Chapter 143

Heh…

Ping Zi Zhenzi, after hearing Lan Ran's words, suddenly showed a faint smile.

For a moment, Lan Ran and Ping Zi Zhenzi subtly faced off in the Fifth Squad's quarters.

"Sure enough, that guy's smile earlier was a disguise…"

At the same time, Ping Zi Zhenzi was already convinced that Lan Ran's personality was completely different from what he displayed.

Lan Ran was disguising himself; he deliberately made the disguise perfect!

He intentionally fashioned himself to match what every squad member expected of him!

But all of this was false…

His great detective, Ping Zi Zhenzi, saw at a glance that Lan Ran was not a good person!!

"Oh, looks like you and Lan Ran get along well, Ping Zi~"

"Then from now on, the task of familiarizing Lan Ran with the Fifth Squad's quarters is yours, Ping Zi!"

However, the current squad leader of the Fifth Squad, this upper‑class noble head, failed to notice it; after seeing Lan Ran and Ping Zi facing each other, he mistakenly thought the two were a perfect match and instantly favored them…

Thus, the squad leader handed the job of guiding Lan Ran through Fifth Squad affairs directly to Ping Zi Zhenzi.

In fact, in the leader's eyes he still trusted Ping Zi Zhenzi; otherwise she couldn't have become the Third Seat of the Fifth Squad at such a young age.

"Leave it to me?!"

Ping Zi, after hearing her squad leader, was briefly stunned.

"Alright, Captain Youcun~"

"Just leave Lan Ran to me~"

"I will definitely train him into an excellent squad member."

Immediately after, Ping Zi suddenly gave a radiant smile.

Honestly, in Ping Zi Zhenzi's view, if her beloved captain handed Lan Ran Zong Youjie to anyone else, she would still feel uneasy…

After all, in the entire Fifth Squad now, perhaps only she has sensed Lan Ran's danger!

If it were anyone else, they'd probably be sold by Lan Ran, have to pay him money, then loudly say, "Brother Lan Ran, you really are a great guy~"

"Oh?!"

As Ping Zi's words ended, Lan Ran's interest in her rose considerably at that moment.

"Ah, it seems the third seat and I really get along well, Ping Zi~" Lan Ran first echoed his captain's words, confirming the compatibility, then strolled to Ping Zi's side, smiling, and said, "From now on, I entrust it to you, senior Ping Zi~"

"Compatible?!"

Ping Zi, hearing that, muttered to herself.

"Hahaha…"

"Of course! Leave it to me and you'll be relieved~"

Ping Zi, as if already familiar, clutched Lan Ran's shoulder, acting as if the two brothers were close.

"Then, Captain, I'll first take Lan Ran to familiarize him with the quarters~"

Immediately after, Ping Zi looked at her own Fifth Squad captain and said cheerfully.

"Go! Go!"

The Fifth Squad captain, hearing this, kept nodding at Ping Zi and Lan Ran, secretly hoping that Lan Ran, the prodigy of Chief Huangmu of the Guardian Corps, would promptly depart from before his eyes!

Just Lan Ran's presence alone gave him immense pressure…

"Let's go, Lan Ran~"

After receiving her captain's order, Ping Zi immediately grabbed Lan Ran and left the Fifth Squad's conference room.

"Well then, everyone, I'll take my leave first!"

Lan Ran responded with a helpless wry smile, and respectfully bowed to the squad leader and the squad members in the conference room, speaking.

Afterwards, Lan Ran followed Ping Zi out of the conference room…

"This squad member named Lan Ran Zong Youjie does not inherit Chief Huangmu's ancestral arrogance!"

"Perhaps I misjudged him; he might actually be a good person…"

The Fifth Squad leader, seeing Lan Ran smile apologetically and bow respectfully, slightly frowned and thought inwardly.

Honestly, this upper‑class noble Fifth Squad leader doesn't have a good impression of the Huangmu faction's captains! First, Chief Huangmu, as chief, constantly acts aloof, disregarding the nobles of Central 46th Office and Pure Spirit Court, acting like the big boss of the World of the Dead and Spirit King, even matching the Spirit King in stature—let's not even get into that.

Huangmu's disciples are just as detestable as him! Ye Yi of the Fourth Maple Court in the Second Squad and Gang Mi Dai Shi Tan of the Ninth Squad, both heads of the Five Great Nobles, rank a level above ordinary captains; aside from the Huangmu faction captains, they hardly interact with anyone else. Yet they possess undeniable arrogance, so there's little to say.

The captains of the Eighth and Thirteenth Squads, Jingle Chunshui and Fuzhu Shisilang, seem friendly and warm‑hearted at first glance! In reality, relying on their status as top disciples of the chief and their formidable talent, they never regard others, displaying the Martial Way family's worst traits to the fullest. As for Fuzhu Shisilang, though courteous to everyone, he's actually a cold‑hearted schemer; among Chief Huangmu's disciples, he's the most black‑hearted.

As for another top disciple of Huangmu, the current Sword Eight, Captain Geng Mu of the Eleventh Squad! He's the most detestable among Huangmu's disciples. The Fifth Squad captain still recalls when he led his squad to Ghost Street for routine support of the Eleventh Squad; Geng Mu looked at him and asked, "Who are you? I don't recall calling a lowly fish like you for support!"

Geng Mu's words angered the Fifth Squad captain so much that he went three days and nights without sleep. Even now, if he wakes up at midnight, he curses his own ceiling: "It's not that I was called; I just completed the routine squad mission. What does it matter whether you summoned me? Do you even understand what supporting a squad means? Do you think I want to support you? This Captain Geng Mu of the Eleventh Squad—does he have a serious mental illness?!"

Nevertheless, the Fifth Squad captain, angry as he may be, still has to greet the Huangmu faction captains with a smile, because they are all very powerful…

Although their personalities are problematic, each of them is as strong as a monster, far beyond a captain like him who rose through seniority and connections with only a third‑rank spirit power.

After the Fifth Squad captain compared Lan Ran's personality with Ye Yi, Jingle Chunshui, Fuzhu Shisilang, Gang Mi Dai Shi Tan, and Geng Mu, he found Lan Ran absurdly perfect, lacking any flaw of the Huangmu faction—truly god‑like.

Unfortunately, the Fifth Squad captain doesn't realize that among Huangmu's disciples, Lan Ran inherits Huangmu's personality the most; although Ye Yi rarely speaks to him, he at least treats him as a person. In Lan Ran's eyes, the entire Fifth Squad, including its captain, are just cats and dogs~

If Lanran heard the inner voice of the captain of the 5th Division standing before him, he would surely smile and reply: "Divine being, would you get angry at the ants crawling on the earth?! Between us there is completely no same dimension; that distance is truly too far! To the point that I can barely see you."

Yes, Lanran is not a racist; he does not discriminate against others based on high or low status, because he genuinely looks down on everyone except himself from the bottom of his heart! Well, now Lanran might even have to add his teacher's family outside himself~

As for the others...

Lanran looks down equally on everyone else, because he despises everyone, so there is no such thing as discrimination!

In this world, besides Lanran and his beloved teacher's family, everyone else is trash!

Exactly as Pingzi and Lanran walked out of the 5th Division meeting room, Pingzi immediately loosened his grip on Lanran's arm, and at the same time, Pingzi Zhenzi's expression on his face also turned icy.

"Lanran, don't put on a fake smile in front of me; I find it disgusting!"

"Speaking of fake smiles, I'm the ancestor of fake smiles!"

Hirako Shinji said, revealing a smile more embarrassing than crying toward Aizen.

"Follow me, I'll take you to familiarize with the 'Fifth Division' barracks."

Hirako said, swaggering ahead.

"Fake smile? Looks like I've been found out~ hehe, truly interesting..."

Upon hearing Hirako's words, Aizen's smile vanished instantly.

"I suddenly want to see what changes this interesting guy will bring to the Gotei 13 after becoming the captain of the Fifth Division!!"

Only saw Aizen standing in the sunlight, lightly pushing up the plain glasses perched on his nose bridge……

And using those plain lenses that blocked the gleaming light, his icy, inscrutable eyes silently watched Hirako's back, plotting something in his heart.

"Hehehe……"

The more Aizen pondered, the more his mouth corners rose; he suddenly felt a strong curiosity about the future.

At the same time, Aizen sincerely hopes that classmate Hirako can endure a little longer in his hands~

Otherwise, the game would become no fun~

"Still not keeping up?"

The striding Hirako had not yet realized that he had already been calculated by Aizen; at this moment he merely regarded Aizen as someone who liked fake smiles and hoped to meet everyone's expectations of him.

But in Hirako's eyes, no one in this world can meet all expectations; those who could meet all expectations were never human, but lofty 'gods'! And in this world, there truly is no——'god'!

"Here comes, Hirako third seat~"

Aizen said, walking toward Hirako's direction.

For a moment, Hirako strode forward, with Aizen closely following……

Their silhouettes overlapped with those of themselves hundreds of years later, only differing in that.

Now one is a third seat, the other is an ordinary low-ranking squad member!

A hundred years later, one becomes the new captain of the Fifth Division, the other becomes the vice-captain assisting the captain.

And thus, the karmic bond between Hirako and Aizen thoroughly began……

Following Aizen's transfer from the First Division and his joining of the Fifth Division……

The captains of the other divisions were also communicating.

The Thirteenth Division captain's quarters, which were actually built in the middle of the lake, made a lovely waterside pavilion! Naturally, this captain's quarters were also sponsored by the Shihōin family……

The Thirteenth Division captain's quarters may not be the most luxurious, but they are certainly the most scenic.

At this moment, several captains wearing haori gathered in this pavilion, warmed up some fine liquor, set out a splendid dish, intending to leisurely gather and chat.

"I heard that our junior named Aizen Sōsuke didn't stay in the First Division barracks to accompany our teacher Araki, nor did he join any of our divisions; instead he went to the currently weakest Fifth Division among the Thirteen Divisions—no idea what he's thinking? The treatment in the Fifth Division isn't high."

Compared to others, the slightly petite Yoruichi sat cross-legged on a chair in the pavilion, speaking to everyone present without any aristocratic demeanor.

"Well, if it were me, I'd probably go report to the Fifth Division~"

"After all, even if I stayed in the First Division accompanying Teacher Araki, though no labor needed, pushing to the limit to reach vice-captain would be the end of the line."

"Even though the vice-captain of the First Division is essentially no different in status from us other division captains, the authority differs greatly—after all, one is deputy, the other is head. And as far as I know, our junior is someone unwilling to accept the status quo~"

"As for the Second, Eighth, Ninth, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Divisions, we few fellow disciples were all taught by the same master; given that Aizen junior doesn't intend to reveal some of his hidden cards, we couldn't possibly counter his moves, and going there wouldn't give us a chance to become captain~"

"And the captain of the Third Division, Suì-Fēng, is your person, Yoruichi-senpai; our junior couldn't easily move against her, for offending you would also anger the Shihōin family—some losses aren't worth it! As for the captain of the Fourth Division, that's our teacher-mother; unless he's under extreme mental pressure, gone completely mad, and intends to be cut down, he wouldn't go there!"

"As for the Twelfth Division, they mainly conduct research; plus, Captain Chōjirō is a genius, likely to surpass us in a few years—hehe, terrifying~ The Sixth and Tenth Divisions are controlled by the Kuchiki and Shiba families, the Seventh Division's Captain Sugaku is an old subordinate of our teacher; looking at this, aside from the Fifth Division, there's basically no division left for our junior~"

Kyoraku, while sipping warm liquor and chuckling, clearly explained the current situation of the Gotei 13, and also said why Aizen insisted on going to the Fifth Division: only there could he freely exert his 'talent' without provoking his teacher Araki.

"Now it's a peaceful era~ wanting to kill a captain in such times, even with tricks, is extremely difficult! I'm afraid the next few hundred years will see the Gotei 13's situation become extremely stable, we fellows won't see much change. There aren't many opportunities left for our junior~"

After Shunsui took a small sip, he smiled faintly and spoke lightly.

Shunsui could see Aizen's ambition; unlike him, after witnessing Araki's strength, he had abandoned his own ambition—yes, not because Shunsui had reformed, but merely set it aside temporarily! As long as Araki remains a day in Soul Society, Shunsui will peacefully serve as his captain for a day in the Gotei 13!

But Aizen is different; after seeing Araki's strength, he didn't shut himself off and despair like Shunsui did, but rather felt as if he'd discovered a new continent, as if opening the door to a new world, finding his own path forward.

In this regard, Shunsui admits he's inferior to Aizen.

"Isn't peace good? How wonderful peace is! Peace means no war, no war means no deaths; people now are far happier than we were back then; Teacher Araki succeeding Teacher Grandfather as Commander-General is a blessing for the whole world!"

Ukitake didn't follow up on their words, continuing to discuss the Thirteenth Division matters, but instead pretended not to understand, talking about peace and constantly praising Araki.

"Hehe……"

Regarding that, Shunsui and the others merely smiled.

Shunsui naturally knew Ukitake was feigning ignorance, not truly clueless!

Ukitake is the one among these fellow disciples who hides the deepest, a master of playing dumb!

"Speaking of which, the Hollow Circle Expeditionary Force is about to return, right?!"

Kyoraku first lightly shook his wine cup, then suddenly seemed to recall something, asking those nearby.

"Hmm, the last time I passed by the First Division barracks, I heard Teacher Araki mention it!"

Yoruichi listened to Kyoraku's words and gave a slight nod.

"I don't know if that guy Kuruyashiki's campaign against the Hollow Circle went smoothly!"

"Honestly, I still quite like that guy! If he weren't too old, he might have become one of us fellow disciples, who knows~"

When Kyoraku mentioned the Hollow Circle Expeditionary Force, he immediately thought of the current commander-in-chief of the Hollow Circle Expeditionary Force, Kuruyashiki.

"That guy's strength is formidable; even if we faced him head-on, we might not have a chance to win!"

"Given his strength, conquering a Hollow Circle should pose no major problem……"

Shunsui recalled Kuruyashiki's strength, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Since he became Araki's disciple, few could pressure him; Kuruyashiki is one of them!

"Hope for world peace."

After hearing what everyone said, Fu Zhu raised the wine cup in his hand and sighed loudly.

Even now, Fu Zhu still pretends to be clueless; otherwise, how could he claim to be a true master~

Hahaha…

When Jing Yue and the others heard Fu Zhu's words, they burst into loud laughter; the whole scene became especially joyful, and the atmosphere at that moment was simply perfect.

And at the moment Jing Yue and the others were gathering in merriment…

The expedition army led by Ku Wuxi in the Void Circle, after a full hundred years of campaigns, finally prepared to return to the Soul Society.

During those hundred years, the soldiers of the expedition not only grew older and a bit more mature, but each of them also bore several new scars on their faces and bodies—scars inflicted by the Void in battles against the Great Void, serving as seals of victory and honor!

As for the leader Ku Wuxi, his physique has become even more robust than a hundred years ago, his bearing like a towering, chest‑out warrior radiating endless authority! A wild aura of killing intent and boldness surrounds him, inexplicably calming his troops and causing his enemies to feel timid without even fighting.

"One hundred years have passed; it seems it's time to go back!"

Ku Wuxi muttered to himself. Since arriving in the Void Circle, a hundred years have slipped by unnoticed, and in that time he has encountered countless masters within the Void Circle…

Indeed, over his hundred years in the Void Circle, Ku Wuxi has set aside his disdain for the Great Void. After cutting through the peripheral Kilian of the Great Void Forest as easily as slicing fruit, and exploring its interior, he beheld a colossal Void, taller than mountains, that ignored his initial release and could scarcely be harmed except by his Bankai.

He also encountered a terrifying presence, utterly impossible to approach, that could cause any ability to wither away, a being symbolizing some kind of death and called "King" by countless Great Voids! Apart from that massive Void and the so‑called Void King, the Void Circle also contains humanoid Great Voids that, at a glance, look almost indistinguishable from humans and can unleash Void Flash without limit, beating their opponents into retreat. Moreover, Ku Wuxi communicated with these humanoid Great Voids and discovered that they actually possess emotions and intelligence similar to humans, and have their own social structure.

At the same time, Ku Wuxi learned the name by which these humanoid Great Voids are called: "Wastode"!

After Ku Wuxi's comprehensive investigation of the Void Circle, he recorded all his observations in notebook form, and, based on his understanding of the Great Void, reached a conclusion…

Ordinary Soul Reaper soldiers cannot defeat the lower‑rank Great Void Kilian; to eliminate Kilian requires at least Vice‑Captain‑level combat power, or a coalition of several senior officers.

As for intermediate‑rank Great Void Yaqiukas, their strength far exceeds that of ordinary Soul Reapers; even a Vice‑Captain‑ranked Soul Reaper may not be able to prevail against a Yaqiukas‑level Great Void!

Among those Yaqiukas, some top individuals have spiritual pressure comparable to the captains of the Gotei 13. If the Gotei 13 captains become careless or face multiple Yaqiukas, the risk of a disastrous fall is great!

Regarding the superior‑rank Great Void Wastode, its overall ability surpasses that of a typical Gotei 13 captain. Should any Gotei 13 members encounter a Wastode‑level Great Void, whether captain or ordinary soldier, immediate retreat is advised.

Because the Jingling Court has so few reports on the Void Circle and the Great Void, after Ku Wuxi returned to the Soul Society, the Mao Spiritual Arts Institute compiled his insights on the Great Void into teaching material for the institute's students.

Years later, an unnamed captain named Ri Banggu, unwilling to reveal his own name, poured over numerous documents and reached an astonishing conclusion: "More than ten Wastodes could destroy the entire Jingling Court!"

Poor Xiao Bai didn't know that, at that time, the Gotei 13, apart from him—the still‑unrealized prodigy captain—had all other captains who were not the so‑called ordinary captain‑rank Soul Reapers recorded in Ku Wuxi's notes.

Moreover, Ku Wuxi's notes influenced more than just Xiao Bai; after all, they are the Soul Reapers' sole means of understanding the Void Circle. Even the perfect, god‑like Lan Ran, upon studying the notes, fell into contemplation and concluded: "Perhaps I can forge an army composed entirely of Great Voids for my own use?!"