Chapter 251 There is no story without farewell.

Seeing that Zenin Naoya finally gave in and made a move to read out the new house rules, Jiang Lai felt a lot more relieved.

The forward gears started turning again, and everything was moving forward steadily.

As expected, Fushiguro Shiori also guessed the correct answer to that abrupt question. Jiang Lai glanced at Mr. Oni beside him and gave him a tick in his heart.

As a former top gigolo, Fushiguro is certainly good at controlling people's hearts. He has long seen through the ripples of the current situation and gave Naoya the answer he most expected, which could help him let go of his last stubbornness.

Even though it may not be true, it doesn't matter. After all, everyone present is satisfied, right? Then the truth is not important.

At this moment, Zenin Naoya opened the booklet, lowered his eyes, and slowly and hoarsely read the words on it.

"Under the Mingyao family crest, I, Naoya Zenin, as the new leader of the Zenin family, hereby formally proclaim the new family rules in front of all Zenin people as the head of the family."

Naoya Stitch held the paper in his hand tightly with his claws, and his expression looked very stiff when he read out the rules.

"…Equality between men and women, freedom of marriage…Negation of the theory of status in rituals…Abolition of the system of superiority and inferiority…Abolition of the feudal inheritance system…"

Zenoin Naoya's mind seemed to be split into two parts, one part of which made him mechanically recite these new house rules, and the other part split off and watched the scene in front of him from a distance.

How could I, how could I really announce these new house rules? In his spiritual world, Zenin Naoya held his head in his hands, falling into some kind of self-doubt. This is really crazy.

These subversive rules, when read out, will be recorded by the magical power of the meeting room during the succession ceremony of the head of the family and remain in the family history book. This is a point that cannot be glossed over.

When the family members come back, I will be torn to pieces by the extremists. How can a family head be as radical and bold as me? He directly denied the original aristocratic system. This is simply, simply—

Zenin Naoya was instinctively timid at first, but after glancing at the translucent Fushiguro Jun who looked calm on the side, he calmed down again.

No, he was not afraid of being torn to pieces. After all, there were not many people in the family who could defeat him, and he was a top-level sorcerer!

There won't be anyone better than Jinji-kun in the Zenin family. There's nothing to be afraid of.

Zenin Naoya once again drew strength from the idol.

Besides... everything I do now is for the Zen family! All of this is to get rid of that damn formation. As for the seemingly subversive reform now - reform is better than destruction, right?

Zenin Naoya's thoughts turned over and over again, and finally he thought in a self-destructive way.

No matter what, it doesn't matter. The future won't be worse than the current situation.

Isn't it just a change of rules? I heard that the new house rules outside are all like those in the modern world, so let's just connect them with the modern world.

So what I did was actually to help the Zen Buddhists better connect with the real world! That's right.

Zenin Naoya thought to himself.

At least, the new family rules negate the lifelong elders' council - it's a good thing that I don't have to face the sour faces of those old guys anymore.

Thoughts raced through his mind, and the mechanical words that Zenin Naoya read out never stopped. He had already reached the last paragraph.

"…The above latest house rules will take effect from today."

Zenoin Naoya squeezed out the last sentence in a harsh but somewhat heavy voice, and as his last words fell, it was as if something was peeled away.

After reading the entire booklet, Stitch Naoya slammed the booklet heavily on the table.

He half-closed his eyelids, took a deep breath, and said, "Okay, I've finished reading it - you win."

His vested interests and his bloodline nobility no longer have any effect from this moment on. Fortunately, he still has his own strength and a chance to get his body back. So he is not completely lost.

"You win, old monster."

There was something of a sense of self-abandonment in these words, and also a sense of relief from no longer struggling and entangled.

Zenin Naoya finally gave up the internal friction and accepted the new house rules he had come up with. He raised his eyes.

"You're wrong." Jiang Lai's brown eyes were calm, and he smiled faintly, "We won - we won the rules that were deeply rotten."

The strange cursed power that had just been surging in the Zenin family was now intensifying, like a tiny grass seedling in a storm, twisting and swaying in the new and old changes in the order of the Zenin family!

The mantra continued to rise, reaching a peak and then began to collapse, like a pile of gravel and rocks, collapsing to one side.

The premise for the establishment of the Tower of Nobility is the rules and order of the Zen family, but this premise has now been denied.

The tower, which was already stuck with a bug, could no longer withstand the distorted force. The stubborn formation rooted in the entire Zen temple was shaking and slowly approaching a kind of nothingness.

Zenin Naoya felt his body relax, and the discomfort he had felt since entering the Zenin family finally dissipated. His tense body also relaxed.

"Is this... the end?" he said subconsciously.

"It hasn't completely disappeared, but the tower is slowly collapsing." Matsuda Jinpei could sense the fluctuations of the magical power in the air around him. A dynamic picture of a robe with flowers falling lit up on his electronic screen, accompanied by an electronic sound, "gratulations!"

Jiang Lai also sensed the disappearance of the Tower of Noble, which was the last of the four defensive towers.

From then on, the long-lasting contract was terminated, and Naohua and his loyal subordinates would no longer possess the "immortality" that could consume the fate of others.

This is a very groundbreaking development, equivalent to cutting off a powerful arm of the brain!

Jiang Lai couldn't help but smile in relief, his heart was filled with joy. But then, he caught a glimpse of the increasingly transparent figure beside him, and the smile faded.

Mr. Ghost, who was floating beside him, looked normal. When he noticed Jiang Lai's gaze, he turned his head, curled his lips, and said in a magnetic voice, "Congratulations. It seems that you have made good progress in your goal."

"..." Jiang Lai was silent for half a second and did not answer. He asked softly, "Are you leaving?"

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Fushiguro Shier exuded a lazy but eye-catching aura, "I also achieved my goal."

In his heart, Jiang Lai actually knows that the final liberation is the ultimate goal that Fushiguro Shinobu is pursuing.

Fushiguro Shiori has been trapped in this world that does not belong to him for too long. Now, he can finally break free from the invisible shackles and rush to the border of freedom.

Rationally, Jiang Lai felt that he should be happy for Shi Er. But emotionally, he couldn't help but look away, trying to suppress the reluctance surging in his chest.

Fushiguro Shijiro was his first friend in the world of magic. They went through hostility, vigilance, suspicion, reluctant conversations, cooperation, and finally opened their hearts and acknowledged each other's company.

From the time when he first entered the world of sorcery with great innocence to now, an extremely long period of time has passed.

Even though Fushiguro Shinobu was not hovering by his side all the time, Jiang Lai knew that he was sleeping in the locust wood tablet, and he could come out at any time if necessary.

Seeing Jiang Lai's silence, the semi-transparent Fushiguro Shier paused for a moment, and he slowly and steadily pointed out: "I died a long time ago. Before I met you."

"I have already met my end. Now, I just accept it calmly." The scar at the corner of Fushiguro's lip moved with a smile. "For me, being trapped in the human world was once a hardship. But now, I think, in a sense, it is also a gift."

"—You are the one who turns suffering into a gift."

Fushiguro rarely spoke such words. He spoke slowly, and his words rolled out of his throat in a low voice, like the murmur of a wild animal.

Jiang Lai looked back at Mr. Ghost in mid-air. After a while, he smiled and said, "Isn't this the same phrase you always say before leaving?"

"Hmm?" Fushiguro raised an eyebrow. He could hear Jiang Lai's teasing, so he shrugged and jokingly replied, "Of course not. Sweet talk is only for rich women. Obviously, you don't belong to this category."

"But I'm also very rich. Thanks to your gambling luck, I was able to win so many times."

"Hmm, now you admit that you are my helper? I didn't ask you for the betting rewards a few times. What a pity. By the way, I wonder if there is a casino on the other side."

"Wait, is your focus still here at this point—"

"Why not focus on your hobbies?"

The two of them laughed at each other briefly, and then there was a moment of silence.

The collapse of the Tower of Noble is irreversible, and the power that restrains Fushiguro Jyouji is weakening little by little. The world of the dead is calling for the souls that have been stranded for a long time.

It can be seen that Mr. Ghost in the air is becoming more transparent.

Beside them, Jinpei Matsuda stood quietly, leaving space for the conversation between the two old friends.

Zenin Naoya was not so quiet. He stared at the black-haired man who had become transparent with wide eyes and shouted in astonishment: "...Shinji-kun?!"

Fushiguro Shier's expression was extremely calm. He raised his eyelids, his eyes still fixed on Jiang Lai. His mature, hoarse voice said, "There is no story that does not involve parting."

"I know." Jiang Lai exhaled and calmed down. "Do you have any words you want me to bring? I mean... um, for other people."

He was referring to Fushiguro Megumi here. If there was anything he needed to convey, he could help.

Fushiguro refused. He said lazily, "No need. The living have their own paths. I, who should have died a long time ago, will not get involved."

Jiang Lai didn't say much to persuade him, he respected his friend's decision. So he raised his head slightly, stared at Mr. Ghost in the air, and said sincerely: "I haven't told you yet - Congratulations, you are free."

Fushiguro smiled and said, "I accept it. I also wish you can achieve your goals."

"I will." Jiang Lai nodded.

"You will," said Fushiguro.

The last trace of cursed power rippled in the air, and the last shackles that were entangled with Fushiguro Shinobu were blown away by the wind.

Mr. Ghost, whose eyes have become almost transparent, looks forward, as if he is looking far into the future, or as if he is stuck somewhere in the past.

Jiang Lai originally thought that he would say something at the end, however, Fushiguro Shiori said nothing at the moment of parting.

He was just like before, with the corners of his scarred lips raised in an unknown smile, his posture lazy yet full of explosiveness.

Mr. Gui waved his hands in a casual manner, with a mature and calm look between his eyebrows. His eyes calmly met Jiang Lai's, and then slowly looked away.

He didn't say goodbye, just left his back.

The sunlight passed through the overlapping silhouettes of the vines and fell on the ground, as if paving a bright and glorious path.

Fushiguro Shiji walked forward along this glorious road, heading towards the end of his fate that came too late.