"About that... I'm not too sure myself. Just now, when I was trapped in the lake by Doma, the water was so cold that I kept swinging my sword to keep my blood flowing and prevent my body from freezing. As a result, this mark suddenly appeared on my forehead."
Ren explained. He didn't tell Kocho Shinobu the truth about the Demon Slayer Mark. Firstly, he couldn't explain how he knew about it.
Secondly, he was worried that with Kocho Shinobu's personality, she might do whatever it took to unlock the mark to kill Doma, such as injecting some kind of drug into her body to force it open.
Although it sounded selfish, Ren didn't want Kocho Shinobu to unlock the mark. Apart from the chosen one, Tsugikuni Yoriichi, everyone who unlocked the mark did not live past twenty-five.
The reason Tsugikuni Yoriichi lived past twenty-five was that his mark was innate, whereas everyone else's marks were awakened later in life.
The mark was an ability that overdrew one's life force; maintaining it for a long time caused irreversible damage to the body.
Thinking of the side effects of the mark, Ren's expression became serious, and he hurriedly asked the system in his mind.
'Little Tian, my physical constitution is more than twenty times that of a normal person. Will unlocking the mark affect my lifespan?'
Because it was the "God Rewards the Diligent System" (Tiandao Chouqin), Ren called it "Little Tian" for short. The system replied quickly.
[No! As long as the host exercises diligently and continuously improves their physical attributes, the mark will not affect the host's health. You can even keep the mark active permanently!]
'Permanently active... wouldn't that be the same as Total Concentration: Constant?'
Ren was overjoyed. The grin on his face was impossible to suppress, practically reaching up to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the moon. He even let out a laugh, leaving Kocho Shinobu completely confused.
"Ren, what are you giggling about?"
"Uh... nothing, nothing. It's just that I finally won the heart of a beauty today."
Ren gave a sheepish smile, but the strength in his arms increased. He supported Kocho Shinobu's back with his elbow, holding her against his chest. At this moment, Kocho Shinobu's beautiful face was only five centimeters away from his neck.
He could even feel her warm, fragrant breath blowing against his sensitive neck, making Ren mentally shout in satisfaction.
"You! Hmph, your mind is always in the gutter..." Kocho Shinobu blushed, but immediately straightened her expression.
"When we get back to the Butterfly Mansion, let me give you a full body check-up. It wouldn't be good if this mark caused any side effects to your body."
"No problem!"
With that, Ren picked up his pace. Before long, the two successfully returned to the Wisteria House.
Hearing the door open, the little girl, Chinatsu, immediately got out of bed and walked out in her pajamas.
"Brother Ren, Sister Shinobu, welcome ba..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Chinatsu saw Kocho Shinobu's battered appearance. Her eyes went wide, her body trembled, and she was at a loss for what to do.
"What happened to Sister Shinobu?"
"Miss Shinobu was injured by an evil demon. Chinatsu, is there a medical kit in the house? Please bring it to me, and also prepare a basin of hot water and some clean towels."
"Okay! I'll go right now!"
Hearing Ren's words, Chinatsu ran to get the medical kit and took charge of boiling the water.
Fortunately, it was winter, and every household had a habit of burning charcoal for warmth. They would also keep a pot of water boiling on the stove to make tea the next day.
Therefore, it didn't take long for Chinatsu to return with a basin of hot water and the medical kit.
During this time, Ren carried Kocho Shinobu into the room and laid her flat on the tatami mats.
He opened the medical kit. The supplies inside were quite complete, containing medical gauze, alcohol, and some herbs for stopping bleeding and reducing bruising. It was just a pity that there was no iodophor in this era.
"Miss Shinobu, I'm going to use hot water to wipe your wounds. It might hurt a little, so please bear with it."
Without waiting for Kocho Shinobu to say anything, Ren lifted her long, snow-white legs, covered in wounds. He picked up a warm, wet towel and gently wiped the blood from her wounds, thinking happily to himself.
'Miss Shinobu's legs... they are just too stunning!'
After helping her wipe the blood off her feet and calves, Ren moved upwards, preparing to wipe the wounds on her waist and back.
By this time, Kocho Shinobu's face was redder than a ripe apple. She finally grabbed Ren's arm and spoke shyly.
"Um, Ren, you should go out. I can handle the wounds on my back myself..."
Seeing Kocho Shinobu's shy expression, Ren couldn't help but smile. "Alright, I'll listen to you. Call me after you've finished bandaging the wounds."
"Okay!"
After receiving her affirmative reply, Ren left, and Kocho Shinobu breathed a slight sigh of relief.
She picked up the wet towel to wipe the blood off her body and used cotton swabs to apply rubbing alcohol to prevent bacterial infection.
At the same time, her mind couldn't help but replay the scene of Ren wiping her wounds just now, making her small face even rosier...
After leaving the room, Ren looked at his left hand, which had just caressed Kocho Shinobu's beautiful legs. A refreshing fragrance still lingered on it, and he let his imagination run wild.
After a long while, Kocho Shinobu called Ren back in. By this time, she had wiped away the blood and wrapped herself in gauze, looking almost like a mummy.
"Are you okay, Miss Shinobu? Do the wounds still hurt?"
"Although it still hurts a little, it's fine now." Kocho Shinobu nodded slightly and added, "Also, Ren, thank you for saving me today!"
"It's nothing, we're friends. Isn't it natural for friends to help each other?"
Saying this, Ren picked up the basin full of bloody water, preparing to leave the room.
"Well then, Miss Shinobu, goodnight! When your injuries are mostly healed, we'll return to the Butterfly Mansion."
"Mm, I think the day after tomorrow should be about right."
Hearing Kocho Shinobu say this, Ren left the room. After pouring out the dirty water, he returned to his own room to rest.
Before going to sleep, he specially looked in the mirror. Now that his heartbeat had calmed down, the mark on his forehead had hidden itself beneath his skin, and the crimson red in his pupils had disappeared.
"I'll test the mark's abilities again tomorrow," he said as he crawled into his blankets.
...
Meanwhile, while Ren and Kocho Shinobu were resting, within the Infinity Castle in a different dimension, Doma was kneeling before Kibutsuji Muzan. His injuries had completely healed.
Even though he had failed his mission, he still wore a playful, smiling expression, laughing sarcastically.
"I am very sorry, Lord Muzan. Not only did I fail to save Lord Akaza, but I also failed to defeat that man. How should I atone for my sins?"
"How about I dig out my brain and eyes to entertain Lord Muzan?"
"Shut up!"
Listening to Doma's sinister voice, Kibutsuji Muzan spoke with a look of disgust.
"What use do I have for your eyeballs? Besides, from the very beginning, I didn't have any hope in you!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]