Demon Capital Slayer

Chapter 50 Bird and Beast Play Painting
wow-

The hidden compartment was pulled outward by the sword. He wasn't worried about possible traps or hidden weapons. He was right next to the respawn point. If there were any traps, he would just do a sit-up on the spot.

Fortunately, there were no traps or mechanisms in the hidden compartment; a scroll simply lay there quietly.

Yu Jian raised an eyebrow, and the word "secret manual" almost instantly popped into his mind.

Overwhelmed with emotion, he carefully removed the scroll with the same care he would show a newborn. Its exterior was dark blue, the roll was made of smooth silk, and the shaft was made of expensive cypress wood with excellent anti-corrosion and insect-resistant properties. Its design was very simple, with only two spherical handles carved at both ends.

Yu Jian leaned closer to take a look and was very surprised to find that the spherical decorations at both ends of the shaft were actually two small, non-rotating globes. He was quite astonished.

This thing looks quite old. People back then probably didn't even have the concept that the earth is spherical, so how could they have made such a precise globe?

So, what exactly is recorded inside?
Filled with curiosity, Yu Jian slowly unfurled the scroll and discovered that it depicted... many human-like animals.

……

"what?"

Yu Jian couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment.

There are no cultivation manuals or diagrams of fist and sword techniques.

The unfolded scroll is filled with various birds, beasts, insects, and fish in an ink-wash style, all engaged in hunting, running, and other actions, displaying both wildness and spirituality, a vibrant display of life and the flourishing of all things. However, these animals are also dressed in human clothes and wielding tools typically used by humans, and their interactions subtly hint at a storyline, creating a slightly comical sense of "a monkey wearing a hat."

Perhaps due to its age, most of the animal illustrations on it appear blurry, like an ancient painting that has been damaged due to poor preservation.

Yu Jian subconsciously looked at the beginning of the scroll, trying to find the inscription on the painting.

There, originally written in unrestrained and bold cursive script, was a line that read: "Opening heaven and shattering earth, transforming into..."

But the moment Yu Jian's gaze swept over it, the handwriting suddenly changed to a playful, rounded style, casually writing four characters.

"Birds and Beasts in Play"

As he pronounced the title of the painting word by word, Yu Jian frowned even more.

I thought it was a skill book, but it turned out to be an ancient four-panel comic.

This feeling is truly disappointing.

Take a deep breath.

He recalled again the swordsman in the testing hall who had easily defeated him.

The Tennen Rishin-ryu school has many students, most of whom have joined the Shinsengumi, making it difficult to guess the other party's identity.

The person was completely covered in mourning clothes. In the past, mourning clothes in Japan were also white, but in recent times they have gradually become black. Even the face was covered with a veil, so no features could be found at all.

What concerned Yu Jian even more was the phantom that the opponent summoned behind him. What exactly was that? How could it instantly increase its speed to such an astonishing degree?

But he didn't know who to ask this question to. He figured the only way was to defeat that powerful enemy and slowly search for the answer in their memories.

That's enough for today. There are still some loose ends to be dealt with in real life. After that, let's put on the same tenacious attitude we have when conquering the BOSS and fight to our hearts' content!
He made up his mind to fly on his sword.

After gaining the right to freely enter and exit the Dream of Asura, he suddenly realized that he didn't hate this place as much as he thought.

Sword fighting is actually quite fun!

It's less a discovery and more a realization. Although it's only been a little over a month, the changes that the Dream of Asura has brought to the sword-wielding are far more profound than expected.

In short, be true to yourself.

I clasped my hands together and bowed to the statue of the Myo-o in the shrine. Since I received the gift, I should at least say thank you. As for whether the other party said it was a gift for me, well, I'll just take that as an admission.

Sorry, I'm a student, I really need this.JPG
After expressing his gratitude, Yu Jian raised his hand and touched the shrine, and indeed left the Dream of Asura very smoothly.

He opened his eyes to find his vision obscured by darkness; he hadn't collapsed onto the sofa as expected. A soft touch came from behind his head, and his nostrils were filled with a familiar, faint scent of laurel. He moved slightly and heard a familiar voice let out a soft "Eh."

"You woke up so quickly, Miken-kun? It's okay if you rest a little longer."

Oh, it smells like lilies...

Wait! Why is her voice so close?

Yu Jian finally realized that he was experiencing something he had never assessed in two lifetimes combined, and he immediately froze as if he had been struck by a pressure point.

Yes, it's a lap pillow!

What kind of facial expression should I use in this situation?

The boy lay on the girl's lap, his expression seemingly indifferent at first glance, but in reality, it was not indifferent but rather stiff. If one had thermal vision, one could see that his cheeks were rapidly warming up.

"Hey~"

Lily made an intrigued sound, bent forward to let her gaze pass over the many obstacles, and finally saw that Mitsurugi's face was getting redder and redder.

"Thank you for the hospitality. No, I'm sorry for being so rude."

With the most natural movements he could muster, he sat up with lightning speed, almost as if escaping a deadly trap. Then, he turned his head and saw Isshiki Akane drawing rapidly with a pencil.

On the sketchbook, a sketch full of youthful bittersweetness, yet without the subject's permission, has already taken shape.

Seeing Yu Jian cast a glance at her, the senior student immediately gave her a thumbs up, indicating that she didn't need to worry about her.

This scene feels strangely familiar...

Yu Jian sighed helplessly and rubbed his forehead.

"How long have I slept?"

"Not long, about fifteen minutes."

Lily put one hand behind her back and played with the ends of her hair wrapped around her fingers with the other, smiling as she looked at Yujian.

Where is Mr. Isshiki?

Yu Jian surveyed the first floor of the studio but couldn't find the great painter.

"He said he needed to book plane tickets, and after seeing that you were asleep, he went to the next room to make the call."

"So urgent? You just went through that kind of thing."

"Hmm, perhaps there's some hidden reason?"

“Something’s not right.” As he spoke, Isshiki Ran pushed open the door and entered, clearly having overheard the conversation between the two.

"The young painter who delivered my paints was suddenly involved in a traffic accident. The timing was exactly the same as the two days when the disappearance case broke out. It's such a coincidence."

“After his death, it will become extremely difficult to find out the origin and specific composition of the special pigment. So, this is simply destroying evidence and silencing those who know the truth.”

"There must be a very dangerous hidden force behind this. You two must not make a fuss about it. I have already contacted a powerful friend to investigate secretly. As for the local court..." The great painter gave a knowing look.

"Their attitude is quite proper, but their abilities are limited."

"I see." Yu Jian nodded, not surprised at all.

Although he had only been here for a little over a month, he had already fully understood the reliability of the local Japanese court from the behavior of the people around him and various newspaper news. Most of them were very good at bowing, and that was about it.

Haha, let's talk about something happy! Firefighters successfully rescued a very cute kitten yesterday, a black and white tuxedo cat!

A thought struck Mikasa: she connected this incident with Nogizaka's previous online encounter.

The two seem unrelated at first glance, but he always felt that there were similarities in their internal workings.

Perhaps something is quietly stirring in the shadows of the city; the feeling of an impending storm may not be obvious, but some clues can already be glimpsed.

Connecting the two events, Mitsurugi deduced that Isshiki Ran was not the person the mastermind initially intended to use.

For the conspirators hiding in the shadows, his reputation is too great. Once something goes wrong, it will trigger all sorts of uncontrollable variables. Even if the public opinion is temporarily suppressed, the righteous people who sense something is wrong and begin to investigate in secret will find it even more difficult to deal with him.

In short, regardless of the other party's purpose, Isshiki is not suitable to be a guinea pig. On the contrary, the young painter, who is skilled but not very famous, is very suitable.

Looking at it this way, maybe that person really did admire Isshilan, a senior figure in the industry, and that's why they presented him with the rare pigment they 'accidentally' obtained as a gift.

Unexpectedly, this great painter was so talented that he actually attracted some kind of power from the depths of the Netherworld, creating a world of ordinary people in the process, and almost losing himself as raw material.

That was a case of lighting explosives out of kindness...

"I'll make up an excuse to deal with the police. Not many people probably know that Qianqian asked you for help, right?" Isshiki Ran looked at the two of them very seriously.

“Of course, the Cat Paw Club only has two members,” Yurika added.

"That's good. As long as you don't say anything, no one will get involved."

Isshiki Ran spoke earnestly about the matter like an elder, and Yurika's response was also very appropriate. Even when she heard that there might be an illegal psychic organization plotting a conspiracy behind the scenes, she remained calm and composed.

In Yu Jian's opinion, this composure was really not like that of a sixteen-year-old girl. He also wondered what she had experienced in the past. Most precocious children had an unhappy and unstable childhood.

Wait, what am I thinking?
Withdrawing his burning gaze, Yu Jian began to consider the consequences of his actions.

The Japanese imperial court is not trustworthy in the eyes of anyone with a bit of ability. Whether it's the Nogizaka Group or a newly acquainted great painter, their first reaction to such a matter is to handle it themselves or find a reliable professional to solve it.

"Does Mr. Isshiki know anything about supernatural abilities?" Mitsurugi suddenly asked.

"Oh, you mean the Otherworld?" Isshiki Ran said quite frankly.

“Young man, you have great talent in kendo and a strong sense of justice. You could easily succeed as an athlete or a police officer. Due to some historical reasons, those skilled in kendo in the Metropolitan Police Department get promoted very quickly.”

"But if possible, don't ever set foot in that world again." Isshiki Ai said solemnly.

"That is the domain of the strong, where there is no room for gentleness."

(End of this chapter)