Chapter 167 Instructor

"Oh, right, where are Zenitsu and Inosuke?"

Yuichiro silently looked away, suddenly feeling a little guilty. Despite the obvious attempt to change the subject, none of the three spoke, all staring at Yuichiro, making him feel uneasy.

"Why are you so curious?" Yuichiro rolled his eyes, then said after considering his words, "I'm exhausted. I just woke up and had to deal with so much. Let me rest."

Goto wasn't one to pry into other people's secrets. After chatting about a few other things, he said goodbye to them because of work. Haganezuka then left the Butterfly Mansion as well.

“Hey, Yuichiro.”

Tanjiro looked at the two of them alone in the hospital room, then looked at the other person seriously and asked, "Yoriichi-san isn't a demon, is he...?"

Ichiro shook his head. Looking at Tanjiro's persistent questioning gaze, and considering that Yoriichi and Tanjiro had a pretty good relationship, he hesitated for a long time before answering.

It wasn't that he felt Yoriichi's matter couldn't be discussed; it was mainly that it was too difficult to explain to Tamayo.

“You know Tamayo, right? That female ghost. I heard she made a potion for Yoriichi that he needed, and then something unexpected happened,” Ichiro said. He knew that the other person knew Tamayo, and he saw Tanjiro’s surprised expression.

"He has no ghostly characteristics, nor is he afraid of the sun. Apart from being immortal, he is no different from humans."

Yuichiro casually picked up an orange from the bedside table and began peeling it carefully, talking to the other person as he worked.

"Oh, I see. That explains why I didn't smell any demonic scent on Yoriichi." Tanjiro suddenly realized, and then, remembering what he had said to Yoriichi earlier, he reached out and touched the earring on his ear.

"Mr. Yoriichi once said that someone who knew me was an elder, it couldn't be..."

"It must be your ancestor. Let me think, an elder from the Warring States period."

Tanjiro covered his face, the shock was too much. From Yoriichi to his great-great-great-great-grandfather's friend. Ichiro didn't feel anything, he still called his ancestor "brother", according to seniority, Muichiro could not only call him brother but also his great-great-great-great-uncle.

After that, the two stayed at the Butterfly Mansion to recover from their injuries. During this time, Ichiro also saw Inosuke and Zenitsu. Zenitsu, in particular, was so noisy that you could hear his voice from a great distance.

Of course, this didn't last two days. I heard that a special training program called "Pillar Instruction" was arranged. Members below the Pillar rank would receive training under various Pillars. Originally, the Pillars were very busy, but since the Swordsmith Village incident, the Oni side has completely stopped making any moves.

Ichiro had finished dressing and was almost fully recovered. All he needed to do now was exercise every day to be back to full health.

"Ichiro——."

Yukiko flew in through the window and landed on Ichiro's outstretched arm, flapping her wings.

"Yukiko? This is..."

Ichiro noticed the white paper the other person was holding in their mouth. He initially thought it was a letter from Iwakatsu, but when he opened it, he was a little surprised.

It was written to him by the Demon Slayer Corps Master, who wanted to invite him to participate in the Pillar training program to help guide the Demon Slayer Corps members and improve their survival skills.

Me?

Ichiro found it a bit strange. He had also learned about the Pillar's instruction, which was actually comprehensive, covering everything from endurance, speed, and coordination to sword-wielding skills, stress resistance, and muscle enhancement.

"My lord says that Ichiro can arrange things according to his own wishes!"

"oh?"

Yuichiro recalled his miserable days studying under Iwakatsu and a wicked smile crept across his face. "In battle, eyesight and strategic thinking are important too, right? I'll help everyone improve those, of course not so everyone can experience the thrill of being attacked on a wide scale."

Yukiko smiled broadly at Yukiko and said, "Then please rest assured, Kagaya-sama, I will join immediately!"

Yukiko: I have a feeling that Ichiro has ulterior motives.

——

Iwakatsu sat there, watching Nakime's hair spread out and cling tightly to the wall. She played the biwa, and as she played, her perspective shifted.

Muzan held up the map, which was already covered with many marked symbols, as he made the best preparations for his plan.

Yan Sheng lowered his eyes. He couldn't really figure out Muzan's thoughts. After all, his paranoia wasn't something that had just started, and even Nakime didn't understand what his plan was.

Well, it's still manageable eventually; the final part of the story will be coming up soon. Yan Sheng was still a bit conflicted. He was quite uneasy about something he had been working on for so long suddenly coming to an end.

Muzan made no arrangements for the remaining Upper Moons, only instructing them to prepare themselves, and he personally handled all the preparations.

Yan Sheng didn't linger. He bowed slightly to Muzan before leaving the Infinity Castle, needing to calm himself down. After leaving the Infinity Castle, he returned to the attic of his house. Since leaving Tamayo's place, he had stayed in both this place and the Infinity Castle.

He leaped lightly and landed steadily on the bluestone slab in the center of the courtyard. He had bought this courtyard from a merchant couple who were about to embark on a long journey. It sat quietly in a corner of the bustling world, as if time had forgotten it, peaceful and serene.

This place is good. Yan Sheng's daily life is simple and regular. He practices his sword in the courtyard after sunset. He hasn't had so much free time in a long time. Besides practicing his sword, he only has time to enjoy tea and play chess by himself.

But he often stood alone by the window, gazing at the starry sky, his mind filled with countless thoughts. In truth, life wasn't much different from before, but he always felt somewhat lonely, and not as at ease as he used to be.

"Meow--."

Yan Sheng lowered his head, and his gaze met a pair of round, intelligent eyes not far away—it was Chacha Maru, staring at him without moving. Yan Sheng squatted down, stroked Chacha Maru's little head, and felt its fine fur slide through his fingertips.

Tamayo? Did she send Chachamaru over because she wanted to tell her something?

He opened his backpack, and a transparent test tube came into view, filled with a dark blue liquid that shimmered alluringly as he gently shook it.

Iwakatsu frowned slightly. In his memory, there seemed to be a scene like this—in Tamayo's laboratory, the specially preserved liquid had a similar color to the liquid in front of him, but there seemed to be subtle differences.

He carefully searched the bag on Chachamaru's back, hoping to find some clues or explanations. However, apart from the bottle of liquid, the bag was empty, without even a note. This made him wonder: "Are you sure this... was delivered to me?"

Chacha Maru seemed to understand his question. Its bright eyes met Iwakatsu's gaze again. Then, it turned and took a few steps before gracefully leaping into the grass and disappearing into the night. Iwakatsu watched the direction it had gone, pondering to himself.

Looks like I didn't send the wrong item.

He shook the test tube again, the deep blue liquid reflecting an even more captivating shimmer in the moonlight, like the brightest star in the night sky. Countless thoughts flashed through Iwakatsu's mind: What was the purpose of this liquid? Why did Tamayo send it to him through Chachamaru?