I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The "survivors," led by One-Eyed Dragon, retreated as if avoiding a plague, scrambling to distance themselves from Qing Deng.

The one-eyed man, who was just moments ago full of vigor and high spirits, now looked like he had swallowed a fly—his face was deathly pale, his expression was solemn, and his face was ugly.

He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something encouraging, but his lips opened and closed several times without uttering a single word with any concrete meaning.

It's not that he didn't want to talk about it.

Rather, they simply didn't know how to bring it up.

In this situation, what else could he say?

Such a one-sided battle situation cannot be reversed by just a few words.

The outcome is already decided.

One-Eyed Dragon and his men had lost their will to fight.

Next, Qingdeng only needs to press his advantage and bring this unexpected encounter to a perfect end.

However, Qing Deng did not do that.

He did not pursue them.

After One-Eyed Dragon and the others retreated out of fear, he stood still.

"Go back."

Qing Deng said loudly.

"I have no intention of hurting you, and I ask you to stop now. If you continue fighting, you will be the only ones who get hurt in the end!"

Although One-Eyed Dragon and his men charged towards Qingdeng with great ferocity, they did not intend to kill him.

It seems that, just as One-Eyed Dragon said, they only intended to teach Qing Deng a lesson.

Since the other party had no intention of harming anyone, Qingdeng was happy to show mercy.

Even though he had killed countless people, Qing Deng would not easily entertain the thought of killing.

During the battle, Qing Deng did not draw his sword the entire time, holding Echizen Sumire Richi no Kami Kaneshige with the sword still in its sheath, using the sword as a staff—and it actually felt quite easy to wield.

Having been unilaterally and thoroughly defeated by Qing Deng, the One-Eyed Dragon and his group had long lost all will to fight.

For a moment, they looked at each other, bewildered.

Soon after, they didn't even dare to leave behind harsh words like "You just wait" or "We'll remember you." They hurriedly helped up their injured and unconscious companions and fled into the distance in a sorry state.

As Qing Deng tucked Echizen Sumire Richi no Kami Kaneshige back into his waistband, he watched Dokuganryu and the others leave.

Qing Deng only regards the encounter with the "rabid family" as an unexpected episode of today's events.

After the footsteps of the one-eyed dragon and the others had completely disappeared, Qing Deng turned his face and looked for Kikuchi Chisui's figure.

"Kikuchi..."

Bang!

Kikuchi Chisui, who had just escaped the tiger's den, didn't even glance at Seido and the others. She walked back to the dilapidated thatched hut with unsteady, weak steps, making sure to close the door behind her as she entered.

"What's going on..."

Yae looked displeased and pouted.

“We helped him drive away the creditors, and he didn’t even say ‘thank you’…”

"It was 'Tachibana-kun chased away the creditors,' not 'we.'"

Saeshige corrected him without any politeness.

In the chaotic battle just now, the two sisters could be said to have helped at all, but they could also be said to have watched the whole thing from the sidelines.

It wasn't that they were being lazy, but Qingdeng's actions were just too fast. They didn't even have a chance to help before One-Eyed Dragon and his group were utterly defeated.

"I did contribute too!"

Yae glared fiercely at Sae and said indignantly.

"I secretly tripped a clueless guy."

"So that's how it is. You think you've done something great just by tripping someone up?"

Sae gave a sarcastic "hehe" laugh.

"Alright, stop arguing."

Qing Deng said helplessly.

"Let's go, it's time to get down to business."

Led by Qingdeng, the three of them strode toward the thatched hut.

"Mr. Kikuchi! Mr. Kikuchi!"

Qing Deng shouted a few times behind the tightly closed door.

After waiting for a while, there was no response.

Upon closer inspection, Qingdeng gained a better understanding of the dilapidated state of the thatched hut. Many eaves were drooping, the sliding door at the front was broken and tattered, and the walls were rotten and cracked everywhere, a desolate and ruined place.

Unable to get a response from Kikuchi Chisui, Yae, growing impatient, abruptly opened the door.

The instant Yae opened the door...

"Ugh! What's that smell?!"

Yae gagged while raising her hand to cover her nose.

Even someone as composed as a silken thread couldn't help but change her expression at this moment.

As for Qing Deng... his expression wasn't much better.

As if some terrible seal had been broken, a nauseating stench wafted out from the depths of the house, rushing towards Qing Deng and the others through the open door.

The stench was composed of a complex mixture of smells, including alcohol, mold, rancidity, and feces and urine...

Compared to this house, even public latrines smell wonderful.

*******

*******

I slept for at least 12 hours yesterday...

I feel a little better, but it still feels so strange. I feel like I can't get enough sleep no matter how much I sleep, and I have no energy no matter how much I sleep... (crying leopard head.jpg)

Chapter 403 People and Houses Like Those from the Fallen Demon Realm! [5000]

Qingdeng endured the stench, stepped forward, and entered the earthen area.

"Mr. Kikuchi! Mr. Kikuchi!"

He called out two or three more times into the room.

A short while later, a weak cough could be heard coming from deep inside the house.

"Cough cough... What are you shouting for... It's so noisy... If you want to come in, come in quickly..."

Having received permission from Kikuchi Chisui to enter the house... In that case, Aoto will not stand on ceremony.

Although this dilapidated house, which is no different from a dangerous building, doesn't look like a "home" at all, it is still someone else's residence.

Therefore, Qing Deng still took off his snow boots properly and held in his right hand the Echizen shogunate chieftain Kanetori, which he had taken off from his left waist.

The room was dark, without a single light, and completely quiet.

The floor was covered with clothes piled up haphazardly, as well as all kinds of trash, leaving virtually no room to step.

At that moment, for some reason, Aoto suddenly recalled every scene he had seen on his way from Haramachi.

Although Haramachi is a very dilapidated and old slum, at least there is still a human presence in the air of its streets and alleys.

The sounds of babies crying, young people talking, and old people coughing can be heard everywhere in Haramachi.

Every now and then, you can see several children running around in the narrow alleys.

Every now and then, you can smell the wonderful aroma of something being cooked.

Every now and then, you can hear cheerful laughter.

Only here... only this dilapidated thatched hut is lifeless, out of place with its surroundings and with everything in Haramachi, as if this place is cut off from the world.

The lifeless environment, coupled with the terrifying stench... for a moment, Qingdeng had the illusion that he was not entering a thatched hut, but heading to the Demon Realm.

"Be careful not to step on something and fall."

Qing Deng turned around, whispered a reminder to Shaye and Yae behind him, and then took the lead himself, moving cautiously as if he were walking through an undeveloped primeval forest, carefully heading deeper into the house.

"This house... the more I look at it, the more amazing it seems... how can anyone live in such a perfectly good house and turn it into this mess..."

Yae shrank back and murmured softly.

She seemed to be frightened by this living environment that was not something a normal human would have.

"That's easy."

As soon as Yae finished speaking, Sae, who was standing to the side, spoke slowly in a tone that was neither sad nor happy.

“When you have no heart to live, your home will naturally lose its ‘human’ presence.”

When she spoke of the phrases "unwilling to live" and "losing the breath of 'humanity'", Saeshige emphasized them.

After a series of arduous journeys, the three of them finally passed through the entrance hall and arrived at the main room inside the house.

Despite having prepared themselves mentally, the "horrific" scene inside still startled Qing Deng and the others.

First, the light became dimmer. It was almost pitch black.

Secondly, the smell was even worse. Qing Deng and the Erchong sisters dared not breathe deeply, for fear that they would faint from the stench.

Suddenly, a hoarse middle-aged male voice rang out.

"Who...who are you...? Do you need something from me...? Cough cough! Cough cough cough!"

Qingdeng raised his gaze and looked in the direction of the sound.

With his naturally gifted "cat's eyes," the dimness of the environment has absolutely no impact on Qingdeng's vision.