Due to excessive blood loss, Han Zhiqi spent the entire day drifting in and out of sleep. Even when he woke up, his mind remained muddled, unable to tell reality from dreams.
That night, Lang Beiwei specially stewed chicken soup and fish soup for him to nourish his body.
What Han Zhiqi had not expected was that an old man well past fifty could care for someone no worse than a woman—at least, he was better than the three chattering women at the Butterfly Estate.
Han Zhiqi's mouth tasted bitter. Though he could barely taste anything, he still forced himself to drink two large bowls so he could recover sooner.
After dinner, Lang Beiwei hastily set up a simple stove outside the wooden cabin. He fetched a large wooden barrel from the storehouse behind the cabin and placed it atop the stove before filling it with water.
Han Zhiqi sat on a stone bench by the door, watching Lang Beiwei bustle about. A warmth he had not felt in a long time stirred within his bleak heart.
His village had been massacred, and his sister abducted. He had thought he would spend the rest of his life in despair, yet he had first encountered the people of the Butterfly Estate, and now this old man.
Somewhere beyond his awareness, it seemed as though a mysterious force had guided him to these people.
Lang Beiwei was preparing a medicinal bath for him.
His severe injuries had yet to heal, and he had been attacked by a demon again the day before. Not only had he lost too much blood, but he had also been scratched in many places.
A demon's nails were poisonous, and the toxins were invading his body through his wounds. Thus, the old man suggested using a medicinal bath to purge the toxins from his body. It could also improve his constitution, speed up his recovery, and reduce unnecessary aftereffects.
Lang Beiwei lit the firewood beneath the stove. Before long, steam rose from the wooden barrel.
After testing the water temperature and deciding it was about right, Lang Beiwei walked over to Han Zhiqi.
"Should I carry you in, or can you walk in yourself?"
Carry him? He had heard of carrying women, but never men. Just imagining it made his scalp tingle.
"N-No need. I'll get in myself."
Supporting himself against the wall, Han Zhiqi struggled up from the stone bench and staggered toward the wooden barrel.
After only a few steps, his stomach churned violently and stars danced before his eyes. In the end, Lang Beiwei had to support him as he lowered himself into the barrel.
Lang Beiwei sat on a low stool before the stove, occasionally adding more firewood. The firelight reddened his weathered face.
"Hey, old man, you're such a talker. Why do you live alone on the mountain? Isn't it lonely with no one up here to talk to?" Han Zhiqi leaned against the edge of the barrel and glanced sideways at Lang Beiwei.
Lang Beiwei shot Han Zhiqi a glare. "Hmph, old man? No wonder Little Butterfly said you had no manners. What's there to be lonely about? It's not like I stay on the mountain every day. Oh, right—I submitted your information today. You'll take the Demon Slayer Corps selection at Mount Fujikasane in two months."
Han Zhiqi turned back and gazed at the sky full of stars. "Whatever."
He was already eager to join the Demon Slayer Corps. That way, he could use his own strength to seek news of his sister. Relying on others was never reassuring.
Under Lang Beiwei's careful care, Han Zhiqi's body recovered seven or eight tenths of the way in just one week.
Although intense exercise was still too much for him, he could already perform simple movements without any problem.
Afterward, Lang Beiwei devised a complete set of systematic rehabilitation and basic training plans for him. One was to help him fully regain his health, while the other was to prepare him for formal training a week later.
Soon, Han Zhiqi began his formal training. There was only a month and a half left before the Mount Fujikasane selection, and he had to completely master the proper use of Breathing techniques within that time.
Though Breathing techniques were merely an auxiliary method, they were the soul of combat.
Unlike ordinary breathing, they involved taking in a huge amount of air at once. Part of that air entered the bloodstream, accelerating blood flow and raising body temperature, thereby unleashing the body's potential for a short time.
Another part filled the gaps between the muscles, indirectly increasing muscle density. This not only provided cushioning but also enhanced resistance to blows. That was what Breathing techniques could achieve at their peak.
Therefore, to truly master Breathing techniques, one needed powerful heart and lung function. Physical strength was equally indispensable; otherwise, air filling the gaps between the muscles would place an immeasurable burden on the body.
The nature of Breathing techniques made it clear that the stronger the body, the more fully one could bring them to their peak.
To effectively train Han Zhiqi's cardiopulmonary function and physical strength, Lang Beiwei specifically formulated a detailed body-tempering plan.
The six-week training period was divided evenly into three stages, with each stage lasting two weeks.
The training mainly consisted of physical conditioning, body agility and coordination training, perception training, cardiopulmonary training, and combat technique training.
Every morning and evening, he ran back and forth between the mountain and its base. The first stage was unburdened, the second stage carried five kilograms, and the third carried ten kilograms.
In the mornings, he had to survive in a forest filled with traps and hidden weapons, training his agility, coordination, and perception.
In the afternoons, he practiced sword strikes beneath a waterfall. The sword-strike training was likewise divided into three stages.
The first stage used ordinary practice methods.
During the second stage, he wore two kilograms of weight on each wrist and ankle, for a total of eight kilograms.
During the third stage, he wore five kilograms on each wrist and ankle, for a total of twenty kilograms. Even in ordinary moments, he was not allowed to remove those weights.
Besides practicing sword strikes in the afternoon, he also had to sink to the bottom of a lake for cardiopulmonary training. After that, Lang Beiwei personally guided him through practical combat training.
After an entire day, Han Zhiqi could only rest at night. This so-called rest did not mean lying comfortably beneath the covers and sleeping soundly. Instead, he meditated while using Breathing techniques to keep his perception from fading.
This state of maintaining Breathing techniques even while asleep was called "Total Concentration: Constant," a higher level of comprehension of Breathing techniques.
Most members of the Demon Slayer Corps remained at the level of "Total Concentration." Only a very small number could reach "Total Concentration: Constant."
To achieve "Total Concentration: Constant," one needed not only extraordinary talent but also repeated training.
Although Han Zhiqi could now enter "Total Concentration: Constant," he had not been practicing it for long. He had only just grasped the basics, and his state was extremely unstable.
Often, he would maintain it perfectly through the night, only to wake the next day and find that he had returned to normal breathing.
Even so, Han Zhiqi's rate of improvement left Lang Beiwei dumbfounded.
From their first meeting, he had known the youth was exceptional. Not only was he brilliant, but his will was also unwavering. The training of recent days had further proven his judgment.
No matter how grueling the training, Han Zhiqi completed it without a word. Even Himejima, that big fellow, had not progressed so smoothly back then.
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