"Sound Pillar?!" Kanroji Mitsuri, standing nearby, covered her mouth in surprise.
The title of Pillar was no small matter, but if it was Mr. Cheng Mo... She recalled Mr. Kyoujurou's description of the battlefield situation and Cheng Mo's contributions, and it suddenly seemed perfectly natural.
Cheng Mo, however, was not surprised by this. He simply shook his head calmly: "Mr. Kyoujurou is too kind. The duties of a Pillar are immense, requiring long-term stationing and patrolling of areas..."
"I have important matters to attend to and fear I cannot fulfill the role. Let's discuss this again later."
He could not stay in this world for a long time; this was an unchangeable fundamental flaw.
Seeing his clear stance, Kyoujurou, though regretful, respected his choice and did not press further, merely sighing, "That truly is... such a pity!"
Not long after, lunch was brought in.
Cheng Mo and Kyoujurou received normal, hearty beef bowls.
What was placed before Kanroji Mitsuri, however, was an oversized, specially made bento box.
Inside were special grilled meat bowls, piled high like a small mountain, prepared according to Cheng Mo's recipe.
Beside them were several highly energy-dense meat patties, stewed with medicinal herbs, and a specially blended medicinal soup containing unique oils and nuts.
The aroma was enticing, the portions generous, and it looked incredibly nutritious.
Kanroji Mitsuri carefully took a bite, and immediately her emerald green eyes lit up.
"Delicious!!!"
She couldn't help but exclaim, forgetting all decorum, and began to eat heartily.
These foods were not only delicious, but as soon as she ate them, she could feel a warm energy rapidly flowing through her limbs.
The subtle weakness and hunger she had felt from not eating enough at Butterfly Mansion for days were instantly dispelled, replaced by a sense of fullness and powerful happiness!
As she ate, she looked at Cheng Mo with immense gratitude and admiration, her cheeks flushed with excitement and the delicious food.
"Mr. Cheng Mo, you are truly amazing! Not only are you powerful, but you are also so gentle and considerate. These foods are both delicious and quickly restore strength. Thank you so much!"
From then on, Cheng Mo's image in Kanroji Mitsuri's heart was completely solidified as "powerful, handsome, and the genius good person who understands my appetite best"!
Her favorability instantly skyrocketed... In the following days, Cheng Mo and Tanjirou temporarily stayed at Butterfly Mansion.
When the news spread, the doctors and nurses at Butterfly Mansion almost cheered.
Mr. Cheng Mo's medical skills were incredibly profound; the notes and improvement suggestions he left last time had already benefited them greatly.
Now, to be able to learn and consult with him up close again was an incredible blessing.
Kochou Shinobu was even more delighted, her purple eyes curving into crescents. She almost always carried thick notebooks and followed Cheng Mo whenever she had a moment.
Her questions came one after another, from viral infections to trauma first aid, and even to the unfamiliar concepts of cells and genes that Cheng Mo occasionally mentioned. She showed immense thirst for knowledge.
"Teacher Cheng Mo, regarding what you mentioned last time..." "Teacher Cheng Mo, this suturing technique..."
Though Cheng Mo was a man of few words, he was not stingy when it came to valuable medical discussions.
He could always pinpoint the crucial points with the most concise language, enlightening Kochou Shinobu and the attending doctors.
And his most important "project" with Kochou Shinobu was the round-the-clock monitoring of Himura Senichi in the isolation ward.
Records showed that Himura Senichi's condition was extremely unstable.
Most of the time, he was still dominated by the violent instincts of the demon blood.
He struggled and roared madly in his restraints, full of aggression.
But occasionally, when the monitoring doctor or Kochou Shinobu mentioned the name "Ruri," a faint, elusive flicker of confusion would pass through his cloudy demon eyes, and his roaring would briefly pause.
Even more astonishingly, in very rare and extremely brief moments, he would suddenly fall into an eerie silence.
Sometimes, his vacant demon eyes would stare fixedly in the direction of his daughter's ward, and turbid liquid would even seep from the corners of his eyes, rolling down his bruised face.
At other times, he would unconsciously adopt a certain sword-fighting stance, his movements stiff yet carrying a hint of familiar rhythm, as if an instinct etched into his bones was struggling to surface.
These fragmented signs of lucidity, though fleeting, were invaluable and meticulously recorded by Cheng Mo and Kochou Shinobu.
A few days later, under the careful treatment and nursing at Butterfly Mansion, Himura Ruri finally passed the critical period and slowly regained consciousness.
The girl opened her eyes, and an unfamiliar ceiling came into view.
Her body was so weak that it was difficult to even lift a finger, and memories flooded her mind like a tide.
The cozy tavern, the terrifying attack, her father pushing her away, and that dreadful man in the suit... "Ah!"
Her eyes instantly filled with terror, and she struggled to sit up, but it pulled at her wounds, making her gasp in pain.
"You're awake? Don't move!" The nurse guarding nearby quickly stepped forward to comfort her.
The news spread immediately. Cheng Mo and Tanjirou rushed to the ward at once, and even Kyojuro Rengoku, whose injuries had not fully healed, insisted on coming.
Inside the ward, Himura Ruri, who had just woken up, was as pale as paper, her eyes weak and wary as she scrutinized the unfamiliar faces before her.
A black-haired young man with a cold demeanor, a gentle boy with a scar on his forehead, and a man with yellowish-red hair, wrapped in bandages but with eyes as fiery as flames.
"Who... are you?" Her voice was hoarse and dry, filled with immense fear and unease, as she struggled to sit up.
"Papa... Where is my papa?!"
The scene fell into a silent sorrow for a moment.
Her question was like a needle, piercing the brief atmosphere of relief in the ward and bringing a heavy silence.
Cheng Mo pursed his lips.
He was not good at handling such emotional scenes, especially when facing a young girl who had just experienced immense trauma.
Kyojuro Rengoku opened his mouth, feeling somewhat downcast at the moment.
The thought of failing to protect her entire family filled him with self-reproach, making it difficult for him to speak.
Tanjirou looked at the two, then at the terrified and helpless girl on the bed, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
A strong sense of empathy surged within him.
He remembered Nezuko, and the pain and bewilderment he felt when he lost his family.
He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and knelt by the bedside, bringing his gaze level with Ruri's.
The boy's voice was as gentle as possible: "Don't be afraid, Miss Ruri, we are not bad people. My name is Kamado Tanjiro, this is my teacher Mr. Cheng Mo, and this is Mr. Kyojuro Rengoku."
His voice, with the clear and sincere quality unique to a young man, gradually calmed Himura Ruri's emotions somewhat, but the wariness in her eyes did not fade.
Tanjirou knew that some facts could not be hidden and had to be explained clearly.
He carefully chose his words, and began to explain the existence of Kibutsuji Muzan, the mission of the Demon Slayer Corps, and the origin of demons, in the simplest possible terms.
Himura Ruri listened, her small face pale, her body trembling slightly, clearly finding it difficult to immediately accept this terrifying, reality-shattering truth.