Chapter 1362: Slave trade
"What are you talking about?" Robin raised a single brow, his voice tinged with incredulity.
"One of the first things I searched for in the Soul Society’s market was slaves. And yet, nothing—not a single trace!"
Theo responded with a calm, knowing smile—one that carried the weight of old secrets.
"The Soul Society used to deal in slavery, once upon a time. It used to be a den of every kind of sin and indulgence money could buy—slaves, cursed arts, forbidden pleasures, and everything in between. But all that changed when Lord Morval took over the leadership... a few million years ago."
He leaned slightly forward, lowering his voice as if speaking of a sacred transformation.
"Since then, the Soul Society has remade itself into a beacon of righteousness—at least on the surface. It became a center for noble trade, a symbol of fair exchange, law, and stability. Didn’t it strike you as odd that, despite browsing through the wares of countless merchants, you never found anything... off? That’s because of their ironclad surveillance protocols. Nothing escapes their gaze."
He paused just long enough for Robin’s expression to tighten, then continued:
"As for the darker trades—slavery, blood-based cultivation, corpse dealing, black arts, even the supply chains for cannibal cultivators—those have all been pushed underground. Hidden. Shielded beneath layers of shadow enforced by the underworld powers."
Theo’s smile sharpened into something between pride and caution.
"You’ve heard of such networks, I’m sure. My own organization, the Shadow Swords, is one of them now."
Robin’s gaze narrowed.