Aizen's Test (2)

After the meeting, Kaname Tōsen followed Retsu Unohana to the Fourth Division.

He stood in the corridor of the Fourth Division Barracks, his Reiatsu sense spreading out like a spider web, precisely locking onto the figure busy in the Medical Room.

Liu Ziyun was treating the wounds of an injured soldier. His movements were skilled and focused, his empty eye sockets "staring" at the work in his hands, as if everything outside was irrelevant to him.

Kaname Tōsen walked up to him and got straight to the point. "Liu Ziyun, Fifth Seat."

Liu Ziyun raised his head, his unseen eyes "looking" in Kaname Tōsen's direction. His voice was calm and polite. "Captain Tōsen, hello. May I ask what's the matter?"

Kaname Tōsen paused for a moment, then slowly spoke, "You are very capable, and I hope you will become the Lieutenant of the Ninth Division. What do you think?"

His voice was deep and sincere, as if he were truly considering the future of the Gotei 13.

Liu Ziyun didn't answer immediately. He lowered his head and continued bandaging the soldier's wound, his movements calm and unhurried. After a few seconds, he slowly spoke, "Captain Tōsen, thank you for your recognition."

His voice was calm, yet carried an unwavering determination. "But I made a promise with Captain Unohana to Tazawa Kentarō —I would take over his position and continue serving in the Fourth Division."

He paused, his tone becoming even more solemn. "Moreover, I once swore an oath to die fighting under Captain Unohana's command."

He raised his head and looked at Kaname Tōsen, a persistent light burning in his empty eye sockets. "Right now, I am simply fulfilling my promise and keeping my vow. So, Captain Tōsen —I'm sorry, I cannot take up the position of Lieutenant of the Ninth Division."

Kaname Tōsen silent.

His Reiatsu perception was like an invisible net, enveloping Liu Ziyun's entire body. He was sensing—sensing Liu Ziyun's heartbeat, sensing his breathing, sensing every fluctuation of his Reiatsu.

But there was no flaw in Liu Ziyun's character.

His heartbeat was steady and normal, his breathing was even and calm, and his Reiatsu fluctuations were normal. Every word he uttered seemed to be a well-thought-out decision from the bottom of his heart.

Kaname Tōsen silent for a moment, then spoke again, "What if it's Captain Unohana's request to you?"

Liu Ziyun head slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, "Our captain won't force me to make a choice."

His tone was calm and resolute, carrying an almost devout trust. "She had asked me before whether I would accept the Seated Officer, and after receiving my answer, she never asked me again. Because she knew my determination."

Kaname Tōsen gave him a deep look—though he couldn't see, he could "sense" that the man before him had no pretense, no secrets.

"Alright, Liu Ziyun, Fifth Seat." Kaname Tōsen's voice returned to its calm, emotionless tone. "Since this is your decision, then let's leave it at that. Excuse me, I'll be going now."

He turned and walked towards the door.

Liu Ziyun bowed respectfully. "Captain Tōsen, please take care."

Kaname Tōsen's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Once his Reiatsu fluctuations had completely left the range of his perception, Liu Ziyun slowly straightened up. He turned towards Retsu Unohana, his voice eerily calm. "The first wave of probing is over."

He paused, a thoughtful tone in his voice. "Next, the main event is about to begin."

Retsu Unohana looked at him, her gaze complex. "Are you sure he'll come in person?"

Liu Ziyun nodded. "Kaname Tōsen merely a stepping stone. The true tester is always the one standing behind the scenes."

He lowered his head and continued working, his tone as calm as if discussing the weather. "However, he might try to get rid of me secretly. But that would arouse suspicion, and the risk is too great. So it's more likely that—once he's sure I'm just an ordinary medical team member and won't affect their plans, he'll give up."

Retsu Unohana was silent for a moment. "How do you plan to deal with this?"

Liu Ziyun raised his head, looked at her, and gave a faint smile, "Of course..."

He paused, then said in a lighthearted tone, as if telling a joke, "Just continue being my 'ordinary medical team member'."

In the days that followed, Liu Ziyun a carefree life.

It wasn't the kind of carefree idleness, but a near-perfect tranquility that was integrated into the daily life of the Fourth Division. Every morning, he would appear in the Medical Room on time, dealing with mountains of paperwork; every afternoon, he would patrol the wards, changing dressings and treating the injured members; every evening, he would return to the dormitory along a fixed route, never deviating and never delaying.

His life was as regular as a precise machine, every movement accurate and predictable. He was like a drop of water, perfectly integrated into the vast ocean of the Fourth Division, without causing any ripples.

Nobody noticed him.

Or rather, nobody thought he was worth paying attention to.

Until that day.

It was a gloomy afternoon, with leaden clouds hanging low over the sky Seireitei, as if foreshadowing some ominous event.

Liu Ziyun was organizing medicinal herbs in the Medical Room. His fingers moved nimbly between the medicine cabinets, accurately taking out each required herb—even though he couldn't see, he knew every corner of the room like the back of his hand.

Then, he paused slightly.

His intuition—a perception honed over a century and specially trained for the Black Cloak —detected an extremely faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation.

Someone has come in.

The man, cloaked in Black Cloak, perfectly concealed his Reiatsu. He stood at the door of the Medical Room, making no sound and attracting no attention. The soldiers passing by didn't even glance at him—not intentionally ignoring him, but "instinctively" treating him as an obstacle and subconsciously avoiding him.

[Kyouka Suigetsu.] Liu Ziyun thought calmly to himself, [Let everyone treat him as part of the "background," ignore him, and go around him.]

He didn't look up, didn't pause, and continued his work. His heartbeat was steady and normal, his breathing was even and calm, and his Reiatsu fluctuations were normal.

[He was still wearing Black Cloak.] Liu Ziyun continued to analyze in his mind, [Was it to hide his Reiatsu so I wouldn't discover it?]

A barely perceptible smile curved his lips: [If I hadn't specifically trained my intuition for this thing after obtaining it, I really wouldn't have noticed.]

[After all, I'm blind—if he weren't Black Cloak, I would definitely sense his Reiatsu and then "normally" go over to greet him. That would have given him away. What a... meticulous fellow.]

Liu Ziyun continued processing the medicinal herbs in his hands, as if nothing had happened. His movements remained skilled and focused, and his expression remained calm and composed.

The figure in the Black Cloak lingered at the doorway for about three minutes.

Then, it disappeared without a sound.

Liu Ziyun didn't look up or pause. He continued arranging the medicinal herbs, as if those three minutes of "gazing" had never happened.

But in his heart, he was silently counting: [First round... Draw.]