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

He won't take the blame for this.

……

Afterwards, they went to the mangrove forest and went boating together. Riko almost fell in, but luckily the others reacted quickly.

The seafood feast lasted a full two hours. When swiping the card, the black card had to be swiped three times before it finally went through. Gojo Satoru remained expressionless, while Riko counted the zeros on the bill next to her, and then stopped talking.

At the aquarium, Gojo Satoru pressed his face against the glass of the whale shark tank, insisting that the whale shark was winking at him.

Before leaving, Riko stared blankly at the animals behind the huge glass.

A sudden, inexplicable sense of loneliness washed over me.

……

It was completely dark when Gojo Satoru stood by the roadside and flagged down a car, saying he had booked an entire hot spring inn for the night.

"Rent out the whole place?" Xia Youjie raised an eyebrow.

"We need to protect the safety of the area, so we can't let anyone else get close."

The hotel is hidden halfway up the mountain. The stone path is wet with night dew, and the short bamboo rustles in the wind.

"spa!"

Riko kicked off her clogs and was about to rush inside when Kuroi grabbed her by the back of her collar.

"Please change your clothes, miss."

The women's bath is on the left, and the men's bath is on the right, separated by a bamboo wall, allowing them to hear what's happening on the other side.

Gojo Satoru was the first to rush out of the changing room, draped a towel over his shoulder, and shuffled straight to the open-air bath in his wooden clogs.

Xia Youjie followed behind, folding his clothes into a square before coming out. Duanmu Yan was the last one, his summoner still at his waist, but covered by his bathrobe.

As they sank into the hot water, all three of them exhaled simultaneously.

"That feels so good!!" x3

The silence lasted less than two minutes.

"Isn't the water a bit cold?"

Gojo Satoru pulled a hand out of the water and pointed it at Duanmu Yan, "Duanmu, how about using your armor to heat it up? I remember it has that function, right?"

Duanmu Yan leaned against the edge of the pool, looking helpless. "Don't make me sound like some kind of multi-functional machine."

He raised his hand, and magical power surged forth. The water temperature in the men's bath began to rise, from slightly hot to scalding hot. Fine ripples appeared on the surface of the water, and the steam rose, becoming several times more concentrated than before.

"Oh!" Riko exclaimed from the bamboo wall, followed by Kuroi's low voice, "Miss, keep your voice down." Riko then replied in a breathy voice, "But it's really getting hot."

Xia Youjie soaked the towel in hot water and put it back on his forehead.

Thanks.

Gojo Satoru whistled, leaned against the edge of the pond, then opened his eyes and rolled them around.

"Let's have a match."

"Another competition?" Xia Youjie sighed.

"Let's have a contest. This time, we won't use any spells or magic. We'll just use our bare bodies and see who can last the longest in the hot water."

Gojo Satoru sat up straight in the water and tied a towel around his head. "The moment to test a man's endurance has arrived."

“Okay,” Duanmu Yan said.

There was a moment of silence on the other side of the bamboo wall, then Riko whispered, "They want to have a competition," followed by Kuroi's reply, "Miss, you can continue your business," and then there was silence.

Xia Youjie was the first to give up. After a little over twenty minutes, his forehead was covered in sweat, his face was flushed red to his ears, and his breathing was short and heavy.

He exhaled a deep breath, braced himself against the edge of the pool, and stood up from the water.

"You guys continue, I'm leaving now."

"Jay has quit!" Riko announced in real time.

"...She really is listening." Xia Youjie shook his head at the bamboo wall, picked up the soaking wet towel, and sat down on the stone steps by the pool.

Gojo Satoru was still holding back, but his lips were pressed into a line, his brows were furrowed, and the veins on his neck were slightly bulging.

"...It's so hot."

His lips were smiling. He held it in for three minutes, then suddenly stood up, splashing water all over Duanmu Yan's face.

"Satoru has retreated!" Riko announced again.

"Watching the game costs money, you know," Gojou shouted over the bamboo wall, shuffling over to the pool and chugging down a whole bottle of ice water. After finishing, he turned and pointed at Duanmu Yan, "Damn it, you won."

Duanmu Yan was still soaking in the water, which was above his shoulders, and the heat enveloped his entire body.

After a while, he slowly got up, bent down to pick up the towel, wrung it out, and hung it around his neck.

He has an affinity for fire, how could he possibly lose in a competition like this?

Gojo Satoru shoved another bottle of ice water into Duanmu Yan's arms, "Next time, soak in the cold water pool! If you're so capable, let's have another contest in the cold water pool!"

Xia Youjie stood up from the stone steps, put on his bathrobe, and said, "Next time, he'll definitely still want to compete in hot water. Let's go back and rest."

Duanmu Yan nodded and walked towards the room.

Chapter 73 I Want to Live

Late at night, the hot spring inn quieted down.

Riko lay in the bedding with her eyes open.

The thought of assimilation starting tomorrow and having to part ways with everyone kept her awake at night.

dong dong dong.

She sprang up from under the covers, shouting, "Who's there!"

"It's me, Duanmu. Can you come out for a moment? I have something to tell you."

She recognized the voice, put on her coat, and opened the door.

Duanmu Yan stood in the corridor, having changed into casual clothes. "Let's talk outside."

Riko nodded and followed.

The two stood under the eaves, and the night breeze blew in from the other side of the mountain, making it very cool.

Duanmu Yan: "Assimilation will begin tomorrow. Are you ready?"

Riko Tenchi nodded, "Of course. I've already made this preparation."

"...even if it means being separated from everyone I know."

Duanmu Yan looked at her, and when she said the last sentence, she was clearly disappointed.

"We already talked before we met, if you refuse assimilation..."

"Then let's cancel assimilation."

Riko Tenten suddenly looked up, “Are you all crazy? This means we’re going to war with Lord Tengen!”

Duanmu Yan shook his head. "We're not crazy. Things will work themselves out. Because... we are the strongest."

"So I want to hear your honest opinion. Your true thoughts. Whatever choice you make, we will do everything we can to secure your future."

Duanmu Yan's face was half-lit and half-shadowed, its outline outlined by the moonlight, and he remained motionless.

He was waiting, waiting for her answer.

Riko stood on the veranda, her fingers clutching her skirt. She opened her mouth, her throat feeling like it was stuffed with cotton, and whimpered.

“Since I was born, I have been reminded that I am a stellar body, that I am different from others. I have long been used to this identity and try to stay away from all dangers, living only for today.”

“I don’t remember the scene when my parents passed away, so I don’t feel sad or lonely… I used to naively think that even if I had to be separated from everyone forever because of assimilation, it would be okay.”

She paused for a few seconds, her lips pressed into a thin line, "No matter how painful it is, there will always be a day when you forget the sadness and loneliness."

"But...but as expected..."

Memories of the past few days flashed through her mind. They weren't major events, but each one left a deep impression on her.

She clenched her fists, looked up, and the moonlight shone on her face; tears finally streamed down her cheeks.

"Indeed, I still want to stay with everyone... I want to go to many more different places with everyone and see many more new things!!"

Footsteps echoed from the depths of the corridor, alerting someone who was heading this way.

Kuroi appeared at the corner of the corridor holding an oil lamp. Gojo Satoru and Natsuyu Jie walked around from the other end without saying a word.

Riko ignored everything else and just stared at Duanmu Yan. She wiped her tears with her sleeve, but new tears kept flowing.

"I really want to!!"

Duanmu Yan stood in front of her, bathed in moonlight from head to toe.

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "I understand."

He turned around and raised his voice slightly towards the corridor, "You all heard that, didn't you?"

The oil lamp in Kuroi flickered, and behind it, her eyes reddened. She pressed the back of her hand to her eyes.

Xia Youjie stood in the shadows and sighed helplessly, "It was the right choice after all."

Gojo Satoru leaned against a pillar, looking at him with a smirk. "What, are you scared?"

Xia Youjie: "Heh, how could that be?"

Duanmu Yan turned back.

"Then let's cancel it. Go back to sleep. We'll talk to Lord Tianyuan about this tomorrow."

He walked toward the two of them, and Kuroi quickly walked past him into the courtyard, where he draped his coat over Riko's shoulders.

Riko clutched her collar, head bowed, her shoulders still trembling. Kuroi reached out and pulled her close, and Riko buried her face in Kuroi's shoulder.

Xia Youjie walked over and stared at Riko's back for a long time.

"She cried."

"No, I didn't."