stonecrandall Page 65
Page 65
Kanae came out to greet her upon hearing the voice.
"Mr. Ryosuke, you've arrived..."
Her gaze fell on Rika behind Ryosuke, paused slightly, but still maintained a polite smile.
"Who is this?"
Chapter 62 The Cunning Little Shinobu
"I am Kiritani Rika, Ryosuke's junior sister!"
Rika preemptively took Ryosuke's arm affectionately to assert her dominance.
At that moment, Shinobu Kocho also came out.
She immediately saw Rika arm in arm with Ryosuke, and then noticed her sister's slightly stunned expression. Her purple eyes gradually narrowed.
"Mr. Ryosuke."
Shinobu Kocho first greeted Ryosuke, then her gaze pierced Rika.
"Senior and junior siblings? You two have such a good relationship, walking arm in arm? Anyone who didn't know better would think you had some other kind of relationship."
Rika's smile remained unchanged, even sweeter, and she tightened her grip on Ryosuke's arm.
"Because we grew up together~ Of course we're close! Ryosuke-nii is the one who loves me the most! Right?"
She blinked, looked up at Ryosuke, her eyes innocent and naive.
Ryosuke: "..."
Ryosuke suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
"Really?"
Kocho Shinobu chuckled, "It seems Mr. Ryosuke really takes good care of his junior sister."
"But you don't seem to notice, Mr. Ryosuke doesn't seem interested in you, little girl."
"Moreover, this is the Butterfly House, so it's best for unauthorized people not to wander around, lest they damage any important medicinal herbs or get in the way."
“I won’t get in the way!” Rika immediately retorted, still clinging to Ryosuke’s arm.
"I'm here to help Ryosuke-nii! And I'm also very interested in medicine! Hinatsuru-neechan has taught me a lot!"
"Huh, really?"
Butterfly raised an eyebrow, showing no sign of backing down.
"Pharmacological knowledge is not child's play; it requires learning and a lot of practice, and it's not something just anyone can get involved in."
The two girls were about the same age; one had a sweet smile but a hidden sharpness, while the other spoke with a barbed tone and refused to back down.
Their eyes met in mid-air, as if lightning crackled and flashed.
Ryosuke's forehead was sweating.
This, isn't this right?
What's with this weird, chaotic atmosphere?!
Kanae quietly pulled Shinobu Kocho behind her and gave the two of them a slightly apologetic smile.
"Mr. Ryosuke, I'm very sorry. Shinobu is just a straightforward person and didn't mean any harm."
Kanae paused for a moment, then said gently, "Welcome to the Butterfly Mansion, and welcome to Rika-chan as well."
Ryosuke chuckled awkwardly and waved his hand, "It's nothing, it's nothing."
Butterfly Shinobu pouted behind her sister and said nothing more.
Seeing this, Rika restrained herself a bit, but still followed closely behind Ryosuke, looking around the Butterfly Mansion.
“Mr. Ryosuke, Rika, please come with me. I will show you around the current state of the Butterfly Mansion.”
Kanae took the initiative to change the subject and led the two on a tour of the Butterfly Mansion.
She meticulously described the pharmacy, treatment room, medicine preparation area, and the recuperation area prepared for the wounded.
During the process, although Shinobu and Rika no longer clashed directly, their rivalry behind the scenes never stopped.
Rika clung to Ryosuke, glancing at Shinobu Kocho every now and then, with a hint of smugness in her eyes.
Shinobu Kocho smiled, her words always carrying a subtle barb.
She either subtly mocked Lihua's "hand-holding behavior" or questioned whether Lihua could understand the pharmacological knowledge.
"This medicinal herb requires careful handling, so please don't touch it carelessly, junior sister."
"Oh, I know, Hinatsuru-neechan taught me that~ But thanks anyway, Shinobu for reminding me~"
Shinobu Kocho glanced at her and muttered, "How annoying! Just like someone else!"
Ryosuke chuckled dryly a few times.
It's time to come.
Master Yiyong is still putting in the effort!
After he left Narrow Mist Mountain, it seems that many extraordinary things happened.
When we arrived at the wounded area, a familiar figure came into view.
"Mr. Ryosuke! I never expected to run into you here!"
Ryosuke was somewhat surprised.
He was sitting on a hospital bed with bandages wrapped around his shoulders, but he still had a bright smile on his face and was full of energy.
"How did you get hurt?"
Ryosuke carefully examined Kyojuro's injuries.
It wasn't too serious, and it didn't cause any fundamental damage.
Kyojuro explained with a smile, "I encountered two well-coordinated demons while on a mission and suffered a minor injury."
Kyojuro grew up surrounded by the Rengoku family, and even though Makijuro became a slacker, Kyojuro's foundation remained.
He learned breathing techniques on his own, relying on Makijuro's previous guidance and the incomplete "Book of Successive Flame Pillars".
Given his strength and mental fortitude, it's only natural that he would be exceptionally admitted to the Demon Slayer Corps.
"I see, it's good that you're alright."
Ryosuke paused, then asked with concern, "How is your father?"
"It's strange."
Kyojuro's voice became brighter: "Ever since you had that conversation with Father last time..."
"He's not as cold to me and Senjuro anymore! Although he still can't live without alcohol, he's willing to go out on missions now, and he occasionally gives me guidance during training!"
Immediately afterward, Kyojuro added, his tone somewhat helpless.
"Even when he was on a mission, he would often carry a wine jug and get drunk."
It seems that my gentle persuasion was effective.
Similarly, it was because Makijuro was willing to mentor Kyojuro that Kyojuro's growth rate was significantly faster than in the original story.
Ryosuke nodded, then seemed to remember something.
Makijuro in a drunken state...
It seems that a certain little wolf is about to gently shatter in the near future.
"It's good that you're alright. You should focus on recovering."
"Yes! Thank you for your concern, Mr. Ryosuke!" Kyojuro replied loudly.
After visiting Kyojuro, Ryosuke and Kanae walked to the quieter corridor.
Pear Blossom was temporarily sent away by Butterfly Shinobu under the pretext of "helping to identify several easily confused herbs".
The two women continue their rivalry, which is quite poignant.
Ryosuke sighed and then looked at Kanae.
"Speaking of which, how's your training going? Is it progressing smoothly?"
"The training went very smoothly, and everyone took good care of us."
Kanae changed the subject and said, "But Mr. Urokodaki talked to us before."
"He said that Shinobu and I weren't very compatible with Water Breathing and couldn't unleash its full power."
Ryosuke was not surprised by this.
In the original story, both Butterfly Sisters eventually embarked on the path of derivative breathing techniques, which in itself illustrates the point.
Liang Jie wrapped his arms around his head and pondered for a moment.
"Water breathing is the most balanced and gentle breathing method, and it is also the most suitable for most people to learn. However, it is precisely because of its balance that it becomes a limitation."
He looked at Kanae and said calmly.
"However, water breathing is also the breathing method with the most derivative branches, and its form is not static."
"Perhaps you don't need to force yourself to adapt to water breathing, but rather try to make some adjustments and changes based on your own physique, temperament, and fighting style."
"Like new branches growing on a big tree, they share the same roots and origins, yet each has its own unique shape."
"Perhaps with just a few adjustments, a new breathing method that is more suitable for you can be developed."
Kanae listened intently, her eyes shining even brighter.
"Thank you, Mr. Ryosuke. Your words have shown me some new possibilities."
"It just provides a possible idea."
Ryosuke smiled and said, "You'll have to figure things out yourselves. I have faith in your and Shinobu's abilities."
Kanae nodded, but before she could say anything, she suddenly smelled a strange odor.
It has a pungent, spicy smell, and it even smells a bit bad...