Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

As dawn breaks, the yellow dirt road in the wilderness is bathed in a warm golden light.

Xuan led his group eastward. The wandering souls followed silently behind, rustling as they walked through the gravel and dust.

The grief of losing loved ones and the joy of surviving a disaster were intertwined. No one was in the mood for idle chatter. There were only occasional coughs and the soft cries of babies. The woman carrying a child walked in the middle of the procession, gently coaxing the baby in her arms as she walked.

Saito walked beside Gen, releasing his spiritual pressure forward, his eyes revealing an undisguised boredom.

Even wandering spirits without spiritual power can sense spiritual pressure, so usually no wandering ghosts or wandering spirits dare to rob someone after releasing spiritual pressure.

The wind in the morning light suddenly took on a different flavor.

It wasn't the stench of loess, nor the ominous spiritual pressure of the void—it wasn't fierce, but carried the weight of battle, like a coarse cloth soaked in blood.

Saito's nonchalant attitude vanished instantly, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. He lowered his voice and whispered in Gen's ear, "Can you feel it? This powerful spiritual pressure. If they're here to cause trouble for you or me, you can still run now."

"No, otherwise why alert them?" Xuan looked ahead. "Let's withdraw our spiritual pressure. They've already withdrawn it, so they probably mean no harm."

Saito was taken aback upon hearing this, and then she withdrew her outward spiritual pressure—she had been so focused on being on high alert that she hadn't noticed that the other party's spiritual pressure had already been quietly withdrawn.

Facing the rising sun, dozens of backlit shadows could already be seen. Getting closer, it became clear that they were all dressed as wandering spirits.

Most of them were elderly, weak, or disabled; many had missing limbs and walked with a limp, some even needing the support of their companions to move forward. They were ragged and their faces were ashen, but their eyes did not show the numbness of someone on the verge of death.

At the very front of the group was a brown-haired Shinigami dressed in a Shinigami uniform.

He wore a loose ponytail at the back of his head, with stray hairs blowing wildly in the wind, exuding a carefree and unconventional air. His stubble was unevenly trimmed, but it didn't make him look sloppy at all; instead, it accentuated his bright eyes and gave him a rugged, heroic air.

On this yellow dirt road, bathed in the golden-red light of the morning sun, the two teams met.

The wandering souls behind Xuan fell silent. Some instinctively shrank back to the middle of the group, tightly gripping the hands of those around them. Several men from the opposite group silently stepped forward, shielding the women and children.

Saito's hand never left the hilt of his sword; with a slight exertion of force from his fingertips, he could use Shunpo to rush out with his Zanpakuto if his opponent made the slightest move.

Although the brown-haired Grim Reaper opposite him also had his hand on the hilt of his sword, he never seemed to pull it out, as if he was just on guard.

The brown-haired Grim Reaper's gaze first swept over Gen and Saito, then fell on the rogue spirits behind them. His eyes swept over the rogue spirits—they showed no signs of abuse, and were instinctively hiding behind Gen.

The brown-haired Grim Reaper grinned and stepped forward, asking, "Since you two have come from the west, are these wandering souls behind you survivors of the Hollow Calamity?"

Saito spoke first: "Yes. Who are you?"

The young man's expression was complex, as if he were grieving for the souls he hadn't been able to save, yet also relieved that the wandering souls before him had been rescued. He nodded, his tone tinged with emotion: "It seems this calamity has subsided."

He dusted himself off and stood still: "Ohana Danjiro, the wandering Grim Reaper."

"Xuan, the Wandering Grim Reaper."

"Saito is immortal."

Obana Danjiro nodded: "Nice to meet you. I originally planned to go and clean up the void disaster, just like you two."

Saito glanced at the wandering spirits behind him and asked, "Since you're going to Qingxu for disaster relief, why are you bringing so many wandering spirits with you? It's just a waste of time."

Obana Danjiro was silent for a few moments, his smile tinged with bitterness, yet also with a sense of relief.

"It's quite a coincidence that we've met now." He sat on a tree stump by the roadside. "I wonder if you two have the time to listen to me share some of my past experiences? You'll understand after you hear them."

Gen glanced at Saito. Saito scoffed, "Anyway, it won't make a difference if we're on our way."

Obana looked up at the sky, which was dyed red by the rising sun, took a deep breath, and began to tell the story of the past.

"More than a decade ago, I was a nobleman's son. Sorry! It's just a verbal tic I picked up after spending so much time in Rukongai. No offense intended."

Saito raised an eyebrow at the very first sentence of the story. Gen remained unmoved, simply listening quietly to Obana Danjiro's narration.

"The Obana family, I don't know if you've heard of them. They're not a great noble family, but they have quite a few farms and ranches on the outskirts of West Rukongai. They've accumulated some wealth by employing Rukongas to farm and raise livestock."

Oohana Danjiro spoke in a flat tone, as if he were talking about someone else's business.

"When the illusory disaster swept through the area under the jurisdiction of the Obana family, instead of sending out the Grim Reaper to wipe it out, the Obana family took advantage of the chaos of the illusory disaster to forcibly collect money and grain under the guise of disaster relief, and even embezzled all the disaster relief funds allocated by the Central Forty-Six Chambers for the resettlement of wandering souls and the repair of damaged buildings."

"I was young and hot-blooded back then, and I went to question my father—the head of the Obana family—on the spot. This is how he answered me." Obana Danjiro recalled the scene, his tone becoming a bit somber.

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The patriarch didn't even lift his eyelids. While stroking the jade thumb ring on his finger, he said in a casual yet admonitory and contemptuous tone, "No one cares about these refugees. The adults of the Central 46 Chambers will never concern themselves with the affairs of the Obi-hana family for the sake of a few lowly people."

Remember this: as the future head of the Obana family, you cannot treat the Hollow Disaster the same way as ordinary people. Instead, you must treat it as an opportunity. Once the Hollows have eaten their fill, the Hollow Disaster will naturally subside.

Instead of wasting manpower and resources filling a bottomless pit, it's better to use this opportunity to seize control of money, food, and resources. This is the fundamental way for the Obana family to gain a foothold.

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"It was at that moment that I realized that in their eyes, there was no difference between rukongs and cattle and horses on a ranch," said Obana Danjiro. "I argued with him on the spot, then left the clan and wandered to the outskirts of Rukongai."

"That was the first time I saw the real Soul Society. Over the years, I have gathered a group of orphans and weak wandering souls who had no one to care for them."

Danjiro Obana continued, "I'm not exactly a good person. I've stolen things and killed people. But they have no power, so I can only use my own power to protect them."

Saito suddenly spoke up: "These people know what the Obana family did, right? Don't they resent you?"

Obana Danjiro gave a bitter smile, his gaze falling on the wandering spirits behind him. His voice lowered, "At first, I also thought they would hate me. I thought, I'd accept being beaten and scolded, after all, they were avenging their fallen comrades."

He paused for a long time. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the fabric of his trousers at his knees.

"They forgave me."

Perhaps the voice was too soft, because the wind scattered some of the words, but every word clearly reached Gen and Saito's ears.

"We're all just people with tragic fates," Obana Danjiro said, his voice strained but a smile on his face. "They say I saved their lives, that I'm different from the other nobles..."

He blinked hard, tilted his head back, as if trying to make something flow backward.

"But I know that what I did cannot make up for anything. The reason why everyone has ended up with their families destroyed and their lives ruined is because of the inaction of the nobles."

Xuan looked at the man in front of him, who was smiling through his tears, sighed, and patted him on the shoulder.

Obana Danjiro took a deep breath and continued, "Most of the people I lead are disabled. There are few places willing to hire them. So I can only rely on my strength to rob some food from noble families to share with everyone, just to barely survive."

"But then I can't afford to leave them behind and act alone."

"Why?" Saito asked at the opportune moment, seeing that Obana Danjiro was finally about to answer the question he cared about.

"Because if I'm gone," said Obana Danjiro, "not only will they be unable to find work to make a living, but they might also become targets of the nobles' wrath. After all, I stole it, and those people can't beat me, so they can only take their anger out on the weak."

He looked down at his hands, which were covered in dust.

"I don't want my family to have already harmed them once, and then I have to harm them again."

"So... we can only maintain the status quo."

The wind blew across the wilderness, lifting the ponytail tied behind his head. Sunlight fell on his face, revealing the weariness beneath his cheerful expression.

Xuan was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "You have done very well. But robbing the rich to help the poor is not a long-term solution."

Obana Danjiro looked at Gen: "What brilliant idea do you have?"

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime," Xuan said. "I plan to start an organization that will provide opportunities for people of all disabilities to work, earn food through labor, and reward those who work harder. It will give these wandering souls the option to walk with their heads held high, so they don't have to rely on you completely, and it will also reduce some of your burden."

Obana Danjiro was silent for a moment. He stood up and turned to face the wandering spirits behind him:

"Did you all hear that? You can choose to go over there and exchange your labor for food. I can't give you the dignity to stand tall, but I guarantee you won't starve. I won't interfere with your choice."

Genya said to the ryuten behind him, "The same goes for you. If you want to go with Obana Danjiro, I won't stop you. Each of you can make your own choice; there's no need to force yourself."

A low murmur arose between the two groups of wandering souls. Some hesitated, some remained silent.

The first to emerge was the woman holding the infant who had survived the calamity.

She walked up to Xuan and bowed deeply, her forehead almost touching her knees.

"Lord Xuan... I'm sorry."

Her voice trembled, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"You saved my life and gave us water, but I... I have a child with me, and I really don't dare to gamble that I can work and take care of my child at the same time."

The baby in her arms reached out its tiny hand and tried to catch the tears that were sliding down its mother's cheek.

Xuan looked at her, his voice calm: "It's alright. Take care."

The woman then turned to Obana Danjiro and bowed deeply again: "Obana-sama... I'm sorry."

Obana Danjiro waved his hand and laughed heartily: "You chose to entrust your child's future to me, which means you trust me. What's with the 'I'm sorry'? Come on, come on, stop crying and behaving like this."

The woman wiped away her tears and walked into the slumbering spirits behind Obana Danjiro.

After the ryutama discussed it for a while, three people stepped out from Obana Danjiro's group.

The first was the boy with the missing arm. His left arm was bare below the elbow, the sleeve tied in a knot and hanging down at his side. His complexion was not good, but his eyes were bright.

He walked up to Obana Danjiro and lowered his head.

"Brother Obana, we want to follow Lord Xuan."

His voice sounded a little strained.

"I... I won't be full just by drinking water, and I've used up a lot of Brother Obana's food. I want to try on my own, and I don't want to be a burden to you forever."

Oohana Danjiro was taken aback, then raised his hand and patted the young man's shoulder heavily: "My decision to help you is my own. You don't owe me anything."

He grinned, but his eyes were a little red.

A second young man stepped forward. His right arm was missing below his shoulder, and he was as thin as a bamboo pole.

He didn't speak, but silently walked to Obana Danjiro and knelt down, his forehead touching the ground. After a few breaths, he stood up and walked to the group of wandering spirits behind Gen.

The third was an ordinary young man. He walked up to Obana Danjiro and bowed deeply: "Brother Obana, thank you for taking care of me all these years. I am healthy and want to support myself."

"Alright, stop acting like that. If you want to rely on yourselves, I have no right to stop you. Go and do your best, don't embarrass me." Obana Danjiro helped the young man up and then slammed his fist into his chest.

The young man immediately bared his teeth in a grimace.

Before long, both groups set off.

Obana Danjiro led his group in another direction. After taking a few steps, he turned back and waved, "Take care! Let's have a drink together if we meet again!"

Saito muttered, "This guy is quite interesting."

The group continued eastward.

The sun rose higher and higher, illuminating the dirt road white. After resting for a while, the footsteps of the wandering souls behind Xuan became lighter and more cheerful than before.

They chatted as they traveled. Some talked about the days before they were attacked by the Hollows, some talked about their struggle to survive in Rukongai, and some exchanged their work experiences and looked forward to the future.

The boy with spiritual talent walked in the middle of the group, clutching half a rice cake he couldn't bear to finish. After a long while, he broke off a piece and put it in his mouth, as if wanting to let the aroma linger a little longer.

The thin, dark-skinned girl walked beside several newly joined wandering souls, talking about how, after the Hollow Disaster, two Shinigami descended from the sky and, with a swift stroke of their blades, caused the Hollows to fall one by one.

The newcomers and other survivors who had experienced the Hollow Catastrophe gradually became fascinated by the battle scenarios the girl had created.

Xuan walked ahead, listening to the hushed conversations of the wandering souls behind him, and suddenly recalled a common situation in Rukongai:

When the souls of those who died in the mortal world are buried in Rukongai (a town for wandering spirits), they often cannot find their relatives from their living days. Therefore, several wandering spirits often gather together, forming a large family, recognizing each other as parents, siblings, and so on, to continue their lives after death.

Perhaps these wandering spirits see their companions as their future family.