"Mr. Tanjuro Kamado, can you tell me how you did it?"
The Yaoshi's lips curled into a strange smile.
"Your body, so full of contradictions and terminally ill... it's making me increasingly want to cut you open and take a look."
The air froze instantly.
Tanjuro's hand tightened instinctively around the axe handle, but he quickly loosened it again.
He looked at the young doctor in front of him, a knowing smile flashing in his dark eyes.
He coughed lightly twice, his voice a little weak, but unusually calm, and began to speak:
"Yaoshi, you must be joking."
"My frail body is barely holding on thanks to some clumsy breathing techniques passed down from my ancestors. It's hardly worth the interest of someone as important as you."
He wasn't angry, nor was he afraid.
In his Transparent World worldview, the "doctor" before him had a body structure as perfect as a mannequin, but his emotions fluctuated wildly, like boiling water.
The moment those words left his mouth, the other person's heart rate, blood pressure, and even the flow rate in every capillary all spiked to an excited peak.
That wasn't murderous intent.
It's more of a... curiosity.
Although Tanjuro couldn't understand such complex emotions, he could sense that this emotion didn't indicate an immediate intention to take action.
The Yaoshi's smile froze for a moment.
"Target's psychological qualities are S+, and they are basically immune to threatening language."
"Preliminary assessment suggests that mental resilience is inversely proportional to physical fragility."
"Interesting, this is so much fun!!"
He was preparing to continue probing with words, hoping to uncover the secret of that so-called Breathing Style.
A vibrant voice came from the mountain path not far away.
"Father! Divine Physician! What are you doing here!"
It's Tanjiro Kamado!
He came running over, panting, carrying a small oil lamp, his face full of surprise.
"I was just about to go to sleep when I heard my father leave, so I followed him out to see what was going on! I didn't expect you two to be chatting already! That's wonderful!!"
He watched his father chatting happily with the living Buddha in his heart, and he was overjoyed.
The Yaoshi's body stiffened almost imperceptibly the moment he saw Tanjiro.
"Kamado- kun, it's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"
He even said in a slightly reproachful tone:
"Little brat, you need to sleep enough to grow tall."
"Yes, Your Excellency, Divine Physician!"
Tanjiro nodded vigorously, then looked at his father with anticipation.
"Father! Did you drink the medicine the divine physician gave you? How are you feeling?"
He was referring to the packet of herbs that Tanjiro had brought home during the day, a gift from the miracle doctor. After dinner, Kie had already brewed it into a medicinal soup and given it to Tanjuro.
"Yes, I drank it."
Tanjuro smiled and ruffled Tanjiro's hair, then turned to Yaoshi and bowed slightly.
"Thank you for the medicine, doctor. The decoction is very mild, and it does make me feel warmer after drinking it."
His words were full of gratitude.
"Hehe, that's good."
The Yaoshi waved his hand modestly, but inwardly he was sneering.
"It's just a placebo that's readily available all over the city, with a slight calming effect."
Its main purpose is to let the drinker experience what a psychological effect is.
Unexpectedly, this dying man is actually quite good at saying polite things.
"However, that's just a common remedy; it only treats the symptoms, not the root cause."
The Yaoshi abruptly changed the subject, his gaze drifting back to the graveyard, his expression as if he had discovered a new continent.
"To cure your father's illness completely, we still need that legendary 'Azure Sky Illusion Dream'."
"My esteemed healer, please rest assured!"
Tanjiro patted his chest and guaranteed,
"I'll definitely let you know first when it blooms!"
"Hehe, then I'll have to trouble you."
The Yaoshi glanced at the sky and figured that tonight's academic exchange could be about over.
He has already gotten the information he most wanted to know; staying any longer could easily lead to something going wrong.
He gave Tanjuro and his son a perfect, gentle smile.
"It's getting late, and it's cold in the mountains. Mr. Kamado needs to rest. I won't disturb you any longer."
"To make sure I don't miss the blooming season, I plan to find a place nearby to spend the night."
"Once we find that medicinal ingredient, I'll go back to the Kamado and give him a full diagnosis."
He spoke so sincerely and behaved so properly that anyone who saw him would agree that he was an absolutely great doctor who devoted himself to the medical profession.
"How can that be?! Divine Doctor, it's dangerous in the mountains at night. If you don't mind, why don't you come and stay at our house?"
Tanjiro immediately extended a warm invitation.
"No."
The Yaoshi smiled and declined; he didn't want to live with a bunch of carbon-based creatures who might smear their snot on him at any moment.
"I'm used to living in the wild. I appreciate your kindness, but please go back now and don't catch a cold."
After saying that, he didn't give Tanjiro another chance to persuade him. He nodded to the two of them, turned around, and disappeared into the dark night with his unhurried steps.
"Father, the divine physician... he's such a good person!"
Tanjiro watched Yaoshi's departing figure and sighed sincerely.
"To pay for our medical treatment, they actually have to sleep outside in this cold weather."
"Yes..."
Tanjuro responded, but his gaze remained fixed on the direction where Yaoshi had disappeared, lost in thought.
He could see that after the young doctor walked out of their sight, his heartbeat and breathing remained unchanged.
This absolute control over one's body is something no single person can achieve.
But he is indeed a person.
This extreme sense of contradiction left Tanjuro feeling as if a fog had been shrouded in mist, making it impossible for him to see clearly.
He didn't say anything to Tanjiro, but simply looked away, patted his eldest son on the shoulder, and put on that gentle smile again.
"Let's go, Tanjiro, let's go home."
"Um!"
The father and son turned and walked towards the small wooden house with its warm lights shining.
However, Tanjuro's steps seemed heavier than when he arrived.