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

—Although the prejudice has not been eliminated.

“Last month you could only release the number four ‘rope,’ and now you’ve already learned the number eight?” Mi Zhen sighed. “You’re much better than I was back then.”

"...But I could never quite grasp the knack, and only occasionally could I successfully release it."

Nanao lowered her head, then glanced at the smiling Shikatori Hakunsai: "Watanabe, this... sister is instructing me in the Kido, is there anything you need?"

Our combined ages are probably only a fraction of hers, how dare you call her "sister"...

However, Shikatori Hakunsai's big eyes do give her a somewhat baby-faced look. Judging from her appearance alone, she is probably a little younger than Lisa, which explains why Nanao calls her that.

"That's very impolite."

Mima chuckled and looked at Shikatori Hakunsai, saying, "I haven't asked your name yet... I don't think I've seen you in the 8th Division before."

"Just kidding."

The progenitor of the glasses-wearing girls in the Eighth Division smiled gently and met Mima's gaze: "If you didn't know who I was, why would you look so wary? — Although it sounds like I'm bragging, I'm quite confident in my affability."

...Unexpectedly perceptive.

"After all, I don't want to make things worse."

Mi Zhen scratched his head, then glanced at Nanao without making a sound, and gave Shikato Hakunsai an inquiring look.

She smiled and nodded.

Chapter 75: The Invisible Causes Trouble, the Most Deadly [Tenth Update]

"Qixu, the season is getting colder. If a child like you stays outside for too long, you might catch a cold." He patted Qixu on the back. "Go back inside quickly, and remember to close the doors and windows."

"Wait... but I..."

"Listen to me, go back now." Mi Zhen raised her voice slightly. "I have something to talk to this 'big sister' about."

"..."

Although Nana is young, she is not stupid.

She immediately sensed the increasingly dangerous atmosphere between Mima and Shikato Hakunsai, then understood Mima's unspoken message. After a two-second pause, she decisively stood up, glanced at each of them, and then ran back to her room without a word.

But every few steps he would turn back, and the worry in his eyes grew heavier and heavier.

"Alright, now we can have a proper chat."

After Nanao had completely disappeared from sight, Mima's gaze remained unchanged as she smiled and asked, "I am truly flattered by the sudden arrival of a senior like you."

"It's nothing, I just came back to visit." Rokuto Hakuunzai looked up at the needles of the Japanese cedar and chuckled nostalgically. "Look, when I left back then, it was only as tall as my waist, but now it's visible from outside the courtyard."

“The passage of time is such a poignant thing,” Mima chimed in. “If you’d like to see how the Eighth Division has changed over the years, I’d be happy to show you—a smile is good for everyone.”

"That's truly an honor."

Lu Qu Baiyunzhai glanced at him and sighed softly: "In the few days I've been out here, I've roughly looked through the basic history textbooks—but you don't need to be so nervous. I'm not the kind of woman like Yachiru who likes to kill for fun."

That sounds like a serial killer saying he doesn't enjoy violence like a terrorist...

Damn it... my stomach hurts so much. I should have found a way to take Nanao to the Shinigami Academy this morning to kill time...

"We younger generations don't really know much about those kinds of things."

Mi Zhen shrugged. "After all, you have a great reputation. I've already done my best to remain calm like this."

"A renowned reputation... that is indeed the case." Lu Qu Bayunzhai lowered his eyes. "Don't worry, junior. I'm only here to take care of a few things that I didn't finish back then. It wasn't easy for Yuanliuzhai to maintain this order. I don't intend to cause any disruption."

Mizhen asked doubtfully, "Get things done?"

"Send some things that should have gone to hell long ago away from Soul Society." She closed her eyes and smiled slightly. "That's all."

Sending someone to hell?

Wait a minute... is this a descriptive or realistic statement? If it's the former, that's fine, but if it's the latter...

Mi Zhen's mind raced, and she decided to test him again.

“That’s very interesting,” he said with a smile. “Could we talk about it in more detail? After all, you are a senior member of the Eighth Division. If there’s anything I can do to help, I’m sure no one in the division will hesitate to ask.”

Shikato Hakunsai raised an eyebrow, glanced at Mima with some surprise, and then shook his head: "That's a historical issue that should be handled by old folks like me and Yachiru. There's no need to involve you juniors."

“That is not true,” Mi Zhen said seriously. “How can we entrust all the heavy responsibilities to our predecessors? Although my generation is not yet up to par, we should still be able to help alleviate some of the burdens.”

"Hmm?" Lu Qu Baiyunzhai blinked and said, "Really?"

Mizhen nodded immediately.

She gave a shy, girl-next-door smile and said softly, "What if I were to kill everyone in Room 46?"

"what?"

Shikaku Hakunsai's smile remained unchanged: "I'm serious."

"..."

Mima tensed her facial muscles and began a rapid brainstorming session.

Historical records do not provide detailed accounts of Lu Qubaiyunzhai's crimes.

The simple phrase "disobedient and thus banished to the deepest abyss" is hardly of any reference value—after all, the original captains were all villains, and even the reformed minority like Old Man Shan and Sister Hua had countless dark histories. Who knows what the so-called "disobedience" actually means?

Moreover, he never imagined he would meet the real person; he only read about them as stories.

Damn, I should have studied this more carefully back then.

However… “We must kill every single member of the Forty-Sixth Chamber…”

If we take this statement seriously, he might have a bold idea.

"Ahem..." Mima cleared her throat and smiled again, "As you said, since you don't take pleasure in killing like Captain Unohana did before, there must be some unique reason, right? If you don't mind, could you explain it to me?"

"..."

Shikatoshi Hakunsai glanced at Mima with interest, then smiled and said, "You do have some guts—whether you're stalling for time to wait for reinforcements or you're genuinely curious, it's all commendable."

Mi Zhen nodded and smiled: "You flatter me."

“Then please state your name, junior.” Shikatori Hakunsai placed his palm on his ample chest and said with a slightly solemn expression, “I am the first captain of the Eighth Division, Shikatori Hakunsai. How should I address you?”

Yama answered neither humbly nor arrogantly: "The current fifth seat of the Eighth Division is Watanabe Yama."

"Hmm, the fifth seat? It seems Genryusai hasn't wasted his time all these years; the level of the Gotei 13 has indeed improved considerably." Shikatori Hakunsai shrugged. "However, the history lessons are still the same as before—the current captain is Shunsui, right? Why doesn't he mention me to you guys?"

“Well, the captain… he’s easygoing and doesn’t usually have the chance to talk to us about those old stories.” Mi Zhen coughed and said, “How should I put it… juniors like me don’t really have the opportunity to learn about history.”

"is it?"

Shikatori Hakunsai didn't show any surprise, but said calmly, "Considering you're from the 8th Division, I'll give you a piece of advice—there's a way to die called 'knowing too much.' If you don't want to get involved in the conflict, you'd better turn around and leave now to go to the headquarters to find Genryusai."

Mi Zhen really liked hearing that.

Of course, who in their right mind would want to get involved in all this messy stuff in Seireitei?

Unlike Aizen, who aspired to be the Soul King, he could easily find a quiet job and live a carefree life without any conflict... But even a lazy bum has his limits. If he were to turn a blind eye to the injustices and misfortunes right under his nose, he would be no different from a corpse.

To improve his living conditions, he would do whatever he could, including cooperating with Aizen and getting involved in the affairs of this senior.

—The above is the high-class version of the statement.

The straightforward answer is simple: Don't be fooled by Shikatori Hakunsai's cute appearance; he's actually an old cucumber over two thousand years old. Only a fool would believe he's pure white just because he sees a layer of green paint on the surface. If you don't figure out this ancestor's intentions, Mima will definitely be restless.

"Look at what you're saying."

Mima shrugged: "Isn't 'not knowing your own limitations' a more common way to die than 'knowing too much'? The former might just take my life, but the latter... Senior, you're sitting right next to me right now. If I really do something rebellious, you can just wave your hand and cut off my head, can't you?"

Just like a scene that often appears in movies and TV dramas, a gang leader with a friendly face says to a henchman, "Go, I won't make things difficult for you," and then shoots the henchman's running back—given the infamous reputation of the original Gotei 13... the probability of this kind of development occurring is really high.

No, it should be 100%.

Because the woman's right hand was resting on the hilt of the knife and dangling.

Moreover, he always felt a chill on his neck.

"you are interesting."

After hearing this, Shiroku Hakuunzai smiled and moved his slender hand away from the hilt of his sword: "Well... you're not wrong. The operation a few days ago to count the number of prisoners in the Infernal Affairs was really fatal for me. Now that Genryuzai knows that I escaped, he will definitely take action himself once he finds my trail."

"Then why do you still..."

Before she could finish speaking, Mima realized what was happening.

Why did this senior figure dare to appear here in broad daylight?

Since the entire Seireitei is now under martial law, and her escape has been exposed, as long as she continues to operate within Seireitei, she will eventually be found, so there is little point in hiding anymore.

Why is she here?

"Of course, it's to find someone." Lu Quba Yunzhai revealed a meaningful smile. "Who do you think got me into this predicament?"

"..."

He knows that all too well!

After all, it was he himself who prompted the old man to order the inventory of the list of inmates.

“Ahem…” Mi Zhen turned his gaze away and said, “This matter… ahem, is beyond our control. I did not expect it to cause you trouble, senior.”

The trouble I unintentionally caused has come back to haunt me, and I'm not sure if I can beat her. What should I do? I need help urgently.

"I told you, there's no need to be so nervous."

Shikatori Hakunsai held his Zanpakuto in its sheath, tossed it up and down a few times, and then said softly, "Killing you is not a worthwhile option. If something goes wrong there, it could easily attract Shunsui's attention."

"There must be more to it than that."

Mima pointed to herself: "You said before that you 'investigated this incident,' and if I'm not mistaken, that should include me. In other words, you can't be sure if the person sitting here is my 'true form.'"

“Very clever. I like talking to clever people.” Shikato Hakunsai smiled. “It is not an easy task to gather information in the Seireitei under martial law. Even I spent a lot of effort to get some information about you from a few kind soldiers. But don’t worry, they are all fine, both physically and mentally.”

Chapter 76: There Must Always Be a Target of Persecution [First Update]

...That sounds really suspicious.

Mi Zhen's lips twitched slightly, and she tentatively asked, "So, what are you planning to do...?"

“What’s that saying again…right, when soldiers come, we’ll block them; when water comes, we’ll dam it.” Lu Quba Yunzhai shrugged. “I don’t want to be burned to death by Yuan Liuzhai, nor do I want to be imprisoned in the Abyss without accomplishing anything. So, I can only think of new ways—like finding a place to hide temporarily.”