Chapter 267: Foot of the Mountain

**Translation:**

**Mount Sagiri** is a mountain peak, not particularly prominent within its range, but oddly enough, this mountain is prone to fog. Combined with its treacherous paths, it earned the name **Mount Sagiri** (Narrow Mist Mountain).

All of this was just Li Mo's random musings. As for the true origin of the name **Mount Sagiri**, who knows? It's been passed down through generations by word of mouth. Common folk never bothered to delve into such details. After all, just a few decades ago, most people didn't even have their own names.

The path back to **Mount Sagiri** had become so familiar that Li Mo could practically walk it in his sleep.

"What are you thinking about?"

**Makomo** noticed Li Mo's absent-minded state. Three years had passed, and her junior brother had become a demon. Yet, no matter how she looked at it, he was still the same junior brother she had always known.

—Except he had become a bit more... beautiful.

It felt strange to describe her male junior brother as "beautiful," but there was no better word for it. After all, he had become a fox demon.

"Makomo..."

"Call me senior sister."

Makomo insisted that Li Mo change his way of addressing her. For some reason, hearing him call her by her name made her feel uneasy, as if she had somehow lost ground.

"Alright, senior sister. I was thinking, after we meet with Master **Urokodaki**, what do you plan to do?"

Li Mo was indeed pondering this question. At the **Butterfly Mansion**, he had either been helping to suppress the Demon Slayer Marks or acting as a "laborer." The rest of his time had been spent modifying the **Solo Ron** technique.

Yes, even now, Li Mo was still tweaking that technique. Mainly because he had come up with a wild idea midway, which had delayed his progress. Even without the delay, he probably wouldn't have finished by now.

So now, he could finally turn his attention to the crucial question of life after the Demon Slayer Corps disbanded—employment.

"I'll probably help out at the Butterfly Mansion..." Makomo didn't have many ideas about the future.

Before joining the Demon Slayer Corps, her goal had been to join the Corps. After joining, her goal had been to slay demons. She had thought that her life would be spent in a constant battle against demons.

Who could have imagined that the centuries-long feud between demons and the Demon Slayer Corps would come to an end this year?

It all felt so surreal, like a dream. In a world without demons, what could she do?

Makomo had never considered such a question.

Helping out at the Butterfly Mansion might be her only option. Recently, due to Li Mo's influence, she had stayed at the Butterfly Mansion to help out. She couldn't say she was entirely comfortable with the work there, but she and **Kanzaki Aoi** had developed a good working relationship.

Perhaps that was a decent future.

"The Butterfly Mansion... indeed. They can take in a lot of staff."

The reemployment of Demon Slayers would likely be the **Ubuyashiki** family's main concern in the coming days. As Demon Slayers, they never had to worry about making a living—food, clothing, shelter, and travel were all provided by the Corps. Even when traveling to remote areas, there were families who had been helped by the Corps to provide for them.

But now that the Corps had disbanded, they couldn't expect the Ubuyashiki family to keep supporting them. If Li Mo remembered correctly, in the original story, **Tanjiro** had returned home to continue his family's charcoal-selling business. However, as the charcoal industry declined with the times, the Ubuyashiki family helped him transition to a new line of work.

Would the other Demon Slayers be similarly assisted?

On the other hand, the **Kakushi** (support members) probably wouldn't have much trouble finding jobs.

"You're thinking about some rather subtle issues, aren't you?"

"Probably issues that the Ubuyashiki family will have to deal with. Sigh, we're almost there."

"Aren't you nervous at all?"

Makomo asked.

"Why should I be nervous?"

Then, faced with Li Mo's shameless expression, the young lady kicked him.

But for various reasons, she didn't put much force into it, so when her foot connected with Li Mo's leg, it felt more like a tap.

Painless and harmless, Li Mo concluded.

Unfortunately, after this, Makomo stopped talking.

---

People can be a bit odd. When someone pays attention to you, you don't appreciate it, but when they stop, you suddenly miss it.

Li Mo took the opportunity to ruffle Makomo's hair. Even after all these years, she had remained the same height as when they first met.

Then, in silence, they arrived home.

**Urokodaki Sakonji** was alone at home. There was no sign of **Tomioka Giyuu** or **Sabito**.

They found the old man by the stream, fishing with a rod. However, it seemed there was no bait on the hook—more like "waiting for the fish to bite." At least the hook wasn't straight.

"Ah, Makomo and Li Mo. What brings you back this time?"

"Master Urokodaki, your hair has turned completely white, and you're still wearing that mask?" Li Mo teased.

No matter the time or place, Urokodaki Sakonji always wore that tengu-like disaster-prevention mask. Rumor had it that he wore it because he was too handsome in his youth, which had caused some trouble.

So why was Master Urokodaki still single?

"It's a habit," Urokodaki said as he put away his fishing rod. "Let's head back. Before Giyuu and Sabito left, they left a letter for the town. We can take a look later."

"Understood, Master."

"By the way, we're out of food. Li Mo, go hunt in the mountains. Do you still have that axe you used to carry around?"

"Oh, right. I'll be back soon."

That axe was something Li Mo had used for hunting back in the day, a gift from **Kamado Tanjuro**. In fact, during his time in the Demon Slayer world, Li Mo had maintained correspondence with the Kamado family. This had been true both three years ago and now.

The axe had long been tossed into his inventory, forgotten. After becoming a Demon Slayer, he had hardly used it. Now, for him, the axe was more of a memento.

"Alright, alright, I'll go hunting."

Li Mo wasn't oblivious. Master Urokodaki was sending him away so he could talk to Makomo in private.

Indeed, after Li Mo left, Urokodaki didn't engage in a long conversation with Makomo. He simply asked one question.

"Are you ready?"

"I'm ready."

Makomo nodded firmly.

Urokodaki saw determination in her eyes. When he thought about it, that boy—aside from being a bit of a flirt and usually unreliable—had many strengths. Even his star pupils, Sabito and Giyuu, fell short in comparison.

Before, he could have said the boy was average-looking, but now he couldn't even say that. A demon, huh?

Urokodaki thought of the description from the **Kasugai Crow**:

*'A fox demon under the bright moon.'*

That's what they called his disciple.

Later, Makomo read the letters left by Sabito and Tomioka Giyuu.

By the time Li Mo returned with a pheasant, Makomo had already finished reading the letters and was boiling water, waiting for him.

"What did the letters say?"

"Nothing much."

"Oh, I see. It's something I'm not supposed to know, right?"

Makomo said, "If you know, then don't ask."

She had decided not to share the contents of the letters with him.

—The two junior brothers had written that if a conflict ever arose between the senior brother and sister, they would side with the sister.