A Chat with Koshiro—Seeking Recommendations and Collections

"One point. Mu Yu wins."

With Koshiro calling a halt, Mu Yu easily claimed victory once again.

Zoro lay on the ground, deeply unwilling to accept it, yet his fighting spirit remained undiminished. "Mu Yu, remember this! It doesn't matter even if I lose a hundred times. I'll train desperately, desperately, desperately, and then I'll definitely defeat you!"

Mu Yu said, "Then please keep it up!"

Zoro jumped up in anger. "So what if you've beaten me a hundred times? What's with that look like you're encouraging a child?"

Mu Yu smiled and said happily, "I am encouraging a little kid!"

"You... just you wait!"

Zoro's face flushed red. Grabbing his Bamboo Sword, he ran off to the Courtyard in a huff.

After Zoro left, Mu Yu bowed to Koshiro. "Master, you've worked hard."

Mu Yu was not merely being polite. Zoro was practically a challenge maniac.

It had only been twenty days since Zoro entered the dojo, yet he had already suffered a hundred consecutive defeats. One could easily imagine how frequently he challenged others.

And every challenge had Koshiro serving as referee. Four or five matches a day—it was hardly an exaggeration to say he had worked hard.

"It wasn't hard. Mu Yu, you've improved quickly lately!"

Koshiro smiled with narrowed eyes, extremely pleased with Mu Yu.

Mu Yu did not look much older than Zoro, yet he was mature and steady, broad-minded as well. Koshiro felt deeply gratified.

As the master of the dojo, being able to take in such a disciple, one capable of inheriting his teachings, was truly fortunate.

Mu Yu smiled bitterly. "Zoro forced me to improve. That guy's talent is just too outrageous. He challenges me four or five times a day. Though he keeps losing, he makes considerable progress after every match. The pressure is huge!"

Mu Yu meant it. If not for the Tree Planting System, Zoro would likely have surpassed him by now.

Zoro's physique was simply monstrous. His daily training regimen was so intense that even adults might collapse from exhaustion.

Yet after Zoro exhausted himself completely, he would just lie down on the ground. Once he woke from a nap, he would be lively and full of energy again.

It was downright broken!

As for his talent for swordsmanship, that was even more exaggerated.

He learned swordsmanship forms as soon as they were taught, grasped derivative forms without instruction, and applied what he learned in combat as naturally as eating and drinking.

After every challenge, he made significant progress.

Mu Yu even suspected that Zoro had put every last point of talent into swordsmanship, which was why he got lost every day just from going for a run.

Seeing Mu Yu's troubled expression, Koshiro smiled.

Zoro's arrival was like throwing a catfish into the pond, raising the training enthusiasm throughout the entire dojo.

In the past, everyone would complain bitterly after doing five hundred Suburi. Now, no one complained anymore.

Mu Yu glanced around and only spoke after confirming that no one was nearby. "Master, perhaps it's inappropriate for me to say this as your disciple, but I hope you can show Senior Disciple Sister Kuina a little more concern."

"Oh?"

Koshiro's narrowed eyes opened slightly. Mu Yu's words had truly caught him by surprise.

"Kuina is indeed a little too competitive, but I have always treated everyone equally. I have never treated her unfairly."

Mu Yu gave a bitter smile. Master Koshiro might have been a fine teacher, but he was definitely not a good father.

Mu Yu said, "Master, treating her equally is precisely the greatest unfairness to Kuina. Kuina is not merely a disciple of the dojo. More importantly, she is your daughter. Treating her the same as us is enough for the disciple in her, but what about the daughter?"

Koshiro's eyes widened, filled with astonishment.

Treating everyone equally was the greatest unfairness to Kuina?

It was the first time anyone had spoken to Koshiro so bluntly. To be honest, it hit him rather hard.

He was a very traditional patriarch, one who never showed love or hatred on his face.

He had always believed that he had never wronged Kuina, but he never expected to hear such words from one of his disciples!

Seeing that Koshiro seemed to be listening, Mu Yu continued, "Master, Senior Disciple Sister lost her mother when she was young. If you still view her only as a disciple, then she is truly too pitiful."

"I..."

Koshiro wanted to argue, but when the words reached his lips, he could not say them.

He had never viewed Kuina purely as a disciple, but it also seemed that he had never expressed any affection for her beyond that of a master toward his disciple.

Mu Yu said, "Master, I know you value rules most and are not good at expressing your feelings. But as a father, it's fine to show some concern from time to time, or give Senior Disciple Sister Kuina some extra instruction."

"Master, setting everything else aside, have you ever celebrated Senior Disciple Sister Kuina's birthday just for her?"

Celebrate Kuina's birthday?

Koshiro was somewhat speechless. "She's still too young. There's no need to make such arrangements, is there?"

Mu Yu said, "The important thing is not the ceremony, but your feelings. Even without a gift, even if it's just a simple 'happy birthday' from you, Senior Disciple Sister would be very happy. Master, don't let Senior Disciple Sister feel as though having a father is no different from not having one!"

Mu Yu's words were actually somewhat exaggerated!

But to Koshiro, they were like a violent storm, leaving his heart extremely unsettled.

Just as Koshiro was about to say something, there came a sudden clatter. A cup shattered on the ground, followed by the sound of someone running away.

Mu Yu and Koshiro looked over. Who else could it have been but Kuina?

Koshiro's Squinty Eyes kept opening and closing. He was clearly at a loss.

Asking him to comfort Kuina was truly beyond him!

Mu Yu bowed. "Master, this disciple overstepped just now. Please leave Senior Disciple Sister to me."

Koshiro breathed a sigh of relief. "All right."

On a country path behind the dojo.

When Mu Yu found her, Kuina was curled up there with her arms wrapped around her knees.

At Mu Yu's arrival, Kuina immediately raised her sword-like brows and snapped, "What are you doing here? Are you here to flaunt how you pleaded with Father to favor me? What do you know about me? My dream is to become the world's greatest female swordsman! Do I need Father to give me special treatment or extra lessons?"

Hearing Kuina fire off one retort after another, Mu Yu did not argue. He knew that what he had said before Koshiro had deeply wounded Kuina's fragile pride.

Kuina was a strong-willed person. If Mu Yu had been talking nonsense, she might have grabbed a Bamboo Sword and brought it down on his head.

But the things Mu Yu had said were exactly what she had always wanted to say, yet had never dared to.

That made them impossible for her to refute, leaving her with the feeling that her heart was being torn apart.

All she could do was flee in embarrassment!

Yet what she had not expected was that Mu Yu would come looking for her again.

Mu Yu said, "Let's have a match."

Huh?

Kuina was startled, feeling as though she had misheard.

In truth, she had always wanted to fight Mu Yu, but every time, that challenge maniac Zoro had gotten there first.

Seeing Mu Yu's serious expression, Kuina revealed a mischievous smile.

"Sure. I'll prove to you that I'm not the weak person you think I am!"

Mu Yu took up a middle guard stance and said confidently, "Senior Disciple Sister, be careful. I'm very strong."

Kuina also assumed a middle guard and smiled. "I taught you your swordsmanship. A master will never lose to her disciple."

"Ha!"

Kuina shouted as her feet exploded with force. Skimming over the ground like a Cannonball, she instantly charged at Mu Yu.