Kanao blinked.
She looked up at Xia Feng.
For a brief moment, his figure overlapped with someone from her memories.
That person was Kanae Kocho.
The one who taught her Flower Breathing.
Not her biological sister, yet someone she respected even more than one.
Seeing Kanao suddenly freeze in place, Xia Feng felt slightly confused.
He raised his hand, intending to wave it in front of her face to snap her out of it.
But before he could complete the motion—
Kanao softly spoke.
"…Sister."
Xia Feng: "???"
His hand froze mid-air as he stared at her in shock.
He had just killed a demon and looked cool doing it…
How did he suddenly change genders?
Xia Feng felt like his heart had taken ten thousand points of damage.
Kanao jolted slightly and came back to her senses.
Seeing Xia Feng standing there stiffly, she remembered what she had just said.
Her face instantly turned bright red.
She quickly bowed.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Mr. Xia Feng! I… I just…"
Xia Feng couldn't help but laugh as he reached out and stopped her from bowing repeatedly.
"It's fine, it's fine. Stop bowing already—you'll hurt your back."
Hearing his words, Kanao pressed her lips together.
Even that dry sense of humor…
It reminded her so much of Kanae.
Xia Feng looked at her and spoke gently.
"Did you remember your family?"
Kanao nodded.
Xia Feng raised his hand to pat her head.
But halfway through the motion he realized something.
He and Kanao were about the same height. Doing that felt a little awkward.
So instead, he lightly patted her shoulder.
"Normally I wouldn't let something like that slide, but since you're cute, I'll let it go this time."
"If you miss your sister in the future, you can always come talk to me."
"But dressing up as a girl for you is impossible. Absolutely impossible."
His words nearly made Kanao laugh.
The smile almost appeared on her face—
But she quickly suppressed it.
Xia Feng glanced at her.
"Kanao, the demon I just killed… counts as helping you, right?"
Kanao immediately nodded.
That help was no small matter.
If a demon capable of invisibility had successfully infiltrated the Butterfly Estate, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
When he saw her nod, Xia Feng smiled.
"Then help me with something too."
Under Kanao's gaze, he curled a finger and pointed at her face.
From today on, try expressing your real emotions when you are with people.
"Even if it's just a genuine smile or a small complaint."
"If that feels difficult, you can start by talking to me. I don't mind at all."
Kanao looked surprised.
Xia Feng's request… could barely even be called a request.
Though she struggled a little internally, since it was something Xia Feng had asked of her—
She decided to accept.
Under his gaze, Kanao took a deep breath.
Then slowly—
She revealed a beautiful smile.
"Thank you, Xia Feng."
The moment the words left her mouth, Kanao froze.
For the first time, she had spoken according to her true feelings.
At that instant, it felt as though something inside her had been released.
The heavy burden she had carried for so long seemed to lift quietly…
At the same moment, a notification rang in Xia Feng's ear.
[System Notification: Kanao Tsuyuri's favorability increased. Trust level reached. Reward: One Gold Card Draw.]
Xia Feng was stunned.
He hadn't expected…
Favorability could increase again.
And even more surprising—
Raising it could reward him with a Gold Card!
Gold Cards were the real treasure of the system—far more powerful than Silver Cards.
He took a deep breath and immediately activated the card draw.
[System Notification: Drawing… Drawing successful! Congratulations! You obtained the Golden Skill — Shadow Stealth!]
[System Notification: Shadow Stealth — Allows the user to merge into any shadow for a short period and move within shadows. Consumes stamina while active.]
Seeing the skill description, Xia Feng almost opened his mouth in shock.
There was only one word to describe it.
Incredible.
As expected of a Gold Card.
The reward was downright insane!
With this skill, whether attacking or escaping, he would gain a huge advantage.
In the anime, the first demon Tanjiro faced after becoming a Demon Slayer had a similar ability—something like diving underground.
But that technique had a weakness.
A strong and fearless opponent could actually chase you underground.
Tanjiro had killed two demons exactly that way.
But Shadow Stealth was different.
Once he entered the shadows, no matter how strong the enemy was,
They would not be able to follow him.
The only limitation was that it couldn't be used for long periods.
After relaxing, Xia Feng suddenly felt a bit tired.
He had just obtained supernatural abilities and had already fought such a strange enemy.
He wanted to rest for a while.
Kanao needed to report what had happened to Shinobu Kocho, while the three little girls also needed to check on the injured patients in the treatment room.
After saying their goodbyes, everyone temporarily went their separate ways.
Xia Feng returned to his room.
He tested the Shadow Stealth ability briefly and familiarized himself with it.
Then he lay down and fell asleep.
Not long after—
Xia Feng opened his eyes.
He glanced at the clock in the corner of the room and froze.
He felt completely refreshed, as if he had slept for hours.
Yet only twenty minutes had passed.
He shook his head with a laugh, put on his clothes, and walked out of the room.
The moment he stepped outside, he saw Sumi waiting at the door.
When she saw him, her face lit up.
"You're awake, Mr. Xia Feng!"
"Yeah. Were you waiting for me?" Xia Feng asked with a smile.
Sumi nodded enthusiastically.
"Dinner will be ready soon! I wanted to wake you when it was done, but you woke up by yourself."
Hearing that, Xia Feng gratefully reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Then I should thank you."
Since there was still some time before dinner, Xia Feng decided to take a walk around the outer area of the Butterfly Estate.
After walking for a short while, he noticed some commotion near the treatment room.
Following the familiar path, he headed over.
When the medical staff saw him, their eyes immediately lit up.
"Xia Feng! You're here!"
When he saw their excited expressions, Xia Feng grinned.
"What is it? Don't tell me there's another severely wounded patient."
The medical staff all sighed at once.