Discussing Soul Society's System

The air in the Captain- Captains’ Meeting Room froze after Liu Hao uttered those words. Nobility—a class that has been rooted in Soul Society for thousands of years—is as ancient and unshakable as the Seireitei itself. Yet now, this former Fifth Seat of the Fourth Division, a commoner, is questioning its legitimacy with such direct and disrespectful words.

Byakuya Kuchiki's face darkened. As the head of the Kuchiki Clan, the most prestigious of the Four Great Noble Clans, and one of the most outstanding representatives of this class, he could not tolerate such remarks. A cold glint flashed in his icy blue eyes, and his voice, like a winter wind, was sharp and dangerous. "Why is the Central 46 dragging our feet?!"

The question itself already indicated his stance— Byakuya Kuchiki did not believe there was a problem with the aristocratic system; he was questioning Liu Hao's doubts about the Central 46.

Liu Hao turned around, facing Byakuya Kuchiki's gaze. His expression showed no fear, but rather a calmness bordering on contempt. "Well, I think the concept of nobility should have been eliminated long ago."

This statement is like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating not just ripples, but raging waves.

Byakuya Kuchiki placed his hand on the hilt of Senbonzakura's sword. It wasn't a threat, but an instinctive reaction—a natural defense when noble dignity is offended. His voice deepened, each word seeming to be squeezed from beneath layers of ice. "How can you, a commoner, judge the greatness of nobility?!"

"Great?" Liu Hao scoffed, his laughter filled with undisguised contempt. "Where is the greatness? What I see more often is nobles abusing their status to oppress commoners, and even managing to escape due punishment by being confined to their homes."

He took a step forward, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Why did Kaname Tōsen follow Aizen? It's because his close friend was murdered by so-called nobles, and he had no way to seek justice. That's why he followed Aizen, wanting to overthrow this corrupt system. Why did Aizen want to replace the Soul King? It's simply because of these very systems."

Liu Hao's voice echoed in the empty hall, each word striking everyone's heart like a hammer blow. "How many Kaname Tōsen Aizen this ridiculous system, which prioritizes serving the nobility, create in the future?"

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

All the Captains fell silent. Many of them came from noble families— Jūshirō Ukitake came from the upper-class noble Ukitake Family, Shunsui Kyōraku was also the head of the upper-class noble Kyōraku family, Soi Fon came from the lower-class noble Hochi Fon Clan, Kenpachi Zaraki, although his origins were unknown, was able to establish himself in the Gotei 13, which in itself meant that he accepted the rules of the noble system.

However, they also saw the drawbacks of the aristocratic system. Kaname Tōsen's betrayal and Aizen's ambition were indeed shadowed by the system. The common people who were oppressed by the nobles but had nowhere to seek justice, the Soul Reaper whose development was limited because of their birth, and the injustice and corruption hidden beneath the glamorous surface of the Seireitei.

Byakuya Kuchiki stood still, his hand still on the hilt of his sword, but he ultimately did not draw it. He looked at Liu Hao, his usually calm eyes now churning with complex emotions—anger, confusion, and perhaps even a hint of wavering that he himself was unwilling to admit.

After a long while, he slowly released his grip without saying another word.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's voice broke the silence, steady and authoritative. "Alright, let's temporarily halt the discussion of matters concerning the nobility. The Central 46 will be temporarily taken over by the Gotei 13."

He glanced around at each Captain present, his gaze finally settling on Liu Hao: "The meeting is adjourned. Liu Hao, you will temporarily return to the World of the Living with the Ryoka. The Gotei 13 will send reinforcements to the World of the Living later to prevent Aizen's henchmen from attacking World of the Living."

The order had been given, and no one dared to question it.

After the meeting, Liu Hao followed Unohana back to the Fourth Division Barracks. The Fourth Division's courtyard was as quiet as ever, with the soft groans of the wounded coming from the treatment room, and the soldiers bustling about in the corridors. But beneath this tranquility, Liu Hao could sense a subtle atmosphere—the gazes cast his way held a hint of inquiry and awe.

After entering the Captain's office, Unohana closed the door, turned to look at Liu Hao, her expression gentle but her eyes serious. "Liu Hao, what you said about the nobility in the meeting today was somewhat reckless."

Liu Hao sat down in the chair and sighed, "I know. After all, there are quite a few nobles in the Gotei 13. However, the Soul Society has caused a lot of trouble because of the nobles, and if this continues, there will definitely be more unrest in the future."

Unohana walked to the window and looked at the cherry blossom tree in full bloom in the courtyard. It was early summer, and the cherry blossoms had long since faded, but the courtyard was still vibrant with life. She was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Even so, the foundation of the nobility cannot be shaken now."

"We're just taking this opportunity to revise the composition of the Central 46," Liu Hao said, his tone carrying a certain determination. "We can't let the Gotei 13 just be henchmen for the nobles."

Unohana turned to look at him. "So, what do you think would be a better way to revise it?"

"We need to get some representatives of the common people and members of the Gotei 13 into the Central 46," Liu Hao replied without hesitation. "And we need to ensure that the seats in the Central 46 are rotated every certain number of years, so that they can't just be held by those so-called great sages and nobles."

This idea is bold, but it does indeed pinpoint the flaws in the current system. Unohana nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Do you have any specific ideas?"

Liu Hao shook his head, his expression turning helpless. "I don't have that either. I've never dealt with noble matters before, I have no experience in this area."

Unohana raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised. "Don't you have nobles in your world?"

"It's not that there aren't any," Liu Hao thought for a moment and explained, "It's just that in the country I came from, there are no longer any nobles."

This answer elicited a genuine look of surprise from Unohana. She walked to the chair opposite Liu Hao and sat down, gazing intently at him. "How come there aren't even any nobles?"

Liu Hao smiled, with a certain kind of pride and emotion in his smile, "After thousands of years of development in our country, the people who can survive are all descendants of nobles - so everyone is the same."

Unohana blinked, clearly not fully understanding. "Don't commoners have any descendants who survived?"

"In our ancient land, a system of election was used. Whoever had the ability to lead their people to development would become the leader," Liu Hao Shikai, his tone as if telling a distant story. "Then came thousands of years of feudal dynasties. During those feudal dynasties, once the people were oppressed to the point of being unable to survive, some would rise up in rebellion."

His gaze deepened, as if traversing time and space. "The first peasant uprising uttered the cry, 'Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?' From then on, as long as the common people had hope of survival, the dynasty would endure; otherwise, it would be overthrown. Think about it, how many of those who survived in chaotic times had ancestors who were commoners?"

This explanation left Unohana silent for a long time. She seemed to be processing the information, pondering its deeper meaning. Finally, she asked, "So how do you manage it there?"

"Based on the will of the people, through elections, we will select those who can lead the country to progress and lead the people to a better life," Liu Hao replied.

Unohana pondered, "Isn't this just going back to the ancient system?"

"I suppose so, but it's not quite the same," Liu Hao laughed. "After all, in ancient times, it was all about tribes, with only a few people back then. Now, the entire country has over a billion people; the difference is like heaven and earth."

This topic seemed to pique Unohana's interest. She pressed on, "So, do other countries in your country also have nobles?"

"Yes," Liu Hao nodded, "But if they want to participate in national policies, they have to win over the common people and gain votes in order to participate in the national parliament. National leaders also have to win over the common people and gain votes. It's nothing like here in Soul Society, where everything is decided by the nobles."

"I see," Unohana said thoughtfully, "But how can we guarantee the fairness of the election?"

This question made Liu Hao's smile turn somewhat bitter, "Well, to be honest, I don't know either. But we can look at the society of the World of the Living and learn from their ways. After all, life in Soul Society is a bit too much like ancient times, so there are many things that even if we wanted to change, we couldn't."

He paused, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "The concept of time in Soul Society is completely different from that in the World of the Living. Here, a decision might take decades to discuss, and a reform might take centuries to implement. But in the World of the Living, a few decades is enough for a society to undergo earth-shattering changes."

Unohana listened quietly, her usually gentle eyes now gleaming with thoughtful consideration. After a long while, she slowly spoke, "Since there are many things that cannot be done, then you shouldn't be thinking about changing Soul Society right now."

Liu Hao shook his head, his eyes hardening. "If you plant a seed, it will sprout sooner or later."

"By standing against the nobles like this, your future won't be good," Unohana warned, her tone filled with worry.

"Before absolute strength, everything else is illusory," Liu Hao said with a smile, but there was no arrogance in that smile, only a profound confidence.

Unohana stared at him, then suddenly asked, "Are you confident you can take down us old fogies?"

The question was so direct it was almost provocative. But Liu Hao wasn't angry; instead, he smiled and said, "Who says I have to kill you all? Maybe you'll support me in the future, who knows?"

"Is that so?" Unohana smiled, but there was a hint of something deeper in her smile. "The Captain-Commander isn't so easily changed."

"Things have changed," Liu Hao said calmly. "If it were the Old Man Yama, he would never have allowed me to be framed like that, and then just waited for Aizen to step forward himself."

These words silenced Unohana. She recalled the events of the past few years— Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's attitude towards Aizen, his tolerance of Liu Hao, his reaction to the Central 46 being taken over... Indeed, the Captain-Commander who always upheld the rules had begun to waver in some ways.

Perhaps, change is already underway.

After a long pause, Unohana changed the subject, her tone returning to its usual gentleness. "By the way, you're going back to the World of the Living with those kids tomorrow, do you have any plans for anything?"

"There's nothing much to do," Liu Hao replied. "After we get back, the main thing is to train that kid, Ichigo Kurosaki. In the future, Aizen will definitely try to lure a portion of Soul Society's fighting force, that kid, and me to Hueco Mundo to weaken Soul Society's strength."

Unohana nodded, her expression turning serious. "Well, what should we do then?"

"Once Ichigo Kurosaki and I head to Hueco Mundo, please have the Captain go there to provide support, and at the same time, have the Captain-Commander gather people in the World of the Living to deal with Aizen's attack," Liu Hao said, his tone revealing a complete plan.

"Okay, I understand." Unohana noted down the arrangement.

The two chatted about everyday matters—the recovery of the wounded in the Fourth Division, the progress of the Seireitei's reconstruction, and some changes in the World of the Living. The atmosphere of the conversation was much more relaxed, as if the heavy discussion about institutional reforms had never happened.

But as Liu Hao got up to leave, he stopped at the door without turning around, and said softly, "Captain, your pink outfit is very pretty."

Unohana paused for a moment, then looked down at her kimono—it was indeed light pink, embroidered with delicate cherry blossom patterns. She rarely wore such a bright color; she had only changed into it today because she was in a good mood.

Liu Hao continued, his voice still very soft. "When will you be willing to let me remove the scar under your neck?"

These words made Unohana's body stiffen slightly. She subconsciously raised her hand, her fingertips gently touching the almost invisible scar on her neck—it was left a long time ago, so long ago that she had almost forgotten its existence.

A brief silence fell over the office.

Then, Unohana smiled. It was a gentle smile, tinged with a sense of relief. "Wait a minute. I haven't decided yet."

Liu Hao finally turned around and looked at her. His gaze held no urging, no pressure, only calm waiting. Then he smiled, "Then tell me when you've made up your mind."

He paused, his tone suddenly becoming firm yet tinged with gentleness. "If you haven't figured out your future, I'll force you to."

After saying that, he didn't wait for a response, turned around, pushed open the door, and walked out. When he reached the corridor, he raised his hand and waved behind him as a farewell.

Unohana stood there, watching him disappear at the end of the corridor. Her hand was still pressed on the scar below her neck, her fingertips able to feel the tiny bump.

That scar is proof of her past, a symbol of her identity, and also a constraint she has never been able to truly let go of.

Liu Hao's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

The ripples have begun to spread.