After leaving the market Teiichi returned to his house in the suburbs.
The house has a simple yet elegant exterior. The brass lock hanging on the door gleams in the setting sun, like a guardian of time, quietly waiting for its owner's return.
Teiichi took out the key from his waist, gently inserted it into the keyhole, and with a crisp click, the lock was easily opened.
One hand braced against the door, pushing it inward.
"Um?"
However, the door did not open as smoothly as expected; an inexplicable resistance made Teiichi soft "hmm."
He looked down and saw that something seemed to be gently blocking the door from opening completely.
When you push the gate inward from the outside, you can feel a slight inward pressure above the gate, while the bottom remains still.
Teiichi frowned slightly, then gently stretched out his right leg, leaning against the door, using his body weight to slowly increase the force.
With a slight creak, the courtyard gate was finally pushed open.
A small pile of training weights was casually placed in front of the threshold.
"Really," Teiichi shook his head slightly, muttering to himself, "They didn't even bother to put the heavy loads further away when they brought them back. Putting them so close together is just deliberately making things difficult for people!"
While complaining, he gently placed the vegetable basket in his hand aside, squatted down, skillfully untied the heavy loads, and put them back on his body one by one.
The long-awaited weightlifting instantly put pressure on his body. Driven by memory, his muscles gradually adapted to the weight, but the initial discomfort still made him frown slightly.
To quickly regain his form, Teiichi lightly jumped twice in place, adjusting his balance and rhythm until that long-lost sense of familiarity returned.
He gently closed and locked the door, Teiichi the vegetable basket and glanced at the spacious courtyard before him.
Suddenly, I was transported from a bustling, lively environment to a place where I lived alone.
I felt a strange sense of loneliness deep inside.
After standing at the door for a while, Teiichi shook his head.
I took a deep breath and banished the thought from my mind.
Then he walked into the courtyard.
Time treats everyone equally.
It will not favor someone because they are rich, nor will it distance itself from someone because they are poor.
Two months passed slowly through Teiichi daily exercise.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
The heavy whistling of wind breaking echoed in the empty training room.
Teiichi and swung it around.
The training épée is surrounded by five weights that look like barbell plates.
This was specially made by Teiichi blacksmith.
The weight used for training with a épée can be adjusted by adding or removing weight plates.
This allows for greater flexibility in adapting to different stages of power.
Once your strength increases, you can simply add weight plates.
At this point, the training épée was Teiichi to weigh approximately 400 jin (200 kg).
Each of the five barbell plates weighs 60 jin (approximately 30 catties), plus the 100 jin (approximately 50 catties) of the épée itself.
Although his training with the épée had reached 400 jin (approximately 200 kg), Teiichi was still wearing weights.
Sweat poured from Teiichi's body, then slid down his chiseled muscles.
The waistband of the pants was completely soaked.
782!
783!
"997!"
"998!"
"999!"
"1000!"
With the completion of 1000 sword swings.
Teiichi slowly placed the training greatsword in his hand on the ground.
Then, standing still, I circulated my Breathing Style, moving all the muscles in my body to relieve the fatigue brought on by the high-intensity exercise.
"Call--"
After a long while, Dingyi exhaled Teiichi breath of stale air.
Teiichi's body finally relaxed.
Sword practice primarily trains arm strength, increasing the power of one's strikes.
Before practicing swordplay, Teiichi had already done a lot of other exercises for his body.
Sword practice is the last physical exercise in Teiichi's daily routine.
I dragged my tired body to the courtyard.
Quietly, I sat down cross-legged.
Gazing at the setting sun in the distance, the Breathing Style quietly circulated within my body.
I don't know how much time passed.
Teiichi slowly opened his eyes.
By this time, it was completely dark.
Teiichi twisted his head toward his right shoulder.
The eyes of the human and the seagull met.
Before Teiichi even speak, White Feather exclaimed, "This time it's not just about delivering a letter; a new mission has been assigned!"
For the past two months, Teiichi and Kanae have been exchanging letters once a week.
It's not that they don't want to communicate more, but rather that the Kasugai Crow, as a postman, refuses to do the job.
Under White Feather's slogan, "Even Kasugai Crow's life matters."
Desperate, Teiichi and Kanae consulted with the two Kasugai Crow and Teiichi, with the two Kasugai Crow taking turns each week.
At this moment, White Feather's announcement was like a gentle breeze, Teiichi the joy that Teiichi felt upon receiving Kanae's letter, and instead making his expression solemn.
He quickly adjusted his mindset and focused his attention on the upcoming mission, first inquiring about its specific details.
What is the mission this time?
White Feather nodded, satisfied with Teiichi's attitude.
"Vendors are disappearing on their way to Shoura Island from time to time. My Oyakata-sama suspects that a ghost is lurking here and causing trouble, so I need you to investigate carefully!"
Teiichi asked, " Shoura Island? Where is it?"
White Feather explained, " Shoura Island is a small island in the northern part of Nagashima, and its location is relatively remote."
Upon Teiichi, Dingyi already had a general idea of the location.
Kyushu Island is equivalent to a province, while Kumamoto and Nagashima are equivalent to cities.
If you name a county under a city, who would know which one it is?
Teiichi continued, "Is there any more information?"
White Feather then gave a detailed account.
The incident was triggered by a merchant's wife discovering that her husband had disappeared.
Her husband left after telling her he was going to Shoura Island for business, and it's been over a month since then and he hasn't returned.
Upon hearing Teiichi asked in confusion, "If it's just a disappearance, shouldn't we report it to the police?"
White Feather her wings twice and said, "At first, she went to the police, but the police looked around and said they couldn't find it either. Then she cried to her friend."
And her friend happened to be from the Wisteria House.
Furthermore, this man has a younger brother who disappeared six months ago after taking his wife to Shoura Island to do business, which aroused his suspicion.
Then I told the team about it, and they arranged for a member of the hidden team to investigate.
It has been discovered that over the past five years, approximately twenty to thirty people have traveled to Shoura Island and then disappeared without a trace!
Especially in the last two or three months, almost every month someone has gone missing there!
Teiichi nodded upon hearing this.
"Looking at it this way, it is indeed possible that it was caused by a ghost!"