Chapter 75 : Jiang Lai - Transparent Cat Boxes, The Choice of Successful People (not)
On the other side.
The few people who had left the clothing shop walked to the small hut where Ohagi had been staying recently.
"This little house belongs to that family. They charge very low rent and often bring over various small things." The white-haired youth pushed open the wooden door. The interior furniture was very simple, but kept exceptionally clean.
"So you were bought off by those small fry? Helping them find their child?" Sukuna mocked.
"Just had nothing better to do, didn't want to owe anyone favors, so I'm casually lending a hand." The white-haired youth pouted in reply, then added with a rising tone: "What, jealous that I have such excellent popularity while you don't?"
Sukuna scoffed at this, dismissive.
Jiang Lai didn't say anything. He knew that what could move Six Eyes to act was never material things, but the sincerity buried in one's chest.
But if this teenage Six Eyes heard such words, he would definitely reply with "What are you saying, how cheesy," just like Gojo at the technical school back then.
Therefore, he remained silent, his face behind the mask curving into a smile.
White-haired youth Ohagi stepped into the house, half-turning to say to Sukuna: "Alright, hurry up and change clothes. After you're done, we still need to go look for clues."
Jiang Lai handed over the several packaged pieces of clothing he was holding, gesturing to Sukuna: "These are wide-sleeved clothes you can wear. Pick one that's comfortable."
Currently, Sukuna was still in his growing youth phase, his build more robust and upright than ordinary people, with natural black markings outlining smoothly flowing muscles.
Jiang Lai knew that the future original Sukuna could grow to over two meters tall... these clothes wouldn't fit him later.
The future Sukuna would probably be too lazy to have kimono custom-made. To him, clothing would only interfere with battle. He preferred fighting bare-chested.
Jiang Lai's imagination wandered. After this time period passed, the next time he'd witness Sukuna wearing kimono would be when he possessed Itadori in his innate domain.
Now, faced with the clothes Jiang Lai offered, Sukuna wasn't polite and took them without hesitation.
For decisions already made, he always acted swiftly. Therefore, Sukuna efficiently shook out the several kimono, his gaze sweeping over them.
White-haired youth Ohagi also only now saw the clothes Jiang Lai had selected. He noticed the style of these kimono, his movements pausing slightly.
Wait, these all seemed to be women's kimono??
Ohagi rubbed his wooden guide cane, lowering his voice to communicate with the navy blue figure beside him: "...Did you do this on purpose, or by accident?"
"On purpose." Jiang Lai's expression was calm.
A certain Six Eyes: "?"
Jiang Lai coughed, explaining to avoid misunderstanding: "Not a prank, purely from a practical standpoint. Among the clothes currently available, only women's kimono have such wide sleeves."
"Mm-hmm, got it, not a prank." Ohagi held a cat-like attitude of watching the excitement, but still reminded: "Speaking of which, he'll recognize these as women's kimono, right? Won't he tear them all up or fight with you?"
"He won't." Jiang Lai raised his book slightly. "He probably doesn't care about such details."
Ohagi's eyes behind the black-gold fabric seemed to blink, and at this moment, Sukuna across from them had already quickly changed into the clothing.
As Jiang Lai said, he completely didn't care about the clothing style.
Sukuna wore a simple white women's kimono, with a dark blue obi butterfly knot casually tied behind his back. The wide sleeves could perfectly conceal his four arms.
At first glance, this outfit looked somewhat similar to the one future Sukuna would wear in his innate domain. Jiang Lai nodded silently in his heart. As expected, his taste remained consistent. He preferred practical clothing!
White-haired youth Ohagi saw Sukuna so casually and naturally don the women's kimono without hesitation, and couldn't help but freeze for a second.
After a moment, he spoke with a regretful, drawn-out tone: "Such a pity, your taste isn't great. You didn't choose that beautiful cherry blossom grape-dyed one with the wide butterfly bow next to it, which was the most expensive."
Sukuna casually tightened the obi that was barely recognizable as a butterfly knot to just the right degree, then glanced at the other pieces he'd thrown on the ground: "Too many parts, ugly, troublesome."
"Ugly??" White-haired youth Ohagi placed his slender, pale fingers at his lips and chuckled. "Your aesthetic is going against the current. This style is supposedly popular among everyone from noble ladies in the capital to village women."
Jiang Lai (falling into contemplation): But Sukuna doesn't seem to belong to the category of [from noble ladies in the capital to village women] at all.
Sukuna's response was a cold laugh as he forcefully stepped on the remaining kimono on the ground: "If that's the case, you wear them."
With these words, he kicked those garments forward like trash.
This tone and attitude naturally couldn't be tolerated by a certain Six Eyes in his adolescence. Although he'd been influenced by noble environments, his core was still that of an arrogant, free person who was never constrained by moral etiquette and acted as he pleased.
Six Eyes certainly wasn't a good-tempered character. The two almost started fighting again.
The reason they didn't fight was that Jiang Lai very smoothly used spatial techniques to create two "cat boxes," separating them one each.
Sukuna: "..."
White-haired youth Ohagi: "..."
Jiang Lai lifted his mask, smiling cheerfully: "Physical fighting or cursed energy battles make too much noise. How about this: if you have any conflicts, try a verbal argument first."
"Verbal arguments? I wouldn't be so childish." The white-haired youth nodded slightly, his action of supporting himself with the guide cane naturally displaying a kind of nobility and arrogance.
Sukuna responded similarly, baring his lips to reveal sharp canines: "Things that can be solved with a fight, using words is boring and wasteful."
White-haired youth Ohagi saw that Jiang Lai remained leisurely with no intention of dispelling the surrounding technique, so he briefly tested breaking through the transparent cat box, only to find that cursed energy striking it was like hitting the surface of air, absorbed in ripples within a breath.
Sukuna in the opposite cat box had already somewhat gotten used to this spatial restraint. He didn't waste energy attacking with cursed energy, but casually scratched at it with his nails, watching white streaks appear and disappear, killing time.
At the same time, he didn't forget to mock the other side: "Stop bouncing around like a jumping weasel in there. Just watching from far away is annoying."
"Hah?" White-haired youth Ohagi raised his other hand, lifting one side of the black-gold fabric, revealing his brilliant azure Six Eyes as he stared over: "Your demon-scratching-the-wall posture is the more foolish one."
The two who had just found [verbal arguments] "childish" and "boring" the second before were now energetically trading insults through the transparent cat boxes.
Like two adolescent boys arguing from balconies of dormitory buildings very close to each other, absolutely unable to lose in terms of momentum.
Jiang Lai beside them found a place to sit down, leaving the verbal battlefield to the two of them, waiting for them to exhaust their excess anger.
During this time, he opened his phone (book), planning to briefly browse the latest information on the official website.
The manga was currently updated to the point where several people were at the clothing shop and Jiang Lai had selected and packaged several women's kimono. The earlier parts contained no intelligence beyond Jiang Lai's perspective.
After thinking for a few seconds, Jiang Lai opened the new series Flower Planting forum, planning to see if others had any extended speculations.
【Today's portion of absorbing long-haired Lai-Lai! Just one sip for eternal energy and immortality!】
【Died laughing, what kind of Tang Monk meat version of God Lai is this haha, but speaking of which, God Lai really has this magical constitution of encountering key characters. He can simultaneously attract Sukuna and the Six Eyes from a thousand years ago.
By the way, the Six Eyes from a thousand years ago is also such an arrogant cat, though with noble arrogant cat vibes, but still an arrogant cat!!】
【No wonder God Lai had such a good initial attitude toward Gojo Satoru in the Yesterday's Past arc. Turns out it's because he knew his ancestor from a thousand years ago?
God Lai can already skillfully comfort Six Eyes with cat-petting techniques. What kind of substitute cat story is this?】
【Wuwu, not necessarily. Maybe it's some reincarnation plot... [A thousand years ago you and I were friends, a thousand years later I find the reincarnated you and get to know you again] that kind of thing】
【Isn't anyone concerned about Sukuna being carried around in God Lai's transparent cat box haha? He's probably never suffered such indignity in his life! (dog head)
Suggest God Lai open a Cat Virtue Academy, making Sukuna and thousand-year Six Eyes seriously learn how to be good cats that don't fight, make trouble, or wreck things】
【The art style suddenly became cute. If I hadn't just flipped a page and seen the hellish scene of the old man killing children, I would have been fooled. Everyone don't let your guard down, remember Sukuna's hellish attributes!!】
【It's still okay now. The current young Sukuna still has some human aura, I mean, some slight youthful feeling.
But looking at the main timeline, the old man should continue his hellish killing spree in the future (laughs). Probably because the current young version can't beat God Lai, so his hellishness is being suppressed.
Just looking at the current young Sukuna, although he kills at will and is indifferent to the human world, he's not completely hellish. He also shows some genuine emotions in daily life.】
【Genuine emotions... May I ask if you searched for: (Screenshot - Sukuna's genuine emotion of retching on the spot)】
Below was a string of "hahaha"s and screenshot chains, and after these short posts, a long post suddenly appeared.
【Don't mean to interrupt, but I can't help being serious and starting analysis. Family, don't you think Sukuna's identity in the new series might have hidden depths?
Currently known information from the manga: ① Sukuna doesn't have special eyes, yet can directly see through the mist on God Lai's [Existence] face that others can't see through ② Sukuna isn't afraid of cold, and Six Eyes says it's not due to cursed energy maintenance. Currently, only God Lai as [Existence] can do this ③ Future Sukuna can freely touch or absorb [Existence] divine nature fragments
Based on the above, is there a possibility, I mean possibility, that Sukuna is also [Existence]? Just that he doesn't know it.
Or he was once [Existence] but forgot?
Or maybe he's in an [Existence] incubation period (is there such a thing? Just guessing haha)】
【Hah?? Sukuna is [Existence]? Then he'd have to be a pretty hellish [Existence]...
But based on God Lai's situation, [Existence] can't form bonds, right? Sukuna's killing level clearly exceeds objective limits.】
Jiang Lai paused slightly upon reading this. He lightly rubbed the book with his fingertip, pondering in his mind.
With the forum analyst's summary, he also happened to finish organizing the clues in his mind, reaching a conclusion similar to the forum's: Sukuna should be related to [Existence].
But whether it was specifically unknowing, forgotten, or in an incubation period among these options was uncertain.
Speaking of which, would [Existence] of the same kind sense each other? Jiang Lai rested one hand on his chin. He currently didn't seem to feel anything.
Thinking of this, Jiang Lai looked up at the cherry-pink haired youth in the spatial barrier.
The other party had his arms crossed with his other two hands hanging naturally, half-hidden in the wide kimono sleeves. The exposed muscled marked with black patterns combined the strange and sacred, while his crimson pupils and the narrower secondary eyes below added several parts evil aura.
Seeming to notice Jiang Lai's gaze, Sukuna turned his head to look over, slightly narrowing his eyes, his throat rumbling with a low voice: "Are you watching a joke?"
Jiang Lai closed his book and stood up gracefully: "Do you think you're a joke? Oh, please don't think that way."
"..." Sukuna was retorted back at and looked unfriendly.
Jiang Lai saw they had argued enough and waved to dispel the transparent cat boxes.
The white-haired youth reservedly straightened his clothing, while outside Jiang Lai's view, he arrogantly made various threatening gestures at the other side.
Sukuna lazily stood there without moving, only chuckling in response.
"Since you've vented your anger sufficiently, let's continue investigating." Jiang Lai put the lifted fox mask back on his face, saying: "First, let's collect common characteristics of the missing persons beyond age, such as residence, identity, any special actions before disappearing, etc."
"Wow, you seem very skilled at this." Ohagi walked out of the house in a few quick steps while still managing his graceful stride with the guide cane.
"Just thinking more comprehensively." Jiang Lai smiled lightly, inwardly crediting his Detective Conan world experience.
Sukuna was still the one walking at the back. He had no interest in so-called "punishing evil and promoting good," briefly retching a few times as a show of respect, then lazily followed behind.
It was winter now, with snow from recent falls still piled on the ground. Several rats scurried past, diving through wall holes.
One of the rats seemed to have a strange pattern in its black eyes.
Sukuna's gaze swept over those rats, his crimson eyes staring. Then he heard a voice beside his ear.
"What are you looking at?" The black-haired youth had somehow appeared beside him.
"..." Sukuna withdrew his gaze. "Nothing."
The navy blue figure's eyes remained as calm as ever. He didn't pursue the matter here, walking alongside him.
After a few seconds of silence, the black-haired youth suddenly asked: "What do you think of humans?"
"Hah?" Sukuna raised his eyebrows slightly, his red eyes glancing over as he casually said: "Why do such weak things still live?"
The black-haired youth smiled: "But aren't you one of them too?"
"..." Sukuna paused for a few seconds. Rationally, he knew he was also human, but inwardly he felt no sense of belonging.
Therefore, he just clicked his tongue and stopped talking.