Chapter 709: Farewell Banquet

Demon Mountain.

This once-mighty peak, which had once been the seat of one of the Three Great Cultivation Systems of Nihon—the Hyakki Hōbutsu—was now far quieter, no longer the bustling scene of countless demons roaming freely as in days past.

Yet today, the mountain had grown lively once more; the demons who had descended earlier had returned, cheering as they prepared for a banquet.

"Phew, this place is still the most comfortable."

Aoyakidō looked at her old home, absent for several months, and spoke with deep nostalgia.

"Mm, from now on, this will truly be everyone's home."

Beside her, Ibuki Yūgi nodded, a smile on her face.

After the War of Reformation, Nihon underwent great changes; for the Flower Queen, the greatest change was that she had lost her job.

With the disappearance of the Kafu oppressors, Nihon entered a new era of equality, and thus the old profession of yūjo was abolished—there was no longer a place for Yoshiwara's pleasure quarter in the new Nihon.

Although Yoshiwara itself had not been directly torn down, but preserved as a historical and cultural relic, restructured into a tourist attraction, the yūjo who had once lived there had regained their freedom.

Most yūjo chose to leave immediately; the new Nihon was in ruins, but now that oppression was gone, they could embrace new lives without having to sell their bodies and souls as they once had.

Yet some yūjo said they had grown too accustomed to Yoshiwara and did not wish to leave; these yūjo became staff of the new Yoshiwara, now tasked with showcasing Yoshiwara's unique traditions to tourists.

Cough cough, this time it's purely an artistic performance—no selling of the body. After all, most of these yūjo were masters of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, dance, and song; if one removed their prejudiced lenses and viewed them seriously, the top-tier yūjo were truly gifted individuals.

As the former mistress of Yoshiwara, Ibuki Yūgi did not choose to continue performing as a Flower Queen; even before the Reformation, she had planned to retire, and had even held a Flower Queen banquet for that purpose.

Although the planned three Flower Queen banquets had not been fully completed due to various accidents, it didn't matter—she had already found someone worthy of spending her life with.

A Flower Queen with a lover is no longer suited to appear publicly; she still had professional integrity.

Moreover, though her role as Flower Queen was gone, Ibuki Yūgi still had her job as Oni King.

Though the Hyakki were soon to become urban legends in the new Nihon.

In the past, only those who could no longer endure under Kafu oppression and craved power would climb this Demon Mountain, hoping to gain demonic strength for revenge.

In times of chaos, demons flourished.

But the new Nihon, though not yet fully peaceful or prosperous, could at least be called steadily improving.

Ordinary Nihonese witches seeking power could now learn swordsmanship at a sword dojo, yin-yang arts at an Onmyōryō, ninjutsu at a ninja school, or, after Nihon opened its borders, simply enroll in a foreign witch academy.

In short, there were countless paths to strength—no need to learn this perilous demonic Buddhist doctrine.

This doctrine was meant only for chaotic times, not for an age of peace.

Sigh, I hope this batch of Hyakki are the last demonic witches Nihon will ever see.

Now that Nihon is at peace, the Hyakki who had descended earlier decided to return to this Demon Mountain.

Though Dorothy had already used boundless Buddhist power to purge their demonic nature once, that only treated the symptoms, not the root cause; to truly eradicate demonic influence, they must diligently cultivate the Six Pāramitās themselves.

Their anger is too great; staying here too long harms everyone—better to return to the mountain and cultivate.

Only—

"Bad news, Tōtōsō-sama! The Onmyōji, the Police Bureau, and the Tenshō-fu have attacked again!"

Ibuki Yūgi and Aoyakidō were busy directing the Hyakki in preparing the banquet when suddenly a gust of wind blew in, revealing the form of Kamaitachi, who cried out in alarm.

This left the Oni King unimpressed; she gave the petite ninja a sharp tap on the head.

"Iga Moye, the war's over. We're all on the same side now. They're guests invited by Kappa-sama—show some respect."

Only then did Ibuki Iga Moye realize her mistake; she rubbed her aching forehead and gave an awkward smile.

It was hard to keep up—the changes had come too fast. She'd forgotten they were no longer demons everyone hunted; she still instinctively treated Onmyōji or police like mortal enemies.

But as Ibuki-sama said, these people were no longer enemies.

Previously, the Hyakki had supported Man'guo, and it was the betrayal of the Onmyōryō, Police Bureau, and Tenshō-fu during Man'guo's war with Heian-kyō that ended the conflict so swiftly.

Who could have imagined that those long thought to be the Kafu's three loyal hounds were actually undercover agents? We were all comrades against the Kafu.

"I'll go get them."

The petite ninja dissolved again into a gentle breeze sweeping through the forest.

Soon, several figures slowly ascended from below.

Any ordinary Nihonese witch present would have been stunned—these were clearly the most powerful figures in the new Nihon.

First came the current ruler of Man'guo, Butterfly Shin, who, barely over a year since she was merely a village healer, had truly transformed into a butterfly; her once gentle demeanor now carried added composure and authority.

Behind her walked a cold-faced girl—her younger sister and shadow guard, Butterfly Ei.

The former fishing witch had grown considerably through the crucible of war; after more than a year, the young witch, still in her growth phase, had matured noticeably, her features growing increasingly similar to her sister's.

After the Butterfly sisters came two samurai, swords at their waists, walking together.

They were Nihon's two most renowned swordmasters.

The elegant woman leading the way was Yagyū Shin'i-ryū's head, Yagyū Jūbei.

The one behind, with a high ponytail and a reverse-blade sword at her hip, was the owner of the newly opened Wanshiwu, named Battōsai Kenshin.

Few knew the mysterious owner's origins; all knew she was truly powerful—if you needed help, posting a request at the Wanshiwu would usually yield swift results.

Then came the two directors of the Police Bureau, Konoe Maki and Minamoto Hiromasa, close friends who arrived together.

After them came the Onmyōryō's representative: Abe no Seimei, accompanied by Kamo Akiki.

Finally came the representatives of the Tenshō-fu: Kujō Chiyoe and Wēn Wēn, sisters.

All had received a mysterious invitation to this banquet, but none expected so many "acquaintances" would be attending.

The Butterfly sisters and the two swordmasters were fine—they relaxed upon seeing familiar Hyakki.

The Hyakki had once been Man'guo's teachers; Man'guo's rapid growth owed much to their support and aid—they were all known to each other.

But the other guests made them wary.

Though Man'guo's final victory had relied on these three factions' betrayal, that didn't mean Man'guo fully trusted them; traitors who betrayed old masters could betray new ones too.

Even if all three clearly claimed they too opposed the Kafu, well—who would truly believe them?

The Konoe and Kujō families—two of the Five Regent Houses of the Kafu—were the aristocracy among aristocrats. Now to claim they opposed the Kafu was as absurd as the Emperor rebelling against himself.

And the Onmyōryō had once been the Kafu's loyal hound—suddenly turning on its master? It made no sense.

Still, though they didn't trust them, Man'guo had no choice; these three held too much vital power.

To end the chaos quickly, support from the Police Bureau and the Tenshō-fu as the military was indispensable; the Onmyōryō controlled the methods of yin-yang cultivation—knowledge and education itself.

So while Man'guo could not fully trust these three factions, it had no choice but to play along, waiting for the right moment to act.

But now, this strange banquet left the four from Man'guo bewildered—especially when they saw the two Tenshō-fu's Tengu sisters suddenly pull out two Tengu masks and merge them into the Hyakki, leaving them utterly confused.

Fortunately, before they could dwell on it, a stunningly beautiful woman stepped forward to greet them.

"Welcome to the Hyakki's banquet. Kappa-sama has been waiting for you upstairs—please follow me."

Ibuki Yūgi led them to the Shinkirō atop the mountain.

This was no mirage—it was the true Shinkirō; the one atop Yoshiwara was merely its reflection.

When the Man'guo group reached the top floor, they immediately saw the "familiar face" seated on the main dais, smiling at them.

"Battōsai-sama?"

Instantly, the Butterfly sisters and Yagyū Jūbei widened their eyes, unable to believe the sight of this long-dead acquaintance.

Battōsai Kenshin, however, looked curiously at the elder before her; the Wanshiwu owner frowned—she didn't know why, but seeing this person made her irritable. Even the cross-shaped scar on her face, identical to the elder's, throbbed faintly—she just wanted to draw her sword and slash this person.

"This is impossible. Battōsai-sama is dead—we saw it with our own eyes. Who are you?"

The Butterfly sisters stared solemnly at Tsukimi Kuro, demanding an answer.

They could never forgive anyone mocking their deceased benefactor with his face.

But after staring at the figure on the dais for a moment, Yagyū Jūbei raised a hand to stop the Butterfly sisters.

"Shin, Ei, calm down. This really does seem to be Tsukimi Kuro himself."

The great swordswoman no longer judged by appearance alone—she sensed energy.

Just as she had instantly recognized her unofficial disciple, the mysterious Battōsai Kenshin, as her master Tōsō Isshin's power- and memory-sealed training body, she now recognized the pure, flawless sword intent on the dais—it was truly her mentor and friend, the real Battōsai-sama.

After all, appearance could be faked, but such radiant, flawless sword intent could belong to no one else.

"Tch. So you actually recognized me."

Onstage, Dorothy was surprised by the swordswoman's perceptiveness, but she felt guilty looking at the Butterfly sisters.

After all, she had deceived them—even cruelly, she had manipulated their emotions.

To Dorothy, Tsukimi Kuro was merely a role in a film; to them, he was reality.

Their savior, their teacher, even their entire lives—had all been a performance with hidden motives. They were mere fools being used. Such a truth was not something everyone could accept.

Though the home witch meant no harm, no matter how she justified it, she had lied to them, manipulated their sisterly bond—this remained fact.

So she felt guilty.

Though the home witch smiled carefree on the surface, inside she was terrified; she had already prepared herself to be beaten senseless by the sisters afterward—letting them vent was fair enough.

But to her surprise, after hearing Yagyū Jūbei's warning, the sisters paused for a long while—and instead of erupting in rage as she expected, at least the elder did not.

"Master, is it really you? I'm so glad you're alive."

After a long silence, Butterfly Shin exhaled deeply, her face breaking into a genuine, joyful smile.

Though she didn't understand how her benefactor, reduced to ashes, could have returned from death, nothing could surpass the joy of knowing he still lived.

After all, he had always been mysterious—he had once brought her back from death herself. Though she still half-doubted it, if that were true, then his own resurrection wasn't so hard to believe.

But Butterfly Ei glared at Dorothy, pouting; though she was glad the clumsy fishing witch was alive, she was angry he had played such a cruel joke.

She had spent a year grinding her sword, determined to challenge Tōsō Isshin and avenge this man.

Now he just popped back up—had her year of resolve been a joke?

The young witch was furious.

"This is all an act too. If you don't show me your true face, I won't forgive you."

Butterfly Ei declared.

Dorothy: «. »

Well, this

Looking at the stubborn little witch's earnest gaze, the home witch seemed driven into a corner.

After a long while, she sighed and accepted her fate.

«Fine, I'll let you take a look. »

She said this, then swept her hand across, revealing her true face.

Divine Countenance activating

(End of Chapter)