Chapter 102
It is not easy to find the trace of Hua Yu. Gong Zhili spent half a month in the deep mountains and forests, leaving anchors in almost all the woods in the country, but still could not catch the wild Hua Yu.
Gojo Satoru complained a bit when he spoke to her on the phone: "I can't find you at all lately."
Gong Zhili stood at the parking lot on the mountainside and looked down: "I can't find Hanami either."
Gojo Satoru gritted his teeth: "Can these two feelings be compared?!"
Gong Zhili rubbed his hair in annoyance. "Do you think Hanamiya might not have been born yet?"
The conditions for the emergence of special-grade cursed spirits are very stringent. In recent years, they have been quite active in the curse world, and the number of cursed spirits across the country has decreased. As a semi-insider, Gong Zhili really can't say whether this phenomenon has any impact on the "special grade".
"Special-grade spells are different," Gojo Satoru said, unable to bear seeing his girlfriend so distressed. He began to think of a solution for her. "Nozomi won't give up a special-grade spell."
Gong Zhili: "So I'm actually competing with Nozomi for Hanamiya?"
Gojo Satoru: "Noose might think the same."
"That makes sense," Gong Zhili sighed, opened the car door and got in the driver's seat, "Now we can only wait for Hua Yu to show up..."
Gojo Satoru heard her start the car and immediately asked, "Are you going back to the village now?"
Gong Zhili hummed, then asked, "How have you been doing lately?"
Her boyfriend's schedule changes so much that she always relies on phone calls to confirm his availability.
Gojo Satoru understood her meaning instantly. Although he wanted to meet her right away, he said, "I'll find you in the village tomorrow."
He is really not free today.
Gong Zhili smiled and asked, "I'm going to make snacks at home tomorrow. Do you want to eat something? I'll make it."
I haven't seen him for more than half a month, and I really need to reward him.
Gojo Satoru's voice rose: "Of course it's Kikufuku!"
Gong Zhili agreed: "Okay, but you really like this... I haven't gotten tired of it even after eating it for a long time."
Gojo Satoru drawled, "Because Chiri's cooking is super~ delicious!"
The two chatted in a sticky manner for a while, then Gong Zhili hung up the phone, started the car and drove away from the lush forest where they had found nothing.
It was already evening when we returned to the village. The setting sun cast a warm golden glow over the entire barrier. As soon as the car stopped, a small cannonball rushed over.
"Sister Chiri!" Yuji Itadori's energetic voice rang out, followed by Megumi Fushiguro, whose steps were a little steady but whose eyes were equally bright, and Miki Fushiguro, who was walking with a smile.
"Welcome back, sister." Tsu Miki said gently.
Miyaji Ruffled Yuhito's pink hair and patted Hui's shoulder: "I'm back. Is everything okay at home?"
"It's okay! It's just that Gojo-nii has come over a few times recently and always complained that you were not here." Hisahito spoke quickly.
Miya Chiri laughed and walked into the yard. Nanako and Mimiko were gathering herbs that were drying in the sun. When they saw her, they immediately ran over, excitedly calling "Sister." Otsutsukotsu Yuta and Inori Rika were standing in the porch. Rika was holding the corner of Yuta's clothes. When she saw Miya Chiri, she whispered something to Yuta, then slowly walked over to her, pulling Yuta with her and whispering, "Welcome back, Sister Chiri."
The smell of home filled her face, washing away the fatigue from sleeping in the open for half a month.
After dinner, the children went their separate ways to rest or practice. Gong Zhili made some tea and sat on the porch, feeling the peaceful power coming from the earth.
As the night deepened, the temperature of the tea dropped slightly. Gong Zhili closed his eyes, his mind connected with the land beneath his feet, sensing the subtle pulsation of every inch of the barrier. Suddenly, an extremely weak wave, but at the same frequency as the anchor points arranged in the forest, came from a very far distance, like a small stone thrown into a calm lake.
It wasn't an attack, more like a... confused temptation, with a rich yet pure natural scent that subtly resonated with the vibrant anchors she left behind.
Gong Zhili suddenly opened his eyes.
She had felt this sense of power in Tuogen.
It's Hanami.
She let out a soft "tsk" sound, unsure whether Hua Yu had followed her all the way to the village or had stumbled upon her by accident. This was not a place to start a fight right away.
She immediately stood up without disturbing anyone, and her figure blended silently into the night. After a few rises and falls, she appeared at the edge of the village barrier, facing the direction of the deep mountains where the fluctuations came from. She restrained all her breath, as if she had become a part of the land beneath her feet, and observed quietly.
Outside the barrier, in the thick darkness, a huge figure composed of twisted branches, lush moss and blooming flowers slowly appeared. It seemed to be curious about the invisible barrier in front of it, and stretched out a "hand" made of branches and vines, touching the barrier extremely carefully.
Buzz——
There was a gentle response from the barrier, and Hanami (Miya Zhili was almost certain it was it) seemed to be encouraged by the gentle response, or perhaps it was attracted by the life energy within the barrier which was far purer and more vigorous than that outside. It stayed there, as if feeling and distinguishing.
Gong Zhili didn't act immediately. She recalled Gojo Satoru's words—the noose couldn't possibly give up the special-grade cursed spirit. Was Hanami's appearance at this moment a conspiracy by the noose, or had it broken free of its restraints? What was its intention?
After observing for a moment, she felt from Hua Yu's movements and energy fluctuations that what she felt was more of an instinctive desire, a yearning for a place of vitality. In the rich power of nature, she caught a very faint trace of the residual mark of forcible restraint, which was gradually being purified by its own power and the breath of the barrier.
She didn't think Hanamiya would have a good impression of humans. Wu had said that whether Nozomi wanted to control all of humanity or achieve immortality, the special-grade spirits were a card he had to master. Some of the special-grade cursed spirits wanted to destroy humans, while others wanted the world to evolve in the direction they wanted. In short, humans were a hindrance, so she also regarded the cursed spirits as creatures that had to be eliminated - although they might be endless, she would treat them like mosquitoes and cockroaches.
Was there some disagreement between Hanamiya and Nozomi? Or had it sensed the presence of Togen in the village?
However, since Hua Yu brought it to her door, there was no reason for her not to accept it!
She no longer concealed her breath, and the power of the earth surged instantly, causing the ground beneath her feet to tremble slightly. Invisible shackles emerged from the soil and wrapped around Hua Yu's roots and branches.
Hanami suddenly let out an inhuman roar, like the wind blowing through a hollow forest. It reacted violently to the sudden attack and the strong human scent. The branches around it danced wildly, and sharp thorns and flowers with corrosive spores suddenly attacked Gong Zhili. The strong natural curse energy carried pure destructive intent.
"Be quiet," Gong Zhili said, "the children are all asleep."
She raised her hand, and a solid rock wall suddenly rose from the ground to block the attack. At the same time, more condensed plant roots broke out of the ground, coiled around them as if they had life, and tightly bound Hua Yu's limbs and torso. Hua Yu struggled hard, and the earth rumbled, but the land under its feet seemed to have turned into a quagmire, making it unable to break free. Gong Zhili mobilized the power of the entire barrier. In this land, her advantage was overwhelming.
The battle ended quickly. Hanamiya, bound by heavy chains, was pinned to the ground. The turbulent cursed energy surrounding her was forcibly suppressed and absorbed by the earth, feeding back into the barrier and Miyajiri herself. It still emitted a low, hateful hum. Its "face," composed of flowers and branches, twisted and pointed in Miyajiri's direction, conveying a chaotic but intense resistance and hostility.
Gong Zhili approached and tried to communicate with it by conveying his thoughts through the power of the earth, but all he got was a more intense rejection reaction. It refused to communicate and refused to understand, like an enraged beast, with only the most primitive resistance and hatred left.
As expected, communication was impossible. Gong Zhili frowned, and without wasting any more energy, she tightened her restraints, completely confining Hanamiya to the edge of the woods, ensuring that it could not move or cause any damage.
After doing all this, she took out her cell phone again and called Gojo Satoru directly.
"Chiri? What's wrong?" Gojo Satoru's voice sounded a little quieter in the background.
"I caught Hua Yu. It suddenly appeared outside the village. How do you think it found its way here?" Gong Zhili asked softly. "Could it be a noose?"
There was silence on the other end of the line for a second, and then Gojo Satoru's decisive voice rang out: "Wait, I'll be there soon."
Less than ten minutes later, accompanied by a subtle spatial fluctuation, Gojo Satoru appeared beside Miya Chiri. He pursed his lips, his gaze from behind his sunglasses darting towards Hanami, who was still struggling and growling despite being heavily restrained.
"Wow, what a lively welcome." He whistled, walked over to Hana Yu and squatted down, not caring about the malice that was almost condensed into substance. "It seems like he has a bad temper."
"It took the initiative to touch the barrier, but it only has disgust towards humans." Gong Zhili stood beside him, "It is completely different from Tuogen. If this is a trick of the noose, what do you think-"
Gojo Satoru touched his chin and said, "A rat in the gutter like Nozomi wouldn't be so bold as to try. He'd rather play some disgusting tricks." He poked the hard wooden shell on Hanami's body. Hanami struggled violently, and the plant stems rustled.
"So, what are you going to do?" Gojo Satoru looked up at Gong Zhili. "The situation is constantly changing. Even if there's a trap ahead, we can choose to just step on it and explode it."
Gong Zhili looked at Hua Yu who was struggling, without any extra emotion in his eyes.
"The existence of a special-grade cursed spirit is a threat to humanity," she said slowly. "I don't think it will change. It's tied up now because it can't defeat me. If given the chance, it will destroy everything here without hesitation."
She paused, her tone calm, "I don't know what's going on between it and Nosuo, but it came to me on its own, giving me the opportunity to weaken its fighting power. I have no reason to let it go. If Nosuo wants to trap Hua Yu and lure me into it, then let me see what he can do."
"So," Gojo Satoru stood up, "you want to 'digest' it?" He was referring to Miya Chiri's ability to absorb cursed energy and feed it back to herself and the barrier.
"This is the safest way to handle this right now." Gong Zhili nodded. "But do you still remember the time I subdued Tuogen?"
"That's hard to forget," he narrowed his eyes, "Just make your decision. Do you need me to help keep an eye on it? It's not that easy to capture a special-level one, is it?"
"Yeah." Gong Zhili responded, his eyes falling on Hua Yu again, "There might be some movement, please help me put the tent."
Gojo Satoru raised his finger: "Glad to help."
She walked forward, and the power of the earth began to gather in her hands, like an invisible vortex, aimed at Hanami, who was tightly bound and seemed to have sensed the end and was struggling even more frantically.
Under the cover of night, dark tents surrounded the forest, and the work of eliminating the threat had just begun.
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The author has something to say: From the beginning, I wrote this article with the setting that none of the cursed spirits would appear directly, so I am looking forward to Sukuna or the treasures of other cursed spirits...ah, during this leave, I almost forgot that I still had to update the article. I haven't had a rest for three weekends, and even now I haven't finished the overtime content (I can't laugh). My head is in a mess. The content in the future should be faster, because I didn't intend to write a very bitter and vengeful plot. Therefore, after the main text is finished, daily fragments and the interactions between young couples will be sent out as welfare extras to compensate for the unstable updates. The timing of this book is too bad. I feel guilty about it while writing it, and according to the current work rhythm, I will also work overtime like crazy during the National Day. As I talk, I feel indifferent.
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