Who are you calling a stable boy?!

Progress: Completed

词条

【Ripple】: It can generate and manipulate the life energy in the body through breathing.

[Physical Fitness]: Constitution attribute +1 (current maximum 16)

[Perseverance]: Perception attribute +1 (current maximum 16)

-

It became.

Seeing the properties of the Ripple Breathing Technique, Zheng Jing breathed a sigh of relief.

He was right.

The Ripple Breathing Technique manuscript bought from the trading house was indeed white and of "mortal bone" quality, but once one successfully learns the Ripple Breathing Technique, one will certainly not stop at the "mortal bone" level.

To use an analogy, it's like a high-level fitter's certification textbook would definitely be certified as "ordinary" by the courtyard, but a state-of-the-art assault rifle is very likely to be certified as "high-quality" in green.

Time, energy, and various resources required throughout the process are often the "problems" that lie between "knowledge" and "results".

These "problems" often lead to discrepancies in the courtyard's rating of "knowledge" and "outcomes".

Of course, this difference is not absolute.

However, at least in terms of the ripple breathing method, Zheng Jing's judgment was correct.

This judgment should also apply to the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill.

Tianwu divides the progress of most cultivation techniques into only three stages: from [Beginner] to [Master], and then from [Master] to [Mastery].

75 experience points are enough for Zheng Jing to directly cultivate the Ripple Breathing Technique to the [Great Completion] stage. Beyond that, he would need to deduce and strengthen the Ripple Breathing Technique, which is beyond what he can do with his current 75 experience points.

Therefore, the usefulness of the remaining experience points is self-evident.

only......

Looking at the manuscript of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill in his hand, and glancing at the option of "cooking over a raging fire," Zheng Jing scratched his cheek and grinned.

-

As Tanjiro walked through the mountains, he glanced at Zenitsu following behind him and couldn't help but think of Old Zheng, whom he had met yesterday.

Hmm... calling him "Brother Zheng" sounds a bit odd, but if I really keep calling him "Brother Zheng" in private, it feels a bit disrespectful to that guy...

Tanjiro sighed as he thought this.

Well, although the other person's personality is really... lively? Tanjiro knows very well that Brother Zheng is a very reliable adult.

Especially when Tanjiro recalled the way the other person chanted sutras for the two elderly people, he felt that this Brother Zheng must be a famous young monk from some ancient temple!

It's the kind of enlightened monk who, as long as you mention your name in the surrounding villages, will have neighbors and fellow villagers surrounding you and praising you endlessly!

In comparison, Zenitsu, whom I encountered on the road, was somewhat... well...

He's always reluctant to go to work, always flirts with girls, and his snoring is incredibly loud, it's a real headache.

—That's what the little sparrow said.

Zenitsu, whose full name is Agatsuma Zenitsu, is a Demon Slayer Corps colleague whom Tanjiro encounters by chance on his way to his next mission.

He appears to be about the same age as Tanjiro, and has striking short to medium-length blond hair.

Tanjiro remembered him; the two were classmates and had both been selected as Demon Slayers in the same final selection.

However, the meeting between the two sides was not pleasant.

At that time, Zenitsu was harassing an innocent girl...

"Tanjiro... I guess I'm still no good... It makes no difference whether I'm here or not..."

Hearing Zenitsu's disheartening words behind him, Tanjiro couldn't help but frown.

He could smell it; the ghostly scent was growing stronger.

The further you follow this rugged forest path, the stronger the ghostly scent becomes—

(Got it!)

As the trees parted, Tanjiro saw a two-story house nestled in the mountains.

In this desolate wilderness, far from any village or shop, there stands a two-story house that doesn't look dilapidated at all; it's obvious that something sinister is going on inside.

"Fizz..."

Tanjiro twitched the tip of his nose.

"It smells of blood...and it's a smell I've never smelled before..."

"Taste? Does it taste like anything?"

Hearing Tanjiro's murmur, Zenitsu looked at him in confusion, then at the house in front of him.

"Instead of that, did you hear a sound?"

sound?

This time, Tanjiro looked at Zenitsu with a puzzled expression.

"I can tell from your voices, you two are both highly skilled."

Tanjiro and Zenitsu jumped to the side almost simultaneously, one on the left and one on the right.

"Who, who?!"

Zenitsu cried out in surprise.

Tanjiro looked at it.

"—Brother Zheng?!"

"Ok?"

Zheng Jing raised his eyes and glared at Tanjiro.

"Uh, Old Zheng..."

"Hey!"

Zheng Jing beamed with joy.

"Is he someone you know, Tanjiro?"

Seeing Zheng Jing and Tanjiro talking back and forth, Zenitsu seemed to calm down a little and asked Tanjiro in a trembling voice.

"Hmm—that's not right!"

Tanjiro finally realized what was happening, and his expression changed.

"Old Zheng, what are you doing here?"

"Look at what you're saying! Isn't this just a coincidence? I was walking around here, looking for a decent toilet, and look, here it is! Hey! Speaking of which, I should be asking you this. What a coincidence, you're here too, Charcoal Boy!"

Zheng Jing put his arm around Tanjiro and patted him on the shoulder with a smile.

"Old Zheng!"

"As the saying goes, everyone has three urgent needs. I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush, Charcoal Boy, look..."

Then Zheng Jing raised his hand and pointed.

“Look, those two kids over there are much more anxious than we are.”

Chapter Nine: I'm getting anxious

Zheng Jing was referring to a brother and sister.

The two children looked to be no more than eight or nine years old. The older brother was protecting his younger sister, who was trembling and hiding in the bushes.

Zheng Jing used two cans of ○zai milk that he had casually taken from the refrigerator and put into his backpack before setting off, along with Tanjiro's gentle words, to soothe the emotions of the brother and sister and ask why the two children, who were not even ten years old, would be in this deep mountain forest.

The two little ones, the older brother is named Zhengyi, and the younger sister is named Zhaozi.

They also had an older brother who was kidnapped by a ghost in front of them at night.

Then these two little guys were incredibly brave; they actually dared to follow the trail of blood left by their older brother all the way here.

"Don't worry, we will definitely defeat the bad guys and rescue your brother."

Tanjiro gently patted the two children's heads and stood up.

"Tan, Tanjiro..."

While Tanjiro was comforting the two children, Zenitsu was trying to sabotage them.

His body trembled slightly, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Can you hear that... that disgusting sound, it keeps going on and on..."

sound?

This is the second time Zenitsu has mentioned sound.

Tanjiro subconsciously glanced at Zheng Jing, who was still squatting between the two children, holding a handful of candy and grinning at them.

Immediately after Zenitsu mentioned hearing a sound, Jeongkyeong appeared.

"Oh, you mean the sound of drums?"

Seemingly noticing Tanjiro's gaze, Zheng Jing suddenly turned his head and pointed to his ear.

"Yes, it is. It keeps ringing, and it's incredibly noisy."

Before he finished speaking, Tanjiro also heard the drumbeats that Zheng Jing had mentioned.

The booming sound, which sounded like a taiko drum, gradually grew louder, and in the blink of an eye, not only Tanjiro but also the young brother and sister could hear it.

"Alas!"

The two little ones snuggled into Zheng Jing's arms at the same time.

The next moment, a blood-covered figure flew out of the open window on the second floor of the house.

"Smack."

With a burst of blood, the man's back slammed heavily onto the ground.

"--How are you?!"

Tanjiro, realizing what was happening, quickly rushed to the man's side and scanned him with his eyes.

(Such severe injuries! And these injuries...)

Tanjiro knelt down, intending to reach out and help the blood-soaked, wide-eyed young man.

"Don't touch him."

"Old Zheng?"

Tanjiro turned to look at Zheng Jing, who had spoken.

He gently pressed the two children's heads into his arms, covering their eyes, and then gestured with his chin towards Tanjiro.

"Take care of the child, I'll come see him."

Looking at Zheng Jing, whose face was devoid of any smile, Tanjiro did not hesitate.

"..."

After handing the children over to Tanjiro, Zheng Jing came to the young man's side and looked at the horrific injuries on the young man's body, which were mixed with fragments of internal organs and bone fragments.

Adding to the impact of the landing, the young man was almost broken into several pieces. Even if he could be taken to the operating table in time by Zheng Jing, he would most likely not be saved.

...Zheng Jing suddenly took a deep breath.

"drink!"

With two fingers together, Zheng Jing pressed his finger against the young man's throat.

Immediately, Tanjiro and Zenitsu, who were looking over, saw a burst of golden lightning suddenly erupt from Zheng Jing's fingertips.

"Huh...it doesn't seem to hurt..."

Suddenly, the young man spoke.

His voice was soft, but loud enough for those around him to hear clearly.