Forging a scabbard couldn't be done in a single day, and Mizuki didn't have time to wait for Haganezuka to finish crafting it, so she left the Swordsmith Village with the main group the next day.
"Aah, I didn't see anything in the end~" Zenitsu stumbled along behind the others, looking dejected and muttering, "They said it was mixed bathing, but it was just a bunch of old men."
He's hopeless!
Mizuki's eyelid twitched. This guy... was still thinking about that stuff!
There really weren't many women in the Swordsmith Village; craftsmanship was physically demanding work, so naturally, most of the artisans were men.
When the others heard what Zenitsu said, they all quickly distanced themselves, except for the brainless Inosuke.
"Hey! Why are you standing so far away?" Zenitsu gritted his teeth in frustration. "What happened to the friendship we shared when we peeked at girls bathing together?"
Only Zenitsu could make perversion sound so passionate and exciting.
As soon as Zenitsu finished speaking, although he received no reply from his comrades, he did receive Kochou Shinobu's deathly smile.
Kochou Shinobu spoke softly, "Still thinking such filthy thoughts? Do you want to die?"
"Uh..." Zenitsu shivered all over. After considering the fighting power of both sides, he decisively chose to shut up.
Mizuki's lips curled up slightly. Seriously, watching this scene made her head start aching again.
Back at the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, Mizuki handed the syringe containing Gyokko's blood to Tanjirou.
"I'm going to find Ubuyashiki first. Tanjirou, please take this to Tamayo for me."
Tanjirou nodded lightly, "Ah, I understand."
Kochou Shinobu interjected, "I happen to have something I need to talk to Young Miss Tamayo about. Give it to me."
"I see. Then I'll leave it to Young Miss Kochou Shinobu."
Hearing her say that, Tanjirou handed the syringe over.
Mizuki didn't think much of it. After all, Kochou Shinobu and Tamayo had long since become close friends; Kochou Shinobu was absolutely captivated by Tamayo's medical skills, which she had developed over several centuries.
Mizuki arrived at the Ubuyashiki residence, where Amane Ubuyashiki had seemingly been standing at the entrance for some time.
Seeing Mizuki, Amane Ubuyashiki walked over from a distance to greet her, bowing slightly.
"Kagaya has been waiting for you for a long time."
Mizuki returned the courtesy, "You're too kind."
Amane Ubuyashiki said no more and led Mizuki toward the courtyard.
As Ubuyashiki Kagaya's capable wife, Amane Ubuyashiki was practically the perfect woman.
She presided over many matters, and had even made three visits to the thatched cottage to invite the Tokito Brothers.
The Demon Slayer Corps was lucky to have such a Mistress.
"I truly apologize for not being able to personally come out and greet you... *cough, cough*..."
When Mizuki saw Ubuyashiki Kagaya again, his breathing had become even weaker.
His face was wrapped in several more layers of bandages, leaving only one eye and his mouth exposed, where faint, hideous scars were visible. His hands had completely turned purple, radiating an aura of decay.
Because the Ubuyashiki Clan gave birth to an evil demon like Muzan, the Family was cursed.
Whether one called it a curse from heaven or the curse of countless families persecuted by Muzan.
Even if the men of the clan married girls from the Clan of Shinto Priests, the male heirs rarely lived past the age of thirty.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya was now twenty-three years old, meaning he was approaching the end of his life.
Only by slaying a great evil like Muzan was it possible to remove the curse at its root.
"You should just lie down obediently." Mizuki crouched down, signaling for him to recline.
Mizuki still held considerable goodwill toward the Ubuyashiki Clan.
This Family truly hadn't caused any trouble; generations of them had dedicated themselves to defeating Muzan.
"Then please forgive my discourtesy." Ubuyashiki Kagaya lay back down, a slight smile on his lips.
"Although there is no more concrete evidence yet, the reports of demons eating people have decreased significantly over the past two days."
"I believe Muzan has begun to act."
Mizuki's brow furrowed slightly. They hadn't traveled at full speed returning from the Swordsmith Village, which meant they had been delayed by a day or two on the road.
"...That guy must be close to going insane," Mizuki murmured, her eyelids slightly lowered.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya smiled gently, "Ah, I don't think Muzan will miss this opportunity."
Of course not. After all, Yoriichi was gone.
That stinking rat in the gutter could usually hold back, but with such a rich feast laid out on the table, he couldn't possibly stay hidden any longer.
Mizuki wasn't overly concerned about Muzan's actions. She said, "Regarding the Infinity Castle."
"Yes, I've heard everything from the Kasugai Crow."
A look of seriousness appeared on Mizuki's face: "Given the power of that Blood Demon Art and the speed at which the doors open, even an average swordsman probably wouldn't be able to react in time."
The falling speed was just normal falling speed; those with skill could naturally react.
But what if they were resting? What about when the battle was fierce?
"Therefore, we need to launch a preemptive strike."
"Preemptive strike?" Mizuki raised an eyebrow slightly. "Are you suggesting using me as bait?"
After all, they didn't even know how to enter the Infinity Castle, so using her as bait was the only option.
Originally, Nezuko should have been the one to take on this job, right?
But Nezuko might not have overcome the sun yet, so she had ended up taking her place first.
"Young Miss Mizuki is truly intelligent."
Mizuki was left speechless by his straightforward compliment.
The smile on Ubuyashiki Kagaya's face did not fade: "Muzan certainly won't miss such a good opportunity. He must be frantically searching for the Demon Slayer Corps' location right now."
"It's only a matter of time before our headquarters is discovered. The question is, when will they find it?"
"It would be better for us to proactively control that timing."
"For example, by misleading him about the current location of the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters?"
"Exactly." Ubuyashiki Kagaya coughed a few times. "However, before that."
"While Muzan is currently making big moves, let's wait two more days. Once the intelligence is confirmed, we will have time to organize the Demon Slayer Corps for a Joint Training session."
"Joint Training?" Mizuki immediately understood. "That's a good idea."
With fewer demons around, the other Pillars would have time.
Ultimately, the term Successor was not created just for teaching disciples.
It was because the Pillars had very limited time and couldn't personally teach everyone, so they could only choose one or a few talented young people to mentor.
Kochou Shinobu might not even see her older sister once a month.
They were busy, extremely busy.
If they weren't killing demons, they were on their way to kill demons.
If she were Muzan, she'd be annoyed too.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya said in a weak voice, "Now is when Muzan is at his weakest. If we miss this opportunity, it will be hard to find another."
Only a sparse three of the Twelve Demon Moons remained. It was a pity she hadn't been able to keep Kokushibou back then.
Even for Muzan, it would be difficult to find suitable replacements in such a short time.
Becoming a demon also requires talent.
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