Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain
The probing look in Aizen's eyes vanished instantly, as if it had never been there. He then turned to Xuanxin and said:
"Now that Captain Yoruichi is here, I won't disturb you any longer. The official documents aren't urgent, Master. You can take your time reading them. Once you've signed them, just send someone to deliver them to the Fifth Division."
Aizen then bowed slightly to the two of them before leaving the room, even thoughtfully closing the captain's office door behind him.
Seeing this, Yoruichi said, "Xuanxin, your student has quite a good eye, doesn't he?"
After hearing Yoruichi's words, Xuanxin nodded noncommittally without saying anything more, but he had also seen Aizen 'Xuanxin gaze.
As Sōsuke Aizen stepped out of the 11th Division's barracks, the smile on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by a seriousness and deep contemplation rarely seen on Aizen face.
Aizen stopped and turned around, his deep eyes piercing through the layers of buildings as he gazed intently at the direction of the 11th Division Captain's office.
A fierce cloud of doubt churned in his eyes.
A few days ago, late one night, he and Kaname Tōsen in a hidden barrier, discussing their next plan.
He clearly sensed a brief surge of Reiatsu erupting from beneath the Seireitei!
And that Reiatsu undoubtedly belonged to Shihoin Genshin; he would never mistake that sword intent that could cleave through everything.
However, after Xuanxin's Reiatsu erupted, Aizen couldn't sense any feedback from the enemy's Reiatsu. There were no Menos Grande, no Shinigami; it was as if he were wielding his sword against nothingness.
After that fatal blow, Xuanxin unusually took several days off.
When he returned today, he was not only unharmed, but the only unusual thing about him was the conspicuous "couple's bracelet".
In Aizen's perception, it was indeed just an ordinary ornament without any fluctuation of spiritual power. But precisely because of this, Aizen's apprehension deepened.
Aizen pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, a cold smile curving his lips.
"Are they really matching couple accessories... or is this just a smokescreen? Teacher Shihoin, what exactly did you encounter underground...?"
Aizen withdrew his gaze and strode towards the Fifth Division, his low murmur slowly fading away in the empty corridor:
"I'm finding you increasingly unfathomable... In that case, it's time to accelerate my plans across the board."
Chapter 73 Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain
Since this secret incident, the Soul Society has once again entered a period of peace.
During this time, Kisuke Urahara practically treated the Shinigami Research and Development Institute like his own home, immersing himself in the mountains of data, searching for a way to completely destroy the Hōgyoku.
Aizen's actions became increasingly strange. After noticing the changes in Xuanxin, he secretly accelerated the implementation of his earth-shattering plan.
As for the forbidden creation feared by everyone— the Hōgyoku —it was forced into a state of hibernation.
For Musashi, the Hōgyoku was practically a "high-class buffet" that he could use at will.
Sometimes, Xuanxin could clearly sense that Musashi was secretly extracting pure energy from the Hōgyoku.
The Hōgyoku's faint consciousness tried to resist, but under Musashi's sharp sword intent, the Hōgyoku's consciousness couldn't even make a ripple, and it could only be forced to accept its fate as a 'power bank'.
Since this power is indeed far beyond the limits of the Grim Reaper, if too much is injected at once, Xuanxin's body and soul may not be able to withstand it and will collapse instantly.
So, in the spiritual world, Musashi, while savoring that pure energy, coldly explained to Xuanxin:
"So, I can only shatter this power, hiccup~, and then slowly integrate it into your body. This process will be long, but it will be absolutely safe, hiccup~"
Xuanxin had complete faith in Musashi's judgment, but judging from Musashi's current state, it seemed he had been taking advantage of the Hōgyoku quite a bit.
Thus, taking advantage of this peaceful period, Xuanxin began to systematically advance his long-planned scheme—the reform of the aristocratic system.
As the de facto head of the Shihoin Clan, Xuanxin knew better than anyone how deeply the concept of "nobility" was rooted in Soul Society. This class barrier, which had lasted for millions of years, could not be completely severed by the sword in his hand.
Moreover, if they were to rashly overthrow them by force, it would inevitably provoke a collective backlash from the entire noble class, and the entire Soul Society would be plunged into a war of internal strife.
Therefore, Xuanxin chose the method of slowly boiling the frog. He wanted to gradually put invisible shackles on these nobles who were used to being high and mighty.
At this noble council meeting, Xuanxin, dressed in the robes of the head of the Shihoin Clan, and Yoruichi formally presented a proposal entitled "Treaty on Equal Rights and Responsibilities of Nobles".
The core idea of this proposal is very clear: to acknowledge and retain the privileged status of the nobility, but to explicitly stipulate that "while enjoying these privileges, the nobility must bear obligations far exceeding those of commoners."
On the one hand, the proposal significantly increased the penalties for violations of law and discipline by noble children, and explicitly rejected some of the "immunity" granted to nobles within the Seireitei.
Furthermore, a scholarship fund was established, spearheaded by the Five Great Noble Clans and funded by various minor noble families, specifically for the commoners of Rukongai.
Meanwhile, in order to reduce resistance to the implementation of the plan, the proposal also promised to increase and fix a certain proportion of exclusive seats for various nobles in the Sixth Division and the Shin'ō Academy.
When this proposal was placed on the huge Round Table, the faces of those old-fashioned nobles who were used to the nobility ruling over everything instantly turned ugly.
Some attempted to protest using ancestral laws, while others turned to the Kuchiki Clan, another of the Four Great Noble Clans, for help.
However, to the surprise of all the conservatives, this proposal, which was clearly "cutting the flesh off the aristocracy," did not cause much of a stir at the meeting.
Xuanxin's influence within the Seireitei has now reached an unprecedented level, so some minor nobles naturally dare not confront a behemoth like the Shihoin Clan head-on.
The Kuchiki Clan, also a great noble family, not only did not object to the proposal after reading it, but also nodded in approval and was the first to affix Kuchiki Clan seal to it.
In Ginrei Kuchiki's eyes, Xuanxin's suggestion was the perfect opportunity to showcase his aristocratic style.
Thus, once the two insurmountable mountains Shihoin and the Kuchiki Clan, reached a consensus, there was no longer any resistance to the implementation of this reform.
With the implementation of the treaty, the atmosphere within the Seireitei began to change noticeably.
At least on the streets of Seireitei, when some commoner Grim Reapers encountered nobles, although they still kept their distance, their eyes no longer held the same fear as before, as if they had seen something filthy.
The solid ice called class is slowly melting in Xuanxin's invisible hands.
If we're talking about the most successful and triumphant person in the entire Soul Society right now, it would definitely be the previous head of the Shihoin Clan — Shihoin Seigen.
As a retired official who stepped down early, Seigen's daily routine now consists of fishing with a fishing rod by the lake in Seireitei.
But what he was fishing for wasn't just fish; it was the unparalleled sense of accomplishment that made him proud throughout the entire Soul Society.
At this time, under the leadership of Xuanxin and Yoruichi, the Shihoin Clan had reached its most powerful peak in history, and its power was so great that it even faintly surpassed that of Captain-Commander Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's First Division!
Of the Gotei 13, excluding the First Division personally commanded by Captain-Commander Yamamoto, the remaining twelve divisions are:
The Second Division Captain and the Commander-in-Chief of the Stealth Force is his beloved biological daughter, Yoruichi Shihōin.
The captain of the 11th Division, Kenpachi, the strongest man of his generation, is his son-in-law, Shihoin Genshin.
Kisuke Urahara, the captain of the Twelfth Division and the first director of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, was promoted by his son-in-law and daughter.
There have even been rumors circulating within the Thirteenth Division recently that the original Kenpachi has an ambiguous relationship with Xuanxin.
Although there seemed to be a hint of green light floating around his daughter's head, it was just a minor matter of youthful flirtation.
Whenever he thought of this, he even felt that the fish in the pond had become much more obedient.
But as time goes by...
In Xuanxin's view, more and more familiar faces began to emerge in the Gotei 13.
For example, Kensei Muguruma, the newly appointed captain of the Ninth Division, may seem slightly inferior in terms of fighting strength, but in other aspects he is indeed worthy of being a true captain.
Under his leadership, the entire Ninth Division became chivalrous and upright, with all members taking it upon themselves to help the weak and punish the strong, even becoming a unique sight in Soul Society.
The silver-haired boy he picked up from Rukongai also graduated from the Shin'ō Academy ahead of schedule in just one year thanks to his amazing talent and joined the Third Division.
Rangiku Matsumoto was assigned to the Tenth Division, beginning her somewhat lazy yet highly anticipated life as a Shinigami. However, she never secretly began her pursuit of that silver figure from back then.
Everything seemed to be progressing in the direction of Xuanxin's plan.
This calm lasted until a perfectly normal morning.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The alarm bell at the top of the First Division's assembly hall suddenly rang out sharply and piercingly, instantly shattering the long-standing tranquility of Seireitei!
Dozens of jet-black Hell Butterflies, carrying the highest-level, most urgent orders, flew into the offices of the thirteen captains simultaneously.
When Xuanxin put on his haori and stepped into the gate of the First Division with a solemn expression, he found that the other captains had also arrived.
A look of surprise and uncertainty crossed everyone's face, because the last time an alarm bell of this magnitude had rung was a long time ago!
In the center of the conference hall, Captain-Commander Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai leaned on his cane, his usually half-closed eyes now wide open, the solemn atmosphere making the air in the entire hall almost freeze.
Captain-Commander Yamamoto's gaze swept over all the captains, then Captain-Commander voice boomed in their ears:
"Just half Tokiomi ago, the Twelfth Division's Shinigami Research and Development Institute monitoring network issued its highest-level red alert."
"A riot has broken out in Hueco Mundo."
This statement caused an uproar throughout the room!
Kisuke Urahara stepped forward and solemnly pulled up the monitoring data chart:
"Captains, according to the feedback from the World of the Living and Hueco Mundo... for some unknown reason, the number of Menos Grande and the reproduction rate of lower-level Hollows have exploded in a very short period of time."
"Furthermore, if we don't curb the number of Hollows now, they are very likely to launch a large-scale invasion of the World of the Living and Soul Society! It could even affect the balance of the three worlds."
Xuanxin's brows furrowed deeply as he listened to Kisuke Urahara's report.
Hueco Mundo riots? He knew the Hollows' nature all too well.
Void creatures always adhere to the most primitive law of the jungle. Without a "king" with absolute dominance to deter and integrate them, it would be absolutely impossible for Void creatures to exhibit such organized aggregation and explosive growth!
"Could this be a trap... or is someone secretly plotting against us?"
Thinking of this, a fierce glint flashed in Xuanxin's eyes. For some reason, the image of that man who always wore a gentle smile instantly flashed through Xuanxin's mind.
Then, Captain-Commander Yamamoto's calm voice interrupted Xuanxin's thoughts, "Therefore, whatever the reason, the situation is now extremely critical. In order to prevent the balance from being broken, I have decided to launch the 'Hueco Mundo Expedition'."
Upon hearing the words "Hueco Mundo Expedition," many of the captains present changed their expressions drastically.
After all, each Hueco Mundo Expedition requires a large amount of resources, and the teams participating in the expedition also face high risks. Therefore, unless the number of Hollows is enough to affect the balance of the three realms, the Shinigami usually appear in a passive defensive posture.
Seeing the fire in the Captain-Commander's eyes, everyone knew that this expedition was a done deal. Seeing that no one objected, Old Man Yamamoto nodded in satisfaction and said:
"The objective of this expedition remains the same as before—to reduce the number of Hollows, destroy their settlements, and nip any uprising in the bud!"
After speaking, Captain-Commander Yamamoto's fiery gaze fell directly on Xuanxin, who was standing on his left:
"Captain of the 11th Division, Shihoin Genshin!"
"Your subordinate is here." Xuanxin stepped forward, his face calm.
"I hereby appoint the 11th Division as the vanguard of this expedition. Prepare immediately, penetrate deep into the heart of Hueco Mundo through the Senkaimon, and wipe out the Menos Grande!"
"Yes, sir."
Xuanxin accepted the mission without hesitation. No matter what conspiracy lay behind the Hueco Mundo riots, as the 11th Division commander in charge of killing, he had no reason to back down.
Since someone wanted to muddy the waters, he had no choice but to use the knife in his hand to completely cleave the muddy waters apart!
With the Captain-Commander's order given, the entire Gotei 13 instantly sprang into action, like a massive war machine.
The medical teams of the 11th Division and the Fourth Division, as well as various departments responsible for logistics and supplies, began to assemble urgently. Boxes of Reishi supplies, medicines, and all sorts of resources were continuously transported to the Senkaimon.
Meanwhile, in a secluded corner unnoticed by anyone, Fifth Division Lieutenant Sōsuke Aizen stood in the shadow of a tall tower, looking down at the busy assembling troops below.
However, his gaze remained fixed on the figure examining the supplies in Senkaimon, while Yoruichi followed Xuanxin, helping Xuanxin carefully check each box of supplies.