Returning to Soul Society

The atmosphere inside the clinic remained heavy. Liu Hao's words about the future, Yhwach, and the fate of the Quincy weighed on everyone's hearts like invisible stones.

Masaki Kurosaki struggled to process this information. She blinked, somewhat confused, and asked, "You just said that the Soul King was the Linchpin to stabilizing the Three Worlds... Why? Didn't he just start the cycle of this world again?"

Liu Hao looked at her, his eyes gentle but his tone serious. "The creation of the Three Worlds was not done by the Soul King on his own initiative, but by someone using his power. I won't go into the specifics, it's just a Dark History."

He paused, then looked around at the four people present. "Now you need to consider your future. Try your best not to spread what I've said today. After all, if Yhwach activates Auswählen to restore his power ahead of schedule, we won't be prepared and he could very well succeed."

"Does the Captain-Commander know about this?" Isshin Shiba asked, his voice tinged with anticipation.

"I only told the Captain-Commander about Yhwach's hiding place and our plans to attack the Seireitei," Liu Hao said, shrugging. "However, our primary objective right now is to deal with Aizen. I don't know the Captain-Commander's specific arrangements."

Isshin Shiba pondered for a moment, then pressed on, "If you didn't interfere, when did Aizen's affair come to light?"

"Probably in about 20 years," Liu Hao answered truthfully.

Are there any landmark events to confirm the timing of the outbreak?

"I can't tell you that," Liu Hao shook his head.

Isshin Shiba looked at Liu Hao, seemingly understanding something. "Okay, it seems... it has something to do with me."

"There is a cause and effect, but it doesn't matter." Liu Hao's answer was ambiguous.

"Um... there's a cause and effect involved, and you still say it's unrelated?" Isshin Shiba smile.

Liu Hao stood up and straightened his clothes. "Alright, I've said what I needed to say, and revealed some things I shouldn't have. The person I was waiting for has arrived. It's time to go. Take care of yourselves."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the clinic door was pushed open.

Kaien Shiba walked in. He looked somewhat tired, but his spirits were good, and he had no obvious injuries. He paused for a moment when he saw everyone in the clinic, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, especially when he saw Liu Hao.

"Liu Hao? What are you doing here?" he asked.

Liu Hao did not answer, but instead took off the Gigai he was wearing—the body he had bought from Kisuke Urahara. After losing the support of his soul, the Gigai body slumped to the ground, looking like a mannequin that had lost consciousness.

"I'll leave my Gigai with you for now," Liu Hao said to Isshin Shiba. "I'll come back to get it later."

Then he turned to Kaien Shiba: "I came here to find you. To see if you were dead. If not, I'd take you back. Since you're here, I'll naturally take you back."

Kaien Shiba was speechless for a moment upon hearing this, but he didn't ask any further questions. He nodded to Isshin Shiba as a greeting, and then left the clinic with Liu Hao.

Outside, the sun had completely set, and night had enveloped Karakura Town. Streetlights lit up one by one, and the night of the World of the Living began.

Liu Hao wasted no time. He raised his hand, his fingers tracing complex paths in the air. Golden Reishi gathered and swirled at his fingertips, eventually forming the outline of a door— the Senkaimon.

"Let's go," he said.

The two stepped into the Senkaimon one after the other, their figures disappearing into the night sky of the World of the Living.

The short journey through the Dangai went smoothly, without Kōtotsu or unexpected events. A few minutes later, the two were already standing at the exit of the Seireitei Senkaimon.

The night sky in Soul Society is different from that in the World of the Living; it is clearer, and the stars are brighter. The air is filled with a familiar Reishi energy, a feeling of home—at least for Kaien Shiba.

"Alright," Liu Hao said, "You should go back to the Thirteenth Division to report for duty. I should go back to report for duty too."

Kaien Shiba nodded. "Yes, thank you this time."

"No need to thank me," Liu Hao waved his hand, "I was just completing the Captain-Commander's mission."

The two parted ways in Senkaimon, each heading towards their respective squad's barracks.

When Kaien Shiba returned to the Thirteenth Division, Jūshirō Ukitake was in the Captain’s Office processing documents. Upon seeing the Vice-Captain's return, the always gentle Captain wore a relieved smile.

"Kaien, you're back." Ukitake put down his pen. "How is the World of the Living?"

"The frequency of the phantoms has increased, but it's all within a controllable range," reported Kaien Shiba. "I stayed there a few more days, assisting the garrison in dealing with several tricky phantoms."

Jūshirō Ukitake nodded. "That's good. Did Lieutenant Liu Hao find you?"

"I found him. He's the one who brought me back."

"Yes, thank you for your hard work this time. Go and rest now; we can write the detailed report tomorrow."

"Yes, Captain."

At the same time, Liu Hao also returned to the Fourth Division.

Fourth Division Barracks, the lights were on. Although it was night, the Medical Corps's work never stopped—there were always some Soul Reapers who were injured while on missions and needed treatment and rest.

Liu Hao went straight to the Captain’s Office. The door was ajar, and warm light shone from inside.

He knocked on the door.

"Come in," came Unohana's voice, gentle and calm.

Liu Hao pushed open the door and entered. Retsu Unohana was sitting at the table, holding a medical report in her hand. Hearing the noise, she looked up and smiled gently when she saw Liu Hao.

"Captain, I'm back."

"So fast," Unohana put down the report in her hand, "You're back after only two days."

Liu Hao sat down on the chair opposite Unohana: "Nothing much, just met with Kisuke Urahara and chatted for a while, then found Vice-Captain Kaien and came back."

"Didn't you encounter any trouble?" Unohana asked casually, but her deep purple eyes were sharp as knives.

"It's alright," Liu Hao replied vaguely.

Unohana didn't press the matter, instead changing the subject. "By the way, the team to conquer Hueco Mundo has been assembled. Are you going?"

The so-called "extermination of Hueco Mundo" is actually a regular expedition organized by the Gotei 13. Several divisions jointly dispatch elite troops to penetrate deep into Hueco Mundo and eliminate the Menos Grande, both to reduce the threat to the World of the Living and to provide practical combat training.

Liu Hao shook his head without hesitation. "I'm not going. I'd rather stay in Soul Society. Being too active will make me an easy target."

This caused Unohana's smile to fade slightly, "Oh? So, you encountered some trouble in the World of the Living this time?"

Liu Hao sighed, "Sigh, I just arrived and ran into the Grim Soul Reaper fighting a Hollow, which I easily dealt with. But that Hollow seemed to have something wrong with it—after I killed it, some power seemed to try to invade my soul, but I discovered it."

"So, they want to use you as a guinea pig?" Unohana's tone turned serious.

"Who knows," Liu Hao shrugged. "Maybe they want to get rid of me, this unstable factor."

"Although you escaped this time, they may still try to make a move."

"Yeah," Liu Hao nodded, "After all, those guys all fell for it before, but I didn't. They'll probably be paying attention to me. They might even try to expel me from Soul Society."

"So what are you going to do?" Unohana asked.

Liu Hao laughed, "I'll just stay in the Fourth Division. After all, I'm the only one who's unaffected by his 'Kyōka Suigetsu,' so I can't expose him in front of everyone. It's a pity about Vice-Captain Hinamori though..."

"What happened to Vice-Captain Hinamori?" Unohana pressed.

"Sigh, what else can we do?" Liu Hao shook his head. "That silly kid has been brainwashed by Aizen and is almost an idiot now. His future is even worse... Aizen's blood is much thicker than yours."

This piqued Unohana's interest. "What will her future be like?"

Liu Hao wore an incredulous expression. "Aizen used others to kill her twice, and even tried to kill her himself once, yet he still didn't die."

He began to recount in detail. "The first time, Aizen wanted to use Captain Hitsugaya to get rid of her, but Captain Hitsugaya couldn't bring himself to do it. So Aizen took matters into his own hands and stabbed her through the heart, but she didn't die."

The second time, Aizen used Bankai Kyōka Suigetsu to force Captain Hitsugaya to use Bankai, piercing through her again, yet she still didn't die. In the end, she continued to serve as Vice-Captain under Shinji Hirako... It's outrageous! Are all naive people thick-skinned?

After saying that, Liu Hao looked helplessly at Unohana and pointed to the old wound that was covered by her braid. "Hey, you're lucky. Captain Zaraki stabbed you in that old wound and you died instantly. If you had that much blood, I wouldn't be worried."

These words, though seemingly joking, are actually quite heavy.

Unohana smiled, a gentle and relieved smile, "I have fulfilled my mission, so there is no need for me to continue living. After all, there can only be one Kenpachi in an era."

"Bullshit! There can only be one Kenpachi in an era!" Liu Hao suddenly became agitated. "How many Kenpachis have there been since you stepped down Captain of the 11th Division? Why didn't you say back then that there could only be one Kenpachi in an era? I think you just wanted to groom Kenpachi Zaraki as your successor, and you couldn't be bothered with the others!"

These words were direct and sharp, but Unohana wasn't angry. Instead, her smile deepened, "Yes, it's true, just as you said. But if I had been strong enough back then, the second Kenpachi would already be Captain Zaraki. This is a sin I committed, and I must atone for it."

"Tch," Liu Hao said dismissively, "If you had been strong enough back then, he would have died. What kind of second Kenpachi would he have become?"

"This is how Kenpachi's legacy is meant to be." Unohana's smile carried an ancient, heavy meaning. "Either nurture him and die by his sword, or kill him and become the strongest yourself. I was weaker than him back then, and because of me, he sealed his power. So, I let him regain his power, and then I died at his hands... what's wrong with that?"

"What do you mean, 'right'?!" Liu Hao's voice rose. "There wasn't Kenpachi before you. Who says the inheritance has to be like this? You clearly think that if you have the strength, you'll inevitably fight each other, and eventually someone will fall. I think if you lose, you can just relinquish your title and that's it. Why does it have to end in death?"

He paused, then continued, "Look at Captain Zaraki. He's just warlike, but he never takes pleasure in killing. If the opponent loses, he won't go all out to wipe them out. Everyone says he's a beast, but no one sees his mercy."

Unohana fell silent. She looked at Liu Hao, her eyes flashing with a complex light.

After a long silence, she finally spoke slowly, "Yes... a person with the strength of a beast, yet disdains to kill their opponent."

"That's confidence!" Liu Hao emphasized, "Confidence that even if your opponent gets stronger, they won't surpass you, not the confidence to kill them to prove you're the strongest."

These words made Unohana fall into deep thought.

Liu Hao continued, "You're not as good as him in this respect. Don't get hung up on this kind of inheritance; the method is completely wrong. So I think it's fine if you want to fight him, but just don't die."

Unohana raised her head, her expression becoming incredibly solemn. "But I've made up my mind. This is the only meaning of my life so far."

These words were spoken with such conviction and weight that Liu Hao was momentarily at a loss for words.

He looked at Unohana, at the First Kenpachi who had lived for a thousand years, and at the almost devout determination in her eyes...

Then, an almost absurd idea suddenly popped into my head.

"Then what if..." Liu Hao said cautiously, a hint of guilt in his voice, "I mean, what if... you had a child? Would you then stop feeling that this is the only meaning of your life?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the air in the Captain’s Office seemed to freeze.

Unohana's smile vanished. She narrowed her eyes, her gaze still gentle, yet it sent a chill down Liu Hao's spine.

"What do you think?" Unohana asked softly, her voice eerily calm.

Liu Hao suddenly realized what he had said. Almost instinctively, he jumped up from his chair and ran away.

"Captain, I'm going to check on the team's training. Talk to you later..."

Before the words were even finished, the person had already rushed out of the Captain’s Office, leaving only a gust of wind behind.

Captain’s Office, Unohana sat at the table, watching Liu Hao's retreating figure. The expression on her face gradually changed from cold to helpless, and finally turned into a wry smile.

She shook her head, picked up the medical report on the table again, but the smile on her lips lingered for a long time.

Outside the window, the night sky of Soul Society twinkled with stars, serene and profound.

Fourth Division Barracks, the Medical Squad were still busy, and the sounds of sparring from the Training Ground could be faintly heard; everything seemed normal.

But Unohana knew that some things were already quietly changing.

The information Liu Hao brought, the power he displayed, his understanding of the future, his questioning of the "Kenpachi succession"... all of this was impacting old perceptions and challenging predetermined fate.

And she, as the First Kenpachi has lived for a thousand years, as the Fourth Division Captain, as... a woman who was "offended" by Liu Hao with that absurd suggestion, also needs to rethink some things.

On inheritance, on meaning, on the future.

Unohana put down the report, walked to the window, and looked up at the night sky.

The stars revolve, like the long river of fate, seemingly eternal and unchanging, but in reality, they flow and change every moment.

And perhaps she should also consider... whether she should change her "mission" that has lasted for thousands of years.

Outside the window, Liu Hao's figure had already disappeared at the end of the corridor.

But his words, his proposals, his absurd yet not unreasonable ideas... were like a pebble thrown into a still lake, creating ripples never before seen in a thousand years.