**175. Chapter 175: Muzan's Thrill!**
"Hutaro, are you sure what you saw wasn't a hallucination? Could it have been an illusion created by a Demon?"
Kyojuro Rengoku said in a deep voice.
"Caw, I dare say that area completely disappeared." Hutaro shook its head, then folded its wings and landed on Mitsuri Kanroji's shoulder. Its words were like a dark cloud, heavily weighing on the hearts of every Hashira.
For a moment, the Hashira had varied expressions. Kyojuro Rengoku gritted his teeth, a raging fire seemingly burning deep within his eyes, while the injured Sanemi Shinazugawa covered his bloody and mangled shoulder, his fierce gaze wishing he could tear Muzan limb from limb and devour him alive!
"Tsk tsk tsk, what wonderful eyes, the killing intent contained within them is simply intoxicating."
Muzan, feeling deeply pleased, shook off the blood staining his arm and said casually, "Two choices. You can refuse both, but the consequences of refusing are the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. To be honest, I am greatly looking forward to the moment Hell descends upon the human world."
"You're the one who should go to Hell." Giyu Tomioka, usually taciturn, now glared at Muzan before him with an icy gaze.
"Don't be like this. The angrier you are, the happier I am. If one day, everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps is dead, I think I won't be able to help but laugh out loud."
Just as Muzan was about to turn and leave.
Mitsuri Kanroji said, pressing her lips together, "If I give you the Blue Spider Lily, will you stop?"
Muzan instantly looked at Mitsuri Kanroji. In his burning gaze was unconcealed greed and surprise. "You've already found the Blue Spider Lily?!"
"You answer me first." Mitsuri Kanroji's eyes gradually became resolute, until she could meet Muzan's gaze.
"Very good, I saw the answer in your eyes." Muzan forcibly suppressed his inner excitement. He said in a hoarse voice, "I only want the Blue Spider Lily, and the lives of those ants are not important to me at all."
"Giving you the flower is fine too."
"Mitsuri!" At this moment, Kyojuro Rengoku seemed to want to stop Mitsuri Kanroji from continuing.
"You shut up."
Muzan's plum-red eyes suddenly locked onto Kyojuro. "Mind your mouth, otherwise today will be your death anniversary!"
Then, he looked at Mitsuri Kanroji again. "Speak, what are the conditions?"
Mitsuri Kanroji, under immense pressure, said with difficulty, "Stop all operations and kill all the Demons under your command."
As soon as her voice fell, the atmosphere of the entire place suddenly became quite strange. Muzan narrowed his eyes. After a few seconds, he coldly snorted:
"Your conditions, I can agree to them, but I have to inspect the goods first. If I remember correctly, every generation of the Demon Slayer Corps has a clan head. Tomorrow evening, have him bring the item to meet me. The location is right here. If the time comes and I haven't seen him, the consequences are yours to bear."
After sweeping his gaze across everyone's faces, Muzan continued to speak, "There's no need for you to appear. If I find any one of you, including this Mr. Xia Shang, within three kilometers centered around this location, then I apologize, our cooperation will immediately terminate. At that time, you will witness a feast of foul demons."
Having said that, he turned and left, leaving only a back view slowly disappearing from the Hashira's line of sight.
Approximately three minutes of silence passed.
In the end, it was Kyojuro who broke the deathly silence.
"Let's go back. This matter must be reported to Oyakata-sama." Even though they had clearly slain two Upper Ranks, greatly reducing the Demon's power, there wasn't the slightest joy on anyone's face; they were even more solemn than the last.
......
Before dawn broke, the Hashira returned to the Master's Mansion.
At the same time, beside a stone table in the Courtyard, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, wearing a snow-white fur coat, was holding a cup of hot tea, sitting quietly on the stone bench, and using the warmth transmitted from the outside of the cup wall to dispel the chill within his body.
"Don't wait anymore. Please return to the house to rest. If this continues, your body will get worse and worse." Behind him, his Daughter Kanata Ubuyashiki said worriedly.
"It's alright... Besides, they are fighting outside, how could I sleep soundly? Cough cough!" Although his body at this time was not as frail as it would be two years later, he, afflicted by the Curse, his condition was getting worse, and even swinging his sword ten times a day was somewhat difficult.
Kanata Ubuyashiki knew her Father's character, so she stopped trying to persuade him, only hoping in her heart that Kyojuro and the others would return quickly.
Perhaps it was because of her hope.
Outside the Courtyard, came sounds of steady and hurried footsteps. Then, Kyojuro led the way into the Courtyard. When he saw Kagaya Ubuyashiki beside the stone table, his eyes instantly turned red. He understood that Oyakata-sama must have been worried about their safety, and thus sat by the stone table waiting all night.
"Oyakata-sama..." Kyojuro choked up, half-kneeling on the ground.
And the reactions of the other Hashira were basically the same as his. Even Sanemi Shinazugawa, who was heavily injured, also endured the pain and said guiltily, "That Oyakata-sama worried about us and waited until dawn, this is the subordinate's fault. May Oyakata-sama understand that your body is far more important than our safety. The Demon Slayer Corps can be without me, but it cannot be without Oyakata-sama."
"You're exaggerating." Kagaya Ubuyashiki reached out and pressed on the tabletop, trying to stand up to welcome the returning Hashira. But because he had been sitting for too long, coupled with his extremely tired body, for a moment, he swayed and nearly fell. Fortunately, Kanata Ubuyashiki and Hang Nai supported him from behind.
"I apologize, allow me to sit here and listen to you speak. To see you all return, not one missing, I am already satisfied."
"Oyakata-sama, the situation is urgent. I have important matters to report."
Soon, Kyojuro recounted everything that happened tonight without missing a single detail.
Starting from encountering Gyokko who was slaughtering fishermen, to slaying Upper Rank Six Gyutaro, until the end, Muzan's sudden appearance, and the conditions proposed by Mitsuri Kanroji.
"Cough cough!!" Kagaya Ubuyashiki placed his fist below his nose and lightly coughed twice. "To be able to slay two Upper Ranks, your achievements surprise me. You have achieved things that many Seniors could not accomplish in their entire lives. I am proud of you."
"Oyakata-sama, this is not our credit."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki waved his hand. "Regardless, you all did it. Next, it's my turn to step up. Even dry, cracked firewood will have its day to be useful. Tomorrow noon, I will arrive at Tokyo Prefecture on time to meet the Demon Slayer Corps' nemesis of a thousand years."
"Oyakata-sama, we definitely have other ways. You absolutely cannot meet Muzan alone." Kyojuro raised his head, his voice loud.
"I will go with him."
Xia Shang, who was beside them, said calmly.
A warm reminder from Niuniu: This Dungeon will conclude after three more chapters.
(end of chapter)