Simulation: Starting from Under One Person

On either side of her are two almost identical lolis, one in black and one in white, and behind them is Shinobu Kocho kneeling.

To be fair, as a bodyguard, Shinobu Kocho shouldn't have chosen to kneel...

Even with breathing techniques, kneeling for too long can still have an impact, such as making movements a little slower than usual.

Sometimes, the key to victory or defeat often lies in just one or two seconds.

Seemingly sensing something, Kagaya Ubuyashiki turned his head to "look" at a certain spot in the courtyard.

"You're here~"

His tone was light and airy, which was very pleasant to listen to.

"Yes, my lord," Tomioka Yoshiyuki replied respectfully.

"Nice to meet you, Ubuyashiki Kagaya." Fang Rui didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point. "I have two purposes for coming to see you. The first is to cure your illness and then establish a cooperative relationship to deal with that cowardly Demon King together. The second is to establish a trading relationship to purchase Gorilla Scarlet Sand Iron and Gorilla Scarlet Ore on a long-term basis."

"What do you think? Agree or disagree..."

"I agree."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled gently and said, "...As long as you fight Muzan with me, then we'll be good brothers."

"Since you're so straightforward, I'll be just as straightforward."

A verdant green light entered Kagaya Ubuyashiki's brow, suppressing the peculiar curse. The purplish-red scars quickly disappeared, his handsome face returned, and the feeling of powerlessness gradually vanished, replaced by a sense of abundant strength.

"This……"

Kagaya Ubuyashiki looked utterly astonished. He touched the corner of his eye, his eyes, which had returned to normal, staring at Fang Rui and Yoshiyuki Tomioka, a mixture of surprise and astonishment swirling within them…

The two little girls shared the same surprise and joy, as if they were looking in a mirror.

As for Shinobu Kocho...

Her expression was one of utter surprise; in just a few seconds, her thoughts were racing, going up and down like a rollercoaster...

Seeing his lord's recovery filled him with surprise and astonishment. He believed that the previous treatment method was beyond human capabilities and suspected that Fang Rui was a ghost. However, the bright sunlight dispelled his doubts, leaving him in a state of confusion...

Tomioka Giyuu, who had some understanding of Fang Rui's "strength," remained very calm, showing no surprise, but his joy was also evident.

After all, most members of the Demon Slayer Corps respect their lord.

"How does it feel?"

Ignoring the reactions of others, Fang Rui questioned the person involved.

“Very good.” Kagaya Ubuyashiki suddenly stood up and walked quickly, enjoying the pleasure that freedom of movement brought him.

"In that case, let's make a deal..."

Let's discuss this in detail!

Fang Rui gave Kagaya Ubuyashiki a look that seemed to say, "Can you be more straightforward?"

Kagaya Ubuyashiki returned a look, indicating that the matter was of great importance and could not be taken lightly, even if you had done me a favor.

Does it mean separating public and private matters...?

Fang Rui raised an eyebrow slightly, said nothing, and went to the side of the room to sit opposite Ubuyashiki Kagaya, their eyes meeting...

The two little girls knelt on either side of Kagaya Ubuyashiki behind him, sitting upright like wooden dolls.

Shinobu Kocho sat to the right and behind Kagaya Ubuyashiki, her gaze fixed on Fang Rui. She would take immediate action should he make any move.

Giyu Tomioka sat to Fang Rui's right, but unlike Shinobu Kocho, he didn't fix his gaze on Fang Rui; he seemed somewhat dazed.

On one side is his loyal lord, and on the other is Fang Rui, who has been kind to him; he is caught in a dilemma...

Therefore, Giyu Tomioka decided to give up.

"What do you want to talk about?" Fang Rui asked.

"Your power and information about 'Oni,' as well as how much Crimson Sand Iron and Crimson Ore you need."

"I want as much iron and ore as you can get." Fang Rui answered the last question first, then the first two. "As for the forces I control, they are few in number, but their combat strength is very high. Two of us are enough to defeat all the pillars."

There is no exaggeration whatsoever; it is the truth.

Without mastering the Transparent World, the Pillars would have absolutely no advantage against Tanjuro Kamado and Yoriichi Tsugikuni, even if they all attacked together.

After all, every move and technique was seen through, all attacks were ineffective, while the opponent's attacks were critical hits.

Can we even fight this? We can't fight this...

In response, Giyu Tomioka expressed his belief that since his benefactor said so, there must be evidence to back it up.

Shinobu Kocho, who didn't know much about Fang Rui, didn't completely trust him. However, the abilities Fang Rui had previously displayed made her realize that the person in front of her was no ordinary person.

So... the other party might have the ability to help people become stronger.

Can I... continue to get stronger?

If possible, then...

For a moment, various thoughts raced through her mind, but Shinobu Kocho maintained her composure, as she had mastered the art of controlling her expressions.

“Oh~” Kagaya Ubuyashiki said with great interest.

As the current leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, he has a good understanding of the Corps. He has read through his ancestors' records and knows that the Demon Slayer Corps has mastered some special techniques, which are the reason why the Demon Slayer Corps has suppressed evil spirits in the past.

"You...do you possess...?"

Although the words were vague, Fang Rui knew what Ubuyashiki Kagaya was referring to. He nodded slightly: "It's what you're thinking. If you don't believe it, or if others have doubts, how about... we hold an exchange competition, and the venue is Mount Sagiri?"

"……Can."

After careful consideration, Kagaya Ubuyashiki agreed to Fang Rui's suggestion. Although Fang Rui, who appeared out of nowhere, had many problems, his intuition told him... to trust Fang Rui.

The Ubuyashiki family's intuition has always been a very mysterious thing because it is so accurate, so he decided to trust his intuition.

"But let's change the venue..."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki thought for a moment and said, "Let's choose a desert area along the route of the Mugen Train!"

He wanted to witness this momentous occasion—the first meeting between the two factions of the Ghost Hunters—with his own eyes.

"Okay, I have no objection."

Fang Rui said it was no problem: "Taking a direct bus is easier for me."

"As for the time..."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki pondered what the "Pillars" were doing now. Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Pillar, was in charge of the logistics unit, and her time spent on missions and staying at the Butterfly Mansion were split in half. The other Pillars... were constantly traveling around, eliminating powerful demons.

If we were to gather everyone, it wouldn't be possible in a short time. We'd need at least a week for the Pillars to handle their affairs, not to mention the travel time...

"Let's choose a month from now!"

"Okay." Fang Rui still had no objections.

"One last thing, regarding 'ghosts,' I have a lot of information, but..."

"The Demon Slayer Corps is weak. The Pillars have no hope of winning against the Upper Moons right now. What's the point of telling you this? It'll only alert them, and..."

"...a certain cowardly ghost king can see some things by using the eyes of other ghosts."

After hearing Fang Rui's words, the expressions of Ubuyashiki Kagaya and the others gradually changed from heavy to subtle.

Cowardly Ghost King...

It seems it wasn't a slip of the tongue!

Or do they really think that Muzan Kibutsuji is a cowardly demon king?

Suppressing his curiosity, Kagaya Ubuyashiki asked, "The cowardly demon king you're talking about, are you referring to Muzan Kibutsuji?"

"Who else could it be but him?" Fang Rui retorted.

Why do you call him that?

As Kagaya Ubuyashiki posed his question, everyone present pricked up their ears and listened intently.

"...Hundreds of years ago, a swordsman who mastered the initial breathing technique encountered Muzan Kibutsuji. Muzan was utterly defeated by the swordsman, and was so terrified that he hid for decades until he witnessed the swordsman's death before daring to reappear..."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki and others: "…………"

This is quite different from the Ghost King I imagined!

The image of the cold and arrogant Ghost King shattered, while the image of the cowardly Ghost King remained remarkably stable.

Is she really that cowardly?!

but……

Such a cowardly ghost king, if not killed in one blow, then the consequences...

It's probably a replica from hundreds of years ago!

The Demon King hid for decades until all the swordsmen of this generation disappeared.

'This is troublesome!'

Kagaya Ubuyashiki seemed to be deep in thought; his prepared plan needed to be revised...

The discussion ended there, and Fang Rui changed the subject: "Store half of the Crimson Sand Iron and Crimson Ore for me. If anything happens, send someone to Misty Mountain to find me."

"Okay." Sensing that the other party wanted to leave, Kagaya Ubuyashiki said, "The ore is in the sword-forging village. Do you want to retrieve it yourself, or wait for someone to deliver it?"

"How much is half the reserves?" Fang Rui asked.

“Less than 500 kilograms,” Kagaya Ubuyashiki replied.

"You remember it so clearly?" Fang Rui raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised.

If Kagaya Ubuyashiki were to name all the members of the Demon Slayer Corps, Fang Rui would find it perfectly normal, since the original work mentioned that Kagaya Ubuyashiki had memorized the names of all the members of the Demon Slayer Corps, so he wouldn't be surprised, at most he would just admire him.

However, what Kagaya Ubuyashiki is referring to now is not a person's name, but rather the inventory of forging materials.

"As the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, isn't it his duty to oversee logistics?!"

Kagaya Ubuyashiki said with a smile...

Chapter 272 The Village of Swordsmiths

'Is that what you should do?'