Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, in the mountains...

Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the nights in the mountains seem even quieter.

It's already August, but I don't feel the summer heat at all. The unique coolness and scent of grass in the forest make me feel relaxed and happy. Apart from the birds singing and insects chirping, there seems to be only the sound of the wind. The night wind blows through the branches of the trees, as if directing the leaves to make a rustling ensemble.

The taillights of the taxi also disappeared from her sight. Fushiguro Megumi turned her head to identify the direction, sent a message, and finally summoned the jade dog.

"...I'm counting on you."

Megumi Fushiguro started to drive in the direction indicated by the driver.

at the same time.

After receiving the news, Eri Kimoto was also ready to leave. She had already changed into comfortable sportswear and looked around the room. She found that she had unknowingly brought a lot more things than when she first arrived.

...What the hell? Besides my own adaptability, was there even love from the villain? Eri Kimoto sighed regretfully, thinking she probably couldn't take her sword and dagger with her. Luckily, they weren't expensive.

It was almost 1:30 in the morning, and the Panxing Sect was so quiet that it seemed as if there was no one alive except themselves.

Holding her shoes, Eri Kimoto slipped out of the room silently like a black cat. The black sportswear was very suitable for sneaking around at night. She even felt like a ninja. The dim lights in the corridor were always on. Eri Kimoto squinted her eyes alertly and looked around.

Sure enough, there was no one there.

What a terrible security system, Geto Suguru, Eri Kimoto complained in her heart, shouldn't the cult arrange more people to keep watch at night? Otherwise, how will they escape when the police raid? I don't know what he is thinking, probably he doesn't take those monkeys seriously.

Although she couldn't use cursed energy, Eri Kimoto was able to slip out along the route she had already studied in a few minutes thanks to her agile posture.

Qi Ben Eri easily climbed over the wall and landed without disturbing even a leaf.

She looked back at the European-style buildings of the Panxing Sect. There were still dim little lights in some corridors, like dim eyes lit up in the darkness, staring at her silently.

“…”

It went incredibly smoothly, and there was no difference from the previous test.

The reason why she didn't escape earlier was probably that she didn't find a chance to assassinate Geto Suguru. Eri Kimoto shrugged her shoulders and thought it couldn't be because she had been having a good time here for the past half month.

After finally determining the direction, the girl plunged into the night, not noticing a strange shadow swaying behind her.

.....

.....

There has never been a consensus on camphor trees.

Some people say that if a camphor tree is planted at the doorstep it will affect the family fortune. There is even a saying that if you don't plant a camphor tree in front of your door, you will be poor if you do. However, this is indeed a minority view.

Many people agree that camphor trees, especially those grown naturally, are considered auspicious, promoting health and good fortune, and protecting the elderly. In some feng shui practices, camphor trees are believed to ward off evil spirits, and their fragrant aroma and energy field can protect homes and places from negative influences. Therefore, camphor trees are often planted in home gardens to stabilize the home.

Of course, no matter what kind of tree it is, as long as it lives long enough, it will naturally be regarded as a sacred tree. An ancient camphor tree like this, which has lived for more than a thousand years and is still full of vitality, has obviously been revered by people.

Having found the place, Fushiguro Megumi patted the head of the still panting jade dog and let it rest. Then the boy looked at the thousand-year-old tree in front of him.

The shimenawa ropes on the trees also bear the marks of time, and are hung with white lightning-shaped paper pendants, symbolizing purity.

"A thousand-year-old camphor tree that can be hugged by five or six people..." Megumi Fushiguro stood in front of the huge tree, thinking expressionlessly that the guy must be talking about this signpost.

Honestly, although he trusts Eri Kimoto, he still feels like she's a little insane and doesn't seem entirely reliable...

But if this is the place she's talking about, why haven't I seen her yet? It's already two o'clock, the appointed time.

After lowering her head to confirm the message on her phone, Megumi Fushiguro frowned, wondering if she had found the wrong place. The night wind rustled the leaves, and the surroundings were so quiet that the only sound she could hear was the panting sound of the jade dog with its tongue out not far away... and so on.

'Click.'

The sudden sound of a branch breaking overhead made Fushiguro Megumi tense up instantly, and she suddenly looked up.

“Yo!”

"Long time no see, Fushiguro-san!"

A pair of cunning red eyes were staring at him from between the dense branches and leaves. Eri Kimoto was sitting on a tall tree trunk, swinging her legs restlessly, smiling like a black cat that had stolen some dried fish.

Fushiguro Megumi: “…”

He should have guessed it, Megumi Fushiguro thought, this was indeed how she appeared.

"...Come down quickly."

The boy said to her calmly, with a helpless tone, as if relieved, "Why are you climbing so high?"

"Here I come."

"The scenery up there is amazing, and the moon is beautiful tonight!"

Qi Ben Eri complained softly about the boy's lack of understanding of romance, then jumped down from the tree lightly. After jumping down, she went straight to the side of the sea urchin head and looked at him with her head tilted: "Are you okay?"

Fushiguro Megumi: "Are you okay?"

"?"

"?"

"You don't look injured," Norimoto grinned. "That's great! I was worried that I kicked you too hard. Wow, it seems you're quite resilient, Fushiguro-san!"

Fushiguro Megumi deadpanned, "Two broken bones, yes."

Her expression instantly turned serious. Qi Ben Eri quickly stepped back and said defensively, "You look so healthy, are you trying to scam me?!"

"...He was healed by Ieiri-san from the technical college using a reversal technique."

Fushiguro Megumi was speechless: "You look good too. When did you change your hairstyle? Why... you look a little fatter."

Eri Kimoto: ""

"...Did I say something wrong?"

Sensing the change in atmosphere, Fushiguro Megumi paused and asked in confusion, "Your expression... oh, I get it."

Regardless of their age, women don't seem to like being told they've gained weight. With a look of sudden enlightenment, Fushiguro Megumi immediately spoke up and said sincerely, "I don't think you've gained weight. You've gained some weight."

Hearing this, Qi Ben Eri just looked at him with a smile.

When she replied a few seconds later, her tone was dangerously calm, "Shut up."

Megumi Fushiguro: “….”

OK

Wait, that's not good.

The Fushiguro boy paused and took advantage of this opportunity to glance at her calmly again, and finally returned to her head.

I don’t know why she suddenly changed to a layered short hairstyle, but it suits her quite well, making her little face look more like an exquisite doll in a gift shop.

"You weren't discovered when you escaped, were you?"

"without."

"What about you? How did you avoid Yuta Otsutsukoshi? And my sister, hiss—"

Speaking of this, Eri Kimoto was sweating profusely, which made Megumi Fushiguro find it funny to see her pupils shaking.

"Come on, come back with me and get beaten up." The young man rarely took the initiative to make a joke.

"...Don't joke around at a time like this!"

Qi Ben Eri glared at him, then her expression changed rapidly. She grumbled and grumbled, "What if my sister really hits me? I'm not a child anymore, QAQ!"

Now this awkward look really looks like a child.

Megumi Fushiguro imagined the scene of the next meeting between the sisters and found it funny again. Instead of beating her up as she said, Rika would probably check carefully to see if her sister was injured.

But those were all things that happened after he brought her back. The reliable Megumi Fushiguro brought the topic back to the topic: "That man named Geto Suguru didn't do anything to you, right?"

“No.”

"If I had to say it, I almost used the power of capital to seduce a girl who was determined to stand up."

Qi Ben Eri shook her head with feigned regret: "Unfortunately, I'm not the type of person who loves a luxurious life, because to me, money is just something that can bring happiness to others."

The corners of Fushiguro Megumi's mouth twitched: "...Does the look of pity on your face look fake?"

"Oh, yes."

Eri Kimoto suddenly seemed to have thought of something, scratched her head, and then chuckled at the boy: "There is one more thing, that is, I can't use spells now, hehe."

“.....”

“.....”

Fushiguro Megumi: ""

"I beg you to distinguish the primary from the secondary... Oh... forget it." Fushiguro Megumi had a complicated expression. The feeling of being tired and worried about her appeared again. It would be better to take her to Sister Rika to be beaten.

"Why can't I use my magical powers?"

"Do you know why?"

"Apart from that, is there anything else that's wrong with your body?"

"Did Geto Suguru do something to you?"

The constant stream of questions made Qi Ben Eri wave her hands and patted his shoulder with a smile: "Don't be so nervous, I know the reason."

Motioning him to look at her wrist, Eri Kimoto explained, "This black rope has the ability to disrupt cursed energy. I can't untie it. Can someone from the academy help me untie it?"

The frowning boy stared at the black rope carefully, thought for a moment, and then said, "Gojo-sensei should have a solution."

"Okay, no more chatting."

"Come with me."

Fushiguro Megumi held out his hand to her: "I'll take you back."

“....”

Fushiguro's hand was suspended in mid-air, the moonlight tracing the outline of his knuckles.

His fingertips are clean and round, with distinct joints, just like his whole person, clean and delicate.

Slender and white, like a pianist's hands, the hands of a young boy with youthful vitality can even see the slightly protruding blue veins on the back of his hands.

It's a very, very beautiful hand.

After a long while without anyone making a move, Fushiguro Megumi uttered a puzzled "Hmm?" and asked quietly, "What are you daydreaming about?"

Only then did Eri Qimoto's gaze slowly move upwards along his hand and meet his calm eyes, those blue-green eyes that made people feel peaceful.

Swallowing her saliva, Qi Ben Eri stared at his hand again, even shaking with goose bumps: "...I will never play JOJO memes again."

Fushiguro Megumi: “?”

“.....”

“.....”

"Stop playing," I'm used to her saying things that come out of nowhere.

Fushiguro Megumi extended her hand forward again: "Let's go quickly."

His tone was still calm, but this time his fingertips trembled slightly... as if, or more like, he was afraid that she would reject him.

The night wind blew by, bringing with it the scent of Eri Kimoto, a light soap scent, mixed with the scent of mountain grass and trees.

Megumi Fushiguro didn't plan to wait any longer. The sooner he left, the safer it would be.

"you--"

“Ooooooooooooooo!!!”

The warning and threatening sound from the Jade Dog made Fushiguro Megumi's expression change suddenly. He grabbed Eri Kimoto and pulled her behind him, looking sharply in the direction behind her.

That weird guy with bangs and wearing a cassock appeared!

Even the moon had hidden behind the clouds again, and the faint moonlight made the slowly emerging figure of the man seem even more terrifying.

Poking her head out from behind Fushiguro Megumi and looking at Geto Suguru's smiling face, Eri Kimoto thought that the scene of his appearance was no less than a horror movie.

"Eri-chan, are you going back?"

Eri Kimoto: "Why don't you open your eyes and take a look?"

“.......”

Megumi Fushiguro protected her behind him again, as if he was afraid that she would be arrested for her mean words.

The boy stared at him warily, alert to every move of the man with bangs.

However, Geto Suguru didn't make any move. He just opened his eyes and smiled at Eri Kimoto behind him: "How sad! Didn't you even say hello to me before you left?"

"Don't be so nervous," Xia Yujie smiled and waved his hand, indicating that he had no hostility towards the young man who was protecting her: "I came here specially to see you off."

...Send off?!

Are you planning to send them on their way?

Could it be the Yellow Springs Road? This is really making me even more nervous, asshole.

"It's not that kind of journey, hahahaha!" As if guessing the boy's thoughts, Geto laughed out loud: "I'm just sending Eri off."

"What on earth are you trying to do?!" Fushiguro Megumi asked coldly, somewhat confused.

However, Geto Suguru was no longer prepared to pay attention to him. He just took out something and threw it to Eri Kimoto, but was intercepted by Megumi Fushiguro halfway.

Megumi Fushiguro recognized at a glance that the phone in her hand was Eri Norimoto's own. He did not look back. After returning the phone to Eri Norimoto, he still stared vigilantly at the man not far away.

The man just smiled at Eri Kimoto who was making a face at him.

"Eri,"

"You are always welcome here, no matter what time it is."

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The author has something to say:

Suddenly an idea came to my mind. It would be very interesting if he was picked up by Geto Suguru instead of Gojo and exiled to the frontier!