Chapter 78: A Few Things about the courtesan houses
Yoshiwara Flower District.
Even in the middle of the night, this place was still brightly lit, as bright as day.
Above the rows of buildings, hundreds and thousands of lanterns hung, glowing with vibrant colors, dyeing the night sky with an ambiguous shade of crimson.
The decadent sounds woven by shamisens and drumbeats, mixed with the coquettish laughter of women, the boisterous clamor of men, and the thick scent of rouge and alcohol, together formed an intoxicating whirlpool.
Desires were infinitely magnified here, money flowed freely here; the entire district was like a Yao Beast devouring human hearts, panting ceaselessly under the shroud of night.
"It really is... a place so flashy it makes one sick."
Uzui Tengen stood on an inconspicuous roof, looking down at the endless stream of people below. On his face, which usually wore a flamboyant smile, there was now a cold, solemn expression.
Behind him, Ryuji, Kocho Kanae, Kamado Tanjiro, Shinazugawa Sanemi, Kanroji Mitsuri, Tomioka Giyu, and Shinobu Kocho—seven figures stood silently.
"This is the place."
Uzui Tengen turned around, his voice kept very low:
"My three wives, Hinatsuru, Makio, and Suma, have each infiltrated the courtesan houses of the Yoshiwara Flower District, but now, I have completely lost contact with them."
Shinazugawa Sanemi's eyes narrowed as he looked at the bustling Yoshiwara Flower District and asked, "courtesan houses? There are at least dozens or even a hundred flower houses on this street... where do we look?"
He looked at Uzui Tengen and asked in a low voice, "We can't just check them one by one, can we?"
Hearing this, everyone's expressions became solemn, except for Tomioka Giyu and Kocho Sisters.
"Of course not..."
Looking at the somewhat irritable Shinazugawa Sanemi, Uzui Tengen said calmly:
"You don't need to worry about that. The reason I asked Ryuji to come was for this."
He glanced at Ryuji: "Any problems?"
"No problem, leave it to me."
Ryuji simply nodded and spoke softly.
However, according to the original plot, Uzui Tengen should have known which shops his three wives were hiding in... now he didn't know, and according to Uzui Tengen's information, he lost contact with them shortly after they infiltrated.
That's why Uzui Tengen was so anxious, thinking they might have encountered an Upper Rank Demon.
The plot had diverged ridiculously.
Let's investigate first!
Ryuji's eyes turned red, and his Observation Haki spread out, covering the entire Yoshiwara Flower District.
Soon, he found three distinct demonic auras amidst a pile of decadent scents.
"Found them..."
Ryuji said, marking the three largest courtesan houses on the map of the Yoshiwara Flower District.
Kyogoku House, Ogimoto House, and Tokitou House.
After confirming the locations, Ryuji asked Uzui Tengen, "How do we get in? This is a district with an official background; we can't just barge in..."
The corner of Uzui Tengen's mouth curled up: "Finding the locations is enough. Leave the rest to me!"
Ryuji extended his hand in a "please" gesture: Please begin your performance.
"Ah, the flashy performance begins!"
Uzui Tengen's rose-red eyes sparkled.
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present:
"So, the first thing we need to do is flashily sneak in and find my wives!"
After he spoke, everyone fell silent, and the atmosphere became a bit stagnant.
Ryuji:...I know your wives are important, but do you have to keep mentioning them?
"Huh? Are you joking?"
The explosive pepper directly erupted, the scars on his face seemingly flushed with blood, turning red.
In the entire Demon Slayer Corps, there were very few people Shinazugawa Sanemi admired, and as luck would have it, Uzui Tengen was not one of them.
"Shouldn't the focus of the Demon Slayer Corps be on slaying demons? Why do we have to find..."
Shinazugawa Sanemi felt a hand land on his shoulder, and his words came to an abrupt halt.
"Quiet, Sanemi. Uzui Tengen is the captain now. Any objections can wait until we return to headquarters."
Ryuji looked at the calmed-down Shinazugawa and lightly patted his shoulder:
"Now, follow orders, understand?"
Shinazugawa Sanemi bit his teeth and squeezed out two words from his throat: "Understood..."
Ryuji signaled Uzui Tengen to continue.
"After finding my wives, we'll flashily cut off the demon's head! That's how it's done."
Ryuji nodded and rubbed his chin: "Then, here's the question... how do we sneak in?"
A cunning light appeared in Uzui Tengen's rose-red eyes. He rubbed his chin, his gaze scanning back and forth across everyone, before finally revealing what could only be described as a malicious smile.
"To sneak in, we need a suitable identity. Now, let our flashy disguise time begin!"
Fifteen minutes later, in a dilapidated small house they had temporarily rented, bursts of uncontrollable gasps and cries erupted.
"Lord Tengen! Amazing! How did you do it!"
Kanroji Mitsuri looked at herself in the mirror; her eyebrows were painted thick and heavy, and a few freckles were dotted on her cheeks. Instead of being angry, her eyes sparkled with admiration.
In her eyes, being able to turn her proud face into something so ordinary was a miraculous makeup skill!
"Shut up! It's not flashy at all!"
Uzui Tengen looked at the three girls in the mirror who, despite the extremely crude makeup, still couldn't hide their peerless beauty, and scratched his hair in frustration.
Looking at Kocho Sisters nearby, he sighed. He had really tried his best to paint them ugly!
Kanao was painted with a sallow complexion and bloodless lips, which only added a bit of sickly fragility and purity.
Shinobu Kocho was covered in thick white powder with exaggerated red eyeshadow at the corners of her eyes. Instead of looking gaudy, it made her purple eyes appear even more agile and cunning.
Not to mention Kanroji Mitsuri; the innocence and Origin Qi radiating from her very core could not be covered by any makeup.
The three girls were still too beautiful!
"Dammit! Why can't you three just look a bit more ordinary! This is so unflashy!" Uzui Tengen ranted.
"Hey! Uzui! You bastard, what kind of crap did you paint on my face!"
Shinazugawa Sanemi looked at himself in the mirror; his eyebrows were almost joined together, and two handlebar mustaches were painted on his face. The veins on his temples throbied like earthworms, and his nichirin blade creaked in his grip.
If Ryuji hadn't been holding him back, he would have slashed him by now.
"This is the essence of disguise! You have to be ugly! So ugly that people forget you the moment they see you!"
Uzui Tengen said righteously. He looked at Tomioka Giyu, who was wearing the same ugly makeup but remained expressionless, and nodded with satisfaction:
"Look at Giyu, he understands. He hasn't said a word."
Tomioka Giyu: "..."
He just didn't know what to say.
"And Tanjiro, with your honest face, you don't even need much painting to look like a background character."
Tanjiro's mouth twitched, also not knowing what to say.
Finally, Uzui Tengen's gaze fell on Ryuji.
He went silent.
Ryuji's face was smeared pitch-black with soot from the bottom of a pot, his eyebrows were painted thick and long, and there was even a black mole at the corner of his mouth.
However... on that well-defined face, this ugly makeup failed to have the desired effect.
Instead, it added a wild and unruly tough-guy aura to him, paired with his eyes that shone strikingly even in the dim light.
He looked like a dark-skinned young wolf-dog, incredibly handsome.
"You guy, were you born just to spite me!"
Uzui Tengen felt like he was about to collapse.
The disguise plan was a total failure.
But they had to go for it anyway... That night, in front of the three largest courtesan houses in the Yoshiwara Flower District—Kyogoku House, Ogimoto House, and Tokitou House—a farce of a recruitment battle took place.
"I'll take this one! Although this girl looks a bit dim-witted, her build shows she's good material for work!"
The Madam of Kyogoku House, a middle-aged woman with heavy makeup, pointed at Kanroji Mitsuri and said to Uzui Tengen.
"No way! I want this girl!"
"I'll pay double the price!"
The Madams of Ogimoto House and Tokitou House immediately joined the scramble.
Finally, after a round of intense bidding.
Kanroji Mitsuri was bought by Kyogoku House, while Shinobu Kocho was chosen by Tokitou House because of her cleverness.
As for Kocho Kanae, her gentle and quiet temperament made the Madam of Ogimoto House take a liking to her at first sight, intending to train her as a future tea master.
The male side, however, was much more miserable.
"Where did these crooked nuts and split dates come from? They look revolting!"
"That white-haired spiky-head looks like he's about to kill someone; he'll scare the customers!"
"And that one with the paralyzed face, he looks so depressing!"
"The one with a face as black as the bottom of a pot, did he just crawl out of a coal kiln?"
But even Ryuji could tell that the three bosses were just faking their disgust to drive down the price.
Uzui Tengen bargained and even made a bit of extra money on the side.
After some arguing, under the feigned looks of disdain from the Madams.
Shinazugawa Sanemi and Tomioka Giyu were taken by Ogimoto House as extras, barely accepted to be responsible for chopping wood and doing odd jobs.
Tanjiro, because he looked honest, was taken by Tokitou House to be responsible for cleaning and hauling.
As for Ryuji, he was bought by the Madam of Kyogoku House because of his face, intending to keep him for fun.
Hearing this, the corner of Ryuji's mouth twitched imperceptibly.
To think that he, the Fist Hashira, who dominated the Demon Slayer Corps, had been reduced to relying on his face to be kept as a pet to carry out a mission... If this got out, his lifelong reputation would be ruined.
He glanced at Uzui Tengen and saw that his forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and his eyes were full of pleading... For the sake of the big picture, he endured!
As the night deepened and the noise grew, the infiltration plan officially began.
Tokitou House.
"Hey, Sumiko! Hurry up and move all these futons to the third floor!"
A Senior courtesan ordered Tanjiro around with a rather nasty attitude.
"Yes! I'm coming right away!"
Tanjiro, or rather "Sumiko," dutifully picked up a tall stack of futons.
Although he was very unused to this feminine name.
While working, he pricked up his ears and used his sensitive nose to carefully distinguish every subtle scent in the air.
Yes, that's right; even after becoming a demon, Tanjiro's nose was very sensitive.
Soon, he smelled an extremely faint scent in an empty room on the third floor.
It was the scent of a demon!
The Lord Instructor's perception is truly strong... Ogimoto House.
In the wood shed, Shinazugawa Sanemi was chopping wood without a word.
With every swing of the axe, it seemed as if he wanted to split the wood along with the rage in his heart.
Tomioka Giyu was at his side, silently stacking the chopped firewood neatly.
There was no communication between the two, and the atmosphere was terrifyingly quiet.
"Hey, you two, hurry up and deliver the hot water to Miss Kanao's room!"
A man who looked like a manager urged them impatiently.
Kocho Kanae, with her unparalleled gentleness and tea skills.
In just half a day, she had already gone from a chore girl to a "future star" about to be trained.
"You..."
Shinazugawa Sanemi's eyes were bloodshot. Just as he was about to get angry, he was held down by Tomioka Giyu.
"Okay, we understand."
Tomioka Giyu dragged the somewhat angry Shinazugawa Sanemi along and replied calmly.
He whispered to Shinazugawa Sanemi: "The mission is the priority."
"Tch!"
The two of them carried a huge wooden tub through the corridor.
Tomioka Giyu suddenly paused. His sea-blue eyes looked toward a locked warehouse deep in the courtyard.
He didn't say anything, but a sense of strangeness rose in his heart. That warehouse was too quiet, as quiet as a grave.
Shinazugawa Sanemi also glanced at the warehouse, the bloodshot veins in his eyes deepening.
Endure for now... Kyogoku House.
"Ah, this child is so beautiful. Before removing the makeup, he had a wild style... after removing it, he has a cool style. Both look so good!"
"Yeah, yeah, Mama-san, can we play with Ryūsei-kun?"
"Mama-san, please, I've never seen such a tall and robust man before..."
Ryuji was held in the arms of several Oiran sisters. Smelling the perfume wafting from them, he felt a bit nauseous.
They were even getting handsy... "All of you, let go. Look how you've scared the boy..."
The Madam drove these Oiran away: "If you have energy to spare, use it on the customers!"
Then she said gently to Ryuji: "Ryūsei-kun, don't be afraid. My daughters just like you too much..."
Ryuji nodded and said softly: "Can I get some fresh air? The perfume is too strong..."
"Of course."
Having escaped the women's clutches, Ryuji sat in front of the door, glanced at Uzui Tengen standing on the roof, and rolled his eyes.
If he had known, he would have stayed outside on lookout like Uzui Tengen.
He'd been set up.
His eyes turned red, and his Observation Haki spread out.
Countless noisy auras flooded into his perception.
Greed, desire, sadness, despair... He observed indifferently, filtering through this chaotic information, searching for a demon's aura.
And the auras of all the infiltrating team members.
"Um, Ryūsei-kun... can you come help me for a moment? I can't carry these things..."
A courtesan placed her hands in front of her, looking at Ryuji with a seductive expression.
Ryuji nodded.
Following the courtesan to a room, just as Ryuji pushed open the door, an extremely thick scent of blood, mixed with demonic energy.
Suddenly burst into his perception!
Within his Observation Haki, he clearly "saw" something slowly wriggling beneath the tatami mats of the room.
It was an obi sash!
Ryuji's mouth curled up. Daki was here. His eyes turned red; she was behind him... "Oh, isn't this the new servant? Who allowed you into my sister's room? Don't think that just because you're handsome, you can do whatever you want."
A lazy and coquettish voice came from the other end of the corridor.
Ryuji slowly turned around.
He saw an exquisite Oiran wearing a flashy furisode kimono, her figure graceful.
She was leaning against a corridor pillar, half-covering her face with a round fan, looking at him with a half-smile.
Her beauty carried a kind of demonic aggression that made one afraid to look directly at her.
She was the top Oiran of Kyogoku House, Warabihime.
Also, upper rank six, Daki.
Her gaze swept over Ryuji. When she saw his face, a flash of fear crossed her eyes, but she quickly composed herself.
"He really is handsome... I'll forgive you this time."
She waved her hand, and the courtesan who had brought Ryuji over quickly ran over and crouched behind her to serve as a chair.
Daki sat on the courtesan, her left hand propping up her cheek, and she lifted her lower leg, wiggling her pure white toes:
"Get out. Don't dirty the floor here."
Ryuji didn't speak; he just gave her a deep look, then turned and silently left the room.
The moment he turned around, a flash of lingering fear appeared in Daki's beautiful eyes.
The Fist Hashira!
How terrifying... Although he tried his best to restrain it, that powerful aura radiating from his very core, like a dormant beast, could not deceive a demon.
I must get rid of him before he discovers anything.
Loving Book So Far Check Out Complete Book In Advanced At Pa Treon:
patreon.com/FictionsTL