Must Publish Quickly, Increase Strength

Yan Si had a glum expression. In front of this old friend, he didn't need to maintain a cool facade.

"Hahaha!" Yoruichi, hands on her hips, stood on a high vantage point and laughed heartily, her purple ponytail swaying in the setting sun. "Flash God'? That title sounds pretty intimidating! But I'm nowhere near worthy of it yet!"

Although she said that, her wide, beaming smile clearly indicated, "I really like this title!"

After their playful banter, Yoruichi flickered and lightly leaped to the very top of the tallest tree on the hill.

She stood on the treetop, gazing at the sun slowly sinking below the horizon, painting the clouds a magnificent orange-red.

After a moment of quiet, she lowered her head, her gaze falling on Yan Si, who had just arrived below the tree.

The teasing smile on her face softened slightly. She casually tossed something, and the manuscript floated down towards Yan Si.

"Here, take it back."

Yan Si quickly reached out and caught it. After confirming it was indeed his, he stuffed it into his bosom and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, he immediately looked up at Yoruichi on the treetop with confusion, wondering why she had suddenly become so agreeable.

Seeing his puzzled expression, Yoruichi organized her thoughts, seemingly finding it difficult to articulate something.

"Listen, Yan Si," her tone became more serious. "Next time... don't write your book in the Second Division. It's not 'safe' there."

"Huh?" Yan Si was even more confused. With her and Urahara there, how could the Second Division's barracks not be safe?

Yoruichi frowned, appearing troubled by how to explain.

Although the Second Division was her team, it was fundamentally a place intertwined with noble influence.

It wasn't just filled with disciples from her Shihoin Clan, but also people sent by other noble families like the Hachi Clan, the Omaeda Clan, and so on.

The moment she had obtained the manuscript, relying on the residual spirit particles and its unique "artistic conception," she had immediately understood that this item was related to the secret of Yan Si's power.

Yan Si's rocket-like increase in spiritual power over the past two years had already attracted the attention and speculation of certain interested parties.

Within the Second Division, there was no guarantee that other nobles hadn't planted their "eyes."

This didn't mean the Shihoin Clan had lost control of the Second Division, but rather... Yan Si was neither from the Shihoin Clan nor any noble family.

If others wanted to investigate him privately, as long as they didn't cross the line, she, as Captain, couldn't openly stop them.

"In short," she couldn't explain too clearly and could only emphasize again.

"Find another place to write your drafts next time. In the Second Division, if the spirit particle fluctuations in a room suddenly disappear completely, becoming a 'vacuum' zone, it's precisely in such a sensitive place that it would attract the most attention. Understand?"

Yan Si was stunned at first, then suddenly realized!

That's right! My machine completely isolates spirit particles from the inside and outside!

From the perspective of a Shinigami sensing spiritual connections, wouldn't that be equivalent to a 'black hole' suddenly appearing in the Second Division's barracks?!

He also instantly understood Yoruichi's actions of "snatching" the manuscript earlier.

With her, a Captain, personally "disciplining" him and chasing him all the way here, any other prying eyes would naturally give up.

She was using this method to cover for him!

"...Thank you." Yan Si looked up at the figure bathed in the sunset's afterglow on the treetop and said sincerely.

"Hmph~" Yoruichi let out a soft hum, seemingly unfazed by his gratitude.

The next second, Yan Si's vision blurred as if space had momentarily warped.

When he refocused, Yoruichi's playful, smiling face was almost pressed against his!

The distance between their noses was less than ten centimeters, and he could clearly see his own reflection in her golden irises.

"It's good that you know how to be grateful~" she smiled like a blooming flower, her tone carrying a hint of encouragement. "So, grow up quickly, Yan Si."

At such close proximity, with her warm breath on him, Yan Si froze in place.

By the time he snapped back to reality, the person was long gone.

Yan Si stood there, silent for a long time.

Finally, he said nothing, merely turned around and walked towards the Ninth Division.

On the way back to the Ninth Division's barracks, Yan Si reflected.

He had still been a bit careless... not thinking things through thoroughly enough.

Before, he could write his book stealthily because no one paid attention to him, a mere rank-and-file member.

At worst, he could rush to the Forest of Swords, release his Shikai, unleash his full speed to finish writing in one go, and then sneak back before anyone noticed.

But now? The moment he stepped out of the Forest of Swords and onto the streets of Seireitei, he immediately felt faint, indiscernible gazes from the shadows and corners all around him.

Tsk, fame is as much a curse as a blessing...

Now, if he wanted to do something on the sly without anyone noticing, he'd have to be able to use Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu to fool everyone around him.

Or possess Yoruichi's level of Flash Step and shake off all these followers into the Rukon District!

His strength... was still not enough!

With a trace of annoyance, he returned to the Ninth Division barracks. Instead of going to his own room, he headed straight for the room of the Third Seat, Yamagane Tetsu.

"Crash—!"

He yanked the door open, finding the Third Seat, Yamagane Tetsu, still sitting like a stone statue behind a desk piled high with documents. He held a seal in his hand, stamping documents with a peculiar rhythm, "thump," "thump," "thump," like a heartless stamping machine.

Yan Si looked at his broad, silent back, took a deep breath, and then closed the door with a "thud," forcefully.

He walked behind Yamagane Tetsu and spoke heavily, "Old Tetsu! I'm publishing a book!"

Inside the room, the regular stamping sound abruptly stopped.

After a moment of silence, there was the faint sound of a brush being gently placed back onto its rest.

Then, the chair scraped as the Third Seat, Yamagane Tetsu, a tall figure, slowly turned around.

His face, as if cast from pig iron, still held no expression. He simply looked at Yan Si with eyes as calm as undisturbed water.

"Do you know," he began, his voice as steady as if he were reciting divisional regulations, "what the process is for publishing a book?"

Yan Si immediately sat cross-legged on the tatami in front of him, adopting a posture of eager learning. "Please enlighten me."

Yamagane Tetsu extended his fingers, counting off the steps for him:

"First, you need to submit your manuscript to our Ninth Division Captain, Kensei Muguruma, for review. Of course, given the Captain's personality and his 'leniency' towards you, this might be a formality, just going through the motions."

"Second, and this is the most crucial step—contacting the printing factory." Yamagane Tetsu's tone intensified slightly.

"You'll need the factory to modify a printing press specifically for your book. This means you have to get them to willingly set aside a machine for you, pausing all other orders."

"The largest printing factory in Seireitei is an industry of the Omaeda Family."

He looked at Yan Si. "Do you have any connections there?"