Chapter 1494 - 17: Cunning Old Fox vs. Cunning Old Fox

Chapter 1494: Chapter 17: Cunning Old Fox vs. Cunning Old Fox

"I know, you sensed that something was off with me, just like I noticed something was not right about you. It’s easier for the same kind to discover one another, like a wolf among the sheep. When we first met, I was puzzled about one thing, how did you climb to the position of Captain of the Fifth Division? It’s difficult, more than a hundred years disguising as both a Deputy Captain and a Captain, you’ve really got patience."

Su Xiao still looked at Aizen with a smile. Upon hearing Su Xiao’s words, Aizen’s eyes flashed with murderous intent.

"Bai Ye, your smile is too modest. Everyone has desires. Properly expressing those desires will make your disguise more convincing."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Su Xiao adjusted his expression accordingly.

"You’re close, but your blood energy is still a problem. I’m not sure how you suppressed it before you were attacked, but now, it’s noticeably more intense than before."

Aizen didn’t make a move; instead, he smiled and ’chatted’ with Su Xiao. Or rather, Aizen couldn’t and dared not to act rashly at the moment. If he made a move, a hundred years of preparation would go up in smoke.

The situation was similar for Su Xiao. If he were to fight Aizen, putting aside life and death, even if he managed to escape Aizen’s grasp, everything he had done before would dissipate, making it impossible to continue lurking in Jingling Court.

Although it wasn’t explicitly stated, both of them knew very well that tearing things open now would lead to mutual destruction.

"My purpose..."

Aizen didn’t continue because he didn’t hold high regard for Su Xiao’s strength. He was negotiating with Su Xiao entirely because Su Xiao was a ’similar kind’.

An Apollo slipped out from Su Xiao’s sleeve. He tossed the Apollo in his hand. Although it was not activated, Aizen sensed the terrifying energy it contained. If it affected him, it wasn’t impossible for him to be burned to death.

"Sometimes I don’t even know what my purpose is, not willing to submit to some ’filthy’ things, so I take action."

Aizen spoke ambiguously. As for his ’sometimes I don’t even know’, it was plainly an evasion.

"So what you’re saying is, you want to overthrow the current rule of the Soul Society?"

Su Xiao spoke directly, causing no change in Aizen’s expression, but Su Xiao noticed a hint of displeasure.

"If that’s how you see it, I won’t refute."

"Being so vague is rather hypocritical. Be clear, I won’t expose you, and in turn, don’t trip me up. Considering our mutual distrust, this would lead to mutual suspicion and eventual destructive development. Why not cooperate?"

As Su Xiao spoke, a team of Soul Reapers passed nearby. Aizen nodded and smiled at them, and the lower-ranked Soul Reapers immediately stopped, seemingly flattered, and respectfully returned the gesture to the Captain of the Fifth Division.

"Cooperate? We don’t seem to have any mutual interest exchanges. On the contrary, if you act against people in Jingling Court recently, it will disrupt my plans."

Aizen raised his chin, suggesting to talk as they walked, both heading toward the First Squad’s quarters. To outsiders, this made sense, the Captain of the Fifth Division escorting an attacked researcher back to the station.

Su Xiao originally didn’t want to showdown with Aizen right now, as it would increase the risk. However, due to the Death Omen’s attack, he and Aizen met again. Aizen might have used hypnosis to prevent this event from affecting his plans, leading to the previous awkward situation.

After that scene, Su Xiao could have turned and walked away, and Aizen wouldn’t have stopped him. But within hours, Aizen would devise a way to eliminate Su Xiao. That’s an inevitable situation.

Instead of tearing with Aizen, Su Xiao chose a more advantageous development path, that is, negotiating with Aizen. If they could cooperate, they cooperated; if not, they would find a way to kill Aizen and retrieve a treasure chest corrupted by a plot character, namely Aizen’s treasure chest.

Without the Hōgyoku and with Kyoka Suigetsu broken, Aizen is not a match for Old man Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, and with Su Xiao activating Demonic Hunt Time, along with many other captains, if Aizen lives to see the sunrise tomorrow, then today will be Su Xiao’s death anniversary.

That’s why Su Xiao stated his purpose directly. The best way to negotiate with a cunning old fox is to lay things bare; if they can cooperate, they cooperate; if not, then it’s mutual destruction.

Aizen obviously saw this point, so he continued to maintain the good-guy image, escorting Su Xiao back to the First Squad’s quarters.

Soon, Su Xiao and Aizen left the 6th Squad Station.

"If you want to kill me, now’s the best chance. Once we reach the First Squad’s quarters, you may face an irreversible disaster."

Su Xiao walked in front of Aizen, seemingly defenseless, but actually ready to activate Demonic Hunt Time at any moment.

"Bai Ye, you’ve misunderstood my character."

"Oh?"

Su Xiao turned his head to look at Aizen, who still held that good-guy demeanor.

"Since you don’t intend to kill me, let’s continue talking."

Su Xiao took out a bottle of Soul Elixir from his Storage Space and tossed it to Aizen.

"This is the basis of my residence in Jingling Court. Without it, those captains would surely expel me or directly imprison me."

As he spoke, Su Xiao lit a cigarette.

"A very nice potion, but unfortunately, it can’t affect my spiritual pressure."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Su Xiao tossed out an energy orb the size of a dragon’s eye, emitting a milky white glow.

As Aizen caught the energy orb, he had the urge to swallow it whole, which made his eyes light up as he examined the energy orb closely.

"This is solidified spirit, already transformed into a biological nature; swallowing it directly poses no problem, in theory..."

Su Xiao hesitated for a moment and didn’t continue, remembering Ukitake and Hiyori’s bewildered expressions.

Aizen stored the energy orb, having determined it was something valuable, at least a rare treasure for a Soul Reaper.

"This thing is very precious."

Su Xiao timely added a remark.

"Of course."

Aizen nodded, but at the next moment, he had the impulse to kill Su Xiao right then.

"Precious only for other Soul Reapers. If needed, I can easily create it."

The Core of Devour activated, pulling in a large amount of surrounding spirit, roughly transforming, compressing, and purifying it into a Spirit Particle Ball.

"Trash."

With a crack, Su Xiao crushed the Spirit Particle Ball in his hand, knowing it was several times purer than the one Aizen stored.

Aizen’s eye twitched almost imperceptibly, and he silently took out the Spirit Particle Ball from his pocket and crushed it as well.

"If the purity of that Spirit Particle Ball is 1, the one I just crushed is 3. The maximum purity I can create... is about 500."

"..."

Aizen showed no change in expression this time, being a veteran cunning old fox.

"By the way, let me tell you, Soul Elixirs aren’t good things. After drinking up to 15 bottles, the effect on spiritual pressure will reach its limit. And due to cutting corners, the side effects are significant. Of course, no one can detect these side effects in the short term, not even Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni can."

In my understanding, a Soul Reaper’s structure isn’t complex. Spiritual pressure is like a container within a Soul Reaper, with spirit as the water inside. Soul Elixirs use the water within to forcibly increase the container’s size. If there’s no limit, the final result is... bang~"

Su Xiao opened his hand, gesturing an explosion.