Hiss—" He sat up, rubbing his waist, looking completely bewildered, "What for?
Tu Bai was wrapped in a Small Blanket, only his Red Eyes visible as he glared at him. "You still have the nerve to ask!"
Gojo Satoru looked at him, stunned for two seconds, then laughed. "Don't be angry, Baby, I was wrong, okay?"
You're still laughing!
Gojo Satoru got up from the Floor with a laugh, trying to climb onto the Bed. Tu Bai kicked him. "Don't come up!"
Gojo Satoru was kicked back a step, but he was still smiling. "Xiao Bai—"
You're not allowed to touch me for three days!" Tu Bai pulled the Small Blanket over the top of his head, wrapping himself into a ball. "Get out!
Gojo Satoru stood by the bedside, looking at that ball of blanket, sighed. "Did you buy the cake in vain?"
There was no sound from under the Small Blanket.
Did you wear the dress for nothing too?
Still no sound.
Gojo Satoru sat by the bedside for a while, then stood up and walked out of the Bedroom. As the Door closed, he heard a muffled voice from under the Pillow: "Pervert."
Gojo Satoru smiled. He walked to the Kitchen and began brewing coffee. Outside the window, the snow had stopped, the sunlight shone on the snow, so bright it was dazzling. He leaned against the Countertop, thinking about what happened last night, the corner of his mouth curled upward.
Forget it, three days is fine.
Anyway, three days will pass quickly.
Chapter 73
Regarding the issue of identity, Gojo Satoru solved it in just one week.
Tu Bai didn't know exactly how he did it; he only knew that one afternoon, Gojo Satoru returned and placed a stack of documents on the coffee table. "It's done."
Tu Bai picked them up to look. They were a Household Registration Certificate, an Identity Certificate, a Demon Alliance Recognition Document. He flipped through them several times before looking up at Gojo Satoru. "How did you do it?"
The prestige of the Gojo Clan." Gojo Satoru leaned back against the Sofa, his tone casual, "Plus a little intimidation.
Deterrence?
I told them that she is my Wife. If they don't recognize him, the Gojo Clan will no longer participate in the affairs of the Jujutsu World.
Tu Bai opened his mouth. "You're threatening them?"
It's not a threat," Gojo Satoru said, "It's a negotiation.
Tu Bai looked at his self-righteous expression and couldn't help but laugh. "Senpai, thank you."
You're welcome." Gojo Satoru reached out and rubbed his hair. "When are you returning to your hometown?
Tu Bai thought about it. "The sooner the better. I'm afraid if it drags on, the dream will break."
Then this Weekend. I'll go with you.
Tu Bai nodded.
Early Saturday morning, the two of them boarded a plane. Tu Bai's hometown is a small city in the south, filled with mountains and water, where the air is humid. After getting off the plane and taking a two-hour car ride, they finally arrived at the village.
The village was much like his memory. It was still those same old houses, still that same stone path, still that same big camphor tree at the village entrance. It was just older than before; some houses were empty, grass grew on the rooftops.
Second Granduncle was waiting for them at the Village Entrance. The Old Man leaned on his cane, squinting his eyes as he watched them walk over. "Xiao Bai?"
Second Granduncle," Tu Bai walked over and supported his arm, "Why have you come?
To pick you up," Second Granduncle said, glancing at Gojo Satoru. "The one from last time?
Yeah.
Second Granduncle nodded and said nothing more. "Let's go, the Forbidden Land has already been tidied up by someone."
The Forbidden Land is on the mountain behind the village. The mountain road is difficult to walk, the stone steps are covered in moss. Second Granduncle walks very slowly, with Tu Bai supporting him, while Gojo Satoru follows behind.
After walking for about half an hour, they arrived at a cave. The entrance was not large and was covered by vines; one wouldn't even notice it without looking closely. Second Granduncle took a key out of his pocket and opened the iron gate at the cave entrance.
Let's go inside," he said. "I'll wait outside.
Tu Bai glanced at Gojo Satoru. Gojo Satoru nodded to him. The two of them walked inside.
It was dark inside the cave, the air was damp, there was a scent of soil and stone. Tu Bai took out his Mobile Phone and turned on the flashlight, the beam of light shining onto the cave wall. Some patterns were carved into the stone walls in the shape of rabbits, along with some indecipherable Ancient Text.
Walking about dozens of meters inside, the cave widened. In the middle was a stone platform, on the platform sat a wooden Box. Tu Bai walked over and opened the Box. Inside was a very thick booklet, the Cover read "Tu Clan Genealogy."
He flipped open the first page. The paper had already turned yellow, the handwriting was somewhat blurred. The first line read: "Tu Clan Ancestor, Hidden Name, Born in the early Heian period.."
He flipped backward. When he reached the Middle, his hand stopped.
Shigure of the Tu Clan, born during the Heian Era. Exceptionally gifted, proficient in both Demon Power and Cursed Energy, possessing extraordinary combat prowess. Lively in temperament, fond of beautiful women, loves cleanliness. Later encountered the Sorcerer Ryomen Sukuna, they became companions.
Tu Bai looked at that line of text, his finger lightly brushing across the surface of the paper. Then he closed his eyes.
The Cave suddenly lit up.
It was not the light of a flashlight, but another kind of light, silver-white, seeping out from the patterns on the stone wall. Tu Bai opened his eyes and saw those rabbit patterns glowing, the light converging to form a ring of light.
A person walked out from within the Circle.
Gold hair, Red Eyes, Peach Blossom Eyes. Wearing white Clothes, hair draped over his shoulders, barefoot. Just like in the dream.
"You're here," Shigure said.
Tu Bai opened his mouth, wanting to call him, but he didn't know what to call him. Shigure smiled. "Just call me Shigure. In terms of seniority, I am many generations older than you, but calling me Ancestor would be strange."
Tu Bai nodded. "Shigure."
Shigure looked at him, then looked at Gojo Satoru beside him. "Your boyfriend?"
Tu Bai nodded.
Shigure sized up Gojo Satoru. "Not bad. Better looking than Ryomen Sukuna."
Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow. "Thank you."
Shigure withdrew his gaze, looking at Tu Bai. "I know why you came to find me. I can solve your body problem. But I have one condition."
What conditions?
Deliver a message for me," Shigure said. "It's for Sukuna.
Tu Bai was stunned. "Why don't you tell him yourself?"
Shigure was silent for a while. He looked toward the Cave, his gaze drifting far away. "My Ability is related to spacetime; I have tried many times. Changing the past, saving him, being with him. But every time, it was a Failure. Later, I finally achieved Success, then I discovered it was merely a parallel world, that him was not my him."
He paused.
“Later on, I realized that I can't go back. It's not a matter of time, but a matter of people. The Sukuna I knew is already dead. So I gave up, I let myself slumber in the long river of time and space. What stands before you now is merely a wisp of my Memory."
Tu Bai did not know what to say. Shigure smiled, but his eyes looked as if he were about to cry.
So I won't look for him anymore. I'll just stay right here. Once he remembers, he'll come find me himself.
Remember?
After becoming a Cursed Spirit, he forgot me," Shigure said. "He remembers the fighting and killing from a thousand years ago, but he doesn't remember me. Perhaps his memory was damaged after death, or perhaps he simply doesn't care at all.
Tu Bai wanted to say something, but Shigure waved him off. "Let's not talk about that. Come here, I'll teach you how to balance Demon Power and Cursed Energy."
He reached out his hand. Tu Bai walked over and placed his hand in Shigure's palm. A warm power flowed from Shigure's hand, completely different from Sukuna's cold Cursed Energy. This power was very gentle, like a spring breeze, slowly seeping into his body.
Demon Power and Cursed Energy flowed inside the body, no longer fighting. They each followed their own path, no longer interfering with one another, even began to supplement each other.
"Remembered?" Shigure released his grip.
Tu Bai nodded. He looked down at his own hands; the light in his palm was very steady, silver-white, no longer flickering.
"Thank you," he said.
Shigure smiled. "You're welcome. You are one of my clansmen; it is only right that I help you."
He turned to leave.
"Shigure." Tu Bai called out to him.
Shigure turned back.
That Mirror, the one in the Shrine, did you leave it there?
Shigure was stunned. "You've seen it?"
Yeah. He and I," Tu Bai pointed at Gojo Satoru, "were sucked in once before. We went to another world.
Shigure fell silent for a moment. "That is an entrance I left behind. It leads to the long river of time and space. But going in doesn't guarantee you'll find me; instead, it's easy to be swept away into another world."
I know," Tu Bai said. "But someone is looking for you.
Shigure looked at him, saying nothing.
Sukuna," Tu Bai said, "He is looking for you.
Shigure's expression changed. It wasn't surprise, nor was it emotion; it was something complex that Tu Bai couldn't understand.
“He is looking for me?” Shigure asked.
Yeah. I've been looking for him for many years.
Shigure was silent for a long time. Then he smiled, a very light smile. "I understand."
The circle of light dimmed. Shigure's figure slowly faded, eventually disappearing. The cave returned to darkness, with only the light from the Mobile Phone's flashlight remaining.
Tu Bai stood there, still holding that genealogy book in his hands. Gojo Satoru walked over and put an arm around his shoulder. "Let's go."
Tu Bai nodded. The two of them walked out of the Cave, the Sunlight shone on their faces, making it a bit blinding.
Second Granduncle sat on a rock outside the cave entrance; seeing them come out, he stood up. "All done?"
"All right," Tu Bai said.
Second Granduncle nodded and did not ask anything more. The three of them slowly walked down the mountain.
---
After returning to Tokyo, Tu Bai called Itadori.
Is Sukuna there?