“All right, let’s not dwell on that topic. How about you accompany me for a stroll?”
Bai Zhiqiu nodded, walking alongside Gu Nian out of the church and into the small garden behind it.
It was then that Bai Zhiqiu truly noticed that the entire church was, in fact, built atop a cliff overlooking the sea.
In the distance, the azure sea was as calm as a mirror, occasionally stirring up tiny splashes of foam that caressed the snowy white sands of the shore.
“How about it? It’s quite beautiful here, isn’t it?” Gu Nian observed Bai Zhiqiu, who was lost in thought, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon, her eyes gleaming with an unusual light.
“Where is this?”
“It’s a beach that once belonged to Iberia. I’ve woven it into the space within my ring.”
Hearing Gu Nian’s words, Bai Zhiqiu nodded, a flicker of understanding in her eyes, simultaneously gaining a deeper appreciation for Gu Nian’s formidable power.
“How incredible!” Bai Zhiqiu nodded. ‘No wonder Motong had said that neither she nor her master were confident in defeating Gu Nian. It appeared the strength Gu Nian displayed during the battle with Jasmine was merely the tip of the iceberg. If Gu Nian were to unleash her full power, Jasmine would likely be instantly annihilated!’
Thinking this, Bai Zhiqiu suddenly remembered her mission: to stall Gu Nian!
‘Perhaps I should take advantage of Gu Nian’s good mood now to probe her for information?’
However, before Bai Zhiqiu could even open her mouth, Gu Nian spoke first.
“Zhiqiu, would you like to play on the swing?”
With that, Gu Nian pointed forward.
Following the direction of Gu Nian’s finger, Bai Zhiqiu saw a swing.
The swing didn’t look particularly sturdy; its seat was a smooth piece of wood, and instead of ropes, it was hung from a large tree branch by two vines.
Drawing upon her childhood experiences with swings, she judged that this vine-constructed swing would not be particularly robust, and should it also have suffered from years of disrepair, the consequences could be catastrophic…
Although the swing looked very vintage, natural, and beautiful, Bai Zhiqiu had a nagging feeling that if she were to swing on it a couple of times, the vines would suddenly snap, sending her plummeting down the cliff.
She had just observed the sheer hundred-meter vertical drop; if she were to be flung from it, even as she approached the Glorious Moon level, she wouldn’t be flattened into ‘Bai Zhiqiu paste,’ but she would undoubtedly be covered in bruises and in considerable pain!
“How about we still…” A trace of resistance flashed in Bai Zhiqiu’s eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing! Nothing at all! I’ll push you!” Bai Zhiqiu chuckled awkwardly. Although she really didn’t want to play, it was for the sake of information!
And if she agreed, she would be the one pushing Gu Nian. Anyway, if the vines broke, she wouldn’t be the one falling.
‘As a powerful Sunwheel-level practitioner, surely she wouldn’t be harmed by a fall, would she?’
“How could that be? How could I let you push me? You sit, and I’ll push you!”
Though Gu Nian’s voice was exceedingly gentle, Bai Zhiqiu detected an absolute, undeniable command veiled within that soft tone.
‘It was as if she only possessed the right to comply, and refusal would lead to some dreadful consequence…’
“I… I’ll get on now!” With a heart full of trepidation, Bai Zhiqiu sat on the swing.
“Are you ready? Hold tightly to the vines with your hands. I’m about to start!” Gu Nian’s voice came from behind her.
“Re… rea… ready…” Bai Zhiqiu sat on the swing, gripping the vines tightly with both hands, her nerves taut.
‘If anything goes wrong, I’ll immediately activate Blood Wings! It’s a prepared escape route for myself.’
“Don’t be so nervous! Just relax!” Seeing Bai Zhiqiu’s somewhat anxious expression, Gu Nian offered a comforting smile. “The first time I played on this swing, I was very nervous too. But my sister told me then that the swing was very sturdy and wouldn’t have any problems! Now, I’ll tell you the same thing: the swing is very sturdy, it won’t have any problems!”
‘Gu Nian has a sister?’
Hearing this news, Bai Zhiqiu’s heart was stirred. She hadn’t expected the current leader of the Witches to have a sister.
‘Does this imply the Witch organization harbors a third Sunwheel-level member? This could be a critically important piece of intelligence!’
“Are you ready? I’ll count to three, two, one, and begin!”
With that, Gu Nian pushed the swing.
“Gulp!” Bai Zhiqiu swallowed hard.
She felt her body soaring higher and higher… When the swing reached a relatively high point, Bai Zhiqiu felt as if she was suspended there, before the swing began to arc back down.
“How was it! It’s great fun, isn’t it!” Gu Nian excitedly looked at Bai Zhiqiu.
“Mm! It’s great fun!” Once she confirmed that the swing was indeed sturdy enough, Bai Zhiqiu let go of her earlier resistance.
“Then let’s continue!”
This time, Gu Nian swung it even higher.
As Bai Zhiqiu soared upwards on the swing, numerous rainbows and clouds suddenly appeared beneath it, as if placing the entire garden within a paradise forged of clouds…
After a while, they swapped places. Watching Gu Nian’s joyful expression, Bai Zhiqiu could hardly believe this was the Witch leader capable of striking fear into the entire Magical Girl Association…
Time passed quickly…
Under the evening breeze, the lingering glow of the sunset bathed their hair…
‘Fortunately, the flow of time here is twelve times faster than the outside world. Otherwise, the great battle would have already begun… and I’d still be here playing with Gu Nian.’
‘It seems I’ve also completed the task of stalling Gu Nian?’
“Gu Nian sister, I have a question I’d like to ask you!” After much thought, Bai Zhiqiu decided to take the initiative.
“Speak.”
Gu Nian gently brushed Bai Zhiqiu’s wind-tousled hair.
“I want to know what exactly is your purpose in entering the Xuan Pass, Gu Nian sister?” Bai Zhiqiu looked at Gu Nian, asking each word distinctly.
“Nothing much! I just came here to find something. Although I haven’t found it yet, I did have an unexpected pleasant surprise: meeting you!” Saying this, Gu Nian gently pinched Bai Zhiqiu’s cheek. “That’s probably what I should say…”
The last sentence, Gu Nian murmured softly, so much so that even Bai Zhiqiu didn’t hear it clearly.
“Does the item you need, Gu Nian sister, lie within the Xuan Pass?” Bai Zhiqiu asked softly.
“Of course. Why? Do you want to help me steal it?” Hearing Bai Zhiqiu’s question, Gu Nian responded in a playful tone.
Hearing Gu Nian’s words, Bai Zhiqiu shook her head.
“Don’t worry! I won’t ask you to do anything that would put you in a difficult position. By the way, if all goes as expected, the demon beasts should launch a large-scale attack around six in the morning tomorrow.” Gu Nian said, smiling cheerfully as she stroked Bai Zhiqiu’s hair.
When this news reached her ears, Bai Zhiqiu could hardly believe it—’she just revealed the intelligence like that?’
Seeing Bai Zhiqiu’s shocked expression, Gu Nian explained, “Your desire for information was practically written all over your face. When we were swinging just now, I could feel your hesitation to speak. Don’t worry! The intelligence is absolutely accurate, because I don’t want certain individuals to return alive.”
‘It seems the relationship between the demon beasts, the Witches, and the Spirit Masters wasn’t as monolithic as a solid block of iron…’
After bidding farewell to Gu Nian, Bai Zhiqiu chose to return to reality.
She needed to quickly convey this intelligence to her master and the others…
Watching Bai Zhiqiu depart, Gu Nian took out a handkerchief from her pocket and walked to a corner of the garden pond, where a small tombstone stood…
“Sister Higanbana… she’s much more timid than you…”
With that, Gu Nian gently brushed away the fine dust from the tombstone.