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

She didn't use her Zanpakuto or any long-range Kido techniques; she relied solely on her fists, elbows, knees, and legs to unleash her formidable hand-to-hand combat skills!

The movements were so fast that they almost left afterimages, and each strike was accompanied by a dull thud and the opponent's groan or the sound of falling to the ground.

"Crack!" A precise grappling move combined with skillful force dislocated the arm joint of a tall prisoner, and then slammed his massive body to the ground.

"Bang! Bang!" With a series of side kicks, he sent two prisoners who were trying to surround him flying like sandbags, crashing into the edge of the wall and sliding down.

Her fighting style is devoid of any frills, consisting only of extreme efficiency and ruthlessness.

Although those prisoners were fierce and had clearly experienced real fighting, they were no match for Soi Fon's honed hand-to-hand combat skills.

But like clumsy children, they fell one after another, and in a short time, there were very few people left standing on the field.

At the edge of the training ground, about ten members of the Criminal Investigation Corps stood in neat rows.

They all stood ramrod straight, their eyes fixed on Soi Fon's every move in the arena, their faces showing no surprise, only a focused observation and deep awe.

Clearly, they were already used to this scene and even regarded it as an important learning opportunity.

The entire perimeter area was so quiet that only the sounds of fighting in the arena and the players' suppressed breathing could be heard.

Omaeda led Yanagawa quietly to an inconspicuous spot on the sidelines.

A very brief description of Yanagawa:

"Normally, many members of the Second Division often come to the Maggot Nest to fight prisoners in order to hone their hand-to-hand combat skills."

Just then, Soi Fon, in the arena, used a clean and crisp joint lock followed by a heavy knee strike to bring down the last prisoner who was still barely holding on.

The man let out a short, painful groan, collapsed to the ground, and lost consciousness.

The entire training ground fell silent instantly, with only Soi Fon's slightly rapid breathing and the painful groans of the prisoners lying haphazardly on the ground.

Soi Fon slowly straightened up, raised her hand to tidy the slightly damp strands of hair on her forehead, and swept her cold eyes over the mess on the ground, as if she had just completed a normal warm-up.

Liu Chuan caught a fleeting glimmer of determination in her eyes.

That wasn't the smugness of victory, but an unwavering resolve.

That look was familiar to Liu Chuan—it was a manifestation of the will to achieve a certain goal at all costs and endure all hardships.

In an instant, information about the Second Division Captain before him surfaced in Yanagawa's mind:

Soi Fon, whose real name is Hachiko Aya, comes from the lower-ranking noble Hachi family, a family that has made a living by assassination for generations and has been loyal to the Shihouin family, one of the four great noble families.

From a young age, he displayed astonishing talent and keen insight into the "way of assassination," and was spotted by Yoruichi Shihōin, the then Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukido and Captain of the Second Division.

He took him under his wing, personally trained him, and exceptionally allowed him to join the core of the covert mobile force—the "Criminal Army."

She made a vow then and there that she was willing to give everything for Yoruichi.

However, all of this collapsed a hundred years ago when Yoruichi Shihouin left Soul Society, risking the charge of treason, to save Kisuke Urahara and the others.

Chapter 126 Omaeda, the One Being Targeted

For Soi Fon, it was not only a betrayal by her superior, but also a complete shattering of her beliefs and emotions.

Just as Yanagawa was pondering, Soi Fon's icy gaze had already locked onto the person beside him—

It was Omaeda Norichiyo who had been trying to keep a low profile ever since she entered the training ground.

Soi Fon's gaze fell upon Ōmaeda's body, which was noticeably more "plump" than the standard Shinigami physique.

And when he looked at that broad face, which, despite its attempts to maintain a serious demeanor, couldn't hide its shrewdness, there was an undisguised look of disgust and impatience.

In her view, Ōmaeda's appearance was completely out of place with the lean, cold, and efficient style that the Onmitsukido and even the entire Second Division admired; it was even a glaring blasphemy.

“Omaeda, Vice-Captain!” Soi Fon’s voice rang out, each word like an icicle hitting the ground.

Omaeda's body visibly trembled violently, the color drained from his face in an instant, and a fine layer of cold sweat instantly seeped from his forehead.

Almost instinctively, he straightened his chest and raised his head, shouting with all his might, "Yes, Captain! Your subordinate is here!"

His tense and strained posture, combined with his round figure, looked somewhat comical, but no one present dared to laugh.

Even the covert mobile team members who were preparing to move the wounded moved even more gently and lowered their heads, afraid of being affected by the captain's anger.

Soi Fon took a step and slowly walked towards Omaeda.

“I think I did say that,” Soi Fon’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a heavy, oppressive quality.

"As the deputy captain of a covert mobile unit, one's image, physique, and even the most basic physical qualities represent more than just the individual."

Her gaze lingered deliberately on Omaeda's protruding belly for a moment, the disdain in her eyes almost tangible:

"Look at yourself now, where is the secrecy and mobility you should have?"

Ōmaeda's lips trembled, cold sweat dripped down his thick chin, and he kept his head down, his voice shaking:

"The captain's reprimand is correct... I know I was wrong... I will definitely correct it and strengthen my training..."

"Exercise?" Soi Fon scoffed, her laughter devoid of any warmth.

"Your so-called 'exercise' is just figuring out which pastry shop has released a new product every day?"

Ōmaeda's face had turned a deep purplish-red, and his head was so low it was almost buried in his chest, yet he dared not utter a single word in rebuttal.

Soi Fon took a slight breath, seemingly suppressing even more unpleasant words.

She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Liu Chuan, who stood silently beside her, seemingly just an observer.

Clearly, with members of the Zero Division present, she ultimately needed to consider the "decency" of the Second Division and the Stealth Mobile Force, even with some of the harshest reprimands.

"If it weren't for the many 'contributions' your Ōmaeda family has made to the Second Division over the generations, do you think you would still be standing in this position?"

This is very blunt – Ōmaeda became the vice-captain purely through a "donation," relying on his family's wealth and "contributions," rather than his personal ability and performance.

Seeing his expression, Soi Fon seemed to lose interest in continuing to scold him.

Her final, cold remark struck Ōmaeda like a thunderbolt; he jerked his head up, his eyes filled with unbelievable terror:

“Starting tomorrow, I will personally create a ‘special training plan’ for you during all your time outside of regular team duties.”

As my vice-captain, I can't continue to be so 'lax'.

I'll give you a good 'training' until you at least... look like a vice-captain.

"Personally"... "Special training plan"... "Get some proper training"...

These words, put together, came from the mouth of Captain Soi Fon, who was known for his harsh training and insane demands.

For Ōmaeda, it was as if he could already see a future filled with darkness and misery—

Every day, Captain Soi Fon trains her to the limit in all sorts of ways until she's exhausted and a complete mess, and then she's subjected to repeated torture by his cold gaze and harsh words...

"Team, Captain... I..." Ōmaeda's voice trembled with a sob as he made a final attempt.

“That’s an order,” Soi Fon interrupted him, her tone leaving no room for argument.

He then stopped looking at him and turned to Liu Chuan, saying, "Please excuse my poor appearance; it's just a trivial matter within the team."

However, Yanagawa's thoughts, drawn by what he had just witnessed and the deeper connections in the intelligence network, drifted toward another name—

A name closely linked to Soi Fon, Yoruichi Shihouin, and many secrets and changes in Soul Society.

Kisuke Urahara.

The name surfaced in Yanagawa's mind, accompanied by a series of clear events and assessments:

He created the forbidden item "Transcendent Body," which could forcibly materialize Zanpakuto.

He orchestrated the "Hollowfication Experiment Accident" a century ago, which resulted in the Hollowfication of several captains and vice-captains and completely altered the landscape of Soul Society.

Ultimately, he and Yoruichi Shihouin and others were exiled to the present world, burdened with the crime of defection.

Even a century after his defection, the technological legacy and ideas he left behind still profoundly influence the Technology Development Bureau and even the Gotei 13.

The current captain of the 12th Division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, is a mad scientist who is arrogant and looks down on the vast majority of people.

When mentioning Kisuke Urahara, his tone always carries an undisguised competitive spirit, along with a hint of recognition.

Yoruichi Shihouin, the former head of one of the four noble families and the commander-in-chief of the Onmitsukido, was willing to abandon everything in Soul Society and resolutely assist him in his defection...

All of this points to one conclusion: Kisuke Urahara is no ordinary person.

According to intelligence, Soi Fon, who is standing before us, once worked with Kisuke Urahara in the Second Division.

More importantly, given her relationship with Yoruichi Shihouin, she must have some knowledge of Kisuke Urahara.

Out of sheer curiosity, Liu Chuan suddenly spoke:

"Captain Soi Fon, when you mentioned your requirements for the vice-captain, it reminded me of someone."

I heard that you worked with the former captain of the 12th Division, Kisuke Urahara, in your early years?

The moment that name was uttered, Soi Fon's expression turned ugly!

Instead, there was an undisguised hostility!

Soi Fon asked in confusion:

"Lord Yanagawa...why did you suddenly bring up this person?"

Her tone was full of wariness and resistance, as if the name "Urahara Kisuke" itself was a taboo.

Liu Chuan was not surprised by her strong reaction, and his tone remained calm:

"I'm just a little curious. As far as I know, before becoming captain, Kisuke Urahara was the head officer of the Second Division, and he must have had a lot of interactions with the Second Division, especially the Onmitsukido."

Captain Soi Fon, at that time you were already an elite under Captain Yoruichi Shihouin.

I should interact with him frequently; he must have unique insights into that former head of the Technology Development Bureau, whose style of doing things was...unusual."

Chapter 127 The Combination of White-Handed Martial Arts and Ghostly Path

He deliberately mentioned "Yoruichi Shihouin", which undoubtedly touched a nerve with Soi Fon.

Soi Fon's breathing became noticeably more rapid.

"Your opinion?" Soi Fon's voice returned to normal, but it was even colder and more piercing than before.

"I have only one opinion about that man—the most unworthy bastard in the history of Soul Society to be treated like this by Yoruichi!"

Her words were extremely harsh, filled with undisguised contempt and hatred.