Chapter 34 Meeting Tamayo

"Tamayo?"

Yan Sheng looked at the woman in front of him, somewhat surprised. The last time he saw her, he was still human.

"Who are you? Mr. Yoriichi."

Tamayo turned around, looked up at Iwakatsu in surprise, but then a look of confusion crossed her face. As if she had thought of something, she asked uncertainly.

“You are Mr. Yoriichi’s older brother, Mr. Iwakatsu.”

Tamayo still remembered the swordsman wielding the purple crescent moon sword; he was magnificent and beautiful. She saw him again after she and Yoriichi Tsugikuni teamed up.

At that time, Yoriichi Tsugikuni was searching for her missing brother. They chatted for a while, and she learned from him about Muzan Kibutsuji's whereabouts, which allowed her to hide safely. At the same time, she also learned that his brother, Kokushibo Tsugikuni, had become a demon.

Thinking of this, Tamayo silently took a few steps back; she hadn't noticed at all. In fact, most demons can be identified by their aura and powerful pressure. Powerful demons can hide themselves, but those like Iwakatsu, who have virtually none, are extremely rare.

"I won't... arrest you."

Yan Sheng watched the other person's actions and spoke indifferently. He indeed couldn't capture Tamayo; she was a crucial element affecting the plot.

"Why...?"

Tamayo actually wanted to leave quickly, but looking at Kokushibo's face—that pale, handsome face so different from before—she felt a pang of gratitude towards Yoriichi Tsugikuni. If it weren't for him, she would still be under Muzan Kibutsuji's control. Therefore, she wanted to help him, but she was also worried about being discovered by Muzan.

"Not for... anything."

Iwakatsu replied that he wanted to see the blue flower that Kibutsuji Muzan had shown him. He said he had just happened to run into Tamayo, and if nothing else happened, he would pretend he didn't know anything.

"You weren't controlled by Muzan?"

Tamayo noticed something amiss. If Muzan Kibutsuji knew, he would immediately arrest her or have Iwakatsu take action. This is because Muzan Kibutsuji has the ability to monitor and control demons at any time.

Iwakatsu didn't seem worried at all. He didn't seem to be trying to please or obey Muzan Kibutsuji, unlike the demons that Tamayo had seen before.

"……No."

Yan Sheng was still patient with this brave character. He had liked her a lot before and felt that she was the type he could be friends with, but their identities were not suitable.

"Mr. Iwakatsu, um, could we talk?"

Tamayo was very clever. She realized that Iwakatsu had goodwill towards her. After thinking for a moment, she decided to try talking to him to see if there was a chance to cooperate.

Iwakatsu was a little confused; he didn't know why Tamayo wanted to chat with him.

"good……"

Iwakatsu did not refuse. He was curious about what the other party wanted to talk to him about. Anyway, Muzan Kibutsuji didn't know either.

"Then let's go, Mr. Iwakatsu."

Tamayo seemed to know the place well. After seeing that Iwakatsu had agreed, she called over a waiter. After a brief exchange, the waiter led the two of them to a private room on the second floor.

As Iwakatsu walked up the stairs, he could see a modern feel that was completely different from his surroundings, its design clashing with everything else. Iwakatsu wanted to look around, but his upbringing held him back. Watching Tamayo walk ahead of him, his thoughts raced.

In the original story, the two should not have met. Could it be because he was injured after meeting Yoriichi Tsugikuni? It seems that he hasn't seen Tsugikuni Kokusatsu since he became a demon, except for their last meeting.

"Gentlemen, we've arrived. Just let us know if you need anything."

The shop assistant who led the way pushed open a door. Unlike the previous sliding doors, this one was a sliding door, and the wood grain used to make it was exquisite.

After Iwakatsu entered the private room, Tamayo latched the door shut. Iwakatsu looked at the tea set on the low table, knelt down, and began to brew tea.

It's been a long time since I've brewed tea. Due to family reasons, Iwakatsu had to learn how to brew tea from a young age, so he can skillfully brew a good cup of tea even with these slightly different teaware.

“Mr. Iwakatsu, why don’t you explain my situation to Muzan Kibutsuji? If I’m not mistaken, he’s probably very eager to catch me.”

This was the first question Tamayo asked after kneeling down, and it was also the question she was most curious about.

That's right, every time an experiment fails, they'll mention your name and give you a beating.

Iwakatsu recalled the mess he always saw and the swearing, disreputable boss whenever he was summoned. He silently took a sip of tea, but it still tasted bland. He put down his teacup, looked directly at Tamayo sitting opposite him, and spoke softly.

"Because I don't want to do it. Muzan-sama... has no choice but to force me to do it."

Iwakatsu lowered his eyes, and when he looked up at Tamayo again, he had removed his mimicry. All six golden eyes stared at Tamayo, and the intense pressure made Tamayo tremble slightly.

Tamayo looked up and saw Upper Moon One displayed in Iwakatsu's eyes, recalling the news she had learned not long ago. Muzan Kibutsuji was organizing a group of twelve String Moons composed of powerful demons, ranked by strength as Upper Moon One to Lower Moon One, from One to Six.

"Do you still want to return to being a human? I've heard that you didn't do it willingly; Mr. Yoriichi has been looking for you."

Tamayo asked the question, her own purpose being to speak with Iwakatsu on behalf of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, as she personally did not want to get too close to demons.

Iwakatsu sat there upright, but his inner thoughts were far from as calm as they appeared. He had known for a long time that Yoriichi Tsugikuni would be looking for him, but he wasn't sure whether it was to see him or for some other reason. Thinking of this, Iwakatsu felt the wound in his chest begin to ache again.

Iwakatsu didn't know how to start the conversation, but then he suddenly remembered that during his previous conversation with Kawakami Akio, he seemed to have been misunderstood because he hadn't recognized him. On a whim, Iwakatsu began to put on his poorly-performed acting again.

"I...voluntarily became a demon. At that time, because of my...goal, I accepted...Muzan-sama's cooperation."

After Iwakatsu finished speaking, he frowned slightly, pretending to think, and asked Tamayo in a very puzzled tone. His serious appearance made people believe him.

Who is Yoriichi?

Well, Iwakatsu plans to feign amnesia because if he comes up with another reason, it will be difficult to handle if his cooperative relationship with Muzan Kibutsuji is exposed in the future.

Seeing the other person's completely unexpected expression, Yan Sheng calmly took a sip of tea.

It seems that the clichéd plots from old romance novels are still quite effective; you don't need to say anything, just one sentence can completely control the other person.

Tamayo seemed surprised as well, and began to suspect that Muzan Kibutsuji had deliberately erased Iwakatsu's memories. Seeing that the other party seemed completely unaffected, she sighed inwardly.

Mr. Yoriichi, this is a bit difficult.

Tamayo still didn't explain his complicated past to Iwakatsu, but only told him that Yoriichi Tsugikuni was his younger brother and that the two looked very alike.

"Is that so?" Yan Sheng pretended to be nonchalant and took a sip of tea. "But I don't think I really want to hear that name."

Yan Sheng felt he hadn't said anything wrong; he had been very tactful. Ji Guo Yan Sheng was a strange person whose stomach would hurt at the mere mention of his name and who would feel nauseous upon seeing him.

"..."

Tamayo didn't understand. She felt that she shouldn't have come over to talk to Iwakatsu on behalf of Yoriichi Tsugikuni. If he didn't remember her at all, she wouldn't be able to bring up her idea of ​​cooperating.