Chapter 61: The Mysterious Visitor

Su Xinxin’s ‘Fragrant Petal Touch: Heal’ attack slowly dissipated into a faint glow just as it was about to reach the Corroder.

It seemed the distance was still too great; her attack simply couldn’t reach.

Yet, moments later, the Corroder strangely contorted in pain.

Its face then twisted further, revealing a hint of terrifying malevolence.

Something was amiss, unsettlingly so.

[Focus your senses again. Check if there are other demonic creatures causing trouble nearby!]

Xiao Ming reminded her once more.

[Understood.]

Nodding, Su Xinxin slowly closed her eyes, meticulously concentrating her senses again.

Her hands, however, remained active. The ethereal Gentian flower attached to her palm blossomed, its delicate fragrance quickly confirming her suspicions: there was more than just this one Corroder nearby; other demonic creatures lurked as well!

When Su Xinxin reopened her eyes, two phantoms had materialized before her.

The next second, they vanished, their disappearance accompanied by a palpable surge of killing intent.

This time, the sensation was unmistakable. The aura of those demonic creatures was closing in on her.

There was a phantom to her left, another to her right, and—

She looked up.

Suspended in the air, seemingly, was yet another phantom.

Di Ting’s voice swiftly echoed in her mind:

[Warning! Detecting medium-R ‘Formation’ reactions, three or more in number, converging on your location. Prepare for combat. Recommendation: Transform and engage immediately.]

‘Formation? Not phantoms? These monsters don’t have the clear forms of Formations, do they? Could they have just merged to become Formations?’

Su Xinxin retreated two steps, her hand forming a loose grip as she softly murmured.

“Respond to me.”

The wooden staff materialized in her hand, its Gentian-shaped head glowing. It was like a lamp suddenly awakened, shining brighter than ever before.

Pure Radiance: Boundary!

A barrier, goose-yellow within and moon-white at its periphery, unfurled from beneath her feet.

It spread outwards like a ripple, pushing the dark, shadowy figures back slightly. They did not retreat, however, merely hovered at the barrier’s edge, seemingly probing.

Su Xinxin’s forehead beaded with nervous sweat. Three of them, and medium-R Formations at that. For a Magical Girl who had just ascended to the first rank, victory was simply impossible.

The one on the left moved. A stream of black mist shot from its mouth like an arrow, hurtling straight towards her.

Su Xinxin dodged, the mist grazing her shoulder before striking a pine tree behind her, snapping several branches.

The one on the right moved as well. This time, two streams of mist emerged, one after another.

Su Xinxin swung her staff, its luminous tip carving an arc that dispersed the first stream. The second brushed against the back of her hand, tearing a shallow gash.

And then there was the one in the air.

It did not attack, simply hung there, its dark shadow growing larger, as if accumulating power. Su Xinxin frowned deeply, gazing up at it, her palms also growing damp with sweat.

She took a deep breath, about to transform—

But just then, the shadowy figures abruptly froze.

They seemed to have been startled by something, rooted to the spot, utterly motionless.

Then, as if someone had cried, “Run!”, they simultaneously dispersed, fleeing towards the cemetery gate.

Su Xinxin stood her ground, watching the direction the demonic creatures had fled.

In her mind, she debated with Xiao Ming whether to pursue them. ‘What if not chasing them harms others? But what if I chase them and can’t defeat them?’

It was at this moment that a figure approached from not far away, their steps unhurried, as if merely passing by.

The person wore a long, rouge-pink dress. In their hands, they held a small bouquet of white flowers, wrapped in pale green paper and tied with a light yellow ribbon.

As the person drew closer, Su Xinxin could clearly see their face. They were very young, perhaps in their early twenties, with long black hair draped over their shoulders.

Their eyes were curved, as if constantly smiling. The rouge-pink dress was simple, devoid of excessive adornment, save for a small, golden flower brooch pinned to the collar.

‘It looks like… no, it shouldn’t be Snapdragon, should it?’

Su Xinxin had never seen Snapdragon, but Jasmin had described her appearance. Snapdragon was said to wear a pink tiered short skirt and a golden short top, always carrying a folding fan, with a smile that concealed hidden depths.

This person, however, wore a long dress and held flowers, lacking that elusive aura. They simply walked over quietly, as if truly just visiting a grave.

But then, why had those Corroders fled? Had they not been scared away?

Su Xinxin sensed her surroundings but detected nothing. She remembered that she hadn’t even transformed into a Magical Girl yet, so naturally, she couldn’t sense the aura of fellow Magical Girls.

Nor could she sense the Corroders.

The person stopped in front of her.

“Are you alright?”

They asked, their voice soft, as if not wishing to disturb anyone.

Su Xinxin shook her head, only then realizing her staff had vanished at some point, and the barrier beneath her was slowly fading.

The person glanced down, though it was unclear what they saw, then looked up again, offering her a slight, polite smile.

“I’ve heard people say that spirits often appear here. I wonder if it’s true… Still, it never hurts to be careful.”

They spoke softly, as if making casual conversation.

Then, they turned to face the tombstone before them. Su Xinxin followed their gaze—it was her husband’s grave.

The person bent down, gently placing the bouquet before the tombstone. The small white petals trembled in the wind, as if alive.

They straightened up, standing silently and gazing at the inscription on the stone. The wind swept down from the hillside, gently lifting the hem of their dress.

Su Xinxin watched them, a lingering sense of unease. ‘Why are they here… visiting my husband’s grave? Are they a child of one of his friends?’

The person shifted their gaze from the tombstone, turning to look at Su Xinxin.

Their eyes were remarkably bright, shimmering as if holding back tears, and they nodded slightly, smiling with polite deference.

Su Xinxin paused, momentarily stunned. She was about to ask something, but the person had already turned and walked away.

The rouge-pink skirt fluttered in the wind before quickly disappearing behind the pine trees.

Su Xinxin remained rooted to the spot. She looked down at the tombstone—a bouquet of flowers now rested before her husband’s grave: small and white, wrapped in pale green paper, tied with a light yellow ribbon.

The flowers inside, it seemed, were common white chrysanthemums, often found in cemeteries.

She didn’t know who that person was. Nor did she understand why they had placed a bouquet of flowers at her husband’s grave.

‘Could they just be a kind stranger? Someone who happened to notice I didn’t bring flowers and offered theirs… No, that doesn’t quite fit. Well, something like that, I suppose?’

Su Xinxin recalled the Corroders from earlier and carefully sensed her surroundings once more; indeed, their aura had completely vanished from the vicinity.

Now, the wind had also begun to subside, and the pine trees no longer rustled.

Su Xinxin knelt down again, before her husband’s grave, and watched for a long time.

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