Curse Returns: What did the human-shaped wishing machine do wrong this time?

"Greetings, Master."

Sugawara Satoru bowed slightly to the young man in the black and yellow monk's robe standing in front of the mansion.

During the Nara period, the esoteric Buddhist teachings were introduced to Japan from the Tang Dynasty, and Buddhism flourished at that time. By the Heian period, the faith gradually shifted from Buddhism to Shintoism.

The monk in front of him was followed by several warrior monks, who were clearly members of the royal family. Sugawara no Kakuzu dared not be negligent in the slightest.

"Greetings, Sugawara. I have come on behalf of the Fujiwara clan head to investigate the matter of the rope people. May I ask if you have found any clues?"

The monk before me had light features and a serene Buddhist air. His slender eyes shimmered with a dark divine light, and unlike ordinary people, he had a black suture line on his forehead.

Sugawara no Satoru knew little about the monks of Todai-ji Temple, and when he heard him mention the Fujiwara family, his expression turned slightly unpleasant.

"Master, we only have some directions for our investigation now, and we haven't found any evidence yet."

The matter of the rope man has become too big a fuss. If it were just the Sugawara family, they could handle it privately. Now, even the Empress is shocked. Sugawara Satoru feels that they can no longer keep that child.

*

"...Is this the child?"

The monk's hands, hidden beneath his wide sleeves, tightened slightly.

On the way here, the young master of the Sugawara family had already given a brief account of the matter.

Alluka's position was moved to a dark room by these people.

Ever since the samurai of the Sugawara clan suspected that he was the murderer who killed so many people, no one dared to approach him.

The child had no complaints about being locked up here; his beautiful blue eyes, still wet, looked at the monk who had opened the door and entered.

"Is this brother here to take me away?"

A pure and innocent smile appeared on his fair face.

"Yes."

The monk bowed slightly and turned the prayer beads in his hand.

"Brother, what's your name?"

Alluka tilted her head, a hint of joy in her eyes.

He didn't actually like such dark places, so he was naturally happy to be able to go out.

"My Buddhist name is Yuanhai."

The young man paused slightly and then gave his Buddhist name.

Sugawara Satoru was nervously waiting to see what would happen, but the child just lowered his head in boredom and didn't say anything more.

He was somewhat puzzled about what the child's abilities were, but he no longer had the chance to investigate.

Alluka was taken by the monks to an ancient temple located in the forest.

The majestic and ancient temple is hidden among the towering mountains. Its brackets and eaves resemble the winding mountain range. On the side of the path to the temple are two rows of stone lanterns for offering lamps. The magnificent architecture is completely different from the temple they are in.

"Lord Fujiwara has asked us to investigate this child."

Sugawara Satoru was also afraid that Alluka might accidentally kill the head of the Fujiwara family, which would surely enrage the Empress and make her family furious.

He had already presented the two aspects of Alluka's unease to him.

As the emperor's father-in-law, the Fujiwara clan head would not personally attend to such a dangerous situation.

This child can turn a person into a monster, and possesses an immense amount of magical power within his body that is currently unmatched.

The Fujiwara family used extremely cruel methods when recruiting talent for the "Sun, Moon and Stars" and "Five Vassal Generals".

They would select capable children from all over the country to fight each other, and only the children who survived would be qualified to join the Fujiwara family's elite team.

If the child who created so many rope people is indeed his technique, then it has both advantages and disadvantages.

The Fujiwara family doesn't mind sacrificing some people to get the results they want.

If this child can truly imbue the family elites with magical power, then the Kamo, Abe, and Sugawara families will be powerless to resist.

Alluka was dressed in new clothes by the monks, a slightly worn, earthy-yellow robe. He kept his head down and didn't say a word on the way there.

As they approached the main hall, the little child softly asked, "Brother Yuanhai, can you hug me?"

The black-haired child looked up against the light, his cat-like blue eyes curving slightly, revealing a very faint smile.

"Um?"

The monk's wide robes were somewhat disheveled by the wind.

He was somewhat surprised that the child would suddenly make such a request, but considering the child's unusual behavior, he bent down slightly and picked him up.

"Brother Yuanhai, can you lift me up high?"

With the main hall's gate right in front of him, the child refused to leave.

The monk sighed softly and picked the person up.

He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but when he picked the person up, he seemed to hear a high-pitched laugh in the air.

"Brother Yuanhai, can you kiss me?"

Alluka giggled in the monk's arms.

The monk glanced somewhat awkwardly at the temple gate that was so close at hand, then lowered his head and gently touched Alluka's dark hair.

The next second, the child in his arms had changed completely.

Wisps of foul air emanated from the child's face; his beautiful cat-like eyes had vanished, replaced by two black holes that resembled whirlpools.

"What is your wish?"

The child, looking like a monster, stiffly turned his face to the side.

The pale skin clung tightly to his ear, and the icy breath seemed like rustling insects, crawling and trying to penetrate his skin, burrow into his body, and devour his flesh.

The chilling sensation sent a shiver down the monk's spine.

Seeing that he didn't reply, the monster chuckled and repeated what it had just said.

"What is your wish?"

His palm, as cold as ice, pressed tightly against the monk's neck, where the stitches had been laid.

The skin that was being pressed against felt as if it were covered by a cold, biting wind, stiffening and losing all sensation.

The shrill, eerie voice burned his nerves like sinister flames, causing him physical discomfort.

The young man with the stitches on his head gently raised his eyes and met the eyes of the younger brother of the Fujiwara clan chief in the hall.

In an instant, he understood the meaning in that person's eyes.

He somewhat awkwardly placed the child on the ground and asked, feigning calmness, "Can you tell me your abilities?"

"ability?"

The monster with dark, hollow features tilted its head and stared at him for a long time. Then, it repeated what it had just said in a high-pitched voice with a puzzled look. Afterward, a terrifying smile appeared on its pale and lifeless face.

"My ability is... to make a wish."

After answering his question, the deathly pallor on the child's face gradually faded, and his pale complexion regained its color.

Everything seemed as if nothing had happened.

The monk slowly raised his sleeve, and just a moment ago, cold sweat had unknowingly seeped from his forehead.

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Huh? Is there anyone who can't understand this?

Sugawara is Gojo, Abe seems to be Zenji, and Fujiwara is the family of Sendai Sky Woman Ushio Kyouko and Man.

During the Heian period, the Fujiwara family held absolute power, producing many empresses. The selection method for the Sun, Moon, and Stars to join the team was based on the urban legend of Battle Royale in the Ryomen Sukuna Mononobe Tengoku version. The One-Eyed Cat was written by referencing both modern and ancient Sukuna.

Sky Girl, also known as Uruhiko, showed no respect when talking about Rōsō, which shows that Brain Flower wasn't doing very well in Heian.

These are all plot points from later in the manga, which anime viewers might not understand. I just made up the nicknames for the character "Brain Flower" randomly; I'll change them later if there's a significant discrepancy.

These people will test Alluka's abilities, after all, if he uses them well, his destructive power is almost the same as Sukuna's, hahaha. I wanted to write less of Heian's story, but as I wrote, I ended up writing too much.

The modern Tengen has successfully assimilated two astral bodies. In addition, Riko has lived for at least 1500 years, and Tōsō and Tengen are close friends, so I guess he already had a brain at this time.