Kanao's large eyes sparkled with a little life. She looked at Su Chen and said carefully, "Thank you, Su Chen."
"You're welcome," he replied. "Now, can you tell me why you suddenly left earlier?"
Kanao lowered her head. "Because... you didn't need to do the third stage."
"Oh?" Su Chen looked surprised.
He understood what she meant. In Kanao's eyes, he was already too strong for the third stage. She thought it would just be a waste of his time.
She wasn't good at expressing her emotions, so she had just walked away. It was all a small misunderstanding.
When Su Chen didn't say anything for a moment, Kanao thought he was angry.
"I'm sorry," she said awkwardly.
Su Chen looked at the embarrassed girl and thought she was surprisingly cute.
He put a hand on his chest and pretended to be serious. "It's okay. But you'll have to make it up to me in the future."
"Make it up... to you?"
Kanao looked up, curious. She wondered what kind of compensation he wanted.
But to her surprise, Su Chen said, "You have to talk to me more often. If you don't, I won't forgive you."
Kanao fell silent.
That wasn't compensation at all. She thought he would ask her to keep practicing with him.
She was wrong. He was just trying to help her.
Kanao blinked.
A long time ago, a kind older sister had treated her the same way.
That was Lady Shinobu's older sister, Kanae Kocho.
Kanae was her master and taught her Flower Breathing, but she also cared for her like a real sister.
She was the most important person in her world.
And now, Kanao felt that same familiar kindness from Su Chen.
At that moment, Su Chen seemed to glow in Kanao's eyes.
Kanao seemed to be in a daze, so Su Chen waved his hand in front of her face.
He only moved his hand halfway when he heard Kanao whisper, "Sister?"
"What?" Su Chen froze. How did I suddenly change gender?
He felt like everything he just said was for nothing. She hadn't heard a single word!
Kanao also realized what she said, and her whole body jolted.
Her face turned bright red. "I... I'm sorry!"
Su Chen wanted to pat her head, but he stopped himself.
Instead, he gently patted her on the shoulder.
"Did you think of your family?"
Kanao pressed her lips together and nodded.
Su Chen understood. He knew exactly who she meant.
Kanae Kocho, Shinobu's older sister.
She was killed by the Upper Rank Two demon, Doma. That demon deserved to die.
Su Chen felt a sudden urge to get stronger. If even a Hashira could be killed by an Upper Rank demon, his own skills were nothing. He had to improve, and fast.
Su Chen talked with Kanao for a little while longer, and she slowly started to say more.
Before they knew it, the afternoon had passed.
All the girls of the Butterfly Mansion had a wonderful conversation with Su Chen.
He had left a deep impression on them, and he felt more a part of the mansion.
Night fell.
The sound of crickets and other insects came from the bushes in the courtyard.
The Butterfly Mansion felt even more peaceful at night than in the daytime.
At this moment, a young man sat alone on the roof of the mansion.
The roof was made of smooth, slippery blue tiles. It would be easy to fall off.
But Su Chen sat on the roof as if it were a normal chair. His posture was perfectly stable.
He was silently using a breathing technique, relying on his high body coordination to stay balanced as he regulated his breathing.
He looked down at the courtyard where he had practiced with Kanao.
The scene of their duel replayed in his mind.
Slowly, the courtyard in his memory became clear.
It was like he and Kanao were really there, repeating the movements from their fight.
"Breathing Technique..." Su Chen murmured.
He carefully observed Kanao's body movements and breathing rhythm in his memory.
The image of Kanao in his mind slowed down, like a video on pause.
Su Chen was observing the memory frame by frame.
He had only discovered this ability during the battle today.
He realized that his comprehension skill was not the only amazing thing. His observation skills were also terrifyingly strong.
He could analyze an opponent's movements frame by frame, which made them look like they were in slow motion.
This was why he could learn his opponent's movements so fast, copy them, and even find a way to counterattack.
And now, at night, he discovered another ability: his memory was also perfect.
He could replay past battles in his mind anytime he wanted, allowing him to gain new insights.
Right now, he was replaying his battle with Kanao.
He had fourteen days left until his duel with Shinazugawa.
He had to learn a Breathing Technique as fast as possible.
Thinking of this, Su Chen closed his eyes and focused.
You recalled the battle, breaking down Kanao's movements frame by frame. You imitated them and learned the muscle techniques of Flower Breathing.
You observed the changes in her lungs and the rhythm of her breathing. You performed deductions and learned the full Breathing Technique of Flower Breathing.
You combined the breathing and the muscle movements. You discovered a more powerful breathing method.
You found that Flower Breathing is better for a woman's body. It focuses on agility. It is not as helpful for you. You decided to improve it.
You tried to increase the frequency of your breathing, accelerating the flow of air in your lungs.
You tried to change the muscle techniques in your legs to make them more suitable for your body, allowing you to move faster.
You developed a modified version of Flower Breathing: the Flower Breathing - Rafflesia Version.
"Hoo..."
Su Chen let out a long breath. This kind of mental work put a huge load on his brain. He remembered that he had fainted the first time he overused his brain.
He focused his attention on his new, improved Breathing Technique.
The original Flower Breathing was based on a woman's lighter body and focused on agility.
It was perfect for a woman, but it wasn't a good fit for Su Chen's body.
He had to improve it. Since this was his first time learning a Breathing Technique, most of his time was spent just learning the basics. The modified version was just a small extra step.
Still, the name he chose was pretty ugly.
Rafflesia Breathing? Really?
"Forget it, I'll just call it Flower Breathing," Su Chen thought.
"Moshi moshi~"
A soft, sweet voice suddenly rang in Su Chen's ears.
Su Chen shivered. The cloud pattern rapidly spread from his neck as he instantly went on alert.
But he relaxed the next moment. He recognized the voice.
It was Kochou Shinobu.
Su Chen opened his eyes. He saw that Shinobu had approached him without him noticing. She was looking at him with large, amused eyes.