Chapter 4 Going on a Mission

The next morning, Yan Sheng opened his eyes, groggily sat up, and looked around. Oh, he'd transmigrated. He had a mission today.

Yan Sheng sighed, resignedly got up, and folded the blankets neatly. He picked up the purple shirt hanging on the rack and held it up to himself. Perfect, he couldn't put it on. He'd just spent a long time battling wits with the loincloth yesterday, and now he had another problem first thing this morning.

Fortunately, getting dressed was much easier than last night. With his memory and instincts, Yan Sheng was dressed neatly in no time. Just as he was about to tie his hair, he realized his hairband was missing.

"Where's my hairband?"

Yan Sheng searched carefully, but it wasn't there. Could it have been lost when he went to take a shower yesterday? Just as Yan Sheng was wondering what to do, a familiar knock came at the door.

"Knock knock knock".

Iwakatsu got up and opened the door, where he saw Yoriichi Tsugikuni standing in the doorway carrying a basin of water and a white cloth. Seeing that the other person was clearly tidy up, Iwakatsu immediately understood that this was for him.

"Brother, can't you find your hair ribbon?"

Yoriichi Tsugikuni stared at Iwakatsu's loose long hair, and remembering how he had just seen Iwakatsu looking for something through the door, he immediately understood.

"Um."

Yan Sheng was still shocked that the other party was so early and so eager to go on the mission? No wonder he was the son of a god who hated ghosts like enemies.

"Brother, please wash up first. I'll go get you a hairband."

Yoriichi handed the basin of water and the white cloth to Iwakatsu, then turned and left, leaving Iwakatsu standing alone at the door.

Without much thought, Yan Sheng put on his tabi socks and clogs, then carried the basin to a stone table not far away. He put down the basin, scooped some water with his hand to rinse his mouth, and spat it into the grass beside him. Only then did he pick up a white cloth, wet it, and carefully wipe his face.

"Such rough cloth." Yan Sheng was a little disgusted, but in this era, it was impossible to be so picky. At least the clothes he was wearing were obviously made of high-quality fabric.

"Oh, what a miserable life."

As Iwakatsu wrung out the white cloth and poured water into the grass, Yoriichi Tsugikuni rushed over, carrying a red hairband and a piece of white cloth.

“Brother, this is the only hairband of this color that Yoriichi has left. Please use it for now.”

"good."

Iwakatsu took the hairband, put it in his mouth, and started tying his hair, completely unaware of Yoriichi Tsugikuni standing there dumbfounded.

"What's wrong?"

After tying his hair up, Yan Sheng tilted his head strangely at the wooden figure standing in front of him. Why was he staring at him with such a blank expression?

"It's alright, brother, here's your haori."

Yoriichi Tsugikuni then realized what was happening and hurriedly handed the clean white cloth to Iwakatsu. Iwakatsu then remembered that he also had a haori, a pure white one, so white that even the embroidered patterns on it were made with silver thread.

Iwakatsu didn't say much, took it and put it on directly. Looking at the white haori that was up to his thigh, he wondered if it would be difficult to wash and dry if it was stained with blood.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni was somewhat surprised, because he knew that Iwakatsu Tsugikuni disliked this haori. He rarely wore it, and when he did, he would frown. He truly didn't expect that this time he would wear it without showing any displeasure.

"What's wrong?"

Iwakatsu had finished packing and was ready to leave with his Nichirin Blade. He turned around and saw Yoriichi Tsugikuni standing still, watching him, and felt an immediate sense of displeasure.

"No, then let's set off, brother."

Yoriichi Tsugikuni noticed Iwakatsu's emotions and quickly followed in his footsteps.

In this era without any means of transportation, the best way for ordinary families to travel was on foot.

Iwakatsu initially thought that with his physical condition, traveling shouldn't be a big problem. Unfortunately, this was contingent on having adequate rest.

Looking at Yoriichi Tsugikuni beside him, who hadn't shed a single drop of sweat, Iwakatsu gritted his teeth inwardly. Having traveled for six hours straight without a drop of water, Iwakatsu felt his mouth parched.

"Wait a moment."

Iwakatsu couldn't take it anymore; the long, non-stop trekking through the mountains had left him breathless. Glancing at Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who had stopped and was looking at him, Iwakatsu thought for a moment and then spoke.

"I'm so tired, I need to rest. I'm a little dehydrated."

Yan Sheng is not Ji Guo Yan Sheng; he really can't grit his teeth and persevere for the sake of saving face. Traveling for twelve hours is already his limit. If it weren't for his good physical condition and special breathing technique, Yan Sheng would have collapsed from exhaustion by now.

"I'm sorry, elder brother. It was Yoriichi who didn't think things through, and I've made you suffer because of him."

Seeing Iwakatsu looking somewhat tired and sweating profusely, Yoriichi Tsugikuni quickly took out his water bottle and handed it to him. He glanced around and, through the clear view, saw houses a few kilometers away.

What the heck?

Yan Sheng felt something was off about those words, but his exhaustion prevented him from thinking about it too much. He took the water bottle and started filling it with water.

"Brother, there seems to be a village not far away. Why don't you rest for a bit, and Yoriichi go take a look?"

Yoriichi asked softly, noticing that Iwakatsu paused in his drinking motion and looked at him with his beautiful phoenix eyes.

"good."

After receiving a reply, Yoriichi Tsugikuni took out a one-meter-wide piece of burlap, laid it flat on the relatively flat grass, and turned to leave quickly.

"???"

Is she some kind of rich young lady? And she even brought a piece of cloth? Yan Sheng felt confused, but still sat down on the cloth. Hmm, why sit on the dirt when there's a clean place to sit?

The sun has set, and it is pitch black all around. The only source of light is the full moon high in the clouds. The moon is very round tonight, and its light shines intermittently through the dense trees onto Yan Sheng, who is resting with his eyes closed.

Meanwhile, Yoriichi Tsugikuni arrived at the village at an extremely fast pace. When he was still several hundred meters away from the houses, Yoriichi distinctly smelled a faint odor of blood. He slowed down and looked more closely.

From a clear perspective, the small village was devoid of any atmosphere. Apart from the strong smell of blood, the quiet village was filled with the remains of corpses scattered throughout.

The location wasn't far from where the mission was supposed to be, and Yoriichi Tsugikuni immediately became alert. Another village had been wiped out in such a short time; this demon was no ordinary opponent.

"brush--."

Yoriichi drew his sword in an instant, the crimson blade slicing down the object that had been thrust at him. What fell onto the haystack was a fleshy whip with barbs; from Yoriichi's perspective, this part, clearly belonging to a demon, put up a fierce resistance before slowly dissipating.

"brush--."

With a swift stroke, Yoriichi swiftly slew the demon hiding behind the house. Watching the demon roll and dissipate at his feet, Yoriichi sensed something was amiss.

Too weak. With that kind of strength, it's impossible for so many Demon Slayer Corps members to have perished. Yoriichi Tsugikuni felt a strange unease creeping into his heart.

On the other side

Iwakatsu had rested enough and got up to stretch. He wondered whether he should look for Yoriichi Tsugikuni, but all he could find were dense forests all around.

As Yan Sheng hesitated, he heard the sound of footsteps on tree branches ahead. Yan Sheng looked up, his pupils suddenly contracting.

Two people approached from the front. The one in front of the woman was a man exuding a bloodthirsty and repulsive aura. He wore a kimono with lace patterns, had pale skin, black curly hair, and prominent blood-red vertical pupils.

——Oniwu Tsuji Muzan.