Chapter 2 Returning to the Demon Slayer Corps

This location isn't far from the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters. Given Kokuchi's current physical condition, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should be able to get back in half a day. However, as Kokuchi travels, he continues to ponder why he was called back.

According to my memory, the original owner of this body had only been gone for less than a day. If I'm not mistaken, the timeline in the original story where she would encounter Muzan in a couple of days should be this mission, so it's impossible for her to go back at this crucial moment, which is a bit strange.

Just as Yan Sheng was lost in thought, they arrived at their destination. After nodding to the hidden team members conducting the inspection, he walked straight to the courtyard belonging to his lord, the deepest and safest courtyard in the entire headquarters, based on his memory. Yan Sheng raised his hand and tapped rhythmically.

Not long after Iwakatsu waited, the door creaked open. It was a pair of twins. The two girls didn't look very tall, probably around 1.3 meters, and their white hair clearly indicated they belonged to the Ubuyashiki family.

"Lord Moon Pillar, please follow us."

One of the girls was noticeably bolder, showing no fear even when facing Yan Sheng, who was several centimeters taller than her, and behaving with composure. The other girl, though not particularly outwardly expressive, betrayed her nervousness by tightly gripping her sleeve.

"Thank you for your trouble." According to Yan Sheng's memory, this was the first time he had met the two little girls alone. Before, he had only met them when the lord and their older brothers and sisters were present. Why were they suddenly sent here? Was it to train them?

Yan Sheng didn't think for long before he was led to the main hall of the courtyard. He watched as the two little ones knocked on the door.

"Father, Lord Moon Pillar has arrived." The little girl's soft, sweet voice was just loud enough for the people inside to hear.

"Please come in."

The moment the man's voice came, a white-haired woman opened the door and led Iwakatsu into an inner chamber. There, Iwakatsu saw the lord of the Sengoku Demon Slayer Corps from his memories—Ubuyashiki Yukio (a fictional character created by the author). Ubuyashiki Yukio knelt before a low seat, his gentle and refined demeanor causing Iwakatsu to subconsciously overlook the hideous, vein-bulging scars on his face.

It seems more serious than I remember. Yan Sheng frowned slightly, unaware of his own subconscious worry.

"I'm fine, Iwakatsu. Please have a seat. How did the mission go?" Ubuyashiki Yukio was quick-witted and immediately noticed Iwakatsu's worry. He picked up his teacup and spoke gently.

"My apologies, my lord. The demon-hunting mission went very smoothly." Iwakatsu knelt down opposite Ubuyashiki Yukio and said respectfully.

“Actually, the reason I called you back this time was to have you and Yoriichi go on a mission together. Too many Demon Slayer Corps members have died there in the past month, more than in the previous six months.” After saying this, Ubuyashiki Yukio sighed heavily.

"Yes, my lord, I understand." Yan Sheng appeared outwardly calm, but inwardly he was racing: Something feels off. Did this happen in the original story? Wait, something's not right. Could it be Muzan Kibutsuji?! Could this mission be sending Yoriichi Tsugikuni to clash with the Demon King? Then what am I doing here? This seems different from the original plot. What's going on?

"We should be leaving tomorrow, so please be extra careful," Yukio Ubuyashiki said, expressing his concern at the opportune moment.

"Yes, then I'll take my leave." Yan Sheng stood up, bowed to Ubuyashiki Yukio, and left the inner room. He nodded to the white-haired woman waiting at the door, then turned and left the courtyard. Relying on his memory, he headed directly towards his residence.

On the way, Yan Sheng had a sudden thought, and a pale blue transparent version appeared in front of him:

1. Meeting with the Demon Slayer Corps Master (Completed)

Currently, this prerequisite mission doesn't seem difficult, but it seems to make the plot a bit different from before. If I'm not mistaken, in the original plot, Kokushibo Tsugikuni didn't return to the Demon Slayer Corps, but only came back after meeting Muzan Kibutsuji.

Yan Sheng rubbed his temples, putting aside his thoughts about the prerequisite task, and focused on the road ahead. He decided to go back to his residence first and think about it later.

According to memory, Kokushiro Iwakatsu and Kokushiro Yoriichi lived in the same courtyard.

Kokushiro Tsugikuni preferred quiet, and that courtyard happened to be located on the east side, close to the cherry blossom grove, in a relatively quiet area, and also one of the closest to the training grounds. Therefore, even after learning that Yoriichi Tsugikuni lived there, Kokushiro Tsugikuni still chose to live there. Of course, it's also possible that others felt it was better for the two brothers to live together.

Iwakatsu's steps were short but fast, and he quickly reached his destination. He placed his hand on the ancient wooden door and pushed it gently, and the door opened.

Yan Sheng could easily see almost the entire layout of the courtyard with a casual glance. The courtyard wasn't large; besides the main hall, corridor, and the lawns in front and behind, there were only four rooms. But currently, only the two brothers, Ji Guo and his brother, lived there, making it feel somewhat empty.

The west-facing room, closest to the front yard and near the main hall, was Yoriichi Tsugikuni's residence. I recall that when Kokushibo Tsugikuni arrived, he immediately chose the innermost room, the one furthest from Yoriichi. His dislike for Yoriichi was quite obvious. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned; the east-facing room had poor lighting due to its proximity to the wall. Kokushibo Tsugikuni, in a fit of resentment, moved to the south-facing room, which was neither too far nor too close, but had the best lighting.

The first thing Yan Sheng did upon returning to the south room was to call out "1008," wanting to know if the plot had deviated from its intended course.

"Dear, this mission is indeed the meeting between the Child of God and the Demon King from the original story, but don't worry too much. Minor deviations won't change anything; you will still become a demon!"

1008 certainly understood what Yan Sheng was thinking, but based on the current feedback data, there was no impact or abnormality.

"...Alright, Liu Zi, that's all for you. Kneel down and leave."

Yan Sheng was in a bad mood at the moment; he didn't want to become a ghost who could only eat people to fill his stomach. However, the plot required it, and Yan Sheng wouldn't change the plot unless something serious happened.

"Let it be," Iwakatsu thought, looking down at the Nichirin Blade lying across his lap, a feeling of pure affection welling up within him. He raised his hand and gently stroked the blade. Iwakatsu knew this was the feeling of someone who was Tsugikuni Iwakatsu. He loved wielding a sword, loved the process and the result of becoming stronger; he wanted to become the greatest samurai—this was his goal, his dream, and his obsession.

Those who have read the original work know that Kokushibo (Koushibo) is a very gentle person and an absolute genius.

Unfortunately, this era was not suitable for him; feudal and autocratic thinking misled him.

It's a pity he was born into the wrong family; the responsibilities of wealth and the deep-seated arrogance oppressed him.

Unfortunately, he was not an only child; the god-like figure who was his younger brother was a nightmare that would haunt him forever.

"Knock knock knock".

As Iwakatsu was lost in thought, a sudden, rhythmic knocking reached his ears. Without even opening the door, Iwakatsu instinctively knew who was outside. He placed his Nichirin Blade on the low table, rose, and slowly walked to the door, but hesitated to open it.

The stalemate continued for a long time until the person at the door, who seemed to know everything, spoke softly.

"Brother, may Yoriichi go in?"