Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90...
"Tap...tap...tap..."
It's the sound of liquid dripping.
Slowly, viscous, and carrying a nauseating odor, it fell onto the wooden floor, instantly staining it bright red.
—It's blood.
The strong, pungent smell of blood instantly pulled one back to that moonlit mountain cabin attacked by evil spirits, back to that terrifying moment.
Azhi was not injured in the attack, and the impact of the incident should have faded with time, but she still couldn't help but fall into nightmares at night.
The room was filled with the bitter smell of medicine.
In the flickering candlelight, the girl huddled in the blankets, her whole body covered in cold sweat, her small face flushed with a sickly pallor, and her breathing short and weak.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni knelt beside the tatami mat, changing the towels to cool it down. His fingertips inevitably touched Aori's forehead, and the burning heat deeply scalded him.
After learning the whole story from the doctor brought in by the Demon Slayer Corps, he pondered for a moment after the diagnosis: "She must have been affected by the 'Blood Demon Art'."
"However, in theory, this effect should dissipate as the ghost disappears."
"I suspect that her constitution is somewhat special, making her more susceptible to the influence of ghosts. Some people are just more sensitive from birth."
Ji Guoyan Sheng looked at A Zhi's furrowed brows, which were furrowed in distress. She seemed to have heard the conversation, and her trembling eyelashes were like the wings of a startled butterfly.
I tried to open my eyes, but even that was difficult.
Ji Guoyan asked in a deep voice, "Is there any way to alleviate this?"
"At this point, all we can do is rest..."
"..."
This conversation clearly reached Yoriichi Tsugikuni's ears. He knelt down in front of Aori, his hands clenched tightly as he pulled his knees back, and uttered a sentence filled with a chilling and murderous aura.
"Ghosts should not exist in this world."
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Time seemed to have been sped up, and suddenly it flew by. When Aori was fully recovered, Yoriichi Tsugikuni officially joined the demon-hunting team.
Ah Zhi can still vividly recall that scene.
The young swordsman's sharpness was revealed, like a famous sword drawn from its sheath. His voice was no longer calm, but carried a resolute power: "I will kill all evil spirits and protect you for the rest of your life."
But when he took A-Zhi's hand, his eyes softened beyond belief.
At that time, 000 said sadly that the gears of fate had begun to turn, but Azhi did not understand.
From then on, Yoriichi Tsugikuni frequently went out to hunt demons. It is unknown what he discussed with Iwakatsu Tsugikuni, but Aori continued to live in the Tsugikuni residence.
She became the "most honored guest" of the royal residence, enjoying the highest level of luxury in every aspect of her life, from clothing and food to accommodation and transportation.
As the head of the family, Tsugikuni Iwakatsu also took good care of her, his guest.
………
"I'm already better, why do I still need to take medicine?" Azhi asked, her face tense, pointing at the still steaming medicine soup in disbelief.
She has indeed regained her former vitality, and forgotten the pain once the wound healed.
Helpless: [This is a tonic.]
Azhi froze, then solemnly emphasized: "Once you're cured, you won't need any more tonics!"
Every time she took the medicine, she felt like her tongue had died.
So she chose to ignore the bowl of medicine until it was completely cold, and then secretly poured it away.
It was the first time A-Zhi had done something wrong, and she felt a little guilty and excited. Even 000's advice was no use.
In this situation, Ji Guoyansheng's authority was clearly more effective.
They must have just discussed official business; he was dressed in very formal family head attire, exuding an imposing aura.
Deep purple, straight, dark patterns flow down from his broad shoulders, his tall figure exudes a powerful aura, and his family crest appears and disappears as he walks. The sword hanging at his waist clinks with his accessories, producing a clear, resonant sound.
He waved away the prostrate maids, his gaze immediately fixed on the untouched medicine, and ordered, "Change it to something new."
Azhi thought that Kokuichi Iwakatsu was truly despicable.
But when she first saw Tsugikuni Iwakatsu in formal attire, she didn't dare to object and could only watch helplessly as the maid quickly prepared new medicine.
The other attendants also held their breath and became even more respectful.
"Why don't you drink?" Ji Guoyan sat down, his back straight as if cut by a knife, the light and shadow varying in shades on his well-defined face, and asked Azhi very seriously.
He genuinely wanted to know the answer.
Aori unconsciously tapped the seam of the tatami mat with her fingertips, knowing she couldn't throw a tantrum like she did with 000. Finally, she lowered her gaze and said weakly, "...But the medicine is very bitter."
Like a child.
Jiguo Yansheng was taken aback, not expecting such a reason.
During his childhood, his father was extremely strict with him, not allowing him to show any vulnerable emotions even when he was seriously ill, while his gentle mother would not deliberately disobey his father.
Therefore, he could drink even the bitterest medicine without any expression.
Jiguo Yansheng found it somewhat novel and felt that Azhi was very delicate. After thinking for a moment, he ordered the maid to fetch some sweet treats to relieve the bitterness.
"No need, Iwakatsu." Aori blushed, and in her haste, she even unconsciously grabbed Iwakatsu's sleeve, and said dryly into his eyes, "Yoriichi is prepared."
With the tacit approval of Kokuichi Katsumi, Aori can call him by his first name, which is actually somewhat impolite, but it also represents a kind of closeness.
She has clearly gotten used to it now.
This pleased Kokushiro, but the subsequent mention of "Yoriichi" displeased him, and he did not follow Aori's wishes: "It's alright, I was going to give you the konpeito anyway."
“…”
"Would you like to learn waka poetry?" Tsugikuni Iwakatsu picked up his teacup, the rising steam blurring his face. As if afraid of disturbing a bird, his voice became very soft and gentle, "Just for amusement."
"Waka?"
Azhi blankly repeated the somewhat unfamiliar word, unsure of what to do next. She asked 000, "Should I go learn it?"
[Whatever.] 000 knows that Jiguo Yansheng has ulterior motives, but it does not object to the host learning new skills.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Dark, heavy clouds pressed down on the eaves of the Jiguo residence, and soon after, a strong wind whipped up rain, which pelted down relentlessly.
The meticulously pruned pines and cypresses in the courtyard twisted their branches in the fierce wind and rain.
The moisture, soil, and vegetation mix together to create a unique, fishy smell.
Azhi woke up from her sleep, rubbed her eyes, looked around groggily, and then slowly walked to the edge of the eaves and leaned against it.
She supported half of her cheek with her left hand, her cheeks puffed out a bit, and looked at the wet rain, feeling somewhat down.
A moment later, she gently stirred the bamboo tube containing withered flowers with her fingertips and said listlessly, "Yoichi was gone for a long time this time."
The flowers he brought back last time have all withered.
000: [Don't worry, Yoriichi Tsugikuni is going to kill demons; he's the one who's afraid of demons.]
Azhi wasn't at ease. She muttered, "But if you've been gone for so long, I'll worry about you too."
000 fell silent.
As things stand, the mission can essentially be declared a failure.
000 realized once again how insidious this mission was.
Unlike other worlds where tasks have clear objectives, such as "stopping the destruction of Kanria" or "preventing Gojo Satoru from being trapped in the prison gates," Aori faces the task of "achieving the true desire in her heart to achieve the mission objective."
The problem is that the desires of the task recipients are not constant; they change over time. If they cannot be completed decisively at a suitable stage, the battle will be forced to drag on like it is now.
If Yoriichi Tsugikuni wants to completely eliminate demons, then he must confront Muzan Kibutsuji directly.
However, having the ability to kill Muzan Kibutsuji and actually being able to kill Muzan Kibutsuji are two different things.
If they cannot kill them in one blow, the demons, with their long lifespans and numerous eyes and ears, will be able to hide perfectly.
During the mission, the system cannot interfere too much with the host, and all A-Zhi can do in this dangerous world is wait.
000 felt that the difficulty of the task had reached an unreasonable level, and it couldn't understand why Azhi would be assigned such a task.
It might really need to find a suitable time to return to the main space and investigate whether there are any hidden circumstances.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni is back.
At the end of the stone steps, glistening from the rain, a tall figure appeared silently. He walked steadily towards the rain, his face obscured.
Azhi suddenly stood up, quickly walked to the entrance, and pushed the door open with a "whoosh".
Yoriichi Tsugikuni also walked up to them.
He wasn't wearing rain gear and was completely soaked. Rainwater streamed down his dark red hair and resolute facial features, eventually forming a dark puddle at his feet.
Seemingly afraid of getting Azhi wet, he didn't get very close and subtly stopped Azhi from getting any closer.
Aori couldn't hold back any longer. She stepped aside to let Yoriichi Tsugikuni enter, and had a lot to say: "Why didn't you use an umbrella? You're all soaked."
"Why did it take you so long this time?"
“…”
"It's quite a long journey," Genichi Tsugikuni replied, downplaying the issue.
He took off his soaking wet haori and placed it on the veranda. The dark fabric inside clung to his body, outlining the broad shoulders and back that concealed astonishing strength.
Then he took the Nichirin Blade from his waist and put it in his hand before stepping into the room.
Aori didn't panic. She immediately took out a large, dry cloth, kept one for herself, and handed the other to Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Yoriichi was responsible for wiping the rain off his body, while Aori was responsible for wiping his hair and face; the division of labor was very clear.
She was already very familiar with this situation, after all, there were also rainstorms on the mountain.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni lowered his head, silently matching Ori's height, his breathing slightly heavy from the long journey, and a faint shadow of fatigue under his eyes.
As she wiped his cheeks, the girl's soft fingertips inevitably touched his skin. She leaned closer to take a closer look, and in the warm candlelight, she looked exceptionally well-behaved and beautiful.
Jikuni Yoriichi's Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.
The dry cloth was quickly soaked through, becoming heavy and cold. As it was nearing the end, Azhi belatedly realized something.
She paused, touching Yoriichi's disheveled hair and his now dry earrings: "Yoriichi should go back to his place first."
Then you can take a bath and change clothes.
After returning to the Tsugikuni residence, the two of them no longer lived together. In fact, their residences are now quite far apart.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni did not answer, but reached into his half-open inner garment and took out a small package tightly wrapped in thick oil paper.
The outer layer of the oil paper inevitably got wet from the rain, but the contents inside were well preserved, and even felt a little warm because it was pressed against my chest.
As the oil paper was opened, the sweet aroma of cherry blossom cakes gradually filled the air. The pinkish-white glutinous rice skin wrapped around the red bean filling was very tempting.
"Mr. Rengoku said it was delicious." So Yoriichi went to buy it on his way back, but was delayed while queuing.
All he wanted was to see Azhi as soon as possible, give her the gift, and fill her innocent, clear eyes with smiles.
So when they saw the outline of the lights in the distance, they spontaneously walked towards Azhi.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni knew that Ori had been eating all sorts of delicacies at the Tsugikuni mansion, and he just wanted to bring them back for her to try.
Aori picked up a sakura mochi, but instead of putting it in her own mouth, she eagerly offered it to Yoriichi Tsugikuni's lips.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni slightly turned his head away, his calm gaze reflecting the candlelight and Aori's fair and beautiful face. Finally, he gently shook his head and said, "You eat."
Azhi didn't refuse anymore. She took a big bite and ate half of it. While eating, she rambled on about what she had been doing lately.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni was also listening carefully and giving a brief response. He could clearly sense that many new things had been added here since he last left.
As she spoke, her eyes were almost closed, and she unconsciously leaned towards Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
People naturally feel sleepy in a warm and comfortable environment.
Raindrops pounded on the stone slabs, splashing up tiny droplets, while the hurried, heavy footsteps drew ever closer.
Ah Zhi was completely unaware of this; the wooden door kept the wind and rain out, leaving only a warm and cozy room.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni reached out and gently wiped away the powder crumbs from Aori's lips, waking the drowsy Aori with a strange, comforting power in his voice.
"Ah Zhi, go wash up and rest. I'm going to discuss matters with my brother."
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