As dusk approached, the light in the forest dimmed.
The lingering rays of the setting sun filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting dappled shadows on the clearing in the mountains.
Cheng Mo selected a flat, sheltered area near a stream for their campsite.
Tanjirou was busy collecting dry firewood, while Mr. Cheng Mo chose a flat rock and placed the special clay pot on the small charcoal stove he had just lit.
His movements were methodical, showing a precision far beyond ordinary people.
He took out the expensive Matsusaka beef sirloin from the "refrigerator" box, and with a flash of the small knife in his hand, the beef was precisely divided into uniformly sized blocks.
Each cut followed the muscle grain, as if performing a delicate surgical operation.
Tanjirou returned with the firewood and, seeing this scene, was once again mesmerized.
The way his teacher cut meat was more skillful than any chef he had ever seen, even possessing a strange beauty.
Mr. Cheng Mo briefly blanched the beef chunks in clear mountain spring water, skimmed off the foam, and then set them aside.
Next, he took out several medicinal herbs he had purchased earlier—ginseng slices, astragalus, a little angelica, goji berries... Tanjirou didn't recognize all of them, only feeling that they emitted a rich and exotic aroma.
Mr. Cheng Mo successively placed the prepared beef and herbs into the clay pot, poured in clean spring water, and covered it.
He controlled the heat perfectly; the charcoal fire licked the bottom of the pot steadily, neither fierce nor weak.
"Teacher, you know so much, even cooking is so impressive," Tanjirou couldn't help but exclaim, squatting beside the pot, watching the steam gradually rise.
Mr. Cheng Mo held a small spoon, intently watching the rim of the pot, occasionally skimming off tiny bits of foam, and didn't lift his head when he heard this.
"Medicinal cuisine is not just cooking. The heat, duration, herb compatibility, and ingredient properties—a slight difference can lead to a vastly different outcome. It's essentially extraction and chemical reactions."
"Che-chemical reactions?" Tanjirou was confused but felt it was very profound.
After simmering for nearly two hours, until the broth thickened and took on a rich, enticing golden color, and the meat was tender but not falling apart.
Mr. Cheng Mo then extinguished the charcoal fire.
"Time to eat."
He served a large, full bowl to Tanjirou. The broth was rich, the meat chunks trembled, emitting an indescribable aroma.
Tanjirou blew on it, carefully took a sip of the broth.
Instantly, an indescribable warmth burst from his stomach, rapidly surging through his limbs and bones!
It wasn't a burning sensation, but a gentle yet powerful warmth that dispelled the chill of the mountains and his accumulated fatigue.
Tanjirou felt completely refreshed; even the slight muscle soreness from his daytime training was greatly alleviated.
He felt as if his blood and Qi had become more active, surging and flowing within his body.
"So, so delicious! And... it feels so comfortable!"
Tanjirou's eyes lit up, and he ate heartily, feeling his body absorbing immense energy with every bite.
Mr. Cheng Mo also ate a bowl, carefully savoring the effect of the medicinal power integrated with the essence of the ingredients, secretly evaluating its efficacy for body repair and replenishment.
"Hmm, the effect is even better than expected."
After the meal, Tanjirou conscientiously cleaned the dishes.
Then, under the cool moonlight, he slowly assumed the stance of the Qi Refining Technique, trying to combine the surging warmth within his body with his breathing.
Gradually, his breathing became longer and deeper, unconsciously adopting the unique rhythm of his family's Hinokami Kagura Dance.
With each inhale and exhale, his entire body's blood and Qi seemed to resonate, and a very subtle blush appeared on his skin, as if invisible energy flowed within him.
Mr. Cheng Mo also closed his eyes nearby, practicing Chakra refinement.
But deep in his mind, thoughts about demon body research remained active.
That incredible regenerative ability, that almost superhuman "Blood Demon Art" that could be awakened through pure demon blood... what lay behind this was certainly not simple muscle enhancement or toxin mutation; it was more like a shortcut pointing to the evolution of life's essence, prying open the door to fundamental rules!
The absolute combat power in the demon slayer World might not rank high among the myriad worlds.
But this knowledge of "biological evolution," involving deep development of human potential, and cellular-level or even energy-level control, was, in Mr. Cheng Mo's view, the deepest hidden and irreplaceable treasure of this world...
As the sky began to lighten, Mr. Cheng Mo finished his training.
He glanced at Tanjirou, who was still sound asleep, and did not disturb him.
He sent a message through his accompanying Kasugai Crow.
The message was sent to a C-rank member named Kamijima, who was responsible for liaison work in this area.
He needed to understand the situation in the surrounding area, and more importantly, he needed to find the person in charge of this area—Flame Pillar Kyojuro Rengoku.
Before noon, the agreed-upon bird call signal came from down the mountain.
Mr. Cheng Mo descended the mountain and met Kamijima, who had rushed over, in a secluded part of the forest.
Kamijima was a rather capable-looking young man, his face showing the weathered signs of constant travel.
When he verified Mr. Cheng Mo's token and confirmed that the other party was the powerful guest official rumored at headquarters to have provided a large amount of precious medicine, and even reportedly personally killed a Lower Moon demon, his attitude immediately became incredibly respectful, even with a hint of excitement.
"Mr. Cheng Mo! I didn't expect you to grace us with your presence! How may I be of service?" Kamijima bowed, his tone sincere.
Mr. Cheng Mo nodded slightly and directly stated his purpose: "I wish to visit Mr. Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Pillar and the person in charge here. There are some matters I wish to discuss with him."
Upon hearing that Mr. Cheng Mo wanted to see Mr. Rengoku, Kamijima's face showed a hint of difficulty and anxiety: "Mr. Cheng Mo, you might have come at an inconvenient time. Lord Rengoku... he probably won't be able to spare time to receive you recently."
"Oh? What happened?" Mr. Cheng Mo frowned slightly.
"The area we are responsible for has been very unsettled recently," Kamijima sighed, his brows tightly furrowed. "Several villages and towns have experienced extremely heinous murders; the scenes are horrific, and... based on survivors' descriptions and the traces found by our members, the number of attacking demons has clearly increased, as if many appeared overnight! Our members are exhausted from constantly rushing around, and casualties have also increased significantly compared to usual."
"Lord Rengoku has been rushing around for days, performing rescues and slaying demons, and hasn't stayed in one place for more than a day in a long time. I can't even confirm his exact location right now."
Mr. Cheng Mo listened, his brows furrowing slightly.
Frequent heinous incidents? Increased number of demons?
This sounded... not like a coincidence.
Was it Muzan?
Suspicion immediately arose in his heart.
Recalling his brief confrontation with Muzan in Asakusa not long ago, had Muzan perceived a threat and thus started frantically creating chaos?
On one hand, to divert the attention of the Demon Slayer Corps, and on the other, perhaps to accelerate the selection of usable pawns?
Or was he simply venting his anger?
Regardless of the possibility, the situation was not optimistic.
He pondered for a moment, then said to Kamijima: "I understand. Kamijima, if you get any news of Mr. Rengoku, or discover any unusual traces of particularly powerful demons, be sure to notify me immediately."
"Do not let your people easily venture into danger. If necessary, you can send an emergency request through a Kasugai Crow, and I will arrive as soon as possible."
Kamijima's face immediately showed surprise and gratitude: "Re-really? Thank you so much, Mr. Cheng Mo! With your words, my teammates will feel much more confident!"
A strong individual capable of killing a Lower Moon demon offering support was undoubtedly a godsend.
"Additionally," Mr. Cheng Mo added, "give me a detailed distribution map of the areas around here where demon activity has been frequent recently."
"You mean...?" Kamijima was a little confused.
"Training requires practical combat, and my disciple also needs to see some blood," Mr. Cheng Mo said calmly. "Incidentally, clearing the roads will also help lighten your burden."
Kamijima suddenly understood and was even more moved. He quickly pulled out a densely marked simple map from his Pregnant, offering it with both hands: "This is the latest compilation! It marks areas where demons are suspected of hiding or frequently appearing, as well as their approximate strength assessments. Thank you so much, Mr. Cheng Mo!"
Mr. Cheng Mo took the map, glanced at it, and put it into his pocket.
"Stay in contact." He nodded and turned to return to the forest.
Back at the campsite, Tanjirou had already finished his morning practice and was consolidating his Breathing Technique.
Mr. Cheng Mo put away the map and did not immediately mention the demons or the Flame Pillar, only urging Tanjirou to continue focusing on honing his fundamentals.
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