Detoxification and the Burden of the Heart

After seeing off the worried Ren, Moyu stood alone in the Valley for a moment. The mountain breeze ruffled the black cloth covering his eyes, causing his hair to flutter slightly. The six eyes of the fully formed form brought not only a qualitative leap in power, but also a fundamental change in his perception of the world. Even with his eyes covered, the realm of his perception was much wider and deeper than what he could see with his naked eyes. The flow of energy was like the movement of a galaxy, the composition of matter was like the lines on his palm, and he could even clearly see the trajectory of dust particles in the air and the muscle contraction of birds flapping their wings in the distance.

He slowly adjusted his breathing, allowing the surging curse power within his body to gradually calm and subdue. The positive energy of the Reversal Technique flowed through his meridians like a hot spring, repairing the subtle burden his body had endured during the evolution. The blood and qi power of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill at its peak of the third level was profound and stable, running parallel to the curse power without conflict, supporting each other.

About half an hour later, Moyu had achieved perfect control over his own state. He raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushing against the black cloth covering his eyes. His six eyes' information processing ability was continuously adapting. Although he still needed this layer of cover to filter the overloaded visual information, he decided to maintain this state for the time being until he was fully adapted.

When they returned to the Butterfly Mansion, it was already late at night. Most of the lights in the rooms were off, except for the pharmacy and the courtyard where Shinobu Kocho lived, which still had a faint glow.

Moyu didn't return to his room, but went straight to the courtyard where Shinobu Kocho was. In Six Eyes' perception, that familiar purple aura was weaker than usual. Although it was very slight, it did not escape his notice. More importantly, there was an unnatural stagnation in her energy flow, like viscous impurities mixed into a clear stream, the toxins of Wisteria, and the concentration was abnormally high.

He stopped at the courtyard gate, not immediately going in. He saw Shinobu Kocho sitting on the veranda, holding a cup of tea but not drinking it, just staring blankly at the Wisteria shimmering silver in the moonlight. The usual gentle smile on her face was gone, replaced by a deep-seated weariness and resolve. Her other hand unconsciously pressed against her lower abdomen—the place where the toxins had accumulated the deepest.

Moyu pushed open the door.

The slight noise brought Shinobu Kocho back to her senses. She turned her head and saw Moyu, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes before her gentle smile returned, "Moyu- kun? Why aren't you resting yet? How are your eyes... adjusting?"

"It's alright." Moyu walked into the courtyard and stopped a few steps away from her. Even with his eyes blindfolded, his gaze landed precisely on her. "Ren, the poison in your body has been neutralized."

Shinobu Kocho's smile froze for a moment.

The courtyard was quiet, with only the rustling of the night wind through the Wisteria trellis. Moonlight shone on the two of them, casting long shadows.

"Poison?" Shinobu Kocho blinked, her smile returning, but this time tinged with deliberate confusion. "What are you talking about, Moyu- jun? How could I have—"

"Wisteria Poison." Moyu interrupted her, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable penetrating force. "It lasts at least a year. Especially in the last few days, the increased dosage has caused problems for you. Your liver, kidneys, and some nerves have already been damaged. If this continues, your organs will fail within six months. Even if you stop taking it now and don't receive treatment, you won't live past thirty."

Every word was like a hammer blow, striking the facade that Shinobu Kocho was trying to maintain. Her smile faded little by little, her fingers gripping the teacup tightened slightly, and her knuckles turned white.

Silence spread between the two. After a long while, Shinobu Kocho gently put down her teacup, the porcelain clinking against the wooden corridor with a crisp sound.

"How... how did you know?" Her voice was soft, no longer deliberately sweet, but carrying a deep weariness.

"I can see it," Moyu said simply, pointing to the black cloth covering his eyes, "In another way. The flow of energy, the rhythm of life, and... the accumulation of toxins."

Shinobu Kocho lowered her head, looking at her outstretched palm. These hands had concocted countless medicines, saved countless wounded soldiers, and even personally delivered the Wisteria Poison into her own body, bit by bit.

"It's for Doma," Moyu continued.

Shinobu Kocho's shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.

"I know you want to kill him with your own hands to avenge your sister." Moyu's voice remained calm, but in the silent night, every word was chillingly clear. "So you chose this method, ingesting a large amount of Wisteria Poison, taking advantage of his liking to devour women, using yourself as bait to kill him from the inside. A mutual destruction."

"Don't say anymore..." Shinobu Kocho's voice trembled slightly.

Moyu raised his hand and slowly untied the black cloth tied behind his head. The cloth slipped down, revealing his fully evolved Eye of Heaven.

In that instant, Ren felt as if he saw a vast starry sea swirling in Moyu's eyes. Those eyes were no longer pure Azure, but so deep that they seemed to devour all light, with tiny glimmers of light in the depths of their pupils, like the birth and death of stars. There was no aggressive sharpness, but rather an indifference and majesty that looked down upon all living beings and understood all things. Just by meeting his gaze, Ren felt a tremor from the depths of his soul. It was not fear, but a suppression on a life level.

Moyu gazed at her and said, word by word:

"With my current strength, Doma were to encounter me, he would only face certain death."

"Abandon that plan. Cure the poison and let me help you recover." Moyu stepped forward, closing the distance between them until they could clearly feel each other's breath. "Before, my strength was insufficient to make you give up this obsession. But now it's different."

"I promised I would resolve the Doma, and I am absolutely confident I can fulfill that promise."

Shinobu Kocho raised her head, and in the moonlight, something shimmered in her violet eyes. Was it tears? Perhaps. But more than that, something solid was loosening, crumbling.

"I know..." she said softly, her voice choked with suppressed sobs, "I know Moyu is very strong, stronger than all of us. That aura just now... I could sense a power far beyond ours. But..."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her voice. "But I must avenge my sister myself—"

"Your sister Kanae wouldn't want you to do this." Moyu's words were like a precise knife, cutting through her last defenses.

Shinobu Kocho's eyes widened suddenly, and tears finally streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"Your sister loves you deeply. She wants you to live a normal, happy life, not for you to suffer a more painful death." Moyu's voice rarely showed any warmth. "You take poison every day, your internal organs are slowly being eroded, and you toss and turn at night in pain, yet you still have to force a smile in front of everyone. Is this the kind of revenge your sister wanted to see?"

"Sister..." Shinobu Kocho opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Tears streamed down her face, soaking her clothes. The pillar that had supported her for so long had cracked at this moment.

Moyu stretched out his hand, palm facing upwards, and a warm white light appeared. It was the manifestation of life force containing the essence of the Reversal Technique, gentle yet powerful.

"Detoxify me," he said, his tone commanding yet strangely devoid of pressure. "Let me help you. Not just detoxify, but also repair the organs damaged by the poison. Your future hasn't even begun. You're not just the Insect Hashira, but also Kanae Kocho's sister. Your sister only wants you to live; that's more important than any revenge."

Shinobu Kocho blankly at the ball of light in his palm, then at his eyes that seemed to see through everything. The burden she had borne alone for so long, the pain she had endured by gritting her teeth, the resolute vow she made at her sister's grave... all of it surged up at this moment, breaking down her last line of defense.

She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks, her shoulders trembling slightly. She was no longer the ever-gentle and smiling Shinobu Kocho, but a girl burdened with too much, on the verge of collapse.

"... Okay." After a long silence, she finally managed to squeeze out a single word through gritted teeth, very softly, but with all her might.

Moyu nodded, offering no further words of comfort, and went straight to the point. "The detoxification will be done in two stages. First, I will use a reversal technique to reverse the toxins in your body, breaking them down into harmless substances for excretion. This process will be somewhat painful because the toxins have already bound to your tissues. After that, we will repair the damaged organs, which requires more precise procedures and will take longer."

"What should I do?" Shinobu Kocho wiped away her tears, trying to calm herself down. After all, she was a Pillar, and even when her emotions fluctuated, she could quickly adjust her state.

"Lie down." Moyu pointed to the small couch in the room. "I'll first clear the toxins accumulated in your body, and then repair the damaged organs."

Ren obediently lay down. Moyu sat on the edge of the couch, raising his hand about three inches above her abdomen. He didn't touch her body, but Ren could feel a warm and vast power slowly seeping in.

It was the positive energy of the Reversal Technique, but purer and more powerful than any healing power Shinobu knew. The energy, like a gentle stream, carried an irresistible purifying force and began to flow through her meridians.

"You might feel a little uncomfortable, but bear with it," Moyu said softly.

As soon as she finished speaking, Ren felt a sharp, burning pain throughout her body. It wasn't the pain of the poison taking effect, but rather as if something was being forcibly torn from her flesh. She bit her lower lip, gripped the sheets tightly with both hands, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. She could feel the Wisteria Poison that had accumulated in her liver, kidneys, bone marrow, and blood being forced out, broken down, and dissolved little by little by that Azure energy.

The process lasted about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Ren was soaked in sweat, and her lips were bleeding from being bitten, but she never uttered a sound of pain. When the last stubborn toxin was cleared, she relaxed as if she had collapsed from exhaustion, panting heavily.

"The toxins have been cleared," Moyu's voice rang out. "Now we'll begin repairing the damaged organs. This will be slow, so you need to relax and try to fall asleep."

She nodded wearily and closed her eyes. This time, the energy entering her body was much gentler, like the warm spring sun, softly caressing the atrophied and fibrotic internal organs caused by long-term poisoning. She could feel the withered vitality sprouting anew, the damaged cells slowly repairing, and the long-standing heaviness and dull pain gradually fading away...

Without realizing it, she had truly fallen asleep. This was the first time she had slept so deeply since her sister's death, without nightmares, only a warm and peaceful darkness.

Moyu maintained the energy supply, his six eyes clearly watching the revival of life within the ninja's body. The liver's detoxification function was recovering, the kidneys' filtration capacity was improving, and the heart muscle's vitality was increasing... This was a delicate and lengthy process that required continuous repair of those deep-seated damages.

Just as dawn was breaking, the restoration work was finally completed.

Moyu withdrew his hand, let out a long breath, his face slightly pale. Hours of high-precision operation had taken a toll on his Mental Energy, leaving him noticeably fatigued. But looking at Shinobu Kocho sleeping peacefully in the morning light, her complexion had regained its rosy hue, her breathing was steady and long, and the energy flowing smoothly and naturally within her body, he knew he had succeeded.

Not only has the poison been neutralized, but the damaged organs have also been largely repaired. Although it's impossible to completely reverse the damage caused by time, in her current state, Shinobu Kocho's lifespan will not be greatly affected.

Moyu stood up quietly, so as not to disturb her as she slept soundly. He took a thin blanket and gently covered Shinobu Kocho with it. The morning breeze was slightly cool, and she unconsciously shrank further into the blanket, a faint, relaxed smile seemingly lingering on her lips.

Moyu sat down by the corridor, leaning against a pillar and facing the courtyard. He did not remove the blindfold, but simply watched quietly as the sky gradually brightened, and the morning light shone on the Wisteria, giving them a pale golden glow.

After an unknown amount of time, she heard a rustling sound behind her. Shinobu Kocho woke up.

She sat up, the blanket slipping from her shoulders. In the morning light, she blinked, seemingly a little dazed, then memories flooded back. She looked down sharply at her hands, clenched her fists, and pressed her lower abdomen, feeling an unprecedented lightness and vitality within her.

The poison... was truly cured. The sluggishness and lingering pain that had tormented her day and night had vanished.

She looked up and saw Moyu sitting by the corridor. His back was to her, and his white hair seemed to be edged with gold in the morning light.

"Moyu- kun..." Shinobu Kocho said softly, her voice a little hoarse.

Moyu didn't turn around, but simply said, "How do you feel?"

Shinobu Kocho stood up, stretched her limbs, and took a few deep breaths. The air had never felt so fresh, and her body had never felt so relaxed. She walked over to Moyu, sat down beside him, and looked out at the courtyard, mimicking his posture.

"It feels like... a rebirth," she said softly, paused, and added, "Thank you."

Moyu shook his head and didn't say anything.

The two sat quietly, watching the morning light gradually fill the courtyard. The Wisteria swayed in the breeze, and the sounds of early-rising members sweeping drifted from afar—a new day had begun.

In the morning light, the Wisteria are in full bloom. And some obsessions can finally be let go, allowing us to move forward in another way.

Shinobu Kocho looked at Moyu's blindfolded profile and suddenly asked softly, "Are your eyes... going to be blindfolded all the time?"

"For now," Moyu said, "You can take them off once you've fully adapted."

"Then do you need me to be your guide?" Shinobu Kocho said half-jokingly.

Moyu turned his head, and although his eyes were covered, Shinobu Kocho could feel that he was looking at her.

"No need," he said. "I see things more clearly than any of you."

Shinobu Kocho paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

As the morning light grew brighter, the Butterfly Mansion began its busy day. Footsteps approached, probably the Hidden Members coming to report to Shinobu.

Shinobu Kocho Butterfly Mansion. But upon closer inspection, the deep-seated weariness in her eyes was gone, replaced by a genuine brightness.

"Well then, I'll get back to work now," she said to Moyu. "You haven't slept all night either, go and get some rest. As for your eyes... just let me know if you need any medicine."

Moyu nodded.

Shinobu Kocho turned to leave, but as she reached the courtyard gate, she suddenly stopped and looked back.

Moyu remained seated, facing the morning light and the courtyard. His white hair and black bandages around his eyes made his tall figure appear somewhat lonely yet incredibly resolute in the light.

She smiled gently, turned around, and walked briskly towards the Butterfly Mansion. Sunlight shone on her, and the purple butterfly Haori fluttered gently in the morning breeze, like a real butterfly that had finally broken free of its constraints and could fly into a wider sky.

Behind her, Moyu remained seated. In Liu Yan's perception, Shinobu Kocho's energy flow was light and full of vitality, without the previous stagnation and heaviness.