Chapter 87 : Abandoning Cats Even a Thousand Years Ago (Not Really)
Long-haired Gojo's room was clean and tidy, without any particularly special objects placed inside.
Probably because Six Eyes unconsciously collected surrounding information, having fewer useless decorations would relatively reduce the burden on his eyes.
Jiang Lai spoke polite words about "causing disturbance" as he entered the room.
"No disturbance at all. Not seeing you for a few days, being this polite is a bit hard to get used to." Long-haired Gojo's posture was casual as he lowered the bamboo shutters, with only sparse moonlight squeezing through the gaps. The interior lighting was dim. "Do you want me to light a lamp?"
"No need, I can see clearly." Jiang Lai replied. "Besides, it's nighttime now. If you suddenly light a lamp, the servants outside..."
"Oh, that's no problem. You don't need to worry about our conversation being overheard either. My room has a soundproof barrier I set up myself." Long-haired Gojo waved his hand openly, saying casually, "Besides, they wouldn't care about me. Most never say much either, just doing what they're told when I need them to."
"Sounds quite free."
"It's just an appearance. There are piles of troublesome constraints in daily life." The white-haired youth pouted, complaining, "Last time I came back, those old men in the family surrounded me lecturing various annoying righteous principles, saying things like going out privately isn't good for safety, when it's really just about family face and such. Really boring enough."
"Then next time there's no need to listen." Jiang Lai held his book in front of his lips, smiling as he suggested, "Shake them off and go somewhere quiet like a shrine, how about it?"
After unconsciously speaking these words, Jiang Lai suddenly remembered that in the opening of Yesterday's Past, young Gojo had come to the shrine seeking quietude and thus encountered him.
"A shrine? That's a good idea." Long-haired Gojo's blue eyes lit up. "Those servants can't enter the barrier without tokens, and that group of old men from the elder council can't climb the mountain. Not bad, not bad. Next time I'll go there to play hide-and-seek with them."
"......" Jiang Lai's eyes curved slightly, then he remembered the recent parting incident, so he said, "How did that village demon matter go? Was it resolved? What was the outcome?"
"Something I handle personally, could it not succeed?" Long-haired Gojo looked spirited, curving his lips. "Of course it was resolved. Those people who signed contracts with demons, with Six Eyes I could see through them at a glance."
"It was just troublesome to handle afterward," the white-haired youth continued. "Originally thought after finding those people, I'd simply kill them with my technique. But... it seems the actual situation was more complex."
Recalling previous events, long-haired Gojo's face showed a complex expression as he lowered his eyes:
"They were individuals, but also part of a collective. At that time there were piles of children and women crying and such, both defending themselves and pleading, very noisy."
"Anyway, I ended up handing them over to the authorities. Though I really hate those guys, they are ultimately the ones who do this work, probably able to investigate clearly." The white-haired youth nodded. "In any case, I made those guys work properly."
"Really? They actually listened to you?"
"...Because I brought out my real identity." Long-haired Gojo looked somewhat gloomy, but still said it. "The Gojo family name is still useful. After seeing proof of identity, they immediately started bowing and scraping."
"But I still feel somewhat unsatisfied. I feel like rotten tangerines are everywhere." He exhaled, his ice-blue eyes lifting. "I want to rewrite the world's rules."
"Wow, Satoru-kun has reached the age where he'd say such things."
"Hey hey, I'm serious, not youthful arrogance." Long-haired Gojo's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, then he smiled cunningly. "In any case, at least I want to rewrite the jujutsu world's related rules. I don't want those rotten tangerines' rules."
Jiang Lai said: "So what will you do?"
"I used to think about killing all those unqualified rotten tangerines, but thinking about it now, having only force seems limited in effect." He said, "I can't directly change most people's thinking, and I also lack some like-minded figures."
"Unexpectedly clear recognition. Indeed, in this era, the goal won't be easy to achieve."
Jiang Lai thought for a few seconds, then added, "Of course, eliminating rotten tangerine rules probably wouldn't be easy in any era. This isn't something that can be accomplished overnight, probably requires very long preparation."
"Ah, sounds so troublesome. I hate trouble. But for things I've decided on, there's no reason to give up casually."
The white-haired youth raised his eyebrows, his azure eyes flying with brilliant pride. "Even without following step-by-step planning, I'll definitely succeed. After all, I am the strongest."
"Truly something someone this age would say."
"...I say, at least show some courtesy by getting infected and excited."
Jiang Lai laughed. The atmosphere between them was very light as he said: "Then you should try following your own thinking. Even if you don't succeed in this era, you can accumulate experience for the next reincarnation cycle."
"Wait, are we already talking about reincarnation cycles? Is it really appropriate to discourage young people like this?!" After becoming familiar, long-haired Gojo had long abandoned his initial reserved noble facade. His current expression was like a big cat flicking its tail as he complained casually, "Even if it's reincarnation, it only happens once every thousand years. Still early."
"You understand related content?" Jiang Lai was slightly surprised internally, following up with questions.
"Just happened to overhear some mystical guy talking at a shrine worship gathering," the white-haired youth spread his hands. "Something about [thousand-year fate wheel great reincarnation], [hazy memories of past lives that might awaken], [entangled destiny will ultimately determine the final ending]... that kind of random nonsense."
"Sounds very mysterious." Jiang Lai was thoughtful.
"This is all content from storybooks. I stopped listening to these when I was very young." Long-haired Gojo yawned lightly, dismissive. "All lies, childish and boring."
He raised his eyes, then asked: "By the way, you came to find me tonight, it wasn't just to ask about the village matter, was it?"
"Oh, not just that. There's something else." Jiang Lai curved his eyes, steadied his posture, and spoke sincerely: "...I want to ask you to help me with a favor."
"A favor? No problem." Long-haired Gojo readily nodded in agreement, then asked curiously, "You also have places where you need my help? Could it be you're quite interested in the human world and preparing to descend for a long time? Welcome to stay at the Gojo family."
"Quite the opposite." Jiang Lai shook his head in reply. "I need to leave for a while, so I want to ask you to help... take care of a child."
After these words were spoken, the white-haired youth in front of him showed shock for an instant. He paused for several seconds before saying: "Sorry, did I hear wrong?"
"Hm?" Jiang Lai also looked puzzled. "No, what's wrong?"
"...A child? You mean a living child with four limbs who can talk and walk?"
"Of course." Jiang Lai showed half-moon eyes. "A normal human child."
"Really... or fake?" Long-haired Gojo drew out his tone, leaning closer with curiosity, his beautiful blue eyes round like a cat's. "You have a child??"
"How is that possible!" Jiang Lai raised his hand to bonk the other's head with his book. "Picked up on the road."
"Wait, you can break through Limitless...?! Well, you are some kind of mystical thing after all." The white-haired youth covered his head with one hand, complaining, then calmed his expression and steadied his posture.
"Oh, so it was picked up. What a false alarm. I thought it was the real-life version of those storybook tales about gods, ghosts, and humans having tragic romances."
"Just how many have you read?" Jiang Lai raised an eyebrow slightly. "Speaking of which, didn't you say when you were very young, you stopped listening to storybook tales? You were just complaining they were false, childish, and boring."
Long-haired Gojo's body stiffened slightly for an instant, his raised voice having a feeling of trying to cover something up: "Right, I've long passed the age of needing to hear stories! How could I still be obsessed with reading storybooks now... it's just, cough, I have a pretty good memory."
He immediately changed the topic: "Where is that child you want me to help take care of?"
"At an inn outside." Jiang Lai said, "A six or seven-year-old boy, possessor of Ten Shadows Technique."
"......" Hearing this, the white-haired youth's expression focused somewhat. He nodded slightly, his lashes fluttering under blue eyes. "I see, a bit of a small trouble then."
If it were an ordinary child that would be fine, but the inheritor of the Zenin family's hereditary technique wouldn't be so easy to handle.
However, Six Eyes wasn't someone who would be bound by these rules. He always did as he pleased.
Therefore, Gojo nodded: "Fine, no problem." He tapped his right palm with his left hand. "It's just inconvenient to bring him into the Gojo family interior, need to keep him outside. He won't be the type of child who can't be separated from adults, will he?"
"No." Jiang Lai thought, then said, "His mother died early, his father was often away and later disappeared too. Should be a child with very strong independence."
"That's good..." Long-haired Gojo's slender fingers rested under his chin. "Mm... I'll ask friends outside to help keep an eye on him too."
"Outside friends? Satoru-kun made new friends?"
"Ah... sort of. Met them on the way back, got along pretty well." Long-haired Gojo smiled, youthful energy blooming. "Quite interesting too. One is a cursed spirit manipulator, and the other can use reverse cursed technique for output."
Hearing this, Jiang Lai paused slightly. Such distinctive characteristics made him immediately think of the future Geto Suguru and Ieiri Shoko...!
Could there really be some "thousand-year reincarnation"? Jiang Lai thought silently, organizing related clues in his mind.
"Didn't expect Ten Shadows Technique, which didn't appear in the Zenin main family, to appear outside. When that child grows up, I can use it to mock the other side!" Long-haired Gojo looked spirited. "Then let's go find that child now. I'm quite curious."
"Go find him now?" Jiang Lai paused, then reacted.
"Going out secretly in the middle of the night, won't you be discovered?" After rational consideration, Jiang Lai asked, "After you left home last time, the Gojo family's surveillance should have been strengthened, right?"
"That's correct, but if I want to leave, no one can stop me." The white-haired youth's perfectly curved lips bent up, his expression unrestrained. "Besides, breaking through heavy guards, isn't that very exciting?" He looked quite enthusiastic.
Jiang Lai: Getting playful in strange places, Satoru-kun!.jpg
Long-haired Gojo leaped to the window, lifting the bamboo shutters and half-turning his face with a cheerful smile: "Come on, Mist-san, let's play a nighttime escape game!"
The two moved lightly, shuttling through the Gojo family grounds under moonlight.
Because there were Six Eyes with no blind spots in vision, Jiang Lai didn't need to be alert about surroundings or probe with techniques this time.
He followed behind and slightly to the side of long-haired Gojo, using only his eyes and hearing to perceive around them. Participating this way, he actually re-experienced the joy of childhood hide-and-seek games.
When they flashed out of the final outer barrier and stepped onto the night streets, their extremely fast pace finally slowed. The two-story wooden inn visible in the distance was where Shuuki was staying.
"Perfect! Great victory..." The white-haired youth looked happy under moonlight, like a long-haired big cat stretching its body.
Jiang Lai beside him also smiled and replied: "Full health clear."
At this moment, the street at midnight was especially quiet, with only the silent bright moon adorning the clear sky above.
The Heian-kyo environment was extremely good. The stars overhead weren't obscured at all, gathered above like spilled rolling silver fragments, twinkling and flowing in the night sky and their eyes.
Jiang Lai gazed at this brilliant bright starry sky. The drowsiness and fatigue he had previously suppressed surged up again like a tide.
This drowsy feeling was clawing away at his energy. Jiang Lai's forward steps slowed. He knew he should quickly find a safe place to hibernate.
The night breeze blew gently past, and familiar mysterious power rippled in the air. He paused slightly, half-closing his eyes to sense from within.
It seemed to come from [Birth]. Was the other nearby?
"What's wrong?" Long-haired Gojo, noticing Jiang Lai's pace slowing, stopped and half-turned his face to ask.
"......" Jiang Lai stood in place. He raised his eyes, his book pointing toward the inn in the distance. "That child is called Shuuki. He's in the leftmost room on the second floor of that building. I set up some technique traps, but for you, breaking through should be no problem."
Long-haired Gojo frowned slightly, his azure eyes staring over: "...You're not coming? You're leaving?"
"Going to see a friend." Jiang Lai didn't reveal the other [Existence] or mention his physical condition. He didn't want others to have additional worries.
Therefore, he brushed it off lightly, saying: "Suddenly sensed the other is nearby, preparing to chase over and take a look."
"Is it that urgent?" The white-haired youth tilted his head slightly. "Speaking of which, if I go over alone, won't that child think I'm a bad person?"
"No, don't worry. I already told him in advance."
"Hah? So you planned to dump the child on me from the start? Wicked old monster."
"Because I trust you." Jiang Lai smiled and praised him, satisfied to see the other enter the awkward attitude typical of male high schoolers again.
"...Even if you say that, it can't change the fact that you had it all planned out." Long-haired Gojo squeezed out a reply, then raised his eyes. "Fine, go play with your friend. When will we meet again?"
This question again. Jiang Lai sighed internally. He couldn't answer accurately because he wasn't sure himself.
Lying in front of Six Eyes that could see through everything was very difficult. Staying longer might reveal clues.
And his consciousness couldn't hold out much longer. Drowsy fatigue had long since overflowed the rational dikes he'd built.
Jiang Lai planned to follow his instincts to find nearby [Birth], entering this period's hibernation beside his conceptual elder sister (elder brother) and family head.
Under the white-haired youth's gaze, Jiang Lai smiled lightly. He pointed his book toward the stars in the sky and casually made up a mystical phrase on the spot:
"How about this: when that brightest star and that dimmest star draw one inch closer together, I'll truly meet you again."
"Hah? What kind of code is that, or some weird appearance condition for you immortals and monsters?"
Long-haired Gojo complained, then unconsciously raised his eyes to look in that direction, his azure pupils focusing on the starry sky.
He couldn't see anything special there at all. Under Six Eyes, there was air, water droplets, dust, and various miscellaneous things.
When his consciousness returned, he realized the black-haired youth had already left in the distance, going somewhere to find that suddenly appearing friend.
Under the starry sky, the white-haired youth first froze for a second. After silent contemplation, he finally stepped toward the inn, muttering to himself:
"Coming when he wants, dumping trouble and leaving when he wants. Too much! Next time I definitely have to make him treat. Oh, he probably doesn't have money, so I'll just make him tell me a few interesting stories instead."