Chapter 95: New Kids in the New World
Kugisaki Nobara packed her things and stuffed the dolls on her bedside table into a suitcase. Then, looking at the empty room, she began to hesitate: she was really leaving her hometown—even though there was nothing worth lingering about here, but...
She vaguely felt the feeling of "homesickness" at an age when she shouldn't have understood it.
But Nobara Kugisaki was not the kind of child who would be swayed by such emotions. She looked around her room, tore down all the posters on the wall, rolled them up and took them away.
Since you don’t know what you are reluctant to part with, just take everything away from home!
And the new house that Sister Zhili prepared for them in the village was so nice! It had everything she had always wanted: a two-story house, her own room with a balcony, a bigger yard, and the flat land that Grandma loved!
Even though the price was that she had to go to the school they designated, Nobara Kugisaki felt that this was purely a win-win for her. She had always hated the students in this school. She felt that these people were like fish in water, swarming towards any disturbance, chattering and making people feel annoyed.
She didn't know what the world of curse was like, but Chiri-sister said she would make her stronger - exactly what she wanted. She also wanted to become a beautiful and strong adult like Chiri-sister!
Speaking of Chiri-sister, whom she had just met, Nobara Kugisaki admired her very much and felt that she was the kind of cool and mature woman she wanted to be. The only thing she wasn't good at was her taste in choosing boyfriends.
That frivolous handsome white-haired guy turned out to be a high school teacher. He looked like someone who would mislead students. Moreover, he kissed my girlfriend on the face in front of a little kid like her when they first met. How shameless!
Sister Zhili is so perfect, it’s acceptable for her to have some quirks.
Nobara Kugisaki zipped up her last suitcase and looked around the room she'd lived in for years. The walls bore faint marks from torn posters, and the floor was littered with discarded items. She forcibly suppressed the feeling of emptiness in her heart. There was nothing to be reluctant about, she told herself. A new home was better, a new school...
Grandma Kugisaki pushed the door open and came in. She was dressed neatly in a cotton-padded jacket, her back straight, her face deeply wrinkled, and her eyes determined. "Come out when you're done packing. The car is waiting." She looked at her granddaughter. "Are you reluctant to leave?"
"I understand, Grandma." Wild Rose replied, taking one last look at the room. "I'm not reluctant to leave, I just feel it's so wonderful..."
Grandma Kugisaki asked, "Do you regret this choice?"
Kugisaki Nobara shook her head fiercely: "Absolutely not! Let's go, grandma."
Grandma Kugisaki took the box, and the two of them walked out of the old house one after the other.
The people sent by the village to help were Itadori Yasuke and a younger villager. Itadori Yasuke had gray hair, but his body was still strong, but his expression was more friendly than Nobara had imagined. Unlike some of the elderly people in their village who were always stern or overly enthusiastic. He didn't say much, but simply helped to load the luggage onto the pickup truck. "The road is still a little slippery, drive slowly," he warned the driver, then nodded to Grandma Kugisaki. "The house is cleaned up, and the kang has been heated in advance. We can move in now."
Grandma Kugisaki: "Thank you." She carefully watched the luggage being placed safely, and took a last look at the place.
When the car drove into the new village, there were still some ice and snow on the road that had not been cleared away. The scattered villagers were either cleaning up in the yard or walking on the road. When they saw the car coming in, they would cast inquiring glances. There was novelty and curiosity in their eyes, but they all maintained a polite distance. This sense of distance was exactly what Grandma Kugisaki needed now, which made her relax a lot.
The new house is even better than the photos I had seen before. It is a detached two-story building with white walls and gray tiles, a spacious yard, and a neat field behind the house. Although it is still covered with dead grass and light snow, one can imagine what spring looks like. The house is spotlessly clean, the furniture is half-new and looks sturdy and useful, the kitchen stove is polished to a shine, the rice jar is full, and the water in the water tank is also freshly drawn.
"This..." Grandma Kugisaki looked at all this, her lips moved, wanting to say something, but in the end she just said to Itadori Yasuke, "It's too expensive, how much is it, we..."
Itadori Yasuke waved his hand and said in a normal tone: "It was all arranged by Chiri. Everyone in the village welcomes you to come and live here. You can settle down first. If you need anything, just tell Chiri directly or come to me." His words were soft but firm, leaving no room for Grandma Kugisaki to refuse.
Kugisaki Nobara was young and could not understand the adults' confusion. She had already rushed up to the second floor with cheers and found her own room. The sunlight poured in through the clean glass windows and the floor was polished to a shine. She excitedly planned where to put the desk and where to put the bed.
The days of settling down were busy but peaceful. Grandma Kugisaki was a quiet but diligent woman, and soon she began to tidy up the fields behind the house, loosening the soil and applying fertilizer in preparation for spring sowing. She would occasionally exchange farming experiences with Yuji Yasuke. She had heard that Yuji Yasuke had found a job at the school, so she decided to try to find a job herself after school started.
Wild Rose quickly became familiar with the children of Miya Chiri's family. She was very curious about the mountains. She heard that they had been to the mountains before, so she made an agreement with them that they must take her with them next time they went into the mountains. She also played with them by the stream where their hands were still a little frozen (she was scolded by Grandma Kugisaki several times), and carried out those strange "trainings" together in Miya Chiri's yard.
Nobara Kugisaki is a careful and bold child. When she communicates with other ordinary people in the village, she finds that the villagers' attitude towards Miya Chiri is very special. It is not fear, but a kind of respect from the heart. As a result, they also show more cautious care to the children like them who live in Miya Chiri's house.
Once, Ye Qiangwei and Jin Meiji were delivering snacks to an elderly woman who lived alone in the village. The old woman forced a handful of fried beans on them and repeatedly urged them, "How is Mr. Gong lately? We haven't visited him recently. Please convey my regards to him."
This is so strange! Nobara Kugisaki just felt that something was wrong. Why did the old people in the village treat Sister Zhili like this?
On the way back, Norose couldn't help but ask, "Tsu Miki, why is everyone so... polite to Chiri-nee?"
Tsu Miki carried the basket and smiled gently: "Because Sister Chiri is a very important shrine maiden in the village. Everyone respects her very much."
"Miko?" Wild Rose blinked. The concept seemed far-fetched to her. "Is it the kind of shrine maiden in the shrine? But Sister Chiri doesn't live in the shrine." Moreover, she and her grandmother had visited the shrine here before, and the one wearing the shrine maiden costume was not Sister Chiri.
"Yeah." Tsu Miki nodded without further explanation, "She guards this place, but she doesn't live in the shrine."
At dinner that night, Ye Qiangwei ate the rice in her bowl and said to her grandmother casually, "Grandma, it turns out that Sister Zhili is a shrine maiden. No wonder everyone in the village respects her so much."
Grandma Kugisaki paused for a moment while picking up the food, raised her eyes to look at her, her gaze sharp: "More than that."
"Um?"
"This village, this house, the land out back, including the entire village and the mountain," Grandma Kugisaki said in a flat voice, as if she were discussing the weather. "They all belong to Miss Miyajiri."
Wild Rose's chopsticks clattered to the table. Her mouth dropped open, unable to close. "...All, all? All hers?!"
"Yeah." Grandma Kugisaki continued eating, as if she didn't notice her granddaughter's shock. "I told you before, she's not an ordinary person."
This realization struck Wild Rose like a bolt of lightning. She knew Gong Zhili was powerful and wealthy, but she hadn't imagined him to be this... this kind of landlord-like wealth! Owning an entire village? What kind of concept would that be?
This question took root in her mind. One afternoon, she was watching Gong Zhili tending the garden from the porch of her house. Finally, she couldn't help herself and went over to her. Looking up, she asked very seriously, "Sister Zhili, how did you make so much money? How could you buy the whole village?"
Gong Zhili was cutting off a dead branch when she heard this and stopped, looking at Wild Rose. She didn't laugh, nor did she feel offended. After thinking for a few seconds, she answered seriously, "Because I'm strong enough."
She paused, looking at Wild Rose's eyes wide with surprise, and added, "In the world of spellcasting, strength determines many things. With top-tier strength, wealth and resources will naturally follow. Otherwise, one might end up with nothing, or even lose their life."
This answer was direct, cold, yet extremely real, like a hammer hitting Nobara Kugisaki's heart. Becoming stronger was not just to be cool or to avoid being bullied, but also to... possess such power and wealth?
Gong Zhili smiled and said, "When you grow up, you won't have to worry about money anymore, provided you work hard enough to realize your potential."
Kugisaki Nobara chewed over these words carefully.
From that day on, Nobara Kugisaki seemed like a different person during her daily training. Before, she would run and do interesting training just to fit in with the group, but now, without anyone urging her, she was always the first one to arrive, warmed up meticulously, tried her best during training, and even started to take the initiative to do extra training. She had a more specific and ardent desire to become stronger.
Time passed in training and learning, and spring truly arrived. The fields were dyed with new green, and the whole village was busy with spring plowing.
The Gong family's current planting area is so large that even if the whole family worked together, it would be difficult to make ends meet. Gong Zhili was busy for two days before she called her boyfriend and asked, "Are there any new people who need training and are free? Spring plowing is so busy. How about a few people take a sprint class? Room and board included."
Gojo Satoru stretched out his voice, a hint of dissatisfaction: "Ever since you started busying yourself with farm work, how many days have you not spoken to me properly? And you called me not to say you missed me, but to find labor?"
Gong Zhili coughed lightly, feeling a little weak for some reason. "Spring plowing time waits for no one... Well, my dear boyfriend, do you have time to help me with my hard work?"
Gojo Satoru almost crushed his phone: It was the first time he heard Chiri speak to him like that!
"Dear boyfriend" and so on...what kind of words are these!
He deeply regretted not turning on the recording just now. Under what circumstances could he let Zhili say it again?
He felt like something was scratching in his heart, but he didn't show it verbally: "Of course I have time. As long as you need me, I have time anytime."
Gong Zhili smiled sweetly: "Then I will be waiting for you."
After hanging up the phone, Gojo Satoru covered his mouth and fell into deep thought. Just as Ye Mo Zhengdao was about to call him back to the meeting, he saw that he had hung up the phone and was hunched over on the sofa, daydreaming about something.
When I walked over, I found that he was covering his mouth and laughing silently, shaking all over!
Ye Mo Zhengdao: Didn’t you say you were going to answer a call from the palace? What kind of phone call could turn a person into this?
Night Moth: "Satoru, are you okay?"
Gojo Satoru loosened his grip, leaned back, and laughed out loud: "I'm fine, I just think Chiri is so cute."
Ye Moth said: “…” It was really unnecessary for him to ask this question.
Gojo Satoru brought the students who needed training to the village to work, and stayed with Miya Chiri for two days before going out to do the mission again with full energy.
By the beginning of summer, Nobara Kugisaki had completely adapted to village life, and her study of spells was on the right track. Miya Chiri heard that a strange-looking cursed spirit had appeared in the mountains of a neighboring county, so she decided to go and search for it, hoping it would help her study Togen's condition.
After spending a whole day in the county without finding any trace of the cursed spirit, Gong Zhili wasn't worried. After all, she wasn't a sorcerer, so it was normal that she didn't have expertise in this area. She walked slowly along the county road, spreading her perception, tracking the faint trace of the cursed spirit. Suddenly, there was a sharp sound of tires rubbing and a terrified scream from the front!
I saw a truck loaded with goods suddenly swerving to avoid a wild cat that suddenly jumped out of the road. The vehicle lost control and lurched towards the roadside. On the roadside, two children who looked like elementary school students with backpacks on their backs were so scared that they stood there frozen in place, their faces pale, and they had completely forgotten to dodge.
Gong Zhili's eyes fixed, and without the slightest hesitation, she instantly exploded with astonishing speed. Considering the presence of others, she didn't use teleportation, relying solely on her enhanced physical abilities to dash forward like an arrow! Just before the truck was about to hit them, she swiftly scooped up the two children, one in each hand, by the waist, and dashed back several steps, narrowly avoiding the impact!
"Bang!" The truck hit the guardrail on the side of the road hard, the front of the car was dented and stopped.
The huge impact and shock made the two children collapse in her arms, trembling all over, tears falling silently. The black-haired boy even began to retch, and the other girl with long brown hair grabbed his arm tightly, her eyes dazed.
Gong Zhili squatted down and checked them, confirming that there were no obvious external injuries. Her voice was much softer than usual: "It's okay, it's safe now, don't be afraid, look at me, and take a deep breath." She gently patted the girls' backs with her hands to guide them to breathe.
However, in this extreme panic and violent emotional fluctuations, the black-haired boy unconsciously leaked a trace of chaotic cursed power - and at the same time, Gong Zhili felt the breath of the approaching cursed spirit!
Almost at the same time, the cursed spirit that had been hiding in the nearby mountains and forests was drawn out, emitting a silent scream, twisting its body, and rushing straight towards the girl whose emotions were more volatile and who seemed easier to prey on.
The girl's pupils suddenly contracted. At this critical moment of life and death, she seemed to vaguely see the distorted outline that made her sanity drop wildly, and she let out a heartbreaking scream: "Ah——!"
Gong Zhili frowned, about to strike when he heard the sound of cars screeching in the distance. Several black cars quickly stopped, and uniformed personnel disembarked with impeccable discipline. The members of "Window" arrived. Some immediately checked on the truck driver and set up a roadblock, while others quickly set up camp, awaiting the sorcerer's arrival. Their movements were quick and efficient.
The scene was effectively under control. After a while, two other cars drove up and Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru got out. Gojo Satoru's eyes swept across the scene, first confirming that Miya Chiri and the two children were safe, and then his gaze lingered on the two frightened children for a few more seconds, especially on the black-haired boy and the girl beside him whose breathing was abnormally disordered.
He walked up to Gong Zhili and exchanged glances with her, then bent down to check on the condition of the two children. Geto Suguru went into the tent to deal with the cursed spirit and came out soon.
Gojo Satoru said softly, "These two children should have potential in this area."
He never thought that the tragedy of Yuta and Rika would be rewritten here. He had been looking for Yuta Otsutsuki, but he didn't expect it to be Chiri...
He looked at Zhili and smiled at her. Gong Zhili didn't understand why, so she simply walked over to him and held his hand.
Maybe she's just acting coquettishly?
Geto Suguru did not answer immediately. His eyes fell deeply on Yuta Otsutsuka, and there was an elusive light flashing in his always squinting eyes. He walked forward and did not rush to ask questions. Instead, he first assisted the staff of the "window" to comfort the frightened child and deal with the aftermath, as calm and reliable as ever.
However, subsequent communication was extremely difficult. The families of Yuta Otsutsuko and Rika Kimoto simply couldn't understand what was happening. Fear, rejection, and suspicion filled their hearts. Kagome Takeshi displayed immense patience, visiting them time and again to explain, communicate, and offer reassurances. One day, seeing him exhausted as he returned to the technical high school, Ieiri Shoko couldn't help but ask, "You're a high school teacher, so why are you so concerned about the elementary school students? This doesn't seem like something you'd take on."
Geto Suguru leaned against the wall in the corridor, rubbing his brow. His voice was filled with a subtle hint of fatigue, yet it was remarkably resolute. "They are not just children with potential; they are one of the possible future faces of the world of spellcasting, precious specimens, and also..." He paused, his voice lowering, "a very important component of the new world I want to build."
In the end, perhaps it was Geto Suguru's persistence that played a role, or perhaps it was the gradual and unconcealable abnormalities in the two children that made the family at a loss, and it happened to be summer vacation. The two families, in extreme anxiety and hesitation, reluctantly agreed to let the children go to the so-called "Curse Village" for a two-month "summer training" to see how the situation would turn out.
At the beginning of summer vacation, Yuuta Otsutsuki and Rika Kimoto were sent to the village by Geto Suguru. The two children huddled together, their faces full of anxiety and fear, which formed a sharp contrast with the other children in the yard who had different personalities but seemed much more comfortable.
Miya Chiri looked at the large group of children in front of her - her own children (Megumi Fushiguro, Yuji Itadori, the Kaba sisters, and Nobara Kugisaki), plus the two new potential stocks who exuded a "troublesome" aura (Yuta Otsutsuki and Rika Inori) - she was silent for a moment, rubbed her eyebrows, and looked at Geto Suguru who was about to say a few words and leave.
"Gatsuyu," her voice was not loud, but she successfully stopped Gatsuyu Jie from turning around. "I've said before - forget it, you sent so many children here, you must have considered their education, right?" She pointed at the group of children, her tone calm, but with unquestionable doubt.
Xia Yujie touched his chin and tried to smile easily: "They are both in the fourth grade, just like Nanako and Mimiko..."
Gong Zhili interrupted him, his tone firm, "Forget about what happens after summer vacation. Right now, you have to find professionals. At the very least, someone needs to systematically teach them the history, rules, basic theories, and how to control their powers. Instead of just random training all day, I can't be responsible for that."
Xia Yujie looked at Gong Zhili's expression that did not allow for negotiation, then looked at the group of children whose eyes were confused, curious, or nervous, and sighed helplessly: "Okay, I understand, I'll arrange it."
Soon, Geto Suguru found external help - An Utahime, a teacher at Kyoto Jujutsu High School, and Kuroi Misato, a female member from the Jujutsu General Department who was known for her erudition and rigor. Both of them were acquaintances, especially Kuroi Misato. Her rise in the world of Jujutsu in recent years was eye-catching, and her strength and intelligence should not be underestimated. The two of them were responsible for the children's summer cultural courses and theoretical teaching of Jujutsu common sense.
Gong Zhili finally breathed a sigh of relief and was able to free her energy. She had been paying close attention to the situation of the cursed fetus Tuogen. Its evolution had reached a critical stage, its breath was becoming increasingly unstable, and it needed a wider and more humid environment for the final transformation.
The situation was urgent, so she didn't think much about it and entrusted her home and children to Grandma Kugisaki, Grandpa Itadori and the two new teachers. She then took the special container that sealed Tagore and hurried to the nearest sea area to find a suitable remote place to place it and help it complete its evolution.
She left in such a hurry that she forgot to inform Gojo Satoru in time.
When Gojo Satoru finished a short mission, he called Miya Chiri as usual to hear her voice, only to learn from her that she was already at the beach.
On the other end of the line, Gojo Satoru's voice paused for a few seconds, and the background noise seemed to quiet down. Then his voice came through, sounding no different from usual: "Is that so... So you're staying alone in the beach villa now? How's the situation over there? Do you need me to come over?"
"Not for now, I can handle it." Gong Zhili's voice came through the phone, accompanied by the sound of a gentle sea breeze.
"Okay, call me anytime if you need anything." Gojo Satoru said and hung up the phone.
He stood there, twirling the phone between his fingers. His face was expressionless, but the air around him seemed to drop a bit. It was like this again: she'd made her own decisions, her own actions. She knew he could arrive at any moment, but she'd never seemed to consider relying on him, even just giving him a heads-up. He also remembered clearly that Chiri had said she disliked the power of the seaside barrier, so she wasn't feeling entirely at ease. But she hadn't thought of confiding in him again... This feeling of being left out filled Gojo Satoru with a subtle unease and... an indescribable awkwardness.
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The author has something to say: Children are as numerous as potatoes in the field, some here, some there... Regarding this leave, I really feel that life is always longing for another path, and when I actually take it, I find that path is not so good either. I have been angry these past few days, and I feel like I am about to break down...
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