Chapter 1113: Chapter 651: Betrayal (Part 2)
This discovery made her both delighted and somewhat disappointed.
She was delighted that the Onmyoji would no longer face a dead-end future, now having hope to supplement the Yin Yang technique. The disappointment was due to a monster witch understanding the Yin Yang techniques better than the Onmyoji; it was truly ironic.
Miss Great Onmyoji scrutinized the seemingly weak but actually terrifying Demon King, curious about this person’s background.
When the other party threw the teacher’s identity badge to them, they were overwhelmed with hatred and anger, so they didn’t take the time to think, assuming it was a provocation. But now that she had calmed down slightly, Abe Seimei realized that this Demon King didn’t seem to be someone unreasonable.
The opponent was clearly not a slaughterer; otherwise, the Twelve Divine Generals would have been easily wiped out, not just teased a little and then released.
The opponent even helped the Twelve Divine Generals remove their demon nature, which is not something a great villain would do.
But such a person still killed her teacher…..
Miss Great Onmyoji found it hard to understand the position of this terrifying Demon King.
Meanwhile, the monsters just unsealed were bewildered, unsure of what had happened.
Weren’t they already sealed by Abe Seimei? Why were they released? This didn’t look like the Yin Yang Bureau’s prison.
Then they saw the nearby team of great demons exuding monstrous aura.
Although they didn’t recognize some of the unfamiliar monsters in the team, they knew the three new Demon Kings—Great Tengu, Shuten Douji, and Tamamo-no-Mae—from their recent fame at the Hyakki Festival.
“Could it be that Lord Shuten came to rescue us?”
The Hyakki Witch was momentarily delighted, and they quickly tried to escape towards the demon team.
But after taking a few steps, a wall of wind built from a raging storm blocked their path.
“Scythe Weasel, what are you doing?”
Someone among the blocked monsters recognized the source of the wind and frowned, asking.
And Miss Ninja, already merged into the storm, revealed a phantom shape and spoke.
“Thunder Beast, Pipe Fox, Lantern Ghost, Broom God, Cat Demon…. Come here, you few.”
The Scythe Weasel Witch identified a few among the crowd of monsters.
Though she had been lonely in Monster Mountain and not quite familiar with the group, as a wind monster, the wind often brought her information about others. Gradually, she got to know many from the mountain.
The ones she pointed out had a relatively good reputation on the mountain, meeting the boss’s recruitment criteria for good character.
While others were from Monster Mountain, too, it was just a neutral area like a school and not all mountain Hyakki were good.
Most were pitiful, forced up the mountain, but not all pitiful ones were good people.
Some who were struggling were empathetic to others struggling and helped each other.
But there were also some who, in their difficulty, preyed upon weaker ones to feel a bit more comfortable.
Of course, with the Ghost King present on Monster Mountain, those people dared not be too excessive usually, quietly attacking in private, but they couldn’t hide from Scythe Weasel.
The wind told Scythe Weasel everything.
Thus, the howling storm released those few named monster witches, allowing them to pass, while the unnamed demons remained blocked by the wind wall.
Dorothy watched Miss Ninja’s selection, nodding slightly.
Iga Maya’s choice of monster witches were ordinary but had more merits than karmic force, leaning towards a neutral kind side, while those rejected by Miss Ninja seemed to lean more towards neutral evil.
Indeed, Miss Ninja was quite diligent in recruiting.
Homebody Witch thought to herself.
And seeing the selection was done, she nodded to Abe Seimei from a distance, preparing to leave with her group, as there were more places to visit tonight.
But seeing the great demons preparing to abandon them, some unselected monster witches panicked.
“Lord Shuten, are you leaving us to die?”
“Why save them and not us?”
“It’s not fair.”
“You’re not Hyakki at all, Lord Shuten, have you betrayed us to become the dog of nobility?”
“How do you have the face to call yourself the Master of Monster Mountain? Lord Tengu was really mistaken about you.”
“No wonder Lady Momiji betrayed you.”
……
They clamored nastily, spitting about, looking ugly.
And this made Dorothy frown slightly.
What’s the meaning? Is there some moral coercion at play here? Do we owe you? Is there some obligation we have to save you?
Homebody Witch was a bit displeased.
Doing good deeds was only for her own pleasure, saving if she wanted, not saving if she didn’t, it was simple.
“Lady Dorothy, sorry, let me handle this.”
Miss Oiran stepped forward, saying this to Dorothy.
Homebody Witch thought for a moment, then nodded, quietly watching how the Ghost King’s Daughter handled it.
Ibuki Yuuki came to the wind wall, looked coldly at the monsters opposite.
“Are you teaching me to do things?”
The Ghost King’s Daughter asked.
As the master of Monster Mountain, she was quite aware of everything happening up there, naturally knowing about some Hyakki grouping up to bully others.
Initially, she tried to stop it but gave up after certain events.
Such phenomena were persistent, numbing her.
Only with sufficiency do people know propriety; you can’t expect a group of nearly destitute exiles to remain amiable, it’s practically impossible.
Ghost King Power can easily lift many mountains but can’t move the mountain of human hearts.
In the beginning, she wanted to inspire virtue, warm Hyakki with kindness, but practice showed violence and terror worked better.
Sometimes kindness just becomes others’ capital for recklessness, better yet terror made more obedient.
Thus…
“If you want me to save you, you can, but is anyone among you willing to become my sword material?”
Ibuki Yuuki calmly asked.
So, the previously clamorous monsters went silent, none spoke.
Everyone on Monster Mountain knew Lord Shuten had two chief interests, fine wine and treasured blades.
She loved wine and was good at brewing.
Her swordsmanship was unparalleled and adept at forging blades.
Only, the demon sword-forging technique differs from humans, and the Ghost King’s forged demon swords were never from mundane irons but living beings.
Many monsters angering her were forged into puppet-like Demon Sword Princesses.
The terror of the Ghost King chilled monster hearts.
At that moment, the previously boastful monsters finally recalled the fear dominated by the Ghost King.
If becoming sword material was the price for rescue, they’d rather be captured back by Abe Seimei, who was rumored to be an uncommon friend to Hyakki.
Ibuki Yuuki disdainfully looked at the suddenly mute monsters, shaking her head.
She returned to Dorothy’s side, and Homebody Witch glanced at Abe Seimei once more, leaving with her people.
This time, none of the abandoned monsters called out.
Only, after the Hyakki’s silhouettes vanished, the dumb witches dared glance with venom and hate at those who abandoned them, turned around, and showed a flattering smile to the Onmyoji.
“Lord Onmyoji, I willingly become your shikigami. I know many monster locations from Monster Mountain.”
……..
Abe Seimei: “…..”
…Miss Great Onmyoji was speechless…