Late at night, in Tan Hua City, within the Bow Feather Kingdom.
A streak of fiery red light sliced through the snowy night, its heat melting the falling flakes.
It finally descended upon a mountain, which, facing east, was perfectly positioned to greet the morning sun. This mountain was known as Chaoyang Mountain.
Qiye, carrying a stack of liquor cans, set them down heavily on a stone table.
After taking a seat, a wave of her hand unleashed scorching magical energy, instantly evaporating the surrounding snow.
****
On the stone chessboard, the black and white pieces remained exactly as they had been placed during her game with Silvia that dawn.
Especially, that crucial piece in the corner.
It was a ‘secret code’ Qiye had discussed beforehand with Weizhan and Xincheng.
In that moment, Qiye felt a sudden disorientation. Had she… vaguely seen Silvia lowering her gaze to place a piece?
Yet, in a blink, the stone table opposite her was empty. It was all just an illusion.
A bitter taste welled in Qiye’s throat.
She tilted her head back, downing a mouthful of potent liquor. A burning sensation spread from her esophagus to her heart, but it couldn’t dissolve the ache in her eyes.
“Senior Silvia…”
A thin film of moisture clouded Qiye’s eyes, and a few strands of hair floated against her flushed, liquor-tinged cheeks.
Even now, she refused to believe the facts stated in the wanted posters and news reports.
‘How could Silvia betray the nation? And collude with witches?’
Qiye’s hand, clutching a chess piece, trembled incessantly. ‘Could Senior Silvia truly betray the Bow Feather Kingdom?’
According to the reports—
Before dawn, Silvia was deployed from Tan Hua City prison to the border, given a chance to atone for past misdeeds. Instead, he committed treason, colluding with the witch faction, an undeniable escalation of his crimes.
Consequently, Silvia, a Special Grade Magical Girl, codenamed Zhennu Yibai, was placed on the Bow Feather Kingdom’s wanted list, her infamy now rivaling that of the Arch-Witches.
Zhennu Yibai’s reputation in Tan Hua City was utterly ruined.
Everything associated with her—merchandise, figurines, derivative clothing, even fan-made videos online—anything tagged with or related to Zhennu Yibai, was removed.
The snow fell heavier, yet it couldn’t melt the gradually drying liquor stain on the stone table.
****
Beneath the vast, snowy night, there was still one girl who worried for Silvia.
Qiye had received so much care and affection from Silvia. She couldn’t understand why he would collude with witches.
‘Could a Magical Girl’s conviction change with their gender…?’
Qiye drank her contemplative liquor, completely forgetting her duty to patrol and protect Tan Hua City that night.
Her mind was now solely occupied with playing chess, drinking, thinking of Senior Silvia, and a slight concern for her companions.
Only then did her responsibilities as the leader of the Three Primaries Squad come to mind.
In any case, it wasn’t a big deal.
The witch faction had only caused a disturbance at the border earlier that morning; less than a day had passed, so major movements were unlikely.
Moreover, the Arch-Witch Ling Qinghe’s identity had been exposed as Professor Ling Qinghe from Qinghe High School in Tan Hua City.
And the Lesser Witch Aisi Aimu was the student Ling Cheyin from Qinghe High School in Tan Hua City, who happened to be Ling Qinghe’s sister.
There was also Xia Naxin, another student from Qinghe High School. Oh, and Lina.
****
The wanted posters also included a special declaration: the witch faction’s infiltration of the Iris Feather Kingdom had far exceeded all expectations.
Therefore, within a few days, the Iris Feather Kingdom would implement a nationwide preliminary investigation strategy to uncover “suspects” of unknown origin.
****
There wasn’t much liquor left in the cans.
Just then, a sudden vibration from her phone shattered her thoughts.
However, the signal displayed on the screen was ‘0 bars’.
A series of messages from an overseas address were breaking through the firewall.
****
The sword-like icon immediately made Qiye think of who it must be: Ling Cheyin, the Lesser Witch who constantly pestered her.
But why was she sending messages so late? Qiye had only unblocked her that morning.
‘She couldn’t possibly still be thinking of harassing me, could she?!’
****
Qiye then skillfully bypassed the network firewall, using it to receive the overseas signal.
As she looked at the chat window for ‘Ling Cheyin’, when the photo loaded, Qiye shot to her feet, and the liquor cans clattered to the ground.
She covered her mouth, hastily typing out a question, her fingers trembling as they struck the screen. She could even hear her own frantic heartbeat.
[This… is this real?]
On the other end, Ling Cheyin instantly replied, [Of course… what do you think? Is this news… exciting enough?]
Qiye’s usual worried expression vanished. She tapped the photo, zoomed in, and examined it meticulously.
Her gaze locked onto the familiar face. It really was her! ‘Senior Silvia… she really turned back into a woman?’
In the photo, Silvia wore a prison uniform, her face pale, yet it couldn’t conceal her feminine grace. And beneath her feet, she stood upon a half-black, half-white circular symbol with two intertwined fish?
Qiye didn’t know it was called a Taiji diagram. Regardless, Silvia had indeed transformed back from a man to a woman. This was, without a doubt, good news.
However, Ling Cheyin immediately sent another message: [Want to know more about Silvia?]
Seeing this, Qiye immediately felt a sense of foreboding. Knowing Ling Cheyin, what followed would undoubtedly be ‘coercion and temptation.’ Perhaps she would demand Qiye take and send private photos, or even more outrageous live photos of outdoor exposure, or even issue limited-time missions.
Yet, Qiye recalled that she had called that morning to ask about Senior Silvia’s situation.
As a result, Ling Qinghe and Ling Cheyin had conspired to deceive her, claiming that Silvia had already fled far away.
Now, Ling Cheyin had actually sent a photo of Silvia transformed back into a woman. What exactly was her plan? What had truly happened since Silvia was taken by the witches?
Qiye was immensely curious. So, she typed out a reply: [Tell me.]
Immediately, Ling Cheyin replied: [I need you to publish this photo, spread it throughout the Iris Feather Kingdom, because Zhennu Yibai is returning to the country… Hmm.]
[Just thinking about it makes it exciting, doesn’t it?]
Qiye’s fingers hovered over the screen for a moment, but she quickly typed out a line: [Are you serious?]
After all, she had no trust in Ling Cheyin. That woman always sought to toy with her, spouting nonsense and never having good intentions.
However, the ‘typing…’ indicator on the screen made her hold her breath.
Qiye couldn’t possibly be indifferent to Silvia’s affairs. Finally, Ling Cheyin’s message popped up: [Of course it’s true! My sister personally used gender-change magic to restore her female form. Now, the entire Iris Feather Kingdom still assumes her former identity; no one knows Silvia has turned back into a woman. This unknown secret is precisely hidden in this photo!]
[A witch accomplice who committed treason, but no one knows that Silvia has turned back into a woman, oh…]
‘Gender-change magic? Isn’t Ling Qinghe a witch? Why would she do this?’
A string of questions surged in Qiye’s mind, but before she could sort through her thoughts, another message popped up:
[So, I need you to post the photo and let the Iris Feather Kingdom know that Zhennu Yibai is coming back. Hmm.]
[Just thinking about it makes it exciting, doesn’t it?]
[You wouldn’t be this kind-hearted. Tell me, what’s your real intention?]
Qiye gritted her teeth as she typed and sent the message, yet she felt a flush of heat spread through her body, her mind fiercely torn between trust and suspicion.
Ling Cheyin would never do anything without personal gain. No, perhaps this move was even orchestrated by Ling Qinghe?
Behind this seemingly ‘kind and benevolent’ offer, a larger conspiracy was surely lurking.
However, this time, the reply was swift; Ling Cheyin had clearly been prepared:
[Next time we meet, go on a date with me. You have to spend the whole day with me.]
A heart emoji pulsed at the end of the message.
Seeing this, Qiye felt a sudden surge of blood rush to her head.
“Shameless!”
She roared at her phone screen, but a blush spread across her cheeks.
She recalled how, in the confinement room, Ling Cheyin had scrutinized her with burning eyes, touching her, forcing her to utter various explicit words to appease her affections—otherwise, she would be ‘whipped’ in various ways.
This ‘date’ request, it was clear, had been meticulously planned by Ling Cheyin long ago.
Yet, the thought that this concerned Senior Silvia, whom she constantly yearned for, made Qiye’s hand, clutching her phone, tremble slightly once more.
The wind and snow still howled, and she paced back and forth in the pavilion, indecisive.
‘To send, or not to send? To reply, or to refuse?’
If she sent it, Ling Cheyin and her group would surely gain something… something Qiye didn’t know, leveraging her information gap.
Of course, if she didn’t send it, Qiye felt certain Ling Cheyin would once again use her leverage to force compliance.
After all, Qiye had been ‘used’ by Ling Qinghe so many times in private that she had grown accustomed to instinctively analyzing and considering the consequences of such involuntary ‘temptations’.