Facing Tanjiro's question, just as he was about to ask Ashuramaru for her opinion, Lin Fan's voice rang out in his mind first.
"I'd better come out myself."
The moment he finished speaking.
Before everyone's eyes, the connection between the hilt and sheath of Ashuramaru, hanging at Tanjiro's waist, suddenly sprang slightly apart.
Then, the blade released a large amount of pitch-black smoke that swirled around Tanjiro.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the black mist gathered there until, at last, a lovely figure abruptly appeared before them.
This sight deeply shocked them.
Even Kagaya Ubuyashiki seemed to sense something. His blind eyes faced forward as he calmly asked.
"Did something happen?"
One of the girls beside him spoke up.
"The sword hanging from Tanjiro's waist suddenly released black smoke. It gathered beside him, and when the smoke dispersed, a young girl appeared inside it."
As her voice fell.
Everyone was finally able to see Ashuramaru's true form.
She stood around five feet tall. Beneath her dark purple hair was a breathtakingly beautiful face, while the long, elf-like ears at either side twitched slightly.
She wore a gold-and-black headband, with a pair of white horns on her forehead. Half her face was hidden beneath her long hair.
Her crimson eyes swept across everyone present. Her purple-and-white evening gown fluttered without wind as she floated in midair, her feet never touching the ground.
It was beauty taken to the extreme, accompanied by a certain deadly allure.
The Ubuyashiki Clan's Curse
Everyone was stunned by the sight.
Although they had learned from Zenitsu that she was an extraordinarily beautiful young girl, the visual impact was simply unparalleled.
Hearing about it and seeing it for themselves were two entirely different things.
It completely shattered their worldview. At that moment, they had only one thought: the stories from those legends had actually been real.
Among them, the Love Hashira's pretty face turned bright red. Her gaze swept back and forth over Lin Fan as she murmured inwardly, Eh... this child is just too cute! And he's Ashuramaru?
Tengen Uzui beside her could not help but comment inwardly, *What a flashy appearance. It really suits that sword~
I wonder what it's like to use. It must be incredibly flashy!*
Meanwhile, Shinobu Kocho maintained her smile, curious as to how this sword spirit would heal their master.
Each of the Hashira had their own thoughts.
Only Sanemi Shinazugawa, standing some distance away, was more direct. Yet this time, he was equally respectful and showed no rudeness as he earnestly pleaded.
"Please, I beg you to treat our master!"
Lin Fan glanced sideways at him before turning to Kagaya Ubuyashiki on the corridor. Those crimson eyes seemed capable of seeing through the human heart.
With a leap through the air, she arrived before him and examined him at close range. "My name is Ashuramaru. Are you the one who needs treatment?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Ashuramaru."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki was impeccably polite, leaving no room for criticism. His voice remained as gentle as ever.
It sounded soft and weightless.
Unfortunately, that did nothing for Lin Fan. Deliberately acting somewhat impatient, she said, "Enough nonsense. Let me see what exactly is wrong with you."
As she spoke, a slender jade-like hand rested on Kagaya Ubuyashiki's shoulder, injecting Demon Power into his body to examine him.
The Hashira all watched intently, awaiting the result.
Tanjiro, on the other hand, appeared much calmer because he believed Ashuramaru could definitely heal his master's illness!
After Lin Fan's Demon Power entered Kagaya Ubuyashiki's body, it traveled through his limbs and organs in search of the problem.
Before long.
He found the cause. It was like a genetic mutation; members of this family were essentially doomed to slowly die from this condition.
Lin Fan was not confident he could cure something genetic. After all, it did not really count as an illness in the first place, though it was indeed absurd for a mutation to become like this.
This situation inevitably reminded him of this world's peculiarities. After all, this was a world where reincarnation and destiny existed, and there were souls as well...
According to the original story, if he remembered correctly, the Ubuyashiki Clan's condition was a curse brought about by Muzan Kibutsuji's birth.
As for the truth, Lin Fan could not say for certain.
However, while he could not cure the genetic mutation, he could treat the physical damage it caused.
That way.
His plan could continue smoothly.
With that thought.
Lin Fan withdrew his hand, floated in the air, and propped his cheek on one hand as though deep in thought.
This successfully aroused everyone's curiosity.
Could it be cured or not?
Feeling the hand leave his shoulder, Kagaya Ubuyashiki calmly and composedly asked, "May I ask, what is the result?"
The moment he finished speaking.
Lin Fan answered with unfriendly words and began bluffing outright. "This isn't an illness. It's a curse."
The words struck true, piercing straight into their hearts!
The Hashira might not have understood clearly, but Kagaya Ubuyashiki himself knew this very well!
It was the curse his family had suffered because of Muzan Kibutsuji's birth. Without exception, none of their descendants—especially the men—had lived past thirty!
The Hashira below were equally confused.
They had little interest in curses. What they truly wanted to know was whether it could be healed.
Fortunately, Tanjiro promptly asked with concern, "Then, Ashuramaru, can you cure this curse?"
Kagaya Ubuyashiki also smiled casually beside him and reassured her, "Don't force yourself. It's all right if you can't cure it. I stopped caring about life and death long ago..."
Yet before he could finish, one of Lin Fan's hands had already returned to Kagaya Ubuyashiki's shoulder. Under everyone's watchful eyes.
A sky-full of black mist erupted from around her, completely enveloping the two of them.
This sudden development.
Made the Hashira react differently. Sanemi Shinazugawa immediately moved to step forward.
Fortunately, Tanjiro spoke up in time to stop him.
"Ashuramaru may be treating our master right now. Please don't get close!"
Sanemi Shinazugawa's face darkened, practically screaming distrust. He glared with wide eyes and snapped.
"If anything happens to our master, I'll kill you and your sister right here, then commit seppuku to atone!"
After saying that, he made no further move.
The other Hashira could only observe closely. This power was already beyond their understanding, and they could not act rashly for the moment.
No one knew what consequences interrupting it midway might cause.
Mitsuri Kanroji's pretty face reddened. She also propped her cheek on one hand, worrying inwardly.
Will everything really be okay?
Everyone waited anxiously.
Time passed.
A short while later, when the black mist dispersed.
The figures of Lin Fan and Kagaya Ubuyashiki appeared on the corridor once more, but everyone's eyes immediately fell upon Kagaya Ubuyashiki beside her.
They saw that.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki's face, which had been disfigured by the curse, had completely healed. There was not the slightest trace that it had ever been disfigured.
And beyond that.
Even his blind eyes had regained their light!
To everyone present, this was nothing short of a miracle.
Even Kagaya Ubuyashiki's body trembled slightly with excitement. Having regained his sight, he curiously looked at Ashuramaru before him and smiled warmly.
"Thank you so very much, Ashuramaru..."
Then his gaze shifted. After sweeping over everyone present, he continued, "It was you who allowed me to see my 'children' with my own eyes once more..."
Below, Sanemi Shinazugawa desperately wanted to rush forward, but he still restrained himself and asked with concern, "Master, how are you feeling now?"
This was also what the other Hashira wanted to know.
Faced with their concerned questions, Kagaya Ubuyashiki looked at Sanemi. He smiled gently and warmly as he said.
"Thank you for your concern. I feel very well now—better than I ever have before!"
Hearing this answer, everyone let out a sigh of relief, immediately followed by excited jubilation.
Mitsuri Kanroji looked at the master she revered ahead of her and at Ashuramaru, her pretty face still flushed red as she thought, Master looks so handsome without the disfigurement... but Ashuramaru is still the cutest...
Kyojuro Rengoku beside her followed with a heartfelt expression of gratitude.
"Thank you truly, from the bottom of my heart!"
Everyone's Disbelief
"Our master was healed in such a flashy way!" Tengen Uzui, standing to one side, also tilted back his head and offered his thanks.
However, among the Hashira, the Insect Hashira had developed an intense interest in Ashuramaru. If this healing ability could be studied, that would be wonderful.
Even Tanjiro, who was likewise kneeling on one knee below, looked relieved. He raised his head toward Ashuramaru on the corridor and said happily.
"I knew it. Ashuramaru, I knew you could do it."
But in the face of everyone's heartfelt gratitude.
Lin Fan coldly cut them off without mercy. "You're celebrating too soon."
The moment he finished speaking.
The once-lively courtyard instantly fell silent. Sanemi Shinazugawa, amid the crowd, anxiously asked.
"What do you mean by that? Did something go wrong with the treatment?"
Even Kagaya Ubuyashiki cast her a puzzled look. After all, he knew his own body; he truly had recovered his health.
And there was nothing abnormal at all, so why would Ashuramaru say such a thing?
Confusion filled everyone's hearts.
Facing their intense stares, Lin Fan propped her cheek on one hand and impatiently explained.
"I can't remove this curse either. I've only healed the illnesses the curse caused in your body and forcibly suppressed the curse with my power.
It will probably hold for a few years before the curse erupts again, constantly eroding your body until the moment you die."
After learning this dreadful news.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki was extremely composed. Not even the slightest negative emotion surfaced, as though he had merely heard something utterly insignificant.
He remained as warm and gentle as ever, calmly saying, "I see. Compared to before, I'm already satisfied to be able to live a few more years in good health."
Compared with his open-minded acceptance, the Hashira below could not accept it so easily.
Without even thinking, Sanemi Shinazugawa hurriedly asked, "Then is there no way to resolve the curse?"
This was also the question every Hashira cared about.
Before you continue