"If I find out anything later, I will let you know as soon as possible."

Qingdeng nodded solemnly: "I'm sorry to bother you..."

"Is there anything else you want to ask?" Kiryu asked.

"...No more." Qingdeng shook his head.

Kiryu turned his attention to Kinoshita Mai.

Kinoshita Mai, who noticed Kiryu's gaze, thought for a moment, and then gently shook her head.

"Then..." Kiryu smiled happily, "Let's switch the conversation back to the topic we just left aside."

Kiryu placed his hands on the counter and placed them on his legs, sitting upright and solemnly.

"Ji Jun, I don't force you to become your teacher."

"If you are willing to inherit my mantle, I will warmly welcome you."

"If you don't want to, I won't force you."

"So...what do you think?"

The issue of "apprenticeship" that had just been put aside for a long time was once again placed before Qingdeng's eyes.

Kiryu's expression was quite calm... his calm eyes conveyed the message that he was "ready to receive any answer from Aomori".

Kinoshita Wu turned her pretty face to look at Qingden, her red lips pursed in a nervous arc.

She is also looking forward to Qingdeng's reply.

"..." Qingden lowered his eyes and looked at the Saber Orange Water placed on the ground to his right.

——The sword-drawing technique...

Qing Deng softly recited the name of this famous martial skill in his heart.

Because he was concentrating on thinking, Qingden felt as if the gravity around him had disappeared, and he felt a floating feeling while sitting on the ground.

The reason Aonto asked Kiryu just now, "Is the move that instantly kills Kamaitachi the legendary 'streaming light'?" was just out of pure curiosity.

The moment when Kiryu instantly killed Kamaitachi with a single blow was the first time Aoden saw the sword-drawing technique since he traveled to this era.

Kiryu killed Kamamaita with a sword as fast as the wind and as powerful as thunder. When he came back to his senses, all that was left in front of him was the light of the sword that had not dissipated and an afterimage that still remained on the sword... This scene,

It left a very deep impression on Qingdeng.

Even though more than 20 days have passed, I still feel that this shocking scene is still before my eyes.

It turns out that in this world...there really is such a cool and powerful move...

…

Qingzhen is not sure what he did or thought during the following period.

I feel like I'm thinking about so many things, but I can't remember what I'm thinking about.

I don't even know how much time has passed.

I only remember that when I came back to my senses, I whispered to Kiryu——

"...Then I'll ask Boss Kiryu for your advice in the future."

Qingdeng's response was quite brief.

But it's enough.

"..." Kiryu laughed silently.

A happy smile appeared on his cheeks, the wrinkles on his face relaxed, and he looked much younger.

Kinoshita Mai's expression at this moment is very charming.

She blinked her eyes thoughtfully for a few times, and then she seemed to have thought of something beautiful, and smiled with a slightly silly atmosphere.

——I’m going to learn the sword-drawing technique from Boss Kiryu...

Thinking of this, Qingdeng breathed a sigh of relief due to mixed feelings and asked casually:

"Boss Kiryu, when can I start practicing the sword-drawing technique?"

"There's no rush for this."

Kiryu waved his hand with a slightly heroic movement.

"Aren't you still recovering from your injuries?"

"After your body has completely recovered, I will officially lead you to practice the sword-drawing technique."

"Before that... let me teach you something else."

"Something else?" Qingdeng raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Ji Jun, you do as I say, and you do whatever I say."

"Straighten your waist, open your shoulders back, and inhale slowly through your nose."

While talking, Kiryu demonstrated it himself, straightening his body, spreading his shoulders, and inhaling slowly through his nose.

Qingdeng didn't know why, but he still obeyed.

"You should feel your belly bulging by now as the lower parts of your lungs fill with air."

"Don't stop, keep breathing in. Fill the upper part of the lungs with air."

"Keep inhaling until the ribs are raised, the chest is expanded, and no more air can be inhaled."

"After taking in all the air, hold your breath for 5 breaths."

"After 5 breaths, exhale slowly and expel all the air in your lungs little by little."

"Wait for the ribs, sternum and abdomen to return to their original positions, then pause for a breath or two, then start from the beginning, and then slowly inhale and exhale again."

"Ji Jun, starting from today, you must spend at least 2 quarters of time every day to practice the breathing method I mentioned above repeatedly."

"After a period of practice, you can gradually increase the breath-holding time, from 5 to 10 breaths, or even more."

"Ah?" A look of confusion appeared on Qingto's face that he couldn't hide no matter how hard he tried, "Boss Kiryu, why do you want to do such an exercise?"

"This set of movements can effectively exercise your lung strength."

"Lung power?"

"I also go for a run and swim more often on weekdays. Both running and swimming can exercise your lungs very well."

Lung power...should mean lung capacity.

"Is the strength of the sword-drawing technique still related to the strength of the lungs?"

"It's irrelevant. The strength of your lungs has nothing to do with the strength of your sword-drawing technique. The reason why I let you exercise your lungs every day is to prepare for teaching you something... powerful in the future."

"Something powerful?" The confusion on Qingdeng's face became more and more intense.

"You don't need to know what it is yet. Just do what I say first. You must exercise your lungs every day and don't slack off."

"When your lungs are strong enough, I will tell you what this 'powerful thing' is."

Kiryu chuckled a few times "hehehe".

The smile is intriguing.

…

…

Edo, somewhere——

"Eiichi, still haven't found Kamaitachi?"

"Yes... I have sent all the people I can to find Lord Kamaitachi, but..."

"...Tsk."

Standing by the window, looking out at the scenery outside the window, Rakshasa smacked his lips vigorously, interrupting Eiichi Shimizu who was standing respectfully behind him.

"You can't see people in life, but you can't see corpses in death..." Rakshasa half-closed his eyes and tapped the window frame rhythmically with his right index finger.

"...Rakshasa-sama, how about... let's go investigate that Tachibana Aoden?" Shimizu Eiichi gave his own suggestion in a tentative tone, "You sent Kamitachi to protect Kamano Tatsugoro secretly. But Kamino

Tatsugoro was killed by Tachibana Aoden, maybe..."

"No."

Before Shimizu Eiichi finished speaking, he was interrupted again by Rakshasa.

"Don't act rashly."

Rakshasa's tone was neither sad nor happy, making it difficult for people to understand his current mood and thoughts.

"Kamaitachi's disappearance... maybe Calabash House is doing something secretly."

"Kamaitachi was originally demoted to me by Orochi-sama because he was not careful enough and made a mistake. He was almost caught by the people from Calabash House."

"We cannot rule out the possibility that Calabash House successfully tracked Kamitachi's movements and sent people to hunt Kamitatsu."
To be continued...