Swallow Return

That explains what happened earlier.

He only killed one of the clones; the old monster's main body was still alive, which is why he felt the matter wasn't over yet.

but……

"Even if it's a clone, shouldn't it be able to be killed by me without any resistance? Doesn't creating a clone require resources and effort?"

Liu Yun raised this question.

Lady Guidie pondered for a moment, then speculated, "I heard my late father say a long time ago that in most spells that manipulate multiple bodies, the power of the original body and the clone is shared. This old monster was probably in a hurry to do something else, and therefore had no time to attend to this clone..."

"Are you in a hurry to do something else?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun immediately recalled what the one-eyed old man had just said: "So it wasn't Sasaki Liu Yun, but Sasaki Liu Yun's wife."

They're probably talking about Iori...

Could it be that abandoning this clone was just to hurry up and cause trouble for Iori?

Thinking about it, it really is a possibility!

Liu Yun couldn't stay still any longer.

He immediately said to Gui Die, "Madam, it seems from that old monster's words that he has chosen my wife as the target of his revenge! We must carefully consider this matter... I will go back and check now!"

Then he turned around, intending to return along the same route he had come from.

Lady Guidie understood perfectly, nodded quickly, and followed behind with her lantern.

However, the two then discovered that the long passage they had traversed to enter the ancient tomb from the cave had now collapsed!

The road was completely blocked by the soil and rubble that collapsed from both sides.

I have no idea when this happened.

Just as they were wondering what was going on, they suddenly saw that the walls and roof of the spacious, high-ceilinged ancient tomb hall were also beginning to shake slightly, revealing cracks and holes.

Gravel and pebbles fell like raindrops.

It was a downpour that just kept getting heavier and heavier.

A slight sway turned into a violent shaking in an instant.

It seems that this secret chamber located underground in the mountains is about to collapse!

Was it an earthquake?

Earthquakes are a very common natural disaster in Japan.

But if we attribute it to an earthquake...

This natural disaster seems to have come at just the right time!

Why at this particular moment?

Upon seeing this, Lady Guidie's expression suddenly hardened, and she said in a deep voice, "That old monster doesn't seem capable of destroying a mountain or causing an earthquake. This should be the effect of mechanical arts... As far as I know, even if mechanical arts activate self-destruction, there should be a way to stop it... Hmm!"

As she spoke, a rock the size of a little finger hit her on the forehead, causing her to groan in pain.

Liu Yun immediately stretched out his arms to shield her beneath him, and hurriedly asked, "Madam, do you have a way to resolve this?"

Then a few more small stones fell down and hit Liu Yun. But he was naturally gifted and possessed "healing power" within his body, so he was not afraid at all.

Lady Guidie looked ashamed upon seeing this and whispered, "My late father was proficient in all kinds of skills, including martial arts, Yin-Yang techniques, mechanical arts, and military strategy, but I have only managed to learn his martial arts..."

"Then there's nothing we can do."

Liu Yun sighed.

There was no intention to blame her, but Lady Guidie seemed quite guilty.

Liu Yun looked around and couldn't see any other exit except for the blocked passageway. The shaking and trembling of the surrounding walls and roof were getting more and more intense, and it felt like they would collapse completely at any moment.

Fortunately, the gravel and sand blocking the passage did not appear to be completely airtight.

He didn't know any sophisticated methods, so he could only resort to brute force!

But what about Lady Guidie?

Liu Yun explained his plans in the most concise way possible, and then sincerely added, "I apologize!"

Lady Guidie hesitated for a moment, unable to make a decision, but she knew there was no time to hesitate. After a moment, she finally nodded firmly.

Without hesitation, Liu Yun hugged her tightly and ran back to the tunnel they had come from.

Just then, a stone struck Lady Guidie's lantern precisely, extinguishing the candle inside.

Suddenly, the surroundings were plunged into complete darkness.

I can't see anything clearly anymore.

Including the expression on Lady Guidie's face—even though we were quite close.

He could only tell that he was indeed holding a woman in her prime through the tactile sensation of different parts of his body.

Fortunately, Liu Yun roughly remembered the route he had taken.

The passageway is blocked by collapsed rocks, isn't it? Let's just force our way through!

Using his fists as drill bits and his body as a drilling machine, he smashed through the rubble and forced his way out.

This was an extremely difficult process. Even though Liu Yun was exceptionally gifted and possessed "healing power" within her body, she still gradually felt her whole body covered in bruises and swellings, and the pain was unbearable.

Lady Guidie must be feeling terrible too.

But by gritting my teeth and enduring the pain, it actually had some effect!

After rushing for about twenty steps, I gradually found that the blockage in the passage was becoming sparser and lighter, and it began to get a little easier.

After walking several dozen more steps, they finally saw a faint light, indicating that they had returned to the cave that connected them to the outside world.

Liu Yun breathed a slight sigh of relief.

At this point, his left hand, which he was using as a "drill," had become a bloody mess.

In some places, the bone is even visible.

This is because the "healing power" has limited capacity and cannot heal the continuous damage in time.

His left arm only gradually improved after he broke out of the tunnel.

Lady Guidie was in his arms. Although her clothes were disheveled, her hair was messy, and she was covered in dust and sand, she only had some minor redness and swelling, and was otherwise unharmed.

Now that the road ahead was open, Liu Yun released his right hand and let go of the person in his arms.

Lady Guidie, true to her domineering CEO persona, showed no embarrassment whatsoever, seemingly unconcerned about the taboo of "men and women not touching." She simply lamented, "I came here today to help you... but who would have thought that I would need your help twice to escape danger! The debt I owe is growing ever larger, and I truly don't know how I will ever repay it... In front of Lord Liuyun, I fear I will forever remain in a subordinate position, indebted to others."

Liu Yun smiled, not caring about such trivial matters of human relationships. He took two deep breaths, rested for half a minute, and then solemnly said, "My wife may be in danger. I must go back immediately and cannot spare the time to deal with anything else."

Lady Guidie nodded in understanding: "Indeed, we should set off as soon as possible!"

Liu Yun said "excuse me" again, hugged Lady Gui Die once more, then focused his mind, stretched out the wings on his back, leaped up, and flew out of the cave.

There used to be skeleton warriors blocking the way at the intersection.

But Liu Yun completely ignored it and charged straight out.

It was early evening, and the sky was dark but not yet completely black.

It took the two of them half an hour to walk there.

But Liu Yun didn't know what tricks the old monster had up his sleeve, and couldn't even wait half an hour. He just wanted to fly back as fast as possible.

Lady Guidie was resolute and reasonable, and she didn't dwell on the issue of the separation of men and women. There was not a trace of embarrassment on her face. She only breathed a little faster.

Chapter 159 The Collapse of Kyoto

Liu Yun was anxious. When he arrived at the western entrance of the outskirts of Kyoto with Lady Gui Die, he suddenly discovered that an extremely dense and terrifying demonic aura was shrouding the sky above the town.

Winter nights fall early, and it is now completely dark. Some scattered lights are flickering and spreading, clearly exceeding the illumination of candles, suggesting that some buildings have been burned.

Even from a distance, a faint smell of burning and blood could still be detected in the air.

Looking closely, you can see groups of two or three townspeople carrying bundles and pulling children along, running frantically towards the outskirts of the city.

Dozens of dark shadows, unlike ordinary birds, flew in the sky, emitting noisy, strange cries.

Noisy sounds came from the direction of the town, but it was not the peaceful atmosphere of daily business bargaining; rather, it was more like the shouts and fighting of soldiers in battle.

You can even faintly hear the wails of monsters and the screams of humans.

In short, it seems that Kyoto is under siege by a powerful group of yokai (supernatural beings).

He was greatly surprised to see these flowing clouds.

Even if it were that "One-Eyed Lord" coming to cause trouble for Iori, there wouldn't be such a big fuss!

It appears that the entire city of Kyoto, within a radius of one or two kilometers, has fallen into chaos and crisis.

Lady Guicho's expression immediately turned serious, and then she quickly devised a plan: "I must go to Kiyomiji Temple immediately to summon the yokai from the bathhouse. I don't know if Nene and the maids are safe... If we have the resources, we will come along the street to provide support! There are three thousand Oda clan troops stationed nearby, so the yokai won't be able to run rampant for long!"

Liu Yun also made a decision instantly: "I will first go to Ichijō-ji to check if my family is in danger. Then, like you, Madam, I will consider providing assistance if I have the capacity... So, shall we part ways here?"

Lady Guidie's eyes showed a slight hint of disappointment, but it vanished in an instant, and she immediately regained her confidence, revealing a self-assured smile: "Lord Liuyun, there's no need to worry. Qingjian Temple is very close to here, and there will definitely be no problems on the way!"

Liu Yun hadn't given it much thought, but upon hearing those words, she suddenly felt a tightness in her chest for no apparent reason, and was a little worried that she might have just set a flag for herself...

After all, Lady Guidie had previously suffered from the "rebound pain" of the one-eyed monk soldier, and it was still unknown whether she was truly alright.

In case something unexpected happens on the way...

Without hesitation, Liu Yun said "Excuse me!" again, though not very sincerely, and then decisively put his arm around Lady Gui Die's waist once more, flapped his wings with all his might, and immediately soared into the sky.

It instantly accelerated to a speed comparable to that of a falcon.

Lady Guidie was caught off guard, her face showing surprise, and her body tensed up instantly, but she subconsciously did not resist.

Liu Yun exerted all his strength and performed at his limit. In less than three minutes, he covered three or four kilometers and arrived at Qingjian Temple in the northwest suburbs.

Fortunately, the area had not been disturbed at all, and the maids in the courtyard were going about their daily routines as usual, probably completely unaware that Kyoto, not far away, had suffered a calamity.

Ningning was still sitting upright under the corridor. Although she was depressed and looked sad, the best news was that she hadn't been hurt.

The drifting clouds swooped down from the sky, allowing Lady Returning Butterfly to land gently.

This "forced landing" maneuver stirred up a gust of wind, causing dust to rise and tree branches to shake violently inside Seiken-ji Temple.

The temple maids, as well as Ningning who was visiting, all turned to look in that direction.