Chapter 66

Tanjuro wanted to stop him, but his chest began to ache, and a tickle in his throat caused him to cough violently.

"Father!" Little Tanjiro stood to the side in a panic, wanting to help but not knowing how.

Hearing Tanjuro's violent coughing, the oden shop owner hesitated and turned back, gently patting Tanjuro on the back. "With your health, you really need to get some good rest."

Boom!!!!

No sooner had he finished speaking than a huge noise erupted from the carpentry shop ahead, and the entire shop shook violently, startling everyone nearby.

The next second, a black shadow flew out from inside, landing right at the feet of the oden shop owner.

It looked like a human, but it was covered in sharp fangs and claws, its face ferocious.

The oden shop owner only took one look before he was so scared he kept backing away.

Although it wasn't noon, the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the demon, still unleashing astonishing power and instantly igniting its entire body.

"Ahhhhh!!!!"

The demon wailed in agony, drawing many vendors to watch.

Some were trembling with fear at the sight, their intense terror mixed with confusion and bewilderment.

What kind of thing was this?

Everyone watched as the monster that looked like a human was burned to ashes.

Tanjuro had long since covered little Tanjiro's eyes, watching the entire process of the monster's death with a pounding heart.

Everything was real.

"Where is that young man?" Tanjuro, having regained his senses, looked toward the carpentry shop; it was pitch black inside, and he couldn't see anything.

"Was this monster thrown out by that young man from before?" The oden shop owner was almost scared silly, his face deathly pale.

While the two were still confused, Chu Yang had already left the shop through the back door, reached the woods outside the town, and taken out his zanbato.

The commotion just now was too great; it wasn't convenient for Chu Yang to stay in town, and even less convenient to have too much interaction with Tanjuro in front of everyone, which wouldn't be good for his future life.

So, Chu Yang simply slipped out during the chaos.

He climbed up a tree and leaned against the trunk to doze off, waiting for Tanjuro outside.

A short while later, Tanjuro finally appeared at the end of the mountain path, holding little Tanjiro's hand.

"You're slow."

Chu Yang leaped down from the tree and landed in front of the father and son.

"Thank you for earlier. If it weren't for you, I think I would have run right into that demon." Recalling the situation just now, Tanjuro felt lingering fear and was immensely grateful.

"It's not worth any gratitude; I had my reasons for saving you." Chu Yang waved his hand and then said seriously: "I want to make a deal with you."

Tanjuro was instantly bewildered; apart from selling charcoal, he didn't have anything worth trading.

Chu Yang got straight to the point: "I want you to teach me the Kagura dance. In exchange, I will give you a significant amount of money so that you and your family can live better."

"So that's it." Tanjuro immediately realized that what Chu Yang had his eye on was his family's inherited Kagura dance. He thought about it and felt it made sense; the only thing of value he possessed was the Kagura dance.

"But... how did you know about the Kagura dance?" Tanjuro asked in confusion.

"Let's talk while we walk." Chu Yang bent down to pick up the sleepy-eyed Tanjiro and walked ahead on his own. Tanjuro was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly chased after him.

Subsequently, Chu Yang told Tanjuro everything about the origin of demons, the history of the Demon Slayer Corps, and the friendship between Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Sumiyoshi.

For this man whose life was nearing its end, Chu Yang didn't need to hide anything, and given Tanjuro's personality, he wouldn't spread these secrets around.

As they talked, the two were almost at Tanjuro's home in the mountains.

Learning everything, Tanjuro felt an indescribable emotion in his heart. He hadn't expected that in the end, Sun Breathing would be passed down in this way. "Looking at it this way, my short life has meaning too." Tanjuro smiled, his eyes shining with a brilliance they had never had before.

"Even without mentioning Sun Breathing, you are an excellent father. The meaning of your life isn't bestowed by Sun Breathing, but by your children." Chu Yang replied sincerely.

Mentioning his children, Tanjuro felt relieved. No matter what, he had to leave something behind so that his wife and children could live a little easier in the future.

He had no reason to refuse Chu Yang's deal, and the other party didn't seem like a bad person.

In the end, Tanjuro performed the Kagura dance for Chu Yang at his doorstep. His movements were extremely fluid and agile, not at all like those of a sick man.

After performing it once, Tanjuro prepared to perform it a second time, but was stopped by Chu Yang. With Chu Yang's talent, he could fully grasp the essentials after watching it just once.

If Tanjuro were to perform the Kagura dance twice in a row, his body would be severely overdrawn.

As agreed, Chu Yang left behind a sum of wealth to ensure that after Tanjuro passed away, the orphans and widow he left behind could live well.

And this wealth happened to be obtained from the demon at the carpentry shop.

That demon had spent years mingling in human society, preying on humans and enjoying looting items from the dead as its trophies. Over time, it had accumulated more and more valuable things.

Chu Yang had little interest in wealth; no amount of wealth could be exchanged for Sun Breathing.

Besides wealth, Chu Yang also specifically used Wood Release chakra to help Tanjuro restore some vitality. Although it couldn't completely cure his illness, it could extend his life by a few years, giving him the chance to watch Tanjiro grow into adulthood.

Interestingly, Tanjiro, in his sleep, seemed to feel something.

He gripped Chu Yang's clothes tightly, refusing to let him go. It took Chu Yang quite some effort to break free.

After bidding farewell to Tanjuro's family, Chu Yang's lonely figure once again vanished into the darkness.

Tanjuro stood by the door, gazing at Chu Yang's retreating back.

In the dark night, he looked up at the heavens and prayed sincerely in his heart.

"May the gods protect you!"

Emerging from Tanjuro's home, Chu Yang returned the way he came. When he passed through the small town again, it was exceptionally lively.

The carpentry shop was covered in blood.

The bodies of the owner's family had been gnawed beyond recognition by the demon. How could such a horrific crime scene not cause a sensation? More importantly, many vendors had witnessed the entire process of the demon's death at the time.

Just as Chu Yang was worrying about what to do,

he saw members of the "Hidden Unit" around the town.

Clearly, they had been sent by the Demon Slayer Corps to handle the aftermath.

The town was in a relatively remote location.

It wasn't easy for news and rumors to spread out, so the impact was small and relatively easy to handle.

What was truly tricky were the battles that broke out near Kyoto, which were hard to cover up; the Ubuyashiki family even had to use their official connections.

In a small place like this, as long as there was enough money, even the biggest matters could be suppressed, and the Ubuyashiki family was never short of money.

Professional matters should be left to professionals. Chu Yang had no intention of being a hindrance; instead, he planned to return to the temple to practice Sun Breathing, and if a mission came, he would go kill demons.

As for the Butterfly Mansion, once Sakonji Urokodaki figured things out, he would naturally go visit Makomo; that wasn't something Chu Yang could interfere with.

After joining the Demon Slayer Corps, Chu Yang began a life of killing demons and training, a simple two-point line.

The situation for Chu Yang in the Pirate World and the Naruto World was roughly the same.

And on the other side, in the Harry Potter world, Chu Yang welcomed the first Halloween of his student life at Hogwarts.

(End of chapter)