Rangiku's scheming was going clink-clank like a cash register.
If she could persuade Ancient One to go to Soul Society and become a captain, she could temporarily step down from her duties and live together with Su Ye.
That would be super exciting.
Judging by Rangiku's expression, it was clear how much she wanted to get rid of her captaincy. If she could resign now, all the duties of guarding the Soul Society, the Third Division members—whatever, let them all go to hell!
So, when it came to persuading, she spared no effort.
"Do you know how powerful the Soul Society is? Do you know how honorable it is to become a Soul Reaper? We bear the balance of the entire world; this is a sacred and great responsibility—it concerns the survival of humanity itself..."
"Stop!"
Ancient One raised a hand, stopping Rangiku's persuasion. "I will find a way to understand it myself. The more you say, the more you reveal your exhaustion and aversion toward this job."
"I..."
Rangiku's expression froze for a moment before she turned to Su Ye with a dejected face. "Does this woman always speak so harshly?"
Su Ye shook his head. "That depends on who she's talking to."
"So, I'm just unlucky, huh? Just say I'm annoying," Rangiku grumbled, stepping closer to Su Ye.
"Xiao Ye, it's been years. Have you almost forgotten me?"
As she spoke, Rangiku's expression began to break down. From an initially well-behaved little girl, she gradually transformed into a tough woman—no, more like a female thug.
She even moved behind Su Ye as she spoke, wrapping her arm around his neck, seemingly attempting a chokehold.
But Su Ye seemed to have anticipated her move. With a swift counter, he grabbed her from behind and twisted her arms behind her back, locking them in place.
This made the situation even more… something.
Watching this, Ancient One suddenly felt like she was about to be "bent."
In front of a woman like Rangiku, whether one was a man or a woman, it was hard not to feel something.
As Su Ye restrained Rangiku's hands, she suddenly spun around, launching her legs in a powerful, deadly scissor kick straight at his neck.
But Su Ye was the least afraid of scissor kicks. The first time he met Mai Shiranui, they had a similar encounter. Back then, he went for a direct attack, and then…
凸(艹皿艹) Damn, I had to delete it—I don't even know what to write anymore.
Here, Su Ye and Rangiku were obviously getting along, even starting to cling to each other. The Ancient One couldn't help but sigh.
To describe her current mood with a song lyric: 'I should be under the car, not inside it, watching how sweet you two are!'
The Ancient One didn't know this song, but her feelings were exactly the same.
"Uh, I'll be going first!"
Turning around, the Ancient One decided that out of sight, out of mind. If she wasn't here, they could even suck each other's tongues for all she cared.
Seeing this, Rangiku quickly broke away from Su Ye and grabbed the Ancient One's sleeve.
"Hey, don't go! Didn't we just agree? Come on, I'll take you to see it."
Holding onto the Ancient One, Rangiku turned back to Su Ye, "Xiao Ye, do you want to go to the Seireitei with us?"
"I'll pass. I still have to go back and study magic!"
Su Ye shook his head. Whether it was the Seireitei or the Soul Society, he didn't want to get involved for now. He already owed too many debts, like stirring up a nest of lice. He didn't want to start another storyline—too busy, no need.
"Magic? Why are you learning magic? Isn't Kido enough for you?" Rangiku asked, puzzled.
"Uh…" Su Ye shook his head. "It's different anyway."
"Alright then." Rangiku didn't insist. Seeing that Su Ye wasn't interested, she simply waved her hand, pulled Gu Yi along, and left, leaving Su Ye alone.
"They really left!"
Su Ye shook his head. He thought Rangiku would at least try to persuade him. By the usual pattern, shouldn't she have asked three times, and he would refuse three times?
"Forget it, I'll head back first!"
Su Ye took a step forward, and in an instant, his surroundings transformed from a white desert back to the New York Sanctum.
His outfit changed from a Shinigami's Shihakushō back to his previous attire, with the Cloak of Levitation draped over his shoulders.
At that moment, the Cloak of Levitation was gently supporting Su Ye's body, preventing him from falling.
Opposite him, the Ancient One's figure was nowhere to be seen.
"Sigh, in the end, I still have to teach myself magic."
Turning around, Su Ye followed the Cloak's guidance and walked toward the library.
Although the Cloak of Levitation was just a cloak, it had been here for countless years and knew everything about the place.
As soon as Su Ye entered the library, he saw a familiar-looking chubby man.
"Hey, Old Wong!"
Su Ye greeted him with a smile.
Opposite him, the magician Wang turned his head, his expression shifting from surprise to joy, then to a hint of fear.
"M-Mr. Su, what brings you here?"
They had met before, and because of Old Su, Wong might have a special status. But since no one mentioned it, Su Ye didn't plan to ask.
"I just came to learn a bit," Su Ye said while pointing at the Eye of Agamotto hanging from his chest with his ring-wearing hand.
"Learning some magic and such."
"This... hsss!"
Wong sucked in a breath so sharp it could cut Everest.
The Eye of Agamotto was the Ancient One's treasured artifact—even while sleeping, she wore it. She never took it off, and certainly wouldn't give it away lightly.
And that Sling Ring Su Ye wore… it also looked like the Ancient One's.
"You..." Wong instinctively stepped forward and grabbed Su Ye's arm.
"You... did something to the Sorcerer Supreme…"
As he spoke, a worried expression appeared on his face. Ancient One wasn't just an ordinary sorcerer—she was the leader of all magicians, the guide of Kamar-Taj. Touching her meant going against the entire magic community.
If these people were angered, Su Ye himself might be fine, but if they stormed across realms to cause trouble elsewhere, things could spiral out of control.
Although Su Ye had an old man—Old Su.
Yes, find Old Su!
"Don't worry, I'll contact Su God right now! Even though it's a bit rushed, he'll definitely have a way to handle this. Even if they really attack, as long as we prepare in advance, we won't be caught off guard!"
"I..."
Wong babbled anxiously. His expression showed that he wasn't joking—he was genuinely on Su Ye's side and sincerely believed that Old Su could settle the matter.
Indeed, to those who had experienced the war of '99, there was nothing Old Su couldn't do.
The title 'Su God' wasn't given for nothing.
However, Wong seemed to be worrying too much.
"Old Wong, Brother Wong, it's not what you think!"
Su Ye grabbed Wong to steady him, preventing him from spiraling into a panic driven by his own wild speculations.
"It's nothing like what you're thinking! I didn't do anything to Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One. These items weren't obtained by killing her or stealing treasures— the Ancient One gave them to me!"
"She gave them to you?"
Wong hesitated for a moment, then mechanically, with doubt and shock, looked at Su Ye.
"The one who inherits the Eye of Agamotto is the new Sorcerer Supreme. Could it be that…"
Su Ye shrugged and spread his hands. "If that's the case, then yeah, I guess it's me!"
"You... the Sorcerer Supreme?"
Wong wanted to say something, but the words stopped at his lips and were swallowed back.
"Su God once said that being the Sorcerer Supreme is not an easy job. That's why, when the Ancient One wanted to pass the position to him, he refused."
"But why he refused, we don't really know. Maybe he had his own reasons. We only know that he once said this position isn't easy, and being the Sorcerer Supreme is no simple task. But beyond that, I'm not sure."
After saying this, Wong didn't dwell on the topic further and instead led Su Ye toward the bookshelves.
"These shelves contain years of accumulated knowledge and experience from magicians. I'm not sure how far you've progressed in magic training, but no matter what, reading here will be beneficial."
Just as Wong was speaking, a sudden noise came from outside.
Immediately after, a group of people entered.
Leading them was a man with slicked-back hair, markings around his eyes—whether they were tattoos or just severe dark circles was unclear.
He wore attire similar to a sorcerer, but his overall look gave off the vibe of a villain.
Behind him was a group of lackeys dressed similarly—one look and you could tell they were just minions.
"That's Kaecilius!"
Wong stood up, stepped forward, and positioned himself in front of Su Ye. Facing the intruders, he shouted loudly.
"You fallen ones, what are you doing here!"
Even without Wong's introduction, Su Ye recognized these people.
Kaecilius—the first enemy Doctor Strange had faced, a fanatic worshipper of the Dark Dimension.
He sought to destroy the three Sanctums across the globe, breaking the protective seal on Earth and allowing the Dark Dimension to descend, ultimately offering Earth as a sacrifice.
Speaking of which, the Dark Dimension seemed somewhat similar to Asgard's ancient enemy, the Dark Elves.
Kaecilius chuckled and pointed at Su Ye.
"No need to worry, I'm not here to trouble you, trash. My target is just the Sanctum. Wait a moment!"
As he spoke, his gaze suddenly locked onto Su Ye.
"Kid, you have the Eye of Agamotto on you. Why is that? Where's the Ancient One? Did she die?"
As he spoke, Kaecilius burst into laughter.
"Oh, Ancient One, Ancient One... I never expected you to make such a foolish move in the end."
"Whether you're dead or just blind enough to hand the Eye of Agamotto to a useless fool, today it will be mine."
As he spoke, he wiped his hands together, and instantly, a translucent blade formed from magical energy appeared in his grip.
Then, holding the air blade, he swaggered forward toward Su Ye.
"Don't worry, it'll be over quickly. You won't even feel any pain, and then this matter will be settled. You'll leave peacefully, without a care in the world!"
From his expressions to his movements, everything about Kaecilius screamed 'villain.'
"This guy's up to no good!"
Wong stood at the side, fully prepared to go all out and hit Kaecilius with something fierce.
Even though Wong had spent many years in the library and looked more like a chef than a sorcerer, at this moment, he radiated an astonishing battle aura.
To exaggerate a little, Su Ye, standing beside him, almost felt like he was about to be blown away by Wong's sheer fighting spirit.
"Wong, do you think you can defeat me with just your little skills?"
Kaecilius was trying to mess with his mind. Even though he could easily take them down, as a typical villain, he just couldn't stop talking.
Kaecilius looked down on Wong. In fact, the entire sorcerer system underestimated him.
They considered him just a librarian who hid in the library.
And Kaecilius had already killed one such librarian as a sacrificial offering.
Killing another one wouldn't make a difference.
As for that young man beside him? Just a lucky kid who gained the Ancient One's favor because of his looks and physique. His age alone proved that he hadn't learned much magic. And he thought he could fight Kaecilius?
What do you have to fight me with?
Opposite him, Wong stood firmly in front of Su Ye, refusing to take a single step back.
"Mr. Su, I'll hold them off while you escape through the back door—"
Before Wong could finish his sentence, Su Ye suddenly spoke.
"No need for all that trouble."
As he finished speaking, Su Ye raised his hand.
A flame shot out from his palm and flew toward Kaecilius and his men. Midway, the small flame began to expand wildly, and in an instant, it turned into a raging inferno capable of engulfing everything.
Kaecilius had no time to dodge—he was instantly consumed by the flames.
Seeing this, the two lackeys who had followed Kaecilius reacted. One tried to rescue him, while the other attempted to attack Su Ye, seemingly planning to use a diversion tactic.
But the fire spread too quickly and engulfed both of them as well.
Soon, agonized screams echoed through the library, followed by the distinct smell of roasting meat.
Within the fire, Kaecilius and his men couldn't even scream for mercy before they were reduced to ashes.
"Brother Wong, get someone to clean this up. Leaving this here might ruin people's mood for reading."
After saying this, he turned around and walked toward the rows of bookshelves, as if killing Kaecilius and his men meant nothing to him.
Honestly, Kaecilius wasn't a big deal. He was just another fool who had learned a few tricks and thought he was invincible. In the movie, the Ancient One had single-handedly taken on a dozen of them with ease.
If it were their real boss—the ruler of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu—then Su Ye would have actually taken the situation seriously.
After all, even Doctor Strange had to use an Infinity Stone just to play tricks against him.