"Father, you really didn't teach anything at all! These two are really having a hard time," Senjuro's sense of guilt intensified. He didn't look at the "Flame Breathing Explanation" but instead looked sympathetically at the two.
Ryan: "Uh… what's going on now?"
"Don't worry, now that I'm here." Senjuro picked up the book with a sense of mission and began explaining each point. Ryan stopped overthinking, listening attentively while taking notes, and occasionally asking questions.
"Excuse me, how should I understand the part about heating the heart? Should I start heating from the left ventricle or the right ventricle?"
"Uh… my father didn't explain it in such detail."
"Then, regarding the pulse that drives the heart, does it refer to the aorta or the superior vena cava?"
"Ugh… I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're asking."
Senjuro's sense of mission was quickly shattered by these strange questions. Fortunately, he understood the professional terms, and through his stumbling explanations, Ryan roughly understood how to practice.
In the afternoon, the three came to the backyard of Ryan's cabin.
"Ah-woo… Hmph!"
Ryan used all his strength to breathe.
"Ow-woo… Pfft!"
Kanao, mimicking her brother, spat out saliva.
Ryan: "Little girl, is that Water Breathing?"
Meanwhile, Senjuro stood by, watching anxiously.
"Senior Brother, Senior Sister, it's not like that. Don't just breathe with your abdomen; you also need to apply temperature to your breath."
Because he was young, Senjuro hadn't learned Flame Breathing yet, but growing up in the Rengoku Family, he knew what correct Breathing Technique looked like.
"If we're applying temperature, how about practicing Breathing Technique next to a charcoal fire?"
"Ugh… we can try it. I'll go inside and burn some charcoal."
"Wait, Junior Brother, let's move it to the yard to burn instead."
"Why? It's too windy here."
"I'm afraid of carbon monoxide poisoning if we burn it indoors."
"Huh? What's that car… what carbon? Why would it cause poisoning?"
"…"
Ryan didn't want to explain and had no way to explain. Fortunately, the other two were easy to fool. After some effort, the three still moved the charcoal fire outside to the yard, practicing Breathing Technique while warming themselves by the fire.
So, Kanao and Ryan spent the entire afternoon enduring the cold wind.
Days passed like this. Senjuro came every day to clarify parts of the book that were unclear, but he was always stumped by Ryan's incessant questioning. Kanao, initially perplexed, then enlightened, ultimately became even more confused.
On the fourth day, Senjuro simply joined the two in practicing the Breathing Technique.
"Ow-woo… Hmph!"
"Ah-woo… Hmph-hmph!"
"Ha-woo… Hmph-hmph-hmph!"
One was half-baked, one was a simpleton, and one was a clever little imp. The three of them together managed to make the Breathing Technique quite spectacular, and the scene was very lively.
In a distant corner, Rengoku Shinjuro drank his wine in silence, observing everything.
"What a bunch of idiots."
He muttered softly, took another swig, and, feeling a bit tipsy, left the spot.
The sixth day.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Ryan squatted down and blew hard, making the charcoal fire burn even more intensely.
"Senior Brother, what move are you shouting?"
"Brother is so amazing, it's much warmer."
Looking at the two inexplicably excited simpletons, Ryan suddenly felt like he had become a fool himself.
"By the way, after six days, have you two practiced anything? Why do I feel like we've just been roasting by the fire for six days?"
"…"
"…"
The air instantly fell silent. A cold wind swept through, and the three silent figures couldn't help but shrink their necks. So cold!
Not only had they roasted by the fire for six days, but they had also endured the wind for six days.
Rengoku Shinjuro, watching this scene from afar, was also speechless. Did they just realize it now?
"I thought they had more talent. It seems these three kids aren't cut out for it."
He mumbled, took another big gulp of wine, and prepared to go back inside to sleep.
At this moment, Ryan sensed that the atmosphere was off. As the eldest among the three, he needed to take the lead in cheering them up, so he encouraged the two:
"Let's just go inside and roast by the fire."
"…"
Rengoku Shinjuro was instantly choked by his wine and spat it out.
"Senior Brother, isn't this… Huh? What's that noise!"
The three immediately turned to look.
"Oh no, I can't let my youngest son find out I'm peeking!" Rengoku Shinjuro hurried away. As the Flame Pillar, even in a drunken state, avoiding the sight of the three was still…
"Ugh!"
"Kanao, did you see anything?"
"I… I think I saw red and yellow hair, similar to Senjuro."
"Ah! That must be my father! Father! Are you there?"
"Huh! Why is Rengoku Shinjuro here? Never mind, this is a good opportunity to ask for guidance."
"Master Rengoku, I see you!"
The three quickly chased after him, relying on Kanao's dynamic vision.
Hearing the shouts from behind, Rengoku Shinjuro reluctantly stopped. If they kept shouting, the ordinary people at the dojo would be drawn over, which would be even more troublesome.
"Father, it really is you!"
"Master! I've already gained some understanding of Flame Breathing."
"Get lost! Don't call me Master!"
Rengoku Shinjuro was infuriated just hearing it. Among the three, this kid was the most outrageous. Go roast your fire!
"Father, this is all my fault for not teaching well. Please don't blame Senior Brother Ryan."
What do you mean, you didn't teach well? Rengoku Shinjuro's forehead twitched with an angry vein. He was this brat's master… Wait, he didn't want to be a master at all! He was truly muddled with anger.
"You're right. Tomorrow, I'll bring a few bottles of fine wine as an apology. Can I ask you about the Breathing Technique now?"
Ryan said nonchalantly. After six days of not finding the knack, he had already planned to use his "Fine Wine Technique" to seek out the Flame Pillar. It just meant skipping a few meals of medicinal cuisine.
It was faster to ask directly than to slowly accumulate skill points, and it would even save a skill point. He just hadn't expected to run into the main person so soon.
"...Hmph! Follow me."
Hearing that there was more fine wine to drink, Rengoku Shinjuro's anger immediately vanished into thin air, and he no longer bothered with these three brats.
"Alright!"
A moment later, everyone arrived at Rengoku Shinjuro's temporary residence.
"Ryan, only call me Master when you've mastered Flame Breathing. For the sake of the fine wine, I'll teach you all just this once."
With that, Rengoku Shinjuro struck a standard Breathing Technique pose, exactly like the diagrams in the "Flame Breathing Explanation".
"You three have no problem with this posture, but everything else is useless, especially the breathing rhythm, which is a complete mess. Watch me!"
Then, Rengoku Shinjuro's abdomen and chest began to rise and fall in a regular rhythm.
The three immediately imitated the man's movements and began practicing their breathing. Gradually, a warm current spread throughout their bodies.
It really works! Ryan exclaimed inwardly.
Seeing that all three had successfully found the correct rhythm, Rengoku Shinjuro was also somewhat surprised. It seemed their "fire-roasting special training" these past few days wasn't entirely useless after all.
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