Waiting for the Execution

After instructing Isane Kotetsu to treat Uryū Ishida well, Liu Ziyun left the Underground Space and once again disappeared into the night of Seireitei. The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the silent streets, and his figure, like a true ghost, swiftly moved between the rooftops.

His first stop was the 11th Division.

He silently infiltrated the barracks, his spiritual senses spreading like a spiderweb, and quickly detected Orihime Inoue's Reiatsu. The girl was huddled in a cell; although she was unharmed, she was clearly quite frightened. After confirming her safety, Liu Ziyun left quietly without alerting anyone.

The second stop was the Fourth Division's prison.

He sneaked into the courtyard and found the place where Ganju Shiba and Yasutora Sado were being held. The two were lying on hospital beds, and several members of the Fourth Division were treating them. Yasutora Sado's injuries were serious, but his life was not in danger; Ganju Shiba looked disheveled, but in reality, he only had some superficial injuries.

After confirming that the two were safe, Liu Ziyun secretly sent a coded message to Retsu Unohana —a pre-arranged signal indicating that everything was going well and they could meet.

Then, he sneaked towards the Fourth Division Captain's Chamber.

Fourth Division, Captain's Office.

When Retsu Unohana pushed open the door and entered, Liu Ziyun was sitting at the tea table, leisurely sipping a cup of hot tea. Seeing her come in, he put down his teacup and a mischievous smile appeared on his face.

Retsu Unohana walked up to him, her eyes filled with doubt. "Weren't you supposed to be secretly protecting those kids? Why are you back?"

Liu Ziyun sighed, his expression one of utter helplessness. "The kids' battle is almost over. I got the order wrong, and ended up running around everywhere; I'm exhausted."

He paused, a hint of relief in his voice. "However, it wasn't a wasted trip. If I had been any later, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of the Twelfth Squad would have been killed."

Retsu Unohana frowned slightly. "Which brat is so strong? He almost took down Captain-level figure?"

Liu Ziyun shrugged. "That Quincy... sigh, he almost blew Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi's head off. Luckily I was there and managed to control it. But..."

He scratched his head, somewhat guiltily saying, "Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi discovered me."

Retsu Unohana's eyes sharpened. "So how did you handle it?"

Liu Ziyun's expression turned serious. "He also made a threat. He said if anyone wanted to report, they could only do so privately with the Captain-Commander. Otherwise, he'd kill him."

Retsu Unohana looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze, a gaze that seemed to see right through him. "Mayuri Kurotsuchi isn't so easily threatened. Unless you make him truly believe he's going to die."

Liu Ziyun nodded. "It's not that serious. The main thing is that I saved him, and I told him he could only report to the Captain-Commander privately. I guess he figured things out and agreed."

Retsu Unohana nodded thoughtfully. "Oh."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Liu Ziyun suddenly stood up, grabbed her hand, and led her into the bedroom.

Retsu Unohana was taken aback, struggling to speak, "What are you doing? There are quite a few wounded in the team, I need to go help!"

Liu Ziyun grinned, a signature, slightly lewd smile spreading across his face, "Guess what I'm going to do?"

Retsu Unohana glared at him. "Weren't you tired? Go and rest. Why did you drag me inside?"

Liu Ziyun smiled and said, "With you here, I can finally get some rest."

After saying that, he didn't give Retsu Unohana a chance to struggle and dragged her directly into the bedroom.

The door slammed shut.

The following morning.

Liu Ziyun emerged from the Captain's Office's bedroom, looking refreshed. He stretched lazily, a satisfied smile on his face. Then, concealing his Reiatsu, he quietly left the Captain's Office and headed towards the Secret Base of Yoruichi Shihōin and Kisuke Urahara.

In the bedroom, Retsu Unohana sat up, her face flushed. Looking in the direction Liu Ziyun left, she softly spat and muttered, "Pah, that lecherous bastard, all he does is torment me."

She stood up, straightened her robes, then pushed open the door and walked towards the team's Comprehensive Treatment Center. Although she complained, a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

Yoruichi Shihōin and Kisuke Urahara's Secret Base.

When Liu Ziyun into the base, the scene before him made him stop in his tracks.

In the center of a vast space, Ichigo Kurosaki, wielding his Zanpakuto, was engaged in fierce combat with a massive white figure. That was Zangetsu —the materialized form of his Zanpakuto. The two exchanged blows, their swords flashing and clashing in the air, each collision unleashing astonishing fluctuations of Reiatsu.

Liu Ziyun to Yoruichi Shihōin's side and asked softly, "Yoruichi, when did he start training?"

Yoruichi Shihōin's gaze was fixed on Ichigo Kurosaki in the midst of battle. "It started after you left yesterday."

Liu Ziyun frowned slightly. "Up until now? It hasn't stopped in between?"

Yoruichi Shihōin shook her head. "No."

Liu Ziyun sighed, "He really has a lot of energy. Let's stop for a while and rest. He won't be able to keep going like this."

Yoruichi Shihōin looked at him and said, "Didn't you heal him?"

Liu Ziyun explained, "I healed his physical injuries, not his spirit."

Yoruichi Shihōin nodded thoughtfully, "I see. Let's stop here then."

She raised her hand and withdrew her "Tenshintai". Zangetsu, who was in the middle of the battle, disappeared instantly. Ichigo Kurosaki turned around in a daze and saw Yoruichi Shihōin and Liu Ziyun standing not far away.

He rushed over, his face filled with urgency. "Teacher! You're here? Why did you stop? I haven't finished my cultivation yet!"

Liu Ziyun looked at him, his eyes gentle yet earnest. "You need to rest now. I've healed your body, but your spirit hasn't recovered, and that won't do."

Ichigo Kurosaki retorted, "But I feel very energetic!"

Liu Ziyun shook his head. "I've told you before, the best way to cultivate is to balance work and rest."

Ichigo Kurosaki looked at him and finally nodded. "Alright."

Yoruichi Shihōin led Ichigo Kurosaki to a Hot Spring. The Hot Spring was steaming, and various medicinal herbs floated on the surface, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.

"This is Kisuke's therapeutic Hot Spring," Yoruichi Shihōin said. "You can lie down and rest here."

Ichigo Kurosaki took off his shirt and lay down in the Hot Spring. The warm water enveloped his body, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him, causing him to close his eyes involuntarily.

Liu Ziyun stood by the Hot Spring, looking down at him, his tone serious. "Ichigo, you rely too much on your Zanpakuto. You've never considered winning through your own strength."

Ichigo Kurosaki opened his eyes, his gaze filled with confusion. "Isn't Zangetsu also my power?"

Liu Ziyun nodded. "Zangetsu is your power, that's beyond doubt. And it's a very powerful Zanpakuto. However, Zangetsu's power only indicates your extraordinary potential, not your extraordinary strength."

He paused, then continued, "You only know Zangetsu's power is immense, but you've never thought about how to control that immense power. The power is yours, that's true, but if you don't control it, how will you improve your strength? Wouldn't it be better if you just had Zangetsu materialize and fight directly?"

Ichigo Kurosaki fell silent. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were full of thought.

After a long while, he finally raised his head, his eyes filled with determination. "Then what should I do?"

Liu Ziyun looked at him, his eyes encouraging. "Controlling him is not about depending on him. Strength isn't about your potential, but about how much power you control. And the test Zangetsu gave you is for the same reason. I hope you understand."

Ichigo Kurosaki nodded solemnly. "Yes, Sensei. I know what to do."

Liu Ziyun smiled with satisfaction, "Rest well and look forward to the next stage of your cultivation. I'll be going now."

Ichigo Kurosaki said, "Okay."

Liu Ziyun around and left the base.

Underground Space.

When Liu Ziyun into this secret space, Isane Kotetsu was sitting to the side, watching Uryū Ishida cultivate. Seeing him return, she quickly stood up. "Are those children alright?"

Liu Ziyun nodded. "Everything's fine. Ganju and Chad are receiving treatment in the Fourth Division's cell, Orihime is with Kenpachi Zaraki in the 11th Division, Ichigo is training his Bankai Yoruichi."

Uryū Ishida walked over, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Teacher, what do we do next?"

Liu Ziyun looked at him, his eyes filled with meaning. "On the day of the execution, we'll storm the execution ground."

Uryū Ishida's eyes widened, his face filled with shock. "Doesn't that mean we have to face all of them directly?"

Liu Ziyun shook his head. "No, we have allies. We're not the only ones who want to save Rukia."

Uryū Ishida was even more puzzled. "Has the teacher made contact with them?"

Liu Ziyun laughed, "No need to contact them. They'll take action when the time comes. These things depend on mutual understanding. Especially since we're currently wanted by the police, contacting them in advance would put them at a disadvantage."

He walked up to Uryū Ishida and patted him on the shoulder. "You should rest well. It'll be a few more days. I'll definitely take you when the time comes."

Then, he turned to Isane Kotetsu: "Isane, I'll have to keep an eye on this kid for the next few days. I'll be going to oversee Ichigo's training, so I won't be coming. I'll come back to take you back to the Fourth Division the day before the execution. Also, have this kid reunite with his friends."

Isane Kotetsu nodded. "Okay. You should rest well these next few days. You've been running around so much, you must be exhausted."

Liu Ziyun smiled, a gentle smile in his eyes, "Don't worry. I'll definitely get some rest. You don't need to worry."

Looking at his smug expression, Isane Kotetsu suddenly realized something. Her eyes turned dangerous. "There must be quite a few wounded in the Seireitei right now. You'd better not bother the captain. Otherwise, you'll be sorry."

Liu Ziyun's smile instantly froze on his face. He scratched his head guiltily, "How could that be? I care about you all the most. Why would I bother you?"

Isane Kotetsu snorted, not exposing his lie.

Just then, a soft cough came from the side.

Uryū Ishida glanced at Liu Ziyun, then at Isane Kotetsu, a mischievous smile on his face, "Ahem, ahem. Teacher, Teacher's wife, I'm going to rest."

After saying that, he turned and ran, at an astonishing speed.

Liu Ziyun watched his retreating figure and sighed helplessly, "That brat, he doesn't even know how to give his teacher a way out."

Isane Kotetsu couldn't help but laugh.

The laughter echoed in the empty Underground Space, carrying warmth and sweetness.

Liu Ziyun looked at her and smiled.

He stepped forward and gently pulled her into his arms. "Wait for me. Once all this is over, we won't have to hide anymore."

Isane Kotetsu leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "Yes. I'll wait for you."