Who are you calling a stable boy?!

Zheng Jing slapped his thigh.

"My name is Zheng Jing. If you like, you can call me Lao Zheng, just like Tanzi does. Ah! Hold on, I have a feeling you're going to ask the same questions as that girl again. If that's the case—"

Zheng Jing, who was squatting on the ground, suddenly reached out and pulled Tanjiro and Nezuko into his arms, while swinging his right arm behind him!

A petite figure stretched out her feet and lightly touched Zheng Jing's outstretched right arm, then gracefully rose up to meet the force of the arm.

When they landed, they were already on the other side of Zhengjing.

It was just like a butterfly flitting among flowers, silent and stealthy.

"Why don't you just ask this girl for the answers? What do you say, little sister?"

"Mr. Tomioka is a bit of a man of few words. Perhaps you two, being both men, would get along better, Mr. Zheng Jing. Rather than that..."

Holding the knife, he smiled slightly and asked Zheng Jing, "Why did you stop me? I remember you said you weren't an idle person, that you needed to kill ghosts, right?"

Tanjiro, who was being held in Zheng Jing's arms and carrying Nezuko, nervously peeked out and stared at the suddenly appearing unfamiliar beauty.

His attire and appearance made it immediately clear that he was a swordsman from the Demon Slayer Corps.

However, the Nichirin Blade the other party was holding was rather strange.

It's less like a knife and more like an enlarged, elongated needle...

"Oh, so you're the type who hates having your job taken away? If so, I'm truly sorry for being so rude..."

Ren's gentle smile carried an apology.

"After all, you shouldn't be unable to realize that the boy is protecting a ghost, right?"

"That's it, understand? Young man."

Shinobu's gaze fell upon Tanjiro.

"You're holding a demon in your arms, it's very dangerous. Please stay away. You can't cause trouble for Mr. Zheng Jing, who isn't a member of the Demon Slayer Corps."

"That—no! Uh, no, it's not that either—she's my sister! And, um—"

"Oh dear, so that's how it is..."

Covering her lips with one hand, Ren's face immediately showed pity, and her already gentle voice became even softer.

"In that case, Mr. Zheng Jing, please forgive my intrusion, may I proceed?"

She picked up the unusual-shaped Nichirin Blade.

"I will use a poison that makes her feel no pain to gently kill her."

Seeing the smile return to Shinobu's face, Tanjiro felt a tightness in his chest.

"Um......"

Zheng Jing tilted his head and stared for a few seconds.

"Sister, there's something I need to ask you first."

"Please speak. Also, if it's alright, could you please stop calling me 'little sister'? My name is Shinobu Kocho. If you don't mind, you can just call me Kocho."

"Oh, Butterfly Sister, did you kill a ghost on your way here? It was about this tall, and it didn't look like a good thing."

Zheng Jing gestured with his hand as he spoke.

"...I did encounter one, but unfortunately she was not willing to get along with me."

"Okay, that's all."

Zheng Jing did some quick calculations and nodded in satisfaction.

"Thanks, I was actually a little worried that she might get away."

"Does she have some grudge against you?"

"No, it's just that I made a promise with her damned stepfather to send his whole family to meet the King of Hell. My mother always said that when you're out in the world, you have to keep your word. Since I said I would kill his whole family, then I would kill his whole family, not a single one of them can be missing."

"..."

He smiled at Zheng Jing, remained silent for a few seconds, and then spoke again.

"Now that you've gotten the answer you wanted, may you please step aside?"

"No."

"...Can you tell me why?"

"Good people shouldn't have guns pointed at them."

Zheng Jingxian responded without hesitation, then glanced at the Nichirin Blade in Shinobu's hand.

"Oh, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Here, it should be said that 'good people shouldn't be held at knifepoint'."

Shinobu's chest seemed to swell slightly beneath her Demon Slayer Corps uniform.

“I understand that you have a carefree and easygoing nature, but please don’t continue to mess around with this matter of slaying demons.”

She maintained a gentle smile as she said this.

His voice, however, sounded somewhat low.

"Nonsense?"

Zheng Jing, however, put away his usual playful and smiling demeanor.

"I don't have time to fool around."

"Charcoal Boy, lower your head."

He whispered something to Tanjiro in his arms and then slightly bent over.

Upon noticing Zheng Jing's movements, Shinobu immediately raised the Nichirin Blade in his hand.

"Mr. Tomioka."

She called out to Yi Yong behind Zheng Jing.

Although they had never actually fought, Shinobu decided to trust his intuition.

Zheng Jing is no ordinary person.

She didn't want to harm Zheng Jing's life.

Given this premise, she lacked confidence that she could keep the ghost in Zheng Jing's arms by herself, given that Zheng Jing appeared to be as strong and powerful as Xingming Beiming.

However, if the two Pillars were to attack together, Shinobu believed that there would be no chance of failure.

What puzzled Ren was that Yi Yong, who was standing behind Zheng Jing, seemed not to hear her call, and did not even raise his Nichirin Blade.

However, she seemed to have no time to question Giyu about it.

Because Zheng Jing was clearly about to make a move—

"Gah! Gah! Orders from headquarters!"

The loud cawing of a crow intruded into the tense scene.

"Capture Tanjiro and Nezuko and bring them back to headquarters!"

"Gah!"

"Invite Mr. Zheng Jing to come to headquarters! Hah!"

Chapter Twenty-Two: Dare to have a go at me!

Faced with Shinobu Kocho and Giyu Tomioka, Zheng Jing ultimately chose to accept the Demon Slayer Corps' invitation.

Of course, there are conditions.

The condition was that he had to go to the Demon Slayer Corps with Tanjiro and Nezuko.

This is the natural outcome.

As long as Tanjiro wants to seek revenge on Muzan Kibutsuji, he will inevitably have to deal with the Demon Slayer Corps. In addition, given his relationship with his mentor Urokodaki, Tanjiro will definitely continue to be a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps as long as there is even the slightest chance.

Zheng Jing certainly knew this.

So, after calculating the time, and estimating that by the time he arrived at the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters and met the Good Voice Master, it would be no earlier than the next morning in his own world, Zheng Jing did not leave as he had done before.

Shinobu Kocho actually had some reservations about his demands.

As a swordsman, harboring and protecting demons is undoubtedly a violation of the Demon Slayer Corps' rules. From the organization's perspective, it is reasonable to arrest Tanjiro, who has committed such a grave mistake, as a sinner.

Since Tanjiro is considered a sinner by the Demon Slayer Corps, how to punish him is an internal matter for the Demon Slayer Corps, and Zheng Jing, as an outsider, has no right to interfere, nor should he.

Not to mention, it's an attitude of clearly protecting Tanjiro and his sister like this.

However, considering that the order from headquarters was to "invite" Zheng Jing, and that this would indeed make Tanjiro and his sister obediently be taken to headquarters, Shinobu Kocho, as the representative of the Demon Slayer Corps, agreed to Zheng Jing's request after weighing the options.

That is why Tanjiro can now sit on the stone path of the dry landscape garden, holding the wooden box containing Nezuko, calmly facing the Pillars who have been summoned to headquarters.

"Well then, before the trial begins, let me reiterate the crimes you have committed."

As one of only two familiar faces to Tanjiro among the Pillars, Shinobu smiled and spoke to the upright Tanjiro.

"There's no need for a trial!"

With hair like flames and a physique resembling a lion, the [Flame Pillar] Kyojuro Rengoku roared with piercing eyes, "I've heard the general situation. Protecting the demons is clearly a violation of the guild rules. No need for you to worry, Master. We'll handle this ourselves! Hmm! Behead the demons too!"

"Then let me do it. I'll make sure their blood blooms in the most magnificent way."

After tidying up his still-gorgeous hairstyle, the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, raised his head arrogantly and looked down at the tense Tanjiro.

(Huh? Are they really going to kill such a cute child? It's so heartbreaking...)

Gazing at Tanjiro, Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Pillar, couldn't bear it and pursed her full lips.

"Ah... what a wretched child, so pitiful, his very birth was pitiful enough... I'll see you off on your way..."

With his hands clasped together, adorned with prayer beads, [Rock Pillar] Himejima Gyomei shed two streams of hot tears, murmuring as if he were softly chanting sutras.

"Compared to this, is the one sitting over there Zheng Jing mentioned in the order?"

Lying on a pine tree not far away, Obanai Iguro, the Serpent Pillar, stretched out his hand and pointed at Zheng Jing, who was sitting cross-legged next to Tanjiro.

"I heard that it was because of his protection that those brats weren't tied up, right? Why would our lord want to meet someone like that? Does anyone know?"

Apart from Giyu Tomioka, who is the Water Pillar, and Muichiro Tokito, who is the Mist Pillar, the other Pillars exchanged glances.

"Perhaps it's because this Mr. Zheng Jing was able to kill Lower Moon Five with his bare hands without using a Nichirin Blade."

He said with a forced smile.

Upon hearing this, most of the Pillars' expressions changed, and their attention shifted from Tanjiro to Zheng Jing.

For a moment, the courtyard fell silent.

Tanjiro glanced at Zheng Jing, then at these so-called pillars.

On his way to headquarters, he heard from one of the Demon Slayer Corps support members—commonly known as "Hidden"—that the so-called "Pillars" were the pillars supporting the Demon Slayer Corps, the swordsmen at the very top of the entire Demon Slayer Corps.

And now, judging from what these Pillars are saying, it's clear that most of them, like Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Pillar, want to kill Nezuko...

Just as Tanjiro opened his mouth, ready to say something in defense of Nezuko, another voice came from the other side of the courtyard.

"oi~oi~ I heard something interesting happened, huh? So the idiot teammate with the ghost is this little brat?"

As the last of the nine pillars to arrive, the Wind Pillar, Sanemi Shinazugawa, stared intently at Tanjiro with his fierce eyes.

"Wait, what are you doing? You're letting him hold this thing."

Noticing the wooden box in Tanjiro's arms, Sanemi Shinazugawa's expression darkened, and he took a few steps to stand in front of Tanjiro.

"Is it in here? That ghost—"

As he spoke, he reached directly for the wooden box containing Nezuko.

Tanjiro instinctively wanted to back away.

—Just then, a large hand grabbed Shinazugawa Sanemi's wrist.

"Just saying it is enough."

"......ah?"

With his eyes darting around as if they were about to burst out of their sockets, Shinazugawa Sanemi looked at Zheng Jing, who was blocking his way.

"Who are you? I've never seen your face before."

"Could you please refrain from making any rash moves, Mr. Shinazugawa?"