Chapter 44: Yan Sheng is conflicted after witnessing the female lead tear off his clothes...

"You two swapped bodies? Caused by blood demon magic?!"

I instinctively voiced the most likely hypothesis, otherwise I simply couldn't explain the situation.

"Ah! I was careless." Iwakatsu, in Yoriichi's body, nodded slightly, confirming my guess. Yoriichi, also in Iwakatsu's body, comforted me, "Don't worry, Uta, that demon has already been killed by my brother."

"How could I possibly be at ease?! Even after killing the demon, the effects of the Blood Demon Art are still there! Shouldn't you two have come to me for a checkup as soon as you got back? Instead, you're still playing chess here. Aren't you worried at all about something as big as swapping bodies?!"

I was almost screaming in frustration when I saw that Yoriichi and Iwakatsu were completely unconcerned, and then I remembered how incredibly biased these two brothers were towards each other.

Although Kokushibo was jealous of Yoriichi, he was also attracted by his power and always regarded his younger brother, who was like a child of a god, as the goal to pursue. Yoriichi, in turn, had immense respect and love for his older brother. Now that the two brothers have entered the bodies of the people they admire because of the Blood Demon Art, they must be laughing in their dreams. No wonder they are not in a hurry at all and still have the mind to play chess.

"Did you two spar after you swapped bodies?" I asked curiously, really wanting to know if Iwakatsu, using the pinnacle of Demon Slayer's power, could defeat Yoriichi in his new body.

Using Iwakatsu's body, Yoriichi honestly replied, "No, elder brother would not agree."

Seeing that Iwakatsu had given up such a good opportunity to defeat Yoriichi, I couldn't help but feel a little puzzled, but I quickly figured out why.

If Kokushi defeated Yoriichi, he wouldn't be happy, because he was using Yoriichi's body to defeat his younger brother who was using his own body, so in a sense, he still lost.

If Kokushima lost to Yoriichi, he would be even less happy. This would prove that his swordsmanship talent was inferior to Yoriichi's. Even though he was using Yoriichi's body, which was born with the Mark and the Transparent World, he still lost to his younger brother, whose physical abilities were now inferior to his own. It was a complete defeat, and Kokushima's pride would absolutely not be able to accept it.

Since he would lose no matter what the outcome, Yan Sheng naturally didn't want to compete in swordsmanship with his younger brother under these circumstances. He was quite an awkward person.

Looking at the two brothers in front of me who had swapped bodies, I began to consider how to get them to accept my examination. Although the two of them seemed very calm using bodies that didn't belong to them, I couldn't stay calm at all. Whether it was the sharp-eyed "Yoichi" or the adorable "Iwakatsu," I felt extremely uncomfortable!

Just then, the respectful voices of several Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen came from outside the door. It turned out that they had heard that the Sun Pillar had returned and had come to ask Yoriichi to go to the training ground to give them some pointers on swordsmanship.

This was something Yoriichi was used to doing. He was about to get up when he suddenly remembered that he was using his brother's body, and he hesitated.

Iwakatsu, who was using Yoriichi's body, stood up and said, "It's not advisable to announce the body swap for now. I'll go instead."

And so, Kokusatsu took Yoriichi's place in instructing the lower-ranking swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps. Although he had never instructed any of them, I wasn't worried that he would give himself away.

Because Iwakatsu was actually quite skilled at instructing others on swordsmanship, he would teach me every new Moon Breathing technique he created immediately, and he would patiently correct the flaws in my swordsmanship. It almost made me suspect that he intended for me to become his adopted son and inherit his position as Moon Pillar.

The reason why the lower-ranking members of the Demon Slayer Corps never bothered him to teach them swordsmanship was mainly because Iwakatsu seemed unapproachable.

Having grown up as the heir to the throne, Yan Sheng, as a member of the aristocratic class, possesses an innate air of nobility combined with the sharp, unyielding spirit characteristic of warriors. His personality is also aloof with a touch of arrogance. Even though he wouldn't hesitate to instruct others on swordsmanship, with the Sun Pillar possessing superior swordsmanship and a more approachable nature, naturally no one wants to trouble the Moon Pillar. This is only human nature!

I thought to myself with a sigh, then looked at Yoriichi, wanting to persuade him to let me get a medical check-up. The fact that the brothers had swapped bodies couldn't be hidden for long, so it was better to resolve it as soon as possible.

Before I could even speak, I suddenly noticed that Yoriichi was acting strangely. He was kneeling on the tatami mat in Iwakatsu's body, seemingly struggling with something. His usually indifferent face showed a hint of embarrassment, which made me curiously ask, "Yoriichi, what's wrong?" Could it be that he needed to use the restroom but was too embarrassed to use Iwakatsu's body?

I thought to myself with amusement, when I heard Yoriichi say calmly, "There's something that's been on my mind."

"What's bothering you so much?" I became increasingly curious. There aren't many things that could concern Yoriichi, so it must be related to Iwakatsu.

Sure enough, Yoriichi honestly replied, "My elder brother's mark."

What happened to his markings?

"I've never seen it before, I want to see it."

I was slightly taken aback, but then I realized that Yoriichi was actually curious about the complete appearance of the markings on his brother's chin that extended into his clothes.

Because Iwakatsu always dressed neatly, and never took off his samurai clothes even when practicing swordsmanship, no one has ever seen his complete markings.

It's surprising that Yoriichi, with his detached personality, would be curious about such trivial matters; isn't that a bit too much of a brother complex? I wonder if Kokukatsu is fortunate or unfortunate to have such a younger brother.

Although I was thinking this to myself, I still said frankly, "If you want to see, then go ahead! You're using Yan Sheng's body right now, so you can just tear off your clothes and see."

“This is disrespectful to my elder brother.”

Yoriichi lowered his eyes and said something that left me speechless. How could he call something like this disrespectful? Would he have to hold it in the bathroom the whole time? It felt really unfair to Iwakatsu!

I can't stand people being so fussy, so I reached out and tore open Iwakatsu's purple samurai uniform and white undergarment, exposing his shoulders and revealing the markings that were originally hidden in his clothes.

"Yes, the pattern looks like this! It's like a flame, quite pretty."

When Yan Sheng saw the disharmonious scene inside the room, he completely forgot what he wanted to say to Yoriichi. His questioning voice rose, making me stiffen and realize that I was in trouble. Being caught red-handed doing something bad was really terrible.

To be honest, Yan Sheng really gave me face. Even though I was the one who did something to his body, he deliberately ignored that when questioning me, so I wouldn't be too embarrassed. He truly deserves to be called my secret weapon. Thumbs up!

Although this was the beginning of the whole affair, in order to prevent Yan Sheng from developing a more negative view of his younger brother whom he had always resented, I coughed and took the blame upon myself.

"Yansheng, it's like this, I've always been curious about the complete shape of your markings, but I was too embarrassed to say it directly, so I took a peek when you weren't around."

Seeing that Yoriichi was about to explain the truth, I covered his mouth and continued to say to Kokushibo, "I was wrong this time, I apologize to you, don't be angry, okay?"

Yan Sheng's expression softened considerably, and his voice became steady again. "Am I such a petty person? If you want to see it, just tell me, and I'll let you see it. Why do this while I'm not around, and drag Yoriichi into it? Now you can let go, right?"

That's when I realized I was holding his shirt with one hand and covering his mouth with the other. It was a sight I couldn't bear to look at.

I quickly let go of his hand, and Yoriichi, whom I had signaled not to speak, began to straighten his disheveled clothes. Iwakatsu watched with a deep expression, and the atmosphere became particularly strange.

"Yansheng, why are you back again?" I asked, trying to break the incredibly awkward atmosphere in the room.

"I saw that Yoriichi was fine, so I was planning to ask him to come along," Iwakatsu explained casually, which made me incredibly annoyed.

This has happened so many times. Whenever I'm alone with Yoriichi, Iwakatsu always manages to sabotage it. Either he finds something to do and drags Yoriichi away, or he takes me away to check my Moon Breathing practice, or he acts as a third wheel between Yoriichi and me. Seriously, can't he give me and Yoriichi a little time to connect? If he keeps doing this, he'll get kicked by a horse!

I suspect that Yan Sheng likes me, but I have no proof.

This guess is really agonizing for me! Although one of life's three great illusions tells me not to be so self-assured—it's embarrassing—what if? What if he really does like me?! The pressure is immense!

Yan Sheng is a good person and a good friend of mine, but he will definitely not be a good husband!

He's a total scumbag! Officially confirmed, he's a scumbag who abandoned his wife and children, even worse than Sasuke who hasn't been home for over a decade! He can be a sly philanderer, but he's absolutely unacceptable as an auntie. Otherwise, he might wake up one day to find himself abandoned by Konohamaru, who's been chasing after Yoriichi! If that happens, I'll definitely want to expose him!

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that he likes me and wants to marry me, although I think it's unlikely. After all, my personality is a bit like my older brother's, and I probably wouldn't be popular with boys. But there's always a chance of something going wrong. What if Iwakatsu suddenly confesses his feelings one day? That would be terrible. I still want to be paired with my angelic Yoriichi.

Yoriichi and Iwakatsu switched bodies back after 24 hours. I checked their bodies and, after confirming that there were no problems, put the matter aside and began to consider whether Iwakatsu liked me.

Hopefully, the idea that "Yan Sheng likes me" is just my imagination, then we can continue to be friends.

If it's not just my imagination, then it's terrible. Although I like him quite a bit, I really can't accept that Iwakatsu might abandon his wife and children at any time as my husband. I can't even sleep peacefully.

I can't just ask Yansheng directly if he likes me. Answering "no" would be awkward, and answering "yes" would be even worse. I'm really afraid that Yansheng will suddenly confess to me, and if I reject him, it will definitely hurt our relationship.

Because of this worry, I've started subtly keeping my distance from Kokushibo in our daily interactions, even though I admit it's rather narcissistic. I just hope to kill Muzan as soon as possible, then Kokushibo and I will be separated into two different worlds, and this little problem won't even be an issue.

Perhaps I was hiding too obviously, because one day Iwakatsu forcibly dragged me to a secluded place, which immediately made my heart pound. Here it comes, is he really going to confess?

I was feeling uneasy, already considering how to reject him, when Yan Sheng frowned and said, "What's wrong with you lately? Skipping two classes is one thing, but I heard you haven't been to the training grounds at all these past few days. Are you still going to learn the tenth form of Moon Breathing? First, demonstrate the ninth form for me. If you can't do it well, you'll practice until dark!"

I:"……"

Looking at Tsugikuni Iwakatsu, who was as strict as a headmaster, I was speechless and burst into tears. This Moon Pillar didn't seem to like me at all. I guess I was just being narcissistic!

I don't know if it was regret or relief, but I no longer felt awkward towards Yan Sheng. Especially after he watched me practice the Moon Breathing - Ninth Form: Descent of the Moon - Renmen dozens of times, I was sure he treated me like a stepson. Otherwise, why would he keep watching me practice the Moon Breathing? He just wanted me to inherit the position of Moon Pillar!