The Charcoal Seller

Chapter 64

Because he carried a terrifying Horse-Cutting Blade on his back, Chu Yang could not use any form of transportation and could not even conveniently enter towns. He could only travel through the wilderness.

There were not many places the moonlight could illuminate in the wild, and Chu Yang had not brought a lantern or any other source of light. He could only cast the Lighting Charm and make his hands glow.

From afar, Chu Yang’s hands looked like a car’s headlights, swaying back and forth in the darkness with every swing of his arms. It was somewhat terrifying.

"When will I learn the Undetectable Extension Charm? It’s really inconvenient to run around the world with a huge blade on my back all day. The next time we meet, I definitely need to remind the honor student to pick some useful spells first."

Most of the spells Magic Chu Yang knew were basic, but they were actually quite practical.

For example, the Fire Spell could start a fire in the wilderness, an extremely important survival skill.

The Scouring Charm could clean objects and even be used on people, while the Water and Fire Repelling Charm made targets waterproof and fireproof. Both were essential for traveling outdoors.

Ankesox could clear the airway, while Splint Tightening could ease pain and secure bandages and splints around wounds. At critical moments, they could save lives.

However, without a wand, Chu Yangs from other worlds could not control Magic Power very well, and small accidents would always occur, such as setting an entire mountain on fire.

The Chu Yangs from the One Piece world and Naruto world had both experienced similar incidents.

So, aside from especially safe spells, they would not use other spells lightly.

With illumination, Chu Yang traveled very quickly. Combined with the fact that the island nation itself was not very large, he reached the territory of Mt. Sagiri two days later and found a small wooden cabin in the mountains.

Master Urokodaki, who was chopping firewood, sensed a human presence and hurried back into the house to put on his mask. When he came back out, he saw Chu Yang approaching with a Horse-Cutting Blade on his back.

The slowly approaching youth carried an overwhelming presence, making Sakonji Urokodaki feel somewhat tense. If he had not failed to smell a demon’s scent on him, he would have drawn his blade already.

"Are you Master Urokodaki?"

Hearing the youth call his name, Sakonji Urokodaki finally confirmed that he had to be a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Reassured, he answered loudly, "I am."

Chu Yang quickly walked over. "I have a letter for you. Makomo asked me to deliver it."

Sakonji Urokodaki was startled. Thinking it was bad news, his breathing immediately became hurried. "What happened to her?"

Seeing how nervous he was, Chu Yang understood that he had misunderstood and immediately explained, "She was injured during Final Selection. She’s recuperating at the Butterfly Mansion now and will probably need to rest for some time. She was afraid you would worry, so she asked me to bring you a letter."

At that, Sakonji Urokodaki let out a long sigh of relief.

His tense body relaxed as well, and he smiled. "Thank you for the trouble, young man."

Chu Yang handed Makomo’s handwritten letter to Sakonji Urokodaki and politely replied, "It was no trouble. We took part in Final Selection together, so we’re fellow recruits. This little favor is nothing."

If Shinobu Kocho had been here, she definitely would have mocked Chu Yang for being hypocritical. He had clearly looked unwilling to help earlier.

"Thank you." Sakonji Urokodaki nodded. When he heard that Chu Yang was also a newcomer who had taken part in Final Selection, a strange glint flashed through his eyes.

Sakonji Urokodaki opened the envelope and began reading Makomo’s letter. Chu Yang knew this might be a long process; Sakonji Urokodaki’s emotional changes could probably fill nearly ten thousand words.

He did not treat himself as a guest at all. Familiar as if it were his own home, he walked beside the cabin, lifted the lid off the water jar, and used a wooden ladle to gulp down water.

Just as the half-full Chu Yang was about to leave, his Kasugai Crow suddenly flew over and perched on the edge of the water jar. It began speaking in human language, relaying Chu Yang’s first mission.

Perhaps awakened by the Kasugai Crow’s voice, Sakonji Urokodaki carefully put away the letter and turned to Chu Yang. "I had planned to keep you here for a meal, but for us, even if the sky falls, nothing is more important than a mission. I’ll prepare some dry rations for you to eat on the road."

"That won’t be necessary. I’m quite skilled at hunting in the wilderness, so I’m not short on food…" Chu Yang politely declined Sakonji Urokodaki’s kindness.

"Take it. Consider it a small token of my appreciation." Makomo had explained everything clearly in her letter. Sakonji Urokodaki knew that the youth before him had slain the Hand Demon, allowing the souls of those dead children to find release.

Chu Yang did not refuse again. After sincerely thanking Sakonji Urokodaki, he calmly accepted the food prepared for him.

Thus, having just delivered the letter, Chu Yang immediately rushed toward the area where a demon had appeared.

Watching Chu Yang’s departing back, Sakonji Urokodaki stood there blankly for a long time without moving a step, lost in thought.

Several days later, following the location provided by the Kasugai Crow, Chu Yang arrived at a remote small town. To avoid causing panic, he hid the Horse-Cutting Blade in a nearby forest before entering the town.

That said, even without the Horse-Cutting Blade, Chu Yang could still kill demons. It would simply be more troublesome. Without Scarlet Crimson Ore to suppress a demon’s regeneration, it would be easy for the enemy to drag him into a prolonged battle.

A centipede does not stop wriggling even after death. Mukade posed no threat to Chu Yang, but he was disgusting enough.

Without the Horse-Cutting Blade enhancing him, Chu Yang’s temperament immediately changed from that of a perverted serial killer into a sunny, athletic young man. The muscular arms beneath his clothes stretched the fabric taut.

Quite a few passersby had been looking at Chu Yang along the way, from older women to young girls.

Unfortunately, Chu Yang’s attention was entirely focused on searching for demons. Since he could not smell any scent, he expanded the range of his Observation Haki as much as possible, trying to see if he could hear any clues.

"Hey! Tanjuro, our family needs some charcoal! And thanks for helping me fix that chair last time."

"Tanjuro, my shop needs some charcoal too. Could you bring some game next time? I’ll buy it at a high price."

"Tanjuro, I forgot to pay you for the goods last time. I’ll make it up to you today."

Not long after he expanded his Observation Haki, a name kept appearing in Chu Yang’s mind!

Tanjuro!

This person seemed to be quite popular.

Wherever he went, people greeted him and bought things from him.

A charcoal seller…

Chu Yang recalled something very important and began looking for the man named Tanjuro.

After turning past two cross streets, Chu Yang saw a thin man standing outside an oden shop, talking with the owner.

The man carried a basket on his back that was much thicker than his body, filled with black charcoal. He was also holding the hand of a little boy who looked very much like him, with fiery red hair and a scar on his forehead resembling a burn.

The owner planned to buy all the charcoal in the man’s basket for the shop’s stove, so customers could be more comfortable while eating.

The man named Tanjuro wore a smile. Business had gone smoothly today, and he had sold all the charcoal in his basket before nightfall.