Chapter 18: Harassing me right from the start, how disgusting.jpg

Chapter 18: Harassment Right from the Start, How Disgusting.jpg

It is difficult to find a pattern in the promotion of magical girls.

Even in a place like the Disaster Strategy Bureau, which possesses big data on magical girls, no consistent pattern or effective method of promotion has actually been summarized.

Furthermore, there are regional differences among magical girls; their abilities and transformation outfits vary wildly from one area to another.

The timing and methods of promotion are also incredibly diverse.

Some promote simply by collecting enough magical items;

Some promote through the eruption of intense personal desires during battle;

Some promote by gathering the light of human hearts after hearing the wishes and encouragement of the masses upon defeat;

Some promote by shouting about friendship or something similar, wielding the seeds of both themselves and their companions to trigger a miraculous transformation.

Jiang Si truly loathed works that failed to establish proper level settings and clear promotion conditions.

To put it bluntly, such writing was nothing more than lazy characterization.

They failed to discuss the logic of promotion, the shifts in power scaling, the mechanics of skill usage, or how to reasonably defeat an opponent.

They simply insisted that extreme emotions could bring about immense power...

Trash works. Enough already.

After all, if extreme emotions truly could trigger massive power, no one would need to train, seek ways to become stronger, or surround themselves with friends and family.

The most efficient way to deal with an enemy would simply be to grab a loved one and kill them.

Ultimately, using something as universal as emotion as the logic for gaining strength is inherently irrational.

The method of becoming stronger must possess uniqueness and difficulty; otherwise, why should you be able to do it while others cannot?

Having spent many years bitterly pursuing the Great Dao, Jiang Si naturally understood the hardships involved, and the path of promotion was no different.

Therefore, he was naturally dissatisfied with the chaotic, systemless promotion routes of magical girls.

Randomness should have no place on the path of cultivation.

Even the "Mysterious Path," known for its eccentricity, actually possesses fixed methods and routes for promotion.

Probability should only exist in the realm of success and failure, not in the very method of promotion itself.

But it didn't matter. Since none existed, he, Jiang Si, would carve out a promotion path belonging to magical girls.

Then, he would preach it to the world, making it public to all magical girls and ushering in a golden age of cultivation.

This merit might even help him ascend to a higher path...

As for allowing everyone to transform into a magical girl—in the world of cultivation, one cannot cultivate without a spiritual root.

He naturally wouldn't consider that.

However, thinking about such things was still too far off. The most basic method he had found—using the mana from Magic Crystal absorption to increase strength—was actually not very efficient. Most magical girls could not easily come into contact with the mana of Disaster Beasts.

It would contaminate their own mana, actually leading to a decrease in strength.

Although the Qingyun Sect had currently found a way to purify mana using the abilities of certain magical girls, the amount of mana shrank significantly after purification, which meant Disaster Beasts were becoming somewhat insufficient.

In fact, the appearance of Disaster Beasts in BH City had been frequent enough in recent years. If it were only the Disaster Strategy Bureau, they would actually struggle to cope.

Disaster Beasts often appeared in multiple locations at once, and due to a lack of manpower, they could only abandon the processing of some of them.

Of course, the reason the Disaster Strategy Bureau chose to do this was not out of laziness or irresponsibility, but because they operated under the assumption that the Qingyun Sect would step in.

Because they were truly desperate for Sigh Seeds.

Not only would they hunt the Disaster Beasts that the Bureau couldn't get to, but they would even compete with the Bureau's magical girls for them.

However, during press conferences, they would always take credit for the work done by the Qingyun Sect.

Politicians are the same everywhere.

Aside from mana accumulation, his own physical training actually provided a noticeable boost to his magical girl state.

Through extensive training, his control over mana during transformation became more precise and perfect, and it even provided a slight increase in total mana.

But almost no one in the entire Qingyun Sect was willing to use this method.

It was exhausting, the gains weren't obvious, and it required a vast amount of time. From the moment Jiang Si obtained the power of a magical girl until now, he had never slackened, performing his daily training without fail.

In reality, the mana he had gained up to today was roughly equivalent to absorbing the Sigh Seed mana from a single C-class Disaster Beast.

It truly lacked promotional value.

However, more physical exercise is never a bad thing, so this was included in the cultivation methods popularized by the Qingyun Sect.

Jiang Si was sitting on a prayer mat in the Phantom Moon Cave, meditating and contemplating the path of promotion. Faint smoke drifted around him, the melodious sound of flowing water echoed nearby, and the rich aroma of green incense filled the air...

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Suddenly coughing violently, Jiang Si turned his head to look at the incense and began coughing again. "Who... cough... who swapped my incense..."

This scent was a bit too pungent.

Near the stone table in the center of the Phantom Moon Cave, a young girl wearing a pale green cloak and clutching a plush rabbit doll shrank her neck upon hearing this.

Then, a small bird woven from mana lines appeared again, landing on the girl's head. "It's Yumo! Yumo did it!"

At the sight of the mana bird acting as a snitch, the girl's face instantly turned bright red. She hugged the plush rabbit tightly, as if trying to hide behind it, and stammered, "N-no, it wasn't me."

Yumo, one of the seven true disciples of the Qingyun Sect, was a genius handpicked by Bing Tang.

Although she appeared timid and shy, her actual strength was among the top tier of the Qingyun Sect.

She was at the peak of the New Sprout stage. Although she hadn't reached the Great Perfection of New Sprout or the half-step Blossoming stage, judging by Yin Lian's previous performance, the two should be at a similar level.

"I... I was just following... Lord Bing Tang's instructions," Yumo's voice grew smaller and smaller. "To help... change... change to new incense..."

Jiang Si stood up to check. He suspected Bing Tang had grabbed the wrong one; one of the bundles was low-quality coil incense.

He glanced back at Yumo. This girl, who looked like an elementary school student, was actually in her first year of middle school, one grade below Keke. According to Bing Tang, she had suffered from communication disorders since childhood and was often bullied at school, which had resulted in her timid personality.

Even after gaining the power of a magical girl, there hadn't been much change.

The pale green cloak she wore was to cover the pure white princess dress underneath. The cloak was large and had a hood; when Yumo was shy, she would hug her rabbit doll and pull her hood down to hide her face.

Because of her communication disorder and the fact that she spent most of her time in the Phantom Moon Cave, she was one of the few people in the sect who knew Jiang Si's identity.

She was also a contingency left by Bing Tang to help manage the Phantom Moon Cave when Bing Tang couldn't make it herself.

"This is low-quality coil incense; the smell is too sharp. This is the proper line incense we need." Jiang Si took out the two bundles and explained it to her. "The celestial aura of the Phantom Moon Cave is maintained by this bundle of line incense."

Yumo immediately pulled her hood down to cover her face. "S-sorry. I'll remember."

"Can't you tell the difference?"

A small breeze kicked up around the little girl. "The old one... I didn't like it either, so... I was always blowing it away..."

"Help me disperse the current scent around me first."

"O-oh, okay."

Jumping down from her stool, Yumo jogged over to the prayer mat, waving her rabbit doll in the air.

One small breeze after another rose, blowing the pungent smoke toward the ventilation outlet.

It didn't take long for Jiang Si to switch to the new line incense. Even as he lit it, Yumo hadn't stopped.

Seeing his "celestial aura" being continuously blown toward the vent by her, he felt a bit of a headache. "That's enough."

Only then did Yumo stop her movements, looking at him expectantly.

She was about as much of an "NPC" as one could get.

"There's nothing for you to do for now. Go attend to your own business."

"I... I don't have anything to do..."

Having just finished absorbing the mana crystal of a B-class Disaster Beast and completing his training, Jiang Si temporarily abandoned his meditation and looked at her. "Hasn't Bing Tang given you a task?"

"Lord Bing Tang said... to come and see if you had gone to school..."

Bing Tang had guessed correctly; he hadn't gone to class.

In fact, he had gone to school, but he discovered there were two math classes in the afternoon.

They weren't subjects he liked, so he skipped them directly.

"Lord Bing Tang... also said that the location of Hyacinth has been confirmed, and told you... to go see for yourself."

"Didn't I tell her to investigate it for me?"

"Lord Bing Tang said... she is very busy... and has classes to attend."

Jiang Si replied instinctively, "Fine, it's no problem if it's after school."

"She said... she is very busy... she hasn't finished her homework today, and told you to go yourself..."

He rubbed his forehead, realizing that Bing Tang was likely throwing a tantrum.

"Not finished with homework" was such a poor excuse; she usually finished all her homework at school and still had time to do his.

Beside him, Yumo added worriedly, "Lord Bing Tang... seems a little... not very happy."

"I understand."

Jiang Si looked around his Phantom Moon Cave. Since Bing Tang managed the vast sect, it was normal for her to feel unhappy when encountering difficulties.

Just dealing with this disciple, Yumo, was already proving to be a hassle; Bing Tang had much more to face.

Therefore, if it wasn't absolutely necessary, Jiang Si was reluctant to bother this group of troublesome girls with their diverse personalities.

"Forget it, I'll earn my own money." Sighing, Jiang Si stood up and packed his schoolbag. "Give me Hyacinth's location."

"It's... in my head," Yumo said timidly. "I'll lead the way."

The mana-line bird that had been silent suddenly flew up. "Yumo, Yumo is sneaking out! To go on a date with the Sect Leader!"

The little girl's face instantly turned beet red, her earlobes visibly heating up. She frantically swatted at the bird above her head. "No! I'm not! It's not a date! Lord Bing Tang just spoke it... she didn't... didn't send a message..."

The latter part was her explanation to Jiang Si.

He flicked his finger, shattering the mana bird into dust.

That was a creature constructed by a magical girl using her own mana; in reality, an ordinary person wouldn't even be able to touch it, let alone break it.

But Jiang Si was all too familiar with this ability. As long as one found the mana core, even physical dispersion would be highly effective.

"Don't waste time," he urged. "Let's go now."

"O-okay!"

...

Qiyun Academy, BH City.

The Fourth Middle School where Jiang Si studied was actually quite good, ranking among the top in BH City; otherwise, Bing Tang's family wouldn't have been willing to send their child there.

However, Qiyun Academy was the most elite private school in BH City. It had been the first choice for Bing Tang's family, but in the end, Bing Tang insisted on going to the Fourth Middle School to be desk-mates with Jiang Si, and her family couldn't stop her.

This was because, with Bing Tang's abilities, it made no difference which school she attended.

But for most students, getting into Qiyun Academy was essentially equivalent to getting into a prestigious university.

The teaching environment was not overly harsh or cruel; in fact, it was quite relaxed. The educational philosophy was "all-around development," focusing on identifying and nurturing students' individual strengths.

It was an ideal educational philosophy, and in practice, it was executed quite well.

Because it was expensive enough.

The cost of this school was far beyond what an ordinary family could afford. "All-around development" sounded wonderful, but the reality behind finding and nurturing individual specialties required massive amounts of money.

Top-tier teachers, reasonable educational philosophies, equipment, facilities—everything was completely different from an ordinary school, and the areas requiring expenditure were multiplied.

Traditional education might have many flaws, but its greatest advantage is that it is cheap.

At the entrance of Qiyun Academy, various luxury cars could be seen passing by. Even those who didn't drive arrived wearing designer clothes and shoes.

After all, they were all from wealthy families; wearing a unified school uniform would be considered bad taste.

Wearing a pale green cloak, Jiang Si looked out of place among the crowd of students leaving school.

Mainly because the temperament of the two of them didn't seem like that of children from wealthy families...

High school students are in the prime of their youthful arrogance. Even in wealthy families, many parents do not strictly constrain their children's moral conduct.

Consequently, many students laughed when they saw the two of them.

While there might not have been any particularly strong malice, they simply found it funny that the two of them were standing there looking so out of place.

However, Yumo was frightened and hid behind Jiang Si, keeping her head bowed low, clutching her rabbit doll and using her hood to cover her face.

Like a turtle hiding in its shell.

Possessing transcendent power, yet still being intimidated by the mockery of ordinary people.

Jiang Si felt that after returning, he should discuss the cultivation of the "Dao Heart" with Bing Tang.

On the Great Dao of cultivation, having such a fragile Dao Heart was not a good thing.

If she encountered a Heart Demon Tribulation, wouldn't she shatter at the slightest touch?

As they approached the school gate, Jiang Si said, "I'm looking for a student named Hyacinth, from Class 7, Grade 12."

The security guard glanced at his uniform. "Fourth Middle School? Qiyun Academy does not welcome students from other schools. Move along."

"We are friends of Hyacinth."

"Every day, a dozen people come here looking for Hyacinth claiming to be her friends." The guard rolled his eyes. "Who are you trying to fool? I know you're Hyacinth's fans. First, she is no longer active as a magical girl. Second, she is not meeting fans for the time being. Third, she has no intention of participating in idol activities."

It was clear that Hyacinth's popularity was very high...

But it was understandable. Before Yin Lian, Hyacinth had always been the face of BH City's magical girls. It was only after she was forced into retirement by the Disaster Strategy Bureau that she began to gradually lose her fame.

Furthermore, Hyacinth was one of the few magical girls who had publicly revealed her identity.

Thus, there were many people who could find her.

This was also why Susan suspected Hyacinth of being a member of the Witch's Coven. After all, other magical girls were hard for the Coven to find; if they wanted to corrupt the magical girls of BH City, Hyacinth was their only choice.

Looking at the guard and the internal defense equipment, only the electrified railings and the guard posed a threat.

Breaking in wouldn't be a problem. He was a minor, and the school wasn't a high-security classified location; even if caught, the police would at most just detain him.

If he wasn't caught, he could simply act as if nothing happened.

It was worth a try.

He turned around, intending to lead Yumo around to the back. As long as the electric shock from the railings didn't last long, it wouldn't be able to penetrate his well-trained body.

However, after only a few steps, a pitch-black figure walked out from the direction of the Qiyun Academy teaching building.

She was wearing a sailor-style uniform similar to the Fourth Middle School's, but it was pure black—so black it was almost blinding.

Her hair, her pupils, her clothes—almost her entire body was black, creating a stark contrast with her skin, which was white to the point of being sickly.

Those black pupils were hollow and seemed lifeless, giving her exquisite, doll-like face a somewhat non-human quality.

She looked like a truly pitch-black doll.

The kind of prop that would appear in a horror movie.

Hyacinth stopped walking once she reached the gate and turned her head to look at Jiang Si. "You must be the newly promoted magical girl's brother, Jiang Si, that Susan mentioned. Take off your clothes and let me see."

(End of Chapter)