The cold wind at the edge of the cliff brushed past, and Yamada withdrew his gaze from the dense forest in the distance.
The scarlet in his eyes quietly faded, returning to a deep, pitch black.
With the insight of his Sharingan, he had already captured the faint aura of demons on the outskirts of the valley. But the aura was very scattered and hidden quite deeply. It was clear that the mice sent by Muzan were still testing the edges of the barrier and had no intention of launching a full-scale attack immediately.
"Since the prey is still making preparations for battle, we hunters shouldn't just stand here blowing in the cold wind."
Yamada stretched, turned around, and patted Tanjiro on the shoulder. "Let's go, let's head down the mountain. We've come all this way, we have to soak in a hot spring to relieve the fatigue."
"Eh? Aren't we here to repair our swords?" Tanjiro was stunned for a moment.
"Repairing swords is the blacksmith's business, what does it have to do with you?"
Yamada couldn't be bothered to explain the logic of combining work and rest to him, and strode down the mountain path.
Walking down the winding stone steps, the closer they got to the bottom of the basin, the stronger the smell of sulfur and rust in the air became. The surrounding trees were steamed by the heat of the natural hot springs, surrounded by a thin layer of white mist.
As the group of four stepped onto the main road of the Swordsmith Village, a group of villagers wearing hyottoko masks walked towards them.
Seeing Yamada walking in the front, an elderly man with a short stature and a cane immediately quickened his pace, his voice under the mask full of enthusiasm and respect.
"Oh my, what a rare guest. I didn't expect that the Special Executive Officer personally appointed by Master would grace us with his presence. I am the village chief of this Swordsmith Village, Tecchikawahara Tecchin. Please forgive me for not welcoming you sooner."
Although the old village chief was not even as tall as Yamada's waist, as the core figure of the Demon Slayer Corps' weapon supply, his status in the corps was no less than that of the Hashira.
Yamada looked down at the old man who seemed like he would blow away with the wind at any moment, and waved his hand casually. "No need for formalities. This trip is mainly to recast the scrap metal for these three brats. By the way, I heard the hot springs and matsutake rice here are good, so I'm here for a vacation."
Tecchin nodded repeatedly. "No problem, it is the honor of the Swordsmith Village to serve you."
When Hotaru was forging that special straight sword for Yamada a while ago, all the high-level craftsmen in the village had watched the quality of that top-grade scarlet ore.
Later, hearing that Yamada could kill an Upper Rank in seconds without even needing a nichirin blade, the blacksmiths in the village were both respectful and afraid of him.
"That... Village Chief."
Tanjiro quickly stepped forward and bowed ninety degrees. "I'm very sorry. I am Kamado Tanjiro, and in the battle of the Mugen Train, my blade chipped. May I ask if Tetsukado-san is here? I would like to apologize to him in person and ask him to repair my sword."
Hearing the name "Tetsukado," the several blacksmiths wearing Hyottoko masks around them shivered in unison.
Tecchin sighed and tapped the ground with his cane. "That guy... he heard you broke your sword, and was so angry he took two blades and went looking for you everywhere in the village to fight. Later, when he couldn't find anyone, he ran into the deep mountains to go on a hunger strike. We can't find him now either."
"Hun... hunger strike?!" Tanjiro was covered in sweat, swallowing his saliva with a guilty conscience.
"Forget about him, he'll crawl out naturally when he's hungry enough." Yamada interrupted this fruitless pleasantry.
"Old man, prepare us the most spacious guest room, and serve a few of your most expensive signature dishes. We've run all the way here, my stomach is already empty."
"It's already prepared, please come this way, Yamada-sama."
Under the personal guidance of the village chief, the group passed through the clanging blacksmith workshops and arrived at a high-end room built halfway up the mountain with an excellent view.
Pushing open the sliding door, the tatami was already filled with a sumptuous dinner.
Grilled matsutake mushrooms exuding an alluring aroma, top-grade wagyu sashimi with clear snowflake marbling, and several jars of sake brewed with mountain spring water.
"Wow! It looks so delicious!"
Inosuke didn't care about etiquette at all. He tore off his boar mask and threw it aside. Then he rushed to the table, grabbed a piece of wagyu and stuffed it into his mouth, muttering unclearly while chewing, "Delicious! This is the first time I've eaten such tender meat."
Zenitsu couldn't be bothered to complain about his sore legs, his eyes glowing as he picked up his chopsticks. "Wuwuwu, it's great to go out with boss, this food standard is a hundred times better than the patient meals at the Butterfly Mansion."
Yamada sat cross-legged in the main seat and took a sip of sake. The clear liquor slid down his throat, dispelling the slight fatigue from the days of traveling.
He looked at the three teenagers who were stuffing food, and casually picked up his chopsticks, tapping them on Inosuke's hand that was reaching for the last plate of matsutake mushrooms.
Slap!
"Ouch!" Inosuke clutched the back of his hand and glared at Yamada, "Why did you hit me!"
"That's mine." Yamada calmly moved the plate of grilled matsutake to himself.
"Go soak in the hot spring once you're full. Don't be an eyesore here."