Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

The Yorozuya's mornings begin when the one-armed youth pushes open the front door.

He flipped the wooden sign that had been closed yesterday over, revealing the "Open for Business" side. The morning light slanted in from above the low rooftops across the street, illuminating the words "Kido-shu Yorozuya" on the sign. Some wandering spirits were already pushing carts past on the street, the familiar clatter of the wheels rolling over the cracks in the cobblestones.

The one-armed youth used his remaining right hand to rearrange the tables and chairs at the front desk and turned to a new page in the ledger. Someone was drawing water from the well, the wooden bucket thudding against the well wall. In the distance, at the training ground, Jiro had already begun his daily Kido practice, the explosions of the Red Fire Cannon echoing through the forest, one after another.

Business as usual.

Then a woman in her fifties appeared at the Yorozuya door.

She was dressed in a deep purple robe, the lapel embroidered with delicate bellflower patterns, and her hair was meticulously styled. No sword was at her waist, but the subtle spiritual pressure emanating from her indicated that her spiritual aptitude was far from low. Behind her followed two maids dressed similarly, their heads bowed, their faces obscured.

The woman's gaze lingered for a moment on the Yorozuya's simple wooden sign, then crossed the threshold and landed on the one-armed youth behind the counter.

"Excuse me, is the Great Ghost Taoist Priest here?"

Her voice was steady and restrained, the typical tone of a well-trained noblewoman. But the one-armed youth had spent several years at the Yorozuya and had long since learned to discern the emotions hidden in the client's words—this woman was very anxious. Her fingers gripped her sleeves tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"Please wait a moment." The one-armed youth called to the wandering soul beside him and went to find Xuan in the forest.

Since he gained the ability to teleport, Gen has been conducting comprehensive tests in the forest. This is known not only to Saito and the Kido sect, but also to the ordinary rūnin of the Yorozuya—after all, powerful spiritual pressure would occasionally emanate from the direction of the forest every afternoon, and they had all gotten used to it.

"Lord Xuan, someone is looking for you. It's a woman dressed as a noblewoman," Liu Hun called out from afar.

"Okay, I understand." Xuan released the state of Shun'an, stretched his body for a while to avoid any aftereffects from his body not being able to adapt. Then he put on his Shinigami uniform and walked towards the Yorozuya.

The guest was already waiting in the front hall. The woman stood by the counter, not sitting down, with two maids standing behind her with their hands at their sides. She turned around when she heard footsteps. Her face was thin, with prominent cheekbones and fine lines at the corners of her eyes; she looked to be in her early fifties. But Xuan noticed her eyes—eyes that had endured too much hardship.

The Ise family is a Shinto priest family, and almost every generation possesses spiritual talent. Although they cannot possess their own Zanpakuto, they are otherwise almost identical to Shinigami, also having long lifespans. Facing an elderly person who was many years older than himself, Gen naturally spoke politely.

"My name is Xuan, the person in charge of the Yorozuya." Xuan nodded slightly.

"I am Ise Hiiragi," the woman returned the greeting, a gesture not befitting a noble patriarch to an ordinary Shinigami, "the current head of the Ise family."

Xuan's eyes underwent a very subtle change. The Ise family.

In his previous life, when he read comics, he didn't have a deep impression of this family. Ise Nanao, the former vice-captain of the 8th Division and adjutant to Kyoraku Shunsui, was an intellectual woman who always wore glasses and carried a stack of documents behind Shunsui.

It wasn't until he saw the Thousand-Year Blood War arc that Xuancai gained some impression of the Ise family—a family of priests, in charge of rituals, who have guarded a sacred sword called "Eight Mirrors Sword" for generations, and a matrilineal family.

In the original work, there is a complex entanglement between the Ise family and the upper-class noble Kyoraku family, but that is a thousand years later, before Ise Nanao was even born.

"Please come with me." He led Ise Shu into the inner room.

The inner room was a private meeting place used by the Yorozuya (Odd Jobs Shop). The room was small, containing only a low table and a few cushions. Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the wooden windows, drawing parallel golden lines on the floor. Before the tea was even served, Ise Shu began to speak.

"I have come here to ask you for two things."

"The Ise family is a lineage of priests, in charge of rituals, and has guarded the sacred treasure 'Eight Mirrors Sword' for generations, as you should know." She paused, as if considering her words, but ultimately abandoned all embellishment, "Because of this duty, no one in the Ise family—without exception—has their own Zanpakuto."

Xuan nodded slightly. He knew the other party was telling the truth; even a thousand years later, Ise Nanao still couldn't possess her own Zanpakuto.

Gen knew more than just that about the Ise family. The Ise family had only ever had daughters. To ensure the continuation of the family line, each head of the family would take in a son-in-law from outside the family. And all the men who married into the Ise family were cursed, and soon after their marriage, they would die from various accidents.

Many unsuspecting men were drawn to the wealth of the Ise clan, who were nobles, but died soon after marrying into the family, only to leave with more money. Men who were mutually in love with members of the Ise clan were even more innocent, often losing their lives without any explanation.

However, Xuan wasn't surprised by the existence of this family curse. He thought to himself, "A family of priests possessing the Eight Mirrors Sword, a divine artifact specifically designed to target 'gods,' makes it hard not to wonder where the curse comes from."

Ise Shu's voice trembled with resentment and pain, "The Ise family has wealth, but no power to protect itself."

Gen pushed a cup of warm tea toward Ise Shu. This woman hadn't come to him just to confide her misfortunes, and Gen didn't want to waste his cultivation time playing the role of a confidante.

Gen asked directly in a calm and unwavering voice, "So, what matter does the head of the Ise family wish to entrust to you?"

"I'll be frank about the importance of these two requests to the Ise family, and I believe you won't refuse the corresponding rewards." Ise Shu composed herself, took a deep breath, and said, "First, the Ise family hopes to obtain the training methods for Kido (Demon Path) for our clan members to practice. We don't have Zanpakuto, our Hakuda (Hard Fighting) talent is mediocre, and swordsmanship is our only means of self-defense, yet it's difficult to contend with Shinigami who have mastered Shikai. Kido is a path we've never walked before."

She paused for a moment, as if making a final decision.

"Secondly, the Ise family hopes that the Kido sect can protect the safety of the Ise family territory for a long time."

"The Soul Society has been quite turbulent lately," Ise Shu continued, her gaze fixed on the window. "Yamamoto Shigekuni recently organized an assassin organization, and they're now taking on jobs among the nobles. Many nobles who have grudges against other families are hiring them to kill people."

Xuan understood somewhat. He knew his strength wasn't outstanding, and his influence was just beginning. But Ise Shu had come to his door personally, and was even very polite to him. What she valued wasn't the Kido Clan or Xuan, but rather Xuan's past identity as "Shihouin."

In the Soul Society, a world that has existed for thousands of years, class distinctions have become deeply ingrained in the hearts of every noble. With the top five noble families at the top, even if the news of Xuan's surname being revoked spread, it's unlikely that any noble family would be willing to go against Xuan, because they wouldn't want to offend the five great families even if there was only the slightest possibility.

Ise Shu's gaze returned to Gen's face. There was no pleading in her eyes, only a resolute determination: "Wealth without power is nothing but a lamb to the slaughter at a time like this. I can tell you what the Ise family can offer you—money, supplies, land, manpower, and support for your development of the Kido sect. As long as the Ise family can provide it, we can discuss it."

Ise Shu looked directly into Gen's eyes: "We need more than just temporary protection. We want the power to protect ourselves in the future. We want to learn Kido, even if it means we all join the Kido Clan."