Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

The morning sunlight streamed through the wooden fences of the 20th ward of West Rukongai, warming the rows of new wooden rooftops.

This vacant lot, which was overgrown with weeds and littered with broken trees just half a month ago, has now been completely transformed.

A dozen or so wooden cabins are scattered along the street, stretching from the fenced entrance to the edge of the forest behind them.

At the front row were four dormitory rooms with partitions connected together. Further inside was a warehouse for storing supplies. At the far end, next to the reserved flat training ground, were two independent residences of the same style as the other wooden houses, which were given to Gen and Saito to live in.

The wandering souls were carrying things into the new house in twos and threes, their noise masking an undeniable mix of restraint and joy.

Some people repeatedly stroked the wooden door of their single dormitory room with their fingertips, their eyes reddening—this was the first time in decades since they had wandered the Rukongai that they had a room that was completely their own and wouldn't leak; some people washed their old clothes, which were covered in countless patches, cleaned them thoroughly, and hung them solemnly on the wooden nails behind the door. When the wind blew, the pieces of cloth swayed gently like a small flag; some people used the leftover wood to make themselves a simple wooden table and placed it by the window. Even though the tabletop still had splinters, they wiped it again and again. This was the first time since they had a personal object that they could put their things in a safe place.

The rows of wooden houses inside the fence are neat and tidy, and the newly laid thatched roofs gleam with a light, warm gold in the sunlight. When the wind blows, the grass leaves rustle.

Several wandering spirits were gathered around the well, bending over to draw water, the wooden buckets hitting the well wall with a dull thud.

"It's a pity this water can only be used for other things, it's useless to drink. To survive, we need to exchange it for clean water." A tall wandering soul poured water into a wooden basin and curled his lip.

The wandering spirit beside him chuckled and patted him on the shoulder: "Stop complaining, isn't life much more comfortable now than it was on the outskirts?"

The warehouse was meticulously organized, with leftover wood scraps neatly stacked according to length, and tools such as axes, saws, and planes polished to a shine and hung in categories on wooden hooks on the wall, leaving not a single wood shaving.

At the edge of the forest, tree stumps left from logging remain in place, their surfaces smooth and even. Further away, the forest continues, its shadows deep and stretching all the way to the hillsides on the outskirts of town.

The entire outpost was crude yet orderly, like a small village that had just emerged from the barren land, immersed in a new and vibrant atmosphere.

By the fence, Saito leaned against a wooden post with his arms crossed, glanced at the lively and well-organized stronghold, and leaned close to Gen, his tone tinged with a sense of regret for not having the chance to exert his strength: "I thought it would be like in the stories, but surprisingly no one came to cause trouble."

As she spoke, she let out a loud howl, attracting the attention of the wandering spirits working in the distance.

Xuan waved to the wandering souls, signaling them to ignore him and continue working. Then, he looked helplessly at Saito: "We are two death gods after all. Ordinary thugs wouldn't dare to mess with us. You're so free now, why don't you think about how to teach them to cultivate? Those wandering souls with spiritual talent are almost ready to accumulate enough points."

Saito rolled his eyes, patted his Zanpakuto at his waist, and retorted defiantly, "I'm a Shinigami who actually studied at the Genji Academy. Teaching these basics is a piece of cake for me, isn't it?"

Once everyone was settled, Xuan gathered the wandering souls in the open space in the center of the stronghold.

In the center of the crowd stood a polished hardwood plaque, specially commissioned by Gen to be crafted by the carpenter Shigesaburo. Engraved on it in relief were six large characters: "Kido-shu Yorozuya" (鬼道疏万事屋).

"I called everyone here today to announce something." Xuan's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "From today onwards, this base will be called the Ghost Path Omnipotent Shop. Our livelihood is also officially set from today onwards."

Xuan looked around at the wandering souls and announced the rules from now on, word by word:

Yorozuya accepts all kinds of requests throughout Rukongai, from finding lost pets in noble households, investigating marital infidelity, and escorting valuables, to temporary help in shops, moving goods, mediating neighborhood disputes, writing letters, and helping elderly people living alone chop wood and carry water—they don't pick and choose jobs, as long as it doesn't hurt or kill anyone or violate any bottom line, they'll take any odd job.

All commissions are paid according to the work done, with more work resulting in more pay. Whoever completes the commission receives 90%, and the remaining 10% is used as operating fees and goes into the public treasury for the daily operation of the Yorozuya, replenishment of supplies, building repairs, and basic living security for everyone.

Upon hearing this, the wandering souls showed a mixture of trepidation and barely suppressed anticipation on their faces—this was the first time they had a stable livelihood, no longer having to wander aimlessly and risk their lives for a bite to eat.

A murmur of discussion arose instantly from the crowd. The few rogue souls who had initially seemed out of place and appeared like thugs spoke up, saying that they were used to running errands and delivering messages when they were in Rukongai, and were very skilled at it. They would take care of all such requests from now on.

Liu Hun, a one-armed young man in the crowd, quickly spoke up, saying that he could read and write and could do math, and that he could take on jobs such as writing letters, copying documents, and keeping accounts, for fear that such jobs would be taken by others.

A small, thin wandering spirit whispered that he had sharp ears and good eyesight, and he would do the delicate work of finding cats and dogs;

Several young men who were used to physical labor rolled up their sleeves and said that the heavy work of moving goods would be theirs. They had been working hard every day since the house was being built. The points they earned from working these days were not only enough to exchange for clean water, which was essential for survival, but they could also save some to exchange for rice balls and rice cakes. With their daily hard work, they were getting stronger and stronger, and their muscles were getting stronger every day.

From the crowd, the previously thin and dark-skinned girl raised her hand high. Thanks to the clean water and food she redeemed with points, coupled with her daily labor, she had long since shed her former emaciated appearance. Except for her still somewhat dark complexion, her physique had recovered to be no different from that of a normal person. She keenly caught the unfamiliar vocabulary and asked, "Lord Xuan, what exactly is this Ghost Path you mentioned… Ghost Path?"

Xuan Shen's expression was indifferent; he simply said, "When I was leveling the land and building the stone shed, I used a kind of ghostly technique."

As soon as she finished speaking, Saito's eyes lit up. She immediately mobilized her spiritual power, trying to control the scattered pebbles on the ground. Several pebbles rose up shakily, but couldn't stay still, trembling in mid-air. She had been trying to master the mystical art of the demonic path for a long time, but had never been able to learn it. Now, she was just pretending to control the pebbles with the most basic spiritual power, basking in the envious glances from the wandering spirits around her. She slightly raised her chin, looking as if she had already mastered the demonic path, but secretly she was holding her breath, afraid that the pebbles would fall at any moment and she would lose face in front of everyone.

The crowd fell silent for a moment. Then, Jiro and several other wandering spirits who had already been tested and found to have spiritual talent became extremely excited, while the other wandering spirits cast envious glances at them.

The boy named Jiro suddenly pushed forward two steps, his eyes almost gleaming: "Lord Gen! Can...can we learn this demonic path?!"

"Yes." Xuan answered without the slightest hesitation. "As long as you have the aptitude for spiritual power, you'll be taught once you accumulate enough points. To accumulate enough points, first manage the Odd Jobs Shop well and earn enough rewards. Even if you don't have the aptitude for spiritual power, you can still earn points by working and exchange them for the various supplies you need."

This statement reassured everyone.

Xuan selected the one-armed young man, Liu Hun, to serve as the receptionist of the Yorozuya—responsible for receiving commissions, registering details, organizing and classifying commission information, confirming the payment and deadline with the commissioner, assigning tasks to suitable people, and also handling all matters related to public treasury accounting and points redemption.

Xuan used his spiritual power to propel the Yorozuya signboard, hanging it securely on the eaves of the wooden house facing the street. Sunlight fell on the signboard, making the six characters "Kido-shu Yorozuya" carved on it stand out prominently.

And so, Yorozuya officially opened for business.

On the second day after opening, Yorozuya received its first order – the owner of the general store at the end of the street wanted to find four people to help move a batch of goods that had just arrived, and came to ask if they could take on the job.

The one-armed young man in charge of reception warmly greeted them, registered the details of the commission and the payment, and immediately arranged for four strong wandering spirits to go over. The work was done efficiently and carefully, and the boss was very satisfied. He settled the payment on the spot and even said with a smile that he would come back to them for any future jobs.

When the four wandering souls returned, they were carrying half a heavy sack of brown rice, their faces flushed red. As soon as they entered the door, they shouted that the work was done.

They gently placed the brown rice on the wooden table in the treasury, circled the bag several times, and dared not touch it with their fingertips. Some people, with red eyes, said that this was the first time in decades since their death that they had earned their food through honest work. It was not stolen or robbed. They could finally stand up straight.

The wandering spirits gathered around, their apprehension completely vanishing as they looked at the bag of brown rice, replaced by eager anticipation.

With this successful first order, the wandering spirits in the neighborhood gradually put aside their concerns and came one after another to commission work.

Two families of wandering souls living close by had been arguing for almost half a month because they were blocking the passageway with their belongings, and they almost came to blows. They came here specifically to find two fair-minded people to help mediate. There was also an elderly woman living alone on the street corner who had difficulty walking. She asked someone to help her chop enough firewood for half a month, and her payment was a small basket of dried sweet potatoes that she grew herself. Small errands and repair jobs also kept coming one after another. Every request was carefully registered by the one-armed young man at the front desk and properly assigned according to each person's strengths. No job was left out.

Two days later, a well-dressed butler came to the door. He was from a lower-ranking noble family in the neighborhood. His request was to find the lost pet cat, and the reward he offered was three whole bags of fine rice, plus half a piece of cured smoked meat.

Saito leaned over and examined the request form several times, exclaiming incredulously, "Just a cat? Is this cat made of gold?"

The one-armed youth in charge of receiving the client registered the request and quickly matched the client with two young men who were fast on their feet, had good eyesight, and were used to running around in the forest. Xuan only gave a few basic instructions on how to find people or things in the wild and then stopped asking questions. He also arranged all the subsequent requests according to each person's strengths and did not interfere again.

The wandering souls, having received their tasks, emerged from the enclosure one after another. Some clutched their clothes, their faces filled with tension, walking with their arms and legs moving in unison; others skipped and jumped, their faces full of excitement, eager to finish the work immediately; still others repeatedly checked with their companions to make sure they wouldn't mess it up, only to be patted on the back with a smile and reassured, "Don't worry, we can even build a wooden hut, this little bit of work is nothing."

In just over ten days, not only in the West 20th District, but also in the surrounding districts, the wandering spirits had heard of this "Kido-shu Yorozuya".

They take on all kinds of jobs, from chopping wood and carrying water to escorting supplies. They never complain about small jobs or low pay, and they never cheat or swindle. They always keep their promises. Several nobles who had received their help before gave them excellent reviews, and many noble families even went out of their way to find them for odd jobs.

The Yorozuya has come back to life.

The grain reserves in the public granary increased day by day, not only ensuring everyone's daily food and clothing, but also leaving a considerable surplus; the wandering souls gradually regained their fleshy complexion, and their clothes were washed clean and tidy, no longer looking as sallow, thin, and ragged as before.

Every evening, wandering souls who had completed their tasks would return one after another. Some would return alone, while others would return in groups, laughing and shouting about what tasks they had completed and how much food and points they had earned. The entire stronghold was immersed in a lively and vibrant atmosphere.

That evening, a boy who had just finished chopping wood carried an axe and hummed an off-key tune as he walked toward the Yorozuya.

When he was still dozens of meters away from the fence, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of several wandering spirits dressed in hemp clothing standing behind a wooden house on the side of the street. They were peeking furtively into the direction of the Yorozuya, their eyes darting around as they cautiously observed their surroundings.

The boy paused for a moment, then raised his hand, waved, and shouted, "Hey! You guys! Do you have any requests to take? Come over and register!"

Unexpectedly, the wandering spirits heard the shout, exchanged a glance, and then turned and left without saying a word, disappearing into the street.

The boy scratched his head, somewhat puzzled. He assumed they were just wandering spirits with requests to the Yorozuya, but whether out of embarrassment or concern about the price, he ultimately chose to leave.

The boy strode into the Yorozuya (Odd Jobs Shop), handed over a basket of dried sweet potatoes he had just earned to the front desk, eager to exchange his day's earnings for points.

The one-armed young man in charge of the accounts smiled and took the dried sweet potatoes. After carefully weighing them, he wrote down the young man's name and the newly added points in the ledger. He looked up and said to the young man, "Now his points are one step closer to the threshold of basic spiritual particle teaching."

The boy scratched his head and chuckled, saying that if he ran a few more small jobs, he would save enough money by next month, and then he could become a death god who could use spiritual power, just like Lord Gen and Lord Saito.

He didn't pay any attention to the few figures who had left in a hurry.