After leaving the Edo region, the Librarian, Tamayo, and Hakuji journeyed west, losing track of how far they had traveled. At the Librarian's request, they inverted the habits of ordinary travelers, moving by night and resting by day.
They finally stopped upon reaching a large, bustling town, planning to stay for a while. The reason was simple: the moment the Librarian stepped into the town, a system notification echoed in his mind.
Kibutsuji Muzan and his subordinates are approaching. The host is requested to remain in this town for a period and teach the three demons a painful lesson.
The Librarian raised an eyebrow upon receiving the mission. It was the first time he had encountered such a task, and on the surface, it didn't seem particularly difficult.
However, the definition of a "painful lesson" remained unclear. Furthermore, the mention of "three demons" puzzled him. Three? That meant besides Muzan and Kokushibo, there was another.
Glancing at Hakuji beside him, the Librarian felt a sense of understanding dawn on him. It was highly likely that Muzan had created a special demon specifically to counter him. For Muzan to have such confidence, this new demon's abilities must have some way to suppress him and the Sun Breathing style.
"It has been a while since I've seen Muzan and Kokushibo," he mused. A mysterious smile touched his lips; he was already growing eager for the confrontation.
Seeing the smile on the Librarian's face, Tamayo blinked. A century of living together had given her a deep understanding of him. Whenever he wore that expression, it meant someone was about to suffer.
"Let's find a place to rest first," the Librarian suggested, pointing towards a nearby inn.
As the three of them headed towards it, a man's voice suddenly called out from a side alley. "Well now, what a beautiful lady. How about you come and have some fun with us?"
Four or five drunken louts stumbled out, their eyes glued to Tamayo, unable to look away. Spurred on by their drunken courage at the sight of such a beauty, their words were crude and unfiltered.
Faced with their harassment, Tamayo simply shook her head slightly at the Librarian. She disliked conflict and, more importantly, had no desire to harm humans again. It was for this reason that she tugged on his sleeve. Otherwise, those men would have been corpses the moment they stepped out.
But while Tamayo stopped the Librarian, it didn't mean someone else wouldn't act.
Hakuji, who had been standing by the Librarian's side, shot forward like a wild wolf released from its cage, smashing his fist into one of the drunkards. The man's head was already spinning from the alcohol, and he had no time to defend himself. The punch shattered two of his front teeth. A sharp pain shot through his brain, instantly sobering him up.
"You little bastard, you dare hit me!" he roared.
Being called a bastard reminded Hakuji of how his own father had been ridiculed because of his naturally sharp teeth. The flames of his anger, already burning, raged even hotter. He lashed out with a kick, striking another drunk in the stomach.
And so it began: Hakuji, a fifteen-year-old boy, against four or five grown men.
The Librarian, watching from the side, made no move to stop him. Instead, he signaled for Tamayo not to worry. He knew that to Hakuji, these drunks were merely minor obstacles that would take a little time to deal with.
Just as the Librarian predicted, it wasn't long before all five men were beaten to the ground by Hakuji.
"Hah... hah..." Hakuji panted, wiping a splash of blood from his face, his anger finally starting to subside.
Just then, the sound of applause came from nearby. "My, my! To think you could beat all these guys. I was just about to step in and help."
Following the voice, they saw a middle-aged man in a dojo uniform approaching. He had short black hair and some stubble on his chin. "I like you, kid. You defeated grown men without any weapons. Would you like to become a disciple at my dojo?"
Without a word, Hakuji turned and charged at the man.
He had only taken a few steps before a large hand pressed down on him, holding him in place. "Don't be reckless. He's not like those other guys. You can't beat him."
Hearing the familiar voice, Hakuji's anger dissipated. He looked back and saw it was the Librarian who had stopped him.
"Well now, this gentleman is no ordinary person either," the middle-aged man said, scratching his head in apparent embarrassment, wiping away beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead. "You feel like a divine being."
He wasn't exaggerating. The man before him, the Librarian, was exuding an immense pressure. Just a moment ago, when he had considered making a move against Hakuji, an invisible force had erupted from the Librarian, completely scattering his own gathered strength. Is this man even human? he wondered. Though he smiled, the man had already labeled the Librarian as someone not to be provoked.
With a faint smile, the Librarian slowly withdrew his aura. "You mentioned you have a dojo? As it happens, we don't have a place to stay. Might we be able to lodge there for a time?"
"Of course! It would be my honor," the man replied without hesitation, turning to lead the way. "Please, follow me."
On the way to the dojo, the Librarian learned the man's name was Keizo. As he had guessed, Keizo ran a dojo for unarmed combat called the Soryu style. He also had a daughter, Koyuki, who was frail and constantly ill. His wife, unable to bear the strain of caring for their sick daughter for so many years, had drowned herself in a river just a few days prior. Although Keizo maintained a cheerful expression, a faint sadness clung to him.
Soon, Keizo led them to the Soryu Dojo.
"Koyuki, we have guests," he announced, pushing open a door. "This is my daughter, Koyuki. She's a bit weak, so I hope you don't mind."
As he finished speaking, they heard a few coughs from inside. Looking in, they saw a girl of about thirteen lying on a futon. The moment he saw her, Hakuji froze. Her appearance reminded him of his own deceased father.
"We can treat your daughter's illness," the Librarian stated. "Consider it payment for our lodging."
Though he was some distance away, the Librarian could already tell Koyuki's illness was not serious. It was simply a weakness resulting from poor nutrition during her birth. With some specially prepared medicine and a few years of rest, she could become as healthy as anyone else.
Hearing this, Keizo was overjoyed. He had been planning to seek out famous doctors to cure his daughter, but to his surprise, the young man who exuded such immense pressure was a physician himself. As for whether they might harm him or Koyuki, Keizo wasn't worried. Given their strength, if they had any ill intentions, ten lives wouldn't be enough to save him.
"It's getting late. You can sleep in the room next door for tonight," Keizo said with a smile, pointing to the room adjacent to Koyuki's. "Oh, and by the way, please don't wander outside at night. Recently, people in town have been mysteriously disappearing."
This statement immediately caught the Librarian's attention. In this world, the phrase "mysteriously disappearing" was essentially synonymous with death. It meant that in this seemingly prosperous town, a demon was lurking.
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