Chapter 222: Ugly

**Yoshiwara, Tokyo's pleasure district, was a place of great prosperity.**

The architecture was vibrant and fragrant, filled with the charm of the past. Beautiful women dressed in yukata, their hair tied high, adorned their faces with makeup. Every movement exuded elegance.

Where there are people, there is hierarchy. Humans always like to divide things into three, six, or nine classes. The women on this street were no exception. The lowest-ranking courtesans stood on the sides of the street like merchandise, waiting to be chosen, while the oiran sat in grand halls, awaiting the arrival of distinguished guests.

**Oiran.**

They stood at the top of the "food chain" in the pleasure district.

Even though they were still treated as commodities, their beauty granted them status.

Initially, Kanae Kocho had considered becoming an oiran. The madam, bribed by the Demon Slayer Corps, had said she had the qualifications to be one.

Her delicate features, gentle personality, and refined demeanor... all met the criteria.

But in the end, she declined the offer.

Instead, she chose to work as a servant. There was a reason for this...

Carrying a pot of hot water, Kanae Kocho kept her head down as she moved through the corridors, stepping aside whenever she encountered other courtesans. Her job was to serve, not to entertain clients.

The person she served was an oiran.

Arriving at her destination, Kanae Kocho softly said, "I'm here, Oiran Uzui."

"Please come in, Keiko."

Pushing the door open, Kanae Kocho saw a beautiful woman. Her lavish attire confirmed her status as an oiran.

**Oiran Uzui.**

Closing the door, Kanae Kocho quietly knelt beside Uzui, placing the hot water down. She said, "I'll have to trouble you again tonight, Oiran Uzui."

"No need to thank me, Keiko. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be an oiran now."

"That's because you're beautiful, Oiran Uzui. Without that, we wouldn't have been able to help."

Oiran Uzui had been elevated to her position with the help of the Demon Slayer Corps.

This wasn't particularly difficult. Uzui had already been groomed as a potential star by the previous madam, waiting for the right time to be unveiled as the district's top oiran.

Now, the process had simply been accelerated. Even though Uzui still appeared somewhat "young" and her demeanor wasn't fully developed, under Kanae Kocho's guidance, she had already mastered the art of captivating smiles.

Of course, even without such a smile, the people sent by the Demon Slayer Corps would have elevated her to the status of oiran. The difference between an oiran and an ordinary courtesan was her aura. To meet an oiran, a client first had to spend extravagantly at her establishment, showcasing their wealth and charm. During this time, the oiran would observe from a distance.

The second meeting would involve a face-to-face encounter, but the oiran would only respond with "yes" or "no."

The third meeting would mark the official start of her service.

At that point, the oiran would lead a procession to welcome the client.

An oiran always adhered to these three steps.

In other words, as long as there was a wealthy patron willing to fund these steps, an oiran would inevitably rise.

The Demon Slayer Corps had become that patron.

Uzui asked, "Keiko, are you going out to investigate again tonight?"

"Yes, I've gradually narrowed down the target."

Kanae Kocho's presence in the pleasure district wasn't purely for leisure.

As one of the Demon Slayer Corps' top fighters, Kanae Kocho rarely had time for herself. She was either hunting demons or conducting research.

Her arrival in Yoshiwara was, of course, to kill a demon.

**The Twelve Kizuki.**

In the Demon Slayer Corps' hierarchy, the Pillars were the top fighters. In the demons' hierarchy, the top fighters were the Twelve Kizuki.

The Twelve Kizuki were further divided into Upper and Lower Ranks, named after the phases of the moon.

"Upper ranks are revered, lower ranks are despised."

The gap in strength between the Upper and Lower Ranks was vast. They could hardly be considered the same level.

Kanae Kocho's reason for being in Yoshiwara was simple: there were suspicions of a Twelve Kizuki member here.

The Ubuyashiki family, which backed the Demon Slayer Corps, was a powerful and influential family that had existed for a thousand years. Their reach extended into Japan's funeral industry, among others.

According to statistics, the number of "disappearances" in Yoshiwara where bodies were never found was alarmingly high. If it were just that, it might not have drawn attention. What was more concerning was that many of the missing were oiran.

Oiran were the stars of Yoshiwara, each backed by a madam who had invested heavily in them. These investments would then be taken over by others, often wealthy or influential individuals who poured money into the oiran.

Some even wanted to take the oiran home, but over the years, there had been cases where oiran mysteriously disappeared just before being taken out of Yoshiwara.

—Bodies never found.

Even more, there were no further traces of these oiran. Typically, they would vanish from their own rooms. This phenomenon wasn't limited to oiran; it also happened to some beautiful courtesans.

To the Demon Slayer Corps, disappearances without bodies were synonymous with demons.

Especially when the numbers reached a certain threshold.

Moreover...

Kanae Kocho had another reason to suspect a Twelve Kizuki member was here. Several Demon Slayer Corps members had already gone missing in the area.

—Normal people wouldn't target the Demon Slayer Corps, and even if they did, it wouldn't result in "disappearances."

Taking a deep breath, Kanae Kocho began removing Uzui's makeup. This girl in her teens, under the layers of makeup, was stunningly beautiful. But without it, she was just a young girl.

Kanae Kocho had never asked Uzui's age, but in her eyes, Uzui was like her own sister.

"Once this matter is resolved, we'll buy your freedom."

"My freedom? That's not necessary. Being an oiran is already more than enough."

"Yoshiwara isn't a good place. Don't worry, I can afford it."

Kanae Kocho wasn't lying.

Most Demon Slayer swordsmen didn't care much about money. As long as they could kill demons, they were willing to endure harsh conditions. But that didn't mean they were poor.

In fact, there were rewards for every demon killed. If a fallen comrade had family, the Corps would take care of them. As a Pillar, Kanae Kocho received substantial rewards.

Moreover, she was a doctor.

Oiran Uzui shook her head, smiling faintly.

Her makeup had been removed, revealing a delicate face. She didn't continue the previous conversation but instead looked at the woman before her.

"If that time comes, I'd really like to see your true face, Keiko. I remember the madam saying that if you were willing, you could become an even more outstanding oiran than me."

"But then I wouldn't have met the beautiful Oiran Uzui."

Uzui smiled and asked, "What changed your mind, Keiko?"

The woman before her was beautiful, but it wasn't apparent now. The woman named Keiko had deliberately made herself look plain. Though it was unclear how she managed it, she was firmly in the "unattractive" category.

"Well... I can't tell you that now. Tonight, I'll need you to cover for me again."

"Of course."

Uzui agreed. Covering for Keiko wasn't something new.

Suddenly, Uzui noticed the woman before her had become serious. It was as if a lazy cat had turned into a fierce tiger.

What happened?

She was about to ask when she heard a male voice.

"Kanae-san, why have you made yourself so ugly?"