Upon hearing the invitation, Kamo Chitsubaki nodded slightly in agreement.
She had already planned to go back to school. The mission in Southeast Asia was urgent, and before leaving, she wanted to go to the infirmary to have a full check-up with Shoko and say goodbye; it was part of her itinerary.
The two walked side by side through the woods surrounding the Jujutsu High.
As a ripple spread out like water, they crossed the barrier set up by Tengen and stepped into the campus.
The chirping of cicadas along the way seemed to be shut out, and the air was filled with a unique coolness belonging to the deep mountains.
The office door on the first floor of the teaching building was half-open.
Lu Ping pushed open the door and entered, immediately greeted by the burnt smell of hot glue.
Behind the desk, Masamichi Yaga, wearing black sunglasses and a loose sports vest, was looking down, repeatedly poking a rabbit wool felt with a thin needle in his hand.
Those rough, calloused hands, used to punch all the time, were now moving with surprising finesse.
"Good morning, teacher," Lu Ping greeted.
Yaga didn't stop what he was doing. He looked up, glanced at the black-haired boy through his sunglasses, and suddenly asked a question.
"When you were in Snakebone Village, did you consider the possibility that you couldn't save them?"
This is a somewhat pointed assumption.
Lu Ping pulled out a chair and sat down.
"I've thought about it," he said calmly.
"But the situation at the time allowed me to try."
"If things don't go well, my priority will be my own survival," the boy added. "At worst, I'll go back and write a longer report on the mission failure."
In this industry where you risk your life to survive, prioritizing your own well-being is the most sensible approach.
The Yaga did not comment on whether this practice was right or wrong.
He simply nodded slightly, his long needles continuing to weave across the wool felt.
Lu Ping's gaze swept across the room, noticing several unfinished felt dolls on the windowsill.
One of the larger plush bears caught his attention.
Unlike the other inanimate objects around it, it had a tiny Cursed Energy Core embedded in the center of its head.
More importantly, the Three Corpses lurking within Lu Ping's body provided feedback.
From within that core, a faint "breathing sensation" emanated.
It wasn't just a simple fluctuation of Cursed Energy, but rather a rhythm similar to that of a living organism maintaining itself.
This is the righteous [Puppet Manipulation Technique] of the Masamichi Yaga.
It looks like some kind of research is underway.
"That one seems a little different," Lu Ping remarked casually.
The Yaga paused, its attitude shifting from relaxed to slightly more formal.
"It's just an unfinished teaching sample, don't worry about it."
Lu Ping wisely refrained from pressing the matter.
The Three Great Families each have their own trump cards, and the Jujutsu High naturally has its own secret research as well.
"Where's the Shoko?" He changed the subject, looking around but not seeing the figure in the white coat.
"I went to the convenience store outside the school to buy something," Yaga replied. "You should run into her when you go out later."
After saying that, he opened the drawer, took out a certificate stamped with the official seal of the Jujutsu Headquarters, and handed it over.
"Your Semi-Grade 1 Sorcerer certificate. The process was very quick."
Lu Ping took the booklet that represented his status and flipped through it.
"Also, we just received a report from the auxiliary surveillance team regarding the residential area near Hoshimi Shrine." Yaga sat down again, crossing her hands to support her chin. "We observed a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit appearing alone nearby."
"The objective is clear, making it a suitable assessment task for your promotion."
Masamichi Yaga for a moment, then added, "Of course, there's no mandatory requirement. You can wait until your seven-day leave is over before taking on a mission, depending on your physical condition."
Lu Ping looked towards the windowsill.
The timing of this was rather coincidental; I had just received my Semi-Grade 1 certificate when Grade 1 Cursed Spirit of suitable difficulty spawned nearby.
However, considering the recent surge of resentment in society and the significant increase in the frequency of Cursed Spirit being born, this coincidence is within the realm of possibility.
He nodded and put the documents into his pocket.
At that moment, Kamo Chitsubaki walked in from outside the corridor and greeted Yaga.
As for this student who came from one of the Three Great Families and whose strength had already reached the level of a first-class elite, Masamichi Yaga didn't have much to teach him, and simply told him to be careful.
The two left the office and had just stepped onto the outdoor corridor.
Then, the gymnasium doors were pushed open, and two figures in Jujutsu High uniforms walked out together.
They were two freshmen from the first year of Jujutsu High.
The calm and efficient Kento Nanami, and the ever-energetic Yu Haibara.
Unlike the formidable duo of Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto, Lu Ping's relationship with these two junior students was much more approachable. As ordinary people, their interactions were much more harmonious.
"Good morning, Senior Lu Ping! Senior Qian Chun!"
Yu Haibara waved from afar, jogging over with a bright smile on his face.
He spoke first, his tone full of admiration.
"It's been a while since we last met. I didn't expect you to have advanced to the Semi-Grade 1 so quickly."
"That's amazing! I wonder when Nanami and I will be able to advance."
Half a step behind, Kento Nanami adjusted his goggles and calmly nodded in acknowledgment.
"When the time comes, it will naturally upgrade." He said in a low voice, "It's a good thing that there are more top-tier combatants in the Jujutsu High training programs; it will improve the efficiency of exorcising Cursed Spirit."
Qian Chun wasn't very familiar with the two first-year students, so she simply maintained a polite smile and waved in response.
Lu Ping quietly observed the two people in front of him.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, these two commoner sorcerers without any special backgrounds will become the backbone of the Jujutsu High in the future.
Nanami's composure and sense of responsibility are beyond question, and the Jujutsu High should vigorously cultivate them.
As for Yu Haibara, he has both good strength and talent.
But that kind of benevolent and overly optimistic personality is a death warrant in this cannibalistic world of Jujutsu.
Personality is extremely difficult to change in a short period of time.
This naiveté can only be transformed by him in the face of reality.
Although Satoru Gojo appears boisterous on the surface, he possesses a unique arrogance characteristic of the strong; rather than being optimistic, he is more like a mischievous child.
Thinking of this, Lu Ping's expression turned serious.
"You two, listen up."
"I recently obtained some closely guarded information from within the Three Great Families."
"If the Jujutsu Headquarters assigns you a mission involving the removal of the Cursed Spirit of a 'local deity' or 'land god,' absolutely do not accept it."
These words immediately made the atmosphere more tense.
"If you absolutely must go, notify me immediately, or find another Grade 1 Sorcerer." Lu Ping's voice echoed in the corridor. "If you really can't find anyone, just leave them be. Understand?"
"Jujutsu Sorcerer's energy is limited."
"You don't need to be heroes who save the world; just do your best within your capabilities."
"Trying to be good at everything will only lead to failure in some unknown corner."
The two first-graders looked at each other in bewilderment.
They didn't know why this usually mild-mannered senior was suddenly so stern, but their intuition told them that there must be a very important reason for him to do so.
"Understood, senior." Nanami nodded in agreement first.
Although Yu Haibara seemed to understand but not quite, he quickly suppressed his smile and nodded vigorously.
After giving his instructions, Lu Ping turned around and continued walking with Qian Chun toward the torii gate on the outskirts of the Jujutsu High.
The girl lagged half a step behind him, walking beside him with a hint of teasing in her voice.
"I didn't realize you cared so much about the younger generation."
"I'm curious, what kind of closely guarded information are you talking about?"
Lu Ping did not turn around.
He heard voices coming from the connecting corridor behind him, and Yu Haibara was excitedly patting Nanami on the shoulder.
"What a cool senior! He doesn't talk much, but he's incredibly reliable!"
Kento Nanami wiped the sweat from his brow, said nothing, and silently watched the two figures disappear into the distance.
The mountain breeze in the early morning rustled through the leaves along the way.
Lu Ping slowed his pace and glanced at the girl beside him.
"There was a reason I reminded them like that."
He turned his gaze away, looking at the steps leading down the mountain ahead, his tone calm.
"So-called intelligence may not be true."
"But character determines destiny, that's absolutely true."
He turned his head and looked into Qian Chun's eyes.
"As an elite who came from Three Great Families, you should understand what I mean."
L
"That junior Haibara has such a low sensitivity to danger."
"This isn't courage; it's a lack of understanding of death and an inability to comprehend the weight of life."
Lu Ping stepped down the steps and into the world outside the barrier.
"His understanding of the world is overly optimistic."
The image of his body being cut in half at the waist, leaving only two pieces, involuntarily flashed through his mind.
"And this cruel world often punishes optimists first."