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

He stared at Nen no Riko, utterly incredulous. From childhood to adulthood, who had ever dared to slap Gojo Satoru in the face!

Even when fighting a top-tier cursed spirit one-on-one, he might get injured, but he'd never been slapped like that before! And now he's been hit by a little girl who's two or three years younger than him?!

Beside him, Duanmu Yan, who had already silently taken out his phone, quickly pressed the shutter, accurately capturing this historic moment, and also made a backup.

Yes, I'll keep it.

Seeing this, Xia Youjie suppressed a laugh, walked over to Wutiao Wu, patted him on the shoulder to comfort him, and then said gently and politely:

"Riko, calm down. We are not accomplices of the people who attacked you. On the contrary, we are here to protect you."

Upon hearing Xia Youjie's words, Riko Tiantian didn't lower her guard; instead, she stared at him even more warily and retorted seriously, "Stop talking nonsense! You clearly have the face of a liar! And your bangs... they're super weird!"

Xia Youjie's gentle smile froze for a moment, and a vein seemed to throb on his forehead. He looked at Gojo Satoru, and their eyes met in the air, instantly reaching a tacit understanding.

The next second, Gojo Satoru and Natsume Yuuki moved at the same time!

One of them flashed to Nenatsu Riko's left, and the other to her right. Gojo Satoru reached out and grabbed Nenatsu Riko's arm, while Natsuyu Suguru grabbed her ankle.

"Whoa! What are you doing?! Let go!" Riko Tennatsu cried out and struggled.

The two men worked in perfect unison, lifting the petite girl off the sofa and suspending her in mid-air. Then, they began to twist her as if wringing a towel, one on each side. Of course, neither of them actually used any force; they were just making exaggerated movements.

"No! This is utter disrespect! Release me at once!"

In her panic, Riko's gaze fell upon Duanmu Yan, who was sitting at another table not far away, leisurely making himself a cup of hand-drip coffee, seemingly detached from the situation.

"You! Yes, it's you!" Tian Lizi cried out to Duanmu Yan as if grasping at a straw, "Come quickly and save me! They're bullying me!"

Duanmu Yan held a cup of freshly brewed coffee, the rising steam blurring his calm features.

Are you kidding me? He hit both of them?

He thought for a moment, then raised his coffee cup and asked, "Would you two like some coffee?"

While cooperating with Gojo Satoru to shake Nen no Riko, Xia Youjie took a moment to reply, "Thank you for your help, Duanmu. Wait a minute."

Without turning his head, Gojo Satoru said, "No! Coffee is too bitter! I only drink sweet coffee!"

“I told you not to call yourself ‘I’!” Duanmu Yan said.

Just then, the maid, Misato Kuroi, arrived. Seeing this, she hurriedly said, "Please stop. This is extremely rude of you to treat Miss Riko like this."

“Kuroi!” Riko looked at her pleadingly.

Gojo Satoru and Natsume exchanged a glance, seemingly feeling that they had played enough, and both let go at the same time.

"Oh!"

Riko gasped and fell from mid-air, landing hard on her bottom on the soft carpet. It didn't hurt, but she was completely undignified. Sitting on the floor, clutching her sore bottom, she glared angrily at the two scoundrels who were now standing there as if nothing had happened, her face puffed up with rage.

(What do you all think: should the Panxing Sect members be killed or spared?)

Chapter 68 Guardian

"You two rude scoundrels! How dare you show such disrespect to me!"

Riko stood up, rubbed her sore bottom, and tried to put on a fierce expression.

Duanmu Yan put down his phone, looked up at her, and said in a calm tone with a hint of surprise, "I didn't expect you to be so energetic."

Xia Youjie: "I thought you would be afraid of assimilation and be sentimental."

Upon hearing this, Riko immediately puffed out her small chest, as if her competitive spirit had been aroused, and raised her chin.

"Hmph! Your thinking is truly ugly! Listen carefully! Although there are indeed people like you who see assimilation as death and are afraid to retreat... this is a grave mistake!"

"After assimilation, I will merge with Lord Tianyuan and become a part of him. But at the same time, Lord Tianyuan will also accept me and become 'me'! This is not the end, but... a higher level of integration and sublimation! It is a necessary step to protect more people! I am not afraid!"

While sipping the juice he'd swiped from the fridge, Gojo Satoru turned to Natsuyou Jie and whispered, "Hey, Jie, with that way of talking... will she really have any friends at school? Won't she be ostracized as a chuunibyou?"

Xia Youjie held his coffee cup, gently blew on the steam, and replied in a low voice, "Maybe, but looking at her energetic and even a little overly enthusiastic appearance now, it seems that Duanmu's previous worries were unnecessary."

Duanmu Yan picked up the slightly cooled coffee, took a sip in silence, and his gaze fell on Tian Lizi's unusually determined face.

After a moment, he slowly spoke, "There are still two days left. It's too early to say you're not afraid. Emotions can change, especially when you're truly facing separation and saying goodbye to everything familiar forever."

As soon as he finished speaking, the previously heated atmosphere instantly turned cold.

Riko's blush seemed to deepen, but this time it looked more like she'd been told something that was on her mind.

She tried to explain, somewhat exasperated, "I... I speak normally at school!! It's not that strange! Just now, I was just... just a little agitated!"

She seemed to want to change the subject, or perhaps she remembered something more important, and abruptly turned to look at Kuroi Misato, speaking rapidly: "Ah! Right! School! Kuroi, what time is it? We're going to be late for class!"

Misato Kuroi quickly glanced at her watch and replied softly, "Miss, it's... not ten o'clock yet. But... after what happened today, shouldn't you stay home and not go to school? It's too dangerous."

"No way!" Riko Tenten shook her head resolutely. "I'm going! I have to go! I have an important class today! And..."

"...Anyway, there's not much time left."

……

Meanwhile, at a racetrack in Tokyo.

The atmosphere inside the stadium was electric as the race entered its final straight sprint. Eight horses, spurred on by their riders, gave it their all, hooves flying, dust billowing, while the stands erupted in thunderous cheers.

In an inconspicuous corner of the audience, Kong Shiyu, who looked like an agent, walked over and sat down next to an exceptionally tall and strong man whose muscles bulged like cast steel.

The man was staring intently at the arena, ignoring the approaching person.

"How's the observation of those three people going?"

"It's so noisy." The man didn't turn his head, his voice low and hoarse, filled with impatience, "Don't talk about people like they're unemployed."

"Aren't you unemployed?" Kong Shiyu pushed up his glasses and bluntly exposed him. "I bet you used that deposit as gambling capital and lost it all, didn't you?"

The man... or rather, the tyrant Fu Heishen, upon hearing this, merely scoffed, clutching a gambling ticket in his hand.

"Our opponent is that 'six-eyed' brat from the Gojo family. Ordinary methods won't work. Naturally, we need to find a way to weaken him first, or rather, distract him. As for the principal..."

He grinned, his smile icy. "It'll come back with the profits. Just like this match, absolutely..."

Before he could finish speaking, a crisp bell rang from the finish line, and the commentator's excited voice resounded throughout the stadium through the loudspeakers:

"The winner is number 6!"

Fuheshchen's confident smile froze instantly, turning grim.

"whispering sound!"

He clicked his tongue in annoyance, crumpled the now worthless gambling ticket into a ball, and tossed it far away.

Kong Shiyu knew the outcome without even looking. He straightened his suit collar, stood up, and prepared to leave. Before leaving, he left a few words:

"Don't underestimate them. Besides the young master of the Gojo family, the other two are no pushovers either. According to intelligence, they are also very strong, comparable to a top-tier cursed spirit. However, they shouldn't pose much of a threat to you. Anyway, I'm counting on you, Sorcerer Killer."

He paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and added a sentence.

"...Oh, right, how is Megumi...?"

Fuheishen continued staring at the empty track. Upon hearing this, he merely tilted his head indifferently and uttered a few words: "...Who was that again?"

Kong Shiyu gave him a deep look, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Lianzhi Girls' College, Secondary Section, Tree-lined Path Outside the School.

Wu Tiao Wu, Xia Youjie, and Duanmu Yan leaned against or stood, their gazes seemingly casual, but in reality, they were closely monitoring the school gate and the surrounding area. Maid Kuroi Misato waited not far away.

"Huh? Wouldn't it be safer to go back to the college's barrier? Why did you have to come to the school?" Gojo Satoru hung up on Yagami Masamichi and complained with a displeased look.

"Teacher Moth is really something, actually agreeing to such a capricious request!"

Xia Youjie leaned against a tree, hands in his pockets, and gently corrected him: "Don't say that, Wu. No matter what, she will assimilate with Lord Tianyuan in two days and become the cornerstone of maintaining the national barrier."

"This may be her last time as a high school student. It's only natural that she wants to spend more time with her friends and teachers."

Duanmu Yan, who had been silently observing his surroundings, then spoke up, his voice calm yet like a pebble thrown into a lake: "It also means that she has to say a complete goodbye to her current friends, classmates, and familiar living environment. After assimilation, she will never see them again."

He paused, looking at the faint sounds of laughter and chatter coming from the campus, his expression somewhat complicated.

"Let her do whatever she wants. Our task is to ensure her safety in these last two days," Xia Youjie concluded, his gaze sweeping across the campus.

Gojo was speechless for a moment, and scratched his head in frustration.

Although he found it troublesome, he couldn't completely misunderstand it.

“Actually…” The maid, Misato Kuroi, who had been quietly listening, suddenly stepped forward and bowed deeply to the three of them. Her voice was choked with emotion, but her words were sincere.

“The young lady’s parents passed away in an accident when she was very young… I have been taking care of her ever since.”

"So, deep down, I really hope... she can spend a little more time with her friends and classmates, even if it's just for a short while..."

Chapter 69: White Hair Can Be Dealt With in One Minute

"I really wish... she could spend a little more time with her friends and classmates, even if it's just for a little while..."

Upon hearing this, Xia Youjie smiled gently. He looked at Kuroi Misato and said softly, "In that case, aren't you always her most important family member?"

"Ugh!" Misato Kuroi's body trembled, she raised her head, her eyes instantly filled with tears. She nodded vigorously, then quickly lowered her head to hide her distress.

Just then, Duanmu Yan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them!

“Something carrying the aura of cursed energy has broken in! One from the southeast and one from the southwest of the academy walls! They are very fast and very well hidden, but the wind tells me they have ill intentions!”

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Xia Youjie's expression changed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "The two cursed spirits that I had placed around the academy for guard duty have been removed at the same time!"

The two exchanged a glance and instantly understood the seriousness of the situation.

There is more than one enemy, and the target is clear: Tennori Riko, who is inside the academy!

“Two directions, one enemy on each side…” Duanmu Yan’s mind raced, instantly making a judgment. “Jie and I will split up to intercept them. Wu, you’re the fastest, go straight to the classroom and find Riko, protect her closely! The enemy might be using a diversionary tactic, or they might have more tricks up their sleeve!”

"Troublesome!" Gojo Satoru complained, but his actions were faster than anyone else's.

He vanished from his spot in a flash, leaving behind only a disgruntled remark: "Got it! You two better not get killed by some small fry!"

"Be careful too!" Xia Youjie shouted in the direction where Wutiao Wu disappeared, then nodded to Duanmu Yan, "I'm going to the southwest. Duanmu, the southeast is yours."

"Alright." Duanmu Yan didn't waste any words. A flash of green light appeared on his body, and the Tuonado armor instantly covered his entire body. With a push of his feet, he transformed into a swift green afterimage and shot off towards the southeast wall of the academy!

Two speed-type spirits appeared beside Xia Youjie, carrying him silently towards the southwest as if gliding.

……