Kokushibo loosened his hand, expressionless.
Yuko collapsed onto the floor, clutching her neck with difficulty. Her face twisted in pain, veins bulging across her forehead and throat, her eyes bloodshot.
Something had been injected into her body through Michikatsu's fingers.
Yuko felt her whole body burning with agitation, as if even her blood were boiling—an indescribable sensation.
As Kokushibo slowly walked toward Namiko, who was crawling toward the doorway, he spoke lightly:
"The stronger a person is, the longer it takes for them to turn into a demon. You'll be staying here obediently for the next few days."
It had taken him three full days to complete his own transformation, and Yuko's talent was not inferior to his.
Sensing movement behind her, Namiko turned back in terror, whimpering, elbows and knees scraping desperately across the floor as she dragged herself away in complete panic.
Kokushibo's eyes held no trace of emotion as he pulled her back.
"Ah!" Namiko screamed, thrashing in fear.
He casually threw her to the ground, snapped off one of the demon blade's branches, and pinned down her limbs, nailing all four of them to the floor.
"Ahhh—!"
Namiko's screams echoed unendingly.
Yuko stared at the scene with crimson eyes. "Michikatsu…"
From between Yuko's clenched teeth, Kokushibo heard something rare—anger.
His mood, unexpectedly, improved.
"You bastard!"
He let Yuko curse him without responding and simply turned to leave.
Yuko lay on the floor in agony. She could feel her heartbeat growing faster and faster, something inside her changing.
A transformation on a microscopic level.
Namiko's pained groans reached her ears, and Yuko instinctively looked toward her—only to feel an overwhelming sense of temptation.
Only when saliva hit the ground—drip, drip—did Yuko suddenly realize what was happening.
She jerked her head away, forcing herself to resist the stirring hunger. Her fingers dug into the earth, twisted and trembling, as she shouted with great effort, "Namiko… get up…"
She finally understood why Michikatsu had done this—his intention was to make her, once turned into a demon, personally devour Namiko.
Even without Yuko's words, Namiko—terrified by the changes in Yuko's body—was desperately trying to pull the blades from her hands.
But her tendons had been severed. She couldn't muster any strength. She could only watch helplessly as blood continued to drain from her body.
Dawn was approaching…
Gritting her teeth, Yuko tried to crawl toward the door, but her body no longer obeyed her. Muzan's cells were reshaping her flesh.
Yuko curled into a ball and shoved her hand into her mouth, desperately trying to hold onto herself.
Her wrist was bleeding from her own bites, yet her consciousness continued slipping away.
…
She didn't know how much time had passed.
When Yuko suddenly jolted awake, the full moon shone outside, its hazy light spilling through the doorway and illuminating the room.
Yuko gasped heavily and looked down at her hands.
Her once pale nails now looked as if painted—pitch-black. The skin on her battered, blood-soaked hand had smoothed over under the moonlight until it resembled polished soap.
She had become a demon.
But she… still possessed her own independent will.
Stunned, Yuko touched her face in a panic—thankfully, her nose was still a nose, her eyes still eyes. She hadn't mutated into anything as twisted as Michikatsu.
Then, guided by her slowly recovering mind, she looked toward Namiko.
Namiko lay motionless in a pool of her own blood. Her hands and feet had stopped bleeding only because the blood had clotted. Her disheveled form made it easy to imagine how desperately she had struggled.
Yuko's mouth filled with saliva, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on Namiko.
Namiko was still alive. Demon senses were frighteningly sharp—Yuko could hear even the faint beat of her weakening heart.
Drip… drip…
Like laying out a feast before someone starving, Yuko's drool flowed uncontrollably.
But she also clearly sensed—she could resist this desire.
Yuko feared becoming a demon not just because demons ate humans.
She feared the distortion of her will and Muzan's mind-reading power.
If Muzan ever read her mind, he could overcome the sun ahead of time—and truly become invincible.
Yuko jerked her head away. Slowly, her rationality returned, and the drool stopped flowing.
She could resist this hunger. Was it because she was… different?
Because she didn't belong to this world?
Or… because of the Blue Spider Lily?
She'd only seen it… but—
…
Vegetables!
Yuko suddenly froze.
She and Yoriichi had once stayed at Sumiyoshi's home. They had been treated to wild vegetables for days.
Was the Blue Spider Lily mixed in with them?
Yuko fell into deep thought.
Nezuko resisted her hunger thanks to Tanjiro's desperate calls—but the Blue Spider Lily was the decisive factor.
Otherwise, why would only Nezuko—and now Yuko—be exceptions?
"Kibutsuji Muzan…" Yuko murmured the name, slightly hesitant.
She remembered that a curse in Muzan's blood caused any demon who spoke his name to die.
After waiting a moment, nothing happened.
She could clearly sense that she was now outside Muzan's control.
Did this mean she was the second demon after Tamayo to break free?
Yuko released a long breath from the bottom of her heart.
She'd seen countless discussions claiming the Demon Slayer Corps defeated Muzan purely through plot armor. If Muzan heard her thoughts now, he wouldn't need to wait for the story to begin—he'd already be invincible.
Once she confirmed her state, Yuko hurried toward Namiko.
Saliva still dripped unconsciously. Every sense in her body screamed that the girl before her was delicious.
Yuko suppressed the urge and carefully removed the blades from Namiko's hands and feet.
"Mm—" Namiko moaned faintly, her brows tightly furrowed.
Kokushibo had tortured her to the brink of death, but she had somehow survived.
If this continued, she wouldn't last. She needed treatment—fast.
Almost as soon as the thought formed, Yuko's mind cleared, and suddenly she understood her Blood Demon Art.
It felt like an innate ability—something remembered by instinct.
Her Blood Demon Art…
could save people.
Yuko picked up the demon blade discarded nearby, sliced open her own wrist, and smeared her blood across Namiko's wounds.
Her injuries healed visibly in seconds, just like a demon regenerating lost limbs.
Yuko's eyes lit up.
This ability—
Was incredible!
---
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Novel Synopsis
A true farming novel + strong female lead + system + doting spouse
The story is divided into four arcs:
Farming Arc + Imperial Examination Arc + Uprising Arc + Court Politics Arc
Main CP: feelings develop over time
Secondary CP: marriage first, love later
Qin Ke is stabbed to death by a deranged fugitive who escaped custody. When he opens his eyes again, he finds himself in an unknown dynasty.
The original body belonged to a gambler, starting off penniless. Fortunately, things are not entirely hopeless—he is granted a transmigration benefit in the form of a system mall.
But what?! Being reborn as a man is one thing—why does he also have a wife who was bought?
Rushing home, Qin Ke looks at the woman tied to the bed and feels like crying. He only pities her miserable situation and wants to treat her well. Using the system mall, he purchases seeds and grows crops far beyond the level of the era, gradually amassing wealth. Later, he develops farming tools and designs various inventions that benefit both the country and the people.
Meanwhile, his wife successfully passes the imperial examinations, becomes a disciple of the Eldest Princess, and rises higher and higher in official rank.
Qin Ke has only one thing to say:
"Wife, please hug me. Please protect me!"
T/N: The secondary CP is wlw