Curse Reply: After choosing Nawa, the cursed spirit cursed me for being cruel.

He finished the rest of the soda in one go, put the empty can at his feet, and wiped his sweat with his sleeve.

Duanmu Yan watched him from the side, then took out a pack of tissues from his pocket and handed it to him.

Tiger Stick took the card, drew one, and hastily wiped his face.

"You train until this late every day." Duanmu Yan looked at the empty training ground.

"Well, anyway, it's just me and my grandpa at home..."

The two of them sat under the horizontal bar, chatting about this and that... which dish in the school cafeteria was the worst, which PE teacher was the most stern...

After listening, Duanmu Yan didn't say much, nor did he take the opportunity to inquire about Su Nuo.

He simply handed another can of soda he had brought to Huzhang, saying that it was so hot and he should drink more.

Huzhang took it and said thank you sincerely.

Huzhang placed the empty can at his feet, looked up at the sky, and saw that the setting sun had already sunk below the top of the wall at the end of the playground. The streetlights came on, casting circles of dim yellow light on the track.

He stood up, patted the bits of grass off his bottom, and said, "Ah, it's already this late. I have to go to the hospital to see Grandpa."

Duanmu Yan stood up and threw the empty can in his hand into the trash can next to him: "Your parents aren't around, are they? I just heard you say that only your grandfather lives at home."

Itaryu picked up his training jacket from the ground and draped it over his shoulder: "Well, my parents passed away a long time ago. My grandfather raised me, but he's in poor health now and has been hospitalized."

"Can I come along?" Duanmu Yan stood up as well, patting off non-existent dust. "From your description, your family situation doesn't sound too good. Coincidentally... I'm a kind-hearted person."

Tiger Stick tilted his head and looked at him. This strange uncle had been sitting next to him for a long time, bought him two cans of soda, listened to him ramble on about a bunch of random things, and now he wanted to go to the hospital with him.

However, Hadji didn't sense any malice from him. Instead, he felt an inexplicable sense of warmth, like basking in the winter sun.

Moreover, this person never looked at him with pity from the very beginning.

Huzhang slung his coat over his other shoulder, turned and walked toward the school gate: "Whatever, the hospital isn't far, just two blocks away."

……

Sendai City XX Hospital, fifth floor.

A thin old man leaned against the hospital bed, his oversized hospital gown draped over his body, making his collarbone and wrist bones stand out. But his eyes did not have the cloudiness of someone who had been ill for a long time; instead, they shone with a deep, restrained light.

He is the reincarnation of Itadori Yamasuke, the twin brother who was devoured by Sukuna.

The text appears to be a jumbled collection of characters and symbols, possibly from different sources. A direct translation isn't meaningful without further context or clarification.

The door to the ward opened, and Hisahito Itadori walked in carrying a boxed lunch he had bought from a convenience store. "Grandpa, I've come to see you!"

Itadori Yasuke withdrew his gaze, patted his grandson's head with his rough hand, but his eyes still drifted towards the doorway.

He sensed that someone with a very special aura was approaching.

He somewhat disliked that school, but this person gave him a different feeling.

Duanmu Yan made no attempt to hide himself. He entered the ward, stood at the foot of the bed, bowed slightly, and said in a gentle tone, "Hello, my name is Duanmu Yan. I am a kind-hearted person. If you need anything, please let me know."

Itadori Yamasuke raised his hand and gently pressed his rough palm on Hisahito's head: "Hisahito, go next door and do your homework. I have a few words to say to this gentleman."

Yuji Itadori didn't ask any more questions and went into the next room with his schoolbag.

Itadori Yasuke pulled his hands off the blanket, interlacing his fingers in front of his abdomen, his cloudy eyes brimming with energy.

"The aura emanating from you... is very similar to that woman's."

Duanmu Yan walked to the bedside and sat down in the visitor's chair.

He didn't argue, but simply leaned forward slightly: "The woman you're talking about, is she the one who gave birth to Hisahito?"

Itadori Yasuke's gaze sharpened even more: "You know her."

"You don't need to worry. She and I are not on the same path, we just happen to be somewhat similar."

Duanmu Yan bowed slightly and lowered his voice, "I didn't come here for any other reason. I met Youren by chance and heard him mention his family situation, so I thought I'd come and see if there was anything I could do to help."

He took a business card out of his pocket and placed it on the bedside table. The business card bore the title of the head of the Federation's publicly disclosed charitable foundation, which had nothing to do with the world of sorcery.

"This is my contact information. If you need anything in the future... whether it's medical expenses or caregivers, you can contact me. Don't hesitate to ask."

Chapter 203 When Soldiers Come, Generals Will Block Them

The ward was quiet for a moment.

Itadori Yasuke stared at Duanmu Yan for a long time, then slowly withdrew his gaze and tapped the blanket lightly twice with his withered fingers.

“That kid Yu-ren has been neglected since he was little. I have so many illnesses, I don’t have many years left to live. If you really want to help, come and see him occasionally. Not to see my old bones, but to see him.”

Duanmu Yan nodded: "I will come if I have time."

Itadori Yamasuke sighed, pulled his hand off the blanket, and interlaced his fingers in front of his abdomen: "Speak, what do you want to know? If you're planning to cause trouble for me because of that woman, I'll accept it."

Duanmu Yan chuckled twice and shook his head: "You don't need to think of me so narrowly. Although that woman has indeed caused me a lot of trouble, I believe you have also felt that... Your family member is no ordinary person."

He secretly admired him, thinking that as expected of the reincarnation of Su Nuo, he was indeed much more thorough in his thinking than ordinary people.

He placed his hands on his knees and leaned forward slightly. "I just want to ask you about her past."

This was a rare opportunity, and Duanmu Yan was also eager to learn more about it. He then proceeded to investigate further.

Itadori Yasusuke thought for a long time before nodding: "Okay. But you have to tell me how you plan to treat Hisahito. He's been extraordinary since he was a child."

“You don’t need to worry about that.” Duanmu Yan’s gaze was honest and gentle. “That child is very kind, and I believe he will be a good person. Besides, I like this child very much.”

"Don't underestimate me just because I'm young. I have some influence in the world of sorcery. Protecting a child like this shouldn't be too difficult."

Itadori Yasuke fell silent again, then slowly began to speak, "This story begins thirteen years ago when my daughter-in-law came back to life..."

"..."

Duanmu Yan listened quietly. The old man spoke slowly, pausing to think about some details before continuing.

He recounted how the woman miraculously survived a fatal car accident, how she managed household chores with her gentle hands, how she was kind to her neighbors and filial to her elders... every detail was completely opposite to her current image.

That woman was once the most praised mother on the entire street.

"I see." Duanmu Yan's expression became somewhat subtle after hearing this. "I didn't expect that the sacral valley had been replaced and Huan Chuomei had covered it up!"

In the story of Itadori Yamasuke, Itadori Kaori is a virtuous and filial daughter-in-law who gets along well with her neighbors and is very good at taking care of children.

But he remained prejudiced against the woman, convinced that she would bring misfortune to his family.

Clearly, his intuition was right.

Although little information was obtained regarding the iliac crest, the text appears to be a jumbled collection of characters and symbols, possibly representing a corrupted or incomplete document. A direct translation isn't meaningful without further context or clarification.

He stood up and bowed slightly to the old man: "Then, I shall take my leave."

"Wait a moment," Itadori Yasuke called out to him. The old man lifted his hand from under the covers and lightly traced two lines on the sheet with his withered fingers.

“I may not have much time left. Over the years, I’ve learned a bit about you people… What you do is different from what ordinary people do. I hope that after I die, you can take Hisahito with you.”

Duanmu Yan turned around, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Is it really a good idea to entrust your grandson to someone you've only met once?"

“Because of intuition.” Itadori Yasuke raised his deep-set eyes and looked directly at him. “My intuition tells me that you are not a bad person.”

Duanmu Yan paused for a moment, then nodded solemnly: "Thank you for the compliment. I will accept your request. I will come to pick up Itadori Hisahito at the start of the new school year two years from now."

"This is troublesome." After saying these two words, Itadori Yamasuke seemed to finally unload a burden he had been carrying for too long, and slowly leaned back against the pillow.

Duanmu Yan gently pushed open the door and went out.

In the corridor, Yuji Itadori was sitting cross-legged on a bench, his workbook open on his lap, a pencil twirling between his fingers.

Seeing Duanmu Yan come out, he jumped off the chair and slung his schoolbag over his shoulder. "Uncle, you talked to my grandpa for a long time. He didn't say anything strange, did he?"

"No. We just talked about things from your childhood."

“Eh… why does Grandpa say everything?” Yuujin scratched the back of his head, his ear tips turning slightly red.

Duanmu Yan reached out and gently patted him on the head: "Your grandfather is a very good person, spend more time with him."

After saying that, he withdrew his hand and walked towards the end of the corridor.

Yuji Itadori stood at the door of the ward, watching him go. The last rays of sunset were sinking into the city's buildings outside the window. The figure in the suit walked further and further away, eventually disappearing into the crowd.

……

Back at the college, Duanmu Yan leaned back in his office chair, pondering the recent situation.

He had personally checked on all the members of the main characters. Everyone was in good condition, and he would continue to monitor them to ensure nothing happened to them.

But for the sake of gluttony, one must be able to appreciate the finer things in life, including the strange and wonderful dishes.

Yuujin Itadori was a vessel for Sukuna that she had spent several years preparing. In this era where top-tier cursed spirits were rapidly recovering and cursed spellcasters were reaching their peak, her playful nature was definitely not going to be suppressed.

The fact that we haven't heard from her for so long can only mean that she's secretly preparing a huge plan.

That woman is no weakling; she definitely holds a place in the top tier below Gojo Satoru and Sukuna.

Moreover, she also possesses numerous ancient sorcerers' magical artifacts, enabling her to mass-produce a group of ancient sorcerers ranging from first-level to special-level.

He had a bad feeling...

He put down his teacup, looked out the window, and suddenly smiled.

"Well, we'll deal with whatever comes our way. With our current strength, we're not afraid of her."

Chapter 204 New Student Enrollment

July 2017, the conference hall of the Sorcerers' Union.

The atmosphere inside was tense. Even Gojo Satoru, unusually, didn't put his legs up on the table, but instead leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.

Xia Youjie sat by the window with his hands in his sleeves. Since his semi-retirement, he rarely attended such formal meetings. The fact that he was called here today indicated the seriousness of the situation.

The long table was filled with the core members of the federation, more than 30 people in total, all of whom were focused on the electronic screen.

Ijichi adjusted his glasses and pointed to the chart on the screen: "The number of cursed spirit incidents in the Tokyo area in the last two years is extremely abnormal, decreasing by about 70% compared to previous data."

Gojo Satoru raised his hand, his tone relaxed: "Isn't this great? It shows that our management is very effective."

“Of course, our association also deserves credit.” Ijichi tapped the laser pointer with his fingertip, and the screen switched to another chart.

The data from the past decade is clear: the first eight years saw extreme growth, with the curve almost doubling every year, while the last two years have seen a precipitous drop, falling to rock bottom.

He drew a circle at the freezing point with the red dot of the laser pointer, "But whether you look at the total number of cursed spirits or the recent number of missions in Tokyo and the surrounding areas, this drop is too abnormal."