Chapter 124: Sounding the Horn of the Counterattack! (Part 1)

"Confession Palace."

When Jingle and Shitan hurried to the Confession Palace, what met their eyes was row after row of men in black.

The black‑clad men wore Night Patrol Uniforms stamped with the Central 46th Office emblem, clearly agents dispatched by the 46th Office to guard the Confession Palace.

"Get out of the way."

Seeing the agents before him, Jingle became even more convinced that his "sister‑in‑law" was currently inside the Confession Palace; he furrowed his brows and coldly addressed the agents.

In fact, as captain of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad, Jingle had full authority to order the 46th Office's lackeys to step aside; however, captains of the Thirteen Squad usually give the 46th Office face and do not quarrel with its agents, which feeds the agents' illusion of high status…

"Captain Jingle and Captain Gang Mi Dai, wait here a moment. We have just received a direct order from the Judge of the Central 46th Office: from now on, without the 46th Office's permission, even the captains of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad may not easily enter the Confession Palace behind us."

The leading agent, upon hearing Jingle's words, immediately furrowed his brows; since he became the 46th Office's agent captain, countless years have passed with no one daring to speak to him…

Because of Jingle and Shitan's statuses, he could not lose his temper, but since they spoke so bluntly and gave him no face, this hurdle would not be easy for him!

The 46th Office's agent captain did not clear the path as Jingle suggested; instead, he stepped directly in front of Jingle, watching Jingle and Shitan speak coldly.

His words carried a hint of smugness, as if subconsciously telling Jingle and Shitan: "Don't think that because you're captains of the Thirteen Squad I have to give you face. I'm a man of the 46th Office; apart from the 46th Office's sages and judges, I give no one face. If you want reasoning, go ask the 46th Office yourself."

"You go then, I go?"

As the agent captain finished speaking, Jingle and Shitan's brows furrowed.

But in an instant, their tightly furrowed brows relaxed; Shitan moved beside Jingle and whispered.

"You go then! My Soul‑Cutting Blade can easily pull you in…"

Jingle, after hearing Shitan, spoke calmly.

"Fine! Then I'll go…"

Shitan said, and in front of the agents, drew the Soul‑Cutting Blade at his waist.

"What does this mean?"

The agent leader, seeing Gang Mi Dai and Shitan clash, drew his own waist‑mounted Soul‑Cutting Blade and felt a sudden panic. Though in rank he considered himself not inferior to the captains of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad…

But in combat power he was aware of his limits; everyone knows the captains of the Thirteen Squad are the embodiment of martial might for all Shinigami in the Pure Spirit Court. Drawing against them would be self‑destruction.

"Bankai!"

Depriving the agent leader of a chance to speak, Shitan unleashed his Soul‑Cutting Blade, and with a single clash performed Bankai before everyone.

"What?!"

When the agents heard Shitan utter "Bankai," their entire world was shrouded in black, and within the endless shadows they saw the deathly fates of themselves and others.

"Ah!!!"

The next second…

Within the massive cage created by Shitan's Bankai, a chilling, piercing scream rang out.

The sound did not last long, and the shadow enveloping the crowd gradually faded…

The shadow arrived and vanished swiftly; Shitan released his Bankai and fully retracted it within less than a minute, yet that brief minute was enough for Shitan to eliminate the agents before him.

As Shitan retracted his Soul‑Cutting Blade, the 46th Office agents who had blocked him and Jingle one by one went white‑eyed, bled from all seven orifices, and collapsed in all directions, their fate unknown.

"..."

Jingle watched the fallen agents, his brows slightly raised, his gaze asking as he looked at Shitan beside him.

"Rest assured, no killing hand was used."

Hearing this, Shitan casually waved at Jingle and told him he had not taken lethal action against the agents.

Then Shitan added to Jingle, "I only disabled them…"

"Never mind, as long as no lives were lost."

Jingle, hearing this, nodded calmly, stepped over the bodies of the agents, and walked toward the Confession Palace where his "sister‑in‑law" was held.

"Hehe~"

Shitan, after hearing Jingle, gave an indifferent chuckle and followed closely behind.

In just a few minutes, the two traversed the long corridor littered with 46th Office agents and arrived before the massive Confession Palace…

"..."

When Jingle and Shitan stood before the towering Confession Palace, both of them felt their spirits freeze under the solemn, murderous aura exuding from the ancient structure.

The Confession Palace, also called the Confession Sin Palace, is the place where Shinigami who have committed grave crimes in the Pure Spirit Court and been sentenced to execution by the 46th Office are detained before the execution.

It also serves as a venue for those offenders to sincerely repent their lifelong sins, hence the name Confession Sin Palace, symbolizing the mercy of the 46th Office's elders.

Even for those whose sins are so severe they merit death, the 46th Office's elders are willing to grant them a chance to atone.

The exterior of the Confession Sin Palace is a towering white spire built entirely of Killing Qi Stone.

Any ordinary Shinigami who enters this lofty tower faces only death or repentance; with their strength, escape is impossible.

Inside, rooms are numbered and divided into cell after cell, connected by stairways, allowing the palace's jailers to transport prisoners swiftly.

On the opposite side of the tower, a dedicated rope bridge links it to the Twin Execution Platform, enabling jailers to promptly deliver prisoners for execution.

"To the Second Deep Prison."

Shitan and Jingle did not storm straight into the Confession Sin Palace; after all, the tower contains countless rooms, and searching them one by one would take an indeterminate amount of time!

Coincidentally, Shitan is captain of the Ninth Squad's Prison Division, and by duty allocation, the massive Confession Sin Palace theoretically falls within his jurisdiction…

However, the 46th Office never delegated authority, preventing him from intervening directly, though accessing the palace's detention records is still within his rights…

Thus, as soon as Shitan learned that Jingle's "sister‑in‑law" was sent to the Confession Sin Palace, he used the Heavenly Sky Net to inform his deputy captain, ordering him to retrieve the detention report.

The deputy captain, having just reviewed the report and obtained detailed intel, immediately relayed via the Heavenly Sky Net to Shitan: "Captain Shitan, Captain Jingle's 'sister‑in‑law' is currently detained in the Second Deep Prison."

Hence the scene where Shitan told Jingle to go to the Second Deep Prison.

"Alright!"

Jingle hesitated not; after Shitan said to go to the Second Deep Prison, he immediately moved with Shitan and stormed into the massive cell.

"Captain Jingle, and Captain Shitan?"

In the cell, the guards directly belonging to "Room 46" were stunned when Jing Yue and Shi Tan burst in; they never imagined that the captains of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad, who were supposed to protect them, would come to their Penitence Palace to raid the prison.

"Anyone who doesn't want to die, get out of my way right now."

Shi Tan was still the captain of the Ninth Squad; he still intended to fully take over the Punishment Palace, so he didn't finish the job, but before acting he shouted at the guards in front of him, trying to make the sighted guards dodge, and telling the blind guards not to blame him for being impolite—since the chance was given, if they missed it, they couldn't blame him; that shout was already "the utmost of benevolence."

"Oh!"

Hearing Shi Tan's shout, those guards immediately fled in all directions, some even chose to squat down and cover their heads where they stood. This shows Shi Tan still commands respect in this Penitence Palace…

However, many guards saw this as a chance to make a name for themselves and, going against the grain, rushed toward Jing Yue and Shi Tan.

"Get out of the way!"

Jing Yue and Shi Tan, facing the guards one by one, were too lazy to draw their Soul‑Cutting Blades and instead released spiritual pressure, crushing the guards to the ground.

"You think defeating the captains of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad can be your 'token of allegiance' for climbing up? You must be out of your mind! If you had the combat power to defeat a captain‑level Shinigami, you could…"

The clever guards, looking at the idiots that Jing Yue and Shi Tan had taken down, shook their heads helplessly.

The captains of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad stand at the pinnacle of the regular combat power of the Jing Ling Court not because of their fame, but because they already possess captain‑level Shinigami power, which makes them captains of the Thirteen Squad.

In just five minutes, the entire Penitence Palace was laid bare by Jing Yue and Shi Tan working together; the two did not linger and headed straight for the Second Deep Prison where Jing Yue's sister‑in‑law was held.

"Clack! ~"

As the gate of the Second Deep Prison opened, Jing Yue looked at the woman inside, a flash of excitement crossing his eyes, but just as he was about to speak, he suddenly sensed something off about the woman.

"Ala~"

"Is this not the respected Captain Jing Yue, and my dear cousin Shi Tan?!"

"What wind blew you two captains of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad into our Penitence Palace? Could it be that both of you also bear deep sins and intend to repent here?!"

The woman turned, revealing a face somewhat similar to Shi Tan's, and cheerfully asked Jing Yue and Shi Tan.

"Gang Mi Dai Shi Zao…"

Shi Tan, seeing the young woman with the same hair color, same eyes, and the same 'evil' smile, felt a wave of nausea and, with disgust, uttered her name.

"You should call me cousin."

The woman, after hearing Shi Tan's words, still smiled, showing no anger at his disgust; instead, she seemed excited by his revulsion.

"Shi Zao, stop pretending in front of us; where have you hidden the people?"

Shi Tan, looking at his own cousin, asked coldly.

"What person? I don't understand."

Shi Zao laughed brightly and asked Shi Tan.

"You bastard…"

Shi Tan clearly saw the mockery in Shi Zao's eyes; she clearly knew why he and Jing Yue had come, but refused to tell them the truth.

"……"

While Shi Tan furrowed his brows, unsure how to break the deadlock, Jing Yue grabbed the slightly panicked Shi Tan and walked alone to stand before Shi Zao.

"Hm?! Captain Jing Yue, what do you mean?"

Shi Zao looked at the composed Jing Yue, her fine brows slightly furrowing.

"Clack!"

Before Shi Zao could think further, a flash of silver light sliced her hair in two.

"You…"

Shi Zao seemed about to speak, but before she could open her mouth, her gaze met Jing Yue's.

That deep look made Shi Zao shut her mouth; from Jing Yue's eyes she saw seriousness. If she kept teasing them, Jing Yue would ignore her Gang Mi Dai identity and cut her down with a single slash.

"I ask, you answer."

Jing Yue stared at Shi Zao, speaking coldly.

"Fine."

Shi Zao suppressed the mockery on her face, her expression straightening.

"Where did my 'elder sister‑in‑law' who is imprisoned here go?"

Jing Yue did not hesitate and asked Shi Zao the question.

"From the start, your 'elder sister‑in‑law' was never sent here by anyone from Room 46!"

Shi Zao delivered the truth word by word to Jing Yue.

"What does that mean?"

Jing Yue heard this, his pupils flickered slightly.

"From the beginning, this place was a trap to lure you and Shi Tan…," Shi Zao first stated the cruel truth, then told Jing Yue: "Your sister‑in‑law, because she refused repentance in front of the judges of Room 46, they decided to skip the 'repentance' step and send her directly to the Twin Execution Platform for execution."

Then Shi Zao added: "Soon, you captains of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad will receive notice to go to the Twin Execution Platform to witness the execution, right?!"

"……"

Hearing this, Jing Yue's hand gripping the Soul‑Cutting Blade trembled slightly; at that moment his heart finally panicked, as if the situation had already slipped beyond his control, heading toward tragedy.

"Impossible, this doesn't follow the rules at all!"

Shi Tan heard this and exclaimed in great shock.

"Shi Tan, you must know who your opponent is this time!"

"The one standing opposite you two now is the head of our Gang Mi Dai family! Do you think you can discuss rules with the heads of the Five Great Noble families? Rules have always been a weapon they use against others…"

Shi Zao looked at Shi Tan and spoke coldly.

"We messed up…"

Shi Tan, hearing this, clutched his forehead hard, sweat dripping from his hair tips.

At the same time Jing Yue and Shi Tan were shocked by Shi Zao's news, a "Heavenly Straight Sky Net" entered both of their hearts.

"This is Deputy Captain Que Bu Zhang Jiro of the First Squad, now relaying the order from Grand Captain Yuan Liuzhai of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad! All captains and deputy captains of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad, upon receiving the notice, should immediately proceed to the Twin Execution Platform to witness the execution of the Ise clan…"

"Again, this is Deputy Captain Jirou of the First Squad, now transmitting Lord Yuan Liuzhai's orders to all captains of the Gotei 13…"

As if to verify Tokisaki's claim, the moment Jingle and Shitan were shocked by Tokisaki's news, Jirou's voice rang in their ears, repeatedly relaying Yamamoto Yuan Liuzhai's command.

"……"

After receiving the news, Jingle's body began to tremble continuously.

Since this matter has been transferred from Room 46 to the Gotei 13—i. e., to his master—there is absolutely no chance for him to save his sister‑in‑law.

Yet Jingle refuses to give up; having already erred, he cannot keep making mistakes! Even if the next actions are extremely perilous, he will give his all! Even if it means wagering his own life and the captaincy of the Eighth Squad, he does not mind.

"Snap!"

Thinking that, Jingle slapped himself hard.

"Had I known this would happen, when I first learned that Central Room 46 was meddling, I should have stopped them outright! Becoming a captain only made me more hesitant."

Jingle complained once, then a glint of brilliance sparked in his eyes.

"It seems, Jingle, you have already made up your mind?"

Shitan looked at Jingle, who after entering a desperate situation instead unleashed power in reverse, a slight smile curling his lips.

Just as Jingle's Zanpakuto Bankai is a Bankai used to turn the tide in a dire crisis, his temperament likewise erupts with great power when faced with desperation.

Perhaps that's why, in the original, Old Man Yamamoto left a letter before heading to battle, handing the position of Head Captain over to Jingle!

"Haha, from now on it's a life‑or‑death gamble…"

"Maybe if things go badly, Shitan, you'll have to accompany me on a trip to Hell~"

After confronting the crisis, Jingle instead smiled, looking at Shitan beside him and teasing.

"Rest assured! Even if you, Fuzhu, and Senior Sister Yeyi all go to Hell to report, I will still linger carefree in this Jingling Court! Didn't Teacher Araki tell us? Good people don't live long; calamities linger for millennia. As a naturally evil person, I fear death and would wreak havoc on the Soul Society for ten thousand years before I could be satisfied…"

Shitan gave a cold smile after hearing Jingle's words.

"Then…"

"Fuzhu and Senior Sister Yeyi, can you follow my command from now on?!"

In an absolute 'against‑the‑wind' situation, Jingle took over command of the four‑person squad from Shitan.

With the wind in your favor, look to Shitan; against the wind, turn to Jingle.

"Alright!"

At the same time, Yeyi and Fuzhu, also captains of the Gotei 13 like Jingle and Shitan and who had received Jirou's summons, replied to Jingle with a "good" via Tian Ting Kong Luo.

"Senior Sister Yeyi, please, using your status as head of the Sifeng Courtyard family, do everything to prolong the meeting of the Five Great Noble Families, help me stall the heads of Gang Yidai and the Xiumu family, so that the two cannot attend the execution in the name of captains, thereby buying time for the execution."

Jingle first assigned Yeyi's task.

"Understood."

Yeyi, hearing this, immediately replied to Jingle with a confirming "understood" via Tian Ting Kong Luo.

"Fuzhu, you go first to the Twin Execution Platform to report; once there, observe the situation, try to chat with Master Yuan Liuzhai, and continue delaying the execution…"

Immediately after, Jingle assigned a task to Fuzhu.

"Alright…"

Fuzhu, hearing this, instantly responded via Tian Ting Kong Luo.

"Then, Senior Sister Yeyi, I recall your Sifeng Courtyard family possesses an artifact capable of destroying the Hui Kou Wang, right? Could I borrow it? However, once you lend that artifact to me, the Sifeng Courtyard may find it hard to detach from my subsequent actions, so I urge you to think carefully…"

Jingle explained his plan to acquire the Sifeng Courtyard's artifact from Yeyi, while also reminding her from her perspective about the consequences of lending it.

"Jingle, what do you think I am? Am I the type who shies away? I'm lending you the thing…"

Without a second thought, Yeyi handed over her family's artifact to Jingle.

"Then, may our martial fortunes flourish!"

After finalizing all plans, Jingle used Tian Ting Kong Luo to issue the final command to everyone.

No, rather than a command, it was more like a blessing…

Once Jingle's order was given, the four‑person squad functioned like a high‑precision machine, operating continuously.

The first to act, naturally, was the fastest‑moving Sifeng Courtyard's Yeyi…

Just as the heads of Gang Yidai, the Xiumu family, and the Zhibo family were chatting and laughing, stepping out of the Five Great Noble Families' meeting room, the three saw Yeyi of the Sifeng Courtyard grinning at them.

"Hehe~"

"Greetings, esteemed heads~"

Yeyi cheerfully greeted the three before her.

"The head of Sifeng Courtyard thanks you, wishing you all the best as well."

The Xiumu head, hearing Yeyi's blessing, immediately nodded in return.

"Respectful greetings, respectful greetings…"

The Zhibo head, after hearing Yeyi, also smiled and nodded; as the most self‑aware man, he always wears a smile regardless of whom he faces.

"Head of Sifeng Courtyard, as captain of the Second Squad, why did you not go to the Twin Execution Platform but block us here, what does that mean?!"

Only the head of the Gang Yidai family, watching Yeyi of Sifeng Courtyard block him, furrowed his brows, a foreboding anger stirring within.

"It's nothing…"

"I was just reviewing the laws our ancestors set and found several unreasonable statutes; I hope to use this opportunity to amend them. Shall we let the meeting continue as usual?!"

"As for the execution, it's only because the Ise family's married‑out daughter lost something, requiring the five great noble heads to abandon the important meeting and attend the execution—how absurd!"

Yeyi of Sifeng Courtyard spoke to the three heads with a solemn, calm demeanor.

"This…"

As Yeyi finished speaking, both the head of Gang Yidai and the head of Xiumu were slightly stunned—not because Yeyi's words lacked sense, but because they were so reasonable that they seemed unlike anything Yeyi could have said.

"Alright, stop hesitating and hurry back to the meeting room~"

Yeyi said, grabbing the collar of the Gang Yidai head, and headed toward the meeting room.

"It's not…."

"What are you doing? Wait a moment. I think what you said isn't right. Don't pull me if it's not you! You've loosened my collar—do you know how much this outfit cost?"

With a series of wails from the head of the Gongmidai family, the Gongmidai patriarch was finally dragged by Ye Yi into the conference room.

"Damned crazy girl!"

The Gongmidai patriarch, seeing this, straightened his collar while cursing Four Maple Court's Ye Yi in his heart.

This head of the Gongmidai clan was clearly unwilling to return once more to the Five Great Noble Houses' meeting chamber; in his original plan he should have been leisurely standing on the Twin Execution Platform, smiling as he watched Yuan Liuzhai, Captain of the Guarding Court Thirteen Squad, issue a death sentence to Jing Yue's "sister‑in‑law"…

…so that Jing Yue would watch helplessly as her sister‑in‑law was burned to ashes by flames, fostering hatred toward Yuan Liuzhai and the Prime Flow, thereby causing the powerful Prime Flow to crumble from within.

Yet this Gongmidai patriarch had his campaign thwarted before it began by Four Maple Court's Ye Yi, that damned crazy girl, which left him seething with rage.

"Ye Yi of Four Maple Court, you'd better state a topic that can bring the heads of the Five Great Noble Houses back into this meeting room, or I'll never be done with you! Tricking us heads is no good conduct…"

The Gongmidai patriarch stared coldly at Ye Yi before him, his aura raging as he spoke.

"……"

As for the tardy Xiumu patriarch, he said little, but clearly agreed with the Gongmidai head. It wasn't that the Xiumu and Four Maple Court families held any grudge; rather, the Xiumu patriarch took the rules too seriously—tricking the heads of the Five Great Noble Houses also broke the rules, and badly so.

"My proposal is absolutely worth everyone's discussion…"

"I decide to expel the Gongmidai family from the Five Great Noble Houses, turning us from 'Five Great Noble Houses' into 'Four Great Noble Houses', and let the Xiumu family serve as our exemplar! What do you all think?!"

Upon hearing the Gongmidai patriarch's words, Ye Yi's mouth twitched upward. Want a topic worthy of the Five Great Noble Houses' heads? Isn't that easy? Just make her "come alive" fully—who can't do that?

In response, Ye Yi spoke astonishingly, standing before everyone and announcing her plan to kick the Gongmidai family out of the Five Great Noble Houses.

"Pfft……"

Sitting calmly sipping tea, the Gongmidai patriarch, who had thought Ye Yi of Four Maple Court could offer no good proposal, nearly choked on his tea after hearing her words.

"I'll go to your 'grandpa'…"

Immediately, the Gongmidai patriarch rose from his seat and slapped the round table of the Five Great Noble Houses' heads.

"Heads, what do you think of my proposal?"

Ye Yi ignored the Gongmidai patriarch before her, turning to the heads of the Xiumu and Zhibo families, not casting a glance at the Gongmidai patriarch at all.

"This…"

As Ye Yi finished speaking, both the Xiumu and Zhibo heads hesitated.

No kidding, kicking the inherently evil Gongmidai clan out of the Five Great Noble Houses might actually be a good idea… they thought.

"Veto! Veto! Strong veto!!"

"Listen carefully—are the things you're saying even human words?"

The Gongmidai patriarch, not waiting for further chatter, cast an immediate veto.

"For the second proposal, I suggest that from now on, all expenses of the Five Great Noble Houses' offspring be covered by the Gongmidai family. After all, their wealth flows like oil; even if they support a few more people each year, it's no problem…"

Seeing his proposal rejected, Ye Yi of Four Maple Court put forward a second proposal.

"Fine! I must agree with this point."

As Ye Yi finished speaking, the Zhibo head was the first to rise from his seat in support; the Zhibo family was already impoverished, and a proposal to bring in riches was impossible to refuse!

"Veto! Absolutely veto! Our Gongmidai family has no obligation to support other families."

The Gongmidai patriarch, nearly driven mad by Ye Yi, continued to veto her proposal.

"No! I'm asking you, Gongmidai head, what do you mean? I put forward a proposal and you veto it—are you sincerely opposing the Five Great Noble Houses?"

Hearing the Gongmidai patriarch's veto, Ye Yi rose instantly, angrily confronting him.

"Why don't you first listen to the nonsense proposals you've been spouting? I even think you're sincerely opposing me, Gongmidai head!"

After Ye Yi's words, the Gongmidai patriarch's eyelids fluttered repeatedly.

"Heh heh! You've got your day…"

Yet Ye Yi only sneered at the enraged Gongmidai head; she was there just to deliberately provoke him.

She hadn't forgotten the grudge the Gongmidai head had dealt her!

Now, it was their turn to sound the horn of retaliation…

At the same time, Jing Yue Chunshui and Gongmidai Shitan arrived at the Four Maple Court family.

Eight thousand two~