Grade Advancement and the Client [Bonus Chapter for 1k Nutrient Solution]
After the sparring session ended, Zenin Naoki, along with Zenin Naoya, held a brief meeting with the head and elders of the Gojo family before leaving the Gojo clan with the Zenin family members.
Sitting below the head of the Gojo family, Gojo Satoru chuckled, adjusted his sunglasses, and continued to act as his mascot.
The Kamo family members came and went in a hurry, sitting for less than five minutes before leaving in a rush. According to the steward in charge of receiving guests in the courtyard, Kamo Noriaki of the Kamo family seemed to have fallen ill and had just been sent back to the Kamo family.
After the ancestral worship ceremony, members of the main family and collateral branches of the clan came one after another, and the ceremony didn't end until the afternoon. Gojo Satoru found a free moment and sneaked back from the front yard. Tsurumi Kawaru was reading comics in his room and was somewhat surprised to see him return.
Ignoring what had happened before, Gojou Gosai kicked off his wooden clogs, walked over to Tsurumi Kawakami, saw the manga in his hand, and sat cross-legged on the ground: "Have you finished reading it yet?"
Tsurumi Kawakami shook his head and dragged the snacks on the table over to Gojo Satoru: "Jay just called me. He and his parents went to the temple."
Gojo Satoru grabbed a bag of potato chips, and upon hearing his words, he pulled out his phone from his sleeve, opened the chat room of the group, and found that Natsuyuki and Ieiri Shoko had been chatting for many days, as well as the photos they had taken and posted.
Gojo Satoru pulled out a piece of paper to wipe his hands clean and started scrolling through the screen.
Tsurumi's phone, which was lying on the table, started vibrating incessantly, as if it had been infected with a virus.
Tsurumi Kawakami: "
He glanced up at Gojo Satoru, who was engrossed in texting, and slowly reached out to turn the phone volume down to the minimum.
After having a "peaceful and friendly" chat with Natsumi Yuki and Ieiri Shoko in the chat room, Gojo Satoru felt a little better.
The two spent the afternoon playing games in their room. In the evening, Tsurumi Kawaru joined the Gojo family for a dinner party, where he met many different Gojos.
At midnight, the bells of the nearby temples rang precisely on time, and after 108 rings, the new year began.
-
The holiday flew by, and January 8th was the day to return to school.
When Tsurumi Ryu and Gojo Satoru arrived at the vocational high school, they happened to run into Xia Youjie, who was carrying large bags and small packages. Seeing Tsurumi Ryu's helpless expression, he explained, "You didn't come to my house for the New Year this year, and my parents have been asking about it. They even asked me to bring you some food."
Tsurumi Kawakami blinked in surprise: "Eh, your aunt and uncle keep talking about me? Then I'll go see them next time."
Xia Youjie handed him a package, then shook his slightly sore arm. "Here, there's a peace charm I got from a temple inside."
Tsurumi Kawaru was holding something, and he pulled out a small sachet containing a peace charm folded into a triangle shape.
Gojo Satoru glanced at him, then moved closer to Xia Youjie, taking the other backpack from his hand and muttering, "Jie, what about me?"
Xia Youjie raised an eyebrow, took a sachet out of his bag and tossed it to him: "I knew it, that's why I asked for two more that day, the other one is for Glass later."
Gojo Satoru put the sachet into his pocket, and the three of them walked side by side toward the dormitory.
After entering the third year, the number of basic daily courses gradually decreased, while the number of extracurricular purification tasks increased. The arrival of new junior students failed to attract the attention of Wu Tiao and the others.
The first spring rain arrived as expected, and Tsurumi Kawakami, who had just returned from a mission, nestled in his dormitory drinking hot milk.
Just then, his phone rang, and a somewhat unfamiliar number appeared on the screen. Tsurumi Kawaru glanced at the contact name and answered the call with some confusion.
"Is this Mr. Kong Shiyu?"
"Ah, yes, I'm a little glad you still remember me, Tsurumikawa-kun."
After a few brief pleasantries, Kong Shiyu on the other end of the phone revealed the purpose of the call.
Tsurumi Kawaru looked surprised, his voice filled with confusion: "Eh, is that so? But I don't remember offending anyone. Yes, I'll discuss it with Satoru and the others. Okay, thank you for your help. I'll call you back later."
After hanging up the phone, Tsurumi Kawakami was a little confused, but he still obediently took his phone to find Gojo Satoru and Natsuyuki.
Inside Xia Youjie's dormitory.
The three sat together, staring at Tsurumi Kawakami's phone on the table, all looking thoughtful.
Gojo Satoru stroked his chin, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Did that middleman really tell you that?"
Tsurumi Kawakami nodded and repeated Kong Shiyu's words once again, word for word.
Xia Youjie frowned, somewhat suspecting that the exorcism mission was a form of revenge by the curse master against Tsurumi Kawa.
Gojo Satoru picked up an apple, tossed it around, and said jokingly, "That's possible, but it might just be one of those old oranges from the General Manager's Office."
Xia Youjie sighed, thinking that Wu Tiaowu was unreliable.
But Tsurumi Kawakami nodded and said seriously, "Yes, Satoru is right."
Xia Youjie: "..."
Gojo Satoru burst out laughing, clutching his stomach and collapsing onto the table with a smirk as he looked at Natsumi Yuuki: "You see, Ryu also thinks so, maybe it really is true."
After exchanging a few jokes, the three began discussing how to handle the situation.
Xia Youjie thought for a moment and said, "Since the other party directly approached Kong Shiyu to ask him to give Fu Heishen a commission, it means that the other party is very familiar with the relationship between Kong Shiyu and Fu Heishen."
He paused, then continued, "Wu, you've had the most contact with Fukushiro. What's his strength like?"
Upon hearing Xia Youjie mention this name, Wujiao Wu's expression turned somewhat displeased, but he still truthfully stated: "That guy was originally surnamed Zenin, but he ran away from home because of the Zenin family's philosophy of not allowing sorcerers to be human. He is a being bound by heaven and earth, with terrifyingly strong physical skills, and he also has a cursed tool that can break spells. Overall, he is very strong."
Such high praise caught Tsurumi Kawa's attention, but Xia Youjie's focus wasn't on "Heaven and Binding" or "Strong physical skills." He pondered for a second, his expression turning serious: "A cursed tool capable of breaking through spells."
Gojo Satoru nodded: "I think it's called something like Tensei Hoko."
Xia Youjie looked at the two of them, composed himself, and said, "Such a spell tool would be useful for Wu's Limitless and Flowing Anti-Armor Techniques, right?"
Gojo Satoru paused for a moment, wanting to retort, but remembering his previous battle with Fushiguro Jinji, he swallowed the words that were about to come out of his throat and muttered a few complaints under his breath.
Tsurumi Kawa was also taken aback, but after opening his mouth, he looked around and raised his hand honestly, saying, "Well, the anti-armor isn't actually my spell, but rather my passive skill, like the tank in that RPG game we played before."
Gojo Satoru: "Ha!"
He pulled down his sunglasses, giving him a look that said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Xia Youjie, who was standing to the side, was also a little stunned and stared at him.
Tsurumi Shoshi scratched his cheek sheepishly and recounted his background and past experiences: "...That's how it is. I don't actually stay in one place for long. When my time comes, I'll go to the next world."
Gojo Satoru looked at him with a look of novelty, as if he were looking at some new species: "How strange, my six eyes can't see it at all."
After he finished speaking, he suddenly asked Tsurumi Kawakami about his detailed experiences in the previous world.
Xia Youjie noticed the implication in Tsurumi Kawakami's words and preemptively asked, "So, Kawakami will leave too?"
Tsurumi Kawakami nodded.
Gojo Satoru realized what was happening and looked somewhat sad: "Ah, in that case, we'll be one person short."
Xia Youjie remained silent for a few seconds, calmed down, and then steered the conversation back to the topic they had just discussed.
“If that’s the case, it’s debatable whether the Heavenly Reverse Blade can break through the anti-armor.” He paused, then continued, “But the person who made the request must have been certain that the Heavenly Reverse Blade in Fuheishen’s hands could break through Liu’s anti-armor, which is why he commissioned Liu to kidnap him.”
After Xia Youjie explained his logic, Gojo Satoru and Tsurumi Kawakami both understood what he meant.
Seeing that they understood, Xia Youjie simply decided on the next plan, asking Tsurumi Kawa to call Kong Shiyu back and arrange a meeting in the afternoon.
-
Afternoon, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.
The trio, who had taken leave, arrived at a horse racing track building by taxi. Standing in front of the sign outside the gate, Xia Youjie's expression was somewhat strange. He whispered, "Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
Gojo Satoru, on the other hand, was quite interested. He put his arm around the two of them and walked in openly.
They soon found Fu Heishener placing a bet and Kong Shiyu in a suit next to him. The two groups met each other's eyes, but sat at a distance as if they didn't know each other.
Then the three members of the high school saw Fuheishen place bets five times in a row, losing everything each time. This kind of bad luck opened the eyes of the three inexperienced people.
After paying back all the money in his pocket, Fu Heishen'er got up and left with a dark expression. He and Kong Shiyu seemed to have accidentally bumped into the trio as they passed by.
After everyone had gone, Xia Youjie opened the slip of paper that had been handed to him earlier; it had the room number written on it.
The group exchanged glances, then got up and went inside.
Inside the private room, Fu Heishen and Kong Shiyu sat side by side on the sofa. When they saw them come in, they closed the door and gestured with their chins to the opposite side.
"Say what you want to talk about quickly, don't delay my next betting round." The tall, black-haired youth glanced at the group and said.
"We want to know who the client is," Xia Youjie asked bluntly.
Xia Youjie, who could be considered the brainy one among the trio, took the initiative to handle the conversation.
Kong Shiyu paused for a second, turned to look at Fu Heishen'er, and then said, "The other party is probably a sorcerer, and a sorcerer from a family."
Upon hearing Kong Shiyu's answer, Xia Youjie frowned immediately. Wu Tiaowu, on the other hand, showed no surprise. Instead, he looked at him smugly and said, "Jie, I was right, wasn't I? He might just be Old Orange from the Director's Department."
Sitting to the side, Tsurumi Kawakami looked obedient and wisely refrained from interrupting.
Kong Shiyu shook his head, denying Wu Tiaowu's words: "He's not from the General Manager's Office."
Before anyone could react, Fukuro Jinji, who had only spoken one sentence since the trio entered, suddenly said, "I know that person; he's the eldest son of the Kamo family."
Gojo Satoru's six eyes widened slightly, quite surprised: "Why is Kamo causing trouble for Ryu?"
Fuheshen picked at his ear impatiently: "How would I know? Anyway, I always do things for money."
Xia Youjie pursed his lips, his dark eyes looking at Kong Shiyu, hoping to get more information from him about the man's commission to kidnap Tsurumi Kawaru.
Kong Shiyu was aware of their concerns and recalled for a moment before saying, "The other party specifically instructed Fu Hei not to hurt anyone."
He paused, then added, "It seems to be just a simple kidnapping."
This is indeed strange, especially after learning about the function of the Tenseihoko, which clearly shows that the other party is targeting Tsurumi Kawa.
“Are there any other special ones?” Xia Youjie asked.
A thought flashed through Kong Shiyu's mind. He looked up at them and said with a strange expression, "There's one more thing. I don't know if it's considered special in the world of sorcery, but that person has a very long suture line on their forehead, like it was left after a craniotomy."
The "stitching" trio exchanged bewildered glances, somewhat surprised to have encountered each other so soon.
Seeing their reactions, Fuheishener raised an eyebrow: "You know someone, or rather, you know someone with stitches on their forehead."
Xia Youjie's expression was somewhat somber. He nodded and told them about Matsumoto's death that occurred after the asteroid body last year.
Fukugoro grinned: "Interesting. Then it's hard to say whether the Kamo we met this morning was actually Kamo."
These words sent chills down one's spine.
Upon learning that their opponent was the suture thread, the trio undoubtedly breathed a sigh of relief, since they had already encountered the suture thread once before, as an unknown enemy.
Thus, a plan targeting sutures was born.
In order to get Shinobu Fushiguro to cooperate, Satoru Gojo generously threw down a black card. Shinobu Fushiguro put the black card in his pocket and temporarily joined the plan.
Sitting to the side, Tsurumi Kawakami looked around, scratched his cheek, and continued to remain quiet.
-
The following day, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.
Fuheshel drove his car to the side of the road next to a detached house, then carried a sack from the trunk and sneaked in, avoiding street surveillance cameras and pedestrians.
The door opened, and he entered the house, where he met the client, Noriaki Kamo, in the living room, which was covered with a white sheet.
Fuheishen glanced at the other man, his gaze lingering for a second on the stitches on his forehead, before throwing the sack he was carrying on his shoulder to the ground, clapping his hands, and plopping down on the sofa covered with a white cloth.
"I've brought the person over. Take a look at them, and then transfer the remaining payment."
Kamo Norihiro, or rather Kinuroku, sat on a single sofa. His frail body constantly made him feel powerless, which was why he was so eager to change his body.
His gaze swept over the burlap sack on the dusty floor. He paused for a moment, then untied the rope. After confirming that the person inside was correct, he stood up and sat back on the sofa, smiling warmly. "I didn't expect to complete the task so quickly. I'm quite surprised."
Fuheshel sensed his probing but ignored it, and impatiently urged him to make the payment again.
Silken paused, squinted at the sky and restraints on the sofa, a hint of regret and pity flashing in her eyes.
Seeing that he was unmoved by reason, Juan Suo said nothing more and simply settled the remaining payment.
Upon receiving the text message, Fuheshen got up to leave.
Kinusa watched him leave without hesitation, her paranoia kicked in, and she cautiously checked the person in the sack one last time before trying to leave with Tsurumi Ryuu.
Gojo Satoru and Natsume, who were secretly following him, watched as a man with stitches on his forehead carried a sack out and got into a black car.
The two exchanged a glance, and Xia Youjie released the Rainbow Dragon, which flew high to continue the pursuit.
The car wound its way through the streets, eventually entering an old residential area several blocks away, and finally stopped in a parking garage in front of a dilapidated residential building.
"This guy is very cautious." Gojo Satoru hooked his sunglasses up and looked at the residential building with his six eyes, but found no trace of any cursed spirit.
Xia Youjie put away the Rainbow Dragon, and the two stood at a distance in the alley opposite the residential building.
"Now we just wait for the signal."
-
Basement of a residential building.
Silk Rope carried the sack into the basement, one of his secret safe houses, which had been set up as a laboratory. The smell of formaldehyde permeated the air, and a dissection table stood in the center.
He placed the sack on the dissection table and began preparing for the body replacement procedure.
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