The three girls were having a decent time in the training hall, except for Yin Lin, who was getting pummeled. She was well aware of her melee capabilities—they were clearly pathetic. It was only natural she could not beat Xia Shiyao or Chen Jiayuan. Unless, of course, she cheated by using her magic shield.
After bullying Yin Lin, Xia Shiyao and Chen Jiayuan began sparring again. They were evenly matched opponents. However, Little Xia lost repeatedly, almost never winning against Chen Jiayuan. Eventually, they transformed to get serious. Even using wooden training weapons, Jin Luan could crush Huan Hong with a 91% win rate. It was the exact opposite of their base forms.
Such was the nature of a Magical Girl; even if the original body was weak, everything could be completely reversed after transformation. As for how the attributes were assigned post-transformation? No one knew. Yin Lin felt it was not a random blind box; there had to be some sort of reference, or perhaps even a conspiracy.
Looking at himself, a 34-year-old man, a mundane office worker with nothing special about him, he had become incredibly powerful after becoming a Magical Girl. Recalling certain things Diamond had said before, it really felt like there was some kind of hidden agenda.
During dinner that evening, Song Wuli was still pondering these questions, appearing somewhat distracted. The meal was prepared by the staff, so she had to wear her hat, roll up her hair to hide it, and wear her glasses to obscure her appearance. The chef seemed to know how to make everything, from street-side stir-fries to hotel-style platters.
For just three people, they made over ten dishes. Yin Lin indulged her cravings, though she did not have much of a palate for fine dining. Even when eating the supposedly high-grade A-class steak, she did not taste anything special. Aside from it feeling fresh, there was no other sensation. Moreover, halfway through the steak, Xia Shiyao suddenly snatched it away.
After dinner, they went back to training. They continued practicing in their Magical Girl forms, using more of their abilities and even casting spells.
Yin Lin, watching the show from the sidelines, felt bored and spoke up. “I say, why are you using so many strange moves? Monsters don’t follow patterns.”
Jin Luan and Huan Hong were actually using martial arts routines, which seemed a bit flashy and superficial to Yin Lin. Their response was unexpectedly uniform: they were doing it to deal with Magical Girls like Green Field who would attack their own kind, or to handle human enemies.
Ah, so they were still thinking about the Green Field incident. Being toyed with twice had clearly left a shadow over their lives. Looking at Yin Lin, who was lying on her side eating fruit, she seemed completely indifferent. Despite being the “younger sister” who had been messed with the most, she showed no intention of turning her shame into motivation.
“You don’t actually think practicing these routines will let you beat Green Field, do you? You aren’t that naive, are you?” Yin Lin continued to needle them.
Jin Luan replied, “It’s still better than doing nothing and giving up as soon as we meet her.”
“Green Field’s strength lies in that whip,” Yin Lin countered. “That’s her specialty. If nobody can break that whip, how are we supposed to fight her?”
They stopped responding to her taunts and continued their training. Huan Hong, however, had actually taken the criticism to heart. Her moves changed, stripping away the complex martial arts routines. Holding her long staff, she simplified her actions to basic strikes, slashes, sweeps, and stabs.
The effect was decent. With a bit more strength, she started forcing Jin Luan back. Her win rate rose from 10% to 30%. Huan Hong seemed to have found her own style of combat.
Looking at Jin Luan, she still seemed lost. She knew Green Field had countless experiences dealing with Magical Girls, and that whip was simply too overpowered against them. To deal with Green Field, a quick decision was better; one could not be soft-hearted.
Visualizing Huan Hong as Green Field, Jin Luan’s strikes became heavier. She even used her enchanted blade, snapping Huan Hong’s wooden staff in one blow.
Huan Hong refused to back down and got serious as well, eventually even bursting with aura. In a serious engagement, Huan Hong’s win rate rose from 30% to 60%. The reason was simple: Jin Luan did not dare use lethal force for fear of killing her. Everyone knew that Jin Luan would still be the one to win; Huan Hong could not withstand her serious attacks.
So, Huan Hong suggested, “Why don’t you practice with her? Doesn’t she have a magic shield? It should be enough to take your full-power attacks.”
At those words, Jin Luan immediately stopped and looked at Yin Lin, who was still eating fruit.
Yin Lin was stunned. “Huh? Me? How did the conversation turn to me?”
Jin Luan said fiercely, “You, get over here and practice.”
Fine. Yin Lin stood up, letting her wand lean against her shoulder so her body was in contact with it. Holding the fruit platter in her left hand, she activated her magic shield while she ate.
Jin Luan began her assault. She no longer used the wooden sword but the real blade her magic wand had transformed into. First came a set of normal basic attacks. Large ripples constantly appeared on Yin Lin’s shield, but it was not a big deal.
She continued to watch while eating, her indifferent attitude being quite infuriating. Jin Luan’s rage meter kept rising. Finally, she used an enchantment, her body radiating golden flames. Only then did she manage to hack a crack into the shield.
Yin Lin stuffed another grape into her mouth, chewing slowly, and calmly deployed a new magic shield. It was not until Jin Luan used a charged strike that she finally shattered Yin Lin’s protection with a single blow.
“It’s so annoying. I wish I had a magic shield that strong.”
In the outdoor hot spring, Xia Shiyao was still dwelling on it. It was already night by the time they finished training, and they had gone for a soak. Yin Lin did not go. She refused no matter what, saying she wanted to wander around.
Chen Jiayuan was soaking happily in the comfortable spring. “Let it go. Magical Girls are never perfect.”
Xia Shiyao only got angrier the more she thought about it, Yin Lin’s lazy, unmotivated face floating in her mind. What was even more annoying was that she had not managed to drag Yin Lin into the bath; the girl had escaped.
***
By this time, Yin Lin had already gone to the neighboring Yinmiao Temple. There was a direct path from the manor; walking through the side gate brought her almost there. To avoid exposing her identity, she had not brought her wand. That thing was too big to hide on her person.
After passing the side gate, someone likely saw her. A monk was waiting there, knowing she was one of the honored guests. The monk looked young, probably around 20 years old. He introduced himself as Kongzhi.
He was of the “Kong” generation, though she had no idea what that rank signified. Yin Lin had not researched such things. Under Kongzhi’s lead, she crossed the courtyard. Several other monks were cleaning. When they saw her pass by, they all gave polite greetings. Most of them watched her with curiosity.
After all, Yinmiao Temple was closed to the public, and they rarely saw outsiders. Seeing such a beautiful girl passing through, it was hard not to be curious.
It took a while to reach the main hall. She only intended to burn some incense, not worship the Buddha. She lit a stick at the incense burner. There were no tedious rituals; she burned it how she wanted and stuck it in however she pleased.
She closed her eyes and made a wish: ‘I hope that one day I can fight my way out of the solar system, tear through the galaxy, and become the Great Demon King who unifies the universe. I want Jin Luan to lick my feet and Huan Hong to lick my hands.’
She opened her eyes and stuck the incense into the burner.