Who exactly is this guy?
Sanemi Shinazugawa clenched his teeth and tightened his grip on his sword.
Wind Breathing — Second Form: Claws, Purifying Wind!
With a swing of his blade, four claw-shaped gusts of violent wind tore toward Xia Feng.
Sanemi was certain:
Even the most experienced swordsman would have only one option against this technique.
Retreat.
If you didn't dodge, you died.
Although the four gusts looked like claws with gaps between them, that was actually a trap.
Between the claw-shaped winds were countless tiny invisible wind blades.
Anyone attempting to pass through the gaps would be shredded into minced flesh.
Unless someone was strong enough to see every tiny blade and avoid them one by one—
Breaking through this move should have been impossible.
And people like that didn't exist in Sanemi's mind.
He focused entirely on the two sides of the attack.
Xia Feng would definitely choose one side to break through!
At a moment like this, Shadow Stealth would be useless.
Using it would only disrupt Xia Feng's own rhythm.
But suddenly—
Sanemi's eyes widened.
Xia Feng wasn't dodging to either side.
Instead—
He rushed straight into the gap between the claws.
Is he trying to die?
Sanemi felt a flash of panic.
Wind slashes weren't like sword strikes.
You could pull back a blade, but wind blades?
Impossible.
If Xia Feng couldn't deal with them—
He would die.
Sanemi clicked his tongue, already preparing to rescue him.
At that moment, a strange light flashed in Xia Feng's eyes.
Bullet Time.
In an instant—
The entire world slowed dramatically.
The countless tiny wind blades moving between the claw-shaped gusts appeared clearly before him.
"I can dodge them."
Xia Feng's eyes widened.
His body suddenly surged forward.
Between the wind blades, his feet moved rapidly up and down.
Not a single blade touched him.
Sanemi stared in disbelief.
At that moment, only one thought crossed his mind.
This guy might be more suited for Wind Breathing than I am…
Although the movements seemed incredibly complex—
They happened in less than a second.
During Sanemi's moment of hesitation—
Xia Feng had already passed through Claws, Purifying Wind!
His sword flashed forward like lightning, stabbing toward Sanemi's throat.
Sanemi barely managed to raise his sword to block.
CLANG!
The blades scraped against each other, sparks flying.
Both of them froze.
Xia Feng's sword tip hovered only a few centimeters from Sanemi's neck.
Meanwhile—
A chip had appeared on Sanemi's blade.
Xia Feng had exploited that tiny crack to break through the defense and secure victory.
This was the advantage of a superior sword.
Sanemi stared at the blade before him.
After a few seconds, he gritted his teeth and lowered his sword.
"…I lost."
Xia Feng smiled with satisfaction and sheathed his blade.
Sanemi spoke in a low voice.
"I'm Sanemi Shinazugawa."
"Who are you?"
"And why do you know Flower Breathing and Insect Breathing?"
Xia Feng was busy checking his sword for damage and replied casually.
"Butterfly Estate."
"Xia Feng."
Sanemi froze.
His expression became strangely flustered.
It looked like he wanted to say something but didn't know how to begin.
Almost instantly, sweat appeared on his forehead.
Seeing this reaction, Xia Feng smiled with interest.
Does he want something from me?
Maybe he wants me to heal the scars on his face?
The thought almost made Xia Feng grin wickedly.
You want my help?
Sure.
Kneel and beg first.
Sanemi took a deep breath under Xia Feng's gaze.
He slowly sheathed his sword.
Then he spoke.
"I… I want to ask for your help!"
Xia Feng chuckled.
"That's not how you ask for help."
Sanemi became even more awkward.
His expression changed several times.
Finally, he bowed deeply.
"I'm asking for your help!"
Xia Feng nodded with satisfaction.
"Alright. Let's hear it."
Relief flooded Sanemi's face.
He had assumed that after provoking Xia Feng and fighting him, he would be rejected immediately.
But there was still room for discussion.
This guy… is a good person.
Sanemi mentally handed Xia Feng a "Good Guy Card."
Maintaining his bow, he spoke.
"My younger brother has a strange condition."
"He can eat demon flesh and temporarily gain demon abilities."
"He doesn't have the talent to become a swordsman… but he wants to rely on that ability to pass the Final Selection and join the Demon Slayer Corps."
"I don't want him to join the Corps."
"So… could you cure his condition?"
Xia Feng suddenly understood.
Sanemi must be talking about the hot-headed guy from the main cast who could eat demons.
What was his name again?
Genya Shinazugawa.
So that was why Sanemi came to him.
After thinking for a moment, Xia Feng rubbed his chin.
If Sanemi had come for his own sake, Xia Feng would definitely have teased him.
But if it was for family…
He didn't want to make things difficult.
Truthfully, Xia Feng didn't dislike Sanemi as a person.
The reason he had fought earlier was simple.
One, Sanemi had been noisy.
Two, Xia Feng wanted to test his newly forged sword.
After thinking it over, he spoke.
"What you described doesn't sound like a disease."
"It sounds more like a special constitution."
"Does your family have any unusual traits? For example, do your parents have special abilities?"
Sanemi answered immediately.
"I have rare blood."
"And not just any rare blood."
"When demons smell my blood, they become drunk. Weak demons can even pass out."
"Does that count as a special ability?"
Xia Feng tilted his head.
He hadn't really studied rare blood much.
But if he admitted he did not know, it would ruin his mysterious image.
After thinking briefly, he nodded solemnly.
"I understand."
"Wait for news."
"When I come up with a solution, I'll contact you."
Sanemi instantly became excited.
"Okay!"
Then he hesitated.
After forcing the words out through clenched teeth, he added—
"…Thank you."
Just as Xia Feng was about to say something else—
Footsteps approached from nearby.
He turned around.
Shinobu Kocho, Kanao Tsuyuri, and several swordsmiths were running toward them.
At the very front—
Was Haganezuka.
Xia Feng suddenly understood.
He couldn't help but laugh.
Looks like Haganezuka had gone to call reinforcements.
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