บท 14: Chapter 14: Surviving a Catastrophe
Very soon, the two arrived at a small wooden cabin at the mountain top. Hatsune was surprised to discover that the old man carrying him was no ordinary person.
He weighed at least a hundred pounds, yet the old man had carried him up hundreds of steps, chatting and laughing along the way.
When they reached the top, the old man's face was not flushed, nor was he out of breath. His steps and breathing maintained a constant rhythm, something even a strong young man couldn't achieve, let alone an old man over fifty.
Hatsune was shocked but also pleased, grateful that he had found the right person.
The sky had unknowingly turned dark.
The old man set Hatsune down, entered the cabin, and lit an oil lamp hanging on the wall, illuminating the dark room.
Hatsune scanned the room. It was very simple, with only a few pieces of everyday furniture and nothing else.
The old man opened a cabinet and brought out a few pieces of bread and some roasted rabbit meat, placing them on the table, and poured a cup of water.
"Alright, it's already very late. Eat something first, then I'll apply some medicine to your wounds. Rest early tonight."
Under the dim light, Hatsune finally saw the old man's appearance.
He wore a gray cloth robe washed to a pale color, had a head full of white hair, a forehead full of intersecting wrinkles, and a long scar on his right cheek. From the outside, he looked like an ordinary old man, but his eyes were unusually bright.
"Are you my mentor, Seigen Ryoubei?"
"Hmph, Seigen Ryoubei. Just as the little butterfly said, you're rude and arrogant. If she hadn't personally come to beg me, I wouldn't have accepted an arrogant brat like you, no matter what."
It seemed that woman had indeed put in a lot of effort to find him a mentor.
Since he knew he had found the right person, Hatsune stopped talking and focused on gnawing on the rabbit meat.
After a day of walking and a fight with a demon, he was indeed very hungry.
"You, a practitioner of Ice Breathing, insist on learning Rock Breathing from me? That's as mismatched as it gets. Besides that big guy from decades ago, no one has come here for a long time. I heard he's a Hashira now. Hmph, not bad."
Seigen Ryoubei spoke to himself, his tone of melancholy mixed with a bit of pride. Seeing that Hatsune kept his head down, only eating, he got annoyed and knocked him on the head with his chopsticks.
Hatsune winced in pain, letting out a muffled groan, and glared angrily at Seigen Ryoubei.
"Are you a starving ghost reborn? When an adult talks to you, at least respond. No wonder the little butterfly says you have no manners. You'll never win her favor like this."
"Talking is one thing, but why hit me? And why do I need to win her favor?"
Perhaps realizing his tone was too harsh, Hatsune added, "Can't an Ice Breather learn Rock Breathing?"
Seigen Ryoubei was initially unhappy but looked pleased upon hearing the follow-up question.
He picked up a piece of rabbit meat and started eating, saying, "It's not impossible. Actually, it's an issue with the Demon Slayer Corps itself. The five major breathing styles all derive from the Sun Breathing style, so they ultimately lead to the same place."
Hatsune had read about the breathing styles and knew the five major styles originated from Sun Breathing.
The creator of Sun Breathing was a demon slayer named Yoriichi Tsugikuni. His emergence gave demon slayers the power to contend with demons, and his breathing style pushed the formation of the Demon Slayer Corps.
However, with Yoriichi's death, Sun Breathing was lost. Now, only the five major breathing styles and their derivatives remain.
"If they lead to the same place, it means it doesn't matter who you learn from. From what I've read, breathing styles are just a method to temporarily enhance physical potential. The Demon Slayer Corps pairs new recruits with mentors of the same style mainly for ease of learning and to teach basic combat skills."
Hatsune looked at Seigen Ryoubei, as if to say, "Am I right?"
Seigen Ryoubei nodded, "That's about right."
Receiving confirmation, Hatsune continued eating rabbit meat, saying, "Since it's just an auxiliary method, the final test in combat is still physical fitness, combat skills, and experience. You trained the strongest person in the Demon Slayer Corps, so besides the breathing style, you must have unique training methods. That's why I came to find you."
Wow!
This kid is incredibly smart. Is he really just an ignorant novice? He immediately grasped the essence of combat, like a born martial artist.
"Hmph, such arrogance. No wonder you don't get along with girls."
This time, it was Seigen Ryoubei who felt defeated, muttering something insignificant before focusing on his meal.
He had planned to show off, but Hatsune saw through it in a few sentences, leaving him feeling deflated.
After dinner, Seigen Ryoubei had Hatsune sit on a low stool and brought a basin of hot water to clean his wounds.
When he removed the bandages and saw Hatsune's body, stitched up like a patchwork quilt, the old man couldn't help but gasp, his hands trembling as he held the bandages.
He couldn't remember the last time he saw such severe injuries. For a seventeen or eighteen-year-old to survive such wounds was a miracle.
The little butterfly had told him the boy was gravely injured and hoped he could assist. He had dismissed it, thinking it was just another pampered young master seeking training. But now he saw she hadn't exaggerated.
Despite such injuries, the boy had fought a demon and waited for rescue. It was remarkable.
"What's the matter, old man? Are you...are you scared stiff?"
Hatsune sneered weakly, his face pale from the pain, his body swaying even while sitting.
"Hmph, almost dead, and still full of hot air."
Seigen Ryoubei cleaned the blood off him, applied some strange herbs, and re-bandaged his wounds.
After finishing, Seigen Ryoubei took the blood-stained water outside to dispose of it, extinguished the oil lamp, and instructed Hatsune to rest early and discuss any issues tomorrow.
The room fell into darkness, only faint moonlight coming through the window. Hatsune heard rustling from the inner room, which soon quieted down.
The room fell into complete silence.
Feeling the softness of the bedding and the strange herbal smell, Hatsune couldn't believe he was still alive.
He took out a pendant from his bandages, holding it up to the moonlight. The pendant glowed a soft blue, and a sense of joy from surviving washed over him, bringing tears to his eyes.
"Sister, wait for me. I will come to save you!"
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