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

Seeing this, Kanae closed her eyes, trying to suppress the pain in her heart.

With trembling hands, she took out the three blood-stained butterfly peace knots from her bosom. They had been given to her by Shinazugawa Sanemi that morning.

Ren's gaze fell on the butterfly peace knot.

"This is what Sanemi brought back... Besides the Nichirin Blade and the haori, all that's left is this..." By the end, Kanae was choked up and could barely speak.

The three butterfly-shaped knots, a vibrant red, seemed stained with blood.

She could even picture the scene in her mind: her master, after completing his mission, saw the merchants preparing to buy them some gifts, but he never returned.

With trembling hands, I accepted the peace knot.

She stood there, tears streaming down her face, one after another, unstoppable.

The emotions she had been suppressing, the pain and sorrow of this period of time, were finally released at this moment.

"How could Master die..." Ren bit his lip, choking back tears, his voice broken and fragmented, "He was Cangzhu, he was so strong, how could he die..."

Hearing her sister's words, Kanae could no longer hold back and silently hugged her tightly.

She clutched Kanae's haori tightly, tears soaking her shoulders, as if she wanted to cry out all the grievances, pain, and reluctance of the past few days.

"Sister...we have no family left...Master is gone, we really have no family left..."

Shinobu hugged Kanae and sobbed uncontrollably, "Sister, I'm afraid I can't hold on, I'm so afraid I can't go on... I don't want Master to see me like this... But I can't help it, I don't want to continue like this..."

As Kanae said...

Shinobu Kocho had also considered the possibility of their deaths in the future. From the moment she truly made up her mind to learn from Toru Ayakawa, she had already put life and death aside. But when that day really came, when that moment actually arrived, she realized that all of this was so painful, so painful that she didn't want to bear it anymore.

"This is the Demon Slayer Corps."

Kanae Kocho gritted her teeth: "Everyone who joins here is prepared to die at any moment. Master is prepared for this, and so are we. If Master were still alive, he certainly wouldn't want us to remain immersed in grief."

Be patient and strong.

Kanae hugged Shinobu tightly and said calmly, "Even for Master's sake, you must be strong."

"Our master is gone. No one will treat us like children anymore. It's time for us to grow up and take responsibility for everything that belongs to us."

"For my master, for Kanao, I will strive to become stronger and avenge my master."

Shinobu held Kanae tightly, sobbing silently until her tears dried up and she could shed no more.

Her master is gone. The only person in this world who still treats her like a child and allows her to act without restraint no longer exists.

Kanae hugged her sister tightly, but the image of the gentle old man wearing a tengu mask kept flashing through her mind, and her heart felt like it had been squeezed hard.

How heartbroken that old man must be right now...

......

At Mount Sagiri, the cold wind swirled withered leaves on the stone steps.

The old man wearing the Tengu mask sat there silently, like a stone statue.

On his lap lay a crumpled letter, its light weight seemingly crushing his entire spine.

No one could see the expression beneath the mask; only two lines of clear tears silently streamed down, dripping onto the cold stone steps.

"You have always been my proudest disciple."

Chapter 48 Awakening (Third Update, Requesting 5 Stars)

Ling Chuanche had a long and heavy dream.

In his dream, time stretched out infinitely. He saw himself dead, and everyone at his funeral was immersed in grief, but as time passed, they eventually returned to their normal lives.

He saw Shinobu become a pillar who could stand on his own.

The Demon Slayer Corps has welcomed many new members, making it stronger than ever before.

However, a nightmare followed. He saw Kanae die tragically at the hands of a demon wielding an iron fan with a compassionate smile. Kanae collapsed before dawn, desperately calling out his name in her dying moments...

Ling Chuanche wanted to rush forward and tear those evil spirits apart, but he couldn't do anything.

He could only stand by as a powerless bystander, watching helplessly as the flame of life in his disciples was extinguished little by little.

He witnessed Ren's transformation in despair, having lost two close relatives in succession. The once cheerful and playful little girl hid all her sharpness and emotions behind a gentle smile.

He saw Kagaya Ubuyashiki's health deteriorate day by day, and he eventually became bedridden.

Finally, he witnessed the final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji.

Shinobu, along with Kanao and the others, joined forces to kill the demon that killed Kanae, but in the end, Shinobu exhausted his last bit of strength in a deadly battle with Upper Moon One.

Her body was torn apart, and in the last moments of her life, she gazed at the sky, her lips parted slightly, and she murmured a silent word:

“Master, I can finally come to see you.”

Ling Chuanche screamed in his dream, wanting to rush forward to save them, wanting to undo everything. But he was just a dead man, powerless to do anything.

Overwhelmed by immense regret.

He hated himself for being so weak, hated himself for failing to defeat Upper Moon One, leaving such a formidable enemy for posterity.

He regretted dying too soon, being absent when his disciples needed his protection the most.

If he could do it all over again... if he could do it all over again, he would definitely make up for all his regrets!

……

Ling Chuanche suddenly opened his eyes.

The surroundings were dark and the air was so stuffy it was suffocating, as if you were in a closed underground space.

Where am I? Is this hell?

'No...no, I'm still breathing, my heart is still beating, I'm still alive?'

'I was so badly injured, there's no way I could still be alive... So, I was turned into a ghost.'

Ling Chuanche did not make any rash moves. He lay quietly in place, his pupils slightly contracting in the darkness.

Suddenly, a soft footstep broke the silence.

The footsteps grew closer. The instant the other person entered his perception range, Ling Chuanche's swordsman's instincts erupted!

He sprang up instantly, charging forward like a cheetah, grabbing the man's throat tightly with one hand, while his other clenched fist, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, slammed into the man's head!

What are you trying to do?!

A terrified scream rang in my ears.

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Ling Chuanche's fist stopped abruptly beside the other person's ear, the force of his finger striking the other person's cheek with a sharp pain.

Yushiro stared in horror at the bloodshot-eyed man before him, swallowing hard in terror. When he saw the man stop, a surge of rage, akin to relief at surviving a near-death experience, welled up inside him: "Are you insane?! Is this how you treat your savior?!"

Pat, pat!

Seemingly having heard the commotion, hurried and frantic footsteps came from behind. The person nearly tripped because they were running so fast.

"stop!"

Tamayo stopped a few steps away, panting. Seeing that Ayakawa Tetsu had regained consciousness and was choking Yushiro, she quickly raised her hands, her voice anxious and sincere: "Sir, please stop! We mean no harm and will never hurt you!"

Upon hearing this, Ling Chuanche instantly released the pressure on his hand and slowly loosened his grip.

Yushiro felt as if he had been granted a pardon and immediately staggered back behind Tamayo. Then, as if he remembered something, he suddenly took a step forward and spread his arms to completely shield Tamayo behind him.

He stared at Ling Chuanche warily, like a young animal guarding its food.

"I wasn't turned into a ghost... So you saved me? But I can't understand how I survived with such a fatal injury."

Ling Chuanche looked down at his palm and murmured softly.

The reason he was able to stop that punch was because he realized at the moment he threw it that he was still a human being and had not turned into a demon.

Since their bodies haven't undergone any changes, it means that these two people in front of them are definitely not Muzan Kibutsuji's henchmen.

Ling Chuanche turned his head slightly and looked at the two calmly: "You two are ghosts, aren't you?"

Yushiro couldn't help but swallow hard. This man was ridiculously strong. Even without any weapons and having just awakened, he could unleash a terrifying killing intent capable of smashing Yushiro's head with just his human body.

As expected of a powerful figure capable of going head-to-head with Upper Moon One, he is a monster in human skin.

Moreover, after this brush with death, this guy's aura seems even more unfathomable than before.

He had to protect Lady Tamayo. Although Yushiro knew in his heart that he might not be able to win if they really fought.

Tamayo gently pushed Yushiro aside and calmly walked up to Toru Ayakawa: "Yes, my name is Tamayo, and this child is Yushiro. We did save you. Although we are demons, we are beings who have broken free from Muzan Kibutsuji's control."

We found you fighting to the death with Upper Moon One, so we brought you back.

She paused, her tone remaining calm: "However, your survival has little to do with our treatment. You may not be aware of your special constitution; you are a 'Demon Eater.' What truly saved your life was that you swallowed a piece of that monster's flesh."

"and many more!"

Ling Chuanche raised his hand, interrupting her: "Could you say it one sentence at a time?"

Tamayo nodded slightly: "Okay, which sentence didn't you understand?"

Ling Chuan Che frowned, his gaze fixed on her: "A demon who has broken free from Muzan Kibutsuji's control."

Tamayo said calmly, "If we were to explain this, it would probably go back hundreds of years, which is too long. All you need to know is that if we had intended to harm you, you would already be a corpse. The reason we saved you is because we share a common enemy: Muzan Kibutsuji."

"You are powerful. Your very existence poses a threat to Muzan. The reason is that simple."

Ling Chuanche remained silent for a moment, not dwelling on the topic, but instead focusing on another key point: "You said I am a demon eater?"

“Yes.” Tamayo nodded firmly. “You ate a piece of Upper Moon One’s flesh, and it was that piece of flesh that stimulated your potential and repaired your broken body.”

"Lady Tamayo! You even cut off your own flesh and blood to feed him in order to save him, why don't you say that!" Yushiro finally couldn't help but shout loudly, his tone full of indignation.

Tamayo turned her head and sternly stopped him, saying, "Yushiro."

Yushiro immediately shut his mouth, but his gaze toward Ayakawa Tetsu still carried undisguised hostility.

Ling Chuanche lowered his head and pondered for a moment, gradually clearing up the chaotic thoughts in his mind.

It turned out to be the case.

If I were a demon eater, everything would seem to make sense.

Having been a member of the Demon Slayer Corps for so many years, he had certainly heard of the rare physique of "Demon Eater," but he never imagined that such a physique would appear in himself.