Death: This Death is a bit unorthodox.

"At 120 years old... will I be the same as you?" Ise Nanao asked thoughtfully.

"It depends on who you're comparing yourself to. There are people who are almost two hundred years old but look like children." Aozaki Mayuki shrugged.

Lisa Yadomaru felt slightly relieved. It seemed that at least this guy still had some principles; being just over a hundred years old was indeed too young.

“Actually, I’ve seen people who still look like children at three hundred years old. Some develop early, some develop late, it’s all normal,” Yadomaru Lisa continued. “Don’t worry, Nanao.”

Upon hearing this, Ise Nanao's face looked as if she had just swallowed that three-hundred-year-old child.

"Speaking of which, I think Xiao Qixu has grown quite fast over the years."

Looking at Ise Nanao's small face, Aozaki Mayuki noticed that Ise Nanao was in a bad mood and quickly comforted her.

Ise Nanao pouted, "But Mayuki is even younger than me."

"This is a special case for me. I've been like this ever since I came to Soul Society." Aozaki Mayuki pinched her little cheek.

Ise Nanao lowered her head.

She didn't seem to have any objections.

She often gets her cheeks pinched by Aozaki Mayuki, because she's so cute that he wants to pinch her cheeks.

She really enjoys this feeling, just like she really enjoys being patted on the head. It's a similar way of comforting someone, so she sometimes displays very intense emotions.

Aozaki Mayuki cooperated by pinching my cheek and smiling, making Ise Nanao too embarrassed to look up.

“Actually, growing up isn’t all that great; there are just too many things to worry about.” Aozaki Mayuki held Ise Nanao’s small hand and squatted down so that she could see her face clearly.

Her eyes darted left and right, avoiding eye contact with Aozaki Mayuki.

"Is that so?" Ise Nanao felt that this man didn't seem to have any worries. He lived a carefree and happy life every day, and many people envied him.

"I'm very tired too. There are so many things I need to worry about."

Aozaki Mayuki pouted, looking like a child with a wronged expression.

“Many people need me, and I need them too. I always hold their hearts in my heart, and they also have a place for me in theirs. I can't just turn a blind eye to it all…”

"Hey! What nonsense are you spouting to our adorable little team member, you wretched creature?"

Suddenly, a thick, powerful hand gripped Aozaki Mayuki's head like an iron clamp.

At the same time, an extremely lazy voice entered Aozaki Mayuki's ears.

"Adults should handle their own affairs. She's still a child. Why are you telling her this kind of thing?"

Upon hearing this voice, Aozaki Mayuki's body trembled slightly.

This voice represents not only his senior brother, but he may also call him uncle in the future.

He was caught red-handed getting close to the other party's niece. Anyone in that situation would probably feel guilty meeting the parents.

But when he thought that Ise Nanao herself was unaware of this kinship, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Why should I treat this guy as my uncle when even Ise Nanao doesn't know him?

Chapter 232 Self-Deception

Under the watchful eyes of many members of the Eighth Division, Aozaki Mayuki was dragged into the captain's office by Kyoraku Shunsui without any mercy.

After entering the room, Kyoraku Shunsui first pressed Aozaki Mayuki into a seat, and then sat down opposite him.

With a half-smile on his face, he asked in a very amiable tone:

"My dear junior brother, could you please tell me, as your senior brother, what exactly is going on between you and Xiao Qixu?"

Upon hearing this, Aozaki Mayuki's expression became somewhat unnatural, but he still forced himself to remain calm and asked in return:

"Senior brother, you're not Xiao Qixu's parent, so why are you meddling in these matters?"

Faced with Aozaki Mayuki's question, Kyoraku Shunsui suddenly became speechless; he really didn't know how to answer the question.

Should he tell his junior brother that he is actually Nanao's uncle, and that he promised her mother that he would keep her away from the Ise family's curse, and that he had been hiding the truth in order to sever her connection with the Ise family?

If I really said that, my junior brother would probably just think it was a lie I made up to break them up.

But we can't just take out that cursed sword easily, what should we do?

Kyoraku Shunsui sighed helplessly, muttering to himself:

"Sigh, this is really difficult..."

Just then, Aozaki Mayuki suddenly changed the subject, saying with a hint of teasing:

"The team members' relationship problems are none of the captain's business. Senior brother, you should mind your own business first. You're getting on in years and still can't find a wife. Does that mean you actually prefer men?"

"It's a tough stance," said Aozaki Mayuki.

He now holds the initiative; his relationship with Nanao Ise is a free choice, and "unrelated people" have no right to interfere.

"No wonder you dress so flashy every day. Stay away from me from now on!" Aozaki Mayuki said disdainfully, taking two steps back with a frightened look on her face.

"You brat, you dare to turn the tables on me!"

Kyoraku Shunsui's eyes twitched, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time.

"You just don't know how to appreciate things," he said viciously. "My taste is something many people would love to learn but can't. The female team members adore me. What do you know, you brat!"

"Whoever wants to learn can learn, but I don't want to. The flamboyant style doesn't suit me; I'm more suited to a cool and elegant style."

Aozaki Mayuki waved her hand dismissively.

Kyoraku Shunsui was so angry he almost jumped up, thinking that how dare he question his fashion sense! He had to teach him a lesson later!

But the most important thing right now is to figure out what happened between him and Xiao Qixu, so he took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and then said seriously:

"Alright, enough joking around. Junior brother, I'm serious. You have to tell me what exactly happened between you and Xiao Qixu."

"As the team leader, I have a responsibility to care about the condition of each team member, and this may involve some dangerous factors. I hope you can understand and cooperate with me."

Aozaki Mayuki playfully stuck out her tongue:

"Oh dear, senior brother, someone like you who's been a bachelor for a thousand years can't possibly understand the wonderful taste of love! You'll understand when you start dating."

Kyoraku Shunsui was quite annoyed after hearing this. He was a renowned romance novelist in Seireitei, yet he was being questioned for not understanding love.

This is an insult to his professional abilities!

He countered:

"Hmph, your senior brother here is the author of 'The Rose-Colored Path,' do you know 'The Rose-Colored Path'? It's the best-selling romance novel in Seireitei, how could I not understand love!?"

Seeing this, Aozaki Mayuki raised an eyebrow and replied with a slightly displeased tone:

"Since you know so much, why are you asking so many questions?"

Kyoraku Shunsui was speechless for a moment, then sighed helplessly:

"Alright, I admit I was being nosy. But I have another question for you. Junior brother, are you afraid of death?"

Aozaki Mayuki shook her head. "Of course I'm not afraid! I've brushed with death countless times to get to where I am today. We're so familiar with each other, why would I be afraid of it?"

Kyoraku Shunsui was taken aback. He had forgotten that although his junior brother was now enjoying great success, he had indeed experienced a lot of hardships before.

I won't go into what happened in Seireitei, but I heard he used to be the boss of a district in Rukongai.

Kyoraku Shunsui knew a place like Rukongai; that status was absolutely earned with one's life on the line.

This kid's got a really tough life!

Aozaki Mayuki smiled slightly and replied easily, "What, senior brother? Do you think I'd lose my life just because I'm in a relationship?"

"Haha, how could that be!" Kyoraku Shunsui quickly waved his hand to explain, "If I told you that you might face life-threatening danger if you were with Nanao, would you still be so determined?"

"Yes." Aozaki Mayuki looked into his eyes.

"This kind of thing needs no further explanation, and my answer will never change."

"Senior brother, you asked me to come here today for more than just these personal matters, right? Let's get down to business."

Kyoraku Shunsui stared into his eyes for a long while before sighing and saying, "I hope you won't regret it."

Aozaki Mayuki didn't take his senior's advice to heart.

Having fused with the Hogyoku, it's practically impossible for him to die. He's not afraid of any of the Ise family's ridiculous curses!

"Actually, it was the old man who asked me to call you here." Kyoraku Shunsui took a deep breath and finally got down to business.

"Old man?" Aozaki Mayuki muttered. He didn't sense the old man's spiritual pressure.

Kyoraku Shunsui said, "The old man wants the Shiba family to return to Seireitei."

Aozaki Mayuki scratched his head. "The Shiba family? How many years have they been gone from Seireitei? Why are you thinking of bringing them back now?"

“The few surviving young sons of the Tsuna-Yashiro family are completely unable to control the remaining family power,” Kyoraku Shunsui said. “Now that the court is in turmoil, my teacher hopes that the Shiba family can return to replace the Tsuna-Yashiro family and maintain the stability of the Seireitei.”

“The Shiba family only has four people left. How can they possibly replace the Tsuna-Yayo family?” Aozaki Mayuki asked.

"Although the Shiba family has few members, Captain Isshin and Vice-Captain Kaien are both outstanding talents, aren't they?"

Kyoraku Shunsui glanced at him, a strange smile playing on his lips.

"What's more, you, the monstrous eleventh generation Kenpachi, are supporting me from behind."

"Senior brother really thinks highly of me." Aozaki Mazuki pouted.

"The reason why the five noble families are the five noble families is not only because their ancestors once followed the Spirit King, but also because their noble bloodline allowed them to maintain absolute military strength for a considerable period of time."

Kyoraku Shunsui said,

"In the end, this is a world where strength speaks. Even if the old man outwardly submits to the court, which of those rulers would truly dare to treat him as a servant?"

"Captain Yixin has agreed, but he said he can only represent the branch family and can't handle the main family's affairs. It would be more useful to talk to you."

"Why didn't the old man tell me himself?" Aozaki Mayuki stroked his chin.

Kyoraku Shunsui said, "The old man doesn't want to get involved in noble affairs, so he can only let me, a higher-ranking noble, speak on his behalf."

"Isn't this just deceiving yourself?"

"Who can argue with that?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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