Chapter 36 Naoya: What kind of monster? Let’s go up and take a look

The Zen temple is quiet and orderly at night, operating slowly according to the ancient feudal system.

Just now, when Jiang Lai accidentally met a strange little girl who was looking for something in the yard late at night, he simply helped her pick up the bracelet hidden in the grass and did not think too much about it.

However, after climbing over several buildings, something suddenly flashed through his mind.

...Come to think of it, the Zenin Maki or Zenin Mai who appeared in the original book should be about the same age now? The little girl I just met couldn't be one of them, right?

But, Maki and Mayi are the children of the master's younger brother, so why are they living in such a shabby side yard? And it seems that there is no adult to take care of them?

Jiang Lai thought about it.

If the person we just met was indeed Zenin Maki or Zenin Mai, then the current Zenin family's discrimination in cursed techniques and preference for boys over girls seem to be more serious than in the original work.

Perhaps it is because the Zen temple here is more closed than the one in the original book, and has basically no contact with the outside world of the new era. Traditional feudal ideas are deeply rooted and continue to this day.

After Jiang Lai had a general understanding of the exterior structure of the Zen temple, he began to observe it more carefully.

Of course, after the incident in the courtyard just now, he was more cautious this time. After making sure that no one was around, he turned around and landed lightly, diving and observing.

Moving around in these antique buildings gives you the feeling of an ancient assassin taking a night stroll.

Most of these infiltration techniques were learned by Jiang Lai at the Science World Winery.

Jiang Lai: Two major learning bases in the world of science - wineries and Hawaii.jpg

During the night patrol, Jiang Lai paid close attention to the details of the surrounding buildings. Combining his memories with his observations during the daytime walk, he found that there seemed to be no signs of iris flowers here.

...Is it because the Zenin family is closed off from the outside world? Or is it the same for all three families?

Jiang Lai touched his chin and decided to put this question aside for the time being. He would wait until daytime to ask Gojo Satoru whether there is such a mark inside the Gojo family, and make an inference based on that.

He thought that the Gojo family probably didn't have it either. Even if there was, with Gojo Satoru's personality, he would have revealed it long ago... However, it would be better to wait until tomorrow to ask, and the information obtained would be more accurate.

After a late-night wandering, Jiang Lai returned to his room from the backyard again.

The air is a little chilly on late spring nights. Even when I step indoors, my sleeves are still wrapped in a bit of the coolness of the moonlight.

In the house, he took off the black and gold fox mask with one hand, revealing his original face.

When he placed the mask on the side of the cabinet and let go, the black and gold fox mask suddenly turned into star-like particles and disappeared in an instant.

Jiang Lai was slightly surprised, and then he understood vaguely in his heart: It seems that these constructed clothing items cannot be separated from him, otherwise they will disappear and then merge into the world.

This constraint is reasonable, otherwise it would be possible to produce unlimited products. Jiang Lai thought jokingly. If it were possible to produce unlimited products, he would be able to make a fortune.

Then he thought further: What are the specific boundaries of constructing and changing clothing?

...If I think a saber is part of clothing, can I construct a saber?

Thinking of this, Jiang Lai decided to do a simple test.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes slightly, and recalled the images from movies and TV shows he had seen before. Following his instinct, he tried to construct something.

After a few breaths, he opened his eyes again and found a simple and plain knife of just the right length on his waist.

…It actually works!!

Jiang Lai's eyes showed surprise. He paused for a moment, then tried to reach out and pull it out of the scabbard.

Under the cold moonlight, the blade reflected a bright light.

It looks like it can be used! Jiang Lai's thoughts started to run. In this case, as long as he doesn't let go of it, it can become his weapon.

Although the world of spells mainly uses techniques to attack, sometimes cold weapons can also play an unexpected role.

Therefore, sorcerers also use cold weapons. For example, Zenin Naoya habitually hides a dagger in his arms to carry out some close-range sneak attacks.

Of course, for now, I don't really need cold weapons. Jiang Lai disassembled the saber and made it disappear. It's better not to add psychological burden to the Zen family.

Then he thought further.

Since sabers can appear, then what about other high-tech electronic devices?

Jiang Lai followed this line of thought and tried several times again, and found that:

If we don’t know the specific structure of a relatively complex modern social product, we can’t build it. If we know part of the structure, we can build the shell, but it has no practical use.

For example, Jiang Lai can construct a watch as a wrist ornament, but because he cannot fully analyze the structure and layout of the delicate parts inside the watch, the watch only has a case but does not move the hands.

For example, Jiang Lai was able to construct a pistol on his waist based on the gun memory of the scientific world. However, because he did not fully understand the detailed size data of the gun's internal structural parts, and the bullets disappeared from the body, the constructed pistol was basically just an empty shell.

Also, constructing clothing items multiple times is mentally exhausting. Although it has nothing to do with mana, he will feel mentally tired.

...Well, it's not unlimited use after all, Jiang Lai thought. But it's enough.

——It is like having a walking wardrobe. You can change your clothes as long as you can think of it.

Moreover, even if some of the constructed objects cannot be used in practice, they can still be used to scare people! He frowned. He pretended to be posing with a hollow shell gun, which was also very intimidating.

Jiang Lai (Fujiya expression): So, what’s important is not whether the props are real or not, but whether the acting is real or not!!

——

The next day, daytime.

Starting today, students of the Zen temple who are of appropriate age will go to the open training ground for training from 8 am to 5 pm, with a two-hour break at noon.

The ones responsible for training and testing them are Gojo Satoru and Kasugano Kei.

However, there are very few people who can make them fight with their true strength.

Most of the time, Geto Summer would just release cursed spirits to fight on the field, or Gojo Satoru himself would drive around the center of the field with unlimited speed.

Sometimes, the white-haired boy would move the wooden recliner to the center of the training ground and lie paralyzed on it, like a long cat basking in the sun.

He played with a short wooden sword in his hand, occasionally symbolically chopped a few people who approached, or threw a wooden dart from the box beside him, saying lazily: "Okay, if you don't get hit, you'll win."

Most people's target of attack was Gojo Satoru himself, trying to break through the limit - but no one dared to attack Gojo Satoru's recliner.

Because attacking the Rokugan itself is not a big deal, but if you destroy the recliner and affect Gojo Satoru's sun exposure, Gojo Satoru will really get up and beat you up immediately.

There were one or two people who were arrogant enough to challenge him bravely. They attacked the legs of the recliner, but were beaten up by Gojo Satoru who jumped up and made them lose their parents.

All in all, the current strength of the young children of the Zenin family is not enough to fight against the two talented senior experts who have been on many missions.

When Gojo Satoru moved a recliner to lie in the middle of the training ground, Jiang Lai and Xia Yujie were sitting on the sidelines.

They held up a tall umbrella and the two of them sat in the shade underneath.

Xia Yujie remotely controls several cursed spirits whose levels match those of the young man on the scene, and engages in battle.

Jiang Lai had nothing to do. He wore his silver-platinum-and-gold mask, looking relaxed on the surface while simply organizing his thoughts in his mind.

Before the training started, Jiang Lai expressed his doubts from last night and specifically asked Gojo Satoru about the Iris logo.

Gojo Satoru's answer was, "Huh? I don't have any of those things at home. If I did, I would have thrown them all away long ago."

This is similar to what Jiang Lai guessed.

It can be inferred from this that this sign should not be placed inside any of the three families.

It may be that the three major companies involved in the regulatory committee have no need and are unwilling to place such testing objects within their own families.

It may also be because the three companies already have permanent resident personnel from the regulatory commission, and as long as they are visible, there is no need to add additional signs.

As his thoughts raced through his mind, Jiang Lai vaguely sensed someone was watching him.

The fox mask with silver, platinum and gold patterns perfectly concealed his features, hiding his own expression.

Jiang Lai raised his head as if nothing had happened, and adjusted several times according to the changes of the cursed spirits in the field, tilting his head slightly, as if he was watching the battle, or as if he was simply attracted by the swaying cursed spirits.

In fact, he was looking for that hidden sight.

Jiang Lai looked past all the children and servants, and found the line of sight among them with his intuition and observation.

On the steps on the other side of the training ground, there was a blond boy sitting and looking up at this side.

Although he was wearing the same simple training clothes as the people around him, when compared with the people around him, it could be seen that his clothes were more finely designed than others.

This person is none other than Zenin Naoya.

Zenoin Naoya sat here, looking a little unhappy, his upturned green eyes were somewhat sharp, and his knuckles tapped his knees intermittently.

He did not play because Gojo Satoru was in the center of the field.

Zenin Naoya had no intention of going up to ask for a fight, nor did he want to be like the others and stupidly surround Wu Shixian and launch ineffective attacks.

There was also a cursed spirit released by Geto Suguru on the field. But Zenin Naoya didn't want to crowd in with the other members of the family and make a fuss to attack that cursed spirit.

So, at this moment, he simply focused his attention on the person who was said to be a "monster" not far away.

The black-haired figure sat there steadily, the edge of the navy blue kimono falling naturally due to gravity. The weird fox mask on the man's face perfectly covered his face, and it was impossible to see what kind of face was behind it.

...or maybe no face at all?

The image of "the emptiness beneath the mask" that popped up in his mind made Zenin Naoya's body pause.

Then he came to his senses, pressed his lips into a straight line, and stared at the figure in front of him with a scrutinizing look.

Zenin Naoya could not sense the aura of the cursed spirit on the figure, so he now firmly believed that it was a person.

——It was just that he used some special method to pass through the barrier and deceive the guards and others. Maybe the mask on his face was a special magic tool that did this.

He wouldn't be fooled... This must be something that bastard Gojo Satoru brought here to play tricks!

Those idiots on guard couldn't see that my father and the elders were probably too lazy to think about it and just went along with the playfulness of this troubled boy, Gojo Satoru.

But he didn't want to endure it at all.

Zenoin Naoya snorted in his heart, he gnashed his fangs, and the urge to expose all this surged in his heart.

Just at this moment, the figure in the distance suddenly stood up.

The blond boy moved accordingly, his eyes fixed on the other party.

I don't know if it was because Gojo Satoru or Geto Suguru had warned them in advance, but when the "monster" stood up and walked away, the servants and guards around him did not stop him.

When the man in the navy blue kimono walked into the corridor outside the training ground, Zenin Naoya couldn't help but jump up from the stairs, ready to follow.

The attendant beside him thought he had something to tell him, so he bent forward slightly and waited to listen.

However, Zenin Naoya just casually responded: "None of your business, I'm going to get something."

"I can bring it to you, Master Naoya. You just need to rest here." The attendant bowed and said attentively.

"None of your business. I'll go by myself. The things are in a place only I know." The figure in the sight disappeared around the corner at the end of the corridor. Zenin Naoya didn't bother to talk to the attendant. He pushed him away impatiently and quickly chased after him.

The noisy sounds of the training ground were soon left behind, and Zenin Naoya was so focused on chasing the fleeting figure that he didn't even notice how many corners he turned.

By the time he stopped, he had already reached a remote area with few people.

The corridor here is decorated with many bell pendants. The small, old copper bells cut through the distant sky and jingle in the breeze.

The dark blue kimono figure stood in the middle of the corridor, and the mask on his face had changed from silver to black and gold. The fox's hollow eyes were looking at him.

"..." Zenin Naoya inevitably tensed for a moment, but he quickly raised his head and narrowed his green fox eyes, "Okay, take off your mask. I know you were sent by that guy from Gojo to deceive people."

He deliberately drawled out his contemptuous voice and said, "There's no need to perform a clumsy monster act - the Zenin family would not look down on such boring little tricks."

The figure did not speak. The draft in the hall lifted the edges of his haori and sleeves, and clusters of overlapping ink-stained talismans rose up and spread with every breath.

The tinkling sounds of the bells became more and more intense, and the monotonous yet complex sounds intertwined, as if playing music accompanying the rise of the spell.

In this atmosphere, Zenoya Naoya felt a strange chill on his back, but he did not show it and just gritted his teeth secretly.

The blond boy stared ahead with his eyes raised, and said in a deep voice: "Enough! This boring trick of pretending to be a monster is only used by the Gojo guy to fool the idiots outside. Don't think I will be fooled--"

Jiang Lai tilted his head slightly, calculating quickly and calmly in his mind, and moved his fingers hidden under his sleeves, secretly setting up code traps in the surrounding space.

From Zenin Naoya's perspective, the figure standing there seemed to not understand what he said, or to not listen at all. This indifferent and casual attitude made him even more angry.

The arrogant Gojo Satoru is enough, but how dare this little character who came from nowhere treat him like this? !

Zenin Naoya didn't want to continue talking nonsense. In fact, he had already prepared for a sneak attack, ready to take off the mask that might be a special cursed tool and expose the person's true face.

At this moment, he directly activated his own technique and approached at an incredible speed. When he rushed to the side, he raised his hand to lift the mask!

The figure did not hide, but just raised his head slightly.

Perhaps Oshigen didn't react in time? Zenin Naoya sneered in his heart. He cut in from the side, and his fingertips were about to touch the strange fox mask.

However, at the last moment, he seemed to be blocked by an invisible object, unable to get any closer.

Not only that, when he got closer, it seemed as if something was triggered, and the air around him suddenly became tangible along with the fluctuations of magical power, like a big hand holding him tightly!

Zenin Naoya: “!?”

He struggled in shock, but couldn't move much.

Zenoin Naoya widened his eyes in disbelief. At a close distance, he could clearly see the only pair of eyes exposed under the black and gold fox mask.

The calm brown color is like an inverted earth, slowly rolling down with the power to carry everything, giving people an invisible feeling of suffocation.

For a moment, Zenin Naoya had the illusion that he was in a deep cave, and when he was stared at, it was as if he was submerged in slowly flowing soil.

The earth that gives birth to and supports all things can also kill and bury life.

The air was still for a second.

Then, the pair of brown eyes floated away, and the pressure as heavy as a rock also floated away.

Zenoin Naoya just stared blankly at the other person raising his hand - the old-fashioned book poked his forehead and pushed it lightly.

The tangible air that was holding him dissipated at some point, and Zenoin Naoya's stiff body was pushed back a few steps and fell into a string of jingling bells hanging and swinging at the edge of the corridor.