“Alright, it’s time to get down to business! There’s one question that has always puzzled me…”
After successfully coaxing Yin, Bai Zhiqiu retrieved her [Coordinate]. She then turned to Gu Nian, posing a question.
“Sister Gu Nian,” she inquired, “how much do you truly know about Higanbana’s [Coordinate]?”
Having had her own questions about transformation clarified by Gu Nian, Bai Zhiqiu was now convinced. Gu Nian undoubtedly possessed extensive knowledge about Higanbana, insights that even Qian Moyu apparently lacked.
Truth be told, Qian Moyu had never imparted any particularly special information to her. Her only instruction had been to avoid witches, especially Gu Nian. Yet, observing the current circumstances, Gu Nian seemed rather kind and amicable.
“Of course! When it comes to anything about Higanbana, I dare say I’m the most knowledgeable!” Gu Nian chuckled, taking the [Coordinate] Bai Zhiqiu offered. Her fingertips gently traced the patterns on the back of the [Coordinate].
As she felt the familiar ridges, Gu Nian found herself momentarily lost in thought.
However, she quickly composed herself, her brief distraction going unnoticed even by Bai Zhiqiu.
“This [Coordinate] was left by someone incredibly important to me,” Gu Nian explained. “She meant the world to me, but she’s long gone now, off to a very distant place.”
Hearing Gu Nian’s words, Bai Zhiqiu was momentarily speechless. She had never imagined such a significant story lay hidden behind this simple [Coordinate] for Gu Nian.
‘Someone important… she must have been truly heartbroken,’ Bai Zhiqiu mused. ‘No wonder she was so kind to me right after we met. It must be a case of loving the house for the crow in it…’
“I’m sorry,” Bai Zhiqiu whispered.
“Silly girl! What’s there to be sorry about?” Gu Nian teased, gently hooking Bai Zhiqiu’s delicate nose with her finger. A warm smile spread across her face. “This happened a long time ago! I’ve long since come to terms with it.”
“Besides,” she added, “she only said she was going to a very distant place, not that we’d never meet again!”
After hearing Gu Nian’s explanation, Bai Zhiqiu felt a wave of bewilderment. So, this “distant place” was merely a physical location far away. She had assumed it meant crossing over to the afterlife.
“I… I thought…”
“You thought she went to another world, didn’t you?” Gu Nian chuckled, playfully pinching Bai Zhiqiu’s cheek.
“Mhm!” Bai Zhiqiu affirmed, nodding shyly as she met Gu Nian’s gaze.
“Well, it was also partly due to my ambiguous phrasing!” Gu Nian conceded. “But the most important thing for you to understand about Higanbana right now must be her secrets, wouldn’t you agree? After all, you *are* Higanbana now~ and you seem to know very little about her!”
“Mhm, mhm! I really don’t know much at all!”
“Then I’ll tell you all about it, bit by bit.”
Gu Nian shifted, settling into a more comfortable position. She held Bai Zhiqiu, who in turn held Yin, as Gu Nian began her explanation.
“The most distinguishing characteristic of Higanbana, setting her apart from other witches or magical girls, is assimilation!”
“Assimilation? What’s that?” Hearing Gu Nian’s word, Bai Zhiqiu immediately sensed something unsettling.
“As the name suggests, assimilation means you will transform into Higanbana’s exact likeness!” Gu Nian elaborated. “Eventually, whether in your human form or your transformed state, your body will permanently resemble her current appearance.”
“Perhaps that explanation is a bit ambiguous. To put it simply, in time, Bai Zhiqiu *will be* Higanbana, and Higanbana *will be* Bai Zhiqiu. Your body will forever maintain this form. Do you understand?”
Upon hearing Gu Nian’s explanation, Bai Zhiqiu nodded thoughtfully. From what Gu Nian implied, she would completely transform into Higanbana’s image.
While Bai Zhiqiu had already quietly anticipated becoming a girl, her expectations had always been based on her *own* body. She had imagined that after transforming, she would resemble her younger sister.
Yet, according to Gu Nian, she would directly become Higanbana. What then of Bai Yue…?
Involuntarily, Bai Zhiqiu’s mind conjured an image of Bai Yue once more.
‘Hehe! Onii-chan! Hurry and put on this little skirt! I’m a little witch…’
The mental image was too vivid, too jarring, for Bai Zhiqiu to dare imagine any further.
“So, as long as I don’t break through to the Brightmoon-tier, I can maintain my current appearance?” Bai Zhiqiu asked, blinking at Gu Nian. Her hand, however, was mischievously playing with Yin’s face, resulting in two tiny scratches on her fingers from Yin’s bite.
Quietly, Bai Zhiqiu withdrew her hand. She ignored the bite marks Yin had left, just as she ignored the fact that she had awakened a well-fed little vampire.
“Theoretically, yes, that’s possible. However, this brings us to another unique aspect of Higanbana.”
“Another unique aspect of Higanbana?”
“Precisely! What’s the very first thing that comes to mind when you hear ‘Higanbana’?”
“What is it…?” Hearing Gu Nian’s question, Bai Zhiqiu lowered her head in thought. Higanbana represented death, and legend said it bloomed in the underworld.
“Is it death?” Bai Zhiqiu asked uncertainly.
“Of course it is! But not entirely. Besides death, it also represents rebirth, though for now, knowing it represents death is enough!” Gu Nian finished, patting Bai Zhiqiu’s head. “So, do you understand?”
“Understand what?” Bai Zhiqiu asked, bewildered, as she rubbed her head. It felt like a physics problem where the teacher had rambled on about something incomprehensible, then suddenly demanded if she understood.
“It’s about understanding Higanbana’s abilities, of course! Let me be direct: Higanbana’s authority encompasses both life and death. Therefore, every time you slay a demonic beast, you can absorb a portion of its energy.”
“Unless you completely refrain from killing any demonic beasts, but how could that even be possible?”
Hearing Gu Nian’s words, Bai Zhiqiu nodded dutifully. As a magical girl, even a fake one…
After all, the official definition for her was still ‘magical girl.’ Should the city ever face an unimaginable crisis, or if chaos erupted again at the Xuan Guan, she would undoubtedly need to step in and help.
From this perspective, increasing her strength was inevitable.
And her transformation, too, was merely a matter of time.
Bai Zhiqiu felt a mix of amusement and despair in her heart. She was unsure whether to be delighted by the shortcut to enhancing her power or to mourn the impending, inescapable transformation.
Seeing Bai Zhiqiu’s earnest expression, Gu Nian decided to elaborate further.
“Of course! There’s another way to boost your strength, and that’s by utilizing the authority of life!”
“The authority of life? How do I use that? You can’t possibly mean I’ll have to become a doctor, saving lives and healing the injured, can you?” Bai Zhiqiu quipped.
Though she had once seriously considered becoming a doctor, the dissuasion from those around her ultimately led her to abandon the idea of studying medicine.
“Of course it wouldn’t be about becoming a doctor!” Gu Nian whispered, leaning close to Bai Zhiqiu’s ear and uttering a single word. “This is actually about you doing…”
Upon hearing Gu Nian’s words, Bai Zhiqiu’s face instantly flushed crimson. Her already large, luminous eyes widened even further in shock.
She had always assumed such a method of power enhancement was a common skill among witches. To discover it was *her* exclusive passive ability left her stunned.
Amidst her shock, Bai Zhiqiu’s movements inadvertently grew more pronounced, once again rousing the sleeping Yin.
Yin impatiently opened her eyes, casting a disdainful glance at both of them.
She had been half-asleep, and now these two were chattering about something utterly incomprehensible.