Chương 117: The Shadow's Decision and the Glass's Thoughts

Jiying, who was somewhat confused and even began to ponder the meaning of life because of Yinxue's intimate "rubbing", instantly woke up after hearing Liuli's question.

She knew that this was just like the question of "whether she knew Xing Shuang"—a question she could not avoid no matter what. After admitting the former, it was almost natural to be asked the latter.

However, she was somewhat at a loss as to how to answer this question.

Looking back, the reason she chose to run away after being discovered by Yin Xue was to avoid having too much interaction with Liu Li and Yin Xue under the identity of "Ji Ying".

After all, she already had enough secrets to hide, and I really didn't want to cause any more trouble.

However, they naturally interpreted this behavior as her "wanting to hide her identity," and she could no longer directly state the initial truth, "I just don't want to get involved with you." More importantly, admitting that she was Jiying meant that the image of the mysterious and powerful black knight would inevitably crumble.

If, originally, Ruri would have maintained a high degree of vigilance and distance when facing the heavily armored knight "Silent Shadow," whose allegiance was unknown and whose intentions were uncertain, and even if they met again, she might not have dared to engage in in-depth communication with him easily— So, facing "Xiaoying," whose "true colors" have been seen through by her and who has been completely stripped of her dignity by Yin Xue, she naturally no longer has as many concerns as before.

It's likely that after getting the answer to this question, Liuli will immediately steer the conversation toward Mirror Lord, that apostle from the Void Realm.

As for Jingjue's various affairs, and the deeper conspiracies and dangers that might be involved, these were precisely the things she had been trying her best to prevent her two juniors from knowing too early.

After all, deep down, she always had an almost obsessive protective instinct and a habit of bearing everything alone, always thinking of keeping all dangers and shadows firmly out of sight of the people she cared about.

But—the current situation seems to no longer allow her to continue doing so.

Is keeping everything from them and keeping them completely unaware of the lurking dangers really the best way to protect them?

That bastard Jingjue is clearly plotting something even more sinister in the shadows. Moreover, during his previous negotiations with me, he showed unusual interest in Liuli on several occasions.

She still couldn't accurately determine whether Jingjue's attention was directed solely at Liuli or at all Stardust-level magical girls like Liuli and Yinxue.

She had no way of knowing whether the other party was after something specific or simply enjoying the thrill of manipulating their prey and watching them struggle in despair.

But no matter which possibility it is, she absolutely cannot accept that, under these circumstances, Liuli and Yinxue's understanding of Jingjue is still limited to what she told them in the form of that black knight: "He is an apostle of the Void Realm, and he is plotting something."

That is clearly far from enough, and could even be described as—a very dangerous thing.

So perhaps now is the right time for me to tell them more about the truth of Jingjue.

Thinking of this, Ji Ying's eyes gradually hardened.

She looked at Liuli and slowly nodded: "The reason I chose to hide my identity at first was because I sensed something very dangerous. Xingshuang also shared some of her concerns with me before leaving Jiangchuan City."

"She discovered a lurking malice towards magical girls in this city, which is why she asked me to stay here, partly to assist you, and partly—to have me investigate these matters secretly."

"My initial choice to avoid too much contact with you, and even to run away after being discovered by you, was because I was worried that what I was investigating, and my special identity as a 'Virtual Apostle,' might bring you unnecessary trouble and danger."

"I didn't want you to get involved in these complicated and dangerous vortexes before things became clear, but I didn't expect you to 'catch' me so quickly."

As she finished speaking, a bitter smile with a hint of self-deprecation appeared on her face.

After listening to Jiying's detailed explanation, the confusion on Liuli's face gradually gave way to understanding and worry. She asked softly, "But we knew about this beforehand, is that alright?"

Jiying gently shook her head: "Since I chose to tell you this, it means I think it's okay for you to know these things, and Xingshuang will agree with my judgment."

Liuli finally felt completely relieved and nodded seriously: "I see—I understand."

Jiying hesitated for a moment, her expression turning serious. She looked at Liuli and Yinxue and said in a deep voice, "Next, I have something very important to tell you."

"Star Frost—on the night I told you not to pay any attention to the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs' distress call, she was attacked by Mirror Lord."

Before the two could react, she immediately added, "However, you don't need to worry about her; Starfrost won that battle."

"But I don't know much about the specific details of the battle, so you shouldn't try to ask me for more information for now."

Upon hearing Jiying's words, Liuli and Yinxue seemed to recover from their shock and breathed a sigh of relief. However, the worry and lingering fear on their faces had not completely disappeared.

"Is Senior Xingshuang really alright?" Yin Xue's voice trembled slightly.

"Yes, at least from what I've heard, she's alright," Ji Ying replied affirmatively.

Liuli's brows furrowed slightly. She astutely grasped another key piece of information in Jiying's words and pressed for details: "What is the connection between this matter and Senior Xingshuang's earlier instruction to temporarily ignore the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs' distress signals?"

"There's a strong connection." Ji Ying nodded.

"Because that night, Xing Shuang received a distress signal from the Bureau of Extraordinary Events before rushing to the attack site, while at the same time, your contracted spirit didn't give any warning."

"The energy fluctuations in that illusory bubble were clearly deliberately concealed by Mirror Lord using some special means, but the Bureau of Extraterrestrial Affairs' monitoring system still accurately detected them and sent a distress signal to Starfrost."

"This is enough to show that there is a traitor lurking within the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs."

Upon hearing this, Yin Xue suddenly remembered something and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Then what about that Mirror Lord you confronted earlier? Did he manage to escape from Senior Xing Shuang's clutches?"

Jiying shook his head slightly: "No, this is exactly what I want to remind you of next. That night, Xingshuang only defeated a mirror image."

"That guy has the ability to create multiple mirror images and can even jump between them. He's a far more cunning and troublesome enemy than you can imagine."

"The Mirror Lord I encountered in the park before was very likely also a mirror image."

Looking at the stunned expressions on Liuli and Yinxue's faces, she spoke with unprecedented seriousness, each word a carefully chosen instruction:

"Therefore, for a long time to come, whenever you learn of any infiltration from the Void Realm, you must notify me or Xing Shuang so that we can meet up before heading there. You cannot go alone, understand?"

Upon hearing this, Liuli and Yinxue both nodded subconsciously, but their faces showed worry in unison.

Upon suddenly learning that such a strange and powerful enemy was lurking in this seemingly peaceful city, they were naturally far from relaxed.

Seeing the undisguised worry on their faces, Ji Ying's tone softened slightly as he tried to comfort them: "Of course, you don't need to worry too much. At least tonight's operation was very successful."

"I've successfully made Mirror Lord see me as one of his 'kind.' After that, I'll continue to try to gather more information about him and work hard to figure out what his so-called 'plan' really is."

"Furthermore, with my status as the 'Apostle of the Void Realm,' even if he does intend to attack you two in the future, I can try to—create some minor trouble for him, so that he won't dare to act so recklessly."

Upon hearing this, Yin Xue asked, "So, how should we contact you for a while? Or... how about we exchange contact information?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Ying shook her head and offered a pre-prepared excuse, which was also the safest option under the current circumstances:

"No need for that. If you want to contact me, just call Senior Xing Shuang's number."

"?" Yin Xue and Liu Li exclaimed at the same time, clearly not understanding what she meant.

Ji Ying ignored their surprise, calmly repeated what she had just said, and then added:

"As you can probably guess, Xing Shuang's departure from Jiangchuan City wasn't for a business trip, but rather for something very important and dangerous that she had to handle personally."

"She was worried that unforeseen circumstances might arise here while she was away, and she wouldn't be able to get back immediately, so she entrusted me with the cell phone she uses to contact you for safekeeping."

"That way, if you encounter any emergency that you can't handle, I can get to your side in the shortest possible time."

"So that's how it is!" Yin Xue's face showed an "I understand" expression, and her admiration and gratitude for Xing Shuang deepened even more.

Liuli nodded thoughtfully. Although she felt that Jiying's explanation sounded somewhat strange, she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Ji Ying glanced at the two girls in front of her, feeling that she had said most of what she wanted to say, and then said, "Alright, it's getting late, I have some things to do, so I'll take my leave first."

After waving goodbye to the two, her figure disappeared quickly and silently, as if blending into the shadows.

Once again, only Liuli and Yinxue remained in the park. They looked in the direction where Jiying had disappeared and remained silent for a moment.

Finally, it was Liuli who broke the silence first. She turned to her partner beside her and asked softly, "Yinxue—what do you think?"

Yin Xue scratched her hair in distress, her face showing a conflicted expression that perfectly reflected her current mood.

"I don't know either. I have so much to say about everything I learned today, but when all these things are put together, I don't know how to start."

"I suddenly learned too many things; I feel like my head is about to explode."

Upon hearing this answer, which was very much in Yin Xue's personal style, Liu Li revealed a faint smile.

She reached out and gently patted her partner's shoulder, her voice still soft, but carrying an unprecedented firmness: "I think—something Xiaoying said before is very true."

"Ultimately, becoming strong yourself is the most important thing, isn't it?"

"Yinxue, we must strive to become stronger, at least—so we don't hold Senior Xingshuang and Xiaoying back anymore." Yinxue nodded emphatically, "Xiaoli, you're right! Let's work hard together!"

Liuli responded with a soft "Mmm".

But then, her expression suddenly became hesitant. She subconsciously bit her lower lip and softly called out to her partner.

Yin Xue turned her head in confusion, looking at Liu Li beside her: "What's wrong? Xiao Li?"

Liuli looked at her, opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she just gently shook her head: "It's nothing."

"It's getting late, I should head back now. See you tomorrow."

After saying this, without waiting for Yin Xue to reply, her figure transformed into a deep blue streak of light and disappeared into the night sky.

Yin Xue stood there, looking in the direction Liu Li had left, a hint of worry showing on her face.

"Xiao Li... seems to have something on her mind—"