In the end, he even released the Full Concentration: Constant state he had deliberately maintained every day.
Chu Yang continued his journey like an ordinary person.
Unconsciously, he arrived at a remote small town, where everything felt familiar to him.
This was the town where he had first met Tanjiro.
Speaking of which, Chu Yang hadn't seen the father and son, who were as warm as the sun, for a long time.
He also wondered if Tanjiro's health had improved.
Chu Yang prepared to go up the mountain to visit Tanjiro, but on a cliff halfway up, he saw someone collecting herbs.
"Such a steep cliff, if one is not careful..."
Just as he thought this, a sudden strong wind swept around Chu Yang. He looked up and saw a dark mass in the distance.
A typhoon.
The person collecting herbs on the cliff also sensed the typhoon approaching and stopped at an awkward position, hesitating.
It was too late to warn him now, so Chu Yang could only rush towards the cliff where the person was.
The herb collector swayed like a willow catkin, blown by the strong wind.
Crack~
The rock beneath his feet suddenly shattered, and he reeled backward, his hand loosening, and he fell straight down.
"Ah ah ah ah!!!"
Just as the herb collector thought he was about to be smashed into a pulp, his body suddenly stopped, as if caught by something.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing on the ground, completely unharmed.
In front of him stood a strong young man, smiling at him.
To thank him for saving his life, the herb collector insisted on taking him home for a good meal.
At this time, the storm was getting stronger, and it was hard to refuse the warm invitation.
Chu Yang had no choice but to agree and followed the herb collector deep into the mountains.
When they reached their destination, Chu Yang saw two houses, one of which was incredibly familiar to him.
Tanjiro's house.
And the house next to Tanjiro's was the herb collector's home.
It turned out they were neighbors!
The last time Chu Yang came, only Tanjiro's family lived here.
Tanjiro was chopping firewood outside the house. Hearing the sound, he guessed his next-door neighbor had returned and looked up to greet him.
"Mr. Tokito, you're back. What's your harvest today..."
Tanjiro's voice trailed off as he saw a familiar figure, and tears immediately welled up in his eyes.
The firewood crackled and popped in the flames. Chu Yang, Tanjiro, and his children sat around the bonfire.
Tanjiro's wife was busy preparing dinner. The guest was a great benefactor who had saved her husband and son, so she couldn't be negligent.
A few days ago, Tanjiro, who was in relatively good health, had just hunted a plump wild boar. She had cured hundreds of pounds of pork, and now was a good time to eat it.
The aroma of food filled the air, making the children cheer.
Except for Tanjiro, the other children were chasing and playing around the bonfire.
Tanjiro leaned against his father, staring at Chu Yang with his big, round eyes, filled with joy.
He remembered that his father's health had improved greatly since the older brother visited their home last time.
"Mr. Yang, the world outside seems to have gotten much better. Recently, I haven't heard of any demons harming people," Tanjiro said with a smile, poking the fire. "The children should be able to live very peacefully in the future."
Chu Yang nodded. Tanjiro knew a little about the inside story, so he didn't have too many reservations when talking about these matters.
"How is your health?" Chu Yang asked, looking at Tanjiro's still somewhat sallow complexion.
"Much better," Tanjiro immediately replied. The terminal illness was still slowly eroding his life. Although he had received a large amount of vitality from Chu Yang, those were only temporary solutions.
Chu Yang glanced at Tanjiro, seeing panic in his eyes, knowing he was lying. So he said, "In a few days, I will invite a friend to examine you."
"No need, no need. My illness can't be cured," Tanjiro quickly waved his hand, not wanting to trouble Chu Yang, and even less wanting Chu Yang to owe someone a favor because of him.
"I'm just informing you, not asking for your permission," Chu Yang frowned. "If you really feel bad about it, then perform the Kagura Dance for me one more time."
Tanjiro nodded and agreed.
Thump thump thump~~~
A knock on the door sounded.
"It must be Mr. Tokito." Tanjiro got up to open the door, and the children immediately followed him, seemingly thinking their father was going out again.
"Mr. Tokito?" Chu Yang had just thought the surname sounded a bit familiar.
The door opened, and cold wind poured into the house, suddenly dropping the temperature significantly. Tanjiro quickly welcomed the Tokito family inside, then tightly closed the door.
The Tokito family had come to thank Chu Yang for saving their lives earlier.
"Hello, sir. My name is Ichiro Tokito, and these are my two children, Yuichiro Tokito and Muichiro Tokito."
Ichiro Tokito placed his hands on his two children's shoulders, pressing lightly, and the two children immediately understood.
They bowed with their father, thanking him.
Muichiro Tokito?
Chu Yang's gaze lingered on the youngest child. He hadn't expected that this time, by seeking action after a period of stillness, he would encounter Muichiro Tokito, who was originally destined to become the "Mist Hashira."
It's a pity... now that the Demon Slayer Corps has disbanded, this child's terrifying talent will probably remain unknown his entire life.
Actually, this is also good. Compared to becoming a peerless genius of the Demon Slayer Corps, Muichiro probably wants to live peacefully with his family more.
Seeing Chu Yang's prolonged silence, the Tokito family became somewhat uneasy.
Tanjiro was also a little puzzled. With a questioning mind, he broke the stalemate, smiling, "Mr. Yang, isn't Mr. Tokito's family name interesting? The father is named Ichiro, and the two children are named Yuichiro and Muichiro, respectively."
Chu Yang smiled, "It certainly is interesting."
Seeing Chu Yang smile, Ichiro Tokito immediately breathed a sigh of relief, then said, "My wife also wanted to come and thank you personally, but she is currently confined to bed..."
"It's alright, sick people should rest well." Chu Yang suddenly remembered that Muichiro's mother had a very severe lung illness, and like Tanjiro, she didn't have long to live.
Because there was still a patient to care for at home, the Tokito family only exchanged pleasantries for a while before leaving.
Originally, they had brought gifts of thanks, all wild game they had treasured. Chu Yang only accepted a very small portion. Life in seclusion in the mountains was not easy, and Chu Yang did not want to deplete their limited food supply.
After they left, Chu Yang handed the wild game to Tanjiro's wife, Kie, to prepare. With the wild game from the Tokito family, dinner became even more abundant.
After dinner, Tanjiro began preparing the costumes and props for the Kagura Dance. During this time, Ichiro Tokito came again, bringing back the gifts of thanks he had taken home earlier.
"My wife said these things must be delivered to Mr. Yang, so..." Ichiro Tokito scratched his head. His cheeks were red from the cold weather.
Chu Yang was afraid he would get sick from running back and forth in the cold, so he finally chose to accept the gifts and said, "I have a friend who will come here in a few days to treat Tanjiro. At that time, you can bring your wife over to receive treatment together."
Ichiro Tokito's lips trembled with excitement. He looked at Chu Yang, full of words of gratitude, but didn't know how to express them.
At this moment, Tanjiro, who was ready, began to perform the Kagura Dance in the courtyard.
The torch in his hand flickered, like stars winking in the sky, combined with his graceful dance, it was captivating.
Even seeing it again, Chu Yang was easily immersed in it.
The same went for everyone else.
Ichiro Tokito was watching the Kagura Dance for the first time, but the dance before him felt familiar.
Ichiro Tokito never told anyone that he was a swordsman.
Ever since his wife contracted a severe lung illness, he had spent his days rushing around, searching for medicine for her, and had not picked up a sword since.
The Kagura Dance awakened his memories as a swordsman.
Among the incomplete sword techniques passed down from his ancestors, some movements were extremely similar to the Kagura Dance he was witnessing.
He watched and compared, feeling a sudden enlightenment.
After Tanjiro finished the Kagura Dance, everyone was still wanting more.
Ichiro Tokito hesitated for a moment, then expressed his doubts to Chu Yang and Tanjiro.
"Actually, your family name isn't Tokito, it's Tsugikuni." Chu Yang told Ichiro Tokito the story of Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Michikatsu Tsugikuni, and also the origin of Breathing Styles.
Throughout the entire process, only the parts about demons were omitted.
Now that Muzan Kibutsuji was dead, there was no need to cause unnecessary panic.
"The sword technique passed down from your ancestors should be called Moon Breathing, the first Breathing Style derived from Sun Breathing, it's of extraordinary significance."
The two brothers of the Tsugikuni family were both uniquely significant to each other.
Because the markings on his forehead were considered ominous, Yoriichi Tsugikuni's childhood was not happy. His father showed him no love at all until he displayed his powerful talent.
Besides his mother, only his elder brother, Michikatsu Tsugikuni, could bring him what little warmth and sunshine there was.
Until the moment of his death, he carried the flute Michikatsu Tsugikuni had given him.
Even though Michikatsu Tsugikuni had already become a demon by then, he would still address him as "Elder Brother."
With such deep affection, Chu Yang believed and was certain that the Moon Breathing, tailor-made by Yoriichi Tsugikuni for Michikatsu Tsugikuni, must have unique qualities that no other Breathing Style could compare to.
"Mr. Tokito, could you demonstrate your sword technique for me?"
Chu Yang was actually very interested in Moon Breathing.
The battle with Kokushibo was fleeting. Chu Yang crushed him with absolute power and did not witness the essence of Moon Breathing. After the battle, he felt a slight regret.
"Of course, Mr. Yang!" Ichiro Tokito's face lit up with joy, and he quickly went home to retrieve a rusty katana.
Generally speaking, a swordsman's katana, even if not in use, would be regularly treated with preservative to prevent the blade from corroding.
Seeing the state of the katana, Chu Yang understood that Ichiro Tokito had indeed devoted himself entirely to his wife's illness all these years, with no time for anything else.
"The sword isn't in very good condition, Mr. Yang, please bear with it."
Ichiro Tokito looked a bit embarrassed when he took out his beloved katana, but he quickly composed himself and slowly swung it.