Chapter 49 "No, I don't know Hei Mou!"

and indoors.

The rest of the people had already taken their seats in order, and the gap in the very center was clearly reserved for them, a gesture that was almost too much for them to bear.

Aori met Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the most respected figure among the Demon Slayer Corps members.

Unlike what I remembered, he seemed to be seriously ill. His upper face was covered with scars, and the exposed skin was sickly pale. He looked very weak.

Giyu Tomioka and Sabito helped Aori to her seat, and as usual, they stood guard on either side of the girl. Then, as always, they bowed to Kagaya Ubuyashiki.

They displayed their solemn side.

Ah Zhi was a beat behind and tried to follow suit, but she was stopped by having her arm held by the hand just as her hand touched the ground.

She looked up blankly and saw Kagaya Ubuyashiki leaning slightly forward, smiling gently as he said to her, "There's no need for that. This time, I'd like to ask Ms. Aori for help."

To be honest, at that moment, Azhi felt like she was basking in a spring breeze.

She was in a daze for several seconds before she noticed that the lord's eyes were empty and blank as he looked at her.

—He seems to be blind.

Realizing this fact, Azhi hurriedly looked away.

Such obvious little movements could not fool Kagaya Ubuyashiki. Although he could not see them, his other senses were very sharp.

He knew that Azhi was a person with a pure aura.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki said in a very gentle tone, "Ms. Aori, I think Giyuu and Sabito have already informed you in advance, so let's get straight to the point."

Compared to others, he spoke slowly, which calmed people down and made them unconsciously want to do things according to his instructions.

Azhi nodded blankly.

And so, she became the center of attention once again.

The room was very quiet; even slightly rapid breathing could be heard clearly. It was an environment deliberately created that was most suitable for conversation.

Moreover, it was clearly visible that the composure on the faces of those around them was replaced by urgency. They opened their eyes wide, wanting to know directly from Aori about Upper Moon One, Kokushibo.

This might be the closest they've ever come to Upper Moon One. If they could get some useful information on exorcising the demon, that would be even better.

All those looking over were extremely focused, and it was impossible to tell whose gaze was more intense.

Azhi held her breath for a moment, then gently clenched her hands, which were now soaked with sweat, feeling as if she were about to cry.

Looking back on those days, it can be summarized as eating and sleeping. The only setback was encountering another Upper Moon, but Aori knew that just saying that was absolutely not enough.

She started to panic again: "I'm doomed, they'll be so disappointed."

The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Azhi was worried that the pillars, whose hopes had been dashed, would be very angry.

000, on the other hand, was very direct, soothing the girl's tense nerves: "Say whatever you want, don't worry about them."

Ultimately, 000 only cares about A-Zhi the most; the target of the mission barely ranks second, and the others are even less of a concern.

Aori chattered on and on: 【Why don't we just leave it at that… Giyuu and Sabito both asked me for help, and… that girl seemed really curious too…】

She selectively ignored the pillars that intimidated her.

000: Destroy it, I'm tired.

There was no way to avoid it, so Azhi had no choice but to face reality. But before she could even open her mouth, she had already started awkwardly picking at her fingers.

She stared intently at the back of her hand, and suddenly felt a large, encouraging hand soothe her back.

Whether it was Giyu Tomioka or Sabito, whoever it was, that hand seemed to possess a special magic that instantly calmed her down.

…………

Azhi is going to start from the very beginning, and she tries her best to explain everything clearly.

From seeing that "person" with blood-red eyes at the Tokitoya, to being controlled by Ribbon Demon, and then encountering Kokushibo, this part is basically consistent with Tanjiro Kamado's description.

Next comes the main event...

Then, the pillars, who had been listening intently for a long time, began to doubt their own hearing.

The girl spoke as she recalled events, occasionally pausing to pause and then furrowing her brow in thought, which made her words seem more credible.

Of course, this credibility is predicated on the fact that what she says isn't as fantastical as it seems.

During that short, undisturbed half hour, Azhi was led to that unfamiliar mountain cabin, then Shangxian treated her fever, and then prepared a meal. Everything was explained clearly, with basically nothing missing.

Except for some details that cannot be spoken of.

"…………"

To be fair, everything the girl said was quite objective. She didn't use any extra words to describe it; she simply recounted her experience in the most straightforward way.

However, it is still incredible, even fantastical.

Upper Moon One, Kokushibo, the strongest demon under Muzan Kibutsuji, kidnapped a weak woman, treated her illness when she was sick, and cooked for her when she was hungry? Is this really not made up?

In the silence, everyone except A-Zhi felt as if they were listening to a fairy tale, and it wouldn't feel out of place if the ghost in the story were replaced with a human.

You could even comment, "How considerate!"

So, are they really not dreaming?

Himejima Gyomei's hand, which was holding the prayer beads, paused. Rengoku Kyojuro's eyes widened even more, and even Obanai Iguro's tassel on her neck almost got knotted...

The atmosphere suddenly became very strange.

Under these circumstances, Azhi dared not continue speaking.

Her full lips had lost their color from being pursed so tightly, but when she relaxed, a deeper color returned.

She cautiously looked to her left, in the direction of Shinobu Kocho. Ori, who had hoped to get some feedback from the young lady, bumped into another pillar instead.

With his arms crossed, Uzui Tengen looked down at Aori because of his height, and the face paint covering part of his face made him appear even more unapproachable.

His expression was strange, his eyes sharp, and his voice filled with disbelief: "You're saying, Upper Moon One cooks for you?"

Azhi wanted to look away, but the man's eyes were like a deep pool hidden in the mountains, very deep and unfathomable.

Once you're caught in his gaze, you can only sink into it and can't escape; it's incredibly oppressive.

She shuddered reflexively, swallowed hard, and thought back, her dark eyes blinking earnestly: "Yes, it was grilled fish."

Uzui Tengen: "…………"

I didn't ask you what you ate.

Uzui Tengen was just testing the waters casually. The reason he asked such a question was not because he had no other questions to ask, but rather because he had too many questions to ask.

It sounds a bit convoluted, but that's what he was thinking, so he chose the one that sounded the craziest.

I'm going to make grilled fish for Shangxian Yi! Haha, that's crazy!

Silence fell again. Azhi bit her lip, unsure whether she could continue. In fact, her hesitation was justified.

Sanemi Shinazugawa tried to hold back, but he couldn't resist.

He felt that he had been listening so attentively, which was a complete waste of time, and he couldn't contain his anger any longer, so he rudely interrupted Azhi.

He chuckled. "You know Upper Moon One, don't you?"

Sanemi Shinazugawa always believed that it was impossible for an ordinary person to escape from an Upper Moon demon. Of course, this did not mean that he wanted to hear the bad news of Ori's death.

He simply didn't believe in demons, and he didn't believe that Upper Moon One Kokushibo would be so "kind" to humans, so he chose another possibility in an extremely extreme way.

The white-haired swordsman frowned, his already fierce face becoming even more menacing. His tone wasn't one of questioning; his rough, hoarse voice was full of certainty, as if he had already tacitly acknowledged the girl's collusion with the demon...

He wasn't the only one present who thought so; at least Obanai Iguro favored Sanemi Shinazugawa. The white snake, flicking its tongue, slowly crawled up his neck, and his gaze, like that snake, sent chills down one's spine.

They were all much taller than Azhi, and each of them had a condescending attitude, as if they were forcing her to admit something.

Anyone else present would probably be so angry they'd draw their swords if they were said that to them. Even Sabito, who was known for his good temper, couldn't hold back. His emotions clearly fluctuated, and a hint of anger flickered in his eyes.

However, it was Shinobu Kocho who spoke up. The smile that had been on her face disappeared, and she said to Sanemi Shinazugawa with a blank expression, "Mr. Shinazugawa, please watch your words!"

In her view, Sanemi Shinazugawa's statement was very arbitrary and rather hurtful.

A clear-cut standoff gradually took shape.

Fortunately, Aori didn't pick up on the suspicion hidden in the white-haired swordsman's words at all; she was once again startled by Shinazugawa Sanemi's sudden outburst.

Throughout, Azhi felt that this pillar had been acting very irritable, so irritable that he wanted to hit people. When he looked over, his eyes even turned bloodshot.

She had breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed that the pillar was far away from her, but now it seemed to be only a few body lengths away.

It felt like he could stand up and take a few steps to rush up to her, then impatiently punch her, all because she had been rambling on for half an hour.

And these people's time is so precious.

The increasingly terrifying images flashing through her mind made her panic. Her body involuntarily leaned back, and she slid onto Yoshiyuki Tomioka, who was sitting a little behind her.

The pretty young lady's voice temporarily diverted everyone's attention.

Azhi looked around in bewilderment. The back of her head bumped against the black-haired swordsman's shoulder and neck, and her back was pressed against his broad chest. This simple support gave her a sense of security.

To be honest, she desperately wanted to turn around and bury her face in Yoshiyuki Tomioka's shoulder.

In that case, the black-haired swordsman would cover her with his strong arms, and she could avoid all the things that made her unhappy.

But even through the thin fabric, she could tell that Yoshiyuki Tomioka's chest was heaving with heavy breathing.

He was also angry because of his companions' unfriendly attitude, just like Sabito, and also because of that girl.

Azhi doesn't want any problems to cause internal conflicts within their otherwise harmonious group, so this issue needs to be resolved.

Her thick eyelashes fluttered, and Aori quickly looked at Shinazugawa Sanemi. Gathering her courage, she denied it softly but firmly: "No, I don't know Kokushibo!"

The girl's eyes were pure and innocent, without the slightest hint of awkwardness, making it impossible for anyone to want to dwell on the issue any further.

Everyone could tell that she wasn't lying.

Sanemi Shinazugawa: "..."

It was like punching cotton.

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Author's Note: Kokushibo: The sea knows when the fish cries, but who knows when I cry?

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 15:21:25 and 23:27:25 on June 5, 2023!

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: 10 bottles from Shierqiu;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!