I'm really not the number one slacker in Soul Society.

The seal set up by the Kido Clan had been burned away. Shindou Ryuga stood silently in the forest, the Earth Token hovering above his head, emitting a hellish miasma that was more concentrated and profound than ever before—and transformed into a thread-like state, connecting Shindou Ryuga's limbs and bones, making him look like a... puppet.

Seeing that several soldiers were already covered in black flames, Mima clicked his tongue and stepped forward.

They severed their limbs and then used Kido to stop the bleeding. At this moment, Soi Fon also reacted and rushed over like the wind. She first took the wounded away, and then released her Zanpakuto without hesitation. She stood in front of Yama and stood guard against Shindou Ryuga.

...To be precise, it can't be called a standoff, because at this moment, Shindou Ryuga looked very strange. His eyes were rolled back, his posture was stiff, and he looked like a crudely made puppet, to the point that people could immediately think, "Is this guy unconscious?"

"Don't attack indiscriminately!"

Mima said warily, "This guy's flames are very troublesome! Once you get even a little bit on them, it's hard to get rid of them!"

He didn't need to say anything; Soi Fon, who had witnessed the entire battle, was well aware of it. Therefore, she simply maintained a stalemate and did not attack easily—it seemed she was looking for an opening in Kurogane's defenses. With her abilities, she had a significant advantage when fighting a big guy like Shindou Ryuga; a couple of hits would be enough for a victory.

But the one who took the first action was... Shindou Ryuga.

He moved his body a few times with an extremely strange rhythm, like a real marionette, and then turned his face toward Soi Fon and Yama.

"Hmph... the captain of the second division and the vice-captain of the eighth division, huh?"

A hoarse, distorted voice, like that of an old tape recorder, came from his throat.

—But this guy's mouth didn't move at all!

It was almost as if... something else was using Shindou Ryuga as a mouthpiece.

Sensing something amiss, Soi Fon frowned and asked, "Who...are you?"

"Little girl——"

"Shindou Ryuga" bluntly said, "One should at least maintain some basic courtesy to one's seniors. It seems that Genryuzai's education in this regard is not very rigorous."

You can tell he's a veteran just by the way he speaks...

Based on what she just saw in the mental imagery space, Mi Zhenzhen has a fairly plausible guess in mind...

"Where did this thief come from!" Soi Fon roared in fury. "How dare you call the Captain-Commander by his name!"

If Mima hadn't stopped her immediately, she probably would have already riddled Shindou Ryuga with holes using the swan bee.

"Don't be impulsive..." Mi Zhen whispered, "Maybe this is exactly what they want."

"Tsk..."

Soi Fon clenched her fist, gritted her teeth to stop her impulsive actions, and stared intently at "Shindou Ryuga" and said, "I'll ask you one more time, who exactly are you?"

“It’s a bit too informal to talk in this kind of setting.”

Shindou Ryuga pushed his bare nose, then, without changing his facial expression, said with a hint of interest, "Perfect timing. I heard that Shikatori has also escaped from the Abyss. Perhaps we old folks should find a place to have a proper get-together eight hundred years from now."

Cold sweat immediately dripped down Soi Fon's forehead.

She's just straightforward, that doesn't mean she's unintelligent.

The meaning hidden in these words is not obscure; it can be easily understood with a little thought.

—After last night's meeting, the Fifth and Eighth Divisions compiled a preliminary list of people who might be colluding with Shikatori Hakunsai. Among them, Iwahara Kinroku, who left Seireitei years ago and whose whereabouts are unknown, is a high-priority suspect.

He has a habit of pushing up his glasses, his personality is somewhat rigid, and he cares a lot about etiquette—these are some of the key points in Yan Yuanjin's personality profile.

Goodness, they all match up!

After a few seconds of stalemate, Shindou Ryuga glanced at Mima with a blank stare, then calmly said, "There's no need to be so wary. I have no intention of fighting you."

"What is your purpose?" Mi Zhen asked solemnly.

"It's very simple."

Shindou Ryuga took a step forward, facing the location of Seireitei: "Please pass on a message to Genryusai and Unohana for me. In a month, I will prepare a banquet for them at the old site of Genjijuku. If Shikatori also manages to hear this news, he is welcome to attend. Consider it a long-awaited gathering between old friends. Even if you don't come, it doesn't matter. I won't do anything."

Before Mima and Soi Fon could react, black flames suddenly surged around Shindou Ryuga, engulfing his entire body and burning his massive form to ashes within seconds, which then dissipated in the wind.

Chapter 217: Yan Yuanjinle

The Earth Token hanging above his head no longer emitted hellish miasma and fell gently to the ground like an ordinary object.

Mima and Soi Fon looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

..........................................

That night, in the present world.

"In short, that's the situation."

Mi Zhen took a sip of tea, shrugged at Shiroku Hakunsai, and said, "You still have an old friend who is alive."

“Jinle…”

She stroked her chin, lost in thought: "If he's still alive, it's not surprising at all—besides Yuan Liuzhai, he's the only one among us who survived a long battle with Yhwach. While his combat strength isn't particularly formidable, he's quite adept at preserving his life."

"It's probably a bit inappropriate for you to say this, senior..."

Mi Zhen squinted and retorted, "Even I only know a few people who know how to save their lives better than you."

“That’s the truth,” said Rokuto Hakumuzai, propping up half his face. “I rely on terrifying binding to prevent others from killing me, while Jinle is skilled at evasion. They are completely different methods from different fields, so how can they be confused?”

“Okay, you’re right.” Mima sighed. “So, are you planning to go to the invitation a month from now?”

"Why not?"

Lu Quba Yunzhai smiled and said, "Although my relationship with Jin Le is not that deep, we have fought side by side many times, so it is no exaggeration to say that we are old friends. Besides, you also hope that I will show my face from time to time to put some pressure on Yuan Liuzhai and the others, right?"

"Cough... This was Saki's idea, it has nothing to do with me."

Mima coughed lightly and protested, "I absolutely did not have any intention of watching for fun, absolutely not!"

“You’ve already confessed without being asked…” Rokuto Hakunsai rolled his eyes. “In short, make sure you have a way out for me. Putting aside Jin Le, if Genryuzai is determined to kill me even if it means abandoning Seireitei, then I won’t be able to escape.”

Mi Zhen nodded: "Don't worry about that, I'll figure out a good way to squeeze the workers out of them."

"Then it's settled." Shikatori Hakunsai yawned. "So... what was the Seireitei's reaction upon hearing the news that Kinle was still alive?"

"This is really interesting..."

Mizhen recalled the various tumultuous events she had experienced in the past half-day, and the corners of her mouth twitched involuntarily a few times.

The news that he and Soi Fon brought back was a great shock to Chamber 46.

After meticulously checking every detail again and again, the old man's already serious face became even more somber, and the work he was distributing to the soldiers became even more arduous... In short, under Yan Yuanjinle's relentless onslaught, the Seireitei's combat readiness level rose once more, and the already taut string was stretched even tighter.

After recounting these reactions to Shikatori Hakunsai in detail, Mima sighed, "In short... if this continues, Seireitei will probably go mad."

—I'm going crazy too.

Yan Yuanjinle had crossed paths with his future self, and who knows what he actually possessed? Moreover, he himself is currently missing, and there's no way to even defend against him—it's like someone suddenly flipping the table halfway through a game of chess; just thinking about it is enough to give you a headache.

Why do all these things pile up and come at once like this? Wouldn't it be better to let them come in one by one in order? At least give people some breathing room.

"interesting."

Shikatori Hakunsai seemed to have thought of something happy and suddenly laughed: "Now that I'm no longer the captain, this busy season has become a fun time for me."

Mima added a sarcastic remark, "Don't forget, I'm an active player. This kind of season isn't fun for me."

"This is your own choice, so you can't blame anyone else."

"That's right..."

Mizhen slumped onto the table, listlessly changing the subject: "So what kind of person is Senior Yan Yuanjinle? Although the Captain-Commander described him as 'serious in his actions and rigid in his style' and even gave the team members a portrait, he didn't go into any more detail. He only said some useless things like 'extremely dangerous in hostile situations, and if encountered, immediately retreat and report the news.'"

Rokuto Hakunsai clicked his tongue: "You really do see me as a useful tool for providing intelligence, don't you..."

"Don't say that. I trust you a lot, senior. I believe almost everything you say."

"Alright... let's talk about the old days."

As for Yan Yuanjinle, he is not prominent in Shikato Hakunsai's memories. Most of the time, he acts with the first captain of the Second Division, Shihōin Senhi, and is a master of assassination. Because almost all the scenes involving him are fast-forwarded, Mima didn't see him clearly. He only remembers that he is a ruthless person who is meticulous even when killing.

Shikato Hakunsai tapped the table with her index finger, seemingly adopting the role of a storyteller. She made a "this is a secret" gesture and lowered her voice, saying, "Like me, Kinroku was a famous ronin in Rukongai. He had a title called 'Yiken Genhara' (Righteous Sword Yan Yuan), which meant that he was fair and just and would stand up for justice when he saw someone doing evil. So, in the rumors, he was a righteous person who hated evil as if it were his enemy. He was also a rare person who was recruited by Genryusai through conversation."

These are all things you can find in books; there's nothing new about them.

"In the rumors?" Mima raised an eyebrow. "It sounds like things are about to take a turn for the worse."

“If we’re talking about the outcome, then there’s no reversal,” Shikaku Hakunsai continued. “In the rumors about Kinler, the part about his ‘righteous nature’ is false, but the part about his ‘rigidity’ is true—in essence, he has no interest in things like the execution of justice, and killing villains is simply because he is dissatisfied with ‘chaos’ because it doesn’t fit his aesthetic.”

“I understand.” Mima nodded. “Because what he does happens to coincide with justice, he looks like a champion of justice, but he’s actually an extremist—is that a correct understanding?”

“That’s pretty much it.” Shikato Hakuryuu nodded. “In your words, Kinle’s mysophobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder are very severe. He will arrange everything in an orderly manner, and his appearance is always impeccable. Even when he kills someone, he is particular about cleanliness. Therefore, the wounds he creates are always in accordance with rules. He will never dismember a person or burn them to ashes. He doesn’t care about justice or evil. He just wants to make the world a little 'cleaner'. The conditions proposed by Genryusai just meet this point, which is why he joined the Gotei 13 without hesitation.”

The original Team 13 were all incredibly strong...

"Jinle is skilled in hand-to-hand combat, slashing techniques, and the Instant Step technique. His skill level is almost on par with Qianri, and his personality is more suited to assassination than Qianri's. Although it's not quite appropriate to say it like this, I genuinely believe that the Shihouin family doesn't understand what covert operations are. Just like Qianri, who is clearly very skilled at stealth, he always gets exposed for some inexplicable reason, eventually becoming a situation where 'as long as I kill everyone who sees me, no one will know I was here.'"

Mima sighed, "I can certainly relate to that..."

Yan Yuanjin is more skilled at assassination than Shihouin Senri, but he is the captain of the Third Division.

Gin Ichimaru is obviously better suited for assassination than Soi Fon, but he is also the captain of the Third Division.

The Stealth Mobile Suit Gundam belongs to the Third Division.

After the brief exchange of witty remarks, Shikatori Hakunsai continued, "Kinro's Zanpakuto is called 'Wedge Heart'... To be honest, I'm not very clear about his abilities, because he has never explained them to us in detail, and we can only infer them from his performance."

"What is certain is that the ability of the Heart-Wedge is related to the mind. Jinle can bewitch others' minds, making them blind to what exists or see what does not exist. He can also instill extreme emotions in others, such as sadness, anger, and joy, thereby causing the enemy to collapse psychologically. He can also distinguish between truth and lies at a glance and see through what is hidden in other people's hearts... In short, the Heart-Wedge's ability is quite versatile and is much more useful than my Qitongwan in the field of interpersonal communication."

Does it sound a bit like the same model as the Mind Beacon?

But if you put it that way, you can understand why Old Man Shan ordered everyone to leave as soon as they saw Yan Yuanjin Le...

"As for Bankai..." Shikatori Hakunsai sighed, "Kinro has never used Bankai in front of us. According to him, the power of Bankai is not commensurate with him, and he has no need to use it, so it has been shelved."

After explaining these things, Shikatori Hakunsai added some details, taking nearly half an hour to introduce Yan Yuanjinle from the perspective of another first captain.

While it may not be directly applicable to the present day, more than 800 years later, it still provides a very complete impression model for Mima.

"The legendary stories of our predecessors always stir our hearts..."

Mima stood up, straightened his collar, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior. Although I would like to chat for a while longer, I still have a lot of work to do at Seireitei, so I'll head back now."

"Go on, go on, don't disturb me while I'm reading."

.............................................

Things must be done one step at a time. Ryuga Shindou's accident has come to a temporary end, and now it's time to plan how to deliver a message to Seireitei as a messenger... Although it sounds simple, there's a lot of work to be done, and we can't skip writing the script in advance.

In short, it's another busy season.