Duan Mu yawned and walked down from the second floor with sleepy eyes.
"Boss Duan Mu."
Don't these guys sleep at night?
After looking at the customers crowded in the tavern, and then at the sun that had just risen outside, Duan Mu felt very weird in his heart.
He didn't know when it would start, but no matter how early he got up, the tavern downstairs would be full of customers.
Um……
It can't be said that they don't know. Ever since Nishijinori and the others completely dominated Rukongai, with the huge base of villains, basically as soon as the tavern opened, it would be full in an instant.
Rather than coming here to drink, these people seemed more like they had found a place for villains to meet and brag about each other, and they were the villains of all Rukongai!
"morning."
Sitting in front of the bar, Duan Mu glanced around the tavern and asked Uoyue, who was also yawning at the bar: "Isn't that guy Yanjiu here yet?"
"He can't get up so early."
Uoyuki replied casually, and then took out three bowls of noodles from the bar: "One for you, one for Unaya Oori, and one for old man Ishida. Send it to them after you finish it."
"..."
Duan Mu looked at the noodle soup in front of him and said with some admiration: "This is the first time I know that not everything can be mastered by proficiency... Also, Sister Maoyue, have you ever considered,
Instead of cooking noodle soup for breakfast...well, noodles, make some other food."
"Don't talk nonsense. It's great if you have a stutter. If you want to eat anything else, you can do it yourself."
Duan Mu sighed after hearing this, gave up the idea of continuing to argue with Uoyue, and instead picked up the noodle soup and drank it.
This means that the tavern brings its own side dishes, otherwise with Uzuki’s cooking skills, the tavern would probably have closed down long ago...
Gudu Gudu~~
With a swallowing sound, Duan Mu swallowed a bowl of noodles with soup and noodles, plus some unknown additives, in just half a minute.
And just as he was picking up the other two bowls and preparing to deliver them to the two people living on the second floor, the door of the tavern was suddenly opened.
Turning around to look, I saw Ishida Sogen, dressed as a Quincy, walking in. He walked straight to Duan Mu and said, "Boss Duan Mu, a customer has named you and wants to see you."
"Do you want to see me by name?"
Duan Mu didn't pay attention when he heard this, because there were countless customers who named him to receive, and Duan Mu would not avoid naming these customers as long as he was in the store.
"She is a little different from other guests."
As if he could see what Duan Mu was thinking, Ishida Zongxian shook his head: "You'll know if you go and take a look. She doesn't feel like an ordinary customer to me."
Duan Mu handed a bowl of noodles to Ishida Sogen, then picked up another bowl and walked out of the tavern.
"Well……"
Ishida Sogen looked at the noodle soup in his hand, then glanced at Uoyuki behind the bar, opened his mouth, and finally sighed heavily and followed Duan Mu with noodles.
"How is your strength recovering?" Duan Mu asked.
"I barely got used to it."
Ishida Sogen said: "But because I am not familiar with the spirit body, I still can't show much strength; however, after leaving the decaying human body, if I can fully adapt, I can probably show stronger strength than in my old age."
"No need to be too hasty."
Duan Mu nodded: "Unless someone comes to attack Wanshiwu in my absence, you don't need to fight with them at all."
Sogen Ishida snorted.
In fact, when he first joined the House of Everything, he thought Duan Mu saved him just to use his own power; but after getting along for a while, he found that Duan Mu did not intend to use his Quincy power, but just let him be like a Quincy.
Ordinary people usually do odd jobs in Wanshiwu.
The initial rejection of Duan Mu for taking a group of evil people under his command also gradually disappeared with the passage of time.
Firstly, it was because he discovered that Duan Mu had never thought of accepting those evil people as his subordinates. Instead, those evil people unilaterally regarded Duan Mu as their king.
Secondly, it’s because…
After those evildoers followed Duanmu, they were restrained. No matter how they fought in the later-numbered areas, those evildoers would not cause trouble outside the later-numbered areas. This strengthened the stability of Rukongai and indirectly protected countless people.
Residents of Rukongai!
In a way, Duanmu has become a symbol of rules in Rukongai.
Squeak~~
After pushing open the door of Wanshiwu, Duan Mu frowned slightly when he saw the figure in the reception hall.
No wonder...
Sogen Ishida would say that this customer is extraordinary.
This is a little girl who looks about ten years old. However, the little girl's pretty little face does not look immature at all. Instead, it gives people a very stable feeling. It is lined with pitch black and wears a noble robe with a high collar on the outside.
, which makes it look extremely majestic!
Duan Mu is no stranger to this girl.
Although, he had actually only seen the girl's current appearance once.
Awanmen Nayura!
The chief secretary of the Great Lingshu Corridor and the next sage of the 46th Chamber of Zhenyang.
Duan Mu handed the noodle soup in his hand to Ishida Sogen and said: "Mr. Ishida, you and Oori should go to the tavern downstairs for dinner first."
Upon hearing this, neither Ueya Oori nor Ishida Sogenu in the reception hall asked, but left the Master House together and headed towards the tavern.
Everything is in the house.
"Mr. Duan Mu..."
Nayura looked at Duan Mu, a flash of hesitation flashed across her face, as if she was considering whether to continue speaking.
"Sit down first."
Duan Mu pointed to the sofa next to him, and after he sat down, he sat across from Nayura, with a gentle smile on his face, and said: "If you have any entrustment, you can just say it. Whether you accept it or not is what I need to consider.
, you don’t need to worry about this at all.”
"What if I said..."
Nayura paused for a moment, with an extremely stern expression on her face: "I would like to ask you to take me into the 46th room of Mao to conduct an investigation. Mr. Duan Mu, can you accept this commission?"
After saying that, she couldn't help but show a look of anxiety on her face.
As long as you are in Soul Society, no one will be unaware of the power of the Forty-sixth Chamber of Mao.
Not even Captain Yamamoto is allowed to raise objections to any decision made by Mao's 46th Room.
Sneaking into the 46th room of Mao to investigate could be said to be one of the most serious crimes in Soul Society. If she had other options, she did not want to involve Duan Mu, who was not even a Shinigami.
As Shiba Kukaku once said to Danki, she has always expressed contempt for the "noble first doctrine" and is committed to eradicating the ideological gap between the nobility and the common people, thus creating a relationship between the aristocrats, common people and Rukongai.
residents, and a fair and good judicial system for all.
But this kind of thing is almost impossible to accomplish in Soul Society, which has extremely clear class divisions. She often disguises herself and uses a pseudonym to hang out with the civilians of Seireitei and Rukongai. It turns out that... even if she throws
Leaving aside the nobility, classes also exist among the common people.
This made her feel despair about her goal until she met Duan Mu.
Whether he was treating the civilians of Rukongai, the villains in the lower-numbered areas, the homeless orphans, the civilians of Seireitei, or even the high-ranking nobles of Seireitei... Duan Mu treated everyone equally, from the beginning to the end.
In the end, his attitude never changed after entering Seireitei, and he still treated every Rukongai customer with respect and kindness.
If there's anything unfair about his attitude towards others, it's probably only about gender...
Therefore, she has always had a great affection for Duan Mu.
Otherwise, when Duan Mu secretly went to Hueco Mundo was exposed, she would not have lied to her father to cover it up.
"Sneak into Mao's room 46 to investigate?"
Duan Mu looked deeply at Nayura. Although he had secretly investigated Nayura after the other party covered up for him last time, he knew that the other party was shrewd and steady far beyond his appearance. But the other party was far smarter than him.
Even more powerful than expected.
He was actually not surprised by Nayura's commission.
Because, from the moment he saw Nayura when he entered the door, Duan Mu was vaguely aware of what she wanted to entrust.
Infiltrate and investigate Mao's 46th room?
There is no doubt about it...
It is an impossible task.
As the actual leaders of the Seireitei, the 46th House of Mao has so much power that it can be said that as long as the Soul King does not come in person, they will be the only ones in Soul Society!!
Even Captain Yamamoto is no exception.
But rather than saying that he didn't dare to violate it, it was better to say that he was unwilling to violate it.
Because he knows that establishing a system is a long-term process, and destroying a system only takes a moment. Although Captain Yamamoto's persistence is a bit stubborn, it is undeniable that the established system has brought peace to Soul Society.
Even if this peace contains many sacrifices.
Back to business.
Accepting this commission, it would be okay if it is not exposed, but once it is exposed...
Duan Mu will immediately stand on the opposite side of the Seireitei and become the target of the entire Seireitei!
Even if we put aside the special status of Mao No. 46... going to secretly investigate Mao No. 46 now can be said to be a suicide attempt.
Because, the fact that everyone in the Forty-sixth House of Mao has died must not be exposed now.
In order to hide this, the person who massacred Mao's 46th room would kill Duan Mu at all costs and means.
Duan Mu's plan has always been to stay out of the matter temporarily and pretend that he doesn't know what to do, so as not to arouse the murderous intention of that person and put himself into an unfavorable situation.
At the same time, he avoids being caught and the other party dealing with him in an honest and fair manner in the name of Mao No. 46 Room.
It can be said that...
No matter what angle he considered, he could not accept this commission.
All harm and no benefit!
But when the words of rejection came to my lips, they turned into:
"Can you tell me in detail why you, as the chief secretary of the Great Spirit Book Corridor, the daughter of the current sage and the candidate for the next sage, sneaked into the 46th room of Zhenyang?"
"Mr. Duan Mu, you don't seem to be very surprised by my commission."
Nayura took a deep look at Duan Mu, but did not wait for Duan Mu's answer, but said directly: "In the past month or so, all the sages and judges in the 46th room of Zhenyang, without exception, have
They all live in the Qingjing Pagoda Forest Residence... The so-called 'Jingjing Pagoda Forest Residence' is a building connected to the Zhenyang underground meeting hall."
"Only the sages and judges of the Forty-sixth Chamber of Zhenyang can live there. Even family members are absolutely not allowed to enter."
"Although there have been records of all sages and inquisitors living and working in Tallinn for a long time in the past, the time rarely lasted for as long as a month, and it was not like today that they completely cut off contact with the outside world and did not have any contact with any relatives.
"
Nayura paused for a moment, and her pretty face turned a little cold: "In the past month or so, I have applied to enter the 46th room of Zhenyang three times, but I was rejected every time. I was even...not allowed to go to the underground room of Zhenyang.
The Great Lingshu Corridor under the Assembly Hall."
"As the chief secretary of the Great Spiritual Book Corridor, I have the authority to enter and exit the Great Spiritual Book Corridor freely, but the sages in the 46th room of Zhenyang have repeatedly turned me away; and I have applied for an audience several times, and the person who replied
, they are all sages I am not familiar with, and my father has never appeared in front of me from beginning to end."
"So I suspect that something might have happened in Room 46 of Mao." At the end of the sentence, a flash of pain flashed across Nayura's young face: "They don't allow me to meet, contact, or talk to my father. Of course,
It can prevent me from seeing or hearing flaws in my father’s words and deeds, but..."
"My father will never see me even once despite my many visits, let alone missing my birthday."
Nayura took a deep breath, looked at Duan Mu who had been listening, and said in a deep voice: "I have not told anyone about this matter, and the three applications were all based on 'requesting to enter the Great Spiritual Book Corridor'.
When I noticed something strange, in order to avoid suspicion, I also stopped continuing to see him."
"I have not informed anyone of my suspicions."
"Because although I am the next sage, I am only the next one. Before I take over, I do not have any power, and I cannot mobilize the Gotei 13th Division; even if there is a suspicion that something happened in the 46th room of Mao,
If you go out, no one will believe it, but it will alarm the people behind the scenes."
"No one in the entire Seireitei would choose to believe me and have the ability to help me, and all I can think of is..."
"What if your suspicions are wrong?"
Duan Mu, who had been listening, suddenly interrupted and said softly: "Even if you take a step back, your suspicions have been confirmed. Do you think you and I can fight against someone who can quietly control the 46th room of Zhenyang?"
ta'?"
"I understand your anxiety, but whether your suspicion is right or wrong, it represents a great risk."
"If you make a mistake, you may be able to escape with your father here, but the crime of sneaking into the 46th room of Zhenyang in secret is enough to kill me. Even if you can help me escape death, I will definitely
He will be imprisoned forever."
"If it's correct, someone who can quietly control the entire forty-sixth room without revealing any tricks and deceive many captains must be extremely powerful. With your identity, if you suddenly disappear, it will bring about unknown changes, so 'ta
'I may try to control you instead of killing you, but my fate will still be certain death!"
"Finally, as you said, only you know about this matter. If you are controlled afterwards, no one will believe me no matter what I explain. You should understand this."
When Nayura heard this, her expression suddenly became a little gloomy.
After being silent for a while, she slowly stood up and said with a wry smile: "Sorry, I didn't think well." After that, she took a step to leave.
"Don't worry, I'm just talking about the possible consequences, I didn't say I should reject this commission."
Duan Mu smiled slightly at Nayura: "If it were from the standpoint of the boss of Wanshiwu, I would not accept this risky commission under any circumstances, but if..."
"As a friend, as the 'Nayura' who was once taken care of by me, it seems like a good experience to be impulsive once in a while."
"because……"
"In my opinion, a friend is the kind of relationship that no matter how dangerous the situation is, if you see your friend being bullied, you will impulsively rush forward to help!"
Nayura stared blankly at Duan Mu, who had a warm smile on his face, and it took him a while to realize: "Are you crazy?"
"Crying together, laughing together, going crazy together, aren't these friends?"
Duan Mu smiled slightly: "However, there is a prerequisite for me to accept the commission, and that is... Nayula, no matter what the results of this investigation are, you must not tell others what you have discovered; and you must keep it safe
For my life, everything else can be imprisoned or sealed."
From the time he first arrived in Soul Society to the present, Duan Mu has changed a lot.
But one thing has not changed, that is the contradiction.
Just like what was said before.
Duan Mu rarely takes the initiative to stir up trouble, and is more often passive and full of contradictions.
On the one hand, he suppresses his original personality in order to change and avoid causing trouble; on the other hand, he instinctively wants to throw away all restraints and act entirely based on instinct and desire.
But when trouble comes to you, trouble is like a key that can unlock the lock called 'restraint'; Duan Mu will not think about avoiding it, but will use various reasons to convince himself to face it
.
There are many reasons...
The reason why he chose to help Nayura was because of his favorability score of '38'.
Although he always has a friend, Duan Mu still doesn't actually know anything about friends, and he doesn't even know what a friend is. He has always used the other person's favorability towards him as the criterion. The higher the other person's favorability towards him, the higher
The more he will pay for the other person, thus giving his sincerity in both directions.
Just like his initial clumsy decision, he exchanged sincerity for sincerity.
certainly……
There were many other factors why he accepted this commission.
For example, given Nayura's status, if you can gain her friendship, it's totally worth taking some risks.
Moreover, although he mentioned the danger before...
But as long as Nayura can save his life, it doesn't matter even if he is imprisoned, it won't be too long anyway.
Because he knows better than anyone else that Nayura's suspicion is correct!
As long as he doesn't die on the spot, when the truth is revealed, his gains will be far greater than what he could gain from this short period of detention.
The most important thing is...
Duan Mu had always had an idea that he wanted to implement, but he had no escape route that could guarantee his own safety, so he had to give up his plan to avoid being caught.
Although Nayura's commission is dangerous, for Duan Mu, it is a rugged escape route!
Not to mention always being passive, Duan Mu also wanted to try taking the initiative.
Even if you have never thought about something, the other party will definitely not think that you will choose to jump out at this period.
It should be a surprise to him, right?
Thinking of this, Duan Mu couldn't help but reveal a happy smile on his face.
