Jiang Si sat at the table and applied some medicine to the wounds he had given himself.
Fighting himself was quite a novel experience, but it had also given Jiang Si a new way to improve.
Perhaps he could keep asking Blue Flower to make magic puppets for him to spar with and improve himself.
Although the gap between his flesh-and-blood body and a magic puppet was too great, he could train against them while transformed in the future, or invest different amounts of mana to make puppets of different strengths, pushing his physical limits step by step.
It could also develop his ability to split his attention between two tasks.
If it worked well, he could introduce it throughout the sect.
It could also further develop the applications of Blue Flower's ability. Blue Flower had always been lazy and needed plenty of prodding; her ability was an important avenue for developing such arts as Dao soldiers, puppets, and external incarnations among the sect's hundred cultivation arts in the future.
As for the results of the date, Jiang Si was quite satisfied. The Disaster Countermeasures Bureau had indeed withdrawn its surveillance of him.
After all, as long as it was not the Witch Association, the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau would not be so strict.
Besides, after such a big commotion, even if the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau perfectly matched his movements with the places Shion appeared in the future, they would never suspect that he was Shion. Instead, they would think they were a couple spending time together.
Not to mention that, with his connection to the Azure Cloud Sect, he could freely use Obscuring Leaf to conceal his movements from now on.
He no longer needed to worry about drawing attention that way. It could be called killing three birds with one stone.
At first, he had thought Blue Flower's suggestion was somewhat unreliable, but judging by the results, it seemed she had thought it through carefully.
Even an Azure Cloud Sect inner disciple who usually seemed as frivolous as Blue Flower could not be underestimated.
Although Jiang Si considered himself quite talented in cultivation, with the makings of a Great Emperor, he was not so arrogant as to think he could account for everything. He always needed someone to help him think things through so that nothing slipped through the cracks.
This was also the greatest help Bingtang and the inner disciples could offer him.
Naturally, he would skip school as usual today. He had more or less finished reviewing his senior-year coursework. When the college entrance exam approached, he could ask the principal for permission to take it and familiarize himself with the material again, and there should be no problem.
If being at the Azure Cloud Sect or at home had not always made him unable to resist cultivating, leaving him unable to focus on books at all, Jiang Si probably would never have gone to school even once.
Only because the school environment was relatively enclosed, with little room to cultivate, could he clear his mind and read, finishing his review of the entire senior-year curriculum.
After all, the Azure Cloud Sect and his home were full of exercise equipment, with no restrictions to speak of. How could any normal person resist working out?
After bandaging his wounds, Jiang Si closed his eyes again and savored the final battle of the day's date.
Attacking himself sometimes made it easier to see his own flaws and mental habits. While in his physical body, he occasionally could not resist using the fighting style he used as a magical girl, leaving himself riddled with openings.
If he really encountered a magical girl of a higher realm, he could not be so reckless. He would have to hold something back so he could change moves and retreat at any moment.
Although Jiang Si did not think he would lose his ability to transform, developments in this world were always unpredictable. Who knew what might happen in the future?
How he should fight if he lost his magical girl powers, and how he could escape a magical girl of a higher realm, had always been the subjects Jiang Si took most seriously.
Repair the roof before the rain; preparation kept disaster at bay.
On the other hand, he always felt that the Miracle Seed's power had an end.
The longer he remained at Full Blossom, the clearer that feeling became. A magical girl going all out was like burning firewood, although at Full Blossom, the rate of burning fell far short of the rate at which mana was supplied.
It was completely different from the Golden Core he knew. Even an external core or the like should not give this sensation of burning firewood.
So no one could say for certain what things were like at Full Bloom.
Once her mana had burned away, what would a magical girl burn if she continued using her power?
None of the few answers he could think of were very good.
Moreover, as far as was currently known, the endpoint for magical girls was Full Bloom, and under normal circumstances, Full Bloom's destructive power topped out at destroying a city. Of course, combined with a magical girl's mobility, destroying a country would not be difficult either.
That power could not be called poor, but it was undoubtedly still very far from the Great Dao Jiang Si sought.
As he understood it, Golden Core and Nascent Soul were more or less at that level. Although he had read about unconventional paths to power such as three thousand Golden Cores, the Purple Palace Golden Core Dao, a thousand years of Qi Refining, the Golden Core Great Dao, and grotto-heaven methods, those were exceptions, after all.
Jiang Si did not think he was that special either. He was merely an ordinary cultivator.
As for certain settings where even Golden Core cultivators could casually toy with karma, live eternally without perishing, deduce the past and future, and affect an entire world with a wave of their hand...
Jiang Si had always scoffed at that sort of thing.
A lowly Foundation Establishment cultivator was a lowly Foundation Establishment cultivator. What did they mean, a Foundation Establishment mighty figure? If Golden Core was already that incredible, what were the big shots at the Mahayana Stage, Body Integration Stage, and Ascension Stage supposed to do?
Let alone immortals.
It was utter nonsense, challenging authority and overturning the classics while insisting on borrowing the old cultivation ranks, leaving people utterly confused. Complete rubbish.
Regardless, however, all these advancements helped cultivators master laws, elevate their standing, and ultimately transcend their world.
But transcending this world through the power of magical girls would probably be rather difficult.
That was why Jiang Si did not intend to pin all his hopes on magical girls alone.
The Grief Seeds of Calamity Beasts were also powerful supernatural forces. Not only could they increase a Miracle Seed's mana, but they could also directly enhance a flesh-and-blood body over the long term. Although they had various negative effects, this was something magical girls' mana could not do.
Without transforming, one could only borrow a magical girl's pure mana on a small scale and for a short time.
To Jiang Si, one more path meant one more possibility. He turned away no form of supernatural power and was willing to try them all.
Of course, he was not in a hurry either. Ever since becoming a magical girl, Jiang Si had become very patient.
It was hard not to be patient with supernatural power in hand. He could take his time finding a way to use the Grief Seeds' tainted mana through the Witch Association. Besides, the Miracle Seed mattered a little more than tainted mana right now.
He would see exactly what Full Bloom was all about before making his next arrangements.
After treating his superficial wounds, Jiang Si heated up the leftovers he had brought home, planning to eat and then go to bed.
Today had been particularly exhausting, not because of the fighting, but because he had split his attention to control the magic puppet while out shopping.
It had felt roughly like threading an embroidery needle: while precisely manipulating its expressions, he also had to ensure that neither his own movements nor the puppet's went wrong and gave anything away.
From morning until afternoon, he could not relax for even a moment.
Even Jiang Si felt that this sort of training was somewhat too demanding and arduous.
The moment he relinquished control of the puppet, his brain had felt as though a great burden had been lifted.
Jiang Si, who could remain expressionless even with a severed arm or leg, had experienced mental torment for the first time.
That was precisely why he intended to have Blue Flower make magic puppets for him to control regularly in the future.
What Jiang Si wanted was absolute control over his body, including its mental aspects. No matter how much torment or pain he suffered, he needed his body to remain under his control.
No matter how painful or agonizing it was, he had to be able to remain composed without shouting or screaming.
When reading webnovels in the past, he had most despised those embarrassing characters who panicked, screamed uncontrollably, or even vomited and cried after getting a little hurt or killing someone.
So he would never permit himself to display such an ugly state. Whatever the pain or torment, he had to use his willpower to control his body perfectly and suppress every reaction.
That was a true protagonist.
Controlling the magic puppet had tormented him, even to the point of being somewhat unbearable. That meant his training was insufficient.
He would keep training hard, until he grew numb to it and could control a magic puppet effortlessly every day, strengthening his mental power.
Until he was flawless.
As he planned his future training methods, he had only eaten a little when the door was pushed open. Keke walked in, glanced at him, took off her sneakers, changed into slippers, and went straight to her bedroom.
Jiang Si checked the time. It was indeed about time for school to let out.
He ate a few more casual mouthfuls. After tossing her schoolbag into her room and changing her clothes, Keke came back out. Jiang Si habitually stood up, intending to clear the table and leave.
"Wait."
Keke suddenly stopped him and sat down beside the table. "I want... I want to talk to you. Could you not leave just yet?"
Holding his bowl and chopsticks, Jiang Si thought for a moment, then went to the kitchen first. Only after cleaning up did he return and sit down.
"Speak."
Keke avoided Jiang Si's gaze and glanced at the repaired floor.
She suddenly realized that she truly knew very, very little about this blood relative of hers.
She did not know how Jiang Si had dealt with their relatives in the past, nor did she know what he had done over the years.
As his younger sister, Keke had always taken everything in her current life for granted.
But when she had spoken to their second uncle on the phone earlier, she had vaguely realized that this was not the case.
Their relatives were not so accommodating. Even those who owed their family so much money had not taken her polite requests particularly seriously.
Ultimately, for two children who had lost their parents' protection to live as steadily as they did now, they could not possibly have relied on their relatives' or anyone else's pity and softheartedness, much less on her own pleading.
There were not that many great philanthropists in this world willing to help others for nothing. To keep imagining that everyone would help her unconditionally because losing her parents made her pitiful, especially over the long term, was simply too naive and childish.
Over these past three years, their cold war had left her knowing far too little about Jiang Si, so little that when she saw Shion with him, she could not think of a reason at all.
Only now was she slowly beginning to look for qualities in him that could have won Miss Shion's heart.
For instance, he had brought her along and lived independently for three years without relying on anyone.
She remained silent for a long time, and Jiang Si simply sat there, entirely unhurried, occasionally drinking some water, as though he had already turned his thoughts to something else.
Only after a long while did she sort out her thoughts and take a deep breath. "Can I ask how you and Miss Shion met?"
"By chance."
"By chance?"
Jiang Si thought for a moment. "On my way home from school on Saturday. We met on the road."
Only then did Keke remember that Jiang Si had not come home at the time, and Captain Yinlian had kept saying she could not find him either.
So he had met Miss Shion.
They had only known each other for two days? Their relationship had progressed to dating in two days? That was far too fast...
A little doubt and frustration rose in her heart. If only she had found Jiang Si then.
But she quickly pushed those feelings back down herself.
"Did you... talk about anything?"
"She asked me about you."
Keke's heart skipped a beat, and she clenched her hands. "What did she ask?"
"About your grades, your strength as a magical girl, and your relationships with the people around you."
Thinking it over, those were indeed things he would ask, so it did not really count as lying to her.
He, Jiang Si, had always acted openly and honorably, never deceiving anyone.
"H-how did you answer her?"
"Normally." Jiang Si stood up. "Good grades, good strength, good relationships. That's it. If there's nothing else, I'm going to bed."
With that, he was about to head upstairs.
"My grades went up thirty points from last time."
Keke stood up too, raising her voice. "My strength... my strength has improved too. Yinlian said I'll reach New Sprout soon. And my relationships... Captain Yinlian and I have become good friends recently."
Jiang Si stopped and glanced back, looking somewhat puzzled.
Picking up a cloth and casually wiping the table, Keke lowered her head. "You can answer her like that next time you meet."
"Oh."
There's no need to answer. I've already heard it.
With that thought, he had just stepped onto the stairs when Keke called to him again from behind. "Wait, there's something else I want to ask you..."
"Say everything you have to say all at once."
The air froze for a moment.
Keke drew her hands back slightly too. Although those words held no malice, they were too cold, and still stung a little. "It's just... in the future, will you bring Miss Shion home?"
The question came out with some difficulty.
But she had to ask. After all, they were a couple now. Bringing his girlfriend home would be perfectly normal.
Even having her stay the night would be perfectly normal...
The frozen air made Keke think time had stopped. She even felt that this agonizing wait was somewhat long.
As though she had sat through three classes.
Until Jiang Si replied, "It won't interfere with you."
Keke's expression was both expectant and conflicted. "If she comes, could you let me know beforehand?"
"I'll try."
Watching Jiang Si go upstairs, Keke finally let out a slow breath and sat down.
Although the fact that Miss Shion and Jiang Si had gotten together made her feel both miserable and awkward.
Still, having more chances to see Miss Shion in the future was a good thing...
Then, amused by her own attempt to find joy amid bitterness, Keke lay forward on the table, gently bumping her head against it.
Whatever Jiang Si and Shion's relationship was like, she should first work on getting closer to Miss Shion herself.
Perhaps she could get her to teach her techniques for using mana, just like Senior Hyacinth.
As for the fact that Jiang Si and Shion's relationship had now gotten her banned from entering the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau and restricted her to operating with Captain Yinlian, that no longer mattered.
While she was imagining how to ask Miss Shion to teach her later, her phone suddenly rang.
She glanced at it. It was a message from the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau.
"A large number of Calamity Beasts will appear tomorrow. All members, please prepare for battle."
She had wanted to contact Captain Yinlian and ask what was going on, only to find that her call would not connect.
She could only leave it until tomorrow.
Bingtang watched the gradually dissipating Shion puppet, regret on her face.
Although every effort had been made to get the puppet back, it had still been a step too late. By the time it returned to the Azure Cloud Sect, it could no longer maintain its form.
By the time it reached her, before Bingtang could reach out, the Shion puppet had already begun crumbling into ash and smoke.
Who knew when the next magic puppet would be made...
"Lady Bingtang, we've received a message from Susan."
Coming back to herself, she found Four Leaves looking at her with a solemn expression, holding a mirror in her hands.
Susan still needed to use her divination ability to send intelligence out.
"Didn't Susan say the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau was keeping a tight watch right now?"
"Apparently, they detected that a large number of Calamity Beasts are about to appear. The Disaster Countermeasures Bureau is very busy internally right now, and things are somewhat chaotic. She finally had a chance to send the intelligence out."
Bingtang frowned slightly. "A large number of Calamity Beasts are about to appear?"
"Yes." There was some worry on Four Leaves' small face. "The Disaster Countermeasures Bureau's Calamity Beast monitoring uses technology passed down from their headquarters. It's never been wrong. They're planning to abandon that area to the south again, and the people at the bureau have notified us in advance too."
"Heh. They call it abandoning the area, but really, they're just dumping it on us to handle."
Bingtang was not particularly surprised. The Disaster Countermeasures Bureau had always done things this way, and the two sides could be said to have developed a tacit understanding. "How many sect disciples are still in the south?"
"Three at Bud and one at New Sprout."
"That's enough."
The disciples the Azure Cloud Sect assigned to each area operated in groups of four. Generally, a New Sprout led the team, but there were not that many New Sprout magical girls, so sometimes a stronger Bud magical girl would lead instead.
"Tell them to stay alert, and have Yumo ready to head over and provide support at any time."
"Understood."
Generally, the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau's surveillance gave a day's advance warning, so there was plenty of time to prepare.
When large numbers of Calamity Beasts appeared, it most likely had something to do with the Witch Association.
Naturally occurring Calamity Beasts were almost never likely to appear in large numbers at the same time.
So Bingtang was also a little worried that something unexpected might happen. Having Yumo ready to provide support was still the safer option.
"It looks like the Witch Association finally couldn't hold back any longer." Bingtang pondered for a moment. "What about Yinluo? Is Susan keeping an eye on her?"
"Susan went back first, so she doesn't know whether Yinluo returned afterward, but Susan is already keeping watch near the secure room. The Miracle Seed is still in there. If Yinluo makes a move, she'll definitely go to the secure room first, so Susan won't miss her. It'll also be easier to find evidence that Yinluo is a member of the Witch Association."
"Good. This time, we must let her bring the Miracle Seed out. Tell Susan to be careful. She absolutely mustn't lose her."
Once the arrangements were made, Bingtang sent Jiang Si the current arrangements and the latest intelligence, just as usual.
Then Bingtang suddenly thought of the captain of the Magical Girl Combat Team.
Yinlian had been getting along quite well with Keke lately.
Bingtang sighed inwardly in regret for her, not knowing what would happen to her afterward, and hoped Keke wouldn't get dragged into it.
After glancing at Jiang Si's reply, Bingtang turned back to Four Leaves:
"Have Blue Flower and the others get ready. The Witch Association may be active tomorrow too. The sect master has ordered that not a single one be allowed to escape."
"Yes."