"Hello, Mitsuri, let's have a fight. No Nichirin Blades, just fists," Li Xing knew Mitsuri was very strong and wanted to spar with her.
"That might not be good, right? I... I have a lot of strength," Mitsuri said shyly, not wanting Li Xing to dislike her for being so strong as a girl.
She also thought to herself, "He's calling me Mitsuri? And using my name after just meeting me? Does this mean he's confessing his feelings?"
Li Xing didn't care and insisted, "Come on, not drawing our swords doesn't break the rules. Let's have a go."
"Then... alright, Mr. Li Xing, be careful." As soon as she finished speaking, she threw a punch at Li Xing and immediately regretted it.
"Damn it, I used my full strength."
Li Xing also threw a punch. Fist met fist, and the collision instantly sent a gust of wind, scattering many cherry blossoms.
"Holy crap, she's incredibly strong. Without using my destructive techniques, I couldn't possibly win." Li Xing's hand throbbed with intense pain, and with a crack, his wrist was broken.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry." Mitsuri heard the sound of bone breaking and rushed over, bowing repeatedly. In her eyes, breaking a teammate's bone could ruin the future of the Demon Slayer Corps, and she was filled with guilt.
"It's fine, Mitsuri. I'll recover quickly, don't worry. Besides, I asked for this, so it's not your fault." Li Xing quickly helped Mitsuri up and deliberately shook his hand to show he wasn't too badly hurt.
Meanwhile, Li Yun was mocking him in his mind, "Hahaha, Xing, you're so weak, you can't even beat a girl."
"Shut up. I'm just a bottom-tier member. There's no shame in not being able to beat a Pillar. At least it proves I still have a lot of room to grow."
...
In the butterfly mansion, Mitsuri looked at Li Xing with embarrassment, blaming herself for using her full strength. After setting Li Xing's bones, Shinobu slyly said, "Li Xing-kun, how dare you fight with Mitsuri? She's the Love Pillar among the Nine Pillars. What if she accidentally killed you?"
"Cough, cough, I challenged her precisely because I knew she was the Love Pillar. I challenged her because I acknowledge her strength," Li Xing said something rather boastful, though in reality, he just wanted to test Mitsuri's strength.
Mitsuri blushed and lowered her head. "Mr. Li Xing's words are so powerful, and he's so handsome."
Li Xing suddenly remembered Mitsuri's large appetite, how she was the only one in the Demon Slayer Corps who could rival Kyojuro Rengoku, and said, "Mitsuri, I'm a great eater. Want to have a contest?"
"Ah? Mr. Li Xing, don't you think it's embarrassing for a girl to have a big appetite?"
"No, no, no. Girls who can eat a lot are very cute. People with big appetites don't waste food, which is a sign of respect for the farmers and makes them excellent individuals," Li Xing said, indirectly praising himself.
"Cute? Mr. Li Xing called me cute. Besides Mr. Iguro, you're the second person to call my eating habits cute. Ah... I can't take it anymore." Mitsuri was so flustered that she ran out, unable to stay in the room any longer.
Shinobu swatted Li Xing. "No teasing girls in the butterfly mansion, or you won't get any dinner."
Li Xing: "..."
He thought, "This is considered teasing? Mitsuri is just easily embarrassed. Honestly."
...
At this moment, the Demon Slayer Corps' Pillar meeting began. All Nine Pillars were present, and Li Xing was also brought in.
Tengen Uzui, the Sound Pillar, exclaimed, "This young man has such a flamboyant appearance! Excellent!"
Obanai Iguro, the Snake Pillar, asked, "Who is this person? He's not a Pillar, so why was he brought here, Shinobu?"
Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Pillar, said, "I can feel the burning soul within this young man. He will undoubtedly be a Pillar soon."
Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Pillar, thought, "Mr. Li Xing looks so handsome even when he's cold!"
The other Pillars said little, as it didn't concern them.
Li Xing noticed how Giyu Tomioka, the Water Pillar, was still standing far away, truly an outsider. "That Snake Pillar is quite annoying, targeting me right from the start."
Just then, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, supported by Amane, emerged.
The Pillars all knelt, "Long time no see, Master. Are you well?"
However, Li Xing did not kneel. Kagaya Ubuyashiki deserved respect, but kneeling wasn't necessary.
Others saw Li Xing's disrespect and felt indignant, especially Obanai Iguro and Sanemi Shinazugawa.
"You must not be disrespectful to the Master. Why aren't you kneeling?" Obanai Iguro shouted.
Li Xing couldn't stand it anymore, thinking, "This guy is probably a bit messed up. The Demon Slayer Corps has no such rule. If you want to kneel, you can kneel here for a year."
"Li Xing!" Shinobu glanced at Li Xing, signaling him to stop speaking so rudely.
Obanai Iguro also couldn't stand Li Xing and stood up to teach him a lesson, but was held back by Gyomei Himejima.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki placed a finger to his lips, quieting the Pillars. "Please rise, my beloved children. Li Xing is permitted to be here. You must get along and not make things difficult for him."
Indeed, Kagaya Ubuyashiki was as gentle as Tanjiro. Li Xing couldn't help but admire him. It wasn't easy to manage such a group of unruly individuals.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki then spoke about the Seven Deadly Sins demons Li Xing had reported, urging the Pillars to be vigilant. He warned that the Seven Deadly Sins demons had no writing in their eyes, making them similar to lesser demons, and that intelligence errors could lead to the deaths of younger members.
"Hmph, can such a disrespectful person understand the strength of the Upper Moons? Claiming there are seven demons comparable to Upper Moons is likely fabricated to gain favor," Obanai Iguro expressed strong doubts about Li Xing.
Mitsuri Kanroji quickly intervened, saying, "Mr. Iguro, please stop. Mr. Li Xing wouldn't lie."
"Hmph!" Obanai Iguro snorted, clearly displeased. The fact that Mitsuri knew this disrespectful person annoyed him.
Li Xing thought to himself, "Is this Obanai Iguro really so petty? If he acts like this when Tanjiro arrives next time, I won't be polite. You won't have any progress with Mitsuri in this life, or the next, or the one after that."
"I believe Li Xing. My dear child would never lie to me. At the very least, by speaking out, it allows you to be prepared in advance, which is not a bad thing," Kagaya Ubuyashiki said softly.
"Since it is the Master's will, we shall obey."
"Very well, this Pillar meeting is now concluded. You may all disperse. Li Xing and Shinobu, please stay behind."
After the Pillars left, Kagaya Ubuyashiki said to Li Xing, "Li Xing, I wish to promote you to a Pillar, named the Star Pillar. What do you say?"
Li Xing found this a bit sudden. "Master, I don't think that's necessary. As long as I can kill demons, rank doesn't matter."
"What I mean is, I want you to be a hidden Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps. Muzan has hidden Upper Moons, and I need hidden Pillars."
"I see. No wonder everyone else was sent away. That changes things. I'm fine with it." Li Xing thought that since it was a hidden position, becoming a Pillar or not didn't make much difference, but gaining a higher status in the Demon Slayer Corps seemed not bad.
"Then it's settled. You've mastered many breathing techniques, so we'll name the Pillar after you: the Star Pillar."