Demon Slayer: My breathing technique went awry after Nezuko pushed me down.

He ignored Tanjiro, who was likely to be fighting that broken rock for a year.

After descending the mountain, Shirakawa Yu first went to the warehouse where his master lived alone, prepared a meal for him, and then returned to the room he shared with Tanjiro and Nezuko.

Sitting next to Nezuko, I lifted her little head and placed it on my lap, closed my eyes, and began to fully engage in breathing exercises.

In theory, breathing techniques should be combined with physical training to achieve the best results.

But after a year of practice, Shirakawa Yu discovered...

Let alone training with breathing techniques by yourself, even if you train your physique right next to Nezuko, it is still far less effective than directly contacting Nezuko and then fully activating your breathing techniques.

Nezuko lying in his arms can increase Shirakawa Yu's efficiency by up to 70%.

It's far more effective than exercise.

Of course, it would be great if Shirakawa Yu could directly hold Nezuko while doing physical training.

That's when the power is at its highest.

But we'll have to wait until Nezuko wakes up before we can talk about that.

He didn't want to use the sleeping Nezuko as a dumbbell.

After cooking lunch, I brought the food to my master, and Tanjiro, smelling the aroma, went down the mountain on his own.

He watched as Nezuko rested her head on Shirakawa Hare's lap, but didn't say anything.

Over the past year, Shirakawa Yu has repeatedly crossed Tanjiro's bottom line, and now such intimate behavior is no longer enough to trigger Tanjiro's reaction as a brother-complex.

After the two finished their meal, Shirakawa Yu looked at Tanjiro and said calmly:

"Nezuko needs a bath~"

Tanjiro, who was about to take another bowl, suddenly stopped in mid-air.

Chapter 15: Taking Nezuko for a bath, they encounter a demon on the way.

"Nezuko needs to take a bath."

A single, seemingly casual remark, yet it was like a drop of water falling onto Tanjiro's fiery red head.

He went into alert almost instantly, his bloodshot eyes wide open and his back taut.

"You, you can forget about it!" Tanjiro blurted out, his voice rising with tension.

"You want to bring that up again, don't you! Let me tell you, no way! Absolutely no way! Nezuko would never let you come to take a bath!"

His expression of being on high alert made Bai Chuanyu roll his eyes.

No wonder Tanjiro reacted so strongly.

After all, every two weeks, Shirakawa Yu would try to negotiate with him about this matter.

This reaction is considered minor now.

Think back to the first time I "innocently" suggested, "Nezuko hasn't had a bath in so long, is she feeling uncomfortable? Should I help her wipe herself down?"

Tanjiro almost performed a "Water Breathing: Brother's Wrath" on the spot, chasing Shirakawa Yu from inside the house to outside, and running around Mount Sagiri three times.

After that, "taking a bath" became a sensitive word, and every time it was mentioned, it would precisely hit Tanjiro's sister complex nerve.

However, Shirakawa Yu didn't seem to be in the mood for "battle" today.

He slowly finished the last bite of his rice, and casually ruffled the hair of Nezuko, who was sleeping by the fire with rosy cheeks.

"The usual," Shirakawa Yu said calmly.

"I'm taking Nezuko down the mountain to the bathhouse to ask Yubaba for help. We'll also buy some daily necessities while we're there. Is there anything you need?"

"Huh?" Tanjiro was taken aback. The relentless pestering, twisted logic, and even a new round of "Nezuko battle" that he had anticipated... none of it happened.

Did Shirakawa Yu give up on the "attack" so easily?

This isn't like him!

Tanjiro eyed Shirakawa Yu warily, his nose twitching as he tried to sniff out any hint of "conspiracy" from him.

However, he could only smell rice, pickles, and a hint of... um?

This guy seems a bit off today? Unlike his usual cheeky and eager self.

"I...I don't need anything." Tanjiro finally shook his head, but the wariness in his eyes hadn't completely disappeared.

"You...you really just took Nezuko to take a bath?"

"Otherwise what?" Shirakawa Yu glanced at him sideways. "Should we carry her and jump into the river? Or pickle her like kimchi?"

"Don't talk about Nezuko like that!" Tanjiro immediately protested.

"Alright, alright, I know you're the best brother in the universe."

Bai Chuanyu waved his hand, too lazy to argue anymore, "After you finish eating, hurry up and go up the mountain to get along with your rock, try to split it open as soon as possible, don't delay my final trial next year."

The mere mention of splitting rocks caused Tanjiro's expression to immediately fall, as if the hardness of the boulder and the tingling sensation from the impact were returning to his arm.

He gave a muffled "hmm" and buried his head in quickly finishing the rest of his food.

Watching Tanjiro disappear dejectedly down the path leading to the mountaintop, Shirakawa Yu let out a soft sigh.

He returned inside and began his afternoon "training" as usual.

Only when the sun had completely sunk behind the mountains did Bai Chuanyu slowly finish his practice and stand up.

He gently lifted Nezuko into his arms, carefully adjusting her position so that her little head rested on his shoulder.

Nezuko, fast asleep, unconsciously nuzzled his neck, making soft purring sounds like a kitten.

Shirakawa Yu's lips unconsciously curved into a smile.

He picked up the empty cloth bag he had prepared beforehand, tied it with a rope, and slung it over his shoulder. Then, carrying Nezuko, he walked down the mountain into the deepening night.

He was already familiar with the mountain path, and even while carrying someone, Bai Chuanyu's steps remained steady and light.

There is a village a few miles away at the foot of the mountain. After walking for about ten minutes, the village lights can be faintly seen.

The village is small, with only a few dozen households.

Shirakawa Yu arrived at the edge of the village with practiced ease, in front of a small house emitting wisps of steam—

Yubaba's family-run inn and public bathhouse.

"Grandma Yu, I'm here again!" Shirakawa Yu called out from the doorway.

The wooden door creaked open, and an elderly woman with gray hair, a slightly plump figure, and a kind smile peeked out.

"Oh, it's Xiaoyu! Come in, come in!"

When Yubaba saw Nezuko in Shirakawa Yu's arms, her smile deepened. "Did you bring your little sister to take a bath? What a thoughtful older brother."

"Hehe, thank you for your help." Shirakawa Yu entered with a smile and carefully handed Nezuko to Yubaba.

Granny Yu was introduced to me by Urokodaki. She is a kind-hearted, tight-lipped old woman who lives alone.

She seemed to vaguely know that Shirakawa Yu and Urokodaki were not ordinary people, after all, Urokodaki would occasionally come to the village to deal with some "trouble".

It wasn't just ghosts, but also some roaming thugs and hooligans.

Therefore, he never asked much about Nezuko's special condition, but always prepared clean hot water and towels and carefully washed Nezuko.

"Don't worry, leave it to me."

Yubaba took the soft, fluffy Nezuko as if she were a little baby. "The same as always, you go ahead and do your thing. I'll call you when you're done washing."

"Okay, thank you, Grandma!" Bai Chuanyu didn't say much. He had been here so many times that he knew the way well.

He turned and went out the door with the cloth bag in his hand.

He first went to the village's small general store and bought rice, salt, pickles, some vegetables that keep well, and also replenished his supplies of needles, thread, and soap.

After thinking about it, I decided to bring Tanjiro a small bag of malt candy—that kid trains hard and needs a little treat now and then.

The maternity ward provides Urokodaki with a substantial retirement fund, but it's burdened with supporting both of them, covering expenses like nutrition and equipment wear and tear...

Life became somewhat difficult.

After finishing his shopping, he returned to the bathhouse carrying a bulging cloth bag.

Grandma Yu hadn't come out yet; faint sounds of water and the old woman humming a gentle tune could be heard from inside.

Bai Chuanyu simply took off his clothes and went into the men's bath next door, where he enjoyed a comfortable hot bath.

The warm water dispelled the chill of the mountains and the fatigue of the day. He leaned against the pool and let out a long sigh.

When he came out refreshed after drying himself off and changing into clean undergarments, Yubaba was just in time to carry Nezuko, who had been washed and smelled wonderful and was now dressed in a clean pink kimono (which Shirakawa Yu had previously left here as spare clothes).

After her bath, Nezuko's skin was even more radiant and translucent, her face was rosy, her hair was soft and flowing, and she exuded a warm and clean scent, like soap and sun-dried bedding.

"Thank you, Grandma!" Bai Chuanyu's eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped forward to take the baby. Feeling the softer and warmer little bean in his arms, his mood instantly soared.

"Don't mention it," Granny Tang said with a smile, waving her hand. "Go back now, it's getting late, be careful on the road."

"Okay! Goodbye, Yubaba!"

After saying goodbye to Yubaba, Shirakawa Yu hung the things he had bought on his arm, hugged Nezuko, and started his journey back to the mountain.

The moonlight was beautiful, and its gentle glow shone on the path, making it easy to see the road.

The night breeze was slightly cool, but Nezuko in my arms was like a little heater, dispelling the chill.

Shirakawa Yu was in a good mood, and even hummed a tuneless little tune.

However, this tranquility did not last long.

Not far from the village, as we reached a bend in the road, an unsettling chill, accompanied by rustling sounds, emanated from the bushes to our side.

Shirakawa Yu paused, his brows furrowing slightly.

The next second, a twisted figure slowly "crawled" out of the shadows.

Chapter 16 The Demon: "Bro, you smell so good~"

It was a "person" with the body of an adult male, but in a distorted posture, with an abnormal bluish-gray skin and long, black fingernails.

He grinned, revealing sharp teeth, his cloudy eyes gleaming greedily in the moonlight, staring intently at Shirakawa Yu... or more accurately, at his body.