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(〃￣︶￣)人(￣︶￣〃)
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At the mention of the name "Warabihime," the madam's expression immediately changed.
Warabihime was indeed the top oiran of Kyogoku House, peerlessly beautiful. But her temperament was notoriously terrible.
If anything displeased her, she would beat or berate the servants, and she even dared to ignore wealthy patrons. Even when the madam was furious, she didn't dare show it, treating her like an untouchable ancestor.
"Th-This… young master, I'm terribly sorry." The madam wiped the sweat from her forehead and forced an apologetic smile. "Warabihime… isn't feeling well today and is resting upstairs. Perhaps I could arrange two other girls just as charming—"
Bang!
Another stack of banknotes, twice as thick as before, was slammed heavily onto the table by Rin.
"I don't like repeating myself."
A chilling glint flashed through Rin's black eyes.
"If that woman named Warabihime is not standing in front of me within one minute…"
His voice turned cold.
"I'll use this money to buy your entire establishment, and then burn it to the ground."
The madam was instantly overwhelmed by the terrifying pressure radiating from him. Her whole body trembled as if she had been locked onto by a predatory beast, her legs going weak as she nearly collapsed to the floor.
"Yes, yes! I'll go invite her right away! Right away!"
The madam hurried upstairs, rushing straight toward Warabihime's room.
...
At that moment, on the upper floor, in the most luxurious chamber at the very back,
The oiran known as Warabihime lay reclined on a soft brocade-covered couch. Her long hair, a striking blend of silver-white and pale green, framed an exceptionally alluring face.
But at this moment, that beautiful face was filled with gloom and cruelty.
Upper Moon Six—Daki.
"Tch… why have there been so many rats sneaking into the Yoshiwara Entertainment District lately? Have those Demon Slayer Corps pests turned into hounds?" Daki toyed with her long, sharp nails, her voice cold and displeased.
Just then, the madam knocked carefully on the door.
"Warabihime… Oiran Warabihime, a very wealthy young master has arrived downstairs and specifically requested your company. He brought a large sum of money and has quite a temper. He said if he doesn't see you within a minute, he'll burn down Kyogoku House…"
"Oh?"
Daki stilled, and her eyes—once normal—instantly transformed into plum-red vertical pupils.
"Threatening to burn down my territory? What an ignorant, worthless human."
A sneer curled across her lips as she slowly rose from the couch. She casually draped herself in an exquisitely ornate layered kimono, while a cold killing intent flickered in her mesmerizing eyes.
"With that much money and such arrogance… tonight's extra meal will be him. Let's see if he can still act so proud when I pull out his organs piece by piece."
She pushed the door open and walked toward the hall on the first floor, her steps graceful, a sweet fragrance trailing behind her—deceptively alluring, yet laced with deadly intent.
...
Downstairs, in the hall, Rin held a cup of sake, bringing it lightly to his lips.
Suddenly, the rapid clatter of wooden sandals echoed from the stairs.
"Young master, what an impressive display. Not only have you brought so much money, you've even brought a sword. Don't you know that in a place like this, such eyesores aren't necessary?"
Her figure had yet to appear, but her voice arrived first—soft and seductive to the bone, yet laced with unmistakable arrogance.
Rin didn't even look up. He simply swirled the sake in his cup.
As Daki's enchanting figure appeared at the corner of the stairs, ready to crush this ignorant young noble beneath her overwhelming beauty and presence...
In the depths of Rin's eyes, three black tomoe quietly emerged, instantly locking onto the woman on the staircase.
"The makeup is thicker than a city wall, and the perfume is strong enough to choke a stray dog in the street."
Rin casually flung the cup in his hand to the ground.
Bang!
The cup shattered, sake splashing everywhere.
He lifted his head, his crimson Sharingan staring straight at Daki, whose expression froze mid-step on the stairs. The mockery at the corner of his lips was completely undisguised.
"With a face like that, you call yourself the top oiran of the Yoshiwara Entertainment District? Are you here to entertain guests, or to swindle them?"
Daki: "..."
...
The night breeze of the Yoshiwara Entertainment District carried a heavy scent of cosmetics as it swept across the rows of wooden buildings.
On the high rooftop opposite Kyogoku House, Tengen Uzui crouched among the cold tiles. He had already discarded his pimp disguise and torn off the ridiculous fake mustache, revealing his naturally handsome face.
His signature diamond-studded headband glimmered under the moonlight, and two massive Nichirin swords were strapped in a cross on his back.
As a former shinobi, concealing his presence was as natural to him as breathing.
His original plan had been flawless: sell Tanjiro and the others into the three most suspicious establishments as attendants, let them gather intelligence from the inside, while he operated on the outside, searching for his three missing wives.
Once the demon's identity and hiding place were confirmed, he would strike in a single decisive blow.
This was infiltration. This was assassination. This was the fundamental discipline of a shinobi.
But despite all his careful planning, he had overlooked one variable—Rin, who acted entirely on his own whims.
"That bastard…"
Tengen Uzui's lips twitched violently, veins bulging on his forehead.
From his vantage point above, he could see everything happening at the entrance of Kyogoku House.
The banknotes flying through the air, the arrogant declaration of buying out the entire establishment, and that loud, mocking remark that had just echoed across the entire street...
"Makeup thicker than a city wall…"
Tengen Uzui covered his face, unable to keep watching. Was this guy tired of living, or was he worried the demon wouldn't notice him? Who walks up and calls the top oiran of the Entertainment District ugly to her face? This was practically carving the word "provocation" onto his forehead and shouting it through a megaphone!
"What happened to 'casually slaughtering a rat'? You call this casual? You've practically blown up the entire nest!"
Tengen Uzui gritted his teeth.
But complaints aside, as the Sound Hashira, his keen senses caught a terrifying shift the moment Rin's voice fell.
Inside Kyogoku House, which had been filled with laughter moments ago, the entire soundscape had changed.
If the previous noise had been a lively yet orderly melody of the mundane world, then now, every sound had been abruptly cut off—overwhelmed by a thick, suffocating, and terrifying killing intent.
A faint cracking sound echoed through the air.
It was the groan of the wooden staircase railing being crushed by an overwhelming force.
"Such intense demonic aura…" Tengen Uzui cast aside his playful thoughts, his gaze sharpening instantly. "So it really is hiding in Kyogoku House. And this level of pressure… it's definitely an Upper Rank!"
Now that Rin had drawn all the most dangerous attention to himself, this was the perfect opportunity for action.
"Reckless as he is, he's saved me a lot of trouble searching."
Tengen rose to his feet, his figure blurring into a fleeting shadow as he merged with the night, heading straight toward the underground passages.
"Suma, Makio, Hinatsuru… hold on. You must not come to harm."
…
Meanwhile, in a storage room at the back of Kyogoku House,
Zenitsu Agatsuma knelt on the cold wooden floor, clutching a rag as he bitterly scrubbed the hallway.
His hair bun had come loose, and the white powder on his face was smeared unevenly with sweat.
"Why… why does that normie get to have three wives, and Boss Rin gets to throw money around and act like a big shot in the front hall, while I'm stuck here scrubbing floors?!"
As Zenitsu scrubbed furiously at a stubborn stain, he wailed inwardly, "I want to sit on a soft cushion and drink too! I want to see beautiful courtesans too!"
Just as he was drowning in resentment, the sharp sound of shattering porcelain rang out from the front hall, followed immediately by Rin's biting mockery.
Zenitsu's hand froze.
As a swordsman with hearing far beyond that of an ordinary person, he not only heard Rin's words clearly—he also heard the sound coming from the body of the woman upstairs, who had just been provoked.
Thump—thump—thump!
And.. that was not a human heartbeat.
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12 Advance chapters:Patreon/slept01