Chapter 234 : Jiang Lai - Pervert Attraction Aura Performing Steadily
After understanding the reason Brain-kun ordered the higher-ups to make such a decision, Jiang Lai's thoughts returned to the present.
Before him, Gojo Kyufuin's expression remained an unchanging smile, his gaze always falling on the quietly burning thin incense, watching the hazy smoke drift in wisps.
"Good children and bad children are different. So the good child's friends are not the bad child's friends." His voice was clear and smooth as he slowly narrated. "Unfortunately, the good child's friends couldn't distinguish between the two, and thus walked toward downfall."
This was said very cryptically, but Jiang Lai keenly sensed that this part might reveal precisely what happened a thousand years ago. Was this admitting that it was indeed he himself who betrayed [Birth]?
Jiang Lai looked at Gojo Kyufuin beside him, thinking about the other's reasons for telling him this intelligence. Intuition told Jiang Lai that what Kyufuin had just said was most likely true.
According to his previous deduction, Gojo Kyufuin was a refined, egotistical pleasure-seeker. The unchanging order of a thousand years had made him too bored, or perhaps because he wanted to hear more last words from major players, he wandered between both sides, stirring up the situation.
This deduction had a high probability. Regarding Gojo Kyufuin's double-agent behavior, Jiang Lai would continue to understand it based on this.
However, for the latter part, why did that guy use himself as an example to explain...
If it were simply revealing intelligence, Gojo Kyufuin could have just talked about the [Correct and Reverse] Tower content without needing to mention past stories.
Someone of Gojo Kyufuin's caliber wouldn't have wasted words in conversation. Every word and action, every move and gesture was deeply contemplated in his mind, or calculated revelation with underlying purposes.
Since the other party mentioned those matters about soul splitting, about the previous carrier's past, there must be something he wanted to reveal within.
Jiang Lai pondered.
Was he trying to lay groundwork excuses for his actions? Good child and bad child split apart, so his essential nature could be concealed.
He could say that it was the good child who befriended [Birth] back then, but unfortunately the good child couldn't win against the bad child. So the bad child who occupied the body could ignore those bonds, legitimizing betrayal and self-interest.
If he regretted it in the future and wanted to reconcile, he could still use the good child bad child point to explain:
After all, the soul was the condensation of one person's spirit. Though the good child perished, over time, the good child's remnants also influenced the bad child, so the bad child was no longer purely a bad child, he also had part of the good child.
This way that guy could build up to say that the bad child had turned over a new leaf, the good child was coming back, could everything start over and return to old friendship?
Jiang Lai's thoughts surged as his eyelashes fluttered. His expression showed nothing particularly special, his tone calm as he said: "What are you using this wooden plaque to worship?"
"Naturally the other half of my soul." Gojo Kyufuin turned his head slightly, sighing lightly. "A lamentable part. Though the good child lost to the bad child, I still must worship him. And the good child's friends... I think perhaps those emotions have also been inherited by me."
Hearing this, Jiang Lai smiled lightly, his voice steady: "What is there to lament or inherit? It was clearly all your choice."
"Souls split in two, it's difficult to distinguish which is stronger or weaker. So it wasn't that the good child lost to the bad child, but that you yourself decided to abandon half your soul."
"The good child's friends also couldn't not distinguish between good child and bad child, but rather they more clearly recognized and trusted you, knowing that both were you. It's just that they couldn't see deeper into your true nature."
"Let me speculate further. Perhaps from the beginning, from when you contacted the [Separation] cursed tool, everything was your own choice."
To achieve refined egoism, he could even deliberate and scheme to abandon part of himself. How terrifying. Jiang Lai thought this way.
"Regardless, abandoning half and giving up friends were both your own actions. So these measures have no room for sophistry." Jiang Lai spoke with clear mind. "Since you've already made your choice, there's no need to still drag up these past events, seeking groundwork excuses and escape routes."
"What worship brings you is just your own peace of mind. These actions, in the end, are all for yourself. This is the fact."
Jiang Lai's words were very smooth and direct, like large and small pearls falling on a jade plate, precisely hitting every key point and detail.
Logically, Jiang Lai should have been evasive and diplomatic, going through a few fake rounds with Gojo Kyufuin to achieve a facade satisfying to both sides.
However, thinking of [Birth], a swaying flame ignited in his heart, making it impossible to smile and welcome him, going along with the other's rhetoric and affirmation.
Jiang Lai understood that Gojo Kyufuin's pleasure-seeker stance wouldn't change because he had exposed his personality.
Therefore he didn't need to continue maneuvering with the other party, he could simply and directly state his position.
Faced with the black-haired young man's statement, Gojo Kyufuin's expression froze slightly, those narrow light blue-green eyes lifting slightly at the corners.
Probably because his gentle appearance, mild words and clever rhetoric had always been victorious in every battle, this time hitting a snag with Jiang Lai surprised him.
The evening breeze brushed past the small copper bells hanging in the inner hall, their ringing sound echoing through the shrine. After the air was briefly quiet for a moment, Gojo Kyufuin laughed.
"What an impolite way of speaking... It surprised me a bit, yet made me even more delighted."
Gojo Kyufuin placed one hand by his lips, his voice ethereal and uncertain. His reply seemed somewhat contradictory, revealing something strange.
"You're right, I am indeed a refined egoist. But your analysis isn't completely correct, because besides that, I also have faith."
This sounded very strange. Jiang Lai narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the long-haired man with jade hairpin.
He was curious to hear what else the other could say. Could it be that Gojo Kyufuin was going to change his rhetoric and use faith to explain his behavioral transformation? He wondered which religion he would choose.
Jiang Lai thought casually, waiting for Gojo Kyufuin's next sentence.
The long-haired man wore a smile like spring water on his handsome face. He caressed the scar on his other hand's side, slowly saying: "...I am [Divine Descent Sect]."
[Divine Descent Sect]? Jiang Lai's heart paused slightly.
He had originally thought he would hear a religion's name from the other's words, not expecting Gojo Kyufuin to say this. Rather than a religion, this term was more like a conviction.
"The world's rules need to change. The technique discrimination and rigid laws operating in the jujutsu world should meet their end."
Gojo Kyufuin elegantly tucked his hair behind his ear, emanating a certain different kind of excitement.
"But all this cannot be done by humans. Human power is too weak, human thinking too changeable, human nature too greedy. Humans cannot create miracles."
He gave a string of negations, then brought up what he really wanted to say at the end: "Only when divinity descends can everything be reversed." He said word by word.
Gojo Kyufuin still wore a smile on his face, but this seemingly normal smile mixed in a certain stubborn madness.
This madness wasn't obvious, but it penetrated to the bone, threading through every blood vessel in his body.
All jujutsu sorcerers are crazy.
Jiang Lai once again clearly recognized this point.
He understood what Gojo Kyufuin was saying, but he didn't agree with the other's viewpoint.
Those who despise humanity first deny their own existence, so how could they achieve their goals?
However, hearing this, Jiang Lai basically understood the beginning of Gojo Kyufuin and Brain-kun's cooperation a thousand years ago.
Gojo Kyufuin initially chose to cooperate with Brain-kun precisely for [Divine Descent]. His original acquaintance and friendship with [Birth] might also have been to observe god-like beings up close.
[Existence] was not divinity, but close to god-like, which didn't fit the [Divine Descent] that Gojo Kyufuin pursued.
Because of this, Gojo Kyufuin initially believed in Brain-kun's plan, calculating [Birth] into it as well.
But later, Gojo Kyufuin discovered that Brain-kun couldn't even break through the Four Guardian Towers' rule barriers, only able to apply the most basic contract portions, let alone break through other rules.
Brain-kun's plan focused on utilizing ancient sorcerers and cursed spirits, through formations and borrowing Tengen's power, to achieve evolution of all humanity.
But the so-called evolution of all humanity, in the end, was still based on humanity.
So looking at it this way, Brain-kun was [Reform Sect], not the same category as Gojo Kyufuin's [Divine Descent Sect].
Gojo Kyufuin realized this point, but he had fewer chips than Brain-kun, so he didn't immediately turn traitor, instead quietly lurking and waiting for other [Divine Descent] opportunities.
His collection of ancient books was also most likely to find possible [Divine Descent] hints from texts.
Time cycled and flowed, coming to the modern era. Gojo Kyufuin glimpsed more information from prophecies than Brain-kun.
[Divine Six Eyes move the clock, star river reverses light restarts.]
Unlike Brain-kun, Gojo Kyufuin's attention to this prophecy focused more on the latter half. He believed this metaphor wasn't about space-time reversal, but some kind of rule restart.
In other words, the so-called [clock] was the closest to [Divine Descent] possibility.
Gojo Kyufuin thus shifted his target.
Jiang Lai organized the clues in his mind, stringing them into a line. Those confusing points now became clear.
Right at this moment, he understood that Gojo Kyufuin's series of operations targeted not [Birth], but himself.
He anticipated that Jiang Lai would realize the [Divine Descent] he wanted.
Pervert attraction aura performing steadily, never missing!!
Understanding this point, Jiang Lai was no longer confused about Gojo Kyufuin's purpose.
His expression was bright, brown eyes calm, gazing at the long-haired man beside him with normal composure.
"It seems we can't be friends." Gojo Kyufuin smiled with curved lips, speaking in low tones.
With the night breeze, the shrine's candlelight swayed in those narrow light blue-green eyes, bringing out a certain gentle yet eerie luster.
"Then, my faith, my divinity, let me become your first believer!"
Hearing this, Jiang Lai first paused, then raised his eyebrow with an expression of amused interest, lightly denying: "Sorry, the title of first believer has long been taken by someone else."