Inside the house, silence reigned, broken only by Tanjirou's uncontrollable, broken sobs, and Nezuko's faint whimpers of pain.
The thick smell of blood was almost suffocating.
Cheng Mo's gaze swept over the tragic scene, finally landing on Tanjirou, who was kneeling on the ground, trembling as he clutched his sister.
The young man's eyes were bloodshot, filled with immense grief, bewilderment, and an incomprehensible rage.
"Clear your head, young man."
Cheng Mo's voice shattered the silence, still calm and unruffled, yet it pierced Tanjirou's muddled mind like an ice pick. "Immersing yourself in sorrow won't bring your family back to life."
Tanjirou suddenly looked up, his vision blurred by tears.
He looked at the mysterious strong man who had appeared like a bolt of lightning and scared away the monster, his lips trembling, but he couldn't form a coherent sound.
"The one who massacred your family was not human,"
Cheng Mo continued, his words clear and cruel.
"He is the 'King of Demons,' named Kibutsuji Muzan."
"A monster who has lived for over a thousand years, powerful, ancient, and cruel, feeding on humans, and the source of all demons in the world."
"King… of Demons… Muzan…" Tanjirou repeated the name with difficulty, each syllable seemingly carrying blood, tears, and bone-deep hatred.
"If you want revenge, if you want to protect the only remaining family member by your side,"
Cheng Mo's gaze swept over Nezuko, who was bleeding from her forehead, "the ordinary path won't work. Go find the 'Demon Slayer Corps'; for centuries, they have been the only organization secretly fighting against Muzan and the demons."
"Demon Slayer Corps…"
Tanjirou murmured, engraving the name deeply into his heart.
It was as if a faint glimmer of light had appeared in endless darkness.
Tanjirou suddenly looked up, his tear-filled eyes blurring as he gazed at the mysterious man who had appeared like a bolt of lightning, repelling the monster with god-like power.
That lightning that tore through the night sky, that heroic figure confronting the terrifying enemy, that unfathomable power… an even stronger thought ignited in Tanjirou's heart like wildfire!
He carefully placed Nezuko down, then, facing Cheng Mo, he heavily knocked his forehead against the cold floor, producing a dull thud!
"Sir! I beg you!"
His voice was hoarse from crying and excitement, yet filled with desperate determination.
"Please teach me! Please make me as strong as you! I want to slay Muzan! I want to protect Nezuko! Please! I am willing to pay any price! No matter how arduous, I can endure it!"
Cheng Mo looked at the young man prostrating on the ground, a flicker of imperceptible calculation in his eyes.
Interfering with the growth trajectory of the Child of the World, the spacetime interference this would bring… and the potential subsequent gains… A perfectly measured "hesitation" and "scrutiny" appeared on his face. He remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, his voice carrying an air of condescending examination:
"The path to becoming strong is far more arduous and cruel than you imagine, and it cannot be achieved by mere passion. The power you witnessed requires a price you cannot fathom."
He paused, watching Tanjirou's fists clench even tighter at his words, and continued: "If you truly possess this resolve and determination, and not just impulsive bravado… then follow me first. Let me see what your true capacity is."
These words neither immediately agreed nor completely refused, leaving room for a test and observation.
It also fit his current persona as a mysterious strong man.
Upon hearing this, Tanjirou suddenly looked up, his eyes bursting with intense light, as if grasping a lifeline: "Yes! Sir! I will not disappoint you! I will prove it to you!"
Just then, Cheng Mo's Eye of Truth and extraordinary perception keenly detected a rapidly approaching presence!
He's here.
A figure landed silently on the snow at the edge of the courtyard like a phantom, making almost no sound.
The newcomer wore a two-toned haori, half orange-yellow and half dark green, with a stern face and eyes like deep pools of water.
His gaze swept impassively over the gruesome scene, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, finally settling on Cheng Mo, the only one standing in the courtyard.
His left hand was already resting on the hilt of his nichirin blade at his waist.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
"Who are you?"
Giyu Tomioka's voice, like him, carried a cold, unfeeling stiffness. "What happened here? Where is that demon?"
His gaze was fixed on Cheng Mo, filled with scrutiny and undisguised vigilance.
The violent thunderous aura still lingering around Cheng Mo, and the blade that was clearly a nichirin blade but entwined with strange electric arcs, all made him feel a great threat.
Tanjirou was startled by this sudden turn of events and stopped crying, instinctively hugging his sister tighter.
He nervously watched the newly arrived swordsman and Cheng Mo.
Cheng Mo slowly sheathed jingzhe (awakening of insects), emitting a crisp click.
This action slightly eased some of the tension in the air.
He met Giyu Tomioka's gaze, his tone calm, devoid of any discernible emotion.
"Cheng Mo, a merchant with some dealings with the Demon Slayer Corps, a disciple of the former Sound Pillar, Mr. Kuwajima Jigorō."
He directly stated his lineage and friendly relationship with the Demon Slayer Corps, which was the fastest way to gain the other party's trust.
"Mr. Kuwajima?"
Giyu Tomioka's brow moved almost imperceptibly, a flash of surprise in his eyes, but the hand on his sword hilt did not loosen.
He naturally knew the esteemed name of Kuwajima Jigorō, but he had been living in seclusion in Peach Mountain for a long time. When did he take on such an astonishingly powerful disciple? He had not heard of it.
"You are a Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, aren't you?"
Cheng Mo asked, feigning ignorance, his tone certain.
"Water Pillar, Mr. Giyu Tomioka."
Giyu Tomioka did not answer, a tacit acknowledgment, his hand still on the sword hilt.
Seeing his silence, Cheng Mo's tone remained flat: "I arrived a step too late, only managing to save this girl from Muzan."
"Muzan?!" A crack finally appeared on Giyu Tomioka's almost expressionless face, his pupils contracting sharply.
The impact of this name was immense.
"You fought Muzan? His abilities…" Giyu Tomioka hurriedly asked, his entire body tensed, in a state of alert ready to burst into action at any moment.
Just then, Tanjirou looked up, tears still streaming, but he suppressed his immense grief and choked out a loud defense for Cheng Mo: "Water… Mr. Water Pillar, it's this adult! He drove away that terrifying tentacle monster and protected Nezuko and me! He is our benefactor!"
The young man's words carried undeniable sincerity and urgency; he couldn't fully understand the subtle tension between the two powerful individuals.
He only knew he had to speak up for the benefactor who had protected his sister.
Giyu Tomioka's gaze lingered for a moment on Tanjirou's grief-stricken but earnestly pleading face, then returned to Cheng Mo.
Tanjirou's words slightly eased his vigilance, but did not completely dispel it.
His personality prevented him from easily trusting strangers, especially such powerful ones.
His suspicion had not diminished in the slightest; if the other party's words were true, a powerful swordsman who could scare away Muzan, knew him, yet had never been seen within the Corps, was too suspicious.
He was silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts, then spoke, his tone still direct and even somewhat stiff: "Mr. Kuwajima has been in seclusion for many years; I am not familiar with his situation, and…"
"Your timing is too coincidental."
Giyu Tomioka's words sounded like an accusation, but this was perhaps his way of expressing caution.
Cheng Mo's expression remained unchanged, not angered by the other party's questioning.