Chapter 70 : [Thousand Years]
After focusing on the new chapter preview for a few moments, Jiang Lai's attention returned to the manga update.
He opened the manga he hadn't been reading recently, from Little Sheep's enrollment and technique awakening, all the way to the recent end of the fragment incident and Nanami Kento's phone call to notify Gojo Satoru.
Most of the content was what Jiang Lai had experienced. For Hiroki Kyubey's part, the manga described it as a kind of interspersed editing. It made viewers mistakenly think Little Sheep gave the game guide a name called Hiroki, so the materialized guide was called Hiroki, and the two were naturally acquainted.
This part of the handling showed that the world consciousness was still very cautiously not exposing the Detective Conan world.
After that, Jiang Lai focused on some additional plot where he wasn't present.
In the manga, when Itadori Yuji and Nanami Kento were leaving school, they happened to encounter Yoshino Junpei, who hadn't entered the school gate and was planning to return to get something.
At this time, the [Veil] had just been lifted. Yoshino Junpei looked at the auxiliary building that had lost half of itself with a shocked expression.
Itadori Yuji paused, coughed seriously and said: "Here... um, there was a pipe explosion. We're checking and handling it."
Yoshino Junpei was silent for two seconds, then said slowly: "Is it those strangely shaped... cursed spirits or something?" He had heard related terms from Little Sheep Jiang Lai.
"Eh??" Itadori Yuji was obviously stunned, not expecting the other party to know jujutsu world terminology.
Then, the two had a brief conversation. Worried there might still be remaining cursed spirits, Itadori Yuji actively went upstairs with Yoshino Junpei.
During this process, Itadori Yuji with his perfect affinity and Yoshino Junpei's friendship progressed rapidly. The boys discovered their common hobbies through casual conversation and agreed to watch movies together when they had the chance.
Seeing this, Jiang Lai's eyes curved slightly: It seemed that in the new series, they still became friends.
Then, he looked at the latter half.
After returning home, Nanami Kento immediately called Gojo Satoru, briefly describing the unexpected situation of this incident, and the familiar figure he unexpectedly encountered.
In the scene, Gojo Satoru on the other end of the phone wore a black blindfold, holding the phone with one hand, his tall figure half-leaning against some railing.
After listening to Nanami Kento's words, he put down the other hand that had been resting on the railing and said: "I understand."
Nanami Kento hesitated for a moment, somewhat surprised by the other person's unusual brevity.
After a while, the other side returned to his usual tone: "Hey, I didn't expect you guys to run into two special grades this time? Those guys who assess mission levels really are unreliable. I should slam the table and scold them properly. Are you all okay? What's Yuji's specific situation?"
Nanami Kento described Itadori Yuji's situation, indicating that the schedule had been planned and they would wait for the next day to return to school for a physical examination.
"Mm-hmm, need to check." Gojo Satoru said. "I'll also rush back to use Six Eyes to look at my good student."
After hearing this, Nanami Kento was quiet for half a second, then continued calmly narrating: "The two special grade cursed spirits we encountered this time aren't in the jujutsu world's records. Do we need to report all the information?"
He paused: "Or not report it for now. Wait until you come to investigate before deciding?"
Because one of the special grade cursed spirits was very likely Gojo Satoru's former friend, after thinking it over, Nanami Kento still left the choice to Gojo himself.
After a brief silence on the other end of the phone, he responded: "...I'll make a trip there."
After waiting a few seconds, noticing that Nanami Kento had no more words and hadn't hung up, Gojo Satoru laughed: "What's wrong, Nanami? Is there something else?"
Nanami Kento's gaze focused on an inconspicuous gray stain on the room's wall, his voice calm as he completed his final words:
"When jujutsu sorcerers die and become cursed spirits, some retain memories from life, but some have weak consciousness from life or lack consciousness from life entirely. The latter is a more pure type of cursed spirit."
This statement was common knowledge among jujutsu world sorcerers. Said in such a context, even without explicitly naming the subject, the hidden meaning was very obvious.
The other end of the phone didn't respond immediately. After a few breaths, Gojo Satoru spoke: "I understand."
It was a similar tone and response to the beginning of the call.
Nanami Kento didn't continue saying anything. His implicit reminder and concern had been conveyed, and the rest was Gojo Satoru's own business.
He politely said a closing farewell, then hung up.
The final page of this manga chapter was split in half.
On the left half, Gojo Satoru pocketed his phone, his long legs striding as he walked into the bustling crowd. With Limitless activated, he maintained an imperceptible distance from everything around him.
On the other side, the familiar black-haired young man stood alone in an alley, looking up through overlapping power lines and building shadows at the narrow patch of sky above.
The scene ended there.
Seeing this, Jiang Lai blinked, thinking: It seemed the manga not only had misleading editing but also splicing of different time periods.
That final scene of himself looking up from the alley was from earlier when he was preparing to change back to his Little Sheep disguise, checking for surveillance and people around.
This splicing was quite atmospheric. Jiang Lai gave it a mental thumbs up.
As for Gojo Satoru saying he would "make a trip"... Jiang Lai wasn't surprised by this either.
Whether from rational or emotional perspectives, Gojo Satoru would specifically make the trip to secretly find him for a face-to-face talk and discuss future plans.
Afterward, Jiang Lai exited the official website and opened the Detective Conan world's Flower Planting New Series forum, finding the latest plot discussion thread.
【Oh oh oh Little Sheep's technique appeared! I always saw that game called [Me and Sprites and New Routes] advertising a collaboration with the Jujutsu Kaisen new series, but I didn't expect it to be here!
Honestly, sprites in Jujutsu Kaisen art style have a cute feeling mixed with some realism, adorable but with a somewhat eerie undertone. At first glance, I couldn't even recognize them hahaha】
【Wuwu, so envious of this technique, I want to hold sprites too...
Of course, not Kyubey. Not gonna lie, the Kyubey shell guide really gives me the creeps (sad). Official, please buy the rights to some more normal mascots.】
【Junpei is learning techniques with Little Sheep! Little Sheep has a sharp tongue but a really good heart... Mom fan tears up. Later Junpei also met Tiger Boy again. This time Junpei should have a good ending, right! Wuwu】
【The key point is later! Mahito appeared! And God Lai! Plus that bastard Sukuna!
Speaking of which, this cognitively confused God Lai is really great, that kind of... feeling of wanting to lick him, a mix of dominance and frailty... Sorry, I'm a pervert, I'll say it first!!
Looking at it this way, the reason God Lai was previously expressionless, dangerously imposing, and speaking in riddles, besides the manga filter effect, was actually his instinctive defensive mode when unable to distinguish friend from foe, and self-protection under memory confusion?】
【I feel like God Lai is weighing danger levels himself: when facing danger, he becomes more dangerous than the danger itself (see his appearance in the alley with Fushiguro Megumi and cursed spirits), but when facing others, he becomes relatively relaxed and friendly (see when facing Fushiguro alone and Tiger Boy face-to-face).
Amnesiac God Lai probably still has some subconscious remnants, like knowing at the beginning that he has a name "Gojo Lai," and guessing enemies are around so entering dark mode for caution. It's like a wary little animal, so cute www】
【Look carefully! Mahito is trying to deceive amnesiac God Lai! Although God Lai didn't fall for it, watching makes me so anxious (biting handkerchief). Don't go with cursed spirits, God Lai wuwu! You were once a deity and have jujutsu sorcerer friends!!】
【Blind guess, following Jujutsu Kaisen's dark art style, there's probably going to be plot where God Lai joins the cursed spirit side...
Look at this time, God Lai's final decision was "cursed spirits and humans are enemies"... though he didn't harm Tiger Boy and the others, essentially still kind. Just don't know how long his final kindness can last.
In the manga's later part where Nanami Kento calls Gojo Satoru, I always feel Gojo's calmness is suppressing an inner blizzard. Only when 285 gets serious and feels heavy does he become this laconic.
During Christmas, he went to look for Lai. Although the manga didn't show details, it probably ended badly.
At that time, Gojo Satoru just thought Lai had lost his memory. He probably didn't expect that after some time, the other party would become a cursed spirit (sad).
Gojo Cat, you're really so pitiful. In the first round, you lost your good friend Geto Suguru. In the second round, you lost your good friend God Lai. No matter what, you can't have a complete ending?
JJXX, you're not human! (pounding ground) Don't let these two end up fighting to the death…】
【Grass, so scared, I'll cry first as a sign of respect wuwu!】
【Ah ah, and more! Sukuna and God Lai definitely have a story. The previous "bleeding heart" comment, plus the scene of looking down disdainfully from high altitude after swallowing the fragment, it all has that kind of... dark enemy-friend flavor (gesturing).
Alright, this time I'll be the analysis emperor and analyze.
First, the woven bag in Mahito's hand. Combined with Brain Mama constantly weaving things before, I think this woven bag was made by Brain specifically for collecting fragments.
What is this fragment?
I found a previous image of when God Lai's clock was damaged and cracked (screenshot.jpg).
Comparing the cracks in this image, I believe the light green crystal-like objects that appeared in the update are things related to [Existence], like divine nature fragments.
God Lai's divine nature is just broken, but not completely shattered and missing, so this fragment is probably from another [Existence].
Knowing that divine nature fragments have enormous power, yet the woven bag can contain them.
So further speculation: besides woven bags, has Brain also woven other items, like ropes? And this kind of thing can probably restrain [Existence].
Maybe the [Existence] in the Supervisory Committee, whether in object form or human form, is trapped and used by Brain.】
【...Grass, the art style feels even more hellish. Hope the [Existence] in the Supervisory Committee is okay, and hope the Supervisory Committee doesn't discover God Lai (hands together praying).
Speaking of which, Sukuna ate the fragment and was fine. Could Sukuna also be [Existence]?】
【Not clear, maybe Sukuna is special? Or he didn't actually eat it, just collected it? Regardless, Sukuna definitely knows about [Existence]... More secrets await the new chapter's revelation!】
【Update quickly! Really want to see the [Thousand Years] new chapter wuwu, let me see past God Lai and the old man!! (Can't take it anymore, one punch destroys the update button.gif)】
Jiang Lai generally browsed the forum, keeping the key analysis points in mind.
Regarding the analysis of woven items and Brain, he felt it made some sense.
After all, Brain couldn't choose a shell for no reason.
He was a character who could plan thousand-year schemes. Everything he did was very planned, and each body he changed had its own purpose.
This time choosing a long-dressed woman's body was probably for this special "weaving" ability.
As for the [Existence] in the Supervisory Committee... it was hard to say whether the other party's ability application was active or forced. Jiang Lai rested one hand on his chin, pondering.
The specific situation would require further contact to clarify. He noted the plan in his mind.
At this moment, there was a knock at the door. Little Sheep Jiang Lai got up from his desk and ran over to open the door.
Outside was Itadori Yuji. His towel was draped over his shoulder, his hair had some water droplets, and he smiled brightly, his young voice saying:
"I finished bathing. Do you want to go later? I didn't turn off the bathroom light."
Nanami Kento's home was three bedrooms, one living room, and two bathrooms. The bathroom was connected to the living room. After Little Sheep Jiang Lai was adopted by Nanami Kento, one of the secondary bedrooms became his room.
The remaining secondary bedroom became a combined guest room and study. These past few days, Itadori Yuji had been sleeping in the adjacent secondary bedroom.
Earlier, Little Sheep Jiang Lai was still studying (actually looking at manga and forums on his phone), so Itadori Yuji went to wash up first.
"I'm done studying." Little Sheep Jiang Lai put down his phone, blinking and smiling: "I'll go now."
After washing up, it was getting late. Little Sheep Jiang Lai tidied up one last time, then turned off the lights one by one.
He noticed that light was still coming through the crack under the master bedroom door, while the other secondary bedroom was dark... Nanami Kento probably hadn't slept yet, while Itadori Yuji had likely already rested.
Jiang Lai moved quietly, tiptoeing back to his own room.
He closed the room door without turning on the light.
Most of the residential buildings outside had turned off their lights. There were few large buildings nearby. In such a dark environment, the round moon in the sky was highlighted as particularly bright.
The bright moon, unchanged for thousands of years, poured its cool and shallow radiance through the window, gently swaying in the eyes of the sleepless and in the dreams of those at rest.
Wave after wave of drowsiness swept over him. Jiang Lai yawned softly, kicked off his slippers, and lay down on the bed.
He closed his eyes, sinking into the overly soft bed and the infinitely extending past.
…
This sleep was very comfortable. If not for the slight coolness on his cheek, he wouldn't have woken so early.
Jiang Lai opened his eyes to see a clean sky above. Snowflakes flew like goose down with the wind, landing on his cheek with a slightly cool touch. The moisture after melting was like nature's kiss.
...Wait, where was the ceiling? The roof? He was dazed for a few seconds before sitting up, only then noticing that he was currently sleeping on a large tree with thick branches.
Looking around, he saw beautiful winter forest scenery, with the outline of a village vaguely visible in the distance. Wisps of cooking smoke slowly rose into the air, drifting hazily before being blown away by the wind.
Jiang Lai was only silent for half a second before finding his phone... at this moment, its appearance had changed back to an ancient-looking book.
Through the phone camera, he saw that he had once again changed back to his original black-haired, brown-eyed appearance. His clothing had also changed to an unadorned navy blue kimono. Everything looked identical to the outfit from the [Yesterday's Past] chapter.
Only one thing was different...
The winter snow wind swept through the treetops, and his nearly waist-length black hair fluttered in the wind. Jiang Lai gathered the hair with one hand, silently pausing in his heart.
Overnight hair length explosion! This kind of conscientious shampoo should be bought in bulk (not)!!
After his mind wandered for a moment, Jiang Lai quickly collected his thoughts. He had already guessed where he currently was.
The manga had already released the new chapter preview. As he had previously speculated, [Thousand Years] unfolded in the dream during the night's sleep... he was probably now in Japan during the Heian-kyo a thousand years ago.
During this period, most people had long hair. Except for individual characters who kept short hair, like Sukuna.
This period was a chaotic yet prosperous time for the jujutsu world. Cursed spirits, demons, sorcerers, onmyoji, and various other characters were densely distributed. It could be said to be the golden age of cursed spirits and jujutsu sorcerers.
Jiang Lai breathed steadily. He could feel the boundless power within his body... the true power belonging to [Existence], with heaven and earth as boundaries, with sun and moon as benchmarks, integrated with nature.
[Technique-Universal Control]
The horizontal spatial ability changes weren't too significant. Perhaps to adapt to the era's changes, it changed from editing spatial code to being able to directly manipulate space, equivalent to simplifying the process. Jiang Lai could more freely and quickly manipulate his surroundings.
The vertical time ability also had some changes. The overall one-time world reversal ability became the ability to make multiple uses of individual or small-range time adjustments.
Jiang Lai aimed at the ancient tree branches beside him, trying to activate his ability...
Under his gaze, the withered branches of winter sprouted new leaves, as if entering spring and summer ahead of time.
Jiang Lai's eyes lit up. He then reversed the ability, adjusting it back the other way, and the ancient tree branches returned to their original state.
Honestly, if he could freely change time, this ability would be strong to the point of cheating. Logically, there wouldn't be abilities in the world that too greatly broke limitations. Such applications probably had restrictions.
Jiang Lai half-lowered his eyelids, deeply sensing the boundary line of his ability, gradually exploring the surrounding limitations.
[Can repair and fine-tune time trajectories, but cannot greatly change an individual's original trajectory, especially individuals with important influence. The sins after violating rules will accumulate on the [Existence] divine nature.]
"..." Honestly, this restriction description sensed was a bit cryptic.
Jiang Lai pondered for a moment, exhaling lightly. In summary, it meant he couldn't use it too freely? Especially on very important characters with great influence?
That was reasonable. Jiang Lai thought silently. If there were no restrictions, he could find Sukuna or Brain, then activate his ability to directly reverse them back to infancy to solve everything, story complete (?).
The winter wind blew past his ear again, lifting his black hair to brush his cheek. Jiang Lai gathered the hair with one hand, constructing a hair tie to simply and loosely bind it behind his head.
Then, he planned to look at his phone to gain more intelligence information.
As he opened the book (phone) in front of him, a child's tender yet enthusiastic voice came from under the tree:
"Wow! How are you in the tree? Aren't you cold?"
Jiang Lai looked down following the voice. Under the tree was an extremely ordinary little boy, apparently a child from the nearby village. He was wrapped warmly in clothes, looking up curiously.
After thinking for a few seconds, Jiang Lai leaped down from the tree, smiling: "Not cold. But you, running so far, be careful of wild beasts."
"I, I'm not afraid!" The child said with hands on his hips, but when he saw Jiang Lai's front view, he couldn't help but step back half a pace. His expression looked somewhat fearful yet still carried a child's curiosity: "...Um, um, are you a monster?"
"Hmm?" Jiang Lai asked. "Why do you say that?"
The child gestured at his face, his words somewhat stuttering: "You, that, I can't see your face... there's fog, fog covering your face."
Fog covering his face? Jiang Lai raised his eyebrows slightly. Such a mysterious appearance was very fitting for the [Non-Attachment] setting.
After all, others couldn't even see his appearance, let alone any so-called "attachment."
Probably seeing that Jiang Lai didn't seem intent on harming him, the child tentatively stepped forward: "So are you a monster, Mist Brother?"
"No." Jiang Lai replied simply. He didn't elaborate, just stepped forward: "You're lost, aren't you? I'll take you back."
"Hey, how did you know I was lost..." The child scratched his head, then followed along: "Are you really not a monster? You really don't eat children?"
Jiang Lai didn't reply much. He slightly raised his sleeve to support the child beside him, preventing him from falling.
The two walked through the forest. As an [Existence], Jiang Lai had a natural sense of direction. He led the child all the way toward the village.
After leaving the woods, a flat dirt road appeared before them. This snow had been falling for some time, and the road was buried under thick accumulated snow.
Jiang Lai stopped at the forest's edge: "We're here. You can go back now."
"Thank you, Mist Brother! Next time I have a chance, I'll bring you offerings!" The child's face was flushed red. He bowed quite politely, then after saying goodbye, ran forward.
He passed by a pile of snow, and under that mound of snow, several human fingers were vaguely visible. Jiang Lai narrowed his eyes.
There was someone under the snow?!
The child obviously noticed too. He half-crouched down, pointing at the snow pile and saying to Jiang Lai: "There seems to be someone buried here!"
He actively used his hands to dig at the snow, the pure and kind child wanting to rescue the person underneath.
Jiang Lai stepped forward, planning to help.
Just then, cursed energy rippled through the air. The child who was digging through the snow was split in half by an invisible cursed blade, blood gushing out!
"!?" Jiang Lai was shocked for a second, seeing the snow pile move as someone rose from within.
Cherry-pink short hair, with four arms - a figure emerged from the snow. He looked like he was still in his youth, but his build was more robust and sturdy than ordinary people.
His crimson eyes fell on the child's corpse on the ground, his voice lazy: "Tch, didn't sleep well. Annoying."
It was Sukuna.
Four-armed Sukuna's gaze casually swept over that corpse.
The next second, another wave of cursed energy rippled through the air. The child on the ground rolled over and got up completely intact, restored to his original vitality.
Sukuna: "?"
His brow ridge raised slightly, his eyeballs turning toward the black long-haired figure standing to the side - also the one who had just activated the technique.