Chapter 140: Senior Mai's Surprise

Senior Mai, do you want to kill yourself?

Uesugi Muneyuki felt a chill in his heart upon hearing this; the other party's attitude did not seem feigned, and in this environment, there was no need to lie, let alone make such remarks that were easily off-putting.

In other words, she was serious; if he hadn't already passed several tests, she would truly want to kill him!

"Why?" Uesugi Muneyuki couldn't help but ask.

"You have already asked three questions, Junior." Senior Mai clearly did not intend to answer, directly signaling that his time for questioning was over and it was her turn to ask.

Uesugi Muneyuki felt helpless, but the status between the two was inherently unequal; whether in terms of identity, status, strength, or even social connections, he was far inferior to the Senior Mai before him, and the fact that she was willing to invite him to such a small place for a private meal was already giving him a lot of face.

So he made one last effort: "Wait, one last one. Do I count as having passed your test now? Senior, you only need to answer yes or no."

"Yes yes!" Senior Mai radiated the aura of a powerhouse.

Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head helplessly, thinking to himself that it was truly true that people are keen on evaluating others while loathing being evaluated themselves.

Just as he was about to chat more, Grandpa Konno knocked on the door of the private room.

Because today was a New Year holiday and Gunma Prefecture was super rural, there was no one else in the entire shop besides Uesugi Muneyuki and Shirakawa Mai; the two of them had practically booked the whole place.

Senior Mai had reserved many things in advance, and when Grandpa Konno and Grandma Konno brought in the full set of food in several batches, even Uesugi Muneyuki was surprised.

Isn't this too sumptuous?

Inside a huge iron pot, plenty of meat was boiling; this hot pot dish was Gunma Prefecture's famous "Mountain Treasure Pot." Gunma has many mountains and forests, and large chunks of wild boar meat are used as mountain treasures, paired with many mushrooms and wild vegetables in the pot, along with a soy sauce base; the oncoming heat made Uesugi Muneyuki feel relaxed and happy.

Besides this, there were large portions of udon; Gunma Prefecture's Mizusawa Udon is also very famous. As one of the three major udon production areas in Japan (on par with Kagawa and Akita), Mizusawa Udon is hand-kneaded from wheat flour and salt water, with a chewy, firm texture and a fresh, sweet taste.

There was also the famous Tatebayashi Chicken and Roasted Bun Skewer, as well as the Vegetable Tempura set that the Konno couple was best at; Senior Mai's treat could be described as full of sincerity.

Sure enough, seeing that everything had been served, Senior Mai smiled and signaled for Junior to start: "Today is Senior's treat! I booked it two weeks in advance. Come, the first thing to do when meeting up is to fill your stomach! Consider it a reward for passing the test! Eat it all up for me!"

"Then I shall accept your kindness." Uesugi Muneyuki was indeed hungry.

Inside the primitive wooden old shop, amidst the world of white snow outside the window, in front of the steam rising from the large pot, Senior Mai's bright, enthusiastic, and slightly cunning smile, combined with her layer upon layer of mystery, soon had Uesugi Muneyuki immersed in the feast of dual physical and psychological emotional value brought by this grand meal.

The food was particularly delicious, the atmosphere was particularly warm, and with a goddess senior accompanying him, plus the confirmation that the other party was of the same kind, Uesugi Muneyuki was in a particularly good mood.

Taking the opportunity, Senior Mai began to ask questions.

The goddess senior's question was actually very simple: where did Uesugi Muneyuki's supernatural ability come from?

Regarding this point, Uesugi Muneyuki did not intend to hide it; he didn't say he was a transmigrator, but he admitted that he began to awaken in his second year of high school after touching a wooden carving of Bishamonten that his older brother brought back from an archaeological site.

"Understood. In that case, you originally had Inner World talent, and by touching something that also contained Inner World energy, it stimulated your talent and allowed you to step into the Inner World." Senior Mai suddenly realized: "No wonder, you have no mentor and started from scratch; to think you could explore your way to this point today without knowing anything!"

"What is Inner World talent? Why could I awaken, while my family and the people at the archaeological site couldn't?" Uesugi Muneyuki took the opportunity to raise his own question.

"Everyone has Inner World talent; more accurately, everyone can obtain supernatural power." Senior Mai explained to Uesugi Muneyuki seriously: "However, everyone's situation is different. Some people are like a piece of paper; they only need to come into contact with a little Inner World energy to be pierced and touch the other side. Some people are like a bank vault door; even if Inner World energy turns into an ocean or an electric drill, it cannot be opened. People like you and me are the rare few."

"So your Aizen Myoo Dharma Image was also obtained at that time?" Senior Mai asked next.

"No." Uesugi Muneyuki gave Shirakawa Mai a negative answer, and he then told Senior Mai how he used the Death Soul Contract to obtain information from the deceased before they died, and subsequently combined it with Forensic Pathologist techniques to achieve autopsy results.

Shirakawa Mai was not surprised by this; everyone was secretly using Inner World abilities to provide convenience for themselves.

However, when Uesugi Muneyuki mentioned that he could obtain a large amount of Soul through the Death Soul Contract from the deceased, Senior Mai pretended that the wild boar meat was scalding her mouth, turned her head away, and desperately covered up her shock.

Absolute shock!

This man, this man, could actually generate Inner World energy himself?!

He could actually generate Inner World energy himself?!

This is impossible! After the long history since the New God left this world, Inner World energy has become weaker and thinner; the number of New Gods that can be born is becoming fewer and fewer. Perhaps in a few hundred years, all supernatural power will disappear forever!

The only way to obtain Inner World energy is either to seize it from others (like Saijo Yasue) or to enter the Inner World and absorb it in a special way!

Now, the man in front of her could actually generate Inner World energy himself?!

"What's wrong, Senior Mai?" Uesugi Muneyuki also noticed Senior Mai's shock, and he was a bit puzzled.

"It's nothing, I just discovered that our ways of obtaining Inner World energy are different." Senior Mai recovered her bright smile, even more radiant than before: "Junior, you must never tell anyone about this! Everyone's way of obtaining their own Inner World energy is a secret."

"That goes without saying." Uesugi Muneyuki did not doubt it.

"Then how did you obtain the Aizen Myoo Dharma Image?" Senior Mai asked next.

The following matter once again shocked the National Goddess.

Uesugi Muneyuki revealed two Dharma Images, which were Aizen Myoo and Kongō Yasha Myōō!

"Wait, how do you possess two Dharma Images?!" Uesugi Muneyuki had intended to recount the process, but Senior Mai interrupted him rudely again.

"You have already asked three questions, Senior Mai." Uesugi Muneyuki replied with a half-smile.

The senior and junior looked at each other for a few seconds, and across the steam rising from the large iron pot, each covered their mouths and chuckled.

"Hahahaha~"

"Hahahaha ah hahahahaha~"

Having shared secrets and spoken of secrets, two very lonely people found a soulmate, became co-keepers of secrets, and knew each other's leverage; the strange pleasure generated from this was not something Uesugi Muneyuki enjoyed alone. His Senior Mai also had flushed cheeks, an excited expression, and the brilliance in her eyes was almost overflowing; she was trembling all over with excitement.

A soulmate is hard to find; in this world, everyone is very lonely.

Senior Mai wisely did not ask again; she took the initiative to pour a glass of wine for Uesugi Muneyuki and laughed out loud: "Uesugi-kun, it's really good to meet you."

"Me too, Senior Mai. I thought I would never be able to speak of these secrets for the rest of my life." Uesugi Muneyuki was also quite moved; he half-lay on the tatami, shaking his head with a bitter smile: "Sometimes I really felt suffocated, but I didn't know how to tell others... I... I tried to say a little bit last time, but I didn't expect that demon, that madman Saijo Yasue... I was scared, I was truly scared."

"Me too." Shirakawa Mai's heart was filled with a thousand thoughts, and even more turbulent waves flowed through her chest, accompanied by a profound, dark ecstasy.

This is an excellent seedling! And he is not deep in the world, lacks understanding of the Inner World, and doesn't even know what kind of terrifying potential and unique ability he possesses!

He has currently encountered setbacks and realized the dangers of the Inner World, but he has not yet completely lost hope in it; he admires her, likes her, appreciates her, and is willing to take risks to seek her approval.

This is simply the chosen one exclusive to me! I can directly shape his Inner World view, shape his values, shape his supernatural ability path for my own use, and become my most suitable partner. On the road to becoming a New God, I will no longer be alone!

Uesugi Muneyuki is a junior who can become my husband!

Senior Mai was already overjoyed at this moment; she decided to continue revealing some things to Uesugi Muneyuki: "Junior, the vast majority of Inner World people have no hope of cultivating even one Dharma Image in their lifetime, and I have never seen anyone who can cultivate two Dharma Images at the same time. Do you know what this means for you?"

"It means you have unprecedented potential that surpasses mine." Senior Mai slowly took two candies out of her bag: "So, you should have already guessed before you came; the time to choose has arrived."

Uesugi Muneyuki nodded slightly, narrowed his eyes, and stared at the two candies in Senior Mai's hand: "These are?"

"Eat this blue Mentos and form a Contract with me. I will show you everything about the Inner World and teach you cultivation methods. As the price, we will be bound to each other forever. On the side of the Inner World, I will only be loyal to you, and you must also only be loyal to me." Senior Mai said softly.

In other words, the two of them were to be bound together; Uesugi Muneyuki had indeed prepared himself mentally for this: "What about the red one?"

"The same, except this red one is strawberry flavored." The smile at the corners of Shirakawa Mai's mouth bloomed slightly.

"Isn't there no choice then?" Uesugi Muneyuki was speechless: "Then can I choose not to?"

"Then I will kill you." Senior Mai smiled radiantly: "I mean what I say."

"Truly... cruel." Uesugi Muneyuki knew Senior Mai meant what she said, Senior Mai knew Uesugi Muneyuki knew she meant what she said, and Uesugi Muneyuki knew Senior Mai knew Uesugi Muneyuki knew she meant what she said; without such nerve and Courage, she could not have sat firmly in the position of Head of the Alliance of the Kanto Shinto Alliance.

"You already owe me a life; I am merely taking it back."

Uesugi Muneyuki sighed: "Actually, before I came today, I had already stored the information about you and the news of my suspicion that you have supernatural abilities on my computer, set it as a timed email, and entrusted a friend of mine at the Metropolitan Police Department that if I did not return from Gunma Prefecture, he should open the email; by then, Senior Mai, your identity would be exposed."

The expression of the National Goddess changed immediately; she slightly furrowed her willow brows, then assumed an indifferent attitude: "I have already prepared several backup identities; this trick of yours is useless against me. You are indeed a bit clever, but you have underestimated many things; you need to be even smarter! If you want to know how to deal with such matters, I can teach you."

"Is that so? But that would be very troublesome, wouldn't it?" Uesugi Muneyuki smiled: "You are currently a National Actress and the Head of the Alliance of the Kanto; if you activate a backup identity, everything will have to start over again! Are you sure?"

"............" Shirakawa Mai stopped speaking; she just looked at Uesugi Muneyuki, her gaze gradually turning cold: "So you are unwilling?"

"So... I agree." Uesugi Muneyuki still took the blue Mentos from Senior Mai's hand and ate it.

"Can I trust you? The senior I have always had a crush on, the radiant National Actress, Shirakawa Mai?"

Seeing the man yield, Shirakawa Mai stood up and approached step by step, giving off quite the impression of a great demon king threatening a little white rabbit.

"You can always trust your senior, my junior!"

Right there in the old wooden house in Gunma Prefecture, the two tentatively reached out toward each other.

Amidst the mountains, silent and blanketed in silver, only the sound of burning firewood remained.

(End of this chapter)