Chapter 237: Hatred

The morning sunlight streamed through the window beside him, casting a warm glow on Kocho Shinobu's face.

The adorable girl had turned her head away, her expression calm, but the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her.

*Pat!*

"Well, I guess Shinobu's test for us is over now, right?"

Kocho Kanae clasped her hands together, tilting her head with a gentle smile, breaking the almost frozen scene.

Li Mo withdrew his hand and said, "This is the last time, Shinobu. You're a grown woman now. I won't casually pat your head anymore."

Patting a child's head was perfectly appropriate. Even if the child objected, wasn't that objection itself part of the fun?

"Oh."

Shinobu's single word seemed devoid of any tone, making it impossible to discern her true thoughts.

Kocho Kanae, however, said, "Well, it seems it's over. So now, it's time for some sisterly bonding. Li-san, could you please leave? Give Shinobu and me some private space, okay?"

"Can I say no?"

"Of course not! I already said it's sisterly talk. Go on, go on!"

Li Mo was practically half-pushed out of the room by Kocho Kanae.

Then, with a *bang*, the door closed.

What kind of private conversation would the sisters have?

Li Mo couldn't help but wonder. Since he had nothing else to do at the moment, his thoughts began to wander.

"Um… are you the Sun Pillar, sir?"

His thoughts were interrupted by a question.

Li Mo looked down at the source of the voice.

The one asking was Kanzaki Aoi.

Li Mo replied, "Do you know me?"

"Only the Sun Pillar would be treated so familiarly by Lady Kanae," Kanzaki Aoi said.

"Have you been at the Butterfly Mansion for long?"

"I've only been here for a few months… Actually, before I arrived, Lady Shinobu and Lady Kanae managed the Butterfly Mansion flawlessly."

"I know," Li Mo said. "The Butterfly Mansion was practically built right under my nose."

"I see… Oh, right. Ms. Tamayo said that if you have time, she'd like you to visit her. I still have work to do, so please forgive me for not being able to guide you."

"No need to be so formal."

What could Ms. Tamayo want with him?

Although he was indeed a researcher, his focus was on magecraft and Onmyōdō, which had little to do with demons. Besides, she didn't know that he had transitioned from being a mere swordsman to a researcher.

Ms. Tamayo's research materials were worth a look. There was definitely something mystical about demons, something that extended from each demon. Did Ms. Tamayo not have that? Was it a curse used by Muzan Kibutsuji to control his subordinates? Was it right for him to sever that connection whenever he killed a demon?

Two days ago, Li Mo and Kocho Kanae had wiped out all the demons in Tokyo. Each time, he had severed that mystical connection.

—It seemed like the right thing to do.

Lost in thought, Li Mo made his way to the basement.

Kanzaki Aoi watched as the Sun Pillar walked away. In truth, she didn't even know his name. Before today, she had thought he was already dead.

Rumors about him were plentiful within the Demon Slayer Corps. Things like "a once-in-a-generation genius," or "one of the two pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps alongside the Stone Pillar"…

Her understanding of him came more from conversations between the Kocho sisters, Ms. Tamayo, and others. He was someone who combined kindness with a mischievous streak. Of course, his personality wasn't the main point.

The main point was…

"Lady Shinobu and Lady Kanae both like the same person…" Kanzaki Aoi murmured softly after his figure disappeared.

Spending too much time around the Kocho sisters made this clear. Now, it was just a matter of confirming the suspicion.

If it was him, what was it about him that made both ladies fall for him?

Time would tell.

After a brief moment of confusion, Kanzaki Aoi quickly returned to her daily tasks. Lady Kanae had returned, but it seemed she wasn't planning to take up her duties. So, it fell to Aoi to handle the work.

—Afraid of the front lines, she could only do these small tasks in the rear.

...

Li Mo didn't pay much attention to Kanzaki Aoi.

After receiving the message, he went to the reception room in the basement. There, he saw Ms. Tamayo, who had changed back into her kimono, her long black hair tied up in a bun.

Standing beside her was Yushiro, his expression as sour as ever.

"It's been a while, Ms. Tamayo."

"Have a seat. Yushiro, make some tea."

Yushiro had a perpetually sour expression, as if everyone owed him money. But in front of Ms. Tamayo, he never showed that face. Similarly, if it was Ms. Tamayo's order, he would carry it out without fail.

"Ms. Tamayo, what did you call me here for?"

"Compared to three years ago, have you grown stronger?"

Stronger? Definitely.

The resources he gained in Inazuma, the explosion of power in Fuyuki, the fusion of Onmyōdō and magecraft, the ritual to integrate the Hakuzin bloodline into his body, the path of the 「Beast」 based on the Authority of Beasts…

He had transcended the mundane. But most of the time, he tightly sealed his aura. How had Ms. Tamayo noticed?

Li Mo asked this question.

"Three years ago, you were already capable of fighting Upper Moons. And back then, you had only been training for two years. With three more years, you should be even stronger."

Ms. Tamayo sipped her tea. Basic reasoning led her to this conclusion.

Tamayo was a demon older than even Kokushibo, the Upper Moon One. When she became a demon, the term "Twelve Kizuki" didn't even exist. She was also the only demon in centuries to break free from Muzan's control.

The Li Mo before her was the second most talented human she had met in her long life. Aside from Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who single-handedly created the Breathing Techniques, his talent was unparalleled.

Sun Breathing. Just mastering this technique was already a testament to his extraordinary talent. Compared to other Breathing Techniques, Sun Breathing was far more lethal to demons.

"I want to know how strong you are now."

Tamayo's question revealed her true purpose for calling him here. Just how strong had this former genius become?

"Aren't you curious about what I've been through these past three years, Ms. Tamayo?"

"I don't care."

Of course. For centuries, Tamayo had only cared about one thing, which was also the basis for her cooperation with the Demon Slayer Corps.

Killing Muzan Kibutsuji.

Li Mo said, "If I encounter Muzan Kibutsuji, I'm one hundred percent confident I can kill him. My only concern is that he might use the same escape method he did centuries ago. I don't know the limits of his splitting ability."

"Leave that to me."

Tamayo spoke with solemn determination.

Her eyes were filled with hatred.