Yumi didn’t express any fear or intent to resist in response to Haihime’s threat and just lifted her head up to direct a regretless gaze at her, her eyes still full of admiration and reverence as before.

“Lady Haihime. If you think I have betrayed you or distrust whatever I say after this, kill me after listening to my words,” Yumi’s cheeks flushed up slightly but she still revealed a slight smile.

This smile, however, felt a bit unusual to Haihime, “Speak, then.”

Haihime withdrew White Tiger Muramasa that was shining with blue and black eldritch fluctuations.

“Lady Haihime, why don’t you go meet Kagami Lily? I personally saw her rescue my sister, Yukiko, from the tyrannical abuse of Tokugawa. If it’s her, perhaps even your misfortune that always deals you a losing streak can be changed,” Yumi looked at Haihime without the slightest stray thought and seemed to give thought for Haihime sincerely.

“Slap!” However, what replied her was a slap on the face.

“A bunch of nonsense! My position is second only to Amanojaku in these Endless Demon Mountains and I dominate the Hundred Demons. Why do you make it sound like I am misfortunate? Which woman in this world is able to gain as much power as me?” Haihime seemed to lash out at Yumi righteously.

“Lady Haihime. I can feel your sorrow. It’s impossible for me to turn a blind eye to the look in your eyes whenever you return from Amanojaku’s place each time he returns. It’s because we are both women that I can see some things clearly which even those demons, including Amanojaku, can’t see through. You and Lily are similar, Lady Haihime. Why not ally with her? Even if you have some other ambition in sticking together with Amanojaku, working together with Lily doesn’t do you any harm at all!” Yumi persuaded loyally.

“Hmph! Meeting with Kagami Lily isn’t an impossibility. That woman is really unusual. I intended to do it even if you didn’t mention it, but since that’s the case, why didn’t you liaison a meeting between us and schemed to draw Lily into the Land of Hundred Demons instead?”

“Lady Haihime, Amanojaku’s subordinates are monitoring you at all times. I’m the only one truly loyal to you in the Land of Hundred Demons, even those Itsura kunoichi can’t be trusted.”

“Hmph! Do you think Amanojaku, that fool, has the brains to think of monitoring me? He’s overconfident because of the overwhelming strength he possesses, so there’s no way he would employ such lax measures. I understand his nature better than you. He would’ve clawed me to death if he really suspected me.”

“Even if Amanojaku isn’t that wise, it doesn’t mean the monsters who follow him aren’t. I’ve always been investigating this secretly and acted accordingly to protect you, Lady Haihime.”

“Hmph! You are pretty good at this aspect, but why do you keep failing the missions I give you? This caused Amanojaku to scold me a little. Also, your presumptions are based on the premise that I intend to oppose him. Why would I oppose him when he is my husband?”

“That is true… But Lady Haihime, please recall since when did I begin failing my missions.”

“Hmm?”

“It all began after establishing contact with Kagami Lily, Lady Haihime. This woman possesses unfathomable power and I also felt an unimaginable survival instinct and an incomparably strong obsession from her. I don’t know where this obsession of hers comes from, but it has made her push through all kinds of crises without giving up and grab the sole opportunity to turn the tide. I lost to such a woman! You know I possess high self-esteem and harbor both pride and dignity as the kunoichi’s overseer, but I cannot defeat that woman! I’ve admitted defeat, Lady Haihime. I’ve lost to her on each occasion, so maybe she can really change things that look undisputable if you trust her like me!”
Haihime felt quite displeased seeing Yumi speak about Kagami Lily with trust and obedience in her eyes, “Fine, then. Since you say this Kagami Lily is so amazing, I will go meet her soon. If she is really as capable as you’ve mentioned, she should be able to escape from my trap easily, right? There’s no harm in listening to her if she manages to defeat me in the Land of Hundred Demons, but if she fails to defeat me, I will sample the body flavor of the East’s prettiest woman and hand her over to Amanojaku after that to make up for the lost trust between him and me.”

“What…” Yumi turned anxious, “This is unfair, Lady Haihime. I incited Lily to enter these Endless Demon Mountains only to create a chance for the two of you to meet. Even if she’s strong, she isn’t your match, and it’s even more impossible for her to deal with the trap that you lay out secretly! Lily isn’t your enemy, Lady Haihime!”

“Whether she’s my enemy or not depends on whether she’s qualified to negotiate with me. Even I don’t think she will win, but didn’t you say she’s a woman who creates miracles? If so… shouldn’t she be able to turn any peril to safety?” Haihime grinned.

“Although Lily is brave, she isn’t a god! Also, I won’t have the face to live anymore if my undue actions end up landing her in danger…”

“That’s why I said that you’ve turned over to her side, haven’t you, *****?! Haihime picked up a bamboo rod from the shelf to the side but ceased her actions promptly, “Hmph! Hitting you is equal to rewarding you, isn’t it, b̲i̲t̲c̲h̲? How about we have a bet then? You, I, and the Mirror Girl Lily, let us three have a night-time candlelight talk with you as the matchmaker. I shall have you tied up at one side and make you watch how I train and shame the woman you deem a hero. Hahaha. Don’t you think that would be pretty fun?”

“No… Lady Haihime… don’t do this… I did all of this for you…”

“Come. Bind her tightly and stuff her in the cellar! We’ll see some great fun.”

The Itsura kunoichi ignored Yumi’s screams and dragged her to the underground room forcefully.

As for Haihime, she pursed her smoked pink lips while gazing at the distant and majestic Mt. Fuji, “The most talented samurai woman in Kanto and the prettiest female liege lord of the East, huh! Since you’re delivering yourself to my doorsteps, don’t blame this sister for not going easy on you, Kagami Lily!”

At present, Lily had no idea that Yumi had reached Haihime’s place via a shortcut and that her location had been leaked out completely.

Although Haihime didn’t know Lily’s exact location, as Lily was following Yumi’s map, it was actually easy for her to predict Lily’s route, so she just needed to lay a trap at the perfect location and…
However, Lily didn’t know anything about this.

She was sitting cross-legged in a hidden rock’s crevice and had just finished assimilating the perfect magatama she obtained previously.

However, she still needed at least eight to nine magatama like this one to attain the Spirit Jade Stage.

“You’re really extravagant, Master. You assimilated an attributed grade 7 magatama directly as if it were a common magatama even though its attribute is of no help to you, you’ve really wasted it.”

“It’s better to turn a treasure into personal strength than guarding it in vain. Although Mt. Fuji isn’t that far now and we haven’t encountered any huge perils by following Yumi’s map, I feel a bit uneasy for some reason…” Lily stated while gasping for breaths with her crimson lips as a thin layer of sweat formed over her bountiful cleavage by the time she finished assimilating the magatama.