It didn't hurt anymore.
And it felt pretty damn smooth!
Kyojuro stood up quite naturally, then hopped a couple of times.
There really wasn't the slightest discomfort anymore!
Kyojuro's already large eyes widened even further.
He was even more shaken inside.
Could Su Chen really be a doctor too?
His medical skills were incredible!
Seeing this, Kanao Tsuyuri couldn't help smiling, her fair face lighting up.
She loved seeing people's reactions after Su Chen healed them.
Whenever Su Chen received praise from others, she was happier than when her own swordsmanship improved.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Su Chen!"
The Rengoku brothers spoke in unison.
Kyojuro had never expected Su Chen to cure the leg ailment that had troubled him for years so easily.
At that moment, he couldn't help recalling when Su Chen first made his wager with Shinazugawa.
Back then, Su Chen had made an outrageous boast.
He had declared that he would defeat Shinazugawa in half a month!
It was an excuse a young man had found to motivate himself-or at least, that was how Kyojuro had seen it then.
But now, it seemed...
Su Chen might truly have a slim chance of pulling it off!
Faced with their praise, Su Chen smiled faintly. "It's no trouble. But I'll still have to trouble you to visit the Butterfly Mansion, Brother Rengoku. You'll need one more treatment to recover completely."
Hearing this, Senjuro patted his chest. "Leave it to me! Don't worry, Brother Su Chen. I'll definitely carry my big brother over there!"
Kyojuro affectionately stroked Senjuro's head.
Just then, Su Chen suddenly added, "This problem actually arose because you've been applying force incorrectly through your leg muscles, Brother Rengoku."
"If you can change how you apply force, this problem probably won't happen again."
"Huh?" Senjuro froze.
He had imagined countless things Su Chen might say next.
But he had never expected Su Chen to question his big brother!
His brother was a Hashira!
Every movement his brother made could serve as a model for ordinary Corps members to imitate.
They were textbook movements, through and through!
Besides, the Rengoku Family's sword techniques and movements had been passed down from their ancestors. There was no such thing as an incorrect technique for applying force!
Brother Su Chen must have misspoken.
Senjuro assumed that his brother's leg injury must have come from a demon striking him while he was fighting it. Brother Su Chen must have gotten it wrong.
However.
Kyojuro, the Flame Hashira, didn't think so.
Well versed in his family's historical records, he knew a little more than Senjuro.
He knew that his ancestors' Breathing Styles had all evolved from a single Breathing Style.
That included Flame, Stone, Wind, Water, and Thunder.
These five fundamental Breathing Styles had all been created to suit people's different physiques and habits.
Since Breathing Styles existed because people were imperfect in the first place, how could there be no room for improvement?
Kyojuro grew increasingly eager to hear what Su Chen would say next.
With Su Chen's insight, perhaps he really had spotted Kyojuro's problem during their fight!
The Rengoku brothers each had their own opinion on this.
But both looked ready to listen attentively.
Kanao Tsuyuri also gazed at Su Chen in a daze, eagerly awaiting his next words.
With everyone watching, Su Chen spoke.
"Brother Rengoku, do your legs hurt when you use sword techniques that involve explosive bursts of speed?"
Kyojuro lowered his head and thought for a moment.
Then he nodded.
When he used Unknowing Fire and sword techniques based on Unknowing Fire, his legs did indeed hurt.
But he had thought that was simply a sign of his legs exerting force, so he hadn't paid it any mind.
Su Chen's next words, however, immediately made Kyojuro understand.
"Under normal circumstances, a person's legs shouldn't hurt when exerting force."
"If there's pain, that means the movement is harming your body, so your body is sending you a 'warning.'"
"No." Senjuro immediately objected. "My brother was injured by a demon before. Couldn't the pain now be from a lingering injury?"
"No. I can tell at a glance whether it's a lingering injury."
Su Chen shook his head and asked Senjuro in return, "Do you think any demon other than an Upper Rank could hurt Brother Rengoku now?"
"Let alone push him to the point of leaving a lingering injury in his legs?"
The Rengoku brothers both froze, each finding Su Chen's words very reasonable.
So they pricked up their ears and listened carefully as Su Chen continued his analysis.
Su Chen reached his conclusion. "So, Brother Rengoku caused his own injury."
Kyojuro couldn't help nodding, then couldn't resist asking, "Then, Mr. Su Chen, is there any way to fix it?"
"Yes." Su Chen turned to look at him.
"But Mr. Rengoku must first demonstrate Flame Breathing, Ninth Form, for me."
Kyojuro immediately caught on. "Flame Breathing, Ninth Form: Rengoku?"
Su Chen nodded. "Yes. I need to observe all of your Flame Breathing techniques, Brother Rengoku. Only then can I find where the problem with Flame Breathing lies."
Hearing this, Senjuro was once again stunned on the spot.
Although he no longer felt any hostility toward Su Chen, he really couldn't like those words.
What did he mean, finding problems with Flame Breathing?
Wouldn't agreeing to his request mean admitting that Flame Breathing had flaws?
There was no way his big brother would agree!
Sure enough, Kyojuro thought it over after hearing this.
Then he said, "You don't need me to demonstrate the others?"
"No," Su Chen said slowly, "because I've already memorized the earlier techniques."
"Memorized them?"
Both Rengoku brothers looked astonished.
Did Su Chen mean "memorized" in the way they understood it?
Su Chen repeated himself. "I've memorized all the movements you demonstrated earlier, Brother Rengoku. Naturally, that includes the Flame Breathing Style."
With that, Su Chen drew his Nichirin Blade like lightning.
He intended to demonstrate it right in front of Kyojuro.
"Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
A dazzling arc of flame blossomed in the air.
Su Chen's movements were practically identical to those Kyojuro had just demonstrated!
But there was a difference too.
Unlike the Flame Hashira, Su Chen didn't pour all his strength into his feet at once.
Because doing so would cause blood to congest in his feet.
Over time, it would wear down his muscles.
Under Kyojuro's gaze, Su Chen used a method of vibrating his body rapidly to increase his speed.
"What a fast draw," Kyojuro couldn't help exclaiming in admiration.
Now the Rengoku brothers were finally speechless.
They were convinced that Su Chen had learned the first few Flame Breathing techniques.
His talent was so terrifying, yet Kyojuro had been thinking earlier of giving Su Chen some pointers and then teaching him Flame Breathing.
Instead, he had learned it himself.
It really made Kyojuro want to find a hole to crawl into!
"What do you think, Brother Rengoku? As long as you demonstrate Ninth Form: Rengoku once more, I'll be able to identify the problem with your legs from the way Flame Breathing works."
Kyojuro hesitated.
Before you continue