The inexplicably feverish atmosphere was extinguished.
The overly long tachi had pierced Ōetsu's clothes. It was hard to imagine how Ling Qing had managed to wield his blade so freely in such a crowded environment without harming a single person.
Ōetsu, dangling from the blade, was completely dumbfounded. He hadn't yet processed what had happened. After all, once he'd slipped and fallen, he'd lost all track, only feeling himself being pushed around...
Meeting the gaze of Ling Qing, who was holding him up with a single arm, Ōetsu managed a somewhat awkward smile. Even he could only offer one assessment of the situation: "What is all this chaos?"
The fervor that had filled the air, affecting nearly everyone but Ling Qing, finally dissipated. The overly enthusiastic—even frighteningly so—women returned to normal. Perhaps overcorrecting, they seemed a bit embarrassed by their previous actions and didn't dare to get too close, only watching Ling Qing from a distance.
But one look at their eyes made it clear they hadn't given up on him. On the contrary, they were even more intrigued. After all, compared to the热情 and outgoing type, the stoic, ascetic type of handsome man can sometimes be even more attractive.
His plan having backfired spectacularly, Ōetsu couldn't be bothered with them anymore. Ling Qing could also feel the numerous gazes on him that never seemed to diminish, but he decided it was best to pretend not to see them to avoid any more trouble.
In the now somewhat normal—more or less—Hōōden, Ling Qing was finally able to sit down and talk with its master, Nimaiya Ōetsu.
It was just that this overly futuristic nightclub environment... was this really a setting for a serious conversation?
Nimaiya Ōetsu had exhausted the last shred of Ling Qing's patience for the Zero Squad. After they sat down, Ling Qing ignored him, instead focusing his attention on the sword in his hands, carefully sensing something.
If he were ignored like this on any other day, Ōetsu would have definitely thrown a fit. The self-proclaimed most popular member of the Zero Squad couldn't stand the indignity of being ignored! But today was an exception.
Sipping his tea to hide his awkwardness, Ōetsu secretly watched Ling Qing, observing him.
With Ōetsu's abilities, he could learn a lot just from a Zanpakutō. But even as the inventor of the Zanpakutō, he couldn't say he had complete control over them. If anything, he only had developer-level access, allowing him to perform operations and adjustments that ordinary Shinigami couldn't. However, he couldn't interfere with the birth of a Zanpakutō, just as he could forge a blade infinitely close to Ryūjin Jakka, but could never truly create Ryūjin Jakka itself. Even with Hyōsube Ichibē's help, it was impossible.
This was because a Zanpakutō was not just a sword; it was two sides of the same coin as its Shinigami.
The same principle applied to Hyōsube Ichibē. He had given names to all things at the beginning of creation, and thus could know a Zanpakutō's true name and its release just by touching it. But he was bound by the same rule. People often deified him and Ōetsu, but Ōetsu would just smile and say nothing. Those who know, know.
As the sword is, so is the man. As the man is, so is the sword. Or perhaps, the sword is not like the man, and the man is not like the sword. It was all the same. The only difference was whether the Zanpakutō was an external manifestation or an internal reflection of the Shinigami.
As for Ling Qing, the only judgment Ōetsu could make was this: even though Ling Qing had been completely unaware of his Zanpakutō's existence before, even severing his own power from that of his sword, from the very beginning—from the moment that Asauchi, once belonging to some Shinigami in the Seireitei, fell into his hands—Ling Qing's Zanpakutō was more intimately connected to him than any other Shinigami's.
This was evident when, in a moment of true danger, they had forcefully broken through the obstacle a certain someone had placed in their way. It was also evident when, after arriving at the Hōōden, Ling Qing could summon his Zanpakutō back to him with a simple gesture, even though Ōetsu hadn't even taken it out for him.
Ling Qing and his Zanpakutō were not mere reflections of each other; from the start, they were truly one and the same.
Of course, Ling Qing had no idea what Ōetsu was thinking. All he knew was that the sword he now held, though unchanged in appearance, had definitely changed in some unseen way. It was precisely because it was his Zanpakutō that he could feel it so clearly. If wielding it before felt slightly rough, it now felt as smooth as silk.
It was like how a new phone needs to be personalized over time to fit its user. A Zanpakutō was much the same. An ordinary Shinigami would need to spend a long time coordinating with their Zanpakutō, slowly reaching a consensus to achieve a state of unity.
But Ling Qing's situation was slightly different. He had come to the Soul King's Palace, where there was a guy with administrator-level access to Zanpakutō. He had performed a complete adjustment on the sword, optimizing it based on the residual spiritual pressure and usage patterns Ling Qing had left on it.
In fact, Ling Qing's ability to accurately bypass everyone and directly stab Ōetsu's clothes was not only due to his own skill but also thanks to this invisible level of attunement. To put it bluntly, Ōetsu had just saved him decades, or even centuries, of hard work.
"Nimaiya-san, thank you."
After carefully sensing the changes, Ling Qing thanked Nimaiya Ōetsu sincerely. Business was business.
Kirinji Tenjirō and Nimaiya Ōetsu, each with a lower bottom line than the last, were a real headache. But you had to admit, they had the capital to be so willful. When a capable person is willful, it's called personality. When an incapable person is willful, it's just being a brat.
"Huh? N-no, it's nothing, it's what I should do."
Being thanked so suddenly by Ling Qing made Ōetsu a bit uncomfortable. It was probably because the whole affair had gotten a bit too wild, and even he felt a little guilty.
"But, Kirinji-san said you had something to say to me?"
"H-he did?" Ōetsu's expression stiffened slightly, his smile forced. He unconsciously glanced to the side.
In the direction he was looking, several of the women were hiding, and upon noticing his gaze, they waved their hands frantically and shushed him, signaling him to look away.
But Ōetsu had no energy to deal with them now. His mind raced, and he quickly came up with an excuse. "Oh, oh right! I just told that guy Tenjirō to tell you that your Zanpakutō is all tuned up and you can come get it anytime. That's all."
Ling Qing narrowed his eyes, looking at Ōetsu with suspicion. Judging by Kirinji's serious tone when he had mentioned it, what Ōetsu had originally wanted to say was definitely not something so trivial. Ling Qing was curious about what Ōetsu had intended to say and why he had changed his mind.
But since Ōetsu was unwilling to say, even brushing it off, there was nothing Ling Qing could do. Not to mention whether Ling Qing could even beat Ōetsu in a fight, the fact that Kirinji had healed him and Ōetsu had adjusted his Zanpakutō was enough to make Ling Qing hold his hand.
"Is... that so? Thank you."
"You're being a little too polite, I'm not used to it." Ōetsu was someone who loved to pepper his speech with rap-like ad-libs and rhymes. The fact that his speech had been so normal since this whole mess began showed just how uncomfortable he was.
As he spoke, Ōetsu suddenly paused, frowning as if considering something. After a long moment, he put down his teacup. He turned to Ling Qing, his expression serious.
"Normally, you'd be about ready to head back to the Seireitei now. But I have a proposal, you wanna hear it?"
"Please, go ahead."
"It'd be a waste to just come to the Soul King's Palace for a trip and then go back. Have you considered staying for some training?"
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