In truth, Yuan Shanxiao had placed a locator in each of the spatial rings, and even Gojo Satoru with his Six Eyes couldn’t detect what was inside these conceptual spaces. Still, Gojo Satoru would naturally suspect something was hidden within them.

Therefore, Yuan Shanxiao straightforwardly put a locator in every spatial ring.

Gojo Satoru might guess that he had placed something, but he wouldn’t guess that every single space contained one—after all, no normal person gives a gift containing eleven locators.

As Yuan Shanxiao predicted, Gojo Satoru marked his locator with a Jujutsu spell, so even though his Six Eyes couldn’t see inside the space, he could recognize this spell mark.

And as expected, once Gojo Satoru found one hidden locator, he would assume that was the only one.

So after Yuan Shanxiao placed the locator Gojo Satoru gave him back into his chest pendant, he patted his chest, reassured.

Good.

He had successfully placed a locator on Gojo Satoru. This way, when Gojo Satoru encountered the scenario described by the stitched-up head, Yuan Shanxiao would be able to locate Gojo Satoru immediately and rush to his side.

The reason Yuan Shanxiao could find Gojo Satoru so precisely and cling to his legs during their previous encounter was because Gojo Satoru had just completed a mission and was about to return to Tokyo. Yuan Shanxiao was very familiar with his Jujutsu energy, so even in his unconscious state, he could follow the scent.

However, Gojo Satoru wasn’t always in Tokyo.

Nor was he always in the Northern Hemisphere.

If the distance was too great, he wouldn’t be able to sense Gojo Satoru’s presence. To ensure he could still find Gojo Satoru even from Antarctica, Yuan Shanxiao thought Gojo Satoru’s idea was brilliant—just equip him with a locator.

“Ah.”

Even though he had achieved his goal, the young man still sighed with a melancholy look on his face, “If Sensei doesn’t like the gift—”

As he said this, he reached towards Gojo Satoru’s neck—only to be dodged as the elder grasped the spatial necklace.

“Hey, hey, who said I don’t like—don’t want it. Once given, don’t think about taking it back.”

“Eh? Sensei, do you like it?” the youth asked, pulling back his hand.

“Well, it’s passable. At least the style has some taste.”

The youth stared at the necklace around Gojo Satoru’s neck.

Gojo Satoru fingers lingered on the necklace resting against his collarbone.

The observers at the door of Tokyo Jujutsu High watched the two’s performance of handling an invisible object.

“…”

“Inumaki, did you see that?”

“…” “Mentaiko.”

Has Inumaki also become unable to follow them?

“…” “Panda, did you see that?”

“…” “Are they talking about the necklace? Uh, um… maybe it’s something only humans can see?”

Don’t just randomly blame others, Cursed Corpse.

“Okkotsu, did you see that?”

“…”

“Ah, sorry, I was just… Rika was talking about something weird again, what was Maki asking?”

Zen’in Maki: …

She wasn’t very interested in knowing what weird things Rika was saying.

Zen’in Maki’s gaze returned to the room. The white-haired teacher was exuberantly praising the air in his hands with the black-haired youth.

When Gojo Satoru praised the air’s “transparent color” for the third time, Zen’in Maki: …

You guys are too trendy.

————

After the gift exchange, the relationship between Gojo Satoru and Yuan Shanxiao normalized slightly, though if there were a term lighter than “slightly,” the folks at Jujutsu High would happily adopt it.

Actually, the main reason was that the date of their agreed duel was approaching, and although Gojo Satoru was somewhat reluctant to stop using Yuan Shanxiao—

Well, there was a kind of fear due to the other’s unpredictability, but also a strange thrill in being able to manipulate such an unpredictable person—

Gojo Satoru felt his mentality was quite normal.

Though he still somewhat wanted Yuan Shanxiao to help him write those untouched reports due tomorrow, teaching Yuan Shanxiao was now deemed more critical.

After all, the youth currently use Jujutsu based on intuition and fear, a mixture of instinct and terror.

The youth lacked systematic knowledge of Jujutsu and physical training.

Most importantly, the youth’s control over his Jujutsu energy was still at a “wild” stage. Gojo Satoru suspected that the mentioned “loss of sanity due to excessive fear” was due to this method of using Jujutsu energy.

A Jujutsu sorcerer should control negative emotions like fear, not be controlled by them.

“So—let’s try hitting this soda can with your Jujutsu energy.”

The youth’s gaze followed Gojo Satoru’s finger to the cabinet at the wall, where two soda cans were placed.

“Jujutsu energy?”

“Right, hit the first soda can with your Jujutsu energy, and then use a technique for the second.”

“Jujutsu energy—how do I use it?”

Hmm.

Gojo Satoru: …

I guessed you were an unrefined player, but not to this extent.

“Uh… well, imagine striking something through the air—let the energy brought by your emotions flow to your fingertips and then—”

Gojo Satoru watched as the youth spread his legs apart, toes pivoting on the ground, nodding slightly, his gaze firm and decisive as he extended two fingers, and Jujutsu energy flashed instantly—

“…”

Gojo Satoru: …

“Did you hit it?”

The youth hesitated.

“…I think I did?”

Gojo Satoru turned his head, although he didn’t need to look, but turning confirmed that the cans on the cabinet looked exactly the same as when they were placed there a minute ago.

Gojo Satoru: …

Gojo Satoru pondered for a moment, then suddenly suggested, “Right now, there’s a live cockroach inside this empty can, about to crawl out. Its antennae are already poking out of the opening, about to—”

“Bang—”

“…Did you hit it?”

The youth’s eyes were closed, his fingers trembling as he spoke.

Gojo Satoru: …

Gojo Satoru turned his head.

“Are you referring to the can or the wall?”

Yuan Shanxiao: …

“I meant the ca—” Noticing Gojo Satoru’s gaze, Yuan Shanxiao unflinchingly continued, “—n.”

————

Though the first step of teaching, “Understanding Jujutsu Energy,” encountered a slight issue, Gojo Satoru decided to continue with the lesson plan.

“Alright—Xiao, you now know what Jujutsu energy is, right?”

“Ah? I don’t know—” Noticing Gojo Satoru’s smirking, downcast face, Yuan Shanxiao smoothly corrected himself. “—I wouldn’t not know.”

Good, a double negative affirms the positive. Next stage. Gojo Satoru pushed up his sunglasses, signaling this part was complete. He slung his arm around the youth’s shoulders, leading him towards the sofa.

“Now, let’s learn about stable Jujutsu energy output—let’s watch a movie!”

The youth stumbled as he was pulled along, only then noticing the wall he had just demolished, hesitantly speaking up.

“…Aren’t we going to fix the wall?”

“It’s just a wall.”

The white-haired youth didn’t look back, continuing to lead him forward.

“Ah?”

“Don’t worry, Xiao, by the time you finish the movie, all four walls might collapse.”

Yuan Shanxiao: …

————

When the second wall collapsed, it was just as Gojo Satoru had brought out a Cursed Corpse from Yaga to test Jujutsu energy.

Yuan Shanxiao had almost convinced himself to obey Gojo Satoru, about to embrace the grotesque-looking doll, when just as he touched the doll—

“Bang—”

Sensing the surge of the youth’s emotions, the Cursed Corpse quickly threw a punch—

And then got knocked flying by the youth.

Gojo Satoru: …

Review*2

The first review was for the wall Yuan Shanxiao had broken.

Yuan Shanxiao spent a moment staring at his hands, then looked up at the wall broken by the Cursed Corpse, sweating profusely as he regained some composure. “Sorry, Sensei, I have rather strong dynamic vision.”

As Gojo Satoru retrieved the Cursed Corpse, looking at another broken wall.

OK. Review*3.

Gojo Satoru placed his hand on the youth’s sweaty palm, indicating that since the youth had broken the device meant to measure Jujutsu energy fluctuations, he, the strongest with the Six Eyes capable of measuring Jujutsu energy, would act as the youth’s human Cursed Corpse—

“Ah? Ah, no need to trouble Sensei—”

The sofa was a bit small, and the youth had felt uncomfortable sitting next to Gojo Satoru on it, especially as Gojo Satoru, completely oblivious, leaned back with his long arms and legs, his arm resting behind the youth’s neck, legs crossed in front of the youth’s toes. Yuan Shanxiao felt completely enveloped by Gojo Satoru’s presence.

“It’s not that it’s troublesome—”

The man’s hand pressed down lightly, easily holding the youth’s hand that was clutching the sofa fabric, the knuckles slightly curved, the veins becoming visible with the slight arching of the back of the hand, then—

Suddenly pressed down, capturing the inadvertently frightened hand trying to escape, pressing down the sofa fabric slightly before rebounding. Completely secured.

Gojo Satoru still had his legs crossed, not looking at the youth who had tensed up next to him.

“It’s just that the Cursed Corpse is broken. There’s nothing in this room more durable than Sensei—”

Yuan Shanxiao: …

The youth’s throat felt dry; he turned away, taking a moment to find his voice.

“Sensei.”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t allow you to call yourself an object.”

Gojo Satoru: …

“Bang—”

Yuan Shanxiao watched the Cursed Corpse’s fist flying towards Gojo Satoru’s face, intercepted by an invisible barrier.

He swallowed, then spoke with a sense of relief, pointing at the Cursed Corpse next to the still composed Gojo Satoru.

“See. The Cursed Corpse isn’t broken, is it?”