Chapter 183 Expulsion

Zenin Naobito was already waiting at the entrance of the Zenin Clan estate for Chen Nuo's arrival. His pale hair was combed back into a slick over-the-shoulder style, making him look like a very energetic old man.

He wore a light-colored haori over a dark yukata and stepped in a pair of geta; one might have mistaken him for having just stepped out of a bathhouse.

Behind him stood the tightly shut gates of the Zenin Clan.

"Is the old man really this enthusiastic? Personally waiting to welcome us? Though this reception is a bit small. As the illustrious head of the Zenin Clan, how can there not be a single person by your side?"

Chen Nuo asked with a smile.

He had a decent impression of Naobito. If the man weren't the head of the Zenin Clan, they probably would have gotten along—the kind of guys who could go drinking together in the pleasure district.

"Rude brat."

Zenin Naobito muttered under his breath, then raised his voice slightly.

"My worthless son has caused you trouble. I will discipline him properly from now on. As for Mai, she will return to school tomorrow unharmed. Let's end today's matter here, shall we?"

"What are you saying, old man? I came to pay a visit to the Zenin Clan tonight, and I even brought a souvenir. How can I not even step through the Zenin family gates?"

Chen Nuo said, shaking the 'dead dog' in his hand.

Zenin Naoya barely managed to open one eye. Seeing Zenin Naobito's blurred figure, hope finally rekindled in his heart, and he mumbled some incoherent sounds.

The words were unintelligible since his teeth and tongue were no longer intact, but as his father, Zenin Naobito understood. His eyelids drooped slightly.

Although he called him worthless and was indeed furious at Naoya's reckless initiative, the boy was his son after all, and the youngest son he had always doted on most.

Zenin Naobito had many children, but Zenin Naoya was the only one who inherited his Cursed Technique.

If Zenin Naobito were truly a man of great resolve, the Zenin Clan wouldn't be in its current state.

To put it bluntly, this clan head was just a patch-up artist, barely able to suppress the internal conflicts within the family.

"If you walk through the gates of the Zenin Clan tonight, I cannot guarantee you'll be able to walk back out."

Zenin Naobito gave one last piece of advice.

He had already exerted his greatest effort by keeping the Zenin Clan members behind the gates.

One must realize that Zenin Naoya was not just his son, but also the leader of the clan's younger elite faction, with prestige and power second only to the head himself.

To prevent a conflict from erupting, Zenin Naobito had suppressed the news in advance. Hardly anyone knew the current situation, which was why he could keep the matter outside the gates.

If Chen Nuo were really allowed to walk into the Zenin estate carrying that 'greeting gift,' what would happen next was easy to imagine.

Zenin Naobito was one of the few sober-minded people in the Zenin Clan.

Because he was sober, he lived in pain, which was why he was never without alcohol.

Growing up in the closed and twisted environment of the Zenin Clan, it was very difficult to keep a clear head because the world you could see was narrow and obstructed.

Setting aside whether they could kill Chen Nuo, even if they luckily did, how would the Zenin Clan withstand Gojo Satoru's wrath?

Others might not understand the strength of 'The Strongest' very well, but Naobito, as a fellow clan head, had once sparred with him. Their strengths were simply not on the same dimension.

"Then old man, you'd better keep your eyes wide open."

Chen Nuo said, raising his hand and giving a light flick. Zenin Naoya was sent flying like a cannonball, smashing directly through the Zenin Clan's centuries-old gates.

In an instant, the Zenin estate became like boiling water, erupting into a frenzy.

"In that case, there really is no other way."

Zenin Naobito looked at Chen Nuo with cold eyes.

As the head of the clan and a father, his position at this moment was naturally in opposition to Chen Nuo. It had to be so.

"Old man, can you actually handle this?"

Chen Nuo sized up Zenin Naobito.

It was said that this old man possessed the strength to compete with Toji Fushiguro, but he really didn't look like it. It was unclear if he had regressed due to age or if Toji had simply been uncharacteristically respectful of his elders for once.

After all, in the entire Zenin Clan, only Naobito and Toji had a somewhat decent relationship.

"Whether I can or not, you'll know once you try."

Zenin Naobito raised his hand and spoke in a deep voice. Cursed Energy was released, covering his entire body and significantly strengthening his physique.

His Cursed Technique was the same as Zenin Naoya's: 'Projection Sorcery'.

A technique that could divide one second into twenty-four frames, allowing him to both manipulate an opponent's movements and reinforce himself.

There was a loud 'bang'.

Following right after Zenin Naoya, Zenin Naobito crashed into the Zenin estate. One look at his half-collapsed face told the story of what had just happened.

"You can't handle it either."

Chen Nuo stepped over the Zenin threshold and spoke helplessly amidst the shocked and furious gazes of the Zenin family members.

The old man put on quite a show of being impressive, but the result was just that. Chen Nuo had mistakenly thought he could pull off some different kind of trick.

Then again, the so-called strongest First Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer was still just a First Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer.

"You bastard, hitting an old man in the face..."

With the support of other family members, Zenin Naobito managed to stand up. He clutched half of his face and glared at Chen Nuo with indignation.

It could only be said that he was indeed Gojo Satoru's student; they were cut from the same cloth when it came to 'respecting' elders.

Alarm bells now rang throughout the Zenin estate.

The first to arrive was the Zenin Clan's Kukuru Unit.

This was a security squad composed of males from the Zenin Clan who failed to awaken a Cursed Technique. Although they lacked techniques, they all possessed impressive close-combat strength thanks to the Zenin Clan's unique body-tempering martial arts.

However, the status of these people within the Zenin Clan was only lower-middle class, barely better than that of the women.

The true core combat unit of the Zenin Clan was the 'Hei' organization led by Zenin Naoya, where every member had the strength of at least a Semi-First Grade.

"What's going on?"

A somewhat shrill voice rang out.

It came from a middle-aged man who looked somewhat similar to Zenin Naobito.

This was Zenin Naobito's younger brother, Zenin Ogi, who was also the father of the sisters Zenin Maki and Mai.

"Your father?"

Chen Nuo looked at Zenin Maki beside him.

"Yeah."

"Well, even if he is your father, I have to be honest—he's a piece of useless trash."

Chen Nuo described him bluntly.

"That's a very accurate description."

Zenin Maki couldn't help but smile. What Chen Nuo said was exactly what she had always wanted to say.

"No matter who you are, don't think you're leaving alive today..."

Zenin Ogi gripped the tachi in his hand, accumulating Cursed Energy and preparing to launch a fatal blow at any moment.

However, in just a blink, Chen Nuo's figure vanished from his field of vision. By the time he refocused on Chen Nuo, the boy had already appeared at his side.

Then, Zenin Ogi's body flew up uncontrollably.

When he hit the ground again and looked up, Zenin Maki was looking down at him.

"You useless..."

Zenin Ogi spat out a mouthful of blood and cursed.

He had always believed that the reason he failed to become the clan head was because he had fathered this 'useless' pair of sisters, Zenin Maki and Mai.

In any case, it couldn't possibly be his own fault.

Zenin Ogi's pitiful shred of self-esteem would not allow him to admit he was inferior to his brother.

In this twisted and sick Zenin Clan, Zenin Ogi had long since been warped into another kind of indescribable curse.

Zenin Maki didn't reply. With one punch, she buried Zenin Ogi's head into the ground, forcibly muting him.

A fully awakened 'Heavenly Restriction,' even with a few years less experience, was enough to make her superior to the vast majority of Jujutsu Sorcerers.

"Is everyone here?"

Chen Nuo looked around at the crowd surrounding him. Leading them was Zenin Jinichi of the 'Hei' unit.

One could tell just by the name what his relationship with Toji Fushiguro was.

The two were brothers from the same parents, both offspring of the 25th head of the Zenin Clan.

"Daring to attack the head of the Zenin Clan... even if we kill you on the spot, Gojo Satoru will have nothing to say."

Zenin Jinichi could not suppress the rage in his heart. With a loud shout, the 'Kukuru' unit in front of him initiated the attack.

Chen Nuo didn't reply; he simply raised his hand. Seeing this, Zenin Maki took off her hairpin and tossed it over.

"I came to the Zenin Clan today to propose marriage, so I won't be killing anyone."

Chen Nuo said to himself.

The hairpin hit the ground.

(Domain Expansion: Gluttonous Sea of Light)

A dazzling, brilliant golden light swallowed the entire Zenin estate.

"Domain Expansion?!"

Zenin Jinichi shouted in disbelief.

Isn't Chen Nuo a Heavenly Restriction? Is this the power of a cursed tool??

However, what confused Zenin Jinichi even more was that under the shroud of this golden light, no attack occurred. Instead, a vibrant surge of vitality swirled around everyone.

"Is this... Reverse Cursed Technique?"

Zenin Naoya scrambled up from the ground, his injuries healing at a pace visible to the naked eye.

Yet, he couldn't find it in himself to be happy at all.

Cursed Energy is the power of curses, belonging to the 'negative.' But once reversed, 'negative times negative becomes positive,' turning it into 'positive' energy that can heal injuries and greatly enhance a sorcerer's endurance in battle.

The 'positive' Cursed Energy output by the 'Red Flower' cursed tool could also achieve the effect of a Cursed Technique Reversal.

Coupled with the guaranteed-hit attribute of a 'Domain Expansion,' it was equivalent to a continuous area-of-effect group heal.

"What on earth is this kid trying to do?"

Zenin Naobito raised his hand to touch the now-nonexistent wound on his face, a strong sense of unease swirling in his heart.

Chen Nuo did not seem like the type to repay grievance with kindness.

"This is my betrothal gift. As for the dowry, it will be the entire Zenin Clan."

Following Chen Nuo's words, a five-yen coin fell from the sky and stood upright in front of Zenin Naobito.

"..."

Zenin Naobito was momentarily at a loss for words.

People said the Zenin Clan was overbearing, but Chen Nuo's act of forced buying and selling was not to be outdone.

Using five yen to trade for the Zenin Clan?

The kid actually had the nerve to say it!

"Are you kidding me!!"

Zenin Naoya shouted in rage and charged at Chen Nuo once again. The other Zenin members were about to follow when they saw a mangled Zenin Naoya fly back at an even faster speed.

However, injuries of this degree were quickly restored under the Domain's Sea of Light.

As long as one wasn't killed on the spot, it was hard to even die.

One must remember that back then, Gojo Satoru had nearly been sliced apart by Toji Fushiguro, with extra stabs to his head, heart, and throat, yet even in that near-death state, he was saved by Reverse Cursed Technique.

"From today onwards, the Zenin Clan will be stripped of its name from the Jujutsu World. I need to think of a nice-sounding surname for you all."

Chen Nuo was just pondering.

Suddenly, a pair of giant rock hands rose from the ground, each as massive as a mountain, slamming together toward him with a momentum that shook the entire Zenin estate.

This was an attack launched by Choju, a Semi-First Grade sorcerer from the 'Hei' unit.

He had charged up for a long time for this, exhausting a large amount of Cursed Energy.

"Did it succeed?"

Zenin Jinichi stared with wide eyes.

In the next second, the giant hands made of rock shattered into a sky full of stones that rained down.

In an instant, many Zenin members who couldn't dodge in time were swallowed and buried by the rocks. Wails filled the air, sounding quite energetic—after all, there was a continuous supply of vitality being replenished.

"How about you all change your surname to 'abiko' from now on?"

Chen Nuo tapped his palm with his fist, looking as if that thought had been more difficult than beating up Zenin Naoya just now.

"This brat! He's even more detestable than Gojo!!"

Zenin Naobito's facial expression twitched uncontrollably.

Chen Nuo intended to trample a thousand years of Zenin glory under his feet. This was even worse than simply slaughtering the entire Zenin Clan without leaving a soul alive.

"In that case, there's nothing more to say. I may be old, but my bones are still hard!"

Zenin Naobito faced Chen Nuo with his head held high.

The thousand-year heritage and glory of the Zenin Clan could not be allowed to end by his hands.

At least wait until after he retired!!

Zenin Naobito roared in his heart, turning into an afterimage barely visible to the naked eye as his speed continued to climb.

Even though it was the same 'Projection Sorcery,' the father clearly surpassed the son in terms of control and development, as was evident from this explosive acceleration.

When a sorcerer wanted to use 'Projection Sorcery' on an enemy, they first had to touch them.

This usually wasn't difficult in a normal fight.

After all, Zenin Naobito's speed was so great that very few Jujutsu Sorcerers could keep up with him.

The effect was that upon touching the opponent and successfully applying the technique, the enemy had to follow a pre-designed sequence of movements within the frame, or else be frozen for one second.

That one second was enough for Zenin Naobito to land twenty-four hits on the enemy.

Of course, if the caster themselves failed to complete the pre-designed movements, the technique would backfire on them.

Zenin Naobito had already tasted the consequences of close-quarters combat; his caved-in face was the price he paid.

Chen Nuo's reaction speed completely crushed his own, making it very easy to interrupt the pre-designed movements.

The result was that after a series of fancy maneuvers, he had ended up hard-crowd-controlled for a second.

Having learned his lesson, Zenin Naobito changed his combat strategy.

The targets of Projection Sorcery were not limited to himself or his opponent; after mastering 'Technique Extension,' the effect could also be applied to objects.

By continuously freezing the air and then forcefully shattering it, he could trigger a large-scale air explosion.

The power was extraordinary; it was Zenin Naobito's ultimate move.

The shockwave of the explosion soared into the clouds, as if dispersing the original gloom hanging over the Zenin estate.