Chapter 177 : I will listen
The moment Gojo Satoru's casual words fell, he also casually removed his eye mask.
At the same time, the white strands of hair on his forehead naturally fell down, and those beautiful sky-blue pupils were openly revealed.
He turned his face sideways, his pure white eyelashes lifting slightly, his glass bead-like eyes reflecting the person beside him.
In his line of sight, Jiang Lai was slightly stunned, then a gentle smile bloomed on his face, like a summer breeze stirring up ripples on a lake surface.
Gojo Satoru's Six Eyes naturally possessed the ability to collect information, so he could naturally glimpse Jiang Lai's unconcealed genuine smile. His eyebrows raised slightly: "That happy?"
"Yes, very happy." Jiang Lai looked natural, smoothly placing the book in his right hand onto his left hand. "It's rare that you're willing to listen to me, a delusional person, talk. I'm really so moved."
The white-haired man tilted his head slightly, his movement of twirling the eye mask in his hand pausing slightly.
Gojo Satoru: "......" For some reason, he vaguely heard a hint of inexplicable sarcasm.
However, under his gaze, the black-haired youth in navy blue kimono had a gentle expression, seemingly without any additional emotional overtones.
Jiang Lai held the book in one hand, lightly tapping it against his cheek, his expression showing some traces of reminiscent contemplation as he murmured:
"Speaking of past stories......"
Memories were like beautiful shells scattered across an entire beach, distributed in various sizes, each with unique patterns and shapes.
Where to pick them up from, which shell's pattern to start describing, suddenly became a difficult question.
Seemingly noticing Jiang Lai's slightly troubled expression, Gojo Satoru chuckled lightly: "What's wrong, can't tell them?" His tone was frivolous, with no particular emotion discernible.
"Because there are really too many, I don't know where to start." Jiang Lai stated calmly, then threw the topic back to his close friend. "In that case, why don't you choose?"
"After all, these are all experiences that I still remember but you've forgotten. Which time period would you like to start hearing about?"
"You want me to choose?" Gojo Satoru's eyelashes fluttered as he put on a slightly exaggerated contemplative pose, then said playfully: "Then let's start from the very beginning, from the first time you saw me in your delusions."
The strongest chose the earliest shell on the beach, turning the clock of memory back to the very beginning of everything.
Jiang Lai paused slightly. He originally wanted to start from the meeting with young Gojo at the shrine, but after second thought, he felt perhaps the very beginning should be even earlier.
It was a connection that began a thousand years ago.
If he started narrating from a thousand years ago, the story would inevitably be quite long.
Jiang Lai wasn't sure whether Gojo Satoru would be willing to listen to the end, since he wasn't certain whether the other's current listening was momentary interest or genuine enthusiasm.
"It might be a bit long." Jiang Lai warned first, blinking his eyes. "How long will you listen to me talk?"
Gojo Satoru didn't give a precise reply to this. He just nodded, his beautiful blue eyes calm as the sea: "I will listen."
Hearing this, Jiang Lai didn't continue asking. He smiled, his gaze falling ahead as he slowly began brewing the past in his heart.
Those distant memories surged to his throat, naturally flowing out when he opened his lips.
"Do you believe in reincarnation spanning a thousand years? The very beginning starts from that era when jujutsu was most prosperous."
"The first meeting was at the outskirts of the city. At that time, you appeared as an elegant noble Young Master, approaching with the disguise of a blind person."
......
The voice of the person in navy blue kimono was gentle as he began slowly narrating a magical and grand story. An era seemed to unfold before their eyes.
Or more precisely, it was more like a world unfolding before their eyes.
After removing his eye mask, Gojo Satoru's Six Eyes collected information from the surroundings without restraint, complex information flooding his brain.
Among this pile of chaotic and redundant information, the black-haired youth's words were like a clear spring, distinctly different from the useless summer heat, flowing naturally from his ears to his heart.
Gojo Satoru had originally just wanted to listen casually, but later, he seemed to become immersed in the world within the other's words.
The short journey became long in listening to the story.
The clouds in the sky seemed to slow their rolling, the swaying tree shadows gently rippling by the roadside, unknown small birds on the branches also restrained their wings and songs, leaving only the two walking figures in the light and shadow.
The black-haired youth's face was filled with smiles, his eyes containing gentle brightness.
Gojo Satoru unconsciously slowed his pace, quietly accompanying the person in navy blue kimono.
He listened from a thousand years ago all the way to a thousand years later.
In the other's narration, he, Suguru, and Shoko had misunderstandings, missed connections, and separations, but ultimately seemed to walk on a circle, eventually reuniting after going round and round.
Could such a story be real?
Gojo Satoru felt slightly unclear confusion in his heart. But the harm Suguru and Shoko suffered in this world was also real.
Due to some unknown factor's influence, Gojo Satoru avoided that tangled heart of exploration.
He rarely deliberately avoided the black-haired youth's occasional glances, not giving extra emotions.
The story was too long. Even with Jiang Lai picking and choosing to select some parts, it lasted for a considerable time.
Fortunately, Jiang Lai now possessed the characteristics of [Existence], without human physiological needs, so even speaking continuously wouldn't make him thirsty.
When he finished saying what he wanted to say with lingering interest, he only then realized the passage of time.
Jiang Lai couldn't help but glance at the person beside him, worried the other had already started daydreaming or feeling drowsy.
However, when his words stopped, Gojo Satoru turned his face toward him, looking like he hadn't been distracted for even a second. Those clear blue eyes blinked lightly: "Finished?"
"Mm...... I guess that's about everything." Jiang Lai smiled with pursed lips. "There's more, waiting for you to come out and create with us."
Gojo Satoru didn't reply to this. He just lowered his eyelids slightly, then curved his lips, using his usual rising tone:
"Well, very exciting! The logic and timeline are incredibly smooth, no wonder you'd be immersed in your own fantasy world."
"......"
By now, Jiang Lai no longer felt hurt by the other's such words. He just smiled faintly in response.
And Gojo Satoru paused, then quickly added another sentence himself: "Of course, there's nothing wrong with that." He spread his hands, his voice rising at the end. "I also have similar delusions and madness. We can be the same kind."
"Or, companions work too."
The latter half seemed rather light. If not for Jiang Lai's keen senses, it would have been almost impossible to catch.
Jiang Lai's expression paused first, then his smile spread.
He didn't respond, just slightly adjusted his pace, walking steadily beside Gojo Satoru.
Their moods were different, their goals divergent, yet they walked together on one path, heading toward a vast journey of annihilation.
……
Gojo Satoru had Okkotsu Yuta issue the announcement early on, so Kyoto had begun evacuating personnel very early.
Saturday evening news was still reporting on Kyoto's situation, while the instigator who caused all the commotion was still at a steakhouse.
The white-haired man cut his beef perfectly with knife and fork, enjoying the meal before him.
Jiang Lai, sitting across from him, looked at the news announcement on TV, tapped the table to signal, and sighed:
"The people in Kyoto seem to have mostly evacuated. You really captured a city without deploying a single soldier."
Gojo Satoru looked up and replied irrelevantly: "This steakhouse is good, grilled just to my liking. I'll come eat here again next time."
Jiang Lai: "...... At least make some plans. We'll reach Kyoto tomorrow."
He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Or if you don't trust me much, you don't have to say anything."
"Oh my, how could that be? We're teammates who won the Best Sugar Bean Person title together!" Gojo Satoru laughed cheerfully, waving his finger as he mentioned what happened the day before.
The day before, they went to a dessert shop, and Gojo Satoru enthusiastically dragged Jiang Lai to participate in a sugar bean-grabbing duo activity. The group that grabbed the most in one minute could get the Best Sugar Bean Person title and the crown dessert of the day.
Hearing this, Jiang Lai sighed lightly in his heart. The more the other mentioned such daily trivial matters, the more it represented his unwillingness to discuss serious matters.
Despite traveling together all this way, he still didn't know Gojo Satoru's reason for going to Kyoto.
If it was to grant free death and stop the Supervisory Committee's feeding plan, why did he announce the plan in advance, giving Kyoto people time to evacuate?
But if it was just to destroy an empty city with no people, toppling buildings seemed to have no great significance.
Speaking of what was special about Kyoto...... the Big Three Families? This term flashed through Jiang Lai's mind like lightning.
The Zenin and Kamo family estates were both in Kyoto, while the Gojo family had their old residence in Kyoto and new residence in Tokyo.
Could it be that Gojo Satoru chose Kyoto to destroy the Big Three Families' old sites?
Jiang Lai thought. It seemed reasonable too, since the Big Three Families were important sources of input for the jujutsu world's upper echelons and were also closely colluding with the Supervisory Committee.
If Gojo Satoru chose to directly annihilate Kyoto, the Big Three Families' estates would naturally be reduced to ashes, along with various secret weapons that might be hidden within.
However, in the end, Gojo Satoru still gave them some preparation time, not launching a surprise attack.
Gojo Satoru, as the strongest cursed user, no longer followed the jujutsu world's regulations, but he also didn't seem cruel and bloody enough to massacre everything indiscriminately.
When laying out plans, he casually waved his hand to remove unrelated personnel as much as possible.
During these past few days, Jiang Lai had sensed the calmly fermenting madness beneath the other's playful facade.
The strongest was restraining that desire to grant all living beings free death, not yet completely breaking free from the constraints of worldly rules.
He just wasn't sure how long this hidden rationality could be maintained. Perhaps it might derail the next second.
With thoughts flowing in his mind, Jiang Lai continued watching the TV hanging above.
"The weather forecast says tomorrow will be cloudy in Kyoto." Jiang Lai said casually. "Thick cloud cover, no sun."
Gojo Satoru tilted his head slightly, then asked: "Do you want to see the sunrise?"
Jiang Lai blinked, not understanding what the person in front of him meant, but still went along with answering: "Tomorrow is cloudy, don't know if we can see it clearly. Having a chance to see the sunrise would be nice though."
"If you want to see it, naturally you can, regardless of weather." Gojo Satoru curved his lips, his lightly raised fingertip instantly condensing and brewing terrifying power. "...... Because the sunrise is here."