Chapter 40: A Coincidental Invitation

Su Qingyao was still pondering the many mysteries surrounding Su Muxue even as she ascended the stairs.

She was so lost in thought that she nearly collided with someone coming down.

“Ah, my apologies.”

Su Qingyao shifted Su Muxue further into her arms, tucking her under an arm, as she offered a quick apology to the passerby.

Fortunately, the other person seemed incredibly busy, not sparing her a second glance.

“Hmph, hmph, hmph.” Su Muxue, seizing the opportunity, burrowed into Su Qingyao’s chest, tickling her.

“Alright, let’s head home quickly now.”

Su Qingyao patted Su Muxue’s shoulder. Snapping back to reality, she completed the last stretch of their journey home.

Today, Lu Zhichuan and Su Qingyao had made plans to have dinner at his apartment.

They lived on the same floor, and it was conveniently on her way.

Having visited just yesterday, Su Qingyao quickly located the familiar door number.

Su Muxue pushed open the slightly ajar door first. Su Qingyao then peered inside, taking in the scene within the apartment.

It appeared Lu Zhichuan had specifically tidied the living room for the occasion.

He was currently sitting cross-legged before the coffee table, gazing absently at a steaming cup of tea.

To Su Qingyao’s surprise, the dishes laid out on the table were not the kind she was familiar with.

“Oh, Senior Lu Zhichuan, you actually know how to make these dishes?”

Su Qingyao’s words drew Lu Zhichuan’s attention. He squinted, glancing at the “improved version” of boiled sliced pork on the table.

“I didn’t actually make these myself.”

Lu Zhichuan honestly admitted to the girl’s guess, adopting a subtle expression. After carefully choosing his words, he added:

“I had my housekeeper prepare them for me… just as a side task.”

While Lu Zhichuan deliberated, Su Qingyao had already picked up a piece with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth, tasting to see if the spice level was suitable for a child. “Then, Senior, your eye for housekeepers is truly excellent,” she remarked.

Ultimately, she gave a favorable review.

“Alright, Little Muxue, go wash your hands, then put your schoolbag by the door. Dinner is ready.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Su Muxue simply nodded. She then, carrying her schoolbag and Booboo, who had emerged from within it, gracefully padded into the bedroom.

“Speaking of which, how is that Mother now?”

After canceling her transformation, Su Qingyao reverted to her state of black hair and brown eyes. She casually asked Lu Zhichuan.

“That’s a long story.”

Lu Zhichuan sighed. Sitting up straight, he raised a hand, gesturing for Su Qingyao to take the seat opposite him.

“Oh, it sounds like the person you invited, Senior, has run into some trouble?”

“More accurately, she herself encountered other troubles—though there were some discoveries:

“First, the investigation results show that the residual traces of inverse magic power aren’t linear, unlike during previous ‘invasions.’ According to the report, these traces are almost entirely distributed on the map as scattered, point-like activity zones.”

Lu Zhichuan produced a simplified, color-blocked map, on which several circles had been haphazardly drawn.

Su Qingyao recognized at once that the messy annotations weren’t Lu Zhichuan’s doing. They must have belonged to the invited Transcended.

Reining in her stray thoughts, Su Qingyao calmed herself and focused her attention on the map before her.

She first identified the location where she and Xiaohua had initially met.

Adjacent to it were at least two circles, each encompassing a small section of a street.

“The good news is that no derivatives stronger than Tier 1 have been found, indicating that the Mother’s active period hasn’t been prolonged.”

“But that doesn’t make sense, does it?”

Su Qingyao interjected. “Logically, inverse magic power behaves differently from ordinary magic power, which naturally flows to lower areas. Inverse magic power is ‘non-polar,’ and actively coalesces.”

“In other words, at least on the surface, these ‘Mothers’ should appear suddenly and then disappear just as quickly.”

Su Qingyao’s words trailed off, a look of confusion clouding her features.

Lu Zhichuan picked up the thread precisely.

“Sacrifice.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Su Qingyao’s tone softened once more, as if all her strength had drained away.

“It could only be through ritualistic summoning, followed by their disappearance once the ritual concluded.”

This was a level of absurdity that transcended mere questions of sanity.

Simply put, sacrificial rituals were typically performed to summon entities or to implore for blessings.

The problem, however, was that the Mothers of [Mental Collapse] were, to put it plainly, merely a collective whose power level fluctuated between Tier 3 and Tier 6.

Setting aside their mind-targeting abilities, these abominations inherently lacked the capacity or inclination to bestow blessings.

What kind of strange individual would willingly summon an existence destined to destroy them?

“Sane people can’t comprehend lunatics.”

As if he knew Su Qingyao’s thoughts, Lu Zhichuan waved his hand and stood up. He then habitually ruffled the bewildered girl’s hair.

Just as Su Qingyao did to Muxue.

Su Qingyao’s eye twitched.

Ultimately, however, she merely sighed, refraining from raising her voice to challenge the Senior who had overstepped.

“That’s true, I suppose.”

“But even if it’s to destroy the world, a mere handful of them couldn’t accomplish anything, could they?”

“So, we still need her to go search.”

Lu Zhichuan casually wrapped an arm around Su Muxue as she emerged from the bedroom, repeating his earlier action on the girl.

Su Muxue paused for only a moment, then broke into a bright smile, creating a stark contrast with Su Qingyao, who currently had her back to Lu Zhichuan and sported a ‘magical girl’ pout.

“There are still Mothers active outside the city.”

Su Qingyao’s ears suddenly twitched, like a kitten hearing something unbelievable. She whirled her head around and asked:

“You said *outside* the city?”

“Precisely,” Lu Zhichuan replied, casually lifting Su Muxue by her armpit and steadily settling her into Su Qingyao’s embrace.

“What’s more, it’s near the camp Su Muxue is heading to tomorrow. I was just pondering this very matter.”

“Well, isn’t that quite the *coincidence*,” Su Qingyao remarked.

She spoke with a heavy sigh, deliberately emphasizing the word “coincidence” as if to metaphorically pin Lu Zhichuan beneath her.

“Do you think there’s a possibility they’re targeting magical girls?”

As Su Qingyao asked, her mind was already searching for any clues she might have missed during their training sessions.

The girl also stroked Su Muxue’s head, seemingly intent on obliterating any fingerprints Lu Zhichuan might have left.

The obedient little kitten sat on Su Qingyao’s pristine white lap, her smile growing even brighter, an expression of “just as I expected” adorning her face.

When Lu Zhichuan and Su Qingyao vied, Muxue benefited.

“I believe so.”

Lu Zhichuan rubbed his chin. “After all, they are a disaster system corresponding to the magical girl branch. It’s quite normal for them to be drawn by your magic power during training.”

“Therefore, Qingyao.”

Lu Zhichuan’s expression turned serious and solemn, as if all his previous words had been paving the way for his next statement.

“I’d like to acquire an escort pass for the magical girl training and join tomorrow’s session.”

‘I want to see my daughter too!’

‘You called everyone here just for *this*?’

Su Qingyao’s expression froze.

Yet, Lu Zhichuan’s request was not without merit.

After all, with the Hero stepping in, it was undoubtedly the most secure arrangement.

It was worth noting that Su Qingyao had not yet utilized her “true” destructive methods from the past.

Who could be certain that her combat capabilities hadn’t diminished due to her revival?

“Still, I can’t shake the feeling that you, Lu Zhichuan, have been plotting this for a while.”

Su Qingyao, her smile gone, muttered under her breath.

Even the honorific “Senior” had been dropped from the girl’s address.

“Eh!?”

Su Muxue, dazed from having her head rubbed, suddenly snapped to attention.

“Uncle, Mom, which training are you talking about!?”

Though phrased as a question, Su Muxue’s words were already laced with an irrepressible sense of joy.