When Lucas arrived at Asakusa Prefecture, he immediately changed into more appropriate attire and headed straight for a bustling tavern.
"Gather information."
In crowded places, one could often find the most valuable pieces of intel.
Lucas ordered a glass of ordinary soju and sat at a table, gently swirling the drink in his hand as he listened attentively to the surrounding chatter.
The tavern buzzed with noise — voices layered upon voices — creating a torrent of information. Lucas quietly sifted through it all, sorting the useless from the useful.
Fortunately, patience bore fruit. The details surrounding Miss Li began to take shape.
For one, Miss Li's family was far more prominent than Lucas had anticipated — not only wealthy but also well-known across Asakusa Prefecture. However, tragedy had struck recently. Her husband had been murdered. The culprit's identity hadn't been spoken aloud, but Lucas didn't need confirmation. He was certain it was Muzan.
After the incident, Muzan, under the alias Yue Yan, approached the grieving Miss Li and gained her trust. Now, Miss Li was fully devoted to Muzan. Even the daughter she had with her late husband referred to Muzan as "Dad."
"That's right, Miss Li's been asking me to look for medicinal herbs lately."
Lucas turned his gaze toward the speaker — a greasy, overweight man boasting loudly among a group of skeptical listeners.
The people around him didn't buy his story. After all, how could someone like him be connected to Miss Li's powerful family?
Seeing their disbelief, the fat man became flustered.
"Why would I lie to you? I'm serious! They're looking for red spider lilies and offering a very high price!"
Most of the crowd remained indifferent, but Lucas's eyes sparkled.
A medicinal herb dealer? Connected to Miss Li's family? Never met Muzan directly?
That was the perfect identity to assume.
Lucas leaned in subtly, continuing to eavesdrop on the conversation. He soon pieced together the man's identity.
His name was Kang Hong, and he owned a local herbal medicine shop. About half a month ago, someone from Miss Li's family approached him, asking if he had any red spider lilies in stock.
Although Kang Hong didn't have the herb, the price was so high that he'd spent the past weeks searching for it — but with no luck. Eventually, he gave up. Yet, he still used the encounter as a bragging point in casual conversation.
Having learned what he needed, Lucas quietly exited the tavern.
It was time to find Tanjiro.
Lucas had never smelled Muzan's scent before, so he didn't know what it was like. But he had memorized Tanjiro's scent. If he could locate Tanjiro, then Muzan wouldn't be far behind.
Night had fallen in Asakusa, but the streets were still lively — completely different from the quiet, eerie night of Naraku Town.
Lucas and Zenitsu wove through the bustling crowd. After a long search, a familiar scent hit Lucas's nose.
It was faint, drifting quickly down the streets.
"Has he found Muzan?"
Lucas sped up, following the scent trail toward Tanjiro.
When they arrived, Tanjiro was restraining a man who was in the midst of turning into a demon. Tanjiro looked toward the end of the street, unwilling to let something — or someone — go.
Lucas followed Tanjiro's line of sight.
There, at the edge of the street, Muzan was vanishing into the crowd.
Lucas's nose twitched.
The scent of Muzan wasn't exactly foul, but it stirred a sickening sensation deep within his chest.
"Zenitsu, go help Tanjiro."
Lucas gave the instruction and immediately bolted in the direction Muzan had gone.
As the distance between them shrank, Lucas's heart pounded in his chest.
Up until now, he had theorized that Muzan wouldn't kill anyone outright, not unless absolutely necessary — to keep his identity hidden. But those were just theories.
Muzan was unpredictable. What if, in reality, he didn't hesitate to kill someone over a minor suspicion?
Lucas spotted Muzan helping Miss Li into a carriage and sighed with relief.
This was the perfect time to make his move.
If Kang Hong had never met Miss Li, Lucas could use that identity to approach Muzan.
But he had to wait — wait until Miss Li left, to avoid the risk of being exposed. Muzan might not act recklessly in front of Miss Li, as her trust might still hold some sway.
As the carriage began to roll, Lucas jogged forward, panting heavily and pretending to chase it.
"Miss Li! Miss Li!"
Muzan turned sharply at the sound, his gaze locking onto Lucas, who was hunched over, gasping for breath.
Lucas deliberately showed regret as the carriage rolled away, then turned as if to leave.
But Muzan stepped forward, stopping him cold.
"What business do you have with Miss Li?" he asked, his tone calm but guarded.
Lucas turned, eyes wide, playing the part perfectly.
"My name is Yue Yan."
"You are... Miss Li's...?"
Lucas acted surprised, as if realizing Muzan's identity for the first time.
Muzan nodded subtly. His eyes flashed with annoyance, but he didn't let it show.
"Why were you calling for her?"
"I heard that Miss Li was looking for blue spider lilies. I wanted to know the purchase price."
At the mention of blue spider lilies, Muzan's pupils momentarily turned blood-red.
He leaned in, his voice low and deadly serious.
"If you can find them, I'll pay you whatever you want."
Despite his overwhelming strength, Muzan still couldn't conquer the sunlight. His only option was to rely on humans to do the work he considered beneath him.
"Really? Mr. Tsukihiko doesn't seem like the type to lie to his friends."
Lucas's heart raced. He was close now — so close.
"Of course. I never deceive my friends," Muzan replied with a polite smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Friend? Muzan sneered in his heart. No one is worthy of being my friend.
Suddenly, a system notification rang in Lucas's mind:
> [Bite]
[Successfully added Demon King - Muzan Kibutsuji as a friend]
[Detected intimacy level: Acquaintance (insufficient). Random reward granted.]
[You have obtained aura: Ghost King's Appearance]
[Would you like to fuse Ghost King's Appearance now?]
[No]
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
Muzan has a skill called "Ghost King's Appearance"?
Acquaintance? Isn't that the lowest possible intimacy level for a friend?
Lucas was filled with questions but kept his expression neutral.
He had what he came for. Now he needed to leave.
"Great. I'll do my best to find those blue spider lilies. Thank you, Mr. Tsukihiko. I'll be going now."
Lucas turned and walked away briskly, appearing eager to begin his search.
To Muzan, Lucas's reaction seemed sincere — the desperation of a man willing to work hard for a rare herb.
And since all Muzan had offered was an empty promise, he was more than happy to let Lucas do the work.
But only Lucas knew what he was truly running from.
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