The Boss Arrives (3)

The Captain's Office was filled with the aroma of tea.

Unohana knelt down at the tea table, gesturing for Liu Ziyun sit opposite her. She poured two cups of tea herself, her movements elegant and composed, but Liu Ziyun could sense the tense atmosphere in the air.

"You were unusual today, going to the Fifth Division." Unohana cut to the chase, "What happened?"

Liu Ziyun up his teacup, feeling the warmth of the porcelain. "Nothing serious, I just heard that a 'special person' had joined the Fifth Division, and I couldn't resist going to check it out. By the way... I also gave Captain Hirako a few instructions."

"Special person?" Unohana looked up at him. "Who? Can't we deal with them now?"

"No," Liu Ziyun his head. "He will be of great use in the future. Dealing with him now will only cause greater chaos."

Unohana silently sipped her tea, and after a long while, she spoke, "In that case, will you continue to hide yourself like this?"

"We have no choice but to continue." Liu Ziyun smiled wryly. "Captain, have you heard of the 'Butterfly Effect'?"

Unohana shook her head. "Never heard of it. What is it?"

"It's a theory about chaos." Liu Ziyun down his teacup and gestured with his hands in the air. "Simply put, it's about how a tiny initial change in a complex system can trigger a series of chain reactions, ultimately leading to completely unpredictable and enormous consequences."

He paused, then continued, "For example, the faint airflow generated by a butterfly flapping its wings on one side of a mountain, after a series of complex interactions, could eventually trigger a tornado on the other side."

Unohana asked thoughtfully, "You are that butterfly?"

"Yes." Liu Ziyun, his eyes serious. "From the moment I appeared in Soul Society, this 'butterfly' of mine began to flap its wings. Therefore, I must minimize my influence as much as possible, only appearing at crucial moments to correct any deviations caused by me."

"So you risked exposing your strength to save Hirako others back then?" Unohana asked.

"Yes," Liu Ziyun readily admitted, "They shouldn't have encountered that crisis at that time. It was because of my presence that some subtle changes occurred in the timeline. I must correct this mistake."

Unohana's fingers gently traced the rim of her teacup. "Then why did you tell the Captain-Commander and Captain Kuchiki about Amagai Shūsuke and Kuchiki Kōga? Did their fates also change because of you?"

"They are minor issues," Liu Ziyun explained. "If we can save them, the Thirteenth Division will have more strength in the future. But Captain, I have a suggestion regarding Kuchiki Kōga."

He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Please tell the Captain-Commander and Captain Kuchiki that, if possible, try to keep Kuchiki Kōga low-key. He doesn't necessarily have to inherit the position of head of the Kuchiki Clan. Perhaps it would be a better choice to have Captain Kuchiki's grandson as the head of the family, with Kōga assisting him."

A hint of surprise flashed in Unohana's eyes. "You're even interfering with the Kuchiki Clan's succession issue?"

"It's not interference, it's a suggestion," Liu Ziyun corrected. "Also, please remind them not to reveal my information. I need to remain hidden until the time comes for me to emerge."

A long silence fell over the room.

The aroma of tea wafted slowly through the air, and moonlight streamed through the paper door, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

Finally, Unohana slowly spoke, "You mean, even if you hadn't shown up, these things would still have happened, but the consequences wouldn't have been too bad. But your appearance might have pushed things to extremes, so you chose to hide?"

"Yes," Liu Ziyun's voice carried a hint of weariness, "This is what troubles me most. I know the future, but I dare not easily change it; I want to protect some people, but I might end up harming even more. This dilemma... is agonizing."

Unohana looked at him, her eyes filled with complex emotions. "If I had just killed you back then, none of this would have happened."

Liu Ziyun paused for a moment, then smiled bitterly, "You couldn't kill me back then either. That's why I'm worried..."

"Is that so?" Unohana narrowed her eyes, a dangerous smile playing on her lips. "I really want to try and see if I can actually kill you."

Liu Ziyun immediately felt a chilling killing intent envelop the entire room. It wasn't real killing intent, but rather a test, a warning.

He abruptly stood up and retreated towards the door. "Captain, don't forget my abilities. It's getting late, I'll head back now. Goodnight, Xiao Lielie— "

The moment the last form of address left his lips, Liu Ziyun knew he had said the wrong thing.

Unohana's Reiatsu suddenly erupted, and the air in the entire Captain's Office froze. She still had a smile on her face, but her eyes were as cold as thousand-year-old ice.

"Xiao Lielie?" she repeated softly, her voice so gentle it sent chills down your spine, "Team Leader Liu, it seems you really do know a lot of things you shouldn't know."

Cold sweat broke out on Liu Ziyun's forehead as he backed away, explaining, "Um... Captain, I misspoke, I'll leave now--"

"Leave?" Unohana stood up, her hand already on the hilt of her Zanpakuto. "Since you know me so well, let me see if you're really worth sparing my life."

Without saying a word, Liu Ziyun turned and fled.

He rushed out of the Captain's Office and disappeared at the end of the corridor in a few Shunpo, his speed so fast that he left only a few afterimages in the air. He could feel the cold Reiatsu locking onto him from behind, but it did not pursue him.

Only after returning to his dormitory and closing the door did Liu Ziyun finally breathe a sigh of relief.

[I almost got stabbed...] He leaned against the door, his heart pounding. [But she should understand what I mean.]

Meanwhile, inside the Fourth Division Captain's room.

Unohana knelt back down in front of the tea table, picked up the now-cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Xiao Lielie..." she repeated the name softly, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, "You even know this? It seems you do know a lot of secrets."

She recalled every encounter she had with Liu Ziyun over the years. This seemingly ordinary member of the Fourth Division always managed to inadvertently reveal astonishing information: inside stories about the nobility, potential future crises, and the fates of certain individuals...

At first, she thought it was just a coincidence or Liu Ziyun's conjecture. But time and again, facts proved that what he said was true.

"An interesting brat." Unohana put down her teacup and looked out at the bright moonlight. "I hope you'll be on our side then. Otherwise..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but simply sighed softly.

Because she also knew that if the day of confrontation really came, she probably... wouldn't be able to kill him.

The butterfly that had been hidden in Seireitei for decades had wings powerful enough to stir up a storm that would sweep across the Three Worlds.

And now, the harbingers of the storm have already quietly arrived.