Killer Seed

You killed Guard Kameda Eiji and gained 5 Dimensional Points.

You killed Minister Sato Shōji and gained 30 Dimensional Points.

You have killed a total of 100 people and completed Milestone: Killer Seed.

You unlocked new milestones: Killer Demon (Rare), Asura (Rare).

Killer Seed—Having slaughtered too many humans, you naturally emanate a terrifying killing intent. When equipped, it deals additional damage to Human Race creatures and has a certain chance of causing Human Race creatures to flee in panic.

Replace equipped milestone?

"Replace."

Only then did Bai Cangshu see the string of notifications. Standing atop the samurai’s katana, he was like an Immortal Crane perched on a branch.

Overwhelmed by terror, Itō Hiroyuki’s muscles had stiffened. Looking up at the man standing on his katana, he felt an additional, terrifying pressure emanating from him out of nowhere.

It was a bearing entirely different from any Martial Artist or swordmaster he had ever encountered, as though they belonged to two different species.

Ring!

A sword rang out as another swordsman behind Itō Hiroyuki drew his blade and slashed at him.

Itō Hiroyuki collected himself and coordinated with his companion, guiding his sword along with the attack. Mercenary Tao’s Pink Robe granted Bai Cangshu a one-level increase in Martial Arts Mastery.

At this moment, he was like a Martial Artist who had just glimpsed the way. His movements were smooth and effortless. With a light tap of his feet, his body floated upward, leaping high into the air in complete defiance of instinct.

The swordsman’s slash missed, and Bai Cangshu descended from above with a stomp.

Bang!

Extreme lightness transformed into extreme heaviness in an instant. A force exceeding a thousand jin drove the swordsman’s head down into his chest cavity.

Seeing this, Itō Hiroyuki felt a chill spread from his tailbone through his entire body.

This man was more terrifying than any Martial Artist he had ever seen, as horrifying as those Man-eating Demons known as the Upper Ranks.

Bai Cangshu looked at the swordsman, who stood frozen as if scared senseless by him, and chuckled. Then he turned, smashed through the floor with another stomp, and continued his violent pursuit.

Itō Hiroyuki only came back to his senses after a long while. He collapsed to the ground as the support troops arrived. Seeing the fallen imperial guard, they asked,

"Itō-san, where is His Highness?"

Looking utterly lost, Itō Hiroyuki ignored the strange looks around him, released his sword, and staggered toward the outskirts.

"That wasn’t a human technique. It must be some ancient mystery returning… sorcery…"

His will had clearly been shattered. The others could only continue the pursuit.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Kyoto was in chaos. Explosions erupted from every corner without cease.

Some were small explosions caused by earthen gunpowder, some came from the new black powder, but others struck military and political strongholds, ministers, and troop encampments.

They had been bombarded by high-explosive munitions that did not belong to this era at all.

Some Infrasound weapons were even mixed in.

This was an attack launched by Kyoto’s stubborn old powers, who had joined forces with Shintoism and the Onmyōji, working alongside the Professor and the others.

Their core objective, beyond inflicting casualties upon Hirohito’s forces, was to bombard the grand residences and estates that might be hiding Man-eating Demons.

The sun had already risen. As long as the Man-eating Demons’ hiding places were blown apart, no matter how terrifying they were at night, they could not survive.

The Onmyoji of the prestigious Tsuchimikado Clan wore ritual robes and hurled explosives made from black powder in every direction, their faces flushed amid the blasts.

In this era, their Onmyōdō had become weak. Even their Shikigami were becoming impossible to command. The tide of the Restoration reforms had continuously washed away the glory they had possessed in the Heian Period.

But at this moment, explosives in hand, they felt as though they had returned to the Heian Period recorded in ancient texts. Wielding Onmyōdō, every gesture carried immense deterrence.

"Hahaha, the times have changed?"

"Then we’ll blow you new-generation Hounds to death first!"

The Professor watched notifications continuously appear. Kyoto hid a vast number of Man-eating Demons. Beneath the bustling night, many people from the lower classes had quietly become food for certain Man-eating Demons.

But now, the constant notifications of Man-eating Demons dying brought them considerable rewards.

Of course, since many of the kills had not been made personally, the reward points were not numerous. Yet because of the sheer quantity, the gains were still substantial.

Moreover, the power balance in the Main Mission was beginning to shift. The faction strength belonging to the Demon Slayer Corps was steadily rising. Those old aristocratic clans abandoned by the times for various reasons—especially those tied to religion and mysterious powers, as well as shrines—

were beginning to unite because they shared the common enemies of Kibutsuji Muzan and Hirohito.

The Ubuyashiki Family could indeed be considered a powerful local clan, having intermarried with priestly families for generations.

But now, even Kyoto’s largest shrine, Fushimi Inari Taisha, had taken their side.

The suppression they had suffered before, their confiscated family properties and land deeds—none of it mattered anymore.

For no matter how thoroughly the times had abandoned them, these great clans that had monopolized vast wealth for centuries still possessed deeply rooted advantages.

Almost instantly, the balance of power between the two sides returned to a three-seven split.

The Professor knew that once Hirohito, the future emperor, died, the remaining princes would inevitably descend into chaos over the throne.

Every political force would be divided anew.

Some people wanted Kibutsuji Muzan’s power. Then there would inevitably be others who chose to side with the Demon Slayer Corps and Shintoism, the forces opposed to Muzan.

It was a kind of balance.

Just like the political parties in many nations, one side rose while the other declined, gradually approaching parity.

Now… all we need to do is wait for our monster to kill that future emperor…

The Professor looked toward the center of Kyoto.

After Bai Cangshu’s Martial Arts and Footwork masteries advanced, his steps were no longer so violent, but his speed had become even more terrifying.

As he sprinted, his body nearly tilted forward, and the air gave off a deep, muffled howl.

The ninja held Hirohito by the back of his collar with one hand. He was still extremely fast by ordinary standards, but hearing the terrifying rush of wind behind him, he knew there was no way he could escape.

He glanced at the inconspicuous wooden house in the distance and the Red Moon banner planted in its lintel.

The ninja took a deep breath and shoved Hirohito forward with all his strength, then instantly turned around.

"Your Highness, ahead is the hiding place prepared by that lord. With the Ghost Moon guarding it, Your Highness should be able to return to Tokyo City."

The ninja’s voice was somewhat thin. Hearing his loyal personal guard speak those words, Hirohito did not even have time to respond before stumbling forward into a run.

But his waist and knees had gone weak, and he could not run fast no matter what.

The black-clad ninja had already adjusted his breathing. He drew the long blade from his back and held it upright before him.

Bai Cangshu came to an instant stop, shifting effortlessly from extreme motion to extreme stillness.

Watching the slender ninja hold his sword in a peculiar stance, he felt somewhat disappointed.

"Aren’t you going to form hand seals?"

"I wanted to see this so-called ninjutsu."

The ninja looked at the man who was likely the strongest human he had ever seen in his life, exhaled a breath of foul air, then flicked his wrist and threw out a Black Ball.

Bai Cangshu merely tilted his head two centimeters, allowing the Black Ball to miss by a hair’s breadth.

Bang!

Black smoke exploded and engulfed Bai Cangshu.

The ninja instantly charged into the smoke with his sword drawn.

A ninja was someone who endured all extreme conditions to carry out assassinations.

Bai Cangshu frowned. The rhythm of his breathing through his nose and mouth was disrupted. This smoke bomb contained some kind of irritating substance.

With a tap of his foot, Bai Cangshu retreated backward, but in the next instant, a chill struck from behind.

Bai Cangshu suddenly folded at the waist, bending his upper body forward as his right leg lashed backward like a venomous dragon.

Pfft!