You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

Although Aizen Sōyūhime looks young, she is very intelligent and insightful, and therefore has a very deep understanding of this law.

This can be said to be an unchanging truth throughout the ages: people will always be divided into superior and inferior.

However, Yuuki had no intention of overturning this idea, nor would she establish some ideal world of universal harmony. On the contrary, she felt that this was perfectly reasonable and highly efficient, and that the world should be like this:

Those with strong abilities occupy high positions, possessing all power while also bearing all responsibilities;

Those with weaker abilities are in a subordinate position, following the strong while also enjoying the protection of the strong;

This will allow resources to be concentrated in the hands of more qualified people, greatly improving the efficiency of society.

Of course, the current human world and Soul Society are not like this.

Those with strong abilities certainly have the opportunity to rise to power, but many resources are still in the hands of the nobles, so it is not a perfect dog-eat-dog world, but rather mixed with many impure elements.

However, Yuuki didn't think there was anything wrong with this; its essence still followed that truth.

Because the aristocratic system of Seireitei was maintained by Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and the five great noble families, the Gotei 13, which possessed the highest military power, was the cornerstone of this system.

Without a doubt, the overall power of this system is overwhelmingly strong in Soul Society!

The reason why those nobles can live so carefree, despite the seemingly powerful Forty-Six Chambers, is that they actually rely on the Five Great Nobles as their backers and are just little devils jumping around under their protection.

If a power surpassing the Five Noble Families and Yamamoto were to emerge, then the Noble Families and the Forty-Six Chambers would naturally be swept into the dustbin of history.

Therefore, Yuuki never actually saw those nobles.

She greatly admired Captain-Commander Yamamoto, but her curiosity about the five noble families was tinged with a hint of disdain.

But generally speaking, if the Yamamoto and Kuchiki families were in power, Yuuki would most likely have no objections unless she was threatened.

However, what was actually above everyone's heads was the "Forty-Six Chambers," which made Yuuki feel disgusted.

Especially after reading some forbidden documents and piecing together parts of the truth from numerous clues, learning of the existence of the "Spirit King," her thoughts gradually began to change...

However, that's all for the future. Yuuki is very self-aware. Even with a bug-level Zanpakuto, she is still very vulnerable in front of strong people like Shunsui, Ukitake, and Unohana, not to mention Yamamoto.

The so-called "complete hypnosis" also depends on the level of spiritual pressure. She might be able to unexpectedly trick Harumi and Unohana, but Yamamoto is completely an exception.

Before her strength and influence reach a certain level, Yuuki will not do anything outrageous. In everyone's eyes, she will always remain that elegant, aloof beauty.

...Okay, maybe only her little brother doesn't see her that way.

"Speaking of which, how is Iori doing now? Do you see him often in Seireitei?"

The mother-in-law said with some concern, "He came back a while ago, but he always seemed to be in a hurry, giving me the impression that he's always busy..."

"He is indeed quite busy."

Yuuki chuckled: "He's a big celebrity now, he definitely has a ton of things to do. Busy? This is just the beginning!"

Seeing that her mother-in-law's wrinkles had deepened, Yu-hime added, "But you don't need to worry, overall it's a good thing... he'll soon be very successful."

"Oh?"

The mother-in-law breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled with satisfaction and casually asked Yu-ji a question.

"Iori used to be so mischievous, but now he has his own career. Yuhime, you are better than him in every way, you have more seniority, and your status in Seireitei must be higher than his, right?"

"..."

Yuuki blinked, then looked away. "Well, I guess so... at least for now."

"it is as expected."

The mother-in-law nodded and said with a smile, "You two should support each other from now on... He's not as meticulous as you in everything he does, but I feel at ease with you by my side."

"Mother-in-law, you worry too much. There won't be any problems."

Even if there are problems, that kid will solve them—Yuki thought to herself.

She was a very confident, even arrogant, person, but even so, she had to admit that Iori's talent was no less than hers, and in some aspects even surpassed it.

Did you ask for leave before you came out this time?

The old man suddenly remembered something: "It's getting late, will we have time to get back?"

"Have you forgotten that I'm no longer a trainee, but a real 'Grim Reaper'?"

Yuuki calmly sipped her tea, letting out a satisfied sigh before leisurely saying, "Ordinary Shinigami need to queue up to enter Seireitei, but I am a high-ranking official and can use my privileges to have the door opened directly. Don't worry."

To be precise, Yuuki is currently the third seat, but given the situation of the 13th Division, she will eventually become the vice-captain, and a vice-captain with real power, able to act as a proxy for most of Ukitake Jushiro's authority.

With such a status, even the strongmen and heroes guarding the four gates had to give her some respect.

"It's still early, and there aren't many customers right now. I'll tell you about Hueco Mundo and the Human World, just to pass the time..."

"The present world... Oh, right, since you've gone to the present world, I actually have some questions I'd like to ask you."

Those who come to Soul Society don't talk much about things in the human world, and even when they do, they only give a brief explanation and gloss over them.

After all, compared to the human world, the Soul Society changes much more slowly and remains more stagnant, as if time has been slowed down. In such a world, few people can maintain their "curiosity"; everyone simply continues to live according to the habits they had in their previous lives.

The mother-in-law was rather unusual; she was very interested in what the present world would be like a hundred years from now, and kept asking Yuuki a lot of questions.

She seemed to have been a concubine of a local powerful family during her lifetime, so she asked about how the Warring States period ended and what the current shogunate was.

Although Yuuki wasn't interested in these things, she still patiently answered all her questions.

As the sun set and Yuuki felt it was time to go back, she suddenly sensed a familiar yet restrained spiritual pressure approaching.

“Could it be… that’s a good idea?” Yuuki changed her mind and said to the old woman, “Grandma, I’m staying here tonight so our family can get together. Iori and I will go back to Seireitei tomorrow.”

"Great, it feels like it's been ages since the three of us got together... um? The three of us?"

Just as the mother-in-law was about to ask a question, she heard that familiar voice ring out—

"I'm home, Grandma~"

"Iori!"

"Sorry, I've been a bit busy lately... Yuuki's here too." Iori had sensed Yuuki's spiritual pressure long ago, but he still forced himself to come in, hoping that what he was about to say wouldn't offend his older sister.

"It's good that you're back. Wait for me a moment~"

The mother-in-law was overjoyed and told Iori to sit down quickly so she could go find some bedding and blankets to see if they were enough.

But she didn't notice that Yuuki, who had been looking relaxed, suddenly became serious and strange after Iori actually appeared.

"Wait a minute, Grandma, just a moment... Iori must have something he wants to say to you."

"Ok?"

The old woman stopped, turned around and looked at Yuuki strangely, then looked at Iori.

Just then, she finally saw it:

A small, fair hand was gripping Iori's trouser leg tightly, while the owner of the hand was hiding behind Iori.

"Hey, this is it?"

"I do have a format to report to you, and I hope you can help me out... This child is named 'Yinmeng,' which is a name I just came up with."

A girl with delicate features and a slender figure, dressed in a small-sized shihaka outfit, timidly peeked out from behind Iori, causing the old woman to widen her eyes involuntarily.

"Go ahead, it's okay."

Encouraged by Iori, Nemuru let go of her hand, stood up confidently, and bowed to her mother-in-law and Yuuki.

"Nice to meet you, Grandma... My name is Otome, Aizen Otome." The little girl took a deep breath and spoke clearly, "I'm Daddy's daughter!"

"Aizen..."

"Dad? Daughter?"

Both women, one old and one young, fell silent. The difference was that the old woman only seemed puzzled, but quickly understood something, and a kind smile appeared on her face. Yuuki, on the other hand, simply scrutinized, though her gaze was mostly focused on Iori rather than the little girl.

It seems incredible that Iori has such a big daughter at her age, but her mother-in-law doesn't find it strange. This is the Soul Society, where everyone comes here alone and then forms families based on fate. Such things are not uncommon.

From the mother-in-law's perspective, just as she took in Yuuki and Iori, Nemuru was probably also an orphan adopted by Iori... although Iori's role at that age is usually that of "older brother" rather than "father".

Yuuki was different. She could sense Nemuru's spiritual pressure; she was clearly not an ordinary spirit. Moreover, the little girl's affection for Iori made her feel complicated.

"Mother-in-law, from now on she's part of our family too, you don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not, I love well-behaved children the most, especially since the child is so cute." The old woman smiled and beckoned Yinmeng over. The little girl glanced at Yizhi, and with the boy's encouraging gaze, she took small steps and walked over.

Yuki dared to pull Nemuro into her arms before her mother-in-law could, gently and affectionately stroking the girl's head.

“Perfect timing. We’ll both be busy from now on and won’t have time to come back to the shop to keep you company. With her here, you won’t be so lonely… Hello, my name is Aizen Sōyūhime.”

The female Grim Reaper flashed an impeccable smile: "Nice to meet you~"

For some reason, despite giving off a very gentle vibe, Yinmeng felt an inexplicable sense of awe towards this great beauty.

Blinking, Nemuru gazed at the older woman with long, straight black hair. Cleverly, she noticed that Yuuki's surname was the same as her "father's," and coupled with this instinctive sense of awe, she quickly made her place the name within the family hierarchy—

"Mom? Dad, is she my mom?"

"..."

"..."

Yuuki and Iori both fell silent.

Just as Iori was worried that Yuuki would lose her temper, the beautiful girl with long, straight black hair suddenly smiled, radiating an indescribable warmth of sunshine.

"Oh my, looking closely, this child is so cute! She'll definitely grow up to be a beauty!"

"Want some candy, Otome-chan?"

Chapter 231: Congratulations, your ticket to the high-level game (4K)

Today is a slightly special day. The Captain-General convened a meeting of the captains. Apart from the two currently vacant captains, Captains Three and Seven, all eleven captains, including Hikifune Kiryu who was originally in seclusion, were present.

The captain stood at the head of the group, leaning on his cane, while ten people of different appearances lined up on either side. Some of them were frivolous and dissolute, some had gentle features, and some had faces as cold as snow. But without exception, they all wore haori with their numbers on them. Just by standing there, they created an almost tangible sense of oppression.

If a member with spiritual pressure were to appear here, the captains would probably be able to make him faint with just a glance. That's why the vice-captains are all gathered in another room—even a vice-captain-level expert would find this atmosphere uncomfortable.

Shinigami have long lifespans, and the Thirteen Divisions have great responsibilities. Each captain is in charge of many affairs, so they generally don't have much time to hold meetings (of course, whether they actually have time is another matter).

Therefore, the captains' meeting is usually only held when an important decision is announced—such as declaring war on the Quincy.

The reason for such a grand display today is to summarize the recent series of events and to announce some decisions that will affect the future of Seireitei.

Once everyone had arrived, the team leaders bowed to Yamamoto in greeting, and the meeting officially began.

“Let’s proceed in order,” the Captain-Commander began. “First up is Vasto Lorde, who appeared in Hueco Mundo and proclaimed himself the King of Hueco Mundo…”

The first issue is the conflict between the expeditionary force and the Hollows. This matter was temporarily shelved because it coincided with the Quincy war, but it has now been brought up again.

There's not much to say about this; it's already clearly stated in the report. That Vasto Lorde was extremely powerful, and he had at least a dozen Adjuchas under his command, making his overall strength equivalent to three or four divisions.

Hueco Mundo is a godforsaken place, and Vasto Lorde, as the "King," has no shortage of resources. The Thirteen Guardian Legions, having just finished a war and suffering heavy losses, are unable to conquer Hueco Mundo.

We cannot form another expeditionary force in the short term. Now is the time to consolidate our strength and strengthen our foundation. We cannot afford any more trouble.

The second matter concerns the Quincy, which, simply put, is how to clean up the mess.

Originally, the Thirteenth Division was supposed to take the lead, with the Ninth and Twelfth Divisions, along with the Kido Clan, assisting in purifying the mortal world while maintaining the balance of the three realms—after all, both Shinigami and Quincy had suffered heavy casualties, including some captain-level powerhouses.

Therefore, no task time limit was set in order to ensure that the tasks were handled steadily and gradually.

However, Mayuri Kurotsuchi disrupted the overall plan. After his actions were exposed, the Second Division, which was in charge of investigation, took a count and found that he had dissected more than two thousand Quincy (whether they were alive or dead)!

What does this number mean? It accounts for 30-40% of the total kills achieved by the Grim Reaper's side on the main battlefield...

There are many things that cannot be counted, such as the corpses he dug up from the cemetery, the souls of Quincy he intercepted, and the corpses of Grim Reapers, which he treated equally.

According to Mayuri Kurotsuchi's own confession, he used his skills to tamper with the mission records of the 13th Division. As the vice-captain of the 12th Division, he had considerable authority in this matter, which is why it took so long to be discovered.

Logically speaking, such trivial matters as stealing corpses and intercepting souls should not be discussed at the captains' meeting. They should be handled by the Second Division, which is in charge of punishment. However, the number of such cases was truly astonishing, leaving the captains present feeling incredulous.

Kiryu Hikifune, the newly appointed commander of the 12th Division, felt particularly conflicted upon hearing this.

This case was extremely large in scale but not complicated in terms of details, and the judgment process was very smooth:

Mayuri Kurotsuchi will be imprisoned in the "Nest of Maggots" with an "indefinite" sentence!

The so-called "House of Maggots" is a prison specifically used to hold serious criminals who "pose a potential threat to Soul Society." The people here may not necessarily have committed crimes, but they are definitely dangerous individuals. Therefore, this prison has always been directly managed by the Second Division.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was able to escape death but instead receive a life sentence, mainly because of his demonstrated technical skills and Bankai-level spiritual pressure.

Soul Society is a place where the strong have special privileges. Although Mayuri Kurotsuchi is despicable, since he has reached this level, he will receive corresponding treatment, and everyone takes it for granted.

Incidentally, along with this ruling, a minor transfer order was also issued: