Li Xing, staggering back, vaguely recalled his room. Upon entering, he collapsed onto the bed, feeling something extra beneath him. Too lazy to investigate, Li Xing simply embraced it and fell asleep.
Tanjiro, in deep slumber, suddenly felt someone get into his bed and embrace him, jolting him awake.
"Mr. Li Xing? What's going on? You've drunk a lot."
Tanjiro tried to pry Li Xing's arms away, but the tighter he pulled, the tighter Li Xing held on, mumbling names in his sleep. With no other option, Tanjiro resigned himself to the situation, hoping Mr. Li Xing wouldn't do anything particularly outrageous in his dreams.
The next morning, Li Xing woke up to find himself lying beside Tanjiro, holding him tightly. Startled, Li Xing leaped up.
"Tanjiro, you rascal, how did you get into my bed!"
Tanjiro, sporting dark circles under his eyes, innocently replied, "Mr. Li Xing, you were the one who stumbled into my bed after drinking last night!"
Li Xing was mortified. If this got out, how would he ever face anyone again?
"Tanjiro, this… this was an accident. You absolutely cannot speak of it, or I'll give you special training every day!" Li Xing threatened Tanjiro with the prospect of extra training, determined to keep this matter hidden.
"Yes, I definitely won't say a word!"
"Wise of you! Later, we're going to the Swordsmith Village. Your Nichirin Blade is broken, and I doubt they'd be willing to forge another for you. We'll go ourselves, and I need a Nichirin Blade too."
With that, Li Xing hurried off to bathe and prepare a large amount of food. He wasn't sure how long the journey to the village would take, but it was always wise to stock up on provisions.
Upon learning that Li Xing was going to the Swordsmith Village, Kanao expressed her desire to accompany him. Li Xing considered it; with only two Upper Moons in the plan, it shouldn't be too difficult. Even if they encountered seven sins, it would likely be manageable. Thus, Li Xing agreed, also deciding to bring Zenitsu and Inosuke along.
"Big Brother, you finally remembered me! That's great, I can finally team up with you. I'll definitely hide well and won't be a burden!" Zenitsu began clinging to Li Xing's legs again. Although he could now undertake solo missions without much trepidation, he still felt fear. Having a powerful big brother to protect him was naturally ideal.
"Hahaha, I'm different! I'll definitely slay more demons than you!" Inosuke declared, hands on his hips, still eager to challenge Li Xing.
Li Xing flicked each of them on the forehead, wondering what they were thinking all day.
"We're going on vacation, to soak in hot springs. Do you understand? Not on a mission, got it? At the very least, we need to stay for a month."
At this, Zenitsu leaped up, "Vacation? Big Brother, you're the best, I love you!"
"Get lost, that's disgusting. Who needs your love!" Hearing this, Li Xing shuddered, reminded of the morning's events.
After preparing everything, Li Xing and his group bid farewell to the people at the Butterfly Mansion. Shinobu gave Kanao many instructions and asked Li Xing to take good care of her. She warned that if Kanao returned with any injuries, Li Xing would face severe punishment.
After a long wait, several Kakushi members appeared. To conceal the location of the Swordsmith Village, they blindfolded and ear-plugged everyone. Tanjiro's nose was also plugged due to his keen sense of smell.
Although Nezuko could move freely, she was still in her demon form. Other members might not trust her, so she chose to remain in her box.
The Kakushi members carried Li Xing and his companions to a stronghold, where they were allowed to rest and eat. Afterward, they were handed over to another group of Kakushi members, and this process repeated to ensure utmost secrecy.
Li Xing gained a new perspective. While this method was somewhat crude, it was effective, especially given the low level of technology in this era.
After a day and a night of travel, they finally arrived at the village where generations of blacksmiths had forged Nichirin Blades for the Demon Slayer Corps.
Tanjiro was awestruck by the grandeur. Zenitsu and Inosuke were particularly excited. Kanao, on the other hand, felt perfectly content as long as she was near Li Xing.
"Alright, alright, don't embarrass yourselves here. Let's go meet the village head first," Li Xing said, pulling Zenitsu and Inosuke inside.
The village head of the Swordsmith Village was a short man. Everyone here wore masks, which was rather unsettling. After a brief chat with the village head, Li Xing was eager to go to the hot springs. As long as they agreed to forge the Nichirin Blades, that was all that mattered.
"Let's go, we'll go to the hot springs. Uh, Kanao, you go first. I'll wait outside. You guys go play somewhere else for now." Li Xing realized it wasn't appropriate for a girl to bathe with them, especially with Tanjiro and the others present. His body was not something to be casually exposed.
At that moment, Nezuko emerged from her box. "Big Brother Li Xing, I want to soak in the hot springs too!"
"Go ahead, go ahead. Talk more with Kanao, she's too quiet." After giving the instruction, Li Xing waited outside. Zenitsu had also hoped to join, but after receiving a beating from Li Xing, he dared not approach.
In the hot spring, Nezuko suddenly hugged Kanao from behind, her hands reaching for Kanao's chest, eliciting a surprised gasp from Kanao. (Readers may imagine the scene.)
"Sister Kanao, do you really like Big Brother Li Xing?"
"What does it mean to like someone? I just feel comfortable when I see him, and my heart feels restless when he leaves. He said that's my own heart's feelings. I don't understand if this counts as liking him."
Nezuko squeezed her hands together. "That's liking him! Big Brother Li Xing can stir your heart, isn't that the best proof? It's so wonderful! Big Brother Li Xing is handsome and very powerful."
"Is this liking?" Kanao mused inwardly, wondering if Big Brother Li Xing liked her too.
…
After Kanao and Nezuko finished their soak, they headed to the kitchen, having heard that there was Matsutake mushroom rice, which they wanted to get for Li Xing and Tanjiro.
Meanwhile, Li Xing and the three others were lounging in the hot spring. Zenitsu looked blissfully happy, exuding an irritating aura that made Li Xing want to hit him again.
"Big Brother, this is the hot spring where Nezuko-chan and Kanao-chan soaked! It smells so fragrant!" Zenitsu sniffed the air greedily.
Li Xing initially intended to ignore Zenitsu, but his lewd remarks made Li Xing snap. He delivered a swift slap.
"Just enjoy your soak. No one would think you're mute if you just kept quiet. What's so fragrant? What kind of nonsense is always in your head?"
Tanjiro also chimed in, "Zenitsu, what you're doing is wrong. Nezuko doesn't like people like you."
Hearing Tanjiro's words, Zenitsu quieted down. Indeed, Tanjiro knew how to control Zenitsu. Li Xing had no other method for dealing with Zenitsu besides resorting to physical force.