Who are you calling a stable boy?!

Next was Hirako Shinji.

Looking unhappy, he rummaged through all his pockets and finally found a bag of candy that looked like it could be bought in an old-fashioned snack shop, which he then stuffed into Zheng Jing's hand.

Next came Zheng Jing's familiar teachers and students from the school, such as Professor Shangjing...

The process, going round after round, took much longer than the formal graduation ceremony.

Even so, Zheng Jing did not run away.

Even those he had beaten up on campus and had to be rushed to the Fourth Division for treatment, if they came to offer their congratulations today, he would greet them with a smile and forgive them for what they had done.

"Phew...this is going to kill me!"

Zheng Jing, who had finally calmed down, plopped down and fanned his face with all four palms.

"Why should I have to do this kind of thing with you...?"

With her head resting on Zheng Jing's lap, Yoruichi mumbled with her eyes closed.

"This shows that Shihouin and Old Zheng have a really good relationship."

Sitting beside the two, Aizen smiled and gently tidied up the pile of congratulatory gifts for Zheng Jing.

"Hmph... Hey! You're not allowed to run away when I graduate! Otherwise, I'll be at a huge loss!"

Opening her eyes, Yoruichi glared at Zheng Jing and reached into her pocket.

Here, take it.

"Oh?"

Zheng Jing sat up straight and glanced at Ye Yi's hand; there was a scroll in it.

"Hakiya, you didn't bring me some kind of five-year Death God training program or three-year simulation program, to be my—"

As he spoke, Zheng Jing took the scroll and opened it to read.

Upon seeing this, he paused in his speech.

"...Haki Night?"

"Don't worry, everything from above can be shown to you. Besides, in a few years, what in the clan won't I be able to make a decision about?"

Yoruichi waved his hand.

"You can study with peace of mind."

Zheng Jing moved his lips, and finally chuckled.

"Since ancient times, fine swords have been given to heroes. This secret manual of the Shihōin family should also be learned by me, Old Zheng!"

"...Why don't you just give it back?"

"Hey! You idiot! You've already given it away, there's no reason to take it back!"

"I really can't stand your arrogance!"

"Then I won't watch it."

Zheng Jing made a gesture as if to slap Ye Yi's eyes.

Upon seeing this, Yoruichi grinned and showed her teeth at Zheng Jingyi.

Don't misunderstand—

She really knows how to bite Zheng Jing.

When Yoruichi was practicing her hand techniques before, she bit Jung Kyung's arm when he used joint lock to make her angry.

Although it was eventually proven that her teeth were no sharper than a Zanpakuto, that didn't stop her from using it to force Zheng Jing to back down when she got angry.

"Such a heavy gift makes me hesitant to offer mine."

Aizen, who was standing to the side, shook his head and took something out from behind his back.

That was a book.

More accurately, it was a thin book bound together from sheets of manuscript paper.

"Oh?"

Zheng Jing stuck his head out.

"Old Lan, have you finished writing your novel?"

During the month they lived together, Zheng Jing saw that Aizen basically only did three things in the dormitory.

Reading, writing, and self-cultivation.

He knew that Lao Lan liked calligraphy and reading, so he wasn't surprised that Lao Lan would write something whenever he had free time.

One day, he secretly went over to take a look and discovered that Lao Lan was not only practicing calligraphy, but also seemed to be writing some kind of story. Zheng Jing asked him and found out that Lao Lan was writing a short story.

He didn't ask about the novel's content at the time.

And now, Lao Lan is giving this completed short story as a graduation gift...

It was delivered to Zheng Jing.

Chapter 84: Havoc in Heaven

This appears to be a fictional short story.

The story revolves around a male protagonist named Ming, who comes from a slum and is an orphan. Through his talent and hard work, he becomes an apprentice and acquires great skills, eventually being summoned to the Heavenly Palace, where the gods reside, to serve as an official.

But his good fortune didn't last long. By chance, Ming learned that he, and all living beings, had been deceived by the pedantic gods. Enraged, he rebelled against Heaven, determined to bring down all these so-called gods and ascend the throne himself.

"Humans are nothing more than apes in fancy clothes."

"Gods are just humans who are good at disguising themselves."

The entire story ends with Ming, facing the encirclement of countless gods, uttering these two lines with a sneer.

It appears to be an open ending.

"Old Lan, what's the name of your story?"

After reading the last word, Zheng Jing closed the short story, which was made up of sheets of manuscript paper, and asked Aizen a question.

"It hasn't been decided yet. Why don't you, Lao Zheng, as the first reader, decide?"

Aizen said with a smile.

Zheng Jing glanced at him, then at the short story in his hand.

"...Havoc in Heaven?"

Upon hearing this, Aizen slightly raised his face.

The afternoon sunlight fell on him, and along the slight curve of his glasses, it looked as if his gentle, watery eyes had suddenly brightened.

"Concise and to the point, good, a good name."

"What 'Havoc in Heaven'?"

Ye Yi sat up and buried her head in Zheng Jing's arms, wanting to see the book "Havoc in Heaven" in his hand.

Unexpectedly, Zheng Jing switched the hand holding the book and held it above his head.

"Go away! What are you looking at? Is it a gift for you? Don't be so peeking around."

"You're denying me before you've even wiped your mouth clean, huh?! How could you be any more shameless, you little gorilla?!"

Ye Yi grabbed Zheng Jing's cheek and pulled with all her might.

Then I discovered that the skin of the seemingly indestructible person was indeed thick and tough.

"Shihōin-kun."

Seeing that Zheng Jing and Yoruichi were about to start fighting, and knowing that this commotion might not stop anytime soon, Aizen timely changed the subject.

"It's almost time, we should head out. That restaurant is very popular, and seats won't be reserved if we miss our reservation time."

To celebrate Zheng Jing's graduation, Aizen had made a reservation in advance at a popular tavern. Although it was a bit early to go now, it wasn't a bad idea to find a place with food and drinks to chat.

"Great! Hey!"

Yoruichi jumped up and stretched.

"Hey, gorilla, this time you should at least have a few drinks with me, right?"

"Is it because I didn't want to keep you company? Don't you know what kind of junk you brought back from those two times you sneaked into the boys' dormitory? Is it as good as the tea I got from Unohana-neechan?"

"You talk as if you have some kind of fine wine. Anyone can talk a good game without thinking."

"Hey you, hello! I've noticed that while your fighting skills might not have improved, your verbal skills have certainly been honing every single day!"

"Am I not keeping up, or are you just never quiet?"

Listening to the two bickering, Aizen smiled helplessly, shook his head, picked up the pile of congratulatory gifts, and walked out.

As soon as he left, Zheng Jing and Ye Yi turned their faces around immediately.

"Hey! Lao Lan! Why are you walking so fast!"

"Isn't it because you're dawdling?"

-

They said they'd have a couple of meals, but in the end, it was the Shihouin family who had to pop out from some hidden corner and help Yoruichi, who was already having trouble speaking, back to her room.

This cannot be blamed on Zheng Jing.

He absolutely does not have a penchant for drinking contests.

He hadn't expected the monkey he'd left behind to be so potent. Even with Yoruichi's tolerance for alcohol, just a few cups were enough to make her start talking nonsense.

"call......"

With a sigh of relief, Zheng Jing lay on the bed, his hands behind his head and his hands resting on his stomach, blinking as he stared at the ceiling after the lights were turned off.

As expected, this was his last night in the male dormitory of the True Spiritual Arts Academy.

To be honest, it really reminded him of when he graduated from university.

Back then, there were four handsome guys in the dorm. By the second semester of their senior year, one had moved to the dorm of his internship company, one went home to run around for job interviews, and the other was a local student who had stopped living in the dorm by his junior year.

So after that party after their thesis defense, the four of them never got together again.

The guy who went for the job interview even had Zheng Jing pick up and mail his graduation certificate on his behalf.

In the end, when Zheng Jing dragged his suitcase out of the dormitory, he looked back and saw that it was empty.

To say that I'm not sad at all would be a bit of a lie.

This time, however, Zheng Jing was not the one left until the very end.

"Old Lan."

"Ok?"

Upon hearing Zheng Jing's sudden voice, Aizen, who was meditating cross-legged as always, did not open his eyes but responded with a muffled nasal sound.

"After I leave, will you be assigned a new roommate?"

"Not everyone can be like you, Lao Zheng, and get in as a transfer student, so I estimate that I'll be the only one living in this dorm room until the next batch of freshmen arrives."

"Too......"

"......What's wrong?"

“I was just thinking that you seemed quite lonely after I left.”

Aizen opened his eyes and looked at Zheng Jing.

"I know the duties of the First Division are not easy, but surely they don't leave you with absolutely no personal time?"

He chuckled softly.

"Or is it that, Old Zheng, you don't want to come and see me and my classmate Shifengyuan?"

"I'm not worried about Hakiya. I'll be grateful if she doesn't cause trouble for others!"

Zheng Jing turned to the side, supporting his head with one hand, to meet Aizen's gaze.

"But Lao Lan, you're different."

"Oh?"