Final Trial
Three days later, when it was almost dusk, Bai Zheng was absent-mindedly practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard. The sound of the courtyard door being pushed open made her stop immediately and turn around.
Giyuu appeared at the door, his dark blue haori intact. Apart from a hint of fatigue between his brows, he looked fine.
"Welcome back, Senior Yiyong." Bai stepped forward quickly, his voice filled with an unconcealable sense of relief.
Yiyong nodded slightly and glanced across the courtyard - the ground was clean and tidy, the wisteria in the corner had sprouted new branches, and everything was well-maintained.
"Did you slack off in your swordsmanship while I was away?"
"I practice every day." Bai followed him into the house and handed him warm tea. "I've mastered the tenth form."
Giyuu took the teacup and was silent for a moment before speaking, "You have mastered all the forms of Water Breathing. It's time to participate in the final selection."
Bai's hand, which was pouring tea, trembled slightly. "Final selection?"
"It takes place at Fujira Mountain. If you survive for seven days, you will become a member of the Demon Slayer Corps."
Bai's eyes lit up. "In that case, I can go on missions with Giyu-senpai?"
"Yeah," Giyuu responded briefly, noticing the delighted look that crossed the girl's face.
On the morning of her departure, Bai carefully packed her luggage. Yiyong stood at the gate, watching her strap the Sun Blade to her waist.
"You must come back alive." His voice was still calm, but his eyes were extremely serious.
Bai nodded solemnly: "I will definitely come back, Senior Yiyong."
Mount Tengxi was shrouded in a sea of wisteria blossoms. As Bai set foot on the mountain path, the rich fragrance of the flowers made her feel slightly dizzy. She took a deep breath, regulating her breathing, and the discomfort quickly subsided—the wisteria flowers seemed to have limited effect on her.
"Ms. Yinji?"
A familiar voice called from behind. Shiro turned and saw the ponytailed boy he had met once before during training—Furuta.
"It's really you!" Furuta ran over enthusiastically. "You're here to participate in the final selection too! How about we go together? We can look out for each other."
Bai subconsciously wanted to refuse, but looking at Furuta's sincere smile, he remembered what Giyuu said about the need for unity among team members.
"Okay." She agreed briefly.
Furuta seemed very happy: "Great! I learned a derivative of Thunder Breathing at the training center, although it's still immature..."
He suddenly stopped talking as a shrill scream was heard in the distance. The two men looked at each other and simultaneously tightened their grip on their Nichirin Blades.
"Let's move forward carefully." Bai whispered and took the lead.
Furuta followed closely beside her and couldn't help but admire, "Ms. Yinji looks so calm."
Shiro didn't answer. She wasn't afraid—compared to the Upper Two she'd seen, these mountain demons were nothing. But she had to be careful to conceal her strength, not revealing any trace of Moon Breathing.
On the first night, they encountered their first ghost. Furuta's palms were sweating with nervousness, while Shiro observed calmly.
"Leave the left side to me." Bai said, and the Sun Blade was already unsheathed.
Water Breathing·Second Form·Revised·Horizontal Waterwheel
The blade flashed like flowing water, and the ghost's head fell to the ground. Gu Tian stared at the scene in amazement.
"Wow, that's amazing! Is this water breathing?"
Bai sheathed his sword and shook his head gently, "Let's keep moving forward."
As the days passed, Furuta became increasingly reliant on Shiro's judgment, while Shiro secretly observed the young man—though his swordsmanship was mediocre, he had a kind heart and always wanted to protect others in times of danger.
On the evening of the fourth day, they rested in a cave. While munching on some dry food, Furuta curiously asked, "Who is Miss Yinji studying with?"
"Tomioka Giyu." Shiro replied softly.
"Lord Water Pillar?!" Furuta nearly choked on his food. "No wonder you're so strong!"
Bai didn't respond, but simply stared at the darkening sky outside the cave. He wondered what Senior Yiyong was doing at that moment.
"I will definitely pass the selection." She said softly, both to Gu Tian and to herself.
Gu Tian nodded heavily: "We will definitely all return alive!"
The dawn of the seventh day finally arrived. As sunlight filtered through the sea of wisteria blossoms on Fujishiro Mountain, the survivors began to make their way to the foot of the mountain. Shiro and Furuta walked down the stone steps side by side, and saw several members of the Hidden Clan waiting there.
"Congratulations." One of them handed Bai a piece of clear jade steel. "Please choose a swordsmith to create a unique Nichirin sword for you."
Bai took the jade steel and felt its warmth in her palm. She looked up in the direction of Tomioka's house, the corners of her mouth slightly raised.
Finally, I can stand next to Giyuu-senpai.
The morning sun shone through the paper door. Bai was practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard when a pitch-black crow fluttered its wings and landed under the eaves, uttering a hoarse cry:
"Order! Order! The lord wants to see Haku Inji! Go immediately!"
Bai sheathed his sword and looked doubtfully at Yiyong, who had come out after hearing the noise. "My Lord... you want to see me?"
Yiyong nodded slightly, his expression as calm as ever: "Follow me."
To Bai's surprise, Yiyong produced a black cloth. "We need to cover our eyes," he explained. "The location of the headquarters cannot be revealed."
Bai lowered her head obediently, allowing Yiyong to cover her eyes with a cloth. Deprived of her vision, her other senses became extraordinarily sharp. She felt Yiyong's arms gently wrap around her knees and back, and the next moment, she was lifted horizontally.
"Excuse me." Yiyong's voice came from above his head.
Shiro's cheeks flushed slightly, and her hands unconsciously clutched the haori on his chest. The wind whistled in her ears, and she could feel Giyuu moving quickly, sometimes leaping, sometimes turning. This feeling of being completely entrusted made her feel both at ease and nervous.
After an unknown amount of time, Yiyong's steps finally slowed down. She felt him step onto the wooden corridor and then gently put her down.
"It can be untied now."
Shiro untied the bandage and adjusted to the light. Before her was a man kneeling in a Japanese-style room. The upper half of his face was covered in horrific scars, but the lower half wore a gentle smile. What caught Shiro's attention most was that this man exuded a strange familiarity—reminding her of Muzan, yet completely different.
"Welcome to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, Haku Uzuji." Ubuyashiki's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze. "This is Tomioka Giyuu, I'm sure you're already familiar with him."
Bai saluted respectfully and knelt down opposite his lord at Yiyong's signal.
"Don't be nervous," Ubuyashiki said softly, "I just heard that Giyuu has adopted an outstanding stepson, and I want to meet you in person."
He asked the usual questions—was he used to the food, was the training tough, how was he getting along with Giyu? Shiro answered them one by one, her eyes drawn to the scars on his face. That mark of a curse… She had felt a similar aura from Muzan before, but it wasn't nearly as reassuring.
"Excuse me..." Bai couldn't help but ask, "The wound on your face..."
"Bai!" Yiyong immediately stopped him, "That's so rude."
Ubuyashiki shook his head gently: "It's okay, Giyu." He turned to Shiro, his tone still gentle, "This is the curse of the Ubuyashiki clan, and it's related to Muzan Kibutsuji."
Bai's pupils shrank slightly. As expected... She lowered her eyes: "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"That's okay." Ubuyashiki smiled. "Come to think of it, Giyuu has changed a lot since you joined the Demon Slayer Corps."
Yiyong's ears turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye: "My Lord, I didn't..."
"You used to be a loner, but now you're actively mentoring younger generations and showing concern for others." Ubuyashiki's voice was filled with satisfaction. "It seems Shiro is very important to you."
Giyuu turned his face away and said in a stiff voice, "This is just my responsibility as a pillar."
Bai looked at the reddened tips of Giyu's ears, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart. She whispered to Ubuyashiki, "It was Giyu-senpai who took me in, taught me swordsmanship, and gave me a place to stay."
Ubuyashiki's smile deepened. "What a beautiful bond. It's because of this connection that the Demon Slayer Corps continues to grow stronger."
Before leaving, Ubuyashiki said, "I look forward to your active performance as a team member."
On the way back, Yiyong still held Bai in his arms as they walked through the forest. This time, Bai relaxed a little and could feel his steady heartbeat.
"Giyu-senpai," she said softly, "I'm very happy to be your stepson."
Yiyong's footsteps paused almost imperceptibly.
"Yeah." He responded in a low voice.
Bai gently leaned her face against his chest, listening to the wind brush past her ears. She would protect this bond with her life.
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