Increase This World's Difficulty

The dignified king was killed by a ghost.

The consequences of this incident were far greater than either the demons or the Demon Slayer Corps could have foreseen.

Zekawa's wanted posters quickly spread throughout the various feudal cities and territories... wherever people lived, there were notices.

This also brought the 'ghost,' a creature that only existed in folk tales, into the public eye for the first time in a real sense.

Muzan even personally dispatched Upper Moon demons to hunt down Zekawa.

His anger over this matter was difficult to suppress.

"Why? Why did this happen?"

Muzan doesn't understand.

Once someone becomes a ghost, they will be controlled by the will within their cells.

Logically speaking, the boy named Zekawa would never have dared to lay a hand on a high-ranking official of the Shogunate without orders.

All the ghosts must follow his orders and act accordingly; their freedom is limited.

He could also determine the boy's location and thoughts through his cells.

The only explanation is that the boy has broken free from the influence of his blood.

This Muzan reminded Muzan of Oboro...

His handiwork?

Because when the human world begins to reject ghosts, all ghosts have nowhere to hide. The number of ghosts under his command is not large... and cannot be compared with the vast number of humans.

The sooner Zekawa dies, the faster this matter will subside, and the less impact it will have on the demons.

Otherwise, as things develop, this Ghost King will eventually be exposed to everyone's view.

Once the whole world knows of his existence, how can he still hide it?

If he had obtained the Blue Spider Lily and successfully evolved to his ideal state, that would be fine, but now... he still has weaknesses.

Meanwhile, the Ubuyashiki Clan also dispatched a Pillar to track down Zekawa's whereabouts.

The Shogunate has begun to publicly offer bounties in search of capable individuals who can slay demons.

Demon slayers have existed since ancient times... and there were people in the Shogunate who knew about the Demon Slayer Corps.

Therefore, some people believe that the Demon Slayer Corps is largely to blame for the death of the king.

The situation hasn't gotten serious yet; otherwise, if the Shogunate wanted to control the Demon Slayer Corps, the Ubuyashiki Clan wouldn't have been able to refuse.

There's no way to find peace or hide away.

Because the whole country belongs to the Shogunate.

Furthermore, after the death of the lord, the Tokugawa Family's descendants succeeded him.

At this time, Edo was already in a state of chaos, with rebels and insurgents running rampant throughout the land. If the lord hadn't been in trouble, the situation could have been kept relatively stable. Now, this event created an opportunity for many feudal lords and forces who wanted to establish themselves as kings, and within just one month, many regions were engulfed in war.

Everything seemed to trigger a chain reaction, igniting a powder keg...

It hastened the arrival of the apocalypse.

The Purgatory earth has begun.

Meanwhile, Oboro remained secluded at home, receiving all sorts of news from the outside world every day.

Conflicts have been stirred up among all parties.

The world was plunged into chaos and bloodshed in an instant.

As armies from all sides clashed on the battlefield, the conflict between the Demon Slayer Corps and the demons intensified in secret. The number of refugees fleeing and displaced increased day by day, and even the city where Oboro lived could not be managed by the magistrate's office.

Because the cases happening every day are simply too numerous to handle... and in order to survive, many people are forced to become rioters, committing arson, murder, looting, and all sorts of evil deeds.

The seemingly calm lake was stirred into a raging storm by the mere sight of a small pebble thrown in by Long.

However, there were only a few issues that Oboro was concerned about.

First, some members of the Demon Slayer Corps were recruited by the Shogunate and provided close protection for some important figures.

This can be considered a tactic Ubuyashiki Clan to cope with the Shogunate at that time.

Give us an explanation.

Second, Zekawa has not been executed and is likely still on the run.

Third, the frequent appearance of demons across the country... Clearly, Muzan is Muzan to increase the number of people he can use.

The ghosts under his command are dying at an alarming rate every day.

He's not going to be quiet anytime soon.

Fourth, the concept of ghosts has become widely known among the people. At least many people know that ghosts are afraid of sunlight... and that once their heads are cut off, their danger is greatly reduced.

"That's right, the pain is only temporary..."

For a period of time, the accumulation of countless pieces of information made it seem as if Oboro could hear the world wailing.

He also sensed that the 'Little Tree' representing this world was trembling, conveying its dissatisfaction to him.

"If you want better results, you have to endure more pain... If you just want to be a greenhouse plant, there's no need to make this deal with me."

"People living in times of peace and prosperity find it difficult to have any kind of awareness, let alone develop any strong bonds! My will to pass on the torch needs to be shouldered by someone, so I must cultivate the conditions for creating an heir."

"Moreover, the inheritance of will can only be best nourished in endless hatred and pain. The power of demons, the power of breathing techniques... the entire power system of the world, if it wants to evolve... this step is unavoidable."

This was Oboro's reply to 'Little Tree' at the time.

However, Little Tree also exposed Long's intentionally hidden thoughts.

"That's right... I was just conducting an experiment."

The obscurity was no longer concealed.

He needs the life of this world, whether it's the Demon Slayer Corps or demons... He needs the wisdom and power of everyone to help him deduce a power that is higher than breathing techniques.

Help the system complete the methods of advanced cultivation.

So that he could use it when he traveled to other worlds.

That was also his goal.

Later, Little Tree severed the connection between her and Long.

However, the situation did not change in reality, indicating that the will of the Demon Slayer world did not intervene or guide the fate of some people... and still passively agreed to Oboro's request to do this deal.

Several months later, Oboro left his residence again, taking two maids with him.

He's about to take action...

Seeking new inheritors of the will.

This environment will nurture many promising talents.

In addition, Demon's side has been showing signs of decline recently, so in order to maintain the balance, he will secretly help Muzan.

One day, in a remote village.

Blood flowed like rivers, and corpses littered the ground.

The entire village was massacred, except for one man who escaped. The man was covered in wounds and was in critical condition.

He fainted during the battle and was mistakenly thought to be dead.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that his wife, children, and relatives had already become cold corpses.

He held the remains and wailed, his expression contorted with rage.

Soon, his angry gaze subsided, turning into despair. He picked up a knife from the ground, intending to end his own life.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of the man, blocking the sunlight.

"Give up?"

"Giving up is easy; everyone can do it. But striving and changing is very difficult."

"Aren't you going to do something for them?"

The man listlessly raised his head and stared at the figure standing in front of him, which appeared somewhat blurry due to the glaring sunlight around him.

"You are the only one who has the courage to take up a knife and fight against an entire army."

"Your life and death are irrelevant to those in positions of power... but... what did you do wrong?"

"You're just living cautiously... You're not wrong for trying to survive."

"They are the ones who are wrong."

"The problem is... this chaotic world."

"Who are you?"

The man asked, his lips dry and his eyes vacant.

"Me? I am... the one who gave you new life..."