Muzan: My daughter can't be that weak!

"oh."

Muzan crossed his arms, slightly raised his chin, and spoke in a tone that was both indifferent and somewhat disdainful.

It was as if stating a fact that couldn't be more obvious.

"Who would bother trying to understand what's going on in your stupid head?"

Yukina was clearly used to her father's sharp tongue and hard heart, and she was too lazy to even be sad, so she skipped that part.

She stomped her foot again, this time with a hint of protest: "Daddy!"

"I'll give you three seconds," he said, his eyelids slightly lowered, his gaze sweeping over you coldly. "Speak clearly now, or shut up."

Xue Nai could only droop her little head and slowly move back.

She glanced around warily, then tiptoed, cupped her small hand to her mouth as if to whisper, leaned close to Muzan's waist, and whispered very softly and quickly:

"Dad, we're ghosts! You didn't have any... um, code names, right? If you just tell people your real names, what if... what if we get found out? We're doomed!"

After she finished speaking, she nodded vigorously.

His eyes were filled with the thought, "I thought I had considered everything carefully," and the lingering fear of "I almost got exposed."

Muzan raised an eyebrow.

So that's what this silly girl was thinking about all that time.

Ha, it's rare for me to actually use my brain.

Unfortunately, it was used in the wrong place.

Or rather, it was the only time I was clever, but it was purely overthinking.

His name?

Ghost Dance Tsuji Mukai?

Those in this world who know the true meaning of this name are either his subordinates or have long since turned to dust.

For the average person, this is just an unfamiliar syllable.

Even if she shouted it out loud, it wouldn't cause the slightest ripple.

They've been discovered. Do you think these ants can kill him?

"We've been discovered."

He parted his thin lips slightly, his tone indifferent, "Just kill everything you see and hear."

Xue Nai gasped sharply, immediately covering her mouth with her two small hands, her eyes wide open.

It was filled with shock, with the question, "Can you just say things like that so casually?"

Then, as if she had just realized something, she hurriedly turned her head and looked around, afraid that someone might have heard her.

Seeing that the people nearby seemed engrossed in their conversations, she breathed a slight sigh of relief, turned around, and raised a small index finger at Muzan.

Then, nervously, she pressed her lips to her mouth, making a "shh" gesture, "Dad, keep your voice down!"

Seeing her serious and tense appearance, as if she were doing something earth-shattering, Muzan couldn't help but find it amusing.

"coward."

He scoffed, too lazy to waste any more time on the street.

With a long reach, he grabbed Xue Nai by the back of her collar and lifted her up easily, like carrying a reluctant kitten.

"I'm gone."

As he finished speaking, he silently called out in his heart: Nakime.

Almost the instant the thought arose in his mind, the slight dizziness unique to the Infinite City, the sensation before spatial displacement, enveloped him.

...

"Nakume-neechan!"

As soon as Xue Nai's feet touched the familiar floor of the Infinite City, her gaze caught sight of a quiet figure holding a pipa in the shadows of a corner.

The desire to share immediately took over.

Her eyes lit up, like a cheerful little bird, and she quickly walked a few steps toward Nakime, her face still flushed.

"We went to a really, really big street. There were so many people, so many lanterns, and fireworks that went 'whoosh—bang!' right there in the sky, so bright and colorful."

She gestured animatedly, trying to describe all the novelty to Nakime, her voice crisp and bright.

Nakime was quietly holding her biwa, waiting for her turn, when she was slightly taken aback by Yukina's sudden enthusiasm and rapid-fire description.

She glanced at Yukina, whose face was glowing with excitement, then quickly looked at Muzan behind her, whose expression remained indifferent, and her fingers holding the biwa twitched slightly.

In the end, he only nodded almost imperceptibly as a response.

She wasn't used to this kind of energetic and straightforward communication, and she didn't know how to respond to the child's enthusiastic sharing.

Muzan coldly replied, "Hmph, do you think everyone's as naive as you?"

Moreover, she and Nakime have only known each other for a short time, yet they've become so close.

"Narika, send me back to the Ogawa family."

"Yes."

Eh,

Has Dad left again?

As Yukina gazed at the spot where Muzan had disappeared, a slight emptiness and reluctance welled up inside her, as if she had been gently pinched.

But this minor emotional outburst quickly dissipated.

She secretly calculated that her father had spent a long time talking to her today and had taken her out to see such a lively street and beautiful fireworks.

That's already very good!

Ghosts shouldn't be too greedy.

She turned back to Nakime, a smile returning to her face.

Even though Dad is gone, there's still the gentle Nakime-neechan.

"Miss Yukina...do you really enjoy watching fireworks?" Nakime's voice rang out, slightly hoarse and unfamiliar.

She seemed to want to try to respond to the child's enthusiasm.

"Uh-huh!"

Xue Nai nodded vigorously, her eyes curving into crescents. "The fireworks are so beautiful! They're so sparkly, and they bloom into so many flowers! It's the first time I've ever seen anything like it!"

As she spoke, she naturally moved her feet and ran to Narumi's side, sitting down next to Narumi's kneeling legs with great trust.

Her small body nestled against the hem of Nakime's dark kimono.

Nakime's body stiffened.

The child's soft body was something unfamiliar to her.

She hadn't been this close in a long time... no, almost never.

Unaware of what was happening, Xue Nai tilted her head back, then suddenly seemed to remember something and asked curiously, "By the way, sister, do you know where You Guo is? Can I go there to play?"

This problem came out of nowhere.

Xue Nai just remembered that she had overheard two men passing by on the street exchanging knowing glances and talking about You Guo.

They even said it was "the most wonderful place in the world".

Just how wonderful it is!

Is it more beautiful than streets full of lanterns and windmills?

Is it even more beautiful than fireworks in the sky?

She was just so curious.

I originally wanted to ask my dad, but... it seems like he doesn't know anything.

When asked, he either says he doesn't know or he yells at her.

Hmph, saying she's stupid. Mom is clearly very smart. It must be because Dad is so stupid that she's become stupid too.

Nakime is different. She can instantly transform them from a room to a bustling street, so she must know a lot of places!

Why would You Guo ask about this?

Nakime's mind raced. After a few seconds of silence, she finally considered her options and said, "Youguo is a place for adults."

"what?"

Xue Nai's lips curled down in disappointment.

"Adults? Is there a place for children?"