Aoki Dojo sprawled across a vast area, adorned with exquisite, luxurious buildings, exuding an aura of grandeur.
At first glance, it appeared to be a prosperous dojo.
However, as Aoki stepped inside, he noticed a stark contrast to this first impression.
The dojo was nearly empty. The few people he saw wore expressions of worry, fear, anxiety, and absent-mindedness. The air was thick with a repressive atmosphere.
Keisuke Akiyama, a simple and honest young man, looked a bit embarrassed. He kept his head down and avoided Aoki's gaze.
"Interesting," Aoki thought, unfazed. He followed Keisuke into the dojo.
But halfway through, they were stopped by a square-faced, majestic, and upright middle-aged man.
"Keisuke, who is this?" the man asked.
Keisuke hurriedly replied, "Master, this is Aomura. He's here to join our dojo. Aomura, this is my master, and the owner of Aoki Dojo, Kengo Mizuno."
To avoid trouble, Aoki had given a pseudonym: Aomura.
Mizuno Kengo looked serious. "Have you explained the situation at our dojo?"
Aoki perked up. Was he about to hear something interesting?
Keisuke hesitated, unable to find the words.
Kengo Mizuno didn't scold him. He sighed and turned to Aoki, "Recently, two girls have disappeared from our dojo under strange circumstances. Rumor has it they were taken by demons."
Aoki's eyes widened slightly. "Demons?"
No wonder the people in the dojo seemed so fearful. No wonder such a luxurious dojo was so deserted. This explained everything.
"I'm not concerned about that," Aoki said bluntly.
Keisuke's face lit up with relief. "Thank you, Aomura! Come with me, I'll show you where you'll stay."
Mizuno Kengo didn't say anything more. He turned and walked away, his back looking somewhat desolate.
As they walked, Keisuke spoke in a low voice, "Aomura, I didn't mean to hide the truth. Actually, young girls have been disappearing from the town for years, but recently, the number has increased dramatically. It's not just our dojo; it's happening in many places."
"People disappear every year? And the number has increased recently?" Aoki frowned slightly. This demon was quite bold. Or could there be more than one demon here? What about the Demon Slayer Corps? Had they not heard about this?
Keisuke's face darkened. "One of the missing girls is my master's daughter. This has been a huge blow to him. If our dojo collapses because of this, I can't imagine what will happen."
Aoki asked, "Is that why you're out promoting and recruiting people?"
Keisuke nodded. "I have no choice. Actually, you're the only one who's willing to join the dojo." He looked at Aoki with gratitude.
Aoki suddenly asked, "What's your relationship with your master's daughter?"
Keisuke was taken aback. After a moment of silence, he finally said, "We're engaged."
Aoki wasn't surprised. Keisuke's words and attitude made sense now; he was more than just an ordinary disciple.
Keisuke led Aoki to his new residence and quickly left.
Aoki removed his hat and surveyed his new home. It was a shaded house, perfect for avoiding the sun even during the day. The room was new and clean, with all the basic furniture in place. In terms of comfort, it was even better than his previous place in the mountains.
After a bit of tidying up, Aoki sat down and began to think deeply.
Encountering a demon was actually a good thing for him. Although he planned to keep a low profile, he wouldn't shy away from a potential meal. Even if the demon turned out to be strong, he could always escape using his "space shuttle" ability. However, he was worried that the increasing number of disappearances might attract the Demon Slayer Corps. If they blamed the killings on him, it would be a big problem.
Aoki quickly formed a plan: "I need to find and kill the demon as soon as possible."
Besides the demon, there was another issue – money.
For most demons, money was meaningless. They didn't need to buy anything, and they couldn't appear openly in front of humans due to their appearance. But Aoki was different. He didn't want to hide in the mountains or forests. To live in human society, money was essential.
He had plenty of ways to make money. If he wanted to, he could use his advanced knowledge to start a business or become a hunter for stable income. However, these ordinary jobs weren't suitable for him as a demon.
"I never thought I'd become a demon and still have to worry about making money. If nothing else works, I could become a chivalrous thief. I'll look into that while investigating the demon's whereabouts." Aoki's thoughts became clearer.
He decided to act immediately.
Aoki put on his hat and headed out again. He first inspected the dojo but found no traces of demons. He decided to expand his search area.
As he stepped outside, he saw a familiar figure.
The girl had her hands behind her back and was skipping lightly. Her cherry-colored braid swayed with each step. She was following an elegant middle-aged man and seemed to be in a good mood.
"Does she live nearby?" Aoki wondered.
As if sensing something, Kanroji Mitsuri turned and spotted Aoki. She felt a strange sense of familiarity and couldn't help but glance back.
Aoki nodded slightly towards her and walked in the opposite direction.
"Do you know him, Mitsuri?" the elegant man asked, looking towards Aoki.
Kanroji Mitsuri blinked, "I met him when I was buying sake for father this morning."
"He came out of Aoki Dojo. He's probably planning to learn martial arts there. The dojo is impressive, and Master Mizuno is an excellent martial artist. It's a shame…" The man trailed off, shaking his head regretfully. "Mitsuri, remember, don't go out alone at night."
"I know, Dad!" Kanroji Mitsuri nodded, stealing another glance at Aoki. She couldn't quite place it, but something about him felt different.
Late that night, Aoki sat cross-legged, a low table in front of him with a blue and white porcelain bowl.
He opened his Demon wine gourd. The smell of alcohol filled the air.
After pouring the wine, he knew it would take at least 12 hours for the ordinary wine to transform into Demon wine.
He filled the porcelain bowl, took a sip, and the soft, delicate touch of the wine combined with the spicy burn of the alcohol flooded his senses.
For a moment, Aoki looked dazed.
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T/N: There is now a patreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 15 chapters.
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