Confirm the action target again, remember the following arrangements, complete the contact mission, mimic the Witch’s every move, and finally infiltrate the underground factory to search for related intelligence before quickly returning to the guest room.
“Try to avoid combat, focus on infiltration.”
“Roger.”
Ling Ru retrieved the earpiece and put it back in her pocket, leaving the guest reception area. For the first time, she summoned her own weapon.
It was a short, ancient-looking wand, similar to the one in Harry Potter, with intricate dark purple patterns engraved on it.
Finding Qi Yue’an and successfully contacting her wouldn’t be easy. Fortunately, before coming here, Ling Ru had already met with Chen Ling privately.
Chen Ling’s identity, among others, was Qi Yue’an’s personal maid. After that day of contacting Qi Yue’an and warning her, her true identity was exposed, but for some reason, Qi Yue’an hadn’t revealed this truth to the others in the Li Star Palace. Therefore, this identity was still usable.
She couldn’t use this identity to directly contact Qi Yue’an, but she could use it to contact others. According to known intelligence, there was another maid who could directly interact with Qi Yue’an. Ling Ru could use Chen Ling’s identity to contact her and gain her mimicry.
After making the plan, Ling Ru touched her face, and a layer of dark purple crystals instantly spread across it, quickly covering her entire body as if temporarily enclosing her in a purple crystal cocoon. The cocoon soon shattered into particles of light, revealing a completely different face, attire, and physique.
Her originally colorless and attribute-less magical energy suddenly transformed, tinged with a hint of black. Unintentionally, she looked at the mirror she carried with her, seeing a girl with silver-white long hair and chestnut-brown eyes, and couldn’t help but sigh.
“No wonder Chen Ling is so powerful… and her original eye color was chestnut-brown, huh?”
After a moment of admiration, she put on a pair of indigo-colored contact lenses and adjusted her attire slightly.
“Excuse me, visitor, you cannot leave the guest room without special permission unless you have urgent business. Please go to the guest reception area if you need to leave.”
A guard stopped her, but Ling Ru remained calm and casually glanced at him, unleashing her magic to penetrate his core. She then took out a random piece of paper torn from a notebook.
“I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t recognize you just now.”
He examined the ordinary piece of paper, then respectfully handed it back to her as if it were a noble identity card.
“No problem, caution is a good thing. This time, there might be some sneaky rats among the guests.”
Her voice was icy, as if she were a loyal high-ranking official of the Li Star Palace.
“Those night watchdogs seem to have noticed something… Keep an eye on the Rani’s old teammates and prevent them from making any moves.”
“I don’t expect those kinds of people to understand the Magic Lord.”
Using Chen Ling’s cold voice, she finished her final command, then walked steadfastly in the direction Qi Yue’an had left.
“Wow… Lady Ying Yi is still so impressive… No wonder she’s the second-in-command of the executors.”
The guard shook his head and continued to stand guard, adjusting his weapon.
However, he didn’t know that Ling Ru wasn’t as calm as she appeared on the surface. Although she had practiced several times at the night watch base, facing a second-level magical being’s aura still made her a bit nervous. Fortunately, she managed to sneak in successfully.
“For Moon Moon…”
She patted her chest to gather her courage and continued forward. She knew that if she truly found evidence of Lin Xiao’s impure motives, even the legendary Magic Lord would find it hard to escape unscathed from the global official magic girl organization and the magical being groups’ encirclement. And by then, even if Qi Yue’an was willing to believe him, she would surely give up, right?
Ling Ru comforted herself, her eyes filled with determination. She focused her mind, and her colorless, attribute-less magical energy manifested, materializing into a purple crystal-like substance, transforming once more.
This was the magical energy of another high-ranking night watch member Chen Ling had shown her. Its first quality was the ability to trace the past, belonging to the Gluttony spectrum. Although she was only a first-level magic girl and couldn’t fully replicate this power, it was enough to trace Qi Yue’an’s recent whereabouts.
Relying on the simulated “tracking” ability, Ling Ru followed the subtle traces of magical energy left behind, which only she could sense, quickly navigating through the complex corridors of the Li Star Palace.
Qi Yue’an’s aura left a discontinuous trail of light, guiding the way.
She had to act quickly, completing the initial contact with Qi Yue’an before her true identity as Chen Ling was exposed, explaining her absence, and mimicking another maid.
After passing through a few corridors and a courtyard filled with strange crystal plants, the trail led to a relatively hidden door adorned with a moon design.
This seemed to be a quieter resting area within the Li Star Palace, separate from the bustling guest area.
Ling Ru took a deep breath, preparing to think of a natural way to enter, when the door was gently pushed open from the inside.
Out stepped Qi Yue’an herself.
She seemed to have just finished a brief moment of solitude, her face bearing a hint of contemplation, and she was muttering to herself incoherently.
When she saw “Chen Ling” standing outside, her silver eyes flashed with a quick surprise before returning to calm, even with a hint of complex understanding.
“It’s you?”
Her steps hesitated slightly, her silver eyes flashing with a sharp, premonitory look, but more so with a complex depth, as if saying, “You’ve appeared again, as I expected.”
Ling Ru’s heart raced, but she maintained Chen Ling’s signature calm, a mix of mystery and detachment.
She didn’t bow or use the respectful language of a servant, but merely nodded slightly, speaking with a near-equal, appraising tone, as if engaging in a silent standoff:
“It seems you’ve adapted better than I thought.”
This ambiguous statement could refer to adapting to life in the Li Star Palace or to the role of “Rani.”
Qi Yue’an’s lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile, her thoughts unclear, but she responded in a tone devoid of emotion:
“Thanks to you, the last ‘reminder’ helped me clarify many things.”
She emphasized the word “reminder,” her gaze sweeping over “Chen Ling,” her deep eyes making Ling Ru feel a bit frightened, but she couldn’t show it.
“Is that so?”
Ling Ru mimicked Chen Ling’s coolness, her eyes flashing with a hint of heat. She wanted to continue this silent game, probing Qi Yue’an’s current stance.
“I hope you’ve thought about what you truly should, because some paths, once taken, are hard to turn back from.”
She was probing, trying to deepen the conversation, one of her goals being to find out if Qi Yue’an had completely fallen for Lin Xiao and was no longer trustworthy, as Chen Ling had suggested.
“Everyone defines ‘what they should think about’ differently.”
Qi Yue’an took a few steps forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with “Chen Ling,” her gaze drifting to the ethereal garden view outside the corridor.
“Like you… Why did you risk coming here again? What for?”
She turned her head, her silver eyes locking onto “Chen Ling’s,” filled with an unyielding inquisitiveness. Her eyes shifted with different hues, as if two different souls were exchanging within.
“Observation, confirmation, and if necessary… taking action.”
Ling Ru answered with Chen Ling’s calm and firm tone,
“Ensuring certain boundaries are not crossed.”
“I admit Lin Xiao has played a crucial role in reducing magical chaos, but this time… what box is he trying to open with such a ‘key’?”
She deliberately used the sensitive word “key,” which she had seen in the night watch intelligence, possibly related to Lin Xiao’s plan, intending to observe Qi Yue’an’s reaction.
Qi Yue’an’s eyes seemed to flicker, but quickly returned to calm.
“Key…”
She neither confirmed nor denied, simply stating,
“So, what does the night watch plan to do? Try to sway me again like ‘last time’? Or perhaps… want me to do something?”
Her words carried a hint of subtle mockery, unlike the Qi Yue’an Ling Ru remembered,
“The method depends on the situation.”
Ling Ru answered cautiously, feeling the “mimicry” ability within her working frantically.
Such close conversation allowed her to gain new insights into “Qi Yue’an’s” magical spectrum, spiritual traits, and the complex inner workings hidden beneath her calm exterior.
The purple crystal in her soul silently constructed a more detailed and complete mimicry framework, forging a new model.
“Come with me.”
Qi Yue’an suddenly became serious, turning toward her own chamber, her tone leaving no room for argument,
“This isn’t a place for talking. Come with me, I also want to see… his true intentions.”
Hearing her suddenly grave tone, Ling Ru was taken aback.
She remained silent, following Qi Yue’an at a half-step distance, saying no more.
Entering Qi Yue’an’s chamber, a blend of opulence and loneliness, the atmosphere became even more intimate.
Here, Ling Ru saw another maid standing by, a girl with a gentle demeanor and stable magical energy, seemingly one of Lin Xiao’s trusted personal attendants to Qi Yue’an.
Another potential target appeared…
Ling Ru locked onto the maid with her peripheral vision, already dividing a fraction of her magical energy, like invisible tendrils, silently sensing and recording the maid’s magical frequency, appearance, and behavior.
This would take time, but it was simpler than mimicking Chen Ling.
Qi Yue’an waved her hand, signaling the maid to prepare some tea. In the brief moment the maid turned away, Ling Ru’s “mimicry” ability captured the maid’s basic appearance framework.
“Now, it’s quiet here.”
Qi Yue’an sat on a plush chair, looking at “Chen Ling,” her face bearing a slight, unsettling smile.
“You can continue. What does the night watch… or you, really want?”
Ling Ru knew the true test was just beginning. She had to continue playing Chen Ling, not reveal herself, and use this opportunity to prolong the contact, complete the mimicry of the maid, and pave the way for the next step.
“Our goal has always been the same, Qi Yue’an.”
For the first time, Ling Ru addressed her directly, attempting to draw her closer, while maintaining a calm tone,
“Preventing the impending disaster, and you, in your current position, are at the eye of the storm. We need to know Lin Xiao’s exact plan, especially regarding the ‘relic’ and the ‘ritual.’ Any information could change the future’s course and endanger the lives of countless civilians.”
She threw the question back at Qi Yue’an, trying to pry out intelligence, while also setting the stage for her own future role as the maid to gain more information.
Qi Yue’an listened quietly, her fingers absentmindedly brushing the armrest. Although she appeared calm, her eyes held shifting hues, reflecting different emotions. Her gaze locked onto Ling Ru’s face, her expression shifting between heaviness and levity.
Suddenly, she seemed to have understood something, and a smile crossed her face. She leaned in closer to Ling Ru.
“I’ve been wanting to ask, why have you been staring at that maid since earlier?”
Ling Ru’s heart skipped a beat, caught off guard. She hadn’t expected to reveal herself so quickly, but Qi Yue’an, seeing her reaction, didn’t call for guards. Instead, she leaned in even closer, her slender finger lifting Ling Ru’s chin.
“Hehe… just trying to catch you off guard… Night watch people are so ruthless, making you do this.”
Her eyes held no guard, but rather a hint of flirtation, catching Ling Ru off-balance.
“Tsk tsk… to see this face show such an expression…”
Qi Yue’an examined her face, her proximity causing Ling Ru’s cheeks to flush. She closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate.
Just as Qi Yue’an was about to act, she paused, her expression suddenly turning serious. She withdrew her hand and stepped back, her tone becoming much more formal.
“Cough cough… just checking if you had any hidden weapons…”
She added to the bewildered Ling Ru:
“Anyway, do as you please. I’ll cooperate as needed and won’t tell anyone, but there’s one condition: don’t threaten his life.”
With that, she walked back toward her bedroom, and finally able to relax, Ling Ru had a moment to think.
“Moon Moon Sister… when did she become like this…”