https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-557-Mr-Fengye-is-Incredibly-Competent/12559945/
Chapter 558: Investigation and Trouble Brewing
Chapter 558: Investigation and Trouble Brewing
In the barracks of the First Division.
The captains stood in two rows, and after hearing Captain-Commander Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto's solemn inquiry, Kyoraku Shunsui spoke up, "According to our observations, the range of the spiritual pulse this time is the largest and widest in history, covering almost all of Soul Society, including the most remote border areas..."
"Additionally, according to our investigations, Hueco Mundo seems to have experienced a similar spiritual pulse. This disturbance seems to have affected the entire world."
Upon hearing Kyoraku Shunsui's report, the captains exchanged glances. Captain of the Tenth Division, Shiba Isshin, stroked his chin and said, "If we exclude the possibility of a spatial anomaly, the fact that it covered all of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo... could it be caused by that sovereign?"
Although he didn't explicitly state it, everyone present turned to look at Shiba Isshin, understanding who he was referring to.
The only being capable of causing such a disturbance in both Soul Society and Hueco Mundo was undoubtedly the king residing within the Royal Palace –
The Soul King!
With a history spanning millions of years, it was said that Soul Society and Hueco Mundo were created by the Soul King and the Hollow King millions of years ago. However, like his title, the Hollow King was more myth than reality, and aside from legends, there was no concrete evidence of his existence.
Therefore, when Shiba Isshin mentioned 'that sovereign,' he could only be referring to the Soul King, residing within the Royal Palace.
"We have received no messages from the Soul King," Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto said, giving Shiba Isshin a meaningful look.
Captain Jushiro Ukitake of the Thirteenth Division pondered, "Could there be a problem with the boundary between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, causing a spiritual disturbance in both realms?"
Captain Sajin Komamura of the Seventh Division shook his head, "I sent my men to investigate, but they found no abnormalities in the boundary."
"That's strange then," said Captain Yoruichi Shihoin thoughtfully. "As far as I know, even the imprisoned former captain of the Eleventh Division could, at most, cause a spiritual pulse throughout Seireitei."
The captains exchanged glances once more, each seeing the concern reflected in the others' eyes.
In the face of this disturbance in Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, it was crucial to determine whether it was a natural occurrence or caused by some malicious entity. While the former was manageable, the latter would spell trouble.
Regardless of the motive or method employed, the ability to cause such a disturbance in both realms was undeniably dangerous and indicated that someone was undertaking an endeavor that threatened the very existence of Soul Society!
Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto was well aware of the gravity of the situation, and thus, he approached this incident with utmost seriousness, treating it as a major event that demanded clarification.
"Since we have no concrete leads, we must continue our investigations. As for Hueco Mundo, I task the Eleventh and Thirteenth Divisions with that responsibility..."
"The Sixth and Second Divisions will investigate Seireitei's interior, leaving no stone unturned, including the barracks of each division, except for the central underground meeting room!"
In light of this significant event, even the Gotei 13 themselves could not be fully trusted. The Second and Sixth Divisions, affiliated with the Shihoin and Kuchiki clans respectively, were among the oldest noble families in Soul Society, making them relatively more trustworthy.
As for the most critical locations, such as the central underground meeting room and the Seijotekkyo, he would personally lead the First Division to inspect them.
"The Third Division will investigate strange occurrences."
"The Fifth Division will be on standby for support, the Ninth Division will thoroughly inspect the prisons, and the Eighth Division will be in charge of liaising with the other divisions, relaying investigation results to me promptly. Additionally, the Seventh, Tenth, and Thirteenth Divisions will be responsible for investigations in the World of the Living, taking care not to cause any disturbances there."
Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto swiftly assigned tasks to the Gotei 13, with only the Fourth Division's medical unit and the Twelfth Division's technology development unit exempt from temporary duties.
"...Are there any issues?"
"None," the captains replied in unison.
Retsu Unohana, captain of the Fourth Division, glanced at the other captains before turning to Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto and said, "Since the situation is so grave, I'd like to lend my strength as well. I'll take responsibility for the border areas and, in the process, clear the outer regions of the Rukongai."
"...Very well," Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto agreed after a brief moment of contemplation, locking eyes with Retsu Unohana.
With their orders received, the captains' meeting drew to a close, and they began to file out of the room.
In another room, the lieutenants who had been waiting greeted their captains as they emerged.
"Captain Hirako, what's the situation?"
Aizen approached Hirako Shinji and inquired about the incident that had caused a spiritual pulse throughout Soul Society, an event that had also piqued his interest. Lately, his clandestine research on the Hogyoku had hit a roadblock, and he had been unable to satisfy the incomplete Hogyoku no matter what he tried.
Perhaps this spiritual pulse in Soul Society presented an opportunity.
"We'll discuss it back at the barracks," Hirako Shinji replied.
...
South Rukongai, District 78.
It had been several days since Feng Ye arrived in the Soul Society a million years later, and during this time, he had learned a lot about the Soul Society.
This included information about the daily lives of the souls in the Soul Society, which differed somewhat from the human world as they did not need food to survive. There was also a basic sense of order and law.
In the forward-facing parts of Rukongai, souls generally did not need to work as spiritual water was abundant, and food was easily accessible. As a result, daily life for many was akin to the ideal lifestyle of a shut-in.
In the more remote areas of Rukongai, spiritual water was less plentiful, and much of it was controlled by organizations similar to street management. Here, souls had to labor and work to obtain it.
The labor mostly consisted of cultivating wastelands and constructing new areas, which was manageable for stronger souls but challenging for weaker ones like Hinoto. Most of the time, they didn't meet the recruitment standards.
Additionally, a portion of the spiritual water was controlled by private individuals.
These individuals were the powerful and influential figures in the outskirts of Rukongai, either possessing formidable strength themselves or having connections with the Gotei 13 Shinigami from their younger days, giving them a certain level of background and clout.
Mahjong, card games, and other forms of entertainment were also popular, making the forward-facing areas of Rukongai a paradise for many.
Aside from learning about the souls' way of life, Feng Ye also discovered another piece of information—a change brought about by his presence. In addition to Shinigami and Hollows, there existed a small number of a third type of being in both the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, known as "Oddities."
Any soul or Hollow had a chance of becoming an Oddity, and upon doing so, they would undergo significant changes. They would be reborn with physical bodies, and their souls and spiritual pressures would completely merge with their new forms. These Oddities possessed formidable strength and speed, with the most powerful among them, after evolving multiple times, rivaling even the captains of the Gotei 13 in strength.
Undoubtedly, these Oddities were a result of the 5% of Feng Ye's power that belonged to him—the power of physical evolution that he had brought over from the One-Punch Man world.
However, due to their small numbers and the fact that many Oddities possessed normal intelligence, their existence did not significantly impact the Soul Society as a whole.
They resided outside of District 80 in Rukongai, establishing small territories in the more remote areas and maintaining a non-interference relationship with the Gotei 13.
"This feels rather odd," Feng Ye remarked as he stood on a small hill, the faint golden glow in his eyes fading as he withdrew his gaze from the Oddities' settlement.
Watching these beings that had come into existence due to his power, now forming their own communities, and knowing that it had only taken a brief moment for them to flourish, left him with a peculiar feeling.
"They should be like me, children of Father, right?" Lilith said, tilting her head as she stood beside Feng Ye.
Feng Ye turned to her, smiled, and patted her little head gently. "No, you're different from them. They are lives that came into being indirectly due to my power."
To Feng Ye, the Oddities were like vegetables and fruits cultivated from his waste—while they were indeed nurtured by his power, they were no more than flowers or plants to him.
Lilith, on the other hand, was a part of his very essence that he had released into the world, carefully nurtured with the world as her mother, and finally bestowed with a soul of her own. Their bond was even closer than that of a human father and daughter.
There was a clear distinction between the two.
"Let's go, we're heading back," Feng Ye turned and began walking back, a gentle smile on his face as if he could already foresee something. "It looks like Hinoto is about to run into some trouble."
...
South Rukongai, District 78, Block 77, Street 2200—this was the area where Feng Ye had built his temporary residence, located at the very edge of this street.
The house was not large, consisting of three bedrooms, a living room, and a courtyard of about 60 square meters at the back. In the center of the courtyard was a spiritual spring that he had drawn over.
"It really is a spiritual well!"
"Wow!"
Four young souls with a carefree demeanor were currently gathered in the courtyard, huddled around the spiritual well. It wasn't very big, but the abundance of spiritual water it provided had their eyes gleaming with excitement.
They eagerly filled their buckets with the spiritual water and drank their fill.
Just then, Hinoto, having heard the commotion from inside the house, pushed open the gate and stepped out into the courtyard. Seeing the scene before her, she cried out in surprise, "Stop!"
The group of delinquents drinking their fill glanced over at her, an unruly-looking youth among them. Seeing that it was just a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl, they paid her no heed and continued drinking.
One of them, after gulping down a mouthful, shot her a mischievous grin. "What's your problem, yelling so loudly? This well has plenty of water, so what's the harm in us drinking a little?"
One of the men standing beside him, seeing Hinoto, smiled slyly and said, "How about we three brothers help you guard this spiritual well? I don't think you can protect it by yourself."
Hinoto took a breath and coldly replied, "No need. Please leave immediately. Thank you!"
"Hey, don't be so cold."
Iwajo Ichiro narrowed his eyes, a playful glint in his gaze as he said, "Do you live here alone?"
A spiritual well was an extremely valuable find in District 78, and possessing one essentially guaranteed a life of comfort and ease. One could even sell the spiritual water for additional necessities.
Hinoto, a young girl, clearly didn't seem like someone capable of safeguarding such a valuable resource.
"This is Mr. Feng Ye's residence. Please leave."
Hinoto took a step back as Iwajo Ichiro stepped forward, but she maintained her composure and coldly added, "Otherwise, I'll call the patrol squad."
Iwajo Ichiro scoffed, "Mr. Feng Ye? Never heard of him... But do you really think calling the patrol squad will help? Who's going to believe that you dug this spiritual well and built this house?"
At this point, he turned to his two companions and said with a smile, "This is clearly the spiritual well we dug out together last night, and then we built this house together, right?"
"Of course, that's exactly what happened."
One of them smiled sinisterly and turned to Hinoto, "Please leave this private residence, miss. But if you want to stay, we can also accommodate that..."
Seeing the hooligans' behavior, Hinoto was trembling with anger, feeling a chill in her palms. Feng Ye was out, and she was left in charge. If he returned to see this situation, she didn't know how she would face him.
With this thought, she took two steps back, entered the house, and went to the kitchen to grab a fruit knife. She then returned to the courtyard, tightly clutching the knife in both hands.
This was South Rukongai, District 78.
Although she had a frail body, she had lived here for some time and understood the chaos of this place. Showing weakness here meant you wouldn't survive. If she backed down now and lost the spiritual well, she didn't know how she could continue staying with Feng Ye when he returned.
"Leave this place..."
Hinoto held the fruit knife in her small hands, pointing it at Iwajo Ichiro and his companions.
However, the three men were unfazed and instead mocked her, "Kids shouldn't play with knives, it's dangerous."
As he spoke, Iwajo Ichiro moved forward, intending to snatch the knife from Hinoto's hands.
But Hinoto gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on the knife handle, ready to stab forcefully.
Yet,
Just as she thrust the knife towards Iwajo Ichiro, a hand suddenly reached out from behind her, grasping her wrist and stopping her action.
"Mr. Feng Ye."
Hinoto turned her head to see the person who had appeared behind her, and she stammered, "So... sorry..."
"It's fine."
Feng Ye smiled at Hinoto, took the knife from her hand, and said, "After all, this is the outer district of South Rukongai. It's normal to have trouble come knocking on your door."
Then, Feng Ye walked past Hinoto and towards Iwajo Ichiro and his companions, a gentle smile on his face as he said, "Please leave... my backyard."
Iwajo Ichiro's eyebrows twitched, and his gaze swept over Feng Ye, "I don't think I've seen you before. Are you new here...?"
His words trailed off, and the last word was spoken in a trembling tone as his eyes widened in fear.
In front of him,
The world seemed to plunge into darkness, and endless scarlet liquid poured forth from the darkness—countless streams of blood! Within the blood were countless skeletal remains, as if a terrifying hell had emerged. And as he looked closer, he saw a skull within the blood, a skull that resembled his own face!
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!"
Iwajo Ichiro and his two companions had their minds shattered in an instant, and they let out terrified screams as they scrambled backwards.
The three men crashed into the wall behind them, feeling intense pain, but they didn't stop. They pushed and squeezed their bodies through the wall, falling to the ground outside and then running away as fast as they could, not even daring to look back.
"..."
Hinoto watched this scene, bewildered.
In her eyes, she saw Iwajo Ichiro and his companions acting cocky one moment, and in the next, they looked as if they had seen a ghost, their fear causing their minds to break as they fled the courtyard in a panic.
She turned to look at Feng Ye, but she didn't see any terrifying scenes. She only saw Feng Ye turn around with the knife in his hand, giving her a casual smile before walking back into the house.
What just happened?!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
