Shinobu Kocho smiled brightly.
"If you don't mind, Mr. Xia Feng, how about staying at the Butterfly Estate for now?"
"I'm actually quite confident in my cooking."
Xia Feng was slightly stunned.
Originally, he had only wanted Shinobu to help arrange a reasonable identity and a place to stay, making it easier for him to move around later.
He hadn't expected her to be this welcoming—inviting him to live in her home directly.
After thinking for a moment, he nodded.
"Then I'll gladly accept. Thank you."
Compared to living alone, he was obviously more willing to stay in a cute girl's home.
Anyone with a functioning brain could make the correct decision in a situation like this.
Once it was confirmed that Xia Feng would stay, Shinobu looked genuinely happy.
After asking him to wait for a moment, she went to check on the injured Demon Slayer.
Meanwhile, several people responsible for treating the severely wounded walked over.
They removed their blood-stained gloves and smiled gratefully at Xia Feng.
"Thank you very much for what you did earlier," one of them said.
Another added,
"The one you saved just now—Murata—is this guy's friend. He had already given up hope. To think he would run into you… honestly, words aren't enough to express how grateful we are."
Xia Feng smiled.
"It's good as long as he's alright."
After chatting casually for a few moments, Xia Feng suddenly asked:
"By the way, why am I here in the first place?"
One of the Kakushi members nearby froze slightly.
Then he replied,
"This morning… um… wild beasts attacked Nanchuan Village. When we went to rescue people, we found you lying unconscious in the wasteland outside the village, so we brought you back with us."
Another Hidden member quickly nodded.
"Yes, yes! Your arm was injured at the time. We were worried you had also been attacked by… cough… by wild beasts, so we brought you here."
Xia Feng nodded in understanding.
It seemed that right after he transmigrated—before he had regained consciousness—he had been caught in an incident involving a demon attack.
Fortunately, luck had been on his side.
Otherwise, he might have already been reporting to the King of Hell by now.
After confirming that all the injured people were stable, Shinobu lightly walked back over.
"That's wonderful. Everyone is out of danger now, and the only severely wounded patient was saved by Mr. Xia Feng."
She expressed her gratitude once again.
Xia Feng looked curious.
"Where did he receive such serious injuries?"
Shinobu hesitated slightly.
Then she smiled gently.
"He was hunting when a wild boar suddenly—"
Before she could finish, Xia Feng waved his hand with an amused expression.
"There's no need to make up a story."
"I know a little about demons."
Shinobu froze for a moment.
She couldn't help but feel curious about him.
A mysterious healing technique.
A well-trained body.
And he even knew about the existence of demons.
Just who exactly was he?
As she was thinking, she suddenly noticed Xia Feng removing the bandages from his arm.
Shinobu was startled.
"Mr. Xia Feng, you shouldn't remove those! Your injury was serious!"
But before she could finish speaking, Xia Feng had already taken the bandages off.
The cloth was stained with blood.
Yet underneath—
There was not a single wound left.
Shinobu blinked in confusion.
"Did you heal it with your Healing Technique? But Aoi told me earlier that using your healing ability consumes your life force."
Xia Feng laughed.
"I was just teasing the little girl. You actually believed it?"
He walked over to the trash bin and casually tossed the bandages inside.
Shinobu was momentarily speechless.
Just like Aoi, she believed such a powerful healing ability shouldn't be free of cost.
But seeing Xia Feng use it so casually made her unsure.
If his healing ability could truly be used freely…
With that ability alone, he would already qualify to become a Hashira.
There were countless fighters with Hashira-level strength who were forced to retire due to severe injuries.
If Xia Feng could heal them, humanity's casualties in the war against demons would drop drastically.
Even her own sister…
If she had been able to meet Xia Feng back then—
A trace of sadness surfaced in Shinobu's heart.
After a while, she led Xia Feng out of the treatment room and toward a residence not far away.
"Mr. Xia Feng, this is where I live. Besides me, some of the children from the treatment unit also stay here."
"I'll take you to your room."
With a cheerful smile on her face, she guided Xia Feng through the residence.
She arranged a room for him and called over several people from the treatment unit so they could get acquainted.
"These three children are Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho. They're caregivers at the Butterfly Estate and are already very familiar with everything here. If you need anything, you can always ask them for help."
Shinobu introduced them with a smile.
Just as she was about to say something else, a crow suddenly flew over and landed on the railing beside her.
"Caw! Caw! Message! Shinobu Kocho must report to headquarters immediately! Urgent orders!"
Shinobu looked slightly surprised.
An urgent order from headquarters…
What could have happened?
She turned to Xia Feng with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Xia Feng. I have to leave immediately. These children will help you familiarize yourself with the surroundings."
"No problem," Xia Feng replied.
"Be careful. If you get injured, retreat immediately. I can treat you."
Hearing his words, Shinobu revealed a beautiful smile.
"Then I'll thank you in advance."
After saying that, she nodded to Xia Feng.
In the next moment, her figure vanished into the distance.
Watching the direction Shinobu left, the three little girls all showed looks of admiration.
"Big Sister Shinobu went to carry out another dangerous mission…"
"I wish we could help her somehow."
Xia Feng looked at them and smiled.
"You already help a lot."
"You manage the Butterfly Estate so well that Shinobu doesn't have to worry about the rear. That's already a huge support."
The three girls froze at the same time.
They looked up at Xia Feng.
Then they smiled brightly.
"Thank you, Mr. Xia Feng!"
The Butterfly Estate was very large.
What Shinobu had shown Xia Feng earlier was only a small portion of the estate.
The three girls continued guiding him around the estate.
When they reached the courtyard, Xia Feng suddenly stopped and looked toward the center.
There—
A small figure was practicing swordsmanship with complete focus.
It was a girl.
She looked about the same age as Xia Feng and was wearing a pink kimono.
Her long black hair was tied into a side ponytail with a butterfly-shaped ornament.
Her eyes were filled with intense concentration.
Xia Feng watched her for a moment.
Then he stepped forward and walked toward her.