Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91

The cherry blossoms in the courtyard are in full bloom, their pink and white petals layered upon each other like piled-up clouds. When the wind blows, the petals fall softly, weaving a gentle and dreamy scene.

Fine dappled sunlight filtered through the gaps in the flowers, dancing on Azhi's fair skin. She tilted her head back and squinted slightly, like a lazy kitten basking in the sun.

Scattered cherry blossom petals brushed against her cheek, completely unaware that she had become the most enchanting sight in the eyes of others.

Meanwhile, Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Kokushibo, who were just discussing something, both turned their gazes toward the girl.

The heaviness brought about by the endless fighting in the darkness seemed to fade away at this moment.

After a brief silence, they continued their previous conversation.

"A new batch of Nichirin Blades has been delivered, and there are no disturbances in the city for the time being." Kokushiro Tsugikuni's voice was calm and emotionless; he had already begun preliminary cooperation with the Demon Slayer Corps.

Upon hearing this, Ji Guoyuan nodded: "There's unusual activity in the west..."

“…”

Azhi didn't have to wait long.

Upon noticing someone coming out, she immediately straightened up and jogged along the bluestone path to Yoriichi and Iwakatsu.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her slender white hands were loosely holding something. Still slightly out of breath, she looked at the two of them expectantly: "Guess what I found?"

Her voice involuntarily carried a hint of coquettishness.

Yoriichi's brows relaxed, and he looked intently at Ori, asking in a cooperative manner while simultaneously reaching out to stroke her neck: "What is it?"

The fingertips, now accustomed to holding a knife and roughened by its weariness, brushed against the delicate skin of the side of the neck, sending a slight shiver through the air.

Aori instinctively shrank her neck, but did not move away. She looked up at Yoriichi Tsugikuni with trust, her clear eyes showing no sign of defensiveness.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni plucked two cherry blossom petals, and instead of throwing them away, he naturally kept them in his palm.

Such behavior would be highly impolite in the strictly regulated residence of Tsugikuni.

Ji Guoyan Sheng's eyes darkened slightly, but he didn't say anything. His gaze fell on A Zhi's hand, and he also showed that he was attracted.

His casual clothes today lessened his imposing presence and made him less intimidating.

Azhiguo was truly satisfied.

"Look!" She mysteriously unfolded her handkerchief, inside which were small clusters of bright red raspberries, each one plump and round.

The wait was inevitably a bit boring, so she casually glanced around and spotted the berries growing in the corner, which were in season.

Azhi's voice was clear and crisp, with a hint of pride as she showed them her spoils: "Want to try some?"

The hands that held the berries were slender, white, and shapely, with only one flaw: the pinkish fingertips were still covered in some dirt.

Kokushiro stepped forward, the distance between them just right, separating Yoriichi from Kokushiro so that he could face Oori directly.

He slowly picked one and put it in his mouth: "Wild berries do have a certain wild charm."

The berries received positive feedback.

Aori's eyes crinkled as she was about to look at Yoriichi Tsugikuni, but before she could make a move, her wrist was grabbed by a large, well-defined hand.

Ji Guoyansheng supported Azhi's wrist from below, and with just a tightening of his fingers, he easily took control of her.

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

The point where their skin touched felt much warmer than hers. Azhi instinctively tried to pull away, but encountered resistance and could only look blankly at Tsugikuni Iwakatsu.

Ji Guoyan took out a silk handkerchief, which emitted a cool, refreshing fragrance, and slowly said while holding Azhi's hand, "It's dirty."

Through the thin silk handkerchief, her fingertips gently caressed her delicate fingertips, wiping away the berry juice and dust that clung to A-Zhi's fingers inch by inch.

The movements were slow and focused, as if he were polishing a rare treasure, or silently erasing traces that did not belong to him, subtly conveying a sense of control from someone in a superior position.

"There is an orchard in the western suburbs. If you like, you can go and pick the fruit when it is ripe."

Azhi couldn't help but curl her fingers slightly, but she obediently let Tsugikuni Iwakatsu clean them for her. She said shyly, "Thank you."

"..."

Yoriichi watched silently. Although he really hoped that Aori and her brother could get along well, he felt a sense of loneliness at this moment.

The atmosphere suddenly became somber.

Every time Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Iwakatsu Tsugikuni are with Aori, 000 can see the two of them competing with each other.

Previously, it was only Kokushibo Tsugikuni who was competing with Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Now that Yoriichi Tsugikuni has become a little more enlightened, he has also begun to unconsciously show his own strength.

However, one of the more virtuous things about these two people is that they are secretly competing with each other, which is a good thing.

Aori was completely unaware of the turmoil lurking in the shadows. She then shared the berries with Yoriichi Tsugikuni, a naive smile on her face.

With the remaining fruit in her mouth, her teeth gently closed, and the sweet juice, with its unique astringent taste of wild fruit, filled her mouth.

Her lips were stained red by the berries, which looked very beautiful against her fair skin.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

Without Aori explicitly refusing, Tsugikuni Iwakatsu indeed invited Tsuruoka, the most skilled waka teacher in the city, to teach her.

This renowned waka master was not as serious and rigid as rumored.

She didn't delve too deeply into the profound and subtle meanings conveyed in the songs; instead, she spoke like a witty elder, recounting interesting anecdotes about flowers, birds, wind, and moon, her voice carrying a soothing rhythm.

It felt less like teaching and more like keeping A-Zhi company to pass the time.

………

The girl seemed rather distracted today.

When Hegang first met Azhi, he noticed that she was frowning, her eyes were a little red, and her voice was muffled when she greeted him, carrying a hint of grievance that she herself did not realize.

As intelligent as Hegang was, she should have ended the lesson, since continuing it wouldn't be very effective, but as usual, she started by telling some anecdotes.

Ah Zhi was indeed in a bad mood.

Just before this lesson, as Aori was leisurely flipping through a collection of waka poems while lying on the tatami mat, 000 told her that she needed to temporarily return to the system center.

Just as Aori was getting used to parting with Yoriichi Tsugikuni, she never expected that even 000 would leave.

She abruptly dropped the book she was holding and raised her voice: "Why are you leaving too? Can't you stay? I'll be scared alone."

"There's been a problem with the mission, I need to investigate." 000 reassured her, as if treating a five or six-year-old child, "You stay here and study quietly, I'll be back soon."

It only chose this time to leave because it didn't have much to do recently, and it might not be able to find the time later.

Since 000 had said that, Azhi naturally couldn't refuse. She bit her lip and said, "Then you have to come back quickly."

Then he remained sullen until Tsurugaoka came to teach waka poetry. Unlike the usual storytelling, today's lesson ended with a waka poem.

Cherry Blossoms in Spring

Falling like snowflakes

[Silence]

Hegang read this passage with great emotion, looking at Azhi and gently guiding her: "What do you think of when you see cherry blossoms, Miss?"

"You can try to appreciate the artistic conception within it."

She was indeed a good teacher. Even though she was in a bad mood, Azhi obediently began to think.

There's the ancient cherry tree next to the mountain cabin, so tall and big, that blooms beautifully every year; and more recently, the cherry blossom rice cakes that Yoriichi brought back, which are delicious...

And then there was the cherry blossom viewing not long ago.

Azhi tried to appreciate the artistic conception again, but as expected, she couldn't. She couldn't help but look at Hegang, waiting for her to give an answer.

"That concludes today's lesson." He Gang put down the songbook, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the winding corridor beside the courtyard, and his tone changed very naturally.

“Speaking of artistic conception, the patriarch is quite knowledgeable in this area. Miss, why don’t you ask him for guidance? I’m sure he would be willing to answer your questions.”

Azhi paused for a moment, not quite understanding what Hegang was talking about, then looked up, her eyes wide with surprise: "Huh?"

Looking into the girl's clear eyes, a subtle, complex emotion flickered across Hegang's face. His voice was gentle yet firm: "I will ask questions tomorrow."

“…”

Even after Hegang left, Azhi was still confused. She recalled the conversation and her brows slowly furrowed as she realized that there was a big problem.

Teacher Hegang told her to go find Yansheng.

Azhi forced herself to remain calm, even coming up with a reason for herself, and nodded as she spoke: "Let's not go, Yansheng is very busy."

But the thought of Hegang's words, "I'll ask the question tomorrow," made her restless.

If only 000 were here.

Then it can accompany Azhi to consult with Tsugikuni Iwakatsu; no, it can directly tell Azhi the answer.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

The corridor seemed to have no end; passing through it, one arrived at the place where Tsugikuni Iwakatsu held meetings.

Despite carrying the songbook, Azhi was heading to a place where outsiders were not allowed to approach, and she was not stopped by anyone along the way.

Halfway there, she began to hesitate again. Without 000, any difficulty could defeat Azhi.

In the end, she obediently continued walking forward, but her timing was unfortunate; she happened to witness a one-sided act of violence.

………

As time went by, the temperament of the clan elder became more mellow: "Although that woman is of lowly status, Yoriichi likes her very much. I won't say much. As her elder brother, you should take good care of them."

However, he was unaware that Yoriichi Tsugikuni had joined the Demon Slayer Corps and was doing some very dangerous things; otherwise, his attitude would never have been like this.

"But you, as the head of the family, your delay in getting married will shake the loyalty of the family retainers." His expression turned gloomy, and he instructed with a stern face, "I have already selected a suitable candidate for you."

Ji Guoyan remained noncommittal. In fact, his attention was focused on the approaching footsteps, which were lighter and slower than those of others, and belonged only to Azhi.

He had been waiting.

He seemed somewhat hesitant, pausing for a moment at the door. Ji Guoyan could imagine the conflicted expression on Azhi's face, and he subtly curved his lips into a smile.

“Father.” Jikuni Iwakatsu suddenly raised his gaze, and as the door to the Japanese-style room slowly opened, he met the face of the man who was clearly displeased at being interrupted, and said with a slight smile.

"—Smack!"

A resounding slap suddenly erupted, followed by a hoarse, distorted roar of rage that shattered the silence.

Azhi almost dropped the book she was holding. She froze, her pupils reflecting the horrifying scene, like a nocturnal animal suddenly stunned by a bright light.

She covered her lips, and her eyes slowly welled up with tears.

Seemingly not expecting to actually hit him, the old patriarch froze, his raised hand hanging in mid-air as he breathed heavily.

In fact, after Ji Guoyansheng inherited the position of family head, he had not made any moves. However, today he heard some outrageous words.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Do what you're supposed to do, and don't bring shame to the Ji family!"

Before Jiguo Yansheng could answer, he turned and left hastily as if being chased by something, not even noticing Azhi standing at the door.

Azhi watched helplessly as the person walked away, her mind blank, and the scene before her blurred.

“…”

Ji Guoyan maintained his tilted head posture, his body remained straight, his eyelids lowered to conceal the storm churning in his eyes, and he remained motionless, like a cold stone statue.

A moment later, he seemed to see something out of the corner of his eye, straightened his somewhat disheveled clothes, stood up, and slowly walked to the door.

"A-Zhi, come in." Ji Guoyansheng's voice was hoarse and dry, like sandpaper rubbing against stone.

Clear red marks quickly appeared on his face, and the obvious swelling was even visible. A hint of bright red also seeped from the corner of his pursed lips.

Upon seeing the horrific state of Kokuichi Iwakatsu's face, Aori's pupils dilated, and tears welled up in her eyes, sliding down her cheeks as she helplessly stammered, "You're bleeding..."

The soft voice carried a natural compassion.

Long, slender fingers ran through the girl's hair, gently patting her back as if soothing a frightened little animal.

Even though she was the one who got beaten up, it was Azhi who needed comforting.

"Sorry, I startled you." Ji Guoyansheng's tone was somewhat awkward and apologetic as he raised his hand and rubbed the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingertips.

The twins' remarkably similar faces were filled with exhaustion, even revealing a vulnerability that they hadn't quite managed to hide; the dignity and depth that had settled between their brows had vanished.

"N-no..." Azhi shook her head frantically, her gaze involuntarily falling on the red marks on his cheek and the congealed blood at the corner of his mouth. Her eyelashes were wet, and her nose twitched. "How could I hit you?"

Even if she didn't know the reason, she would definitely stand on the side of Tsugikuni Iwakatsu.

Ji Guoyansheng kept his eyes fixed on Azhi, watching her pursed lips and her frightened, deer-like eyes, and the twisted emotions in his heart were actually satisfied.

He gently wiped away her tears with his bloodstained fingers, then sat down with his hands on her shoulders, kneeling on one knee: "A-Zhi."

As dusk settled over the eaves, the shadows grew longer and longer, encircling the two people like a cold cage.

Ji Guoyan Sheng spoke slowly, taking ample time to wait for Azhi's beautiful eyes to meet his before continuing unhurriedly, "Could you do me a favor?"