The Swift Blade / The Arts of the Zither, Go, Calligraphy, and Painting: Cultivating the Mind

After confirming that the pursuers had not discovered his presence, the man finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Damn it, why do all these unlucky things happen to me?" the man said, kicking the wall hard.

The man's name was Masao Tanaka. Not long ago, he was the Lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division of the Gotei 13, but because of one incident, he became a prisoner of the Seireitei.

"Why did I have to discover this secret of all people! Damn it! I just wanted to climb the ranks, was that wrong?" Lieutenant Tanaka said angrily.

He not only faces the threat of being hunted down by his colleagues, Seireitei has also issued a kill order, offering a large bounty to anyone who brings his head to the Seireitei.

"That kind of thing... I was just curious, how could I..." Masao Tanaka was filled with regret.

To understand what unspeakable secret he knew, we must begin with a place name.

The Great Spirit Library Corridor, once managed by the Tsunayashiro Clan, records everything that happens in Soul Society and is a place that outsiders are absolutely forbidden to enter.

One hundred years ago, the Tsunayashiro Clan was wiped out overnight, and control of the Great Spirit Library Corridor came into the hands of Yamabuki Chidori. Although history is still being recorded, in order to avoid some unnecessary trouble, only a very few people are allowed to enter and read the books inside.

Some books, which involve top-secret information, are only accessible to Yamabuki Chidori and Captain Commander Yamamoto.

Tanaka simply stumbled into the Forbidden Books Section of the Great Spirit Library Corridor, then accidentally browsed a forbidden book that wasn't supposed to be read, and then accidentally discovered the truth about the Soul King, and accidentally learned why the Tsunayashiro Clan was destroyed back then.

If it ended there, the most he would be punished would be confinement, not execution.

This Tanaka Lieutenant, out of sheer curiosity, actually wanted to replicate the experiment that the Tsunayashiro Clan had failed to do back then.

Tanaka swore he was genuinely just curious: could the Soul King, whom the people of Soul Society revered since childhood, truly be something that could be created?

He was really just curious, and then...

Chapter 97: The Swift Blade

He himself hadn't expected that things would be exposed so quickly.

When Lieutenant Tanaka regained his senses, he realized the enormity of the mess he had made.

Back then, the Tsunayashiro Clan, one of the Five Noble Clans, was wiped out because of this incident; not a single member of the family survived.

How can I, a mere Lieutenant, bear the responsibility for this?

Fortunately, he didn't encounter the Captain during his escape and managed to get away successfully, but what followed was an endless pursuit.

The man leading the pursuit was named Jūshirō Ukitake, who was said to be that person's prized disciple.

"I'm so annoyed with myself! Why am I so curious? If I had pretended not to know anything, this wouldn't have happened!" Tanaka said, exasperated.

He's been incredibly curious since he was a child. He always has to try any food he's never eaten before, and he always has to play with anything he's never played with before. It's this very curiosity that's going to get him killed.

"This place is no place to stay for long. I must find a secluded place to hide. If all else fails, I'll go to the Human World. The Grim Reaper's control over the Human World is relatively weak," Lieutenant Tanaka muttered to himself.

However, just as he was about to leave the alley, he found that it was blocked. The person blocking his way was none other than Jūshirō Ukitake.

He was also very familiar with Jūshirō Ukitake. The current Jūshirō Ukitake was the 3rd Seat of the Thirteenth Division and was once his proud subordinate. This young man was kind and gentle. Although he was weak and sickly, he never failed in battle. Tanaka even doubted whether he, as the Lieutenant, could defeat this 3rd Seat!

"Ukitake! I was forced into this situation, please let me go this time! You are the Chief Strategist's prized disciple, even if you return empty-handed, you won't be punished. Ukitake! You know my character, I was just curious for a moment, I didn't mean anything by it! How could someone as timid as me offend the Soul King's majesty?" Tanaka was still trying to explain.

Jūshirō Ukitake said in a very helpless tone, "Lieutenant, I understand what you're saying, but... why kill you? Why hurt so many Fullbringer? And why gather the fragments from their bodies?"

One sentence turned Tanaka's face deathly pale.

Indeed, he not only read about the history and books on that subject out of curiosity, but also conducted experiments himself, wanting to prove whether what was written in the books was true, and whether the Soul King could really be "created".

For this, he killed several Fullbringer.

From the moment he committed the murder, he knew he had no way out.

"So... you're not going to let me go no matter what?" Tanaka gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, preparing to Sword-Draw Slash it.

Ukitake, of course, dared not underestimate this former Lieutenant and dealt with him with caution.

Lieutenant Tanaka gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. Suddenly, he pressed a button on the hilt, and a beam of white light shot out from it, aimed directly at Ukitake's face.

The Daimyo Ashina Swordsmanship!

Since the invention of the Kidō Bullet more than a hundred years ago, people have come up with all sorts of new ways to play with it.

For example, the guy in front of me has a Kidō Bullet attached to the hilt of his sword, which can have a surprise effect.

Unfortunately, his enemy this time was Jūshirō Ukitake.

"The wind and waves are my blade, the billows my shield, the Sōgyo no Kotowari!"

Jūshirō Ukitake drew his two Zanpakuto from his waist. One of the swords directly devoured the incoming Kidō, while the other sword returned the devoured Kidō to him.

However, such tricks are not enough to defeat the opponent.

Regardless, Tanaka is the Lieutenant of the Gotei 13.

In that brief moment, the other party found a way to escape and vanished from the spot in the blink of an eye.

A bitter expression appeared on Ukitake's face.

If I go back empty-handed, I'll definitely get scolded by the Teacher, right?

Thinking of this, Ukitake couldn't help but cough, a sickly flush appearing on his pale face.

He has the Soul King's Right Hand inside his body. The implantation of the right hand did indeed pull him back from the brink of death, but his health has been very poor over the years. He often takes medicine and gets fevers, and he takes sick leave all year round. Compared to this, the team is already being very kind to him by paying him his salary on time every month.

We need to find a way to bring the people who ran away back.

After Jūshirō Ukitake left, a hand suddenly appeared on the originally dark wall and gently pulled it down. An invisible light curtain was torn down, and the person inside was Tanaka.

"Back in school, I was so glad I listened to the lectures! I learned this escape method from the Chief Strategist! It really works!" A hint of relief appeared on Tanaka's face.

Just as he was about to leave, an invisible killing intent suddenly enveloped his entire body, causing Tanaka to freeze in place.

He turned around stiffly and looked into the deepest part of the alley.

A person stood in the darkness.

If the other party hadn't deliberately revealed their murderous intent, he might not have even noticed their presence.

It was snowing heavily and very cold. The person, dressed in white, stood quietly in the snow, as if completely blending into the snowstorm.

"Who? An assassin sent by the Gotei 13?" Tanaka gripped his sword nervously. He had run out of Kidō Bullet, but with his Lieutenant's strength, he could fight anyone as long as they didn't encounter Captain.

The snow on the ground reflected a faint glimmer of light.

With the help of the dim light, Tanaka could barely make out the other person's face. He breathed a sigh of relief; this was not one of the thirteen Captain. In other words, the other person was probably not a master.

"What do you want to do?" Tanaka asked tentatively.

However, the other party only said two words: "Kill you."

Tanaka sneered. He didn't consider himself a top expert; even among the Lieutenant, he was only at a lower-middle level.

However, not everyone says it can kill him.

Since he's not from the Gotei 13, he must be an assassin after the bounty. These assassins vary in skill, but reaching the level of Seated Officer is already quite remarkable. I'm the Lieutenant of the Gotei 13; what right do you have to kill me?

Tanaka drew his Zanpakuto.

He wasn't particularly skilled in swordsmanship, but it should be enough to deal with this nobody.

"Bite!"

Tanaka heard the sound of the sword returning to its sheath.

"Um?"

The snow-white man had appeared behind him without him noticing.

Gently sheath the sword.

Tanaka stiffly lowered his head and discovered a hole in his throat, blood staining his chest.

"How... is it possible... so fast..." Tanaka didn't even realize how he died until the very last moment.

Chapter 98: Music, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting – Cultivating Character

When Jūshirō Ukitake returned, he saw the strange man bending down and cutting off the head of the man in the Tanaka.

After leaving the alley Jūshirō Ukitake remembered this hiding method. Ukitake also knew it, but he hadn't thought of it at the time, which almost allowed Tanaka to escape. When Tanaka returned, he found Tanaka dead.

The man before me was very strange; if I had to describe him in one word, it would be "cold."

He seemed to have merged into the snow and wind, standing there like a block of ice.

"Kid, you're wearing Gotei 13 clothes, right? Does that mean I can collect my reward from you?" The man slowly handed over the still-dripping head.

Ukitake extended his sword, slashed at the head, and confirmed that it was Tanaka's head.

"That's right, it's the person for whom the bounty is placed. But I don't have any cash here. Could you come back to Seireitei with me to collect the cash?" Ukitake asked.

"It's alright, I'll just go." The man spoke very slowly and deliberately, his eyes unfocused, as if he had no interest in anything in the world.

Overall, he's a very strange person.

"Excuse me... what is your name...?" Ukitake asked.

"Call me Kamishirokawa!" the man said slowly and deliberately.

This is completely inversely proportional to the extreme speed of his sword.

And so, Jūshirō Ukitake brought this man named Kamishirokawa to Seireitei.

I happened to run into Shunsui Kyōraku on my way back.

"Ukitake, you're out on a mission too?" Shunsui Kyōraku greeted Ukitake happily.

A stiff smile appeared on Ukitake's face.

"Who's that person behind you? I've never seen him before," Shunsui Kyōraku asked.

"The man who will collect your bounty in the future..." Before Ukitake could finish speaking, a burly man resembling a wild man stepped out from behind Shunsui Kyōraku. The man looked Ukitake up and down, then said with disdain, "Why are you acting like a little girl? You have no manly spirit at all!"

The one who spoke was none other than the Maru.

His loud voice and exaggerated appearance attracted the attention of those around him, and people turned their gazes toward him. Maru seemed to enjoy the feeling of being the center of attention. Only Kamishirokawa, with his hands in his sleeves, remained as still as ice in the dead of winter, completely ignoring the savage-like giant in front of him.

Maru stared coldly at Kamishirokawa.

"Why aren't you looking at me?" Maru said coldly.

He felt ignored, which made him very unhappy.

Kamishirokawa mainly asked Ukitake, "When can I receive my reward?"

"Didn't you hear me talking to you?!" Maru rushed forward and grabbed at Kamishirokawa's clothes.

He felt confident of his grab, but when he clenched his fingers, Maru realized that his grab had missed. His opponent had dodged the attack with an indescribable feeling.

Kamishirokawa still didn't look at him, quietly waiting there.

"These two shouldn't get into a conflict, or it will put us in a difficult position! Kyoraku, this gentleman is..." Ukitake quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

Shunsui Kyōraku couldn't help but roll his eyes. "This gentleman said he wanted to challenge the world's strongest Shinigami, so I took him to see my Teacher!"

Jūshirō Ukitake's face twitched slightly.

What grudge or grievance does this gentleman have against you?

Are you really going to send such a cute little lamb into the tiger's mouth?

"Maybe... we should just forget about it..." Jūshirō Ukitake felt a pang of reluctance.

Human hearts are made of flesh and blood; who wasn't born of parents?

It's not easy for her to be so dark and fat. Why waste those two or three hundred pounds of fat on that Old Man?

Yes, Ukitake always referred to Yamabuki Chidori as "Old Man" in his heart, and everyone older than him was Old Man.

Shunsui Kyōraku gave a wry smile, "I didn't want to hurt anyone like this, but this gentleman insisted on seeing just how high the top of the world is, so I had no choice but to grant his request."

Jūshirō Ukitake wore a helpless expression.

Hopefully, no one will die in the end.

And so, Shunsui Kyōraku entered Seireitei with the Maru, fighting his way to the Staff Department.

At this moment, Yamabuki Chidori is leisurely practicing calligraphy; one should always find some enjoyment in life.

Seventy years ago, he began learning to play the zither, and after playing for three days, he was chased by Unohana and Saitō Fubōfu with swords for seven days!

The birds that flew over his house were so shocked by the demonic sound that they all committed suicide!