Although they had used this position once before, that had been a life-or-death battle, so how could he have had the mind to savor it? Now that he had relaxed, Li Xuan realized that Wu Yan was quite well-endowed too. She usually wore a very tight chest binder for ease of movement, so it simply did not show from the outside. Judging by that, the sisters' ranking was probably Qi Mo > Wu Yan ≈ Xu Rou: one large cup and two medium cups. Though not as shocking as Li Sijie's enormous cup size, they were still enough to stand above the rest among girls their age.
Thinking of the two sisters comparing sizes face-to-face, Li Xuan could not help feeling his imagination run wild. But Xu Rou was staying at his home now, and the conflict between her and Qi Mo had yet to be resolved. Meeting at this time was probably inappropriate.
"Let's go to my place. I live alone, and my apartment is pretty big," Qi Mo said at once when she saw Li Xuan's troubled expression.
"Qi Mo, can you read minds or something? How did you guess exactly what I was thinking?" Overjoyed, Li Xuan brought the two girls back into the city and headed straight for Qi Mo's home.
Qi Mo's place was indeed quite spacious. Aside from two bedrooms, it even had a separate study and bathroom. Though she lived alone, every room was impeccably tidy, without a trace of messiness, which Li Xuan found quite impressive.
"How long have you been living alone?" Li Xuan asked curiously.
"Two and a half years. My aunt used to come by often to look after me, but ever since I started high school, I've lived alone," Qi Mo said as she opened the master bedroom door and calmly took bedding from the closet to make the bed.
"Your family really is trusting." Li Xuan nodded. Perhaps it was precisely that long-term independent life that made Qi Mo care so much about her friends, even allowing distorted feelings to take root. While it was somewhat rare for a high school student to live alone, this was not the world he had once known. Basic common sense still applied, but many details were different.
"Well then, I won't disturb the master's mealtime. Goodbye~" After making the bed, Qi Mo gave Wu Yan a suggestive look and turned to leave.
"What's the rush? You're staying too." Li Xuan extended a tentacle and shut the door with a click.
"Huh? But isn't Master going to be with Flame Dance..." Qi Mo turned back in surprise, glanced at the flushed Wu Yan, then at Li Xuan, and stood there at a loss. In her understanding, one at a time was simply common sense. Even after Demonfall, she had never considered serving her master alongside a close friend.
"What? I can't eat two dishes at once? Even rice bowls come with two toppings." Li Xuan grinned wickedly.
Seeing Li Xuan still teasing Qi Mo, Wu Yan could no longer endure it. The pleasure accumulated in her body because of Fallen Blood had reached an unbearable level. She lunged forward and pressed Li Xuan onto the bed, propping herself up with both arms as she asked gently, "What kind of rice bowl does Master want? Wu Yan will make it for you."
"Of course, a double serving of yellow roses and flame flowers~" Li Xuan laughed as he extended a tentacle to pull Qi Mo in from the doorway as well. With a casual tug, he drew the curtains, and the room soon filled with soft, lively voices.
Bound Blue Lily
After all that commotion, Li Xuan rose in satisfaction and went to the bathroom to run hot water, helping Qi Mo and Wu Yan wash up.
He could now almost confirm that the system possessed a hidden mana-restoration effect. After a night of intense exertion, not only had the Evil Energy he had mostly depleted not run dry, it had instead refilled effortlessly.
Normally, if he waited for Evil Energy to recover naturally, it would take at least a full day and night. It seemed he would have to keep at least one magical girl by his side at all times in the future, so he could replenish his mana on the spot whenever his Evil Energy ran low.
After they had cleaned up, Li Xuan poured several glasses of water to rehydrate the two beauties, who were slightly dehydrated.
As expected of a dance major, Wu Yan recovered after drinking some water and resting on the sofa wrapped in a bath towel. Qi Mo, meanwhile, remained limp in Li Xuan's arms, looking barely conscious.
"Flame Dance, go downstairs and buy something to eat." Li Xuan looked at Qi Mo lying across his lap and turned to Wu Yan.
"Yes. Master's stamina really is incredible. That was even more exhausting than my physical training." Wu Yan stuck out her tongue playfully, untied her bath towel, changed into her clothes, and went downstairs.
After watching Wu Yan leave, Li Xuan turned back and gave Qi Mo a solid slap on the rear.
"Ow!" Qi Mo cried out in pain—she had forgotten to treat the injury there.
"Don't sleep yet. I still have questions for you." As Li Xuan spoke, he extended a tentacle and secreted some pain-relieving mucus, slipping it beneath the hem of Qi Mo's bath towel to apply it to the injured spot.
"What Master wants to ask is about the battle plan against you this time, right?" Qi Mo raised her head and looked at Li Xuan with an innocent expression.
"Nothing gets past you. You don't need to explain the details. I only want to know: when did you relay the plan to Flame Dance?" Li Xuan asked curiously.
"When you were... spanking me." Qi Mo blushed, then continued, "Based on our previous clashes, I guessed that you likely possessed the ability to sense our locations. So I never mentioned this plan to Flame Dance. I merely deliberately expanded the range of my magical power's dispersion while fighting you, allowing her to sense my location."
Li Xuan nodded. Qi Mo had noticed his surveillance long ago. No wonder she had devised such a risky plan with that as its premise.
"It was a gamble. I used myself as bait to lure you into the trap, while trusting that Flame Dance would rush over the moment she sensed my magical power. As for the strategy of mutual destruction, Flame Dance came up with that herself. She is the type who does not count the cost, so I believed she would use that tactic. The plan was carried out almost perfectly, but I never expected we still would not be able to do anything to you." Qi Mo smiled self-mockingly.
"You were willing to carry out such a dangerous plan. It seems you really care about Xiao Rou." Li Xuan smiled.
"Right now, I care more about Master." Qi Mo rubbed the numb, itchy spot and leaned forward to gently kiss Li Xuan on the cheek.
"Flame Dance went through a lot today. Let her sleep at your place, and take good care of her feelings. She does not say it aloud, but she is probably still quite bothered by the Demonfall matter." Li Xuan stroked Qi Mo's hair.
"Why does Master seem to understand her even better than I do?" Qi Mo asked curiously.
"You can tell from her hairstyle. How many girls with twin tails aren't tsundere? I'm leaving first. Once you decide how to face Xu Rou, I'll arrange for you two to meet." With Qi Mo helping him get dressed, Li Xuan rose and returned to his own residence.
It was already midnight. When Li Xuan reached the door, he found it slightly ajar, while the interior was pitch-black.
"What is Xu Rou doing? She didn't even lock the door." Li Xuan stepped inside, then suddenly caught a faint, elusive fragrance, making him frown.
Neither he nor Xu Rou used perfume, so why was there a scent in the room?
Li Xuan secretly summoned his tentacles, switched on the light by the entrance, and cautiously walked farther inside.
"Xiao Rou, are you home? Master's back." Li Xuan called softly.
The only response was deathly silence.
Li Xuan carefully felt his way into the bedroom. There was only a tangled blanket on the bed, with no sign of Xu Rou.
Li Xuan reached beneath the covers. They still held some warmth, meaning Xu Rou had only recently left the bed. Only then did he remember that he had marked Xu Rou's position. Opening the Hunting Radar, he found that he could see only Wu Yan and Qi Mo's locations. The blue marker representing Xu Rou had vanished into thin air like money disappearing from a stock account. Even the mental channel formed between Xu Rou and him after her Demonfall had been blocked by some unknown force.
Seeing this, Li Xuan became certain that an intruder had entered his home. And they had taken Xu Rou away silently, without leaving behind any trace of battle.
Could it be that, besides those three sisters, there were other magical girls in Clear Lotus City?
Li Xuan raised his guard to the utmost and carefully sensed every disturbance around him. Just then, a faint sound suddenly came from the large wardrobe.
Li Xuan immediately turned toward the wardrobe and cautiously pulled its door open with a tentacle.
Then he was stunned by what he saw:
Xu Rou was bound inside the wardrobe. She was still wearing the blue-and-black miniskirt from after her Demonfall, but her previously bare legs had been dressed in white thigh-high stockings. Her long legs were tightly bound together with rope, wrapped in circles from her thighs down to her ankles, with a knot tied between her legs and additional loops securing her knees and ankles. Her upper body was bound with vivid red cord, the dense ropes forming a web across her chest and drawing tight around her body.
The ropes around her upper and lower body converged at her navel, where two connected fastenings had been cleverly tied. From there, three strands extended around her waist and between her legs toward her back. Her wrists were secured behind her with a pair of thin black stockings, while an apple had been placed in her mouth and held in place with a hairband, leaving her unable to spit it out or bite through it.
Besides that, Xu Rou wore a blindfold and earplugs, amounting to a complete deprivation of her senses. Her hair had also been carefully combed and braided into fine plaits, and her posture had been arranged in an alluring manner.
Li Xuan was so shocked by the scene before him that he could not speak for a long while. Bound like this, Xu Rou looked almost flawlessly composed. Every knot sat in an exquisitely chosen position; every rope mark emphasized the curves of her body; every restraint seemed to meld with her form, making her into an inseparable work of art.
Li Xuan stared blankly at Xu Rou before him, nearly forgetting to consider why she had been bound here.
Just then, the system notification jolted him awake.
[Magical girl detected nearby] [Distance: 0.5 meters] [Detailed information can be displayed after visual lock-on]
Thus It Became Art
"So close!"
Li Xuan was startled, and at the same time caught the faint fragrance coming from behind him. He hurriedly turned around and saw Li Sijie standing directly behind him. She wore the maid outfit Li Xuan had personally designed, with black stockings on her legs. Judging by their thickness and sheen, however, they were not the same pair she had worn when they first met.
[Magical girl locked on] [Name: Unknown] [Magic Power Level: Unknown] [Type: Unknown] [Height: Unknown] [CUP Level: Unknown]
The system notification sounded again, yet apart from her identity as a magical girl, every other piece of information was unknown. This was the first time Li Xuan had encountered such a situation.
"Is this your work?"
Although Li Sijie's identity was clearly more important, Li Xuan first asked the question that concerned him most.
"I'm touched that you are willing to call her a work. As expected of the designer of that maid outfit, you truly have tastes similar to mine." Li Sijie smiled happily and stepped around Li Xuan, lightly brushing each knot along Xu Rou's legs with both hands.
Because nearly all the knots pressed against sensitive places, Xu Rou's body gave a small shiver whenever Li Sijie applied pressure to one, making the sight especially captivating.
"How should I put this? Your binding technique really is professional—practically art. But breaking into someone else's home and tying up the woman living here like this, isn't that a little inappropriate?" Since she had not shown any hostility, Li Xuan's tone relaxed somewhat.
"My apologies. When I entered, she intended to resist, so I had no choice but to restrain her. But please rest assured, I have always been gentle with girls. I did not harm her in any way. My original intention was merely to discuss cooperation with you." Li Sijie lightly lifted her skirt, bent her right leg behind her, and gave Li Xuan an elegant curtsy in apology.
"What exactly do you mean by cooperation?" Though Li Xuan's tone had softened, he remained highly vigilant, ready at any moment to fight or flee. He had never hesitated to exercise the greatest caution toward opponents he could not see through.
"I came here to bring you an important piece of information. In exchange, I hope to obtain something from you." Li Sijie gave Li Xuan a flirtatious wink.
"That depends on what you want, and whether your information is truly important enough."
Since Li Sijie was speaking vaguely, Li Xuan responded with equally vague words.
"To show my sincerity, I'll be direct. Your activities have drawn the Church's attention. The Church will soon send two magical girls to investigate this matter. I hope you will deal with them carefully." As Li Sijie spoke, she gathered her skirt and sat on the bed with her legs crossed.
"You're a magical girl too. Why did you specifically come here to warn me?" Li Xuan asked suspiciously.
"It's simple. The Church is hunting me, so in that regard, we share a common enemy." Li Sijie smiled mysteriously.
"They're hunting you? Magical girls fight among themselves?"
"Usually, no. But I'm an exception. Do you remember the pervert from Clear Lotus University you mentioned, the one who specialized in tying up girls?"
"I remember. You mean..."
"I'm that pervert. Following the principle of not eating close to home, I never laid hands on the three little ones in this city. So I could only tie up teachers and classmates to satisfy my cravings. When I truly couldn't hold back, I transformed and went elsewhere to tie up other magical girls for fun. Once, I accidentally tied up someone high in the Church, and now I'm wanted worldwide." Li Sijie smiled as if she were talking about nothing important.
The fact that Li Sijie was a pervert was already beyond dispute, but hearing it personally from the mouth of such an intelligent and elegant college student was still quite shocking. At the very least, Li Xuan could not have admitted it so openly.
"If that explanation is enough to convince you, I'll add more. The two magical girls are named Tan Xiang and Yun Ye. They have been longtime partners for many years. Both are Grade B in magical power, and they pose a serious threat to you as you are now. Of course, I believe that with your unconstrained methods, you can still prevail in the end." Li Sijie stared at the tentacles extending from Li Xuan and unconsciously licked her lips.
"It sounds like you know quite a lot about me."
"That's right. My sensing ability is very strong. From the moment your Evil Energy appeared in Clear Lotus City, I had already noticed it. But at the time, I did not care. I merely assumed it was a somewhat unusual humanoid monster. It was only after I started working at the café that I was surprised to discover that your true body was actually human. Even then, it was not enough to make me reveal my identity to you. But later, I discovered that you seemed to possess the ability to transform magical girls into monsters." As Li Sijie spoke, her breathing became increasingly hurried, and her eyes filled with soft allure.
She rose and walked before Li Xuan, pleading in a voice full of longing, "As payment for bringing you this information, could you use that method to transform me into a monster too?"
Li Xuan felt secretly delighted. After such a long detour, she had turned out to be a willing admirer who had come to his door. Monsters transformed by Fallen Blood would regard him as their master, a fact she clearly did not know. Although winning without a fight might mean he could not unlock a CG, this was Li Sijie, with a figure and temperament so exceptional they were almost unreal! As long as he could win her over, Li Xuan would dare walk through mountains of blades and seas of fire. Now that she had offered herself up, how could he possibly refuse?
"Easy enough. We have a common enemy, so naturally we should help each other. Stay right here. I'll go get a cup from the kitchen." Leaving Xu Rou bound in the wardrobe for the moment, Li Xuan went to the kitchen, took out a wineglass, activated Fallen Blood, and filled the glass with the crimson liquid.
"Drink this, and you can become a monster." Li Xuan returned to the bedroom and handed the glass to Li Sijie.
"Could you feed it to me? I think that would make it feel more ceremonial." Li Sijie sat on the floor in a duck-sitting pose, positioning herself so her mouth was level with the rim of the glass.
"You're surprisingly particular." Though he said so, Li Xuan was delighted inside. He gently parted Li Sijie's rosy lips with his fingers. Her mouth was warm and moist, and her throat made occasional swallowing motions. Her eyes remained fixed on the wineglass in Li Xuan's hand, as though she deeply craved the vivid liquid within.
"Open wider."
Li Sijie obediently opened her mouth wider. The warm breath from her mouth formed a fine layer of moisture on Li Xuan's hand. The tip of her pink tongue curled slightly upward, and her breathing seemed to grow ever more rapid.
Li Xuan rested the rim against her lower lip and slowly tilted the glass. The crimson liquid gradually filled Li Sijie's mouth. She swallowed it in small mouthfuls, letting each one linger briefly as though allowing her taste buds to savor the flavor of corruption completely.
When two hundred milliliters of Fallen Blood had fully entered Li Sijie's body, her deep eyes became intoxicated, and she entirely forgot to wipe away the red trace remaining at the corner of her lips. Wisps of heat gradually rose from her body, while the long hair that had been coiled behind her head had somehow come loose, falling like a waterfall over her rounded shoulders.
Her Secret Beneath the Tight Stockings
Li Sijie looked at Li Xuan with intoxicated eyes. It seemed as though starlight drifted within those deep pupils, carrying a lingering affection that stirred Li Xuan's heart as well, causing a feeling like love to rise within him.
The two gazed at each other deeply for several minutes, but Li Sijie suddenly burst into laughter. She braced one hand against the floor and stood, dusted off her stockings, and blinked playfully. "Your eyes really are beautiful. I almost got lost in them."
"Why does it seem like... nothing changed?" Li Xuan scratched his head. He could not sense even a trace of Evil Energy from Li Sijie—or rather, he could sense nothing at all. Li Sijie was like a hunter who concealed every secret beneath those tightly stretched stockings.
"There was an effect. As you can see, I did fall into a brief state of intoxication. But just as a drop of ink cannot blacken the ocean, this liquid is far from enough to transform me into a monster." Li Sijie sighed, a lonely expression flashing through her eyes that made one feel sorry for her.
"I'm sorry, but at my current stage, this is all I can produce." Li Xuan could not help feeling disappointed. He had already imagined what would happen next, yet Fallen Blood had not achieved the effect he expected.
"When you say 'at your current stage,' do you mean you will be able to create stronger Fallen Blood in the future?" Tiny points of starlight lit up again in Li Sijie's disappointed gaze.
"That's right. You can probably sense it too, can't you? I've become stronger than before, and Fallen Blood's effect is increasing as well." As Li Xuan spoke, he generated a blood sphere before him and made it constantly shift into the forms of various nascent monsters.
"Fallen Blood? What a wonderful name. Just as the Son of Man shed his precious blood to redeem the world, you too use your own method to save lost girls. Ah, you truly are the savior I have awaited for so long. May your blood wash away the goodness within me, ramen!" Moved, Li Sijie crossed her hands before her chest, closed her eyes, and wore a devout expression.
"Enough, enough. Try speaking like a normal person. In short, I can't help you right now, but that may not be the case later. So shouldn't you think of some way to help me get through this crisis too? If I die at the hands of those two magical girls, then you'll have no hope left." Li Xuan did not want to watch her ramble any longer, so he quickly took the opportunity to lay out some conditions. Though Li Sijie's strength was unclear for now, the fact that even Fallen Blood had no effect on her meant she was surely far stronger than him. If she were willing to help, dealing with two Grade B magical girls should not be much of a problem.
"Unfortunately, I cannot attack Church personnel at my doorstep. That would risk exposing my identity. But you do have a point..." Li Sijie pondered for a moment, then sat back down on the bed, her cheeks faintly flushed. "Please turn around. Until I say you may, you absolutely must not look back."
"Fine, I promise." Li Xuan turned around as requested, though he had already decided to see what Li Sijie was up to.
Before long, a soft rustling sound came from behind him, like clothing rubbing together. Li Xuan seized the opportunity and turned around, only to see...
Nothing had happened. Li Sijie was smiling at him. The sound from earlier had merely been her hand rubbing against the bedsheet.
"I knew you would peek. Fine, think of it as giving you a little benefit, proof of my sincerity in cooperating." As Li Sijie spoke, she reached beneath her maid outfit and slowly rolled the stocking on her right leg down from the top of her thigh with both hands. The stockings were clearly of excellent quality, incredibly smooth, and soon slid down to her calf.
Li Sijie took a moment to press down her skirt so as not to reveal what lay beneath it. Then she pinched the stocking at her toes with one hand and carefully removed it with a gentle side-to-side motion, revealing a whole leg with light, graceful curves and lush beauty.
Just as Li Xuan feasted his eyes on that lovely leg, the kind he felt he could admire for a lifetime, the system notification suddenly updated:
[Magical girl locked on] [Name: Li Sijie]
Before you continue