sparrow''s hands.

    the scissors in emerald sparrow''s hand were part of the magical weapon and indeed formed by her magic power, so when mosi used its rules to cover emerald sparrow''s scissors, it was possible to take them.

    and indeed, it succeeded.

    as the rules took effect, emerald sparrow''s scissors disappeared in an instant and then appeared in mosi''s hands.

    "hahaha, i''ve found the way to defeat it!"

    seeing its success, it couldn''t help but laugh wildly, then it took hold of emerald sparrow''s scissors with its disproportionally comical palms, "i can too! watch me use your magical weapon to... eh! gah! ahhhhhhh!"

    but before it could finish speaking, as soon as mosi touched emerald sparrow''s scissors, it let out a miserable howl, "it hurts ahhhhhhhh¡ª¡ª"

    screaming like a banshee, it forcefully snipped with the scissors in hand, discovering that it had no effect, so it hastily threw the scissors aside. even after discarding them, the pain did not subside; intense agony made it tremble all over, leaving no room for thought.

    throughout, emerald sparrow hadn''t said a word, she simply covered her head, expressionless, watching the scissors appear in mosi''s hands, then when mosi threw them away, picked them up again.

    "you can''t use it," she said.

    "...impossible! why is this happening! how could you possibly swing that magical weapon! don''t you feel the heart-wrenching pain at all?"

    mosi looked up, raging, "you knew i would do this, so you tampered with the magical weapon, right!"

    "i don''t need to."

    emerald sparrow slid her fingers back into the scissors'' handle loops, opening the sharp blades, "used to it."

    "used to that kind of pain? what nonsense are you talking about!"

    mosi screamed in rebuttal, but when it saw the ice-cold expression on emerald sparrow''s face, the words that should have spilled out halted.

    it realized that emerald sparrow might not have been lying.

    twice overextending herself, with an incomplete essence, the price paid by the cracked heart''s gem was far more than just weakened abilities. at this point, emerald sparrow was almost always in soul-deep pain whenever she used the magical weapon to fight.

 Chapter 229 Volume 1 Final Chapter: Night, Dawn, Magical Girl_4

    in such a state, emerald sparrow was still able to remain calm, even maintaining her analytical thinking to parse through the battle and overcome the enemy. this is why she always appeared expressionless in combat, always advocating for efficiency."are you a human or a machine..."

    mosi asked, somewhat frantically, "what kind of monster are you exactly!"

    "i am a magical girl."

    emerald sparrow swung her scissors expressionlessly, "to expel monsters, to protect everyone."

    crack.

    with another crisp sound, what vanished this time was mosi''s head as a remnant beast.

    the aged face of a woman reappeared atop the body of the remnant beast, but now her hair was disheveled, her face filled with panic: "impossible! impossible! impossible! could there be a flaw in my rules? what is so strange about your spell techniques, why can they harm me, why!"

    it frantically manipulated its senses, trying to find anything amiss in this space, trying to halt this terrifying process, but it found no oversight.

    desperate, its consciousness even began to branch out to those remnant beasts outside the bizarre realm that it controlled. it saw those in the city stood still as statues; it saw those in the ruins of the abnormal strategy bureau that lay in silent slumber; it also saw hong siyu, sleeping soundly amidst a swarm of remnant beasts.

    then it discovered, all the remnant beasts were just like itself.

    they had lost their claws, lost their legs, lost their heads. only, the originally human-stitched remnant beasts had reverted to their original forms, those true remnant beasts had become nothing but corpses.

    and on all the remnant beasts, there were strings connected. strings made of magic silk that spread from the massive castle, woven from the bizarre realm itself.

    the bizarre realm was born from the force of the soul will within its true nature and was not formed by magic power, so its rules could not affect the bizarre realm.

    it was these strings from the bizarre realm that connected it to the great castle, indirectly linking it to all the remnant beasts, which were then mutually affected by some unknown set of rules.

    "this is your rule, this is your rule!"

    shouting loudly, mosi appeared maniacal, "what is your rule, what exactly is it doing!"

    though her human head had already manifested, mosi''s screams were still as ghastly and shrill as that of a ghost. it crazily approached emerald sparrow, trying to stop her actions.

    but emerald sparrow did not give it the chance.

    "same fate."

    gently opening and closing the scissors in her hands, she said to mosi with a tranquil tone, "our lives are connected, we lose together, we gain together."

    and it wasn''t until mosi drew near that she finally saw clearly what emerald sparrow was doing.

    countless fine threads connected to the massive blue castle, and from within the castle, all the thread ends hung down from above, converging in front of emerald sparrow.

    each thread was linked to an entity within the bizarre realm, whether it was a magical girl or a remnant beast, a single thread corresponding to a single life.

    and all emerald sparrow did was lift her scissors and gently place them on one of the threads.

    mosi could feel what that thread corresponded to, it was linked to an egg-level remnant beast tucked away in a corner of the realm, an entity that was just a number in the hordes of remnant beasts.

    emerald sparrow had never intended to directly affect mosi with her spell techniques; all she wanted to do was cut the threads connected to the other remnant beasts.

    just as she had said, together they gain, together they lose.

    under the rules of emerald sparrow''s bizarre realm, all life within it was connected. if one entity lost something, all others would lose the same thing, including emerald sparrow herself.

    and because life was tied to these threads, by just pruning them with her scissors, emerald sparrow could directly affect the bodies of her targets.

    at this moment, what emerald sparrow''s scissors cut was the "body of the remnant beast." s§×arch* the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    imposed with the concept called "remnant beast," this was without a doubt a disaster for the beasts because it was the entirety of their lives; once snipped, they naturally died.

    but for those humans transformed into remnant beasts, this acted like the most precise surgical procedure, with every "remnant beast" part being excised from their bodies as emerald sparrow wielded her scissors, leaving behind their original human form.

    and because in the bizarre realm, all life was connected, when one entity underwent such a change, all others would change accordingly. if a remnant beast lost its "remnant beast claw," all would lose the "remnant beast claw."

    this naturally included mosi.

    "the final cut."

    looking dispassionately at mosi who was lunging towards her, emerald sparrow calmly brought the blades of the scissors together, letting the edge finally act upon that thread before her.

    this cut, she snipped the "body of the remnant beast," which happened to be the last part of mosi that belonged to the remnant beast.

    "stop! stop right now! you must stop!"

    mosi screamed in frenzy, shouting, stretching out a hand in an attempt to halt emerald sparrow with spell techniques, "didn''t you hear me when i said stop! halt! you maniac! stop it, stop!"

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    ¡ª¡ªcrack.

    the scissors closed, the thread was severed.

    as if something had happened, yet as if nothing had at all.

 Chapter 230 Volume 1 Final Chapter: Night, Dawn, Magical Girl_5

    with a crisp sound, the enormous remnant beast in the sky, the motionless remnant beasts within the city, and the "remnant beasts" sleeping in the ruins of the abnormal strategy bureau all vanished.together with the blue castle that originally enveloped the city center, everything disappeared into the night. it was as if, like in a fairy tale, all magical, dreamlike, extraordinary things dissipated into nothingness with one light sound, just as cinderella''s enchantment from the fairy godmother.

    once the ball ended, cinderella was cinderella again, everything that should return to reality regained its true form.

    people looked at each other in bewilderment, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed¡ªif it weren''t for the remaining damage on the buildings'' streets, they would even doubt that the remnant beast attack was just an illusion.

    no one noticed that as the remnant beasts disappeared, some humans who weren''t there before mysteriously appeared amidst the ruins, lying there sleeping quietly.

    as the instigator of it all, atop the scorched ground in the city center, emerald sparrow was holding a pair of scissors, quietly watching mosi before her.

    the colossal moth remnant beast was no more, only an old woman in black robes remained. she sat on the ground, dazed, staring blankly at her own hands.

    apart from a tiny purple-black crystal stone, nothing was left there.

    "my experiment, my plans, my power, my revenge..."

    she looked up at emerald sparrow, "what have you done? without these, how am i supposed to take revenge on the magic kingdom, how am i supposed to kill all those high-and-mighty magical girls in power?"

    "how could you do all this... you''re just a former trump card who''s been seriously injured, with magic power that is already damaged and can''t be fully used, on what basis did you take away everything i had!"

    "such a terrible rule, such an unreasonable rule, how can you use it at will!"

    "gain together? lose together? what nonsense! limited to the concept of a remnant beast, don''t magical girls like you not have to pay for anything?"

    "using such power, why don''t you pay any price?"

    she roared hysterically, "this is not fair, why! why!"

    emerald sparrow still looked calmly at mosi.

    "you''re right."

    she slowly spoke, "everything comes with a price."

    ¡ª¡ªcrack, crunch.

    as the words fell, the small, already cracked pair of tailoring scissors in her hand finally gave in to the strain with a crisp sound. the cracks spread wantonly, eventually cutting through the blade completely, reducing the scissors into countless fragments.

    then, under mosi''s gaze, emerald sparrow''s scissors shattered.

    just like the ruler she had once lost, as another form of the weave of fate, the scissors seemed to have fulfilled their purpose, turning into many fragments after everything was done, disappearing completely.

    "rules are rules, magic power is magic power, to leverage spells to move rules, one must naturally pay the price due."

    emerald sparrow seemed oblivious to the disappearance of the scissors from her hand, and emotionlessly said to mosi, "now, neither of us has any rules."

    mosi didn''t heed emerald sparrow''s words; she watched the breaking apart of the scissors, her eyes widening as if confirming whether this was reality. when she realized that emerald sparrow really couldn''t put the scissors back together again, she let out a somewhat deranged "heh."

    "magic power? the price is your magic power! hahaha!"

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    she propped herself up off the ground in a disheveled manner, her golden hair matted with the fluid of remnant beasts, sticking to her cheeks, "you''re a lunatic! you monster! to weaken my power you destroyed your own magic power! what kind of crazed magical girl are you! are you out of your mind?"

    "between magic power and this city, power and my juniors, i know which is more important." sea??h th§× novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    emerald sparrow shook her hand and looked somewhat stunned at her palm, then raised her head again, "it''s just a pair of scissors, in exchange for a miracle that reverses everything, i''ve already gained far too much."

    "lunatic... lunatic..."

    mosi muttered, straightening her body, "hahaha! lunatic! you mentally deranged masochist!"

    "it''s quite funny hearing that from you," emerald sparrow sighed, took a step forward, and walked towards mosi, "i''ll admit, that''s the funniest thing you''ve said tonight."

    "still putting up a show!"

    mosi glared at emerald sparrow with venom, her mouth curling into a mad smile, "you can''t use the magic realm anymore! you''ve lost your magic power! you''ve barely any magic power left! how do you think you can defeat me now?"

    "i no longer have the beast''s innards, but i still have magic power, and i have my spell techniques, my reserves of magic power are far greater than yours, and my condition is much better than yours! when all the trump cards and jokers have been used up, what''s left is a comparison of who has more quality cards in hand, idiot! what bargaining chip do you have left at your disposal now? admit it, you''ve already lost!"

    "you''re finished, i will torture you with the most cruel methods, i''ll make you regret everything you did tonight, and those brats over there won''t escape either, i''ll make you all..."

    bang!

    "ow!"

    with a muffled sound and mosi''s cry, she was sent flying.

    emerald sparrow retracted her fist, her expression calm as she raised her hand to roll up the sleeves of her dress, revealing her slender and white arm, as well as the pair of fists that didn''t seem very menacing.

 Chapter 231 Volume 1 Final Chapter: Night, Dawn, Magical Girl_6

    but just then, a solid punch landed squarely on mosi''s face."have you said enough?" she asked indifferently.

    "what the hell are you playing at!" mosi, covering her face, angrily scrambled up from the ground.

    "i don''t want to hear any more of your gibberish. just end it already."

    emerald sparrow lifted her chin emotionlessly, raising the fist in her hand, "next, i''m going to smash that filthy face of yours to pieces, you scum."

    "with your fist..."

    mosi listened to her words with a dazed expression and then sneered again, "ha-ha-ha! with your fist? come at me if you can, you psycho!"

    but before she could straighten up, mosi saw a surge of blue magic power in front of her. a blue streak flashed before her eyes, and emerald sparrow was upon her once more.

    then, a fist slammed heavily into her face again.

    boom!

    this time, mosi was sent flying as if she had been hit by a large vehicle, launched into the air, and then crashed into the half-destroyed building beside her, creating a pile of broken bricks and debris.

    emerald sparrow, holding her fist, materialized at her previous location, looking unemotionally at the fractured building, "good."

    then, traces of magic power lit up beneath her feet, and she shot out once again at incredible speed, as if vanishing into thin air.

    mosi would never understand why a magical girl was so adept at hand-to-hand combat. sear?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    what she didn''t know was that when emerald sparrow first acquired the weave of fate, in order to compensate for the weak combat power of her magical gear, she resorted to martial arts.

    if magical gear was ineffective, then magic power was undeniably real. by using the right spell techniques to block long-range attacks, the rest could be taken care of with close combat.

    so, hand-to-hand combat was actually emerald sparrow''s forte.

    blue traces of magic power streaked continuously through the building, and mosi, like a ping-pong ball, was hammered repeatedly in midair, flung chaotically, with no strength to retaliate.

    each punch landed heavily on her face, each blow struck her nose bridge fiercely. mosi felt dazed and unable to discern directions.

    at first, she scorned emerald sparrow''s attacks, which seemed like mere juggling, but as the punches repeatedly hammered her face, she finally began to feel fear when her gums and nose bridge emitted sounds of distress.

    she realized the true reason emerald sparrow chose to fight this way¡ªto vent her anger.

    punch after punch, hitting hard on her face, not for anything else, but to pour out rage.

    teeth knocked out, nose bridge shattered, with emerald sparrow''s continued heavy punches, even mosi''s extraordinary physique could not withstand such damage.

    "ah! have you had enough!" she struggled to counterattack and dodge, "you brute, you imbecile!"

    she landed a punch on emerald sparrow''s arm, yelling hysterically, "who do you think you are? do you fancy yourself as the bringer of justice? a dog abandoned by the nation!"

    "the king''s indifference and your own have brought you to this state. yet you claim justice, thinking to judge me here?"

    "look at you now, barbarous and hideous. have you ever thought about what the high and mighty gemstone scepter is doing right now? while you''re here fighting tooth and nail, they''re enjoying their tea, wine, and comfortable sleep!"

    "i want to wage war against those people. i want to shatter their rule, and yet you''ve ruined everything! it''s all gone! i have nothing left!"

    struck once more by a heavy punch from emerald sparrow, she fell to the ground but got up again, her emotions incredibly charged, "you don''t understand my hatred! i am in the right, i am the just one, there''s no reason for me to lose!"

    "mortals have no power to resist the nation, only by borrowing the strength of the remnant beasts can i take revenge on the nation. how could i have the power to strike back at the nation if i didn''t go this far!"

    "you magical girls will never understand the helplessness and pain of mortals. from a young age, you were chosen by the nation, granted power far exceeding that of mortals, while we magicians, no matter how we train, can''t catch up to you by a hair! it''s completely unfair!"

    "how desperate! a commoner wanting to take revenge against the high and mighty magical girls, what else could i do? what choice did i have other than the strength of the remnant beasts?"

    "you call me evil? say i''m scum? then tell me¡ªif you had a daughter, if your daughter was sacrificed meaninglessly, and also received cold treatment from the nation, with no gain in life or fame in death, what would you choose?"

    "when you can only silently attend your daughter''s funeral, unable to express your suffering, what other method of vengeance do you have besides the power of the remnant beasts!"

    she fiercely clutched at emerald sparrow''s collar, almost screaming in her face, "you just don''t get it, do you! cornflower!"

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    "...i have a daughter."

    that''s when emerald sparrow suddenly said.

    she looked emotionlessly at mosi, and with a voice only they could hear, she spoke slowly, "she too was a magical girl. but a few months ago, when she was just starting out, she encountered your people."

    "if one day she dies because of the nation''s mistake, i will certainly settle the score with the person responsible. but for now, like i said, there''s only one thing i need to do."

 Chapter 232 Volume 1 Final Chapter: Night, Dawn, Magical Girl_7

    she looked into mosi''s eyes, "i won''t let her be endangered anymore. before anything happens, i''ll smash those bastards threatening her safety to bits with my fists and pound your beastly faces into the filth they resemble."mosi stared blankly at emerald sparrow.

    she struggled to grasp the meaning behind emerald sparrow''s words, and then, as if suddenly realizing something, she cursed, "so it was you! this is how it is! i get it! i don''t understand! how is this possible! it''s impossible!"

    "that''s why you weren''t affected after you met me! that''s why you can always appear the moment that man is in danger! that''s why you''re so bothered by ying''s death!"

    "hong siyu, that bitch! she actually deceived me, she hid the most important thing!"

    she pulled back her hand and using her size advantage, she pushed emerald sparrow to the ground, then grabbed emerald sparrow''s hair and began tearing at it, "you have a secret! a huge secret! i must beat you! i need to know what your secret is, i still have a chance!"

    the two figures, one much larger than the other, rolled around and fought on the ground.

    they lacked the demeanor of magic users and magical girls, fighting each other like the scummiest brawlers on the streets. initially, the outcome was unclear, but soon, for some reason, emerald sparrow gained the upper hand, seizing control from the chaos and once more, struck mosi''s nose fiercely. sear?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    thud!

    that punch directly shattered mosi''s already injured nose, blood spurting out instantly.

    emerald sparrow''s lips tightened, eyes reddened, wordless. she pinned mosi''s forehead, kneeling on top of her, and began repeatedly smashing her face with her fists.

    in the midst of ruins, only muffled thuds that made one''s heart tremble remained.

    expressionless, emerald sparrow hammered punch after punch into mosi''s face, her clean fists even stained with blood, but she felt nothing.

    mosi''s screams grew fainter amidst the spray of blood, eventually gasping for breath and unable to make a sound.

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    her face, smashed beyond recognition, could no longer be identified as human, smeared with patchy blood, the features unrecognizable.

    "you will end up like me."

    in a daze, she suddenly said, "the hatred and murderous intent on your face, the brutality you''ve always hidden away, are the catalysts leading you down my path"

    "...i won''t."

    emerald sparrow pulled back her fist, lightly wiping the blood off her cheek, "i won''t lose myself to revenge."

    "you will."

    mosi''s voice was weak, "one day, you will discover the true nature of hatred, you will understand the workings of this world. when that time comes, your desire for revenge will leave you no choice but destruction."

    she swallowed hard, her voice trembling, "look at your face, that devilish expression consuming people, you will be devoured by your own hatred. your fate, you madwoman, won''t be much better than mine."

    bang!

    another punch landed on her face. this time, emerald sparrow didn''t aim for the nose but for mosi''s mouth, knocking out several teeth with another blow.

    she raised her fist and quietly looked at mosi for a while. finally, she stopped hitting her and released her hold on mosi''s head, slowly straightening up:

    "what exactly is an ya''s death related to you guys at black ash dawn? who was it? or rather, who were involved? tell me, and i''ll make it quick for you."

    "heh... heh..."

    as blood spilled from her mouth, mosi too looked at emerald sparrow. she no longer had the strength to howl, merely showing a peculiar smile slowly spreading across her face.

    with her crimson mouth open, she said unclearly, "it''s too late..."

    "what are you talking about?" emerald sparrow furrowed her brows.

    "in this world where the strong prey on the weak, if you don''t devour others, you will be devoured. we are all ingredients on the plate, pieces on the chessboard..."

    mosi glared with her eyes wide open, whispered to make emerald sparrow focus, and with a sudden move, stretched out her hand, claw-like, towards emerald sparrow''s eyes:

    "from the moment the creation of the saint heir succeeded and he descended, we had no other choice but to be manipulated¡ª¡ª"

    in her extreme weakness, her hand exploded with swift speed, like the last flicker of a dying flame targeting emerald sparrow, even in her last moment she wanted to counterattack, to injure the other.

    but her plan was bound to fail.

    the moment her hand stretched out, blades formed of magic power had already penetrated her skull, nailing it to the ground.

    emerald sparrow killed her with her masterpiece.

    being without scissors did not mean the threads no longer existed. as the remaining form of weave of fate, the masterpiece could still exert its effect.

    she stood up, light blades coalescing around her, stabbing one after another into mosi''s vitals until mosi lay motionless, her eyes open but lifeless. only then did emerald sparrow slowly retract her masterpiece.

    gazing at those eyes that refused to close in death, emerald sparrow shut her own eyes, gradually unclenching her fisted hand.

    the king''s former ash envoy from black ash dawn, the chief of abnormal strategy bureau from fangting city, the prime culprit behind the sacrifices in donghua region for the past two years, mosi, also known as moth, has been executed.

    her heart''s fury not yet soothed, the boiling hatred within her surged on as she looked towards the sky slowly lightening with dawn, feeling an inexplicable emptiness inside.

 Chapter 233 Volume 1 Final Chapter: Night, Dawn, Magical Girl_8

    the moth died, and then what?she had avenged hong siyu and the employees of the abnormal strategy bureau and avenged the dangers that lin xiaolu had once faced, but then what?

    "[you will be just like me]."

    the words spoken by mosi before his death seemed like nonsense, but when emerald sparrow felt the emptiness afterward, she somehow understood the emotions in her heart:

    she wanted to continue, she wanted to find more enemies and then, by her own hand, dispose of all these people¡ª

    "emerald sparrow?" s§×arch* the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    an abrupt call rang out behind her.

    it was a voice emerald sparrow was all too familiar with; she didn''t need to turn around to know it came from her daughter, lin xiaolu.

    she slowly turned around, her somewhat reddened blue eyes looking in the direction of the voice to see lin xiaolu and bai jingxuan helping xia liang, the three of them limping toward her.

    at this moment, lin xiaolu was looking at emerald sparrow with hesitation, her face showing concern and a touch of fear.

    fear?

    was her current appearance frightening?

    emerald sparrow couldn''t help thinking this.

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    staring at the three girls in front of her, for the first time she found herself at a loss for words, realizing that revenge, especially such bloody revenge, was something children should not see.

    even though she knew they would grow up and understand all this, she didn''t know how to begin speaking now.

    she and lin xiaolu just silently looked at each other, and for a while, neither of them spoke.

    how similar.

    emerald sparrow suddenly thought.

    once upon a time, it was precisely because she, as a father, was unwilling to tell his daughter anything, didn''t want her to be exposed to anything, just wanting to bear it all alone, that they ended up in such a state.

    she felt it was protection, but to the child, it was actually an adult''s arrogance.

    if now she maintained her silence and continued to hide everything, would it...

    "let''s go back."

    emerald sparrow''s complicated thoughts were interrupted because lin xiaolu suddenly said so.

    her face still showed some uncertainty, but her gaze toward emerald sparrow was filled with determination, and then she slowly extended her hand forward.

    this gesture seemed to pull emerald sparrow back to two years ago.

    when an ya died, she had a big quarrel with her daughter, who then chose to run away from home silently, going to a classmate''s house without telling her anything.

    at that time, lin yun searched through the streets, and it was only because the classmate''s parents revealed information that he found her. it was like this then. lin yun stood outside the door, disheveled, while lin xiaolu stood inside, full of hesitation.

    but at that time, it was him who extended his hand.

    he also said then, "let''s go home."

    looking at her daughter''s outstretched hand, emerald sparrow subconsciously wanted to grasp it, but then suddenly remembered that her own hands were actually covered in fresh blood, looking very frightening.

    she did not want her daughter''s hands to get stained with blood.

    so she once again silently withdrew her hand.

    as memory and reality overlapped, in a trance, she seemed to be back in front of that apartment building''s door, standing outside, facing the little lin xiaolu who hid behind her classmate, separated by the door frame as if divided into two worlds.

    she faced that little daughter, but this time, she no longer dared to reach out her hand.

    then, she saw the daughter in front of her move.

    lin xiaolu suddenly emerged from behind her classmate, running swiftly toward her, then her appearance shifted, and in the blink of an eye, she became the 14-year-old lin xiaolu. she rushed to emerald sparrow''s side, disregarding emerald sparrow''s attempt to avoid her, grabbed her hand which should have been stained with fresh blood, and held it tightly in front of herself.

    "let''s go home."

    the daughter once again, earnestly, solemnly said this to emerald sparrow.

    in that instant, the cage of past memories seemed to shatter completely, emerald sparrow being led back to reality by her daughter''s hand, standing once again under the vibrant morning sun.

    the girls in front of her were all watching her, some with serious expressions, some with worry, and others filled with admiration.

    forget it, whatever.

    she thought to herself inexplicably.

    then she opened her arms, slightly lifted the corners of her mouth, and embraced the girls who rushed to her firmly, tightly.

 Chapter 234 Interlude 1 Guest Returns to Bai An

    bai''an city, known far and wide as a city of music and tourism, always had a steady stream of tourists throughout the year. and the landship port, as the only hub of transport to the outside world, was naturally never short of a bustling crowd. stay updated via empirea landship from tiandu city had arrived at the port five minutes ago, and a dense crowd poured out, hurriedly rushing towards the checkpoint, fearing that a moment''s delay would leave them at the end of the queue.

    of course, there were also those less hurried travelers, who walked more slowly, adopting an attitude of ''hurry does no good.'' a woman with sunglasses was just like that; she had no luggage, no bags in hand, and was leisurely trailing behind the crowd.

    "hey, look over there, does that girl seem familiar?"

    in the waiting room, a couple who were chatting cast a casual glance at the people coming out of the landship, the woman, with a sharper eye, pointed towards the end of the crowd and said.

    "who?" the man, a bit slower on the uptake, looked in the direction the woman was indicating.

    "that girl there, wearing sunglasses, the tall one!"

    the woman slapped his hand: "don''t you think she looks like that famous singer... the one your friend really likes, that dongying state person?"

    "dongying state... he''s the fan, not me. why would i know about that?"

    "you should at least know, she''s a big star on tv every day. i remember her name is something like, ma... mari?"

    the woman said, contemplating, then spoke more urgently, "ah, she turned the corner! can''t see her now!"

    "i told you i don''t know, and i can''t see her anyway."

    after searching the crowd for a while, the man failed to see who the woman was talking about and could only appease her resignedly: "alright, alright, if we didn''t see her, we didn''t see her, she can''t be prettier than you anyway."

    the woman, who initially felt a bit disappointed, suddenly perked up: "i like that comment. why don''t you repeat it a couple more times?"

    the couple promptly returned to their sweet and loving banter.

    situations like this unfolded unceasingly at the port, and many also took notice of the ordinary-looking woman in sunglasses. however, most people couldn''t quite make out her identity behind the sunglasses; they just felt a vague sense of familiarity.

    the woman in sunglasses thus comfortably walked out of the port and got into a car that was already waiting outside. the car started immediately and sped towards the inner city of bai''an.

    eventually, the woman arrived in the old town district and briskly stepped out of the car in front of an old piano shop. she turned and waved airily at the driver''s seat before striding into the shop.

    inside the piano shop, behind the counter, a young girl with light golden curls was lying on the desk, soundly asleep.

    seeing this, the woman showed a slightly indulgent smile, stepped forward, and gently patted the girl''s cheek.

    the movement roused the girl, who sleepily looked at the woman. perhaps because the visitor had a special identity, she paused slightly. after a careful look, she asked, somewhat bewildered:

    "mu tonghao, sister? why are you here?"

    the term "mu tonghao" made the previously smiling woman''s eyebrows twitch and she raised a hand, slapping it on the girl''s exposed forehead: "what kind of way is that to address someone?"

    "ow!" the girl, shocked by the slap, instantly became fully awake, "why did you hit me?"

    "i''ve told you many times, haven''t i? even if you can''t properly call me ''teacher,'' you should at least call me ''margaret'' or ''sister yuan xiang.''" the woman in sunglasses said so, earnestly circling a finger in the air.

    "but isn''t margaret just another way to say mu tonghao... isn''t that the codename the nation gave you?"

    "it sounds too rustic. a title like ''margaret'' is what truly showcases my radiance and beauty, right?"

    taking off her sunglasses, the woman revealed her eyes: "come now, my dear disciple, take this opportunity to change how you address me."

    it was somewhat magical; the mature and cool demeanor the woman presented while wearing the sunglasses vanished when she removed them, revealing a girlish charm instead: she looked as young and vibrant as the blonde girl next to the counter, and those crimson eyes were captivating.

    "so cheesy!"

    however, the girl behind the counter had no intention of sparing margaret any dignity: "what exactly are you here for?"

    "why have i come back? isn''t it because of your situation here? i''ve heard the old place is about to be taken over; i had to come and see, right?" margaret said, crossing her arms.

    "old place? mu... sister yuan xiang, aren''t you with the nation?" the blonde girl said dryly.

    "wherever there''s music, that''s my home!"

    "so why is there only you here in the piano shop? where are the others, like dengzhan?"

    "they''ve gone out on patrol."

    "on patrol, huh? and why are you staying here then?"

    "i''m in charge of guarding the home..."

    playing with her fingers, the blonde girl spoke somewhat sheepishly, "to prevent any trouble from arising in the old town district."

    "really?"

    "...because i caused trouble outside before, and when we were catching a bad guy, we caught the wrong person, so now i''m being grounded by the lantern sister," the blonde girl muttered.

    "you really do have a knack for getting into trouble," margaret said with a refreshing smile.

    "wuu," the blonde girl puckered her lips unhappily.

    "well, it''s fine with just you. do you know if anything happened in bai an city before?"

    "before? nothing much, i guess?" s~ea??h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    the blonde girl pondered and said, "it''s just that lantern sister disappeared for a few days, but eventually everyone came back."

    "that''s not what you call ''nothing much''."

    margaret corrected her, "what''s this about lantern disappearing? what did she go and do?"

    "i don''t know."

    the blonde girl shook her head blankly, "she just said she got lost in the den of the remnant beasts, was delayed for a few days, but managed to defeat the remnant beasts and got out."

    "a den? have cocoons appeared around bai an?"

    "maybe?" the blonde girl propped up her chin.

    "maybe?" margaret confirmed with her.

    "maybe," the blonde girl nodded again.

    "...forget it, being muddled and clumsy is also a cute side of you."

    after a moment of helpless silence, margaret smiled, "it was my mistake to try to get anything out of you. let''s wait until lantern comes back to talk about it."

    "why do i suddenly feel like i''m being looked down upon?"

    "not at all."

    "i''m not completely clueless! it was just during the few days lantern sister disappeared! someone from the kingdom came!"

    to prove she was of use, the blonde girl racked her brains, "what was their position again... inspector general?"

    "inspector general? eh, that''s a big shot," margaret said, interested, as she fiddled with her hair, "it seems like something serious happened. which one was it specifically?"

    "which one... it seemed to be called cui niao?"

    "i''ve never heard of an inspector general with that codename."

    "then it must be that you don''t know, sister yuan xiang." not wanting her answer to be denied, the blonde girl insisted, "anyway, they came to help, so it couldn''t have been fake."

    "so it''s you who remembered the name wrong, cui niao, cui niao, an inspector general with a name similar to this..."

    repeating the codename the blonde girl had said, margaret''s casual expression gradually hardened on her face. she released the hand holding her hair, looked at the blonde girl, and slowly said:

    "emerald sparrow?"

    "¡ªah, right! emerald sparrow!"

    the blonde girl slapped the counter, "that''s the code! exactly right!"

    "you sure it was emerald sparrow? what did they look like?"

    "it was a kid even shorter than me."

    the blonde girl narrated in detail, "their hair and clothes were blue, and they wore a really big hat on their head... huh, sister yuan xiang? why are you smiling so scarily?"

    before she finished, she saw an unusually brilliant smile appear on margaret''s face, even her deep crimson eyes seemed to twinkle with trailing light.

    "hehe, mu tonghao." margaret smiled, suddenly in a very good mood, addressing the girl in front of her by her codename, "i just thought of something."

    "...it doesn''t sound like anything good."

    "why would you think that? i''m in such a good mood, what i want to say is, do you fancy a trip to another city?"

    "where?" mu tonghao showed a slight interest.

    then, she saw margaret open her mouth and gently utter a name:

    ¡ª"for instance, fangting city?"

 Chapter 235 Interlude Two Backstage Deal

    ¡ª¡ª"i have completely understood the situation, and you have worked hard, the investigation bureau will thank you for your contribution."in the bedroom bathed in the setting sun, the girl''s voice came from the mirror on the table. a girl in a golden magic robe, with a smile on her face, nodded slightly towards the mirror, "i will dispatch a magical girl from the abnormal strategy bureau as soon as possible to assist black ash dawn in the pursuit, and you will receive the corresponding compensation and rewards, miss emerald sparrow."

    "you know that''s not what i want to hear."

    across the mirror, the girl in the blue dress was expressionless, "if you just want to spout bureaucracy, let''s just leave it at that, madam director."

    the time was the night of the full moon festival, following the assault incident, when emerald sparrow had made contact with the investigation agency. this matter was tied to the real higher-ups in black ash dawn, so golden green cat''s eye took part in this conversation.

    however, after emerald sparrow finished describing the whole event, she showed no particular reaction, simply giving a very official yet completely useless response as usual.

    this left emerald sparrow quite dissatisfied, hence the above dialogue.

    "bureaucracy... it seems you have something else to say?" golden green cat''s eye showed a slight confusion appropriately.

    in her hand, a porcelain teacup had appeared, seemingly intending to end the conversation, but now she had to cease her actions, "very well, if you are willing, perhaps we can fill in some gaps."

    "i have no intention of going around in circles with you, you''ve deceived me, madam director." emerald sparrow spoke bluntly.

    "...i don''t understand what you mean, miss emerald sparrow." golden green cat''s eye blinked. your next journey awaits at empire

    "you couldn''t possibly be unaware of the cause and effect of this incident."

    emerald sparrow lowered her eyes slightly, "what has happened in the donghua region, what black ash dawn has done¡ªyou know all about it. their every move has been under your watch. over the course of two years, more than a dozen magical girls have disappeared, and a large number of civilians have been sacrificed. are you going to tell me that you really know nothing?"

    "it seems you have a great misunderstanding about me, miss emerald sparrow."

    the hand holding the teacup paused for a moment, and golden green cat''s eye shook her head, "the gemstone scepter and the investigation bureau are not as omnipotent as you imagine. the investigation bureau merely knows that they have schemes within the donghua region, but cannot understand in detail what they have done in each city."

    "madam director."

    across the mirror, emerald sparrow stared at golden green cat''s eye, "do you think i''m a fool, or do you think your investigation teams are fools?"

    "no one is a fool. all of you are outstanding members of the investigation bureau, and you, miss emerald sparrow, are a heroine of this incident."

    golden green cat''s eye spoke quite sincerely, "as you know, although the investigation bureau has been investigating the serial disappearances in the donghua region, the main culprits of black ash dawn have been deeply hidden, especially the chief perpetrator of this event¡ªmoth, who occupies a high position within the abnormal strategy bureau. with the limited manpower of the investigation bureau, we cannot penetrate such an intricate power network to reach the truth. if it weren''t for you, the colleagues in the investigation bureau probably still couldn''t have cracked this case."

    for some reason, even though golden green cat''s eye was very polite in the conversation, emerald sparrow felt oddly irritated.

    this was one of the reasons she had never taken a liking to golden green cat''s eye¡ªthis person always managed to remain uninvolved and had an evasive attitude towards all matters, making it difficult to grasp her true thoughts.

    she had come with interrogative intentions, only to feel as if she were punching cotton; there were neither conclusions nor satisfaction, just a deep sense of powerlessness.

    but she knew that she couldn''t show her emotions in front of this person. golden green cat''s eye was adept at concealing herself and at discerning others. revealing her own emotional inclinations to golden green cat''s eye would not solve any problems, but instead would leave more room to be exploited.

    even if she had grievances against this person, she had to exercise restraint.

    "praising my contributions cannot cover your deception, madam director."

    ```

    so she suppressed the urge to make cutting remarks and continued impassively, "i need an explanation."

    golden green cat''s eye set down her teacup.

    "the magical affairs institute failed to play its proper role in this incident. as the director, i express deep regret and reflection, and i am very grateful for your contribution and achievements. i also extend my deepest sympathy and concern to the citizens of fangting city affected by the disaster." s§×ar?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    her eyes lowered slightly, her expression tinged with sadness, "hereafter, the magical affairs institute will diligently pursue the remnants of the black ash dawn, and should miss emerald sparrow have any needs, we will also provide as much aid as possible for post-disaster reconstruction to compensate the injured employees of the abnormal strategy bureau and the public."

    "is this the explanation you wanted?"

    "it is not, director."

    emerald sparrow remained indifferent, "you know what i want."

    "...i think, if you came here today solely to lay blame, it wouldn''t have been necessary to report the details of the fangting city incident so thoroughly."

    golden green cat''s eye slightly raised her eyelids, her catlike vertical pupils fixating on emerald sparrow:

    "then, what do you need me to do for you, my... prospective colleague?"

    the real issue at hand.

    emerald sparrow sighed inwardly.

    she knew that seeking the truth from golden green cat''s eye would be fruitless, so her only option was to nibble some advantage from her opponent. the attitude displayed by the other party indicated agreement with the implicit meaning in emerald sparrow''s words: either explain the truth or provide compensation.

    if emerald sparrow were just an ordinary magical girl, she wouldn''t have the standing to negotiate terms like this¡ªwith golden green cat''s eye being one of the oldest gemstone scepters of the magic kingdom, she could well afford to ignore anyone.

    but she was not; she too had been a candidate for the gemstone scepter.

    now, she was not addressing golden green cat''s eye as a magical affairs institute inspector; instead, as a candidate for the sapphire gemstone scepter¡ªor even beyond a mere candidate¡ªshe voiced her dissatisfaction and used that status to coerce the other party into making a choice.

    golden green cat''s eye chose the latter.

    "i have two demands."

    thus, emerald sparrow brought out the draft she had prepared in advance and began, "my first demand pertains to the dispatch and command of magical affairs; i want you to transfer all powers regarding the deployment and directive authority of the magical girls bai mei, little jin, and bo xue from the magical affairs institute to me."

    "what do you mean?" golden green cat''s eye''s vertical pupils were still locked onto emerald sparrow, as if they could see through one''s heart.

    "transfer them to cornflower''s command," emerald sparrow responded seriously.

    "you want to be their supreme commander, with no one but the queen having authority to order those children over you?"

    golden green cat''s eye asked, "why? you seem to have little trust in the magical affairs institute?"

    "to be honest, i have very little trust in the royal court of the kingdom," emerald sparrow said flatly. "having been through so many dangerous incidents, i cannot leave the lives and directives of my daughter and juniors in the hands of the magical affairs institute, so give them to me."

    "...you seem to have some misconceptions about the functions of the magical affairs institute, emerald sparrow."

    ```

    after emerald sparrow made her demands clear, golden green cat''s eye gradually regained a relatively mild demeanor, lifting her finger as if somewhat vexed, she tapped the teacup, "we, the abnormal strategy bureau, are merely on par with the magical affairs institute, and it''s impossible for us to interfere in their matters."

    "in name, the magical affairs institute is directly under the royal court, but in reality, all the magical girls in the institute have ties with factions from the four great institutions; it could be said that the power has already been divvied up by you all. do i need to remind you of this fact?"

    emerald sparrow also tapped the table confrontationally, "when i initially refused the sapphire scepter, it was actually beneficial for you, indirectly preserving the cake in your hands. now that it involves the magical affairs institute, i don''t think you have any reason to refuse me."

    "i think there''s no need for me to remind you that rumors should not be taken lightly; the gemstone scepter doesn''t have such great power."

    golden green cat''s eye smiled and shook her head, "however, if you insist on making such a request, then as an individual magical girl, i do indeed have some friends in the magical affairs institute who can accomplish this task. i can ask them to handle this matter for you."

    "the second matter."

    having received the other party''s promise, emerald sparrow didn''t waste any words and drove the conversation forward, "regarding the truth about cherry''s death, you''ve been investigating for two years now. what exactly have you uncovered? tell me now."

    golden green cat''s eye smiled at her, remaining silent.

    "director?" emerald sparrow called out calmly.

    "...i didn''t expect it to be such a straightforward request," golden green cat''s eye slightly narrowed her eyes.

    "i''m not someone who enjoys making things difficult for others," emerald sparrow said expressionlessly.

    "your approach makes me personally feel indebted, miss emerald sparrow."

    continuing to tap the teacup with her finger, golden green cat''s eye said, "because actually, i''m not able to provide you with much information."

    "you''ve been investigating for two years."

    emerald sparrow reminded her again, "don''t tell me you have no conclusions at all."

    "no, in fact, there is a result, but it might differ from what you expected," golden green cat''s eye replied, "because you also know this conclusion¡ªthe murderer is from the black ash dawn."

    "who?" emerald sparrow pressed.

    golden green cat''s eye shook her head.

    "you know it''s black ash dawn, yet you can''t find the specific murderer?"

    emerald sparrow said indifferently, "how exactly do you expect me to believe you, director?"

    "it''s not that we can''t find them, it''s just that this result... feels somewhat strange."

    golden green cat''s eye raised those vertical pupils, "based on recent investigations and eyewitness accounts, after cherry''s death, indeed a member of the black ash dawn left fangting city and was suspected of carrying the heart''s gem that went missing when cherry died."

    "and then?" emerald sparrow clenched her fist.

    "then, their bodies were discovered in the wilderness outside the city after a week," golden green cat''s eye said, slightly lowering her gaze, "all dead, not a single survivor."

    "what about cherry''s heart''s gem?"

    "stolen once again."

    the room instantly fell into silence.

    "you mean..." emerald sparrow began, trying to maintain her composure, but was ultimately unable to voice the answer she found hard to accept.

    "yes, if there''s no problem with this investigation, the real murderer who killed cherry might already be dead," golden green cat''s eye provided the answer.

    emerald sparrow was again long silent.

    "...i do not believe this answer."

    after a moment, she spoke again, "if cherry''s heart''s gem was taken, then the person who did this might also be related to her death."

    "i don''t deny it," golden green cat''s eye nodded lightly.

    "therefore, the next direction for the investigation should be finding out who took cherry''s heart''s gem."

    "we will attempt to proceed in that direction."

    "...then, i have no other requests."

    emerald sparrow took a deep breath, "i''ve taken up your time, thank you for listening to my requests, director."

    with those words, she reached out to touch the mirror''s surface, intending to end the call.

    ¡ª"one more thing, miss emerald sparrow."

    however, golden green cat''s eye''s voice once again came through the mirror, "as i mentioned earlier, i haven''t actually done much regarding your second request."

    emerald sparrow stopped what she was doing and looked at the other party once more, waiting for golden green cat''s eye to explain further.

    seeing emerald sparrow''s face reappear in the mirror, golden green cat''s eye spoke slowly, "what i mean is, due to this incident, the abnormal strategy bureau of fangting city is actually full of holes, having lost its due functionality, hasn''t it?"

    "yes, director."

    "then have you considered personally restoring its functionality?"

    "...personality restoring?"

    emerald sparrow raised an eyebrow, "that seems unrelated to the work of a magical girl; it should be something for your investigative branch and the city government to handle."

    "no, i''m not asking you to assist the government in rebuilding the abnormal strategy bureau; i mean that the position of director of fangting city''s bureau is currently vacant."

    shaking her head, golden green cat''s eye clasped her hands on the table, her expression somewhat playful,

    ¡ª"so, are you interested in this position?"

 Chapter 1 A New Director at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau

    tian sheng felt as though he had been dreaming. in the dream, he seemed to transform into an agile moth, flying freely in the sky and resting peacefully on a wall.the worries of being human had nothing to do with him anymore, the attachments of humanity no longer formed bonds. the form of his life had changed, and yet his will dissipated amidst these changes.

    he began to forget that he was tian sheng, he began to believe he was a moth. was it tian sheng dreaming about being a moth, or was it a moth dreaming about being tian sheng?

    lost in such hazy contemplation, he was brought back to reality by a deep blue light.

    click, click, the crisp sound reminiscent of scissors echoed in his heart. accompanied by such a sound, he felt his consciousness becoming clear again, his body lighter, as if something had been stripped from him, and whatever had been binding him had been erased.

    then, tian sheng woke up from his sleep.

    upon awakening, he found himself amidst ruins, seeing a thread glowing with fluorescent blue light extending from his chest, reaching endlessly into the high sky. experience tales at empire

    he looked up, following the thread into the sky, only to see a petite figure standing against the night sky, a tangle of fine threads spreading from her back like wings, connecting to countless others just like himself.

    for some reason, a thought arose in his heart: he was saved.

    that figure, akin to an angel amongst men, was firmly imprinted in his mind before he fell unconscious once again.

    ...

    ...

    ¡ª"hey tian, hey, tian! i''m talking to you, what''s the matter with you?"

    the calling voice pulled tian sheng back to reality, and as he looked ahead, he saw a young man in an abnormal strategy bureau uniform looking at him quizzically: "i asked what you''re having for lunch, why are you acting like you''ve lost your soul? spaced out again?" s~ea??h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "ah... sorry."

    still reminiscing about his somewhat hazy dream, tian sheng blinked and awkwardly wiped his face, standing up from his workstation: "i spaced out again."

    it was early november, deep into autumn, the afternoon, two weeks since the large-scale remnant beasts attack during the full moon festival.

    as the front line of the city in dealing with magical incidents, the abnormal strategy bureau suffered huge losses this time ¨C not only was the main building destroyed, losing nearly a dozen employees, but even the director of the abnormal strategy bureau, mosi, went missing after the event.

    even more bizarre, as the first site of the attack, no one in the abnormal strategy bureau knew what had happened. the surviving employees only felt like they had had a dream, and when they woke up, they were lying in the abnormal strategy bureau''s ruins, while the remnant beasts had been eliminated and dawn was breaking.

    tian sheng was also one of those who had fallen unconscious, and his experience was even more absurd ¨C he passed the recruitment exam of the abnormal strategy bureau by a narrow margin, and on the day he was to report for duty at headquarters, he lost consciousness. according to his estimate of the date, he had probably been in a deep coma for over three days.

    in the end, the incident was defined and concluded as a "coordinated attack by remnant beasts with hypnotic and hallucinogenic abilities, and suspected molt rank remnant beasts, plotted by black ash dawn."

    the mastermind behind the incident was rumored to have been killed by a magical girl, but a large number of black ash dawn remnants remained at large, still in hiding.

    faced with the task of hunting down these remnant criminals and participating in disaster recovery and repair work, the freshly revived abnormal strategy bureau urgently needed to start a new round of work.

    with the efforts of magicians and various parties, the main building of the abnormal strategy bureau was rebuilt in about a week. however, replenishing the workforce took time, not to mention the compensation and resettlement of injured and deceased employees. thus, newly recruited employees like tian sheng were also deployed to the front lines, having been involved in intense magical armed conflicts several times recently.

    if it were according to tian sheng''s original magic power and spell technique level, he surely would not have had the chance to participate in such fierce battles, but now, not only was he constantly on the front line, he had also become a fairly effective combatant.

    yes, tian sheng''s magic power had grown stronger.

    unbeknownst to him, his magic power had been greatly enhanced, skipping the stages of peering and touching altogether, reaching the highest control level among magicians, and it even seemed to be on an upward trend.

    this was, by far, the most incredible thing about him during this time.

    he vaguely felt that this was related to the moth dream he had before, the dream of becoming a moth might not have been entirely illusory.

    he wasn''t the only abnormal strategy bureau employee to fall unconscious in the attack, but upon inquiry, he found that no one else had had a dream quite like his.

    "dreaming of becoming a moth" seemed to be a unique experience to him.

    therefore, he always subconsciously revisited that peculiar and vivid dream, trying to grasp something from those memories on the verge of fading.

    standing up from his workstation and following the young man out of the office, tian sheng walked through the corridors of the abnormal strategy bureau building, feeling an inexplicable surrealness in the life before him.

    a month ago, he was a simple welfare institute caretaker, engaging in mediocre spell technique research, dreaming every day of getting into the abnormal strategy bureau through an exam. because he spent his meager savings on research, he lived frugally, nearly thirty and yet without a girlfriend.

 Chapter 1 A New Director at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau_2

    if we were to judge by universal values, his past self could not be called a failure, but certainly had little to do with ''success.''but now, not only had he successfully joined the abnormal strategy bureau, but he had also come across a fortuitous encounter during a bizarre attack, emerging as a rising star among the asb''s combat personnel?

    was he really still himself? could it be, as he had thought, that it wasn''t he who dreamt of the moth, but the moth dreaming of him, and everything he was experiencing was just a dream of the moth?

    "hey! you there, why are you spacing out again?"

    the young man walking in front of him suddenly turned around and smacked tian sheng''s shoulder hard, "we''re at the cafeteria now, it''s time to eat! what are you daydreaming about? a beauty?"

    "ah, sorry, sorry!" tian sheng snapped back to reality and hurriedly made his way to the service window up ahead.

    the young man he was with was named li yingwei, the captain of the third combat squad of the special operations division at the abnormal strategy bureau, and also his supervisor.

    li yingwei was a year younger than him, having become a magician of the controller level at only 27, and had established many merits in the fight against the gray magic organizations, earning him the position of captain at such a young age.

    it seemed like li yingwei came from a family that had been studying spell techniques for generations; each family member was a magician with substantial research accumulation, and his family held considerable influence within fangting city. moreover, with his good looks and a straightforward and generous personality, he had always been the focus of the young female colleagues at the bureau.

    however, according to other members of the same squad, li yingwei was still single.

    it appeared that he had been pursuing a female liaison officer from the archives department, surnamed hong. although she was older than him, she was well-known for her beauty within the bureau and had transferred from tiandu city, with a rather mysterious background.

    unfortunately, during the previous attack, the liaison officer sustained severe injuries and had chosen to take an extended leave for physical therapy elsewhere.

    this seemed to have dealt a heavy blow to li yingwei, who had been busy tracking down the remnants of black ash dawn since the bureau''s reconstruction. because tian sheng had joined the third squad during this period and performed exceptionally well in combat, li yingwei had taken a liking to him, which was why he had pulled him along for lunch.

    "sigh, after all that hustle for a week, we haven''t caught many big fish."

    sitting at the dining table, li yingwei played with the food on his plate, "i heard that black ash dawn had ways to make use of remnant beasts'' powers, how come we haven''t seen any till now?"

    "if we did, we''d annihilate them..."

    tian sheng couldn''t help but shake his head, "you should think about more realistic things, captain."

    "how is that unrealistic?"

    li yingwei was somewhat indignant, "our squad now includes three controllers, including you, and we''re fully equipped. even if we really encounter a remnant beast, we could take a crack at it. who knows, we might even kill it?"

    "but that would only be the weakest of the remnant beasts, right?" tian sheng stuffed a spoonful of rice into his mouth.

    "how strong can a human become by borrowing the power of a remnant beast?" li yingwei picked up his chopsticks. sea??h th§× n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    how strong could one become by borrowing the power of a remnant beast?

    tian sheng didn''t know the answer to the question, but he felt what li yingwei said wasn''t right. although he had no evidence, every time he recalled that dream where he turned into a moth, he always felt a sense of wonder stirring within him.

    is it possible that a human could transform into a remnant beast?

    furthermore, if he hadn''t been awakened by that angelic existence in the dream, would he still be able to exist like this today?

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    with these thoughts, tian sheng''s movements as he picked up his food inevitably slowed down again.

    "daydreaming again? you''re really acting odd today!"

    seeing tian sheng''s gaze start to drift, li yingwei couldn''t help but tap his meal plate with his chopsticks, "what''s on your mind? come back, come back!"

    "...sorry." tian sheng offered an embarrassed smile, but couldn''t bring himself to admit that he had been thinking about the magical girl, "these past few days there has been a situation at home."

    "home? i thought you didn''t have a girlfriend, right?"

    li yingwei looked at him suspiciously, "trouble with the elderly?"

    "it''s not that serious..." tian sheng was evasive.

    "never mind, it''s your own business. if you don''t want to talk about it, i can''t force you."

    li yingwei suddenly burst into laughter, "but if you really do feel sorry, you can do me a favor."

    "what favor?" tian sheng was puzzled.

    "run an errand, take our third squad''s combat records to the director''s office." li yingwei picked up some meat from his plate, "that''s simple, right?"

    "the director''s office? but hasn''t our director already..." tian sheng paused momentarily before realizing, "a new director is coming?"

    "right, the announcement should go out in the group chat around noon, and there''s a meeting scheduled for the afternoon." li yingwei shoved the meat into his mouth, "take the chance to get acquainted with the new leadership before that, good opportunity, right?"

    "why don''t you go yourself, captain?" tian sheng felt something was amiss.

    "i was supposed to, but i''d rather not." li yingwei grinned, "i''ve seen the new director from afar, tsk tsk, such a stern guy with a frown that suggests a bad temper. surely, i''d get a scolding if we met."

    "and you''re sending me?" tian sheng''s eyes widened.

    "young man, you need to toughen up."

    "aren''t you younger than me, captain?"

    "then it''s about the rookie getting toughened up."

    li yingwei waved his hand, changing the subject, "but really, i''m not setting you up. our new director is quite the big shot, actually."

    "what makes him such a big shot?" tian sheng grinned, "another transfer from tiandu city?"

    "hey! you rascal, why hit such a sore spot?"

 Chapter 1 A New Director at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau_3

    Li Yingwei could naturally read between the lines of Tian Sheng''s implied meaning; he was deliberately mentioning his past failures in pursuing liaison officers, "It has to be Tiandu City, it can''t be Yannan City, huh? Where do all these big shots from the central cities come from?""Is that so?" Tian Sheng asked, following his lead.

    "It''s a local, but the one directly assigned by the head office in Tiandu City."

    "That''s still a big shot."

    "It''s different, the new bureau chief is really a born and raised local, and he hasn''t held a position at the head office before."

    Li Yingwei, supporting his dinner plate, "The story from the head office is that the new bureau chief had always been an undercover liaison officer among the civilians. He made noteworthy achievements in this recent attack, so they promoted and formalized him this time."

    "From liaison officer to bureau chief directly? How many ranks is that a jump?"

    "Four ranks, but that''s not so strange. After all, our Abnormal Strategy Bureau is all about putting the capable in charge."

    Li Yingwei feigned a profound tone, "That''s why, with your capabilities, Tian, work hard, crack more cases involving grey Magic Organizations, and perhaps in a few years, you might become my superior."

    "...so basically, Captain, after all that talk, you just want me to help you deliver the documents, right?"

    "Just say if you''ll do it or not?"

    "Why do I feel like, Captain, you don''t actually care much about this matter?"

    Tian Sheng asked helplessly, "It seems like you just plainly don''t want to meet the new bureau chief?"

    "As I said, I''m afraid of being scolded."

    "Is that really the reason?"

    "The real reason? It''s not like he''s a beautiful woman, why bother meeting some old man." Li Yingwei scoffed, "Besides, who knows how long the new bureau chief will last. I told you, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau is about putting the capable in charge."

    "Are you holding a grudge against beautiful women?" Tian Sheng picked up the soup bowl next to him, "In the end, you still don''t think highly of the new bureau chief."

    "I can''t always dwell in my past failed relationships, can I?" Li Yingwei appeared melancholic, "As for liking or disliking the new bureau chief, after a four-rank promotion, let me see what kind of person he is before I say more."

    "...Fine, I''ll go."

    Seeing the determined attitude of the other party, Tian Sheng sighed, "Don''t blame me if I say something wrong."

    "Hey, you haven''t been with our third squad for long, even if you say something wrong, it won''t be too far off."

    Li Yingwei, believing he had avoided a big nuisance, happily picked up a dish from his plate, "Then I''ll leave it to you!"

    With that settled, Tian Sheng was sent out of the office by Li Yingwei after lunch, holding the operational records and heading into the elevator.

    Reluctantly pressing the button for the 11th floor in the elevator, Tian Sheng, looking at the moving numbers on the screen, pondered his recent experiences and couldn''t help but sigh deeply:

    "This is way too magical."

    It seemed like since the attack by Black Ash Dawn at the orphanage, his life had deviated towards a track he could never have imagined, steering towards an extremely unfamiliar direction.

    What was uncomfortable was that all these occurrences seemed to have little to do with his own will. After each incident, he would wake up with a blurred memory, clueless about what had happened before. It was as if a passenger aboard a ship had encountered a disaster at sea, eventually being washed up on the beach of an unknown continent, with a pile of treasures mysteriously appearing by his side, unsure whether to be happy or worried.

    Walking out of the elevator with a heavy heart, Tian Sheng passed around a corner and saw a pair of quite impressive wooden double doors against the wall. Enjoy exclusive content from empire

    Moving forward, Tian Sheng reached out to knock on the door, but his gaze suddenly became fixed.

    He noticed an extremely thin strand of Magic Silk at the door. This strand of silk had trembled the moment he approached the office and then disappeared.

    He felt like he had seen such a strand of silk before, perhaps when he woke up from a dream, attached to his chest...

    ¡ª"Please, come in." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The voice suddenly came from inside. Although Tian Sheng had neither spoken nor knocked, the person inside seemed to know he was standing there.

    Tian Sheng could only politely say "Excuse me" and pushed the door open. What he saw was a floor-to-ceiling window, bookshelves standing solemnly along the walls, and a massive desk in the center.

    And behind the desk sat a stern middle-aged man, frowning as he flipped through a stack of documents.

 Chapter 2 Sequelae

    ```"Sit down, is there something you need?"

    Tian Sheng''s arrival didn''t provoke much reaction from the man; he didn''t even display any particular courtesy but merely left a shallow crease on the document he was holding, then raised his head and calmly posed the question to Tian Sheng.

    This kind of demeanor was quite different from the "leaders" Tian Sheng had in mind.

    In the welfare institute, even someone like Director Liu Wenqin, who generally didn''t care much for formalities, always tried to show a basic level of friendliness and concern in front of the staff.

    The middle-aged man in front of him, however, seemed quite indifferent, even a bit... dissatisfied? The dissatisfaction didn''t seem directed at Tian Sheng, but rather at his own position.

    "Hello, Director, I am Tian Sheng from Special Operations Division Squad Three, this is our squad''s operation record for this month..." Read exclusive adventures at empire

    Tian Sheng scratched his head subconsciously as he handed over the document. He tried to ensure there were no slips in his speech to avoid a scolding from the new director, who seemed to be in a bad mood.

    The middle-aged man took his report and started flipping through it right in front of him. He browsed the contents expressionlessly, and after about a minute, he closed the report and asked:

    "This week''s extermination, you only caught ordinary Magicians? No transformed beasts?"

    Transformed beasts referred to those called by the Abnormal Strategy Bureau who used the viscera of beasts to transform themselves, and Tian Sheng was of course aware of such a group''s existence.

    So he immediately responded, "Yes, we have eliminated several small gathering points, but so far, we have not encountered any transformed beasts."

    "That''s not normal," the middle-aged man tapped the table.

    "Yes."

    The other didn''t reveal any emotions, but there was an inexplicable pressure in his speech that made Tian Sheng swallow subconsciously: "You''re right, our team captain thinks so too."

    Under pressure, he decisively threw Li Yingwei under the bus.

    "Not just your squad, the reports I''ve seen today indicate that none of the squads have encountered transformed beasts to this day."

    The middle-aged man behind the desk repeated, "This is definitely not a mere coincidence."

    Perhaps it''s because the mastermind had been slain, leaving the remaining followers headless. Tian Sheng thought so, but he dared not voice it out loud; he didn''t want to be criticized for expressing an immature view at this moment.

    "Tian Sheng."

    However, his silence didn''t mean the new director would keep quiet: "You''re recently recruited into the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, a newcomer?"

    "Ah... yes."

    Tian Sheng stammered, "To be exact, I started last week. I happened to encounter an attack by Remnant Beasts when I first arrived at the Bureau..."

    "Among those recruited the same time as you, your magic power level was the lowest in the tests."

    The new director asked expressionlessly, "But your performance in the combat records is the most outstanding, even not much different from other team members who have reached the Controlling level. Any reason for that?"

    "Ah, this..." Tian Sheng hadn''t expected to be asked such a sharp question so soon.

    He initially wanted to give some excuse, like hiding his true power, but his instinct told him that his response here was very important. If he brushed it off carelessly, it could lead to outcomes he wouldn''t want to see. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    So, after hesitating, he became candid about his situation.

    From joining the Abnormal Strategy Bureau to the Remnant Beasts attack, from the strange dreams of moths to the anomalies in his body afterward, he told the other party everything without omitting a single detail.

    Of course, this also included what he''d glimpsed of the Magical Girl manipulating blue silken threads.

    After finishing his story, he noticed a fleeting strange expression on the new director''s face, but it was just that¡ªfleeting. As if it were all his imagination, what remained was still the expressionless face.

    "Did you say you dreamt of becoming a moth?"

    Pulling a stack of personnel files from a drawer, the new director unhesitatingly picked out Tian Sheng''s page and started going through it in front of him: "After that dream, you woke up and found your magic power had increased dramatically."

    "Yes," Tian Sheng nodded.

    "It sounds like a made-up story," the new director said while reading his file, "but if I were you, I definitely wouldn''t seek such a lame excuse in front of a superior, which makes it somewhat believable."

    Tian Sheng could only remain awkwardly silent.

    "Your previous employment... Fangting City First Social Welfare Institute?"

    Having quickly perused Tian Sheng''s personnel file, the man behind the desk slightly raised his eyebrows, "Did you work there as a caretaker?"

    "Yes, that''s correct."

    "Then according to the timeline, you should have experienced the terrorist attack by Black Ash Dawn four months ago?"

    "Four months ago... ah, yes."

    "Did you encounter anything during that attack?" The new director put down the file in his hand and pointedly looked at him.

    "The terrorist attack at the welfare institute..."

    Tian Sheng furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, then could only helplessly shake his head, "I''m sorry, Director, I don''t know why, but I can''t seem to remember much about what happened then."

    "Can''t remember?" The new director raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure?"

    "I''m sure, because it has troubled me for a long time. I always feel like I''ve forgotten some extraordinary experience," Tian Sheng nodded.

    His answer seemingly baffled the new director, but unexpectedly, the director didn''t question much further and instead asked some obtuse questions relating to his file.

    ```

 Chapter 2 Sequelae_2

    The two of them engaged in this back-and-forth, with the new director continuously throwing out new questions while seemingly pondering something; Tian Sheng honestly scoured his brain for all the information he had, providing answers in great detail.As the questioning progressed, Tian Sheng started to find, somewhat unexpectedly, that the facts of the situation became clearer with each answer he gave, some fragments of memory even becoming more vivid.

    If the questioning continued like this, perhaps the new director in front of him could indeed reconstruct the entire event. However, the Q&A session did not last to the end.

    Just as Tian Sheng was still pondering and digging deeper into his memories, the new director, who had been methodically listing the questions until then, suddenly stopped.

    It was as if an unexpected event had occurred, accompanied by tremendous difficulty, the director furrowed his brows, his face even showing a hint of distress. After a brief silence, he spoke again, but his words were no longer the interrogation of before:

    "Sorry, I need to take a call."

    "Oh... sure." Although he did not hear any ringtone, Tian Sheng did not doubt the director, nodding his head. He figured that setting a phone to a very light vibration or using a wireless in-ear headset could prevent others from hearing it ring.

    He had no sense of needing to avoid listening, for in his experience, it was common for leaders to suddenly have to take calls during discussions; he just needed to wait patiently until the conversation was over. So he stood there, planning to wait until the phone call ended.

    However, the new director made no move to retrieve a phone or any device for the call.

    It seemed as though he was waiting for Tian Sheng to leave, but when he saw that Tian Sheng remained standing in place, he glanced at him a couple of times and then waved his hand, saying, "You can go back first, we''ll continue discussing your matter next time."

    Is this the end?

    Tian Sheng felt it was quite abrupt.

    Given the progress and posture just moments ago, he had thought the questioning would last at least another ten minutes or more. But now, although the conversation between the two clearly had not concluded and their questions were unresolved, he had been given a decisive dismissal.

    What kind of phone call is so confidential?

    This question emerged in his mind, yet before Tian Sheng could ponder further, he suddenly felt his body being pulled by something.

    Without taking a step himself, in an instant, he felt as though he had become a marionette, suddenly propelled backward by some force.

    The double doors behind him also inexplicably opened without any breeze, timing perfectly with the moment Tian Sheng reached the doorway. Everything operated with the precision of well-oiled machinery, and then, Tian Sheng was unexpectedly ejected outside.

    After being carried to the door by an unknown force, Tian Sheng staggered several steps before finally managing to steady himself, instinctively looking toward the entrance, but he only saw the double doors slowly closing and, within the narrow sliver of space between them, a fleeting glance of an illusory azure blue spark.

    Bang!

    The Director''s Office door shut right in front of him.

    Leaving Tian Sheng standing there startled at the entrance, still unable to comprehend what had just happened.

    After standing still for half a minute, he realized he probably should leave. Yet he did not hear any sound of a phone call from the Director''s Office as he left, continuing down the hallway to the elevator with his mind full of unanswered questions.

    And in the unseen Director''s Office, at that very moment, a petite blue-haired girl dressed in a dark cyan dress was sitting behind the desk, frowning, holding her forehead.

    "This is just terrible..."

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but mutter to herself.

    Undoubtedly, the new director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau in Fangting City was Lin Yun, and he had indeed been interrogating Tian Sheng just a moment ago.

    And the reason why the conversation with Tian Sheng was abruptly cut off and he was rushed out of the office, only for Lin Yun to inexplicably transform into the Magical Girl inside the office, was truly not Lin Yun''s intention at all.

    It wasn''t that he wanted to transform, but because this transformation was beyond his control.

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    This was one of the aftermaths of the overload use of magical gear by Emerald Sparrow during the battle two weeks prior, which caused damage to the magical equipment, resulting in the complete shattering of its scissor form.

    The after-effects could be considered significant or minor, but in reality, they did not affect her as severely as the regression in strength did. If she was still in her previous state of resignation, spending most of her time as Emerald Sparrow, this wouldn''t even be considered an after-effect.

    But now, for her, having become the Director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, this after-effect had become a tremendous hassle¡ªher Heart''s Gem would occasionally go out of control, causing her to transform from Lin Yun into Emerald Sparrow against her will.

    In the first few days after the battle, this side effect was especially pronounced: almost every few hours, the transformation would happen uncontrollably. Under such circumstances, Lin Yun naturally couldn''t immediately take up her post at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and had to recuperate while waiting.

    The only silver lining was that the uncontrollable transformation was one-way; there had been no instances of the transformation suddenly being undone, turning from Emerald Sparrow back into Lin Yun. Otherwise, she feared she wouldn''t dare to visit the secret base too often, worrying about making a shocking change in front of her daughter.

    After two weeks of buffering and recuperation, the frequency of the abrupt transformations started to stabilize a bit¡ªsettling into about once a day. This ridiculous after-effect seemed to have stabilized at this state, and even if there might be further changes, Lin Yun couldn''t afford to wait any longer.

    He had too many things to do and couldn''t allow this to hinder his progress. Thus, once his injuries had improved slightly and the after-effects subsided a bit, he ceased his recuperation, took the reins, and assumed the position of the Director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    Right now, it was his first day in office.

    To prevent anyone from barging in while in an unexpected state, Lin Yun had even left a strand of Emerald Sparrow''s Magic Silk at the door to monitor it. He just didn''t expect the unexpected to come so quickly, and barely a few employees had been seen before this misunderstanding unfolded.

    If it weren''t for his swift reaction, dealing with the situation while simultaneously making up an excuse and promptly sending the other party out, his identity might have been exposed on the very first day of taking office. It''s for this reason, having barely managed to smooth things over, that she blurted out the conclusion, "This is a mess."

    But mishap aside, work still needed to proceed. As the newly appointed Director, Lin Yun still had many things to attend to.

    He sealed the office door with Spell Techniques, waited briefly for the magic power fluctuations to subside, then undid the transformation and took a deep breath, picking up the documents on the table once more.

    The large stack of documents on the table was something he had already read through.

    After spending a morning reviewing various files and reports from the past two weeks, Lin Yun had begun to grasp the current state of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    ¡ªIn short: headless flies.

    Mosi, although a mole and a traitor, also an outright thug and villain, was after all the Director of Fangting City''s Abnormal Strategy Bureau. To maintain the facade of normal operation, she did put in quite a bit of superficial effort on a daily basis.

    However, with her downfall, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau of Fangting City, lacking a director, was essentially without a helmsman, and even the superficial efforts ceased to exist, plunging it into a headless chaos immediately.

    Additionally, the previous attacks had led to some loss of personnel; the surviving staff was a mixed bag; even the office building had only been rebuilt recently. The Abnormal Strategy Bureau of Fangting City could be described as a total mess, dispersed like scattered sand.

    This was the situation when Lin Yun arrived. He accepted the proposal from Golden Green Cat''s Eye and took over the position of the Bureau''s Director.

    There was no other reason, but because after the event with Mosi, he found it difficult to trust any newly appointed personnel for the role of Director in the short term.

    The position would have been suitable for Hong Siyu as well, but she had also sustained quite a few after-effects from the previous events and was currently undergoing treatment and recuperation.

    With no other choice, Lin Yun decided to shoulder this responsibility himself.

    And now, it was time for him to make his first appearance before the staff of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and deliver a speech at the meeting. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 3 Speech

    "¡ª ''The above is my view on the report of the Logistics and Equipment Department''s work. Now, let''s talk about the work of the Archives Department this week...''"Several hours after lunch, standing on the podium of the meeting room, Lin Yun finished reading the page in his hand and was about to turn the page when he suddenly realized something. He shifted his gaze from the manuscript and looked down at the seats below, sighing imperceptibly.

    The response from below was nothing short of dead.

    If it were merely silence, that would have been one thing, but the current situation was clearly not just that. From the dull eyes below, it was not hard to see that most people simply weren''t listening to what he was saying.

    Because it was Lin Yun''s first appearance in front of the employees of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, all staff members participated in this afternoon''s work report meeting except for those on missions outside. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    As an organization responsible for maintaining the safety of the magical side, employees of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau had quite good discipline, and it was rare to see anyone slacking off during meetings. But no matter how strict the rules were, they could not demand mental engagement from the employees or expect them to maintain high levels of focus at all times.

    Regarding this, Lin Yun was not surprised.

    The speech he held was provided by the General Administration Department, and most of its content was just a summary of and suggestions for the work of other departments over the past week. In fact, he himself found it boring as he read through it.

    If the speaker himself couldn''t muster any interest in the content of the talk, then the audience was even less likely to be engaged. The expressions of some employees were riddled with fatigue, and if it weren''t for the new director standing on the podium, they probably would have fallen asleep by now.

    Lin Yun scanned the room in silence, and then abruptly threw the manuscript in his hand onto the podium.

    "So, let''s not continue with the drivel. Let''s discuss something slightly more substantial."

    He walked forward two steps without expression and raised his voice slightly:

    "You think it''s boring and are struggling to stay awake. Frankly, so do I. The current state of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau is not optimistic. Clearly, going through the motions and following procedures here is not solving any problems."

    "There is an old saying in the Donghua Region, ''A new official makes three fires when taking office.'' I have not come here with so many procedures to follow. I only have two points: to secure the interior and repel the exterior. These are the two things I will focus on."

    "First, let''s talk about securing the interior."

    "As someone who has truly lived in Fangting City, I am deeply dissatisfied with your work over the past two years. As the primary defense against magical crimes in Fangting City, the performance of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau in the past two years can be described as minimal at best, having practically become a sieve and failing to serve its purpose."

    "The always late Remnant Beasts attack forecasts; the gray magic organizations that can never be completely eradicated; numerous unresolved missing person cases... I don''t know how you feel, but put yourself in the shoes of an ordinary city resident for a moment. Can you really live in peace in such a city?"

    "I am here to question you, and certainly, some of you will feel wronged, resentful, think that I, as the new director, am trying to intimidate you. After all, you have already spent so much manpower, material resources, time, and effort. Several squads of the Special Operations Department have been in combat for days on end, with some employees hardly able to get a good night''s sleep. So why can''t the job be done well?"

    "The reason, I am sure some of you might sense, is that there is a traitor within the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."

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    "Two weeks ago, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau suffered a Remnant Beasts attack orchestrated by Black Ash Dawn. Was that just a coincidence? In the past week, the search and encirclement efforts against the gray magic organization ''Black Ash Dawn'' have been slow. Is this because you are slacking off, or is it because the enemy is just too lucky?"

    "No, neither is the case. Black Ash Dawn is neither that lucky nor that smart. They have managed to get the upper hand in their confrontations with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau almost every time, solely because there is an insider providing them with information."

    "You are working alongside a traitor, yet you know nothing about it; the secrets of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau are virtually nonexistent to outsiders, yet you are completely unaware."

    "This is the first thing I will focus on, securing the interior. Now, open your eyes wide, perk up your ears, and take a good look to see who is the troublemaker among you."

    "Pei Zhengchang, stand up."

    Lin Yun called out calmly, his gaze fixed on a middle-aged man among the crowd, "Now, tell your colleagues, tell everyone present: In the last few days after the restructuring of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, you have entered the Archives Room four times, including this morning. What exactly have you been looking for?"

    In the midst of the crowd, the man whose name was called raised his head in shock. Sitting there, he didn''t know what to do for a moment.

    He had hoped to continue blending in with the crowd, but then suddenly realized everyone around him was looking in his direction. He had nowhere to hide and had to stand up with a tense expression, stammering, "I was looking up... past Remnant Beasts attack incidents."

    "Past Remnant Beasts cases are concentrated in cabinets 11 to 39. What were you trying to do in cabinet number 4?"

    Lin Yun''s expression remained indifferent: "Were you looking for Remnant Beasts in the old records of the Magical Girl''s interactions?"

    "I wasn''t!"

    The man became agitated, "You''re slandering me!"

    "Slandering?"

    Lin Yun''s face was expressionless: "Then, where were you at 10:27 this morning? Does any of your colleagues know?"

    The crowd was silent as a graveyard.

    "...I went to the bathroom," the man said, avoiding eye contact.

    "Went to the bathroom, is that so?"

    Lin Yun echoed his words, tapping on the podium below him. The large screen behind him immediately lit up, revealing a surveillance recording from a special angle.

 Chapter 3 Speech_2

    In the surveillance footage, it was indeed this man named Pei Zhengchang who was currently sneaking around in the archive room, making his way to the No. 4 file cabinet that Lin Yun had mentioned and then rummaging through it.The man below saw this segment of the video and his face turned deathly pale instantly.

    "How is it possible..."

    He murmured to himself, "I checked everything clearly, and had made preparations. All the surveillance in the archive room should have been replaced, all fake¡­ This can''t be possible..."

    However, his behavior clearly won''t win anyone''s forgiveness.

    If the gazes around him initially held suspicion and scrutiny, they now bore hatred and disdain.

    "I am not your old bureau chief. She might have turned a blind eye to your actions, but I will not." Lin Yun said with intent, "Security department, send two people to take him to the interrogation room."

    As his words fell, several young men suddenly emerged from the restless crowd, their faces filled with anger as they walked toward the middle-aged man.

    "Don''t even think about it!"

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    The exposed middle-aged man no longer looked for excuses. With a shout, he suddenly raised his hand, revealing a medium that had been prepared in advance, which now flickered with the light of magic power. He aimed the palm of his hand at the podium, his face turning red, "You forced me into this!"

    With that said, he activated his magic power, and several magic bullets shot out at a velocity not inferior to that of firearms, directed fiercely at Lin Yun who was on the podium.

    "Stop him!" "Protect the bureau chief!" S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The crowd around exclaimed, some reacting quickly, instinctively trying to rush onto the podium. But what nobody anticipated was that the magic bullets the man released did not even get close to the podium, being dissipated by some unknown force.

    The man''s attack was ineffective.

    In a location not visible to the audience, behind the podium, Lin Yun''s hand was resting on the Heart''s Gem. Numerous slender threads of magic silk extended from the Heart''s Gem in all directions, turning into sharp blades in front of the podium, effortlessly nullifying the man''s offensive.

    Almost no one noticed what he had done, not even the staff closest to the podium, who could only sense a faint fluctuation of magic power.

    On the other side, the man whose sneak attack failed wore a look of defeat and thus was taken away by the security department.

    Watching the man be escorted away with a calm expression, Lin Yun was not planning to stop there. His gaze swept across the audience below as he unmercifully continued, this time calling out another name:

    "Lu Yan, can you explain why, as a member of the finance department, you have been repeatedly running to the special operations department over the past week? You don''t seem to have been assigned any tasks that require liaising with their department, and moreover, you''ve entered the operations conference room several times privately. What have you done?"

    His gaze was directed at a female staff member in the front row below the podium. This time, before the woman could speak, several young members of the security sector stepped out of the crowd and aggressively approached the woman.

    The female employee named Lu Yan looked around and saw that everyone''s expressions were filled with suspicion and they were distancing themselves from her. She clicked her tongue and, without bothering with an excuse, activated the spell technique medium concealed in her hand.

    Unlike the man, she employed a flying spell technique and rose in place, flying rapidly toward the doors of the conference hall.

    "She''s running away!" "Catch her!"

    The surrounding employees immediately started creating a commotion, grabbing ankles, throwing objects, using spell techniques... The interference from all directions made it impossible for the woman to proceed, and halfway through her flight, she was dragged down from the air by a tall employee.

    Then, the pursuing security staff swarmed in and escorted the woman away as well.

    Without further comment, Lin Yun opened his mouth and named another person. This time, without even bothering to list crimes or ask questions, the employee named immediately turned to run but was promptly restrained by angry colleagues.

    In this way, Lin Yun consecutively named six people, and the staff below went from initial suspicion to unconditional belief, acting more swiftly each time. The traitors from Black Ash Dawn were thus exposed one after another and taken to the interrogation room.

    After all the traitors were escorted away, Lin Yun finally released his hand from the Heart''s Gem behind the podium and began to speak slowly:

    "I don''t know if there are other traitors within the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. After all, I haven''t been here long enough to conduct a thorough investigation. However, I believe it''s only a matter of time."

    "If there are still such individuals among you, you now have two choices: the first is to leave after work today and never come back to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau; the second is to come to me voluntarily and give up your accomplices, to strive for lenient treatment."

    "Now that those posing a threat have been dismissed, let''s talk about the next issue. It''s about external combat ability, our lethal power against outsiders."

    "The Abnormal Strategy Bureau has suffered more than once at the hands of Black Ash Dawn. I''m sure the humiliation from two weeks ago has not been forgotten by all of you, and you would like to find them and avenge that disgrace."

    "However, Black Ash Dawn has mastered the technology of beast transformation, and their beast-transformed warriors possess strength close to that of the Remnant Beasts, far beyond what ordinary people can handle."

    "For this reason, I have brought a new batch of equipment."

 Chapter 3 Speech_3

    ```"Provided by headquarters, from the latest research in the Magic Kingdom¡ªMagic Weaponry, once equipped by an individual, even a Magician of the Controller level will be able to truly harm the Remnant Beasts."

    This statement immediately provoked a mix of skepticism and exclamations from the previously silent audience.

    Combating Remnant Beasts with human strength was considered impossible by most, and within the ranks of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, where Magicians were the majority, this notion was almost common knowledge.

    Just as everyone knew that only girls could be Magical Girls, they also knew that even Magicians of the Controller level were powerless against the Remnant Beasts.

    And now, someone dared to assert with such confidence that humans could confront Remnant Beasts face-to-face with the help of equipment?

    "Although the current lethality is still limited to the egg stage, and powerless against higher-tier Remnant Beasts, I think it''s already sufficient for dealing with the average beastified individuals."

    Ignoring the commotion below the stage, Lin Yun calmly continued his narrative:

    "Over the next few days, I''d like the General Management Department to review the qualifications of all Controllers in the Special Operations Division and ensure their identities and actions are without exception. Those confirmed to distribute the latest Magic Weaponry."

    "Once all the combat squads have been equipped with Magic Weaponry, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s annihilation of Black Ash Dawn will officially begin."

    "Previously, due to a few traitors, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau couldn''t even find their beastified individuals; now, after clearing out some of the traitors, our actions should be more effective."

    "I will not force any of our employees to be in danger, but I hope you''ll act within your capacity. Engage and annihilate enemy groups that you can overcome, and contact the Bureau for those you can''t, whether it''s for reinforcements, resource allocation, or even the support of a Magical Girl. All requests are welcome."

    "I have only one demand, and I hope everyone will be clear on this objective."

    At this point, Lin Yun slowly raised his head, with a glint of cold light flickering in his eyes:

    "¡ªto wipe out every last member of the Black Ash Dawn lurking in Fangting City, with no one left behind. I don''t want to still see this scum rampaging through our city next year."

    "Meeting adjourned."

    ...

    ...

    The speech was a resounding success.

    As Lin Yun himself said, securing internal stability while confronting external threats, he exposed several traitors within the Abnormal Strategy Bureau with just a single speech, showcasing his capabilities; he also provided equipment capable of combating Remnant Beasts, demonstrating the resources at his disposal.

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    Humans always admire strength, especially in a special organization like the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. Lin Yun''s actions served as a strong morale booster for the employees present at the meeting, naturally elevating their approval of the new Director.

    When Lin Yun announced the meeting was over and left the scene, the originally subdued crowd below was considerably invigorated, especially the employees from the Special Operations Division. Li Yingwei from the third squad was excitedly shaking Tian Sheng''s shoulder, loudly proclaiming "Eternal support for the new Director," a stark contrast to his demeanor at lunch.

    Tian Sheng, being shaken, could only accompany the enthusiasm with a forced smile while casting a glance toward the not-so-distant stage, his expression revealing more layers of doubt.

    The noisy meeting did not affect Lin Yun, who had already left. Holding his speech in hand, he briskly walked into the elevator and strode back to his office door, then frowned as he pushed it open.

    Just moments before, he had felt an incredibly strong surge of Magic Power rise suddenly within the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, precisely in the Director''s Office.

    With one hand on the door and the other in his pocket, ready to activate the Heart''s Gem, he was completely taken aback by the sight that met his eyes when he actually looked inside.

    ¡ªA plush toy, or rather, a puppet, was sitting in his seat.

    It was a rather cute Fairy doll covered in emerald green fluff, even dressed up in a white lab coat, adding a touch of both comedy and charm. It was clearly identified as a doll and not a living creature due to the conspicuous joints articulating its movements.

    At that moment, the doll''s fuzzy face wore a somewhat lazy smile as it half-reclined behind the desk, looking at him. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Hello, youngster."

    A gender-neutral voice, akin to a synthesized machine''s, emanated from the doll''s mouth.

    Despite being seated in someone else''s chair, it appeared quite at ease and comfortable. On its fluffy face, a pair of eyes shimmered with clarity, deep green and radiant, possessing a mysterious Magic Power.

    They were like a pair of exquisite emeralds.

    ```

 Chapter 4 Emerald

    "''Hello there''¡ªwhat are you trying to convey? If I''m not mistaken, this should be my office."With a casual push, he closed the double doors behind him. Lin Yun frowned as he looked toward the fairy doll behind his desk, "By intruding on someone else''s territory without permission, shouldn''t you first prove to me that you have no ill intent?"

    "Don''t be hasty, young one. There is no need to waste the remaining trickle of your magic power on this feeble puppet. We share many points of mutual interest, and it would be better to sit down and have a proper discussion."

    The expression on the fairy doll''s face was incredibly lifelike, and combined with its slow and serene tone of voice and its languid demeanor, it provided a subtle sense of relaxation, "Although it''s quite sudden to say so now, I have come here with good intentions."

    "Good intentions?"

    Lin Yun did not relax his grip on the Heart''s Gem in his hand, "I believe the premise of good intentions is honesty and openness with one another, not hiding and only showing part of yourself behind a doll."

    He was certain that the puppet before him was not the intruder''s real body. Although he was speaking with the doll, the actual communication was with someone else.

    "I greatly respect your perspective. But before you continue to show me hostility, can we consider another possibility: that you actually recognize me?"

    The doll lounged back in the office chair, "We have met before, young one. And I believe you have no reason to forget my identity."

    As she spoke those words, she deliberately elongated the term "young one," obviously intending to underscore that this phrase was a crucial clue to her identity. It undoubtedly also served as a reminder for Lin Yun, who, after a brief moment of thought, quickly narrowed down the possibilities. After all, in his memory, there were not many who would address him with this term.

    Taking into account the distinctive features of the doll before him, as well as its behavior, the identity of the person hiding behind the puppet was becoming apparent:

    "...Your Excellency, the Chief? Why are you here?"

    The so-called "Chief" is a title used within the Magic Kingdom for one of the Gemstone Scepters, the one governing the Research Institute¡ªthe Ruby, also known as Molu.

    In the Magic Kingdom, there was once an old saying, which, translated into the language of the Donghua Region, goes like this: "Better to be a research hound for ten lifetimes than a survey hand for a single day."

    Elaborating further, the saying meant: A magical girl would rather labor in the Research Institute until retirement than spend a single day at the Survey Institute.

    No one knows the origin of this old saying, nor who its author was; it''s possible they were discreetly captured by the ever-stoic Chief of the Survey Institute. But its survival and spread throughout the years suggest that it resonates with a significant number of magical girls.

    When considering the five major power institutions of the Magic Kingdom, if one were to ask which holds the most power, most magical girls would hesitate between the Finance Institute and the Survey Institute. However, if you were to ask which institution offers the best treatment and the most comfortable and secure working environment, everyone would choose the Research Institute. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Regarding the ease and the extent to which one can slack off, among the Five Major Institutes, there also exists the Magical Affairs Institute, which is something of a power vacuum. Magical girls working there are known for their exceptional leisure, often seen gathering in groups with tea pots, thermoses, and desserts to have tea parties. To the uninitiated, it could easily be mistaken as the garden of an aristocratic lady rather than a significant authority within the kingdom.

    The capacity of the Research Institute to compete directly with such a leisurely institution as the Magical Affairs Institute and to ultimately claim the title of "most comfortable work" is all thanks to the Head of the Institute¡ªMolu.

    Molu, the Head of the Research Institute and Chief Researcher, was also the principal consultant to the Royal Research Association and the main designer of the Garden Project, with an old flower name now untraceable. Like the Chief of the Survey Institute, who could be considered an ancient relic, no one knows exactly when Molu began serving as the Emerald Scepter. Some magical girls will make cheeky remarks about the age of these two, lumping them together as "the Yellow-Green Elders."

    Unlike the always low-key Golden Green Cat''s Eye, Molu was far more visible within the Magic Kingdom and was better known, simply because she loved public appearances and often made earth-shaking statements that left people at a loss for words.

    The most famous example was, reportedly, from several decades ago, during the Queen''s birthday celebration, which was also the inauguration ceremony for the Ruby Scepter¡ªthe Pigeon Blood Ruby. When the Queen spared no expense to set up an outdoor venue in the garden and asked Molu for her opinion on the day of her birthday, Molu replied:

    "To be frank, Your Majesty, an open-air venue with no throne or steps in the center might cause guests to obstruct each other''s line of sight, preventing them from seeing someone who is too short."

    That evening during the banquet, it was said that in front of every guest seat there was a small cake personally selected by the Queen, while Molu''s place had only an empty plate.

    Besides this astounding statement, another widely discussed deed of Molu''s was her philosophy implemented in the Research Institute. As the head of the institute, the phrase she most often uttered was:

    "Laziness is the ladder to research progress."

    She didn''t just overlook laziness or fail to address the researchers'' idling; she even led by example in being idle, sleeping around with a pillow during work hours was a regular occurrence.

    In her words, slacking off was for better inspiration, and the desire to slack off would drive people to create more research and inventions.

 Chapter 4 Emerald_2

    An irrefutable fact is, she did indeed do so.Even under such intense periods of sleep and idling, Emerald Sparrow still maintained the top national speed of invention, whether it was magic-powered equipment or complex magical spell techniques, she was the foremost in her field of study. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    And for this very reason, even though she was enveloped in layers of auras, owning countless academic achievements and honorary titles, Emerald Sparrow''s favorite title to flaunt was that of Chief Researcher. Hence, most people''s term of respect for Emerald Sparrow was "Chief", rather than "Director".

    At this moment, the puppet doll before Lin Yun obviously utilized highly advanced and skillful magic drive technology. It highly mimicked a pureblood fairy''s appearance, so much so that if one were to ignore the mechanical parts on its exterior, it looked like a real fairy.

    To be able to use such technology and possess such strong magic power, as well as to repeatedly use the term "youngster", in Lin Yun''s mind, there could only be Emerald Sparrow.

    This answer received affirmation from the other party.

    "Correct assumption, but it''s not that I wish to be here, rather you need me to appear here, youngster."

    The fairy doll shook its head, its action appearing somewhat comical given its neckless form: "Of course, as the provider of the materials and equipment, I should come and see for myself the condition of the products I''ve supplied."

    "Products?" Lin Yun inquired.

    "Yes, products."

    The doll spoke leisurely: "The magical arms you obtained from the Research Institute, the disguised surveillance you''ve deployed here, even the treatment of that child named Chaoyan, are all inventions from our Research Institute. Who else could you have expected? Could that old lady, whose brain is soaked in tea polyphenols to a pulp, create these things for you?"

    "I hope you remember that you''re speaking to an inspector of the Research Institute," Lin Yun reminded.

    "No one will care about opinions from someone who can''t even remember how many years she''s lived, who delights in scheming and passing the buck all day long. I sincerely hope that the normal lifespan limit of a mammal could apply to her, so she wouldn''t become an endocrine-disordered, witchy old hag from a lack of emotional life, youngster."

    The doll''s tone, indifferent, conveyed a hint of disgust as it half-squinted its eyes: "Let''s put this unpleasant topic aside, how do you find the products supplied by our Research Institute now?"

    "The magic arms still require more usage data," Lin Yun replied, showing no particular preference: "But the special surveillance system indeed has proven to some effect, both in terms of concealment and ease of use."

    "Hmm... can I take that to mean ''satisfied''?"

    "You can," Lin Yun stated impassively.

    "Then we can proceed to talk candidly," the doll said as it braced itself on the armrest of the chair, like a fluffy round ball as it struggled to sit up straight: "Do you need any value-added services?"

    "...Value-added services?"

    Lin Yun raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

    "Just as it sounds," the doll extended its short paws, probably attempting to convey a gesture of "provision": "I can provide more products, and they''re all very useful to you, do you want to hear more about them?"

    "You wish to establish a separate layer of trade with me, outside of the Research Institute?" Lin Yun pondered a while, revealing the doll''s intentions: "Why? And I don''t think I''m able to pay the price."

    "You certainly can pay, there''s only one thing I want."

    The doll shifted forward slightly, its emerald eyes seeming somewhat profound, "Black Ash Dawn''s former Ash Envoy ''Mosi'', ''The Origin of Beasts'' she left behind is with you, right?"

    "The Origin of Beasts?"

    Lin Yun was momentarily startled by this unfamiliar term, but he quickly realized what the other party was referring to¡ªit was the purple-black Crystal Stone Mosi used to cultivate the Remnant Beasts, supposedly able to induce mutations in them.

    Emerald Sparrow was right, the Crystal Stone was actually in his hands now.

    Knowing that this object was one of the artificial roots of the Remnant Beasts'' scourge, Emerald Sparrow had consistently used Spell Techniques to seal it in an empty room at the secret base, and had Mosi monitor the state of the Crystal Stone vigilantly. Ever since it had fallen into the hands of a Magical Girl, the Crystal Stone had been stable, so much so that if not for the faint magic power fluctuations, one might even consider it a purely dead object.

    "I cannot take such a thing out to trade, Your Excellency," Lin Yun replied, his eyes narrowing slightly with wariness, "especially when I do not know what you intend to do with it."

    The atrocities Mosi carried out using this Crystal Stone were hair-raising, with countless lives lost to her cruel "research." Now, the Director of the Research Institute was attempting to trade with him for it, which led him to some rather unpleasant suspicions.

    His sense of identification with the group of Magical Girls wasn''t particularly weak; he also believed that most Magical Girls in this world had kind hearts. However, regarding the Gemstone Scepter, those who had stayed at the pinnacle of power for too long and had long been removed from ordinary Magical Girls, he couldn''t help but maintain a certain level of vigilance.

    If he were to hand over the Crystal Stone simply because the other party had the backing of a nation and belonged to the ranks of Magical Girls, he couldn''t ensure that the stone wouldn''t be put to some vile use once more.

    "...It seems that you do not understand my character, which I find somewhat saddening," the doll conveyed Emerald Sparrow''s words clearly, though the emotionless tone bore no hint of "sadness": "But no matter, it is you who have obtained The Origin of Beasts, and the decision to trade it lies only in your hands. First, listen to what I can offer you; perhaps then you will change your mind."

    "Please, go ahead," said Lin Yun, his tense posture relaxing slightly.

    "Well then... where should I start, where did I put my memo?"

    As Lin Yun showed his willingness, sounds of the doll rummaging for something could be heard, and soon Emerald Sparrow''s voice came again, "Ah, right, the most important thing for you is probably your current situation, isn''t it?"

    "Even without my mentioning it, you must have felt it, your Heart''s Gem is on the verge of complete shattering. Magic power is constantly seeping out, your true form is extremely unstable; even at this distance, I can sense its overwhelming burden."

    "Even if you were to release your magic power with all your might, how much combat strength would you still have? Leaf rank? Bud rank? At this rate, your power will only continue to weaken until one day it drops to the very bottom of Seed rank."

    Emerald Sparrow''s words hit the nail on the head.

    The cost of a shattered magical outfit and a damaged true form was bound to be steep. Aside from the Heart''s Gem frequently malfunctioning, making Lin Yun unable to control his transformations, a demotion in power was inevitable.

    If before the fight with Mosi, Emerald Sparrow''s full strength in her normal state was around the level of a Bud; then now, even with all her might, she could no longer touch the level of magic power a Bud rank possessed.

    Furthermore, with two-thirds of the magical outfit "Weave of Fate" gone, what remained of the complete magical outfit was now just a third, like a wall riddled with holes, naturally making it difficult to function as it should. The present Emerald Sparrow would probably have a tough time even taking on a Pupa-rank Remnant Beast alone.

    "Additionally, due to the leakage of magic power, the barrier between your true form and physical body is gradually eroding, and the magic power unique to Magical Girls is beginning to backflow into your current body. You must have noticed this; in your current state, you can use some of the powers of a Magical Girl even without transforming."

    "...Yes," Lin Yun acknowledged with a slight nod.

    "That''s right, such a state might seem manageable in the short term, perhaps even making it more convenient for you to wield your power; but in the long run, it is only harmful and not beneficial. A male body is unable to accommodate and utilize the magic power of a Magical Girl, and it will eventually shorten your lifespan."

    The doll gently tapped the table twice, lifting its head with a sure expression on its comical face:

    "If it comes to that, forget about wielding power, your very life will be on its last legs."

 Chapter 5 Transactions

    Death is a serious topic for anyone.Lin Yun did not fear death, but he understood the importance of respecting it. If possible, he did not wish for his life to end prematurely, even if his remaining days were not long.

    Of course, he did not display such thoughts, so in Molu''s eyes, he still appeared unruffled.

    "Aren''t you afraid? Young man, you could die."

    The doll''s face appropriately showed a puzzled expression, "I specifically brought up the most extreme consequences, and if you still have no reaction, our transaction will be difficult to carry out."

    "You say these things not to frighten me, I presume."

    Lin Yun folded his arms: "You mentioned this is a transaction, so let''s start by discussing your price."

    "Do young people these days not know how to bargain anymore?"

    The doll behind the desk emitted a sigh like that of an old person: "Forget it, I''m really not good at this sort of thing, let''s just talk directly about the help I can offer."

    "First and foremost, I must make clear to you that damage caused by overexerting your powers is irreversible. The Magic Artifacts and Magic Power you''ve lost have vanished forever and completely ceased to exist in concept, so I can''t help you regain that part." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "It''s like a disabled person who has lost limbs through some mishap; after losing limbs, the wounds may scab over and heal, but the limbs won''t grow back. That''s the condition of your essence. You are an injured, disabled person right now, and even your wounds have not yet healed."

    "So?" Lin Yun inquired.

    "So, what I can do is to help you recover from your current injuries in this condition and safely use the remaining strength you have." Molu''s voice came from the doll.

    "...The remaining strength?"

    Lin Yun frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with this answer: "This doesn''t seem to meet my needs."

    He was very aware of the level of his remaining Magic Power. In his opinion, even if he could use that small amount of power safely, it was insufficient to deal with truly dangerous enemies.

    "Why do you think the ''Leaf-Level Magic Power'' is all the strength you have left?" the doll suddenly asked.

    "The current Magic Power... is not everything?"

    This statement took Lin Yun by surprise, causing him to unfold his arms: "Isn''t it? I cannot be mistaken about the amount of Magic Power I feel, and since I can no longer use the Marvel, it seems there is no more residual power in me."

    "Marvel is Marvel, Magic Artifact is Magic Artifact."

    Molu''s voice floated ethereally: "Don''t forget the essence of Marvel, young man. Magic Artifacts are born from Magic Power, Marvels are born from Soul Will; Magic Power corresponds to Soul Will, hence Magic Artifacts and Marvels are two sides of the same essence. Your Magic Artifact may be damaged, but it still retains a thread-like part, which means your Marvel has not vanished, it''s just dormant."

    "But I can''t feel it at all." Lin Yun gently rebutted.

    "That''s normal. Just like a person instinctively curls up or covers a bleeding wound, your essence has its own protective mechanism. Your subconscious judges your essence as incomplete, fragile, so it doesn''t want to expose its wounds," Molu explained. "If I''m not mistaken, even before this battle, using the Marvel was already very forced and painful, wasn''t it? That''s the reason."

    "In short, you are now a person with a Magic Power disability, wishing to use your powers again which requires a complete rehabilitation process, even surgery."

    "To use illness as a metaphor, I can offer you help in two aspects: First, to help you heal the wounds, recover from the injuries, replenish the damage to your essence, so you can stabilize your current condition; second, to provide you with a Prosthetic Limb that is sufficiently functional so you can resume normal activities after recovery."

    "Your existing strength will become a new whole. As the wounds heal, you can stop the decline of your Magic Power and will even be able to unleash your Marvel once more."

    The doll''s face took on a somewhat smug expression: "Of course, it could be more than just the Marvel. You might even... regain your ''·±¿ª''."

    ·±¿ª.

    Lin Yun silently repeated the word in his heart, slightly clutching the Heart''s Gem in his hand.

    How long had it been since he last contemplated that concept?

    As an ability granted to Magical Girls at the Blossom Level, ·±¿ª was an exceedingly important presence for every Blossom Level girl, so much so that the majority of their combat strength was comprised of ·±¿ª.

    As the trump card of a Magical Girl, ·±¿ª is a very special state; to put it in more common terms, the so-called ·±¿ª is a Magical Girl''s "second transformation."

    In the state of ·±¿ª, a Magical Girl''s abilities evolve, and both the Magic Power volume and Soul Will strength receive an unprecedented amplification. According to the records of the kingdoms, the most extreme examples of ·±¿ª could reach ten times the Magic Power before ·±¿ª.

    Such a terrifying amplification comes at no significant cost to the Magical Girl, only a period of weakness follows its use.

    This is also one of the reasons why Blossom Level Magical Girls are leaps and bounds beyond Bud Level in terms of combat strength: even with frail Magic Power, a Magical Girl in ·±¿ª can easily surpass her peers in the power aspect.

 Chapter 5 Trade_2

    It was certain that, if Lin Yun could use "·±¿ª" in his Magical Girl state, the boost to his battle power would be enormously great, far surpassing his former self who couldn''t use "·±¿ª."He also had enough confidence that, should he recover such an ability, he would not fear any enemy in combat.

    This condition tempted him.

    "What should I do?"

    So he looked at the doll in front of him and asked seriously, "Or rather, what will you do?" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Heh heh, it''s simple. First, you need to stabilize your injury; then, take a trip to our Research Institute, and I''ll personally perform a minor surgery on you; lastly, fit you with the most advanced ''Prosthetic Limb.''"

    The doll spoke with some pride, "Rest assured, this is my unique technique. It won''t affect your origin power, just a little trickery in the injured area."

    "I can''t." Lin Yun said expressionlessly, "Don''t tell me you don''t know."

    "You can''t? Oh, it seems you indeed can''t."

    It was then that the doll suddenly seemed to realize something, "That''s right, after all, you rejected His Majesty''s favor in person, so a confinement order was issued, forbidding you to enter the Magic Kingdom. Carrying the code name ''Cornflower'' probably won''t even get you past the national border. I''m not sure if I should call you rebellious or something else, but this is troublesome... Ouch!"

    Before it could finish speaking, a small cry of pain escaped as Lin Yun snatched the chair from under it, causing it to fall to the ground.

    "Don''t play dumb, dolls don''t feel pain, do they?"

    Holding the back of the chair with one hand, Lin Yun propped himself up on the desk: "Putting on airs like our illustrious Dean does not suit you, respected Chief. Let''s cut the nonsense and make our communication more efficient."

    "So rude... Even so, you shouldn''t pull out a chair from under a lady, right? I am a staunch opponent of violence, and this treatment will lower my opinion of you, junior."

    The doll complained as it stood up from the ground, trying hard to dust off its behind with its short paws: "Sigh, the morals of the physical world have really declined. Don''t the young understand the concept of respect for the elderly and love for the young anymore?"

    ¡ª¡ª"Hello, security department? Come to my office and help me throw a large, unidentified doll into the garbage room."

    "Hey, hey¡ª¡ª"

    The always lax and leisurely tone of Molu suddenly rose several octaves, "Don''t rush, wait a minute, I haven''t finished talking yet, it''s not without a solution."

    Lin Yun held his phone and glanced sideways at the doll on the ground, remaining silent.

    "Ahem, in short, I can provide you with a way. You should know that in a little while, it will be the annual certification exam."

    Molu cleared its throat: "At that time, a large number of new Magical Girls from all over the material world will be flocking to the kingdom, and you can blend in with the new candidates and infiltrate the kingdom, then come to Luennolay to find me."

    "Mixing in the crowd won''t change my identity." Lin Yun reminded expressionlessly.

    "Then don''t use your real identity, we can forge one."

    The doll climbed back up onto Lin Yun''s office chair using the legs of the chair and lay down again: "Starting today, a new Magical Girl profile will be created in the Magical Affairs Institute, inventing the existence of a new Magical Girl. When next year comes, you can use that identity to register and take the exam."

    "The Gemstone Scepter now has the power to directly fabricate a Magical Girl who doesn''t exist at all?"

    Lin Yun raised his eyebrows in slight surprise, but upon reflection, he wasn''t shocked: "The Four Great Institutions'' infiltration into the Magical Affairs Institute has reached this extent? Does she know about this?"

    "Ah, the so-called power struggles and political games always involve some tacit understandings between everyone."

    The doll on the chair also crossed its arms: "As long as everyone agrees, insisting that something doesn''t exist, then politically speaking, it doesn''t exist."

    "It seems you''ve included yourself in the insult."

    "Sitting in a seat that isn''t your own, enjoying power that doesn''t belong to you, you''ll inevitably do things you don''t like."

    The doll looked up at Lin Yun: "Being a Gemstone Scepter is not a role to be enjoyed with peace of mind, especially when your colleagues are stretching out their hands for more power, to stand by is to wait for death."

    The words of Molu were cryptic, yet Lin Yun understood their meaning: there was a balance and struggle of power among the Gemstone Scepters, and in this struggle, there was one who exerted pressure on all the others, forcing the Scepters to spend more effort than they wished.

    The Gemstone Scepter so focused on playing power games could only be the head of the Investigation Institute.

    "It seems you truly despise our Dean." Lin Yun mused thoughtfully.

    "As I''ve said, let''s skip the more unpleasant topics."

    The doll spread its paws: "And the power to help you secretly enter the kingdom is indispensable; at least for now, it becomes our aid."

    "It''s undeniable."

    Lin Yun nodded: "Although I do not wish to accept your whitewashing of this matter."

    "Oh? Are you trying to say ''all of that was originally mine''? How cute."

    The voice of Molu dragged out once more, sounding meaningful: "If you really want to say that, I won''t deny it."

 Chapter 5 Transactions_3

    ""I''m not that naive."Lin Yun shook his head, "In the Magic Kingdom, power is built upon corresponding strength, even if I had accepted that invitation back then, I wouldn''t have had the confidence to successfully take under my control and manage so many people."

    "That''s not necessarily true."

    The doll''s face suddenly revealed a somewhat strange smile, "But if that''s the case, if you agree to our deal, once you come to Luennolay and complete the surgery, I''ll hand over this part of the power of the Magical Affairs Institute to you, how about that?"

    The office fell silent for a moment.

    Lin Yun looked at the doll sitting in the chair, its fuzzy face bearing a smile that didn''t seem at all feigned. Its languid and comfortable demeanor appeared genuinely indifferent to the "power" it spoke of, as if unaware of the shock that its words could evoke.

    Before today, if someone told Lin Yun that someone would casually use the power of a national agency as a bargaining chip in a deal, he would definitely have thought it was a joke.

    He didn''t believe it was merely a favor to him; there had to be other reasons behind such an offer.

    "...What exactly is the Source of Beasts? What secrets does it hold?"

    And that was the reason Lin Yun could think of.

    The target of the Molu trade was the Source of Beasts, and for her to offer such terms, the Source of Beasts must hold corresponding value in her eyes.

    So, what kind of value would equate to a quarter of the Magical Affairs Institute? Lin Yun didn''t know, but he could vaguely imagine.

    "Do you accept these terms? If you do, I can tell you." The doll still lazily leaned against the chair''s backrest.

    "...If you don''t tell me, it might be difficult for me to agree." Lin Yun slowly shook his head.

    "Really? I''m offering the recovery of Fankai''s abilities, as well as your continued lifespan, not to mention a quarter of the Magical Affairs Institute. Aren''t you tempted even by this?"

    "A deal that seems guaranteed to be without loss must have risks and costs hidden in the dark. I don''t want to make a grave mistake by being greedy for short-term pleasures."

    "''Make a grave mistake''? I cannot pretend I didn''t hear such harsh words. Do you really think that once I get the Source of Beasts, I''m destined to go and do bad things? What kind of image do you have of me in your mind?"

    "Gemstone Scepter."

    "Humph! To use a term that should symbolize honor as a pseudonym for critique, that''s too despicable, young man!"

    Molu seemed quite dissatisfied with this characterization, but Lin Yun did not speak again. He calmly faced the doll sitting in front of him. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    He did not believe in pies falling from the sky; he needed a reason from the other side that would set his mind at ease.

    After a brief silence, it was Molu who once again broke the quiet, "Well, that''s alright, we still have plenty of time. There are five months until next year''s certification exam; you have ample time to understand my character, then consider whether this deal should go through. Trust me, my personal charm will persuade you, and after feeling my sincerity, you will accept my terms."

    "What do you mean?" Lin Yun asked in confusion.

    "It means that during the coming time, I will leave this doll avatar of mine in Fangting City, and I will set up a private, small-scale research institute here."

    Molu said leisurely, "If you encounter anything you''re curious about, or anything you want to know, you can come to me."

    "Research institute? When?"

    "It hasn''t been built yet, location undecided."

    "...Is this also the reason you came to see me?"

    "Yes, this is also why I came today; I figured the Abnormal Strategy Bureau shouldn''t lack such resources."

    Seemingly having lain enough on the chair, the plump fairy doll finally sat up straight once more, even though it looked just like a ball rolling around on the chair. Its deep emerald eyes fixed on Lin Yun again, the laziness still tinged with an imperceptible taunt, "So, I''ll rely on you to find a valuable feng shui site for my research institute, young man, no... I should say, Director."

 Chapter 6 Accidental Encounter at the Station

    Lin Yun''s conversation with Molu did not last very long.After Lin Yun had helped her select an address for a private research facility, the comical fairy doll strutted out of Lin Yun''s office, leaving the Abnormal Strategy Bureau unaffected by any onlookers.

    According to Molu, these fairy dolls are not only imitations of fairy figures but also possess cognitive disruption abilities akin to those of fairies, and even stronger. Ordinary fairies can only affect people with weaker magic power, rendering themselves invisible to them; Molu''s dolls, however, can shield themselves from the observation of all beings other than Magical Girls and fairies.

    Having seen off this unwelcomed dignitary from the Research Institute, Lin Yun proceeded to handle some documents and meet with some employees in his office. Afterwards, he finally welcomed the end of his first day on the job.

    Even as the head of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, Lin Yun still did not have the habit of driving to work, and today, he was taking the light rail train as usual. The logistics department originally planned to equip him with a car and a driver, but he refused.

    He didn''t feel like a leader yet, nor did he want the surrounding amenities to make him start thinking that way.

    Compared to his previous workplace, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s building was closer to the train station and more convenient to walk to. Walking under the cover of night, it took Lin Yun about ten minutes to reach the nearest train station.

    After going through security and swiping his card to enter the station, Lin Yun waited on the platform for the train to arrive. Looking around aimlessly, he suddenly spotted a somewhat familiar figure:

    It was Tian Sheng.

    Tian Sheng was at that moment wearing wireless earphones, hunched over his phone, focusing intensively on the screen, immersed in either a video or a game.

    Lin Yun had no desire to start a conversation, but since the other party was one of his employees, he took a couple more glances at him. However, it would have been better not to look, for when he really saw the content on Tian Sheng''s phone screen, he almost subconsciously held his breath.

    ¡ªHe saw himself.

    Not as Lin Yun, but as Emerald Sparrow.

    Two weeks prior, on the night of the Full Moon Festival, when Mosi released a massive number of Remnant Beasts to attack the whole of Fangting City, Emerald Sparrow unfolded her miraculous domain and, at the cost of her enchanted outfit, exterminated all the Remnant Beasts to save the city from disaster.

    At that time, the silvery-blue threads stretched across the entire city center were seen by all the citizens.

    This was not the first time Emerald Sparrow had unfolded her miraculous domain on a large scale in Fangting City. In fact, during the great beast calamity 19 years ago, she had done something similar. And at that young age, Emerald Sparrow did not shy away from media interviews, so she and the other squad members openly admitted their actions.

    That early, thoughtless behavior inadvertently led to the current repercussions, as the night of the Full Moon Festival, when Emerald Sparrow unfolded her domain again, the characteristic blue threads instantly allowed people to guess the owner''s identity.

    As the once-active Magical Girl in Fangting City, the name "Cornflower" was actually not unfamiliar to people, and with some zealous individuals quickly digging up old footage, "Magical Girl Cornflower Returns" suddenly became a hot topic among Fangting City''s netizens.

    Now, the video playing on Tian Sheng''s phone was of an interview with Emerald Sparrow from years past.

    Seeing this content, Lin Yun was at a loss for words. After standing silently on the spot for a while, he shifted his feet and quietly retreated to one side.

    But just as he decided to ignore Tian Sheng and wait for the train elsewhere, the train lights suddenly lit up not far down the track.

    The train had arrived.

    Tian Sheng, who was originally engrossed in the video, suddenly lifted his head and glanced towards the train. Then, he saw Lin Yun standing not far away.

    He made his way through the crowd toward Lin Yun.

    "Director!" he called out.

    This made Lin Yun''s plan to pretend he hadn''t seen him fall apart, so he could only look towards Tian Sheng resignedly, nodding his head without expression.

    The two of them entered the train with the flow of people, Lin Yun finding a quiet corner to stand in, Tian Sheng following right after, respectfully saying:

    "Hello, Chief."

    "Off work, we can dispense with the formalities."

    Lin Yun took out his phone, pretending to be busy as he flipped through it, "Is there something you need?"

    "Ah, no, it''s just surprising to see you also taking the electric train, Chief," Tian Sheng removed his wireless earbuds, "After all, even our ministers take car services, is there a situation with you?"

    "I''m not accustomed to being waited on. Having someone specifically assigned to pick me up and drop me off would make me uncomfortable."

    Lin Yun continued to stare at his phone screen, "Don''t use your ministers as an example; what they do is normal, and I have no objections to that."

    "Not liking to be waited on... I see. Chief, you really seem completely different from the leaders I have in mind."

    "I''ll take that as a compliment."

    "No, I wouldn''t dare."

    Tian Sheng scratched his arm somewhat awkwardly, "About the thing you mentioned at noon today, after I went back, I thought about it again and remembered some fragmented details."

    "This afternoon? The orphanage incident?" Lin Yun finally lifted his head to look at Tian Sheng. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Yes, the orphanage incident."

    At the mention of this incident, the somewhat awkward smile on Tian Sheng''s face faded, and he said seriously, "I think I remember encountering a Remnant Beast."

    "A Remnant Beast? Are you sure?"

    Lin Yun put away his phone, "According to testimonies from related personnel and records of the incident, there was only one Remnant Beast at the orphanage, which was quickly vanquished by the Magical Girl, and almost no one encountered it face to face."

    "Yes, I know, but in my memory, it seems I have a frontal view of the Remnant Beast. I think I saw it from a very close distance."

    Tian Sheng pondered as he organized his thoughts, "Moreover, aside from the Remnant Beast, I think I saw the Magical Girl."

    "Why do you think that?" Lin Yun asked, his tone unchanging.

    "I asked some people this afternoon. After the Remnant Beast incidents, there are two kinds of people who would undergo psychological manipulation and memory operations afterward to help them forget certain facts."

    Tian Sheng explained earnestly, "One kind is those who suffered immense psychological trauma from the Remnant Beast''s attack, and the other is those who witnessed the true identity of the Magical Girl."

    "Do you think it''s because you saw the Magical Girl that you were psychologically manipulated?"

    "Yes... because I remembered the color of the magic power."

    "The color of the magic power?"

    "Although I can''t recall exactly who, I still haven''t forgotten the color of the magic power."

    With one hand holding onto a ring on the electric train, Tian Sheng placed his other hand over his heart:

    "At that time, what I saw at the orphanage must have been green magic power."

    "I''m not certain of this, but I can''t think of any other reason either. If I''m not mistaken, the reason for those strange dreams and the unexplained increase in strength I experienced might be related to that green magic power."

 Chapter 7 Nini

    Green magic power.Lin Yun certainly knew who that referred to.

    There was only one Magical Girl who had participated in the battle at the orphanage attack and was suspected to have had her true identity revealed by the former caregiver Tian Sheng, and that was Bai Jingxuan.

    Could Tian Sheng''s change be related to Bai Jingxuan? This was a possibility Lin Yun had never considered before.

    Bai Jingxuan was a deviant, even among Magical Girls, and possessed an extremely rare healing magical power. Lin Yun was well aware of these facts. But what did this have to do with Tian Sheng''s fortuitous benefit after being merged with a Remnant Beast?

    This was beyond Lin Yun''s knowledge.

    He knew very little about the mysteries behind the identity of deviants, and what other secrets Bai Jingxuan might have were also unknown to him. Therefore, even though Tian Sheng had suggested such a possibility, he was unable to provide any useful response.

    ¡ªShould he go and ask Mosi in a couple of days?

    Walking back to the secret base, Emerald Sparrow, now transformed into her Magical Girl persona, pondered this.

    She couldn''t think of a better plan at the moment.

    As the chief of the Research Institute, Mosi should possess some knowledge related to deviants. Asking her should lead to some clues. And Mosi had mentioned before parting earlier that day that she could be approached, so it wouldn''t seem presumptuous to seek her out with questions.

    But wasn''t this all a bit too coincidental?

    Just this afternoon, the other party mentioned that she could consult about any doubts, and by evening, she encountered a situation she didn''t understand. This made Emerald Sparrow feel an unpleasant calculation at play.

    She entered the community gate, greeted the security guard as she had grown accustomed to, and walked to the door of the secret base deep in thought. Emerald Sparrow then took the key out of her pocket.

    Click.

    Before she could insert the key into the lock, the door in front of her suddenly swung open at the sound.

    "Emerald Sparrow! You''re back!" Lin Xiaolu bounced out from behind the door like an excited little dog that had been waiting at home for its owner, arms spread wide, even attempting to embrace her then and there.

    "Yes, I''m back."

    Emerald Sparrow gently pushed Lin Xiaolu''s hands away: "Was there anything unusual around here today?"

    "Not at all, no. There wasn''t even a traffic accident, let alone a Remnant Beast attack."

    Lin Xiaolu hadn''t given up on her plan to hug her and reached out her hands again. Finding that she was still firmly held back by Emerald Sparrow, she reluctantly stopped: "Don''t worry, we''re not greenhorns anymore!"

    The two were discussing the safety of Luoming District today.

    With the conclusion of the Full Moon Festival incident and the fact that she needed to heal and the younger girls had shown promising growth during the incident, Emerald Sparrow began encouraging them to manage the city districts like true Magical Girls.

    Lin Xiaolu was responsible for Luoming District, Xia Liang for Sunset District, and Bai Jingxuan for Lixing District; the three Magical Girls dealt with Remnant Beasts and accidental incidents within their respective areas. Only when they faced an enemy they couldn''t handle alone would they contact their companions for assistance.

    This experiment had been going on for over a week and, so far, the results were good.

    During this time, two Remnant Beast attacks occurred in Fangting City: one in Lin Xiaolu''s Luoming District and one in Bai Jingxuan''s Lixing District. Both of them had dealt with the Remnant Beasts on their own, without sustaining much injury.

    And today, according to Lin Xiaolu, nothing particularly eventful had happened either.

    Feeling somewhat relieved, Emerald Sparrow pushed the door open to enter the foyer, chatting with Lin Xiaolu about trivial family matters and walked leisurely into the living room.

    In fact, Lin Xiaolu''s warm and proactive behavior had only started in the last two weeks. Before then, although she had shown admiration and idolization for Emerald Sparrow, she had never been as effusive as she had been in recent days.

    This left Emerald Sparrow confused, yet with a small enjoyment¡ªwho would mind their daughter becoming closer to them?

    The two arrived in the living room to find Xia Liang sitting on the couch, watching television. Seeing Emerald Sparrow and Lin Xiaolu come from the foyer, she waved her hand and greeted them with a smile.

    The restaurant area nearby also stirred with activity, as a pink puppy fairy with fluttering wings slowly flew over, followed by a downcast pink kitten.

    "Good evening, Cornflower,"

    the pink puppy fairy said to Emerald Sparrow, "Dinner is ready today. Would you like to have it now?"

    This pink puppy fairy was none other than the former Seeder of Fangting City¡ªNini.

    As the entity who had been covertly assisting Emerald Sparrow over the phone, it was only rescued from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau after Mosi''s downfall. At that time, the rescued Nini was barely hanging on to life and looked as though it wouldn''t survive.

    Fortunately, fairies are known for their strong vitality. Once free from the control of Black Ash Dawn, Nini swiftly regained its ability to move around. In this aspect, it even recovered quicker than Emerald Sparrow.

    As the senior Seeder whom Mosi had initially sought to join, Nini was indeed a mature and qualified Seeder. It possessed not only comprehensive knowledge and impeccable manners but also exquisite culinary skills. To express gratitude for its rescue, Nini had been living in the secret base these days, taking care of all the meals.

    Unlike Mosi, who only knew how to eat, Nini alone, with the power of a single fairy, managed the daily meals for all the Magical Girls, with both taste and nutrition beyond reproach.

    Besides, it was able to provide accurate data on magic power fluctuations during the Magical Girls'' training, predict the approximate location of Remnant Beast attacks before they happened, and skillfully handle relationships with various parties in a mature and thoughtful manner. It was only upon meeting Nini that the Magical Girls of Fangting City finally understood why the Magical Girl teams in other cities were centered around the Seeder.

    Even after just a few days of working together, Lin Xiaolu strongly requested to replace Mosi with Nini, urging Nini to take back its rightful place.

    Alas, Nini declined.

    "No matter how perfect my performance now, my work in Fangting City was that of an unqualified Seeder. I failed to protect the Magical Girls I had signed on with and no longer have the face to take up the role of Seeder here,"

    that''s what it said. "Besides, the royal court''s reassignment is absolute. Since Mosi has been appointed here as the Seeder, my position has effectively been revoked, and I need to return to the realm to await orders."

    As for why it still remained here, the reason was quite simple¡ªto discipline Mosi.

    That was also the reason Mosi seemed so listless.

    While Nini was respectful and friendly towards the Magical Girls, its attitude towards Mosi was nothing short of a devilish drill sergeant, berating Mosi with unmatched severity daily. Mosi, always one to never back down, dared not show the slightest temper in front of Nini, to the great surprise of the little trio.

    In the face of Nini''s strict discipline, Mosi was like a misbehaved child, meekly accepting its punishment without a hint of backtalk. As for today, it was unclear what had happened before, but it seemed to have been scolded yet again.

    Emerald Sparrow''s gaze swept over the dispirited Mosi, pausing briefly, but she said nothing more. Standing in the corridor, she looked around for a moment before suddenly asking:

    "Where''s Bo Xue?"

    "Xiaolu went back to the orphanage today, said she was looking for something. She won''t be at the secret base tonight,"

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    Xia Liang answered from the side, "Do you have something to ask her, junior? Shall I send a message in the group for you?"

    "Not here?"

    Emerald Sparrow blinked, and after hearing Xia Liang''s suggestion, she shook her head, "Never mind then, it''s not something urgent."

    Bai Jingxuan seldom returned to the orphanage, and she must have had things to discuss with the familiar caregivers and friends; there was no need to impose further on her time.

    That''s what Emerald Sparrow was thinking.

    The changes happening with Tian Sheng didn''t seem to be problematic, and neither he nor Emerald Sparrow were in any rush to solve the current puzzle; postponing it for a day was no issue.

    She could just look for Bai Jingxuan tomorrow night.

    With these thoughts in mind, Emerald Sparrow sat down at the dining table with the fairy and her juniors to start enjoying dinner.

    In fact, her current thought process was not flawed; the changes occurring with Tian Sheng indeed were not a big deal. However, she had not anticipated that her next encounter with Bai Jingxuan would happen in an unexpected way. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The next day, Bai Jingxuan, on returning from the orphanage, went alone to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, and then, she took the initiative to storm into the Director''s Office.

 Chapter 8 The Little Visitor

    "It''s really amazing, Director! Where did this high-end gear called ''Magic Armor'' come from?"The next day, at ten o''clock in the morning.

    An exuberant Li Yingwei was clinging desperately to Tian Sheng beside him, lavishing effusive praise on a few pieces of equipment laid out nearby, to the point that it sounded a bit nauseating to listen to.

    "I just passed the qualification audit and tried it out in the combat room, and it felt like my own magic power underwent an essential change!"

    He gesticulated excitedly, "I feel like even if I encountered a Remnant Beast, I could take it on face-to-face!"

    The distribution of Magic Armor had gradually begun at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. By Lin Yun''s unilateral demand, every employee who received Magic Armor had to report to the Director''s Office, where he personally vetted them.

    At the moment, it was time for the third special operations team to report.

    The third team had three members who were allocated Magic Armor: team leader Li Yingwei, deputy leader Mu Bensheng, and, as they claimed, the rising star Tian Sheng, who had shown great promise. These three were now gathered in the Director''s Office, awaiting Lin Yun''s personal inspection.

    This so-called personal inspection was actually a further precaution against traitors. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Although Lin Yun had already screened for a considerable number of internal colluders during yesterday''s appointment speech, he could not be certain that those were all there were. Magic Armor, a resource that could greatly enhance the wearer''s combat abilities, could be devastating for the ordinary staff of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau if even a single piece ended up in the hands of Black Ash Dawn.

    Thus, the situation had evolved into what it was now.

    Although it was uncertain how sincere Li Yingwei''s praises and flattery were, none of that would affect Lin Yun''s decisions. Once all three men were gathered in front of his desk, he had already stealthily gripped his Heart''s Gem and begun to secretly sense the magic power fluctuations of the three men to discern any beastly elements.

    Both Li Yingwei and Mu Bensheng posed no problem; the two were quite purely human Magicians.

    But Tian Sheng was different.

    Lin Yun could sense a very familiar and chilling beastly magic power from him. Having fought and driven away countless Remnant Beasts as a Magical Girl, he was certainly not mistaken in his perception of this magic power.

    This was also the reason for his hesitation¡ªeven though he knew that the changes in Tian Sheng were related to the magic power of Remnant Beasts, and the man had never concealed his experiences, there might still be secrets lurking behind it all.

    Should he approve now, or put it on hold?

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    As Lin Yun was lost in thought, a commotion suddenly came from outside the Director''s Office.

    ¡ª"Stop, young lady! You can''t come in here! This area is off-limits!"

    Faintly accompanied by the anxious voice of the receptionist.

    The combat team members gathered in the Director''s Office were instantly distracted by the noise and stopped talking; Lin Yun also paused his thoughts, looking towards the office door with some confusion.

    Sure enough, the wooden double doors of the Director''s Office were pushed open.

    A girl dressed in a stage costume, white on top and green on the skirt, barged in from outside. She looked exceedingly cute and pretty, like a child star who had run away from a show. She stormed in aggressively but tempered her fierceness slightly when she saw four adult men behind the door, then bowed in place:

    "Hello, uncles! Is the Director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau here?"

    The stark contrast was startling.

    The receptionist, panting wearily, explained with some resignation, "I''m sorry, Director, I tried to stop her, but she said she''s a Magical Girl..."

    Lin Yun, of course, knew this girl who had barged into the Director''s Office was a Magical Girl; in fact, she was his well-known junior and younger person: Bai Jingxuan.

    The night before, Emerald Sparrow had planned to talk to this child at their secret base, but Bai Jingxuan wasn''t there at the time, and now she had taken the initiative to burst into the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    So, what was her purpose for coming here?

    With such doubts in mind, Lin Yun asked indifferently, "Hello, I am. Were you looking for me?"

    "Yes, I wanted to find the Director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau... Eh, you''re not Lin Xiaolu''s..."

    Bai Jingxuan began to answer reflexively but sharply paused when she got a clear look at the middle-aged man behind the desk, then covered her mouth, "Ah no, I''ve mistaken the person!"

    Clearly, she recognized Lin Yun, aware that he was Lin Xiaolu''s father. But given the presence of other strangers, she should not reveal Lin Xiaolu''s identity, so she opted to stop herself.

    Before she could further clarify, Tian Sheng, after observing the girl for a moment, also looked puzzled, as if recalling something, and muttered, "Xiaoxuan?"

    "Yes! Excuse me... Eh, Uncle Tian!"

    Bai Jingxuan was once again astonished by the identities of those present, recognizing him as a former welfare home worker, and once more fell into brief confusion. Her initial resolve upon entering seemed firm, but that conviction was softening upon discovering that everyone in the room was an acquaintance.

    Stammering with her words, Bai Jingxuan eventually bowed again to everyone, "I''m sorry! I didn''t mean to cause trouble!"

    "No, you haven''t said anything yet..." Li Yingwei, on the side, felt utterly baffled and couldn''t help but interject, only to receive a nudge from the deputy leader beside him, and so promptly fell silent again.

 Chapter 8 The Little Visitor_2

    The receptionist at the door sensed that the atmosphere was amiss and wanted to explain further, but in the end, her words turned into silent gestures, her lips closed, and no speech followed.Seeing everyone fall into an awkward silence, Lin Yun looked around and finally sighed helplessly, "Tian Sheng, stay behind, and please, Magical Girl, stay as well. The rest of you wait outside."

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    Upon receiving his directive, everyone moved in tacit agreement. The receptionist was the first to leave from the door, Li Yingwei was also pulled out of the Director''s Office by the deputy team leader, and in the end, only Tian Sheng and Bai Jingxuan remained in front of Lin Yun.

    Gazing at Bai Jingxuan, Lin Yun pondered for a moment before speaking, "Then, please don''t be anxious, calm down and let''s talk properly. You are a Magical Girl, I''ve read your file, you go by the code name Bo Xue, right?"

    "Yes."

    Bai Jingxuan nodded obediently, "I am Bo Xue."

    "So, what brings you here?"

    Lin Yun tried to keep his expression serene to avoid putting pressure on Bai Jingxuan, "Is there something you need help with from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau?"

    "Ah, yes!"

    Upon hearing the word "purpose," Bai Jingxuan, who had been hesitant, suddenly perked up, her eyes shining with what seemed like a trace of dreamy anticipation:

    "I want to take part in the slaughter of Black Ash Dawn!" S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    There was silence.

    Lin Yun maintained a proper posture, his face expressionless as he looked at Bai Jingxuan. After a brief silence, he spoke again, "I''m sorry, I didn''t quite catch that, what did you say?"

    "I want to take part in the slaughter of Black Ash Dawn!"

    Bai Jingxuan clenched her fist with one hand, her serious expression somehow looking cute:

    "To be exact, I want to torment them!"

    "...Why have you come to us?" Lin Yun asked dully.

    "I saw it while I was on patrol! The people from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau fighting Black Ash Dawn!"

    Bai Jingxuan crisply said, "I asked the uncle there, and they said it was the Director''s order! The Director commanded them to kill all the Black Ash Dawn within the city!"

    "...She said that." Tian Sheng repeated Bai Jingxuan''s words while looking at Lin Yun.

    "I know, you don''t need to say it again."

    Lin Yun only felt a headache coming on. He subconsciously held his forehead, "That, Bo Xue, right? What you just said was about wanting to eliminate and capture the remnants of Black Ash Dawn..."

    "It''s to torment!" Bai Jingxuan corrected earnestly.

    As cute as she looked, the words she spoke were just as horrifying.

    "That''s not a word to be thrown around lightly, especially since you''re a Magical Girl."

    Lin Yun sighed unconsciously, straining to steer the topic back to a trajectory he could control, "You seem young, probably not fully aware of the meaning of ''torment.'' I need to explain to you that such behavior is neither morally nor legally permissible, it does not align with mainstream social values, and..."

    "Is it like beating them to a pulp before killing them?" Bai Jingxuan tilted her head, somewhat puzzled.

    "...Yes, but we''re not here to discuss the definition of the word. Rather, we''re saying that such actions, even just the words, are not permitted."

    Lin Yun explained earnestly, "Especially as a Magical Girl, who represents the light and hope of this city. A Magical Girl''s primary duty is to subdue Remnant Beasts, and generally, they shouldn''t actively harm ordinary humans, or the relatively weaker Magicians. What''s more, the word you used is ''torment,'' that''s a word a Magical Girl should never utter, nor is it an act you should ever execute."

    "But, that''s what my mentor did!"

    Bai Jingxuan was clearly young, and it was evident that her vocabulary wasn''t extensive; she seemed to be digging deep for every word:

    "My mentor, she tormented the leader of Black Ash Dawn so coolly! And everyone was praising her! I really admire what she did!"

    Lin Yun fell silent once more.

    Now, all he wanted was to pick up the heavy reference book on the table and give himself a couple of good whacks on the forehead.

    "Your teacher? She is..." Tian Sheng, who was nearby, seemed to realize something and hesitantly started to ask.

    "My teacher is the Magical Girl Emerald Sparrow! The same Magical Girl who saved all of us last month!"

    Bai Jingxuan spoke without restraint, "She fiercely beat up that bad guy at the time, turned his face into a pig''s head, and then she ruthlessly killed him!"

    "Well done!"

    Tian Sheng slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I support your teacher! That''s exactly how those bastards should be treated! You should learn from her!"

    "Tian Sheng."

    Lin Yun lowered his voice as a reminder.

    "...Ah, I''m sorry, Director."

    Tian Sheng immediately said with a chagrin, "I got carried away..."

    "You''re an adult too, don''t let yourself be so easily swayed by a child."

    Lin Yun tapped on the desk and spoke calmly, but his occasionally trembling heels below the desk betrayed his unsettled emotions, "No matter the reason, or who you want to emulate, encouraging such a young child to ''slaughter'' her enemies is not appropriate."

    "But she''s talking about dealing with trash from Black Ash Dawn, right?"

    Tian Sheng quietly retorted, "I think dealing with them is just like dealing with Remnant Beasts, there''s no need to observe the moral ethics of humanity."

    "...You''re right, the scum of Black Ash Dawn deserves to die."

    Lin Yun nodded, "But you should be clear about what the significance of us adults being here is, and what the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was established for. ''Magical Girls fight Remnant Beasts, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau fights human traitors'', we exist here for keeping these children away from fratricide, to prevent them from bearing the burden of killing humans while they are still ignorant."

    "Perhaps while they are still children, killing these evil humans won''t affect them; but no one can guarantee that it won''t cast a shadow on them when they grow up."

    "Her teacher is indeed a Magical Girl, but you should know that she is one who has been active for 20 years and is now an adult Magical Girl; her teacher has her own set principles, and her decision to cruelly kill her enemies was one made after careful deliberation, not mindless imitation..."

    "I, am not imitating!"

    Bai Jingxuan interrupted Lin Yun somewhat anxiously.

    She raised her hand like a primary school student with a question in class, but without waiting for approval, she burst out, "I''m not imitating my teacher! I admire what my teacher did, yes, but I want to slaughter those bad guys myself!"

    "Why?"

    Lin Yun asked, puzzled.

    "Because I want revenge!"

    Bai Jingxuan placed her hand over her heart and proclaimed loudly, "They let Remnant Beasts kill my parents, and they killed that Magical Girl... killed Senior Sakura! I hate them! I want them to die horribly! I want them to regret everything they''ve done!"

    Lin Yun had never seen Bai Jingxuan so agitated before.

    In his memory, Bai Jingxuan had always been that well-behaved and sensible child, very quiet, very calm. She didn''t express her feelings intensely in front of others, nor did she make others feel uncomfortable. She left so much space for others that most of the time they didn''t even notice her presence.

    Perhaps, in the ordinary battles against the Remnant Beasts, her fighting style was a bit brutal, a bit cruel. But under the tireless correction of Emerald Sparrow, that dangerous way of fighting had diminished by a lot. The Bai Jingxuan of today was acting like a normal Magical Girl.

    Had it not been for today, Lin Yun might have never heard the word "revenge" from Bai Jingxuan''s lips.

    Yet, relative to the child''s experience, this word was so heavy, so justified, that he didn''t know what else he could say.

    And when she uttered words like "slaughter" and "revenge," her expression was so innocent and earnest that it disquieted the heart.

    "...I won''t agree, I can''t let a child like you do such things."

    In the end, Lin Yun could only speak with a hint of bitterness. He stopped trying to persuade Bai Jingxuan and looked at Tian Sheng, pointing toward the office''s door:

    "Tian Sheng, take her out."

 Chapter 9 Refutation

    Having sent away the unwelcome guest from the Director''s Office, Lin Yun headed to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s cafeteria with a heavy heart.Although he was now the director, he insisted on not living a special lifestyle; he kept everything in line with the ordinary employees and did not enjoy any special treatment.

    Chewing listlessly on a few bites of the food on his plate, Lin Yun contemplated the conversation that had taken place in the Director''s Office that morning and felt overwhelmed.

    He felt like he had shot himself in the foot.

    He did not know what Bai Jingxuan''s mentality had been, nor her views on life and hatred. But her current thoughts, which could be described as cruel, seemed to be inseparable from their battle on the night of the Full Moon Festival.

    Lin Yun also often reflected on that event, questioning whether his own choice was too extreme, whether he should have used such brutal methods of combat in front of the girls, and whether it might have had any negative influence.

    In fact, long before he killed Mosi and met with the girls again, Bai Jingxuan''s gaze had already seemed a bit off. Among the three girls, only she had an expression not of worry or fear but of pure excitement and admiration.

    It was as if she had finally found some direction, had a certain epiphany, and she showed such an attitude.

    At the time, Emerald Sparrow did not know what Bai Jingxuan was thinking. Now in hindsight, the girl might have already entertained similar perverse thoughts. These thoughts had settled over half a month and, underneath her calm and obedient exterior, had fermented in an unknowable way, eventually manifesting in her current behavior.

    Emerald Sparrow did not want to shirk responsibility for this; as a mentor to the Magical Girls, she indeed hadn''t set a positive example in this matter.

    However, now that things had developed to this point, hesitating was of no use; what she needed to think about was how to remedy the situation. How should she tell Bai Jingxuan that her thoughts were inappropriate?

    Carrying his complex emotions, Lin Yun returned to his office exhausted after lunch.

    Pushing open the Director''s Office''s swinging door, he took a sharp glance inside and saw the green-haired girl with a single ponytail, who should have been sent away earlier.

    Tian Sheng stood to the side, looking embarrassed, unsure of what to say.

    "...Why is she still here?" Lin Yun turned and asked Tian Sheng.

    "I advised her against it, but she insisted on coming," Tian Sheng explained in a low voice, "and I couldn''t stop her, so I just followed behind."

    "Didn''t the security department come to expel her?"

    "They did, but she is a Magical Girl... the security personnel couldn''t do much with her," Tian Sheng scratched the back of his head.

    Lin Yun''s gaze swept over both of them, and after a brief pause, he gave a barely noticeable sigh, "Alright then, you can go back. I''ll talk to her."

    "Don''t you need me to stay?" Tian Sheng pointed to himself, "In case the talk doesn''t go well again..."

    "But you couldn''t persuade her either, could you?"

    Lin Yun waved his hand: "You''ve been troubled enough this morning. Go and rest."

    Tian Sheng seemed like he wanted to say something else but, seeing the subtle standoff between Lin Yun and Bai Jingxuan, he let go of his concerns and left the Director''s Office with a bit of worry.

    Having sent Tian Sheng away, Lin Yun returned to his desk. He looked at Bai Jingxuan, who was giving him a somewhat stubborn look.

    "I should have said this before, I won''t agree," he said. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Lin Yun shook his head and continued, "Unless you can change your mind, avoid going into action with the mere intention of revenge. Stop bringing up words like ''torture'' and merely participate in eliminating the enemies in a regular manner."

    "Then, I won''t mention those things. I''ll go and simply fight the bad guys..." Bai Jingxuan tried to suggest.

    "I need a guarantee, not just momentary placation. I don''t want you agreeing to my face only to turn around and betray your word, going off to slaughter the enemies once in action," Lin Yun said, as if he could see through her thoughts. "If you can do that, then I''ll agree to your request to join the action."

    "Um..." Bai Jingxuan pursed her lips, clearly troubled.

    "Sit down, no need to keep standing while talking. If you want my advice, perhaps you should go back and consult your ''teacher,''" Lin Yun said as he settled into his chair and gestured to the chair in front of his desk. "You say you want to learn from her, so what does she think about your current decision? Have you thought about that?"

    "...I don''t know."

    Bai Jingxuan shook her head, still standing in place, "I haven''t asked her."

    "So, coming to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was solely your own decision without seeking advice from your teacher?"

    Lin Yun picked up the cup on his desk, "Even just from that perspective, aren''t you being too impulsive?"

    "I think my teacher wouldn''t refuse..." Bai Jingxuan muttered softly.

    Your teacher is very much against it.

    Lin Yun''s grip on the cup tightened.

    "Regardless of what you may think, the person involved must have a say," he said, trying to keep a calm and kind tone. "Go back and ask first, and come back to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau once you have a definite answer."

    In saying this, he had already made his position clear, which was to refuse again. However, this time it was not as resolute but rather passing the responsibility for the follow-up to Emerald Sparrow.

 Chapter 9 Refutation_2

    In his view, given the current situation, even with his status as the head of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, he couldn''t offer any constructive advice to progress the conversation. To sway Bai Jingxuan''s decision, he seemed to need to change his perspective, or even adopt a different identity.Since Bai Jingxuan''s thoughts were related to Emerald Sparrow, her opinion would undoubtedly be more useful. Perhaps if he approached her as a teacher, Bai Jingxuan might be somewhat more receptive.

    However, Bai Jingxuan didn''t respond.

    After listening to Lin Yun''s words, she just stared at him, her expression complex, and it was unclear what she was thinking. Lin Yun could only see her expression change from serious to hesitant, from hesitant to resolute, and finally, she spoke again:

    "But Uncle, you hate those bad people too, right?"

    "I already know, Uncle, you''re Lin Xiaolu''s father, Sakura-senpai is Lin Xiaolu''s mother, so Sakura-senpai is your wife, isn''t she?"

    Bai Jingxuan fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, "She died at the hands of those people, so you should hate them too, detest them. Is it not okay for me to take revenge on them?"

    "...It has nothing to do with you."

    Lin Yun lowered his gaze, looking into Bai Jingxuan''s eyes: "This matter is much more complicated than you think."

    "Don''t you want to take revenge on them, Uncle?"

    "I do, but not in the form of ''slaughter,'' ''torture.''"

    "I don''t understand," Bai Jingxuan also lowered her head.

    "You don''t have to understand, but I can promise you that those criminals lurking in Fangting City will receive the punishment they deserve."

    Lin Yun tapped his finger on the table, "So you don''t need to dirty your hands. Just stand by and watch their downfall, applauding will suffice, okay?"

    "But that''s not my revenge, is it?" Bai Jingxuan still kept her head down.

    "Revenge never has to be carried out by your own hands."

    "...If I don''t kill them myself, it feels like nothing, Uncle."

    Bai Jingxuan lifted her head, her obedient and serene eyes reflecting emptiness: "I still want to go myself."

    "Then I will never let you go, Bai Jingxuan."

    There was no one else in the office, so Lin Yun no longer disguised his tone and directly called out the girl''s name: "I will not let a Magical Girl join my staff in killing people, even if those people are completely villainous."

    "But Teacher killed the bad people!"

    "Your teacher is an adult, you are not. Your situations are different."

    "It has nothing to do with being an adult or not!"

    "It does."

    Lin Yun''s pace of tapping on the table gradually quickened: "Because no adult would allow such an act to happen before their eyes."

    "Why not?" Bai Jingxuan was puzzled.

    "Our lives are already set, but you still have hope."

    Lin Yun looked seriously at the girl in front of him: "We have taken on the burden of killing and are doomed to continue along this path. But you haven''t yet, you still have other possibilities for your life."

    "I might not need such possibilities!"

    Bai Jingxuan said anxiously, raising her voice: "Being like Teacher is good too!"

    "Is your teacher really good? Why do you think that?"

    Lin Yun countered: "Is there a possibility that she also often regrets her past actions?"

    "No way!" Bai Jingxuan responded with dissatisfaction, "Teacher has saved everyone and punished the bad people, how could she have regrets?"

    "Yes, she does." Lin Yun''s voice became somber: "In places you don''t know about, your teacher often regrets her actions, or rather, she''s always regretting."

    "Why? Uncle, how would you know these things?"

    Because I am Emerald Sparrow.

    Lin Yun really wanted to say it out loud.

    There was no deliberate reason for Lin Yun, who was also the Emerald Sparrow, to hide this fact from Bai Jingxuan. The only reason he hadn''t explained before was that Bai Jingxuan was too young and might accidentally reveal the truth in front of Lin Xiaolu.

    But now, compared to such a minor possibility, Bai Jingxuan''s psychological issues obviously took precedence. If revealing his identity here could help move the conversation forward, then admitting it wouldn''t be a bad thing.

    So, should he admit it? Should he confess his identity here and tell her as a teacher that he does not approve of such behavior?

    In such a situation, would revealing his identity really help change the course of events, rather than making everything worse?

    Just as Lin Yun was pondering whether to reveal the truth, Bai Jingxuan spoke up again, asking a question that left Lin Yun utterly blank:

    ¡ª¡ª"Is it because Uncle you are going to marry Teacher?"

    "Because... huh?"

    Lin Yun swallowed the words he was about to say, looking up in surprise: "What did you say?"

    "Is it because Uncle you''ve decided to marry Teacher, so you don''t care about Senior Ying''s affairs anymore?" Perhaps because Lin Yun''s reaction was a bit exaggerated, Bai Jingxuan shrank a little fearfully after shouting those words.

    "Where did you hear such a thing?" Lin Yun asked woodenly.

    "Moke told me!"

    Bai Jingxuan was somewhat timid but soon mustered her courage: "It said that you and Teacher have a very good relationship, you are already like a couple, and you might end up together!" S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "It''s talking nonsense." Lin Yun stated categorically.

    At the same time, although he didn''t show it on his face, he had already made a silent decision in his heart. He would have to talk to Nini when he got back and tell her to increase the discipline for Moke.

    "If Uncle you are going to marry Teacher, shouldn''t you want revenge for Senior Ying even more!"

    On the other side, Bai Jingxuan completely ignored his words and continued: "If you two really end up together, then at least you should let Senior Ying rest in peace!"

    "Where did you hear such nonsense?" Lin Yun''s eyes twitched involuntarily.

    "Xia Liang sister said so!"

    This girl.

    Lin Yun seemed to envision Xia Liang''s mischievous smile in his mind.

    "And, there''s more!"

    Bai Jingxuan tried hard to remember, contemplating, her fingers waving aimlessly in the air, and then as if she remembered something, her eyes lit up and she exclaimed loudly:

    "If Uncle you marry Teacher, then you might adopt me afterward, and if you adopt me, then Uncle you would be my dad, and Teacher would be my mom!"

    "Dad! Let me go, I want to take revenge!"

    The office fell into a silence as deep as death.

    This statement was too shocking for Lin Yun, and because he was so astonished, he completely forgot about the action of knocking on the desk, and his foot had stopped shaking under the desk without him realizing. He looked at Bai Jingxuan and for a moment forgot even what expression to make, only managing to ask weakly:

    "...Who told you this?"

    "Lin Xiaolu sister told me this!"

    Bai Jingxuan said earnestly.

    Lin Yun fell silent again.

    He lowered his head, reconsidering his previous plan about whether or not to reveal his identity to Bai Jingxuan.

    If before he was leaning toward admitting his true identity, after hearing Bai Jingxuan''s last few statements, he had completely abandoned the idea.

    With this kid''s loose lips, if he told her his identity, Lin Xiaolu would probably know by tomorrow.

    "...Let''s put the topic of revenge aside for now."

    After thinking it through, he raised his head again, his face showing a somewhat kind and gentle expression, and he asked softly, "First, tell me, what else did your ''Lin Xiaolu sister'' tell you?"

 Chapter 10 Lin Xiaolus Conjecture

    The world is constantly changing.Lin Xiaolu wanted to change, but in truth, Lin Xiaolu did not like changes.

    She hoped to change herself, yet she wished the world around her would remain the same.

    But reality always went against her hopes, and as she gradually grew up, it was the world around her that changed, while she remained the same.

    This realization had shifted from a hazy understanding to crystal clarity, from ignorance to awareness.

    Elders who met her would often say she was naive and childlike, while classmates would find her immature, although she hated being told that, she couldn''t come up with any arguments against it.

    She indeed still liked the things she enjoyed as a child; she was still the girl farthest from romance in her class; she was still a notch shorter than her peers.

    And, she was still subconsciously waiting for her mother to return.

    Her mother had died, and she, no longer a child, could clearly understand this. However, she couldn''t help but wonder what it would have been like had her mother still been alive.

    Therefore, she had always been extremely resistant to the idea of other women appearing around her father.

    She didn''t know how long her father could maintain his feelings for her late mother; she couldn''t imagine what would become of their already fragile family when other women entered the picture. She did not want a stepmother.

    Even though she knew that her father''s emotional life was his own business, she simply didn''t want it.

    These feelings became particularly intense after meeting a woman named Hong Siyu.

    Upon their first meeting, she could immediately sense that the woman was imitating her mother''s mannerisms, attempting to attract and get close to her father in this way, which gave her a strong sense of crisis.

    She didn''t mind, she didn''t care, she told herself. She was now a Magical Girl, part of the magical realm, someone who should have a heart big enough for the world and not be disturbed by these mundane concerns.

    But that night, when she overheard the conversation between that woman and her father, she realized something else that was even more shocking:

    Emerald Sparrow also knew her father, and, it was very likely that this was the reason for Emerald Sparrow''s extra care for her.

    Even though this suspicion was later dismissed by her father as a misunderstanding, and she learned from Emerald Sparrow that the care shown was due to her mother having also been a Magical Girl, Lin Xiaolu did not forget her initial guess.

    Sometimes, she would ask herself: if everything turned out as she feared, and her father and Emerald Sparrow had a deeper relationship, and one day Emerald Sparrow might become the very stepmother she had resisted, what then? Would she be sad or happy?

    If she were to follow her past thinking, Lin Xiaolu believed she would still want to reject it. After all, Emerald Sparrow was just Emerald Sparrow, even if she was a senior she admired and looked up to, if she wanted to use this connection to become her stepmother, it wouldn''t be acceptable.

    But the reality seemed otherwise.

    When she really began to consider this question, even starting to fantasize about "if Emerald Sparrow was her stepmother," she found, inexplicably, that she wasn''t as resistant to the idea.

    It felt as if, if Emerald Sparrow were to truly be her "mother," it would somehow be the natural course of events.

    At that time, Lin Xiaolu did not understand where these strange feelings came from, so she chalked them up to wild imaginings and did not voice them.

    Until the night of the Full Moon Festival.

    When she and her companions chose to leave their homes due to the huge crisis in the city center, she caught a glimpse of her father''s bedroom door ajar.

    It was already the wee hours of the morning; even if her father was busy with work, there was no reason for him to go out at that time, yet he was gone from home.

    Later, during combat with the enemies of Black Ash Dawn, when caught in a situation of great disadvantage, Emerald Sparrow, who should not have been in Fangting City, appeared.

    She had clearly said she wouldn''t return during the festival, but there she was, standing before the enemy in a desperate situation.

    And in the end, on the battlefield, those words spoken by the woman who had transformed into a monster, who called herself Mosi:

    ¡ª¡ª"Her father seems to have had something going on with you."

    At that moment, Lin Xiaolu had an epiphany, as if a fog had lifted from her mind.

    Why her father had left at that time, and why Emerald Sparrow had appeared then, it all made sense now because her father and Emerald Sparrow truly had a secret relationship, even, perhaps, a romantic one.

    It was her father who had brought Emerald Sparrow to them at that time.

    And when everything in her heart seemed to logically fall into place, having no flaws, Lin Xiaolu, who was protected by Emerald Sparrow in the battle, finally understood the strange feelings she had for Emerald Sparrow.

    ¡ª¡ªShe felt her mother''s presence in Emerald Sparrow.

    This was an inexplicable feeling because her own mother, An Ya, and Emerald Sparrow were completely different in personality. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    An Ya was warm and upbeat. Maybe sometimes she was absent-minded, but her scatterbrained ways still brought tremendous encouragement.

    Emerald Sparrow was aloof and profound. Most of the time she was very precise, but within her aloofness and seriousness, there was a hint of gentleness.

    Even the least sensitive person could clearly discern the difference between their personalities.

    But Lin Xiaolu inexplicably felt this way nonetheless.

    After that day, Lin Xiaolu had a somewhat strange dream.

    In the dream, she seemed to be a baby lying in swaddling clothes, her mother teasing her with a tender smile, while she was not able to speak, only able to gurgle and gesture towards her.

    In that dream, she did not see her father, but her mother seemed to be talking to some invisible person the whole time, even appearing somewhat girlish and playful.

    She handed her over to that unseen person amidst her joyful laughter.

    Lin Xiaolu felt a sudden drop in height as a pair of slightly cool hands held her, then gently embraced her.

    The embrace was cool but not disagreeable, even somewhat comfortable.

    Who could it be? Lin Xiaolu thought, as she struggled to open her eyes in the swaddling clothes and strained to look up, eager to see who the person was.

    She saw the color blue.

    She saw a pair of deep blue eyes, clear as gemstones, gently gazing at her.

    Emerald Sparrow held her, with an expression she had never seen before, forming words with her mouth that a baby could not understand.

    Then, Lin Xiaolu awoke from her sleep.

    In the morning sunlight, a groggy Lin Xiaolu sat up in bed, reflecting on the strange dream, feeling its experiences were incredibly real, as if they had actually happened.

    She realized that this dream might not just be a mere figment of her imagination; it must have its own significance.

    Lin Xiaolu sat on the bed, pondering, and after a long period of reminiscing, careful reasoning, and cautious verification, she finally reached a somewhat bold conjecture:

    ¡ª¡ªMom has sent me a dream, she approves of Emerald Sparrow as my stepmother.

 Chapter 11 Lin Xiaolus Resolution

    "So this is the explanation you''re giving? You''ve been whispering to each other these past few days, and it turns out you were discussing this stuff?"Late next evening, in the living room of the secret base. Under the bright lights, Emerald Sparrow crossed her arms and said irritably, "You just jump to conclusions like that, then turn around and spout nonsense to Bo Xue? Why don''t you just say I''m your biological mother?"

    "Eh? Is that a possibility?" Lin Xiaolu exclaimed in surprise.

    "Hm?" Emerald Sparrow voiced sharply.

    "Wuu..."

    After being warned again by Emerald Sparrow, Lin Xiaolu could only slump onto the sofa, looking dejected and admitting, "Okay, okay, I was wrong."

    Just now, she had been thoroughly scolded by Emerald Sparrow.

    Emerald Sparrow had first asked Lin Xiaolu seriously, how she could come to such a far-fetched conclusion. After listening to Lin Xiaolu''s explanation of her thought process, Emerald Sparrow had ruthlessly pointed out several logical flaws, leaving Lin Xiaolu unable to rebut and even feeling utterly ashamed of herself.

    It seemed Emerald Sparrow made sense, could it be she was really wrong? That would be too embarrassing. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Lin Xiaolu frowned deeply in distress.

    While she was being reprimanded, the other two girls were sitting aside¡ªBai Jingxuan was observing with her eyes lowered as if feeling a bit guilty, while Xia Liang was covering her mouth, her shoulders shaking as if she might burst into laughter at any second.

    "The one over there, don''t gloat over someone''s misfortune," Emerald Sparrow glanced at Xia Liang with a slight lift of her chin, "You''re clearly different from them, so why do you join these two kids in their nonsense?"

    "I''m older than her," Lin Xiaolu mumbled softly.

    "I wasn''t talking to you," Emerald Sparrow rubbed her forehead.

    So Lin Xiaolu sadly shut her mouth.

    "Nonsense? No way," Xia Liang said with a grin, looking innocent, "I think Xiaolu''s guess was quite reasonable. I was convinced by her arguments."

    "You were convinced by her?" Emerald Sparrow''s cool, crisp voice fluctuated slightly.

    "Isn''t it possible? Are you perhaps feeling shy, junior?"

    Xia Liang faced Emerald Sparrow with an innocent expression, as if oblivious, "I don''t see why you should feel that way. We all support you and Uncle in pursuing your happiness¡ªouch!"

    Before she could finish her sentence, a flick on the forehead cut her off, forcing her to swallow the rest of her words.

    "Now you''ve teamed up with Bai Mei, go sit over there," Emerald Sparrow withdrew her hand, pointing at the spot next to Lin Xiaolu, "I need to have a proper talk with you all today." Discover exclusive content at empire

    "Ah... I''ve been hit so hard, I need hugs and comfort before I can stand up and walk," Xia Liang didn''t stand up to move but instead slumped on the sofa, wearily covering her forehead.

    "Do you want another one?" Emerald Sparrow placed hands on her hips.

    "Oh."

    So Xia Liang dutifully sat down next to Lin Xiaolu.

    After lecturing Xia Liang, Emerald Sparrow finally turned her gaze to Bai Jingxuan, who sat curled up like a helpless little animal.

    Sensing Emerald Sparrow''s gaze, Bai Jingxuan buried her head further in her arms.

    Only she knew that her problem wasn''t just spreading rumors. She''d also gone off to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and spouted all kinds of nonsense, causing trouble for the director and others.

    Since Emerald Sparrow now knew what she had said to Uncle Director that day, there was no way she''d be unaware of how she''d acted up at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    At that thought, Bai Jingxuan didn''t dare to look up and meet Emerald Sparrow''s eyes.

    Seeing the girl''s behavior, Emerald Sparrow''s heart grew more complex and tangled, bringing on a headache and a silent sigh.

    She really couldn''t figure out what to do with Bai Jingxuan, her words of reprimand stuck in her throat, fearing she might distress the kid with her remarks.

    Emerald Sparrow''s extended silence then drew the attention of Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang, who looked at her and Bai Jingxuan with suspicion, sensing the subtle atmosphere between them.

    "You... don''t pick up bad habits from the two seniors," after a lengthy silence, Emerald Sparrow barely pushed out the words, "Reflect on this, alright?"

    ¡ª "Huh? That''s it? Favoritism!"

    "That''s unfair, unfair! I object to differential treatment!"

    Seeing that Emerald Sparrow was significantly softer in her approach to Bai Jingxuan, almost more comforting than scolding, the two girls started to complain dissatisfiedly.

    Anticipating their reaction, Emerald Sparrow glanced back at them and said coolly, "Do you also consider yourselves to be 11-year-olds?"

    "Umm..." Lin Xiaolu hated being treated like a child, so she became silent after hearing that.

    "If the junior agrees, I can be," Xia Liang didn''t mind at all, confidently standing tall.

    With the most pronounced curves among the four, her chest-thrusting motion immediately caught Lin Xiaolu''s attention, causing Lin Xiaolu''s eyes to widen a bit.

    Hearing Xia Liang''s words and noting the scene before her, Lin Xiaolu couldn''t help but blurt out, "Why do you get to be 11 years old?"

    "Why can''t I be 11 years old?" Xia Liang''s eyes widened in return.

    "An early bloomer pretending to be young! Forget being 11, even saying you''re 15 would be believable!" Lin Xiaolu accused sharply.

    "Oh, are you jealous?"

    Lin Xiaolu''s words brought a knowing smile to Xia Liang''s face, her eyes narrowing slightly, "Indeed, unlike someone, I''m not about to be overtaken in height by a real 11-year-old."

 Chapter 11 Lin Xiaolus Resolution_2

    "Huh? What do you mean ''the real 11 years old''? Xiao Xuan obviously looks taller than a normal 11-year-old girl!" Lin Xiaolu argued firmly."So that means you''re shorter than a normal 14-year-old, right?" Xia Liang said, looking quite pleased with herself.

    "Height isn''t something... There''s no uniform standard for height! Emerald Sparrow is even shorter than me, and she''s an adult!" Lin Xiaolu pointed at Emerald Sparrow.

    "Little senior... um, that seems to be true," Xia Liang said, her face showing difficulty.

    "Hold on a second, you two, stop," Emerald Sparrow interjected just as the topic of their banter somehow turned to her. "Don''t forget where you stand. Even though I''m only a senior to you now, I still expect you to show basic respect to the person involved when you make a mistake." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Yes¡ª"

    Xia Liang drawled her acknowledgment, but hadn''t been quiet for even two seconds before she changed tack again, "Then I have one last question. After I ask, you can chop me up however you want."

    "I''m not some brutal executioner, don''t make it sound so scary."

    Emerald Sparrow frowned slightly: "Ask."

    "I want to know the truth, little senior, how did this thing get to you?"

    Xia Liang, propping her chin, looked at Emerald Sparrow with a probing gaze: "Xiaolu only told me, Xiao Xuan, and Moke. Xiaolu and I definitely wouldn''t gossip, and Xiao Xuan is such a good kid, she probably wouldn''t either. Could it be Moke who played the traitor?"

    "Right! How would Emerald Sparrow know!"

    Lin Xiaolu, who was slow to catch on, suddenly became furiously angry: "That jerk Moke! To suck up, he sold us out! I''m going to drag him down and confront him!"

    Having said this, she stood up from the couch and was about to go upstairs in search of Moke.

    "Stop, I said stop."

    Emerald Sparrow quickly reached out to pull her back, slightly helpless: "Don''t go upstairs and cause trouble for Nini, it''s not Moke."

    "Not Moke?"

    Lin Xiaolu, who had been looking angry, suddenly calmed down, blinking in confusion: "Then who could it be?"

    Her gaze swept past Xia Liang, who shook her head. Then she looked toward the distant Bai Jingxuan, but before Bai Jingxuan could react, she withdrew her gaze; finally, she pointed at herself, her lips parting in surprise to reveal her pearly white teeth: "Could it be¡ª"

    "¡ªYes, it was me."

    Bai Jingxuan raised her hand, interrupting Lin Xiaolu.

    She held up her right hand, signaling her presence, and with a small but clear voice said: "I was the one who told."

    After a moment''s thought, as if she felt her explanation wasn''t specific enough, she added, "I accidentally mentioned it to my dad."

    At this, everyone''s gaze focused on her.

    "Dad, dad?"

    Lin Xiaolu first repeated the word with some confusion, clearly perplexed by it. She knew Bai Jingxuan had been living in an orphanage, and although it was harsh, the word "dad" seemed out of place coming from her at this time.

    However, as she slowly came to her senses and made some deductions based on her guesses, she quickly understood who "dad" was in Bai Jingxuan''s mouth.

    Shocked, her mouth, which had already been agape, opened even wider: "The ''dad'' you''re talking about, could it be... Ah? So you''ve already secretly planned everything to this stage?" Your journey continues on empire

    Realizing that this posture might not be very dignified, she quickly covered her mouth, but the astonishment in her eyes remained fully intact. She looked at Emerald Sparrow, her feelings a mix of happiness and concern: "Does that mean..."

    Emerald Sparrow didn''t refute her.

    It wasn''t that she didn''t want to; she simply hadn''t heard what Lin Xiaolu was saying.

    Bai Jingxuan''s words were no less impactful than the shock she had received in the Director''s Office earlier, and this time, saying the word in front of Lin Xiaolu had far greater damaging potential than before, so much so that her breathing momentarily stopped.

    "... Can you explain how he is your father?"

    She turned to Bai Jingxuan, trying to ask as calmly as usual, but her tone had imperceptibly gone off.

    "Because, when I call him that, dad didn''t deny it!"

    After speaking up with courage, Bai Jingxuan''s voice grew substantially louder; she raised her volume so everyone could hear her clearly: "Dad accepted it! And he even asked gently who said what! So, I told him!"

    This time, both the volume and the content reached Emerald Sparrow''s ears completely.

    She stood there like a statue, her expression still serene and indifferent, but whether it be her movements or her gaze, both were completely frozen.

    After a long silence, she finally turned her head slowly to the side, her eyes moving toward Lin Xiaolu, and at last, met Lin Xiaolu''s intense gaze.

    "Things are not what you think," Emerald Sparrow said dryly.

    "I understand! I understand completely!"

    Lin Xiaolu exclaimed a bit excitedly: "Emerald Sparrow, you don''t have to worry about what I think, I support you!"

    "Although I didn''t really wish to have a stepmother, but if you, Emerald Sparrow, have those feelings, I''m not completely opposed to it!"

    "My mom also appeared to me in a dream a few days ago. She handed me over to you in the dream, which I think means she supports you becoming my mother!"

    ¡ªWhat on earth is this girl talking about?

    Emerald Sparrow''s mouth twitched slightly, but she knew that being emotional was useless at this moment, so she continued in a steady tone: "No, it''s really not what you think, I have no intention of getting married..."

 Chapter 11 Lin Xiaolus Resolution_3

    "It''s because when my mom and you both liked my dad, you chose to step back, right?"Lin Xiaolu, for some reason wiping the corner of her eye, spoke with a slight choke in her voice, "I have completely figured it out, the past events, between you, my mom, and my dad, I understand them all."

    "Emerald Sparrow, you and my mom were once teammates, and both childhood friends with my dad, but eventually, there was a divergence in your feelings. Because you were too gentle, you probably chose to step back, right?"

    "You sacrificed your own emotions, so you chose to go to the Magic Kingdom. And because my mom passed away, you wanted to return to the city you once lived in to protect it."

    "Also, that''s why you''ve never married, you''ve remained single, even though you''re already at that age, and still... Really, you''ve had it tough."

    "Although there''s still a slight, unjustified bitterness in my heart, I feel that I shouldn''t obstruct you from choosing your own happiness. I should be supporting you!"

    By the end, she didn''t know why but felt moved as she grasped Emerald Sparrow''s hand, speaking with deep emotion, "So, don''t worry about what I think! Freely pursue your own happiness!"

    Watching Lin Xiaolu holding her hand, Emerald Sparrow felt her vision blur a bit.

    What exactly was the girl talking about? What was she trying to convey? The person she mentioned, did she sound familiar?

    Her mind was filled with a chaos of thoughts, but she knew it wasn''t time to concede defeat, the more critical the moment, the more she needed to stay calm, to allow rumors to die at the hands of the wise.

    So, what should she explain? What reason could she find to bypass Lin Xiaolu''s peculiar logic and make her believe again that "Lin Yun" and "Emerald Sparrow" had no emotional entanglement? Explore hidden tales at empire

    In an instant, Emerald Sparrow stirred up a brainstorm all by herself, quickly searching for suitable solutions and reasons.

    ¡ª"Xiaolu, this isn''t the way to do it, the junior you''re talking about, she''s not resisting revealing this emotional relationship to you."

    But before Emerald Sparrow could think of a new excuse, Xia Liang suddenly spoke up.

    Her face carried an understanding smile, like a pure cherub, "If you ask me, she just isn''t ready, not yet prepared to accept the role of ''mom''. She''s not ready to accept a daughter like you."

    "Accept me... as her daughter?"

    As if discovering a new world, Lin Xiaolu echoed Xia Liang''s words, "Is there a problem with that?"

    "Of course, there''s a problem."

    With her hands behind her back and a bright smile on her face, Xia Liang said, "So you see, you have to make her feel that being your mom isn''t such a bad thing, and it won''t be a burden to her."

    Lin Xiaolu was stunned.

    She understood what Xia Liang was trying to say.

    She looked anew at Emerald Sparrow standing blankly before her, unconsciously opening her mouth but only felt her throat go dry in that moment.

    Her lips pressed together, then parted again, her canine teeth gently tapping as she moved. Then, from her mouth came a sound that was neither a flat nor a curling initial.

    "Mom, mom." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Just like that, seizing on the moment, she called out a word she herself could hardly believe.

    "Mommy!"

    Bai Jingxuan, seeming to realize something, trotted to Emerald Sparrow''s side and called out the same.

    "Mommy!"

    "Mommy!"

    The two girls, one older and one younger, grouped around Emerald Sparrow, calling out the same word one after another.

    Caught between them, Emerald Sparrow remained silent, letting them repeat the most common word in human language like children who have just learned to speak.

    She didn''t look at Lin Xiaolu, Xia Liang, or Bai Jingxuan. Her gaze was fixed straight ahead into the void, as if seeing the vast galaxy, as if gazing upon an endless abyss.

    Leaving nothing but emptiness behind.

 Chapter 12 The Candy in the Drawer

    The next morning, in the Director''s Office of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.Lin Yun sat behind his desk, his expression wooden as he stared ahead, seemingly lost in thought.

    The events of last night still replayed endlessly in his mind, giving him a throbbing headache.

    This wasn''t the first time he had felt such a headache; the last time was when his daughter was giving him the cold shoulder. Frankly, he was somewhat at a loss on how to handle the current predicament.

    His daughter''s baseless misunderstanding; the inexplicably acquired "foster daughter"; and Bai Jingxuan''s dangerous thoughts revealed these past two days... Each issue by itself needed considerable thought to address, yet now they were all accumulating simultaneously.

    These issues were not even entirely separate entities, but rather interconnected, where addressing one inevitably led to a domino effect, activating all the others in tandem.

    To handle it strictly meant he also had to be stern with Bai Jingxuan¡ªbut it was clear that the issue with Bai Jingxuan wasn''t something that could be resolved with a stern face and reprimand, which could even backfire.

    To handle it leniently meant he was destined not to be able to clarify the misunderstanding thoroughly¡ªpreconceived notions are powerful, especially when both children had begun to believe "this is the truth," making any refutation seem like an excuse.

    What to do? Should he just transform into a living person in front of those two kids and tell them, "I am your father"?

    Lin Yun couldn''t help but entertain such a thought.

    But then he recalled how his daughter had just chased him the night before calling him "Mom," and the thought of presenting such a truth suddenly seemed more awkward than a cold war that could last two years could resolve.

    The wall clock in the corner ticked "tick, tick" crisply, clear sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, elongating the shadow of the desk by the window. The shadow stretched itself forward, extending to a pair of white ballet shoes.

    Above the shoes was a light green dress, and the owner of the dress was a girl with emerald green hair tied in a single ponytail.

    The "culprit" in Lin Yun''s eyes, Bai Jingxuan, was also standing in the Director''s Office right now.

    In Bai Jingxuan''s eyes, the middle-aged man in front of her had been silent for over a minute now. Since she had entered the Director''s Office, he hadn''t said a word, all because she had once again called him "Daddy" when entering the room.

    That "Daddy" had plunged Lin Yun into a long spell of rumination and silence.

    ¡ª"Daddy, is there something wrong?"

    Having waited a long time without a response, Bai Jingxuan inevitably felt some concern, thinking that the man before her was silent for some other reason, so she inquired with care, "Are you not feeling well?"

    Her voice finally brought Lin Yun back from his contemplation to reality.

    Still immersed in his memories, he subconsciously began to speak, intending to call out the girl''s code name, but then he quickly realized he was no longer Emerald Sparrow.

    Right now, he was in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, sitting in the Director''s chair.

    "Why have you gone silent again, Dad?" Bai Jingxuan had approached the desk, tiptoeing with her hands braced on the surface, looking at him earnestly.

    "How should I put it... could you not call me that way?" Lin Yun said with some helplessness.

    "Is it not okay?" Bai Jingxuan blinked.

    "It''s not about whether it''s okay or not, but right now, we don''t have any actual familial ties." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Lin Yun tried to soften his voice, "Which means, we don''t really have a ''father-daughter'' relationship. You calling me that might lead to some misunderstandings."

    "...I see."

    Bai Jingxuan, not a dull child by any means, was actually quite sensitive to others'' perceptions. Lin Yun''s words made her instantly understand his intent, and she let go of the desk with a touch of disappointment, "I''m sorry."

    "There''s no need for apologies, I don''t mean to blame you," Lin Yun sighed with relief.

    "I got ahead of myself, so I''ve troubled you, Uncle?"

    Bai Jingxuan looked down slightly, "I just heard from Sister Lulu that it could be a possibility, so I thought it might be true. I never considered that Uncle hadn''t planned to adopt me..."

    "No, I''m not troubled, nor do I really lack such intentions."

    Seeing the girl''s mood plummet in an instant, Lin Yun hastened to add, "What I mean is, all this is still up in the air; we''re not at that stage yet."

    "So, does Uncle actually plan on adopting me?"

    "...There''s that possibility," Lin Yun said, choosing his words carefully.

    "Doesn''t that make you my future dad?" Bai Jingxuan cocked her head.

    Lin Yun fell silent once again.

    "Dad, I want to join in the clearance operation, I want to fight the bad guys."

    "No."

    "Dad, I want to go."

    "... Sigh."

    With nothing but a headache remaining, Lin Yun somewhat helplessly opened the drawer of his desk and fished out some candies: "Here, have some candy."

    He had prepared these ahead of time after Bai Jingxuan''s previous visit to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, for the purpose of diverting the child''s attention when he couldn''t resolve an issue.

    Bai Jingxuan loved candy and held no guard against her would-be "dad", so she reached out and accepted the candy from Lin Yun''s hand.

    Seeing that she was willing to take the candy, Lin Yun breathed a slight sigh of relief: "Good girl, daddy will give you a few more candies. Can you go home for today?"

    "I don''t want to go back."

    "Then I''ll give you a few more to take back for your sister Lu to eat." Lin Yun opened the drawer again.

    "Oh."

    Bai Jingxuan obediently took the candy from Lin Yun''s hand: "Then, dad, I''ll go back today and come back tomorrow?"

    "I have a meeting tomorrow," Lin Yun tried to refuse.

    "Then I''ll come the day after."

    "Don''t come."

    "See you the day after tomorrow, Dad!"

    However, Bai Jingxuan didn''t listen to him at all, taking the candy and hopping away joyfully.

    Was this child more lively in front of him than in front of Emerald Sparrow?

    Watching Bai Jingxuan''s departing figure, Lin Yun couldn''t help but fall into thought. Then, with a somewhat resigned sigh, he picked up the documents on the desk again.

    After all, this was not something he should be focusing on at the moment. He should just set it aside for now. Having sent the disrupting child away, he should now properly attend to his work. The Abnormal Strategy Bureau was in dire need of attention, and he could ill afford to remain idle.

    Yet, just as Lin Yun spread out the documents, settling down to read them, a voice with an electronic texture suddenly rang out in the Director''s Office:

    "Daddy¡ª"

    The voice drew out the word, filled with a hint of languor and now seemed full of banter.

    Immediately realizing who was speaking behind him, Lin Yun could only once again put down the documents and resignedly turn to look behind him:

    "I have no intention of criticizing others'' personal preferences, but could you please stop with your nasty sense of humor at times like this and refrain from using such a disgusting address, Your Excellency the Chief?"

 Chapter 13 The Deviant

    Appearing here at this time and being called "Chief" by Lin Yun under such circumstances, it naturally couldn''t be anyone else but the Research Institute''s Gemstone Scepter¡ªMolu."Huh? Did you say ''disgusting''?"

    The fluffy and round Fairy doll walked out from behind Lin Yun, its tone revealing a hint of surprise: "Seeing you address each other like that in this situation, I thought it was some sort of fetish."

    "Please don''t imagine others'' relationships to be so filthy."

    "Ah, sorry, I thought our... It seems your life has been quite colorful lately."

    "If you''re just here to tease me, you could go and do something more serious."

    Lin Yun''s tone was flat: "So, why did you come here today, Your Excellency the Chief?"

    "Nothing much, just to remind you that my private research facility is now complete."

    The Fairy doll twisted its body and hopped onto the desk in front of Lin Yun: "I''ve prepared some interesting little gadgets over there, want to come and see?"

    "It''s finished?"

    Lin Yun was slightly taken aback: "I remember it''s only been three days since the address was decided..."

    "In fact, it was completed the day after we chose the location. Please don''t doubt the technical strength of our Magical Girls at the Research Institute, young man."

    The doll hugged its claws, its lazy electronic voice carrying a hint of pride: "As early as ten years ago, we had already completed the iterations of matter shaping and transfer technologies. Mere interior decoration is a piece of cake."

    "Is that so, well congratulations."

    After receiving the reply, Lin Yun lost the corresponding interest. He responded perfunctorily and continued to lower his head to pick up the documents on the desk: "But I''m sorry, I still have work to do now. I''ll go after work."

    "Hmm... this is an invitation from an elder and superior. Your attitude could be a little better."

    Molu''s voice paused, clearly choked by Lin Yun''s attitude: "Moreover, I am a non-overtime believer. If you''re off work, it would be rest time for me already."

    "Then let''s talk about it some other time."

    Unperturbed by the criticism, Lin Yun said: "My work has already accumulated enough for today, I don''t have time to wander elsewhere."

    "I see, then I respect your decision."

    The doll by the desk nodded: "It''s just a pity, I was actually looking forward to chatting with you about that child on the way."

    "It''s okay, I''m not really..."

    Lin Yun cut himself off, suddenly feeling something was amiss, he lifted his head and looked at the doll in front of him: "Which child are you talking about?"

    "Of course, the child that just left, the Magical Girl."

    Extending its claws toward the Director''s Office door and the direction Bai Jingxuan had left, the doll''s voice echoed in the room with only two people:

    ¡ª¡ª"After all, that child has the scent of a ''beast''. Didn''t you notice it?"

    The office fell silent for a moment.

    "...Are you talking about Bo Xue?"

    After a long while, Lin Yun frowned: "A beast''s scent? On her? Could you be mistaken?"

    "That''s an unfounded doubt, young man. As the Gemstone Scepter of the Magic Kingdom and the Chief Researcher of the Research Institute, if I couldn''t distinguish the scent of Remnant Beasts, I should be retiring to live out my final years."

    The round Fairy doll tilted its neckless head: "The scent of a beast is the scent of a beast, it can''t be hidden no matter the form."

    "...But I haven''t felt anything like that."

    Lin Yun averted his gaze, looking in the direction Bai Jingxuan had left: "I''ve been with that child for a while, and I''ve never sensed what you''re talking about, the Magic Power of Remnant Beasts."

    "The scent of a ''beast'' doesn''t have to manifest through a beast''s Magic Power." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Molu''s languid voice was steady but seemed to carry underlying meaning: "Besides, even if it''s not the Magic Power of a beast, that child''s Magic Power is special, isn''t it?"

    "Are you referring to her healing ability?" Lin Yun suddenly remembered his previous conversation with Tian Sheng.

    Tian Sheng had said on the tram that the reason he benefited from the disaster during the Full Moon Festival was likely because he had come into contact with Bai Jingxuan''s Magic Power.

    In fact, Bai Jingxuan''s Magic Power was indeed outside the realm of Lin Yun''s understanding.

    He had already thought that he should take the opportunity to ask Molu about it, and now, the opportunity was laid out before him. The other party had even placed the truth on the table as a bargaining chip, waiting for his decision.

    "What do you need this time?" he asked.

    "Oh, have you finally taken an interest?"

    The doll''s eyes slightly brightened, looking lifelike at this moment: "It seems my efforts in advance were not in vain. There are not many in this world who would let me spend extra thought just for them. You should feel grateful, young man."

    "Whether I am grateful or not depends on the price you offer."

    Lin Yun stared into the doll''s eyes, "Nothing is coincidental to this extent; I am not a fool."

    "What if I told you these were indeed coincidences, and I merely took advantage of them at the right time? It''s sad that my noble and virtuous intentions are being so misunderstood. Even someone as indifferent to fame and fortune as I would feel hurt."

    Molu seemed to sigh sorrowfully, but seeing that Lin Yun had no reaction, it had the doll spread its hands, "Nevermind, you only need to visit my research institute."

    "Just like that?" Lin Yun raised an eyebrow.

    "Just like that," Molu said succinctly.

    "Are you planning to deceive me into going there to be a test subject?"

    Lin Yun puzzled, "Or is there something there you can use to threaten me?"

    "There''s no such thing, what kind of person do you take me for?"

    "Gemstone Scepter."

    "Young man, if you use that term to attack me again, I might consider adding an entry explicitly into the Magic Kingdom''s legal code that ''the term Gemstone Scepter must not be misrepresented or misused.''

    Molu expressed dissatisfaction, "I have come to you with enough goodwill, so hurry up and come over. Otherwise, I really won''t tell you."

    Lin Yun silently locked eyes with the doll for several seconds, then finally sighed with resignation and took out his phone.

    He contacted the personnel and general affairs department of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau through his phone and conveyed the information that he would be momentarily leaving the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, then put on his coat and stood up from behind the desk.

    "Let''s go."

    He spoke thus.

    One man and one fairy strolled out of the Director''s Office, and because the fairy doll was not recognized by others, to the other employees passing by, Lin Yun appeared to be leaving alone, ordinarily.

    Once it was confirmed that they were far enough from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, Molu''s voice came out of the fairy doll again:

    "Well then, since you''ve agreed, I might as well pay you a portion of the reward in advance, young man."

    "You want to know the special thing about that child; you need to understand some preliminary concepts, like, do you even know what ''Shifters'' are?"

    "...I only know it has something to do with magic power attributes," Lin Yun admitted truthfully.

    "Yes, it has to do with the attributes of magic power, but do you know what ''attributes'' really mean?" Molu pressed on.

    "Attributes... are they not self-explanatory? Like fire attributes, water attributes, right?" Lin Yun said uncertainly.

    "What are you talking about? This is the real world, not a game. There''s no such simple division of attributes."

    Molu sighed, "What''s called ''attributes'' is actually ''the underlying color of magic power'', referring collectively to the source and expression of your power."

    "Put simply?"

    "Put simply, ''attributes'', or ''underlying color'', actually depend on your identity. It''s even your ''faction'' in the realm of magic power."

    Molu spoke leisurely, "The magic power of a Magical Girl is the underlying color of a Magical Girl; the magic power of Remnant Beasts is the underlying color of Remnant Beasts; even the magic power of fairies has its own underlying color; only the ordinary lives of the material world, like humans, have magic power without any underlying color."

    "Dependent on identity, a ''faction'' of magic power?"

    Lin Yun murmured to himself, "Then, the ''shift'' of Shifters is actually..."

    "Yes, ''Shifters'', their underlying color of magic power has shifted. Instead of their original attributes, they possess traits of other attributes."

    Molu raised her voice, "In other words, in terms of magic power attributes, their identity is not simple, not pure ¨C each Shifter belongs to more than one faction."

    "Underlying color of magic power... has shifted?"

    This was the first time Lin Yun had heard of such a thing.

    In his understanding, the beings of this world, whether humans, Remnant Beasts, or Magical Girls, were clearly defined, with sharp differences between them.

    However, using this concept to explain the various differences exhibited by "Shifters" seemed so reasonable.

    "The Shifters we normally define, their magic power tends to shift towards more amiable directions."

    Molu continued explaining, "For instance, shifting from the underlying color of a Magical Girl to the colorlessness of humans, or from the underlying color of a Magical Girl towards that of a fairy; or even showing a shift towards a Magical Girl while being human, thereby possessing the innate talent of a Magical Girl, akin to a born Magical Girl..."

    Upon reaching this point in the explanation, Lin Yun finally understood what Molu meant, and also began to grasp the unusual aspects of Bai Jingxuan: "You mean, that child''s magic power..."

    "Right, and that child we''re talking about, the one codenamed Bo Xue, must be shifting towards the direction of Remnant Beasts. Her magic power naturally tends towards the ''beast'' faction."

    Molu''s voice was very casual, but when she said these words, that nonchalance was exceptionally erratic:

    ¡ª¡ª"If she hadn''t become a Magical Girl, her future would have been as a born ''Beast Shifter''."

 Chapter 14 Experience

    The Abnormal Strategy Bureau arranged a private research institute for Molu, located within the commercial real estate area under their jurisdiction, in a building where the popularity left much to be desired.The advantage was it offered tranquility within the bustle, making it not so easily discovered; the downside was the place was not large, hardly called imposing.

    In the process of negotiating the location, Molu had once felt that such treatment was simply not fitting for someone of the Gemstone Scepter''s status, expressing some dissatisfaction. However, Lin Yun wasn''t willing to agree to her demands of "an entire floor", eventually compromising on two rooms.

    Riding the elevator to the building''s corridor, Lin Yun walked side by side with the Fairy doll, approaching the entrance to Molu''s research institute.

    "Transform first," Molu suddenly said.

    Lin Yun raised an eyebrow slightly, but ultimately did not doubt her intentions, took out the Heart''s Gem, and transformed into the appearance of the Emerald Sparrow. After the transformation, she immediately noticed that the door in front of her had changed.

    The door, which originally looked like a common anti-theft door in the office building, had transformed into a metal door engraved with intricate runes, shimmering with the glow of Magic Power.

    "¡ª¡ª"

    Standing before the door, the doll opened its mouth, emitting a series of sounds that were nothing like human language. With each syllable it uttered, a rune on the door lit up, until a full sentence was spoken, connecting the shining runes into a circle.

    Click.

    The door swung open in response.

    Emerald Sparrow followed the doll into the room, which was unrecognizably altered, and looked around, sensing none of the original office building''s character.

    The interior of the room was clad in copper and iron, with the floor covered in wooden boards. The decor exuded a sense of both magic and technology.

    Tall bookshelves were filled with literature and notes written in indecipherable script, oozing an aura of age and serenity. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting golden specks of dust upon the bookshelves. On the experiment table by the window, there were flasks of various shapes, their liquids twinkling with myriad colors, quite eye-catching.

    On an adjacent wall, among the copper and iron patterns, several large mirrors were embedded, with dense data and runes enumerated above them, seemingly serving as screens.

    In a corner of the research institute, there was one piece of equipment that seemed particularly conspicuous.

    If Emerald Sparrow wasn''t mistaken, that should be a healing bed. Although it looked very different from the healing beds in the material world''s hospitals, both its size and outline reminded her of such medical devices commonly seen in hospitals.

    "So? You insisted on me coming over here, for what reason?"

    After a survey of the institute''s furnishings, Emerald Sparrow turned to the Fairy doll: "Is it just to show off your new house to me?"

    "Don''t be so eager, youngster."

    Voiced Molu with an unhurried tone: "I presume you know that if I''ve asked you here, it''s naturally about the deal."

    "If it''s still the same terms as before, I am afraid I will still decline," Emerald Sparrow responded with a frown, "As I''ve said, the better the terms you offer, the more I doubt your motives."

    "Really now, as I''ve already said, don''t rush,"

    Turning its head - a gesture akin to shaking its head, the Fairy doll said: "Since I asked you to come here, I''d obviously have some new terms to offer."

    As it spoke, it extended its paw, pointing towards the healing bed not far away:

    "Start with that, for example."

    "...What is that for?"

    "As you can see, it is a healing bed. Its basic functions are similar to those in hospitals of the material world, except that it is an optimized version for Magic Power and the soul."

    The doll walked over to a screen, turning knobs on the control panel: "If you had agreed to our previous deal, that healing bed would be for your preliminary conditioning." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Preliminary conditioning?" The term made Emerald Sparrow involuntarily raise her eyebrows.

    "Yes, repairing the cracks in your true form is actually a massive undertaking. Considering your type is the Bloom class, and the injury is quite severe, it''s not something that can be solved overnight."

    Without turning back, the doll continued: "Even though we can only travel to the realm for final repair work next year, the preparations before that can still proceed."

    "What does that entail specifically?"

    "To put it simply, it involves using various methods to stabilize your condition, ensuring that your Magic Power does not continue to leak or overflow. If this continues, by next year, you would have regressed to the Bud class, youngster."

    The doll looked up at the screen: "It''s really too troublesome to explain, why don''t you just lie down on it, and I''ll let you try it out?"

    "Now?"

    "Now, with no cost or exchange of interest required,"

    The doll turned around, the fluffy face of the Fairy revealing an honest smile: "Consider it a customer experience during product promotion, just feel its effects."

    Emerald Sparrow said nothing, but her face showed unconcealed skepticism.

    Approaching the healing bed pointed out by Molu, she touched its surface, lifting her hand to see: "It seems there are no abnormal Magic Power fluctuations; it doesn''t seem to be a trap or contraption."

    "There would be none of that,"

    Molu sighed: "Although I''ve said this many times, I must emphasize once more, I am a person of high and noble qualities, I wouldn''t stoop to such underhanded tactics."

 Chapter 14 Experience_2

    ```Emerald Sparrow did not reply, but silently placed her hands on the edge of the treatment bed and, with effort, pushed herself up, lightly jumped, turned around, and sat down on it.

    Once she had settled on the surface of the bed, she paused for two seconds, then spoke again, "It''s quite comfortable."

    "Merely a simple optimization for the human body, you should know, it''s considered the pinnacle of medical achievements at our Research Institute."

    The doll left the screen wall and walked over to the side of the treatment bed, "Even if I wanted to secretly bring it into the material realm, it would take quite an effort."

    "...Secretly?"

    "Yes, secretly. This was brought over from smuggling routes across great distances at the behest of my trusted associates."

    The doll raised its claw and caressed the contours of the device, "You should feel proud, junior. This is the first time I''ve established a research facility in the material realm, and for now, only the two of us know of this location."

    "Is that so."

    Emerald Sparrow responded in a tone without any inflection and swept her gaze across the room, "Then, if I may be so bold as to ask, is there anything in this room that was obtained through official channels, rather than being smuggled in?"

    The doll did not speak, but pointed confidently behind it.

    Emerald Sparrow looked in the direction it indicated and saw a massive experimental platform.

    "...That experimental platform?" she asked uncertainly.

    "No, the notebook I placed on it," Molu said with certainty.

    "Besides that?"

    "That''s it."

    Molu''s languid voice emerged from the doll, "After all, I haven''t even reported this to the emperor."

    After a moment''s thought, Emerald Sparrow looked up again, "Your Excellency the Chief."

    "What is it?"

    "In our material realm, we typically refer to your actions as ''smuggling'' and ''illegal construction.''

    "That''s quite the coincidence."

    The doll bent down and activated the operating screen at the side of the treatment bed, "It seems to be defined the same way in the Magic Kingdom."

    "I don''t think it''s a coincidence, but simply because your actions are against the rules," Emerald Sparrow said expressionlessly.

    "Ah, I can''t let the emperor know about this, after all."

    Molu expressed some helplessness, "Think about what we''re about to do next; whether it''s fabricating a false identity for you or smuggling back to the Magic Kingdom, none of it is legal. So naturally, I can''t let others know about my affairs here."

    "So, you used a duplicate?"

    "So, I used a duplicate."

    The doll extended its claw and nudged Emerald Sparrow''s arm, "Alright, the device is now ready, lie down first."

    Emerald Sparrow did not say more, and obediently lay down on the treatment bed.

    She watched intently as the doll manipulated the operating screen. As it did so, faint ripples of magic power emanated from within the machine, methodically cleansing around Emerald Sparrow''s body.

    The dim glow of magic power enveloped Emerald Sparrow, and a sensation of tingling slowly spread through her limbs.

    The soft hum of machinery became the only melody in the Research Institute, while the tapping on the screen by the doll served as its accompaniment. After what seemed like an eternity, the doll finally lifted its claw and addressed Emerald Sparrow:

    "Okay, now take off your clothes."

    "How much?"

    "All of it."

    The doll said offhandedly and then realized Emerald Sparrow was looking at it somewhat oddly, "What''s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

    "Your Excellency the Chief, I recall you just said you possessed ''noble and beautiful'' qualities," Emerald Sparrow said, looking at it without expression. "Do the words you just spoke fall within those qualities?"

    "What do you take me for? I''ve already said, this is treatment, treatment. Not for any indecent or dirty purpose! Would you question your doctors in the material realm everywhere in this manner? I''m your primary physician now, junior!"

    ```

    The doll crossed its arms and said discontentedly, "Let''s set aside the fact that I don''t have the absurd interests you''re imagining. Even if I did, I wouldn''t be interested in a young girl''s figure like yours. What are you worried about?"

    Emerald Sparrow gazed seriously at the doll for a moment, but unfortunately, she couldn''t make out anything from this mere puppet body.

    After considering it, she felt that there indeed was no need to be so guarded against the other party. So with that thought, she placed her hand on her Heart''s Gem. The dark blue dress enveloping her body instantly transformed into a shroud of Magic Silk threads, which gradually loosened and expanded outward.

    A Magical Girl''s outfit is primarily made of Magic Power, which makes it unnecessary to fuss about changing clothes like one would with normal garments. Besides, Emerald Sparrow''s abilities included control over threads, so manipulating cloth was naturally easy for her.

    However, just as she was about to slip off her clothes, she realized that the doll in front of her was staring at her motionlessly, its emerald eyes deep and focused. She wasn''t sure if it was just her imagination, but she thought she could see mysterious numbers and runes flickering within its gaze.

    "...Chief, as a basic matter of personal space and manners, could you turn around for a moment?" she asked.

    "I''ve only placed my avatar here; my main body is already turned away. You can go ahead and undress," the Molu''s voice sounded slightly discordant.

    "Then could you please close this avatar''s eyes?" Emerald Sparrow asked, her eyelids drooping.

    "Sorry, this avatar doesn''t have the function to close its eyes," the doll said, blinking.

    Emerald Sparrow slowly released the hand that was pressing on the gemstone and once again locked eyes with the doll, both of them falling into a prolonged silent standoff beside the treatment bed.

    After a short while, she suddenly sat up from the treatment bed and leaped to the floor:

    "Sorry, let''s stop here for today, I''ll take my leave," she said.

    She had a feeling that Molu had brought her here with some ulterior motive, and the plethora of lures she had thrown out earlier seemed contrary to common sense. Given the other party''s talk of "trades" and "interests," there must be a reason why she allowed her to gain so much without cause. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The fact that the other party suddenly appeared in Fangting City and offered her various forms of assistance was strange enough, not to mention now offering some sort of "customer experience." Coupled with her insistence on watching her during the process, Emerald Sparrow felt even more dissonance.

    Although she didn''t have any shyness about exposing her skin and believed that the other party wasn''t motivated by "absurd interests," she still thought there was another reason behind it all.

    Experience exclusive tales on empire

    So, having confirmed her suspicions, she decisively ceased the so-called treatment and planned to leave the place directly.

    "Hey, don''t go, the data I barely managed to get... no, the functionality I was just about to introduce to you!" The Fairy doll scrambled up from the side of the treatment bed and ran in front of Emerald Sparrow: "It''s just taking off your clothes, just for a bit! It won''t cost you an ounce!"

    "''Data that you barely managed to get''... right?"

    Emerald Sparrow bent down, pressing her palm on the doll''s head: "Chief, can you explain to me what that data is exactly?"

    "Um... you heard wrong!"

    The doll frantically waved its paws, trying to reach Emerald Sparrow''s hand: "My proposition is filled with kindness and sincerity. How could there be something as cold as data?"

    Having said that, it hooked onto Emerald Sparrow''s wrist and began to exert force, pulling toward the direction of the treatment bed: "Come on, let''s continue. Just three minutes... no, two minutes will do!"

    However, Emerald Sparrow just stood there, unmoving.

    "...This is exactly why I don''t trust you Gemstone Scepters."

    After hearing Molu''s words, she couldn''t help but sigh and once more started walking towards the Research Institute''s exit: "No need to see me out. I wish you a smooth research life here, goodbye."

    The Fairy doll left behind, with its short stubby legs, couldn''t catch up no matter how hard it tried. Just as it looked like she would leave the Research Institute, the doll finally stopped in defeat and raised its voice:

    ¡ª¡ª"Alright, hold on! Don''t leave! I''m saying!"

    Although it still sounded lazy and casual, there was a clear tone of reluctance in Molu''s voice: "Isn''t it just the reason I want the Source of Beasts and the exact reason I brought you here? I''ll tell you. Anyway, come back first."

    Emerald Sparrow paused her steps.

    But she didn''t return to the side of the treatment bed as the other side had said; instead, she stayed silent, just quietly watching the doll on the ground.

    You start with something substantial.

    That was the message she wanted to convey.

    "...You want me to start? You young people really are ''no bunnies, no hawks,'' aren''t you?"

    Understanding Emerald Sparrow''s meaning, the doll could only sigh and shake its head: "Alright then, I''ll tell you something to show my sincerity."

    "Like, let me think..."

    "Oh, how about starting with ''Claw Marks,'' how''s that?"

 Chapter 15 The Origin of the Claw Mark

    "Long, long ago, when the world had just been formed, the True Origin had not yet been born, life had not yet appeared, and Magic Power had not divided. The concept of ''world'' had not even been observed, and the endless chaos nurtured everything like a swaddling cloth..."Minutes later, inside the Research Institute that had resumed operation, the voice of Molu rang out leisurely from the Fairy Doll. The slightly distorted electronic sound seemed to be processed, adding a certain gravitas to Molu''s originally somewhat languid voice.

    Sitting by the side of the treatment bed, Emerald Sparrow first remained silent, arms crossed and glancing askance at it, but after waiting several minutes and realizing that the other party had no intention of getting to the point, she couldn''t help but droop her eyes and speak:

    ¡ª"Can I go now?"

    "Wait a moment, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Why do none of you young ones have the patience to listen to an elder tell a story?"

    The solemn atmosphere that the Research Institute had forcibly created suddenly deflated, and Molu said with some dissatisfaction, "What follows is the kingdom''s secret that is completely unknown to the outside world. Even for someone of my status, it''s risky to personally reveal this. Don''t you think you should face this gift with sufficient knowledge and preparation?"

    "...I only know that I''m the one in control here," replied Emerald Sparrow, leaning on the edge of the bed: "And I was brought here from my workstation under some nonsensical pretext by you, and I really don''t want to wait any longer."

    "Hm... that''s true, well, I''ll make it short then."

    Molu reluctantly stopped the original topic and started anew: "You should have some memory of the great beast calamity nineteen years ago. The ''Source of Beasts'' in your possession had suddenly increased in number during that catastrophe."

    "''Increased''?" Emerald Sparrow keenly picked up on the keyword in the sentence.

    "Yes, increased, not just appeared. In fact, these Crystal Stones existed a long time ago, but back then there was only one, which was excavated from the inter-world and had been kept in the royal treasury of the kingdom ever since."

    The Doll nodded and emphasized the word that Emerald Sparrow had latched onto: "And after the great beast calamity, five more Sources of Beasts were excavated from the material realm, bringing their total number to six."

    "Regrettably, because the kingdom did not initially know that such materials would emerge during the great beast calamity, and since the main forces of the Magical Girls were basically sent to the front lines, three of the newly born Sources of Beasts were seized by inter-world rebels."

    It extended its hand, once again bringing up the operation screen of the treatment bed: "As you know, relying on the existence of these three Sources of Beasts, they established an organization called ''Black Ash Dawn'' and started activities in the material realm." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    This was consistent with what Emerald Sparrow had learned from Mosi.

    Although according to Mosi, the predecessor of Black Ash Dawn were Magicians from the material realm, without the people from the "inter-world" as Molu had mentioned. But tracing back to the root, it truly began to grow with the aid of the "Source of Beasts." Enjoy new adventures from empire

    "A total of five, with three taken by Black Ash Dawn, which means your kingdom has gained two?" asked Emerald Sparrow, after confirming the consistency of the information: "Plus the original one you mentioned, the kingdom should be in possession of three Sources of Beasts."

    "What do you mean ''your kingdom''? Young one, let''s not make me emphasize the importance of a sense of unity, you should say ''our kingdom''!"

    The Doll said with its arms akimbo: "But you''re right, our kingdom indeed controlled three Sources of Beasts after the great beast calamity and kept them together in the royal treasury, guarded mainly by the Finance Department."

    "So?"

    Emerald Sparrow chose not to argue over trivialities and continued with the topic: "Given that the kingdom possesses Sources of Beasts, why are you so insistent on acquiring mine? Why not directly apply to the royal court? The Research Institute''s desire to study it should not be refused by the royal court."

    "I initially thought the same as you, young one. But alas, things are unpredictable," Molu sighed deeply.

    "The royal court didn''t approve your request?" Emerald Sparrow wondered.

    "My attempts to bribe the Finance Department and remove all three Sources of Beasts were exposed," the Doll spread its claws.

    "We commonly refer to such actions as ''just desserts,''" said Emerald Sparrow coldly.

    "Academic research is always a lonely path, young one. People who abide strictly by rules and are shackled by them find it hard to freely exercise their talent."

    The Doll shook its head: "Anyway, because of this incident, His Majesty prohibited me from researching the Source of Beasts."

    "Of course, as everyone knows, His Majesty''s mood is fickle, and time changes everything. Even if she chose to ban my research at that time, such a ban would become nominal within a few years.+"

    "Additionally, at that time I had other research projects, and naturally I put aside this matter, planning to secretly resume my work in about ten years. However, just two years later, my plans fell through."

    "Your research into the Source of Beasts was entirely banned?" Emerald Sparrow inquired, propping her chin up.

    "I seriously protest and criticize your repeated disparagement of my actions, young one," Molu expressed dissatisfaction: "During those two years, I didn''t consider the Source of Beasts at all. I just had some people try to infiltrate the periphery of the Finance Department, to see if they could get into the guard details of the royal treasury. But before my people could get in, two of the Sources of Beasts from the treasury were stolen."

 Chapter 15 The Origin of Claw Marks_2

    ""Stolen?"This word made Emerald Sparrow slightly astounded, "The royal court?"

    "I know what you want to say¡ªthe royal court has the strictest scrutiny and guardians in the entire kingdom, not to mention the most advanced defensive spell techniques and countless self-defense mechanisms. Some of those techniques were even put in place by my own hands; it''s impossible for any thief to successfully break in there."

    Molu took over the conversation, "However, the probability of theft at the royal court is very small, but not non-existent. If someone like me, who is thoroughly familiar with the royal court, were to devise a theft plan, then I have at least three schemes that could steal The Origin of Beasts without alarming anyone else... Why are you looking at me like that? Use your brain and think carefully, youngster. Do I need to engage in such sneaky acts?"

    "Who just said that they would send people to infiltrate the guards?" Cornflower narrowed her eyes.

    "I must clarify to you, these two matters are different. Although I have sent people, I have not yet decided on the intention to steal. You can''t convict someone who has neither the subjective intention nor any substantive action."

    Whether it was an illusion or not, a subtle tongue-clicking sound seemed to emanate from the doll''s sound-making part: "But as it turns out, someone took The Origin of Beasts before me... stole them."

    "You just said it was impossible for anyone to successfully break into the royal court."

    "I''m not planning to overturn what I said earlier, youngster; of course, no one would be able to successfully break into the royal court afterward."

    The doll''s voice took on a different meaning, "Because the truth of the matter is, it was an inside job."

    "... The fiscal department?"

    "That''s right."

    "Who?"

    "That''s why this matter can''t be casually discussed with outsiders, youngster."

    The doll slightly raised its head, its profound eyes looking towards Cornflower: "Can you guarantee that after hearing the answer, you won''t tell anyone else?"

    When it asked this question, Cornflower distinctly felt the atmosphere in the research institute become much more solemn.

    It was not the false ambiance created previously by various conversation techniques and lighting; rather, it was a substantive, heavy atmosphere due to the pressure the other side was exerting.

    Molu was serious.

    Cornflower realized this.

    "... At the moment, I also have no one else to confide in."

    Thus, she spoke slowly: "If there ever comes a day when I must tell someone else, I will inform you in advance."

    The doll nodded.

    ¡ª¡ª"It was Amethyst."

    It went on, "Amethyst took away two Sources of Beasts and defected from the Magic Kingdom."

    "Amethyst?"

    Of course, Cornflower would know what this name meant.

    In the Magic Kingdom, the Gemstone Scepter names correspond to the gems on the Queen''s own scepter, being the Golden Green Cat''s Eye corresponding to cat''s eye; the Pigeon Blood Red corresponding to ruby; Molu corresponding to emerald; Cornflower corresponding to sapphire; and finally, Amethyst corresponding to diamond.

    Amethyst, that is, the Diamond of the Gemstone Scepter, was the Magical Girl in charge of the Magic Kingdom''s fiscal department.

    When Cornflower heard this answer, her first reaction was that Molu was joking.

    It sounded far too preposterous¡ª a defection of the Gemstone Scepter would be a huge joke if it became known to outsiders.

    The nature of this event was akin to a company''s CEO betraying the company, the head of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau personally betraying the Bureau... Although using such examples as metaphors, it did not seem entirely impossible. Yet, the relationship between the Gemstone Scepter and the Magic Kingdom was far closer than the former.

    Beyond that, the strangeness lay in the fact that such a big change in the Magic Kingdom due to the defection of the Gemstone Scepter and the absence from the Diamond position, should be noticeable, so why hadn''t she heard anything about it from any channel?

    Counting back, she would have already been retired at that time, so being oblivious to it was normal, but the other members of the Fangting City squad were still active in the field, so why didn''t they know? S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Coming back to the present, years later, having seen many Magical Girls and Fairies, Cornflower had also never heard any news of the "Diamond''s absence."

    "Only the royal court, the Gemstone Scepter, and a few Magical Girls at the core of the financial authority are aware of this,"

    The doll explained indifferently upon noticing Emerald Sparrow''s confusion, "To fill the vacancy of the Diamond position, Her Majesty made an exception and passed an order outside the palace, temporarily appointing a new Diamond. The identity is kept secret for now, and the inauguration ceremony will be held during the next grand celebration."

    "So... the Gemstone Scepter just turned its back on us? And no one did anything about it?"

    This response clearly did not dispel all of Emerald Sparrow''s doubts. She questioned first, then inexplicably fell into deep thought. Then she suddenly remembered the wealth of information Molu had paved the way for, and what it was they originally intended to reveal.

    ¡ªIt was "Claw Mark."

    "You''re saying, ''Claw Mark''?" she couldn''t help but ask in a low voice, as the thought struck her.

    "It seems you''ve already figured it out for yourself, yes, that''s right,"

    Molu sighed, "The so-called Claw Mark is the organization established by the former Gemstone Scepter, Amethyst, to evade pursuit after she betrayed the Magic Kingdom by stealing the Source of Beasts."

    "After fleeing the kingdom, Amethyst took a significant number of Magical Girls with her, willing to follow her lead, and this included a good number of cardholders. These Magical Girls fled to the material realm and then established some kind of cooperative relationship with the Black Ash Dawn. After years of silence, they have started their activities again in the form we see today."

    "Magical Girls who joined Claw Mark were originally set to experience a decline in magic power due to the end of their terms. To cope with this, they chose the power of the Remnant Beasts as an alternative solution."

    "The Magical Girls of Claw Mark have all abandoned their past aliases, seemingly taking on new titles in the names of birds and beasts. Their leader, the traitorous Amethyst, has also given up her gemstone title and taken on a new code name: White Wolf."

    "And this is how Claw Mark was formed as we know it now."

    The doll''s paw gently rested on the edge of the bed, "This is also why I started pursuing the Source of Beasts and wanted to begin researching it again."

    "...To deal with Claw Mark?" Emerald Sparrow looked at it.

    "On the surface, yes, but the deeper reason is that I do not permit any technology to exist within the capabilities of Magical Girls that I have not mastered,"

    Molu''s voice was still languid, but when saying this, the tone became immovable, "The magic power of Magical Girls and the magic power of Remnant Beasts repel each other¡ªin fact, they have a relationship of conflict and erosion."

    "The magic power of Magical Girls will repel and hinder the magic power of Remnant Beasts; while the magic power of Remnant Beasts will devour and assimilate that of the Magical Girls. The outcome of these two types of magic together is like fire and water, completely incompatible for coexistence."

    "Why did White Wolf steal the Source of Beasts? And after stealing the Source of Beasts from the kingdom, how did she manage to develop the technology that allowed Magical Girls to wield the magic of the beasts within just a few years? Clearly, she obtained something from the Source of Beasts."

    "I don''t want to brag, but my ability in academic research is undoubtedly superior to a brute like her. If she can learn and master technology, there''s no reason I can''t."

    "Therefore, the gap between her and me obviously lies in the Source of Beasts."

    "Her techniques must be based on the Source of Beasts, and in those Claw Mark Magical Girls, I observed a phenomenon like never before: they have become some kind of ''man-made shifters.'' Experience new stories with empire

    "They were all originally Magical Girls, but their base magic color has shifted towards that of the Remnant Beasts. In other words, they have become beings with dual powers and identities."

    As the doll reached this point, its voice paused abruptly, then it changed the subject:

    "And this is why I had to tell you about that child."

    Upon this turn in Molu''s statement, Emerald Sparrow was momentarily startled and then began to ponder its implications. Moments later, she realized something:

    "...Bo Xue?"

    She indeed felt a trace of familiarity in Molu''s description of Claw Mark because she had heard a similar theory not long ago.

    There was no need for recollection; she immediately remembered it was the description of Bai Jingxuan on the way there.

    Back then, Molu had said, Bai Jingxuan''s natural affinity for magic was inclined towards beasts, and if she hadn''t been chosen as a Magical Girl, she would have been a natural "Beast Shifter." But, she took a different path during the welfare institute attack because of a twist of fate, becoming a Magical Girl.

    So, did it just end there with her becoming a Magical Girl?

    Clearly, the answer is no.

    "She is a natural Beast Shifter, and after she became a Magical Girl, she is a natural ''Claw Mark.''

    Molu pronounced with a calm but unyielding voice, as though delivering a verdict:

    "Even more pure, more complete, closer to the perfect form, a true ''Claw Mark.''"

 Chapter 16 Unseen Turmoil

    "To use the beast''s Magic Power without relying on the beast''s organs, that girl''s talent is truly unique. Hence, we must think of a way to bring her back."Under the scorching sun at noon, Soldier Bee Seven lit a cigarette, clenched it in his mouth, and took a deep drag:

    "We can no longer stay in Fangting City, we need to act quickly, while we still have the strength, and focus on breaking out."

    Trapped in Fangting City for the twenty-fifth day, Soldier Bee Seven had never felt as anxious as he did at this moment.

    The forces of Black Ash Dawn that remained in the city were gradually dwindling, and the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was unrelenting, hounding them like hyenas. By today, there were almost only a few core teams left.

    If the "Moth" were still here, Black Ash Dawn naturally wouldn''t have fallen into such dire straits. But ever since the Moth was defeated by the Magical Girl, the control of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau in Fangting City had changed hands, and the entire situation had reversed in an instant.

    Black Ash Dawn, which could once conduct various operations brazenly without worrying about exposing traces, now had to carefully hide their movements to avoid being discovered by the Magical Girl.

    The reason is simple, the Magical Girl capable of killing the "Moth" would have no difficulty killing them as well.

    The Moth was the former Ash Envoy of Black Ash Dawn, one of those closest to the core power and also one of those with the strongest abilities. Even among the Ash Envoys, the Moth was not known for combat ability, but it was still not difficult to surpass the likes of their Ash Forces.

    But now, the Moth was dead. Her subordinate Ash Forces Beast Transformer units had been almost entirely wiped out by the bizarre threads that fell from the sky that night, leaving only some remnants still hiding in Fangting City.

    These remnants had very few Beast Transformers among them, and even if there were some, they didn''t have much strength. Plus, without a leader, they had been unable to cooperate and were ultimately eliminated one by one by the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    Of course, Soldier Bee Seven and his team were an exception.

    Because from the beginning, they were not the Moth''s people; they did not participate in that night''s operation.

    Under the Moth''s concealment and protection, at the peak of Black Ash Dawn''s power in Fangting City, there were at most three different sources of Ash Forces: "Soldier Moth" and "Worker Moth" belonging to the "Moth"; "Soldier Roach" and "Worker Roach" belonging to the "Rhinoceros Beetle"; and "Soldier Bee" and "Worker Bee" belonging to the "Bee."

    Among them, the Moth''s Ash Forces need no further mention, as they were her direct subordinates, entrenched in Fangting City at her behest; the Rhinoceros Beetle''s Ash Forces had a slightly different origin, these people moved around Donghua State, searching for quality food and potential "sacrificial children"; as for the Bee''s Ash Forces, they originated from a deal between the Bee and the Moth.

    The Bee offered some rewards to get the Moth to agree to let his people enter her territory to take away some of the things he wanted. Among these "things," specifically included was a girl named Bai Jingxuan. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Soldier Bee Seven became the executor of this mission.

    As one of the few among the Bee''s subordinates to have reached pupal stage strength, he arrived in Fangting City a month ago. However, after arriving in this city, they discovered that their plan had been thwarted by the rogue Rhinoceros Beetle''s Ash Forces; with no other choice, they stopped their operation. While they were still contemplating the next step, the Moth was killed by the Magical Girl.

    This led Soldier Bee Seven to reflect on whether he should have consulted an oracle before leaving.

    Unfortunately, it''s too late to think about that now. The situation changed so abruptly that they had no time to react and ended up trapped here.

    "It''s easy for you to say, wanting to take her back, but that girl is now a Magical Girl. Soldier Roach Three, that mad dog, has messed everything up by acting rashly, making it very difficult for us to continue our operations."

    Next to Soldier Bee Seven, Soldier Bee Twenty-five squatted in a corner, staring into space: "If we really can get out of this damned place, I''ll definitely give Rhinoceros Beetle an earful and ask what kind of subordinates he leads."

    "Stop thinking about these useless things now and consider how we can break out instead."

    Exhaling a puff of white smoke from his nostrils, Soldier Bee Seven glanced at him: "The Abnormal Strategy Bureau recently brought in some new equipment, and they''ve already captured some of the Beast Transformers. If this continues, once the Moth''s troops are all rounded up, we won''t be able to hide for much longer."

    These days, under the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s successive encirclements and searches, they fought and retreated, increasingly narrowing their scope of operations. In the end, they could only hide in a small civilian house.

    Although they had taken control of the house''s original owner, forcing him to provide them with the resources needed to survive, this wasn''t a long-term solution. With such a large group of people, even remaining completely still, it was impossible not to leave any traces.

    "Just find another place, Fangting City is so big, it''s not impossible to fight a guerrilla war against them."

    Soldier Bee Twenty-five was obviously quite pessimistic about the idea of "breaking out": "Pressing all our forces for a breakout, even wanting to take a Magical Girl with us when we leave, we might end up attracting a flower-level monster... Are you sure you''re not dreaming?"

    "I''m sure."

    Continue reading at empire

    Soldier Bee Seven''s face was calm: "A simple breakout is meaningless. If we can''t bring back that girl, we''ll still die. And right now might be our last chance; if we delay any longer, it''ll probably become increasingly difficult to escape."

    "Why?" Soldier Bee Twenty-five asked, surprised.

 Chapter 16 Unseen Turmoil_2

    ""Because the moth is no longer here, this place belongs to magical girls."Soldier Bee Seven extended a hand toward the window, "Just like flowers blooming in the wild, where there is one, there will be another; the social interactions among magical girls will only increase their numbers here."

    "...Tsk, what a nuisance."

    "Yeah, a real nuisance."

    As if talking to himself, Soldier Bee Seven said, "So if we''re going to leave, it has to be now."

    "Do you have a plan?"

    "Just thought of one."

    "What plan?"

    "Hostage."

    Soldier Bee Seven lowered his head again, "According to the investigation by sleeper agents of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, their new director seems to have a close relationship with the magical girls¡ªinformation left by the moth shows he has some sort of connection with that blue, flower-grade individual, and our target seems to be very closely related to him as well."

    "...So you plan to kidnap the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau?"

    Looking at him as if he were mad, Soldier Bee Twenty-Five said, "At a critical moment like this? Are you not afraid that blue monster will tear you to pieces alive?"

    "That''s why I plan to ''kidnap'' our mission target."

    Looking at Soldier Bee Twenty-Five as if he were a fool, Soldier Bee Seven said, "We''ll threaten the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau with her life, pretending to demand certain things, and make that blue, flower-grade individual hesitate to act. But in reality, we will only be feigning extortion, what we really need is the ''hostage'', to misdirect their actions. After that, we can find a chance to escape."

    "I don''t think kidnapping a magical girl is a better idea either. Isn''t there a more secure method?"

    "She''s just a sprout-grade magical girl, if you don''t want to kidnap her, the only other option is to kill that blue, flower-grade one first."

    Soldier Bee Seven dropped the remaining half of his cigarette to the ground and stamped out the butt with his foot, "Which do you think has a higher chance of success?"

    "...Let''s just kidnap the girl."

    Watching him extinguish the cigarette, Soldier Bee Twenty-Five asked, "Then what? How do we kidnap her? And how do we escape after the actual kidnapping?"

    "There are still two sleeper agents inside the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. Since they haven''t acted before, they haven''t been exposed yet."

    Pacing around the room with hands behind his back, Soldier Bee Seven said, "The other moles have been rooted out, so these two will inevitably be discovered once they move. We have only one chance left."

    "First, we need a diversion, as you said, splitting our forces. The main team will monitor our mission target, the girl; the rest will feign an attack on the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, best if among them is a Worm-grade or above metamorph, forcing the other magical girls to support the Bureau first."

    "Afterwards, we capture the girl and negotiate with the Bureau director: if he wants to save her life, he must return the Source of Beasts left behind by the moth, and stop pursuing and cornering us until the terms of the exchange are met."

    "Finally, we''ll have the sleeper agents tamper with the scheduling of the Bureau to create about a 5-minute window for us, giving us the opportunity to scale the city''s perimeter net and flee through the wilderness."

    "Huh? Run through the wilderness?"

    Soldier Bee Twenty-Five''s voice rose several octaves, "Are you joking? Isn''t that the same as going to our deaths?"

    "If I''m still alive by then, we''ll have just enough to survive in the wilderness."

    Soldier Bee Seven''s voice was calm, with a hoarseness that carried a chilling madness, "They won''t let us board a land cruiser, our only way out is to physically cross the wilderness."

    "What if we die out there?"

    Swallowing hard, Soldier Bee Twenty-Five said, "We have to bring the mission target with us, if we die, she''ll die in the wilderness too. Then the boss is likely to resurrect our souls to make into feed."

    "That''s why I''ll inform the boss before we escape into the wilderness and have him send someone to meet us there."

    Soldier Bee Seven walked to the window of the civilian house, "If we die, we just need to leave the girl with a chance to live, the boss''s people will take her away."

    This silenced Soldier Bee Twenty-Five.

    Both from under Bee''s command and long-time combat partners, he was keenly aware of Soldier Bee Seven''s character and abilities, and this seemed to be their last option.

    Were they to wither away in Fangting City, dying a slow death like frogs in warming water, or use the last of their strength in a mad bid for the one path to survival? The choice seemed unnecessary.

    Everyone who joined the Black Ash Dawn did so with some desire and pursuit in mind, often with their lives merely a chip to be wagered.

    Gambling was what each of them had been doing ever since they started down this road.

    "I don''t even know whether to praise you as a smart lunatic or as a lunatic genius.""

    He leaned back against the wall, "You always manage to convince me with your twisted logic. This time is no different; you''ve won."

    "I just want to survive," Lin Yun replied.

    Soldier Bee Seven''s expression was indifferent, "When it comes to survival, every creature will unleash its intelligence. Beasts do it, and even more so do we humans."

    "So when do we start?"

    Soldier Bee Twenty-Five shook his head, apparently not intending to acknowledge his murmurings, "Since you''ve proposed this plan, you must have already set a time."

    "In two days." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Soldier Bee Seven turned away from the window, "We need to do a bit of guiding, trick the moths'' forces out to feed to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and create an opportunity that''s suitable for capturing the target of our mission."

    "That means going to our deaths in two days. We''d better have a good last meal before we act."

    Soldier Bee Twenty-Five rubbed his belly, "Speaking of which, our people have been scrimping for several days now. The food in this house was eaten up long ago. Why hasn''t the house owner sent us new supplies?"

    "There won''t be any new supplies." Soldier Bee Seven walked back into the room.

    "Why not?"

    "Because there''s no longer a house owner."

    Pointing towards the living room not far away, his fingertip directed at several black plastic bags in the corner of the room, Soldier Bee Seven''s demeanor remained indifferent: "I heard their phones ringing yesterday and suspected someone was attempting to call the police, so I ended their mission ahead of time."

    "Ah, that explains it."

    Soldier Bee Twenty-Five nodded, "That''s why there''s always this fragrance in the living room, it''s been stirring the Source of Beasts within me."

    "Just as well. The dead pigs can still be of use."

    Soldier Bee Seven took out a cigarette from his pocket, put it to his lips, and flicked his lighter to life. The light from the flame flickered through the palm of his hand, casting a dancing glow in his hollow, pitch-black eyes:

    "This way, we won''t need to look for other supplies for the next two days."

    ...

    ...

    Lin Yun returned alone to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    In the end, he did not agree to Emerald Sparrow''s "product trial," even though the conditions were lowered repeatedly, eventually going from taking off clothes to removing socks.

    Emerald Sparrow claimed that her previous actions were merely to collect data on the abilities of the Emerald Sparrow, and now, removing socks was just for a closer skin examination. However, the Emerald Sparrow always felt there was something fishy about it and politely declined before leaving the research institute.

    Of course, concerning her own injuries, the Emerald Sparrow did not speak too definitively, simply answering, "I''ll keep considering it."

    As soon as Lin Yun returned to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, Tian Sheng, who had been waiting outside, followed him in. He followed Lin Yun into the Director''s Office and, with a familiarity that spoke of routine, handed over the document he was holding:

    "Director, these are our operation briefings for the past few days."

    Lin Yun took the documents and sat behind his desk, briefly scanning them before seizing the important point, "Captured two beastified individuals? That was fast."

    "We owe it to the Magical equipment."

    Tian Sheng scratched the back of his head, "Our captain has been singing your praises for the past few days. I''ve tried it myself and found the effectiveness of the equipment to be truly ahead of its time."

    "Lifeless things are just that, and weapons ultimately depend on the person using them. You used the weapons to defeat the enemy, so the credit is yours, no need to butter me up," Lin Yun said with a dismissive wave, not accepting the indirect flattery, "It seems that your team has contributed the most in the special operations department. What are your needs and plans moving forward?"

    "Oh, about that, actually our captain asked me to submit a request for you."

    Tian Sheng scratched his head again and presented another document:

    "Based on the investigations of other teams, it seems there are traces of Black Ash Dawn members hiding in a residential area of Lixing District, and he wants to apply for search authority there." Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire

    "A residential area? Are you sure?"

    Lin Yun took the document Tian Sheng extended, eying the contents quickly, then slowly read out loud the printed words on top:

    ¡ª "The name of the community is... ''Lakeside Spring''?"

 Chapter 17

    Bai Jingxuan once had a dream. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.When thought itself was naive and her family was still intact, she dreamed of becoming a music artist.

    Although memories from her childhood were somewhat blurry, Bai Jingxuan could vaguely recall owning a music box. It seemed to be a gift from her parents, and whenever she was in pain, the gentle and soothing music from the music box would liberate her from suffering.

    Even though she could now only remember a broken tune, it did not prevent her from having a considerable fondness for music.

    But later, her parents died due to an attack by Remnant Beasts, and Bai Jingxuan was sent to an orphanage. The music box from her memories was also lost amidst the upheaval, never to appear again in Bai Jingxuan''s life.

    The orphanage wasn''t that bad, but it also lacked the means to help her recover her lost possessions. Even if a caregiver presented her with another music box based on her description, it was ultimately a different object, never again to have the comforting effect on her ailments. Her dream thus became a memory covered in dust.

    Perhaps, it wasn''t just the dream. From a certain point that Bai Jingxuan herself had not noticed, she lost "desire."

    The sensations of joy and anger lost their bearing, and the concepts of good and evil couldn''t find a measure. She didn''t know why to be happy or why to be sad, only able to observe others'' words and expressions and follow the emotions they displayed.

    She was well-behaved, because there was nothing to resist; she was quiet, because there were no personal desires. She was like a doll lacking self-awareness, appearing to mimic human form, but empty inside.

    There had been peers who bluntly called her an "empty shell." However, even when addressed in such a way, Bai Jingxuan remained oblivious.

    Why was she an "empty shell"? She didn''t understand.

    But she truly didn''t know what she wanted, her desires a blank slate, her emotions a blank slate. Nothing could give her a direction to rivet her attention to, to search for her own existence.

    She was like a ship lost in the deep sea, surrounded by the vast ocean, unable to distinguish any direction from another. Only, the ship she sailed was named "self," and the surrounding ocean was called "life."

    Did she want money? Or did she want fame? Did she want to become a doctor? Or did she want to become a teacher?

    She kept asking, observing others'' dreams. Then she would take these dreams and try them on for size. Like a customer in a clothing store trying on garment after garment, not knowing what she wanted, so with the determination to try on every piece in the store, she sought to find the one that fit her.

    This confusion persisted until a few months ago¡ªuntil the attack on the orphanage, until the moment Moco appeared before her.

    Would becoming a "Magical Girl" be the direction she was searching for, the garment she wanted to wear? By becoming a Magical Girl, could she regain the emotions she had forgotten, the desires she had lost?

    Bai Jingxuan didn''t know the answer.

    But whenever she recalled the moment she was saved by Sakura, her heart still felt admiration and thrill, gratitude and relief. The emotions from that time now seemed so vivid, giving her a long-lost sense of "being alive."

    ¡ª"So, I told myself I wanted to become a Magical Girl like Senior Sakura."

    Walking slowly through the streets of Lixing District, Bai Jingxuan said softly, "At least the me from back then was indeed moved and grateful for such actions, those emotions were not fake."

    "...I see."

    Walking alongside her, Tian Sheng listened to the end of Bai Jingxuan''s story with a somewhat solemn expression: "Although I can''t remember the details now, it was then, at the orphanage, that you became a Magical Girl, right?"

    "Yeah," Bai Jingxuan nodded.

    It was morning, and the location was close to the "Lakeside Spring" residential area in Lixing District. Three weeks after the Full Moon Festival incident, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau approved the request of Team Three to search the residential area, allowing them to head to "Lakeside Spring" to look for traces of Black Ash Dawn.

    On the way to Lakeside Spring, the third squad encountered Bai Jingxuan on patrol, and then, their group gained a little tail.

    As the team leader, Li Yingwei repeatedly tried to persuade her, but it was largely ineffective. The other team members also didn''t know how to reason with a Magical Girl, so, the troublesome task ultimately fell to Tian Sheng.

    And that was tough on Tian Sheng.

    Because he didn''t know how to communicate with Bai Jingxuan either.

    Even though he had been a caretaker at the orphanage and knew the child Bai Jingxuan, a male caretaker could never intimately take care of a girl''s daily life, so he was not overly familiar with her.

    He just favored the child because Bai Jingxuan was well-behaved and sensible, and he would chat with her from time to time. But considering a child living in the orphanage probably didn''t want to bring up the past, their conversations were about trivial and mundane daily life matters, deliberately avoiding touching on deeper subjects.

    If Bai Jingxuan hadn''t been so proactive in sharing her past stories with him, he would probably still be clueless about what to say now. Read exclusive adventures at empire

    "But, the senior you''re talking about... she has already... passed away."

    He tried hard to organize his words, avoiding touching her scars: "Black Ash Dawn is likely the culprit, so that''s why you hate them so much, want to catch them, right?"

    "It''s abu..."

    Bai Jingxuan started to speak earnestly, but then she seemed to remember something, lowered her gaze, and silently corrected herself, "I want to punish them."

    "You were about to say that word again, weren''t you?"

    Tian Sheng scratched his head with some helplessness: "I don''t understand, is this also the behavior of the ''Senior Sakura'' you mentioned?"

    "No, that''s the teacher''s behavior."

    Bai Jingxuan raised her fist: "But the teacher was Senior Sakura''s teammate. She did it for the sake of the senior, and I think it''s not wrong, it''s cool!"

    "Even if it might be wrong?"

    "It must be right, right?" Bai Jingxuan tilted her head.

    "...That''s what she said, Director."

    After sighing, Tian Sheng took out the phone from the other pocket and put it to his ear: "You''ve heard it, those are her reasons, I really can''t persuade her."

    After saying this, he fell silent, listening to the voice on the other end of the phone and nodding his head from time to time.

    Then, he extended the phone towards Bai Jingxuan, ignoring her shocked, hurt gaze, like that of a betrayed, he looked away and scratched his cheek:

    "Xiao Xuan, the Director wants you to take the call."

    Previously displaying fearlessness and giving lengthy speeches, Bai Jingxuan suddenly looked like a primary school student who had done something wrong, sheepishly taking the phone.

    Then, casting another heart-breaking traitorous glance at Tian Sheng, she answered the call:

    "Hello, Dad... I mean, Uncle."

 Chapter 18 The Truth

    "I should have told you, if you don''t change your intent, I won''t allow you to join the operations of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."In the Director''s Office of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, Lin Yun said somewhat helplessly, "Yes, I don''t have the authority to command a Magical Girl. If you''re determined to follow, there''s nothing I can do about it, so all I can say is: I hope you stay calm. If possible, keep to the sidelines."

    "You say you''re just going to watch? What exactly does your ''just watching'' entail? I mean¡­ Okay, if you can really do that, I have no objections."

    "A foe that the Abnormal Strategy Bureau can''t handle? Of course, that would be fine, to say the least I would be grateful for your help, but please stay calm."

    "...Alright, then let''s do as you say, um, goodbye."

    Click.

    After hanging up the phone, Lin Yun sat behind his desk, somewhat helplessly, and then sighed.

    Through his communication with Molu, he somewhat understood and sorted out the issues with Bai Jingxuan. But understanding the problem didn''t mean he knew the solution. On the contrary, as the image of Bai Jingxuan became clearer in his mind, the less he knew how to deal with this child''s issues.

    It wasn''t just because of her personality and experiences, but also because of her special magic nature¡ªa deviant with a Remnant Beast undertone. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Personality, experience, magic. These multiple factors, accumulated in Bai Jingxuan, meant that the child was almost a ticking time bomb: everything might look fine for now, but she could be ignited by external forces at any moment, destroying the fragile balance once and for all.

    He was no education expert¡ªLin Yun was clear about this. Five months ago, he had been a negligent father who couldn''t even manage a good relationship with his own daughter. For him to figure out how to guide such a child right away was too much to ask.

    ¡ª Maybe he should just let her seek her vengeance.

    At his wit''s end, Lin Yun even had such a thought:

    After all, in the end, he was only a senior to a Magical Girl, did he really need to worry that much?

    Thinking negatively, even if the child really started her revenge, so what? Homogenous revenge is human nature, even Lin Yun himself was no different, did he really have the right to educate this child?

    Thinking positively, maybe Bai Jingxuan was just an ignorant child, throwing around some scary words? If she were really faced with her enemy and given a chance to kill them, she probably wouldn''t even dare to do it.

    As his thoughts wandered, just as Lin Yun was almost convincing himself with this twisted reasoning, suddenly there came a knock on the door.

    ¡ª Knock, knock.

    "Director, I''m Liu Dachun from the Logistics Department."

    A somewhat somber voice followed from outside the door.

    The Logistics Department? At this time?

    His confused thoughts were interrupted, and Lin Yun''s attention returned to reality. He was initially puzzled, but didn''t dwell on it and said, "Come in."

    At the same time, he subconsciously reached into his pocket and grasped his Heart''s Gem.

    This had become a habit since he had taken up the role as director.

    Not only because he still didn''t fully trust the people at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, but also because of his troublesome side effect¡ªif the Heart''s Gem were to suddenly lose control and cause a transformation, he needed to be aware of it beforehand.

    It was the same now. With these considerations, he reached for the Heart''s Gem in his pocket and, due to his alertness, extended his senses to the door of the Director''s Office: There, he had laid out threads of Magic Silk beforehand that could detect magic outside the door, to infer the situation in the hallway.

    But, the moment he connected his senses to the threads, he sensed something amiss and his gaze instantly sharpened.

    There were two sources of magic outside the door.

    Enjoy new chapters from empire

    This meant that it wasn''t just the "Liu Dachun" who had spoken but also another person, hiding somewhere in the corridor.

    In his senses, one source of magic first approached the swing door, opened the door of the Director''s Office, and then deliberately adjusted their body angle to block the view behind it, slowly stepping into the office.

    To the eye, it appeared as a tall man entering from outside.

    However, Lin Yun''s silk thread senses were crystal clear: Until the tall man had fully entered the Director''s Office, the other source of magic lurking outside the door remained motionless.

    Something was not right.

    Lin Yun made an instant judgment.

    The reason was simple; he had no recollection of this man who claimed to be "Liu Dachun."

    He had seen the employee roster of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau on his first day on the job and had been working hard to match every name with a face since then. Sometimes, he even used the form of Emerald Sparrow to aid his memory. Although he hadn''t completely finished this task, he was sure of one thing: there was definitely no employee in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau who looked like this.

    But he didn''t raise this issue; instead, he continued to feign ignorance and calmly asked, "What''s the matter, is there an issue?"

    "This is the situation, Director. This morning when we took inventory of the equipment, we found that the leftover quantity did not match the warehouse entry and exit records; four magical armaments were missing," said "Liu Dachun," staring intently at Lin Yun, his voice devoid of fluctuations, as if reciting from memory: "We don''t know if it''s a mistake in the records, or if they have really been lost, so we wanted to come to check with you."

 Chapter 18 Truth_2

    "Magic armament?"Lin Yun furrowed his brows, "I should have ordered you all to guard them strictly. How could a situation like this still arise?"

    "I''m terribly sorry, Director,"

    The tall man expressionlessly handed over a hard drive, "So I brought the inventory access records, hoping you could confirm the names on it to see if there are any oversights."

    Lin Yun took the hard drive from his hand and bent over to connect it to his computer, "Have you already checked it?"

    The tall man placed a hand behind his back, "Yes, we have."

    Lin Yun still looked at the computer''s host, "Didn''t you find any problems?"

    "No." The tall man took out a clump of purple-black flesh from his pocket.

    "How do you even work? You can''t even handle such a small matter."

    Lin Yun seemed very angry as he bent down to open the computer and said, "Where is Minister Li? Hurry up and call him over."

    "Ok, I''ll call him right now." The man pressed the purple-black flesh to his chest.

    "Alright, then I''ll ask you one last question."

    "Please go ahead," the man replied woodenly.

    "Who let you in, Zhuang Yang or Tao Fang?"

    Lin Yun raised his head, his expression calm as he looked at him:

    "Or should I say, does this Abnormal Strategy Bureau still have a mole I''m unaware of?"

    At these words, the tall man''s pupils suddenly constricted.

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    Almost at the same moment, he opened his mouth, gripping the purple-black flesh in his hand, attempting to say something. But before he could utter a syllable, strands of blue silk abruptly entwined around his wrist and yanked the hand holding the flesh to the side.

    The man immediately raised his other hand which was already grasping a spell technique medium, and purple-black magic power flashed at his fingertips. But just the same, he was wrapped up in the blue silk before he had the chance to activate any spell techniques, completely immobilized.

    Lin Yun, expressionless, manipulated the silk strands nearby, and in an instant, they hoisted the immobilized man high into the air. Then, without a word, he charged out the door.

    In his perception, at the very moment the man was restrained, a surge of magic power had already started moving towards the emergency exit.

    Seeing Lin Yun''s action, the man dangling in mid-air knew all too well that his own and his accomplices'' actions had been clearly seen. Without further ado, he shouted loudly, "Run!"

    Unfortunately, it was too late for both him and the master of the magic power outside the door.

    The moment Lin Yun stepped into the corridor, he took out the Heart of the Flowers from his pocket and activated it fiercely. A petite blue silhouette rose from the glow of magic power and swiftly chased down the figure at the end of the corridor. Then, as he had done before, he used blue silk threads to bind and control the figure.

    The man who had been hiding outside the door had no clue why he was caught. He felt as though he was about to escape, yet was inexplicably bound and suspended in the air. He tried to find the person responsible for this but could only see Lin Yun standing not far away, with a few strands of blue glow still fading around him.

    When he saw Lin Yun''s face, he stopped saying anything and just numbly closed his eyes.

    After reverting from his transformed state, Lin Yun examined the man''s appearance and immediately recognized his identity¡ªit was "Zhuang Yang," the very man Lin Yun had mentioned when questioning the tall man.

    "Zhuang Yang" and "Tao Fang," these two were moles of Black Ash Dawn that Lin Yun had secretly marked but had not pulled out in the open.

    The reason he left them be was that since the reconstruction of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, they hadn''t done anything that substantially harmed the Bureau. Moreover, their positions were not high, meaning they couldn''t cause serious trouble. Considering the remnants of Black Ash Dawn were deeply hidden and difficult to trace through normal investigation, Lin Yun thought it best to leave them as leads, hoping to follow the trail back to the enemy.

    However, he had not expected this mole named Zhuang Yan to be so bold as to secretly bring an assassin into the Bureau during working hours, especially a beast-transformed one.

    Looking at the numb man before him, Lin Yun was about to ask questions but suddenly had an epiphany, recalling something else.

    If Zhuang Yang was here, what was Tao Fang doing?

    With that thought, he pulled out his phone without hesitation, called the Intelligence Department, and spoke urgently to a relatively trusted employee:

    "Check where Tao Fang is right now and access the surveillance on her communication records from the last two days. I need to know with whom she has had private contact."

    After making his request, he paced back and forth, holding his phone and quietly waiting for a response.

    Commands coming directly from the Director naturally received high priority from the Intelligence Department. A few minutes later, the entire recent activity log of Tao Fang was scrutinized and reported to Lin Yun by the head of the Intelligence Department.

    Lin Yun listened intently to the report, carefully memorizing every place mentioned, comparing and cross-referencing them in his mind. Until at one moment, a name said by the person on the other end of the call made his heart skip a beat.

    It was at the sound of this name that his thoughts became completely clear, and he suddenly understood exactly what the situation was: S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 18 Truth_3

    "¡ª¡ªWait, did you just mention...Lakeside Spring?"...

    ...

    "Give up, you''re no match for us."

    Pressing his hand against the head of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau employee in front of him, Soldier Bee Seven withdrew his finger from the staffer''s neck, flicking away the blood at his fingertip: "Our time is extremely precious. Surrender now, and I can grant each of you a swift death."

    In front of him was the completely routed Special Operations Squad Three.

    Li Yingwei, the team leader, had been impaled through the chest by an unknown sharp weapon and was lying on the ground, his life hanging by a thread; Tian Sheng, who was also a main combatant, was held in the claws of a giant Remnant Beast, his head drooping without a sound; only the deputy leader Mu Bensheng stood back to back with several team members, clenching their teeth while staring down the encircling enemies.

    ¡ª¡ªThe disparity in combat strength between the two sides was simply too great.

    This Black Ash Dawn Troop, which had emerged from nowhere, included one Pupa stage beast-transformer and four Inchworm stage beast-transformers. Any of them alone could take on the entire Squad Three, not to mention when grouped together.

    The moment Squad Three stepped into Lakeside Spring, they had already entered the enemy''s ambush. In just ten minutes, they suffered grievous casualties. If it weren''t for the presence of a Magical Girl within the team by chance, they probably would have been completely wiped out by now.

    Ironically, just before this, they were still worrying about how to get the Magical Girl to leave, to stop following them.

    Bai Jingxuan had made a phone call with Lin Yun, negotiating stubbornly and with somewhat softened demands to obtain permission to follow Squad Three. Little did she imagine that this permission would become Squad Three''s lifesaver.

    It was because of her that the squad could hold out for so long against this group of beast-transformers.

    Bai Jingxuan''s magic equipment, "Heavenly Sound," continually revitalized and healed the squad members with magic power, allowing three members equipped with magic armaments to jointly fend off the attacks of the Inchworm stage Remnant Beasts. Plus, Bai Jingxuan herself single-handedly held off three of the beast-transformers, barely keeping the situation from collapsing too quickly.

    However, when the man known as "Soldier Bee Seven" took action, the support of Squad Three seemed like a joke.

    The strength of a Pupa stage Remnant Beast was akin to a disaster for slightly smaller cities. Even for a Magical Girl, only those at the Leaf stage or above, elite ones, or by employing a tactic of overwhelming numbers, would there be a chance to confront one head-on.

    Even though Soldier Bee Seven did not use the Beast''s Innards, merely employing some magic power and spell techniques, it was far beyond what Squad Three could withstand.

    Defeat, then, was only natural.

    Easily killing all the Abnormal Strategy Bureau members within his reach, Soldier Bee Seven''s dark expression did not change at all, and his words of persuasion to surrender were uttered casually. He then turned his gaze to Bai Jingxuan.

    The girl in the green dress was half-kneeling on the ground, clutching her chest, struggling to breathe.

    She had stepped forward to save the employees of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau but was easily knocked down by Soldier Bee Seven; now she even found it difficult to stand up.

    "I don''t plan to kill you, Magical Girl, to be exact, our purpose here is you," Soldier Bee Seven stated: "Behave, and surrender, and we might even consider not harming you."

    "Cough... cough... Why?" Bai Jingxuan gasped for air, her pained expression mingled with confusion, "You, why are you looking for me?" sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Sorry, I might not have the time to explain this to you."

    Although Soldier Bee Seven uttered apologetic words, there was not a trace of regret in his expression: "But you can consider, you''re very important to us, or rather, you''re very important to our leader."

    "Magical Girls¡­ and Remnant Beasts are enemies."

    Bai Jingxuan pushed herself up, and music from the Music Box began to heal her own body continuously: "I don''t care how you see me, I''m going to kill you all."

    "''Kill you all''... huh," Soldier Bee Seven''s impassive eyes flickered slightly: "You''re indeed the beast-child picked by the leader, quite impressive resolve, nothing like those hypocritical Magical Girls."

    "But still, it''s not enough."

    He shook his head slightly, raised his hand, and a beam of magic power shot directly at Mu Bensheng not far away.

    Mu Bensheng, who was still fiercely fighting other beast-transformers, had no time to dodge. Seeing the dark purple spell technique hurtling towards him, he closed his eyes in despair.

    Zzzzt.

    The beam did not hit him.

    Because before the beam hit Mu Bensheng, it was first blocked by Bai Jingxuan with her own body.

    Her originally fair arm became a mangled mess under the erosion of the dark purple magic power, looking incredibly horrifying, yet Bai Jingxuan, as if she felt no pain, still stared intently at Soldier Bee Seven.

    "You''ve always been saying to me, ''kill you guys''."

    Soldier Bee Seven had a puzzled look on his face, "But, your actions are completely different from what you''ve said."

    "You say you want to kill people, but until now you haven''t been able to kill a single person; on the contrary, for these insignificant mortals, you''ve nearly killed yourself in your attempts to protect them, why?"

    He pointed to Tian Sheng, who was held in the grasp of another Remnant Beast not far away, and to Li Yingwei, who was lying on the ground, "You''ve even used most of the Magic Suit''s power to strengthen those two men, are you still trying to save them now?"

    "Because... I am a Magical Girl."

    Bai Jingxuan reached out to the Music Box next to her, and the melodious music continued to cleanse the surroundings, "A Magical Girl is supposed to save others."

    "Such na?ve attitudes will only prevent you from being able to kill anyone."

    Soldier Bee Seven shook his head indifferently, raised his hand, and his sharp fingernails gathered magic power, "After sheltering too many burdens under your wings, you will not be able to spread your wings and soar."

    Boom!

    Green and dark purple magic powers intertwined in the air, the figure of Soldier Bee Seven briefly overlapping with Bai Jingxuan, and after the intense impact of magic power, Bai Jingxuan was once again sent flying back heavily.

    Soldier Bee Seven kicked her squarely in the chest, smashing her heavily against a nearby protective wall.

    "I''ll say it again, surrender, and don''t waste any more time."

    He shook his foot and stepped forward, grabbed Bai Jingxuan by her hair, and dragged the girl down from the wall, "Withdraw your magic power, or would you prefer I break your limbs before I take you? Can your healing power restore limbs?"

    "I... will kill you..."

    The girl glared and gritted her teeth, desperately reaching out to grab Soldier Bee Seven, but she couldn''t reach the face before her.

    "What a contradiction."

    Soldier Bee Seven looked at her coldly, "It''s like a split personality, one moment human, the next a beast; one moment rational, the next all instinct."

    "Tell me, Magical Girl, what are you hating?"

    His question remained unanswered. Bai Jingxuan still kept reaching out to him, trying to grab his neck.

    Leaning his head back slightly, Soldier Bee Seven said to her, "Is your hatred because of those two researchers?"

    "What... researchers..."

    Bai Jingxuan gasped and growled, "My dad, my mom, were both killed by Remnant Beasts, by all of you..."

    "Dad? Mom? What are those?"

    Her words, however, were cut off by Soldier Bee Seven, "You don''t have such things."

    "I do!" Seemingly further enraged by Soldier Bee Seven''s words, Bai Jingxuan struggled furiously, "I do! Clearly, it was all of you who killed them!"

    "No, you don''t."

    Soldier Bee Seven looked at her impassively, his eyes revealing a trace of pity, "Because you are merely a beast child created from an abandoned baby, born from our experiments."

    "You''re talking nonsense!"

    Bai Jingxuan shouted angrily, "I won''t allow you to talk about my mom and dad like that! I''m going to kill you!" Experience tales at empire

    "Don''t make me repeat myself, Magical Girl. No, Beast Child, you have no parents."

    Soldier Bee Seven pressed his other hand against her head, staring into her eyes, and said word by word, his gaze meeting the girl''s astonished look:

    ¡ª¡ª"What you consider your ''parents'' are nothing more than traitors of Black Ash Dawn. They are just a pair of researchers who took you out of the organization."

 Chapter 19 Awakening Moment

    "I... don''t believe a word you''re saying." S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.After a brief moment of shock, Bai Jingxuan instinctively retorted, "You''re enemies, bad people, and liars. My parents are ordinary people; they couldn''t possibly have anything to do with you."

    Yet, even she didn''t realize that although she was verbally contradicting them, the struggle in her efforts had obviously lessened.

    "You seem quite bothered by this? Well, if knowing your origins can make you give up your futile resistance, I can afford to waste a little time." Experience exclusive tales on empire

    Soldier Bee Seven looked at Bai Jingxuan, his voice calm and quiet, "After all, I don''t want to bring a half-dead beast child to see the leader; he would blame me for damaging his important experimental subject."

    "Your ''father'', a short man slightly overweight with a smoking habit; your ''mother'', a woman with a scar on her eyebrow who claimed to be a medical professional."

    "They brought you to Fangting City seven years ago, where they settled and never took you away from here. They told you your condition was a congenital disease that the hospital couldn''t cure. So, they only took you to the hospital for so-called check-ups once a year, even though they knew it was pointless."

    "They gave you your current name, but in reality, neither of your ''parents'' are surnamed Bai. They chose ''Bai'' because they were assisted in their escape by a force known as ''Claw Mark''. The leader of Claw Mark has ''Bai'' as the first character in his code name."

    "Your surname was chosen to express gratitude for the help of Claw Mark."

    "From the beginning, the so-called ''kinship'' in your memories never existed. You were just their insurance policy to avoid fatal pursuit during their escape. Once they fled the organization, they took on the duty to raise you simply to avoid blowing their cover."

    Soldier Bee Seven''s face was devoid of emotion, "Of course, they didn''t know that it was precisely because of this that they would die."

    Bai Jingxuan, breathing slightly heavily, widened her eyes, "Was that attack orchestrated by you? Did you kill them?"

    "No, even the leader couldn''t control a Remnant Beast with such precision from half a state away, especially when at that time we didn''t even know your whereabouts in Fangting City."

    Soldier Bee Seven shook his head, "Their death has nothing to do with us, it was simply the consequence of their own actions."

    "Then who was it? Who was controlling the Remnant Beasts at that time?" Bai Jingxuan muttered.

    Soldier Bee Seven looked calmly at Bai Jingxuan.

    "It was you." He uttered these two words.

    "You''re talking nonsense! How could I possibly do such a thing!" Bai Jingxuan suddenly struggled again, glaring at the man before her, "How could I ever do such a thing!"

    "You needn''t have any will of your own because, to the ordinary Remnant Beasts, a beast child is a superior being, a natural-born king."

    Soldier Bee Seven grabbed her hair and, with force, pushed the back of Bai Jingxuan''s head against the wall, "I don''t know what exactly happened at that time, but the only possibility for a Remnant Beast to infiltrate a room precisely, and even accurately kill the humans around you, is this¡ª"

    "¡ª''It wanted to meet you, and after seeing you, it wanted to devour you, to replace you.''

    "Unfortunately, your so-called ''parents'' were just ordinary researchers; they didn''t know of this secret knowledge, thinking that your Magic Power was hidden within you, unseen by outsiders. This sealed their fate."

    "As long as they were by your side, encountering a Remnant Beast and dying because of you was just a matter of time."

    "Monsters cannot live within society or lead normal lives like ordinary people. From the moment you were chosen as a beast child, accompanying beasts have been the only choice for your life. So stop playing house here like a fool, come with me."

    He loosened his grip slightly and threw the girl onto the ground, "This is the last time I''m giving you the chance to choose. Next time, I won''t force myself to bring back a complete beast child."

    Having said this, he looked down at Bai Jingxuan, who was lying on the ground, and silently waited for her to make her choice.

    Bai Jingxuan lay there, motionless for a long time. Just when Soldier Bee Seven was starting to grow impatient, she finally moved a little.

    She reached out, propping herself up, and slowly sat up from the ground.

    "...I am a Magical Girl."

    She said with a somewhat hoarse voice, "A Magical Girl should protect and save everyone. I will fight you and then... kill you."

    Her words left Soldier Bee Seven speechless for a long time.

    Not because he was shocked by her stubbornness, but because he simply felt pity.

    "How pitiful."

    After a long moment, he finally spoke again, "I''ve come to realize, you are nothing, just an empty shell."

    "Just like a wild beast cannot understand human behavior but wants to become a human, it clumsily and futilely mimics human actions. You don''t know what a normal person is like, so you vainly try to imitate, to emulate what you consider to be a human''s appearance."

    "You don''t know what a Magical Girl is supposed to be like; you are just endlessly mimicking what you think is your ''ideal Magical Girl.'' This mimicry doesn''t even have a single focus; even these behaviors contradict each other."

    "Perhaps from one Magical Girl, you perceived ''rescue and protection''; from another, you saw ''justice and severity.'' Just like a wild beast that has no self-awareness or intelligence, you haphazardly piece them together."

 Chapter 19 Awakening Moment_2

    "You''re not a Magical Girl, you''re not human, you have no dreams, you have no past, you don''t even have a ''self.'' Before me, all there is is but a shell that mimics the concept of a ''Magical Girl.'' And inside this shell, there is actually nothing.""There''s not even a reason for the imitation, just an empty, pitiful monster, that''s all."

    Bee Hornet Seven had completely understood the logic behind the girl''s actions and finally gave up on persuasion.

    If it was a monster devoid of humanity, then there was no reason for him to have any mercy. It would be enough to subdue it with brute force and bring it back.

    Thinking this, he reached into the inside of his black robe and took out his beast gut. Then he gently pressed it to his heart and began to chant:

    "This be the eradication of traitors..."

    ¡ª"I''m going to kill you."

    But before he could finish speaking, the girl''s voice came through once again.

    Glancing over, he saw that Bai Jingxuan had already risen to her feet at some unknown time. Her head was bowed, her long bangs covering her eyes, revealing only her chin and mouth that opened and closed as she echoed the words he had just heard.

    "I''m going to kill you."

    Then, she repeated the phrase once again.

    "Boring," Bee Hornet Seven coldly remarked, not caring about the girl''s dull words, readying himself once again for the transformation into his beast form.

    "I''m going to kill you," Bai Jingxuan continued, seemingly deaf to the outside world, repeating the phrase over and over again.

    She incessantly chanted, possibly as a form of escape, emphasis, or self-hypnosis. But from start to finish, the words never ceased, and step by step, she continued to approach Bee Hornet Seven. Read new chapters at empire

    When she finally stood in front of Bee Hornet Seven and once again looked up, the eyes she revealed were entirely inhuman¡ªher sclera were completely blackened and her eye sockets held a pair of vertical pupils.

    Those cold and violent pupils stared straight at Bee Hornet Seven, trembling slightly within their sockets, brewing a disquieting emotion that made Bee Hornet Seven feel a chill down his spine.

    FInally, the girl spoke again.

    Utterly resolute, utterly certain, utterly cold.

    "I''m going to kill you."

    This was also the last thing she said to Bee Hornet Seven.

    ...

    ...

    Emerald Sparrow left the Abnormal Strategy Bureau with the greatest speed, continuously using Magic Power to accelerate, until she finally arrived at Lakeside Spring with the greatest dispatch.

    The severe consumption of Magic Power aggravated her already dire injuries, so much so that just by landing after her flight, Emerald Sparrow felt a conspicuous headache. She steadied herself against a nearby wall. After the pain subsided slightly, she took up her pace once more and rushed into the neighborhood. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The gates of the community were wide open, but there was no staff or pedestrians at the entrance; obviously, they had already fled to the shelters. Inside, too, there were no signs of ordinary people, which somewhat reassured Emerald Sparrow. However, as she ventured further in, the roads around her gradually became fragmented and everywhere there were signs of post-battle destruction.

    Clearly, there had been a fierce battle here. If her guess was right, the combatants must have been the Special Operations Third Squad and the remnants of Black Ash Dawn they were originally dispatched to investigate and capture.

    Considering she had not received any calls from the Third Squad on her way, Emerald Sparrow was rather pessimistic about the outcome of the battle. This conjecture was soon confirmed¡ªshe came upon a staff member''s limp body beside the road.

    From the clothing, the deceased was undoubtedly a member of the Third Squad, still clutching a weapon, his face frozen with a ferocious and angry expression. However, his neck bore a huge gash, and by then he was completely silent.

    Seeing the tragic state of the staff member, Emerald Sparrow observed a moment of silence for him and then cast a Spell Technique, encapsulating the body within it to prevent any further damage.

    In these pressing circumstances, this was the most she could do to protect the dead. After safeguarding the body, she had to continue moving forward.

    As she delved deeper, the number of bodies she encountered increased. Not only were there Abnormal Strategy Bureau staff members, but there were also a few in black robes, unmistakably corpses of Black Ash Dawn.

    Emerald Sparrow released a Barrier Spell Formula for every staff member''s corpse she came across, meanwhile mentally counting the number of the dead until it nearly reached a third of the entire Third Squad. She then finally arrived at the central plaza of the community.

    It was there that Emerald Sparrow felt an intensely strong and icy Magic Power. If her senses were correct, the source of this magic fluctuation was likely a Remnant Beast.

    Even though her strength was considerably depleted, the power she retained was still noteworthy. For her current self to feel endangered, it had to be an entity at the Cocoon Stage or above.

    With such complex thoughts in mind, Emerald Sparrow cautiously stepped into the community''s central plaza. When she got closer, the sight that met her eyes stopped her in her tracks.

    All she had to do was look up to see the source of that powerful Magic Power.

    ¡ªIt was a massive Cocoon Stage Remnant Beast. One could see that it once had a complete cocoon shell, but now the shell was mysteriously shattered in many places, no longer able to properly envelop the body of the Remnant Beast.

 Chapter 19 Awakening Moment_3

    Of course, even in such a state, the magic power of this Remnant Beast was still not to be underestimated.This pupa-stage Remnant Beast was not in its own lair but inexplicably appeared in this residential area, and thos certainly didn''t mean it was something an average Magical Girl could handle: for most Magical Girls, it was still a considerably dangerous enemy.

    And at this moment, this enemy, which should have been quite dangerous, lay limp and powerless on the ground.

    Apart from the shattered chrysalis around its body, the Remnant Beast seemed to have suffered no severe injuries¡ªits limbs were intact, and its form was fairly distinct, not as if it had sustained any fatal blows.

    Yet now, it barely displayed the most basic vital signs, clearly possessing strong and abundant magic power but lying there quietly and powerlessly.

    By its side stood a figure that Emerald Sparrow found familiar yet inexplicably strange.

    A girl in a black-green stage gown.

    The girl''s dress was pitch black, almost touching the ground, yet maintaining a slight distance; its surface was embroidered with many green patterns, seemingly unremarkable from afar, but upon closer inspection, they were incredibly intricate and mysterious, emitting an odd aura as well.

    Green hair cascaded down the girl''s back, reaching her waist, the tips slightly curled and tinged with purple, appearing somewhat abrupt.

    The girl wore a pair of black, long gloves that stretched up to her elbows. At the front end of the gloves, long green nails protruded from the girl''s hands like sharp claws, fearsomely barbaric.

    At that moment, those claws deeply pierced the Remnant Beast''s body on the ground, slowly, ever so slowly slicing the body in half.

    What did it feel like to be cleaved into two while still alive? Emerald Sparrow did not know, but judging by the creature''s constantly twitching body, it was an unbearable ordeal.

    Even though the Remnant Beast''s movements were now very weak, barely twitching even under the girl''s horrifying actions, it was still showing signs of life. However, the girl did not seem to care about this, simply cutting mechanically.

    After she had split the Remnant Beast, the girl abruptly stopped, and pale green magic power emerged out of nowhere, swiftly pouring into the Remnant Beast''s wound¡ªthen, the creature that had nearly been split in two revived once more, as whole as before.

    It was just like what Emerald Sparrow had witnessed moments earlier, without the slightest difference.

    Having done all this, the girl slightly turned her face, revealing a somewhat joyful smile. Then she reached out again, deep, so deep into the Remnant Beast''s body, resuming her slicing.

    Clearly, she had repeated this action many times before.

    The Remnant Beast, lying on the ground, looked unharmed, but only because it was constantly being healed, its wounds restored. In reality, it had already suffered countless mortal injuries.

    The girl kept splitting the Remnant Beast, leaving it in a near-death state, then healed it to bring it back to life, again and again, in a cycle. It was apparent that this was why the Remnant Beast''s response to the pain was so feeble.

    Indeed, if the Remnant Beast had a soul, it had probably died spiritually, and what was left behind was merely a body that, because it kept being healed, was still alive.

    Emerald Sparrow watched the girl in the center of the plaza, feeling as though her throat were blocked, unable to utter a word. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    It took her quite some time to compose herself, and finally, she managed to speak out, calling: "...Bo Xue?"

    At this call, the girl not far away turned her head.

    Within the pitch-black sclera, a pair of sharp vertical pupils looked towards Emerald Sparrow, but the girl''s face did not show any trace of ferocity or cruelty, only the purity of a child.

    She looked at Emerald Sparrow, and after a brief pause, that innocence turned to delight.

    "Teacher! You''ve come!"

    She immediately dropped the Remnant Beast she was holding and scampered over on nimble steps, stopping in front of Emerald Sparrow and pointing to the limp creature on the ground behind her:

    "Did you see? I did it, I beat the bad guys just like you! And I punished them severely! They definitely won''t dare to do anything bad in their lifetimes!"

    "These bad guys were telling me that I don''t have a mom and dad, that I should be with them; they said I''m not a real Magical Girl, just imitating others."

    "But I''m going to tell them that I am a Magical Girl, I will save everyone, and then punish them severely!"

    She stretched out her hand, eagerly pointing towards the other side of the plaza, full of expectation as she looked at Emerald Sparrow: "And over there, Teacher, look!"

    Following her gesture, Emerald Sparrow saw that in the direction Bai Jingxuan was pointing, a large group of Abnormal Strategy Bureau staff were being gathered, their wounds wrapped in green magic power, healing them and bringing calm, as if they had fallen into a tranquil sleep.

    But beside the group of Abnormal Strategy Bureau staff lay many members of Black Ash Dawn, covered in fatal wounds. Blood had soaked the ground beneath them, yet like trash, they were piled up, ignored by everyone. Your next journey awaits at empire

 Chapter 19 Awakening Moment_4

    On one side heaven, on the other hell; this was the scene that met Emerald Sparrow''s eyes, and no description could have been more apt."Hehe, I just knew it, teacher would come looking for me. Teacher really cares about me."

    After showing off everything she had done, Bai Jingxuan seemed to still be quite excited. As she spoke, she suddenly reached out to hug Emerald Sparrow''s arm and said happily, "That bad guy just now said I have no parents, that my mom and dad are fake, but I don''t care at all. I have them now!"

    "Right, teacher? You could be considered my mom now, couldn''t you?"

    As she rambled on to herself, she turned to the Remnant Beasts that was barely showing signs of life, and as if a naive little girl showing off, she said, "See, this is my mom! My mom came to save me. Do you have one? I''m making you so jealous!"

    However, as she drew near, Emerald Sparrow could clearly sense that the Remnant Beasts probably couldn''t hear Bai Jingxuan''s words.

    ¡ª¡ªIt was already dead, its body was just lingering.

    Perhaps Bai Jingxuan had killed it from the start and then simply engaged in pointless acts of venting her anger; or perhaps Bai Jingxuan''s subsequent torture had slowly stripped away its life. Either way, the Remnant Beasts was thoroughly dead.

    Emerald Sparrow looked at Bai Jingxuan once more, and saw that the girl, as if she had endless things to say, was still rattling on and on, explaining something and constantly seeking affirmation, as if hoping Emerald Sparrow would take a stand.

    ¡ª¡ªShe was uneasy, she was hoping to be praised.

    Emerald Sparrow realized this.

    She looked around in silence, observing the cruel yet merciful, the bloody yet holy scene. After a long stare and inner reflection, a sense of enlightenment arose within her.

    She suddenly understood why, right after the Full Moon Festival battle concluded, Lin Xiaolu had said those words to her.

    At that time, Lin Xiaolu was clearly afraid of the part of herself that had killed Mosi but still resolutely came over, took her hand, and said, "Let''s go back."

    Emerald Sparrow didn''t know what drove Bai Jingxuan to do all this now, or if there was any element of imitation involved, but the scene before her was strikingly similar to herself back then.

    With this realization, she also understood what she needed to do now.

    Without saying much, she just approached Bai Jingxuan, slowly spread her arms, and suddenly embraced the girl who appeared to still be in an excited state.

    Then, she reached out and gently patted the back of the girl''s head.

    "Let''s go back," she said softly.

    "Go back? Where?" The girl, suddenly embraced, was clearly confused and her questioning voice was filled with hollowness.

    Although the girl was in Emerald Sparrow''s arms, somehow she seemed insubstantial, as if she might at any moment turn into green smoke and drift away to the unknown.

    This wasn''t enough, she thought to herself.

    Just like this didn''t seem sufficient to bring back Bai Jingxuan ¨C the girl she knew ¨C she needed to do something more, to pull her away from the brink of losing control.

    So, what more could she actually do?

    The answer seemed to have become obvious.

    "...Come back with mom."

    Pursing her lips, Emerald Sparrow tried to make her voice even softer. She patted the girl''s back, just ever so gently consoling her: "Let''s go back to our secret base, let''s go home."

    "...Mom?"

    "Yes."

    "Is it really mom? Does teacher want to be my mom?"

    "Yes, I do."

    "Does mom want me to go back with her?"

    "Mom wants you to come back with her." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Emerald Sparrow held Bai Jingxuan tightly, as if in fear that she would run away at any moment: "I will lead you, you follow me, shall we go back and find your sister, okay?"

    After this sentence, there was endless silence.

    In the silence, the girl in Emerald Sparrow''s embrace slightly lifted her head, and her heterochromatic beastly eyes met Emerald Sparrow''s gaze.

    She watched Emerald Sparrow inexplicably, in silence. After a while, she suddenly smiled again, and the blackness in her sclera began to recede like an ebbing tide.

    "Okay, mom."

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    As she said this, the blackness of her dress scattered like wilting flowers, and the disseminating black Magic Power quickly vanished into the air, flowing away to some unknown place.

    The black dress turned white, and the white turned into her usual attire, and then the girl simply collapsed into Emerald Sparrow''s embrace.

    Looking down, Emerald Sparrow felt as if everything that had just happened was like an Illusionary Realm, leaving behind just an ordinary-looking little girl lying quietly in her arms.

    Her face bore a relaxed and peaceful smile, snuggling up to Emerald Sparrow without any guard, sweetly, beautifully, and falling into a deep slumber.

 Chapter 20 Physical Examination

    "Detection report is out, oh."In the outskirts of Fangting City, within the private research institute of Emerald Sparrow.

    The round fairy doll hopped off the side of the autonomous treatment bed, holding a small mirror in its claw, its surface listed with strings of runes. It walked casually to the front of Emerald Sparrow and said lazily,

    "Um, how to put it, the situation seems to be more complex than I had previously speculated."

    Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

    "More complex than what you said before? What exactly is her condition now?" Emerald Sparrow asked with a grave voice, frowning and looking at the treatment bed not far away. Lying on the bed was Bai Jingxuan, who had just been brought in.

    Several hours had passed since the sudden incident at Lakeside Spring. After the battle, Lin Yun, as the director, informed the other combat personnel of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, arranged for the wounded and the deceased from the battlefield, and then brought Bai Jingxuan to Emerald Sparrow''s research institute.

    The purpose of the examination was, of course, to figure out what that strange black dress form was.

    Emerald Sparrow had never seen Bai Jingxuan in that appearance, not only in terms of clothing and appearance, but even her personality and magic power were different from her usual state.

    If asked where she had seen a similar image, it would probably trace back to several months ago, in the battle with "Sparrow," the rebellious magical girl from "Claw Mark."

    At that time, Sparrow used a combat state she called "half-beast form," which covered half of her body with yellow and black striped patterns. During that time, the costume appearance she had shown indeed had some similarities to Bai Jingxuan''s previous form.

    This made Emerald Sparrow recall the words formerly told to her by Emerald Sparrow: Bai Jingxuan might be considered a natural "Claw Mark."

    "You remember what I told you, bringing this child to me as the first reaction was right. In fact, the definition I gave you before may not be accurate."

    As if guessing what Emerald Sparrow was thinking, Emerald Sparrow controlled the doll to lift the mirror, handing the reflective surface to Emerald Sparrow:

    "This child is indeed a deviant, but it''s not ''a magical girl who has deviated towards a Remnant Beast,'' but ''a Remnant Beast who has deviated towards a magical girl.'' In other words, if we are to define her based on the undertone of magic power, she is not a magical girl who has mastered the power of a Remnant Beast, but rather a Remnant Beast whose appearance and power resemble a magical girl."

    "... Is there a difference between the two?" Emerald Sparrow''s brows furrowed even more tightly.

    "There''s a big difference, young one. It means that the essence of life is different."

    The doll shook its head: "A human who can imitate the howl of a wolf, and a wolf that can speak the human language. Even if they can communicate with each other, would you think that the two are similar beings?"

    Emerald Sparrow opened her mouth to speak, but eventually fell silent.

    "Yes, it looks like you understand too." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Seeing Emerald Sparrow''s reaction, Emerald Sparrow also sighed: "Among human beings, there seems to be an old saying, ''Those who are not of our kind must have a different heart.'' Remnant Beasts are inherently the enemies of humans and magical girls, anathema to each other. And to define by the nature of magic power, that child is actually a Remnant Beast that mistakenly stole the power of a magical girl, a very dangerous enemy."

    "... I do not agree with such a statement. She is not the enemy, she has not harmed any innocent people."

    Emerald Sparrow looked earnestly at the doll in front of her: "On the contrary, she has saved many civilians as a magical girl."

    "Calm down, young one. I''m not saying she has become our enemy."

    The doll retracted the mirror: "I''m only telling you what kind of speculation will arise when someone who is unaware of the truth discovers the identity of this child."

    "You can try to think from a different perspective, if you did not know this child, and you were unaware of her true nature. When you find out that a stranger is in fact a Remnant Beast using the power of a magical girl, what would you think?"

    "Believe me, most people''s attitudes would be to keep their distance and be cautious; a few would even become hostile because of this."

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t refute Emerald Sparrow''s words. She knew that this was very likely the truth.

    "So, why is it so?"

    She could only lower her gaze, somewhat perplexed: "Why is this child''s magic power like this?"

    "To tell you the truth, that''s because I don''t know either. But it doesn''t stop me from making some speculation."

    Emerald Sparrow spoke leisurely: "I''ve heard similar rumors before, so the most likely speculation is: this is the work of Black Ash Dawn."

    "... Them again?"

    "Of course, them again. Besides them and Claw Mark, who else in this world is meddling with the power of Remnant Beasts every day?"

    The doll spread its claws somewhat comically: "I should have told you, although Black Ash Dawn has only grown in the past twenty years, it did not just come into existence in the last twenty years. Its predecessor has been around in the inter-dimensional space for a long time."

    "About a hundred years ago, I heard an inter-dimensional person say that the ''Angel Envoys''¡ªoh, that''s the name of the people from Black Ash Dawn used to go by¡ªanyway, they were meddling with some very fresh stuff. They seemed dissatisfied with just borrowing the power of Remnant Beasts, with this pattern of using Remnant Beast power, they wanted to go a step further¡ªcreate humans who were born with the magical properties of Remnant Beasts."

    "And such a desire gave birth to something called the ''Divine Creation Project.''"

    The doll pointed towards the research station nearby: "I don''t know the specifics and the actual operation, after all, those guys always hid in the shadows like cockroaches, playing some disgusting tricks. But some of the terminology in this project inevitably reached my data station."

 Chapter 20 Physical Examination_2

    "''Inevitable,'' oh, I see."Emerald Sparrow narrowed her eyes and nodded, categorizing the term alongside "pure and beautiful" that Molu had mentioned into the same classification: "So, what kind of term is it?"

    She didn''t question the authenticity of the information because she had already heard others mention the "Sacrifice Program."

    [Since the success of the Sacrifice Program and the descent of the Saint Heir, we no longer had any other choice.]

    That was what Mosi had said in the early hours of the night of the Full Moon Festival.

    At that time, Emerald Sparrow hadn''t grasped the meaning of those words; both of them were still engaged in a life-and-death struggle, leaving no room for her to think deeply about it. Unexpectedly, half a month later, she heard the same phrase from Molu.

    ¡ª "''Saint Heir,'' ''beast child,'' ''sacrificial child.'' Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire

    Molu recited in an even tone: "There''s no specific definition, no relevant description, not even a single instance, just a few isolated words. But just looking at the correlations between these words, one could probably infer something."

    "Saint" and "beast," these two words seem to be highly intertwined and related in Black Ash Dawn''s understanding. And the word "sacrificial" in "sacrificial child" naturally makes one think of the sacrifices that scum have always been conducting in the shadows, and from it, detect a strong scent of blood.

    "Do you mean to imply that Bo Xue... this child, is related to this so-called plan?"

    Emerald Sparrow said with confusion: "But as far as I understand from the data I have seen, this child should have had no intersection with Black Ash Dawn. Before this, she was just an innocent orphan."

    "That, you might have to ask her yourself."

    Molu pointed to Bai Jingxuan, who was sleeping on the treatment bed: "If it''s as you said and she underwent such a transformation in the process of fighting Black Ash Dawn, the most likely possibility is that she learned something from those people."

    Molu''s words reminded Emerald Sparrow of the pupa-stage Remnant Beast, or rather the corpse of the Remnant Beast she had seen on the battlefield before arriving at the Research Institute. A normal pupa-stage Remnant Beast wouldn''t have left its nest and appeared there alone, so that Remnant Beast was most likely a transformed creature of Black Ash Dawn.

    The opposition didn''t hesitate to use covert agents from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, thinking of ways to contact Bai Jingxuan at this particular time point, evidently knowing some truths. It was unfortunate that now only a living corpse of the Remnant Beast remained, which was unlikely to provide any useful information.

    "Anyway, the results of the examination are as such, the child''s current state is not ''abnormal.'' Rather, this is the way she should appear, so you don''t need to worry about her body suffering any strain or harm."

    Clasping her claws together, she gently patted them, the doll turned around and went back to the side of the treatment bed: "Instead of worrying about any abnormalities with this child here, you should think more about what you ought to do next."

    "What I should do myself, huh."

    Emerald Sparrow repeated thoughtfully: "Then, do you have any suggestions?"

    "Do you want the advice of the Gemstone Scepter, or a personal suggestion from the Magical Girl Molu?"

    "What would the Gemstone Scepter advise?"

    "It would advise you to nip the unstable factor in the bud. Kill this child, or send her to the Research Institute to be used as material for further studies."

    Molu''s voice sounded carefree: "No one can guarantee that this girl won''t go astray in the future, stepping on the same path as those traitors with Claw Marks. And should she grow up, she will undoubtedly become more dangerous than those people."

    "That is indeed a very Gemstone Scepter-esque suggestion." Emerald Sparrow nodded calmly, "What about a slightly more humane suggestion then?"

    "It''s not so much a humane suggestion, just a minimum empathy from an elder to the younger generations of Magical Girls."

    Stopping the operation of the treatment bed, Molu''s lazy voice seldom took on a serious tone: S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "If you truly wish for this child to walk the right path, then you may have to trouble yourself, spend more energy educating and guiding her."

    "And this is destined to be a difficult road. The Magic Power properties of the Remnant Beasts will constantly influence the child''s thinking patterns, making her accustomed to blood, accustomed to killing; besides, the outside world will inevitably view her with caution and suspicion, and there are bound to be misunderstandings."

    "I don''t think this suggestion is ''humane'' because it would be very unfair to you. You need to consider carefully whether you really need to do this for this child."

    "Or rather, do you still have the capacity to do so for her, youngster?"

    ¡ª Do I still have the capacity?

    Emerald Sparrow pondered silently. The answer to this question didn''t require deep contemplation because it was inevitably negative.

    What Molu said sounded harsh, even cold, but each question was a genuine challenge, forcing Emerald Sparrow to reflect seriously.

    Although still under a misunderstanding, she already had a daughter to raise; on top of that, as a Magical Girl teaching three juniors was already very taxing; the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was in dire need of rejuvenation, and she couldn''t shirk her duties as the director to make Fangting City a safer place; the certification exam was coming up next year, which was also a task requiring prior preparation.

 Chapter 20 Physical Examination_3

    If Emerald Sparrow wished to provide a deeper education and guidance for Bai Jingxuan, she would inevitably have to invest more time and energy on her, resulting in less time for other affairs.However, the criterion for this decision wasn''t her own "spare capacity."

    Whenever Emerald Sparrow recalled the look in Bai Jingxuan''s eyes as she gazed at her in a black dress, that expectant look, hungry for a response, craving recognition, all such rational thoughts became trivial details.

    Only she could do this, she told herself.

    It wasn''t a matter of being presumptuous but rather a clear perception that when Bai Jingxuan''s magic power revealed its beastly side, its connection with "humanity" had become incredibly fragile.

    Having lost her parents, abandoned her ideals, and with the Magical Girl who had saved her dead in an accident, the identity of "Magical Girl" was in jeopardy. Bai Jingxuan''s link to her "human" side was almost nonexistent, like a kite with its string cut, ready to drift off to an unknown place at any moment.

    At that time, the only thing Emerald Sparrow could do was to become that "kite string." She had conformed to Bai Jingxuan''s expectations, accepting the identity of "mother."

    While this act could call Bai Jingxuan back for a moment, barely maintaining her connection with "humanity," the side effects were also real: without Emerald Sparrow maintaining the existence of this "kite string," even this last connection would disappear.

    In other words, until Bai Jingxuan established a new connection, Emerald Sparrow was the only one who could guide the child. Whether she would embark on the right path or stray was closely related to her.

    What she contemplated was no longer "whether to do it" but "how to do it."

    But this question was destined to have no standard answer; mere speculation couldn''t lead to a meaningful conclusion. Everything had to be grounded in reality first.

    After bidding farewell to Molu, Emerald Sparrow left the institute with Bai Jingxuan, lifted her into the car, and drove her on the road home.

    The time was already evening, the dimming sunlight filtering in through the front window of the car. Bai Jingxuan, who had been sound asleep, awoke on the red-tinted rear seat, looking around in a daze, then, through the rearview mirror, saw Emerald Sparrow in front.

    "Teacher?"

    She first called out in some confusion, then as if remembering something, she said somewhat oddly, "What''s going on with me now?" S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "You fell asleep, so I drove you home," Emerald Sparrow explained calmly.

    "I fell asleep?"

    Bai Jingxuan instinctively looked at her hands, appearing bewildered: "I remember my hands seemed to have grown claws? I think I defeated the villains and saved everyone at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau? Was all that... a dream?"

    "It wasn''t a dream. All of that was real."

    Emerald Sparrow''s voice was cool yet gentle: "You just fainted in the end. You did well, and I''m proud of you."

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    "It''s all real?"

    Bai Jingxuan was briefly stunned, then blinked and suddenly hesitated to say:

    "Then I remember, didn''t I also call the teacher ''mommy''? And then you, teacher, you... acknowledged it?"

    The car fell silent for a moment.

    Honking constantly emanated from outside the car windows, but it was all isolated outside of this space, creating two worlds.

    "...Yes, it wasn''t a dream."

    Emerald Sparrow, holding the steering wheel and looking at the flow of cars ahead, finally revealed a somewhat resolute expression after a long silence and seriously said:

    "You''re right, from now on, I''ll be your mother. Bo Xue... no, Xiao Xuan."

    This was the first time she had abandoned the codename while in her Magical Girl form, calling Bai Jingxuan by her name directly. After saying this, she instinctively glanced at the rearview mirror to see if Bai Jingxuan would accept this declaration.

    But what she hadn''t expected to see through the rearview mirror was the girl''s smile.

    It was a smile that she had never seen on the child''s face before.

    It wasn''t the well-behaved and understanding smile nor the manic grin that unconsciously emerged during battle. Instead, it was a truly joyful smile of a child of her age, as if she truly had something worth rejoicing over.

 Chapter 21 The Strangers Confession

    ¡ª¡ª"Lin Xiaolu! I like you! Will you be my girlfriend!"In the evening glow of Xizhao Middle School, on the periphery of the sports field, by the spectator stands.

    It was mid-November, and the weather had gradually turned cooler. Even at high noon, with the sun shining overhead, it wouldn''t feel too hot.

    Since it was lunch break, there weren''t many students on the field¡ªjust a few energetic ones playing soccer on the grass. But their attention was focused on the fun in front of them, and nobody noticed the corner near the spectator stands.

    It was in such a place that Lin Xiaolu received a confession from a male classmate.

    This was her first time receiving a confession from the opposite sex since starting middle school.

    She was originally wondering why this boy had suddenly called her to the sports field, and only after following him for a couple of steps, she heard such a bombshell statement.

    The boy''s incredibly direct and blunt expression made Lin Xiaolu''s heart race uncontrollably.

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    It wasn''t because of shyness, but because of shock.

    "What are you talking about! What do you mean by your girl girl girl¡­ Don''t you feel embarrassed saying such things!"

    She took a few steps back in panic, first questioning loudly, but then she realized that this topic might not be suitable for discussing loudly, so she lowered her voice a bit, "This is puppy love! It''s not right!"

    "...Puppy love?"

    The boy, who was already quite nervous, couldn''t help feeling lost as he replied, "But we''re already junior high students, aren''t we?"

    "The teacher said that it''s too early for us to date at our age!"

    Lin Xiaolu shook her head vigorously, "No! I can''t have puppy love!"

    "Ah, that¡­"

    The boy had actually considered what to do if he were rejected, but he had never thought that he would be rejected for such a reason. After some thought, he decided to stick to his original plan, "Then, not as boyfriend and girlfriend, just getting to know each other, going out and having fun together, how about that?"

    "Going out on dates?" Lin Xiaolu raised an eyebrow.

    "Yes, I know a few really fun shopping streets, I could take you there," he proposed tentatively.

    "Choose a time when you''re free? The treat is on me," the boy added hesitantly.

    "Hmm... you''re treating?"

    Lin Xiaolu crossed her arms, pondered for a moment, but eventually shook her head, "No, I don''t have the time."

    As an active Magical Girl, Lin Xiaolu had to juggle school with patrolling the city, so she didn''t have as much free time as her peers.

    And she would rather spend this extra leisure time at the secret base playing with her friends than going out with a relatively unfamiliar boy.

    However, these considerations were something she couldn''t possibly voice, as her identity as a Magical Girl was still a secret. This left the boy in front of her feeling particularly frustrated.

    "Going out is not possible... do you really dislike me that much?" he asked anxiously.

    "It''s not that I dislike you? But it''s true that I don''t particularly like you either."

    Lin Xiaolu lowered her eyelids slightly and waved her hand dismissively at him, "Anyway, I''m against puppy love, so it''s a no!"

    Having said that, she turned around decisively, ignoring the boy''s calls behind her, and quickly returned to the classroom.

    The classroom was relatively quiet during lunch break, as many students were resting with their heads down on their desks or leaning back in their chairs. In the resting classroom, only a very few students were whispering, resulting in a subdued "buzzing" sound.

    Upon returning to her seat, Lin Xiaolu pulled out her stool, and just as she sat down, she realized the girl in front of her suddenly turned around to look at her:

    "How did it go? Did you accept the confession?"

    The girl who sat in front of her was named Jiang Yuan, a slightly plump and introverted girl with glasses.

    In the entire Second Year, Class Three, if there was to be an award for the girl who fit in the least, it would likely go to Lin Xiaolu; if there was to be a second place, it would unquestionably be Jiang Yuan.

    Of course, that''s not to say that the two of them were isolated by their female classmates. In fact, most of the girls in Class Three were quite friendly, with many of them treating the comparatively petite and cute Lin Xiaolu like a little sister. It could be said that if Lin Xiaolu were willing to open up and make friends, it wouldn''t be difficult at all.

    The reason Lin Xiaolu spent most of her time alone was simply that she had grown used to being by herself.

    This was also why Lin Xiaolu had only just received her first confession: she never gave others a chance to get to know her.

    Although there were boys who noticed Lin Xiaolu because of her appearance, most boys of that age were quite shy. And since Lin Xiaolu was always alone, the boys naturally didn''t have a chance to approach her and strike up a conversation.

    When talking about Lin Xiaolu''s isolation, it could be attributed to her somewhat awkward personality; when talking about Jiang Yuan''s isolation, it was simply that others found it hard to communicate with her. Anyone who tried to chat with Jiang Yuan would find themselves stuck not getting any response right from the beginning: in Jiang Yuan''s own words, she simply couldn''t make a sound when facing people she wasn''t familiar with. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    However, these two misfits, after becoming seatmates, surprisingly became capable of communicating with each other.

    No one knows who initiated it, but one day during a class break they struck up a conversation, and from there their interactions slowly increased, developing into what they were today.

    "I didn''t accept it, why would I accept a confession from someone I barely know?"

    Lin Xiaolu opened her backpack and spoke irritably, "Besides, we''re not even supposed to be dating at this age. It''s puppy love, and that''s even more unacceptable!"

    "You rejected him? Well done! That''s the way to do it!"

    Jiang Yuan nodded, "What''s so good about dating! Resolutely reject those boys!"

    "Why do I feel like you care about this more than I do?"

    Pulling out the books she needed for the afternoon classes from her backpack, Lin Xiaolu gave her a puzzled look, "What''s the matter? Do you like that boy or something?"

    "Huh?"

    Jiang Yuan''s voice suddenly rose half an octave, and realizing she might disturb others, she once again lowered her voice, "How could that be? If I wanted to date, wouldn''t that be a betrayal of our Misfit Alliance?"

    "Misfit Alliance? What the hell is that..."

    Lin Xiaolu slightly pulled down her eyelid, "I don''t remember ever joining such an organization."

    "In any case, if you start dating, our alliance will be broken! Never become such a frivolous woman!"

    Jiang Yuan concluded the conversation on that topic, then pulled out her phone, "Since you''ve rejected him, that means we''re still friends. Did you play that mobile game I recommended to you yesterday?"

    "A game?"

    Lin Xiaolu was momentarily stunned, then finally remembered what the other person was talking about: after school yesterday, Jiang Yuan had indeed recommended a mobile game to her.

    However, at the time, Lin Xiaolu was preoccupied with thoughts of going on patrol and wasn''t focused on the conversation with Jiang Yuan, not even remembering the game''s name.

    "What was it called?"

    So she said, somewhat stiffly, "I didn''t find it when I searched yesterday, so I haven''t played it yet..."

    "Seriously, how could you not find it? It''s the hottest mobile game out there right now!"

    Jiang Yuan spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction, showing her phone screen, "Look, this is the name, try searching for it again."

    Feeling guilty, Lin Xiaolu concentrated, despite her lack of interest, looking at the phone in Jiang Yuan''s hand to identify the game in question.

    Then, she saw a slightly fancy icon: at the top were two crossed magic wands, one white, one black, with a line-drawn cartoon of a magical girl below, appearing incredibly cute at first glance. And below the icon was the name of the game:

    "Magical Girl Squad."

 Chapter 22

    "Magical Girl" is a theme suitable for entertainment creation, isn''t it?Around this topic, the creative and publishing industries in the Material World have engaged in a debate that has lasted for decades, and this debate still hasn''t reached a clear conclusion to this day.

    In the past Material World, dating back to about 50 years ago, entertainment creations related to "Magical Girls" have always been popular themes. People were filled with various imaginations of the mysterious Magical Girls, attempting to project a variety of fantasies onto these mysterious Guardians.

    Some of these fantasies were positive, filled with admiration and longing for heroes; some were critical, questioning the origins and purposes of Magical Girls; of course, there were also some that were unspeakable and often didn''t make it to the stage of respectability.

    The prosperity of this kind of creation lasted for a long time, and "Magical Girls" had evolved from a term with a clear definition into a symbol of entertainment merchandise. Eventually, even the real Magical Girls were ascribed certain idol and entertainment attributes, with some fans of Magical Girls spontaneously organizing to support their favorite Magical Girls in various ways.

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    As works related to Magical Girls became widespread, naturally, some people with ulterior motives mixed in, either seizing the discourse for personal gain or spreading rumors to smear others. The public, swept up in public opinion, was unable to discern truth from falsehood, and the term "Magical Girl" began to sour in the public discourse.

    Faced with these troubling rumors, most Magical Girls could only opt to turn a blind eye or silently endure. After all, their voices were too small in the face of public opinion; no matter how they spoke out, they couldn''t avoid being further misconstrued.

    However, even among Magical Girls, there were those of diverse temperaments. Faced with increasingly absurd rumors and gossips as well as entertainment works, a few strong-willed Magical Girls were angered.

    "I can''t control the mouths of most of you, but can''t I deal with those unethical paparazzi?"

    This was approximately 40 years ago when the conflict erupted, an originally quoted statement made by a retired Magical Girl from Ciro State during an interview after exposing her identity.

    Thus, starting from Ciro State, Magical Girls and retired Magical Girls began a head-on media battle with the publishing and distribution circles. This confrontation gradually spread to the eastern states, resulting in a messy situation where nobody came out on top. However, from the looks of it, the Magical Girls seemed to have won.

    Because the Magic Kingdom expressed its stance to the city governments in various states and directly terminated the dispute.

    Works that misrepresented, slandered, or maliciously speculated about Magical Girls would no longer be published or distributed. In the following 40 years, commercial works themed around "Magical Girls" gradually faded from the market over the next few years, leaving only those Magical Girl animations created for young girls and children.

    Of course, works that portrayed Magical Girls in a positive light still existed and still had their audience, only they were no longer a topic of interest to the general public.

    Now, 40 years later, people''s perception of Magical Girls seems to have returned to the past: in reality, Magical Girls are heroes who protect the city; on the virtual level, Magical Girls are animations for children.

    It is under this backdrop that, a few years ago, a mobile game named "Magical Girl Squad" quietly began operation on the intercity network in Dongying State.

    The mode of this mobile game is the very popular card drawing and character development, which is truly lackluster in content: it simply lets players assemble and nurture their own Magical Girl squads, presented in the system as very ordinary character development and turn-based combat. The game graphics weren''t impressive either, with Magical Girl illustrations resembling cute, simple doodles from children''s books, while within the game levels, they were 2-head-tall pixel figures, completely failing to arouse anyone''s desire to try the game.

    According to a later interview with the game''s producer, he said that this was how he envisioned Magical Girls.

    Sadly, what he envisioned as "Magical Girls" failed to gain market recognition. With such a mediocre presentation, even described as utterly lackluster, combined with a rather plain name, it naturally didn''t receive much feedback. This mobile game ran into a deficit just a few months after its operation began and entered a state of loss.

    This is a common occurrence in the Material World''s game market, with too many games going unnoticed after launch or server openings, never to catch attention again. Naturally, this game was no different; even if it fell into silence afterwards, no one would give it a second glance.

    But this game did not end its operational life there; it miraculously survived.

    The turning point occurred two years ago. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    At that time, "Magical Girl Squad" had already plunged into a complete operational crisis. As a small company''s trial product, this game brought its producers to the brink of bankruptcy. Then, whether it was due to the company being acquired or a new investor stepping in, this game mysteriously came back to life.

    The game was updated to a 2.0 version, which, aside from retaining the original storybook art style and development gameplay, experienced a significant evolution in graphical expression. Moreover, the developers also added detailed game backgrounds and stories to this game, which originally had almost no setting or plot.

 Chapter 23 Dawn Grass

    By the time Xia Liang completed her patrol and returned to the secret base, the sky was already approaching dusk.She collected her Heart''s Gem at the entrance with a trace of fatigue, changed into indoor shoes, walked into the living room, and then immediately spotted Lin Xiaolu lying on the sofa playing with her smartphone.

    "Aren''t you watching the TV that''s on?"

    Heading straight to the sofa, Xia Liang sat down next to Lin Xiaolu. Scanning the living room, she pointed to the TV that was still playing an animation: "Then, I''ll just change it to something I like to watch, okay?"

    "Mhm." Lin Xiaolu continued to stare at her screen, responding without even lifting her head.

    This indifferent reply piqued Xia Liang''s curiosity because Lin Xiaolu would usually strongly oppose any suggestion of changing the channel.

    The two of them often argued over what program to watch on TV. Xia Liang favored idol dramas, variety shows, and news, while Lin Xiaolu only liked animations and scientific programs. To fight for control of the TV, the two had their fair share of tussles.

    But as curious as she was, an opportunity like this was too good to miss. Since Lin Xiaolu didn''t mind, Xia Liang wasn''t shy about it either, picking up the remote and switching the channel to the local station to watch the evening news. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    A few minutes passed with Xia Liang supposedly focused on the news, but subconsciously, she was wondering what Lin Xiaolu was doing. She hadn''t planned to ask, but her curiosity grew stronger until she couldn''t help it anymore, propping herself up to peek at Lin Xiaolu''s phone:

    "What are you doing?"

    Lin Xiaolu glanced at her and then refocused on her phone screen: "Playing a game."

    "A game? What game?"

    Her interest piqued, Xia Liang said, "Did you have a sudden epiphany? Why did you start playing games?"

    "It''s related to Magical Girls." Lin Xiaolu didn''t lift her head.

    "Is it fun?"

    "Don''t know."

    "You don''t know but you''re still so engrossed?"

    "...You''re so annoying."

    Finally, Lin Xiaolu looked at Xia Liang, tilting her phone screen towards her: "Look, it''s this kind of game."

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    "Let me have a look. This interface, turn-based combat? And these characters... a gacha game?"

    Xia Liang looked at Lin Xiaolu as if she was a stranger: "Why did you start playing this sort of thing?"

    "Just playing."

    Lin Xiaolu turned her phone screen back and continued tapping with her thumb: "I''m just killing time, just playing casually."

    "Did you get any good stuff?"

    "...Just playing casually." Lin Xiaolu''s face showed a look of detached acceptance.

    "Really?"

    Although Lin Xiaolu''s answer seemed off-topic, Xia Liang understood what she meant: Lin Xiaolu hadn''t managed to get any good items.

    Not getting good items in a gacha game was indeed not something to be happy about, so Xia Liang didn''t say much more. However, she didn''t leave either and continued to squat beside Lin Xiaolu and watch.

    As one played and the other watched, time passed until Xia Liang, as if she had realized something, pointed at the screen: "Hey, why are you always looking to borrow a character named ''Dawn Grass''? She doesn''t seem that strong."

    In the game "Magical Girl Squadron," when new players encounter levels they can''t pass, they can request to borrow "Support Characters" from other players to help them clear the levels.

    And throughout her gameplay, no matter the difficulty of the current level, Lin Xiaolu always looked to borrow a character codenamed "Dawn Grass," which puzzled Xia Liang.

    "How is she not strong? I''ve been passing levels smoothly, haven''t I?" Lin Xiaolu looked over with some dissatisfaction.

    "But she''s obviously not a damage dealer, clearly a support... Do you really like this character?"

    "Not really."

    "Then why don''t you borrow different Support Characters from other players?"

    "How I play is my own business, right?"

    "Eh¡ª¡ª"

    With a lengthened tone to express skepticism, Xia Liang kept watching before she suddenly realized something and pointed at the screen at the Magical Girl named "Dawn Grass": "This pink color scheme, and the codename ''Dawn Grass,'' could this character possibly be..."

    "You''re thinking too much."

    Whether or not Xia Liang had struck a nerve, Lin Xiaolu''s expression began to show some complexity: "It''s just a smartphone game."

    "But ''Dawn Grass'' is another name for cherry blossoms, right?" Xia Liang continued to pry.

    "...I don''t know about such things." Lin Xiaolu muttered.

    Her response was clear and direct, so Xia Liang found it difficult to press further. Silence fell between them once again until Lin Xiaolu finished the level she was on.

    Without a word, she proceeded to the next level, searched the "Request Support" screen, found the character named Dawn Grass, and clicked on her.

    [Remaining support times for today: 0]

    The game popped up with this message.

    This caused Lin Xiaolu''s hand to freeze in place.

    In silence, she stared at the screen for a moment, then suddenly returned to the game''s main menu, and without lingering, she went straight into the gacha option.

    Under Xia Liang''s gaze, she used all the rewards from clearing the game''s levels for gacha pulls, repeating the process over and over, with various characters continuously emerging from the summoning pool.

    However, until all rewards were depleted, it seemed that the "Dawn Grass" Lin Xiaolu had been paying attention to was not among the characters pulled.

 Chapter 23 Dawn Grass_2

    Lin Xiaolu once again fell silent, her fingers gripping the phone tightening ever so slightly, as if she were enduring something. Finally, she sat up abruptly and tossed the phone aside:"Boring, I quit! Let''s watch TV!"

    She snatched the remote control out of Xia Liang''s hand, and without waiting for Xia Liang to react, she rapidly pressed the buttons, flipping back to the channel that was airing cartoons.

    "What the heck, I wasn''t done watching the news, switch it back!" Xia Liang protested.

    "You weren''t watching anyway," Lin Xiaolu retorted confidently.

    "You were the one who stopped watching first!"

    "Well, now I want to watch!"

    "You''re not playing the game anymore?" Xia Liang raised an eyebrow.

    "Not playing!" Lin Xiaolu stated emphatically.

    "But didn''t you still want to get a character you haven''t got?"

    "It''s just virtual data, who cares if I don''t have it!" Lin Xiaolu stared at the TV, her chin lifted a bit.

    "But, I clearly saw the interface of that gacha saying ''12 pulls left to summon the designated Magical Girl''."

    Xia Liang picked up Lin Xiaolu''s phone from the sofa cushion next to her, pointing at a line of text on the screen: "Look."

    The firm expression on Lin Xiaolu''s face suddenly wavered. She tried to pretend she was focused on the TV, but her constant glances to the side betrayed her. After realizing this, she eventually gave up the pretense and silently reached out, somewhat resignedly taking the phone from Xia Liang.

    She looked at the screen and indeed, there it was, the line of text Xia Liang mentioned. She tapped on the list behind that line and quickly found the "Emerald Sparrow" she had been longing for; a glint of excitement flickered in her eyes again.

    "Just 12 more pulls, just 12 more..."

    She began to think hard: "But how can I gather enough for these 12 pulls?"

    She had already claimed most of the early game level completion rewards, and the difficulty of later levels was increasing¡ªwithout being able to rely on "support characters," she was certain she couldn''t touch those.

    And in a gacha game, if you want to get the resources for pulling aside from the rewards, it seems there''s only one method left.

    "Why not just charge some money?" Xia Liang tilted her head.

    "No, I know I can pay, but spending money on this kind of thing seems like..."

    Lin Xiaolu struggled: "Doesn''t it seem like I''m losing sight of what''s important, getting lost in idle amusements?"

    "True, there are always those news reports about the dangers of getting addicted to games."

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    Xia Liang nodded again: "So, maybe you shouldn''t play?"

    "This... that..."

    Lin Xiaolu stared at the gacha interface on the game screen, hesitating for a long time without making a decision. Her rationality told her she shouldn''t spend money on this, but her emotions were urging her to go ahead and press the button.

    In her mind, a fierce internal struggle raged, and as she stared at the screen, her eyes grew more vacant, a thin layer of cold sweat forming on her forehead. She pursed her lips, and a whirlpool slowly began to emerge in her dark pupils.

    So, three minutes later.

    Lin Xiaolu selected the pay option in the shop interface.

    After careful calculation, she realized that the 68 yuan option would suffice for the 12 pulls she needed, so Lin Xiaolu, for the first time in her life, chose to make an in-game purchase.

    She repeatedly checked the option button on her phone screen, read the payment information, and after ensuring that charging money now would indeed meet the "first-time discount" condition, she finally nodded, extended her hand, and placed her finger on the fingerprint sensor.

    Then, she suddenly heard a scream from the TV.

    Instinctively looking up to see what happened in the cartoon, she found it was just the TV show''s protagonist breaking an object. Disappointed, Lin Xiaolu lowered her head again, only to see the message "Payment Complete" pop up on her screen.

    Spending money in a game for the first time in her life caused a certain amount of guilt in Lin Xiaolu, but amidst the guilt, there was also an illicit thrill. Embracing these mixed feelings, she returned to the gacha interface to finish her remaining 12 pulls and claim the character she wanted. But as her finger touched the pull button, she suddenly noticed that the number of pulls was somehow not quite right.

    If she remembered correctly, the resources she bought with her money should be about 15 pulls, so why did she now have 150 pulls?

    Staring at the number displayed on her phone screen, Lin Xiaolu was momentarily stunned.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Xia Liang, noticing Lin Xiaolu''s troubled expression, leaned in closer, and when she saw the number on the screen, she too involuntarily covered her mouth: "How much did you charge?" Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "It should be 68 yuan... I think?"

    Lin Xiaolu said uncertainly, flipping back to the shop interface in the game to check the previous recharge option, only to see the "first-time discount" label still brightly displayed on the 68 yuan option. In contrast, the 648 yuan option no longer had the "first-time discount" label, and the glaringly empty button seemed to hint at something.

    Looking at her phone screen, Lin Xiaolu fell into a prolonged silence again.

    It seemed she had pressed the wrong button.

    "Where did you get that much money?"

    Xia Liang couldn''t help but ask: "Your dad''s pocket money for you?"

    "No... Well..."

    Lin Xiaolu gradually came out of her daze, stuttering: "If I remember correctly, I think it''s from the Emerald Sparrow from a few days ago."

 Chapter 23 Dawn Grass_3

    "What''s up?""She asked me to buy some educational aids... She said she didn''t have time to get them herself, gave me the names of the books, and told me to buy them and that she would pay for them."

    Lin Xiaolu''s voice grew quieter, "I haven''t had the chance to buy them these past few days." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Educational aids?"

    Xia Liang was a bit puzzled, "Why haven''t I heard about this?"

    "You must have been fooling around at the time, right? But Emerald Sparrow should have transferred that money to you."

    Lin Xiaolu was somewhat surprised, "Didn''t you notice an extra amount of money in your personal account?"

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    "Extra money in my personal account..."

    Xia Liang tapped her lower lip, her face thoughtful. After a while, as if she suddenly remembered something, she clapped her hands sharply, "Ah, I was wondering why it felt like I''ve been spending more lately, but my balance hasn''t decreased at all!"

    "You spent it too?"

    "Maybe?"

    Xia Liang gave a dry laugh, "I just got my hair done a few days ago, come to think of it, that must have been... when I used the money little junior gave me, right?"

    As she spoke, her heart felt increasingly unsure, and in the end, she fell silent along with Lin Xiaolu.

    For a moment, the only sound in the living room was the noise of cartoons from the TV.

    However, when it rains, it pours, and just when the two of them did not know what to do, the sound of a door closing came from the entranceway nearby. The two of them quickly scooted behind the living room wall and peeped out towards the entrance, only to see Emerald Sparrow entering with Bai Jingxuan trailing behind.

    Emerald Sparrow led the way as Bai Jingxuan followed, chatting about something as they walked into the living room. Emerald Sparrow glanced around and saw Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang sitting properly on the couch, seemingly intently watching TV.

    This scene seemed normal, but Emerald Sparrow felt that something was off: normally, these two would either be lying or leaning in a totally languid manner, so why were they suddenly so well-behaved today?

    "I''m back."

    Without giving it much thought, she waved to the girls in the living room, "How was patrol today?"

    "Nothing at all!"

    As Emerald Sparrow spoke, Lin Xiaolu''s ponytail twitched violently, and she stammered, "Everything, everything is normal, no Remnant Beasts, no dangerous incidents!"

    "That''s good, no problems then. And you don''t need to shout so loudly."

    Emerald Sparrow nodded expressionlessly, then turned her gaze to Xia Liang, "What about the situation over at Sunset District, anything to report?"

    "Ah, no, nothing," Xia Liang said, also inexplicably avoiding eye contact, "Just reporting in, there haven''t been any Remnant Beasts seen in Sunset District since last week, it''s been very calm this week."

    "Why are you using formal language?"

    The odd behavior of the two made Emerald Sparrow even more puzzled, but she couldn''t think of anything that might have happened, so she didn''t probe further, "Alright, you must be tired, I''ll go prepare dinner in the kitchen, you guys continue resting."

    The two girls in the living room could only respond with a dull "yes". Bai Jingxuan called out, "I''ll come help," and ran off to the kitchen with Emerald Sparrow.

    Once Emerald Sparrow left, the two in the living room looked at each other, both seemingly with something to say, yet no one spoke first. Just as Lin Xiaolu had mustered her courage and decided to speak, Emerald Sparrow suddenly walked back out from the kitchen.

    "¡ªOh, right, tonight is tutoring night, you guys remember, don''t you?"

    As she put on her arm protectors, she reminded, "I should have asked you to get the educational aids ready last time, if you have time you can start to pre-study."

    "The final exams for the second year are coming up too, your recent grades aren''t very stable, so I''m giving you some key areas to focus on, start looking over these areas."

    "If you don''t want to pre-study, that''s fine too, but I might ask a few more questions to ensure you grasp the concept... Huh? What''s wrong? Why do you both look so pale? Too tired? And why are you suddenly standing up? Why are you getting so close?"

    "¡ªSorry! Emerald Sparrow!"

    "Sorry! Little junior!"

    Emerald Sparrow hadn''t really thought much of it at first, but before she could finish speaking, she saw Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang suddenly stand up from the couch and scurry over to her. Then, together, they bowed their heads and spoke the above words in unison.

    Looking at her daughter and the other girl standing before her with apologetic expressions, Emerald Sparrow was momentarily dumbfounded. She blinked, and after a long moment, responded somewhat perplexedly:

    "...Huh?"

 Chapter 24 Emerald Sparrows Plan

    Under the clear light, the porcelain white plates faintly reflected a sheen from the oil. Scattered across the wooden dining table, the cutlery lay either neatly arranged or in disarray. Emerald Sparrow leaned against the chair''s back, her arms crossed, her right fingers tapping slowly at the crook of her arm.Across the table, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang sat properly in their seats.

    In between them, the table was set with several dishes of homestyle food that still retained their warmth and seemed to be tasty based on their appearance. However, much of the food remained untouched, clearly undisturbed. The expressions of everyone around the table were tense, even Nini sat upright and proper, while only Magic at the corner of the table seemed to be enjoying the food without a care.

    After dinner, Emerald Sparrow had required the two girls to recount the entire matter in front of everyone. Upon learning that all the tutoring money she had given had been misused, she pursed her lips and remained silent for a long while.

    This made Lin Xiaolu, who was already feeling guilty, even more nervous. Although she maintained a proper posture, her gaze continuously fixed on her knees as if there were treasures on the ground; Xia Liang, though not as frightened as Lin Xiaolu, clearly knew she had done wrong as well, her face sporting an ingratiating smile, filled with pleading in her eyes while looking at Emerald Sparrow.

    Emerald Sparrow''s gaze swept back and forth over the two girls'' faces, and after a long moment, she closed her eyes and let out a resigned sigh, "So, what you''re telling me is that you both used the tutoring money I gave you, but didn''t buy any books."

    The two girls didn''t move, nor did they utter a word, clearly admitting it by their silence.

    "What more can I say? You''re both big kids now, and the basic principles of using money responsibly don''t need to be taught by me."

    She narrowed her eyes, her tone gradually softening, "I''m your senior, not your parents, and I have no obligation to instruct you on right and wrong for these kinds of things, although I am a bit dissatisfied and disappointed, it''s not enough for me to criticize and blame you harshly."

    "I am just a little helpless, after all, I''m also half a teacher to you when it comes to studies, but you''ve completely forgotten what I entrusted you with."

    "Perhaps I have given you too heavy a burden? After all, you didn''t have to patrol on your own before, now you have to go to school during the day, patrol for safety after school, and I still press you to study when you come home. It''s a bit too tough compared to your peers, shouldn''t I give you a bit more personal time?"

    "If you have any complaints about this, feel free to tell me, I can reduce some of your work... Hmm? What''s wrong, Bai Mei?"

    Before Emerald Sparrow could finish, she noticed that the expression of her daughter in front of her seemed off.

    Lin Xiaolu''s shoulders began to tremble slightly, and soon her eyes and nose turned red. After two sobs, tears started to stream down profusely.

    "I... sob sob, I didn''t mean to..."

    She seemed to want to explain, but her words were choked off and couldn''t finish.

    This reaction drew the attention of the other girls nearby, with Xia Liang wearing a "I knew it would happen" resigned smile, and Bai Jingxuan''s face full of confusion and misunderstanding.

    "What''s going on?"

    Emerald Sparrow, who had been serious just a couple of seconds earlier, suddenly felt flustered, quickly hopping out of her chair and running over to Lin Xiaolu, turning to face her and asking, "Why are you crying? What reason do you have to cry? Did I speak too harshly?"

    "It''s not that... I, I didn''t forget what you said, Emerald Sparrow, and I didn''t mean to complain. How could I not take seriously or dislike the things you''ve said, I''ve never thought that way, not in the slightest..." Experience more content on My Virtual Library Empire

    Lin Xiaolu, covering her mouth and nose, unable to stop the shaking of her shoulders, stammered, "I really just clicked wrong by accident, I''m sorry..."

    "Really just an accident? Then fine, I misunderstood you." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Emerald Sparrow tried to soften her voice, "I understand now, I won''t blame you anymore, just stop crying, okay?"

    "I, I didn''t mean to cry..."

    Lin Xiaolu tried to suppress her sobs, "I just, just can''t help it."

    "It''s okay, if you can''t help it then cry a little, it''s alright."

    Emerald Sparrow opened her arms slightly, waving them a bit, "Don''t hold it in, go ahead and cry, I don''t mind."

    "Crying is so ugly..."

    "Not at all, Magical Girls look cute even when they cry."

    "I don''t want to do bad things, please don''t hate me," Lin Xiaolu sniffled twice.

    "I don''t hate you, you don''t have to worry about that," Emerald Sparrow strived to make her response sound earnest enough.

    Half coaxing and half comforting, Emerald Sparrow finally managed to stop Lin Xiaolu''s tears, but even after the crying had ceased, she still clung to Emerald Sparrow''s sleeve, as if afraid she would run away.

    After such chaos, the dining room finally regained some semblance of peace. Having soothed Lin Xiaolu, Emerald Sparrow remembered that she hadn''t finished speaking, but the atmosphere had shifted to the point where putting on a stern face was difficult.

    All she could do was look around wearily, eventually setting her gaze on Xia Liang, "Bai Mei has explained herself. Do you have anything to say?"

    "Sorry, little senior, I won''t dare to do it again," Xia Liang immediately put her hands together and bowed her head, "Please spare me."

    "...Sigh, let''s just leave it at that."

    Emerald Sparrow sighed, turning her gaze toward Bai Jingxuan and pointed at Xia Liang, "Do you see? Make sure you never follow their example."

    Bai Jingxuan nodded obediently, looking every bit the enlightened one.

 Chapter 24 Emerald Sparrows Plan_2

    Seeing that the youngest child wasn''t adversely affected by this incident, Emerald Sparrow felt a slight relief. She turned her face back toward the girls who had made the mistake, "In any case, don''t let this happen again. I will transfer money to you tomorrow for buying books, and I hope you''ll keep your word this time.""I''ll delete the game right away."

    Lin Xiaolu furrowed her brows and wiped the corner of her eyes, "I won''t ever spend money in games again."

    "I won''t spend recklessly anymore, I promise."

    Xia Liang raised her hand and looked up, "But about Xiaolu''s game, maybe there''s no need to hurry to delete it? Mobile games usually have refund options, and there are reasons like minor''s impulsive spending, so I think it might be possible to get a refund."

    Lin Xiaolu nodded her head, "Then, let''s get the refund first..."

    "Stop. Hold it right there."

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    Emerald Sparrow tapped lightly on the table twice and waved her other hand, "I''m not that heartless or so extreme that I don''t want you to touch games at all. Just like Xiaojin made her hair, I can''t possibly straighten your curled tips; Bai Mei, the same goes for you, since you''ve spent money in the game, that means there''s something in the game you wanted? The money''s already been spent, so just keep playing."

    "But, playing games isn''t good in the first place," Lin Xiaolu complained with a tone of discontent.

    "So you need to play in moderation and manage your time well."

    Emerald Sparrow raised a finger, "Also, I have another requirement, which is to let me see the game you are playing. I need to know what game makes you want to spend money; and to ensure that the content is appropriate for your age."

    Actually, this was her real purpose. Rather than criticizing her daughter for spending money in games, she was more curious to know why her daughter felt compelled to spend money in games.

    Although Lin Yun had played games in his youth, he mostly went to arcades with his friends or played cooperative party games. He had barely played any long-term online games.

    Lin Yun also understood that in today''s material world, games are an inevitable part of the growth process for young people. Although many parents view them as a scourge, his approach was more open-minded. He figured it was better to guide rather than block; instead of strictly guarding against it and ultimately causing his child to feel resentful at school or to play in secret, it was better to really understand what the child liked and then manage it openly and reasonably.

    However, until now, Lin Xiaolu had never shown much interest in games, mostly immersing herself in animated TV programs. Now that her daughter was unexpectedly found playing a game and even spending money on it, Emerald Sparrow was quite curious about the reason. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Then I might as well delete the game..." Lin Xiaolu mumbled quietly.

    "Hmm?" Emerald Sparrow hummed as a reminder.

    "...Alright, I''ll show you," Lin Xiaolu reluctantly took out her phone.

    Once she took her daughter''s phone, Emerald Sparrow immediately saw the icon for "Magical Girl Squad" at the bottom of the screen, clearing a third of her doubts.

    She knew about her daughter''s long-standing fascination and persistence with "Magical Girls," having talked about this with Lin Xiaolu on a walk home one evening. If it was a game about magical girls, it surely could attract her daughter.

    Opening the game interface, she took a serious look at the art style and found a fresh, picture book style. The magical girls in the game seemed to be decently dressed, without any overly indecent outfits, and her subconscious approval rose a bit more.

    But when she opened the character compendium and skimmed over the preview images of the magical girls in the game, her movements slowed, and eventually, she stopped at a few characters.

    "This game..."

    She raised her eyebrows slightly, "It used real-life magical girls as prototypes?"

    "That''s our guess."

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t want to speak, so Xia Liang explained on her behalf, "After all, we even saw a magical girl who looks a bit like Senior Sakura."

    "Which one?" Emerald Sparrow asked.

    "Named Dawn Grass," Xia Liang replied succinctly.

    Without noticing Lin Xiaolu''s expression, which was as if she wanted to burrow underground, Emerald Sparrow scrolled through the character compendium and found the one labeled "Dawn Grass."

    As soon as she opened the character portrait and heard the character''s lines and greetings, her expression became somewhat stunned.

    "Is this the character you wanted?"

    She couldn''t help asking Lin Xiaolu, "Did you spend money in the game because you saw her?"

    "...Yes." Lin Xiaolu nodded.

    Emerald Sparrow''s expression immediately turned complex.

    It was a mixture of emotions that no one could clearly discern. Even a child as observant as Xia Liang couldn''t fully understand it.

    "I understand."

    After a moment, Emerald Sparrow handed the phone back to Lin Xiaolu, "I agree then, think of this money as pocket money I''m giving you."

    "Giving me... pocket money?"

    Surprised, Lin Xiaolu looked up, "Is that really okay?"

    "Think of it as a gift from an adult," Emerald Sparrow touched the back of the phone gently, "A gift for the many days of patrolling."

    "¡ª¡ªSo what is it like? I''ve never seen Senior Sakura in person, so it''s only you, Xiaolu, who knows. Does it really resemble her?"

    Curious about their conversation, Xia Liang joined in by Emerald Sparrow''s side, "Or did they just borrow the name?"

 Chapter 24 Emerald Sparrows Plan_3

    Across the dinner table, Bai Jingxuan too perked up her ears, probably because she heard the codename "Sakura," which caused her to focus intently."...It doesn''t resemble it."

    As the two girls looked on expectantly, Emerald Sparrow slowly closed her eyes, "But indeed, there are many elements that could spark associations."

    "It doesn''t resemble it, but why would it evoke associations?" Bai Jingxuan immediately followed with a question.

    "Associations are not only sparked by resemblance."

    Emerald Sparrow''s expression was complex, "If you''re truly familiar enough, just a piece of dialogue, an idea, a preference, could remind you of a certain specific person."

    "I still don''t understand..." Bai Jingxuan shook her head, but she didn''t inquire any further.

    Both she and Xia Liang could tell that, after the game character named "Dawn Grass," who was actually a reflection of "Sakura," was brought up, both Emerald Sparrow and Lin Xiaolu''s spirits seemed dampened.

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    "Let''s not talk about this for now! I''ve just thought of something¡ªif there are so many characters in this game modeled after real-life Magical Girls..."

    Xia Liang raised her voice, as though trying to lighten the mood by changing the subject, "Then, could there be a character based on the junior as well?"

    Her words instantly captured the attention of everyone present.

    Whether it was Bai Jingxuan, who had been curious before, or Lin Xiaolu, who was feeling a bit down, they both instinctively looked up at her, and then towards the cellphone loaded with the game.

    "How did I not think of that!"

    Lin Xiaolu suddenly grew excited, "There really might be an Emerald Sparrow in here!"

    "...Having me as a model would be rather meaningless, right?"

    Emerald Sparrow rebutted from the side, "After all, I''m already here, why would anyone need to find another ''me'' in the game?"

    "It''s not the same!"

    As Lin Xiaolu spoke, she tapped open the character compendium, "I really want to see what the game''s Emerald Sparrow looks like!"

    "Me too!" Bai Jingxuan quickly hopped off her chair and hurried over to Lin Xiaolu''s side, along with Xia Liang who had already walked over, the three of them crowded together in no time.

    Emerald Sparrow could only watch the actions of the three girls, momentarily at a loss for words.

    The three little ones scrolled through the compendium, but the initial excitement faded with time, and when they had completely scanned the compendium, they fell into an inexplicable silence.

    "What''s wrong?" Now it was Emerald Sparrow who became curious.

    "Nothing..." Lin Xiaolu spoke up, a bit disappointed, "We didn''t find any Magical Girl resembling Emerald Sparrow."

    "There is one whose style and color kind of match the junior," Xia Liang mused, "But that Magical Girl isn''t short, and the codename is ''Silver Flower Grass,'' probably referring to a different Magical Girl, maybe the senior from Tiandu City, Blue Star?"

    "Why isn''t mom there?" Bai Jingxuan also sounded disheartened, and so preoccupied that she didn''t notice how her slip of the tongue drew astonished glances around her, "She''s supposed to be a big deal in the Magic Kingdom, right?"

    "No... that, you..."

    It was clear Lin Xiaolu was the most concerned about this label. She started to ask something but then suddenly remembered the misunderstanding from a few days ago and swallowed the rest of her sentence:

    "Never mind, just pretend I didn''t say anything."

    The girls continued to search near the phone screen for a while, and finding indeed no Magical Girl modeled after Emerald Sparrow, they eventually gave up the thought and dispersed.

    Lin Xiaolu initially did the same, but realizing Emerald Sparrow had agreed to let her charge money, and suddenly remembering she still had those 12 summon chances up until the guaranteed pull left unclaimed, she pursed her lips, retreated to the game''s main menu, and decided to continue drawing cards.

    However, as she returned to the main interface, the game suddenly popped up a notification.

    It was a preview for a future in-game event.

    [Dear adorable Fairies, hello, "Magical Girl Squad" will launch a new story event on November 28, titled "Assault! Talons." Read the event story, challenge the event dungeons and bosses, and earn rich rewards!]

    [Event Synopsis: After defeating a colossal Remnant Beast attacking the city, the Magical Girl Squad has obtained a strange Crystal Stone. However, they are unaware that this Crystal Stone has drawn the attention of a special organization, and a battle over the Crystal Stone is about to unfold. New enemies will also appear before them...]

    [Event Participation Scope: Players who have completed all story stages of Chapter 22.]

    [Event Maintenance: November 28, 9:00~13:00]

    [Event Boosted Characters: [Memory Resurgence] Gacha Characters: [Super Rare] Cowherd]

    "...What''s this?"

    Lin Xiaolu looked at the announcement, feeling there was something odd about it, but she couldn''t quite put her finger on it.

    After a brief moment of contemplation and seeing everyone else started cleaning up the table, she decided not to dwell on it and put it out of her mind along with her unfinished card drawing business.

    Thus, she turned off her phone screen. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 25 Wilderness

    The night was deep and the people were still, the moonlight was faint and the stars scarce. The lights in the city began to dim, and the night fell like thick ink over the entire land.Beyond the city, there was no sign of human life, silent as death, and only a few small animals traversed the vast wilderness and jungles. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    This was the Wilderness, a place civilization could not cover, a "blank zone" located between human cities.

    Blank it was not because it did not exist, but because it was off-limits, deliberately left unexplored. No one knew how long they could survive after entering the Wilderness because almost no one ever returned alive.

    Over time, "Wilderness" had even become a word specifically used to scare children. Many parents would frighten their disobedient children with a threat, "Keep causing trouble and I''ll throw you into the Wilderness," which was remarkably effective. Generations grew up with such admonitions, accustomed to the notion that "the Wilderness is very dangerous," and never thinking of venturing out.

    Of course, human curiosity is boundless. As the society''s information network gradually developed, more and more people became keen to explore the mysteries of the Wilderness. Among them were even some internet celebrities who wanted to challenge themselves by going there, but these people often ended up missing in the Wilderness, adding a touch of mystery and horror to this ancient legend.

    To block out the dangers within the Wilderness, people built towering protective barriers outside the cities and established landship passages for travel between them. The only lifeline between cities was these passages, which, like the blood vessels of civilization, connected all the cities of the world, and the materials and information as well.

    These protective barriers seemed to possess some magical power; as long as they stood, the cities were generally safe. People could live and work in peace as if all that lay within the Wilderness had nothing to do with them.

    Thus, no one noticed that within the Wilderness outside the city, a wisp of smoke arose against the night.

    A desert, a solitary smoke, a waning moon, lingering embers.

    A slender figure was curled up by the campfire, clutching her knees, staring directly at the Fangting beneath the protective net.

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    The crackling sound of the burning was the only noise at the moment, the dancing flames implying that time still flowed. However, the figure remained motionless, silent, like a lifeless statue.

    It was a person in black clothes.

    To say they were black clothes might not be accurate, because what the person was wearing was not a Black Ash Dawn-like continuous robe, but an old, tattered black Daoist robe.

    The hem of this black Daoist robe was ragged as if it had been torn open, uneven and rugged, and the fit on the upper body was also not quite right, merely cinched at the waist with a belt.

    Within the black robe was a woman, still a girl by age, about twenty-eight.

    The girl sat silently in the wasteland of the night, her breathing seeming to follow a different rhythm, with the misty white air lingering around the campfire with her breaths, creating a small otherworldly space within three feet of her.

    Her slightly raised eyes were tinged with the light of the fire, illuminating the scene within her pupils: a pair of mysterious heterochromatic eyes, gray-black and silver-white, slowly rotating like a pair of Yin-Yang fish.

    On the back of her hand was a cinnabar-colored pattern, outlining an eagle with a long tail and long wings. Though there were only a few strokes, they were lifelike as if at any moment the bird could rise into the sky.

    She watched Fangting, then after a long silence, closed her eyes. The Yin-Yang fish in her eyes stopped rotating, the respiration with a mysterious power also stopped, and when she lifted her eyelids again, they were just a pair of ink-colored pupils.

    "The magic power of the beasts is almost invisible now," she murmured, "It seems I''m still too late, the remnants of the Angel Envoy have no way to survive."

    ¡ª¡ª"It''s not a must to save those guys after all."

    After she spoke, another voice rose from the darkness beside her: "It''s just a simple deal between the leader and the Angel Envoy, better if completed, but no matter if not. Those things are their business, not ours. "

    As the voice fell, a slender Black Cat slowly walked out of the darkness and sat next to the girl by the campfire, propping itself up slightly as if stretching.

    "Don''t get it wrong, our only goal is to retrieve the ''moth''s'' lost Source of Beasts as soon as possible."

    It turned its head and looked at the girl with its vertical pupils: "As long as we get the Source of Beasts, everything else can take a back seat."

    "Including the matter that the boss specifically instructed?"

    The girl did not avert her gaze: "He said, if possible, to bring along two more people."

    "Which two?" inquired the Black Cat, somewhat surprised.

    "A girl named Bai Jingxuan, and... Cornflower."

    The girl paused before she uttered the latter name: "Didn''t the deputy leader tell you? She should have been there at the time."

    "...Such matters can only be done to the best of one''s ability."

    The Black Cat replied: "Although Cornflower has been severely injured for many years, she clearly still possesses some strength. Sparrow was captured in Fangting; the Moth died there; and the magical gear appearing in those internet videos is almost certainly her handiwork."

    "Ah, Sparrow... being sent to the inquiry institute like that, it''s probably more bad luck than good. I didn''t expect that our last meeting would be the last."

    The girl''s face showed a hint of melancholy: "Well, it doesn''t matter, defeated by superior skill, that end is fairly straightforward."

 Chapter 25 Wilderness_2

    "Isn''t that your direct subordinate?"Black Cat, puzzled, said, "Even if she is a bit rebellious, isn''t it a bit too much to just ignore her like this?"

    "We are solitary seekers in this world, not toddlers learning to walk under the watchful eyes of our parents."

    The girl spoke, "The path of seeking is always fraught with bumps and dangers, as well as trials and tribulations. If one cannot cross, then it is simply fate."

    "Is it really okay to say that now?"

    Black Cat said, "Cornflower is not such an easy opponent to deal with."

    "...It doesn''t matter."

    The girl slightly cast down her eyes, and a hint of life slowly appeared on her previously wooden face, "If she is strong, then all the better. I look forward to a match with her, strong as she may be. Whether I win or lose, there will be something to gain. I don''t like battles where I bully the weak."

    "You really should change that habit of yours, battle is battle, it''s not a stage for you to display any kind of martial spirit. You''re too merciful to your opponents."

    Black Cat sighed in an almost human-like manner, "Enough with the talk, go to sleep. I''ll keep watch in the wee hours."

    As it said this, it looked towards the endless wilderness in the distance. Because it slightly turned its body, a pair of somewhat flimsy wings were exposed on its back, revealing its true identity¡ªa fairy.

    "Is two hours of sleep okay?"

    The girl tilted her head slightly, "You didn''t sleep during the day, did you? For a cat, does that qualify as staying up late?"

    "I am a fairy, not a real cat."

    The Black Cat Fairy swished its tail, "Black Cat is, and so are you. Don''t always treat me like a pet cat."

    "Yet the black cat calls others ''Black Cat''."

    A faint smile appeared on the girl''s face, "Isn''t that somewhat of a cold joke?"

    "If you know it''s a lame joke, don''t waste time on it."

    The Black Cat Fairy glanced at her irritably, "Hurry up and sleep. We need to continue on our way to Fangting tomorrow."

    "Right, I''m going to sleep."

    The girl said no more. She leaned against the bonfire, enveloped her body with her generous robe, and her black eyes looked towards the Black Cat Fairy, "Thank you, Semi."

    "Sleep."

    The fairy turned its head away, continuing to gaze at the vast wilderness, and slowly muttered the girl''s name:

    ¡ª "Yuan."

    ...

    ...

    At dawn, Emerald Sparrow moved from the bedroom to the kitchen, adjusted her attire, and took down her sleeve protectors from beside the door. She was about to prepare breakfast for the day when she smelled the fragrant rice porridge already boiling in the kitchen.

    She looked into the kitchen and saw a small pink puppy fairy busy at the stove. The diminutive creature effortlessly wielded cooking utensils much larger than itself, seeming quite adept.

    "Nini?"

    Emerald Sparrow asked curiously, "Why are you still the one preparing breakfast today? Didn''t we agree that I would do it?"

    "Such trivial chores, it''s better not to trouble Lord Cornflower with them."

    Nini turned her head from the stove to look at Emerald Sparrow, "Also, today might be the last time I prepare a meal for everyone here."

    Emerald Sparrow''s mind, still somewhat groggy from sleep, cleared up quite a bit at these words. She paused briefly but quickly recovered,

    "Are you leaving?"

    "Yes, the kingdom finally contacted me last night, saying they want me to return for a period of observation and training, waiting for the next assignment."

    Nini turned down the stove''s heat and bowed slightly in mid-air to Emerald Sparrow, "I expect to leave today. Thank you all for your tolerance and care all this time."

    "No need to be so polite. In fact, everyone has been under your care."

    Emerald Sparrow shook her head, "But this means that after this, Moco will officially be the Seeder of Fangting City, right?

    "Yes, that''s right."

    Nini sat up, "After I leave, the kingdom should send someone with the official appointment documents for Moco and the tools a Seeder needs, like the Magic Mirror. It also means that I, the negligent Seeder, can finally leave this city for good."

    "That''s actually not your fault."

    Emerald Sparrow spoke softly, "You''re just a victim of the situation, and there''s no need to take on so much responsibility."

    "But if it hadn''t been for Fangting, and if it hadn''t been for Lord Cornflower, wouldn''t that city have fallen due to my mistakes?"

    Nini sighed, "You don''t need to comfort me like this. We Seeders bear a great responsibility, so actually, having gone through the relevant education, I just... need some time to think on my own."

    "...As you wish."

    Emerald Sparrow nodded, "Then let''s not talk about these matters. Wish you a safe journey."

    "Thank you, the journey back shouldn''t have the issues I faced on the way here. However, there is one more thing I entrust to you, and that''s Moco."

    Nini laughed upon hearing this, "I''ve disciplined it in these past days, taught it many things and rules, but time has been short, and it will take a little more time for it to truly master them. I hope everyone can be a bit more tolerant of Moco. Of course, this isn''t to say that you should condone its mischievousness, but at least tell it when it does something wrong, give it some guidance. After all, it..."

    ¡ª¡ª"After all, it''s not actually a Seeder, right?"

    Emerald Sparrow took up Nini''s words, hand on hip, face calm, "It''s not just about not being a Seeder, it''s about almost not having received any Seeder-related education at all. Fundamentally, it''s different from you Seeders."

    "...Yes, you''re right."

    Nini''s face showed a hint of helplessness: "Because it''s actually a fairy from the garden, and according to normal plans, it''s supposed to be a ''Gardener,'' not a Seeder."

    "Is that so."

    Emerald Sparrow understood, "It seems to know a lot about fairies, but is clueless about most common knowledge of Magical Girls; knows some things about the kingdom, but is totally ignorant about the material world. Other than growing up in the garden, there seems no other possibility."

    "Yes."

    Nini continued explaining, "Moco, inherently, is not bad. Other than being a bit playful, it''s a child who eagerly seeks approval. If it can be recognized by others, it''s willing to learn and work hard. So please give it a chance." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "I wouldn''t go so far as to be that strict with a fairy, as I''ve seen plenty of unreliable ones already."

    Emerald Sparrow crossed her arms, "But what exactly is your relationship with it? Why did it run out of the garden just to come to Fangting City to find you?"

    "My relationship with it? If I had to say... although there''s no such kinship among fairies, we might be considered sisters?"

    Nini mused, "Our sources of Magic Power were both born within the garden, and we acquired sentience through later growth, so we''ve been close friends since childhood." Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire

    "It''s just that even among fairies, who tend to mature late, Moco was one of the slower ones. When everyone else could already leave the garden to work independently, Moco was still living carefree in the garden."

    "Moreover, although I can''t elaborate much, Moco''s status in the garden... is somewhat special. It''s unique compared to the other fairies, receiving treatment that''s second to none. The Black Cat Fairy was especially indulgent with it and never disciplined it strictly, which is why it has such a... bold character."

    "After I grew up, I chose to leave the garden to undertake Seeder training, but Moco and I remained friends, and we often played together."

    "Later, I was assigned by the kingdom to be a Seeder in Fangting City. So when I left, I said goodbye to it and told it to come to Fangting City to see me if it missed me..."

    At this point, Nini''s expression became complex, "I just didn''t expect it to be so proactive. Because it couldn''t contact me for two years, it really came all the way to Fangting City. It didn''t even tell the Black Cat Fairy, almost like it smuggled itself out of the garden to find me."

    "...But in a way, it saved you by doing so, didn''t it?"

    Emerald Sparrow''s eyes narrowed slightly, "Exactly because it impulsively came to Fangting City alone, that''s why all these subsequent events occurred. It caused troubles but also set everything in motion."

    "So, although it made many mistakes, it also unwittingly did some things right. Even if we''re just talking about rewarding its good deeds, I won''t be overly harsh on it."

    "Magical Girls need to grow, fairies need to grow, and Seeders are also members of the Magical Girl squad. Helping each other is naturally the right thing to do."

    She looked seriously at Nini, "Does what I said count as giving you a proper explanation?"

    "Yes."

    Nini smiled with a sense of relief and bowed once more to Emerald Sparrow, "If you can say that... then I can rest assured."

 Chapter 26 Cultivation Knows No Years

    In the bustling harbor of Fangting City, amid a dense throng of people, passengers and cargo moved along their respective paths in an orderly fashion. Beneath this prospering scene, no one noticed a pitch-black figure seamlessly blending into the crowd. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Yuan, dressed in her tattered Taoist robe with a bundle in her arm and the Fairy she called "Semi" perched on her shoulder, strolled aimlessly through the harbor.

    "It sure doesn''t look like a small place, Fangting."

    As if talking to herself, she said, "I heard it was just a small city in the southeast of the Donghua Region, but it''s hardly distinguishable from the big cities in my memory."

    "How many years has it been since you last visited the cities in the material realm?"

    Semi glanced at her: "Thirty years? Fifty years? Human cities aren''t stagnant; they develop, and over so many years, they''re bound to have expanded."

    "Hmm... I forgot."

    Yuan squinted somewhat confusedly: "But I feel it''s been even longer than what you said. Indeed, I don''t even know if my hometown still exists."

    "You''re really quite careless, but there should be a limit to it."

    Semi said with some resignation: "I''m starting to worry whether you can even survive in a city. Human cities are not so simple. Every once in a while, there are revolutionary changes in lifestyle. If you want to complete the mission without any mistakes, you will need to have the necessary common knowledge."

    "You can rest assured on that point; after all, I was born and raised in the material realm as a human."

    Yuan, walking with long strides, yawned subconsciously: "Even if I''ve been in seclusion for practice, I spent my childhood in human cities, so I definitely won''t have any problems with basic life skills."

    "Really?"

    Semi said doubtfully: "You''ve been back in the material realm for many years, and you''ve almost always stayed inside the base without ever going out, right? The material realm now is very different from before."

    "Don''t worry, don''t worry, I know. This is a harbor, right? The place where the landships dock, my era had them too, just not as... "

    Yuan looked around, taking in the shops within her field of vision, and hesitated: "What kind of shops are these? They look lavish; are they banks? Pawnshops?"

    "They''re stores."

    Seeing her point to a fast-food restaurant and describe it as a "bank," Semi felt a sinking feeling in his heart: "They sell things; what you''re looking at now is a restaurant."

    "So it''s like an inn?"

    "Yes, but not quite."

    Semi nudged Yuan''s shoulder: "Anyway, let''s keep moving. Don''t embarrass us here."

    The pair, one human and one Fairy, continued on, leaving the harbor behind and entering the city streets. What they saw along the way were towering skyscrapers and densely trafficked roads. Gazing at the bustling streets before her, Yuan once again descended into confusion.

    "...Have people really become so wealthy now?"

    She said with some surprise: "Everyone can afford a car?"

    "What is this antique knowledge of yours? Cars have long been the most common mode of transportation!" Semi couldn''t help raising his voice.

    "What about tricycles and motorcycles? Have they been phased out?"

    "Isn''t that obvious?"

    "Truly, human cities are ever-changing." Yuan stroked her chin, marveling.

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    "Why are you, a bona fide human, less familiar with cities than I am, a Fairy?"

    Semi sighed: "I feel the need to ask you again, what do you plan to do after arriving in this city?"

    "First of all, find a place to take a bath, have a meal, get a good night''s sleep?" Yuan was still surveying the surroundings.

    "I agree with that, but what then? How are you going to get ahold of The Source of Beasts?"

    "Hmm... cause an incident, and then lure all the Magical Girls here," Yuan speculated. "First, find a crowded place, figure out a way to summon a Remnant Beast, then, when the Magical Girls come to defeat the Remnant Beast, I''ll confront them. Once Cornflower and the girl named Bai Jingxuan are there, I''ll defeat them and take both the people and The Source of Beasts with me."

    "A direct confrontation?"

    Semi was startled by her words: "Are you serious? Just like that, a straight-up fight with Cornflower?"

    "Otherwise?" Yuan looked at him curiously, "I should have told you this just yesterday, early in the morning."

    "I thought you meant facing them if there was no other choice, but to go looking for trouble so directly?"

    Semi spoke with a tone of exasperation: "You were a top fighter, that''s true, but Cornflower is too. What if she has some kind of ace up her sleeve that defeats you, how are you going to explain that when you get back?"

    "Don''t worry, I''m not the same as I was back then."

    Yuan folded her arms, speaking with a touch of confidence: "To beat the me from the past, I would only need one hand today."

    "That''s not what I''m asking..."

    Semi''s voice trailed off: "What I mean is, your plan is just too simple. I don''t think it''s appropriate."

    "Why is it inappropriate? Honest and honorable, I think it''s great. Even my subordinates did the same, and none of them had any objections," Yuan looked at Semi quizzically.

    "Your subordinates... ah, that means, when Sparrow came here... "

    "Yeah, probably went to challenge Cornflower honorably and got defeated," Yuan nodded. "Their conduct was proper and impartial, not blemishing our style even in defeat; there is glory even in losing."

    Semi fell completely silent.

 Chapter 26 Cultivation Knows No Years - Part 2

    It began to ponder whether accepting this assignment was a wise choice, joining this dimwit, who only knew to hole up in the base to cultivate and train, on a mission.However, this mission was personally entrusted by the leader, White Wolf, and the deputy leader, Black Cat, as a very important task. If it were not so, they wouldn''t have dispatched a high-level combatant like Yuan to such a small place as Fangting City. At that time, even if it had wanted to refuse, it probably had no leeway to do so.

    With this thought, it realized its concerns were somewhat meaningless and felt somewhat reassured. It spoke up again, "Fine, let''s do as you say."

    Pointing to the nearby flowing traffic, Semi continued, "First, let''s find a vehicle and leave this place, we''ve been standing on the side of the road too long, and we''ve already drawn attention."

    As it said so, Yuan realized that even after stopping for just a little while, she had already attracted quite a few onlookers. Probably because her clothes were shabby, and she spoke strangely, many people regarded her as a beggar.

    "Ah, I thought dressing like this wouldn''t draw attention."

    Yuan blinked innocently, "So, do we leave now? And go where?"

    "How would I know where you should go? I''ve never been to Fangting City before, either."

    Semi helplessly said, "Let''s just find a busy area to stay first, flag down a car from the roadside."

    "Are we catching a ride?"

    Yuan looked at the flow of vehicles not far away, with a slight upturn of her eyebrows, "What if they aren''t going my way?"

    "I meant for you to catch a taxi..."

    Semi struggled to keep its voice from sounding too agitated, "Look for those with a light on top and ''Taxi'' written on them. If you see the light sign ahead saying ''Available'' then you can..."

    "That red and blue light looks more artistic, right? How about I ask that car over there?"

    "Red and blue? Ah, you idiot, don''t go there, that''s a police car! Come back here!"

    It took quite some time to stop Yuan, and Semi, panting heavily, said, "Don''t just go adding your own twist to things! Look for the ones with ''Taxi'' written on their roof lights!"

    "Oh."

    Yuan obediently nodded, and after waiting by the roadside for a while, she finally saw the ''Available'' cab that Semi had mentioned before. She waved it down, walked over to converse with the driver through the window, and then stood up to watch the taxi drive away.

    Then, she turned around and went back to where she started.

    "The driver said I need to book with my phone, his car was already reserved by someone else."

    Yuan looked thoughtful, "He also said it was a bad time for us to come, it shouldn''t have been during rush hour, it''s very hard to get a taxi now."

    Leaving that aside for the moment, mobile booking is indeed a method," Semi nodded, "So, where is your phone?"

    "I don''t have a phone." Yuan tilted her head.

    "Huh?"

    Semi''s eyes widened, "Didn''t the leader provide all of you executives with personal phones? Why don''t you have one? Could it be damaged?"

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    "That''s not the reason... It''s probably not damaged, it should still be intact."

    Yuan flashed a somewhat hearty smile, "I just never understood how to use it, so I simply left it at the base, better than losing it."

    Semi stood frozen on the spot, as if struck by lightning.

    "Then, how do you plan to find lodging and food?"

    It took a moment to gather itself before speaking again, with a trembling voice, "Without a phone, how do you plan to live in the city? You don''t tell me you didn''t bring any money either?"

    "Why wouldn''t I? I brought money."

    Yuan seemed entirely at ease, "I never have anywhere to spend it, so I''ve been saving up, definitely enough for now."

    "Are you sure it''s money from the material realm?" S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Semi, concerned, "You didn''t bring silver coins from our kingdom, did you?"

    "I''m a cultivator without the passage of years, not senile,"

    Yuan gave it a sideways glance, "Of course, it''s currency from the material realm. I kept what I had when I left the city back then, and this time I brought it all along."

    "Ah, I see. Right, you wouldn''t be lacking in common sense to that extent."

    Semi finally breathed a sigh of relief, "I thought we''d have to sleep on the streets in the city."

    "Actually, sleeping on the streets wouldn''t be too bad, I''ve experienced it before."

    Yuan tightened her grip on the bundle in her hands, her face showing a touch of nostalgia, "I have a good memory, and the experiences I summarized then should still apply. Shall we give it a try?"

    "No way! After walking in the Wilderness for half a month, my wings are already covered in dust!"

    Semi shook its head insistently, "I want to take a bath!"

    "That''s a pity."

    Yuan could only spread her hands, "Well then, let''s find a breakfast shop to fill our stomachs and then find a place to stay. I want to take a bath too."

    Since they couldn''t catch a taxi, they had to walk along the main street on foot. During this time, Yuan looked around curiously, fascinated by the familiar yet strange human civilization, and Semi had to drag her to keep moving.

    Before long, they finally found a breakfast shop on the roadside that was still open and walked in, covered in dust from their journey.

    Since the shop owner couldn''t see fairies, Yuan specifically ordered a few extra servings of snacks for Semi and took her to sit in a corner inside the shop. She then boldly drank half a bowl of soy milk and directly bit into half a steamed bun.

    Gulping down the food like a reincarnated hungry ghost, Yuan, ignoring the astonished looks from those around her, casually walked back to the shop''s counter and called out, "Boss, the check, please!"

 Chapter 26 Cultivation Knows No Years - Part 3

    ```"Alright,"

    The owner, still busy making dishes at the entrance of the restaurant, stole a moment to tally up Yuan''s table, tapped on the calculator for a bit, and came up with a figure, "Miss, you''ve got quite the appetite, eating 5 buns and 4 baskets of dumplings, plus two bowls of soy milk, that''ll be 53 yuan in total."

    "Keep the change," Yuan Yundanfengqing nonchalantly produced a hundred-yuan note from inside her Taoist robe, and airily placed it on the counter.

    The owner took the note she offered, intending to closely examine its authenticity, but before he could take a good look, he sensed something was amiss: "Miss, this money can''t be used. Do you have anything else?"

    "Can''t be used? How is that possible?"

    Yuan produced another note from her robe: "All the money I have on me is like this, surely it''s all real." Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire

    "But, it''s not... This money, it''s too old, at least forty years out of date."

    The owner wiped his forehead: "I''ve only seen this kind of banknote when I was a kid, and even the exchange period has passed, it''s definitely unusable."

    "Expired?"

    Yuan couldn''t help but take the banknote back, gave it a shake in front of her eyes, then extended it again: "But even if it''s old money, there''s surely someone who would want it, right? I''ll give this to you, you can exchange it with someone, no need to give me change."

    "This is a small business, miss, you''re kidding me."

    The owner awkwardly laughed: "The bank won''t exchange it now, and I''d have to find another way to deal with it. I can''t even tell if your money is real or fake, just give me cash instead. If that''s not possible, could you transfer it to my phone or something?"

    "What if I have nothing but this kind of money, what should I do?"

    Yuan threw the banknote on the counter: "Since you don''t want this, I have no other solution."

    "You, this..."

    Seeing Yuan ready to leave things unsettled, the owner grew anxious as he wiped his sweat again, contemplating what to do, when his gaze suddenly shifted to the sidewalk not far away.

    At that very moment, a patrolling police officer was passing by.

    ...

    ...

    At noon, Lin Yun set aside the documents in his hands, closed the computer in front of him, and tiredly closed his eyes.

    He stretched a hand to rub his shoulder, feeling that the inflammation that had barely eased seemed to resurface, and contemplated if he had been overworking lately. Just then, he heard a series of gentle knocks at the door.

    "Come in."

    As he spoke, he covertly pulled on the silk thread at the door, and saw a female staff member from the intelligence department cautiously enter.

    "Director, hello, sorry to disturb you."

    She greeted him in a soft voice, then picked up her phone and got to the point: "We''ve just received a report of a magical disturbance case, about a magician who dined and dashed at a breakfast stall in Lixing District, and then created trouble with spell techniques in order to avoid paying... The person has already been apprehended by our department."

    "Dined and dashed?"

    Lin Yun raised an eyebrow: "That doesn''t seem particularly heinous. With some time spent on criticism and education, followed by urging the magician to compensate the business a bit more, and conducting a review after a while, the case should be closed." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Yes, that was what the department initially decided as well, but after receiving the person, the interrogation room insisted that you come take a look," the staff member said cautiously, "They claim that only you can make a decision on this matter."

    "Why? Is this related to Black Ash Dawn?" Lin Yun instinctively speculated.

    "No, it''s not Black Ash Dawn,"

    The staff member shook her head, watching Lin Yun''s expression, she slowly said:

    "They''re saying that the person arrested isn''t a magician, but a... Magical Girl."

    ```

 Chapter 27 Entertainment

    Lin Yun witnessed the "Magical Girl" mentioned by the staff within the surveillance of the interrogation room. Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library EmpireIn a small room made of special glass, a girl in ragged clothes, still wearing handcuffs, sat leaning against the wall. Despite being in a tight spot, her face showed no sign of nervousness.

    She really seems like a Magical Girl, Lin Yun mused to himself.

    The reason he believed in this notion, thinking she truly was a Magical Girl, was because he didn''t just see a girl; there was also a Fairy present.

    "What on earth are you doing! Are you an idiot? How could you even get the cash wrong!"

    The Fairy wasn''t trying to hide anything and was presently shouting at the girl with great agitation, "Now we''re totally doomed! No place to stay! No place to take a bath! We''re about to end up in a shelter!"

    "As I said, training knows no years; changes in the world after coming out of seclusion are inevitable," the girl in the tattered Taoist robe said leisurely, "Times change, the world is impermanent, it''s all part of gaining experience."

    "What experience! The kind of experience you get from being locked up? I should never have agreed to come out with you. I should have refused from the start!"

    The Fairy, with its tail erect, was clearly very emotional, and indignantly said, "Has your brain been turned into muscle from all that martial arts training? Why didn''t you resist at all when faced with a bunch of ordinary people and just got captured so easily? What if someone uses Magic-Sealing Arts on us later? Then we''d be completely like fish on a chopping board!"

    "The Magic-Sealing Arts of the weak cannot restrain the strong, don''t worry. Besides, we only had a meal without paying; we didn''t hurt anyone, so why make such a fuss?"

    The girl leaned against the wall, squinting her eyes: "As for going along quietly... I dislike bullying the weak. These officers are just following orders, and since they have no malice towards us, there''s no need for violence. If we stay cooperative and explain the situation, I''m sure they won''t give us a hard time."

    "Aren''t you forgetting that we''ve come to Fangting City to cause trouble, and we''re actually the bad guys?" the Fairy said, suddenly growing quieter.

    "But we haven''t done anything bad yet, have we?"

    The girl remained nonchalant: "How can there be guilt for things yet unborn?"

    "What will you do when they ask for the number on your identification card?"

    "I''ll give them my old code number."

    Still poised, the girl said, "After all, that code is genuinely mine, and they won''t be able to tell if it''s real or fake right away." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "But what if they contact the state and find out that the code actually belongs to a traitor? Then we''ll be completely exposed!"

    The Fairy, tail erect, spoke irritably: "Then our cover is completely blown!"

    Through the surveillance, Lin Yun observed their conversation, which resembled a comedic dialogue. His formerly calm expression became somewhat peculiar, and for a moment, he didn''t know how to react.

    The amount of information in the dialogue between the girl and the Fairy was simply too great, so much so that even listening to this short snippet, he was able to deduce where they came from¡ªthey must be from Claw Mark.

    However, the manner of their conversation seemed too defenseless, as if completely unaware that there were surveillance cameras in the interrogation room, chatting away as if no one else was present, which made Lin Yun doubt the authenticity of their conversation.

    Setting aside anything else, their story was already strange enough. It was quite astounding for a Magical Girl to dine and dash, then get captured willingly after causing trouble. Even after being arrested, she still appeared utterly unconcerned.

    Was what they discussed the truth? If it was, and the Magical Girl came from Claw Mark, what was her purpose in coming here? Why would she be willing to get caught by the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, and could this be a trap?

    If it was a lie, then it became even more thought-provoking. What would be the point for a Magical Girl and a Fairy to come to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau pretending to be from Claw Mark? Was there a deeper scheme behind it?

    After pondering for a moment, Lin Yun decided he needed to meet them in person.

    Since they had shown up on his doorstep, whether by plot or coincidence, he felt he had no reason to ignore them. If it were a scheme, it couldn''t be avoided, and if it were a coincidence, there was no need to evade it. He might as well try to see if he could extract more information from them.

    Leaving the monitoring room, Lin Yun headed to the designated interrogation room guided by the staff. After instructing them to wait outside, he walked in alone.

    Before him was a scene identical to the one seen on the monitor¡ªthe ragged-looking Magical Girl and the Black Cat Fairy both turned their heads to look at him as he entered.

    "Good day to you both, I am the chief of the local Abnormal Strategy Bureau, my surname is Lin."

    He maintained basic courtesy and introduced himself, then began to inquire, "I''ve heard from the staff about a disturbance, and the persons involved seem to be a Magical Girl, who I presume must be this young lady accompanied by a Fairy. We''re grateful that you two did not use force against the staff. If there was any mishandling on their part, I would like to hear about it, and I''ll try to provide you with a satisfactory answer."

    Unlike usual, he didn''t pretend to be an ordinary person and ignore the existence of the Black Cat Fairy. As he currently identified himself as the chief of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, in theory, he should have encountered magic and the supernatural, or at least have had some training experience as a Magician, so being able to see the Fairy seemed more normal.

    "However, frankly speaking, you don''t seem to be a Magical Girl and Fairy registered here locally. May I ask if you''ve come from another city?"

    Feigning ignorance, Lin Yun said, "I''m not sure what brings you both to Fangting City? If it falls outside of state secrets, perhaps you could inform us, to help the Abnormal Strategy Bureau offer some assistance and clear up any misunderstanding."

 Chapter 27 Invitation_2

    He deliberately exhibited an attitude that suggested he hadn''t recognized the other party as "Claw Mark," speaking as if he was a common government official completely unaware of the insider information. A ordinary official would undoubtedly treat the other party as a genuine Magical Girl, and being polite with a hint of respect was the most appropriate demeanor.The authenticity of the other party''s conversation under surveillance was difficult to discern, and he didn''t know if they were also engaging in disguise and deception. Thus, it was best to play along superficially while concealing his own true thoughts, and slowly test the waters.

    After listening to what he had said, the girl and the fairy in front of him paused for several seconds before they started to speak as well.

    "Ah, yes, right, we are from the Magic Kingdom, and your Abnormal Strategy Bureau has no authority to detain us, let us go quickly!"

    The Black Cat Fairy stuttered awkwardly, posturing as they warned, "Be careful, or I''ll go back and report you to the court!"

    "Absolutely, I am an Arbitrator from the Ministry of Finance."

    The robed girl chimed in as well, raising her handcuffed wrists, "I have urgent business in Fangting City, important matters, so I didn''t bring money, I demand to be treated more leniently."

    The deplorable acting and monotone delivery from the girl and the fairy caused Lin Yun''s expression to turn strange. It was like putting all his might into a punch, only to hit cotton, feeling a sense of futility.

    Could they really not know that they''d given everything away under surveillance?

    He couldn''t help but feel doubtful¡ªif all that had been said on the surveillance was just a ruse and bait, then what was the purpose of their poor acting? Was it deliberately meant to arouse his suspicion? But to what end?

    "This person is actually an official from the Kingdom? That is truly an oversight, our employees acted impulsively, creating such an unpleasant experience for both of you. I will certainly scold them later, offer an apology, and ask that you not take offense at their behavior," he said.

    As he couldn''t see through the thoughts of the person before him, he continued to maintain a composed expression, speaking politely, "I will have someone release you from restraint immediately, please come to the reception room, so we can have a proper discussion."

    He turned and motioned to his staff outside to come in and remove the special handcuffs from the robed girl¡ªthough the device had an effect in restraining Magic Power, it was only really effective against a Magician, wearing it was mostly useless on a Magical Girl.

    He really wanted to release his magic armor amidst the confusion to sense up close approximately what level of Magic Power the Magical Girl before him had, but considering that the other party might be quite strong, his own rash actions might give himself away, so he dispelled the thought.

    Leading the girl out of the interrogation room, the two of them, followed by a few staff members, proceeded to the reception room. During this time, Lin Yun still didn''t give up on extracting information from her.

    "So, what is the urgent business that brought you to Fangting?"

    He looked at the girl seriously, as if he really considered her some kind of official, "Our city has been plagued by the grey magic organization Black Ash Dawn recently, and we''ve lost quite a few employees in purging these heretics, with heavy casualties. Did you come to deal with this issue?"

    And after he said "Black Ash Dawn," he closely watched the other party''s facial expressions, to not miss any potential clues.

    Unfortunately, the other party had no particular reaction.

    "Important matters are important, they cannot be spoken of," the robed Magical Girl shook her head, "You ordinary folk knowing too much isn''t good, I came to find the Magical Girls of Ting City."

    "The Magical Girls of Ting City?"

    Lin Yun subtly pinched the Heart''s Gem in his pocket, "May I ask who you are looking for? The Magical Girl squad of Fangting City has had frequent changes in personnel in the past two years, so you might not find the person you''re seeking."

    "I''m here to find Cornflower; I don''t know if you''ve heard that name?"

    The girl boldly spoke, "I remember she is a very famous Magical Girl here, right?"

    She had come for him?

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    Lin Yun restrained the urge to raise his eyebrows, maintaining his composure, "Cornflower is indeed the captain of the Fangting City Magical Girl squad and is quite renowned."

    "Ah, that''s right," the robed girl nodded, "Can you help me get in touch with her?"

    "That wouldn''t be a problem, but I might need you to provide your own code name, would that be alright?" Lin Yun pressed subtly.

    "My code name? Yuan... ah, just call me Canna."

    The robed Magical Girl said casually, "She might not have heard my name, but if she is unwilling to come, just tell her I can solve the problem she has."

    "...What does that mean?" Lin Yun''s heart skipped a beat.

    "It means it''s none of your ordinary people''s business," the girl seemed to have no intention of explaining, "Just relay my exact words to her, she''ll understand."

    Lin Yun got the message, but he couldn''t trust the words spoken by the other party.

    The so-called "problem" she had could only be the increasingly severe injury, a problem that only Molu had promised to be able to fix¡ªand now even a suspected Claw Mark was coming?

    Considering the backing of Claw Mark was the former Amethyst, could what the girl had said be interpreted as a stance from the former Amethyst through this matter?

    But could the words of Claw Mark really be trusted?

    With many speculations arising in his mind, Lin Yun still kept a straight face and led the other party to the reception room of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. The group opened the doors to the reception room and saw that a variety of snacks and drinks were already arranged on a large table. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 27 Invitation_3

    This was the meal Lin Yun had instructed the canteen to prepare to entertain these two unexpected guests. Having been detained in the interrogation room all morning, they must be hungry by now, and a lunch would be effective in bridging the distance between them."I am truly sorry for the misunderstanding earlier. Our staff failed to understand your identities and intentions, causing you to waste an entire morning," he said.

    He gestured towards a nearby table with a "please" sign: "We have specially prepared lunch and drinks for you, and we hope you''ll enjoy them."

    "Oh! Alcohol!"

    The moment the statement reached the girl in the Taoist robe by the door, her eyes brightened, almost as if she was about to whistle: "That''s great, these past days have all been about sleeping rough, sustaining on breath control fasting, it''s been far too long since anything delightful passed my lips!"

    "You''re not seriously considering drinking, are you?"

    The Black Cat Fairy hurriedly tried to dissuade her: "Don''t forget what we''re here for. What if you really get drunk?"

    "I won''t get drunk; I won''t get drunk. What''s the harm in enjoying a few drinks?"

    Dismissing the concerns of the fairy, the girl waved her hand and took her seat directly: "Besides, as martial cultivators, we have control over our circulation of vital energy. A little alcohol can be exhaled away."

    "You should... be a little more careful..."

    The fairy clearly wasn''t quite willing but, knowing she couldn''t persuade the other, she reluctantly sat down as well.

    Lin Yun followed them, instructed the staff not to come in, and joined the two at one side of the square table, continuing the conversation with the girl.

    Perhaps it was the presence of food and drink, but the girl''s spirits seemed a lot higher than before. Parts of the conversation that had previously been obscure and vague became clearer and more structured.

    Of course, from Lin Yun''s perspective, much of this consisted of nonsensical lies and idle gossip.

    For instance, after the girl had some drinks, she boasted continuously, "I am as close to Cornflower as if we were siblings, practically sisters, and I''ve come this time to bring her an opportunity." In truth, Lin Yun had no recollection of anyone named "Canna" in his memory.

    No matter how convincingly she bragged, a lie was still a lie and could not become the truth.

    However, some useful information was mixed in, as occasionally the girl would mention secrets that a regular Magical Girl wouldn''t know. Some of these hints were clearly related to the Claw Marks, further assuring Lin Yun of the girl''s origins. Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    As he kept encouraging more drinking, he also tried to extract more information, just when their conversation was becoming fervent, his expression suddenly turned grave. That was because a surge of Magic Power uncontrollably burst forth from the Heart''s Gem and rapidly spread throughout his body.

    ¡ªThis was not an attack from an enemy, without a doubt, it was a precursor to transformation.

    His troublesome aftereffects had flared up once more.

    Although he had long been prepared for such eventualities, he hadn''t expected the aftereffects to strike at such a critical moment. If the Magical Girl beside him realised it, who knows what kind of trouble it would cause.

    Realizing this, Lin Yun quickly rose to his feet, alerted the other two at the table, and hurried towards the exit.

    He needed to find a secluded place to wait for the uncontrollable transformation to end.

    After Lin Yun left, the Taoist-robed girl, who was still somewhat tipsy from the drink, suddenly looked up at a certain direction beyond the door at a particular moment.

    "...Semi, do you feel it?" she asked slowly.

    "What?" The Black Cat Fairy looked at her, puzzled.

    "It''s a magic power fluctuation, a very strong one."

    She lifted her cup, downed the alcohol in one gulp, and wiped her mouth: S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "A Magical Girl''s."

 Chapter 28 A Narrow Road Meeting

    "Canna?"In the empty reception room, a voice with a hint of mechanical static came from the magic mirror in Emerald Sparrow''s hand: "Are you sure that''s the code name?"

    Within the mirror, a round doll struggled to hold the magic mirror with its paws, and spoke to confirm with Emerald Sparrow.

    As for Emerald Sparrow herself, she leaned against a tightly shut wooden door, expressionlessly looking at the magic mirror in her hand, nodding her head, her azure hair swaying:

    "Yes, that''s right, can you check it? I can''t confirm if this code name is genuine, just deduced it might come from Claw Mark based on the information she revealed, but other than some unverified claims, there''s no other substantial evidence at the moment."

    After leaving the dining table, unable to suppress the Heart''s Gem, Emerald Sparrow rushed to the next empty reception room at top speed, then locked the door behind her.

    Unable to reverse her transformation because of the uncontrollable Heart''s Gem, she took out the magic mirror she carried and contacted Molu.

    There was no other reason; the only one who could handle this matter in Fangting City at the moment was Molu.

    She had no idea about the strength of this so-called "Canna", suspected to come from Claw Mark, but she was clear about her own level¡ªif Sparrow came again, she wouldn''t stand a chance, not to mention that this person was obviously much stronger than Sparrow.

    "Let me see... just wait a moment, I need to have my assistant contact a friend from the Magical Affairs Institute," Molu''s voice was somewhat ethereal, probably the body in the faraway realm was doing something else, yet she did not forget to emphasize on the word "friend": "You might have to wait two to three minutes."

    "All right." Emerald Sparrow nodded expressionlessly, "Thank you for your trouble."

    "It''s a trivial matter, still some distance from being troublesome."

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    The doll in the mirror waved its paws: "But what exactly happened over there? A Magical Girl from Claw Mark invading the Abnormal Strategy Bureau directly isn''t something common. As far as I know, White Wolf and her subordinates always avoid contact with ordinary people."

    Emerald Sparrow hesitated for a long while, but ultimately decided to concoct an excuse about "being caught on the street for dining and dashing", to explain the sequence of events. She added at the end: "This is the process I''ve heard about, the truth still needs to be verified."

    "Although it sounds a bit strange... it doesn''t seem impossible."

    Molu''s reaction was surprisingly calm; she didn''t question the story told by Emerald Sparrow but instead seriously analyzed: "Though most Magical Girls in the material world are familiar with human cities, the natives of the realm and those old-timers who have lived too long in the realm really aren''t clear about these things. I''ve even had researchers under my command get lost in the material world before, by the time they were found they had been wandering homeless for half a month."

    "Are people from your realm really okay?"

    "As I''ve said, it''s ''our realm'' you should be speaking of! You need to show some unity, young one."

    Molu spoke earnestly: "See, your current predicament is the result of not listening to your elders. I''ve been advising you to accept treatment earlier; you questioned and delayed, and now when a real emergency occurs, you still come to me for help. Now, shouldn''t you reconsider the deal I offered?"

    "I''ll consider it afterwards." Emerald Sparrow replied without expression, "So did you find out anything about that person?"

    "Don''t rush, in such a short time I shouldn''t have... ah, found it, Canna."

    Molu''s sentence was cut short and, accompanied by the sound of flipping pages, she thoughtfully said: "Hmm, indeed there is such a person."

    "Is it an imposter?" Emerald Sparrow asked.

    "Shouldn''t be."

    The voice over the communication slowed down slightly, indicating Molu was reading something: "The results I got here show that ''Canna'' really was one of the Magical Girls who rebelled and fled with White Wolf more than a decade ago. Before the defection, she was an arbitrator at the Ministry of Finance and also a cardholder, and it seems she knew White Wolf quite early on."

    "...She didn''t lie?" Emerald Sparrow was somewhat puzzled. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Not everyone is as scheming as you, young rascal," the doll in the mirror shook its head: "Magical Girls are the very symbol of purity and kindness, and it''s the same for young girls, and as an elder of high esteem, I too possess an untarnished and beautiful character. Among the renegade Magical Girls, there are quite a few with simple minds."

    Any trace of emotion vanished from Emerald Sparrow''s already expressionless face.

    "I am willing to take your word for it, Chief."

    She nodded her head: "Setting aside some contentious issues, it means that the one who came to Fangting City is very likely a renegade Magical Girl with combat abilities of a cardholder and abundant battle experience."

    "In other words, we''re talking about an enemy whose strength alone is not the least bit inferior to ''Moth'', and could even be greater, and the current Magical Girl squad in Fangting City put together might not be a match for her. If she wants to do something next, there''s no one here who can stop her."

    "So, Chief, what do you think the purpose of a Magical Girl from Claw Mark might be for appearing in Fangting City at this time, if she really is up to something?"

    The other party claimed to be "looking for Cornflower", but even if it''s to find someone, there must be a certain goal that needs to be accomplished by finding that person. According to Emerald Sparrow''s own speculation, the person coming to find her is probably not for anything else, but instead for...

 Chapter 28 A Narrow Path Meeting_2

    "The Source of Beasts, right?"Molu agreed, "Indeed, if I can think of this, there is no reason the White Wolf cannot. She was willing to betray her country for merely two Sources of Beasts; it''s implausible for her not to covet the one you possess."

    "I might not be able to protect this thing from a fully capable Card Player."

    Emerald Sparrow stated the facts in a calm tone, "If the other party uses force, or even threatens the safety of Fangting City to demand the Source of Beasts from me, I''ll need your assistance."

    "My assistance? You mean to have me help you defeat that ''Canna''? Unfortunately, my true self is still within the realm, so I can''t come to Fangting City."

    The doll in the magic mirror shook its paw, "This incarnation of mine practically has no combat ability. Not just Card Players, even your juniors could easily defeat this incarnation."

    It spoke with certainty, as if truly incapable, but Emerald Sparrow did not speak, simply continuing to watch the magic mirror expressionlessly.

    The doll in the mirror paused for a few seconds, seemingly waiting for something. Seeing that Emerald Sparrow gave no reaction, it couldn''t help but say boringly, "Really, such an unadorable younger generation. Can''t you throw me a line at a time like this?"

    "So?" Emerald Sparrow nodded, "Do you have a solution?"

    "You''re so convinced I will help you?" Molu found this rather strange, "What if I really can''t do anything? After all, this doesn''t concern me, right?"

    Emerald Sparrow sighed somewhat helplessly, "I think a Gemstone Scepter shouldn''t say that a traitor attacking the city is none of their concern."

    "From the standpoint of a Magical Girl, yes," Molu countered, "But I am after all a Gemstone Scepter. Even if I am morally upright, I must consider the broader benefits."

    "From a beneficial perspective, you presumably wouldn''t tolerate others laying hands on the Source of Beasts."

    Emerald Sparrow analyzed calmly, "You specially came to Fangting to build a research institute; obviously, you had plans to conduct research here. Even if our deal is successfully concluded and the Source of Beasts is in your hands, you would have to consider the problem of it being stolen by others."

    "Hmm... it seems I can''t refute that. Such clarity of thought should not be underestimated, youngster."

    The doll in the mirror first assumed a thoughtful pose, then nodded in some agreement, "Then I will tell you, there is no need to worry. Even if the other party is the fugitive ''Canna'', what follows will be..."

    ¡ª "Thud!"

    Before Molu could finish speaking, Emerald Sparrow felt a strong impact on the wooden door behind her.

    The door to the reception room was abruptly pushed open, and Emerald Sparrow, who had been resting against it, was knocked to the ground. The magic mirror in her hand flew out from her grasp, landing several meters away, leaving only Molu''s somewhat puzzled voice calling out from the mirror.

    Emerald Sparrow stood up, bracing herself from the ground, and turned to look towards the door, only to see the Magical Girl calling herself "Canna" who had arrived unannounced at her back, now looking at her with interest.

    "Indeed, my sense was right, it''s a Magical Girl!"

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    She held a wine glass brought from the dining table in her hand, with a slight flush of inebriation on her cheeks, "Semi, you lost the bet!"

    "To think it''s really a Magical Girl?"

    The Black Cat Fairy floated out from behind her, eyeing Emerald Sparrow with a mix of surprise and uncertainty, "Indeed she is... but it''s so strange, why didn''t I feel anything?"

    "Like I said, you fairies have too singular a mode of perception," the girl said with some self-assuredness, smiling confidently, "In this aspect, I''m more professional than you."

    "Are you Fangting City''s Magical Girl? What are you doing here?"

    But meanwhile, Semi paid her no further attention, instead focusing intently on Emerald Sparrow, "Did that man inform you to come here?"

    Earlier at the dining table, Yuan suddenly spoke up, feeling the presence of Magical Power and then directly headed for this room. Although Semi thought such behavior was reckless, out of necessity, she had followed along.

    Even though she followed Yuan into the adjacent reception room, she actually had no idea: Did Fangting City''s Magical Girl come with good or bad intentions? Was she aware they came from Claw Mark? Without knowing such information, she didn''t know what action to take at the moment.

    Truth be told, Semi did not wish to resolve things by force.

    Because it always worried that Cornflower in Fangting City possessed great strength, a direct confrontation might lead to a disastrous conflict. In its opinion, the risk of a head-on battle was much higher than outsmarting or negotiating with the enemy, so it should not resort to fighting unless there was no other choice.

    That was also why it attempted to use dialogue to confirm the other party''s stance, wanting to know if its cover had really been blown.

    "I received a notification about an unknown Magical Girl entering Fangting."

    In response, Emerald Sparrow glossed over and did not dwell on Lin Yun''s actions, summarily going through the reason for her presence here, "So I came to confirm your identities and intentions."

    "Confirm identities?"

    Semi''s ears noticeably perked up, but quickly relaxed again, "What would you like to know?"

    "Your code names, identification numbers, positions, and missions."

    With the same line of thought as Semi, in order to avoid exacerbating the conflict and leading to a direct confrontation, Emerald Sparrow decided to repeat the old trick after a brief contemplation, again pretending not to know that the other party was Claw Mark, "It might be a bit offensive, but I need to ensure that you truly are Magical Girls from the realm."

    Her attitude also confused Semi.

    It had already prepared itself for the possibility that it was discovered and braced for a tough fight. However, the attitude displayed by Emerald Sparrow suggested that she was not yet certain they were Claw Mark, indicating that there might still be room for maneuver.

    Should we talk some more?

    Thinking this way, it was about to continue along Emerald Sparrow''s line of inquiry, but it saw Yuan stretch out her hand to stop it. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    ¡ª¡ª"No need to act anymore, young lady."

    Her expression slightly tipsy yet her tone confident, she shook her head with a laugh, "I heard you earlier, behind the door; you said ''Source of Beasts''. You clearly know why we''re here, right?"

    "Huh?" Semi turned its head in surprise to look at her.

    The previously indifferent expression on Emerald Sparrow''s face became even more tense.

    "Since that''s the case, there''s no need for further pretense. We''re from ''Claw Mark'', and we came to Fangting City to retrieve the Source of Beasts from Cornflower, and incidentally accomplish some other tasks."

    Yuan brought the cup to her lips, taking a light sip, "You''re a Magical Girl from Fangting City? Then you should know where Cornflower is, don''t you?"

    "...So your purpose is indeed the Source of Beasts." Seeing her intentions exposed, Emerald Sparrow no longer pretended. She took a few steps back, picked up the magic mirror from the ground, and slipped it into her sleeve. The wide cuffs of her dress acted like a storage bag, concealing the magic mirror without any outward sign of bulging.

    After doing this, she looked at the group in front of her with some wariness, "What do you want with it?"

    "Want to know?"

    Exhaling the smell of alcohol, Yuan moved a few steps closer to Emerald Sparrow; her height, a good half head taller, created an oppressive aura, "Then first answer my question, young lady, are you acquainted with Cornflower, do you know where Cornflower is?"

    Emerald Sparrow lifted her head, meeting her gaze fearlessly, "I am under no obligation to answer your questions..."

    Before she could finish, however, a sense of alarm suddenly surged in her heart. She felt a chill on her back, as if some danger was rapidly approaching.

    Clang!

    Without a moment''s hesitation, Emerald Sparrow almost instinctively activated her magic gear, layers of threads overlapped behind her forming a shield-like masterpiece, fending off the attack from behind.

    But that was all it did ¨C fend off the attack. She hadn''t even been able to see what it was that attacked her.

    What was worse, after having used her magic gear, she realized that trouble was far from over. Yuan, looking at the threads around her, revealed a somewhat knowing smile.

    "...Although I had a hunch, it still requires a test of skill to be sure it''s you."

    She gently placed her wine glass aside on the table, the drunken look on her face gradually fading away,

    "Cornflower."

 Chapter 29 Crisis

    ```At the moment her identity as "Cornflower" was revealed, Emerald Sparrow pressed her lips together slightly without responding to the provocation.

    She didn''t express any intention to admit or deny, nor did she seem to want to continue the conversation. Instead, she slightly adjusted her posture, keeping a watchful stance as she faced the magical girl before her.

    More than these trivial matters, it was the opponent''s recently demonstrated strength that made her more vigilant. The reason was simple: the attack was too fast, too secretive.

    There was almost no leakage of magic power; if not for Emerald Sparrow''s quick reaction, even a probing attack like that could have put an ordinary magical girl at a considerable disadvantage.

    Since the opponent had chosen to attack, it essentially put their hostility out in the open, making deceits and verbal tricks meaningless. What remained was a comparison of raw strength.

    But Emerald Sparrow was aware of her own situation: she was sure to lose.

    She did not think the people from Claw Mark were fools who would send a member with insufficient strength to seize the Source of Beasts. The magical girl claiming to be "Canna," being a former Flower Card, certainly wouldn''t have combat abilities below those of a Flower Card.

    Flower Card, meaning the opponent could definitely make use of wonders and rules.

    Now she had completely lost the ability to unfold wonders normally. Once she entered into a battle of rules with the opponent, she would inevitably fall into a significant disadvantage.

    If she wanted to level the playing field, she had only one card left to play, which in reality, she couldn''t use¡ªdestroying the last form of Magic Armor Weaving Fate, exhausting the power of the threads.

    But even Emerald Sparrow herself knew this was impossible.

    The Magic Armor is closely related to the very essence of a magical girl. When the Magic Armor is completely destroyed, what she would become is unclear to anyone. At best, the magic power source might disappear into smoke, leaving her unable to use magic ever again; at worst, she might become a vegetative person or even die on the spot.

    She couldn''t take such a risk to use a move with an uncertain outcome.

    While it''s true that this move had a great chance of defeating or even killing the enemy, she would also sustain heavy damage. It would be like inflicting a thousand casualties on the enemy and ten thousand on herself, which could hardly be related to the concept of "winning."

    "Why aren''t you speaking? Don''t tell me I guessed wrong?"

    As she set down her wine glass, Yuan tilted her head slightly. With a breath, she exhaled a white fog and the blush on her face also faded significantly, "You know, I feel like you are considering something quite dangerous, so let me make this clear: we don''t necessarily have to fight to the death."

    "Setting aside the matter of the Source of Beasts, my previous words were not empty promises. If you really are Cornflower, our leader sincerely welcomes you to join us."

    "After all, I can sense your magic power fluctuations. Your current state must be quite poor, right?"

    With that, Yuan slowly narrowed her eyes. Her originally dark pupils abruptly changed into bicolor ptosis, "The essence, the magic power source, the Heart''s Gem, the structure that should be a trinity has been misaligned. It''s like a bucket with a hole, continuously leaking magic power. Under normal circumstances, a magical girl in your state would be considered half-dead."

    "Thank you for the warning, but it''s not necessary for you to worry," S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Emerald Sparrow responded coldly: "If your suggestion is to switch allegiances, I have no intention of turning myself into a Remnant Beast."

    She was not very convinced that Claw Mark''s techniques could heal her injuries; after all, even the chief of the Research Institute, Molu, could only promise to mitigate the damage to a certain extent. What could Claw Mark possess that was more advanced than the Research Institute''s technology?

    Even if such a possibility existed, it would necessarily involve betraying the Magic Kingdom¡ªan option she would never consider.

    From a standpoint of interest, she still held the power to assign Lin Xiaolu and the other two magical girls, which she had obtained with difficulty after catching a mistake by Golden Green Cat''s Eye. Only by continuing as a magical girl could she hold onto that power. With this assignment right, she could prevent the three girls from being unnecessarily entangled in the kingdom''s power struggles. If she truly accepted this so-called invitation to join Claw Mark, that right of assignment would become void, and the question of protection would be moot.

    There were also juniors like Bai Jingxuan, a magical girl in a unique situation whom she had just resolved to guide onto the right path. If she chose to join Claw Mark here, she would have no standing to educate that child thereafter.

    And from a moral and ethical perspective, there was even less reason to join an organization like Claw Mark, infamous for its bad reputation.

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    Perhaps they were not as morally depraved and inhumane as Black Ash Dawn, but after betraying the kingdom, these rebellious magical girls had committed their share of vile acts, certainly not qualifying as good people.

    So, it seemed her course of action was clear: to stall.

    At an absolute disadvantage in terms of raw strength, and unlikely to win in a fight, nor could she run¡ªFangting City was her home ground, the venue where the three juniors resided. With monks you can run away, but the temple will remain. Hence, the only option left was to stall for time.

    The purpose of stalling for time was to await aid from Molu.

    When the magical mirror communication was interrupted, Molu clearly had more to say, which suggested she had some countermeasure. Having informed her of the situation at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, she would likely have responsive measures once she detected enemy actions.

    ```

 Chapter 29 Crisis_2

    Before this, what she should have done was to find a way to delay time and prevent the battlefield from shifting, ensuring that reinforcements could arrive at the scene as quickly as possible.Implementing this decision translated into a stalemate.

    With an attitude intertwining half-doubt and half-trust, hostility and confidence, she kept the other party in a dilemma between taking action or not.

    Every time Emerald Sparrow refused the other party''s proposal, she would not completely shut down the conversation, but deliberately leave some talking points to ensure that there would be something for the other party to discuss. At the same time, she conveyed an attitude of "an apparent refusal but actually somewhat wavering," making it seem as if there was hope for a peaceful evolution.

    When the other party mentioned her injuries, she hinted that she valued her reputation more; when they suggested that she could secretly defect, she intentionally omitted the few advantages of defecting in her refusal; then when the other party listed these benefits, she would respond with a weak rebuttal full of loopholes.

    Back and forth, she inadvertently piqued Yuan''s interest in the negotiation, turning a confrontation inexplicably into a seminar on "the benefits of joining Claw Mark." As the conversation progressed, Emerald Sparrow spoke less and less, while Yuan spoke more and more. In the end, it almost seemed as if they were as close as the relationship Yuan had boasted about, which was "like sisters."

    Time slipped by in this oddly derailed conversation, and Emerald Sparrow even nonchalantly pressed her cell phone a couple of times, signaling to three juniors that a powerful enemy was coming and not to act rashly.

    However, this delay was not without cost.

    It was unclear whether it was because the other party had been drinking, or perhaps such a scene, filled with persuasion and pressure, naturally led to strange implications. After Emerald Sparrow deliberately showed weakness to prolong the conversation several times, she felt that the nature of the dialogue between them was gradually becoming distasteful.

    Presumably because Yuan was relatively older, Emerald Sparrow always felt that Yuan treated her a bit like a child. The conversation between them had shifted from recruiting someone into the group to something reminiscent of a street hustler cajoling an unsuspecting child.

    If the conversation continued like this, it was feared that they could talk until afternoon and still achieve no results, but not everyone would fall for Emerald Sparrow''s rhetoric.

    "Wait, Yuan, did you just say that Cornflower is in very bad shape?"

    Just as the conversation between the two was going off on a tangent, Semi suddenly intervened: "Does that mean she actually can''t display much power right now?"

    "Hmm? Ah, that''s certain."

    Having become familiar with the conversation, Yuan reached out to touch Emerald Sparrow''s head and nodded: "Even from this distance I can feel the rush of Magic Power; her control over her own Magic Power is very weak now, I''m afraid she can hardly exert one tenth of her ability."

    "Then what are you wasting time talking to her for!"

    Semi pointed at Emerald Sparrow and said, "The Source of Beasts is in her hands, and she''s right here now. Why are you still negotiating with her? We can just capture her alive and take her away, securing both the person and the object. Wouldn''t our mission be halfway completed? Can''t we just go back and report?"

    "That''s true in principle."

    Yuan thoughtfully nodded, yet seemed somewhat reluctant: "But I don''t really want to take advantage of someone''s weakness, fighting an injured person. As the saying goes, a tiger is bullied by dogs when it falls onto the plain, and such a humiliating contest against a mighty warrior is meaningless."

    "I''ve already told you, stop fussing over your so-called sense of fairness at times like this!"

    Semi said helplessly: "We take her back, the leader modifies her source of Magic Power, and she can regain her former strength! Then you can have a fair fight with her, right?"

    "...Ah, so there''s that method."

    Yuan blinked, turned to look at Emerald Sparrow: "You see, that''s what it''s saying."

    Emerald Sparrow looked at Yuan and then at Semi. For some reason, she felt a chill for the first time.

    If before, like herself, the other party had a half-doubt, half-hesitation attitude, after Semi brought up this plan, the way the other party looked at her was filled with nothing but full-fledged aggression.

    Just like a wolf eyes a rabbit.

    Although their aim was certainly not to devour her like the wolf, being taken to the leader of Claw Mark was unlikely to bring anything good.

    Should she run away now?

    For the first time, such a thought arose in her heart; however, before Emerald Sparrow could take any action, she realized that Yuan had somehow already wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said with a smile:

    ¡ª¡ª"So, shall we go?"

    "...I don''t think I fully agree with your principles yet."

    Emerald Sparrow suddenly felt her hair stand on end and a chill down her spine, but still, she managed to suppress that feeling and said calmly and coolly, "We might need to talk some more."

    "No worries, no worries, we have a long way to go back, and there''s plenty of time to chat slowly." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Yuan said casually, then pulled out a pair of handcuffs from somewhere: "But you might be somewhat inconvenienced by the time we''re there. To prevent any troublemaking in the Wilderness, it''s better to be safe than sorry."

    Emerald Sparrow recognized at a glance that these were the handcuffs Yuan had worn in the interrogation room previously. How she had managed to pilfer them unnoticed by any of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau staff present was anyone''s guess.

    Looking at the handcuffs, Emerald Sparrow once again fell silent.

    She was well aware that the handcuffs were of little restraint to a Magical Girl, but the spell techniques on them designed to suppress Magic Power were no fake. If the other party truly had some expertise in related spell techniques, even knowing some binding spells, a little modification would mean that once she put them on, she would really have no chance of turning the tables.

    Yet, if she refused here and thereby entered into battle, she would stand no chance of winning using only ordinary methods. More likely than not, losing would result in being captured.

    So what should she do?

    In the silence, Emerald Sparrow''s thoughts raced, constantly generating plans and then debunking and filtering them herself. But when faced with an absolute disadvantage in strength, any plan seemed feeble.

    "Returning to the Magic Kingdom should restore much of my strength," initially, this plan proposed by the Molu had seemed flawless, but no one could have predicted that less than a month after the Full Moon Festival, an enemy of equal if not greater magnitude to a moth would appear in Fangting City.

    Against such an adversary, even Emerald Sparrow, who had not yet destroyed her scissors, could not guarantee victory, let alone now with her worsened injuries.

    Gazing up slightly, her eyes met those dichromatic pupils resembling Yin and Yang, Emerald Sparrow''s heart grew colder. Her hand, which had been clenched tight, gradually loosened and even began to rise slowly.

    Crash!

    Just when she was about to choose conserving her strength, clinging to a last sliver of hope, a thunderous noise of shattering glass came from the reception room''s window.

    ¡ª¡ª"That''s not necessarily the case, is it?"

    The strong winds from the upper floors gushed wildly through the window, and along with the strong airflow, a figure darted into the room at high speed.

    Several purple-red Magic Power Beams shot out from the figure''s hands toward Yuan. Yuan lifted her hand calmly to block them, but found the simple spells completely ineffective against the purple-red Magic Power; the barrier was pierced in an instant.

    Her eyes narrowed, and the Magic Power around her suddenly grew stagnant. The otherwise invisible Magic Power silently transformed into a strange liquid metal, barely stopping the surging Magic Power attack.

    In that flash of light, the figure who burst in through the window had already scooped up Emerald Sparrow by the bend of her legs and back of her neck, retreating to the other side of the room.

    Amidst the scattered purple-red glow of Magic Power, Emerald Sparrow lifted her head slightly and saw a face that was somewhat familiar yet also a bit strange.

    It was a face she had seen not long ago but now seemed much more youthful.

    Fair cheeks, a fragile yet somewhat resolute expression, submissive low twin ponytails resting on both sides of her neck, beneath her bangs were the girl''s purple-red eyes. The corners of her eyes were slightly drooped, making her seem a bit meek, but when she held Emerald Sparrow, she stood unwaveringly tall, her intense fighting spirit seeming to spill out and making her slender figure appear incredibly upright.

    "It''s all right now."

    She lowered her gaze, revealing a somewhat radiant smile to Emerald Sparrow, and then uttered a phrase that only the two of them could understand: "Because, the Magical Girl is here!"

    ¡ª¡ª"Magical Girl, ID Card Certification Number 41422, Chaoyan, defense mission commence!"

 Chapter 30 Bai Wu

    Unexpected reinforcements charged into the battlefield with overwhelming momentum, and the lingering purple-red glow made the scene before them all the more whimsical. Emerald Sparrow blinked several times to confirm she wasn''t hallucinating before she spoke with some astonishment:"Chaoyan? Is it really you?"

    She didn''t know if this was the "reinforcements" mentioned by Molu, but if it was, it was far too surprising. After all, she had never thought this person would be Hong Siyu.

    It hadn''t even been a month since the incident at the Full Moon Festival, and Hong Siyu had been sent to the kingdom for treatment just this month; her return to Fangting City at this time was indeed beyond Emerald Sparrow''s expectations.

    More importantly, Hong Siyu shouldn''t possess the ability to become a Magical Girl any longer.

    As a retired Magical Girl, her source of magic power should have fallen into slumber long ago, and her Magical Girl powers returned. Moreover, after being controlled by Mosi and even once transformed into a Remnant Beast, it seemed impossible for her to become a Magical Girl again after such turmoil.

    However, reality surpassed all, the hand supporting under Emerald Sparrow''s knee felt so real, the face before her eyes so vivid, the girl who should only exist in memories indeed appeared here.

    "It''s really me, senior,"

    With her arms around Emerald Sparrow slowly unwrapping, allowing her feet to touch the ground, the girl in the purple-red outfit slightly lowered her head, "I have returned, and I''m sorry, I was late."

    "Why can you..."

    "Shush, let''s put the reunion talk aside for now, I will explain everything to you after all this is over."

    Perhaps due to the somewhat intimate action earlier, Hong Siyu appeared slightly uncomfortable as she held a book open in front of Emerald Sparrow, gently cutting off the words she had yet to speak: S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Now, we need to deal with the enemy in front of us first."

    As she finished speaking, she turned her head to look at Yuan in the distance, her expression changing from gentle to tense.

    "41422..."

    However, Yuan didn''t seem to be riled up by the newcomer''s words, muttering contemplatively as she repeated the code number reported by Hong Siyu, "Has the numbering reached the 4- series now?"

    "You focus on the weirdest things! Pay attention to the battle!"

    Semi corrected from the side, "Besides, 4- series codes are from forty years ago. Haven''t you noticed that many Magical Girls inside Claw Mark also have this kind of numbering?"

    "Who listens to other people''s certification plate numbers in normal times."

    Yuan waved her hand dismissively, "As for focusing on the battle, there''s no need for reminders."

    "Be careful, if the other side uses a code card and comes up with some strange wonderland, you might capsize in the gutter,"

    Semi stressed with concern, "Finish the fight quickly, if any more reinforcements arrive, we''ll be in trouble."

    "Don''t worry, I never intend to underestimate my opponent."

    Yuan slightly adjusted her stance, her eyes, earlier blurred by the lingering effects of alcohol, refocused and sharpened, "Even when a lion fights a rabbit, it uses all its strength."

    The atmosphere in the reception room slightly stiffened, and both sides fell silent. Then, with a "bang," Yuan''s figure disappeared from her original spot, her fist stretching out at a speed invisible to the naked eye before Hong Siyu, and the previously intact wall behind her crumbled in an instant.

    Glass, concrete, bricks, and steel bars - the entire architectural structure of the wall shattered into powder, and the scattering dust floated in the air like smog, slowly settling to the ground.

    In front of her fist was an incredibly sturdy Magical Barrier.

    To call this spell technique merely a Magical Barrier was an understatement because, from the outside, it was purely a Magic Wall. Over half a meter thick, it completely blocked the power of Yuan''s punch, leaving the space behind the Magic Barrier intact within the entire reception room.

    Hong Siyu spread her hand, and within her palm was an open notebook, the pages made of magic power, with lines of runes flashing an unusual glow. These glows formed the wall before her, which blocked Yuan''s attack.

    "Not bad."

    Her punch not fully effective, Yuan wasn''t alarmed but delighted, the lingering intoxication on her face gave way to a gleeful smile. Stepping back slightly, she raised her hand, relaxed her fist, let her wrist drop slightly, and then suddenly struck again, right at the center of the barrier, flipping her wrist just before impact to suddenly increase force.

    Crash!

    A punch landed, and the seemingly impregnable barrier sustained a huge gash from a single strike. As Yuan''s punch flew out, followed by another, in an instant, she hammered several blows, all at the same point, and the solid Magic Wall collapsed with a thunderous crash.

    Having destroyed the Magical Barrier created by Hong Siyu, Yuan showed no superfluous expression on her face; she simply beckoned with her finger, lifting the corner of her mouth, and spoke to Hong Siyu:

    "Come again."

    No sooner had she finished speaking than she found the space around her abruptly distorted, several magically formed spears of unknown origin whisked by her side.

    These translucent spears appeared and vanished abruptly, lacking the traceability of usual spell techniques, their attack trajectories quite tricky. However, Yuan simply shifted her position and easily dodged them.

    After avoiding this round of attacks, she looked back at Hong Siyu, but before she could say anything, countless streams of magic power fell from mid-air, suddenly enveloping her.

 Chapter 30 Bai Wu_2

    Boom!The dazzling magic power light almost blinded Emerald Sparrow who was watching from the sidelines.

    And this was just the beginning. After the chaos came a spatial distortion; following the spatial distortion was a Soul Ray; after the Soul Ray came a hypnotic curse; the curse was followed by a binding seal... An overwhelming array of spell techniques bombarded the small reception room without respite, quickly turning the surroundings into ruins in an instant.

    However, Yuan''s movements were also very swift, dodging through the spells nimbly and bonelessly, using all kinds of unimaginable postures. While avoiding various complex spell techniques, she burst out of the reception room and flew towards the outside of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s building, racing at high speed through the sky.

    Facing this situation, Hong Siyu clutched the notebook in her hand with an expression that was somewhat reserved, but her hands moved quickly. She rapidly flipped through the pages of the book; with just a light tap after turning each page, an unusually powerful spell technique would suddenly appear. Without chanting, without gestures, and even without the need for runes to be recorded, these spell techniques seemed to exist on their own, ready to be wielded effortlessly.

    And Emerald Sparrow knew that this was the capability of Hong Siyu''s magical artifact¡ª"Memory".

    The appearance of "Memory" was just like the ordinary-looking notebook held in Hong Siyu''s hands, which at the time of acquisition had no special abilities¡ªit only allowed the user to write text on it.

    However, this did not mean it was a useless magical artifact; quite the contrary, Memory''s ability actually held great potential: everything that the user recorded in the notebook pages could be manifested with magic power, provided the user had enough of it.

    The so-called "things" included, but were not limited to, small objects from daily life such as stones, pencils, lipsticks, as well as extraordinary magic spell techniques. As long as they were recorded by Hong Siyu in Memory, they could be activated with magic power to achieve instant replication.

    Of course, this replication was not without limits; the things replicated could never surpass the strength in the user''s memory and records. And if the provided magic power was insufficient, it would even significantly compromise the fidelity of the replication. The result could be objects that only looked right but lacked their essence, or vice versa, or even just a pile of useless mud.

    This meant that in the beginning, when Hong Siyu first acquired the magical artifact, she couldn''t form any significant combat power: her magic power was too weak then to replicate anything of substance.

    It wasn''t until close to the time when Emerald Sparrow was about to retire that Memory underwent a transformation in Hong Siyu''s hands.

    With Hong Siyu''s promotion to the rank of Leaf, acquiring the ability to learn and construct spell techniques, Memory became an incredibly powerful casting "cheat": with it, Hong Siyu''s process of learning spell techniques was much simpler compared to other Magical Girls. While others went through an immensely cumbersome process to build and fixate their commonly used spell techniques, Hong Siyu just needed to record the spell techniques she learned and understood in the book to use them with proficiency and efficiency that far surpassed others.

    Moreover, she could continuously optimize her spell techniques. Take the seemingly exaggerated Magical Barrier, for example; if today''s use of the Magical Barrier required one percent less magic power, that could be updated in Memory to refresh the original record. If tomorrow''s Magical Barrier was five percent thicker than before, that, too, could be updated in Memory... Over time, the spell techniques recorded in Memory by Hong Siyu were of exceptional standards, optimized to the fullest from every aspect.

    Magical Girls who used high-powered spell techniques as routinely as regular Magic Power Beams had a common name in the kingdom: Artillery.

    Hong Siyu, or Chaoyan, was one of the elites among "Artillery" Magical Girls.

    In the ruins of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s reception room, Hong Siyu''s gaze firmly locked onto Yuan, observing her every move. Countless various spell techniques bloomed in the air like fireworks, offering an overwhelmingly suppressive firepower that bombarded relentless, causing the pedestrians on the ground to stop and watch in awe.

    Even Yuan, who prided herself on her exceptional agility, found it hard to cope amidst the continuous barrage; not to mention she was also accompanied by Semi, the Black Cat Fairy, who was quite alarmed at this point.

    "Think of something quick, you fool!"

    It clung firmly to Yuan''s shoulders, barely avoiding a spell technique in their flight, and a layer of its fur got scraped off: "Stop playing around! If this goes on, I''m done for!"

    "Easy to say... but it''s hard to get close,"

    Yuan mumbled while repeatedly maneuvering through the air: "You know the level of my spell techniques, asking me to counter while closing the distance is just too much to ask."

    "Then use the wonderland! Use your magic armor!"

    Semi Meow Meow shouted, "Anyway, hurry up and deal with her! Be careful or I''ll go back and tell the boss on you!"

    "To deal with this kind of cannon lady, using my wonderland would be a bit boring."

    Yuan dodged a curse that nearly grazed her forehead, and landed obliquely on the outside wall of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s building. With a light push of her feet against the glass, she weaved through the encirclement of Magic Power Beams: "However, since the opponent has gotten serious, indeed I should also show some real strength in return." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    After saying that, a string of inky black liquid metal spiraled up her arm. The dark metal flowed like ink, tracing patterns in the air with her fingertips before gradually solidifying.

    This indeterminate-use liquid metal had always been circling around Yuan, but she had shown no intention of using it in combat, only occasionally using it to block attacks. Now, however, she seemed to finally be willing to demonstrate its purpose.

    Twisting her body in mid-air, Yuan inverted herself, hanging as if frozen in the sky, her body facing towards the direction where Hong Siyu was.

    She spread her arms, gradually drawing them apart, one in front of the other, and then, the ink-like black metal between her hands outlined a pitch-black bow.

    "Bai Wu, draw the bow."

    Her lips barely moved, and as if painted with ink, an arrow feather appeared on the bowstring of the black bow. The arrow, like a painting that turned real, solidifying on the bow, caused the surrounding temperature to seem as if it had dropped significantly.

    Then, without a moment''s hesitation, she released her grip, and the arrow shot out with a "whoosh," flying straight toward Hong Siyu''s throat.

    The distance between them may have seemed far, but was actually less than a hundred meters. None of the Spell Techniques in between were able to stop the arrow''s assault, so in just an instant, the arrow had already reached Hong Siyu''s front.

    Though it was but a slender arrow, the ominous Magic Power enveloping its tip was not to be overlooked. From Emerald Sparrow''s angle, the Magic Power on this arrow far exceeded the level of a bud, undoubtedly reaching that of a flower, with a terrifying intensity that was chilling.

    If this arrow were to hit the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, not just the building of the bureau, but the entire district would be hard-pressed to have any survivors; and if it were to hit a person, even a Magical Girl, there wouldn''t be any difficulty in destroying her essence and taking her life.

    Emerald Sparrow knew all too well that up until retirement, Hong Siyu was only at the bud level, without a chance to catch this arrow. If it were to hit her, the outcome would be unquestionably fatal.

    Realizing the lethality of the attack, Emerald Sparrow almost immediately summoned her magic armor, without hesitation placing it in front of Hong Siyu, while at the same time trying to pull her aside with her silk threads, to avoid the terrifying strike.

    But before the silk could even touch Hong Siyu, she heard a somewhat gentle voice of assurance.

    "It''s okay, senior, she can''t hurt me."

    Within the amethyst magic barrier, Hong Siyu, holding her notebook, turned her face, her tranquil smile carrying a confidence that Emerald Sparrow had never seen before. She looked earnestly at Emerald Sparrow and seriously said, "I''ve said it, I''ve returned, so I definitely won''t let you get hurt again."

    Having said that, she looked up, her gaze meeting the incoming black arrow. With one hand, she closed the notebook and her lips slightly parted:

    ¡ª "Chaoyan, blossom profusely, Sea of Memories."

 Chapter 31 Sea of Memories

    The brief incantation clearly lacked the power to block an attack, and as Hong Siyu''s words fell, the black arrow easily tore through the blue thread defense line and rushed toward the somewhat slender figure.However, just as the arrow was about to strike, the notebook that Hong Siyu held in her hands suddenly took to the air, blocking the potentially fatal attack.

    The struck notebook first emitted the sound of tearing pages under the strain, and then, with a low, muffled thud, it exploded along with the arrow into scattered pages in the air.

    Emerald Sparrow, watching from the side, narrowed her pupils slightly, her fist tightening subconsciously, but in the end, she said nothing and just quietly observed the unfolding changes.

    Since Hong Siyu had promised there would be no trouble, she should trust in the other. Trusting one''s companions was the most basic quality of a Magical Girl.

    In the instant of this thought, the scattered pages underwent a transformation.

    The once disordered papers did not fade away but instead, after a brief floating, stayed in their original position and then, as if influenced by some strange external force, suddenly stood upright. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Each page emitted a purple-red magical glow, the brilliance of which could rival the midday sun. Within that glow, the thin pages inexplicably produced layer upon layer of afterimages, which then began to solidify.

    The gradually solidifying pages turned of their own accord in the radiance, "swish swish," the sound of flipping pages was uniform and rhythmic, resounding like a well-rehearsed opus.

    At this moment, every page became an independent book, its blank pages revealing content amidst the sound of meticulous writing. Then, all the books gathered behind Hong Siyu, forming a thick wall of books.

    The very moment the book wall came into being, Hong Siyu''s attire had also completely changed.

    A purple-pink hairband threaded through her violet-red hair, flashing petal-shaped earrings swaying gently, while her low twin ponytails cascaded over her shoulders, moving with the wind. A wide, waist-length high-collared cape concealed her chin, revealing only the upper half of her somewhat serene face.

    Beneath the cape was a fitted waist-cinching Hepburn dress, its simple single-breasted fastenings running from her waist, adorned with a few sparkling crystal pens. Her dark, pointed low-heeled shoes lined up under her dress, her toes slightly pointed downward, hovering in the air.

    Taking into account what Hong Siyu had said before, this was clearly her "Bloomed" form, named "Sea of Memories." Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire

    However, Emerald Sparrow knew that "Bloomed" was supposed to be an ability Magical Girls attained after reaching the Flower rank. Hong Siyu, who retired while still in the Bud rank as a Magical Girl, should not have had such power.

    To be able to use the authentic "Bloomed" form here, there was only one possibility¡ªHong Siyu not only had reclaimed her ability to transform, but after regaining her powers, she had advanced to the Flower rank.

    "Look, senior, this is my ''Bloomed.''"

    Raising her hand, a book that had turned antique and magnificent flew from the wall of books into Hong Siyu''s hand. She turned her head slightly, smiling at Emerald Sparrow, "I am now a Flower rank, finally catching up to your pace."

    "You..." Emerald Sparrow began after a moment''s pause, seemingly wanting to ask something, but her question was cut off by another arrow.

    To be precise, not one arrow, but three simultaneous shots.

    Amidst the humming of the bowstring, the three arrows sped out in different directions, following different paths, and in an instant arrived in front of the two of them.

    "Thump!"

    The sound of the arrow striking was heard, but it did not hit a person. Instead, Hong Siyu barely moved her fingers, and several books flew out from the wall behind her, blocking the black arrows.

    The attack struck but was ineffective. Yuan, lingering between the buildings, lowered her hands, the dark bow reverting back into a fluid like black ink, looking at the majestic wall of books with a small smile curving her lips.

    "Bloomed, eh?"

    An excited smile appeared on her face, "Interesting, what kind of power could it be?"

    Her brief setback didn''t bring her down; on the contrary, her fighting spirit surged with the display of her opponent''s revealed capabilities.

    "Stop messing around, just open up your wonderland already..."

    Semi, who was perched on her shoulder, suffering from motion sickness symptoms due to the high-speed flying and rolling, complained weakly, covering his mouth, "The other has already used her ''Bloomed!'' How long do you plan to fight with your blank magical gear?"

    "I am serious, Semi."

    Yuan exhaled slightly, "It''s precisely because I am serious that I want to win with my own skills. That''s real respect for the opponent. When I use the wonderland, it will be a fight to the death, not just a contest."

    "I don''t think the other side is taking this as just a contest..." Semi grumbled irritably, but before he could continue complaining, the wall of books nearby changed again, causing all of its fur to stand on end, "Watch out!"

    Following this warning, half of the books from the wall flew out at Hong Siyu''s command and once again lined up neatly before her.

    Like a librarian, Hong Siyu carefully checked each book in front of her and then gently pushed her hands toward Yuan''s direction. Before everyone''s gaze, the books opened as if they had their own consciousness, revealing pages inscribed with completely different runes.

 Chapter 31 Sea of Memories_2

    "The ability of the ''Sea of Memories'' has become broader compared to ''Memory,'' surpassing the concept of ordinary ''things'' and able to record more exceptional, magical phenomena."Hong Siyu was checking the books in front of her, speaking with a calm tone as she introduced, "Compared to before where it could only record ordinary objects and spell techniques, the ''Sea of Memories'' can recreate illusory environments, scenes, and even events. Moreover, its recording principle has changed compared to ''Memory''; I don''t need to understand the essence of the thing, but rather document it as I see and know it, then it can naturally reproduce the functions from the memories."

    "Even though such recordings, if even a hair''s breadth off, could result in the final reproduction being a thousand miles from the original, at least on the surface, they all look the same."

    Her voice was not loud, and with the barrier of the bookshelves in front of her, this conversation couldn''t reach Yuan''s ears. Clearly, she was explaining this for Emerald Sparrow:

    "Unfortunately, senior, it came too late. I didn''t have time to record enough on it and could only hastily select some from the kingdom''s archives at the last minute."

    "What did you record before you came?" Although Emerald Sparrow was full of questions, she knew now was not the time for idle chat, so she looked towards the bookshelves not far away and got straight to the point.

    "Magical gear."

    "Magical gear?"

    "Yes," replied Hong Siyu succinctly, "Dozens of types of magical gear selected from the records."

    As she spoke these words, the orderly bookshelves in front of her transformed once again. From the spread pages of the books, various shapes of objects began to emerge.

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    At first glance, most of these objects were ordinary, everyday items or conventional weapons. But with Hong Siyu''s introduction, Emerald Sparrow understood the nature of these items¡ªmagical gear.

    Among these magical gears, some were quite familiar to her, all from past well-known magical girls; others were quite foreign, evidently found by Hong Siyu from the kingdom''s archives.

    "Condense Air, Flame Prison, Ring Knot..."

    On the other side, Yuan blurted out the names of some of the magical gear.

    Looking at the magical gear emerging from the pages, her expression, originally slightly puzzled, showed a touch of realization, followed by a much stronger interest: "I see, after it blossoms, it can copy other people''s magical gear? Not a bad ability at all."

    "These magical gears... they''re not all genuine, are they?"

    Differing from Yuan''s entirely unconcerned demeanor, Semi''s thought process was clearly more pessimistic: "If they are all genuine, aren''t we going to meet our end here?"

    "Whether they''re genuine or not, we''ll know after the fight."

    Yuan''s black and white dichromatic pupils once again appeared in her eyes as she took a deep breath and exhaled a white mist from her mouth and nose: "There are quite a few old adversaries in here, they better not just be for show, that would really disappoint me."

    With these words, she exerted force with her feet, kicking off from the wall of the opposite office building, and charged straight toward Hong Siyu''s direction.

    The battle reignited from there.

    The magical gear that appeared from the books wasn''t driven by people, but under Hong Siyu''s command, they took flight towards Yuan''s direction. The special abilities possessed by these magical gears were also activated, and for a time, various magical power fluctuations tangled into chaos, completely obscuring the scene within their bounds.

    Meanwhile, on the streets outside the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, a large number of pedestrians had already gathered. The battle raging above was so intense that these onlookers couldn''t help but stop to watch, wondering what was happening at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    To disperse these gathered onlookers, numerous employees from the security department were dispatched to the bureau''s entrance, beginning to forcibly clear the crowd to prevent any harm coming to them.

    Elsewhere, notifications sent directly from the director had already been delivered to every employee of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau¡ªthere is a battle with a magical girl and an enemy at the top floors of the main office building, and all department staff should evacuate orderly to a safe location.

    Perhaps because the base had been raided by Black Ash Dawn just a month prior, most of the employees had become immune to such events, showing little surprise.

    However, among the evacuating employees, some with sharp eyes looked up at the sky as they left the main office building. Although they saw explosions like fireworks, they did not see any Remnant Beasts as they had imagined.

    As for the questions that these people might have, it was no longer within the consideration of the magical girls.

    Blazing Flame, Thunder, Wind Vortex, the magical gear abilities burst forth one after another in pursuit of Yuan, even these were just the more identifiable abilities among countless other more covert ones.

    Yuan wielded her inky, liquid-like weapon, the "Bai Wu" magical gear, changing it into various forms in her hands¡ªnow a sword, now a knife, now a spear, now a dagger... She fought against various magical gears with an array of weapons, with the "clang clang" of metal collision resounding nonstop.

    The special abilities of the magical gears, blended with the white fog around her, formed a mass that couldn''t penetrate close to her¡ªat most, they could only spiral outward. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    As the fight ensued, this seemingly one-sided battle gradually balanced out. Yuan''s movements among the magical gears grew more graceful and relaxed, ever more at ease. If not for her already tattered Daoist robes now completely turned into rags, no one would be able to tell that she was in a battle.

 Chapter 31 Sea of Memories_3

    Her movements would be better described as "demonstrating martial prowess" than as fighting.Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire

    No matter what type of weapon it was, she countered it with an effective one; no matter what kind of object it was, in her eyes, it became a weapon. Combined attacks and chaotic strikes failed to disrupt her rhythm, as she created a vacuum of space amidst the crowd of magic armors by herself.

    In contrast to her ease and grace, Hong Siyu''s expression was a bit more solemn.

    The magic armors besieging Yuan had yet to achieve success, and the tomes before her were becoming increasingly indefinable, slowly showing signs of reverting from books back into pages.

    As this tendency became more apparent over time, and about five minutes into the battle, Hong Siyu couldn''t help but let out a stifled hum as the tomes before her dissipated.

    Along with the disappearance of the tomes, the magic armors surrounding Yuan also vanished.

    Yuan, who was still engrossed in the intense combat, noticed this and somewhat reluctantly withdrew her hand. She slung the magic armor-transformed black long sword over her shoulder and addressed Hong Siyu, "Is it over? Is that all?"

    Upon hearing her words, Emerald Sparrow slightly furrowed her brows.

    Throughout the entire fight, Yuan had not used her own "Wonderland," merely standing her ground against Hong Siyu''s attacks in her most basic magic armor form.

    This certainly demonstrated her superb combat skills, but it also signified something else¡ªher Magic Power was immense.

    The blooming of a Magical Girl could greatly enhance her own Magic Power. Even though Hong Siyu had just performed a Bloom-level power enhancement and her burgeoning abilities were not yet mature, the boost to her original Magic Power would be no less than fivefold.

    Multiply the Magic Power of someone just entering the Bloom-level by five, and that was only enough to match an untransformed Yuan, underscoring just how formidable her Magic Power was.

    "That... since I''m not very skilled at using this power, I can only sustain the magic armor replication for about five minutes..."

    Hong Siyu then somewhat awkwardly explained to Emerald Sparrow, "If I practice more, it shouldn''t be that limited."

    "Using magic armor to battle her wasn''t a good choice," Emerald Sparrow mused aloud. "Clearly, her close combat capabilities are strong. If the armors'' abilities can''t influence her, it''s merely a simple blade-to-blade battle."

    "It seems I made the wrong choice." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Hong Siyu looked apologetically toward Emerald Sparrow, "I thought magic armors could quickly form combat power, so before I left, all I recorded was magic armors, but they seem to have no effect on her..."

    "Magic armors are indeed a crucial part of a Magical Girl''s combat power, but what''s more important is the user''s development and understanding of them. Mere replication of a magic armor is insufficient. Even with identical abilities, it''s difficult to exploit them to their fullest potential in the hands of anyone other than their original owner," replied Emerald Sparrow.

    Emerald Sparrow shook her head, "That approach won''t work, can you replicate something else?"

    "I haven''t recorded anything else for the time being..."

    Spoke Hong Siyu in a soft voice, "But I can still use the Spell Techniques previously recorded in the ''Memory''."

    "Spell Techniques have limited effect on her, as you must have noticed there''s something off about the mist around her," Emerald Sparrow calmly analyzed after watching the entire fight. "Your spell techniques are not entirely ineffective against her, but a considerable part of those that should have taken effect has either been dodged by her or negated by the mist."

    "Yes," concurred Hong Siyu somewhat unwillingly with a nod.

    "So, currently, we can do nothing but stall for time."

    With a sigh of resignation, Emerald Sparrow said, "The enemy is tougher than anticipated. I wonder what moves Molu would have up her sleeve..."

    "Actually, on my way here, I met the Chief. She was somewhat hesitant, fiddling with the hem of her cloak, her voice low, "I''ve discussed a method with her, one that might help you."

    Emerald Sparrow blinked in slight confusion, "Help me? Isn''t that what we''re doing now?"

    "Not really, because, actually, I still have something I haven''t shown you."

    Hong Siyu, with her head down, pulled a tome from the bookshelf beside her and handed it over to Emerald Sparrow, "I wanted to defeat the enemy myself, to impress you, but it seems that''s not going well. So, while I still have magic power, I might as well give this to you. This might be our last resort."

    "What kind of method?"

    "You just said it yourself, the power of magic armor ultimately depends on the wielder, right?"

    "Yes, what about it?"

    "Then it''s clear, no matter how many magic armors I replicate, without the user''s own experience, I''m unable to harness their full potential, and I can''t even reveal their inherent power."

    Hong Siyu placed one hand on the cover of the tome, her voice tinged with hesitation, "The only way, then, is to let the magic armor''s original owner use it."

    As she spoke, she gently opened the cover of the tome, and a burst of intensely bright light shone forth from the book in Emerald Sparrow''s hands.

    Emerald Sparrow looked down slightly, peering through the luminance of Magic Power to clearly see the revealed object; her normally composed expression froze slightly, lifting it with disbelief.

    It was a petite pair of dressmaking scissors.

    No larger than the palm of Emerald Sparrow''s hand, but intricate, a pair of dressmaking scissors adorned with elaborate patterns.

    The scissors appeared somewhat ethereal, yet holding them felt incredibly real and familiar. Purple-red magic power flowed within the intricate patterns, seemingly disclosing its origin, but when Emerald Sparrow grasped them, the magic power¡ªwhich wasn''t hers¡ªobediently responded to her will.

    "I''m not very familiar with its other form, so there was no way to replicate it no matter what, but this magic armor, I remember it vividly," Hong Siyu released her grip, her smile still in place. "It saved me from despair, so it would be such a pity for it to disappear just like that."

    "You used it to save me; now, let me briefly return it to you."

    "Let my magic armor become your magic armor, senior."

 Chapter 32 Qi

    The battle in the sky was getting fiercer, and at the same time, the evacuation work from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s headquarters was underway with great urgency.As Tian Sheng emerged from the building amidst the crowd, jostled by his colleagues, he struggled to lift his head, as if sensing something and looking up into the sky.

    Among the azure above and buildings all around, in the magic power curtain interwoven with purple-red and misty white, a few familiar shades of blue suddenly appeared.

    The faint blue shimmered and twinkled, as if it were gathering strength, and then, at a certain moment, erupted, dispelling the surrounding fog and returning the sky to its true color with its vibrant blue.

    In the surging tide of magic power, Emerald Sparrow held a glowing blue thread in her left hand and gripped purple-red scissors in her right. Her petite figure stood tall and straight, her eyes distant and resolute.

    Blue and purple magic power crisscrossed, yet a clear boundary line was faintly visible. The light thread she held sparkled softly in her palm, tracing invisible arcs in the air. The delicate scissors shimmered in her hand, the sharp edges concealing a chill that couldn''t be ignored.

    "It feels surprisingly light..."

    Sensing the weight of the scissors in her hand, she couldn''t help but express her astonishment.

    The scissors reproduced by Hong Siyu, whether in appearance or feel, were identical to her original magic equipment, but the most significant feature was its consumption of magic power.

    Magical Girls consume their own magic power when using magic equipment, an inevitability; and depending on the power of the equipment and the user''s proficiency, the consumption varies.

    The original Weave of Fate was an item that heavily drained magic power; if it weren''t for Emerald Sparrow''s own abundant reserves among Magical Girls of her level, she couldn''t have sustained such expenditure.

    In fact, the more complex the magic equipment, the more this holds true. In the records of the nation, there are even cases of Magical Girls who couldn''t advance because their magic equipment was too complex.

    But now, as Emerald Sparrow held the scissors recreated by Hong Siyu, she could hardly feel any loss of magic power. Not only that, but she even faintly felt waves of magic power feeding back to her from the scissors.

    "Although it can only last for five minutes, the power it consumes is all mine," Hong Siyu commented, holding back the urge to take credit. She looked away, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, "So you don''t need to worry about your magic power, just use it to fight with confidence."

    "...Thank you."

    Emerald Sparrow understood that the more heartfelt the goodwill, the less need for excessive politeness or evasion. Expressing her gratitude in the briefest of words was all she could do then.

    After a brief exchange, she turned her head, gazing earnestly at the buildings not far away.

    Yuan was hovering quietly there, waiting with interest.

    "Are you ready? Can we start the fight now?"

    Seeing Emerald Sparrow''s gaze upon her, Yuan wielded the water-ink metal once more, with a teasing lift at the corner of her mouth, "Using magic equipment to supplement magic equipment, that''s truly an eye-opening strategy."

    "I thought you wouldn''t miss the chance during the exchange," Emerald Sparrow said, gently waving the dressmaker''s scissors in her hand. "Why didn''t you attack just now?"

    "I''ve told you, I won''t stop someone from using their abilities. Be it Wonderland or Full Blossom, only by defeating an opponent who gives their all can I feel satisfied," Yuan responded, twirling her finger. "Winning by surprise attacks, interrupting preparations, even if victorious, doesn''t show ''strength,'' it merely serves ''victory''."

    "I thought all members of Claw Mark would be unreasonable troublemakers," said Emerald Sparrow, shaking her head emotionlessly. "It''s a shame that I didn''t get to know you sooner."

    "It''s not too late to meet now, join us, and there will no longer be any conflicts between us," Yuan said, raising her hand slightly in a combat stance. "But before that, let me witness your true strength. If you''re too weak, I have no interest in bringing a weak Magical Girl back to meet the leader."

    "Thank you for your organization''s consideration, but for now, I''m not interested in leaving the city I''m guarding," Emerald Sparrow replied, equally ready for battle. "Please leave Fangting City on your own." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Words are useless!" Yuan exclaimed, kicking off with her feet and lunging forward, "The victor decides everything!"

    No sooner had she spoken than she ignored the cries of Semi saying "Don''t act on your own," and once again kicked off the battle.

    Black and blue magic power collided instantaneously; in the surging tides of magical force, the two figures didn''t distance themselves but engaged in fierce close-quarters combat. The ink-like fluid metal wielded by Yuan was extremely agile, changing freely between spear, sword, knife, and dagger forms with tricky and exquisite moves, making it extremely difficult to defend against.

    Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire

    But the cunning attacks didn''t put Emerald Sparrow at a disadvantage. On the contrary, though she was slightly passive, the thread in her hands morphed with Yuan''s rhythm, continuously weaving different masterpieces. She defended against thrusts, counterattacked slashes, and as the opponents matched sword for sword and spear for spear, they wielded similar weapons in different ways at a pace too fast for the human eye to follow.

    Threads and ink, two pieces of magic equipment that didn''t seem like weapons, were enough to replace all weapons in an original and splendid fight at this moment.

    "To think... there''s someone in this world who can fight Yuan at close range without being at a disadvantage?"

 Chapter 32 Qi_2

    Stabilizing her form after being flung aside by the fierce battle, Semi looked at the combat scene not far away and couldn''t help but widen her cat-like eyes: "I''m not dreaming, am I?"No wonder she was surprised, for even within Claw Mark, Yuan was famously known as a melee combat maniac, possessing peerless close-quarters fighting skills. In the many years since the establishment of Claw Mark, she had rarely taken action, but once she entered the realm of close combat, hardly anyone could withstand her ferocious attacks.

    And Cornflower, once famed as a Magical Girl, was known to Semi to have been active for no more than three years. In other words, a Magical Girl with merely three years of frontline combat experience was evenly matched with Yuan in hand-to-hand combat.

    Of course, her thoughts couldn''t influence the situation, as the central figures engaged in battle had already reached a fever pitch in a mere two minutes, with punches and kicks creating dull thuds and the flash of weapons stirring the heart.

    However, only Emerald Sparrow could truly feel the pressure of battling with Yuan. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire

    In fact, even after regaining control of her scissor-shaped magical gear for close combat, she could only manage not to fall behind, and finding an opening to attack was near impossible.

    The trouble didn''t just lie in the variability of the close-quarters combat techniques but also in the layer of pale white fog enveloping Yuan.

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t tell what it was, but the fog maintained its circulation with each of Yuan''s breaths. Within this fog, all magic power attacks were compressed to their limit, her own magic power nearly unable to break free from around her.

    "This fog... it''s not your magic power, nor your magical gear."

    After several attempts to understand it, Emerald Sparrow blocked one of Yuan''s slashes during a lull and stated with conviction, "It should also have nothing to do with the power of the Remnant Beasts, it is completely something else."

    "Magic power? Of course not, this is my ''qi''."

    Seemingly because she found pleasure in the battle, Yuan made no attempt to conceal the truth: "Although I am a Magical Girl, I am first and foremost a martial artist. This power comes from an ancient inheritance in the Donghua Region and naturally is not the same as magic power."

    "Qi?" Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but frown, "I''m not here to discuss martial arts novels with you."

    "Novels often arise from reality. The ''qi'' mentioned in books isn''t unfounded."

    Yuan''s pupils, with the yin-yang fish rotating slowly within, slightly widened: "Of course, it''s normal for people not to know about it now. Things that fail to adapt to the times will be eliminated by the times, eventually becoming dust in history. Martial arts are just a speck within that dust, no different from the rest, nothing worthy of remembrance." S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Fail to adapt to the times?" While countering her opponent''s strikes, Emerald Sparrow leaned back slightly to dodge a piercing punch, "Why is that?"

    "Because the so-called martial arts, the so-called path, as a form of Exotic Technique for self-defense, cannot compete with magical Spell Techniques."

    Yuan spoke with rising emotion and a resonant voice: "The cultivation process is slow, the cost is high, and the talent requirement is one in a million. And after all the cultivation, in the end, it''s only good for fighting mortals. Against real crises and disasters¡ªlike the Remnant Beasts¡ªthere''s no fighting power at all."

    "No matter the talent or quick thinking, or even boundless enthusiasm. Generations of martial artists'' explorations on this path have not made it much longer. On the contrary, the deeper one goes into martial arts, the more they realize it''s a dead end."

    "Martial arts depend on a youthful body, requiring vigorous vitality and life force. However, as martial artists age, their energy wanes, their blood weakens, and no amount of passion can preserve their physical state. They can only watch helplessly as they weaken and ultimately are unable to climb higher."

    "That''s why the former me chose to join the nation, to gain a longer time with the unchanging body of a Magical Girl, to see if I could go farther with the identity of a Magical Girl."

    In the midst of intense combat, as she blocked an incoming strike, Yuan broke into a grin: "And what you see is the result of my cultivation over these lengthy years."

    "Then why did you join Claw Mark?"

    Gathering the threads back into her hands, Emerald Sparrow slightly adjusted her stance, then, as if tireless, once again launched into attack: "Betraying the nation, colluding with the Remnant Beasts, is this the path you want?"

    "Betrayal? Colluding?"

    Yuan blinked, then suddenly chuckled: "Sorry, is that what you all think? I''ve never thought about that."

    "The leader found me, told me joining Claw Mark would show me new strength and possibilities, then defeated me, so I followed her."

    "To me, the form and shape of strength are just externals. The only thing to pursue is to keep walking the path of becoming stronger. Good and evil, beauty and ugliness, merit and sin, they all have nothing to do with me, and I don''t care about these things."

    After a fierce exchange, they briefly separated, and Yuan paused, her face bearing a satisfied smile: "What the world thinks isn''t important, I am becoming stronger, that''s all that matters."

    As she said this, Emerald Sparrow knew that trying to persuade the other through conversation was futile.

    Though she had only briefly interacted with her opponent, Emerald Sparrow had already sensed that, as a "villain" from Claw Mark, Yuan seemed distinct from the completely reprehensible villains of Black Ash Dawn.

    Furthermore, given her opponent''s strong fighting ability, it would be difficult to drive her away with combat alone, which led her to momentarily consider persuading her verbally, getting her to give up on her own.

 Chapter 32 Qi_3

    Unfortunately, as soon as she heard this, she realized that Yuan was not merely a simple villain, but he also lacked pure benevolence. He did not care about the concept of good and evil. The reason he was not a villain was merely that he found it meaningless, just as she was not a good person herself.For such a person, if they were an ally, there would be the possibility of communication, but if they were an enemy, there was nothing more to say. To resolve the current crisis, she would still have to rely on brute force to defeat her opponent.

    However, after the recent exchange, Emerald Sparrow had realized that this would not be an easy task.

    Yuan''s close combat skills were not inferior to her own, even slightly superior. Had there been no external interference, the fight could have gone on, but Emerald Sparrow knew that she did not have that much time.

    Hong Siyu and the manifested magic armor could only be maintained for five minutes, meaning that after five minutes, both the integrity of the magic armor and the quantity of Magic Power would be severely diminished, and she would inevitably be unable to continue fighting like this. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Therefore, to end the battle, she had to act quickly and decisively.

    With that in mind, she concentrated slightly and began to drastically draw on the Magic Power of the scissors in her right hand, unabashedly activating the Weave of Fate''s scissor form.

    In the intense clashing, the small tailoring scissors in her hand glowed brightly. Then, without hesitation, Emerald Sparrow directed the scissors towards the white fog surrounding Yuan, the blades slightly opening before snapping shut with force.

    Crack.

    After a crisp sound, the white fog surrounding both of them dissipated greatly.

    Almost at the same time, not far off, Hong Siyu, who held the book, turned pale, and the wall of books behind her disappeared by a third as the scissors swung.

    "Uh... cough cough cough!"

    She took a few steps back, leaning against the wall of the meeting room that had become ruins. Holding her forehead, it took her a while to recover, revealing a wry smile, "With such an extent of magic power drain, has the senior been fighting with such magical artifacts all along? It''s really... too exaggerated."

    While her reaction was pronounced, the center of the battle was greatly affected by it. Yuan''s offensive momentum almost came to a halt, and even her breathing became chaotic. Coughing a few times as if choked, she slightly withdrew from Emerald Sparrow and after a few deep breaths, raised her eyebrows in confusion, "My energy... has been weakened?"

    Not far off, Emerald Sparrow gripping the scissors was also breathing somewhat heavily.

    This was the first time she had used the replicated scissors to utilize their ability, and it was clear now that, although usable, it was indeed too taxing for Hong Siyu.

    The effect of that one cut was the intrinsic ability of the scissors¡ªseparation.

    Although the Weave of Fate''s scissor form mostly necessitated the use of realms to achieve large-scale conceptual erasure, that did not mean the scissors had no function on their own. Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire

    In fact, even without the assistance of realms, the scissors possessed a very powerful ability. In the current situation, Emerald Sparrow had merely lightly used the scissors to separate Yuan''s "energy" from her.

    While this might seem underhanded, it was precisely why she had previously asked what Yuan''s white fog was. Once Yuan explained the essence and principle of "energy," allowing Emerald Sparrow to understand it, she could use her ability to "separate" it from her opponent.

    Of course, this separation was not permanent.

    The moment of separation required a significant drain of magic power, and to maintain this state of separation, she had to continuously feed magic power into the scissors¡ªthis burden now fully fell on Hong Siyu.

    That''s also why, on the night of the Full Moon Festival, to permanently erase the concept of the Remnant Beasts on a large scale, Emerald Sparrow had no choice but to destroy her own scissors. Without doing so, she would not have had the magic power to achieve that effect.

    And now, to resolve the fight as quickly as possible, she had to use this ability again.

 Chapter 33 Welcome Back

    "The ability to ''separate'' once unleashed, and after the white fog had been dispersed, the situation in the battlefield changed further in an unpredictable direction.Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire

    The most obvious change was that Emerald Sparrow shifted from defense to offense. However, this ''attack'' wasn''t a straightforward physical assault but an assault on information.

    Having the ability to separate meant that, as long as Emerald Sparrow was aware of and understood a certain ability of Yuan''s, it would instantly be eliminated from the battle.

    Keeping a close watch on Yuan''s movements, Emerald Sparrow changed the form of her masterpiece to counter-attack while continuously observing every action of her opponent, thinking about the next ability to target.

    She knew precisely what she had to do and what the real goal was. It was impossible to severely injure or even kill the opponent in such a short time; the only thing she could do was diminish Yuan''s abilities.

    Under normal conditions, Weave of Fate could not permanently deprive the opponent of abilities, but once ''separation'' was successful, the opponent would, at least for a short time, be unable to use those abilities again.

    The first time she activated Weave of Fate, she separated Yuan''s breath. If she could remove another key concept the second time, then Yuan''s combat power would be greatly weakened. At that point, it would be time for Hong Siyu to defeat the opponent.

    Considering Hong Siyu''s fighting style, what was the biggest obstacle to defeating Yuan?

    Emerald Sparrow began to contemplate this question.

    One of the obstacles was undoubtedly the breath that had already been separated; the opponent had significantly reduced the lethality of Hong Siyu''s Spell Techniques by relying on her own breath, undeniably a troublesome ability.

    Another obstruction seemed to be the inky weapon she held.

    Yuan called this weapon ''Bai Wu,'' and from its use and performance, it demonstrated the ability to transform and penetrate with extreme strength.

    Whether it was Magical Barriers created by Spell Techniques or even Emerald Sparrow''s own masterpiece, once they came into contact with Yuan''s weapon, they seemed to lose their magical properties and were physically severed by ''Bai Wu.''

    Although the true power of the weapon was unclear, just from appearances, it was already a significant threat to Hong Siyu.

    Since Hong Siyu clearly lacked close-combat capabilities, being mockingly called a ''cannon'' Magical Girl, her fight depended on Spell Techniques and magical equipment for long-range fire suppression. This was why, if Yuan chose to use her weapon for long-range combat, engaging in a long-distance battle with Hong Siyu, who lacked defensive methods, might turn Hong Siyu into a target.

    With this in mind, if she could separate Yuan''s only long-range attack method, then the battle would surely turn in Hong Siyu''s favor.

    However, the idea was nice, but reality was regrettable: Emerald Sparrow could not separate the opponent''s ''magical equipment'' directly.

    Because the nature of magical equipment is actually a part of a Magical Girl''s true form, separating the magical equipment meant directly taking away a part of the opponent''s essence. The concept of ''true form'' was not something she could handle at her current level.

    The stronger the concept separated, the more Magic Power she had to consume and maintain. Even at her peak, it was extremely difficult for Emerald Sparrow to separate a part of a named card''s true form.

    Therefore, to solve the problem of the opponent''s magical equipment, the concept she had to cut could not be ''magical equipment'' but something else.

    So, what exactly should that be?

    Accompanied by such thoughts, Emerald Sparrow''s attacks grew more forceful, she started to abandon some of her defenses, and even began to actively accept some injuries to force Yuan to make riskier responses.

    It wasn''t just because she was running out of time, but also because she wanted to force her opponent to reveal more of her abilities. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Naturally, this line of thinking was not something Hong Siyu and Semi watching from the sidelines could understand; from their perspective, the tide of the battle was beginning to turn in favor of Emerald Sparrow suppressing Yuan. The dispersion of the white fog directly altered Yuan''s fighting style. Although her movements remained swift and skilled, they were evidently more awkward.

    The white fog, composed of ''breath'' and snipped away by Emerald Sparrow, was a natural defense against magic. In past battles, whether against humans or Remnant Beasts, this method of defense had been unbeatable. It was for this reason that Yuan had become accustomed to neglecting magical attacks in close combat.

    While this did not mean she had lost her ability to normally defend against magic, such a sudden shift in battle habits indeed impacted her. And precisely because of this, Emerald Sparrow had the opportunity to attack.

    There wasn''t much time left for the replicated magical equipment, and to secure victory in the remaining time, Emerald Sparrow had to resort to more aggressive tactics.

    Yuan couldn''t use her breath for defense, and Emerald Sparrow, aiming for success, had given up her defense. The fight thus became perilously dangerous, with both combatants continuing to fight in spite of the growing number of small wounds appearing on their bodies.

    There was only one minute left for the magical equipment.

    Both Emerald Sparrow and Yuan were utterly consumed by the battle, closely monitoring each other''s movements to react as swiftly as possible.

    The scissors in her hand gradually became ethereal, their once solid outline now blurred, but the fight between them was still at a deadlock. Even though Emerald Sparrow was gradually overpowering her opponent''s offense, she still hadn''t found the opportunity for a decisive victory.

 Chapter 33 Welcome Back_2

    But she did not become anxious because of this, on the contrary, the more fraught the situation became, the more calmly she approached it.The Weave of Fate in her hands was already struggling to maintain its own form, and it wasn''t far from dissipating completely, but Emerald Sparrow still couldn''t observe any opportunity that would determine the outcome of the battle.

    If she knew the exact abilities of her opponent''s magic equipment, then Emerald Sparrow might have been able to directly sabotage "Bai Wu", but unfortunately, Yuan was combative rather than foolish. Once her aura had been separated, she kept silent about her abilities.

    Clearly, she also knew that Emerald Sparrow''s magic equipment had a certain time limit. Once the five-minute limit was up, the enemy before her would no longer pose a threat. So, instead of being anxious to resolve the fight, Yuan seemed more like she was enjoying it. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The time limit for the reappearance had only half a minute remaining.

    The rhythm of the weapons clashing grew faster, and Emerald Sparrow began to press further, trying to find an opening in her opponent''s defense. However, Yuan, though on the defensive, still guarded tightly, preferring more minor injuries over revealing additional information.

    If it weren''t for the fundamental nature of their battle changing, most would be unaware that they weren''t engaging in a life-or-death struggle, but were instead waging a unique information war.

    When the battle entered the final twenty seconds, Yuan even began to use defensive tactics akin to a turtle shell, focusing solely on not making mistakes, completely giving up on offense.

    "So this is what you call a straightforward victory?" Emerald Sparrow once again tried to provoke her opponent with words, "Winning by running out the clock?"

    "Each soldier has their maneuvers, every battle its strategy."

    Amidst intense attacks, Yuan''s lips slightly curled into a smile: "Stamina is an indispensable part of combat, and there''s no shame in outlasting your opponent."

    "Excuses," Emerald Sparrow blandly pointed out the true nature of her opponent''s words.

    "The fact is, as long as I win without guilt in my heart, that''s enough."

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    Yuan laughed a bit casually: "No matter how pretty the words, victory is what matters most. When there''s a chance to win, no matter how messy the victory, you seize the opportunity!"

    After saying this, she continued to adopt a defensive stance, seemingly determined to drag the fight out until the end.

    With only ten seconds remaining, Emerald Sparrow gave up all extraneous tactics and launched her final assault, using a hundred percent of her energy to unleash a full-scale attack.

    Swords, daggers, and gauntlets¡ªshe kept changing the forms of her magic equipment, steadily closing the gap between them, until at last, they could clearly see each other''s eyes.

    Yuan''s heterochromatic eyes were like a fiery blaze, burning with confidence; Emerald Sparrow''s eyes were like a calm lake, hiding the unknown.

    With only five seconds left, she unleashed her masterpiece of threads, weaving them into a form never before seen under their mutual gaze, a scythe extending from behind Yuan''s back.

    "Masterpiece, number five, Harpe of Reaping."

    Exploiting the transformative nature of the threads themselves, bypassing the restrictions of human movement, Emerald Sparrow managed to place the blade of the scythe just behind Yuan''s neck, barely millimeters from cutting her nape.

    At this close distance, a mere retraction of the scythe would conclude the attack and decapitate the opponent.

    And this was the first and last time she brought her opponent close to death in this close combat.

    She didn''t expect to truly kill her opponent with such an attack, but only with such immense pressure could she possibly see Yuan''s true magic equipment abilities.

    In the magical equipment resurgence''s final five seconds, Emerald Sparrow flicked the scythe in her hand.

    Under her gaze, Yuan''s expression shifted from astonishment, to confusion, and then to contentment and relief. Then, as if conceding defeat, she raised the ink-like metal in her hand and infused it with Magic Power.

    "Bai Wu."

    At her call, the scythe in Emerald Sparrow''s hand became notably more solid in that instant; it could no longer proceed an inch after touching Yuan''s neck. It was as if it had struck something far harder than the blade itself, just grazing by.

    This strike, which could have been lethal, was effortlessly blocked at Yuan''s single call.

    It seemed as if she had won the duel, but both knew that from that moment on, Yuan had already lost in the information war.

    Because she had revealed her magic equipment''s ability.

    The masterpiece scythe created by Emerald Sparrow, formed from her own magic equipment and refined through personal Weave of Fate, was endowed with killing power far beyond ordinary Spell Techniques. In theory, if the attack was effective, there should be nothing it could not cut through.

    To nullify such an attack required an opposing Magic Power strong enough to disperse the edge of the scythe, addressing the attack at the level of Magic Power.

    However, under such intense pressure to make a decision, Yuan didn''t resort to the Magical Power Release, which she was not skilled at, but to her most familiar magic equipment abilities.

    The effect ultimately displayed was as if Emerald Sparrow''s scythe had turned to mere iron, losing all properties bestowed by Magic Power the moment it struck Yuan.

    Only ordinary iron cuts a magical creation without causing damage, as if it had touched something hard and smooth, deflecting without harming.

 Chapter 309 Welcome back_3

    What Yuan did could already be surmised.In the final two seconds of the magic equipment''s reappearance time, Emerald Sparrow raised the scissors in her hand, and in one second completed the shearing action, declaring in the last moment her understanding of Yuan''s capabilities.

    ¡ª "Demonic power negation, physicalization."

    To ensure the accuracy of her declaration, she described the ability from both positive and negative perspectives. Then, she felt a massive outflow of magic power from the scissors that were about to dissipate, nearly depleting most of her own magic power.

    Click.

    With a light, crisp sound, the scissors in Emerald Sparrow''s hand, along with the ink-like metal in Yuan''s, crumbled together.

    The scissors reached their reappearance limit in the last moment and fulfilled their purpose.

    Hong Siyu could not replicate things from her memory continuously; after each replication, the record of the item within "Billion Ocean Memory" would be completely exhausted and would require a long time to replenish.

    For spell techniques, Hong Siyu could compensate for this drawback by recording the same spell in large quantities, but this method was obviously not universally applicable for magic equipment which is unique and distinctive.

    This also meant that the outcome of the battle had been determined; success in declaring the opponent''s magic equipment capability almost meant victory; failure to declare meant that both had lost the opportunity to win.

    As for the result, it was already clear when she saw Yuan''s magic equipment¡ªshe had succeeded.

    The magic equipment, initially in the form of a liquid metal, had now lost its metallic luster and had completely turned into a dark, ink-like blob of magic power.

    This meant that, regardless of which aspect of Emerald Sparrow''s declaration was correct, she had at least successfully separated the abilities of Yuan''s magic equipment: from now on, no matter how the magic equipment changed its form, it was merely changing the shape of magic power and no longer possessed the terrifying penetrative power and lethality it had before.

    Even if the opponent had any further means to unleash the magic equipment''s abilities, the disappearance of this concept was irreplaceable, and with the core concept of the magic equipment removed, it was doubtful there would be much effect even with further enhancement.

    As for how long this state would last¡ªat least judging from the consumption of Emerald Sparrow''s remaining magic power, a few hours would not be a problem.

    And a few hours was more than enough for Hong Siyu to resolve the battle.

    The two of them just looked at each other quietly, and for a while, neither spoke. Emerald Sparrow''s expression was calm, but her slightly trembling fingers proved that she too was not without pressure; although Yuan had her magic equipment''s abilities separated, there was more satisfaction on her face from a hearty battle than regret over the failure. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "I lost," she said with a smile, spreading her hands, "You''re right, my magic equipment ability is ''physicalization''. It''s also the core ability of my magic equipment; without it, I''ll have a hard time defeating that junior over there with my current state."

    "By ''current state,'' you are referring to one where you don''t use the wonderland or further abilities, aren''t you?"

    Emerald Sparrow took a slow breath: "That is to say, you actually have reservations."

    "I''ve said it before, I don''t want to use my own wonderland." Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

    Yuan shook her head: "My wonderland, although it imposes extremely strong restrictive rules on everyone within its range, actually gives me an overwhelming advantage. To unfold the wonderland and use the rules, such a victory has no pleasure. When I say I don''t want to use it, that means I don''t want to, and there''s no need to talk more about anything further. I hate battles where I bully the weak."

    "It seems you have a lot of confidence in your other abilities," Emerald Sparrow raised her eyebrows, "I''d say, I''ve never seen anyone who considers ''using full power'' as ''bullying the weak.''

    "The full strength of a martial arts practitioner is different from that of a magical girl."

    Yuan put her hands on her hips: "A game without rules has no fun, a battle without an enemy has no meaning. To enjoy every valuable battle in life, to respect every opponent who can bring me pleasure within the rules, this is my life philosophy."

    ¡ª "That philosophy only leads me to get scolded by the boss along with you!"

    Seeing that the two almost seemed to appreciate each other, Semi couldn''t help but yell out in frustration, "Just start the wonderland, release it quickly! We''re not here to play house, the Source of Beasts is very important!"

    "Shut up, Semi, don''t say these mood-killing words while I''m enjoying the afterglow of battle."

    Yuan gave it a sidelong glance, dissatisfied, "After finally enjoying a rousing battle, I don''t want to keep worrying about those troublesome matters our leader mentioned."

    "So you plan to just go back like this?"

    The easy-going attitude of the other party made Emerald Sparrow feel somewhat unreal, she couldn''t help but speak up to confirm, "You haven''t even used all your abilities, have you?"

    "Losing is losing; I don''t like to make excuses."

    Yuan waved her hand, "But, I never said I''d just go back, you know?"

    "What?" Both Emerald Sparrow and the nearby Semi expressed their confusion aloud.

    "Please, after finally leaving seclusion from arduous training and returning to a human city, I want to enjoy modern life properly."

    Yuan looked at the one human and one fairy who had spoken up, "I just arrived in Fangting City this morning, and you''re asking me to go back to the wilderness this afternoon? Training isn''t supposed to be that kind of suffering, I want to have fun here for a few days!"

    "As for the battle, it''s not like it''s just one fight."

    She crossed her arms and tucked her hands into the wide sleeves of her Daoist robe, "It''s rare to find such a good opponent, I definitely want to spar with you a few more times, and don''t mind me bothering you then."

    "...You mean, this time doesn''t count, we''ll compare again next time." Emerald Sparrow analyzed the meaning behind the other person''s words with some hesitation, "What if I lose next time?"

    "Then I''ll just take you and the Source of Beasts away together."

    Yuan laughed heartily, "I''m really interested in you now, and I''m looking forward to your strength after you''ve healed from the injuries. If you could join Claw Mark, there would certainly be much for us to talk about."

    "No matter how many times I win, it doesn''t count, but losing just once means a true loss..."

    With a hint of resignation, Emerald Sparrow sighed, "I remember you saying not so long ago about ''not bullying the weak.''

    "Hmph, all principles ultimately depend on my preferences and mood."

    Yuan straightened out her tattered Daoist robe, rolled up her sleeves, and tied up the hem, "If you want me to give up completely, then defeat the real me who''s given it my all. At that time, I''ll admit my mission has failed and leave obediently."

    Having said all this, she reached out and grabbed the still disgruntled Semi to her side, then waved at Emerald Sparrow, who looked somewhat weary, "Let''s go, next time I''ll directly contact you through the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."

    After finishing her speech, a shroud of dark magic power enveloped her figure, and the shapes of the one human and one fairy turned into a fleeting shadow that vanished from in front of Emerald Sparrow and Hong Siyu.

    Left behind, the two magical girls stood in place, looking up at the now empty sky, temporarily unsure of what they were thinking.

    Emerald Sparrow contemplated the words Yuan said before she left, and ultimately had to admit that she, and even Fangting City, currently lacked the power to drive away this unwelcome guest; it seemed she had no choice but to accept the existence of this "enemy."

    Fortunately, it seemed that the other party wasn''t the type to harm ordinary people without a second thought like Mosi; saying she wanted to play here probably just meant that¡ªunless she decided to dine and dash.

    Having sorted these thoughts, she let out an involuntary sigh and turned back to face Hong Siyu, intending to inquire more about the situation on this side.

    But just as she turned around, what came was a hug.

    ¡ª¡ª"I''m back, senior."

    Hong Siyu had already flown over from behind and embraced Emerald Sparrow, resting her chin on Emerald Sparrow''s forehead. And although Emerald Sparrow wanted to look up, Hong Siyu didn''t lower her gaze; she was doing this solely to cover up the slight heat in her cheeks that had appeared after the action.

    Feeling this somewhat long-missed embrace, Emerald Sparrow''s mouth opened slightly. The questions she meant to ask were replaced by another in the blink of an eye, when the words came out, they were a simple response:

    "Ah, welcome back."

    It wasn''t just Hong Siyu who had returned, but also the magical girl who had once retired and now had once again appeared in this world.

 Chapter 34 New Member

    In early December, the weather turned cold, and the wintry winds brought a light snow, making the streets of Fangting City much paler in the winter day.The pale sky was high and vast, and although the sunshine shined down, it brought not a trace of warmth. When the cold wind blew, it carried a faint howling sound, as if nature itself was letting out a roar.

    It was the weekend, yet there were hardly any pedestrians on the road. The streets were permeated with chilliness, and the few who ventured outside were wrapped in heavy winter clothing, braving the biting cold on their cheeks as they crossed the gray and white interwoven pavement. The city''s clamor was dissipated by the cold wind, leaving behind only silence and loneliness.

    During such cold times, most people preferred to spend the rare weekend in a room with the heating turned up.

    With the streets outside cold, the warmth inside became precious. A layer of glass separated the cold and warm worlds; the lingering condensation on the window panes seemed to be protesting the chill outside.

    With a "huh" she exhaled fog onto the glass and watched the area of mist slowly shrink, Lin Xiaolu, somewhat listlessly, drew a crude smiley face on it. Looking through the smiley face at the desolate scenery outside, she still couldn''t see the person she was waiting for. Turning back, she glanced at Xia Liang who was lying on the couch playing with her phone, and couldn''t help but sigh,

    "Why hasn''t Emerald Sparrow come back yet?"

    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

    "It always feels like you''re asking about Emerald Sparrow, but it seems like there''s something else hidden in your question," S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Without looking up from her phone screen, Xia Liang said in a draggy voice, "Does being alone with me bore you that much?"

    "Who''s alone with you, we''re just coincidentally in the same living room."

    Lin Xiaolu glanced at the smiley face she drew earlier, and in the span of two sentences, her "artistic masterpiece" had already become patchy. She squinted subconsciously and said, "Don''t flatter yourself, I really was just asking about Emerald Sparrow."

    "Even if there''s no other meaning, you''ve already asked that question at least three times."

    As Xia Liang tapped away on the phone''s keyboard, she muttered, "If she''s not back, she''s not back; fretting won''t help. Don''t you have something else to do?"

    "No."

    Wiping away the smiley face she had just drawn, Lin Xiaolu muttered, "Magic Power training has hit a bottleneck, school homework is done, and there''s nothing interesting on TV¡ªabsolutely nothing to do."

    "What about video games? Your Magical Girl squad?"

    "Finished. I''ve cleared all the levels."

    Turning away from the window, she walked back to the center of the living room and slumped down on the couch with a downcast expression: "Mom... I even obtained the character ''Shucao'', and raised her to the max level. There''s no interest in playing anymore."

    "Isn''t there a new event? And what about the latest character that was released, called something...Qianniu?"

    "Not interested, Yin Jiao isn''t my type. Magical Girls should be glittering and inspiring."

    Upon hearing the name "Qianniu," Lin Xiaolu subconsciously pursed her lips, her remarks sparing no feelings: "As for the new event, it seems boring; isn''t it just the same old villain''s introductory tropes that are played out in animations?"

    "Then go challenge other players, I remember that game has multiplayer competitive content, right?"

    "What? Let my painstakingly nurtured Magical Girls compete with others for superiority? Winning brings no benefits, losing brings embarrassment¡ªyou must be a devil," Lin Xiaolu widened her eyes.

    "It''s the game operators who are the devils, I''m just stating the facts,"

    With some resignation, Xia Liang put down the phone: "If this isn''t good and that isn''t good, why don''t you go downstairs and train with Xiao Xuan?"

    "She''s already awakened her magic outfit, what''s the use of me going?"

    Lin Xiaolu pursed her lips: "Besides, I always feel like that kid suddenly became much stronger lately. I don''t stand a chance when sparring with her."

    "If you really put it that way, it is indeed the case,"

    Xia Liang nodded in agreement: "Not only can you not win against her, but I''m almost at ''Ye'' level, and I still don''t feel like I have any advantage against her. The little senior has been taking her out for one-on-one training more often too; I always feel like something we don''t know about has happened to that kid."

    "Really?"

    Propped up by her elbows on her knees, Lin Xiaolu blinked puzzledly, "I haven''t felt anything."

    "You''ve noticed, haven''t you? That kid has completely abandoned the title ''teacher'' and started calling the little senior ''mommy''."

    Xia Liang''s head, propped on the armrest, tilted slightly back, meeting Lin Xiaolu''s gaze: "Don''t you have any thoughts about that?"

    "What''s the big deal? After all, I was the one who told her,"

    Looking baffled at Xia Liang, Lin Xiaolu tilted her head: "It''s fine for an elementary school student to express closeness like that, right?"

    "Then why haven''t you been calling her that these last few days?"

    "I''m not an elementary school student anymore! Plus, Emerald Sparrow seems troubled by that nickname!"

    Lin Xiaolu emphatically pointed out the error in Xia Liang''s words, then leaned back with her arms wrapped around herself, assuming a pondering pose: "Although according to this progression, maybe there will be a day... it''s still too soon for their relationship to reach that stage, isn''t it? I don''t want to rush things; wouldn''t that be a bit selfish?"

    "...As you wish."

    Displaying an odd smile that Lin Xiaolu completely failed to understand, Xia Liang put down the phone. She pushed hard against the backrest of the couch, popping herself up and changed the subject: "Anyway, let''s do housework together, shall we?"

 Chapter 34 New Member_2

    "Eh? No way."Lin Xiaolu immediately expressed her disdain, "I just did it yesterday, isn''t it your turn today? Don''t try to drag me into this by switching concepts."

    "Anyway, you''re not doing anything, right?"

    Xia Liang smiled slyly, "Consider it deepening the camaraderie between teammates."

    "Who cares?"

    Lin Xiaolu rolled her eyes at her, her whole body slumping into the backrest, and at the same time lifted her heels, showing her refusal to step down, "Instead of repeating meaningless chores, I''d rather have a Remnant Beast pop up now for me to fight."

    "Fight a Remnant Beast?"

    Xia Liang, as if hearing something amusing, revealed a cheerful smile mixed with innocence, "Without using white magic power, you wouldn''t be able to beat even a slightly formidable Inchworm, right? After all, it''s a seed-level creature."

    "I, you!" Lin Xiaolu''s heel, which had just been raised, slammed back onto the ground.

    Just as the girls'' everyday bickering was evolving into a meaningless argument, a noise from the entrance interrupted their conversation.

    Bang!

    The crisp sound of closing the door, like a signal, drew both girls'' eyes toward the direction of the entrance.

    If a person''s ears could react to sounds, Lin Xiaolu''s would have perked up by now. After all, she knew all too well what that sound of the door closing at this time could mean.

    "Emerald Sparrow, you''re back..."

    Jumping up amidst Xia Liang''s resigned gaze, Lin Xiaolu scurried to the door in slippers, ready to warmly welcome the other person, but upon seeing who was at the door, she closed her mouth with a perplexed expression.

    Because standing there was not just Emerald Sparrow, but another figure as well.

    It was a Magical Girl in purple and red attire, looking somewhat familiar, yet not quite placeable. If she had to say where she had seen such a figure, it would have been only in a mobile game she played recently.

    But addressing someone she was seeing for the first time by a mobile game character''s name sounded a bit like a child unable to distinguish fantasy from reality, so Lin Xiaolu wisely chose to stay silent.

    This mixture of confusion, aloofness, and wariness was captured by Emerald Sparrow. She glanced at the Magical Girl, her lips parting slightly as if to speak, then hesitated, eventually closing her eyes as if making some decision, and finally spoke:

    "Call over Bo Xue and Xiao Jin, and Moko as well, I want to introduce the new member to you all."

    "...New member?"

    Lin Xiaolu scrutinized the girl in the red dress, swallowing the words "She looks older than all of us" back down. In the end, she just snorted softly through her nose, filled with surprise and confusion as she left.

    Before long, all the members of the secret base had gathered together.

    "Let me introduce to you, this is a Magical Girl who has recently arrived in Fangting City. She will join our team as a non-resident member, and participate in certain battles alongside us," Emerald Sparrow declared, extending an arm toward the girl beside her, her face stern, her voice serious. "Compared to you all, she''s somewhat of a senior, so you can ask her any questions you might have."

    After speaking, seeing that no one else spoke up, she looked around at the girls'' reactions, paused, and asked again, "Does anyone have any questions?"

    Upon finishing her question, she saw Xia Liang raise her hand first, then nodded to allow her to ask.

    "I don''t get it! What does ''non-resident member'' mean?"

    After Emerald Sparrow gestured, Xia Liang lowered her hand, her expression serious, as if she was a diligent student, "Does that mean this senior won''t be staying in Fangting City permanently?"

    "No, she''ll be in Fangting City, but not staying long at the secret base, nor will she join the regular patrols,"

    Emerald Sparrow explained earnestly, "In short, once she joins our team, she''ll only help out with important battles and training sessions, and will have other tasks the rest of the time."

    "Is this senior from the Magic Kingdom?"

    Bai Jingxuan followed up with her question, "She doesn''t seem like a Magical Girl who was originally from Fangting City."

    Emerald Sparrow weighed her words carefully, responding thoughtfully, "That question... kind of, and not really. She''s actually more like me, originally a local from Fangting City, but then some things happened..."

    "A friend of your mom?"

    It seemed to take a moment for Bai Jingxuan to understand, then she nodded obediently, "Then I have nothing more to ask."

    ¡ª¡ª"I have an objection! As a Seeder, I have an objection!"

    However, it was at this moment that Moke spoke up, "Even though this is the Inspector''s wish, the replacement of a Magical Girl in a city is supposed to be my task! I''ve never known about such a Magical Girl in Fangting City, and I haven''t sensed her presence before! Suddenly, this person pops up and then claims to join our team or something, I just learned about this, it''s against the rules!"

    "I know this is sudden, but we can discuss the related procedures later."

    Emerald Sparrow held her arms with a slightly helpless expression, "Anyway, today is just to introduce everyone and get to know each other, we''ll discuss the specifics of the activities later."

    "But we still have to know her background, right?"

    Lin Xiaolu was the last one to speak, but her attitude was the sharpest and most direct: "Even if Emerald Sparrow introduced her, even if she''s a senior, a stranger suddenly joining the team or something..."

    Her voice became softer towards the end, but actually, everyone understood what she wanted to express.

    In fact, the questions raised by Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan earlier were also subtly revealing this meaning.

    Realizing this, even Emerald Sparrow could no longer maintain her stern expression and showed an "I knew this would happen" look of resignation, glancing at the girl beside her.

    Their eyes met, seemingly completing some sort of communication incomprehensible to the girls, and after a moment, the unfamiliar girl spoke somewhat awkwardly:

    "Um, because I was originally the Magical Girl of Fangting City... I just came back recently, no, I should say, returned to duty?"

    "Originally from Fangting City?" Xia Liang seemed to understand somewhat, "Are you the senior who left Fangting City two years ago?"

    "No, not that either..."

    "Then which senior from when? Even earlier? Doesn''t that mean you''ve already retired?"

    Xia Liang tilted her head, "So, you mean to say, like the little senior, you came from Fangting but joined the Magic Kingdom and only recently came back due to a mission?"

    "I didn''t join the Magic Kingdom either."

    Despite being questioned by a girl who seemed younger, she couldn''t put on any airs of being older: "I actually retired before..."

    "Retired!"

    This time, it was everyone apart from Emerald Sparrow, including the Fairies, who let out exclamations of surprise.

    Because everyone, even the Fairies, knew that Magical Girls who retire lose their powers and can no longer transform. The girl''s statement was undeniably challenging their common sense and knowledge.

    "You mean, you retired before but can now come back as a Magical Girl?"

    Even the normally rational Xia Liang was taken aback for a moment: "How did you manage that? Are there some rules and regulations we haven''t learned about? Or does the Magic Kingdom have some kind of privilege? No, why does it feel somewhat familiar..."

    ¡ª¡ª"Stop guessing."

    In the end, it was Emerald Sparrow who interrupted the girls'' clamor, slightly resignedly saying: "Actually, you all know her. She''s my junior, Magical Girl codenamed Chaoyan."

    With these words, the clamor in the living room ceased instantly. The doubt among the girls was completely dispelled.

    Then, as this doubt was resolved, what burst forth was an even more intense series of shocked exclamations.

    "Is it Auntie Hong?" Bai Jingxuan''s cry was the most direct.

    "Ah, it''s actually Hong... Sister." Xia Liang covered her mouth slightly but still remembered to use the proper form of address.

    "It''s that weird woman?" Moke said the most bluntly at this time.

    The girls and the Fairies shouted out together, each expressing their surprise, yet, there was only one person who didn''t speak. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    That was Lin Xiaolu.

    It was not because she was too shocked, or because she had an inkling of the truth beforehand, but because her focus had already drifted to something peculiar.

    She noticed the cautious smile tinged with a certain emotion that Hong Siyu gave to Emerald Sparrow, and the helpless yet gentle look from Emerald Sparrow in return.

    What is their relationship?

    Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

    More than the truth about Hong Siyu''s identity, this question had firmly occupied her mind from the moment it arose, triggering an alarm bell in Lin Xiaolu''s thoughts.

 Chapter 35 Lin Xiaolus Suspicions

    "Suspicious."Several days later in the evening, after finishing her patrol and returning home, Lin Xiaolu sat alone on the sofa, her expression solemn, her voice deep as she sighed, "It''s really too suspicious."

    Because there had been no sightings of Remnant Beasts in Fangting City for some time, and because they had gained a certain understanding of their own areas, the girls'' patrol work had inevitably become less rigorous. What used to take nearly two hours after school was now compressed to just one hour.

    After completing their set tasks, the girls who had nothing to do and didn''t want to study, would naturally gather in the living room and occupy their favorite spots on the sofa.

    Next to her, Xia Liang had been intently watching the television, but upon hearing Lin Xiaolu''s murmurs, she glanced at her and then expressionlessly turned her gaze back to the TV screen.

    "Too suspicious," Lin Xiaolu repeated, and for some reason, she raised her voice, "I feel that something is happening behind the scenes, and I''m left in the dark."

    Xia Liang continued to ignore her, watching the television with an impassive face.

    Glancing at Xia Liang and seeing that she had no intention of responding, Lin Xiaolu narrowed her eyes. She stood up from her seat and walked behind Xia Liang, crouched down to her ear, and said emphatically, "Too, suspicious."

    "...What are you trying to say?"

    Reluctantly shifting her gaze away from the television, Xia Liang smiled feebly, "Suspicious? Have you come across any suspicious characters recently?"

    "Suspicious characters? Hmm... possibly?" Lin Xiaolu stood up straight, a thoughtful look on her face.

    "Who?"

    "That woman."

    "''That woman''? How am I supposed to understand who you''re talking about with that?"

    Xia Liang let out a forced laugh, "Don''t you have a more distinctive way to refer to her?"

    Lin Xiaolu couldn''t help but feel frustrated, pursing her lips and pausing for a long time before reluctantly squeezing out a sentence, "It''s... that woman named Hong Siyu."

    "...Ha."

    Xia Liang sighed slightly, an "I knew it" expression flashing across her face, "You''re talking about Hong... Sister, right? What about her?"

    "Don''t you find it strange?"

    Lin Xiaolu rested her hands on the back of the sofa, half her face peeking from behind, "Why did that woman disappear for such a long time and then suddenly come back as a Magical Girl? After all, how can a retired Magical Girl regain her power? She brushed off that issue, but why has her cooking been so much tastier these past few days? That''s preposterous!"

    "Isn''t that a good thing..."

    Xia Liang frowned slightly, looking troubled, "Look, Sister Hong has become a Magical Girl again and has also overcome her cooking obstacles. It''s all good for us."

    "I''m not saying it''s a bad thing. The key question is why? Lately, there have been too many strange occurrences, and I always feel like they happen when I''m not aware. Like the gas pipeline explosion in that community two weeks ago, that destruction was definitely the work of Remnant Beasts, right? Then a few days ago, there was the collapse of the just-completed Abnormal Strategy Bureau building, and Emerald Sparrow had warned us in advance of a formidable enemy. It all points to an attack on the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, doesn''t it?"

    Lin Xiaolu was obviously not convinced by this answer, counting on her fingers the various anomalies, "As for Hong Siyu, nothing falls from the sky for no reason. What happened during the days she disappeared? I always feel she''s hiding something from us! And it definitely has to do with these weird incidents!" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Haha..."

    Not sure what else to say, Xia Liang could only continue to give a dry laugh, "So what now?"

    "I need to know the truth!" Lin Xiaolu slapped the back of the sofa forcefully, her stance firm, "Even if I have to use some means!"

    Just as she said this, Bai Jingxuan happened to come up from the training area in the basement. She was holding her cat Moke in one hand and wiping sweat from her face with a towel in the other hand, looking somewhat puzzled at Lin Xiaolu in the living room, "The truth? What is Sister talking about?"

    "About all the strange things happening in Fangting City recently, and the most suspicious one is that woman, Hong Siyu."

    Lin Xiaolu turned her face towards Bai Jingxuan, "Both the community gas explosion and the collapse of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau building, don''t you wonder what''s going on behind them?"

    "Community gas explosion...?" Bai Jingxuan slowly chewed on these words, slightly opening her mouth but then suddenly covering her mouth as if she had remembered something.

    "Why are you covering your mouth?" Lin Xiaolu looked at her suspiciously, and after a moment, she also suddenly reacted, rising from behind the sofa, "Wait, isn''t Lixing District your patrol area?"

    "Ah!"

    Bai Jingxuan couldn''t control her outburst and then quickly shook her hands, "I don''t know anything! I didn''t see anything when I was on patrol!"

    "What do you mean you didn''t see anything? You must know something, right?"

    Lin Xiaolu took strides towards Bai Jingxuan, "Come on, confess!"

    "Mom said not to... no, I mean I can''t!" Bai Jingxuan stepped back slightly, holding the staircase railing.

    "Mom? Emerald Sparrow? Huh?" Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

    Lin Xiaolu''s eyes widened slightly, "You mean to say this has to do with Emerald Sparrow? And I''m the only one who''s out of the loop?"

    Even Xia Liang, who had been feigning indifference, looked up in surprise, turning her head towards Bai Jingxuan''s direction.

    "Bai Jingxuan, as your senior, and theoretically your future sister, let''s not lie to each other, okay?"

 Chapter 35 Lin Xiaolus Suspicions_2

    Lin Xiaolu stretched out her hands, placed them on Bai Jingxuan''s shoulders, her dark eyes spinning as if with whirlpools, "Come on, tell me, what exactly did Emerald Sparrow secretly do with you?""Um... I..." Bai Jingxuan clutched at the hem of her dress, obviously a bit conflicted, unable to utter a word for a long time, only managing to look towards Xia Liang with a plea for help.

    Seeing her plea for help, although Xia Liang was equally curious, she still began to intercede, "Take it easy, Xiaolu, don''t press the kid so hard. You''re scaring her, and if you do, she won''t be able to speak, right?"

    "Yes, yes!" Bai Jingxuan nodded repeatedly.

    "Am I, scary?"

    Lin Xiaolu blinked her eyes, then let go of Bai Jingxuan''s shoulders and turned to look at Xia Liang, "Then let''s not press the elementary student for now, Xia Liang, I just remembered, don''t you have some issues too?"

    "During the early days of this term, you and Emerald Sparrow were always mysteriously alone, right? Even at the parent-teacher meeting, something seemed to happen, and you always knew things I don''t even know whether Emerald Sparrow said. Can you first explain your situation?"

    Gulp.

    Xia Liang instinctively swallowed her saliva.

    "How, how could that be? Whether we''re at school or at our secret base, aren''t we together every day?"

    Her gaze drifted and her voice was slightly out of tune, "I just have a better memory for things like what Emerald Sparrow said, that''s all. Maybe you''re the one who didn''t remember, right?"

    "...Suspicious."

    Squinting her eyes, Lin Xiaolu looked at Xia Liang and then at Bai Jingxuan behind her, repeating for what must have been the umpteenth time today, "It''s too suspicious. Am I seeing shadows where there are none? Could it be that all of you are hiding something from me, and I''m the only one who knows nothing?"

    "Hey, you''re really overthinking this!"

    "Yeah, yeah!"

    Xia Liang quickly agreed with Bai Jingxuan, interrupting Lin Xiaolu, "Let''s not talk about this topic anymore. Weren''t you just talking about Big Sister Hong? How did the conversation get so off topic? Talk about the real issue, what''s your plan to get the truth out of her?"

    "Huh? Oh... you''re talking about that."

    Her train of thought being brought back by Xia Liang, Lin Xiaolu immediately switched to a different line of thinking, musing, "My initial idea is to confront her when I find the time, but I always feel like I might not get the result I want."

    "Confrontation is definitely not a good idea."

    The previously listless Xia Liang, in a drastic change from her previous state, actively made a suggestion, "I think we should start with indirect questioning, lure her into contradicting herself."

    "Yeah, yeah!" Bai Jingxuan was also very eager to assert herself.

    "Indirect questioning? So that''s your specialty, huh?"

    Lin Xiaolu raised an eyebrow, "After all, asking sly questions under the pretense of innocence is your forte, right?"

    "I won''t accept such unfounded slander," Xia Liang said, her enthusiastic smile unchanged, "''Pretending'' and ''sly'' ¨C such negative, subjective descriptions are unwarranted."

    "Anyway, it''s just about setting traps on purpose," Lin Xiaolu rolled her eyes, "just to trick some unsuspecting nice guys." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "What do you mean ''trick nice guys''?"

    Xia Liang suddenly seemed dissatisfied, "I''m clearly trying to help you think of ways!"

    "It''s too slow! Too unstable! By the time we get results, she might have already completed any plot she had!"

    Lin Xiaolu shook her head, "Rejected! Next suggestion!"

    ¡ª "I think we can find a chance to secretly follow her, see what exactly she''s up to right now," a voice suddenly said.

    "Following, hmm..."

    Lin Xiaolu furrowed her brows, "It''s easy to say, but it''s quite difficult to put into practice. The last time we tried to track someone, it was a complete failure."

    "Although I don''t know what happened during the last tracking attempt, I''m sure it''s because you weren''t prepared enough, lacked the right tools, and didn''t follow proper procedures," the suddenly appearing voice continued.

    "If you can solve these problems, tracking can actually be a very efficient method, after all, that''s how private detectives used to handle cases in the old days," the voice added.

    "You do have a point," Lin Xiaolu conceded, slightly persuaded, yet still hesitant, "But these aren''t easy problems to solve, are they? Tools, actions, and all that..."

    "No worries, if you''re really inclined, I can help out."

    "Really? I didn''t expect that someone among us could help... wait, who are you?!"

    Realizing halfway through that something was amiss, Lin Xiaolu finally noticed the voice didn''t belong to either Xia Liang or Bai Jingxuan, nor was it Moke; instead, it originated from a rather eerie direction¡ªthe living room''s French window.

    The girls gathered in the living room turned to look and saw a somewhat oddly shaped spherical creature standing there. Given the pair of fluttering small wings behind it, it could very well be a fairy.

    Of course, it was a bit of a stretch to call it a creature since there were obvious artificial joint structures on its body, making it look more like a doll than a living being. And the fairy doll was standing outside the French window, with its large face pressed against the glass, using a muffled voice to speak the words from before.

    "...What is this?"

    Stunned by this bizarre appearance, Lin Xiaolu took a moment before hesitantly venturing a guess, "Remnant Beasts?"

    "What a rude child. I''m nothing like those pitiful creatures. Even just based on appearances and this intelligent discourse, you should be able to tell: I am a fairy," the doll retorted.

    The doll stood outside the window, tapping the glass with its short claws, "So, could you please open the window? Let me in first, then we can talk. The wind is strong and it''s cold out here."

    "Someone who shows up outside your window at this time persuading underage kids to open it, even if it isn''t a Remnant Beast, can''t be anything good, right?"

    Lin Xiaolu, somewhat on guard, took out her Heart''s Gem, "Xia Liang, let''s transform and take care of it."

    "''Take care of it?'' What kind of expression is that? Kids these days are too violent!"

    The fairy doll outside the window shuddered, "I showed up here without any hostility, coming with a caring attitude towards my juniors. And this is the treatment I get?"

    "Suddenly appearing outside someone''s window and whispering suspicious stuff is enough to raise doubts, isn''t it? What exactly are you?"

    Lin Xiaolu''s face was full of suspicion, "And you''re egging people on to stalk? Could it be you were sent by the likes of Black Ash Dawn to sow discord?"

    "Cough, cough, to compare me to those barbarians in Black Ash Dawn, if it were anyone but me, with such purity of character, they would already be raging. Wait, even I feel a bit angry," the fairy doll said, its muffled voice clearing its throat, sounding pretentiously aged.

    "As for what I am, are you suggesting I introduce myself in this chill wind and cold air?"

    "Moke, this thing seems like a fairy. Have you seen it?"

    "Nope."

    Moke examined the doll outside the window, "Plus, the Magic Power fluctuations around this guy are not like a normal fairy at all, it must be a fake."

    Lin Xiaolu nodded, "Alright, Xia Liang, let''s take care of it."

    "I object to violence! As Magical Girls, how can your conscience not be condemned for harming a powerless fairy?"

    The fairy doll outside the window waved its paws frantically, "Moreover, an elder has come all this way to offer help, and instead of being treated with respect, you subject them to abuse. Think about it, is this appropriate?"

    "I certainly don''t have an elder who looks like a round ball!"

    Lin Xiaolu, pointing at the doll, insisted, "So clear it up, who are you exactly?!"

    "Ah, the youth of today..."

    The fairy doll outside the window sighed theatrically, then puffed out its round belly, "Fine, since you''re so eager to know, listen well. I''m just a fairy who happens to be passing by and likes to gossip. You can call me... ''Fairy Immortal''."

 Chapter 36 Fairy Immortal

    "Fairy Immortal?"The title the other party had given sounded quite strange, "Fairy" and "Immortal" were two words that clashed horribly together, to the point that Lin Xiaolu was a bit stunned: "What is that?"

    "Ah, Fairy Immortal!"

    It was actually Mo Ke who exclaimed in surprise: "Who would''ve guessed, you''re actually a Fairy Immortal?"

    "You know about it?" Lin Xiaolu turned her gaze to the side. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "I don''t."

    "Then what are you yelling about?" Lin Xiaolu gave it a blank look.

    "The title sounds very impressive, though."

    Mo Ke looked somewhat confusedly at Lin Xiaolu: "I''ve never seen an immortal among fairies before, doesn''t it deserve some astonishment?"

    Lin Xiaolu was momentarily at a loss for words.

    The ineffective communication between human and fairy had clearly not led to any useful conclusions, and in the end, it was up to the fairy doll outside the window to explain: "You don''t need to fuss over the specific meaning of the title, just call me that. Anyway, can we stop this endless debate and let me come in and rest my feet?"

    "You still have to make clear what you''re here for, right?" Lin Xiaolu was still a bit uneasy.

    "Why I''m here? Hmm... I was the previous Seeder of Fangting City, also a friend of Fairy Nini."

    The doll''s round, wide eyes blinked unwaveringly: "I heard from her that Fangting City is now in a bit of trouble, so I specially came here to lend you all a hand."

    Lin Xiaolu wordlessly looked at Mo Ke.

    "I don''t know if Nini''s senior had such a friend..."

    Mo Ke shook his whiskers, speaking uncertainly: "But this guy looks a lot like the pure-blood fairies in the garden, perhaps he really knows Nini''s senior?"

    "Perhaps... huh?"

    Lin Xiaolu''s gaze moved back and forth between Mo Ke and the doll outside the window. Looking at the doll pressing against the glass, with its drooping fur and pitiful look, she hesitated for a long time, but in the end, she sighed: "Fine, it''s just a fairy, letting it in won''t hurt."

    With that, she reached out and slid the patio door open.

    "Ah, saved at last, if I had continued to be exposed to the cold wind, my power core might have frozen.

    The roly-poly fairy doll squeezed into the room as if pardoned, started to wipe its paws on its belly, and without any courtesy, hopped onto a nearby sofa. Unconcerned by the fixed stares from the girls around it, it lazily found what seemed like the most comfortable position for itself before it began to speak leisurely:

    "Alright alright, to express my gratitude for letting me in, feel free to ask any questions that you have in mind."

    "...So what exactly is the ''trouble'' you were talking about just now?"

    Trying hard to swallow the words that were about to slip out and preventing any cold remarks from really being expressed, Lin Xiaolu, with one hand on her hip, asked: "Why am I completely unaware of this?"

    "It''s simple because your predecessors didn''t want you to know."

    The fairy doll spoke nonchalantly: "You are too naive right now, completely incapable of facing the enemies they have to deal with. It would be better for you not to know and continue living without worries than to drag them down."

    Seeing that the girl''s face clearly showed dissatisfaction, it stretched a paw out, signaling her to hold off: "Don''t rush to contradict me, child, you should consider what level of enemies you can handle right now?"

    "I can now handle Remnant Beasts at the Inchworm stage by myself."

    Lin Xiaolu frowned: "Even at the Pupal stage... as long as certain conditions are met, I won''t be a hindrance..."

    "That''s not enough."

    The doll''s tone remained calm: "The Pupal stage Remnant Beasts might be quite a challenge for a regular Magical Girl, but compared to what your predecessors are involved with, it''s still not enough."

    "Are you saying that the incident at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau the other day involved enemies beyond the Pupal stage?"

    Xia Liang thoughtfully took over Lin Xiaolu''s words and analyzed seriously: "The junior had notified us of a ''strong enemy'' at that time and told us to keep away... If what you''re saying is correct, even though she got injured afterward, the certainty with which she called it a strong enemy implies it''s not an ordinary one."

    It''s no wonder they were only getting a glimpse of the truth now since none of them had seen the enemy that appeared at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau that day.

    It wasn''t that they didn''t want to know - in fact, on the day the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was attacked, even though Emerald Sparrow had taken the initiative to inform the juniors to stay away from the battlefield, as soon as the message was received, the girls decisively chose to go to their aid.

    It''s just that they were a tad late, and by the time they were about to arrive at the location, they were informed that the battle had ended and the scene was already sealed off.

    Perhaps guessing their whereabouts, Emerald Sparrow even sent a follow-up message, telling them to go back to class. This incident thus became a messy affair, ending without a head or tail.

    In the end, they didn''t even see the enemy, and with Emerald Sparrow continuously assuring that "it was nothing major," the girls had no choice but to trust her and keep their doubts to themselves.

    "So, is this incident also related to Remnant Beasts?"

    Having understood the enemy''s power, Xia Liang''s train of thought expanded: "Is this a follow-up to the events of the Full Moon Festival? Or are the people from Black Ash Dawn still scheming?"

    "The Full Moon Festival, huh? Well... in some way, this matter is indeed a follow-up to the Full Moon Festival in Fangting City. As for the enemy''s identity, it''s not Black Ash Dawn, but from ''Claw Mark''."

    The fairy doll leaned back into the armrest: "What Claw Mark is, I don''t think I need to explain, as you seem to have encountered them before already."

 Chapter 36 Fairy Immortal_2

    "So, it''s just a bunch of evil Magical Girls, right?"Lin Xiaolu was succinct, "The one who came to Fangting City before seemed to be mixed up with Black Ash Dawn too, anyway, not a good person."

    "...You may interpret it that way if you wish."

    After a moment of silence for some reason, the doll continued lazily, "Anyway, the enemy this time is powerful, even before defecting from the kingdom they were on the level of ''flower cards'' among Magical Girls, you could say they are the elite of the elite. So if you go join the fray, the best outcome would be that you provide no help, and worse, you might add a few hostages to the enemy''s hand."

    "Flower cards."

    At this term, the girls were momentarily speechless.

    "And that''s exactly why we need another one, namely that Magical Girl named Hong Siyu."

    The doll did not care about their reactions and continued, "Compared to your predecessor, she might be much weaker in absolute strength, but at least her combat power is intact. Together, the two might be able to stop the enemy this time."

    "So you mean, Hong ... Sister came back specially to replenish our combat strength?"

    Xia Liang''s expression was somewhat complex, "Because the junior can''t handle too powerful enemies by herself right now, she needs to become a Magical Girl again, is that it?"

    "Exactly so."

    The doll nodded, "That''s the whole story, it''s not that your predecessor deliberately deceived you. It''s just that you are not yet fully independent and unable to take on the main responsibility, new combat power is needed. Being direct about this would have dampened your enthusiasm, so it was not explicitly mentioned."

    "But we''ve only been Magical Girls for half a year."

    Even the normally good-natured Xia Liang felt a touch of dissatisfaction at the doll''s harsh words, "When it comes to effort, we haven''t been lacking, but truthfully, our progress can only go so far."

    "I don''t deny it."

    The Fairy looked towards Xia Liang, "Half a year, bud... no, you''re about to bloom into a ''leaf'' rank, aren''t you? This pace is quite praiseworthy. An average Magical Girl would still be getting used to her magic attire''s abilities at this stage."

    "So, I''m not criticizing or belittling you, in fact, you could completely ignore this event."

    It spread its paws, "Your predecessors will naturally take on the responsibility of facing the enemy, while what you should do is to study and train properly. With the potential you''ve shown, as long as you grow properly, you will surely take over the baton from your predecessors in the future, rather than rush to help now and end up causing more trouble."

    "...But if you really felt that way, you wouldn''t be visiting us this time."

    Xia Liang smiled and continued its words, "If you hadn''t come, things probably would have developed just the way the junior had hoped, after all, we wouldn''t have known the truth."

    "Clever girl."

    The doll lifted its head slightly, a stream of light flashing in its emerald eyes, "You''re right, because my views are contrary to hers, I don''t agree with her approach."

    "In order for the juniors to grow up more vigorously, experiencing hardships and facing dangers is indispensable, Magical Girls who grow up in a greenhouse and under protection can''t become a force in times of crisis."

    "So, I came here, to break her stubborn views, to pass on the truth to you!"

    As it said this, it fumbled around its belly for a while, suddenly sticking its paw into a patch of fluff, slowly pulling out several posters larger than its own size:

    "Take a look! Come see this!"

    The girls exchanged glances, and finally, Lin Xiaolu was the first to reach out, hesitantly taking the poster and spreading it out:

    "Magical Girl Kingdom''s Certified Exam Intensive Training Program, profound teaching staff, professional guidance, high-end equipment, Spell Techniques masters, providing a sky-reaching path for every new Magical Girl who wants to quickly boost her strength..."

    "Are you struggling because your strength isn''t good enough to defeat enemies? Are you anxious because your knowledge is insufficient to pass the kingdom''s written exam? Sign up now, first-come-first-serve, and enjoy additional benefits, call the contact number, get in touch with Fairy Immortal, your future is in your own hands."

    "Contact number... Contact address..." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Struggling to make out the twisted text on the poster, Lin Xiaolu was dazed, and after a long moment, she looked up blankly:

    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

    "So?"

    "That is, I have a way to further enhance your powers! Whether it is abilities you cannot master proficiently; performance bottlenecks you''ve long struggled to break through; or a lack of mature power planning, just come to my training class and you will become stronger!"

    The doll held its head high with confidence, shaking its paw slightly, "If you come here and go through some special training, you will surely display strength that will astonish your predecessors. At that time, she will view you more favorably and take the initiative to accept your help against strong enemies!"

    "That sounds somewhat reasonable..."

    Lin Xiaolu nodded subconsciously, "Then, what do we need to do?"

    "What do you need to do? Cough cough, it''s quite simple, my demands are not high."

    The doll''s voice suddenly became indistinct for some reason, and it coughed twice, perhaps to cover up this occurrence:

    "I don''t need tuition fees or anything, but, I mean... does your predecessor, have any hair that''s fallen out, or garments not yet washed or something like that, just give me two such items..."

 Chapter 36 Fairy Immortal_3

    "Xia Liang," Lin Xiaolu suddenly put down the poster and called out expressionlessly."What''s up?"

    "Did it."

    "Good."

    The two girls surrounded the couch, one with an expressionless face, the other with an inexplicable smile. They blocked both ends of the sofa, watching the fairy who was still chatting away.

    "If those things can''t be obtained, collecting some saliva while she sleeps is also viable, as for blood, that''s too difficult, I won''t press you on that... Wait, what are you doing? I must emphasize that for the sake of our friendly communication, we should avoid actions that could lead to misunderstandings by people or fairies..."

    "Whoa! What are you doing! That''s too rough, stop it! Put me down this instant!"

    "I came with sincerity! Even if there''s something difficult to fulfill, there''s no need to act like this! Wait! Don''t open the window! Don''t you want to become stronger... Aaaaah!"

    In the gradually dimming twilight, the secret base''s floor-to-ceiling window was suddenly flung open. From the brightly lit house, a spherical object was thrown out like discarded trash, landing heavily in the bushes a few meters away.

    Click.

    Then, the living room''s floor-to-ceiling window was closed.

    After closing the window, Lin Xiaolu, as if she had touched something dirty, dusted off her hands, glanced at the bushes not far away, drew the curtains to the side, and then sat back down on the sofa.

    However, even after driving that uninvited guest out of the secret base, her expression never relaxed.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Having returned from the window, Xia Liang saw Lin Xiaolu''s expression and couldn''t help but feel puzzled: "Did the fairy say something particularly annoying just now?" Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "No."

    Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

    Lin Xiaolu pondered and shook her head: "On the contrary, excluding that last part, I think it made several very valid points."

    "Which ones?"

    "Emerald Sparrow accepted Hong Siyu and that woman back into the Fangting City team because one person alone wasn''t enough to protect the city, and she didn''t want to put the pressure on us."

    Lin Xiaolu lowered her voice a tad: "That means, there must be some entanglement that we don''t know about."

    "That can''t be..."

    Hearing her words, Xia Liang gave a helpless smile: "You''re making the relationship between little senior and Sister Hong sound too complicated. Just like us, they were once teammates who fought side by side."

    "No, Xia Liang, you''re too naive."

    Lin Xiaolu shook her head solemnly: "Emerald Sparrow''s relationship with my dad has been heating up lately, and Hong Si had her own ulterior motives before, meaning there''s a rivalry known as ''romantic rivals'' between them, and now they have to fight side by side again."

    What she didn''t mention was that on the day Emerald Sparrow introduced Hong Siyu into the team, she saw the exchange of glances between Emerald Sparrow and Hong Siyu.

    At that time, Hong Siyu seemed to gloat with a glance at Emerald Sparrow, while Emerald Sparrow''s resigned look seemed to be that of silent endurance.

    In other words, that woman was threatening Emerald Sparrow.

    That''s what Lin Xiaolu believed.

    "So, although that fairy was spouting nonsense and trying to sow discord, there was one thing it said that I think was correct."

    "Which thing?" Feeling a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu about the current situation, Xia Liang really didn''t want to pursue the topic, but still reluctantly asked.

    "...To know the truth, sometimes you have to take some extreme measures."

    Lin Xiaolu stood up abruptly, clenched her fist, and shouted, "So, I''m going to follow that woman!"

 Chapter 37 Second Tail

    Two days later, an utterly ordinary noon.Because the teaching building of Xizhao Middle School was being used as a test center for a social exam in the afternoon, even on a weekday, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang were granted the rare treat of a half-day break.

    On an ordinary day, such a half-day holiday might have been frittered away in the girls'' idle routine, but this day was different; Lin Xiaolu had a different plan.

    "So, I''m off then, goodbye."

    Accompanied by the sound of Hong Siyu''s voice at the entryway, the girls together faced the secret base''s door, watching her leave until the sound of a dull "thud" from the doorway, at which point they exchanged glances.

    "Let''s go."

    With a solemn face, Lin Xiaolu gestured towards the door, "Follow her."

    "Do you really want to do this?"

    Xia Liang felt an ominous premonition in her heart and was completely unwilling to endorse such an unreliable plan, "Didn''t we already fail when we tried to tail your dad last time? Maybe we should just let it go this time?"

    Xia Liang was a girl accustomed to keeping her worries to herself, and the reason she was openly showing her true intentions and resistance this time was that she genuinely believed the plan was unfeasible. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire

    Her pessimism wasn''t just because she found the plan unrealistic, but mainly because she was genuinely in the know.

    She knew the real identity of Emerald Sparrow and could guess the relationship between Emerald Sparrow and Hong Siyu.

    Over the past few months of interaction with Hong Siyu, it had become clear to even Lin Xiaolu what the latter''s intentions were, so she was certainly no exception.

    "Hong Siyu likes Lin Yun" had become an unspoken fact amongst the girls.

    That was precisely why Lin Xiaolu always had a considerable degree of wariness towards Hong Siyu, while Xia Liang followed the development of events with curious anticipation.

    This progress had come to a standstill after entering November, as Hong Siyu suddenly took sick leave and vanished from the girls'' sight abruptly.

    Now, she had regained the powers of a Magical Girl and returned to Fangting in such a manner; she also returned to Emerald Sparrow''s world like this. From Xia Liang''s perspective, this should be an excellent opportunity for Hong Siyu.

    If she were Hong Siyu and wanted to pursue "Lin Yun," she would take advantage of this period to try to demonstrate her importance and feelings to him in search of a romantic breakthrough.

    As for the entanglements between Hong Siyu and Emerald Sparrow, Xia Liang didn''t have any subjective opinions¡ªafter all, she wasn''t Lin Xiaolu; she didn''t need to guard against an imagined "stepmother." If anything, her stance was more observational.

    Firstly, it was not her place to meddle; secondly, it wasn''t necessarily a bad thing.

    If Hong Siyu''s feelings could come to fruition, it would be beneficial not only for her but also for "Lin Yun." It might be somewhat hard to accept for Lin Xiaolu at first, but in the long run, it would be more advantageous than detrimental.

    However, if Lin Xiaolu insisted on interfering by tracking Hong Siyu''s movements, then the chances of botching things up would greatly increase.

    Just how doting Emerald Sparrow was toward her daughter might not be apparent to her or to Lin Xiaolu, but Xia Liang could see it very clearly.

    If Lin Xiaolu truly discovered something by following Hong Siyu and pierced through that layer of window paper, even if the relationship between Emerald Sparrow and Hong Siyu grew warmer, she would probably put it on hold due to her daughter''s opinions. At that time, the relationship between Hong Siyu and Lin Xiaolu might also turn sour.

    This was not what Xia Liang wished to see.

    She didn''t mind if the relationships within their small group improved due to certain reasons, but she was very reluctant to see them worsen as a consequence.

    If the so-called tailing led to Lin Xiaolu and Hong Siyu falling out, everyone becoming resentful of each other, and Emerald Sparrow caught in an unhappy middle, it would be a loss not worth the gain.

    Only, these were reasons Xia Liang couldn''t voice.

    Telling Lin Xiaolu these truths here and now could certainly dispel Lin Xiaolu''s doubts and make her drop the idea of tailing. But while it would be fair to Lin Xiaolu, it would be a betrayal to Emerald Sparrow, and Xia Liang herself would end up being the one caught in the middle, which she didn''t want, lest she became disliked.

    Therefore, she made such a clear display of her opposition. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Failure is the mother of success; we must rise where we fall."

    Unfortunately, Lin Xiaolu was completely unaware of her thoughts, only shooting her a glance before solemnly declaring, "After the failure last time, I took it seriously to heart and have thoroughly reviewed it many times. I have found where things went wrong, and this time we absolutely will not make the same mistakes."

    "And the crux was?"

    "Magic Power Perception." Lin Xiaolu stated resolutely.

    ¡ª"Huh?"

    Magic Power Perception, who had been watching the fireworks from the side, suddenly became unhappy, "It was clearly because you guys got too close and were discovered! How can you blame this on me!"

    "Ultimately, it was because you were too slow to send the signal! And you abandoned your post at the crucial moment, causing us to lose our key source of information!"

    Lin Xiaolu pointed at Magic Power Perception, "Anyway, this time you stay at home, and we will move on our own!"

    "Hmph, you think I want to play house with you?"

    Magic Power Perception huffed and turned around, "If you don''t want me to go, then I won''t. The Seeder has her own matters to handle, you can have your tantrum!"

    They argued with each other unconcerned about whether their words were suitable while Bai Jingxuan quietly listened to Lin Xiaolu and Magic Power Perception''s conversation, but her mind was already pondering something else entirely.

    I need to find an opportunity to secretly tell Dad.

    That was her thought.

    The reason is simple: "Mom and Dad" said so.

    Lin Yun had once cautioned her not to let slip that he was working at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, especially to "Sister"; Emerald Sparrow had also privately told her not to reveal anything about the incident at Lakeside Spring for the time being.

    Bai Jingxuan didn''t quite understand why, but that didn''t hinder her choice to be an obedient child. As such, she had been unusually tight-lipped around Lin Xiaolu these past few days. Even though her attempts were full of loopholes and anyone with clear eyes could see she was hiding something, Lin Xiaolu simply couldn''t get it out of her.

    Now, with Lin Xiaolu deciding to follow Hong Siyu, it was quite likely that Lin Yun''s position at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau would be exposed. Bai Jingxuan thought this could potentially make things difficult for Lin Yun.

    Given that, she felt it necessary to give him advance warning, to prepare him so that he wouldn''t get caught out.

    So, she had quietly waited on the side, and once Moka made his stance clear, she found a brief break in the conversation to interject somewhat awkwardly, "Um, Sister, I don''t really feel like going out today. Since you said so, Sister, I''ll just stay here with Moka..."

    "You''re coming with me," Lin Xiaolu said expressionlessly.

    "Eh?"

    Bai Jingxuan''s shoulders trembled slightly, and she felt a sudden lurch in her heart, then blinked a few times guiltily: "But if Moka is left alone at home, there will be no one to play with it..."

    "That guy is too clever. If there''s no one else at home, it will sneak out and mess around. You don''t have to worry about it getting bored at all."

    Lin Xiaolu stretched out her hands and placed them on Bai Jingxuan''s shoulders: "As for you, among the three of us, you''re now the one who looks most like a traitor. You''re aware of the situation in Lixing District and haven''t reported it, which has already raised my suspicions."

    "I really don''t know anything," Bai Jingxuan struggled to retort.

    "No problem, you can know nothing, but today you must act together with us."

    Lin Xiaolu lightly flicked her forehead: "I have to keep an eye on you, the little traitor."

    "I''m not a traitor..." Bai Jingxuan mumbled, but ultimately she couldn''t stand up against Lin Xiaolu and was pushed toward the entrance by the shoulders.

    "That woman left about a minute ago; if we leave right now, we can just hang in her blind spot."

    Standing at the secret base''s entrance, Lin Xiaolu, while changing into her shoes and socks, instructed her two teammates: "Because our target is a Magical Girl and a Flower rank, we must not use any Magic Power during the operation nor transform, as her Magical Power Perception is likely stronger than ours. If any of you transform and use Magic Power resulting in the failure of this operation, then I will have to tag you."

    "What if she decides to fly on the way? If we can''t transform and follow her flying, we''ll be thrown off. If we do transform to follow, we''ll be discovered, which could easily expose us."

    Xia Liang stood with her hands on her hips, sighing deeply without moving to change her shoes: "I finally have a day off, wouldn''t it be better to just stay home and watch TV? Didn''t you say just a few days ago that there was an animation series you wanted to watch? If we go out now, won''t we miss it?"

    "We can watch the recorded broadcast online when we get back."

    Lin Xiaolu pursed her lips, her gaze slightly lowered, clearly making a tough decision: "But the opportunity to follow that woman isn''t plentiful, any day other than a workday is inappropriate!"

    "Um, I suddenly have a stomachache."

    Bai Jingxuan held the shoes Lin Xiaolu had handed to her, dragging her feet and speaking hesitantly: "How about you guys go first, and I''ll catch up right away..."

    "Stretch out your foot," Lin Xiaolu suddenly said.

    "Eh?"

    "Give me your foot, I''ll help you change shoes."

    Lin Xiaolu bent down and grabbed Bai Jingxuan''s ankle: "If you have a stomachache, I''ll carry you out; either way, you''re following, and don''t even think about sneaking messages to anyone."

    "I, I wasn''t planning to sneak any messages."

    Bai Jingxuan''s gaze shifted evasively: "I really just have a stomachache."

    "Is that so? Where does it hurt?"

    Lin Xiaolu took the shoes from Bai Jingxuan''s hands and started putting them on her feet: "Transform and heal yourself, it only takes a few seconds. I can wait."

    "Transform, and heal a stomachache?"

    Bai Jingxuan''s voice suddenly rose, even a bit out of tune, obviously not expecting Lin Xiaolu to come up with that suggestion: "I don''t think that will help..."

    "Last month when I got hurt on patrol, didn''t you heal me?" Lin Xiaolu finished putting on one shoe and reached for the other.

    "The, the stomach..." Bai Jingxuan voiced faintly.

    "Got any other excuses?"

    "...No."

    "Good, then it''s unanimously approved. The Fangting City Magical Girl Squad''s second special tracking operation begins now!"

    Lin Xiaolu announced loudly as she pushed open the door, her face bearing a triumphant expression: "This time, I will definitely unearth the truth!"

 Chapter 38 A Series of Surprises

    When Lin Xiaolu, dragging the reluctant Bai Jingxuan and Xia Liang out of the secret base, Hong Siyu had already seated herself in her car and driven out of the parking lot.Without time to explain further, Lin Xiaolu hurriedly followed, rushing out of the residential area. After flagging down a taxi on the road, she told the driver, "Follow the car ahead."

    Faced with such an odd request, the driver certainly had his doubts, but he didn''t refuse¡ªafter all, the young girls didn''t seem to have any ulterior motives. As he pressed the accelerator to follow the car ahead, he probed with a few questions, trying to tease out the purpose of the girls'' pursuit to satisfy his own curiosity. However, Lin Xiaolu clearly had no intention of revealing their plans, and he wisely refrained from asking further.

    During the weekday afternoon, the streets were relatively empty of traffic. While this made the driving smoother, it also increased the likelihood of Lin Xiaolu and company being exposed. To avoid getting too close and alerting Hong Siyu, the girls chose to hang back, just like the last time.

    While maintaining distance provided the advantage of a more covert pursuit, they also ran the risk of losing their target if not careful. Lin Xiaolu had no choice but to sit in the passenger seat, concentrating intently on Hong Siyu''s travel route.

    This left Bai Jingxuan in the back seat to plot a bit of mischief. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    With her sister focused on the tracking, it seemed like an opportunity to attempt some small maneuvers.

    However, she was unaware of Xia Liang''s thoughts. In her view, passing along a message without Lin Xiaolu noticing in such a confined space wouldn''t be challenging, but the real difficulty was deceiving Xia Liang seated beside her.

    Surreptitiously slipping her hand into her coat pocket to feel her phone¡ªa phone even provided to her by Emerald Sparrow after joining the Magical Girl squad¡ªBai Jingxuan glances guiltily toward Xia Liang.

    The action was highly covert, merely meant to check the other''s movements, with no additional intent. But to Bai Jingxuan''s surprise, when she looked at Xia Liang, she found Xia Liang was also looking at her.

    Not only that, as their gazes met, Xia Liang even winked at her.

    I''ll cover for you.

    Mouthing the words, Xia Liang silently conveyed her message to Bai Jingxuan. Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire

    Having said that, and worried that Bai Jingxuan wouldn''t comprehend, Xia Liang pointed thoughtfully at her pocket, glanced at Lin Xiaolu through the rearview mirror, and mimed a phone call gesture.

    With this series of gestures, even if Bai Jingxuan wasn''t the sharpest tool in the shed, she understood Xia Liang''s meaning: It seemed Xia Liang was on her side.

    Certain of this, she breathed a sigh of relief, her tense body eased somewhat. She deftly pulled the phone out of her coat pocket and, like a primary school student avoiding the teacher''s gaze, hid the phone behind the backrest of the driver''s seat, taking care to light up the screen.

    As she did so, Xia Liang pretended to sprawl casually over to the passenger seat, poking her head out beside Lin Xiaolu and loudly asking, "How''s it going? Can you tell where she wants to go yet?"

    "Go where?"

    Lin Xiaolu looked at her curiously, "How would I know that? I can''t predict the future."

    "Haven''t you noticed she''s heading toward the suburban overpass?"

    Xia Liang stretched out her left hand, pointing vaguely forward, creating an obstacle between Lin Xiaolu''s field of vision and the rearview mirror: "Heading toward the suburbs at this time, isn''t it obvious? She''s off to work."

    Since there was an oblivious taxi driver next to them, she couldn''t very well say "Hong Siyu is heading to Abnormal Strategy Bureau." Instead, she used "work" to hint at this, but it was enough for Lin Xiaolu to catch her drift.

    However, understanding did not mean Lin Xiaolu agreed with Xia Liang''s point of view.

    "You''re oversimplifying things," Lin Xiaolu gripped the seat belt in front, staring out the front window: "If she was really just going to work, why would she head out looking like this?"

    The "look" Lin Xiaolu referred to was Hong Siyu''s Magical Girl form.

    For reasons unknown, since Hong Siyu returned to Fangting City as a Magical Girl, she has rarely shown her true form, choosing instead to operate mostly in her Magical Girl persona.

    This wasn''t something significant by itself¡ªa simple mindset could interpret it as just personal preference. But in Lin Xiaolu''s eyes, it was a glaring red flag.

    "I told you, you''re overthinking it..."

    Xia Liang chatted intermittently beside Lin Xiaolu, seemingly casual and unfocused, while Bai Jingxuan took the chance to compose her message on her phone as inconspicuously as possible.

    Due to her limited experience with mobile phones, Bai Jingxuan had a low typing proficiency and had to concentrate on the keyboard to type. The awkward position, combined with the taxi''s occasional jolts, made her progress exceptionally slow.

    Fortunately, Xia Liang was masterful at extending the conversation, using various irrelevant topics to distract Lin Xiaolu''s attention so that it never strayed to the back seat. This gave Bai Jingxuan enough time to compose her message slowly.

    Time passed by the second, and when the message was nearly complete, Bai Jingxuan''s forehead was coated with a thin layer of sweat. Her toes curled tightly, she bit her lower lip, and she would glance toward the passenger seat every now and then, fearful that Lin Xiaolu might suddenly turn their head for a peek.

 Chapter 38 Unexpected Events Continuously - Part 2

    It turns out she was lucky, for even as she finished typing the message, Lin Xiaolu had not noticed the commotion behind her.But she was also unlucky, because just as she was a few characters away from sending the message, a bicycle ran a red light at the intersection in front of the cab and zoomed past at breakneck speed.

    Screech¡ª¡ª

    The driver was quick to react, using both hands and feet to slam on the brakes, managing to pull the handbrake just in time to stop inches before hitting the cyclist, narrowly avoiding a traffic accident.

    Having completed the maneuver, the driver, still shaken, was overcome with a surge of nameless anger. He rolled down the window and shouted at the cyclist, "What kind of cycling is that, trying to get yourself killed?"

    However, the cyclist who had nearly been hit seemed completely oblivious to his brush with death; he just veered off course slightly, glanced back at the driver, then pedaled away without looking back, not even uttering an apology.

    Seeing the other party had no intention of stopping, even the driver was somewhat stunned, watching the cyclist''s departing figure and muttering, "What kind of person is that?"

    And if the driver was just stunned, the passengers in the car were completely brain-dead.

    For in the moment of the sudden brake, a mobile phone flew out from the back seat and landed right at Lin Xiaolu''s feet.

    It was Bai Jingxuan''s phone.

    She didn''t manage to secure it in time, nor to stabilize herself, and bumped forcefully into the back of the seat in front. The mobile phone, which was already being held in an awkward position, slipped from her grasp and led to the current situation.

    The screen of the mobile phone was still in the message input interface, but because the keyboard occupied more than half of the screen, the content of the message wasn''t completely visible.

    Staring at the phone on the ground, the girls were at a loss for words.

    Bai Jingxuan''s mind buzzed emptily, not knowing what to do; Lin Xiaolu gazed blankly, likely still processing what had happened; Xia Liang''s smile had frozen on her face, the casual conversation she had been engaged in getting stuck as well.

    Despite the near miss of a car accident, their attention wasn''t on the danger that had just occurred but was entirely focused on the mobile phone on the ground.

    "Ah... Xiao Xuan, you really need to be more careful!"

    Among the three, it was Xia Liang who first snapped back to reality and quickly changed her plan of action, reaching for the phone, "Don''t play with your phone in the car, what if you hit something when we braked just now?"

    She exhibited a concerned attitude for Bai Jingxuan''s safety, trying to take the opportunity to retrieve the phone. But just as her hand was about to touch the phone, another hand pressed down on the back of hers. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire

    Turning her head stiffly, her gaze met with Lin Xiaolu''s.

    "What is written on the phone?" Ling Xiaolu blinked her eyes, vaguely aware of something, and asked.

    "Uh... um..."

    In the back seat, Bai Jingxuan already had her hand outstretched, intending to take the phone from Xia Liang, but when she heard Lin Xiaolu''s question, her outstretched hand involuntarily twitched, "It''s... it''s nothing."

    "Nothing? Then why write such a long message?" Lin Xiaolu narrowed her eyes, her thoughts whirring at high speed, "Or rather, what is so urgent that it can''t be discussed over a phone call?"

    Bai Jingxuan felt sweat seeping out of the back of her hand.

    "That is, that is..." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Already not good at lying, she struggled to find excuses, casting a pleading look at Xia Liang once more, but this time, her would-be helper was also in a precarious position.

    Xia Liang could only clutch the phone tightly in her hand on the ground, preventing Lin Xiaolu from seeing the message. Having exhausted too many topics in the idle chat earlier, she even struggled to find an excuse to change the subject.

    The atmosphere inside the car became tense for a moment. The driver, after sticking his head out to curse, glanced back at the scene inside the car, finding it inexplicable.

    With a puzzled scratch of his chin, he pondered whether to ask what had happened, but before he could decide, he caught sight of something even stranger from the corner of his eye.

    Turning his head toward the direction he had noticed, his mouth gaped open in shock.

    At the same time, the girls, who had been in a standoff, also noticed the unexpected figure. They looked outside the car window and their eyes widened in disbelief.

    ¡ª¡ªThere was a Remnant Beast.

    It was only at this moment that they realized what the cyclist who had run the red light was actually doing: it wasn''t that he was looking for trouble, but rather a Remnant Beast was chasing him, and he was trying to escape.

    Watching the Remnant Beast that had suddenly appeared at the intersection, Lin Xiaolu couldn''t help but look across the road, hoping to see if Hong Siyu''s car was still there, but all she saw was emptiness.

    She realized that if she didn''t catch up now, she might really lose track of Hong Siyu.

    As much as her emotions urged her to ask the driver to continue the chase, her reason told her: as a Magical Girl, no matter the situation, dealing with Remnant Beasts was always the priority.

    With scant time to choose, she looked at the open road ahead and eventually let out a sigh of lament.

 Chapter 38 A Series of Surprises - Part 3

    "¡ª¡ªWhy would a Remnant Beast appear at a time like this!"Muttering, she released the hand she had been pressing on Xia Liang''s hand. She unfastened the seatbelt in front of her, opened the car door, and shouted to the two girls in the back:

    "What are you looking at? Get out of the car!"

    "Wait a second, you''re going to get out here?"

    The driver''s voice trembled a little: "Didn''t you see what''s outside the car? Sit tight, we need to escape!"

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    Unfortunately, his advice didn''t reach the girls'' ears at all, because before he could finish speaking, the three girls had already filed out, running from the car. Only two ten-yuan notes remained, thrown onto the seat, presumably to pay for the ride.

    He wanted to look for traces of his young passengers, but to his dismay, he couldn''t see even a shadow of them. Then, seeing the Remnant Beast had noticed him, clawing its way toward the highway, he clenched his teeth, abandoned any thought of rescuing them, and pressed the accelerator to leave.

    After that, the fully transformed Magical Girls swarmed up, fighting with the Remnant Beast in a flurry.

    The battle was fated to be unfair.

    This suddenly emerged Remnant Beast was merely an ordinary Inchworm-class one; a terribly dangerous monster to average citizens, but to the current Fangting City squad, it was nothing but a punching bag.

    Furthermore, because of its emergence, the girls had been embarrassed to a greater or lesser extent and were especially annoyed. Thus, they struck with extra force. In a few minutes, the unlucky Remnant Beast lay wailing on the ground, transforming into an Echo in Lin Xiaolu''s hands.

    Having dealt with the Remnant Beast with an annoyed expression, Lin Xiaolu hadn''t forgotten the purpose of her trip. She quickly stood atop the remains, looking into the distance, but unfortunately, Hong Siyu and the vehicle were nowhere to be seen.

    Now, she had to admit a fact ¡ª that her tracking had failed.

    Not because of a misstep in the operation, nor a traitor leaking information, but because of a Remnant Beast that had unexpectedly appeared out of nowhere.

    "Aiyah, if we''ve lost them, we''ve lost them, I already said just look in that direction, Sister Hong likely just went to work."

    Xia Liang patted her shoulder, comforting her, but the smile on her face didn''t give away her real intentions: "We''re off for half a day, why don''t we find somewhere else to have fun instead?"

    "Yeah, yeah!" Bai Jingxuan, who had gotten her phone back, swiftly deleted her drafted message, then nodded like a good baby next to them.

    "You two! You two!"

    Even though it was her own decision, Lin Xiaolu was so frustrated she stamped her feet: "How can you be so happy when we''ve failed! Where''s your backbone? Where''s your ambition? What about team spirit?"

    "It''s not our fault; it''s not a defeat in battle."

    Xia Liang continued to mediate: "We''ve done our best already, it''s just unfortunate, don''t be hard on yourself."

    "Xia Liang is right!" Bai Jingxuan nodded her head vigorously.

    "What do you mean ''unfortunate''? We were almost successful!"

    Lin Xiaolu was choked with frustration, pointing at Bai Jingxuan: "And you, what do you mean ''Xia Liang is right''? You little traitor, were you planning to tip someone off just now?" S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Bai Jingxuan''s nodding suddenly stopped, turning into intense head-shaking.

    "You''re overthinking it, how could Xiaoxuan, such a well-behaved child, do such a thing?"

    Xia Liang pushed Lin Xiaolu''s shoulders, her smile becoming even brighter: "There''s really no helping it; we''ve failed already. Let''s just find a nearby place to have fun, I''ve already made up my mind!"

    "You!"

    Lin Xiaolu turned and glared at Xia Liang and after a long while, her attitude softened slightly. Perhaps realizing that the situation was indeed beyond salvage, she hung her head dejectedly: "Fine, tell me, where shall we go have fun?"

    After all, it was a rare vacation, and she didn''t want to waste the remaining time wallowing in negativity.

    "Let''s see... The name is Fangting World Trade Shopping Mall, near the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."

    With Lin Xiaolu''s agreement, Xia Liang opened her phone and brought up her notes: "It''s a shopping mall funded by the government, recently opened. I''ve heard there are lots of interesting shops; I haven''t had a chance to check it out myself."

    "Near the Abnormal Strategy Bureau?"

    "Yep, just about a twenty-minute walk from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."

    Xia Liang flashed her phone screen: "If you''re willing, we can play until office hours are over, then head to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau to check if Sister Hong is indeed working. If she does come out of there, that will prove I was right all along, won''t it?"

    "And if she doesn''t come from there?"

    "Then I''ll accompany you next time, is that okay?" said Xia Liang, hands on hips, feeling content with achieving her goal.

    As for Lin Xiaolu, who had to concede to the failed plan, she felt sullen and could hardly muster interest in anything, but still, begrudgingly nodded her head in an almost damage-control attitude: "...I hope you keep your word."

    The girls, who, due to various coincidences, couldn''t continue their pursuit, didn''t know that Hong Siyu''s car was indeed driving towards the outskirts, towards the direction of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. However, just before reaching the destination, there was a slight change.

    The car, turned a corner to the side.

 Chapter 39 Begging

    At noon on the same day, inside the Director''s Office of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, Lin Yun was dealing with a troublesome guest.A woman in a scruffy Taoist robe was sitting in front of his desk, holding a boxed meal, gobbling up food as she shovelled it into her mouth. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Delightful, delightful."

    As she chewed the food in her mouth, her voice came out muffled, "I haven''t had such a satisfying meal in days, it really feels great!"

    "I hope this is the last time."

    Behind the desk, Lin Yun was massaging his forehead with a headache, "The Abnormal Strategy Bureau is neither a restaurant nor a charity. Please leave immediately after you finish your meal."

    "Um... Yeah! I don''t want to!"

    After gulping down the food in her throat, Yuan tapped on her lunchbox with her chopsticks, "I''ve been through the vicissitudes of life, faced the warmth and coldness of people, and lived in desperate poverty. I couldn''t even afford a proper meal."

    "Desperate poverty..."

    His eyelid twitched twice, and although Lin Yun found it strange, his face remained expressionless, "What exactly happened?"

    "It''s not much of anything, just simply put, a penny stumps a hero."

    Yuan pinched her chopsticks between her thumb and spread out her hands, "I have no money on me."

    "I know you have no money, otherwise you wouldn''t have been arrested for dine-and-dashing before."

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    Lin Yun nodded, "I just don''t understand how you ended up in such a plight."

    Yuan, sitting before him, appeared even more disheveled than a few days ago. If her Taoist robe was merely old and worn then, now it was dirty and disordered, looking like she had rolled through a garbage heap.

    She had previously proclaimed loudly she wanted to "have a good time in the human city" and then left with a flourish. Yet no one imagined she would end up like this so quickly, which was quite embarrassing.

    "It''s a long story... I originally wanted to find a job, but after a few days of toil, the foreman who was supposed to supervise me disappeared. I don''t have a cellphone and had no idea where to find him."

    Yuan placed her chopsticks on the lunchbox and sighed, "When I couldn''t find work, I thought of taking odd jobs elsewhere, but they all wanted a ''diploma.'' I stopped my schooling early to practice martial arts; how could I possibly have such a thing?"

    "So?"

    "So, I ran out of money and food. I had nowhere to live and nothing to eat."

    Licking her lips, Yuan seemed to long for the recently consumed boxed meal, "Unable to find a place to sleep, I initially planned to just lie down on a patch of ground in the park, but there are patrols at night that won''t allow the homeless to stay out, so I was chased away after just one night."

    "If I couldn''t sleep in the park, I had to look for abandoned houses, but many were too filthy to consider. Occasionally, I found a few clean ones, but they were already occupied by other beggars who mistook me for someone who provided illegal services."

    Waving her hand as if to dispel bad luck, Yuan continued, "I had no choice but to sleep under a bridge. It was a bit cold at night, but as martial artists, we''re not worried about catching a disease from the cold."

    "Then you should have taken care of your food situation!"

    Semi suddenly chimed in from the side, seemingly full of resentment, "If you can''t manage to find yourself something to eat, that''s one thing, but having me compete with stray cats for garbage! How many times do I have to say it, I''m a fairy, not a cat!"

    "You look so similar, and a cat can paw through garbage cans, so why can''t you?"

    Yuan wondered, "Besides, even I, when I can''t bear fasting, would rummage through garbage cans..."

    "Alright, alright, I''ve got the picture."

    Seeing that the pair seemed about to argue right in front of him, Lin Yun decisively interjected to halt them, "If you''re going to argue, could you please do it outside? As the main culprits in the destruction of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s office equipment, you are currently being sought by us. Although the Abnormal Strategy Bureau doesn''t have the means to capture you, could you please not treat this place like a marketplace?"

    "Eh, so I''m a wanted person now."

    Yuan blinked, turned to look at Semi behind her, "So, what do you think? To be wanted, doesn''t it feel a bit like being a villain?"

    "I''d rather you engaged in activities befitting of a true villain, instead of begging like a street charlatan, fortune-telling, and begging on street corners..." Semi sighed deeply.

    Yuan confidently rebutted, "That''s why I''m here begging at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, aren''t I?"

    ¡ª"I must emphasize once again, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau is not a charity."

    As this human and fairy duo were on the verge of plotting crimes right in front of him, Lin Yun interrupted once more, "However, if your needs are truly just about sustenance and lodging, then it''s not necessarily out of the question. Although the Abnormal Strategy Bureau can''t offer any support to wanted criminals, if that''s what you really need, I can personally give you a small amount of money."

    "Ah, money? Really?"

    Upon hearing this, Yuan perked up, "So coming to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau to beg actually works?"

    "Let me clarify beforehand, this amount won''t be substantial, just enough to cover the basics of food and shelter. Also, as a condition of exchange, you mustn''t cause any trouble in Fangting City."

    With one hand massaging his temple, Lin Yun continued, "If you can''t adhere to this, I will have no choice but to report to the higher-ups and see if the Magic Kingdom has any objections."

    This threat was actually just for show, as he had already informed his grandmother Molu about the existence of this human and fairy duo, from whom he got a simple answer: there would be no major problems.

 Chapter 39 Begging_2

    Although he didn''t know where the other party''s confidence came from, since the Gemstone Scepter had made such a promise, he didn''t want to get too involved in the matter.After all, it was no longer his concern to worry about the safety of the Source of Beasts¡ªthat had become Molu''s problem.

    He had already wrapped it up and tossed it to Molu.

    Realizing that holding onto such a thing would only attract more covetous people, and considering he was currently unable to deal with an endless stream of enemies, he decisively threw it away.

    What he needed to do now was to maintain the stability of Fangting City. Allowing the Source of Beasts to attract trouble in his hands was not only a threat to his own safety but also detrimental to the growth of the new members of his team.

    For enemies like Yuan, their presence wouldn''t be too bad without great malice, but if they came with immense hostility, it would undoubtedly be a disaster for Fangting City.

    Taking these into account, there was no more suitable buyer than Molu. No matter how untrustworthy the Gemstone Scepter might be, it was still on the side of the Magical Girl, so it was still better for the Source of Beasts to be in Molu''s hands than in Claw Mark''s.

    As long as the owner of the Source of Beasts became Molu, the responsibility for its safety naturally shifted to Molu as well. A Gemstone Scepter in office would have an easier time protecting the Source of Beasts than an injured person like him.

    It was for this reason that Lin Yun now faced Yuan with more confidence¡ªthe artifact wasn''t in his hands, so he wasn''t afraid of what the other party might do.

    His attitude, quite unexpectedly, piqued the curiosity of Yuan, who had come to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau with a "let''s try" mentality: "Keeping the peace is easy enough, after all, I don''t like bullying the weak. But this money... You''re really just giving it away? Without demanding something extra?"

    "Your not causing trouble is a great boon to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau," Lin Yun said, narrowing his eyes. "As for other demands, I don''t think you can offer anything worthwhile."

    After saying this, he noticed a strange look in the other person''s eyes.

    "Hmm... You do have a decent appearance, and you''re quite the handsome man. Plus, you have a respectable position as a director," Yuan mused, stroking her chin. "If you wanted something special, I might consider it."

    "No, thank you."

    Unperturbed by the other''s subtly suggestive remarks, Lin Yun responded indifferently, his eyelids drooping: "Please take the money and leave the Abnormal Strategy Bureau without delay." Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire

    "Hahaha, with that sloppy look of yours, what man could possibly fancy you?" Semi said, immediately taunting after seeing Yuan''s suggestive behavior rebuffed: "You''d better not entertain any improper ideas."

    "Hmm."

    Despite her straightforward nature, being so directly rejected as an attractive member of the opposite sex was a bit of a blow to Yuan: "You''re rejecting me so decisively? Do I have no appeal as a woman at all?"

    "Sorry, you''re beautiful, but I''m married," Lin Yun said expressionlessly. "And I love my wife very much."

    "Alright, alright, let''s pretend I never said anything," Yuan conceded, placing the lunchbox on the desk in front of her as she gave up: "Just to confirm, you said no trouble, so it''s not considered trouble to challenge the Magical Girl to a fight, right?"

    "As long as there''s no killing or destruction of public facilities, it''s not considered trouble," Lin Yun replied, suppressing the twitching of his mouth corners and speaking with a calm voice: "However, personally and on behalf of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, we would prefer not to see such things happen."

    Emotionally, he really wanted to dismiss the idea of fighting altogether because he was busy and truly had no time to spar with a battle enthusiast every day; however, rationally, completely blocking all her options would be counterproductive for negotiations. Therefore, he could only use a third-party perspective, employing relatively soft language to express his opposition.

    "Then, can you give me Cornflower''s contact details?"

    His opinion obviously didn''t strike a chord with Yuan, who perked up at the news that the challenge was not strictly forbidden: "It''s been several days since I''ve seen her."

    "The Abnormal Strategy Bureau has a policy of mutual confidentiality; we do not provide personal information about the Magical Girls to anyone," Lin Yun stated earnestly. "And even if I gave you the contact details, it would be of no use, as you mentioned earlier, you don''t have a cell phone."

    "Right, I don''t have a cell phone," Yuan belatedly realized, nodding: "But that''s okay, if I have money, I can use a public phone. Speaking of which, since that''s the case, why doesn''t the Abnormal Strategy Bureau just give me a cell phone along with the Buddha... "

    "Forget it." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Lin Yun ended the conversation with an utterly dismissive tone.

    In the end, he gave Yuan a few thousand yuan, ensuring that it was enough to cover her living expenses for a while, then resolutely "escorted" the two troublesome guests out of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    Only after sending off these two great deities could he return to his free time and start dealing with the work he hadn''t completed today.

    Being the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau didn''t mean just handling the affairs within the bureau; he also had to deal with communications with other cities'' Abnormal Strategy Bureaus and the local city government.

    In the past month, with the Full Moon Festival, Lakeside Spring, and the recent attack on the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, the city government had bled a significant amount of money financially. Whether it was the compensation for the fallen employees or the rebuilding costs of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, it all fell on their shoulders, causing some government officials great discontent. Although they knew the newly parachuted director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, Lin Yun, had some significant background, that did not stop them from expressing "suggestions" to Lin Yun, asking for a more standardized management of the bureau to reduce extra expenditure.

 Chapter 39 Begging_3

    To this end, Lin Yun had to take the time to visit Fangting City''s government offices and make a report, to explain the recent increase in expenditures and soothe any concerns to ensure that the Abnormal Strategy Bureau would not be cut off from funding.The massive Abnormal Strategy Bureau, with its thousands of employees, required substantial operational funds. If he could not pacify the city officials and even a mere ten to twenty percent of the budget was slashed, many areas would become financially strapped. Then, there would indeed be plenty of headaches for him to deal with.

    While pondering these issues and having completed part of the paperwork at hand, time gradually moved into the evening, signaling the end of the workday.

    Though much work remained unfinished, Lin Yun could no longer continue because after work, he had another schedule¡ªto visit the Molu Research Institute.

    Lately, he always needed to go there.

    Firstly, the trade with the Source of Beasts had been completed, and the treatment process for his true form had thus begun, requiring him to receive more examinations at the Molu Institute, as well as undergo minor physiotherapy work to begin managing his injury.

    Secondly, he had a fellow patient there to look after, Hong Siyu.

    As expected, it was Molu who had enabled Hong Siyu to regain her Magical Girl powers. According to her, she had not been retired for over a decade, so there were some means to retrieve her source of Magic Power.

    Of course, when asked about the specifics, Molu became evasive, clearly not wanting to elaborate or admit that it was not entirely aboveboard.

    As for the motivation behind the act, it was because Hong Siyu was sent to the nation for treatment at the time Molu first proposed the trade to Emerald Sparrow. To add some bargaining chips to the deal, Molu privately inquired with Hong Siyu. After obtaining her consent, she conducted such an operation. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Hong Siyu''s retrieval of her Magical Girl powers was not without risks. Just in terms of identity, because she had not joined the nation like a regular Magical Girl, nor had she obtained the lifelong qualifications of a Magical Girl like Emerald Sparrow, she was considered an "illegal Magical Girl", just like those with the Claw Mark.

    And if we talk about the power itself, that presents even more issues, because before regaining her Magical Girl powers, Hong Siyu did not live as an ordinary person. During her two years in Fangting City, the Magic Power source of the Remnant Beasts implanted in her body caused severe contamination. Even after Emerald Sparrow used her scissors to directly sever the concept of the Remnant Beasts, her sleeping true form still showed a certain degree of mutation.

    Consequently, Hong Siyu, having regained her Magical Girl powers, had an unstable condition.

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    Compared to Emerald Sparrow, who sporadically transformed into a Magical Girl, her symptoms were much simpler¡ªshe could not change back.

    One might say that, in comparison, she was in a far better state than Emerald Sparrow, but that was only because Emerald Sparrow''s condition was far worse; fundamentally, her own state was not much better.

    According to Molu, with the Source of Beasts now in hand, she could undertake targeted experiments to stabilize Hong Siyu''s condition. As a result, in recent days, Hong Siyu had been going to the Molu Institute for ongoing treatment.

    It must be said, the weight of this bargaining chip indeed swayed Emerald Sparrow''s decision to a certain extent.

    For this reason, even if work was especially busy these past few days, he still needed to find a way to visit the Molu Institute after work to learn about the latest progress in the treatment.

 Chapter 40 Temporary Ontology

    When Lin Yun arrived at the Molu Research Institute by subway, he just happened to run into Hong Siyu stepping down from the treatment bed, having finished her therapy for the day. Meanwhile, a fairy doll was sitting by the bed, seemingly still tinkering with something.Clutching the Heart''s Gem in his pocket, Lin Yun briefly sensed that the magic power fluctuations in Hong Siyu''s body seemed to have changed. A thought crossed his mind, and he subconsciously strode into the institute.

    However, just as he was about to take a step, the doll by the bed also noticed the magic power fluctuations of the rune at the entrance. It raised its head, looked at Lin Yun, stretched out a paw, and gestured for him to stop: "Wait a moment, don''t come in yet."

    Lin Yun''s step halted mid-air.

    His gaze, laced with a hint of confusion, perfectly conveyed his thoughts. Noticing his look, the Emerald Sparrow didn''t keep him in suspense. The doll''s paw curved, and it pointed a straight finger at the Heart''s Gem in Lin Yun''s hand: "Transform first, don''t enter with your true form."

    Only then did Lin Yun realize he hadn''t transformed into a Magical Girl. He stepped back, glanced left and right in the corridor of the office building to make sure there were no other people or cameras watching, and then transformed into the Emerald Sparrow before entering the Molu Research Institute.

    "Would entering this room in my true form have any effects?"

    After activating the rune on the door and closing it, the Emerald Sparrow asked somewhat puzzled: "It seemed to be the same last time I came."

    "It''s complicated to explain, but simply put, this room''s space has been influenced and changed to a certain extent by the realm; it''s in a transitional state."

    Seeing that the Emerald Sparrow had completed the transformation, the Emerald Sparrow returned to fiddling with the treatment bed panel: "Entering here with the magic body of a Magical Girl won''t be a problem, but if you enter this space in your true form, it could lead to some undesirable reactions you wouldn''t want to see."

    The Emerald Sparrow looked at Hong Siyu beside her and, following her instincts, walked over to the treatment bed: "Such as?"

    "Such as your body being blasted by an excess of magic power, turning into a spiritual creature."

    The fairy doll revealed the shocking truth: "Or your body becomes rich in magic power and incompatible with the material world; if you walk out, you might find pieces of you missing." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Sounds more severe than entering the realm in the flesh." The Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow at the terrifying outcomes described.

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    "Because the realm is a stable world, and the transition between worlds follows a stable gateway; while this here is just a temporarily constructed small space, much less stable."

    The Emerald Sparrow was completely unconcerned with revealing the immaturity of her technology. She continued in a dragged tone, nonchalantly explaining: "You could also consider it a security measure. If a mundane thief tries to come in to steal, chances are they''ll explode on the spot."

    "...Is this really a method a Magical Girl should use?"

    "Didn''t you say it before? I am the Gemstone Scepter," replied the Emerald Sparrow, her voice as calm as a still well.

    A person who has completely given up on face cannot be hurt by words; it was clear that she had given up all intentions of clarifying the title "Gemstone Scepter," choosing instead to use it as a shield.

    Having said this much, the Emerald Sparrow naturally knew better than to press further and switched to another question instead.

    "So, why did you call me with the Magic Mirror while I was on my way here?"

    As the Emerald Sparrow had become more familiar with the Emerald Sparrow''s temperament through their dealings over time, she spoke more directly, not as coy as she might be with the Golden Green Cat''s Eye: "You should know how eye-catching it is to pull out a Magic Mirror in public; I couldn''t possibly do that. To use the Magic Mirror at such a time can''t just be for fun, right?"

    "How would I, an old lady, understand your young people''s things. As for what you mentioned, you should ask her."

    After a semi-serious reply, the doll gestured with a paw toward Hong Siyu: "You can let her explain it to you."

    Only then did the Emerald Sparrow remember feeling something off about the magic power fluctuations in Hong Siyu as soon as she had entered.

    It had been a month since Hong Siyu was sent to the realm for treatment following the Full Moon Festival. After this period of adjustment, the issues at the core should have stabilized. If not a cure, at least the situation shouldn''t have worsened.

    But changes in magic power fluctuations often had something to do with the core issues, and the concerned way the other party behaved was making her worried.

    "Is there a problem?" Her initial reaction was that there had been complications with the treatment, so she asked, frowning.

    "No, it''s not really a complication..."

    Hong Siyu, still maintaining her Magical Girl form, finally spoke hesitantly, flipping through her magical notebook, her eyes wavering unsurely: "It''s just a bit of an issue."

    The Emerald Sparrow gave Hong Siyu a look, then glanced at the doll, and asked somewhat sternly: "What kind of issue? Is the Chief asking you for an exorbitant fee for the treatment?"

    "Hey, I can''t let that comment slide. Your question is doubting my character, and I feel my dignity has been insulted," the Emerald Sparrow immediately protested languidly: "Even if I am in need of funds, I wouldn''t stoop so low as to bully my junior in such a place."

 Chapter 40 Temporary Ontology_2

    ```"Haha... Senior, you think too poorly of the Chief. "

    Hong Siyu smiled helplessly, relaxing her grip on the notebook somewhat: "Actually, it''s sort of good news... It means that, if everything goes as planned, I will be able to revert back to my original form soon. "

    Her words made Emerald Sparrow slightly startled.

    "Revert to your original form?"

    After a brief pause, Emerald Sparrow immediately pressed on, "Really?"

    "Yes, though there are some complications, it should be feasible. "

    Hong Siyu turned her head to the side: "But... it might not be ''reverting'' in the usual sense that you think. "

    "I feel like you''re about to mention something troublesome."

    "...You''re sharp as always, Senior."

    Hong Siyu nodded with her eyes cast down: "Since my original body hasn''t fully recovered and is still unstable, to revert back and return to normal life, the Chief gave a suggestion."

    "What suggestion?"

    "To create a ''temporary body'' using my original form as a template," Hong Siyu candidly replied.

    Emerald Sparrow didn''t answer but fell into silence, staring at Hong Siyu. It took her several seconds to comprehend the meaning behind her junior''s words. And perhaps because her gaze was too intense and unguarded, it caused Hong Siyu to lower her head even further.

    After a long silence, Emerald Sparrow finally spoke: "What you''re calling ''creating a temporary body''... wouldn''t that mean crafting a physical body to act as your own in the material world?"

    "As expected of a Magical Girl who is among the top five for the fastest blooming in a century, your comprehension is indeed exceptional."

    Mother Green chimed in from the side, her backhanded compliment drawing a slightly indifferent roll of the eyes from Emerald Sparrow, but she was unconcerned:

    "To be precise, because Chaoyan''s original body was severely affected by the Remnant Beasts, and even after detaching their concept, too many organs have been eroded and cannot recover to their original state. Healing will require a long-term nurturing process, so her body must remain dormant for the time being, hence the need for a replacement body for her activity." Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire

    "Sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie." Emerald Sparrow expressed her thoughts quite bluntly.

    "Don''t underestimate our Research Institute; some of the things in the material realm''s sci-fi movies can''t even imagine our capabilities." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Mother Green shook her head, seemingly forgetting she had just said a few sentences before that she was "unfamiliar with the younger generation in the material realm," and she commented sharply: "Fantasy is based on reality, and our nation''s legends are often the source of people''s fantasies."

    "So what about the feasibility?"

    Adhering to the principle of utmost caution, Emerald Sparrow further inquired: "Is the technology mature and what are the risks?"

    "Worried about its maturity? You needn''t be concerned about that. The technology to create life forms has been mature for decades and has seen many successful applications. We''re not just talking about humans; we can replicate fairy bodies to some extent."

    Mother Green pointed to her current fairy doll body: "The only thing we can''t do is create a soul out of nothing. All life forms we create are unconscious objects. But for us, that''s a good thing¡ªas merely creating a backup body without self-awareness doesn''t carry any ethical or moral burden."

    "Sounds like you''ve been considering this for a while."

    "I won''t deny it."

    Mother Green nodded: "Because you know, Chaoyan''s condition isn''t good, and your situation is even worse. Right now, Fangting City lacks powerful deterrent forces. To be blunt, as the next keeper of The Source of Beasts, I''m not confident in the security here."

    "So you want an injured member to make more sacrifices for this?" Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but frown.

    "Don''t jump to conclusions, young one. I have never said this is a ''sacrifice.'' The technology for artificial bodies is very advanced and will not impose any burden or harm on the user."

    Mother Green extended a paw, offering simple reassurance: "I can assure you that Chaoyan won''t be adversely affected by this decision, and she will only benefit from it¡ªlike she can immediately start training to solidify her Magical Girl strength and also return to her original life."

    "What about your own wishes?" Emerald Sparrow turned to Hong Siyu.

    "It was my own idea, and I agreed to it."

    Regarding this question, Hong Siyu raised her head, looking earnestly at Emerald Sparrow: "Like I said before, Senior. Even if it''s just for this period of time, I want to protect this city, protect the juniors, and protect you."

    Emerald Sparrow watched her quietly.

    After a moment, she closed her eyes and then opened them again, sighing: "Thank you, I''m sorry."

    "Senior, there''s nothing for you to apologize for; you''ve already saved me three times."

    Hong Siyu subconsciously smoothed the cover of the notebook in her hands: "And besides, you know, it''s mainly... for you."

    Her latter words were very soft, but still clearly heard by both Emerald Sparrow and Mother Green. Emerald Sparrow pressed her lips together, shifting her gaze as if avoiding something, while Mother Green let out an ill-intentioned whistle.

    "Young people, ah, young people," she couldn''t help but remark, "youth is truly wonderful."

    "So? Now that you''ve told me this, what more do you want?"

    Emerald Sparrow looked at Mother Green with a deadpan expression, steering the conversation back on track: "If you just wanted my opinion, it seems unnecessary to have called me with a magic mirror halfway through."

    ```

 Chapter 40 Temporary Ontology_3

    "Oh, that."The fairy doll slightly leaned back: "Actually, it''s quite simple, it''s still about the artificial body. To achieve the best fit, we will create her body to imitate Chaoyan''s true appearance, but as you know, her actual age and appearance differ from her true appearance by nearly twenty years. To make the spare body match the original, some additional adjustment costs might be needed."

    "''Additional costs,'' you mean you''re still going to charge money?" Emerald Sparrow immediately understood her meaning.

    "We''ll charge, but it can be completely covered by the trade with the Origin of Beasts."

    The fairy doll shook her head: "Mainly, Chaoyan has put forward another suggestion."

    "...What suggestion?" Emerald Sparrow turned to look at Hong Siyu once again.

    "I mean, why not save some cost."

    Hong Siyu started to fiddle with her notebook again: "I think, without adjusting, we can just use the true appearance as the spare body..."

    "Returning to a normal working life, it''s not necessary to skimp on this kind of cost."

    After considering for a moment, Emerald Sparrow seriously suggested: "Since the Chief promised no additional fees are required, you don''t actually need to worry about this issue."

    "It''s not really about the cost."

    Hong Siyu''s voice grew softer: "I mean, I kind of hope to still look like my true self after I change back."

    Emerald Sparrow then understood her meaning.

    Indeed, it wasn''t hard to understand because other Magical Girls had expressed similar desires throughout history.

    The older one gets, and as the true form begins to enter the phase known as ''aging,'' it becomes harder to let go of the youthful appearance of the true form.

    The true form of a Magical Girl, though not necessarily the age at which a Magical Girl is in her prime, is always full of youthful vigor and vitality. Even women in their thirties and forties have their own charm, but most women ultimately prefer to remain eternally young, and Magical Girls are no exception.

    In fact, there is a segment of Magical Girls who join the Magic Kingdom for this somewhat whimsical reason; they simply can''t accept the fact that they will age gradually after retirement and choose to live forever as Magical Girls.

    Although Hong Siyu wasn''t that obsessed, it was understandable that she wanted her appearance to seem younger...right?

    Thinking this far, Emerald Sparrow saw Hong Siyu glance at her with a somewhat strange look in her eyes, which made her somewhat uncertain of her own answer again.

    "It''s not like it''s impossible."

    So she nodded, expressing her opinion: "Only, if the spare body is going to look like your sixteen-year-old self, do you still plan to return to work at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau?"

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    "I want to go back." After a while, Hong Siyu spoke slowly.

    "...Are you planning to work looking like you do now?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "You promised me, senior."

    Hong Siyu spoke calmly: "I''m back, let me be your secretary."

    "I did promise, that''s true."

    Emerald Sparrow swallowed inexplicably: "But you being 16 years old and serving as my secretary at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, isn''t that a bit..."

    It was then she realized why these two had called her using the magic mirror on the way there.

    It turns out all the earlier talk was just a prelude, merely background information. The real issue she had to accept and decide upon was never about whether Hong Siyu should get a spare body but "whether Lin Yun, the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, should employ a secretary who looks to be only 16 years old."

    "...That won''t work." She almost instinctively denied it.

    "I think it''s pretty good, a 16-year-old high school girl as the director''s secretary."

    Molu, who was leisurely speaking on the side, ignored Emerald Sparrow''s rolling eyes: "It''s perfect, don''t you often transform into a Magical Girl? Just use how you look now to be the director, a grade-school director and a high school secretary. With you two as a pair, I believe the employees'' motivation at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau will surely increase quite a bit."

    "The Abnormal Strategy Bureau needs direction in their tasks, not a fanciful idol."

    Emerald Sparrow looked at her coolly, rejecting the unreliable suggestion without any politeness: "Even setting aside the fact that I wouldn''t mind a few more rumors about me in the Bureau, what about Hong Siyu''s identity? She can''t just go back to work under her original name, can she?"

    "That''s simple."

    The fairy doll gently closed her paws: "A resume is easy to make up. Just say she''s ''Hong Siyu''s niece,'' who, due to her aunt''s injury, voluntarily transferred from Tiandu City to take over her aunt''s job. If her youthful appearance raises questions, just put 25 years old on the r¨¦sum¨¦, and no matter what anyone asks, she''s 25."

    Now Emerald Sparrow was utterly speechless.

    "Alright, if you have no objections, then lie down. We''ve almost settled Chaoyan''s issue, and you still have significant problems of your own. We need to do several more physiotherapy sessions to stabilize your injuries." Molu urged, patting the treatment bed: "Hurry up, I need to go study the Origin of Beasts next."

    Of course, as it turned out, the previous treatment''s "need to undress" was a pure lie; such treatment didn''t need to be conducted naked. As a result, Emerald Sparrow hardly needed to prepare much, simply needed to lie down on the treatment bed, her consciousness faded for a while, and the entire process was completed.

 Chapter 40 Temporary Ontology_4

    So much so that by the time she left the research institute and walked into the corridor with Hong Siyu, she still couldn''t figure out exactly how to reject the absurd suggestion from these two.As she pondered, she undid the transformation and reverted to Lin Yun''s appearance, walking into the office building''s elevator with Hong Siyu, one after the other.

    The two stood in an elevator car devoid of other people, and while Lin Yun''s thoughts were still immersed in the "how to refuse" dilemma, Hong Siyu suddenly whispered:

    "Senior, if I want to go to work using a new backup body, the office attire I used to wear might not be suitable anymore, I might need a new set."

    "Do the sizes not fit?"

    Lin Yun came back to his senses, took a look at Hong Siyu now, and subconsciously nodded, "Seems like we need to buy a few new pieces." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Yes, we need to buy a few pieces of clothing that suit my real appearance."

    Hong Siyu continued his thought, then added in a soft voice, "So, could you give me some advice on that?"

    The elevator was silent. The stark white light flickered slightly as the floors changed, with the brightness inside the car shifting uncertainly.

    After a moment, Lin Yun understood what she meant and the emotions hidden in her words, and his expression grew complex.

    "...I can go with you."

    He spoke softly, "But some things, thank you, I''m sorry."

    "...I''ve said it before, no need to apologize."

    Hong Siyu looked at the blurred reflection on the elevator door, her expression serene, "It''s enough that you can accompany me."

    After another stretch of silence, the elevator display counted up to the first floor, accompanied by a gentle chime, the doors slowly opened in front of them.

    Outside the office building was the largest shopping mall nearby, and just by looking through the elevator and the office building''s glass curtain wall, one could see the twinkling neon lights outside.

    "Shall we go there?" Lin Yun looked straight ahead but suddenly asked.

    "Yes, let''s go there." Hong Siyu also looked forward, affirming his question.

    Their footsteps synchronised, the two stepped out from the elevator together, their distance closer than it had been since they knew each other twenty years ago.

    And their hands, hidden behind their backs because of their height difference, were uneven, one above the other. The hand that was lower slightly lifted, touching the other''s for a moment, but ultimately, its owner let it fall, regripping her own hem and walking out of the office building next to the other person with feigned naturalness.

    Ahead of them was the dazzling lights of the city, and behind them was the quiet desolation.

    Human civilization in this world had developed for over a thousand years, and in the modern city, people could be as close as neighbors yet as far as strangers.

    ...

    ...

    In the same neon glow, walking in the cold winter wind after leaving the shopping mall with her companions, Lin Xiaolu suddenly stopped as if she felt something and turned around.

    First she looked towards the shopping mall''s entrance with confusion, then, as if to confirm something, she retraced two steps back to the entrance.

    Staring at the two all-too-familiar figures, her expression grew more puzzled.

    "What''s the matter?" Noticing Lin Xiaolu''s strange behavior, Xia Liang, who was happily carrying bags full of shopping spoils, turned to ask. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

    Lin Xiaolu did not answer Xia Liang''s question.

    She stepped closer to the entrance, then, as if worried she was seeing things, rubbed her eyes. After confirming what she saw, she stood frozen in place.

    Then, her eyes widened, and her mouth slowly dropped open.

 Chapter 41 Return Home

    It was approaching 8 o''clock in the evening when Emerald Sparrow, carrying two large plastic shopping bags, crossed the nightfall and returned to the secret base. However, as she found her keys and opened the front door as always, she suddenly felt that something was missing.Behind the door was an empty entrance hall; Lin Xiaolu hadn''t come over. Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire

    For nearly a month now, every time Emerald Sparrow returned to the base, Lin Xiaolu would always come out to greet her. Sometimes enthusiastic, sometimes calm, but always engaging proactively in a little small talk. This slightly intimate behavior had initially made Emerald Sparrow somewhat embarrassed, but over time, she had grown accustomed to their way of interacting.

    But it seemed today was an exception.

    The time by now was getting late. Logically, Lin Xiaolu should have finished her patrol, and what''s more, Emerald Sparrow had heard a few days earlier that she was to have half a day off, so there was even less reason for her not to be at the base. Yet now the girl didn''t come out to greet her, leaving Emerald Sparrow feeling a bit regretful.

    This sense of regret didn''t last long because she also knew that children are independent beings with their own things to do; they can''t always be circling around her, and it''s completely normal for them to be busy and not come to the door. So she quickly returned to her usual composure, changed into slippers methodically, and took small steps into the living room.

    What she saw was Xia Liang sitting on the sofa watching TV and Bai Jingxuan, who was unusually not training in the basement but accompanying her in the living room instead.

    "Have you had dinner yet?"

    She bent slightly, ready to place the shopping bags to one side, "I stopped by the supermarket before coming back and bought some extra ingredients."

    "Ah, has Junior returned? We''ve eaten already."

    Hearing the movement behind her, Xia Liang immediately got up, ran out from the living room, and helped Emerald Sparrow with the shopping bag: "Wow, that''s heavy! We should put these things in the fridge first!"

    "I want to help too!" Hearing this, Bai Jingxuan quickly inserted herself between the two, snatching the other shopping bag.

    "There''s no need to rush... but thank you all the same."

    The two bags were swiftly taken from her hands, relieving her of the weight and leaving Emerald Sparrow slightly at a loss as she blinked, "Right, where''s Bai Mei?"

    Then, she saw the two people in front of her simultaneously pause.

    "...Sister had mentioned she wanted to go home, so she left alone earlier," said Bai Jingxuan, her voice sinking subtly.

    "We went out together this afternoon, but due to certain reasons, Xiaolu didn''t come back with us."

    Xia Liang awkwardly chuckled, "I tried to persuade her, but, you know... she really wouldn''t listen, haha."

    "What happened?"

    Their evasive responses made Emerald Sparrow realize that there seemed to be more to the story. Instinctively she wanted to raise an eyebrow. However, to avoid putting pressure on the kids, she deliberately maintained an even expression, "There was a study meeting scheduled for tonight, why would she suddenly go home?"

    "...Junior."

    "Hmm?"

    "The thing I''m about to tell you, you need to stay calm after hearing it, okay?" Xia Liang put down her plastic bag and extended her hand flatly, pressing it down as if to convey a gesture of "staying calm."

    "Is it something serious? Is she in danger?" Emerald Sparrow looked tense.

    "No, it''s not something dangerous, and her life is definitely not in danger. But serious... it''s indeed quite serious. How should I put it... well, we went out for some reason this afternoon, and then decided to go have fun together, so we ended up at the shopping mall near the Abnormal Strategy Bureau." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Xia Liang struggled to maintain a smile:

    "Then, in the evening, we saw Uncle Lin and Sister Hong Si together."

    Because Bai Jingxuan was nearby, she chose a roundabout way of speaking, adopting a more objective phrasing. Nevertheless, Emerald Sparrow still understood the implication of her words:

    The scene of herself and Hong Siyu acting together had been witnessed.

    ¡ª¡ª"Mom! Dad is having an affair!"

    As Xia Liang spoke out the truth, Bai Jingxuan followed suit at once, though her understanding of the situation was clearly on another level: "That''s why sister had to go back to her own house, she said she wants to confront Dad!"

    Confront?

    As Bai Jingxuan uttered the word, which was swiftly processed in her mind, Emerald Sparrow''s thoughts plunged into a momentary void.

    It took some effort for her to accept the fact. When she came back to her senses, she first looked at Bai Jingxuan, and finding no useful information on the child''s face, she then turned to Xia Liang.

    Xia Liang appeared to understand what she was thinking and nodded with an awkward laugh.

    So, Emerald Sparrow came to grips with the current situation: in Lin Xiaolu''s eyes, her father, despite his busy work, was still supposed to come home every evening, which was why she chose to wait at "her own" home.

    This also meant that Emerald Sparrow was inevitably going to have to make a trip there.

    Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, she spoke after a long silence, "...I might need to leave for a while, and I may not come back tonight."

    After she finished speaking, she pointed at the shopping bags in Xia Liang''s hands, "You might have to put these things away in the kitchen for me, thank you for your trouble."

    "Is Mom angry?" Seeing her tense expression, Bai Jingxuan asked quietly, "Should we not have talked about this?"

 Chapter 41 Returning Home_2

    "You two are thinking too much at such a young age, things are not necessarily that complicated."She reached out to ruffle her hair, and Emerald Sparrow''s tone softened, "Don''t worry too much, I''m not angry, and I''m not going to argue, it''s just that there really are some things I need to do."

    "So, little junior, do you really know what''s going on?"

    Xia Liang feigned ignorance but asked with a pointed hint, "Uncle Lin and Sister Hong are together, even going shopping, isn''t it true that... their relationship has developed?"

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but give her a glare.

    "From my current stance, any answer I give is not credible and meaningless, right?"

    In the end, she sighed helplessly, "But the answer I can give you is no."

    Seeing that the two girls still looked unconvinced, she didn''t want to keep arguing about this topic, so she waved her hand and said, "Anyway, I can tell you for sure: neither I, Chaoyan, nor... Lin Yun have any intention of changing our relationship with each other, whether it''s getting closer or more distant, that''s not something we''re considering at this stage."

    "Are you going to come back tonight then?"

    Xia Liang put down the bag in her hand, her smile brimming, "Is the study meeting tonight canceled?"

    "It''s canceled, but I''ve already put the prepared exercises in the study."

    Knowing what she was scheming, but not wanting to waste more words on this, Emerald Sparrow headed towards the front door without looking back, "Bai Mei has her own things to do and can''t participate, so you''ll just have to finish the corresponding exercises by yourself, I''ll come back and check them tomorrow."

    "Eh? We still have to do the exercises even like this!" Xia Liang cried out in dismay. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "It looks like your mind is a bit restless."

    After changing shoes at the entrance, Emerald Sparrow looked back at her and said, "Study hard, and don''t meddle in adult affairs, little one."

    Leaving Xia Liang''s cries of "unfair" behind, Emerald Sparrow exited the secret base and found an uninhabited area to take off into the sky. She chose to fly back to her own home to save time on the road.

    Gliding through the night sky for just a few minutes, Emerald Sparrow already arrived near the apartment. But this time, in order to maintain a normal persona, she had to change back into Lin Yun''s appearance and then take the elevator home as usual.

    The apartment, when left unused, was also cleaned by hourly workers, so even though Lin Yun hadn''t been home much recently, the place should still be moderately clean and wouldn''t give Lin Xiaolu any clues.

    In the elevator, checking her appearance in the reflective door and ensuring she didn''t look harried, Lin Yun casually returned home with an air as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

    As soon as he entered the door, he saw a chair.

    For some reason, the chair was placed directly in front of the living room entrance, facing the door, and Lin Xiaolu was sitting on it, with a small blackboard standing next to her for some unknown purpose. With her head down, headphones on, she was focused on her phone.

    Lin Yun glanced over and realized she was playing a game.

    Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

    "Ahem."

    He cleared his throat and asked, "Lulu, what are you doing?"

    At his words, Lin Xiaolu looked up following the voice. Seeing her father standing at the door looking at her, she subconsciously wanted to shut off the game on her hands, but in her haste, her movements were awkward, causing her to hit the volume button and blast the sound to maximum.

    Loud music together with the shout of game characters burst out from Lin Xiaolu''s headphones, clearly audible even from Lin Yun''s position.

    Almost instinctively ducking her head, Lin Xiaolu hurriedly yanked off her headphones and fidgeted to remember where the volume button on her phone was. After turning the sound off, she also turned off the phone and tucked it into the pocket of her jacket, correcting her sitting posture and putting on a serious expression... Only after completing all this preparation work did she sit up straight again.

    Lin Yun watched the whole process play out before him, finding it half amusing yet half embarrassing, but still tried to remain calm. He glanced at the small blackboard next to her as if he saw nothing and asked, "What made you suddenly think to come home today?"

    Lin Xiaolu said nothing but sat on the chair staring at him with a serious face.

    "...What''s wrong?" Lin Yun was forced to patiently ask again.

    "I saw it!"

    Lin Xiaolu burst out, "You were shopping with that woman!"

    "Saw it?"

    Lin Yun pretended as if he was just hearing about this for the first time, feigning great surprise, "What are you talking about?"

    "Don''t hide it, I saw it with my own eyes, right near the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s shopping plaza, you and that woman were together laughing and talking!"

    Pointing a finger dramatically at Lin Yun, Lin Xiaolu raised her voice, "Two-timing is not okay!"

    When she said this, she was serious and earnest, with an imposing stance as if she had come to accuse him of his wrongs. If it were any other matter, it might indeed have had a sobering effect.

    Unfortunately, what she said seemed like wild speculation to Lin Yun. And what''s more unfortunate, before Lin Yun could respond, Lin Xiaolu''s own stomach made the first noise.

    "Gurgle gurgle..."

    In the small space with just the two of them, the sound was particularly loud and grating, and its source was so blatantly obvious that the finger Lin Xiaolu had just pointed wilted down.

 Chapter 41 Returning Home_3

    Looking at his daughter who had somehow fallen into an awkward situation, Lin Yun sighed helplessly, "It''s after eight, haven''t you eaten yet?""Don''t, don''t change the subject!"

    Lin Xiaolu retracted one hand to cover her stomach, her ears heating up: "What I''m talking about is your indecisiveness!"

    "Did you eat at noon?" Lin Yun undid his tie and walked towards the dining room.

    Her gaze followed Lin Yun as he moved, and Lin Xiaolu subconsciously blurted out, "I didn''t eat much... No, that''s not what I''m talking about!"

    Lin Yun, however, was taking off his suit jacket and draping it over the back of the dining room chair: "We generally don''t keep fresh ingredients at home, but I happened to buy some vegetables today. Do you want meat for dinner?"

    "Meat... it''s already eight, let''s not." Lin Xiaolu pondered.

    "It''s only eight, eating more meat is good for you."

    While speaking, Lin Yun took out two plastic containers used for packaging meat: "It seems you haven''t grown much taller this past month."

    "It''s not like I want it that way, my body just won''t grow."

    Mumbling, Lin Xiaolu stood up from the chair and edged into the kitchen: "I don''t need to eat meat, I''ve been dieting lately."

    "Dieting? You''re barely a few pounds, skinny like a sprout."

    Lin Yun washed his hands and started preparing the ingredients in the kitchen: "Plus, you''re only fourteen, it''s time to grow, why suddenly think about dieting?"

    "I''ve eaten a bit too much recently."

    Lin Xiaolu moved closer to the sink, her expression complicated: "Gained four pounds."

    "How much?" Lin Yun turned to look at her.

    "...Four pounds." Lin Xiaolu struggled mentally before saying it, "The food at the secret base is too good."

    After scrutinizing Lin Xiaolu seriously, Lin Yun noticed that in these days, her face had indeed become slightly rounder. It was only because they were together day and night that such a subtle change had been overlooked until now.

    "No worries, gaining some weight is fine."

    After a moment''s thought, his hand hovered over the plastic container, picked it up, and then put it back down, but in the end, he still tore off the wrapping: "Growing up, it''s okay." Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire

    Even after noticing this change, he didn''t mind his daughter gaining a little weight, in fact, Emerald Sparrow also cooked with this principle at the secret base. From the perspective of a father, his daughter''s height and development were clearly more important.

    Slightly opening her mouth, Lin Xiaolu probably realized that she wouldn''t convince her father on this matter and took out several boxes of ready-made meals from the fridge: "...I''ll prepare the side dishes."

    During her time at the secret base, she had gradually gotten used to helping in the kitchen. Although she still wasn''t very useful, she had learned what she was capable of, so naturally, there was no reason to sit idle.

    Father and daughter stood side by side at the kitchen counter, Lin Yun handling the meat, while not forgetting to keep the conversation going: "So, what were you doing with a chair at the entrance? Why insist on sitting there and playing with your phone?"

    "I wasn''t sitting there playing with the phone."

    Lin Xiaolu immediately raised her head and retorted, "I was waiting for you!"

    "Waiting for me for what?"

    "To tell you I saw you two-timing, to give you a warning!"

    Lin Xiaolu earnestly said, "I wanted to tell you as soon as you got back, to have a deterrent effect!" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "...How did you come up with such an odd strategy?" Lin Yun was somewhat speechless.

    "I saw it on TV." Lin Xiaolu said confidently.

    "Fine, let''s assume that''s true. Then that small blackboard, wasn''t it used for studying at home if I remember correctly? Why did you move it to the entrance?"

    Lin Yun soaked the meat in water: "If you don''t want it anymore, throw it out, don''t leave it there like it''s big trash."

    "That''s not throwing out trash."

    Lin Xiaolu was slightly disgruntled: "I originally wanted to write a slogan on it!"

    "What slogan?"

    "A slogan against two-timing, to criticize harshly!" Lin Xiaolu ripped open the packaging of the ready-made meal box fiercely.

    "...Even if what you say is right, where''s your slogan?" Lin Yun asked curiously.

    "Couldn''t think of a good one, so I wiped it off." Lin Xiaolu said sullenly.

    "After wiping it off you just gave up writing?"

    "No, I thought about searching online for something decent."

    Lin Xiaolu looked at the package in her hand, her voice getting quieter: "But after searching for a long time, I suddenly remembered I hadn''t done today''s tasks in the game."

    "So?"

    "Just, played a bit, incidentally." Lin Xiaolu shifted her gaze away.

    This also clarified what shenanigans she was up to at the entrance, but compared to the somewhat comedic situation at the door, after learning the truth, Lin Yun was slightly troubled:

    Did he have a silly daughter?

    "I''m not silly!" Lin Xiaolu immediately retorted.

    "I didn''t say anything." Lin Yun glanced at her and continued with the food preparation.

    "You didn''t say anything because you think I''m silly!"

    Lin Xiaolu was a bit annoyed: "These are just accidents!"

    "Alright, alright, they''re accidents." Lin Yun conceded with a nod.

    "So, that''s not what I want to talk about! Don''t you try to change the subject! I want to discuss the matter of you going shopping with that woman!"

    "Don''t call her ''that woman'' in such an impolite way, you could call her auntie, or sister, or at the very least, senior."

    Lin Yun lectured, "After all, she is a senior in the Magical Girl field, and she''s from Fangting City. You don''t need to be so hostile towards her."

    "She''s even imitating my mom, how can I not be hostile towards her?"

 Chapter 41 Homecoming_4

    Lin Xiaolu glared: "And don''t you take her side! She was mimicking my mom earlier, don''t tell me you didn''t notice!""...It''s true, but her intentions weren''t bad."

    "How do you know her intentions weren''t bad? What if she''s acting all sweet because she likes you, but actually she''s a bad woman? What then?"

    Lin Xiaolu muttered, "Then the bad woman becomes my stepmom, and who knows, she might say, ''Your mom stole my man back in the day, now it''s payback time,'' and then she''ll abuse me, starve me, make me wear rags and sweep chimneys... or whatever."

    "Where did you get that from?" Lin Yun wondered.

    "TV," Lin Xiaolu stated with conviction.

    Xia Liang will have to help keep an eye on this girl later; I can''t let her watch weird shows every day.

    Lin Yun planned in his heart, but his face showed no emotion: "We don''t have a chimney at home."

    "It''s a metaphor, a metaphor!"

    "Even as a metaphor, that''s not going to happen. I assure you, she''s not a bad person."

    After pausing slightly, Lin Yun said with heavy emphasis, "And I understand what you mean. Just like you, I miss your mom a lot, so I wouldn''t do anything to hurt her."

    "I told you, I don''t care if you find me a stepmom or not."

    Lin Xiaolu sulked, "Your love life is up to you, I''m just reminding you. But it''s unacceptable to be fickle, whether or not you plan to find someone new..."

    "When have I been fickle?"

    "How haven''t you been? You''re clearly dating Emerald Sparrow!"

    Lin Xiaolu grabbed the corner of Lin Yun''s shirt, "Then behind her back, you go shopping with that... Hong Siyu. Are you saying you''re not distracted?"

    "Are you sure you saw me?" Lin Yun tried a last-ditch struggle.

    "How could it not be you, the clothes were the same! And so was Hong Siyu, she even used her Magical Girl form to seduce you!"

    Lin Xiaolu stared with her eyes wide: "Men like them young, right? She gets younger and your heart flutters?"

    "You child, really..."

    Throwing the meat to one side of the cutting board, Lin Yun pulled out the kitchen knife and lightly traced his finger along its edge: "First of all, I''ve already said that I won''t do anything to hurt your mom, so I''m not planning on finding you a stepmom."

    "Not planning to find a stepmom?"

    Lin Xiaolu blinked, pondered for a moment, and then her expression turned somewhat alarmed: "Are you planning to be irresponsible and abandon her after leading her on... Ah!"

    "What would you know at such a young age."

    Unable to hold back, Lin Yun gave his daughter''s head a pat and returned his hand to grasp the kitchen knife: "Don''t talk like the people in those TV dramas, real life doesn''t have all that nonsense."

    "...Then what about that." Rubbing her forehead, Lin Xiaolu mumbled sullenly, "You already have feelings for Emerald Sparrow, do you plan to just leave her hanging?"

    "That''s secondary."

    Lin Yun sighed, "Who told you that Emerald Sparrow and I are dating and planning to get married?"

    "...Mosi."

    At Lin Xiaolu''s answer, Lin Yun almost choked on his saliva and struggled for a while to regulate his breathing. However, he still forced himself to appear calm: "Who''s that?" sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "A bad person." Lin Xiaolu glanced at him sideways, "The person from the Full Moon Festival night."

    "...Oh."

    Knowing that he shouldn''t comment much on this identity, Lin Yun continued as if nothing was amiss: "So? You believed it because a bad person told you?"

    "She told Emerald Sparrow that, and the evidence is solid!"

    Lin Xiaolu''s voice grew louder: "That night, Emerald Sparrow said she wouldn''t return to Fangting City, but she suddenly came back. Weren''t you the one who notified her?"

    "Where did you hear that?"

    "I saw it myself, you weren''t in your room that night!" Lin Xiaolu declared righteously.

    So that''s what it was.

    Lin Yun had an epiphany.

    Only at that moment did he understand the source of this month-long confusion and where he had made a mistake.

    Because he dashed out on the night of the Full Moon Festival without considering the possibility of exposing his whereabouts, and along with Mosi''s wild conjectures based on her own assumptions, Lin Xiaolu was completely led astray.

    Thinking about it, during his fight with Mosi, because he didn''t want to reveal too much information, he didn''t clarify things, which looked to the children like an implicit "admission." The combination of coincidences had led to this misunderstanding.

    So, should he clarify things? And to what extent?

    Lin Yun pondered silently, at a loss for words.

    Allowing Lin Xiaolu to continue misunderstanding this thing with Bai Jingxuan was undeniably awkward, especially since recently Bai Jingxuan had been calling Emerald Sparrow "mom," and although self-adopted, each call gave Emerald Sparrow a headache.

    However, it has to be said that this was also a justification to cover up his and Emerald Sparrow''s identity issues. The vague connections and contradictions between Lin Yun and Emerald Sparrow in many matters could be explained away with this justification.

    Just that, if he really admitted this explanation out loud, it would only make it harder for him to reveal his true identity to Lin Xiaolu. Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

    Weighing the options over and over in his heart, Lin Yun''s silence lasted for a full half a minute. Just when Lin Xiaolu thought she might have said something wrong, he finally said:

 Chapter 41 Returning Home_5

    "You''re right, that day, it was indeed I who called her back.""Really?"

    Lin Xiaolu immediately curled up her lips, "I knew it, so it was you and Emerald Sparrow..."

    "But it''s not because there''s any romantic relationship between us."

    Lin Yun slightly narrowed his eyes, "The real connection between her and me is actually you."

    "...Me?" Lin Xiaolu was suddenly stunned.

    "Yes. The reason I could contact her is that I''m your father, and she''s your senior and happens to be your mother''s friend."

    Lin Yun nodded, "She came back, not because of me, but to protect you, to protect all of you."

    "Then, why do you know so much about the magic side of things..." Lin Xiaolu said in a low voice.

    "Because I''m actually from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."

    Lin Yun, with a deadpan face, made up his mind internally and finally decided to lay out this truth: "I''ve been an insider at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau for a very long time, and now I''ve returned to work there."

    However, he slightly modified the truth, omitting the fact that he was "airdropped" in, instead adopting the story that Golden Green Cat''s Eye had created for him when fabricating his false resume.

    And this fact was seemingly significant enough to Lin Xiaolu that she forgot to speak for a moment.

    "You... are from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau?"

    After a while, she finally asked, seeming a bit slow on the uptake, "How is that possible? I''ve been to your workplace when I was young, and it wasn''t the Abnormal Strategy Bureau..."

    "That''s because I used to be just an external staff member, registered to assist your mother''s actions."

    Since he had started lying, Lin Yun went all the way with his fabrication, "Later, the director of the Bureau had a problem, and my qualifications just happened to be enough, so I returned to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau a few days ago, and now I''m the current director."

    "...Director?" Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire

    This word clearly baffled Lin Xiaolu even more because she had never seen such a high-ranking official in her life.

    "Dad, you''re the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau?"

    Then, she let out an ear-piercing exclamation.

    "Quiet, do you want the neighbors to hear?" Lin Yun quickly covered her mouth, "This isn''t something you can just talk about outside!"

    "But, isn''t it... the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, director?"

    Lin Xiaolu, looking a bit dazed, said, "So I''m actually the daughter of an official?"

    "No, you''re not, our family doesn''t have much power, I am just me, and you are just you."

    Lin Yun tapped on the cutting board, "And I think you need to realize, being a Magical Girl is actually more important than the position at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau..."

    ¡ª¡ª"So that''s why you knew I became a Magical Girl?" But Lin Xiaolu interrupted him before he could finish.

    "That''s right." Lin Yun simply went along with this logic and continued the story, "I am a person from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, so Hong Siyu came to me right away and told me things related to you."

    "So, is that why you''ve always ignored what I do?"

    "Yes, because even the secret base where you guys are living now is a location provided by the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."

    "The first few days when I thought I was acting without you knowing, you actually knew exactly what I was doing?" Lin Xiaolu''s expression was complicated.

    "Not precisely, but I knew you were fighting for this city."

    Lin Yun was vague, "I don''t have such a severe need for control, I don''t monitor what you do all the time."

    "But if you''re the director, why are we still not rich?"

    Lin Xiaolu was puzzled, "Shouldn''t it be easy for you to accept a little bribe and drive luxury cars and live in a mansion?"

    "Your dad is a clean official, I don''t take bribes."

    Unable to refrain from patting his daughter on the head again, Lin Yun educated her, "Paying special attention to your information and giving the green light to your activities is already me abusing my private power, how could I do something like taking bribes."

    "...So that''s how it is."

    Lin Xiaolu suddenly sighed, "I thought that..."

    "You thought what?" Lin Yun glanced at her sideways.

    "I thought you and Emerald Sparrow were dating, and that''s why she told you all this."

    For some reason, after the brief shock passed, Lin Xiaolu seemed a bit disappointed, "So it was because you are with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."

    "Rather, it''s because I''m with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau that I got in touch with your senior Emerald Sparrow, and Hong Siyu."

    Having cut the ingredients, Lin Yun ignited the stove and began to pour oil into the wok, "Today''s afternoon scene included, that was indeed me, but not because I''m having a fling with someone, it was just accompanying Hong Siyu to pick out clothes."

    "Picking out clothes isn''t considered flirting?" Lin Xiaolu''s eyes widened in astonishment.

    "Professional attire, don''t overthink it, just normal friend interaction."

    Lin Yun averted his gaze feeling somewhat guilty, "Overall, there isn''t any other implication here."

    "So that woman truly was Hong Siyu, not her daughter or niece or something?" Lin Xiaolu continued to inquire.

    "Yes, that was indeed her."

    Lin Yun nodded, "You can ask her or Emerald Sparrow for the specific reasons, but that certainly is how she looks after regaining her Magical Girl powers."

    Lin Xiaolu inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

    "That''s good. I was worried about the worst case scenario, wondering what if she was your illegitimate daughter."

    She patted her chest, "If suddenly a sister popped up, I wouldn''t know how to interact with her."

    Lin Yun raised his hand, and Lin Xiaolu subconsciously dodged to the side, but instead of a knock on the forehead, she realized a palm open in front of her.

    "Salt." Lin Yun stated succinctly.

    "Oh." It was only then that Lin Xiaolu remembered she was helping with the cooking and picked up the bag of salt from the shelf nearby.

    S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 41 Returning Home_6

    "In short, my relationship with Emerald Sparrow and Hong Siyu is not what you think,"Taking the salt bag, Lin Yun carefully compared it with a spoon before sprinkling it into the pot, summing up, "All this is for work. In fact, whether it''s me or Emerald Sparrow, a lot of things have been done considering you, so stop guessing wildly."

    "But..."

    Lin Xiaolu hesitated again, "If you really have nothing to do with each other, why would Emerald Sparrow consider me?"

    "...Because she''s your senior."

    After a moment of thought, Lin Yun opened his mouth to answer, "The relationship between senior and junior Magical Girls, if unchanged, will last ten years; such a lengthy comradeship often surpasses kinship."

    This answer should not have come from him since it involved Magical Girls, and he should not appear to know too much. Even after admitting his current employment at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, "Magical Girl" remained the primary demarcation of his and Emerald Sparrow''s identities, and he should have skirted around it.

    However, after the conversation had already reached such a point tonight, to clarify things and resolve misunderstandings was the most important matter. That''s why Lin Yun chose to reveal it after careful consideration.

    Of course, this is only the superficial reason. While it sounds high-minded and seemingly rational, in truth, it is not very convincing.

    Just from Lin Xiaolu''s expression, it was apparent that she was not very satisfied with this answer.

    In fact, Lin Xiaolu was not oblivious to Emerald Sparrow''s previous favoritism; rather, it was precisely because Bai Jingxuan had diverted Emerald Sparrow''s attention in recent days that she began to realize she had been favored before.

    However, as for the source of this favoritism, even though Emerald Sparrow had explained repeatedly, she did not believe it was because of herself.

    In her subconscious, she still felt that this favoritism stemmed from her parents'' influence. Perhaps it was partly due to her mother being a team member, but more so because Emerald Sparrow had an unusual relationship with her father.

    But now, her father was telling her very plainly that it was not because of any of these reasons, and that there were no romantic or love relationships between him and Emerald Sparrow.

    This not only meant that all her previous speculations were wrong, but it also meant that she had voiced these incorrect assumptions, even directly in front of Emerald Sparrow, and had presumptuously started calling her "Mommy"...

    If she really had the wrong idea, just the thought made Lin Xiaolu''s toes curl in embarrassment.

    Yet as she pondered this, if all of these were wrong, then what was the real answer?

    The favoritism she felt was no illusion, yet both her father and Emerald Sparrow unanimously denied a deeper connection between them, so which side should she believe?

    Was there another answer beyond these contradictory facts?

    Since she was doomed not to get any other answer from Lin Yun, after finishing dinner, helping clean up the dishes, Lin Xiaolu fell into deep thought on her own.

    She pondered while showering, brushing her teeth, changing clothes, and as she lay in bed.

    Then, still pondering, she turned on her phone, opened the game, and found the character supposed to be based on her mother named "Dawn Grass."

    "When I asked Emerald Sparrow, she also said it was because of me."

    Recalling a summer night''s conversation, Lin Xiaolu murmured to herself, "What''s so special about me? I''m not particularly talented, have a bad temper, and I''m not cuter than Xia Liang and the others, even my studies have started to lag behind hers..."

    "Mom, what kind of relationship did you and Emerald Sparrow really have?"

    "If it''s really nothing to do with Dad, then what was that dream about the other night? Why did I dream of Emerald Sparrow holding me as a child?"

    The virtual character on the screen, of course, could not answer her questions.

    No matter how much Lin Xiaolu flipped through the character''s voice lines in the game, all she could hear were some trivial greetings and battle cries.

    Amid her gradually murky thoughts, she eventually gave up on continuing to think about the issue and instead started playing other game levels.

    In recent days, her focus had finally shifted from "Dawn Grass" to other characters in the game, starting to cultivate other Magical Girls.

    Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire

    And during the process of developing the game characters, she sometimes triggered personal storylines for the characters, signifying a deeper bond forming between the game character and the player''s "Fairy." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Thus, Lin Xiaolu casually opened a character''s personal story and skimmed through it. Just when she found the story somewhat boring and was about to fast-forward, a particular part of the plot caught her attention.

    The reason was that two Magical Girls in the story had a misunderstanding; one of them mistakenly thought the other had a preference for the same sex, leading to an absurdly humorous conversation.

    Light jokes and teasing about same-sex preferences were not an important part of the plot. They were merely interspersed in the story for light relief, but for Lin Xiaolu, it seemed like the only key to a locked door.

    Such an insignificant plot detail suddenly cleared all her thoughts, connecting all her questions at once and leading her to a brand new answer.

    Yes, why hadn''t she thought of it before.

    She stared blankly at the screen, savoring this new revelation, a tumult of emotions within her refusing to settle.

    ¡ª Why couldn''t Emerald Sparrow have liked my mother?

 Chapter 42 Bo Xue Flutters Gently

    December 11th, an ordinary workday, and Fangting City was experiencing light snowfall again.The light snow had started the previous night and continued into the afternoon of the next day. The pristine snowflakes whitened the entire city and brought a hint of dreamlike ambiance to the depths of winter. Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

    Fine snowflakes gently tapped against the window lattice, silently leaving a few droplets that blurred the street view outside. In the warmth of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, Lin Yun sitting in the Director''s Office, was polishing a teacup, then suddenly sighed.

    He then looked towards the uninvited guest seated across the desk and rallied his spirits to ask:

    "Is there something to be happy about today?"

    Seated across the desk from him was his student and junior, also a recent regular visitor to the Director''s Office¡ªBai Jingxuan.

    As a conversational tactic, he didn''t ask "What''s the matter?" or "Why have you come?" but instead narrowed the scope directly to "something to be happy about." The reason was that he couldn''t discern the child''s intentions and was trying to steer the conversation toward a more positive note.

    It was nearing the end of the workday, and just as Lin Yun had finished processing the day''s paperwork and was about to summarize the day''s work, Bai Jingxuan suddenly showed up.

    Of course, despite the abrupt visit, Lin Yun was almost used to it. As previously mentioned, Bai Jingxuan had become a frequent guest. After the Lakeside Spring incident, whether it was because she had accepted the role of "daughter" as Emerald Sparrow, Bai Jingxuan''s visits to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau had increased significantly.

    Nevertheless, since then, she hadn''t made any shocking requests, such as "slaughtering Black Ash Dawn." Often, she would simply greet Lin Yun and then sit quietly in the Director''s Office reading.

    Rather, it was because she was indeed quiet enough that Lin Yun was willing to let her stay in the Director''s Office.

    "Something to be happy about?"

    Bai Jingxuan seemed livelier than usual today. Even while sitting and reading, the legs slightly raised by the chair were constantly swinging in the air, her sneakers tapping back and forth, occasionally rubbing together, making a faint scraping sound. Upon hearing Lin Yun''s question, she stopped her leg movement and lifted her head:

    "Uncle doesn''t know?"

    He did.

    Lin Yun thought to himself. In fact, Bai Jingxuan''s apparent happiness today was intimately tied to Emerald Sparrow. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Because today, December 11th, was Bai Jingxuan''s birthday.

    Using the birthday as an excuse, Emerald Sparrow had informed team members early on that there would be a birthday party for Bai Jingxuan at the secret base that evening.

    "I could guess a little."

    Of course, considering his role, Lin Yun had no reason to know with such clarity, so all he could do was choose his words carefully, "I heard something about it earlier, today is your birthday, right?"

    "Yes, yes!"

    Bai Jingxuan nodded enthusiastically, "There''s going to be a birthday party for me tonight, will you come, Uncle?"

    Lin Yun showed no change in expression, but upon hearing the term "Uncle," the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

    This appellation was not inappropriate, and was even the most suitable between Bai Jingxuan and Lin Yun. If there was anything problematic about it, it was that Bai Jingxuan hadn''t used it before.

    And that was the biggest issue.

    In fact, Bai Jingxuan had not only given up the original headache-inducing title of "Daddy" for Lin Yun, switching to "Uncle," even with Emerald Sparrow, she had stopped using "Mommy" and reverted to calling her "Teacher."

    This change was so natural and so sudden that Emerald Sparrow didn''t realize something was off at first. By the time she recognized that things were not too optimistic, Bai Jingxuan had completely reverted to her previous manner of address.

    And as for why it turned out this way, Emerald Sparrow knew all too well, you could say it was almost entirely due to herself.

    The matter had to be traced back to the day she confronted Lin Xiaolu upon returning home: after Lin Yun revealed his identity as an employee of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau to Lin Xiaolu, the storm that had been stirred up by Hong Siyu''s return had somewhat subsided.

    The girls had evidently come to a much better understanding of Hong Siyu''s return and gradually accepted the existence of this "new" teammate. However, alongside understanding, some new problems arose.

    First of all, there was Lin Xiaolu.

    After Lin Yun seriously clarified his relationship with Hong Siyu, and even his and Emerald Sparrow''s relationship, she had indeed quieted down, no longer using bothersome issues like "stepmother" to agitate Lin Yun.

    However, this "quieting down" was one-sided. Emerald Sparrow quickly realized that Lin Xiaolu''s attitude toward her was becoming somewhat off. Though not evident in her manners, at certain times, Lin Xiaolu would steal glances at Emerald Sparrow with a perplexingly complex look, and when Emerald Sparrow turned her head to look back, Lin Xiaolu would turn her face away as if busy with something else.

    This behavior would have been dismissible if it happened only once or twice, but it occurred nearly every day, making it difficult for Emerald Sparrow not to notice. A few days later, Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan also became aware of this strange phenomenon.

    To make matters more peculiar, Lin Xiaolu began to make an odd effort.

    Not that she hadn''t been diligent before¡ªin fact, Lin Xiaolu had always thoroughly completed the tasks Emerald Sparrow set for her, and the effort expended was certainly not meager. However, in recent days, her diligence had become somewhat stubborn, even showing a tendency to edge closer to Bai Jingxuan.

 Chapter 42 Bo Xue Flutters Gently_2

    Emerald Sparrow asked her why, and her response was "Out of the three of us, I''m the only one who hasn''t awakened to my magic attire, so I''m a bit anxious."This answer sounded reasonable and thus Emerald Sparrow didn''t feel it was right to ask any further. After all, the thoughts of an adolescent girl are truly hard to guess, and as long as Lin Xiaolu''s overall behavior was improving, there should be no cause for much concern.

    However, if one could say Lin Xiaolu''s condition was only puzzling, the attitude of Bai Jingxuan was somewhat worrisome.

    Before this incident, following the attack on Lakeside Spring, Bai Jingxuan had evidently become much more expressive at the secret base. She would make an effort to speak up on various occasions, to maintain her presence and ensure that Emerald Sparrow did not overlook her existence.

    But that night, after Emerald Sparrow chose to explain the situation and return to her own home, Bai Jingxuan seemed to speak less.

    She did not always remain silent, but she rarely initiated conversation. If anyone asked her something, she would still respond, but that was about it; there was no further communication.

    Had Emerald Sparrow not been paying more attention to Bai Jingxuan in recent days, she might not have noticed this at all. After all, this child had always been quiet and never spoke out of turn.

    Of course, even noticing it was of no help, because by this time, Bai Jingxuan had once again started calling Emerald Sparrow "Teacher."

    Asking her why, she could only get a somewhat naive response:

    ¡ª¡ª "If Uncle and Teacher don''t plan on getting married, then you won''t adopt me, right?"

    This was a naive response that made Emerald Sparrow''s heart sink. It was too casual and too logical.

    "Lin Yun" and "Emerald Sparrow" getting married and forming a family was merely Lin Xiaolu''s imagination; Lin Yun had no intention of remarrying for the time being.

    Since the premise was wrong, the subsequent reasoning was also incorrect. Built upon this foundation, the idea that "Lin Xiaolu''s family would adopt Bai Jingxuan" was equally fantastical. Derived from this logic, Bai Jingxuan''s current answer was not hard to fathom.

    Her answer was not an issue, but coming from Bai Jingxuan herself, it represented a completely different state of affairs.

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    Given her previous attitude towards this matter, it wasn''t something so trivial for her. Her response shouldn''t have been like this.

    Emerald Sparrow had anticipated that Bai Jingxuan might harbor doubts and seek confirmation of the promise; she also considered that Bai Jingxuan might feel dissatisfied, believing that she was being placated and deceived; yet she had not expected it to be neither¡ªBai Jingxuan showed no signs of doubt or dissatisfaction, instead she easily convinced herself and readily accepted it.

    And this was the worst possible development.

    It meant that Bai Jingxuan had not only failed to resolve her emotional issues but didn''t even believe they could be resolved. She began to conceal the problem, internalizing it as part of herself.

    After several unsuccessful attempts at a conversation, Emerald Sparrow had no choice but to enlist Xia Liang''s help, proactively clarifying the whole story, including but not limited to the previous allowance for Bai Jingxuan to call her "mom." Then, under Xia Liang''s somewhat peculiar gaze, they set aside these premises for a discussion and came up with a plan:

    That was to use Bai Jingxuan''s birthday as an opportunity, to seize the moment for a heartfelt conversation in the ambiance of the birthday party.

    Thus today''s situation arose, with Bai Jingxuan specifically coming to the Director''s Office of Abnormal Strategy Bureau to ask if he would participate.

    Clearly, the "birthday party" was a long-missed experience for Bai Jingxuan. Regardless of past problems, the current her wanted to share this joy with everyone she knew.

    But, regrettably, Lin Yun''s response was bound to be negative.

    "...Sorry."

    After a struggle in his heart, he finally spoke, "I have something very important to do tonight. I might... not be able to make it."

    If possible, he wished he could split himself in two and attend the birthday party in both capacities; sadly, he could not.

    In this birthday party, only either Emerald Sparrow or Lin Yun could be present.

    After uttering that sentence, his mind was already considering remedial measures, thinking of ways to slightly improve Bai Jingxuan''s mood with his words, but before he could continue, he heard a soft chuckle.

    "Hehe."

    Bai Jingxuan closed the book in her hand and, for some reason, revealed a small smile, "I knew it because Sister Xiaolu told me that you, Uncle, have even missed her birthdays before."

    Lin Yun didn''t know what to say for a moment and could only manage a bitter twist of his lips.

    "Looks like I really did come at the right time," Bai Jingxuan suddenly said.

    "...What?"

    The sudden change caught Lin Yun off guard. He looked up in astonishment, only to find Bai Jingxuan squinting her eyes, her face wearing an innocent smile: S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    ¡ª¡ª "Everyone is celebrating the birthday together, and if you, Uncle, are the only one who can''t go, isn''t that very lonely? So I decided to keep you company before my birthday, to talk to you and share some of the birthday luck with you."

    This light-hearted remark left no trace in the office but rendered Lin Yun speechless.

    He looked at the girl before him, who seemed to be smiling happily, and for some reason, his throat worked, but he couldn''t utter a single word.

 Chapter 42 Bo Xue Light Flutter_3

    The snowy day was very cold, even with the heater on inside, but there was still an unshakable chill throughout the vast Abnormal Strategy Bureau. The snowflakes that melted outside the window kept stripping away the warmth from the room, allowing the cold to continuously invade the space.But at this moment, Bai Jingxuan''s words seemed to possess a kind of Magic Power, bestowing warmth upon the omnipresent snow.

    Although it was deep winter, the snow outside could no longer bring any trace of coldness. An inexplicable warmth seemed to flow through Lin Yun''s limbs and bones, leaving him feeling somewhat dazed.

    After a long silence, he suddenly gathered up the documents on the table and slowly stood up. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Indeed, I can''t make it to your birthday party,"

    He extended his hand and ruffled Bai Jingxuan''s hair, "But since there''s nothing much going on right now, I can take you to the shopping mall, help you pick out a birthday gift."

    "I didn''t come to Uncle for a gift!" Seemingly feeling that her words had been misconstrued, Bai Jingxuan pouted slightly in dissatisfaction.

    "I know,"

    Lin Yun withdrew his hand from her head and pulled open the door to the Director''s Office, "It''s not for anything else, I just want to buy it, that''s all."

    ...

    ...

    The sky on snowy days was very gloomy, with the gray-white clouds sealing the sun so tightly that they didn''t leave even the slightest crack for sunlight. Although it was just past five o''clock, the sky had already turned dark early on, as though it was already night.

    Even on a workday, the shopping mall next to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was bustling¡ªafter all, it was the only shopping center in the vicinity and monopolized most of the foot traffic.

    Among this stream of customers, a pair seemingly like a father and daughter had appeared. A middle-aged man, dressed meticulously, with an indifferent expression and the aura of a career elite, was walking slowly through the mall with a little girl.

    Though they came to buy a gift, it was actually more like a stroll. All the way, Lin Yun had already taken Bai Jingxuan to experience quite a few things, such as the indoor skating rink in the shopping center and the high-end headset experience area specially carved out... Although these leisure activities weren''t novel to those who often shopped, Bai Jingxuan nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed them.

    It was only at times like these that she would show her relatively immature side, her threshold for joy being very low, finding delight in whatever they did.

    However, while she was unburdened in playing, as soon as Lin Yun mentioned buying a gift, Bai Jingxuan became much more reserved. No matter what gift Lin Yun suggested, she had a somewhat resistant demeanor, clearly feeling that "accepting a gift" would make her visit to Lin Yun seem impure in motive.

    This thought left Lin Yun somewhat bemused, but he didn''t insist and simply continued to stroll with her in the mall.

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    To onlookers, it looked like a father taking his daughter on a leisurely walk, pausing now and then in front of toy or clothing stores'' entrances, as though asking the girl beside him about something. However, most of the time the girl just shook her head, and the man would smile helplessly before they continued on their way.

    They kept on walking like this until they came to the entrance of a somewhat deserted handicraft store, where their pace finally began to slow down. Lin Yun noticed that Bai Jingxuan''s gaze seemed to be caught by something in the display window.

    Following her gaze, he saw a delicately crafted piano music box with its lid open. The music box revealed intricate transmission parts under its lid, but as it wasn''t wound up, it simply lay still without any motion.

    "Interested in that?" Lowering his head, Lin Yun wanted to consider Bai Jingxuan''s opinion but found that the girl had already turned her head away, pretending as if nothing had happened and looking forward.

    "No, just a casual glance,"

    Bai Jingxuan muttered softly, tugging at Lin Yun''s sleeve, "Let''s go."

    "Are you sure?"

    This time, Lin Yun did not just go along with her wishes, but instead asked again, "I never said you had to buy anything just by looking at it, but if you are simply interested and want to take a closer look, standing here and waiting for you a while is not a problem."

    After he finished speaking, he felt the force with which Bai Jingxuan was tugging at his sleeve significantly weaken, and her gaze, forcibly fixed forward, once again glanced at the display window, clearly tempted.

    "Go ahead," he waved to Bai Jingxuan, encouraging her once more before settling himself to stand by, indicating that he would not wander off.

    Having been coaxed to this point, Bai Jingxuan hesitated no longer. She trotted to the shop''s side and squatted there, scrutinizing the music box with great interest.

    Lin Yun followed and stood quietly behind Bai Jingxuan, looking together with her at the piece of craftsmanship in the window. When a salesperson inside the store noticed the pair, who appeared to be father and daughter, and came over to inquire, he gestured to her from afar to shake his head, then silently pointed to Bai Jingxuan, politely declining her offer of assistance for the moment.

    Several minutes passed in this way before Bai Jingxuan''s gaze gradually moved away from the music box. With a sense of reluctance, she turned and said to Lin Yun, "Let''s go, Uncle."

    "Do you really not want to buy it?" Lin Yun asked.

    "It would be pointless to buy it,"

    For some reason, after taking a good look at the music box in the store, Bai Jingxuan''s mood seemed to have dropped, and she shook her head, "It''s just very similar, after all, but it''s not what''s in my memory."

 Chapter 42 Bo Xue Lightly Fluttering_4

    "What are the things in your memory?" Lin Yun pressed.He remembered that Bai Jingxuan''s magic outfit¡ªthe Heavenly Sound¡ªwas shaped like a music box, and a magical girl''s magic outfit often had deep connections with their personality and experiences. Clearly, to Bai Jingxuan, the music box seemed to be an object of special significance.

    Regrettably, after he posed the question, he didn''t get any further answer from Bai Jingxuan.

    The two of them continued to wander around the mall. During this time, no matter what gift Lin Yun suggested buying, it was met with rejection by Bai Jingxuan. This caused what should have been a half-hour trip to drag on and on, with the two leaving only when it was nearly six o''clock. After several unsuccessful suggestions, Lin Yun could only helplessly give up on the idea of buying a gift¡ªsince the purpose of gift-giving was to bring joy to the recipient, if that couldn''t be achieved, it was better not to buy anything at all.

    After leaving the mall, Lin Yun drove the car, taking Bai Jingxuan along the snow-covered highway. Looking outside through the windshield wipers swinging left and right, just as he concentrated on the road ahead, he suddenly heard a faint voice from the seat beside him: S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "When I was little, I was very ill and basically couldn''t go out," she said.

    It was as if she were answering a question that had been asked long ago, somewhat out of the blue: "So I could only listen to my dad telling me stories, telling me what the outside world was like, telling me there were many wonderful things in this world."

    Although her words seemed abruptly spoken, like murmurings in a dream, Lin Yun faintly realized that she might be referring to the question he had asked earlier at the handicraft store.

    "Whenever I fell ill while sleeping, when my head hurt so much I couldn''t sleep, my dad would come to comfort me. He would hold my hand by the bed, tell me stories, and lull me to sleep."

    Bai Jingxuan''s voice became soft, as if talking to herself, she continued: "One day, Dad told me he had to go on a business trip, but I would not let him go, so he took out a little box from his bag and placed it by my bed, telling me it was called a ''music box''."

    "He said if you wind it up, the music box would play music, and there would be little figures dancing on it. If I couldn''t sleep, just open the music box and listen to its sound, then I could fall asleep, just as if he were there."

    "I didn''t believe him, but he opened the music box and let me watch the little figures dance, and after a while, I really fell asleep."

    "So, after that, the music box became my friend. When I couldn''t sleep; when I was bored alone at home; when I felt upset... Just by opening the music box and listening to its sound, I felt my heart grow calm."

    "Only, later on, my parents encountered Remnant Beasts, and they... they both died."

    "A group of men and women in black clothes came to our home, took away my parents'' belongings, and sent me to the orphanage. My dad''s music box was also lost somewhere."

    At this point, Bai Jingxuan paused, her gaze flitted towards Lin Yun but swiftly retreated as if the exchange had never occurred, and she went on:

    "Originally, even if the music box was lost, I didn''t care. Because as long as I closed my eyes, I could still recall the sound of the music box; it was in my head."

    "But last month, those bad people came. They told me that my parents were not really my parents, and I was not their child, but a Remnant Beast, a monster."

    "The reason I get headaches is that I am a monster, and the music box was actually made by my dad to control me. When you open the music box and listen to its sound, the Remnant Beast falls asleep. So I would also sleep, and that way, I wouldn''t lose control."

    After saying all this, silence returned to the car.

    Lin Yun, having listened to her words, pondered for a long while before he finally asked, "Why would you believe what the bad people said?"

    "Because when I later felt my consciousness blurring, as if I was going to turn into something else, one of those bad people hummed a tune."

    Staring out the car window at the snowy scene, Bai Jingxuan''s lips hummed:

    "The song he hummed was... identical to the one played by the music box."

    The car passed the snowy crossroads, and since it was on the outskirts, there were hardly any other vehicles around. For a moment, it seemed that the silver-white road was solely occupied by the two of them, advancing through the darkness.

    Lin Yun''s face remained expressionless, his lips tightly sealed, but his hands gripping the steering wheel tensed.

    He seemed to understand why there had been no survivors at the scene of Black Ash Dawn and why the Remnant Beast who seemed to be the leader had been tortured in such a manner.

    Bai Jingxuan too stopped talking for a while, apparently thinking about something, and after a long time, she finally spoke:

    "Uncle, they said my name is a lie, my parents are a lie, my identity is a lie. They said I was a Remnant Beast with nothing, just like those disgusting monsters."

    "But they never told me if my birthday was a lie. So, it seems like that''s the only real thing I have."

    "I wanted to be as happy as everyone else who celebrates their birthday on this day. I wanted everyone to be happy on this one true day. And I hoped, by coming to see you, I would bring the one real thing that I own... this way, I would feel much more real now."

 Chapter 42 Bo Xue Flutters Gently_5

    "But I actually dare not think, if even my birthday... isn''t real, what else is left for me?""Is it possible that this day is not my real birthday at all and is just made up on a whim..."

    ¡ª¡ª"When I was young, my family was very poor."

    Her words were suddenly interrupted by Lin Yun''s voice.

    When he spoke, Lin Yun''s gaze remained ahead, not once shifting towards Bai Jingxuan. It was as if he hadn''t intentionally interrupted¡ªrather, he was merely talking to himself:

    "Because only my father took care of me and his health was poor, bedridden most of the year, we were always short on money. Basically, we could only live on subsidies and the money my father earned when he was feeling a bit better as our household expenses."

    "In fact, we didn''t have the extra money to buy cake, but even so, he insisted on celebrating my birthday. On my birthday, he always seemed to pull a huge amount of chocolate out of nowhere. He would say that cake was too sweet and cloying, and chocolate was just right, so I never thought there was a problem."

    "It wasn''t until I grew up that I learned there''s a holiday called ''Valentine''s Day'', and it fell on the same day as my birthday, February 14th."

    "Later on, when I was in middle school, my father passed away due to serious illness. While I was sorting through his belongings, I found our family''s household registration book, and on it, my birthday¡ªit wasn''t February 14th at all."

    "He hid the real date from me and lied that my birthday was Valentine''s Day because that day, the streets were full of unwanted chocolates. He could simply pick up some with intact packaging, and there would be something for me to have on my birthday."

    Upon saying this, Lin Yun suddenly showed a rare smile: "All because of such a foolish reason, he changed my birthday and kept it a secret from me until he passed away." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Reaching this point in his story, he suddenly looked at Bai Jingxuan and asked somewhat abruptly, "So, do you think my birthday is real or fake?"

    Hearing this story that sounded like a joke, Bai Jingxuan didn''t show any trace of amusement. Rather, she was stunned after hearing Lin Yun''s words.

    It was only after Lin Yun asked her that she gradually came back to her senses and tentatively began to speak: "Uncle, what day is your birthday now?"

    "February 14th."

    Lin Yun said with certainty: "Although I haven''t properly celebrated for many years, my birthday is February 14th."

    "...Why?"

    "Because February 14th is the day that my father and I spent together over and over, bringing me joy and leaving a mark in my memories."

    Stopping at a crossroads, Lin Yun turned his face to Bai Jingxuan and said earnestly, "Every birthday that I have memories of is on February 14th, so February 14th is my birthday, Lin Yun''s birthday."

    "A birthday, after all, is just a date. The day we were born has already become the past, and no matter how we etch that date''s numbers into our memory, it has already become history."

    "For those living in the present, the actual day of the birthday has never been that important. What''s important are the people who gather on your birthday to celebrate with you. No matter what, they are real."

    "As long as those people are gathered together and you all firmly believe that day is your birthday, then it is your birthday. Moreover, because of their presence, this birthday is more real than anything else."

    After stating this earnestly, he restarted the car and continued driving.

    Sitting in the passenger seat, Bai Jingxuan still looked utterly confused: "But isn''t this just self-deception..."

    "No, it''s not self-deception."

    Lin Yun shook his head: "Our definition as human beings is actually constantly conferred by others. Parents give you the definition of a child; schools give you the definition of a student; the Magic Kingdom gives you the definition of a Magical Girl... We continually meet people in this world, thereby shaping and defining one another."

    "If this is difficult to understand, remember this simple phrase¡ªseeing is believing."

    "Your ''parents'', regardless of whether they are the ones who gave birth to you, as long as they truly love and protect you, and have raised you, then, they are your real parents."

    "You, as a human being, regardless of what kind of blood or Magic Power you have, as long as you possess human intelligence and your actions conform to human morals, then you are a real human."

    "Your enemies, no matter how much they proclaim their own righteousness and confuse others, as long as they do despicable acts that are worse than animals, then they are monsters, creatures even more detestable than Remnant Beasts."

    "Including your teacher."

    He paused once more, took a moment to organize his thoughts, then took a deep breath:

    "No matter what my relationship with her is or whether I will adopt you, as long as she has genuinely made a promise to you and accepted you as her ''daughter'', then that contract is established. Under that promise, you can continue to call her ''mom'' and think of her as your mother."

    "So, it''s okay for you to call me Uncle, but when you addressed her again as ''teacher'', it really worried Emerald Sparrow."

    These words were the result of deep reflection.

 Chapter 42 Bo Xue Flutters Gently_6

    Because no matter what, he could still remember that afternoon when he went alone to Lakeside Spring, when Bai Jingxuan talked nonstop, boasting and explaining everything to him, the emotions he read in the child''s expression.It was a sense of unease, but also one of anticipation.

    And for that reason, Emerald Sparrow chose to respond to that expectation, to soothe the disquiet, to accept the title "Mom" and made the decision to guide the child.

    Whether as a senior or a teacher, for the child''s growth, Emerald Sparrow had no reason to betray that promise. From that moment on, no matter how facts might change, the promise would remain unchanged.

    And for this, if there was a need to clarify everything, perhaps it was also necessary to come clean to Bai Jingxuan completely.

    In the first place, he had no reason to hide his identity from Bai Jingxuan; as long as he could make sure the child wouldn''t slip up, then revealing the unity between the identities of Lin Yun and Emerald Sparrow would undoubtedly be more conducive to guiding the child''s growth from the sidelines.

    For Bai Jingxuan, after all, ''Lin Yun'' was a dispensable identity, and even now, it was just a "dad" called out because of a misunderstanding, it actually wasn''t...

    ¡ª"So, dad."

    Bai Jingxuan''s voice interrupted his thoughts.

    He looked somewhat startled as he turned to look aside, seeing Bai Jingxuan sitting curled up in the seat, clutching her fingers tightly, and with a somewhat anxious look on her face as she looked at him:

    "If possible, I still hope I can keep calling you dad. Because no matter what, I also want... just a little bit more from the people I care about."

    Just a little bit more.

    That phrase made the words Lin Yun was about to say shrink back.

    He looked at Bai Jingxuan, his expression, which had been stern, once again softened. He reached out his hand and ruffled her hair again, sighing, not knowing quite what he was lamenting.

    "Just a little bit more... I understand," he said.

    Then, under Bai Jingxuan''s somewhat puzzled gaze, he spoke, "Get out of the car, we''ve arrived, someone is here to pick you up."

    At his words, Bai Jingxuan looked out the window and realized that the surroundings had become quite familiar; they were clearly near the secret base''s neighborhood. The snow-covered streets looked slightly different from what she saw on a daily basis, which is why she hadn''t recognized it at once.

    And in the snowy scenes outside the car window, there seemed to be a familiar figure waiting.

    It was Emerald Sparrow.

    Bai Jingxuan could confirm this at a glance.

    All her previous confusion disappeared in this moment. She reached for the car door handle and was about to get out, but then turned back to look at Lin Yun as if expecting something.

    "I really do have something, I can''t go," he said, shaking his head.

    Lin Yun leaned back a bit to assert his decision, "Go back and celebrate your birthday with your sister and mom, dad has brought you this far, Xiaoxuan."

    The first part of his sentence made Bai Jingxuan''s expression dim slightly, but the latter part brightened her up again. It was like a real-life face-changing act.

    She got out of the car and took a few steps toward the direction of Emerald Sparrow, but before she reached the figure, she turned to look at the car again. Seeing Lin Yun sitting in the car, smiling and watching her, she smiled back, waved, and then continued walking towards Emerald Sparrow.

    Her pace grew faster and more hurried, and eventually she broke into a trot, and then just like that, she ran into Emerald Sparrow''s embrace. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Perhaps, she didn''t notice that after she left, the figure of "Lin Yun" in the car behind her scattered into a mass of blue Magic Power Lines.

    Perhaps, she didn''t notice that the hand holding hers seemed to still retain the warmth from touching her head not long ago.

    These were things that a child celebrating her birthday need not focus on, things that might as well not exist.

    On the snow-fluttering depths of winter night, she hugged Emerald Sparrow under the stark streetlights, lifted her head, opened her mouth, but was silent for a long time. It wasn''t until Emerald Sparrow also took her hand that her eyes shone even brighter and finally, with a smile, she spoke again:

    "Mom!"

    And this time, this call would never change.

 Chapter 43 Concert

    "Boom!" "Whoosh!"

    A black whip shadow swept down from mid-air, striking the ground and leaving several marks on the already soft earth.

    Emerald Sparrow narrowly avoided the attack by darting to the side, then squinted her eyes as she allowed silver-blue threads to pull at her wrists, yanking her forward violently.

    Guided by the threads, her body seemed to become a puppet, moving several meters in a posture and manner that defied the mechanics of the human body, before coming to an abrupt halt.

    She thrust out her dagger, now transformed into magic equipment, stabbing fiercely toward the throat of the person before her. However, the vicious attack didn''t cause much damage and was firmly blocked by a blade made of black metal.

    Yuan, using a long sword in hand, parried away Emerald Sparrow''s dagger, then let out a long sigh of relief and said, "Let''s leave it at that."

    "You''re giving up?" While asking, Emerald Sparrow turned her dagger back into threads.

    "No, it''s a draw."

    Yuan shook her head, "Without using anything other than magic equipment, it seems this is as far as our bout can go. By the way, have your wounds gotten a little better?"

    "For now, they''re not life-threatening. No need for your concern." Emerald Sparrow''s response was slightly cautious.

    This was Yuan''s third time challenging Emerald Sparrow to a duel since arriving in Fangting City.

    The first time took place in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, where Emerald Sparrow, using a temporary magic equipment made by Hong Siyu, barely managed to repel Yuan; the forms of their subsequent two encounters turned into pure hand-to-hand combat, taking place on an open ground on the outskirts of the city, both ending in a draw.

    However, such draws depended on Emerald Sparrow''s use of unusual tactics.

    Frankly speaking, in terms of hand-to-hand combat skills, Yuan''s level was something she had rarely seen in her life, reaching grandmaster levels in fundamental fighting techniques. Besides technique, in critical aspects like magic power and strength, Emerald Sparrow was at a complete disadvantage. The reason she could often even the score in battles was entirely due to exploiting information gaps.

    Her combat skills had a strong personal style, built on the basis of threads and her extraordinary aides, with many moves defying common sense, which even Yuan had never seen before. Therefore, Emerald Sparrow had to package the informational gap as key tactics in order to end the battle.

    Of course, the ease with which she resolved the battles ultimately came down to the fact that Yuan regarded the encounters as "sparring."

    "With the way you handle things, can you really report back to the leader of Claw Mark?"

    Considering this, Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but look at her opponent with some skepticism, "Or do you have a way to beautify your actions, turning play into probing?"

    "Business is business, principles are principles."

    Casually stowing away her magic equipment, Yuan brushed her palm across her chest and the magical girl outfit instantly dissipated into magic particles in the air:

    "Claw Mark respects the individuality of every magical girl, allowing them to handle missions in their own ways, and my way is to defeat my opponents fair and square."

    "Fair and square as in playing?"

    "Fair and square in defeating the opponent."

    Picking up the burlap wrap she''d thrown on the ground and slinging it over her shoulder, Yuan shrugged, "Anyway, I had my fill of fighting for today. Thanks, wanna go have a drink together?"

    "A drink?"

    "What else could it be?"

    Making a toasting gesture with her free hand before her mouth, Yuan smiled ambiguously, "In this world of beverages, what else can intoxicate a person more than the contents of this cup?"

    "No, thanks."

    Having dispersed her magic equipment as well, Emerald Sparrow waved her hand, "I''m not like you; I have other missions to attend to."

    "Boring."

    Shaking her head in disappointment, Yuan said, "Fine, I''ll go to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and see if the director is there, pull him out for a drink. It''s also a way to thank him for bridging the gap between us."

    She could skip that as well.

    Emerald Sparrow thought to herself.

    Of course, although she had her thoughts, her face was as cool and calm as ever, showing no hint of emotion.

    Seeing her remain silent, Yuan didn''t bother to embarrass herself further, and just arranged her tattered Taoist robe before walking away stylishly into the night-shrouded streets.

    "Ah, right."

    Just as Yuan''s figure was about to vanish from Emerald Sparrow''s sight, she suddenly seemed to remember something and turned back, "Fangting City seems to have become a bit more lively lately. Next time we meet, introduce me to your new friend, okay?"

    New friend?

    The term piqued Emerald Sparrow''s curiosity, but before she could ask anything, Yuan''s figure had already melted into the night, leaving no trace to be found.

    Leaving Emerald Sparrow standing in place, with a thoughtful expression on her face.

    ...

    ...

    Let''s turn back time a little, to the same day''s afternoon.

    In Sunset District, Sunset Middle School, students gathered in the classroom, enjoying their afternoon break after a half-day of class.

    In terms of temperature, winters in Fangting City weren''t too cold, but being located in the southern part of Donghua Region, the humid cold air often permeated everywhere, making it difficult for people to retain the warmth inside their clothes.

    As a result, even during the break time, the students preferred not to step outside the classroom doors, but instead huddled inside, whispering to one another.

    The reason for the whispering was that some students were resting on their desks.

    Lin Xiaolu was also one of those laying her head on her desk, resting. The reason was simple: she was too tired.

    Recently, she had been working hard, striving to improve. Whenever she had the time, she would constantly repeat the process of strength training and Spiritual Thought, trying to advance her magic power even further, to reach the level of bud-grade Kaihua.

    However, much to her dismay, while there had indeed been a slight increase in her magic power, the breakthrough of her abilities remained frustratingly out of reach.

    The reason for her urgency wasn''t just a change of heart after realizing certain truths, but also because within the Fangting City Magical Girl squad, the first Leaf-class had emerged.

    ¡ª¡ªJust two days ago, Xia Liang Kaihua achieved success and was promoted in the Ability Hierarchy.

    This meant that a teammate who had started almost half a month later than she had, and was both younger and less experienced, had now surpassed her by a full two ranks.

    To say that she felt no envy or jealousy would be a lie; as the only Seed-class member of the squad, Lin Xiaolu felt an intense sense of crisis.

    December had crept up on them, and in three months the annual Magical Girl qualification test would take place. If she were still Seed-class by then, she might not even be able to get her certification badge.

    Considering how Emerald Sparrow''s demeanor toward Bai Jingxuan had grown increasingly intimate recently, coupled with the constant strange atmosphere between her and Xia Liang, if she was the only one to fail the exam... Lin Xiaolu couldn''t bear to think about it anymore.

    No matter the reason, she had to awaken her Magic Armor as soon as possible.

    With this in mind, Lin Xiaolu had been running to the training ground even more diligently than Bai Jingxuan lately. She had finally swallowed her pride and asked Xia Liang for the secret to awakening Magic Armor... But even after going to such lengths, her Magic Armor remained as inert as if it didn''t exist at all.

    Without the awakening of her Magic Armor, she had even started losing quality sleep time, which caused her to seem listless these past few days, often dozing off during class.

    That noon, just as she lay her head down in the crook of her arm, drifting between sleep and wakefulness, she suddenly felt her arm being tapped.

    Groggily lifting her head, she looked to the side and saw an unfamiliar girl holding two colorful tickets, standing beside her.

    "Ah, sorry, Xiaolu, for disturbing your sleep."

    The girl smiled apologetically, placing the tickets on Lin Xiaolu''s desk: "These are for you, from someone else."

    "Someone else? Who?" Lin Xiaolu asked subconsciously, still a bit groggy, then saw the girl point towards the classroom door. Following the direction of her gesture, she spotted a vaguely familiar-looking boy peeking from the doorway.

    It took a moment for Lin Xiaolu, just awakened, to remember who he was ¡ª the guy who had confessed his feelings to her half a month ago.

    Perhaps noticing her gaze, the boy met her eyes for a second before retreating back behind the wall in a fluster.

    Watching the boy''s entire odd behavior, Lin Xiaolu couldn''t help but look down at the two colorful tickets on her desk, and only then did she realize what they were: a pair of concert tickets.

    He can''t possibly be asking me to go to a concert with him, can he?

    Once she realized this, she unhesitatingly picked up the tickets and handed them back to the girl in front of her. "Sorry for the trouble, but please give them back to him. I don''t need them."

    "He said you don''t have to go with him."

    The girl didn''t take them right away but pointed to the tickets in Lin Xiaolu''s hands: "Are you sure you don''t want them?"

    "I don''t want to waste his money on this," Lin Xiaolu insisted firmly. Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire

    "So please tell him that I don''t like this sort of thing."

    "Alright then, I''ll give them back." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Seemingly understanding the dynamics of the situation, the girl''s face betrayed an ambiguous and gossip-laden smile. "Sorry to interrupt, Xiaolu. Continue with your nap."

    She then took the tickets back to the classroom door and, before the dejected boy, returned them to his hand.

    Only after the tickets had been returned did Lin Xiaolu breathe a sigh of relief, resting her head back on the desk, trying to find a comfortable position to resume her nap. However, before she could settle, she noticed someone in front of her was still watching.

    Without even looking in that direction, Lin Xiaolu knew it was her classmate Jiang Yuan, the only person in class she could really call a "friend." They sat in adjacent rows.

    "Xiaolu."

    Jiang Yuan whispered mysteriously, "Do you have any idea how tough it was to score those tickets the boy gave you?"

    "No idea."

    Lin Xiaolu buried her head in her arms, her voice muffled: "Not interested, either. I''m not a fan of any pop stars."

    "But it wasn''t just any pop star''s concert!"

    Jiang Yuan tapped on the back of her chair, trying to grab Lin Xiaolu''s attention: "That''s the concert of Asou Haruka, an idol of diva status who has been popular for over ten years worldwide!"

    "So?"

    "Even the theme song for your favorite magical girl anime, ''Colorful Angels,'' is sung by her!"

    Jiang Yuan''s voice rose slightly as she utilized her hand as cover: "As a modern ACG aficionado, you should understand this level of celebrity!"

    "...I don''t get it."

    Lin Xiaolu looked up, perplexed: "Sure, the theme song of ''Colorful Angels'' is really nice, but what does this have to do with celebrity status?"

    "Are you an idiot? It has everything to do with it! Only the top of the pop music world gets to sing for magical girl anime!"

    Jiang Yuan said exasperatedly: "Asou Haruka is a reigning queen in the music industry in Dongying State; she rarely holds concerts in Donghua Region! Even when she does, it''s always in major central cities, she seldom visits smaller places like Fangting City. Do you know how rare an opportunity this is?"

    "Oh."

    "Don''t you want to hear her perform the ''Colorful Angels'' theme live?"

    "...I kind of do?" Lin Xiaolu was uncertain.

    "Hehe, well you did the right thing in turning him down!"

    Jiang Yuan smiled triumphantly and reached into her sleeve, suddenly pulling out two tickets identical to the ones before:

    "In honor of your dedication to our Misfit Alliance! Let''s go and listen together!"

 Chapter 44 Scattered like Raindrops

    Under Jiang Yuan''s cajoling, Lin Xiaolu half-heartedly agreed to go to the concert. She had no intention of accepting an invitation from a strange boy, but she couldn''t find a reason to refuse one from a friend.

    Thus, she waited lethargically until school was out. When the teacher announced "class dismissed", Lin Xiaolu, who had been in a drowsy stupor all day, stretched lazily. She gazed out at the dusky sky through the window and gradually regained some clarity.

    After saying goodbye to Jiang Yuan, who sat in front of her, she walked out of the school gate alone. Then, following Emerald Sparrow''s teachings, she found a secluded corner and transformed into a Magical Girl.

    Next came the patrol time that she had grown accustomed to these days.

    Although the activities of the Remnant Beasts in Fangting City had drastically decreased in the last two months, especially compared to the time before the Full Moon Festival, the process still had to be followed. The task could not be omitted. Lin Xiaolu slowly shuttled between the city buildings, surveying the streets below while using her Magical Power Perception to scan her surroundings and ensure no trail was missed.

    She could have patrolled while flying, but for one thing, her perception ability wasn''t strong enough for high-speed movement without missing clues; and on another note, her control over Magic Power was not particularly refined. Although flying no longer wasted Magic Power like when she was a novice, it was still hard for her to control her speed.

    For these reasons, Lin Xiaolu ultimately chose a compromise, jumping between tall buildings as she moved and checking the area for fluctuations in Magic Power. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

    This kind of check was mostly fruitless, but today seemed to be different. As she passed by an accident-prone intersection, she suddenly sensed something unusual.

    Almost instinctively, she looked toward the street not too far away and quickly noticed an inexplicable bulge on the busy road. The bulge grew larger and larger, and the well-paved surface started to show a web of cracks.

    ¡ªIt was a Remnant Beast.

    She opened her hand, and the Magic Wand materialized in the palm of her hand. Magic Power surged under her feet, hastening her toward the bulge on the road. Then, with a fierce swipe of her wand, she used the naturally emitted Magic Power to push all nearby vehicles aside.

    Many of the pushed vehicles nearly crashed into the roadside railings, but fortunately, the force Lin Xiaolu used was not strong enough to cause any traffic accidents. As the drivers, with a mix of bewilderment and annoyance, stuck their heads out, their eyes aligned perfectly with the monster emerging from the road.

    It was a Remnant Beast.

    Their bewilderment turned to relief, their annoyance to panic, and the beeping on the road instantly turned into screams. Realizing what was happening, people almost instantly began to scatter and flee. Those who were stuck in the middle of the road in their vehicles also abandoned them and ran for their lives.

    There were indeed some sharp-eyed individuals who saw the Magical Girl in the air and took out their phones to capture the moment, seeking to ride the wave of attention, but they were scared off by Lin Xiaolu''s stern glare and hastily put away their phones.

    "Don''t stay here, run for it!"

    She shouted at the bystanders, who were practically joking with their lives. With a fierce wave of her Magic Wand, Lin Xiaolu then turned to block the advancement of the Remnant Beast.

    After she yelled, those few onlookers looked at one another, and while it pained them, rationality ultimately prevailed. They shouted their thanks to Lin Xiaolu from a distance and then turned and ran away.

    Of course, these people didn''t know that even if they wanted to continue recording, Lin Xiaolu couldn''t have stopped them¡ªher stern glare was all she could do. With the enemy in front of her, she had to focus on the fight.

    Remnant Beasts that suddenly appeared in public and were under fifteen meters tall usually belonged to the Egg or Inchworm stage. With Lin Xiaolu''s current combat abilities, dealing with these level beasts was no trouble at all.

    Although she still couldn''t use her magical gear, her Magic Power had completely overwhelmed beasts of this stage. Even using just naturally released Magic Bullets and Magic Power Beams, she could inundate the Remnant Beast underneath her firepower.

    Her considerable Magic Power provided not only an unending barrage of firepower but also the agility to toy with beasts of this caliber¡ªafter all, she could continuously use Magic Power for short bursts of speed, without worrying about being attacked.

    This fighting style was tailored for Lin Xiaolu by Emerald Sparrow and even inherited from Emerald Sparrow herself. Upon discovering her daughter possessed far more Magic Power than her peers, she began guiding Lin Xiaolu in the art of high-speed combat.

    The so-called high-speed combat, as the name suggests, is a fighting style where one fights while flying. This method greatly reduces the probability of a Magical Girl being hit by an opponent, while also distracting the Remnant Beast. It is both a safe and efficient way to fight.

    If there''s a downside to this fighting style, it''s the high demands it places on the Magical Girl''s Magic Power, attention, reaction speed, and even battle instincts¡ªand Lin Xiaolu possessed all of these things.

    Following this fighting method, Lin Xiaolu usually chose to fly in circles around such beasts, striking while flying to suppress them with minimal loss and maximal firepower.

    This time, however, she couldn''t do that until all the bystanders had completely evacuated.

    The area around where the Remnant Beast appeared was too densely packed with people. Recklessly unleashing Magic Power could potentially harm the onlookers. As a Magical Girl with mature combat experience, Lin Xiaolu would never allow such a thing to happen.

 Chapter 44 Scattered like Raindrops_2

    Watching the distance of the people around her, she first used the firepower of Magic Power Beam to force the Remnant Beasts away from the highway, ensuring that they wouldn''t cause more destruction nearby; then she gradually moved closer, continuing to use Magic Power to restrain the movement of the Remnant Beasts while drawing out her Magic Wand, beginning to attempt close combat against the Remnant Beasts.

    Unfortunately, she quickly realized that she seemed unable to defeat the Remnant Beasts thoroughly in close combat like Bai Jingxuan could.

    It wasn''t just because her class-level Magic Power was too weak, but also because her strength wasn''t sufficient. Facing an Inchworm-class Remnant Beast, she could only suppress it, but found it difficult to inflict effective damage with close combat.

    ¡ª"If only I had magic equipment."

    At this thought, she felt even more depressed, and her movements became somewhat impatient. She almost treated the Remnant Beast before her as a punching bag, hitting it hard with her Magic Wand.

    The low-level Remnant Beasts didn''t understand fear, but that didn''t mean they were without temper. After being wildly smashed by the Magical Girl in front of it, it also let out an angry roar, starting to attempt to strike back.

    The Magical Girl was angry, and the Remnant Beast was angry too. Both of them, like street fighters brawling, beat each other up in turn, looking quite disheveled.

    Unlike Bai Jingxuan, who fought with a disregard for life and death, with every move aimed at injuring the enemy severely at the cost of herself, Lin Xiaolu''s close combat style was closer to that of Emerald Sparrow, focused on defense and counterattacks. However, even though she also wielded a Magic Wand, the absence of grace in her movements was evident. Unlike the dance-like steps of Emerald Sparrow, she looked like an amateur swinging a stick wildly.

    This graceless battle continued for quite a while, and just as Lin Xiaolu felt that her resentment had been vented quite substantially and was preparing to put away her Magic Wand to start fighting seriously, she felt as if a shadow had appeared over her head.

    She looked up warily to identify the shadow, but what she saw wasn''t the anticipated enemy. Instead, it was a golden-haired girl wearing a light yellow dress.

    At this moment, the girl was standing with her arms crossed, seemingly striking what she thought was a cool pose, letting the high altitude winds whip her skirt around.

    Seeing Lin Xiaolu looking at her, she first flashed a confident smile and then gave a light wave to Lin Xiaolu:

    ¡ª"Hmm, need my help?"

    ...Who are you?

    Looking at the uninvited golden-haired girl, Lin Xiaolu blinked in confusion.

    "Looks like you''re having a tough fight, ah, you must have expended a lot of Magic Power by now. Yep yep, it seems I''ve arrived just in time."

    Without waiting for Lin Xiaolu''s response, the girl nodded to herself as if she had already understood the situation, and said, "Don''t worry, you just rest on the side, let me handle it!"

    "Ah, no..."

    Realizing that the other party seemed to have misunderstood the situation, Lin Xiaolu tried to explain, but before she could get the words out, the girl dashed forward like a flash of light.

    And that flash wasn''t Lin Xiaolu''s illusion, but was emanating from beneath the feet of the golden-haired girl.

    "Mu Baihe, Magic Power Construct Release!"

    With the girl''s shout, two streaks of light beneath her feet converged in an instant, then transformed into a pair of rollerblades made entirely of golden Magic Power. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Though she was flying through the air, the wheels under the girl''s feet spun rapidly, constantly spewing Magic Power around, and when she reached the front of the Remnant Beast, the wheels beneath her feet accelerated again.

    "Flashy Little Kick!"

    The accelerated wheels instantly whipped up undulating ripples of Magic Power, which then gathered into a ring of light beneath her feet. Next, as the girl kicked the side of the Remnant Beast, the ring of light cut through its hard exterior like a sharp blade, followed by a powerful impact that sent the massive Remnant Beast flying straight up into the air.

    The Remnant Beast was over fifteen meters long and weighed more than a fully loaded large truck, yet with the girl''s kick, it flew dozens of meters high like a light can.

    After kicking the Remnant Beast into the air, the girl''s offensive didn''t stop there.

    The light wheel beneath her feet kept spinning, lifting her from the ground. Within just a few seconds, she flew at an astonishing speed to the side of the Remnant Beast. In front of Lin Xiaolu and the scattered onlookers, she started spinning in mid-air.

    Faint shouts came from high above, and because the distance was too far, Lin Xiaolu could no longer hear what the girl was actually shouting. However, she could still clearly see the girl''s movements.

    The girl''s kicking leg traced several graceful arcs in the air as if she were dancing, spinning around, and then, she landed a heavy kick on the Remnant Beast.

    "Thud!"

    A heavy, muffled sound burst forth, and Lin Xiaolu could almost see the goo exploding from the Remnant Beast''s body, splattering everywhere.

    And that kick wasn''t even the end; the girl''s spinning had not stopped. Her leg swept through the air again, she turned in a circle, and once more, forcefully kicked the Remnant Beast.

    Just like that, accompanied by the girl''s spinning, she kicked the unfortunate Remnant Beast countless more times in just a few seconds, until finally, it could take no more and exploded into a cloud of fireworks in the sky.

    From appearing to defeating the Remnant Beast, the girl had only taken a dozen seconds to completely obliterate an Inchworm. Judging by the strength she displayed, she was probably much stronger than Lin Xiaolu was at the moment.

    However, before Lin Xiaolu could marvel at the other''s strength, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

    The explosion of the Remnant Beast in mid-air did not mean it had vanished. When the Remnant Beast exploded, its internal goo fell from the sky like rain, and an indescribable stench immediately filled the air.

    Seeing the goo, Lin Xiaolu seemed to recall some rather unpleasant memories. Her face turned dark, and she quickly released her Magic Power, using its force to create a barrier-like effect to block the foul-smelling "rainwater" to the side.

    Regrettably, the instigator of this incident¡ªthe blond girl next to the Remnant Beast¡ªdid not react in time.

    Almost at the moment she burst the Remnant Beast, its internal goo had spurted out, soaking her thoroughly before she even had time to retract her leg, turning her light-yellow dress to purple-black.

    And the sudden stench rushed into her nostrils so fiercely that, before she could feel proud of her victory, the strong smell turned her face purple-green, and she almost instinctively began to retch.

    "Ugh¡ª"

    Luckily for the Magical Girl, her body was made of Magic Power, so her vomiting brought up nothing but air; otherwise, she might have thrown up along with her lunch from earlier that day. Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

    There in mid-air, she retched for a while before finally remembering what she was there for. Covering her mouth, her face pale as she descended slowly from the air, she landed in front of Lin Xiaolu.

    Even a few meters away from Lin Xiaolu, the pungent odor continuously tried to invade her nostrils, causing Lin Xiaolu to subconsciously step back a few paces.

    "Ugh... cough cough cough."

    The girl tried to say something but was short of breath, coughing for a long time before she could finally muster a faint smile and slowly raise her head, saying, "Don''t worry... ugh... the enemy has been taken care of."

    "Ha..." Watching the other''s state, Lin Xiaolu didn''t know what to say for a moment.

    "Since the crisis is over, then... ugh... my mission here is done, I''ll leave the cleanup to you."

    She flashed a V sign at Lin Xiaolu, probably trying to strike a cool pose, but unfortunately, the action didn''t last long before morphing due to an involuntary retch. The girl quickly withdrew her hand, covering her mouth:

    "You don''t need to thank me, we''ll meet again if fate allows... ugh, and then we can continue from where we left off."

    Then, without giving Lin Xiaolu a chance to respond, she covered her mouth, hunched over, and once again turned into a golden flash, flying towards the distant horizon.

    Looking at the faint golden Magic Power trail in the sky, Lin Xiaolu was silent for a long time.

    She pondered over everything that had happened in those short few minutes, reminiscing about the girl''s crisp and efficient action when killing the Remnant Beast and how, during the spins in the air, her skirt fluttered up, revealing her bloomers the entire time.

    After a while, she finally spoke, uttering the first sentence after the defeat of the Remnant Beast.

    "...Who are you?"

 Chapter 45 Names

    "I saw her."

    That same evening, when the Magical Girls of the Fangting City squad had finished their day''s patrol and were gathering in the living room of the secret base, Lin Xiaolu started the conversation somewhat to herself and then looked around at her teammates'' reactions, as if waiting for something.

    Unfortunately, her out-of-the-blue statement completely baffled everyone, earning her only blank stares from Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan.

    "Saw... what?"

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    "A strange girl, a new Magical Girl."

    Lin Xiaolu said seriously, "Although I don''t know where she''s from, she''s already mastered her magic outfit, so her abilities are definitely above seedling level, not a newbie."

    She announced this fact with such gravity, expecting her teammates to be as astonished as she was. Unfortunately, neither Xia Liang nor Bai Jingxuan showed much change in expression after hearing this.

    "What about your reactions?"

    She couldn''t help expressing her disappointment, "This is a strange Magical Girl we''re talking about. Shouldn''t that be considered quite a rare event?"

    "You say it''s rare... it certainly could be considered rare?"

    Reluctantly acknowledging Lin Xiaolu''s point, Xia Liang raised her hand tentatively and asked with a forced laugh, "But is this something that needs to be said with such a serious face?"

    "You don''t understand!"

    Lin Xiaolu shook her head, "A strange Magical Girl appearing in the city often heralds the start of a new event in Magical Girl animations! It means something is about to happen!"

    "Let''s not mention that real life can''t take cues from animations, I think the fundamental logic of your statement is already confusing enough..."

    "Even leaving aside animations, it''s still very odd! A strange Magical Girl has come to Fangting City, but we know nothing about her, which is against the rules!"

    Lin Xiaolu insisted seriously, "When a Magical Girl comes to a foreign city for a mission, she should make contact with the local stationed colleagues as soon as possible. This is what Emerald Sparrow taught us!"

    "What if she''s not here on a mission in our city?"

    Xia Liang countered, "What if she''s just passing through Fangting City, or here for a vacation? It doesn''t seem like there''s an immediate need to notify the local stationed squad, right?"

    "Um, if you put it that way..." Lin Xiaolu was at a loss for words.

    "...That, sister, the thing you mentioned, Moco and I encountered it today."

    Just as Lin Xiaolu was at a loss for a response, Bai Jingxuan suddenly spoke up, "This afternoon while on patrol, Moco suddenly came over and told me it had found a new child with the qualifications of a Magical Girl."

    "A new Magical Girl?"

    Bai Jingxuan''s words immediately drew the attention of the other two, causing them both to turn towards her. Lin Xiaolu also quickly dropped the embarrassing subject and looked at Bai Jingxuan, asking, "Did you meet her? Does she really have the qualifications?"

    "Would I sense something wrong?"

    Feeling questioned by Lin Xiaolu, Moco looked at her with some dissatisfaction and said with an affected tone, "If I say it''s a new Magical Girl, then it''s a new Magical Girl, completely genuine, no deceit!"

    "So did you make contact with her? Is she willing to be a Magical Girl?"

    Xia Liang, thinking more long-term, asked, "Or was the person you found taken away by the ''Magical Girl from another city'' that Xiaolu mentioned?"

    "It''s not like that."

    However, when it came to this point, Moco started to hesitate and mumble, "We did find that qualified child, and there was no one there to take her, but..."

    "But what?" Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang said in unison.

    "But when we found the child, she said she was already a Magical Girl."

    Moco''s voice faded, "She said she was from another city and had already partnered with another Seeder... and she even apologized to me earnestly."

    "That sister was very nice, she even bought Moco and me hot milk tea."

    Bai Jingxuan added, "It''s just that she said she had other matters to attend to, so she left quickly." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Now it was Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang''s turn to exchange glances.

    "So it''s not about a newbie with the potential to be a Magical Girl, but another actual Magical Girl..."

    After a pause, Lin Xiaolu finally spoke up to summarize, then asked Xia Liang with a trace of confusion, "Normally, do Seeders get these things wrong?"

    "Probably not?"

    Both of them looked at Moco with scrutinizing eyes.

    "Why did you jump to conclusions without asking me? The magic power fluctuations are similar, and it''s normal to get them mixed up!"

    Moco was clearly discontented, "And usually, when you feel unfamiliar Magical Girl magic fluctuations in the city, it''s thought to be a newbie with potential, right? Who knew another city''s Magical Girl would suddenly show up!"

    "A real Magical Girl''s magic power isn''t just about the nature of the fluctuation, but also the intensity, which is thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of times stronger than a normal person''s, right?"

    Looking at Moco as if she were looking at an idiot, Lin Xiaolu said, "How careless do you have to be to get this confused?"

    "What if she''s a once-in-a-lifetime genius with incredibly strong natural magic power, different from everyone else?" Moco argued stubbornly.

    "If there really is such a person, and you''ve overlooked her until now, wouldn''t that be neglect of duty for a Seeder?"

    "Um..."

    "Let''s just assume that''s the case. Both of you, stop it."

    Seeing that the two were about to start quarreling over trivial matters, Xia Liang hurriedly intervened, "Anyway, based on Xiaolu''s and Jingxuan''s eyewitness reports, a Magical Girl from another city indeed came to Fangting today. That seems to be true. Xiaolu must have encountered her after school, and Jingxuan during the afternoon; they''re probably the same person, right?"

 Chapter 45 Name_2

    "Probably?"

    Reminded by Xia Liang''s words, Lin Xiaolu said with some uncertainty, "It shouldn''t be possible for several magical girls to come to a small place like ours at once, right? If they did, wouldn''t it be like declaring war... Ah, could it be that ''Claw Mark''?"

    With her saying this, the few people in the living room fell silent at once. No one could deny this possibility.

    Just half a month ago, an uninvited guest who called themselves "Fairy Immortal" had broken into their secret base and informed them of the signs of Claw Mark''s appearance. That is to say, the intrusion of a "Claw Mark" into Fangting City was a reality that had already occurred. Even though the magical girl they encountered today was relatively friendly, they did not rule out that this was just a disguise.

    As the topic stalled, the sound of the door closing suddenly came from the entrance.

    Emerald Sparrow floated in with weary steps, returning to the secret base, her face showing fatigue.

    It was already nine o''clock at night. The reason for her late return was not only because she had accepted a challenge from Yuan in the evening but also because there was still unfinished work after the duel.

    Earlier, she had received a notice from the city government. Due to the major security incidents in Fangting City since the Full Moon Festival, and the near-compromise of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau during the process, Lin Yun, as the new director, needed to make some assurances to the higher-ups in the city government to calm the officials'' concerns.

    As time progressed, the day to give her report was approaching. Even though it was well past the normal end of the workday, Lin Yun had to stay at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, continuing to perfect her report document.

    Moreover, with the clean-up operation of Black Ash Dawn entering its final stage, a succession of paperwork and reports kept coming, with endless meetings big and small every day. After returning to the secret base, she still needed to tutor in studies and teach the magical girls, so Lin Yun was as busy as a spinning top, with no time to rest from morning until night.

    Dragging her eyelids, Emerald Sparrow tidied up her shoes listlessly and sighed. Glancing at the living room not far away, considering the image she should maintain in front of her juniors, she had to force herself to liven up.

    She slapped her cheeks, trying to make her expression more relaxed, straightened her back, and strived to maintain an indifferent look¡ªas if nothing was wrong¡ªas she stepped into the living room.

    Then, she found the three girls and a fairy all gathered together, staring at her in silence.

    Had they noticed something off about her?

    The thought couldn''t help but arise in her heart, but Emerald Sparrow still maintained a calm facade and preserved her basic aura as she asked, "Why are you all looking at me like that? What''s wrong?"

    However, she did not realize that although she maintained outward calmness, the fatigue of her body and spirit, coupled with the hostility from the fight she just had, couldn''t be completely concealed.

    In the girls'' eyes, this looked like a display of a bad mood. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The appearance of an unidentified magical girl in the city, although not necessarily a worrisome bad event, given the recent Claw Mark issue, was hard to believe was anything positive. In such a situation, bringing this kind of news to an ill-tempered Emerald Sparrow felt like asking for trouble. No one seemed willing to explain for the moment.

    The girls and the fairy in the living room looked at each other, eventually all turning their gaze to Lin Xiaolu. Lin Xiaolu first incredulously pointed at herself, then shook her head quickly and pointed at Xia Liang, who just smiled and shrugged, saying nothing.

    In the end, it was Lin Xiaolu who was pushed to the forefront.

    "That... We were just discussing it because we encountered a strange magical girl today."

    She folded her hands in front of her and unconsciously gripped her own fingers, "It''s just, because we don''t know who the other party is, so we were guessing."

    "A strange magical girl?"

    Hearing this, the first person to come to mind for Emerald Sparrow was Yuan. Considering that it was indeed possible for her to be wandering around Fangting City every day and bump into the girls, she asked, "Did you see the other party? What exactly did she look like?"

    "It was a girl in yellow clothes, she seemed young? Her magical accessory seemed to be shoes." Lin Xiaolu tried hard to recall the image she had seen, but could only remember a flash of light and her black skirt soaked with the Remnant Beast''s gooey innards, saying with some uncertainty.

    "It was a lady with glasses, about the same height as Sister Xia Liang," Bai Jingxuan provided a completely different answer, "She looked rather stern, but actually, she was very nice."

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    Without a doubt, these two descriptions had nothing in common with Yuan. As for whether they were talking about the same person, no one could make that judgment.

    Listening to the girls'' descriptions, Emerald Sparrow first breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that the girls had not directly encountered a person from Claw Mark; and assured that Yuan had indeed kept her promise, not actively causing trouble for the children.

    But right after that, she had to become vigilant once again. After all, if what Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan said was true, Fangting City might really have seen the appearance of another unfamiliar Magical Girl.

    It was no surprise that her first reaction was caution, since her comeback, there had only been three instances of foreign Magical Girls entering Fangting City: aside from one occasion when the team from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s Cat Tail Squad visited, the other two times were respectively the Emerald Sparrow and Yuan from Claw Mark, and undoubtedly, both were enemies.

    With this in mind, she sat the girls down, and asked seriously about all the details of the incident, confirming repeatedly the behavior and possible motives of this group of Magical Girls. Upon hearing that these unfamiliar Magical Girls not only helped Lin Xiaolu defeat the Remnant Beasts but also bought gifts for Bai Jingxuan, she couldn''t help but start to waver in her judgment.

    Being this friendly, could it really be from Claw Mark?

    Moreover, for some reason, even just from a few words, the Magical Girl that Lin Xiaolu described gave Emerald Sparrow a very strong sense of familiarity, as if she had met this person somewhere before.

    Was it an old friend of hers?

    She couldn''t help but ponder this quietly, searching her memory for a Magical Girl dressed in yellow clothes and using roller skate magic gear, but she couldn''t seem to find a match.

    In the end, with her considerations leading nowhere, she could only set aside these thoughts for the moment and decide to utilize the resources of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau the next day to investigate and clarify the identities of these two Magical Girls.

    After making this decision, she put the matter aside, had a simple dinner, and then took the three girls down to the underground training field for today''s lesson.

    It was at this time that Lin Xiaolu seemed to suddenly remember something and slapped her hands together:

    "Ah, right, I might not have time for patrol on Saturday afternoon and evening, Emerald Sparrow, can you cover my shift for me?"

    "Cover for you on patrol?"

    After thinking about her own schedule for Saturday and realizing that she could indeed squeeze in some time, Emerald Sparrow nodded, "I can, but do you have something on?"

    "I''m going out to have fun with friends."

    "Boys or girls?" Emerald Sparrow''s suspicion slightly arose again, but she pretended to ask casually.

    "Girls, my classmates."

    Unaware of the intent behind Emerald Sparrow''s question and not noticing the somewhat amused expression on Xia Liang''s face, Lin Xiaolu answered honestly, "There''s a very famous singer coming to our place for a concert tour on Saturday, so she''s taking me along to listen."

    "...I see, then go for it, I''ll cover your patrol."

    As her suspicions eased, Emerald Sparrow''s expression softened slightly, "You''re usually busy with patrol, and it''s rare to go out with friends, so it''s more important to have fun."

    "Yeah! Thank you!"

    Having received Emerald Sparrow''s promise, Lin Xiaolu nodded cheerfully, "Although I don''t pay much attention to popular stars, since she is very famous... What did they say, a queen of song? Her concert should not disappoint."

    "Queen of song, huh..."

    A name flashed through her mind for an instant, Emerald Sparrow felt a moment of reverie but quickly shook her head to dismiss that name from her thoughts.

    It was all in the past, and that person was just an amateur who loved to sing.

    Thinking this, to fill the conversational void, she casually asked, "What''s her name? Does she have any famous works?"

    "What was it, Ma... Mari... Mari Ka..."

    Lin Xiaolu tried hard to recall the name she had heard from Jiang Yuan that afternoon, struggling to remember without noticing Emerald Sparrow''s eyes gradually widening. Finally, a lightbulb went off, and Lin Xiaolu stood up, flashing her tiger teeth as she called out the particularly hard-to-remember name:

    "Ah, right, was it Asou Haruka?"

 Chapter 46 The Top Star on the Stage

    Fangting City, at the entrance of "Green Tower" Sports Stadium, a large crowd was gathering.

    It was the afternoon, and the faint sunlight in the clear sky took away some of the chill lingering around people, who were filled with fervent passion, apparently waiting for something.

    The "Green Tower" got its name because there was a viewing tower opposite the main venue. At night, the top of the viewing tower would emit a pale green neon glow, adding a lively atmosphere to the venue.

    This was the largest performance venue in Fangting City. In the past, countless famous artists had performed here, and it had also carried the enthusiasm and expectations of numerous audiences. Today was no exception.

    Jiang Yuan, wrapped in a thick down jacket, with half of her face tucked into the scarf around her neck, looked from a distance like a chubby penguin. She stood on the outskirts of the crowd, constantly glancing toward the nearby road, trying to find the figure she wanted to see.

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    And soon, she saw the person she was waiting for.

    Lin Xiaolu, who was late, appeared in her field of vision.

    Pulling out her hand from her pocket, she started to raise it, subconsciously wanting to greet her friend as usual, but the words that hadn''t left her mouth got stuck halfway, as if frozen in the frost.

    Because there were a few people she did not recognize following behind Lin Xiaolu.

    Of course, they were not completely strangers; at least one of them, a pretty girl named Xia Liang, had a brief encounter with her. She vaguely remembered that Xia Liang was a student from another class of the same grade, who earlier had a reputation as a bad girl, but seemed rather quiet lately and even occasionally could be seen among the top ranks in exams.

    She knew that Lin Xiaolu had a good relationship with Xia Liang. However, Lin Xiaolu seemed to intentionally avoid this topic and never discussed anything related to Xia Liang in front of others. Over time, she stopped being curious about it, respecting each individual''s freedom to choose their friends.

    And now, Lin Xiaolu had gone out with Xia Liang?

    Besides Xia Liang, there were two other figures who caught her attention: they were two girls who looked quite young, probably still in elementary school. One was wearing a medical eye patch and had a bob haircut, looking very quiet, while the other had long blue hair and a somewhat cold expression, resembling a noble lady from a fantasy story.

    Are they all Lin Xiaolu''s friends? No, does Lin Xiaolu actually have so many friends?

    Feeling her understanding being profoundly challenged, Jiang Yuan''s extended hand froze in midair, as if it had turned into an ice sculpture in the cold weather, motionless.

    In contrast to her surprise, Lin Xiaolu seemed pleased when she saw Jiang Yuan. She briskly walked up to her, greeted Jiang Yuan, then turned around to introduce the several girls behind her, "This is my friend. I had an appointment to come to the concert with her."

    Though she didn''t understand the situation, since Lin Xiaolu had already introduced them, Jiang Yuan couldn''t keep silent and followed up, "Hello, I''m Jiang Yuan."

    "I see," said the girl with the blue hair, scrutinizing Jiang Yuan for a moment with a measuring gaze before uttering a somewhat baffling comment, "That''s nice."

    "Hello, I''m Xia Liang."

    "I am Bai Jingxuan."

    The other two greeted her cordially.

    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jiang Yuan, who was slightly coming back to her senses, quietly asked Lin Xiaolu for confirmation, "Um, Xiaolu, who are they?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Ah, they are... are my friends?" Lin Xiaolu replied hesitantly, her eyes sweeping over the three, "You should know Xia Liang, she is in our grade. As for the other two..."

    "They are my relatives," Xia Liang said with a smile, at ease, "Sorry to disturb you two. I was here to see the concert with them, but we ran into Xiaolu on the way, so we just walked together."

    "Relatives?"

    Tilting her head at the two girls who looked nothing like Xia Liang, Jiang Yuan hesitated for a moment, filled with doubt, but ultimately accepted the explanation, as it was none of her business, and nodded, "Alright... so you happened to come this way together?"

    "Yes, that''s right."

    Xia Liang nodded with an innocent face and a touch of friendliness in her smile, "I didn''t know before, but it turns out you are also fans of Mari''s music!"

    "Mari" was the nickname for the singer Asou Haruka at this concert. Fans affectionately referred to her as "Mari." Although they did not know the origin of the nickname, as a commonly accepted appellation, no one questioned its legitimacy.

    Because the nickname had no logical connection to the singer''s stage name, fans often used it to identify each other. Those who called her "Mari" might not be hardcore fans, but only an insider would bypass her stage name.

    Therefore, when Xia Liang mentioned "Mari," the tension mixed with unfamiliarity in Jiang Yuan''s demeanor softened considerably. It manifested as a sigh of relief and a more relaxed expression.

    "That isn''t strange, is it?"

    Blinking, Jiang Yuan half-jokingly said, "Given Mari''s popularity, if you look around the crowd, maybe you''ll find other classmates too."

 Chapter 46 The Top Star on the Stage_2

    "Indeed, I need to take this opportunity to look for it,"

    Xia Liang nodded lightly, suddenly turned her face toward Lin Xiaolu beside her, slightly opened her mouth with a nearly imperceptible motion, silently conveying something. Then, as if nothing had happened, she took the hands of the other two girls: "Okay, then we won''t bother these two sisters anymore. I''ll take you guys somewhere else to have fun."

    After saying that, she led the girls away, disappearing from Jiang Yuan''s sight, leaving Lin Xiaolu all alone there.

    "...So what''s this all about?"

    Once Xia Liang was gone, Jiang Yuan turned to Lin Xiaolu with a somewhat puzzled look: "Seeing so many of you come over with such determination, I thought you were all together. Did you just happen to be on the same path?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Ah... yes, that''s right."

    It probably took her half a day to come to terms with the fake back story Xia Liang had concocted, and Lin Xiaolu''s bewildered expression was tinged with annoyance, as if she had swallowed a fly. But she still nodded and said: "I ran into Xia Liang on the road, and she... just had to talk to me, so she stubbornly followed along."

    "Haha, that''s so her style."

    Because the "strangers" were gone, Jiang Yuan''s tone also became more lively: "So those two really are her relatives? Why is there a foreigner among them? Is she some kind of cousin?"

    "...Don''t know."

    Lin Xiaolu replied, somewhat displeased: "Anyway, it''s none of our business, right?"

    "That''s true, we might as well hurry to check our tickets. If we wait any longer, our spots might get taken."

    Jiang Yuan pointed toward the entrance of the venue but before moving, she glanced in the direction where Xia Liang and the girls had left, her voice tinged with emotion: "But, blue hair... it looks really beautiful, shining and glittering, just like a magical girl. Is that girl from a foreign land?"

    "...Are you interested?" For some reason, Lin Xiaolu''s tone sounded a bit odd when she uttered those words.

    "Interested is a strong word, it''s more like a simple appreciation of beauty."

    Jiang Yuan grabbed her own hair and shook it in front of her eyes: "Do you think I should dye my hair too? The effect of colored hair seems pretty good in real life."

    "Just interested in the hair... I see."

    Lin Xiaolu also glanced in the direction Xia Liang had left, briefly clenched her fist, but ultimately let go, sighing in slight resignation: "Come on, let''s go check our tickets."

    "Are you feeling down?"

    "A little."

    "What''s wrong all of a sudden? You seemed pretty happy when you just arrived."

    "Your friends are planning to go play together, but they''ve kicked you aside... Forget it, that comparison isn''t quite right, just pretend I didn''t say anything."

    "Friends?"

    "Forget I said anything, let''s go, let''s go." Waving toward the entrance, Lin Xiaolu clearly didn''t want to continue the topic and started walking toward the venue not far away.

    This brief interlude obviously wasn''t going to occupy much of Jiang Yuan''s attention. Since Lin Xiaolu didn''t want to continue the conversation, she didn''t bother to pursue it further. Thus, she easily cast the matter aside, immersing herself in the excitement of the concert by Emerald Sparrow.

    Therefore, she was never meant to know how Xia Liang and those two girls, the three "fans", actually got here.

    In fact, up until several days ago, right on the night Lin Xiaolu confessed she was going to the concert to Emerald Sparrow, these three had no intention of coming to the venue.

    It was only after Lin Xiaolu mentioned the name "Asou Haruka" that Emerald Sparrow''s usually placid heart stirred with tumult.

    Because that name wasn''t just any ordinary Dongying State name, but rather one she was incredibly familiar with, perhaps the most familiar name of anyone from Dongying State.

    It was the name of the magical girl code-named "Margaret," one of the original quartet of the Fangting City team twenty years ago.

    Asou Haruka, or Margaret, initially appeared in the lives of Lin Yun and An Ya as a transfer student.

    This transfer student from Dongying State, because of her fluent Donghua State language from the start, quickly became popular among her classmates and swiftly established good relations with her peers at the time. Combined with her outstanding appearance, she soon won considerable admiration from both male and female students.

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    At the time, Lin Yun, still a middle school student and preoccupied with significant changes in his life, was indifferent to academia and didn''t care much about school affairs. Even though the transfer student sat right behind him, he didn''t remember her name.

    This resulted in him maintaining an unusual silence throughout their after-school cleaning duty because he couldn''t recall her name, even though she sat next to him.

    This abnormal silence continued over several cleaning duties, eventually catching her attention, and it was actually Asou Haruka who took the initiative to talk to him, leading to minimal interaction between the two.

    If that was all there was to it, then their relationship would have been nothing more than that of typical male and female classmates, perhaps with no further intersection in their lives beyond this cleaning duty experience. However, matters took a fortuitous turn several days later when Lin Yun, transformed into a magical girl, encountered a Remnant Beast that he struggled to handle on his own, and An Ya wasn''t present at the time, leaving him to fight a tough battle alone.

    It was at that moment that a magical girl, like a comet adorned with orange light, burst onto the battlefield.

    This magical girl seemed to have more mature battle experience. After she joined the fray, the pressure of the fight dropped significantly, allowing Lin Yun to turn the tables and defeat the Remnant Beast along with this new ally.

 Chapter 46 The Top Star on the Stage_3

    And this was just the beginning of the event. After achieving a hard-won victory, the two Magical Girls left the scene, preparing to transform back and properly get to know each other, when they discovered an astonishing fact:

    ¡ªThe other was actually a classmate of their own.

    Just as Lin Yun had never imagined that the Dongying exchange student, fluent in Eastern Huayu would be a Magical Girl, Asou Haruka had never thought that a reticent, shy boy could be one either.

    To say the least, the fact that the Magical Girl was a boy was the most shocking part for her.

    But the truth was right in front of her, so she had no choice but to believe it. With An Ya mediating, Asou Haruka quickly hit it off with the two, and the trio formed the original Fangting City squad.

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    One could say that, for Lin Yun''s Magical Girl career, Asou Haruka was a witness from beginning to end; but as for Asou Haruka''s Magic Girl career, Lin Yun actually only knew the very beginning of it.

    That''s because after he retired to study, obtained a degree, and married An Ya, Asou Haruka chose to bid farewell on a snowy night. From that day on, he had had no contact with the other party.

    Now, hearing this name once again, apart from momentarily feeling nostalgic for those days gone by, Lin Yun''s heart was filled with curiosity¡ªcould it really be the person he knew? But if it were her, even though the Asou Haruka in his memory indeed had such hobbies, how did she become the so-called pop diva?

    With such doubts, Emerald Sparrow searched online for the name and found pictures and videos of the singer, who most of the time appeared wearing sunglasses. The hairstyles she sported during performances were also varied, with her hair often dyed in numerous colors, which made it impossible for her to identify the person through features alone. Only through that familiar yet somewhat strange face did she vaguely feel that it might indeed be the person from her memories.

    With the intention to verify this, Emerald Sparrow changed her mind at the last minute and decided to go to the concert with Lin Xiaolu, to personally confirm the identity of "Asou Haruka."

    To be able to attend the concert, she deliberately scheduled her patrol earlier, concentrated intensely, and ended the day''s patrol as quickly and efficiently as possible, then she headed to the concert venue. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Of course, considering that both she and Lin Xiaolu were going to the concert, it seemed inappropriate to leave Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan at the secret base, which led to today''s situation¡ªthe four of them coming here together.

    Among them, Lin Xiaolu, since she was accompanied by Jiang Yuan, did not need a ticket, while Emerald Sparrow and the others had to buy tickets through a secondary ticketing platform from people who were selling theirs. The process was tumultuous and noisy throughout.

    And unlike Xia Liang and the others, who simply came for a good time, Emerald Sparrow''s mood was very complicated.

    About confirming whether this "Asou Haruka" was really an acquaintance, she actually had a very ambivalent attitude. On one hand, she was curious about the current status of an old friend, wanting to know what exactly Asou Haruka had gone through all these years after leaving Fangting City for the Magic Kingdom. On the other hand, there had been too many changes and events over the years, including An Ya''s departure. Meeting now was likely to just be awkward.

    This was also why she had been so resistant to letting news of her own comeback get out: Meeting with "old friends" like Asou Haruka now would likely be far more awkward than touching.

    But even with such complex considerations, upon hearing that the owner of this name had returned to Fangting City, Emerald Sparrow decided to go for confirmation.

    She always felt that, although many things might change with the passage of time, there must still be some that remained the same.

    And thus, she went through with Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan to have their tickets clipped, entered the concert venue, found their seats, and silently sat down to wait for the start of the show.

    The time was still early in the afternoon, and because the top of the gymnasium was open-air, the entire venue was visible at a glance.

    It was a requirement from the organizers; in fact, having a concert in the afternoon was part of the stage effect plan. According to the organizers, by putting a portion of the songs suitable for the daytime in the afternoon and then introducing the stage lights and visual effects as the night falls, the performances would be more suited to the audio-visual format.

    Since it was a tour concert, this model had already been tested in other cities. According to reports on the internet, most fans felt that the effect was excellent, making the concert worth the visit, and it has continued to be used since.

    With time ticking away, the audience that had gathered outside started to complete their ticket inspections and began to take their seats inside the venue. Of course, there were also ticketless fans, but this did not deter their enthusiasm.

    Looking at the sea of people inside the venue, Emerald Sparrow gained a further understanding of the popularity of the concert, and at the same time, she felt a bit embarrassed¡ªfor if not for attending the concert herself, she wouldn''t have known about the existence of such a hot pop singer.

    Perhaps it was because she had been immersed in work, uninterested in entertainment news; or because as Lin Yun grew older, he gradually found himself out of touch with the younger generation. In any case, the singer known as "Asou Haruka" had been popular for many years, yet she had only recently become aware of them, and it was not until today that she realized just how popular they were.

 Chapter 46 The Top Star on the Stage_4

    Even before confirming the other person''s identity, an awkward sense of anticipation had persisted until the concert began. As the fans stopped their commotion in the audience seats, the sound system inside the venue began to blast spirited warm-up music, and the atmosphere around started to gradually heat up.

    Amid this heated atmosphere, Emerald Sparrow''s heart too began to race.

    Whether the other person was who she thought, the answer was now within reach.

    If not, she could certainly breathe a sigh of relief, but she would probably feel embarrassed for being somewhat presumptuous; yet, if it were so, just the fact that the person appeared on this stage would reveal a lot.

    After many years of not returning to Fangting City, even absent at An Ya''s funeral, Asou Haruka''s flamboyant return here probably meant she would come looking for her.

    After all, their relationship was that of old teammates, not enemies. From all logical perspectives, there was no reason for Asou Haruka not to see her.

    And when it finally came to the actual meeting...

    At this thought, Emerald Sparrow''s mind wandered, until the music on stage gradually subsided, the character projections on the large screen behind began to roll, and the surrounding fans started to cheer wildly¡ªit dawned on her that the main event was about to start.

    With the rhythmical beats and shouting, she felt her own heart pounding in sync. Holding her breath, she focused intently on the stage. Although her seat wasn''t particularly close, at that moment, Emerald Sparrow felt as if there were only herself and the stage left in the venue, waiting for the performer to step forward.

    "Mari!" "Mari!" "Mari!"

    The calls from the fans grew stronger, as the music through the speakers turned more complex and forceful, with more voices joining in sequence, a multitude of instruments adding to the performance, and then, the musicians'' names started scrolling on the big screen.

    Guitarist, drummer, bassist, keyboardist, woodwind, string... one name after another flashed before everyone''s eyes. As the pace quickened, the list scrolled faster, with the cries from the audience growing louder and resembling the roar of a tidal wave, pulling everyone into a frenetic sea of celebration.

    Eventually, after the list of all the musicians was displayed, only one large, white name was left solitary on the screen, and those short characters triggered the loudest cheers.

    ¡ªAsou Haruka.

    Following the name was the title of the opening song, "Lonely Meet."

    The music took a swift turn, seamlessly transitioning into the intro of the song, and then, within the sound of the intro, a somewhat tall figure appeared on stage out of nowhere.

    An extravagant performance dress, slightly flamboyant makeup, yet what couldn''t be concealed was the singer''s beautiful orange hair and those pairs of red eyes.

    They were eyes that seemed to speak, deep with melancholy, and within the melancholy, it seemed like countless secrets were buried. Just one glance would intoxicate someone with the feeling of being sucked into a whirlpool.

    The owner of those eyes walked to the front of the stage with a confident smile, waving to the fans below, and then, as the intro ended, she effortlessly lifted the microphone, her clear voice blossoming with cheers in the venue.

    As for what she was singing, Emerald Sparrow was no longer paying attention.

    Because, her objective had been achieved. Just by seeing those familiar eyes, she could confirm that the person on stage was without a doubt the one she had imagined. Even the image on stage could be described with another name¡ªMargaret.

    The person appeared without any regard, directly using her true form on stage.

    Although her current image differed from what Emerald Sparrow remembered, and she looked not like the middle schooler she was when she first became a bud-level Magical Girl, but rather like an adult, or to be specific, a college student, it did not mean Emerald Sparrow was mistaken. In fact, this had to do with the process of Magical Girls joining the Magic Kingdom. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    All Magical Girls who joined the Magic Kingdom faced the procedure of elevating their avatars into their essences. During this process, Magical Girls could adjust their avatars'' images to a certain degree to better match their current age.

    As a result, not all Magical Girls in the Magic Kingdom looked like "girls"; there were even those who appeared to be young women or even matronly figures. Clearly, Margaret was among them.

    It was also because the upgraded avatar differed from the original that Emerald Sparrow could not confirm her identity when searching for pictures on the internet. Perhaps this was why she boldly used her true form as her real stage image.

    While this image did not exactly match her memory, it awakened Emerald Sparrow''s buried recollections in another way, because it was incredibly close to Margaret''s appearance when she left.

    At that time, Lin Yun no longer saw her often. The hurried glimpses back then could not overwrite the impressions left over the years.

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    When she left Fangting City, she seemed to be in her mid-twenties; it was two years after Lin Yun and An Ya got married, and Lin Xiaolu was just over a year old.

    Unlike Hong Siyu, who left without a word, Asou Haruka announced her departure calmly to a few of her teammates and had An Ya relay the message to Lin Yun, thus settling the matter.

 Chapter 46 The Top Star on the Stage_5

    Throughout the entire process, her attitude was very rational, discussing her departure from Fangting City from a perspective of analyzing her future development, and what considerations had led her to join the Magic Kingdom in the days to come.

    Because her analysis was too rational and realistic, nobody had any reason to persuade her otherwise, and the only one in the team capable of persuasion, Su Shengzi, had no intention of doing so, readily accepting Asou Haruka''s decision to leave.

    And so, in a cold winter similar to the present one, beneath a cascade of snowflakes, Asou Haruka bid farewell to her teammates and set out on the road to the harbor.

    Before leaving, Lin Yun, who had not been seen for a long time, unexpectedly showed up to say goodbye to his old teammate.

    "I''m sorry."

    Even now, Emerald Sparrow remembered the words she had said upon seeing her.

    "Why apologize?"

    "About the matter of my retirement, I wasn''t intentionally avoiding you all, it''s just..."

    "You just felt that meeting up would only lead to unpleasantness, and perhaps even part on bad terms, so you simply avoided it?"

    Dragging her suitcase, Margaret blinked, her lips curling slightly: "Sister, there are no need for useless explanations, and moreover, there''s no need for your apology for this matter."

    "I think the term ''sister'' is no longer applicable to the current scene."

    The Lin Yun in her memories sighed: "Anyway, having left the environment of a Magical Girl, I''m not in a position to offer you any useful advice, so I just wish you all the best in the future." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "When I call you ''sister,'' it''s to express the pursuit of a constant relationship, sister. In my view, that''s how our relationship is defined, and it was the most comfortable way for us."

    Adjusting the gloves on her hands to wrap them a bit tighter, Margaret grasped her suitcase again: "Do you know what the one thing that I''m most dissatisfied with right now is?"

    "My sudden retirement, which increased the pressure on your battles?"

    Lin Yun pondered, "But I feel like at that time I was only holding you back..."

    "That''s not the main reason."

    Margaret''s face still sported a refreshing smile, but there was no mirth to be found in her crimson eyes: "Sister, do you understand what I''m really trying to say by repeatedly emphasizing this term?"

    "...We are friends, teammates."

    "Yes, the three of us, you, me, An Ya, and of course now begrudgingly including that old lady Su Shengzi, and even begrudgingly counting Hong Siyu and that silent workhorse, we are teammates, we used to be the closest of people."

    She raised a hand to form a "five": "This was supposed to be a stable group relationship, but then you and An Ya suddenly got married, almost as if you both were playing together, and even before making the decision there was no communication with the sisters, giving me a really terrible feeling."

    "It''s like your friends deciding to go out and play without you, and showing no need for you in the entire decision-making process, and even after the decision was made. I felt this indifference, was I being abandoned?"

    "I don''t know what that old lady Su Shengzi really thinks, but Hong Siyu ran away without saying a word, and you should know why. That girl has been circling around you calling you ''senior'' this and ''senior'' that, her intentions couldn''t be more clear. By you two getting married, you directly broke her defenses. Can you really bear it?"

    "...I''m sorry," was what Lin Yun could only repeat somewhat lamely.

    "Ah, but after all, we are sisters, so I''m destined to have no grievances against you."

    With a faint sigh that turned into a wisp of white mist in the cold air, Margaret looked at Lin Yun again: "Just like I said at your wedding, I wish you happiness, even if begrudgingly. I hope your marriage is more blissful than anyone else''s; your life, sweeter; your children, more adorable than anyone''s. If not, then you would be letting down the sisters'' expectations and the heart you''ve hurt."

    "We all know what kind of person An Ya is, so it''s hard for me to tell her something cheesy like ''you have to make Lin Yun happy.'' But I can tell you straight, sister, don''t let An Ya down, she really loves you."

    Lin Yun too exhaled softly: "...I know, thank you." Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire

    "There''s no need to thank me for a few nice words, which are of no technical content or cost."

    Propping up her suitcase, Margaret kicked the ground lightly with the tip of her foot: "Anyway, that''s about all there is to say; the reason for my leaving has already been made clear, and it has nothing much to do with you, it''s just that I''ve grown tired by myself and want to see something new. Or rather, after being a Magical Girl for so long, it''s time to consider what to do with my life next."

    "Do what?"

    "I haven''t decided yet."

    Margaret''s answer was very straightforward: "Anyway, it won''t be a stable white-collar job or housewife, I need to find something that attracts attention and satisfies this love-starved heart of mine."

    "Love-starved heart... Let''s just leave it at that," he murmured, repeating the words Margaret had just used, Lin Yun closed his eyes: "Well, no matter what, I wish you a smooth life and hope that you will soon find the meaning you are seeking, my... friend."

    "Heh, I''ll take your words as an omen," she chuckled lightly, dragging her suitcase: "Alright, go back now, don''t freeze out here in the cold. Your wife and a warm bed are waiting at home; there''s nothing to talk about with me, a lonely, solitary figure."

 Chapter 46 The Top Star on the Stage_6

    Lin Yun knew then that she probably lost interest in the conversation.

    Having been friends and teammates for so many years, he had come to understand her personality quite well. Margaret always spoke with measure, which was very relaxing. But beneath the gentle words was a frank soul, never hiding her likes and dislikes.

    Clearly, she found this conversation somewhat boring.

    Yet, Lin Yun himself didn''t know what else they had to talk about now that they were no longer Magical Girls. It seemed too early to be nostalgic at their age, and eventually, the topics they had in common had been worn away.

    But as he watched her figure growing distant, his thoughts suddenly traveled through time, back to the moment when they first met, to the scene of orange light descending from the sky.

    Is this where it ends? he asked himself.

    A friendship filled with countless memories, a segment of time now golden and precious upon reflection, the brilliant memories they had made around being "Magical Girls" during their youth, only to end quietly on this silent snowy night?

    That can''t be right.

    Even though they had given up the powers of Magical Girls and had lived as ordinary people for many years, he knew this was not right.

    He and Asou Haruka both knew very well that the glow of their friendship was still there in their hearts; it was just that various grievances prevented them from expressing their feelings forthrightly.

    What should he do?

    He should convey this feeling.

    Realizing this, Lin Yun knew what he had to do next. Suddenly, he called out to the woman whose back was all that remained:

    "Thank you! Asou! Thank you for helping me back then, for being my friend! The days we fought side by side were truly joyful! No matter what you want to do next, just remember, keep it up!"

    The cold wind carried his voice, not allowing it to travel too far, but it was enough to reach her ears.

    He saw Margaret''s figure suddenly stop against the night sky, and then, the woman dragging her suitcase turned her head back. Perhaps out of some childish sentiment, she made a funny face at him.

    "You''ll definitely regret not choosing me!" she said.

    He couldn''t describe the mix of confidence, satisfaction, and unwillingness on Margaret''s face at that moment, but before he could respond, she quickened her pace, disappearing into the night as if fleeing.

    That funny face, as the last expression she showed in front of him, remained fixed for thirteen years.

    It wasn''t until the vibrant figure appeared on stage that this frozen expression began to thaw with the flow of time, regaining its rightful vitality.

    Watching the dazzling figure on stage, Emerald Sparrow felt a flood of emotions washing over her.

    Of course, she held no specific thoughts about the other''s current situation; it was more that the identity of "old teammate" brought back too many memories, and the memories between her and Margaret were inseparable from An Ya''s presence.

    With An Ya gone, seeing an old friend stirred up this longing once more, blending with a myriad of emotions to become quite complex.

    As she was lost in these thoughts, she suddenly noticed a special gesture from Margaret on stage: she took the floral decoration from her hair.

    Then, amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the fans, she threw it with a swift movement, tossing it toward the audience.

    In the densely packed crowd, it seemed countless hands reached out, trying to intercept this gift from their idol. Yet, the casually thrown hair ornament, as if with eyes of its own, slipped through the fingers, eluding everyone''s grasp.

    It headed straight for Emerald Sparrow, landing deftly in the palm of her hand. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    And almost at the same moment the flower landed in her hand, the song reached its climax. Amidst the waves of rhythm, the loud and clear singing voice unmistakably entered her ears.

    ¡ª"Lonely encounters, the migratory bird does not fly south for winter."

    "You''ll definitely regret not choosing me."

    Hearing these two lyrics, the memories that had just flickered through Emerald Sparrow''s mind made her look up electrified, gazing once more toward the stage.

    Then, her eyes met with the singer''s onstage.

    At that moment, consciousness seemed to stretch indefinitely, movements lost their strength, and the barriers between them and the stage seemed to vanish, while only the song continued.

    "Year after year, sweat is shed in earnest."

    "Look at me, the brightest star on stage, returning with a scintillating light!" Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 47 Behind the Scenes

    When the enthusiastic cheers erupted around her, Lin Xiaolu had to cover her ears with her hands to block out the thunderous shouts.

    Pity the heavens, she had never attended such a grand event before, and the combination of the booming music from the speakers and the surrounding deafening voices exceeded the capacity of her ears.

    Different from her reaction, Jiang Yuan beside her had completely blended into the group of fans, waving her glow stick in time with the music on stage and singing out loud with vigor. What was even more striking was her ability to sing along with every song since the opening of the concert, clearly a devoted fan.

    The high spirits of her friend deterred Lin Xiaolu from striking up a conversation, as it wouldn''t be wise to interrupt someone in the midst of their passion, and the best way to not spoil their mood was to stay silent.

    In the silence, she looked around at the excited crowd and suddenly felt a surge of loneliness.

    Not being a fan herself, she stood out awkwardly and strangely among the crowd, as though she shouldn''t be there.

    Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire

    She couldn''t help but regret coming to the concert just for the theme song of "Colorful Sky Angel." Especially since the song she wanted to hear hadn''t come on yet, and the unfamiliar songs were difficult to truly listen to amidst the noisy environment, which made it hard for her to enjoy the performance.

    That''s not to say there was anything wrong with the concert itself. In fact, even though Lin Xiaolu was not a fan of the singer Asou Haruka, it didn''t stop her from appreciating the singer''s solid vocal performance. It''s just that she wasn''t able to get into the spirit tonight.

    ¡ªAnd she wondered how it was going for Emerald Sparrow, whether they could blend into the concert atmosphere when they too were not fans.

    At that thought, she couldn''t help but come up with such a question.

    Actually, even now, she was still curious about why Emerald Sparrow had come to this place.

    Days ago, when she mentioned her plans to go to the concert to Emerald Sparrow, to their surprise, Emerald Sparrow announced a change to their patrolling schedule and spontaneously suggested the entire squad attend together.

    Such an odd decision naturally made the girls curious, but no matter how much they inquired, the only answer they got was "you''ll know when you go," with no further information provided. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    If that were all, it might have been acceptable, but what puzzled her was that while she was still in the dark, Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan seemed thoughtful as though they understood something.

    Lin Xiaolu was always keen to seek the truth about things she cared about. However, when she asked Xia Liang what she guessed, all she got was a mysterious smile and the annoying riddle, "I''m not sure, so I can''t speak carelessly, just have a good time with your friend."

    It made it seem as if someone was dying to know, as if she wasn''t even interested in asking.

    Thinking about this, Lin Xiaolu''s already somewhat gloomy mood soured further. After mentally grumbling about Xia Liang for a bit, she cast aside her cluttered emotions and decided to temporarily leave the venue to clear her head.

    Making the excuse of going to the bathroom, she left her seat and quickly exited the venue, leaning against the corridor wall to catch her breath with a sigh of relief.

    The sound of the speakers was not so piercing with a wall in between.

    She stood there blankly for a while, letting her mind drift until the numbness in her eardrums subsided somewhat; then she found a nearby vending machine and bought two bottles of drinking water.

    The vending machine in the quiet corner became a rare haven from the sound waves. The noise from beyond the wall still reached here but seemed like the rumblings of another world.

    After getting the drinking water, she tucked one bottle under her arm, planning to bring it back for Jiang Yuan later, and twisted off the cap of the other bottle, bringing it to her lips. The clear water flowed past her lips and reinvigorated her senses.

    Standing in silence for a while, contemplating when to return, Lin Xiaolu loitered for over ten minutes as song after song played inside the venue. As the concert was nearing its halfway point and it was becoming indefensible not to go back, she reluctantly started walking back toward the venue.

    Just as she was about to move, she heard a commotion in the adjacent corridor:

    ¡ª"So why do we have to wait until the concert is over to leave? We''ve been to so many, what''s one more or less?" A somewhat sharp voice of a girl spoke like this.

    "It''s not a matter of numbers, but because today''s concert is the last stop on the tour, it has a different significance," another voice, deeper and more composed, replied.

    "What significance? Just because it''s the last one? Will there be champagne after it''s done?"

    "No, there won''t be that..."

    "Then what significance could it have? Just because Fangting City is her hometown?"

    "No, to be precise, her hometown isn''t really Fangting City."

    "Well, there you have it. I have a very important opportunity and date to attend to next. Don''t you dare spoil it for me!"

    This disjointed conversation piqued Lin Xiaolu''s interest, as one of them seemed unwilling to stay, just like her. An inexplicable sense of solidarity altered the trajectory of her steps back to the venue, and she followed the voices deeper into the corridor.

    Then, she saw three young girls engaged in conversation, all seemingly around her age. They appeared youthful, and they all wore identical bright yellow T-shirts¡ªseemingly the uniform of the concert staff, although it was puzzling why there would be such young staff members here.

    The earlier noise had come from two of the girls: one of them, shorter than the others and looking a couple of years younger than Lin Xiaolu, was the person insisting on leaving. The girl with shoulder-length golden hair and slightly parted bangs revealing a wide forehead stood with her hands on her hips, looking quite indignant, as though she were admonishing someone.

    The other girl wore glasses and seemed the oldest of the three, with an intellectual and stable demeanor, as she patiently tried to persuade the blonde-haired girl.

    As for the last girl, she had been silent since the beginning, just silently observing everything happening in front of her. If Lin Xiaolu hadn''t seen her with her own eyes, judging by the voices in the conversation, she wouldn''t have guessed there was another person there.

    ¡ªSo what are they doing?

    This question unavoidably arose in Lin Xiaolu''s mind.

    If they were fans, these girls didn''t even want to stay in the venue, opting to hide in the corridors of the gym like herself, clearly not the type to properly enjoy a concert.

    If they were staff, their ages didn''t seem to fit, not to mention that the concert was in progress and the staff should be extremely busy. How could they have time to chat here?

    The most crucial point was, why did she think the blonde girl seemed familiar? As if she had seen her somewhere before.

    While Lin Xiaolu was full of doubt, examining the group in front of her, the girls who were chatting also noticed Lin Xiaolu''s presence, stopping their conversation and looking in her direction.

    For a moment, no one spoke, maintaining an eerie silence in the corridor.

    Those three girls probably thought Lin Xiaolu was just passing by, so they decided to remain silent, waiting for Lin Xiaolu to pass, not expecting that she had no intention of leaving and just stood there, brazenly watching.

    This unresolved standoff was finally broken by the girl wearing glasses.

    "Hello, may I ask what''s the matter?"

    She somewhat abruptly switched her attitude, departing from her previous composure and seriousness, and kindly asked Lin Xiaolu, "Miss, are you lost?"

    But her question wasn''t answered because Lin Xiaolu was at that moment frowning deeply, staring intently at the blonde girl beside her.

    Naturally, the unhidden gaze also drew the attention of the three girls, and they too realized who Lin Xiaolu was looking at, which led to their gazes converging on the blonde.

    "Looking for you?" the girl with glasses asked.

    "Looking for me?" the blonde girl also looked puzzled.

    "Looking for you," the taciturn girl suddenly confirmed.

    "What for?"

    With blinking eyes, the blonde girl turned to Lin Xiaolu, somewhat baffled, "Is there something on my face?"

    "...I have a weird feeling."

    After examining her face for a while, Lin Xiaolu slowly said, "Have I met you somewhere before?"

    "Huh?"

    The blonde girl was taken aback.

    The girl with glasses beside her inexplicably pushed up her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

    The usually quiet girl, who hadn''t said much before, looked somewhat astonished, her eyes wide.

    "...Is this an attempt to pick up?"

    "This seems to be an attempt to pick up."

    "I, I''ve heard about this technique before, my sister told me about it..."

    The girls huddled together, whispering to each other, occasionally turning to look at Lin Xiaolu, but they didn''t figure anything out after a long discussion. The conversation ended with just vacuous exclamations.

    In the end, it was the blonde girl who, during the discussion, sensed something was off. After scrutinizing Lin Xiaolu over and over, she suddenly also had the feeling that she had indeed seen her somewhere before.

    She shared her thoughts with the other two girls, and this sparked another round of exclamations.

    "You have the same feeling?"

    The girl with glasses looked between Lin Xiaolu and the blonde, her expression one of surprised uncertainty, "Why is that?"

    "It''s, it''s love at first sight!"

    The quiet girl stuttered, yet spoke seriously, "I, I heard my sister mention that this kind of situation is usually called love at first sight! It''s the encounter of fate!"

 Chapter 48 In the Spotlight

    ```

    "Fate''s encounter?"

    "I and she?"

    The laconic girl''s abrupt comment, like a stone provoking a thousand ripples, left both Lin Xiaolu and the blonde girl astonished, followed by a mutual, inexplicable gaze.

    Looking at the somewhat familiar blonde girl in front of her, Lin Xiaolu initially shook her head subconsciously, denying the ludicrous suggestion in her mind; just as she was about to say something, a wave of vigorous applause and cheers suddenly erupted from the nearby venue.

    The noisy sounds interrupted the exchange between the girls and drew their attention, causing them to shift their gaze together towards the crossroad of the corridors and the wide-open doors of the grand venue.

    Approaching the entrance, Lin Xiaolu peeked curiously into the venue, first scanning the crowd cloaked in darkness, then focusing on the stage under the spotlight. To her surprise, standing on stage was a figure that appeared somewhat familiar:

    ¡ªIt was Emerald Sparrow.

    ...

    ...

    Emerald Sparrow was called to the stage under the guise of "please have the lucky audience member speak" after receiving the head flower.

    If possible, she didn''t want to receive this somewhat abrupt gift under the watchful eyes of all, let alone put herself under the spotlight for such an odd reason. Unfortunately, by the time she realized this may have been a premeditated act by Asou Haruka, it was already too late.

    The moment she received the head flower, she became the focus of the surrounding audience, with everyone wanting to confirm the true face of this "lucky one."

    And when it became apparent that the recipient of the head flower seemed to be a youthful girl, some in the crowd began to tease, asking Emerald Sparrow if they could have a look, others inquiring whether Emerald Sparrow would exchange the head flower for a bag of candy... Driven by the heated atmosphere of the concert, enthusiastic fans swarmed around, even frightening Bai Jingxuan standing by.

    As the situation appeared to spiral out of control, Asou Haruka, having finished the previous performance on stage, neither continued to sing nor exited to prepare for the next act. Instead, she shifted her gaze to Emerald Sparrow''s location, opening her mouth with a bright smile:

    "Thank you all for coming to my performance today; this is my first time holding a concert in Fangting City of Donghua State. I never expected Fangting to be such an enthusiastic city; honestly, I feel rather overwhelmed!" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "It so happens that I see the little fan who caught the head flower below the stage seems very excited. If you have something you wish to say, let''s welcome her to the stage!"

    Upon these words, the fans below the stage responded with timely cheers, and even those who had tried to coax away the head flower had to abandon their schemes, reluctantly applauding instead.

    The only one, the center of the topic, the "little fan" who received the head flower, slightly parted her lips in disbelief.

    "Excited"? When had she ever displayed such an emotion?

    She had no idea what Asou Haruka was planning now, but she knew all too well that this "diva" on stage¡ªwho seemed radiant¡ªwas often out of tune, having been her teammate for many years.

    If truly asked to affix a character label for each former teammate from Fangting City''s team, the one for Asou Haruka would undoubtedly be "confident," or rather "self-centered."

    An event that could make her happy or sufficiently benefit her, even if it might trouble others, Asou Haruka would not hesitate to choose her own joy first.

    Unlike Su Shengzi from the same team, who also acted independently but was immersed in her own world to the point of disregarding outside opinions, Asou Haruka''s actions were a matter of simple obstinacy after weighing the pros and cons.

    For this reason, Emerald Sparrow now struggled to guess what Asou Haruka was truly concocting.

    Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire

    But with the arrow on the string and being called out in such a situation, she saw no way to dodge. Eventually, under the slightly anxious gaze of Bai Jingxuan and Xia Liang, she took to the stage, with her eyelids drooping, to face Asou Haruka.

    Standing under the slightly dazzling spotlight, Emerald Sparrow slightly lifted her hand to block the light from above and looked at the woman in front of her: after a dozen years, she once again saw her old friend up close.

    However, at this moment, Margaret was not looking at Emerald Sparrow but was still holding the microphone, smiling and interacting with the audience downstage.

    Following her gaze towards the audience below, Emerald Sparrow saw the dense crowd; the thunderous roar continually assaulted the stage, and in the night, the gathering at the venue resembled a black tide washing over this isolated island. Merely standing here could probably make some timid individuals'' legs go weak.

    And among those fans nearest to the stage, whose faces Emerald Sparrow could discern, they were now looking at her with eager eyes, their gazes filled with a mixture of envy and expectation.

    Was she being treated as a representative of the fans?

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but sigh inwardly.

    Clearly, these fans were expecting her to express their warm welcomes and affections, and a series of fervent emotions on behalf of "Fangting City''s fans."

    Unfortunately, although Emerald Sparrow was standing here, she couldn''t really consider herself a fan or admirer; if one were to measure a fan''s adoration for "Mari," Emerald Sparrow would probably have to stand at the very back of the line.

    ```

 Chapter 48 In the Spotlight_2

    Feeling the earnest emotions from the audience below, Emerald Sparrow pursed her lips and glanced at Asou Haruka, only to see that the latter had already turned her head to look at her. Gesturing with a wave of her hand for the audience to "listen quietly," she passed the microphone to Emerald Sparrow like a caring older sister, her every action seamless, yet her face still wore the professional smile of a "pop star," as if it were a mask, never revealing her true face. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    It seemed that Asou Haruka had no intention of revealing any superfluous information on stage, even attempting to pretend she didn''t know Emerald Sparrow, which somewhat relieved her. Thus, Emerald Sparrow composed herself and, speaking as a "fan," she improvised a statement and rehearsed it in her mind. Despite the discomfort, she began to speak:

    "Ma... Mari, welcome to Fangting City, everyone here... likes you a lot, and we hope you will come to like Fangting City too."

    Her words made Asou Haruka step back exaggeratedly as if delighted, covering her mouth, "Really? You like me a lot?"

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    Emerald Sparrow responded with a wooden "Hmm."

    Asou Haruka then turned the microphone toward the audience, cupping her hand around her ear like a lively young girl, "Is what she''s saying true?"

    "True!"

    The fans shouted in unison.

    "Thank you! I''m so happy!"

    With a radiant smile towards the audience, Asou Haruka skillfully blew a kiss, "Thank you all! I love you guys the most! So I''ll dedicate this song as a gift to you, your favorite ''Sophia''s Love Letter''!"

    As her words ended, the band onstage immediately followed with the prelude of the song, and the stage lights transitioned from the harsh white to a softer pink.

    Then, during the interlude, Asou Haruka led Emerald Sparrow to the side of the stage and with a very artificial business smile said, "Of course, I like you too."

    "Ha..."

    Emerald Sparrow, not understanding what was happening, cracked a dry smile, taking it as a response to her remark.

    But before she could do anything further, she felt Asou Haruka''s face suddenly very close, and then, a soft sensation on her forehead.

    The touch lasted only a moment, but Emerald Sparrow understood what it was, her body tensing in that instant.

    It was a kiss.

    A kiss on the forehead that seemed like an affectionate gesture between an older sister and a younger sister, so that the audience, witnessing it, didn''t think much of it.

    Of course, this didn''t stop envious spectators from shouting freely nor the fans who were thrilled to see their idol''s tender side from screaming frantically. With just that gesture, the roar from the crowd almost overturned the entire venue.

    This cheer also reached outside the venue, snapping Lin Xiaolu out of her casual chat with the mysterious trio.

    After that, it evolved into the scene Lin Xiaolu witnessed.

    ...

    ...

    Concerts must eventually come to an end, and after several hours of revelry and three encores, the pop star Asou Haruka''s Fangting City tour concert finally concluded.

    Even as the performance ended, many fans were still immersed in the fervent atmosphere, excitedly chatting with one another.

    Of course, this was also because it was the last show of Asou Haruka''s tour. Fangting City was the final stop on her tour, and after this, the concert series would be on pause, and for a long time to come, those fans would miss out on such exuberant performances.

    Stacked with multiple factors, this meant the fans, despite having experienced three encores, were reluctant to leave, still gathering in the venue, soaking up the last of the warmth.

    Emerald Sparrow naturally wasn''t one of them.

    In fact, she was now desperate to rush backstage, grab Asou Haruka, and properly ask what on earth she was up to. Or rather, what was going on in her head.

    A simple kiss on the forehead would ordinarily be a trivial matter... presumably a trivial matter, but doing such a thing in full view of everyone was entirely different. What was it for, mere mischief?

    Pulling Bai Jingxuan and Xia Liang along with a grave expression, Emerald Sparrow quickly headed outside the venue and soon spotted Lin Xiaolu amidst the crowd. After Lin Xiaolu and Jiang Yuan parted ways, she swiftly pulled Lin Xiaolu along, striding with determination towards the depths of the venue.

    Xia Liang, who had witnessed the whole event from the beginning, guessed what was likely going on, so she followed Emerald Sparrow with interest. But Lin Xiaolu was clearly still puzzled, noticing Emerald Sparrow''s unusual demeanor and ultimately unable to resist asking:

    "Where are we going?"

    "To find someone." Emerald Sparrow answered without turning her head.

    "Who?" Lin Xiaolu blinked in confusion.

    "The one who was just singing on stage." Emerald Sparrow''s voice was flat.

    "That pop star? Why?"

    Lin Xiaolu followed closely behind Emerald Sparrow, quickening her pace to catch up, "Did you spot something wrong on stage?"

    "...Sigh."

    Emerald Sparrow sighed, unsure for what exactly, "It''s not that I found something wrong, but I know her, or let''s say, I came to the concert today to confirm her identity."

 Chapter 48 In the Spotlight_3

    ```

    "Eh? Ah! So that''s how it is?" Lin Xiaolu exclaimed in delayed realization.

    "That means the star of today''s concert, the singer named Asou Haruka, is actually our senior."

    Having received affirmation from Emerald Sparrow, Xia Liang finally spoke up to explain to Lin Xiaolu, "She was once a Magical Girl of Fangting City too, a teammate of our junior here."

    "So she was a teammate of Emerald Sparrow...hold on, how do you know that?" Lin Xiaolu looked at her with some confusion.

    "You could guess it easily. Besides, your dad has shown us old photos of the Fangting City team before."

    Facing the core of the question, Xia Liang was not flustered at all and casually explained, "Haven''t you noticed that the singer looks a lot like one of the people in those photos?"

    "You remember stuff like that?"

    "Hmph, one must have a pair of observant eyes for the things around them."

    As the two chatted about such trivial matters, they followed Emerald Sparrow all the way to the inner area of the venue, the backstage where the concert was being held, where the staff were resting at that time.

    The slender corridor stretched towards the back of the stage, with several doors labeled with nameplates closed tight, and a few security staff in uniform standing seriously in the corridor, on duty at the location.

    "Hello, I''m here to see someone."

    Stepping forward, Emerald Sparrow made a surprising remark.

    Seeing a few young girls running to the backstage and stating "to see someone" just like overzealous fans, one of the security guards first showed a puzzled look, then was about to disperse them. But before he could speak out, another guard next to him seemed to realize something, pulled him aside, and whispered in his ear.

    After the talk, although the guard''s puzzled look did not diminish, he said nothing more and, after hesitating for a moment, just nodded at Emerald Sparrow, allowing her to go through.

    With Emerald Sparrow''s acute hearing, she had naturally heard the content of the whisper, which was: "Miss Mari''s instructions, if there are little girls dressed in bizarre outfits looking for her, just let them in directly."

    Without further contention with the security personnel, Emerald Sparrow continued to lead the three girls straight in and soon found the resting room with the name "Asou Haruka" on it.

    And more noticeable than the name was three other girls standing against the wall in the corridor outside the door.

    The three girls appeared to be about the same age as Lin Xiaolu and her companions, and more importantly, Emerald Sparrow recognized all their faces¡ªthey were the Magical Girls from Bai An City.

    She had briefly cooperated with these Magical Girls during a previous trip to Bai An City to investigate the disappearance of a reconnaissance team.

    When Emerald Sparrow saw them, they naturally also saw Emerald Sparrow, and the blonde girl, in particular, subconsciously covered her forehead as if she remembered some rather unpleasant memory.

    Of course, it was not just Emerald Sparrow who recognized these people; Lin Xiaolu also had a reaction as she immediately realized that these were the three-person group she had encountered earlier in the corridor, who looked somewhat familiar.

    "What are you doing here?" she blurted out. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Us? We''re staff here, huh? But what are you all doing here?"

    The blonde girl in the middle immediately shot back a response, but her demeanor softened somewhat upon seeing Emerald Sparrow on the side, and her tone of questioning became less confident: "No wait, why would you be following..."

    Her speech trailed off there, uncertain whether she had forgotten Emerald Sparrow''s name or simply dared not say more.

    ```

    Seeing that her words had trailed off into silence, another girl with glasses could only sigh in resignation, stepped forward, patted her shoulder, and turned to Emerald Sparrow:

    "Hello, Inspector, long time no see. I''m Bai Ji from Bai''an City. Are you here to find a mentor today?"

    "Who is your mentor?" asked Emerald Sparrow.

    "The mentor''s codename is ''Margaret.''" Bai Ji paused, "She said you should be quite familiar with this codename, so she had already instructed us that if we see you, we are to ask you to kindly wait outside."

    "Is she also a Magical Girl from Bai''an City?" Emerald Sparrow inquired further.

    "A mentor, well... not entirely," Bai Ji said with neither servility nor overbearance, "But this is not something we students should discuss casually. Please ask her directly."

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    "What''s there to hide... it''s just a name registered in Bai An," the blonde girl finally managed to interject, only to receive a sharp glance from Bai Ji, and she immediately fell silent, looking indignant.

    This disjointed, even abrupt conversation left Lin Xiaolu, who was listening on the side, completely befuddled because she couldn''t understand how Emerald Sparrow had suddenly become so familiar with several "strangers" from her memory, who also seemed to know a lot about Magical Girls.

    She glanced at the trio in front of her, then turned to Xia Liang, seeking help, and upon realizing that Xia Liang was also confused, she could only tug at Emerald Sparrow''s sleeve.

    Emerald Sparrow looked at her with a somewhat helpless expression.

    "Let''s put other topics aside for the moment, let''s introduce ourselves first."

    Understanding what Lin Xiaolu wanted to convey, Emerald Sparrow stepped aside and spread her hands toward Lin Xiaolu and her group: "These are the current members of the Magical Girl team from Fangting City."

    Then, turning towards Lin Xiaolu and her companions, she extended her hand towards the Magical Girls from Bai''an City: "These three are from the Magical Girl team of Bai An City, which is near Fangting; I met them when I was on a business trip to Bai An."

    With this introduction, the girls who were still in the dark about the situation finally understood what was going on. Not only Lin Xiaolu, but Bai Jingxuan and the reticent girl from Bai''an City also had an epiphany.

    ¡ª "Ah, I see, nice to meet you all."

    "Hello there!"

    Now that they understood the situation, naturally there was some polite small talk, with Xia Liang and Bai Ji leading the way, the Magical Girls greeted each other formally and somewhat awkwardly.

    Bai Ji was meticulous, the blonde girl casual, the reticent girl soft-spoken, Xia Liang friendly, and Bai Jingxuan earnest.

    Each had their own way of greeting, but among them, there was one who was the most special.

    That was Lin Xiaolu.

    Upon learning that the somewhat mysterious girls in front of her were actually Magical Girls from the neighboring city, and combining that with the inexplicable sense of familiarity she had felt earlier, she finally realized why she thought the blonde girl looked familiar.

    Having understood the other party''s identity and recognized who they were, she couldn''t help but raise her hand, pointed at the blonde girl, and without even a greeting, she blurted out:

    ¡ª "Ah, you''re the one who washed with Remnant Beast slime!"

 Chapter 49 Long Time No See

    "Ah, speaking of which, the sister with glasses, you''re the one who treated me and Moke to milk tea before... Huh, what''s with you guys?"

    As Lin Xiaolu made this astonishing remark, Bai Jingxuan was still delighted by the reunion with the "good person" she remembered. However, the greeting between her and Bai Ji hadn''t even started when it was cut short by Lin Xiaolu''s words.

    The concept of "the person who bathed in Remnant Beast slime" was tossed out, and the atmosphere that had relaxed suddenly became quite delicate.

    All eyes instantly focused on her, and then, inexplicably, shifted to the blonde girl beside her.

    "Ah, you''re that guy who almost got killed by the Remnant Beasts at the Inchworm stage..."

    The blonde girl, who moments before had been blithely greeting everyone, first paused, then belatedly realized something, and pointing at Lin Xiaolu, exclaimed, "Hold on, who are you saying bathed in Remnant Beast slime?"

    "... Isn''t it you?"

    Lin Xiaolu blinked and gestured in the air before pointing at the other''s iconic golden hair and shiny forehead: "If I recall correctly, you look similar, sound similar, and you''re also a Magical Girl who recently arrived in Fangting City. It has to be you, right?"

    "I didn''t say that wasn''t me! I''m saying there''s no such thing as ''bathing in Remnant Beast slime!''"

    She shouted somewhat angrily, swinging her fists: "That was an accident! It happened because the Remnant Beast self-destructed just before dying, I didn''t do it on purpose!"

    "Your battle method is basically aimed at making Remnant Beasts explode, isn''t it..."

    "Who knew that when that thing burst open there would be such disgusting stuff inside!"

    As if just recalling the incident made her nauseated, the blonde girl went pale and couldn''t help pressing her stomach: "Can you stop bringing up such disgusting memories? Honestly, if I think about it again, I''m going to vomit."

    "Ah, sorry..." Seeing the other''s complexion worsening, Lin Xiaolu realized her comments might have touched a nerve, so she averted her gaze and decisively dropped the subject.

    While the two of them reached an understanding, it didn''t mean the rest of the team had nothing to say. Their exchange opened a can of worms, and naturally others had a lot they wanted to talk about as well. Especially Bai Jingxuan and the girl known as Bai Ji, who had met before and thus were particularly chatty. Plus, Xia Liang was quite curious about the Magical Girls from other cities, and the group quickly became somewhat boisterous in the conversation. Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

    Emerald Sparrow stood to the side with her arms crossed, watching the girls chat animatedly. She had no intention of dousing their enthusiasm but instead leant against the wall, watching the nearby rest room, waiting for the person she was there to see.

    Several minutes passed as she waited, tapping her arm and drifting into a daydream, when suddenly there was a "click," and the door of the rest room was deftly pulled open.

    The sound of the door attracted the girls'' attention, and the noise of their chat softened a lot. The actual person of interest, who had yet to appear from the rest room¡ªAsou Haruka¡ªfinally came into view for everyone.

    She was no longer wearing her stage performance costume, her glamorous makeup entirely removed, but she did not lose her luster despite having no makeup. She propped herself against the door frame and peered out from the rest room, silently sweeping her gaze over the also-silent girls, her lips slightly curving up.

    "Instructor."

    "Sister."

    "..."

    The three girls from Bai An City paid their respects to the woman behind the door in succession, and though the attitude of one of them seemed somewhat off, it was enough to draw everyone''s attention to her.

    Asou Haruka''s gaze moved over the girls surrounding her, pausing individually on Lin Xiaolu, Bai Jingxuan, and Xia Liang. She lingered on Lin Xiaolu for a moment and exchanged glances with the girls from Bai An, finally focusing on Emerald Sparrow''s face.

    Emerald Sparrow was looking back at her, too.

    Their eyes met like that.

    Even before she had left the stage, Emerald Sparrow had rehearsed many times in her mind what she''d say in a face-off with her. She thought she''d have a lot of questions about her actions, but when it came down to it, she found the atmosphere was nothing like she''d imagined.

    She had assumed that being dragged onto the stage for such a prank meant that Asou was probably gloating with malicious glee. But upon actually seeing Asou Haruka''s expression, she realized she might have been wrong.

    Because the other''s face didn''t show any glee at a calamity or any teasing expression. It was a mix of weariness, nostalgia, and a relieved smile.

    Even twenty years ago, it was rare for Emerald Sparrow to see such a gentle expression on her face.

    "Do you have any questions?" After a brief silent stare-off, it was Asou Haruka who initiated the conversation. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "... This act you put on, what are you trying to do?"

    Unsure of what Asou was plotting, Emerald Sparrow didn''t want to waste her emotions and said expressionlessly: "Was dragging someone onto the stage to go along with your performance some kind of tasteless joke?"

    "Oh, a joke?"

    Asou Haruka appeared a bit innocent as she said: "Is that how you see it?"

    "... Maybe it''s a little better than a real joke."

    Emerald Sparrow sighed softly: "I thought you were going to loudly announce on stage ''This is an old friend of mine,'' followed by a series of prank show skits or something."

 Chapter 49 Long Time No See_2

    "This is a misunderstanding, sister. Even myself, I wouldn''t be unable to tell the difference between a harmless joke and an embarrassing prank. Inviting a friend on stage to make a fool out of them is not just a disregard for friendship but also a desecration of the stage."

    Asou Haruka''s lips curved, her crimson eyes narrowed: "Especially for the fans below, if I selfishly revealed our relationship, and then let you speak under the guise of being a friend, then the significance of this action would be completely different for them."

    "In what way would it be different?"

    "At the least, it''s called ''alienation''; at the worst, it could be called ''betrayal''?"

    Asou Haruka slowly stepped out of the dressing room, gradually closing the distance with Emerald Sparrow: "Whether it''s singing or a concert. Though on an objective level, it''s about distributing my songs to the fans, in the fans'' own experience, it''s closer to a ''one-on-one'' direct spiritual conversation."

    "In a setting like a concert, if a singer explicitly states that their concert has other purposes, or, in other words, their heart is elsewhere, then it''s neglecting the fans who spend money to support them, which is also unprofessional."

    Walking up until she was half a meter from Emerald Sparrow, she stopped and looked down slightly: "Just like a qualified Magical Girl has the duty to both defeat the Remnant Beasts and stabilize the public''s spirit; a qualified singer needs not only good works but also to resonate with the fans at the concert. The emotional experience is very important, so I wouldn''t do anything too outrageous on such an important occasion."

    Emerald Sparrow looked back at her, not understanding: "...So?"

    "So, inviting you to the stage was simply my impulsive desire to commemorate the moment of reunion with an old friend, nothing more calculated than that, sister."

    Asou Haruka said softly: "No need to feel estranged because of the many things that happened. No matter how much has changed from before, at least our previous relationship won''t have changed."

    "Is this also a ''emotional experience''?"

    "Yes, you can consider this as my regard for an old friend''s emotional experience, offering an explanation, or rather an apology, for the actions I took before, as I never intended to upset you." Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire

    Asou Haruka said helplessly: "But my judgement was perhaps a bit off... no, should I say your temper has gotten a lot worse? I''m sorry, I thought you wouldn''t get angry over such a small joke."

    "Rather than angry, I''d say I am confused."

    Emerald Sparrow frowned slightly: "You know, Asou, it''s been thirteen years. A full thirteen years you haven''t returned to this city. Suddenly coming back at such a time, I thought we ought to discuss more pressing matters."

    "More pressing matters... confusion..."

    The woman with the crimson eyes looked at Emerald Sparrow with a slightly puzzled expression and then, as if realizing something, nodded: "Ah, so that''s it. You think my joke was meaningless."

    Immediately after saying this, she closed her mouth as if pondering something, and then showed a slightly complex smile: "Meaningless, meaningless. Sigh... you really have changed a lot."

    Her words seemed somewhat out of place in this context, even abrupt, but Emerald Sparrow subtly picked up on the intended thought and responded.

    "After all, so many years have passed, if there isn''t any growth or change, wouldn''t that seem like a waste of time?"

    She raised her head to look at her former team member, her voice a bit softer: "The Asou Haruka I remember wasn''t someone who would apologize for things like this. The you from before wouldn''t bother to explain your actions to anyone."

    "Explaining your actions? Don''t you do the same? I thought I might never see ''Emerald Sparrow'' again in my lifetime."

    "...I thought so too."

    Emerald Sparrow hesitated: "But a lot has happened recently, and in the end, I couldn''t just sit by."

    "I''ve heard about it, Fangting City has had its fair share of disasters lately."

    "Who told you?"

    "The principal."

    "She told you after all?"

    "I asked her proactively."

    Emerald Sparrow gave her a puzzled glance: "What suddenly made you think to ask her about it?"

    Asou Haruka smiled cryptically: "Of course, it''s because I heard that a certain former retired team member had come back into action and even made a big impression in my city, teaching my juniors and students quite a bit. Who do you think that person might be?"

    "...I knew that old woman was up to no good."

    Hearing the other party''s words, and recalling who had suggested that she be sent to Bai An, Emerald Sparrow realized the crux of the matter and couldn''t help but press her temples, "I really shouldn''t have accepted her request to resume my position."

    "Directly calling someone ''old hag'' isn''t nice, you know. She seems to quite dislike being addressed that way."

    Unlike Emerald Sparrow''s troubled expression, Asou Haruka, the beneficiary of this situation, seemed much more cheerful, "Anyway, the outcome is good. It''s a rare joy to meet an old friend, or are you saying you actually didn''t want to see me?"

    Emerald Sparrow pursed her lips with a hint of helplessness.

    Emotionally, of course, it was not a bad thing to meet a long-lost friend, but meeting her at this critical juncture was really just adding trouble.

    Or, to put it a little more sentimentally, it wasn''t that she was unwilling, she just wasn''t mentally prepared. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    She had some experiences she was not that willing to share with her children and descendants, things that even Hong Siyu was not very clear about; even if he knew a bit, he would consider her feelings and not speak of them lightly.

    But Asou Haruka was different; this woman never minded if her words and actions caused trouble for others, saying whatever she wanted without a filter.

    This woman named Asou Haruka differed from Hong Siyu, who was also an old teammate, in one major way: she had been a companion from the very beginning when she first became a Magical Girl, and thus, they shared a great many secrets between them.

    From their time as rookie Magical Girls to the subsequent Garden Defense Wars, the more they knew about each other''s secrets, the more they understood one another, and the more casual their interaction became.

    Could Asou Haruka distinguish between what could be said and what couldn''t? To be honest, Emerald Sparrow also wasn''t sure; but it seemed too heartless at this juncture to say "I don''t want to see you." Clearly, that wouldn''t be appropriate.

    "...If I had to say, a reunion is still a happy occasion." She concluded this after much internal deliberation.

    "So it''s mutual?" Asou Haruka laughed upon getting a response.

    "Mutual, then," Emerald Sparrow conceded.

    With a short sigh, Emerald Sparrow slightly lifted her eyelids, "Anyway, long time no see, you seem to be in good shape."

    "You look well, too," Asou Haruka echoed back, "Or rather, seeing you standing here like this tells me you''re in even better shape than when I left."

    As she spoke, she extended her right hand, her palm open in an inviting gesture for a handshake, "So, perhaps it''s time for us to start cooperating again."

    "Cooperate? On what matter?"

    "Many things, such as protecting the city, national affairs, An Ya''s matters, Su Shengzi''s matters, and even yours and the Chief''s matters."

    While saying so, Asou Haruka''s expression became much more serious, "You said earlier, let''s talk about something serious. Are these the things?"

    "...Are you investigating?" Emerald Sparrow fixed her gaze on her eyes.

    "I am investigating, rather, I am clearer on the progress of events than anyone else," Asou Haruka earnestly met her gaze.

    "Is that so, very good."

    Nodding her head, Emerald Sparrow extended her hand, clasping with the other''s, and shook it gently, "In that case, let''s cooperate."

    "Magical Girl, Flower Card Certification Number 21032, affiliated to the Investigation Institute, code name Margaret." Asou Haruka suddenly said.

    Hearing her stating her number, Emerald Sparrow was momentarily stunned, then realizing it seemed to complete some sort of ritual, she also said, "Magical Girl, Flower Card Certification Number 41076, Emerald Sparrow."

    After speaking, the scene suddenly went quiet again, not just the two shaking hands, but even the girls watching the gossip around them held their breath, in total silence.

    Then, out of the blue, Asou Haruka laughed.

    She laughed while bending her knees, maintaining the handshake, and gently took to one knee. Then, as she changed the handshake to an upheld gesture, she gently lifted the back of Emerald Sparrow''s hand. And then, before anyone realized what she was doing, her lips gently touched the back of her hand:

    "At your service, my lady."

 Chapter 50 Communication

    Kissing the back of the hand, regardless of in the Material Realm or the Magic Kingdom, has always been an ancient form of etiquette.

    This manner of greeting, known in the Material Realm as the "hand-kissing ritual," is often reserved for very formal occasions, where it is used either to express respect for a distinguished lady or demonstrate loyalty from a subordinate to a superior. However, as times have changed and society in the Material Realm has moved towards modernization, such customs have gradually faded from everyday life.

    Nowadays, the hand-kissing ritual is mostly found in various films, literary works, and the like, becoming a rather romantic gesture. Therefore, among the younger generation, it''s perceived as a gesture of intimacy and romance. So when this form of greeting was displayed, regardless of what Asou Haruka herself thought, the young Magical Girls from Fangting City and Bai''an City were all abuzz, spontaneously letting out exclamations of various pitches.

    While the girls from Bai''an City might have just been driven by a gossipy curiosity, over in Fangting City, and particularly for Lin Xiaolu, her gaze towards Asou Haruka was as if she could devour someone alive. She nearly charged forward in two steps and threw out a serious question, "What are you doing?"

    "This is just a way to express an intimate greeting, Xiaolu," that was Asou Haruka''s response at that time.

    "Expressing intimacy is clearly just a handshake or a hug, not... not like you, like you..." Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire

    Lin Xiaolu stuttered for a while, unable to come up with how to summarize the other''s action, but after she gradually processed the words, she quickly spotted another issue: "Wait, why do you know my name?"

    "I once was the Magical Girl of this city, naturally, I was also a friend of your mother."

    Asou Haruka kept her composure, glanced at Emerald Sparrow beside her, and after seeing no reaction, she continued quite at ease, "Although you might not remember, but when you were just born, I even held you in my arms."

    "Huh? Held me? What..."; these statements, which nearly amounted to announcing "I am your elder," suddenly suppressed Lin Xiaolu''s momentum. Although she was still rather displeased, her tone became much weaker, "You''re lying, right? I''ve never known this..." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "You can confirm with Emerald Sparrow, or you can go back and ask your father."

    With a gentle smile, Asou Haruka watched Lin Xiaolu with interest, "Neither of them, nor your mother, mentioned me to you before, but our relationship back then was very close. Even the name ''Xiaolu'' was set in my presence."

    Lin Xiaolu opened her mouth wordlessly, as the other''s words seemed trustworthy, but she still found it hard to believe and could only look towards Emerald Sparrow.

    Emerald Sparrow, who had been silent due to the sudden hand-kissing, also came back to her senses, looked at Asou Haruka with a complex expression, then sighed and looked squarely at her daughter, nodding, "That''s right. In addition to Hong Siyu, when you were born, the Magical Girls of Fangting City, your mother''s teammates, were actually all there. From that perspective, you were a child who was the center of attention from birth."

    "See," Asou Haruka said with a laugh, spreading her hands.

    "Hmm... Since Emerald Sparrow has acknowledged it, then... then let''s take it as the truth," Lin Xiaolu reluctantly accepted, pursing her lips in a nod, but soon glared again and continued, "But then, what does it mean for you to kiss Emerald Sparrow''s hand! To kiss hands in such a public place!"

    "Between adults, hand-kiss greetings are no big deal," Asou Haruka continued calmly, "It''s just a kiss on the hand, not a kiss on the lips, though you kids should refrain from imitating it."

    At the mention of the word "kiss on the lips," Xia Liang, Bai Jingxuan, and the blonde girl all showed a glint of interest in the gossip, while Lin Xiaolu''s ears turned red, unable to help but point accusingly, "How can you say such a word here, it''s simply hooliganism!"

    Upon hearing this, Asou Haruka fell silent, stared at Lin Xiaolu for a while, then suddenly broke into a barely contained chuckle, laughing heartily.

    "Hahaha, this is too funny!"

    She exclaimed a bit loudly, then bent down slightly from the waist, whispering to Emerald Sparrow, "Your daughter is so cute, have you really not taught her anything before?"

    "Is it so strange? She''s only 14," Emerald Sparrow glared back at her, "Don''t go teaching her anything weird. Be serious."

    "Alright, alright, I''ll be mindful," Asou Haruka gestured with her hand to show she understood, simultaneously ignoring Lin Xiaolu''s disgruntled huff. She straightened up and walked directly to Lin Xiaolu, then extended her hand elegantly, "Sorry, if my words made you uncomfortable, then I take them back, and I hope you can accept my apology, Xiaolu."

    "It''s just seeing the child of my teammate has grown up so much makes me want to tease you a bit, I hope you don''t mind."

    Seeing that Lin Xiaolu not only had no intentions of shaking hands, but actually moved back a bit warily, Asou Haruka''s smile deepened and, without feeling any embarrassment, withdrew her hand, "Anyhow, I hope we can get along well for the time coming."

    "For the time coming?" Xia Liang, who had been quietly observing the scene, sharp picked up on the key word, immediately repeating it.

 Chapter 50 Communication_2

    "Yes, next, we might stay in Fangting City for a while." Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire

    Asou Haruka nodded her head, "Let me reintroduce myself, I am the leader of the Magical Girl Squad from Bai''an City, an Inspector Candidate from the Investigation Agency, Magical Girl Margaret. Due to the recent suspicions that Fangting City has become a high-frequency activity area for Claw Marks and Black Ash Dawn, and the security condition is not good, after consultation with the head of the agency, we will be temporarily stationed in Fangting City to provide military support."

    "At the same time, considering that there is less than half a year until the start of the new year''s qualification certification exam, our Bai''an City Squad''s new Magical Girls have also come to Fangting City to apply for an inter-city learning exchange."

    "Learning...exchange?"

    Lin Xiaolu slightly raised her head, sensing something from the other party''s words, first looking towards Asou Haruka, then somewhat perplexedly at the Magical Girls from Bai''an City beside her.

    Without a doubt, the Bai''an City Squad was also looking at her, or rather, at the girls from Fangting City.

    ¡ª¡ª"Just as the instructor said, our purpose in coming to Fangting City is to learn and exchange."

    The girl with the codename Bai Ji stepped forward, taking over from Asou Haruka''s words, she continued, "In other words, we are here to help, as well as to challenge. According to the instructor''s expectations, she wants to see what kind of strength the current Magical Girls of Fangting City possess, and she also hopes that we can verify our own learning achievements through this. We aim to confirm whether we can truly surpass and outshine the new Magical Girls from the land of her origin."

    "Challenge..."

    Lin Xiaolu blinked and gradually caught on, realizing what the others were implying, "What learning? Aren''t you just here to pick a fight with us?"

    "Heh heh, scared?" the blonde girl standing slightly behind laughed, "I saw earlier, you couldn''t even beat an Inchworm-ranked Remnant Beast?"

    "What do you mean ''couldn''t even beat an Inchworm''? Clearly, you were the one who snatched my kill!" Lin Xiaolu immediately got upset.

    "How did I snatch your kill? I didn''t even take the Echo, did I?"

    "Wasn''t that because you were covered in Remnant Beast''s slime and had to run away before you could collect it?"

    "I told you not to bring that up again!"

    As soon as Lin Xiaolu mentioned the incident with the Remnant Beast slime, the blonde girl''s face turned a shade of iron blue as she half-covered her mouth, "You, are you deliberately provoking me?"

    "Ha, who started provoking whom is still up for debate!" Lin Xiaolu retorted with her hands on her hips.

    Seeing that these two were about to start arguing after just a few words, Xia Liang hurriedly stepped in as a peacemaker, pulling Lin Xiaolu back while turning to look at Bai Ji, "Anyway, you came to us for an exchange...or rather a sparring session, right?"

    "That is the instructor''s intention."

    Bai Ji nodded, "Of course, it''s just a sparring of abilities, we don''t have any real hostility. Mu Baihe, she just has a bit of a sharp tongue when speaking, with no intention of making things difficult for everyone."

    "Mu Baihe is?" Xia Liang looked towards the blonde girl and the quiet girl behind her.

    "It''s me, it''s me."

    After glaring at Lin Xiaolu, the blonde girl then crossed her arms somewhat arrogantly and said, "My codename is Mu Baihe, and although I don''t know your strengths just yet, and that person over there, who couldn''t beat an Inchworm, disappointed me somewhat, but since you are taught by the Inspector Candidate, don''t let me feel... ahem!"

    Her tone was quite boastful, but before she could finish, Asou Haruka suddenly gave her a hard slap on the back.

    Almost choked by the slap, Mu Baihe, the codenamed girl, coughed several times, giving Asou Haruka a slightly aggrieved look and reluctantly continued, "I hope you can show me the strength of Fangting City... anyway, please take care of us."

    After she finished speaking, she turned her gaze to the reticent girl beside her.

    The girl, who had spoken less than five sentences since everyone met, tensed her shoulders as their eyes met, lowered her head, and let her bangs cover her eyes. In an incredibly soft voice, she said, "¡­ I am Mimosa."

    Then, unable to help herself, she took a few steps back, hiding half her body behind Bai Ji.

    "...Aptly named," Xia Liang commented upon seeing this.

    "Indeed, aptly named," Mu Baihe, who was standing beside them, nodded seriously.

    After the Magical Girls from Bai''an City finished introducing their codenames, the girls from Fangting City also reported their own, as a way of getting to know each other. Then, Bai Ji turned her head towards Asou Haruka, indicating that it was their turn to speak.

    "¡ªVery good, Bai Ji. That was essentially what I intended to express," Asou Haruka said with a nod.

    Asou Haruka glanced over the newcomers present and finally looked again at Emerald Sparrow, "What do you think of my suggestion?"

    "A sparring match¡­"

    Narrowing her eyes slightly, Emerald Sparrow did not immediately answer. It wasn''t that she had any reservations, but rather she was still weighing and judging.

    Upon hearing the term "learning exchange," she already knew what the other side was hinting at. So, first, she estimated the strength of the few Bai''an City Magical Girls she remembered, then glanced at Lin Xiaolu and the others, silently comparing the gap in strength between them.

    After some comparison, based on her previous impression, she had to come to a somewhat pessimistic conclusion¡ªthey might not necessarily win.

    The abilities of the girls on her team were clear to her. Lin Xiaolu, when not using her peculiar white magic power, was probably at a level where she could defeat Inchworm-class Remnant Beasts on her own; Xia Liang was making fast progress and had already been promoted to Leaf class, but had yet to start learning Spell Techniques, so she was basically just a bit stronger than Sprout class; Bai Jingxuan had improved rapidly and had even shown the ability to defeat Pupa-class on her own when she revealed her Remnant Beasts magic power... But honestly, that power could not be used in a sparring match.

    In other words, whether it was Lin Xiaolu, Xia Liang, or Bai Jingxuan, under normal circumstances, they were all at Sprout class, or just slightly above that level.

    And what about the three Magical Girls from Bai''an City?

    First was Bai Ji, undoubtedly at Leaf class. This was something Emerald Sparrow had confirmed during her stay in Bai''an City, as Bai Ji had used Spell Techniques more than once with evident proficiency.

    Next was Mu Baihe. Whether or not she had advanced to Leaf class, she certainly had a strong talent for Magical Power Perception, and even her range of perception could be compared to that of Emerald Sparrow herself when she was in Bai An City.

    Finally, there was Mimosa, who had not shown any strength from the start and even seemed to be constantly under Bai Ji''s protection. But both the occasional display of magic power and Asou Haruka''s attitude suggested that things were not so simple.

    Although it sounded pessimistic, if a match were to start right then and there, Fangting City''s team would not have more than a twenty percent chance of winning¡ªand that twenty percent was contingent on both Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan performing above their norm; otherwise, Xia Liang alone could not hold up.

    Was there a need to agree to a sparring match that seemed certain to be lost at this stage? Would doing so ignite the girls'' competitive spirit, or would it crush their enthusiasm?

    That was what Emerald Sparrow needed to weigh. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    However, before she could ponder a concrete conclusion, Asou Haruka from a distance spoke up again.

    "Ah, right, Emerald Sparrow, actually, just sparring isn''t very meaningful. I have another proposition," she said, as if she had just remembered something. She clapped her hands, then looked at Emerald Sparrow with a slight smile. Her demeanor had become much more serious for some reason:

    ¡ª"If you lose the sparring match, I hope the Fangting City team will not participate in this year''s qualification certification exam."

 Chapter 51 Destination to Visit

    "Not participating in next year''s exam?"

    Asou Haruka''s words were like a depth charge, causing the girls of the Fangting City squad to collectively lose their voices. Emerald Sparrow was the only one who spoke up to inquire at this moment, her expression uneasy, "What do you mean by that?"

    "It doesn''t mean anything much, just simply making a proposal," she said.

    Asou Haruka''s expression remained unchanged, as if she didn''t find anything inappropriate about what she had just said, "If you really need an explanation, then think of the upcoming sparring as a ''preliminary test'' for qualification. If one cannot pass the ''preliminary test,'' then naturally they''re not qualified to participate in the subsequent exam, that''s quite normal, right?"

    "Are you the examiner for next year''s exam?" Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Not at all."

    "Then I don''t think you have any legitimacy in making such a proposal."

    Emerald Sparrow slightly lifted her chin, her gaze turning a bit colder, "Or is this the ''exchange'' reason for your visit to Fangting City? Just looking for trouble?"

    "I''ve said it already, I don''t have an ounce of malice. If it were just picking on someone, I wouldn''t specifically target a group of little girls I don''t even know, right?" Asou Haruka looked innocent.

    However, her words obviously failed to persuade Emerald Sparrow, who didn''t even show a desire to respond, just kept silently staring at her.

    After enduring this icy gaze for several seconds, Asou Haruka''s smile finally started to falter. As the smile faded, a helpless look took its place.

    "Alright, it seems I really can''t convince you this way," she said with a light sigh, "Indeed, we might need to find a place to talk things over properly. I can clear up some of your doubts, and perhaps you could tell me some things I don''t know."

    "Find a place?"

    "Yes, at least not here."

    Asou Haruka turned her head and glanced at the girls next to her, smiling mysteriously, "Some things are adult matters, too early for children to understand."

    With these words, the expressions of the nearby girls varied, some unaffected, while others clearly disagreed. Lin Xiaolu even took a step forward, looking like she was about to object, yet she fell silent upon seeing Emerald Sparrow nod abruptly.

    "Fine."

    She spoke crisply, with a resonant voice, "Where to? Do you have any good suggestions?"

    "You are the host here. As for where to talk, you should have more thought-out suggestions than me, right?"

    Asou Haruka crossed her arms, "I''m curious about what interesting places there are in Fangting City nowadays, after being away for so many years. Show me around, will you?"

    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

    "...Let''s go to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau in Fangting City then."

    Ignoring the latter part of the other''s request, Emerald Sparrow casually made the suggestion, obviously disinterested in the matter of "where to go," more concerned about the content of the conversation, "The conference rooms of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau can ensure the confidentiality of our discussion, and nobody else will be able to overhear."

    "The Abnormal Strategy Bureau? No, that''s too boring."

    Asou Haruka immediately rejected the offer without a second thought, her gaze inquisitive, "Don''t you have any more interesting suggestions?"

    "What do you have in mind?" Emerald Sparrow looked back at her.

    "Since I''m back in Fangting, I will surely visit the Abnormal Strategy Bureau later. So why don''t we take this opportunity to find a place with more atmosphere?"

    Asou Haruka tapped her forearm, "You see, like a nicer restaurant? Or perhaps some of the attractions built in recent years? Make it a little more romantic."

    "...If you don''t want to go to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, we can go to the study at the secret base. No outsiders there, either."

    "The secret base? That''s just another place we''ll frequently visit later on."

    Asou Haruka showed dissatisfaction, "You''ve been in Fangting for over a decade more than I have, can''t you come up with anything? You know, even a simple search online before I came showed many ''must-visit'' spots listed by people."

    "Then I''m sorry, I''m just such a person with no interests for such things." Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but pull down her eyelid and turn her face to look towards the corridor nearby.

    Perhaps because of earlier instructions, only a few staff members passed through the hallway at this time, with no intention of moving in this direction. The area outside the lounge seemed to have an invisible boundary, keeping everyone apart from magical girls out.

    With her unfocused gaze wandering, Emerald Sparrow pursed her lips in thought for a while, then as if she had remembered something, looked up, "Speaking of which, if you really want a place to talk that is also ''meaningful,'' I do have a suggestion."

    "Oh? What is it?" Asou Haruka''s eyes lit up, seemingly intrigued.

    "A very quiet place, not somewhere people usually frequent, but ultimately, most residents of Fangting City cannot avoid dealing with it," Emerald Sparrow spoke with a calm voice, her face expressionless, "You know, you should go there and see."

    "Not many people go, but I should see it... Is this a riddle?" Asou Haruka laughed bitterly.

    "Is it hard to think of the answer?"

    "A bit hard, since the clues and conditions are too few. Honestly, there are just too many places like that..."

    Asou Haruka''s voice trailed off midway, suddenly falling silent.

    Her facial expression also froze at that moment; she was quiet for a long time before resignedly letting out a sigh, "Ah, I understand, you''re right, it''s not difficult to guess."

    The two exchanged a silent look, and surprisingly, in that moment, the atmosphere became much more somber, leaving the girls beside them completely baffled.

 Chapter 51 Destination to Visit_2

    ```

    "...So where exactly is this place? Is there such a place in Fangting City?"

    Standing by, Lin Xiaolu, who had listened to the entire conversation, could only ask in a daze, "Can you make your conversation a bit clearer?"

    "Sorry, Bai Mei, I might not be able to take you back this time, can you take the tram or maybe fly back in a more covert way?"

    But this time, Emerald Sparrow didn''t answer her question directly, but suddenly turned and walked to her side, patting her arm, "Take the guests from Bai''an City to the secret base, remember to treat them well. Asou Haruka and I will come back later."

    "What do you mean ''auntie''? Can''t you speak more nicely?" Asou Haruka immediately retorted from the side.

    "Taking them back is okay... but where exactly are you going?"

    This strange atmosphere made Lin Xiaolu subtly uneasy. She subconsciously pinched the hem of her sleeve where Emerald Sparrow had touched, "Will it be dangerous?"

    "No, there''s no danger."

    Emerald Sparrow spoke casually, then leaned closer to Lin Xiaolu, trying to lower her voice as she revealed a location.

    Her voice was indeed very soft, so much so that no one else around heard what was said. But Lin Xiaolu got the answer she was seeking and widened her eyes slightly because of it.

    Then, before she could express her opinion on the matter, Emerald Sparrow and Asou Haruka bid farewell to the other Magical Girls and walked towards the corridor''s turn, disappearing from everyone''s view.

    Lin Xiaolu stared at the corner, pursing her lips in silence, until Mu Baihe approached her to voice the doubt gnawing at her heart, "So where exactly are they going? What did Inspector Senior tell you?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "...They are going to see someone."

    Only then did Lin Xiaolu speak again, her expression complex as she turned and looked at her, slowly replying, "Emerald Sparrow said, they''re going to see my mother."

    ...

    ...

    An hour after the concert ended, the hustle and bustle of the venue finally began to quiet down. In the exterior of the Green Tower Stadium, although many fans remained, eagerly chatting with lingering excitement, the surroundings had grown much quieter.

    The crowd that lingered at the site gradually dispersed from around the stadium, and a nondescript silver-white SUV drove out from the "Green Tower" Stadium, slowly making its way onto the highway. The SUV, blending in with the thin stream of cars leaving the stadium, rolled along the road like the most ordinary of fans.

    However, if someone was a bit more observant, they might notice something out of the ordinary in the passenger seat of the car¡ªif they could see the main act of the previous concert, Asou Haruka, smiling and sitting in the passenger seat.

    This singer, accustomed to the glitz and glamour, seemed like a curious girl, fiddling with the car''s interior: probing the seat cushions, tampering with the air conditioning buttons, and after a while, playing with the window on the side of the passenger seat.

    The driver, sitting in the main driver''s seat, initially paid no mind to her antics until the window was lowered halfway. At that point, he finally turned his head and glanced at her with a hint of helpless concern, reminding her, "Don''t mess with the window. Aren''t you worried about getting photographed?"

    The one driving was Emerald Sparrow.

    Up until now, she had been silent, unwilling to speak, fixing her gaze ahead like a cold driving machine. If not for Asou Haruka''s various small distracting actions, she wouldn''t have even uttered that sentence.

    With that remark, Asou Haruka, who had been silently fidgeting until then, also turned her head. As she met Emerald Sparrow''s gaze and smirked, she said, "Is there anything that can''t be photographed?"

    Emerald Sparrow''s gaze met hers for a second before she deliberately looked away and refocused on the road ahead, adopting the serious demeanor of a driver, "You know, the place we''re heading to next, I don''t want any random media people following us."

    "Ah, I see."

    After hearing this, Asou Haruka was momentarily taken aback, then nodded in agreement, smiling as she closed the window, "Indeed, that''s not something to be disturbed by outsiders."

    There were only two people in the small SUV. After this conversation, neither spoke again, and the car fell back into a brief silence.

    The silence was primarily composed of "awkwardness."

    If there were others in the car, the two of them wouldn''t have fallen into such an inexplicable state of embarrassment, but unfortunately, there were indeed no third parties in the car then.

    It wasn''t that they had nothing to talk about, but that there were too many unspoken questions, leaving them unsure of where to begin.

    Thankfully, Asou Haruka didn''t let the awkwardness last too long. After the moment of silence, she reclined in her seat, leaning back, and spoke slowly, "Speaking of which, aren''t you going to ask why I''m only coming back now?"

    "Why would I ask?"

    "Normally people would, especially after what happened previously."

    "Two years ago, I thought you would come, but you didn''t show up there."

    As the vehicle rounded a bend, Emerald Sparrow''s gaze shifted between the rearview mirror and the road ahead, then she slightly turned the steering wheel, "It''s not just you, Hong Siyu, Su Shengzi¡ªin fact, what worried me the most was how to deal with you if you showed up? What attitude and face should I present to you all?"

    "I chose such an ordinary life, thinking I could immerse myself in it forever, but I couldn''t do it. I couldn''t protect the people important to me. I was really afraid of you showing up in front of me, questioning why I couldn''t save An Ya."

    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

    ```

 Chapter 51 Destination to Visit_3

    "I was deluding myself into believing that the greatest threat had been dealt with, deluding myself into thinking that my life could remain peaceful, deluding myself into believing An Ya was fine... I had never imagined something like that happening, to the point where it felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, and everything around me became unreal."

    "To tell the truth, if you had actually shown up then, I might have had to find a way to hide because I wouldn''t have known what to say to you." Find your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire

    She paused for a moment and took a shallow breath, speaking softly, "But fortunately, you didn''t come, not even one person. There were only some neighbors she knew from day to day, Abnormal Strategy Bureau employees in hiding, and the Magical Girls of Fangting City at that time. Each person had their own version of ''An Ya'', each person had their own understanding of my identity, they might not have known much about the truth, but at least at that time, no one would question me."

    "So you actually think it''s a good thing I didn''t come? It was a teammate''s funeral, such a big event and I didn''t show up, don''t you even worry if I might have died too?" Asou Haruka''s eyes widened in disbelief.

    "You wouldn''t, you''re more afraid of death than anyone else," Emerald Sparrow said lightly.

    "That''s quite a harsh comment for a Magical Girl, haven''t you ever considered using a different adjective? This kind of behavior could also be called valuing one''s life."

    Asou Haruka countered with her index finger raised, "And haven''t you ever thought that even if I value my life very much, I might still encounter an adversary I can''t escape from?"

    "One that you can''t escape from?"

    Emerald Sparrow glanced at her sideways, "A Remnant Beast like that exists in this world?"

    "Who knows? Before An Ya''s incident, we all believed that there would be no enemy capable of killing her, right?"

    Asou Haruka withdrew her hand and looked ahead as well, "Honestly, when I heard the news from the dean, I thought she was playing some sick joke on me. It wasn''t until this incident was officially listed as a key investigative item in the archives that I realized it was true."

    "So you knew right away?" Emerald Sparrow asked softly.

    "Ah, probably the second day after it happened."

    "I see."

    "...After talking this much, aren''t you going to ask me why I didn''t come?"

    Seeing Emerald Sparrow''s indifferent manner, Asou Haruka felt even more helpless, "Wouldn''t most people hope that their teammates all come back, so they could make plans for revenge together?"

    "I didn''t need to drag you into this mess," Emerald Sparrow replied calmly. "Whatever could kill An Ya is definitely no simple entity. To seek revenge against something like that, you have to be prepared to pay a heavy price. I couldn''t ask you to join such a dangerous matter." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Sometimes, your thoughts are as inflexible as a pickling stone; both smell and hard," Asou Haruka complained with narrowed eyes but soon gave a resigned smile, "But then again, it does sound like something you would think. So, treat the following as if I''m talking to myself."

    "You don''t ask why I didn''t come, then I''ll just tell you myself. Do you know why I didn''t show up?"

    "...Why?" Emerald Sparrow echoed.

    "Because someone stopped me, told me not to go just yet."

    Asou Haruka leaned back in her seat, looking forward together with Emerald Sparrow, "The dean met with me personally, told me not to interfere with your thoughts, to let you consider by yourself what to do."

 Chapter 52 The Reason for Fighting

    The cemetery in winter was even more desolate than usual, stripped of the greenery brought by plants, leaving only a monotony of black, white, and gray in sight. The few people strolling through the cemetery wore monochromatic clothes, which, though not sackcloth, were a modest expression of their sentiments. Being in such an environment felt like stepping into an old, colorless photograph.

    And in such a cemetery, there was one tombstone that was slightly different from the others.

    All made of grayish-black rock, all with simple decorations, yet there was something about this one that made it stand out. At first glance, the tombstone did not catch the eye, and even the gifts placed before it were sparse, suggesting that the person buried there hadn''t been widely social in life. There wasn''t anything particularly eye-catching about the gifts'' quality either.

    If one were to ask what made it distinctive to passersby in the cemetery, the answer might revolve around "atmosphere."

    Many people have a similar sense: a room inhabited for a long time has a different "atmosphere" from a room that has been abandoned and uncared for. Often, just by this "atmosphere" alone, people can vaguely perceive whether or not a place is lived in.

    In the Donghua Region, older people might refer to this "atmosphere" as "vitality."

    The sensation that this particular tombstone imparted was one of a different kind of atmosphere, simply noticing it left an unusual impression on people.

    Lin Yun gazed at the tombstone.

    His hands hung at his sides, his face expressionless, his gaze slightly downcast, silently watching.

    The gray tombstone in the cold wind seemed harder and colder than usual, a layer of frost glazing its surface, the cherry blossom crystal necklace hanging at one corner also encased in a layer of ice, appearing exceptionally bleak.

    This was why Asou Haruka, dressed in a trendy trench coat, and Lin Yun, in casual clothes, seemed somewhat out of place. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Should we have changed into different clothes before coming here?" Looking around, Asou Haruka, wearing sunglasses, couldn''t help but rub her hands, feeling the subtle, oppressive atmosphere even though she wasn''t local to Fangting City.

    "... The intention is what matters," Lin Yun''s voice held a slight pause, then turned into a murmur mixed with a sigh, "But I suppose if she were here, she wouldn''t care about such things. It''s all just self-comfort, after all."

    Having sent the girls back to the base, Lin Yun naturally had no reason to keep the guise of Emerald Sparrow, thus reverted back to his true form.

    Next to him, Asou Haruka also slowly knelt before the tombstone, staring fixedly ahead. Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    Since getting out of the car, the two had exchanged only a few words. Lin Yun, having led her here, had even less to say.

    He did not know what Asou Haruka was thinking at the moment, but it did not hinder his choice to remain silent. Had it been nineteen years earlier, he might have tried to find topics to break the ice, but now was no longer that time, and they were no longer young. For adults, sometimes the right silence is more fitting than words.

    ¡ª"So this is what it''s like."

    After a long silence, Asou Haruka slowly spoke, "Seeing a friend''s tombstone, this is the feeling I get. It''s so... surreal."

    "What did you expect?" Lin Yun asked.

    "I thought I would cry."

    She still did not look up, her expression tinged with a touch of wistfulness, "But when I arrived here, it wasn''t as sad as I imagined. It''s more like regret. I feel like my emotions are veiled, unclear even to myself."

    "After all, it''s been a long time," Lin Yun wasn''t surprised by her words, "And you hadn''t seen her for a while, right?"

    "Haven''t seen her for a long time... maybe, 8 years? 9 years? A bit shorter than the time since we last parted."

    Asou Haruka sighed, "When I was an examiner in the Magic Kingdom, she had brought newcomers from Fangting City to take the tests. I never thought that would be the last time."

    "Did you keep in touch privately?" Lin Yun asked.

    "At first, we did, but later on... as common topics dwindled, our one-on-one conversations became rare," Asou Haruka chuckled softly, "She knew I wasn''t interested in her daily domestic trivia, and I knew she didn''t care about the nonsense at my workplace. She was content being a full-time housewife, while I focused on my singing career. We both knew we were still sisters, still nostalgic for the days when we shared everything, but we just couldn''t understand each other''s words anymore."

    "People are strange sometimes. We both long for that affectionate connection, but still, our souls drift further apart."

    Asou Haruka continued, "I''ve often thought about arranging a get-together to catch up, to share what we''ve been doing all these years, but it always seemed like ''there was time,'' ''no rush.'' Until that day, when the principal suddenly called me in and told me ''Yuan Xiang died.''

    Lin Yun stayed silent.

    His right thumb was tucked into his pocket, his exposed fingers tapping against the fabric, his lips moved slightly but he said nothing.

    Because suddenly he remembered, a few months before An Ya''s death, she had proposed to him, "Should we call up the old teammates for a reunion?"

 Chapter 52 The Reason for Fighting_2

    At the time, he was immersed in his work and didn''t think much of that comment, so he simply replied with "Indeed, that''s possible," and left it at that.

    "No rush, there will always be opportunities in the future."

    That was his thought at the time.

    He somewhat understood why many middle-aged people took up smoking, likely because they were troubled and yet found it inconvenient to confide their worries. However, since he was not accustomed to smoking, he could only stand there rigid, like a stump.

    "If someone else had said this to me, my first reaction would probably have been ''Are you joking?''? because no one knows her strength better than we do. If she only considers Remnant Beasts as enemies, I simply cannot imagine any Remnant Beast that could match her."

    Asou Yuan Xiang''s voice was calm: "Did something happen when she wasn''t transformed? Or did she contract some disease? No matter how I think about it, it shouldn''t be that she was murdered by someone."

    "But the director was very clear, the cause of death wasn''t an accident... it was pure homicide."

    Lin Yun clenched his fists.

    Even though he had heard this sentence countless times and had confirmed it over and over again in his heart, hearing it one more time still stirred his emotions.

    Two years ago, while he was unable to contain his hatred due to the news of An Ya''s death, someone had found him and sent him a message: "Think carefully about what you are carrying now, and don''t do anything impulsive."

    That person was the "director" that Asou Yuan Xiang mentioned, Golden Green Cat''s Eye.

    "You said before, was it her who told you not to attend the funeral, or even not to come to Fangting City?"

    Lin Yun spoke somberly: "Did she tell you the reason why?"

    "Yes."

    Asou Yuan Xiang said lightly: "You know, just an unreasonable command wouldn''t stop me from doing what I want to do."

    "Why?"

    "Because if I had come at that time, ''revenge'' would have been your only option."

    Looking up and turning his face, Asou Yuan Xiang gazed at Lin Yun and said: "If I don''t come back, or say, if both I and that old woman Su Shengzi don''t come back, you would have the chance to cool down and properly weigh the consequences of ''revenge.'' But if we had come to the funeral at that time, what would you think?"

    "What would I think?"

    "The former Fangting team gathers again, but one of its members has been victimized. Everyone wants revenge, and among them, there is only one who has given up the power of a Magical Girl and can no longer fight."

    Asou Yuan Xiang rose from a squat to stand, and perhaps due to numbness in her legs, she tiptoed slightly: "In such a scene, given your character, do you really still have the choice of ''not taking revenge''?"

    Lin Yun had no response.

    The other party was right; if things had truly become such a dire situation, he would not have hesitated to rejoin the battle.

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    "...Even so, what''s wrong with that?"

    Yet, he still had reservations: "I wouldn''t feel coerced, nor compelled, because that was also what I wanted to do."

    "Really?"

    Asou Yuan Xiang asked back: "Then why are you fighting now?"

    "Of course, I''m now fighting for..." Lin Yun suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

    Because he realized what the other person was trying to convey.

    He was indeed not fighting for "revenge" now. The reason he had picked up the Heart Flower again was actually to protect his child. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "The reason for fighting is very important. Just the reason alone can greatly change the way you fight, and you should be able to understand that."

    Asou Yuan Xiang continued: "The director''s idea is that the answer to the question ''Should you fight?'' must come from you. Only if we all stand back can you find the reason to fight, one that you decide for yourself."

    "What if I decide to fight for revenge all by myself?" Lin Yun furrowed his brow.

    "If it''s entirely out of your own volition, no one will stop you."

    Asou Yuan Xiang curved her lips slightly: "However, I must emphasize that I don''t want you to follow An Ya in death, and neither does the director. You used that move during the Full Moon Festival, right? The one where you damage your magic armor to enhance your fighting power. If you keep using it, you''ll die."

    "Just to protect the child, I''m already facing battles of this magnitude. If you knew the true culprit and chose to seek revenge, how quickly would you burn through your life? Believe me, friend, as selfish as it may sound, nobody wants to see that happen."

    "...I know, I understood all that you said a long time ago." After listening, Lin Yun sighed, "Regardless, I have to make sure Lulu... no, that those kids can protect themselves. Until those kids are capable of standing on their own, I won''t make any rash moves."

    "Even when they can stand on their own, it''s not okay."

    Asou Yuan Xiang glared at him: "Are you in such a hurry to kill yourself? You plan to seek revenge without even knowing who the real murderer is, are you going to launch a massacre in the stronghold of Black Ash Dawn?"

    "This isn''t okay, that isn''t okay, so what exactly did you come here for, to act as the warden for our dear director?"

    Lin Yun responded irritably: "Do I need to remind you that my rank is half a grade above yours? Inspector Candidate?"

    "Didn''t I say it when we first met? Of course, it''s to be your bodyguard, Inspector Sir," said Asou Yuan Xiang with a sarcastic chuckle. "Let me confirm it with you once more, although the ''moth'' that secretly controlled Fangting City has been overthrown, life hasn''t been easy lately, has it, Sir?"

 Chapter 364 52 Chapter The Reason for Fighting_3

    "So-so," Lin Yun replied indifferently.

    One was grinning from ear to ear, the other had a cold expression. After a stalemate, Lin Yun was the first to back down and spoke up, "There are indeed quite a few problems."

    "Who''s the enemy?"

    "You don''t know?"

    "How would I know? I''ve only just arrived."

    "Didn''t you ask Golden Green Cat''s Eye? They really don''t have any records at the investigation agency?"

    "What records?" Asou Haruka asked, feigning innocence.

    "Who was it that just told me they were ''more informed about the progress of the matter than anyone else''?"

    Lin Yun widened his eyes, "So that was just a pretty phrase?"

    "I really do know the progress of the matter, and that Claw Mark has sent someone over, but how would I know who it is." Asou Haruka said confidently, spreading her hands, "Aren''t we here to exchange information? Just tell me."

    "...Forget it, let''s not talk about that. I''ll take you to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau later to explain properly, and you''ll understand once you see the relevant documents."

    "Great, I haven''t been to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau in Fangting City for a long time."

    "How come I remember someone said not long ago that going to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was boring?"

    "Because I really don''t want to go to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau right now. You said we''d go ''later,'' didn''t you?"

    Asou Haruka slightly curled her lip, "Rushing straight to the local Abnormal Strategy Bureau upon arrival in a city is an experience so frequent that it becomes tedious."

    "I''m not taking you there for fun; it''s hardly interesting to begin with."

    "Don''t worry, I understand," Asou Haruka replied nonchalantly, then suddenly seemed to remember something, lifted her handbag, and groped inside to pull out a square, thin piece.

    "What''s that?" Lin Yun asked.

    "A CD of my album, the latest one," Asou Haruka answered.

    "What are you doing taking out your own CD here?" Lin Yun was puzzled.

    However, she saw the other party shake the CD in her hand and said with a smile, "This is a custom in Donghua State, right? To bring a gift for the deceased."

    "So what?"

    "This is my gift," Asou Haruka blinked.

    "...You''re too narcissistic," Lin Yun said, hand on his hip and the other hand on his forehead, "Who brings this kind of thing to pay respects to the deceased?"

    "It''s not about narcissism, my friend. An Ya would definitely like it if she knew," Asou Haruka insisted.

    After placing the CD in front of the tombstone, Asou Haruka performed a respectful bow, and after bowing deeply for several seconds, she straightened up and said, "See, she told me it sounds great."

    "That''s stupid," the deceased''s family commented.

    And this time, Asou Haruka had no rebuttals, not even a word in response.

    She just gazed softly at the tombstone.

    The tombstone wouldn''t respond to her, yet in her mind lingered the last phone call they had.

    ¡ª"So you haven''t actually listened to my new song? I recorded several days to get this perfect version, please, my friend, give it a listen."

    "Hmm...Even if you say that, sending me a string of strange letters doesn''t teach me how to turn them into music."

    "That''s a web link!"

    "I need a computer for that, right? It seems so troublesome... Instead of that, today Lulu did handicrafts at kindergarten, she learned to fold paper cranes, you want to see? Our kid seems to have an unexpected gift for crafts, she was the first one in her class to fold one." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Is that so? Sounds impressive, send it over later for me to see. But my song! Remember to listen to my song!"

    "Yeah, yeah, I will definitely listen to the song of a big star, let Lin Yun handle it when he gets off work."

    "That tone, you really don''t plan on listening..."

    "I really do plan to listen."

    "Sigh... If you can''t handle a web link, you know how to listen to a CD, right?"

    "CD? Oh, the disc, that''s no problem. So you''re already releasing CDs?"

    "It might be a while before the album, but it will definitely happen, no more than two years I guess. My songs have been doing very well in sales recently, and if the trend continues, an album is definitely not an issue."

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    "Good, then I''ll buy one when it comes out."

    "No need, I''ll give you one."

    "I love you the most, Yuan Xiang, I''m touched!"

    "Don''t say things like that with such a nonchalant tone, it only makes things more upsetting..."

    "Okay, okay, mainly it''s because I really don''t understand music, or computers, but I''ll definitely buy one of your albums to support you, even without your gift."

    "Is that a promise?"

    "A promise."

    "If you don''t buy one, I''ll personally deliver the CD to your house."

    "Deliver to my house? Hmm...suddenly I don''t feel like buying it anymore!"

    "Hey!"

 Chapter 53 New Resident

    Fangting City outskirts, villa district.

    As the girls pushed open the gate together and stepped into the foyer, the first to exclaim was Mubaihe, who was at the very front of the group.

    "What''s the situation? It''s so big!"

    Although the exclamation lacked substance, it represented the genuine thoughts of the group from Bai''an City.

    A four-story standalone villa was indeed much larger in space compared to the second floor of a piano shop where the magical girls from Bai''an City gathered.

    "Why is your secret base so big? Bribery?"

    Mubaihe ventured into the foyer, looking around, and ultimately couldn''t contain her curiosity. Turning to Lin Xiaolu, she asked, "Or is this your family''s property?"

    "It couldn''t possibly be bribery," Lin Xiaolu replied somewhat helplessly, "this is a site Emerald Sparrow found through negotiation with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."

    "The work of a patrol emissary? Ah, I see. That makes sense. If I think about it like that, it''s not so surprising."

    Mubaihe nodded in understanding, "But the fact that your mentor could secure such an impressive setup, and you get to live in such a luxurious base, while we still have to huddle in the piano shop after school like an after-school band, it seems our mentor really is¡ªmmf mmf?"

    She was cut off before she could finish, her mouth covered by Bai Ji beside her.

    ¡ª Don''t say such foolish things in front of outsiders.

    Although not a word was spoken, Bai Ji''s gaze conveyed exactly that.

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    Indeed, calling Asou Haruka useless in this regard, or saying she hadn''t made an effort, was misunderstanding her and the Bai''an City Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    Although it was true she hadn''t negotiated for such a matter, the Bai''an City Abnormal Strategy Bureau operated quite differently compared to the Fangting City Abnormal Strategy Bureau. For the Fangting City Abnormal Strategy Bureau, acquiring a property was a simple task; for Bai''an City''s agency, while not impossible, it would certainly involve more complications.

    The Abnormal Strategy Bureaus in each city differ in how they function; some operate openly as government institutions like in Fangting City, while others disguise themselves in various organizational forms. The Abnormal Strategy Bureau in Bai''an City was, in a literal sense, an underground organization.

    In terms of both personnel allocation and geographical location, Bai''an City''s Abnormal Strategy Bureau was completely "underground." Although constantly active within Bai''an City, it made every effort to erase its traces within the city.

    It was precisely because of such covertness that almost no one knew they were nearly wiped out by Black Ash Dawn, which in some sense was like shooting themselves in the foot.

    For an Abnormal Strategy Bureau with this style of operation, securing a large operational base for magical girls in the city and concealing all the loose ends would indeed be much more problematic.

    That''s why neither Asou Haruka nor Lamplight had made such a request.

    Thus, a peculiar situation arose: while the Bai''an City team had more experience in magical girl affairs, upon seeing the luxurious facilities of the Fangting City team''s base, they seemed like Grandmother Liu entering the Grand View Garden, incessantly asking questions here and there.

    The four-story villa had plenty of space, with many spare rooms to begin with, so housing a few more people posed no issue at all. Before long, the Bai''an City magical girls had chosen their rooms and moved in with their belongings.

    For the foreseeable future, they might all stay here.

    Bai Jingxuan was responsible for arranging the training spaces for others in the underground training area, while Xia Liang dragged Moke to prepare the upcoming dinner. Guiding the Bai''an City team around the rooms naturally fell to Lin Xiaolu.

    However, her expression remained somewhat glum.

    Bai Ji was the last in the squad to choose a room, so after everyone else went off to busy themselves, only she and Lin Xiaolu were left in front of the empty room.

    "Then, I''ll choose this room, thank you very much for the hospitality," S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Bai Ji, still maintaining the demeanor of a leader, expressed her gratitude to Lin Xiaolu politely, "We might occupy some of your space for a while, and if it brings you any inconvenience, I apologize in advance."

    "Hm? Oh, it''s fine, the place is really vacant anyway,"

    Lin Xiaolu responded listlessly, "But what about you guys? All of you coming to Fangting City, is that okay? What will you do about the Remnant Beasts in your city?"

    "Don''t worry about that. Although it''s quite embarrassing, we still have a senior with a title certificate who continues to stand guard,"

    Bai Ji explained, "Besides, our city¡­ some things happened a while ago, and at least for now, the frequency of Remnant Beasts appearing in the city is very low, so we don''t need that many magical girls."

    "Black Ash Dawn?" Lin Xiaolu cocked her head slightly, digesting the information in the other''s words, and came to a conclusion that cut to the heart of the matter.

    "Ah... yes, that''s true, Fangting City had encountered it before too,"

    Caught off guard by the other''s directness, Bai Ji was a little late in her response and covered her mouth reflexively, "I''m terribly sorry, it was instinctive to think it wasn''t something to be disclosed. It wasn''t meant to be a secret."

    "So, did you fight them?" Lin Xiaolu asked rather abruptly.

 Chapter 53 The New Tenant_2

    "Fight?" Bai Ji didn''t understand.

    "Black Ash Dawn, did you battle them?"

    Lin Xiaolu looked at the other seriously, "To what extent did the fight go?"

    "...As for the battle, unfortunately, we haven''t directly fought with the executives of Black Ash Dawn."

    Bai Ji''s gaze lowered slightly: "After the inspector lord came to our city, she found the enemy that we had been unable to find. Then, as the seniors in our team said, she almost instantaneously killed a member of Black Ash Dawn''s Ash Guard. We weren''t able to help at all, we couldn''t even fulfill the role of ''bystanders'', we were merely post-event informants."

    "You haven''t fought?"

    Muttering this answer, Lin Xiaolu''s eyes flickered slightly: "...I have gone into battle."

    "Hmm?" Bai Ji was somewhat puzzled by the words of the person in front of her.

    "I fought with ''Moth''... with that stinky old hag."

    Lin Xiaolu stared at the other: "Even though I was no match at all, even though I was beaten miserably, and even I myself felt that I was nothing but dead weight for Emerald Sparrow on the battlefield, I fought with her."

    "Since my first battle as a Magical Girl, I have faced death. I know the feeling of fear, and I know the pain of failure. If we''re talking about realization, I have been ready for a long time."

    "So, what kind of qualities do you possess, and on what grounds do you qualify as our ''pre-assessment''?"

    "Why can''t we participate in next year''s qualification certification exam if we can''t beat you?"

    Her words rang with determination.

    Since there was no one else around, Lin Xiaolu''s words fell, and a slight echo wandered the corridors.

    The location of the two was on the southern side of the fourth-floor corridor. Skewed sunlight cast several shadows on Lin Xiaolu''s face, which combined with her serious expression, made the atmosphere between them tense.

    Bai Ji''s hand, which was gripping the suitcase, loosened slightly.

    "Are you talking about the things the teacher said to you after the concert?"

    Her complexion remained unchanged, seemingly unaffected by Lin Xiaolu''s questioning: "If you''re upset by those words, I apologize to you on her behalf, for she indeed speaks her mind bluntly, and often her words are not pleasant to hear."

    "Do I sound like I''m asking for an apology?" Lin Xiaolu frowned slightly.

    "Sorry, I don''t quite understand," Bai Ji shook her head. "I might not have grasped your meaning."

    "What I need is an explanation."

    Lin Xiaolu stepped forward, hands on her hips: "That woman... your teacher, why did she say those things?"

    "Are you talking about ''you can''t go to the qualification certification if you don''t beat us''?"

    Bai Ji let go of the suitcase, standing upright: "Or her belief that ''Fangting City''s team cannot beat Bai''an City''s team''?"

    Lin Xiaolu huffed: "Both."

    "Regarding the first matter, it''s actually a bit complicated to explain, as it''s internal information that only our teacher can disclose."

    After calmly glancing at Lin Xiaolu, Bai Ji stated in a steady voice: "Next year''s qualification certification exam might differ from previous years, and if the strength isn''t up to par, it could indeed be life-threatening."

    "Our Bai''an City team isn''t new to the qualification certification, and everyone holds a white card. We have firsthand experience with the assessment, and by battling with us, you can gauge your own strength. If you can''t win, it''s better to avoid danger and maybe wait another year to take the exam."

    Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire

    "...According to what you''re saying, stopping us from taking the assessment is actually for our own good?"

    Lin Xiaolu asked: "Because it will be very dangerous, so if we cannot guarantee our safety, we should not go, is that what you mean?"

    "According to my conjecture, yes."

    Bai Ji continued to explain: "This is just a conclusion based on information told to me by the teacher. If you want the real answer, it''s best to ask her personally."

    "''For our own good'' is a conjecture..."

    Lin Xiaolu slightly tilted her head: "Then, what about ''Fangting City''s team cannot beat Bai''an City''s team''?"

    "That was her exact wording." Bai Ji replied with a polite smile. "Of course, that excludes our teacher and the seniors, it only refers to us, the newer generation."

    "You said, the original words?"

    Lin Xiaolu''s eyes widened.

    "Yes, although I do not understand the extent of your abilities, I trust the teacher''s judgment," Bai Ji added.

    "...Didn''t I tell you already? Everyone in our Fangting City team has fought against the executives of Black Ash Dawn," Lin Xiaolu said softly.

    "Yes, it must have been a very arduous and brutal battle, for which I hold great respect," Bai Ji responded.

    "I said, even though we were completely overpowered, at least on that day, when I stood in front of that person for the sake of this city, I absolutely did not regret it because I ''might die next''."

    "I can understand."

    "Since you can understand, then, you, who couldn''t even find the enemy when your own city faced its greatest crisis, who didn''t fight, who didn''t protect, a team like yours..."

    Lin Xiaolu took another step forward: "What right do you have to look down on us here?"

    The corridor fell silent for a moment.

    Lin Xiaolu glared at Bai Ji with a serious expression, while Bai Ji continued to look at her calmly, only the polite smile that had been on her lips had vanished. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Indeed, you''ve said some pretty harsh words, Miss Bai Mei," she finally spoke after a while, "Do you realize that what you just said, although it is true, was actually not appropriate to say right now?"

    "Just call me Lin Xiaolu."

    Lin Xiaolu pouted: "Emerald Sparrow once said that the code names of Magical Girls are only for use among comrades."

    "...Then, my apologies, Lin Xiaolu, you truly are an interesting person."

    Bai Ji wasn''t discolored by the barbed words, she just nodded again: "I wonder where I have offended you to evoke such hostility from you?"

    "I don''t know."

    Lin Xiaolu admitted, "Although I don''t know why, I just feel annoyed talking to you, always feeling like you are scolding me in your heart."

    Bai Ji was momentarily at a loss for words.

    After a pause, she barely curved her lips, regaining her previous tranquil demeanor: "So that''s it, I apologize to you. It could be because the teacher mentioned on the way here that you are the new leading figure of Fangting City, which may have skewed my impression of you."

    "If you truly feel that my words belittled you, then I apologize once again, I am sincerely sorry."

    "To show you my genuine gratitude, please allow me to suggest compensation, to mend our relationship. What do you say?"

    This proposal, on the contrary, made Lin Xiaolu hesitate.

    "...What compensation?"

    "You believe the teacher''s judgment is wrong, and that you would not lose to us. Although I trust the teacher, I also want to verify whether this conclusion is true."

    Bai Ji placed her hand on her chest where her Heart''s Gem slightly glowed: "Why not have a little friendly contest between us here in private? How about that?"

    "A contest?" Lin Xiaolu finally showed the first smile since meeting Bai Ji, but there was no trace of friendliness in it: "How do you want to compete?"

    "It''s simple."

    The Heart''s Gem in her hand shone brighter until it enveloped her whole body, and Bai Ji completed her transformation, appearing before Lin Xiaolu in her transformed state. She then extended her right hand, placing it before Lin Xiaolu.

    "Without the use of any Spell Techniques, this is a sphere made solely from my magic power."

    As she spoke, a magic power sphere emerged in the palm of her hand, "It''s very simple, just magic power gathered together to take this shape, nothing fancy. A straightforward, ordinary magic power sphere."

    "Then what?" Lin Xiaolu touched her own Heart''s Gem without any delay.

    "Next, make one of your magic power spheres. Use your magic power sphere to shatter mine."

    Bai Ji''s expression remained peaceful, but the words she spoke were anything but peaceful:

    ¡ª¡ª"Or, have mine shatter yours."

 Chapter 54 Queen Year

    ¡ª¡ª"A special assessment to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the great disaster?"

    As the atmosphere among the girls at the secret base grew tense, Emerald Sparrow, now driving back on the return highway, asked Asou Haruka with a hint of confusion, "Why commemorate such a thing?"

    Having finished the memorial for An Ya and left the cemetery in Fangting City, and considering the return to the secret base, Lin Yun had once again transformed into the appearance of Emerald Sparrow. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    At that moment, she was driving while discussing the matter of the certification examination with Asou Haruka.

    She also found Asou Haruka''s earlier suggestion perplexing, which was "the Fangting City team needs to outperform Bai''an City''s team before participating in the examination." Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire

    "Hmm... if there really has to be a reason, it could only be that next year marks another twenty years, right?"

    Leaning against the window of the passenger seat, Asou Haruka looked at the streets flashing by outside and said, "You know, once every twenty years, the doors of the Rose Palace will open."

    A great disaster followed by a grand celebration.

    This phrase was engraved in the life journey of every Magical Girl, corresponding to a particularly special year nineteen years ago.

    The so-called great disaster refers to the "Catastrophe of the Remnant Beasts" that erupted in the material realm, with such broad impact, fierce combat, and heavy casualties that had not been seen in a century. Therefore, having survived such a catastrophic disaster, Magical Girls could not help but etch this term in their hearts.

    Great disaster is only the first half of this phrase. Its second half is "grand celebration." This grand celebration refers to another event, commonly known in the Magic Kingdom as the "Queen Year."

    For the kingdom, this is a once-in-twenty-years occasion, when the Queen leaves the Rose Palace and is active throughout the kingdom.

    As the pinnacle of power in the entire Magic Kingdom, the Queen is not always present before people; rather, the Queen is more mysterious in the eyes of most citizens because almost no one has ever seen her in person.

    Most of the time, the Queen resides deep within the Rose Palace, at most going out to the "Gardens" on the outskirts of the palace, and only the high-level officials of the Royal Court, the Queen''s confidants, and Magical Girls with the rank of Flower Card and above are qualified to enter the palace for an audience.

    But there is always an exception, and this exception is the "Queen Year."

    In this year, the Queen actively travels around the kingdom to inspect the sentiments of the people, examine the work of the Five Major Institutes, and even personally leads Magical Girls in repelling enemies.

    Therefore, the great disaster of the Remnant Beasts nineteen years ago was not only a rare catastrophe but also coincided with the special year of the "Queen Year."

    As a result, the Queen personally took part in directing the battle, and the victory over the disaster was described as "a glorious battle under the wise command of the Queen," followed by a rare grand celebration.

    Remnant Beasts catastrophe and grand celebration, the combination of the two left, in the history of the kingdom, the name "great disaster followed by a grand celebration."

    Now, nineteen years after the great disaster followed by a grand celebration, next year, which is the twentieth anniversary. This signifies not only the arrival of another "Queen Year" but also that the victory over the Remnant Beasts catastrophe has reached its twentieth anniversary.

    "Rose Palace..." Emerald Sparrow muttered the term, pursed her lips, took a deep breath, "I see. So this is another idea someone came up with for no reason, planning to do what? Just to flatter?"

    "According to information our Research Institute received, Her Majesty will personally observe this year''s examination," said Asou Haruka. "And in commemoration of this special once-in-twenty-years day, the Treasury Institute, Research Institute, and Magical Affairs Institute have jointly decided to add a new assessment on top of the traditional qualification exam. Magical Girls who pass the new assessment can also receive various special benefits."

    "A new assessment..."

    Hearing this, Emerald Sparrow felt an ominous premonition flooding her mind, but to confirm this feeling, she still had to persevere in asking, "What kind of idea have they come up with now?"

    "A simulation of the Remnant Beasts catastrophe."

    Asou Haruka sighed, "They''re planning to recreate the conditions of the Remnant Beasts catastrophe to a certain degree, allowing candidates to experience that situation firsthand, while also honing their ability to survive and fight in times of crisis... at least, that''s what they said when pushing this project through."

    "...Insane," was the only assessment Emerald Sparrow could offer.

    As survivors of the Remnant Beasts catastrophe, no one knew the scenes from back then better than she and Asou Haruka: the ubiquitous ruins, the widespread lamentation, and the Remnant Beasts that seemed unending no matter how they fought. Just the thought of any of these was enough to send chills down one''s spine. Even now, they had not forgotten the powerlessness and despair of that time, let alone the new generation of Magical Girls today?

    As the Magic Kingdom''s most important examination system, the annual qualification certification still inevitably saw sporadic casualties despite the most thorough security measures, as there would always be Magical Girls who faced accidents due to improper operations or excessively rough behavior from opponents.

    Adding a new assessment with no practical testing to an exam that already posed certain risks was undoubtedly going to magnify the safety hazards.

    "They''re really being reckless."

    Perhaps because she thought more and more that this was unreasonable, Emerald Sparrow added, "Is it a physical simulation or a mental simulation? Who is in charge of this? Can it be stopped now?"

 Chapter 54 Queen Year_2

    "It''s too late, the venue and the spell techniques have all been set up. Although I''m not clear on the specifics, it''s said that a large amount of human and financial resources have been invested in the related construction work. If we want to stop this now, I''m afraid we can only go find the current Purple Diamond or the nobles of the Royal Court."

    Asou Haruka shook her head, "To tell the truth, I can''t fathom what those guys are really thinking. But this is why I proposed this competition¡ªtwo members of our squad have already obtained the white cards at the beginning of this year. Only if the children you''ve taught can defeat them, can we ensure their safety to a certain degree. If they can''t win, even if they take the assessment, they might encounter danger. Do you want to see that happen?"

    "...How could I."

    Emerald Sparrow let out a long sigh, "Do you really want your juniors to be in that kind of perilous situation?"

    "Of course, I don''t want that, that''s exactly why I''m bringing this matter to you so straightforwardly."

    Asou Haruka spoke softly, "Our Bai An squad is not planning to participate in the qualification validation next year. Bai Ji and the girl coded Impatiens can''t yet reach the standard required for the name cards. That child Wood Lily... I really don''t have any confidence in her."

    The two fell into a silence on this matter for a while, seemingly in agreement.

    Emerald Sparrow was reflecting.

    If previously she desired the girls to participate in the assessment because she was unaware of the specific details, now that she knew next year''s assessment might be more dangerous than in previous years, should she still encourage them to go?

    She herself knew that "Magical Girls" always live a life accompanied by battle, and she couldn''t keep her juniors safe from danger forever. But, is it really necessary to take on an additional risk that doesn''t originally exist just for an assessment?

    This left her feeling somewhat confused.

    However, she quickly suppressed her confusion as the SUV returned to the secret base. She had to maintain a good attitude, at the very least not to let her worries affect the children.

    After a brief welcoming party, eight Magical Girls and one Fairy gathered around the dining table to have dinner together.

    At the table, Emerald Sparrow and Asou Haruka disclosed the situation to their juniors.

    ¡ª"I have to tell you all seriously, the danger level of the ''Great Beast Disaster'' far exceeds what you''re capable of handling right now. Even if the assessment will not reproduce it one hundred percent, and might even be weakened to a certain extent due to your powers, it is still a very dangerous event."

    Looking at the juniors across the table, Emerald Sparrow said in all seriousness, "I didn''t know this news before, but now it appears that this assessment won''t be as simple as expected. I hope that you will consider it thoroughly before making your decision."

    "And the one who makes the decision¡ªI''ve discussed this with senior Margaret. You need to have a fight against the Magical Girls from Bai An City, and only if you win should you go to participate in the national assessment."

    With these words, the expressions on the faces of the Magical Girls across the table varied.

    On the side of Bai An City, since they weren''t planning to participate in next year''s assessment, the faces of the few Magical Girls were relatively relaxed. The taciturn girl codenamed Impatiens sipped her soup expressionlessly; the blonde girl codenamed Wood Lily looked triumphantly at the Fangting City group; as for Bai Ji, probably because she already knew about the situation, she simply nodded to the two seniors, indicating her awareness.

    The situation was quite different for Fangting City.

    Xia Liang was probably the calmest of the three, but even she was a bit stunned upon hearing about the addition of such an unreasonable event to the assessment, her smile faltering with difficulty.

    Bai Jingxuan appeared half-understanding, probably also grasping the fact that the "assessment got tougher," but she didn''t seem to think there was any problem with it.

    As for Lin Xiaolu, she had hardly touched her food to begin with, barely eating what was in her bowl. After listening to Emerald Sparrow, she fell silent for a while before putting down her bowl and quietly muttered, "I''m full," then left the dining table under everyone''s gaze.

    She didn''t even offer an additional explanation.

    This left even Emerald Sparrow, who had been considering other issues, taken aback.

    "... Anyway, you don''t need to give me an answer right now. You can digest this news for a while, think about it for a few more days, and then we''ll discuss and make a decision together."

    After a moment, she continued slowly, "And, does anyone know what''s up with Bai Mei?"

    No one answered.

    It wasn''t just the three from Bai An City who remained silent, even the two teammates from Fangting City seemed to be puzzled by this issue.

    Only Asou Haruka, after glancing at everyone, gave Bai Ji a somewhat meaningful look, but refrained from saying anything further.

    After asking questions to no avail, Emerald Sparrow felt it was not appropriate to continue the topic. Even though she was somewhat puzzled and worried about Lin Xiaolu''s behavior, she didn''t say much more and simply carried on hosting the dinner until it was over.

    Since the group from Bai''an City had just arrived that day, and being a guest warranted a certain hospitality, Emerald Sparrow had to spend extra time accommodating them. Consequently, it wasn''t until around nine in the evening that she finally found time to go to Lin Xiaolu''s room to inquire about what exactly had happened.

    Through the quiet corridor at night, she stood outside the door and gently knocked¡ªa "thump-thump" echo reverberated through the hall.

    "Bai Mei?" Emerald Sparrow called out like this.

    After the call, first came a sound of fabric rubbing from within, followed by some hurried footsteps. Emerald Sparrow faintly thought she could also hear the impact of a body against wood, and the noise of a doorknob being turned. However, the sound of the knob turning didn''t continue, it just made the noise of the lock scraping and stopped abruptly.

    The door was not opened.

    Soon, Lin Xiaolu''s somewhat muffled voice came from behind the door.

    "Sorry."

    She said, "Emerald Sparrow, can I have a moment alone to think? I''ll adjust myself."

    "I just wanted to ask if you''ve encountered any difficulties," Emerald Sparrow said calmly, "We can solve it together."

    "...Sorry."

    However, Lin Xiaolu just left her with these words and then there was no other movement. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    In the moonlight shining through from outside the corridor, Emerald Sparrow could see that the door handle had actually been pressed down a little more, but for some reason, Lin Xiaolu still did not open the door.

    Not even the sound of footsteps¡ªwas the child still standing behind the door? Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire

    Emerald Sparrow thought with some concern, realizing that she seemed to be just one step away from entering the room. But she did not do so, taking into account her daughter''s somewhat stubborn nature, rashly barging in might not solve the problem.

    In the end, she did not ask any more questions and quietly left.

    She left the corridor where Lin Xiaolu''s room was located and walked all the way to the stairwell connecting the floors. She had just started to descend the stairs when she suddenly found another figure standing in the stairwell.

    It was Bai Ji.

    This girl, who had maintained a calm and composed attitude before, now had a subtle redness in her eyes, one hand clenching the forearm of the other, looking hesitant to speak.

    "Is something wrong?" Emerald Sparrow asked with some confusion.

    "...I''m terribly sorry, Inspector, this is all my fault," Bai Ji said, leaving her with such an abrupt apology, then covered her mouth and quickly ran to the fourth floor.

    This strange behavior left Emerald Sparrow even more baffled. She could only watch helplessly as the other person''s figure disappeared around the corner of the corridor, not feeling comfortable enough to chase after her and ask.

    With her mind full of questions, she didn''t get a piece of valuable information until she returned to the living room on the first floor and spoke with Asou Haruka.

    "I''m sorry, one of our little ones stirred up trouble with your side," Asou Haruka said, lounging on the sofa and watching TV while smiling apologetically. "I''ve already given her a good talking-to, and told her to apologize to you. Did she come to find you?"

    So that was it.

    After listening to her explanation, Emerald Sparrow finally understood what had happened:

    ¡ª¡ªLin Xiaolu and Bai Ji had an argument.

 Chapter 55 Anxiety

    Lin Xiaolu sat in front of her desk, staring blankly at her hands.

    The only light in the room came from the desk lamp, making the space rather dim with a very limited range of visibility. However, at this moment, Lin Xiaolu didn''t care about that.

    She had lost.

    That was the only thought in her mind. Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire

    Full of the intent to teach the other a lesson and tell them "never to underestimate others," she had accepted a challenge that looked incredibly simple. Then, without any suspense, she lost.

    What was critical was that even after losing, the other had an expression with no fluctuations, as if defeating her was just a matter of course, so calm it was infuriating.

    But what good did anger do? Losing meant losing; the defeated had no room for rebuttal.

    What had happened before the loss? To be honest, even now, Lin Xiaolu hadn''t figured it out.

    All she remembered was that she had accepted Bai Ji''s invitation, transformed, and then created a makeshift magic power sphere in her hand, mimicking the opponent''s method, and with full confidence, she collided with it.

    There was no other reason but that in the pure competition of quality and quantity of Magic Power, she was stronger than the average Magical Girl.

    Being stuck at the Seed level and not being able to break through was certainly bad, but as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Her Magic Power growth hadn''t stopped, on the contrary, it seemed to have developed a kind of high-pressure effect, refining her Magic Power. Specifically, it meant that with the same amount of Magic Power, the damage she could cause was much stronger.

    Therefore, as long as it was a Magical Girl in the Blossom stage who was not too far beyond her, this "refined" Magic Power was theoretically not weaker than anyone else''s.

    Until that point, Lin Xiaolu had always maintained this belief.

    Until she had competed with Bai Ji. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    In the past, when Lin Xiaolu attended Emerald Sparrow''s classes, Emerald Sparrow had instilled in her a conclusion: Magic Power, is equivalent to the extension of a Magical Girl''s limbs.

    This sentence wasn''t difficult to understand. Just as tools are an extension of the human body, for Magical Girls, Magic Power is an exceptionally useful tool ¡ª the rationale was the same.

    At the moment when her magic power sphere collided with Bai Ji''s, Lin Xiaolu was reminded of this sentence.

    Because she suddenly realized that what Emerald Sparrow emphasized might not just be the "tool" attribute of Magic Power.

    What kind of feeling was it? It was merely the collision of magic power spheres, but at the moment of impact, Lin Xiaolu felt a "numbing" sensation.

    It was as if her fingers had touched something electric, the tingling sensation of the numbness and the subsequent stiffness. The unreal "touch" feedback from the Magic Power to herself led to a loss of control.

    Electrocution.

    That was Lin Xiaolu''s most direct feeling in the collision of the magic power spheres.

    She had encountered a similar feeling before, such as when she came into contact with the Remnant Beasts; the sensation of burning when her Magic Power eroded. However, that burning sensation was not that intense and couldn''t compare at all to the pain from a direct attack in battle, so it was often overlooked.

    But the impact caused by Bai Ji was far beyond that; at that moment, Lin Xiaolu even felt that her Magic Power had become a weak point under attack. It was as if the feeling of "numbness" had been intensified, allowing the Magic Power to carry sensory feedback to the source of Magic Power, which then spread to the core and transmitted directly to the person herself.

    As a result, the magic power sphere that Lin Xiaolu had thrown out with full confidence collapsed naturally within two seconds after colliding with Bai Ji.

    What was left was only Lin Xiaolu standing in place, still stupidly extending a hand, not even clear about what had happened.

    Bai Ji didn''t speak either. She just shook the hand that had gathered the magic power sphere as if feeling it was enough, then she canceled her transformation, turned around, pulled her suitcase, and walked into her room.

    There was no need to say more about what happened after that.

    Lin Xiaolu returned to her room in a daze, still not recovered by dinnertime, and then, all the way until now.

    Her desolation was not solely because she had lost, nor just because of the opponent''s dismissive attitude, but more importantly, the "anxiety" she had been suppressing in various ways, trying desperately to ignore, had erupted.

    Ever since Xia Liang had blossomed successfully before her, obtaining her own Magic Gear, that anxiety had never ceased.

    She had become a Magical Girl first, she had started learning first, she had been ahead in everything, so why was Xia Liang ahead of her in ability blossoming?

    This anxiety peaked after Bai Jingxuan awakened her Magic Gear.

    If one could explain Xia Liang''s advancement with "stronger talent," then why was Bai Jingxuan, who became a Magical Girl more than two months later, still ahead of her?

    Yes, she remembered she once managed to use that special white Magic Power, but it was only twice, and it only came out when facing exceedingly dangerous enemies.

    How exactly did she manage to use it? Could she use it as smoothly next time? Why couldn''t she use it under normal circumstances?

    Even if Magic Power in quality and quantity had far exceeded the Seed level, even surpassing the normal Bud level, without awakening her own Magic Gear, being a Seed was still just a "seed."

 Chapter 55 Anxiety_2

    No matter how much she hypnotized herself with phrases like "accumulating knowledge to unleash its power" or "a unique constitution," the anxiety in her heart continued to grow unchecked.

    And this growing anxiety was bound to erupt one day, the battle with Bai Ji becoming the final spark.

    Lin Xiaolu realized something, something she had been deliberately overlooking, but perhaps was now fast approaching.

    ¡ª¡ªWould she always remain at the Seed rank, thus falling behind everyone else?

    Let alone standing beside Emerald Sparrow, even Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan''s pace would grow ever more distant. When it came to that point, if she remained at the Seed rank, was there really any need for her to stay in the squad anymore? S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The very thought made her heart feel as though it was being squeezed, and a sense of suffocation overwhelmed her.

    She wanted to find Emerald Sparrow.

    She wanted to weep about her defeat, to pour out her constant anxiety, to seek comfort, to seek encouragement, to find help.

    She longed for Emerald Sparrow to hold her hand as she had when she was first lost, telling her "it''s okay."

    She couldn''t share these feelings with her father, who used to be quite strict and was just an ordinary person; nor could she confide them to teammates who were even younger than her.

    Before she knew it, when her heart was heavy and she had no one to confide in, her first choice had become Emerald Sparrow.

    Emerald Sparrow was both an admired senior and a dependable elder. The tenderness beneath that indifference had long since changed Lin Xiaolu. For her, who had lost her birth mother, Emerald Sparrow was undoubtedly the closest thing to a "mother" in her current life.

    But in the end, Emerald Sparrow wasn''t her "mother."

    Lin Xiaolu always wanted to find out why Emerald Sparrow showed her concern, even coming up with the absurd conclusion that "the other party and her father were in love," a thought that made her want to cover her face and scream, all because she wanted to confirm how solid the relationship with Emerald Sparrow really was.

    There can''t be such a strong dependency between an ordinary senior and junior. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

    Neither can a teacher and a disciple take over each other''s responsibilities in everything.

    Only a more solid, more intimate, more unbreakable relationship... If it wasn''t like that, her own one-sided dependency would undoubtedly be troublesome for others.

    Which is why Lin Xiaolu forced herself not to open the door, not to let all her feelings rush out at once.

    Because she didn''t know what Emerald Sparrow''s tolerance limit for her was.

    Thinking too highly of her own strength, recklessly accepting challenges and losing miserably, showing a bad attitude at the dinner table, and if she were to go to Emerald Sparrow to cry and seek comfort... That would be disgraceful.

    If she imagined herself in that position, surely she would find such a troublesome junior to be an irritating pest?

    She didn''t want to, didn''t dare to let Emerald Sparrow be further disappointed in her. Lately, Emerald Sparrow seemed to be quite fond of Bai Jingxuan; if Emerald Sparrow ended up completely disappointed and gave up on her, then she might as well retire as a Magical Girl.

    Chaotic thoughts created a whirl in her mind, and she sat in front of the desk for who knows how long, to the point that she even forgot the time.

    After a lengthy period, when the waning moon had climbed high in the sky, a knock came from behind the door of the room.

    Knock, knock, knock.

    The crisp sound broke the silence, pulling Lin Xiaolu back from her thoughts to reality.

    Was it Emerald Sparrow again?

    That was her first thought, but she soon shook her head, embarrassed by her own weakness. Taking a deep breath to adjust her voice, she pretended that nothing was wrong and said:

    "Who is it?"

    She had some guesses about who might come at this time; the chances of it being Emerald Sparrow were slim, so it could be Xia Liang or perhaps Bai Jingxuan. Could it be that Asou with no common sense? It was unlikely to be those people from Bai''an City... after she had given them the cold shoulder, they surely wouldn''t be so kind as to come looking for her.

    However, the voice outside the door turned out to be unexpected.

    "It''s me."

    It was a voice that initially felt unfamiliar to Lin Xiaolu, but she quickly recognized who it belonged to.

    One could sense the maturity in the voice of its owner, yet it still had a slight girlish lightheartedness and an enchantingly pleasant timbre.

    "I heard my subordinate caused you some trouble; I apologize. Would you like to come out for a chat?"

    ¡ª¡ªThat was the voice of the Magical Girl, Margaret, who had only appeared before her today, seemingly an old partner of Emerald Sparrow.

    ...

    ...

    On the fourth floor of the secret base, there was a large public balcony.

    Although it was called a balcony, its size was designed to accommodate a small garden. However, none of the Magical Girl squad in Fangting City had a hobby in gardening, so it was left vacant as an ordinary balcony.

    Lin Xiaolu seldom came here.

    Rather, if it weren''t for the invitation from a woman named Margaret, she probably wouldn''t come here even once in several months.

    Not only because her room wasn''t on this floor, and her usual area of activity rarely involved the fourth floor, but also because it was too spacious here. Even if one wanted to find a spot to sit down and enjoy the sunshine, this was hardly a good place.

    Not to mention that it was cold winter at the moment, the balcony was especially chilly, and nobody would come here without reason.

    Of course, if one needed to have a relatively private conversation, such conditions became a natural sound barrier, effectively preventing eavesdropping.

    No doubt, this was also the reason why Margaret chose to have the conversation here.

    "...So cold."

    After touching the railing on the edge of the balcony, Lin Xiaolu subconsciously inhaled a breath of the cold air and then quickly withdrew her hand.

    She looked around, but since the balcony truly had nothing, without any noteworthy points, she could only retract her gaze and look towards the woman not far away, "So, may I ask why you''ve called me out here?"

    Her words couldn''t be called particularly friendly or respectful, but the use of the word "please" was already quite restrained for Lin Xiaolu.

    "It''s nothing much, just a bit curious about you."

    Asou Haruka smiled and gestured with one hand for Lin Xiaolu to relax, "There''s no need to be so tense. I''m not here with any hostility. On the contrary, I''m on your side."

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t say a word, but the meaning conveyed by her eyes was very clear, which was "What nonsense are you talking about?"

    "Hard to believe?" Asou Haruka asked.

    "...That person is your student, right?"

    Lin Xiaolu said with a complex expression, "She fought and won against me, and you tell me you''re on my side?"

    "Mhm, without a doubt, Bai Ji is indeed my student, to be precise, she''s one I am most satisfied with."

    Asou Haruka slightly turned her body and looked towards the night sky, "But because of that, I can''t possibly side with her today."

    "Why?" Lin Xiaolu asked, puzzled.

    "Because she was wrong in this matter."

    Asou Haruka sighed, "Under the premise that the other party is identified as a partner, Magical Girls shouldn''t engage in senseless infighting. Not to mention that it was she who provoked first. In some squads with stricter discipline, such behavior would already constitute the minimal grounds for punishment."

    "No... I don''t think what we did could be considered as fighting or ''infighting''..." Lin Xiaolu hesitated.

    "Then it''s combat."

    Asou Haruka affirmed, "No matter the level or scale, once the struggle between each other involves Magic Power, it must be treated equally."

    After saying this, and seeing Lin Xiaolu''s slightly bewildered expression, her voice softened a little, "Hard to accept?"

    "I''m a bit confused..." Lin Xiaolu shook her head.

    "Because in this world, there''s a significant portion of Magical Girls who, when they strike, it''s hard to define the impact they can have by the ''amount'' of Magic Power used."

    Asou Haruka explained, "Although your contest used only a small amount of Magic Power, for some Magical Girls, that tiny bit of Magic Power is enough to put a comrade to death. So, at that time, if she argues ''I only used a little bit of Magic Power'', can she be forgiven?"

    "...No?"

    "Of course not."

    Asou Haruka smiled again, "So, for a Magical Girl, the ''quality'' and ''quantity'' of Magic Power are crucial, but not that crucial. Because in combat, what''s more important than Magic Power itself, is ''how the Magic Power was used''."

 Chapter 56 Asou Harukas Proposal

    "Using magic power signifies a real fight, and a real fight can be defined as ''battle'', regardless of the outcome. This is the fairest criterion to measure whether Magical Girls have internal conflicts."

    Asou Haruka spoke slowly, "After all, some people are good at using a small amount of magic power to cause a greater impact, while others lack such methods."

    "...Are you trying to comfort me?"

    Lin Xiaolu thought for a while before gradually coming to an understanding, "Are you saying that if it weren''t for that rule restriction, and if both people were to exert their full power, it''s not certain that I would lose?"

    "No, I''m just analysing why you lost."

    Asou Haruka glanced at her, shook her head, "Even if you had used your full power, you would not have won against Bai Ji, because she is my most satisfactory disciple."

    Faced with this somewhat unexpected response, Lin Xiaolu was initially stunned, then felt a surge of anger rising within her, "You¡ªthis person¡ª"

    "However, I also said that I am on your side."

    Asou Haruka interrupted her outburst, "Not only because Bai Ji was the one who provoked first, and she was not justified in doing so, but also because she is of the Ye level, and you are of the Zhong level. A match spanning two stages of blooming is not a real competition at all; it''s just a one-sided bullying."

    "...I am not like the typical Zhong level."

    Forcing the words she was about to blurt out back down, Lin Xiaolu collected her emotions before speaking in a subdued tone, "If we''re only talking about the quantity of magic power, I definitely wouldn''t lose to someone of the Ye level."

    "Because you have been stuck at the Zhong level for quite a while, but your magic power has continued to grow..."

    However, before Lin Xiaolu could finish speaking, the words that emerged from Asou Haruka across from her mirrored her thoughts, "This is what you wanted to say, right?"

    Lin Xiaolu looked up at her blankly, momentarily speechless.

    "Being very curious about the whole story between you and Bai Ji, I also consulted Emerald Sparrow. She has already explained your situation to me."

    Asou Haruka continued, "I recognize your uniqueness; many of your abilities have already transcended the limits of this stage. However, even so, the Zhong level is still just the Zhong level. The gap between the Zhong and the Ye levels is not merely in the quality of magic power and combat experience, but also in capacity and skill technique differences."

    "Let me give you an example."

    She raised two fingers, "Suppose there are two ordinary people of similar height and weight who are about to fight, but one only excels in street brawling, without any systematic training; while the other is an expert proficient in various practical combat skills, well-versed in different ways of exerting power and techniques to strike the enemy''s vital points. So, tell me, would there be any suspense in the outcome of this fight?"

    "There''s no suspense, right?"

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    "Moreover, as for that child Bai Ji, even among the Ye level, she is the most studious, mastering more spell techniques and magic power usage skills than other Magical Girls of the same stage. The gap between you and her is even bigger than that between a normal person and a combat expert."

    The more Asou Haruka spoke, the more her personal thoughts interwove into her words, so much so that a considerable part of what she said seemed like a monologue. But Lin Xiaolu had no intention of speaking up; she just listened quietly. At a certain sentence, her previously tightly clenched fists gradually loosened.

    ¡ª"Then why did you come to find me?"

    She spoke calmly, the numbness in her voice making her feel somewhat foreign to herself, "According to what you said, from the beginning, I never had the chance to beat her. Since I can''t win against your team, there''s no need for me to participate in next year''s assessment. Because such a dangerous assessment would just be a nuisance to others, right, if a half-baked person like me were to go?"

    "I didn''t say that," Asou Haruka blinked.

    "Then what are you trying to say? An apology? ''My disciple bullied you by using her superior strength to win. There is suspicion of bullying,'' is that what you want to say?"

    Lin Xiaolu''s eyes widened slightly, "You called me out of my room to stand in the cold, shaking with cold legs, just to tell me this?"

    "Is that not allowed?" Asou Haruka retorted.

    "Then go back. I don''t need this kind of ''apology.''"

    Lin Xiaolu enunciated each word, "The contest between me and your disciple was fair and square. I lost because I was too weak, my skills inferior. I lost, and that is that, I don''t have trouble admitting defeat."

    "On the contrary, it''s you. Even though your disciple clearly won, instead of praising or congratulating her, you put on this insincere act, saying she was wrong to ''apologize'' to me? Who are you looking down on? Do you think I''m a child who will weep and wail when bullied?"

    "Are you here to apologize to me? You''re not here to apologize at all! You just want to save face for Emerald Sparrow, drop the act, it''s truly nauseating!"

    "Let me tell you, I don''t need an apology; this is an insult to the outcome of our contest!" S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    On the balcony not covered by the light, Lin Xiaolu''s indignant words were also drowned out by the wind and did not reach anywhere else. However, Asou Haruka, standing in front of her, could hear everything clearly.

    These words held not an ounce of respect for a "senior," and could even be regarded as a blatant show of disrespect, verging on calling her "hypocritical." Although her speech was heated due to emotion, the message was accurately conveyed.

    Being verbally attacked by someone over twenty years younger, with no holds barred, would likely make an ordinary person fly into a rage, but Asou Haruka did not react that way.

    Her facial expression, rather than showing annoyance, could be described as a mix of surprise and relief.

    "...I''m truly surprised, this is what you think."

    She murmured, "Then indeed, I am at fault. I attempted to coddle you as though you were a naive child, without honestly treating you as a genuine ''junior.''"

    Saying this, she bent over slightly in a deep bow to Lin Xiaolu, her tone solemn, "I apologize, my considerations were incomplete."

    "I already said, I don''t want to see this kind of hypocritical behavior and etiquettes."

    Lin Xiaolu frowned, "If you have nothing else to say, then I''ll be leaving first."

    "There is something else, I asked you to come out, of course not just to exchange some superficial pleasantries."

    Asou Haruka straightened up, brushed her hair back over her shoulders with a helpless expression, "It''s just that I didn''t expect that my attempt to placate you would backfire so badly. What a miscalculation."

    "So, what is it?" Lin Xiaolu looked at her with impatience, "What exactly do you want to do?"

    "Because I really want to know, after becoming a Magical Girl, what An Ya''s child would be like."

    Asou Haruka gazed at her gently, "Although I held you in my arms when you were born, it has been so many years since then and I can''t help but be curious."

    "Disappointed?" Lin Xiaolu asked lightly.

    "No, quite the opposite, I''m very pleased." Asou Haruka smiled.

    "Huh?" Lin Xiaolu couldn''t help but retort.

    "Haha, after all, it''s quite an adorable personality, but compared to your mother, you resemble your father a bit more."

    Asou Haruka touched her chin and said, "How should I put it? That look as if you''re always irritated by someone, either cold as ice or looking unhappy, it''s as if you were carved from the same mold."

    "You call that kind of personality ''adorable''?" Lin Xiaolu was somewhat dumbfounded.

    "Isn''t it adorable?"

    Asou Haruka tilted her head to look at her, "At least both I and your mother like it, right? Otherwise, you wouldn''t have been born."

    "I always feel that the way you put it sounds a bit strange..."

    "Sigh, but there are some areas where you do resemble your mother. At least, I can''t imagine you would have said such things to me just now¡­ It''s almost overwhelming for me."

    Asou Haruka pretended to wipe the corner of her eye, stretching out a hand, "Come, let your sister touch you."

    "Am I a little dog? I don''t want that!"

    Lin Xiaolu quickly stepped back, "So cheesy! Can''t you talk about something serious?"

    "So you don''t want me to touch you?"

    "Of course I don''t!" Lin Xiaolu shouted.

    "You could brag to your schoolmates, you know, something like ''Miss Mari touched my head, and I didn''t wash my hair for three days''..." Asou Haruka suggested.

    "That sounds disgusting!"

    "But I just want to touch you, come on, let your sister touch you once."

    "Asking outright won''t work either." Lin Xiaolu continued to back away while crossing her arms in front of her.

    "What a pity."

    Seeing Lin Xiaolu''s staunch refusal, Asou Haruka didn''t persist, simply sighed, and gave up, "Then let''s talk about something serious."

    As the conversation reached this point, the atmosphere, which had just eased a bit, became tense once again.

    Lin Xiaolu stared at the woman she had only met a day ago, feeling uneasy with her sudden change of demeanor. She couldn''t make out any specific emotions from the other''s face and had no idea what she intended to do next.

    She could only swallow nervously, waiting for her to speak.

    "We were talking about how you''ve been stuck at the seed level. Although I''m projecting a bit, you must be anxious about this, right?" Asou Haruka asked.

    "Do you have a way to help me bloom into full ability?" Lin Xiaolu eyed her suspiciously.

    "No, of course I don''t have that much capability, even Emerald Sparrow doesn''t know why you haven''t blossomed into full ability yet."

    Asou Haruka shrugged, "But, I have a different proposal."

    "What proposal?" Lin Xiaolu''s question became more urgent, as it concerned what she cared about the most.

    "That is, since you''re in this state right now, unable to awaken your Magic Power or learn spell techniques, doing nothing anyway..."

    Asou Haruka smiled once more, an ordinary smile for her, but with her features, it appeared somewhat enchanting, "How about learning a few tricks from me?"

 Chapter 57 Casual Conversation

    The weekend quickly passed by. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Even as the increasingly cold weather made people reluctant to go out, the need to make a living meant most had to step out of their homes to continue their work.

    Lin Yun, naturally, was one of those obliged to go to work.

    Although having become a Magical Girl again meant he was under no financial pressure, as the head of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau in Fangting City, he was bound to take charge in these times of crisis and turbulence.

    ¡ª"So, let''s set off now."

    At the entrance of the villa, Emerald Sparrow and Asou Haruka stood together, instructing the girls behind them, "Bo Xue, make sure to entertain the guests well. Xiao Jin and Bai Mei still have to go to school, so we''re counting on you here. If there''s anything you don''t know, you can call me."

    "Okay," Bai Jingxuan nodded.

    "Bai Ji, Mu Bai He, Mimosa."

    Emerald Sparrow called out the names of several Magical Girls from Bai''an City and looked to the side, "I''ve already given you all a spare key to this base. Feel free to come and go as you please, and I hope you enjoy yourselves in this city. We don''t force you to take on Remnant Beast eradication tasks, but we welcome any help you can provide."

    Seeing the girls nod in agreement, Emerald Sparrow said no more and left with Asou Haruka.

    Today, she had to take her old teammate to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, and to the girls'' confusion, she explained it as "the two of us going out on an errand."

    Obviously, this answer did not satisfy the group of Magical Girls, but they had no standing to press further, so they let it pass.

    Because their destination was the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, both were dressed formally. Lin Yun himself did not need to be mentioned; his attire on workdays was always proper. Asou Haruka, too, had put on a women''s suit, donned a pair of sunglasses, and tied her conspicuous long hair into a bun, exuding the aura of a strong career woman.

    To avoid any slip in disguising their identities, Emerald Sparrow had long since transformed into Lin Yun''s appearance, and the car they were driving wasn''t the one assigned to "Emerald Sparrow" by the bureau, but was Asou Haruka''s, to ensure they wouldn''t raise any suspicions.

    ¡ª"So, Lulu agreed to it?"

    Driving along, Lin Yun saw that the traffic flow ahead hadn''t budged in quite a while, clearly indicating a traffic jam, and initiated a conversation with Asou Haruka, "I noticed she seemed much happier this morning."

    "Friend, it seems you underestimate my communication skills. With me handling it, was there ever any doubt?"

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    Asou Haruka yawned, "Don''t worry, she agreed. I''ll go teach her when I''m free tonight."

    She looked drowsy, as if she might fall asleep at any moment, and it was uncertain whether it was because she had stayed up too late the night before or simply wasn''t accustomed to the early morning routine.

    "What about her ability to manifest powers? Have you noticed anything?"

    Lin Yun frowned slightly, "Is there any chance of resolving it in the short term?"

    "I don''t know."

    Asou Haruka raised her hand to rub the corner of her eye, "I''ve said before, my expertise is in practical combat skills. I''m not skilled in power development. If you, being an expert, can''t figure it out, how could I?"

    "...I did retire for nineteen years, after all."

    Lin Yun shook his head, "As you know, the kingdom''s research constantly evolves, and nineteen years is long enough for some latest breakthroughs I wouldn''t be aware of."

    "Then why not ask the Chief?"

    Asou Haruka looked at him, "The Chief is around here, right?"

    "Emerald..." Lin Yun was silent.

    Actually, he had considered this option before, and he even had an intuition that if he went to seek the Emerald, there was a high probability that a solution could be found.

    But that would also mean having to let his daughter face the Gemstone Scepter, which would inevitably bring along more unstable factors.

    He had always tried his best to keep Lin Xiaolu out of the affairs of the state, but reality always seemed contrary to his wishes. It was as if some force was guiding everything, leading her deeper into the path of a Magical Girl and inevitably intertwining her with more people and events of the state.

    Should he continue to prevent it, or should he let things take their course? Lin Yun had not yet come to a clear decision.

    "You''re still as overprotective as before..."

    Seeing that Lin Yun was silent for a long time, probably guessing what he was thinking, Asou Haruka sighed, "Although I''m not very familiar with the Chief, from what I know about her, she should be the easiest one to deal with among the Gemstone Scepter. Do you really need to be so guarded?"

    "I cannot conclude what kind of person she is, but dealing with the Gemstone Scepter makes me think twice," Lin Yun said softly.

    "Is it because you were supposed to be Sapphire?" Asou Haruka suddenly asked.

    Lin Yun fell silent once again.

    He could not help but be silent because Asou Haruka''s words had indeed struck a nerve.

    "...Anyway, I will think about it, but unless absolutely necessary, I still hope we can solve this ourselves."

    After a while, he finally spoke again, rather abruptly changing the subject, "I will try some other methods in a few days. Before that, I ask you to teach her more. After all, if we are talking about pure combat skills, you are probably the standout one in our small team.

    "Not wanting to talk about this subject? Even flattering me won''t make me forget the earlier topic,"

    Asou Haruka said with a teasing smile, "But since you rarely give compliments, I''ll accept your praise."

    This is not flattery. Lin Yun thought to himself.

    Because, in fact, Asou Haruka was the one who delved deepest into combat techniques within the old Fangting City team.

    Using her own words, this was not a talent, but rather a "reluctant act due to the lack of talent."

    Among the old team members, Cornflower''s progress in unlocking abilities was unreasonably ahead of everyone, Cherry''s abilities were extremely powerful in their own right, and Lan Xiang was even referred to as a "Spell Techniques Encyclopedia" type of research genius.

    Only Margaret, also known as Asou Haruka, just met the standards of an average Magical Girl. Her magic power was not outstanding, her abilities were not exceptionally strong, and her talent for learning spell techniques was just average.

    Under such circumstances, her ultimate choice was "technique."

    This was a path that was destined to be difficult to advance along, so until Lin Yun retired, Asou Haruka''s achievements as a Magical Girl were hardly remarkable. Most people only remembered the codename "Margaret" as merely a teammate of Cherry and Cornflower.

    However, just as she had resolutely decided to leave Fangting to become a singer, Asou Haruka''s persistence and determination in something were beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

    The fact was that, at the end of this perseverance, Asou Haruka had finally earned her own unique recognition.

    It was not from battle honors or research, but simply because of reaching the pinnacle in a certain field.

    A symbol that solely signified "mastery of the art."

 Chapter 58 The Directors Secretary

    Hong Siyu''s day began in a kitchen filled with the aroma of coffee.

    Having worked for many years, a morning cup of coffee had become her daily routine. No matter how tired she felt when she got up from bed, the familiar scent from the coffee maker always seemed to invigorate her a little.

    It was still early, the sky outside was somewhat gloomy, but the first rays of sunlight had already pierced through the clouds, casting a thin golden glow on the floor of her single apartment. Humming a tune, Hong Siyu busied herself with breakfast preparations.

    Heat the pan, turn off the stove, wipe the countertop.

    Wash the cup, extract, make coffee.

    After a deft sequence of actions, the small round table beside the stove was set with boiled eggs, vegetable porridge, and coffee¡ªtoday''s breakfast for Hong Siyu.

    Eating leisurely, Hong Siyu then began to change her clothes. But when she was ready in her professional attire and stepped in front of the bathroom mirror, intending to apply makeup, her actions halted as her gaze met the reflection in the mirror.

    In the mirror, that incredibly young girl, who looked like she could still be a high school student, was staring back at her. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    No, that was her in high school.

    With this thought, Hong Siyu''s lips curled into a smile, almost bursting into triumphant laughter, had she not already laughed days before. Her adult sense of restraint stopped her from acting out, and she composed herself with a few coughs.

    A few days ago, after her treatment with Molu had ended, she was finally able to return to her normal life. And of course, the most important part of returning to normal was resuming work.

    However, Hong Siyu''s return to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau wasn''t under her original identity, but with the subtle role of "Hong Siyu''s niece." Her first assignment upon rejoining was simple¡ªsecretary to the bureau chief.

    It was thanks to the identity of "her own niece" and a directive from the state that other members of the bureau saw it merely as another parachuted position with no relation to Lin Yun. Otherwise, hiring a secretary who appeared underage would likely have earned Lin Yun strange looks from everyone in the bureau.

    In fact, even now, many people were questioning the nature of the relationship between Lin Yun and his new secretary.

    Of course, this was all irrelevant to Hong Siyu¡ªno one could stop her now.

    Arriving at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau early, Hong Siyu went alone to the yet vacant bureau chief''s office, where she dusted the desk, organized files, poured water, watered the plants... she breezed through every task like a well-oiled machine.

    By the time she finished all the miscellaneous work, it was already eight in the morning. The previously quiet office building had started to fill with noise.

    Lin Yun usually arrived at work around this time, and in just a few days, Hong Siyu had already grasped his routine, timing it perfectly. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

    Standing by the window, she checked her reflection in the glass to make sure her hair wasn''t disheveled and her clothes were still neat before taking her seat, her eyes bright as she fixed her gaze on the office door.

    She was waiting for the door to open. The moment the person behind it stepped in, she would be the first to show off her efforts.

    The clothes she wore today had been chosen during a shopping trip with Lin Yun; although her makeup was subtle, it complemented her temperament perfectly; her hair looked natural but had been professionally straightened at a beauty salon the day before. She was aiming to create an absolutely captivating "literary office girl" image.

    Every element was carefully selected, every angle meticulously designed. With her mature aesthetic honed from years of work and a serious study of Lin Yun''s tastes... coupled with the fact that on her morning walk, the rate at which passersby turned to look at her was nearly one hundred percent, she was incredibly confident in her appearance. This was her clarion call for the offensive.

    Come on, senior.

    She silently urged in her mind.

    That fervent belief seemed to penetrate the door, as if reaching the heavens, and before long, she saw the office door being pushed open.

    A figure in a suit walked in.

    "Good morning, senior."

    Immediately, she put on the smile she had practiced for so long, her hand clutching the files she had just sorted, extending her hand and posing her body just right, "Have you had breakfast? If you don''t mind, maybe we could¡­ huh?"

    As she was talking, Hong Siyu suddenly noticed that the person walking in from the outside didn''t seem quite right.

    Though the person was wearing a suit, it was clear that it was a woman who had entered. She was tall and fair-skinned, with sunglasses on, and her striking orange hair, typically quite eye-catching, was now tied up into a bun at the back of her head, giving her a very spirited look.

    A stranger? A guest? No... something felt familiar.

    Gazing at this woman''s appearance, Hong Siyu''s mind raced, feverishly trying to match the woman with an identity from her memory. Unfortunately, before she could come up with an answer, the woman in front of her suddenly spoke:

    ¡ª¡ª"95 points."

    And what she said was nothing but a short string of digits.

    "95 points?"

    Her thinking momentarily split into two parallel lines, Hong Siyu, whose brain was slightly overloaded, could only echo the other''s words, "May I ask... what does this mean?"

    "Charm, seductiveness, or perhaps cuteness. In short, it''s the score I''m giving your recent performance."

    The woman with the orange hair propped her chin with one hand as she spoke to Hong Siyu.

    Though she couldn''t see the woman''s eyes through her sunglasses, Hong Siyu could feel that the woman was sizing her up from head to toe. Not only that, but the woman''s gaze lingered for a moment on a few places that Hong Siyu had dressed up noticeably, giving her the uncomfortable feeling of being completely seen through.

    This made her feel somewhat uneasy, so she subconsciously hugged the files in front of her and took a step back.

    However, the woman in front of her didn''t seem to be willing to let her off so easily. As Hong Siyu took two steps back, the woman closely followed by moving two steps forward, "Do you know where the deduction points are?"

    "Deduct¡­ deduction points?" Hong Siyu stuttered her reply.

    "The deduction is because the direction is wrong. Instead of an inviting, jovial and enthusiastic approach, a slightly shy, softly spoken request would elicit more guilt from the other person."

    The woman stroked her chin. "But that''s nitpicking. All in all, it was indeed very cute! I really like it! A lovely junior has made such preparations to welcome me, so it would be too rude of me not to accept your request!"

    With that, she finally created some distance between her and Hong Siyu, turned around in place, and pushed the half-open door to the side, "Come on, lead the way. I don''t know where the cafeteria is."

    However, when she took two steps toward the door, she realized that no one had followed her.

    "Something wrong?"

    The woman turned back, confused, "Is there something you haven''t finished yet?"

    "No... I just wanted to ask, who are you?"

    Hong Siyu struggled to maintain a smile on her face, "Please don''t make such jokes. If you have an appointment with the director, you can wait over there..."

    "Ah? Sister, you already called me ''senior'', and now you''re asking who I am?"

    The woman seemed just as perplexed, "Though you''ve never called me that before... What''s going on?"

    "Before? Never called you that?"

    The woman''s words seemed to flip a switch, and Hong Siyu''s thoughts connected like a current in an instant. She finally remembered why the woman''s face was familiar and to whom the strange way of speaking belonged.

    ¡ª¡ª"You... ah? Yuan Xiang?"

    But rather than being pleasantly surprised, the emotion closer to how she felt upon recognizing the other person was alarm.

 Chapter 59 Reunion, Like a Dream

    ¡ª¡ª"So, just because of this little thing?"

    Ten minutes later, in the director''s office, Lin Yun stood to one side, watching the two confronting each other on the couch and couldn''t help but sigh, "I merely went to another department for a while. How did the two of you start arguing?"

    "This is clearly the senior''s fault!"

    Upon hearing this, Hong Siyu leaned forward and pointed at Asou Haruka, who was sitting calmly across from her, "Why didn''t you say earlier that Haruka was back? And you didn''t even mention it to me?" Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire

    "...That''s not my problem. This guy didn''t notify me either."

    Lin Yun crossed his arms and deliberately avoided Hong Siyu''s gaze, "Well, even though I knew there was a singer with the same name coming to Fangting City for a concert, I couldn''t confirm it was actually her until I saw her in person. If I told you and it turned out to be someone else entirely, wouldn''t that be even more embarrassing?"

    "So you''re saying the result was to leave me out?"

    Hong Siyu pointed at herself, "Does that mean, the entire squad from both Fangting City and Bai''an City went to the concert, everyone sneaked out to have fun together, and only I have to use one of my rest days for duty? What about me? Where''s my share?"

    "It''s just that I thought you still needed more treatment..." Lin Yun trailed off.

    "The chief already said I''m healed, completely healed! Look at me now, where is there a trace of a Remnant Beast?"

    Hong Siyu stood in front of Lin Yun and spread her arms, "Senior, take a good look again. Aren''t I just a perfectly normal, beautiful girl? Can''t I be seen by people?"

    "...Sorry."

    Lin Yun looked down helplessly, "It was thoughtless of me."

    "In the end, why would you so easily decide to go listen to another woman''s concert? What if the singer wasn''t Haruka herself?"

    Hong Siyu tiptoed slightly to meet Lin Yun''s eyes, "In that case, wouldn''t you have given the advantage to another woman completely!"

    "Saying going to someone else''s concert is giving them an advantage is a bit too much..." Lin Yun couldn''t help but twist his mouth, "Asou''s ticket wasn''t very expensive, and just watching a show didn''t really cost much."

    "What, senior, you really don''t get it. It''s not about the money!" Hong Siyu became even more upset.

    ¡ª¡ª"I also have an objection. You could just look up my photo online." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    At this moment, Asou Haruka raised her hand, "I''m so famous, couldn''t you have checked to see if it was really me?"

    "It''s your first time coming to Fangting City for a concert. How could there be so much detailed information about you on the local internet?"

    Lin Yun shook his head, "It''s already difficult to find a few clear, unedited frontal photos online, and your current image also differs a lot from what I remember from when you were a child. How could I confirm it''s really you without going to the concert?"

    "What are you talking about, girlfriend, my photos are all originals, no editing needed!"

    Asou Haruka''s eyes widened suddenly, "Are you implying that if you could confirm it was me, you wouldn''t go to my concert? Really? That''s so heartless! It''s my concert, after all."

    "I''ve got lots of serious work to do here; how could I possibly spend half a day just listening to a few songs."

    Lin Yun slightly lowered his eyelids, "As you know, I''m not very savvy with pop music or anything like that. Whether it''s good or bad, I can''t really tell anyway."

    "What a midlife crisis statement, as soon as ''pop elements'' come up, you keep your distance, and all you talk about is ''serious work''. How did you become such a boring guy after getting married?"

    Asou Haruka stuck out her tongue and made a disgusted face, "Wrong, even the average middle-aged man has hobbies like fishing, playing cards, or collecting. Do you even have any decent hobbies?"

    Lin Yun was stunned.

    He briefly reflected on his daily life, not just currently, but also when An Ya was still alive. In either case, he realized that his focus seemed to revolve entirely around "work." Now, having become a Magical Girl again, aside from the added option of taking care of a child, there was also the additional Magical Girl-related work.

    Going further back to his student days, because he wanted to advance his studies and Magical Girl duties took up so much time, he seemed to be the only one in the team who, apart from fighting Remnant Beasts, spent every day studying.

    What exactly is a "hobby"?

    "Driving... does that count?"

    After racking his brain, that was all he could come up with from his life that took up a fair amount of time, and it seemed that only when he was driving was he truly at ease, not needing to think about work-related matters.

    "Ugh, using the language of young girls, that greasy middle-aged essence is just oozing out."

    "Senior..." Hong Siyu also looked at Lin Yun with a somewhat sympathetic gaze.

    Faced with the two of them and their subtle expressions, even Lin Yun felt somewhat uncomfortable, "Hold on a second, although I really don''t have hobbies in life, I feel that what we were discussing earlier was something else. Is this really the topic we need to discuss now?"

    "Sister, do you actually like this kind of person?"

    However, his words completely failed to reach the other two, as Asou Haruka turned to Hong Siyu and said, "Don''t let the filters of the past cloud your vision."

 Chapter 59 Reunion, Like a Dream_2

    ```

    "Hmm... even so..."

    Hong Siyu also cooperatively made a troubled expression, "I''ll convince myself it''s okay, men who focus on their work are also very charming..."

    "Alright, you two should give it a rest."

    Lin Yun, with drooping eyelids, clapped his hands, "Hong Siyu, stop egging on Asou, we''ve finally come together again, shouldn''t we be exchanging information first?"

    "Ah, here it comes, the standard official talk," Asou Haruka snickered, "It''s fine if you want to change the subject, but by doing so, you might miss out on some interesting things. For example, do you know what Hong Siyu told me when you weren''t here? She was like..."

    Before Lin Yun could even start to wonder, Hong Siyu lunged over from the side, stepped forward, and covered her mouth from behind: "Nothing at all! I just thought it was a senior coming to the office so I called out the wrong name. I was just surprised to see it was actually Yuan Xiang!"

    "Mmmph?" Asou Haruka tried to shake her head to break free, but Hong Siyu at this moment was completely undignified, latching onto her back like an octopus with no chance of being shaken off.

    "Ha... so it was just the embarrassment of calling out the wrong name?"

    Seeing the strange behavior of the two, Lin Yun guessed there was probably more to the story. He remembered the tense cold war scene he witnessed when coming up from the Special Operations Department downstairs. The two were sitting on opposite sofas, staring at each other, yet neither one of them spoke, "Was it really worth being as stiff as what I saw when I entered, just because of that?"

    "Heh, I just made some suggestions for improvement, it seems that Hong Siyu just had some difficulty accepting them," Asou Haruka said with a chuckle, finally prying Hong Siyu''s hand from her face, "But alright, since you really don''t want me to say it, I won''t."

    "Tactics that haven''t been truly brought out yet definitely can''t be revealed here..."

    Hong Siyu murmured behind her head, "Anyway, stop talking about this, hurry up and move the topic along."

    "Okay, okay, as you wish, sister."

    Asou Haruka shrugged, "Then let''s talk about it, the ''serious business'' our great Director Lin keeps mentioning."

    Lin Yun raised an eyebrow at her words but was already accustomed to Asou Haruka''s insinuations, so he refrained from retorting.

    The previously somewhat noisy Director''s Office suddenly fell silent.

    "From which matter shall we start? Your side or mine?"

    Asou Haruka looked at Lin Yun, then at Hong Siyu, "For example, do you have any questions about the Magic Kingdom? I''ve spent the last ten years there, I probably know more recent news than you. But let me clarify first, a lot of what I know is based on hearsay and not personally verified, so don''t blame me if there are inaccuracies."

    "What is Su Shengzi doing right now?" Lin Yun bluntly asked.

    Of the five members of the old Fangting City team, apart from An Ya and Su Shengzi, the remaining three were already gathered here. An Ya aside, the absence of the fifth person inevitably aroused some concern.

    Moreover, that fifth person was none other than Su Shengzi.

    At some point, a saying began to circulate among the Magical Girls: A successful Magical Girl team often consists of the following members: a mascot full of energy, a high and mighty combatant, a mature peacemaker, and a troublemaker with loose screws.

    This formula, applied to the old Fangting City team, might have some variations for the other members, but in Su Shengzi''s case, it was a perfect match.

    ¡ªShe was the troublemaker with loose screws.

    ```

    As long as Su Shengzi was there, the squad would argue every day over some inexplicably bizarre topics and would always strive for some strange goals, not knowing how much energy was wasted in vain.

    The most memorable occasion for Lin Yun was when Su Shengzi specially researched an instant spell technique to solidify Remnant Beast corpses for a summer spirit-exploring activity. She processed the severed Remnant Beast corpses into materials for adventures, ultimately scaring Hong Siyu into the hospital.

    Indeed, Su Shengzi was also the smartest one in the squad. Though her magic power and magical equipment quality were not outstanding either, her perception and research abilities in spell techniques were unparalleled. She could even create some original, minor spell techniques based on the existing system of spells. The technique to solidify Remnant Beast corpses was her own creation. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Such a research talent was naturally favored by magical girl seniors from all over the Magic Kingdom. In fact, the first person in the squad to converse with Molu was not Lin Yun, but Su Shengzi. Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire

    According to what Su Shengzi herself said, after Molu scrutinized a few of her questions, Molu personally extended an olive branch, inviting her to join the Research Institute and even promising to handle her card within ten years. However, Su Shengzi didn''t even think before rejecting such a tempting offer.

    "I only research what I am interested in, and I don''t want to be bossed around by the royals of the court,"

    That was Su Shengzi''s explanation.

    And in the end, she truly lived up to her words. After serving for ten years, she retired without hesitation. After retiring, she left Fangting City and her presence completely vanished from Lin Yun''s life.

    At this moment, aside from her and An Ya, all the other members had already returned, but without such a troublemaker, it indeed felt like something was missing.

    "That woman... hey, don''t you know?"

    Upon mentioning this, Asou Haruka suddenly sighed, "She went off to the Interrealm by herself."

    "...Huh?" Lin Yun took several seconds to process what the other person was saying. Nearby, Hong Siyu also widened her eyes in shock upon hearing those words.

    The Interrealm, a world independent of both the Magic Kingdom and the material world, has always been regarded as the epitome of "a barbaric land" because of its extremely unstable spatial connection with the other two worlds and its very unstable structure. There have even been rumors claiming that the Interrealm is the origin of the Remnant Beasts.

    Black Ash Dawn, Claw Mark, and a series of anti-kingdom organizations such as the rebels are deeply entrenched there, virtually turning the place into their main base, a veritable crime paradise. For magical girls, it was nothing less than a dragon''s lair and tiger''s den.

    And Su Shengzi, a magical girl who had retired and thus completely lost her power, had chosen to go to the Interrealm alone?

    "Moreover, the fact is, the last time I contacted her was nine years ago, which coincides with the time she retired and left Fangting City. I don''t know much more than you do. I only heard her say she was going to the Interrealm for a ''journey to find herself,''"

    Asou Haruka chuckled dryly, "And then, I never could reach her again."

    She didn''t finish her sentence, but to ordinary people, going to the Interrealm alone and then disappearing without a trace would generally be assumed to mean death.

    But that person was Su Shengzi.

    Just as Lin Yun always found it hard to believe and feel that An Ya was dead, Su Shengzi was also someone who seemed to have nothing to do with the phrase "seeking one''s own death."

    Her actions, no matter how bizarre or abnormal, seemed to have her own plan.

    So, combining her love for researching and developing spell techniques, her easy renunciation of magical girl powers, her various rebellious remarks expressing disdain for the court royals, and her seemingly extraordinary curiosity about the Remnant Beasts, a very strange idea came to Lin Yun''s mind.

    "...Listening to you say that, could that guy have possibly gone to join Claw Mark?"

 Chapter 60 Planning

    This seems to be the most reasonable answer for now.

    However, when Lin Yun uttered those words, he himself felt it was too exaggerated, so he frowned as if negating his own idea.

    ¡ª"That''s what I thought at first."

    It was then that Asou Haruka took over the conversation and added, "After all, Claw Mark, compared to Black Ash Dawn and the rebels, is too young an organization, yet in recent years it has introduced many new technologies, making it hard not to suspect that they have researchers and academic talents among them."

    "As for Su Shengzi, that woman has always had a rather indifferent sense of morality and ethics, so it''s not surprising that she took a path that strayed from being a magical girl," she continued. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

    "Thus, having lost contact with that woman for many years, I developed this notion, kept an eye on the movements of Claw Mark, and later studied the list of those who defected at that time to confirm the identity of each one. By comparison, I tried to deduce whether Su Shengzi was among them."

    She spoke, "However, the result was quite unexpected to me, as she didn''t seem to be among them."

    "...Seem?" Lin Yun picked up on the descriptive word used by Asou Haruka.

    "Yes, seem. If someone truly did join Claw Mark and after that never took part in any activity in the material world, never did anything wrong, and kept hiding in the interworld, then indeed our investigative department wouldn''t be able to find out," she said with a shrug.

    "But is it such a rare thing to not leave the interworld?"

    Hong Siyu finally found an opportunity to interject, puzzled, "After all, the kingdom is also chasing these people from Claw Mark, right? Hiding in the interworld like this, surely no one would go in there after them. Thinking about it, hiding doesn''t seem like a bad idea."

    "The premise is that they truly fear being pursued, ladies," Asou Haruka sighed.

    "You all have not been in the kingdom for so many years, so you may not know much about Claw Mark. Do you know how many magical girls who defected with the White Wolf back then have been active as Claw Mark in the past decade?"

    "How many?" Hong Siyu obviously did not intend to expend brainpower on this issue, so she asked without a second thought.

    "All of them," Asou Haruka didn''t beat around the bush.

    "Even those who defected back then, and there have been a steady stream of magical girls joining Claw Mark since. As far as I know, these people have also made appearances as members of Claw Mark," she continued.

    "Despite the fact that covert operations would be more beneficial to the goals of Claw Mark, they chose to make a big show of their presence?" Lin Yun asked in return.

    "Like you said, no one knows what they are thinking. If I could understand what''s going on in their heads, I would have been officially promoted to an inspector by now," Asou Haruka chuckled.

    "But no matter what, for those from Claw Mark, it seems that making their presence known is the norm," she remarked.

    This statement made Lin Yun fall into contemplation.

    Because he thought of the two members of Claw Mark who had visited Fangting City.

    Be it Sparrow or Yuan, although their motives can be described as malicious, in terms of how they made their appearance, they could really be called "open and aboveboard." Each of them, one after another, seemed to prefer straightforward confrontations in broad daylight, direct enough to cause confusion.

    Was this style a certain personal preference? Or was it a rule within Claw Mark? Or even more so, could it possibly be some form of cover?

    It wasn''t that he was unnecessarily worrying but, considering the original identity of the leader of Claw Mark¡ªthe White Wolf, he found it hard to believe all these were just shots in the dark.

    As he had mentioned to Asou Haruka before, when it comes to the Gemstone Scepter, he couldn''t help but think more deeply.

    Of course, with insufficient information, such thoughts could not yield a definite answer, and since he did not want to speculate maliciously about his old friend, he put aside the question of whether "Su Shengzi''s disappearance into the interworld was a defection to Claw Mark."

    "When my injuries are healed, let''s go to the interworld together to find her," he suggested.

    He spoke, setting the tone for the issue: "For now, let''s not think the worst of the situation. Let''s assume she is unharmed and just staying there. And since she has been gone for so many years, hurrying now is of no use, we still need to be fully prepared before we set off."

    After all, traveling to the interworld is hardly safe, even for a Flower Card magical girl, and in his current state, going there would be like handing himself over on a silver platter.

    "Are you sure your injuries can be healed?"

    Asou Haruka raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "Has the Chief confirmed it?"

    "They managed to save Hong Siyu when she was in that state before, so I can only choose to trust them," Lin Yun indicated toward Hong Siyu. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "The specifics of the treatment plan have also been finalized, it''s just that it can''t be carried out yet."

    "Why not?" Asou Haruka asked, puzzled.

    But when she asked, no one immediately responded.

    Not only did Lin Yun cross his arms and hesitate to speak, but Hong Siyu also seemed to find it difficult to discuss the matter and even looked somewhat troubled.

    "So why?" Asou Haruka asked again.

    Seeing that both people were still not responding, she leaned forward, facing Lin Yun through her sunglasses, nearly face-to-face, and pressed, "Don''t arouse someone''s curiosity and then play coy here! What''s the reason?"

 Chapter 60 Plan_2

    Lin Yun and she locked eyes for a long while, and after a stalemate, she slowly averted her gaze, "Because I need to go to the kingdom."

    The office fell silent for a moment.

    "...What do you mean, where did you say you''re going?" After a long silence, Asou Haruka took a couple of steps back, as if she hadn''t heard clearly before, and asked again.

    "To the Magic Kingdom." Lin Yun said expressionlessly. Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire

    "...Huh?"

    In the entire director''s office, for a time, only Asou Haruka''s astonished and doubtful voice echoed.

    No wonder she was so surprised. In fact, had Hong Siyu not already heard about it from Molu, she would have been just as astonished.

    Because everyone in the Fangting City team knew that the Magical Girl, Emerald Sparrow, formerly code-named Cornflower, had been personally banned by the Queen from entering the Magic Kingdom.

    Although the Queen had never specified what the consequences of defying this ban were, there was no doubt that provoking the Queen in the Magic Kingdom was the least wise course of action.

    "Are you planning to smuggle yourself in?" Asou Haruka suddenly burst into a hearty laugh, "You say this in front of me, a Magical Girl investigator? Aren''t you afraid I''ll arrest you right now?"

    "It''s not smuggling for the time being."

    Lin Yun calmly stated, "According to Molu''s plan, she will forge an identity for me and help me sneak in during next year''s qualification certification exams. At that point, the number of Magical Girls coming and going from the kingdom is large, so it''s easier to blend in."

    "What''s the difference from smuggling except that it''s in plain sight? Have you thought about what will happen if you get caught? Will it be any better than smuggling?" Asou Haruka continued to ask with a smile.

    Her demeanor made Lin Yun sigh inwardly.

    Because he knew that the more radiant Asou Haruka''s smile, it didn''t necessarily mean she was in a better mood. In fact, she expressed her anger or dissatisfaction with a smile as well.

    And this plan, which seemed very risky, was clearly the source of her discontent.

    "Molu has promised to cover for me, and I will also seek the support of our honorable director. If something really goes wrong, there''s absolutely no problem with escaping."

    However, as the conversation progressed, Lin Yun could only continue to explain, "I''ve also checked the false identity provided by Molu. Although there''s a part of her personal malice, it''s indeed impeccable in terms of legitimacy. I can play the part of an ordinary candidate, behave normally like one, and then leave."

    "You mean to say? You''ll blend in with those candidates entering the kingdom, and then, as the celebrated Emerald Sparrow, you plan to take the exams with a group of young girls?" Asou Haruka narrowed her eyes.

    "Cough cough..."

    Lin Yun couldn''t help coughing a few times, "Going in as a candidate means I inevitably have to take the exams, but I just need to score poorly and fail normally. It won''t affect the other candidates. There are so many Magical Girls who fail the qualification certification each year; it''s quite normal."

    "Then? Once you get to the kingdom, your injuries will heal?" Asou Haruka looked skeptical, "What kind of miracle cure can do that?"

    "I don''t know, but I can only choose to trust."

    Gathering his emotions, Lin Yun looked at her earnestly, "I need power now, whether for the children or for An Ya, even to go find Su Shengzi, I need the appropriate power. Molu is the only one in the entire kingdom who can make me this promise. To hesitate any longer will change nothing."

    "...I understand."

    It was unclear what her stance was, but Asou Haruka sat back on the sofa with an unchanged expression, "Have you thought about it? Next year is Queen Year."

    "I know."

    "You know? Sis, you''re still planning to carry out such a crazy plan knowing that?"

    Asou Haruka shrugged, "If it were a regular year, you say you''d sneak in, relying on the director and the chief to completely suppress your case, no problem. But have you thought about what Queen Year means? Her Majesty the Queen will personally come to observe the exams! If she recognizes you then, it''s not just you, but even they will be punished!"

    "I will disguise my appearance."

    Lin Yun continued to calmly state, "If she only sees me from a distance, without coming close to verify, she won''t recognize me, and the Queen of the kingdom won''t bother to single out an obscure candidate even if she is present."

    "...This is too dangerous, I really can''t agree, sister." Asou Haruka shook her head, "I think because you were once appointed as Sapphire, you lack a proper understanding of our kingdom''s royal court, and believe Her Majesty the Queen to be so benevolent, but in reality..."

    "I am well aware, Asou."

    Lin Yun interrupted her: "I can even say that I understand The Queen better than you do. I''ve met her, seen her with my own eyes, and the conversation between us, I will never forget to this day."

    "Do you think just because you met her once, she will let you off after seeing through you?" Asou Haruka slightly smirked, looking at her with an indescribable gaze.

    "No, she will take revenge fiercely because I once refused her invitation."

    Lin Yun was emphatic: "As harsh a punishment as she can give within the rules, she will give, and even exceeding the rules is not out of the question. Absolute power leads to absolute caprice, stripping away the Heart''s Gem and the source of magic power... No, even execution would be quite normal."

    "Then you still want to go?"

    "According to Molu, I must go because the thing that can heal me absolutely cannot be brought into the physical world."

    Lin Yun continued: "And this is all because I was the one who broke the promise first, not entering the Magic Kingdom, and even not using the Magical Girl''s power was part of my agreement with The Queen, so if I truly get discovered, it''s my own fault."

    He adopted this attitude, and for a moment, even Asou Haruka didn''t know what to say to dissuade him.

    At this time, it was Hong Siyu who spoke: "But, senior, you don''t really need to go to that extent, right? The Chief said your injury can be stabilized temporarily, and as for repairing the Heart''s Gem, waiting another year shouldn''t be an issue, or even Lulu and the others can simply wait till next year to take the test together. During this year, I should be able to help Fangting City with the more troublesome enemies, and even Yuan Xiang could..."

    "Because of this."

    Lin Yun''s voice suddenly changed.

    Obviously, the clear and steady male voice had suddenly started to shift toward a sharp female tone; it even vaguely sounded like two people talking simultaneously.

    Then, right in front of the two of them, the Heart''s Gem in Lin Yun''s pocket suddenly lit up, and immediately after, the adult male standing there transformed into a little girl.

    He had transformed into the appearance of Emerald Sparrow.

    "...Transforming here? What''s wrong? Is the problem in your true form?" Asou Haruka leaned back slightly.

    "No, it''s not that I wanted to transform to show you, but I had already been unable to suppress the magic power spilling out from the Heart''s Gem."

    After turning into the appearance of Emerald Sparrow, Lin Yun''s tone became even more indifferent: "This is the side effect of me completely destroying a part of my magical apparatus, I occasionally can''t maintain my human form."

    "I''ve actually heard about this."

    Asou Haruka nodded: "Although the Dean mentioned it in jest, seeing it with my own eyes is the first time. Is this side effect so severe that you must seek a cure immediately?"

    "No."

    Emerald Sparrow shook her head: "If it were just this, even though it''s becoming more uncontrollable, I wouldn''t risk provoking The Queen."

    "So?"

    "The problem is that a few days ago, when I tried to use the magical apparatus, something happened."

    As Emerald Sparrow said this, she pulled out a few strands of Magic Silk, the radiant blue Magic Silk stretched taut between her fingers, presenting itself before the other two: "Do you see any problem?"

    Hong Siyu and Asou Haruka had to lean forward to take a look and after a brief observation, they each had a different answer:

    "The color is paler?"

    "The thickness of the threads is coarser?"

    But hearing these responses, Emerald Sparrow just shook her head.

    She held the Magic Silk in her hand, stretching her arm forward, until she almost brought the thread to the eyes of the other two. She then freed up a finger to point at a bright spot on one of the threads: S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    ¡ª "It has knotted."

 Chapter 61 Conflict and Sincerity

    Emerald Sparrow''s "arguments" clearly went beyond the comprehension of both of them.

    "Tangled... So, what does this represent?"

    Asou Haruka hesitated but then spoke up, "Isn''t magic attire made up of magic power? Whether or not it''s tangled is just up to you, right? Just disperse it and then make it reappear."

    "I have to emphasize that I didn''t meddle with the magic attire myself."

    Emerald Sparrow''s outstretched hands remained still, "You can sense the flow of magic power on the magic attire, there''s no external force acting on it, in other words, ''the tangled appearance'' has become its original state. The moment I summon my magic attire, it''s tangled."

    "Then... does that affect your combat in any way?"

    Asou Haruka raised an eyebrow, "Like, does it hinder the use of your magic attire or something?"

    "Not at all."

    Emerald Sparrow shook her head, "Apart from a tiny knot on the line, I feel nothing else, I even have to intentionally concentrate to find this small knot."

    "So, it doesn''t have any effect at all?" Asou Haruka frowned, "Such a thing doesn''t constitute a motive to take a risky action, right?" Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

    "But it''s tangled, which means it''s somewhat out of my control."

    Emerald Sparrow stressed, "A Magical Girl not having complete control of her magic attire is an anomaly in itself."

    "Isn''t that common? With newbies, if the development of their magic attire isn''t sufficient, there will be mistakes," Asou Haruka chuckled, "Maybe it''s just that you''ve been fighting less recently, so your control accuracy has slipped."

    "I am not a newbie, and mere control accuracy slipping wouldn''t lead to this extent."

    "Then just treat it as a minor issue, don''t dwell on it. As long as it doesn''t affect combat, there''s no problem."

    "I can''t just overlook it." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "... So what do you want to do, sister? Earlier you said it was for healing, but now are you suggesting smuggling yourself into the realm for the sake of a knot on a string, even if there''s a chance of delivering oneself straight to the enemy?"

    Asou Haruka laughed out loud in exasperation, "How do you expect me to answer you? Should I get down on my knees and show you how to untie it? And then beg you not to do something foolish?"

    "Calm down, Asou," Emerald Sparrow''s face was expressionless, "It''s not hard to understand that it actually symbolizes a more serious issue."

    "I am calm, if you have any ideas then just spit it out, no need for riddles," Asou Haruka''s voice grew steadily stronger.

    The atmosphere in the Director''s Office suddenly became more intense.

    Emerald Sparrow silently lifted her head, looking at Asou Haruka, and Asou Haruka also stared back at her, speechless. Although separated by a layer of sunglasses, their gazes seemed to spark against each other.

    For a moment, neither of them said another word.

    This might have been a kind of tacit understanding, as they both knew that saying anything more at that moment would only turn into even more vicious words. Once those words were spoken, small disagreements would escalate repeatedly, eventually becoming a situation that neither wanted to witness.

    And just as they were in silence, Hong Siyu, who had been observing for a while, reached out and tugged at the magic silk line held out by Emerald Sparrow, then took it into her hands, turning it into a different shape.

    "Look, doesn''t it look like an Eiffel Tower?" she showed the shape she had pulled into existence to the other two.

    Emerald Sparrow and Asou Haruka both turned to look at her.

    Their synchronized action made Hong Siyu''s shoulders twitch, and cold sweat even began to form on her forehead, but she stood her ground against the silent pressure and continued to explain, "I mean, I saw the senior continuously pulling on the line, and it suddenly reminded me of a game I used to play, I just did it subconsciously..."

    While explaining, she kept her hands moving, transforming the Eiffel Tower shape into a more complex polygon, "See, it''s fun, isn''t it?"

    But still, no one spoke.

    So Hong Siyu could only continue flipping the string in her hands, this time pulling it into the shape of a parachute, saying in an extremely stiff tone, "Eiffel Tower turns into parachute..."

    In the end, it was Asou Haruka who took action first.

    With no expression, she walked forward two steps, approached Hong Siyu under her tense gaze, and when Hong Siyu was almost about to close her eyes in fear, took the string from her hands.

    ¡ª She turned the magic power lines into a suspension bridge shape.

    Then, she presented the suspension bridge to Emerald Sparrow.

    "...Thanks, but I don''t play," said Emerald Sparrow.

    The tense atmosphere eased slightly after this brief interlude. Emerald Sparrow sighed, took the string, and allowed the magic silk to return to her hands, letting it dissolve into points of magic power, "Anyway, even if you two don''t agree, I still believe this plan is necessary, for this tiny knot is not simply a knot; it also signifies ''new side effects''."

    "In other words, given that I am unable to further develop or improve the magic attire, any change in its form must stem from some subtle influence of its true nature."

    Looking at the figures the two of them had previously created with their string art, Emerald Sparrow ignored Hong Siyu''s somewhat reproachful look, gathered up the string in her hands, and let it dissipate into twinkles of magic, "Which means, if I ignore my current injuries, new side effects will emerge. This time it''s just the magic attire knotting itself, what will it be next time? This unknown risk is too high, I must resolve it."

    There was one more thing Emerald Sparrow did not mention, because even she couldn''t be fully certain that it was correct.

    That is, her magic attire, "Weave of Fate," with the "thread" being one of its three components, symbolizes destiny to some extent. And a thread symbolizing destiny becoming tangled is, in many senses, not a good sign.

 Chapter 61 Conflict and Sincerity_2

    Although she was mentally an adult and didn''t put much stock in things like fortune-telling, Weave of Fate was her own magical equipment, and she couldn''t help but make some associations.

    The current crisis in Fangting City, the lurking threat of Black Ash Dawn and Claw Mark, the pressure to protect the children, the obstacles to avenging An Ya, as well as the warnings from her magical equipment¡ªall were stimulating Emerald Sparrow''s nerves, telling her "you must have power now."

    And to wrest back that power, between the two previous options¡ªWhite Wolf and Mother Green¡ªat least Mother Green was slightly more trustworthy than White Wolf. Both options looked bad, but she was forced to choose the lesser of two evils.

    "To tell the truth, I still can''t quite understand, because I''m really worried, sister."

    Asou Haruka finally spoke again, her face showing a wry smile, "What''s most important in my heart right now is your safety. An Ya has already had that incident, and I really don''t want anyone else to have any accidents. So when you said ''might be executed,'' I was truly angry, which is why I said what I did just now. Sorry."

    "...Thank you for your concern. I understand, and even if it had been the me from before, I definitely would have agreed with your thoughts."

    Emerald Sparrow lowered her eyelids, "You''re not wrong, Asou."

    "But now, after everything I''ve experienced before, I''ve come to the realization that merely blindly pursuing stability and peace is ultimately unsustainable."

    "Just like how I once naively believed that everything would be over after the Great Beast Calamity, that I could enjoy a peaceful life; just like how Hong Siyu worked diligently in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, not making enemies with anyone... We all believed that we could return to tranquility, but the fact is, peace without power is not true peace."

    "There''s no choice in this world that is absolutely safe. If I wait until next year to go to the Magic Kingdom, will it really be safer than going now? What could happen during this year? And can we truly guarantee that next year is without any risk? We can''t. We just follow experience, follow logic, believing that it will help avoid risks."

    "But fate doesn''t speak in logic and reason. It might show you occasional kindness, but more often, it mocks and ridicules. Only by having power, by seizing the initiative, can I now feel at ease." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "That''s also why I''m here, why I became the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, because I''m not at ease. I won''t leave our safety in others'' hands again. Whether you call it a desire for power or paranoia, I want to control these things as much as possible."

    "So, this time too, I don''t want to wait another year. I want to take the initiative."

    She lifted her head, looking at Asou Haruka, "These are my thoughts, my sincerity."

    After she finished speaking, she fell silent and merely waited quietly for the other''s response, or rather reaction.

    She didn''t expect Asou Haruka to immediately understand her thoughts, nor did she hope to continue debating. She had laid out her thoughts completely; now all she needed was a glance, a gesture from the other party, and that would be enough.

    The look and gesture would directly reflect the other''s thoughts, their stance on her own thoughts would directly influence Emerald Sparrow''s next actions.

    Being willing to act together would be good, but reluctance or even continued opposition was also within expectation.

    Because she knew that the past and present were ultimately different. The three members of the old Fangting squad had gathered here, but time could never be turned back.

    Especially for Asou Haruka, who had joined the Magic Kingdom and had been working in the investigation department for many years, serving there even longer than the time spent as teammates with her. From this perspective, there was really no reason for her to agree with this plan.

    As a Magical Girl from the investigation department, Asou Haruka even had reasons to stop this plan on the spot. However, she didn''t, but stood from the same perspective, willing to consider the safety of an old teammate, which was already more than generous.

    The topics discussed before, whether visiting An Ya, searching for Su Shengzi, or possibly confronting Claw Mark in the future, all fell within the scope of what a Magical Girl should do, not conflicting with the rules of the Kingdom.

    But entering the Kingdom with a fake identity was clearly beyond that scope, even if the Gemstone Scepter was behind the planning, it would still outwardly be breaking the rules.

    If possible, Emerald Sparrow wouldn''t have wanted to bring up this topic so soon after reuniting with her old teammates. But since the topic existed, it would inevitably come to this point, and she wasn''t planning to avoid it.

    However, Asou Haruka''s response took her by surprise.

    "Do you remember what I told you when I first arrived a few days ago?"

    It wasn''t understanding or misunderstanding, nor was it a questioning of Emerald Sparrow''s motives, but a counter-question, "I clearly just told you, or did you take it as a joke and throw it out of your mind after hearing it?"

    "...''Let''s welcome this fan up on stage''?" Emerald Sparrow replied after a brief recollection.

    "Not that, it was after that." Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire

    Asou Haruka sighed helplessly, "Forget it, I''ll say it again then, otherwise you probably really can''t remember."

    Having said that, she suddenly knelt on one knee, then lifted Emerald Sparrow''s hand, "How about now? Do you remember?"

 Chapter 61 Conflict and Sincerity_3

    Emerald Sparrow indeed remembered.

    At that time, the words that Asou Haruka had said after that abrupt and extreme hand-kissing ceremony.

    ¡ª¡ª"At your service."

    At this very moment, Asou Haruka repeated once more, "That wasn''t about making fun of you, nor was it a whimsical role-playing, but my sincere heart."

    "If you need the power to take the initiative, need these things to protect your goals, then, is my power not enough?"

    "I can help you resolve your dangers; I can help you remove your obstacles; I can help you avenge your enemies; whatever you want, my power can be used for you."

    "You don''t need to worry about this power not being in your own hands, if you feel it''s necessary, I can stay at Fangting for the next year, waiting until you can heal your injuries in a safer way. As for the Dean, it''s nothing more than me throwing her a fake note, and working some extra shifts for the next couple of years."

    "I just don''t want you to always be taking such risks, disregarding your life as if reaching your goal is all that matters, even if it means death... No, sister, it''s not like that."

    "Your child will be sad, your team members will be sad, Hong Siyu will be sad, and I will also be sad."

    "Be a bit more careful with your life, cherish yourself a little more, that is my only request. Don''t do such foolish things like you did during the great beast disaster, or like the time you saved Hong Siyu before; there''s no need for that now."

    She looked up, her face showing a rare bitter smile, "Or is it that my power isn''t enough? Do you feel my power is not sufficient, or that I''m not up to it?"

    "Ah, Yuan Xiang! Why are you suddenly saying these things alone, when I obviously think the same!"

    At one side, Hong Siyu hastily spoke up, "Senior! I am here too, and now I am Fangting''s Magical Girl, I will always be here, forever! It''s okay to rely on me more! Ah, although I indeed neglected my duties for too long and was promoted too late, maybe my power isn''t very impressive..."

    "...That''s not it." Emerald Sparrow softly replied. "It''s not that I don''t want to rely on your power."

    "Then why is it? Do you not trust my power?" Asou Haruka continued to question, "Is my current power still not enough to make you feel safe? After all, even An Ya who was so strong died, are we still not enough, is that it?"

    "No, that''s not it."

    Emerald Sparrow shook her head, "It''s because of my personal reasons."

    "Your personal reasons?"

    "My heart doesn''t allow it, my sincerity doesn''t allow it, just like you, Asou, because of An Ya''s incident, don''t want to see companions fall into danger again."

    Emerald Sparrow looked at her seriously, "I also do not want, when watching companions fall into danger, to be powerless myself."

    "I will never let An Ya''s tragedy happen again, not even the slightest possibility, I will never condone it. Only in this way can I live up to my conscience, and alleviate the torment in my heart."

    Her voice was resolute, "Continuing to hide behind my companions and be protected by others, the emptiness and pain in my heart have already been suffocating me, so I... can''t continue like this."

    Looking at Emerald Sparrow''s expression, Asou Haruka''s tense face gradually softened, eventually turning to resignation.

    Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

    For some reason, she subconsciously glanced in the direction of Hong Siyu, then realized that at this moment they shared an astonishingly similar demeanor.

    Perhaps, even their thoughts were the same? sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "...I''ve lost."

    She sighed so, yet it was unclear whether she was surrendering to the Emerald Sparrow in front of her, or to something else.

 Chapter 62 Rule Changes

    "All in all, based on what we discussed this morning, the previous agreement is hereby nullified," S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    At night, at the headquarters'' dining table, after dinner, the Magical Girls gathered, and Asou Haruka, after a brief introduction, announced to everyone, "Even if one side loses the contest, neither side will be bound by any constraint. Winning doesn''t necessarily mean you must take the exam, and losing doesn''t mean you can''t. Those who should take the exam will do so, and those who should go home will go home. Well, it''s quite embarrassing to change orders like this, but for now, it''s been changed."

    No one responded to her immediately.

    Not only the Fangting City team but even the members of the Bai''an City team, her own team, looked at her with bewildered faces, seemingly clueless about what Asou Haruka was really getting at.

    However, even if they didn''t understand, there would ultimately be one person to follow up on the matter, and finally, Xia Liang took the initiative to speak up, taking on this responsibility:

    "Then... may I ask, if there''s no longer a restriction that we can only take the exam if we win against your team, is there still a need for the contest?"

    "There is."

    Emerald Sparrow, who had been silent until now, replied, "Consider it a way to assess the difficulty of the exam, as well as to understand the abilities of your fellow Magical Girls. Up until now, you''ve encountered too few Magical Girls; this opportunity for actual combat should not be missed."

    "An opportunity for actual combat... I see."

    Xia Liang pondered thoughtfully, glancing in the direction of the Bai''an City team, then nodded at Emerald Sparrow, "I understand. I will prepare seriously."

    "Good." Emerald Sparrow nodded back at her, then looked around at the others, "That''s more or less the conclusion. Everyone else doesn''t need to be so restrained; feel free to ask any questions you might have."

    As soon as she finished speaking, Mu Baihe raised her hand.

    "Go ahead," Emerald Sparrow gestured for her to speak.

    "Can I designate my own opponent?" Mu Baihe blinked her eyes.

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    Emerald Sparrow neither agreed nor disagreed, calmly counter-questioning, "In theory, I have no grounds to force you to battle anyone in particular, but may I ask your reason?"

    "Because I have a conflict with that person." Mu Baihe tilted her head slightly and glanced in the direction of the Fangting City team.

    Following her gaze, Emerald Sparrow easily identified the "conflict object" referred to¡ªthe person in question was her own daughter, Lin Xiaolu.

    Her expression stalled briefly, but the peculiarity was quickly concealed. She looked toward Lin Xiaolu, hoping this was all just a one-sided misunderstanding, but as soon as her gaze shifted, she saw her daughter glaring back at Mu Baihe just as sharply.

    It seemed it was indeed not a misunderstanding.

    After confirming Mu Baihe was speaking truthfully, Emerald Sparrow subconsciously twitched her lips.

    Although she had felt this way before, was her daughter''s interpersonal skill really so poor? Not to mention making friends, but to make two enemies out of three strangers in just a few days was truly extraordinary.

    Unfortunately, these were thoughts she could only entertain in her mind; it was absolutely not the time to voice them. So, she looked to Asou Haruka, hoping to get some effective advice from her.

    "No,"

    The advice from Asou Haruka was succinct, dismissing Mu Baihe''s proposal with just two words.

    "Why?" Mu Baihe immediately puffed up her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

    "Because it would be too rude, you dummy," Asou Haruka sighed. "We''ll decide the specific opponents for the contest by drawing lots. Picking opponents is not up for discussion."

    With Mu Baihe''s request so easily vetoed, it was now Bai Ji''s turn to ask a question. This Magical Girl, who had previously been designated as the future leader of the Bai''an City team, was already halfway raising her hand, apparently having her own opinion about the arrangement.

    "May I ask why the earlier agreement was canceled? According to the mentor''s previous proposal, if next year''s exam is indeed very dangerous, it should be necessary to verify strength in advance."

    After being signaled by Emerald Sparrow to speak, Bai Ji brought up her confusion: "Of course, I will follow the mentor''s arrangements, my question is merely due to personal curiosity."

    After reflecting for two days, Bai Ji had regained her composure compared to the night she first arrived in Fangting City, once again showing her steady side.

    If it weren''t for the fact that she and Lin Xiaolu were still not talking to each other, not even deigning to glance at one another, Emerald Sparrow might have thought their conflict had been resolved.

    "It''s because I discussed it with your teacher and ultimately concluded that respecting the personal wishes of team members in regard to the exam is important,"

    Emerald Sparrow was prepared for Bai Ji''s question and had a ready response, flowing smoothly: "As long as you are prepared to face potential dangers, we have no reason to stop you. And as for the dangers of the exam... next year, I will accompany those of you who will take the exam, so there''s no need for much worry on that front."

    Emerald Sparrow didn''t finish what she was saying; explaining why she would accompany them to the kingdom or how she would ensure their safety was something she found difficult to elaborate on.

    It would be hard for her to simply tell these children that she would go to the kingdom just to have the false identity of an examinee and that she would have to take the exam with them under this guise...

    It wasn''t that she worried about them leaking information; she simply felt that they couldn''t help with her personal healing, and talking about it now would only add to their worries.

    Nonetheless, even if she didn''t explain this aspect, just mentioning "I will go" was enough to dispel the concerns of her juniors. Not to mention the Magical Girls from Bai''an City, who weren''t familiar with her, even the three from the Fangting City team raised no objections.

 Chapter 62 Rule Changes_2

    Thus, this question was glossed over.

    The last person to raise her hand was Lin Xiaolu.

    To say she raised her hand might be a bit of a stretch because her small arm was spread out on the table, with only the palm sticking up; clearly, she herself was dubious about making the gesture.

    When Emerald Sparrow''s gaze turned to her, Lin Xiaolu''s half-raised hand even collapsed back down, and she averted her gaze, pretending that nothing had happened.

    "Do you have any questions?" However, Emerald Sparrow did not miss her small movement and keenly detected Lin Xiaolu''s intention to speak at the very first moment.

    Being called out by name, Lin Xiaolu was startled, opened her mouth, and after a long moment, squeezed out a voice fine as a mosquito''s whine, "...Is it because¡­"

    "Sorry, I didn''t catch that." Emerald Sparrow frowned, having only understood a few words.

    "...It''s nothing."

    Lin Xiaolu''s voice hesitated, and she ultimately shook her head, "It''s just some unimportant stuff, I have no other questions."

    As she said this, she bowed her head down to watch the table, apparently lost in thought.

    Emerald Sparrow was left sitting across from her, wanting to speak but not knowing where to begin. Seeing that no one else was raising their hands, and assuming that all questions had been asked, she didn''t want to drag out the meeting and reluctantly sighed:

    "Let''s adjourn then."

    ...

    ...

    The night deepened, and the moon hung high.

    The time was already 10 pm; the magical girls at the base had gradually ended their activities for the day, washed up, headed to their rooms, and succumbed to slumber.

    For most magical girls, going to bed on time was a good habit because Remnant Beasts often roamed at night, sometimes even after midnight. If one stayed up too late and then slept, they had often not completed a full sleep cycle when the Remnant Beasts appeared and would be forced to go into battle in a groggy state, which was not conducive to fighting.

    Among these magical girls lying in their beds, although many were preoccupied and gloomy until the moment of sleep, they inevitably succumbed to fatigue and eventually closed their eyes amid the covers.

    Only two rooms still had their lights on at this hour.

    One of them was Emerald Sparrow''s room; she had not gone to sleep, simply because her work was not yet finished.

    Managing the vast Abnormal Strategy Bureau, even though Lin Yun had delegated as much as possible, handing most trivial matters to relatively trustworthy staff, there was still a large amount of coordination, approval, and decision-making to be done.

    Many of these tasks could not be completed during the day, and Lin Yun dared not work overtime at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, so she had to bring the work back to the base, waiting until the dead of night to do it alone.

    The good news was, since Hong Siyu''s return, the workload had already decreased significantly because the documents passed to him had already gone through an initial screening.

    And now, Emerald Sparrow was reviewing the last document of the day.

    This document was submitted by the logistics department, concerning the usage and wear of magical weaponry. As the direct provider of the magical weaponry, she needed to verify this report before applying to the Investigation Institute for repairs and replenishments.

    Being able to grant magicians the power to face egg-tier Remnant Beasts on their own, magical weaponry was of great significance to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, so Emerald Sparrow had to thoroughly audit each data figure, making sure there were no oversights.

    Perhaps because she was so engrossed in reading the document, she utterly failed to notice that another person had appeared beside her desk.

    Without sensing hostility or fluctuations in magic power, Emerald Sparrow subconsciously ignored the existence of this person, until the presence in her peripheral vision grew stronger, and she belatedly shifted her attention away from the document and looked to the side.

    Standing there was someone unexpected¡ªXia Liang.

    Since the night of the Full Moon Festival and starting her role as the head of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, Lin Yun¡ªor rather, Emerald Sparrow¡ªhad been so preoccupied with troublesome matters that her time spent with the girls inevitably decreased.

    And Xia Liang, though it wasn''t intentional, had indeed spent the least one-on-one time with her lately.

    The reason was simple: she was low-maintenance.

    Compared to Lin Xiaolu, who always made various noisy gestures to draw attention, and Bai Jingxuan, whose silence was more worrying, Xia Liang had been quite low-maintenance lately. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

    Although there were occasional, harmless pranks, compared to the other two members, these pranks really weren''t much.

    Furthermore, whether in studies, mode unfolding, or Magical Girl training, Xia Liang had shown considerable talent and insight, and even the teaching did not require Emerald Sparrow to spend much time. Unwittingly, the time spent together between Emerald Sparrow and her had become much rarer.

    At this moment, Xia Liang''s sudden visit felt somewhat nostalgic to Emerald Sparrow.

    "Is there something you need?" Therefore, she put down the document and asked with a more serious attitude, "And next time, please say something when you come."

    "Here." Xia Liang said this as she suddenly pushed her hands forward, offering a cup of tea, "I just brewed it with boiling water. It''ll probably be a while before you can drink it."

    It was only then that Emerald Sparrow noticed that the other party had brewed a cup of tea upon arriving.

    "Thank you."

    Emerald Sparrow took the tea cup and lightly wiped the rim, confirming that the water in the cup was indeed very hot, "Are you having trouble with your studies?"

    "Not at all," Xia Liang replied. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 62 Rule Changes_3

    Regarding this, Xia Liang simply shook her head, "I just suddenly felt like coming to see."

    "See what?"

    "I don''t know, do I have to have a purpose?"

    "...Not necessarily." Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

    Xia Liang''s somewhat elusive attitude left Emerald Sparrow a bit puzzled, but as usual, she pulled out another chair from beside her desk: "Sit down."

    This chair was originally used for study sessions, but ever since the Bai''an City team arrived, there had been more occasions to entertain guests, so it had been nearly a week since the last meeting.

    Without a word, Xia Liang took the chair, sat down beside the table, and then just silently looked at Emerald Sparrow, making the atmosphere suddenly rather awkward.

    "Doesn''t the junior need to continue working?"

    After a while, she spoke, "Don''t mind me, you can just continue doing your own thing."

    "...How could I possibly focus on work with someone staring at me the whole time."

    Emerald Sparrow tapped her fingers on the teacup, her eyelids drooping: "It''s so late, don''t you need to sleep?"

    "I''m not sleepy yet."

    With both hands propping her cheeks, Xia Liang muttered softly, "On the other hand, junior, ''I am very tired'' seems to be written all over your face."

    "...Really?"

    Emerald Sparrow subconsciously touched her own face, but as a Magical Girl, she wouldn''t have real sweat, so what she felt was still smooth skin: "I don''t think it''s that bad yet."

    "The number of times you''ve sighed has also increased lately, you seem to be in a bad mood."

    "That is true."

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t deny the situation Xia Liang had pointed out: "Thanks for your concern, but rest assured, I''m actually not that down, many times it''s just a subconscious reaction."

    Suddenly, the room fell silent again.

    One was looking at the other, and the other slightly bowed her head; neither was doing anything, yet both remained silent.

    "Is everything okay with Xiaolu? I''ve seen her sneaking off to meet Miss Asou for several days," Xia Liang suddenly asked after a few minutes, "You should know about it, right, junior?"

    "There''s no problem, I''ve discussed it with Asou."

    Gazing at her teacup, looking at the blurred reflection on the ceramic surface, Emerald Sparrow softly said, "In this matter, I indeed need to learn to let go, not to hold on too tightly."

    "What about Bai Jingxuan? Suddenly having her compete with other Magical Girls, her magic equipment isn''t really suitable for one-on-one combat."

    "Bai Jingxuan... don''t worry about her strength, just focus on her performance," Emerald Sparrow stated calmly.

    "I always feel like you''re secretly giving Bai Jingxuan a leg up?"

    "...That''s not true."

    "Then, why are you so confident in her abilities?"

    "It''s just that I''ve exchanged some thoughts with her and discovered some special talents, you''ll all know about it soon enough," Emerald Sparrow vaguely responded.

    "Hmm? Oh." Knowing that Emerald Sparrow was just being evasive, Xia Liang replied noncommittally.

    The tapping on the teacup continued, but its rhythm was erratic. The bare trees outside swayed slightly in the cold wind, making a faint rustling noise.

    Xia Liang still propped up her cheeks, a faint smile on her face as she looked at Emerald Sparrow, then asked softly:

    "What about... me?"

    The tapping of fingers on the teacup paused.

    The wall clock kept ticking clearly, yet in the air that seemed to have frozen, it felt somewhat out of place.

    Finally, Emerald Sparrow moved her gaze away from the tabletop.

    Now, she had to face the girl in front of her. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 63 Spell Techniques

    "Sorry, I didn''t quite catch that."

    Emerald Sparrow''s hand moved away from the cup, resting naturally at her side as her gaze followed the movement, veering off to one side, "That statement is a bit too general."

    The words came out, but they didn''t seem to reach the other person because Xia Liang was still just looking at Emerald Sparrow and didn''t explain the meaning of what she had just said.

    This situation didn''t last long, but to Emerald Sparrow, it felt like an eternity, even the act of blinking seemed to take forever.

    Then, with a "pfft," Xia Liang covered her mouth and started to laugh.

    "Why so tense? The atmosphere is so weird."

    After laughing for a bit, she straightened up and waved her hand, "I didn''t mean anything else, just had some thoughts, about power enhancement."

    "You see, haven''t I just reached the Hua Ye level recently? Junior, you''ve already given me a brief overview of the basics before, and I feel like the timing is pretty mature now, should I also..."

    "You want to formally start learning Spell Techniques?"

    Blinking, Emerald Sparrow gradually caught on, "So that''s why you came to me at this hour?"

    "...Probably."

    The smile subsiding slightly, Xia Liang still nodded, "After all, the progress of increasing my Magic Power probably isn''t fast enough to promote me to the Lei level in a short time, and to improve my combat ability, Spell Techniques are the best way."

    "Improve combat ability, you say?"

    Emerald Sparrow pondered for a moment, "When you were promoted before, I should have told you that if you want to maintain the fastest promotion speed, it''s best to dabble in Spell Techniques, just learn a few necessary practical measures. Otherwise, studying Spell Techniques will take up a lot of your practice time, leading to slower promotion."

    "Yeah, I know." Xia Liang responded softly.

    "So, when you say ''I want to learn Spell Techniques,'' to what extent exactly?"

    Emerald Sparrow looked up, "Is it ''learn a few simple techniques'' to improve your practical response in real combat; or ''make Spell Techniques the main focus of your future study'' and let Spell Techniques become your main combat method?"

    "For now... it should be the former, right?"

    Xia Liang touched her chin, "But I''m not sure because I don''t know how talented I am in Spell Techniques. If it turns out I have a talent for it, it wouldn''t be bad to go a bit deeper, would it?"

    "A very sensible choice."

    Emerald Sparrow nodded, "Many Magical Girls view Spell Techniques as ''magic'' from fairy tales, thinking that becoming a Magical Girl and mastering a variety of ''magic'' is the right way, not realizing that this actually strays from the essence of a Magical Girl''s abilities."

    "Anyway, for a Magical Girl, the most important thing is always her essence, or Magic Power. Spell Techniques are just ''tools,'' just ''weapons.'' It''s like bare-handed fighting techniques for ordinary people; no matter how exquisite, facing a huge physical disparity, it''s like a mayfly shaking a tree, having no decisive impact."

    She continued, "Of course, because of this understanding, I haven''t gone deep into studying Spell Techniques. You can think that this is just a layman''s conclusion out of ignorance; there are no issues with it." Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

    "So, Junior, are you actually recommending that I don''t focus too much on studying Spell Techniques?" Xia Liang asked.

    "As you said yourself, it ultimately depends on your talent. If your talent for Spell Techniques is outstanding, perhaps even more so than the study of Magic Power, then it''s not wrong to go down that road."

    While saying this, Emerald Sparrow paused for a moment, then added, "Or, if you say your interest lies in Spell Techniques, I won''t stop you either..."

    "I''m not interested, at least not particularly interested right now."

    Xia Liang waved her hand again, "Anyway, I get it now, Junior, you''re telling me not to neglect my cultivation of Magic Power, right? Don''t worry, I won''t forget."

    Hearing her intention pinpointed by Xia Liang, Emerald Sparrow didn''t see it as a problem. She simply leaned back in her chair, seeming to ponder something.

    After contemplating for a while, as if she had made some decision, she spoke again, "Well then, let me ask you, I say I''ll teach you Spell Techniques right now¡ªare you willing?"

    Although Xia Liang had come seeking her, it was already quite late, almost eleven o''clock, and explaining the intricacies of Spell Techniques now could mean they would both stay up very late.

    She herself didn''t mind¡ªafter all, her paperwork was almost done, and staying up late was normal for her, but Xia Liang was still a child, and sleeping too late is not good for either health or academics.

    "That''s fine."

    However, it wasn''t clear if Xia Liang hadn''t considered it, or just didn''t care at all, as she nodded calmly, without any apparent thought, "After all, there isn''t much time left, right? For the competition with the people from Bai''an City."

    "...Sorry, for summarily setting this task for you."

    "No problem, Junior, and Miss Asou must have had your considerations; I knew that from the start."

    Xia Liang chuckled, "Rather, it''s because I''m enthusiastic about this matter; I came to you because I want to win, whether it''s the competition or the upcoming assessments." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "The upcoming assessments ..."

    Hearing this, Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow, "Can I take that to mean ''I have decided to participate in the assessments''? "

 Chapter 63 Spell Techniques_2

    She had not expected that the first to come forth and declare their stance on this matter would be Xia Liang.

    After all, whether it was Lin Xiaolu or Bai Jingxuan, they seemed to be the ones more likely to become impatient, and whether they "want to go" or "do not want to go," it should have been those two children who expressed their intentions first.

    As for Xia Liang, this child clearly considered various matters more thoroughly, and her progress in the study of magic power was also going smoothly; analyzing the current situation, she did not need to rush to obtain a small certification badge.

    "Of course, after all, only with the certification badge does one truly start to ''stand on one''s own feet'', right?"

    Xia Liang tilted her head, "I have already become a Magical Girl, and since that is the case, I definitely aim to ''do better''; there is no reason to stop at where I am now."

    "But next year''s assessment is going to be more dangerous compared to previous years..." Emerald Sparrow subconsciously started tapping her fingertips on the table.

    "No matter how dangerous, isn''t it held under the watch of the Magic Kingdom, with the protection of many examiners?" Xia Liang countered, "That means, no matter what, in the end, someone is responsible for backing us up, right?"

    "In theory, that''s correct, but there could always be accidents."

    "After all, they are just accidents. No matter what, it is still safer than facing a real crisis." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Xia Liang responded seriously, "Maybe you, junior predecessor, might think my consideration is too presumptuous, but I believe if we are afraid to face even a ''simulated disaster of Remnant Beasts'' under such heavy protection, won''t we be even more at a loss when faced with a real disaster?"

    "You might not know what a disaster of Remnant Beasts is really like," Emerald Sparrow said, tapping the table with furrowed brows, "Even if it''s just a simulation, it shouldn''t be underestimated." Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    "But in the end, it''s just a simulation, right?"

    Xia Liang''s mouth curved slightly, "If we encounter a real disaster of Remnant Beasts in the future, will a Magical Girl who has experienced the simulation be better prepared, or will a Magical Girl facing it for the first time perform better? Undoubtedly, it will be the former."

    This was nothing short of sophistry; to rehearse for a major crisis that was highly unlikely to occur by putting oneself in a crisis that could inherently be avoided sounded very strange indeed.

    Emerald Sparrow wanted to say just that, but she found herself at a loss for words to object¡ªbecause deep down, she, too, held a similar thought.

    If her initial reaction upon learning about the content of the assessment was more critical and rejecting, then having calmed down for a few days, she had gained a better understanding of this year''s assessment.

    No matter how much she worried about the children''s safety, no matter how much it concerned her, the rational part of her heart told her that Xia Liang''s thoughts were indeed correct.

    If she truly didn''t want the juniors to participate, she could have simply found an excuse to forbid them from going. She didn''t even need an excuse and didn''t have to, like she was now, offer something like "respect their freedom to choose."

    This sort of indecision was essentially because her rationality could not overcome her emotions, and yet her emotions couldn''t completely overshadow her reason. Honestly, even she felt that her series of decisions were topsy-turvy, completely devoid of normal logic.

    "Besides, you yourself will be going, right, junior predecessor?"

    And Xia Liang, as if she could see right through Emerald Sparrow''s thoughts, leaned in slightly, her gleaming eyes twinkling with an indefinable emotion, "If you''re going, junior predecessor, is there any reason for me not to? I, truly believe in you from the bottom of my heart."

    The emotion in the girl''s eyes forced Emerald Sparrow to look away once again.

    She was unable to respond to such feelings; perhaps the best course of action was to play dumb.

    "...Since you have already made up your mind, it''s getting late, so let''s talk about Spell Techniques," Emerald Sparrow said, changing the subject abruptly, her voice somewhat hoarse, "I don''t have a vast repertoire of Spell Techniques, so let''s start with teaching you the simplest and most practical ones."

    "You''re quite cunning, junior," Xia Liang said with a slight squint of dissatisfaction.

    "The first spell technique you should have come across many times before is the most basic of all spell techniques, and the one that significantly enhances the combat capabilities of a Magical Girl¡ªthe Magical Barrier."

    Ignoring Xia Liang''s small display of emotion, Emerald Sparrow continued, tilting her head with a serious tone, "Using the Magical Barrier, you can block your opponent''s Magic Power attacks, allowing you to reserve a better position for yourself. At the same time, the Magical Barrier has many advanced and variant forms. When one''s research on this spell technique reaches a level of mastery, not only can it block attacks from magical equipment and other spell techniques, but even the lairs of the Remnant Beasts can be somewhat kept at bay."

    "For most Magical Girls, mastering spell techniques is also an important lesson in addressing their own weaknesses¡ªsince not all magical equipment can provide comprehensive abilities, some people lack means of attack, while others lack defensive capabilities. The Magical Barrier is crucial for those Magical Girls whose magical equipment doesn''t offer protection."

    Raising her hand, Emerald Sparrow spread her palm in front of Xia Liang, and then, from her sleeve, streams of fine, rune-like Magic Power condensates wriggled out, arranging themselves orderly in her palm before suddenly bursting into light.

    Almost simultaneously with the burst of light, an invisible barrier suddenly emerged around Emerald Sparrow, taking on an arc-shaped appearance that separated her from Xia Liang.

    "This is the process of forming a Magical Barrier. You must have seen it before. However, in actual combat, its formation will be much quicker than what we just saw."

    Maintaining the Magical Barrier around her, Emerald Sparrow said indifferently, "I just slowed down the entire process of the spell technique forming. Can you see what the most critical part is?"

    "The most critical part..."

    Xia Liang blinked, "Is it that strangely shaped Flow of Magical Power?"

    "Strangely shaped Flow of Magical Power?"

    Upon hearing this, Emerald Sparrow''s mouth twitched, but she soon regained her composure, "You''re not entirely wrong, but as I should have mentioned before, this kind of Magic Power flow has its specific name; we usually call it ''runes.'' And the runes used by Magical Girls in spell techniques are generally called ''Favo Runes.''"

    "Favo Runes constitute the basic units of spell techniques. We imprint Magic Power into the shape of runes, and then arrange these runes in a sequence to guide the flow of Magic Power, thereby forming spell techniques."

    "In other words, Favo Runes can be understood as the text of the spell techniques. We assemble the runes to spell out the names representing certain spell techniques, and the Magic Power we use subsequently is infused into the spell until we activate the runes to trigger the spell; or scatter the runes to halt it."

    "I''m a bit lost," admitted Xia Liang bluntly.

    "Lost... then think of Favo Runes as a foreign language," Emerald Sparrow wasn''t surprised by the confusion, "Just like when you learn a foreign language, you need to first grasp the alphabet, then understand the words, and finally learn how to form sentences with them. Favo Runes are the language of the Magic Kingdom, where runes are the letters of this foreign language. You need to learn how to spell words with them, and advanced spell techniques are like sentences, which are combinations of a large number of words."

    While saying this, Emerald Sparrow actively dissolved the surrounding barrier, once again condensing runes in her hand, arranging them neatly: "Like this, the structure formed by these runes represents ''barrier.''

    "Eh..." Xia Liang uttered a meaningless exclamation while looking at the runes in Emerald Sparrow''s hand.

    "But merely arranging the runes doesn''t complete the spell technique; you could even say that such a spell is only half-completed."

    Suddenly, Emerald Sparrow continued, "If we don''t perform the next step, the runes are just neatly arranged and look very fancy, but they don''t have any practical significance."

    "Obviously, because Favo Runes are not the spell itself, they are just a command we use to execute the spell, a key, or to put it another way, the Magic Power spent up until the runes are constructed has not been utilized on the spell at all."

    "To transform the key into a spell, to turn the command into reality, what we ultimately need to do is very simple."

    With that said, the Favo Runes in Emerald Sparrow''s palm gradually glowed: "Infuse Magic Power, and let these runes come to life."

 Chapter 64 The Day of the Competition

    Since the squad from Bai''an City arrived in Fangting City, a week had swiftly passed.

    Thanks to the presence of Emerald Sparrow and Asou Haruka, the interactions between the two teams did not cause much of a stir, and the influence of the new team quickly faded into nothingness.

    At least that was the case on the surface.

    As for what was happening behind the scenes, how the girls were preparing for the upcoming test, harboring their own thoughts and taking certain actions, that remained unknown to anyone.

    For Emerald Sparrow, she only knew the movements of the Fangting City squad.

    Following Xia Liang, Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan also expressed their willingness to take part in the assessment and accept the challenge.

    However, unlike the case with Xia Liang, communicating with these two children was evidently more difficult. Lin Xiaolu was acting stubbornly, refusing to say much as if locked in a contest with someone. Regardless of whether Emerald Sparrow spoke gently or made strict demands, Lin Xiaolu would merely apologize with her head down, completely avoiding communication.

    Bai Jingxuan, on the other hand, did not see the danger in "participating in the assessment," and peculiarly, her view seemed to have no issue. Considering her previously demonstrated capabilities when facing the out-of-control Black Ash Dawn, Emerald Sparrow was more concerned about the safety of the other candidates.

    Thus, with the team members'' wishes unified, what remained was naturally how to prepare for the upcoming test.

    As previously arranged with Asou Haruka, Lin Xiaolu followed her in secret, aiming to master some new technique before the test.

    Xia Liang learned a few basic spell techniques from Emerald Sparrow and was currently studying the Favo Rune, providing feedback on her learning progress every other day.

    As for Bai Jingxuan, her obsession with becoming stronger seemed to have softened a bit after her recent birthday party, so Emerald Sparrow took advantage of the situation to slow down her magic power training and instead began tutoring her on cultural studies.

    This was not a sudden whim but a plan derived from many evaluations of the current situation.

    She hoped to find the time to send Bai Jingxuan back to school.

    On her birthday, Bai Jingxuan had told Lin Yun that she "hoped to care about more people."

    In that context, the words were merely an expression of her feelings, but objectively speaking, they also provided Emerald Sparrow with an alternative way to ease Bai Jingxuan''s identity crisis. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Without question, to ensure healthier growth for Bai Jingxuan, returning her to school life, allowing her to embrace the identity of a "student," a "child," would be preferable to letting her immerse herself in fights with Remnant Beasts.

    If she could make more friends at school and have more people in her life to care about, this would likely foster more human self-awareness in Bai Jingxuan and might benefit her control over the magic power in her body that leaned towards that of Remnant Beasts.

    Of course, all this depended on whether Bai Jingxuan could really enjoy school life upon returning.

    Considering the treatment Xia Liang had received at school due to family issues, if Bai Jingxuan faced similar problems, it was hard to imagine how bad things might get.

    Kids'' cruelty and exclusion often come without reason; if she was simply sent back to school unprepared, it would just be pushing her from "the fight against Remnant Beasts" to "the fight against social dynamics."

    Therefore, it was necessary to proceed with utmost caution. Not only was academic preparation before enrollment important, but also the student body and atmosphere of the school, the philosophy of the teachers and administrators, and whether a temporary enrollment would be too conspicuous and draw attention¡ªall these aspects needed careful consideration.

    Coincidentally, most primary and secondary schools were approaching the end of a term. It was now the second half of December, and it wouldn''t be long before the term ended and students entered a long vacation, so enrollment at this time was clearly not practical. Emerald Sparrow still had time to think things through before making plans.

    She kept these thoughts to herself, not even explaining them to Asou Haruka. And Bai Jingxuan, who was receiving nightly cultural lessons from Emerald Sparrow, did not realize the complexity of what her "mother" was considering.

    Time slipped away quietly in such an atmosphere.

    Soon, the agreed day of the test arrived as expected.

    The time was still Sunday, and the location was the underground training room of the stronghold. Considering the limited destructive power of the test itself, and that the training room had been designed with some level of magic power isolation in mind, it was actually safer than going out to find a venue.

    As for the opponents, they followed the principle of fairness and impartiality. Six pieces of paper with numbers were thrown into a box, and the "self-proclaimed fair and just" Fairy, Moco, served as the witness. Each side drew lots to determine their opponents.

    Finally, the matchups were as follows:

    Little Brocade versus Shy Plant;

    Bai Mei versus Bai Ji;

    Bo Xue versus Wooden Lily.

    It was hard to imagine that despite it being a normal draw, half of the people did not look pleased with the results after drawing. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire

    The fact that Lin Xiaolu was matched up with Bai Ji seemed coincidental at first glance, but upon further thought¡ªconsidering at least two of the three people from the Bai''an City squad wanted to fight her, whether she drew Bai Ji or Wooden Lily, it was considered an encounter filled with personal grudges¡ªit turned out there was only a one-in-three chance that personal vendettas would not play a role in the matchups.

 Chapter 387 64 Chapter: The Day of Competition_2

    As for the remaining two matches, naturally, there were no objections, at least everyone aside from Mubaihe felt there were no issues.

    "Now, both contestants, please take your positions!"

    Hovering above the center of the underground training field, Moke held up a toy microphone, seemingly conjured out of nowhere, and surveyed the crowd with a pretense of solemnity, declaring with forced seriousness, "Now, as the Seeder of the Fangting City team, I hereby announce on behalf of the royal court that the exchange match between Fangting City team and Bai''an City team begins now!"

    The response was only a sparse smattering of applause from a handful of people.

    Unfazed by the lukewarm reception and after loudly announcing the start of the match, Moke continued, "We''ll now announce the rules of the match! Each team consists of three members, who, based on a draw, will compete one-on-one in a total of three rounds. Win a round to earn one point, a draw earns no points, and the team with more points is declared the winner."

    "The criteria for judging the winner are as follows: if the opponent runs out of Magic Power, becomes restricted in movement, or is physically overcome and loses the ability to act; if the opponent is forced out of the training field during the match, resulting in disqualification; if the opponent formally surrenders during the match in any form and the surrender is confirmed by the judge... these are all considered winning conditions!"

    "In addition, since this match is intended for exchange purposes, there is a special rule: with mutual consent, the competition can be limited to skills in the same field, and the final technique will be judged by two senior Magical Girls, whose verdict will also be considered a victory in the match!"

    "Now, let us welcome the first pair of contestants for this match, the Magical Girls who, following the drawing order, will battle first¡ªXiaojin and Shygrass!"

    This time, whether out of genuine emotion or politeness, the Magical Girls present all clapped their hands in welcome.

    Xia Liang, as one of the contenders for the first duel, appeared quite relaxed, smiling and nodding to everyone before naturally proceeding to the center of the training field; the other contestant, Shygrass, was clearly tense, clutching one sleeve tightly with her hand, pursing her lips, and taking small steps to position herself opposite Xia Liang.

    Seeing that both contestants were in position, Moke didn''t delay further. Lifting one paw high, still holding the microphone with the other, he loudly declared, "Now, take your places, the first match begins now!"

    No sooner had the words fallen than everyone''s gaze instinctively focused on the two figures on the field. However, neither of the two seemed to be making any moves.

    They hadn''t even transformed, as if they hadn''t heard Moke''s declaration at all, simply standing there.

    Of course, not transforming didn''t mean they had no intention of competing. At least from Xia Liang''s perspective, she simply didn''t know what she should do.

    Despite appearing confident and natural, after all, it was her first time facing off against a fellow Magical Girl. Whether she should start the battle without a word, or follow some kind of etiquette before the fight, she had no idea.

    Her initial plan was to respond based on the other party''s actions, if her opponent chose to transform and start the battle immediately, she could follow suit and transform; if the opponent started with a greeting, she could respond politely before commencing the battle.

    What she didn''t expect was that her opponent would stand there saying nothing, not starting a fight, and looking even more like a rookie than herself.

    This indirectly led to Xia Liang also being forced to simply stand there.

    After a while, seeing that neither of them was making a move, Moke, as the referee, had no choice but to remind them again, "Ladies, the match has already started."

    But still, neither of them moved.

    Realizing that the match seemed unable to start at this rate, Xia Liang couldn''t help but break the silence, asking with a polite smile on her face, "Excuse me, are you planning to decide the winner according to the special rule?"

    The reticent girl in front of her kept her head low, looking as though she might bury it in her clothes at any moment, her eyes flickering uncertainly. It was no wonder that Xia Liang had to ask her question; considering the other girl''s demeanor, which suggested no desire to win, let alone a hint of fighting spirit.

    Seeing the other''s state, Xia Liang was uncertain whether her question would receive any response at all.

    But to her surprise, in response to Xia Liang''s question, Mimosa quickly gave an answer. Although the voice was low, it was entirely clear enough to be heard: "No need."

    By saying "no need," it indicated that the opponent was at least planning to fight.

    Having her question answered, Xia Liang immediately continued: "Then, may I ask how we should start? Since it''s a contest, should we start with something simple like a magic power probe..."

    "No need."

    This time, Mimosa''s voice was noticeably louder: "I became a Magical Girl a year before you, I''m the senior, so you go ahead."

    Everyone heard this statement loud and clear.

    Even Xia Liang, who had been puzzled by the other''s nervous demeanor, now slightly restrained her smile because of the other''s words.

    After all, the statement didn''t sound very friendly; at the very least, saying it in this context made it hard not to feel like the opponent was being dismissive.

    However, since they were in the midst of a contest, saying things to provoke the opponent was also a kind of strategy, so Xia Liang wasn''t so disturbed by such words.

    She simply realized that her opponent was, perhaps, not as straightforward as she appeared to be.

    After all, a Magical Girl is a profession constantly engaged in frequent battles, and most Magical Girls have a very clear understanding of their own strength. What kind of enemy they can defeat, and what kind they cannot, has become quite distinct through accumulated battles over time.

    So, when a Magical Girl acts as though she''s going easy, it''s either because she has a clear assessment of the other''s strength or she really has some kind of trump card to rely on.

    Both participants were Leaf-level Magical Girls, something the other must also be aware of. With their abilities at the same stage of bloom, one wouldn''t dismiss the opponent''s attack without any defense, thus, it was most likely that the other did indeed have some kind of reliance.

    Thinking this, Xia Liang had already silently recited the spell, quietly completed her transformation, and had even raised her Magic Wand in her hand.

    It wasn''t until she had assumed an offensive stance that Mimosa finally started to act, belatedly reaching into her pocket for her Heart''s Gem and also silently completing her transformation. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Mimosa, now in her transformed state, looked utterly different from her usual self.

    The usual her had long bangs that almost covered her eyes, and her attire consisted of nondescript, dusty jackets and jeans, virtually as inconspicuous as one could get.

    But after transforming, her image could not exactly be described as rebellious, yet in the realm of Magical Girl costumes, it could be called "bold."

    First off, the overall exposure of the outfit was quite high, with the upper body being merely a bare midriff tank top topped with a bow, and the skirt was among the shorter ones even among Magical Girls, who generally have a higher degree of revealment in their outfits.

    Secondly, the saturation of the outfit''s colors was extremely high. The overall tone was light red, but the contrast was so stark that it reached the level resembling an animated character.

    Lastly, the hairstyle. The previously even bangs that hid her eyes parted to reveal a pair of pomegranate-colored eyes, and her not-so-long hair was tied on both sides of her head with two ribbons, forming a pair of twin ponytails.

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    This dramatic change in appearance caused Xia Liang, who had already been considering her mode of attack, to momentarily stall in her thoughts.

 Chapter 65 Round 1

    ```

    "You''ve transformed, you can continue now,"

    Seeming to catch Xia Liang''s moment of hesitation, Mimosa didn''t make any further moves after her transformation. She merely held her Magic Wand behind her back, calmly declaring to Xia Liang.

    Xia Liang didn''t speak either, but waved her Magic Wand, tentatively firing a few Magic Power Beams towards the front.

    As the most basic offensive tactic for a Magical Girl, the Magic Power Beam is not only powerful but also doesn''t occupy much of the mind, making it the best choice for probing.

    She hadn''t resorted to using Spell Techniques or magic gear from the start ¡ª doing so could indeed reveal the opponent''s strength more quickly, but it wasn''t conducive for both parties to display their capabilities.

    After all, the nature of this battle was a contest, extreme measures weren''t necessary. Victory mattered, but leaving space for both to showcase their skills was more in line with the essence of "a contest."

    How then, would the opponent counter something as simple as a Magic Power Beam? After firing the Magic Power Beams, Xia Liang, with this thought in mind, turned her gaze towards Mimosa.

    According to her expectations, facing such a straightforward attack, most would either dodge with their reflexes, shield themselves, or if they were quite skilled might counter with their own Magic Power Beam. No matter what the response, Xia Liang was ready with a countermeasure, prepared to employ the tactics she had thought out as soon as the opponent made a move...

    Unfortunately, when Mimosa unveiled her method of handling it, Xia Liang understood that those plans were likely unusable.

    She witnessed a scene that was quite unforgettable.

    How could she describe to others what she saw at that instant? Even figuring out how to convey it seemed to be a challenge.

    Because within her field of view, she could very clearly see her Magic Power Beams seemingly being "crushed" by some utterly unperceivable force.

    Firstly, it''s important to clarify that a Magic Power Beam, as one of the basic offensive techniques of a Magical Girl, is an extension of one of the four elemental abilities a Magical Girl possesses from the novice rank, "Magical Power Release."

    Flying, enhancing, Magical Power Release, and Magical Power Perception. These four abilities are foundational training for every Magical Girl. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire

    No matter their stage of development, these novice rank abilities are the most frequently used, and from them stems a series of skill applications.

    However, these skills are not Spell Techniques.

    If we compare them to human physical activities, Spell Techniques are systematized fighting techniques ¡ª such as how to attack, how to exert force, how to strike sensitive areas. Then the use of these basic abilities is like "how to walk."

    Yes, walking.

    For humans, walking is a skill most learn in childhood and place a high priority on mastering. It eventually becomes a natural instinct, not requiring any thought before starting to walk.

    The four fundamental abilities of a Magical Girl are similar, becoming as simple as breathing after initial learning and mastery, with no need for conscious thought before use.

    Ordinary people don''t consider how they extend their legs, tense their muscles, make full contact with the ground with their soles, or transition between the swing phase and the stance phase when they walk. Most of the time, as long as walking serves their needs, people don''t dwell on how they actually achieve it.

    So, is there a relatively more optimal way for the human body to walk?

    The answer is yes.

    Pigeon-toed, duck-footed, in-toeing, joint eversion... a wide array of incorrect gaits highlights that many people actually don''t know how to walk correctly. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Yet, whether the gait is correct or incorrect, its impact on the human body isn''t too severe. After all, the human form is relatively fixed.

    With a fixed form, the movements made using this form naturally can''t deviate too much. For ordinary people, gait issues might only make their walking posture unattractive, and over the long term might affect muscle and joint shape.

    But mistakes in Magic Power skills are far more serious for Magical Girls.

    Compared to the human body, a Magical Girl''s true form has greater plasticity, which means Magical Girls using Magic Power don''t follow a rigid process most of the time.

    During the human walking process, the collaborating muscles and joints are fixed; walking is ultimately the result of these body parts working together. No matter how exaggerated the posture, most people are using their legs to walk.

    However, when a Magical Girl uses Magic Power, it''s not so straightforward.

    The process of Magic Power generated from the source, passing through the true form, reaching the exterior, and finally acting in reality, doesn''t have many fixed steps.

    This leads to Magical Girls having far greater variety in their use of Magic Power than the differences in human gait.

    Asking a person to walk upside down with two fingers, walk while sitting using their buttocks, walk while half-lying down using their elbows, or even open their stomachs letting inner organs walk... such bizarre scenarios are impossible in the human body.

    ```

 Chapter 65 Round 1_2

    But the differences in how magical girls use magic power can be so vast.

    And on this basis, depending on the combat style and essence of the magical girl, there are no optimal solutions for "how to use magic power." Many times, bizarre phenomena occur, like "this person walks faster with two fingers than others do normally, and if they tried to walk normally, they would be just ordinary."

    Given all the aforementioned premises, the Magic Power Beam is actually a rather marvelous invention.

    In terms of sheer power, it is by no means considered strong, whether in terms of speed, destructive force, or accuracy.

    Nevertheless, the modern structure of the Magic Power Beam has been refined generation after generation by magical girls, iteratively reaching its current state through countless details and ultimately has been passed down to this day. Therefore, the greatest advantage of the Magic Power Beam is its "moderation." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    No matter how you trigger it, no matter what state you are in when you trigger it, and no matter what process you use to trigger it, the power of the Magic Power Beam is always "about the same."

    Some magical girls cast the Magic Power Beam with a magic wand, some throw it with their hands, and some even simply open their mouths to spray... But no matter how you use it, as long as the amount of magic power you invest is about the same, then the power of the Magic Power Beam is roughly equal.

    At least, if you had asked Xia Liang a few minutes ago to think about this topic, she would have certainly given the same answer.

    Until she saw how Mimosa dealt with her attack.

    She could be sure that at the moment of the counterattack, the opponent had used "Magical Power Release," a fundamental ability, which, on top of that, had a flow structure of magic power extremely close to the Magic Power Beam.

    No, that should have been the Magic Power Beam.

    As a Rank-Ye magical girl, Xia Liang''s perception of magical power in her surroundings became extremely clear when in combat state. The moment her opponent raised a hand, she could almost assert that their approach was to return the strike with a Magic Power Beam.

    This was very consistent with the attitude that the opponent had previously displayed. It wasn''t arrogant per se, but undoubtedly quite confident¡ªmeeting the attack head-on with the same attack is precisely the most confident form of response. Because this method tests three abilities of the responder: the ability to clearly see the path of the attack, to judge the power of the opponent''s attack, and to have a high level of proficiency.

    If it had been just that, Xia Liang wouldn''t have been so surprised, as it would simply mean that the opponent, as a magical girl, had a very solid foundation, which proved nothing more. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire

    However, the moment her Magic Power Beam was "crushed," Xia Liang''s eyes suddenly widened.

    Not only because the imagery of being "crushed" seemed too abnormal, but also because this result exceeded her understanding.

    Both were Magic Power Beams, everyone employed the same methods, even the amount of magic power was nearly the same, yet it turned into a unilateral defeat for her?

    She could not comprehend this outcome, so much so that she couldn''t bring herself to use any of the countermeasures she had thought of beforehand.

    "It''s my turn."

    However, in the midst of battle, Mimosa would not give her the chance to process this information.

    Almost at the same moment she countered Xia Liang''s attack, she already swung her magic wand, casting several pale red Magic Power Beams and sent them back at her.

    This move not only tightened Xia Liang''s heart, but it also caused Lin Xiaolu, who was standing aside, to frown.

    Unlike Xia Liang, who was clueless at the scene, Lin Xiaolu had already experienced this inexplicable phenomenon from Bai Ji just a week ago.

    But back then, the confrontation wasn''t on such a large scale, and the two of them had just made contact with small balls condensed by magic, with the result being her complete defeat.

    Now, it was almost the exact same scenario, but the participants in the field were Xia Liang and Mimosa.

    How would Xia Liang respond? Or rather, did Xia Liang really have a way to respond?

    She subconsciously clenched the sleeves, her thoughts complex.

    What Lin Xiaolu didn''t know was that Xia Liang herself didn''t have an answer to this question either.

    At least when the opponent swung out the Magic Power Beam, Xia Liang''s reaction was a beat too slow. Because at that moment, her perception of the opponent''s magic power had completely changed.

    She should consider it something similar to the magic power of the Remnant Beasts.

    The magic power of the Remnant Beasts has a certain erosive effect on the magic power of magical girls, so when facing Remnant Beasts, magical girls often try to avoid the opponent''s attacks as much as possible, and even when they need to use Magical Barriers for defense, they wouldn''t overrely on the capacity of the barriers.

    At this time, Xia Liang adopted this mindset.

    On the one hand, she spread her hands, quickly forming the runes for her barrier, and rapidly released her hastily-learned Magical Barrier. On the other hand, she kicked off into the air, propelling her body sharply to the side.

    This behavior may seem baffling at first glance, but a little thought reveals her intention¡ªshe was testing the strength of the opponent''s attack.

    On one hand, she used the Magical Barrier to cope, and on the other, she had no expectation that the Magical Barrier would be successful, so she didn''t hide behind it at all.

    Her thinking proved to be correct.

    Because just as Xia Liang narrowly dodged, the Magical Barrier thrown out collapsed almost instantly with a sound of being overwhelmed, and then, with a "crash," shattered into several pieces.

 Chapter 65 Round 1_3

    As for Emerald Sparrow''s Magic Power Beam, after shattering Xia Liang''s Magical Barrier, it seemed to still retain some of its potency, shooting straight into the wall of the training ground and leaving a few charred pits.

    "Good response, very calm, but this Magic Power Beam... After shattering the Magical Barrier, it still retained nearly the power of a Magic Bullet?"

    This made Emerald Sparrow, who was standing by, raise an eyebrow and look up at Asou Haruka next to her, "Is this your team''s secret weapon?"

    Asou Haruka smiled without a word.

    Not only did she smile without saying anything, Emerald Sparrow, at that moment, also slightly lifted the corners of her mouth, as if she were smiling.

    "Can I rest assured now?"

    She looked at Xia Liang, "Use all your strength."

    Xia Liang was panting slightly at this time.

    Although in the recent gamble, she hadn''t expended much magic power, her tightly stretched nerves weren''t something she could fake. Even though a Magical Girl doesn''t have a heart or respiratory organs, that didn''t stop her from breathing deeply subconsciously, trying to relieve the tension she felt.

    The opponent was strong.

    In just one round, she had realized this fact.

    Not only because the opponent had been a Magical Girl for longer and therefore had more abundant magic power, but also because her opponent''s techniques were clearly richer than her own.

    Xia Liang had no previous battle experience with Magical Girls, but from a logical analysis, the "diversity of techniques" in a Magical Girl''s duel was very important.

    Even for a Flower Rank Magical Girl, her main combat strength could essentially be broken down into a few major aspects: magic power, stamina, skills, Spell Techniques, unique strengths, and magic attire. And since magic attire and unique strengths were a Magical Girl''s ultimate trump cards, they were definitely meant to be held back for as long as possible to play a trump card later on.

    And now, in the confrontation with Emerald Sparrow, just one round, under the premise that the opponent had only used basic skills, had forced Xia Liang to use her Spell Techniques without gaining the upper hand.

    This meant that in the next clash of the contest, she would have to use even more Spell Techniques or even bring out her own magic attire right away.

    So, should she use her magic attire?

    Xia Liang began to assess within her heart.

    If she were to deploy her magic attire¡ªDiversion¡ªat this point, then she could certainly catch her opponent off guard. She could even use the opponent''s magic against them, which would certainly resolve her disadvantage in the magic power clash from earlier.

    But merely using the magic attire to bridge the gap between her and her opponent''s magic power¡ªcould that truly guarantee a victory?

    Emerald Sparrow was also Leaf Rank, undoubtedly possessing the capabilities of magic attire and Spell Techniques, and in terms of time as a Magical Girl, her Spell Techniques would only be more proficient than Xia Liang at the moment.

    In other words, if she tried to use her magic attire to compensate for the gap in magic power with her opponent, then she wouldn''t have any trump cards left. And when the opponent deployed their magic attire, it would essentially be the moment of her own defeat.

    At that moment, Xia Liang suddenly understood why her opponent told her to "use all your strength."

    Emerald Sparrow was right, even though it was just one round, Xia Liang had already reached a point of no return.

    Temporarily suppressed on a foundational level, unable to match the overall diversity of techniques, if she continued to fight tentatively, she would face the situation of exhausting all her trump cards and still not winning.

    If the two were engaged in a card game, her hand was admittedly worse than her opponent''s. And the one with the lesser hand looking to defeat the opponent, by normal rules, could not afford to play cards conventionally.

    So, it seemed there was only one method of victory left.

    ¡ªPlay out all her cards and rely on the element of surprise to win the round.

    And the element of surprise was precisely what she had at her disposal now.

    This was still a few nights ago, when Xia Liang went to Emerald Sparrow to express her desire to learn Spell Techniques. Emerald Sparrow had told her,

    "I''ve told you so much about the techniques for barriers; you just need to grasp a bit of the principle for now."

    Packing away the Favo Rune that represented the Magical Barrier, Emerald Sparrow stroked her hanging hair, "If you want to win the upcoming duel, then you might need to rearrange the sequence of learning Spell Techniques. You need to learn something else first."

    "Something else? What?" Xia Liang cocked her head.

    "When you first awakened your magic attire, I had made you a promise."

    Emerald Sparrow leaned back slightly, resting on the chair back, "Your magic attire had a hard time exhibiting any lethal capability at Seed Rank. If you wanted it to be lethal, there would be many Spell Techniques that could work in conjunction with your magic attire after reaching Leaf Rank."

    "I seem to remember you mentioning that..."

    After a brief recollection, Xia Liang nodded, "So, you''re saying I can learn those Spell Techniques now?"

    "Yes, but also no."

    Emerald Sparrow sighed lightly, "The reason I was asking you about your views on Spell Techniques was precisely because of this consideration. Your magic attire just fits too well with certain Spell Techniques, to the extent that using those techniques could greatly enhance your combat power in a short period. However, those techniques are often very profound, and I''m worried that you would spend too much time on them if you''re too eager to succeed."

    "Isn''t increasing combat power a good thing?"

    "The combat power you increase at Leaf Rank, no matter how exaggerated, won''t compare to even a little finger''s worth after you''ve mastered your unique strength."

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    Emerald Sparrow let her eyelids droop, "There''s a saying that goes, ''Don''t pick up sesame seeds only to lose a watermelon.'' It''s more or less the same idea."

 Chapter 65 Round 1_4

    "I know, I know, don''t lose track of the Magic Power practice, right?"

    Xia Liang chuckled dryly, "I''m not a kid anymore, I remember it after you say it once."

    "Well, you had better remember it."

    Emerald Sparrow stared at Xia Liang for a long time, until the smile on Xia Liang''s face was almost unbearable, then slowly withdrew her gaze, "Let''s start from the simplest Spell Technique then. Within the entire system of Spell Techniques, based on the different functionalities of each Spell Technique, some with similar functional mechanisms are classified into the same category..."

    Classification of Spell Techniques.

    It is also a profound subject, and there is such a classic judgment question in the entrance examination of the Research Institute in the Magic Kingdom.

    [The Fireball Technique and the Fire Wall Technique both belong to the fire category of Spell Techniques, so they are of the same type ( )].

    This question was formulated by Molu herself at the early stages of the Research Institute''s establishment, and was removed from the question bank centuries later by Molu herself for being too simple, but undoubtedly, it represents many counterintuitive aspects of the Spell Technique classification system.

    The answer to the question is "False." Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire

    There are two reasons, first, because there is no "fire series" classification in Spell Techniques; rather, terms such as "water," "fire," "thunder," and the like have always only decorated the surface, not the essence.

    Second, the Fireball Technique and the Fire Wall Technique are indeed not the same type of Spell Techniques.

    Although both Spell Techniques show the outward imagery of "flames" and give the impression of fire, their underlying frameworks are diametrically opposite, so there is no such thing as belonging to the same category.

    Therefore, the classification of Spell Techniques in the Magic Kingdom is often memorized by researchers, who sometimes even have to personally consult and search the rune compositions of each Spell Technique to understand the reasoning behind their classification.

    In the midst of so many Spell Technique classifications, there is one outlier.

    Unlike the counterintuitive nature of other classifications, the Spell Techniques in this category can almost always be instantly recognized as belonging to a particular category just from the surface, which directly points to their essence.

    Because the commonality of this category''s Spell Techniques is the use of a large number of rune structures to assist the compression and arrangement of Magic Power, thereby achieving high density and high energy levels of Magic Power.

    The official academic name for this category is "High-Energy High-Density Class." Of course, in battles, nobody would call these Spell Techniques by such a name; Magical Girls would just give it an intuitive and easy-to-remember name.

    ¡ª"It really is, quite straightforward..." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Gazing at the brilliance of the runes in her hands, Xia Liang unconsciously let out a sigh.

    Magic armor, Magic Power, Spell Techniques, she had played all her cards, just to take down her opponent in the next encounter.

    There was no such thing as controlling the force, because she knew that she didn''t have the luxury to control it now, to over-control would mean losing.

    She didn''t really want to lose.

    So she could only use this move, which she had just conceived a few days ago, and even she wasn''t sure that she could perform it properly.

    Diversion had already fully displayed the form of magic armor, but at this moment all of it lined up in a row; all the mirrors overlapped, forming a long cylinder, aiming from the air at the ground of the training field.

    And in Xia Liang''s hands were the runes, pointing towards a mirror.

    The Spell Technique Emerald Sparrow taught her a few days ago was a rather obscure one, because as a basic Spell Technique of a larger category, its practicality was quite poor. Not to mention it only had a range of ten meters in front of the user, and that range could easily affect the user of the Spell Technique.

    But not if using Diversion.

    Diversion can transmit the properties of Magic Power, stretching the range of this Spell Technique indefinitely, not only preserving the power of the Spell Technique at close range but also ensuring that it wouldn''t affect Xia Liang herself.

    And this Spell Technique, together with its entire category, has such a resounding name:

    ¡ª"Explosive Series."

 Chapter 392 66

    The Spell Technique known as "Explosion" has its greatest advantage in power, with the high-energy conversion of Magic Power capable of easily blasting through an opponent''s Magical Barrier of the same level.

    At the same time, its biggest drawbacks are its range and stability. It can only be initiated from the caster as the center, and it''s nearly impossible to extend the activation time. Once the Favo Rune structure for an Explosion spell is constructed, it will collapse on its own even without being activated.

    As a result, the "Explosion" Spell Technique became somewhat unpopular, as its cost-effectiveness as an offensive method is exceedingly low¡ªrequiring one to be at a very close distance to the enemy and to cast several layers of Magical Barrier on oneself to come out unscathed. Even calling it "humorous" seems restrained.

    The most common use for this Spell Technique is for Magical Girls who are convinced they cannot defeat Remnant Beasts to use it in a mutual destruction, ready to sacrifice greatly just to deal a fatal blow to the Remnant Beasts. Because of this, most Magical Girls find it hard to look favorable when talking about this Spell Technique.

    However, a considerable number of Magical Girls who abide by the principle "might is right" persistently improved on the original "Explosion" Spell Technique, seeking to remedy its inherent flaws. Their efforts led to the creation of more advanced spells, expanding the "Explosion" Spell Technique into a genuine category of Spell Techniques, and thus establishing the whole series of Explosion spell schools.

    Of course, none of this concerned Xia Liang at the moment.

    She was learning the Explosion spell not out of interest, nor was she intending to perish with her enemies, but because she needed to create a unique combination technique of her own.

    Combining Explosion spells with Diversion to compensate for the lack of offensive capability in Diversion and the shortcomings of the Explosion spells themselves, this was the advice Emerald Sparrow gave to Xia Liang.

    Although the advice came purely from Emerald Sparrow''s speculation and had not undergone any real testing, Xia Liang chose to believe it, and in just a few days, she had completed its prototype.

    And now, it was this newly formed combination technique''s first public showcase.

    The demand of using Spell Techniques while maintaining her magical outfit, especially one as Magic Power-consuming as "Explosion," made Xia Liang feel as though the Magic Power in her body was being drained in an instant, and she was overwhelmed with a strong sensation of powerlessness.

    But the arrow was on the string, and she had to send it. Once the spell had been activated, she had no ability to terminate it. Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire

    "Is this really okay? Should we prepare to intervene?" Outside the arena, Emerald Sparrow once again turned to Asou Haruka, "If she executes this move, even if your teammate can withstand it, the nearby residents will still complain to us."

    "...Let''s use a barrier to protect the area a bit."

    Asou Haruka, who had been feigning composure until then, finally spoke, "This technique is interesting. Did you invent it?"

    "I could only be credited with proposing the concept." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Emerald Sparrow shook her head, "Until this child truly realized it, I wasn''t certain it would succeed."

    "The destructive power that can be felt just from the flow of Magic Power¡ªif she could master this move, the assessment would probably be no problem," praised Asou Haruka. "Impressive. It doesn''t feel at all like she has only been a Magical Girl for half a year. Everything about her is too well-executed."

    "Giving such praise to our team member here? What about that girl called Shygrass?"

    Emerald Sparrow gave her another sidelong glance, "This kind of power is not something that an average Leaf-level can handle, it will be stronger than the usual Explosion spell. Aren''t you worried about her safety?"

    "Safety... huh?"

    Muttering this word highlighted by Emerald Sparrow, Asou Haruka slowly curled the corners of her mouth, and then, finally, turned her head to look at Emerald Sparrow, "Sister, do you know what rank Shygrass achieved when she got her White Card certification at the beginning of this year?"

    "Combat examination?"

    These words slightly stirred Emerald Sparrow''s memories.

    In her recollection, she too had only taken the qualification certification examination once¡ªthe White Card certification she passed as a newcomer; and because of insufficient development of her own abilities at the time, she only managed to pass with a medium score.

    If she, at that time, were to handle Xia Liang''s current combination move, it''s likely she wouldn''t be able to do it, her own magical outfit wouldn''t withstand such power. The best strategy would have been to dodge after discerning the opponent''s intent to attack.

    Asou Haruka obviously knew this too, and considering her own results were a bit lower than Emerald Sparrow''s back in the day, mentioning this benchmark now probably wasn''t without reason.

    ¡ª"Judging by your expression, you''ve realized that the kid ranked very high, third place."

    That was Asou Haruka''s answer.

    As she spoke, the battle inside the arena officially reached its climax.

    "I hope the effects aren''t too exaggerated¡­"

    Gazing at the vibrant Jinzhi-colored Magic Power glow before her eyes, Xia Liang couldn''t help but swallow and, with force, she pushed the completely activated Favo Rune from her hands.

    The Jinzhi light instantly pierced through the lined-up Diversion, illuminating the entire mirrored trajectory at a speed hard for the naked eye to discern, and blasted towards where Shygrass stood.

    During this process, Shygrass just held her Magic Wand, quietly watching in place.

 Chapter 66_2

    Contrary to what Emerald Sparrow had thought, she had no intention of evading at all.

    It would be more accurate to say that, although the contest with Xia Liang had lasted only a few brief exchanges, she had not moved even a step from beginning to end.

    She watched the light from the spell techniques in Xia Liang''s hands bloom, and then, amid the piercing roar, her mouth opened slightly to whisper:

    "Protect me, Paw Eye."

    No sooner had the words left her lips than her magic wand had transformed into a small, delicate tambourine. She grabbed the tambourine with her left hand and then lightly tapped on it with the fingertips of her right hand.

    "Bang"!

    The clear sound rang out, accompanied by a very fine ripple of pale red magic power that spread quickly like ripples on water and visibly, in part, neutralized Xia Liang''s spell techniques.

    Though it only neutralized a part, not completely, that was sufficient.

    With her continuous tapping, more magical lines radiated from the tambourine. Any time these lines touched Xia Liang''s spell techniques, they dissolved a part of the energy within, thus steadily reducing their potency.

    And this whole process took place in just about one second.

    One second later, by the time Xia Liang''s spell techniques reached the front of the shy herb, their structure had become so loose that it no longer possessed its initial vigor and was easily blocked by the multiple layers of magical barriers stacked as defenses by the shy herb.

    Through this entire process, she still had not moved a step.

    Meanwhile, Xia Liang, who had a considerable amount of magic power drained by the explosive combo, could no longer maintain her transformed state. Her magic outfit dissipated, and she sat collapsed on the ground, panting heavily.

    "So... tired."

    Unable to even speak, Xia Liang supported herself with her hands on the ground, facing the floor, feeling the sweat slide down her cheeks and eventually drip onto the ground, leaving her mind utterly blank.

    She couldn''t even care to think about victory or defeat, nor could she attend to the fact that her "ultimate move" had been effortlessly countered on its first appearance; all she could do was breathe in vain.

    After all, the fatigue of her true form could certainly not be relieved by mere breathing. Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire

    "Can you still use it?"

    Standing opposite her, the shy herb tilted her head: "If there''s a second shot, it would be quite troublesome."

    "...No more."

    Blinking her eyes, Xia Liang answered sincerely.

    She could feel she still had some magic power left, but really couldn''t even move at the moment, and posturing would be pointless.

    Although she had considered before their duel that her opponent would not be easy, she really hadn''t expected her opponent to be this strong.

    A typical Leaf-level Magical Girl definitely wouldn''t be able to cope, and even an Egg-level Remnant Beast would probably be killed in one shot by the spell techniques; yet the opponent had received it as if it were nothing.

    However, she unexpectedly didn''t find it too hard to accept. Rather, ever since she learned that her opponent was a "senior who advanced to Leaf-level a year early," she knew that she was very likely going to lose.

    If possible, she actually didn''t want to lose, as it was a rare opportunity to have time alone with her junior, and she had even refined her combat style under her long-absent direct guidance. It would have been perfect to end such a memorable moment with a victory.

    As for now...

    Maintaining a bowed head, Xia Liang glanced sideways at Emerald Sparrow, who was frowning slightly and looking worried beside her.

    ...This way, it didn''t seem too bad.

    Thinking thus, she took a few more breaths and slowly raised her head with a smile on her lips, looking towards the shy herb in front of her.

    "I concede."

    Crisp and clear, utterly refreshing.

    ...

    ...

    "Next up, Bai Mei versus Bai Ji... please enter the field, contestants!"

    Mo Ke''s voice resonated once more throughout the training ground, though it lacked the resonance it had before.

    The first bout concluded with Fangting City''s team losing.

    Lin Xiaolu felt especially tense about this result, with sweaty palms.

    In her view, Xia Liang was undoubtedly the strongest in combat prowess on paper for Fangting City''s team.

    Even though she had always felt somewhat dissatisfied with her, limited by her progress in blossoming her own grade, her own strength clearly couldn''t match Xia Liang''s.

    Now, to see Xia Liang lose so easily, not even fully pushing the opponent, and seemingly not against Bai''an City team''s strongest one, was disheartening.

    Lin Xiaolu stole a glance at Bai Ji, who had stepped out from the side team, and clenched her fists, repeatedly telling herself to remain calm.

    Although Bai''an City''s team had not stated it outright, there was a good chance that Bai Ji was the strongest among them. Now, it was up to her to confront this opponent. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    And because Xia Liang had lost the first round of points, if she could not win the upcoming bout, the entire Fangting City''s team would be defeated.

    At this moment, she felt an immense weight bearing down on her shoulders.

    What would happen if she lost? Would she become even more distant from her mother? Would Emerald Sparrow be more disappointed in her? If she disappointed her, what should she do?

    Though the air in the training ground was sufficiently clear, Lin Xiaolu felt almost as if she were suffocating.

    By now, Bai Ji had already reached the center of the training ground, standing upright there with her gaze directly fixed on Lin Xiaolu, obviously curious why her opponent had yet to step onto the field.

    Lin Xiaolu forced herself to start moving with rigid steps.

    ¡ª"Bai Mei."

 Chapter 394 66_3

    At this time, a somewhat cold voice suddenly came from behind her.

    She turned around and found Emerald Sparrow signaling to her.

    "What, what''s wrong?" she asked, but felt her voice was slightly hoarse.

    "Don''t be nervous, and don''t mind winning or losing,"

    Emerald Sparrow spoke quite earnestly, yet in a gentle tone, "Just show your improvement to your heart''s content, boldly reveal your shortcomings, let me really see the present you, that''s the true purpose of this duel."

    After saying this, she saw Lin Xiaolu just staring blankly at her, as if she hadn''t listened at all, which left her no choice but to ask helplessly, "Is that okay?"

    "...Ah, yes, okay."

    Only then did Lin Xiaolu slowly nod, "I understand, I''ll try my best."

    Once again she stepped forward, reaching the center of the arena, and finally made eye contact with Bai Ji.

    "To let Emerald Sparrow, truly see the present me..." she murmured to herself, as if truly drawing courage from those words, her expression becoming increasingly resolute.

    The brilliance of the Heart''s Gem flashed by, and the Magical Girl''s outfit adorned her body. Then, she raised her hand, and a softly glowing blue magic power sphere slowly formed in her palm.

    "Let''s start from here," she said, gazing at Bai Ji with a burning determination. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Bai Ji looked at the magic power sphere in Lin Xiaolu''s hand, at first slightly puzzled, probably not understanding why her opponent chose to start the competition with a form that had already lost once. Then, as if a thought struck her, a flicker of realization crossed her otherwise placid face, and she glanced involuntarily towards Asou Haruka outside the arena.

    All she received was a thumbs-up from Asou Haruka.

    "...I see, then, as you wish." She pursed her lips, falling silent for a while before looking down and responding.

    Azure light encircled her, and she silently recited the Transformation Spell, completing her transformation. Then she raised her hand, the magic power sphere in her palm mirroring Lin Xiaolu''s from afar.

    The two figures paused for a moment, then, as if by agreement, they both thrust their hands forward, throwing the magic power spheres they held into the air.

    The green and pale blue magic collided in midair.

    Because they were magic power spheres, not Magic Power Beams, the colliding magic didn''t immediately disperse but instead entwined, even creating a stalemate.

    However, this stalemate was brief.

    Because in the blink of an eye, the green magic stemming from Bai Ji suddenly began to tremble.

    It was like the roaring of an engine, that magic vibrated at a high frequency in a short period and then pushed forward with a force that almost shattered Lin Xiaolu''s magic.

    "She can do it too..."

    Watching this, Xia Liang below first looked slightly startled, then sighed, "This is going to be tough, Xiaolu."

    "What you referred to as ''can also do,'' what does that mean?" Emerald Sparrow suddenly asked.

    "That thing, the technique that seems to suddenly change the nature of the magic." Xia Liang pointed towards Bai Ji in the arena, "You saw it too, right? That kid''s Flow of Magical Power suddenly started vibrating. The opponent I faced before did the same, I don''t know why, but with equal magic power, they always managed to tear through mine."

    "Did you discern the true nature of that technique?" Instead of commenting on Xia Liang''s answer, Emerald Sparrow continued to inquire.

    "The true nature? That kind of thing is a bit..."

    Squinting with a hint of frustration, Xia Liang said helplessly, "I can''t just fight a couple of moves and see through that sort of thing, you''re overestimating me, junior."

    Emerald Sparrow didn''t speak further.

    She didn''t actually know what this strange technique was, at least not during her active days as a Magical Girl, she had never seen such a use of magic in anyone''s hands.

    But she didn''t say more, she didn''t even look at Asou Haruka beside her, even though she knew that this thing has absolutely something to do with her.

    She just watched Lin Xiaolu in the arena, because she knew that if there were any answers, the best answer would be with Lin Xiaolu.

    The two stalemate magic power spheres also showed new changes at that moment. Stay connected with My Virtual Library Empire

    The pale blue magic that had been retreating ever since the azure magic started vibrating suddenly stopped its decline. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, it too began to take on an irregular form.

    The dispersing pale blue magic was like a melting snowball, collapsing inward from the surface, and then, from one moment, it suddenly ignited.

    The magic turned, as if into fire.

    This display finally changed the expressions of everyone present.

    If for Fangting City''s side, Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan were just astonished by the sudden change shown by Lin Xiaolu; then for Bai''an City''s side, whether it was the bashful plants and the wood lilies outside the arena or Bai Ji in the center, their current feelings were "shocked."

    "Do you see it now, sisters?" Asou Haruka, who had been mostly silent since the beginning of the duel, finally spoke up, "This is the technique that I, in collaboration with my colleagues at the Investigation Institute over the past decade or so, have refined, and it is also what allowed me to advance to the rank of a cardholder."

    "What''s it called?" Emerald Sparrow did not show any exaggerated reaction, simply nodding slightly, her gaze still fixed on Lin Xiaolu.

    "I usually call it ''Turbidity,'' or in plain language, ''Simulated Deviation,''" said Asou Haruka, her gaze also fixed on the flames within Lin Xiaolu''s magic, "Simply put, it''s a technique that artificially differentiates the underlying tone of the magic power, causing the magic to exhibit special properties."

 Chapter 66_4

    ""Simulated Deviation? Toward which side?"

    Upon hearing this, Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but frown, "That doesn''t sound like a very safe technique."

    Because of the magic power issues Bai Jingxuan had demonstrated before, after asking Molu multiple times, her understanding of the fundamental nature of magic power had deepened significantly.

    Molu had said before that the fundamental nature of magic power represents its owner''s true self, even its origin. Just as the fundamental nature of a Magical Girl is a Magical Girl, and that of Remnant Beasts is Remnant Beasts, this foundation is usually extremely hard to change. Those who possess two types of fundamental natures are generally called "Deviants." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    A typical example would be the Claw Mark, which are "Artificial Deviants" created by artificially shifting a Magical Girl''s fundamental nature toward that of Remnant Beasts.

    From any perspective, "Deviation" does not appear to be something very safe; at least, whether it''s Bai Jingxuan or Claw Mark, a common characteristic they share is "instability."

    "It''s not toward any side, the fundamental nature of a Magical Girl is still that of a Magical Girl, not mixed with any impurities."

    However, Asou Haruka laughed softly and denied Emerald Sparrow''s point of view: "But in fact, the magic power of every Magical Girl is actually unique, just as everyone''s magic attire is one of a kind. Even though they use the same system of power, everyone has their own characteristics."

    "Turbidity is about taking a part of the magic power from its ''commonality'' and allowing it to evolve towards one''s own ''individuality'', giving rise to distinctive features in one''s magic power."

    "That''s why it''s called ''Simulated Deviation''; because the fundamental nature of a Magical Girl hasn''t changed, it just closely resembles this process."

    As the conversation reached this point, the magic power sphere confrontation between Lin Xiaolu and Bai Ji was coming to an end.

    The quivering sky-blue magic power and the burning light blue magic power clashed intensely, and ultimately, the light blue side prevailed, its glow overpowering the Shock Pattern and thus burning it out completely.

    Lin Xiaolu had gained the advantage.

    Even she had not expected beforehand that she would actually win in the same event.

    But compared to her surprise, the feelings of Bai Ji, standing opposite her, were the most complicated at the moment.

    Disbelief.

    This was the portrayal of her feelings at the time.

    No one knew better than she did Lin Xiaolu''s condition a week ago, when she had used the Turbidity technique in a private contest and observed the other''s astonished expression afterward. Clearly, at least at that time, Lin Xiaolu had no understanding of what Turbidity actually was.

    And now, Lin Xiaolu could use this technique with ease, which undoubtedly meant that someone had taught her.

    Among everyone present, no one else had the capability except for Asou Haruka.

    That was the first thing Bai Ji could not comprehend; she did not understand why Asou Haruka would teach Lin Xiaolu the technique of Turbidity in private.

    But what she understood even less was why Lin Xiaolu could truly learn it.

    This concept, which was currently spreading only within a very limited circle, was actually quite a difficult technique. As Asou Haruka''s own unique creation, it generally required a high talent for controlling magic power and long-term practice to master completely.

    It took Bai Ji herself almost half a year to learn this move, mimosa needed no less time, and there was another member in Bai''an City, namely Bai Ji, who hadn''t even mastered this technique to this day.

    So now, how long did it take this opponent who had used Turbidity in front of her?

    "You, did you learn the instructor''s technique of Turbidity in just one week?"

    Thinking this, Bai Ji couldn''t help but voice her doubt.

    "You mean Turbidity?"

    Lin Xiaolu, unaware of what feelings spurred the other party to ask this question, kept a usual expression on her face. She just needed to think back slightly and found the answer to this question in her memory:

    ¡ª¡ª"About three days?" Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 67 Bai Ji and Bai Mei

    Before becoming a Magical Girl, Bai Ji, or the girl named Qiu Yun, led an unremarkable life. Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire

    An ordinary appearance, an ordinary body, an ordinary personality, ordinary talents. The only thing that was not ordinary about her was her mother, who had left home forever after an argument with her husband, and her ever-absent father.

    In her mind, these things never affected her too much; after all, her life continued on. Her father, though not often seen, still provided her with living expenses and tuition fees, and she could attend school as usual.

    At school, Qiu Yun was considered an excellent student. She studied very hard, which resulted in relatively good grades, and she was obedient, thus being appointed as the class president by her homeroom teacher.

    If there hadn''t been other unexpected events, Qiu Yun''s life trajectory would have probably been to study ordinarily, work ordinarily, and then¡ªusing the diligence that brought her a job¡ªleave the family home that lacked even a trace of affection, to find a husband who would love her enough and welcome her own happiness.

    That was at least her own plan.

    One day, the apartment that was usually only occupied by Qiu Yun suddenly had another person in it, a strange woman accompanied by her own father. The strange woman berated Qiu Yun, calling her a child born out of wedlock, a "bastard," and then declared that she did not acknowledge her right to live in this house, demanding that she leave this home.

    During this, Qiu Yun learned for the first time that her mother and father weren''t even married, and she was just a product of an affair.

    Her father stood by silently from beginning to end. Only after the woman left did he secretly give her some money. He just sighed, gesturing feebly at her.

    Qiu Yun tried to call her mother''s number, but all she got was the hollow message: "The phone number is not in service."

    From that day on, Qiu Yun was forced to leave home. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    She moved into a small, dilapidated rental by herself. The man who was her "father" in name continued to give her living expenses secretly, but the amount dwindled until it was barely enough to maintain basic subsistence, not even covering tuition fees.

    In order to continue her education, Qiu Yun began looking for part-time jobs, but because of her age, she couldn''t find anything decent and was relegated to distributing flyers and tissues on the streets. Struggling to make ends meet, her academic performance also began to slip, and everything seemed to be getting worse.

    This lifestyle persisted for quite a while until one day, while she was handing out flyers on the street, she encountered a very special woman.

    That woman was beautiful, tall, and had a unique elegance. Perched on her shoulder was a stuffed toy that looked like a little raccoon, making her stand out from the passing pedestrians.

    She did not reject Qiu Yun''s flyers like most passersby, but took one and then asked a question that sounded almost like an illusion to Qiu Yun:

    ¡ª "Would you be interested in becoming a Magical Girl?"

    Perhaps because life''s hardships had numbed her, Qiu Yun''s response was an incredibly peculiar question: "... Is there a salary?"

    "Room and board are included, and there''s a bonus."

    From that day on, Qiu Yun obtained another name, Bai Ji.

    As a Magical Girl, Bai Ji''s talent turned out to be unexpectedly decent. Though not a genius, she was certainly not "ordinary". Because this was her hard-earned "job," she even put more effort into practicing magic than she had into her studies back in school.

    Qiu Yun always respected the woman who employed her. She respected the kindness shown in taking her out of misery and also respected her strength as a Magical Girl, so she addressed her as "Mentor."

    Out of respect came admiration, and with admiration came aspiration.

    To become a Magical Girl as formidable as her Mentor, Bai Ji constantly held herself to a high standard. Due to her hard work and self-discipline, Bai Ji managed to stand out among her peers, achieving first place in the qualification rankings at the beginning of the year with tenth in practical combat and first in written exams.

    She believed it was all thanks to her Mentor''s guidance.

    She believed it was all because of her Mentor''s skills.

    Her Mentor, Margaret, was the greatest Magical Girl in the world, at least in her eyes; no one could take that place.

    So, when her Mentor mentioned going to Fangting City to "meet an old friend" and hinted that "there might be a contest between the young people," Bai Ji agreed without hesitation.

    She knew the "friend" her Mentor was referring to and understood that the Magical Girl named Emerald Sparrow was an extraordinary person. She felt she ought to be there to support her Mentor when meeting the latter''s student.

    At the same time, she hoped to continue to outperform her rivals and become a student her Mentor could be proud of.

    Even if the opponent was a trainee from the Inspectorate, she would not get stage fright; even if the opponent had been a Magical Girl for just over half a year, she would not underestimate them.

    Especially so, when this rival dared to speak disrespectfully to her own Mentor.

    When her Mentor approached her old friend to greet her warmly, that short girl named Bai Mei had the audacity to make a huge fuss, even using phrases like "indecent behavior."

    This disrespectful, even contemptuous attitude, pained Bai Ji''s heart.

    Out of decorum, she couldn''t criticize or retaliate in that setting, she wouldn''t show rudeness, as that would only embarrass her Mentor in front of the Inspector.

 Chapter 67 Bai Ji and Bai Mei_2

    But that didn''t mean she''d completely let it go.

    After following the other party to the Fangting City base, Bai Ji took the initiative to approach Bai Mei, proposing a "private competition." Of course, publicly it was a "competition," but in reality, it was to probe the depths of her opponent; if the opponent was incompetent, she''d take the opportunity to teach them a lesson. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Without a doubt, Bai Ji succeeded.

    The other party clearly had no idea about the existence of the technique "Turbidity"; thinking that banning Spell Techniques and Magic Equipment meant that a competition of Magic Power was merely an arm-wrestling match, they suffered a great loss and were defeated by her in one encounter.

    But at the same time, Bai Ji also failed.

    The sneaky competition was discovered by the mentor, who not only did not praise her but rather severely told her that her actions were wrong, that exploiting information asymmetry and loopholes in rules violated the principle of fair competition and ordered her to apologize to the Fangting City team.

    Bai Ji didn''t understand or accept why her mentor would criticize her for this matter, but even though she vehemently disagreed, she chose to comply.

    And now, she was watching, wide-eyed, as her own opponent made use of Turbidity.

    "It seems like three days?"

    Upon hearing the other party say these words, Bai Ji felt as if the strings of reason in her mind had snapped.

    What shocked her was that the emotion welling up from the depths of her heart at that moment was not "anger" or "humiliation," but a much uglier sentiment.

    Jealousy.

    Why did her mentor favor the very person who had lightly mocked her, to the point of lavishing them with all their secret techniques willingly?

    Why did people around her tolerate her awful personality and coddle her like a princess, with the enforcer from Fangting City treating her as lovingly as if she were his own daughter, a fact so evident even a blind person could see?

    Why did someone so detestable receive such exaggerated talent from the heavens, mastering Turbidity in mere three days, something she herself had to toil day and night to learn?

    Bai Ji''s mind was riddled with doubts about her opponent''s words, but none of her thoughts could be articulated in any coherent way, as the emotion of jealousy had completely robbed her of her composure.

    She aimlessly activated her Magic Equipment, aimlessly began to pour out her Magic Power. Spell Techniques, Turbidity, Magic Equipment¡ªshe used whatever she could, with only one objective in mind¡ªto knock down this detestable creature.

    "Fanwen!"

    Mouth shouting the name of her Magic Equipment, the pen in her hand swept through the air like a printer, churning out rows of Favo Runes, and the aggressive Spell Techniques were thrown about as if they were free.

    Because she was using her Magic Power too hastily, Bai Ji even exhibited symptoms similar to Xia Liang''s earlier ones¡ªdizziness and blurry vision¡ªclenching her teeth so tightly she was nearly on the verge of shattering her molars.

    Her onslaught was so fierce that Lin Xiaolu naturally didn''t have it any easier. Having only grasped Turbidity not long before, she couldn''t yet use it effortlessly and could only symbolically let the blue flames neutralize a few attacks before having to dodge around. The attack''s density was so high that, despite her evasive actions, she couldn''t completely avoid them and had to take several solid hits.

    But even so, she didn''t become discouraged.

    The words Emerald Sparrow said to her before she went on stage were still recited in her heart.

    "Let Emerald Sparrow truly see who I am now..."

    These words, as if a spell, made Lin Xiaolu''s heart incredibly clear.

    It wasn''t about winning or others, what she considered now was simply how to showcase what she had learned recently.

    Even if there had been no progress in her ability blossoming, even if her Magic Equipment had not shown the slightest response up to now, she had indeed made a real effort, and the results of that effort were solidly there.

    So at least, she had to let Emerald Sparrow see those things.

    Her improved flying skills allowed her to dodge some of the opponent''s attacks.

    The enhancement of her Magic Power quality allowed her to battle an opponent of the Leaf rank without losing to Magic Power exhaustion.

    The flames of Magic Power Turbidity allowed her to ignore, and even counteract, the opponent''s turbid vibrations.

    All these improvements were solidly real.

    So long as she presented these things as they were, and let Emerald Sparrow see that she was indeed striving and progressing, then that was enough.

    ...Was it enough?

    She suddenly questioned herself in her heart.

    Merely demonstrating up to this point seemed to lack something.

    For some reason, Lin Xiaolu always felt, she could do more.

    Although it was only an intuition, this intuition was so clear at the moment; it was shouting loudly at Lin Xiaolu, telling her that this feeling was just right.

    And this feeling, it was so unfamiliar yet familiar.

    The last time she felt this way was during the Full Moon Festival night, the time before that was in the crisis at the orphanage, but in those times, it was her immense anger towards the enemy that brought about such a change. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

    This time it was different.

    It wasn''t an unconscious use brought on by anger but simply a feeling¡ªthat she could do it.

    Because time and again, in the Turbidity of Magic Power, she always felt that this wasn''t her limit.

    Looking at the Magic Power in front of her now transformed into a blue flame, her heart kept telling herself that she could go further, she could show even more.

 Chapter 67 Bai Ji and Bai Mei_3

    Could it become turbid once more?

    This thought frightened Lin Xiaolu herself.

    In previous teachings, Asou Haruka had discussed this issue with her, and the answer was¡ªit was theoretically feasible, but practically there was no benefit.

    Because turbidity itself was already a process of stripping away the commonality of magic power, making it more individualized. Could a second turbidity make the already individualized magic power even more personalized?

    The answer was no.

    In fact, subjecting already turbid magic power to a second turbidity would only cause the magic power to regain a portion of commonality, which would cause it to revert back to its original form.

    This effect, which seemed as if a double negative resulted in a positive, was something that Asou Haruka had not yet figured out the specific principles of. But without a doubt, getting turbid twice, even losing extra mental effort and magic power in the process, to obtain some unaltered magic power, was indeed no gain at all.

    Therefore, Lin Xiaolu was surprised at her own thought: knowing the result of "becoming turbid once more," why did her intuition still tell her it was worth a try?

    But quickly, she cast aside these pointless dilemmas¡ªit was just a try after all; there would be no loss.

    Embracing this idea, she concentrated her mind on the magic power in her hands and then applied the techniques she had learned during this period, influencing the pale blue flame.

    Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire

    The fire-like magic power in her hands, under Lin Xiaolu''s efforts, gradually became calm, and then, the form of the flame slowly dissipated, leaving only the lustre of ordinary magic power.

    This act naturally did not escape Bai Ji''s eyes.

    What on earth is she up to?

    The first thought that popped into Bai Mei''s mind was just that.

    Re-turbidifying magic power that had already undergone turbidity was something she naturally had tried, and it could even be said that everyone in the Bai''an City squad who had learned this technique had attempted it.

    But the answer to this attempt was also consistent¡ªreturning to ordinary magic power.

    And now, the other person was attempting this in the midst of battle¡ªwas it foolish, or simply an expression of disdain for herself?

    Her thoughts quickly spun in her head, but unlike Lin Xiaolu, Bai Ji did not start to get distracted; instead, she swung the magic device in her hand once more, intending to add a few more strikes, to end this annoying battle.

    No matter what the other person was thinking about, the first thing to do was to take her down.

    With this thought in mind, Bai Ji pointed the tip of her pen at Lin Xiaolu, the magic power coalescing above it, intending to take the opportunity to knock Lin Xiaolu down.

    But at this moment, a slight abnormality appeared in her vision. Specifically, it appeared on Lin Xiaolu.

    Because the magic power that had previously returned to calm from a state of turbidity and was quietly resting in Lin Xiaolu''s hands seemed to have faded a bit.

    The original pale blue had gradually lost its color, as if someone had drawn it out, becoming more and more translucent.

    Was it an illusion?

    Before Bai Ji could confirm this idea, she noticed the magic power in Lin Xiaolu''s hands fading a bit more, until it turned from pale blue to an exceedingly piercing white.

    It told Bai Ji with its own actual existence: this was not an illusion.

    Then, this smear of white, starting from a small cluster in Lin Xiaolu''s hands, suddenly spread out.

    The white color, at this moment, captured everyone''s gaze. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 68 The Competition Concludes

    The glaring white light persisted for several seconds. During that time, apart from Emerald Sparrow and Asou Haruka, no one else could see clearly what was happening inside the training ground.

    What occurred within the radiance? What kind of exchange did the two have? Most people had no idea.

    However, when the white light dispersed, all that remained was Lin Xiaolu, who was still standing, and Bai Ji, who was kneeling on the ground.

    The magic outfit in Bai Ji''s hand had fallen to the side at some unknown time, and the magical wardrobe on her body also showed signs of scorching and tearing. Clearly, her magic power had nearly been depleted.

    Even so, she still stared hard at Lin Xiaolu, her eyes brimming with undiminished fighting spirit.

    The situation on Lin Xiaolu''s side wasn''t much better. She was able to stand merely because she still had magic power left. The magic particles drifting from her body surface proved that she had also been injured in the battle.

    Wiping her cheek with her glove to disperse the remaining magic particles, she stared back expressionlessly.

    Was the battle still continuing, or had a result already been determined?

    If it had ended, who had won?

    In the midst of several Magical Girls'' confusion, the judge in the center of the arena, Moka, slowly raised its paw and loudly announced:

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    ¡ª¡ª"The second duel, Bai Mei wins! Next, we will enter the mid-battle break!"

    With this, a period was put to this duel which could be said to be a huge upset.

    Before this, even Asou Haruka, who personally taught Lin Xiaolu the Turbidity Techniques, probably couldn''t have expected this outcome.

    The others might have not seen clearly, but she had a clear view of everything that happened within the white light ¡ª Lin Xiaolu had taken the white magic power in her hands and tossed it out like a thrown weapon, while Bai Ji had hesitated for a moment before immediately beginning to counter. Her spell techniques and magical outfit were imbued with Turbidity without exception, indicating she was fully prepared for defense.

    Yet, she was still caught off guard.

    Because the white magic power Lin Xiaolu released seemed to penetrate space itself, moving directly through Bai Ji''s prepared defenses and striking Bai Ji.

    It did not damage the magic outfit or destroy the magical barrier but merely passed through as if those spell techniques did not exist at all.

    This was the reason that Bai Ji was defeated in one blow ¡ª the defensive measures she had prepared by exhausting her last bit of magic power had been ineffective, and she had instead taken a solid hit from the opponent''s Turbidity-enhanced attack.

    "What is this, sister?"

    This time, it was her turn to ask Emerald Sparrow, "Did you teach her this?"

    "I couldn''t perform her move, she mastered it all on her own."

    Emerald Sparrow shook her head: "She has used it a few times in the past, but it has always been very unstable, so it couldn''t be included in her regular combat power."

    "So... this is the ''specialty'' you mentioned before, the one the kid possesses?"

    Resting her chin in deep thought, Asou Haruka''s gaze scrutinized Lin Xiaolu not far away, "A deviant?"

    "I don''t know," Emerald Sparrow said expressionlessly.

    "That''s not the answer I want, sister. I''ve entrusted all of my ''Turbidity'' knowledge to you," Asou Haruka raised her eyebrows somewhat unsatisfied. "The duel is over, so there''s no need to keep secrets in this area. Given our relationship, do you really need to keep something like this from me?"

    "I''m telling the truth because I truly don''t know,"

    Emerald Sparrow gave her a look, "I can''t confirm whether this is a deviation or not. Can''t you feel it? That kind of white magic power didn''t show any trace of being anything other than a Magical Girl."

    "Indeed, based on its essence, it seems to still be that of a Magical Girl... but it''s hard to say it''s simply Turbidity. Is there some different condition? It''s really strange,"

    The troubled expression remained on Asou Haruka''s face only for a moment before it transformed back into a smile, "Well, it''s good. It''s rare for things to become interesting."

    "I must remind you, it''s fine to find it interesting, but don''t have the wrong ideas about that child," Emerald Sparrow warned.

    "Of course not, I''m not Su Shengzi. Besides, she is after all the daughter of An Ya and... right?" Asou Haruka teased.

    While they conversed in this manner, on the other side, Lin Xiaolu and Bai Ji, who had finished their duel, finally de-transformed and walked out of the training arena together.

    Bai Ji was the one walking in front.

    Bai Ji, now in her civilian form, appeared to be a rather quiet and composed girl with a slender figure and a serene expression. She had shoulder-length black hair and was dressed neatly, fitting the stereotype of the "model student" in many people''s minds.

    This "model student" kept her gaze to the ground as she walked, not looking up until she was in front of Asou Haruka, where she hesitated before stopping and slowly lifting her head to look at her.

    "I''m very sorry, mentor,"

    Her voice was rough, "I lost."

    "Yes, you lost,"

    Asou Haruka nodded, "So? What about it?"

    "I let you down, I''m sorry," Bai Ji lowered her head again.

    "And what do you think I should do now?" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "...Please criticize me," Bai Ji replied softly.

    "You have no problem saying that... but I''m not disappointed, so I won''t criticize you,"

    Asou Haruka smiled, "After all, you did everything that was within your capacity. You were not careless, nor did you make mistakes, you just simply encountered something beyond your capacity which made you lose. I have no reason to blame you."

    "Then, for using Turbidity on an unknowing opponent without principle before, please criticize me,"

    "Didn''t I already talk to you about that before? So consider it in the past, just be careful next time,"

 Chapter 68 The Contest Ends_2

    "So..."

    For some reason, Bai Ji stopped speaking halfway through her sentence.

    Her shoulders trembled slightly.

    Asou Haruka looked helplessly at her student, reached out to lift her head, but as her hand touched Bai Ji''s shoulder, the smile on her face froze, her expression turning to one of utter astonishment.

    She realized that Bai Ji seemed to be crying.

    "Ah, why are you crying? Is it really worth getting this upset over? Let me take a look."

    This look of surprise didn''t last long; she immediately reacted, smiling as she lifted Bai Ji''s face, "It''s just a loss in one match, no one blames you, don''t worry about it."

    But who knew, such consolation only made Bai Ji cry even harder.

    If before she had been quietly sniffling in silence, after hearing Asou Haruka''s words, the sniffling turned into wailing.

    "I''m just... sob, so unworthy of your expectations..."

    As she cried, she said, "So you... sob sob sob... never expected me to win from the start, you''ve always been biased towards Bai Mei... waaahhhhh!"

    The crying was heart-wrenching, desolate and pitiful, making it unbearable for others to watch. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The other Magical Girls, upon hearing the commotion, turned their eyes in this direction. A few team members from Fangting City didn''t see anything amiss, but the other two from Bai An City were extremely shocked.

    After all, in their view, Bai Ji was always composed and mature, considered the cornerstone among the younger generation. She never complained no matter what kind of hard or tiring work she encountered, and instead, always helped her teammates, Reseda and Shy Violet, to resolve their own emotional problems.

    Such a Bai Ji, now crying openly in front of everyone?

    Let alone the other Magical Girls, even Asou Haruka was taken aback for a moment.

    All she could do was to follow her instincts, subconsciously patting Bai Ji''s back, wanting to say something comforting, but considering that her own words seemed to have made Bai Ji so sad, she was completely frozen.

    After thinking for a moment, she could only blink and look towards Emerald Sparrow.

    "Apologize." Emerald Sparrow, with her arms crossed, spoke with certainty.

    "Why?" Asou Haruka chuckled dryly.

    "No reason, this is just the consequence of disappointing someone who had good intentions towards you."

    Emerald Sparrow, with droopy eyelids, analyzed, "The things you just said, in her ears, sounded like ''I never had much faith in you to start with, I think the opponent is much stronger, it''s only natural for you to lose, there''s no need to criticize''."

    "Furthermore, you gave her opponent extra coaching right before the match, despite being her own mentor, it''s like you were helping the enemy against her. Of course, she would feel aggrieved in such a situation."

    Having analyzed the situation, Emerald Sparrow, who believed she had unraveled the chain of events, nodded and said, "So, apologize."

    "Waaahhhhh¡ª¡ª"

    Just as she finished speaking, Bai Ji''s crying grew even louder as if to affirm Emerald Sparrow''s words.

    At this point, Asou Haruka had no choice but to believe.

    It was less about being persuaded by Emerald Sparrow and more that she herself had had an inkling of this point.

    However, in her mind, Bai Ji had always been a sensible and worry-free student, possessing a deeper understanding than her peers in everything, so she shouldn''t be fussing over such a matter.

    Ever since proposing this "competition," that had been Asou Haruka''s belief.

    Turbidity was a technique of her creation, but once it was developed, she didn''t guard it jealously. Instead, she taught it to many people; it was almost semi-public knowledge, and teaching this semi-public technique as a favor to others was quite normal.

    For the inter-city team competitions, although she was the mentor for Bai An City, having her own students win too easily wouldn''t serve as a challenge for them, so providing the opponent with some competitive edge within an appropriate range was actually quite reasonable.

    Regarding the outcome of the competition, since her opponent possessed an irregular ability beyond the norm for a Magical Girl, losing wasn''t really something to be embarrassed about. Explaining this fact had no issues.

    All her thoughts were "normal," all her actions "reasonable," but she had completely disregarded one fact.

    "You child... Do you really like me that much?"

    That was what Asou Haruka had failed to realize all along.

    To her, she was merely a senior who had, under the pretense of "hiring part-time work," cajoled the other person into becoming a Magical Girl and then taught her how to fight as one.

    Their relationship, as Bai Ji had always put it, was that of "mentor" and "student." While they were acquaintances and trustworthy companions, it wasn''t supposed to inspire such fervent emotions.

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    It was precisely this misperception that had led to their interactions always being strictly business, or perhaps a bit too indifferent.

    In a sense, she had overlooked the other person''s feelings.

    So she pursed her lips, reached out to embrace Bai Ji, and gently patted her head, softly saying, "I''m sorry, I was wrong."

    As she spoke, her sentiment was genuine.

    Then, Bai Ji cried even louder.

    But this time, it clearly wasn''t out of sorrow, but rather the release of pent-up emotions after her emotional knots had been untied.

    As for how to console her now, that was Asou Haruka''s own task¡ªEmerald Sparrow was unable to assist her.

    Indeed, while Bai Ji needed consolation, she had her own bit of a firecracker to deal with.

 Chapter 68 End of the Contest_3

    "It''s so disgraceful, she''s only lost, yet she cries like this. It''s too shameful," Lin Xiaolu commented on Bai Ji, standing beside Emerald Sparrow as if she had forgotten about how just a week ago, she had locked herself in her room and wallowed in dejection all night after losing to Bai Ji.

    Emerald Sparrow hadn''t forgotten, but she wouldn''t bring up such an embarrassing matter, so she simply explained in a neither hot nor cold tone, "It''s not mainly because of the loss, but because she was ignored by the person she admires, and that''s why she feels so aggrieved. It''s not something I can''t understand."

    "Even if she was ignored, there''s no reason to... in such a setting..."

    Lin Xiaolu, probably because she had just gotten her revenge, spoke with much fervor, picking up where Emerald Sparrow left off, condescendingly wanting to criticize Bai Ji further. But soon, realizing what she was saying, she couldn''t continue, "...You''re right, I guess it''s not something I can''t understand."

    "Are you a little happier now? You defeated an opponent you had lost to before," Emerald Sparrow asked.

    "Happier...?"

    Gazing at Bai Ji not far away, crying her heart out, Lin Xiaolu, who initially had a rather triumphant expression, for some reason seemed to weaken slightly. After a pause, she exhaled, "I suppose I''m happy? After all, she was so arrogant before..."

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t help but turn her head and look seriously at her daughter beside her.

    It had been several days since she had communicated with her, neither as Emerald Sparrow nor as Lin Yun.

    Lin Xiaolu had just achieved a hard-won victory. Although there was tiredness in her expression from the fight, compared to the despondence of the previous days, she certainly looked much more spirited now.

    The anxiety over not being able to awaken her magical gear, the panic of always being behind her teammates¡ªwhile these feelings hadn''t vanished entirely, at least they seemed to have faded temporarily from Lin Xiaolu.

    But, for some reason, Emerald Sparrow felt that beneath these emotions, Lin Xiaolu still carried a strong sense of confusion.

    This confusion hadn''t diminished with the victory in the competition; instead, it had grown even more intense.

    "...Emerald Sparrow, I did it. The things I''ve learned these days, the achievements of my practice, I''ve shown them all to you in the fight just now," Lin Xiaolu spoke after a long silence: "Although many things are still immature, I hope you saw them all." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Yes, I know, thank you. I watched very closely," Emerald Sparrow replied softly: "You''ve made great progress, you performed very well in this fight."

    "Really? That''s good," Lin Xiaolu replied, seemingly relieved.

    Then, as if she were struggling with herself again, after another brief pause, she asked, "So, may I ask then? Emerald Sparrow...what exactly do you think of me?"

    "What do I think?"

    This abrupt question left Emerald Sparrow somewhat puzzled: "I think you''re doing very well."

    "Very, very well?"

    Lin Xiaolu''s voice suddenly rose by two decibels, "Really? You think...you think I''m doing very well? Then, where exactly am I doing well, well...good?"

    For some reason, her rhythm of speech was completely off, some pronunciations weren''t quite right, perhaps she had bitten her own tongue.

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    "Where am I doing well? Your control of magic power has indeed improved, the application and connection of basic skills are noticeably optimized; your judgment of the opponent''s attacking intent is more accurate, you can now predict some attacking patterns; your movements in avoiding attacks have become more agile, no longer as forceful as before... All these are visible improvements," Emerald Sparrow enumerated Lin Xiaolu''s recent battle performance, feeling quite gratified and moved even as she spoke these words of progress: "You''ve really worked hard, I''m very proud of you."

    "...Oh."

    But who could have known that such precise and sincere praise from Emerald Sparrow would inexplicably make Lin Xiaolu feel dejected.

    Had something gone wrong? Emerald Sparrow was momentarily perplexed.

    But with Bai Ji''s cries and Asou Haruka''s troubled words of comfort as a backdrop, the team contest between Bai''an City and Fangting City also came to a complete close.

    The overall score was 2 to 1, Fangting City 2 points, Bai''an City 1 point, with the final victory going to Fangting City.

    The final point was earned by Bai Jingxuan.

    The last competitor from Bai''an City, Mokuren, being the only magical girl in the team who hadn''t mastered Turbidity and who was still at the bud level, was defeated in less than a minute by Bai Jingxuan''s desperate fighting tactics and overwhelming magic power, lying on the ground, shakily raising a white flag.

 Chapter 69 White Wolf

    In the material realm of Donghua Region, people were accustomed to treating the New Year''s crossover as a special festival. Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire

    As the New Year approached, regardless of whether they had been busy at work or with their studies, they would always take a few days off to spend the turn of the year with their families.

    This was why, when December was nearing its end and Fangting City was covered in ice and snow, schools and workplaces alike welcomed a break of several days.

    "A holiday?"

    However, not everyone was pleased with the idea of a holiday. At least for Yuan, it wasn''t considered good news: "What do you mean, no work for the next few days, and no wages either?"

    "Yeah, everyone should go home for the New Year."

    The middle-aged man, clad in construction attire and a hard hat, exhaled, his breath slowly rising in the cold air: "I know you like to work, but it''s that time of the year. You should spend some time at home with your family, with your parents, boyfriend or whatever." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "I know you''re supposed to go home for the New Year... but do we really need a holiday?"

    Scratching her head with a somewhat troubled expression, Yuan complained, "To be honest, I''m really in a hurry for money."

    "There''s nothing we can do about it. The equipment has to be sent back to the company for maintenance, and the rental period for the construction vehicles doesn''t include holidays... Even if you really wanted to work, you can''t do it alone, right?"

    The middle-aged man waved his hand, signaling Yuan to leave: "Alright, if there''s nothing else, tidy up the site and let''s go. We''re about to leave too."

    No matter how much she wanted to say something more, Yuan was hustled away by the middle-aged man.

    Looking at the sparsely populated construction site not far away, she examined her construction clothes covered in dust and then her pitch-black white gloves, and eventually, she just leaned against the wall, helplessly sighing.

    "Sigh, making money is really tough in this day and age."

    ¡ª¡ª"It''s your own damn fault for blowing all the cash the Abnormal Strategy Bureau gave you on lottery tickets and slot machines!"

    A somewhat shrill voice came from beside her. The fairy-like creature resembling a black cat, Semi, floated next to her without her noticing: "Now you know the money is hard to earn? Why didn''t you ever think about this when you were spending it? What exactly is your head filled with?"

    "It''s just bad luck, what if I win next time?"

    Yuan murmured quietly, "If it really comes to it, I could go back to that place where I gambled on fist fighting. Last time I did make a little bit there..."

    "You''re thinking of going again?"

    All the fur on Semi''s body bristled: "No way, no way, no way! The money we have now is only enough to last us a few days for food!"

    "If we win, we could go to that fancy restaurant we saw before, right?"

    Yuan smiled with confidence: "I''m getting tired of boxed lunches too; it''s time to aspire to a more luxurious diet."

    "But if we lose, we''ll have to rummage through trash bins on the commercial street for food again!"

    Semi shook his head incessantly: "I absolutely refuse!"

    "It''s not like we''ll starve. At the end of the day, skipping a few meals is not a big deal for either of us."

    Yuan spoke nonchalantly, obviously not taking the "consequences" Semi mentioned seriously, and walked along the path beside the construction site: "If it comes to it, you can learn from the other stray cats and wait for passersby to feed you some cat food."

    "But we can eat properly, can''t we?"

    Semi could only follow behind her, arguing his case: "Also, as I''ve said, I''m not a cat, and I don''t eat cat food..."

    "No worries. When I win back the money next time, you can eat whatever you want."

    "I told you there''s no next time! No more lottery tickets! No more fist fighting! No more slot machines!"

    Semi declared sternly: "If there''s a next time, I''ll quit for good. It''s better to go back and apologize to the boss!"

    "Alright, alright, alright¡ª"

    While dragging out her voice in a perfunctory response, she walked out of the construction site with Semi. Yuan strolled down the sidewalk at a leisurely pace, watching the traffic on the road with an expressionless face, her thoughts inscrutable.

    It had been over a month since she had arrived in Fangting City.

    From being tricked while looking for jobs at the very beginning to being chased by city management when fortune-telling on the streets, and eventually finding a dependable construction site, she had seen some of the facets of city life.

    Although she hadn''t integrated into modern city life, it didn''t bother her. Rather, she was always trying things she had never seen before.

    Whether it was gambling, which Semi criticized, or the "proper" work of earning money, the food, entertainment, transportation ¨C she took pleasure in experiencing all that the city had to offer.

    Beyond mere experiences, even if there was nothing much to do, she could go pick a fight with the Magical Girls of Fangting City, a good mix of work and play.

    Her time may have been short, but she was rather content with such a life. In fact, she had lately become quite reluctant to leave. The material realm of today was far more interesting than the era she was born in and her previous life in the Interrealm.

    Stepping on the snow-covered pavement, feeling the snow being compacted and crushed beneath her feet, the subtle noises traveling up into her ears caused Yuan to stop in her tracks.

    "What a pity."

    She muttered to herself.

    Although she really wanted to stay in this place for a while, various factors didn''t allow for it.

    Underneath the glossy white gloves, she could feel the back of her hand warming up.

    Lifting her hand to remove the glove, the burning back of her hand glowed faintly with the red hawk falcon pattern etched upon it.

 Chapter 69 White Wolf_2

    The pattern represents her identity within the Claw Mark, symbolizes her role as a core member of the Claw Mark, and when it glows, there can only be one possibility¡ªthe leader of the Claw Mark has some matter to discuss with her.

    The action did not escape the notice of Semi beside her, thus the expression of the Black Cat Fairy also became serious. They exchanged a glance and synchronized their movements without agreement.

    After scanning the surroundings and ensuring no one was paying attention, Yuan casually chose an alley, transformed within the darkness after entering it, and then soared into the air, heading for the top of a nearby towering office building.

    Semi followed closely, using her fairy trait of being invisible to passersby, bouncing between buildings, then landing beside Yuan.

    Everything ready, Yuan pulled out a red and black magic mirror from her bag, sat crouching in the cold wind, and according to the call of the mark on her hand, made contact with the other end of the magic mirror.

    Almost simultaneously, deep purple Magic Power began to diffuse from the mirror, completely obscuring the surrounding space.

    Silently observing the changes on the magic mirror, Yuan didn''t utter a word; Semi also maintained silence, lying motionless on the ground. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The deep purple Magic Power seemed to have a life of its own, exploring, sensing, touching the surrounding air¡ªas if light Magic Power, yet felt solid, creating a heavy and suffocating sensation. It swirled around, forming currents within a certain range, as if to discern the environment.

    Before long, the spreading Magic Power finally stopped expanding and instead completely sealed off the high skies outside the office building, forming a Barrier that no outsider could penetrate.

    Then, the mirror in Yuan''s hand finally lit up.

    ¡ª"Long time no see, dear Yuan."

    A voice that was light with a touch of tenderness spoke; a girl looking about fifteen years old appeared on the other side of the magic mirror, her face adorned with a warm smile, like that of an innocent girl unaware of the world''s complexities.

    Her features were delicate, her skin pale and flushed, with deep purple eyes misty with light, appearing pitiable. Her light and fluffy purple hair loosely draped over her shoulders, looking as soft and fluffy as down filling in clothes.

    She was dressed in a white princess gown, richly and intricately adorned, and wore a diamond necklace around her neck that seemed to signify something.

    In appearance, dress, and demeanor, the girl was like a princess from a fairy tale. Cute, luxurious, and elegant; a series of adjectives seemed to find their corresponding reality in her.

    That is, if one could ignore the environment she was in.

    The vast expanse of yellow sand, the reddening setting sun, and behind the girl lay a massive Remnant Beast barely clinging to life; the fluids of Remnant Beasts everywhere, limbs torn beyond recognition, and the charred remains of what seemed to have been their "nests."

    It appeared as if a battle had just occurred there¡ªthis would be anyone''s first thought at the sight. Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

    However, this notion would distort upon seeing the girl¡ªfor the scenes surrounding her starkly contrasted with her presence.

    In the midst of nearly ruinous surroundings, not a trace of blood or dirt marred the girl, not even a speck of dust; her pristine white princess gown bore no color other than the decorative ribbons. Furthermore, not even her hair seemed touched by debris, soft as though it had just been groomed.

    And such a girl bore one most striking anomaly¡ªthat upon her head were a pair of beast ears formed by the Flow of Magical Power.

    They stood erect like ears of a canid creature at the sides of her head, only they appeared semi-transparent because they were constructed of Magic Power.

    "Long time no see, boss."

    Yuan greeted the figure in the mirror as if not noticing any abnormalities, then lifted her head and politely smiled, "Are you out on a hunt today?"

    "Yes, it''s been some time like this," the girl glanced back at the massive Remnant Beast, and with that movement, the dying beast even ceased its faint vital functions, "After all, we''re short on people at home now, with everyone out on tasks, so I have to do some odd jobs."

    "Short on people¡­?" Yuan slightly lowered her gaze, not looking directly at the girl in the mirror.

    "Yes, you''re in the material world, Black Cat has returned to the realm, and Kui went with her... Now it''s just some support staff and me at home, it''s lonely," the girl chuckled lightly, her cheeks faintly blushing as if with a hint of shyness, "So I contacted you at this time, I haven''t disturbed your important tasks, have I?"

    "No, the most important task is when you need me, boss," Yuan barely smiled, showing a grudging laugh, "It''s also our fault for taking so long outside, leaving you cooped up at home in discomfort."

    "It''s okay, after all, they are my requests, the tasks I hope you will complete, and being anxious often doesn''t yield good results," the girl shook her head, her gaze tenderly on Yuan, "I''m just a little worried if you encountered insurmountable difficulties in your tasks."

 Chapter 69 White Wolf_3

    Yuan pursed her lips.

    She lowered her head, her pleading gaze shifting slightly to the side, only to see Semi lying quietly on the ground, as if dead, with no movement at all.

    With a sigh in her heart, she had no choice but to organize her thoughts and speak haltingly, "Over here... things haven''t been going smoothly because, according to my investigation, the Source of Beasts from the moth... is now controlled by Molu."

    "As for Cornflower, although she is injured just like the reports indicated, there are veteran members of the Fangting City squad stationed here, ensuring her safety."

    "That girl named Bai Jingxuan... she''s also almost always at the secret base of the Fangting City Magical Girl squad, rarely showing up, and even when she does, she''s always in the company of others, with no suitable opportunity to make a move."

    She racked her brains to extract what could be considered "facts" from her mind, which she then composed into the above statement.

    All these words were true, but they were not actually the reason why she hadn''t succeeded; the only reason was that she was here "on vacation," not eager to resolve things early.

    "Molu?"

    Luckily, the information Yuan managed to throw out seemed to have truly caught the girl''s attention, especially the code name signifying the Research Institute''s Gemstone Scepter.

    It was also a piece of information Yuan had learned only during her recent challenge with Emerald Sparrow, and it was precisely because of this revelation that Yuan adopted a devil-may-care attitude and settled down in Fangting City for good.

    After all, it might be acceptable for her to rob a nearly stocked Gemstone Scepter who was injured, but to go and rob a fully empowered reigning Gemstone Scepter? That was no joke.

    Upon hearing this code name, the girl first froze briefly, then furrowed her brow, pouted her lips, and showed a clearly petulant expression. Even though she was angry, she still appeared somewhat endearing: "That bookworm is always annoyingly sharp when it comes to these matters."

    "You said the Source of Beasts is controlled by Molu, to what extent? Has it already reached her personally, or is it merely held by those librarians who overstep boundaries everywhere? Has it been transported to their nation, or is it still in the physical realm?"

    The girl''s clear voice rang out, almost like reciting a poem, "So, since the Source of Beasts has reached her, has Cornflower actually made some kind of deal with her?"

    "It seems so."

    Yuan appeared to answer honestly but carefully chose her words, "I had previously found Cornflower and asked her to hand over the Source of Beasts, but not only did other members of the Fangting City squad come to stop me, but during the process, I also learned that the Source of Beasts had been taken by Molu." Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire

    "I don''t know when Molu came and made the deal with her, but it must have been completed when we were unaware." Feeling this wasn''t enough to cover her shortcomings, she added another sentence.

    "So you''re saying you don''t know the progress... but you''re sure Molu took it? Could it be a deception to take advantage of you?" the girl asked. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "I can''t sense any residual aura of the Source of Beasts on Cornflower, and there is no trace left in Ting City either; even if it''s not Molu, it shouldn''t be in this city anymore," Yuan reported truthfully.

    "I haven''t verified the reliability of this information yet; that''s my mistake," she admitted her lapse in due diligence.

    "That''s alright, let''s assume it''s true, as it doesn''t conflict with our original intent," the girl said, shaking her head gently.

    "So, the remaining tasks are only to bring Cornflower and Bai Jingxuan back, and if those two tasks could be completed, their worth would be no less than a Source of Beasts. Do you have any leads?"

    "This matter, because the old members of the Fangting City team are stationed there, is actually not that easy..."

    "Easy, right?"

    Interrupting Yuan''s evasive words, the girl looked curious, leaning slightly towards the mirror as she probed, "Twenty years ago, the Fangting City team was legendary because of Cornflower and Sakura, but now Cornflower is injured and Sakura is dead. The rest should pose no threat to you, right?"

    "I have tried fighting them, but it seems that the injured Cornflower can recover some strength with the support of her teammates, and her teammates are also Flower-class..." Yuan''s voice grew softer and softer.

    "Yet, to you, that still counts for nothing, doesn''t it?"

    The girl suddenly smiled, her expression bright and pure, "You are my most trusted warrior. Even against Cornflower or a member of Sakura at their peak, you ought to be more than capable of a fight."

    "...Yes." Yuan could only respond thus.

    "If a head-on fight really seems too hard for you to win, then you could try using the people in the city, couldn''t you? It''s almost the so-called New Year in the Material World, and according to their customs, how about setting off some nice fireworks for them?"

    Seeing that Yuan was reluctant to speak more, the girl went on in a coy, innocent voice, "A million people might affect the normal operation of the city, which would be inconvenient for the Angel Envoy to take over later... So how about one hundred thousand? That number should be enough to make them accept some unequal rules."

    "...What do you mean?"

    "Kill them." The girl''s tone was flighty, as if she were discussing what to have for dinner.

    Yuan fell silent once again.

    Facing the leader of the Claw Mark, the former Gemstone Scepter¡ªWhite Wolf, she found herself silent so frequently.

    "Ah, why aren''t you speaking?"

    At Yuan''s silence, White Wolf blinked, tilting her head somewhat puzzled, "Are you unhappy because I''m meddling too much with your mission? If that''s the case, I''m sorry, I just hope you can solve your troubles quickly and return to our home. It''s my fault for being so talkative, won''t you stop being mad at me?"

    "After all, it''s a bit lonely being alone."

    Her gaze upon Yuan was tender, and she smiled bashfully like a shy young girl, "How nice it would be if you could come back to keep me company sooner."

    Yuan couldn''t lift her head.

    Even though she knew that if she looked up now, she would only see White Wolf''s signature tender gaze, she still couldn''t bring herself to lift her head.

    All she could do was keep her head down, bowing deeply, as deeply as a subject before the emperor in the royal court.

    ¡ª"As you command."

    Then, like a puppet, she squeezed the stiff words from her mouth.

 Chapter 70 Before the Year End

    As the year drew to a close, and the second-to-last day before the holidays arrived, Lin Yun left work at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and by the time he reached home, it was nearly nine o''clock.

    It wasn''t just because he had a meeting with government officials that afternoon, but also because after work he had to show his face at the base in the guise of Emerald Sparrow, which had nearly become a fixed part of his routine recently.

    Usually, he might have stayed at the house in the base, but today was different¡ªLin Xiaolu had come home.

    Sometimes weekly, other times bi-monthly, Lin Xiaolu often returned home to change out her laundry and daily necessities, taking away some things she would need next and bringing some unnecessary items back, and she would also tidy up her room.

    For her, this was a natural occurrence that didn''t require consideration of any complex internal reasons, but for Lin Yun, deciding whether to return home involved multiple considerations.

    In the first two months after he had moved into the secret base, his itinerary was highly consistent with Lin Xiaolu''s, and he would invariably find an excuse to leave the base whenever Lin Xiaolu came home¡ªsince Xia Liang already knew the truth and Bai Jingxuan didn''t care about these matters at all. By making sure he was also home when Lin Xiaolu returned, he could alleviate the issue of identity conflicts to a certain extent.

    However, as time went on, especially after the Full Moon Festival, Lin Xiaolu discovered that her father was not entirely an ordinary person, and later even learned that Lin Yun was the Director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. Then one evening, she posed a thought-provoking question to her father:

    ¡ª"Have you not needed to work overtime or entertain in the evenings recently?"

    Lin Yun could have given an exact answer, which was "indeed I don''t need to," but it was difficult for him to use language that his daughter could understand and accept to explain the logic behind it in just a few words.

    After all, there were personal reasons as well as Fangting City-level reasons.

    Objectively speaking, he indeed had a lot of work to do, whether it was the various decision-making tasks within the Abnormal Strategy Bureau or communication with certain government officials, even to the point of intervening in Fangting City''s political affairs. If Lin Yun wanted to spend time on these matters, he could be busy to the extent that he couldn''t return home every evening.

    But in reality, Lin Yun wasn''t willing to waste time on trivial matters.

    His attitude toward the work at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was straightforward: "to eliminate the unstable forces in Fangting City." Aside from this objective, he had little interest in deeply involving himself in Fangting City''s policy-making or the power games among Fangting City''s upper echelons.

    This was both personal preference and an assessment of the situation.

    Although Lin Yun was a born and raised Fangting City resident, he had no political track record in his over thirty years of life, no seniority, no experience. Now, even though he was the Director of Fangting City, he still seemed like an "outsider" to the government officials of Fangting.

    It would have been one thing if he were just a simple outsider, but that was not so. Any interested party who tried to understand the background of Lin Yun''s identity, even without being able to investigate An Ya, let alone Lin Xiaolu, could still come to the silent realization of the fact that he was "sent directly from the headquarters in Tiandu City, with the will of the Magic Kingdom likely backing him."

    "How to handle the relationship with the new Director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau" quickly became a major problem for the Fangting City Government. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The relationship between the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and the city government is not hierarchical, but two sides of the same coin within the same city.

    The Abnormal Strategy Bureau is responsible for managing a plethora of individuals with extraordinary powers, such as Magicians, and communicate with forces that are too powerful, like Magical Girls and the Magic Kingdom, while the government is responsible for ensuring the ordinary citizens'' lives, maintaining city facilities, and social operations. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire

    In most cities, the relationship between the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and other government departments is an aloof one, where each department mostly keeps to its own responsibilities, but there are many areas where cooperation is required.

    A typical and sensitive topic is the funding for the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s activities as money needs to be obtained from the government. Once money is involved in a matter, countless stakeholders come into play.

    Typically, when a city''s Abnormal Strategy Bureau asks the government for funding, it means the beginning of some sordid adult dealings: how much money to give, in what form, and when to give it. There are many things that the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and government need to haggle over, and both sides'' personnel can seize more benefits for public or private reasons, with a significant amount of funds going into some officials'' pockets under the guise of "Abnormal Strategy Bureau activities."

    Such matters were an unspoken rule in Fangting City before, even when Mosi was in charge, because although none of the vile deeds done by Black Ash Dawn were the work of average people, they still required money, a substantial amount of resources.

    However, when Lin Yun took office, this rule was immediately broken.

    It wasn''t that Lin Yun wasn''t aware or didn''t understand the rules; he simply couldn''t be bothered with them.

    He didn''t think he had to come up with various pretexts to extract money from the government. Instead of doing that, he preferred to take only what was needed. He wouldn''t intentionally make the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s operations bare-bones, but nor would he seek resources beyond normal expenses.

    In response, Fangting City Government officials felt both joy and concern.

 Chapter 70 Before the Year End_2

    The joy lay in the significant reduction in expenses on the account books, compared to the years when the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was known for making exorbitant demands, the bureau under Lin Yun''s leadership was the epitome of integrity and honor. The concern was that, as a result, many people also lost the opportunity to line their own pockets and missed a chance to draw Lin Yun into their circle.

    The new director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was just too incorruptible and too impartial, leaving them at a loss as to how to win him over. Unable to make him "one of us," he remained an "outsider," and with outsiders, many matters couldn''t be discussed more in-depth.

    The most troublesome part was that it was out of the question to think of winning over or ingratiating the new director, let alone suppressing or undermining him¡ªafter all, he was directly appointed by the Magic Kingdom. Who knew how connected he could be? If someone influential at the state level decided so, a single word could leave Fangting City without the Magical Girl''s protection, which would spell real disaster.

    They also knew that this was, in fact, a fortunate worry.

    Many small cities'' Abnormal Strategy Bureaus wouldn''t even dream of direct appointments from the Magic Kingdom; most members might never even visit the Magic Kingdom in their lifetime, let alone have the capital to ask for something from the state. Often, when facing Remnant Beasts, they could only silently clean up the aftermath or hope that a powerful individual would emerge among their city''s Magical Girls.

    For nearly a hundred years, Fangting City had been such a city. Owing to its relatively remote geographical location and small urban scale, it was mostly invisible to the state, and the Remnant Beast disasters that occurred every so often left the people in constant fear.

    Until twenty years ago, when Fangting City produced a generation of Magical Girls that could be described as exceptionally talented. They not only easily solved the Remnant Beast disasters native to Fangting City but their martial influence even spanned the Wilderness, covering several neighboring cities. Fangting City had thus become one of the most stable cities in the Southeast Donghua Region for a time.

    With such a reputation spreading, naturally, many came to Fangting City with the hope of settling down, which directly led to the city''s rapid growth and expansion in the past decade. The economic development zone of the new urban area was also established as a result.

    Fangting City was a quiet small town just twenty years ago, but after two decades, it had seen considerable development. Although still far behind traditional big cities, within the category of small cities, it had become one of the most recognized.

    This trend momentarily stalled at the beginning of this year due to Fangting City''s Magical Girls seemingly having some generational transition issues, with frequent outbreaks of Remnant Beast disasters causing some unease among the citizens.

    However, soon after, as the new generation of Magical Girls began to actively engage, the previous generation also made a high-profile appearance on the Full Moon Festival, boldly killing a giant Remnant Beast that invaded the city, and the residents of Fangting City once again re-established their confidence in "safety."

    The stability of Fangting City now largely depends on the protection provided by the Magic Kingdom, which means that in the face of Lin Yun, the municipal government officials can neither be too enthusiastic nor dare to be too negligent, finding themselves uncomfortably stuck in the middle.

    As for all this, Lin Yun was very aware.

    But for him now, this state of affairs was ideal.

    Once he had to lead the Abnormal Strategy Bureau to establish deeper cooperation with the government, that would inevitably involve more intensive communication with various parties, leading to a slew of meetings, receptions, and social engagements... The mere thought of it made his head tingle.

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    He was quite certain he did not have the time to maintain relationships with these government officials, and therefore, there was no need to engage in face-saving projects; it was enough to focus on his own work.

    Regarding the work at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, setting aside that Hong Si and could already help him share much of the burden, there was no need to work overtime into the night. Any unfinished work could be taken back to the base or home to continue.

    This allowed Lin Yun to frequently return home without being as busy until late at night as he had been in the past.

    However, all the background and maneuvering were things he couldn''t speak of to Lin Xiaolu. Perhaps when she grew up, she would have to face such matters, but Lin Yun did not wish for her to be exposed to these things just yet.

    "Now that I am the director, no one can make me work overtime if I don''t want to," this was the answer he ultimately gave.

    But to always use this excuse still seemed a bit far-fetched. More importantly, he was concerned that if every time his daughter came home he was there, it would create a "protesting too much" impression, arousing unnecessary suspicions.

    Therefore, occasionally, even when Lin Xiaolu was home, he chose to remain at the base as Emerald Sparrow, creating the illusion of "Lin Yun being busy with work."

    But today was different; as the end of the year approached, it was almost time for a new year, and Lin Yun had to meet his daughter as a father during her visit home.

    Not for anything else, but to ask for leave.

    After all, with the new year approaching, a time requiring family reunions, considering that he had spent the previous Full Moon Festival with his team members as Lin Yun, and this time with the addition of the Bai''an City squad, the identity of Emerald Sparrow was decidedly more appropriate.

    Therefore, the identity of Lin Yun had to be absent.

    He had already thought of the excuse; he had recently established the protocol for holiday night shifts for the Fangting City Abnormal Strategy Bureau, so he could say that as the director, he needed to stay and oversee the bureau, which sounded perfectly reasonable.

    Regrettably, as he sat across the dinner table from Lin Xiaolu, considering when to broach the subject, Lin Xiaolu spoke first:

    "Dad?"

    Just one word, and Lin Yun''s head shot up in shock.

    Though the relationship between father and daughter was gradually thawing, and although it was not uncommon for Lin Xiaolu to speak to him, given their past cold war, occasions like this where she addressed him so formally were rare.

    In his memory, nearly every time Lin Xiaolu used this form of address to start a conversation, what followed was bound to be a quite significant statement.

    And this time, his daughter certainly didn''t disappoint him.

    "The day after tomorrow is New Year''s, I want to come home for it," Lin Xiaolu put down her chopsticks and said with a heavy tone.

    "Oh, you''re planning... to come home?"

    Fortunately, Lin Yun had already mentally prepared himself, so he didn''t show too much surprise and simply pursued the matter with indifference: "Just like the last Full Moon Festival? Or are you going to invite all your teammates over as well?"

    "Yeah, I was thinking of calling everyone over, is that okay?"

    Lin Xiaolu nodded, "This time there might be a few more people than last time."

    "People from Bai''an City? Then our house might be a bit small."

    Lin Yun still maintained a calm expression: "Moreover, if we need to seat so many people, we might have to replace this dining table we''re using right now."

    Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaolu looked down at the dining table beneath her and also showed a troubled expression.

    "...Should we get a new table?" she suggested softly.

    "Get a new table just for the holidays?"

    Lin Yun raised an eyebrow: "Do you think we are that rich of a family?"

    "Aren''t you the chief?" Lin Xiaolu muttered: "Such a high official, surely there''s no problem changing a table at home, right?"

    "How many times do I have to tell you, Dad is an honest official and doesn''t abuse his power."

    Lin Yun picked up some vegetables for his bowl as he spoke: "Plus, this table was bought by your mom, we definitely can''t replace it. Buying a new one would just mean it gets dusty on the balcony, forget it, you might as well spend New Year''s at your base."

    As soon as Lin Xiaolu heard that the table was bought by An Ya, she fell silent at once. After a while, she started speaking again:

    "Then, will you come over to our place?" S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "I can''t." Lin Yun shook his head with a smile: "I was just about to tell you, Dad has to be on duty at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau this New Year''s, so I might not be able to spend it with you, I''m sorry."

    "On duty?" Lin Xiaolu was dumbfounded.

    "Yes, because of the big fuss before the Full Moon Festival, largely because the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was slow to react, so starting this New Year, there has to be someone on duty." Lin Yun answered with an "inevitable" look.

    "At the Abnormal Strategy Bureau?" Lin Xiaolu pressed on.

    "Yes, at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau." Lin Yun followed up smoothly.

    "Then I''ll go to your office."

    "You want to come to my office..."

    Lin Yun repeated the sentence, his brain gradually catching up with what his daughter was really saying: "...What? Coming to my office?"

    "Yeah, I''ll come to your office, and we''ll spend New Year''s together." Lin Xiaolu''s eyelids drooped disapprovingly as she looked at Lin Yun, ready to make a fuss if he made any more excuses.

    "Why?" Lin Yun rarely felt bewildered in conversations with his daughter.

    "You are my dad, I am your daughter."

    Lin Xiaolu emphasized each word:

    "Isn''t it only natural to spend New Year''s together?"

 Chapter 71 Emotional Negotiation

    Lin Xiaolu''s words made sense, or rather, her words were the ones that held truth.

    In fact, just as she had said, even last year, at the peak of their cold war, father and daughter did have New Year''s Eve dinner together, although throughout the process Lin Xiaolu barely made any noise apart from "mm" and "ah", with Lin Yun being the only one talking.

    If last year''s Lin Yun had heard Lin Xiaolu''s these words, to say he would have been moved might be an exaggeration, but he definitely would have felt greatly relieved, not to say even now, he felt similarly pleased.

    But the problem was, that sentence didn''t sound like something Lin Xiaolu would say, and in the current situation it even seemed puzzling.

    "Your whole team is together, even the people from Bai''an City have come, all the Magical Girls are together, and you''d be the only one not going over to celebrate the New Year?"

    He looked at Lin Xiaolu as if he were meeting his daughter for the first time: "Is it really necessary?"

    "Emerald Sparrow is already an adult, Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan don''t need to go home, they''re different from me, they don''t have to consider where to go, they just need to be with the other team members," Lin Xiaolu said, casting her gaze down slightly.

    "But I do have my own family, teammates are important too... but during the holidays, shouldn''t I be with family?"

    "Even if the place to celebrate the holidays is the Abnormal Strategy Bureau''s office? I can''t bring the New Year''s Eve dinner in there, you can only go eat in the cafeteria with me," he replied.

    Lin Yun tried to keep his expression gentle, speaking deliberately and calmly, "And the nature of the work at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau is very special; actually, everyone should avoid entering the Bureau with family members as much as possible, so even if I could take you there, you could only go on a tour with other employees, or stay with me in the office."

    "Is there a problem with that?" Lin Xiaolu asked, not understanding.

    Lin Yun shrugged, "It will be boring."

    Lin Xiaolu was speechless for a moment as if she were making up her mind, and after a while, she nodded firmly, "It doesn''t matter, I''m not afraid of being bored."

    "But your teammates are gathering at the same time to joyfully celebrate the New Year."

    Lin Yun pointed out Lin Xiaolu''s sore spot bluntly, "Everyone else is having fun, and you''re the only one accompanying me on duty. I don''t mind, but you had better think it over again."

    "This, uh... ah... well..."

    Squinting her eyes, Lin Xiaolu pursed her lips, seemingly going through an intense internal struggle, and after a while, she nodded heavily, "I''ve made up my mind, I want to go!"

    Such a firm choice left Lin Yun even more puzzled.

    And before he could inquire further, the Lin Xiaolu in front of him uttered an even more surprising statement:

    ¡ª¡ª"Also, after the New Year''s holiday ends, our school will soon have final exams! I plan to focus solely on studying during this period, so I''ll move back home before the test!"

    Was he dreaming?

    Struggling to suppress the corners of his mouth from turning upward, Lin Yun fell into contemplation.

    Lin Xiaolu''s words were actually quite moving to him, at first hearing one could say he was greatly comforted, but joy aside, he could distinctly sense that his daughter wasn''t telling the whole truth.

    At least not entirely.

    The reason was simple, one was because Lin Xiaolu always tended to look away when she lied, and the second was that this statement didn''t fit with her usual behavior.

    Having lived with Lin Xiaolu as Emerald Sparrow for over half a year, the present Lin Yun had a deeper understanding of his daughter''s character. Whether one called it being stubborn or not forthcoming, in short, Lin Xiaolu often found it difficult to express herself directly most of the time.

    Even now, when the father-daughter conflict was thawing and they could gradually mend their relationship, it was probably hard for her to express such thoughts. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    After all, father and daughter, seemingly sitting at the same dining table having dinner together, appeared to have no distance between them, but in reality, there were still layers of barriers.

    There were also two reasons for this, one was because the effects of the cold war had not yet dissipated, Lin Xiaolu had now learned a considerable part of the truth and no longer harbored so many grievances against her father, but that didn''t mean they could be as close as ordinary parents and children.

    Rather, even without the factor of An Ya''s death, the father-daughter relationship in the Lin family had never been very good.

    The past Lin Yun indeed wasn''t a good father; he almost abandoned his emotional duty to his child under the guise of work, and always demanded a lot from his daughter in a very rigid manner. From a child''s perspective, this had almost all the elements of a "hateable father."

    If one were to score their relationship, with a full score of 100, then during the cold war, it would probably be at 0, and during the time An Ya was alive it would only be around 40 or 50, not even reaching the passing line.

    This led to the current awkward state between them, where it was clear that they were each other''s only relatives in this world, yet they still did not know how to resolve the awkwardness, much less truly open up to each other.

    Having never been close, without even a reference example, how could they recover?

    The second reason, Lin Yun felt, was because he "revealed his identity with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."

    For Lin Xiaolu, though her father might have been unsatisfactory in the past, he was still someone who had been with her from birth, very familiar, with no gaps in their lives together. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire

    But when Lin Yun said he was actually from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, that status quo was broken. This suddenly revealed truth would only make Lin Xiaolu feel alienated and at a loss.

 Chapter 71 Emotional Negotiation_2

    This point was evident from how she would occasionally blurt out, "Aren''t you the director?"

    If it had been an ordinary family, with a close parent-child relationship, then this would not have been a problem at all, and the child would not change their view of their parents over such a sense of unfamiliarity. But the relationship between Lin Yun and Lin Xiaolu was hardly an exemplary one, and this only served to increase the distance between them.

    Under the influence of these dual factors, Lin Yun and Lin Xiaolu were still in a mutual probing state, trying to find a more comfortable way of interacting with each other through repeated interactions.

    This was one of the reasons why Lin Yun, under his dual identity, encouraged and even pushed Lin Xiaolu to go to the Magical Girl stronghold for a camp¡ªdistance makes the heart grow fonder. Reducing the frequency of father-daughter meetings might gradually dilute the negative impressions in the daughter''s mind.

    At the moment, the father-daughter relationship clearly had not improved enough to take precedence over the Fangting City squad, to the extent that the daughter would skip the squad''s gathering just to celebrate the festival with her family.

    Given the current situation, even Lin Yun himself would not suggest such a thing, as in his mind, it would only add to his daughter''s burden of choice and hold no substantial meaning.

    Therefore, there really was no reason for Lin Xiaolu to propose such a plan either.

    If she was truly considering her father''s feelings in the context of the New Year and wanted to use the opportunity to bridge the distance between them, she definitely would not have chosen such a direct approach.

    In other words, if Lin Xiaolu could speak about something so openly, it certainly was not what she cared about the most.

    The most likely possibility was that Lin Xiaolu had not considered the idea of "this can bring the father and daughter closer" at all. She had simply chosen this method subconsciously for some other purpose.

    But why?

    Lin Yun remained silent, but his inquiring gaze made Lin Xiaolu feel uneasy, prompting her to ask defensively, "What''s the matter? Why do you keep staring at me... "

    "Have you encountered any problems with the squad?"

    After some thought, Lin Yun decided to be direct, "Did you have a fight with someone? Or are you feeling pressured? So you want to take a break and cool off for a while?"

    His first thought was Bai Ji of the Bai An City squad, since Lin Xiaolu had been previously downcast due to conflicts with Bai Ji. However, after reflecting on it, he dismissed the idea, as Bai Ji had lost to Lin Xiaolu in a subsequent contest and seemed to reconcile after a good cry, unlikely to be bothering Lin Xiaolu still.

    Then who could it be? Xia Liang? Bai Jingxuan? Or Asou Haruka? It couldn''t be because he said something wrong when acting as Emerald Sparrow, could it?

    "...Nothing like that."

    Confronted with Lin Yun''s probing, Lin Xiaolu visibly wavered but shook her head in denial, unwilling to communicate: "I just want to change environments, that''s all."

    "If it''s for the school exams, I remember Emerald Sparrow said she''s been tutoring you," Lin Yun continued with a softer tone to reduce the pressure his questioning might cause, "Even with the final exams last semester, and this semester''s too, if it''s just for exams, it would actually be more convenient to stay at your squad''s base, wouldn''t it?"

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    Naturally, there was a basis for his remark; after all, he had prepared review materials and practice problems for the end-of-semester exams, ready to give Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang a crash course after the holiday.

    He did not think there was anything wrong with pointing out this fact, as it was something that had already objectively occurred without any judgment attached.

    But unexpectedly, Lin Xiaolu''s expression changed dramatically after he finished speaking, becoming considerably more complex. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Was there anything in what he just said that could cause such conflict? It was just a mention of the final exams; could she really hate taking exams that much?

    Lin Yun was puzzled once again.

    Indeed, compared to the beginning of the term, Lin Xiaolu''s grades had shown no significant improvement but had not regressed much either. Although being a Magical Girl made it difficult to concentrate on academics, with Emerald Sparrow''s tutoring, scoring around the lower middle range was still manageable.

    "Lower middle range" might not sound flattering, but compared to Lin Xiaolu''s previous academic performance, it was a huge improvement. Even the school teachers were satisfied with this outcome and occasionally gave her extra praise.

    "...Convenience aside, that''s not the issue I''m considering," Lin Xiaolu responded to Lin Yun''s skepticism, "In short, I''m just going to move back home for a while; don''t overthink it."

    "It''s really not because of a conflict with someone?" Lin Yun doubted.

    "It''s really not!" Lin Xiaolu puffed out her cheeks.

    "Then what is it about? Since we''re not doing anything else, why not talk about it and let me help you analyze it?"

    Resting his chopsticks on the edge of his bowl, Lin Yun watched his daughter leisurely, "You don''t have to worry about whether I''m right or wrong. Even if I am incorrect, what if it gives you some inspiration?"

    "I''m not free; I have to do homework after eating. I don''t have time to idle away here chatting about trivial things," Lin Xiaolu replied.

    "You really don''t want to talk about it?"

    "...I don''t."

    "Even if I''m the only one who hears it?" Lin Yun persisted calmly.

    Just as Lin Yun couldn''t resolve the conflict between them through his identity and only Emerald Sparrow could subtly understand his daughter''s feelings to find a solution, if Lin Xiaolu''s current worries stemmed from the Magical Girl squad, perhaps he was indeed the only informed person who could act as a "strategist."

 Chapter 71 Emotional Negotiation_3

    Clearly, that remark hit home again, and so Lin Xiaolu fell silent once more.

    She cradled the rice bowl in one hand and held chopsticks in the other, remaining still for a long time in a rather comical pose. After a while, she put down her bowl and chopsticks just like Lin Yun had.

    Clunk.

    The porcelain bowl made a dull sound as it touched the wooden tabletop.

    She picked up a napkin from beside the table, meticulously wiped clean the corners of her mouth, then her hands, and threw the napkin into the bowl. With her arms crossed, she leaned back against the chair.

    With her head down, her lips first pursed tightly, then parted slightly. Fingers curled around her sleeves on her arms but gradually relaxed.

    ¡ª "Can you promise not to tell Emerald Sparrow and the others?"

    In the end, she looked up, her gaze at Lin Yun filled with doubt, yet also tinged with a bit of hope.

    "If you ask that of me, I can certainly keep it a secret for you," Lin Yun nodded, his face expressionless.

    After all, the moment he knew, Emerald Sparrow was already aware. There was no need to go out of his way to pass on the message.

    Thinking this, he maintained the demeanor of an outsider, signaling Lin Xiaolu to continue.

    So Lin Xiaolu took a deep breath, composed her emotions, and slowly began to explain to Lin Yun her reasons for suddenly wanting to move back home.

    His first impression was that Lin Xiaolu''s ability to express herself needed improvement.

    She spoke very slowly, the order was somewhat jumbled, and the logic was chaotic because of the heavy mix of personal emotions; her personal thoughts were intertwined with the events, leaving many of her statements quite incomprehensible.

    But as her account grew longer and more detailed, Lin Yun gradually began to understand the whole story.

    Then, his expression grew complicated as well. Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire

    If at first he was eager to understand the problem to help analyze the cause and find a solution, by the time Lin Xiaolu finished her tale, that willingness had all but vanished.

    In its place was intense embarrassment and confusion.

    ¡ª "So, I feel I can''t go on like this. If I continue to rely on Emerald Sparrow subconsciously, it''s irresponsible behavior. To continue with such presumptuous expectations will only add to her pressure. Wouldn''t that turn me into an annoying clingy person? Rather than letting myself get to that point, I might as well move back now, take some time to cool off, and think about what I should do next..."

    On the other side, Lin Xiaolu was still rapidly firing off her thoughts like a barrage of bullets; her speech had gone from the initial slow pace to the rapidity of a storm, pouring out her emotions like a true downpour.

    After rambling on until her mouth felt parched, Lin Xiaolu finally came to a stop, then looked at Lin Yun with anticipation: "What do you think? That''s roughly the situation, what do you think I should do?" sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Faced with this question, Lin Yun found himself momentarily at a loss for a response.

    Not to mention giving an answer, even processing the information in Lin Xiaolu''s words proved somewhat difficult.

    Because if he were to summarize what Lin Xiaolu had just said, it would roughly translate to:

    [I know dad, you and Emerald Sparrow are no longer in a romantic relationship, but I personally want this stepmother. If you two can''t develop any ethical ties between you, could you tell me how I could officially acknowledge this stepmother and how to be sure I''m not deluding myself?]

    To be honest, he felt his daughter wasn''t making any sense.

    But now that it had come to this, what was the best thing to do?

    Lin Yun''s gaze shifted slightly upward, fixating on the incandescent light on the dining room ceiling.

    Now, the number of people troubled by this problem had grown from one to two.

 Chapter 72 On Duty

    The Abnormal Strategy Bureau on New Year''s Eve was much quieter than usual.

    At the request of Lin Yun, the current director, a considerable number of staff had to stay on duty this year, but Lin Yun wasn''t the type of leader who couldn''t stand to see his employees idle. In the end, more people were able to take regular holidays and go home for the New Year.

    Among the employees who stayed, most were combat personnel. Even if they weren''t high-ranking magic users, they all possessed some ability to use magic techniques. Paired with a small number of administrative staff to ensure minimal operations, this arrangement served as a precautionary measure.

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    Of course, to serve and compensate these hardworking employees to a certain extent, those who worked on New Year''s Eve not only received wages equivalent to one week''s pay but also enjoyed a rather lavish dinner in the cafeteria, which was meant to make up for the inability to have a meal at home.

    Whether this compensation truly eliminated any complaints the employees might have or whether it resulted in them grumbling inwardly, Lin Yun really couldn''t concern himself with that.

    After all, he too was eating dinner at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

    Lin Yun picked up a piece of fish from his plate with an expressionless face, bit into it, and then pondered over the plans for the evening.

    According to his plan, he should first make rounds in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau as the director, ensuring all the departments were functioning normally, all personnel were present, and also to show that he was on duty as well.

    After that, he would have to temporarily leave the bureau and return to Fangting City''s Magical Girl base as Emerald Sparrow to ensure "Emerald Sparrow was present at the New Year''s Eve party."

    Following that, he would have to hurry back to the bureau and spend midnight in his office as Lin Yun. The reason was no other than Lin Xiaolu''s presence here; he was destined not to be away for too long.

    Yes, he had ultimately failed to find an excuse to decline Lin Xiaolu''s proposal.

    Or perhaps, deep down, he was actually pleased with Lin Xiaolu''s suggestion, no matter what the underlying reason might have been.

    After finishing dinner, Lin Yun handed over his plate and utensils to the cleaning window, then returned to the serving window where a smiling chef handed him several stacked meal boxes. He packed the meal boxes into a bag he had prepared in advance and left the cafeteria without delay.

    Along the way, passing employees nodded and greeted him, and he responded to each one. This process included one employee with whom he was quite familiar¡ªTian Sheng.

    Compared to two months ago when he first started working, the greenness of a newcomer could no longer be seen on Tian Sheng. Moreover, perhaps due to continuous participation in intense combat, he had started to exude a certain robustness.

    That wasn''t a bad thing. On a dangerous post like this, those who adapted to combat were the ones who could go further.

    After a brief exchange of words with Tian Sheng, taking about half a minute, Lin Yun parted ways with him and stepped quickly into the elevator of the office building, pressing the button for the Director''s Office floor.

    A few minutes later, he finally pushed open the door to his office, carrying the heavy bag.

    In the room, a girl in a down jacket was lounging in a chair, holding her phone high and tapping on the screen with her thumb. Her cheeks were slightly puffed out, as if she had something in her mouth, occasionally making some indistinct mutterings.

    Even when she heard the door open, her hands did not stop moving until Lin Yun placed the bag on the desk with a "thud," at which point she reluctantly moved her gaze away from the screen.

    "You''re so slow," she said unkindly as her first words.

    Seeing her speak like this, Lin Yun didn''t hesitate to put his hand on her head and smacked it firmly, "I was already very quick, eat now, or it''s going to be cold."

    Just as Lin Yun had previously explained at home to Lin Xiaolu, to avoid appearing at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau with family members, he didn''t bring Lin Xiaolu to the cafeteria with him directly; instead, he chose to bring the meals back to the Director''s Office.

    This decision was based on three reasons: as a precaution against internal infiltration by undercover agents, as well as not to let the rumor of "the director spending New Year''s Eve at the bureau with his daughter" spread among the staff. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    More importantly, a considerable number of bureau employees had actually seen Lin Yun''s "daughter"¡ªa quiet little girl with shoulder-length hair, who seemed to be in elementary school.

    Yes, Bai Jingxuan''s occasional uninvited visits to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, where she unabashedly called Lin Yun "Daddy," had become somewhat known on a small scale.

    Even though every informed employee who leaked this information did so with utmost insistence on secrecy, telling others "not to spread it," the next employee would often pass the rumor to a few familiar people.

    This actually violated the bureau''s rule about employees not bringing family members inside, but in reality, no one could stop Bai Jingxuan from barging into the bureau. Even Lin Yun, after Bai Jingxuan''s birthday, couldn''t outwardly find a way to stop her, and so, over time, turned a blind eye to it.

    This, however, led to a severe consequence; if Lin Yun brought Lin Xiaolu to the bureau, anyone with eyes could see that the director''s daughter was not the same girl as usual, and all sorts of strange misunderstandings might arise.

    To avoid such a problematic scenario, Lin Yun had Lin Xiaolu stay in the office, stipulating that she could only go out for a tour if he arranged a guide.

 Chapter 72 Duty_2

    Eventually, it led to the current situation.

    After receiving the lunch box Lin Yun brought back, Lin Xiaolu extinguished her phone''s screen, put it aside, yet merely sat there without immediately starting to eat.

    "What''s wrong? Not hungry?" Lin Yun asked.

    "No, I''m eating candy," Lin Xiaolu replied, her words muffled, as she pushed the piece of candy to her cheek, probably trying to show it to Lin Yun.

    "Where did you get the candy?" Lin Yun couldn''t help but wonder.

    "Took it from the drawer."

    Lin Xiaolu confidently responded, "I really like this brand of candy, one of my teammates often brings it for me."

    "Bai Jingxuan?"

    "Yeah, how did you know?"

    "She got the candy from me."

    "Oh, you mean it''s from you... wait, what?"

    Lin Xiaolu looked up in surprise, "Why would she get it from you?"

    "That''s because I have a good daughter who had been persuading me to adopt her teammate, remember?"

    Lin Yun said expressionlessly, "She ended up coming to me instead."

    He really had no reason to hide it; after all, it was something Lin Xiaolu had instigated before, and Bai Jingxuan herself had let it slip.

    "Ah... that thing... I didn''t forget that..."

    As soon as Lin Yun mentioned it, Lin Xiaolu also recalled how she had crazily spread rumors within the Fangting City squad saying "Emerald Sparrow and my dad have a thing," which made her so embarrassed her toes curled and her voice naturally lowered.

    At that time, she was deluded, firmly believing the reason Emerald Sparrow treated her so well was because she wanted to become her stepmother, which led to a series of wild conclusions that now seemed quite untenable.

    After all, a Magical Girl as perfect as Emerald Sparrow truly did seem like a noble, cool princess, not someone blindly devoted to love.

    Furthermore, considering Emerald Sparrow''s usual expression as if everyone owed her money, Lin Xiaolu found it hard to imagine what it would look like if she really fell for someone.

    And for such a Magical Girl, what reason was there to stay for her sake... S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Thinking this, Lin Xiaolu visibly became much more dispirited.

    Meanwhile, seeing his daughter lost in wild thoughts and suddenly becoming gloomy, Lin Yun couldn''t help but knock on the lunch box, "What are you thinking about? I told you, if you don''t eat now, it''ll get cold."

    "...Oh."

    She was abruptly pulled back from her thoughts, probably because what she was thinking about was indeed quite shocking, so Lin Xiaolu refrained from retorting and just looked dazedly at Lin Yun before nodding.

    She reached for the lunch box in front of her while intensely chewing the candy that had been in her mouth.

    Crack.

    A tiny cracking sound emerged in her mouth, the shattered pieces of candy providing a slightly prickling sensation on her tongue, quickly swallowed down her throat. Savoring the last remnants of the candy in her mouth, Lin Xiaolu''s slightly scattered gaze gradually focused.

    Something suddenly occurred to her.

    "This candy... Bai Jingxuan brings it back every other day," she muttered to herself.

    "Yes, after all, she comes to see me every few days," Lin Yun replied candidly.

    "Huh?"

    Lin Xiaolu''s voice suddenly rose several decibels, "She comes every few days?"

    "Yes, although I didn''t adopt her, as the head of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, discussing Magical Girl matters and giving her some life advice is still okay," Lin Yun nodded, "The kid is polite most of the time, it''s fine to chat with her."

    "Wait, aren''t you my dad?" Lin Xiaolu looked at Lin Yun in disbelief.

    "I am your dad, what about it?" Lin Yun looked at Lin Xiaolu, puzzled.

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    "I haven''t been able to visit the Abnormal Strategy Bureau every few days!"

    Lin Xiaolu picked up the chopsticks beside the lunch box, knocking them forcefully on the table, "You always say try not to bring family members into the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, but she ends up visiting you almost every day to act cute? Is she clinging to you now?"

    "... That''s a bit subjective," Lin Yun said, slightly shifting his gaze, "That kid just occasionally comes over to chat, calling it ''acting cute'' is..."

    "What could she possibly do that I wouldn''t know about?"

    Lin Xiaolu glared at Lin Yun, "That girl is always like that at the base, constantly clinging to Emerald Sparrow with enviable words, hugging and cuddling, even often shamelessly calling her ''mommy''. It''s so envious it''s unbearable to watch! Isn''t it the same when she comes to see you?"

    At this point, Lin Yun completely turned his face away.

    Lin Xiaolu''s words were crude but not without reason; although emotional, she indeed spoke the truth.

    As the person involved, he fully felt how clingy Bai Jingxuan had been lately.

    Normally at the base, she liked to follow behind Emerald Sparrow, wanting to help with everything, occasionally asking humbly for some affectionate interactions like head pats or hugs... If there were no one else in the base and she didn''t have to patrol, she would run to the director''s office at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and stick to Lin Yun, discussing everyday issues.

    If this behavior wasn''t considered acting cute... that would indeed be somewhat insincere. Lin Xiaolu was telling the truth.

    But Lin Yun also knew that the main reason behind this was because of himself.

 Chapter 72 On Duty_3

    After all, considering Bai Jingxuan''s physical and mental health, he too hoped that she could form bonds with more people and had even made a certain statement, wanting to become someone Bai Jingxuan "cares about."

    It was because of his own statement and promise that both Emerald Sparrow and Lin Yun would be seen by Bai Jingxuan as "objects of her affection," which had led to the current situation.

    "...if you''d like, you can come too."

    Thinking of this, Lin Yun could hardly muster any words to refute and could only speak somewhat stiffly, trying to change the subject, "I was just unaware that you had any interest in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."

    "I don''t have much interest in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, not to mention I don''t have the time to run over to you every day like that girl," Lin Xiaolu said with a hint of dissatisfaction.

    "Besides being a Magical Girl, I still have to go to school. How could I have that much free time?"

    "Then during holidays or when you''re free..."

    "Holidays? If I have that time, I definitely want to stay at the base."

    Lin Xiaolu''s eyes widened, "You''re not unaware, if this keeps up, Emerald Sparrow will definitely be completely drawn away by her attention! Then there will be no place for me in the squad!"

    "Cough cough cough..." Lin Yun coughed repeatedly upon hearing this.

    What Lin Xiaolu said was not untrue; indeed, he should know this.

    Because this was the "fact" that Lin Xiaolu had told him under the guise of seeking advice on a night not so long ago.

    In Lin Xiaolu''s view, Bai Jingxuan had become a substantial threat, continuously drawing away Emerald Sparrow''s attention, reducing the time she focused on Lin Xiaolu.

    Her sense of crisis had been long-standing, having been felt since Bai Jingxuan joined the team, but it had become unbearable only recently.

    It wasn''t just because Bai Jingxuan''s ability to bloom was much faster than her own, but also because Bai Jingxuan had a significant advantage over her¡ªshe could unabashedly seek more love.

    Compared to Bai Jingxuan, who could often act spoiled and use various ways to strengthen their relationship, Lin Xiaolu, despite being very envious, didn''t dare to imitate her.

    Because she was always worried about one thing: whether Emerald Sparrow''s care for her was a legacy of a mother''s love.

    This concern became even more important after winning the competition with Bai''an City.

    If that was indeed the case, then Emerald Sparrow''s feelings for her would be more about a sense of obligation. The more she would act like Bai Jingxuan, asking for affection and pushing forward, the more she would push Emerald Sparrow away, until even the current relationship couldn''t be maintained.

    Rather, if Emerald Sparrow was looking after her because of her mother, maybe she should act stronger and more independent, because that would be more in line with her mother An Ya''s personality, and might please Emerald Sparrow more.

    She had thrown this problem at Lin Yun, but clearly, Lin Yun had no solution either.

    After all, he couldn''t tell his own daughter, "Your concerns are unfounded, there''s no need to worry about such things, because you''re the only one who is biologically related to me."

    Unable to say such things, he naturally had to pretend to be a bystander, mixing things up while offering some ineffectual advice.

    Like "perhaps you should confirm this with her in person," or "you should have more confidence in yourself," but no matter what, these were mere narrative scratching, completely missing the real issue.

    "It''s the festive season, there''s no point discussing this now, you should eat first."

    In the end, this was the only way he could continue to divert the conversation.

    Of course, that''s easier said than done, but in reality, regarding this matter, Lin Yun wasn''t without options; it''s just that these tasks probably could only be accomplished by Emerald Sparrow.

    In his view, the most important aspect of the whole affair was to help his daughter build up her self-confidence.

    If Lin Xiaolu herself lacked confidence, then even if he were to approach her as Emerald Sparrow and tell her, "how special you are," it likely wouldn''t do any good.

    After all, Emerald Sparrow had made such remarks before.

    The victory over Bai''an City was an excellent start. In fact, it was precisely because of this victory that Lin Xiaolu had mustered the courage to bring this matter to the forefront and confront her own needs.

    And next, gaining more self-confidence would be pivotal in making her believe that she deserved to be treated differently.

    What should be done, and how could it be achieved? This was the question Emerald Sparrow needed to contemplate in the next phase. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire

    Thus, the Director''s Office once again fell silent, with Lin Xiaolu preoccupied and silently picking at her rice, while Lin Yun was immersed in silence, planning the next steps, their mutual silence creating an unspoken agreement.

    This atmosphere persisted until Lin Xiaolu finished her meal. The two of them spent some time together in wordless company until Lin Xiaolu was the first to break the deadlock:

    ¡ª¡ª"Where is the restroom?"

    As she asked, she stacked all her lunchboxes together, clearly intending to take them with her.

    "The restroom? The nearest one is if you go out and turn right, walk to the end, then turn left and go forward a few dozen meters and look on your right," Lin Yun answered subconsciously.

    "Oh." Having gotten her answer, Lin Xiaolu didn''t dally, picking up her lunchboxes and standing up: "I''ll take these out on my way."

    As her words fell, she had already stepped out the door, and soon the sound of her footsteps receded down the hallway outside.

    The somber atmosphere that had been pervading the Director''s Office finally became much more relaxed.

    No longer needing to discuss those awkward issues with his daughter, Lin Yun felt a slight relief in his heart and subconsciously let out a long breath. After sitting in silence for a moment, he tidied up the desk and then returned to his own work station.

    The evening shift didn''t lack additional work; at least, he could now handle another batch of documents.

    ¡ª¡ªThump thump.

    Just as he picked up a stack of papers, as if deliberately not allowing him any respite, someone suddenly knocked on the office door.

    Had Lin Xiaolu returned? Isn''t it a bit too soon?

    A thought flashed through his mind, but Lin Yun didn''t ponder too long; he simply used a thread of magical power to sense the presence outside the door, and, detecting no abnormal magical power fluctuations, he then spoke: "Please come in."

    As a result, the office door was pushed open from the outside. Along with it, a guest entered the Director''s Office, someone Lin Yun considered neither familiar nor foreign.

    Without a doubt, the visitor wasn''t Lin Xiaolu, and their presence appeared both unreasonable and unconventional.

    "Ah, Happy New Year, Director Lin."

    The visitor was none other than the Claw Mark cadre¡ªYuan¡ªwho had met with Lin Yun and Emerald Sparrow on several occasions and had once engaged in combat with them. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 73 The Drinking Party

    For Lin Yun, the uninvited arrival of this person was almost becoming unsurprising.

    Not to mention that this person had previously taken it upon himself to come to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau to ask for help, but even in normal times, when challenging Emerald Sparrow to a duel, he often appeared abruptly while Emerald Sparrow was dealing with Remnant Beasts.

    In his own words, he neither had a mobile phone nor any contact details, and the best way to find Emerald Sparrow was to stake out the Remnant Beasts. Although it sounded reasonable, it still seemed a bit odd.

    No one would think it was fun to have an enemy appear in front of them all the time.

    "May I ask what brings you here?"

    Thus, Lin Yun found it hard to put on a friendly face and could only maintain the bare minimum of politeness out of basic respect: "I don''t think we''re familiar enough to need to exchange holiday greetings."

    Fortunately, Lin Xiaolu had just left the Director''s Office, giving him the mindset to put on an act here. Obviously, his time was limited as his daughter wouldn''t take long to return from the restroom.

    He couldn''t figure out the visitor''s intention but was already thinking at full speed about how to send this person away, let alone prevent any contact with Lin Xiaolu.

    "It''s a festive season; don''t be so stern."

    However, Yun clearly didn''t care about Lin Yun''s attitude, just walked in, carelessly sat down in front of the desk, and then placed what he had been carrying on the table: "Look, I brought you a gift, consider it a New Year''s greeting from me to your bureau."

    "A gift?"

    Lin Yun obviously didn''t believe the visitor''s words but still glanced at the items placed on the desk out of safety concerns.

    ¡ªIt was a bottle of white liquor with "Qingting River" and "20 Years" among other words labeled on it. Next to the white liquor was a bag of dark earth-colored stuff with a logo that read "Delicious Duck Neck," seeming to be some kind of marinated snack.

    He naturally recognized these two items.

    The former was the best-selling local white liquor of Fangting City, a regular guest at dining tables, and Lin Yun himself had drunk it quite often at social events; the latter was the name of a popular marinated snack shop near the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, which Lin Yun had noticed on the street corner on his way to work that morning. Despite the end of the year approaching, it was still open and doing thriving business.

    Although he recognized the items, their appearance in the hands of a "Claw Mark" Magical Girl and being referred to as "gifts" was somewhat confusing. Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    "What do you mean by this?" So he directly asked.

    "Literally, celebrating the new year, I brought a bottle of wine and some snacks."

    Yun narrowed his eyes and smiled: "Have a drink with me, Director Lin, it took all the savings I had for this spread."

    "...Why?" Lin Yun was puzzled.

    "What do you mean why? It''s the holiday season, and here I am alone in a foreign place, just looking for a familiar face to chat with."

    As he spoke, Yun reached for the bottle cap and easily opened it with a flick of his palm: "Got any cups?"

    "Why come to me?" Lin Yun remained unmoved.

    "Because I don''t know anyone else... All the workers at the site have gone home, and I''ve never managed to get Cornflower''s contact details."

    Yun looked somewhat distressed as he cocked his head: "After thinking it over, the only person I know, and generally know where to find, is you, and Director Lin, you''ve looked out for me before, so consider this bottle a return of the favor..."

    "What about your companion?" Lin Yun was not buying her act.

    "Companion? Ah, you mean Semi... That guy is a Fairy."

    Yun looked at Lin Yun as if he were crazy: "No one would go drink with a Fairy, right? There''s no fun in that."

    "Normally, a fugitive wouldn''t come to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau to drink either."

    Lin Yun sighed: "Aren''t you afraid that I could call someone to arrest you now?"

    "Before you could call someone, I could already take you hostage, Director."

    Yun''s smile was sly: "I think a clever man like you wouldn''t engage in futile actions."

    Lin Yun couldn''t argue.

    In all of Fangting City, no one understood Yun''s power better than him. In their first encounter and the subsequent few sparrings, his exhibited combat skills were terrifyingly proficient.

    Never mind his current status as a civilian; even if he were to become Emerald Sparrow, he doubted he could win against this nonchalant individual in a one-on-one fight. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "You specifically picked New Year''s Eve, ran to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, and even sneaked into the Director''s Office undetected, just to drink with me?"

    But even so, he still couldn''t understand the visitor''s logic: "Am I supposed to believe that you really had nothing better to do?"

    "Maybe?"

    With a gesture, inky metallic liquid transformed into two hook claws, pulling out two tea cups from a nearby cabinet. Yun slapped the cups onto the desk and pushed one towards Lin Yun: "Of course, if you''re willing to chat more, perhaps I might have other things to tell you."

    Lin Yun glanced at the tea cup in front of him, his hand still motionless, continuing to inquire: "Other things?"

    "Drink first, talk later."

    Yun stood up, moved a bit closer to Lin Yun, poured the white liquor into the tea cup amidst the pungent aroma of alcohol, and leaned forward: "If you''re concerned, feel free to test this bottle with any method you can. Nothing''s been added; it''s just liquor."

 Chapter 73 Drinking Party_2

    Whether intentionally or not, although separated by a table, she had almost half her body leaned over it, bringing her face quite close to Lin Yun. A glimpse into her slightly open neckline revealed something that was not quite meant to be seen, out of politeness, Lin Yun immediately looked away.

    However, it was but a fleeting glance, yet he noticed that today''s outfit appeared somewhat different from her previous shabby appearances. Not only was her hair neatly combed, but her clothes also seemed to have been washed and mended, looking quite fresh and clean.

    Was she preparing for something?

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    Such thoughts crossed his mind, and Lin Yun unobtrusively took the teacup, briefly checked it with Magic Power to make sure it didn''t contain anything else, and then brought it close to his mouth.

    He knew that no matter what the real purpose of her gourd was, he now seemed to have no choice but to drink this in order to find out the truth.

    Then drink it, he thought.

    Upon tasting the liquor, a mild burning sensation spread across his mouth, and after confirming again that there was no odd taste, Lin Yun swallowed it, then raised the cup, gesturing towards her.

    She smiled satisfactorily.

    Only then did she straighten up and sit back in her previous seat, picking up her own teacup, "That''s more like it. You''re a grown man; it''s just a drink, no need for all this fuss."

    Saying this, she also brought the cup to her lips, tilted her head back, and, as if drinking plain water, chugged it down in two big gulps. After a few gulps in her throat, she went "Ha" loudly and slammed the teacup down on the table.

    "Refreshing! Good drink on a festive day is truly a fine thing!"

    After saying this, she opened a packet of duck neck next to her and pushed the bag to the center of the desk, "Come on, don''t forget the snacks to accompany the drink!"

    Only at this moment did Lin Yun start to somewhat believe that this person might have really come just to drink with someone.

    However, realizing this only deepened the confusion in his heart¡ªcould there really be such laid-back individuals among Magical Girls, even among those who were experienced veterans?

    Unfortunately, the answer to this question was inevitably hard to deduce from the current scene, and he could only pretend to blend into this twosome drinking session.

    She was still like her first time visiting the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, seemingly not considering the effects of getting drunk and constantly serving herself more alcohol while also frequently urging Lin Yun to drink.

    Lin Yun did not engage in her banter, only leveraging his years of experience in the drinking scene, following her lead by sipping at intervals¡ªhe appeared to be drinking frequently, but in reality, very little went into his stomach, and he even surreptitiously spilled quite a bit onto the floor.

    Drinking was one thing, but he dared not get drunk. Even though becoming a Magical Girl would sober him up immediately, even if he got completely drunk, the impact on his thinking and judgment was already worth his utmost caution.

    In addition, he secretly sent a message to Lin Xiaolu on his phone, telling his daughter that someone was discussing business with him in the Director''s Office and asked her to take a walk around before coming back.

    Thus, as the liquor brought by her nearly ran out after three rounds, and only a pile of broken bones remained in the bag of marinated meat, she leaned back with some satisfaction, resting against the chair back.

    "Ah, bliss, sheer bliss."

    Although she had picked up the marinated meat with her bare hands all along, her hands were still impeccably clean. She patted her stomach and belched leisurely, "Indeed, this is the true flavor of the New Year."

    "Are you satisfied now?"

    Lin Yun''s face appeared flushed, as if he was slightly inebriated, but in reality, he was completely alert, "So, what is this ''other matter'' you mentioned earlier?"

    "Oh, Director Lin, don''t be in such a rush."

    Looking indeed like she was tipsy, hence her voice was several decibels louder, "Men who are too hasty aren''t popular with the ladies, you know."

    "I believe I''ve been patient enough."

    Pointing to the nearly empty bottles in front of him, Lin Yun''s expression remained unchanged, "Since you burst in here proposing a drink, it has been over half an hour. I think it''s time for you to fulfill your promise, Miss Canna."

    As he said this, despite having sent a message to momentarily hold back Lin Xiaolu, he knew this situation couldn''t be sustained much longer. Allowing her to linger here might indeed end up waiting until Lin Xiaolu returned.

    In using the name "Canna," there was of course a calculation¡ªhe deliberately called her by the codename she used while still serving in the court, to emphasize that he still did not accept her position as a member of the Claw Marks. After all, the sight of the Director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau drinking with a Magical Girl from the Claw Marks was truly hard to explain if word got out.

    Moreover, this codename was initially brought up by Canna herself when they first met, as she was then trying to conceal her identity as a member of Claw Marks and get through undetected.

    But what he hadn''t anticipated was that after he had spoken, Canna fell into an inexplicable silence.

    "Canna..."

    After a long pause, she murmured to herself, "It really has been a long time since I''ve heard this name from someone else, but for some reason, it feels like it was just yesterday."

    "This is the codename you told me yourself."

    Lin Yun hinted, "Although I later verified that it indeed exists, it was just a former name."

    "...Yes, it''s a former name now."

    Leaning back in her chair, Canna nodded rather nonchalantly, "Now I am no longer the Arbitrator Canna of the Magic Kingdom, but an executive of Claw Marks¡ªCanna."

    "You don''t seem ashamed to speak of your betrayal to the kingdom."

    Lin Yun looked directly at her, "But from your actions, I can''t see the resolve of a villain either; your behavior totally does not match what I know of ''Claw Marks''."

    "Hmm, you are quite right, I am just a half-baked villain."

    Canna smiled, "But, your understanding of ''Claw Marks''... what do you think we ''Claw Marks'' are in your eyes?"

    "...Coveting the power of magical girls, yet shunning the responsibilities that come with being a magical girl, breaking ties with colleagues, choosing to side with enemies, a traitor."

    After a brief pause, Lin Yun frankly said, "From any perspective, you should not be considered good people."

    "Haha, truly sparing no feelings."

    Canna took it in stride, showing no sign of someone who was being accused, "I won''t deny it, a half-baked villain is still a villain. You say I don''t act like a villain, but do you know? Whether intentionally or not, my hands are still stained with the blood of innocents."

    "I have no intention of delving into the truth or lies of your words, but I will maintain my bias that ''Claw Marks are all evildoers'', so, I am puzzled by your actions."

    Lin Yun''s expression was unreadable, "Why do this? You''ve been in Fangting for almost two months now, and during this time, you''ve clearly had plenty of opportunities to commit evil acts. Since you''re not a good person, why act like a regular tourist?"

    "What if I said I really just wanted to take a vacation... Would you believe me?"

    Canna blinked innocently. Seeing no reaction from Lin Yun, she immediately deflated, "Well, that really makes no sense, I give up."

    "Since you so want to know the truth, I''ll tell you." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    She steadied herself on the table, her inebriated body swaying as she stood up, then staggered across the desk that lay before her.

    Before Lin Yun could react, she had already walked behind him.

    Then, she placed her hands on the back of the chair, slowly lowered her head, and whispered into Lin Yun''s ear.

    "Let me tell you the real reason I came here tonight is actually..."

    ¡ª "Who are you?"

    Canna''s words were interrupted by a voice from the door.

    Lin Yun and Canna both looked up, to see that the door to the Director''s Office had already been opened; Lin Xiaolu was standing there, staring at their figures, her expression blank.

    She hesitated, seemingly pondering something, then after a long while she raised her hand, pointed at Lin Yun, and said:

    "Are you having an affair?"

 Chapter 74 Challenge Letter

    "Oh, where did this adorable little girl come from?" Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    In response to Lin Xiaolu''s intrusion, Yuan looked somewhat surprised, but still showed no displeasure. She naturally removed her hand from behind Lin Yun, as if nothing had happened, and moved a couple of steps aside, her curious gaze shifting back and forth between Lin Yun and Lin Xiaolu at the door: "What is your relationship?"

    "I''m his daughter," Lin Xiaolu replied while walking over to the desk.

    "...This is my daughter."

    Although he was reluctant, Lin Yun could only answer as such.

    From a rational standpoint, he did not want to reveal to an enemy from Claw Marks who his family was, but the current situation was special. If he dared to say "She''s not my daughter," who knows how Lin Xiaolu might react.

    After all, with a change of perspective, the scene that had just unfolded in the Director''s Office could easily lead an uninformed observer to some questionable assumptions. He really should not add fuel to the fire at this moment.

    "So, the married part was true?"

    Yuan blinked in surprise, "I thought you were just making up an excuse to fob me off."

    "I think a little thought would tell you that lying about such a matter would be of no value to me."

    Lin Yun gave her a sideways glance, "So what were you planning to say? After that, you can leave."

    "Is this an eviction notice?"

    Yuan squinted and smiled, "It was all fun and warm just a moment ago, and now you''re treating me so coldly?"

    "I hope you''ll base your words on reality and not make up things that never happened."

    Lin Yun said expressionlessly, "There was no merry-making; you just wanted to find someone to drink with."

    "Hmm... whether what I say is the truth or not might not matter at all."

    Yuan pointed to Lin Xiaolu, who had walked over to the desk, "Look, she seems to think differently."

    Without her saying, Lin Yun certainly knew what his daughter was thinking.

    Or rather, with Lin Xiaolu''s expression of half-squinted eyes and scrutinizing gaze, anyone could guess her thoughts.

    "I need an explanation." After the two of them finally paused in their conversation, she spoke up, "You sent me a text to get rid of me, just so you could meet this woman in the office? Who is she?"

    "No problem, I can explain."

    Lin Yun immediately responded, lifting his hand as a gesture for Lin Xiaolu to calm down: "The text was indeed because I needed to talk to her, but our conversation was strictly professional, not what you''re thinking."

    "Hmm?"

    Lin Xiaolu leaned on the desk, her gaze sweeping back and forth across Yuan and Lin Yun''s faces: "A professional conversation? Is professional content something that needs to be whispered in the ear from behind someone''s back?"

    Lin Yun was at a loss for words.

    That moment, no matter how he explained it, seemed to suggest that he was merely protesting his innocence futilely; his best plan now was to make a clean breast of things to avoid a worse outcome.

    "You can understand that this lady..."

    He had only spoken a few words when Lin Yun had to pause and glance back at Yuan before continuing, "This auntie, she tends to lack a sense of personal space in everything she does. It''s just her personal style."

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    "Personal style?" Lin Xiaolu raised an eyebrow.

    "Yes, personal style. You can think of it as just a joke. There''s no emotional connection between us."

    Feeling he had found a suitable entry point, Lin Yun quickly added, "And from a rational standpoint, you''re not unaware of our family''s situation. If I truly wanted to find another wife, would there really be any need to hide it from you?"

    "Hmm..."

    Lin Xiaolu couldn''t help but ponder, "That does make sense, doesn''t it?"

    "Moreover, we were indeed discussing work-related topics, and they''re quite sensitive, so that''s why I asked you to step out. It wasn''t because I had any ulterior motives."

    Raising a finger, Lin Yun seized the opportunity to continue, "Think about it, you left earlier of your own accord, right? Contrary to that, if I really wanted to... have a date? Even if I called someone as you were leaving, it would take a while for them to get to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. So even if I deliberately sent you away, there wouldn''t be much time to spend together in-between, which wouldn''t be beneficial to me, would it?"

    "So?" Lin Xiaolu posed as if she was convinced.

    "Therefore, I had no motive to do such a thing, nor does it make logical sense. There''s nothing special about my relationship with her; we simply know each other through work."

    Lin Yun concluded the matter, "The truth is you had just left when a visitor arrived, and she happened to play a joke that could be easily misunderstood upon your return... It was just a coincidence."

    "I see, this is a coincidence, that''s a coincidence, everything sounds so coincidental indeed," Lin Xiaolu nodded indifferently, her tone calm. However, just as Lin Yun thought he had successfully convinced his daughter, she asked again, "So, what exactly were those work-related topics you were discussing?"

    Lin Yun was silent once more.

    This time it wasn''t due to embarrassment, but because this was the very scene he had hoped to avoid.

    The Lin Xiaolu before him, despite her youth, could still be considered a Magical Girl representing Fangting City; Yuan, standing behind him, was a defector, a Magical Girl from Claw Marks.

    Their identities were not diametrically opposed, but were definitely incompatible as fire and water.

 Chapter 74 Challenge Letter _2

    Not revealing the origins of both parties might still result in the end of a normal conversation, but if Lin Xiaolu and Yuan knew each other''s identity as Magical Girls, the situation would absolutely not come to a good end.

    For this reason, he was destined to unable to personally tell Lin Xiaolu the truth that had just occurred.

    What could he say? "I was questioning why a Magical Girl with claw marks chose to betray"?

    "You want to know?"

    At this moment, Yuan spoke. She looked at Lin Xiaolu with a smile, speaking in a tone as if coaxing a child, "Little girl, do you know what your father does for a living?"

    "Of course." Lin Xiaolu nodded, "He is the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."

    "And do you know what the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau does?" Yuan continued.

    "What''s there to not know? He''s in charge of managing magicians and also responsible for cleaning up after Magical Girls."

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    "Well, indeed, that makes it easier to explain."

    Yuan nodded, smiling and said, "I''m here to issue a challenge to the Magical Girls of Fangting City on behalf of someone. Since you''re the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, you just need to notify them, that''s my real purpose here tonight."

    "...Huh?"

    This question came not only from Lin Xiaolu but also from Lin Yun''s mouth.

    At that moment, upon hearing Yuan''s response, he, along with his daughter, looked in Yuan''s direction simultaneously and without coordination.

    "Why are you all staring at me like that? Didn''t the little girl ask me? So I just answered."

    Yuan shrugged nonchalantly, "I am going to have a fight with your Fangting City''s Magical Girls tonight, and since you''re the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, it''s your job to notify them. That''s the real reason I came here tonight."

    "Why?"

    "Who on earth are you?"

    Lin Yun and Lin Xiaolu asked different questions at the same time.

    "Why? If you really want an answer, it''s probably because I also have my own boss," Yuan responded with a silent smile. "As for who I am... I''m the bad kind of Magical Girl, the kind that specializes in opposing the good Magical Girls."

    "...The bad kind of Magical Girl? What is that, a joke?"

    Lin Xiaolu''s first reaction to the other''s words was disbelief because her father had just said that this woman liked to joke around, and the current atmosphere was far too relaxed to give her the sense that "the enemy is right in front of her."

    But she quickly couldn''t maintain such a relaxed attitude anymore.

    Because right before her eyes, Yuan reached out her hand, and inky black liquid metal converged in her hand, transforming into a magic wand.

    Not only that, Yuan''s eyes also changed unknowingly at some point, the once pitch-black eyes now had pupils like the pattern on a yin-yang fish.

    "About like this, right? The bad Magical Girl."

    With no intention of hiding her identity, Yuan revealed her battle stance right in front of them, "How about it, isn''t this different from the Magical Girls you have in your mind?"

    Frankly speaking, he, as Emerald Sparrow, had seen her like this many times before, so he wasn''t surprised. But whether it was new or not wasn''t important at this critical moment; when Yuan willingly revealed this stance, Lin Yun knew that some things might be difficult to settle.

    Almost subconsciously, he stood up, intending to tell Lin Xiaolu to "stay calm," but although the words were on the tip of his tongue, he was still a step too late.

    Lin Xiaolu had already taken out her Heart''s Gem.

    ¡ª"Magic, oh magic, please linger for a while, take me into that different world, away from my own weakness."

    Bringing her Seed of Heart close to her lips, she murmured her transformation spell, and the Seed responded to her call with the brilliance of Magic Power.

    After the flickering light, there stood in front of Lin Yun the one who should be called "Bai Mei," the Magical Girl.

    "I am the Magical Girl you''re looking for."

    With both hands poised, a light blue magic staff materialized, and Lin Xiaolu looked at Yuan with a serious expression, "What''s the real purpose behind you delivering this so-called challenge?"

    Without any hesitation, Lin Xiaolu exposed her identity as a Magical Girl in front of Yuan.

    It was the second time Lin Xiaolu showed her Magical Girl stance in front of him. Only, compared to the first time, he wished all of this had never happened from the start.

    Inwardly, Lin Yun could only sigh.

    If possible, he truly wanted to stop Lin Xiaolu from revealing her identity before she did. Yuan obviously hadn''t considered that Lin Xiaolu might be a Magical Girl before, her demeanor completely that of someone playing with a child. But once she learned that this "little girl" was a Magical Girl, the nature of the issue became entirely different.

    No matter how he thought about it, Lin Xiaolu stood no chance of defeating Yuan, and revealing her identity as a Magical Girl only increased the danger, but now it was too late for words.

    He began considering what he must do next to navigate through the present difficulty.

    Should he declare outright that he would relay the message to Cornflower, thereby distracting Yuan''s attention? Or should he, as the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, object to their confrontation here and see if Yuan would show him some respect for the money he had given her?

    Of course, he also had to consider the case where the two actually started fighting. If he truly couldn''t stop it, he might need to quickly find a place to transform... Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "This is truly unexpected, coming to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and even getting an extra bonus."

    While Lin Yun was still contemplating his next move, Yuan had already begun to respond to Lin Xiaolu, "I''m quite certain that my visit to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was on a whim, yet to encounter a local Magical Girl here as well is such an unexpected surprise. Could this really be a coincidence?"

 Chapter 74 Challenge Letter_3

    "Yes, I also think it''s too much of a coincidence," she said.

    Lin Xiaolu gripped her magic wand tightly, her tense expression revealing a bit of nervousness, but she still tried to maintain her composure not to be overshadowed by her opponent, "I hadn''t expected to encounter the notorious ''Claw Marks'' at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau. Are you the prime suspects behind the recent series of attacks in Fangting City?"

    She actually knew about the "Claw Marks" in Fangting City; the strange fairy who had introduced herself as "Fairy Immortal" had told her about it. It seemed that Emerald Sparrow had intentionally kept her from encountering the Claw Marks, so she had only heard of them, never seen them.

    Now, hearing the other party call themselves the "Evil Magical Girl," she almost immediately connected them to this infamous organization in her mind.

    "The recent few times? The prime suspects? I''m sorry, I really can''t remember such things," she said.

    In response to Lin Xiaolu''s interrogation, Yuan just laughed, "It doesn''t matter, the past isn''t important. What''s important is what comes next, which I have personally planned."

    "What exactly are you planning to do?"

    Yuan''s words gave Lin Yun a bad feeling, and combined with the opponent''s strange behavior that evening, he realized that she might indeed be telling the truth.

    "Like I said, I am here to issue a challenge, to all the magical girls of Fangting City," Yuan replied.

    With a now serious expression, Yuan continued, "This includes experienced magical girls like Cornflower and newcomers like you, young lady, and even those new friends from outside Fangting City. Although I don''t know all of them, if any of you wish to come, then just come. The location is at the summit of Silver Screen Mountain."

    "Silver Screen Mountain?" Lin Yun wasn''t unfamiliar with this name, but that didn''t alleviate his confusion.

    "You, taking on all of us by yourself?"

    Lin Xiaolu was concerned about a completely different issue, "Wait, how did you know there are other magical girls from different cities here?"

    "I''ve been watching each of you fight the Remnant Beasts," Yuan pointed out.

    Pointing at Lin Xiaolu, he said, "Like you, young lady, your recent battles have been in the Sunset District, and the last Remnant Beast you dealt with was an Inchworm, right?"

    Lin Xiaolu didn''t respond, but her suddenly heavier breathing reflected her emotions.

    Because Yuan was right, yet she had never sensed the presence of any other magical girls at the scene.

    This meant that the opponent had the ability to completely elude her perception, and with such an ability, had she harbored any intent of attacking Lin Xiaolu, she probably would have been finished long ago.

    Even if slow to realize, Lin Xiaolu now had to acknowledge a fact¡ªthat the person claiming to be "Evil Magical Girl" in front of her was very strong, possibly much stronger than she could currently handle.

    "If there are no objections, then let me announce the rules," Yuan said.

    Seeing that both Lin Yun and Lin Xiaolu had nothing else to say, Yuan continued, "The designated place is the summit of Silver Screen Mountain, and the time is up to you, anytime tonight, but I can only wait until midnight."

    "I set up a ritual at the top of Silver Screen Mountain. Starting now, if nobody stops it, then at midnight, it will trigger an explosion that will destroy the entire mountain and everything around it," Yuan announced, spreading his hands to mimic an "explosion."

    "To stop it, your only option is to defeat me and then shut it down yourself."

    "Blow up the entire mountain?"

    Lin Yun was somewhat puzzled because, in his memory, Silver Screen Mountain was one of the most remote areas in the suburbs of Fangting City. If it were just to blow up Silver Screen Mountain, aside from possibly causing some geological disasters, it wouldn''t result in severe casualties.

    But soon, he realized what Yuan really intended to do.

    As one of the most remote places in the city''s outskirts, Silver Screen Mountain was sparsely populated, but it also had another characteristic¡ªit was at the very periphery of Fangting City.

    And at the city''s perimeter, there was something absolutely crucial that couldn''t be damaged¡ªthe city''s protective barrier.

    The barrier separated human cities from the vast Wilderness, ensuring that dangers and Remnant Beasts from the Wilderness couldn''t harm the city. But once there was a breach in the barrier, numerous high-level Remnant Beasts, mutated creatures of the Wilderness, and even more terrifying things would enter the city. At that point, the safety of Fangting City would be severely tested.

    "It looks like you''ve figured it out," Yuan noted, observing the change of expression on Lin Yun''s face, and continued with a smile, "That''s my challenge. If you don''t want to see the entire Fangting City fall into crisis, then you better notify Cornflower." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "...why do this?"

    Lin Yun asked this question once again.

    He couldn''t understand the motives behind Yuan choosing to do this at such a juncture.

    She had been in Fangting City for two months and had even had the opportunity to completely eliminate him and the Source of Beasts at once, but she had let them all go under the guise of "fairness."

    If she intended to threaten the entire city to use as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the Magical Girl, she should have done so before the external support from Bai''an City arrived, there was no need to wait until now.

    Previously, he didn''t understand why Yuan, as an "Evil Person", was so indifferent about "doing evil things," but now he could not comprehend why such a person, after skipping countless great opportunities, would choose such an evidently poor moment to act.

    "Evil people doing evil deeds never need a reason, right? You can think of it as a new year, I''m homesick, so I am preparing to quickly finish the tasks at hand."

    Yuan answered nonchalantly, then walked to the window of the Director''s Office and suddenly opened it, "Well, the wine has been drunk, the challenge has been delivered, I''ll go back and wait for your honored visit..."

    She rested one hand on the windowsill, waving towards those behind her, a gesture indicating she was about to leave, but her next move was stopped by a Magic Power Beam that shot out suddenly.

    The Magic Power Beam grazed her face, missing her by mere millimeters.

    Lin Xiaolu chose to strike here.

    "You want to run away?"

    Pointing her magic wand at Yuan, her gaze was resolute, "If you plan to do something this dangerous, then I absolutely won''t let you leave!"

    "...are you planning to stop me?"

    Utterly unfazed by Lin Xiaolu''s attack, Yuan glanced at the spot Lin Xiaolu had just attacked and shook her head lightly, "While I am touched by your fighting spirit, sorry, I''m not interested in bullying children."

    "What did you say?" Lin Xiaolu immediately widened her eyes.

    "What I mean is, I don''t want to fight with children."

    Yuan spread her hands in resignation, "Simply bullying the weak has no meaning and it does not comply with my principles."

    "And blowing up a mountain complies with your principles?" Lin Xiaolu shouted out loud.

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    "It does, because I am a villain after all, I need to do what a villain should do."

    Yuan''s expression remained unchanged, instead, she raised her hand courteously and waved to the other two in the Director''s Office, "Well then, I''ll be taking my leave first."

    After saying this, she once again leaned out of the window, with magic power surging around her, appearing to be ready to fly away.

    "I said it, didn''t I? I won''t let you go!"

    Almost simultaneously, Lin Xiaolu took a forceful action, and this time she used all her strength, her recent maximum effort wrapped around her magic wand in a blazing white magic power.

    The explosion of magic power behind her propelled Lin Xiaolu forward as she held her magic wand, her own white flames fluttering all over, swiftly lunging towards Yuan.

    Since the first encounter with Black Ash Dawn up to today, even against the moth, the potency of the white magic power had always been irresistible, even if the opponent''s power level was far above her own, this type of magic attack could still be effective.

    This time, Lin Xiaolu had no doubt about it.

    ¡ª "Pfft."

    However, just as she flew forward, she could no longer remember what happened next.

    She couldn''t even see clearly what the opponent had done, a faint thud followed, and she lost consciousness.

    The last remaining in her mind were the sonic boom of Yuan breaking away and the worried call of her father.

 Chapter 75 Blocking the Way

    Lin Xiaolu clutched her head and crawled up from the couch, her mind cluttered with memories that almost prevented her from distinguishing where she was.

    It was only when she looked at her surroundings and at Lin Yun, who was sitting behind a desk on the phone, that she remembered what had just happened¡ªshe had tried to stop the woman who claimed to be "Claw Mark" and then was suddenly knocked out.

    ¡ª"Yes, the location is Silver Screen Mountain, probably near the top. The opponent should not be hiding, so they should be easy to locate... Hurry over, and I''ll arrange the rest."

    Almost at the same time, Lin Yun ended the phone call.

    He stood up from his seat, putting away his phone, and Lin Yun could only feel a headache coming on. He sighed subconsciously, lifted his head, and just then, locked eyes with Lin Xiaolu.

    "Awake?"

    Seeing that his daughter was indeed alright, his worried heart finally relaxed a little, and he walked straight over to Lin Xiaolu. "How do you feel? Do you have any discomfort?"

    "...I should be fine."

    Letting go of her head, Lin Xiaolu shook her head and struggled to get up. "What about that woman?"

    "She left."

    Lin Yun pointed at the window. "About ten minutes ago, after she knocked you out, she just flew away."

    "Ten minutes..."

    Upon hearing how long she had been unconscious, Lin Xiaolu stiffened, then slumped back down. "Alright, it seems there''s no chance of catching up now."

    "Stop thinking about chasing her. You''re clearly no match for that person."

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    Lin Yun rubbed Lin Xiaolu''s head and said helplessly, "What you should be doing now is taking the time to recover. As for stopping that person, I''ve already informed the other members of your team. Emerald Sparrow and Hong Siyu will lead the team to handle it."

    "Emerald Sparrow''s already gone?"

    Having just laid down, Lin Xiaolu suddenly bolted upright upon hearing Lin Yun''s words. "Where? Silver Screen Mountain? Then I have to go too!"

    "I''ve told you, you can''t go."

    Lin Yun removed his hand from Lin Xiaolu''s head. "This enemy is not the usual kind of dangerous. Based on the intelligence I''ve received, the opponent is likely more dangerous than the giant Remnant Beast at the Full Moon Festival, and this is not a battle you''re ready to fight."

    "But Emerald Sparrow went, right? Everyone''s going to fight!"

    Lin Xiaolu still clung to the key point. "If Emerald Sparrow is going, even if I can only help a little, I must go!"

    Lin Yun was at a loss for words. He really wanted to tell Lin Xiaolu, "You might end up being more of a liability if you go now," but that felt too harsh to say.

    "Listen to me, Lulu."

    After some thought, he felt he had no choice but to play the emotional card. He crouched down and looked into Lin Xiaolu''s eyes. "Dad will arrange everything, so please don''t do anything to worry me, okay?"

    Lin Xiaolu went quiet.

    "But I''m the Magical Girl of Fangting City. At times like this, I can''t be the only one to back down from a fight."

    After a moment, she spoke again with a conflicted expression. "If I retreat just because the enemy is dangerous, then I can''t consider myself a qualified Magical Girl..."

    "When you''ve grown stronger, there will definitely be more opportunities to face even more formidable enemies. When the time comes, I will not stop you."

    Lin Yun said earnestly, "But this time, just this once, you really don''t need to face this kind of enemy."

    Lin Xiaolu lifted her head, and she could see the seriousness in Lin Yun''s gaze, as well as the worry beneath that seriousness.

    She opened her mouth again, but the words she intended to say, the words of refusal, became somewhat choked up.

    "...Okay."

    She didn''t know when, in some moment unnoticed by herself, the words she spoke had become these two.

    Then, she saw her father''s expression relax considerably.

    "Alright, it''s settled then. Dad has to arrange other contingency matters, so I might not be able to stay in the office with you. Rest a little longer and then head back to the base by yourself."

    Reaching out again, but this time to smooth out Lin Xiaolu''s hair, Lin Yun''s voice softened. "I''m sorry, we were supposed to spend New Year''s together, but it ended up like this. We can have a proper talk about anything else later."

    "It''s okay."

    Lin Xiaolu shook her head, her expression a bit uncomfortable. "When the enemy comes, there''s nothing you can do. Go ahead with your work."

    For some reason, she suddenly remembered when she was still in elementary school. Back then, her father would often have to work late or entertain clients, but he had never apologized like this.

    Now, she wasn''t sure when it started, but she felt like her father had changed a lot.

    It wasn''t just a change in status or behavior, but also a change in personality.

    If the former changes made her feel somewhat estranged, the latter instead brought her a subtle sense of familiarity.

    It was this familiarity, even a bit of comfort, that made her subconsciously agree to his plea.

    Watching her father smile¡ªan expression that was probably a smile on his usually stern face¡ªthen putting on his suit jacket, he walked out of the office. Lin Xiaolu sat obediently on the couch, watching him leave until the office door closed with a "click".

    She sat silently for a while, then turned her gaze to the nearby window. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 75 Obstruction_2

    A moment ago, the woman who claimed to be Claw Mark had left through that window.

    With her mind churning, Lin Xiaolu first stared at the window expressionlessly, then her face showed a trace of inner conflict. After a while, as if coming to a resolution, she let out a sigh and stood up.

    "Sorry."

    It was unclear to whom she was addressing those words as she took steps toward the window.

    ...

    ...

    It was a dark and windy night, and strange noises continuously emanated from the depths of Silver Screen Mountain, thick with trees.

    As a mountain far from the urban area of Fangting City, with relatively little tourist development, Silver Screen Mountain saw few visitors throughout the year. Moreover, on New Year''s Eve, when most of the locals chose to spend the evening with their families, the mountain was even more deserted.

    In such an environment, a tower made of rubble and mud had inexplicably risen.

    About ten or so meters tall and half a meter thick, the tower was marked with weird, distorted patterns. Its height just exceeded the surrounding trees, poking through the layers of foliage to stand against the night sky. And if someone were to look carefully, they would see a strange, purplish-black glow flickering at the top of the tower.

    A black cat was squatting there. Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

    To be precise, it was a fairy that resembled a black cat.

    The patterns on the stone tower continued to extend upwards, becoming increasingly intertwined. These patterns eventually converged at the top, now covered by Semi''s paws. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    It was infusing its magic power into the patterns, attempting to complete a certain ritual. The goal of said ritual was quite straightforward¡ª to blow up this mountain beneath it, along with part of Fangting City''s city protection network.

    Such a mad endeavor naturally required an enormous amount of magic power. For a fairy not particularly strong in magic power, the difficulty of this task was significantly magnified, hence the need to construct this stone tower to aid the ritual.

    Squatting unmoving on the stone tower, with time seemingly frozen around it, Semi suddenly opened its eyes after an indeterminate period had lapsed in the outside world.

    It sensed a sound from high above.

    A white trail stretched from a distance towards Silver Screen Mountain, with a continuous, tearing sound emanating from the trail''s leading edge, then disappearing over Semi''s head.

    About ten seconds later, a figure suddenly fell from the sky, landing gracefully in front of it.

    "Ready?"

    Cornflower smoothed her hair and walked towards the tower, "Will it be successful?"

    "The ritual taught by the leader won''t go wrong."

    Squatting on the tower, Semi showed a weary look on its face, lowered its head to look at Cornflower, "And you, making such a show of going to declare war on Fangting City''s Magical Girl, and they just let you come back easily?"

    "I didn''t go looking for Cornflower directly, and besides, I don''t even know where Fangting City''s Magical Girls are. It made more sense to have the Abnormal Strategy Bureau relay my message."

    When Cornflower spoke of this, it sounded as light as if she had just gone out to buy a bottle of water, "Anyway, the effect is the same, now we just wait for them to come."

    "Hmm," Semi nodded, not disputing this.

    The two fell silent for a moment.

    Cornflower sat cross-legged at the base of the tower, leaning against it and quietly gazing at the nearly pitch-black night sky. The new moon of the new year was nowhere to be seen, and only a few lonely stars twinkled through the thick cloud, appearing exceptionally solitary.

    Semi was focused on guiding the magic power for the ritual. Although the process was mechanical and tedious, it did not prevent it from immersing itself fully, with no spare attention to find a topic of conversation.

    After an indefinite duration of this stillness, Cornflower suddenly spoke.

    ¡ª"Hey, Semi."

    "What is it?"

    "How do you feel about these two months in the city? Do you feel happy at all?" Cornflower tilted her head slightly, as though asking casually.

    "...Why do you suddenly ask this?"

    "No reason, just bored and looking for a topic," Cornflower explained, "If you don''t want to talk about this, never mind, it doesn''t matter."

    "Oh." Semi took her words at face value, swishing its tail lightly as it reminisced about its life during this period before reaching a conclusion, "Not great, pretty bad actually."

    "Pretty bad?"

    "Isn''t it obvious? Following around an unreliable fellow like you, sleeping rough, sometimes even fighting with a bunch of rough stray cats over scraps in the trash cans, and even that one time I got a random stray cat propositioning me... If you ask me for the most wretched experiences of my life, they''ve all been these past two months."

    Looking down towards Cornflower, Semi said rather plaintively, "Just thinking about finally getting to leave this life behind, I don''t want to stay in this place of painful memories for even a second longer."

    "Wow, is it that bad? I thought it was okay," Cornflower laughed it off.

    "It''s super bad! You should at least reflect on this!" Semi insisted sternly, "Anyway, all this is because I took on this mission with you, so you better make it up to me when we get back!"

    "Alright, alright," Cornflower responded somewhat dismissively, "What kind of compensation do you want?"

    "I want five echoes above the molting level," Semi stated its demand without hesitation.

 Chapter 75 Blocking_3

    "Five? You couldn''t get that many even if you sold me."

    "Stop pretending to be poor. Don''t you have any personal stock after all these years?"

    "What stock? All my resources and money have already become the nourishment for my strength," Magic Power said proudly, pointing to his arm.

    "...Then four."

    "Not four either, forget it."

    "No way, I want four!"

    "I refuse. I''d rather default than give you that much."

    "You... three! That''s my bottom line! If you don''t agree, I''ll go complain to the chief first, then have the deputy chief beat you up!"

    The two of them haggled like this for a long time, and in the end, they didn''t come to any conclusion. Plus, the whole process was just shouting across the distance, and by the end, they were both hoarse and had to stop.

    Thus, the depths of Silver Screen Mountain returned to silence.

    Magic Power continued to lean against the stone tower with his eyes closed, conserving his strength, while Semi continued to channel magic power. After an unknowable amount of time, Magic Power spoke up again.

    "Semi."

    "...What is it this time?"

    "You might not believe this if I tell you, but I''ve actually been quite enjoying myself these past two months."

    "Oh, really?" Semi responded coolly, still not recovered from the earlier argument.

    "Not surprised?" Magic Power asked.

    "Why should I be? It''s not like I couldn''t tell."

    "Was I that obvious?"

    "You''ve practically visited every place in and out of the neighborhood, you spend money as soon as you get it, and you sleep in the underpass like a dead pig; you do seem to enjoy this kind of life," Semi couldn''t help but roll his eyes: "Although in my view, it''s just plain foolish."

    "Foolish... huh?"

    Magic Power looked slightly stunned: "Probably."

    "What do you mean ''probably''?" Semi puzzled.

    "It means I also don''t understand what you mean, though you''re scolding me, I do think it might be true."

    "Can you not do this?" Semi said somewhat helplessly: "I mean, I''m scolding you, and you end up reflecting on it, making me feel quite awkward..."

    "Semi." Magic Power called out again.

    "What now!"

    "Let''s just quit."

    The woods fell silent once again.

    In the dead of winter, perhaps because the snow on the mountains had not yet melted, most of the miscellaneous noises were absorbed by the snow layer, making the surroundings particularly tranquil when no one spoke.

    "Magic Power."

    Then this time, it was Semi who spoke first:

    "You should still remember, we came here for the leader''s task,"

    "Yes, I remember," Jinzhi admitted without denial.

    "The people in this city are irrelevant to us; we are here to do evil as villains."

    "Yes, I understand."

    "Now, this plan was originally proposed by you because you said that carrying out the leader''s scheme to massacre would be too noisy and might attract unnecessary enemies. It would be better to destroy the city''s defense network, so there wouldn''t be too many casualties among civilians in the short term, and the disaster in the city later could restrain the kingdom''s combat forces."

    "Yes, I''m clear."

    "So, what exactly are you saying now?"

    Semi''s voice held a trace of coldness, "What do you mean ''stop''? Things have already progressed to this point, and I have been taking care of your sudden burst of sympathy, even the tactics have been handed out, and now you suddenly say ''stop''? Are you really foolish, or do you no longer want to listen to the leader''s orders?"

    "If I had a choice, I guess I''d hope I''m foolish?"

    Jinzhi looked down slightly and spoke softly, "Going against the leader... that''s more than I can bear."

    "Jinzhi, do you still remember the leader''s wish... no, the wish of our Claw Marks?" Semi asked.

    "Yes, of course," Jinzhi nodded.

    "To create a home that is not controlled by the kingdom and the queen for all the Magical Girls abandoned by the kingdom, and to find a path of freedom for all future Magical Girls."

    Semi read aloud, "No matter how much blood is spilled in the process, no matter how much sin we bear, as long as it''s for our home, we''re willing to sacrifice our lives."

    "A beautiful dream," Jinzhi remarked.

    "It''s almost not a dream anymore."

    Semi emphasized, "We have put in so much effort over the past decade, sacrificed so many companions, and stained our hands with the blood of the innocents to reach this point. Now, there is no turning back for us."

    "We are villains, undeniably, and the evil deeds we''ve committed prevent us from ever claiming innocence; and if we fail to achieve even our final objective, then as villains, we would have failed utterly, achieving nothing."

    "I don''t want to see things turn out that way¡ªrather, things absolutely cannot turn out that way. I''d rather be a determined villain than a hesitating hypocrite."

    "In a few hours, it will be the next Queen''s Year, and our time is running out. We must complete the next tasks as quickly as possible, or else the leader''s dream... our dream will all turn to bubbles."

    "Don''t be foolish anymore, Jinzhi. We can''t afford the luxury of sympathy for others; if we really do as you said ''stop,'' we will be the ones destroyed..."

    At this point, Semi stopped.

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    Not because there was nothing more to say, but because both Semi and Jinzhi saw something, multiple traces of Magic Power extending from the sky.

    Deep blue, purple-red, orange. These were the colors of the Magic Power at the forefront.

    Light blue, Jinzhi, green, cyan, pale red, pale yellow. These were the six colors that followed closely behind.

    And regardless of the color, the number was undoubtedly correct; so many traces of Magic Power meant that nine Magical Girls had rushed to this place.

    "Jinzhi, what exactly did you do to challenge them, blow up their base?" Looking up at the colorful Magic Power in the sky, Semi couldn''t help but ask.

    "That''s why I just said, stop it."

    Jinzhi slowly stood up, shaking off her numb legs. She extended her hand, a black Magic wand emerged in her hand, then it melted, turning into ink-black liquid metal.

    "¡ªBut you''re right, given the situation, it''s already too late."

 Chapter 76 Beast Heart Liberation

    When Emerald Sparrow arrived at the spot where Yuan was, Yuan was already leisurely waiting there for a while.

    She didn''t stand below the stone tower to wait but purposely advanced a distance, stopping the group from Fangting City before they reached the mountaintop.

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    The mountain woods here were rarely visited by people, hence the trees were tall and dense, and the surroundings were enveloped in a thick curtain of darkness. The robust ancient trees moaned deeply under the caress of the night wind. All sounds were eventually swallowed by the accumulated snow, leaving only silence.

    Behind her was a small path, winding and lost to the night, barely discernible in outline as if it led directly to the mountaintop. The distant mountains, hidden in dense darkness, seemed to merge seamlessly with heaven and earth, indistinguishable.

    And Yuan stood there quietly. The occasional soft snow falling from the treetops stained her shoulders, adding a touch of white to her black robe.

    The arrival of Emerald Sparrow and Chaoyan was not a surprise to her, as she had already clashed with these two, and had roughly figured out each other''s tactics. Thus, apart from a few obviously much younger children behind her, the most conspicuous was the figure dressed in golden yellow.

    "It seems this is the new friend who arrived in this city before."

    Her eyes bright, she looked at Margaret and smiled warmly, "I had hoped we could have a proper sit-down discussion, but it''s a pity our first meeting had to be in such a setting."

    "If you feel it''s a pity, then don''t pick the holidays to start trouble, okay?"

    Arriving here directly as a Magical Girl, Asou Haruka, or rather Margaret, half-joked, half-serious: "We had just gotten the soup base for the hot pot boiling and placed the specially purchased premium beef in it, ready to enjoy the New Year''s Eve dinner. Then suddenly, a call came to rush to this forsaken place for a fight. Guess my mood now?"

    "What, you brought the beef here to eat?" Yuan guessed, stroking her chin.

    "How could that be? Of course, we had to leave the half-eaten hot pot and rush here."

    Hong Siyu''s expression was naturally not friendly as she replied irritably, "And the food we brought has already cooled down, it''s not even tasty anymore."

    "It''s cooled down, but so what? It''s still meat." Yuan rebutted seriously, "The meat has already been cooked, the seasoning added, temperature is just a minor detail."

    ¡ª"There''s no need to stall for time; we''re not going to debate such pointless topics with you."

    This time Emerald Sparrow spoke up, going directly to the point, "Where is the location of the "ritual" you mentioned?"

    "So hasty?" Yuan clearly intended to continue the idle chat a bit longer, but seeing the hostile looks from the group opposite, she tactfully pointed behind her, "Just follow the road to the top of the mountain. There''s a rather large clearing just before reaching the mountaintop, you''ll see it."

    Hearing her words, Emerald Sparrow intended to move forward without another word, but her motion to fly was suddenly blocked by Yuan''s Magic Armor.

    Emerald Sparrow reacted swiftly, using threads to slow Yuan''s momentum and then leaping aside, attempting to circumvent her horizontally, but Yuan''s Magic Armor, as if it had eyes, blocked Emerald Sparrow''s path once again.

    The two exchanged a look, Emerald Sparrow expressionless, Yuan smiling freely.

    Although neither said much more, each understood the other''s will from their gaze.

    ¡ªEmerald Sparrow only wanted to verify if the "ritual" Yuan mentioned existed, having little interest in Yuan, the humanoid roadblock; whereas, Yuan intended to resolve the fight right here, not planning to let Emerald Sparrow and the others pass at all.

    "You plan to block nine people alone?" Emerald Sparrow looked at her as if seeing a madwoman, "Or are you saying that the so-called ''ritual'' you mentioned doesn''t exist, and you just had us run here to play your martial arts game?"

    "One against nine? I hadn''t expected you to bring so many, really going all out. But since you''re all here, why not let me have a try?"

    Even facing a numerical disadvantage, Yuan still appeared totally unpressured, leisurely saying, "As for the ritual, as long as you can defeat me here, you will naturally confirm whether it''s real."

    "...If there''s even a slight possibility, I actually hope it''s just a lie." Looking at Yuan, Emerald Sparrow''s usually unchanging expression showed a hint of complexity, which quickly vanished, "Because if it truly exists, it means you and Fangting City have become true mortal enemies."

    "Mortal enemies? That sounds quite serious."

    Yuan''s unruffled smile remained, though her words lost some teasing in tone and grew a bit more solemn, "So, even though it''s not appropriate for me to say this, Cornflower, have you misunderstood something about me?"

    She extended her hand, retracting the Magic Armor that blocked Emerald Sparrow, "Is it because I haven''t been cruel enough, making you think everything I say is a joke; or is it because I haven''t completely crushed you until now, making you feel that everyone together can defeat me here?"

    "Let me tell you then, the ritual, beyond a doubt, is real. It''s right behind me, and if you can''t stop it within the next two hours, it will trigger a massive magical power fluctuation, not only completely destroying the mountain and the city''s protective barrier but also emitting waves of magic power that attract Remnant Beasts." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 76 Beast Heart Liberation_2

    ```

    "And once we reach this point, in the following time, a huge beast disaster will erupt near this breach. The scale might be no less than the one we had twenty years ago, and without the protective net, the city will be as powerless as a newborn baby. You should know what happens then, right?" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Now, do you know what you should do? We have been downright enemies from the start, I''ve never made jokes that would harm myself with my enemies. Would you?"

    Hong Siyu''s answer was very straightforward, even somewhat cold-hearted.

    There was no doubt, regardless of what she had thought or wanted to do before, from this moment on, she had killed all those possibilities.

    Now, standing here, blocking everyone''s path, was just a cadre from the claw marks.

    Thus, Emerald Sparrow closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she reopened them, there remained only indifference in her gaze.

    "We will stop this so-called ritual."

    Her voice was icy cold, "If you insist on standing in the way, then I will defeat you first and then stop it."

    "A fine resolve."

    Margaret laughed heartily, "But let me give you a tip, you actually have three choices: The first is to fight with me, realize the gap in our strength, then meekly surrender, and then you and that little girl in green clothes behind you come with me."

    "The second is to skip all the troublesome steps outright as a way to protect your teammates; just come with me now, and I will naturally stop the ritual."

    "The third is to completely defeat me here, and this time, I will bet all my strength, without holding back anything like last time."

    She raised her arm in a salute-like gesture, "Choose now, this will determine the safety of the city behind you."

    Emerald Sparrow did not respond.

    She merely crouched slightly, the Magic Armor in her hand shimmered with the glow of surging magical power.

    By her side, Hong Si, Margaret, and a generation of new Magical Girls all took a battle stance to express their determination.

    Their magical power''s strength, color, nature, and even essence were all different, but at that moment, they all shone solely for the city standing behind them.

    "Very well."

    Gret nodded, looking very pleased, "Exactly, true Magical Girls should be like this, facing all difficulties with a crystal-clear and tough heart... thus, I should also give you the utmost respect, the respect from a mere warrior."

    "Be glad, my so-called ''not holding back'' means offering all I have, so you needn''t worry that I have any tricks up my sleeve, just focus on facing me as I am now is enough. At the very start of the battle, I shall display my ''ultimate.''

    She pressed a hand to her heart, veins on her arm turning an abnormal purple, the dark purple Magical Power Flow burst forth like a tidal wave, all converging to her heart,"Ready to face the world''s original, and perhaps final, ''Martial Ultimate?'' "

    All that belonged to Gret seemed to be melting.

    Her black Magic Armor became loose and grey like diluted ink; the bursting magical power like a tangible liquid, formed into rivers; and the "person" in front of everyone, Gret''s existence, also seemed to collapse like melted wax, deforming beyond recognition.

    Thud, thud, thud.

    Only the sound of a heartbeat grew louder and louder, like thunder, like mountains crumbling, like an earthquake, as if the whole mountain was drumming for it, creating a violent tremor.

    And then, the "beast" raised its head amid the dark tides.

    ¡ª¡ª"Gret, Beast Heart Liberation, Hundred Arms Formation."

    It declared thus.

    ```

    With the falling of that voice, the surrounding scenery shattered like a broken pane of glass, completely fragmented as if space itself had turned to dust, leaving behind nothing but a heart-throbbing pitch-black darkness.

    And within that pitch-blackness, a figure emerged.

    It was Yuan, or rather, "some existence" that had previously been Yuan.

    If one were to only look at the face and features, they were very similar to that of Yuan who had just been present, but the figure was now taller, as if the proportions of the person had been stretched.

    The once black hair had now turned completely gray-white, tied into a long single ponytail at the back, and the original robes had been replaced by a magnificent Red Feathered Robe. However, this attire couldn''t give off any impression of softness, whether it was the dense array of hidden weapons tied around the waist, the sharp, feather-like streamers at the collar and hem, or even the weirdly intricate patterns on the clothes that felt unsettling, all conveyed an indescribably fierce aura.

    The most eye-catching feature was her eyes; the sclera had turned completely black, and for some reason, the unique double pupils that had been like Yin-Yang fish had disappeared, leaving only a pair of white-bordered, bird-like pupils. Crimson patterns extended from the corner of her eyes towards her temples, forming a half-mask of flowers.

    The process of Yuan revealing her new form was complex, but it didn''t take much time. The transformation was complete within ten seconds, yet among the Magical Girls present, only the three leaders witnessed the process in its entirety.

    Because those who stood behind, any Magical Girl who hadn''t reached the "Lei" level, were all overwhelmed by the immense pressure, struggling to catch their breath.

    This pressure wasn''t physical. If one had to define it, it seemed to be some kind of mental ability that made the weaker Magical Girls almost utterly lack the courage to face Yuan directly. Just contending with this pressure consumed a great deal of the girls'' energy.

    With such tremendous pressure coming from behind, the three in the front naturally couldn''t be clueless to it.

    In fact, Emerald Sparrow felt as if she had been struck on the head with a blunt object, her vision blurring; Hong Siyu kept coughing, her breathing becoming much more rapid; only Margaret seemed to be less affected, though she was frowning, indicating her discomfort.

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    "Is this... some kind of ''full bloom''?" Eventually, it was Margaret who made the first assessment.

    As a "Flower" level Magical Girl, she undoubtedly also possessed her own "full bloom" form. With years of advancement to this level and rich combat experience, she was naturally the most familiar with the concept of "full bloom" among the people present.

    Based on the magical power fluctuation Yuan had just displayed and the regularity of the transformation, she gauged that this seemed to be a state closely resembling "full bloom."

    ¡ª"Full bloom? If that''s how you want to understand it, that''s not a problem," Yuan, who had until now stood still and silent, finally spoke, her form unmoving as if she were a motionless statue; "However, since all the Magical Girls who become Claw Marks lose their full bloom, strictly speaking, Beast Heart Liberation is actually a substitute for it."

    "A substitute?" Margaret was clearly hearing this concept for the first time.

    "Yes, unable to harness the Magical Girls'' power to fully release one''s own power, one naturally has to rely on the power of Remnant Beasts to achieve this," Yuan tilted her head slightly, her body still stationary; "In the words of a martial practitioner, this might be understood as ''reversed cultivation, leading to possession by devilry''? It''s just that for us Claw Marks, being possessed is far from a bad thing; in fact, it brings more benefits."

    "It''s evident," Margaret nodded as if in agreement with the other''s statement; "Then, why have you been standing still since just now? Is there a problem with this form?"

    "Ah, this?"

    Yuan looked down slightly, scanning her entire body before raising her head and smiling softly at Margaret.

    Then, everyone saw Yuan''s figure suddenly vanish.

    Simultaneously, an attack as fast as lightning struck, arriving at Margaret''s side in virtually the same instant the words had fallen.

    In just the blink of an eye, Margaret didn''t even have time to use her magic power and could only lean back slightly on instinct, watching helplessly as a jet-black Magic Power Beam whizzed past her face.

    "Sorry, I''m a bit rusty," Yuan still stood off to the side, motionless and smiling; "This form of mine is a bit too fast. If I don''t hold back a bit, any slight movement might send me flying past my target."

 Chapter 77 Canna

    In Lu Hongdou''s limited childhood memories, the most profound scene was an exile.

    The sky was filled with yellow sand, the fierce sun blazed like fire, and the road ahead was shrouded in uncertainty during the exile.

    Her hometown, a small city on the border of Donghua State, was destroyed in a Remnant Beasts attack when she was five years old.

    She didn''t have a very deep impression of the disaster itself. She only remembered being woken up by her parents one night and then the three of them embarked on a journey of exile. Unfortunately, she became separated from her parents during the escape and lost her way alone in the Wilderness.

    A five-year-old child wandering alone in the Wilderness could be considered as good as dead; it was just a matter of dying sooner or later. Yet Lu Hongdou was lucky in this instance, for she encountered an old man who happened to be traversing the Wilderness.

    Later, Lu Hongdou learned that the old man was no ordinary person because he possessed a very unique set of skills, which he called martial arts.

    It was because of martial arts that the old man was able to travel alone through the Wilderness; it was the martial arts that enabled him to avoid the dangers lurking within it. And whenever the old man spoke of martial arts, his aged face always shone with a brilliant light.

    The old man took Lu Hongdou in and brought her to another city but did not live in the heart of it. Instead, they settled on a mountain on the outskirts of the city.

    In the years that followed, Lu Hongdou called the old man "Master" and practiced martial arts with him in the mountains.

    Practicing martial arts was very hard, much harder than the usual trials.

    But perhaps it was the experience of wandering the Wilderness at a young age that made her strong, or perhaps leaving her parents at an early age made her mature, but Lu Hongdou persevered, diligently practicing martial arts.

    In the summer, she stood in horse stance under the scorching sun, and in the bitter cold of winter, she practiced her sword dance in the howling wind. She was focused and persistent in her practice and her efforts were rewarded.

    Years later, Lu Hongdou showed outstanding martial arts talent. At only fourteen, she had already mastered all of the skills taught by the old man, becoming a martial artist with exceptional gifts.

    And just as she was full of ambition, eager to ask her master about the next steps in her martial journey, what the old man said next doused her with cold water.

    ¡ª¡ª"Your current state is almost at its peak."

    "At its peak? What does that mean?" Lu Hongdou couldn''t understand what the old man was talking about.

    "It means that martial arts have been brought to their limit at your current level. Going forward, you can only learn more techniques, accumulate more combat experience, or build a stronger body... You can continue to grow stronger, but you won''t be able to make a qualitative breakthrough, nor can you advance to a new realm," the old man said calmly, "Martial arts have limits, and these limits are the limits of us as mortals. No matter what, we cannot defeat those monsters. Even I would have to conceal my presence and avoid them if I encountered one."

    "Why?" Lu Hongdou still did not understand.

    "There is no why. It''s like the cycle of seasons and the alternation of day and night; it''s the law of the world that has been set from the beginning."

    The old man''s answer was realistic, cold, and powerless.

    But Lu Hongdou still didn''t believe it.

    So, at the age of fourteen, she bid farewell to the old man who had raised her and chose to go down the mountain alone to seek the further path of martial arts in this world.

    This was also the first time since she was five that Lu Hongdou had stepped back into a human city.

    At first, she was completely unaccustomed to city life, naturally baffled. Although the old man gave her a small sum of money before she set out, he himself had never intentionally saved money, so the money was just enough to fill her stomach.

    In pursuit of the way of martial arts, Lu Hongdou was defeated by the need to make a living.

    She lived in damp alleys with beggars, barely surviving on begging and street performances, and because she couldn''t lower her standards and was unwilling to join the riff-raff in doing petty thievery, she was always an outcast, without even a decent place to sleep, ending up next to rubbish heaps every night.

    Life was difficult, but Lu Hongdou did not regret her choice because her master had always taught her that those who practice martial arts must uphold righteousness, and one of the core tenets of righteousness is to protect the weak and not to bully the frail.

    However, Lu Hongdou was very adaptable. She soon found her own rhythm in this difficult life. Using her martial skills to occasionally catch thieves, she helped look after some shopkeepers'' properties to deter the gangsters and ruffians, gradually started to earn money, and integrated into the city life.

    After that, she began her search for the continuation of the martial path. While continuing to practice martial arts herself to see if there really was such a thing as a "limit," she started inquiring everywhere in the streets and alleys, seeking other fellow martial artists.

    She did not find her peer, but instead, she encountered some old friends.

    ¡ª¡ªThe Remnant Beasts appeared. Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    This was the first time since she was five that Lu Hongdou encountered Remnant Beasts in reality, so much so that at first, she didn''t even realize what those monsters before her were. It wasn''t until the civilians around her began to scream and flee, and the ordinarily bustling and lively streets became panicked, that she understood what she was facing were Remnant Beasts, the "monsters" spoken of by her master.

 Chapter 77 Canna_2

    ```

    Martial arts can defeat the Remnant Beasts? My master''s answer to this question has always been "cannot".

    However, Lu Hongdou didn''t believe this, or rather, she always remembered that the cause of her destitute and dislocated childhood was the Remnant Beasts, so she refused to run away in the face of her enemy.

    Thus, she charged alone at the Remnant Beast before her, using the most powerful technique she had mastered to challenge the beast.

    The result was a disastrous defeat.

    After being thrashed by the Remnant Beast as if she were a punching bag, Lu Hongdou lay on the rough ground, bloodied and with multiple fractures, firmly pinned down by its thick claws, as the creature''s maw pressed against her throat, poised to pierce that thin layer of skin and take her last breath of life.

    Just at that critical moment, someone saved her.

    The rescuer was the "Celestial Maiden".

    The so-called "Celestial Maidens" were what people of that era in Donghua State called a class of girls, for they seemed to be chosen by the heavens to appear as heroes who fought the Remnant Beasts, protecting the safety of every household.

    This time was no exception; at the brink of Lu Hongdou''s life and death, it was still the Celestial Maiden who appeared and saved her. Then, in less than a minute, she eliminated the monster that had almost killed Lu Hongdou. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The crowd cheered, lavishing praise on the Celestial Maiden who had come to the rescue, while the only person lying on the ground, Lu Hongdou, fell into silence.

    Partly because her injuries were too severe to speak, and partly because it was the first time her conception of martial arts had been challenged.

    The enemy she could never defeat with her martial arts was inconsequential in front of the Celestial Maiden, so what kind of power was the Celestial Maiden using?

    No one could give her the answer.

    Not to mention the oblivious crowd, even the Celestial Maiden herself left directly after defeating the Remnant Beast. And Lu Hongdou had no doubt that even if the other party hadn''t left, she probably wouldn''t answer her question.

    All she could do was carry this question with her as she continued on her martial path.

    One search lasted three years, and by the time Lu Hongdou reached the age of seventeen, she still hadn''t found the answer she was looking for.

    As time passed, and despite daily training, the results were minimal. At this point, she finally understood the words her master had spoken years ago¡ªbecause she discovered that her martial skills could no longer advance in quality.

    She left the city and returned to the mountains to sort through her years of experiences and thoughts. She explained them to her master, expressing regret for the three years of futile effort, and even feeling despondent.

    "When I discovered this fact back then, I felt exactly as you do now."

    After listening to her, her master, the old man who now appeared to be withering in his twilight years, spoke, "I too didn''t believe this fact, which is why I thought of traveling through the entire Donghua State, crossing the Wilderness, in search of a path for martial arts. I even went to many abandoned cities to find more ancient history."

    "Did master find the answer?" Lu Hongdou was very curious.

    "No, because the martial arts of Donghua State have never been a developed skill. It has had many opportunities for prosperity, but in the end, it could not endure."

    The old man shook his head, "And the realm we have reached now, the ancients called ''postnatal limit'', which means that relying solely on postnatal efforts, it is impossible to break through this shackle."

    "The ancients had no solution?" Disappointment was evident in Lu Hongdou''s voice.

    "Indeed, there was no solution."

    The old man''s voice was calm, "But it wasn''t without conjectures."

    "Conjectures?" Lu Hongdou was very interested in the word.

    "Yes, conjectures. Although there was no way to truly realize it, many clues could prove that there is indeed a possibility for the continuation of martial arts."

    The old man nodded, "And for this possibility, we call it ''momentum''."

    "What does that mean? Does it depend on one''s own momentum to make the opponent afraid?"

    "Not at all. What is called momentum is not just a word but a collective term for ''energy'' and ''potential''. The progress of martial arts beyond the physical body is restricted by the postnatal limit, but if one can master the power of energy and potential, maybe one can go further..."

    That day, the old man spoke a lot.

    As if being chased by something, he told Lu Hongdou all of his experiences from wandering Donghua State, the historical records he had collected, and his own insights into martial arts, without sleeping all night.

    Lu Hongdou was not bored, as she faintly sensed something.

    She guessed that perhaps this was the last conversation she would have with her master in her life.

    After a night of long conversations, the old man was visibly exhausted. His breath was as thin as a thread, he leaned on the chair, his voice a whisper, yet he insisted on holding onto Lu Hongdou''s hand, delivering his last words of advice to her.

    ¡ª"Remember, all things for a martial artist begin with morality. With morality, martial arts can be called the Way of Martial Arts. Without morality, there is no Way of Martial Arts..."

    The next day, as dawn illuminated the mountains, the old man closed his eyes forever.

    He had uttered his last words, which Lu Hongdou had not understood, but it didn''t prevent her from etching them into her heart.

    Then, she chose to become a "Celestial Maiden".

    Because in her conversation with the old man, she understood that practicing martial arts alone could not find the way out; the best approach was to learn from others, to seek answers from other paths of power.

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 Chapter 77 Canna_3

    Becoming a "Celestial Maiden" was an exceptionally simple process for her. She merely had to find the Celestial Maiden who had saved her before, express her gratitude and longing, and she was given a chance to test her talent. After testing, it was confirmed that she indeed possessed the innate gift to become a Celestial Maiden.

    Since then, she rarely used the name "Lu Hongdou" anymore, but rather adopted the code name of her Celestial Maiden identity¡ªCanna.

    Or it could be said that "Celestial Maidens" weren''t really called Celestial Maidens. The true, self-acknowledged name for this group of girls should actually be "Magical Girls."

    Martial artist Lu Hongdou became Magical Girl Canna.

    Of course, becoming a Magical Girl didn''t mean she had abandoned martial arts. Quite the contrary, it was precisely because she had become a Magical Girl that she grew even more fanatically devoted to martial arts.

    While other Magical Girls were researching the powers of their Magic Armor, she was researching how to integrate Magic Armor with her own martial techniques.

    While other Magical Girls were studying the uses of Magic Techniques, she was investigating how to use Magic Power to unblock her own meridians to artificially create "Qi."

    When other Magical Girls reached the pinnacle of their ability to bloom, studying how to maximize their combat strength with "Great Prosperity Bloom," Canna was delving into the essence of "momentum."

    This kind of research couldn''t be separated from the power of a Magical Girl, nor from the support of Magic Power, which is why Canna ultimately even gave up the chance to continue living in the Material Realm and entered the Magic Kingdom, completely becoming a citizen there.

    As a result, she became reclusive, shunning social interactions; she became unkempt, not allowing room in her heart for anything else; she became obsessive, with "becoming stronger" being enough to replace everything else.

    In such incessant questing, eventually, Canna succeeded.

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    She not only successfully reproduced the theoretical concepts of "Qi" and "momentum," but even combined these two with Magic Power, creating her own school of thought and becoming a top combatant.

    But at the same time, Canna also failed.

    Because she realized that her "Qi" and "momentum" were not so much about martial arts as they were applications of martial arts concepts to Magic Power, highly dependent on the strength of a Magical Girl. Once she lost her Magic Power, she would also lose her "Qi" and "momentum."

    This was unacceptable to her.

    The path she sought after in martial arts had to be pure, achievable through martial practice alone. If she had to rely on Magic Power to complete her martial path, then it wasn''t truly martial arts, but merely a branch of a Magical Girl''s power.

    It was under these circumstances that one day, Canna''s superior, the Magical Girl codenamed Purple Diamond who was in charge of the treasury, found her.

    "Dear Canna, my most capable assistant, I have a way to help you master the Magic Power of the Remnant Beasts, which might aid your research," she said straightforwardly, presenting her own terms to Canna. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "...Boss, let''s talk straight. What do you want me to do?" Canna asked.

    By this time, years of research and practice had already faded Canna''s childhood hatred for the Remnant Beasts. Rather, compared to her current obsession with martial arts, such hatred was hardly worth mentioning.

    "I plan to leave the kingdom and establish my own organization."

    With a smile, as if confiding in a close friend, Purple Diamond softly said, "To help those Magical Girls and Fairies who are not accepted by the kingdom, to establish a sanctuary outside the kingdom that belongs to us."

    "You''ll help me, won''t you?"

 Chapter 78 Hundred Forces Form Martial Might

    Canna did not immediately accept Purple Diamond''s invitation.

    The words that the other party blurted out were too shocking; betraying the kingdom sounded very unreliable. Even Canna, who generally stayed out of worldly affairs, found it unfeasible.

    Moreover, no matter what, she was still a Card Magical Girl with a duty to fulfill. Just by sincerely going to the Material Realm and killing a few more high-ranked Remnant Beasts or fighting the rebels in the interrealm to earn some merits, theoretically, there was still a possibility of retaining her identity. Although this possibility was not great, it was enough for her to refuse to join the other party''s madness.

    If she agreed to Purple Diamond and chose to betray the kingdom, even if it was with a Gemstone Scepter, the outcome was likely to be a slim chance of survival. Whether it be the Garden, the Royal Court, or the other four Gemstone Scepters, none could allow a traitor to exist within the kingdom; the consequences would be much more serious than being forced to retire.

    Canna was quite cautious with her life, for she had not yet completed her pursuit of martial might; she didn''t want to gamble her life.

    But Canna was also very determined; if she retired now and lost her magic power, it was likely she would never be able to perfect her martial ways.

    Purple Diamond saw her conflict and hesitation, so she said, "If your reason cannot make a decision for you, then let''s have a fight. I will not use the power of the Gemstone Scepter, only the abilities of a magical girl. If you win, I will assist with your research unconditionally; if I win, you will come with me."

    "Boss, do you really think I stand a chance?" Canna felt the other was joking.

    "If your ''martial arts'' can''t even defeat me without using powers, then continuing to stay in the kingdom would be a waste of time. Why not join me and explore new possibilities?" S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Purple Diamond offered her a gentle smile: "Don''t you want to try, to see how far your martial arts can go against me, the ''peak Magical Girl'' as your opponent?"

    Canna was persuaded by her.

    She accepted the terms, and the two engaged in a private duel.

    Purple Diamond kept her promise, not using her power. But she did not completely keep her promise because she used a kind of magic power that did not belong to the "traditional" Magical Girl power¡ªsome Remnant Beast''s magic power.

    It was this Remnant Beast''s magic power that became the final scale-tipper in the balance of victory, allowing her to defeat Canna, who had given her all.

    However, Purple Diamond did not directly coerce Canna into joining her afterward; instead, she took her to visit some people.

    They were Magical Girls, like Canna herself, who faced the risk of being forced into retirement.

    This group of Magical Girls either lacked combat ability or were maimed and disabled in combat, most of them incapable of performing difficult combat missions and without any particular research talents¡ªjust ordinary people.

    In the kingdom, the number of such Magical Girls was not high, but not low, either.

    Some of them did not want to give up the eternal youth of a Magical Girl, some did not want to give up the power of their magic, but there were also many who simply wanted to continue being Magical Girls.

    Every Magical Girl, at least at the time they were chosen, had a pure and kind heart, and despite the wear and tear over time, many still maintained their original aspirations.

    Perhaps there was a little selfishness involved, but all they genuinely wanted was to continue being Magical Girls and contribute their strength to the world.

    They were fearful of the notion of "betraying the kingdom," yet willing to take risks for their beliefs.

    After that, Canna became Kite.

    Following Purple Diamond, she participated in planning and executing a large-scale defection, fleeing the kingdom with Magical Girls who were either disabled or lacking in combat power.

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    She witnessed Purple Diamond, having left the kingdom, change her name to White Wolf, and she gathered all the escaped Magical Girls together, self-proclaimed "Claw Scar," claiming she would build a home for everyone.

    By merging the magic power of Remnant Beasts and years of secluded cultivation, her research into "Qi" and "Momentum" advanced further, making her a foremost cadre within Claw Scar.

    Everything seemed to go as White Wolf promised. Even using the power of Remnant Beasts, Claw Scar still maintained a certain code of conduct, not degrading into those in Black Ash Dawn who wore human skin. Moreover, since they planned to establish a "home," Claw Scar naturally welcomed more defectors from the kingdom.

    Those facing the same crisis of forced retirement, as well as those simply dissatisfied with the kingdom''s system, could become a member of Claw Scar as long as they shared similar interests.

    Claw Scar thus gradually grew stronger in both the Material Realm and the interrealm, with more and more Magical Girls joining its ranks. At its peak, it even had as many as hundreds of members.

    Change began at that time.

    With the increase in numbers, different voices started to emerge within Claw Scar, initially perhaps just noise, but at some point, this noise overshadowed the original tune, becoming Claw Scar''s new propaganda.

    ¡ª"Break the kingdom''s monopoly, liberate more Magical Girls."

    At some unknown point, the Magical Girls who risked their lives to escape the kingdom to build a new home became the minority, their views no longer mattered. The later Magical Girls, with less reverence and more resentment towards the kingdom, started to confront the kingdom directly.

 Chapter 78 Hundred Forces Form Martial Might_2

    When advocacy had just become a consensus, this kind of confrontation was highly effective. Claw Marks had even wrested control over several cities from the kingdom, showing signs of establishing their own rule.

    But at that time, flourishing and beginning to look towards the future, Claw Marks forgot one thing¡ªhead-on confrontations lead to bloodshed.

    This trend, about twelve years ago, came to an end with a kingdom''s siege.

    It wasn''t the usual comradely civil war conducted with tender feelings. Gardeners from the Garden arrived in the Material Realm wielding scissors, turning all self-confidence into fear.

    A large number of Magical Girls from Claw Marks lost their lives in that siege, and many more who didn''t die were arrested by the kingdom and dragged back.

    In an instant, Claw Marks'' leading cadre was reduced by half, except for Chi Yuan who was always stationed at the base, the leader White Wolf, the vice leader Black Cat, and two others who happened to be in the Interrealm; the other five cadres all perished.

    In fact, though the Gardeners were powerful, they shouldn''t have been able to inflict such a devastating blow on Claw Marks. The reason for the slaughter-like outcome was simple¡ªat that time, all of Claw Marks'' Flowers could no longer bloom.

    Breaking away from the kingdom and changing allegiance, dying the undercurrent of Magic Power with Remnant Beasts, the ultimate form of a Magical Girl naturally became like rootless duckweed. Although they were still Magical Girls, the only power they could wield was limited to wonders. The power of wonders might have been enough against ordinary enemies, but facing the Gardeners'' scissors, they were as powerless as babies.

    This painful lesson led to yet another drastic change in Claw Marks'' approach. The surviving Magical Girls, inheriting their fallen comrades'' will, began to adopt even more extreme methods.

    Atop this extremism, the Fruit of Sin, which shouldn''t exist, emerged as if called by fate.

    With the Magic Power of Remnant Beasts as the base and the abilities of Magical Girls as the fulcrum, Claw Marks began to explore a new path. They attempted to use the Magic Power of Remnant Beasts to reach full bloom once again.

    And after relentless effort, this endeavor was rewarded. They gained a simulated form of full bloom that could dramatically enhance their abilities for a short time¡ªthis state was named Beast Heart Liberation, abbreviated as Liberation.

    Beast Heart Liberation, as the name suggests, is like members of Black Ash Dawn using Beast''s Viscera to transform into Remnant Beasts. Liberation completely discards the Magic Power of Magical Girls, allowing the power of Remnant Beasts to erode the entire body and using a single tint of Magic Power to mimic full bloom, to achieve an effect similar to full bloom.

    Of course, it is only similar to full bloom. Although Beast Heart Liberation often has many similarities to a Magical Girl''s original full bloom, it also undergoes mutations due to the base of Remnant Beasts.

    For example, Chi Yuan, whose full bloom form is named "Hundred Weapons Momentum," is a full bloom born from her mastery over "momentum." After transforming into Liberation, the form''s name changed to "Hundred Forces Form Martial Might."

    The original full bloom form allowed for the accumulation of a trace of "momentum" from continuous battle, as long as a small advantage could be gained during combat. Once "momentum" reached a critical point, it could transform into "great momentum," bringing Canna overwhelming victories as if cutting through decay with ease.

    Though it wasn''t an instantly noticeable effect, for Canna, who excelled at martial arts and was adept at maneuvering through duels, it was a very fitting ability. It allowed every minor advantage to gradually accumulate into an irresistible victory.

    If the enemy went all out from the start, Canna needed only to withstand the offensive. In the long war of attrition, she was bound to accumulate enough "momentum" to win; if the enemy initially chose to hold back, by the time Canna had gathered sufficient "momentum," even their true skill could no longer make waves.

    This meant that unless Canna was knocked down at the beginning of the fight, the opponent would only grow stronger as the battle progressed, until finally becoming unbeatable.

    Such a methodical and dependable full bloom, once Canna had become Chi Yuan, transformed into a Liberation that yielded a completely different effect.

    Emerald Sparrow had already deeply experienced this effect.

    She did not know what this "Beast Heart Liberation" could do, but it didn''t prevent her from having an intuitive feeling during the fight.

    That is¡ªthe power was despairingly immense. Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

    Chi Yuan''s original Magic Armor, that mass of pitch-black liquid metal, also changed form with Liberation, turning into a black fog that had somehow come to envelop everyone from both the Fangting City team and Bai''an City team.

    It was this fog, carrying a tangible immense pressure, that made all the Magical Girls present feel as if they couldn''t harness their full strength.

    Emerald Sparrow and two others were still able to rely on their relatively solid foundation of Magic Power to continue using their Magic Armor, but the performance of the other new recruits could only be described as flustered; even Bai Ji, the most experienced among them, couldn''t summon her Magic Armor and could only dodge clumsily in the midst of the fog.

    Indeed, they even had to dodge because Chi Yuan''s attacks had never ceased.

    Although she herself was engaging Emerald Sparrow and others in battle, relying on her high speed to pressure three people by herself, the new recruits did not get a chance to catch their breath. Black shadows of Chi Yuan would emerge from the black fog from time to time, attacking them with different weapons.

    As Chi Yuan herself said, everyone just needed to "focus on the Chi Yuan in front of them." Because almost in front of each person was a Chi Yuan incessantly attacking.

    "What''s the matter? If you just keep defending, you will never get an opportunity for victory, you know?"

    Plucking a Canna sword from the black fog with nonchalance, Chi Yuan casually swung at Emerald Sparrow from the side. The Canna sword went directly through the silk thread barrier, nearly striking Emerald Sparrow''s chest but was blocked by a Magic Technique from Hong Siyu at the last moment.

    She didn''t stop the motion of her hands; the Canna sword, only slightly deflected after being blocked by the Magic Technique, bounced Hong Siyu''s Technique back to its source and continued to slash towards Emerald Sparrow in front of her.

    During this process, she seemed to perform many actions, but in truth, it was only a flick of the sword in an instant. The entire process was so fast that everyone couldn''t react in time and was already facing an imminent defeat.

    The slash towards Emerald Sparrow met no resistance, and the Magic Technique rebounded to Hong Siyu flew straight towards her face.

    In this critical moment, Emerald Sparrow twitched her little finger.

    Almost at the same time, her previously prepared silk threads connected to her and Hong Siyu''s backs, yanking the two like marionettes suddenly from their spots, narrowly evading Chi Yuan''s attack.

    When facing someone as troublesome as Chi Yuan, one could not afford to be anything but cautious; in battle, one must always have contingency plans.

    In fact, this wasn''t the first time she had resorted to this tactic in the fight; earlier, she had already used it several times to help the three of them avoid injury.

    Because the existence of the silk threads was very concealed and the force needed to activate them did not require large movements, even if she couldn''t keep up with the opponent''s speed, she could still use such trickery to dodge their attacks.

    However, this time, merely pulling on the silk threads, Emerald Sparrow already had a bad feeling.

    "The trajectory is too easy to predict."

    Chi Yuan''s voice came from behind her.

    No one was surprised by this; even Emerald Sparrow herself knew that a tactic used several times would certainly not go unguarded by the opponent.

    In truth, at that moment, there was another thread connected to her sleeve, which she could hook to change direction in mid-air and fly away at an angle.

    But what she didn''t expect was that Chi Yuan would stand on the bisector of the angle. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Without deviation, Chi Yuan stood at a position where she could immediately strike Emerald Sparrow regardless of whether she changed direction or not.

    Since the direction of the pulling of the silk threads was fixed and the speed induced by Magic Power was not that fast, it was now impossible for Emerald Sparrow to alter her trajectory further; the only thing she could think of was to reduce the strength of her pull to keep herself from continuing to accelerate as she flew past.

    ¡ª"Senior!" She could hear Hong Siyu''s short gasp, along with the screams of the girls nearby.

    Schlick.

    Then, the sound of fabric tearing accompanied by the rise of silver-blue sparks, Chi Yuan''s Canna sword pierced from front to back through Emerald Sparrow''s chest.

 Chapter 79 Fierce Battle

    Magical girls are made of magic power.

    Thus, in their transformed state, they don''t have various vital points like humans do. No matter the injury, as long as their magic power remains, they can recover quickly.

    To truly harm a magical girl, one must aim for her essence; to injure the essence, there are only three ways: wait until the magical girl exhausts her magic power, attack her soul directly, or, if all else fails, attack the source of magic power.

    This was precisely the action taken by Yuan.

    However, harming the source of magic power is not an easy task. Once the magic source leaves the state of the Heart''s Gem and merges with the magical girl, it wanders within the magic body in a semi-illusory state. Its existence is extremely elusive, its position ever-shifting, hardly locatable by normal means.

    But in that moment, Emerald Sparrow felt as if her magic source had been locked onto. Fortunately, the enemy did not succeed.

    If she hadn''t remained calm in the last moment, diverting her magic power under Yuan''s attack to shift the location of her magic source, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

    Even so, her body, impaled, still suffered serious damage from the Residual Beast Magic emanating from the longsword. In mere seconds, the cut made by the sword turned into a huge hole, and it continued to spread outward.

    Residual Beast Magic erodes the magic of a magical girl, a restraining relationship that persists even at Emerald Sparrow''s level, and with Yuan''s strength astonishingly beyond expectation, the injury inflicted was naturally exceptionally severe.

    It was not until then that Asou Haruka finally arrived late.

    Her magic wand glittered and, in an instant, turned into a goblet, from which an orange liquid with a glowing sheen was thrown in Yuan''s direction.

    At first glance, this act seemed to pose no threat, yet it made Yuan''s brow raise slightly before she quickly retreated ten meters away.

    After she backed off, the liquid from the goblet poured onto the ground, and soon, like hot oil, it ignited a fierce blaze.

    Using the fire, Asou Haruka quickly took over Emerald Sparrow, holding her in a princess carry and withdrawing to safety.

    Lying in Asou Haruka''s arms, Emerald Sparrow''s complexion turned pale, one hand covering her chest, the hole eroded by Residual Beast Magic larger than her palm, with dispersed blue magic particles floating up between her fingers, yet she did not glance at it, her gaze still fixed on Yuan not far away.

    By now, a circle of people had surrounded her, whether it was Asou Haruka and Hong Siyu, who had been fighting alongside her, or the three little ones who had swiftly gathered after seeing her wounded, each one was alert to Yuan''s movements while concerned for Emerald Sparrow''s injuries.

    Among them, Lin Xiaolu was obviously the most panicked.

    She stood next to Asou Haruka, her hand also pressed on the hollow at Emerald Sparrow''s chest, her lips trembling, her breathing rapid, but a tight throat kept her from uttering a word, only managing to produce a distinctly parched sobbing sound.

    She just looked into Emerald Sparrow''s eyes, shaking her head desperately, unsure of what she was trying to convey.

    Emerald Sparrow raised her other hand to pat her arm, "Don''t panic, the magic source hasn''t been hit, it''ll just require a bit more magic power to heal."

    Seeing Lin Xiaolu still about to cry, clearly unconvinced, Emerald Sparrow could only helplessly lift her head and whispered something into Lin Xiaolu''s ear, with a barely audible voice.

    Lin Xiaolu''s eyes widened in an instant.

    She struggled to catch her breath and managed to squeeze a few words out of her throat, asking somewhat startled, "Are you really going to do that?"

    "Yes, I''ve made up my mind," replied Emerald Sparrow, nodding, "If everything is as I suspect, then the tide of the battle... is now turning in our favor."

    ¡ª"I can''t just ignore that! If you have a good plan, why not share it with me too?"

    However, Yuan was not about to give them time to settle down.

    Having finally managed to seriously wound Emerald Sparrow, she naturally wanted to use this opportunity to solidify her advantage. So, with a flicker within the black mist, she had once again charged into the crowd, blade in hand.

    This time, her target was Hong Siyu. Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

    Her strategy was quite simple: prioritize taking down the three magical girls who are the main force, with the order of attack based entirely on her familiarity with them.

    The reason for her relentless pursuit of Emerald Sparrow was due to several previous skirmishes, through which she had become more familiar with Emerald Sparrow''s combat style, able to somewhat predict her movements and thus more likely to succeed. Now attacking Hong Siyu continued this approach, aiming to eliminate more troubles as swiftly as possible.

    And this time, without Emerald Sparrow''s assistance, Hong Siyu seemed somewhat at a loss against this furious attack.

    At the crucial moment, a rather petite shadow darted from the side. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Echoing Yuan''s pitch-black magic, also black but interspersed with green magic unreservedly radiating, the petite girl in a black dress adorned with sinister green patterns, with hands like beast claws, blocked Yuan''s longsword.

 Chapter 79 Fierce Battle_2

    That was Bai Jingxuan.

    However, present was a Bai Jingxuan whom no one except Emerald Sparrow had ever seen.

    Her sclerae had turned completely black just like a kite''s, and her immense magic power far surpassed that of a normal Ye Level Magical Girl. Standing opposite Yuan, although much shorter in stature, her aura was not much weaker.

    Her eyes brimmed with a murderous intent, almost daring someone to meet her gaze.

    "...So it turns out, you are that ''Bai Jingxuan''?"

    However, Yuan seemed completely oblivious to this murderous intent. She clapped her hands joyously and said, "So that''s it! No wonder the boss specifically asked me to bring you along. This is really interesting!"

    Bai Jingxuan did not respond to her at all.

    She remained silent and suddenly lunged forward like a wild beast that had lost its sanity.

    In the dark of night, two masses of dark-colored magic power collided, making it hard for the others present to determine who had the upper hand.

    The black and green beast unleashed its magic power wildly, seemingly indifferent to Yuan''s attacks. Regardless of whether its body was wounded by weapons or its magic power was weakened by the mist, it continued relentlessly, as if determined to perish together with its foe.

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    This desperate fighting style, coupled with equally strong magic power, managed to momentarily restrain Yuan.

    However, it didn''t take long for Yuan to discern a pattern amidst the seemingly chaotic combat.

    She weaved through the furious assaults like a frail boat amidst giant waves and then, exploiting a tiny flaw, pressed her palm against Bai Jingxuan''s abdomen.

    "Great potential, but still too green."

    She commented thus.

    Immediately after, the pitch-black magic power surrounding her abruptly paused, fading momentarily as layers of dark ripples furiously spread outwards.

    A tremendous humming sound emanated from Yuan''s palm, as if the very air itself was shattered, with fine cracks spreading from her hand.

    "Bang"

    Then, Bai Jingxuan was flung away.

    Like being struck by some colossal force out of thin air, she was propelled like a cannonball, her speed so fast that ordinary human eyes couldn''t capture it.

    A sharp whooshing sound grazed past the ears of those present as Bai Jingxuan''s body flew, almost falling off the mountain and plummeting down the cliff.

    Fortunately, Hong Siyu was quick to react.

    Opening her notebook, a purplish-red magic power promptly formed a net in Bai Jingxuan''s flight path, catching her.

    Yuan naturally could not just watch this unfold. As soon as Bai Jingxuan was caught, she had already charged again towards Hong Siyu. This time, numerous shadows holding different weapons emerged from the black mist, attacking simultaneously.

    It was Margaret''s turn to save the day.

    She timely blocked Yuan''s swung weapon with her magic wand. Amidst a brief explosive sound, she unexpectedly pushed her magic wand down a bit, blocking a second assault from within the black mist.

    "Retreat, use firepower to restrain her!"

    While shouting, she pushed Hong Siyu back, and then her magic wand once again transformed into Magic Armor in the shape of a goblet. As the liquid spilled from the cup, she tangled with Yuan in close combat.

    All this was seen by Emerald Sparrow.

    At this moment, she had been placed by Asou Haruka beside a tree, leaning weakly against the trunk, merely watching the battle unfold.

    The hole in her chest could be repaired with magic power, but it required a huge amount. Therefore, she had to reduce her movements and let the magic power quickly mend her wounds.

    But being unable to join the battle did not mean she was helpless about the situation.

    Just as she had said to Lin Xiaolu just now, in her view, "the situation already belonged to their side."

    For just at that moment, when she was solidly impacted by the attack, she seemed to have vaguely understood a part of the opponent''s extensive abilities.

    Unlike the first encounter at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, this time, Emerald Sparrow hadn''t said a word until now and hadn''t mentioned her abilities after unleashing Beast Heart Liberation.

    Without doubt, she was also guarding against Magic Armor.

    During their last encounter, because Emerald Sparrow had carelessly revealed one of her core abilities, "Qi," it led her to be sealed off by that ability and ultimately resulted in her defeat. She clearly hadn''t forgotten this event.

    It was also for that reason Emerald Sparrow hadn''t asked for Hong Siyu''s assistance until now to use that exceedingly unstable second Magic Armor.

    Because she had to ensure her scissors were used at the most critical point.

    So far, Emerald Sparrow''s Beast Heart Liberation had exhibited quite comprehensive abilities, not only retaining the ability of her Magic Armor to transform into weapons but also demonstrating enhancements in speed, strength, magic power, and even mixing with "Qi" to exert a certain suppressive effect on her own abilities.

    Enhancing her own qualities while weakening the enemy''s combat capabilities can be said to be quite brutal and simple.

    However, knowing these wasn''t enough.

    How extensive were her abilities? How large was the impact range? Was it truly worth using her scissors? More importantly, to use her scissors to remove this part of the ability, Emerald Sparrow had to first understand the essence of it.

    Just then, she caught that fleeting insight. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    When Emerald Sparrow''s katana was about to pierce her chest, she realized¡ªthis was risky, but it was also an opportunity.

    The opponent''s speed was extremely fast, and with normal means, one couldn''t even touch her trace, so there had been no effective attacks previously. However fast she might be, during the moment of attack, Emerald Sparrow was unable to move greatly.

    That is to say, the moment Emerald Sparrow attacked her was actually the best time to counterattack.

    As for how to counterattack, it was quite simple: use the silk threads connected behind her. Several threads connected to her body, originally meant to pull and assist movement, but their role wasn''t fixed. As long as she shifted the threads'' connected points on her body, they could transform from a tool aiding movement into a weapon inflicting damage on Emerald Sparrow.

    Then, where should she move the connection point of the threads?

    The decision she made at that moment was to move directly towards the position where the magic power source was locked.

    Because at that instant, Emerald Sparrow''s katana would inevitably head towards that point, and the threads could simultaneously cut her opponent''s arm at the same time.

    This was what happened in that flash of a moment, and it turned out, her idea was correct.

    When the katana pierced through her chest, the sensation transmitted through the thread didn''t lie; Emerald Sparrow was cut.

    Even though the exchange was not at all equal, she suffered far more in terms of injuries and depleted magic power than her opponent, but, she succeeded in inflicting effective damage for the first time.

    Although the threads merely cut and didn''t cause real damage, the important thing was, she discovered something, something far more crucial than any other exchanges before.

    ¡ªEmerald Sparrow hesitated for a moment; it seemed she was pondering whether or not to endure this strike.

    This was an intriguing performance.

    Emerald Sparrow''s Beast Heart Liberation clearly involved not only increases in speed and magic power but also an exaggerated improvement in her body''s external pressure and defensive capabilities.

    That is to say, even if her threads cut Emerald Sparrow, she wouldn''t lose too much magic power.

    So, why the hesitation?

    Emerald Sparrow couldn''t find the truth with just this information, but, having this bit of information was already enough.

    "Asou."

    Just as she understood this point, she raised her voice, addressing Asou Haruka who was entangled with Emerald Sparrow nearby:

    ¡ª "Unleash it."

 Chapter 80 Deliberately Getting Drunk

    "...Hm?"

    Engaged in combat with Yuan, Asou Haruka clearly hadn''t expected Emerald Sparrow to make such a statement, hence she was genuinely taken aback, "Now?"

    "Yes, now. We don''t have much time left, it''s time to give it our all."

    Removing her hand from her chest, Emerald Sparrow nodded, "Don''t worry about the opponent''s capabilities. I have a rough idea in mind, but I''ll need you and Hong Siyu to help me confirm it."

    After saying this, she couldn''t help furrowing her brows. To heal her physical injuries, she could feel her Magic Power draining quickly; the load on her soul made her feel uncomfortable all over, but they were still in the midst of battle, so she had to suppress this discomfort.

    "What?" Hearing her, Hong Siyu, who was also curious, leaned in closer.

    "...Hit her, no matter what kind of attack, whatever means, just hitting her will do."

    Staring at Yuan not far away, Emerald Sparrow spoke with conviction, "I''m ninety percent sure, the essence of her ability lies in this piece of information."

    "Just hitting her will do?" Hong Siyu looked at Emerald Sparrow''s expression, confirmed she was serious, then glanced at Yuan, who stood not far away, thoughtfully.

    "Are you sure?"

    In the interval forced back by Yuan''s strikes, Asou Haruka returned to Emerald Sparrow''s side, "If you really mean that, then I''ll just execute it exactly as you said."

    "I''m sure." Emerald Sparrow also stood up straight, "Go, Asou, start counterattacking."

    Without another word, Asou Haruka grinned.

    Watching Yuan approach their group again, she lifted the glass in her hand with a rather graceful posture. Orange Magic Power gathered in her other hand into a long-stemmed spoon, which she then gently swirled around the inside wall of the glass.

    "Margaret, Great Prosperity Bloom."

    All sounds around them were instantaneously blocked out, her magnetic chanting voice becoming the sole melody, as if a spotlight were shining down from a high platform in a dim forest, enveloping a girl in a yellow dance dress.

    Her glass, as if by magic, multiplied, stacking upon itself layer by layer, forming something like a champagne tower, with a counter manifesting behind it out of nowhere, lined neatly with countless bottles and containers, resembling a bar''s liquor shelf.

    The girl in the center, like a bartender, stood behind the counter. As it unfolded, her dance dress transformed into an orange blouse and black vest, her long hair tied back in a neat ponytail. Her movements were practiced, she shook a cocktail shaker that had appeared in her hands at some unknown time, her wrists flipping adeptly as if dancing a beautiful dance.

    The cocktail shaker in her hands made crisp clinking sounds, each shake making the scenery around her become more vivid until, with a "bang," she tapped the shaker lightly on the counter, using a bar spoon and a strainer to pour the drink into a glass. Then, she pushed the cocktail, prepared in an instant, forward.

    "Welcome to, Deliberately Drunk."

    Her voice, full of magnetism, declared this; though it should have been a declaration of war, it sounded more like a romantic invitation.

    And all this was part of Margaret''s bloom, as its name spoken by herself, "Deliberately Drunk."

    Margaret''s Magic Armor, called "Passionate," outwardly appears as a transparent high-stemmed glass.

    The ability of this Magic Armor is to condense Magic Power into liquid form within the glass based on Margaret''s own emotions.

    These liquid Magic Powers serve various purposes; sometimes, drinking them can heal the user, sometimes applying them on oneself can enhance perception, and at other times, they can be thrown as a weapon to create a variety of magical effects.

    Based on Margaret''s own tests, the more stable the emotions, the more positively the liquid Magic Power in the glass aids; the more extreme the emotions, the more destructive the Magic Power becomes.

    Undoubtedly, this was a richly functional Magic Armor, capable of both attack and defense, but it also had a significant flaw ¡ª its functionality tied to emotions, hence it was quite unstable.

    In the early days of the original Fangting City team, Margaret hardly dared use her Magic Armor at will because then, Passionate was much like drawing lots: using it against an enemy might cause damage, but it could also heal; using it on a teammate might provide a boost, but it might also backfire. Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

    To control her Magic Armor and ensure its effects were stable in actual combat, Margaret spent a great deal of time studying how to control emotions, buying heaps of books on psychology, success, and self-management, searching daily for tips on controlling emotions.

    Initially, her personality was much more flamboyant and confident than now, always wearing her likes and dislikes, joys and angers for all to see. Because she was too straightforward, she often made quite inappropriate remarks. Even An Ya, who was relatively easy-going, sometimes felt helpless because of Asou Haruka''s thoughtless words. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    But later, as she delved into related techniques and deliberately controlled herself, Asou Haruka not only gained stronger control over her emotions but also underwent a complete 180-degree turn in her interpersonal approach. Specifically, she transformed from a blunt person to someone whose expressions were significantly more implied.

 Chapter 80 Deliberately Getting Drunk_2

    Previously fond of straightforward self-praise, she later took a liking to the subtle art of Versailles literature; initially, when faced with things she disliked, she would openly criticize, but later she grew fond of being passive-aggressive. Although her underlying confidence hadn''t changed, it made her seem like a completely different person. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

    Regarding Asou Haruka''s series of changes, her then teammate Su Shengzi described it as a "player transformation," even labeling the ambiguously named Magic Armor "Passionate" as "player Magic Armor."

    Whether these changes were good or bad was debatable, but what they ultimately brought about was Asou Haruka''s exceptional control over her own Magic Armor.

    When a Magic Armor, versatile in both offense and defense, could be used stably in needed situations to deploy the right functions, its utility far exceeded that of a Magic Armor with only a single function.

    This was precisely why, during past coordinated operations in Fangting City, Margaret was the person who acted as a lubricant, filling in the last puzzle piece wherever the team fell short, be it in personality or capability.

    All of these elements, after converging and undergoing another level of enhancement, had now blossomed into her current state¡ªJudicious Passionate Drunkenness.

    "Is this... a bar?"

    After a moment of confusion, Yuan Xiang quickly recognized the meaning of the setup before her. Having stayed in Fangting City for two months, she had become familiar with some concepts that were modern in Donghua State and was no longer as perplexed as when she first arrived.

    "What, are you offering to buy me a drink?"

    Carrying the knife on her shoulder, she nonchalantly walked up to Margaret''s bar, reaching out to grab the stem glass placed in front of the bar: "But you see, I''m used to drinking hard liquor, and I might not be able to appreciate your foreign liquor."

    "It doesn''t matter, a visitor is a guest."

    Margaret paid no further attention to the wineglass in Yuan Xiang''s hand but instead moved two steps aside and, on the other side of the bar, opened a phonograph.

    Soft and melodious jazz music immediately began to flow in this small area.

    The gentle saxophone sounds melded with the soft tones of the piano, filling the entire space like flowing water. The music''s rhythm was mellow yet had a captivating rhythmic quality that brought pleasure and relaxation, making one unconsciously nod along or sway with the music.

    Almost the instant the music started, the surrounding woods were no longer woods, and the cloud-covered sky was no longer the sky.

    The soft warm yellow lighting illuminated the faces of everyone present, and the empty ground somehow became furnished with neatly arranged tables and chairs, seemingly with walls made of real wood enclosing the space, and a faint scent of incense lingering at everyone''s nose. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    All the Magical Girls present, upon regaining their senses, found themselves each seated with a stem glass in hand.

    Each person''s glass was filled with liquor, and though the color of the liquor in each was different, the only variance might have been the quantities, which were not exactly the same.

    In Lin Xiaolu''s hand, for instance, was a nearly overflowing four-color cocktail; Xia Liang''s contained a clear-colored liquor but only half filled; Bai Jingxuan''s held a greenish-black, continuously bubbling liquid.

    As for Emerald Sparrow, positioned before her was a particularly delicate glass, carrying a liquid that looked beautifully vast like the sky with white at the base and blue on the surface. However, the liquor in the glass was only a thin layer, appearing almost dry.

    Faced with this scene, Emerald Sparrow''s expression flickered, but she quickly resumed her expressionless demeanor, showing no further reaction. However, her reaction didn''t escape everyone''s notice, at least not Hong Siyu''s, who at this moment widened her eyes.

    Before anyone else could react, she took her glass and moved to sit next to Emerald Sparrow. Without waiting for Emerald Sparrow to make a move, she lifted her glass high and tilted it over, quickly pouring half of her drink into Emerald Sparrow''s glass.

    "What are you..."

    Emerald Sparrow''s eyes slightly widened as she immediately grabbed Hong Siyu''s wrist, stopping her just as she was about to continue pouring: "Stop, don''t do anything foolish."

    "The one being foolish is obviously you!"

    Hong Siyu didn''t let go and, while glaring at Emerald Sparrow, continued trying to pour: "Why, when you''re already in this state, do you still act like it''s nothing serious?"

    "Because you could have asked me about the situation first before making your own judgment,"

    Emerald Sparrow looked around and noticed Lin Xiaolu was still shocked by the changes in the surroundings and seemingly hadn''t noticed the movement here, so she whispered to Hong Siyu, "Take a look at this wine."

    It was then that Hong Siyu paid attention to the change in the wine glass in front of Emerald Sparrow, and then, she couldn''t help but widen her eyes¡ª

    The wine liquid she had poured, which was clearly more than half a glass, had thinned into a slim layer in Emerald Sparrow''s glass. Although slightly more than the original deep blue wine, it wasn''t much more.

    "Do you understand now?"

    Somewhat helplessly sighing, Emerald Sparrow glanced at Hong Siyu, "My state isn''t great, but as a normal Magical Girl, it isn''t as bad as you think. There''s no need for you to do something that diminishes your own combat power."

    As she spoke, she raised her hand and poured the wine back into Hong Siyu''s cup.

    "...Senior."

    At this moment, the previously stunned Hong Siyu finally spoke again.

    "What is it?" Since Emerald Sparrow''s gaze was already drifting toward the direction where Yuan was, she asked carelessly.

    "You''re amazing!" came Hong Siyu''s slightly excited voice, along with an admiring look.

    "...Now is not the time to talk about that,"

    Gently pushing away Hong Siyu, who was almost about to embrace her, Emerald Sparrow signaled towards where Yuan and Margaret were, "Keep an eye on the situation over there. When the next stage begins, it will be our turn to act."

    The peculiar scenery before them was undoubtedly Margaret''s realm of wonder.

    While displaying her flourishing self, she had almost made no reservations in using her realm of wonder as well.

    Lights, bar counter, wine glasses, music, and aroma... If it weren''t for the fact that everyone had been on a battlefield just a moment ago, one might think this was a real bar.

    And the owner of this bar, who was also the bartender, naturally was Margaret, standing behind the bar with a smile beaming.

    Under her watchful eyes, the cocktail that Yuan had taken quickly changed its appearance¡ªthe originally clear yellow liquid gradually turned a dark red, even slightly black, and what''s more, the once single-colored liquid now had layers. In an instant, it turned into a dense, multilayered sight, almost uncountable in layers.

    "Oh? This is truly..."

    Noticing the change in the cocktail in her hands, Yuan first looked puzzled then seemed to understand, nodding her head with interest, "An intriguing realm of wonder. Impressive for one so young."

    "No, I should say it''s been quite an eye-opener for me,"

    Margaret laughed and shook her head: "This is the first time I''ve seen someone''s true nature materialize like this, with magic power structured in such a way."

    "So, you''re using my wine to serve my guests?"

    Looking at the liquid in her own glass, Yuan also grinned, "This is the first time I''ve met such a cunning bartender."

    "It is the rule of the house, if it is offensive, I hope you''ll understand,"

    Meanwhile, Margaret merely bowed slightly, responding elegantly, "The rule here is, with only this cup of wine, you can let your imagination run wild, never worrying about finishing it, but please, no wastage allowed."

 Chapter 81 The Hunt

    Hong Si remained silent as she locked eyes with Margaret.

    She didn''t ask anything further, just smiled meaningfully for a moment before lifting the glass in her hand to her lips, downing a drink with a bizarre color in one gulp.

    After that, she set down the glass, smacked her lips as if savoring the flavor she had just experienced, and voiced her dislike, "Nasty, tastes a bit like soy sauce mixed into the liquor, watered down at the end. It also lacks an aftertaste, feels like the drink just vanished after passing through my throat, leaving not a hint of flavor behind."

    Despite claiming the drink to be "nasty," when she saw the previously empty glass slowly refilled with liquid indistinguishable from before, she lifted the glass and emptied it again.

    This time, her facial expression went from bright disdain to understanding, as she shook the now empty glass and added, "Rotten liquor."

    "Your review has been noted, I apologize for not being able to offer a satisfying drink," Margaret replied graciously, nodding as if she were truly a bartender, "It was a lapse in my duties. Would you grant me another chance to adjust the drink in your hand a little?" Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

    "Oh? There''s a service for a remix? Then I''ll take you up on that offer, please go ahead."

    Hong Si seemed taken aback for a moment before smiling as if she truly concurred, placing her glass on the bar, "Personally, I hope for something with a stronger kick and a more stimulating taste, and preferably without the excess off-flavors..."

    However, mid-sentence, she altered course and retrieved her glass, voice turning cold, "...Did you think I would say such things?"

    Her question abruptly changed the previously somewhat relaxed atmosphere to one that was much tenser. The already quiet wonderland was now filled with sparse whispers and the still melodious music. But even the music couldn''t ease the chill in the air, only making the scene more awkward.

    In such an atmosphere, Margaret maintained her poised and proper smile in the face of the challenge and said nothing.

    Seeing the lack of response, Hong Si was not annoyed, and simply started talking to herself, "You see, I''m not really worried about being poisoned, as my organs are filled with ''Qi'', which can isolate anything I consume at any time, rendering toxins ineffective against me."

    "But, just now, to confirm my suspicion, I wrapped the drink in Qi before it went down my stomach, only to observe an interesting phenomenon¡ªthe drink didn''t enter my stomach at all. It just slipped through my mouth and then disappeared."

    "After it disappeared, my glass was refilled. In other words, this so-called ''never-ending drink'' has always been just one glassful from the start."

    "Now that''s fascinating, a drink that remains unchanged from start to finish, and interestingly, everyone has a glass, all brought into existence by the influence of your wonderland..."

    Raising the glass again, letting the warm yellow lights around her seep through the liquid, Hong Si watched as the shimmering light fractured through the ripples and confidently said, "This drink must symbolize my true nature, right?"

    Unfazed, Margaret responded, "Maybe you''re just reading too much into it?"

    "What over-interpretation? I''ve pondered countless times what my true nature and Magic Power would look like without this shell. After seeing this drink, I understood¡ªit''s the answer to my question. My true nature should look just like this."

    Yet Hong Si simply shook her head, "And if it reflects my true nature, would the changes in this glass of drink cause corresponding changes in me? Can you tell me the answer, bartender?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "An intriguing hypothesis. I can tell you that your speculations are very close to the truth," Margaret replied.

    Her hand brushed lightly over the countertop, opening up next to Hong Si''s glass, "It''s just unfortunate that reaching this conclusion now is a bit too late."

    Silence fell over the bar.

    "What did you say..." Grasping the implication behind those words, Hong Si''s eyes widened slightly, but before she could finish her sentence, she was overwhelmed by a surge of uncontrollable emotions erupting from deep within her heart.

    Sadness, pain, regret, frustration... A deluge of bitter sentiments suddenly filled her mind, nearly shattering her thoughts completely.

    The intolerable grief instinctively made her clutch her chest, feeling as if her heart had been carved out, leaving only suffocation and numbness.

    And accompanying this emotional onslaught, was a transformation occurring in the cocktail before her.

    At some point, a whisper of azure had silently blended into the distinct layers of black and red liquid in her glass, spreading rapidly like dark ink dropped into clear water, filling the entire glass.

    For humans, emotional experiences often inversely affect their physical actions. For Hong Si, right then, the intense sorrow was like a Binding Spell, rendering her immobilized where she stood.

    "¡ªMake your move." Thus, the bartender behind the bar withdrew her hand and made the announcement.

    The next moment, the small world resembling a tavern sparkled with various colors of Magic Power light.

    Leading the charge against Hong Si were Emerald Sparrow, who had regained her mobility after a brief respite, and Hong Siyu, who had been by her side all along.

 Chapter 81 The Siege_2

    The situation at hand was exactly why she had Margaret use "Abundance."

    Margaret''s "Abundance," a conscious inebriation and an advanced form of fervor, possessed the ability for refined control over the liquid magic power in a cup, akin to mixing a cocktail.

    By infusing various emotions into the cup, Margaret was able to detach from her own emotional state and easily customize the effects of the magic power within it.

    She could combine healing and protective effects, concocting the most potent positive outcomes similar to brewing potions; or she might layer various offensive effects like flames and lightning to create even more vicious attacks.

    What''s more, this "mixing" was not limited to her own cup.

    Utilizing her own natural oddity, Asou Haruka was able to project everyone''s true nature into a cocktail, seizing the opportunity to control the contents of others'' cups.

    When the "drink" changed, correspondingly, everyone''s true nature would undergo a related transformation; this was the truly frightening aspect of Asou Haruka''s ability.

    Just now, she had "mixed" into Yuan''s cup, thus reversing the effect on his emotions and causing him to fall into a deep sorrow from which he could not easily escape.

    This influence wouldn''t last for an extended period, and the greater the opponent''s magic power, the shorter the duration. However, on the ever-changing battlefield, even a mere moment could be enough to clinch victory.

    The masterpiece shaped like a dagger in Emerald Sparrow''s hands arrived in front of Yuan almost at the same time as Hong Siyu''s magic technique; and until this moment, Yuan had not made a move.

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    It was only at the instant her body was about to be struck that she finally blinked, retrieving a trace of self from the overwhelming negative emotions that had almost taken complete control.

    Grasping the cup, she exerted a slight force and twisted her stance within a hair''s breadth; simultaneously, the "qi" in her body flowed, following a specific trajectory and moving to protect her vitals in the shortest time possible.

    Then, a vigorous surge of magic power erupted from within her, and the powerful shockwave deflected both the dagger thrown by Emerald Sparrow and Hong Siyu''s magic technique.

    She had narrowly fended off this wave of assault and was about to dissolve the lingering emotions still occupying her mind, but she abruptly found she didn''t have the opportunity¡ªbecause the next wave of attacks had already arrived.

    The bartender standing behind the counter slightly tilted his cup, splashing the liquid within towards her.

    As the liquid left the brim of the cup, each drop behaved as if under precise command, spreading as far apart as possible, like a net spreading out. This net, formed from liquid, descended from above, enveloping Yuan in its grasp.

    Yuan had to react in the briefest timespan, yet the emotions clouding her mind were a massive burden, numbly slowing her response. It was only a moment before the liquid nearly touched her that she abruptly accelerated, escaping the area covered by the liquid with her previous terrifying speed.

    Then, she realized she was still not safe.

    Forcing her body to accelerate in panic, she hadn''t anticipated the multitude of threads waiting along her path. And although the strength of these threads was not great, colliding with them at high speed¡ª

    ¡ªwould be no different from sustaining a slash.

    This was precisely what Yuan had been avoiding all along, as well as what Emerald Sparrow and the rest had decided they must accomplish.

    She couldn''t let the opponent succeed.

    Therefore, she attempted to mobilize her qi once more in hopes of confronting these magic silk threads. After all, the manipulation of internal energy was a matter of thought and quicker than compelling her body to action.

    If she could successfully use qi, then theoretically she could soften the magic silk threads before her, avoiding injury from collision...

    ...right?

    Once again, Yuan''s thought process came to a halt.

    She discovered she could no longer utilize her qi.

    After a brief pause came realization and a sense of relief floods in.

    Indeed, hadn''t she been cautious of this very ability from the beginning?

    In the corner of her eye, she saw the petite blue-haired girl, expressionless, hovering in midair, standing on a magical power web woven from bluish threads, with countless threads twisted around her ten fingers, extending into the dense net surrounding Yuan.

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 Chapter 81 The Hunt_3

    More importantly, behind the adversary stood a girl who silently unfolded a vast library, along with a pair of delicate scissors in her hand that resembled a mere shadow.

    At the moment when the silken threads made contact with Hong Siyu''s body, she used them as a medium to momentarily sever the concept of "qi" from her.

    Thus, the prey was ensnared.

    The pitch-dark Remnant Beasts, amidst the sound of gunfire and the onslaught of weapons, frantically stumbled into the trap that the Hunter had long since laid out.

    In the wine glass, the black and red cocktail as if spilled, vanished a finger''s breadth in an instant.

    Magic Power, like ashes dancing in the sky, soared upwards, and the enveloping mist around the body visibly contracted in an instant. Enshrouded and bound by layers of silken threads, Hong Siyu''s figure wavered several times before being firmly tethered in mid-air.

    Hong Siyu, who had always relied on her speed to dodge attacks and had hardly sustained any damage, finally exposed her most significant vulnerability.

    Of course, the battle was far from over.

    For even if Hong Siyu was bound to a spot, these inherently weak threads were as good as non-existent. To her, as long as she could recover from that emotional impact, breaking free from these threads was but the work of an instant.

    Yet, she still failed to find the opportunity to "recover".

    Below the web that bound her were groups of Magical Girls, each already armed with Magic Armor, their hands ready to launch Magic Techniques and Magic Bullets.

    Except for Bai Jingxuan, who had been blown away and fallen straight into unconsciousness, the remaining five Magical Girls gathered here solely to deliver the critical final blow.

    It didn''t matter whether it would truly cause injury, for Emerald Sparrow had already instructed, "just hitting the target would suffice."

    Gazing at the diverse colors of the Magic Power glow, the silken web''s central figure, Hong Siyu, looked stunned and then cracked a smile of utter satisfaction.

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    "Nice teamwork!"

    A shout from the depths of her soul erupted in unison with the Magic Power from the girls'' hands.

    All her magical power was summoned at that moment; even without "qi", the remaining momentum significantly amplified her strength once again, overpowering the flickering lights.

    As she vocally urged herself on, she used her willpower to suppress all negative emotions and began to brandish her weapon.

    She accepted her disadvantage but refused to accept a total loss due to one setback. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    No matter what, she had to extricate herself from this layer of silken web and avoid the subsequent attacks.

    Her speed was unleashed to its utmost; all the mist turned into phantoms as countless weapons thrust from the phantoms'' hands, seemingly stabbing from her actual hands.

    Fast, incredibly fast, Hong Siyu''s image merged in that instant with the illusions of weapons, and these numerous overlapping shadows nearly simultaneously swung their weapons at the inescapable net above.

    "Snap!"

    It was a thunderous sound like a storm''s sudden arrival, tidal waves of shock and awe. In an instant, as if hundreds, thousands of slashes were made, the surrounding web of threads and even the roof of the bar were swept clean, all severed.

    The dense blue threads were instantly reduced to scattered fragments, and the luminescent blue magic particles sprinkled across the heavens like stardust. The broken rooftop exposed the original pitch-black night that became as beautiful as the Milky Way adorned with the twinkling magic lights.

    Bathed in this magical stardust shower, Hong Siyu, holding a knife and breathing softly, looked down towards the direction of Emerald Sparrow and then flashed a rakish smile.

    Emerald Sparrow didn''t respond with an expression.

    She simply waved her hand, dispersing the threads wound around her fingers, now broken, and returned the shadowy scissors to Hong Siyu. She lightly combed her somewhat disheveled hair.

    Then, she gestured gently towards something behind Hong Siyu.

    Only then did Hong Siyu realize she might have missed something.

    Turning her head, she saw five different-colored trails of Magic Power ascend from beneath her feet and stretch unrestrainedly toward the distant mountaintop.

    Undoubtedly, from the beginning, those young Magical Girls never intended to clash head-on with her.

    The magical power fluctuations they released, their sprints in her direction, weren''t meant for a joint attack but... for flight.

    While Hong Siyu had been busy clearing the web in an attempt to dodge the onslaught, these Magical Girls had already bypassed her side and set forth toward the summit.

    "...How did you know it was that way?" Hong Siyu looked back with a hint of resignation and asked Emerald Sparrow.

    In response to this question, Emerald Sparrow merely lifted her hand, revealing the wide sleeve cuff within which a purple-black Crystal Stone faintly glowed.

    Hong Siyu immediately recognized it as one of the objectives she had been pursuing on her journey ¡ª the Source of Beasts.

    "I''ve borrowed it for a while, as it''s involved with the Remnant Beasts'' Magic Power and can serve as a detector," Emerald Sparrow said, closing her sleeve and blinking her eyes, as if stating the most natural thing in the world.

 Chapter 82 Semi

    "Location... complete, circuit... normal, magic power... sufficient."

    The faint voice resembling a murmur arose at the peak, where a petite Black Cat Fairy was squatting on a towering stone tower, constantly touching the engravings on the tower with its paws, apparently checking something.

    It wagged its tail, its pupils in the vertical eyes flickering with a sharp intelligence. Dark magic particles dispersed around its body, making its already inconspicuous form even more concealed.

    "...almost finished."

    Eventually, it came to this conclusion.

    The ritual to destroy the city''s protective net was ready, and for it, the next steps were much easier than the preparation; all it had to do was to channel external magic power and shatter the protective net above.

    Being a Fairy that didn''t need to adhere to human morals, it felt no psychological burden about the "shattering of the protective net" possibly causing a disaster.

    It glanced at the middle of the mountain, where red-black magic power still flickered with glowing blue and orange-yellow, occasionally accompanied by strange noises. It nodded and muttered, "Although Yian always talks about backing out, she never slacks off in her work."

    "Well, since she''s held on for so long, I should also hurry up and finish my job."

    Bowing its head, it stared at the patterns on the stone tower and spoke to no one in particular: "...blame me if you must, but I''m just a bad fairy."

    Saying this, an unusual fluctuation of magic power surged around it.

    Just at that moment, before it could officially start the ritual, a streak of pale flames whooshed past its side.

    ¡ª "Stop right there!"

    "Meow!"

    The sudden attack and shout startled Semi, and it didn''t even care about the few singed hairs on its body, immediately leaping off the stone tower to the ground.

    After landing, it quickly rolled twice to extinguish the fire on its body and then stood up quite annoyed: "Who is it! Such a lack of manners!"

    Before it could speak further, with a "whoosh whoosh whoosh" of flashing lights, a group of Magical Girls of various forms had already landed in front of it.

    It widened its eyes and casually counted, only to find that there were indeed six Magical Girls standing before it.

    "Stop what you''re doing right now and surrender! Otherwise, don''t blame us for using force!"

    The leading sky-blue-colored Magical Girl didn''t respond to Semi''s complaints but solemnly declared, "If you have any other accomplices, call them out now. This is your final ultimatum!"

    She declared righteously, as if an embodiment of justice. After declaring loudly, she then looked down to confirm what her adversary looked like.

    But she soon realized that there was no one in front of her anymore.

    Looking towards the distance, she saw only a thin shadow dart between the trees and shrubs, already fleeing towards the direction of the cliffs.

    "It escaped!" exclaimed Mu Baihe beside her.

    "Chase it!" Lin Xiaolu, behind her, had already grabbed her magic wand and dashed forward.

    "Wait, I think we should first find out what that strange device over there is actually for..." Bai Ji tried hard to stop the two hotheads, but her efforts were a bit too late; they had already dashed out after shouting.

    After a chaotic scramble, two more Magical Girls, realizing what was happening, took flight and joined the fray, creating a messy rush toward the action. As a result, only Bai Ji and Xia Liang remained back, not hastily pursuing.

    She silently turned her head and exchanged a glance with Xia Liang, the only response she got was a shrugging gesture and a helpless smile. Thus, they could only sigh at each other.

    All these events were unbeknownst to Semi, who was dashing through the bushes at that moment.

    As it ran frantically, it cursed Yian and her ancestors in its mind, while deeply regretting that it had praised her for "solid work without discount" just minutes earlier.

    "Nine people came, and six got through to me?"

    If it wasn''t clear that Yian wasn''t a deep thinker, Semi would have suspected this was a plot to have others indirectly eliminate it¡ªwas this a number it could handle? Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire

    Yet, as it ran wildly for a while, it gradually calmed down. Once it was sure the noise behind it had significantly decreased, it couldn''t help but stop.

    Because it knew that it couldn''t just run away like this.

    The stone tower prepared for the ritual was still left behind. Although the Magical Girls might not know the tower was key to the ritual, one couldn''t guarantee someone wouldn''t figure it out.

    And Yian was still fighting the remaining three Magical Girls in the forest. Judging by the magical power fluctuations from the forest, they were probably the strongest individuals among the group of Magical Girls, meaning the others were still buying time for its actions.

    If it just ran away and left the stone tower to those Magical Girls, allowing them to destroy it, then even if it survived, the mission would still be doomed to fail, and even Yian might not escape, ending up losing both a wife and soldiers.

    In that case, the leader would be extremely displeased. Once the leader assigned blame, it would be fully responsible, and the impending punishment and discipline would be quite harsh.

    And with the thought of possible punishment by the leader...

    Semi silently turned around, looking back in the direction it had come from. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.