Who are you calling a stable boy?!

Honestly, if this guy hadn't used Thunder Breathing, Zheng Jing really wouldn't have recognized him.

But having recognized him, Zheng Jing immediately decided to kill him first.

It wasn't just because he disliked the guy, but also because Zheng Jing didn't want the Demon Slayer Corps to find out that the guy had become a traitor.

More accurately, he didn't want Seonitsu's grandfather, the old man whom Jung-kyung remembered as the former Joo, to know.

He remembered that this kind-hearted old man, upon learning that his disciple had become a traitor and even a ghost who had harmed people, committed seppuku alone to atone for his sins.

Given his upright and unyielding nature, even if the old man knew that his disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust disciple had been dealt with by Zheng Jing, he would most likely...

Even if he is persuaded to stay, this old man will likely suffer from a deep-seated emotional burden for the rest of his life.

Zheng Jingguang would get so anxious just thinking about it that he would scratch his head in frustration, let alone actually see it.

Zheng Jing had no idea when Kaigaku had been captured by Muzan. Right now, he could only hope he had killed him quickly enough to prevent the news of Kaigaku's betrayal from leaking out...

"Ok?"

Noticing the wrong path, Zheng Jing looked up and shouted at the Black and White Gentleman in the sky, "We're in a hurry, let's go straight, don't go around."

"..."

"If you can fly, I can walk."

The man in black and white remained silent, but turned away from the air conditioner.

Zheng Jing followed, and after only a few steps, they emerged from the woods and found themselves at the edge of a cliff.

"Hey."

He grinned, and without hesitation, leaped into the air.

-

"You're here."

Sitting in the house, facing the courtyard, bathed in the cool moonlight, Ubuyashiki Kagaya suddenly spoke.

"Our clan, and the members of the Demon Slayer Corps, have hunted down the evil demon Muzan Kibutsuji for a thousand years... Amane, what does he look like?"

"He had pale skin and a tall stature, and looked like a man in his twenties, except that he had a pair of reddish-brown eyes with long, cat-like pupils."

"so......"

Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled and nodded.

"I knew it. You would personally come to kill me, a member of the Ubuyashiki clan, the only one you would do, Muzan Kibutsuji."

"...What a disappointment."

Looking down at Kagaya Ubuyashiki, who was sitting with his wife, Muzan Kibutsuji frowned.

"I never imagined that the last patriarch of the Ubuyashiki clan, who was so arrogant and had bothered me for a thousand years, would be such a dying man."

“Sick, weak, and blind, how ugly they are.”

"Really? I think I'm in exceptionally good physical condition tonight. Look, I can even sit upright like this, chest out, facing you."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled and touched the terrible scar on his face.

"Six months ago, the doctor said I didn't have many days left to live. I really have to thank Zheng Jing for making me feel this way now."

Upon hearing the name he cared about, Muzan Kibutsuji frowned even more deeply.

"That's enough. Even if you leave it alone, you won't live much longer. I've lost interest. If you tell me the location of the Blue Spider Lily, I might spare your and your wife's lives."

"Heh... As expected, Muzan, what you seek is immortality, isn't it?"

"That's right, and as long as I get the Blue Spider Lily, I will achieve this feat."

"This is your dream? What a pity... My dream is to eliminate you, Muzan."

"Then your unrealistic dream will shatter tonight."

Claws sprouted from his right hand, as if Muzan had finally exhausted his already limited patience.

“I’ve already given you a chance. Now, tell me everything you know about the Blue Spider Lily, Ubuyashiki. If you do, I’ll at least let you and your wife die a quick death.”

Upon hearing this, Kagaya Ubuyashiki laughed even more heartily.

"Muzan Kibutsuji, you may not know, but you and I are actually from the same clan, only you were born a thousand years ago... Since the birth of you, this evil demon, our clan has been cursed. Without exception, all newborns in the clan are weak and sickly, and die young. Fortunately, when our clan was about to be completely wiped out because of this bloodline, a priest enlightened our clan and made us realize that this curse is both punishment and mission."

Looking at Muzan Kibutsuji with his eyes that could no longer see clearly, Kagaya Ubuyashiki said with a sigh of relief, "To destroy you, this evil demon, with everything we have is the destiny of our clan."

"Nonsense, stop saying things that insult my intelligence."

Kibutsuji Muzan lowered his voice.

"Destiny? That's nothing but the delusion of you humans. The proof is that I have never suffered any divine punishment."

With a slight smirk, Muzan Kibutsuji's face revealed a smile that was hard to decipher—whether it was mockery or smugness.

“Even though I have killed hundreds or thousands of people, I have been tolerated by this world for thousands of years. This is irrefutable proof.”

He raised his finger and pointed to the sky.

There are no gods or Buddhas in the world.

Do you really think that way?

"...What exactly are you trying to say?"

"In my opinion, Zheng Jing is like a messenger under the throne of a god or Buddha, who came to this world to subdue you, Muzan."

"--ha!"

Mucan laughed out loud.

"I knew what you were going to say. It seems this illness has damaged your brain too. Zheng Jing? Messenger of Gods and Buddhas? By now, he's probably already been captured by my men, though perhaps not yet—"

Muzan's expression suddenly changed.

As if recalling some terrible past, his expression darkened again.

"...So what if there really are messengers of gods and Buddhas? Why would I, Muzan Kibutsuji, be afraid of these illusory delusions of mortals?"

"Aren't you afraid?"

Suddenly, a loud and clear voice resounded through the night sky!

Chapter 48: Take this from Old Zheng!

Kibutsuji Muzan suddenly jumped backward.

Almost the instant he pulled away, a tall, dark figure, accompanied by a terrifying whistling sound, landed where he had just stood.

While suspended in mid-air, Muzan Kibutsuji saw the true form of the dark figure.

It is a long stick.

A long stick, its length unknown, had penetrated deep into the courtyard ground, leaving a section about half a person's height sticking out, humming and swaying in his line of sight.

Immediately afterwards, a figure appeared as if from the sky, and with a single step, stood firmly on the end of the staff.

"Hey! Didn't you say you weren't afraid? Why are you avoiding me? You dog Muzan."

Standing on one leg, with the other leg raised, Zheng Jing slightly shrank his body, pointed at the fallen Kibutsuji Muzan, and grinned.

Seeing Zheng Jing suddenly appear there, Muzan Kibutsuji's eyes widened, veins bulging at the corners of his eyes, and he was about to speak—

"Zheng Jing? What are you doing here—what brings you here?"

As Kagaya Ubuyashiki spoke, he tried to get up, but his body couldn't support such a movement. Fortunately, Amane Ubuyashiki, who was standing nearby, helped him up in time.

It seems that Zheng Jing's appearance is more surprising than Muzan Kibutsuji's.

"I said, Yao, you've lived to this age with such a wonderful life, with a wife, kids, and a warm bed, how can you just die like that?"

Turning his head to the side, Zheng Jing glanced at Ubuyashiki Kagaya and pursed his lips.

"You actually kept this from me! You're really insulting me, Lao Zheng!"

"..."

Even Kagaya Ubuyashiki was momentarily at a loss for words.

When he discussed the plan to lure out Muzan Kibutsuji with Zheng Jing, he did intentionally keep it a secret from Zheng Jing.

On the surface, he agreed to Zheng Jing's suggestion to act as bait, while the Demon Slayer Corps would consolidate its forces to guide Muzan Kibutsuji to prioritize Zheng Jing as his target.

In reality, he was just like the head of the Ubuyashiki family, never placing any guards around him, and even secretly scattering the Pillars into various safe areas beforehand.

That's right, he sent Zheng Jing to the knife-maker village at this critical juncture in order to conceal Zheng Jing's whereabouts.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki wanted to use himself as bait.

The temptation to simultaneously eliminate the Ubuyashiki clan and obtain the Blue Spider Lily was so great that Ubuyashiki Kagaya knew that Kibutsuji Muzan would be unable to resist and would personally take action.

However, Kagaya Ubuyashiki overlooked two points.

Firstly, there's the degree of importance that Kibutsuji Muzan placed on Zheng Jing.

Secondly, there is Zheng Jing's speed of travel as a martial monk.

But that alone would not be enough to make Kagaya Ubuyashiki lose his composure like he is now.

The real problem is that Kagaya Ubuyashiki not only wants to use himself as bait to lure out Muzan Kibutsuji, but also wants to use his own death to add the last bit of fighting spirit to the Demon Slayer Corps!

This is a strategy that ensures victory for a desperate army.

—So at this very moment, beneath this Ubuyashiki mansion, there is already a bomb that could instantly reduce the entire mansion to ashes!

"Hey, don't be afraid. It's just explosives. Even if it explodes, it won't hurt me. Besides, I already had that brat Yushiro put out all the fire for you."

With a wave of his hand, Zheng Jing turned his gaze back to Muzan Kibutsuji.

"You're quite capable of standing still. I was thinking if you had launched a sneak attack and taken advantage of Ah Yao's family, I would have killed you on the spot."

"...It seems those good-for-nothings have caused you some kind of misunderstanding, Zheng Jing."

Having been put aside for a while, Muzan seemed to have adjusted his mood. The veins on his forehead subsided, and he once again adopted the same composed demeanor he had when facing the Ubuyashiki couple.

"I must admit, you have exceeded my expectations. I never thought that even Akaza would be defeated by you."

"Hey, Gouzi, he's calling you."

"..."

Akaza kept his eyes closed and remained silent.

Even if Muzan were to use his control over demons to blow up his last remaining head, he wouldn't care.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that dying so decisively was exactly what he wanted.

"The dog doesn't even want to talk to you. You're really... well, you're a devil. Tsk tsk, that's true. You're such a coward, so petty and short-sighted. What great things can you accomplish? How can you be worthy of being called the savior of villains? You'd be better off going home with your uncle and growing sweet potatoes!"

He jumped to the ground, casually pulled out the stick, and slung it over his shoulder. Zheng Jing tilted his head and smacked his lips.

"In comparison, Ayao is much better."

Before the words were even finished, with Zheng Jing and Wu Can's keen senses, they could hear a series of hurried footsteps, some light and some heavy, approaching from afar.

There's no need to say more about those who have come—

It can only be the nine pillars of the team!

"Look everyone, this is Muzan Kibutsuji! It's the real deal!"

Like a stall owner selling fresh pork in a market, Zheng Jing shouted at Jiu Zhu who had rushed over.

In an instant, the nine pillars began to move.

The five pillars of wind, water, mist, love, and fire moved with the wind beneath their feet, instantly blocking all paths leading to Muzan's body.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Zheng Jing."

The rock pillar, Beimingyu Xingming, who had come to Zheng Jing's side, spoke in a low voice.

"Hey, what's the big deal?"

Zheng Jing smiled and waved his hand.

"Xingming..."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki, who overheard the conversation, immediately understood.

He only told Xingming about his true plan to use himself as bait.