Haganezuka's Life

Muzan left. Haganezuka watched as Muzan's figure stretched out a long shadow in the setting sun, and slowly closed the door after he disappeared.

In his eyes, this doctor, whose name he didn't know for a year, was very mysterious. After kindly helping him and treating his father, he left.

He reappeared suddenly after three years.

He had never mentioned Koyuki's name, yet Muzan seemed to know everything, leaving a few words of advice before rushing off again.

It was as if he were a divine being, arriving and departing in haste.

Was it truly a god who took pity on him and came specifically to help?

Haganezuka couldn't figure it out.

But he did remember Muzan's words.

Be careful of other dojos, protect Koyuki, and beware of poison.

A few years later, Haganezuka was eighteen.

That night, under the fireworks that filled the sky, Koyuki confessed her feelings to Haganezuka.

Haganezuka immediately confessed his feelings to Koyuki without hesitation: he would become stronger than anyone and protect her for his entire life...

The full moon, the starry sky, and the blooming fireworks illuminated the two figures and their confessions, witnessing the scene.

A few days later, Haganezuka wanted to go home to tell his father the news, but as he was about to head home, the doctor's warning—beware of poison—kept echoing in his mind.

Haganezuka seemed to understand something. As he walked out of the dojo, he rushed back, shouting:

"Koyuki! Master Keizo! Let's go to my house together!"

Koyuki, who was scooping water to cook, turned around to look at Haganezuka running back and smiled, "Okay."

In the evening, Haganezuka's father came to the Soryu dojo with them, ready to prepare for the wedding together.

But as soon as they returned to the Soryu dojo, they found several dead birds near the well and the water vat, with a sparrow corpse floating in the ladle.

Haganezuka's pupils contracted, and he rushed over.

He swallowed hard, grabbed a bird pecking for food by the wall, and made it drink the well water.

The three of them approached with confused expressions and saw the bird die on the spot shortly after drinking the water.

"!"

All four of them understood. Someone had poisoned the well!

Koyuki looked back in fear. If Haganezuka hadn't asked them to go together, she and her father would probably have drunk the well water and died by now?

Haganezuka couldn't hold back his anger. He threw down the ladle and shouted, "It must be a nearby dojo! I'm going to find them!"

Koyuki grabbed Haganezuka's hand and looked up at his face, "Don't be impulsive."

Haganezuka's face was filled with anger, "They almost killed you!!"

Master Keizo put his hand on Haganezuka's shoulder, his expression somewhat serious, "Let's investigate first, and then hand it over to the Magistrate's Office for processing."

Haganezuka was somewhat unwilling. He gritted his teeth and nodded.

The people at the Kendo Hall realized the next day that the people from the Soryu dojo were unharmed. They immediately understood that they had been discovered, but they didn't panic and simply stopped causing trouble.

A few days later, Haganezuka and Koyuki held their wedding.

A week later, they found concrete evidence and reported the Kendo Hall to the Magistrate's Office.

But unexpectedly, the Kendo Hall twisted the story.

The Magistrate's Office also blatantly lied, denying Haganezuka and the others' evidence. Without a second word, they issued a punishment, demanding that the Soryu dojo hand over the dojo as compensation to the Kendo Hall, or they would be imprisoned.

Haganezuka couldn't control himself. He exploded on the spot, kicking an official in the face, "I'll kill you!!!"

"Help!! Catch him!!"

"You mad dog!!!"

The official was kicked over, struggling and roaring, and the scene immediately descended into chaos.

Finally, Haganezuka and Master Keizo left the Magistrate's Office, their clothes slightly disheveled, with several knife wounds on their arms.

They returned to the Soryu dojo and hesitated to open the door, standing outside, looking at each other.

What should they do? They impulsively beat up someone from the Magistrate's Office, and they would definitely be sentenced to prison!

It's over!

Should the four of them run away?

Just as the two were agonizing over their predicament, creak—

The main door was opened.

Koyuki looked at the two outside the door, her face full of confusion, "Why are you standing outside?"

The two found it difficult to speak, and finally Master Keizo recounted the entire incident.

After hearing the whole story, Koyuki was both angry and worried.

But the sound of footsteps behind her reminded Koyuki that they had a guest.

Muzan and Haganezuka's father, seeing that Koyuki had gone to open the door and hadn't returned, came out to check.

Haganezuka was startled to see Muzan, exclaiming, "Doctor?!"

"I heard you talking outside, did something happen?" Muzan asked.

Master Keizo had also heard Haganezuka mention a doctor who "helped him a lot," but what puzzled Master Keizo was that this doctor looked far too young.

According to Haganezuka's description, he should have been at least thirty or forty, but this person looked about Haganezuka's age.

Haganezuka recounted the events to Muzan and his father, then said worriedly to Muzan:

"Doctor, you should leave quickly. Otherwise, when the Magistrate's Office comes to arrest us, you'll definitely be implicated."

That damned Magistrate's Office, colluding with the Kendo Hall, with their nature, if they discovered the doctor was familiar with him, they wouldn't let him off.

In this place, how guilt was determined was entirely up to the enforcer's mood.

Muzan, however, was unconcerned. He simply nodded and said thoughtfully:

"I see. You don't need to worry, I can handle it."

His impression of Muzan all along made Haganezuka instinctively believe that Muzan could truly handle the matter, though he found it absurd in retrospect.

Having lived for several hundred years, Muzan had lost interest in showing off or performing miracles. He directly informed Yanagisawa Noriyuki of the situation and let him handle it.

This place wasn't too remote, so Yanagisawa Noriyuki could manage it.

While the four waited anxiously, three days later, news arrived: almost all personnel from the Magistrate's Office were dismissed and exiled for corruption and bribery. The Kendo Hall was arrested for bribing its master and was banned from operating.

Muzan stayed at the Soryu Dojo for a few days. Upon hearing the news, Haganezuka rushed to Muzan in surprise to tell him.

"Doctor, how did you manage that?"

"A friend helped, that's all."

After staying for a few days, Muzan couldn't stand their overly respectful attitude and left quickly.

They felt Muzan's kindness was too great, wishing they could "offer themselves in return" and treat him as an honored guest.

Muzan's reaction was akin to the phrase "subway, old man, phone."

As time passed, Haganezuka inherited the Soryu Dojo. The dojo accepted a few students and gradually became lively again.

Haganezuka's father and Master Keizo also succumbed to age and passed away one after another.

Seeing their children live happy lives, they departed peacefully.

Another decade or so later, the frail Koyuki also reached the end of her life.

Haganezuka, accompanied by one of his children, stayed by Koyuki's bedside, watching her slowly close her eyes and her breathing cease.

His child had also inherited the dojo. Haganezuka, due to his good physical condition, was still healthy at over forty years old.

Having lived a fulfilling life, the only thing he couldn't let go of was his inability to repay the kindness of the doctor who had once helped him, wondering where that doctor was now.

Was he still alive?

Haganezuka suddenly felt the urge to find the doctor while he could still walk.