The One in the Shadows

"Wang Xun, did you notice anything unusual?"

Beside him, Kūkaku patted Wang Xun on the shoulder, looking rather frustrated.

Only then did Wang Xun come back to his senses.

The faint glow on the tree trunks had faded, leaving nothing unusual.

He really hadn't expected to gain something like this.

Looking around, Wang Xun suddenly noticed another fragment nearby.

It was a white Kidō fragment.

"I didn't find anything either. Maybe it just happened by chance."

Wang Xun calmed his turbulent emotions and replied to Kūkaku without betraying anything.

Why is there a Kidō fragment here too?

Fragments could remain for several days, gradually dissipating over time as their colors grew fainter.

This fragment was vividly colored, its glow concentrated and solid. It had clearly appeared only recently.

A sense of foreboding rose in Wang Xun's heart.

The valley looked peaceful, and even though Wang Xun's Kidō had reached lv3, he still couldn't detect anything unusual.

The fragment wasn't far from him. Steeling himself, Wang Xun took two steps forward and touched it.

[Obtained intermediate Kidō insight ×1, Kidō experience +200]

At the same time, the knowledge and insights contained in the fragment about casting this Kidō appeared in his mind.

Bakudō #26, Kyokkō.

It was a concealment-type Bakudō that manipulated Reiryoku to bend light and hide the user's form.

Wang Xun's heart sank.

An Hōgyoku fragment, Bakudō: Kyokkō...

Looking at the empty scenery before him, Wang Xun felt immense pressure.

He forced down his churning emotions and sighed softly.

"If we can't find anything, let's head back. Maybe it's just a natural phenomenon."

"Hm? We're leaving already?"

Kūkaku looked at Wang Xun, a little puzzled.

Judging by how interested he had seemed earlier, Wang Xun hadn't looked ready to return so soon.

Wang Xun turned around first and called for the other two to leave.

Though Kūkaku found Wang Xun's reaction a little strange, she didn't think much of it. She called to the older man and followed.

Just after they left the valley.

The air in the valley rippled slightly, and two figures slowly emerged.

Brown hair, black-framed glasses, and a faint smile on his gentle face.

Sōsuke Aizen dispelled Kyokkō's concealment effect, a thoughtful look flashing through his eyes.

"Kaname, do you think he noticed us?"

"Probably not... Do you need me to kill them?"

"There's no need."

Sōsuke Aizen stood in front of the trees and reached out to touch the surface of a trunk.

A faint spiritual light appeared at his fingertips as he sensed the Reishi structure remaining inside the trunk.

"As I thought, it's the Hōgyoku's power. The Hōgyoku changed the Reishi structure of these trees, allowing them to transcend the boundaries of their species and even develop Reiatsu..."

"Unfortunately, this is just a failed, unfinished product. Its Reiryoku content is too low to mean anything."

He murmured to himself, understanding flashing in his eyes behind his glasses.

"Hmph, that Kisuke Urahara actually used the Hōgyoku for such a pointless experiment."

Kaname Tōsen snorted coldly, his tone full of displeasure.

Aizen's gaze swept across the ground, looking at the traces the three had left behind.

Everything the three had done and said replayed in his mind.

Interesting.

"Kaname, look into that boy for me. Start with... the Shin'ō Academy."

"...Yes."

After collecting all the data, Aizen snapped his fingers lightly.

"Hadō #12: Fushibi."

Bands of dark red, fiery Reiryoku appeared out of thin air and instantly enveloped the trees.

The flames burned silently. The trees quickly charred and disintegrated in the heat, turning to ash.

Then the flames spread, becoming a sea of fire.

Unlike Kisuke Urahara, who approached things with a playful attitude, he was extremely cautious about everything involving the Hōgyoku.

After doing all this, Aizen sensed his surroundings once more.

After confirming that every trace had been erased, the two figures slowly vanished, as if they had never been there.

Much later, Wang Xun and the others had left the mountains and returned to a relatively bustling area of West District 2.

Wang Xun hadn't slowed his pace the entire way. Only now did he breathe a little easier.

"Wang Xun, why are you walking so fast? The old man can barely keep up."

Kūkaku caught up in a few steps and glanced back at the older man, who was a little out of breath.

When she looked back at Wang Xun, her expression had grown somewhat serious.

"Did you notice something?"

"Sorry."

Only then did Wang Xun realize he had been walking too fast. He slowed down, and a sense of relief at having survived the ordeal washed over him.

"I can't explain it, but I had a vague feeling there were other people there. Kūkaku, sir, don't go back to that place."

Wang Xun hadn't expected a simple outing to involve something like the Hōgyoku.

Whether it was Kisuke Urahara or Aizen, neither was someone he could easily deal with as he was now.

If it was the former, things might be all right, but if it was the latter...

He could only hope he hadn't made too many mistakes in his behavior just now.

Seeing Wang Xun's serious expression, the older man scratched his head. Though he didn't understand, he still accepted Wang Xun's advice.

With their trip into the mountains behind them, the older man said goodbye to Wang Xun and Kūkaku, and they parted ways.

After seeing the older man off, Kūkaku rubbed her stomach.

"We've walked so far that I'm hungry."

Wang Xun glanced at the sky. It was indeed nearly noon, and the gloom that had weighed on his heart gradually lifted.

Seeing how tired Kūkaku looked, he clapped his hands.

"Come on, let's go to Ichiraku Ramen. My treat, to make up for you missing out yesterday."

"Really?"

Kūkaku's eyes lit up.

"Follow me."

Wang Xun led Kūkaku through several streets with practiced ease and arrived at a shop. The words "Ichiraku Ramen" were written on the curtain over its entrance.

It was mealtime, and several tables inside were already occupied.

"Here?" Kūkaku was a little surprised. "The place doesn't look very big."

"Give it a try. You won't be disappointed."

Wang Xun smiled.

The two entered the shop, and a middle-aged man wearing a headscarf greeted them warmly. "Welcome! Oh, young master Wang Xun, what brings you here today?"

"I brought a friend. Two bowls of your signature tonkotsu ramen, large, with all the toppings."

Wang Xun spoke with practiced familiarity.

"Coming right up!"

The two found a table by the window and sat down.

Kūkaku curiously looked around the shop, then noticed how familiar Wang Xun and the owner were with each other and couldn't help asking,

"Do you come here often?"

"You could say that."

Wang Xun chuckled without explaining further.

After all, the business belonged to him.

In the five years since he had transmigrated to the Soul Society, Wang Xun had not only enrolled at the Shin'ō Academy but also kept busy in Rukongai.

Relying on his ability to pick up attributes, he made a name for himself in Rukongai and accumulated some wealth.

So, while surveying Rukongai, he invested in a shop.

He provided the initial funds and some business advice, while the chef managed the shop and its daily operations. Wang Xun took the larger share of the profits.

In just two years, the shop had become somewhat famous in West Rukongai and had even opened a branch.

Before long, two steaming bowls of ramen were served.

The rich aroma of bone broth wafted toward them. The bowls were covered with char siu, crunchy cartilage, soft-boiled eggs, seaweed, and chopped scallions, making them look incredibly appetizing.

Kūkaku's eyes lit up, and she eagerly picked up her chopsticks.

"Let's eat!"

She picked up a mouthful of noodles and put them in her mouth, her eyes widening instantly.

"Delicious!"

The broth was rich and savory, the noodles springy and smooth, the char siu salty and flavorful, and the soft-boiled egg melted in her mouth.

Kūkaku ate until her mouth glistened with oil, paying no attention to her appearance.

Wang Xun smiled as he watched Kūkaku eat heartily, but his thoughts were on what had happened in the valley.

His behavior had been natural enough; he had simply been an ordinary person interested in unusual plants.

The fact that they had left so smoothly had truly come as a relief to him.

The Soul Society really is too dangerous.

"Wang Xun, what are you thinking about? Your noodles are going to get soggy." Kūkaku's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Wang Xun came back to his senses and found Kūkaku staring at him, a little broth still at the corner of her mouth.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about what happened earlier." Wang Xun casually pulled out a tissue and handed it to her. "The corner of your mouth."

"Oh... oh!"

Kūkaku took the tissue and wiped her mouth, her cheeks reddening slightly.

She looked at Wang Xun, her eyes flickering.

The young man before her was different from all those wild boys in Rukongai.

He was a student at the Spiritual Arts Academy, yet he didn't have the deep-rooted arrogance of those Soul Reapers in the Seireitei.

He was generous, but he didn't show off.

He was good-looking, but he didn't deliberately put on airs.

And... the way he had handed her the tissue just now had been very gentle.

Looking at Wang Xun's slightly languid eyes.

Kūkaku felt her heart beating a little faster.