Chapter 163

Sorry, that Bai Zai kid is just like that; as soon as someone provokes him a little, he can't control his emotions, always giving off the impression of having excessive liver fire……

Perhaps only after that Bai Zai kid completely controls his temper and undergoes a total transformation will he be able to shoulder the burden of the Kuchiki family!!

Kuchiki Yinling watched as the grandson who made their Kuchiki family proud, along with the silhouette of Shihouin Ye Yi from the Four Maple Institute, gradually faded from the Kuchiki family's wall; he first let out a helpless sigh, then turned to Shihouin Haiyan and Shihouin Konghe behind him and said.

Senior Yinling, you're joking……

That Bai Zai kid is still young; being a bit more lively and active is normal. When I was young, I wasn't as steady as Bai Zai is now~

As for whether that Bai Zai kid can lead the Kuchiki family well, I think Senior Yinling doesn't need to worry too much about that……

After all, that Bai Zai kid is the most talented of our generation; entrusting the family to him is definitely the right choice~

Shihouin Haiyan, smiling, spoke pleasantries to Kuchiki Yinling in front of him.

Hahaha, then I'll take those auspicious words as a loan~

I reckon Bai Zai and Ye Yi won't be back anytime soon, so we shouldn't just wait here idly~

Let me think... how about we go to the tearoom together for some tea?! As for the matter of cooperation between the Kuchiki and Shihouin families, we can discuss it while we drink……

After hearing Shihouin Haiyan's words, Kuchiki Yinling first burst out laughing, then extended an invitation to Haiyan; although Yinling knew Haiyan was just being polite, he couldn't help but enjoy it—once people get older, they tend to like the flattery that young people dislike~

Sure~

Haiyan lightly nodded at Yinling's words and returned a smile.

Although Haiyan himself doesn't care for such aristocratic socializing, who let the former heads of the Shihouin family—his father and aunt, who should have taken up the Shihouin banner in his place—use all sorts of speechless excuses and then run away?!

Since the parents are clueless, the child can't remain clueless too; if both child and parents are clueless, wouldn't this family just fall apart?!

Sigh……

Thinking of this, Haiyan couldn't help but let out a long sigh; for a moment he seemed unable to see where the future of the Shihouin family lay……

Fortunately, his uncle Shihouin Yixin is still reasonable; with his father Tianxun and aunt Zehong having left one after another, he took up the mantle of captain of the Tenth Division, enabling the Shihouin family to firmly establish itself among the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

At this moment, Haiyan still didn't know that not long afterward, the Shihouin family's sole sensible adult, his uncle Shihouin Yixin, would arbitrarily head to the World of the Living and never return……

On the way to the tearoom with Shihouin Haiyan, Kuchiki Yinling seemed to think of something else and asked Haiyan beside him: 'Speaking of which, Haiyan, have you heard? In the Spiritual Arts Academy, there's emerged a talent whose ability can match yours~'

Senior Yinling, you're joking; I'm hardly a genius……

Haiyan merely gave a faint smile after hearing Yinling's words; although outsiders might see him as a rare talent, in reality, family knows family affairs—his level of talent isn't considered particularly strong among the Five Great Noble Houses.

However, I haven't paid much attention to the Spiritual Arts Academy……

Haiyan finished speaking and added another sentence.

Really? I heard that kid graduated from the Spiritual Arts Academy in just one year, has already reported to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and upon entering a division he immediately held the rank of seated officer, his strength is quite formidable.

Yinling, upon hearing that, continued to Haiyan.

Oh? Graduated from the Spiritual Arts Academy in just one year? That talent is indeed impressive……

Haiyan, upon hearing Yinling's words, nodded slightly in shock; being able to learn in one year what the Spiritual Arts Academy normally takes six years to teach, this talent can indeed be called outstanding.

Hmm, that kid seems to be called Ichimaru Gin, his age not far from Bai Zai's; I originally wanted to recruit him into the Sixth Division to put some pressure on Bai Zai, so they could advance together as rivals, but unfortunately the Fifth Division snatched him up first—this really is a bit regrettable~

Yinling said this and sighed; obviously he felt a bit sorry that such a talented member couldn't come to the Sixth Division~

Really? That's truly a pity~

Haiyan lightly nodded in agreement after hearing Yinling's words.

Not long after, Haiyan, Yinling, and Konghe walked to the Kuchiki family's tearoom; the three inhaled the fragrance filling the air and instantly smiled……

For a moment, the three felt a sense of tranquil times in their hearts~

Peace really isn't bad~

Haiyan murmured to himself, hoping that if possible, the Thirteen Court Guard Squads would remain forever peaceful and stable.

Thus, after Ye Zao Tongsheng's promotion and Urahara Kisuke taking his place as head of the Twelfth Division, the Tranquil Spirit Court entered a stable state once more, and the members of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads continued to enjoy the peace brought by the prosperous era created by Araki.

Time flew by, and ten years passed in the blink of an eye……

During these six years, Urahara Kisuke, in his capacity as head of the Twelfth Division, released Nemuri Kurotsuchi from the Worm's Nest and appointed him as the Third Seat of the Twelfth Division, concurrently serving as deputy director of the Technical Development Bureau.

This made the Vice Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads' Twelfth Division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, extremely angry, simply because Nemuri often issued various orders to him in his capacity as deputy director……

Moreover, Nemuri frequently had Mayuri run errands and do odd jobs, claiming that given Mayuri's intellect, aside from menial tasks and running errands, he couldn't do anything else……

This left Mayuri fuming, and he often lashed out at Nemuri, since in his view he was the Vice Captain of the Twelfth Division while Nemuri was merely a lowly Third Seat, so his position should outrank Nemuri's……

However, upon hearing Mayuri's theory, Nemuri showed no respect, pointing out to Mayuri that he, Nemuri, was the deputy director of the Technical Development Bureau, while Mayuri was merely a section chief, so Nemuri had the authority to command Mayuri.

Precisely because Nemuri and Mayuri looked down on each other, despised each other, and also both refused to submit to the captain, the Twelfth Division's interior often spawned intense friction, bursting with a thick smell of gunpowder~

Regarding this, Urahara Kisuke often gazed at the sky, dazed, and spoke wearily: 'Honestly, just give me a break! If Mayuri and Nemuri keep arguing like this, I really can't take it; if only I could give Mayuri some special work so he doesn't often run into Nemuri, that would be fine……'

It seemed especially meant to confirm Urahara's idea; that day in the Soul Society, some special circumstances finally arose.

In the Wandering Souls Street far from the Tranquil Spirit Court, over the past several days there have repeatedly occurred incidents of souls disappearing; according to residents who witnessed the whole process, those souls seemed to be consumed by some flame, spontaneously igniting without warning and then vanishing without a trace, yet miraculously this process does not ignite inorganic spirit particles, such as the clothing on those souls……

When the captain of the Ninth Division, Rokugo Kuzushi, learned of this, although it clearly didn't require his involvement, he still immediately dispatched ten full Soul Reapers to the scene for investigation, and the next day after sending them out, he brought along his vice captain Kyunan Hakaku, as well as four full high-ranking seated officers, and went together to the site.

Honestly, Kuzushi already sent out ten full squad members to investigate this soul spontaneous combustion disappearance incident; why does he need to go himself? Just wait quietly in the barracks for those squad members to return, then ask for clarification—wouldn't that suffice?

With our division's troops' combat strength, ten full squad members could easily handle even if the attackers of this soul assault were some rather cunning and deceitful Hollow with special abilities and unknown name; they could respond calmly and return victorious, right?!

I really just want to go home and sleep; I got up too early this morning, my skin will suffer, so I say to Kuzushi, shall we head back? Let me catch a bit more sleep; once I wake up with full combat strength, I'll come back to investigate this area—what do you say?

Hakaku followed behind Kuzushi while constantly complaining.

If you want to go back, then just go on your own~

Don't keep grumbling in my ear all the time~

Kuzushi, upon hearing Hakaku's words, couldn't help but retort.

Hahaha, Kuzushi, are you an idiot? I'm the vice captain of the Ninth Division; as a vice captain, I naturally have to follow behind the captain—that's common sense~

Hakaku, upon hearing Kuzushi's words, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

This guy……

Kuzushi's face suddenly changed upon hearing Hakaku's words; perhaps because Kuzushi's personality is as straight as steel, in arguments he has never been a match for Hakaku, and can even be said to be completely dominated by Hakaku……

Still, it's fine—Quan Xi likes to speak with his fists. Of course, most of the time he's just trying to scare Jiu Nan Bai; even if he really does strike, he's extremely cautious, afraid he might actually hurt Jiu Nan Bai. That's why Jiu Nan Bai isn't afraid of Quan Xi at all.

"Captain, stay calm, Captain, stay calm!"

It was exactly when Quan Xi raised his fist to strike that the officers of the 9th Division surrounding him immediately stepped in to break it up; to them, Quan Xi getting angry enough to attack over Jiu Nan Bai's words was just everyday routine...

At the same time, for the 9th Division members who wear black Death Robes topped with a white Assault Suit bearing the 9th Division's colors—or more accurately, the colors of Liuche Quanxi—and who look like street brawlers, calming their captain Quan Xi's anger is also part of their daily duties.

"Don't stop me! I have to teach this brat a lesson today……"

Liuche Quanxi shouted loudly, but as the saying goes, those who hit hard usually don't talk much; Quan Xi's loud yelling here was really just meant to intimidate Jiu Nan Bai—telling him not to cause more trouble, or else he'd really get angry.

"Captain Quan Xi, don't take it to heart with Vice Captain Jiu Nan Bai—she's still just a child, please be magnanimous……"

"Captain Quan Xi, your anger will harm you—stay calm, stay calm……"

The officers around Quan Xi continued to persuade him, surrounding him in the middle, seemingly suppressing his anger.

"Roar!!"

However, at that very moment, an angry roar suddenly rang in everyone's ears, followed by a chilling, ominous spiritual pressure that made everyone's faces change and halted their urge to perform.

"I'll go check it out……"

Quan Xi easily broke free of the few people holding him, using his expert Flash Step to run forward. Whether it was the roar or the spiritual pressure, he would never mistake it—that was the enemy of the Soul Reapers—a Hollow!

"Move, move your body……"

On the other side, a gigantic Hollow over five meters tall and about ten meters long stared down with its mocking scarlet eyes at the few boys from Wandering Soul Street; one boy with a spiky hedgehog‑head hairstyle looked at his companions, desperately wishing he could move, but his body seemed locked by the enemy's aura, utterly unresponsive, and he had already been terrified out of his wits by the Hollow before him.

"Roar~"

Just as the boy kept urging his body to react, the Hollow sprang into action, extending its tentacles—not toward the nearest hedgehog‑head boy, but reaching for the soul farthest away.

"No!!"

Seeing the Hollow's tentacles about to strike, the boys let out piercing screams.

"Roar~"

The souls' screams didn't scare the Hollow; instead, it made it look pleased, for it loved listening to the trembling cries of its prey.

"Thud!"

Just as the Hollow's tentacles were about to reach the boys, the hedgehog‑head boy finally moved, grabbing his wooden stick and swinging it at the tentacles.

"Roar!!"

It seemed the Hollow hadn't expected the boys to resist; it reflexively retracted its tentacles and glared at the boy who had defied it.

"You guys run, I'll handle this……"

The hedgehog‑head boy wiped the blood from his mouth corner; he had bitten his tongue to gain movement, the sharp pain snapping him fully awake, and his first act was to tell his companions behind him to flee.

"But if we all run away, what will you do, Xiu bing?"

Perhaps the poorer they are, the more they share hardship and give their all for daily life, the more they cherish their companions; after Xiu bing saved them with his actions, the boys didn't want to abandon the one who had rescued them.

"Idiot, hurry to the streets and find an on‑duty Soul Reaper—if you stay here we'll all die, but if you go look for a Soul Reaper on the streets, everyone can live……"

Xiu bing heard this and roared at his companions.

"We understand……"

Xiu bing's companions weren't stupid; they knew staying would only burden him, and one mistake could mean total annihilation, so all they could do was run at full speed and then look for Soul Reapers to help defeat the Hollow that had invaded Wandering Soul Street.

"Sigh……"

After seeing his companions all flee, Xiu bing first exhaled in relief, then, somewhat composed, gripped his wooden stick and faced off against the Hollow.

"Roar!!"

The Hollow, enraged by Xiu bing's counterattack and his companions' flight, suddenly surged forward with its mass of limbs, slamming into him and sending him flying—his wooden stick slipping from his grasp—before he could even think, the Hollow's tentacles seized him and lifted him into the air.

"Hahaha, this is it……"

After struggling in vain, Xiu bing's face showed despair.

"Kid, I saw everything you just did to protect your comrades—well done, you've got guts; if you get the chance, be sure to study at the Spiritual Arts Institute, I'll be waiting for you to report to the 9th Division……"

Just as Xiu bing fell into despair, a warm, reassuring voice suddenly rang in his ears, and a silver‑clad figure appeared before his eyes.

"Vanish to ash and smoke! Severing Earth Wind!!"

As Xiu bing stood bewildered, a raging wind swept up, and the colossal Hollow—huge enough to dwarf an African elephant—was sliced into countless fragments in an instant by the oncoming gale.

"What is this?!"

Still puzzled, Xiu bing felt someone firmly catch him as he landed, and all he saw was a faintly remembered number '69'.

"Hurry back to your comrades~"

Without giving Xiu bing time to think, the tall man who had saved him gently patted his shoulder and then said:

"I understand, thank you for saving me today!"

"Huizuomu Xiu bing will never disappoint you……"

After taking a deep look at the man before him, Xiu bing sprinted off behind him, and from this day on that man became the lifelong figure he would chase and admire……

Although Xiu bing never imagined it, once he mastered his own Bankai, he could evenly match—whether facing the man before him or any even greater being than the one he admired—by forcing a fifty‑fifty split.

"Huizuomu Xiu bing? What an interesting brat……"

That silver‑haired man—none other than Liuche Quanxi—softly smiled after hearing Xiu bing's words, and he firmly remembered this brat who intrigued him.

"Captain……"

At that moment, the officers of the 9th Division also came running up, having jogged all the way to stand before Quan Xi, and seeing the Hollow he had slain lying before him, they exclaimed in astonishment: "Truly worthy of being captain—he defeated that powerful Hollow with such ease!"

"Speaking of which, could the mastermind behind the recent soul‑self‑immolation incident be this very Hollow before us?!"

One officer, looking at the enormous Hollow before him, asked doubtfully:

"No! Though this Hollow isn't weak, it seems unable to release fire, so I believe the source of the soul‑self‑immolation is not it……"

After hearing his subordinates, Quan Xi lightly shook his head, his brow furrowed, as if he thought there was another mastermind behind this incident.

"Quan Xi, look—I picked up a Death Robe……"

While Quanxi was explaining to his subordinates, constantly observing the surroundings, the wandering Jiunan Bai suddenly produced a neat set of Death God uniform…

However, this was not what Quanxi was concerned about; what he focused on was that the Death God uniform was actually tied with a belt—in other words, it hadn't been taken off by someone, because no one could remove a Death God uniform without untying the belt.

"Bai, where did you find this Death God uniform?"

Quanxi walked up to Jiunan Bai and asked anxiously.

"Here, here…"

"Look, there are exactly ten sets~"

Jiunan Bai said, pulling ten sets of Death God uniform out of the grass.

"Damn it!"

Quanxi looked at the Death God uniform before him, his expression suddenly changing as an ominous premonition arose in his heart.

"Quanxi, what's wrong with you?!"

This left Jiunan Bai somewhat puzzled.

"Things have gotten complicated; these Death God uniforms belong to our 9th Division…"

"Do you remember the ten squad members I dispatched last night, who came here ahead of us to investigate?! I'm afraid they've already…"

Quanxi said, clenching his fists; the deaths of his subordinates were a serious dereliction of duty on his part as captain…

You should know that the death rate among the Thirteen Court Guard Squads is currently extraordinarily low—so low it's shocking~

Even counting all kinds of accidents, the total fatalities across all thirteen divisions in a year wouldn't exceed ten, yet today alone ten have died.

"Oh, Quanxi, are you saying they took off their clothes and went swimming?!"

"Damn, such fun, and they didn't even invite me…"

Jiunan Bai, hearing Quanxi's words, spoke angrily.

"Idiot! Who could take off their own Death God uniform without untying the belt?! And those shoelaces aren't undone either—so the shoes couldn't possibly come off!"

Quanxi, hearing Jiunan Bai's words, spoke speechlessly.

"So, Captain, what you mean is…"

At that moment, Quanxi's squad members finally realized what was going on.

"Without a doubt, this is a spontaneous combustion and disappearance of souls incident…"

"Weiji, quickly report to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads—this is the first time in history that such a soul spontaneous combustion and disappearance has occurred on a Soul Reaper!"

"Have the entire Thirteen Court Guard Squads make preparations; since it has happened to a Soul Reaper, Seireitei is no longer safe."

"Pingzang, go to the 12th Division and request the environmental inspection researchers; I suspect a soul‑consuming virus is responsible, and those so‑called flames are actually phosphorescence seen by residents at night, mistakenly judged as fire. I need them to gather samples from the surrounding area and run viral tests."

"Todo, return to the 9th Division right now and fetch the tents we normally use for outdoor camping; we'll stand guard here today—I want to see what's behind this! The peace of Seireitei has lasted only a few hundred years before someone tries to break it. Damned meddlesome thing, no matter who's behind it, I will thwart their plans outside the walls of Seireitei."

Quanxi, in the first moment, gave orderly commands to his nearby subordinates; in a short time he made the most reasonable judgment under the circumstances and mobilized all his people, assigning each the task they should perform now.

One can only say Quanxi truly lives up to being promoted by Shitan; aside from his somewhat lacking combat ability, there's basically nothing wrong with him—he possesses all the qualities a captain should have.

"Yes, sir!"

As Quanxi's words fell, everyone present sprang into action; the atmosphere instantly grew grave, and all could clearly feel an icy, murderous aura emanating from him.

"Captain Quanxi, what do you need me to do?"

After all the seated officers had left, a masked seated officer looked at Quanxi and asked.

"You? Just stay by my side."

Quanxi heard the seated officer's words, thought for a moment, then ordered.

"Yes, sir."

The seated officer heard and lightly nodded.

Time flew by; by noon, the seated officers Quanxi had dispatched had all returned to Seireitei. Following his orders, Weiji went to the 1st Division to report this to Central Headquarters, Pingzang went to the 12th Division to find Urahara Kisuke and report the situation here, and Todo returned to the 9th Division to retrieve the tents they normally use for outdoor camping.

1st Division barracks.

After Pingzang reported the matter to the patrolling squad members in the barracks, they immediately relayed the information to Saito the Immortal…

Saito the Immortal then immediately came to the 1st Division chief's office and related to Araki what Quanxi had investigated regarding the soul spontaneous combustion disappearance in Rukongai.

"I understand…"

Araki heard Saito's words and merely gave a faint nod.

Saito didn't add anything else; frankly, the soul spontaneous combustion disappearance in Rukongai is, in her view, hardly a big deal—she thinks Quanxi is overreacting, and the current captain lacks experience~

Of course, for someone like Saito—who fought her way out of the once‑chaotic Rukongai as a founding member of the original Thirteen Court Guard Squads—aside from a world‑class foe like Yhwach, or a large‑scale invasion of Soul Society pitting all Soul Reapers against it, nothing else counts as much of an issue…

"Is it finally going to begin?"

As for Araki, after hearing Saito's words, he merely felt that Aizen's move would come much later than he had expected—perhaps because he was stationed at Central, causing his promising student Aizen to have reservations, so his preparations were taking a bit longer, right?!

"Aizen, I look forward to your performance."

Araki silently anticipated the grand performance his beloved disciple would put on for him.

12th Division barracks.

"A virus that specifically devours souls?"

Urahara Kisuke, after hearing the 9th Division seated officer's words, stroked his chin.

"Nemuri, what do you think of this?"

Urahara looked at Nemuri, who was busy with her experiment, and asked.

"I've never heard of it before, but it can't be denied…"

Nemuri, her hands still occupied with her experiment, gave a perfunctory reply to Urahara.

"Sure enough, it's the same as my situation~"

"Then, Hiyori, I'll leave this to you—go with those 9th Division squad members, collect some local soil samples as Captain Quanxi said, and bring them back—what do you think?!"

Urahara Kisuke looked at little Hiyori as he made the request.

I know, I know, leave it to me……

After Rìshìlǐ heard Pǔyuán's words, she waved her hand perfunctorily, and at the same time she glared fiercely at Nièjuànlì; at least she finally didn't have to share a room with that damned pervert and breathe the same air.

Section Chief Rìshìlǐ, remember to collect not only the soil samples but also the plant and gas samples……

Still busy with her experiments, Nièjuànlì, now speaking as the Deputy Director of the Technical Development Bureau, addressed Rìshìlǐ in a commanding tone.

Don't order me around! Bastard……

After hearing Nièjuànlì's words, Rìshìlǐ roared.

Hahaha……

As for that, Urahara could only force a smile and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

Well, Rìshìlǐ's argument with Nièjuànlì has started again today~

In the afternoon, the officers dispatched by Quánxī had already returned to his side, and the camping tents had been set up in this open space.

Everyone, please work hard today.

Quánxī looked at the soldiers before him and earnestly pleaded.

Haha, this is all we should be doing……

Upon hearing this, the officers all waved their hands at Quánxī.

It is precisely this behavior of Quánxī, exchanging sincerity for sincerity, that has allowed him to take firm root in the hearts of these soldiers and stand his ground, causing all members of the Ninth Division to follow him wholeheartedly.

As for Rìshìlǐ, who was dispatched by Pǔyuán and Nièjuànlì to provide support, she is still making preparations before departure, after all the equipment she needs to carry is truly excessive, especially given Nièjuànlì's damned perverse demands.

As the afternoon arrived, night was not far off……

Soon the sky gradually darkened; in the setting sun's glow, the officers' only light came from the sunlight reflected by the moon and stars, allowing them to see their surroundings.

Boom~

Inside the tent, Quánxī, with a wave of his hand, used a Binding Spell to ignite the firewood pile at the center, so that this translucent tent could provide light for those around.

Time continued to pass; around ten o'clock, Quánxī inexplicably felt his mind grow uneasy, he slightly furrowed his brow, glanced at Jiǔnánbái beside him, and smiled faintly: 'In this situation, the only one who could still sleep so peacefully is you, you guy……'

While speaking, Quánxī inadvertently caught sight of Jiǔnánbái's slightly opened chest through his peripheral vision, his old face flushed as he reached out to tighten Jiǔnánbái's clothing.

However, just as Quánxī's hand reached Jiǔnánbái's broad chest, Jiǔnánbái grabbed it, startling Quánxī, who couldn't tell whether Jiǔnánbái was asleep or not; before he could think further, Jiǔnánbái chuckled lewdly: 'Heh heh heh, Quánxī is so H~'

Huh?! Upon hearing that, Quánxī immediately withdrew his hand and muttered under his breath: 'Are you really asleep, you guy?!'

Inside the tent, the officer resting together with Quánxī and the others, after hearing Quánxī and Jiǔnánbái's conversation, slightly turned his head away, as if saying to Quánxī: 'I heard nothing, I saw nothing……'

It's not what you think……

Quánxī felt his old face truly couldn't hold up; looking at his own officers, he spoke seriously.

Ah!

Just as Quánxī was continually explaining to the officers before him, he heard a miserable cry from outside the tent.

Upon hearing it, Quánxī's face instantly changed; he quickly unzipped the tent, strode out, and drew his Soul-Cutter Sword from his waist: 'What on earth is happening?!'

Outside the tent, the two Ninth Division officers who had been on guard here, Dōngxiān and Wèidǎo, had already collapsed to the ground, with only Píngzàng facing away from Quánxī.

Píngzàng, could it be you……

Before Quánxī could say more, Píngzàng turned around, showed Quánxī a desperate expression, and managed to murmur: 'Captain, be careful……' those four words, then his chest burst with blood and he collapsed to the ground……

What?

Quánxī looked at the scene before him, his face suddenly changed, he rushed to Píngzàng's side to examine his wounds; fortunately the injury wasn't deep, so he shouldn't die immediately.

Damn, just what is going on?! Quánxī muttered, then turned to the remaining officer, Téngtáng, and said: 'These people's wounds are sword wounds; the enemy used a Soul-Cutter Sword……'

Before Quánxī could finish, Téngtáng's body likewise burst with blood and he collapsed to the ground.

How could this be?!

Damn it! You pretentious freak, get out here!!

Could it be that you're afraid to face me head-on?

Besides, if you're opposing the captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, someone like you, a pretentious freak, would surely be defeated in no time!!

After seeing Téngtáng fall, Quánxī drew his Soul-Cutter Sword from his waist and began shouting wildly at his surroundings; at this moment Quánxī had the feeling that every tree and bush was a soldier, and his mind was completely thrown into chaos.

Boom!

Before Quánxī could think further, endless darkness instantly enveloped his eyes.

As the darkness engulfed Quánxī, his hearing, sight, smell, and sense of spiritual pressure vanished completely, leaving him like a senseless wreck; this caused Quánxī's pupils to contract slightly.

Pfft……

Just as Quánxī was puzzled, he felt a pain in his chest; as the darkness faded, he finally saw clearly who had cut him, and he bellowed in disbelief: 'Píngzi zhēnzi, why would you do this?!'

It's all for our great cause!

That Píngzi zhēnzi, putting aside his usual playful smile, spoke with utter seriousness.

You're not Píngzi! Who exactly are you?

Quánxī's pupils contracted slightly; he suddenly sensed something off—Píngzi would never be this solemn, the man before him definitely isn't Píngzi zhēnzi.

Yeah, who am I? Who would know something like that?

The man said this, then thrust a blade into Quánxī's heart, causing Quánxī to collapse completely to the ground. Just as Quánxī had said, indeed he didn't delay this man much; Quánxī didn't even have time to unleash his Complete Release, and with a 'thud' he fell.

Clap clap clap……

At the moment Quánxī hit the ground, a man with short brown hair and glasses perched on his nose clapped as he walked over to Píngzi zhēnzi's side.

Yào, you did well~

The man wearing a confident smile looked at Píngzi zhēnzi and laughed.

Master Lánrǎn, should I take care of them……

The man called Yào respectfully addressed the brown-haired man.

Indeed, this Píngzi zhēnzi before us is not the real Píngzi, but rather Dōngxiān Yào……

As for this man with brown short hair, naturally he is Aizen Sosuke.

No rush, give the materials we used for the experiment to Quanxi and Jiunanbai; as for these seated officers of the 9th Division, they must certainly stay alive—they are the best witnesses proving that the culprit is my beloved Pingzi Zhenzi……

Moreover, don't you think it suspicious that if only one seated officer from the 9th Division survived after the Hollowfication incident, it looks too suspicious no matter how you look at it? Teacher Huangmu is not someone we can easily dismiss as a fool~

Aizen Sosuke looked at Dongxian Yao beside him and instructed softly.

I see, truly worthy of Aizen-sama, you noticed what my subordinates missed with ease; my consideration was lacking……

Indeed, if only I survived and still displayed Bankai's ability, becoming captain would look too suspicious no matter how you look at it~

Dongxian Yao, upon hearing Aizen Sosuke's words, suddenly realized and lightly nodded at him.

So then……

It's time for the true Captain Pingzi to enter the fray~

After listening to Dongxian Yao's words, Aizen Sosuke lightly nodded at him, then gazed toward the distant Soul Society; the grand show has already begun, and all that's left is for the fish he schemed to bite the bait of their own accord~

Fa, indulge in pleasing me, Captain Pingzi~

Aizen Sosuke said, the corner of his mouth slightly curling into an arc.

Next, these captains will first experience betrayal and the collapse of trust, then after exchanging information, they will question the mastermind behind it all, entering a state of confusion and helplessness about whom to seek revenge against; just imagining it amuses Aizen Sosuke~

In an instant, the entire Thirteen Court Guard Squads seemed to fall into Aizen Sosuke's meticulously calculated scheme, everyone being toyed with by him between applause.

Only the Captain-Commander Huangmu alone sat steadily in his captain's quarters, gazing far into the distance, quietly watching his good disciple Aizen Sosuke putting on various shows of pretentiousness in front of Quanxi and the others.

Well, Aizen Sosuke's black history increases by one~

The more he pretends now, the more embarrassing it will be when exposed……

Ten-thousand-word chapter~