It Shouldn't Be That Coincidental, Right?

West Rukongai, District 48, the outskirts of Maorong.

Duan Mu followed the instructions on the commission slip and arrived at the meeting point, a farm in the outskirts.

By the time Duan Mu arrived, the goods had already been loaded onto the wagons. Aside from the caravan's leader, there were more than a dozen burly men who looked as though, like Duan Mu, they had been hired for this delivery.

"Who are you?"

Duan Mu had just reached the edge of the farm and had yet to walk inside when several burly men blocked his path.

"I'm..." Duan Mu reached into his robes and was just about to take out the commission slip when a steady male voice came from behind the men. "Let him through. He's Boss Duan Mu of the Yorozuya in District 38."

The owner of the Yorozuya in District 38?

After hearing that, everyone inside the farm turned their eyes toward the outside. Quite a few of them knew Duan Mu. After all, following five years of hard work, Duan Mu's footprints had basically covered the entire western part of Rukongai. Even those who had never seen him had heard his name.

"President Shinno."

Duan Mu smiled at the middle-aged man who had spoken for him. "I'll be in your care again this time."

The middle-aged man looked to be around forty or fifty years old. He wore a white kimono trimmed with gold thread, and his whole person gave off a kindly air.

Kawaibe Shinno.

He was the Chamber of Commerce President of District 43 in West Rukongai, as well as an elder of District 43. Whenever the residents of the district wanted to sell supplies to Seireitei, he basically acted as the intermediary. He was a man with considerable business acumen.

As far as Duan Mu knew, he had been the Chamber of Commerce President for nearly five hundred years. Although other districts also had chambers of commerce, their presidents changed frequently, most of them having been driven out by the district residents for embezzlement.

The fact that Shinno had held this position for so long and was deeply respected was enough to show what kind of person he was.

Duan Mu had dealt with him several times before, though most of that work involved building farms and harvesting crops. This was his first time taking on a guard job.

"Not at all. This time, we'll be relying on you, Boss Duan Mu."

As President Shinno spoke, he looked past Duan Mu and glanced around behind him. Finally, he asked hesitantly, "Are you the only one who came?" He hurriedly added, "It's not that I doubt your abilities, Boss Duan Mu, but this commission is different from the usual ones. It isn't enough to simply be capable."

"I understand."

Duan Mu nodded and smiled. "However, my shop has always only sent me out when taking on work. If you feel I'm unsuitable, you can cancel the commission without paying a penalty. I heard from Uzuki that you seemed to have posted this commission because of a misunderstanding."

Hearing this, a trace of hesitation flashed across President Shinno's face, but he ultimately shook his head. "Since you're already here, come along with us. I'll still pay the commission fee."

Although he did not know Duan Mu's strength, he knew that Duan Mu's Yorozuya also accepted commissions to teach thugs and ruffians a lesson, and that the jobs were completed to the clients' satisfaction every time. Duan Mu should have some ability.

Most importantly...

The man had turned down other work first thing in the morning and rushed all the way here. Shinno couldn't possibly send him back. After all, he quite liked this nimble, diligent young man.

"Stay in the middle of the convoy later and help push the carts."

Most of the land between District 43 and District 40 was mountainous. Even with horses pulling the carts, human strength was still needed to help when going uphill. Since he had spent money to hire Duan Mu, he would not let him simply tag along. Although this meant doing hard labor, it was clearly much safer than the guard job originally requested.

He really was a man worthy of respect.

Duan Mu praised him inwardly and followed President Shinno to the center of the convoy.

"Kid Duan Mu, you really dare to accept any commission."

"Come over here quickly. You can push the cart with me later."

"Shoo, shoo, don't listen to that old geezer. He just wants to slack off. Come with me later."

"..."

Most of those responsible for pushing the carts were people from the farm, and they were all familiar with Duan Mu, who often worked alongside them there. When they saw him approach, they all came forward to chat.

Duan Mu smiled and replied to each of them. After some friendly exchanges, the convoy officially set out.

"President Shinno, what's the situation with the bandits?"

As Duan Mu pushed the cart, he asked President Shinno beside him. As far as he knew, caravans delivering goods to Seireitei had never hired guards before. Aside from the laborers responsible for pushing the carts, they had never needed anyone else. He had even accepted cart-pushing commissions himself in the past.

"This is your first time accompanying a caravan to deliver goods outside Procurement Season, isn't it?"

Duan Mu nodded.

"Then it's no wonder." After saying that, President Shinno explained, "Because District 43 is mountainous, when the districts were first divided, part of the mountain region beneath it bordered District 55, which is also a mountainous area in South Rukongai."

It bordered District 55?

Duan Mu was stunned. This was genuinely the first time he had heard of it. The districts were divided with Seireitei as the center, arranged from the inside outward.

They were like circles. The districts within each circle basically shared the same number, regardless of whether they lay to the east, south, west, or north. A place like District 43 should have been an exception.

Fortunately, it was only District 55.

Although he had never been to South Rukongai, in their West Rukongai, District 55 was a relatively high-numbered district. The people who lingered there were mostly good-for-nothings—in plain terms, nothing more than detestable thugs and ruffians. They weren't even qualified to be villains.

"Those thugs and ruffians behave themselves during Procurement Season. They don't dare provoke the caravans delivering goods to Seireitei. But outside Procurement Season, they often come over here to rob goods being sent to the lower-numbered districts." President Shinno paused before continuing:

"If they knew these goods were being sent to Seireitei, they naturally wouldn't rob us. But those fellows would never investigate in advance. They simply wander around the central districts all year outside Procurement Season."

Duan Mu nodded in understanding.

"It would be one thing if they were only thugs and ruffians." President Shinno sighed. "But about a month ago, many suddenly appeared among those thugs who possessed considerable strength. Although those newcomers differed from the ordinary thugs in that they only wounded people and did not kill them..."

"They were extremely strong, and every caravan that encountered them had its goods taken."

At this point, President Shinno glanced at Duan Mu. "The reason I invited you this time was because I heard that your Yorozuya had recently gained several new employees who were very strong and looked rather fierce. That was why I thought of asking you to guard the caravan."

A month ago...

When he heard that time frame, the corner of Duan Mu's eye immediately twitched. He hurriedly lowered his head to conceal it and said:

"President Shinno, you've misunderstood. Uzuki thought it was boring to accept commissions only during the day and have nothing to do otherwise, so she converted the first floor into a tavern. The Yorozuya's business has been moved to the second floor."

Surely it couldn't be that coincidental.