Mo Shui's Request

"Plop."

Lu Yuan looked at the two books on the table, covered in black slime, and the corner of his eye twitched slightly.

Although this was not the first time he had witnessed this method of storing books, this literally "belly full of classics" was still rather hard to accept.

He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and expressionlessly wiped the slime off the covers.

"Can you use a different way to store books next time?"

As he wiped, Lu Yuan complained casually.

Perched unsteadily atop the overhead lamp, Mo Shui turned a lazy eye roll at Lu Yuan's noise and paid him no heed.

"You should be grateful there's something to read. Why be so particular?"

Ignoring Mo Shui's retort, Lu Yuan pulled out a chair, sat down, and opened Basic Structure of Sanity Barrier.

As the pages turned, the familiar flow of knowledge washed over him once more.

[Reading Basic Structure of Sanity Barrier...]

[Novice Sanity Barrier: Gradually constructing...]

Time passed in the quiet Library.

Ordinarily, after spitting out the books, Mo Shui would find somewhere to sleep, or casually pick an expired file and eat it like a biscuit.

But today, something was unusual.

Lu Yuan could feel Mo Shui's gaze lingering on him the entire time.

"Rustle."

At some point, Mo Shui had landed on the Bookshelf before Lu Yuan.

It said nothing, merely cocking its head as its beady little eyes stared fixedly at Lu Yuan.

After a while, it floated onto Lu Yuan's shoulder again.

Like a little dog, it moved close and gave him a hard sniff.

"What are you doing?"

Lu Yuan's hand paused as he turned the page.

"I'm busy."

Lu Yuan closed the book, turned his head, and calmly looked at the black shadow on his shoulder.

"If you're hungry, I didn't bring any Ink Blocks today."

"Don't want Ink Blocks..."

Rather than flying away as usual, Mo Shui moved even closer, a trace of suspicion in its voice.

"A scorched smell... and the smell of rust..."

Mo Shui stretched out its tiny hand and tapped at the collar of Lu Yuan's trench coat.

"You came into contact with those lunatics from the Ascension Society?"

"Yes, I ran into them last night."

Lu Yuan nodded.

"But you're still alive."

Mo Shui tilted its head, showing no intention of leaving.

"From what I know of you, the chances of you escaping the Ascension Society's hands should have been practically zero."

As it spoke, its beady eyes suddenly narrowed into slits.

This time, its tone changed.

There was a trace of greed in it, even barely restrained excitement.

"No, there's another scent on you!"

"Hm?" Lu Yuan frowned slightly.

What kind of madness had seized this Book Spirit today?

What had it smelled on him that made it cling to him like this?

And Lu Yuan certainly did not believe Mo Shui had come merely to mock him.

"There's a very special... scent on you."

Mo Shui circled through the air.

"It's the soul of someone untainted by pollution, practically like a... living 'container.'"

Mo Shui abruptly darted up to Lu Yuan's nose, leaving barely any distance between them.

"Where did you hide that 'container'?"

Lu Yuan looked baffled. What soul? What container? What was Mo Shui rambling about?

"There's no such thing. And I suggest you speak more plainly."

Mo Shui's pitch-black beady eyes narrowed before it finally said, "It means... you carry the scent of an Echo!!"

The moment Mo Shui said that, Lu Yuan understood. It was referring to Mina.

They had only been in contact for such a short time, yet Mo Shui could accurately infer Mina's existence and talent from the scent on me?

"She's a new patient of mine."

Lu Yuan neither denied it nor elaborated. He merely answered, "What, do you want to eat her?"

Though Mo Shui appeared harmless, Lu Yuan had never forgotten that it was, at its core, a Supernatural Creature that fed on knowledge and Spirituality.

"Eat her? Pah, pah, pah! Knowledge is the only thing on my menu. I don't eat people!"

Mo Shui waved its hands repeatedly, its paper wings fluttering nonstop behind it.

"You don't understand. That kind of talent is a moving Cafeteria to me!"

It pointed to the towering Bookshelves around them, resentment brimming in its voice.

"Do you know how long I've been stuck here? Years! Every day, staring at this moldy junk paper—I'm about to throw up!"

"I want to go outside and play! I want to see the outside world!"

"But we Book Spirits can only stay where there is knowledge. Once I leave this Library, in half a day at most, I'll die because my knowledge has dried up."

The more Mo Shui spoke, the more excited it became. It pointed at the aura emanating from Lu Yuan.

"But an Echo is different! It can listen to the voices of all things. It is, in itself, an inexhaustible source of 'knowledge'!"

"As long as I follow her, I won't have to worry about starving to death! I can even leave this damned place and go outside for some air!"

Mo Shui floated back onto the table. Its beady eyes rolled around as a crafty look appeared on its face.

"Let's make a deal, Lu Yuan."

"Take me to meet that person, and I can tell you some... secrets you can't access yet, or do something for you."

Lu Yuan's hand stopped turning the page.

He looked up at Mo Shui before him.

This was an unexpected delight.

If he could lure away this Library administrator, even if only temporarily, it would be an enormous help to him.

"Such as?"

Lu Yuan asked without giving anything away.

"Do you know about the Iron Whale files, the source of that Deep Blue ore?"

Lu Yuan tentatively threw out what he wanted to know.

Yet the instant Mo Shui heard those words—

The previously eager Mo Shui reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly bristling.

It shot backward, covering its head directly with both wings as it pretended not to hear.

"How could I possibly know? And are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

"What? Are you afraid?" Seeing Mo Shui's huge reaction, Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly.

"This isn't fear! It's the rules! We Book Spirits aren't allowed to reveal certain knowledge!"

"The moment I reveal even the slightest trace of it, I'll collapse instantly."

"And you..."

Mo Shui looked at Lu Yuan as though looking at a dead man.

"As the one asking the question, you'll be drained dry by the Taboo on the spot along with me."

"So give it up. If you hear it, you'll definitely die."

"Doesn't that mean you can perish together with any enemy?" Catching the key point, Lu Yuan asked with interest.

Hearing this, Mo Shui could not help flapping its wings a few times.

"You're overthinking it. The knowledge I impart only takes effect if the other person first has a desire for knowledge, and then I speak it aloud."

"If I insist on speaking Taboo knowledge, I'll be dead the instant I open my mouth."

"So give it up."

Rubbing his chin, Lu Yuan finally nodded, though inwardly he could only lament how regrettable it was.

If it were possible, wouldn't I become invincible just by catching a few more Book Spirits?