The Higher Ups

"Ha ha ha ha." Minamoto Sōjun laughed heartily, like a hundred-kilogram child.

The failure of the Five-Eyes Water-Bucket Head did not affect his good mood, and more importantly, his state of mind had been cleansed.

Without desires, one becomes strong. He was stronger than ever now.

Amid the laughter, there were three strange sounds mixed in, and the noise was undeniably bizarre.

When Yoruagi Seidou pushed open the door and witnessed the scene before him, he even paused for a moment before stepping into the attic. He glanced over the strange figures, quickly averting his gaze; he had long since grown accustomed to it. He looked at Minamoto Sōjun and straightforwardly said:

"The higher-ups want to talk to you."

"Alright." Minamoto Sōjun grinned, showing a row of sharp, white teeth.

Yoruagi Seidou technically also belonged to the higher-ups, but not quite at the very top—he was a bit below that. Some tasks seemed too lowly for high-ranking individuals, so those like him, caught between the upper and lower ranks, often had to take care of menial errands.

"Master Yoruagi, when did you become the top of the high ranks?"

Minamoto Sōjun gazed at the moth with sharp eyes.

A month had passed, and the higher-ups had finally reached their limit.

Minamoto Sōjun didn't intend to drag things out any further, so he followed Yoruagi Seidou as they made their way deeper into the high-ranking areas.

Yoruagi Seidou felt that Sōjun's attitude had grown more and more casual. Along the way, he purposely reminded him to be cautious, to which Minamoto Sōjun nodded in agreement.

The two quickly arrived in front of a tall temple-like building. There was only this one building around, and the area was quiet, with no sign of people.

Minamoto Sōjun paused outside for a moment, surveying the temple-like structure, then followed Yoruagi Seidou inside. They entered a spacious room, decorated in a traditional Japanese aesthetic, with wooden floors and walls. Several iron candle holders were placed on the walls, each holding a candle, casting dim light across the room. The space was divided into separate sections by a few sliding doors, which formed a semi-circular enclosure around the main entrance, creating a sense of oppression.

Minamoto Sōjun noticed figures moving behind the sliding doors, their shadows flickering with the candlelight.

Yoruagi Seidou was sent out of the room. Before leaving, he gave Sōjun a look, silently signaling him to be patient.

"Minamoto Sōjun, possessing physical control techniques, it seems you also have control over souls," an aged voice came through, speaking casually, as if addressing a younger relative.

"I didn't expect someone from the Minamoto family to show up at a time like this."

"However, why have you consistently refused to join the higher ranks?"

The elderly voice carried a tone of mild confusion, as if it was hard to fathom someone rejecting an offer to join the high ranks—who wouldn't want to climb higher?

"Fifteen years old, right in the middle of the rebellious phase. These kids are the most troublesome." Another elderly voice responded sharply, its tone grating like a stone scraping against glass.

"The Star Pulp body issue also hasn't been handled well. You ignored the safety of the entire jujutsu world just to protect the Star Pulp body… This is the way children behave, acting out of emotion, adding so many unnecessary troubles."

"Yeah, it's been like this for over a thousand years. Still young, doesn't understand that stability is the most important thing, too impulsive."

"Doesn't know how to seize opportunities when they come."

"…"

The voices grew more numerous, a back-and-forth of old men, all of them speaking with the same aged tone, filled with the weariness of time, with the same goal of putting Minamoto Sōjun down, striking first.

It seemed that those behind the door were all frail, elderly individuals?

Minamoto Sōjun stood in the middle of the sliding doors, listening to these people chatter on. He had expected that there would be some negotiation—his conditions, their conditions—either they would come to an agreement, or they wouldn't. He hadn't expected to waste time listening to them ramble. He finally spoke up:

"Putting your hopes on a child—this is how you old guys operate?"

Minamoto Sōjun interrupted them.

Bang—A loud slap against the table rang out.

"Outrageous! If the Tengen becomes uncontrollable, the entire country could be destroyed!!" A forceful yet equally elderly voice came, as if deeply offended by the breach of decorum.

"If it really comes to that, I'll naturally stop it. In fact, I've already solved the evolution problem of the Tengen," Minamoto Sōjun replied calmly, not hurried in his words.

"…Don't forget, the Tengen barrier is a serious matter. What gives you the confidence to make such a decision? One person making that call. If you hadn't solved the problem, executing you wouldn't have been too much," another voice threatened.

"But you can be spared the death penalty, though not the punishment for living. We've already given you a chance—asked you to go to the Medical Department to assist the injured. How dare you refuse? We…"

"Alright, alright, no need to get so angry. Let's sit down and talk this through," another voice intervened, trying to play the good cop.

Minamoto Sōjun glanced coldly at these people. Though the sliding doors obstructed his view, they were as transparent as if they weren't even there. He didn't leap to retaliate like a cat stepped on its tail. These people's words no longer affected him at all—like ants on the side of the road, biting and being proud of themselves, unaware that the person they were trying to bite didn't even care, perhaps hadn't even noticed the bite.

"Think about it. We're not asking you to do anything. There must be rules, otherwise nothing would get done. No one can just act according to their own whims. We all work for the good of the jujutsu world," another voice urged.

An elderly man, perhaps in his sixties or seventies, stepped out from behind the sliding doors and approached Minamoto Sōjun. He tried to pat Sōjun's shoulder, but realizing their height difference, he suddenly frowned.

"Going to the Medical Department won't affect you at all. In fact, it can contribute to the jujutsu world. It will benefit everyone."

"Your personal assistant, that woman named Mishima, isn't she close to you? She's been applying to become a bounty jujutsu sorcerer. We could help clear the way for her, but she doesn't meet the requirements."

"Think about it. Don't be too hot-headed, young man."

Minamoto Sōjun narrowed his eyes. So, there was this reason. No wonder Mishima Shiko had brought up a transfer before. Her smile couldn't be hidden, and after she was promoted, she still stayed as an assistant supervisor, saying the timing wasn't right. That woman…

With her near-level 1 strength, she couldn't transfer? Didn't meet the requirements? What requirements?!

Her situation at the higher ranks was really difficult.

The old man reached out to pat Minamoto Sōjun's arm. When he didn't hear a response, he lifted his eyes and saw a face that was more of a smirk than a smile. His expression immediately turned pale with shock.

"You…"

A red stain appeared on the old man's palm, quickly vanishing under his shriveled skin. The old man froze, motionless.

"You dare!" Voices from behind the sliding doors erupted simultaneously.

"Calm down, don't damage your health. It's a newly developed technique, losing control is inevitable. Who told him to have dirty hands?" Minamoto Sōjun gently dusted off his sleeve as if wiping off something filthy. After the clothes were clean, he continued:

"Weren't you all investigating me? This move, I call it the Bone Tree." He flicked his finger, sending a streak of red. "What does it mean? It means gathering a large amount of bone material into one point, growing a bone tree seed. Once the seed is planted, it grows rapidly into a towering tree."

As soon as Minamoto Sōjun finished speaking, as if to confirm his words, the old man let out a horrified scream. White roots began to emerge from his seven orifices, and branches pierced through his body. Eventually, all that remained was a skeletal form, indistinguishable from the roots. The Bone Tree continued to grow taller, bursting out of the temple…

It really was a big tree.

Minamoto Sōjun had already appeared outside the temple, next to Yoruagi Seidou.

He watched as the temple collapsed, and several figures scrambled out in disarray.

What a pity.

One careless mistake, and an ant got crushed.

He felt a brief sense of regret, but in the face of life and death, what's the use of acting high and mighty?

Minamoto Sōjun looked ahead, his gaze deep. The temple was no more, only a towering Bone Tree remained. Even from far away in the high ranks, this exquisitely beautiful white-boned giant tree could be seen from a distance.

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