Muzan: My daughter can't be that weak!

Wu Can fled back to one of the most secluded strongholds in a miserable state.

He expended a great deal of blood to barely regenerate a complete body from the more than three hundred fragments, but his injuries were still severe, and every inch of his skin was burning.

He curled up in the deepest part of the room, closed his eyes, and forced himself into a state of recovery. The pain surged in waves, but he had to endure it.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni...

That man, in a very short time, forced him to use his last trump card to save his life.

If he hadn't successfully overcome his neck weakness, if he hadn't decisively self-destructed...

Muzan dared not think any further.

Time passed in the darkness.

After an unknown amount of time, a small figure stirred on the tatami mat at the other end of the room.

Yukina woke up.

She slept for a very long time this time, perhaps decades, perhaps even longer. When she woke up, she was still a little groggy. She rubbed her eyes and sat up.

Then she saw Muzan huddled in the shadows.

"Father?" she called softly.

Muzan did not respond.

His eyes were closed, his face was terribly pale, his body was covered with charred wounds, some of which were still bleeding slightly, and his breathing was very weak, almost inaudible.

Yukina climbed down the tatami mat and walked barefoot to Muzan.

She knelt down, her crimson eyes wide open, staring at Wuzan's pale face.

My father... looks like he's dying.

The thought made her heart clench.

She remembered what her mother looked like before she died, and that morning that she would never return to.

Wasn't Father the most powerful? How could he have died?

No, Father, don't die. She doesn't want to be abandoned again.

Tears welled up unexpectedly.

"Father..." her voice trembled with tears, "Wake up..."

Muzan remained silent, his eyes closed and his brows furrowed, as if he were enduring immense pain.

Yukina's tears fell and landed on the cold ground.

What should she do? What can she do?

Suddenly, she thought of something.

Every time she woke up, her father would feed her blood. The dark red liquid in the porcelain bottle would make her feel better after she drank it.

Blood... can help the body recover.

This simple logic took shape in her young mind. If her father was injured and needed blood... then she could give her father blood.

Yukina lowered her head, looking at her thin wrist. She was scared, but after hesitating for a moment, she opened her mouth and bit down hard with her small teeth.

It hurt, but it didn't draw blood at all.

She didn't loosen her grip; instead, she bit down even harder.

Finally, warm liquid flowed out, with a rusty smell.

She walked over cautiously and brought her wrist to Muzan's lips.

Blood dripped down, landing on her pale, ashen lips and seeping into the creases of her lips.

One drop, two drops.

Muzan's eyelashes trembled slightly.

He had actually been awake the whole time, but he had kept his eyes closed and endured the pain, too lazy to open them. This place was safe, and he didn't have the energy to care about Yukina right now; he just wanted to recover as quickly as possible.

Until the warm liquid dripped onto her lips.

Until the taste of blood seeped into my mouth.

It wasn't human blood, but blood carrying the essence of his lineage.

Muzan suddenly opened his eyes.

Yukina was kneeling in front of him, her small face covered in tears. There was a deep bite mark on her right wrist, from which blood was gushing out, dripping onto his lips and all the way to the ground here, leaving spots of blood.

"Father...you're awake..." Xue Nai's voice was full of surprise, her face even paler from blood loss.

Muzan was stunned.

He looked at the wound on her wrist, at her pale face, at the worry in her eyes, and for a moment he was speechless.

Then, a surge of anger welled up inside him.

"You," his voice was hoarse, "are you stupid?"

He grabbed Xue Nai's wrist; the wound was still bleeding.

Muzan pressed his fingers firmly against the edge of the wound, forcing it to stop bleeding.

The action was rough, and Yukina flinched in pain, but did not pull her hand away.

"Father...are you going to die?" Xue Nai looked at him, tears welling up again. "If you die...I don't want to live either, sob sob sob."

She was a very well-behaved child and rarely showed her emotions. Even when she was in pain, she would not cry loudly.

Muzan's hand paused.

Over the past few centuries, this child has actually been lucid for very short periods of time.

Every time he wakes up, he is either searching for the Blue Spider Lily, dealing with the affairs of the Twelve Demon Moons, or recovering from an injury like he is now.

Even so, she would still look for him every time she woke up.

I remember one time, she woke up and he was about to leave. She tugged at his clothes and looked at him longingly.

He found it troublesome, but in the end he still took her out, although he only let her stay in the carriage and not allow her to run around.

Or sometimes, when she woke up and he was reading, she would sit quietly next to him, without making a fuss, only occasionally stealing a glance at his profile.

Many "once upon a time".

Now, thinking he was going to die, she bit her wrist, hoping to save him with her blood.

How foolish.

It's ridiculous.

Muzan released his hand from her wound.

The wound has stopped bleeding, and the demon's regenerative abilities are beginning to manifest in her.

"I won't die." His voice was still cold, but less harsh. "That man can't kill me, and no one can kill me."

Yukina blinked, tears still clinging to her eyelashes: "Really?"

"Really." Muzan looked away. "So don't do anything stupid again. Your blood... is useless to me."

Yukina lowered her head, looking at the wound on her wrist that was healing, and whispered, "But... I want to help Father."

Muzan remained silent.

The room was quiet, with only the sound of their breathing. After a long while, Muzan finally spoke: "No need."

He closed his eyes again and leaned against the wall.

"Go over there and stay still. I'll recover on my own."

Yukina nodded obediently, sat down next to Muzan, hugged her knees, and stared at him without blinking.

Muzan could feel her gaze.

The pain is still there, but it seems... not so unbearable anymore.

He remembered Yoriichi Tsugikuni's face, the question "What do you value your life for?", and the pathetic way he was forced to escape after being blown into more than 1,800 pieces.

Anger and fear surged up again.

He cherished his life more than anyone else. What did he do wrong? He just wanted to live.

Now he not only has to survive, but also become stronger.

And the child beside him...

He opened his eyes and glanced at Xue Nai sitting next to him.

She was looking intently at the doorway of the room; her small figure looked somewhat frail, but she stood ramrod straight.

Muzan closed his eyes again.

never mind,

Let her stay there by herself.