Late at night, on the deserted streets of North Blossom City, Ye Xinglan was fully focused on the street map in her hands.
Several locations were marked with prominent circles—places where “Eternal Star” had previously appeared.
Ye Xinglan was draped with a camera, an action cam, binoculars, and a recording pen.
She didn’t look like she was there for revenge; instead, she looked like some paparazzi looking for scandalous news.
She had purchased all these things in one go during the afternoon.
Her reasoning was that even if she couldn’t catch Eternal Star, she would track her down to find her hiding spot or snap some dirt on her.
It had to be said that when it came to matters involving Eternal Star, Ye Xinglan’s initiative was always exceptionally high.
Knowing that the person was an impostor, Xiaoxi spoke tentatively, “What if we don’t catch any dirt tonight, and we don’t catch the person either?”
“Then… then I’ll just show her that I have a girlfriend!” Ye Xinglan threw an arm around Xiaoxi.
“A bitch like Eternal Star is definitely unwanted. When the time comes, I’ll show off my cute girlfriend to her. Even if I can’t catch her, I’ll irritate her to death!”
‘What do you mean “show me off”? Am I some kind of Pokémon?’ Xiaoxi complained in her mind.
“Besides, there’s no way we won’t catch her. With such thorough preparations, she definitely won’t escape my grasp!”
Ye Xinglan had already cast a wide net. Something was churning within a small pool of Black Mud beneath her feet.
Tiny tentacles would poke out from the Black Mud in hidden locations like street corners and alleys throughout the area.
One had to admit that the Blood Moon Witch’s technique was incredibly convenient.
However, the Magic Power consumption for maintaining tentacles over such a large area was not small.
Facing Xiaoxi’s concern, Ye Xinglan giggled and used a tentacle to wrap around Xiaoxi’s waist.
“It’s fine, baby. If I consume too much Magic Power, don’t I still have you?~”
Xiaoxi rolled her eyes. Did she not know Ye Xinglan by now? Regardless of the actual Magic Power consumption, the little rich girl would definitely find an excuse to “replenish” it afterward.
“Why are you wearing so little under there? Isn’t it cold at night? Baby, you still smell so good…”
As expected, Ye Xinglan began to push her luck. She leaned in to take a sniff, and two tentacles stabilized Xiaoxi’s body as she made a move to kiss her.
“Stop it! We’re still outside!”
“What’s the big deal? It’s normal to be shy when there are many people on the streets during the day, but there isn’t a single person around right now. Just one kiss~”
“And don’t you think experiencing the empty streets is quite novel? This episode is my custom-made ‘Xiaoxi Outdoor’ special. Heh heh heh…”
Ye Xinglan already had both hands wrapped around Xiaoxi’s neck, but Xiaoxi managed to break free.
“Go, go, go! Is that the issue? Can we focus on the task at hand? I’m going to act as bait to fish her out. You, go hide yourself!”
It was proven that Ye Xinglan was more proactive about getting handsy than investigating Eternal Star.
And who said no one was watching at night? Xiaoxi had already reported tonight’s plan to the Astrologer.
Right now, that lady was listening in through the Communicator, okay?
Hearing this, Ye Xinglan finally settled down. Recently, the frequency of Magic Creatures appearing nearby at night had been very high.
So, her plan was for Xiaoxi to disguise herself as a passerby to lure Eternal Star out, while she herself hid within the Black Mud to observe the situation.
With such a setup, it was no wonder Ye Xinglan was so confident about catching Eternal Star. However, Xiaoxi didn’t think it would be that simple.
The role of that impostor was to act as a lure.
To avoid exposure, she would likely avoid a direct confrontation with Ye Xinglan and instead lead her to some specific location, right?
Xiaoxi and the Astrologer had already analyzed the situation.
Although the situation in North Blossom City was chaotic after losing the city-wide “Discipline,” and the logic of Eternal Star appearing as a vigilante made sense, the security of North Blossom City had actually been gradually stabilizing after receiving reinforcements from nearby Magic Girls.
Where would so many stray Magic Creatures be coming from?
Yet, under these circumstances, that impostor managed to accurately save civilians from Magic Creatures almost every single day. That was why the news had spread so quickly. It was hard not to suspect that the whole thing was self-directed and self-acted. Moreover, among the Divine Summon Order’s accomplices, there just happened to be a Black Rose who could manifest Magic Creatures.
In other words, facing the Divine Summon Order’s self-directed entrapment, Ye Xinglan’s bait plan was actually quite useful by coincidence.
Therefore, the Astrologer had agreed to it. To be safe, Magic Girls were already on standby in the surrounding areas, and she would listen in the whole time.
If any accidents occurred, she could provide support immediately.
After Ye Xinglan hid herself, Xiaoxi wrapped herself in a thick scarf and a hat to obscure her face. Such an outfit wasn’t unusual in the winter.
From a distance, she looked like a solitary, weak girl traveling alone at night, perfectly matching the conditions for the Divine Summon Order’s entrapment.
Perhaps out of safety concerns, there were fewer and fewer pedestrians at night in North Blossom City lately.
Xiaoxi looked up at the dim yellow streetlights, a nostalgic sense of familiarity rising in her heart.
She was all too familiar with the night roads of North Blossom City.
When she first started active as Eternal Star, she often snuck out late at night after her Mother and Sister fell asleep to fight Monsters and Magic Creatures… Come to think of it, her behavior back then was quite similar to this current impostor.
It was only after she formed a team that she basically stopped such vigilante acts.
‘Thinking back, I was drowsy in class every day during that time. The Teacher was always calling my parents… I really let Mom down back then…’
Xiaoxi traveled along the designated route while uncontrollably reminiscing about the past.
However, she walked for a long time—until a layer of thin mist began to rise on the dark streets—and she still hadn’t encountered any Magic Creatures, let alone a sign of that impostor!
‘Could it be because the Divine Summon Order noticed something was wrong, so they aren’t coming?’
That shouldn’t be the case! Logically, the Divine Summon Order was coming for Ye Xinglan.
After discovering them, they should be even more inclined to act. That was the reason Xiaoxi dared to be the bait.
“Xinglan, is there any movement on your end? I don’t seem to have anything here.”
The Headphones were hidden under her thick hat. Xiaoxi had been on a call with Ye Xinglan the entire time.
Her small lip movements and low voice were concealed by the scarf, so no flaws were revealed.
“Hmm… that’s strange. Could that bastard have discovered us? It shouldn’t be! I was very careful when I set up the tentacles. That person’s Magic Power detection shouldn’t be that strong!”
Ye Xinglan’s voice was full of frustration. But just as Xiaoxi thought they might return empty-handed tonight, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
The dim yellow streetlights emitted a fuzzy glow in the mist. She suddenly realized—had this mist become a bit too thick?
In the next moment, a Magic Power reaction from a Magic Creature and a black figure not far away appeared simultaneously.
Xiaoxi felt a surge of joy. Did they actually manage to hook the fish?
However, no matter how she looked at it, that black figure didn’t seem much like Eternal Star.
The Divine Summon Order’s disguise skills didn’t seem very good either.