Chapter 129 Kaigaku

Yan Sheng looked at the person lying on the bed and felt that this scene was particularly familiar. Very well, he missed watching the fireworks again.

Iwakatsu sighed inwardly, sat down to read a book, and thought about how Douma looked when he carried this person on his back.

"Lord Kokushibo's hobbies have always been quite unique~ I'll let you know next time I find something suitable."

I really want to stab that guy to death.

Yan Sheng tightened his grip on the book, and a dangerous aura emanated from him.

"Cough cough cough cough—".

Hearing the noise, Yan Sheng turned to look at the boy lying on the bed. The boy was struggling to sit up and was looking at Yan Sheng warily.

"woke up."

Yan Sheng smoothed the book and placed it in the drawer of the cabinet, his reflection etched in the red eyes.

"I……"

Kaigaku opened his mouth, his voice hoarse beyond belief. He remembered that before he lost consciousness, it was this ghost who saved him.

Upper Moon One, the strongest demon besides the Demon King, is someone Kaigaku knows he cannot fight.

"What do you want?"

There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world, Kaigaku knew that, but he could only compromise and look up at Iwakatsu.

"Hmm..."

Iwakatsu didn't know what to do either. It was just a hobby for him. Even if he wanted to turn him into a demon, it was unlikely. It was too early. Zenitsu Agatsuma wouldn't be able to defeat him.

Yan Sheng looked into the other person's eyes. He clearly remembered the character's personality: a person who would do anything to survive.

In fact, Yan Sheng thought highly of him. After all, not everyone has the courage to struggle in adversity. What cannot be denied is that the other party's methods were indeed a bit despicable.

"You follow me... I'll teach you how... to become stronger."

He looked down at Kaigaku and said, waiting for the other party's reply, even though he knew the other party would definitely agree.

Will I become a ghost?

Kaigaku's eyes were very bright. He looked up at Iwakatsu and asked, but Iwakatsu shook his head.

"unnecessary."

Yan Sheng did not intend to turn the other person into a ghost; in fact, he did not want the other person to become the one who killed his master.

In the original work, Kaigaku's evaluation was quite bad, but Iwakatsu could see that he was a very ambitious child. He was curious about what kind of person he would become if he were in a different environment.

"good."

Kaigaku didn't want to die; he was just following the ghosts. As long as he lived, he was willing to become a ghost himself. He just wanted to live.

As Iwakatsu had expected, the other party readily agreed, but remained wary of him.

Seriously, he's a hundred times harder to raise than that kid, Tokito Ichiro. Iwakatsu sighed as he watched the boy wielding his sword.

Kaigaku is already seventeen, past the age where he should be developing his values. To be honest, he does have admiration and awe for the strong, but at the same time, he can be very arrogant, especially towards the weak.

But the other person has a strong will and will fight to live, regardless of gossip or real-world difficulties.

"Your talent... is quite good."

Iwakatsu walked up to him, his appearance softening in the moonlight. He raised a wooden sword, pointed it at Kaigaku, and squinted at him.

"Want to give it a try?"

Having a fight and letting the other party see your abilities is the best way to build rapport.

"You're using a wooden knife?"

Kaigaku looked at him strangely, but Iwakatsu didn't say anything and just stood there in a pose.

"No, you dare?"

"Snap—".

In an instant, Yan Sheng raised his hand to block the attack.

It was quick, but very different from Yu Hai's. Yan Sheng swung his sword without hesitation, striking directly at the opponent's abdomen.

"Ugh—cough cough cough."

Kaigaku clutched his stomach and took a few steps back, looking at Iwakatsu. He knew his opponent was strong, but he still thought it was because of the Blood Demon Art.

"Swordsmanship cannot be supported by external forces."

Yan Sheng spoke coldly, looking at the other person and flicking his wooden sword. Of course, he could see what the other person was thinking.

"I know, watch out."

It must be said that his talent is not as good as Ichiro's. Iwakatsu could easily block with his wooden sword and then slash horizontally when the opponent raised his sword again.

"Bang—".

Kaigaku was sent flying backward, crashing into a tree trunk and sliding down before using his sword to support himself as he stood up.

He's so ambitious; he wants to become that strong too.

Just as Kaigaku raised his sword again, Iwakatsu put his wooden sword away and turned to leave without paying attention to the other man.

"Why did you stop?"

"Kaigaku shouted, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly," he said.

Was he being underestimated? Damn it, he gritted his teeth, staring at the purple figure from behind.

"You... are too slow..."

Yan Sheng didn't turn around, replying calmly. Yan Sheng didn't know Thunder Breathing, so he could only rely on his memory of the breathing technique and his battle with Tenfuu Ukai to find fault with it.

Honestly, being with someone who has malicious intentions towards you can easily put your life in danger.

In the past ten days or so, Yan Sheng has been nearly killed more than ninety times, with the other party opening the doors and windows from time to time in an attempt to kill him by shining the light on him.

Unable to bear it any longer, Yan Sheng led the other party to give him a severe beating. Seeing the other party lying on the bed unable to move, Yan Sheng breathed a sigh of relief.

"I cast a Blood Demon spell on you."

"What cough cough cough."

Kaigaku turned his head with difficulty to look at Iwakatsu, who simply drank his tea calmly.

"If I die, you... will die too."

Iwakatsu's words made Kaigaku's eyes widen. He stared at Iwakatsu in disbelief, his lips trembling slightly.

Of course, this was made up. Yan Sheng just didn't want to go through any more trouble. Sometimes, the opponent's dirty tricks are really hard to guard against.

Yan Sheng could tell that Yan Sheng's personality was genuinely bad, but his ambition was also genuine; he practiced for a long time every day without fail.

Seeing the other person's despondent expression, Yan Sheng was satisfied. This way, he wouldn't have to worry about being slapped by the sun every day.

After all, besides the scumbag boss, he was the one who valued his life the most in the whole show.

Kaigaku had also doubted the veracity of Yan Sheng's ramblings, but he dared not gamble, for what if, what if he himself died along with them?

There's not much for him to do here. His daily routine consists of practicing being hit and criticized, then continuing to practice. It feels easier than ever before.

Why?

Kaigaku was unaware that his injuries hadn't healed yet, so today's practice was canceled. He stared blankly at the sky.

"Mr. Kokushibo, why did you save me?"

Kaigaku asked, not really understanding what benefit a demon would gain from saving a member of the Demon Slayer Corps.

"Nothing, I just think...you're pathetic."

Yan Sheng gave a cold reply. He had actually thought that things might be better if the other person died.

Kaigaku fell silent, a rare occurrence. He didn't know why Iwakatsu described him that way, but he couldn't refute it. In fact, this was the first time in all these years that he had met someone who could tolerate his awfulness.

"You are very... afraid of dying."

Yan Sheng said, looking the other person in the eyes.

"This is the reason why you can't learn it."

"yes."

This wasn't the first time Kaigaku had heard this. The First Form requires getting close to a demon, which he couldn't do; he couldn't do it.

"This is not... anything shameful."

Yan Sheng turned back to look at the sky. This was the first time in so many days that he had sat down and chatted quietly with the other person.

"But, harming others is wrong... no one... can let someone... die in their place."

"You're a ghost. What right do you have to lecture me?"

Kaigaku didn't say it aloud, but Iwakatsu understood. He felt somewhat helpless, as he couldn't spend too much time with the other person, but he still wanted to teach him some principles.

"Can you accept...someone killing...you?"

"..."

The answer is obvious: no.

It's actually quite simple. Kaigaku's goal since childhood has always been to survive so that he can have a better future, so he'll stop at nothing to achieve it. But no one has ever taught him any moral lessons; they only criticize him when he does something wrong.

It can only be said that people are born bad, but morality is something that is acquired through upbringing.