Was their little everyday interlude over?

Kazuo Yoshihara had no idea how he had survived the meal, which was neither breakfast nor lunch. When he went out to pay the bill, he felt as though he were dreaming.

After her little bout of madness, Shoko naturally felt much better. Once she had recovered a little cursed energy, she used Reverse Cursed Technique on herself to freshen up, and no longer looked drunk.

As for the Slit-Mouthed Woman and Shoichi Kano, one had deliberately kept herself pleasantly tipsy, while the other had long since gone to the restroom, stuck his fingers down his throat, and thrown everything up. Neither was particularly affected now.

The only one still affected was Suguru Geto. He was clearly sleeping like a log and had yet to wake up at all.

Shoko tried to move him out of his seat, only for Geto's muscle memory to kick in. He immediately raised a hand and began chanting, "C-Cursed Spirit Manipulation: Maximum Technique..."

Although Suguru Geto had only chanted the technique's name and had not yet reached the point of summoning his cursed energy, it still gave Shoko quite a fright. She was terrified that he might suddenly lose control and fire off a blast inside the room.

So they could only wait for Kazuo Yoshihara to return before dealing with him.

"H-Has Geto still not woken up?" Kazuo Yoshihara returned to the private room after paying, an awkward smile on his face.

"Nope." Kano shrugged. "Would you mind carrying him on your back? Sorry for the trouble."

"Sure." Kazuo Yoshihara did not dare refuse.

Shoichi Kano used his cursed technique to create a mass of spider silk, attaching it to several of Suguru Geto's joints. Like a puppeteer working a marionette, he manipulated Geto's body until he slowly sat up in the chair, then walked somewhat stiffly over to Kazuo Yoshihara.

Since Suguru Geto was unconscious, controlling him did not take much effort. It was simply Kano's first time trying this, so he was a little clumsy.

"You really are a spider..." Kazuo Yoshihara muttered.

His voice was so quiet, however, that almost no one heard him.

Soon, Suguru Geto was on his back. Shoichi Kano tossed him the keys to the Crown car as well-after all, he was the only one of the five who had not been drinking. Who else was going to drive?

"Are we heading straight back to the hotel to rest? Considering Geto's..." Kazuo Yoshihara asked tentatively.

"Mm..." Suguru Geto's eyelids fluttered a few times as he lay on the other man's back. He woke a little, though not completely. "Don't go back to the hotel... The room's too stuffy."

"Then where would you like to go, Geto?"

"Anywhere. Just let me get some air."

After wiping the grease from her lips, the Slit-Mouthed Woman put her mask back on. "Why don't we go out to the grasslands again? Find somewhere open and get some fresh air."

"No objections here." Shoichi Kano was naturally on her side.

Once Kazuo Yoshihara took the driver's seat in the Crown car, they headed toward the Baiyin Hada Grassland Scenic Area.

Suguru Geto had mostly woken up midway through the journey, though his head was still a little fuzzy. He turned to his right and glanced at the scenery racing past outside the window. All those tall buildings seemed to have doubled, making his eyes swim.

Sitting between him and the Slit-Mouthed Woman, Shoko reached over and rested her hand on his thigh, activating her Reverse Cursed Technique outward.

Suguru Geto felt a refreshing chill rush straight down from the crown of his head. It instantly canceled out his drunken dizziness, making him feel as though he had recovered in an instant.

"Are you using that power again?" The Slit-Mouthed Woman was very sensitive to the aura of an outwardly applied Reverse Cursed Technique. As a cursed spirit, she naturally felt a visceral aversion to this product of positive energy.

"Sorry, sorry."

Meanwhile, Shoichi Kano had already rolled down the passenger-side window and stuck his entire arm outside, letting the wind whipped up by the moving car wash over it.

"Please bring your arm back inside," Kazuo Yoshihara said as he deftly drove the car that did not belong to him. "That's a little dangerous."

"It's fine."

The car turned onto National Highway 301. After traveling several dozen kilometers along the narrow highway, with one lane in each direction, it finally turned through the grand gateway at the scenic area's entrance.

"Please wait a moment." As soon as Kazuo Yoshihara parked, he prepared to get out and head to the ticket office. "I'll go buy your admission tickets."

"You should come along too," Shoko suddenly said.

The Baiyin Hada Grassland Scenic Area was actually somewhat similar to the Morigler River Scenic Area they had visited before, except there were no sightseeing shuttles here, so visitors had to walk. The focus here was also the grassland scenery: sweeping expanses of lush green grass, with no winding river to admire.

For anyone interested in studying Mongolian culture, there was also a modern replica of the Khan Palace, offering a glimpse of life during the Mongol-Yuan Era.

As for experiencing local folk culture, the options amounted to wrestling, horseback riding, archery, and crossing the grasslands in off-road vehicles or on motorcycles. Most grassland scenic areas around here offered the same diversions.

The Slit-Mouthed Woman had chosen not to wear a hat today, letting her long hair fall loose, though she still covered the lower half of her face with a mask.

She wore a white sleeveless turtleneck, leaving her smooth, pale arms bare to bask in the sunlight. Below it was a light, airy sky-blue chiffon miniskirt, while her delicate feet, with their sharp black toenails, rested in white single-strap heeled sandals. Her relatively close-fitting clothes outlined her full, slightly soft curves, giving her an air of sensuality without vulgarity.

The crisp clicks of her heels against the walkway became a signal that drew people's attention. Almost every step attracted another glance.

Even Shoko Ieiri could not stop staring. After briefly comparing her own figure with the other woman's, she sighed helplessly. "So this is the charm of a mature woman?"

She had never imagined that one day she would sink to comparing herself with a cursed spirit.

The four members of Kano's and Geto's groups strolled leisurely along the scenic area's sightseeing walkway. Shoko Ieiri grinned as she looked around, while Suguru Geto kept his hands in his pockets, his face expressionless and his demeanor solemn.

Shoichi Kano and the Slit-Mouthed Woman were there purely to relax; the smile never even left Kano's face. The Slit-Mouthed Woman had naturally linked her arm through his. Although she tried her best to project the unshakable composure of a mature adult who never let her feelings show, her wandering gaze plainly betrayed what she really felt.

As an imaginary cursed spirit born in Japan, this was her first time visiting somewhere thousands of kilometers from her birthplace. Everything here was new to her.

Viewed that way, the decades she had spent following her instincts, wandering around, hunting humans and jujutsu sorcerers, and absorbing negative emotions seemed to have been entirely wasted. Her life had possessed length, but no depth at all.

"Can we climb down here?" Shoko's eyes lit up. She seemed to have spotted a damaged section of the walkway's railing.

Suguru Geto was just about to call out to stop her, but she had already stepped onto the railing and lightly vaulted over it, landing on the grass beyond the barrier.

Suguru Geto shook his head with a smile and a sigh, then followed her.

For some reason, he put his hands behind his head and simply lay back on the grass, gazing up at the blue sky and white clouds.

Shoko plopped down on the ground and began examining the tender green blades of grass.

"Isn't climbing over the railing forbidden here?" Kano leaned against the railing, looking down at the Jujutsu High pair.

The Slit-Mouthed Woman gazed thoughtfully at the distant horizon, her lips pressing together slightly beneath her mask. One hand rested naturally on Kano's shoulder.

"You..." Mr. Yoshihara, who had been left behind, came running over, out of breath. "How did you get so far ahead?"

"Bleh!" Shoko Ieiri pulled a face at him.

Time itself seemed to slow. Against the blue sky, white clouds, and lush green grass, even the oppressive summer seemed less oppressive, leaving a long, cool aftertaste like a mint.

But of course, that could not last.

Because the phone in Shoichi Kano's pocket rang.

"Mr. Bai Ning's son, Bai Guangzhi, is back." Kano took out his phone and saw that the call was from Mr. Zhao Qingshan. "I've arranged a time with the father and son. If you're free, you can come meet them at that little shop tonight."