Chapter 148 Maple Leaf Plains, Amidst Thunder and Torrential Rain…

On a clear, sunny day, Maple Leaf sat cross-legged under a tree, eyes closed, listening to the sounds of the world in the darkness.

The wooden clogs powerfully rippled the water, as if his dear friend were practicing swordplay in the water; the soft rustling in the grass was the white kitten playing with the swaying grass.

Tap, tap, is that the legs of a general crab lightly scraping the rocks? No, no, their dull shells can't elicit a bird's startled cry.

Opening his eyes and turning around, he saw that the man with the golden crown was standing on his toes, knees slightly bent, ears tucked behind his back, his posture like a tiger crouching to hunt, while the white-haired ronin samurai looked like a deer being watched.

“I found you after all, sir.”

Unfortunately, the deer didn't realize this, and Kaedehara Manyo gave a gentle smile.

"Your footsteps were light enough, but not light enough."

"Your ears are cheating."

Mainkun straightened up and nonchalantly ended his thirtieth ambush on Manyo from behind.

"Are you mixed with rabbit blood, human?"

As he said this, he jumped back into the woods and disappeared without a trace.

After the impulsive ambush, the cat distanced itself from humans and went about its own business.

"The civet leaps into the forest, the shadows of the trees dance with the fragrance, the leaves tremble and the lingering sound echoes, a free heart in the world."

Kaedehara Manyo wasn't annoyed. He leisurely stood up and waved to his friend.

"Let's go, Youren!"

He pointed to the woods where Mainkuhn had disappeared into.

"The direction of today's wandering has been determined."

*

With no origin and no destination, wandering wherever one pleases, this is the carefree life of a wanderer.

"It's just that when there's no purpose for too long, people tend to become lax in their use of swords and spears."

His friend originally wanted to leave him.

"But the appearance of the wandering spirit is just right. Simply tracking his footsteps, analyzing his behavior, and exploring his secrets every day is enough to keep one feeling fulfilled..."

"Even so, what you really want is to fight him, isn't it?"

Wan Ye sighed helplessly, listening to his eager heartbeat.

"Of course! A wandering god who has roamed the wilderness for years, becoming a legendary wandering god in folklore, I guarantee he must be a hundred times stronger than Lord Kujou Sara!"

When it comes to martial arts, the young man couldn't help but become somewhat obsessed.

"I really want to see him holding a weapon; his elegance must be unmatched."

"Okay, okay."

Manyo interrupted him:

"Once you start talking, you never stop. Sigh, it's only because you're a good-natured wanderer that you're like this. If it were the General, he would have already taken out Wuxiang's sword and cleaved you in two."

"I couldn't ask for more!"

"Meow!"

The boy laughed heartily, then clung to the cat and leaped forward.

"I wonder what good deeds our wandering spirit did today, or was it clearing out bandits? Speaking of which, I remember there's a village nearby called 'Hiki-mura'..."

Before he could finish speaking, he heard a sharp child's voice coming from ahead.

"Please! Wild Wanderer! Please help me! I'll give you all my crystallized bone marrow!"

"Where did this brat come from..."

Before the fallen Hilichurl corpses lay the cat-eared youth they had been searching for, his brow furrowed as a black-haired boy wearing a straw hat held him tightly around the waist.

"Get out of here."

Shiny exposed nails.

"Otherwise, I'll scratch your face until it's bruised and battered."

"No! Scratch me all you want, I'm not afraid of getting hurt! As long as you help me!"

"Tsk."

The cat tried to push them away a few times, but its limbs were too weak to move them. It then cast a cold glance at the ronin.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and pull him off me."

"puff."

Yu-ren started to laugh.

"The Wild Wanderer, who isn't even afraid of the hunting dogs of the Beast Realm, is actually afraid of a mere child?"

Mainkun's vertical pupils were fierce. "I think you want to die."

"Sigh, don't kick someone when they're down."

Wan Ye came over to smooth things over, squatting down to try and comfort the child.

"Little friend, loosen your grip, Mr. Cat Ears is suffocating from being squeezed."

"No! No!"

The child was incredibly stubborn. Seeing that he was surrounded and his chances of winning were slim, he recklessly grabbed Maine with both hands and feet, took a deep breath, and roared:

"I am Choji! My father, Jiro, is a miner! He went missing a few days ago in the Snake Bone Mine! My mother and I are very worried. Please find him!"

"hiss."

Wan Ye's ears went numb from the shock, and he quickly covered his mouth and forced a wry smile.

"His wish was very well-organized, but little friend, his nickname is just 'Wild Wanderer God,' which doesn't mean he's actually a god..."

More than just not a god, according to the samurai's observations over the past few days, the cat-eared youth almost never sets foot in the village, nor does he communicate with anyone. He is a loner, displaying utter arrogance.

"...Your father, Jiro?"

The aloof wild spirit suddenly pricked up its ears and pressed down on the child's head.

"Where is the Snake Bone Mine?"

*

*Smack*

Be careful.

Man-yo and Tomo-jin carefully dragged the miner out of the black fog.

"Changci! Look, isn't this your father?"

"Daddy! Waking up, Daddy!"

"Don't cry, don't cry, he's still alive. Let me give him some first aid."

Seeing the father and son reunited with relief, Wan Ye checked the miner's injuries and asked questions.

"Wild Wanderer, would you like to come with us...?"

Before he could say anything, he heard the cat's noisy, disappointed heartbeat.

"Don't bother me."

"Wasting my precious time."

They then departed on the black mist, disappearing into the forest.

Nagatoshi blankly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, staring in the direction he had left: "The Wild Wanderer is gone..."

"Oh, well, he probably didn't mean any harm when he said that! He was just in a bad mood..."

Yu-ren frantically tried to explain for Maine, lest he ruin his image in the eyes of the children:

"I didn't mean to criticize your father! Absolutely not! Please don't mind..."

"Big brother talks strangely."

Unexpectedly, it was the child who first showed a look of disdain.

"What does it matter to me whether the wandering spirits hate us or not? I'm just a child, I can't change anything, as long as my father is still alive."

"Eh..."

"As long as you're alive, that's enough."

Changci held her father's hand with satisfaction.

"That way, Mom won't have to cry in front of the shrine anymore, and everything will be alright..."

The child was devoutly imagining, as if making new wishes or conceiving a dream for tonight.

"Big brother, what do the wild spirits like? I heard that after a wish is granted, one should offer a thank-you gift to the shrine!"

*

After bringing the miners back to Hishiki Village, Manyo and Tomohito received a grand welcome.

"Thank you to the two righteous men for your help!"

With tears in his eyes, Village Chief Washizu patted Manyo's shoulder repeatedly.

"You all know the state of the world these days. I was worried about how Nagatsugu and Hideko, the two orphans and widows, would survive in the future. Alas! Fortunately, you found Jiro!"

"I didn't do anything, just basic first aid. Village chief, you must bring in a professional doctor for care later."

"I didn't do anything, I just helped carry the person."

"Hahaha! Young man, you're such a joker. Do you think he could have climbed up by himself without anyone helping him? The mine is so dangerous..."

"No, that's not it, Village Chief Washizu!"

Changci jumped up to clarify:

"It's the wandering god, the one who appeared when I was three years old, the great guardian deity of the village who wandered around!"

"..."

A moment of silence.

"What!?"

The village chief of Washizu immediately jumped up in surprise, and the way he looked at Manyo and Tomohito changed.

"Could you be... the legendary chosen messengers of the gods?!"

"?"

After a moment of silence, Wan Ye tried again to clarify:

“Mr. Village Chief, you seem to have misunderstood something. Wild Wanderer is not a god, but just an ordinary human being with flesh and blood… or at least that’s how it sounds.”

"My God! They even have hidden identities!"

It was no use at all; the village chief's exclamation echoed throughout the land.

"Ah, when will the Wild Wanderer God descend in person? After you've finished your initial battles?"

"You've misunderstood, it's really not like that..."

"Save your breath, Manyo, don't bother explaining."

Youren has calmed down and is now petting the cat in the spot.

"As you know, the world is unfair."

"They need some psychological comfort."

"Even if it's just psychological comfort, you can't find it in your own kind."

Manyo disagreed somewhat.

"The pressure is too much."

*

After settling the miners in, it was nearly dark. Manyo stayed overnight in Hishiki Village and suddenly woke up from a dream.

"Meow~"

"What's wrong……"

The cat and Youren looked at him dazedly.

"Could it be that you've gotten so used to sleeping in the mountains and forests that you're no longer comfortable with bedding?"

"How could that be? I used to be a young master, after all."

After offering a few perfunctory words, Wan Ye hurriedly put on his outer robe:

Where's the umbrella?

"Look at your reaction."

Youren immediately regained consciousness.

"Is it going to rain, or even a torrential downpour... Are you going to find the wandering spirit?"

"Indeed, Thor is about to unleash his fury again. I can already hear the roaring rain clouds. We must hurry."

"There's no need to worry too much."

Youren didn't quite understand.

"That's a wandering deity; even if there's a thunderstorm, it probably won't be a problem."

"God? What god? He's just a person!"

He hurriedly put on his shoes and socks and rushed out of Feiyun Village. He had only taken a few steps when large raindrops began to pelt his white hair, soaking his scalp.

"It's so cold."

Man Ye opened his umbrella and strained his hearing to find a familiar heartbeat.

Unable to find it, the deafening sound of the rain completely drowned out the faint sounds of life, so he had no choice but to shout.

"Yuyoushen——"

"Yuyoushen——"

In response, only a fiercer storm raged. Wan Ye stood alone, umbrella in hand, amidst the torrential downpour, looking around in bewilderment. Rain streamed down his face, the chill biting to his bone, and he seemed utterly hopeless.

"What a despicable guy."

Manye wiped the water from his face and actually smiled.

"He clearly doesn't like this name, but he won't give me a proper name, so I have to call him this."

So he took a deep breath, focusing his energy in his lower abdomen, and made his voice blend with the raging wind.

"They're out hiking!"

"The Great God of Disaster!!"

...

Boom—!!

A white light arrived first, followed by thunder. A beam of black mist came chasing the rain, bound Wan Ye and dragged him into the cave. Lightning struck his hind foot!

"Wow!"

Staggering a few steps, the soaking wet Wan Ye leaned against the wall. He opened his eyes and saw the young man with drooping ears, his eyes filled with anger and fear.

"Your teacher never told you that."

...

"Is it not okay to go out on a rainy day?"

Then, the black water droplets were extracted from Manyo's clothes, rolled out of the cave, and the samurai became dry again.

"Your black fog has such a use... I know you can't go out on rainy days."

Kaedehara Manyo instinctively felt that something was wrong with the young man in front of him. Perhaps it was his accelerated, nervous heartbeat, or his slightly evasive eyes and halting way of speaking, but he could think about these things later. Kaedehara Manyo took a step forward and grabbed Mainkuen's arm despite his resistance.

"You can't spend the night in a cave. Come on, come with me to Hishiki Village...? Did you just shudder?"

"I'm not going."

Mainkuhn shook him off, turned around, and faced the wall in refusal.

"no."

Wanye immediately forgot about the tremor and tried to reason with the cat.

“Listen to me, this rainstorm is expected to last for three to four days. The cave is damp and cold, and there is a lack of warm clothing. If you stay here for too long, you will definitely get sick.”

"Won't."

The young man was taciturn and reluctant to speak up, but seeing Wan Ye's determined gaze, he reluctantly added another sentence.

"I won't get sick."

"No one is immune to illness."

"I am not human."

"It's not a person, is it?"

Wan Ye almost laughed out of anger, "Fine, then what are you?"

"..."

The young man hesitated for a moment, scratching the patterns on the mask with his fingertips. After a while, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"I am a god, a wandering god."

"...Why are you like this too?"

Man-yeo was a refined and composed martial artist. He could suppress his speechless feelings and calmly shake his umbrella, even though the umbrella was basically useless in the rain.

“Listen up, Mr. Cat Ears, no matter how the villagers have worshipped you as a god over the years, to me you have only one identity: a human being, and a sick and weak one at that.”

"……ridiculous."

The young man opened his mouth to refute.

"Don't try to fool my ears!" Wan Ye interrupted him, her voice exceptionally clear in the narrow cave. "Even now, here, I can hear it perfectly well!"

"...!"

Mainkun instinctively dodged backward, only to see the ronin samurai seize the opportunity, his crimson eyes gleaming menacingly.

"When your blood flows in your veins, it makes a continuous, low hum like the turning of a machine spring. When it flows into your arteries, it is accompanied by a pulsating, wind-like contraction murmur that is synchronized with your heartbeat. Do you know where this kind of sound is most commonly heard?"

"...Get away from me."

"Medical clinic! Intensive care unit!"

Mainkuhn tried to back away, but Wanye held him firmly, his expression serious, speaking slowly and deliberately, as if trying to nail the concept into the cat's brain.

"I knew it from the moment I first saw you."

"There are no powerful beings like gods here, only a patient in dire need of help!"

Even if you are called a wandering god by millions of people.

...

Inside the cave, only the sound of the raging rain outside and the silent standoff between the two remained.

"Did you understand? If you understood, then come with me."

The young man was always silent, motionless like a hedgehog, so Wan Ye had to pull him harder.

"Now that I've said that, you should know I definitely won't let you stay here."

Perhaps due to physical weakness, Mainkuhn was indeed pulled a few steps, though his expression remained reluctant.

“You said before that everything you do… is based on interest.”

"Yes." Wan Ye nodded, his grip still tight. "And right now, my greatest interest is ensuring your safety. Is that reason sufficient?"

He gazed into those golden, vertical pupils that flickered uncertainly in the darkness, his voice softening, yet carrying an undeniable firmness:

"If you insist on not doing so, I will stay here with you until the rain stops, or until you are willing to come with me. You should know that I always keep my word."

...

Mainkun released a black mist, which, like an umbrella, covered all the gales, storms, and thunder.

"Speaking of which, you seem a little timid. Are you afraid of the rain?"

"……Shut up."

*

"oops."

Yu-ren yawned as he waited for the two to return.

"I had already boiled enough bathwater for two people."

His gaze lingered on their dry clothes.

"Why can't we use even one of them now?"

"..."

Mainkuhn remained silent, and Manyo answered on his behalf.

"Sorry, the Wild Wanderer's abilities are more useful than I imagined..."

"It's alright, the water's already boiled."

Youren scooped up the cat that was sleeping soundly beside his pillow.

"How about we give the cat a bath, Snowball? Are you happy? How about a kiss?"

"Meow—!!" Help!! People! Horror!

The cat understood and screamed in terror, trying to escape its fate of taking a bath.

But it was no use; its small body was manipulated like a toy.

"A kitten like you was born to be bathed and smelled nice by your older brother..."

[...They are indeed terrifying humans.]

Mainkuhn empathized with her.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Do you all remember Hisaki Village? The shrine spirit, Nagatsugu and his missing mother, the village chief Washizu who guarded the shrine for days just to kill travelers, and the doctor who used himself as a test subject to ask us for Naruto Grass...

But I will write it regardless of whether you remember or not, because writing fanfiction is about relieving your own pent-up feelings first.

Anyway, not many people will read this book, so I'll just do whatever I want and let myself go (not really).