BLEACH: Blade of Purification

Although Ling Qing had rejected him without hesitation, what kind of person was Shihōin Sōichirō? When it came to sheer shamelessness, he had a few hundred years on Ling Qing!

In the end, Ling Qing was still forcibly dragged out by Sōichirō to take a bath.

A clan as large as the Shihōin family couldn't possibly lack a bathhouse. Even if the era felt a bit retro, a basic need like bathing would certainly be met. Yet, Sōichirō still dragged Ling Qing out of the house.

In the heavy snow, two men in yukatas, one hand holding a wooden basin and the other an umbrella, strolled through the streets of the Seireitei.

Few Soul Reapers could be seen in the blizzard. Regular Soul Reapers had to stay in their barracks when they weren't on missions or on leave, much like being at an office. When they could clock out was determined not only by regulations but also by their captain's whim.

Since Sōichirō had gone home so early, the Soul Reapers of the 2nd Division must have been dismissed for the day. Presumably, other divisions with nothing to do were in a similar situation. Thus, only a few fleeting black figures were seen amidst the vast expanse of white snow.

And that's precisely why two men like Ling Qing and Sōichirō, wearing yukatas and holding umbrellas while walking in the cold winter wind, looked particularly...

Insane!

"If you don't give me an explanation, I'm going to tell everyone how you're terrible at shogi but love to play, constantly dragging Butler Saitō into games and torturing him!" Ling Qing said suddenly as they left the noble district, no longer caring where they were going and just following Sōichirō.

"Are you a monster?!"

Sōichirō froze, his eyes widening in disbelief as he looked at Ling Qing. "And how do you know about that?!"

"Of course, it was during my last game with Butler Saitō. At first, I was wondering why he suddenly wanted to teach me shogi, but after a few games, Butler Saitō sighed and said..."

"What did he say?!"

"He said he had hoped to train a beginner to be evenly matched with a fellow novice like you, but he didn't expect me to get the hang of it after just a few games and already surpass you by a long shot, able to crush you effortlessly."

Thud—

Suddenly, there was the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. Looking over, Sōichirō was no longer by Ling Qing's side. Only a dark figure could be seen kneeling in a corner, shrouded in an inexplicable gloom.

"Impossible! That's absolutely impossible! You're lying to me! You must be lying! There's no way a beginner could surpass my two hundred years of shogi experience just by learning casually!"

"You've been playing for two hundred years and you're still that bad?!"

Now even Ling Qing was shocked, sucking in a sharp breath of cold air.

Literally cold air.

"Don't say it in such a surprised tone, it hurts, you know!"

The dignified Commander of the Onmitsukidō and Captain of the 2nd Division, his spirit broken on a snowy street, letting out a cry of anguish...

A moment later, as if escaping from reality, Sōichirō refused to mention anything related to shogi. Not a single word. Even when Ling Qing brought it up, he acted as if he hadn't heard, staring straight ahead with intense focus.

As they walked on, Ling Qing felt the temperature gradually rising. Looking ahead, he could see a cluster of large, ancient buildings. On the walls of many of them was a large character for "One."

"The 1st Division barracks?"

Although Ling Qing was not yet a member of the Gotei 13, he knew it was only a matter of time, so he couldn't remain as ignorant about the Thirteen Court Guard Squads as he was in the Rukongai. Gathering necessary information was easy for him now.

"There's a large bathhouse near the 1st Division barracks. We're going there for a soak today," Sōichirō said, his expression saying, "As long as you don't talk about shogi, we're still good friends."

"You're not still worried about not being able to release your Zanpakutō, are you? Coming here might just solve the problem."

"Hmm... Solved by taking a bath?"

Ling Qing had indeed heard of Japan's bathing culture. Many animators from the last century loved to soak in baths. When a group of them hit a creative wall with a story, they would go to a bathhouse, enter a state of post-clarity, and chat idly while soaking. Some brilliant, and some not-so-brilliant, ideas emerged this way. Many masterpieces were created like that.

But releasing a Zanpakutō was a very personal matter. Could it really be solved by taking a bath? Solved just by feeling good (kimochi)? But he didn't even have his sword with him. To feel good together, he'd have to bring the sword for a soak too, right?

"Heh heh, who knows, maybe it really will be solved while you're soaking," Sōichirō said with a mysterious smile, but then seemed to offer a kind reminder. "Just try not to be too shocked."

Looking at Sōichirō's punchable face, Ling Qing wished he could stab this riddle-master. It would be a fatal blow. Unfortunately, he didn't have his sword with him.

Perhaps because of the large bathhouse, the temperature around the 1st Division was slightly higher than elsewhere. The snow that fell here melted quickly, leaving little accumulation on the ground and rooftops.

Maybe it was the time of day, but despite being a large bathhouse, there weren't many people. After undressing and entering the steamy bath area with his wooden basin, the first thing he saw was a large bath, almost like a swimming pool.

Of course, it was more like a traditional Japanese onsen. Besides Ling Qing and Sōichirō, a few other people were already in the hot water, but their faces were obscured by the thick white steam.

"Hehe, Ling Qing, this is your first time here, but don't be shy. Make yourself at home. After all, this is a place for bathing." As he spoke, his gaze drifted strangely downwards, a knowing, peculiar smile on his face. "After all... this is a place where everyone bares it all, haha!! Oh, not bad, Ling—Qing—Arghhhh—!"

"..."

Ling Qing suddenly punched Sōichirō straight in the face. Sōichirō's sleazy laughter stopped abruptly as he was sent flying, spinning several times in the air before crashing into the bath, creating a huge splash that would have scored a 0.01 in a diving competition.

"You said not to be shy. I believed you."

Ling Qing first tested the water temperature. It was a little hot, but still bearable, so he slowly sat down in the hot water. Even though the low temperature outside didn't affect him, soaking in a hot bath on a day like this truly felt good (kimochi). Lying in the hot water, Ling Qing let out a long, comfortable sigh.

"Oh. So you're the boy Sōichirō was talking about. You've finally decided to show your face."

Suddenly, an aged voice reached Ling Qing's ears. He paused, looking toward the source of the sound in confusion. He had never heard this voice before; it was so distinctive that he would have never forgotten it.

He waved away the steam in front of him, and the speaker, not too far from him, was finally revealed.

It was an incredibly old face, its most prominent feature being a cross-shaped scar on the right side of his head. He also had a long, silver-white beard tied with a purple ribbon. Even while bathing, he kept his beard tied, likely to prevent it from spreading out in the hot water. Even so, the long beard floated on the surface.

In stark contrast to his aged face was an exceptionally muscular body, so robust it was hard to believe he was an old man. His sturdy frame was covered in countless battle scars!

The old man lay comfortably in the hot water, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Ling Qing. His stern face now held a hint of laziness.

"Not bad. Much better than Shunsui's foolish look back then. You're a bit like Jūshirō."

The old man opened his eyes slightly, evaluating Ling Qing on his own. Then, he sat up in the water and turned his back, also covered in scars, toward Ling Qing. He commanded without ceremony, "Here, scrub my back."

Ling Qing glanced at Sōichirō, who was struggling to get up from the hot water on the other side. Even through the steam, Ling Qing could imagine his triumphant expression.

No wonder he told him not to be shocked...

This old man was...

The Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, the legendary Soul Reaper of a thousand years—Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni!

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