In Demon Slayer With Heavenly Insight

Chapter 54: Did He Recruit Patients from the Hospital Next Door?

After the team stopped, the villagers looked at Ren in confusion.

Ren walked up to Murata, put his arm around Murata's shoulders, and said with a worried expression:

"Oh, Murata, I just realized a problem!"

"I'm afraid it wouldn't be good if all the villagers went up there. If the village is empty, what if thieves come?"

Murata was stunned, utterly confused.

Everyone in the village is gone—who's going to steal from whom?

Before Murata could speak, several villagers began reacting.

They started shouting all at once:

"What the young gentleman said makes sense! We can't leave the village unattended!"

"Exactly! I still have two kilograms of rice at home!"

"What if a ghost comes and steals our food?"

"There are also wild animals, wolves, and other beasts. I won't feel safe if no one is at home to guard the place!"

"Sir, please let my husband go back."

The villagers began throwing out ideas, all talking over each other.

Ren waved his hand, calming them. He said in a concerned tone, "Everyone, please be patient. It was my mistake for not considering this earlier. We'll send a couple of people back to keep watch over the village. Two people should be enough!"

The villagers immediately responded:

"Then let my husband go back. Bears and wolves roam these mountains—I won't feel safe otherwise!"

"It should be my husband. Two people might not be enough—send mine too!"

"No, what if those Kamado cows try to steal our food?"

The chatter escalated, with no clear resolution in sight.

Ren spoke again: "In my opinion, it's better to let the village chief go back."

As soon as he said this, the crowd fell silent.

But soon, someone agreed:

"Yes, the village chief saved everyone yesterday!"

"I trust the chief. If it's him, I have no objections!"

"The village chief will keep an eye out for bears!"

After some discussion, it was unanimously decided to send the village chief back, along with the barefoot doctor.

Ren happily accepted the suggestion and ensured the chief received an exclusive "1V1 medical service" on his way back.

Before leaving, Ren noticed a flicker of resentment in the village chief's eyes. Narrowing his own, Ren leaned closer to Murata and whispered, "Murata, there's something off about him. Can you follow them?"

Murata was taken aback. Wasn't Ren just a therapist at the Butterfly House? Why would he care about such matters?

Still, Ren's demeanor and words made him seem unusually sharp. Murata turned to look at the chief and noticed the same odd expression.

"There does seem to be something suspicious!" Murata thought.

After a moment of consideration, Murata decided to follow Ren's suggestion. Under the guise of escorting them, he went down the mountain with the chief and doctor to ensure they wouldn't leak any information about the Butterfly House.

Meanwhile, Ren led the rest of the wounded up the mountain.

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Time passed, and soon an hour had gone by.

Outside the Butterfly House, Sanemi tapped his fingers impatiently on the table.

"Hey, Shinobu, it's been an hour. Let's settle the scores already!"

Sanemi appeared confident and unruly. His smug tone made his confidence clear.

After all, the scoreboard in Kanae's hands showed his name at the top:

Sanemi Shinazugawa: 9 points

Kyojuro Rengoku: 8 points

Inosuke: -10 points

Ren: 0 points

Sanemi was leading by a single point, but it was enough to keep him at the top.

Kyojuro stood in second place, while Inosuke—thanks to his antics—was the only one with a negative score.

Why negative? Simple.

Inosuke had been dissatisfied with his results, so he went down the mountain, broke the leg of a fellow Demon Slayer, and dragged the injured man back to claim points. Naturally, Shinobu wasn't going to let that slide. With a wave of Kanae's hand, 10 points deducted!

Kyojuro checked the scores and smiled with slight regret. "Haha! What a shame—just half a point behind first place!"

He had tried his best, but luck wasn't on his side. Earlier, he, Sanemi, and Inosuke had simultaneously found the last wounded person near the Butterfly House. A fierce competition ensued, but Sanemi was faster and claimed the win.

Now, only Ren's score remained undecided.

Sanemi smirked smugly, leaning back. "Look, it's already noon. Let's end this and move on to the second round! Even if Ren comes back, he'll only bring a couple of people at most—two points max. No way he's catching up to my nine points!"

However, Shinobu gave him a pointed look. "Sanemi, if we don't wait for Ren, even if you win, who will you consult about the markings?"

Sanemi froze, grumbling. "Fine! Let's wait!"

The sun climbed higher, scorching the courtyard. Shadows lengthened as the minutes ticked by.

Just as the final minute was about to pass, a commotion arose.

From the slope leading to the Butterfly House, a large group of wounded appeared.

They walked in orderly rows, blindfolded with neatly tied black cloths. Each person held a few copper coins and marched in perfect formation.

Leading them was Ren, exuding confidence as he guided the group toward the Butterfly House.

Sanemi's smirk vanished instantly, his face stiffening in disbelief.

The rest of the crowd stood frozen, jaws dropping.

One thought dominated everyone's minds:

Where on earth did Ren recruit all these patients? Did he empty out a hospital nearby?!

***