Beginning of Spring in the West District 5.
The sky remained overcast, devoid of sunlight.
Shiraishi leaped down from the tree branch, walked a few steps to the edge of the cliff at the top of the mountain, and looked down at the village below.
The houses stretch out in a continuous line, without any planning, built haphazardly by the villagers according to their own whims, layer upon layer, like a complex trapezoidal maze.
This made him very happy.
The more complex the street, the happier it is to be on E.
" Steel Tempest!" Shiraishi shouted the name of the move in a very dramatic way, and jumped off the cliff edge, the wind whistling in his ears.
He also transformed into a gust of wind and drifted down.
Unlike in the game where you need minions to Steel Tempest, in reality, you can Steel Tempest E skill as long as there's wind.
The distance depends on his Reiatsu.
Speed too.
For example, when I was escaping just now, I traveled thirty kilometers in one go, which consumed a lot of Reiatsu.
Not only his Steel Tempest, Steel Tempest, Wind Wall, and Last Breath, but all of his skills require Reiatsu support.
Unless absolutely necessary, he usually fights once and then leaves, avoiding the predicament of having to escape without Reiatsu.
The Shiraishi fell onto the street, giving passersby no time to see it clearly, before rising again, literally weaving through the crowd.
No one noticed.
They didn't have the same keen Spiritual Sense as the Soi Fon; at most, they could only feel a breeze brushing against their cheeks.
E arrived at the center of the village. In front of a house with three stacked bluestones at the entrance, Shiraishi turned around, jumped in through the open window on the side, and then closed the window behind him.
Inside was a small room, simply furnished. He walked to the door, knocked gently, then found a bench to sit on and poured himself a cup of tea.
Soon, the door was pushed open, and a man with a long beard and a square face, dressed in brown, walked in. He asked cautiously, "Who are you?"
"My name is Shiraishi. Adachi from the West District Three told me to find a house in Ban Village, West District 5, with three stacked blue stones at the entrance. The people living there can help me escape the pursuit of the Stealth Force."
As Shiraishi spoke, he unzipped his leather jacket and took out a stone pendant from a gold crossbody bag inside. "This is a keepsake he gave me."
The man's expression relaxed, and he chuckled, "So we're kindred spirits. What did you do in the West District Three?"
Shiraishi retrieved the token and said casually, "Nothing serious, I just didn't like the Fifth Seat of the Stealth Force, so I killed him with one strike."
" Fifth Seat?" The man's voice rose, his expression showing disbelief.
Those in their line of work pay special attention to Stealth Force, especially the Seated Officer.
Even if you haven't seen the person, you must hear their name.
Hasegawa Taizo, the Fifth Seat of the Stealth Force, is ruthless, has a fondness for married women, possesses the Shikai, and has survived nine assassination attempts by different organizations.
He fought back eight times, escaped once, and spent some time in the District 80 of West Rukongai, making him quite famous.
The silver-haired man before me actually managed to kill Hasegawa Taizo?!
If he could join the Jingi Group, he would definitely become another formidable general.
"Let me make it clear beforehand: I don't refuse to make friends, but joining an anti- Shinigami organization is out of the question."
Seeing his eager expression, Shiraishi quickly stated his position.
The man's excitement faded, and he said with some reluctance, "Does Your Excellency really want to spend the rest of your life hiding in XZ?"
"I'm like the wind; I just love to wander around."
Shiraishi casually made up a reason: he would rather work alone than drag a bunch of incompetent teammates down with him.
These anti- Shinigami organizations boast impressive slogans and titles, but in terms of actual methods of control, they may not be as effective as the Central 46 Chambers.
If a real uprising breaks out, it will be quelled very quickly.
They'll either be wiped out by the Stealth Force, dealt with by the Eighth Division, or taken down by the 11th Division.
It can be said that the event began on the same day and ended on the same day.
Shiraishi has never heard of any organized group surviving until the next day; in extremely rare cases, the group is wiped out while still in the deliberation phase.
"Oh, if you have no intention of joining, then we'll follow the rules and pay a hiding fee for your safety."
Seeing his determination, the man didn't try to persuade him further, and looked down on him somewhat, thinking that he had great strength but no Kaoru.
When Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto founded the Seireitei, bringing together the nobles of Rukongai were originally scattered in the four directions, establishing the Shinigami system, and acting as the mediator of the world, what did he rely on?
It's just power.
Anyone with power is qualified to participate in the Soul Society's power struggle and share the huge pie of Rukongai's profits.
"How much?" Shiraishi noticed the other party's disdain but didn't take it to heart, directly asking about the hiding fee.
Although Adachi had told him the specific price of the hiding fee, it was determined on a case-by-case basis, and there was no official price set.
After all, if the fact that he was hiding criminals is discovered by the Stealth Force, he is considered an accomplice and will either die or spend hundreds of years in the Shin'ō Underground Great: The Jail.
As long as the other party isn't too greedy, Shiraishi won't haggle over slight price fluctuations.
The man explained, "There are several price options, depending on which one you choose. The most expensive is 100,000 rings."
"I'll safely take you to the Outer Rukongai in the 70th or 80th ward, far from the Shinigami's territory."
"No, I want to stay in a nearby area."
Shiraishi shook his head. The further down the numbers in Rukongai, the worse the environment and the worse the security.
He could overcome these conditions, but the Reishi in the outer area were scarce, and there were hardly any Void Realms.
This was something he could not tolerate.
To Steel Tempest, Wind Wall, Steel Tempest, Last Breath, he must first increase the hero's level.
To level up a hero, you need to kill jungle monsters to gain experience.
Based on his four years of experience, he found that killing animals like chickens, ducks, and dogs was far less effective than killing animals like dogs.
Especially now that his hero level is nine, the experience points those chickens, ducks, and dogs can provide are negligible.
Killing Void Spirits becomes the only way to level up.
He cannot go to a place without emptiness.
"I have a very nearby option, in the West District 4, the Shiba Clan, one of the Five Great Noble Clans."
The man paused for a moment, then said, " Kūkaku Shiba is a true nobleman. She wouldn't look down on people like us, and she hates Shinigami. She's also very righteous. You should be able to get her help with the case you committed."
"Oh, Kūkaku Shiba, I've heard people say she's very generous and has always wanted to meet her in person, so I'll choose this one."
Shiraishi decided where to go, "How much money?"
The man held out a hand. "Five thousand rings, I'll buy you the map."
"No problem." Shiraishi readily agreed, taking out five thousand-yuan bills from his crossbody bag and handing them over.
The man accepted the map, walked to the bedside, and took out a map from a hidden compartment under the pillow. "Leave the village to the east, follow the map, and you will see the Kūkaku Shiba family. Don't mention my name."
Mentioning it won't help; it will only anger the other party. Just tell them how you've rid the people of this scourge.
"Don't worry, I understand." Shiraishi took the map, zipped up his leather jacket, and disappeared into the room with an "E".