"You did so much for Aleister, just to et ? I don’t think I have that kind of charm."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu stood at the door the whole ti. He knew how dangerous Su Xiao was; this was definitely a cold-hearted killer.
"No need to be so cautious. If sothing were to happen to you here, I wouldn’t be able to get past Aleister, and other forces would also co looking for trouble."
Su Xiao’s mind was unaffected, making his actions noticeably calr and more organized.
"It’s just a mutually beneficial relationship."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu walked into the room and sat on the sofa. He always wore sunglasses to prevent others from seeing his eyes, the windows to the mind. As a spy, if others saw through his thoughts, death would not be far away.
According to the original story, Tsuchimikado Motoharu is a carefree teenager, but in reality, he is ticulous and calm in handling matters. Unlike other spies, he would go to great lengths for his friends and would not care if he beca enemies with the whole world to protect his non-biological sister.
"You t for so information? I can’t think of any other reason."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu interlaced his fingers and leaned forward.
"Of course. My visit to Academy City is to find sothing."
"What thing?"
"The Mortal Soul Code, that’s what it should be called."
"..."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu fell silent. His eyes behind the sunglasses squinted, and after a long pause, he sighed.
"Sorry, that thing might no longer exist in this world. Your efforts are destined to be a waste of ti."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu got up and walked towards the door.
"To find that thing, I will do many things I wouldn’t want to do."
Sitting on the bed, Su Xiao smiled while watching Tsuchimikado Motoharu, who paused and turned to look at Su Xiao.
"You..."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu’s voice was low, his jaw muscles tense.
"If you dare to harm those around , I’ll go to hell with you, even if it ans making a deal with a Demon God."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu pushed up the bridge of his sunglasses.
"It seems you’ve misunderstood sothing."
Su Xiao did not intend to threaten Tsuchimikado Motoharu by targeting those around him, as it would be the least efficient choice. Doing so would significantly reduce the reliability of the obtained information.
"To be precise, I still don’t exactly know what the Mortal Soul Code is. No need to be so surprised. I’m not looking for it to gain power or knowledge. My goal is simple: just to find it."
"To find the Mortal Soul Code..."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu pondered for a mont and then thought of sothing.
"Does your organization want you to bring back the Mortal Soul Code?"
"To be broader, just to find it. If the situation becos dire, the thing can be destroyed at any ti."
"Sorry, I don’t trust you."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu shook his head, knowing what the Mortal Soul Code was and how dangerous it could be.
"Think carefully about what I did just to et you. You can think of it this way: just for a clue, I risked helping Aleister kill a Saint of the Magic Side. If I can’t get clues to the Mortal Soul Code..."
Su Xiao didn’t continue. If he failed the Third-tier Promotion Task and all attributes dropped by 10, he would be close to death; it was now a matter of life and death.
After a long pause, Tsuchimikado Motoharu sighed and sat back on the sofa.
"If I don’t provide clues, do we go to hell together? It has nothing to do with those around ?"
"You can understand it that way."
"Sheer misfortune; soone is waiting for to finish eating."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu relaxed, his eyes looking at the ceiling, as a gentle breeze blew the white curtains from the window.
"The Mortal Soul Code, also called the Evil Spirit Magic Book—compared to what’s recorded on the Mortal Soul Code, things like Black Magic and Taboo Magic are child’s play. It’s rumored that thing was created to disrupt the balance of the world’s construct. It’s a force surpassing elents, simplified as a kind of collapse that can destroy everything, achieving a state of permanent destruction."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu paused here.
"Now you see how dangerous the thing you’re looking for is, so give up quickly."
"Continue."
Su Xiao extended his hand, signaling Tsuchimikado Motoharu to continue. Tsuchimikado Motoharu grinned and quickly thought; he had t Su Xiao after receiving Aleister’s ssage.
"About 400 years ago, a magician mastered the techniques on the Mortal Soul Code. Surprisingly, when the magician first used the power of the Mortal Soul Code, he self-destructed. A city was buried with him. When the Cross Church learned about this, they sent people to search for the Mortal Soul Code, eventually declaring publicly that they had found it and stored it in the Magic Forbidden Book. In reality, they did not find the Mortal Soul Code.
years ago, another magician discovered the Mortal Soul Code, with the sa scene as 400 years ago. The magician exploded, but he didn’t destroy towns; he self-destructed by a lake.
After the magician died, the Cross Church imdiately went to the scene. It’s said that the lake’s water beca gaseous water, and everything that ca into contact with the gaseous water was completely decomposed. This gaseous water’s destructive power was imnse and would drift with the wind. The Cross Church worked for over ten years to calm the situation. Strangely, the Mortal Soul Code disappeared again."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu narrated the origin and dangers of the Mortal Soul Code to Su Xiao.
"So, it’s a technology? Once mastered, it’s like a disposable powerful weapon?"
Su Xiao was sowhat puzzled; if that were the case, Tsuchimikado Motoharu wouldn’t have been so hesitant to reveal information about the Mortal Soul Code. Of course, the information about the Mortal Soul Code was just Tsuchimikado Motoharu’s word.
"If that’s all it was, the Mortal Soul Code wouldn’t be considered highly dangerous. However, one aspect makes it one of the most dangerous magic books: things destroyed by that power cannot be restored. For example, that lake is now an unfathomable pit. The Cross Church attempted to fill it, but it was impossible. Under the world’s rules, it’s collapsed and destroyed, never to be restored by any thod. Whether with soil filling or stone stacking, after midnight, it reverts to a pit, and the filler material doesn’t return to its place but vanishes, disappearing from the world."
After hearing Tsuchimikado Motoharu’s description, Su Xiao understood the general function of the Mortal Soul Code. It recorded a technology or spell, and things destroyed by that ability were erased from "existence," which ans irreversible destruction.
"Just like that? Do you think I would study the technology and then go to a big city to destroy it along with myself?"
Tsuchimikado Motoharu smiled bitterly at Su Xiao’s words.
"Of course not. The Mortal Soul Code is indeed dangerous, but its actual value isn’t high. Furthermore, every ti soone masters the technology, the Mortal Soul Code mysteriously disappears for a long ti."
"Why not tell where it is so I can make it disappear permanently."
"I can’t do that."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu was sowhat helpless.
"I honestly don’t know the exact location of that thing. Do you believe ?"
"I don’t."
"I knew you would answer like that. Maybe I’ve been infected by soone’s misfortune."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu sighed.
"However, there’s a recent rumor—just a rumor—of soone discovering the Mortal Soul Code, and that person intends to do sothing with it."
"Tell who that person is, and let’s pretend we’ve never t, no further entanglents."
"I was waiting for you to say that."
Whether it was the ’fallout’ or ’struggles’ before, Tsuchimikado Motoharu had been waiting for Su Xiao to say that. Once the information was provided, the two would have no further entanglents—a survival principle for spies.
"Mokuhara."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu said just two words and then got up to leave.
"Many trees?"
Su Xiao asked.
"An older generation."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu closed the door behind him. After leaving the room, he let out a long sigh.
"Mokuhara Clan, don’t bla . It’s your choice."
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