Meeting Kisuke Urahara

Standing on the street corner, Liu Hao looked at the seemingly ordinary general store in front of him. The wooden signboard read "Urahara Shop," the paint was a bit peeling, and there were a few half-dead green plants on the steps in front of the door.

However, Liu Hao could clearly sense that the entire shop was shrouded in an exquisite Reiatsu barrier. That barrier could not only shield the internal Reiatsu fluctuations, but also distort external perceptions to a certain extent, causing ordinary people to subconsciously ignore this place, or think that it was just an inconspicuous little shop.

Through the barrier, Liu Hao saw two young figures cleaning inside the shop, a boy and a girl, presumably Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsumugiya. They moved quickly and efficiently, clearly having adapted to this lifestyle.

Without hesitation, Liu Hao stepped forward and passed through the invisible barrier.

The moment he stepped into the barrier, the shop door was suddenly pulled open. A tall, bald man wearing round-framed glasses walked out. He was dressed in a dark kimono, with a serious expression and sharp, piercing eyes.

"What brings you here, Soul Reaper?" Tessai Tsukabishi's voice was deep and powerful. As he spoke, his Reiatsu began to swell, clearly indicating that he was ready to attack at any moment.

Liu Hao smiled slightly, a smile that was gentle yet carried an undeniable certainty, "Hello, Tessai Tsukabishi Wakami. Is Manager Urahara here?"

In one sentence, he directly revealed the other party's identity.

Tessai Tsukabishi's pupils contracted sharply, and the fluctuations in his Reiatsu intensified. He instinctively clenched his fists, his voice filled with vigilance. "What exactly do you want?"

"Oh, oh, oh, what brings you here, Soul Reaper?"

Just then, another voice came from inside the door. Kisuke Urahara walked out of the shop, holding his signature folding fan in one hand to cover the lower half of his face, revealing only a pair of seemingly nonchalant but actually sharp as an eagle's eyes. He wore a striped hat and a green haori jacket, and leaned on a cane in the other hand. His posture seemed casual, but every detail revealed vigilance.

Beside Kisuke Urahara's feet, a pure black cat with sharp eyes crouched quietly. Its amber eyes were fixed on Liu Hao, the pupils narrowed to slits— Yoruichi Shihōin.

Liu Hao's gaze swept over the three men, his smile unchanged, "It would be better if you addressed me by my name. After all, I don't believe that the former Twelfth Division Captain and the first director of the Research and Development Institute, Kisuke Urahara, the former Second Division Captain, Yoruichi Shihōin, and the former Grand Kidō the Kidō Corps Tessai Tsukabishi, wouldn't know who I am."

These words caused the atmosphere to freeze instantly.

Kisuke Urahara slowly closed his folding fan, adjusted his hat with one hand, and raised his cane a few inches with the other. His entire demeanor changed from languid to serious and dangerous. "Since Lieutenant Liu Hao knows our identities, he should know that we are merely people exiled from Soul Society. So, what brings you here, sir?"

"Expel?" Liu Hao shook his head slightly, a hint of amusement in his smile. "You might be able to fool others."

"Meow--"

The Black Cat arched its back, its fur standing on end, its amber eyes fixed on Liu Hao. Yoruichi Shihōin's voice echoed directly in his mind, "Alright, what exactly do you want here? Stop beating around the bush."

"Don't be so hostile." Liu Hao spread his hands to indicate that he meant no harm. "I must have been introduced by someone I know. Otherwise, with the abilities of the three of you, you all managed to evade the Soul Society's pursuit and Aizen's investigation. How could I, a mere Fifth Seat, have just randomly found you?"

That statement hits the nail on the head.

Kisuke Urahara and the other two fell silent. Indeed, if they truly wanted to hide, very few people in the entire Soul Society could find them. The only possibility that Liu Hao was able to find this place directly was that someone had given him a precise address.

The person who knew they were here and was willing to reveal their address was Isshin Shiba.

The three relaxed their guard slightly, but their vigilance did not completely disappear.

Kisuke Urahara flashed his signature, somewhat frivolous smile again, "So, may I ask what brings you here, Liu Hao?"

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Liu Hao looked around. Although there weren't many pedestrians on the street, it wasn't a place to talk. "This isn't proper hospitality."

Kisuke Urahara paused for a moment, then stepped aside. "Then please, Lord Liu Hao, come in for a talk."

Stepping inside, the store was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside. The shelves were filled with all sorts of strange and unusual goods, from ordinary daily necessities to things that looked like some kind of experimental equipment.

Kisuke Urahara led Liu Hao to the reception room at the back of the store. The room was small but comfortably furnished, with a low table in the center and several cushions around it. The windows were partially covered by curtains, providing soft lighting.

The two sat facing each other on either side of the low table. Yoruichi Shihōin jumped onto Kisuke Urahara's lap and curled up gracefully, but her eyes never left Liu Hao. Tessai Tsukabishi silently brought tea, placed it on the table, and then stepped aside, standing like a silent guard.

"Lord Liu Hao, what brings you here today?" Kisuke Urahara, getting straight to the point.

Liu Hao picked up his teacup, gently blew on the steam, and then spoke, "I came here mainly to see Vice-Captain Kaien. He's been away from Soul Society for quite some time, so I also wanted to see Captain Shiba... and Manager Urahara."

"There was a phantom outside just now, and Vice-Captain Kaien dealt with it," Kisuke Urahara replied. "However, I wonder why Lord Liu Hao wants to see me?"

Liu Hao put down his teacup and looked directly into Kisuke Urahara's eyes. "First, I want to buy a Gigai from Manager Urahara, so that I can use it in the World of the Living in the future."

"No problem," Kisuke Urahara. "It's business, after all."

"Secondly," Liu Hao's tone turned serious, "We hope that Manager Urahara will pay attention to the Quincy in the World of the Living. In a few years, Yhwach might use 'Auswählen.' At that time, we need the 'Still Silver' produced in the bodies of those Mixed-Blood Quincy died from Auswählen."

He paused, then added, "Of course, it would be best if Manager Urahara could step in and save Masaki Kurosaki and the Ishida Family."

These words made the atmosphere in the room heavy again.

Kisuke Urahara's smile vanished. He slowly lowered his folding fan, his voice low and deep. "The first thing is no problem, of course. After all, I run a shop, so I'll naturally meet my customers' requests. But the second thing... how did you know?"

The inevitable problems have finally arrived.

Liu Hao took a deep breath and decided to be honest—at least partially honest.

"Well," he said with a wry smile, "I've already told Captain Unohana and the Captain-Commander about this, so I really don't want to repeat myself. To put it simply, my Zanpakuto possesses the power of time. During my first Shikai, I was fortunate enough to learn some things about the future from the River of Time, which is why I know these things."

"The power of time?!" Kisuke Urahara's pupils contracted slightly. "A terrifying power!!"

"It's alright." Liu Hao shrugged, a helpless look on his face. "I can't actually see the River of Time myself; I only saw it that one time."

These words sounded absurd, but Kisuke Urahara did not immediately refute them. As the founder of the Research and Development Institute, he had seen too many inexplicable phenomena and encountered too much knowledge that defied common sense.

"So, do you know about Aizen?" Kisuke Urahara changed the subject.

"I know," Liu Hao nodded. "The experiments— the Soul Reaper Hollowfication, the Soul Reaper-ification of Hollows, and the Complete Hypnosis of Kyōka Suigetsu —I know them all. And I've already spoken to the Captain-Commander. But right now, there's no solid evidence, so if you want to overturn the case, you'll have to wait for him to slip up in the future."

"Since his 'Kyōka Suigetsu' is Complete Hypnosis, how could he possibly slip up?" Kisuke Urahara pressed.

"You should also know," Liu Hao said meaningfully, "That what he's interested in has always been you. Though not complete, it's still what he needs."

Hōgyoku.

The word wasn't spoken aloud, but both of them understood it perfectly.

"So in the future, he'll reveal his true colors around this," Liu Hao continued. "Of course, by then he'll feel he no longer needs to pretend. After all, it's understandable for someone who's already at the pinnacle of Soul Reaper to be a little arrogant."

"Was there no one in Soul Society who could rival him back then?" Kisuke Urahara frowned.

"Not at all," Liu Hao shook his head, "It's just that some of the methods you arranged made him feel that he could no longer hide it. In addition, he had some backup plans, so he withdrew from Soul Society."

"What methods did I employ?" Kisuke Urahara pressed.

"This..." Liu Hao smiled, "When Captain Shiba's child becomes Soul Reaper, you'll know where to hide it. At that time, Aizen will start plotting in Soul Society to obtain it. Then, just wait for Captain Shiba's child to wreak havoc in Soul Society... and he'll naturally be exposed."

Kisuke Urahara remained silent for a long time before finally speaking slowly, "Then he must have succeeded."

"Yes, we succeeded." Liu Hao nodded, "But we can only evacuate Soul Society. However, the Kidō you developed ultimately sealed him, so Manager Urahara doesn't need to worry."

"I shouldn't have been able to go to Soul Society back then," Kisuke Urahara pointed out the contradiction, "How could we seal him away?"

"You'll know when the time comes." Liu Hao smiled mysteriously. "After all, I still really like Captain Shiba's kid. Don't let him disappear because of my appearance."

Kisuke Urahara gave Liu Hao a deep look. "That child is crucial for the future, isn't he?"

"I used to think it was crucial," Liu Hao admitted, "But now, it doesn't matter. I think we can handle things in the future even without him."

"Is the future crisis... Yhwach?" Kisuke Urahara asked the most crucial question.

"Yes." Liu Hao's expression turned grave. "He slaughtered the Seireitei twice in the future."

Kisuke Urahara gripped his folding fan tightly. "If that's the case, why did you still ask me to save the Quincy?"

"Because they will be our allies in the future." Liu Hao looked directly into Kisuke Urahara's eyes. "After all, who likes a progenitor who can kill at any moment? Even his soul has been stripped away, especially since he's done it several times."

These words made Kisuke Urahara fall into deep thought.

"Can Still Silver be used against Yhwach?" he finally asked.

"Yes," Liu Hao answered confidently, "Those stripped of their power by Auswählen will develop Still Silver in their bodies. Forging these into weapons, stained with the blood of the one who cast Auswählen, can instantly strip them of their abilities and power. Although the effect is brief... it's still an opportunity."

Kisuke Urahara was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "I understand. I'll keep an eye on the Quincy."

"When can you give me the Gigai?" Liu Hao asked, recalling his initial purpose.

"You can come and pick it up tomorrow," Kisuke Urahara, reverting to his businessman's tone.

"Okay." Liu Hao nodded, then remembered something, "Oh, by the way, could you give me the address of those Visored guys while you're at it? I'll go say hello."

Kisuke Urahara his head. "I don't have that either. They hid after coming to the World of the Living, so I don't know where they're hiding."

"Alright, then forget it." Liu Hao didn't insist. "When Vice-Captain Kaien returns, have him go to his uncle's to find me and come back with me. Staying too long won't be good to explain to the Soul Society, right?"

"Okay, I'll let him know," Kisuke Urahara replied.

Liu Hao stood up, preparing to leave.

As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned back to look at Kisuke Urahara, and gave that knowing smile again, "By the way, Manager Urahara, perhaps you want to change the future, and I don't object to that. But don't put that piece of junk into my Gigai. I don't like a weird thing that can 'listen to your heart' hiding in my soul."

After saying that, he didn't linger, pushed open the door, and quickly disappeared around the corner of the street.

Inside the store, all was silent.

After a long while, Yoruichi Shihōin jumped off Kisuke Urahara's lap and landed on the table, her amber cat eyes fixed on the doorway. "What did his last sentence... mean?"

Kisuke Urahara didn't speak, but slowly took off his hat, revealing his face, which always wore a smile but was unusually serious at this moment.

"You didn't actually intend to hide the Hōgyoku inside his soul, did you?" Yoruichi Shihōin's voice was filled with disbelief.

"Sigh..." Kisuke Urahara sighed, "Yes. He's a variable, and he can perfectly conceal his power. If the Hōgyoku is hidden in his soul, then no matter what method is used, it will be very difficult to detect..."

"But why did he say the Hōgyoku can 'listen to thoughts'?" Yoruichi Shihōin pressed. "Does the Hōgyoku... possess consciousness?"

"That seems to be the case." Kisuke Urahara frowned deeply. "However, I haven't detected the Hōgyoku's consciousness. Or rather... I haven't truly understood the essence of the Hōgyoku yet."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the empty street through the gap in the curtains.

Liu Hao had already left, but the questions left by that conversation had taken root and sprouted in his heart like seeds.

Not from this world... knows the future... the power of the Imperial Sword... understanding of the Hōgyoku...

Who exactly is this suddenly appearing Medical Guard Team Lieutenant? What is his purpose? How much of what he says can be trusted?

"Yoruichi," Kisuke Urahara suddenly spoke, his voice low, "Do you think... we can trust him?"

The Black Cat leaped onto the windowsill and stood beside him, its amber eyes gazing into the distance. "At least, he meant no harm. And... many of the things he said are things we don't know, but could very well be true."

"Yes," Kisuke Urahara smile, "It's precisely because it might be true... that it's even more of a headache."

If Yhwach really were to be resurrected, if there really were to be a "Auswählen," if the Seireitei were really to be slaughtered twice...

So what they are doing now is far from enough.

Outside the window, the setting sun paints the sky a warm orange-red. World of the Living evening is peaceful and serene, but beneath this tranquility, undercurrents are stirring.

Kisuke Urahara put his hat back on, turned around, and walked back into the store.

"Tessai," he ordered, "Prepare to make a high-quality Gigai. Also... begin gathering information about Quincy, especially the Ishida Family."

"Yes." Tessai Tsukabishi nodded and turned to leave.

Yoruichi Shihōin back onto the table. "You've decided to believe him?"

"It's not about believing," Kisuke Urahara shook his head, his eyes deep, "It's about... having a backup plan. If what he said is true, we need to make arrangements in advance. If what he said is false... at least we can get some useful information."

He paused, then added, "And he really meant no harm. You should be able to sense that too."

Yoruichi Shihōin remained silent for a moment before finally nodding.

The shop returned to silence, with only the ticking of the clock on the wall.

At this moment, Liu Hao was already on his way back to Isshin Shiba Clinic. The setting sun cast a long shadow of him, and the number of pedestrians on the street gradually decreased, as night was about to fall in the World of the Living.

He walked along, pondering the conversation he had just had.

Kisuke Urahara is cautious, which is a good thing. But sometimes, being too cautious can cause you to miss opportunities.

Fortunately, he left behind enough "bait"—about the future, about the crisis, about possible solutions. Given Kisuke Urahara's personality, even if he didn't completely believe it, he would have begun to investigate, verify, and prepare.

That's enough.

As for the Hōgyoku...

Liu Hao's lips curled up slightly. That thing was indeed troublesome, but not unmanageable. The key was that he couldn't let Kisuke Urahara hide it on his person; that would attract too much unnecessary attention.

The awakening of his Imperial Heart gave him a deeper understanding of his own soul. Any intrusion of external forces would be detected and rejected immediately. Kisuke Urahara probably guessed this as well, which is why he didn't insist.

The next plan is clear: obtain the Gigai, contact the Ishida Family, and then return to Soul Society.

Aizen's probing, the Quincy's threat, the war to come... everything awaits ahead.

But Liu Hao felt neither fear nor anxiety.

The Imperial Heart is made up, power is in hand, and the path is clear.

He raised his head and looked at the distant sky. The last rays of the setting sun sank below the horizon, night quietly fell, and stars began to twinkle in the deep blue sky.

Like those stars, though distant and faint, they still steadfastly radiate their light.

And so will he.