Chapter 119: Hinatsuru's Information
"Oh, I see..."
Hinatsuru blinked, her expression suddenly freezing.
"An Upper Rank?!"
The room fell into an eerie silence.
Hinatsuru's eyes widened. Although she was a woman, her mouth hung open in disbelief.
Killing an Upper Rank was hardly something one heard every day.
It took Hinatsuru quite a while to regain her composure.
"Lord Su Chen, are you saying that you killed an Upper Rank and then simply left?"
"Yes," Su Chen replied, his tone as casual as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world. "Did you expect them to escort me out? I walked out through the front entrance myself."
Hinatsuru was stunned.
When she had first seen Su Chen's miserable-looking clothes, she had assumed that he must have paid an enormous price to escape.
She had never imagined that he had simply killed a demon and then swaggered out through the front door.
Was this the strength of a Hashira?
Terrifying!
At this moment, Hinatsuru completely believed everything Tengen Uzui had told her.
Being able to kill an Upper Rank was proof enough of Su Chen's strength.
Whether it was his talent, his combat ability, or the Breathing Style he had created himself, Su Chen was an irreplaceable treasure of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Hinatsuru had to make sure Lord Su Chen returned safely to the Demon Slayer Corps!
Inside the room, Su Chen looked at the thoughtful Hinatsuru and suddenly asked,
"By the way, how is the Butterfly Mansion doing?"
Hinatsuru immediately answered, "Don't worry, Lord Dragon Hashira. Everyone at the Butterfly Mansion is safe and sound. Your efforts were not in vain. Not a single person was killed."
"That's good."
Hinatsuru added, "And I heard that thanks to Lord Dragon Hashira, our Master has already issued the highest-priority order for the Butterfly Mansion to relocate as soon as possible."
"What?"
Su Chen was startled.
"The Butterfly Mansion has already been moved?"
"Yes. We have you to thank for that, Lord Su Chen."
What an admirable Hashira.
Even after escaping, he was still concerned about the safety of his comrades.
It was truly moving.
But what Su Chen was actually thinking was—
Thank goodness he had run into Hinatsuru.
Otherwise, he had absolutely no idea how he was supposed to get home.
"Do you have a map showing the route back to the Demon Slayer Corps? I want to return as quickly as possible."
Hinatsuru immediately nodded.
"Of course. I can draw one by hand. Gathering intelligence is my specialty, after all. Lord Dragon Hashira, please go change your clothes. I'll give you the map as soon as I'm finished."
Su Chen glanced down at his clothes.
They were things he had stolen from Gyokko's residence. The colors were ugly, the quality was poor, and they were already somewhat worn.
Then he looked at Hinatsuru.
Whether it was the elaborate oiran outfit she had worn earlier or her shinobi uniform, both were made from excellent materials. They looked comfortable, cool, and pleasing to the eye.
"All right. I'll change. Thank you, Miss Hinatsuru."
Next, Su Chen took advantage of Hinatsuru's resources and had a proper bath at Kyogoku House.
His wounds were also given some simple treatment and bandaging.
They weren't particularly serious. They were all fresh injuries sustained during his battle with Gyokko and would heal soon.
With his Full Concentration breathing, he should be completely recovered in roughly an hour.
Meanwhile, Hinatsuru was upstairs writing a letter.
Dear Tengen-sama,
In my previous letter, I mentioned the unusual situation in the Entertainment District and hoped that you could come as soon as possible. This time, I have made a new discovery.
Lord Dragon Hashira Su Chen has appeared in the Entertainment District, but he appears to have suffered serious injuries. I have drawn a map showing Lord Su Chen the route home and hope that the Demon Slayer Corps can escort him back safely.
—Hinatsuru
Hinatsuru wrote several hundred words in elegant handwriting before placing the letter inside the small message tube attached to her Kasugai Crow.
She picked up the plump crow and released it into the night sky.
Because it was rather overweight, the crow had to flap its wings several times before finally managing to take off.
Soon, it spread its wings and soared into the sky, disappearing into the darkness.
Hinatsuru stared blankly after it, resting one hand beneath her chin as she fell into thought.
She wondered how much longer nights like this would continue.
When would her mission finally end?
When could she and Tengen enjoy their retirement together with the other three?
Hinatsuru's thoughts gradually drifted away as she gazed at the stars overhead.
A familiar sense of loneliness slowly welled up inside her.
Just then, a crow's cry suddenly came from the distant night sky.
Another Kasugai Crow slowly flew back.
"What happened?"
Hinatsuru grabbed the crow and immediately brought it back into the room.
But she soon realized that this wasn't the crow she had just released.
"This Kasugai Crow belongs to Makio..."
Hinatsuru murmured before opening the crow's message tube and removing the letter inside.
The contents were roughly as follows:
Hinatsuru, Suma, and I actually discovered traces of demons deep within the Entertainment District!
Makio and I have already gone there. I hope you can come quickly because...
I'm so scared! Aaaaaah!!!
Those two lines instantly changed Hinatsuru's expression.
"What happened?"
Su Chen pushed open the door and walked in, a Nichirin sword in his hand.
He immediately noticed Hinatsuru's worried expression.
Hinatsuru stood up.
"Nothing."
She seemed distracted.
Tengen Uzui would be coming here anyway, and Su Chen was injured. She shouldn't trouble him with this matter.
Hinatsuru handed Su Chen the map she had hurriedly drawn.
"Lord Dragon Hashira, this is the map I just finished. You only need to follow this route and you'll be able to return to the Butterfly Mansion."
"Thank you."
Su Chen took it, glanced at it briefly, and slipped it into his pocket.
Hinatsuru then took out some coins.
"Lord, take these. You'll need them along the way."
Su Chen absolutely refused to accept money from a woman.
"No. How could I take your money? I have money of my own."
"Hmm?"
Hinatsuru blinked, unable to understand what Su Chen meant.
She had seen him searching his pockets downstairs earlier.
It seemed that Lord Dragon Hashira's pockets were cleaner than his face, weren't they?
Although one coin was technically money, Hinatsuru sincerely doubted that Su Chen could make it all the way back to the Butterfly Mansion with a single coin.
Su Chen casually smiled.
"Aren't you all street performers? I just borrowed the madam's five-stringed instrument, played a song, and made a little money."
As he spoke, Su Chen deliberately revealed the coins in his pocket.
They glittered brightly, almost dazzling Hinatsuru's eyes.
Hinatsuru was stunned.
Although courtesans made their living through performances, not everyone was talented enough to support themselves that way.
That was precisely why so many girls at Kyogoku House had to make money by selling their bodies.
But Lord Dragon Hashira wasn't merely a swordsman.
He could play the shamisen too?
Hinatsuru's mind buzzed.
She wondered if she had simply heard him incorrectly.
"Lord... could you please say that again?"
"What exactly did you just do?"