Stepping out of the cave, it was already dusk.
"Let's go, it's time for the next destination," Musashi said, glancing at the sky. He thought it would be perfect to arrive just as the sun was about to set, so he could directly slay the demon that was out foraging.
"Alright," Zenitsu replied, having no objections.
The two then hurried to the demon's location, guided by Musashi's Kasugai Crow.
The two places were not far apart, and as Musashi expected, they arrived at the Temple mentioned by the Kasugai Crow just as the sun was about to set.
The Temple was located on a mountain. As Musashi and Zenitsu ascended, they saw a small Wisteria flower forest on the mountain. The Temple was made of wood, with two incense burners placed in front. It didn't look dilapidated, but the surrounding area was overgrown with weeds, indicating that it had been uninhabited for many years.
"The building is still intact, but it's been abandoned. It must be because of a demon..."
Zenitsu swallowed, still feeling a bit scared looking at the Temple in front of him, but it was much better than before.
"Perhaps."
Musashi replied, placing his right hand on the hilt of his sword, intending to enter the Temple to search for the demon's whereabouts. Just then, a voice called out to them.
"Are you two trying to die? How dare you go into that Temple at this time!"
A hurried Old man rushed out from the nearby forest, grabbed one hand of Musashi and Zenitsu each, and started pulling them down the mountain.
Eh?
Eh?
Musashi and Zenitsu both felt a bit bewildered.
The Old man, while pulling them down the mountain, said to them, "There are demons here at night! If you stay here, you will definitely be eaten!"
"Um..."
Musashi started to say that they were there to slay demons.
He was also a bit surprised that this Old man knew about the existence of demons.
"Don't talk! There's a Wisteria flower forest in this mountain. Demons hate the smell of Wisteria flowers. As long as you hide there, you'll be safe through the night."
The Old man interrupted Musashi and continued to pull them down the mountain.
The Wisteria flower forest was not far from there. The Old man led them into the Wisteria flower forest.
Looking at the surrounding Wisteria flower trees, the Old man let out a long sigh, placed the luggage he was carrying next to a Wisteria flower tree, and then sat down to rest against it.
Then he looked at Musashi and Zenitsu and asked, "Are you two from out of town?"
Musashi and Zenitsu were still a bit disoriented, having been inexplicably pulled here by this Old man, and the reason was supposedly to avoid demons.
"Uh... yes," Musashi nodded upon hearing this.
The Old man showed an "I knew it" expression after hearing him, and continued to tell them, "I knew it. Most local people know about demons. Almost no one would rush up this mountain at this time. If I didn't have something important to pass through here, I definitely wouldn't get close."
Hearing what the Old man said, Musashi became somewhat interested, so he asked him, "Is the demon the Old man mentioned hiding in that Temple just now?"
"Well, it's very likely. After all, many children died in that Temple before, and the yin energy is very heavy, so demons must love to stay there. Plus, recently, many people who entered this mountain have mysteriously disappeared without even leaving bodies. It's almost certain there's a demon here."
The Old man said, pulling out a pipe from his luggage, pouring in tobacco, lighting it, and smoking.
Musashi noticed that there was also a pouch with a Wisteria flower pattern in his luggage.
Could it be that this Old man was saved by someone from the Demon Slayer Corps before?
This thought emerged in Musashi's mind, but he quickly dismissed it, because if he had truly encountered a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman, he should easily be able to recognize that they were also members of the Demon Slayer Corps, as their attire was uncommon in this era.
"Di-died... many children?"
Zenitsu was very shocked and scared after hearing what the Old man said.
"This was also done by a demon, right?" Musashi's heart was filled with anger upon hearing this.
However, upon hearing Musashi's words, the Old man shook his head, took a puff from his pipe, and said to him, "I heard it was done by the monks in this Temple. This was about nine years ago."
The Old man's answer surprised Musashi, and at the same time, he felt that this story was somewhat familiar.
"I also heard it from others. They said that a blind monk in that Temple suddenly went mad at night and killed almost all the children he had adopted in the Temple, leaving only one four-year-old girl. That blind monk was later thrown into prison, but then for some unknown reason, he suddenly disappeared." Seeing that Musashi seemed interested, the Old man recounted what he had heard.
...
"I was once a monk in a Temple, taking in many homeless children..."
...
Musashi now understood why this story felt familiar to him, because it was similar to Gyoumei's past experience that he had told him about. The blind monk the Old man mentioned was very likely Gyoumei.
The Old man didn't stop, continuing to speak.
"Honestly, I think what they said is complete nonsense.
I had heard about that blind monk before. Although he couldn't see and lived a poor and difficult life, he would always take in those homeless children and meticulously care for them. As far as I know, there were never any rumors of him treating these children badly.
I remember once, ten years ago, when I passed by that Temple, I saw that blind monk himself was starving, as thin as a rail, but the children in his Temple were all well-fed and plump.
Would a monk with such a compassionate heart suddenly go mad and personally kill the children he adopted? I don't believe that one bit, it's like farting."
At this point, the Old man felt quite indignant.
"If you ask me, this was probably done by a demon. I heard that all the dead children had claw marks and bite marks on them. How could that possibly be caused by a human? I don't know what those guys who judged that monk at the time were thinking.
Even though most people here know the legend of demons claiming lives, not a single person thought in that direction."
Upon hearing this, Musashi was certain that the blind monk the Old man spoke of was Gyoumei, which meant that the Temple he had just seen was the Temple where Gyoumei once stayed.
At this point, the Old man still didn't stop. He sighed and continued, "Sigh, actually, such things are indeed hard to believe. Let alone the people who made the judgment at the time not believing it, I guess you two children won't believe me now either.
But it's fine, just take it as me rambling, but tonight, you two must not leave this Wisteria flower forest, otherwise you will definitely be eaten by the demon here."