Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

A month after the exercise ended, life at Yuanzi Academy continued as usual.

Every day, after attending classes until the afternoon session ended, Xuan would leave the Yuanzi Academy alone and use Shunpo to travel to his training ground in the mountains to practice the Demonic Path. The stilted house still stood quietly in the forest clearing. He stayed there until evening, then returned to the Yuanzi Academy for dinner. After nightfall, he would sit cross-legged, regulate his breathing, nurture his Zanpakuto, and concentrate on his training.

This afternoon, a letter from the Shihōin family arrived at the Genji Juku.

Xuan took the letter bearing the clan crest, opened it, and glanced at it. It was a handwritten letter from the patriarch, written in gentle terms—congratulating him on his upcoming graduation, reminding him that "marriage arrangements need to be prepared in advance," and that "he should return promptly after graduation, as the Kuchiki family will send someone to visit."

He folded the letter and put it in the drawer.

His face was expressionless.

As night fell, Gen sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, his Zanpakuto lying across his knees. The cool moonlight streamed into the room through the window.

He closed his eyes, but his thoughts were not as clear as usual.

I'm about to graduate.

To be precise, the graduation ceremony is in a few days. And then? Return to the Shihouin family, prepare for the engagement, and marry into the Kuchiki family.

Marrying into the Kuchiki family—this means he will become a member of the Kuchiki family, completely integrated into the power network of the five great noble families. To acquire the surname "Kuchiki" is the ultimate dream of countless lower-ranking Shinigami.

Ke Xuan just found it troublesome.

He never wanted any favors. What he wanted was freedom, comfort, and the ability to live life his own way.

Moreover—there is that bloody battle to come.

He didn't know which year Yhwach would attack, only that many members of the Gotei 13 would die. Senhi and Saito, according to the original timeline, were both first-generation captains and would survive the war. They didn't need his concern.

But what about Xuan?

At the current rate of cultivation, he'll at most reach the threshold of captain level a hundred years from now. That kind of strength is nothing more than a slightly higher-ranking soldier in front of Yhwach.

He needs to become stronger.

The question is, can staying among the five noble families really make you stronger?

He had been at the Shihouin family's academy for six years. There, they didn't teach how to become stronger, but rather how to become a proper nobleman—etiquette, rules, family background, connections. These things meant nothing to him.

If Xuan remained in the family, he would only be slowly bound by those rules and regulations. Leaving aside the loveless marriage for now, what would come with it were responsibilities and meaningless social interactions. Furthermore, because it was a political marriage between two great noble families, even if the two didn't get along, divorce was impossible… layer upon layer, like a spiderweb, wrapped around him until he could no longer move.

Moreover, the sheer torment of his soul was enough to give him a headache.

Over the past few months, even with his soul constantly being nurtured, the tearing sensation within his soul had only intensified. Xuan didn't know if it was due to the passage of time or his own growing strength. But one thing was certain: if, shortly after marrying into the family, his soul were torn apart and repelled by the world, ultimately leading to his complete annihilation, that would be a truly laughable situation.

As for even more outrageous methods—first marrying into the family to stabilize the situation, then squandering all the money and running away with it?

He is a cultivator, with his own bottom line. By his values, he could barely be considered a cultivator; but if he were to actually do things that harm others for his own benefit, how would he be different from a demonic cultivator?

Moreover, doing so would undoubtedly attract the attention of two of the five noble families, who would even hunt him down. He had no grudge against the Kuchiki family, nor did he hate his fiancée whom he had never met; there was no need for him to go to such extremes.

It's better to leave earlier.

Leaving the Shihōin family voluntarily and ahead of time, instead of waiting until things settled down, would at least be more respectable to both families. Besides, he had some personal connections with Chihiro, so Chihiro might not really go all out to hunt him down.

For the Kuchiki family, the marriage agreement was merely a symbol of good relations between the two families, not an essential one. As long as I leave cleanly and let the Kuchiki family have a good show, the only loss will be some face; it's not worth making a big fuss about.

Furthermore, only two families openly know about this marriage arrangement. Neither family has uttered a word, and other noble families, such as the Tsunayo family, will simply pretend not to know. If the Kuchiki and Shihouin families were to openly search for a runaway branch family member in Rukongai, that would truly be a huge joke.

Xuan was certain they wouldn't.

Therefore, the worst outcome of leaving early is simply ending up in Rukongai, living in anonymity.

He possessed the Demon Path, the Beast Transformation Technique, the Instant Step, and enough money to live on until the first Bloodbath—his share of the pencil sales. As long as his identity remained hidden, survival wouldn't be a problem.

With this thought in mind, Xuan no longer hesitated.

He got up and picked up paper and pen.

The first letter was written to Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.

"Chief Master Fan Yuanliuzhai: "

I am unworthy to have left without saying goodbye on the eve of my graduation ceremony, which is against etiquette. I hope you will forgive me.

I benefited greatly from six years at Yuanzi Academy. Your teachings are etched in my memory.

If I achieve something in the future, I will never forget what I have learned here.

玄」

The second letter was written to Shihouin Sennichi.

"Brother Qianri: "

By the time you read this letter, I should have already left Yuanzi Academy.

I thought about it for a long time, and finally decided not to go back.

It's not that I don't appreciate your kindness, nor that I'm ungrateful for the family's care over the years. It's just that I yearn for freedom more than being arranged by the family to marry into the Kuchiki family and spend my life with a stranger.

You're a candidate for head of the family, so you know what it feels like to be assigned a role. I guess you can understand me.

I know you'll be in a difficult position. It's okay, I'll try to be as discreet as possible. You don't need to pay me for the pencils anymore; consider it a small personal compensation to the family.

If I'm still alive in a few years, and if you still recognize me, I might ask you to have a drink.

玄」

After writing the last word, Xuan folded the letter, put it in an envelope, and then began packing his things.

He didn't have much. A change of clothes rolled up, a water bottle hanging at his waist, and his Zanpakuto slung at his side. He also had the money he'd earned from the pencil business over the past few years, enough to live in Rukongai for many years—which he also packed into his bag.

I pushed open the door, and the moonlight was as white as frost.

Xuan took a deep breath and was about to take a step—

"Yo."

A voice came from above.

Xuan looked up.

Saito, seemingly immortal, hangs upside down on the edge of the eaves, one hand supporting his chin, his black ribbons and long purple ponytail swaying in the night breeze.

"Where are you going in the middle of the night?" Saito asked.

Because she was hanging upside down on the eaves, she completely blocked the moonlight, and her face was hidden in the shadows, so her expression could not be seen.

Xuan ignored her posture: "You're not sleeping, what are you doing here?"

Saito landed steadily in front of him, looked him up and down, his gaze lingering on the luggage for a moment before he suddenly clicked his tongue twice: "Are you planning to run away?"

Xuan nodded. In any case, others would find out he wasn't at Yuanzi Academy by tomorrow morning, so it made no difference whether he was informed now or not.

Saito's eyes lit up: "Where to?"

"Rukonkai" (Rukongai).

Saito crossed his arms, tilted his head and thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "That's perfect, let's go together."

Xuan was slightly taken aback, then shook his head: "Don't be in such a hurry."

He looked Saito straight in the eye, his tone becoming serious: "I've made up my mind to leave, but it's different for you. Have you seriously considered this? Have you thought clearly what leaving means?"

Saito raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

"It means leaving Yuanzi Academy, leaving everything you have access to now." Xuan's voice was calm, yet every word was clear. "What about your family? If you leave without saying goodbye, won't they worry? Will they send people to look for you? Will you ever go back?"

Saito paused for a moment, then scoffed, "My home? They're always so stern, spouting rules and etiquette all the time, practically trying to cram me into those rigid frameworks. I finally had a few years of freedom at Genji Academy, and now they want me to go back? Don't even think about it."

Gen interrupted her, "Regardless of whether the relationship is good or bad, they are still your family." In recent years, Saito had often complained about the strict rules at home and had given various reasons for disliking aristocratic life. So Gen was not surprised by Saito's thoughts.

Saito paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow: "You make it sound like you're that much older than me. You're not even an adult yet, are you, 'genius' Shihouin Gen? Why are you trying to advise me?"

After all, Xuan was only an adult in terms of mental age. Although the Yi Jin Jing promoted physical growth and development, he still looked like a teenager. His body was not yet an adult; Saito, on the other hand, was a complete adult.

Xuan looked at her, his tone softening: "I'm advising you to think it over carefully, not to stop you. I have no objection if you want to leave together. But at least you can't leave without saying goodbye. You have to leave a letter for your family so they know you left on your own and that nothing happened."

Saito was silent for a moment, then suddenly put his hand on Gen's shoulder: "Okay, I'll listen to you."

She turned and ran towards her dormitory, not using the powerful Shunpo technique: "Wait for me! I'm going to write a letter, I'll be quick!"

About fifteen minutes later, Saito ran back carrying a bundle on his back.

"Finished writing?"

"I'm done writing," Saito said casually.

"I'm leaving. Don't look for me. I won't die."

Xuan was silent for a moment, then said, "...Are you sure this is what you call 'putting your family at ease'?"

Saito scoffed, "Whether they feel at ease or not is their business. Anyway, I've already written it."

Xuan was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Have you thought it through? I won't be returning to Seireitei anytime soon, at least for several decades."

Saito scoffed, "Decades it is, I don't want to go home anyway. I finally escaped, who wants to go back and suffer those rules?"

The two walked out of the dormitory area side by side, crossed the training ground, and went through the corridor.

The night breeze was cool, and the moonlight was like frost.

Saito suddenly reached out and hooked his arm around Gen's shoulder, pulling him closer to him, and lowered his voice: "Hey, do you think we're accomplices in this prison break?"

Xuan glanced at her sideways. Although Xuan didn't like following too many rules, it was still a little awkward to have someone put their hand so close to her neck.

Saito raised the corners of his mouth: "They can't stand those stupid rules, can they? All you do is train all day, always alone, never actively socializing with other nobles, and your behavior isn't like that of a noble—I can tell at a glance that you're not one of those nobles."

Gen patted Saito's hand and said, "You're very observant."

Saito released his grip and strode forward. "Let's look after each other from now on. I'll go first in a fight, and you'll cover our retreat when we run?"

"Why should I be the last one to bring up the rear?"

"You're just slow."

The two chatted casually as they walked openly through the gate of Yuanzi Academy.

Xuan looked back one last time.

The direction of the executive office was pitch black.

Although he had already suppressed his spiritual pressure, Gen didn't know if Yamamoto had sensed the fluctuations in their spiritual pressure, nor did he know what Chihiro's expression would be after receiving the letter. But he knew that from this moment on, he would no longer be "Shihouin Gen".

He's just a mystery.

"Which way?" Saito asked.

Xuan thought for a moment.

The Rukongai (soul district) surrounds Seireitei and is divided into four main areas: east, west, north, and south. Each area is further numbered from the inside out, with number one being the closest to Seireitei and number eighty being the outermost. The innermost areas are more prosperous, while the outermost areas are more chaotic.

The closer to Seireitei, the easier it is to be discovered, so it can be ruled out first. The food production of Soul Society mainly depends on the noble farms and ranches in various places, most of which are located on the outskirts of the first few dozen wards of Rukongai. Therefore, the areas after the sixtieth ward are resource-scarce, and even if you have money, you may not be able to buy food. Both the living standards and the public security are very poor.

So the general area is the 30th to 60th wards of Rukongai. But which specific direction of Rukongai should you go to?

North Rukongai was ruled out first. Although Gen wasn't familiar with the specifics of the four districts, he knew that the future Kenpachi Zaraki was from the Zaraki district of the North 80th ward. He was terrible with directions and might wander around North Rukongai.

Gen didn't know when Kenpachi Zaraki was born or what his strength was at that time, but he knew that the first Kenpachi, Yachiru Unohana, was slightly weaker than Kenpachi Zaraki. Gen didn't want to gamble and get killed in the process.

Other areas seemed to matter, but Gen still preferred West Rukongai because he had been to West District 3 during the second-year combat exercise and was somewhat familiar with the route. Furthermore, whether it was the Shiba family, one of the five noble families that later fell into decline, Yoruichi Shihouin, or Kisuke Urahara, the smartest man among the Shinigami, they all chose West Rukongai as their base, so there must be a reason for it.

"Let's head to the North District first," Xuan said. "Tomorrow morning, we'll buy some casual clothes in the North District 1 to change out of our Death Knight outfits, and then head to the West District 40."

"It's said that things get pretty chaotic after the 30th district."

"A slightly chaotic place is better for concealing things; a mixed bag of people won't attract attention."

Saito grinned: "Okay, you make the decision, I'll just go along with it."

The night was deep, and the guards at Seireitei were much more lax than during the day. Using the shadows, the two of them made their way through several checkpoints in a few leaps.

Under the cover of night, the two figures instantly left Seireitei and sped off towards the west Rukongai.

Behind them, the outline of Seireitei grew ever more distant.

Ahead lies the unknown Rukongai, a long journey, and the beginning of a new life.

The night breeze swept away the last trace of hesitation.

-----------------

The night breeze blew through the window of the duty room, and the moonlight shone on the shadow of the person standing quietly by the window.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni stared at the two gradually blurring black dots in the distance, his face expressionless.

Chojiro Sasaki stood half a step behind him and whispered, "Lord Genryusai, would you like to...?"

"No need," Yamamoto said in a low, steady voice. "Let them be."

After a moment of silence, Suzakube asked again, "What about the Shihouin family and the Kuchiki family...?"

"That's their business." Yamamoto turned around, sat back down at his desk, and said, "Yuanzi Academy only teaches students and never questions students who leave midway."

The candlelight reflected off the cross-shaped scar on his forehead, flickering in the night wind.