Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

After a moment, Xuan spoke calmly, his voice still light, merely engaging in casual conversation without any intention of deliberately guiding the conversation: "Just like my relationship with Shihouin Senri of the Shihouin family."

Saito, on the other side of the stone slab, snapped out of his reverie, still gazing at the night sky, and casually asked, "You've been separated from your family and abandoned your surname for so long, and you clearly hate those noble constraints the most, so why are you still willing to maintain this relationship with the Shihouin family?"

"Breaking free from constraints does not mean severing all ties." Xuan said calmly and unhurriedly, "For a thousand days, I was bound by the constraints of nobility, adhering to etiquette, studying politics, and undertaking family affairs. I seemed to be bound by rules, but I never lost my true self and goodwill."

"My escape from Shihōin, my refusal of marriage and my departure from the clan, and my abandonment of my noble status were never intended to turn against my family. It was simply because I was unwilling to be bound by predetermined rules and fate for the rest of my life."

The evening breeze slipped through the cracks in the stone wall, gently rippling the water's surface. Xuan's voice was calm and even: "Bonds are never a simple choice between breaking them or staying together. It's understandable that you dislike family constraints and resist arranged marriages. But you don't have to completely deny all kinship and forcibly sever all ties just to break free from these shackles. Escape is resistance, but it's not the only answer."

He rarely preached or lectured; he simply explained his own state of mind and understanding, leaving it to others to figure out for themselves.

Saito was incredibly intelligent and instantly understood the deeper meaning behind his words. Gen wasn't trying to persuade her; he was simply stating his own way of dealing with the world, which happened to strike at the most awkward knot in her heart.

But she was born unruly and flamboyant, and was most opposed to tenderness, affection, and sentimental thoughts. Her inherent pride made her instinctively avoid all soft and melancholy emotions.

The next second, she suppressed all the lingering melancholy in her heart, her tone suddenly returning to its usual carefree and lively manner, decisively interrupting the somewhat dull topic.

"Alright, stop with all this roundabout talk about interpersonal relationships and social niceties. It's giving me a headache."

She abruptly changed the subject:

Let's review today's sparring match.

First, my initial attack was too aggressive, completely cutting off my own escape route. Knowing you excel at controlling the battlefield and maneuvering, I still insisted on jumping into the air. I'm not good at precisely controlling spiritual energy to begin with, and then I created a spiritual energy fulcrum for a second acceleration. When faced with your attack, I simply didn't have the energy to create a fulcrum in the air to dodge with Instant Step, which completely sealed off my options for changing tactics. That's why I was caught in your whirlwind attack and lost the initiative as soon as I landed.

Secondly, under normal circumstances, I lack ranged attacks and can only close the distance with Shunpo before attempting to attack. Even with my Shikai today, I might not be able to keep up with faster enemies without entering overdrive mode. It's because I'm too lazy to train and rely too much on the speed boost my Zanpakuto provides…”

Upon hearing this, Xuan on the other side of the stone slab closed his eyelids slightly but remained silent.

He had always known that Saito never needed direct preaching or deliberate guidance. Some knots in one's heart don't need to be untied, and there's no need to force one to let go.

It happens gradually and naturally over time. The rest is up to time.

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

Time waits for no one. In the blink of an eye, it has been almost two years since the Kidoshu Yorozuya opened its doors.

In the past two years, Qianri's letters have become much less frequent than when he was at Yuanzi Academy. Xuan was not surprised—the young master of the Shifengyuan family only had heavier responsibilities on his shoulders. Occasionally, a letter would arrive, the handwriting still free and easy, but the content becoming increasingly brief, mostly a few words of greeting, occasionally interspersed with a few complaints about family affairs.

But this time is different.

Upon seeing the contents of the letter, Xuan's eyebrows shot up.

There were no pleasantries at the beginning; they got straight to the point.

"mysterious:

I'm getting married.

The bride was from Rukongai. That time I went to see you, on my way back I encountered a woman collapsed by the roadside. I gave her some water and dry food, only to find out she had fainted from hunger. Later… later I started to think about her.

At first, my father vehemently disagreed, saying that we were from commoner backgrounds and not a good match. I argued with him for two months, and eventually, the elders, fearing that I might run away like someone else, reluctantly nodded in agreement.

The wedding is set for the seventh day of next month. I know it's inconvenient for you to appear in public after leaving the family, but I hope you can sneak back to attend my wedding.

—A Thousand Days

Xuan folded the letter and put it back in the envelope.

"Whose letter?"

Saito's voice came from behind her. She had just finished practicing Shunpo all afternoon, and was covered in sweat, her purple hair sticking to her cheeks.

"Shihouin Senhi. He's getting married and invited me to the wedding."

Saito's hand froze in mid-air.

"Your older brother?" She withdrew her hand and casually wiped it on the hem of her dress. "Which noble family did he marry?"

"He must be a commoner from Rukongai."

There was a moment of silence. Then Saito chuckled, not with sarcasm or surprise, but simply with the kind of laugh that comes from finding the situation amusing.

"Interesting. Does the Shihouin family actually allow this kind of thing?" She reached out, as if she had to see it with her own eyes to believe it. "Let me see?"

Xuan handed over the letter.

Saito took the letter, his eyes quickly scanning the words. When he read the line "afraid that I'll just pack up and run away like someone else," a slight, playful smile appeared on his lips, and his tongue instinctively touched the corner of his lips.

"Ha, so when you ran away back then, you actually opened up a way out for the noble children who came after you."

Xuan silently put the letter away: "He invited me to secretly go back to attend the wedding. I have already left Shifengyuan and it is inconvenient for me to appear in public."

"Are you going?" Saito asked.

"certainly."

"I want to go too."

Gen looked up at Saito and said, "Don't even think about challenging him at the wedding."

Saito immediately raised his hands, palms facing outwards, his expression excessively innocent: "How could that be? I know he's strong, but challenging him at his wedding? I'd get beaten to death, wouldn't I?"

"...That reason is also acceptable."

Although Gen felt that Saito's trip to Seireitei might have another reason, he might just be overthinking it. As long as he kept an eye on Saito and prevented him from causing trouble at the Thousand-Day Wedding, everything would be fine.

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

The following morning, Gen summoned the one-armed youth, Jiro, Gen, and Shigeo, who were in charge of the Yorozuya's accounts. These four were among the earliest members to join the Yorozuya, were familiar with all the rules of operation, and three of them were already members of the Kido sect who had mastered Kido.

"Saito and I have to leave." Gen said calmly. "The Yorozuya's daily affairs, points redemption, and contract taking will all continue as usual, and you will work together to manage them. Strictly abide by the rules and do not slack off."

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the people standing in a circle suddenly tensed up.

The one-armed youth gripped the ledger tightly, his knuckles turning white. He had witnessed catastrophe and devastation, seen displacement and hardship; he knew all too well how precious peace was. He spoke in a hoarse voice, "Sir, will...will you come back?"

Jiro stood frozen in place, his lips moving a few times but no sound came out. A-Yuan's eyes were already red.

Xuan remained silent for a moment, then quickly realized that everyone had misunderstood. His tone softened slightly compared to usual: "I'm just going out temporarily and will be back soon."

"Upon my return, I will review the commission ledger, points records, and the cultivation progress of the Ghost Path disciples. Those who slack off will be penalized according to the rules."

These words are more effective than any comforting words.

The tense atmosphere eased slightly upon hearing this. The one-armed youth exhaled a long breath, the account book swaying slightly in his hand. Jiro's tension subsided considerably, and he nodded vigorously. Shigeo grinned broadly and shouted, "Rest assured, sir! We will not slack off!"

After settling the Yorozuya (Odd Jobs Shop) in, the two immediately set off.

Xuan considered that returning to the Shihouin family openly might have a bad influence, and also because he didn't want to spend too much time traveling, and because there were many pedestrians on the streets of the inner Rukongai who couldn't easily use Shunpo to travel, Xuan chose to use Shunpo to travel swiftly in the suburbs.

As dusk fell, they arrived at the Shihōin clan's territory.

Xuan saw Bee Sosuke, whom he hadn't seen for several years, standing outside the small courtyard where he used to live, looking like he was waiting for someone. He probably confirmed that this was Chinri's arrangement.

"Young Master Xuan... you're back. Please forgive me for not greeting you from afar," said Bee Sect Assistant, seemingly considering what form of address to use.

Xuan shook his head slightly: "I no longer bear the surname Shifengyuan, so there's no need to call me young master."

Xuan pushed open the courtyard gate and saw that the half-withered cherry tree in the courtyard was still there. A few late-blooming cherry blossoms hung on the bare branches, their pink and white petals trembling gently in the night breeze. There were a few petals that had just fallen on the stone table.

It was clearly recently tended to.

"And who is this...?" Hachi Sosuke asked Saito.

"Don't worry about me, I'm just here for a free meal." Saito said, immediately catching Hachi Sousuke off guard.

"Don't worry about her," Xuan said. "Please prepare another set of bedding."

Seeing that Hachiso had left the courtyard, Saito stepped into the yard, looked around, and asked, "You used to live here?"

"Um."

"No wonder he has such a cold and aloof personality."

Saito didn't ask any more questions. He walked to the half-withered cherry tree and curiously tapped the trunk.

Just then, a crisp voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

"Oh, you're back?"

Xuan turned around. Qianri was wearing a neat brocade haori, but the front of the garment was mostly unbuttoned, and the belt was tied crookedly, revealing a white undergarment underneath. She was also holding a flask of sake in her hand.

"Why are you carrying around wine before your wedding? Aren't you afraid of damaging your reputation?" Xuan asked.

"Anyway, this wine won't make you drunk." Qianri walked up to Xuan, looked him up and down for a few moments, and then suddenly reached out and patted Xuan's shoulder twice, so hard that Xuan took half a step back.

"You brat." Qianri withdrew his hand, a hint of reproach in his golden eyes, though his tone wasn't truly angry. "You haven't come back much since you went to Yuanzi Academy, and later you just ran away quietly. It's been years, and you've grown into a young man."

Then his gaze passed over Xuan and landed on Saito under the cherry tree.

"I just ran into Sosuke and heard he ordered another set of bedding, is it for this guy?" Chihiro looked at Gen with a teasing gaze.

"My buddies who skipped school at Genji Academy were curious about why the Shihōin family would agree to your marriage to a commoner from Rukongai, so they followed me. To be honest, I'm also curious about how those people became so open-minded." Gen explained briefly why Saitō had followed him before asking.

"This matter is also related to you," Qianri said, her voice tinged with laughter. "The letter explained the gist of it, so I won't go into the details."

"I told them I didn't care about social status or anything like that; I just loved her, and she was willing to spend her life with me. I argued with my husband for two months, and finally he told me—"

Chihi deliberately drew out his words, then mimicked the deep tone of the current head of the Shihōin family: "'But if you run away like that brat from the branch family, I'll break your legs.'"

Gen's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. A suppressed laugh came from behind him.

"So you used threats to get others to compromise?"

"Not entirely." Qianri grinned, revealing two sharp canine teeth. "I told him that I've made up my mind about this fiancée. If she doesn't agree, I'll take her to Rukongai and open an Odd Jobs Shop. Anyway, with Gen paving the way, I can partner with him if I go."

He winked at Xuan: "Then we'll be in the same industry."

"Thank you so much," Xuan said expressionlessly.

A soft knocking sound came from outside the courtyard gate.

Behind Bee Sosuke were several young servants carrying several large and small leather bags.

Zongsuke directed the servants to set up the tatami mats, bedding, and several sets of formal attire in different styles. He then bowed to Qianri and said, "Young Master Qianri, it's getting late. You need to prepare for tomorrow's wedding as soon as possible."

As Qianri was about to be discharged from the hospital, he turned back, nodded to the two of them, and took his leave. Perhaps because he was about to experience a great joy in his life, his smile was like a newly ripe persimmon on a branch, ready to burst with honey at the slightest touch.

See you tomorrow.

The evening breeze swept through the courtyard, rustling the cherry tree branches, and a few withered petals fluttered down and landed on the stone steps.

Saito picked up a petal, his fingertips caressing the soft surface, his tone unusually serious: "Your elder brother is insightful and far more vibrant than most people who are bound by aristocratic rules."

Xuan did not respond, but stepped into the small house.

The tatami mats inside were brand new, filled with a faint scent of rush. The furnishings remained the same as before: an empty knife rack, clean window paper, simple and unpretentious. Two quilts, a few feet apart, were neatly laid out on the tatami, their dark gray patterns contrasting with the plain, subtly patterned women's dress.

Xuan put down his baggage, placed his Zanpakuto horizontally beside his pillow, and sat cross-legged to meditate and regulate his breathing.

Saito casually tossed his Zanpakuto onto the tatami mat and unfurled several women's dresses of varying sizes. The plain-colored silk was of superior quality, with elegant subtle patterns and impeccable tailoring—the kind of formal attire for guests at a noble wedding.

But after just one glance, Saito's eyes welled up with intense resistance and disgust.

She raised her hand and tugged at the stiff fabric, her brows furrowed deeply, her face full of impatience and disgust, openly expressing her resistance: "It's this kind of cumbersome stuff again. Layer upon layer of constraints, rigid rules, stiff fabric, stuffy style, restricting my movements, even raising my hand to draw my sword or dodging to the side is limited."

She casually tossed the dress onto the couch, her face full of disdain: "Nobles will never care about such superficial appearances. They wear clothes not for comfort, but only to adorn their status. It's boring and laughable. I really don't know what the point of this kind of binding fabric is."

From being forced to wear elaborate aristocratic clothing as a child to seeing formal attire again after many years, the deep-seated aversion has never faded. In her life, she despises constraints, rules, and these ostentatious aristocratic items that bind people's bodies and minds.

Saito put his dress down at his feet, leaned back, and stared at the ceiling.

The room fell silent.

Soon, Qianri's wedding will officially take place. Xuan is also very curious about who can catch Qianri's attention, and... whether it will affect the well-known figures of later generations.