Bleach: I'm picking up attributes in Seireitei

Chapter 238

After finishing his business, Yamamoto issued the order to disband the meeting.

Several team leaders left one after another.

Kiryu, with Mayuri Kurotsuchi by his side, walked outside.

Kyoraku Shunsui lowered his straw hat and walked out side by side with Ukitake Jushiro.

Neither of them spoke, but Fuzhu paused at the doorway and glanced back in Wang Xun's direction.

Then he sighed softly and disappeared at the end of the corridor with Kyoraku.

Wang Xun took a step back from where Mao Zhihua was and turned to walk towards the main entrance.

He didn't speak to anyone along the way, but as soon as he turned into the corridor, he heard footsteps behind him.

"Vice Captain Wang Xun, you walk so fast!"

Upon hearing the sound, Wang Xun stopped in his tracks.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi came out from behind.

He walked to Wang Xun's side, put his hands in his sleeves, and tilted his head.

On that face painted with black and white greasepaint was a smile that was hard to decipher.

"The captain has become intangible, and there are still so many people. I was quite surprised when I found out."

"But I heard that it was Kisuke Urahara who did it."

"Although I don't know exactly what happened, how could that cautious guy, Kisuke Urahara, possibly have the guts to lay a hand on these captains?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi lowered his voice, but his tone still had that unique, strange accent.

"And based on my understanding of him, he always has a backup plan in mind when he does anything."

"Someone with this kind of personality would suddenly lure a group of captains deep into Rukongai, then use Hollowfication on them, leaving behind a mountain of evidence for the 46 to catch them red-handed?"

"This is something I just can't understand no matter how you look at it."

He paused, his yellow eyes scanning Wang Xun's face back and forth.

"Vice Captain Wang Xun, do you know something about this?"

At this moment, Wang Xun slightly raised his eyes, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a figure walking slowly behind the pillar.

Aizen didn't stop or even glance in this direction; he simply walked past the other end of the corridor, as if he had just happened to be passing by after the meeting.

Aizen's appearance was a silent reminder.

Wang Xun withdrew his gaze and looked at Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

"I don't understand Kisuke Urahara's thoughts, and I'm not as familiar with him as you might think."

Mayuri's eyes narrowed.

His gaze lingered on Wang Xun's face for a long time, then he shrugged slightly and let out a sigh tinged with disappointment.

"Really? That's a real shame."

But then, as if he had just thought of something, Mayuri Kurotsuchi's lips curled into an exaggerated smile.

"But speaking of which, I never expected that this matter would actually be related to the Quincy."

"A hundred years ago, when the Chamber of Forty-Six ordered the extermination of the remaining Quincy in the world, I was just an ordinary member of the Twelfth Division, and I handled quite a few Quincy corpses."

"Dissection, analysis, classification and archiving... At that time, I also came into contact with a lot of valuable materials and accumulated a large amount of valuable experimental data."

"I didn't expect to have another opportunity to come into contact with Quincy this time. I imagine there will be plenty of fresh material."

His smile deepened.

"For this, I must thank Kisuke Urahara for discovering that space, and also you... Vice Captain Wang Xun."

Wang Xun's expression remained unchanged.

"This has nothing to do with me. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi didn't stop him, and casually waved his hand.

Then, tilting his head, he watched Wang Xun's back as he walked step by step toward the gate of the First Division.

Wang Xun left, and Mayuri Kurotsuchi stood there, thinking about the information she had come across, and muttered to herself softly.

"That guy, Kisuke Urahara, mentioned before that he wanted to establish an organization called the Technology Development Bureau."

"Separate the research functions of the Twelfth Division, integrate technical resources, appoint a director and a deputy director, and set up several research departments under them."

His voice carried a tone that was hard to define as either mockery or感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both).

"That idea has some merit, but unfortunately, he never had the chance to realize it. However..."

At that moment, Mayuri Kurotsuchi's eyes gleamed with excitement, as if he had thought of something fun.

"When Kisuke Urahara comes into contact with Soul Society again, and hears that it was Mayuri Kurotsuchi who established the Technology Development Bureau, I wonder..."

"What kind of expression will he have?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi smiled and turned to walk towards the main entrance, her deep laughter echoing in the empty corridor.

The Second Division's barracks were exceptionally quiet in the afternoon sunlight.

The daily training of the Covert Mobile Team had ended, and the team members left in twos and threes from the direction of the training ground. Some people saw Wang Xun, nodded slightly in greeting, and then hurried past.

After the captain's defection, the entire Second Division was shrouded in a heavy silence.

Wang Xun walked along the stone path and saw Soi Fon under the corridor in the inner courtyard.

She was squatting by the porch, holding a small dish of dried fish, surrounded by several wild cats that had been attracted from somewhere.

The cats rubbed against her feet, their tails held high.

Soi Fon carefully and attentively distributed the dried fish to them one by one, but her expression also betrayed a hint of loneliness.

Wang Xun walked behind her, his shadow falling on the stone slab in front of her.

Soi Fon's fingers stiffened for a moment, and a dried fish slipped from her fingers, only to be snatched away by the fattest cat.

"Is training over for today?"

Wang Xun's voice was very ordinary.

"...I'm not feeling well today, so I didn't train."

Soi Fon didn't turn around, and her voice sounded somewhat hoarse.

She picked up another dried fish from the plate, but held it between her fingers for a long time without handing it over. The cat was pacing anxiously around her feet.

Wang Xun nodded and stood next to Soi Fon.

"Did you rest well last night?"

The dried fish in Soi Fon's hand was snapped in two.

She stood up abruptly, but did not turn to face Wang Xun; her face flushed red from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears.

Her mouth opened and closed, closed and opened again.

It seemed she was trying to argue that it was just an accident, or that she didn't remember anything at all.

But every word was extremely difficult to utter.

Even just mentioning it would trigger her vague and chaotic memories of last night.

Soi Fon was speechless.

She simply lowered her head, her short hair slipping down from her ears and covering her burning red earlobes.

She was still clutching half a dried fish in her hand, and the cat was tugging at her trouser leg at her feet, completely unaware of her presence.

Wang Xun reached out, took the half-eaten dried fish from her hand, squatted down, and handed it to the fat cat that was almost frantic with worry.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought this up."

Soi Fon looked at Wang Xun's profile as he squatted on the ground playing with the cat, and pursed her lips again and again.

"No, it's not your fault..."

Soi Fon's voice was so soft it was like a mosquito's buzz.

After all, Soi Fon vaguely remembered that it seemed that she had grabbed Wang Xun under the influence of alcohol, and then the following events occurred.

There was a moment of silence between them, then Soi Fon seemed to have adjusted and asked softly.

What brings you here today?

"Just dropping by to see you, and I happened to stop by the Second Division to take care of some business."

Then, Wang Xun handed over the paper bag in his hand.

Soi Fon glanced down at the paper bag.

"Here, I brought you some yakitori, it's still warm."

Wang Xun said.

Soi Fon hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took the paper bag.

Her movements were very gentle; when her fingertips touched Wang Xun's palm, she slightly pulled back before taking the whole hand.

She looked down at the skewers of grilled food in the paper bag, and checked the flavors; they were the kinds she liked to eat last night.

"You remember it very well."

Her voice was much softer than before, and there was still a hint of deliberate nonchalance in her words, but her tone had softened.

Soi Fon took out the yakitori, ate it in small bites, and then said softly.

"I'll be doing instantaneous shut-in training in a few days. Are you coming?"

Wang Xun was slightly surprised upon hearing this, then smiled and asked in return.

Do you want me to come?

Soi Fon pursed her lips, turned her back to him, and her ears were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

"Whatever, there's no one at the training ground at night anyway, come or don't come if you want."

Wang Xun smiled upon hearing this and stood up.

"Then I'll come over then."

Upon hearing this, Soi Fon snorted softly, then dumped all the remaining dried fish from the plate onto the ground, stood up, and walked towards the training ground without looking back.

After taking a few steps, he paused, as if he wanted to turn back, but in the end he didn't. He just walked a little faster than before.

Looking at Soi Fon's retreating figure, Wang Xun felt much more relaxed.

It seems that Soi Fon is much more accepting of this matter than he thought.

Furthermore, it's clear that Yoruichi's departure is gradually fading the impact on Soi Fon.

It's just a matter of putting in a little more effort.

Isn't this a good thing?

Wang Xun turned around and walked towards his target.

As always, the entrance to the maggots' nest was heavily guarded.

Before arriving, Wang Xun had prepared himself for being stopped.

He no longer has the access rights that Kisuke Urahara provided him, and the Maggot Nest will theoretically restrict his entry and exit.

But when the gatekeeper saw Wang Xun, he hesitated for a moment.

Wang Xun frequented this place and was familiar with them.

"Deputy Captain Wang Xun, do you have an official letter with you for this trip?"

"The gatekeeper asked."

"No, I just came to see Captain Unohana."

"If you need it, I can ask Vice Captain Ōmaeda for a letter."

Wang Xun said.

The goalkeeper remained silent for a few seconds.

Wang Xun could tell that this person was hesitating.

The reasons for his hesitation were numerous and complex, and these intertwined relationships gave the gatekeeper every reason to refuse him.

But in the end, the goalkeeper did not refuse.

He remained silent for a moment, then stepped aside to make way.

"Captain Unohana is in the room further inside."

Thank you.

The iron gate closed behind me, shutting out the sunlight.

Wang Xun walked step by step down the stairs into the darkness. The light from the spirit lamp grew dimmer and dimmer, and the air became increasingly humid.

After passing through the crowded hall, we arrived at a separate prison area. Low murmurs and the sound of chains dragging on the floor occasionally drifted from the cells on either side.

In the deepest solitary cell, Unohana sat on the stone bed.

Her clothes were neat and clean, her long hair was loose and draped over her shoulders, and her hands were placed on her knees, her posture was calm.

Sensing the movement at the door, Unohana opened her eyes and looked at Wang Xun standing outside the iron fence.

"Wang Xun?"

Her voice was very soft.

"What, you actually know to come and visit your captain?"

Wang Xun stood in front of the iron fence and remained silent for a moment.

"There are some things I didn't explain to you beforehand, and that's my fault."

Unohana remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"But all of this isn't entirely off track; it's just that there's been an added element of improvisation."

"Aizen's power is overwhelming; his Kyoka Suigetsu covers the entire Seireitei. There's no chance of winning in a direct confrontation; all attempts will be thwarted by Kyoka Suigetsu. We have no choice but to resort to this tactic."

His voice was very low, so low that only the two of them could hear it.

"The Hollowfied captains will be fine. Yoruichi Shihouin and Kisuke Urahara will take good care of them."

"Captain, please trust me, we'll keep the secret here for now."

He raised his hand and pointed to his chest.

"I assure you, there will be a day when the clouds will part and the sun will rise."

Unohana looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

Then, she spoke softly.

"Does Aizen know what you're saying?"

Wang Xun gently shook his head.

"He doesn't know that I said these words without anyone instructing me; they were all from the bottom of my heart."

"I just hope the captain believes me; this situation won't last much longer."

Unohana closed her eyes, and after a long while, she spoke again.

"Understood," she said. "Go ahead, the Fourth Division is temporarily in your hands."

Wang Xun lowered his head, took a step back, then turned around and slowly went back the way he came.

Behind her, under the light of the spirit lamp, Unohana still sat on the stone bed, slowly closing her eyes.

When Wang Xun emerged from the maggot's nest, it was already dark.

The gatekeeper nodded slightly to him without saying anything more.

The iron gate slammed shut behind them with a dull metallic clang.

He walked towards the Fourth Division, and when he arrived at the entrance of the Fourth Division, he saw the members of the Fifth Division.

Aizen's message has arrived.

Soon, Wang Xun arrived at Aizen's laboratory, where Aizen was standing in front of the lab table.

Wang Xun walked to the experimental table and stood still.

"Lieutenant Aizen, what brings you here?"

Aizen turned around, picked up a document spread out on the lab table, and handed it to Wang Xun.

"I probably don't need to go into too much detail; it's about Mayuri Kurotsuchi's involvement in the development of the Shadow Realm."

"Yes."

Wang Xun took the document, glanced at it, and saw it was a preliminary assessment of the research report on Mayuri Kurotsuchi submitted by the Covert Force.

"I anticipate that the Soul Society will be bogged down in their search for the Quincy for a while, as they intend to target them."

Aizen's voice was calm.

"The spatial barrier of the Shadow Realm is fundamentally different from the Kido barrier commonly used by Shinigami. With the current technological reserves of the Twelfth Division, it is not an easy task to reverse analyze and lock the entrance."

"But I didn't expect Mayuri Kurotsuchi to be such a variable."

"I was surprised to learn that Kisuke Urahara worked with him in the maggot's nest to develop space technology, which allowed him to master the core principles of the Shadow Realm and even reproduce the method of opening the entrance."

Aizen turned around and looked in the direction of the Hogyoku.

"However, it won't have much of an impact."

"My alliance with the Quincy was never based on any morality. They wanted to use me against the Seireitei, and I wanted to use them to restrain the Gotei 13. We both knew this perfectly well."

"The Seireitei's move against them now is simply a matter of the planned conflict being brought forward a little earlier."

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"With the Mirror Flower Water Moon as our guide, we need not fear that the Quincy can leak secrets to the Grim Reaper."

"Even if they claim that Aizen Sousuke is the mastermind, the Seireitei will only consider it a slanderous statement made in a death throes."

He turned around, looked at Wang Xun, and his eyes held a look of expectation.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing how the current Seireitei will fare against those unprepared Quincy."

"We need to be prepared. Perhaps this battle can provide a lot of suitable materials for the Hogyoku."

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