Chapter 34: Trap! Death greetings from the master!

As the golden magical girl halted her assault, the tense standoff eased into a subtle thaw.

“You should know that magical girls are only responsible for their own cities. Those from different cities are meant to stay out of each other’s way.”

Her crisp voice echoed through the empty underground parking garage.

“Of course we know!” Xin Lü leaned against a nearby concrete pillar scorched black from the blasts, panting as she spoke. “But our mission was to come to Gan City for exchange and learning!”

Ling Lan stepped forward, meeting the other’s scrutinizing gaze with calm composure.

“Indeed. Through that brief clash just now, you’ve surely gotten a sense of my strength.”

“If our goal was to stir trouble with the local magical girls, we could’ve unleashed wide-area destructive magic in crowded spots, instead of coming to this godforsaken parking lot and waiting for your preemptive strike before defending ourselves.”

Ling Lan’s words were clear and logical, airtight in reasoning.

The golden magical girl fell silent at that, lowering her head in thought for a moment.

The fight had been short, but she could tell they hadn’t gone for the kill.

The blue magical girl’s crowd-control skills were top-notch, yet she’d kept the damage minimal.

The green one’s attacks leaned toward harassment and support, without a trace of lethal intent.

Their patterns screamed self-defense, not aggression.

With that in mind, the golden-haired girl’s taut posture finally relaxed.

She offered an apologetic expression, bowing slightly to the two.

“Sorry, that was on me.”

“My style’s always quick and decisive to avoid complications—I jumped the gun without clarifying, please forgive me.”

She apologized straightforwardly, holstering her gun-shaped magical device back at her waist.

Ling Lan and Xin Lü exchanged a glance, both seeing relief in each other’s eyes.

Phew, good.

This golden magical girl wasn’t just open to talk—she was actually reasonable.

That was rare.

If they’d run into some battle-obsessed hothead, they’d be locked in three hundred rounds of you-die-I-live carnage until one side was totally incapacitated before any chit-chat.

Then, realizing it was all a family feud, they’d slap on some lame “no acquaintance without a fight” nonsense…

She didn’t want to deal with that awkward bullshit.

“Hi, I’m Jin Ling.” The golden magical girl introduced herself proactively. “The magical girl guarding Gan City.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ling Lan, and this is Xin Lü.” Ling Lan replied politely.

“Jin Ling, why’d you attack us?” Xin Lü couldn’t help asking. “What’s your mission?”

Jin Ling scratched her dazzling golden locks, a bit sheepish.

“My transformer tasked me with… heading to the underground parking of Jinmao Commercial Building to clash with out-of-city magical girls and probe their details.”

“Probe their details?” Ling Lan and Xin Lü swapped looks again, brows furrowing.

“Our mission was to come to Gan City for exchange and learning with the locals.” Ling Lan said gravely.

One called for “exchange and learning,” the other for “probing details.”

One friendly and peaceful, the other laced with suspicion and hostility.

Jin Ling rubbed her chin, face turning serious.

Diametrically opposed directives, yet leading them all to the same spot.

What… was the agenda behind this?

The three magical girls lapsed into contemplation, the vast underground garage filled only with their soft breaths.

…

Meanwhile, on Gan City’s bustling downtown streets.

Lin Qingya pulled Xia Momu to a halt in a quiet alley, dispelling the ethereal invisibility.

The clamor of crowds and traffic from the street enveloped them anew, making the ordeal at the abandoned greenhouse feel like a distant dream.

“Oh my god… that scared the crap outta me…” Xia Momu exhaled long, patting her chest in lingering terror.

“Good thing you came along this time, Qingya—otherwise, I’d be in deep shit for real!”

Just recalling those dozens of cops swarming the greenhouse, guns trained on her, sent chills down her spine.

Without Lin Qingya’s phasing ability, she’d be sunk—beyond redemption.

Lin Qingya stayed silent, her face pale as her mind raced.

What the hell was going on?

Why had they been lured to a crime scene already flagged by the police?

This wasn’t like the wetland park incident at all.

That was about covering tracks, turning them into unwitting accomplices.

But this time…

This felt more like… a frame job!

Yeah, framing!

Or rather, engineering a direct clash with the authorities!

The thought sent a shiver through her.

If true, this mission was a hundred times more insidious and vicious than the last! The fallout way graver!

If magical girls clashed head-on with official forces, branded as threats, their situation would turn dire.

Such supernatural powers would spark uproar, maybe even societal chaos!

Imagine if Xia Momu had come alone today.

Transforming into magical girl Wei Re, showing up at that policed abandoned greenhouse.

Then what?

She’d be pegged as a “freakily dressed” suspect tied to the murder, nabbed on the spot by arriving cops!

With Xia Momu’s temperament, she’d never go quietly.

Resist or break out? Game over—nature of the incident flips entirely!

If she hadn’t tagged along… if she lacked phasing…

Xia Momu’s fate would’ve been unthinkable!

Lin Qingya’s scalp prickled, blood turning to ice as the implications sank in.

“Ring ring—”

A jarring phone chime snapped her from her reverie.

Lin Qingya stiffened, fumbling the device from her pocket in a fluster.

The screen flashed: “My Beloved Master.”

Oh no!

She’d… forgotten something crucial!

After arriving in Gan City, she hadn’t checked in with little Bai-jie right away!

Panic surged; her fingers trembled.

She drew a deep breath, striving for steady tone, then hit accept.

“H-hello… little Bai-jie?”

“Little Ya, you in Gan City? Why no word to sister? I was worried sick.”

Bai Wanting’s voice came through, gentle with a hint of reproach.

But Lin Qingya caught an odd undercurrent.

“S-sorry, little Bai-jie!” Lin Qingya apologized hastily, voice stuttering. “We just settled at the hotel—I… I was about to call you.”

She lied guiltily, heart hammering.

“Really?” Bai Wanting chuckled lightly. “You’re at the hotel now? Which one? Sounds… kinda noisy there.”

Only then did Lin Qingya notice—the alley opened to a thronged commercial street, din pouring in.

“W-we’re in the hotel lobby, it’s crowded here…” She fibbed, conscience pricking.

“Oh… like that, huh~” Bai Wanting sounded convinced. “Having fun with your friends?”

“No weird stuff, right~?”

“N-nope, everything’s fine! Hehe, little Bai-jie’s the best!” Lin Qingya denied quick, tossing in a coquettish lilt.

Silence stretched on the line.

Just as Lin Qingya thought she’d sweet-talked past it, Bai Wanting asked airily, offhand:

“Really? But I just saw news—something went down in Gan City’s outskirts, roads sealed by cops…”

“My乖 little Ya wouldn’t run off to places like that with friends, would she?”With the golden magical girl halting her assault, the tense standoff eased into a subtle thaw.

“You should know that magical girls are only responsible for their own cities. We ought to leave each other alone between districts.”

Her crisp voice echoed through the vast underground parking garage.

“Of course we know!” Xin Lü propped herself against a nearby concrete pillar scorched black from the blasts, gasping as she spoke. “But our mission was to come to Gan City for exchange and study!”

Ling Lan stepped forward, meeting the other’s scrutiny with calm eyes.

“Indeed. Surely, from our brief clash just now, you’ve gotten a sense of my capabilities.”

“If our goal was to stir trouble with local magical girls, we could’ve unleashed wide-area destructive spells in crowded spots—instead of dragging ourselves to this godforsaken garage, waiting for your preemptive strike and only countering in self-defense.”

Ling Lan’s words flowed logically, tight and reasoned.

The golden magical girl fell silent at that, head bowed in thought for a moment.

The fight had been short, but she’d felt it: they hadn’t gone for the kill.

The blue one’s crowd control was masterful, yet she’d kept collateral damage to a bare minimum.

The green one’s strikes leaned toward harassment and support, devoid of any lethal intent.

Their patterns screamed reluctant defense.

With that realization, the golden-haired girl’s rigid stance finally loosened.

She offered an apologetic look, dipping into a slight bow toward the pair.

“Sorry, that was on me.”

“My style’s always quick and decisive—no loose ends. I jumped the gun without clarifying, so forgive me.”

Her apology came out straightforward and crisp as she holstered her gun-shaped magical device back at her hip.

Ling Lan and Xin Lü exchanged a glance, both spotting the shared relief in the other’s eyes.

Phew, good.

This golden magical girl could actually listen—and communicate like a normal person.

That was rare as hell.

If they’d drawn a battle-happy hothead, they’d be locked in three hundred rounds of you-kill-me-or-I-kill-you until one side was too wrecked to move, only then hashing out chit-chat.

Then realizing it was all a family feud—big misunderstanding—and slapping on that lame “no fight, no friendship” crap…

They had zero interest in that awkward nonsense.

“Hi, I’m Jin Ling.” The golden magical girl introduced herself proactively. “The magical girl tasked with guarding Gan City.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ling Lan, and this is Xin Lü.” Ling Lan replied politely.

“Jin Ling, why’d you attack us?” Xin Lü couldn’t hold back. “What’s your mission?”

Jin Ling scratched at her radiant golden locks, a touch sheepish.

“My transformer’s orders were… head to the underground garage of Jinmao Commercial Building and clash with out-of-town magical girls, probe their backgrounds.”

“Probe their backgrounds?” Ling Lan and Xin Lü traded another look, brows furrowing.

“Our mission was to come to Gan City and exchange, learn with the locals.” Ling Lan said gravely.

One: “exchange and study.”

The other: “probe backgrounds.”

One friendly, one laced with suspicion and hostility.

Jin Ling rubbed her chin, face turning serious.

Diametrically opposed directives, yet funneling them to the exact same spot.

What scheme lurked behind it all?

The three magical girls sank into contemplation; for a beat, the empty garage held only their soft breaths.

…

Meanwhile, on Gan City’s bustling downtown streets.

Lin Qingya tugged Xia Momu to a halt in a quiet alley, dispelling the phased invisibility.

The clamor of crowds and traffic on the main drag enveloped them anew, making the ordeal at the abandoned greenhouse feel like a distant dream.

“Oh my god… that scared the crap outta me…” Xia Momu exhaled long and hard, patting her chest in lingering dread.

“Good thing you came along this time, Qingya—otherwise, I’d be in deep shit for real!”

She shuddered recalling the dozens of cops swarming the greenhouse, guns trained on them.

Without Lin Qingya’s phasing, she’d be sunk—beyond even the Yellow River’s cleanse.

Lin Qingya stayed quiet, her face pale, mind racing at full tilt.

What the hell was this?

Why lure them to a crime scene already flagged by police?

Totally unlike the wetland park fiasco.

That was cover-up—turning them into unwitting accomplices.

This time…

This screamed frame job!

Yeah, straight-up framing!

Or, more like, engineering a head-on clash with the cops!

The thought sent a chill spidering down her spine.

If true, this mission was a hundred times more insidious and vicious than the last—consequences way graver!

Magical girls butting heads with official forces, branded threats? Their lives would turn hellish overnight.

Supernatural powers clashing with the establishment? Total uproar, societal chaos.

Picture it: Xia Momu solo today.

She transforms into magical girl Wei Re, pops up in that cop-staked-out abandoned greenhouse.

Then?

Bam—pegged as a “freaky-dressed” suspect tied to the murder, nabbed on the spot by responding officers!

With Xia Momu’s firecracker personality? No way she’d go quietly.

Resistance or breakout? Game over—shifts from suspect to active threat!

If she hadn’t tagged along… if she lacked phasing…

Xia Momu’s fate? Unthinkable nightmare.

The deeper Lin Qingya delved, the more her scalp prickled, blood icing in her veins.

“Ring ring—”

A jarring phone chime snapped her from the spiral.

Lin Qingya froze, fumbling the device from her pocket in a fluster.

The screen blinked: “My Beloved Master.”

Oh crap!

She’d totally spaced on something crucial!

Post-Gan City arrival, no safety ping to little Bai-jie!

Panic surged; her fingers quivered.

She drew a steadying breath, aiming for even tones, then hit accept.

“H-hello… little Bai-jie?”

“Little Ya, you in Gan City yet? Why no heads-up to sister? I was worried sick.”

Bai Wanting’s voice floated over, tender with a hint of playful scold.

But Lin Qingya caught an undercurrent—something off.

“S-sorry, little Bai-jie!” Lin Qingya rushed the apology, voice stumbling. “We just settled at the hotel. I… I was about to call you.”

She fibbed guiltily, heart hammering.

“Really now?” Bai Wanting chuckled lightly. “You’re at the hotel? Which one? Sounds… noisy over there.”

Only then did Lin Qingya clock it: their alley opened straight to a teeming commercial strip, horns and chatter assaulting the air.

“W-we’re in the hotel lobby… bit crowded…” She bullshitted on, shrinking inside.

“Oh… like that, huh~” Bai Wanting’s tone seemed to buy it. “Having fun with your friends?”

“No weird stuff cropping up, right~?”

“N-nope, all good here! Hehe, little Bai-jie’s the absolute best!” Lin Qingya denied fast, tacking on a coquettish lilt.

Silence stretched on the line.

Lin Qingya thought she’d cute-batted her way clear when Bai Wanting’s voice drifted back, casual as air:

“Really? But I just saw news—some incident out in Gan City’s suburbs, roads sealed by cops now…”

“My good little Ya wouldn’t run off to spots like that with her friends, would she?”