Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero.

In other words, from the moment Kuchiki Hibiki awakened the ability of "Muramasa".

His fate was already sealed.

He might be able to maintain a balance temporarily through his personal will and the protection of his family.

But if there is even the slightest mistake, or if the external environment changes in the slightest way in a way that is unfavorable to him, then the long-accumulated fear and rejection will be like a flood that has burst its banks, completely engulfing him.

The so-called "loss of one's true self" may simply be an inevitable result of isolation stemming from the subconscious of the entire ethnic group.

Liu Chuan's gaze calmly swept over the crowd in front of him.

The ancient patriarch of the Kuchiki Silver Ridge had a look of regret in his eyes regarding the passing of a genius.

But did he truly never realize that Kuchiki Hibiki's fate was predetermined?

Captain-Commander Yamamoto, the iron-fisted commander who maintained order, must have made a well-considered decision when he made the decision to join forces to seal them away.

"I understand, Patriarch Kuchiki. Thank you for informing me," Yanagawa finally spoke, his voice still calm.

He did not directly state his almost cold-blooded deduction, his "inevitability" of the inevitable tragedy of the "Muramasa" holder.

Some things are best left unsaid, left unsaid; it's enough that we both understand each other implicitly.

Meanwhile, in Hueco Mundo, deep within the Great Forest of Hollows, lies the battlefield ruins of Yanagawa and Ridge Barrow.

Even though many days have passed, this area still exudes a chilling "afterglow" that is completely different from Hueco Mundo.

Within a radius of several miles, the original trees have all disappeared, replaced by a terrifying giant crater.

The air still retains the chaotic spiritual pressure "radiation" left behind by the violent collision and annihilation of various powerful forces.

Even after so long, these remnants of power remain imprinted on this space, telling the story of the level and terror of that battle.

However, a figure that stood out from its surroundings appeared silently, like a ghost.

He was tall and thin, almost bony, wearing a simple white long coat, the hem of which fluttered slightly in the wind.

His skin was an unhealthy, pale white, the kind that hadn't seen the sun in a long time.

You could sense a weariness in his eyes, as if it had been accumulated over countless years, along with a certain obsession.

He stood quietly at the edge of the giant pit, his head slightly lowered, carefully examining the shocking battlefield ruins below.

He is the village head.

The materialized form of Kuchiki Kyoga's Zanpakuto.

Since his master, Kuchiki Kyoga, was sealed away in a certain place in Karakura Town in the present world by Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and Kuchiki Ginrei, Muramasa has been "free" but also completely "lonely".

Zanpakuto are the derivatives and reflections of a Shinigami's soul, and they have an extremely deep bond with their masters.

Although the Kuchiki-higa River was sealed away, Muramasa did not completely disappear with it. Instead, he remained in the world in this independent and tangible form.

But this is not a blessing, but a curse in another form; he has lost the clear meaning of his existence.

Over the years, he has wandered like a lost soul, lingering in the edges and crevices of the human world, Soul Society, and even Hueco Mundo.

Meanwhile, one thing never stopped—searching for a way to break the seal on the Kuchiki Echo River.

This is the only obsession that keeps him "existing".

Not long ago, he secretly learned from members of the expeditionary force that an unusually fierce battle had broken out deep within the Great Void Forest.

More importantly, the intelligence report mentioned that one of the combatants was a Shinigami from Soul Society, and it was Yanagawa, a member of the Zero Division who had recently gained fame.

And so, Muramasa arrived.

He stretched out his pale fingers and gently pressed them against the air in front of him.

Centered on his fingertips, the chaotic spiritual pressure remaining in the air seemed to be drawn by some invisible force and began to flow slowly.

"Such powerful strength..."

A bold idea, like a will-o'-the-wisp burning in the darkness, lit up Muramasa's mind, which was filled with long loneliness and obsession.

Removing the seal on the Rotting Wood River is by no means an easy task.

First, the location of the seal must be determined; second, a powerful force must be used to break the seal.

He needs a stronger "external force," a more special "opportunity," or... a more unconventional "method."

Could Yanagawa, the Grim Reaper with extraordinary power, become the "opportunity" in front of us?

Perhaps, we can utilize the power of his Zanpakuto. In his common knowledge, most of the power of a Shinigami comes from his Zanpakuto, which means that this Shinigami named Yanagawa's Zanpakuto is extremely powerful!

As a special being capable of controlling and turning other Zanpakuto against their own, he has an understanding of the relationship between "Zanpakuto" and "Shinigami" that far surpasses that of ordinary people.

A glint of something eerie seemed to flash in Muramasa's eyes, which were hidden by his bangs.

Using the power of Yanagawa's Zanpakuto, weaken or even break Kuchiki Kyoga's seal!

This is the clearest and most likely "path" he has seen in hundreds of years.

He muttered to himself, his voice fading into the sandstorm, carrying a desperate determination.

"For Lord Xianghe... any possibility is worth trying."

He took one last look at the terrifying battle ruins at his feet, his figure like a reflection in the water, beginning to sway and fade.

It eventually disappeared completely, as if it had never existed.

Chapter 122 The Sage Who Accepted Bribes

Seireitei, deep underground, the central council chamber of Room 46.

Around the enormous circular council hall, dozens of figures, shrouded in deep purple robes and wide hoods, sat on forty-six tall, cold stone thrones.

Unlike the usual solemnity, the atmosphere in the hall at this moment was oppressive, revealing an undisguised anxiety and anger.

The "Bakuya-no-Knife" incident involving the Kasumi family spread rapidly through the upper echelons of Seireitei like a plague.

The details are shocking and the scope of the case is extensive (it unearthed an old bribery case, especially the bribery of three sages).

All of this made this institution, which symbolizes the highest law and judgment power in Soul Society, feel unprecedentedly passive and embarrassed.

Worse still, what followed was the uncontrollable spread of negative rumors within the Seireitei.

"...Have you heard? Back then, when Captain-Commander Yamamoto wanted to investigate the 'Bakuya Sword,' those old men from the 46th Chamber forcibly suppressed him!"

"It's not just a matter of suppressing it; it's said that even the old master of the Xia Dalu family, Old Yun Jingyao, confessed. It was only by bribing several 'wise men' that it was accomplished!"

"Just for a little money and leverage, you'd let that evil blade wreak havoc?"

"I think the 46 Chambers have become increasingly outrageous in recent years. They only care about the dignity of the nobility and their own interests, and they don't care about the lives of their subordinates or the safety of the Soul Society."

"If it weren't for Lord Yanagawa and Captain Shiba 'coincidentally' stumbling upon this, the head of the Kasumioji family would probably be gone! If the 46th Chamber had let the Captain-Commander investigate, things wouldn't have come to this."

Such discussions, though not openly proclaimed, are quietly eroding the "authoritative" image that the Central 46th Bureau has built up over thousands of years.

The damage to the reputation of the "46th Chamber" is particularly devastating when keywords such as "bribing the wise," "obstructing the investigation," and "indirectly causing the tragedy" are associated with it.

The three sages who were bribed have now been temporarily suspended from their posts.

"Silence!" a hoarse and impatient voice rang out.

Beneath the shadow of the hood, a pair of eyes gleaming with gloomy anger could be vaguely seen.

"I've gathered you all here not to listen to your complaints and rumors! I've come to discuss how to deal with this difficult situation!"

"How should we deal with this?" another slightly shrill voice immediately interjected, filled with resentment.

"The wind direction outside is extremely unfavorable to us right now! All the dirty water is going to be poured on our heads!"

Yun Jingyao is such a fool, he's good for nothing and good for making things worse!

"It's bad enough that he was caught red-handed for his carelessness, but to go and reveal everything from back then! It's simply... utterly outrageous!"

“The key point is,” the third voice said, lower in pitch, carrying a deep sense of apprehension and a barely perceptible hint of panic.

"According to multiple sources, Yanagawa was at the scene of the incident again last night at his home on Xia Daji Road!"

And, just like with the last incident involving Tsunayoshiro, he intervened in that infuriating way again!

The atmosphere in the hall seemed to freeze a bit more when the name "Yanagawa" was mentioned.

The sages of the 46th Chamber had long since gone from being indifferent to this member of the Zero Division who had been breaking the rules and seemed to be "opposing" them.

"Why is it always him?!" a sage couldn't help but growl, slamming his fist on the stone railing.

"From the Tsunayoshiro incident, to the Vasto Lorde being brought back from Hueco Mundo, and now to the Kasumigaoka family..."

He's like a ghost, always appearing at the most crucial and troublesome moments! And every time, he puts us at a disadvantage!

"This reason is even more absurd!" another sage sneered, his tone filled with sarcasm and anger.

"'A chance discovery during a walk after drinking'? Ha! That's a lie to a three-year-old!"

He and Shiba Isshin, one a member of the Zero Division and the other the head and captain of a branch family of one of the five great noble families, went out drinking in the middle of the night.

After drinking, he could still "stroll" to the vicinity of Xia Dalu's house, and "coincidentally" break in just as Yun Jingyao was about to kill his master? This is clearly a premeditated intrusion!

"That's right! This is a blatant trampling on the 'extraterritorial rights' of the nobility! It is an open provocation against the authority of our Central Forty-Sixth Bureau!"

A wise man excitedly echoed, "He, Liu Chuan, is becoming more and more unscrupulous, relying on his status as a member of the Zero Division!"

This time, they dared to use such a childish excuse to trespass on the territory of a superior noble family in the dead of night and interfere in the internal affairs of the noble family!

However, amidst the outcry against Liuchuan's "reckless behavior," there were also relatively "calm" voices.

"What's the use of saying all this now?" an old and weary voice rang out, belonging to a sage who seemed to be of great seniority.

"No matter how absurd Yanagawa's excuse was, Shiba Isshin, as the representative of the five noble families, endorsed it on the spot, and Captain-Commander Yamamoto also tacitly acknowledged his identity as the 'discoverer' and 'stopper'."

More importantly, they caught him red-handed! Yun Jingyao attempted to assassinate his master but failed. He also secretly developed and used the forbidden weapon 'Mo Yao Dao' and trained an assassination squad. The evidence is conclusive!

Can we still say that Yanagawa and Shiba Isshin shouldn't have interfered? Shouldn't they have saved the young head of the family?

He paused, his tone tinged with helplessness and a deeper chill:

"What we need to discuss now is not whether Yanagawa should show up, but how to minimize the negative impact of this incident on my 46th Chamber."

And... how to deal with the three sages who accepted bribes, as implicated by Yun Jingyaojue.

Mentioning "those three names" caused another awkward silence in the hall.

That was a sword hanging over the heads of the 46th Chamber, the most direct evidence of internal corruption.