I dug up the magical girl's corpse.

Chapter 23 Beauty Under the Moon

"Epiphyllum?!"

When Chen Mu barged in, he startled Lin Yongxi.

But she was more interested in the words Chen Mu used and quickly pressed him for details.

"Yes, the epiphyllum, also known as the 'Beauty Under the Moon'."

Chen Mu didn't waste any words and went straight to the point. He frowned slightly and recited the knowledge he remembered: "You've probably heard of it, right? The epiphyllum is a cactus, a very unique ornamental flower. Its petals are large and pure white, very beautiful, but it only blooms at night, and it usually withers quickly after a few hours..."

He said to Lin Yongxi, "In other words, it symbolizes 'fleeting beauty'."

"Epiphyllum..."

Lin Yongxi's head was buzzing. The moment he heard the word, he seemed to realize something, and his body trembled.

No, to be more precise, it is the heart that is beating, and with this understanding, the Seed of the Heart responds.

It is the epiphyllum.

The moment the words left his mouth, his palm felt a slight warmth.

She subconsciously looked down and saw a phantom-like and exquisite flower of light and shadow slowly blooming in her palm.

The petals are layered upon layered, presenting an almost transparent, creamy white color, with a graceful and unrestrained shape. The center of the flower is tinged with an extremely pale yellow, and the stamens are slender. The entire flower is shrouded in a soft, hazy light, and the edges of the pure white petals seem to still be moistened by the night dew, exuding an indescribable, cool, and pure beauty.

It is the legendary night-blooming cereus, which only appears once in the dead of night.

"It's you... no doubt about it."

Lin Yongxi stared intently, unwilling to turn her head, feeling inexplicably delighted, and unconsciously smiled, her eyes welling up with tears again.

The fleeting flower she saw last night was indeed the epiphyllum. At this moment, she felt a strong connection with it and would never forget it.

The light illuminated the girl's face, turning her eyes white, but unfortunately it didn't last long.

The next second, the flower disappeared again.

"Hmm...Eh?"

Lin Yongxi panicked immediately, and when he tried to condense magic power again, he was unable to do so.

"It seems that this is a characteristic of the [Epiphyllum oxypetalum] type."

Chen Mu stood to the side, pouring cold water on the excited girl's enthusiasm: "Because the epiphyllum only blooms at night and its blooming time is extremely short, magical girls who possess this flower are also troubled by this problem. The blooming time is unpredictable, often beyond their control, and its short duration makes it difficult to sustain combat for extended periods..."

He gave an example:

"To put it simply, it's like a faulty incandescent light bulb that flickers every now and then."

"How could you say that...!"

Lin Yongxi stood up angrily. Ever since she learned about her "Heart Flower," she had developed a sense of belonging and care for this epiphyllum.

"I'm just stating the facts," Chen Mu said, his tone devoid of any emotion.

She was extremely unwilling and somewhat disappointed, saying, "So, does that mean the [Epiphyllum] is a flawed flower of the heart? People with this kind of flower, even if they have magical talent, are destined not to become magical girls? If my magic is unreliable in battle, what am I supposed to do? Isn't it impossible to deal with?"

You wouldn't guess it at first glance, but this girl can be quite pessimistic at times.

"Alright."

Chen Mu tapped her on the head to shut her up.

"Since I said I would help you become a magical girl, I will definitely do it."

He looked into Lin Yongxi's eyes and continued, "There is no distinction between superior and inferior magical girls' 'Heart Blossoms.' Even in terms of popularity and conceptual level, there are different categories. Special magical properties, if used properly, can give even a 'Quiet Flower' a unique advantage. Trust me, I am now a real instructor."

He smiled, as if he had thought of something very interesting.

"Well……"

Lin Yongxi covered her head, still not quite understanding what her brother-in-law was talking about.

But since he was the one who discovered the matter of the "ephemeral flower," perhaps it wasn't as unbelievable as he initially thought.

Maybe if we believe him, something good will really happen?

...

The two enjoyed a luxurious breakfast, which was actually a pancake made by Chen Mu himself. It's something you can easily make at home: spread the batter in a frying pan, fill it with an egg, ham, lettuce, and crispy crackers, and then brush it with sweet bean sauce and chili sauce. Lin Chaojing commented that it was good enough to set up a stall outside. With freshly ground hot soy milk, it was truly a delightful morning treat.

Chen Mu said that this was a "victory celebration" for Lin Yongxi's awakening of her heart flower, and suddenly it wasn't so enjoyable anymore.

Lin Yongxi chewed on the pancake, glancing at her brother-in-law's expression, and had a feeling that he was plotting something bad.

As expected, after eating and resting for a while, Chen Mu took her upstairs.

However, it wasn't in the bedroom on the second floor, but rather on the third floor, in a new area.

The scene here is completely different from downstairs; it doesn't feel like a residential area. It's bright and spacious.

One side is lined with basic fitness equipment such as treadmills and dumbbell racks, while the other side is a very spacious open space.

Most strikingly, the walls and ceiling are covered with thick, cushioned metal protective plates. There are no windows, only a few cold fluorescent lights embedded in the ceiling for illumination. The floor is covered with special impact-resistant mats. The entire space is enclosed and sturdy, with excellent sound insulation, resembling a meticulously crafted indoor training ground.

Or, to put it another way, a miniature fortress.

"Wow……"

Lin Yongxi was stunned as she looked around. She never expected there to be such a place in this building; she had never been up here before.

"After all, the two of us live in such a big house, and there are still many floors that we don't use, so of course we need to renovate it."

Chen Mu smiled and explained, patting the dust around him, "It was originally used by Chao Jing, but she didn't need it anymore, so I used it myself."

"You use...? How do you use it?"

Lin Yongxi could roughly tell from the layout that this was probably a training ground for magical girls, judging from the bulletproof steel plates.

But what does he mean by using that?

When she turned around, she was stunned to find Chen Mu slowly taking off his clothes.

He took off his windbreaker, revealing a black, close-fitting training uniform underneath.

The fabric clung to his body, clearly outlining his smooth and powerful muscle lines. You would never guess he had such a physique when he was dressed.

He is tall with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His muscles are not exaggeratedly sculpted in the gym, but rather lean, well-proportioned, and contain highly efficient explosive power and endurance.

"bring it on."

Just standing there, he naturally exuded a calm yet dangerous aura, yet his expression remained gentle: "Let's have a fight first."