Tanjiro pressed the ax handle against Nezuko's mouth as hard as he could, making a squeaking sound when his sharp teeth bit the wooden stick.
He was sweating profusely as he looked at Nezuko struggling in pain, and his heart was filled with regret.
He is the eldest son in the family, and he should have been the one to support the whole family after his father died of illness.
But when his relatives were in danger, he happened to be not at home. What kind of despair did his relatives experience while he was sleeping soundly at night?
Tanjiro didn't dare to think about it. The only thing he could do now was to try his best to stop Nezuko from messing around, and at least do something for his only remaining relative.
But……
After transforming into a demon, Nezuko is very powerful. It is impossible for ordinary humans to resist the attacks of demons with their strength.
"Ah...wu——"
Nezuko whimpered as she bit the stick in her mouth. Her strength became stronger and stronger, and she got closer and closer to Tanjiro.
Warm breath blew on Tanjiro's face, and saliva dripped down between his teeth and onto Tanjiro's forehead.
"Come on, Nezuko!"
Tanjiro desperately cried to his sister, "Hold it, don't give up!"
"Keep yourself, don't become a ghost! Come on, Nezuko!"
As if he heard his brother's call, a struggling expression appeared on the ghostly Nezuko's face, and crystal tears kept pouring out from those cherry-colored eyes, dripping on Tanjiro's face.
Nezuko is still working hard! Tanjiro's eyes filled with tears when he saw Nezuko struggling. He knew that his sister hadn't given up yet, so he couldn't give up either. The strength that came from nowhere made him move closer.
Nezuko pushed away a little.
Just when Tanjiro wanted to push Nezuko away while her strength weakened during her struggle, a strange vibration suddenly came from the ground, causing him to hesitate for a moment in his effort.
"Is it an earthquake?"
No, something is coming!
Tanjiro's heart tightened, something was rushing towards them, it was the strange smell just now.
Even after they fell down the hill, they followed them, obviously heading towards them.
Tanjiro instinctively wanted to protect his sister, and the strength he didn't know came from made him struggle and roll on the snow with his body holding Nezuko, pressing his sister tightly to the snow.
The next moment, the whole world turned into a snow-white color.
A figure suddenly stopped beside the two people. With his sudden stop, the sky filled with snow danced wildly in the storm, almost instantly drowning the two people lying on the ground.
"What happened?"
Tanjiro hugged his sister tightly to prevent her from moving.
Nezuko kept struggling to break free from his arms, but the overwhelming snow increased the weight on her body, and Tanjiro was finally able to subdue the frantic Nezuko.
He had just breathed a sigh of relief when he felt like something was grabbing his back. Then an upward force lifted him out of the thick snow.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch—"
Freed from the oppression of the thick snow, Nezuko waved her hands and feet in pain and began to struggle again.
But this time, he didn't seem to be struggling to bite Tanjiro, but was struggling to break away from his arms and leave.
"Are you late..."
A trace of anger flashed between Xuan Hao's eyebrows, and he separated the two figures holding each other in his hands.
He threw the boy to the ground casually, then frowned and looked at the girl struggling in his hands.
When he saw the girl's appearance clearly, his eyes were slightly stunned.
This is a face that feels very familiar to him, because this girl looks like she was carved from the same mold as Maya Kagami five hundred years ago, especially those cherry-colored pupils, if they are like cherry blossoms
Gorgeous.
But Xuanhao knew very well that this couldn't be the same person. He once heard Uyashiki say that the girl didn't leave anything behind except the knife.
Xuan Hao was a little confused. Is there really such a thing as reincarnation in this world? Or is this just a coincidence?
But this is too much of a coincidence.
Xuan Hao fell into deep thought. He didn't know whether the girl in front of him who felt familiar happened to have soul fragments lodged in her body, or whether Jia Shenchuan five hundred years ago had soul fragments lodged in her body but he was not aware of it at the time.
Now it appears in front of him again?
"Nezuko!"
An anxious shout interrupted Xuan Hao's thoughts. He was slightly stunned, looking at the girl in front of him and then at the boy just now.
"Is her name Nezuko?" Xuanhao asked softly.
Tanjiro, who heard the question, was still unable to react to the current situation. He struggled to get up and looked at the man holding Nezuko in panic.
This man was wearing dark clothes, and his face was covered with a scarf, so his expression was unclear.
"Ah ah ah ah ah……"
Nezuko struggled in the man's hands, her hands were pressed behind her back and she couldn't move at all.
Tanjiro called to his sister, stretched out his hand and kept getting closer to the man.
"Oh... let me ask you, is her name Nezuko?" Xuan Hao looked at the helpless young man in front of him and sighed, then asked again.
"Yes, it is!"
Tanjiro finally reacted, "She...she is my sister!!"
He anxiously wanted to step forward and snatch the struggling Nezuko from the man's hands.
Because he felt that the man in front of him was dangerous.
Although the man was wearing a turban so that he could not see his expression clearly, he could smell the doubt and anger on this man.
"Who are you? Please let go of my sister..."
"I advise you not to get close to her for the time being."
Xuanhao stretched out his hand and waved it gently, causing Tanjiro to stagger back a few steps due to the wind and snow.
"Haven't you figured out the current situation? She has turned into a ghost. Now I hand her back to you. Can you control her?"
"I……"
Tanjiro fell to the ground again. Facing the man's question, he opened his mouth hesitantly but could not say anything to refute.
"Then...what should we do now?"
"According to common sense, ghosts are the enemies of human beings. They will only eat people if they stay in the world. The Demon Slayer Corps will be responsible for killing them, and I happen to be a member of the Demon Slayer Corps..."
"No! Please wait a moment!" Tanjiro became anxious when he heard this, "Nezuko has never eaten anyone! Nor has she hurt anyone! I smelled something that I have never smelled before at home.
It tastes too bad! That guy should have killed everyone! I don’t know why Nezuko became like this, but she is definitely not the murderer!"
"..."
Xuan Hao was silent for a while after being interrupted. It seemed that this was the girl's brother. Before he finished speaking and didn't ask any questions, the young man was already anxiously explaining everything.
.
Xuan Hao thought for a moment, because he got some useful information from the young man's speech.
This boy's nose is very sensitive. This boy's family was killed. The most important thing is that this boy smelled the smell of a certain ghost... and in his impression, the only one who can turn humans into ghosts is Tsuji Mukai.
Blood.
"It seems that it is necessary to go to the site to investigate, but before that..."
After Xuan Hao cleared his thoughts, he shifted his gaze to the young man in front of him.
While he was thinking just now, the young man was still hurriedly listing the evidence proving his sister's innocence.
"Nezuko won't eat people! She didn't turn into a ghost! She should still know who I am. Nezuko will definitely be able to return to her original appearance!"
"A person who becomes a ghost can never return to his original form."
"Then I'll go look for it. If it's not there now, it doesn't mean it won't be there in the future! I will definitely find a way to make Nezuko return to her original form!" Tanjiro anxiously wanted to step forward, but saw Xuanhao's hand raised again and his footsteps.
paused again.
The man in front of me is very powerful. He can easily subdue the demonized Nezuko. He just waved his hand and sent him flying far away. He is no match at all!
The expression on Tanjiro's face became more and more anxious, but he couldn't think of a way to get Nezuko back from this man.
In the end it seemed that there was no other way but to beg for mercy.
The expression on Tanjiro's face was a little desperate. He no longer wanted to lose the last of his family members.
So, he plopped down on his knees on the snow, gently pressed his forehead to the ground, and closed his eyes tightly to prevent tears from flowing out.
"Please show mercy...I beg you...please don't kill my sister..."
Xuan Hao looked at the chattering young man in front of him, and his eyes became a little cold, "You just...will just kneel on the ground and beg for mercy?"
He raised his fingers towards the young man in front of him.
For some reason, a trace of annoyance arose in his heart. From this young man, he seemed to see what he had been like before. Did he want to protect his sister? Of course it was good, but... he also knew that there was no point in kneeling down to beg for mercy.
.
"Don't hand over the power of life and death to others! You should know this, right? There is no point in kneeling down to beg for mercy, because you are a weak person, so no one will pity you. This is the reality! The weak will not have the power to choose, let alone
It’s impossible to change your sister back to her original appearance!”
Xuan Hao looked at the young man in front of him indifferently, "You clearly have a weapon in your hand, why don't you resist? Is it because you are afraid? Do you want to escape? If that's really the case..."
So what's the difference between you and me? Xuan Hao sighed slightly in his heart, and he quietly looked at the young man kneeling on the ground in a daze.
Having experienced the same situation, he knows best what this young man lacks now.
It is the motivation to become stronger.
Crying and despair are meaningless. What this boy should do at this moment is to turn pain into motivation. What has passed cannot be undone, so...
Be angry, roar, sworn hatred, strong and pure anger will turn into an indestructible driving force. There are many ways to become stronger, but this is the most suitable method for this boy now.
Xuan Hao raised his hand indifferently, and a strong murderous intention enveloped the young man in front of him.
What surprised him slightly was that this young man didn't seem to be affected by the killing intention.
Tanjiro's eyes became extremely determined. He could clearly feel the anger and murderous intent of the powerful man in front of him. What did this man want to do when he raised his hand so angrily?
He had no time to think, no time to be afraid, he just instinctively got up with all his strength.
"stop!"
Looking at the roaring young man, a smile flashed in Xuan Hao's eyes.
A flying rock as big as a fist hit him in the face.
Tanjiro finally became angry. His anger covered up the fear in his heart, and he forgot what fear was, but he was not blinded by anger.
Just like what the man in front of him said, he is very weak. He is too weak to defeat the man in front of him. Even if he has weapons in his hands to resist, even if he is no longer afraid because of his anger, he still cannot win. This is the reality.
"But, even if I can't win, I still want to..."
Tanjiro picked up the ax on the ground and threw the stone while using the trees in the forest to avoid the sight of the man in front of him.
He used rocks to distract his attention, and then used trees to cover his sight. Finally, he rushed towards the man desperately, dragging his hands behind him and trying his best to make a chopping motion.
It's just that the ax is no longer in Tanjiro's hand, but is flying in the sky and hitting Xuan Hao's head in an arc.
Xuanhao, who was standing there, was still watching the young man's movements calmly.
"Do you want to...die together?"
Xuan Hao smiled softly, it was a good strategy, but unfortunately, every move of this young man could not escape his eyes.
"But as an ordinary person, it is considered qualified."
"Ahhhh——"
Tanjiro shouted desperately, hoping to attract the man's attention so that he would not notice the ax he threw.
But just as he approached this man, his eyes suddenly changed, and a smile appeared in his cold eyes.
Then, he watched the man gently raise his hand.
"Go to sleep."
A helpless voice sounded in Tanjiro's ears.
Then there is no more.
The ax was brought down without mercy.
Xuan Hao looked at the young man who had been knocked unconscious by him, with a faint smile on his face under the scarf.
"ah!"
"Um?"
He looked at Nezuko who was restrained by him with some confusion.
Seeing Tanjiro fall to the ground unconscious, the girl suddenly became more restless.
She struggled desperately and almost twisted her arm off.
Xuan Hao couldn't bear it, so he let go.
The next moment, Nezuko rushed towards Tanjiro with all her strength.
Xuan Hao raised his hand to stop him, but stopped when he was halfway up.
"ah--"
Nezuko turned around to protect the fainted Tanjiro. Even though the corners of her mouth were drooling and she looked in pain, she still did not hurt the fainted boy.
The brother fought tooth and nail to protect his sister, and the sister also endured pain to protect her brother.
"It's such a familiar scene, I should have thought of it a long time ago..."
Xuan Hao sighed slightly.
He should have thought long ago that people who can harbor soul fragments should be special even if they become ghosts.
Nezuko is different from other ghosts in that she does not eat humans.
He stepped forward gently.
"Ouch!"
Nezuko put her hands in front of Tanjiro and let out a threatening scream, as if she was wary of the approaching man in front of her.
But such threats seemed to have no effect on the man in front of him.
This man is still approaching here.
So she rushed forward, opened her mouth and bit the man in front of her on the outstretched arm.
"Creak——"
His teeth scraped against the skin on his arm, making a sharp sound.
Nezuko bit hard and found that she couldn't move it no matter what.
"Okay, be good, go to sleep."
The always warm big hand caressed the top of her head, and strong sleepiness kept coming over her. The ferocious expression on Nezuko's face became gentle, she closed her eyes and fell into sleep.
"Ouch."
She held Xuanhao's arm in her mouth and kept sucking it, making a sleepy sound.
"well……"
Feeling the feeling on his wrist like a baby sucking, Xuan Hao sighed softly.
He gently opened the girl's mouth, then found a bamboo tube from a nearby bamboo forest and tied it around the girl's mouth.
After doing all this, he picked up the two people sleeping in the snow with one hand and disappeared from the spot.
······
"Nezuko!"
Tanjiro woke up from his dream by shouting his sister's name.
"what happened?"
He had no idea how he lost consciousness.
"That's right! Nezuko!"
Tanjiro looked around in panic, trying to find Nezuko. As soon as he turned his head, he found Nezuko lying next to him.
At this moment, Nezuko was still safe and sound, but her mouth was tied up with a bamboo tube by someone unknown.
"Very good!"
He hugged his sister with some luck. He thought they were both dead.
When Tanjiro came back to his senses, he realized that he and Nezuko seemed to be... back home.
The blood stains still on the wall and floor told him that this was not a dream. He had really lost many relatives, and the only one who was still around now was Nezuko.
After being disappointed, Tanjiro rushed out of the room anxiously, because the bodies of his relatives were gone, and there were only blood stains on the ground.
He remembered very clearly that because he was in a hurry to take Nezuko to the doctor, he didn't have time to bury his mother and younger siblings properly.
Where did they go?
When Tanjiro rushed out of the room anxiously, he saw an unknown tombstone erected not far from the door.
In the snowy sky, a lonely figure sat in front of the tombstone.
Tanjiro smelled something sad.
He was a little confused, why was this man sad?
"Are you awake?"
The figure sitting in front of the tombstone threw a stone at him without looking back.
Tanjiro caught it in panic.
"Come on, engrave their names." The man said softly.
"Excuse me, what are you..."
Tanjiro asked the man in front of him hesitantly.
No matter how stupid he was, he now understood that this man meant no harm.
"..."
Xuan Hao shook his head silently, "You don't need to know my name now."
He couldn't take off the mask to reveal his face, and he couldn't tell the boy his name because Nezuko was now a ghost.
He didn't know if Nezuko, as a ghost, was also under the surveillance of Muzan Onibatsuji. The ghost from at least five hundred years ago still couldn't escape Muzan's control even though it also harbored soul fragments.
Tanjiro nodded slowly and did not continue to ask.
Since the man in front of me has always covered his face, he must not want others to know his identity. It would be rude to continue to ask.
The smell exuding from this man is very gentle, which makes Tanjiro a little confused about what kind of person he is. He just feels that this man's emotional changes make him a little confused and complicated.
But the only thing that is certain is that this person is not a bad person.
Not only did he help him subdue the demonized Nezuko, but he also helped him bury his important family members.
"Thank you, sir……"
"No need."
Xuanhao slowly stood up.
"Do you remember what you promised before?"
"Uh?" Tanjiro was a little confused.
"We need to find a way to turn your sister Nezuko back into a human." Xuan Hao reminded.
"Of course!" Tanjiro's eyes were extremely determined, "I will definitely find a way to turn Nezuko back into a human!"
"That's good, then Nezuko will be left under your care for the time being." Xuan Hao nodded lightly.
"...?"
Tanjiro was a little confused. Nezuko was originally his sister. What did you mean by temporarily handing her over to him?
By the way! This man mentioned the Demon Slayer Corps, and said that the Demon Slayer Corps is an organization that specializes in killing demons! Did this man just let Nezuko go temporarily?
Thinking of this, his eyes became wary.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Don't look at me like that."
Xuan Hao sighed, "Your sister's situation is very special. Let me give you some advice."
Hearing this man's assurance, Tanjiro breathed a sigh of relief, "Please...please speak."
"First, your sister is a ghost now and cannot be exposed to sunlight, otherwise she will die."
"!" Tanjiro quickly looked back at the house, and was relieved to see Nezuko still sleeping soundly. It's daytime now! Although it's cloudy, the clouds and fog in the sky are about to disperse. If Nezuko suddenly runs out,
That would be bad.
"Second, if you don't want your sister to be killed, don't let her appear in the sight of the Demon Slayer swordsmen."
"Understood..." Tanjiro nodded seriously. This was an issue related to his sister's life, and he engraved every word in his heart.
"Third, don't take the bamboo tube out of your sister's mouth. If she tastes human flesh and blood, it will be too late."
"Fourth, you are too weak now. You must become stronger to be able to protect her."
At this point, Xuanhao's eyes became extremely serious.
He can't protect Nezuko right now because that would risk exposing his identity.
Nezuko is a ghost. If Nezuko is under Muzan's control, if Muzan detects him through Nezuko's eyes... hiding is a trivial matter. He is afraid that the old Yinbi will catch his weakness.
"But how can I become stronger?"
Tanjiro looked at his hands with some disappointment, he didn't even have the strength to subdue Nezuko.
"I have already arranged it for you."
Xuan Hao raised his hand and pointed to the distance, "In that direction, there is a mountain that is shrouded in thick fog all year round, called Mount Sawu. In the past, evil spirits were rampant there, but after many years of baptism by the Demon Slayer Squad, it is now a forbidden area for ghosts.
, no ghost dares to approach easily. At the foot of Mount Sagi now lives a man named Rin Taki Sakonji, who was once the 'Water Pillar' of the Demon Slayer Squad."
"Do you want me to take Nezuko to find that person?" Tanjiro was a little confused, "But didn't you say you can't let Nezuko appear in the Demon Slayer Corps' sight?"
"I'm very kind to Rin Takiza. He won't expose Nezuko's information." Xuanhao explained, "He will guide you to become stronger, and then you can join the Demon Slayer Corps..."
"But it wouldn't be good for me to take Nezuko and join the Demon Slayer Corps, right?" Tanjiro said hesitantly.
"As long as Nezuko doesn't appear in front of the other Demon Slayer swordsmen, it will be very troublesome for me to find your whereabouts if you don't join the Demon Slayer Corps." Xuan Hao's eyes narrowed slightly, "You should understand, right? I
There is a reason why I will let your sister go."
Tanjiro nodded slightly. He understood what the man meant. Although he let his sister go for the time being, the man still seemed a little worried about them, so he must keep them within the control range.
This should be regarded as this man's duty as a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, right? It doesn't take Tanjiro to understand that it is definitely against the rules for a member of the Demon Slayer Corps to let demons go. Being able to be so accommodating is worthy of his gratitude.
It's just...why did this man help him like this? Tanjiro looked at the mysterious man in front of him with some confusion.
Is it because I feel the same way...
Although he had only met this man for such a short time, he had already smelled many complex scents from this man.
Sadness, anger, tenderness.
These emotions made him vaguely feel that maybe this man had experienced the same despair as himself.
No matter what, Tanjiro felt that he should thank this man, "Thank you so much, sir. How can I repay you?"
"No need," Xuan Hao shook his head, "If you really want to repay me, just fulfill your promise."
As he spoke, he pointed behind Tanjiro.
"Woo——"
Tanjiro turned his head and looked into my room, and saw Nezuko huddled in a ball in fear out of the shadows, because the sunlight was shining through the door.
He quickly stepped forward and closed the door.
When he turned around again, the man was no longer behind him.
Tanjiro bowed slightly forward, then took the stone in his hand and walked to the tombstone of his relatives to carve their names.
After he finished carving his name and worshiping, the sun also set.
"Click——"
Nezuko, who was hiding in the house, carefully opened the door and poked her head out.
"Woo."
Nezuko made a cute sound from her mouth and ran to Tanjiro to hug him.
"Nezuko, do you remember me?"
Tanjiro looked at Nezuko who was holding him like a child and smiled happily.
He originally thought that Nezuko would be as crazy as before, but he finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Nezuko's current state. In this case, he should be able to take Nezuko to Samagiri Mountain smoothly.
"It looks like there should be no problem."
Xuanhao, who was hiding in the dark, finally felt relieved and left here after seeing Nezuko in such a state.
While Tanjiro and Nezuko were sleeping, he had already investigated the area. There was no trace of Muzan Onibatsuji, not even ordinary ghosts. It seemed that the guy who turned Nezuko into a ghost had already left.
Already.
Then there will be nothing gained if he continues to stay.
…
At the foot of Mt. Saagiri.
Lin Takizao recently returned to the wooden house where he lived at the foot of the mountain carrying a bucket of water he had just drawn from the ancient well.
To his surprise, a hidden man was standing at the door.
Ever since he took a back seat and became a breeder, the lord has rarely sent anyone to contact him. Only Zhen Yan, Qiang Rabbit and Yiyong would ask the crow to send letters from time to time to report that he was safe.
"Excuse me...my lord, do you want to see me for anything?" Lin Takizao asked the person in front of him with some confusion recently.
"No, I have something to ask you for."
With that said, Xuanhao took off the scarf on his face.
"Have you seen this face?"
"boom--"
Although Rin Takisa wore a Tengu mask on his face and could not see his expression, his surprise could be seen from his actions at the moment. He even accidentally dropped the bucket in his hand to the ground.
"You...you are..."
He took a step closer and looked at the face carefully.
"The legendary Lord Mingzhu?"
There was a hint of disbelief in Rin Taki Sakonji's eyes.
He has seen this face before. As the previous member of the Demon Slayer Corps, although his time was short, he was also responsible for taking care of this adult's body for a period of time decades ago, so when he saw this face
He was stunned for a moment.
Because he never thought that this gentleman would really wake up one day. For a person from five hundred years ago to wake up today is simply a miracle.
"Yes, it's me."
Xuan Hao smiled and nodded. Before he hurried over, he was worried about what he would do if the former Shuizhu didn't recognize him.
"Now that you know me, you can do a lot more."
"You...when did you wake up?" Linlong's voice sounded a little excited.
"A few years ago." Xuan Hao replied, "But the fewer people know about this matter, the better, so Ubuyashiki didn't tell everyone."
"I understand." Rin Taki Sakonji nodded.
What does this man's awakening mean? As a water column, he knows it very well, because this is the man who once defeated Kibutsuji Mukai!
Perhaps the dawn that countless people have been waiting for is coming!
Prior to this, confidentiality work must be done well, and Kibutsuji Muzan must not be aware of it.
"So... Sir, why did you come to see me?"
Lin Takizao has been a little confused recently. Obviously the fewer people who know about it, the better, so why does this man need to show his true face when he appears in front of him?
"Soon, a young man will come to you. He wants to join the Demon Slayer Squad," Xuan Hao said straight to the point.
"Of course there is no problem..."
Rin Takizao has been a little confused recently. Is it just a simple thing like this? There is absolutely no need for this man to come and talk to him in person. As a trainer, it is his duty to teach children who want to join the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Excuse me, sir, is there anything special about this child?"
"Special place..."
Hearing Lintaki mention this, Xuanhao realized that he seemed to have been a little negligent. Perhaps most of his attention was focused on Nezuko, and he didn't even ask the boy's name.
Except for the fact that this young man suffered some similarities to his own, he didn't seem to see anything special about him. He insisted on saying that he was special...
"!"
Xuan Hao suddenly remembered the impressive scar on this young man's forehead.
It can't be such a coincidence...
Suddenly his head was a little confused. No wonder he always felt that something was not quite right. This scar looked very much like the marks on Ji Guoyuan's forehead!
It shouldn't be such a coincidence... Xuan Hao shook his head and rejected this idea. After all, stripes are stripes and scars are scars. They are two completely different things. Moreover, this young man does not seem to have any special talent.
"What's wrong? Master Mingzhu?" Linlong looked puzzled at Xuanhao who suddenly fell into deep thought.
"No, it's nothing." Xuan Hao slowly shook his head, "I didn't ask for this boy's name because I didn't reveal my own name. To be honest, I don't know much about what's special about him."
"Then..." Linlong became even more confused. What kind of medicine was being sold in this adult's gourd? Why did he show up in front of him just to recommend a young man he didn't know at all? This is completely unnecessary!
"Although I don't see anything special about this boy, his sister is very special." Xuan Hao's eyes suddenly became serious.
"His sister is also going to join the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"No, his sister is a ghost."
"!!?"
Rin Takizao recently suspected that he had heard wrongly.
"What's happening here?"
"This young man's whole family was killed by ghosts, and I suspect it was done by Ghost Dance Tsuji Muzan himself." Xuan Hao explained with a frown, "And his sister was turned into a ghost because of this disaster, but
His sister is very special, she seems to have retained her rationality as a human being, and has not hurt anyone so far, and she even protected this young man when I tried to test her."
"What do you mean..." The expression on Linlong's face became extremely solemn.
"I think this ghost is special. Maybe one day she will become the key to solving the dispute between humans and ghosts."
"So you want me to take them in?" Rin Taki Sakonji asked.
"No, I hope you will leave here temporarily to hide your identity, and convey my decision to Uyashiki Yōya." After saying that, Xuanhao's figure disappeared from Rin Taki Sakonji's eyes.
When Linlong reacted, he felt a chill on his face.
"My mask..." He touched his face. Anyway, the mask on his face was gone. A kind old man's face was exposed in the air, his eyes full of shock.
Such a fast speed... Lin Taki's back was already soaked with cold sweat. If this gentleman were not on the side of the Demon Slayer Squad, the consequences would be disastrous.
He turned around slowly and saw that his mask was already in the man's hand.
"I'm covering these two people." Xuan Hao slowly put the mask on his face, "From now on, I am the trainer of the Demon Slayer Corps - Rin Taki Sakonji. Is that okay?"
"No... no problem." Lin Long was a little embarrassed.
He probably understood what this man meant.
Although I don't know why, this man seems to want to protect the brother and sister.
Letting a boy with a sister who turned into a ghost join the Demon Slayer Corps... This is obviously against the rules of the Demon Slayer Corps, and can even be called a betrayal of the Demon Slayer Corps.
But since it is this lord's decision, the lord must not be able to object to it.
"You need a reasonable identity to facilitate your actions, right?" Linlong easily guessed Xuanhao's plan. The existence of this man must be kept secret, but if he keeps pretending to be 'hidden', it will not have any effect, but there is
The identity of my predecessor, 'Shui Zhu', is different.
Even the old 'Water Pillar' is much more powerful than ordinary swordsmen, and can even display pillar-level strength in a short period of time, which is perfect for concealing this master's identity.
The key is……
He is the only one among the pillars who has the habit of wearing a mask. As long as he explains it clearly to Yiyong and the others, no one will doubt the identity of this adult.
"Haha." Xuan Hao chuckled and nodded, "It would be best if you could understand. Then take off your coat too, please?"
He was indeed a little worried about leaving his sister to someone else to protect him, but if he stayed with Tanjiro as a hidden person and exposed his strength, it would easily cause Muzan's misunderstanding.
The identity of Rin Taki Sakonji was the best solution he could think of.
The former Demon Slayer "Water Pillar" always wears a Tengu mask and is very powerful, which is perfect for hiding his identity.
The Demon Slayer Squad is already short of manpower, so it’s not surprising that he, the ‘old water column’, just made a comeback, right?
······
Sunset.
Tanjiro, who had been carrying Nezuko for a whole day, saw the sun go down and put the backpack wrapped in black cloth on his back on the ground.
"Nezuko, you can come out now."
He unwrapped the black cloth and gently called his sister's name.
In the backpack, Nezuko, who had shrunk her body, looked up at the dark sky, and then carefully poked her head out of the backpack.
Tanjiro stretched out his hand and took Nezuko, who had turned into a child, out of the basket.
Soon, Nezuko's body began to grow bigger, holding up some of her loose clothes that were dragging on the ground.
"So good."
Tanjiro gently touched Nezuko's head as if coaxing a child, and pointed to a dilapidated small Buddhist temple in the distance, "There is a small Buddhist temple in front of you, and the lights are on. It looks like someone is living there. Let's go
Are you staying for one night? You have to be good and don't scare anyone."
With that said, Tanjiro took Nezuko's hand and walked towards the small Buddhist hall.
Under normal circumstances, Nezuko looks no different from a normal person. He is very fond of his sister's appearance and will never scare anyone. As long as Nezuko is not said to be a ghost, who would believe that such a cute girl is a ghost.
But as soon as he took a few steps, the smell of blood drifted into Tanjiro's nose along the breeze.
"Is anyone hurt?"
Tanjiro was a little confused and led Nezuko to quicken his pace.
This section of the mountain road was quite steep, and he was thinking that someone might have been injured while climbing.
Perhaps the smell of human blood masked the smell of ghosts, or perhaps Tanjiro had been accustomed to being an ordinary person for many years and didn't realize anything was wrong.
It wasn't until he pushed open the door of the Buddhist hall with Nezuko that he realized that he was careless.
When the door was pushed open, the strong smell of blood hit his face, making Tanjiro's entire face turn pale.
The two men and two women seemed to be two traveling lovers. They fell in a pool of blood in despair. Even after death, they still had a look of fear on their faces and could not even close their eyes.