As they walked out of the town, a thoughtful expression appeared on Si Shu's face. When he had been instructing Hakuji, he had told him to leave the town as soon as possible. The reason he said this was none other than Kokushibo's final words before his projection disappeared.
"See you in three years."
Connecting this with the fact that Mizuai and Muzan had been missing, Si Shu could roughly guess Kokushibo's meaning. His clone had been destroyed, and Mizuai had suffered some damage. Worried that Mizuai's injuries would leave her at less than full strength, Muzan had temporarily halted his plans and taken her away from the town. And Kokushibo, who had stayed behind, had then orchestrated the demonization of the dojo disciples.
Now, with his plan having failed, Kokushibo had also left the town, finding another place to hide. They would not appear again until Mizuai's injuries had healed and the three demons had regrouped. The time limit for this... was probably three years.
"Three years, huh?"
After roughly calculating the time in his head, a cold smile appeared on Si Shu's face. Since they had gone to such great lengths to plan all this, how could he not accept the challenge? Besides, he still had a mission to complete.
In three years, I'll be waiting for them.
Tamayo looked at Si Shu, who was walking beside her, and said nothing, only offering a faint smile. As expected, only Si Shu would not be wary of her because of her identity as a demon. Resting her head on his arm, they disappeared under the moonlight.
The next morning, Hakuji and the others packed their belongings. The surviving townspeople did the same, all of them hoping to leave this town as soon as possible. After this incident, they no longer felt safe here. In just a few short days, this place had transformed from a bustling region into an empty ghost town. Only the crows circling overhead added a touch of life. Occasionally, some poor wanderers would spend the night and live here for a while.
Wind blew, the sun shone, rain fell, frost descended. The cycles of nature repeated themselves here.
Now, it was three years later.
One night, a figure slowly walked into the ruins. Under the moonlight, it was a man with a gentle temperament and a face as handsome as jade. The newcomer was none other than Si Shu, who had left this place three years ago. This time, he had come to keep an appointment.
Finding a relatively clean spot, Si Shu sat down cross-legged and quietly waited for his guests to arrive.
Three years had passed, but time had not left a single trace on him. The only thing that had changed was the aura about him. It was like a jar of aged wine—rich, deep, and full of character.
He had not brought Tamayo with him this time. Worried that close contact with Muzan would strengthen the connection between the two, Si Shu had left Tamayo in a town far away. Before he left, he had a premonition. This time, he would not only complete his mission, but he would also obtain the key to helping Tamayo break free from Muzan's shackles.
And before coming here, he had returned to Edo. Just as he had expected, he had met Hakuji there again. And beside him was Koyuki, who was now his wife. The eighteen-year-old Hakuji had grown into a tall young man, and his strength was on a completely different level than it had been three years ago. During those three years, he had received the true teachings of the Soryu style from Keizo and had now surpassed his master. Not only that, but he had also inherited the name of the Soryu style and had opened a Soryu dojo again in a bustling town.
Si Shu was very happy with Hakuji's achievements. But when he jokingly asked how many children they planned to have, the Hakuji who had been trying to act mature in front of him could no longer hold it together. His face flushed red, and his hands fidgeted as if he didn't know where to put them. And Koyuki blushed all the way to her ears. Although there was some expectation on her delicate face, it was mostly shyness.
Three years had passed, and they had matured a lot. But in front of Si Shu, Hakuji and Koyuki were still children.
I hope they can live out this life in peace.
His reminiscing over, Si Shu slowly opened his eyes. In his senses, his guests had arrived.
At that moment, outside the town's ruins, three figures emerged. Muzan, Kokushibo, and the fully recovered Mizuai. Having learned what had happened three years ago from Kokushibo, there was not much surprise on Muzan's face. As for Mizuai, she was now as docile as a little kitten in front of him. If he told her to go east, she would absolutely not go west. In the way she looked at Muzan, besides respect, there was also a deep fear. Heaven only knows what Mizuai had experienced in those three years to have left her with such a deep psychological scar.
"Will he come back here?"
At Muzan's question, Kokushibo just nodded slightly. "He will. If he truly wants to eliminate us, he will definitely come back here."
"Eliminate us?" A cold sneer appeared on Muzan's face, disdaining Kokushibo's words. In his view, Mizuai's Blood Demon Art was a powerful counter to Si Shu's abilities. In these three years, he had not only helped her recover her strength, but he had also helped her develop her Blood Demon Art to its fullest potential. With himself and Kokushibo added to the mix, the three of them together formed the basis of Muzan's confidence in facing Si Shu head-on.
Looking at the sneer on Muzan's face, Kokushibo said nothing. After that night, he had only one identity: Upper-Rank One, Kokushibo. If the progenitor of demons, Muzan, told him to fight, he would go and slaughter without hesitation. It didn't matter who his opponent was.
Turning to look at Mizuai beside him, Muzan said coldly, "Mizuai, scout ahead."
"Yes, my lord."
With a respectful bow, Mizuai took a few steps forward. Slowly, small blue jellyfish began to separate from her body. The number was incomparable to what it had been three years ago. It was clear that her strength had also increased dramatically in these three years.
A short time later, Mizuai opened her eyes and reported to Muzan. "My lord, Si Shu's position has been confirmed. As for the other stragglers, I have already cleaned them up."
Muzan nodded, signaling for Mizuai to lead the way.
Meanwhile, with a single punch, Si Shu smashed the small blue jellyfish at his feet into pieces. He knew that Muzan and the others now knew his location. Getting up, he stood where he was and waited quietly. Under the moonlight, three different sets of footsteps came from the distance. Soon, they stopped a few dozen meters in front of him.
"It's been a long time, Si Shu," Muzan said with a grin, his scarlet eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Ah, it really has been a long time," Si Shu replied with a faint smile, drawing the Nichirin Sword from his waist. "So, are you ready to die?"
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