… …
"Why visit him? It's precisely because he overestimated himself and didn't recognize his own abilities that he ended up in this state! A person's talent is determined at birth; he's just as useless as I am, yet he always tries to act tough! It's only natural that he would be severely injured!"
At the Rengoku Estate, Shinjuro sat in the courtyard, picking up a sake flask and taking several large gulps.
The burning sensation flowed down his throat into his stomach, his head felt hazy, and all his pain was momentarily relieved.
"But Father, Big Brother…"
Senjuro was deeply worried about Kyoujurou. He thought that if he could visit him with his father, Kyoujurou would be very happy, and his condition might improve faster.
"Thud!"
The sake flask hit the floor with a dull thud, interrupting Senjuro's unfinished words. He was so startled by Shinjuro that he dared not speak further.
"Don't talk to me about such boring things anymore! There's no way I'm visiting him, and you're not allowed to either! If you understand, hurry up and get back!" Shinjuro didn't turn to look at Senjuro, roaring with a tyrannical tone.
… …
"Yes…" After a long silence and much internal struggle, Senjuro still didn't dare argue with Shinjuro. He turned and walked back to his room.
Listening to Senjuro's receding footsteps, Shinjuro took another large gulp of sake…
In the afternoon, hearing no more sounds outside, Senjuro, guessing that Shinjuro was drunk and asleep, carefully walked out of his room.
On the steps of the courtyard, Shinjuro was indeed lying askew on the wooden floor, an empty sake flask beside him, snoring.
Seeing this, Senjuro tiptoed out, trying his best not to make any sound, afraid of waking Shinjuro.
Thankfully, he didn't wake Father…
Walking down the steps into the courtyard, Senjuro glanced back at the tightly closed eyes of Shinjuro and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Clatter!"
Just then, a gentle breeze blew, and the broom leaning against the fence in the courtyard suddenly fell to the ground with a loud noise.
Oh no…
Senjuro was terrified. He quickly turned to look at the lying Shinjuro, only to find that he merely rolled over, smacked his lips twice, and began snoring again.
Thank goodness…
Patting his chest, Senjuro's anxious heart settled, and he continued to carefully walk out of the courtyard.
A few more minutes passed, and Senjuro finally walked out of the Rengoku Estate. He looked back at Shinjuro with a slight apology, then turned and left…
Soon after Senjuro left, Shinjuro, who was lying on the floor, opened his eyes. He looked in the direction Senjuro had left for a while, then got up and walked back to his room.
Inside the room, a photograph of Ruka still preserved her appearance from when she was alive.
Looking at the photo, a pang of bitterness welled up in Shinjuro's heart.
Ruka…
… …
Walking out of the infirmary, Chiba Yo felt a little down. Although the possibility of solving the drawbacks of Breath Styles / Marks was exciting, the last scene he saw when leaving the infirmary made him unable to feel happy.
"Xiao Yang, could you let me examine your physical condition later?" Kochou Shinobu suddenly asked Chiba Yo as they walked.
Then she added, "As the first person to awaken Breath Styles / Marks, and since your Breath Styles / Marks don't disappear, I think you might be able to provide some clues on how to treat the drawbacks of Breath Styles / Marks."
"No problem." Chiba Yo stopped overthinking after hearing Kochou Shinobu's words and nodded in agreement.
It concerned Kyoujurou's lifespan, so Chiba Yo was naturally very willing to help.
In the corridor, none of the nine Pillars spoke much. Chiba Yo looked at Gyomei Himejima in front of him and suddenly remembered something.
"Gyomei, a swordsman came to me for guidance two days ago, but because I also had to guide three other swordsmen for my teacher, I didn't have much time, so I recommended you to him.
Has he sought you out in the two days since you returned?"
Chiba Yo asked Gyoumei.
After all, it was the first time someone had actively sought him for guidance. Although he didn't have time to guide him, he still wanted to help this swordsman.
"Ah, was there such a thing? No swordsman has come to me these past two days. What is the name of this swordsman you mentioned? What about his talent? If his talent is good, taking him as a Tsuguko would be fine." Gyoumei, with tears in his eyes, turned and asked Chiba Yo.
"I remember his name was Kaigaku. I don't know about his talent, but Gyomei can test him then. However, if he hasn't sought you out, then never mind."
Chiba Yo replied.
Looking at Sanemi beside him, Chiba Yo abandoned the idea of asking Gyoumei about Genya's situation.
Gyoumei suddenly stopped after hearing Chiba Yo's words.
"Gyomei?" Chiba Yo called out, a little confused.
Gyoumei didn't hear anything Chiba Yo said after that, his attention completely focused on the name Chiba Yo had mentioned.
"You said… his name is Kaigaku?"
Gyoumei stopped and faced Chiba Yo, asking, his voice laced with anger. He was very familiar with that name.
"Yes, that's what he said at the time. Do you know him, Gyomei?"
Gyoumei's reaction made Chiba Yo feel that he seemed to know this swordsman named Kaigaku.
"Of course, I know him…" Gyoumei replied, suppressing his anger.
Gyoumei was intimately familiar with every child in the Temple. He still remembered all their names and clearly recalled the events of that night. The child who ignored warnings, returned at night, and extinguished the wisteria incense burner in the Temple was named Kaigaku.
"Kochou, could I speak with Chiba for a moment?" Gyoumei asked Kochou Shinobu, as Kochou Shinobu and Chiba Yo had just arranged to examine the Breath Styles / Marks.
"It's fine, examining the Breath Styles / Marks can wait a bit."
Sensing Gyoumei's emotions, Kochou Shinobu agreed.
Chiba Yo also sensed something was amiss and followed Gyoumei away.
Gyoumei led Chiba Yo to a quieter place.
"Does Gyomei have some grievance with this swordsman?" Chiba Yo asked.
He had only met this Kaigaku once and didn't know his character.
"I was previously a monk in a Temple and took in many homeless children. Kaigaku was one of them," Gyoumei said.
Gyoumei's words surprised Chiba Yo. He had thought Gyoumei disliked children, so he hadn't expected him to have taken in so many children before.
"But because of one incident, almost all these children died. The two surviving children, one was the instigator of the incident, and the other, whom I protected and survived, accused me of being the murderer of those children…"
Gyoumei spoke calmly, and Chiba Yo heard heartbreak and disappointment in his words…