Chapter 325

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Chapter 325: Accepting Defeat Gracefully

Silent all the way.

Bai Wei deliberately restrained his talkative nature. As long as he stayed silent, there would be no flaws. He knew that speaking too much would lead to mistakes. A single lie required more lies to cover it up.

"This isn’t Europa," he thought to himself, "If I happen to lose my disguise, it will only bring embarrassment upon myself."

Later, when she returns home, she must remember to caution Hokusinn Kichyō to keep her mouth tightly sealed, ensuring not to let slip a word about the gold she saw.

Bai Wei stopped in his tracks and said, "Going any further will lead us to the realm of the Underworld."

Here, there was a window, through which you could gaze upon a great river ahead. The river carried a thick, murky yellowish flow, as it continued its journey to the west.

The Underworld, by all means, should have been yellow.

"Did they fall into the realm of the underworld?"

"It’s not impossible," Bai Wei pondered. "However, if someone were to disappear, it would be difficult to return once they’ve descended into the vast realm of the Underworld. This place beneath the human realm belongs to a territory beyond our world."

Comparing the abyss to the realm of the Underworld, and comparing the realm of the Underworld to the demonic Hell (the demon realm), once you fall into it, it’s difficult to come back.

During his prime, Bai Wei did indeed venture into the realm of the Underworld. He was tricked into it, as there were insiders within the revolutionary army, and a traitor emerged among the team that was exploring the abyss.

Using his mentor’s alias as bait, Bai Wei managed to lure out this traitor. After careful calculation, it was unexpected that this traitor turned out to be neither the Saintess nor the former Cardinal, nor even orchestrated by the Pope. Instead, it was one of Bai Wei’s most trusted students.

As a result, Bai Wei was sent to the Underworld. Waiting to receive him were three of the top twenty demon lords and their seven legions of the Underworld. They had heard of the mentor’s great fame and decided to join forces in order to share the mentor’s wise soul.

The souls of the strong had a deadly allure to the demons. They believed that this level of power would be enough to handle the mentor, and indeed, it proved to be sufficient.

And then Bai Wei let out a resolute sigh.

Your friend Emperor has come online.

As a result, Bai Wei managed to clear out one-fifth of the demon territory in the underworld. One-tenth of the region was permanently separated from the underworld and transformed into an underground mining site in Europa. To this day, it continues to provide the world with a unique source of energy and mineral resources.

Originally, he had wanted to do something even more outrageous, but among the demons, there were ancient monsters above even the rulers. So, he chose to stop.

Of course, Bai Wei’s act of shedding his disguise was known by the wise demon ruler. As a result, all the demon forces unanimously decided to cease their involvement, no longer daring to meddle in this civil war within the empire. With the demons no longer offering their assistance, the decline of the empire accelerated naturally.

For the mighty, taking a trip to the underworld is nothing, but for ordinary people who go in, it becomes very difficult for them to come out.

Kokonohana Nori found herself at a crossroads, torn between two choices, unable to decide which path to take.

Bai Wei offered a suggestion, "Why don’t you wait here? Tomorrow is the fifteenth day of the twelfth month, when the crimson moonlight is at its strongest."

"So what?"

"They will surely make a move, and the Netherworld is the exit of the Underworld, as well as the boundaries of multiple dimensions. They may not have gone to the Underworld, but rather found themselves in another dimension of time and space. Tomorrow, everything will converge here."

"Do you wait for rabbits by guarding a tree?"

Bai Wei nodded and then asked, "Do you remember the map and the way to recognize the Underworld labyrinth?"

"Remembered."

"So I can’t really help you either," Bai Wei felt a sense of detachment in his consciousness. It was time to leave. Without a physical body to reside in, his pure soul was vulnerable to substantial depletion.

"Please wait," Kokonohana Nori pleaded, with only a few moments left to speak. Within those few short sentences, she couldn’t fully explain the situation. Her emotions were complicated, but for the sake of the other witches, she had to ask, "Can you help heal the other witches? Witches like me… they don’t know their own identities. They are innocent and suffer from the pain of the Scarlet Curse. So…"

"Sure," Bai Wei replied without hesitation, "Of course, I can."

"Did you agree?"

"Yes," Bai Wei nodded. This was not something that required any thought. Even if it meant risking exposure, it was not more important than the promise and the safety of the others.

Kokonohana Nori was speechless. Many of the words she had prepared went unused. Whether it was hints, probing questions, or speculations, they were all in vain.

At that moment, she felt that her inner thoughts seemed quite foolish… Perhaps the deities wouldn’t care about what she thought, nor about her position.

She was a witch, so she deserved to be saved.

Even she abandoned her former belief.

Followers and deities have a symbiotic relationship, with the latter protecting and blessing the former, while the former provide sustenance to the latter.

But for that person, perhaps it is not just a symbiotic relationship, but rather a dependence, just like flowers, plants, and trees with the sun. The latter is revered and chased after by the former, while the former never hesitates to bestow its mercy.

Rather than calling it a belief, it is more like a longing for his mercy…

In an instant, Kokonohana Nori’s conviction, which had been upheld for over twenty years, wavered, even though it was just a fleeting moment.

"How can I get in touch with you?" she asked.

"After this is over, I will naturally get in touch with you."

Bai Wei pondered in silence, realizing that he might need to relocate the golden tree. The courtyard of the Yagyū house was too small, incapable of accommodating the mature size of the golden tree. Besides, being in Edo, it would be impossible to hide it even if he wanted to.

His figure blurred and completely vanished from sight, disappearing right where he stood.

After Bai Wei departed, Kokonohana Nori clasped her hands together at her belly, deeply bowed, and performed a respectful gesture.

Regardless of whether he was the person she imagined or not, he deserved this gesture from her.

…

Hades.

In front of a majestic grand hall, two black cats with tails are lying on chairs. One of them yawns and says, "There are a few more demons in the Pool of Blood, all killed by the same person. When these heads were delivered, the other side went crazy with killing."

"What are you looking at me for?" a cold shadow lurking in front of the grand hall sneered. "It’s not like I made them die. If they couldn’t measure up, they can only blame themselves."

"I was just curious. With fewer hands, how do you plan to handle what comes next?" The black cat licked its paws. "The Emperor has bestowed upon you so many resources, not to create a splendid display of your impending demise."

"Enough chatter. Everything is under my control. Despite the unexpected appearance of this creature, what influence could it possibly have on me? Tomorrow is the fifteenth day of December, when Kamitsumiwoikirihime is weak. I shall devour her divine essence." The dark shadow continued to speak ceaselessly.

"I’m not really concerned about your plan," lazily said Yumeko, the two-tailed cat. "I just want to warn you, do you know the consequences of a failed plan… Also, don’t treat others as sacrificial pawns. You should know that it’s always me who is responsible for carrying and delivering. Have you ever thought about the hardships I endure, nya?"

"Humph!" the dark shadow said coldly. "I want to meet the Emperor."

"The Emperor is not seeing anyone now," Yumeko licked her paw. "Just had a little confrontation with someone, feeling a bit restless, and saying there’s a slight pain that hasn’t been felt for a long time… Its mood is very good. If you were to go in now, its mood might not be as good anymore, and there would be no need for you to report your plan. We’ll know the results by tomorrow, so we can discuss it then. Hmm, it’s best for you to have some achievements, otherwise…"

Yumeko smirked, "It looks like there’s no need for me to personally handle this anymore. If you fail, there’s no guarantee you’ll come back alive."

The black python roared and left the Underworld Palace.

A voice came from the torch on the side, "Why do you need to provoke it like that?"

Yumeko said, "The Hundred Demons Party doesn’t tolerate the incompetent, it looks down upon those who have high ambitions but lack the skills to back it up."

"Facing difficulties in the progress of a plan is normal," said the visitor, "Didn’t you experience failure before?"

"The realm of mystery will surely falter when faced with even greater mysteries," Yumeko purred, licking her paw. "Let the shape-shifting tanuki handle it."

"The fox’s ability is good, but he likes to use other’s weapons to kill."

"There are many knives in Yingzhou, and many skilled swordsmen are quite eccentric. They easily provoke conflicts, which is not difficult for them," Yumeko said. "It seems like things are going smoothly on your end."

"The Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom is not difficult at all. Everywhere there are ambitious beings. The job of collecting souls is very simple, even a bit boring. Just give these demons a simple reason, and they can start a local war, where blood flows like rivers."

"The war in the Land of People was not as efficient as yours."

"Of course, because wars among demons involve the destruction of nations and extinction of species. It has always been a relentless struggle without end. Betrayals and surrenders are rare occurrences."

"You, this time, seem to have set your sights on…"

"Yunmeng City, a small country called Bai Ze, was on the verge of collapse. It could only last for another month at most. One hundred thousand souls would have to be sacrificed to the Great Sovereign."

Yumeko watched the dangerous members of the Hundred Demons Party as they departed, murmuring to herself, "They are truly loyal… Meow~"

…

Kamitsumi Shrine (Twenty years later).

Bai Wei woke up.

The soul felt as if it had crossed a tunnel through time and space, which startled him. What if his body passed through, but his soul didn’t? That would be disastrous!

Afterward, he could only forever remain as a sidekick, casually finding a girl to stick by him.

After waking up, Bai Wei sat up and found himself lying on Hokusinn Kichyō’s lap. She too had fallen asleep, leaning tiredly against the table.

Bai Wei has had his fair share of pillowings on knees. When his younger sister provides a knee pillow, she would gently clean his ears. The maid in the witch coven would give him a shoulder massage. Liliana would hum a song, while Hokusinn Kichyō, well… it’s average, let’s say. A seventy out of one hundred.

"Why only seventy points?" Hokusinn Kichyō asked, puzzled.

"Bai Wei, can you fall asleep when kneeling on the ground with a heavy object pressing against your thighs?" Bai Wei stood up and replied, "Pretending to sleep earns ten points."

"That’s only eighty points," Hokusinn Kichyō said dismissively. "Is there anyone better than me?"

"Yes, my little sister."

"Why?"

"She lowered her head and could directly see my face."

"… admiringly admitted defeat."