Hero? I'm just here to borrow power!

However, immediately afterward, his sense of touch, brought about by his "superhuman" ability, became acute again. He could even clearly feel the sharp edges of the gravel under his feet and the slight coolness brought by the breeze brushing against his skin. His feet once again truly stepped onto this ravaged land after a long time.

Beside him, Hisahito Itadori's body slumped down.

Because of the "binding" made with Ryoumen Sukuna beforehand, although the soul of that thousand-year curse was completely annihilated, the remaining power within its body still caused the boy's consciousness to fall into a coma.

Bai Ye reached out and firmly supported his arm; the warmth and weight of that human touch silently proclaimed the end of everything.

He raised his head and looked into the shadows of the ruins not far away.

Gojo Satoru stood there, silently watching him.

"You won."

The sound was very soft, yet it stood out exceptionally clearly in the silence.

Gojo Satoru lightly stepped on the spot, and the next second, the space seemed to be folded by invisible fingers, and his figure appeared like a ghost on the other side of Itadori Yuujin, skillfully supporting the student's other arm.

His signature black eye patch had been removed during the previous battle, revealing his six pale blue eyes.

Those eyes no longer held their usual frivolity and nonchalance; now they reflected the shattered twilight, as if they had just witnessed the end of a feud spanning a thousand years, carrying a trace of almost transparent weariness.

Then, Gojo Satoru's lips slowly, very slowly, began to curve upwards.

It was a smile that seemed to come from a string that had been taut for far too long, finally able to relax.

"Yes, we won." Bai Ye's response was as simple as ever.

"Is Itadori alright?" Gojo Satoru looked down at the unconscious student, his tone unusually revealing a genuine concern.

"He'll be weak for a while, but he won't die." Bai Ye's gaze swept over Itajō's peaceful sleeping face. "His constitution is like a monster to begin with. With this level of aftereffects, he'll probably be lively and energetic again after a few days of sleep."

"That's good."

The two men, one on each side, supported Yujin with a cane, and slowly walked through the vast ruins, their feet treading on the dust of history.

"Where's Tengen?" Gojo Satoru suddenly asked.

"She probably took care of it."

"You didn't kill him?" Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow, seemingly somewhat surprised.

"The thing I cleaned up should be considered some kind of remnant of Tianyuan, or rather, some kind of remnant of the original Tianyuan. It was a remnant of the original Tianyuan, a ...

Their conversation was so relaxed, it sounded like two colleagues chatting casually on the street after get off work.

"That guy named Jianmu Yizheng, who was hiding behind a sword, was a cunning and ruthless man. He was a cunning and ruthless man, who ...

He must have received accurate information from the college before he arrived here.

He asked the question with some difficulty, as if he were forcing himself to confirm a fact he didn't want to believe.

Bai Ye didn't speak, but remained silent and nodded gently.

The air became thick and heavy at that moment, and even the breeze seemed to freeze in the cracks of the ruins.

"If only I had handled Jai's body better back then..." Gojo Satoru's usually vibrant voice suddenly turned low, as if he was regretting his actions.

"The problem lies with the corrupt higher-ups, not with you." Bai Ye interrupted his self-absorbed reverie without hesitation, precisely assigning responsibility. "Given the circumstances, unless you burned Xia Youjie's body to ashes on the spot, you would have been in serious trouble."

His tone was unusually calm, without any element of comfort, yet it was surprisingly effective.

When the word "higher-ups" was mentioned, the gloom that had just gathered in Gojo Satoru's azure eyes seemed to be blown away by a strong wind. His gloomy expression eased, and he then gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"The higher-ups, you're right. I never expected you'd be the one to clean them up in the end… But even if you hadn't, knowing the situation with the corrupt officials, it's clear they're still powerful enough to cause trouble!"

Now that the battle was over, Gojo Satoru pulled out a new eye mask from somewhere, slowly put it on, and transformed back into the cynical and unpredictable Gojo-sensei.

“I originally thought I could wait a while longer, until Hui and his generation grew up before taking action, but now I realize that I was indeed too slow.” He said calmly as he walked. “If it weren’t for you, this crisis would probably have exceeded the scope of what the entire sorcery world could handle… So, thank you, Byakuya.”

His gratitude was sincere and without any formality. Bai Ye could sense that this man, who always shouldered everything himself, was genuinely expressing his heartfelt thanks at this moment.

"Let's skip the formalities." Bai Ye smiled faintly, a hint of indifference in his smile. "I only took action to protect myself. After all, nobody likes having a knife hanging over their head that could fall at any moment."

As the two were talking, two figures gradually emerged from the depths of the distant ruins, their silhouettes stretched long in the dim twilight.

It is Jiujiu Yuki and Fuhei Hui.

Behind them, the riot of cursed spirits in that area had completely subsided. Fukuro Megumi's shadow twisted slightly on the ground, and the outline of the huge shikigami "Makoro," which had adapted to all calamities, quietly disappeared, turning into a pool of thick ink and melting back under its master's feet.

Clearly, with the help of the master sorcerer Yuki Tsukumo, they finally managed to capture the demon from the Ω-shaped area.

When Fushiguro Megumi looked up, he saw Itadori Yuujin being supported by Byakuya and Gojo Satoru. His dark eyes, which always seemed half-asleep and carried a hint of ruthlessness and listlessness, lit up in an instant, filled with urgency and concern.

"Teacher!" he called from afar, his voice filled with a relieved joy.

"Yo!" Upon seeing his student, Gojo Satoru smiled easily, raised his free hand, and waved in greeting.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something amusing, he turned to Bai Ye and said, "Speaking of which, the Japanese sorcery world is currently in dire need of rebuilding. Hmm...would you be interested in becoming a high-level representative or something? The chief, you know, that's a lot of power."

"Me?" Bai Ye's expression froze, revealing a pure astonishment, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

“Yes, it’s you.” Gojou Satoru nodded matter-of-factly. “After all, there are just too few reliable and strong adults in the world of jutsu these days. Even if you add Principal Yagami and that old man from Kyoto, you can’t even get a full mahjong table. The three starter families are in such a mess right now. The Zenin family is already weak, the Kamo family has been defeated by the Yagami clan, and the Kamo family is in dire straits.”

At this moment, Fushiguro Megumi and Tsukumo Yuki approached. Tsukumo Yuki, a tall blonde beauty, was still a little weak, obviously due to the recent healing of her serious injuries, but she had a bright smile on her face and listened with great interest to Gojo Satoru's shocking proposal.

Upon hearing Gojo Satoru's analysis, Byakuya shook his head without hesitation: "No matter what, it couldn't be me. I'm not even Japanese, and I have absolutely no connection to the three great families. Besides..."

He swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. It wasn't the right time to tell them that he was leaving this world, at least not now.

Gojo Satoru seemed to see through his concerns and waved his hand: "Identity is not a problem. The old man of the Zenin family, Zenin Naoki, is already in a hurry to find a successor to the family head. If nothing unexpected happens, he will pass the position of family head to Megumi. At that time, with Megumi's status as the 'head of the Zenin family,' it will be no problem for him to recommend you as the high-level representative of the Zenin family."

"Does that mean I have to join the Zen family?" Bai Ye frowned. He had no liking for those corrupt and decadent families.

"Hmm, now that you mention it, it reminds me of something." Gojo Satoru stroked his chin, revealing a mischievous smile. "Speaking of which, that girl from the Zenin family has always admired you. You could consider marrying into the family; young people should go all out."

Byakuya's eye twitched: "Teacher-student relationship, huh? Gojo-sensei, you're a real scumbag."

"Huh? I've been wanting to complain about you the whole time! Even though you're a college teacher, you're not that much older than them, are you? This is called free love!"

"Alright, stop telling such boring jokes in front of the students."

Seeing Fukuro Megumi standing right in front of him, looking bewildered yet with a hint of gossip, Bai Ye waved his hand, forcefully ending this dangerous topic.

"How is Dr. Huzhang?"

Fushiguro Megumi's gaze immediately fell on the unconscious Itadori Yuujin, and she asked with concern.

"It's okay now."

Gojo Satoru patted Fushiguro Megumi on the shoulder, then raised his head, his eyepatch-covered face turning toward the high school, his voice becoming reliable and steady once again.

"Let's go back to the vocational college."

#I have gastroenteritis, sorry for the late update today#

Jujutsu Kaisen: Chapter 64 - The Hidden Power of Heroic Spirit Emiya (3K)

Someone once said that...

"A king has the talent of a king, and a cook has the talent of a cook."

Bai Ye had long forgotten the second half of the sentence, but at this moment, he had an unprecedented and profoundly clear understanding of himself.

Whether he has the talent to be a king is hard to say for sure, but he absolutely, one thousand percent lacks the talent to be a cook.

The time was the day after Ryomen Sukuna was completely wiped out.

The location was the large event room at the High School of Spellcasting, which had been temporarily converted into a victory celebration after the disaster.

The faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the air, mingling with the aroma of food and the cheerful laughter of young men and women, creating a wonderful and reassuring atmosphere.

In this atmosphere, Bai Ye was thrust into the spotlight.

Faced with the unusually energetic Itadori Yuuhito, who had just woken up, and Kugisaki Nobara, who was stirring up trouble and fearing nothing more than a peaceful world, he was ultimately forced to bite the bullet and be half-pushed and half-forced into the kitchen by a group of people, under the pretext of "showing off authentic Chinese cuisine and letting these unsophisticated Japanese country bumpkins open their eyes."

Right now, Bai Ye is staring at the large iron pot in front of him, and at the lump inside the pot... that lump that cannot be precisely defined by modern language.

It was a pitch-black solid that emitted a pungent, burnt smell. Its surface had an eerie, ominous sheen, as if it had been scorched by hellfire. Its shape was twisted and abstract, resembling either a piece of obsidian just dug out from the depths of a volcano or a highly concentrated residue left behind by an alchemist who had failed in his attempt to turn lead into gold.

Bai Ye's entire face was almost the same shade as that lump in the pot.

Thinking back, before I transmigrated, it seems that the word "cooking" never existed in my life's dictionary.

Eating in the school cafeteria during his student days and ordering takeout after graduation and starting work—this survival strategy was efficient and stable, allowing him to perfectly avoid all kitchen-related skills.

After arriving in this world, his life was simplified to the extreme: exorcising cursed spirits, and then stopping by a convenience store to buy a Japanese bento box that didn't taste very good. That was his daily dinner.

Under this kind of survival mode, how could I possibly make any decent Chinese dishes!

Moreover, he had seen more than once in convenience stores and restaurants that what the Japanese called "Chinese cuisine" was completely different from real Chinese food.

Furthermore, this thing in your own pot, which is completely carbonized and even starting to exude a philosophical aura, has probably already created an insurmountable species divide with the concept of "human food," right? If you were to feed this thing to a cursed spirit, the cursed spirit would probably hesitate whether you and it are even of the same kind, right?

"Bai Ye-kun? Do you need my help?"

Just as Bai Ye's thoughts were about to drift into outer space, Nanami Kento's calm and reliable voice suddenly rang out from outside the half-open kitchen door.

The reliable adult clearly sensed an ominous atmosphere emanating from the kitchen and asked with concern.

They've been discovered! The scene in the kitchen, so chaotic and resembling a ritual performed by an ancient evil god, was too embarrassing for Bai Ye to let anyone else see.

Although Bai Ye doesn't care much about how others perceive him, spoiling everyone's celebration in this situation was clearly not his intention.

“It’s alright, Mr. Nanami.” Baiye took a deep breath and replied in a calm voice that seemed to indicate that everything was under control. “Leave the kitchen to me, it will be ready soon.”

His voice was so reassuring, carrying an unquestionable confidence.

Although Nanami Kento hesitated because of the increasingly strong smell of burning, he ultimately did not push the door open and came in, based on his trust in Byakuya's consistent strength. He simply responded and left.

Tsk... I finally managed to fool them.

Bai Ye leaned against the stove, his brows furrowed even more deeply than when he faced the two Su Nuo.

There's no other way... it seems like we have to resort to that.

With a thought, a red card emitting a faint glow appeared in his hand.

Heroes Ride—Emiya the Heroic Spirit!

As he inserted the red card into the black and gold belt at his waist, a familiar power instantly surged through his entire body.

"Although it's borrowed power, it doesn't count as cheating."

Bai Ye closed his eyes contentedly, feeling the massive flow of information that had appeared out of nowhere in his mind.

It was about knowledge of ingredients, mastery of cooking time and temperature, the essence of knife skills, the art of seasoning... A near-omnipotent sense of culinary mastery was imprinted deep in his soul as if it were innate.

Ah... Although the skill description on the character card didn't mention it at all, this Heroic Spirit Emiya is indeed a monster with both housekeeping and cooking skills at the EX level. Being able to control his power is really great in a time like this.

Bai Ye's eyes changed.

When he opened his eyes, the helplessness and embarrassment he had felt earlier had vanished without a trace, replaced by a calmness and focus as if he were a precision instrument.

He deftly and cleanly poured the "mysterious carbonaceous object" from the wok into the trash can, then quickly cleaned up the partially contaminated cookware. The whole process was smooth and efficient, without a single unnecessary movement.

The prepared ingredients were neatly arranged on the counter. As Bai Ye's gaze swept over them, dozens of recipes instantly flashed through his mind.

When it comes to Chinese cuisine in Japan, Mapo Tofu is definitely a must-mention.

However, this legendary dish originating from Sichuan was modified into a peculiar sweet version in Japan to suit local tastes, resulting in sweet Mapo Tofu... While Bai Ye mentally ranted about this heretical act, which was comparable to adding milk to cola, his hands never stopped moving.

The cleaver in his hand transformed into a silver blur, cutting the tofu into evenly sized cubes. Minced ginger and garlic burst forth with an alluring aroma in the hot oil. Doubanjiang (fermented broad bean paste), sweet bean sauce, and broth were blended together, thickened with cornstarch, and finally drizzled with boiling hot chili oil. With a sizzle, a dish of "Japanese Mapo Tofu"—bright red in color, fragrant, and subtly sweet—was completed.

Next up is Tianjin Rice, a Japanese-Chinese dish named after a famous character from Dragon Ball. Bai Ye had already complained about it a hundred times in his mind. Although it is called Tianjin Rice, it actually has nothing to do with the port city of Tianjin in China. It is just a rice bowl that borrows the name.

Of course, there is also a theory that Japanese chefs during the Taisho period borrowed the Tianjin-style rice bowl tradition to create this dish of crab meat and fried egg on top of rice. However, this dish looks so different from the real Chinese rice bowl that there is a subtle sense of dissimilarity between them.

Despite the complaints, with the power of the Heroic Spirit Emiya, Byakuya's egg-beating technique was nothing short of an art. The golden egg liquid mixed with the delicious crab meat was instantly formed in the frying pan, incredibly smooth and tender, perfectly covering the glistening rice, and then drizzled with a crystal-clear sauce.

……

Soon, thanks to Emiya's all-around mastery of cooking, Byakuya prepared a complete set of so-called "Chinese dishes".

He stood in front of the stove, looking at the plates laid out before him: Tianjin rice, Mapo tofu (sweet), Chinese rice bowl (which has nothing to do with Chinese food), fried dumplings (the shape and preparation of which are more like potstickers), Dan Dan noodles (a more lenient version with soup), shrimp with mayonnaise (what kind of weird combination is this?), and Japanese twice-cooked pork...

Byakuya finally deactivated the Heroic Spirit Emiya's transformation state, completely satisfied.

Although from a Chinese perspective, these "Chinese dishes" in front of him were indeed somewhat indescribable, Bai Ye's complicated feelings at this moment were comparable to an Italian seeing a pineapple pizza for the first time.

However, it must be admitted that the Heroic Spirit Emiya's culinary skills are truly exceptional. Even with these modified dishes, under his control, the color, cooking time, and aroma of each dish reached a near-perfect level.

"Well, as long as they're happy eating, that's all that matters."

Bai Ye exhaled softly, clearing his mind of all distractions, and murmured to himself.

After all, he was about to leave this world.