Chapter 171: So What If He

“Captain, did we arrive too late?”

The Tian Shu Bureau team has already arrived, but judging by the current situation, it seems one of them is already dead.

The team member looked at his captain, hesitantly asking.

“Seems like we did arrive a bit late.”

The captain was also frustrated—they had rushed here at top speed, but how long the battle between the Celestial Artifact bearers lasted was entirely beyond his control.

This fight was like fast-forwarded; even with the throttle wide open, they couldn’t catch up.

“But why did they even fight?”

“Do these two Celestial Artifact bearers have a grudge?”

He could never understand this—did Celestial Artifact bearers already have grudges before obtaining their artifacts, then show up to settle scores only to find the other had obtained one too?

“Captain, I might know.”

“Hmm? Go on.”

The captain looked at the team member in surprise.

“You probably heard the one with the sword shout ‘Breath of the Sun,’ right? So unless I’m wrong, he’s the Celestial Artifact bearer from the Demon Slayer world—though we don’t know if he’s modeled after Kyojuro Rengoku, Tanjiro, their lineage, or just possesses the Breath of the Sun technique.”

“And the other one—though hard to tell—his pale skin feels like a demon.”

“Maybe he obtained the demon’s legacy from the Demon Slayer world, turned into a demon himself, and was discovered by the other, triggering the fight.”

The team member deduced based on what he’d just heard, and the captain mused:

“You mean this guy might be a demon?”

The captain had watched Demon Slayer too—Japan had four things worth savoring: music, manga, anime.

Though he’d only encountered the anime after the dimensional incursion, he’d still seen some.

Demon Slayer was pretty popular before.

If this was the Demon Slayer Corps versus a demon, then it made perfect sense why they started fighting to the death immediately.

And now that we suspect he’s a demon, not just the swordsman—even I’d want to step in and subdue him.

Any demon appearing in reality, regardless of rank, is dangerous; the higher the rank, the more dangerous.

Especially this one, who can stand against a Breath of the Sun user—the danger is obvious.

But… is he already dead now?

Just as the captain thought this, a mad laugh suddenly erupted from the flames.

“Hahahaha! So that’s how it is!”

“The cost of activating the Demon Slayer Mark is far greater than I imagined—even that last strike was weaker than your normal state before you activated the Mark.”

“Such a weak attack—I actually thought I was going to die.”

“Hahahaha.”

Zhou Ming’s body twisted and deformed within the flames, yet regenerated at a visible rate.

If Li Shuyang’s previous strike had been his full-power attack in Marked state, Zhou Ming might truly have died—but it was even weaker than his normal state.

Clearly, the cost of activating the Mark was far greater than he’d assumed.

Such a weak attack—even if I stood still and let him strike, what difference would it make?

This level of damage doesn’t even require me to expend spiritual energy to heal.

He can’t kill me!

Li Shuyang, hearing Zhou Ming’s words, gritted his teeth and pushed himself up—just as the other had said, the side effects of forcibly activating the Mark were now showing; every muscle in his body screamed in protest; just two Breath of the Sun techniques had already forced him out of Marked state.

So that last strike was even weaker than his normal state.

Now, his spiritual energy was nearly gone—he couldn’t even muster that last strike again.

But he wouldn’t give up.

Just as he gripped his blade and prepared to step into the flames and continue fighting Zhou Ming, a stern voice rang through the air.

“Enough.”

The captain’s sharp command broke the stalemate; fully armed special agents had surrounded both men, their guns not yet aimed at them, but their bodies tense, ready to prevent any sudden movement.

“Seventh Special Operations Unit, Chaoyang City Tian Shu Bureau.”

The captain displayed his credentials, his gaze sweeping between the two.

“According to the [Regulations on the Management of Abilities], you two must immediately cease combat and cooperate with the investigation.”

Zhou Ming immediately raised his hands, pointing at Li Shuyang:

“I fully cooperate with the investigation! Also, I’m reporting this guy for breaking into my home and attacking me—I was acting in self-defense.”

Li Shuyang glanced at him, then said seriously to the captain:

“He’s the template holder of Muzan Kibutsuji—his hands are stained with countless lives. I recommend Tian Shu Bureau immediately deploy specialists in soul and aura tracking to locate every tissue in his body, to prevent any blood or flesh from escaping.”

“Or have Jiang Qingyao, the holder of the Eight Marvelous Techniques’ ‘Shuang Quan Shou,’ alter his soul, erase his demonic nature, and restore his humanity, to prevent demonic influence from overwhelming him and harming humans.”

“But to ensure absolute safety, it’s best to have Zhong Lao or Ye Shen eliminate him completely.”

The boy’s gaze was sharp as a blade, his words devoid of mercy.

He couldn’t kill him—so let someone else do it.

If it were Ye Shen or Zhong Lao, they’d surely have a way to kill him.

As for exposing him to sunlight during the day—given Muzan Kibutsuji’s template and human cunning, he’d likely have prepared for it already. Only the core temperature of Rengoku’s Flame or the weight of rock would truly reassure him.

“You’re full of shit!”

Zhou Ming’s temples bulged with veins.

“I’ve never killed a single chicken! And I only obtained the ability—not the template!”

Sure, after gaining Muzan’s power, he’d felt a bit inflated, and yes, he’d wanted to enjoy that superior status—but who wouldn’t?

He hadn’t even done anything yet!

Don’t you understand “Judge by deeds, not intentions; if you judge by intentions, no one is perfect”? Just because his power came from Muzan Kibutsuji, does that mean he deserves to die?

There are countless people in the world with evil thoughts—why aren’t they all arrested?

“How can you trust someone who’s a demon?”

“Even if you haven’t killed yet, you will—because you’re a demon!”

Li Shuyang said without hesitation.

“So what if he’s a demon? Does that mean he deserves to die?!”

Zhou Ming laughed bitterly with rage.

“Of course he does!”

“If he doesn’t die, who will the innocent people die for?”

Seeing the two on the verge of violence, the captain stepped forward swiftly, spreading his arms to separate them:

“Enough! Shut up!”

He rubbed his temples, his head throbbing.

If Zhou Ming was telling the truth—that he’d only obtained Muzan’s power without harming anyone—then under any regulation, he had no fault.

To condemn someone for a future possibility that might never happen, simply because of the power they obtained—that’s the kind of logic you’d find in a novel, where someone creates a protagonist or villain bent on destroying the world.

We can’t do that.

(End of Chapter)