Buying off Sukuna?

Heian-kyo was Japan's most prosperous city at the time, as well as the central gathering place for jujutsu sorcerers and cursed spirits.

Although Tengen had yet to establish the great barrier that would turn all of Japan into a garbage dump, Ryomen Sukuna's presence had made the development of jujutsu far more vicious than it would be a thousand years later.

Sunlight shone on the streets, casting overlapping shadows.

A sparrow flew past rows of buildings before landing on an open windowsill-it was the very same one that had watched Jianxia and the "Long, Thin Cursed Spirit" earlier.

But now, it had lost its previous liveliness. Instead, it stood blankly on the windowsill like a doll.

A middle-aged man sat beside the window. His features closely resembled Shinji Zenin's, with the sole difference being that he had a beard, while Shinji did not.

"Shinichi, did your cursed corpse bring back any useful information?"

A white-haired old man slowly emerged from behind the room's folding screen without even looking directly at Shinichi Zenin.

"As I recall, Lord Fujiwara named me the clan head, did he not? Lord Kago Zenin, don't forget your place."

Shinichi Zenin refused to back down, retorting with equally biting words.

He deliberately stressed the name Zenin, clearly warning Kago Zenin that he was the one in charge.

Kago Zenin merely narrowed his eyes and smiled ingratiatingly, like an old fox currying favor with its master.

"Heh heh. Then did the cursed corpse you sent out discover anything worth noting, my lord?"

Only after the other man's attitude turned respectful did Shinichi Zenin rise from his chair, take hold of the sparrow cursed corpse, and begin examining it.

This cursed corpse had no video-recording function. Instead, it used cursed energy to encode the scenes it witnessed within its body. Deciphering those codes during an examination would yield the corresponding text.

Shinichi Zenin had devised this cipher himself. Even if the cursed corpse fell into someone else's hands, he would not have to worry about any information being exposed.

About ten seconds passed before he slowly opened his eyes, his expression turning somewhat peculiar.

Noticing the change, Kago Zenin stepped closer.

"What is it? Bad news?"

"No, I wouldn't exactly call it bad news."

Shinichi Zenin infused the sparrow cursed corpse with cursed energy to replenish its power, then tossed it into the air.

Having received its orders, the cursed corpse regained its former liveliness and flew toward the horizon.

"That Ryomen Sukuna suddenly appeared near the court enemies' hideout and caused quite a commotion."

By court enemies, he naturally meant the Zenin Clan to which Shinji Zenin belonged.

Since the Fujiwara Clan had already named Shinichi Zenin the clan head, didn't that make Shinji Zenin, who still called himself the head of the Zenin Clan, an enemy of the court-in other words, a traitor?

Kago Zenin's eyes lit up. If Ryomen Sukuna wiped out Shinji Zenin and his people without them having to act, it would undoubtedly save them a great deal of trouble.

"What do you mean by a commotion? Were the court enemies destroyed?"

Kago Zenin pressed him excitedly, but Shinichi Zenin shook his head, showing not the slightest sign of relief.

"No, Ryomen Sukuna didn't make contact with the court enemies... Instead, he wandered around the area to the northeast during the day and killed a few insignificant monkeys. Last night, he exorcised a cursed spirit, possibly a Special Grade."

Although he had not witnessed it himself, the information brought back by the cursed corpse confirmed that it had seen a being with four arms and four eyes kill ordinary people with slashing attacks during the day.

Then, while exorcising the cursed spirit that night, he had called himself Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses.

Taken together, those two pieces of information ruled out an impostor.

Kago Zenin was somewhat puzzled. It was a shame that Sukuna had not killed Shinji Zenin, but surely that hardly counted as bad news.

Shinichi Zenin guessed what was puzzling Kago Zenin with just a glance over his shoulder. With undisguised contempt on his face, he looked down at the other man.

"Heh heh. This is why I'm the clan head-Sukuna's territory is in Hida Province, more than a thousand li from the court enemies' Mutsu Province. Do you think he would go there for no reason?"

Kago Zenin froze. That truly had not occurred to him.

When no reply came, Shinichi Zenin grew even more pleased with himself.

"And judging by the information we have, Sukuna likes eating children and women. He killed monkeys near the court enemies' hideout first, then went to exorcise the cursed spirit."

Kago Zenin nodded thoughtfully. When it came to brains, he was indeed no match for this younger man who excelled at creating and controlling cursed corpses.

"So you suspect the court enemies offered Sukuna something, such as letting him eat anyone he pleased in the surrounding area, in exchange for his help exorcising cursed spirits?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I think."

People could not imagine what they had never encountered. As far as Shinichi Zenin and Kago Zenin were concerned, they would never do anything that offered them no benefit.

Sukuna, however, was someone who did whatever he pleased. Anything he did might simply be a passing whim.

They did not understand Sukuna's personality, so they projected their own thinking onto him and constructed a self-contained explanation.

And so they arrived at their conclusion-the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna, was just like them, someone who could be motivated by personal gain.

At that thought, both Shinichi Zenin and Kago Zenin could not help growing excited.

If even Shinji Zenin's impoverished backwater could buy Sukuna's services, wouldn't it be far easier for them, now that they had allied themselves with the Fujiwara Clan and enjoyed wealth and prestige?

With Sukuna's help, killing the court enemies would be effortless, allowing them to eliminate the threat to their legitimacy once and for all.

"I'll send someone to Hida Province to contact Sukuna right away and see if he..."

"Idiot! Why would you go to Hida Province?!"

Kago Zenin had barely begun making arrangements when Shinichi Zenin cut him off with a harsh rebuke.

"The court enemies have bought Sukuna off, so naturally he's in Mutsu Province! Of course we need to send someone to Mutsu Province!"

Shinichi Zenin shouted at Kago Zenin, but inwardly, he was positively delighted.

As expected, I'm the smartest person in the Zenin Clan.

No one else can take my position as clan head...

Kago Zenin was not angry in the slightest at being shouted at. Instead, he nodded and flattered him.

"Yes, yes, you've thought this through far more thoroughly, my lord. I'll send someone to Mutsu Province to find Ryomen Sukuna at once."

With that, Kago Zenin left the room with short, shuffling steps, leaving Shinichi Zenin alone by the window to bask in the sun.

A few pleasant birdcalls reached Shinichi Zenin's ears. He took a deep breath, savoring the lovely scent of early autumn.

The thought that he would soon be able to kill Shinji Zenin made the world seem utterly wonderful.

As for the fact that Shinji was his own brother?

It doesn't matter. Forget it.

"I suppose we are brothers, after all... Shinji, don't blame me for being underhanded."

Shinichi Zenin picked up the teacup beside him, took a small sip, then drained it.

"Ever since the old man lost his mind and passed the position of clan head to you, this ending was set in stone."

"The one who will lead the Zenin Clan for a thousand years will be me, and me alone! Hahahaha!"

Shinichi Zenin laughed freely in the room, while Kago Zenin, who had been eavesdropping at the door for some time, walked away without looking back, his expression dark.