Chapter 86 : Night Visit to the Gojo Family
The few of them returned to the original forest location, where tools and seasonings were kept in the bundle.
Jiang Lai again skillfully used his technique to process the rabbit meat, easily preparing two delicious roasted rabbits under the black-haired child's somewhat surprised gaze.
As an [Existence], he didn't need to eat, but Jiang Lai still took a rabbit leg to satisfy his craving and gave another rabbit leg to the black-haired child Shuuki.
As for the remaining portions, they were all left for the other as promised payment for Sukuna's earlier information sharing.
But the cherry pink-haired youth didn't look too satisfied with this distribution, probably annoyed that the ingredient (black-haired child) was also consuming ingredients (rabbit meat).
However, Ryomen Sukuna ultimately said nothing more, since Jiang Lai currently held distribution leadership.
He just tore off a large chunk of meat with his fangs, chewing in his mouth while drawling in a rising tone, casually commenting: "The level is barely acceptable, but the ingredient range is too narrow. If you ask me, women and children's meat tastes best."
Jiang Lai let it go in one ear and out the other, not debating this topic with him. Shuuki, hearing Sukuna's sinister words, silently scooted his body a bit further from him.
After the late-night meal, Jiang Lai used his technique to clean up the scene and created a transparent small house for the black-haired child Shuuki to shield him from wind and cold.
He himself appeared to rest as usual, constructing an air hammock and assuming a resting posture, showing no signs of planning to leave.
Ryomen Sukuna was an incomplete [Death], unafraid of cold with a physique superior to normal humans, but since he wasn't a completely normal [Existence], he still needed sleep and food.
Jiang Lai planned to wait until Ryomen Sukuna fell into deep sleep, then use techniques to isolate sound and such, quietly leaving with the black-haired child Shuuki.
Having decided internally, he lay on the air hammock and opened his book (phone), preparing to browse recent manga updates and forum commentary.
The manga progressed rapidly, updating all the way to Jiang Lai reviving the black-haired child Shuuki.
Jiang Lai flipped through, trying to find information about that shrine maiden and traveler from the manga's god's-eye view.
Unfortunately, the manga revealed content similar to what Jiang Lai understood. When mentioning the shrine maiden and traveler, the background figures appeared as black silhouettes with only outlines.
Jiang Lai: Detective Conan's little black figures are bad civilization! .jpg
But the manga wasn't completely without gains.
When that Gojo family character with light blue eyes appeared, the manga specifically jumped the timeline, briefly depicting part of the Yesterday's Past chapter content.
In the manga, at the beginning of Yesterday's Past chapter timeline, the person with light blue eyes met young Gojo coming down the mountain. Seeming to sense that young Gojo, usually consistently cold, had an unusually soft expression today, he smiled gently and asked one more question:
"Is something wrong, little Satoru? You look quite happy."
Young Gojo Satoru didn't reveal meeting the mysterious black-haired youth at the shrine, just casually humming in response.
The person with light blue eyes maintained a gentle smile, signaling the family servants who came up the mountain to protect young Gojo Satoru.
The servants respectfully said "Third Elder" and took their orders to lead young Gojo away.
That person remained in place for a moment, then with light steps, headed toward the shrine location.
However, when he arrived at the shrine, there were only silk bells swaying in the wind, with no human figures or residual traces at the scene.
Seeing this, Jiang Lai narrowed his eyes.
Currently, he wasn't quite clear about this person's situation or stance.
But the manga's depiction connected the person with light blue eyes he'd recently encountered by chance in the thousand-year chapter with the elder mentioned by Gojo Satoru at the fireworks festival, whom his future self met at the shrine.
Jiang Lai silently added him to his list of key observation targets.
Next, he opened the latest plot discussion thread, preparing to gather related information from it.
【Laughing to death, God Lai called the boss a little brother, and Boss Sukuna thought he was being disgusting.
Also, their interaction really has that feeling of a transcendently calm emperor big brother and a silly, sinister ghost little brother wwww】
【↑Above poster, describing the boss like that, careful the boss comes for you at midnight (dog head)
What's "silly and dense" hahaha, quickly remove your weird filter. The boss is very cunning with peak intelligence!
It's just that because he currently can't beat God Lai, plus his age is in the youth stage, he doesn't seem so cunning 2333
Also, sinister is indeed very sinister, really. Killing people is like chopping vegetables. Suggest ordering "Murder Everywhere (original: Kiss Everywhere)" for Boss Sukuna】
【Sukuna actually wants to eat God Lai! How can this be! (slams table)
Things I haven't eaten, how can others eat! Suggest the boss quickly break the dimensional wall and give me a bite of meat, share some broth too】
【Hey hey, the poster above made a very scary statement......!! Officer, it's this person—】
【Mina-san, did everyone see that person with light blue eyes? It actually connects with the foreshadowing from Yesterday's Past chapter! Don't know what kind of character......Looking at this, could he have also lived a thousand years? Surely not incarnated a thousand years later, right.】
【Incarnation, eh, seems possible too? In the original, the Culling Games arc had a bunch of characters from a thousand years ago (silence)】
【Place your bets, place your bets, good guy or bad guy, no more bets after deciding—I'll bet on a villain first. After all, we already have God Lai on the gentle good guy side. Wouldn't another one be redundant? Of course, if this person is a white-cut-black dark type, pretend I didn't say anything】
【Respecting Ikemen's attitude, I'll bet on a good guy (dog head)】
【Too little intel, I won't pick sides yet. Speaking of which, isn't everyone's focus on that part later?
Blue-green eyes, black hair standing up, Ten Shadows Technique possessor child, doesn't this configuration look like Megumi—】
【Seems like it, getting déjà vu hhh
Speaking of which, is it because God Lai raised such a child a thousand years ago that in the modern chapter a thousand years later, despite amnesia, he still unconsciously cares for Fushiguro Megumi?
You know, modern chapter God Lai lives next to Megumi and saved Megumi in the alley. This level of help should have reasons, right】
【Ohhh! Feels very right, the foreshadowing connects—!!】
【The "回" (return/cycle) in Jujutsu Kaisen, this cyclical feeling becomes even more prominent......
Also, looking at the manga description, if Lai bears karmic bonds, he'll fall into slumber. Previously mentioned, if God Lai kills someone, he bears the victim's karmic bonds.
From this view, in Yesterday's Past chapter, after God Lai killed Yuikawa, wouldn't he bear Yuikawa's karmic bonds and fall into slumber for ten years, which is why he didn't appear until the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons?】
【Makes sense......! Maybe every time God Lai disappears, it's because his state is unstable, so he can't give Gojo Satoru accurate meeting answers, only saying they'll meet again wuwu (tearing up)】
Reading to this point, Jiang Lai's expression froze slightly.
Viewed this way, it seemed to reasonably explain his situation at that time.
Though from his perspective it was space-time jumping, from the manga and jujutsu world's viewpoint, it was due to accumulated karmic bonds and divine status fluctuations.
He closed his book and put away his phone.
Under the deep night curtain, the cherry pink-haired four-armed youth leaned against a nearby tree trunk, already sleeping soundly.
[Existence]'s power could perfectly blend into the night wind, so Ryomen Sukuna wouldn't be awakened by cursed energy fluctuations in the air.
Jiang Lai silently rose. He used his technique to carry Shuuki, who hadn't slept because they'd secretly agreed beforehand, quietly leaving down the mountain.
This was a departure without farewell. Jiang Lai thought. But Ryomen Sukuna probably didn't need farewells either.
In the black night, the mountain shape resembled a whale's spine, swimming into the endless night curtain as the distance gradually widened.
…
The Gojo main family of this thousand-year era was in Kyoto, which at this time was called [Heian-kyo].
The location of Heian-kyo wasn't hard to find, since it was the capital, even common people knew the direction.
Jiang Lai wore a mask on his face and asked his way there. With his techniques at full power, his speed was extremely fast, and he smoothly reached that area.
The Gojo compound had dedicated guards and barrier coverage. Of course, neither could stop Jiang Lai as an [Existence].
But for safety's sake—mainly Shuuki's safety—Jiang Lai worried the other might be accidentally injured by some of the Gojo family's protective measures.
Therefore, he decided to temporarily leave the other at a nearby inn, arranging protective spatial techniques around him.
Then, after day passed and night fell, Jiang Lai stepped lightly into the Gojo family compound.
Nighttime was convenient for movement and more covert. Jiang Lai looked in all directions and listened carefully, flashing past the sight lines of patrol guards with extremely exquisite posture, reaching the residence of the Gojo family's legitimate heir.
—When he prowled at night in the Zenin family years ago, he had pretty much figured out the Big Three Families' architectural patterns.
Night wind blew, lifting the corners of his navy kimono. Jiang Lai's figure leaped up, reaching the bamboo shutters.
As he prepared to pull open that barrier, the bamboo shutters were lifted from inside first—
A white-haired person stood in the room, wearing a simple dark-colored Japanese yukata. It was already rest time at midnight.
His face wasn't wrapped in black gold cloth, revealing brilliant beautiful ice-blue eyes directly.
Six Eyes had observed Jiang Lai in advance, so he lifted the bamboo shutters first.
However, seeing and confirming the person before him, he still raised an eyebrow with slight surprise, white lashes fluttering once, half-jokingly saying:
"Oh, it really is you—but this timing doesn't seem like normal meeting time......more like an assassin."
Even so, he still stepped aside halfway, leaving space for Jiang Lai to enter.
"If I were an assassin, rather than sneaking over in the middle of the night for close contact with Six Eyes who has no blind spots and Limitless, it'd be easier to succeed by poisoning the three meals or snack desserts, right?"
Jiang Lai removed and deconstructed his face mask, following up with a complaint, then smiled.
"After all, I don't really want too much contact with the public and I'm not familiar with procedures, so I won't go through the troublesome meeting steps of sending invitations, requesting at the gate, step-by-step introductions—I came directly to find you instead. Sorry for the disturbance."
He smoothly leaped into Long-haired Gojo's room.