Chapter 188 An Unexpected Development
A sense of interest welled up in Yan Sheng's heart. This firearm was something both familiar and strange to him. Even in this prosperous modern world, he had never touched a gun. His family had considered sending him to a training camp, but that would have to wait until after he went to university.
His gaze lingered on the gun he was fiddling with in his hand; the wooden and mineral-made barrel gleamed coldly in the light. The immense, invisible pressure emanating from Yan Sheng made Xuan Mi break out in a cold sweat, as if he were being watched by an invisible behemoth, every inch of his skin taut to the limit.
Yan Sheng's gaze swept casually across the room; he knew that Genya's state could be reversed like a demon. After some thought, he still chose to lightly lift his foot and kick casually.
"Well--."
A sharp pain instantly caused Genya to drop his hand. The Nichirin Blade he had just drawn drew traced a silver arc in the air before falling limply to the ground some distance away with a crisp sound. A bruise quickly spread across Genya's wrist, gradually turning purple.
Yan Sheng was embarrassed for a moment, but he still tried to remain calm. He didn't expect it to hurt so much, so he only used a little force, making it seem like he was bullying a child.
"Xuanmi! Are you alright?!"
Muichiro couldn't see what was happening, his voice filled with anxiety, and despite his best efforts to turn his head, he couldn't see anything. He could only hear the scraping sound of something falling to the ground and Genya's suppressed cry of pain, which made him feel somewhat powerless.
"Lord Tokito."
Genya slowly loosened his grip on his aching wrist and instinctively tried to pull Muichiro, who was also in a predicament, to his side. However, all of his movements froze at Iwakatsu's next action.
Yan Sheng slowly bent down and met Xuan Mi's gaze, who was already half-crouching and now looked even more helpless. His eyes were deep and cold, causing Xuan Mi's body to stiffen abruptly, and even breathing became difficult.
Yan Sheng held the gun firmly in his hand, the muzzle pointing precisely at Xuan Mi's chest. Xuan Mi's pupils contracted sharply, his heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and he could almost hear the sound of his blood rushing.
However, at this critical moment of life and death, Yan Sheng did not pull the trigger as Genya expected. Instead, he asked a question that caught Genya off guard: "How many bullets... are there?"
"???" Genmi's mind went blank. He couldn't understand why Iwakatsu would ask such a question at this moment. He stared blankly at Iwakatsu, his eyes full of doubt and confusion.
Yan Sheng tilted his head slightly, his black hair swaying gently with the movement, like ink bamboo swaying in the night. This gesture inexplicably eased the tense atmosphere.
On the other side, Muichiro couldn't see the actions between Iwakatsu and Genya, but he could clearly feel the tension and danger in the air. He struggled desperately to break free and help Genya, but suddenly heard words that left him completely bewildered.
What kind of bullets? Oh right, Genya uses a gun.
"Five...five."
You still answered him?
Oblivious to Muichiro's bewildered expression, Genya, after a brief moment of surprise, blurted out Iwakatsu's question. He immediately realized his mistake, a flash of annoyance and shame crossing his face. What was he doing?!
Yan Sheng nodded slightly. He slowly stood up, then raised his hand and pulled the trigger without hesitation towards the solid black pillar in the distance. The sound of "bang" echoed in the open space.
However, the bullet didn't hit its target as Iwakatsu had hoped, but instead deviated slightly, leaving an imperfect hole. Iwakatsu frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. It missed.
Taking advantage of the moment when Iwakatsu's attention was diverted, Genya rushed towards the Nichirin Blade that had been kicked away at lightning speed. Without hesitation, Genya picked up the Nichirin Blade and charged at Iwakatsu. Seeing this, Iwakatsu dodged to the side, easily avoiding Genya's attack.
Looking at Xuanmi's completely recovered and seemingly reborn appearance, Yan Sheng's eyes showed no surprise, but rather a hint of admiration.
“You are indeed much stronger than that demon-eating swordsman from three hundred years ago…” Yan Sheng’s voice was deep and powerful. He paused slightly and continued, “But…”
However, before Iwakatsu could finish speaking, Genya's attack came again, like a shadow. Iwakatsu remained calm, forcefully stepping on the blade of the Nichirin Blade that the opponent was swinging. The wooden clogs collided with the sharp blade, producing a crisp metallic sound.
Yan Sheng reached out to grab Xuan Mi's collar, trying to figure out how to calm him down; these kids were so impulsive. His fingers had barely touched the fabric when a figure suddenly appeared in front of him, five green wind blades slashing upwards, aimed straight for Yan Sheng's vitals.
"Fourth Form - Rising Sandstorm".
Yan Sheng reacted extremely quickly. He retreated almost the instant the wind blade appeared, leaving only a wisp of black hair with a bluish sheen fluttering in place.
Yan Sheng looked down at Muichiro, whom he was holding tightly in his arms, and noticed that only a section of Muichiro's hair had been cut off. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He only remembered halfway through his dash that he was still carrying someone, and that the wind blade had grazed Muichiro because of his movement.
"Wind pillar..."
“Exactly.” After the wind blades dissipated, Sanemi crouched down in front of Genya, his eyes fixed on Iwakatsu as if trying to see every little movement. When his gaze fell on Muichiro, whom Iwakatsu was holding, he was slightly taken aback, his tone carrying a hint of surprise: “Tokito, I didn’t expect you to end up in such a sorry state.”
"Shut up."
Upon hearing this, Muichiro's face showed a hint of embarrassment. He did feel that his current appearance was somewhat unsightly, especially after being so easily subdued by Iwakatsu, which made him feel ashamed. At the same time, he also found Iwakatsu a bit strange; it was as if the other party was playing with them, without harming them in the slightest.
"Big brother," Xuanmi said softly, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"You're such a worry-free younger brother."
Sanemi didn't turn around. Recalling the moment he saw Genya confronting the demon, his heart almost stopped beating. He shouldn't have gotten involved in such a dangerous situation when he didn't even know breathing techniques and had no talent whatsoever.
"You should just find a place to settle down and live a long and healthy life. As for the love you haven't been able to give to your mother and younger siblings, just work hard to make your wife and children happy to make up for it."
Sanemi, holding up his sword, spoke with a reproachful tone that deeply moved Genya. Tanjiro had told him that his older brother had never hated him, but was only angry that he had joined the Demon Slayer Corps.
After all, Mr. Sanemi has always liked Genya the most.
"Big brother..."
Genmi's tearful voice rang out, startling Sanemi. He quickly turned and carefully checked Genmi over, only breathing a sigh of relief after confirming that the other was unharmed. Seeing Genmi's tears streaming down his face, he abruptly turned back, "What are you crying for! Big brother will never let any evil spirits get near you."
"?"
Yan Sheng looked at him, unsure how to broach the subject. It was as if he had done something drastic. He had just grabbed a gun to play with; it wasn't like he was facing a life-or-death situation in front of him.
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