Chapter 38: Yunjing

Outside Tongmen City, in an abandoned industrial zone.

Rain dripped down the shattered steel frames, splashing into murky puddles on the oil-stained ground.

Rose leaned against a broken concrete pipe, pressing her fingers tightly against the wound on her left shoulder, blood seeping between her fingers.

“Cough…!”

She suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto the pale back of her hand.

“Damn it,” Rose spat.

The death of her clone not only drained part of her power but also affected her true body. She was still inexperienced in controlling Calamity, and her fight with Captain Su Li had been a desperate, brute-force struggle.

Directly controlling a Calamity was different from having it obey her will. Using Calamity as a clone was indeed an effective way to test Lu Yuan, but the side effects were too severe. She hadn’t yet mastered making the clone’s injuries completely disconnected from her own.

Closing her eyes, Rose used her magic to check whether all her experimental subjects scattered across Tongmen City had been retrieved.

She couldn’t control every Calamity. Those mimic-type disasters that obeyed her were all captured and trained by her personally—precious assets that needed careful preservation.

Suddenly, her brow furrowed slightly.

Most Calamities had been recovered—good—but one weak source of magic was still wandering in Tongmen City.

It was too dangerous to retrieve it now… Fine, let the Magical Girls clear it up. As long as most of her experimental subjects were recovered, it would be enough.

Rose lowered her gaze to her injury. A clear tear was visible on her left shoulder, a wound left by Officer Chen Xin’s sniper rifle.

Her plan hadn’t been thorough enough—being hurt by her own pawn was truly humiliating.

She slowly stood up, staggering before steadying herself. Every step sent a ripping pain through the wound, but not a single frown crossed her face.

“Tongmen City… I can’t stay here for now.”

She looked up toward the distance, the outline of a brightly lit city faintly visible on the horizon.

Yun Jing—the largest city in all of Z Nation and the strongest stronghold of Magical Girl forces.

But the bigger the city, the harder it was for Magical Girls to thoroughly inspect every corner. As long as no major disturbances arose, it was a good place to hide.

“Just right,” Rose said, “I’ll go there to heal, and reorganize.”

She raised her hand, condensing a strand of magic at her fingertip, but it quickly dissipated.

“Tch, using teleportation now is too risky,” she muttered softly. “Tian Aixing might detect my magic.”

One reason she was leaving Tongmen City was Tian Aixing. Such an all-encompassing surveillance was absurd, leaving her no place to hide.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and removed the Transformation Crystal from her chest. A faint black smoke began to swirl around her body.

When the smoke cleared, her original elegant battle suit had vanished, replaced by a simple black coat and jeans.

She tied her long hair into a ponytail, then pulled out a pair of black-rimmed glasses from her pocket and put them on. The once captivating pupils beneath the lenses lost their glow, turning into ordinary dark brown eyes.

She looked just like a regular college student going on a trip.

“That should do it.”

She stepped out of the abandoned factory. Rain fell on her shoulders, soaking through the coat, the wound still aching faintly—but her face betrayed no sign of pain.

***

Thirty minutes later, on the highway at the outskirts of Tongmen City.

A taxi slowly pulled up in front of her. The driver rolled down the window. “Where to?”

“Yun Jing.” Rose opened the door and slid into the back seat. “Take the expressway.”

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “Going to Yun Jing so late? That’ll cost you.”

Rose said nothing, pulling a few bills from her wallet and handing them over.

“Cash?” The driver looked confused. Few people still used cash these days.

Still no answer from Rose, but she took out another hundred-yuan note and tossed it to him.

Cash was a good way to avoid tracking. There was no cognitive barrier among Magical Girls, so even in human form, she had to be careful.

The driver wisely kept quiet and pressed the accelerator.

The scenery outside blurred by quickly. Raindrops streaked down the window. Rose leaned against the seat, staring out.

“We will meet again.”

***

Lu Yuan stumbled forward, rain-soaked skirts tangling around her feet.

She fell hard onto the wet grass, but her hands stretched desperately forward, as if trying to grasp a fleeting illusion.

“Qianqian!”

But when she looked up again, Lu Qian’s figure was gone.

Lu Yuan wiped the rain from her face.

Was it a hallucination? No… it was too real. The way raindrops fell on her hair with a soft pitter-patter, the daisy-printed dress drenched by rain—all told her…

It couldn’t have been fake.

Then why did she disappear again?

Qianqian wasn’t dead? But she clearly remembered how, that day in the ruins of the shopping center, Lu Qian lay lifeless in her arms, her face streaked with blood. That scene was etched into Lu Yuan’s memory forever.

So why had she just seen her again?!

Lu Yuan collapsed, hugging herself as she crouched on the ground.

Am I… losing my mind?

***

Suddenly, the rain stopped.

Lu Yuan looked up. A black umbrella opened above her, creating a small clearing in the sky.

Following the ribs of the umbrella upward, Su Li’s long hair fluttered gently in the night breeze. Drops of rain clung to her white uniform.

“What are you doing here all alone?” Su Li draped a dry towel over her head. “Crying like that, an enemy attack wouldn’t even be noticed.”

The rough towel rubbed against her cheek, a familiar scent enveloped her. Lu Yuan grabbed the hand that was about to withdraw and buried her wet face in Su Li’s palm.

“Sister Su Li… I think I…”

“Hm.”

“I haven’t finished talking…”

“I know.” Su Li crouched to meet her eyes, her fingertips brushing the red corners of Lu Yuan’s eyes. “Do you want me to carry you or should you walk?”

“I’m not a child—hey!”

Suddenly lifted off the ground, Su Li had already swept her up in a princess carry.

Urgent footsteps echoed nearby. Lin Wan rushed over, holding a translucent blue umbrella, with Chen Lianxue trailing behind, clutching a thermos. Both were soaked through from the rain.

“Lu Yuan, you big dummy!” Lin Wan cried through tears. “Why didn’t you call me if you were going to the gravesite?”

“Lu Yuan… low body temperature will make you catch a cold.” Chen Lianxue spoke softly, holding out the thermos. Sweet-smelling honey ginger tea wafted from its mouth.

Lu Yuan took the thermos, sipping it carefully.

Raindrops fell from the umbrella’s edge, splashing into tiny droplets at their feet. Lu Yuan was securely held in Su Li’s arms, surrounded by Lin Wan’s and Chen Lianxue’s worried gazes.

The warm scent of ginger tea lingered in her nose—everything so real, so comforting.

“Maybe… I really did see wrong,” Lu Yuan whispered, burying her face in Su Li’s shoulder. The faint fragrance eased her tense nerves.

Living in the past was no good. Better to forget as soon as possible.

Lin Wan suddenly leaned in and poked Lu Yuan’s rain-dampened cheek. “You big dummy Lu Yuan, don’t sneak out alone next time!”

“Cold!” Lu Yuan shivered but couldn’t help laughing.

“Alright, we have a performance tomorrow. Let’s get back early.” Su Li carried Lu Yuan away.

“Sister Su Li, I can actually walk by myself,” Lu Yuan said softly in Su Li’s embrace.

“You’re crying your eyes out. How are you going to walk?” Su Li replied. “Just stay quietly in my arms.”

“…” Lu Yuan snuggled closer.

“Okay.”

Behind them, Lin Wan was grinding her back teeth in frustration.

Damn it!! How did Sister Su Li get here first?! Does the older sister’s princess carry really have that much killing power?!

She jogged to catch up with Su Li, with Chen Lianxue hastily following.

“Sister Su Li! If you get tired, you can let me carry her~”

“I’m not tired.”

“Ah, maybe you are~” Lin Wan refused to give up.

“Ugh…” Chen Lianxue, like a little rabbit, trailed behind, unable to join the banter.

The group slowly disappeared into the distance.

***

Not far behind them, a small blue slime silently wriggled.

The translucent gelatinous creature shimmered faintly in the moonlight. It slowly moved to the tombstone, gently touching the fruit candy Lu Yuan had left.

The candy was immediately enveloped in its jelly-like body, dissolving gradually.

It seemed intelligent, glancing once at Lu Yuan and the others fading away, then retreating into the shadow of the gravestone.

“…”

Su Li seemed to sense something watching her and glanced back, but saw nothing.

“Sister Su Li…?” Lu Yuan asked, puzzled.

“Nothing.”