Chapter 91: You wouldn't even be qualified to enter this hall
「 "If you had handed the Stellaron Hunters over to me earlier, you wouldn't have this problem now. What exactly are you thinking?" At this point, Fu Xuan suddenly froze, then realized with a start: "Jing Yuan! Could it be… Did you intentionally let them escape?!"
"Me? How could I be as prescient as Master Diviner Fu? The Cloud Knights were negligent in their guard, and I bear responsibility."
Based solely on that tone and expression, Fu Xuan was already certain in her heart that this person named Blade was intentionally released by Jing Yuan!
However, she didn't expose him, but instead played along.
"Hmph, I can understand. The various affairs of the Xianzhou are complex, and you are inevitably lacking in energy. If it weren't for me supporting things from below… Speaking of which, at the next Six Chariots' Deliberation, you should fulfill your promise to recommend me to succeed you as general, shouldn't you…?"
"Mhm, mhm, mhm, alright, alright, alright, I know, I have important matters to attend to. After this, I'll leave everything to the 'exceptionally gifted' Master Diviner Fu."
Feeling the almost overflowing perfunctoriness from the other side, Fu Xuan pouted slightly in dissatisfaction and hung up the communication with a "snap." 」
「 .....」
〜Jujutsu Kaisen World, Future Timeline〜
"Prescient…"
Yuta Okkotsu precisely caught these four words from Jing Yuan's speech, repeating them in disbelief.
"Prescient, is this also the power of the Star God of The Hunt?"
"Unlikely."
Mei Mei brushed aside the white braid covering her face, opening one eye.
"If the Xianzhou people could truly be prescient, then they should have been able to avoid the Stellaron disaster in advance."
"...Since they didn't avoid it, it means that 'prescience' is conditional—and the conditions are quite harsh."
Mei Mei paused, then continued.
"And I don't know if you've noticed, that pink-haired girl is a bit different from other Xianzhou people."
"Different? Uh… Is it her figure?"
Utahime Iori pondered for a moment. The little girl was short in stature, and a certain prominent area was also quite barren, forming a sad contrast with Yukong and Tingyun, who had already appeared.
"…"
Atsuya Kusakabe rolled his eyes speechlessly. He slowly exhaled a puff of smoke and tapped his forehead with his index finger.
"You mean the eye here, right?"
"Very observant."
Mei Mei smiled at Kusakabe in appreciation.
"Jing Yuan said she was exceptionally gifted… It might not just be a compliment, but also a statement of fact. If she truly possesses the ability to be prescient, it's probably inseparable from the eye on her forehead."
"That thing should also be related to the Star God's."
Atsuya Kusakabe showed an envious expression,
"If we had that eye, we wouldn't have to fear Sukuna anymore."
"Not necessarily."
Yuta Okkotsu shook his head,
"Satoru-sensei's Six Eyes can precisely perceive the flow of cursed energy. Although it's not direct 'future sight,' he can predict the opponent's next move by analyzing changes in cursed energy, which counts as a simple premonition effect."
"The difficulty in fighting Sukuna isn't in 'predicting' his actions and movements, but in the fact that even if you know what he's going to do… it's hard to deal with."
"Rather than envying Miss Fu's prescient abilities, I think General Jing Yuan's Divine Foresight is more reliable."
Yuta Okkotsu smiled wistfully,
"Even Jingliu couldn't dodge that one slash. If it could hit Sukuna head-on… we wouldn't need to be here making plans, would we?"
—
「 "General, it's common knowledge that Diviner Fu wants to take your position," Yanqing said from the side.
"She is very capable, but her mind still needs more tempering. When she gets rid of her straightforward temper, I might consider retiring," Jing Yuan's words held a hint of helplessness.
Seeing his master troubled and unable to resolve his worries, Yanqing stepped forward and volunteered.
"If someone ran away, just catch them back. With a single command from the General, I, Yanqing, will immediately resolve your worries."
"I know you are eager, but now is not the time. You wish to attain the name of Sword Champion, so you must not act rashly, especially not in a weapon fight with a major criminal."
Jing Yuan knew that Yanqing was exceptionally gifted and proud, and shook his head in refusal.
But this further stirred Yanqing's competitive spirit.
"Does the General think I would lose to that Blade?"
"I want you to be patient, Yanqing. Governing the Xianzhou peacefully is different from swordsmanship; slow and steady wins the race. There is a mystery… the Stellaron, how did it hide from everyone, bypass the Sky-Faring Commission's inspection and the Divination Commission's deductions, and where was it placed?"
"I think the fastest way is to capture the two Stellaron Hunters and have Diviner Fu interrogate them."
"I have already entrusted this matter to the guests on the Astral Express; no rush. Yanqing, you are the person I trust most; there are some things I can only feel at ease entrusting to you. Yanqing, there's an errand…"
As Jing Yuan spoke, he noticed there was no movement beside him. Turning his head, Yanqing was already gone.
"Ah, this child… It's my fault. When a youth stays at home for too long, they inevitably stir up some trouble. I only fear that the setbacks he will face this time will be greater than his youthful exuberance…" 」
「 .....」
〜Frieren: Beyond Journey's End World〜
"I like this child's temper."
Serie's gaze lingered on the direction Yanqing had left for a long time. As a teacher herself, a disciple like Yanqing was incredibly precious.
For her, talent might be important—but whether a person could reach higher realms depended entirely on their mindset and disposition.
What made her slightly displeased was that few of her disciples dared to challenge her; even a skilled First-Class Mage like Lernen, in his decades of following her, had never entertained the thought of fighting her.
She liked people with desires. Desire determined a person's upper limit… Without desire, in Serie's eyes, it was like stagnant water.
This was also why she admired Denken and made him a First-Class Mage. There was still desire in his eyes; even though he was no longer young, he still had an unreached upper limit.
And Yanqing's desire to prove himself made her quite satisfied.
"What a perfect disciple, and an immortal… probably with a lifespan of thousands of years?"
Serie sighed regretfully. If she could open a channel between the two worlds, she really wanted to bring Yanqing over and teach him magic.
"Lady Serie, I have a question."
The quiet Zenze suddenly spoke.
"That Blade looks like he's killed countless people… Isn't Jing Yuan afraid of his disciple being lost to him?"
"Lost?"
Serie looked as if she had heard a bad joke, a hint of strangeness in her eyes.
"If he were to die at Blade's hands, then he wouldn't be a genius at all, nor would he be highly valued by Jing Yuan and become his close attendant."
"Just like you… Zenze, if you were just an ordinary sorcerer with a slight knowledge of magic, you wouldn't even be qualified to enter this hall, do you understand?"
—