Chapter 57: Araki

Boom!!

Accompanied by a roar, an endless heat wave shattered the squad's barracks roof! A massive mushroom cloud rose slowly, startling countless squad members into wide‑eyed amazement.

Not good! Lord Yuanliuzhai is in danger!

Captain General Yamamoto, please don't get hurt!

After a brief shock, the squad members' hearts filled with endless worry for their captain, but the heat's temperature was so extreme that they could not approach the squad's headquarters at all.

Lord Yuanliuzhai, are you alright?!

What on earth is happening here?!

Could it be an enemy raid?!

Who dares to attack the captain? That's incredibly bold!

After the heat wave dissipated, the squad members rushed one by one into the headquarters, and the Captain General of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto Yuanliuzhai Chongguo, anxiously asked the stunned figure standing there holding a Zanpoto Blade.

Yamamoto kept his head lowered, silently staring at the Zanpoto Blade in his hand for a long while without speaking.

Don't panic!

It was just a mosquito that entered the barracks… but that mosquito was just eliminated by Captain Yamamoto a moment ago!

Before Lord Yuanliuzhai could speak, Juebu, standing beside him, stepped forward to the squad members and explained what had happened.

Ugh! If it's just a mosquito, does the captain need to unsheathe the Zanpoto Blade?!

A squad member, feeling puzzled, looked at Juebu and asked.

That mosquito is rather big! Hmm, very big, very big…

Juebu replied without changing expression.

But I see Captain Yamamoto's left eye has a bruise! Could a mere mosquito cause that? Deputy Captain Juebu, did our squad really not get invaded by the enemy just now?!

At this moment another squad member, after closely observing Lord Yuanliuzhai, continued to ask Juebu.

What bruise? You must have misread it! It's just a swelling from a mosquito bite!

Juebu explained again.

But…

Clearly, Juebu's explanation this time failed to convince anyone.

Hahaha…

Just as the squad members were puzzled, Yamamoto Yuanliuzhai, who had been silently staring at his Zanpoto Blade with his head down, suddenly burst into laughter.

Good! Good! Good…

Yuanliuzhai first said three "good" words, then sheathed the Zanpoto Blade back into its scabbard at his waist, and finally addressed the squad members who had entered the headquarters: "You may step back! As Juebu said, it was merely a mosquito that had gained a bit of power and entered my headquarters to show off. That mosquito has already been subdued by me! You need not be so nervous; this is not a big deal at all."

At your command!

Seeing their revered Captain Yamamoto say that, the squad members fell silent, turned and left the headquarters, and after exiting they remembered to help Lord Yuanliuzhai close the battered door of the headquarters.

Araki's strength is improving faster than I imagined! Perhaps soon I can step down from the position of Captain General of the Gotei 13.

Yamamoto Yuanliuzhai Chongguo rubbed the swollen corner of his eye, a slight smile tugging his lips.

Araki's strength is naturally immense! After all, he is a top disciple you have guided step by step, Lord Yuanliuzhai…

Juebu immediately echoed Yuanliuzhai's words, adding that no matter how strong Araki becomes, he remains Yuanliuzhai's disciple, and each increment of Araki's strength reflects Yuanliuzhai's merit as his master.

Haha…

Yuanliuzhai let out a rare laugh, but it abruptly stopped shortly after.

By the way, Juebu! Did you just hear what that evil spirit (Yi Ji Si Ji Ba) said?!

Yuanliuzhai stared intensely at Juebu as he asked.

Ugh…

Juebu's internal alarm rang loudly; he dared think that if he told Yuanliuzhai that he not only heard what Yi Ji Si Ji Ba said, but also couldn't help laughing when he heard the words "Fire Stick", then Yuanliuzhai's Bankai would strike his head the next second.

I didn't hear anything! Not at all!

In response, Juebu waved his hands repeatedly at Yuanliuzhai.

I was born with an ear condition; sometimes I can hear, sometimes I can't…

After speaking, Juebu, fearing his explanation was insufficient, specifically told Yuanliuzhai that his ears were not very functional; indeed, Juebu Changjirou's hearing had been in a "Schrödinger" state since birth.

Oh, very good!

Yuanliuzhai lightly nodded.

Huh…

Juebu looked at Yuanliuzhai's slight nod and realized he had managed to pull it off today.

Then Juebu, who did you just see swelling my eye corner?!

Before Juebu could lower his worried heart, Yuanliuzhai's words rang in Juebu's ear again.

Lord Yuanliuzhai is invincible; how could he be injured? Clearly it was a mosquito bite!

Juebu's relieved heart immediately tightened again, the internal alarm blared once more, his hair standing on end as he lowered his head slightly and solemnly said to Yuanliuzhai.

Hmm, very good! Very good!

Changjirou, you go down! I'll rest a bit.

Yuanliuzhai finally relaxed. Changjirou had stayed by his side for so long not only because of loyalty but also because he possessed keen insight—a resourceful person.

At your command, Lord Yuanliuzhai, please rest well!

When Juebu heard Yuanliuzhai switch his address from Juebu back to Changjirou, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, fully letting go of his worry. He first bowed slightly to Yuanliuzhai, then slipped out of the squad's headquarters in a flash.

Now let me see properly how much fresh vitality you, Araki, can inject into this stagnant Soul Society!

Yuanliuzhai thought this as he headed toward the room in his headquarters used for noon rests.

Ah~

Just as the cold wind blowing down from the sky swept past Yuan Liuzhai's head, it also caused Yuan Liuzhai to stop in his tracks.

"Looks like I'll need to find some time to fix this roof."

Yuan Liuzhai gazed at the roof that had been blown away by the aftershocks of his fight with Huangmu, muttering to himself.

On the other side, the Eleventh Division barracks...

"I'm back."

After returning to the barracks, Huangmu didn't greet his own squad members but instead went straight into his captain's quarters.

"Welcome back, dear~"

"Eh, dear~ Who gave you that black eye~ Let me take a good look, sigh, the swelling is pretty bad~ This really makes my heart ache~"

"Dear, you see, in the whole Eleventh Division, only I care about you! I'm not like that nasty woman Unohana, who doesn't care about you at all~"

As soon as Huangmu pushed open the captain's door, Zhaiteng Bu Lao Bu Si rushed over, chattering nonstop around him.

"This is from when I went to settle scores with Old Man Mountain for you and got hit by him! Since you care so much about me, go hang Old Man Mountain up and give him a good beating!"

Huangmu first grabbed the squirming 'Immortal' clinging to him, then told Zhaiteng the reason for the red swelling at the corner of his right eye. Well, although Huangmu's injury isn't really related to Zhaiteng, it's mainly due to his own reckless behavior.

"Um..."

Originally, Zhaiteng felt somewhat moved when hearing the first part of Huangmu's words, but upon hearing the second part she fell silent. Having her go hang Old Man Mountain up and beat him—what's the difference between that and suicide?!

"Hah..."

After Zhaiteng fell silent, Huangmu slowly exhaled; once the chattering faded from his ears, he felt much more relaxed—indeed, a silent Zhaiteng was perfect.

"Huangmu, how did you and Captain-Commander Shanben end up fighting? Your combined spiritual pressure blanketed the entire Soul Society~"

At that moment, Mao Zhi Hua Lie had already poured tea for Huangmu.

"As expected, you all felt it, didn't you?!"

Huangmu stepped up to Mao Zhi Hua Lie, grabbed the hand holding her teapot, took the teapot from her, poured a cup of tea each for Mao Zhi Hua Lie and Zhaiteng, then gulped down the entire pot in one go.

Hah... After finishing the pot of tea, Huangmu finally let out a long sigh, then told Mao Zhi Hua Lie and Zhaiteng: 'Since you've noticed, they naturally have as well.'

"They?!"

Mao Zhi Hua Lie and Zhaiteng both froze upon hearing that.

That's right, because Huangmu and Yuan Liuzhai didn't restrain their spiritual pressure during their fight, all the top death gods of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads noticed.

Including the reason Zhaiteng, after Huangmu entered the captain's quarters, ran up to him with a smug face, greeting him while deliberately mocking Mao Zhi Hua Lie, was because in her view Huangmu had fought Captain-Commander Shanben for her sake—but now it seems Huangmu might have other plans…

"Those noble clans~" Huangmu pointed out who they were, then added: "That old coot Yuan Liuzhai has never been our enemy; our true enemies are the moth-eaten worms of Soul Society, namely those noble 'lords' led by the top nobles~"

"The nobles are our enemies?"

Zhaiteng and Mao Zhi Hua Lie exchanged a glance; this was the first time they'd heard in Soul Society the argument for overthrowing the nobles. Reasonably, in this world nobles are justice, and raising a blade against them is 'evil'. They're called the great villains of Soul Society not because of how many they've killed, but because back then they regarded the nobles with contempt and acted lawlessly.

"Of course~" Huangmu gave a light smile at the surprised-looking Zhaiteng and Mao Zhi Hua Lie, then continued: "All that's left is to wait for those nobles to come knocking~"

First, Yuan Liuzhai is not a subordinate of the nobles; his relationship with them is more like a cooperative agreement reached to protect Soul Society, and he is the first person in Soul Society's long history to single-handedly sit down at the same negotiating table with the nobles.

The nobles put on welcoming smiles for Yuan Liuzhai, but inside they were practically cursing! In their view, someone like Yuan Liuzhai—a 'country chicken'—is unworthy to sit at the negotiating table with them, the 'phoenixes', but constrained by Yuan Liuzhai's invincible power, they could only compromise.

At this point appeared someone who had returned from training in the 'Zero Division', and under 'everyone's watchful eyes' single-handedly knocked the First Division's members to the ground, then brawled with Yuan Liuzhai in the First Division barracks, yet left Yuan Liuzhai helpless—a tough character. So what would the noble clans do? Naturally, they'd try to win over Huangmu and by any means pit him against Yuan Liuzhai, then continue to consolidate their own interests~

Huangmu figured out what those nobles were thinking, then waited for them to come courting him so he could extract even more benefits! Or as that saying goes: swallow the sugar coating, fire the cannonball back!

Today he, the 'Old Man Huang', sat steady on the fishing platform, the fishhook already cast out, with no bait at all—he just wanted to see which fish would be willing to bite his bare hook.

Then he swung his blade and slaughtered them.

(End of chapter)