Remedial Lessons

"Hmm?"

Duan Mu looked at Uzuki, who was sitting in front of his shop, and was slightly startled.

"You actually know how to come back!"

Seeing Duan Mu, Uzuki rose with an unhappy expression and complained, "What kind of commission did you take? You were out all day."

"It's so late. Why aren't you home resting? What are you doing here?" Duan Mu stepped forward and took out his key. As he unlocked the door, he continued, "Don't tell me you couldn't sleep because you were craving strawberry milk?"

"Tch. You make it sound like I love strawberry milk that much."

Duan Mu did not reply. He entered the shop, lit the candle on the counter, then took a carton of strawberry milk from beneath the counter and placed it on the bar.

Uzuki's large eyes immediately lit up, making Duan Mu unable to stop himself from laughing.

"What are you laughing at? I'm only collecting my payment!!" Uzuki blushed and defended herself.

"Yes, yes..." Duan Mu gestured invitingly. "Go ahead and drink it. Even if you're planning to sneak-attack me tonight, you can talk while you drink."

"Your skin is almost thicker than the Byakudō Gate."

Uzuki spat to the side, then frowned. "Did you offend someone? When I passed by your shop this morning, I noticed a group of suspicious people loitering outside and repeatedly peeking inside."

"I thought they had come to commission you, so I went over and told them you were out working. I said I could relay their message if they wanted to make a commission."

"But they looked at one another and stammered without saying anything. They didn't leave either, and only went away after staying there for quite a while. They looked so secretive that I thought it was suspicious. I was afraid they might come back after I left, so..."

Duan Mu interrupted helplessly, "So you sat outside my shop all day?"

"Mm..."

"Next time something like that happens, don't bother with it. Maybe they only came to commission some work they couldn't conveniently talk about."

Duan Mu paused, then changed his tone and spoke seriously. "Besides, even if they meant you harm, you still shouldn't interfere. If they really are bad people, your actions could easily anger them, and you'd be the one in danger. Still... thanks."

"Hmph. At least that last sentence sounded human."

Uzuki rolled her eyes at Duan Mu. "A friend helped you, so you could have just said thanks. Instead, you nagged on and on like an old man. I almost wanted to smash the milk in your face. And don't forget, I'm nearly twice your age. I haven't even criticized you for lacking vigilance, yet you're lecturing me instead."

"Yes, yes, it's my fault." Duan Mu admitted his mistake without hesitation.

After chatting for a while, Uzuki got up and left.

Watching Uzuki leave, Duan Mu immediately frowned.

A group of suspicious people?

Normally, Duan Mu would not have cared at all, but what had happened that evening made him think a little too much about it.

Of course, it was only a little too much.

Two seconds later, Duan Mu had already thrown the matter to the back of his mind.

With Duan Mu's current strength, if the Seireitei wanted to deal with him, it would be as easy as crushing an ant. Worrying about it would not help. Rather than thinking about such messy things, he might as well consider what to eat the next morning.

He took a bottle of alcohol from the liquor cabinet and headed upstairs to his bedroom.

The next morning.

After breakfast, Duan Mu hung an "Open for Business" sign outside, then immediately sprawled across the bar.

He had worked all day yesterday, so naturally he had not received any new commissions. Although the Yorozuya's reputation had spread, commissions were not going to arrive every day.

Normally, when he had no commissions, Duan Mu would go cultivate in the nearby mountains. However, he had spent a large amount of experience yesterday and needed some time to assimilate all the knowledge he had gained.

Thus, Duan Mu did not go out to train. Instead, he stayed in the shop for the first time in a long while and waited for customers.

"I wonder if I'll get a commission today."

Duan Mu rested his chin on the bar, bored. To be honest, when one was neither working nor cultivating, there was practically nothing entertaining to do in Rukongai.

"If only I could go to the Human World whenever I wanted. I could bring back more manga, novels, and things like game consoles to put in the shop. Then I could pass the time when I was bored. At worst, I could buy a few decks of playing cards. That would still be better than sitting around doing nothing here."

Time spent doing nothing passed incredibly slowly. Duan Mu sat at the bar all morning. Aside from Uzuki dropping by for a while, no customers came in.

At noon, Duan Mu casually cooked a bowl of noodles, carried a chair to the shop entrance, and treated the midday sun as a side dish while enjoying a bowl of nearly flavorless clear-broth noodles.

"I want to go to a tavern... Eat meat by the mouthful and drink alcohol by the bowlful... I really want meat..."

Imagining the aroma inside a tavern, Duan Mu drank the soup in one gulp, then carried the bowl in one hand and dragged the chair back inside with the other.

He had only just put the chair away when a commotion came from outside.

"Oh? It's open today?"

"I really don't understand you people. What's there to see in this lousy shop? We could spend this time practicing Kidō on the mountain. Don't forget, once we return to the Academy, the examinations will begin."

"Come on, we're just taking a stroll. Looking around here won't take long."

"Besides, didn't you say yesterday that the shopkeeper was arrogant? He actually dared to put a discount sheet like that on the door."

"..."

Amid the noisy voices, several men and women of different ages entered from outside.

Seeing customers arrive, Duan Mu put on his trademark smile. "May I ask what I can help you with?"

All five regarded Duan Mu with a hint of scrutiny.

They did not ask questions like "Are you the owner?" After all, they were all from West Rukongai. Even if they had never interacted with him, they had seen Duan Mu's figure traveling throughout West Rukongai. Moreover, the owner of Runlin'an's tavern had introduced him to them not long ago.

"Shopkeeper, is the discount sheet you posted outside real?"

"Of course."

The smile on Duan Mu's face grew wider. In fact, the moment they entered the shop, he had already sensed the faint spiritual pressure on their bodies.

Even though they were not wearing the uniforms of the Soul Reaper Academy, judging from their previous conversation, they were probably Soul Reaper Academy students on vacation. This was the first time such customers had come to his Yorozuya.

No matter what, he had to keep them here!!

Duan Mu's thoughts raced, but nothing showed on his face. He smiled and said, "All commissions accepted by this shop come with discounts for women: ten percent off for women, twenty percent off for female Soul Reapers, thirty percent off for female seated officers, forty percent off for female Lieutenant Captains, and half price for female captains!"

"Judging from your appearances, you should be students of the Soul Reaper Academy. The women among you can receive the same discount as ordinary members of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads—in other words, twenty percent off."

A boyish-looking person immediately asked, "What about men?"

"Sorry, this shop's discounts are limited to women."

"You..."

The boy watched Duan Mu warily. He suddenly felt that the shopkeeper's warm smile concealed deep ill intent. "Are you harboring some filthy thoughts? Otherwise, if we're all Soul Reapers, why do women get such a huge discount?"

Duan Mu's smile did not change. In a gentle tone, he said, "Customer, please watch your words. Even if you were God, I'd still sue you for slander!"

"Tch." The boy looked very disdainful.

A man in his thirties beside him chuckled. "Since you run a Yorozuya, do you accept missions to exterminate Hollows?"

"I do." Duan Mu answered without hesitation. Before the others could react, he continued, "But as far as I know, as students of the Academy, you've only encountered simulated Hollows and have never faced real ones, have you?"

At this point, Duan Mu looked up at the man who had spoken. "Customer, false commissions come with a price."

Those words made the thirty-year-old man's breathing stop for a moment. He instinctively wanted to explain, but when he saw the gaze beneath Duan Mu's gentle smile, his heart suddenly trembled.

"I'm... I'm sorry... I was only asking."

As soon as he said that, his companions all looked at him in surprise, unable to understand his reaction.

The thirty-year-old man—or rather, Okubo—blushed under their gazes and said awkwardly, "It's true that we've never encountered a real Hollow, so we can't commission you. But you're an ordinary person. You couldn't possibly complete such a commission either!"

"Whether I can complete it isn't something you need to consider, customer. It's something this shop needs to consider."

After saying that, Duan Mu ignored the man and turned his attention to the women. "Ladies, if there's anything you need help with or any troubles you have, feel free to tell me. I'll do everything in my power to resolve them for you."

"Uh..."

The three women exchanged glances. They had not come here because they had an actual commission. They had simply been bored at home during the holiday, and yesterday's discount sheet had made them curious, so they had come to take a look.

They had originally intended only to tease this interesting shopkeeper. However, seeing how serious Duan Mu looked, they suddenly felt embarrassed to explain their real purpose.

Besides, when they thought about it carefully, he was running a business. He could write whatever he wanted on his discount sheet.

"Speaking of which..." The more mature woman was the first to recover. Curious, she asked, "How did you know we were students of the Soul Reaper Academy?"

Duan Mu answered casually, "A feeling."

The mature woman looked at Duan Mu suspiciously, clearly unconvinced, but she did not pursue the matter.

"Oh, right!"

The youngest girl's eyes lit up. "The promotion examinations will begin when the holiday ends. Since you run a Yorozuya, can you teach us skills such as Zanjutsu and Kidō?"

At those words, the other four could not help praising the girl inwardly.

That was right!

Although they could not issue a commission to exterminate Hollows, that did not mean they had no other commissions that an "ordinary person" absolutely could not complete.

An ordinary resident of Rukongai might not even know what Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Kidō, and Shunpo represented, let alone teach them.

This commission could not only crush the other party's arrogance, but also let them leave without actually commissioning him, sparing them any awkwardness.

"Sorry..." Katori stuck out her tongue. She had not intended to make Duan Mu look bad. She had simply remembered his words that they could tell him any troubles they had and had instinctively spoken about her own trouble. Only afterward did she realize that her words had been inappropriate.

"Shopkeeper, if you can't accept it, that's fine. I was being unreasonable..."

"Of course I can!"

Duan Mu's eyes lit up. "The four basic skills of Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Kidō, and Shunpo will be charged by the hour."

"Ah???"

"Really?"

"No way, shopkeeper. Don't tease us."

"..."

"Come with me."

Duan Mu waved to the five people, turned around, and headed toward the back door of the shop.

The five exchanged glances, then followed Duan Mu with puzzled expressions.

After pushing open the back door, they arrived at the small courtyard behind the house. It was spacious and empty. Apart from several wooden targets, there was a weapons rack in the corner, covered with sharpened wooden swords.

Under their confused gazes, Duan Mu raised his arm and aimed at the target in the center of the courtyard.

He formed a sword with two fingers and pointed forward.

"Hado #4: Byakurai!"

Buzz~~

Lightning suddenly appeared, condensed before Duan Mu's fingers, and shot forward!

Everything happened in an instant. Before the five could react, the target in the center of the courtyard exploded with a bang. Even more unbelievable was that the bolt of lightning seemed to possess a will of its own. After destroying the target, it transformed into scattered spirit particles just before striking the wall, leaving the wall completely unharmed.

The five stared at the scene in stunned silence. Only after a long while did they recover and hurriedly rub their eyes.

"It's real?"

"Byakurai... And it was a Kidō spell cast with Urahada..."

"Shopkeeper, are you a Soul Reaper?"

"..."

Meanwhile, Duan Mu added ten of his remaining forty experience points to Zanjutsu, raising it to the same level as Shunpo and Hakuda.

Zanjutsu: Low Level (0/1000)

Now, all four of his Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Kidō, and Shunpo abilities had reached the low level. That was more than enough to teach several students who had not yet graduated.

"As I said earlier, off-campus lessons are charged by the hour, at 1,000 rings per hour. If you study with me for at least three hours every day for a week, I can guarantee that you'll make noticeable progress after one week!"

The knowledge granted by the system was extremely comprehensive. Many of the techniques it contained were things even the Soul Reaper Academy's teachers might not have mastered. To put it plainly, the knowledge the system had granted Duan Mu at his current level could be called the limit of the "low level."

Duan Mu had always relied on this knowledge to cultivate on his own. Having thoroughly mastered it, his theoretical knowledge was more solid than that of most Soul Reaper Academy teachers, and he was even better suited to teaching others.

"1,000 rings an hour?" Interest appeared on everyone's faces.

Although 1,000 rings an hour was somewhat expensive for them, it was not unaffordable. While they were at the Academy, the school provided food and lodging free of charge, and they also received a certain amount of living expenses during vacations.

Of course, this treatment lasted only six years.

After six years, whether they successfully passed the entrance examination for the Thirteen Court Guard Squads or were sent to the Human World to perform Konsō work as "unregistered" personnel, they would receive a substantial salary.

Apart from those paths, they could also choose departments such as the Kidō Corps or Onmitsukidō.

Thus, as long as they graduated successfully, they would have a stable income.

Three hours of study every day would cost 3,000 rings, or 21,000 rings for a week.

If the shopkeeper was not lying, and a week of lessons could bring them substantial progress, then 21,000 rings was practically a bargain. Even eating at Runlin'an's izakaya for a full week might cost more.

Of course, they were reluctant to eat lavishly at the izakaya every day.

But if this money could help them graduate successfully, it would absolutely be worth it!

Unlike Katori, the noticeably more mature of the three women asked suspiciously, "Can we really make substantial progress within a week? What is the minimum standard? What happens if we don't improve?"

"If you make no progress at all under my guidance after a week, I can refund half your payment. Of course, to prevent people from exploiting this, once I refund your payment, I won't accept any more commissions from you."

"As for the minimum standard, we'll use the examination you mentioned. If you fail the examination, I'll refund the full amount and continue guiding you until you pass."

"Um..."

The girl among the three women who had not spoken before asked timidly, "Um... is the twenty percent discount still valid?"

"Of course!" Duan Mu nodded. "No matter how many years pass or how many commissions there are, as long as I accept the commission, the discount sheet outside will always be valid."

Katori Favorability +1, gained 10 experience points

Izumi Tetsu Favorability +1, gained 10 experience points

Konai Favorability +2, gained 20 experience points.

Duan Mu observed them and discovered that Katori was the youngest of the three. Izumi Tetsu was the mature woman, while Konai, who had gained two favorability points at once, was the black-haired girl who blushed whenever she spoke.

"What about us?" the two men asked at the same time.

"Sorry, this shop's discounts are only for women." Duan Mu smiled.

"...That's blatant discrimination." The boy looked deeply dissatisfied, but in the end he gritted his teeth. "Fine, 1,000 rings is 1,000 rings. But if I haven't passed the examination after a week, I'm definitely coming back for a refund!"

Although the unequal discounts between men and women left the two men extremely unhappy, all five ultimately chose to pay.

"I'll teach all five of you at the same time. You can choose the areas you're weakest in, or the areas you want to improve further. I'll focus on teaching the skill you choose. Of course, while I'm focusing on that skill, the others can study it together as well."

"However, there's one thing I need to clarify beforehand."

Duan Mu paused. "Unlike Zanjutsu, Shunpo, and Hakuda, if you want me to focus on teaching Kidō, I'll first need to see how well you've mastered it. Simply put, you'll use 'full incantation' to cast the Kidō spells you know in front of me, and I'll provide guidance based on the spells you cast."

"I won't teach you anything you haven't learned." After saying that, Duan Mu silently added in his heart, Because I don't know them either...

This was precisely why Duan Mu had been willing to expose his strength in order to keep them there.

If he wanted to learn more Kidō, these students were undoubtedly his best choice.

The only troublesome part was his experience points.

But...

Duan Mu looked at the three girls, his smile so gentle it seemed ready to melt.

The wool came from the sheep's back.

As long as he befriended these three girls, gaining experience points shouldn't be difficult. In particular, that 'Konai' girl who blushed whenever she spoke—her favorability should be easy to raise.

After White Lightning broke through to the intermediate level, his knowledge of spirit-particle manipulation had become extremely extensive. As long as he used '50' experience points to activate the corresponding kidō, he could barely make it through the early guidance even at the beginner level. Once he gained more experience points, he could slowly raise it to the low level.