Shinobu Kocho: Shinazugawa, you're going the wrong way! Su Chen's over here if you want pointers!

But Su Chen was nowhere to be seen.

Su Chen had originally been standing with Kanao Tsuyuri, but now only Kanao Tsuyuri remained obediently standing there.

As for Su Chen.

Under Kanao Tsuyuri's cover, he was tiptoeing toward the inside of the Butterfly Mansion.

Swish!

A light, colorful haori swayed gently.

Shinobu Kocho's little hand shot out and grabbed him.

The girl smiled like a flower as she said, "Mr. Su Chen, where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Shinobu Kocho tugged with her little hand.

Then she pushed Su Chen back over.

Su Chen felt as though the sky were falling.

After hearing what Kyojuro had just said.

How could he not know what Kyojuro meant?

Didn't he just want Su Chen to teach him the sword techniques of Blazing Breathing?

After all, last night, he had taught him for an entire afternoon.

But Kyojuro had only learned the First Form!

And the Blazing Breathing he had developed had eleven sword forms!

Looking at it that way, Su Chen really didn't want to teach him.

How long would teaching all that take?

Su Chen had thought that after he took Kanao Tsuyuri and quietly slipped away yesterday, Kyojuro would get the message.

But no, today he had come charging straight to the Butterfly Mansion!

Direct and frank was his whole approach.

Su Chen's steps weighed a ton, as though merely walking up to Kyojuro had drained all his strength.

He gripped the other man's hand tightly and said, "Big Brother Rengoku, actually, I think Shinazugawa has a point. I'm really not qualified to teach you right now."

"You're the Flame Hashira. That's above my level!"

"Hey! What are you saying!"

Kyojuro grabbed Su Chen's hand in return and immediately said, "Who dares say Mr. Su Chen isn't qualified to teach a Hashira? I, Kyojuro Rengoku, will be the first to object!"

"This honor belongs to you and no one else!"

With that said.

A trace of guilt appeared on Kyojuro's face again.

"But it's embarrassing to admit!"

"Yesterday, Mr. Su Chen agreed to teach me new techniques, but my talent was simply too poor. After half a day of study, I only learned one move."

"After going back, I puzzled over it to no avail, so I decided to come ask Mr. Su Chen again today!"

After saying that, Kyojuro even looked a little bashful.

He really seemed deeply guilty about failing to learn it.

The sight left everyone present stunned.

What an unusual way to have a conversation!

Su Chen was actually teaching the Flame Hashira a Breathing Style?!

The looks everyone gave Su Chen held confusion, bewilderment, suspicion, and shock!

One thought sprang into everyone's mind.

Was this real or not?!

Since when could Su Chen teach a Hashira a Breathing Style?

Hadn't he never even held a sword at first?

And the most ridiculous part was that the Flame Hashira actually fucking said he couldn't learn it!

Just then.

A black messenger crow suddenly flew down from the sky.

It was Shinobu Kocho's messenger crow!

It had flown back from Kagaya Ubuyashiki's estate.

The messenger crow circled above everyone, calling incessantly, "Caw! Caw! Shinobu Kocho! Shinobu Kocho! Oyakata-sama has ordered you to collect a set of exclusive Hashira-rank Demon Slayer Corps clothing for Su Chen!"

"In addition, Oyakata-sama has allocated a Nichirin Blade to Su Chen. It is expected to arrive tomorrow!"

"Caw! Caw! Message delivered!"

The messenger crow cawed twice.

Then it landed on Shinobu Kocho's shoulder.

At that point.

An eerie silence fell over everyone again.

Inosuke and Kyojuro each blinked their big eyes.

Shinobu Kocho's and Kanao Tsuyuri's little mouths hung slightly open.

As for Shinazugawa, his expression looked as miserable as if he had swallowed a demon.

Kyojuro: "I didn't expect the Master to receive my message so quickly."

Shinobu Kocho: "My, my~ I didn't expect Mr. Su Chen to be valued so highly! Now I won't have to buy a Nichirin Blade!"

Kanao Tsuyuri: "I knew Mr. Su Chen was the best."

Inosuke: "Su Chen? Isn't his name Su Geng?"

As for our protagonist, Su Chen, he merely shrugged helplessly.

What can I do? I can't help being too outstanding!

He had only taught the Flame Hashira one move yesterday, yet today the higher-ups had rewarded him with a Demon Slayer Corps "skin."

Overall, Su Chen thought it was pretty good.

Shinobu Kocho couldn't afford to buy him a Nichirin Blade anyway.

Why turn down something free?

So Su Chen thought.

Suddenly.

Shinobu Kocho seemed to notice something, and her eyes lit up.

Her sweet, soft voice immediately rang out among the crowd.

"Mr. Shinazugawa, where are you going?"

Shinazugawa's burly frame shuddered as he stood at the entrance.

The next moment, everyone's eyes shot toward him.

Confusion, bewilderment, surprise.

Those gazes sliced across Shinazugawa's skin like knives.

Shinazugawa was leaving?

The sight immediately set everyone's imagination running.

The same thought involuntarily surfaced in everyone's mind.

Was Shinazugawa distancing himself from Su Chen?

After all, the news about Su Chen had only just arrived, and Shinazugawa was already rushing to leave.

It was hard to explain the scene any other way!

There by the entrance.

Shinazugawa turned around stiffly, resentment suddenly pouring off him more heavily than from a demon!

His face was scarlet, the veins on his forehead bulging one by one.

He wore a complicated expression, smiling in utter fury.

His anger even made the scars on his face look savage.

Just then, Shinobu Kocho spoke sweetly again. "Oh dear, look at me, I almost forgot. Mr. Shinazugawa, weren't you going to ask Mr. Su Chen for pointers?"

Those words stabbed into Shinazugawa's heart like a knife.

He simply couldn't understand how he had offended this woman.

Her little mouth was practically coated in honey.

Shinazugawa took a deep breath.

Then he said through gritted teeth, "I wasn't..."

Smack!

Before he could finish, Shinobu Kocho walked over and grabbed him.

Her pale little hands first removed the sword at his waist.

Only then did she say with a smile, "Mr. Shinazugawa, look at you, getting impatient again. You're so impatient you've even gone the wrong way!"

With that, she didn't even wait for Shinazugawa to resist.

Right in front of everyone, she pulled Shinazugawa toward Su Chen.

And to keep Shinazugawa from "getting lost," Shinobu Kocho even made a point of indicating where Su Chen stood. "It's this way~ silly!"

Shinazugawa: "..."

During this time.

It wasn't that Shinazugawa hadn't considered resisting.

But if he resisted, wouldn't it make him look afraid of Su Chen?

And in front of so many people!

So Shinazugawa could only steel himself and follow Shinobu Kocho.

There was no other choice. Rather than let someone else control him.

He might as well act first and deal with whatever happened next when the time came!

So along the way, to demonstrate his composure.

Shinazugawa walked so quickly that he actually reached Su Chen before Shinobu Kocho did.

Seeing this.

Everyone came to a realization.

They had misunderstood!

Judging by what Shinobu Kocho had said.

Shinazugawa wasn't afraid of Su Chen.

Rather, with so many people around earlier, he had found it awkward to approach Su Chen with his questions!