Bleach: From Rugum to Thousand-Year Captain

"You're too ugly, Iwabuchi Ichiki. Don't worry, Iwabuchi Ichiki, I won't kill you, at least not now. Do you know why I won't kill you?"

Iwabuchi Ichiki didn't dare to raise his head to answer. Tengetsu Sussai asked and answered himself, "You're too weak, Iwabuchi Ichiki. You don't even dare to swing your sword. It's a disgrace to me to work under you."

"You don't dare? No, you dare, you must dare. You must have the ambition to kill me, you must be ruthless. Because only in this way can you survive, only in this way can you truly survive in Rukongai. Now, draw your katana!!!"

"But..." Before Iwabuchi Ichiki could finish speaking, Tengetsu Sukusai kicked him, sending him flying to the ground. Iwabuchi Ichiki howled in pain, clutching his stomach and writhing in agony.

Tengetsu Quesai said calmly, "Have you gotten so used to slashing rogue spirits that you can't even draw your sword when faced with stronger forces? It's a pity. You survived entirely because of luck."

"You were lucky to be born as a wandering spirit, lucky to possess spiritual power, lucky to become a samurai, and lucky not to be killed by my sword."

"But what about the next moment? Will you still be so lucky, Iwabuchi Ichiki?" Tengetsu Sukusai drew the wooden sword from his waist and pointed it at Iwabuchi Ichiki.

"I don't really like you, come and chop me. See this wooden sword? Do you think it's just a wooden sword?" Tengetsu Sukusai slowly walked towards Iwabuchi Ichiki. Iwabuchi Ichiki couldn't understand any of this, and couldn't understand why Tengetsu Sukusai was making a move.

Wasn't he supposed to manage the samurai and the rogue spirits? Why did he have to kill himself?

"You must be very confused and distressed right now about why I attacked you, right? Don't be so naive, Iwabuchi Ichiki! You didn't die because of my mercy. Instead of being grateful, why do you feel it's your due? Yes, that's right, it's that look in my eyes, that look that wants to kill me."

"Puff puff puff!!!"

Tengetsu Sukusai kicked Iwabuchi away. Iwabuchi Ichiki instinctively tried to raise his hand to block, but was still kicked and slid two meters on the ground.

"Why? Even now, with eyes that seem to want to kill me, why don't you draw your sword and fight back? Are you hoping my mercy will befall you again? Too bad there's no hope. If you don't draw your sword, then die by this wooden sword."

"Don't think that a wooden sword can't kill someone!!!"

"Aaaaaah!!!" Iwabuchi Ichiki roared and leaped into the air, unleashing a slash, only to be kicked away by Tengetsu Sussai. Tengetsu Sussai held the wooden sword in his left hand, held it upright, and gently slashed down, sending Iwabuchi Ichiki flying.

A sharp pain struck, and Iwabuchi Ichiki could only clutch his arms and scream.

Tengetsu Quezai: "Not bad, the technique of charging up at the moment of drawing your sword is quite good. It's a pity you didn't listen to me carefully. Your sword has no will. Your claws are dull to death. In the end, such a beast is nothing more than a delicious meal."

"Still not ready to die, Iwabuchi Ichiki? With the next strike, you will die!!!"

"Will I die?" Iwabuchi Ichiki murmured, stroking his katana, then roared, "How could I, Iwabuchi Ichiki, die in a place like this?!"

Iwabuchi Ichiki suddenly unleashed his spiritual pressure, and the vortex of spiritual pressure stirred up the surrounding air, causing the clothes on the two of them to flutter loudly.

"Iwabuchi Ichiki, quite the aura. It's such a shame you can't unleash such impressive spiritual pressure. Slash me, cut me! Kill me! Convey your determination to kill me to your sword!"

“A dull resolve cannot kill, Iwabuchi Ichiki. All this time, when you wield the sword in your hand, are you wielding the sword? No, it is your sword that is killing with its sharp blade. It is merely the blade grazing flesh; you are only exerting a little force.”

Upon hearing Tengetsu Sussai's words, Iwabuchi Ichiki instinctively poured all his spiritual pressure into his katana, causing it to hum.

"kill!!!"

“Very good, that’s it, that’s the spirit, and then…” Tengetsu Sussai raised his wooden sword with his left hand and slashed fiercely at Iwabuchi Ichiki. A strong force came from the wooden sword, knocking Iwabuchi Ichiki’s katana away, and he couldn’t control his sword at all.

"How could this be? A wooden sword actually cut through a real sword?" Iwabuchi Ichiki's face fell in disbelief, and he stood rooted to the spot. Tengetsu Sussai, however, continued his attack with undiminished force, the wooden sword gleaming white as it slashed straight through Iwabuchi Ichiki.

"Pfft pfft pfft!!!" A huge amount of blood gushed from Iwabuchi Ichiki's chest, staining the ground red.

......

Chapter 11 The Boring Heavenly Moon Sparrow Abode

"Am I dead? Am I finally dead?" Ichiki Iwabuchi's vision was blurred, and he felt as if he had gone blind and could not see anything.

"By the way, was I...? Am I dead?"

"Are you awake? If you are, don't sleep anymore, the sun hasn't even set yet." Iwabuchi Ichiki suddenly regained consciousness and heard that devilish voice attacking him again, making him uneasy and his heart pounding.

When Iwabuchi Ichiki opened his eyes, he saw Tengetsu Sukusai sitting beside him, his hands emitting a verdant light. At the same time, Iwabuchi Ichiki felt a burning pain in his chest, followed by a refreshing coolness.

He looked down and saw that the wound on his chest inflicted by Tianyue Quezhai was slowly healing.

Having realized that it was Tengetsu Sukusai who was healing him, Iwabuchi Ichiki was completely puzzled; "Tengetsu... Lord Tengetsu, weren't you going to kill me? Why are you saving me now?"

"Don't you understand, Iwabuchi? It's because you're too weak to keep up with me. Do you think I'd be merciful to you? It's just because I need you to do things later, and you still have value in living. I said I wouldn't kill you for now, but who knows what will happen in the future."

After healing Iwabuchi Ichiki using the Returning Dao Technique, Tengetsu Sukusai got up, and Iwabuchi Ichiki followed behind, enduring his exhaustion.

"Thank you for sparing my life, Lord Tianyue. I don't yet know the meaning of wielding the sword, but I will do my best to follow you."

"Tch, let's go. Don't say any more of this boring nonsense. I'm just killing time."

"Yes!!!"

The two continued their journey through the streets, turning back after passing the center of Rukongai. Upon returning to their residence, they passed the original village and saw Miyasaka Kyoichiro and the others working on the edge of the village.

Tianyue Quezhai greeted him, "How are you, old man? Have you been doing well these past few days?"

Upon seeing Tenzuki Susuzai, Miyasaka Kyoichiro angrily rebuked him, "Hey, what's so good about it? You disappeared the very next day, leaving no trace, and even your thatched hut was blown down by the wind. Haven't you heard? There's been some gang fighting lately, you better watch out or you'll get dragged off to beheaded by samurai!!!"

Kyoichiro Miyasaka's scare was well-intentioned, and Iwabuchi Ichiki, seeing Tengetsu Sussai's expression, dared not say anything more.

"I probably won't be coming back, so please take care, old man. Please thank the villagers who helped build the wooden house for me."

"Hey, Tianyue kid, where are you going?"

"Go where I need to go." Tianyue Quezhai left the village without looking back.

Iwabuchi Ichiki, who was more attentive, asked in a low voice, "Lord Tengetsu, do you know anyone from that village? Would you like me to have my men look after them a little?"

"No need, there's no need for that. Let me explain the rules, and you can remember them."

"The tributes offered by the villagers of the Untaxed Gang and the Dark Water Gang to the warriors will be reduced by 40% from the previous amount, and now only 30% tax needs to be paid. Villagers who work honestly will not be conscripted unless necessary. Villagers who voluntarily join the Sky Moon Gang can be included in the security team to protect the safety of villagers within the gang's territory."

"Among the refugees who join the security team, those with spiritual power will be given priority. Those without spiritual power are also welcome, but they will need to pass an assessment."

"The villagers can pay less tax, but at least half of them must farm, and the guaranteed yield must be three times the daily food supply for spiritual practitioners. I looked at the previous tax records of the Untaxed Gang, and the guaranteed grain yield is sufficient. It's just that there are too few people farming, leading to insufficient supply, and the warriors are wasting too much food every day."

“Suppress the new refugees with all your might. If anyone dares to cause trouble, don’t just kill them. Have your men capture them, chop them into human pigs, and then parade them through the streets.”

"Samurai, behave yourselves and do things my way. Anyone who dares to act recklessly and bully others on my turf will be cut into human pigs and paraded through the streets."

"I understand, Lord Tengetsu." Iwabuchi Ichiki had just been reprimanded by Tengetsu Chōsai and was completely intimidated by Tengetsu Chōsai's imposing manner.

This was the first time he had ever seen a gang leader with such a complex mind. At least, the habits of the former gang leader and the leader of Tianyue were very different, and he had not yet fully adapted.

Upon returning to the courtyard, Iwabuchi Ichiki served Tengetsu Sukusai, awaiting his orders.

After searching the courtyard for a long time, Tengetsu no Sukesai still couldn't find any of the warriors, and couldn't help but wonder.

"Where did those samurai go? They were supposed to be on duty this afternoon, but where are they? Where did they all go dead?"

"Uh, cough cough, they're probably all out running errands, busy with their own things..."

"Oh? Is that so...?" Tengetsu Sukusai stared at Iwabuchi Ichiki. Could he really be busy all day just patrolling the territory? He hadn't even given out the main tasks yet, was patrolling Rukongai really that difficult?

Having once been a working-class person, Tianyue Quezhai knew the ins and outs of this place; it was just a working-class person slacking off.

Unable to resist Tenzuki Suzaku's gaze, Iwabuchi Ichiki patted the samurai's head before replying in a low voice, "Um... usually after a samurai duel, they have a habit of going to the next area to take a bath and relax."

"What?! There's a place to take a bath? You didn't share such a good thing with the boss? You all deserve to die!!!" Tianyue Quezhai got up immediately and rushed out angrily, looking like he was going to settle scores with someone.

Seeing Iwabuchi Ichiki standing there in a daze, Tengetsu Sussai roared, "Lead the way now! I need a bath!!!"

"Oh...so it's about taking a bath. Oh, okay, coming right now." Seeing that the leader wanted to take the lead in slacking off, Iwabuchi Ichiki was overjoyed.

After running for about an hour, the two finally arrived at the cemetery area in the south of Rukongai in District 95. When Tengetsu Chosai passed by a wasteland, the place was indeed as its name suggested, with piles of graves everywhere, which looked quite eerie.

"Boss, this is a cemetery area. It's a very eerie place. Newborn souls won't settle here and will move to other places instead. The hillside not far ahead is where the hot spring is located. Many samurai are willing to travel over mountains and rivers to bathe here."

"Wouldn't the samurai encounter enemies and engage in fierce battles?"

"No, actually we don't dare. That's exactly what I wanted to tell the boss: the owner of this hot spring is a strange guy, not someone to mess with. We'd better not cause trouble on his turf."

"Oh? Very strong?"

Iwabuchi Ichiki shook his head; "He's not that he's super strong, he's really... well, I can't really describe it."

Tianyue Quezhai became interested; "Now that you mention it, we really have to go in and take a look."

The two walked along the road for a short while. After passing through a bamboo forest, they saw a mist rising in the air. A luxurious Japanese-style wooden house stood at the foot of the cliff, but it was not clearly visible.

Tengetsu Quesai immediately entered first, followed by Iwabuchi Ichiki.

Upon seeing a guest arrive, a burly man with bare chest and exposed breasts suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Hey hey hey, two more guests have arrived. One or two? You look so pitiful, all covered in dust. Come on in, have a good shower." The burly man greeted them with unbelievable enthusiasm, patting Tengetsu Sukusai and Iwabuchi Ichiki on the back, acting all familiar with them.

Iwabuchi Ichiki was somewhat apprehensive, fearing that Tengetsu Quezhai might suddenly kill the burly boss.

Only Tianyue Quezhai frowned slightly, thinking to himself, "When? When did he appear behind me? Why didn't I sense him? This person is so fast!!!"

Tianyue Quezhai kept reviewing the situation in his mind. If the other party had a knife, he would probably have been stabbed already!

This boss is really capable!

However, they weren't there to cause trouble, so Tianyue Quezhai nodded and asked, "How much will it cost for the two of you to take a bath?"

Upon hearing this, the burly man burst into tears, his white tears falling as he knelt on the ground.

The burly man grasped Tianyue Quezhai's hand and exclaimed, "Waaaaah!!! You're such a kind person! You actually took the initiative to ask the owner for payment. You're so compassionate! Waaaaah!!!"

After saying this, the big man beat his chest and stamped his feet, muttering to himself, and then left the two of them to begin to sigh.

"Finally, we have income again! Waaah! It seems the problem isn't with our hot springs, it's with the location. Yes, that's right, it's the location that's the problem."

"Alright, welcome to my bathhouse, 5000 rings each, and I'd like to thank you for the 1 rings."

Tianyue Quezhai waved his hand, but was immediately grabbed by the big man and couldn't shake him off; "Hey, hey, hey boss, I heard a noise behind the bamboo forest. There should be quite a few guests at the hot spring there. Now that you mention it, none of them paid? You're not trying to rip off my customers, are you? I'm not stupid."

"Nani nani nani, please don't do that, young man. You two pay, and I'll let you soak in a high-class hot spring, how about that? Those customers are all poor bastards, they don't have any money for me to earn, but seeing how dirty and pitiful they look, I'll let them soak."

"They're soaking in my foot bath water. The real hot spring is at the foot of the cliff, behind the bamboo forest. How about that, first-hand hot spring? Only 5000 rings per person. You won't regret it!"

"Alright, boss, stop reading, it's just 1 rings, isn't it?" Tianyue Quezhai hurriedly told the boss to stop. This Tang Monk's chanting was giving him a headache, so he took out 1 rings from the system and handed them to the boss.

After receiving the money, the boss was all smiles and quickly guided them in through the back door.

......

Chapter 12 Qilin... Qilin Temple Tianshilang?

Seeing that the two were slow and clumsy, the boss walked behind them, put his arm around their shoulders, and made a strange, drawn-out, tongue-twisting sound.

"Yo Xia, hurry up and take a bath! You know the rules, wash yourself clean before you go in, and take off all your clothes. Don't throw those rags you're wearing into my fancy hot spring."

The owner pulled down the curtain, leaving Tengetsu Chosai and Iwabuchi Ichiki staring at each other. Tengetsu Chosai was a little embarrassed; it was his first time in a bathhouse, and being naked and open in front of others was a bit much.

Iwabuchi Ichiki was very familiar with the process, indicating this wasn't his first time bathing here. He roared excitedly, like a monkey in the forest, "Boss Tengetsu, look! This color of hot spring, this authentic sulfur smell, it's amazing!!!"