Oh." The Old Man nodded. "You've grown so much." He looked at Tu Bai, then looked at Gojo Satoru standing beside him. "Who is this?
My friend," Tu Bai said. "He came with me.
The Old Man nodded, asking no further questions. "Sit."
Tu Bai sat down on the stool beside him, while Gojo Satoru stood behind him. The Old Man closed his eyes again, as if waiting for him to speak. Tu Bai hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Second Granduncle, I want to ask you something.”
What is it?
Does our family have an Ancestor who has lived for a very long time? One that's been around for thousands of years.
The Old Man's eyes opened. He looked at Tu Bai, looking for several seconds. "Why are you asking about this?"
Tu Bai thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth. "There is a problem with my Body, I need to find an Ancestor who understands the balance between Demon Power and Cursed Energy to help me. Someone said our Clan has an Ancestor who has lived for a very long time and can help me."
The Old Man fell silent for a moment. Then he stood up, leaning on his cane as he walked into the room. "Come in."
Tu Bai and Gojo Satoru exchanged a glance and followed him inside. It was dark inside the room, with only a bit of light filtering in through a small Window. The Old Man walked over to a Cabinet and pulled out a wooden Box from the very back. The Box was very old, with the lacquer peeling off, it was engraved with some patterns.
He placed the Box on the desk and opened it. Inside was a thin booklet, its pages yellowed and the corners curled. The Old Man flipped through it, found a page, handed it to Tu Bai.
Take a look at this.
Tu Bai took it. A line of text was written on the paper in brush ink, somewhat blurred—"Tu Shigure, born during the Heian era, a skilled warrior, later disappeared without a trace."
Below that was another line of small text, written in a different handwriting: "Lord Shigure, of a lively temperament, fond of beauty, fond of cleanliness. His combat prowess was extraordinary, comparable to Lord Sukuna. Later, he followed Lord Sukuna and his whereabouts became unknown."
Tu Bai stared at that line of text for a long time.
Second Granduncle," he looked up, "This person.. is from our family?
Yeah," the Old Man said. "It was back in my grandfather's grandfather's generation. I heard he was a very powerful figure, but he had a terrible temper. He had a falling out with the family and left. He never came back.
He and Sukuna..
I don't know," the Old Man said. "They don't allow his name to be mentioned at Home. They say he's a disgrace. A perfectly good Rabbit, instead, he ran off with a Sorcerer." He paused. "And he's a man, too.
Tu Bai opened his mouth, not knowing what to say. He turned back to look at Gojo Satoru, whose expression was also quite subtle.
Second Granduncle," Tu Bai asked again, "Do you know where he is?
I don't know," the Old Man said. "He left and never came back. After all these years, he's likely long gone.
Tu Bai fell silent. He put the atlas back into the Box, thanked Second Granduncle, walked out.
Standing in the Courtyard, he let out a long breath.
"So your Ancestor really had an affair with Sukuna," Gojo Satoru said.
Tu Bai glared at him. "Can you stop saying such nasty things?"
So how should we put it? Mutual affection?
Tu Bai ignored him and walked out. Gojo Satoru followed him. "What do we do now?"
Tu Bai thought for a moment. "Let's go back first. Tell Sukuna that we've found a clue, see what he says."
Gojo Satoru nodded. "Alright."
The two of them got in the car. Tu Bai sat in the Passenger Seat, staring blankly Outside the window. Gojo Satoru started the car and glanced at him. "What are you thinking about?"
Tu Bai shook his head. "Thinking about my Ancestor. He ran off with a Sorcerer, now no one in the family mentions him. It's been hundreds of years, even his Name is almost forgotten."
"Aren't you too?" Gojo Satoru said.
Tu Bai was stunned. "What?"
Ran off with a Sorcerer," Gojo Satoru said. "You are a rabbit, I am a Sorcerer.
Tu Bai looked at him, watching him for a while. "You are different."
How am I different?
You didn't make me fall out with my Home.
Gojo Satoru laughed. He reached out and rubbed Tu Bai's hair. "That's because your family members are more open-minded than your Ancestor."
Tu Bai thought about it, it seemed to be true. After his Parents learned about Gojo Satoru, they didn't say much; they only asked, "Is he a good person? Is he good to you?" When he said yes, they didn't ask anything more.
"That's true," Tu Bai said.
The car drove out of the village and onto the mountain road. Tu Bai leaned against the Chair Back, looking at the scenery outside the window. In the mountains during Spring, the trees had all turned green, Sunlight leaked through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the Floor.
He suddenly remembered something. "What did you just say, 'your family's Ancestor'?"
Huh?
How do you know he is an Ancestor of our family? He might just be from a branch family.
Don't you have the surname Tu? He has the surname Tu as well.
What if they just happen to have the same surname?
Gojo Satoru glanced at him. "What do you think?"
Tu Bai thought about it and felt it was correct. Shigure, Tu clan, born in the Heian era, skilled in combat, having an affair with Sukuna. Every single point matched.
Alright," he said. "It's from my family.
Gojo Satoru laughed. The car drove into the Residential Area, it was already dark, with the Streetlights turning on. After parking the car, the two men went upstairs, opened the door, changed their shoes.
Tu Bai walked into the Living Room and sat on the Sofa. He took out his Mobile Phone, intending to send a Message to Itadori, but then put it back down.
I'll talk to Sukuna about it tomorrow.
---
Early on Day 2, Tu Bai gave Itadori a call.
Itadori, are you free today?
I am. What's wrong, Tu Bai-ge?
I want to say a few words to you.. to Sukuna. Can he come out?
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the Phone. Then Itadori's Voice changed, becoming low and languid. "Found a clue?"
Tu Bai gripped Tu Bai's Mobile Phone a little tighter. "Found it. Shall we meet up?"
Fine.
The phone call ended. Tu Bai looked at the Mobile Phone Screen and let out a sigh. Gojo Satoru poked his head out from the Kitchen. "How was it?"
I have a meeting scheduled.
I'll go with you.
He said—
I know what he said." Gojo Satoru wiped his hands and walked over. "But I'm going. You wait outside, I'm going in.
Tu Bai thought about it, then shook his head. "I'll go by myself. If he wanted to make a move, he would have done it last time."
Gojo Satoru looked at him for a while. "I'll wait for you outside."
Yeah.
The two of them went out. Upon arriving at that Abandoned Warehouse Area from last time, Gojo Satoru stopped in the distance, Tu Bai walked in alone.
Sukuna was already there. He was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, watching Tu Bai walk over.
"Speak," Sukuna said.
Tu Bai stood before him and took a deep breath. "Our family indeed has an Ancestor named Shigure. Born during the Heian era, his combat strength was immense, compared to you—"
He paused.
I know you.
Sukuna's expression did not change, but Tu Bai noticed his Finger move.
"And then?" Sukuna asked.
And that's it," Tu Bai said. "That's all the genealogy records. He left and never came back.
Sukuna remained silent for a while. "That's all?"
“That's all,” Tu Bai said. “Second Granduncle said that no one in the family mentions him anymore. They say he's a disgrace for running off with a Sorcerer. It's been hundreds of years, even his Name is almost forgotten.”
Ran away with a Sorcerer," Sukuna repeated. "The family says he's a disgrace.
Tu Bai said nothing.
Sukuna straightened his body and brushed the non-existent dust off his Clothes. "Fine. I understand."
The deal—
“As before,” Sukuna said, “I will teach you the method of Balance. You will continue to help me search.”
Tu Bai stunned. "Continue looking? Didn't you say—"
I said the root cause is finding him," Sukuna said. "But first, we need to resolve the issues inside your body, otherwise you'll die before you even find him.
Tu Bai opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
Sukuna looked at him and suddenly said, "Do you think that just because I found him—"
He didn't finish his sentence, instead shook his head. "Never mind. Put your hand out."
Tu Bai reached out his hand. Sukuna grasped his wrist, his grip not heavy, but steady. Tu Bai could feel a surge of Cursed Energy transferring from Sukuna's palm, traveling up his arm. That power was cold, yet gentle, like a winter stream.
"Did you feel it?" Sukuna asked.
Tu Bai nodded. He could feel his Demon Power and Cursed Energy slowly separating under Sukuna's guidance, like two intertwined ropes being untied.
Guide them like this once every day from now on," Sukuna said, releasing his hands. "Separate your Demon Power and Cursed Energy. Let the Demon Power follow its own path, the Cursed Energy follow its own path. Do not let them touch each other.
Tu Bai looked down at his own hands. The light in his palms was no longer chaotic; the Demon Power and Cursed Energy each followed its own path. Although it was still a bit unsteady, it was much better than before. "Thank you," he said.
Before the words had even left his mouth, a Figure flashed from the side and pulled Tu Bai into his arms.
Tu Bai was pulled so hard he stumbled a step, his back crashing into Gojo Satoru's chest. Gojo Satoru's arms wrapped around him from behind, encircling his waist, as he rested his chin on Tu Bai's shoulder and narrowed his eyes at Sukuna.
If you're going to teach, then teach. Why get physical?" Gojo Satoru said, his tone clearly annoyed. "This is my wife.
Tu Bai's ears turned red instantly. "Who is your wife—"