A Warning

At the Ubuyashiki estate.

Not long after the funeral of the previous master of the Demon Slayer Corps, who died due to a curse, the young new master, filled with hatred for Muzan and determination to kill him, was in mourning.

Upon learning of Muzan's whereabouts, even though his foreseen future held no chance of killing the demon, his youthful self refused to give up. After all the trouble it took to find the guy's location after a hundred years, how could he just let it go!

Because of that demon, the Ubuyashiki family had been suffering under a curse for generations, and his father had only recently passed away. How could he possibly remain calm!

The members of the Demon Slayer Corps, grieving the death of their master, deepened their hatred for Muzan even further.

And so, a group of them, hot-headed, charged forward.

However, the Ubuyashiki master, who was constantly monitoring the battlefield, finally realized his foolishness after receiving delayed reports via carrier crow.

Acting solely on impulse would make the Demon Slayer Corps members pay a heavy price for him...

Muzan was surprised to discover that among this generation of Hashira, there was Sun Breathing.

He must be Yoriichi's grandson, right?

Impressive!

However, while his grandson inherited the powerful genes of the Tsugikuni family, he was nowhere near Yoriichi's level. Muzan thought, This is child's play~

Feeling bored, Muzan kicked away a Hashira. Although he held back some strength, it was enough to inflict a serious injury.

Then, he grabbed another Hashira and threw him high into the air, slamming him onto the ground, incapacitating him.

Seeing this, the two remaining Hashira roared and attacked. Muzan easily blocked their blades with his whip-like appendage, tossing one aside and slamming him onto the ground.

Only Yoriichi's grandson was left. Muzan considered that if the matter of Yoriichi becoming a demon were known, it might affect this young man. So, he didn't mention it. Instead, he bound him with his whip-like appendage, patted his head despite his struggles, and said:

"Tell Ubuyashiki, don't disturb me. He can't afford the price of being too willful."

With that, he flung the young man away.

He then leisurely walked back into the house and began packing his belongings.

What a joke. My home address has been discovered by the enemy, why should I stay here any longer?

I should just move out early.

If I want a new house, I can just have Yanagisawa Noriyuki find me any one.

The Demon Slayer Corps members could only watch with deep unwillingness as the Demon King packed his things and leisurely departed.

So infuriating!

Muzan felt a bit of regret. After all, he had lived there for decades, even centuries. He did have some feelings for the place.

It was necessary to have Maruoka Gōnin and Maruoka Kinuko cooperate and stir up trouble for the Demon Slayer Corps.

Prohibiting the private carrying of swords, striking down civilian armed organizations, and so on.

The Shogunate is full of my people!

Does Muzan think he can't deal with the Demon Slayer Corps?!

But as long as he didn't have the heart to kill Ubuyashiki, the Demon Slayer Corps wouldn't disappear.

Not to mention that Muzan wouldn't attack his own birth family from the Scum Boss's memories, nor would he mercilessly kill such a pitiful family.

So, for now, he couldn't do anything about the Demon Slayer Corps.

Besides, the Demon Slayer Corps could help Muzan kill some Half-Demons, so they weren't entirely useless.

They could also provide "employment opportunities" for Yoriichi's grandson (a big stretch).

The Ubuyashiki estate.

The three Hashira who were severely injured by Muzan, one lightly injured Hashira, and several ordinary demon hunters who were caught in the crossfire were brought in and laid out on a row of beds.

The young Ubuyashiki family head visited those injured due to his impulsiveness and learned of Muzan's warning. He fell into guilt, his only relief being that no one had died in this operation.

Although it was a good thing, he also sensed something was wrong and began to pore over the family records.

After a day of research, Ubuyashiki was astonished to discover that for over a hundred years, whenever they went to eliminate the Demon King, there were almost no fatalities, with only severe injuries at most.

Why?

In his foreseen future, there was no opportunity to slay Muzan. Perhaps the task entrusted to him was merely to do his utmost to pass on this mission, creating an opportunity to slay the Demon King in the future.

Three years later.

On a warm afternoon.

Muzan passed by Edo and decided to visit Haganezuka.

Strangely, after knocking for a long time at the door, no one answered. It wasn't until an old man nearby called out to him:

"Are you looking for Haganezuka?"

Muzan turned around and nodded: "Is he not home?"

"That child was taken away by people from the Soryu Dojo."

"And his father?" Muzan pressed.

The old man replied, "His father went fishing and won't be back until tonight. If you're looking for Haganezuka, you can try the Soryu Dojo."

"Thank you."

Muzan said, then went to find the nearby Soryu Dojo.

It seemed Haganezuka had already met Master Keizo and Koyuki.

Passing through this area, things became more prosperous ahead, with many dojos opening. The Soryu Dojo occupied a considerable area and was in a very conspicuous location, so Muzan found it without much effort.

The Soryu Dojo at this moment appeared somewhat deserted, with withered yellow leaves scattered outside the entrance.

Compared to other dojos, some sounds of fighting and conversation could be heard from inside. There was an enrollment advertisement placed at the entrance, and people passed by from time to time, which made the Soryu Dojo stand out a bit.

People from other dojos saw Muzan and mistook him for someone wanting to learn martial arts. They excitedly surrounded him, eager to recruit him.

"The Soryu Dojo has no students, come to us!"

"They're no good! Come to our Kendo Dojo!"

Muzan was somewhat annoyed, his expression turning displeased. "Scram!"

He revealed a hint of his aura, which instantly made the group holding flyers and shouting in front of him freeze. They were so frightened that they scattered in all directions.

They muttered incessantly, "If you don't want to look, don't look, why curse at us..."

"So fierce..."

Muzan was truly bothered by these people. Once he got away, he walked towards the Soryu Dojo and knocked on the door of the empty entrance.

Soon, hurried footsteps could be heard from inside.

Creak—

The main door was opened. The person who opened it saw Muzan outside and their expression froze, immediately followed by one of pleasant surprise:

"Doctor?!"

Muzan wore a smile. Haganezuka had grown a bit taller now, dressed in a white martial arts uniform. His appearance hadn't changed much.

"I was passing by and wanted to see how you're doing."

Upon hearing this, Haganezuka couldn't help but think of Master Keizo and Koyuki. A smile unconsciously appeared on his face, and he scratched his head sheepishly before glancing back at Koyuki, who was peeking from behind the door at the two of them.

Seeing this, Muzan leaned closer and patted his shoulder. "Not bad, you found a girlfriend?"

"No..." Haganezuka quickly retreated, waving his hands in a flustered manner. "Koyuki is Master Keizo's daughter. I'm helping Master Keizo look after her."

"Oh—"

Muzan replied with an ambiguous tone.

"Um, please come in for some tea. It's evening now, too."

Muzan shook his head. "No need, I have other matters. I was just passing by to check on you. But I'll give you a heads-up, be careful of the dojos nearby, don't get poisoned."

"?" Haganezuka was taken aback. What did he mean?

He knew that the other dojos had always been somewhat displeased with them, but poisoning?

"They can't deal with you and your master, but they can resort to poisoning. Protect Koyuki well, especially at critical moments. Don't let your guard down."

Muzan explained, then added, "Alright, I'm leaving."