Demon Slayer: Taking Care Of Tanjuro's Wife And Daughter

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Ryuji hadn't expected that this man would be the girl's father.

It was simply unimaginable.

That there could be such cruel parents in this world.

He sighed softly and stepped away from the man's hand.

He had initially wanted to kill this scum who abused children, but he paused.

After all...

No matter what, he was still the girl's father.

Killing the father right in front of his child...

The man clutched his injured hand, his face twisted in pain as his fingers throbbed.

"Why would you treat your daughter like this?" Ryuji's voice was soft, but it made the man tremble uncontrollably.

"Because… she… she's worthless…"

Halfway through, the man stopped and immediately knelt down, kowtowing. "My lord, I was wrong! I was wrong! I promise I'll treat her well from now on."

It was clear the man had realized that Ryuji had seen everything.

Ryuji remained silent for a moment, then nodded. "I hope you keep your word."

He shot the man one last look, sighed silently, and turned to leave.

The man, still kneeling, waited until he was sure Ryuji was gone before raising his head. He stood up, wincing at the pain in his body, then glanced at his daughter, who was curled up in a corner nearby. A flash of anger crossed his eyes.

"Stupid girl… worthless…"

He immediately grabbed a rattan switch from the yard.

The girl, seeing him approach with the cane, trembled in fear. Her eyes filled with instinctive terror, but she didn't run.

She couldn't. The authority her father had over her made resistance unthinkable. She could only tremble, waiting for the blow.

The weak and despicable often turn their rage on those even weaker than themselves, while bowing to those stronger.

For the man, the weight of his failures crushed him. He drank to drown his sorrows, but when he returned home, he had no outlet for his frustrations. The moment he saw the weaker members of his family, he unleashed his anger on them.

How many children had suffered under him...

He couldn't even remember. Thirteen, perhaps? The first time had been hard, but after that, he started to savor the power.

He loved the look of fear in the children's eyes when he lashed them.

It was only then that he felt like a master.

But just as he raised the whip to strike, his body froze.

A hand—massive and powerful—had wrapped around his throat.

He could barely breathe.

"Forgive me… please… I won't do it again…"

Ryuji, standing behind him, lowered his gaze slightly. "I don't believe you."

With a soft snap, the man's neck broke. His body went limp, and the rattan switch slipped from his hand.

Ryuji shook his head at the corpse. Such filth... the world was better without it.

As the man's soul departed, a faint white light flickered, and a familiar, emotionless mechanical voice echoed in Ryuji's mind.

"Congratulations, host. One kill: 0.1 attribute points gained."

Ryuji smiled slightly, picking up the rattan from the ground. He approached the girl, but as he got closer, she visibly shrank away.

She feared the cane, deeply, instinctively.

"Don't worry," Ryuji said gently. "No one will hit you with this again."

He handed the broken rattan to the girl, but she flinched as if it burned her.

"Why…" Ryuji murmured, then sighed. He tore the rattan into pieces and knelt down in front of her.

"How about coming with me?"

The girl remained silent, her head lowered, as if she hadn't heard him.

Ryuji smiled bitterly. He didn't expect a response. Instead, he walked over to the dilapidated bed.

"First… let's bury your sister."

His voice was low.

He lifted the frail body of the girl's younger sister. His gaze darkened as he looked at her sunken cheeks, the result of too many days without food.

A heavy sadness welled up in Ryuji's chest.

If he had arrived earlier, maybe...

Maybe the child could've been saved.

But it was too late.

He led the girl to the yard, carrying her sister's body. He dug a small grave, placed her sister's body inside, and set a simple marker above it. He wanted to write her name, but...

When he put the pen to the marker, he realized he didn't even know the girl's name.

He turned to the surviving sister, but she said nothing, staring blankly at the grave.

"Forget it," Ryuji sighed. "Maybe not having a name from such a family is for the best."

He stood up, gently placing a hand on the girl's head.

"From now on, you'll come with me."

But the girl didn't move. She stayed kneeling on the ground, her vacant eyes fixed on the fresh grave.

A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Ryuji knelt again and wiped the tear away. "It's all over now."

He picked the girl up in his arms. Her pink and violet eyes trembled for a moment, but soon they dulled again.

When Ryuji arrived home with the girl, kie was waiting at the door, as she always did.

"Ryuji, welcome back."

Kie stood at the entrance, her head slightly lowered, hands folded neatly in front of her as she bowed.

Ryuji nodded. "You don't have to do this every time."

Every day when he returned home, Kie was always there, waiting for him, bowing with quiet obedience.

Like a servant welcoming her master.

---

However, this habit actually made Ryuji feel quite comfortable.

Hearing Ryuji's words, Kie felt a warmth in her heart, knowing that Ryuji cared about her. Still, she whispered, "It's fine, Ryuji. This is my duty."

In a quiet voice, she added, "If I don't perform these courtesies properly, it would bring shame to my husband. Also, if a husband comes home and finds his wife hasn't waited for him respectfully, he'll surely be upset."

Ryuji was taken aback.

Only now did he realize that this was part of the customs here.

In this place, men's status was much higher than women's, even though things had been improving over the years.

Still, old habits die hard.

Ryuji smiled but didn't push the issue. If Kie liked following this custom, so be it. Besides, he had to admit he enjoyed the respect.

However, he leaned in close to Kie's ear and whispered teasingly, "kie, I'm not your husband yet… Are you trying to seduce me?"

Kie's breath caught, her face turning red with embarrassment.

Seeing Kie's flushed face, Ryuji decided not to tease her further. Instead, he carried the little girl into the house.

It wasn't until Ryuji entered the house that Kie realized he had brought someone with him.

She had been so focused on him that she hadn't noticed the girl at all.

Kie hurried after them in small steps.

"This child…?" she asked, confusion in her voice.

"She'll be staying with us from now on," Ryuji said softly, setting the girl down gently.

Kie looked the girl over. She was thin, her face dirty, her clothes dusty, and her hair matted. She resembled a little beggar.

But her purple eyes… those were striking.

"What's your name?" Kie asked gently, kneeling in front of the girl.

The girl remained silent, her small hands clinging tightly to Ryuji's sleeve.

"She's been through a lot," Ryuji explained quietly. "She's probably not used to talking."

Kie understood immediately. Seeing the girl's frail, malnourished body, she could guess what had happened.

"Let's give her a bath and find her some clean clothes," Ryuji said, gently patting Kie's hand.

"Of course," Kie replied, nodding. She picked up the girl, shocked at how light she was. It made her heart ache.

When Kie undressed the girl for her bath and saw the scars covering her body, tears welled up in her eyes.

She couldn't imagine anyone being so cruel.

How could anyone do this to a child?

While Kie was busy bathing and dressing the girl, Ryuji went to his room and closed the door.

After a trip where he had killed six people and gained a considerable amount of attribute points, he wasn't planning to let them go to waste. It was time to allocate those points.

His eyes drifted to his attribute panel:

**Name:** Ryuji

**Physique:** 1.5 (The average adult physique is 1)

**Dexterity:** 1.5 (The average adult dexterity is 1)

**Strength:** 1.5 (The average adult strength is 1)

**Spirit:** 1.70 (The average adult spirit is 1)

**Cultivation Method:** Sun Breathing (1.1/100)

**Attribute Points:** 0.65

Without hesitation, Ryuji allocated 0.6 attribute points to his Sun Breathing technique.

Immediately, a wave of knowledge and experience flooded his mind, as though he had been practicing Sun Breathing day in and day out for years.

After a few minutes, Ryuji opened his eyes, feeling a new sense of control over his breathing technique.

He felt light, filled with an overwhelming sense of strength, like he could destroy a mountain with a single punch.

Of course, he knew that feeling was an illusion caused by the sudden boost in power, and he needed to get used to his new strength.

"Whew…"

Taking a deep breath, he calmed the surge of energy inside him and glanced at the updated panel:

**Name:** Ryuji

**Physique:** 1.8

**Dexterity:** 1.8

**Strength:** 1.8

**Spirit:** 2.0

**Cultivation Method:** Sun Breathing (1.7/100)

**Attribute Points:** 0.05

His physical abilities were now more than double that of an average adult.

This wasn't a simple case of 1+1 equals 2. With such enhanced strength, he could easily overpower multiple opponents without breaking a sweat.

After testing out his movements and adjusting to his new abilities, Ryuji pushed open the door and stepped back into the house.

By then, Kie had finished bathing the girl.

The ragged, filthy clothes were gone, replaced by a clean outfit. Since there were no spare clothes for girls, Kie had dressed her in some of Nezuko's clothes.

The girl was taller than Nezuko, but much thinner, so the clothes fit awkwardly, though they still worked for now.

After being cleaned up and dressed, the girl no longer looked like a beggar. She still seemed too thin, and her eyes remained dull, but she was undeniably pretty.

As soon as Kie brought her out, the girl immediately ran to Ryuji, grabbing his sleeve and hiding behind him.

Ryuji, sensing her fear, gently stroked her head. "Don't be afraid. From now on, this is your home."

The girl looked up at him, her violet eyes searching his face—the man who had rescued her from that nightmare, the man who had killed her father.

She felt no sadness over her father's death. If anything, she had feared him her entire life.

From the moment she was born, she had never known love. There was no fatherly affection, no motherly care—only pain and beatings.

Her siblings had died the same way, one by one, all under her father's brutal hand.

Only she had survived.

She had escaped death only because she was quick enough to avoid vital injuries.

But she had been merely surviving.

Perhaps, she thought, her time would come soon too, just like her brothers and sisters before her.

In her past life, she had feared her home, the place where the beatings never ended.

But now…

This man was offering her a new home.

For the first time, she felt the faint hope that this home might be different.

Yet she was still afraid. What if it was just like the one she left behind?

Her heart was conflicted, full of hope for the future but weighed down by fear.

She didn't know what lay ahead.

But she did know one thing.

She gripped the sleeve of the man in front of her tightly.

In her life, she had never known love, nor had she ever received any affection.

Her world had been a place of darkness.

But now, because of the man before her, she had caught a glimpse of light.

And though she feared that light, afraid that it was too warm, too unreal, she held onto him.

Because for the first time, she felt safe.

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