The bustling night in Yoshiwara's red-light district was ablaze with lights, making it impossible to tell that it was already deep into the night.
The streets were packed shoulder-to-shoulder with pedestrians, the air thick with the heavy scent of rouge, and the ears filled with the soft, coquettish calls of various courtesans.
From time to time, fleeting glances revealed glimpses of intimate scenes through slightly ajar doors and windows of the brothels lining the streets.
If one lingered in certain spots and listened carefully, faint moans of primal desire—whether from men or women—could be heard.
Tengen was right—this entire Red-light district was a sleepless land teeming with countless tales of love, hatred, vanity, and desire.
Yet, the young officer strolling leisurely through this sleepless land, a long sword at his waist, seemed utterly unaffected by his surroundings.
His cold, youthful features remained composed, appearing starkly out of place amidst the extravagance of Yoshiwara's Red-light district.
Though the special trades of Yoshiwara were legal, in the eyes of most ordinary people, the flesh trade was always shameful, something unfit for decent society—even the geishas themselves thought so.
This naturally led to an inexplicable sense of inferiority among nearly all geishas when facing ordinary people, let alone a police officer—a figure practically synonymous with justice and righteousness.
Thus, when Shinichi, clad in his police uniform, appeared in the eyes of the many young women of the Red-light district, he instantly became the center of attention.
"Officer~ Come up and share a cup of sake with me~ My treat~"
"Such a handsome young man~ Why not rest at our Matsueya? Our green tea has a unique flavor~"
"Officer~ Won't you sit for a while? This humble girl recently had something stolen… and now, seeing you, my heart has been stolen too~"
From the brothels on either side of the street, numerous beautiful young women adorned with rouge and powder cast flirtatious glances at Shinichi, teasing him in the most delicate tones.
The reason for their enthusiasm wasn't just Shinichi's striking appearance—it ran deeper.
Humans inherently harbor a destructive desire, and Shinichi's police uniform was simply too imposing for the average geisha.
If even a young, righteous officer like Shinichi could fall for their charms and succumb to their land of tenderness, how satisfying would that sense of accomplishment be?
Yet, Shinichi remained unfazed by their advances, continuing his leisurely stroll through the streets of the Red-light district.
In Shinichi's eyes, beneath Yoshiwara's surface glamour lurked countless shadows of darkness.
In the secluded alleyways, pale-faced paupers—young and old—stared blankly at the bustling scene before them with hollow eyes.
Some carried heavy loads, while others simply laid out broken bowls to beg—all struggling desperately for a few coins to fill their stomachs.
Along the way, Shinichi even witnessed no fewer than seven or eight little girls with straws stuck in their hair, led by their parents.
These girls, with their brittle hair and innocent eyes, had no idea what fate awaited them.
The best outcome might be catching the eye of a renowned brothel madam, who would buy and train them as new geishas, destined to live the same life as most in Yoshiwara's Red-light district.
Watching all this unfold before his eyes, Shinichi could only stand by.
He wasn't some saintly do-gooder—he was a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps.
His duty was to slay the Demons lurking in the darkness, but when it came to the darkness within humanity itself, Shinichi was powerless.
"Ow! How dare you hit me!? This is outrageous! Someone stop that man! He drank without paying and then assaulted me!"
Suddenly, a shrill cry rang out ahead of Shinichi, followed by a commotion in the crowd as the pedestrians blocking his path hastily stepped aside.
Soon, Shinichi saw a disheveled, bare-chested, burly man with bloodshot eyes, cursing nonstop as he staggered forward.
"Goddammit! All of you, get outta my way! Scram! Don't block me! Move!" The man reeked of alcohol, clearly drunk.
Behind him, an older woman in plain clothes chased after him in a panic, shouting for someone to stop him.
The earlier wail must have come from this woman.
Clearly, the brute was a drunkard refusing to pay, and the woman was likely the Madam of the establishment.
Yet, no matter how desperately the Madam cried out, none of the pedestrians dared to block the drunkard's path.
The reason was simple—the man had a crude longsword strapped to his waist.
Combined with his half-shaven head, it was obvious: he was a sword-wielding ronin.
Though the sword ban had been in effect for years, lawless ronin like him always slipped through the cracks.
As the cursing ronin was about to leave, the Madam grew frantic.
Then, in her desperation, her gaze swept over the crowd—and locked onto the striking black uniform.
Instantly, she latched onto this lifeline and shouted, "Officer! Please stop that man! He drank without paying!"
Whoosh!
The Madam's cry instantly drew everyone's attention to Shinichi—including the drunken ronin.
"What cop? What's a cop doing in a place like this? Hah! Probably not a decent one either. Get lost, you scrawny brat! Don't get in my way!"
The drunkard glared at Shinichi with bloodshot eyes, slurring his words.
The pedestrians ahead had already wisely cleared a path.
Now, Shinichi and the ronin stood face to face.
Facing the drunk man, Shinichi's lips curled slightly as he calmly asked.
"You drank without paying?"
"What? Speak up, will ya? you sound like some damn woman—piss off!" The ronin bellowed, then tried to shove past Shinichi without another glance.
But the next second—
Snap!
The ronin's arm was seized in an iron grip.
He turned his bloodshot eyes to meet Shinichi's heterochromatic gaze and the same eerily composed question rang out again.
"You drank without paying?"
"Bastard! What's it to you, you black-clad mutt? That brothel wouldn't even let me touch a girl—why the hell should I pay? Let go!" the ronin roared furiously.
"Ah. So you really didn't pay."
"You little shit! You're dead!"
Whoosh! Slash! Thud!
Boom!
"Aaaahhh!!!"
A bloodcurdling scream tore through the red-light district, drawing shocked gasps from the onlookers.
By the time the frantic Madam pushed through the crowd, the sight that greeted her left her utterly stunned.
The once-arrogant ronin now lay curled up on the ground like a dog, his long sword broken in two at some point, with a short blade cruelly piercing through his clasped hands.
Meanwhile, the handsome yet slender young officer held a money pouch, his expression calm as he scanned the crowd.
Soon, Shinichi spotted the gaping Madam and casually tossed the pouch to her.
"Tokihei House, right? Take me inside."
----------------------------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator