"Don't worry, this place is completely sealed. Even if you shout, nobody outside can hear you. No need to be overly restrained."

Su Shan picked up the water cup next to her and poured Jiang Si a cup of hot water. "But I was a little surprised Bingtang would be attracting men. I thought Azure Cloud Sect only had Magical Girls."

Actually, it wasn't entirely wrong.

But he couldn't explain any of that. Jiang Si only picked up the cup and took a sip.

Azure Cloud Sect itself wasn't managed by him; most of the time Bingtang ran the organization.

Although most people within the sect knew Shion was the true Sect Master—and many had seen her—very few knew that he was Shion's transformed identity.

At the same time, Jiang Si didn't know most of the lower-ranking members either.

For example, this insider in the Disaster Control Bureau held little status in Azure Cloud Sect, so it was possible Jiang Si had never encountered them before.

Jiang Si scrutinized Su Shan again. "Yin Luo said you can no longer transform into a Magical Girl."

As the Sect Master of Azure Cloud Sect, most of the time Jiang Si—or rather Shion—didn't make public appearances, but many already knew Shion was the sect master; Bingtang had been promoting the sect's true master quite actively.

And she taught them to maintain loyalty and reverence toward the sect master.

For Jiang Si, the sect's establishment itself existed to better facilitate his personal acquisition of the boundless power of the ages.

A so-called cultivation sect was essentially meant to serve him alone: monopolize most cultivation resources, use lower-ranking disciples to collect and channel resources upward, and distribute some surplus rewards to help those disciples ascend.

In short, promote the early to drive the later.

"Did you steal the Miracle Seed?"

Jiang Si didn't intend to chat about internal Azure Cloud Sect affairs, nor was he interested in how Bingtang helped her regain Magical Girl power. "Shion and Bingtang's task for you was to steal the seed, right? Did it succeed?"

"Watch your tone." Su Shan frowned. "Bingtang doesn't care about such trivialities; she doesn't mind the small stuff. But show some respect to Shion. She's not someone you can address by her name."

"...Have you seen Shion?"

"The Sect Master is burdened with state affairs, what stature—someone like me cannot personally meet her. Such petty matters shouldn't bother the Sect Master. Shion handles matters concerning the safety of all Magical Girls and the world! What she contemplates and must handle are far beyond what we outer disciples can imagine. You're not a Magical Girl; you don't understand Shion's greatness. I'll forgive you this time, but there won't be a next time."

Looking at Su Shan's murderous expression, Jiang Si shrugged. "Did you get the Miracle Seed? Shion and Bingtang told me to come take the seed from you."

Titles were trivial; Jiang Si didn't want to waste time on such details.

Hearing Jiang Si change his address, Su Shan's features softened. "I did receive orders to take the Miracle Seed and made full preparations. If everything went according to plan, the seed would have been sent out this morning."

"Sounds like something went wrong."

Su Shan hesitated, then took a breath. "I knew the Disaster Control Bureau had leaks, but I didn't expect it to be this bad. I found traces of the Witch Association—they infiltrated the Disaster Control Bureau and stole the Miracle Seed before I could."

"Is the Disaster Control Bureau some kind of public restroom?" Jiang Si rubbed his forehead. "Were all the Miracle Seeds taken?"

"There were three Miracle Seeds in the bureau, distributed by headquarters as a safeguard in case we were short on Magical Girl births and disasters rampaged. Each of the three carries Blooming-tier power. Normally they wouldn't be used because they can cause irreversible damage to the girl's body."

"The Witch Association left none behind. They stole them all!" Su Shan's chilled face showed killing intent. "They will not be spared!"

"Then you'll be the one to write the failure report for this operation."

Azure Cloud Sect ran on a points system: every failed operation required a formal failure review and certain points deducted. Points tied into pay—yes, Azure Cloud Sect paid salaries, and Bingtang disbursed them. Jiang Si wanted to call it a sect stipend or change points to contribution value, but Bingtang insisted the rules were immutable.

Bingtang said she was copying her family's corporate regulations—ancestral laws couldn't be changed. Since she funded it, Jiang Si yielded.

As Sect Master, Jiang Si was different from other disciples—he didn't receive a salary.

Per Bingtang, the entire enterprise belonged to him; he could take whatever he wanted from the sect, or ask Bingtang if needed—she wasn't short of money.

But Jiang Si wasn't the type to actually do that; sect funds were for building and finding paths to the Way, not for siphoning. Asking Bingtang for personal money was even less likely—except last year when Keke's tuition needed funds, he didn't like borrowing favors if it could be avoided.

Azure Cloud Sect served Bingtang's growth and offered her benefits; she invested money in the sect in mutual interest.

But asking Bingtang for personal expenses was another matter entirely.

Relatives had nagged and negotiated over the funeral, seemingly concerned for the siblings but really arguing over inheritance.

He had barely kept half of his parents' estate. Three years later, he avoided asking relatives for help—social debts were costly.

That left the household short on funds. Both Keke and he took odd jobs during holidays to support the home.

Jiang Si had asked Bingtang if there were any jobs she needed, but Bingtang thought the Sect Master shouldn't be working part-time.

Sometimes it was hard to communicate with Bingtang.

Hearing she must write the failure report, Su Shan clutched her head. "Shion and Bingtang will be disappointed in me... There's still time to salvage this. I don't want to write the failure report so soon."

Shion's not close to you—why would she be disappointed?

Jiang Si took a sip. "What happened?"

The girl put a photo on display. "A black-clad Magical Girl—Hyacinth. She was the Disaster Control Bureau's third Magical Girl and Silver Lotus's previous captain. Seventeen, a senior in high school this year. She once had contact with the Witch Association and let one of their members escape. Many suspected she was involved; she later resigned as captain and Silver Lotus took over. She hasn't visited the bureau in a long time, but she came by this morning."

"Oh, that sounds suspicious."

"However, she didn't approach the security room. The bureau kept many eyes on her; it's hard for her to act inside. But the timing was uncanny—she came today and the Miracle Seed was stolen."

Jiang Si suddenly recalled. "Black-clad Magical Girl? Didn't the bureau hold a retirement ceremony back then? That was her, right?"

"Yes." Su Shan nodded. "Because of her contact with the Witch Association, the bureau prematurely held a retirement ceremony for her. For appearances, Hyacinth attended honestly, but afterward she insisted she hadn't retired and refused to hand over her Miracle Seed."

"Another person is Aqín, who manages the security room—she conveniently didn't show up this morning, saying she had a family matter. That was suspicious too. And the last one was you. Before Bingtang told me, I did think you might be with the Witch Association..."

"When did Bingtang notify you?"

"When you and Yin Luo went downstairs."

Su Shan flicked her golden hair and displayed an air of confident bravado. "As long as you tail Hyacinth and I tail Aqín, even if the Witch Association is omnipotent, they won't escape! We'll catch them this time and teach them a lesson..."

"I never said I'd help." Jiang Si shook his head. "My task was only to retrieve the Miracle Seed. Nothing else is my concern."

Su Shan froze at Jiang Si's refusal. "You're a disciple of Azure Cloud Sect. How can you have no sense of contribution? This concerns the sect's future development! As disciples, we should proactively help Bingtang solve problems..."

"Don't be ridiculous. I joined Azure Cloud Sect for the pay. I won't do unpaid overtime." That phrase was a catchphrase used by someone close to Bingtang, and Jiang Si used it casually. "We don't advocate toxic competition in this sect—Bingtang said she doesn't encourage it."

"This isn't toxic competition. This is remedying a work error."

"It wasn't my error. Why should I fix it?"

Su Shan fell silent, then realized it indeed had nothing to do with him.

Because they were both sect disciples, she instinctively assumed the failure was collective responsibility.

But in reality, stealing the Miracle Seed was her solo task.

Jiang Si waved a hand. "No matter what you say, I won't work overtime. My task is over. I'll report back to Bingtang and that's it. You handle the rest."

"Wait."

Su Shan grit her teeth. "I'll forgo the mission bonus—give it to you. Also my salary for this month, half from the Disaster Control Bureau and half from Azure Cloud Sect, I'll split with you. Please."

But, originally, the task to take the Miracle Seed from the Disaster Control Bureau was one Jiang Si had handed to Bingtang himself—meant to better help his own advancement. There was no reason not to act.

Jiang Si sat back down. "We're both Azure Cloud Sect disciples; I'm not heartless. Since you're sincere, it's hard to refuse."

Su Shan snorted, but since he agreed, she didn't mock further—lest he angrily refuse the money. "Hyacinth is in senior year. She's mostly at school, so not hard to find. Follow her and check for traces of contact with the Witch Association. If you find any clue, contact me. Leave the rest to me."

Too troublesome.

And tailing and investigating wasn't Jiang Si's strength.

He would outsource it to Bingtang and give half of Su Shan's offered salary to Bingtang.

Bingtang knew the high school scene best—many Magical Girls came from middle and high schools in BH City, and she kept tabs on promising boys occasionally. After all, with Jiang Si as an exception, who knew if another male Magical Girl would appear?

Su Shan obviously didn't know the serious, solemn-faced youth nodding quietly had already planned to hand the job to her most respected Bingtang.

"That's all I have to say. The Disaster Control Bureau has launched an emergency investigation. You might not even need to track Hyacinth—the Witch Association could be found and the stolen Miracle Seeds recovered. But then my salary won't be halved; salaries go to those who do the work, right?"

Seeing Su Shan clearly displeased about splitting the pay, Jiang Si simply nodded as if he didn't understand.

Who cares about money—many renovations were needed in the Illusory Moon Cavern Dwelling, and he planned to buy some supplements to improve his training results.

After exchanging information, they rose to leave. "Oh, regarding the clouds outside: they're actually an illusion. Beneath is a bridge constructed of magic. However, that magic reacts specially with Disaster Beast mana and will neutralize, causing you to fall. So when stepping on it, use magic to plug the gap... Do you have mana?"

Jiang Si's face stayed calm. "Not at this time."

"Earn more performance points later. The sect has mana bracelets usable by ordinary people; redeem one. It'll help on missions. Didn't Bingtang tell you? Oh, with your low status, you probably haven't had the chance to meet Bingtang, let alone Shion. You probably won't meet them in your life. Hah, excuse my impoliteness."

She couldn't help taunting, then produced a bracelet.

A pure white seed nestled in it.

She shook the seed, and a magic wand appeared in her hand.

Generally, Magical Girls can only use mana and magic after transforming, but once a girl reaches the Seedling tier and trains enough, she can use some mana and magic even without transforming.

And it's highly covert.

Tapping Jiang Si's shoe with the wand, he felt a chilled substance cling to his sole.

Walking felt like stepping on ice.

"I'll condense some mana under your soles so you won't fall. That'll remove suspicion. Normally my interrogation would clear you, but that's in case. Duration is about forty minutes—note, after forty minutes it will expire."

Originally intending to give him a little lesson, she set the temperature low. Jiang Si seemed unaffected, simply tapping the ground with his toe before saying, "Thanks."

Su Shan felt frustrated—no retaliation, and instead some guilt crept in.

She secretly took the seed again, hid the wand behind her, lowered the temperature slightly, and walked to the door. Opening it, her face returned to its cold, disdainful look. "Let's go. Why are you still lingering?"

Her acting was almost too convincing—perfect for an actress.

Jiang Si considered suggesting to Bingtang that Su Shan try acting for extra sect income, then left the interrogation room.

Soldiers Su Shan had deployed blocked the second floor; Silver Lotus and the others could only peek up from the first-floor stairs.

When Jiang Si emerged, everyone showed delighted expressions. Silver Lotus immediately asked, "That old witch Su Shan didn't grope you, did she?"

"Who are you calling an old witch?"

Su Shan followed closely behind Jiang Si and, hearing Silver Lotus's question, immediately shot back. Her voice wasn't loud, but carried a certain authority. Silver Lotus shrank and hid behind Yin Luo.

Yin Luo patted her sister's head and smiled. "Kids say silly things. Su Shan, forgive her. Jiang Si, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Su Shan didn't do anything inappropriate—she was just following regulations and has cleared my suspicion..."

Before he finished, Su Shan interrupted: "Not cleared. We just haven't found evidence yet. The fact you stepped through the clouds and fell remains. If you come back later and still can't step onto the clouds, I'll catch you again."

Su Shan said icily, "Don't think you can evade me."

Silver Lotus, hiding behind Yin Luo, immediately said, "See? Isn't she an old witch..."

Su Shan snorted and didn't dispute further. She told Yin Luo, "Send him away within thirty minutes. Don't let me see him."

"No need for you to say. Not thirty minutes—three minutes and I'll send him out."

Yin Luo replied politely. Silver Lotus, like a follower, added, "He'll never come back!"

"Better be so."

After Su Shan left, the armed special forces sealing the second floor also withdrew.

It was as if a mountain pressing on their chests had disappeared; everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Yin Luo looked at her sister and Keke and they all smiled.

Silver Lotus spoke first. "Good riddance. She brings down the mood wherever she goes."

Yin Luo flicked her younger sister's forehead, then looked at Keke and Jiang Si. "Since losing her Magical Girl power, Su Shan's temper has been bad and she's irritable. Nobody in the bureau dares provoke her. But don't mind her: though she isn't likable, Su Shan is fair and will follow regulations. If you didn't break rules, you have nothing to fear from her."

Silver Lotus commented, "I think she's the type to put obstacles in people's way."

"I don't think that far." Yin Luo shook her head. "At least I haven't seen it."

Jiang Si looked down at his shoes and felt Yin Luo perhaps didn't fully understand Su Shan.

Maybe she didn't make petty trouble; she chilled people—right in front of you.

"A minute has passed." Jiang Keke suddenly spoke softly. "Two minutes left. Is that enough to get out?"

Yin Luo grew a little embarrassed and hurried the two girls toward the exit. "Right away, right away."

"But Keke, now that you're an official Magical Girl, don't you want to meet the others? It's best to get acquainted..."

"Send Jiang Si away first."

Silver Lotus said helplessly, "Why does your tone sound like you're about to cremate your brother?"

Keke turned her head. "Isn't this all because of him that we wasted so much time at the bureau?"

"That's not your brother's fault, is it?"

Jiang Si stayed at the back, feeling the chill decrease—maybe the mana was waning. It likely wouldn't last the full forty minutes.

When they reached the corridor, a portrait of a Magical Girl on the wall gave them a goodbye gesture.

At the clouds, testing it out confirmed Su Shan's words: indeed, they could step on the clouds without falling.

It was meant to clear his suspicion and to show the bureau.

But after only a couple of steps, he started to fall again.

As Jiang Si tried to jump back up to the marble of the Disaster Control Bureau, wondering why Su Shan would set him up, he realized Keke and the Yin sisters were also beginning to plummet!

A huge wing beat lightly across the sky, almost blowing the clouds apart. A crimson body glowed like the sun, radiating terrifying heat. A long, piercing shriek nearly made people faint.

A Disaster Beast—class B. Without Magical Girls to resist it, it could destroy a city within three days.

For one to appear at the Disaster Control Bureau, it meant the place had truly been leaked through and through...

In the next second, the Disaster Beast charged straight at the four of them!