That Night: Part Three

After sending the three injured people to the hospital and contacting the Window to coordinate follow-up matters, Satoru Gojo resolutely embarked on his return journey to the Time Vessel Association.

Yet before Satoru Gojo even approached the location of the Time Vessel Association's building, he had already sensed the extraordinarily abnormal number of cursed spirits.

Nighttime was naturally an active period for cursed spirits, and seeing one or two of them was entirely normal; even if Grade 3 or Grade 2 cursed energy occasionally appeared, it was not an unprecedented situation.

Right now, however, Satoru Gojo could see well over a dozen cursed spirits with his naked eye, and judging by a rough estimate, not a single one of those cursed spirits was a low-level Grade 4 entity.

The quantity was abnormal and the quality quite astonishing, yet amongst those cursed spirits, Satoru Gojo saw a great many familiar faces.

Because the number of cursed spirits controlled by Suguru Geto's Cursed Spirit Manipulation was quite massive, in reality, only a select few were frequently brought out for daily use. Thus, even for Satoru Gojo, who had been a companion for over a year, it was impossible to know the status of every single one of his cursed spirits.

Did Satoru Gojo harbor some vague, ominous premonition in his heart?

Clearly, Suguru Geto was the sort of person who constantly had the protection of the weak on his lips; logically speaking, he should have been incapable of committing such an act as allowing cursed spirits to run amok at will.

Frowning, Satoru Gojo muttered to himself, "Could it be that something happened to Geto?"

Satoru Gojo was also worried that leaving these rampaging cursed spirits unchecked would lead to troublesome consequences for the surrounding area.

Thus, while hurrying along, he casually used Blue to completely wipe out those cursed spirits in one go.

Yet by the time he rushed to the scene, aside from catching sight of brand-new traces of combat as well as the fresh cursed residue of both Kenjaku and Suguru Geto, there was nothing left.

Upon the ground lay the blood left behind by Kenjaku faking an injury, alongside a large pool of blood left by Suguru Geto's severe wounding.

Staring blankly at that pool of blood that rightfully belonged to Suguru Geto, Satoru Gojo muttered in disbelief.

"Geto?"

Time resets to the daytime of the following day, before Tan Man headed to Tokyo Jujutsu High to report the results of the investigation conducted by him and the dispatched Zenin Clan personnel to Masamichi Yaga, and to formally meet his first-year companions.

Taking advantage of this window of time, Tan Man went to see a certain person-someone who played a crucial role in his upcoming plan, namely Mei Mei, with whom he had always maintained a certain transactional relationship.

Why it was called a transactional relationship rather than a companionship or cooperative partnership.

It was because Mei Mei was, after all, not someone trustworthy like Toji, so Tan Man would not easily expose his true motives to her.

After all, Mei Mei carried out jujutsu-related activities as an independent individual; in other words, she could trade with anyone. So long as the price offered was high enough, even Kenjaku or a curse user would presumably have the opportunity to trade with her.

The reason Tan Man sought out Mei Mei in the first place was simply to use her as an entry point to learn New Shadow Style: Simple Domain.

However, Tan Man did not cut straight to the point right from the start. Instead, through some initial, harmless commissions, he allowed Mei Mei to acquire rewards far more generous than the labor she put in, thereby enhancing the relationship between Mei Mei and Tan Man.

To put it more bluntly, Tan Man used money to cater to her preferences, steadily cultivating favorability with her so that the other party could reach a level where she could be trusted.

On the deserted second floor of a certain café, at a table near the window, Mei Mei stirred the spoon in her cup and smiled as she said to Tan Man.

"This outfit you're wearing actually suits you quite well, but I'm rather surprised by you joining Tokyo Jujutsu High. If you had told me in advance and given me a bit of a perk, joining Kyoto Jujutsu High would perhaps have gotten you treatment much better than this side in Tokyo, and I could have looked after you a bit more appropriately."

Mei Mei was, after all, a jujutsu sorcerer operating as an independent individual, so she was naturally quite sensitive to intelligence.

Mei Mei was also well aware that Tan Man's combat record, combined with their past few transactions, left her with a very profound impression of him.

In her eyes, Tan Man was indeed not the sort of immature jujutsu sorcerer who still needed to go to Jujutsu High for further study.

The strength he himself displayed was already that of a match for a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer-there was no doubt about that.

Having dealt with Mei Mei for so long, he naturally understood what she meant by looking after him more appropriately.

Tan Man simply tapped his phone, directly arranged a transfer of one million yen to Mei Mei, and then said calmly.

"A person always needs to keep learning when they're young, just like the reason I came to find you today."

While looking with satisfaction at the transfer notification sent by the bank on her phone, Mei Mei spoke up to ask them.

"Then what is the reason for finding me? It shouldn't be that you're lonely and want to pour your heart out to a senior, right? If the price is right, I can provide that kind of service."

They got straight to the point without beating around the bush.

"New Shadow Style: Simple Domain."

Mei Mei's gaze narrowed slightly; hearing this term made Tan Man's meaning fundamentally clear.

"If you're aiming to learn this, I might..."

Without waiting for Mei Mei to finish speaking, Tan Man casually arranged a transfer of ten million yen via his phone.

Glancing at the notification on her phone, Mei Mei paused slightly and instead said.

"Being from the Zenin Clan, you should know that New Shadow Style: Simple Domain has a binding vow against passing it on to outsiders. In that case..."

Tan Man once again silently pressed his phone, directing a transfer of twenty million yen.

Mei Mei suppressed the joy within her heart. She knew Tan Man's style very well; regardless of whether this transaction could be successfully negotiated in the end, Tan Man would never take this money back.

In other words, no matter the outcome, Mei Mei had already taken in a full thirty-one million yen today.

And that was under the minimal cost of simply sitting in a café and chatting for a few moments.

Pondering slightly, Mei Mei spoke.

"I should be able to help you think of a way..."

Raising her hand, Tan Man directed yet another transfer of fifty million yen, and said indifferently.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble Senior Mei Mei."

In truth, from Mei Mei's perspective, the most troublesome aspect of New Shadow Style: Simple Domain was merely that binding vow.

Its intrinsic value was not particularly high; if one were to fork over eighty million yen purely for the sake of learning it, that already far exceeded the value of the technique itself.

If eighty million yen were converted into the purchasing power on the jujutsu sorcerer side, one could basically pick and choose casually at the Grade 1 cursed tool tier without any issues.

Quickly counting the digits of the balance in her account with her eyes, Mei Mei asked casually.

"As for New Shadow Style: Simple Domain, apart from people without an innate technique who are keen on learning it, it's mostly used as a means to deal with domains. I'm quite curious what on earth has driven you to go to such lengths to learn the New Shadow Style, sparing no expense."

In response, Tan Man continued to transfer another fifty million, attaching a condition as he spoke.

"This sum is in the hope that you won't ask anything, nor disclose to anyone the fact that you traded with me-keep everything strictly confidential."

Unable to suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth anymore, Mei Mei looked affectionately at Tan Man and replied.

"Rest assured, my lips are very tightly sealed, you know~"