Chapter 174 The Storm Begins
Kaigaku struggled with this for a long time. After getting back together with his master, he gradually came to understand him better. Ultimately, it was Kaigaku's overly stubborn nature that caused the problem.
He was a stubborn man. Years of wandering had instilled in him his own ideas about life. Even though everyone treated him kindly, he couldn't help but think the worst. No one had ever truly discovered how to correct his way of thinking, except for Yan Sheng.
The other party saw through his weakness at a glance, treated him with an extremely calm tone and firm behavior, taught him, and made him remember it firmly.
You're always so anxious and insecure; perhaps in your eyes, only you are truly reliable. But you need to learn to accept the kindness others show you and reciprocate.
'You are a talented and hardworking person. Don't get stuck on one thing and end up losing everything.'
"Who are you?" Xingming's steps slowly came to a stop. His figure was tall and imposing, like an unshakable mountain. His Eye of the Mind could see the other person's conflicted emotions.
Kaiyue approached slowly, each step seemingly carrying a thousand-pound burden, until he stopped two meters away from Xingming. He took a deep breath, and even though he knew the other could not see him, he still bowed deeply.
"Do you remember me? My name is Kaigaku. I've always been afraid to see you, but I've recently come to my senses. I want to apologize to you. You don't need to forgive me; I just want to apologize in person."
I'm sorry, I did something so heinous back then. Whatever the reason, I was wrong.
He held his breath and finished speaking in one breath while bowing. He remained in that position, not daring to look up even when the air became quiet.
Xingming then realized that the person before him was the child from all those years ago. Xingming's brow furrowed, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him—anger, indifference. A long silence fell between them.
"I can't forgive you." Xingming's voice carried an undeniable and powerful aura, making it hard for Kaiyue to breathe. Beads of sweat uncontrollably slid down his cheeks, dripping onto the dry ground and instantly wetting the soil, leaving mottled marks.
However, as the afterglow of dusk gradually spread, dyeing the earth with a faint golden hue, Gyomei's voice once again reached Kaigaku's ears, much gentler than before: "But I can feel your genuine remorse. The Eye of the Heart never makes a mistake. Just continue to work hard in the Demon Slayer Corps."
These words, like a ray of warm sunshine, pierced through the gloom in Kaiyue's heart. He suddenly looked up and saw Xingming's figure gradually merging into the magnificent sunset, his long shadow stretching across the ground. He watched quietly until the sun had completely set and night had quietly fallen before he snapped out of his reverie.
It turns out that admitting mistakes is not as difficult as imagined. The tension that had been building up for so long finally eased at this moment, making him feel an unprecedented sense of ease and relief.
Kaigaku clutched his chest, feeling his heart pounding.
"Um... Big brother? You and...?"
The sudden noise startled Kaigaku. He turned around and saw Zenitsu peeking in, which made him furious.
"Shut up."
"oh…"
Zenitsu watched Kaigaku walk down the mountain and couldn't help but follow him. He could tell that the other man's attitude had improved a lot recently.
—On the other side—
Only Tanjiro, Genya, and Inosuke remained inside the wooden house.
As Xuanmi ate, he couldn't help but say, "Mr. Beimingyu is a very good person. Although he said he wouldn't let me be his stepson because I had no talent, he took me in as his apprentice after discovering that I was eating ghosts. He also introduced Miss Butterfly to me to diagnose my health."
"Oh—I see."
Tanjiro looked up and said, "Miss Butterfly looked disgusted. She always lectures me whenever we meet. You seemed stubborn too. I thought you would get scolded by her, but she didn't say anything, did she?"
Tanjiro put down his bowl and looked at Genya with concern: "If I didn't know the Breathing Technique, I might have ended up like that too, but are you alright? Shinobu-san must be worried about Genya's health too."
"Yeah?"
"Yes! After I finish eating, I'm going to Mr. Giyu's place. Is Genya coming?"
Tanjiro tilted his head and asked, while Genya shook his head, "No, no, I'm not going. I haven't pushed the rock to the ground yet."
"I'm almost there!" Inosuke shouted as he ate, while Genya stared at him with deadpan eyes. "Because I don't know the breathing technique."
"Hahahaha, don't you know how to use breathing techniques? You coward!!"
Inosuke, still eating, burst out laughing. Genya immediately threw a punch, and the two started fighting.
"Okay, okay, okay—".
Tanjiro stepped forward, pulled the two apart, and pinned the restless Inosuke down. After finishing their meal a while later, Tanjiro went outside and saw Zenitsu with his head hanging low. He asked curiously, "Zenitsu, what's wrong? I haven't seen you all day."
"It's nothing, my older brother is here, I need to go collect some things. Have you finished?"
Zenitsu waved his hand; he had just been scolded again. Tanjiro nodded, bid farewell to the other man, and headed towards Giyu's direction.
He arrived at the bamboo forest and saw houses not far away. He hurried over and, while still some distance away, he heard the sounds of fighting.
It is Mr. Sanemi and Mr. Giyu.
The two sparred with wooden swords, their speed so fast that Tanjiro broke out in a cold sweat. If it weren't for Ichiro's training, his eyesight might have been barely enough to keep up.
Giyuu, expressionless, unleashed his attack. Sanemi easily dodged the Water Breathing strike, then flipped over and swung his sword, using Wind Breathing: Fifth Form to attack Giyuu.
"Water Breathing, Seventh Form, Shizuku Ripples, a sudden chill in the autumn wind falling on the mountain."
Giyu reacted quickly, turning around and thrusting his sword in a straight line, interrupting Sanemi's attack layer by layer, just like ripples on the surface of water. Both of their wooden swords were also broken.
"Alright, let's start hand-to-hand combat now."
Sanemi tossed aside his wooden sword, cracking his knuckles as he spoke. Tanjiro, who had been hiding nearby, immediately jumped up, shouting, and quickly stepped between the two. "Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!! We can't fight now!"
"Shut up! Didn't you forbid contact? You're still hiding over there peeking, you brat."
Sanemi said with dissatisfaction, and Tanjiro thought for a moment, then looked at him and replied with a completely irrelevant remark, "Are you guys fighting over Hagimochi? If so, I can make sure you're full..."
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Eh, I'm serious. Isn't Mr. Shinazugawa's favorite food for Hagi-mochi? I could always smell the faint aroma of mochi and filling during training. And every time I came back, there was a hint of matcha. I thought..."
Tanjiro's words made Sanemi's face darken, while Giyu stared blankly and said, "Does Shinazugawa like Hagi mochi...?"
"It's delicious! Do you want red bean paste or red bean paste? I also love Grandma's hagi mochi..."
"Go to hell!!"
Before Tanjiro could finish speaking, Sanemi punched him and angrily left the Thousand-Year Bamboo Forest. A while later, Tanjiro woke up, and Giyu was sitting beside him.
"Shinzogawa stormed off in a huff."
"Really? Why did you argue?"
Yi Yong shook his head and corrected, "It wasn't an argument, it was part of Coach Zhu's training, Coach Zhu sparring with Coach Zhu."
"I see, no wonder he uses a wooden sword." Tanjiro suddenly realized, scratching his head a little embarrassedly. "Sorry to bother you. I couldn't explain clearly and Mr. Shinazugawa was still very angry, but it's great to know what he likes."
Giyu nodded and said calmly, "Next time, I'll hide some Hagimochi in my pocket and give it to Shinazugawa when I run into him."
"Great idea!"
Tanjiro happily agreed.
Meanwhile, Sanemi, walking on the stone steps in the distance, felt a chill run down his spine. The thought of those two filled him with anger. Suddenly, he sensed a strange aura and swiftly reached out, only to find a shattered eyeball in his outstretched hand.
At the same time, Yan Sheng had just finished his practice for the day, sheathed his sword and walked to the door. The moment he touched the door, he felt a familiar presence.
He turned his head and saw the familiar figure in the moonlight, and subconsciously frowned. The other person stopped at the courtyard gate, looking at him calmly, which Yan Sheng found strange.
No, how did he find us?
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