"Nenyuki?" Sishu mumbled the town's strange name. Though puzzled, he walked in quickly. Just before sunrise, he found an inn and rented a room.
"I'd like to take a bath."
Sishu didn't object to Tamayo's sudden request. After all, according to her, she hadn't bathed in several months. No matter what, she was still a woman. She had endured it while on the run because she had no choice, but now that she had the chance, she naturally didn't want to stay dirty.
"Do you have a change of clothes?" he asked casually. After saying it, he suddenly felt something was off. Tamayo hadn't bathed in months, so of course she wouldn't have clean clothes. And she couldn't wear her old clothes to buy new ones, which left only one possibility.
He would have to buy clothes for her!
Indeed, after hearing Sishu's words, Tamayo's face turned red. "No." She rubbed her fingers together, shy and nervous, her voice almost distorted. "Um, if it's not too much trouble, could you buy some clothes for me?"
"I can, but... what size should I get?"
One problem led to another. Faced with this new question from Sishu, Tamayo blushed from her ears all the way down to her neck. She waved her hand, motioning for Sishu to come closer. Standing on her tiptoes, her small, fair hand grabbed Sishu's ear, and she brought her lips close.
Then, Tamayo told Sishu the key points on how to buy clothes that would fit her figure. The warm breath tickling his ear felt a bit tingly, and Sishu almost didn't hear what she said.
"Alright, that's about it." After speaking, Tamayo took a few steps back, the blush on her face even more pronounced. This was the first time she had shared such private information with someone; in the past, she had always bought her own clothes.
"Ah, right. You go take your bath. I'll go buy them right away." Sishu scratched his nose, coughed twice, and walked out of the room.
Watching Sishu flee in disarray, Tamayo couldn't help but laugh. She never thought this Demon Slayer, so ruthless and cold towards demons, would have such a side to him. She chuckled lightly, covering her mouth, before slowly taking off her dirty clothes, preparing to take a nice bath.
Meanwhile, Sishu had already reached the nearest market. He walked into the busiest shop, planning to buy some nice clothes for Tamayo. After picking out a few outfits that were the right size and had nice colors and styles, Sishu took the clothes to the shopkeeper.
"That will be two kan."
Sishu nodded and reached into his pocket. At that moment, he froze. He suddenly realized he had no money. The money he had saved from hunting demons for the Demon Slayer Corps had been spent long ago over the past decades. Afterward, he had always been alone, and people had always offered him food and lodging after he hunted demons. As a result, he didn't have a single coin to his name now.
Noticing Sishu's strange behavior, the shopkeeper said, "Did you forget to bring money, Sir Samurai? You can leave the items here and come back for them later."
Hearing this, Sishu didn't hesitate. He pushed the clothes back towards the shopkeeper, then rushed out of the store and ran deeper into the town. That's right, Sishu planned to find a temporary job on the spot to earn the money for the clothes.
Perhaps I should find some time to earn some money. Money isn't everything, but you can't do anything without it. To live in this world, you need money.
Although Sishu now understood the meaning of "a single coin can stump a hero," it didn't mean he could easily find a temporary job. Just as he was getting a headache over it, he suddenly saw a statue. It was a bronze statue, erected in front of a grand-looking courtyard. From the offerings in front of it, it was clear that this family deeply respected the statue.
The statue seemed to depict a child, but due to years of wind and sun, its face was no longer clear. The only memorable feature was the sword at the child's waist. The more Sishu looked, the more familiar the statue seemed.
He stopped a passerby and asked about the statue and the large household. The owner of the courtyard was named Yuube Wataru, a descendant of the town's founder, Yuube Masaru. This town had once suffered a terrible disaster, and most of its inhabitants had died from unknown causes. At that time, Yuube Masaru, who was only three or four years old, did not fall into despair. Instead, he worked hard and learned the ways of business. After becoming successful, he returned here, re-established the town, and renamed it to what it is today. Since then, he had dedicated his life to the town's prosperity, finally falling ill a few years ago. Despite receiving the best treatment, he was now at the end of his life.
As for the statue, according to Yuube Masaru himself, it was to commemorate a great swordsman. Although calling a child a great swordsman might seem laughable, the elderly residents who had lived here for a long time unanimously agreed with Yuube Masaru's actions. He had once frankly stated that without that child, he wouldn't be who he was today, and this town wouldn't exist.
"What was the town called before?" Sishu asked.
The middle-aged man scratched his head, looking anxious. The name change had happened forty or fifty years ago. He was just a child back then, so his memory was fuzzy. After thinking for a long time, the man suddenly stomped his foot and said, "I remember! This town... it used to be called Yusui."
Yusui!
The moment he heard that name, Sishu instantly recalled the events of that year. From encountering the tentacle demon to teaming up with Yoriichi to hunt demons, from slaying a hundred demons to that little boy... Wait, could it be?!
A possibility emerged in Sishu's mind. He hurried to the front of the statue, as if searching for something. Finally, he found what he was looking for at the base of the statue. Although it was blurry, he could still make out the meaning of the words.
"In memory of the hero of Yusui Town, the Demon-Slaying Mister."
The moment he saw the words "Demon-Slayer," Sishu understood. The little boy who had asked for his name back then was the founder of this town, Yuube Masaru.
That little guy has grown up too. Sishu sighed inwardly, seeming to recall the image of Yuube Masaru being held by his father, asking for his name.
Perhaps I should go see him one last time.
Thinking this, Sishu thanked the middle-aged man and walked towards the gate of the Yuube household. After he knocked, a man of about thirty-five or thirty-six came out and asked, "I am Yuube Wataru. Who are you looking for?"
With a slight smile, Sishu said, "I'm looking for your father, Yuube Masaru."
Hearing Sishu's intention, Yuube Wataru sneered. Ever since his family became a well-known wealthy family, more and more people had come pretending to be their family's benefactor, the "Demon-Slayer." The previous impostors were old men, but now a young man had shown up.
Having already decided how to teach Sishu a lesson, Yuube Wataru stepped aside and said, "My father is sunbathing in the courtyard. Please, come in."
"Thank you." Seemingly unaware of the other's intentions, Sishu walked right in without being polite. Watching Sishu's back, Yuube Wataru was already planning to gather his men to give him a "memorable" experience.
Walking into the courtyard, Sishu saw an old man in his sixties lying on a chair, basking in the sun. The old man's face was etched with the沧桑 of time, his cheekbones prominent, exuding an air of decay. His life would probably end within a few days.
Sensing someone approaching, Yuube Masaru didn't turn his head and said directly, "Wataru, didn't I tell you not to disturb me when I'm thinking?"
"I think you might have mistaken me for someone else."
A strange voice came through. Yuube Wataru—wait, it was Yuube Masaru—instantly turned his head, about to shout. However, the moment he saw Sishu, he froze. Although he was sure he had never seen this young man before, a feeling deep in his heart told him that he was the one.
His dry, pale lips trembled slightly, and his eyes filled with surprise and excitement.
"Demon-Slaying Mister... is that you?"
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