If there were no surprises, there should be many surprises, because Kurozawa was strongly convinced of this idea, believing he was being targeted by the world's will.
But what surprised Kurozawa was that he genuinely didn't encounter any unexpected situations.
Around four o'clock the next afternoon, Kurozawa and Kanae arrived near Mount Otake without any issues.
Lotus Town was located at the foot of Mount Otake, a remote town nestled by the mountain and water.
Arriving at Lotus Town so smoothly made Kurozawa subtly uneasy. It felt like there were some traps waiting for him here, but since he had already come this far, he wasn't about to turn back just because of a little unease.
"This appearance doesn't have the slightest hint of a remote town," Kurozawa remarked to Kanae, his gaze fixed on the town not far away.
A so-called remote town should be sparsely populated, with backward architecture and ignorant culture. But Lotus Town, in his eyes, was not like that at all.
Not far away, voices were bustling. Kurozawa roughly sensed with his Fighting Spirit that the town had a population of at least ten thousand. While the houses weren't luxurious or grand, they could be described as exquisite and complete.
Kanae had seen the information about Lotus Town. She was also looking in the direction of Lotus Town now and said, "That's also why Lotus Town caught the attention of the Demon Slayer Corps' intelligence system."
"Within Lotus Town, there is an organization called the Eternal Paradise Cult. This Eternal Paradise Cult is very good at manipulating people's hearts, and it has gathered almost everyone from nearby villages and towns as believers."
"The population within dozens of miles is basically concentrated in Lotus Town, which is why it appears much more prosperous."
"Our objective for coming to Lotus Town is to investigate the Eternal Paradise Cult located within it."
"There's a high probability it was created by a Demon, involving tens of thousands of people, making it extremely dangerous."
Kurozawa nodded and said, "I just don't know what the Eternal Paradise Cult relies on to manipulate people's hearts."
He only knew that Doma was the leader of the Eternal Paradise Cult, but he didn't know how Doma had developed such a large organization.
Kanae pondered for a moment and said, "It might be because it's too far from the city here. People nearby haven't seen much, so they're easily deceived."
"However, our goal is to search for traces of the Upper Moon. This kind of organization isn't within the scope of the Demon Slayer Corps' handling. We just need to deal with the Demon within it."
"Kurozawa, is there a Demon in the town?"
Kurozawa shook his head and said, "The Fighting Spirit attribute of Demons is a bit special. During the daytime, their Fighting Spirit fluctuations are dissolved by sunlight, so I can't sense them."
"Only after the sun sets will I know if there's an Upper Moon in Lotus Town."
Demons lie dormant during the day, and sensing their Fighting Spirit is ineffective, making it difficult to search. They can only formally begin their actions when darkness falls.
Kanae seemed to recall something and suddenly sighed, "We Demon Slayer Corps Swordsmen always fight Demons at night, and it's on their home turf. Demons always have the advantage of time and place."
"I've seen too many comrades die with my own eyes."
That was true. In the war between the Demon Slayer Corps and Demons, the Demon Slayer Corps had always been at a disadvantage, with countless casualties. Even the Pillars had difficulty meeting a good end, perhaps falling victim to some eerie Blood Demon Art.
"Because the Demon Slayer Corps regards themselves as hunters, but in reality, Demons are the predators of humans, naturally suppressing humans. The Demon Slayer Corps doesn't possess the strength of true hunters, so heavy casualties are unavoidable," Kurozawa said calmly.
After observing Lotus Town for a while longer from a distance, Kurozawa and Kanae set off and arrived together at the entrance of Lotus Town.
Looking at the view full of lotus flowers and ponds, Kurozawa remarked appreciatively, "The name is quite fitting, and it's quite beautiful."
He hadn't even entered Lotus Town yet, but he could already smell the fragrance of lotus flowers wafting through the air, filling every inch.
Just at the entrance, there were two sizable ponds on either side of the road. Colorful lotus flowers swayed within them, with many white lotuses that looked well-cared for, each one vibrant and ready to bloom.
Kanae stopped to look, her gaze drawn to a lotus flower in the pond on the right.
The base of that lotus flower was white, but the tips of its petals had a slight purple hue, making it noticeable among the many white lotuses.
The Kocho Sisters both liked purple, and their hair ornaments and clothing patterns had traces of purple. Now, Kanae also looked like she wanted to pick that purple lotus.
Kurozawa smiled and said, "Don't just look, if you like it, just pick it."
Kanae said softly, "Let's not. If I pick it, it will die. While I like it, I won't harm it."
After saying that, she withdrew her gaze and walked forward along the path between the two ponds.
It was five o'clock in the afternoon. Since it was summer, the sky was still very bright, with no sign of entering night. Kurozawa couldn't sense the Demons' Fighting Spirit, so he and Kanae decided to investigate some information about the Eternal Paradise Cult first.
There were many people on the town's roads, but when they saw Kurozawa and Kanae, the two outsiders, no one showed curious or surprised looks. It seemed quite common.
Kurozawa took in the characteristics of these people on the road.
Firstly, the living standard of the people in Lotus Town was quite average, not much different from other remote towns. After all, they were in the mountains and wilderness, and a large population didn't necessarily mean they could live well. Most of them were thin and covered in traces of hard labor.
But unlike their appearance, their moods seemed to be very good, and their faces were basically beaming with genuine smiles.
In addition, Kurozawa also noticed that more than half of the people's clothes were embroidered with white lotus markings, one, two, or three lotuses, but the numbers were disproportionate. Those with one lotus marking were the most numerous, while there were only a few with three.
This obvious characteristic made Kurozawa think of the Eternal Paradise Cult. Organizations similar to churches generally have their symbols, and the symbol of the Eternal Paradise Cult was probably the white lotus. It made sense that the white lotuses at the entrance of Lotus Town were so vibrant.
"Those whose clothes have white lotus embroidery should be members of the Eternal Paradise Cult," Kanae also noticed this and whispered to Kurozawa.
Kurozawa nodded, then walked towards a male passerby. The man looked to be in his forties, gaunt to the point of emaciation, with many wrinkles on his face, and a smile.
On the cuff of this middle-aged man, there were two white lotus markings.
Kurozawa's physique was tall and strong, and his approach attracted the middle-aged man's attention. "Hello? Is there something I can help you with?" When Kurozawa approached, the middle-aged man greeted him proactively, his tone quite enthusiastic.
Kurozawa didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "Do you know about the Eternal Paradise Cult?"
The middle-aged man's expression didn't change, and he smiled, "Of course I do. Do you want to join the Divine Cult? I can introduce you."
It seemed that there were quite a few people like Kurozawa who came to Lotus Town looking for the Eternal Paradise Cult. The middle-aged man's reaction was very practiced, and he had obviously said similar things more than once.
Adding the word "Demon" before "Divine Cult" would be more accurate. Kurozawa followed the local custom and said sincerely, "Yes, I heard that those who join the Divine Cult can get everything they want, so I also want to join."
I want to gain Potential Points, and then smash the dog's head of your leader. I hope the Divine Cult can fulfill that. Kurozawa licked his slightly dry lips, looking completely like someone who wanted to join the Eternal Paradise Cult.
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