Aoi Kanzaki was stunned.
She hadn't expected that Xia Feng's treatment of that Demon Slayer would consume his own life.
The idea sounded a little unbelievable, yet she found it surprisingly easy to accept.
The reason was simple—
Such a miraculous healing ability had to come with a cost. Otherwise, that would be truly unreasonable.
Her voice trembled slightly.
"Th-Then… how much did that treatment just now cost you?"
Hearing this, Xia Feng sighed.
"It used quite a bit…"
"A few dozen seconds of my lifespan."
Aoi Kanzaki: "???"
She had been about to feel sad for him.
But suddenly something felt off.
What the hell do you mean 'quite a bit'?
A few dozen seconds of his lifespan—what was that supposed to mean?!
In the span of a human lifetime, that amount meant absolutely nothing!
Her small face flushed red as she prepared to complain.
But then another thought crossed her mind.
Such an incredible ability…
How could it possibly cost so little?
She bit her lip.
He was probably saying that to avoid worrying her…
Thinking of this, the girl took a deep breath.
Then she extended her hand toward Xia Feng.
"My name is Aoi Kanzaki! I'm a medical assistant at the Butterfly Estate. Thank you so much for helping earlier!"
Xia Feng smiled.
"My name is Xia Feng."
He reached out and shook her hand.
It felt warm.
But not delicate.
Her palm had many calluses.
Clearly, they were the result of years of sword training.
Xia Feng couldn't help feeling a little emotional.
She was just a girl in the bloom of her youth.
Yet because she lived in a world like this, she had to endure hardships and pain often greater than what men faced in peaceful times.
Aoi Kanzaki then noticed the bandages wrapped around Xia Feng's arm.
"Ah! Sorry, I forgot about your injury. Are you alright?"
She asked hurriedly.
Xia Feng shook his head.
"It's fine. Nothing serious."
The wound beneath the bandage had already been healed using the Healing Technique earlier. He just hadn't bothered removing the bandages yet.
Just as the two were chatting, a figure suddenly rushed into the room.
It was a girl wearing a Demon Slayer Corps uniform.
She had long black hair with bluish-purple tips, tied up with a butterfly-shaped hairpin.
Draped over her shoulders was a colorful haori that resembled butterfly wings.
The moment Xia Feng saw her, he immediately knew who she was.
The Insect Hashira — Shinobu Kocho!
Unexpectedly, Shinobu looked even more beautiful in person than she did in the anime.
A hint of urgency showed on Shinobu's elegant face.
"I heard a Demon Slayer was severely injured by a demon?"
The moment she entered the room, she spotted Aoi Kanzaki and asked.
Aoi froze briefly before quickly nodding.
"Yes, Lady Shinobu! He was struck directly in the abdomen. Liver damage, massive blood loss… but he's alright now!"
The moment she heard the first half of the report, Shinobu's heart tightened.
With injuries that severe, even if she personally treated the patient at full effort, the chances of survival would be extremely slim.
But the second half of Aoi's sentence made her pause completely.
She blinked.
"Um… Aoi… did I just hear that wrong?"
Seeing the usually calm and composed Shinobu Kocho make such a cute expression, Aoi couldn't help blushing slightly.
She shook her head and pulled Shinobu toward the injured Demon Slayer.
Although the wounds had already closed, the large amount of blood soaking the stretcher clearly showed how horrific the injuries had been.
Aoi said,
"When he was brought in, I thought he was definitely going to die too. Fortunately, Xia Feng stepped in just in time and saved him."
As she spoke, several medical staff who had just finished assisting, along with the Kakushi members who hadn't left yet, all looked over and nodded in agreement.
"Xia Feng?"
It was the first time Shinobu had heard the name, and a curious expression appeared on her face.
"Yes! Xia Feng! He's amazing!"
The moment Xia Feng was mentioned, Aoi's eyes lit up again.
She quickly explained Xia Feng's healing ability to Shinobu.
Then she grabbed Shinobu's hand and pulled her toward him.
At that moment, Xia Feng had already returned to his bed and was sitting there quietly.
"Lady Shinobu, this is Xia Feng!" Aoi said.
Shinobu looked at him.
He appeared to be a boy slightly younger than her. His arm was wrapped in bandages, but despite his young age, his body was clearly well-trained.
His physique was no weaker than that of most Demon Slayers.
She walked toward him.
Under Xia Feng's gaze, she immediately bent forward in a respectful bow.
"Mr. Xia Feng, my name is Shinobu Kocho. Thank you very much for your help earlier."
Seeing Shinobu bow down, Xia Feng's first thought was—
The Demon Slayer uniform really covered things too tightly.
Even at a perfect ninety-degree bow, he couldn't see anything…
After zoning out for a brief moment, he quickly snapped back to his senses.
"It was just saving someone. No need to make such a big deal out of it."
"If it were you, and someone was about to die right in front of you, wouldn't you save them too?"
Shinobu paused slightly after hearing his words.
A hint of respect appeared in her expression.
What Xia Feng said sounded like a simple and obvious truth.
But in the current world…
How many people could truly live by those words?
A notification suddenly sounded beside Xia Feng's ear.
[System Notification: Shinobu Kocho's favorability obtained. Recognition level reached. Reward: One Gold Card Draw.]
Xia Feng was a little surprised.
He hadn't expected that casually earning Shinobu's goodwill would grant him a Gold Card draw!
Without hesitation, he immediately used the reward.
[System Notification: Drawing… Drawing successful! Congratulations! You obtained the Golden Ability — Advanced Swordsmanship!]
[System Notification: Advanced Swordsmanship — Mastery of sword techniques with effortless control. Those who wield it are regarded as master swordsmen.]
As the notification ended, an enormous amount of swordsmanship knowledge and experience flooded into Xia Feng's mind!
Meanwhile, Shinobu blinked as she observed him.
Xia Feng's physical condition was excellent. His physical foundation was solid. He was perfectly suited to become a Demon Slayer.
She really wanted to invite him to join the Demon Slayer Corps.
But…
She didn't quite know how to bring it up.
Usually, people who joined the Corps had lost family members or endured terrible tragedies.
She didn't know Xia Feng's background, so she couldn't simply invite him.
Besides, Xia Feng had just demonstrated such a miraculous healing ability.
If she invited him to join right now, it might seem like she was taking advantage of him.
While she was still hesitating, Xia Feng suddenly spoke.
"Miss Shinobu, I don't really have anywhere to go right now. If you want to thank me… could you help find me a place to stay for the time being?"
Hearing this, Shinobu's eyes instantly lit up.