NOVEL NEXT Chapter 55
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<title>Chapter Fifty-Five: Tzudoki (Subscription Request)</title>
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“You all wait here for little brother Tanjiro to arrive. I’ll go check on his sister’s condition.”
After Bai Luo finished speaking, he took a single step forward, directly appearing with the Cat Girl on his shoulder in front of the cabin where Tanjiro and Rengoku Shingetsu were located at the Mist Mountain.
“Who?!”
Almost the instant Bai Luo and the Cat Girl appeared, Rengoku Shingetsu sensed their presence within the wooden house.
Without hesitation, Rengoku Shingetsu drew the Nichirin Blade placed beside him and stood in front of Bai Luo.
“Hmm?”
Bai Luo was slightly surprised. He looked at the Cat Girl on his shoulder and asked, “Did your Illusion Technique fail?”
The barrier Bai Luo created only affected the area around Fujise Mountain Shrine.
So this time, Bai Luo entrusted the task of shielding them from outsiders’ perception to the Cat Girl.
However, Rengoku Shingetsu being able to see through the Cat Girl’s Illusion Technique intrigued Bai Luo somewhat.
“Meow?”
The Cat Girl was also confused. She clearly remembered maintaining the illusion; the other party should not have been able to see her.
“Invisibility? A special Blood Demon Art?”
Rengoku Shingetsu stared intently at the front, unable to see the Cat Girl or Bai Luo, but his keen sense of smell told him there was someone ahead.
“I see, it’s the same nose as Tanjiro.”
As Bai Luo nodded, he flicked the Cat Girl’s forehead and said, “Little dumb cat, you forgot to shield the sense of smell.”
“Meow…”
The Cat Girl lowered her head in委屈, realizing her mistake.
“But never mind, dispel the illusion.”
“Meow!”
The Cat Girl obediently lifted the illusion, revealing Bai Luo and herself to Rengoku Shingetsu.
“Who are you two?”
Watching the man and cat appear like wisps of smoke, Rengoku Shingetsu experienced for the first time such a rapid heartbeat.
Bai Luo seemed normal enough to Rengoku Shingetsu, who had no real impression of him.
But the small cat perched on that man’s shoulder—yes, just that cat—gave Rengoku Shingetsu an oppressive feeling akin to facing a primordial beast.
“Are you Mr. Rengoku?”
“Let me introduce myself. My name is Bai Luo, a friend of Tanjiro from another world.”
Tanjiro hadn’t hidden the Chat Group from Master Rengoku, but out of consideration for the other’s understanding, he referred to Bai Luo as a friend from another world.
Initially, Rengoku Shingetsu did suspect and worry if Tanjiro might have been deceived by some demon.
After all, ghost blood arts come in many forms, and abilities similar to mind control wouldn’t be surprising.
However, after interacting over time and seeing the exquisite food Tanjiro presented, which made him feel incredibly happy, Rengoku Shingetsu had come to believe in the existence of another world.
There was simply no way Master Abe’s cooking could have been produced by demons.
Just as one can discern a person’s inner thoughts through their handwriting,
Rengoku Shingetsu understood Master Abe’s character through her cooking—a gentle woman, like the sun.
“A friend of Tanjiro?”
“Tanjiro has gone to take the Demon Slayer Corps examination.”
Rengoku Shingetsu didn’t immediately sheath his sword, but he wasn’t as guarded against Bai Luo and the Cat Girl anymore.
“I know.”
Bai Luo continued, “In fact, I’ve just returned from there.”
At that moment, sunlight fell upon Bai Luo and the Cat Girl.
Seeing this, Rengoku Shingetsu finally relaxed completely.
“My apologies. Please come in and discuss further.”
Rengoku Shingetsu invited Bai Luo into the cabin. After they sat down, the old man poured Bai Luo a cup of tea: “May I ask what brings Mr. Bai Luo here?”
“At the invitation of young Tanjiro, I’m here to help you deal with Mushan from Ghost Dance Street.”
With these words, Rengoku Shingetsu, who had managed to remain calm until now, was thoroughly unsettled.
“What do you mean?”
The elder’s voice trembled slightly.
He couldn’t judge Bai Luo’s strength, but he knew Bai Luo spoke those words with great confidence!
“Do you care if the goal you’ve strived for your entire life isn’t achieved by your own hands?”
“That doesn’t matter at all.”
Rengoku Shingetsu understood Bai Luo’s meaning. He said, “Demon slayers take eliminating demons as our duty, but we pursue results, not processes.”
“Mushan from Ghost Dance Street, I will kill him.”
“As for those demons, they will be punished according to their crimes.”
Bai Luo didn’t plan to eliminate all demons in the Demon Slayer World.
Indeed, most demons have twisted minds.
They crave human flesh and blood, harming countless people and destroying families that should have been happy and complete.
For such demons, Bai Luo harbored no intention of sparing them. He would annihilate them outright, sending them to this world’s hell.
However, among the demons, there are cases of coercion, such as Zhu Shi, Yu Shirou, and Tzudoki.
As for eating humans…
Once a person turns into a demon, their craving for blood and flesh becomes almost impossible to resist with sheer willpower.
The only demon who hasn’t eaten humans is Tzudoki.
Even Yu Shirou needs to consume a small amount of human blood to suppress the instincts of a demon.
But the question is, did Tzudoki achieve this solely through her own willpower?
Not necessarily!
First, Tzudoki’s experience has been unfortunate, but also fortunate.
Tzudoki has a good older brother who, in protecting her, prevented her from coming into contact with human flesh and blood.
And Rengoku Shingetsu’s hypnosis made her subconsciously regard humans as family, choosing to protect rather than devour them.
Another crucial factor is the blue 彼岸花.
According to the final information from the original story, the so-called blue 彼岸花 likely blooms near the Kamado family.
It’s highly probable that the Kamado siblings consumed it as wild vegetables when they were young.
Therefore, becoming a demon and overcoming instincts with reason seems too harsh.
Bai Luo admitted he lacked such willpower.
Hence, he wouldn’t consider the act of demons eating humans inherently evil.
“According to…crimes?”
Rengoku Shingetsu looked at Bai Luo, noticing the change in his attitude: “Do you intend to…?”
“I find demons fascinating creatures and plan to keep some for research.”
Speaking openly, Bai Luo had no intention of hiding his true thoughts.
Because he didn’t care.
In this world, there is no force capable of stopping him.
Even if Engetsu Sugitoku were reborn, Bai Luo could kill him with a mere finger movement.
What Bai Luo truly cared about was Tanjiro’s opinion.
If Tanjiro opposed, believing all demons who have eaten humans deserve death, Bai Luo would respect his thoughts.
This is Tanjiro’s world, and he has the right to make such decisions.
However…
Bai Luo had already discussed this with Tanjiro.
He would kill Mushan from Ghost Dance Street and most of the demons. As for those who survived by chance, Bai Luo would take them all away.
Yes, take them away, away from this world.
The Demon Slayer World will no longer have demons, nor will anyone die at the hands of man-eating monsters.
The Demon Slayer Corps will dissolve, allowing everyone to return to peaceful lives.
“Is that child planning this?”
Rengoku Shingetsu fell silent. Knowing Tanjiro’s character, it wasn’t surprising that the gentle child would make such a decision.
“What does Mr. Bai Luo intend to do this time?”
“To see Tzudoki.”
Bai Luo said, “And try to turn her back into a human.”
“This!”
Rengoku Shingetsu widened his eyes, full of disbelief: “Can it really be done?”
“Perhaps the method differs, but the effect is the same.”
Bai Luo stood up, knowing Tzudoki was currently lying in the inner room, in self-hibernation.
Since turning into a demon, Tzudoki hadn’t eaten anything, relying on sleep to replenish her strength.
Hmm, this statement sounds a bit strange.
Not eating or drinking yet living well, later even awakening Blood Demon Arts.
It could only be said that what Tzudoki represents is akin to a perpetual motion machine!
Entering the inner room, Bai Luo saw a girl with black hair tipped in orange, wearing a pink kimono and a black haori, lying quietly on the ground like a serene sleeping beauty, her mouth holding a bamboo tube.
“Indeed.”
Bai Luo paid no attention to Rengoku Shingetsu’s reaction, focusing entirely on the resonance from the Sacred Domain.
Just like when encountering Asato Seiri, Xue Ji, and Alpha, the Black King Sacred Domain reacted again.
This time, the target of the Sacred Domain was precisely the girl before him.
“The Red King, the ruler symbolizing violence and destruction.”
Bai Luo knelt beside Tzudoki, lightly brushing the girl’s brow with his fingers, helping her comb the strands of hair falling across her forehead.
“The Red King?”
“My follower, also my family.”
Bai Luo explained to Rengoku Shingetsu, “Mushan from Ghost Dance Street injected a large amount of demon blood into this child.”
“However, due to interference from some substance, this child gained an evolution.”
“Evolution?”
Rengoku Shingetsu was puzzled.
“For a thousand years, Mushan from Ghost Dance Street has long sought a way to overcome his final weakness and walk under the sun once more.”
“To this end, he ordered his subordinates to search everywhere for a drug called Blue 彼岸花.”
The Demon Slayer Corps in the Demon Slayer World knew very little about Mushan’s situation.
His goals, abilities, and appearance were almost entirely unknown to the Demon Slayer Corps.
“Blue 彼岸flower…”
“It’s a flower that blooms only a few days each year under the sun.”
Bai Luo said, “I speculate that the Kamado family likely encountered this flower and consumed it as wild vegetables.”
“If Mushan’s distance from becoming a perfect being lies in the components of Blue 彼岸flower.”
“Then Tzudoki is exactly the opposite.”
Tzudoki doesn’t lack the components of Blue 彼岸flower; what she needs is more demon blood.
As Tzudoki grows, the demon blood inside her will continue to increase until it breaks through a certain threshold.
“Supplementing the power of demons, Tzudoki will obtain what Mushan desires most—perfection.”
“Immortality and invulnerability to sunlight.”
Bai Luo’s words made Rengoku Shingetsu draw in a sharp breath.
Imagine if Mushan really obtained Blue 彼岸flower. Then a demon king without any weaknesses would be terrifying beyond measure.
Would their Nichirin Blades, the last weapon capable of fighting demons, still work?
“No need to worry.”
“I said I came here to solve him.”
Bai Luo said, and a speck of magic power, black with silver starlight, blossomed between his fingers.
The next moment, the magic began to separate, transforming into countless threads finer than spider silk.
“What is this?!”
Rengoku Shingetsu had never seen such a wondrous power.
Their Breathing Techniques, shown with various special effects in animations, were merely visual effects in reality.
Essentially, Breathing Techniques activate the bodies of demon hunters but cannot conjure water or fire out of nowhere.
However, the scene before him shattered Rengoku Shingetsu’s preconceived notions.
“No need to be overly astonished.”
Bai Luo continued while sorting out the demon blood and the medicinal properties of Blue 彼岸flower within Tzudoki’s body, re-fusing them together.
This was a considerable project, a cell-level manipulation of magic power that only insiders could appreciate its difficulty.
“Alright.”
Bai Luo withdrew the magic power: “Open your eyes, Tzudoki.”
“Swish!”
As Bai Luo’s words echoed, Tzudoki, who had been asleep for two years, slowly opened her eyes at this moment.
The girl’s pink eyes revealed a hint of confusion.
She looked around and quickly focused her gaze on Bai Luo and the standing Rengoku Shingetsu.
“Umm~”
Tzudoki wanted to say something but found she had something in her mouth when she tried to speak.
The girl removed the bamboo tube she was biting and then said, “Where is my brother? Mr. Rengoku?”
“!!”
Rengoku Shingetsu was shocked again. He stared intently at Tzudoki and tremulously asked, “Tzudoki, you can speak?”
“Yes.”
Tzudoki nodded and said, “I think I had a dream.”
“In the dream, my brother always protected me.”
Tzudoki had been sleeping all along, but in her dreams, she could hear everything that happened during the past two and a half years.
Tanjiro risked his life and trained hard, and Rengoku Shingetsu took care of the siblings.
All of this, Tzudoki cherished deeply in her heart.
“It seems you’ve recovered well.”
Bai Luo changed to a cross-legged sitting position, arms crossed, carefully observing Tzudoki at this moment.
“Are you the friend from another world that my brother recently met?”
Tzudoki had heard Tanjiro talk about these things by her bedside. The girl gently touched her chest: “And the warm current flowing inside me earlier, did you use it to heal me?”
“Saying ‘heal’ isn’t quite accurate.”
Bai Luo said, “I merely helped accelerate your evolution.”
“Evolution?”
Rengoku Shingetsu asked, “So, Tzudoki is still…?”
“A demon.”
Bai Luo said, “But one that is unafraid of sunlight and doesn’t need to eat humans.”
“???”
The part about not fearing sunlight, Rengoku Shingetsu had already heard from Bai Luo.
The effect of Blue 彼岸flower is to help demon kings overcome their fear of sunlight.
But not needing to eat humans, is that possible?
Carefully considering, if demons stop consuming humans, would the conflict between humans and demons still exist?
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