Despite Kamo Chitsubaki's unabashedly intimate gestures and solemn expression, Lu Ping showed no sign of panic.
"The [Blood-Eyed Curse] has not been completely eradicated; like weeds that cannot be burned out, it grows back with the spring breeze."
He withdrew his right hand and calmly explained the strange change that had just occurred within his body.
In reality, that strange, Cursed Residue Cursed Energy was lurking deep within the body in a "regenerative" form, and even the Three Corpses could not completely eliminate it.
Just now, it was forcibly awakened for a moment by a massive wave of malice coming from afar.
He turned his head and looked at Ieiri Shoko sitting next to him.
"Next time you see Suguru Geto, be sure to remind him to get a full checkup. The curse left behind by this Special Grade Cursed Spirit has a very unusual mechanism."
Shoko, with a cigarette butt between her teeth, nodded slightly.
She stood up and naturally took Lu Ping's right hand.
A soft white light emanated from his palm, and the unique vitality of the [Reverse Cursed Technique] flowed into his fingertips, instantly healing the tiny wound that had pierced his skin.
After doing all this, Shoko frowned slightly.
Considering the details of strange phone calls received by myself and Lu Ping at the Zenin Clan during the attack on Kyoto Jujutsu High, a question arises:
Why is the curse still working even when there's no incoming call?
The three of them stood in the narrow alley and quickly pieced together a chilling conclusion.
Suguru Geto did indeed subdue the physical form of that Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
But before this monster was mastered by [Cursed Spirit Manipulation], it likely had already transformed its own Cursed Technique into a kind of "
Meme.
This meme, through modern communication networks, via telephone lines, cell towers, and mobile phone base stations, silently sows the seeds of a curse within a specific area.
These latent fragments of curse do not possess self-awareness.
However, once they receive a "resonance command" from a specific signal source, they will collectively activate within the host, thereby drawing flesh and blood and Cursed Energy from within to grow and damage the target's physiological functions.
The "malice from afar" that Lu Ping just sensed was most likely the signal source hidden behind the scenes, conducting a large-scale activation test.
"Tsk, things are getting tricky. I have to catch a flight later."
A wisp of extremely fine blood swirled around Qian Chun's fingertips as she used the [Blood Manipulation] to deeply analyze the blood sample that had just been swallowed.
As a highly experienced Grade 1 Sorcerer, she took out her phone and brought it close to the drop of blood on her tongue, discovering that the signal did indeed fluctuate for a moment!
After several attempts, Qian Chun concluded. "This thing not only contains Cursed Energy, but also contains a weak electromagnetic wave frequency. It is an anomaly that exists as a dual carrier of Cursed Energy and electromagnetic waves."
Upon hearing this analysis, Shoko demonstrated her professional competence as a logistics physician.
"Since it relies on electromagnetic waves for propagation, the enemy's main base or signal amplifier is most likely hidden in the area with the highest density of electronic devices."
She flicked her cigarette ash. "Let's go straight to Akihabara. That's the area with the most cell towers and the most complex electromagnetic environment in all of Tokyo."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Ping received a vague response in his mind.
That was the direction indicated by the [Shadow Wolf] lurking in the distance, transmitted through bloodline Resonance.
The direction they were tracking closely overlapped with Akihabara, which was mentioned by Shoko.
The three exchanged a glance and quickly reached a consensus.
The plan to go shopping and buy a mobile phone will proceed as scheduled, and at the same time, I will also take the opportunity to conduct on-site reconnaissance in the area.
After all, clues are scarce at the moment. There has been no observation of the physical form of the newly born Cursed Spirit, nor any reports of large-scale civilian casualties. Everything is still in the deductive stage.
Reporting this to the Jujutsu Headquarters rashly will only alert the enemy.
Noon, Akihabara Electric Town.
The tram doors slid open to both sides, and Lu Ping and his two companions surged out of the platform with the massive flow of people.
The hustle and bustle here contrasts sharply with the tranquility of the Jujutsu High village.
The midday sun relentlessly baked the asphalt road, and even the air seemed to shimmer with slightly distorted light and shadow.
The surrounding breeze carried a mixture of the sweet, creamy smell of crepes from street vendors and the distinctive, pungent smell of heated plastic from the electronics market.
Walking through the crowd, Lu Ping was flanked by two beautiful women with contrasting personalities, occasionally attracting curious glances from passersby.
But on this street dominated by anime culture, salespeople dressed in maid outfits and giant anime posters are clearly more...
Attractiveness.
Not many people really paid attention to these three young men in uniforms.
Lu Ping's complexion remained normal, and his steps were steady.
But in his perceived world, the situation is far from optimistic.
The population density in Akihabara is simply too high.
The irritability caused by crowds, the anxiety of those rushing to their destinations, the resentment of those who can't get what they want—these are just some of the small, positive or negative emotions emanating from countless ordinary people, weaving together into a noisy, giant web in the air.
These subtle noises severely hampered the accuracy of the Three Corpses' detection, significantly reducing the range of his Cursed Energy perception.
On both sides of the main road, rows of electronics shops extend outwards.
A giant LED screen hangs on the exterior wall of the building, playing brightly colored anime characters and digital product promotional videos on a loop, while high-decibel electronic audio tracks echo between the buildings.
As I passed a pink-decorated maid café on the street corner, several staff members dressed in elaborate maid outfits were handing out flyers under a parasol.
Lu Ping glanced at the glass shop windows facing the street out of the corner of his eye and was involuntarily drawn to them.
By the window, a waitress with long black hair was carefully wiping a ceramic coffee cup in her hand.
The other person was dressed in a standard black and white maid outfit, with her long legs encased in black over-the-knee stockings, and the skirt was extremely short, just revealing a section of fair skin known as the "absolute territory".
Before Lu Ping could delve into the abrupt and incongruous feeling, he felt a pulling force on his right arm.
Qian Chun grabbed his sleeve and walked straight toward a large electronics store not far away.
"Let's take care of the important matters first," the girl reminded him.
There were many foreign tourists around taking photos and checking in with their phones, showcasing the unique hustle and bustle of a modern city.
The three of them entered the electronics store and headed towards a mobile phone specialty store with an old-fashioned exterior.
The surroundings were filled with the noise of daily life, but through the filtering of the Three Corpses within his body, Lu Ping could faintly smell a very faint odor floating in the air.
It was a smell similar to burnt food—this peculiar "Cursed Residue" only remains after Cursed Energy has been in prolonged contact with modern electronic devices and a repulsive reaction occurs.
Pushing open the glass door, the three entered the well-ventilated mobile phone store.
Lu Ping and Shoko stood in front of the counter selecting models, while Qian Chun wandered off to the adjacent accessories section to browse.
Not long after, she beckoned the two of them over and recommended a Fujitsu brand mobile phone.
After considering both standby time and drop resistance, Lu Ping decisively chose a black flip phone from the Fujitsu brand.
It happened during the break when the sales clerk was writing out the receipt.
The entire row of TV screens hanging in mid-air inside the store suddenly flashed simultaneously.
The screen went black instantly, the image distorted into a jumble of static, accompanied by a piercing static microphone noise.
A few seconds later, everything returned to normal.
The surrounding customers assumed it was just ordinary signal interference and didn't even look up.
Lu Ping, however, keenly sensed something amiss.
In the instant the image flickered, a slight, needle-like stinging pain returned to the depths of the newly healed wound on his right palm.
He could sense that it was getting closer to that nauseatingly malicious fluctuation from last time.
Meanwhile, on the ceiling in a corner of the store, an old surveillance camera that had been covered in dust for years quietly rotated half a circle.
The camera, equipped with an infrared fill light, was silently aimed at the three people standing in front of the cashier.
Lu Ping looked down and fiddled with the brand-new flip phone in his hand.
Qian Chun leaned over and complained about how bulky the device felt, like a brick.
Shoko leaned against the support column, idly browsing the Jujutsu High's internal forum.
The three of them stood in line, casually discussing where to have lunch.
Qian Chun enthusiastically suggested that they go check out the most famous "Omelette Rice Maid Cafe" in Akihabara.
Just as Lu Ping handed the banknotes to the cashier to complete the payment, Shoko's cell phone suddenly rang in her pocket.
She pressed the answer button.
After hearing just two sentences, the Shoko's face froze instantly, replaced by the cold, hard expression of a medical worker facing a life-saving emergency.
"Okay, I'll be right back."
Shoko hung up the phone and hurriedly explained the situation to the two of them.
"The Jujutsu High just sent an urgent notification. A Cursed Spirit attacked a transport ship near Tokyo Bay. Several assistant supervisors responsible for sealing off the scene are trapped and seriously injured. Professor Yaga has me return to the infirmary immediately to prepare for surgery."
The incident happened suddenly, and lives were at stake.
Qian Chun frowned and glanced at her wristwatch.
"I have an hour and a half left on my afternoon international flight." She weighed the time. "I'm worried about letting Shoko go back alone. I'll accompany you back to the Jujutsu High first, and then go directly from the school to the airport. We can have dinner another time."
After finalizing the itinerary, the two turned to their companion, who was still checking his phone battery, and asked for his opinion.
Lu Ping closed the flip cover with a crisp "snap".
He didn't say anything to stop him, he just nodded slightly.
"Be careful on your journey. Send a text to let me know you've arrived safely at the Jujutsu High." He put his new phone in his pocket. "You guys go back first. I need to stay here and take care of some things at the nearby Hoshimi Shrine."
The moment the words left his mouth.
The Three Corpses within the body once again detected a fleeting fluctuation.
That didn't stem from Shoko's anxiety, nor from Qian Chun's worry.
It was a gaze coming from outside the mall, from a more hidden corner.
Someone was watching them, and they possessed extraordinary Cursed Energy; they were likely Jujutsu Sorcerer.
Lu Ping subconsciously turned his head to the side, as sunlight streamed through the mall's huge floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Across the street, a man wearing a black baseball cap was leaning against a telephone pole.
He had his hands in his pockets, looked down at his toes, and his posture was so well disguised that he looked like an ordinary tourist waiting for someone.
But the brim of that hat was pulled down way too low.
Lu Ping slightly activated his Cursed Energy to perceive the situation and easily saw through the other party's true nature.
A level Grade 3 Sorcerer who barely reaches Grade 2 has such crude manipulation of Cursed Energy that it resembles a minor's scribbles.
Strangely, the Cursed Energy emanating from this man carried a familiar scent.
It's definitely related to one of the Curse User he'd fought before.
Lu Ping didn't alert the enemy. Instead, after leaving the electronics store, he quietly stepped on the other person's shadow as he passed by, secretly engraving the Cursed Energy mark inside the shadow.
Ten minutes later.
The three of them quickly walked out of the electronics store and arrived at the entrance of the elevated tram station.
Lu Ping watched as Shoko and Qian Chun swiped their cards to enter the station.
Qian Chun stood at the top escalator and waved back, her high ponytail drawing a clean arc in the air.
Shoko blinked her slightly tired eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips, and waved goodbye.
Lu Ping stood outside the turnstile, watching the two figures gradually disappear into the dense crowd of commuters.
He turned around, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the wolf head curse mark on the back of his right hand.
The scattered Shadow Wolf continued their frantic pursuit of the Cursed Residue, and the connection signals they sent back were very stable, indicating that they were getting closer and closer to the source of the malevolent curse, which was located on the outskirts of Akihabara.
The [Ever-Coiling Shadow Serpent] lurking deep in the shadows beneath his feet remained asleep, its awakening unknown.
Although it could be forcibly awakened, that would undoubtedly interrupt its evolutionary process, and it was unknown what kind of mutation would occur after the interruption. Intuition told him that the best course of action was to leave it alone for the time being.
Lu Ping quickly assessed the combat strength in his mind.
Currently available trump cards: [Piercing Ox Horn Bow] can provide absolute firepower suppression at mid-to-long range; the newly acquired [Snow Velvet Rabbit Escape] is enough to support high-speed mobility and evasion for a short period of time; the last trump card is [Feather of the Rabbit Escape] for large-scale lightning clearing.
In addition, his hand-to-hand combat skills, honed through repeated real-world battles, have firmly reached the first-level threshold.
And even with the double weight he normally Binding Vow, he can still unleash three full-force punches in battle, enough to engage in a direct fistfight with a level -Grade 1 Sorcerer in a short period of time.
On the defensive end, there is the [Hollow Wicker Basket] which has been initially mastered to counter the domain, and the [Falling Blossom Emotion] which has a rudimentary understanding as a backup buffer.
"Not weak, but not absolutely safe either."
Lu Ping made an objective and calm assessment in his mind.
My current setup is versatile, allowing me to both attack and defend. As long as I don't recklessly confront Special Grade or get surrounded by multiple level-one opponents, I can easily survive.
He didn't want to miss this opportunity to follow the clues and solve the source of the curse.
Even if his opponent this time is Grade 1 Curse User he has dealt with before, with his current stats and skills, he is confident that he can kill him head-on.
Moreover, the close-quarters combat supported by the Trisolarans' Cursed Energy is the nemesis of all fancy Cursed Technique.
After finalizing the plan, Lu Ping left the bustling station square and walked alone into the depths of the electronics street.
The time came to half past twelve noon.
The surrounding population density reached its peak for the day.
Commuters in short-sleeved shirts mingled with tourists holding maps, making the narrow streets almost completely congested.
Just as we were about to cross the next intersection, something unusual happened.
The zebra crossing leading to the main road ahead was forcibly blocked by a group of "construction workers" wearing reflective vests using yellow and black warning tape.
Several loudspeakers placed in the middle of the road were broadcasting a message on a loop. "Gas leak in underground pipeline, road temporarily closed."
The crowd, whose path was blocked, erupted in complaints, and then, like a diverted tide, were forced to surge into the narrower, darker side streets on either side.
Lu Ping stopped in his tracks.
In his Three Corpses vision, this was not a gas repair at all.
A faint, ethereal fluctuation rippled through the air.
That was not the dark-colored curtain commonly used in Jujutsu High, but a giant net woven from countless semi-transparent, extremely thin Cursed Energy.
This colorless spider web, bounded by several blocks in the center of Akihabara, is slowly shrinking like a fishing net being pulled in.
He had seen these silver threads up close not long ago.
At the same time.
The top floor of an office building three blocks away from Lu Ping.
Three figures stood against the wind.
The Cursed Energy emanating from them was released without any concealment, and each of them was no weaker than the first level under the official evaluation.
"What an eyesore of a brat."
Mitarai Shizuru, codenamed [Binding Spirit Adept], snorted coldly. His black robe, modified from a monk's robe, rustled in the wind as he irritably rubbed the iron glove on his left hand, which was engraved with intricate runes.
As he moved, hundreds of invisible threads of Cursed Energy danced in the air like serpents.
This is the source of the spider web that covers half of Akihabara.
"Back in the sewers, this kid stumbled upon my secret research institute, a collaboration between me and the Pan Star Religious Group." A hint of resentment flashed in Mitarai Shizuru's eyes. "If it weren't for that hateful woman from the Kamo Clan interfering halfway, I could have strangled him with my silk threads back then. Moreover, my Cursed Technique have a natural restraining effect on summoned Shikigami, enough to keep the two Shikigami he can rely on firmly trapped in place."
Standing to the side, [Shikigami User] Miwa Seigen pushed up his newly bought glasses and calmly interrupted his companion's complaint.
"The informant within the upper echelons provided extremely accurate intelligence."
He looked down at the swarming crowd below, which resembled ants, and explained, "This kid is completely alone today, so I'll take this opportunity to get revenge for the loss he suffered at the Hoshimi Shrine. The strongest, Satoru Gojo, is overseas, Suguru Geto is tied up with a field mission, and even that troublesome Kamo Chitsubaki happened to be at the airport because of family matters."
"It's truly fate." A cold smile curled at the corner of Miwa Seigen's lips. "This is our best chance yet."
"That freak, Satoru Gojo, has grown into an untouchable taboo. We can only tuck our tails between our legs and avoid him now."
But this newly emerged Ten Shadows Sorcerer from the Zenin Clan, I heard, actually forced the first-level heir of the Meifu Clan to retreat at yesterday's banquet."
"What's worse, that old bastard from the Zenin Clan has officially designated him as his successor."
Miwa Seigen tightened his grip slightly as he adjusted his glasses. "If we let him grow unchecked, in a few years, the Jujutsu World will have a second Six Eyes level threat. At that point, we Curse User will truly have nowhere to breathe on this land."
Behind the two, a man shrouded in a large black robe let out a low laugh.
"There's no need to kill him." The black-robed man's hoarse voice echoed across the rooftop. "As long as we destroy his Cursed Technique circuits, or precisely sever his spinal nerves, causing irreversible organic damage to his heart and brain, we can completely cripple him."
Upon hearing such a timid and hesitant statement, the proud and arrogant Mitarai Shizuru around and mocked him mercilessly.
"Did the seawater damage your brain when you entered Japan?"
He brandished his gloves, covered in barbs. "You're hesitant to kill even a mere near -Semi-Grade 1 brat. Even if the Zenin Clan wants revenge later, we can just finish this job, move on to another country, and continue our carefree lives. Do you think they can extend their reach all the way to South America?"
The man in black robes laughed instead of getting angry at the mockery.
"Have you two been cooperating with the Pan Star Religious Group for so long that you've donated your brains along with it?"
He pulled back his hood, revealing a withered, lifeless face. "Don't you know what the ultimate secret of the [Ten Shadows Technique] is?"
Upon hearing this, the wind on the rooftop seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Once that otherworldly Shikigami named Mahoraga is summoned, everyone present, including this entire block, will be indiscriminately crushed into mincemeat."
The man in black robes stared coldly at his two accomplices.
"Be careful not to push that brat too far and let him drag us all down with him. Put away your ridiculous arrogance, lure him into the trap step by step, and proceed strictly according to the pre-arranged plan!"
Upon hearing this warning, the two lawless Grade 1 Curse User unusually fell silent and did not continue to argue.
No one can guarantee that a Ten Shadows Sorcerer driven to the brink of death will not, before dying, establish a fatal Binding Vow of mutual destruction, forcibly pulling out that legendary god general who can adapt to all things.
Moreover, they have laid a perfect series of traps for today.
This plan was orchestrated by this mysterious man in black robes.
Only by completely eliminating this hidden danger can they continue to reap profits safely in the dark.
Let's turn our attention back to the electronics street.
Inside the exquisitely decorated maid café, the air conditioning blew through the pink gauze curtains.
The black-haired maid who had been standing by the window was now carrying a steaming bowl of omelet rice, walking gracefully across the aisle between the tables.
She gently placed the plates in front of the guests, and even drew a cute smiley face on the golden egg crepe with ketchup.
He turned and took two steps away.
She walked to the corner next to the cashier and leaned against the wall covered with anime posters.
The maid bent down slightly, and with her other hand, she naturally lifted the edge of her black over-the-knee stockings, which had slipped down a little.
Her profile was turned towards the depths of Akihabara.
Those once gentle eyes now held a surge of ancient and profound undercurrents.
She seemed to clearly sense the gathering Cursed Energy fluctuations, even through layers of buildings.
As she bent over and turned to the side, the bangs that had been falling across her forehead were slightly lifted by the air conditioning blast.
On that young and beautiful body, a hideous suture line, resembling a centipede, ran across the entire forehead and was faintly visible.
This scar is completely invisible to ordinary people; only under the pure vision of Cursed Energy will its chilling true appearance be revealed.
Sensing the gradually warming Cursed Energy fluctuations in the distance, the maid's lips curled up slightly, and she murmured softly in a voice only she could hear.
Things are getting interesting.
So... what would you do if you were faced with a dead end?