Swallow Return

Murai Sadakatsu frowned and hesitated, appearing unsure of himself. He said hesitantly, "The troops in the suburbs are under the command of Lord Sakuma Nobumori. I asked Lord Hanawa Naomasa to make contact a while ago, but I haven't received a response. Later, I sent my retainer Seizaburo to check again, but there's still no movement... Perhaps they were prevented from reaching the camp by a yokai, or perhaps they did reach the camp, but the documents I presented were insufficient to mobilize the troops."

“There might be something fishy going on here, but let’s not rush it. Leave it to me.” Lady Guidie wasn’t surprised at all and immediately added, “There should be quite a few temples, shrines, merchants, and sword-fighting dojos in Kyoto that have their own guards. Could we send someone to invite our family’s friends to join forces?”

Upon hearing this, Murai Sadakatsu suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly: "What you say is right, Madam! How could I not have thought of that? This can be handled by Lord Takei Yuan. He was slightly injured just now, but he can still walk. My younger brother Munenobu and my son Sadashige may also be able to help."

"That's good." Lady Guicho's expression remained stern and solemn, but she nodded with a calm smile and added, "I've seen some Oda clan samurai who have taken their families to Kyoto for leisure in advance, in preparation for the grand opening ceremony after the New Year. Perhaps there are also some ronin swordsmen, sumo wrestlers, wandering monks, unranked onmyoji, and the like. Anyone who can be of help can be summoned on the spot!"

At this moment, Murai Sadakatsu was at a loss for his own opinion. He found everything his mistress said to be reasonable and accepted it without thinking.

Finally, Lady Kicho paused for a moment before saying, "Lord Murai, please gather as many helpers as possible and, once you have sufficient strength, continue your attempt to break into the inner palace. Even if you cannot break in, you can at least hold back the monsters besieging the inner palace and relieve the pressure on Lord Nobunaga who is trapped. But be careful of the enemy's strength and avoid prolonged battles. Since the enemy can keep resurrecting, don't let your soldiers die needlessly."

Murai Sadakatsu nodded in agreement, keeping it firmly in mind.

He was usually a very intelligent civil official, serving as Oda Nobunaga's chief steward and accountant in domestic affairs, and was also familiar with military matters. He should have been able to come up with various countermeasures on his own. However, when faced with this sudden and urgent change, he had no experience whatsoever, and panicked for a moment. He only knew how to fight to the death and be loyal to the cause, and was unable to calm down and think of a solution.

Fortunately, the matriarch was there to oversee things.

Lady Kicho pondered for a moment, finding nothing more to add, before finally addressing the most crucial point: "The key to breaking this deadlock lies in mobilizing the military forces stationed in the southeastern suburbs. The two men sent earlier may have been blocked from reaching the camp, or they may have reached the camp but were unable to mobilize the troops. To avoid either of these outcomes, I must personally lead the yokai from the bathhouse! I entrust the matter to you, Lord Murai!"

Murai Sadakatsu readily and generously accepted the order.

Then he summoned his deputy, retainers, and nephews, instructing them to go in different directions (east, west, south, north) to call upon temples, shrines, merchants, and sword-fighting dojos with whom he had previously had good relations, or to invite enthusiastic passersby to help, in order to gather as much strength as possible.

Lady Guicho immediately led sixty or seventy members of the bathhouse yokai group towards the military camp southeast of Kyoto.

There are said to be three to five thousand elite troops there, commanded by Sakuma Nobumori, a veteran general of the Oda clan, and it now seems to be the key to solving the problem.

Chapter 167 New Friends and Old Enemies Along the Way

From an ordinary daimyo with only half of Owari Province, a military force of about 5,000, and no formal position in the imperial court or shogunate, to a near-ruler of the realm who controlled several provinces of Ono and Seie, commanded an army of up to 100,000, and held sway over Kyoto, this process was basically completed in Oda Nobunaga's twenty years of life.

Therefore, like all other rapidly rising feudal forces throughout history and across the world, it faced the hidden danger of all its power being concentrated in the hands of the ruler.

Oda Nobunaga's sons were still young and weak, and his eldest son was only just coming of age and not yet capable of undertaking great responsibilities.

Most of his brothers who had come of age were not capable enough and gradually became high-ranking but low-powered followers, lacking any real say in military and political affairs; a few were too capable, which affected internal unity and thus they were deliberately suppressed, and one of them was even executed early in his life.

None of the retainers possessed unquestionable authority as a deputy—clearly, given Oda Nobunaga's personality and habits, he wouldn't allow such a person to exist. The key retainers could only act as rulers within their respective jurisdictions, with no mutual authority among them.

This structure seems advantageous, ensuring that there is only one strong protagonist with both wisdom and decisiveness at the central level who can wield absolute power. The strategic direction from top to bottom is very clear, avoiding too many unnecessary disputes and internal friction.

Especially suitable for times of war.

But the problem is-

When Oda Nobunaga went to the Imperial Palace to visit the court officials and nobles, he was suddenly surrounded by monsters inside the palace walls.

He only had about a hundred guards with him. Although they were all highly skilled and might be able to protect themselves, it would be difficult for them to break through in a short time.

Even more coincidentally, six of Oda Nobunaga's retainers, who commanded large armies, accompanied him to the audience.

Meanwhile, at the Kyoto Magistrate's Office, the one left behind to oversee the administration was Murai Sadakatsu, who was in charge of internal affairs.

Expecting a magistrate who usually deals only with finance, taxation, logistics, transportation, and infrastructure to lead his mere 1,500 security troops to turn the tide in this situation is really asking too much.

Theoretically, the rightful heir should have stepped forward—Oda Nobutada, who had recently come of age, or the nominal chief retainer—Hayashi Hideyoshi, who was already over sixty. However, both the old man and the young man were staying in Gifu Castle in Mino Province, 150 kilometers away.

There was a force, reportedly numbering three to five thousand, led by the veteran general Sakuma Nobumori, stationed in the southeastern suburbs of Kyoto.

However, there was no response. It's unclear whether they didn't receive the distress call or simply chose not to believe it after receiving it.

In conclusion, although it is still unknown why the yokai, who have always preferred to live in seclusion, are suddenly so actively opposing the Oda clan, their timing is certainly good enough, and they seem to have a good chance of nipping the powerful "next ruler of the land" in the bud.

At this moment, the one who stepped forward with a sword was Lady Guidie, the matriarch whose status was always recognized, even though she had not given birth to any children and rarely appeared in public.

She appeared like a Valkyrie on the streets of Kyoto, accompanied by the "bathhouse monsters" left behind by her father, Saito Dosan.

First, he calmly and decisively issued orders to the retainers who remained behind, to prevent them from making blind sacrifices in a state of panic. Then, he personally took on the most important task—inviting reinforcements.

……

With the help of his retainers and guards, Liu Yun killed twenty or thirty one-eyed monsters for the third time.

The difference is that the monsters killed by the sword "Nagafune Nagamitsu"—which is the true form of Iori's grandmother—do not immediately dissipate into mist as they did the previous two times, but instead rise and gather in the sky above Kyoto.

Instead, it conformed to the normal situation of the past, turning into piles of rotting flesh on the ground.

After waiting for a while, it can be confirmed that these monsters will not be resurrected.

Unfortunately, the one-eyed old man who was leading the group, also known as "Lord One-Eyed," realized something was wrong and fled in advance.

If Liu Yun were to recklessly go alone to confront that creature, he might be able to capture it, but his retainers and guards would certainly be unable to stop twenty or thirty ferocious monsters. Given that he also had family members who were unable to defend themselves, as well as some maids and servants behind him, he could only watch as the mastermind escaped.

After all the monsters that had besieged the Ichijōji Temple had been beheaded and stopped reviving, Ryūun rested for a while. Seeing that there were no enemies nearby for the time being, he considered whether to take the initiative to attack.

Although the current situation is completely unclear and the cause and effect cannot be speculated, the sudden appearance of so many monsters in Kyoto, accompanied by such a strange magic circle, is obviously not a coincidence, and there must be some conspiracy involved.

As a community of shared interests, Ryuun certainly had sufficient motivation to protect the Oda clan.

I just don't know what to do.

He was also worried about what would happen if Iori and the others were attacked again after he left Ichijoji.

Ryuun stood at the entrance of Ichijoji Temple, stroking the blade of "Osafune Nagamitsu," hesitating for a moment.

But he didn't think about it for too long.

It's not because I've reached a conclusion of confidence.

Instead, they heard a huge commotion around them.

Two streets away, along the Ono River, about a hundred paces away.

A slightly familiar aura wafted from that direction; a hundred ghosts roamed the night, and demonic energy permeated the air.

Before they could even figure out who the other person was, suddenly the ground shook violently, and a huge monster emerged from the riverbank.

It should have been late at night, but the demonic aura shrouding Kyoto shone like a miniature sun, making the view indistinguishable from daytime.

With Liu Yun's extraordinary senses, he could clearly see what was happening a hundred paces away.

The monster was roughly humanoid, but over ten meters tall. Some parts of its body were shriveled like a zombie, covered only by a layer of dehydrated, wrinkled skin. In some places, even the last layer of skin was missing, and the bare bones were exposed.

Skeleton-like and zombie-like monsters are not uncommon, but a half-skeleton, half-zombie monster that is over ten meters tall is truly something I've never seen before.

From a distance of about a hundred paces, Liu Yun saw the enormous skeletal monster violently waving its arms, which were the size of centuries-old giant trees, emitting a hoarse, mechanical roar with an eerie tone, seemingly devoid of any emotion: "It's the yokai from the bathhouse... I thought it was just to repay a favor to the Takeda family and barely make an appearance in Kyoto, but I didn't expect to run into my long-time enemy... That Saito Dosan guy is really cunning, actually making me mistakenly believe that the yokai from the bathhouse would definitely not remain in Kyoto..."

Then came a cacophony of shouts, screams, and fighting.

Upon hearing the term "bathhouse monster," Liu Yun realized that the familiar aura he had sensed earlier belonged to Lady Gui Die and her subordinates.

It seems that this new friend has run into an old enemy.

Since it's right in front of me, how can I not step forward to help?

Without saying a word, Liu Yun briefly explained to his retainers, picked up the "Long Ship Long Light" and sped off to join the battle.

Chapter 168 The Hungry Ghost Leader, Several Feet Tall

It was four or five zhang tall, like a towering tree, half skeleton and half rotting corpse, carrying the smell of a tomb in the wind.

"The leader of the Hungry Ghost Skeleton Clan has reappeared in Kyoto... Everyone be careful!"

Lady Guidie focused her mind and gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. She slowly uttered the other person's name, her expression becoming extremely serious.

The bathhouse monsters behind her were all in a defensive stance, each with a hint of fear on their faces.

The fact that sixty or seventy monsters were afraid of one of them clearly wasn't just because the other was big.

"I never thought I'd have the chance to take revenge on Saito Dosan's descendants..."

The giant hungry ghost emitted a hoarse, sharp, and piercing sound.

With that sound, the giant creature, which was four or five zhang long, lifted its leg and took two steps, making a deafening sound as it stepped on the ground. Then, it swung its two withered arms and used a palm wider than a doorplate to strike directly at Lady Guidie.

A gust of cold wind, stirred up by the fan, could send shivers down one's spine on this winter night.

Such a large monster, with a body made of bones and rotting flesh, would certainly give the first impression of being clumsy and heavy.

The giant hungry ghost's movements were indeed not very fast.

However, the area was too vast; the two palms directly covered a space of several feet in radius, leaving no room for escape.

It's like living in a house and suddenly encountering a violent earthquake. The roof and walls collapse completely. No matter how good you are, where can you hide?

We have no choice but to tough it out!

Moreover, the gust of yin wind fanned out by this giant hungry ghost seemed to contain an indescribable power. Wherever the yin wind touched, whether human or demon, people would experience a slow reaction and a loss of strength.

The slap was now aimed at Lady Guidie, also engulfing a dozen or so demons in the process.

"Hungry Ghost Clan, prepare to die!"

The bathhouse monster, with its head covered in thick hair but lacking facial features, charged ahead, wielding a fourteen-foot-long spear.

"Awooo!"

The brown bear-shaped bathhouse monster roared angrily to the sky, gathering all its strength and raising its bear paws in an attempt to resist.

"Young Miss, be careful!"

The bathhouse monster, with its extremely long and thin body and arms that sprouted twin blades like a praying mantis, raised its head to meet the enemy, uttering the voice of an old woman.

"Here comes the tortoise shell! Take this!"

The giant turtle-shaped bathhouse monster, whose voice sounded like that of an underage boy, shrank into its shell and rolled into a ball, blocking the way.

The largest and strongest guys all jumped out on their own initiative.

Lady Guidie herself did not hesitate to draw her long sword, leaped forward instead of retreating, and slashed fiercely.

A loud "Duang" was heard.

The four bathhouse monsters who stepped forward were knocked away, crashed to the ground and rolled several times, leaving them dizzy and disoriented, unable to get up for a long time.

"Faceless Brother!"

"Uncle Bear!"

"Sister Bai!"

"Little turtle!"

The other dozens of bathhouse monsters rushed over to help lift the injured person up.

Under the protection of four loyal ministers, Lady Guidie escaped the attack unscathed.

She remained silent, her eyes wide with rage, and she drew the sharp blade from her bosom.