Although he had eaten with Kyoujurou before, Kyoujurou only ate less than ten bowls at that time, but now there are more than twenty bowls on the table.
(;one_one)
Chiba Yo walked a little closer, then said again, "Rengoku-sensei, I passed the Final Selection."
"Woooooo!"
Kyoujurou suddenly turned his head and shouted, startling Chiba Yo.
After a while, Kyoujurou finished eating, and Chiba Yo told him about the Final Selection.
"Hmm, that's amazing! From now on, you're also a member of the Demon Slayer Corps! Let's work hard together!" Kyoujurou said enthusiastically after hearing Chiba Yo's narration.
"Yes!" Chiba Yo replied respectfully.
"I'm going home today, Xiao Yang, do you want to come along?" After discussing the Final Selection, Kyoujurou turned to Chiba Yo and asked.
"Eh? Can I?" Chiba Yo asked, stunned for a moment.
"Of course! Speaking of which, my previous Tsuguko also visited my house a few times!" Kyoujurou replied.
His previous Tsuguko was Mitsuri Kanroji, the current Love Hashira.
"Alright then." Chiba Yo agreed.
On the bustling street, Chiba Yo slowly walked with Kyoujurou. As they passed a kimono shop, Kyoujurou stopped and walked in, and Chiba Yo followed him in.
So expensive…
Looking around at the price tags of the clothes in the shop, Chiba Yo couldn't help but exclaim in his heart. Some of the clothes inside were so expensive that he couldn't afford them even if he dug herbs in the mountains for a year.
He was still wearing the clothes his mother made for him, which he had been wearing for two years now. As he grew taller, the clothes had become a bit ill-fitting.
"If the two guests see anything they like, feel free to try it on." The kimono shop assistant smiled and said to Chiba Yo and Kyoujurou after seeing them.
"Hmm, see which one you like, Xiao Yang." Kyoujurou responded and then turned to Chiba Yo and said.
"Eh? Me?" Chiba Yo didn't react for a moment, and after understanding, he waved his hands repeatedly and said, "No need, the clothes I'm wearing are still wearable, and the clothes here are too expensive…"
"Try this one." Kyoujurou seemed not to hear Chiba Yo's words and handed him a white kimono.
"Alright…" Chiba Yo saw that he couldn't refuse, so he took the clothes and tried them on.
His black long hair was tied into a high ponytail, his face was handsome and resolute, he wore white clothes, and the flame pattern on his forehead added a touch of mystery.
After changing into these clothes, Chiba Yo instantly became a graceful samurai.
"Very good, you look much more energetic, let's take this one!" Kyoujurou took a look, then took out banknotes and paid the shopkeeper.
"Rengoku-sensei…" Chiba Yo opened his mouth. He didn't expect Kyoujurou to be buying clothes for him.
"Consider this a gift to congratulate you on passing the Final Selection. Keep up the good work!" Kyoujurou smiled and patted Chiba Yo's head.
An indescribable warmth enveloped Chiba Yo, feeling like a sun suddenly appearing in a cold night, dispelling darkness and cold, illuminating the world, and bringing warmth.
Chiba Yo felt his nose sting a little. From Kyoujurou, he experienced feelings he had never had before. What were these feelings like? A teacher? An older brother? A father? A senior? Or perhaps all of them.
…
At the entrance of the Rengoku residence
Chiba Yo followed Kyoujurou here. In the courtyard, a young man who looked similar to Kyoujurou was cleaning the yard.
Upon seeing Kyoujurou, Senjuro happily ran over.
"Big brother."
Is this Rengoku-sensei's younger brother? He really does look like him.
Chiba Yo thought as he watched Senjuro run over.
"You've grown taller, Senjuro, how have you been recently?" Kyoujurou smiled and asked Senjuro.
Hearing Kyoujurou's words, Senjuro lowered his head somewhat dejectedly.
"I still can't learn the sword techniques Big Brother taught me. I don't think I'm suited to be a swordsman. My talent in this area is too poor." Senjuro said in a low mood.
"It's alright, there's no need to be sad about it. Everyone has things they're not good at. Just follow the path you believe is right. As your older brother, I'll always support you!" Kyoujurou said, patting Senjuro's shoulder upon hearing his words.
Hearing Kyoujurou's encouragement, Senjuro raised his head, and the negativity and disappointment on his face had disappeared.
"Mm!"
After exchanging pleasantries with Senjuro, Kyoujurou introduced Chiba Yo and Senjuro to each other.
"This is my Tsuguko, Chiba Yo. This is my younger brother, Senjuro."
The two greeted each other, and then the three walked into the mansion together.
As soon as they entered the mansion, a scruffy middle-aged man with a beard came out, carrying a sake flask.
"Father." Kyoujurou respectfully called out.
"Still doing that foolish Demon Slayer Corps work? How utterly boring!" Shinjuro Rengoku glanced at Kyoujurou, said this, and then was about to go out to buy sake.
Shinjuro's words made Chiba Yo feel a bit uncomfortable, but he was Kyoujurou's father after all, so Chiba Yo couldn't say anything.
Shinjuro was about to leave when he suddenly saw the Breath Styles / Marks on Chiba Yo's forehead behind Kyoujurou. He then froze for a moment, then said in a somewhat dejected tone:
"Hehehe, what good is it even if you develop Breath Styles / Marks? It's just futile. In the end, you'll just be a short-lived ghost." After saying this, he staggered out the door.
For some reason, Chiba Yo heard a sense of loneliness in his tone, but what he said about Breath Styles / Marks made Chiba Yo feel a bit confused.
"Rengoku-sensei…" Chiba Yo looked at Kyoujurou with some concern. It must be very painful for one's actions not to be recognized by one's family. As for Shinjuro's later remark about him being a short-lived ghost, he didn't care.
Kyoujurou, however, looked as usual and was not surprised by this. He just looked at Shinjuro's receding back with some heartache.
Afterwards, Chiba Yo stayed at the Rengoku family for lunch. After lunch, Kyoujurou received a mission from his Kasugai Crow. Since Chiba Yo's nichirin blade had not yet been forged, he could not go on this mission with Kyoujurou.
Returning to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters alone, Chiba Yo ran into an acquaintance as soon as he reached the entrance of the headquarters—the rooster-haired boy he had met during the Final Selection.
The rooster-haired boy also saw him, then snorted coldly and turned to leave, which made Chiba Yo give up the idea of greeting him.
Ten days later, a man wearing a straw hat and a Hyottoko mask came to find Chiba Yo.
"I am Tetsuimaru, a swordsmith from the Swordsmith Village, and I have been ordered to deliver the forged nichirin blade to Swordsman Chiba Yo."