Prelude to the Swordsmith Village
Life at the Butterfly Mansion flowed smoothly amidst peaceful training and occasional bursts of noise. Moyu devoted most of his time to mastering "Herrscher" and deeply practicing the "Reversal Technique," while continuously circulating the "Advanced Mental Strength Meditation Method" to consolidate his ever-increasing Mental Energy. As his use of "Herrscher" became more proficient, although the consumption was considerable, it was no longer as depleted as it had been in the beginning after just a few uses. However, progress in the "Reversal Technique" was relatively slow; the positive energy generated was still weak, and there was still a long way to go before it could be used for actual combat healing or replenishing energy.
After finishing a round of deep meditation, Moyu summoned the system interface. The Coins bar displayed the number [49900]. He pondered for a moment and browsed the exchange list. Mental Energy is the core that drives the Six Eyes and the Limitless Technique, and its growth and stability are crucial. The "Advanced Mental Strength Meditation Method" he exchanged earlier was very effective, but with external assistance, it might be twice as effective.
His gaze settled on one item:
[Clear-Mind Concentration Pill) ]: An auxiliary pill originating from the world of cultivation, refined from various rare spiritual herbs. Efficacy: Greatly enhances meditation efficiency, purifies distracting thoughts, nourishes the spirit, and has a certain chance to help the user enter a state of "deep enlightenment". Exchange Price: 10,000 Coins.
"Enhancing meditation efficiency and nourishing the spirit... perfect for me." Moyu didn't hesitate, "Exchange."
[Exchange successful: Clear-Mind Concentration Pill) ×1. 10,000 Coins consumed. Remaining Coins: 39,900.]
A pill the size of a longan, pure white, and emitting a faint, cool aura appeared in his hand. Cloud patterns flowed across the surface of the pill, and it felt warm to the touch. Moyu could feel the peaceful and pure energy contained within it.
He immediately swallowed the pill. The pill melted instantly in his mouth, and a cool and refreshing current flowed into his limbs and bones, eventually converging into his sea of consciousness between his eyebrows. The slight fatigue he had felt from prolonged meditation vanished, and his mind became clearer and sharper than ever before. He activated the "Advanced Mental Strength Meditation Method," and its efficiency indeed increased significantly. His Mental Energy flowed like a trickle into a lake, growing at a noticeably faster rate, and his sea of consciousness seemed to have been cleansed, becoming clearer and more stable.
"The effect is good." Moyu was satisfied and continued to immerse himself in cultivation.
A few days later, one afternoon, the Wisteria in the Butterfly Mansion courtyard was in full bloom. Moyu had just finished a round of micro-management practice on "Kaku" and was resting with tea on the veranda, while Shinobu Kocho was tidying up the newly dried medicinal herbs. Tanjiro and his two companions were being forced by Aoi to do physical training, and Inosuke's howls Zenitsu's complaints could be heard from time to time in the courtyard.
Just then, a lively voice came from the courtyard gate. "Miss Ren! Mr. Moyu! Good afternoon!"
There stood the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, looking quite pretty. She was wearing Demon Slayer Corps with a white Haori over it, and her long, light green braid hung down in front of her chest. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her large, light green eyes blinked. She was also carrying a small food box in her hand.
"Oh, it's Mitsuri. Welcome." Shinobu Kocho put down the medicine sieve in her hand, a gentle smile on her face. "What brings you here today?"
"Hehe, I just happened to be passing by and finished a mission, so I thought I'd come and see everyone!" Mitsuri Kanroji jogged over and placed the food box under the eaves. "These are cherry blossom mochi I bought on the way here! They're super delicious! Everyone should try some!"
"Thank you, Mitsuri." She accepted the food box with a forced smile.
"Mitsuri- san!" Tanjiro and the other two stopped their training and came over to greet her. Zenitsu blushed when he saw Mitsuri Kanroji and stammered a greeting; Inosuke stared intently at the food box; Tanjiro politely thanked him.
Moyu nodded to Mitsuri Kanroji as a greeting.
Mitsuri Kanroji, being cheerful, quickly sat down on the veranda and started chatting with Shinobu. The conversation soon turned to their recent training.
"Speaking of which, Miss Shinobu, Mr. Moyu," Mitsuri Kanroji said, cupping her face in her hands with sparkling eyes, "Everyone has made tremendous progress lately thanks to the Red Nichirin Blade training method that Mr. Moyu mentioned before!"
"Oh? Has everyone mastered it?" Ren asked with interest, glancing at Mo Yu with a smile in her Moyu eyes.
"Mmm-hmm!" Mitsuri Kanroji nodded vigorously, beginning to recount the treasures with great familiarity, "Mr. Himejima is the most powerful! His meteor hammer and broad axe can now reliably turn into a super beautiful crimson red, and their power seems to have increased several times over! They're incredibly imposing!"
Moyu imagined the scene in the story where the massive Stone Hashira wielded a giant soldier, mimicking a helicopter; it was indeed incredibly imposing.
"Mr. Tomioka, Mr. Tokito, and Mr. Shinazugawa are all amazing! At first, everyone except Mr. Himejima could only maintain it for a short while, but Muichiro covered his arm with Armament Haki and found that he could maintain it for longer, although it consumed a lot of energy. Mr. Tokito is really clever!" Mitsuri Kanroji continued, "Mr. Tomioka's Nichirin Blade is now like a flowing ruby, it's so beautiful! Mr. Tokito's sword has become a very translucent red, and it's even faster! Mr. Shinazugawa's sword is a particularly violent red, it feels as fierce as he is... Ah! That's not what I meant!" She realized she had let something slip and quickly covered her mouth, her cheeks turning even redder.
Ren covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "It seems everyone is really working hard. Mitsuri, how's your Red Nichirin Blade training going?"
"I... I still need to practice..." Mitsuri Kanroji twisted her fingers a little shyly, "My Love Breathing combined with Armament Haki consumes a lot of energy, so maintaining the Red Nichirin Blade state is still a bit difficult, but I can already make the blade turn red for a while!"
"That's already very good. Just take it one step at a time," Ren comforted her.
Moyu listened quietly, not surprised by the progress of the Pillars. The key to the Red Nichirin Blade lies in the ultimate control over Breathing Style and one's own will. As for grip strength, Muichiro was able to come up with the idea of using Armament Haki to compensate, truly deserving of the title of a genius boy. Once these top Pillars have a clear direction, mastering it is only a matter of time. This undoubtedly greatly enhances the overall combat power of the Demon Slayer Corps.
After discussing the Red Nichirin Blade, Mitsuri Kanroji seemed to remember something and said, "By the way, I heard that Mr. Tokito is going to the Swordsmith Village soon."
"The Swordsmith Village?" Shinobu raised an eyebrow slightly. "What is Muichiro doing there? Does his Nichirin Blade need maintenance?" She knew that the Mist Hashira's sword seemed to be somewhat special.
"It doesn't seem to be about repairing swords," Mitsuri Kanroji said, tilting her head in recollection. "I heard it's about going to find something... I'm not really sure what it is. But I've heard the hot springs in the Swordsmith Village are amazing! I'd like to go soak in one myself! Luckily, I don't have any urgent missions lately." A longing look appeared on her face.
Swordsmith Village?
Moyu paused slightly, his hand holding the teacup still. The name stirred his memories. In the original story, Upper Rank Four, Hantengu, and Upper Rank Five, Gyokko, attacked the Swordsmith Village, causing heavy casualties. The Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, and the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, fought a fierce battle there, and Tanjiro and Nezuko were also caught up in it. Although they eventually repelled the Upper Rank, the Swordsmith Village was destroyed, and the casualties were considerable.
Moyu put down his teacup, his Azure eyes looking at Mitsuri Kanroji, and said calmly, "The Swordsmith Village? I haven't been there yet. I've heard that the swordsmiths there are exceptionally skilled, and my 'Azure Star' also needs some maintenance. If Miss Mitsuri is going, why don't we go together?"
Shinobu Kocho looked at Moyu with some surprise. She remembered that Moyu's Nichirin Blade didn't seem to require special maintenance, and he had never paid much attention to such trivial matters.
Mitsuri Kanroji's eyes lit up. "Really? Mr. Moyu is going too? That's great! It'll definitely be safer with the Eye Hashira! When do we set off?" She had only mentioned it casually, but she didn't expect Moyu to respond, and she immediately became happy.
"It's up to you," Moyu said. "I'm available anytime."
"Then it's settled!" Mitsuri Kanroji clapped her hands excitedly. "I'll go back and report to the Master. How about we set off first thing tomorrow morning?"
"Okay." Moyu nodded.
Shinobu Kocho watched the two finalize their plans, a thoughtful glint in her purple eyes. She keenly sensed that Moyu's suggestion to go to the Swordsmith Village was not simply for sword maintenance. Considering his special eyes that always seemed to "see" something... Shinobu had a vague guess in her mind, but she didn't say anything, only softly saying, "Since you've decided to go, be careful on the road. The Swordsmith Village is hidden, but we can't completely rule out the possibility of being discovered by demons."
"Don't worry, Miss Shinobu! With Mr. Moyu and me here, there won't be any problems!" Mitsuri Kanroji said confidently.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Mitsuri Kanroji got up to say goodbye, saying she would meet up again the next morning. After she left, the courtyard returned to its usual quiet.
Ren looked at Moyu and asked softly, "What's in the Swordsmith Village?" Her intuition told her that Moyu's trip must have a deeper meaning.
Moyu didn't answer directly, but simply gazed at the swaying Wisteria in the courtyard and said softly, "I have a bad feeling. It's never a bad idea to go and check." He didn't explicitly say that he knew there would be an Upper Rank attack. Muichiro and Mitsuri had activated their Demon Slayer Marks during their battles with the Upper Rank, so if he went, they wouldn't have to go to that point. The side effects of activating the Demon Slayer Marks were too great. As for Tanjiro...
He nodded knowingly, asking no further questions, but simply instructed, "Be careful. Although Mitsuri is quite strong, she's naive, so please keep an eye on her."
"Good."
The setting sun bathed the courtyard in gold. Moyu returned to his room and began to pack his belongings. He stroked the "Azure Star" sword at his waist, feeling its cool touch. Maintaining the sword was just an excuse; his real target was the two Upper Rank demons that were about to attack the Swordsmith Village.
"Gyokko... Hantengu..." A cold glint flashed in Moyu's eyes.