chsdbacks Chapter 64 Terrifying Humans and Undying Ghosts
Chapter 64 Terrifying Humans and Undying Ghosts
Chapter 64 Terrifying Humans and Undying Ghosts (1/5)
In a small cabin deep in the mountains, candlelight flickered, and the room, filled with the smell of medicine, lay the emaciated "Kamado Tanjuro," who looked like nothing but skin and bones, breathing weakly, almost inaudibly.
Beside her lay a gentle woman, exhausted and fast asleep.
"Hoo—" A sudden exhale sound rang out, and "Kamado Tanjuro," who had been keeping his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. His eyes, which had been gradually weakening, became unusually bright at this moment, and his body, which had been so weak that he could hardly stand up, suddenly regained a lot of strength.
The sudden improvement in his health did not bring Tanjuro Kamado any joy. Instead, his eyes drooped even lower, and his thin, almost skeletal face was filled with sorrow.
"I'm going to die."
Suddenly, I knew everything. Perhaps my mind was too clear, because everything in the world was so clear at that moment. When each snowflake landed, how much mist was produced by my wife's breath in an instant, the ants hiding in the doors and windows—everything was almost clearly displayed in my mind.
Tanjuro Kamado felt that this was the last gasp of his life.
He struggled to his feet and carefully stood up. He looked quietly at his wife, Kamado Aoi, who was lying on the bed beside him. In his last moments, he wanted to say a final goodbye to his wife, but he stopped just as he was about to reach out to her shoulder.
Full of reluctance, guilt, and fear, it all turned into deep helplessness.
Ultimately, he didn't want to convey the pain of his impending death to his wife, even if it meant finding out a day later—that would be better!
He got up, glanced at his wife with reluctance, and silently went to the next room. He saw his sleeping son, Takeo, Shigeru, Rokuta, and Tanjiro. He looked at his sleeping daughters, Mameko and Hanako, and gently covered them with the blankets they had kicked off.
"I want to spend more time with my wife, and I long to see my children grow up!"
Looking at his beloved son and daughter, Kamado Tanjuro was filled with reluctance. However, feeling the life force draining from his body, he knew that time would not wait for him any longer, nor would it linger for him even for a moment.
No matter how reluctant or unwilling he is, everything will gradually drift away in his resentment.
Gently, she came to Tanjiro's side and looked at her sleeping son with a face full of exhaustion.
Tanjuro Kamado knew that during his illness, his eldest son had silently shouldered the burden of the family.
"He's still so young—"
She wanted to cry, but held back her grief and reached out to gently pat her son's cheek.
Tanjiro was startled awake and saw his father suddenly standing in front of him. His eyes were filled with shock, but even more so with ecstasy. At that moment, Tanjiro almost wanted to wake up the whole family to share the joy, to tell his mother, his sister, and—everyone.
"Shh!"
Tanjuro Kamado put his fingertips to his lips, but looking at his son's surprised eyes, he felt increasingly guilty and reluctant.
But no matter how reluctant or guilty I am, I still have to give an explanation for everything.
This is the responsibility and burden that the "Kitchen Gate" family will have to shoulder, not only for this family, but also for what they will protect for generations to come.
Tanjiro, who was about to open his mouth, immediately closed it at his father's signal.
"Put your clothes on and come with me."
Tanjuro Kamado sighed softly.
Tanjiro nodded heavily, quickly dressed, carefully avoided his younger brother, and followed his father out of the room.
The snow outside was heavy, with goose-feather-like snowflakes fluttering down, and a thick layer of snow had already accumulated on the ground.
With such heavy snow and such cold weather, it would be a good time to sell charcoal. If my father were healthy in the past, the family would probably have made a lot of money. But he is too young and not strong enough. He worked for a long time but didn't make much charcoal. He was not as good at business as my father and didn't make much money.
"However, my father is better now, everything will be alright, and life will get better and better."
Tanjiro looked at his father walking ahead, feeling joy in his heart.
"Follow me."
Sensing his son's gaze behind him, "Kamado Tanjuro" trembled slightly, but quickly regained his composure.
Tanjiro wanted to remind his father that he was feeling better and should take care of his health, but he had no choice but to obey his father's orders for now, planning to remind him again later.
Soon, Tanjuro Kamado stepped into the deep snow.
Tanjiro followed closely behind, his foot sinking slightly into the snow as he took difficult steps. Watching his father walk faster and faster, Tanjiro couldn't hide his shock. The snow that Tanjiro was sinking into was completely unmarked by his father.
Although shocked, I was more immersed in the joy of my father’s improvement and didn’t pay much attention to these things. What puzzled me more was why my father had called me out in the middle of the night.
Tanjiro followed quickly with difficult steps, but his father's pace quickened. He had been so ill that he could barely stand up before, but now he could walk so fast.
"Father, you're really getting better."
Tanjiro clenched his fists, his heart filled with excitement.
"Tanjiro—"
Suddenly, the figure of "Kamado Tanjuro" appeared next to Tanjiro, walking alongside him and calling out to him.
Tanjiro couldn't help but look at his father.
"Remember—to breathe!"
"Tanjuro Kamado" pointed to his nose: "Remember the rhythm of the 'breathing' I taught you, don't forget it. I'll teach you again, follow along with me—"
Tanjiro wanted to say something, but found that his father's expression had become very serious. In the end, he could only suppress his doubts. But at this moment, he had no mind to pay attention to this so-called "breathing".
"Remember—breathe!"
Tanjuro Kamado's "One More Call".
"OK."
Tanjiro tried to pay attention to his father's breathing, but at that moment, he was too happy to notice it properly.
Seeing his son's seemingly joyful excitement at being around him, completely oblivious to these things, Kamado Tanjuro was filled with guilt and sorrow. At this moment, how could he force his son to pay attention to these things?
Even when he told his son that he was about to die, he couldn't bear to say it aloud.
However, no matter how unwilling he was to break his son's joy, Tanjuro Kamado knew that time would not wait for him any longer. He reached out and gently patted Tanjiro's shoulder. Tanjiro looked at the hand patting his shoulder with some confusion. It was almost as if only a layer of skin was attached to the bone, which made Tanjiro's heart tremble.
"Tanjiro—"
A gentle, steady, and soft voice reached my ears: "Remember my breath, always remember my breath."
Tanjiro couldn't help but look up at his father, only to feel a sudden surge of immense strength from his father's thin hand on his shoulder. He felt as if he had been suddenly thrown onto a galloping chariot, and was walking rapidly across the snow. The trees on both sides had already fallen far behind him in the blink of an eye.
"what!"
Tanjiro almost screamed in surprise.
"Look at me, pay attention to my breathing."
Tanjuro Kamado spoke again.
Shocked, Tanjiro instinctively looked at his father and noticed his breathing. His father's breathing was very light and gentle, yet it felt very strong.
"This is the last time I'll teach you. I regret not teaching you properly before. I wanted to wait until you were older before teaching you—but—"
There's no chance anymore.
Tanjiro Kamado pressed his hand tightly against his son's shoulder, his fingertips digging into Tanjiro's flesh. At that moment, their breaths seemed to mix together.
"This is."
Tanjiro's eyes widened involuntarily. Suddenly, he felt that everything in the world had become quiet and slowed down. It was as if he had seen another side of the world—another world.
Everything was so clear. Every snowflake falling on the earth could be clearly seen, its next landing spot clearly visible. You could see when the breeze landed on the trees and when it rustled the branches. You could see the flow of blood in your father's veins and his heart, which was almost stopping beating.
At that moment, Tanjiro couldn't help but raise his head and stare blankly at his father, "Remember this feeling."
Tanjuro Kamado's bright eyes gradually dimmed: "I will always remember this feeling."
"This is 'breathing'."
Tanjiro stared blankly at his father. In this world where everything seemed to be under his control, he clearly sensed his father's impending death.
"Silly child, your father can't be with you forever. From now on, you'll have to rely on yourself at home."
Tanjuro Kamado looked at his son with gentle eyes, stroking his son's red hair: "Tanjiro—it's time to grow up."
Tanjuro Kamado wanted to say something more, but his gaze involuntarily lifted up. Snowflakes fell gently, and the cave where he had once slain the giant bear now housed two people.
A child and a person who looks—not like a human being.
At that moment, that person stood at the entrance of the cave, his calm, scarlet eyes silently watching everything before him. As if sensing his gaze, he nodded slightly.
Tanjuro Kamado's heart clenched inexplicably as he recalled an ancient family legend: a terrifying creature existed in this world.
A creature called a ghost, a creature that is almost impossible to kill.
I never expected such a dangerous thing to appear around me.
A cold glint appeared in the old man's dim eyes. He patted his son's shoulder and said softly, "Wait for me here."
Still immersed in grief, Tanjiro looked up in confusion and saw his father walking into the distance, into the darkness.
By the dim light of the moon, I could vaguely see a person standing in front of a cave, and I could also vaguely see a pair of scarlet eyes.
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