Demon Slayer: I am a Demon.

"I... I can manage on my own."

"Alright, I'll wait for you here."

Su Mu reached out and patted Tanjiro on the shoulder again: "Go."

Tanjiro gripped the axe handle, turned, and walked into the darkness. On the way, he couldn't help but look back and saw the man standing in the dim moonlight, looking at him gently.

Tanjiro nodded to Su Mu, turned around, and quickly left.

Su Mu stood there, watching Tanjiro's departing figure, then looked down at the corpses scattered on the ground, and then at Kanao beside him.

Kanao was looking up at him, just like him.

"Bury the body."

He spoke in a low voice.

After the bodies were buried, Su Mu and Kanao stood in front of the burial mound, waiting silently.

Su Mu didn't have to wait long.

The boy, his axe stained with blood, emerged from the darkness. Compared to before, he appeared more mature and composed.

"Are you done killing them?"

Su Mu looked at Tanjiro as he approached and asked him a question.

"Ah."

The boy's grip on the axe handle tightened slightly. He looked up, his whole body tense as he stared at the ghost.

"very nice."

Su Mu stepped forward and patted the boy's shoulder with a smile: "You didn't disappoint me after all."

Tanjiro, who had been tense, let out a heavy sigh of relief at that moment, feeling a sudden sense of relaxation. He couldn't help but look up at the demon.

The ghost looked at him very gently.

The boy was somewhat dazed, as if he could see the look in his father's eyes when he looked at him back then, and it seemed that his father had looked just like that back then.

So he quickly lowered his head.

"Let's go, Tanjiro, it's time for us to go home."

"Ah."

Su Mu called out to Tanjiro, then took Kanao's hand and headed towards the Kamado house.

Tanjiro stood there in silence for a moment, muttering the word "home," as he watched the man lead the girl toward his home.

After pausing for a moment, the boy chuckled again, as if he had figured something out. He then hurriedly chased after the two figures, his steps becoming much lighter.

Chapter 116 Don't Deny Yourself, You Are Amazing (3/4)

Su Mu led Kanao by the hand back to the dilapidated house of the Kamado family. As soon as they arrived, they saw a woman wearing a white scarf and a purple and white kimono at the door.

Her hair was styled into a simple bun, adorned with a plain wooden hairpin, with her sideburns falling loosely around her neck.

At that moment, they seemed to notice this side and hurriedly walked over.

"Sir...sir."

Kamado Aoi called out nervously. As she bowed deeply, she glanced behind Su Mu and, not seeing Tanjiro, lowered her eyes with a hint of fear.

"Mrs. Kui Zhi, you're still up so late!"

Su Mu sighed, seemingly sensing the other's worry, and said with a smile, "Tanjiro is behind, he'll be back in a bit."

Hearing this, Kamado Aoi seemed to breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Su Mu chuckled and then led Kanao towards the house.

Kamado Aoi waited until Su Mu passed by before raising her head, standing on tiptoe to look into the distance, and vaguely saw a familiar figure walking this way.

Seeing this, Kamado Aoi was finally relieved and hurriedly followed after him with small, quick steps.

Lifting the heavy straw curtain of the door, the lamp inside was still lit, its flickering light illuminating the room. In the room next to the thatched hut, a small head suddenly shrank back.

Su Mu led Kanao in by the hand and they arrived at the room that Kamado Aoi had cleaned for him that day. The bedding and other items in the room had already been folded.

He patted Kanao's head: "I'll get you some hot water to wash your feet, then you can rest."

"Ah."

Kanao nodded, walked to the bedside, took off her shoes and socks, revealing her fair and delicate ankles.

Su Mu spread out the bedding on the bed a little so that Kanao could rest well later, then went out to get some hot water for Kanao.

As soon as he stepped out the door, he stopped and looked at the stove radish standing by the door, which was holding a basin of hot water.

"Sir, this was prepared in advance. Is there anything you need, sir?"

Su Mu paused for a moment, then nodded:

"I'm really sorry to trouble you, Mrs. Kui Zhi."

With her head bowed, Zao Men Kui Zhi carried hot water into the house and placed it next to a chair.

Su Mu followed closely into the room, then picked up a basin of hot water and went to the bedside to wash Kanao's feet.

Kamado Aoi, who was about to leave, was slightly taken aback when she saw this scene; she was quite surprised.

After a slight hesitation, he took small, quick steps forward:

"M-Sir, let me do it."

Su Mu was putting a towel in hot water when he heard the words. He looked up and looked at the sunflower branch by the stove.

"I'll do it, sir."

Kamado Aoi bent down, skillfully picked up a towel, then squatted down and began to wash Kanao's feet.

Kanao frowned slightly.

Su Mu hesitated for a moment, then sat down on a chair next to the small table in the room.

When Kanao saw that her uncle had given his tacit approval, her tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and she lowered her eyes to look at Kamado Hime.

The woman knelt down gracefully, gently smoothing the stray strands of hair from her forehead before carefully washing Kanao.

"How's the water temperature? Is it suitable?"

While washing, Kui Zhi asked in a low voice.

Kanao lowered her eyes slightly and glanced at the kitchen radiant with a gentle face in the flickering candlelight. For some reason, the image of the fierce woman whipping her with thorns flashed through her mind again, so she immediately turned her head away.

Is it because the temperature is too high?

Kamado Aoi quickly took Kanao's little feet out of the hot water and tested the water temperature again: "It should be about right."

"How do you feel?"

Kanao lowered her eyelashes and remained silent.

…………

After Kamado Aoi left with the basin of water, Kanao raised her head, which had been slightly lowered, and looked at the woman's departing figure with a slightly dazed expression in her beautiful eyes.

"Kanao, what's wrong?"

Su Mu walked over, glanced at the place where Kanao was looking, and looked slightly puzzled.

"It's nothing, Uncle."

Kanao said in a low voice.

"Then you should rest now."

He patted Kanao's head and blew out the room light, plunging the room into darkness instantly.

In the darkness, Kanao closed her eyes, but her ears were perked up. She could hear a low voice coming from the next room, a woman asking Tanjiro with concern if he was injured.

Those concerned greetings, the voices filled with worry and tension...

This suddenly reminded Kanao of the first time she met Nezuko, when Nezuko was crying her eyes out. She couldn't understand why Nezuko had only lost one father.

Why cry over this?

Why be sad about this?

The little hand unconsciously clenched. The gentle woman's intense concern and tender treatment of her child were unlike anything she had ever experienced.

Because I am different from Nezuko, I will not cry or be sad.

Because she doesn't have the gentle mother or the good father that the other person has, she doesn't care.

There was none from the beginning.

Naturally, there is no such thing as loss.

only……

Why am I different?

In the darkness, the girl opened her beautiful eyes. Although she didn't look in her uncle's direction, she knew he was right beside her.

"uncle……"

"Ah."

Su Mu glanced at Kanao.

Am I different from others?

Why do you say that?

The girl pursed her lips, unsure how to confide in her uncle. Her beautiful eyes lowered slightly. "I just suddenly feel unwell. I feel like I'm not good enough, that's why I'm different from others. Is it because I can't do many things well..."

Seeing Kanao suddenly showing some emotion, Su Mu wasn't sad. Instead, he was happy. The girl who used to be like a puppet, without any emotional fluctuations and locked herself in her own inner world, was starting to take steps outward.

He reached out and stroked the girl's head, saying gently, "Don't say that. Kanao is different from others, but Kanao is different only because Kanao is especially good, especially gentle, and especially worthy of being loved. No matter what harshness she encountered in the past, it was only temporary."

"No matter what others think, at least your uncle will always favor you. If you feel sad or uncomfortable, just tell your uncle. Your uncle will always be your best listener. If you feel tired, please come to your uncle without hesitation, and I will gently hold you in my arms."

"Kanao, don't deny yourself. You are wonderful, gentle, and worthy of being loved."