Nine Signs, One Path - Chapter 95

Chapter 95: Nine Signs, One Path

Ren was sitting alone on the chair in the center of the ruined apartment. The air was still, dry, and stale. Light from the broken windows barely reached inside, but Ren didn't care. His eyes were fixed on the notebook in his lap as he continued to write without pause.

Papers were everywhere—taped to walls, scattered on the floor, and pinned to boards. The walls were completely buried under sheets, diagrams, notes, and cursed scribbles, each one bearing hand signs, chants, or fragments of potential binding vows.

He had been working like this for two days straight. No breaks. Just relentless work His focus was unwavering. His goal was singular:

"Perfect Red Cursed Circuit."

He was going to make it real.

Ren smiled to himself as he chewed on a slice of pizza while scribbling in his notebook. And on that page, he wrote:

Tiger—Initiate cursed energy flow.

Serpent—Weave the threads, outline the vessel paths.

Bird—Stabilize flow, keep energy balanced.

Horse—Strengthen vessel walls to withstand the cursed threads.

Ox-Seal weak points prevent energy leaks.

Dragon—Circulate cursed energy evenly throughout.

Monkey—Prevent adverse reactions to the red threads.

Rabbit—Expand control to capillaries and smaller vessels.

Wolf—Final lock, synchronizing the entire system.

Ren muttered while reading it, "There, that's it. Hand signs, yes. Nine hand signs I would need to do… And all this is symbolizing steps in shaping and stabilizing the cursed energy pathways through my blood vessels. And that's just the hand signs..."

He leaned back and smirked.

"I haven't even 100% settled the binding vows or the chant… But chanting, yeah, I have a good idea about it. The main problem really is binding vows—they're too tricky. If everything is done in a fast way, it might be done in like 10 or 11 binding vows?? Possibly I'll need more…"

He paused, then laughed lightly to himself.

"But yeah, it's possible. With hand signs, chanting, and binding vows… it's more than possible. A perfected Red Cursed Circuit."

Ren's eyes shifted to the walls around him.

"I knew it was possible, but I've never been closer... Taking Mei was the right call. I could've just killed her and taken her CT, but honestly, she's more useful alive to me..."

Just then, his phone buzzed on the table.

Ren grabbed it and glanced at the screen. A message from Mei.

"Gojo came… I told him you were not here. He's trying to find you… The higher-ups have taken the message I gave them. They all think you are seduced."

Ren smiled as he typed back a reply:

"Ok. You are free to leave the apartment and do your own thing. Whatever you do, just give me small updates on everything you do and also what's happening in the jujutsu world. Also, we will only meet in my apartment."

Simple. Cold. Commanding.

Back in Ren's current apartment, Mei stared at her phone. She frowned.

"That's it?"

She leaned back on the couch, still wearing Ren's oversized white shirt—nothing else.

"Is he not going to tell me where he is? Or anything? Like what he's up to?"

She felt strangely annoyed.

The message was distant. Almost dismissive.

But just then, her phone buzzed again. This time, a message from the higher-ups.

"Good job, Mei.

Mei, for now, enter a relationship with Ren Sato and keep him under control.

Every month you will get 1 million."

Mei blinked at the screen.

Then she giggled.

"A million per month? Just to be Ren's girl?"

She flopped back onto the couch, hands behind her head.

"I mean, since I am already his slave in a way, why don't I make some money on the side? Plus, a million per month—that's not bad... if I keep staying with Ren for a year, that's 12 million by just living here..."

A sly grin crossed her lips as she thought about Ren—and questionable thoughts followed.

Meanwhile, Ren was still writing.

Focused. Steady.

Working without rest.

He didn't even check if Mei had read the text. It didn't matter. What mattered was progress. Perfection. Control.