33: treat

Lin Luo dragged his tired steps back to the apartment building. Just as his fingertip touched the cold key, the door at the end of the corridor slid silently open.

Yukino Mifuyu stood in the warm yellow halo formed by the doorframe, her pale fingers gripping his wrist without question. He was practically pulled indoors by that undeniable force. The warm scents of citrus fragrance and miso soup instantly enveloped him in the entryway, stripping him away from the bloody night.

He belatedly recalled that hours earlier, as he rushed out of the apartment, he seemed to have glimpsed her standing by the corridor window. At that time, a nascent smile still lingered on her lips, but it was immediately cut short by the Spiritual Qi exploding around him and his hasty retreat.

As Yukino Mifuyu pressed him onto the sofa, her fingertips accidentally brushed the bandage on his back. Lin Luo's sharp intake of breath made her freeze, and she knelt before the sofa, looking up at him.

As Yukino Mifuyu untied the bloodstained bandage, her fingertips trembled imperceptibly. The laceration running across his spine was horrifying, the edges of the torn flesh tinged with an eerie purplish-black color.

It's actually fine, it just looks serious." Lin Luo turned his head and chuckled lightly. "I'll be fine after a week or so of recovery. Don't underestimate a Cultivator's regenerative power."

Yukino Mifuyu did not reply. She lowered her gaze, staring at the wound, and slowly traced her slender index finger above the injury. Frosty cold Qi permeated the air, and fine ice crystals covered the wound, instantly freezing the bleeding vessels and nerve endings.

Next, she used her nail to pierce her fingertip. A drop of icy blue blood slowly seeped out, floating toward the deepest part of the wound. The moment the blood drop touched the purplish-black poisonous gas, a cold halo, like moonlight, burst forth. The necrotic flesh melted away in the glow like ice and snow, and fresh granulation tissue rapidly intertwined and grew at a visible speed.

The tingling and itching sensation of new flesh growing on Lin Luo's back gradually subsided. He turned his head and noticed that Yukino Mifuyu’s complexion was paler than usual, and her lips were slightly faded.

You this healing method of yours..." He frowned slightly.

I'll be fine after a short rest." Yukino Mifuyu maintained her gentle smile. "If the boss gets hurt, the shop will go bankrupt."

Lin Luo took out a cool, Spiritual Qi-filled fruit from his Storage Pendant, identical to the one he had given her last time. Yukino Mifuyu gently shook her head, "I'm not lying to you, sleeping will fix it. Don't waste such a precious item."

She paused, as if recalling something, and her cheeks suddenly flushed. Her voice dropped a few octaves: "And... if it happens like last time..."

Lin Luo looked at her flushed cheeks, recalling the scene where he helped her, and the intense cold fragrance emanating from her body warmed his heart slightly.

Yukino Mifuyu's gaze swept past his lower abdomen, and the tips of her ears instantly turned scarlet. As she turned her face away in panic, her normally dignified coiled bun suddenly loosened, and a few strands of dark hair fell by her flushed ears.

You really are..." Her voice faded, her fingers unconsciously twisting her cuff. "...not a decent person."

Just as she was about to get up, he gently hooked her clothes corner.

My wound hurts." He lifted his face, fragmented light hidden in his eyes.

Yukino Mifuyu looked down and saw that the blood seeping from his waist was more noticeable than before. The hand she was about to pull back paused, and frost condensed on her fingertips as she gently stroked the area. As the ice crystals bloomed on the surface of the wound, she heard him gasp faintly.

You brought this on yourself." She chastised him, lowering her eyelashes, but her voice softened slightly.

After a moment of hesitation, she suddenly leaned down. Warm breath brushed his waist and abdomen, followed by a cool, soft sensation—she was gently licking the wound with the tip of her tongue.

Hiss..." Lin Luo inhaled, but this time it wasn't due to pain. Wherever the coolness touched, the wound began to itch slightly, accelerating its healing.

Yukino Mifuyu lifted her head, her lips still stained with traces of blood. She turned her face away: "This way, it heals faster."

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Lin Luo reached out and pulled her into his embrace. Yukino Mifuyu let out a soft cry and was pulled down onto the sofa bed with him.

He nestled into her neck, his hot breath brushing her delicate skin, causing her to squirm restlessly. A cool, sweet fragrance wafted from her collar, like the soul of plum blossoms in snow, or the Epiphyllum flower blooming under the moon.

This fragrance was more effective than any Spirit Pill; his chest, which had been constricted due to internal injuries, suddenly felt clear. He greedily inhaled deeply, his lips accidentally brushing her cool collarbone.

Yukino Mifuyu was encircled in his arms, and the warmth caused her to momentarily indulge. But she immediately bit her lip to regain her senses, placing both hands against his chest and pushing lightly with flushed cheeks: "I... I'll go make you something to eat."

Before she finished speaking, she broke free from his embrace like a startled fawn and fled frantically toward the kitchen. Her skirt brushed the tatami mat, making a rustling sound.

Lin Luo watched her hurried departure, the coolness of her hair still lingering on his fingertips. Soon, the crisp sound of cookware clanging came from the kitchen, accompanied by her barely settled, faint breathing.

Lin Luo lowered his gaze to his palms, his fingertips seemingly still retaining that soft, springy sensation from moments ago. He was momentarily stunned, then suddenly shook his head and laughed softly.

What's wrong..." he muttered to himself. "Lately, I've been less and less able to restrain myself." He chuckled teasingly at himself, "I guess I want to fall in love."

If the heart is pure as ice, even the sky collapsing won't cause alarm." He silently recited the Heart Calming Incantation, suppressing the restlessness in his heart, and finally settled his mind to perform Internal Inspection.

Lin Luo closed his eyes and concentrated, his Spiritual Sense flowing over his body like water. The ferocious claw marks left by Akaza on his spine had now been repaired by Yukino Mifuyu's Frost Power, leaving only pale pink new flesh; the previously torn skin had already healed perfectly.

He guided the faint Spiritual Power within his body to slowly circulate to the wound. The Spiritual Power gently nourished the new tissue like fine spring rain, bringing a subtle tingling sensation.

Under Internal Inspection, although his internal organs were slightly shaken by the previous impact, those minor injuries were being repaired at a slow but steady pace under the continuous nurturing of Spiritual Power.

Sinking into his Dantian, the Spiritual Spring source, which usually bubbled and pulsed with vitality, was now slowly seeping out like scattered water droplets. The Spiritual Qi Vortex that once surrounded the spring had long dissipated, leaving only residual Spiritual Power as thin as morning mist.

Lin Luo shook his head with a bitter smile; the gap in strength was ultimately insurmountable. Although that Purple Gold Lightning Talisman was astonishingly powerful, it nearly drained all his Spiritual Power. Lightly touching the Storage Pendant with his fingertip, he could clearly feel that the light of the Ancient Talisman within had dimmed further. Such a precious consumable would likely fail completely after supporting him for two or three more uses.

Light flowed across his palm, and the cicada song collection quietly appeared, dark purple flowing light tracing along the spine. Lin Luo gently stroked the pages, feeling the resonance between the grimoire and his own Spiritual Power—if he hadn't branded it beforehand, he wouldn't have thought to use it to trap Akaza then.

The page stopped at the line, "The bowl of snow holds moonlight." The ink color was indeed much lighter than before. grimoires driven by emotional energy truly need to absorb negative energies like resentment to maintain their power. Fortunately, the Book Spirit itself possesses self-repairing properties, but the current apartment is too peaceful to collect even a trace of resentment.

After eating the meal prepared by Yukino Mifuyu, Lin Luo returned to his room. He took out several Spirit Stones and placed them on the floor, forming Hand Seals to guide Spiritual Qi into his Dantian.

When the rising dawn light spilled through the window lattice, a faint golden halo appeared around Lin Luo. The last wisp of Spiritual Qi had just completed the thirty-sixth Major Circulation Cycle.

Under Internal Inspection, the Spiritual Spring within his Dantian had recovered several tenths, and Spiritual Power surged through his Meridians like a stream. His Spiritual Perception became acute again; even the faint sound of dust particles colliding when the morning breeze stirred the dust on the windowsill was clearly audible.

Although his body had recovered well, Lin Luo chose to recuperate at home. After exchanging messages with Kirisu Mafuyu, he set his phone aside and immersed his mind back into his Dantian.

When the Spiritual Qi of the surrounding Spirit Stones was completely absorbed, the pendant on his chest vibrated lightly, and new Spirit Stones floated out and landed in the Formation Center. When he opened his eyes again, the afternoon sun had begun to slant. Under Internal Inspection, his strength had recovered by seventy percent, and the Spiritual Power flowed ceaselessly through his body like a spring stream.

Lin Luo relaxed from his Cultivation state and picked up his phone to check messages. Kato Megumi had sent a message expressing concern for his health, mentioning that she had taken a few days off to stay home and would return to school later, and also brought up her parents' intention to visit and thank him.

He replied with a relaxed emoji, stating that he was fine and planned to rest for a day or two. Unexpectedly, he received a reply immediately after sending his message:

Mr. Lin Luo, remember to go to the hospital to change your dressing."

Looking at the concerned reminder that instantly popped up on the screen, he could almost see the girl holding her phone, earnestly waiting for his reply.

Lin Luo's fingertips danced lightly across the screen, and he quickly became engrossed in the conversation with the girl.

Kato Megumi's messages carried her unique delicacy, first meticulously asking about the recovery status of each of his wounds, and then reminding him of various precautions. When she mentioned her parents insisting on visiting to thank him, she sent a distressed little rabbit emoji.

They are already preparing thank-you gifts, and they won't listen no matter how I try to dissuade them."

Lin Luo looked at the sentence, and the image of her slightly furrowed brow seemed to appear before his eyes. Just as he was about to reply, the other party sent another message:

However... being able to see Mr. Lin Luo in casual clothes sounds quite nice too."

This was followed by a cat emoji peeking out secretively.

Lin Luo couldn't help but chuckle. His fingertip paused on the screen for a moment before he replied: "What, you want to see me without my school uniform?"

As soon as the message was sent, "The other party is typing..." immediately appeared above the dialogue box. This time, there was no prolonged hesitation; Kato Megumi's reply quickly popped up:

Yes, I do."

After those simple three words, she added another sentence:

I want to see Mr. Lin Luo looking different from how he is at school."

There was no retraction, no pretense; her frankness made Lin Luo slightly stunned. He could almost see the girl on the other end of the screen gently clenching her phone, her cheeks slightly flushed but still earnestly typing out that sentence.

Just as he was considering his response, a new message arrived:

Mr. Lin Luo, I heard from the Department Headquarters that you encountered the upper rank three last night and successfully repelled him. Our Demon Slayer Corps' Master learned of this and hopes to meet with you in person. Might you be available sometime soon?"

The sender was Kochou Kanae, with whom he had only exchanged contact information a few days prior. The wording was respectful but barely concealed her urgency. He glanced at Kato Megumi's dialogue box, which was still awaiting a reply, and his fingertip hovered briefly between the two chat interfaces.

He pondered for a moment, his fingertip pausing above the screen, before finally settling on Kochou Kanae's message box and typing out a line: "I am free these next few days; the time should be set according to the Demon Slayer Corps' convenience."