Yamada Mukawa's Approach / From Fake to Real

Looking at the word "Attendance" written on these two alarm clocks, something came to mind.

"Going to work... is this host's job. She works for the government, so perhaps we can use her identity to find the next host and learn more about this world."

"Moreover, the death of the previous host was too strange. That aura was spiritual energy... there's no mistake, because I can't parasitize the person who killed the host with such spiritual energy; it can only be transferred to the body of the current host. So, does this so-called scientific world also have those damned cultivators?"

Not much different from the original Natsukawa Yuki, this independent individual washed up, prepared breakfast, changed clothes, and left home, heading to her workplace.

Her gaze was calm, showing no anger over the previous host's actions.

As she browsed through the current host's memories, her understanding of this world gradually deepened, especially after learning about the silver jade.

"Urban legend? The Guardian of Silver Pellets? A rare cultivator... If that's the case, then this is truly a remarkable world."

The strange language she once spoke had been replaced by the language of this country, and she was surprisingly adept at using the smart devices in her hands, unlike someone who had never used them before. She browsed through the information she had found on her phone, from history to the evolution of technology, and then to the current leaders of the country. Through these things, she gradually figured out some things.

"It seems I was right, this must be the world."

The woman gazed at the bustling street, the crowds coming and going, and the not insignificant number of Ghosts mingling among them. These Ghosts stood in stark contrast to the world around them, revealing a glimpse into its true nature.

Can you see it?

Seemingly sensing her gaze, a Ghosts approached her, attempting to block her path. These Ghosts, as usual, harassed those humans who could see them within the crowd. However, today, they had chosen the wrong target.

"A brilliant tactic, managing to separate and oppose the two forces with such power. However, no matter how you look at it, this approach is nothing short of self-deception."

Her hand landed on the Ghosts's body, not through Ghosts, but directly on Ghosts shoulder, as if the Ghosts itself were a physical entity.

Before the Ghosts could react, its body turned into a pile of dust and scattered on the ground. The Ghosts that had stopped to watch seemed to have never seen it, completely ignoring Natsukawa Yuki and continuing their wandering.

Having done all this, Natsukawa Yuki made no further move, simply continuing on her way to work, feeling somewhat dissatisfied.

"As expected, those guys don't possess that peculiar energy, so it can't be converted into spiritual energy. And this body can't do anything else either; in this world without spiritual energy, there's simply no way to cultivate spiritual energy on its own."

"But if it's about murder..."

Her brow furrowed. The inexplicable death of her previous host made her realize that causing such a death again might bring death upon her current host. Moreover, with the affairs of the two hosts, it would be difficult for her existence to go unnoticed. Lacking power, it was unrealistic for her to contend with that or those cultivators without a host.

Ultimately, it was still too weak. The original seal on it was already extremely powerful, and it suffered suppression from this world, which added another layer of seal on it with the extraordinary power of this world. Such a long period of time had long since erased its original physical body, leaving only a trace of consciousness. With the spiritual energy supplied by its previous host, its strength had only recovered a little, a very insignificant little, far from its peak.

And the guy who sealed it... he's probably long dead, right? A normal Enlightenment Cultivator only has a lifespan of 1,200 years, at most 1,500 years. That's the limitation of heaven and earth. No matter how powerful that guy was, he wouldn't have lived until now.

Unless, he breaks free from the shackles of heaven and earth.

Seeking revenge is now impossible.

Chapter 218 Regarding Yamada Mukawa's Actions

Yamada Mukawa's location was actually quite easy to find. After narrowing down the area, Yotsuya Miko easily found the person who looked almost exactly like the one in the photo Yuria had given her, thanks to her Spiritual Sense.

Looking at the cars parked on the side of the street, she felt very calm, as calm as if she were just going out for a walk.

After killing Shimakawa Kameyo through her own means, she had a fleeting doubt, wondering if she should have killed him. But since he was already dead, the conclusions drawn about his death were meaningless.

Rather than agonizing over it, it would be far better to simply admit that she was a selfish, heartless murderer. Therefore, in dealing with matters like Yamada Mukawa, Yotsuya Miko no longer felt any moral pressure. As long as she lacked morality, she could tackle many problems head-on, just like now.

Using Hiding Concealment Technique, she entered the villa where Yamada Mukawa lived with little effort.

At this moment, Yamada Mukawa was still in his study looking at a case file concerning Shimakawa Kameyo. His keen intuition made him realize the value that this long-dead man Shimakawa Kameyo, could bring to the forces behind him, and thus he was pondering how to use the Shimakawa Kameyo incident to achieve his own goals.

Just as Yuria had thought, Shimakawa Kameyo's status as the former head of the Special Affairs Department and his feud with the head of the Investigation Department, Okita Qishen, were enough to muddy the waters of this incident. However, this approach would not lead to serious consequences, as Okita Qishen and the subsequent Wagen Family would prioritize making concessions on the agreement. But this approach would cause a slight unpleasantness in the conversation between Yotsuya Miko and the Wagen Family.

Yotsuya Miko didn't want this situation to happen, so she decided to use a simple and direct method.

Hiding Concealment Technique to hide her presence, she entered the study without Yamada Mukawa noticing. Gazing at Yamada Mukawa engrossed in his documents, she casually cast a pre-prepared incantation into his mind.

This technique wasn't about complete control, but rather about making Yamada Mukawa ignore Shimakawa Kameyo's affairs. Miko's control techniques weren't fully mastered; she'd only achieved some results and couldn't truly alter someone's mind. She could only subtly guide Yamada Mukawa towards her direction, ultimately leading him completely to her interests. This natural process was the only way to prevent the technique from being broken.

However, while it's impossible to turn Yamada Mukawa into her person in a short time, it's not so difficult to make Yamada Mukawa ignore Shimakawa Kameyo's affairs. The resolve to betray one's original stance and to ignore the potential benefits are completely different.

The revisions are complete.

Looking at Yamada Mukawa, who had paused in his tracks, Yotsuya Miko finally realized the enormous gap between herself and these exorcists.

With just a single incantation, the memories and actions of these extraordinary individuals could be easily altered. This was true for Yamada Mukawa, and it's likely true for the leaders of the forces above the Divine Gate. So, what was she really doing back then? Was she just playing around?

In that instant, she suddenly wanted to use this technique on all the publicly known leaders of the country. In that case, all the troubles she had envisioned would disappear. Moreover, even if the country had a backup plan that she was unaware of, the grand formation she had set up would be enough to deal with it. Such a formation was already beyond the scope of power. Given the foundation of this world, it was impossible for it to have a backup plan to counter it.

However, this thought only flashed through her mind, remaining just a fleeting idea. Shimakawa Kameyo had already killed several people due to his cultivation technique, and only the presence of Divine Gate and the police prevented the continuous slaughter. And what about her? If she were to actually choose to use such a large-scale control technique and go on a killing spree, would she be able to return to her normal state afterward?

Will you then resort to control spells whenever you think of something, trying to control your teachers, classmates, and even your family?

There's no need to go too far.

Miko was about to leave the villa after taking one last look at Yamada Mukawa, she suddenly remembered something. So she cast another spell into the chief's body, a spell she had used before— Blood Soul Nightmare Entry.

Yuria had previously told her that Shimakawa Kameyo was a member of Yamada Mukawa's faction. Could the Chief be involved in what happened at the exchange for the last batch of materials? Yotsuya Miko kept this in mind for the time being.

Using Hiding Concealment Technique, she left the villa and returned to her own home, silently awaiting what was to come.

If nothing unexpected happens, after meeting with the head of the Wagen Family and completing the transfer of interests, the affairs of Divine Gate and the subsequent Divine Gate struggles will no longer be her concern. All that remains for her are the strange spiritual energy on Kamikakushi Mountain and the matter of that shrine. And these matters have not yet shown much destructiveness.

If possible, she could spend her high school years peacefully, delving deeply into her studies until she fully understood them. That way, she would truly be prepared for anything that might happen. In university, or after university, she could consider going to the world of the Gate of the Underworld to search for information about the creation of the Nightmare Refining Art. By then, she should have reached the realm of Nascent Soul Stage, which is the Golden Core realm.

As things stand, after defeating the Xuanming Python, she is not far from the Core Formation stage. Her cultivation has greatly improved, but her skills in using techniques and Artifact Refining are completely lagging behind. Even with Zhang Qiudao's knowledge as a foundation, these shortcomings will require many years of refinement. And what Miko lacks most right now is time to consolidate her foundation.

If given two or three years, she is confident that she can undergo a complete transformation, truly mastering all her skills and no longer relying solely on her cultivation level and top-tier techniques to bully others.

Yamada Mukawa was unaware of either Yotsuya Miko's arrival or her departure. He simply stared at the documents in front of him, noticing Shimakawa Kameyo frown, and felt as if he had forgotten something.

"He's gone missing? That's really not good news. If he manages to expose those things..."

Upon hearing the news of Shimakawa Kameyo's disappearance, Yamada Mukawa's first thought was about the framing of Shimakawa Kameyo during that settlement. If this disappearance was due to Okita Qishen, then it was highly likely that Shimakawa Kameyo would learn the truth about what happened back then from him.

"Therefore... it's best to eliminate the impact of this matter. If Shimakawa Kameyo isn't dead, he must be."

After that, he had no other thoughts. He just suddenly yawned and felt a wave of fatigue wash over him.

Looking at the clock on the study wall, Chief Yamada sighed at his age, realizing he was probably reaching an age where his physical strength was failing.

So he quickly tidied up and prepared to rest.

Chapter 219 From False to True

"Strange, I was supposed to have a fever yesterday?"

Natsukawa Yuki glanced at the date on her phone and turned off the annoying alarm clock. She scrolled through the alarm clock screen and found that several alarms had been turned off.

And as the alarm clock went off, something even stranger happened: her phone still had 91% battery left, meaning she hadn't touched it all night.

"... That's so strange."

The date was skipped by a day, skipping yesterday. She couldn't remember anything that happened that day, only that she seemed to have a fever and fainted in the morning. But if that was the case, she would either still be lying on the floor or have been taken to the hospital. Her phone battery shouldn't be that low either; calls and messages from her boss, along with several late alarms, would fill up her lock screen.

What happened?

She was completely baffled, but it was already time for her to go to work.

Compared to yesterday's weakness, I feel perfectly healthy today, with no signs of feeling drained of my vitality. My mind is also clear; I haven't suffered from sleep deprivation due to staying up late, and I don't feel tired when I wake up.

She put on her slippers, and the clothes that had been scattered everywhere were neatly folded on the chair. Passing by the kitchen, the greasy dishes that hadn't been washed for days were gone, and the sink was spotless. The garbage bags piled up in the living room were gone, the dirty clothes in the bathroom were gone, and freshly washed clothes were hanging to dry on the balcony.

Even after Natsukawa Yuki finished washing up, she still felt somewhat incredulous, as if someone had suddenly come to her house and done all these things for her. But... what exactly happened?

Before she could think any further, the intense pain made her clutch her head, and she lost consciousness for a moment. When she stood up again, she was a different person.

"Indeed, it's quite remarkable. Even when her energy is squeezed out like this, it will recover after a period of time, which is much more peculiar than spiritual energy."

She murmured to herself as she went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for herself. She ate slowly at the table, feeling the increase in Life Energy within her.

She had observed that this energy was not increased in the body through food.

"An established rule defines that food intake can provide energy, even if the concept of food itself is not real."

"Natsukawa Yuki" looked at the fried egg on the plate, tore off a piece with her knife and fork, and put it in her mouth. The moment this small piece of golden-brown egg white entered her esophagus, energy was generated, without any digestion process. "She" originally thought that the host of this body was an isolated case, but after observation, she found that this phenomenon existed in every "person".

"Within the rules of operation, Spiritual Power is also subject to them."

Although the host's identity limited her access to information, she still learned about the extraordinary power of this world through certain means, the kind of power called Spiritual Power that existed in the first host.

"Spiritual Power sustained by this energy allows these extraordinary individuals, known as exorcists, to see Ghosts that exist without energy but survive in another form, as they use this energy to distinguish between humans and Ghosts. Consequently, spiritual energy is something that shouldn't exist in this world, and cultivators from the Xuanhui Realm have entered this world. While the idea is good, using this energy to extract spiritual energy has a serious consequence."

"But--"

After putting the last piece of fried egg into her mouth, the woman placed the knife and fork on the porcelain plate, picked up the plate, and took it to the kitchen sink to wash it.

"What does this have to do with me? I'd love for this world to be destroyed so I can regain my power and solidify my physical form as soon as possible."

In any world, an existence like "her" is abhorrent. Precisely because of this abhorrence, the consciousness of each world, upon learning of "her" aura, will mobilize cause and effect to send out Heavenly Mandate Holder to besiege and kill her. These so-called Heavenly Mandate Holder often possess power far exceeding that of others of the same realm, making them the most useful weapons in the hands of the World Consciousness.

Normally, these Heavenly Mandate Holder are unaware of the World Consciousness's control over them, and even if it tries to seduce or persuade them, they will steadfastly stand on the side of their own world. However, occasional exceptions may occur.

"Splash--"

The running water from the tap washed away the grease on the porcelain plate, and the remaining grease was wiped away with a cloth. After another rinse, the plate looked brand new.

Natsukawa Yuki wiped away the water stains, held up the plate and examined both sides repeatedly, quite satisfied with the reflection. She then placed the plate in a nearby cabinet, along with the remaining cutlery.

"Dishwashing liquid, a technological creation of this world. It's truly astonishing that a world that developed without spiritual energy would produce such a product for something like this."

Looking at the dish soap beside her, "she" couldn't help but think of an old acquaintance. An old and strange fellow, the Heavenly Mandate Holder of the Xuanhui Realm. This fellow destroyed "her" physical body, and because he couldn't destroy "her" True Spirit, he sealed "her" in the Netherworld beneath the Nine Nether, in the Netherworld of the Xuanhui Realm.

Having traversed and destroyed countless worlds, and killed numerous Heavenly Mandate Holder, she was truly astonished when she encountered this man. Although the Xuanhui Realm was a powerful world, how could he, whose upper limit and even lifespan were locked by the World Consciousness, have reached such a realm?

However... no matter how powerful that guy is, he still can't escape the calculations of the World Consciousness.

"Unless you destroy the world like I did, but that would indeed severely damage the World Consciousness, but it would also destroy yourself. After all, the Heavenly Mandate Holder are ultimately insects dependent on the world, parasites that develop by relying on the world."

She shook her head, not particularly optimistic about this guy. Although this Xuanhui Realm cultivator had destroyed his physical body, she had quite a few enemies throughout the myriad realms, and her physical body had been destroyed more than once or twice. As for sealing, she had experienced it several times before.

"These Heavenly Mandate Holder is locked are the most pitiful. Indeed, a world that has exhausted its development potential will only cause itself to wither faster if it allows these Heavenly Mandate Holder to transcend the world. The Xuanhui Realm only has thirty-two Enlightenment Realm Ones, which is the only capacity this world can accommodate. If that guy were to transcend, or if an additional Enlightenment Realm were to be added, it would be a disaster for the world itself."

"However, I'm not much better off."

This person from beyond the realm stretched out his hand, sensing the rules within his body.

"Even if this world were to possess spiritual energy, it would only extend one's lifespan. This applies to the current host and to future hosts alike. Changing hosts consumes a vast amount of energy, and the energy required to reshape the physical body is even greater. I have no opportunity to escape this world; I am trapped within it until this world dies or its limits are raised. This is a long process, a transformation from false to true."

Chapter 220 A Glimpse

The dead Shimakawa Kameyo was actually a scapegoat, used to test his attitude towards Divine Gate and the government, and to reduce his goodwill towards Okita Qishen and the Wagen Family behind him.

"That really taught me a good lesson."

Initially, Yotsuya Miko thought she couldn't bring herself to be ruthless, but after witnessing this series of schemes, her softened heart hardened again. For a moment, she considered flipping the table and simply brainwashing the entire government hierarchy. However, in the end, she gave up.

Bottom line, bottom line.

She silently muttered to herself, feeling absurdly like an idiot. Even after being outmaneuvered to this extent, she still didn't intend to overturn the table and directly use her strength to resolve everything.

But originally, she only intended to live a peaceful life.

So she could only comfort herself.

"Yotsuya Miko, think about Zhang Qiudao's fate. That guy destroyed a world thinking he could transcend it, but in the end, didn't he still die a horrible death? This world also has beings like the Heavenly Dao, wasn't the previous Heavenly Dao Oath just that? So stop thinking about killing and brainwashing. Killing Shimakawa Kameyo is one thing, his existence is a threat. Killing Yamada Mukawa is another, he schemed against you. But what about others..."

Come to think of it, wasn't Divine Gate initially seen as a threat by her? And how did things gradually...?

Yotsuya Miko suddenly froze, her Spiritual Sense instinctively expanding, but she quickly frowned and withdrew it again.

She didn't know why she suddenly reacted this way, but she simply took out a notebook and began writing down what she had initially planned to do.

"First, I needed to deal with the Divine Gate problem, so that Divine Gate and the government of this country wouldn't focus their attention on me, giving me some time to develop. The result was slightly less than ideal. Although this approach still achieved its goal without using control-type spells and by cracking down on a supernatural organization like Divine Gate, it avoided a large number of casualties. But... was it really because I didn't want to kill people, or was there something else?"

"Then, after completing the first problem, I need to consolidate my cultivation and deal with the matters of the shrine and Kamikakushi Mountain. The shrine was affected by the ominous aura, while Kamikakushi Mountain was affected by the strange spiritual energy. Because of this, I plan to find out what exactly happened. I'm not taking any action yet, as I don't know how to investigate, and Kamikakushi Mountain has already set up a way to block the spiritual energy, so there's no need to worry about it."

"Finally, there's the creation that entered the Gate of the Underworld to search for the Nightmare Refining Art. I was worried that this creation might do something bad; I thought she was responsible for what happened at Kamikakushi Mountain. After finding her, there were many things I wanted to ask her to clarify. After that, I decided to come back... to continue my peaceful life. Because I don't want to pursue the so-called Dao like Zhang Qiudao. I just want to live the life I have now."

"That's all I have to say."

Yotsuya Miko put down her pen and looked at the things written in her notebook. Her thoughts were exactly the same as what was written there. She had been following this idea from beginning to end, and even if there were some mistakes, it was because the actual situation and calculations were slightly different. Just like with Divine Gate, she never thought that the Wagen Family and Okita Qishen would do such a thing.

"So, I didn't do anything wrong."

Taking a deep breath, Yotsuya Miko gradually became more resolute in her decision.

"I killed Shimakawa Kameyo because I hadn't thought things through at the beginning, because his existence was indeed a threat to me at the time. I didn't think as deeply and thoroughly as Yuria did, so he died. Controlling Yamada Mukawa was also a plan I made to avoid the agreement from reaching a stalemate, but controlling those high-ranking government officials was not my goal. Whether I control them or not will not affect my present situation, so there is no need to go through the trouble."

"Moreover, I can do this at any time. Even if the negotiations break down now, it won't affect me at all. There's no need to interfere too much with the current situation to complete my first problem, and then I can focus on the shrine and Kamikakushi Mountain. So, what I'm doing now is the right thing to do."

She murmured to herself, and just then, her Spiritual Sense suddenly expanded in all directions, covering the area to the limit of what she could currently do. A large amount of information rapidly flooded into her mind. Along with this influx of information, the spiritual energy within her body also became restless.

A dark purple mist emanated from her body, and her hands and feet underwent a transformation in an instant, even attempting to transform her head as well, but ultimately failed. The scales simply grew from under her neck and then slowly receded.

On its mutated limbs, countless gaping mouths sprouted from its scales, emitting eerie syllables in unison. Yotsuya Miko couldn't understand them, only feeling a cacophony of noise.

The chaotic situation left her unable to react, and she only thought that the side effects of the Heavenly Devil False Body True Understanding were beginning to appear, after all, the mutation effect had already occurred when she dealt with the Xuanming Python.

Those strange syllables accompanied the language of this world, mixed with the language of the Xuanhui Realm, and carried a strange feeling that made her heart tremble. She barely heard a word "heaven," so indistinct that she couldn't tell if it was the language of this world or the language of the Xuanhui Realm.