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Kanzaki Aoi frowned and immediately took his temperature again, with the same result.
She looked up, her eyes filled with confusion and scrutiny, "Are you feeling unwell? Your temperature is very high."
"Oh, that," Mr. Cheng Mo said without changing his expression, even smiling, "It's a family trait; my metabolism is faster than average, so my baseline body temperature is higher. It's just a side effect of abundant energy, nothing serious."
He slightly stretched his shoulders, his muscle lines faintly visible beneath his thin clothes.
Kanzaki Aoi recorded "Abnormally high body temperature (self-reported unique constitution)" and then checked Mr. Cheng Mo's shoulder and back wounds. She carefully peeled back the gauze, her movements gentle.
The expected redness, swelling, and oozing were absent; there was only a slightly darker scar with smooth, even edges.
"This..."
Kanzaki Aoi's serious expression cracked for the first time. She carefully examined the scar, "The recovery is... too fast. Captain Murata reported that you suffered a severe shoulder injury only two days ago."
Mr. Cheng Mo's expression was normal, and he had already prepared his explanation: "Similarly, my constitution allows for slightly faster recovery than average, and my high body temperature is an old issue."
His tone was calm, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.
Kanzaki Aoi recorded it with a mix of belief and doubt, but her gaze towards Mr. Cheng Mo became more scrutinizing.
She asked a few more basic health questions, and Mr. Cheng Mo answered them fluently.
Subsequently, another, more senior medical staff member arrived, and the questions delved deeper, touching upon Mr. Cheng Mo's medical knowledge and the source of his special medicinal powder.
"Sulfonamide powder? It's an ancient family recipe, said to have been left behind by an ancestor who once traveled overseas to practice medicine. Its exact origin is no longer traceable."
Mr. Cheng Mo explained with a mix of truth and fabrication, his tone carrying a perfectly appropriate hint of recollection and regret.
"I'm just a traveling merchant trying to make a living, relying on this ancestral legacy to occasionally treat minor illnesses for people, in exchange for travel expenses."
His explanation was smooth and cautious, designed to lower the other party's guard.
The questioner recorded it, and although curiosity remained in their eyes, they did not press him further.
Mr. Cheng Mo knew these were just appetizers.
The real key lay in whether he could pique the interest of Lady Kocho.
Meanwhile, after settling the injured, Matsui and Murata immediately rushed to find Kochou Shinobu, who was busy preparing medicines.
"Lady Kocho! We encountered an extremely skilled doctor near Fujisawa Town this time!" Murata reported excitedly, "His medicinal powder can instantly stop wound festering! He also knows a technique of 'observing qi' that can detect the presence of demons in advance! He can even... even discern a demon's weakness at a glance!"
Matsui added, "Yes, Lady Shinobu! We took the liberty of inviting him to Butterfly Mansion, and he is currently in the Meditation Chamber."
"I believe his medical skills and abilities would be of immense help to our Demon Slayer Corps, and we had great difficulty persuading him to come. I worry that he might be neglected in the Meditation Chamber, so please, you must meet him."
Kochou Shinobu, who had been focused on the medicine in her hands, paused her stirring motion slightly when she heard "instantly stop wound festering" and "discern a demon's weakness at a glance."
She looked up, a subtle glint flashing in her characteristic purple eyes, a gentle smile still on her face: "Oh my, oh my? He sounds like a very interesting gentleman. Since you two recommend him so highly, I must certainly meet him."
That afternoon, Mr. Cheng Mo was invited to Kochou Shinobu's pharmacy and office.
Kanzaki Aoi led him to a wooden door adorned with delicate butterfly patterns and gently knocked three times.
"Please come in."
A gentle, clear, yet somehow penetrating female voice came from within the room.
The door was pushed open.
The room was not large, but it was exceptionally tidy.
One wall was a floor-to-ceiling medicine cabinet, with countless small drawers labeled with dense names of medicinal herbs.
The other side featured a large desk piled with scrolls, books, and various pharmaceutical instruments.
In the center of the room, a petite young woman stood with her back to the door, tending to a rare purple flower on the windowsill, its petals edged with strange golden threads.
She turned around.
Her short purple hair was neatly tied back, with the tips slightly upturned.
Beneath her matching butterfly haori was the black uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Most striking were her eyes—clear as amethyst, with a gentle, crescent-moon smile.
The Insect Hashira, Kochou Shinobu.
"Mr. Cheng Mo?"
Kochou Shinobu's voice carried a perfectly balanced warmth and a hint of curiosity, "It must have been a tiring journey. Thank you for assisting our corps members in Fujisawa."
She bowed slightly, her posture elegant, like a true butterfly alighting on a flower stamen.
"Lady Kochou Shinobu, it's a pleasure to meet you. It was a small favor, nothing worth mentioning."
Mr. Cheng Mo bowed slightly, his demeanor neither servile nor arrogant.
He quickly assessed the other party.
A powerful aura emanated from Kochou Shinobu's petite frame.
Beneath that seemingly harmless smile, Mr. Cheng Mo's True Sight caught a hint of scrutiny as sharp as a scalpel and a bottomless desire for inquiry.
They both sat down, and as usual, there was a simple exchange of pleasantries and background questions.
Mr. Cheng Mo still used his narrative of "family medical skills," "overseas ancient texts," and "living as a merchant," handling the inquiries flawlessly.
But at the same time, he secretly observed and recorded details that Kochou Shinobu revealed in her words, which were not present in the anime.
These included the logistical operations of the Demon Slayer Corps in this real world, the specific scarce types of medicinal herbs, common non-combat casualties among members, and even the prevalence of certain localized diseases.
This information could prove valuable intelligence for his future endeavors.
During their conversation, Kochou Shinobu seemingly casually brought up several professional questions regarding wound infection treatment and inflammation control, clearly testing Mr. Cheng Mo's depth of knowledge.
Although Mr. Cheng Mo deliberately held back, as a modern neuroscience master, his foundational medical knowledge and systematic completeness far surpassed that of this era.
He carefully selected content that aligned with the "overseas ancient texts" setting for his answers, but occasionally, modern medical concepts like pathogens, antibiotic inhibition, and more precise pathophysiological explanations inadvertently slipped out, causing the light in Kochou Shinobu's purple eyes to grow brighter and brighter.
The smile on her face became even gentler, but the speed and depth of her questions quietly accelerated and deepened.
"Mr. Cheng Mo, what exactly are pathogens? How do they cause wound infections? And how does your medicinal powder inhibit them?"
She leaned slightly forward, her tone carrying a pure, almost fervent thirst for knowledge.
Mr. Cheng Mo understood; the fish had taken the bait.
He carefully chose his words, explaining bacterial infection and the antibacterial principle of sulfonamide-like drugs in a way that was as comprehensible as possible for this era's understanding.
Although Mr. Cheng Mo's explanation was still somewhat reserved, the new concepts and logically clear framework it contained had already deeply impressed Kochou Shinobu.
This completely surpassed any medical system she currently knew!
"Incredible... the wisdom in ancient texts is truly profound..."
Kochou Shinobu murmured, her gaze towards Mr. Cheng Mo completely transformed, from initial scrutiny to the surprise of discovering a treasure.
"Mr. Cheng Mo, your knowledge is crucial to our Butterfly Mansion, and to the entire Demon Slayer Corps! May I be so bold as to ask if you would be willing to stay at Butterfly Mansion for a while longer? I have many questions I wish to ask you."
Mr. Cheng Mo showed a perfectly appropriate expression of "difficulty": "This... I am merely a merchant, I'm afraid..."
"Please, you must agree!" Kochou Shinobu's tone was uncharacteristically urgent.
"Butterfly Mansion will do its best to meet all your needs! You can consider it a... scholarly exchange, or perhaps, a special transaction."
She keenly grasped Mr. Cheng Mo's identity as a "merchant."
Mr. Cheng Mo pondered for a moment, as if after careful consideration, before slowly nodding: "Since Lady Kocho is so insistent, then... I shall impose for a while. Let us learn from each other, learn from each other."
He successfully stayed, in the capacity of a "Special Medical Advisor" to Butterfly Mansion, and was invited personally by Kochou Shinobu, giving him an extraordinary status.