So, was that ghost a water ghost?
"It should be. When we first encountered it, it was controlling the seawater to sweep us off the bridge."
"Is it the bridge that connects Shoura Island to Nagashima?"
"Yes!"
"So this is how you usually communicate with that ghost?"
The village chief shook his head, his face filled with helplessness and regret. "Actually, there's no fixed method. We just take people to that bridge every time, throw them in, and if anything happens, they'll surface and tell us!"
Teiichi slightly and continued, "Can I just drop it anywhere?"
"I... I usually run to the middle of the bridge before throwing it," the village chief said hesitantly.
Teiichi nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on the two kneeling figures for a moment before he slowly said:
"Although you had your reasons, you still committed murder. I'll deal with the ghost first, and then I'll hand you over to the police. How the police judge you is their business!"
Upon hearing this, the village chief's eyes welled up with tears again. He nodded, his voice choked with emotion, "It's only right. Over the years, we've been tormented by our own guilt. As long as you can kill this ghost, even if you don't hand us over to the police, we'll turn ourselves in!"
Teiichi sneered, "Your family seems to be living quite comfortably; you don't look like you're being tortured."
Upon hearing this, the village chief could only lower his head further, prostrate himself on the ground, and offer no further explanation.
Staring at the two kneeling figures on the ground, Teiichi raised his left hand and rubbed his chin twice.
If they confess voluntarily, it's hard to know how credible it will be. It's better to verify it yourself, since neither of them can escape anyway.
"I'm going to deal with that ghost first, you guys aren't getting away!"
Seeing that the two were kneeling on the ground without moving, Teiichi turned around and walked out of the house, his gaze falling on White Feather was standing quietly on the courtyard wall.
"You keep an eye on them. If they run away, follow them. If they split up, stick with the village chief. I'm going to find that ghost!"
Upon hearing this, White Feather nodded slightly, his gaze firm and sharp.
inside the house.
After Teiichi left, the father and son remained kneeling in the same position.
Hayato's eyes were fixed on his father's slightly hunched back beside him. He gently shifted his knees, trying to ease the discomfort caused by the stiffness, and finally couldn't help but ask in a voice that could be heard only by the two of them:
"Father, that Demon Slayer should be far away by now, right?"
Upon hearing this, the village chief paused slightly, as if weighing something.
After a moment, he slowly stood up, his gaze passing through the window lattice to the unknown darkness outside the door, and he slowly uttered a sentence: "Hmm, it seems he has left."
Seeing this, Hayato quickly stood up, dusted off his knees, and walked a few steps to the village chief's side, asking, "Father, why did you suddenly bring up our help in catching people for the ghosts?"
"He's already realized we're in trouble! Our plan today is doomed to fail!"
The Hayato asked in confusion, "How did he figure it out?"
The village chief shook his head and remained silent.
The figure walked towards the door, wanting to see if the Demon Slayer had left.
After scanning the courtyard, the village chief's gaze was quickly drawn to the white bird perched on the wall.
Their eyes met.
The village chief silently retreated back into the house.
Hayato looked at the village chief and asked, "Father, now that things have been exposed, should we run away?"
The village chief shook his head. "We can't escape. There's a seagull watching us outside. I think it was left behind by that Demon Slayer to keep an eye on us."
Upon hearing the village chief's words, Hayato couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety.
"So what should we do? Just wait here?"
Receiving no reply, Hayato looked towards his father, who was sitting quietly on a stool.
Helpless, Hayato had no choice but to sit back down.
The two remained silent in the room for a while.
Hayato looked at his father, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "By the way, Dad, wasn't Mom eaten by the ghost because you pushed her behind you? Didn't that ghost only choose us to help him find people because it saw how ruthless we were?"
Upon hearing this, the village chief's face instantly darkened, and he glared fiercely at the Hayato: "If I say that, do you think the Demon Slayer will spare us?"
Hayato nodded knowingly, then continued, "Dad, if that Demon Slayer kills a demon, do you think we'll really be taken to the police?"
"That's not so bad. At least your second uncle can help, so things shouldn't be too bad."
"If Demon Slayer is killed by a demon, will the demon come after us?"
How would I know?
"So, are we just going to stay here and wait?"
"Can you please stop talking so much nonsense!"
The village chief said angrily.
Her already bad mood was made even more irritable by her son's question.
Hayato his father get angry, Yuto shrank back and finally stopped asking questions.
Looking at his son, who was completely devoid of his former arrogance, the village chief couldn't help but curse under his breath.
What a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong!
The two sat there anxiously waiting.
night.
Chousho Bridge.
Teiichi stood on the edge of the bridge, his gaze fixed on the sea below, his haori swaying gently in the night breeze.
The sea was pitch black, as if it could swallow up all light and sound. Only when the waves gently lapped against the bridge piers would the moonlight stingily cast a few strands of silver light, illuminating the ripples on the sea, but they would soon be swallowed up by the darkness.
Seeing that he couldn't find any trace of the ghost on the bridge, Teiichi began searching along both sides of the riverbank.
They tried to find traces of the ghost coming ashore or going into the water, hoping to locate its lair.
After all, the Blood Demon Art is ultimately just water manipulation, Teiichi doesn't believe that this water ghost lives in the water forever.
However, to Teiichi's disappointment, no trace of the water ghost coming ashore or going into the water was found on either side of the shore.
Perhaps it lies further away, but time no longer allows Teiichi continue the search.
Helpless, Teiichi could only return to the bridge and gaze down at the sea below, lost in thought.
The village chief said that throwing people down would lure out the ghost, so why don't you jump down yourself and see if you can attract it?
Anyway, Blood Demon Art involves water manipulation, so it's definitely not Upper Rank.
Although his strength would be greatly reduced in the water, he shouldn't be unable to defeat even if the creature below him was Lower Rank.
Thinking of this, Teiichi's body gradually tilted, and then he fell off the bridge.
With a "plop," the figure fell into the sea.
The icy seawater instantly enveloped his figure.
Teiichi frantically flailed his arms and kicked his legs wildly in the water, trying to find a foothold or surface.
As the struggle intensified, his breathing became rapid and erratic, and the seawater that tried to rush into his nostrils was Teiichi avoided.
Teiichi opened his mouth as if to cry for help, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of water, turning into a string of helpless bubbles that quickly dissipated into the air.
Gradually, his strength began to wane, and his struggling movements became weaker and weaker.
The figure gradually sank towards the bottom of the sea.
They sank all the way to the bottom of the sea, but still there was no sign of the ghost.
Just as Teiichi thought the existence was deceiving him and was about to give up on seduction, a feeling of being watched spread throughout his body.