Gin Ichimaru

Wang Xun and Aizen walked side by side at the front of the group, followed by dozens of medical personnel from the Fourth Division, almost half of whom were present, along with a small number of members from the Fifth Division.

The team set off along the path outside the camp towards the distant mountains and forests.

Wang Xun with steady steps, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding terrain, seemingly planning his next steps in gathering herbs.

His expression was calm, showing no sign of anything amiss.

But his heart was not as calm as it appeared.

Aizen was right beside him.

The man who had just held a knife to his neck was now walking beside him with an air of leisure, as if he were just out for a stroll.

Wang Xun simply continued forward using Shunpo, occasionally exchanging a few words with Aizen.

The mountain road became steeper, and the forest became denser.

Soon, the team arrived at the foot of the mountain.

The moonlight was blocked by the dense foliage, making the surrounding light much dimmer.

On the hillside ahead, various herbs could be faintly seen swaying in the night breeze.

Wang Xun stopped and turned to give instructions to his teammates.

This is it.

He raised his hand and pointed to different areas of the hillside.

"The healing herb grows in damp, shady places; go check that low-lying area to the north."

"The hemostatic herb loves sunlight. Although it's night now, it's easier to find in sunny spots during the day. Go to those open areas to the east."

"The rest of you, disperse and search, but don't stray too far. Meet back here in two hours."

"Yes!"

The members of the Fourth Division immediately sprang into action, carrying bags and dispersing into the mountains.

Then, Wang Xun looked at Aizen and the members of the Fifth Division beside him.

"Lieutenant Aizen, the members of the Fifth Division don't need to follow us into the mountains. Please wait here for a moment."

"If anything happens, we're not far away, and you can come to our aid at any time."

Under the moonlight, Aizen stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains and forests.

Noticing Wang Xun's gaze, he turned around with a gentle smile on his face.

The dozen or so members of the Fifth Division were also hesitant about whether to follow, since some of them were still stationed at the camp and the number of people coming was far less than that of the Fourth Division.

Hearing Wang Xun's words, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"In that case, we'll stay at the foot of the mountain and keep watch."

Aizen said.

"The terrain in the mountains is complicated, Fifth Division doesn't recognize any herbs. Going in would be pointless. Let's stay here and keep watch. We'll provide support if anything happens."

The members of the Fifth Division exchanged glances and responded in unison.

Wang Xun looked at him and nodded.

"Then I'll have to Lieutenant Aizen."

He turned and walked up the hillside.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and looked back.

Aizen remained standing in the same spot, hands behind his back, his posture composed.

The moonlight shone on him, bathing him in a silvery-white halo.

He stood there quietly, the sunlight falling on the distant mountains and forests, seemingly in a rather pleasant mood, lost in thought.

Wang Xun withdrew his gaze and continued walking upwards.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his distracting thoughts, and began to concentrate on finding herbs.

On the hillside, the trees gradually grew denser.

Wang Xun moved through the woods, skillfully identifying various herbs.

He carefully picked the herbs one by one and put them into the cloth bag on his back.

He was quick and efficient.

But then, Wang Xun stopped what he was doing and focused on sensing his surroundings.

From the beginning, he had vaguely sensed a very faint fluctuation of Reiatsu in a certain direction of this mountain forest.

The fluctuations were chaotic, very weak, almost imperceptible.

If his senses hadn't been so sharp, he would have hardly noticed it.

Was it a wounded soul, or something else?

Wang Xun kept quiet.

He simply listened quietly, trying to discern the direction from which the faint Reiatsu fluctuations were coming.

Then, under the cover of gathering herbs, he gradually moved closer to that direction.

His bag gradually bulged, and he got closer and closer to that Reiatsu fluctuation.

Finally, as he parted a dense thicket of bushes, the fluctuation became clear.

It's just a short distance ahead.

Wang Xun stopped and focused his attention on sensing.

The fluctuation was very faint, but it was discernible that it was a soul.

A grievously wounded soul.

Wang Xun frowned slightly.

Without hesitation, he continued walking forward.

After passing through a grove of trees and crossing a dry stream, a relatively open clearing appeared ahead.

At the edge of the open space stood a dilapidated little house.

The walls were mottled, and the roof had several large holes through which moonlight streamed in, suggesting that no one had lived there for many years.

The faint fluctuation of Reiatsu emanated from this room.

Just as Wang Xun was about to step forward, a voice came from behind him.

"Hey, are you the Soul Reaper? What are you doing here?"

The voice carried a hint of vigilance, along with a perfectly balanced mix of bewilderment and curiosity.

Wang Xun paused slightly, then turned around.

Under the moonlight, a boy stood not far behind him, arms crossed.

Short silver hair, a slender figure, and eyes narrowed into slits.

He stood there, dressed in tattered clothes, barefoot, as if he were just a resident of Rukongai who happened to be passing by.

A child who looks no more than ten years old.

However, one cannot judge age by appearance in Soul Society, and the higher a person's Spiritual Might level, the slower their growth.

The little creature in front of you is very likely a fox with decades of experience; it should not be underestimated.

But when Wang Xun's gaze fell on him, a sudden thought struck him.

This face... looks familiar.

He seemed to recognize the face.

Juvenile form of Gin Ichimaru?

If it really is him, then Wang Xun can roughly figure out Aizen's purpose in coming out this time.

The Soul King's fingertips.

The faint fluctuations of spirit within the room then provided the answer.

Thinking of this, Wang Xun suppressed his surprise and kept his expression unchanged.

"I am indeed Soul Reaper."

He pointed to his Zanpakuto and Shinigami armor.

"However, I am a member of the Fourth Division, the Medical Division, whose main responsibility is to treat the sick and save lives."

Gin Ichimaru tilted his head, his expression still blank.

"Soul Reaper?" His tone held a hint of curiosity. "What are you doing here?"

Wang Xun looked at him, then glanced at the small house behind him.

"I sensed a faint fluctuation of Reiatsu here, as if someone is injured, so I came to check."

Gin Ichimaru paused for a moment, then chuckled softly.

"Injured? In this area, it's quite common for souls to be injured or die."

He paused, his narrowed eyes revealing no emotion.

"When did Soul Reaper become interested in this kind of thing?"

Wang Xun did not answer immediately.

He just stared at Gin Ichimaru in front of him, at his seemingly harmless expression.

Then, Wang Xun slowly spoke.

"You're doing this to get my attention, so you can protect the people inside, aren't you?"

The boy's smile faltered slightly, and he opened his eyes a crack, staring silently at Wang Xun.

Wang Xun then continued.

"You can rest assured. As I said, I'm from the Fourth Division, and the duty of the Medical Division is to heal the sick and save lives."

His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

"That Reiatsu is extremely weak right now. If we don't treat it in time, it probably won't last much longer."

"Perhaps..."

Wang Xun paused as he spoke.

"I can help her."