Chapter 72: Heading to Kumotori Mountain

Chapter 72: Heading to Kumotori Mountain

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Muzan Kibutsuji had a satisfied expression on his face.

Being able to withstand so much blood, Nakime really lived up to his expectations.

Nakime gently played the biwa, and the collapsed buildings quickly recovered, the cracks healing one by one. In the blink of an eye, Infinity Castle was restored to its original state.

"You did a great job, Nakime!" Kibutsuji Muzan said.

Ever since the defectors appeared, almost nothing had gone his way.

Nakime's promotion to the upper ranks was the only thing that had pleased him recently.

"Thank you, sir, for your cultivation!" Nakime bowed her head slightly.

Kibutsuji Muzan asked, "Nakime, how is your power now?"

Nakime responded respectfully, "Master Muzan, I can now create a large number of eyeballs and send them to various parts of the world through the power of Infinity Castle to collect information."

"Very good!"

Kibutsuji Muzan's voice suddenly turned cold. "Search for the defectors with all your strength!"

"Master Muzan, what about the Demon Slayer Corps?"

"Ignore them for now. We'll deal with them after we handle the defectors!"

Kibutsuji Muzan thought for a moment, then added, "However, except for the Ubuyashiki clan! Inform me immediately when you find them."

He didn't care about the ordinary members of the Demon Slayer Corps, including the so-called Hashira. To him, they were all ants unworthy of attention.

However, the Ubuyashiki clan was on his must-kill list, just like the defectors.

"I understand, Lord Muzan!"

Nakime played the biwa gently.

A chair appeared out of thin air.

Kibutsuji Muzan sat down.

This time, he wasn't going anywhere. He would wait here.

"Ubuyashiki, defectors, enjoy it while you can; this is your last chance!"

Kibutsuji Muzan crossed his arms and looked at Nakime quietly.

…

Under the dark night, people gradually fell asleep. The sounds of the town faded away, and finally, it fell into complete silence.

On the deserted streets, spatial fluctuations that no one could detect disappeared in a flash, and two eyeballs quietly appeared on the ground.

These eyeballs were the size of fists, with the character "Six" engraved in the middle of the pupils. Tentacles grew below them, resembling small octopuses or strange spiders.

After the eyeballs fell to the ground, the tentacles swung, and they quickly disappeared into the night.

This scene happened in many places simultaneously.

…

There was a protruding rock under a big straight tree. Moonlight filtered through the treetops, leaving patches of light and shadow on the ground. A stream flowed beside it.

Aoki sat cross-legged on a rock, leaning against the big tree, holding a palm-sized stone in his hand.

He scratched with his sharp nails, creating a wound on the tip of his right index finger, and red blood oozed out.

Using his finger as a pen and blood as ink, Aoki quickly began to draw on the stone.

A complex diamond pattern gradually emerged.

After finishing the last stroke, Aoki stared at the stone. After two seconds, he shook his head and sighed.

"Failed again."

Creating a spatial imprint required a medium, and for Aoki, the best medium was his own blood.

He understood the entire process.

However, it was not easy to make one.

It was necessary not only to ensure that the carved patterns were accurate but also to meet certain mental and will conditions.

The whole process was not difficult, but it required a lot of practice to master.

"I thought I could try the 'Space Mark Teleportation' today!"

Aoki suppressed his frustration, threw the discarded stone into the stream, and took out another stone from the nearby pile.

Time passed; the sun rose and set.

Aoki threw away the stone in his hand and stood up.

"In one day, I didn't succeed even once. It seems I can only wait until later."

The time he had agreed upon with Giyu was approaching.

Aoki quickly went down the mountain and met Giyu on a small bridge.

The two didn't exchange many words. Under Giyu's guidance, they headed northwest and finally arrived at a small town.

"At first, we discovered Tanjiro's information in this town. After I came to investigate, I confirmed that he was the boy you were looking for, Mr. Aomura."

Tomioka Giyu pointed to the mountain behind the town. "That's Mount Kumotori. The Kamado family lives on that mountain."

Mount Kumotori is the highest mountain in Tokyo, with an altitude of more than 2,000 meters. It is located in Okutama County along with Mount Otake, where the Eternal Paradise Sect is situated.

Okutama County is on the northwest edge of Tokyo and is one of the least developed areas in the city.

While Asakusa and other prosperous areas have begun to modernize, most places in Okutama County remain backward. Along the way, the two barely felt the breath of modern civilization.

It was already late at night, and the town was quiet. Except for the occasional barking of dogs and crowing of roosters, there was no noise.

Aoki and Tomioka Giyu did not stop and directly chose to climb the mountain.

Mount kumotori was remote, and the mountain path was difficult to traverse.

However, Aoki and Tomioka Giyu were adept climbers.

At dawn, the two arrived at the halfway point of Mount Kumotori.

There was a flat area here with many straight trees. Among the big trees stood a dilapidated small house.

"This is the Kamado family" Tomioka Giyu said.

Aoki looked at the house from a distance, with a bit of hesitation on his face.

Because of him, the development of this world had undergone significant changes.

However, as the protagonist of this era, Tanjiro's fate had not been greatly affected.

If he took this step, Tanjiro's fate would inevitably change dramatically.

In the original work, Tanjiro played an indispensable role in killing Muzan Kibutsuji.

He was the first to awaken the marks, and in the final battle, Tanjiro was also the most important fighting force.

"Without Tanjiro, it would be impossible to defeat Muzan Kibutsuji," is no exaggeration.

If there were no Tanjiro…

"Hello, do you need help?"

A crisp voice interrupted his thoughts, and Aoki looked up.

A girl stood at the door of the wooden house in front. Her hair was tied into a bun, and her kimono was washed white with many mended spots. On her fair and beautiful face, there was a sunny, pure, and unguarded smile.

Aoki smiled.

The impact is inevitable!

Even if he didn't contact Tanjiro, Muzan Kibutsuji might not come to Tanjiro's house.

Without Tanjiro, there would be no such events!

He had confidence in himself and the system!

Even if the family hadn't suffered a great disaster, Tanjiro could still become a swordsman.

Hatred is a driving force for Tanjiro, but it is not the only one.

With Tanjiro's character, seeing the sins committed by the demons would still enrage him.

Aoki looked at Giyu. "Mr. Giyu, may I speak with them alone?"

"Of course."

Tomioka Giyu looked at him, turned around, and left without asking any questions.

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