Chapter 99: with translation of chapter title

Several days later....

Translation: "Several days later..." (or "A few days later..."). Keep ellipsis. We'll output: "Several days later..."

First Division barracks.

Translation: "First Division barracks." (or "The barracks of the First Division.") Keep concise: "First Division barracks."

"Huh?! You're saying that Huangmu picked up a kid from Gengmu Qu?!"

"Huh?! You're saying that Huangmu picked up a kid from Gengmu Qu?!"

But we need to output each line as 【N】 translation. We'll not include the original Chinese quotes.

Let's decide: We'll use English double quotes for spoken lines.

Thus 【3】: "Huh?! You're saying that Huangmu picked up a kid from Gengmu Qu?!"

Shanben Yuanliuzhai heard the report from his subordinate and frowned slightly.

Translation: "Shanben Yuanliuzhai heard the report from his subordinate, and his brows furrowed slightly." Keep concise: "Shanben Yuanliuzhai heard his subordinate's report and frowned slightly."

"Yes! When Captain Huangmu returned to Tranquil Spirit Court with the Eleventh Division troops, many people saw him carrying a half-grown child in his hands...."

"The child looked like an ordinary resident of Wandering Souls Street, covered head to toe in scars, looking dirty and ragged, and when he first arrived at Tranquil Spirit Court he was unconscious, as if Captain Huangmu had knocked him out and forcibly brought him back to Tranquil Spirit Court."

A First Division soldier knelt on one knee before Captain-Commander Shanben Yuanliuzhai, reporting what he had learned.

"Where on earth is the child that Huangmu brought back?!"

Shanben Yuanliuzhai asked his own soldier.

"After Captain Huangmu returned to Tranquil Spirit Court, he first took the child to meet Captain Maozhi Hua of the Fourth Division, then immediately brought the child back to the Eleventh Division...."

"If nothing unexpected happens, the child that Captain Huangmu brought back is probably now living in the Eleventh Division barracks, showing how much Captain Huangmu values the child."

The First Division soldier continued his reply.

At the same time, the First Division soldier had some things he didn't say to Shanben Yuanliuzhai....

Now everyone is saying that the child Huangmu brought back from Wandering Souls Street to Tranquil Spirit Court is actually his illegitimate son from back when he was in Wandering Souls Street! Due to some unknown reasons, Huangmu, the child, and the child's mother were separated, and only now has he been reunited....

Upon hearing this rumor, the First Division soldier thought that when Huangmu returned to Tranquil Spirit Court, the first thing he did was bring the child to the Fourth Division, and he couldn't help but say: 'Captain Huangmu truly is a model for our generation! He dares to bring the child begotten by the previous generation to confront the current generation, and most importantly, the family is still harmonious without fighting?!'

We need to keep the quotes inside. We'll output: "Upon hearing this rumor, the First Division soldier thought that when Huangmu returned to Tranquil Spirit Court, the first thing he did was bring the child to the Fourth Division, and he couldn't help but say: 'Captain Huangmu truly is a model for our generation! He dares to bring the child begotten by the previous generation to confront the current generation, and most importantly, the family is still harmonious without fighting?!'"

In response, the First Division soldier could only say that Huangmu lived up to the name 'strongest'!

Well, Captain Huangmu is strong in 'every aspect' to an absurd degree....

"All right, I understand! You may go now!"

Upon hearing this, Shanben Yuanliuzhai tightly closed his eyes, laughed at the information his own soldier had provided, then waved his hand at the First Division soldier before him, indicating that the soldier could step back for now.

"Yes, sir...."

The soldier heard the captain-commander's words; although he was extremely curious about the child Huangmu had brought, he dared not speak further, and simply followed Shanben's order to leave the First Division headquarters.

"Chang Erlang, what do you think of this?!"

Shanben Yuanliuzhai questioned Quebu Chang Erlang in the corner.

「……」 -> Translation: "........" Actually it's just silence; we can output: "........" but we need to keep the quotes? The line is 「……」. We'll output: "........" (maybe with quotes). We'll output: "........"

Quebu, hearing this, steeled himself and stepped out from the shadows, frankly admitting that he too was getting a headache over Huangmu's actions.

"Lord Yuanliuzhai, I have no idea what you mean!!"

Quebu decided that as long as Captain-Commander Shanben Yuanliuzhai didn't call him out, he would plead ignorance and play dumb here.

"Quebu, you really don't know what I mean?!"

Shanben Yuanliuzhai narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing Quebu's answer.

It was obvious that Shanben Yuanliuzhai was dissatisfied with Quebu Chang Erlang's answer, to the point that he changed his manner of addressing him at that moment.

"Uh...."

Upon hearing Shanben Yuanliuzhai's address, Quebu's forehead beaded with cold sweat; he knew his pretense might not hold up much longer.

"Please, Lord Yuanliuzhai, explain in detail!"

Even so, Quebu steeled himself and asked Shanben Yuanliuzhai for clarification, after all, he had just said he didn't understand what Yuanliuzhai meant; if he now did, wouldn't that be committing the crime of deceiving the sovereign?!

"That child is the one Huangmu brought back from Wandering Souls Street...."

"You should also know that Huangmu spent quite some time in Wandering Souls Street back then."

"If you think about it carefully, it seems anything could be possible—what do you think?!"

Shanben Yuanliuzhai narrowed his eyes, stared intently at Quebu Chang Erlang, and spoke in a hoarse, low voice.

"Hiss~"

Quebu, hearing this, feigned surprise and sucked in a breath of cold air.

He then looked at Shanben Yuanliuzhai and tentatively asked, 'Lord Yuanliuzhai, are you saying that child is Huangmu's?!'

"I never said that; those are your words, and they have nothing to do with me...."

Shanben Yuanliuzhai, hearing Quebu voice his inner curiosity, immediately shook his head, indicating that this was not his idea but Quebu's own, and he would not endorse or take responsibility for it.

"Tsk~"

Quebu, hearing Shanben Yuanliuzhai's words, couldn't help but click his tongue; this was clearly Shanben Yuanliuzhai's idea, yet now Shanben refuses to acknowledge it....

Indeed, the heart of a ruler is unfathomable~

"However! Chang Erlang, what you said is not without possibility!"

"Alright, Chang Erlang! Go investigate the child's exact background...."

At this point, Shanben Yuanliuzhai once again began to affectionately address Quebu as Chang Erlang.

"Me?!"

Quebu, hearing this, twitched his eyelids slightly; his beloved Captain-Commander Shanben Yuanliuzhai really knows how to make things difficult for him.

"What? You can't do it?"

Shanben Yuanliuzhai looked at Quebu's troubled expression, narrowed his eyes slightly, and asked.

"Of course not...." Quebu shook his head, then looked at Yuanliuzhai and asked, "I'm just curious! If this child really is Huangmu's, what do you plan to do?"

"If it truly is Huangmu's child... then bring him to me! From today on, I will personally educate him! This time, I refuse to believe he will still go astray—I will surely train him to become the finest Soul Reaper...."

Shanben Yuanliuzhai, hearing this, furrowed his brows tightly and spoke softly to Quebu.

In Yuanliuzhai's words, both explicit and implicit, lies his unwillingness to accept the problems in Huangmu's education!

It seems Yuanliuzhai feels like he's ruined his 'big instrument' and wants to try practicing on a 'small one'....

"I understand."

After hearing what Yuan Liu Zhai said, Que Bu first respectfully bowed slightly to Yuan Liu Zhai, then left the captain's quarters of the First Division and headed toward the barracks of the Eleventh Division where Huang Mu was.

Eleven Squad Barracks.

Crack! Crack! Crack…

After several days of recuperation, Gengmu had completely restored his former vigor.

At this moment he was wolfing down the food Huangmu had prepared for him; Gengmu seemed to need no chewing at all—calling it "devouring like a wolf and tiger" was no exaggeration!

He basically shoved all kinds of food into his mouth, gave a symbolic chew twice, then swallowed; to the members of Thirteen Squad it looked like a starving ghost being reborn.

So this kid is the one Captain Huangmu brought back from Wandering Soul Street?

Exactly! That day I saw with my own eyes that the brat was carried by Captain Huangmu back to Pure Spirit Court…

Rumor has it that this child is an offspring Huangmu left behind outside…

Hiss! If that's the case, then it's no surprise!

I kept wondering why that teen, at his age, is as strong as a monster! If he's Huangmu's offspring, then it makes sense…

Outside the Eleven Squad Swordsmanship Dojo, which also serves as Gengmu's private cafeteria, a crowd of squad members who came by reputation gathered—some from Eleven Squad itself, others from various squads…

Since the Eleven Squad Swordsmanship Dojo is open, anyone can come to train with Eleven Squad or challenge its members for a spar…

Thus, the presence of members from other squads inside the Eleven Squad barracks is not unusual; it's just that there have been especially many of them these past few days.

Burp~

While the squad members were chatting, the boy Huangmu had rescued—the future Gengmu Sword Eight—lay comfortably on the floor and let out a satisfied, full burp.

That kid looks full!

The squad members who had come from other squads brightened at the sight of the well‑fed teen Gengmu; they were curious what he would do after his meal…

Um…

Meanwhile, the Eleven Squad members skillfully fell back behind the crowd, exited their Dojo in order, and shut its doors tightly.

Hm?!

To the other squads' members, the scene was bizarre; they couldn't understand why the Eleven Squad members acted that way.

What are you doing?!

Thus, a squad member, through the massive iron door, asked the Eleven Squad members outside.

Sorry, actually the kid Captain Huangmu brought back, after a meal, likes to find someone to spar with…

The Eleven Squad members outside, hearing this, gave a very veiled reminder.

Likes to spar right after eating?!

Immediately the crowd showed puzzled looks.

Likes to spar? With whom?!

Hehe~

While everyone was puzzled, the now‑sated Gengmu casually grabbed a wooden sword from the Dojo rack and walked toward the squad members still inside…

Hmm, Gengmu was about to do some simple calisthenics to get his intestines moving and aid digestion~

Hm?!

In an instant, the Thirteen Squad members still in the Dojo turned pale; they finally realized who the teen intended to spar with.

Ah!!

In that instant, a chilling scream echoed repeatedly through the Dojo.

Don't blame us! Since we let you in to see the kid Captain Huangmu picked up from Wandering Soul Street, you have to pay a bit of admission, right? You agree… I'm not wrong, am I?!

Outside the gate, the senior officer of Eleven Squad pressed his body against the Dojo doors and earnestly spoke to the wailing "demons" inside.

Damn you!

Exactly, huh? I…

For a moment, inside the Eleven Squad Dojo, besides the screams, there were more warm greetings to the officer's parents.

Hehe…

The officer merely smiled lightly; his parents had passed away early, making him an orphan, so he was unafraid of such confrontations.

A while later.

When Gengmu finished his intestinal exercise, the Eleven Squad members finally opened the door they had been blocking; inside were a bunch of squad members from various squads, half‑dead on the ground.

Cleaning up~

Then send all these people to Four Squad! Keep it discreet; tomorrow we'll lure another batch over to beat this kid!

Seeing this, the officer who had been blocking the door smiled faintly and instructed the squad members beside him.

Oh!!

The Eleven Squad members heard and instantly echoed in unison.

Although Eleven Squad is a combat unit, its members all uphold a war‑like spirit…

But loving battle and loving to be beaten are different; loving battle makes one a "battle maniac", loving to be beaten makes one a pure "masochist"! They prefer evenly matched fights, not one‑sided beatings…

So good things should be shared; the responsibility of fighting the "invincible" teen Gengmu should be left to the reapers outside the squad! The Eleven Squad members still reserve some strength for daily hunts of the Great Void, the Rioters, the nobles' illegal private armed forces, and the like~

Hey! Kid, fight me!

Just as the Eleven Squad members were moving the pile of corpses from the Dojo to send to Four Squad, a slightly sharp voice reached the teen Gengmu's ears.

Hm?!

In an instant, Gengmu stirred; his beast‑like eyes turned toward the speaker.

What entered the teen's sight was a petite, cute girl with twin purple pigtails and a black eye patch over her right eye.

Hehe~

Gengmu smiled upon seeing the girl; he could tell she was far stronger than the Thirteen Squad members he had easily defeated before.

Um…

With Gengmu's movement, the faces of all the members of the Eleven Squad inside the Swordsmanship Dojo changed; they feared that their actions would provoke the fierce beast before them…

At the same time, the squad members cursed the one who spoke, wondering why he deliberately provoked the monster! Didn't he know the terrifying power of that kid, whose strength inspired awe?!

You all go down! I'll handle this…

Just as everyone was surprised, the shouting voice of Gengmu rang out again, and with his purple twin tails appearing inside the Swordsmanship Dojo, the crowd finally saw who the shouting Gengmu actually was.

Captain Zaitou…

The squad members instantly understood; if those words came from Zaitou the Immortal, then everything made sense.

It is well known that, although Deputy Captain Zaitou is called the Immortal, he constantly walks the path of courting death.

The "Immortal" in his name seems to grow ever more distant…

Sometimes the squad wonders, if Deputy Captain Zaitou weren't protected by Captain Araki, would he have already perished…

Hee hee!

Of course, regardless, this battle cannot be avoided now; facing Gengmu and Zaitou the Immortal, the Eleven Squad members chose to retreat three steps. The Eleven Squad members lifted the corpses on the ground, spread their legs, and ran out of the Swordsmanship Dojo…

Boom!!

The next second, inside the Eleven Squad's Swordsmanship Dojo, Gengmu and Zaitou the Immortal, each wielding a wooden sword, immediately began a duel between masters!

Seeing that Gengmu did not use a Zanpakuto, Zaitou had no intention of using one herself; she took a training wooden sword and fought Gengmu…

Clack clack…

On the wooden floor, Gengmu and Zaitou constantly shifted positions; the wooden swords in their hands rang like firecrackers, colliding repeatedly, while beads of sweat dripped from their foreheads, each drop hitting the floor with a tick‑tick sound.

So strong!

When Zaitou truly fought Gengmu, she finally understood his greatness.

Gengmu's sword technique is not refined—indeed, it is rather crude—but it emphasizes one word: "fast"! Very fast! Extremely fast!

In all swordsmanship, only speed is unbreakable!

Once Gengmu grasped the word "fast", even if he waved a wooden sword around haphazardly, there is no doubt he is a swordmaster!

Tap tap tap…

As Gengmu and Zaitou kept moving, their wooden swords kept clashing; Zaitou suddenly noticed a flaw: Gengmu is always the one who reacts later!

Indeed, since Zaitou and Gengmu began fighting, Gengmu has been waiting for Zaitou to attack; he "parries" but never initiates, as if he has some reservation.

What are you hesitating about?!

After crossing swords with Gengmu once more, Zaitou stopped her attack and, standing still, asked Gengmu.

You… are weak!

I fear… you will die!

Fighting you… is really fun!

After hearing Zaitou's words, Gengmu thought for a moment, then, with a clumsy pronunciation, replied to Zaitou.

…

After hearing Gengmu's reply, Zaitou fell silent…

Zaitou finally realized why she felt a sense of discord when facing Gengmu; it turned out that he deliberately restrained his power, fearing a too‑quick conclusion would rob him of enjoyment.

However, the squad members watching from outside the Eleven Squad's barracks had a different view.

No wonder Captain Zaitou can hold her own against that monster!

Nonsense! Didn't you see Captain Zaitou always taking the initiative? Moreover, she didn't use Demon Path, White Strike, or Zanpakuto, so her raw strength clearly surpasses that monster! In plain terms, the opponent is merely child‑level; to true masters, he is not invincible!

I see, that makes sense! The reason we can't defeat that monster is indeed that we are too weak…

Clearly, this battle has been fully understood by the Eleven Squad members; they watched the two inside the Swordsmanship Dojo and commented.

Bastard, kid! Who the hell are you looking down on?!

Just as the Eleven Squad pointed and chattered at Gengmu and Zaitou's fight, Zaitou inside the Swordsmanship Dojo suddenly felt her anger flare.

Show me all your power!

Zaitou roared at Gengmu.

…

After hearing Zaitou's words, Gengmu's pupils narrowed slightly; at that moment he seemed to understand something: when battling a true master, not giving one's all is disrespectful.

I… understand!

After a pause, Gengmu nodded vigorously at Zaitou.

Good, as long as you understand!

Zaitou looked at the now enlightened Gengmu, took a deep breath, and her eyes showed seriousness.

Then…

Swish!

Gengmu, who had been standing dozens of meters away from Zaitou, seemed to "blink" and instantly "flashed" in front of her.

What?!

Zaitou stared at the newcomer, her pupils flickered slightly, "Oh no"—she had been careless.

Facing the shocked Zaitou, Gengmu kept a calm expression and gently swung his blade…

No howling wind, no screaming sound, no raging spiritual pressure! Only extreme speed!

At that moment, Gengmu's wooden blade became a flash of light; before Zaitou could react, it struck toward her abdomen…

Boom!

The next second, Zaitou was hurled like a cannonball, crashing through the Swordsmanship Dojo wall behind her, landing in the Eleven Squad's garden pond; a violent sonic boom barely sounded, followed by an earth‑shaking shockwave that blew outward in all directions.

…

For a moment, the Eleven Squad members who had been covertly watching Zaitou and Gengmu lowered their heads; Gengmu's silent strike silenced not only Zaitou but also the onlookers.

Sure enough, that little devil is an "invincible" monster! Only a monster even more invincible than Captain Huangmu could defeat it…

The squad members lowered their heads and muttered to themselves.

"It hurts?!" In the pool, Zaitou, drenched from head to toe, rubbed her own abdomen, her eyes showing a hint of disbelief, "Are the little devils this strong now? So powerful at such a young age—what will happen when they grow up?!"

"How about I have a child and raise it? There's no reason my child would be weaker than that little devil…"

Zaitou thought that way and looked toward the Eleven Squad's team command office, as if she were plotting something in her mind.

Meanwhile, inside the Eleven Squad's team command office, Quebu and Huangmu were conversing.

"What just happened…"

Quebu listened to the sounds outside, looked at Huangmu and asked, his meaning implied.

"No need to use it again! This isn't a big deal in the Eleven Squad…"

Huangmu, hearing this, waved his hand toward Quebu.

"Fine! I know you, Huangmu, are busy handling countless affairs every day, so I'll be brief. Lord Yuanliu Zhai sent me to see you this time just to verify something. Tell me honestly, Huangmu— is that little devil out there, whose power is 'defying the heavens', actually your child?!"

Since Huangmu said it didn't matter, Quebu stopped worrying about the explosion outside and looked at Huangmu, asking about Gengmu.

Cough cough…

Huangmu, who had been sipping tea, almost choked on his words after hearing Quebu, and even his years‑long cultivated composure left him speechless.

"You actually believe such rumors?"

Huangmu knew that because he had adopted Gengmu, there were many rumors in the Serene Spirit Court about his relationship with Gengmu, but in his view those rumors could only circulate among the common folk and never reach the Hall of Refinement…

In fact, they never entered the Hall of Refinement; they went straight to 'reaching the heavens', and even the old Guardian Court Founder Shanben Yuanliu Zhai believed it, even sending Quebu here to verify…

What on earth is this!?

"I didn't believe it at first! But just now I believed it…"

Quebu looked at Huangmu solemnly and said seriously.

In fact, Quebu hadn't believed it at first, but just now he saw with his own eyes that the half‑grown little devil flung the ageless Zaitou away, and honestly, Quebu believed it!

Aside from the little devil being Huangmu's illegitimate child, it's hard to explain why someone so young possesses such overwhelming power! That invincible bearing reminded Quebu of Huangmu in his younger days…

"Please stay true to yourself and don't believe these 'feudal superstitions'…"

Huangmu, hearing this, squeezed his sore temples.

"It's hard not to believe."

After hearing Huangmu, Quebu shook his head at him. He truly didn't want to believe those 'rumors', but seeing is believing! He had witnessed the youngster's formidable power with his own eyes…

According to current research by the nobles of the Soul Realm, descendants of those with weak spiritual pressure are generally not very strong, whereas the offspring of those with great spiritual pressure are born with an inherent advantage over ordinary people…

Take the direct descendants of the Five Great Nobles: even if they wish their offspring's spiritual pressure to be weaker, they cannot. Once they inherit their family's bloodline, they are born with powerful innate talent, as natural as humans needing to 'breathe'…

Based on that, if one says the youth who flung Zaitou has no background, whether others believe it Quebu doesn't know; in any case, Quebu himself doesn't believe it…

"Sigh…" Huangmu sighed helplessly, then in a mysterious tone said to Quebu, "I'm telling this secret only to you; don't tell anyone else. The more people who know, the worse it gets."

"Don't worry, Huangmu! You know me; I won't casually tell anyone…"

Quebu's eyes lit up at those words; he pressed his ear up next to Huangmu's mouth.

"Actually… this child is the old mountain man's illegitimate son!"

As Huangmu's words fell, Quebu's pupils jolted sharply.

I went to the hospital again today and got back a bit late! Here's a chapter first, and I'll update the next chapter as soon as possible!

(End of Chapter)