Chapter 132
Byakuya stared blankly at the sky, muttering to himself, "Her choice? Is that really what she thought?"
"Byakuya, I'm asking you, did Hisana leave any last words before she passed away?" Ye Yang stared intently at him.
At that moment, a glimmer of life flashed in Byakuya's eyes, proof that he was still alive. Ye Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that he had finally found his target. Ye Yang did not want Byakuya to become a walking corpse in the future.
"She told me to take good care of Rukia for her..." Byakuya sighed softly.
"Rukia? Since Hisana entrusted her to you, you must take good care of her. How is she now? Why isn't she with you?"
Thinking of that little girl from back then, Ye Yang felt a pang of emotion. Six years had passed in the blink of an eye. If it weren't for Ye Yang, Hisana would have only lasted two more years at most. This allowed them to be reunited for six years. Even when Hisana passed away, she had a smile on her face because she was content.
"I will take good care of Rukia!" Byakuya's tone was firm, as if he were stating a fact.
If Hisana's departure was somewhat expected, then the passing of Byakuya was unexpected. After all, such a powerful and influential old man was gone just like that. Just a few months ago, Ye Yang had come over to chat and drink tea with him. Ye Yang had always regarded the old man as family, so he couldn't help but feel a little sad.
Ye Yang asked, "May I go see the old man?"
Byakuya paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, follow me." He then walked ahead, leading Ye Yang toward the location of the deceased's body.
Because the old man was a powerful Shinigami in life, his body would not become Reishi within a few days after his death. However, Hisana was just a body without Spiritual Power, so he quickly turned into Reishi after death and dissipated into the sky.
Ye Yang came here to see the old man one last time. Soon, the two arrived at the Kuchiki Clan's ancestral hall. According to the Kuchiki Clan's rules, when the previous patriarch died, his body was placed in the ancestral hall to allow his Reishi to be transformed in the family ancestral hall, so as to bless the Kuchiki Clan to prosper forever in the future. Only then would a funeral be held, and his name would be permanently engraved in the Kuchiki Clan's ancestral hall.
The guards at the entrance of the shrine bowed and greeted Byakuya and Ye Yang when they saw them arrive, and made way for them to enter. Inside, they found the old man's peaceful body, covered with a white cloth except for his head.
The two remained silent, as if afraid of disturbing the old man. Ye Yang gently closed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought, while Byakuya looked sorrowful. His grandfather had raised him mostly from childhood, and his parents had died young. His grandfather was his closest relative, Byakuya's current state was not solely due to Hisana.
Finally Ye Yang spoke up, "Let's go outside."
Byakuya nodded. He walked out with Ye Yang, and the two of them wandered aimlessly until they unknowingly arrived at the cherry blossoms in the backyard.
"Byakuya, from now on you'll be managing this clan on your own, but don't shoulder everything alone. Talk to me if anything happens; after all, I'm your older brother," Ye Yang said slowly. It was clear that Byakuya had been forcibly suppressing his emotions; losing two family members at once was not something easily endured.
Byakuya remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Brother Ye Yang, Grandpa has always been the person I respect and love the most. From childhood to adulthood, even after my parents passed away, I never felt despair. But this time, Grandpa's passing is truly..."
He couldn't even finish his sentence. A single, glistening tear rolled down his cheek, followed by two more streams of tears. A man doesn't easily shed tears, unless he's truly heartbroken!
Aside from Byakuya when he was still a child, this was the first and last time Ye Yang saw him shed tears. The passing of his grandfather and Hisana's departure had left him unable to let go, and now he had finally found an outlet for his grief. This single tear represented all his sorrow, as if that tear could take away all his emotions.
"This is the first and the last time!" Byakuya said softly, "We shouldn't shed tears, because for the body, it's a defeat of the soul. But let me be willful just this once..."
Ye Yang slowly walked to his side, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "The dead are gone, but we must still live on strongly. So, since we are alive, we should live the life we are meant to live!"
Byakuya looked up at the sky, lost in thought, before finally saying slowly, "I will!"
Seeing his expression, Ye Yang knew he had said his piece. The rest depended on whether the man could come to terms with it. He shook his head slightly and then left the Kuchiki Manor...
Soon, three days later, the Kuchiki family officially held a funeral. This time, the funeral was held together with that of Hisana. Despite the opposition of the Council of Elders, Byakuya insisted on having Hisana 'Hisana Kuchiki name engraved in the Kuchiki Clan and written into the family genealogy.
The elders naturally disagreed with this. They had never acknowledged Hisana's position, nor had they Hisana as the matriarch of the Kuchiki Clan. Therefore, the section on Byakuya Kuchiki's wife in the family tree had always been blank.
This time, Byakuya insisted on giving Hisana the title. Byakuya now holds an absolute position in the clan, and even if the elders object, it's to no avail. They dare not provoke Byakuya's anger because of Byakuya grandfather's passing. They all know that Byakuya would do anything for Hisana, and besides, Hisana has already passed away. They don't want to go against the head of the clan for the sake of a dead person.
So this time, Hisana was finally rightfully written into the Kuchiki Clan genealogy as the wife of the 28th head of the Kuchiki Clan. If Hisana knew this in the afterlife, she would probably be laughing.
The number of people attending the funeral was unusually large, including nobles from various noble families and captains of the Thirteenth Divisions. The old man's connections during his lifetime were truly terrifying.
The scene was even grander than when Ye Yang's grandfather passed away. Of course, the nobles and the squad leaders came for different reasons. The captains of the Thirteenth Division came out of nostalgia, after all, they had been colleagues for a long time. In particular, Shunsui, Ukitake, Unohana and Yamamoto were the four people who had spent the most time with the old man.
Especially Yamamoto, because in the entire Soul Society, he was the only one who could be considered his equal. Now that the old man has left without a word, Yamamoto will be lonely. When the old man was alive, he often drank tea and played chess with Yamamoto. Now that Yamamoto is all alone, how can he not be lonely?
Kaien also brought his younger siblings. Now, Ganju has grown into a child, and both Kaien and Kūkaku cherish him dearly.
The purpose of most of the nobles who came was to forge closer ties with the Kuchiki Clan. After all, they were the head of the Four Great Noble Clans, and their strength was far beyond that of the other upper-ranking nobles. Naturally, they wanted to seize this opportunity after the death of the old patriarch.
They were somewhat surprised that Hisana was included in the Kuchiki Clan genealogy. They hadn't expected Byakuya to be so persistent. However, they wouldn't say anything, since it was Kuchiki Clan matter and wouldn't affect them much. Some families that wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Kuchiki Clan would have to wait for a while, as it was not appropriate for the old patriarch to marry now that he had just passed away.
Hisana has already passed away, and Byakuya will eventually remarry. It will be a matter of who can seize the opportunity. However, they all miscalculated. They did not expect Byakuya's deep affection for Hisana. He really never remarried, and all those who went to the Kuchiki Clan to propose marriage were turned away, leaving no one with a chance.
The elders of the Kuchiki Clan shared the same idea: that Byakuya would marry another wife so that Hisana's name would no longer be the Hisana listed as the matriarch. However, they all underestimated Byakuya's determination.
The funeral went smoothly. Byakuya sat in the main seat, receiving each person who came to offer incense. Beside him was a small figure, Rukia, who was attending as Byakuya's younger sister. She was the one who received everyone who came to pay their Hisana, since she was her older sister.
Her small body seemed to have lost weight. Her sister's death had been a huge blow to her. In the past six years, she had truly experienced the warmth of family. She had enjoyed her sister's meticulous care. Although Byakuya was not good with words, Rukia could feel his concern for Byakuya. Rukia felt that this period was the happiest time of her life.
But now that her older sister has suddenly passed away, she can't accept it for a while. After all, she is just a little girl and her mind is not mature enough. A look of utter grief appeared on her face, with some tear stains on her cheeks and her eyes staring blankly ahead.
There were quite a few people who paid their respects to Hisana, since she was now in the shrine as the wife of the head of the Kuchiki Clan, so people would at least consider Byakuya's feelings. However, there were very few people who truly paid their respects. Only a few captains and vice-captains who knew Hisana, as well as Kaien and his family, and Ye Yang Soi Fon.
The funeral lasted a full day and was finally completed.
Ye Yang didn't intend to linger any longer. He had said what he needed to say, and it was up to Byakuya from now on. Just as he was about to leave, Byakuya suddenly called out to him, "Brother Ye Yang, wait a moment, I have something to give you."
Ye Yang was taken aback, then nodded. Byakuya took a letter from his pocket and handed it to Ye Yang, saying, "Brother Ye Yang, this was found in Grandpa's room. It was specifically marked to be given to you."
Ye Yang took the letter and read it. It was addressed to: Ye Yang Shihoin.
"Alright, I'll take a good look when I get back. Soi Fon, let's go." With that, he led Soi Fon back to the Second Division.