Seriously?

Why was there a chair here?

Honestly, what was he supposed to do with you? Sit tight!

When "pressure" collided with the "Ten Shadows Technique," the result was "Mahoraga," who could adapt to anything in the world.

He'd forgotten the beginning, and he'd forgotten the end.

In any case, no one in the Zenin residence could stop the taming ritual from beginning now.

"Stop!!!"

Jianxia shouted. He hadn't felt Jogo's body heat yet, hadn't smelled Hanami's fragrance, hadn't experienced Dagon's moisture...

How could it-how could it end here?!

Although Mahoraga fit his tastes quite well too, he was still a shikigami at the end of the day.

Humans and shikigami couldn't be together!

He yanked the folding screen aside. Before Mahoraga beat him into a pulp, he at least wanted to see which absolute madlad was so immune to pressure.

An old-fashioned sitting room came into view, its furnishings and decor exuding a simple yet refined elegance.

One glance was enough to tell that its owner had excellent taste.

And in this meticulously appointed sitting room stood a tall, short-haired man wearing a plain-colored hunting robe. He held his hands before his chest, one in front of the other, unmistakably in the pose for summoning Mahoraga.

When someone suddenly barged in, he froze for a moment, maintaining that strange pose, before confusion set in.

"Who are you?"

Megumi Zenin, standing to one side, couldn't bear to watch anymore. She hurried forward and forced the tall man's hands back down to his sides.

"Father, he's a guest! This is Jianxia, the senior sorcerer who helped me exorcise that cursed spirit earlier!"

Megumi Zenin blushed, apparently finding this embarrassing herself.

"I'm sorry, Jianxia. Father didn't inherit our family's Ten Shadows Technique, so he often imitates its hand signs. He says that if he ever has a breakthrough, he'll be able to use it right away..."

Jianxia let out a long breath.

So he was just copying the hand signs.

Anyone who didn't know better might have thought he was imitating a certain genius Grade 2 Sorcerer who'd opened a domain lacking all three essentials at fifteen, entered a house-versus-elephant weightlifting contest, and, after having his body possessed, traded blows with the strongest sorcerer of the modern age on December 24, 2018.

The man Megumi Zenin had called Father wasn't upset at being exposed. He merely scratched his head, his gaze moving back and forth between them.

"Seriously? He helped you? But this fellow has a pitifully small amount of cursed energy."

At that, Megumi Zenin pinched her father's waist. The tall man's face instantly twisted, and he jumped away, clutching the spot she'd pinched.

"Megumi, what was that for?!"

"Father, Jianxia may not have much cursed energy, but he's an expert who can use Reverse Cursed Technique! Doesn't that prove how finely he can control his cursed energy?"

Cursed energy control referred to the finesse with which someone allocated a given amount of cursed energy.

Some jujutsu sorcerers had enormous reserves, but their control was so crude that they couldn't make full use of their strength.

Others didn't have particularly large reserves, but could compensate with superb cursed energy control.

"Oh, oh, I see! My name is Shinji Zenin. My earlier words were offensive. I hope you will forgive me."

Upon hearing that Jianxia was a jujutsu sorcerer capable of using Reverse Cursed Technique, Shinji's attitude did a complete about-face. He bowed forward in apology.

Although Jianxia knew little about Heian-era etiquette, judging from the way Megumi Zenin and Shinji had interacted, the man before him shouldn't be too difficult to talk to.

Compared with those absolute pieces of work a thousand years later, this third head of the Zenin Clan could be considered very friendly.

But what Megumi Zenin had just said concerned him more than Shinji's attitude did.

Reverse Cursed Technique? Me?

Jianxia frantically searched his memories for relevant information and finally found the answer.

In the original story, Cursed Spirit Manipulation required turning a cursed spirit into a vile-tasting cursed spirit orb and swallowing it before it could be subdued.

Jianxia's Cursed Spirit Manipulation skipped that process, allowing him to subdue cursed spirits directly.

It also had an additional function that hadn't originally existed-after absorbing a cursed spirit, it would heal his injuries according to the strength of the spirit absorbed.

Information about an innate technique was engraved in the brain, so Jianxia knew exactly how his Cursed Spirit Manipulation differed from Suguru Geto's.

But since all those differences were outright upgrades, Jianxia could only conclude that the system had worked its magic.

System, you're so sweet...

At that thought, Jianxia decided to clear up this misunderstanding first. If they discovered it themselves later, it would be even harder to explain.

"No, no, you're far too kind, Clan Head Zenin. About Reverse Cursed Technique, actually, I..."

Before Jianxia could get the words out, Shinji Zenin raised a hand to interrupt him.

"There's no need to say more. Master Jianxia, correct? Since you helped Megumi, you are an honored guest of our Zenin Clan. Megumi, take Master Jianxia to a room where he can rest. The one in the west wing."

Shedding his earlier frivolous manner, Shinji Zenin displayed the authority of a clan head as he instructed Megumi Zenin to settle Jianxia in.

"Yes, Father. Jianxia, please follow me."

Following Megumi Zenin down the corridor, he arrived at his guest room.

Jianxia had been assigned a room on the western side of the Zenin residence. It was spacious and bright. To a modern person, it might have seemed a little spartan, but by Heian-era standards, it was a very fine place to stay.

He sat on the bedding laid out on the floor and tested it. The quilt was neither too soft nor too firm, and surprisingly, it wasn't much worse than modern bedding.

Was this the power of a long-established clan?

Just as he took out his phone to check the system, he noticed that Megumi Zenin was still standing in the doorway. She looked awkward and bashful, as though she had something to say.

Jianxia stared, dumbfounded.

This was an all-ages story, right? What the hell were you blushing for?!

Still, out of politeness, Jianxia chose to ask.

"Megumi, is there something else?"

Megumi trembled at hearing her name, then seemed to make up her mind, conviction filling her eyes.

With a thump, she prostrated herself before Jianxia, startling him into jumping to his feet.

"Jianxia, please teach me Reverse Cursed Technique!"

Megumi's voice echoed through the room, carrying an almost desperate thirst for knowledge.

Jianxia slowly put his phone back in his pocket.

Things had reached this point. He had to clear up the misunderstanding.

"Megumi, get up first."

Jianxia helped Megumi, who had flattened herself into a shape as neatly rectangular as a tatami mat, off the floor and took a deep breath.

"The truth is, I don't know Reverse Cursed Technique at all, so I can't teach you."

"Huh?"

Megumi Zenin froze, then her mind raced as she tried to understand what Jianxia meant.

Jianxia said he didn't know Reverse Cursed Technique, yet he'd clearly healed her injuries in the blink of an eye earlier.

Considering how little cursed energy he possessed, yet how refined his Reverse Cursed Technique was, it was probably even more difficult than she'd imagined.

It was like weaving an entire set of splendid robes from a single thread. Without the talent for it, she'd probably only waste her time.

So that was it. Jianxia was tactfully reminding her that the techniques he used weren't suited to everyone.

She should have realized that long ago, yet she'd still shamelessly disturbed his rest.

Megumi Zenin, you've really fallen...

Megumi Zenin wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked solemnly at Jianxia.

"I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Jianxia. Please get some rest."

With that, she slid open the door and quietly left, leaving a bewildered Jianxia behind.

She understood again?

Seriously?