Chapter 4 Just Say It's Tomioka Giyu.

Chapter 4 Just Say It's Tomioka Giyu.

"Clap! Creak!"

Inside the charcoal kiln, the flames were burning fiercely, accompanied by the crackling sound, sparks were flying in the kiln.

There is still some charcoal stored in the house, if it weren't for the continuous heavy snow in recent days, it could be more surplus.

But these are enough.

Kamado Tanjuro stood alone in front of the charcoal kiln, looking at his katana Kusabimaru set up inside the kiln.

The firelight reflected on his face.

The burning temperature of charcoal, in the charcoal kiln, can reach 1000, or even higher.

This is enough to burn the Kusabimaru red.

That is, the so-called - Scarlet sword.

Such a red-hot sword, in an ideal state, can turn red for nearly 20 minutes.

And to cool down completely, it takes an hour.

That's enough.

The sky gradually darkened.

The surrounding light slowly weakened, and the sun seemed to be about to set.

Standing in front of the firelight of the charcoal kiln, the firelight illuminated Tanjuro, who was standing with his arms folded, and his shadow was very long.

All around, except for Tanjuro, no other figures could be found.

"Caw! Caw!" Several crows burst out from the dense forest next to them, the branches swayed, and the birds screamed and began to return to their nests.

In the darkening environment, you can only see some messy footprints on the snow that is slightly illuminated by the firelight.

And two clear wheel marks.

The messy footprints all gathered in the same direction in the end, and from that direction, they went straight down the mountain.

The drifting snow carried the north wind, slowly covering the traces on the ground.

...

...

On the other side.

Far away.

Near a mountain.

All around are empty paddy fields.

Covered with snow.

The sky darkened, and the temperature also slowly dropped.

"Hoo--"

The cold wind mixed with flying snow swept across the paddy field.

A group of people walking in the field path also subconsciously tightened their clothes.

"Takeo, can you still hold on?"

Kamado Kie led Shigeru and walked in the front.

Behind, there is a wooden four-wheel charcoal cart.

Nezuko walked in front of the charcoal cart, holding a hemp rope in her hand, pulling the charcoal cart.

Hanako was holding the young Rokuta and was resting on the charcoal cart.

Creak...creak...

The wooden wheels rolled over the ground, causing the snow to sink, making a creaking compression sound.

Without Tanjiro, the oldest man in the family became Takeo, who was now holding an axe and walking at the end of the team.

And exerting force, pushing the charcoal cart slowly forward.

"Takeo?"

Kamado Kie turned her head back, shouting at Takeo at the end of the team, and a puff of white air came out of her mouth.

Takeo wrapped his scarf around his neck, raised his hand and waved:

"I'm fine!"

Kamado Kie heard the words, frowned slightly, she stopped, bypassed the charcoal cart, turned around and walked towards Takeo.

"Mom." Takeo watched his mother come towards him, and subconsciously shrank his neck.

"Ha..."

Kie walked to Takeo, stretched out her hand, and breathed a sigh of relief in front of her mouth.

Then she squatted down and held Takeo's hand, which was frozen red and trembling from pushing the charcoal cart forward.

She raised her head and said seriously to Takeo:

"Don't push yourself, if you are tired, we will find someone to borrow a place to rest."

"...I know." Takeo clenched his frozen hand and held the axe tightly.

Seeing this, Kie nodded and got up.

"Mom, why..." Shigeru looked up at his mother.

He wanted to ask why the whole family suddenly had to leave, except for his father.

But seeing his mother's somewhat nervous and tired face, Shigeru stopped his words.

Kie heard Shigeru's question, she was walking along the street, even when she arrived in the town, she did not dare to relax her vigilance, she lowered her head and said softly:

"What's wrong, Shigeru."

Shigeru shook his head, holding his mother's hand, and changed his previous question:

"Mom, where are we going?"

They left home around one o'clock in the afternoon and hurried all the way.

Now, the time has passed in the evening, and the sun is about to set.

The sky is dark.

Creak...

Kamado Kie stopped in her tracks.

She remembered the conversation she had with Kamado Tanjuro at noon.

...

...

Half a day ago.

Inside the wooden house.

"Tanjuro, what do you mean..."

Kie sat next to Tanjuro, seeming a bit puzzled.

"Kie." Tanjuro looked up, making eye contact with his wife, his tone serious:

"Please trust me."

"This mountain will be very dangerous."

"Take Nezuko, Shigeru, and the others, and leave here as far as possible."

As Tanjuro spoke, his gaze passed through the open door, looking at Hanako and Shigeru playing in the snow:

"Don't worry about Tanjiro, he will be fine."

Upon hearing this, Kamado Kie slightly opened her mouth, her purple eyes somewhat moved, she was unclear about what judgment she should make now:

"What does...dangerous mean?"

Her husband had been in a coma for a year, and suddenly woke up, and then suddenly said such words.

Kie felt puzzled and strange at the same time.

At this moment.

Clap.

Tanjuro turned his head back, gently reached out his hand, and held Kie's hand, the two looked at each other:

"Wait...when things are over, I will explain to you."

Tanjuro held Kie's hand, his gaze firm. He slowly reached into the bedding next to him:

"Trust me."

Click!

Until, a crisp sound of the collision between the sword and the scabbard rang out.

— It was Kusabimaru, a samurai sword.

Kamado Kie's pupils contracted slightly, she looked up at her husband.

— During the past year of taking care of her husband every day, Kie had never discovered the existence of this sword.

Tanjuro was smiling at this moment:

"I woke up this time, maybe it's to avoid this danger."

"There's no time left, Kie."

"Think about the children."

Kamado Kie's hand on the bedding clenched the quilt tightly.

"...What about you?" She asked.

"I have to stay." Tanjuro answered decisively.

Kamado Kie stared at Tanjuro.

— What do you want to do?

Although Kamado Kie really wanted to question her husband like this now, looking at the urgency in his eyes, she gradually understood the seriousness of the matter.

Kamado Kie took a deep breath, she nodded slightly, then stood up:

"I understand."

Letting go of Tanjuro's hand, Kie walked around the bed and slowly walked to the door of the room.

Standing at the door of the room, Kie stopped.

She turned her head sideways, her back to Tanjuro, pursed her lips, lowered her purple eyes, her voice trembling slightly:

"...Don't, leave us again."

Tanjuro, on the other hand, was staring straight ahead, he nodded, his voice low and calm:

"Don't worry...I won't die."

...

Coming back to her senses.

Kamado Kie heard Shigeru's voice, she remembered, her husband told her to head towards a place called "Mount Sagiri".

The journey is about half a day's walk.

Kie casually rubbed Shigeru's head, raised her head to observe the surroundings.

They asked for directions along the way, although they were delayed for some time, but they were almost at their destination.

All around, it was all paddy fields.

Even the villages were a bit far away.

The sun had already set, the sky was pitch black, the moon was low in the corner of the sky, the clear moonlight illuminated some clouds.

They were already within the range of Mount Sagiri, very close to the foot of the mountain.

When you get near Mount Sagiri, you're basically safe.

Whoosh!

"Ga!"

Creak...

With a few strange sounds, Kie stopped.

Nezuko and the others who were following behind also stopped together.

"...Mom?" Hanako, who was on the charcoal cart, woke up slowly, feeling that they were no longer moving forward, she turned her head back and asked: "Have we arrived yet?"

"...Hmm."

Standing in front of the charcoal cart, Kie looked forward and nodded slightly.

At this moment.

Whoosh!

Plop!

A landing sound, too faint to hear, came from in front of several people.

"What's wrong."

"Are you lost?"

An old and deep voice sounded in front:

"The nearest village is not in this direction."

Everyone hurriedly looked up.

.....The person who came was wearing a red tengu mask.

Wearing a small sleeve embroidered with water ripples, short and broken white hair was exposed from both sides of the mask under the moonlight.

The sword carried around his waist indicated his identity.

"The sun has already set, it's very dangerous at night with so many children." The old man wearing the tengu mask said in a low voice.

When he said this, his gaze was on Kamado Kie.

.....He suddenly smelled a lot of strange smells, he specifically came over to take a look.

Kamado Kie looked at the old man in front of her, although he suddenly appeared in front of her just now, she quickly stabilized her tone:

"Are you... Urokodaki-san?"

Urokodaki Sakonji seemed a bit surprised, he specifically looked at Kamado Kie.

...

The final destination of the Kamado family.

It's at the foot of Sagiri Mountain.

Find the old man named Urokodaki Sakonji who wears a tengu mask.

Stay at his house for one night.

If he asks.

"You just say, a swordsman named Tomioka Giyu sent you."

.....Kamado Tanjuro said so.