Chapter 178 I knew it!
“Phew~ It’s finally built!”
Wiping the sweat off his head, Xuan Mi looked at the wooden house that had been built in front of him in just a few days. He felt a sense of pride and a smile appeared on his lips.
At this time, the wooden door opened, and Grandpa Kuwashima with a kind smile on his face waved to Xuanmi in the house.
"Come in and sit down."
When I walked into the house, Wolf was sitting cross-legged in front of the wooden table, drinking hot tea with Grandpa Kuwashima.
Looking at the two of them, Xuan Mi, who had just been doing the final finishing touches outside, was already thirsty. He grabbed a cup of tea from the table and drank it in one gulp despite the fact that it was scalding hot.
The dry feeling in his throat disappeared immediately, but the boiling hot tea forced Xuan Mi to open his mouth to let out the heat in his mouth.
"Ha~"
Then he closed his eyes comfortably, enjoying the peace, thinking back to those days when he was wandering, hungry and cold, alone, and there was very little news about his brother...
Now following Mr. Hirata, although the journey is a little dangerous, Xuanya feels quite happy.
Well...I've become a lot stronger.
He chuckled secretly in his heart, but then he seemed to suddenly remember something, suppressed the smile on his face, and looked at the wolf who was drinking tea calmly beside him.
"Although life is great now, we have been here for two days. Is Mr. Hirata's matter okay?"
Hearing this, the wolf did not react much, but Sangdao on the side put down the teacup, curious about the wolf's answer.
Seeing the two of them like this, Wolf took a sip of hot tea and put down the teacup, responding to Xuan Mi calmly.
"…Now that I know that the upper demon is targeting me, there is no need to be too anxious…"
The wolf paused as he spoke, then lowered his eyes and looked sharp as he continued.
"...However...passively facing the enemy is not the best strategy after all, so...the journey to Yoshiwara...sets off immediately..."
Hearing what Wolf said, the two nodded seriously. Xuan Mi got up to pack his things, and Grandpa Kuwashima was about to say something when Zenitsu walked out of the inner room and saw the three people who suddenly became busy. He was stunned.
"you…"
Without waiting for Zenitsu to speak, Xuanya drooped his eyelids after seeing Zenitsu and said with a somewhat dissatisfied tone.
"What have you been doing sneakily these past two days?"
This question drew everyone's attention to Zenitsu, who quickly hid his fingers that were covered with tiny cuts and muttered in an unnatural voice.
"It's nothing... It must be your illusion, right?"
Seeing his appearance, Xuan Mi didn't ask any more questions. He snorted twice and walked out of the cabin to look for the owl that had gone somewhere.
The wolf glanced at the other party, then quietly walked out of the cabin, leaving space for Kuwashima and Zenitsu, who obviously had something to say to him, to be alone.
In an instant, only Zenitsu and Grandpa Kuwashima were left in the wooden house.
Looking at his grandfather with a conflicted face, Zenitsu thought that his grandfather wanted to arrange today's training, so he straightened his back, smiled, and patted his chest and spoke loudly to Grandpa Kuwashima.
"Now that the cabin is repaired, it's time to start training! I'm going to run three laps around Taoshan to warm up!"
After saying that, he turned around and was about to go out, but at this time, Grandpa Kuwashima spoke up to stop Zenitsu.
"Wait a minute Zenitsu, Grandpa wants to tell you something."
Turning around, Zenitsu looked at his grandfather in confusion, while Kuwajima, with a smile in his eyes, pointed to the futon in front of him, motioning Zenitsu to sit down and talk.
After Zenitsu sat down, Grandpa Kuwashima's face looked even more kind.
"I have always known that although you are a bit lustful, you are also a very kind and outstanding child."
In response to his grandfather's praise, Zenitsu smiled, touched his head, and then joked in a self-deprecating manner.
"Yeah...I met Grandpa because I was deceived by a girl."
Listening to Zenitsu's self-deprecation, the smile on Grandpa Kuwashima's face turned sad. Thinking of Zenitsu's experiences from childhood to adulthood, he continued to speak to Zenitsu in a low voice.
"But Grandpa also knows... your deep desire for love... and the inferiority complex hidden in your heart..."
Hearing this, the smile on Zenitsu's face gradually disappeared. He lowered his head slightly as if in agreement and listened to his grandfather's next words.
When Grandpa Kuwashima saw Zenitsu like this, his eyes ached even more, but for Zenitsu's own good, he suppressed the twitching in his heart, and continued speaking with a very conflicted expression on his face.
"Grandpa...there is nothing left to teach you...what you need now is to increase your confidence through experience."
He turned his head to look at the wooden door, listened to the faint noise of Xuanya and the wolf talking outside the house, then turned back and whispered softly to Zenitsu who was lowering his head.
"Grandpa asked Mr. Hirata yesterday to let you join his team... You know his strength, and with him around, he will definitely keep you safe..."
"This trip will be considered as practical training..."
But before Grandpa Kuwashima could finish his words, Zenitsu, who had been keeping his head down and saying nothing, suddenly threw himself on him, crying loudly with tears and snot flowing out.
"I can't bear to leave Grandpa!"
Seeing that Zenitsu was so reluctant to leave him, tears flowed from Grandpa Kuwashima's eyes. He gently hugged Zenitsu, his beard trembling. How could he bear to let Zenitsu leave?
"Zenitsu!"
"grandfather!"
Just as the two were crying and shouting, the wooden door opened and Xuan Mi, carrying a large sword on his back, stood outside the house. He looked at the two people in the house who were crying and holding their heads in their hands. For a moment, his eyes felt as if they were burned and in pain.
He cried out in pain, blinked his eyes quickly, and looked inside the room again. Only then did he see the master and disciple sitting upright with tears in their eyes. He breathed a sigh of relief and spoke to Sangdao in a weak voice.
"Well then... we'll take our leave first..."
Nodding, Kuwashima asked Xuanya in a serious tone.
"Do you really not need me to ask the Demon Slayer Corps for support?"
Xuan Mi smiled awkwardly and waved his hand.
"Mr. Hirata said it's not necessary, but you can report the beheading of Upper Rank 3 to the Demon Slayer Corps after we leave."
After saying that, he slowly closed the wooden door and turned to look at the wolf behind him. The wolf was holding the owl, who didn't want to leave here. He looked into the owl's big eyes and frowned as if he was testing something.
After a moment, he put down the owl, which already looked impatient, and muttered.
"Is it not possible to not enter the Shura state..."
Xuan Mi, who saw all this, could no longer maintain the indifferent expression on his face and screamed in his heart in collapse.
What is this!?
At this time, Wolf also noticed Xuan Mi's devastated face. He didn't pay attention to his strange expression and asked him.
“…I understand.”
Xuan Mi came back to his senses and nodded slightly, then adjusted his breathing. At this time, the owl flew into Xuan Mi's arms, ready to depart later.
But the wolf looked at the wooden door for a long time. Just when Xuan Mi was about to ask out of curiosity, the wolf turned and ran away, not giving Xuan Mi a chance to react.
“…Why is this happening?!”
With an angry roar, Xuan Mi stretched his legs straight, and chased after the wolf's back while holding the owl that was chirping happily.
........................
The footsteps gradually faded away, and the wooden door slowly opened, revealing Sang Dao, who looked guilty behind it. He looked at Xuan Mi's gradually disappearing figure, and slapped his wooden leg before he reacted.
"Although I am ashamed to face Mr. Hirata, isn't it even more rude to evade and not inform him?"
Zenitsu beside him chuckled, and then suddenly remembered that he seemed to have never asked the two people about their destination, and became curious for a moment.
Looking up at the sun in the sky, feeling the beauty of the sunlight, Zenitsu gently closed his eyelids and asked casually and comfortably to his grandfather who was patting his wooden leg beside him.
"Grandpa, where are Mr. Hirata and Xuanya going?"
Kuwashima, who was filled with shame, spoke without thinking and spoke in an anxious tone.
"Yoshihara! Yoshihara!"
With his eyes closed and without reacting, Zenitsu chuckled nonchalantly.
"Haha, Yoshiwara..."
Then his eyelids suddenly opened, revealing bloodshot eyeballs underneath. His mouth opened wide and he let out an exaggerated roar.
“Yoshiwara ahhhhhhh!!!”
The roar brought Kuwashima to his senses. When he realized his mistake, Zenitsu beside him had turned into a flash of lightning and disappeared in front of his eyes, rushing straight towards Xuanya who had already run far away!
Boom!
Thunder sounded, but along with it came Zenitsu's shouting floating in the air.
"Wait! Wait! Me! Ah!"
Hearing the sound, Grandpa Kuwashima’s eyes went dark. He slammed the door back and yelled loudly.
"I knew it!"