I, Yuhaka, am hungry!

Hearing the old man's words, Ji Lin rubbed his nose and said:

"No, I'm fine. It's just that I had this feeling like someone was talking about me behind my back..."

Chapter 439 [Ji Lin: "As expected, Master Youyou is still the cutest"]

In a certain small town...

Ji Lin walked down the street with a happy expression, holding the konpeito (a type of candy) the old man had given him. Although the old man had asked Ji Lin for money to thank him for saving his life on the mountain path, Ji Lin had refused. Ji Lin felt embarrassed to take other people's money, especially since the old man was preparing to retire and live with his son and daughter-in-law. He couldn't possibly take other people's money.

In the end, the old man still gave him a small bag of konpeito. Although Ji Lin had never seen konpeito before, it didn't mean that Ji Lin didn't know what it was. After all, you could roughly tell what kind of candy it was from the name.

"But it tastes so sweet~"

With a candy in her mouth, Ji Lin covered her cheek and said this. However, just as Ji Lin was looking for a suitable inn to stay in, she heard a conversation between several middle-aged women not far away, which made her prick up her ears.

From what Ji Lin overheard, it seemed that several people had gone missing in the town. Although they were all from out of town, it sounded like there were traces left by ghosts or ghouls in the town. After thinking for a while, Ji Lin decided to search the town at night to see if ghosts or ghouls were lurking there.

If so, Ji Lin will eliminate them without hesitation. Of course, if it is simply a human committing the crime, Ji Lin would not mind being a righteous and courageous person.

Soon, Ji Lin found a hotel and went to his room. He lay on the tatami mat and looked at what was written on his tablet.

"Ripple Qi Gong?"

Ji Lin looked at what Zelusi had sent him with a puzzled expression. The more Ji Lin looked at it, the more confused he became. Wasn't this just the breathing technique from Demon Slayer?

Don't think you can fool me just because I'm young.

Zelus knew what Ji Lin was thinking, and said to Ji Lin with a helpless tone:

"Well... although the two are basically similar, Ripple Qi Gong is stronger than Breathing Technique."

Hearing Zelus's words, Ji Lin also looked curious and said:

"Even stronger than breathing techniques?"

Zelus tapped the system panel and said:

"Well, compared to breathing techniques that are harmful to the human body after cultivation, Ripple Qi Gong not only strengthens the body of the practitioner but also slows down aging! Most importantly, Ripple Qi Gong has the effect of sunlight, making it perfect for dealing with creatures like ghosts that are afraid of the sun."

Upon hearing this, Ji Lin exclaimed "Oh~". To be honest, although the two seemed similar, they were only slightly different from other breathing techniques, such as Sun Breathing and Ripple Qi Gong.

After learning about the training method of Ripple Qi Gong, Ji Lin looked at Zelusi with some curiosity and said:

"By the way, Zelus, what world does this Ripple energy gong come from?"

Upon hearing Ji Lin's question, Zelus told Ji Lin the name "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure." Ji Lin then searched for works related to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure on his tablet using the name Zelus had given him, and he saw an image with a muscular man on the cover.

“OvO........”

Ji Lin then returned to the original scene and opened the album with the name "Master Youyou" in it. He clicked on a photo of Youhaka sleeping with a blanket, and Ji Lin immediately showed a healed expression, saying:

"Ah... Master Youyou is so cute..."

"????"

Zelu Si, standing to the side, immediately had several question marks appear on her forehead. What was wrong with Ji Lin? Had he suddenly been stimulated by something?

Then, Zelu asked Ji Lin with a puzzled look, and she then knew why Ji Lin had acted that way. The answer was simple: Ji Lin was not used to that kind of muscular art style.

Upon hearing Ji Lin's answer, Zelus also had an "emmmm" look on her face. Well, indeed, the art style of JOJO's manga is a bit off-putting. Most people don't have the desire to continue reading or the feeling of wanting to read it after the first glance. Of course, if you ignore the art style, the plot of JOJO is still very attractive.

.............................................

On Shinobu's side, it was already afternoon when Shinobu and her group arrived in the town. Before arriving, they had heard reports of many people disappearing in the town they were heading to. Undoubtedly, it was probably the work of demons. Shinobu and her group had heard about these kinds of things countless times.

After entering the town, Shinobu and her group split up. A small team of Demon Slayers would be too conspicuous, so it was best to act separately to avoid attracting the attention of the town's police. After all, the Demon Slayers were not a government-approved organization, and it would be difficult to deal with if they got into trouble.

Moreover, if we attract the ghost's attention and it runs away, it would be a loss. If the ghost runs to other places and harms people, it will be difficult to find. Even if we find it, we don't know how many people will be harmed.

"Um......"

Shinobu Kocho walked down the street, looking around. Although it was said that only a few people had gone missing in the town, they were all from out of town, which made it difficult for Shinobu to investigate. Moreover, the missing people were mostly merchants, so it was not easy to find out how they had disappeared.

Just then, Shinobu Kocho suddenly felt something strange, as if someone was following her. Thinking about this, Shinobu couldn't help but wonder if a ghost was following her. However, Shinobu glanced at the sky and saw that the sun hadn't set yet, which made her wonder if she had encountered the same "ghost" that wasn't afraid of the sun.

Or perhaps he's just an ordinary person who engages in petty theft?

However, for Shinobu Kocho, neither of them mattered much. Basically, she wanted to take them to a secluded place and beat them up. For the former, Shinobu wanted to see how these living, sun-unafraid "demons" differed from ordinary demons.

As for the latter, Shinobu Kocho plans to just give him a beating. After all, the other party is human, and Shinobu Kocho can't kill him. A little lesson will suffice.

Just then, Ji Lin, dressed in a kimono and eating candied apples, looked at Shinobu Kocho with a surprised expression.

Chapter 440 [Shinobu Kocho vs. Ghouls]

"Ah, Shinobu Kocho is alive!"

While eating candied apples, Ji Lin looked at Shinobu Kocho not far away and said this. To be honest, Ji Lin did not expect to run into Shinobu Kocho here.

"But why is Shinobu Kocho here?"

Ji Lin tilted his head with a puzzled look, watching Shinobu Kocho's back and said this. To be honest, Ji Lin didn't quite understand why Shinobu Kocho was here. Ji Lin touched his chin and thought for a few seconds before giving up.

After all, if this happened before the events of the comic book, Ji Lin would have been completely unaware of it.

However, the only thing Ji Lin knows right now is that he is not in the time period when Kocho Kanae is still alive. Ji Lin immediately showed a regretful expression. To be honest, Ji Lin really wanted to save Kocho Kanae and drag that demon named Doma to sunbathe.

Unfortunately, of those two objectives, only one remains...

However, more than those things, Ji Lin was curious about why Shinobu Kocho was here. Was she the kind of Pillar who was in charge of post-natal medical care? But why was she here alone?

Driven by curiosity, Ji Lin also quietly followed behind Shinobu Kocho.

............................................

Shinobu Kocho paused slightly as she walked down the street, but didn't stop or look back. After all, she was being followed, and turning around might attract the attention of her pursuer. But for some reason, compared to the familiar, lustful gaze that seemed to want to devour her, another gaze seemed less obvious. It felt like the other person was appearing and disappearing, which made Shinobu Kocho feel very strange and also made her more vigilant.

Although she didn't know what that gaze was all about, Shinobu Kocho thought that the owner of that gaze was probably very good at stealth operations.

However, Shinobu Kocho suddenly thought of a problem. Normally, when fighting demons, it is rare to encounter more than two demons. After all, demons rarely gather together. This mission encountered two demons in a small town, which made Shinobu Kocho a little worried. Of course, she was not worried about herself. Shinobu Kocho was worried about whether the other members of the Demon Slayer Corps would encounter other demons.

Demons' blood demon arts are always strange and bizarre; one wrong move and it could lead to one's own death.

After walking around the town, Shinobu Kocho became familiar with parts of the town and found a suitable alley.

So Shinobu quickly slipped into the alley. The people who were following Shinobu hurriedly chased after her after she disappeared from their sight. Ji Lin, who was far behind, felt something was wrong when he saw this.

"Hmph... Just as I suspected, it really does smell like a ghoul..."

While eating the apple candy, Ji Lin also sniffed the air. Among the human scents, Ji Lin could detect a faint ghoul scent. At first, Ji Lin thought he was mistaken, but now he realized that the strange smell from the beginning was indeed the scent of ghouls.

"I don't know what those ghouls are up to, but they're definitely doing something bad!"

Ji Lin put on the fox mask he had been wearing that day and then headed towards Kocho Shinobu's direction.

In the alley, a man who looked like a villain arrived. He looked around, searching for Shinobu Kocho, but unfortunately, he couldn't find her anywhere. This made him anxious, and he said:

"Damn it, where did that woman go?!"

Just as the man found no trace of Shinobu Kocho, Shinobu's voice suddenly rang out behind him:

"Ara la la~ Are you looking for me?"

Hearing Shinobu's voice behind him startled the man, who quickly turned around and took a few steps back. But at that moment, a katana that looked like a rapier was pressed against the man's throat.

The man who witnessed this scene was immediately terrified and dared not move. Shinobu Kocho, holding her specially crafted Nichirin Blade, pointed it at the man's throat and smiled as she looked at the man who had been following her, saying:

"May I ask why you're stalking me, Mr. Stalker? I'll consider how to deal with you based on your answer."

Hearing Shinobu's words, a bead of cold sweat trickled down the forehead of the man forced against the wall. However, before Shinobu could say anything more, the man suddenly sprang to his feet and said:

"A woman from the Demon Slayer Corps! I'll fight you to the death!"

The sudden attack by the man didn't frighten Shinobu Kocho, as she was already prepared. The moment the man attacked, Shinobu immediately took a step back and stabbed the man's shoulder with her Nichirin Blade. The reason Shinobu stabbed the man's shoulder instead of a vital spot was because she was worried that the man in front of her was human.

After all, there have been instances of demons threatening humans to do bad things. Although those humans who listen to demons and harm others deserve to die, this is not a reason for Demon Slayer Corps members to kill. When there is no threat to the lives of Demon Slayer Corps members, they kill ordinary people, and the police will naturally handle those issues.

However, just as Shinobu Kocho thrust her Nichirin Blade at the man, she clearly felt as if she had pierced something as hard as skin. When she reached the bone, she even wondered if she had pierced steel or something. Even against an ordinary demon, Shinobu's Nichirin Blade could easily pierce through the opponent's hard skull.

Thanks to this, Shinobu Kocho recognized the guy in front of her as a "demon," which meant she could now attack with all her might.

However, the "demon" in front of her was much harder than an ordinary demon. After Shinobu's attack on the shoulder proved ineffective, she changed her attack positions, targeting softer areas such as the eyes, abdomen, neck, and thighs.

puff!puff!puff!

With a rapid triple thrust, Shinobu pierced the neck, abdomen, and thigh of the "demon" before her, injecting a large amount of poison into its body. However, to Shinobu's surprise, her wisteria flower poison seemed to have no effect on the "demon."

Chapter 441 [I'm just a passerby]

*Pfft! Pfft!*

With two stab sounds, Shinobu Kocho used her Nichirin Blade to deliver two more stabs to the "demon," but she still couldn't see any signs of poison on the "demon"—no, not even any signs of poisoning.

This made Shinobu Kocho wonder if this "demon" had become immune to the sunlight and the toxins of the wisteria flowers?!

The thought of these things filled Shinobu with dread. If a demon is unafraid of sunlight and wisteria, wouldn't all its flaws disappear?!

Then why do they, the Demon Slayer Corps, still kill demons like this?

Are you going to bang your head against it?!

The "demon" in front of Shinobu Kocho, that is, the ghoul, did not notice Shinobu's abnormality, but instead shouted angrily:

"You wicked woman!"

As he spoke, a metal-like kagune grew from behind the ghoul and covered his right hand, forming a kagune-like armor. Seeing this, Shinobu Kocho frowned and couldn't help but think of something.

Blood Demon Art?!

Just as Shinobu was wondering about the kaku on the ghoul's arm, the ghoul swung its own kaku-covered arm and slammed it down at Shinobu. However, Shinobu dodged the ghoul's attack with the lightness of a butterfly, and the slow speed of the attack seemed unlikely to hit her.

As for the Kagaku, Shinobu Kocho had seen many strange and unusual Blood Demon Arts. A Kagaku that covered the user's arm was not an uncommon ability. After the man created the Kagaku, Shinobu noticed that the speed of the "demon" seemed to have slowed down.

However, just as Shinobu Kocho dodged the attack, the ghoul was slammed to the ground with a loud "thud" by the arm covered in kagune. Seeing the ghoul's attack power, Shinobu Kocho thought to herself that she absolutely could not be hit. If she was hit, she would either die or be half-dead.

After dodging the ghoul's attack, Shinobu Kocho rushed forward and stabbed the ghoul twice in the eyes, instantly blinding it.

"My eyes!?"

Losing sight, the ghoul suddenly became enraged, wildly swinging the armored gauntlet on its right hand. Seeing the ghoul's berserk state, Shinobu Kocho hesitated to attack, and she also felt that her own weapon was not good enough to deal with that "demon".

After all, Shinobu Kocho's weapons are mainly rapiers and poison, which are not suitable for slashing. Now that the poison is useless, she can't cut off the opponent's head with her own weapons. Even if she could cut off the opponent's head, it wouldn't be of much use, since the opponent's demon has the characteristic of not being killed by the sun. Shinobu Kocho probably thinks that even if she cut off the opponent's head with her Nichirin Blade, it wouldn't be of much use.

The only option now is to call for backup. Originally, it wasn't just her searching for these demons who weren't afraid of sunlight; a Demon Slayer Corps squad led by a Pillar was also looking for such demons. Then, Shinobu Kocho whistled without hesitation, and several Kasugai crows nearby flapped their wings and flew off in four directions after hearing Shinobu's whistle.

After seeing the slugs leave, Shinobu Kocho turned her attention back to the ghoul in front of her. While Shinobu was calling for backup, the ghoul's eyes had recovered. Although ghouls have strong regenerative abilities, any creature whose eyes are poked will have its anger level rise, even a ghoul.

Enraged, the ghoul swung his arm, covered in kaku, at Shinobu Kocho. However, Shinobu jumped slightly and landed on the ghoul's head. In the next instant, Shinobu was behind the ghoul.