, 3-Word Bookstore

"Mr. Asuka, this is the place."

Asano Mori led Asuka through the streets of Sendai, finally stopping in front of an inconspicuous storefront.

He pointed to the weathered wooden sign above his head, on which were carved three powerful Chinese characters—

Three words.

The bird looked at the relatively desolate street and felt somewhat lost.

Whether in Rukongai or Hayama, Asuka has never read a book, making her an absolute illiterate.

In his imagination, bookstores were places frequented by wealthy people in respectable long gowns or by refined young masters and ladies; they were certainly not places for a stray dog ​​like him to enter.

The door to the bookstore was half-open, and the smells of cheap tobacco, cheap tea, paper, and ink wafted out.

Asano Mori walked ahead, lifting the noren curtain first, while Asuka carefully concealed the outline of her Nichirin Blade before following and peering inside.

The interior was dimly lit, and the walls were mostly covered by huge bookshelves that almost reached the ceiling, densely packed with books.

The shop was sparsely furnished with a few rough, long wooden tables and many benches wherever there was space, and they were crowded with people.

A look of bewilderment flashed in Fei Niao's eyes, for the "scholars" who appeared before him were far different from what he had imagined:

They were either men wearing indigo or dark brown overalls, or students in patched uniforms with unhealthy complexions, and some who looked more like ordinary citizens who had come to join the fun.

He's holding the book upside down; I have no idea what he's reading.

Some were drinking tea from rough porcelain bowls, others were gnawing on cold, hard rice balls, while many others were gathered together, their faces flushed, engaged in heated discussions, spittle flying everywhere.

Is this a bookstore? Asuka thinks it looks more like a roadside mobile liquor stand...

Asano Mori noticed Asuka's confusion and quickly explained in a low voice:

"It's quite different, isn't it, Mr. Asuka? Sanmonji-ya isn't just a place for adults to read and relax; it's a very different kind of gathering place. The boss... is a very different kind of wealthy man!"

He pointed to the large character "三" (three) inside the bookstore and said seriously, "I heard he opened many stores in Tokyo and Osaka, all named 'Sanmonji-ya' (Three Character Shop), specifically to take in and help those of us who don't fit in with the mainstream voice... who have no books to read, nowhere to go, and whose voices are ignored..."

Although Asano Mori is older than Asuka, he is always impulsive and easily agitated.

He excitedly pointed to the faces of those who were either indignant or focused on the discussion, "Everyone likes to gather here, vent their frustrations, and brainstorm solutions. Over time, the number of people has grown! Harada-san's articles were printed into booklets and distributed right here!"

Asuka listened silently, her gaze sweeping over the people in the shop, her face expressionless.

It doesn't matter.

He didn't care what ideals or visions these people had; he came here to find Harada Tadaka, and his ultimate goal was to eliminate the evil spirits of Sendai City.

Other things are not the point.

"Let's get down to business," he suggested.

Led by Asano Mori, he walked through several tables so crowded that there was almost no space between them, his eyes and attention constantly scanning the people reading around him.

A student wearing round-framed glasses, who appeared refined, was reading aloud in a low voice:

"...I flipped through the history books, but they had no dates. Each page, crookedly written, had the words 'benevolence, righteousness, and morality' on it. I couldn't sleep, so I carefully read through the pages until I finally saw the words between the lines: the whole book was filled with the two words 'cannibalism'!"

"This writing is powerful! It must be an article from overseas?"

"Hmm, it's Zhou Jun's work. He studied abroad in Sendai before and has some connections with the big boss... Tsk, it's really well written..."

Asuka remained uninterested and continued to follow Asano Morio deeper into the bookstore.

In the innermost part of the bookstore, in a relatively quiet corner, there was a small table that looked like a cashier's counter, and a young girl was sitting behind it.

She was about seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a clean navy blue checkered kimono with a plain apron over it. Her hair was neatly combed back, revealing her smooth forehead and gentle eyes.

"Miss Yuka, excuse me."

Asano Mori clearly recognized her, stepped forward, and bowed slightly respectfully.

The girl called Yuka looked up, saw Asano Mori, and gave a gentle smile:

"Ah, it's Mr. Asano... Is your brother feeling any better?"

"My older brother...has passed away..."

"What! This...this is so sorry...please accept my condolences."

She bowed and apologized to Asano Mori somewhat flusteredly, then noticed the young man in black uniform behind him.

Asano Mori rubbed his head with a pained expression, suppressing his sadness, and introduced to Yuka:

"This is Mr. Asuka, he is... a member of the Demon Slayer Corps! We're here to see Harada Tadachi."

"Demon Slayer Corps? Demons?" Yuka's eyes showed even greater surprise as she carefully examined Asuka.

Having read extensively and seen much of the world, she was already aware of its vastness and wasn't particularly interested in legends of ghosts and monsters. However, her good upbringing prevented her from questioning Asano Mori's statement; she simply nodded slightly to Asuka.

She understood their purpose, so she put down the booklet in her hand and placed her hands folded on her knees.

Yuka looked at Asano Mori and said gently, "Mr. Harada will be coming tonight. You should see him in a little while."

"As you know, rice prices have skyrocketed lately, and everyone's having a hard time. I heard there were even rice-grabbing riots in southern cities; things are really unsettling..."

"Mr. Harada is going to discuss countermeasures with everyone, to see if we should put more pressure on the rice merchants, or put some pressure on the city hall to make everyone's lives a little easier..."

She looked up at the clock on the wall and added, "It should be in about an hour."

"Thank you, Ms. Yuka!" Asano Mori breathed a sigh of relief and quickly thanked her. Asuka also nodded in acknowledgment, accepting the arrangement.

The two sat down on the bench that Ms. Yuka pointed out. Asuka habitually chose the side against the wall, where the view covered the entire shop. She rested her hand on the hilt of her sword and calmly surveyed her surroundings.

Time slowly passed amidst the unique hustle and bustle of the bookstore.

The workers' chatter rose and fell, mostly about topics the birds couldn't understand...

"Have you heard? The situation in Osaka is even worse; the military and police have been deployed!"

"Sigh, this life is unbearable! Mr. Harada is right, if we workers don't stick together, we'll just be treated like animals by those bloodsucking bosses!"

"The owner of Sanmonji-ya is such a kind person, letting us talk here..."

"Of course! I heard that the boss's son, Mr. Nosaka, is even more active in Tokyo! The boss renamed all his bookstores Sanmonji-ya to support his son's business."

"I see! No wonder! Mr. Nosaka is truly an extraordinary person... These days are tough, I hope Mr. Harada can bring some good news tonight..."

These social issues were too distant for Asuka, who only knew how to use a sword, but from the few words these people spoke, he basically confirmed his judgment.

This Harada Tadaka is probably indeed a thorn in the side of those behind the scenes.

While waiting, Fei Niao idly flipped through some ancient books he couldn't understand. Miss Jie Hua kindly pointed out the meaning of some of the poems to him and brought two cups of coarse tea, placing them on the low table in front of him.

"Please have some. It's just a simple meal, nothing special," she said gently, her gaze lingering for a moment on the knife hidden at Asuka's waist before moving away.

Asano Mori quickly thanked him, but Asuka only glanced at the steaming tea cup and didn't touch it.

He closed his eyes, focusing more intently on mobilizing his spiritual pressure perception, spreading his spiritual senses cautiously outwards from himself like an invisible spider web.

No obvious ghostly aura or malicious spiritual pressure has been detected so far.

Those gathered here are either full of vitality or exhausted, but in essence, they are all just ordinary human soul fluctuations.

As for the girl named Yuka, her spiritual pressure was gentle and pure, carrying a reassuring tranquility.

However, just as his intuition swept across a corner of the bookstore's back door...

He caught a faint, almost imperceptible, chilling aura.

The aura vanished in a flash, leaving only a ripple before disappearing without a trace.

鏉ヤ 钖楋纻

The bird opened its eyes and gripped the hilt of the knife tightly.