One person: Lu Jin, do I look like your master?

He muttered to himself, his nose twitching slightly beneath the mask.

A strange scent, carrying sweat, dust, grass, and a hint of youthful purity and resilience, drifted faintly into his nostrils on the mountain breeze.

The scent was unfamiliar; it wasn't from a hunter in the mountains or a familiar visitor. Moreover, the scent was moving in his direction.

He didn't make any big movements, but his aura instantly became restrained and alert, like a lurking cheetah.

Not long after, accompanied by rustling footsteps and slightly hurried breathing, a small figure dressed in tattered clothes and carrying a backpack staggered through the bushes and came into his view.

The child looked up, his crimson eyes shining brightly with exhaustion and tension. He saw the man standing outside wearing a strange mask and was clearly startled, his body stiffening for a moment.

But he quickly mustered his courage and, with a trembling voice and hoarseness from the long journey, cautiously asked:

"Um... hello?"

The man wearing the tengu mask—the former water pillar, Urokodaki Sakonji—silently watched the suddenly appearing boy, especially the peculiar scar on his forehead.

And those crimson eyes, though filled with fear, remained clear and resolute.

Chapter 6 Urokodaki Sakonji's Plans

Wearing a red tengu mask, Urokodaki Sakonji quietly watched the boy who suddenly emerged from the mountain mist.

He was thin and small, his clothes were torn in several places by the thorns along the way, and his face and hands were covered in dust, but his pair of bright red eyes were surprisingly bright.

It was filled with the fatigue of a long journey, the joy of finding the destination, and the tension of facing an unfamiliar environment and mysterious figures.

A hint of doubt arose in Urokodaki's heart. His secluded dwelling in the Sagiri Mountains was quiet and secluded, shrouded in mist all year round, and was not a tourist attraction.

Apart from the disciple he was teaching and a few old friends from the foot of the mountain who knew him well and would occasionally send him some supplies, he rarely had any outsiders visiting.

Moreover, this is a boy who looks extremely young and travel-worn.

The air was filled with the complex scents of the boy—the saltiness of sweat, the dampness of the soil, and the freshness of the grass and trees.

There is also a special "flavor" that comes from the pure innocence of childhood and the condensation of an extremely tenacious willpower.

Urokodaki's keen sense of smell, honed through countless trials, told him that the boy himself was not dangerous, but his arrival, and the reason for it, were probably not simple.

"Young man, what can I do for you?"

Urokodaki Sakon spoke first. His voice sounded somewhat muffled through the tengu mask, but his tone was relatively calm, not revealing much wariness, but rather a sense of inquiry.

When Tanjiro first saw Sakonji Urokodaki, he was indeed startled by his peculiar mask and his imposing, mountain-like aura, and his heart pounded.

But he quickly regained his composure and remembered the mission he was entrusted with.

He took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound calmer, and bowed slightly before politely inquiring:

"Hello! Do you know about the Demon Slayer Corps?"

"Demon Slayer Corps?"

Urokodaki Sakonji was visibly taken aback upon hearing this. His brows furrowed slightly beneath his mask. This unfamiliar boy was asking about the Demon Slayer Corps right off the bat?

This is highly unusual. The Demon Slayer Corps is not an open organization; its existence is kept secret from the general public.

Usually, only victims who have had contact with "demons" or people introduced through specific channels know about and seek out the Demon Slayer Corps.

"How...how does this child know about the Demon Slayer Corps?"

With doubts arising in his mind, Urokodaki asked directly, his voice carrying a hint of scrutiny:

"Boy, who told you about the Demon Slayer Corps? And what do you want with the Demon Slayer Corps?"

He secretly wondered if his disciple had encountered the child by chance during a mission and mentioned the Demon Slayer Corps? Or perhaps it was a member of the "Hidden" organization?

When Tanjiro heard Urokodaki's question, he was not disappointed at all; instead, his eyes shone even brighter.

The other party didn't deny it directly, but instead pressed for the source of the information, which meant that he most likely really knew about the Demon Slayer Corps! After all that trouble, I've finally found the right place!

He answered quickly, his tone carrying a childlike earnestness and an eagerness to prove himself:

"Yes, it was a celestial being who told me!"

This answer was completely unexpected by Urokodaki Sakonji.

He considered many possibilities: perhaps a member of the team, perhaps a hidden being, or even an unfortunate survivor related to ghosts... but he never expected such a fantastical word—"immortal"?

This sounds more like a rural legend or something from a child's fantasy.

The mask concealed his expression, but the atmosphere created by his slightly forward-leaning body and brief silence made Tanjiro feel that the other person's doubts and attention had deepened.

Linlong's voice became even more serious.

"Tell me exactly what happened when you met that 'immortal,' and everything he told you. Don't leave out any details."

Tanjiro nodded vigorously. He knew this was the key to gaining the other party's trust.

He gathered his thoughts and began to recount the night that changed his family's fate.

He began by recounting the Hinokami Kagura festival being held at his home, describing the suddenly distorted, glass-like shattered space, and how the "sage" dressed in white robes, as if stepping out of a painting, appeared out of thin air.

He described in detail Wang Xuan's appearance and temperament, as well as his magical abilities to control flames, fly through the air, and finally crush the flames.

At first, when he heard "appeared out of thin air" and "space shattered", Urokodaki Sakonji's first reaction was "demon"!

Some demons with special blood demon magic can indeed create illusions or effects similar to spatial distortion.

His muscles tensed instantly, and his aura became even more restrained, like a sharp blade about to be drawn from its sheath.

However, as Tanjiro's description deepened, his doubts only increased.

Controlling flames? Moreover, Tanjiro emphasized that the "sage" did not have any repulsive "demon" odor.

Instead, it evokes a feeling that is... indescribable, as pure and vast as a mountain spring breeze.

More importantly, if it were a demon, given the abilities it displayed, the Kamado family would have had no chance of surviving.

"...Then he told us that we had to leave home within five years, or there would be terrible consequences."

Tanjiro's voice carried a hint of lingering fear.

"He said that if you don't know where to go, you can come to Mount Sagiri to find the Demon Slayer Corps."

After finishing his narration, Tanjiro looked nervously at Urokodaki Sakonji, waiting for his reaction.

Urokodaki Sakonji fell into a long silence.

The amount of information was enormous and exceeded his usual cognitive range.

A mysterious being, neither a demon nor an ordinary human, descends in a way beyond comprehension, issuing a disaster warning to an ordinary charcoal-selling family and guiding them to find the Demon Slayer Corps.

Why within five years?

Urokodaki pondered this crucial moment in time. It didn't seem like a spur-of-the-moment prophecy, but rather a precise warning.

Why contact the Demon Slayer Corps?

This suggests that the "unimaginable consequences" may very well be related to "ghosts"!

The Demon Slayer Corps is only needed when disasters involve demons.

That "sage" seemed to know the Demon Slayer Corps' duties and believed that the Demon Slayer Corps was capable of handling, or at least, that it was a sanctuary for the Kamado family.

All of this points to one conclusion: what this boy named Kamado Tanjiro said is very likely true!

There is indeed a powerful being they cannot comprehend, who foresaw a great crisis related to demons and the Kamado family, and provided guidance in advance.

Urokodaki Sakonji's gaze fell on Tanjiro again, especially on his clear and resolute crimson eyes and the symbolic scar on his forehead.

This boy, and his family, seem to have been caught in a vortex of fate that defies common sense.

"I understand."

After a long silence, Urokodaki Sakonji finally spoke, his voice regaining its previous composure, but with an added weight of responsibility.

“Child, come in with me first, rest for a bit, and have something to eat. The news you brought… is very important.”

He decided that he had to pass this message on to the head of the household, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, as soon as possible.

At the same time, the Demon Slayer Corps needs to pay close attention to this boy named Kamado Tanjiro, the mysterious "sage" he mentioned, and the five-year warning.

Chapter 7 Kagaya Ubuyashiki's Decisiveness

The Demon Slayer Corps headquarters is not a magnificent palace, but a Japanese-style house hidden deep in the mountains, protected by layers of barriers and wisteria flowers.

The atmosphere was quiet and solemn, as if even the air itself was heavy with the weight of a thousand-year struggle against evil spirits.

In a well-lit and simply furnished study, the young Kagaya Ubuyashiki was kneeling on the tatami mats.

His face was delicate and handsome, yet he possessed a pallor and frailty that belied his age, a mark left by the curse of the Ubuyashiki family for generations.

Although his vision has not yet been completely lost as it will be in the future, his field of vision is already somewhat blurred, requiring close-up reading and assistance from others.

He was holding a letter that had just been delivered by Kasugai-raven, the letter bearing the familiar and steady handwriting of Mae Mizushima Urokodaki Sakonji.

As he read on, Kagaya Ubuyashiki's brow, which always carried a gentle and compassionate air, furrowed slightly.

The contents of the letter were astonishing even to the Demon Slayer Corps leader, who had seen many bizarre and outlandish things.

Breaking through space, appearing out of thin air, manipulating flames with ease, predicting disasters, guiding those seeking the Demon Slayer Corps... all of this is at its core.

He is a mysterious being described as a "sage." And the one who conveys all of this is a charcoal-selling boy named Kamado Tanjiro.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki slowly put down the letter, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of the paper as he fell into deep thought.

Only the faint chirping of birds and the quiet burning of incense could be heard from outside the window in the study.

Beside him, his wife, Ubuyashiki Amane, who came from a priestly family and possessed a unique temperament and precognitive abilities, was quietly pouring him tea.

She keenly sensed the mixture of solemnity and confusion emanating from her husband.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki suddenly spoke, his voice soft yet carrying an indescribable ethereal quality.

"Do you think... there really are immortals in this world?"

Tianyin paused slightly as she poured the tea. She raised her eyes, which seemed to see through the course of fate, and looked at her husband.

As a descendant of priests, she knows many ancient legends and secrets, and is more accepting of beings beyond the norm than ordinary people.

However, the term "immortal" still seems too ethereal and distant, existing more in mythological texts and folk tales.

"Why do you ask so suddenly?"

She didn't answer directly, but asked in her usual gentle tone, while gently pushing the warm teacup to his side.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki briefly summarized the contents of Sakonji Urokodaki's letter to Amane.

When he mentioned "breaking space", "manipulating flames" and "predicting disaster within five years", Tianyin's calm face finally showed an undisguised look of shock.

"In his letter, Qian Shuizhu emphasized that, based on the boy's confirmation and his personal experience of bringing the boy to the ghost for scent comparison, that being was definitely not a 'ghost'."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki added. He knew Sakonji Urokodaki's character well; the former Water Pillar was steady and reliable, and would never easily believe falsehoods, much less make a misjudgment on such an important matter.

His letter mentions that a boy named Tanjiro possesses an extraordinary sense of smell, which further increases the credibility of the information.

Urokodaki Sakonji's sense of smell is extraordinary. He judged that Tanjiro possessed a similar talent and used this as a basis to confirm the essential difference between "sages" and "demons." This logical chain is rigorous.

Tianyin remained silent for a moment, digesting this astonishing information.

Not a demon, yet possessing power that transcends the realm of Blood Demon Arts and borders on the level of laws, and actively extending kindness (or guidance) to humans (at least to the Kamado family)...

"If what Mr. Linlong said is true."

Tianyin spoke slowly, her voice ethereal and calm.

"Then, this being's level may indeed be beyond our current understanding of 'power'."

The name 'immortal' may seem ethereal, but it is perhaps the closest description.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki nodded; Amane shared a similar view.

He wasn't fixated on the title "immortal" itself, but rather focused on the possible meaning behind his actions.

"An being beyond common sense appeared out of nowhere, issued a warning to an ordinary family, and directed them to find our Demon Slayer Corps..."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki tapped his slender, pale fingers lightly on the table, his mind racing.

"This foreshadows several things: First, the Kamado family will face a huge crisis in the future, which is likely related to ghosts and is so serious that the whole family will have to relocate."

Secondly, this being knows about our Demon Slayer Corps and... trusts that we can handle it, or at least considers us someone the Kamado family can rely on.

His gaze gradually sharpened; despite his poor eyesight, it seemed to pierce through the fog.