Chapter 64: The Charcoal Seller

Carrying a terrifying zanbato on his back, Chu Yang could not use any form of transportation, nor was it convenient for him to enter towns. He had no choice but to travel through the wilderness.

The moonlight did not illuminate much in the open country, and Chu Yang did not bring any lanterns or similar lighting tools, so he had to cast a Lumos spell to make his hands glow.

Viewed from afar, Chu Yang's hands looked like car headlights. As he swung his arms, they flickered back and forth in the dark night, presenting a somewhat eerie sight.

"When on earth will I learn the Undetectable Extension Charm? Running around the world all day with a giant sword on my back is extremely inconvenient. Next time we meet, I must remind the overachieving student to prioritize some useful spells first."

Most of the spells Chu Yang knew were of the basic level, but they were actually quite practical.

For instance, the Fire-Making Spell could start fires in the wild—a very crucial survival skill.

The Scouring Charm could be used to clean objects and even be applied to people; the Impervius Charm made the target waterproof and fireproof—both being essentials for traveling.

The Cough-Relieving and Airway-Clearing spell could unblock the trachea, and the Splinting and Bandaging charm could alleviate pain while keeping bandages and splints fixed to injuries, which could save a life at critical moments.

However, lacking a wand, the Chu Yangs in other worlds could not control their magic very well, always resulting in minor accidents, such as accidentally setting fire to mountains and the like.

The Chu Yangs from the Pirate world and the Ninja world both had similar experiences.

Therefore, aside from particularly safe spells, they would not easily use other incantations.

With illumination, Chu Yang's traveling speed was extremely fast. Coupled with the fact that the island nation itself was not very large, two days later, Chu Yang reached the boundary of Mount Sagiri and found a small wooden cabin in the mountains.

Mr. Sakonji, who was splitting firewood, sensed the presence of a person and hurriedly returned to the house to put on his mask. Emerging, he saw Chu Yang walking toward him with a zanbato strapped to his back.

The slowly approaching youth exuded an intense sense of pressure, causing Sakonji Urokodaki to feel a slight tension. Had he not failed to smell the scent of a demon from the other party, he would have already prepared to draw his sword.

"Are you Mr. Sakonji?"

Hearing the youth call out his name, Sakonji Urokodaki finally confirmed that the other party must be a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, and he answered in a relaxed, ringing voice, "I am."

Chu Yang walked over in quick strides. "I have a letter here. Makomo entrusted me to deliver it to you."

Sakonji Urokodaki was suddenly startled, fearing it might be some bad news, and his entire breathing grew hurried. "Is something wrong with her?"

Seeing him so tense, Chu Yang realized he had misunderstood and immediately explained, "She suffered some injuries during the Final Selection and is currently recuperating at the Butterfly Mansion. She probably needs to rest for a while, and she was afraid you would worry, so she asked me to bring a letter for you."

Hearing this, Sakonji Urokodaki instantly let out a breath.

His tensed body also relaxed along with it, and he smiled, saying, "Thank you for the trouble, young man."

Chu Yang handed Makomo's handwritten letter to Sakonji Urokodaki and politely replied, "It's no trouble. I participated in the Final Selection with her as teammates of the same cohort; this little favor is nothing."

If Kochou Shinobu were here, she would definitely scoff at Chu Yang's hypocrisy, considering how reluctant he had previously appeared about helping out.

"Thank you." Sakonji Urokodaki nodded. Upon hearing that Chu Yang was also a rookie who participated in the Final Selection, a strange gleam flashed deep within his eyes.

Sakonji Urokodaki opened the envelope and began reading the letter Makomo had written to him. Chu Yang knew this might be a lengthy process, and Sakonji Urokodaki's psychological changes might span nearly ten thousand words.

Not treating himself as a guest at all, he walked familiarly to the side of the hut, lifted the lid on the water vat, and scooped up water with a wooden ladle to drink in large gulps.

Just as Chu Yang, having drunk his fill, was about to leave, his Kasugai Crow suddenly flew over, perched on the edge of the water vat, and began speaking in human language to convey Chu Yang's first mission.

Perhaps startled by the crow's voice, Sakonji Urokodaki carefully put away the envelope, turned to Chu Yang, and said, "I originally intended to keep you for a bite to eat, but for us, even if the sky falls, missions take precedence. I'll prepare some dry rations for you to take on the road."

"There's really no need for that. I'm quite skilled at hunting in the wild, I won't lack food..." Chu Yang politely declined Sakonji Urokodaki's kindness.

"Take them. Consider it a gesture of my gratitude." Makomo had explained the whole story clearly in her letter; Sakonji Urokodaki knew it was the youth before him who had slain the Hand Demon, allowing the souls of those dead children to find release.

Chu Yang did not decline further. After sincerely thanking Sakonji Urokodaki, he readily accepted the provisions prepared for him.

Thus, having just delivered the letter, Chu Yang rushed without a moment's rest toward the area where demons haunted.

Staring at Chu Yang's departing back, Sakonji Urokodaki stood frozen in place, not moving a single step for a long time, lost in thought.

Days later, following the location provided by his Kasugai Crow, Chu Yang arrived at a remote town. To avoid causing panic, before entering the town, Chu Yang hid his zanbato in a nearby forest.

To be fair, even without the zanbato, Chu Yang could still slay evil demons; it would just be somewhat troublesome. Without the Scarlet Crimson Iron to suppress a demon's regenerative abilities, it was easy to get dragged into a war of attrition.

A centipede dies but never truly falls stiff; while posing no threat to Chu Yang, it was thoroughly disgusting.

Without the augmentation of the zanbato, Chu Yang's aura immediately transformed from that of a psychotic serial killer into an athletic, sunny young man, the muscular contours of his arms bulging against his clothes.

Along the way, quite a few passersby were already sizing Chu Yang up, ranging from older maidens to younger girls.

Unfortunately, Chu Yang's attention was entirely focused on scouting for demons. Unable to rely on smell, Chu Yang expanded the range of his Observation Haki as much as possible, trying to see if he could overhear any clues.

"Hey! Tanjuro, our household needs some charcoal! Thanks for helping me fix my chair last time."

"Tanjuro, my shop needs some charcoal too. Next time you come, can you bring some game meat? I'll buy it at a high price."

"Tanjuro, I forgot to pay you for the goods last time, I'll make it up to you today together."

No sooner had he expanded his Observation Haki for a moment than a name kept echoing in Chu Yang's mind!

Tanjuro!

This person seemed quite popular.

Wherever he went, people would greet him and buy things from him.

A charcoal seller...

Chu Yang recalled a very important matter and began searching for the one called Tanjuro.

After turning two crossroads, Chu Yang spotted a thin-figured man at the entrance of an oden shop, talking with the proprietor.

The man carried a back-basket significantly broader than himself, filled to the brim with black charcoal, and was holding hands with a small boy. The boy looked very much like him, with reddish hair and a scar on his forehead resembling a burn.

The proprietor intended to buy all the charcoal in the man's basket for the shop's hearth, making it more comfortable for customers while eating.

The man named Tanjuro wore a smile. Today's business was going smoothly, and he had sold out all the charcoal in his basket before nightfall.