Zaraki is leaving in the north direction
A monk came from nowhere and passed by Zaraki.
He was wearing a gray monk's robe, with wide sleeves that were blown up by the wind, and straw sandals on his feet. He did not hold a Zen staff or rosary in his hand, but he was not cleanly shaved, and green stubble sprouted from his scalp.
When he passed by Zaraki, his steps did not stop, his head did not turn, but his eyes turned slightly sideways. Zaraki also glanced at him, but neither of them spoke.
After the monk walked a few steps, he stopped, clasped his hands, faced the direction Zaraki left, and whispered, "Amitabha."
The monk continued walking south. His destination was not the direction Zaraki was going, but Eternal Silence.
On the ruins of Eternal Silence, people are still cleaning up in silence.
When the monk stood at the entrance of the settlement, no one noticed him. It was not that he ignored him on purpose, but he was too busy. People were moving wood, people were clearing rubble, some were fetching water from the stream for cooking, and some were squatting in a daze in front of the collapsed house, not knowing where to start cleaning up. The monk stood for a while, and then walked in.
The man with the broken arm was the first to see the monk. He was walking out of the ruins carrying a piece of wood. The end of the piece of wood dragged on the ground, drawing a shallow groove. He was stunned for a moment when he saw the monk's gray robe. He leaned the piece of wood against the wall and wiped the dust on the clothes with his only hand. He didn't know whether to salute or ask questions.
The monk spoke first, "The poor monk was passing by and saw that there was trouble here and wanted to help."
The man with the broken arm looked at him for a few seconds, then nodded. "Just help move the wood."
The monk rolled up the sleeves of his robe, revealing his thin but strong forearms, and began to move
When Wuran walked over from the other side of the ruins, the monk was already moving the third piece of wood. Wuran looked at him
"You are..."
The monk stacked the wood, straightened up, patted the dust on the monk's robe with both hands, turned around and looked at Wuran, clasping his hands together. "Poor monk Jueshu, a wandering monk, passed by this place and saw that he was in trouble. He wanted to stay for a while. I wonder if it is convenient for the donor."
Wuran looked at Jueshu and saw that Eternal Silence was like this. One more person would be more powerful. No matter who he was, where he came from, or why he wanted to stay, as long as he was willing to help move wood, clear rubble, and take care of the injured, Eternal Silence would welcome him. It was not that he was not wary, but that he was not qualified to be wary now.
"Convenient" said Wuran.
Jueshu didn't say "thank you" or bow, he just nodded, turned around and continued to move the wood.
At night, people in the settlement gathered around several bonfires
Jueshu's eyes moved between Wuran and Shen Du
He saw it.
Wuran's mind was not in Eternal Silence. He was sitting by the campfire, holding a bowl of hot water in his hand, looking at the fire, but he was looking further away. Jueshu didn't know where it was, but he knew that Wuran's body was here. It was his heart that had drifted away, to a place he couldn't let go of. Maybe it was a person, maybe it was a thing, maybe it was a thought.
Jueshu couldn't see what it was specifically, but he could see that Wuran was carrying something. It wasn't the kind of burden that said "I'm doing something difficult", but the kind of burden that said "this thing has been with me for a long time, so long that I have forgotten what it feels like to be without it."
Shen Du's inner demons are more obvious
Jueshu doesn't need any spiritual vision, just look at the way he is sitting there, his back is too straight, like a taut string; his fingers are too tight on the Asauchi knife handle on his knee, as if he is afraid that the knife will fly away on its own; when his eyes are closed, the distance between his eyebrows is narrower than when he opens his eyes, which is not relaxing, but forcing himself not to think about certain things.
What Zaraki said is still running through his mind
"You are too weak"
Silbern
The knights were tired of the long peace
After the failure of the invasion of Seireitei and the retreat of the entire army, Silbern fell into a long wait, waiting for His Majesty to wake up, waiting for His Majesty to speak, and waiting for His Majesty's orders.
Jugram Haschwalth said that His Majesty is sleeping and needs quiet, time and waiting.
The knights have been waiting for one year, two years, three years, five years, ten years. His Majesty's sleeping cabin is in the deepest chamber of Silbern.
Jugram Haschwalth goes to the secret room to check once a day, and every time he comes out he says the same thing, "Your Majesty is still sleeping."
The knights changed from initial awe to doubt, from doubt to anxiety, and from anxiety to anger.
In the meeting hall of Silbern, both sides of the long table were filled with members of Sternritter.
Schrift holders, the elites among Quincy, each of them is enough to rival Soul Reaper Captain-Class's strength. At this moment, they are sitting in their respective seats with different postures. Some have their legs crossed, some have their arms crossed, some have their feet on the table, and some have their eyes closed as if they are taking a nap. But their eyes, either brightly or secretly, are all falling on the person at the head of the long table.
Yu Gelan·Jugram Haschwalth is sitting on the main seat, her golden hair looks dim under the blue light, and her blue eyes are as calm as a frozen lake.
"I'll say it again"
Jugram Haschwalth's voice was not loud, but it could be heard clearly in every corner of the meeting hall. "Your Majesty is sleeping. Before Your Majesty wakes up, Silbern will not take any military action. This is His Majesty's will, not mine."
"Your Majesty's will!"
The third person on the left side of the long table spoke, with an undisguised sarcasm in his voice, Bazz-B. He leaned back on the chair, crossed his arms, and his flaming red hair looked particularly dazzling in the pale light. "Of course we must listen to His Majesty's will! The question is! If you say it is His Majesty's will, is it His Majesty's will? Your Majesty has been dormant for so many years and has not said a word! Is every word you say your Majesty's will?"
The air in the meeting hall was stagnant for a moment.
It's not that no one agrees with Bazz-B's words, it's that no one dares to be the first to answer. Jugram Haschwalth's eyes turned around and looked at Bazz-B
Bazz-B met his gaze without flinching. The two looked at each other for several breaths, so long that the knights around them began to hold their breath unconsciously.
"You can question me"
Jugram Haschwalth said, "But don't question your Majesty."
Bazz-B snorted from his nose, not a smile, but a kind of contempt that said, "I knew you would say that." He put down his arms, leaned forward, put his hands on the table, his eyes were like two knives on Jugram Haschwalth's face. "Okay, I don't question His Majesty, let me ask you! When will His Majesty wake up? You go and see it every day, for so many years, you know better than anyone else, you give us a sure idea."
Jugram Haschwalth was silent for a moment. "Your Majesty is still sleeping, and the date of his awakening is unknown."
Bazz-B smiled
"I don't know! You don't know! We don't know! No one knows! Then we just keep waiting? When?"
"So you want us to continue resting?" A voice came from the right side of the long table. A woman, tall, with long silver hair hanging behind her shoulders, with a feline-like alertness and dissatisfaction in her eyes, Schrift Frost, Frida·Bergman
"Jugram Haschwalth, we have rested long enough! The losses from the last invasion have long been made up! The training of new recruits has been completed! All weapons and equipment have been updated! Our current strength is only slightly stronger than when we invaded! What are you waiting for?"
Jugram Haschwalth has no answer.
"He's scared" a deep voice came from the corner, Schrift Knuckle, Kurt·Miner
He sat at the end of the long table, almost hidden in the shadows, but his voice was as heavy as a stone, hitting every corner of the meeting hall. "He is afraid of losing. He lost last time, and he doesn't want to lose again!"
Jugram Haschwalth's eyes finally moved. He was not looking at Kurt, but at the end of the long table - there was no one there, only an empty white wall. He looked at that wall as if he was looking at something very, very far away. A long time ago, in another place, there was a similar conversation between him and another person. The person asked him "What are you waiting for", but he did not answer. The person said "You will not win", and he did not answer. Later, he defeated that person, won once, but lost the whole war.
Jugram Haschwalth stood up and said in an unhurried and unhurried manner, "Today's meeting ends here. Let's adjourn!" He said
He turned around and walked towards the corridor behind the meeting hall, his footsteps echoing on the white stone slabs, unhurried and unhurried, as usual.
There were footsteps behind me, Bazz-B.
Jugram Haschwalth did not turn around, Bazz-B stopped a few steps behind him
"You shouldn't be like this" Bazz-B's voice could be heard clearly by Jugram Haschwalth
"You are the leader, you shouldn't let them think you are afraid."
Jugram Haschwalth has no answer.
"I know you are not afraid"
Bazz-B's voice was lowered. "But they don't know. They only know that you are waiting. They don't know what you are waiting for. If you don't say something, they will do it themselves."
Jugram Haschwalth finally spoke, "Let them do it, Silbern will no longer exist."
Bazz-B was silent for a long time
"Bazz-B"
Jugram Haschwalth's voice made Bazz-B look at him
"Don't die"