"Why me?"
Faced with Shinji Zenin's invitation, Jianxia neither accepted nor immediately refused. Instead, he asked a question first.
Shinji had been very courteous, offering to place the head of his envisioned "Auspicious" on equal footing with the clan head, rather than in a subordinate position.
In the original story, the Zenin Clan's "Auspicious" a thousand years later was an elite unit composed of Semi-Grade 1 sorcerers or above, with only four core members in total.
Although that testosterone-fueled woman had blown through every last one of them like speed bumps, there was no denying that "Auspicious," working together, was a fighting force that could not be ignored.
Even so, its leader at the time, Naoya Zenin, was still clan head Naobito Zenin's most dutiful son.
It was fair to say that although "Auspicious" enjoyed an exceptional position within the Zenin Clan in the original story, its leader's status was nowhere near equal to the clan head's.
But the "Auspicious" Shinji envisioned was different.
Rather than a unit directly under the Zenin Clan's command, this "Auspicious" would be a combat organization partnered with the clan.
In the Heian Era a thousand years ago, when hierarchy and status were everything, Shinji's willingness to share power and responsibility with Jianxia, whom he had known for less than a week, was itself an enormous gesture of respect and goodwill.
Shinji seemed to have anticipated Jianxia's question, but like him, he did not give a direct answer.
"Perhaps you see my behavior as that of a drowning man, Jianxia."
"When his life is threatened, he desperately grabs anything around him. A plank, a straw, even another person..."
Shinji Zenin looked across the table. Jianxia sat cross-legged, his face expressionless, seemingly reserving judgment until Shinji had finished.
"Although we haven't known each other long, whether it was the restraint you showed when sparring with Megumi, the seriousness with which you learned 'Hollow Wicker Basket' from me, or your bringing Uraume back today-all of it told me one thing."
There was a gravity and earnestness in Shinji's eyes that Jianxia had never seen before, as though he were trying to lay his very soul bare before him.
"Jianxia, you have a 'heart,' and you understand 'love.'"
"A heart...? Love...?"
Listening nearby, Megumi Zenin tilted her head and repeated her father's words, unable to work out the connection between the two.
"But Father, doesn't everyone have a heart? Love is one of the seven emotions and six desires. Everyone should have it, shouldn't they?"
Shinji's gaze softened with affection. He turned and rubbed Megumi Zenin's head as though humoring a fool.
"Megumi, what I mean is that despite being strong, Jianxia still retains the kind heart of an ordinary person."
With that, Shinji's tone turned cold again.
"Those who are not Zenin are not sorcerers. Those who are not sorcerers are not human... That is the creed my elder brother and second uncle hold."
"The reason I don't want to lose is that I don't want the Zenin Clan to live by that creed in the future. And I know I cannot prevent that on my own."
Shinji rose and slowly walked over to Jianxia's side.
Then, under Megumi Zenin's astonished gaze, he dropped to his knees with a thud.
"That is why I wish to borrow your strength, Jianxia, to stop the Zenin Clan from becoming a monster. This is not about my personal gains or losses."
Prostrating himself in dogeza, Shinji spoke sincerely, every word carrying the weight of his entire life.
"This is my request as a human being and as a jujutsu sorcerer. Please."
"Father..."
Megumi Zenin had never seen her father like this. In her eyes, although he could be frivolous at times, he had always been the Zenin Clan's dependable head.
Yet now, her father had cast aside all the dignity of his position to ask Senior Jianxia, simply as himself, to become the head of "Auspicious."
Although she deeply respected Senior Jianxia too, Megumi Zenin would never have believed her father would kneel and beg someone else had she not witnessed it herself.
"Shinji, get up."
Jianxia reached out to support Shinji Zenin, who remained prostrate, and their eyes met.
"I agree. I'll lead 'Auspicious' and fend off attacks from those two Zenin in Heian-kyo."
There was no need for many words. Jianxia already understood Shinji's feelings completely.
"And I hereby make a binding vow."
What Jianxia said next caught all three of the others, Shinji included, by surprise.
"As long as I, Jianxia, still live, I will do everything in my power to protect the Zenin Clan. But if Shinji Zenin or anyone else turns the clan into a monster..."
"Even if I must reincarnate countless times, even if my soul dissipates completely, even if I am forever reduced to dust..."
"I will crawl out of hell and kill that monster with my own hands."
The binding vow took hold. Jianxia helped Shinji Zenin up from the floor, then casually swept back his hair.
"Putting my life on the line for a worthy man. Not bad, right?"
"...I, Shinji Zenin, am eternally grateful."
After discussing plans for developing "Auspicious" and various miscellaneous matters, Jianxia left the lounge with Uraume and Megumi Zenin.
Although making that grand speech had felt great, Jianxia had not forgotten that there was real work to do.
To protect the Zenin Clan-in other words, to strengthen "Auspicious"-Jianxia settled on two parallel approaches.
First, he would seek out promising novice jujutsu sorcerers to recruit and train, or find like-minded, experienced sorcerers to join "Auspicious."
Second, while the first objective increased the numbers of "Auspicious," he would continually improve the sorcerers' strength through sensible training, preparing them for any future battles.
Sendai Okkotsu had upgraded straight into Shinjuku Okkotsu after a month of special training, and Jianxia himself had roughly reached the strength of a Grade 2 Sorcerer after five days of studying with the Zenin Clan.
No matter how slow someone is, surely they can learn to beat a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit, right?
"Hm? Senior Jianxia, are you thinking about something?"
As though sensing something, Megumi Zenin leaned in toward Jianxia, getting close enough to make Uraume frown slightly.
"Oh, there actually is something I wanted to ask you to do, Megumi."
Megumi Zenin's voice interrupted Jianxia's planning, and he realized there was something important he still had not arranged.
"Uraume still needs a teacher to show him how to control cursed energy and teach him the basics of being a jujutsu sorcerer. I'm leaving that task to you, Miss Megumi Zenin."
"Huh? Me?"
Megumi Zenin pointed at herself, then looked at Uraume, who had his eyes closed and was pressed close to Jianxia.
"But Uraume seems to want you to teach him personally, Senior Jianxia."
At Megumi Zenin's words, Uraume nodded rapidly, wholeheartedly affirming her assessment.
Jianxia scratched his head. Of course he knew that.
But when it came to teaching a complete beginner like Uraume, a local jujutsu sorcerer like Megumi Zenin, who had trained her way up step by step, was better suited to the job.
After all, not everyone was suited to Jianxia's approach of glancing at the theory and immediately moving on to practical application.
"Uraume has absolutely no understanding of cursed energy control, so I'll leave that to you, since you have more experience. I have other things to do."
The moment he finished speaking, Jianxia dashed toward the Zenin Estate's exit, as though he really did have something urgent to handle.
"I'm off to hunt more delicious cursed spirits. Thanks for taking care of things!"
Watching the dust Jianxia kicked up as he left, Megumi Zenin and Uraume both let out long, helpless sighs.
If Jianxia were not so obsessed with cursed spirits, he would surely be more popular.
Cursed spirits, you'd better pray for yourselves...
Before you continue