The Shinigami in the Unforgiven, Chapter 133: Himanga.
The heavy door opened, and a person poked their head out, asking, "Who are you?"
Soi Fon straightened up and replied, " Second Division Captain Soi Fon, this is the acting captain of the Tenth Division, Shiraishi. We have come to inform the head of the family Yushiro Shihōin, of important matters."
"Really? Wait here."
The servant said something and slammed the door shut.
Shiraishi frowned and said, "You really look down on me. Is it so difficult to invite me in for a cup of tea?"
"If it were during the heyday of the Shihoin Clan, they wouldn't even bother to come if you didn't make an appointment in advance."
Soi Fon was not surprised at all by this attitude.
The Shihoin Clan is one of the Four Great Noble Clans, known as the Heavenly Armament House," a family specifically responsible for safeguarding the weapons for the Soul King.
Since the founding of Soul Society, a history spanning millions of years, no one knows how many divine weapons and artifacts are hidden in the Shihoin Clan's treasury.
All that is known is that none of the thieves who dared to peek into the treasure vault in the past ever came out alive.
The Shihoin Clan is one of the few noble families that maintains a martial spirit.
Leaving aside how many of the lower-ranking nobles under their command are willing to fight to the death, just considering the families themselves, the position of the main family is not only based on bloodline, but also requires assessment of the family's Hakuda Shihō stealth footwork.
It's normal for the Shihoin Clan, with its strong martial spirit, to look down on Shinigami ( Shinigami ).
The two waited outside for about ten minutes before the heavy doors opened, and a servant bowed and said, "Please follow me, gentlemen."
"Hmm." Soi Fon replied, stepped across the threshold, and followed the servants to the main hall of the Shihoin Clan.
Along the way, the path meandered, with tall trees on both sides blocking out the sunlight, and the incessant chirping of cicadas in the trees made Shiraishi swallow hard.
Cicada meat smells so good!
His summer memories from his student days, aside from the watermelons in the fields, were filled with cicadas.
As soon as he hears the cicadas chirping, he climbs a tree, catches a few cicadas to use as fans, and then roasts them—the taste is absolutely amazing.
I miss it so much. I'll catch some when I go back.
Shiraishi glanced at the cicadas on the tree and secretly made a decision: he would have a meal of roasted cicadas today.
Walk a few hundred meters further, and you'll see a huge building sitting outside the woods, surrounded by a lake on three sides.
A large red lantern hung at the entrance, with the three characters "Shihoin" (Sifengyuan) written in black.
Dozens of lower-ranking nobles dressed in black, resembling Punishment Force in appearance, guarded the area around the building.
Their Reiatsu is at least at the level of Seated Officer.
Shiraishi glanced at it, but didn't pay any attention, and stepped into the building's lobby together with Soi Fon.
The interior was spacious and lacked luxurious furnishings, which was not in line with the style of the Shihoin Clan.
The Shihoin Clan's style is simple yet grand, subtly showcasing their noble status.
The room is made of top-notch materials, and the murals are by renowned artists.
The current head of the family Yushiro Shihōin, knelt on a purple futon. He had an unusual brown complexion, golden eyes, and a somewhat androgynous appearance, lacking the masculine features of a man.
He sat at the head of the table, as if he were about to be crushed by the golden ornaments that adorned him as the head of the household.
"I am Yushiro Shihōin. What do you two captains want with me?"
Soi Fon stepped forward and replied, "Lord Yushiro, Shin'ichirō Shihoin died in Yoshiwara Pleasure Quarter in the Tenth Division District. We've come to inform you."
"What?! Shin'ichirō is dead?!"
Yushiro Shihōin jumped up from the futon, his face full of shock, and asked, "Who did this?"
Soi Fon didn't tell the truth, but lied, saying, "The murderer was very skilled; there wasn't a trace of Reiatsu left at the scene. We'd like to ask if he's recently made any enemies, or become close to anyone?"
Yushiro Shihōin was in complete disarray, collapsing to the ground, his gaze drifting to the man to his lower left. " Tokinada, what should I do?"
" Yushiro, you need to pull yourself together."
The man had long, dark green hair that covered his ears. His skin was somewhat pale from rarely being in the sun. His signature fox-like eyes darted around as he said, "Don't forget our dream. The revival of the Shihōin Clan rests entirely on your shoulders."
"Um."
Yushiro Shihōin nodded, took a deep breath, and said to those below, "You all go back first. We will investigate the matter concerning Shin'ichirō and then give you a result."
" Yushiro."
Soi Fon still wants to try.
Tsunayashiro Tokinada grew impatient, his eyes narrowing slightly as he said, "Mind your place. The person in front of you is the head of the Shihoin Clan, Yushiro Shihōin!"
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"Lower-ranking noblewoman Fon Shaoling, did you not hear me tell you to step back?"
The icy Reiatsu instantly lowered the air temperature, and the ground seemed to be covered with a layer of white frost.
Soi Fon breathed in and out, he felt as if he were frozen in ice, and a look of horror appeared in his eyes. Such powerful Reiatsu was rare even among the captains.
Shiraishi lightly stepped in front of her, smiling, "Don't be so angry, let's go. Sir, what's your name?"
" Tsunayashiro Tokinada, Shin'ichirō friend."
" Shin'ichirō is truly lucky to have a close friend like you."
"A wanted criminal like him actually has the right to stand here and converse with a high-ranking nobleman. Shinigami has fallen too; he'll take any trash."
Tsunayashiro Tokinada, his eyes revealing no trace of contempt for the Shinigami.
Shiraishi didn't say anything more, but took Soi Fon's hand and left the hall, walking straight out.
It took several attempts for Soi Fon to break free from his large hand. He said irritably, "Didn't you say I should handle this? You shouldn't have said anything."
" Tsunayashiro Tokinada is the murderer who killed Shin'ichirō."
These words startled Soi Fon slightly, and his expression turned serious as he said, "Are you telling the truth? Don't try to spite me."
"Don't worry, I won't lie about this. The Reiatsu that guy released is exactly the same as what's happening here. What do you plan to do?"
Shiraishi asked a question.
Soi Fon fell into deep thought. If she remembered correctly, Tsunayashiro Tokinada and Shin'ichirō were the main forces advancing the Gold Seal Unit.
Was Shin'ichirō's killing due to a conflict, or was it a setup to advance the Gold Seal Unit?
Regardless of the type, Tsunayashiro Tokinada must be monitored.
That man was originally a prisoner held in the Maggot's Nest, and was only allowed to leave because of the Twelfth Division Mayuri Kurotsuchi's bail.
What crime did he commit to be imprisoned?
Soi Fon forgot and decided to go back and investigate. "It would be difficult for someone with Stealth Force to monitor him, you."
"Benefit."
Shiraishi interrupted her, smiling, and said, "Give me a real kiss, and I'll agree to help you keep an eye on things."
Soi Fon glared and said, "Can't you fulfill your duties as acting captain?"
"This case has nothing to do with the Tenth Division, right?"
Shiraishi raised an eyebrow and said, "If you don't want to, fine, I'll go catch a few cicadas to eat."
"I know, it's all for work," Soi Fon couldn't help but explain. It wasn't that she wanted to kiss him; it was all a sacrifice for her job, something she had no choice but to do.
"Haha, for your sake, I'll spare these cicadas' lives this time."
Shiraishi smiled and said, "If you want to monitor people, you can't catch cicadas in your pocket; that would be too easy to expose you."