Chapter 92 : Night Parade of a Hundred Demons & Iris Flower
Six Eyes... the thousand-year-ago Gojo Satoru, the big event about to happen in Heian-kyo was related to him?
An answer flashed through Jiang Lai's heart. His brown eyes gazed at the person in front of him, waiting for Ryomen Sukuna's further narration.
"It's almost time for the once-every-few-hundred-years Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. This time the door opens in the outskirts of Heian-kyo. It's the Gojo family's turn to guard the door, and Six Eyes, who's already the family head, is the frontline defender for this Night Parade of a Hundred Demons."
Plain narrative words, yet containing important information!
Just hearing the term [Night Parade of a Hundred Demons], Jiang Lai's heart involuntarily skipped a beat. Then hearing the following content, he sensed that the thousand-year-ago Heian-kyo's [Night Parade of a Hundred Demons] was different from the activity organized by Geto Suguru a thousand years later.
The [Night Parade of a Hundred Demons] here should be the one from Japanese folk legends.
Jiang Lai recalled in his mind the various term explanations that his Detective Conan friend had shared in the group. [Night Parade of a Hundred Demons] in Japanese ghost and spirit folklore referred to the great parade of demons appearing on summer nights.
In the jujutsu world, this probably became a term for curse parades.
It was currently summer, just a few days until Obon Festival (Ghost Festival). The thousand-year-ago [Night Parade of a Hundred Demons] would probably be on this day. Jiang Lai quickly deduced the answer in his heart.
According to what Sukuna said, the so-called [door] would be like a teleportation array, and large quantities of curses would probably appear continuously from here.
So was Ryomen Sukuna, currently near Heian-kyo, and his previous deal with Kenjaku (Brain-kun) related to this thousand-year-ago Night Parade of a Hundred Demons event?
Thinking in his mind, Jiang Lai showed nothing on his face, seemingly casually throwing out a response:
"Really, he's already become family head, sounds quite good. But is he guarding the door alone?"
"That counts as the next question." Ryomen Sukuna remained unmoved. His crimson eyes glanced over, lips curving up as he replied leisurely, "I can answer, but in exchange, you also have to respond to one of my questions later."
He seemed to have prepared for this long ago, which was why he proactively threw out "allowing questions" earlier.
Jiang Lai's heart stirred. He raised his brown eyes, and after half a second, finally nodded in agreement: "Alright."
After all, he didn't have any unspeakable secrets.
Moreover, responses didn't necessarily have to be complete truths. He could totally be a riddler for a while.
After being influenced by the Detective Conan world, Jiang Lai had become very skilled at playing riddler.
The promise between them became some kind of simple binding. Then Ryomen Sukuna answered Jiang Lai's earlier question: "Just him alone, the jujutsu world higher-ups' arrangement."
"For Six Eyes, one person shouldn't be a problem, right?" Ryomen Sukuna chuckled, saying lazily, "I heard the reason given by the higher-ups was that Six Eyes' strength differs too greatly from others. Having people around would instead hinder his performance, and his technique's power could easily affect the surroundings. So he goes to the front alone, others stay in the back."
In a certain sense this was indeed fact. Without other people around, Gojo Satoru with near-invincible strength could carry out large-scale bombardment.
Jiang Lai thought. But somehow, this didn't seem quite reasonable either.
Even if Six Eyes was the strongest, he was still human. Leaving everything to him, wasn't that a bit too much?
Although Gojo Satoru could definitely solve it perfectly, he would be tired afterward, right?
Sure enough, the rotten tangerines from a thousand years ago and a thousand years later were the same in exploiting people.
It's just that this real situation of curse parades threatening Heian-kyo made Gojo Satoru unable to willfully slack off.
Jiang Lai silently sighed in his heart, then extended his thinking somewhat: was such an arrangement purely based on defending against curse parades, or did it have targeted meaning toward Gojo Satoru?
From Ryomen Sukuna's words, it could be heard that this guard rotation fell to the Gojo family, and Gojo Satoru as the Gojo family head definitely wouldn't flee before battle. He would most likely guard at the so-called [door] until the curse parade ended.
If the jujutsu world higher-ups had targeted intentions toward Gojo Satoru, then this arrangement could achieve two goals:
① Drain Six Eyes' stamina and cursed energy.
② Temporarily move long-haired Gojo to the outskirts of Heian-kyo, ensuring he wouldn't return during that time.
With thoughts flowing in his heart, Jiang Lai heard the person in front of him ask his question:
"How many of such kindred are there."
"What?" Jiang Lai tilted his head. He didn't immediately understand what Ryomen Sukuna's overly simple sentence was referring to.
"You and I are kindred in a certain sense, right?" Ryomen Sukuna spoke weighty words, shaking his wrist, his voice low yet slightly contemptuous. "Don't talk about that disgusting brotherly relationship. Kindred doesn't mean companions. I don't acknowledge it."
"Then why are you asking me this?" Jiang Lai raised an eyebrow.
"Just curious, asking casually," Ryomen Sukuna half-turned his face, rolling sound from his throat. "According to our agreement, you only need to answer. Asking me back isn't within your responsibilities."
This question Jiang Lai had actually answered once long ago, so this time, he also replied according to his previous answer:
"As I once told you, one family head, one elder sister or elder brother, me, and you... or you all."
The final [you all] naturally referred to the twin situation.
After hearing this, Ryomen Sukuna clicked his tongue through his teeth, his expression looking like he was thinking about something.
After a few seconds, under Jiang Lai's gaze, he slowly spoke: "So few, not enough to eat."
Jiang Lai: "?"
The reason for asking this was for cannibalism among kindred?? Truly you, sinister boss!
The complaint that flashed through his mind passed in an instant, and Jiang Lai quickly calmed down again.
Although Ryomen Sukuna's only hobby was eating, this question probably wasn't that simple either.
Very likely the other had keenly sensed some problems with Kenjaku (Brain-kun), thus understanding and analyzing from the side.
Speaking of which, from the thousand-year chapter it could be seen that Kenjaku (Brain-kun) had some understanding of [Existence].
So the other should know that stabbing the neck couldn't kill [Existence], but could injure [Existence] and drain cursed energy?
Jiang Lai thought. If so, the Supervisory Committee's search for him a thousand years later, pulling out Prison Realm and stabbing his neck, was probably to try recruitment, and if not, seal or weaken him to prevent Gojo Satoru's possible rebirth opportunity.
Bringing this up... a bizarre yet very reasonable guess suddenly popped into Jiang Lai's mind:
Combined with the situation a thousand years later, could Kenjaku (Brain-kun) be planning to collect [Existence], become a god (?) then reshape the world, doing the human limit experiments he wanted to do?
What kind of Dragon Ball (sinister version) development was this?
Oh, but the thousand-year-later Geto also said that the Supervisory Committee's attitude toward [Clock] was "if it can't be used for our purposes, then destroy or exhaust it."
So maybe Brain-kun had both thoughts coexisting: collect if possible, but in situations where collection wasn't possible, absolutely wouldn't let it become an obstacle.
With thoughts surging in his heart, Jiang Lai casually replied to Ryomen Sukuna: "Make your menu more normal. If you keep killing indiscriminately, you'll be separated from this kindred status."
Non-objective use of abilities would make [Divine Status] continuously decline. It's just that each [Existence] might manifest differently.
Jiang Lai himself experienced sleep and abilities weakening to some extent, but Ryomen Sukuna seemed to have no overly obvious effects, or maybe the other didn't show it.
Or perhaps, he was an [Existence] with naturally incomplete divine status, allowing him to grow like humans while also possessing some human-like subjective permissions.
This very much fit the jujutsu world's principle of equivalent exchange and interdependence of fortune and misfortune.
"Separate? So what?" Ryomen Sukuna pulled up his lip corners and laughed loudly. "Why should I care about this? Whether human, curse, or this so-called kindred, identity doesn't matter to me. I only care about living happily myself."
Hearing this, Jiang Lai wasn't surprised. This very much fit Ryomen Sukuna's personality.
After all, being [Existence] was both a benefit and some kind of constraint. This was the world's balance rule.
When [Existence] divine status was reduced and degraded to a certain degree, once the main body was no longer [Existence], it would no longer possess [Existence] benefits like immortality, immunity to cold and heat, no need for food, becoming human or cursed spirit instead.
But the state of human or cursed spirit from then on could also no longer be affected by karmic accumulation.
"Moreover, you fundamentally don't care about this kindred identity either, right?" Ryomen Sukuna's laughter stopped. His gaze glanced over. "I still remember your words then. You seemed more interested in human identity."
Jiang Lai paused for a second, smiling gently: "I'm not obsessed with any identity, just choosing the lifestyle I like."
"Your lifestyle is mixing with weaklings? Depending on emotions, truly childish and boring."
Ryomen Sukuna mocked.
"Your living happily is slaughtering and devouring others? Being controlled by instinct, truly uncreative and dark."
Jiang Lai smoothly responded.
Ryomen Sukuna laughed wildly: "I can take that as praise."
Jiang Lai shrugged slightly: "Then your evaluation is also a compliment to me."
The two went back and forth, their verbal exchanges merciless yet in a certain sense quite synchronized.
Uraume beside them stood quietly at the side the whole time, silent like a doll.
Maybe he had thoughts in his heart, but he never showed them on his face. He was a very qualified subordinate.
Strange power fluctuations came from the air. Jiang Lai, sitting in place, keenly sensed this was [Birth]'s aura.
[Existence]'s aura fluctuations didn't belong to the cursed energy category, so Ryomen Sukuna, who had almost separated from [Existence], and Uraume, who was originally a human curse user, didn't sense anything special.
Jiang Lai sensed and judged the distance, thought for a moment in his heart, and decided to get up and find the other.
Since he happened to encounter them, he'd say hello and let the other know he had awakened.
Seeing the navy-blue figure stand up, Ryomen Sukuna raised his eyebrows. His palm no longer rested on his knee. In his still lazy and casual posture, there were faintly a few more traces of battle preparation.
His crimson eyes swept over, saying: "I didn't permit you to move around freely. What, planning to escape? You haven't properly fulfilled your responsibility as backup ingredient."
"The word escape isn't appropriate. Backup ingredient also depends on whether you have the strength to achieve that." Jiang Lai flicked his sleeves. "Just planning to wander around nearby. Verbal sparring with you is meaningless. Better to appreciate flowers and grass, look at plants and animals."
"Don't worry, I'll naturally return. I'm also interested in Heian-kyo's affairs. I'll go with you when the time comes."
Jiang Lai replied lightly, seemingly not taking Ryomen Sukuna's ingredient threats in his words seriously, and indeed that was the case.
Currently their strength didn't have disparate differences. Jiang Lai's remaining abilities were even faintly higher.
Ryomen Sukuna's advantages were probably being ruthless enough, decisive enough, and having richer battle experience, but even so, he couldn't decisively determine victory or defeat.
So under normal current circumstances, they wouldn't have real fighting possibilities. It was meaningless.
If Jiang Lai really wanted to leave, Ryomen Sukuna would at most symbolically try to stop him, wouldn't really stake all his power for a bite, having an uncertain battle.
Jiang Lai would return because he planned to continue following up, trying to discover the deal content between the other and Kenjaku, and go to Heian-kyo at the appropriate time.
He didn't continue verbal sparring with Ryomen Sukuna. His figure leaped up, nimbly using techniques, and after several bounds, followed his instincts to search.
Jiang Lai's movements were nimble and quick. After clouds overhead drifted past, obscuring then clearing the sunlight, he finally reached where [Birth] was.
He passed through wild grass forests where almost no human footprints had walked, pushed aside obstacles, and saw a large field of iris flowers. Probably because this area's environment was quite special, they were still blooming in summer.
A figure in lotus pink twelve-layer court dress with a beautiful princess-cut hairstyle stood in the flower field.
In this dreamlike ocean of blue-purple and white interwoven iris flowers, like a fairy, they turned their face to look over.
Seeing Jiang Lai, [Birth] smiled charmingly, their words revealing genuine laughter: "Are you awake? How wonderful. How is your body now?"
"I'm fine." Jiang Lai stepped forward a few paces, feeling care from his elder sister (elder brother), his eyes curving. "Completely better already."
"Did you come looking for me? Perfect, we can travel together." [Birth] very naturally extended an invitation, stepping forward to Jiang Lai's front, beautiful peach blossom eyes tilting upward at the corners.
Of course Jiang Lai wasn't out traveling. He planned to follow Ryomen Sukuna to Heian-kyo, discover the deal content between Kenjaku and the other, and visit Six Eyes. If anything happened, he could help his friend while on scene.
However, these words seemed stuck in his throat under his elder sister's (elder brother's) gaze full of expectation and concern, unable to smoothly emerge.
So he planned to temporarily skip this topic first, wait until after catching up and laying some groundwork, then clearly explain.
Jiang Lai thought about topics in his mind, his gaze unconsciously moving to that ocean of iris flowers.
At the same time, a scene from a thousand years later suddenly flashed through his mind: the Supervisory Committee's symbol was the iris flower!
"Are these flowers beautiful?" Seemingly noticing where Jiang Lai's gaze fell, [Birth] showed a brilliant smile, looking over this beautiful flower field scenery, voice gentle: "I really like iris flowers. They're very beautiful."
"Mm, yes." Jiang Lai responded accordingly.
Purely from the perspective of appreciating flowers, iris flowers were indeed beautiful.
He asked: "Are these flowers wild, or did you plant them?"
"There are wild ones, but not many. So I simply planted some more, and used a bit of my [Existence] power to spread them into this flower sea." [Birth] reached out, taking Jiang Lai's hand. "Come, I'll show you the flowers I'm raising."
[Birth], who had no particular feelings toward humans, seemed to have special affection for iris flowers as plants.
They who traveled mountains and waters loved nature, waving their hand to display divine power upon these beautiful plants.
Jiang Lai followed his elder sister (elder brother) walking through the flower field. Small paths for walking were specially left in the middle of the flower field. He constantly watched his step, gently protecting the flowers on both sides with techniques to avoid accidentally stepping on them.
Noticing Jiang Lai's actions, [Birth] covered their mouth and laughed: "So gentle, [Space-Time]. It's alright, no need to be so careful."
They led Jiang Lai to the center of the flower field. Overwhelming blooming iris flowers interweaved together, flowing like a living river under the breeze.
Even Jiang Lai, who was somewhat sensitive to iris flowers, couldn't help but relax at this moment, softening his brow and eyes to appreciate this heaven-like beautiful scenery.
[Birth] said: "Very beautiful, right?"
Jiang Lai nodded: "Mm."
The princess-cut [Birth] smiled. They said: "If you get lost in the future, you can also follow these flowers to find me. I'll leave guiding iris flower markers everywhere I've been."