A comic book, but a librarian

"Although I have learned [Sight and Perception] to this extent, it is still a long way from my expectations. This is really troublesome...Is it still a bit beyond my ability?"

Uesugi Sumiko became more and more focused on the drawing paper in front of him, and he didn't even hear Himegami Sakura calling him. His movements became faster and faster, and his expression became more and more serious. On the drawing paper, the beautiful girl's face gradually revealed itself. That mesmerizing face was actually copied on the drawing paper, which even Uesugi Sumiko himself did not expect.

"Ahem... Sakura, come and take a look."

Uesugi Cheng put down his paintbrush and let out a long sigh. All his energy today was focused on this painting. Even the book he just read was just to get himself in the right state of mind.

"This... is this really me, sir?... I... I..." Himegami Sakura carefully moved her head closer, looking as if she was looking at the most precious treasure in the world. She looked at the figure of a girl dancing in the moonlight on the drawing paper, and couldn't help but stare in a trance.

The black hair and the flying hem of the dress actually created a sense of movement. Himegami Sakura seemed to really see herself dancing, even...

She looked down at the ball joints on her wrists and fingers. Thanks to them, she could move so freely, but also thanks to them, she could always be aware of the difference between herself and humans.

But... but in Uesugi Sumika's painting, the fingers and wrists that she stretched out as if to reach the moon were completely human fingers and wrists, as if she had really become a human being... This was something she dared not even dream of. Once she dreamed of such a thing, she would feel extremely lost after waking up, and it would even affect her work state.

"Sir...I..."

She raised her head, and her tearful expression could probably capture the hearts of countless men and women. Her slightly trembling arm pointed at the girl in the picture.

"That's you... I sincerely wish that you can become the real human you want to be, the real Himegami Sakura."

Uesugi Cheng bit the center of his finger while watching Himegami Sakura's surprised expression.

"I used blood to paint your eyes, so I can't leave this out. Just like when I woke you up, I'll do the so-called finishing touch, although it's a bit shameless to brag like this."

Uesugi Sakumi gently placed his fingers above Himegami Sakura's eyes on the drawing paper. As the blood dripped, Himegami Sakura suddenly felt a mysterious connection. The girl in the picture seemed to be herself, exactly like herself.

She silently watched the girl's eyes in the painting being stained with scarlet blood, and then she actually moved her eyes and looked at Uesugi Sumire like her.

“Sir…I feel this painting!!!”

Himegami Sakura excitedly raised her hand and pointed at herself in the painting.

"I can see through her what she can see...and...and!"

Sakura Himegami was so excited that she was a little incoherent and even started to gesture frantically. She and the painting really had a connection that Uesugi Cheng had never imagined. This made Uesugi Cheng very satisfied with her own efforts, coupled with Sakura Himegami's admiring and grateful gaze.

Of course, the best reward is still the fact that he discovered that his skills are still insufficient and there is room for improvement. Uesugi Cheng remembered the "worm treasure" underground in Brancog mentioned in "Glimmering Lights". It seemed to be a further interpretation of "Sight and Perception". This person used the key carved from finger bones to open the door to this treasure. Maybe he can also find this good thing.

The sound of footsteps reached the ears of Uesugi Sakura who was still thinking. He looked at Himegami Sakura, but found that the other party showed an awkward smile. It seemed that she was too excited and forgot her mission, and let in some people who should not be let in.

Himegami Sakura wanted to escape back to Silent Bookstore, but found that the other party had already arrived at the door and was about to open it. She had no choice but to fix her posture like a puppet, just like a model.

"I'm finally back here. If I continue like this, I think I can really retire early. What the hell..."

The art teacher opened the door with a look of despair. He had been wandering around the art classroom for a long time without finding the way. He suddenly suspected that he had some kind of mental illness. But when he saw Uesugi Sumika standing in the classroom, no, it should be said that when he saw the painting on the drawing board next to Uesugi Sumika, he was stunned.

"Girl Dancing Alone Under the Moon": Pure beauty brings pure inspiration to the author, and she is enough to make the world feel her pure and incomparable beauty. (April 4 Cups 4 Winter)

"Did you draw this?"

Art teacher Ono could hardly speak clearly. The look on his face when he looked at the painting next to Uesugi Cheng was that of a starving man.

"Yes, there are still some shortcomings..."

"No! No matter what, you must not destroy this painting! I can do whatever you want with the rest, but this one! Absolutely not!"

Yoichi Ono screamed like a cat whose tail was stepped on, then realized that he seemed to be rude and covered his mouth.

"What I mean is, your painting is already so beautiful. You definitely can't throw it into the fire or tear it up like those half-finished products. If you really don't want it, the teacher can keep it for you. Really."

Yoichi Ono looked a little embarrassed, but he still said it seriously.

~~~~~

193

Chapter 193: Wormwood Dream.

Uesugi Cheng looked at Ono Yoichi with a hint of longing in his eyes, and silently put the painting back on the shelf. He planned to seal the painting and give it to Himegami Sakura as a little extra reward for her hard work for him for so long.

"I want to take this painting away with me and put it in my own home... Sorry."

Uesugi Cheng clapped his hands gently to wake up the somewhat confused Ono Yoichi. He found that he seemed to have used too much force. The painting of four cups was indeed enough to arouse people's desire.

"It's okay, it's my fault for being so abrupt... Uesugi-san, can you keep the painting for now? I want my teacher Ka to take a look at it. I just want him to take a look and he'll know what I mean."

Yoichi Ono's eyes finally moved away from the painting. At that moment, he felt as if he was being watched by something. He subconsciously turned his gaze back to the painting behind Uesugi Sumire. After once again sighing that the painting was so beautiful that it was hard to give up, he hardened his heart and focused his attention on Uesugi Sumire.

So naturally, Ono Yoichi didn't see that the girl in the painting did move her gaze to him and then looked elsewhere.

"It's not good to leave it here. I have to take it back and pack it up."

Uesugi Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. The high intensity of painting coupled with the fact that he was constantly putting memories and soul into it had already made his body and soul tired.

"It's okay, it's okay. Just let him take a look at it. He will definitely be able to tell at a glance that this painting and you are both geniuses that no one will doubt, born gems in the rough."

Yoichi Ono sighed, he looked at his own hands, without the slightest jealousy towards geniuses, even though he had once been called a little genius. Rather, it was because of this that he could clearly see that the gap between himself and Uesugi Sumire was so despairingly large.

"That's fine. Just bring it over after I finish the painting. Is there anything else you need, teacher?"

Yoichi Ono originally wanted to ask the protagonist of the painting, who was that beautiful girl dancing under the moon, but when his sight passed over Uesugi Sumika and the painting, he was once again unable to look away.

The puppet Himegami Sakura looked like a girl walking out of a scroll, doing the same pose as in the painting. Her flawless face had a hint of melancholy, yet seemed to be filled with joy. Ono Hiro immediately understood where the inhuman feeling of the protagonist in the painting came from. Since the protagonist was a puppet, the perfect inhuman beauty would actually enhance the color.

"It's really... a masterpiece. Uesugi-san, what is this doll...?"

"It's mine, but it's too precious, so I have to take it back right now. If it weren't for the painting, I wouldn't let her be here."

Ono Yoichi heard Uesugi Cheng called her 'she' instead of 'it', but he could completely understand that if he had such a beautiful doll in his collection, he would also call her the same way he calls a human being.

"You must keep this doll well. She is really... breathtakingly beautiful."

Yoichi Ono finally squeezed out these words reluctantly. Of course, he would not say anything that he himself would not believe if he had such a model, he would also be able to paint such a beautiful painting.

"I know."

Uesugi Cheng gently combed Himegami Sakura's hair with his hands, fiddling with her joints a little bit, and whispered a warning as he watched her eyes roll around.

"The person hasn't passed away yet, don't scare him. I don't want to spend unnecessary medical expenses."

Himegami Sakura's eyes moved a few times smartly, as if to express that she had understood what Uesugi Cheng meant, and then she stood at attention with her hands and feet together and lay down in the extra-large box prepared by Uesugi Cheng.

"What an unexpected reward... By the way, is this the painting that Uesugi-san said you wanted to draw?"

"No, it's even bigger than this one, so I'm not very satisfied with it right now. I still need to continue studying."

Uesugi Cheng's gaze forced Ono Yoichi to turn his head away. He didn't even dare to look at Uesugi Cheng. What could he teach Uesugi Cheng? Uesugi Cheng would practice the basics by himself, and Uesugi Cheng's use of colors could completely cover up all the shortcomings. He had nothing to say.

"Then I can only look forward to your masterpiece, Uesugi-san... All I can do is look forward to it."

Ono Yoichi let out a long sigh, looking as if he had figured something out, and walked out of the art classroom without any reluctance, leaving Uesugi Sumire and Himegami Sakura looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Sir...are all painters so weird?"

Himegami Sakura started moving. She combed her long hair again. Uesugi Sumire really didn't know how to play with her hair. At least Himegami Sakura felt that Uesugi Sumire didn't do it well at all.

"I don't know. I'm not much of a painter anyway... Ying, help me prepare pencils and other things later. Since my skills have stopped here for now, I might as well relax and draw comics."

Uesugi Sumi said something that could give Ono Yoichi a myocardial infarction, and he began to pack his things unconsciously. Naturally, Himegami Sakura would keep the painting well, and it would be more convenient to put it in a frame for protection. Uesugi Sumi himself picked up his bag and planned to go home and have a good sleep. As for the afternoon classes, he planned to take leave for all of them, since he didn't have anything important to do in school anyway.

"Of course, Uesugi Cheng doesn't plan to just waste a day quietly. In fact, he has already started making some necessary props in the martial arts training ground of Silent Bookstore, for example..."

【武力之敕令Lv.4】（5月）＋【古老创伤】（2月）＋【混淆预言】（2月）＋【悲恸】（1月）=10月。

The power of the memory of a crime distilled from these memories is far stronger than Uesugi Cheng could have imagined.

[Wormwood Dream]: If there are laws that apply only in dreams, then there must be sins that can only be committed in dreams. (June 6 Winter 6 Blades)

This bitter and cold memory, or omen, is enough to allow Uesugi Cheng to cast a spell that can destroy other people's minds in a short period of time. Of course, these are not the point. The point is that this omen can become the power of his assistants and can remain in his mind for a long time. This is what he really wants.

"The next thing is to continue looking for help... Let's finish reading this book first. There's no rush anyway."

Uesugi Cheng was sitting on his bed flipping through the "Vaznay Treasures", ready to go to sleep when he felt sleepy.

~~~~~

194

Chapter 194: Cleaning the room and Baoyue's invitation to a midnight snack.

"Life is easier with a glass of Solomon's medicine before bed."

Uesugi Cheng put down the light blue preparation in his hand. The sounds of the world had begun to gradually move away from his ears. Now he picked a bunch of flowers every day, sometimes osmanthus, sometimes honey jasmine, and then combined them with [Mingxiao] (佄 2 winter), [Bittersweet Inevitability] (2 winter) and [Scenery and Perception] (7 winter) to blend them into Solomon's preparation.

Although the taste is not very good, it is very practical in helping sleep. Solomon is worthy of being the immortal of winter. Although his disappearance is indeed a bit strange, the things he left behind did help Uesugi Cheng.

After Uesugi Cheng drank this stuff, the whole world fell into silence and sleepiness came over him. He closed his eyes, lay on his bed and fell into a deep sleep without even covering himself with a quilt.

Himegami Sakura beside her helplessly touched her hair, covered her careless master with a blanket, and then carefully pulled the painting out of the thick mist, watching herself dancing like a human in the picture. A sweet smile appeared on her lips, although she herself didn't know how to become a real human, as long as she had hope in her heart, it would be fine, just like what the book she read in the library recently said at the end.

“All human wisdom is contained in these four words: ‘wait’ and ‘hope’.”

As a puppet, an elf born from pure spiritual power, she has a very long lifespan and plenty of time to wait.

So on this quiet night, all the ignorant wandering evil spirits near the apartment where Uesugi Sumika lived were ruthlessly shrouded in fog and then strangled. Himegami Sakura sat in the living room, looking at the bright moonlight outside the floor-to-ceiling window, and silently danced again. In order to dedicate a more perfect dance to her master, she cleared out the evil spirits that made her feel uncomfortable, while repeatedly practicing the dance in her mind.

"Good morning!"

Uesugi Cheng opened his eyes and saw the energetic Himegami Sakura standing at the door of his room, peeking inside. She seemed to be very happy. When she saw him get up, she immediately started talking.

"I have already placed the painting in the studio for you. I will leave the rest to you. I will go back to the bookstore to take a rest now."

"Oh, go ahead, I'll take care of that painting first."

Uesugi Sumika naturally had no intention of leaving the painting alone in his studio. After all, it was his masterpiece and he couldn't just leave it there.

Uesugi Sumiko found the picture frame he had prepared for himself long ago in the studio and carefully put the painting in it. Originally, the picture frame was prepared as a souvenir when he aspired to become a great painter, but he did not expect that when he really used it, his heart would be calm.

Uesugi Cheng touched his head and began to prepare today's Solomon preparation in front of the alchemy table. Of course, his purpose was not only that potion, he was also waiting for someone.

"Good morning, would you like some tea?"

Baoyue Yexiao sat opposite Shangshan Cheng. She looked at Shangshan Cheng curiously. Compared with not long ago, he looked more like an ordinary person. If she didn't look carefully, Baoyue Yexiao would think he was just an ordinary person who couldn't even sense spiritual power. However, if someone really ignored Shangshan Cheng's existence because of this...

At least Baoyue Yexiao didn't think that ordinary enemies could compete with the fierce man in front of him who could forcibly tear a stable hole in the space formed by spiritual power.

"What kind of tea is this? It tastes weird." Baoyue seldom drinks beverages for midnight snacks, even tea, but the tea that Uesugi Cheng brought out did have a unique flavor. At least she had never tasted tea that smelled like dragon's breath with a pine flavor.

So she ate the pears provided by Uesugi Cheng while drinking tea and chatting with Uesugi Cheng. Ever since the matter in District S came to an end, Baoyue Yexiao has temporarily stopped its activities for a long time, not only to deal with the evil spirits in her room, but also to integrate the resources at hand. Ying Duolang seems to be doing a good job as a tutor. At least for now, he has not encountered any scary big evil spirits, and those small fish and shrimps can be dealt with using the scapegoats given to him by Baoyue Yexiao.

【铜梨】（4铸）＋【面纱女神正山小种】（2铸）＋【回忆:先见之明】（2铸）＋【刚毅】（2铸）＋【直尺】（1铸）=11铸。

Uesugi Cheng successfully used Baoyue Yexiao's help in the [Upper Pump Room] area in the underground area. The machine standing in this area was reinstalled during the resolution meeting a long time ago. It is now rusted. If you want to open it, there will inevitably be a lot of trouble. However, Uesugi Cheng does not plan to start this machine for the time being. His destination is not the flooded pump room on the lower level, but the huge altar next to the upper pump room.

That is the altar called "Rovena's Hall", and Rowena is the guardian of Silent Books. However, due to certain things, even Rowena as Ligeia fell into a state of near death, so she had to disappear from the world at noon and only appear at leap hour when anything could happen.

"Speaking of which, I hope that Uesugi-sama can go with Hotaru and me to a certain place, that is, the ruins not far away over there. According to the information I have collected, it is considered an S-level supernatural area. Maybe we can encounter some powerful evil spirits there."

When it comes to evil spirits, Baoyue Yexiao's eyes seem to glow. She indeed lacks controllable high-end combat power. After all, Uesugi Cheng's painting of the door coming true has given her quite a shock.

"When to set off?"

"We'll have to wait a few days for that, because Ying Duolang seems to have another student to teach recently. We'll set off together when he has time!"

Baoyue set the time for supper in a few words. Ying Duolang's perception of spiritual power and inexplicable intuition had helped her a lot in the past, and Ying Duolang did have the intention to get involved in this kind of affairs. She was also happy to take Ying Duolang with her for more security.

"That's fine. I have to go to school later, so I'm sorry I can't see you off."

Uesugi Cheng ended the conversation. Although he only wanted help to clean the room, Baoyue Yexiao did gain a lot. At least she and Uesugi Cheng learned a lot of tricks to deal with spirits.

"The next step is to see the child... I hope to see what the so-called 'worm treasure' is today."

Uesugi Cheng muttered to himself, took his bag and walked out of his house.

195

Chapter 195: Yotsuya Miko's Silence Technique.

Yotsuya Miko was sitting in the classroom. All the students around her, except Yurikawa Hana, quietly moved away from her. Even Yurikawa Hana was touching her nose in confusion.

"Jianzi, is the temperature that cold? Why do I feel like it's gone from fall to winter? It's so weird."

Lily Kawaka touched her arm half-consciously. Even though her physique was much better than others, she still couldn't withstand today's situation. She had no idea what was going on.

"Ah, nothing, I feel fine... maybe it's because the temperature has dropped recently, Hua should wear more clothes."

Yotsuya Miko didn't say much. She was already immersed in this shocking feeling. Everything was silent, as if death and the end were about to arrive as expected. She even felt that she suddenly began to understand the so-called aesthetics of silence in the art of silence.

Of course, this was not her own credit. Rather, how could she, a young apprentice who had just begun to learn the ropes, have felt such a vast power without any help?

['Silent Apprentice' Yotsuya Miko]: Now, she has understood the beauty of silence. (3 Winter 3 Light February)