Chapter 19: Grade 4 Cursed Spirit
Alex Moyan observed the villa before him, listening to the village chief recount the story of the villa's former owner.
Alex Moyan had already guessed about seven or eight parts of the truth.
In his mind, he had already fabricated a tragic tale of sorrow and love, one that would make listeners grieve and weep.
Pity the hearts of all parents; indeed, love is the most twisted curse.
After the village chief finished speaking, Alex Moyan discussed the matter with Geto Suguru.
They decided that Alex Moyan should be the one to handle it.
Geto Suguru cast a Barrier, and Alex Moyan stepped into the villa.
It was already nighttime. On a country night, as long as the sky wasn't completely overcast, one could certainly see the stars and the moon.
This was unlike the steel jungle of the city, where dazzling lights would steal the splendor of the celestial bodies.
Alex Moyan pushed open the main door, and a blast of cold, gloomy wind rushed toward him.
Alex Moyan sensed the area and discovered a Cursed Spirit, likely Grade 3, currently hiding in the innermost room of the villa.
Alex Moyan strode forward, reached the door of the room, and then pushed it open.
The decoration style inside the room resembled a warm, motherly nursery.
Various toys and dolls hung inside.
In the center of the room was a baby crib.
However, due to a long period of neglect, it was covered in dust.
And on the crib, an extremely ugly Cursed Spirit, resembling a five-hundred-pound fat man, was currently holding an infant wrapped in a swaddling cloth.
It was vaguely humming a lullaby, appearing extremely bizarre and terrifying.
Alex Moyan looked at the lifeless infant in the Cursed Spirit's arms, feeling a sense of regret and heartache.
The Cursed Spirit belatedly noticed Alex Moyan standing at the doorway.
It rose up its disgusting, mountain-like body, intending to kill the bad person who interrupted its time with the baby.
But the outcome was that it was subdued by a light word from Alex Moyan.
Alex Moyan prepared to browse the memories of the Cursed Spirit he had subdued, attempting to find out if there were any survivors.
Fortunately, more than a dozen children were locked inside a secret door by the Cursed Spirit.
"This kind of low-level Cursed Spirit has very little intelligence; it only knows how to act according to its obsession but doesn't realize that people need to eat."
Alex Moyan looked at the children inside the secret door, who were so starved they had lost consciousness, with only half their lives remaining.
It was obvious that the Cursed Spirit was likely a mother who lost the child she cherished, eventually dying of extreme grief.
It was a Cursed Spirit born from sorrow after death, under the influence of time and the negative emotions of the villagers.
That was why it captured the village's children and infants.
Alex Moyan carried the surviving children out of the villa.
But the only pity was the infant; unlike the other children who were a few years old, its life force was not as tenacious.
After resolving the matter, Alex Moyan and Geto Suguru prepared to return to Tokyo.
But what Alex Moyan didn't expect was that there was still another Cursed Spirit in the village.
It was just a weak Grade 4 Cursed Spirit.
Adhering to the principle that even mosquito meat is still meat, Alex Moyan greeted Geto Suguru and walked toward the small Cursed Spirit hiding outside a house.
He looked at the small Cursed Spirit, which was about half the size of an infant, with a large head and short limbs.
Just as Alex Moyan was about to subdue it, he did not expect this Grade 4 Cursed Spirit to actually speak.
"Pain... It hurts so much... Stop hitting me."
"Stop hitting me..."
The small Cursed Spirit spoke indistinctly, its words broken and intermittent.
But Alex Moyan could sense that it was very frightened.
Alex Moyan was slightly surprised; even most Grade 2 Cursed Spirits couldn't necessarily speak human words.
Yet, the Grade 4 Cursed Spirit before him possessed such high intelligence.
The corner of Alex Moyan's mouth curved upward.
It even knew how to beg for mercy?
I like it!
Alex Moyan very easily subdued the small Cursed Spirit.
For an existence at the level of a Grade 4 Cursed Spirit, as long as you could use Cursed Energy and see it,
Even a wooden stick could easily remove it.
Its combat strength was only slightly stronger than that of an ordinary small child.
Only slightly stronger, very easy to bully.
But for ordinary people who couldn't see Cursed Spirits, it was still a troublesome existence.
If possessed for too long, it might bring a heavy price to the body.
After subduing the small Cursed Spirit, Alex Moyan began to examine its memories with a curious mindset.
He wanted to figure out how a mere Grade 4 Cursed Spirit could speak.
But after reading the small Cursed Spirit's fragmented memories,
Alex Moyan fell silent...
His eyes were filled with anger and grief.
This surge of impulsive anger made Alex Moyan feel like killing someone to vent his frustration.
But quickly, Alex Moyan calmed down.
He returned to Geto Suguru's side and looked at him.
"Suguru, shall we go?"
Alex Moyan's question left Geto Suguru somewhat confused.
"Go? Where?"
Geto Suguru asked doubtfully.
"To see the cruelty of this world, to witness death."
Alex Moyan replied lightly.
Recalling his previous life, Geto Suguru had turned dark due to conflicts and various reasons conflicting with his ideal of protecting the weak.
Alex Moyan wanted Geto Suguru to experience firsthand the darkness within the ordinary people he tried so hard to protect.
He wanted him to know that the work of a Jujutsu Sorcerer wasn't just about eliminating Cursed Spirits; it also involved confronting the ugliness of the human heart.
Alex Moyan did not want Geto Suguru to become like that.
Because that was something fundamentally impossible to achieve.
There are ordinary people among the children of Jujutsu Sorcerers; one couldn't possibly kill those children who didn't qualify as Jujutsu Sorcerers, right?
This world could never create a world entirely composed of Jujutsu Sorcerers.
Only by changing his perspective now could he avoid going astray.
Alex Moyan wanted Geto Suguru to be able to correctly accept the cruelty of this world and the darkness in people's hearts,
Without developing extreme ideas or beliefs.
"Although I don't quite understand what you're up to, since you invited me, let's go take a look."
Geto Suguru smiled nonchalantly.
Following Alex Moyan's steps, the two soon arrived outside a warehouse in the village.
Outside the warehouse, several villagers saw Alex Moyan and Geto Suguru arrive.
They all blocked their path.
But how could ordinary people be a match for Jujutsu Sorcerers?
Especially two Quasi-Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerers.
"Get out of the way!"
With a light word from Alex Moyan, an invisible force pushed away the villagers blocking their path,
Clearing a way for them.
The two arrived inside the warehouse under the astonished and fearful gazes of the villagers.
As soon as they entered the warehouse, in the dim environment, what caught their eyes was an iron cage.
Inside lay a boy estimated to be only seven or eight years old.
The boy in the iron cage was motionless, as if he were asleep.
But when Geto Suguru observed carefully, he discovered the boy had long since stopped breathing and lost all vitality.
Geto Suguru violently used Cursed Energy to force the iron cage open,
Only to find the boy's body already mangled, covered in shocking wounds.
It was truly unimaginable what kind of suffering the boy had endured before his death!
It was also unimaginable who could be so cold-blooded!
To inflict such torture and torment on a child!
"This... what is this... what happened...?"
Geto Suguru turned back to Alex Moyan blankly, his gaze unfocused, his breathing momentarily stopping.
It was as if he was seeking help and answers from Alex Moyan.
Geto Suguru at this moment resembled a lost, bewildered lone wolf.
His originally strong heart now seemed so weak and powerless.
Alex Moyan did not answer; instead, he summoned the Grade 4 Cursed S