Chapter 141 : Prophecy, Sanctuary or Breeding Ground
Moonlight flowed like water, spilling over the long years onto the ancient architecture of the Zenin family, just as it had a thousand years ago and over ten years past.
After thoroughly discussing with Kurosawa Akira during the day and settling on a plan, Jiang Lai now switched back to his true form in the night, changing his appearance as he silently leaped across the Zenin family rooftops as before.
Just in case, Jiang Lai ultimately didn't choose to use that cursed spirit form wearing the black windbreaker, but instead used the feather necklace to adjust into a blurred mixture of human and cursed spirit.
It was somewhat similar to when he had disguised himself as a demon to visit the Zenin family years ago.
He wore a raven-feathered kimono bound with a wide dark red sash, a black-gold fox demon mask on his face, moving through the Zenin family's building complex like a fleeting shadow.
The family head's quarters weren't difficult to find. During the day, Jiang Lai had already memorized the route.
Therefore, it didn't take long before he found the family head's quarters, avoiding the guards to land by the window.
However, Jiang Lai didn't land around the rest area, but at the study.
Having silently released spatial cursed energy beforehand, Jiang Lai had already sensed someone in the study, so he set his landing point here.
It was now midnight. The study's window was half-open, with evening breeze and moonlight squeezing through the gap together.
Jiang Lai wasn't in a hurry to enter. He stood by the window, letting the breeze brush past his ear-side hair strands, only using spatial jujutsu to manipulate a blade of grass, carrying it with subtle cursed energy through the window gap into the study.
After two or three seconds, that half-open window opened fully. Slender jade hands naturally pushed open the window.
From a distance, Jiang Lai saw the face of Lady Zenin.
Lady Zenin sat properly in the study, wearing complex and formal attire. No lamps were lit inside, but the bright moonlight combined with a jujutsu sorcerer's vision was sufficient to see clearly inside.
Jiang Lai flipped over the window, landing silently in the room. The edges of his raven-feathered kimono traced an elegant arc through the air.
The noble lady rose from her cushion, bowing slightly with a polite smile for receiving guests at her lips.
"You came." Lady Zenin nodded slightly, her posture graceful and elegant. "I've been waiting respectfully for quite some time."
"I think you can also sense that I have no ill intent, which is why you came to this appointment." Lady Zenin said, "How should I address you?"
The black-gold fox demon mask on Jiang Lai's face concealed his expressions. He didn't answer Lady Zenin's question, only a calm voice emerging from behind the mask:
"You sought me out. What for?"
Very direct words, without any courtesy or maneuvering.
Lady Zenin's face still wore an unchanging dignified smile. She tucked a strand of her braid, saying softly:
"Please forgive my presumptuous invitation this time. Earlier I prophesied that among the young people visiting the Zenin family, one was connected to you, so I thought perhaps I could use this opportunity to meet you."
Lady Zenin didn't directly state the content of this prophecy, but explained it through self-interpretation. Jiang Lai understood this in his heart, but didn't ask further about it now.
"My technique is [Uncertain Prophecy], capable of performing certain degrees of prophetic insight based on people and objects."
Lady Zenin seemed to guess what Jiang Lai was thinking, so she added a few more words, "Many times what I prophesy are vague fragments, so I'm accustomed to stating my interpretation rather than directly expressing the prophecy."
Jiang Lai didn't take the conversational bait here, nor did he inquire more about technique-related content. His topic seemed to jump suddenly as he spoke directly:
"The prophecy you gave to the other side, what was it?"
He didn't directly mention the Supervisory Committee or any other specific terms, but used "the other side" to describe them.
Jiang Lai believed that if Lady Zenin truly had connections with the Supervisory Committee, she could discern what he was referring to.
And if she had no connections or didn't want to bring up this topic, they could quickly terminate the discussion and stop this mutually probing temporary conversation.
Lady Zenin's expression showed no fluctuation. She merely lifted her eyelids slightly, her voice gently replying:
"I think you're asking about that iris flower organization, aren't you? I did give them prophecies, but what I handed over back then wasn't the original, but an altered version."
As expected. Jiang Lai thought. Just as he had speculated.
"The premise of the transaction is honesty. So let me be frank first: we aren't sincerely connected with that iris flower organization."
Lady Zenin half-covered her lips, her form appearing somewhat frail as she coughed twice. "Therefore, when I received that prophecy back then, I temporarily altered it."
"I glimpsed the possibility of change from that prophecy."
Jiang Lai didn't respond. His eyes behind the mask continued watching Lady Zenin, listening while using sharp eyes to scrutinize the person before him, judging the truth of these words.
Jiang Lai wouldn't relax his vigilance because of his earlier deductions with Kurosawa Akira or the frail image of the woman before him. Before more intelligence was revealed, maintaining additional caution was appropriate.
Lady Zenin said: "The original prophecy I received was [Divine Six Eyes forms bonds with Clock, stars reverse and radiance restarts]. I replaced the word 'forms bonds' with 'manipulates.'"
These words could apply to any time period. The ancient Heian capital from a thousand years ago or the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons in the modern era both fit this so-called prophecy.
Jiang Lai lowered his eyelids slightly. He wondered if this prophecy also had an even more distant future period.
In the prophecy, "forms bonds" sounded like becoming acquainted with conscious beings, while "manipulates" was more like facing unconscious objects. Therefore, by changing just one word, the Supervisory Committee's attention could be confused.
Jiang Lai acknowledged this noble lady's wisdom, but also raised his own concerns:
"In that case, why not simply replace more words in the prophecy? Or randomly fabricate an unrelated prophecy?"
If the Six Eyes were replaced with another vague term, the Supervisory Committee would be even less able to lock onto targets.
However, Jiang Lai wasn't questioning Lady Zenin's decision by raising this point, but wanted to glimpse from her answer the reason why Kenjaku's side would trust Lady Zenin's prophecy.
With Kenjaku's scheming nature, full of plots like a honeycomb, he shouldn't easily trust prophecies spoken by others.
However, upon hearing this, Lady Zenin before him gently shook her head, saying: "My prophecy technique's manifestation is very special. Words condense in the air, and those words basically cannot be changed. Altering even one word had already nearly exhausted all my strength..."
Lady Zenin held a gentle smile: "...plus part of my life."
Jiang Lai was inwardly shocked, though the mask concealed his expression changes well.
His brown eyes stared deeply at that noble lady, seeing only her authenticity and the resilience beneath her gentle exterior.
Jiang Lai determined that what she said was true.
Not only did prophecy itself require a price, but altering prophecy also required paying with life. This was why Kenjaku believed this lady's prophecy.
He was just somewhat surprised that at the moment of first receiving the prophecy, this Lady Zenin could make such a decision in such a short time.
It seemed Lady Zenin had seen through the Supervisory Committee's true nature, harboring seeds of resistance while maintaining false compliance, waiting for and nurturing every possibility.
Beneath her flower-like delicate exterior lurked the patience and resilience of tough grass.
After a few seconds of silence, clouds drifting across the sky covered then moved away from the bright moon. After the alternation of light and shadow, Jiang Lai spoke: "Then what transaction do you want to make with me?"
After the initial honesty, Jiang Lai finally lowered that barrier of wariness slightly, listening to more of Lady Zenin's words.
He didn't comment on that prophecy. Out of habitual caution, his own words didn't mention anything related to the Six Eyes.
"Those children during the day came to the Zenin family study planning to take away some cursed tool, correct?"
Lady Zenin stated very directly. Jiang Lai neither confirmed nor denied, guessing that the noble lady before him had prophesied more details.
"You can take it. Before leaving, I'll give that item to one of them. Intelligence information obtained by the Zenin family will also be shared with you or people on the Six Eyes' side at appropriate times."
Lady Zenin slowly narrated.
"In exchange, if such a day comes, I hope you can preserve the Zenin family as much as possible."
This statement sounded somewhat strange. Jiang Lai paused, saying: "What do you mean?"
"Our Zenin family has always followed isolation policies, related to that iris flower organization."
Lady Zenin placed her hand on the desk. "This place is nominally a safe sanctuary, but in a certain sense, I understand it's just another kind of breeding ground."
"..." Jiang Lai's eyebrows furrowed slightly behind his mask as he pondered the meaning behind this statement.
"Due to certain constraints, no matter what method I use, I cannot elaborate further on details. I apologize."
Lady Zenin nodded slightly, saying: "I hope you achieve complete victory, but regardless of the outcome, please preserve the Zenin family as much as possible."
This scope was too broad. Jiang Lai cautiously didn't completely agree, only replying:
"...I don't know what lies behind this. False promises are meaningless, so my answer is: I'll try."
Even so, Lady Zenin stood up and bowed respectfully. She looked like a gambler placing her chips, just without hysteria.
The noble lady's sleeves rustled as she sat back down. Her aura completely changed, her tone shifting as well, incorporating more emotional coloring:
"The previous words I spoke from the position of Lady Zenin on behalf of the family. Now I have another somewhat presumptuous personal request for a transaction."
Personal request?
Jiang Lai was slightly surprised, but still nodded lightly, indicating for her to continue.
In any case, listening first caused no loss.
"If you need it, I can prophesy once for you at any time about whatever you want prophesied."
Lady Zenin clasped her hands together. Those beautiful eyes, no longer young but still lovely, shimmered with light as she softly spoke:
"In exchange, I hope you can... take Naoya away from here."