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

Ren slowly raised his head, sighed deeply, and then closed his eyes in despair.

Destroy the world!

tired.

Chapter 89: Lord Insect Pillar

Ling Chuanche walked slowly to Ren and extended a broad hand to her: "Let's go."

The night breeze was slightly cool. I looked up and gazed at my master's familiar profile in the moonlight.

The embarrassment and shame that had made me want to evaporate on the spot gradually faded away like the receding tide, and in its place, a warm current surged into my heart.

She reached out and grasped that warm, large hand tightly.

With his strength, she was pulled up from the ground.

Once she regained her footing, she immediately reverted to her lively nature, skipping like a light little butterfly to Ling Chuanche's side. With a smile, she teased, "Master, Master, tell me honestly, were you secretly following me all this way because you were so worried about me?"

Ling Chuanche glanced at her sideways, his tone calm but full of affection: "Yes, you're the most troublesome one."

"How am I not making things easy for you?" Ren retorted, pouting, "With such an excellent and considerate disciple as me, you should just hide under the covers and be secretly happy!"

"Just let me live a few more years, that'll be enough," Ling Chuanche sighed, half-jokingly.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" Upon hearing this, Ren spat several times into the air, put her hands on her hips, and said coquettishly, "Don't say such unlucky things at night!"

Her eyes lit up, an idea forming in her mind. She raised her chin defiantly and said, "As punishment, I want you to carry me back, Master!"

Ling Chuanche was taken aback for a moment, his gaze sweeping over her unharmed legs, and he said with some helplessness, "You're not injured at all, why do you want me to carry you?"

"Who said I wasn't hurt!" Ren's eyes darted around, and suddenly he put on a dramatic act, crying out "Ouch!" as he clutched his calf and squatted down, his brow furrowed, feigning a sharp gasp. "I was going too fast just now, and I accidentally twisted my leg... It hurts so much..."

While crying out in pain, she secretly raised her eyes to observe Ling Chuanche's reaction.

Her master stood there quietly, looking at her speechlessly, his eyes clearly saying, "I'll just watch you act," indicating that he had no intention of taking the bait.

Seeing that playing the victim wasn't working, he simply gave up and went all out.

She sat down on the ground, tilting her fair neck back, her purple eyes wide open, and declared in a spoiled manner, "Are you going to carry me or not? If you don't, I'm not leaving today!"

"Speaking to your master like this? No wonder you're a newly promoted Pillar." Ling Chuan Che said with a light laugh. Then he looked up at the sky and said calmly, "Then I'll head back now."

Having said that, he actually took off his coat and gently placed it on the grass next to Ren, saying softly, "The ground is cold at night, sit here and wait." After saying that, he turned and left without the slightest hesitation.

Ren sat there blankly, staring at Ling Chuanche's back without turning back, completely unexpected that her master would actually abandon her like this.

After a brief moment of surprise, she angrily thrashed about on the grass a couple of times before standing up in a huff.

She grabbed the coat that was still warm from her master's body on the ground, slammed it twice with her little fists, and then strode off, chasing after Ling Chuanche with great momentum.

Before long, she caught up with the man walking ahead.

Following behind Ling Chuanche, she didn't say a word, but deliberately made her footsteps louder, then suddenly quickened her pace and went around to the front of Ling Chuanche to block his way.

Ling Chuanche stopped and looked down at her, but she snorted and turned her head sharply to one side, giving Ling Chuanche a stubborn profile, exuding an aura of "If you don't coax me, I won't be with you anymore."

Looking at her proud yet adorable appearance, Ling Chuanche shook his head helplessly, a indulgent smile curving his lips: "You'll be a pillar soon, why are you still acting like a child?"

He was the first to give in, sighed helplessly, and reached out to gently rub her soft hair.

He's always like this; he's never won against an opponent who's ninja.

Sensing the warm touch on his head, Shinobu's eyes darted around, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up wildly, but he still pretended to be reserved and hummed softly: "Then... call me Lord Pillar first."

"You haven't done anything yet, and you're already showing off your superior power!" Ling Chuanche looked at her with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"So what! Anyway, I'll be a pillar when I get back!" Shinobu raised his chin triumphantly, his purple eyes gleaming with cunning.

Looking at her self-righteous appearance, Ling Chuanche's eyes were full of unyielding doting.

He bowed slightly in compliance and said in an exaggeratedly respectful tone, "This humble servant greets Lord Insect Pillar. Is Lord Insect Pillar satisfied with this title?"

Hearing her master's voice full of affection, Ren felt as sweet as if she had drunk honey, but she still maintained her pride on the surface.

She cleared her throat and, mimicking the manner of the swordsmen, nodded solemnly: "Hmm, it's alright. Remember this: when you see Lord Pillar in the future, you must greet him first."

"Yes, yes, yes, I obey." Ling Chuanche smiled and shook his head, just about to say something more—

"Gah—!"

Suddenly, a rapid flapping sound came from the sky.

The two looked up at the same time and saw a black raven swooping down like an arrow and landing precisely on Shinobu's shoulder.

Ren recognized it at a glance; it was Master's auspicious yak.

Before they could even stand still, Jixiang started yelling in his hoarse voice:

"Southwest! Southwest! A possible Twelve Demon Moon has appeared! Shinobu Kocho and Toru Ayakawa, go together! Shinobu Kocho and Toru Ayakawa, go together!"

The night wind swept up the fallen leaves, instantly shattering the relaxed atmosphere.

Lingchuan Che turned his head to look at the girl beside him and asked softly, half-jokingly, "So, Lord Insect Pillar, would you like to come with me on this mission?"

Shinobu took a deep breath and hung the Nichirin Blade steadily at his waist.

She tilted her head back, stretched out her slender little hand and pointed southwest, her voice clear and crisp:

"set off!"

Chapter 90: Corrupted

Lingchuan Che once asked Shinobu a question: what would she do if she found out he was dead?

Ren didn't even think about it at the time.

'If her master dies, she will first help the Demon Slayer Corps see if they can defeat Muzan Kibutsuji. If she sees no hope, she will immediately go down to find her master.'

Ling Chuanche's heart tightened at that moment, and he tentatively asked, "Can't we fulfill his long-cherished wish, like wanting you all to grow up happily?"

Ren glanced at Ling Chuanche, but Ling Chuanche wasn't sure if Ren had seen through her thoughts.

She said, slowly and deliberately, "That kind of thing will never happen. As soon as I hear that you are not here, I will go down to be with you immediately. I think you will understand."

Lingchuan Che then asked Shinobu, "What if his death was intentional?"

For example, he might set a trap by sacrificing himself to lure out Muzan Kibutsuji.

Ren will never forget the look in Ling Chuanche's eyes at that moment.

She looked at him and smiled, saying, "Master, you'd better not make me believe what you're saying is true, or I'll poison you right now so you can't move and will be bedridden for the rest of your life, so you won't die."

Ling Chuanche remained silent after hearing this.

He didn't know how the child could have such morbid thoughts, but he was genuinely scared at the time.

From that time on, he stopped having the thought that he might die at any moment.

He was afraid that if he overthought things, the marks might actually take effect and he might really die.

So he stopped thinking about it.

If you don't want to, just ignore it, and it should be fine.

He dared not die.

He didn't dare say the same things to Shinobu again, and he didn't dare let her know that he was deliberately trying to kill himself.

In any case, during those few days, Lingchuan Che hesitated before drinking the water that Ren handed him.

At that moment, Ren asked Ling Chuanche with a smile, "Master, are you hesitant because you're afraid? Master, you didn't actually have those kinds of thoughts in your heart, did you?"

Although she was laughing, Ling Chuanche couldn't laugh. He was joking; could he admit to that?

He quickly denied it.

Ren earnestly told Ling Chuanche that she wanted him to remember that no matter what others thought, her life was already bound to his.

She would never again experience the pain of receiving news of both Ayakawa Tetsu and Kanae's deaths.

Therefore, she wanted Ling Chuanche to understand one thing: when Ling Chuanche died, she might go down to the underworld to wait for him before he died.

Ling Chuanche felt that he had spoiled his child.

She wasn't like this before.

Why is it that, despite being sisters, Kanae is so gentle and graceful, while Shinobu has such a completely different personality?

Ling Chuanche felt that the problem might be with him; perhaps he hadn't met the standards to be a qualified teacher.

They were taught how to fight evil spirits, but not how to feel despair and sorrow.

It wasn't that he didn't want to teach, but rather that Ling Chuanche was equally unable to bear the sadness and despair.

How can he teach others what he himself cannot do?

Shinobu playfully asked Ayakawa Tetsuya, "Master, why don't you ask my sister and Kanao these questions?"

Ling Chuanche said, speechless and helpless, "You're the only one who's so willful and mischievous, you're such a worry."

Ren smiled but didn't say anything, and Ling Chuanche had no idea what she was thinking.

What meaning does the world have for me without you?

Shinobu became a pillar.

Everything went smoothly, without any setbacks.

After all, with Cangzhu by his side, if something unexpected still happens, it won't just be a matter of endurance.

Given the mission brought by Jixiang, Lingchuan Che decided to test Shinobu's strength, so they agreed that he would not intervene and would let Shinobu handle it herself.

Ren asked curiously, "What if I'm on the verge of death? Will Master still have to watch over me?"

The little girl always liked to tease her master and always knew how to make Lord Cangzhu break his composure.

What can he do?

Is it really possible to just watch?

After all, he was just the last demon to become a pillar, yet he followed him from dawn till dusk, protecting him all the way.

He says he won't interfere, but in reality, Lord Cangzhu is just fooling himself.