Chapter 325

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Chapter 325: Accepting Defeat Gracefully

The journey was silent.

Bai Wei intentionally restrained his usual talkative nature. Staying quiet meant fewer chances to slip up. Speaking too much could lead to mistakes—a single lie could demand countless others to cover it up.

“This isn’t Europa,” he reminded himself. “If my disguise falters, I’ll only embarrass myself.”

He resolved that once he returned, he’d warn Hokusinn Kichyō to keep her lips sealed. No one could know about the gold she had seen.

Suddenly, Bai Wei halted. “Any further, and we’ll step into the realm of the Underworld,” he announced.

A nearby window offered a view of a massive river flowing ahead. Its waters, murky and yellowish, surged westward.

The Underworld—by all accounts—should always be yellow.

“Did they fall into the Underworld?” Kichyō asked.

“It’s possible,” Bai Wei admitted. “If someone enters, returning becomes nearly impossible. The Underworld lies beyond the reach of our world.”

He compared the abyss to the Underworld and the Underworld to the demonic Hell. Once trapped in any of these realms, escape was rare.

In his prime, Bai Wei had ventured into the Underworld himself—though not by choice. Betrayed by a trusted student within the revolutionary army, he had been tricked into descending into that sinister realm.

The student, using the alias of Bai Wei’s mentor, had led him into a trap. There, waiting for him, were three of the top twenty demon lords and their seven legions. United by their desire to consume his soul, they believed they could overpower him.

And they were right—at first.

But Bai Wei was no ordinary mortal.

“I still remember the sigh I let out that day,” he mused.

It was the sigh of someone embracing their power.

The results were catastrophic for the demons. Bai Wei annihilated one-fifth of their territory, severed another one-tenth from the Underworld entirely, and transformed it into an underground mining site. To this day, Europa reaps the rewards of that conquest, drawing unique resources from the region he liberated.

Initially, he had wanted to do more—but even among the demons, there were ancient forces beyond comprehension. Knowing when to stop was key.

For the mighty, traveling to the Underworld was an ordeal, but not impossible. For ordinary souls, however, it was a one-way trip.

Kokonohana Nori stood at a crossroads, struggling to make a choice.

“Why don’t you wait here?” Bai Wei suggested. “Tomorrow is the fifteenth of the twelfth month—the crimson moonlight will be at its strongest.”

“And?”

“They’ll make their move then. The Underworld is both an exit and a boundary. They might not have fallen into the Underworld itself but rather slipped into another dimension. Tomorrow, everything will converge here.”

“Waiting by the tree for a rabbit to appear?”

Bai Wei nodded.

“Do you remember the map and how to navigate the Underworld labyrinth?” he asked.

“I remember,” she replied.

“Good.”

Bai Wei felt his energy waning. Without a physical body, his soul was burning through its reserves. It was time to leave.

“Wait!” Kokonohana Nori called out.

Her voice trembled. She couldn’t explain everything in just a few words. Her emotions were conflicted, but for the sake of the other witches, she had to ask:

“Can you help heal the other witches? Those like me—innocent yet cursed by the Scarlet Curse?”

Bai Wei didn’t hesitate. “Of course.”

“Did you agree?”

“Yes,” he said firmly.

Kokonohana Nori was stunned. All her prepared arguments—her hints, her probing—were rendered useless.

In that moment, she felt foolish. Perhaps the divine didn’t care about her thoughts or her doubts. She was a witch, and witches deserved saving.

“Then how can I contact you?” she asked.

“When this is over, I’ll reach out to you.”

With that, his figure blurred and disappeared.

In the Underworld, two black cats lounged before a grand hall. One yawned.

“There’s been another batch of demons sent to the Pool of Blood,” it said. “Killed by the same person. The reports suggest they were furious.”

“What does that have to do with me?” sneered a dark shadow nearby. “If they were weak, they deserved to die.”

“I’m just saying—fewer hands might complicate your plans,” the cat replied lazily. “The Emperor granted you many resources, not for you to squander them.”

“Enough,” the shadow hissed. “Everything is under control. Tomorrow, I will claim Kamitsumiwoikirihime’s divine essence.”

“You’d better hope your plan works,” the cat warned. “If you fail, there’s no guarantee you’ll leave the Underworld alive.”

The shadow stormed off, leaving the cat to murmur, “The Hundred Demons Party doesn’t tolerate incompetence…”

At Kamitsumi Shrine, twenty years later, Bai Wei woke up.

For a moment, he panicked. What if his soul had traveled through time but his body hadn’t?

But as his surroundings came into focus, he realized he was lying on Hokusinn Kichyō’s lap. She had dozed off, leaning tiredly against the table.

Bai Wei had experienced his fair share of “knee pillows.” His sister would clean his ears while he rested, and other companions would hum songs or offer massages. Compared to them, Kichyō’s effort was… average.

“Seventy out of a hundred,” he muttered.

“Why only seventy?” Kichyō asked, startled awake.

“Well, imagine kneeling on the ground with a heavy weight pressing on your thighs. Not very comfortable, is it?”

“Pretending to sleep gets you another ten points,” he added.

“That’s only eighty!” she exclaimed. “Who’s better than me?”

“My sister.”

“Why?”

“She leans in closer. She can see my face.”

Kichyō sighed. “Fine. I accept my defeat gracefully.”