The Butterfly Sisters

In a small room within the Rengoku Family estate, Suzuki Mufeng lay on the bedding and slowly opened his eyes. Beside him, Flower Hashira Kanae Kocho immediately leaned in, asking with concern.

"You're finally awake. Is there any part of your body that still feels uncomfortable?"

Just as he opened his eyes, the first thing to come into view was Kanae Kocho's exquisite, delicate face; even the sound of her breathing was perfectly clear.

"I'm fine. What about the others in the village? They were all rescued, weren't they?"

"Yes, thanks to you. If you hadn't handled things beforehand, there likely wouldn't be anyone left in that village. Please, let me express my sincere gratitude for your efforts."

Kanae Kocho thanked Suzuki Mufeng solemnly, speaking on behalf of everyone in the village for his contributions.

"A healer's heart is benevolent. In that situation, no one would have sat by and done nothing. I only did what anyone else would have done."

Grumble—

Suzuki Mufeng's stomach suddenly began to growl beneath the quilt. Kanae Kocho covered her mouth and chuckled, producing a bowl of white porridge from behind her.

"My apologies, I didn't consider that you had just woken up and your strength hasn't returned yet. Eat a little to regain your energy first."

After thanking her, Suzuki Mufeng took the porridge and swallowed it in small mouthfuls. He hadn't been eating for long when the bedroom door was pushed open!

"Young Mufeng! You've finally woken up! I was so worried about you!"

"Flame Hashira, the potent poison in your body has not been eradicated yet. Please, return to your room and rest."

As soon as he heard the news that Suzuki Mufeng had woken up, Kyojuro Rengoku had immediately set off to visit the youth who had intercepted the fleeing Lower Rank Six and saved an entire village.

"Hmm! You can eat! Excellent, one only has the strength to act when they are well-fed!"

Kyojuro Rengoku stood with his arms crossed, his expression serious and concerned, making it impossible to read any shift in his emotions.

"Rengoku-san, if you continue to push yourself, your recovery will only slow down."

As she spoke, Shinobu Kocho, standing beside him, surreptitiously poked the wound on Kyojuro Rengoku's waist with her finger. His previously sunny and cheerful expression turned pale, and his tightly pressed lips began to tremble.

Suzuki Mufeng couldn't help but feel a secret sense of relief. Thankfully, it was Kanae Kocho taking care of him and not the black-bellied Shinobu Kocho, or he would have been in for a miserable time.

"Since Suzuki-san is awake, could you tell us about the methods you used to treat those villagers? Rengoku-san mentioned it was Onmyodo, but those techniques looked more like something from the West. Could you explain it to us?"

It was here—the prying and questioning Suzuki Mufeng had feared most.

"Shinobu, Mufeng is still a patient who just woke up; he needs rest."

"But Sister, you saw it too. The way he handled the wounded was better than our own, and there were no lingering side effects. If he has an antidote, he could heal everyone in the village all by himself. If we could all learn this, the casualties of the Demon Slayer Corps would be drastically reduced."

Not a single villager Suzuki Mufeng treated had died. When they arrived, they were shocked by his techniques; if they had been the ones to handle it, they certainly couldn't have done as well as he did, and many villagers would likely have died accidentally.

"These are just some minor tricks my family bought from others. I understand your urgency, Shinobu-san. Once I am able, I will compile what I know into a manual; I guarantee it will be an eye-opener for you."

Suzuki Mufeng played it coy. After all, what he held in his mind was the essence of medical knowledge from the Hokage world, which was more than enough compared to the current Demon Slayer World.

"Rengoku-senpai, as for the training in Flame Breathing, let's wait until your wounds have healed."

"Such fighting spirit! Mufeng, no need to wait—let us begin immediately!"

"That won't do, Rengoku-san. Didn't I say your injuries haven't healed? You cannot engage in strenuous exercise."

"I understand! Mufeng, although I cannot teach you right now, I have records and secret manuals on Flame Breathing training at home. You may take a look at them first."

Suzuki Mufeng was surprised. Such manuals were usually closely guarded family heirlooms, not something easily shown to outsiders.

The fact that Kyojuro Rengoku offered the experiences summarized by his ancestors without hesitation showed his trust in Suzuki Mufeng.

"Mufeng, you must remember to balance work and rest. Urokodaki-senpai is very concerned about you; you should write a few letters back to let them know you are safe."

Reminded by Kanae Kocho, Suzuki Mufeng realized he had been away for so long without writing a single letter to Urokodaki or Sabito.

"Thank you for the reminder, Kanae-san. It has indeed been a long time since I spoke with Old Man Urokodaki and the others. I should also write a letter to Old Man Kuwajima and Zenitsu."

"You can just call me Kanae. We won't disturb your recovery any further; we shall take our leave."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Kanae Kocho grabbed Shinobu Kocho's arm and left, leaving Suzuki Mufeng alone to sit up. He began to write down the medical knowledge from his mind, though he still needed to think over what to include in the letters.

In the hallway, Shinobu Kocho complained to her sister, Kanae Kocho, with some dissatisfaction.

"Sister, why were you so gentle with Suzuki? Tell me the truth—do you have a crush on him?"

Shinobu Kocho leaned in suspiciously, trying to find a hint of a clue on Kanae Kocho's face.

"What are you saying, Shinobu? I am merely curious about him. All the villagers he treated spoke highly of him, and one can tell from his wound-dressing technique that he is a very gentle person. I just wanted to interact with him more, and he is exactly as I imagined."

As she spoke, Kanae Kocho clasped her hands together, a gentle smile appearing on her face.

Seeing this, Shinobu Kocho was certain her sister was interested in Suzuki Mufeng. And she had read in books that when a woman becomes interested in a man, she isn't far from falling for him.

No, I must keep a close eye on my sister from now on. I absolutely cannot let Suzuki Mufeng, that pig, root up our family's prize cabbage.

Just as the sisters were leaving, Senjuro Rengoku pushed open the door, carrying a stack of books taller than himself.

"Suzuki-san, these are the secret manuals on Flame Breathing from my family. My brother said you may read them as you please."

"Thanks, Senjuro. Just leave them there. Don't worry about me; go attend to your own affairs."

After Senjuro Rengoku left, Suzuki Mufeng put down his pen. He had finished writing down most of his medical knowledge, and the letter was ready to be sent off by a Kasugai Crow later.

"Next, I'll take a look at the Flame Breathing manual. Hopefully, I can find some clues there to create my own breathing style."

Suzuki Mufeng activated his Sharingan, studying every move and technique of Flame Breathing from the very top, along with the breathing methods, the history of Flame Breathing, and the experiences of every member of the Rengoku Family who had wielded it; all of it proved immensely beneficial to him.

"Light... I think I understand what kind of breathing style I should create. Light Breathing, just like the color of my Nichirin Sword."

Having digested the knowledge accumulated over the long history of the Rengoku Family through his Sharingan, and summarizing his breathing cultivation and combat experiences from the past few days, Suzuki Mufeng had found his direction. He had a goal: after mastering Flame Breathing, he would seek out the Kamado Family to learn from their Hinokami Kagura.

"Since I have a direction, I must lay a solid foundation. The First Form must be approached with the utmost caution. As for the supreme Sun Breathing, how could I possibly pass that up? After all, sunlight is light, too."

With a clear path ahead, Suzuki Mufeng felt incredibly lighthearted. He was now filled with anticipation for the future, wondering just how far he could go once he successfully created his own breathing style.