Reporting to the Feimou Corps

In the corridor of the Second Division's barracks, Amber found the Feimou Corps's registration office at the address given to her by Cilian. The door was half open, and the sound of papers being turned over could be heard from inside.

He knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Hu pushed open the door and saw a team member who looked young sitting behind a desk with a thick stack of documents spread out in front of him. The man looked up and sized him up.

"Yexing Hu?"

"Yes."

The team member nodded, took out a palm-sized array plate from the drawer, and placed it on the table. The array plate was bronze in color, with dense patterns engraved on its surface, and a groove in the center.

"The Sixth Seat of the Cilian team instructed that you can choose the area you want to be responsible for during your internship," the team member said. "Put your hands up here and take a look at the map first."

Amber placed her hand on the array plate and infused it with Reiatsu. The array plate lit up with a pale blue light, and the patterns illuminated layer by layer, finally projecting a huge map above the array plate.

Hu's eyes widened.

It was a map of the World of the Living. A three-dimensional map, faintly glowing, with every part of the terrain clearly discernible. Mountains rose, rivers meandered, and coastlines twisted. Scattered across the map were dots of light of varying sizes, some glowing blue, some shimmering red, and some remaining dark.

"What are these points of light?" Hu asked.

"The locations where Soul Reaper is stationed." The squad member pointed to the blue lights, "Blue ones are those with established contact. Red ones require immediate reconciliation. Dark ones are..." He paused, "... temporarily out of contact."

Seeing several black dots, Hu asked curiously, "So many have gone missing?"

"The stationed Soul Reapers need to handle the Hollows and Konsō within their jurisdiction, and it's common for them to be unable to maintain Regular Contact communication during busy periods."

"I see..."

Hu's gaze swept across the map. The entire eastern region unfolded in his field of vision, from north to south, with people stationed on every piece of land.

Cilian let him choose for himself, instead of assigning him to any group. He remembered what Cilian had said, "The Feimou Corps can travel around, even in the World of the Living." He also recalled his conversation with Shimizu yesterday.

Hu was then convinced that Cilian was giving him a chance to meet his family.

Hu stared at the map, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her. Instructor Cilian... she probably thought I still had family in the World of the Living.

Unfortunately, his family isn't here. He came from another world, and in this World of the Living, there are no relatives he can find.

Although he couldn't see his family, he accepted their wish to see them.

Hu stretched out his hand, pointed to a point on the map, and decided where he wanted to go:

"Karakura Town."

The team member paused for a moment. "The current location of the High Spiritual Pressure Area? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Hu said.

The squad leader gave him a look of superiority. "Then you choose."

Amber clicked on the glowing spot in Karakura Town, and the spot on the map suddenly lit up. Then, centered on Karakura Town, the entire Honshu lit up, with mountains, rivers, and coastlines all bulging out and emitting a dazzling blue light.

"Um?"

Thinking she hadn't finished selecting, Amber clicked on Karakura Town again, and the Honshu section dropped back down...

"Um?"

Amber tried again, but to no avail. Looking at the protruding Honshu plate, she asked, "Um... Sir... is this array plate broken?"

"Nothing's wrong." The squad member suppressed a laugh. "The Feimou Corps's mission is to Regular Contact with the stationed Soul Reaper. The Feimou Corps is just a division; if each person is responsible for one person, how can they possibly coordinate with the entire World of the Living Squad of the Thirteenth Division? You chose Karakura Town, which means you'll be responsible for the entire area it's in."

Hu glanced at the blindingly bright area on the map, then at his finger. Honshu. The entire Honshu. Dozens of outposts were densely marked on it, stretching from Aomori to Yamaguchi, from the east coast to the west coast.

He just wanted to choose Karakura Town. Who knew that when he clicked it, the whole island lit up.

"Can I... just choose Karakura Town?" Amber asked tentatively.

The team member chuckled and shook his head. "The nature of the High Spiritual Pressure Area is special, so it's true that a separate Soul Reaper is designated to manage it. But that refers to the stationed Soul Reapers, not the Feimou Corps. As the liaison, the Feimou Corps naturally needs to contact multiple Soul Reapers. With over thirty outposts on Honshu, it's still within an manageable range."

Looking at the densely packed dots of light on the map, Hu felt like crying.

With over thirty outposts, he had to travel almost all over Honshu.

He reached out and tapped the location of Karakura Town again. The blue light on the map slowly faded, and Honshu returned to its flat state, with only the dot representing Karakura Town still lit up, as if it were still struggling.

The team member was silent for two seconds, then couldn't help but laugh.

Hu stood still, waiting for him to finish laughing.

"Sorry." The team member wiped his eyes. "The Sixth Seat of Cilian said you were an intern and there were many things you didn't understand, so he asked me to take care of you. I didn't expect you to be so interesting."

Hu did not respond.

The team member's smile faded, and he straightened his expression. "Alright, let's get down to business. The Honshu area you chose is currently under the jurisdiction of Xitang. He's very experienced and a veteran. You'll go with him a few times first, and once you're familiar with it, you can go on a few solo runs as assigned by Senior Xitang."

He took a booklet and a Denreishinki from the drawer and handed them to Amber. "This contains information on various outposts, including the list of stationed Soul Reaper, contact information, and precautions. The Denreishinki can be used to communicate with other Soul Reaper. Sometimes you'll receive intelligence about Hollows appearing; that usually means a Hollow is nearby, so remember to deal with it. Even though your primary responsibility is communication, you still need to do your job as Soul Reaper properly."

Hu took it and flipped through it. The dense text made his scalp tingle.

"Let's go, I'll take you to see Senior Xitang." The team member stood up.

The Office Area was larger than Hu had imagined. Rows of desks were neatly arranged, each piled with documents. Some people were organizing materials, some were looking at maps, and some were dozing off at their desks.

The team member led Amber to a spot by the window. There sat a middle-aged man, staring blankly at a map. He was wearing a standard Shihakusho.

"Xitang," a team member called out, "The new intern Yexing Hu, has chosen the Honshu region. She was recommended by the Sixth Seat of the Cilian."

Xitang turned his head, his gaze falling on Hu, and looked him up and down.

"Recommended by the Sixth Seats of Cilian?"

"Yes," Hu bowed slightly. "Please take care of me."

Xitang nodded, indicating that the soldiers could leave. After they left, he pointed to the chair next to him. "Sit."

Hu sat down and looked around. The desk in the Xitang was piled with documents, but they were arranged neatly. A map of Honshu hung on the wall, with densely packed points marked in red and blue.

"Do you know what the Feimou Corps does?" Xitang asked.

"Contact the stationed Soul Reaper, confirm safety, and gather intelligence." Hu repeated what Cilian had told him.

Xitang nodded. "No more nonsense, that's good. There are thirty-seven outposts on this part of Honshu, three of which are High Spiritual Pressure Area. Since you've chosen this area, you'll be following me from now on."

He picked up the map of Honshu from the table and unfolded it in front of Amber.

"Thirty-seven outposts, Regular Contact once a week. The designated contact point in High Spiritual Pressure Area needs to be visited twice a week." Xitang's finger moved across the map. "Karakura Town, Kamakura, Kyoto. Remember these three places."

Hu listened attentively.

"Although the Feimou Corps's mission is to make contact, we must also deal with the false and the true." As he spoke, Xitang handed Hu some manuals about Konsō and told him to check them himself.

"Confirming the safety of the stationed Soul Reaper, recording changes in Reiatsu in the World of the Living, and gathering intelligence—these are the main tasks, and I will teach you everything from that later."

Hu nodded.

"And also—" Xitang looked at him, "The Soul Reapers stationed in the World of the Living have been World of the Living for a long time, so their tempers might get a little strange. After all, there are only a handful of humans with the spiritual power to see the Grim Reapers during their month-long stay in the Soul Reaper realm. With no one to talk to, many of these guys have developed some strange hobbies. As long as it doesn't affect their normal work, just keep good records and don't ask too many questions."

Hu nodded again.

Xitang put the map away and picked up the booklet on the table, flipping through it. "Today, I'll take you to the Senkaimon to familiarize yourself with the route. We'll also introduce you to the equipment you'll need."

He stood up and led Hu directly out the door.

The two walked out of the Office Area one after the other. The corridor was quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps.

"Who is the Sixth Seat of Cilian to you?" Xitang suddenly asked.

"Instructor," Hu said, "He's always been in charge of my training, what happened?"

Xitang nodded. "It's nothing. It's just that the Sixth Seat of the Cilian rarely recommends others by his own name. Usually, he sends the trained members to various squads under the name of the Training Corps. I heard that the last person to be given the title of Sixth Seat of the Cilian and sent to a squad was Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda."

This is no ordinary matter. In the Training Corps, those who are named and sent out by a training master are basically considered to be the personal disciples of that training master, so don't let down the efforts of the Sixth Seat of Cilian.

Hu didn't know what to say. He really didn't know that Cilian had such high expectations for him. He absolutely couldn't let Cilian down. Hu secretly encouraged himself.

The two walked through the corridor, turned several corners, and came to a large door. The door was dark gray, with intricate Reishi circuits engraved on it. A guard stood on each side of the door.

"This is the Feimou Corps's exclusive Senkaimon," Xitang said. "From here, you can access any area in the World of the Living where they have a presence."

He took out a small device:

"This is Area Card. It records the coordinates of any outpost within the corresponding zone. There's a card scanner at each outpost; swiping it allows you to open the door and return, but it can only be opened from the coordinates recorded on the card. Remember to update the coordinates on the card before going out on field missions; don't record them incorrectly, or you'll be the one suffering the consequences."

I swiped the sensor on the side of the door. The Reishi circuit on the door lit up with blue light and slowly slid open to both sides.

Behind the door was a long corridor, at the end of which was light.

Xitang didn't go in; he just stood at the doorway and let Hu see.

"You might feel a little uncomfortable using the Senkaimon the first time, but you'll get used to it after a few tries," he said. "Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to Karakura Town. Let's go back and do some paperwork today."

Xitang led Hu back to the Office Area and cleared an empty table next to his seat. The tabletop was covered with a thin layer of dust, indicating that it hadn't been used for a long time.

"Sit here." Xitang handed him a damp cloth. "Clean yourself up first."

Hu took the damp cloth and wiped the table. The dust was wiped away, revealing the original color of the wood grain. Xitang then took out a piece of equipment from the cabinet and placed it on the table. The equipment was small and square, with a groove on the front and several cables plugged into the side.

"This is Reiatsu Transmission Terminal," Xitang pointed to the device. "When we're on field missions, we need to integrate the Reiatsu data we collect and input it into this device. It will automatically upload it to the Intelligence Corps's database."

Hu looked at the device and thought it resembled World of the Living computer host, but without a screen, only rows of indicator lights and a few buttons.

Xitang then took out several palm-sized devices from the drawer and placed them on the table. The devices were round, with suction cups at the bottom and a small display screen on the side.

"Reiatsu Recorder." Xitang picked one up and twirled it in his hand. "This thing has a time limit; it's set to run for twenty-four hours. When we're on field missions, we place it somewhere within the Soul Reaper's territory and then use Denreishinki to notify the other party of the location. The other party completes the input using their Reiatsu within twenty-four hours, and that completes the scheduled communication."

Hu felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had used something similar before, almost every day.

Xitang handed the device to Amber, asking her to familiarize herself with it.

The more Hu looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. "Isn't this just like the time clock we use to clock in and out in the World of the Living?"

Ignoring Amber's complaints, Xitang picked up a Denreishinki from the table and handed it to him. "This is yours. It contains contact information for all the outposts on Honshu. Some Soul Reapers prefer email, others prefer direct communication. You decide."

Hu took the Denreishinki and flipped through it a few times. The address book was filled with dozens of names, followed by strings of numbers he didn't quite understand.

"Let's familiarize ourselves with the process today." Xitang sat back down and picked up a Denreishinki. "I set up a few time clocks this morning—no, I mean, input devices. Now, tell them to sign in... input their Reiatsu. Keep an eye on them."

He dialed a number and pressed speakerphone.

Beep--beep--

"Hello? This is the Gunma Prefecture branch office." A lazy voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Feimou Corps, Xitang." Xitang's voice was formal. "The time clock is located under the third streetlight at the east exit of Takasaki Station. Data entry must be completed within 24 hours."

"Knew."

The other party hung up the phone. Xitang put down the Denreishinki and looked at Hu.

"Did you see that clearly?"

Hu nodded. "I saw it clearly."

"Then come here." Xitang pushed a slip of paper over, which listed the name of an outpost and the location of a data entry device. "The outpost next to Gunma Prefecture. The time clock is next to the vending machine behind the Kirio Hikifune City Civic Center. Call it."

Hu picked up the Denreishinki, found the corresponding number in the address book, and pressed the button.

Beep--beep--beep--

No one answered.

Beep--beep--beep--

Still no one answered.

Hu looked up at Xitang. Xitang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "Try again. It's common for you not to get through."

Hu pressed it again.

Beep--beep--

"Who is it?" Someone finally answered the phone, sounding very impatient.

"Flying... Feimou Corps." Amber sat up straight instinctively. "The data entry device is next to the vending machine behind the Kirio Hikifune City Civic Center. Data entry will be completed within 24 hours."

"... There are several vending machines behind the Kirio Hikifune City Civic Center."

Hu paused for a moment, then looked at Xitang. Xitang put down his teacup and said expressionlessly, "The one against the wall."

"The one against the wall," Hu quickly added.

"Okay." The other party hung up the phone.

Hu put down the Denreishinki and let out a long breath. Xitang looked at him, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"It's alright," he said. "Better than I expected."

Hu didn't know what to say.

"It's always like this the first time." Xitang stood up and patted him on the shoulder. "You'll be doing fieldwork with me tomorrow. Let's review the data on these outposts today and get familiar with them."

He pointed to the thick booklet on the table.

Looking at the booklet, Hu thought about how he still had to travel to all thirty-seven outposts on the entire Honshu, and suddenly realized that Cilian had only sent him to the Feimou Corps to be his slave.

He opened the booklet and began to look at the information on the first outpost.

The sky outside the window gradually darkened.

In the Office Area, some people began packing up to leave work. Hu flipped through the booklet, looking at it page by page. Gunma Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture... each outpost had a corresponding Soul Reaper's name, contact information, and precautions.

Xitang was working on his own documents nearby, occasionally glancing up at him.

As night fell, the lights in the Office Area came on one by one.

Hu closed the booklet and rubbed his eyes. He had read about half of the thirty-seven outposts.

"That's all for today." Xitang stood up. "Meet at the Senkaimon at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Don't be late."

Hu responded, put the booklet away, stood up, and walked out.

"Senior Xitang."

"Um?"

"Thank you."

Xitang waved his hand without saying a word.

Hu walked out of the Office Area; the corridor was quiet. He looked down at the Denreishinki in his hand, then touched the booklet in his pocket.

Tomorrow, I'm going to the World of the Living.

He quickened his pace. In the distance, the lights of Bamboo Creek Plain were already on.