This small southern town seems to have a soft, warm feeling in the air.
The streets were bustling with activity and filled with the sounds of people. The shops on both sides were adorned with colorful banners, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere that was quite different from that of the north.
Giyu Tomioka was still wearing his signature two-tone haori, with a dark blue Nichirin Blade hanging at his waist.
However, this usually icy-faced Water Hashira, who could practically whip up a gust of cold wind with every step, was walking with such trepidation today... as if treading on thin ice.
There was nothing he could do; a stunningly beautiful woman was clinging to his right arm, someone he simply couldn't shake off.
"Oh, Mr. Giyu, the southern sunshine is so lovely."
Kanae Kocho wasn't wearing her Demon Slayer Corps uniform today; instead, she wore a simple yet playful pink casual outfit.
She held onto Giyu's right arm with both hands, and walked forward almost hanging on Giyu's body.
"Um."
Giyu uttered a single word without any expression.
He tried to pull his arm out, but the older woman was surprisingly strong. Not only did he fail to pull it out, but the soft flesh rubbed against him even tighter.
Feeling the amazing elasticity and warmth from her arm, Water Hashira's back instantly straightened, and he could only be passively dragged forward by her.
The two of them walked down the street looking like a perfect couple, attracting a whopping 300% of attention.
The single young men passing by, looking at Giyu's expressionless handsome face and then at the angelic older sister clinging to him and acting coquettishly, were so jealous their eyes almost bled.
"Mr. Giyu, look over there!"
Kanae suddenly stopped and pointed with her fair finger to a takoyaki stall on the street corner.
"I'm tired from walking, and I'm a little hungry."
She slightly raised her chin, winked at Giyu, and spoke in a soft, sweet voice that could melt anyone's bones.
"Could you feed me one?"
Feed her? On the street?!
Giyu's deep blue eyes paused slightly, and a suspicious blush involuntarily rose to the tips of his ears.
He keenly sensed that within a radius of fifty meters, at least thirty pairs of malevolent, single eyes were fixed intently on him.
If looks could kill, he'd probably be torn to pieces by now.
"Eat it yourself with a bamboo skewer."
"But my hands are too weak."
Kanae didn't give up; instead, she intensified her efforts. She even tiptoed closer to Giyu, her watery pink eyes filled with pitiful pleading.
Faced with this blatantly foul-mouthed display of affection, the mighty Water Hashira was utterly defeated.
He could only sigh silently in his heart, obediently walk to the stall, and take out his public funds to buy a box of hot takoyaki.
He picked one up with a bamboo skewer and awkwardly brought it to Kanae's lips.
"Ah--"
Kanae obediently opened her little mouth and bit into the little dumpling, her cheeks instantly puffing up into an adorable little bun.
"Delicious! Mr. Giyu's food was definitely the sweetest!"
Click!
The sounds of heartbroken single people seemed to echo from all around.
Because she ate too quickly, a drop of rich sauce accidentally got on Kanae's lips.
Giyu looked at the drop of sauce and was about to remind her to wipe it herself when Kanae closed her eyes, slightly raised her face, and looked at him with an expression that said, "You help me clean it up."
Helpless, Giyu could only take out a white handkerchief from his pocket and gently wipe the sauce from the corner of her mouth.
The two were showing off their affection on the street, but they didn't forget the important business of their trip.
"Excuse me, sir, is there a place in this city called the Eternal Paradise Cult?"
Giyu turned to look at the stall owner and asked directly.
Upon hearing the words "Eternal Paradise Cult," the stall owner, who had been rolling his eyes at the dog food (a term for public displays of affection), suddenly brightened up, his eyes lighting up with a fanatical enthusiasm, as if he had seen his own father.
"Oh my! You two guests from out of town, you also know about the Eternal Paradise Cult!"
The boss slapped his thigh, so excited that he almost spat out words.
"That's a paradise on earth! Our leader is practically a living bodhisattva reincarnated!"
"As long as you listen to the Master's teachings, all your troubles and pains will vanish, and you will directly ascend to the Pure Land!"
Kanae and Giyu exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes.
"Oh? Is it really that amazing?"
Kanae immediately adopted a curious expression and leaned forward to ask,
Are there many people in that city who believe in this religion?
"Many? That's not many, that's the whole city believing it!"
The boss proudly puffed out his chest and pointed to the bustling streets around him.
"If you randomly pick ten people on this street, at least six or seven of them will be devout followers of the cult leader!"
"Even our city lord's daughter recently received the patronage of the Church Master and went to serve in the church!"
The boss's words became increasingly fantastical, and he even pulled a withered lotus flower from his pocket, holding it in his palm as if it were a deity.
"If you want to go, just walk straight to the end of this street, and that's the tallest and most magnificent temple!"
"However, the Master is very busy and only meets with those who are destined to meet him, especially beautiful young women like this lady, who are most likely to receive his personal guidance!"
Upon hearing that last sentence, Giyu's eyes instantly turned cold.
A chilling killing intent, undisguised, flashed across his deep blue eyes.
Do you only meet with pretty young women?
Upper Rank Two's quirks are truly utterly repulsive.
Thank you for letting me know.
Giyu a cold utterance, Yi Yong finally snapped out of his daze, grabbing Kanae's delicate wrist and pulling her behind him before striding away from the stall.
"Hey, Mr. Giyu, why are you walking so fast? You're hurting my hand."
Kanae was pulled along by him as they weaved through the crowd.
Although she complained, looking at Giyu's protective profile, she felt sweeter than if she had drunk honey.
That guy isn't a bodhisattva, he's a demon.
Giyu didn't turn around; his voice was terrifyingly low.
"The entire city has been brainwashed; his spies are everywhere. We can't stay on the streets for too long; we need to find somewhere to stay."
The two quickly found what appeared to be the largest, oldest-established inn at the end of the street—"Spring Breeze Pavilion".
As soon as I entered, the proprietress greeted me with a beaming smile.
"Oh my, you two are such a perfect match! Are you here for sightseeing? Are you looking for a place to stay?"
Giyu nodded. "I need two excellent guest rooms. Preferably quiet ones."
"Oh dear, what bad timing."
The proprietress clapped her hands and gave an apologetic look.
"These past two days have happened to coincide with the grand prayer day of the Eternal Paradise Cult, and believers from the surrounding towns have all flocked to the city. Our shop has been packed to capacity for ages!"
The proprietress looked the two up and down, smiling broadly.
"Right now, only one honeymoon suite is left on the top floor of the entire hotel. If you two hesitate any longer, this last one might be gone!"
One man and one woman.
There's only one room left.
King-size bed room.
Upon hearing this, Kanae's beautiful pink eyes instantly lit up.
What a great opportunity!
She immediately reached out her small hand and gently tugged at Giyu's sleeve, lowering her head slightly, adopting a conflicted and shy demeanor.
"Oh dear... what should we do?"
Kanae's voice was as soft as water. She deliberately glanced at Giyu out of the corner of her eye, her tone revealing three parts grievance and seven parts probing.
"There's only one double room left. If we stay together, won't Mr. Giyu think... I'm in the way?"
"How about I sleep in the hotel corridor? I can't keep Mr. Giyu from resting..."
This level of acting, so convincingly good, even made the proprietress silently admire her skill.
Giyu's deep blue eyes were fixed on the counter.
He wasn't stupid; of course he could see the cunning hidden in the woman's eyes.
Sleeping in the hallway?
A magnificent Flower Hashira sleeping in the corridor? Even a ghost wouldn't believe that!
However, the city is full of spies from the Eternal Paradise Cult, Upper Rank Two could send people to test them at any time. If they sleep in separate rooms, they could easily be picked off one by one.
It's definitely not because I was charmed by Kanae's pitiful look!
"Don't stay in the corridor."
Giyu sighed resignedly and pulled out a large denomination banknote from his pocket.
"This is the room! And please bring dinner to the room while you're at it!!"
The proprietress's eyes widened in amazement, and she couldn't stop smiling.
"Alright, alright! Sir, you're a very straightforward person! I'll have someone take the two of them up right away!"
Kanae followed behind Giyu, watching his slightly stiff back, her heart already bursting with joy.
This taciturn blockhead is so adorable when he makes excuses.
Push open the paper door of the "Honeymoon King Room" on the top floor.
The room's decor was incredibly suggestive.
Pink gauze curtains, an incense burner emitting a faint aphrodisiac scent, and a super king-size bed covered with a red brocade quilt.
Giyu placed the bundle on the table, forcing himself to ignore the conspicuous large bed.
He strode to the window, opened it a crack, and professionally checked the escape routes and blind spots outside.
"These windows have wooden lattice windows; their physical defense is practically zero."
Giyu drew a conclusion, then turned around and looked at Kanae was still standing at the door in a daze.
You'll sleep in the bed tonight.
He pointed to the soft, large bed, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"And what about you?" Kanae asked instinctively.
I sat by the window keeping watch.
Giyu walked to the wooden floor by the window, sat down cross-legged without hesitation, placed his Nichirin Blade horizontally on his knees, and adopted a defensive posture like an old monk in deep meditation.
"Upper Rank Two is very likely to be active at night. Get plenty of rest and conserve your energy for tomorrow's analysis."
Seeing his aloof and unyielding demeanor, Kanae's lingering resentment was completely ignited.
A golden opportunity is right in front of you, and you want to meditate alone in the cold wind? No way!
Kanae's lips curled into a cunning smile.
She took off her wooden clogs, revealing her bare, fair feet, and walked step by step onto the soft tatami mat in front of Giyu.
Then, instead of going to the big bed, she knelt down directly opposite Giyu, very close to him.
"Is Mr. Giyu really going to sit alone in the cold wind all night?"
Kanae leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hands.
She deliberately pulled down the collar of her pink casual dress slightly, revealing a large expanse of alluring, snow-white skin.
In the dim light of the incense burner, that deep ravine was enough to make one's blood boil.
"Although it's warm in the south, you can still catch a chill at night."
Kanae stretched out one foot and, with the toe of her white-stockinged foot, brazenly rubbed against Giyu's crossed knees, again and again.
"That bed is so big... it could easily fit two people."
She lowered her voice, her breath sweet and fragrant.
"If Mr. Giyu feels cold, I can hold you while we sleep, just like we did at the Butterfly Mansion."
Gurgle.
Giyu's Adam's apple bobbed up and down very honestly.
His deep blue eyes were fixed on the floor, trying hard not to let his gaze drift toward that alluring expanse of white, his hands gripping his knees tightly.
This woman is getting bolder and bolder!
Who's protecting whom, anyway?
Seeing that Giyu remained silent like a block of wood, Kanae decided to take drastic measures.
"Ah--"
She suddenly gasped softly, pretending to lose her balance, and fell forward, landing squarely in Giyu's arms.
"Careful!"
Giyu was startled. Instinctively, he raised his hands, which had been gripping his knees, and caught the falling body steadily.
Kanae wrapped her arms around Giyu's neck, buried her face in his firm chest, and even rubbed against him comfortably a couple of times.
"Mr. Giyu's embrace is indeed warmer than that bed."
Her soft, fragrant body pressed against me, its warmth carrying the scent of Wisteria.
Water Hashira's brain instantly shut down.
His hands were suspended in mid-air, unsure whether to hold on or put down.
"Kanae... get up first."
Giyu's voice was terribly hoarse, even with a rare stutter, and his breathing became rapid.
"No, I'm so cold!"
Kanae didn't get up; instead, she tightened her grip on his neck, tilting her beautiful face up and staring intently at him with her shimmering eyes.
"Mr. Giyu's heart is beating so fast, thump thump, is it because I'm too close?"
Being stared at and teased so closely, Giyu's face instantly turned red from his neck to his ears.
He had absolutely no idea how to deal with this direct attack, so he could only frantically grab a thin blanket from the side and wrap the restless woman in his arms tightly, leaving only her head sticking out.
"Loss of body heat will severely impact your combat readiness tomorrow!"
Giyuu stammered, Giyu to come up with a lame excuse for himself, and didn't even dare to look into Kanae's smiling eyes.
"My heart is racing... because the landlady's perfume smelled so pungent downstairs!!"
"You... you shouldn't move."
Kanae, wrapped up like a silkworm, stared blankly at the blushing, clueless straight man in front of her.
She finally couldn't help but burst out laughing, her laughter filled with a sweet sense of triumph.
Okay, I understand.
Kanae snuggled up in the blanket, finding the most comfortable position to lean against him, unable to suppress the smile on her lips.