Demon Slayer: Upper 0 seems to be a waste

It is indeed impolite to visit late at night, but the life of a ghost begins when the sun sets, so it cannot be considered rude.

But this kind of routine is not very friendly to humans.

The person who came to open the door was not the owner of this luxurious house, but a servant. The woman had an unconcealable weariness on her face, and it was obvious that she had just been woken up. Her clothes seemed neat, but when they were swept away, the mess left by her hasty arrival could be seen.

He seemed to have seen this scene before.

"I'm extremely sorry to bother you with my late night visit. I'm looking for someone."

Before the maid could say anything, Rinkou bowed, his apology and purpose slipping out of his mouth so smoothly that the maid was stunned for a moment.

"No, it's okay. But who are you looking for, kid?"

The maid's eyes scanned over him, then looked out the door, not knowing who she was looking for.

"I'm sorry, I don't know his name, but I think he should be the head of the family here."

Lin Guang was not sure what Muzan's current name was, but he was not stupid enough to say a name that should not be said to a human.

-

"Master of the House." The maid, conscious of this almost unfamiliar address, once again surveyed the boy. No one was outside. It was already late, and the streets were mostly deserted. Who had left the boy here? He couldn't have come here on his own, could he?

"You're here to see my master, aren't you? Unfortunately, he's gone to bed. Perhaps you'd like to visit again in the morning?"

Although it was a bit cruel to let such a child leave so late at night, she was only a servant here after all and did not have the authority to take in a child of unknown origin.

"There's a hotel not far away. Maybe you can go there and rest for a while."

The maid tried to make a suggestion tactfully, but the boy's eyes had already moved from her to the room behind her.

"I know you really want to stay here, but I'm sorry, I can't make the decision. This is a decision only the master can make."

The maid frowned in embarrassment, but the boy just looked behind her stubbornly.

"It's okay, just let him stay here."

The man's voice sounded behind her without warning. She didn't even hear the other person coming down the stairs. She turned around hurriedly and saw the master she said was resting standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm sorry sir... I'm sorry to disturb your rest..."

Before she could finish her words, the boy who had been standing at the doorway quietly just a second ago rushed into the house the moment she made way for him and pounced straight at the man. She didn't even have time to stop him.

"I'm sorry sir, I don't know where this kid came from... I heard a knock on the door and then I saw him at the door."

All she could do was lower her head and try to explain desperately, but she was interrupted by the man's light-hearted words: "It's none of her business."

When the maid looked up, she was met with a completely unexpected sight. Her master, who usually avoided socializing, now gently caught the boy who had thrown himself into his arms, even holding the child who had appeared out of nowhere in his arms and letting the child hold him.

Noticing her gaze, the man's eyes turned cold again in an instant. The maid immediately lowered her eyes, muttered something, and turned away.

Is that Mr.'s child? Or is it someone he knows? Why is Mr. so kind to him?

Even though I am curious in my heart, I won't be able to say a single word.

Although she was indeed curious, she knew better that if she worked for such a wealthy family, she could only stay long-term if she controlled her mouth.

----

"Why did you suddenly think of looking for me?"

The boy's visit was unexpected but not surprising. Lin Guang had always been very dependent on him. In fact, he had already heard from Yu Hu that Lin Guang was coming, but he didn't expect the boy to come later than expected.

"Because there is something I want to tell you."

This is the part that Muzan had not expected.

"Oh. Tell me about it."

Rinko's story was long and detailed, and Muzan listened patiently. Some of it was uninteresting, like Douma raising a human, a pair of useless sisters, and a large family selling charcoal; but some of it did interest him slightly, like the trainer who was interested in training Rinko.

Rinko is already able to remain unexposed even in front of beings with more sensitive senses, so is it really possible to consider letting him find a way to infiltrate the Demon Slayer Corps? Which of the pros and cons will be greater? If Rinko can find where Ubuyashiki is hiding, it will be a lot more convenient, but it would be a pity if he is discovered and the demon hunters become wary of Rinko.

While he was thinking and considering, Lingguang's story came to an end.

"So you met a lot of ghost swordsmen and even met your friend's son."

Unlike Rinko's joy, Muzan's tone was calm.

"Maybe we won't be so happy next time we meet."

Rinko obviously didn't understand what this sentence meant. He tilted his head, looked at Muzan, and asked in confusion.

"why?"

Lin Guang has never had such an experience, so he won't understand.

But Muzan could fully imagine the expression on the man's face when the child named Kyojuro went back to tell his father Rinkou about the matter. He would occasionally meet people he had met before, and when the other party realized who he was, that face would show an expression mixed with surprise, panic, and disbelief, and eventually, it would turn into fear.

Ghosts and humans are completely different beings. Humans cannot understand the longevity of ghosts, nor can they accept this more perfect creature.

Lin Guang's little head couldn't understand such a long-winded statement, so Muzan opened his mouth to explain it in simpler and easier-to-understand words.

"He will realize that you are a ghost, not a human. Maybe he will find that you are a unique existence different from other ghosts, but as long as he realizes your identity as a ghost, you will not be able to continue to get along as before."

This doesn't sound like good news, and in fact it isn't. Muzan watched Rinko's head rise and fall, and the expression on his face didn't change, but he could feel the loss in Rinko's heart.

"People who can't accept your existence are not worthy of being your friends. Don't be sad about this, Rinkou. This is all the fault of humans who can't accept you. Just find new friends."

Children always need more guidance as they grow, and Muzan doesn't mind giving Rinko some more pointers.

A hand landed on his head, and the fingers that could easily crush his head only slightly ruffled his short hair. This was a more effective comfort than those words. Lin Guang was not sure whether such a caress was an honor. He just felt that the ups and downs along the way and the difficulties in the future were all worth it at this moment.

There was a long silence, and before the sun came out, Rinko accepted Muzan's point of view.

He still felt bad that they couldn't be friends, but he was a ghost and that wouldn't change.

If he gets sad and disappointed because of things that cannot be changed, he will never be happy again in the future.

That sounds really regrettable. It's really terrible.

If Kyojuro couldn't continue to be friends with him because he was a ghost, then he just had to find someone who could be friends with ghosts.

Anyway, his life is long, so he can take his time to look for someone who can truly be his friend.

"Oh, there's one more thing."

"what?"

Muzan had just stood up, changed his clothes, and was about to go deal with the upcoming guests when the boy grabbed the corner of his clothes.

"Tanjuro is wearing a very unique pair of earrings. They look familiar to me, but I haven't seen them before."

Muzan turned around expressionlessly, and Rinko blinked. In just a moment, Muzan went from being calm to being oppressive. His aura was so heavy that it almost turned into a mountain pressing on Rinko's shoulders, making it difficult for him to even breathe.

"Where is that man now?"

It was terrifyingly low. Rinko had never heard Muzan's voice like this before.

"He should have died. When I left, his body had already reached its limit."

Unable to utter a complete sentence, Lingguang stumbled over his answer.

"I see. You did great."

He stroked his head with his hand, and everything that had just happened seemed to have never happened. Muzan tidied his clothes, turned around and left the room, while Rinko sat on the ground and it took him a long time to realize it.

Has he ever felt the oppressive feeling just now?

But that was a memory from too long ago, so long ago that Lin Guang could no longer remember it.