Demon Slayer: After raising Shinobu, I died in front of her.

Shinobu glanced at the trembling Giyuu and Sabito, then said as if taking pity on them, "Well then, since they are your disciples, I will reluctantly forgive them."

Looking at the mischievous little guy in front of him, Urokodaki Sakonji couldn't help but smile.

Immediately, his expression turned serious again as he looked at Ling Chuanche: "Sabito, Righteousness."

This is your senior, Lingchuan Tetsu, the 'Azure Pillar' of the Demon Slayer Corps. Aren't you going to greet him?

Sabito and Yoshiyuki, who had been hanging their heads, suddenly raised their heads, their eyes wide open.

Looking at the man with the gentle smile before them, they were utterly shocked: "You...you are Cangzhu?!"

"Of course! Cangzhu isn't my master, so how could he be you?!" Ren snorted and put his hands on his hips.

Ling Chuanche gently patted Ren's little head in his arms: "Ren, be polite." But the force was so light that it was like a caress, as if he was afraid of hurting the little guy in his arms.

Sabito and Giyu seemed oblivious to Shinobu's complaints. They looked at Ayakawa Tetsu with surprise and excitement, their voices trembling with nervousness: "Ayakawa Tetsu... Ayakawa Pillar! You... you're our senior brother, the legendary Ayakawa Pillar!!!"

Senior brother?

Shinobu Kocho, who was in his arms, caught the word and her expression suddenly froze.

She suddenly realized that they were the master's disciples, so her master must be their senior brother!

Oh no! I've suddenly been demoted a generation below them for no reason!

……

The little ones finally understood that the flood had washed away the Dragon King Temple, and that they were all one family.

At the dinner table, everyone was eating hot oden, but it was clear that none of them were really focused on the food.

While Shinobu Kocho ate her carrot, her eyes kept drifting towards Sabito and Giyu Tomioka.

She really couldn't understand how these two guys could be her martial uncles. How was she going to get along with them in the future?

Kanae remained calm and sensible, occasionally serving some food to her master and Shinobu.

As for Sabito and Giyu, their eyes were practically glued to Ayakawa Tetsuya, not even glancing away from him while they were eating.

Ling Chuanche felt extremely uncomfortable during the meal.

Urokodaki Sakonji broke the silence with a smile: "I often tell them things about you. Whenever they slack off in training, I use your past efforts to motivate them. Over time, they all take you as their role model."

"Senior brother, may I ask you a few questions?" Qian Tu asked, unable to contain his excitement.

Urokodaki Sakonji glared at him sternly. "We're eating, what are you asking me?"

Ling Chuanche didn't seem to care, and nodded with a smile: "What's the problem?"

"Your teacher said that you only slept four hours a day and spent the rest of your time training. Is that true?"

Shinobu and Kanae, who were standing nearby, immediately perked up their ears. They couldn't help it; they were also very curious about their master's "glorious deeds."

“That’s right,” Ling Chuanche said with a smile. “My talent isn’t high, not even as good as any of you here, so all I can do is put in more effort than others.”

Everyone was shocked.

Is the master not very talented?

Kanae and Shinobu exchanged a glance, both thinking to themselves: If the strongest Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps isn't considered to have high talent, then what would be considered high talent!

The people at the dinner table clearly didn't believe it, taking it as Ling Chuanche being overly modest.

Yi Yong excitedly replied, "I saw the huge rock you used to practice chopping on in the back mountain. Did you cut all of those rocks by yourself?"

Stone? What stone? A strong sense of curiosity suddenly arose in Ren's heart.

Ling Chuanche pondered for a moment and said, "I think so, but I haven't been to the back mountain in a long time."

Giyuu and Sabito asked several more questions in succession. They were as if they had met their idols in person, and their appetite had long been forgotten.

After all, ever since they arrived here, they had often heard Urokodaki Sakonji tell stories about Ryukawa Toru. Over time, this powerful and mysterious senior brother had become the ultimate goal they pursued.

Now that they have finally seen it with their own eyes, how could they not be excited?

After the meal, Lingchuan Tetsu and Urokodaki Sakonji continued chatting.

The bond between this master and his apprentice transcends that of ordinary master and apprentice; it is more like that of a father and son reunited after a long separation.

Sakonji Urokodaki was very concerned about Toru Ayakawa's life in the Demon Slayer Corps, and his words were full of the loving kindness of an elder.

As the group was talking, several other children gathered together.

"I'm really sorry about what happened today." Sabito and Giyu apologized to Kanae and Shinobu again.

"I really didn't mean to. I was in a hurry to get back and I really didn't see you... Can you forgive me?" Yi Yong said sincerely, his eyes red.

Ren pouted, not understanding why this boy cried so much; neither she nor her sister cried as much as him.

Her eyes darted around, and a sly smile appeared on her face: "I can forgive you, but you have to take me to see those stones you were talking about."

Chapter 17: New Year

Shinobu was filled with curiosity about everything here.

This is where her master once lived, the place where he poured his sweat into his cultivation. She desperately wanted to find traces of her master's past here.

Faced with her request, Giyu Tomioka and Sabito naturally had no reason to refuse.

They agreed that they would take Shinobu to see it the next day at dawn.

Ke Ren is an impatient person; he can't wait and insists on going right now.

Sabito and Yiyong hesitated, after all, it was getting late and they didn't dare to make a decision on their own.

So they had no choice but to seek advice from Urokodaki Sakonji and Ryokawa Tetsu.

Upon hearing that they were going to the back mountain so late, and that they were taking Ren with them, Ling Chuan Che's brows immediately furrowed into the shape of the character "川".

"It's too late," he refused outright.

Urokodaki Sakonji silently drank his tea without saying a word.

Is it too late?

How come he remembers that there was once a kid who would train in the back mountain every night until the early hours of the morning before returning?

"Master, my sister is with me, nothing will happen." Ren hugged Ling Chuanche's arm and started to act coquettishly again.

Ling Chuanche frowned and said, "There are wild animals in the back mountain. Aren't you afraid of the big bad wolf?"

"Ahem." Urokodaki Sakonji interjected, his tone flat: "The wild beasts in the back mountain were all driven away by you back then, and there haven't been any wild beasts here for a long time."

"..." Ling Chuanche was speechless for a moment.

Yiyong and Sabito exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with shock. So that's how the wild animals in the back mountain disappeared!

Taking the opportunity, Shinobu pulled Kanae along, saying, "Sister, come with me and beg Master."

Kanae felt helpless, but she couldn't very well refuse her sister's request, so she could only say softly, "Master, then I'll go with Shinobu to take a look. There won't be any danger if we all go together."

Looking into Ren's expectant eyes, Ling Chuanche finally softened: "Be careful."

Qian Tu immediately patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, Senior Brother, with me here, I will definitely protect their safety!"

Seeing that Lingchuan Tetsu agreed, Shinobu excitedly pulled Kanae and ran towards the back mountain.

Inside the room, Lingchuan Che sat in silence. Urokodaki Sakonji glanced at him: "How can a flower in a greenhouse grow without experiencing wind and rain? Besides, it's just walking at night. You're spoiling her too much."

“What do you mean by spoiling them? I’m just worried that they’ve never been here before, and the way up the mountain at night isn’t safe,” Ling Chuanche retorted.

"Hehe." Urokodaki Sakonji just smiled. "Your concern for these two children doesn't seem like that of someone who treats disciples."

Especially that little one, the one named Shinobu. Urokodaki Sakonji thought to himself, but didn't say it aloud.

“I treat them like my own children,” Ling Chuanche said softly. “Looking at them is like remembering myself. I wanted them to grow up safely, but they themselves insisted on embarking on the path of becoming swordsmen.”

His own child... Urokodaki Sakonji raised an eyebrow: "Speaking of which, you should be settling down by now. Is there a girl you like in the team?"

Ling Chuanche smiled wryly: "Please don't tease me."

Urokodaki Sakonji sighed.

Thinking about it this way, it's not so bad for Shinobu and Kanae to be with Ayakawa Tetsu; at least it will prevent him from being lonely in the future...

……

They then arrived at the back of the mountain. Since it was their first time hiking there, they proceeded cautiously and soon reached the summit.

Shinobu Kocho also saw the stone that Giyu and the others were talking about.

Even though they had prepared themselves mentally, they were still incredibly shocked when they actually saw it.

At the foot of the cliff on the mountaintop, dozens of huge rocks lay scattered about, each bearing a deep knife mark that had cleaved the rock in two, the cuts so clean they were almost grotesque.

"Did Master make all of these back then?" Kanae's voice trembled slightly for some reason.

She couldn't understand how one could achieve this level of success through tireless, day-and-night efforts.

Ren stared blankly, murmuring softly, "Master must have had a very hard time back then."

……

"I plan to have Giyuu and Sabito participate in the assessment next year. Do you think they are capable of passing?"

"Since you've spoken, I naturally trust your judgment."

"What about Kanae and Shinobu? When do you plan to have them take the exam? How old is Kanae this year?"

"13."

"13 years old, the same age as Yiyong and Qiantu."

“They have only been learning from me for less than half a year, and I plan to let them take the assessment again in two years.”

"Well, that's fine too."

Ling Chuanche thought of something: "Since you've decided that Sabito and Giyu will take the exam next year, then as their senior, I'll give them a gift in advance."

What gift?

Ling Chuanche smiled and said, "It's a secret for now."

After spending two days at Mount Sagiri, Toru Ryukawa left with Shinobu and Kanae.

Before leaving, Urokodaki Sakonji gave them two gifts: two fox masks, representing the lineage of the Sagiri Mountain.