Who are you calling a stable boy?!

Ultimately, many members of the Demon Slayer Corps embarked on this arduous path of slaying demons because they had been harmed by evil spirits and lost their loved ones and friends.

Even he himself, actually...

Therefore, Tanjiro knew very well that asking a question like "Why do you want to slay demons with your own hands?" would often evoke a painful memory and was undoubtedly reopening old wounds.

but......

Well...

Tanjiro didn't detect any hatred in Zheng Jing.

He knew it was an arbitrary opinion, but Tanjiro genuinely felt that Zheng Jing didn't seem like someone who had a deep-seated hatred for demons.

but--

"Please be careful not to hurt yourself."

After hesitating for a moment, Tanjiro drew his Nichirin Blade from its sheath, reversed the blade, and handed the hilt to Zheng Qi.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I do have some skills."

He reached out and took the knife. Zheng Jing looked closely and the panel immediately reacted.

-

Nichirin Blade (Green)

Quality: Premium

Weight: 2.5KG

特性

【Afterglow】: When killing undead or dark creatures, it can cause additional damage and, to some extent, suppress the regeneration ability of the target.

-

As standard equipment for Demon Slayer Corps members, the Nichirin Blade is forged from so-called "Scarlet Gorilla Sand Iron" and "Scarlet Gorilla Ore," and is one of the key aids that allows Demon Slayer Corps members to sever the immortal bodies of demons with human bodies.

Based on the information provided on the panel, it seems that the Nichirin Blade only relies on the [Afterglow] trait to be considered a high-quality piece of equipment.

"Oh, what a fine knife!"

Zheng Jing tapped the blade with his fingertip, looked at the jet-black razor, and suddenly sighed.

Then, he took two steps to the side of the evil spirit, squatted down, pressed one hand against the evil spirit's chest, and gripped the hilt of the knife with the other, gesturing the black blade towards the evil spirit's Adam's apple twice.

Seeing this, Tanjiro subconsciously reached out his hand towards Zheng Jing's crouching back.

Judging from this guy's posture, it seems more like he's finding a spot to chop a dead fish on a chopping board than slaying a demon.

"Aww!!"

With a final, forceful pull, the previously unconscious demon suddenly let out a loud howl.

Compared to the feeling of being kicked in the buttocks by Zheng Jing for several minutes, the pain of having one's neck cut open like this by a Nichirin Blade was not only more intense, but also accompanied by a premonition of death that went straight to the top of one's head.

Such a stimulating experience immediately made the evil spirit, who was awakened by pain or fright, want to jump up from the ground.

As if he had anticipated this, Zheng Jing had no intention of actually using one hand to hold the guy down. Almost the instant the demon cried out, he drew his knife and stepped back.

"what--"

The demon, clutching its severed neck and its half-suspended head, leaped up and screamed. Just as it was about to shout again, a cold light reflecting the moonlight rushed towards it from its tearful eyes.

Before he could react, the demon found his vision suddenly rising upwards, as if he had suddenly taken flight.

—He did indeed take flight.

However, only its head flew up.

"Well......"

He weighed the hilt of his knife in his hand, not glancing at the headless corpse that had fallen to the ground and was gradually turning to ashes. Zheng Jing subtly pursed his lips as if he were dissatisfied with something.

When he turned around to face Tanjiro, his face was once again adorned with that bright, almost unrestrained smile.

"Thanks, Charcoal Boy! Love you!"

"Ah, um, um..."

Tanjiro awkwardly accepted the Nichirin Blade that Zheng Jing handed back, and the image of the sword he had just witnessed flashed through his mind.

It wasn't the fastest strike he'd ever seen, nor was it the strongest...

"Hey? Snap out of it, what are you thinking about, Charcoal Boy? I didn't break your treasure, did I?"

"Uh—I'm sorry!"

Pulled back to his senses by Zheng Jing's voice and waving hand, Tanjiro instinctively lowered his head and apologized.

"What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything wrong. You helped me out. I, Lao Zheng, owe you a favor."

Zheng Jing patted Tanjiro on the shoulder with a grin.

Seeing his smiling face, Tanjiro's tense shoulders quietly relaxed.

"This...brother?"

"Oh dear, I haven't introduced myself yet."

Zheng Jing turned around and patted his chest.

“My name is Zheng Jing. You don’t need to call me ‘Big Brother’ or ‘Big Brother’. If you’re happy, just call me Old Zheng. If you’re shy, just call me Zheng Jing. Don’t be polite.”

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate...?"

Tanjiro hesitated for a moment.

Having delivered charcoal to his family's door for many years, Tanjiro had interacted with many elders since childhood, but he had never met an elder with a personality like Zheng Jing before.

For a moment, even Tanjiro, who was known as the number one old man in the surrounding villages, was caught off guard when facing Zheng Jing.

"What's so strange about that? Come on, give it a shout, give it a shout! Practice makes perfect! Come on, come on!"

"Then...then...Old Zheng?"

"Hey, look, isn't this great!"

"Ahem, um... Old Zheng, you're not a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, are you?"

From Zheng Jing's composure in dealing with demons to his clear-cut intention to borrow the Nichirin Blade, Tanjiro, though somewhat unable to keep up with Zheng Jing's pace, could still deduce that Zheng Jing must have a considerable understanding of demons and the Demon Slayer Corps.

As for why they believed Zheng Jing wasn't a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, it wasn't just because he wasn't wearing a uniform or carrying a Nichirin Blade, but also because they could clearly see...

When Zheng Jing slew the evil spirit, he did not use breathing techniques.

Chapter Six: This is the power of adults!

"Ouch!"

As the first rays of dawn rose in the east, Zheng Jing stretched.

"The sun is finally out; thankfully, it's not long before dawn."

"I'm sorry, Lao Zheng, for keeping you company until now."

Beside him, Tanjiro, who had just seen the sunrise, first let out a long breath, then looked at Zheng Jing with a hint of shame on his face.

The house that Zheng Jing bumped into with the evil spirit was a bed and breakfast run by an elderly couple. Unfortunately, before bumping into Zheng Jing, the evil spirit found the elderly couple living in the side room.

The scene in the side room was so tragic that Zheng Jing's face was devoid of even the slightest hint of a smile.

The evil spirit devoured the old couple's internal organs, leaving behind two disemboweled corpses.

...Since there were no Demon Slayer Corps businesses in this relatively remote town, Tanjiro, filled with remorse, couldn't immediately find someone to help the elderly couple with their funeral arrangements.

Fortunately, Zheng Jing, the current temple keeper, knows a thing or two about religious ceremonies.

Of course, a grand funeral was out of the question. All Zheng Jing could do was help Tanjiro collect the mutilated bodies of the elderly couple he had never met before, and then chant sutras to help the souls of the two innocent old people find peace.

Based on Tanjiro's experience, he should have left the town as soon as possible under the cover of night.

After all, without the assistance of the Demon Slayer Corps, such a horrific murder had occurred in the town, and a stranger like him wielding a weapon would easily become a target.

Even if they eventually get help from the team to clear their name, the back-and-forth will still hinder their ability to slay demons.

This time, however, Tanjiro did not choose to leave immediately. Instead, he stayed in the town to patrol, intending to do so until sunrise to ensure that no other demons would be hiding there.

"What are you saying? We're just doing good deeds, why are you being so polite?"

Zheng Jing patted Tanjiro on the shoulder.

"Honestly, this isn't your fault. How can not having time to do good deeds be a sin? Even Buddha would say the same thing!"

"Thanks......"

Tanjiro lowered his head, his still-childish face filled with a sorrow and grief unbecoming of his age.

However, this expression only lasted for a moment. When he raised his face again, he had the same gentle expression as always.

"Even though something so upsetting happened, the thought of meeting you, Lao Zheng, makes me feel so much better now... Really, thank you so much!"

"......Why!"

"Aww!"

Zheng Jing grabbed him and tucked him under his arm, roughly rubbing his hair. Tanjiro couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

"A good child like you deserves all the praise on behalf of the Bodhisattva!"

"Waaah! Old Zheng—haha, stop, stop rubbing me—"

After rubbing Tanjiro vigorously several times, Zheng Jing finally released him.

Tanjiro touched his head, took a breath, and stood still, noticing the crow perched on the wall not far away.

"...Old Zheng, I should go now."

"A mission to slay demons, right?"

Zheng Jing glanced at the crow that was quietly preening its feathers and nodded.

"Together? I think I can still be of help."

He genuinely wanted to help, and he also genuinely wanted to generate revenue.

The demon that Tanjiro killed with his Nichirin Blade gave Zheng Jing 150 experience points and 100 garden flower coins.

While patrolling with Tanjiro, Zheng Jing took a moment to check the panel and discovered that it only takes 300 experience points to upgrade from LV1 to LV2.

In other words, if he can send such a bastard to meet the King of Hell again, he will be promoted one level.

While eliminating evil for the people, he also leveled up on his own. Wow, how could he miss such a good thing?

Of course, he could choose not to follow Tanjiro and go it alone, but the [Tenwu] version banned his main quest system and forced quest system.

The advantage is that he can indeed go wherever he wants.

The downside is that he has to decide where to go on his own.

The island nation is neither too big nor too small. The people there are unfamiliar with the place, and without the intelligence network of a wealthy organization like the Demon Slayer Corps to help them, it would take them forever to find those nocturnal demons on their own.

Furthermore, if Tanjiro were to follow him and that silly kid were to encounter something different from the so-called "plot," such as Muzan finding out something first and then sending some Lower or Upper Moon to capture him, he might be able to rely on his projection body to avoid real death and perform some extraordinary feats of immortality.

In short, we're already here, right?

Zheng Jing was happy to agree, but Tanjiro felt bad about it.

The reason is quite simple.

"But... Old Zheng, you're not a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Going like this would be very dangerous..."

Tanjiro was troubled.

Members of the Demon Slayer Corps must undergo rigorous training by trainers and be selected before they can possess their own Nichirin Blade and become true demon slayers.

Logically, he should have seriously rejected Zheng Jing's proposal, and even solemnly warned Zheng Jing not to do anything foolish.

But when Tanjiro thought about how Zheng Jing had subdued a demon with his bare hands without having learned any breathing techniques or possessing a Nichirin Blade, and that this demon had already eaten at least seven or eight people, he felt that perhaps he couldn't judge this energetic older brother by normal standards.

But......

Tanjiro shook his head vigorously.

"I'm sorry, Lao Zheng! It still won't work! Slaying demons is a very dangerous thing. I know you're a very skilled monk, but slaying demons is truly different..."

Zheng Jing, who readily admitted that he was not a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, earned the label of "very powerful monk" in Tanjiro's eyes based on his feats of subduing demons with his bare hands and his professionalism in performing rituals for the deceased.