Reputation Shop Unlocked

Side Quest: Bloody Purge extra rewards obtained. Each participating member received D-rank Anomaly Point*1. XX53562211 (Mercenary Tao) received C-rank Anomaly Point*2.

Hidden Quest: Fading Divinity progress updated. Shintoism faction reputation increased. Current: Revered (15/100)

Main Mission progress updated. Current Demon Slayer Corps VS Muzan faction power comparison: 63:37. Settle now?

"No."

Demon Slayer Corps faction reputation greatly increased. Current: Revered (45/100)

Kibutsuji Muzan faction's reputation toward you has been fixed at: Hatred

Bai Cangshu held the heads of two Upper Ranks in his left hand. Only now did he have the time to look through the lines of notifications appearing before him.

He did not know whether it was a bug in the mission’s judgment or whether this advanced mission had always allowed multiple heads to be obtained.

At this moment, both heads in Bai Cangshu’s hand had been judged as mission items that could be taken out of the space. He placed the two Upper Rank heads into his Backpack.

Then, he ignored the Professor and Elizabeth, who were trying to use technological equipment to locate the fleeing Kibutsuji Muzan.

He lowered his head and surveyed the basement as the smoke dispersed.

As the sun rose, sunlight began spilling into the basement.

Within the chunk of flesh he had practically carved off Muzan’s body, blue starlight began gathering bit by bit.

When Bai Cangshu noticed it, a blue card appeared directly before him.

You obtained Drop Card (Blue)

Bai Cangshu looked at the Biwa Demon, Nakime’s Drop Card (Blue) in his hand. An idea stirred in his mind, and he put it away. Nakime’s Blood Demon Art might possess extraordinary value.

His body slowly began to shrink, and intense pain followed.

It was not only the near-breaking pain in both hands, but also the intense agony surging from his abdomen.

Bai Cangshu walked into the sunlight outside the wooden hut and sat cross-legged. The muscles all over his body began spasming, and his physical condition rapidly deteriorated.

As it happened, in the city outside, with Hirohito already dead, the defenders had been crushed by the Professor and the others using modern weapons in conjunction with High-Explosive Grenades. Kyoto had once again returned to the hands of traditional great clans like the Tsuchimikado.

These people had long since sent messengers to former Edo, now Tokyo City, to report to Emperor Taishō that Man-eating Demons had massacred Prince Hirohito.

Religions such as Shintoism and the Onmyōdō Sect had once been Japan’s state religions and held considerable influence over the emperor. Now that Hirohito, Kibutsuji Muzan’s carefully chosen partner, had been killed—

Naturally, these people would no longer allow Muzan to seize power.

They had to counterattack as fiercely as possible and spread word of the Man-eating Demons’ terror and danger.

The hundreds and thousands of dead in Kyoto were the best proof.

Bai Cangshu leaned against the ruins of the wooden hut. The bloody aura all over him frightened the passing Onmyoji, and none dared approach.

"Our god truly did not misjudge you. You really did thwart Kibutsuji Muzan’s conspiracy."

The Shrine Master, dressed in white robes and wearing a ceremonial crown, appeared before Bai Cangshu. This elderly man, with white hair and beard, was beaming with health and clearly exceedingly pleased with himself.

He reached out, intending to help Bai Cangshu up, but when he exerted himself, Bai Cangshu did not budge in the slightest.

The Shrine Master tried again. In the end, he stepped back two paces. Looking at Bai Cangshu, who was appraising him with an amused gaze, the old man finally stopped putting on an act.

"Your injuries are not light. Why not return to the shrine with me first? I can treat them for you."

The Professor emerged from the shadows of the wooden hut’s ruins, watching the old Shrine Master warily.

She had also discovered that the reputation gained from killing Hirohito was completely different from that gained from killing those Upper Rank Man-eating Demons.

In other words, these so-called important figures from hidden factions were, in essence, not opposing Kibutsuji Muzan at all. They were only acting for their own power and status.

She had to intervene somehow to keep them from abandoning the Ubuyashiki Family and the Demon Slayer Corps too soon. Otherwise, the completion rate of their Main Mission might plummet.

Besides…

The Professor looked at Bai Cangshu’s injuries, worried that this Shrine Master might harbor ulterior motives.

But Bai Cangshu merely smiled and followed the Shrine Master away.

"Professor, Muzan probably escaped by splitting into hundreds or thousands of chunks of flesh and fleeing through the hole Hantengu dug. If you want to pursue a perfect completion rate, try sealing off Kyoto and conducting a carpet search with the great clans."

"Nakime is dead. Muzan… can’t have gotten far."

After saying that, Bai Cangshu followed the Shrine Master toward Fushimi Inari Taisha outside the city. Blood dripped along the way, but before long, the blood on Bai Cangshu’s hands began to lessen.

The Professor pinched a shattered sapphire in her hand. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and looked at the departing Bai Cangshu in astonishment.

"Moon Breathing?"

As Bai Cangshu walked behind the Shrine Master, the rhythm of his breathing was indeed completely different from before. As it changed, the wounds on his hands began closing, and the blood stopped flowing.

However, the abnormal, agonizing pain in Bai Cangshu’s abdomen was still worsening.

The spasms in his muscles made his condition appear extremely poor.

The two crossed fields and bombed-out railway tracks, passing through the mountain gate passage formed by thousands of torii gates before arriving at the entrance to the shrine atop the mountain.

The Shrine Master turned around, looked at Bai Cangshu, and asked,

"How did you know that was not a Divine Oracle?"

The corner of Bai Cangshu’s mouth curled up. If Inari Ōkami could still issue Divine Oracles, how could these great religions have been suppressed by Kibutsuji Muzan?

But he could not be bothered explaining it to the other man. He merely said,

"I don’t care what your purpose is, and whatever you intend to do has nothing to do with me."

"However, I killed Hirohito and made things convenient for you. You must pay the price, or else…"

Bai Cangshu raised his head and looked at the old Shrine Master, who could wield some supernatural power within Kyoto’s largest shrine through the incense offerings of several centuries. A chilling smile appeared on his face.

The taste of blood still lingered between his lips and teeth.

"Or else, I wouldn’t mind creating a few more massacres."

Bai Cangshu spoke casually, and his gaze was not even fixed on the old Shrine Master.

Yet at that moment, the old Shrine Master felt a chill run down his back. An inexplicable killing intent radiated from the other man, an aura that could only have been gathered by killing an unknown number of people.

At this moment, the petite fox girl appeared behind the old Shrine Master once more, her scarlet eyes fixed on Bai Cangshu.

But Bai Cangshu showed no fear. If that thing truly possessed exceptional combat strength, the old man—who had been willing to plot Hirohito’s death for power—would have sent it out long ago.

The reason their group’s actions had gone so smoothly was none other than the fact that this old man and those stubborn factions had long since colluded.

Their reincarnators had served as sharp blades.

"Heh, you jest, sir. You slew evil demons for us and rendered a great service to Kyoto and all of us. How could we possibly fail to reward you?"

He bent down and held up a talisman with both hands. Bai Cangshu took it, and a great deal of information immediately appeared before his eyes.

Plot Character Ōgami Masaya has opened the Reputation Shop for you. You may use reputation here to exchange for hidden faction items.

Bai Cangshu looked at the long list before him. It contained all manner of items and cultivation methods left behind by Shintoism, once Japan’s largest religion.