"Yuepu Town?"
Ryosuke raised an eyebrow.
That place wasn't too far from Mount Sagiri; he could reach it in half a day at his pace.
It seemed the mission rank was high, and Sabito and the others were already on missions, so it fell to him.
They're working me like an ox... Ryosuke sighed helplessly and turned to Kanae and Kochou Shinobu.
"Sorry, I have a mission, I have to go."
Kanae nodded, saying with concern, "Mr. Ryosuke, please be careful."
"Don't worry."
Ryosuke smiled and habitually reminded them.
"You two just arrived, so train with Mr. Urokodaki. Moriyama, while a bit noisy, is reliable. You can find him if you need anything."
With that, Ryosuke didn't delay further and turned to leave.
Watching the young man's figure disappear into the depths of the fog, Kochou Shinobu blinked and gently nudged her sister beside her with her elbow.
"Sister."
She tilted her head and whispered, "What do you think of Mr. Yasui?"
"Hmm?"
Apparently, Kanae hadn't expected Kochou Shinobu to ask that question.
She thought for a moment, and a gentle, faint smile bloomed on her lips.
"Mr. Ryosuke... is a very sincere person, very strong, and very reliable."
She paused, as if recalling something amusing, and raised a hand to lightly cover her mouth.
"It's just that sometimes, he seems a bit lazy."
Kochou Shinobu listened to her sister's evaluation, her eyes darting around.
Hmm~ It seems Sister has a good impression of him!
I also think this person is alright, much stronger than that noisy senior brother!
I just wonder if he has a girlfriend.
If he could be with Sister... that doesn't seem bad either!
Hehe~
Kanae looked at Kochou Shinobu's sly smile, a bit puzzled.
"Shinobu? What are you laughing about?"
"Nothing! Nothing!"
Kochou Shinobu quickly waved her hands, pretending to be busy... By the time Ryosuke left Mount Sagiri, the sun was already setting in the west.
Lightning flashed faintly beneath his feet, and he moved at extreme speed, the scenery on both sides rapidly receding.
Even so, by the time he reached the mission location, it was completely dark.
A few lonely stars hung in the inky black sky.
As soon as he stepped into the town, an ominous aura washed over him.
As Ryosuke delved deeper, his brow furrowed tighter and tighter.
The houses along the street all had pale lanterns and soul-summoning banners hanging in front of their doors, and the night wind whirled scattered paper money through the air.
"It seems many people have died here recently."
Ryosuke mused, his vigilance at its peak.
It was too quiet here, as if all living things had their throats choked, daring not to make a sound.
He lightened his footsteps, spreading his perception to its limit, carefully investigating everything around him.
However, just as his mind was highly tense, he didn't notice a dull bud at his feet silently disappearing.
Buzz!
Almost instantly, three dark figures suddenly pounced from the rooftops on both sides!
Sharp claws tore through the air, striking directly at Ryosuke's head and back! The angles were extremely tricky!
Ryosuke didn't even look; the nichirin blade at his waist slid out of its sheath!
Thunder Breathing, Third Form: Gathering Thunder!
The violent blade transformed into a lightning storm and surged forth!
Splat! Splat! Splat!
Three dull thuds of flesh being cut exploded simultaneously!
Three evil demons were instantly dismembered, turning into ashes before they could even scream!
[Killed three low-ranking evil demons, gained 30 days of lifespan. Current remaining lifespan: 1 year, 266 days.]
The system's prompt was cold and swift.
Ryosuke sheathed his blade, his eyes cold as he scanned the surrounding rooftops, the gleaming white blade reflecting a chilling light under the moonlight.
"Cowards hiding in the shadows, come out!"
Clap, clap, clap... Slow applause came from the depths of the darkness, and a figure strolled out.
He was much larger than the three evil demons just now, and the bloodlust emanating from him was several times thicker, his mouth splitting into an exaggerated grin.
"Good reaction."
The evil demon's voice was hoarse, tinged with excitement.
"Fast speed, sharp blade... Hehe, it's been a long time since I tasted the flesh of a Thunder Breathing swordsman, it must be very chewy!"
Ryosuke's gaze sharpened, and he subconsciously took half a step back.
The demonic aura on this demon was heavier than any he had encountered before!
Cannot be careless!
Ryosuke narrowed his eyes, his fighting spirit surging, the ground beneath his feet sinking slightly as lightning flashed!
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!
Splat!
The imposing blade arrived in an instant!
The evil demon clearly hadn't expected Ryosuke's speed to be so fast; in his shock, he hastily swung his claw to block!
Clang!
Sparks flew!
The evil demon was shaken back repeatedly, his arm numb.
However, Ryosuke's offensive was like a torrential storm, giving him no chance to breathe!
Thunder, wrapped in burning fighting spirit, exploded with a roar!
Thunder Breathing, Second Form: Rolling Thunder!
Five lightning slashes cleaved down heavily, the thunder exploding, unstoppable!
The evil demon responded clumsily, constantly accumulating deep, bone-revealing wounds on his body.
He was both shocked and dismayed, realizing then that he had severely underestimated Ryosuke's strength!
Splat!
Blood splattered!
The evil demon sacrificed an arm to survive, staggering back.
He panted heavily, his single claw clenching, a malevolent aura spreading!
"Blood Demon Art..."
"Blood your grandpa! Say whatever you want to my nichirin blade!"
Ryosuke forcibly interrupted the casting!
The next moment, his figure shot up, his speed reaching its peak!
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash, Triple Strike!
Splat! Splat! Splat!
Three lightning flashes passed in succession, tearing through the night sky!
The evil demon's blocking motion froze in mid-air, and his head fell to the ground.
[Killed a Final Stage Evil Demon, gained 5 years of lifespan. Current remaining lifespan: 6 years, 266 days.]
Ryosuke was about to sheathe his blade when he suddenly retreated several steps, looking into the darkness in the distance.
The thick demonic aura permeating the air had not dissipated; instead, it began to surge and expand violently!
The aura that had just startled Ryosuke was not emitted by that demon!
There was an even stronger demon here!
A cold wind blew, and a ethereal song suddenly echoed through the eerily dark street.
"Cage, cage, the bird in the cage always wants to escape, just on the night before dawn, the crane and the turtle slipped, who is behind you?"
The nursery rhyme drifted from all directions, as if many children were softly humming, making one's scalp tingle and heart turn cold.
Ryosuke gripped the hilt of his blade tightly, his entire body tense.
The increasingly close, thick demonic aura seemed to choke his breath!
In the shadows, a short figure slowly emerged against the moonlight, walking step by step.
It was a seemingly young girl, with snow-white short hair, a pair of small demon horns on either side of her forehead, and eerily blood-red whites in her eyes.
Her mouth and fingers were stained with blood, which was dripping from her fingertips.
The girl stared at Ryosuke, her eyes shimmering with extremely excited, distorted light, then she stuck out her tongue, slowly licking away the blood from her lips, letting out a sickly sweet laugh.
"How wonderful... You are so strong... so amazing..."
Her voice was as ethereal as her nursery rhyme, yet it carried a chilling greed.
"The taste of that rare blood has been digested, and I am still so hungry, so hungry..."
"If I eat you... if I eat you... I will definitely become stronger! Stronger!"
As she spoke, a boundless, tidal wave of demonic aura was unleashed without reservation, instantly enveloping the entire Yuepu Town!
The surrounding air seemed to solidify!
And the moment she raised her eyes, Ryosuke clearly saw two characters distinctly carved into her blood-red left eye.
Lower Rank Four!