The old man held Oboro and the maid hostage and brought them to the village shrine.
When they arrived, a ceremony was already underway. All the villagers knelt on the ground in unison with their hands clasped together in prayer in front of the closed shrine.
Several young men and women wearing traditional kimonos and with their faces covered by white cloth stood outside the shrine. Blood-drawn patterns shaped like scales marked each cloth.
In the center of the venue lay dozens of unconscious people. Judging by their attire, they were all outsiders staying overnight in Aobashi Town: warriors, merchants, and ordinary travelers.
Without a word, a short-haired girl waved a silver bell. An old man pressed the back of Oboro's waist with his blade and threatened, in a low voice, "Be obedient and get over there!"
With the maid's help, Oboro stepped to the side of the pile of people who had been thrown into the open space—obvious sacrifices.
During this time, Oboro noticed that the villagers' expressions were unnervingly calm; some even seemed to be gloating.
The old man found a corner and knelt down.
The young demon messenger rang the bell. With each ring, two burly villagers dragged an unconscious person to the shrine entrance before retreating.
Immediately afterward, the wooden door would open, and a rope would flash by, dragging someone inside.
Moments later, blood flowed from the gap in the door.
The environment remained eerily quiet.
A villager who had captured and delivered the sacrifice stepped forward and waited silently.
After a while, the shrine door opened again and a bloodstained object was thrown out.
"Middle," the young priestess called softly.
It was a money bag.
The villager ran forward to collect the money and belongings. He nodded obediently and returned to his original position.
"Good."
"Good.
"Lower."
As the bells rang one after another, more and more unconscious people disappeared inside the shrine and more villagers received their reward money.
The rewards seemed to be based on ratings: Best, Excellent, Good, Upper, Middle, and Lower.
Oboro witnessed someone receive a large bag of gold.
Clearly, some kind of cooperation existed between the villagers and the demons.
Money is useless to demons, but for the villagers of Aobashi Town, it represents survival. The villagers could rob the demons themselves, so there's no need for this arrangement. I suspect they seek the demons' protection.
Not just anyone could rob people like these villagers. If they encountered a powerful force, they could easily be overpowered.
According to records, only 20 to 30 households existed in Aobashi Town a year ago. Now, the number has increased several times, and the town's construction and prosperity rival those of some relatively developed towns.
The shrine was completed exactly one year ago.
"Just killing for fun? It can't merely be to satisfy appetite," said Oboro, covering his mouth and coughing hard. "Demons are careful when choosing food. The amount they can enjoy in a short period is limited. Young people or those with thin blood are best. Only low-level demons eat people without restraint. Demons with such a strong aura usually act on some kind of obsession."
Aobashi Town certainly didn't hold this ceremony frequently; otherwise, it would have been impossible to conceal the number and pattern of deaths.
It was most likely held periodically, with long gaps between events after public attention faded.
Otherwise, the resulting panic would cause the village to lose customers and potentially attract the Demon Slayer Corps.
Ubuyashiki Kuno wasn't incompetent. Members of the Demon Slayer Corps must have visited Aobashi Town but, finding no demons, naturally returned empty-handed.
The Demon Slayer Corps held no authority over villagers.
In order to catch this cunning demon, they wouldn't risk alerting their enemy prematurely.
Besides Aobashi Town, the demon's base had to be elsewhere.
"Was there an accident?" Oboro's blurry eyes shifted.
The Demon Slayer Corps had always protected civilians, valuing human life. With the increasing number of deaths, why hadn't the swordsmen appeared yet?
Either they were blocked by something, or they hadn't noticed in advance, which meant that Oboro had overestimated the Ubuyashiki clan.
But it wouldn't matter if the Demon Slayer Corps arrived; it would only put him at a disadvantage.
Some time later, only Oboro, the maid, and one other person remained where the bodies had been piled.
The silver bell rang, and Oboro was the first to stand. Without being dragged by the two large men, he walked to stand before the shrine.
Only a thin door panel separated him from the demon hiding inside.
The door opened automatically. Since Oboro was still awake, the demon didn't attack immediately. It seemed to beckon him to enter.
As soon as he stepped inside, the shrine door closed.
The room reeked of blood, and the floor was covered in a slippery, crimson liquid.
Suddenly, several oil lamps lit up the dark hut.
Oboro saw the demon standing before him: a fat, bloated man.
He had a pipe in his mouth and a hatchet in his hand, chopping a corpse on a cutting board. The scene resembled a butcher slaughtering a pig. Strangely, despite the demon's amazing strength, the blade made no sound when striking the board.
A scale sat next to the table.
The demon had a round belly and muscular arms. Having transformed into a demon, he had unnaturally large ears and a mouth disproportionate to that of a normal human.
His skin was dark, and he had an inconspicuous, horn-like protrusion on the left side of his skull.
However, what Oboro truly cared about were the numbers that appeared in the demon's blue pupils when he blinked.
Upper Moon Five!
This person was likely Gyokko's predecessor.
Gyokko may have been transformed into a demon by now, but the "ranking battles" among the Twelve Demon Moons meant that the Upper Moon rankings Oboro knew would be settled in later generations.
During the Edo period, Muzan focused primarily on two activities after he believed he had cut off all Sun Breathing inheritance.
He roamed the country, sowing seeds wherever demon rumors emerged.
He also sought followers in places like large prisons and deserted villages with poor conditions.
The Demon Slayer Corps seemed to constantly chase Muzan, but, in reality, they couldn't even glimpse his shadow.
They couldn't find Muzan, and the demons he continually created proved difficult for the Corps to handle.
The time for the later plot to unfold had not yet come. Not much time had passed since Yoshikazu Tsugikuni's death.
This was the Warring States period.
Oboro smiled contentedly. He was so pleased that he couldn't help but cough again. His body swayed, and the coughing alone seemed nearly enough to topple him.
He knew the demon wouldn't kill him immediately.
The money that the villagers exchanged for the previous victims was determined by their "status."
Someone like him was undoubtedly the most valuable person tonight, the one who would remain conscious until the end.
However, his smile made the demon pause.
"What are you laughing at?" Upper Moon Five asked coldly.
"I'm glad to finally be rid of this sickly body. Your blade skills are very sharp. This way, I won't feel any pain when I die," Oboro laughed softly. "I'm going to die anyway, so I remain calm even in this situation. Do you mind?"
"Are you not afraid of death?"
Oboro's words caused Upper Moon Five to stare at him carefully for a few seconds. "I thought someone like you would cherish life."
After saying this, he glanced at Oboro's calm eyes. "You are indeed different."
He changed the subject and swung his raised blade down again, still without making a sound.
The body was perfectly dissected, flesh separated from bone, remains chopped quite evenly.
The demon's smile turned vicious and cruel. "Humans are no different from cattle. Their meat can be sold for money, just like livestock. With your status, what do you think your life could sell for?"
"Hmm. My flesh is worthless."
Oboro considered this before giving a pertinent answer.
"After all, I am seriously ill, and my flesh and blood may be filled with disease. The combined weight of my body and skin isn't much," he continued. "As for my identity, it's worth some money. However, my most valuable asset isn't my identity or background."
"What is it?" Murderous intent flashed in Upper Moon Five's eyes.
"I have something priceless.
"Priceless?"
"My soul. Do you want it?"