Chapter 50: The Flame Hashira

The night in Tokyo was bustling, perhaps the only similarity it shared with the Tokyo of a hundred years later.

Walking through the lively streets, Li Mo glanced around at the vibrant crowd. Men in suits, elegantly dressed women, children with patched clothes—this city displayed an extraordinary level of inclusivity.

Merchants, vendors, workers, and students all walked the streets. Yet, Li Mo felt alone.

Li Mo remembered Tamayo's smile. It felt as though she might take her own life the next moment, and it wouldn't surprise him.

After recalling that conversation, Yushiro's attitude toward him had become extremely hostile. Well, he had said he would send Tamayo to hell, but hadn't she agreed? Why was he so angry? And why did even Chachamaru dislike him now?

Chachamaru, the calico cat that had led the way earlier, was incredibly cute. At first, it had let him pet it, but later it refused.

"Hey, you stupid Kasugai Crow, why aren't you a sparrow? If you were a cute sparrow, I wouldn't envy cats so much."

The black Kasugai Crow looked at its companion and squawked loudly, "Fool, fool!"

"Damn it, aren't crows and sparrows related? If crows can be trained, surely sparrows can too."

"What? You say sparrows are intelligent but can't talk? No problem! I can learn bird language!"

After teasing the crow and making it fly away, Li Mo continued to reflect on the earlier scene.

After learning that he was the successor of Sun Breathing, Tamayo's attitude had subtly changed. She seemed to trust him more. Was this the influence Yoriichi Tsugikuni had left behind?

What kind of person was Yoriichi Tsugikuni? Gentle and strong? Could such simple labels truly describe the swordsman from centuries ago?

The Kamado family, through their connection with him, had meticulously passed down Sun Breathing for generations. Tamayo, who had only met him a few times, trusted him deeply, and even now, centuries later, his successor received preferential treatment.

"It's a shame I can't meet him."

Li Mo touched the Sun Earring tucked in his chest, the symbol of Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Tamayo's parting words echoed in his mind—she had warned him not to easily reveal that he was Yoriichi's successor.

—Even centuries later, Muzan Kibutsuji still feared Yoriichi, to the point of destroying everything related to him.

"Let's rest well tonight and meet the Flame Hashira tomorrow."

The current Flame Hashira's area of activity was Tokyo. Unfortunately, he had been very busy these past few days, and even through the Kakushi, Li Mo hadn't been able to meet him. With the first objective achieved, it was time to consider the second.

Tomorrow, then?

"Caw, caw—the Flame Hashira invites you to meet."

The Kasugai Crow, which had flown off earlier, returned to Li Mo's shoulder and delivered this message.

"Then lead the way, you stupid bird!"

"I'm not a stupid bird! Caw!"

...

...

The Flame Hashira, Shinjuro Rengoku, was around thirty years old but looked like a young man in his twenties. His medium-length golden hair was streaked with red, and his thick eyebrows were particularly noticeable.

When Li Mo saw him, he was sitting in a noodle shop, loudly slurping noodles and exclaiming, "Delicious!"

—A sense of déjà vu washed over him.

Is this the Rengoku family's signature style?

"Ah, you're here! Junior. Tonight, I heard you killed a demon?"

"Is it okay to talk about this here?"

The noodle shop had few customers. A quick glance revealed only Li Mo and Shinjuro Rengoku. But the chef was still in the shop, standing behind the counter. Matters of the Demon Slayer Corps weren't suitable for public discussion.

Then, Li Mo felt a heavy pat on his shoulder from Shinjuro Rengoku. The seasoned Flame Hashira said, "It's fine. This shop is actually a Demon Slayer Corps property. The owner is a member of the Kakushi."

"Huh?"

Li Mo looked at the owner. He was a middle-aged man in his thirties, with a slight limp in his step.

The owner said helplessly, "Sun Hashira-sama, I'm a member of the Kakushi, but I should add 'former' to that. Now, my job is similar to the Wisteria Family mansions."

Places marked with the Wisteria crest were those that had received help from the Demon Slayer Corps and, in turn, provided assistance to its members. Li Mo had only recently become an official member and hadn't visited such places yet.

Shinjuro Rengoku said, "Don't let his appearance fool you. He was quite the swordsman back in the day."

The owner said, "Flame Hashira-sama, that's all in the past. Don't keep bringing up my old wounds!"

"Haha, don't you always brag about those as great achievements?"

"Great achievements? Flame Hashira-sama, do you think my meager accomplishments can compare to Sun Hashira-sama's?"

Shinjuro Rengoku nodded enthusiastically, "True, you did well, junior! Becoming a Hashira at such a young age is impressive. I thought having someone like Gyomei was already amazing, but now we have you too. The future looks bright! Wonderful, wonderful. Owner, another bowl of ramen, please!"

"By the way, junior, do you want some ramen? The craftsmanship here is top-notch."

Li Mo, seeing the conversation shift from the owner to ramen, replied lightly, "I've already eaten earlier."

"That's a shame! The owner's chashu ramen is fantastic! I highly recommend it. Oh, did you come to Tokyo directly from Oyakata-sama?"

"Yes, Flame Hashira-sama."

"Kagaya... I mean, Oyakata-sama, how is he doing?" Shinjuro Rengoku asked.

Li Mo said, "Oyakata-sama seems to be doing well."

"He's a great Oyakata-sama. Much better than his father," Shinjuro Rengoku said. "After the previous Oyakata-sama committed suicide, that child took on the heavy responsibility of leading the Demon Slayer Corps. He wasn't even ten years old at the time."

"Oyakata-sama's father... committed suicide?"

The Ubuyashiki family, due to Muzan Kibutsuji's curse, led to members dying in their twenties. In the original story, Kagaya died young, and his son took over as head of the family when he was just a child. Li Mo had thought that the previous Oyakata-sama had died from the curse...

Shinjuro Rengoku said, "The previous Oyakata-sama was a very gentle person. But he was too gentle, always blaming himself for the deaths of Demon Slayer Corps members. He probably wanted to end his life long ago. It was only the responsibility to the Demon Slayer Corps and the Ubuyashiki family that kept him alive until the current Oyakata-sama grew up. He probably chose this path because he saw how outstanding Kagaya is."

Li Mo fell silent. From Shinjuro Rengoku's tone, it was clear that he had been close to the previous Oyakata-sama. The Rengoku family had been Flame Hashiras for generations, so it was natural for them to have a close relationship with the Ubuyashiki family...

"I'm not sad, nor do I look down on him. On the contrary, I respect the previous Oyakata-sama. Watching your comrades die before your eyes is a painful thing."

"Oyakata-sama is outstanding... Where is the tumor on his forehead now?"

Li Mo thought for a moment, then said, "The right side of Oyakata-sama's forehead is completely covered now. Flame Hashira-sama, is there a problem?"

"A year ago, Oyakata-sama was still a normal person, quite handsome," Shinjuro Rengoku said, looking at his bowl of ramen with a serious expression.