“What? You’re telling me there’s a cultural appreciation hall for Xiyin here? Where is it? Where is it!”
Qi Yue and a group of ‘Qi Yue’ans’ chatted animatedly, completely abandoning Qi Yue’an, with whom she had been walking, and utterly forgetting their earlier agreement to stick together.
However, it wasn’t entirely her fault for leaving Qi Yue’an behind. While the so-called cultural appreciation hall sounded refined, a little inquiry revealed it was merely a clandestine venue for sharing information, private photos, and videos among them. Openly, such a place was illegal in Ancheng, yet the sheer size of its market made it impossible to suppress.
Truth be told, her initial impression of ‘Qi Yue as an ideal personality’ had largely shattered upon arriving here. While Qi Yue’s persona was certainly more optimistic and cheerful, she hardly imagined herself being so utterly absurd.
“Speaking of which… if there’s a so-called cultural appreciation hall for Xiyin, then is there one for *him*…”
The thought had barely surfaced when it startled her profoundly.
“No, no, this is utterly perverse, no matter how you look at it. We were brothers before, and now I want to furtively pry into his privacy…”
She cupped her face and instinctively glanced around. Relief washed over her, knowing that even in this place, such a thing wouldn’t exist.
“Huh? Mama, why is that older sister’s face so red, and why is she looking around so much… And why does she look so disappointed?”
A deceptively innocent voice pointed in her direction.
“Don’t look, you’ll pick up bad habits.”
She covered the girl’s eyes, but then whispered into her ear.
“She’s quite cute, though, Wa. Let’s come back tonight…”
This awkward scene sent Qi Yue’an fleeing in disarray. Meanwhile, Qi Meng, the girl who had covered Qi Wa’s eyes, threw a flirtatious glance at Qi Yue’an’s retreating back.
‘Oh, dear… The Yue faction is terrifying, playing such elaborate games.’
Qi Yue’an thought, a shiver of dread running through her.
Emerging from the hidden street, Qi Yue’an found herself alone once more. She wandered aimlessly, hoping to find a tavern or similar place where plot NPCs might appear, to gather information. Alas, she didn’t encounter a single one along the way.
“Sigh, none at all…”
A wave of disappointment washed over her, and simultaneously, she realized something significant: the ‘Qi Yue’an’ personality archetypes here, apart from the one she and Qi Wei had discussed, seemed to be based on Qi Yue, not Qi An.
She had never been one to dislike alcohol in her past life. On the contrary, while she detested cigarettes, she was an absolute drunkard, reveling in the feeling of curling up in bed after a night of drinking, which brought a fleeting sense of security.
However, ever since she had become Qi Yue’an, she hadn’t touched a drop.
Yet, she harbored no profound regrets. She had already learned from Qi Wei that she was the first in this regard, and perhaps Lin Xiao cared for more than just her utility. He truly cared for her as a person, and that, in itself, was enough. She wasn’t the type of yandere wife who delved into every secret; it was better for both parties to maintain some level of privacy.
‘Ah… why am I starting to think this way! I haven’t fallen into femininity… or have I…?’
She muttered to herself, a hint of guilt coloring her thoughts. Honestly, her previous behavior was hardly masculine; it was more akin to a doting wife or an unyielding straight woman.
In the transformation novels she used to read, there were always scenes of beautiful girls getting close and intimate. However, she personally wasn’t fond of physical contact with strangers; regardless of her appearance, such contact brought her no pleasure. Instead, it made her feel anxious and uncomfortable.
Yet, she didn’t inherently dislike physical contact itself… The only people she felt comfortable enough to touch without tension were Xiyin and Lin Xiao.
Lost in her convoluted thoughts, Qi Yue’an found herself, without realizing it, outside Ancheng.
****
The landscape beyond the city walls was breathtakingly magnificent. It was dotted with numerous grand structures, possessing a beauty that, while distinct from Earth’s, seemed to stem from a shared origin. However, most were severely damaged, lending the scene a desolate and forlorn air.
This expanse was far vaster than she had imagined. The unyielding Ancheng at its center occupied only a small fraction of it. Beyond the vast plains that stretched almost to the horizon, lay a dramatic range of undulating mountains. And in a nearby low valley, a dilapidated garden faintly emerged into view.
‘Pull… fly…’
Qi Yue’an felt an inexplicable urge to explore it, but walking was simply too arduous. She recalled Qi Yue’s words, that here, one could defy gravity and fly, just as in dreams.
She attempted to replicate her lucid dreaming experiences, imagining herself being pulled by unseen hands using her ‘spiritual power’. She had expected minimal results, but in the very next moment, an invisible force truly began to lift and propel her.
Within the garden, the earth had turned parched. Unidentified wildflowers bloomed alongside vibrant, pure white blossoms. They had not succumbed to the natural pressures of this place, but rather bloomed together, without distinction of rank or beauty.
At the heart of the garden stood a colossal round table beneath a canopy, surrounded by neatly arranged chairs. It appeared to have once been constructed in the center of a vast lake, but the lake waters had long since vanished, leaving behind only a collapsed bridge and the dust-laden table and chairs.
‘How exquisite…’
Having flown to the side of the table and chairs, she gently brushed away the thick layer of dust, revealing the intricate decorations on them. Behind one chair, patterns of flames and a judge’s brush were carved, while another bore the motifs of a clock and an hourglass.
Near the table and chairs stood a long-abandoned tomb, from which a sword, seemingly of Huaxia style, protruded. It was etched with classical patterns, and the faint rust on its blade, along with the hilt that appeared to have been wielded countless times, still whispered tales of its lost legends.
Though she knew it was unethical, her lingering masculine instincts made her yearn to draw the sword. However, just as she approached within ten meters of it, a spectral voice suddenly echoed from behind her.
“It’s been a long time since a living soul visited…”
The voice startled her so much she nearly leaped, instinctively triggering her transformation. A dazzling burst of light enveloped her, and she reappeared in her black and white Gothic gown, wielding the golden, jealousy-fueled sword.
“Whoosh—Clang—”
A sharp whistle sliced through the air. She instinctively swung her sword backward, but her blade was effortlessly parried by the figure behind her. Opening her eyes, she saw a young girl standing there, having appeared at some unknown moment.
“Oh? Fire that can burn souls… Similar to my own, it seems, though yours appears darker.”
The girl spoke with an air of composure, her appearance surprising Qi Yue’an.
“Who are you?”
The girl before her was not one of the common ‘Qi Yue’ans’ found here, but someone with an entirely distinct appearance. Unlike the typically fashionable magical girls of the present era, she wore a classical Chinese-style judge’s robe in black and red, topped with an official’s hat, resembling a King Yama from the underworld. Her long black hair was gathered into a single braid that draped from her neck over her left shoulder, and her serene, crimson eyes held a spark of curiosity.
In her hand, she also held a sword that, though different in style, was likewise wreathed in flames and capable of changing size. Yet, unlike Qi Yue’an’s all-consuming flames of jealousy, hers resembled the judgment flames of hell, capable of incinerating all evil spirits and sins.
“The Goddess of the Underworld’s Path… or perhaps, Magical Girl Youguangyu. But none of that matters anymore; I am merely a remnant, a phantom.”
She sheathed her sword, but the cryptic words she uttered piqued Qi Yue’an’s intense curiosity.
“What… what does that mean?”
Though the girl appeared non-aggressive, Qi Yue’an remained wary, observing her closely.
“Could it be that, even in ancient times… magical girls existed?”
Observing her expression, Youguangyu shook her head.
“It’s not truly ‘ancient’ in the way you perceive it. In our time… we too had a brilliant civilization, towering buildings, and bustling crowds.”
She spoke in riddles.
“It was, rather, a history utterly annihilated, never to return.”
Her ethereal form drifted past the chairs, her voice rising and falling as if narrating an epic.
“The gods had awakened, and with the sudden arrival of extraterrestrial visitors, pure power ran wild, seized by the newcomers, transformed, and branded with the name of sin. I failed to protect our world; I could only watch as it withered.”
Speaking in incomprehensible terms, she walked past each chair, seemingly reminiscing about someone important.
Finally, she returned to Qi Yue’an’s side, her tone laced with a warning.
“Consider what I just told you merely a story. Do not attempt to delve deeper, do not seek its true essence, for it will attract unwelcome attention.”
A strange chill crept up Qi Yue’an’s spine. She took half a step back, unsure how to respond.
“Cherish your world, cherish those who would repeatedly return for you, and at the opportune moment, make a choice you will not regret. This is all I can tell you.”
“This sword… take it if you wish. I sense that your power stems from boundless jealousy, and it has already begun to affect you. This is not a sustainable path in the long run. The power it holds might help you comprehend something new.”
With those words, she simply vanished.
‘Cherish those who repeatedly return for me, huh…’
She pondered, recalling the vague experiences Lin Xiao had shared with her. Had this senior… experienced something similar in her own civilization?
Qi Yue’an was utterly bewildered, staring blankly at the surrounding landscape.
‘What is the true essence of this ‘End’ that Lin Xiao spoke of?’
She sat there, lost and confused, her mind a tangled mess. She wasn’t one to dwell on such distant matters, but now the truth of those things felt tantalizingly close, yet utterly out of reach. This feeling was profoundly unsettling.
Ultimately, Qi Yue’an slowly approached the sword, which seemed entirely mismatched to her style, and took hold of it.