Demon Slayer: Start With Heroic Spirit Legacy System

Meanwhile, Zhou Yi, who had fled the scene in a panic, found himself in a dilemma.

"Why are all the inns near Asakusa fully booked?!"

They say money can solve all problems, but in the dead of night, was he supposed to break into a guest room, drag someone out of bed, and toss them a gold bar saying, "Here's some money! The room is mine now!"?

That would be too inhumane, and Zhou Yi couldn't bring himself to do it—not that he cared about the room already being occupied.

"Should I turn to that rich young lady for help?"

He recalled the heiress, Keiko, whom he had recently saved. However, Zhou Yi quickly dismissed the idea.

"Perish the thought! My heart belongs to my senior sister!"

But was he really going to sleep on the streets after making it into town? That was too much!

"Sir, you could inquire at Sensō-ji Temple," the innkeeper suggested helpfully.

"The abbot there has a compassionate heart and recently began allowing travelers to stay overnight for free."

"At no charge?"

Such generosity piqued Zhou Yi's interest immediately. He wasn't so much drawn by the free stay but rather by the opportunity to experience the mercy of Buddha firsthand.

"Alright, I'll head there then!"

Zhou Yi was satisfied and rewarded the innkeeper with a tip before turning to leave.

The flash of a gold bar left the innkeeper dumbfounded.

He glanced between the dazzling gold and Zhou Yi's retreating figure, his face showing hesitation. After a long internal struggle, just as Zhou Yi was about to leave, the innkeeper made up his mind and called out to him.

"Sir, I think you'd better not go!"

"I'll clear out a space for you to stay the night."

The innkeeper, who had just recommended Sensō-ji Temple, suddenly changed his stance and even offered a room himself. Something seemed off.

"Why? Is there something wrong with Sensō-ji Temple?" Zhou Yi asked, testing the waters.

"Ah, you're generous, and I don't want to mislead you."

"That temple has had guests go missing recently, but they claim those travelers simply left early in the morning and weren't lost."

"But..." The innkeeper hesitated, unwilling to say more.

"But what?" Zhou Yi tossed out an even larger gold bar, employing the almighty power of money.

Indeed, most problems in life could be solved with money.

The innkeeper eagerly pocketed the gold and spilled the rest of the story.

"You see, the temple lies on the main road out of town."

"I've worked the night shift here for years and have never seen anyone leave from that direction."

"Do you understand now?"

Oh, Zhou Yi understood all too well.

In this world, places with no outgoing travelers could only mean one thing: a den of demons.

Zhou Yi already had an idea in mind.

"Then why did you still recommend me to go there? If I hadn't tipped you some money, you probably wouldn't have warned me, right? Do you recommend it to everyone else as well?"

The waiter scratched his head awkwardly and explained, "It's freezing outside. If someone can't find a place to stay overnight, it's not much different from going missing. Besides, not everyone who goes there fails to return."

That did make sense. Zhou Yi nodded, letting this slippery fellow off the hook and preparing to head to Sensō-ji Temple to find lodging.

"Guest, are you really planning to stay at Sensō-ji Temple? It's been acting strange lately!"

The waiter, seeing Zhou Yi's stubbornness, quickly rushed out to stop him.

"Strange? The stranger, the better! If it's truly as you say, I've already decided to stay there tonight!"

With that, Zhou Yi pulled out his sword from the system's storage space.

"This sword of mine loves places that are strange and unusual."

The Sword Abolishment Order had been in effect for some time. The samurai profession had become a thing of the past, let alone someone wielding such a murderous blade as this!

The waiter collapsed to the ground in fright.

"H-how do you even have something like that?!"

Zhou Yi didn't answer, instead praising him.

"Sensō-ji Temple sounds like a great recommendation, but you should stop suggesting it to others in the future."

Before the words even finished, Zhou Yi's figure had disappeared.

---

Knock, knock, knock!

The temple door was being knocked on.

"Is anyone there? I heard I could stay here overnight. I'd like to borrow a place to sleep!"

The commotion woke up the novice monk on night watch. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he grumbled, "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

"How can someone still come here to stay with all the rumors going around? Unbelievable."

He muttered, still annoyed, as he opened the door. Outside stood a spirited, handsome young man—Zhou Yi.

"Little monk, what do you mean by what you just said?"

Hearing Zhou Yi's question, the novice monk sighed and explained the situation truthfully.

"People keep saying that guests staying in our temple often disappear. But I personally made sure to send them out!"

So that's how it is. If the novice monk had seen it with his own eyes, then things just got interesting. Two conflicting accounts—someone must be lying. Or perhaps… both were telling the truth?

Zhou Yi had a hypothesis.

"Little monk, I believe you. Just arrange a place for me to stay."

The novice monk felt an instant liking for this guest and eagerly invited him inside.

"No problem! No one has stayed here recently, so I'll find you the best guest room!"

To him, the outside rumors were nonsense.

The guests he personally sent out couldn't have vanished. For someone to trust him so readily after a chance meeting—what a rare thing!

"Benefactor, this way, please!"

The two chatted as they walked, introducing themselves to one another. The novice monk, named Ikkyu, was an orphan adopted by the temple's abbot, Master Yabumoto.

"Little Master Ikkyu, what's this place?"

Passing by a large pond, Zhou Yi caught a strange smell in the air. It was a mix of incense and something else. But what?

"This? It's the lotus pond, a spot for visitors to enjoy," Ikkyu explained.

"Why is there such a strange smell, though?" Zhou Yi asked again.

Just as Ikkyu was about to answer, a stern voice interrupted them.

"Ikkyu! It's the middle of the night. Why aren't you at the gate? What are you doing here?"

"And who is this with you?"

Hearing the voice, Ikkyu's expression turned respectful as he responded.

"Master, this is a guest seeking lodging. I was just showing him to his room!"

So this was Master Yabumoto?

At this hour, it was a bit too early to be awake. Yet to say he hadn't slept didn't seem plausible either.

Zhou Yi scrutinized the abbot carefully.

"Master, my name is Zhou Yi. I'm here to stay for a few days. Please bear with me!"

A flicker of pain flashed across Yabumoto's face but quickly disappeared, replaced by calm.

"Oh, a few days? No problem. We monks practice compassion and will naturally accommodate you."

With that, he clasped his hands before his chest, bowed slightly, and uttered, "Amitabha."

However, his right hand, hidden behind his back, seemed to be clutching something.

As the abbot approached, the scent of incense grew stronger, masking the earlier unknown smell.

"It's late. Take this guest to his room, Ikkyu. I just came out for a look."

Ikkyu bowed respectfully and led Zhou Yi away.

Once they were gone, the abbot let out a long sigh.

"Sigh, what a sin!"

After scattering the incense in his hand over the pond, the abbot left the area.