The time was ripe.
Cheng Mo, like the most skilled hunter, began to draw in his net.
One morning, Kuwajima Jigorō called Cheng Mo aside: "Cheng Mo, come with me deep into the mountains today. There's a dangerous place that would be perfect for honing the stability of your Far Thunder Thrust."
"Yes, Master."
Cheng Mo respectfully replied.
He returned to his dwelling, deliberately leaving his satchel in a conspicuous spot. A corner of that ancient "notebook" even "accidentally" poked out from a gap in the bag.
His gaze swept over a figure in the courtyard who was pretending to practice but was actually tense all over. A cold, unnoticed hint of a smile played on his lips. Then, he turned and quickly followed Kuwajima Jigorō, his figure disappearing into the forest path leading deeper into the mountains.
In the courtyard, only Zenitsu, distractedly swinging his sword, and Kaigaku, with flickering eyes, remained.
Time passed bit by bit.
Kaigaku's breathing grew more and more ragged, his eyes constantly darting towards Cheng Mo's quiet room.
Finally, as if he had made some decision, he suddenly stood up.
"Hey, you good-for-nothing, I'm going to the back mountain to train extra. Don't follow me, and don't tell Grandpa!" He snarled at Zenitsu, trying to conceal his true intentions.
Zenitsu shivered in fright and nodded repeatedly.
Kaigaku quickly walked towards Cheng Mo's room, cautiously looking around at the door, then flashed inside.
His target was clear—that satchel!
With trembling hands, he snatched out the coveted "notebook," his heart pounding, almost leaping from his throat.
He eagerly flipped it open, his gaze greedily scanning the pages.
However, what met his eyes was something completely beyond his comprehension—those eerily detailed diagrams of human muscles and bones.
Although he didn't recognize a single annotation, the precision of the diagrams inexplicably made his heart pound. There were also winding energy flow diagrams and a large number of annotations he couldn't understand at all, mixed with strange symbols... What was this?!
Kaigaku froze. This was completely different from the Breathing Technique secret manual he had imagined.
But he immediately forced himself to believe that it must be some more profound secret technique.
That's why Cheng Mo improved so quickly! It must be!
He frantically flipped through the pages, trying to find any words he could understand, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He only felt utterly confused, and the anxiety and sense of loss in his heart grew stronger.
Just then, a cold voice, like a thunderclap, exploded behind him:
"What are you doing?"
Kaigaku's body stiffened abruptly, as if frozen. He slowly and rigidly turned his head.
Cheng Mo had returned at some point and was standing at the doorway, looking at him expressionlessly, and at the "notebook" in his hand that he hadn't had time to hide.
There was no surprise in Cheng Mo's eyes, only a chilling indifference that saw through everything.
"I... I..."
Kaigaku's face instantly turned ashen. His hand trembled, and the notebook fell to the ground with a "thud."
In extreme panic, he blurted out a desperate excuse: "No! It's you! You're hoarding secrets! Why don't you share such a secret technique? You're clearly not legitimate! This notebook must be some evil path!"
His voice was shrill and grating from fear and shame, trying to cover up his crime by shifting the blame.
Cheng Mo didn't immediately pick up the notebook. He just raised his voice, ensuring that Kuwajima Jigorō, who was behind him outside, and Zenitsu, who had heard the commotion, could clearly hear: "Kaigaku! You stole my personal belongings, were caught red-handed, and now you want to slander and bite back?"
Kuwajima Jigorō and Zenitsu, attracted by the commotion, rushed over.
The old man saw the scene inside—the notebook on the ground, the pale-faced and panicked Kaigaku, and the grim-faced Cheng Mo—and instantly understood most of it. His face immediately turned livid.
"What's going on?!" Kuwajima Jigorō's voice was terribly low, carrying the anger of an impending storm.
"Master!"
Cheng Mo spoke first, his tone calm yet with undeniable force.
"I returned to retrieve something and happened to catch Kaigaku secretly going through my family's medical notes. After being caught, he accused me of hoarding secrets and even slandered me, saying I was not legitimate."
He looked at Kaigaku, refuting each point, his words clear:
"What is recorded in this notebook are all family medical insights and analyses of human meridians, completely unrelated to the Breathing Technique. It's normal for you not to understand it."
"My progress is entirely due to Master's diligent teaching and my own diligent practice day and night. The notebook has nothing to do with it, and even less with you."
"Stealing a fellow disciple's private belongings, engaging in such petty theft, and then, after being caught, showing no remorse but instead slandering and biting back. Kaigaku, where is your character? Where is your swordsman's dignity?"
Every word was like a heavy hammer, striking Kaigaku's heart, and also striking Kuwajima Jigorō's heart.
"Kaigaku!" Kuwajima Jigorō questioned sharply, his hand gripping his staff trembling slightly with anger, "Is what Cheng Mo said true?! Did you really commit such a despicable act?!"
Under Cheng Mo's calm accusations and Kuwajima Jigorō's furious gaze, Kaigaku's psychological defenses completely collapsed.
Extreme pressure, long-term jealousy, and the panic of his crime being exposed completely revealed his suppressed true nature.
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, his face no longer showing any respect, only twisted resentment and the madness of having nothing left to lose.
"Yes! So what if I took it?!"
He shrieked, pointing at Cheng Mo.
"Why? Why can he improve so quickly! Why do you only praise him! What a once-in-hundreds-of-years prodigy, bullshit! It's just his good luck! Having this secret notebook!"
He then abruptly turned to Kuwajima Jigorō, spitting: "And you, old man! You're biased! You didn't teach me the real skills at all! You just don't like me! I work so hard! I try so hard! Why can't I compare to him?! Why can even that good-for-nothing Zenitsu occasionally use the First Form? I refuse to accept it!!!"
Vicious words spewed out like venom.
They were full of resentment towards his master, jealousy towards his fellow disciple, and anger at his own incompetence.
Kuwajima Jigorō looked at the disciple before him, his face contorted, his mouth spewing vile words, as if truly seeing him for the first time.
The anger on the old man's face gradually faded, replaced by a profound, bone-deep disappointment and heartache.
He slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, there was only cold resolve in his gaze.
"...Enough!"
Kuwajima Jigorō's voice was weary and heavy, yet carried undeniable authority.
"Kaigaku, I taught you the Breathing Technique hoping you would use this power to protect others and slay demons. But I never imagined that power would only foster endless jealousy and greed in you, leading you to commit such acts of theft and slander, with such a twisted heart!"
The old man spoke with heartfelt pain, word by word: "You cannot remain in Mount Peach. Leave."
Kaigaku suddenly froze, seemingly unable to believe his ears.
"From now on," Kuwajima Jigorō turned his back to him, his voice cold as iron, "there is no longer any master-disciple relationship between us. Fend for yourself."
The madness and resentment on Kaigaku's face instantly solidified, then transformed into an even deeper, twisted malice.
He glared fiercely at Kuwajima Jigorō's back, then venomously swept his gaze over Cheng Mo and the cowering Zenitsu.
He suddenly kicked the notebook on the ground, letting out a suppressed, beast-like growl, and rushed out of the dwelling without looking back, his figure quickly disappearing down the mountain path.
A deep silence fell over the room, broken only by heavy breathing.
Kuwajima Jigorō seemed to have aged many years in an instant, his back stooped.
Cheng Mo silently stepped forward, picked up the "notebook" from the ground, carefully brushed off the dust, and put it back in his satchel.
His goal had been achieved.
He had removed the biggest potential threat from Kuwajima Jigorō's side, and cleared the obstacles on the path of cultivation for himself and the noisy but not malicious Zenitsu.
Kuwajima Jigorō had avoided the tragic end of future disembowelment in grief.
Mount Peach temporarily regained its rightful tranquility.
As for whether Kaigaku lived or died after leaving, or whether he would fall into the demon path as in the original story, that was no longer a concern for him.
Now, he could focus more on his own cultivation, and... think about his next plan.