By the time Natsunishi had finished most of his work, Uzui Tengen finally spoke again.
"Junior Natsunishi, this medical skill of yours... surely it wasn't taught to you by that old hag Nikaido."
He crossed his arms, his tone casual, but his gaze was fixed on Natsunishi's hands. Although he spoke lightly, Uzui naturally couldn't be completely indifferent to his master. At the very least, if Natsunishi had nodded in acknowledgment, Uzui wouldn't have harbored a grudge, but he certainly would have felt a bit jealous.
While this God of Festivals has no use for medical arts... Master, why did you pass all the good stuff to the youngest disciple?!
Natsunishi: "I taught myself."
Uzui raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing it. Medical skill, after all, was not something one could master through talent alone without guidance.
It was at this moment that a rustling sound came from the dense forest in the distance. A gentle girl with butterfly ornaments pinned in her hair emerged, leaning on her Nichirin Sword as she limped out step by step. It was Kanae Kocho, who had pushed through the pain to make it here.
"Ha... whew... whew." The girl panted heavily as she looked at Natsunishi, who was bandaging the civilians. "It seems... Senior made it in time."
She then caught sight of the Kanoe-ranked swordsman on the ground—who, though in pain, was still alive—and her expression visibly relaxed.
Thank goodness, Kojiro is still alive.
"Senior, th-this person is..." She looked at the towering Uzui beside him and asked softly.
Natsunishi happened to be wrapping a bandage for a sobbing little girl, expertly tying the ends into a shoelace-style bow.
"Uzui Tengen," he said without looking back. "A swordsman who came for support, just like me. Probably Hinoe or Hinoto rank."
Uzui straightened his back to correct him: "It's Kinoto rank, you idiot junior!"
Natsunishi didn't take the bait. Instead, he asked the girl, "Didn't you say you were going to keep up? Why were you so slow?"
Kanae thought back to how she had felt looked down upon earlier. For a moment, she felt embarrassed. "Well, it's just that Senior is too fast... By the way, Senior!"
"Aren't you a swordsman who practices Thunder Breathing? Why did you... use Water Breathing just now?"
Uzui stared at Natsunishi with wide eyes. Wait, even if that old woman Nikaido has a bad temper, you wouldn't go as far as betraying the sect, would you?!
Kanae also tilted her head, waiting for Natsunishi's answer. In her understanding, swordsmen trained by the same cultivator almost always practiced the Breathing Style that the cultivator specialized in. Even if a swordsman later switched to another style for various reasons, it was usually a derivative of the original branch.
Take herself, for example. She practiced Flower Breathing, which was derived from Water Breathing, sacrificing some defense to specialize in agility and varied forms. Switching from Thunder Breathing to Water Breathing was something she had never heard of before.
Natsunishi: "Has anyone ever said you can't practice across different schools?"
There are plenty of people with double or triple degrees, so what's wrong with me practicing a few more class skills?
Kanae opened her mouth but didn't know where to start. It seemed that, indeed, no one had explicitly forbidden practicing multiple Breathing Styles at once. But normally, the biggest issue with practicing multiple styles was that one might end up mastering none of them.
Spending three years to master one Breathing Style versus spending over a decade to barely reach the entry level of two or three... she knew which choice a normal person should make. Unless...
"Could it be because you are more suited for Thunder Breathing, Senior, that you gave up on Water Breathing?" The girl felt she had found the answer.
However, she was met with Natsunishi's merciless rebuttal: "Completely wrong."
He glanced at Uzui, who had a strange look on his face, and then said, "Don't look at me like that. I'm not your junior. And I haven't betrayed any sect."
"Then..."
Natsunishi: "I'm just practicing other styles for fun. Besides, who told you I started with Water or Thunder Breathing?"
Brushing himself off, he walked away from an injured person. Natsunishi raised his Nichirin Sword and began to demonstrate sword forms to the two of them.
The techniques flowed casually. It started with Wind. The silver-white Nichirin Sword rippled through the night like a gentle evening breeze. It carried the light, ethereal quality of the wind, yet hidden within it was a sharpness that was hard to distinguish between reality and illusion.
Before the evening breeze could settle, flowing water arrived quietly. At times, it turned into dark surges pulsing through the forest; at others, it rippled in circles and waves upon the wild grass beneath his feet. It actually made the onlookers feel as though they could hear the sound of the tide and smell the damp sea breeze in their nostrils. It was the scent of the ocean.
And after the tide receded, the silent reefs beneath the surface were revealed. Or rather, behind that gentle stillness, a mountain-like majesty and earthen solidity rose up. Just by watching, one could feel the extreme Yang and hardness contained in each of Natsunishi's strikes. Great skill appears clumsy; a heavy sword needs no edge.
But it wasn't over yet.
Between those mountain ranges, dense clouds quickly gathered, as if brewing something world-shaking. The next second, thunder descended. A blinding light slashed down from the sky. Like the first ray of fire at the creation of the world, it instantly illuminated the entire dense forest.
It was the ultimate speed. It was also the ultimate strike.
"Um, Senior Uzui, did you see that clearly..." Kanae was stunned, only speaking softly after a long silence.
The ninja was also dumbfounded. "Four types... no, perhaps five Breathing Styles."
Only now did he realize that when Natsunishi said "I'm not your junior," he might have been telling the truth.
Sheathing his Nichirin Sword, Natsunishi spoke: "No, it's just four."
The ninja: "A person as flamboyant as you, why on earth wouldn't you practice the final Flame Breathing?!"
Natsunishi: "Who said I'm not practicing Flame Breathing? I just haven't had the time yet, have I? I planned to go for it after leaving Nikaido's place. But then I took this support mission and changed my itinerary to come here."
Uzui was speechless for a moment.
Kanae subconsciously raised her hand, her fingertip lightly touching her lip as she asked in disbelief, "Senior, so many Breathing Styles? You weren't adopted by a cultivator as a child, were you?"
Only someone who had started training from childhood would have the time and energy to master multiple styles.
Adopted? Are you calling me an orphan?
Natsunishi's Main Character instincts, honed by years of gaming, instantly activated. But then he thought about it—his character setting... actually was an orphan?
"About a few months, I'd say."
The ninja and the butterfly instantly felt a massive sense of frustration. So, is this what a truly talented person looks like? Damn it, I'm not jealous at all.
Uzui, meanwhile, was thinking to himself: if this kid Natsunishi collected all five basic Breathing Styles, wouldn't he instantly ascend to become the true God of Flamboyance? His own flamboyance would probably only be fit to serve as a divine attendant by the boy's side.
He shook his head violently. No, I'll stick to being the God of Music... no, the God of Melody.
Natsunishi naturally didn't understand the ninja's inner monologue. He looked at Kanae. This girl's injuries weren't as serious as those of his NPC teammate just now, but she had still taken quite a few hits.
"Come here, Kanae," Natsunishi said to the girl who was still lost in her envy.
Kanae tilted her head slightly, not quite understanding what Natsunishi wanted.
"I'll give you some treatment."
If the injuries were light, the medical experience gained would be much less. But something was better than nothing. Seeing the girl still standing there in a daze, Natsunishi didn't want to waste time and walked straight up to her.
For her part, the girl was looking closely for the first time at the boy who had rescued her from a desperate situation. His black hair fluttered freely in the moonlight, but the tips shimmered with a deep-sea blue hue. A wind-patterned satchel was slung across his shoulder, and a beautiful green cord knot was tied at his waist. A silly-looking fox mask and a wine gourd were connected and rested steadily against his hip. It should have looked like a carefree outfit, yet it felt strangely reliable.
Her gaze quietly traced the lines of his profile. The boyish, sharp face held a hint of calm and indifference. When she caught a glimpse of a hammer handle peeking out from the satchel, Kanae was slightly taken aback. Even though he's a swordsman, does he use such a rugged tool?
Her searching eyes accidentally met Natsunishi's. The girl's heart suddenly skipped a beat. She hurriedly lowered her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously twisting her sleeve.
"Treatment... right here?" the girl answered in a small, dazed voice.
What kind of nonsense am I saying! Hearing her own potentially ambiguous words, Kanae was so embarrassed she wanted to cover her mouth.
And Natsunishi? He didn't think that much at all. He directly clicked open the system panel. Although this child's injuries were lighter than the Kanoe-rank swordsman's... he still couldn't understand them. Therefore, it was time to display his medical achievements and accumulation!
System! Begin treatment!
Natsunishi got to work immediately.
"Eh? Eh?! Senior! Please don't..."
[Selecting Emergency Treatment Plan]
[Selecting Treatment Strategy: Aggressive]
[Selecting Treatment Tools: Use local materials]
[Selecting Treatment Time: Short]
Then, Natsunishi's consciousness detached again. The world blurred and sped up like a cutscene in a game. He began the intense and exciting mini-games: [Match-3] and [Arrow Key Rhythm Taps].
The more accurately and quickly he hit these QTEs, the higher the operational bonus in the healing effect. When Natsunishi regained his senses, the girl who had been covered in wounds was now wrapped tightly in thick ointment and bandages. The job was clean and efficient, almost professional.
Except...
"Why are you blushing?"
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