Ms. Gojo thought she was dating an ordinary person's boyfriend.

Chapter 213 "I Am Here"

Wu Tiao Wu went to the place where Xia Youjie's body was placed back then.

That place is not even in the official records of the higher vocational college.

After the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons ended, he did not hand over Jai's body to Ieiri Shoko, nor did he follow the strict rules of the sorcery world regarding the disposal of curse masters' remains by sending the body to a cold storage room or an autopsy table.

He has not explained this decision to anyone.

No one else had the guts or the right to demand an explanation from him.

The crimes committed by Xia Youjie will not be wiped clean just because he has died.

Gojo Satoru understood this better than anyone else.

But the person is already dead.

They shouldn't be put on the dissection table by the Directorate General again, used as material for studying the magic of spirit manipulation, and disassembled piece by piece.

Over the years, Gojo Satoru has never mentioned the specific details of the body's disposal to anyone.

He never came back to pay his respects, nor did he erect a monument, leaving not even a trace that could be easily traced back to him.

Every detail of their last meeting was already etched into Six Eyes' memory; he didn't need a cold, hard stone to remind him of what he had lost.

But now, Gojo Satoru stopped outside the entrance, glanced at it once, and his face darkened completely.

The soil there showed signs of having been disturbed.

Before he could even take a step into the deepest part, Six Eyes had already laid bare the most absurd result before him.

The body, which should have been lying there quietly, is gone.

Someone broke in here, dug up Jay's body, and cleaned the site up completely.

That person may have touched Jay's body, may have examined the traces left by the spirit manipulation technique, or may have been after that body from the very beginning.

Gojo Satoru closed his eyes.

The list he had plundered resurfaced in his mind.

The former peripheral members of the Panxing Sect are being brought back one by one, and the old legal entity accounts are starting to process money again.

However, the other party deliberately bypassed all the core members who truly understood Xia Youjie.

If the intention is simply to impersonate someone, this approach is indeed quite cautious.

But ordinary disguises can't fool people who really know Jie, and there's no way to explain where an imposter gets the confidence to flaunt Xia Youjie's name for so long.

Unless, the other party is holding more than just a name.

Gojo Satoru's magical power surged suddenly.

The entire space trembled under his overflowing power, and cracks instantly spread across the stone walls. The barrier that held everything together groaned under the strain, as if it would be torn to shreds at any moment.

But at the last moment, he stopped abruptly.

We must not destroy this place.

Even if the remaining information is scarce, it may become the only clue for future investigations.

Gojo Satoru gritted his teeth, raised his hand and pressed hard on his throbbing forehead, forcing himself to re-examine every abnormality.

The clues were pitifully few.

He could only confirm one thing—the body had indeed been taken away.

Gojo Satoru stood there, surrounded by silence, not a sound could be heard. He suddenly felt a little lost and bewildered.

No matter how many years have passed, he knows why he refused to hand over the body back then.

He had already killed Jay with his own hands.

We can no longer hand over Jay's body to the Directorate General, allowing them to use his remains as a tool under the guise of research and prevention.

That was the last time he chose Xia Youjie out of personal considerations, outside of his duties.

But now, it is precisely this selfishness that has become a bargaining chip for others to exploit Jie at will.

"Buzz—"

The phone in his pocket vibrated, and Gojo Satoru looked down at the screen.

【Xiao Cheng】

His finger hovered above the answer button, but hesitated to drop it.

As soon as the call connects, even if he only says one word, Sumi Kichikawa will immediately understand his state. Then, that person will definitely come to find him right away.

Gojo Satoru knew he shouldn't refuse.

But he was still standing by the empty grave where Jay had disappeared, his mind filled with the most disgusting and worst speculations.

He didn't want Kikkawa Sumi to see him like this, didn't want Kikkawa Sumi to see him with his own eyes, unable to even maintain the last bit of composure in front of a pile of remaining traces.

The ringtone rang for a while, then the screen went completely dark.

Kikawa Sumi didn't call a third time, nor did she send a message to press him for his location.

Gojo Satoru stared at the blacked-out screen, feeling a heavy, oppressive weight in his chest instead of a sense of relief.

Xiao Cheng is always like this.

When you should ask him questions, you should leave him room to maneuver; even though you've already sensed something's wrong, you should still respect his silence.

Gojo Satoru knew very well that Kikkawa Sumi simply believed in him and that he would eventually return home.

When he returned to the apartment, it was already daylight, and the area in front of the door was quiet, just like usual. But Gojo Satoru stood in front of the door, motionless for a long time.

He didn't know how to bring it up with Sumi Kichikawa.

He said that it was because he refused to hand over Jai's body to Shoko that someone was able to take advantage of the situation.

As he had done countless times before, he swallowed all the surging emotions alone and only told Xiaocheng that he had discovered a new clue that needed to be investigated further.

He was most familiar with the second method.

If she just smiles, Sumi Kichikawa probably won't immediately press the issue.

But when Gojo Satoru looked down at his reflection in the door lock—a blurry, grayish-white image—he knew the idea was pointless.

He can't laugh now.

He reached out and opened the door. The light in the entryway was still on, but the living room was dimly lit.

Kikawa Sumire was sitting on the sofa with an untouched glass of water next to her. Hearing the door open, she immediately stood up.

"Xiao Cheng isn't asleep yet?"

Gojo Satoru spoke first.

He tried to make his voice sound lighter.

"Staying up late is really bad for your skin. Even if Xiaocheng doesn't get old, she should still pay attention—"

Before he could finish speaking, Sumi Kichikawa had already walked up to him and hugged him.

Gojo Satoru's body stiffened for a moment.

He instinctively wanted to step back a little, to tell Sumi Kichikawa that he wasn't hurt, and to lighten the mood with a harmless joke.

But Sumi Kawakawa held him very tightly in her arms.

"Enlightenment".

"Um."

"I am here."

Gojo Satoru closed his eyes.

Just those two words easily shattered the calm he had maintained on his way back.

He didn't hug her back immediately; he just stood there, frozen for a while, before his tense shoulders and back gradually relaxed.

Sumire Kawakawa reached out to remove his blindfold, and Satoru Gojo tilted his head but did not stop him.

Those usually flamboyant azure eyes remained clean, but deep within them lay a profound and unyielding melancholy that Kikawa Sumi had never seen before.

"You went to a vocational college?" Gojo Satoru suddenly asked.

He could smell the residual disinfectant from the infirmary on Sumire Kikawa.

"Um."

"Looking for glass?"

"Um."

"Sumiko is quick on her feet." Gojo Satoru forced a smile. "She found out everything about me while I was away."

Are you angry?

"A little."

Gojo Satoru said in a low voice.

"It's clearly my problem, but you went to ask someone else first."

Sumi Kichikawa did not defend herself.

"sorry."