Although Ling Qing had yet to become a member of the Gotei 13, he had certainly heard of the renowned Zero Squad. This was mainly because the Shihōin Clan itself was no ordinary family.
Even in the Shihōin records, the Zero Squad was described with an incredibly high level of prestige. One could say that since the Shihōin Clan held the honorable title of the Heavenly Armed Guards, who served the Soul King in their own way, they naturally had to hold the Soul King's position in the highest esteem. On that premise, while the Shihōin Clan had to remain in the Seireitei, the great figures of the Zero Squad were able to accompany the Soul King in the Soul King's Palace. It was only natural to praise them to the heavens as well.
Ling Qing's impression of the Zero Squad was largely the same.
If Kirinji Tenjirō hadn't revealed his identity, it would have been one thing. But his sudden self-disclosure just left Ling Qing utterly bewildered.
A big shot from the Zero Squad… is this it?
His suspicious gaze swept over Kirinji Tenjirō. Ling Qing said nothing, but it was as if he had said everything.
"?"
Not receiving the gasp of shock and admiration he expected, Kirinji Tenjirō looked over at Ling Qing in confusion, only to be met with a suspicious stare that rendered him speechless.
"Kazuo, Kazuhiro. Get him, fish him out, and throw him over here," Kirinji Tenjirō ordered, raising a hand and pointing at Ling Qing with a sinister grin.
"Yes, Lord Kirinji!"
Ling Qing was suddenly alarmed. He had scanned the area just moments ago but hadn't noticed two burly, bespectacled men nearby! And despite the steam and heat of the hot springs, they were inexplicably dressed in thick clothing that looked like firefighter's protective gear.
At Kirinji's command, the two muscular men approached Ling Qing with "friendly" smiles.
An immense sense of crisis washed over Ling Qing. He instinctively tried to dodge them, only to realize that his limbs had lost most of their strength. His whole body was limp,瘫软 in the hot spring.
"You… you guys, stay away from me—ahhhh!"
Faced with Ling Qing's terrified screech, the two muscular men's friendly smiles didn't change. However, with an unreadable meaning, their ridiculously large pectoral muscles twitched twice.
They reached Ling Qing's side, completely ignoring his screams. Each grabbing an arm, they lifted him out of the hot spring with a splash and moved him toward the red-colored bath where Kirinji was soaking.
He couldn't just sit and wait for doom! Even with little strength left, Ling Qing wanted to put up a final resistance.
Because this so-called "Blood Pond Hell" looked like a mini-volcano. The crimson water was redder than blood, with bubbles constantly gurgling to the surface.
Even without smelling any pungent, spicy aroma, Ling Qing had a terrible feeling that being thrown in would be an electrifyingly painful experience. If he had to describe it… it would be like touching your eye with a hand that had just chopped chili peppers!
Held by the two muscular men, Ling Qing did his best to lift his legs, desperate to avoid touching the crimson water.
Kirinji Tenjirō watched Ling Qing, his expression twisting. For a moment, he actually regretted his decision. Because right before his eyes—or rather, just above him—the struggling, naked Ling Qing, desperately lifting his legs, had… something… swinging back and forth right in front of his eyes…
Kirinji Tenjirō painfully covered his eyes.
Fortunately, the blinding sight didn't last long. Seeing Ling Qing's lack of cooperation, Kazuo and Kazuhiro simply… let go.
With a plop, Ling Qing fell directly into the crimson, bubbling red bath.
He sank into the red water. Weakened for some unknown reason, he couldn't control his body as it descended. He braced himself for a terrible, searing heat, prepared to endure a stinging pain that would pierce every corner of his body.
But soon, Ling Qing realized there was no intense pain. The water he was soaking in was just as warm as the clear bath, but only warm.
Struggling, Ling Qing swallowed several mouthfuls of the water, which also had no irritating taste. If anything, he felt an itchiness all over his body, especially where he had been injured. It was as if something was seeping into him, slowly restoring strength to his drained body.
With some strength recovered, Ling Qing finally managed to surface. He wiped the water from his face, took a deep breath, and looked around in confusion.
"I didn't even do anything to you. What were you fighting for your life for?"
Although Kirinji Tenjirō said this with a blade of grass in his mouth, the teasing look on his face clearly showed he was quite pleased. He had deliberately not explained anything to get back at Ling Qing for looking down on him.
It turned out he was quite a petty person.
"Like I said, that side is for expelling damaged spiritual pressure and blood. The question is, what do you do after you've expelled them? You can't just leave yourself empty, can you? The answer is right here."
Kirinji pointed to the red bath Ling Qing was now in. "This side is for replenishing blood and spiritual pressure. While you soak, the water enters your body through the skin, completely restoring the spiritual pressure and blood that were squeezed out in the white bath. You feel some of your strength returning now, don't you?"
"..."
He had to admit, Kirinji Tenjirō might not seem very reliable, but his techniques were incredible. Everything was just as he said. Ling Qing couldn't tell if he was low on blood, but he could clearly feel the empty void of his power gradually filling up.
As Ling Qing felt the changes within him, Kirinji was also observing him. Before, Ling Qing's injuries were too severe for him to focus on anything else. Now that his wounds were healing, certain things naturally became more apparent.
"I see… so that's how it is…" he muttered to himself with a soft chuckle, his eyes slightly narrowed. "A part of the Soul King's body is within you… No, that's not right. If it were just that, the Soul King wouldn't pay you this much attention. So what's the real issue? What is it about you that makes the Soul King have such high expectations?"
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