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

Lingchuan Che turned around helplessly to look at Sanemi: "Then let's go together, Sanemi."

"Yes, Master."

Kanae followed at the back, watching the others' figures, she couldn't help but show a gentle smile, and then followed them.

They soon arrived at Ling Chuanche's residence.

Shinobu pushed open the door first, and she exclaimed impatiently, "You're finally back!"

Ling Chuanche followed silently behind her.

However, when Shinobu pushed open the gate, all she saw was a yard full of fallen leaves and dust. The whole yard was desolate and deserted, as if no one had lived there for a long time.

She stood there, puzzled. "Master, have you been back for a long time?"

Ling Chuanche was silent for two seconds, then said in a low voice, "...Mm."

After Shinobu and Kanae went to the Butterfly Mansion, he never came back to live there.

Just as Shinobu Kocho saw the shadow of her and her two disciples' lives here, this entire courtyard is filled with their traces.

When Ling Chuanche lived here, he would stare at those traces in a daze all day long, and in the end, he simply stopped living here altogether.

"If we're going to stay here, we should at least clean it up!" Kanae murmured, looking at the mess in the yard.

"It's too late, let's clean tomorrow. You can stay here for today," Ling Chuanche said, and everyone naturally agreed.

After quickly cleaning and tidying up a room, Butterfly couldn't wait to lie down and roll around on the bed.

"I really miss it here!"

Ling Chuanche stood by the bed and said quietly, "I only let you stay at the Butterfly House before, it's not like I didn't let you come back."

Shinobu immediately got out of bed and gave her master a resentful and accusing look.

Ling Chuanche decisively shut his mouth and stopped talking.

Kanae covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes crinkling as she said, "Master, you don't know, after you had Kichijou deliver the message, Shinobu was... sob sob..."

Before she could finish speaking, Ren suddenly stood up, her face flushed, and covered her sister's mouth, crying out in embarrassment and anger, "Don't say it out loud, sister!"

"Waaah..." Although Kanae's mouth was covered, her eyes were full of laughter.

Seeing this scene, a tender and nostalgic look appeared in Shinazugawa Sanemi's eyes.

Looking at the two inseparable female disciples, he couldn't help but think of his own younger brother.

I wonder how they are doing now...

……

As dawn broke, everyone got up early.

Lingchuan Tetsu and Shinazugawa Sanemi both had missions to complete today, so they said goodbye and left early in the morning.

Only Shinobu and Kanae remained in the courtyard. The two sisters smiled at each other and began to clean the long-uninhabited house.

This cleaning took a whole day.

When Ling Chuanche returned after finishing his mission and pushed open the familiar courtyard gate, he was greeted not by the desolation and dust of yesterday, but by a clean and tidy courtyard.

A comforting aroma of food wafted through the air.

Shinobu and Kanae were already waiting at the door. When they saw him return, their faces lit up with bright smiles, and they called out in unison to Ayakawa Tetsu, "Welcome home, Master!"

Ling Chuanche suddenly froze, his whole body dazed and standing there.

Time seemed to have gone awry at that moment.

The two smiling girls before him gradually overlapped with scenes from many years ago in his memory—

That was the first time he brought them back when they were young. They had secretly found her older sister, and just like that, they pushed open the door, and just like that, their small figures stood at the door, calling out to him in their clear voices.

In that instant, the past years and the warmth of the present intertwined, filling the heart of this battle-hardened pillar with an indescribable warmth.

Chapter 32 Ling Chuanche's Strength

Many members of the Demon Slayer Corps have keenly noticed the visible changes in Lord Tsurugi recently.

If the Cangzhu Lord's face was always covered with a layer of unapproachable ice before, now there is a hint of warmth in his eyes, as if he has been rejuvenated.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki naturally noticed this as well. He had someone secretly investigate and quickly learned that Shinobu and Kanae had recently moved back to the Kazuhashi residence.

Upon hearing this, Kagaya Ubuyashiki and Amane couldn't help but exchange a smile.

"Che, in the end, you couldn't hold back."

……

In the autumn of 1909, during the Meiji era, Shinobu Kocho went to take the final exam and passed it smoothly without any suspense.

That same winter, Kanae was the first to meet the requirements for becoming a Pillar, slaying fifty demons and officially becoming the fourth Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps—the Flower Pillar—after the Sound Pillar, Tengen Uzui!

Just one month later, Sabito followed suit and became the new Water Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps.

With this, the Demon Slayer Corps completely broke free from the initial situation where only Toru Ayakawa and Gyomei Himejima were struggling to hold on, and the number of Pillars reached five!

With the Spring Festival approaching once again, Lord Cangzhu's courtyard was already bustling with activity.

Besides Sanemi, who is a permanent resident here, Sabito, who has just become a Pillar, and Giyu Tomioka have also come.

Kanae, like a gentle hostess, was busy preparing dinner inside the house; in the courtyard, Giyuu and Sanemi were sparring, while Sabito and Shinobu cheered on their respective junior brothers.

"Giyong, do your best!"

"Sanemi, if you lose, you're dead!"

Both of them were encouraging their junior brother, and neither was willing to give in.

Giyu's sword slashed down unremarkably, but Sanemi caught it steadily.

Sanemi gritted his teeth, staring intently at Giyu's calm and expressionless face.

He didn't know why, but from the very first day he met this guy, he inexplicably wanted to beat him up.

For no reason at all, I always get inexplicably angry whenever I see his calm and collected expression!

Today I finally have a reason to spar and get started!

"Come on!" Veins bulged on Shinazugawa Sanemi's face as he roared, "You're always so expressionless, aren't you? Show me your full strength this time!"

Giyu Tomioka calmly replied, "Just a casual fight."

"???"

Shinazugawa Sanemi's eyes widened, and the veins on his face bulged even more: "You bastard, are you saying you can easily beat me in a sparring match?!"

Yi Yong remained calm and did not answer.

However, his expression made Sanemi think that he had tacitly agreed, which made him even angrier!

"It's still too difficult for Shinazugawa to defeat Giyu!" Sabito said with a laugh.

With a slight smile, he turned his head and said, "Mr. Sabito, are you saying that it's something to be proud of that your junior brother, who has been cultivating for three years, defeated my junior brother, who has been cultivating for one year?"

“Uh…” Sabito swallowed hard, feeling a chill instantly. “I, I didn’t say that.”

"But I think that's exactly what Mr. Sabito meant when he spoke just now."

Sabito pursed his lips, thinking to himself that Ren's expression was terrifying.

"Alright, everyone can rest now. Let's get ready for dinner." Kanae walked out of the house and called out to the people in the yard.

However, no one heard it, or rather, they did hear it, but neither Sanemi nor Giyu was willing to stop.

"It's time to eat, Shinobu, you should make them stop." Kanae had no choice but to ask Shinobu to persuade them.

Despite being the youngest here, everyone is afraid of Ren.

Upon hearing her sister's words, Shinobu shouted at the two people who were fighting, "Sanemi, you can stop now."

"We'll eat later!" Sanemi gritted his teeth and said, "I'm going to show this arrogant brat what I'm capable of!"

Yi Yong didn't say anything, but went to meet them again.

Sabito frowned and called out, "Yiyong, you're done."

However, the two people in the courtyard seemed not to hear anything. Seeing that Sanemi was about to lose his temper, Kanae had no choice but to go into the house to find Ryukawa Tetsu.

"Master, something terrible has happened."

At that moment, Lingchuan Tetsu was reading a book when he saw Kanae rushing into the room. He put down the book in confusion and asked, "What's wrong?"

“Sanemi and Giyu’s sparring session is going on and on. Why don’t you go and take a look?”

Ling Chuanche stood up and calmly walked out.

Upon exiting the house, they indeed saw the two people sparring.

With just one glance, Lingchuan Tetsu could tell that Sanemi and Giyu had really gotten into a fight.

If this continues, everyone will inevitably get injured.

"Master." Seeing him come out, Ren turned to look at him.

The next moment, Ling Chuanche's figure suddenly disappeared from the spot.

At this moment, both Sanemi and Giyu unleashed their strongest attacks.

Sanemi was already angry, and Giyu was equally serious.

But just as the wooden swords in their hands touched, a figure appeared out of thin air between them.

The next moment, their wooden swords stopped in mid-air, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't move forward an inch.

Sanemi's face turned red.

He looked at his and Tomioka Giyu's wrists, where two hands gripped them tightly like iron clamps.

"Alright." Ling Chuanche's calm voice rang in everyone's ears.

At this moment, everyone seemed to awaken from a dream.

However, all five people present were shocked!

Everyone present, including the ninja watching the battle, and Kanae and Sabito, who had already become Pillars.