Returning to the Thirteenth Division

After Loyd's Reiatsu was sealed by Wang Xun's Bakudō, his form returned to its original shape.

A third eye was growing on its smooth forehead, which looked rather strange.

As he watched Higashisen Kaname Tōsen ever closer, a final, muffled sob escaped his sealed mouth.

"After the interrogation, lock him up."

Aizen last.

"Clear."

Kaname Tōsen responded.

He raised his hand, grabbed Loyd's clothes, and dragged him into a dark room.

Kaname Tōsen remained silent, sensing the struggle of the prisoner in his hands.

From being captured to being imprisoned, and then returning to Aizen's side, this period of experience left too many marks on the depths of his consciousness.

Now, the imposter is right in front of him, Bakudō and unable to move.

However, Kaname Tōsen discovered that he wasn't as angry as he had imagined.

These Quincy, out of their hostility towards the Soul Reaper, ironically shared a similar stance with him.

He hates the Soul Reaper; he hates the Tsunayashiro Clan; and he hates the Quincy as well.

However, this doesn't mean anything, nor can it prevent anything.

As Kaname Tōsen drag Loyd into the secret room, Loyd stared intently at him with his eyes wide open.

"It's a pity you ran into me."

"Don't worry, this won't end anytime soon."

Loyd could not answer; the Bakudō sealed off all his ability to speak.

But he can hear and still retains the ability to think.

The moment the stone door to the secret chamber closed, he trembled and closed his eyes.

He knew that the cruelest torment awaited him.

Because they hadn't even removed the seal from their mouths.

A moment later, Kaname Tōsen out.

He remained silent, seemingly not in high spirits.

Kaname Tōsen turned his head to the side, his senses landing on Wang Xun, and remained silent for a long time.

"Those things," he suddenly asked, "Did you do them?"

Wang Xun paused slightly and looked up at him.

What do you mean?

"That night in the deserted laboratory, you suddenly stopped the experiment. I asked you what you had discovered, and you brushed me off by saying that the experiment had encountered some minor problems."

"Then the Quincy came knocking, I was captured, imprisoned, and Loyd read my memories..."

He paused.

"I've been thinking about this for a long time. Does this have anything to do with you?"

The silence did not last long.

"Yes."

Wang Xun replied.

Kaname Tōsen let out a deep breath; it seemed that his outburst had effectively calmed his emotions.

After a long silence, he finally spoke again.

"Lord Aizen, you already know?"

"Yes, he didn't pursue the matter."

Another silence fell.

Then, Kaname Tōsen nodded slightly, accepting the fact.

"Since Lord Aizen isn't going to pursue this matter, I won't overstep my bounds, but Wang Xun..."

He turned and walked towards the testing area, his back to Wang Xun, his voice lowered.

"You and I are not on the same path."

Wang Xun watched Kaname Tōsen's retreating figure without offering any rebuttal.

Only after he had walked several steps away did he utter two words very softly.

"Certainly."

A moment later, Aizen walked over.

"Wang Xun, you've worked hard these past few days. Let's put the Hōgyoku experiment on hold for now. We need to reassess our strategy against Quincy."

"Go back to the Fourth Division. Kiyōnosuke Yamada just left, and you're the new vice-captain. There must be a lot of team affairs to hand over."

"Kaname Tōsen responsible for guarding Loyd and organizing the previous Arrancar experiment data. I will keep you informed of any developments."

Wang Xun nodded; he really did need a rest.

"Yes."

Before leaving, Aizen said a final word to him.

"If there's anything you'd like to improve in your Kidō, feel free to contact me anytime."

This sentence was spoken very lightly, so lightly that it seemed like it was mentioned casually.

But of all the things Aizen said to him, this was perhaps the least calculated.

There was no other intention; it was simply an acknowledgment of Wang Xun's mastery of the Kidō as demonstrated in the battle just now.

"Thank you Lieutenant Aizen."

Wang Xun left.

The next day, at the Fourth Division Barracks.

Wang Xun got up early and went to the deputy captain's office. He hadn't had time to properly familiarize himself with his new job yet.

In front of him lay a pile of handover documents left behind by Kiyōnosuke Yamada after his departure from office.

The clinic schedule, the drug inventory list, the team members' performance evaluation records... he had to review and sign every single one of them.

This is his daily routine as the vice-captain, and it's a completely different kind of busyness.

The system notification flashes subtly in everyday life.

[Gained 2 Reiryoku Fragment, +10 Spiritual Might Experience]

[Spiritual Might: Rank 4 (Experience: 16210/25000)]

Wang Xun stopped writing and looked at the prompt.

The increase in Spiritual Might is not slow either.

At this moment, Wang Xun remembered that the Soul King Fragment he had obtained from the Thirteenth Division had directly increased the Hōgyoku Awakening Level by one percentage point.

The quantity is not large, but it is stable.

Moreover, Ukitake's illness itself provided him with a legitimate reason to visit Ukitake frequently.

By leveraging Kaien's connection, we can establish a connection with Ukitake.

It would be best to develop a system of regular follow-up visits, which would also make it easier for him to improve the awakening level of the Hōgyoku.

After considering this, he quickly finished reviewing the remaining documents, neatly stacked them on the corner of the table, and then got up and walked out.

"Fourth Seat Wang Xun... no, now Vice-Captain Wang Xun!"

Outside in the corridor, Isane Kotetsu, carrying a medicine box, jogged past and bowed quickly when she saw him.

Where are you going?

"Thirteenth Division, go visit your old classmate."

Isane Kotetsu looked at Wang Xun, her eyes sparkling.

As Soul Reaper who joined the team around the same time, Isane Kotetsu was just an ordinary member, while Wang Xun had already become a vice-captain.

This made her admire Wang Xun even more.

"Isane, I remember you mentioning you had a younger sister. Did she also become Soul Reaper?"

"Ah, yes, she joined the Thirteenth Division, and she should be holding a position within the division now..."

As she spoke, Isane covered her mouth in surprise.

She thought that Wang Xun was heading to the Thirteenth Division, and perhaps he would be able to see her sister.

"Okay, if I see her, I'll say hello. Her sister is an outstanding medical professional."

Upon hearing this, Isane waved her hand hastily, stammering and unable to say anything. When she looked up again, Wang Xun had already waved and walked away.

"The vice-captain is really..."

Isane muttered a few words under her breath, then turned and walked away.

In the courtyard of the Thirteenth Division Barracks, several old trees swayed and shone in the sunlight.

Kaien was squatting by the training ground practicing her sword when she saw Wang Xun walk in. Her eyes lit up, and she stood up to greet him.

"Senior, what brings you here? You didn't even tell me you were coming."

"Just came to see you. How have you been lately? Are you settling into life with the team?"

"Of course, everyone on the team is very friendly, and I'm quite popular."

Kaien laughed heartily, then noticed the vice-captain's armband on Wang Xun's shoulder.

"Senior, has the Fourth Division been busy lately? We received the notification that you've been promoted to vice-captain, but we haven't had a chance to congratulate you yet."

"I never imagined that you, senior, had hidden such depth of knowledge. It's truly unbelievable."

Wang Xun smiled gently upon hearing this.

"Alright, let's go. Take me to visit Captain Ukitake; I can also help Captain Ukitake take care of his health."

Kaien slapped her forehead.

"Yes, your Kaidō was also very strong."

"Let's go. Captain Ukitake seems to be in good spirits today; he even watered the flowers in the yard this morning. But the Vice-Captain Sasakibe of the First Division's sparrow squad just came by, and it looks like he's talking to the captain about something."

Wang Xun's brow twitched slightly.

"Vice-Captain Sasakibe?"

"Yes, they've been here for a while, and they probably haven't left yet. We can go say hello together."

The two walked through the corridor and arrived at the door of the captain's room.

The paper door was half-open, and from inside came the gentle voice of Ukitake and another, even deeper voice.

"Then let's set it for next week. Captain Ukitake, please take good care of yourself. If you feel unwell on the day, I will relay that to the Captain-Commander."

Chōjirō Sasakibe's voice was steady and powerful.

"Thank you for your concern, Captain-Commander Yamamoto. It should be alright."

Ukitake chuckled softly, followed by a suppressed cough.

"It's just a routine meeting, I should be able to manage. Kaien said I look much better, but it's all thanks to Captain Unohana's medicine."

Kaien stood outside the door, waiting for the conversation inside to end, then gently knocked twice on the doorframe.

"Please come in."

Ukitake said.

Kaien led Wang Xun through the door.

Sunlight streamed through the window into the captain's room, casting long shadows on the floor. Ukitake sat at the desk, his white hair cascading over his shoulders, and turned to look at the newcomer.

His complexion was slightly rosier than when we last met, but it still had the pallor characteristic of someone who had been ill for a long time.

Opposite him, Chōjirō Sasakibe sat upright on a futon, his back straight, his silver hair neatly combed, wearing a standard Shinigami uniform, with the First Division Lieutenant's badge pinned to his cuff.

"Ah, it's Wang Xun. Now, you should Vice-Captain Wang Xun, right?"

Ukitake greeted Wang Xun with a smile.

"What a coincidence, the Vice-Captain Sasakibe is here. You two probably haven't officially met yet, have you?"

Wang Xun bowed slightly to the Sasakibe.

Sasakibe stood up and returned the bow. His gaze lingered on Wang Xun for a moment, carrying the subtle scrutiny of a veteran vice-captain sizing up a new colleague.

After Yamada was transferred, this Wang Xun was promoted to vice-captain by Unohana almost at the same time, which shows that Captain Unohana had planned to do this for a long time.

I wonder how this new Fourth Division vice-captain's Kaidō level compares to Yamada's.

"So you're the new vice-captain of the Fourth Division. I've heard so much about you."

"Captain Unohana mentioned you at the captains' meeting a few days ago, saying that your talent Kaidō outstanding and unmatched within the Fourth Division."

The sound from the Sasakibe was steady.

"You flatter me Vice-Captain Sasakibe."

"Vice-Captain Wang Xun, there's no need for you to be modest."

"Sasakibe," said the calmly.

"I've rarely seen anyone in all these years who can earn Captain Unohana's praise."

After exchanging pleasantries, Ukitake coughed lightly, breaking the brief silence.

"Vice-Captain Sasakibe, the First Division Squad is very busy. Since I've already been informed of this matter, I won't stay any longer."

Sasakibe nodded, then stood up to say goodbye.

After he left, Kaien looked at Ukitake with curiosity.

"Captain, what's the matter that requires the Vice-Captain Sasakibe to come to you personally? Has something happened?"

Ukitake coughed lightly twice.

It's nothing particularly important.

"Recently, the Twelfth Division detected unexplained Reiatsu fluctuations in a remote area of Rukongai. The fluctuations had very strange characteristics, leading them to suspect..."

Is it a trace left by Ryoka?

"That's why I came to the Thirteenth Division; I'm here to keep an eye out for any unusual changes in the World of the Living."

Wang Xun remained outwardly calm, but he already understood the situation in his heart.

It was likely caused by the Shadow Space of the Wandenreich.

Ukitake continued.

"The Captain-Commander takes this very seriously and has decided to hold a captains' meeting next week to discuss this matter specifically."

"All squad captains will be present, and the Second Division's Stealth Force and the Twelfth Division will also need to submit their respective investigation reports."

Ukitake looked at Wang Xun with a smile on his face.

"At this captain's meeting, we might see Wang Xun standing behind Captain Unohana."

Will I be there too?

Wang Xun's voice carried a hint of surprise.

"Don't be nervous, you're just listening in."

"It's customary for the vice-captains of each squad to attend the captains' meetings; you'll get used to it."

"Captain Unohana will explain the specifics to you before the meeting."

Wang Xun nodded, indicating that he understood.

At this moment, he looked at Ukitake's side and sure enough, another Soul King Fragment fell down.

It's too stable.

Subsequently, Wang Xun also began to lay the groundwork for frequent visits in the future.

"Captain Ukitake, speaking of which, I have some knowledge of the Kaidō, perhaps I can help check your health condition."

What do you think?

Ukitake was taken aback upon hearing this, glanced at Wang Xun, and then smiled as he extended his wrist.

"Then I'll trouble you. However... I might be feeling a little unwell; please don't be surprised."

Wang Xun nodded, his fingertips touching the surface, and a pale green light from the Kaidō lit up at the point of contact.

The Reiatsu threads probed along the meridians, sensing the condition within Ukitake's body.

As Ukitake said, his body was extremely weak, and his Reiatsu was maintaining a fragile balance between his organs.

What's particularly strange is its lungs; they don't seem to be the lungs of ordinary creatures, but rather possess an unusual force.

The quantity is quietly lying dormant.

As the place trembled slightly due to Wang Xun's Reiatsu probing in, several tiny specks of light once again escaped from Ukitake's body.

The system notification flashed silently in Wang Xun's field of vision.

[Detected 3 Soul King Fragment. Absorbing... Hōgyoku Awakening Level +1.5%]

[Current Hōgyoku Awakening Level: 5.15%]

Wang Xun withdrew his hand without making a sound.

"Captain Ukitake, your Reiatsu has stabilized considerably, but your internal organs still have significant problems."

"Continue with the prescription from Captain Unohana. Also, I suggest you increase your rest breaks during work and avoid overworking yourself lately."

Ukitake sighed softly.

"Captain Unohana said so too, it seems my body really can't handle working for long periods anymore."

At this moment, Kaien scratched her head.

"There's nothing we can do about it. Captain Ukitake, please take care of yourself. If you have any problems, I can help you out."

Upon hearing this, Ukitake looked at Kaien and nodded gently.

Afterwards, Wang Xun sat down to think, asked for paper and pen to write down the prescription, and placed it on the table.

"This is a specially prepared prescription of mine that can help Captain Ukitake improve his health. You can use it in conjunction with Captain Unohana's prescription."

"After taking the medication for a while, I will come back to check on Captain Ukitake again. Please do not refuse."

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

"Thank you, Wang Xun."

Ukitake called out to him, his voice gentle.

"Captain Unohana's eye for talent has never been wrong."

"You can come to the Thirteenth Division often from now on."

Wang Xun nodded and left, accompanied by Kaien.