Chapter 102: Preparing to Visit the Soul Society
Chapter 102: Preparing to Visit the Soul Society
It's a joyous occasion for a newlywed couple, but telling them that the bride might not live past a decade is undoubtedly a dampener and an ominous sign.
However, as a medical practitioner, Yecheng has the obligation to inform the patient of their exact condition, a fundamental aspect of professional ethics.
"Yecheng, as the Fifth Seat of the Night City, can you please tell me how to treat the root cause and not just the symptoms?"
Regarding Yecheng's diagnosis, Kuchiki Byakuya didn't react with the expected shock or denial. He had already sought the opinions of numerous experts in the Soul Society regarding Kuchiki Hizen's condition.
For the heir of the Kuchiki family, one of the Four Great Noble Houses, money was not an issue.
Most of those who had examined Hizen's condition gave similar assessments to Yecheng, and they all expressed their inability to help.
But when Yecheng didn't show helplessness, it indicated that he could still change Hizen's fate!
"The issue of overwork and illness can be slowly treated, but the problem of the heart needs to be addressed by untying the emotional knot.
Although I don't know what exactly Lady Kuchiki is worrying about, there's no doubt that the thing weighing on her heart is the primary cause of her current ailment."
As Yecheng finished speaking, Kuchiki Hizen slowly awakened.
Since there were still many guests present, Hizen, who had just regained consciousness, eventually dragged her weak body to complete the wedding ceremony with Byakuya.
After leaving the Kuchiki residence, Yecheng received a substantial gratuity from the Kuchiki family.
As one of the Four Great Noble Houses, they were indeed generous. This single payment was comparable to Yecheng's savings from decades of serving as a Shinigami in the Seireitei.
What Yecheng didn't know was that, while Captain Fukutuki was trying to keep Yecheng's secret, the events in the Kuchiki household, coupled with Yecheng's early departure, had caught the attention of some observant individuals...
Over the next five years, Yecheng became a frequent visitor to the Kuchiki mansion, in addition to his duties in the Fourth Division.
Due to Hizen's persistent health issues, Byakuya often invited Yecheng to treat his wife.
Through these interactions, Yecheng gradually became familiar with the Kuchiki couple.
Byakuya was grateful to Yecheng for saving Hizen, and to express his gratitude, he repeatedly invited Yecheng to become the Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division, but Yecheng declined each time with various reasons.
During these five years, Hizen and Yecheng also became close friends.
Both of them were from the Soul Society, and compared to the strict and traditional Kuchiki family, Hizen preferred the company of Yecheng, who shared her humble origins.
Hizen, once an ordinary soul from the Soul Society, had transformed into one of the highest-ranking nobles in the Soul Society, and the pressure she endured was unimaginable.
Byakuya had to manage the affairs of the Sixth Division daily, leaving him unable to dedicate all his attention to his wife. Additionally, Hizen was an understanding and sensible woman, so she bore the brunt of all the rumors and gossip.
On one hand, she had to deal with the accumulated issues from her previous overwork, and on the other, she faced the pressure of the rumors. Adding to this, her concern for her sister, Rukia, made it entirely normal for Hizen to have a shortened lifespan.
And now, Hizen's greatest joy each day was the visit from Yecheng, who came to diagnose her condition.
She found that Nan Yecheng was truly different from the other Shinigami, as they neither cared about her noble status nor treated her with excessive respect. They didn't look down on her past identity as a resident of Liu Hun Jie, but instead regarded her as a friend.
With someone to talk to, her mood naturally improved, unlike the suppressed state in the original plot. Moreover, with the medicinal care in Nan Yecheng, her current condition was far better than in the original story.
"Nan Yecheng, you mentioned that your next mission is to go to Liu Hun Jie, right?"
Following their usual routine, Nan Yecheng first examined Hizi's body before engaging in casual conversation with her.
The Kuchiki family servant, standing by, had already discreetly placed high-quality pastries and tea in front of Nan Yecheng.
This wasn't because Nan Yecheng had a crush on Byakuya's wife; he was a pure-hearted love god who rejected matchmaking.
The casual chats with Hizi during their free time were just part of the treatment process, as Hizi's condition was not only physical but also mental, which was the most challenging aspect to address.
Even Kuchiki Byakuya had expressed his wish for Nan Yecheng to spend more time with Hizi whenever possible, as he noticed that after their conversations, Hizi's personality became livelier, and her mood improved significantly.
Today's topic of their conversation was Nan Yecheng's new assignment, which was to go on patrol, but this time not to the World of the Living, but to Liu Hun Jie.
As mentioned before, the death rate among the Gotei Thirteen Shinigami was relatively high, so they needed to recruit new members from Zenny Academy of Spirit Arts every year.
However, the academy wasn't an endless supply of students to be recruited in batches.
The students at Zenny Academy consisted of two groups: those who were originally from Seireitei, including nobles and ordinary souls, and those from Liu Hun Jie.
"Yes, I heard that the number of students at Zenny Academy has been decreasing over the years, creating a talent gap.
If this trend continues, the Gotei Thirteen might face a significant decline in numbers. That's why Captain Fukutsuki has assigned me to go to Liu Hun Jie to find promising souls and bring them back to Seireitei."
Recently, the Captain-Commander had specifically called a meeting to discuss this serious issue.
As the first principal of Zenny Academy, the old man expressed his concern that the annual recruitment rate of the Gotei Thirteen was now lower than the rate of new members joining each division.
The Vice-Captain of the First Division, Jiro Tsubaki, even presented a report, stating that if this trend continued, in a hundred years, only the captains would be left in the Gotei Thirteen.
In other words, they were running out of cannon fodder, and if something happened in the future, these captains would have to take action themselves.
If they had to handle everything personally, it would severely affect their overall prestige as Shinigami captains.
If each division were left with only a few members, what kind of captains would they be?
It's worth mentioning that when designing the captain's haori, it wasn't just for looks.
"This is indeed a challenging problem..."
"Yes, yes, I didn't realize the situation had become this severe."
"Cough, cough, cough!"
"..."
"The Second Division has too many responsibilities, and currently, it has the most significant shortage of members."
(End of Chapter)
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