Something for nothing

"Very good. The rank documents will be issued immediately, and your access to the Cursed Tool Repository takes effect today. You may go there to select cursed tools whenever you wish."

With those two brief closing remarks, the formal meeting ended.

Qingxiao bowed once more, then turned and walked alone out of the Council Estate, a place filled with scheming.

Once Qingxiao had left completely and the residence doors had gently closed, the seemingly calm atmosphere behind the screens shattered, erupting into hushed, pent-up arguments.

"That brat's attitude was far too ambiguous. Not a single honest word, not a clear stance. I'm afraid he plainly intends to take every benefit, then turn around and deny owing us anything." The deep male voice held a sinister edge, brimming with calculation and dissatisfaction.

Another, aged voice sighed helplessly, its tone steeped in the rotten calculus of weighing gains against losses. "What else can we do? This is a necessary compromise. There is a complete gap in the younger generation now. Apart from him and Suguru Geto, who else is qualified to keep Satoru Gojo in check? Are we really to let the Gojo Clan dominate alone and strip us higher-ups of all authority?"

"Hmph. In any case, resources like rank and cursed tools are negligible compared with Jujutsu Society's foundations. Winning him over would be the best outcome-another pawn to keep Satoru Gojo in check. If we cannot win him over..." The speaker's tone turned cold and severe, carrying an unquestionable force. "Then we absolutely cannot allow another uncontrollable threat like Satoru Gojo to emerge in Jujutsu Society! We have ruled Jujutsu Society for centuries. Its order must remain in our hands alone!"

As those words fell, the silhouettes on the screens all nodded, tacitly accepting the proposal.

In their eyes, geniuses were never juniors worth nurturing, only tools for securing their own authority and monopolizing control over Jujutsu Society. All resources, and all human lives, had to give way to their centralized rule.

Qingxiao strode outside, and Satoru Gojo and Shoko, who were waiting there, immediately hurried over to surround him, their curiosity at its peak.

Satoru Gojo, Suguru Geto, and Shoko, who had been waiting for some time, immediately hurried over to surround him, intensely curious.

"So? How'd it go? Were they making empty promises and messing with the newcomers' heads again?" Satoru Gojo leaned in close, his tone gossipy, eager to hear the inside story.

Shoko leaned a little closer too, her expression somewhat serious. "The higher-ups must have had a reason for meeting with you two separately. What did they say?"

Qingxiao raised a hand to scratch the tip of his nose and smiled as he briefly recounted the whole process, his tone as relaxed as if he were telling an amusing story. "What else? They wanted to win me over to keep Satoru in check. They made me some grand promises, gave me an exceptional promotion to Semi-Grade 1, and even offered to let me pick two cursed tools from the Cursed Tool Repository. The condition was a veiled request to take their side and hold Satoru back."

"And then? Did you agree?" Shoko raised an eyebrow and pressed him.

"Do I look stupid?" Qingxiao rolled his eyes and smiled openly. "I gave them a couple of vague answers and took all the benefits. Taking sides is out of the question."

At that, Satoru Gojo burst out laughing, his shoulders shaking, his tone full of undisguised mockery. "Nice one, Qingxiao! That's nasty. I like it! Getting something for nothing, huh!"

Shoko couldn't help chuckling either, thoroughly approving of Qingxiao's decision. "You got the benefits without offending anyone. You've really got a knack for this."

"What can I say? No reason to turn down free stuff." Qingxiao spread his hands, looking perfectly at ease. If the higher-ups were offering him perks, he wasn't going to stand on ceremony.

Satoru Gojo scoffed, his tone contemptuous. "Exactly. Those old geezers bully the weak and fear the strong. They're selfish and narrow-minded, and all they can do is push around obedient juniors. They spend all day dreaming up political schemes, yet they can't even deal with cursed spirits. Jujutsu Society is this rotten entirely because of them."

Suguru Geto listened quietly beside them, his foxlike eyes curving. "They want to use us to balance the situation, and they're willing to offer resources. We might as well accept them and quietly grow stronger. That's the safest choice."

His gaze was resolute as he said, "In that case, I know how to handle them too."

After saying that, Suguru Geto, who had been waiting outside, was summoned. He walked into the residence alone, taking Qingxiao's place in dealing with the higher-ups.

The others stayed beneath the shade of a tree and waited quietly, the atmosphere easy and leisurely, with none of the earlier tension.

Before long, a respectful assistant supervisor hurried over specifically to arrange Qingxiao's selection from the Cursed Tool Repository. "Qingxiao, your access to the Cursed Tool Repository has taken effect. I'll take you there to select your cursed tools."

"Sorry for the trouble," Qingxiao replied politely, then turned and waved to the other two. "Wait here a bit. I'll be right back."

"Go on, go on! Remember to pick something good!" Satoru Gojo waved him off with boisterous encouragement, then rubbed his empty stomach and added, "Once you're done, hurry back so we can head to the cafeteria! I haven't had a bite since this morning. I'm starving to death."

At that, Shoko couldn't help nodding in agreement. They really had spent the entire day fighting and rushing about, and all of them had long since become ravenous.

Qingxiao smiled at their words and replied, "Don't worry. It won't take long. I definitely won't hold up our meal."