ebookland Chapter 127: Zhuhe Meeting (2)
Chapter 127: Zhuhe Meeting (2)
"If you're not strong enough, why were you chosen as an upper rank...?"
Mitsuri was a little conflicted, but still hesitated to ask.
Since the birth of the Twelve Kizuki, ranking based on strength seems to be an invisible iron rule. The higher the number, the stronger it is. Even though the boy named Rinkou may be marked with zero, which does not belong to any number, because he is not strong enough, this does not affect his status as an upper moon. This does not sound reasonable.
"If he's truly weak and you want to emphasize his importance, then wouldn't it be enough to just give him a lower rank?"
Mitsuri's question successfully diverted everyone's attention temporarily. Compared to whether the boy would eat humans, why he became Upper Zero seemed to be a more worthy question to think about at the moment.
"You can't judge a ghost's strength based on his appearance. He just looks like a little boy, but he might not actually be one. He might be older and stronger than any of us. As for why he doesn't hurt anyone, that's something we'll have time to wonder about after we chop off his head."
Shimi's tone was unfriendly. He kept recalling the brief encounter on the train in his mind. He remembered that the kid was very strong, but not to the level that would make him wary. Was the kid deliberately hiding his strength?
"So, has anyone had experience fighting him?"
Ubuyashiki's question was met with a dead silence.
No one has ever fought with him. Many people have seen him, but no one has actually fought with him.
"I've only seen him wield a sword when I was teaching him. His true teacher must be an extremely skilled swordsman, but he can't master any breathing techniques. He's very fast and has learned the techniques well, but his own strength doesn't seem to be at the level of a demon, at least not at the level of an upper rank. But this doesn't rule out the possibility that he's deliberately hiding it."
Urokodaki shook his head slightly and told the truth about what he knew.
Silence, and more silence. Ubuyashiki couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed. Upper Rank Zero, who had never appeared before, was forced to be exposed to the Demon Slayer Corps because he didn't know whether it was an unexpected coincidence or an ingenious layout. His strength and ability were almost unknown. It was really... disturbing.
"Kamado and I once witnessed him using blood demon arts! When he was taken away by Akaza, for a moment, the auras of both of them disappeared! The two demons were standing right in front of us, but we couldn't sense their presence at all! I think maybe that's Rinkou's ability!"
Kyojuro raised his head and spoke in a loud voice, looking forward with a firm gaze. Although Tanjiro did not get the other party's eye signal, he immediately nodded. He realized belatedly that nodding could not be noticed by his lord, so he immediately added.
"Yes! It's really hard to believe, but it's true. In that instant, he completely disappeared, and even his smell became very faint. Perhaps it was because of this special ability that made it impossible for others to detect that he was a ghost. Because Lin Guang didn't have the foul smell of blood that other ghosts have after eating a lot of human flesh."
Ubuyashiki was deliberating in his heart and thinking in his mind, but all he showed on the outside was his usual gentle smile, as if as long as he was still standing here, there was nothing to worry about and all problems would be solved.
"I see. Perhaps Zero is not just a status, but an evaluation of him by Muzan because of his special ability. Muzan has always tried to hide himself, and with the help of this child, his goal will be easier to achieve..."
A single stone can cause a thousand ripples. After a brief silence, these simple words made everyone realize the terrible impact that such an inconspicuous boy could bring.
"An undetectable enemy... that doesn't sound like good news. If he can really hide with other ghosts, then we must get rid of him first."
Xiao Banei frowned, and his eyes turned cold for a moment.
"Mr. Iguro, we just discussed this issue. Rinkou may not actually hurt anyone."
Shinobu's tone was not as gentle as usual, and could be described as a bit cold.
"After all, the so-called invulnerability and inability to resist are just your assumptions, right? He's different from that Nezuko. No one really knows how long he's lived, and what he did when you weren't seeing him, right?"
Shiya's voice was laced with laughter, but the gritted teeth in his voice clearly showed his displeasure at Shinobu's rebuttal.
"But just like Nezuko, we've never seen that boy actually hurt anyone, right? According to Tanjiro's description, he seemed to deliberately show up when Upper Rank Three was fighting Kyojuro, which just happened to divert Upper Rank Three's attention. We have no evidence to indicate who Rinkou favors or what he wants to do, but at least based on the current situation, if allowed, we might be able to sit down and talk with him. Of course, compared to talking to him, the lives of innocent people and your lives are more important."
Ubuyashiki's stance on the dispute was not clear, but he did not lean towards either side either. The contradiction still existed, but at least with this conclusion, it would be difficult for them to argue again.
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"It's incredible that we're trying to capture a demon alive, and an upper-rank demon at that."
Shimi held his head and shook it. No matter what, he felt that it was best to deal with such a dangerous boy as soon as possible and put everything aside. Even if the child really had some difficulties or some other hidden secrets, for a guy who had become a ghost, death was the real relief.
"But the lord has already said so, so we can only do as we are told. Ever since that brat appeared, the Demon Slayer Corps has always encountered strange guys."
Obana still has some prejudice against Tanjiro. Let's not talk about anything else, just look at what made that kid stand next to Kanroji just now, so close to him!
"Enemy or not, for ghosts, the only true relief is to kill them quickly. Namo Amitabha."
Xing Ming remained silent for most of the meeting. He was thinking. He seemed to have heard this name before, but he could not remember where he heard it. But since it was a ghost, it should be killed.
"It doesn't matter whether he catches me or lets me go. If I meet him, the first thing I'll probably think of is chopping off his head."
Muichiro's reaction was the same as usual. When Rinko's name was mentioned, he seemed to be blinded by something for a moment, but it was only a very brief moment, so short that before he could catch his eye, the light had disappeared again.
"Ms. Shinobu, do you think Rinkou is really a good boy? Have you seen him? What does he look like?"
Mitsuri stayed close to Shinobu. After the meeting, Shinobu had successfully returned to her usual gentle self, but when she heard Mitsuri's question, she still looked a little lost, but she quickly cheered up.
"Well, he's a gentle boy with short black hair and blue eyes. Yes, very beautiful eyes. It's hard to imagine words appearing in eyes like that. I'll definitely ask him to show them to me next time."
"Mr. Rengoku, if you meet Rinko, will you attack him..."
Tanjiro asked Kyojuro hesitantly, and Kyojuro nodded firmly.
"Yes! But if conditions permit, I will also imprison him alive according to my lord's orders!"
"But isn't Rinkou a friend of Mr. Purgatory and your father?"
Tanjiro was still wavering, and Kyojuro rarely put away the smile on his face and looked at Tanjiro seriously.
"He is indeed my friend, and he was once my father's friend, but this does not affect my willingness to draw my blade against him as a demon. Besides being his friend, I am also a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps, the Flame Pillar. I need to consider the safety of more innocent people. I cannot let him go just because he is my friend. Young Kamado, you must remember that you are a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps, and we are working hard to prevent more people from suffering the pain we know."
A large palm fell heavily on Tanjiro's shoulder, and Kyojuro smiled again under Tanjiro's gaze.
"Demons eat people. That's their nature. Kill Lingguang before he hurts anyone in front of us. If it were Lingguang, he would want me to do the same! At least that's what I think!"
"He's right, Tanjiro. You are a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps. Killing evil spirits is your duty. Even if it's Rinkou, but he's standing in front of you, what you have to do first is to completely control him. Only then can you talk about other things."
Urokodaki walked forward naturally, followed by Makijuro with a complicated expression on his face. The man seemed to want to say something, but when he met Kyojuro's gaze, he finally turned his head to the side without uttering a single syllable.
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【tips：
This is probably the current situation of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Main killers: Xingming, Shimi, Xiaobanai, Tianyuan
Main capture: Shinobu, Tanjiro
Neutral: Kyojuro, Mitsuri
Those who didn't understand the situation or couldn't remember it at all: Muichiro, Giyu
Actually, I was very conflicted when writing this chapter. I felt like I was debating with myself. One reason was that I didn't know how the lord should be defined, and the other was that I felt that Rinko's position was indeed difficult to define (for the Demon Slayer Corps).
Because Ubuyashiki can open his third eye, he knows that Rinkou's appearance is an omen, just like Nezuko's. But at the same time, he knows that Rinkou's position cannot be the same as Nezuko's. Nezuko has people guaranteeing that she has never eaten anyone, but for Rinkou, no one can guarantee that, and secondly, no one knows whether she has eaten anyone. They can't even confirm her true strength. There are too many unknowns, so Ubuyashiki can only compromise: kill her if she sees her, and if there's a chance, consider capturing her later. (This approach is actually quite dangerous. Logically, he shouldn't have planned it this way, but I don't know how to put it. It's just my own incompetence.)