"..." Tengen Uzui stared blankly at Ye Chen's words. What was that supposed to mean? Let him wander inside for ten minutes, and he would find their target?
"Ahem... rookie, if you just want to have some fun in the Brothel, you don't need an excuse. Ten minutes is a little short, though..."
"Oh, come on! Why is your mind so filthy?"
Ye Chen immediately grew annoyed. Damn it, I'm going in there on legitimate business! What the hell do you think I'm going to do?
He continued, "Listen, once I go in, I'll definitely drag the demon out. Want to put some money on it?"
"Rookie, if you're serious, then let me tell you: that's practically impossible."
Tengen Uzui's gaze darkened. Seeing that Ye Chen wasn't joking, he continued, "You might identify a low-level demon by its smell or disguise, but the one we're watching this time probably isn't an ordinary demon. Going in like that could tip it off..."
"You sure talk a lot." Ye Chen didn't even let him finish before shooting him a disdainful glance.
"Just answer me this: if I can do it, there's no need for all these tricks, right? Saves us the trouble."
"..." Tengen Uzui's eyebrows kept twitching. Now he was certain: this rookie was an absolute troublemaker. Stubborn didn't even begin to cover it-his arrogance knew no bounds.
"Fine. But let me warn you: if you fail and alert the demon instead, that's on you."
"Yeah, yeah. Just let me go in and take a look."
Ye Chen waved him off, found a corner out of sight, jumped down from the roof, and headed toward the Brothel.
"Oh, and if you're going in to have some fun, that's fine too. Someone as flashy as me won't mind, but please don't alert the demon!"
Seeing Ye Chen actually walk over, Tengen Uzui made sure to call out another reminder from above.
"Get lost!"
Ye Chen's face darkened. Am I that kind of guy? Just because this Sound Hashira has three wives, he thinks so little of everyone else? That's going too far.
"Oh my, what a handsome young gentleman! Why don't you come over? I'll show you a good time!"
"Young man, are you looking for someone? How about me?"
Ye Chen ignored the women calling to him. Their clothes were revealing, but he insisted that was nothing to him. I'm a Monster Hunter player, with the unwavering heart of a true warrior. Those long, pale legs, for instance-I didn't even look... well, one look won't hurt.
Ye Chen walked inside feeling a little dazed. His resolve might have been unshakable, but this was his first time in a place like this, and he was still a little nervous. Once inside, he waved at the women and put on an air of confidence. "Ahem, no need to call out. I'm already meeting someone."
At his words, the women dispersed. If he already had an appointment, they had no chance. There was no point wasting their time on him.
"All right, next..." Ye Chen thought for a moment, then redeemed a Farseeing Potion from the Monster Hunter Marketplace. Keeping it out of everyone else's sight, he downed it in one gulp.
"The demon here is... this way..." Ye Chen glanced around, then headed in one direction.
He stopped outside a room, placed his hand on the door, and slid it open with a gentle pull.
"Hm?" Startled by the door suddenly opening, the person inside slowly turned toward him.
She was a beautiful woman, her mature bearing touched with allure. Her skin was fair and smooth; aside from being a little pale, she was a rare beauty.
"Young man, what brings you here?" The woman froze briefly when Ye Chen suddenly opened the door, then narrowed her eyes slightly as she questioned him.
"Ah... well, I took a wrong turn. I wanted to ask for directions." Ye Chen looked a little flustered, as though he hadn't expected to find a woman like her inside.
"Really? Getting lost in a place like this? You seem rather inexperienced, young man." She covered her mouth and laughed, then continued, "So, where would you like directions to? Are you looking for someone?"
"Yes, yes." Ye Chen nodded hurriedly, then continued, "I came here to find a demon. Her name was... Daki, wasn't it?"
The woman's expression changed drastically. At the same instant, Ye Chen's Nichirin Blade flashed out from his sleeve, and he slashed viciously at her.
"Is that kid going to be all right?"
Tengen Uzui crouched helplessly on the roof outside. That troublemaker had said he could find the demon within ten minutes of going in, but who would believe that? It was impossible! He had spent days investigating without finding anything. I'm putting it on the line right here: if that troublemaker really finds her, I'll...
Bang!!
While he was lost in thought, a figure suddenly shot out from inside, smashing through several wooden walls before crashing onto the street.
"Cough... brat!! You'd better think long and hard about what happens to someone who ambushes me!!"
Daki crawled out of the broken wood, her face contorted with fury. Her hair instantly changed from black to white, and characters appeared in her eyes: "Upper Rank" in one and "Six" in the other.
This Upper Rank Six looked rather miserable, however. A deep sword wound ran from her collarbone to her lower abdomen, clearly left by Ye Chen's slash.
"Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry about that."
Ye Chen strolled out without a hint of hurry. Once he saw that the nearby pedestrians had all scattered, he looked back at Daki and continued, "You're pretty weak. Compared to Kokushibo and Doma, you're practically a Lower Rank."
Daki's pupils contracted sharply at his words. She hadn't expected him to know the two strongest members of the Twelve Kizuki-and it sounded as though he had even fought them.
Just as Daki was about to counterattack, her head suddenly separated from her body and fell to the ground. A figure appeared beside Ye Chen. It was Tengen Uzui.
"Exactly. This demon has 'Upper Rank' written in her eyes, but I'm pretty sure it's fake."
Standing beside Ye Chen, Tengen Uzui continued, "Kid, don't go thinking this is how strong an Upper Rank Demon is. I'm telling you, I've seen an Upper Rank. They're not like this."
Although Tengen Uzui was very surprised that Ye Chen had actually found the demon, he still thought this rookie was far too arrogant. I need to set you straight. Upper Rank Demons really aren't this pathetic!
"Haven't you heard that kill stealing is shameful?"
Ye Chen gave him a sidelong glance, paying no attention to what he had said, then continued, "Forget it. You can't even steal a kill properly, so I won't hold it against you."
"...What did you say?" Tengen Uzui frowned slightly, unsure what Ye Chen meant. Was he saying this demon wasn't dead yet?
"But I am an Upper Rank!!"
The sudden voice startled Tengen Uzui. He turned and saw that Daki was still alive despite being beheaded. Her body held her own head, whose mouth kept shouting.
"No, you definitely aren't an Upper Rank. I already told you, I've seen one. Upper Ranks aren't this pathetic." Tengen Uzui was somewhat surprised that the demon wasn't dead, but he wasn't particularly worried. There had been an element of surprise to his attack, but he really couldn't see any reason to fear a demon he could take down in a single blow.
"Doesn't it say so in my eyes? I'm Upper Rank Six!!"
"So weak~ What a weak Upper Rank Demon~" Hearing her reply, Tengen Uzui relentlessly mocked her.
Daki grew so distressed at Tengen Uzui's refusal to believe she was an Upper Rank that she burst into tears. Yes, this Upper Rank actually started crying on the spot. Tears streamed down the head cradled in her body's arms, making the whole scene painfully awkward. As she sobbed, she let out a shout:
"Big brother!!!"
As soon as Daki finished shouting, a wisp of black smoke rose from her body, and a hideously ugly man appeared behind her.
"My dear little sister, has someone been bullying you again?"
Before you continue