Yamadatarō

After a brief disturbance, the rest of the journey proceeded smoothly without any further incidents.

"I really didn't expect those bandits to be so cowardly."

"Yeah."

One of the guards chimed in, "If I'd known that dealing with the leader would make everyone else run, even I could have handled it."

"Hahaha~~ Look at you boasting now. You were so scared you almost peed yourself back then."

"Get lost, you were the one who almost peed yourself."

Duan Mu walked at the front with the guards. After the previous skirmish, President Shinno had directly assigned him to the guard detail.

Neither the guards nor the people pushing the carts had any objections to this. After all, Duan Mu had just kicked someone so hard they flew into a small mountain.

Compared to the Shunpo Duan Mu used to move behind Takahashi, the sheer power displayed in his final kick was far more shocking to them. This was because... no one present knew what Shunpo was.

However...

He felt like he had taken on two jobs.

Standing in the center of the guards, Duan Mu thought it over and felt increasingly that something was off.

By the time President Shinno had transferred him to the guards, they had already left the mountainous area. The people who had been pushing carts with him earlier were now relaxed, discussing Duan Mu's fight with the bandits.

Only Duan Mu had moved to join the guards.

Duan Mu sighed, giving up on the idea of asking President Shinno for more money. After all, his initial commission was for guarding, not for pushing carts.

Once they reached the Tōteiro, the convoy's speed increased significantly.

The Tōteiro, as the name suggested, was the road leading to Seireitei. If one didn't turn, this road essentially bypassed any towns, making it the Soul Society's highway.

It had taken the convoy a full three hours to travel from District 43 West to District 40 West. But after stepping onto the Tōteiro, it only took them seven hours to get from District 40 West to District 1 West.

Duan Mu glanced up at the sky. It was already nearing dusk without him realizing it.

Of course, what he was paying attention to wasn't how long they had been traveling, but...

He was hungry!!

Because the assembly time in the morning was so early, Duan Mu hadn't had time to eat breakfast, nor did he have time to prepare the portable rations he usually made when he went out to work.

Although...

The main reason was that he had overslept due to a hangover.

Now, ten hours later, Duan Mu's stomach was already rumbling, but President Shinno was showing his capitalist colors at this moment, refusing to provide any food!

Not only was there no food, but there wasn't even a lunch break. They were only given a flask of water each...

Duan Mu took two sips from his flask, looking at the energetic people around him, and sighed inwardly. He'd have to treat himself to a meal at a restaurant after the goods were delivered.

"Quiet down, everyone. We're approaching the Byakudō Gate."

Ahead of them was a path of white stones, completely different from the streets of Rukongai. It looked extremely neat, with no buildings around the white stone path.

Unlike during wartime, there was no towering great wall between Rukongai and Seireitei. It was simply marked by the white stone road, separating Rukongai from Seireitei.

But if anyone stepped into the warning perimeter of the boundary line, a massive wall would emerge from the void, then envelop the entire Seireitei.

However, this didn't mean anyone could rush into Seireitei before the wall descended. Because even if the wall hadn't appeared, that spherical barrier still enveloped the entire Seireitei.

As for why it didn't appear normally, Duan Mu didn't know.

The convoy stopped at the warning line fifteen meters before the white stone path. President Shinno walked forward and called out respectfully in a loud voice, "Excuse me, is Lord Jidanbō here?"

Swish~~

Accompanied by the sound of a rolling door being lifted, a deep voice came from behind the convoy, "Over here."

Following the sound, a giant head poked out from a massive warehouse behind them.

As he spoke, Jidanbō emerged from the tall building resembling a warehouse. With a height of nearly ten meters, each step he took made the ground tremble beneath everyone's feet.

"Lord Jidanbō."

Everyone in the convoy bowed respectfully. Compared to the high and mighty Soul Reapers, this hero from West Rukongai was the one truly deserving of their respect as residents of West Rukongai.

Jidanbō, full name Ichikō Sakata Jidanbō, was the gatekeeper of the Byakudō Gate. His height of nearly ten meters was enough to inspire awe even just standing before him.

"This is my newly built resting place. Just knock here from now on."

Despite his appearance, Jidanbō had an extremely gentle and kind personality. He looked over the convoy members and said, "Old Shinno, the Fourth Division has already informed me about your business. However, they are still processing the paperwork, and they'll be here to receive the cargo later... Hm?"

Jidanbō's gaze paused as he looked over the convoy members, finally stopping at Duan Mu. He smiled and said, "Little Duan Mu, you're here too."

"Long time no see."

Duan Mu smiled and replied, "Is the house still comfortable to live in?"

"It's absolutely fantastic!"

President Shinno, standing beside them, looked at Duan Mu, then at Jidanbō, and asked in confusion, "Do you two know each other?"

"Yeah."

Duan Mu nodded. However, they only knew each other. Although Duan Mu's fame in West Rukongai had gradually become comparable to Jidanbō's in recent years, they had never actually interacted privately.

Jidanbō's familiarity with Duan Mu stemmed from a commission.

The enormous lounge behind Jidanbō wasn't funded by him personally; rather, the residents of West District 1 had pooled their resources to build it for him.

After a screening process, those residents ultimately selected Duan Mu, who possessed the best construction skills and the most affordable rates.

Jidanbō was extremely satisfied with the finished house, and his fondness for Duan Mu skyrocketed. Every time they met, he'd greet Duan Mu enthusiastically, making anyone who didn't know better think they were old friends.

Unfortunately, since Duan Mu was a man, Jidanbō's affection was completely useless to him.

If only Big Sister Kūkaku's affection was this easy to earn.

"If you ask me, Little Duan Mu's house-building skills are truly exceptional,"

Jidanbō said, pointing to the massive house behind him with a smile. "Don't let the plain exterior fool you; all the interior layouts and furnishings were tailor-made to my height. In all my years, this is the first time I've felt so comfortable in a house!"

"That's true,"

President Shinno chuckled. "I've had him build most of my farms outside the city as well."

The others in the convoy chimed in, and a wave of praise washed over Duan Mu, making him puff up with pride. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but stretch into a grin.

"What exactly did you do in your life, kid?"

The uncle beside him patted Duan Mu's shoulder, a look of confusion on his face. "How come it feels like you can do anything?"

As soon as he said that, everyone's attention turned to Duan Mu.

To be honest, all the residents of West Rukongai were curious about Duan Mu's former profession.

It was because this guy was genuinely all-around capable…

No matter the commission, he could complete it with excellence. If he occasionally encountered something he didn't know, he could quickly master it after a short period of observation and learning.

Duan Mu didn't answer. Instead, he turned his gaze towards Seireitei and said, "The people picking up the goods seem to have arrived."

Hearing this, everyone's eyes immediately shifted towards Seireitei.

A procession of over a dozen people was slowly approaching them. Leading the group was a young man whose eyebrows and the corners of his eyes drooped, giving him an air of timid subservience.

Duan Mu's gaze immediately fell upon the timid young man.

"Don't stare so intently, it's rude,"

The uncle beside him secretly tugged at Duan Mu's sleeve. "Don't let that person's 'I'm easily bullied' appearance fool you. As far as I know, he's the Seventh Seat of the Fourth Division."

"..." Duan Mu.

Who's the one being rude here?

Do you think lowering your voice will hide you from a Soul Reaper? Don't you notice how the people behind him are looking at you?

However, the people from the Fourth Division clearly had good temperaments. Even Yamadatarō, the person in question, didn't seem bothered. Instead, his ears turned slightly red.

"Um..."

Yamadatarō led his group to a halt in front of them and said softly, "Please hand over the goods to us."