Chapter 47: with translation of chapter title

「Quebu Changcilang! And… Huangmu! 」

「It's been a thousand years… How have you been? 」

「I do carry hatred toward you! I've slept for a thousand years! 」

「I won't forget everything you did to me a thousand years ago! This time I'll take you two as offerings to the flag! 」

In a pitch-black world, Youhabache, with a weathered, profound and tyrannical visage and dense beard, sat upon a throne made of spirit particles, looking down on Huangmu and Quebu from above, his words filled with fury toward these two thousand-year-old bastards!

Then, then Huangmu woke up.

「Tsk~」

Huangmu slowly opened their eyes, casually removed the towel from their face, and saw an unfamiliar ceiling and mist everywhere.

「Ah, I really had a nightmare that lasted a thousand years! 」

Huangmu lay there, neck craned, gazing at the unfamiliar ceiling and muttering to themselves.

Dreaming of a man in my own dream was bad enough, but I also dreamed of a man who bears a grudge and longs for his body—this is truly awful!

「Huangmu, you're awake?! 」

Just as Huangmu woke up, a hoarse, weathered voice came from ahead of them.

「Huh?! 」

Upon hearing that, Huangmu looked up and immediately saw an eyesore……

Seeing Shanben Yuanliuzhai Chongguo, who constantly faces the threat of baldness, sitting naked with legs crossed in meditation under the hot spring waterfall not far from Huangmu, at this moment he was peeking at Huangmu with one eye open and one closed.

「I see, so my nightmare hasn't fully ended yet?! 」

Huangmu watched their teacher training under the waterfall and continued muttering to themselves.

「Captain Huangmu, you'd better face reality now! Whether you believe it or not, the fact is you've already woken up! 」

Before Huangmu could think further, a corpse-like figure floated on the hot spring, a blade of roadside dog grass in its mouth, the man's face deathly pale, speaking in a half-dead voice to advise Huangmu.

「Are you the captain of the 4th Division, Zhidao Zhimu? 」

Huangmu looked at the corpse-like figure before them and asked uncertainly.

「Oh! Being called by name by the renowned Captain Huangmu is truly an honor for me, Zhidao Zhimu! 」

Although Zhidao Zhimu said that, with his half-dead voice, Huangmu couldn't sense any hint of honor in his words.

「Huangmu, you're amazing! 」

「You actually beat that 'king' of the Quincy, whatever his name is—Youhabache—into that state! This strength might already be called 'the strongest in Soul Society under Captain-General Yamamoto】, right? 」

「When you have time, shall we spar a bit? 」

Then, Weihua Tan'erlang casually approached Huangmu's side and invited them to a match.

「Haha, to be honest, I also want to fight you, Huangmu! Let's spar! 」

The captain of the 12th Division, Shandingyou Pin, having heard Weihua Tan'erlang's words, likewise approached Huangmu's side.

「Idiot! I was the one who first suggested this—I can test my strength by fighting Captain Huangmu and see how far I am from the Quincy king! So even if we really fight Huangmu, I should go first! 」

Then, the captain of the 7th Division, Zhixing Naiwugang, approached dissatisfiedly.

「Oh! So it was you, kid, who brought this up……」

Upon hearing that, Huangmu silently noted what Zhixing Naiwugang had just said and wanted in their heart, knowing that one day they would get revenge.

「Haha, I also want to fight Huangmu! 」

Then, the captain of the 9th Division, Jiumianyanjing Tie, also approached.

In an instant, these oddly appearing captains of the first-generation Gotei 13 surrounded Huangmu.

「Um, I actually also want to spar with Huangmu! 」

「Can you guys give me a spot? 」

「Hey! You heard me speaking, right? 」

「You're not trying to exclude me, are you? 」

「Haha, I know you wouldn't do that—I was just joking! 」

「Come on, please—someone pay attention to me! 」

And the captain of the 10th Division, Wangtuchuan Yuxuji, perhaps because his appearance stands out from the first-generation Gotei 13, was now crouching alone behind all the captains, muttering to himself.

Well, looking at it this way, he's also a pure weirdo……

「Huangmu should fight me first! 」

「I was the one who came first! 」

「Huangmu, if you're a man, fight me! 」

At this moment, all the captains, each wanting to be the first to fight Huangmu and not wanting to go last, began shouting loudly.

「These guys are really noisy, they wouldn't think I actually want to fight them, would they? Don't joke! 」Huangmu listened to the endless 【noise】 in their ears, once again craned their neck and lay back at the edge of the hot spring pool, and placed the towel they had previously taken off their face back onto their face, while thinking: 「Damn, this is annoying! I really want to go soak in the women's side—this place is practically hell for me. 」

At the same time……

Inside the women's bath, just one wall away from the men's bath, the captain of the 8th Division, Luqu Bayunzhai, the former captain of the 11th Division, Maohua Lie, and the captain of the 6th Division, Zhaiteng Bu Lao Bu Si, were quietly soaking in the pool……

The men's and women's baths are the same size, but because only three people are here, the pool feels large. Compared to the noisy men's bath, the women's side is much more harmonious—even the usually noisy Zhaiteng Bu Lao Bu Si becomes utterly tranquil when soaking.

As for the reason, well~

「Wow, that's big! 」

Zhaiteng stared at Luqu Bayunzhai's chest, where the perfect curve could not be covered by the towel, and their pupils trembled.

「Luqu is thin everywhere else, so why is just that part so huge? This completely defies nutrition! 」

Zhaiteng Bu Lao Bu Si glared hatefully at Luqu Bayunzhai, wishing she could bite off that evil pair with her sharp fangs, just to stop Luqu from always running in front of her and swaying.

「Nice, comfortable~」

「Sure enough, after a battle, you've got to soak properly……」

Zaitou Bulaobusi's side was the just‑entered Mao no Hana Retsu in the bath; Mao no Hana Retsu gently stretched her waist in the pool, and the boundless white light that burst forth made Zaitou's pupils tremble violently.

"Damn! This guy's also so big! Damn, why can they all become this big?!"

Zaitou Bulaobusi, seeing this, curled herself up in the hot‑spring pool and blew bubbles at the spring; she felt a bitter feeling she could not express.

"Ah~"

"Zaitou, aren't you tired like this?"

Mao no Hana Retsu seemed to notice something; she looked at the curled‑up Zaitou Bulaobusi, a smile at the corner of her mouth, and asked softly.

"Mind your own business! Soak in your own hot spring!"

Zaitou, hearing that, curled her body even tighter.

"Hehe~"

In response, Mao no Hana Retsu chuckled lightly; she never gave Zaitou any consideration from beginning to end, the two were never of the same rank. Compared with the "harmless" Zaitou, Mao no Hana Retsu thought that Lu Qu's threat to her might actually be greater…

"Looks like going back to read Xiao 'Huang'!"

As for Lu Qu, at this moment she was day‑dreaming, only hoping to return to the team dorm soon and continue studying the "literary" knowledge; Lu Qu's only virtue was her love of learning.

A few tens of minutes later…

"Sigh…"

Feeling that all his fatigue had vanished, Araki took the towel off his forehead and stood up from the hot‑spring water on his own.

"Araki, where are you going?"

As Araki rose, Shanben Yuanliuzhai Chongguo, who had been meditating under the hot‑spring waterfall, suddenly opened his eyes, looked at Araki's back, and asked.

"Ah…" Araki yawned at the words, then without turning his head spoke to the old mountain man behind him: "Where can I go? Of course back to the team dorm! There are still many people in Squad Eleven waiting for me to rescue them!"

"Is that so?!"

"As for this, go ahead and do it!"

"As for the rest… actually I have something very important to tell you!"

Just as Araki was about to leave on his own, Shanben Yuanliuzhai Chongguo's words called him back, making Araki stop.

"Hm?!"

Araki, hearing that, halted his forward motion, turned and looked at Shanben with a questioning gaze.

"Soon people from above will arrive! Then you and I will go together…"

Shanben spoke to Araki in a commanding tone.

"Not going!"

Araki answered without hesitation. As for the "above" that Shanben mentioned, the only one the Head Captain of the Gotei 13 would call "above" is probably the royal spy—Zero Squad!

Regarding Zero Squad, Araki kept a respectful‑distance attitude! He had no intention of getting involved with Zero Squad, whether it be Sword God Ermeiwu Wang Yue or Eye Monk or the one called True Name Monk, Bingzhubu Ichibei, none were good to tangle with…

Staying away from those who hide the great "secret" of the Spirit King has always been Araki's principle! Anyway, he already knows enough.

"Araki, this time is different from before; this time it's said that the Spirit King himself personally named you for a summons!"

Just as Araki turned and prepared to leave, Shanben Yuanliuzhai Chongguo's voice sounded again behind him.

"Huh? The Spirit King wants to summon me?"

Araki froze on the spot; the fragmented Spirit King, already severed by the ancestors of the Five Great Nobles, wanted to summon him?! No joke! It must be that Big Eye Monk again using the Spirit King's name to swindle people!

"We'll talk about it later!"

Araki said, his eyes showing a hint of hesitation, and left the hot spring that was meant for recovery on his own.

"Thank you for your patronage~ Welcome next time!"

Before leaving, the owner of the recovery hot spring—a guy with a self‑styled "airplane" haircut that looked like a 70s‑80s biker gang—greeted Araki with a smile and said cheerfully.

"Oh, okay~"

Araki replied outwardly, but thought silently: "So this guy hasn't gone to Zero Squad yet?! Indeed, the hot spring's effect is far from the 'revival' effect in the original Blood War Chapter! That means Zero Squad now only has Sword God and True Name Monk, right?! I also don't know whether the creator of Death Overlord Gear, Xiuduo Luo Qianshoumaru, went to Zero Squad… no matter how I think it's troublesome!"

After pondering, Araki's figure vanished from the spot.

Time flew, and several days later.

"All right! Your leg has been reattached!"

As Araki's "ROOM" slowly shrank, the last injured team member was also successfully healed by Araki.

"It really recovered! It's as if I never got injured!"

The team member jumped up excitedly from the ground, then landed heavily, his face radiating a "happiness" expression; sometimes only those who have lost understand the preciousness of having, and cherish everything they have not yet lost.

"No matter how severe the opponent's injuries, how badly the body is damaged, you can piece together the missing parts? What a marvelous ability!"

Just as Araki finished healing the last injured team member and was about to rest, a somewhat rough voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"Hm?!"

Araki immediately drew the Zanpoko sword at his waist and slashed toward the back.

"Hey hey hey! Don't be so rough! I'm not your enemy!"

As Araki's blade flashed, the person behind stepped back repeatedly, raising both hands high over his head, assuming a surrender posture while smiling kindly at Araki.

"Tsk~"

At that moment, Araki also saw clearly the newcomer behind him: a bald, shining head, blazing eyes, and a beard so dense it resembled a pompadour; the instant Araki saw his silhouette, he instantly recognized his identity.

"Who are you?"

Araki, still pretending not to know, asked.

"I am Bingzhubu Ichibei! I'm a member of Zero Squad!"

He wore a glowing red prayer‑bead necklace around his neck; no matter how you looked at him, he was a "Great Monk" man, smiling kindly at Araki as he introduced himself cheerfully.

"Ah~ so it's a big figure from Zero Squad! I wonder what a big figure from Zero Squad wants from me?!"

Araki kept playing dumb; having lived so long in the Soul Society, he was practically a master of feigning ignorance.

"Actually, it's not that I have something to discuss with you; it's that Lord Spirit King wants to see you!"

Bingzhubu Yibingwei crossed their arms in front of them and continued to chuckle at Huang Mu.

"Lord Spirit King wants to see me? I'm just an ordinary mortal; how could I possibly merit an audience with Lord Spirit King?"

Huang Mu feigned surprise, looking completely unworthy of an audience with Lord Spirit King.

"Well, I'm actually quite curious about your abilities... I wonder if, with your skills, you could possibly reassemble Lord Spirit King?"

While Huang Mu continued to play the "feigning ignorance" little game with Bingzhubu Yibingwei, Bingzhubu suddenly changed the subject, looking at Huang Mu and chuckling as they asked.

Finally finished this chapter! Getting ready to start the main storyline! By the way, dear readers, in appreciation of my hard work, please throw another wave of votes~

(End of chapter)