The carriage traveled for three days before finally reaching its destination—the Yoshiwara Entertainment District!
A grand archway, bustling crowds, and a spectacle of lights and revelry everywhere.
Within the buildings lining the streets, scantily clad girls were everywhere.
Some sat with heavy makeup at the entrance of the buildings, while others leaned provocatively on second-floor balconies, casting flirtatious glances at passersby.
Kamado Tanjiro finally understood what kind of place this was.
Kamado Tanjiro hesitated, then mustered his courage and said, "Uzui-sama, even as the Sound Hashira, you shouldn't come to a place like this."
"Such a child, men should seize the day for pleasure. By the way, you youngsters have never experienced anything like it, have you?" Tengen Uzui roared with laughter, then his expression suddenly turned solemn. "Do you think I brought you here for fun?"
Kamado Tanjiro asked, puzzled, "Are there demons here?"
"Of course!" Tengen Uzui said. "Places like Yoshiwara may seem glamorous on the surface, but in reality, they are filled with darkness and cruelty. People's desires are constantly amplified in such an environment, which is exactly what demons love."
Kamado Tanjiro nodded.
Although Tengen Uzui appeared dissolute, as long as it involved demons, Kamado Tanjiro felt that this Sound Hashira was somewhat reliable.
Tengen Uzui continued, "I received word that people have been disappearing inexplicably in Yoshiwara, likely the work of demons. So, I sent in my people to find the demon, but they all disappeared."
Shiroya asked, "Disappeared?"
Tengen Uzui glanced at Shiroya and said, "They vanished."
"Oh!"
Shiroya grinned. It seemed this Sound Hashira had a naive side; he meant they were dead.
Tengen Uzui continued, "But I believe they are in danger, and we must act quickly, or they might truly meet their demise."
Kamado Tanjiro asked, "What should we do?"
Tengen Uzui said, "Just follow me."
As he spoke, Tengen Uzui led the four into a building and said to an old woman, "Help them with their makeup."
Agatsuma Zenitsu asked in surprise, "Makeup? Why makeup?"
Meanwhile, two servants tried to remove Inosuke's boar mask, but he resisted.
"Let go, let go of me!"
Tengen Uzui said unhurriedly, "According to our investigation, a few locations have been narrowed down, but the demon hasn't been found yet. Therefore, you must disguise yourselves as women and infiltrate them without alarming the demons, so you can locate them."
Agatsuma Zenitsu asked, "Why don't you go yourself?"
Tengen Uzui replied, "I am the renowned Sound Hashira. Do you think the demon would show itself if I appeared?"
This point was valid, and no one could find a reason to refute it.
Since it was related to hunting demons, Kamado Tanjiro compromised. Soon, the four were dragged into a room filled with various cosmetics and even wigs.
A moment later, the four emerged from the room, all dolled up.
Then…
*Splat!*
Tengen Uzui looked at Agatsuma Zenitsu, who was the first to emerge, drinking his sake, and spat it out in one go.
Agatsuma Zenitsu had two small buns on his head, his face painted stark white, with two circles of crimson blush on his cheeks.
At that moment, Tengen Uzui's first instinct was to draw his sword and cut the person down; he was utterly bewildered.
Then…
Kamado Tanjiro emerged, with a bow on his head and blush on his face…
Tengen Uzui stroked his chin. This one wasn't quite as jarring.
After all, aside from the scar on his forehead, Kamado Tanjiro was quite handsome. But he still looked like a man.
As Tengen Uzui was thinking, Inosuke boisterously ran out of the room, his boar mask already removed.
And then…
"Wow!"
Tengen Uzui, Kamado Tanjiro, and Agatsuma Zenitsu exclaimed in unison.
Inosuke hadn't put on any makeup, yet his face was that of a beautiful young girl, especially his large eyes, which looked alluring and pitiable.
However…
"What are you trying to do to me?" Inosuke impatiently tugged at his clothes. "I'm not wearing this stuff!"
This fellow had been training shirtless in the mountains and hadn't broken the habit even after becoming a demon slayer.
Kamado Tanjiro and Agatsuma Zenitsu quickly rushed to hold Inosuke back.
Kamado Tanjiro said, "You are a girl now. Girls shouldn't undress so casually."
"I don't care, I don't care…" Inosuke said irritably. "I'm done!"
"So noisy," Shiroya's voice rang out. "Can't you two be quiet? I almost smudged my eyebrows."
The air froze. Everyone stared at the figure before them in disbelief.
A beautiful "woman" appeared before them.
Her skin was snow-white, her black hair tied up, her complexion luminous, her features exquisite, and her eyes held an indescribable charm. Her lightly rouged lips parted gently, exuding a captivating blend of allure and innocence.
Agatsuma Zenitsu's eyes immediately lit up, and he leaned in, "Sister, what's your name? Where are you from…"
Shiroya grabbed Agatsuma Zenitsu by the neck and tossed him aside.
Shiroya said, "It's me."
Kamado Tanjiro was greatly shocked. "Shiroya? You're Shiroya!"
Shiroya casually swept a strand of hair from her temple. "Yeah, what's the problem?"
Seeing the stunned looks around him, Shiroya showed disdain.
A bunch of unsophisticated bumpkins. Do they even understand the Four Great Asian Arts?
With the Four Great Arts in hand, even a dog can be made to look beautiful and alluring.
Otherwise, why would there be so many cross-dressing enthusiasts in his world?
"Then it's decided for the three of you," Tengen Uzui decisively pointed at Kamado Tanjiro, Agatsuma Zenitsu, and Inosuke. "You three will infiltrate the Dihon House, Shiren House, and Kyogoku House to find the demon."
"What the heck?" Shiroya exclaimed, aghast. "What about me?"
Shiroya was immediately indignant.
Although he was resistant to cross-dressing, his competitive spirit flared. Wasn't he better at cross-dressing than these three?
"Please!" Tengen Uzui looked at Shiroya with disdain. "With your appearance, you're not going in to infiltrate; you're going to cause trouble! You'll steal the courtesans' jobs!"
Hearing this, Shiroya felt it made sense. Infiltration required discretion.
But could he be blamed for this?
Was being good-looking a crime?
…