Demon Slayer: I am a Demon.

Mount Sagiri isn't actually a particularly high mountain range, but the path leading to it is still very steep.

Without a specially constructed plank road, horse-drawn carriages naturally cannot pass.

So everyone got off the carriage.

"Is this Mount Sagiri?"

Tanjiro looked at the mist swirling around the mountainside and murmured to himself.

Su Mu walked over and said with a smile, "Yes, this is Mount Sagiri. Tanjiro, go and take your younger brother and sister up the mountain. I'll carry everything up."

"Do you want to settle down in the mountains?"

Kakizuki asked in a low voice.

"Madam Kuizhi, won't you find it inconvenient? After all, it's in the mountains..."

"Without you, sir, we used to live deep in the mountains, but..."

"Don't worry, I'm here."

Sensing the woman's worry, Su Mu whispered something else.

Upon hearing this, for some reason, all the worries in my heart vanished instantly. Kamado Aoi lowered her head and said, "I'll go help get some things too."

"Hmm, but take less,"

Su Mu said something, then shouldered the heavier load and headed up Mount Sagiri. Kanao followed behind her uncle like a shadow, Tanjiro was with his younger brother Takeo, Shigeru, Nezuko was holding her younger sister Hanako's hand, and Kamado Aoi was carrying a small bundle in one hand and holding the youngest Rokuta in her arms.

The group walked slowly into the depths of the Misty Mountains.

In this place rarely visited by pedestrians, the arrival of people startles the birds nestled in the forest and disturbs the hermits who live here.

Wearing a tengu mask, Urokodaki Sakonji stood on a blue stone, frowning as he watched the man leading women and children into the mountains.

Beside them, a petite girl wearing a fox mask with her eyes closed and a blue floral kimono tilted her head, looking at the group of unexpected visitors with the same puzzled expression.

"Master, what are they doing?"

Makomo tilted her head and looked at her master.

"I do not know either!"

Urokodaki Sakonji shook his head: "With all these household items, they can't possibly be coming to settle down here, can they?"

"Master, it's possible. What if they really decide to settle down here?"

Makomo looked at the iron pot that the young man at the front was carrying and muttered to herself.

"Why don't you go and chase them away, Makomo?"

Beneath the tengu mask, Urokodaki Sakonji spoke to Makomo beside him.

"Why isn't Master going?"

Makomo tilted her head.

"It is inconvenient for the master to lay a hand on women and children."

Urokodaki Sakonji shook his head, but his gaze involuntarily fell on the man walking at the front. He could smell the familiar scent of a demon.

However, when he saw the other person walking in the sunlight, he found his own sensitivity amusing.

Where are the ghosts that walk in the sun?

I've never seen or heard of it before.

“Even the master couldn’t lay a hand on women and children, so how could Makomo, as his apprentice, possibly do the same?”

Makomo immediately shook her head, but in her heart she thought that after she left, the Kyogiri Mountain, where only her most respected master was left, would be too lonely. The arrival of these people would make it more lively and would not make her most respected master too lonely.

…………

Soon, Su Mu led his group to the mountainside, where they saw several simple houses built there.

Everyone stopped at that moment.

"This place is not very suitable for ordinary people to settle down and live here."

Just as Su Mu put the things down, a voice rang in his ears.

Su Mu looked up and saw two masked people walking towards him from a short distance away.

One wore a fierce-looking tengu mask, while the other wore a slightly cute smiling fox mask with its eyes closed.

An old man and a girl.

The old man's mask was so menacing that Hanako and Shigeru immediately hid behind their older brother Tanjiro, secretly observing the old man.

Tanjiro's gaze fell on the masked girl with a smiling fox face and closed eyes. He recognized these people as the demon slayers who had been searching for the master.

Tanjiro couldn't help but glance at the adult, a sense of worry rising in his heart. If this girl recognized the adult's identity, her hands would unconsciously clench, and he felt that she would probably fight alongside the adult against these people...

Similarly, Makomo also recognized Tanjiro. She hadn't paid attention before because they were far apart, but now that she could clearly see everyone's faces, Makomo couldn't help but think of the demon-hunting journey she had with Hiroshi Furukawa. It was as if everything was still fresh in her mind. But those passionate, cheerful, and righteous people had all died on the way to hunt demons, cruelly murdered by that vicious demon.

Unconsciously, Makomo's small hand gently pressed on the hilt of the Nichirin Blade at her waist.

"It's alright, I will develop a place here suitable for people to live and settle down."

Su Mu smiled, raised the axe in his hand, and then turned his gaze back to Urokodaki Sakonji: "Perfect timing, I also have some things I'd like to ask Mr. Urokodaki for advice on. It'll be more convenient if I'm next to him."

The tengu mask concealed his expression, making it impossible to see Urokodaki Sakonji's true feelings. However, one could sense his surprise.

"You know me?"

"Yes, Mr. Urokodaki, I've heard that you are a very skilled demon slayer. Besides settling here, you also want Tanjiro and Nezuko to learn from you about demon-slaying techniques."

Urokodaki Sakonji suddenly fell silent, his gaze sweeping over the group of people.

The first thing to land on was Su Mu. He felt a familiar aura, almost like that of a ghost, which made him feel as if he were facing one. However, since the other party was bathed in sunlight, it was clearly not a ghost.

This was rather strange for Urokodaki Sakonji. His nose was always very sensitive, and he could usually judge the scent very accurately. This was the first time he had ever felt such a completely wrong scent.

Somewhat strangely, he shifted his gaze from Su Mu to the others, vaguely sensing that almost everyone possessed a familiar 'breath' aura.

This feeling is very sensitive for those who practice 'breathing techniques'.

This made Urokodaki Sakonji frown even more, his mind filled with countless questions about these people.

"Let me settle things here first, then I'll come over and ask Mr. Urokodaki for advice. After all, it's getting dark soon, and the children need a stable place to stay."

Su Mu seemed to sense Urokodaki Sakonji's doubts and smiled gently.

Urokodaki Sakon looked up at the darkening sky and stepped aside: "There are some open spaces not far away, which would be suitable for building a house."

"Shall we not disturb Urokodaki-senpai?"

Su Mu revealed a gentle smile.

Underneath the tengu mask, Urokodaki Sakonji let out a cold laugh: "You've already brought people here to disturb me."

"I'm so sorry."

Su Mu shook his head, but patted Tanjiro next to him: "Hurry up and get busy. It's best to build a simple house before dark."

"it is good."

Tanjiro and the others immediately nodded.

………………

Urokodaki Sakonji and Makomo did not step forward to help, but watched from afar as this group of people suddenly barged in and began to cut down trees and build houses.

Su Mu, a man, was almost naked from the waist up, carrying huge logs on his shoulders. He did most of the physically demanding work by himself.

Tanjiro was responsible for assisting the men.

Meanwhile, Kui Zhi started a fire and began boiling water to cook, with several children helping out.

If there's one person who didn't do anything, it's Kanao. It's not that Kanao didn't want to help; firstly, Su Mu was unwilling, and secondly, Kanao herself didn't know how to help.

Although the girl gradually emerged from her former withdrawn world under Su Mu's care, she was not like other normal girls. Except for her quick reaction in this area, she was slow to react in other areas.

So Su Mu let Kanao train alone.

Compared to the family working together, looking tired but lively and happy, Urokodaki Sakonji and Makomo, standing in the distance, seemed rather lonely.

"Master, it seems that girl is quite skilled as well."

Makomo quickly turned her gaze to Kanao, who was exercising.

"It seems to be a 'battle qi' style of cultivation, which is relatively rare."

Urokodaki Sakonji, beneath the tengu mask, narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Battle Qi?"

Makomo looked puzzled.

"This is a training style. For example, the Demon Slayer Corps relies on 'breathing techniques' to bring a person to the same physical level as a demon within a certain period of time. 'Fighting spirit' relies on sensing the opponent's 'fighting spirit' to deal with attacks, defend, or counterattack. The stronger the opponent's fighting spirit, the faster one's own perception can be."

Makomo asked with some doubt: "If there is no 'battle aura,' wouldn't it be impossible to sense it?"

"Everyone is born with 'fighting spirit,' and even babies cannot avoid it."

Urokodaki Sakonji shook his head: "However, I heard that if one reaches the state of 'Transparent World,' one can hide one's 'ki.' In the past, some of the Demon Slayer Corps' predecessors did it, but now, no one can reach that state anymore, not even me."

When the 'Transparent World' was mentioned, a longing appeared in Urokodaki Sakonji's eyes. Sabito was the one he had placed the most hopes on.

He felt that if the rabbit could grow up, it should be able to reach this level.

But the rabbit...

Thinking of these things, the old man's expression darkened. Seeing that Makomo was still listening attentively, he continued, "Speaking of 'fighting spirit,' the most memorable one should be Akaza, the Upper Moon Three of the Twelve Demon Moons. He reached an extremely high level in fighting spirit training, and several 'Pillars' in the Demon Slayer Corps died at his hands."

Akaza?

Makomo squinted, her hand pressing on the hilt of her Nichirin Blade at her waist: "Master, between you and Akaza, who is stronger?"

Faced with his disciple's curiosity, Urokodaki Sakonji pondered for a while before shaking his head: "We've never fought, so no one can know for sure. However, I feel that I am no match for Akaza now."

"Even Master isn't a match for you?"

“Master is old and no longer young. If he were at his peak, I am confident that he could have defeated Akaza.”

As he spoke, Sakonji Urokodaki sighed, "That's why it's so difficult to hunt demons. In terms of truly high-level combat power, our Demon Slayer Corps can't compare to the demons. It's really, really difficult for humans to eradicate demons."

“Even though it’s been so difficult, we’ve never given up, and we’ve been walking this difficult path all along, haven’t we?”