Aizen's Confidant, Siwei Yan

"Guest, would you like this pot of precious 'Spiritual Intoxication,' or this pot of ordinary 'White Burn'?"

Runlin An, "Maple Pavilion" Tavern.

Behind the counter, the amiable owner smiled as he held two pots of wine, as if holding two completely different life choices.

One pot had a delicate clay body, a warm and lustrous glaze, with faint spirit particles shimmering within.

The other was made of rough pottery, simple and unadorned, even with a touch of roughness.

Siwei Yan's eyes were fixed on the pot of "Spiritual Intoxication."

He could even imagine how, when the cork was pulled, the rich and mellow aroma would explode instantly, and how the long, smooth layers would dance on the tip of his tongue after he took a sip.

In comparison, "White Burn"?

That stuff was basically alcohol mixed with soul-scorching flames, good for nothing but burning your throat and emptying your wallet!

"Gulp." Siwei Yan swallowed hard, steeled his heart, reached into his chest, and slammed a small cloth bag on the counter with a thud, the movement almost knocking over the wine glass of the customer next to him.

He poured out all the round Ring coins inside with a clatter, counting them one by one with his fingers.

"1000... 2000... 3000! A mere 3000 Ring!" His voice was loud, trying to cover up the poverty of his wallet with momentum.

But the label on "Spiritual Intoxication" clearly stated--8000 Ring.

The huge difference of 5000 Ring poured over him like a bucket of cold water.

He gritted his teeth, his face instantly plastered with a flattering smile, and leaned closer to the owner:

"Boss, you see... next month! As soon as the Soul Society Communication manuscript fees arrive next month, I'll pay you back with interest..."

The owner looked embarrassed, and the corners of his mouth twitched into a helpless arc:

"Fifth Seat Yan Si, it's not that I'm being inflexible. You've already accumulated a debt of 50,000 Ring in my humble establishment."

He lowered his voice, "My small business also needs to make a living."

Then, he changed the subject, his narrowed eyes flashing with light, and the smile on his face became meaningful:

"But... Fifth Seat Yan Si, you are different from other Seat officers. You are now a famous best-selling writer in our Runlin An! As long as you are willing... well, within this week, update three more chapters in the Communication, and I'll let you rack up another 5,000 Ring of debt."

"Hiss--!" Yan Si gasped, his eyes widened, and his lips began to tremble.

"Three chapters?! Boss, you're trying to kill me! Writing stories is a brain-draining task that requires inspiration! I drink to find the state, don't you understand the difficulty of artistic creation!"

He raised his index finger, his face serious: "At most one chapter! I'll grit my teeth and give you one more chapter this week! That's my bottom line!"

"Oh, is that so." The smile on the owner's face disappeared instantly.

He crossed his arms and returned to his businesslike indifference, "Then, that'll be 8,000 Ring, thank you for your patronage. Also, please be sure to settle the previous arrears next month."

"Oh, right, your Captain came to look for you a while ago."

Yan Si was so angry that his fingers were trembling, pointing at the owner and stammering for a long time, unable to say a complete sentence.

Who told him he was in the wrong?

He had already been dragging his feet for two weeks, and the Captain hadn't given the green light to the idea of publishing the serialized content into a collected volume, which he had mentioned to the owner before.

The measly draft fees from publishing in Soul Society Communication were hardly enough for him to drink this kind of good wine.

What's more... he was really having writer's block right now.

The story had already reached a crucial point, and any further would touch on content that might cause trouble.

He was really hesitating whether to continue serializing this story...

"Oh, isn't this Fifth Seat Yan Si?"

A gentle and mellow voice, like a spring breeze blowing through a bamboo forest, came from his side.

Yan Si turned his head and saw a young Shinigami with black-rimmed glasses and short brown hair.

He had a gentle face, a smile on his lips that was as refreshing as a spring breeze, and his eyes behind the lenses were calm and deep. He was dressed in the standard attire of a Central Spirit Arts Academy graduate, but it could not hide his calm and restrained temperament.

It was Aizen Sōsuke.

Aizen calmly stepped forward and gently pressed a few banknotes on the counter, just enough for the price of "Spiritual Intoxication."

He smiled at Yan Si, his tone humble:

"Let me pay for this wine. Good stories, of course, need the author to carefully ponder and experience with heart. I really like the story that Fifth Seat Yan Si is serializing. If Fifth Seat doesn't mind, I wonder if you could do me the honor of sitting down to enjoy the wine and chat?"

Without saying a word, Siwei Yan first grabbed the pot of "Spiritual Intoxication" firmly in his hands, hugged it in his arms, and then smiled, responding to Aizen:

"Oh! Isn't this young Aizen? You're too kind! But... you just graduated from Central Spirit Arts Academy, right? Where did you get so much money?"

Aizen smiled, his tone gentle but with a hint of blandness: "Fifth Seat is too kind, my family is considered a small Noble, so I have some pocket money."

"I see, a Noble family, I'm impressed!" Yan Si nodded as if he had suddenly realized something.

He couldn't wait to pull out the cork, took a deep breath of the intoxicating aroma, a look of satisfaction on his face, and then quickly plugged it back in.

He looked around like a thief, making sure that there was no Captain urging him to update or acquaintances asking for debts, and then nodded towards the outside of the tavern, beckoning Aizen:

"There are too many people here, it's not a place to talk. Young Aizen, come on, I know a good place! Together?"

At least the guy paid 5000 Ring, and this pot of wine took up the bulk of it, so it's only right to share a few cups with him.

Aizen's gaze behind his glasses brightened slightly, and his smile became a bit more sincere: "It would be an honor."

The two of them went to the bank of a small river flowing through Runlin An, not far from the tavern, and sat down on the stone steps under the weeping willows.

Yan Si pulled out two small ceramic wine cups from who knows where, carefully opened the wine pot, filled them, and handed one to Aizen.

Aizen gladly accepted, and the two smiled at each other, their cups gently touching.

"Cheers!"

"Please."

Yan Si drained his cup, feeling the mellow wine, like a warm stream of spirit particles, sliding down his throat, and then slowly spreading through his limbs, bringing a slightly tipsy feeling of pleasure.

He exhaled contentedly, his breath carrying the aroma of wine: "Ha--! This is what people should drink! That 'White Burn' stuff is basically just industrial alcohol!"

After three cups of wine, the atmosphere became harmonious.

Aizen looked at Yan Si intently, finally getting to the point:

"To be honest, Fifth Seat, I've been a loyal reader of yours since I was at the Central Spirit Arts Academy, especially The Loneliness and Arrogance of a Genius Boy, it's just too brilliant."

He paused, organizing his words, because the protagonist "Lan Chuan" in the book, his way of thinking, the difficulties he encountered, and the means of solving problems, highly overlapped with his own ideas, and could even be said to be a literary reflection of his inner world.

If he wasn't sure that this was just a fictional novel, he would almost think that his soul had been spied on by someone and written into the book.

He initially suspected that Siwei Yan possessed some kind of Zanpakuto ability that could foresee the future or write fate.

But after several "accidental encounters" and tests during his time at the academy, he discovered that the other party didn't seem to have any special abilities, and had truly constructed that genius world that resonated so deeply with him through profound insight and imagination.

And this, on the contrary, made Aizen even more...pleased.

Because he had finally found a "kindred spirit" in thought.

So this Seireitei wasn't all mediocre people after all.

Also being a genius, he, Aizen Sōsuke, might not be lonely forever.

Of course, in terms of spiritual pressure strength, Aizen, who had already reached Captain-level in the academy, was naturally far superior to the Fifth Seat Yan Si in front of him.

But in the realm of thought, Aizen believed that Siwei Yan was an existence that could be equal to him.

This was even more rare than simple equality in power.

It's just that recently the plot has reached a critical moment, but for some reason Yan Si has stopped updating, which has made Aizen a little anxious recently, so he took the initiative to approach.

Aizen asked with a smile: "Now that Lan Chuan has reached the upper limit of the power realm, and has seen the barrier ahead, what method will he choose to cut through the path ahead?"

Siwei Yan smiled and filled his cup again, muttering to himself:

Nonsense! This story was written and adapted based on your story, how could it not be brilliant?

Now the plot has reached a critical moment, although in the novel, the power realm does not directly use Shinigami, Hollow, Quincy, etc.

But as long as you're not an idiot, you can see that the power system inside is a metaphor.

Now that Lan Chuan has reached the peak of Shinigami power, if he follows the story, Yan Si has to write Lan Chuan to study "Hollowification of Shinigami", or "Shinigami-fication of Hollow", to break through the current bottleneck.

But can this be written?

If it's written, he might be invited for tea in a matter of minutes.

Even if he can use "story creation" as an excuse to fool them now, then decades or centuries later, when Aizen really starts researching the Hogyoku and causing trouble, he will definitely be the scapegoat.

Now that the person himself has come to his door, he has to quickly think of a way to fool him.

Yan Si put down his wine cup, sighed slightly, and looked up at the sky:

"How high do you think this sky is?"

After hearing this, Aizen also looked up at the sky, looking at the dark night sky, and murmured softly: "Perhaps not as high as you think."

Yan Si's eyelids twitched. As expected of Aizen, his ambition is really amazing.

He calmed his mind and continued:

"But there are too many restrictions under the sky. Lan Chuan can't rush to stand above the sky."

"Stand above the sky?" Aizen turned his head to look at Yan Si, his eyes flashing frequently, and the corners of his mouth raised slightly after a moment.

"That's right, there are too many restrictions, we really need to take our time and have detailed plans."

At least he has to find the direction to break through the bottleneck, and how to deal with the restrictions of the Soul Society.

These things can't be rushed, otherwise it will definitely be in vain.

Aizen said with admiration: "Lan Chuan's choice is correct."

"..." Yan Si didn't know how to respond, so he chose to smile.

The two looked at each other in silence, and toasted again, drinking heartily.