In Tanjuro Kamado's perception, Kurozawa was enveloped in a chaotic, dark aura. Just a single glance seemed capable of swallowing a person whole. The terror of it made him want to drop his weapon and flee.
But inside the house behind him were the family members he couldn't abandon.
So, Tanjuro Kamado endured the pressure, straightened his chest, and stood before Kurozawa.
"Tanjuro, what's happening?"
Just as the two were facing off, observing each other without making a move, someone stirred in the side room behind Tanjuro Kamado.
A gentle-looking, delicate woman, dressed in simple clothes with a slightly bulging belly, slowly approached.
This was Tanjuro Kamado's wife, Tanjiro Kamado's mother, Kie.
She had only taken two steps when a child was woken up.
"Mother?" A bright, youthful voice came from inside the house.
"Shh, don't talk yet." Kie turned her head, put a finger to her lips to signal silence, and said softly.
After speaking, she soothed the startled children, then was about to walk to Tanjuro Kamado's side.
"Kie, don't come over!" Tanjuro Kamado suddenly spoke, his voice heavy and tense.
In the early morning light, the edge of the short axe he held was already chipped, and its sharp gleam had vanished.
Kie opened her mouth, her face full of worry, but she said nothing and retreated back into the house, silently shielding the children.
Seeing this, Kurozawa chuckled softly.
He had become the villain, and without any conversation, Tanjuro Kamado had decided he had ill intentions.
Although he had indeed come with a purpose, how did Tanjuro Kamado know? Kurozawa looked at Tanjuro Kamado, studying him carefully, his deep, ancient-well-like eyes seeming to see through him completely.
After more than ten seconds, Kurozawa's gaze flickered. He thought for a moment, then said calmly, "I don't know why you see me as a bad person."
"Let me clarify something for myself here."
"You're not mistaken. I'm not a good person."
As soon as he finished speaking, the faces of Tanjuro Kamado and Kie across from him suddenly tightened, heavy expressions evident. The children protected by Kie also seemed to sense the tense atmosphere and became restless.
The youngest one's eyes welled up with tears, and he began to sniffle and sob softly. Kie quickly hugged him and comforted him gently.
"What do you want? We're just a normal family. We don't have money, and we don't have anything worth coveting."
Tanjuro Kamado tightened his grip on the already chipped short axe, as if doing so made him feel more secure.
Kurozawa was silent for a moment, then smiled meaningfully. "A normal family? A normal family couldn't have launched a surprise attack on me."
After thinking for a bit, Kurozawa added, "By the way, I was thinking of not scaring the children just now, so I was just planning to knock politely and greet you. Was it a bit excessive for you to attack like that?"
Mentioning the children in his words caused Tanjuro Kamado's face to darken again.
He looked back and saw Kie's face full of tension and worry.
"I don't know you, and I have no past grievances with you, but I can feel your danger, which is why I attacked. Facts prove I was right."
"I don't know what I have that could attract you, but if you want to harm my family, you'll have to go through me first!" Tanjuro Kamado said in a deep, stern voice.
That sallow, emaciated face, which looked so frail, erupted at that moment with a dangerous light, as if it could devour someone.
Kurozawa stepped back a few paces, spread his hands, and said calmly, "See? I'm not carrying a weapon. You're the one holding the axe."
"Besides, I never intended to harm anyone."
"All I want is the Breathing Technique. Tell me the Breathing Technique, and I'll leave immediately. I'll even come back later to repay this favor."
Without further entanglement, Kurozawa stated his purpose.
Tanjuro Kamado seemed to possess a certain level of combat power. Trying to kidnap his children in front of him probably wouldn't be easy. It wasn't impossible, but there was a risk of accidentally injuring them, which would make negotiation impossible.
Fighting Spirit couldn't sense Tanjuro Kamado. His peculiarity made Kurozawa even more interested in the Kamado family's Breathing Technique.
"I don't understand what you're saying. Breathing Technique? I'm just a normal person, I don't know about these things."
After hearing Kurozawa's request, Tanjuro Kamado's pupils contracted, then he spoke.
Although Fighting Spirit sensing was ineffective and couldn't easily detect lies, Kurozawa knew that Tanjuro Kamado wasn't stupid and must understand what he meant by Breathing Technique.
However, even though he was somewhat nervous and scared, he didn't tell the truth.
Kurozawa was silent for a moment, then took a step forward and sighed, "Tanjuro Kamado, since I've come here, it means I know the situation of your Kamado family. Stop saying these meaningless things."
"For some reason, I don't want to hurt anyone in your Kamado family. Don't make it difficult for me."
He waved his hand and slashed outwards; a sword shadow flashed with it.
Crack, crack, crack. The ground cracked, and a huge sword mark over ten meters long appeared, cutting deep, its depth unknown.
Across from him, Tanjuro Kamado couldn't help but show a look of horror.
On one hand, the other party knew his name, indicating they had investigated his family. On the other hand, he was shocked by Kurozawa's strength.
He had anticipated that Kurozawa was very strong, and seeing the instantaneous healing of the skin on Kurozawa's chest, he understood Kurozawa's identity. Tanjuro Kamado already had some knowledge of Demon legends.
But Tanjuro Kamado felt that he wasn't weak either, and perhaps he could struggle with Kurozawa until dawn, forcing him to leave.
However, it seemed that was no longer possible.
However, the Kamado family had an ancestral rule: they absolutely could not pass on the Breathing Technique to outsiders. If he told, how could he ever face his ancestors again? On the other side, seeing that Tanjuro Kamado still wasn't speaking, Kurozawa grew a little impatient. He looked behind Tanjuro Kamado and said in a deep voice, "Before you refuse, think about your family."
This was a threat.
Kurozawa continued, "Besides, you should roughly know that this world is very dangerous. The Breathing Technique alone is nothing; you don't have the supporting usage method for it."
"I see your body isn't in good shape either. You probably don't have many years left to live. At that time, if your family encounters a similar situation again, who will protect them?"
"I'll give you a promise first. You give me the Breathing Technique, and then I will teach both the Breathing Technique and its true usage method to your eldest son."
This was enticement.
Kurozawa felt he had done everything he could.
He could have just threatened him, using the lives of Tanjuro Kamado's family. Kurozawa believed that no matter how conflicted he was at this moment, he would ultimately give in. But considering the relationship between Kamado Kawarutoki and Hongyue, Kurozawa made a good promise.
Across from him, under the threat and enticement, Tanjuro Kamado was already swayed.
He also possessed Fighting Spirit and the ability to sense it, which was why he had discovered Kurozawa's approach beforehand and quietly hidden behind the door, launching a sudden surprise attack. Thus, he could distinguish lies and knew that what Kurozawa said was true.
In fact, Tanjuro Kamado's mastery of Fighting Spirit was much stronger than Kurozawa's. He was already able to completely eliminate his own Fighting Spirit fluctuations, reaching a level where he could evade all perception.
This was already another realm, something Kurozawa couldn't achieve no matter what.
In the wilderness, Tanjuro Kamado used this method to evade the keen senses of wild beasts.
If he had learned Sword Forms and wasn't severely ill, perhaps he would have been a formidable opponent that even Kurozawa would find difficult to handle.
But unfortunately, he only knew the Breathing Technique and was suffering from a severe illness, lacking even the corresponding physique.
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