Chapter 641: The Beginning of a Hundred Ghosts

Dorothy returned with a swollen belly.

"Burp~"

The Free-Ride Ghost Miss had enjoyed another free meal.

Though she'd eaten only afterlife food, she found it quite delicious—distinctly different from ordinary yang-world cuisine.

Normally, a living person like her couldn't consume food from the Huang Quan; if she gave in to greed, the death energy within could corrupt and curse her, granting her official registration in the Huang Quan and turning her fake death into real death.

But skill makes one bold—if you're confident you can withstand the erosion of death energy, then the Huang Quan curse is merely a seasoning.

Dorothy's necromancy was decent enough, and as the Dragon Witch, she possessed a naturally superior appetite, digesting anything without fear of indigestion, so she dared to try this "death cuisine."

But mostly, she dared because her invincible older sister was beside her; otherwise, the Witch's usual timidity would've kept her from risking her life so recklessly.

Still, before eating, she'd been anxious—but afterward, she realized the Huang Quan curse wasn't so bad.

The little death energy hadn't even begun to corrode her soul before it was instantly purified by the radiant Great Sun Buddha light surrounding her soul; this level of curse couldn't harm her Bodhisattva soul.

Yet, despite being a Bodhisattva too, the Qing Qing Xingdeng Miss had watched the whole time, staring at the delicious food yet daring not to take a single bite—such a waste of opportunity.

Hmm, one can only say: Three Kings' products are always top-tier. Even if the older sisters, to maintain their personas, hadn't revealed any shockingly extraordinary ingredients, what they served were still rare high-grade delicacies.

Just from this one meal, the Witch's mana had surged directly from fifty thousand to sixty thousand, and might rise another five thousand more as digestion continued—such terrifying growth revealed the meal's extraordinary caliber.

Sigh, she cursed her own weakness—her body couldn't absorb it all; she'd only consumed one percent before becoming full, unable to eat another bite—such a waste.

By the way, the older sister ate ten percent, A Ti ate ten percent, and the remaining seventy-nine percent vanished into Little Fat Dragon's mouth—even Emora wasn't satisfied, claiming she'd merely stuffed a few crumbs between her teeth.

This proved that even among dragon stomachs, there are differences—Dorothy's juvenile dragon stomach still isn't up to par.

The Witch was already considering whether, upon returning, she should find a way to evolve a "Big Eater" talent or specialty; otherwise, next time she dined with the older sisters, she'd miss out on this mana surge.

As she stumbled back to the Siji Yanmo Palace entrance, one hand clutching her bloated belly and the other gripping the wall, she saw the Flower Queen Miss waiting there already.

But the Flower Queen wasn't alone—beside her stood the Judge Miss, and beside her, another woman, strikingly similar to the Flower Queen but more alluring, more voluptuous, and in every sense, truly enormous.

Dorothy knew this must be the Flower Queen's two mothers.

Hmm, truly two beauties—no wonder they'd given birth to a super-beauty like the Flower Queen.

The Witch's good zone...

Stop. These are married women. One mustn't even think of it.

Seeing Dorothy and the others return, the Flower Queen quickly bid farewell to her two mothers and walked toward them.

The brief visit to the Huang Quan was over—they must return.

"Won't you stay and chat a while longer? I still need to digest."

Looking at the hurriedly approaching Flower Queen, Dorothy patted her round belly and said this.

"No need, Miss Dorothy. You've already troubled us enough."

Yin Yin Chuiyong waved her hand—she didn't wish to burden her benefactor further.

Though the Master might not mind, she herself must know contentment; one mustn't be greedy.

And...

Sigh, her mother's constant pressure to marry was unbearable.

Recalling how her birth mother had kept saying, "When I died, I wasn't even a hundred," "You're over a hundred and still single?" "Eastern Japan's population is aging—youth should work harder," the Flower Queen felt her composure slipping.

When apart, she missed her mothers dearly—but now that she saw them face to face, she found it almost too much.

Yet, thinking this might be their final meeting, she felt a pang of reluctance and desperately wanted to turn back and look at them once more—but in the end, she forced herself not to.

She feared that if she looked just one more second, she wouldn't be able to leave.

Emotional curses are far more intense than those in Huang Quan food.

In truth, there was little in the mortal world that could attract Yin Yin Chuiyong; she felt little attachment to it. Perhaps staying in the Huang Quan with her mothers, as a family, would be better for her.

But such a choice would be too selfish.

Miss Dorothy had helped her so much—how could she repay nothing?

She had already sworn fealty to Miss Dorothy—her life no longer belonged to herself; her future must be lived for the Master.

"I see."

Seeing the Flower Queen's tear-filled eyes yet unyielding refusal to turn back, Dorothy sensed her resolve and nodded.

The Witch patted her belly, and the once-swollen stomach visibly shrank before her eyes.

"Digestion" complete.

Her gaze passed over the Flower Queen to the equally reluctant Judge and her wife.

The wife pair suddenly bowed deeply to her.

"Master, we entrust our daughter to you."

Two earnest whispers reached Dorothy's ears.

Dorothy: "???"

What's going on? Why the sudden formality?

The Witch was confused, but under the mood, she couldn't ask—she could only nod, bewildered.

Hmm, smiling and nodding was all one could do now.

She assumed the Flower Queen's parents worried their daughter would be lonely and helpless aboveground, hence this plea.

But they were overthinking—the Flower Queen was a peak magus; the Witch, a weak little witch, was lucky if she didn't need the Flower Queen's protection, let alone offer any.

Sigh, the pity of parents—love blinds.

Seeing her nod, the Judge and her wife smiled, as if relieved.

"Then let's go."

Dorothy cast one final glance at the Siji Yanmo Palace before turning toward the way they'd come.

Yin Yin Chuiyong silently followed.

The route was much the same as before—crossing the Sanchuan River, walking the Yellow Spring Road, the ancient, solemn Ghost Gate looming ahead.

Little Fat Dragon and A Ti pulled open the massive stone gates on either side, but the Witch paused to look at her older sister one last time.

"Sister, I'll help you."

She suddenly said this.

Di Di Nisha: "..."

The Shepherdess, startled by her sister's cryptic words, looked up—but before she could speak, Dorothy had already crossed the Ghost Gate with Yin Yin Chuiyong and Qing Qing Xingdeng, returning to the mortal realm.

The White Constable stood silent for a long while, then sighed helplessly.

Sigh, how is it that this sister is always too clever? I told her just to enjoy herself.

The heavy Huang Quan gate closed again.

A Ti removed the horse-faced mask from her face and kicked off the stilts beneath her feet—her tiny loli body instantly swelled into a tall, slender woman over two meters high.

This woman had ruby lips, white teeth, hair like a black waterfall, a purity rivaling an angel's face—but a tear mole beneath her eyes added seductive allure. Her beauty was astonishing, nearly divine, the only flaw being her overly slender frame, lacking a touch of curves—yet her long, straight legs more than compensated.

She smiled, an elegant, mysterious expression—a woman full of secrets.

Emora also removed the ox-headed mask from her head—her body rapidly expanded into a voluptuous woman four or five meters tall.

This woman was graceful and alluring; even wrapped tightly in battle armor like a knightly lady, her figure still radiated sensuality.

Yet unlike her sensual body, her expression was solemn and serious, radiating great authority.

Finally, the White Constable removed her mask, revealing a face of transcendent beauty.

Though traces of the former Shepherdess remained, after countless optimizations and evolutions, the mortal village girl had become the God of Gods, the King of Kings.

Human flaws and weak humanity had been optimized away.

On this face, little remained of humanity; anyone who saw her would feel shame, awe, and the urge to kneel and worship—as if facing a sacred, untouchable statue in a cathedral, radiating divine dignity and grace.

The Holy Mother's compassion lived in her smile; the Heavenly Father's majesty flowed from her emotionless eyes.

She was the embodiment of cosmic law, a true god walking among mortals.

"You're just as clever as I am—but I dislike overly clever people, especially good ones."

The tall, black-haired beauty spoke first, her tone tinged with envy.

She'd once admired this little one—the second to pass the Nine-System Exam after her—but now...

Hehe, actually, she liked her even more.

This little one was interesting—no one had dared challenge her in so long. It was fun.

"A good child. Though she seems lazy, she's always worked hard in earnest. That's good—only with power can one not lose what matters."

The authoritative knightly lady smiled, her praise unhidden.

The holy nun merely gazed silently at the closed gate.

After a long while, she smiled.

"Still the same—always meddling."

Di Di Nisha shook her head, scolding in appearance, yet beaming.

The godlike solemnity on her body faded; the lonely monarch remembered her humanity once more.

"Tsk tsk tsk—I knew why Eastern Japan was full of rebels. Turns out it was all set up by the older sisters."

In the Ya Chong Mansion, Dorothy awoke again, dazed as if sleepwalking—the memories of her Huang Quan journey flowed through her, revealing many truths.

In chaotic, disordered, morally blind chaos, corrupt rule endures—but when justice and order are established, impartial judgment falls equally on all, and the scales of human hearts finally distinguish right from wrong.

The witches of Eastern Japan had long been ruled by nobles, accustomed to believing nobles' words were law, that nobles' decrees were cosmic truth.

But when souls who had experienced the Huang Quan's justice were reborn, though past memories faded, the conviction that all merits and sins would be judged fairly after death had been etched into their souls.

Above every head, three feet, there are gods.

When evil no longer carries no cost, and kindness is no longer useless, the chaotic world will slowly grow better.

Although her good sister never explained the meaning behind all the rules of the Land of Yūan, Dorothy vaguely understood her good sister's thoughts—and she wholeheartedly agreed with this approach.

Just as Father Adam had always insisted, even if the world is rotten, evil should not be praised merely because it is reasonable, nor should kindness be mocked simply because it is weak.

Dorothy was lowly and powerless; she never believed she could change the entire world of witches, so her lifelong goal had merely been to carve out her own territory among the ten thousand nations and live in quiet seclusion.

But now, since her good sister also intended to correct the world's wrongs, the usually lazy home witch had no objection to contributing her insignificant strength. Jī

She couldn't take the lead herself, but she had plenty of courage to go with the flow—and more than plenty.

Since her good sister had told her to just enjoy herself on the Island of Japan, and since she was going to play anyway, why not play a little bigger?

Beside her, Ibuki Yugi and Aoyagi Tōno had also awakened, but both wore expressions of confusion.

Both had lost all memory of their journey to Yūan.

The secrets of Yūan were not permitted to be known by the living.

Yet the demon girl remained puzzled, while the courtesan girl touched her face and felt two tear tracks.

And her heart felt warm, as if she had just experienced something tender—this sensation was unprecedentedly comforting, as though she had once been a drifting waterweed, but now, she had taken root. Jī

As Ibuki Yugi still wondered what had just happened, she heard a voice beside her enthusiastically suggesting something.

"Hey, Yōtō, let's go on a Hyakki Yagyō."

The Oni Queen turned toward the voice—and saw Dorothy, now dressed once again as the trickster from the Hyakki Festival.

The home witch had once more donned a ukiyo-e-style clown mask, wore a black haori, and carried the Crimson Shadow Demon Blade at her waist—clearly dressed as a native of the Island of Japan.

"Huh?"

The Oni Queen didn't understand what her mistress Dorothy was planning now.

But Dorothy had already grabbed her by the hand and pulled her up. Jī

"No time to explain—my inspiration is stirring. There must be Hyakki sisters suffering nearby."

.... The witch is on the move....