I was the fourth disaster in Yokohama and was loved by everyone.

Meanwhile, Shoko Ieiri silently pressed down on his shoulder.

She understood Gojou's urge to fight Natsuyou Jie, but they were on the street now.

“Wait, Wu. Since he’s not in a hurry to leave, he probably has something to say to us. Let’s have a chat.”

*

"So—" Gojo Satoru slammed his coffee cup down on the table, the brown liquid splashing onto the tray, "Jay, you really defected?"

“Defection?” Xia Youjie suddenly laughed, his fingers rubbing the rim of his cup, his eyes lowered and his expression unreadable. “Perhaps the higher-ups would call it ‘defection,’ but for me, ‘job hopping’ would be a more accurate description.”

"There is a path that no one can refuse, and it is perfectly reasonable to choose it."

Gojo Satoru felt as if a thorn was stuck in his throat, and every breath he took tugged at his heart: "Why?"

His voice was hoarse, with a suppressed tremor.

"What happened to the 'orthodox' principles you've always upheld? Have you already forgotten your original intentions for becoming a sorcerer? And what about those villagers—did they simply disappear, or are they already dead...?"

All of this happened so suddenly that Gojo Satoru was completely unprepared.

Who could have imagined that a companion who had always steadfastly followed the right path would suddenly turn away?

And those villagers... could they really have died from the "Spirit Manipulation Technique" as the report speculated?

Gojo Satoru pursed his lips and fell silent.

Xia Youjie seemed to sense something, raised his head, and smiled, "Wu Xian, don't be so serious."

"The proper way..." He sighed softly, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips, "Sorcerers exist to protect non-sorcerers. To support the weak and suppress the strong..."

"Ah... I'm getting a little annoyed."

The sweltering summer brings countless ugly things that breed under its oppressive heat.

He witnessed too much darkness this summer, darkness like cheap ink, leaving indelible stains in his heart.

Are non-magicians really weak?

Then why do they turn their knives on sorcerers, manipulating them—sorcerers born into ordinary families, unaware of their own talents, bullied to death by non-sorcerers who see them as monsters; ordinary people profiting from their children's sorcerer talents, exploiting them until they suffer mental breakdowns; or sorcerers who inadvertently display their unique talents to ordinary people, attracting covetous eyes, being kidnapped for human experimentation, and dying on the operating table...?

His reflection in the mirror suddenly split: one half coldly observing, the other full of compassion. The real him floated above both, calmly watching this mental storm.

Was everything I've insisted on wrong?

Maybe...

When he saw the two young sorcerers, Mimiko and Nanako, being cruelly treated and locked in the basement, his taut nerves suddenly snapped.

Seeing the smug expressions on the faces of those ignorant villagers, a roaring, furious rage rose within him.

Sorcerers risk their lives to build a safe barrier for ordinary people, but... the backs of sorcerers can be pierced by the bayonets of ordinary people.

How ridiculous...

Xia Youjie's expression turned cold.

He twitched his fingers slightly, wanting to activate the spell—so far, all he wanted to do was give these ignorant villagers some "unforgettable" lessons.

This is something he learned from his good friend and contemporary, KOKO-chan.

"If you make me unhappy, then fine, you won't be happy either."

After she finishes speaking, she will give the person who displeased her a good beating.

After using it a few times, Xia Youjie found that it worked very well.

So he learned it.

Seemingly sensing his unease, the villagers present took a few steps back, a chill running down their spines, but they still couldn't resist taunting him arrogantly: "Hey, what do you want? Let me tell you, we're not to be trifled with. We outnumber you!"

Xia Youjie sneered inwardly, just about to raise his hand—

"boom--"

Suddenly, a large hole exploded in the ceiling of the basement cell, and dirt and steel bars rained down.

A familiar figure descended from the sky, holding a small hammer in his hand. After looking around, he spotted him and greeted him naturally.

"Hello, Jay."

Ah, it's that curse master [Kawakami].

Xia Youjie was somewhat surprised by her appearance, but since he did not consider her an enemy, he responded gently.

Then, unexpectedly, she suddenly launched a flying kick—

boom--

The dungeon's iron door was kicked open, the shockwave sending dust flying throughout the basement. She had already vanished inside, emerging with a small, thin girl tucked under each arm. Their ankles were bound with broken chains, and their pale faces were filled with terror.

"You...you can't release these jinxes! You two know each other, you're definitely in cahoots! Believe me or not, we're going to file a complaint against you!"

The villagers, finally realizing what had happened, were furious, but were too afraid to move because of her "earth-shattering kick".

She silently looked up and stared at the top of the villagers' heads for a while, her face expressionless, but there seemed to be a hint of murderous intent in her eyes.

Then, turning to Xia Youjie, she asked succinctly, "Want to come along?"

The answer seems obvious.

Xia Youjie's eyelashes drooped, casting shadows under her eyes, and the curve of her lips was just right.

"Of course."

A series of screams erupted, and a few moments later, the villagers all collapsed to the ground, their faces bruised and swollen.

When he turned around, he saw that she was about to leave with the girls, so he asked her what she was taking the girls to do.

She said, "Of course they will return to the Panxing Sect. From now on, they will be part of the Panxing Sect."

Ah, they've found a place to go.

Not bad.

Xia Youjie's shoulders relaxed, but he felt somewhat lost.

Just now, when he was making his move, he even had a fleeting, dark thought of killing them right there.

Too weak, like crushing an ant.

Too weak, it's just like crushing an ant.

But when he came to his senses, he stopped moving and looked down at his hands—hands that had killed countless cursed spirits, which today were almost stained with the blood of ordinary people.

Where is my true home?

He seems to have lost the will to practice "correct doctrines" now.

Just as he was feeling down, she took a half step back and tilted her head to look at him.

Suddenly, he spoke up: "Jay, do you want to come too?"

"Then please come in."

He froze, his heart pounding suddenly louder.

Seemingly interpreting his reaction as rejection, she stared at him quietly for a moment, then gave a look of sudden realization, and then—

He took off his black-rimmed glasses.

Xia Youjie's pupils suddenly contracted, his mouth slightly open, and he instantly lost all reaction—

This is really...

Isn't that something you just can't refuse?

*

"So... you're now voluntarily following [Kawakami], is that right?"

Finding Xia Youjie lost in his own memories, Wu Tiao Wu posed another question to bring him back to attention.

"...Ah, it was voluntary."

Unexpectedly, Gojo Satoru suddenly mentioned "Kawakami," and Natsuyu Jie suddenly thought of something interesting, his expression turning strange.

His gaze swept over Gojo Satoru and Ieiri Shoko, with an air of schadenfreude about it.

Chapter 153 20% Off for Acquaintances

"What's with that expression?" Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow, annoyed.

Feeling uneasy under her gaze, Ieiri Shoko chimed in, "Yes, they look particularly malicious."

They're probably up to something bad.

Xia Youjie blinked innocently, tapped his fingertips lightly on the table twice, and a sly smile appeared on his lips.

"I'm just suddenly curious about your reaction to discovering the truth."

"What truth?"

The two became interested and quickly pressed for more details.

Xia Youjie naturally wouldn't tell the two the "truth" about who [Kawakami] was; when he found out the "truth," he was quite shocked.

Thinking back now, my expression must have been hilarious.

Since that's the case, then Shoko and Satoru shouldn't be able to stay out of it... He can't be the only one who got a fright.

He slowly drew out his words, deliberately lowering his voice: "It's a secret for now."

"But you'll find out."

Just as Gojo Satoru was about to complain, Natsumi Yuki's phone suddenly rang.

Xia Youjie glanced at the caller ID, and the smile on his lips instantly vanished.

He answered the phone, listening to the other end of the line with his eyes downcast.

"Okay, I understand. I'll handle it."

The call ended after a few brief words.

Xia Youjie paused for two seconds, then looked at the two of them with an apologetic smile: "Ah, sorry, Wu, Xiaozi... I have to go now."

He stood up, took out two gold-embossed business cards from his coat pocket, and placed them lightly on the table. The business cards clearly read: "Xia Youjie, Vice Leader of the Panxing Sect".

He tapped his fingers lightly on the contact information a few times, then couldn't help but chuckle, "I almost forgot to mention—if you need divination, exorcism, rituals, or to buy amulets, remember to contact me."

"20% off for acquaintances."

"...Jay, you've become a hardworking adult." Shoko Ieiri said with a strange expression as she took the business card.

They're already quite adept at selling business.

"There's no way around it, maintaining such a large sect isn't easy." Xia Youjie didn't seem to care about Ieiri Shoko's teasing, his expression unchanged as he shook his head helplessly. "The sect leader is a very busy person..."

"She doesn't need to worry about such trivial matters."

Rather than a complaint, the intimacy in their words was palpable.

Do you have such a good relationship with this cult leader?

Shoko Ieiri glanced at him and noticed that he seemed to have already started rambling on about the cult leader—that he was always running around and never seen, too busy, and often didn't even return to the Panxing Cult; that he ate whatever he could find without someone watching him, which was too unhealthy...

All you do is stare at people all day, don't you have anything else to do?

As the information about the cult leader became increasingly detailed, Ieiri Shoko remained expressionless, indicating that she was not listening.

"Ah... I accidentally talked too much."

Seeing the indescribable expressions on the faces of the two people present, Xia Youjie finally realized that he had been delayed for too long. He quickly ended the conversation, waved, and left.

Two people: "..."

Gojo Satoru: "Jacob is that one, right... the one..."

"Brainwashed?"

“A bit…” Gojo Satoru frowned, “And… it’s gone from weird bangs to weird freak bangs.”

"Ugh, he's a pervert."