Swallow Return

Aotabo's face was ashen. He clenched his fists in front of his chest, gritted his teeth, and turned to Ryuyun, saying, "My lord, let me try this self-proclaimed Demon-Slaying Ninja Captain..."

Before she could finish speaking, Ikawa Asagi shook her head, her face radiating righteous indignation, and slowly said, "I can see that although you are a demon, you are inexperienced in the ways of the world and have nothing to do with the Demon King's sins. Why take the risk for this? We demon ninjas only wield our swords for the greater good of the world and have absolutely no intention of killing innocent people like you."

Upon hearing this, the usually honest and straightforward Qing Tianfang was uncharacteristically enraged and shouted, "How can a monster be looked down upon by a woman!"

With that, he charged forward.

Qingtianfang's fist still gleamed as before.

This is a yokai power called "Gangli," which allows him to have skin as hard as metal and immense strength for a short period of time.

Igawa Asagi watched the enemy approach, her feet remaining firmly planted, her expression calm and composed.

When Qing Tianfang closed in to within a foot, his fist about to strike her on the forehead, he suddenly dodged.

In that flash, it seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving only a lingering image in the sky.

Aotabo missed his punch and was then surprised to find that he had lost sight of his enemy.

He was immediately drenched in sweat and stared in disbelief.

Judging from the unpredictable and supernatural movements that were beyond the reach of sight, the opponent was indeed someone I couldn't handle.

What I just said was not to belittle him, but to state the facts.

Qingtianfang hurriedly turned around and looked back, only to see Liuyun looking up and around.

Following Liu Yun's gaze, they discovered that at the four corners of the roof beams of the dilapidated temple, there were four figures of Jinghe Asagi, each with the same appearance and figure, crouching with their hands on their knives, ready to strike.

Even twins couldn't possibly look this alike!

The only explanation is that Igawa Asahi is not only extremely fast, but also possesses the ability to create clones. Just now, while dodging Aotabo's attack, she transformed into four.

At this moment, Qing Tianfang's unwavering confidence in Liu Yun, which had been steadfast for some time, began to waver and was no longer so firm.

He couldn't tell who was better at it at all.

……

In an instant, the four Ikawa Asahi on the roof beams almost simultaneously leaped down and thrust their swords at Sasaki Ryuun, who was sitting on the ground against the wall.

The flashing swords and shadows came from different directions, completely obscuring the view.

It seems that all dodge angles are now blocked.

It doesn't seem like it can be blocked either.

Four clones from different directions; even if three of them are just illusions that can't cause harm, you still won't know which one is the real one.

Moreover, this secret technique of theirs could potentially kill someone with just four knives.

Igawa Asahi—or rather, we should add "them"—did not wield the curved-blade katana most popular in Japan, but rather a straight-bladed short sword. This weapon was advantageous for close-quarters assassination and was generally reserved for ninjas.

However, the five-foot-long katana in Liu Yun's hand seemed to be difficult to wield properly in this narrow, dilapidated temple.

Perhaps that's why he didn't try to draw his sword, but instead met the attack with his bare hands.

With Liu Yun's keen eyesight, it was clear that Jinghe Asagi split into four and attacked almost simultaneously, but there were still differences in their timing.

The one on the far left started a tiny bit faster.

So it's a little closer to me now.

Liu Yun leaped forward to meet Jinghe Asagi's clone. Using the wall as cover in mid-air, he maneuvered and barely dodged the short sword, then reached out and tightly gripped the other's forearm.

Even through her clothes, I could still feel the warmth, fragrance, softness, and delicate beauty of her hands.

But at this moment, Liu Yun had no romantic thoughts in his mind; he was full of ruthless plans to destroy the flower.

He grabbed the arm of Igawa Asagi's clone with force, turned around and flung it away.

Clearly, the two sides were vastly different in strength, and the other side had no power to resist at all, and was involuntarily pulled out.

Using the body of Igawa Asagi as a weapon and shield, she swung it at the other three clones.

Liu Yun's movements were fluid and incredibly fast. Although Jinghe Asagi was also skilled in speed, she was already in mid-air with no foothold and could not adjust. The three short swords could not be retrieved in time and were plunged into the clone that Liu Yun was holding.

There was a "pop" sound, like a paper balloon being punctured.

The clone vanished immediately after being struck by the knife.

Taking advantage of this brief obstruction, Liu Yun took two steps back, creating space and escaping the encirclement.

Now is the perfect time to seize the initiative, turn the tables, and launch a counterattack.

Liu Yun drew his five-foot-long nodachi.

A simple, unskillful horizontal slash.

It's just that it's powerful enough and fast enough.

Since transmigrating, Liu Yun has discovered that he seems to be exceptionally talented. Whether it is physical strength, reaction or physique, he is much stronger than the average person.

What Zen Master Shunshan taught him over the past few years wasn't any profound or mysterious techniques, but simply the repeated practice of basic skills.

It's roughly equivalent to doing "one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and a ten-kilometer run every day."

However, once the foundation is solid, even a simple, casual strike can possess boundless power.

Therefore, this horizontal slash was unstoppable, engulfing the remaining three clones of Ikawa Asagi, aiming to wipe them all out.

In Liu Yun's opinion, no matter which one is real, just cut them all off!

One force can overcome all methods.

but--

As he drew his sword, Liu Yun seemed to realize something and subconsciously turned his head to look out the window.

The force involuntarily diminished.

Just then, something unexpected happened.

……

A bolt of lightning suddenly shot in through the window.

With a crackling sound, light instantly illuminated the entire dilapidated temple.

But it didn't aim at anyone; instead, it flew straight toward the five peasant soldiers' cart that was advancing.

With lightning speed, the lightning struck a tightly sealed cloth bag on the carriage.

Immediately, wisps of smoke rose up, and a burnt smell could be detected.

The cloth bag had turned into a pile of black charcoal.

Liu Yun was engaged in battle with Jinghe Asagi and was unable to protect the carriage.

The others were simply powerless.

Inside the cloth bag was a severed head.

The black-clad man who called himself "Demon Ninja" was killed by Liu Yun's sword during the day.

This lightning bolt was clearly man-made, with the intention of destroying the severed head.

As Ikawa Asahi just said, if this thing falls into the hands of the Oda clan, it will be extremely detrimental to their anti-demon ninja.

It seems to be true.

The other side went to such lengths just to kill one person; they were truly scheming.

At the same time, Liu Yun's nodachi also struck three of Igawa Asagi's clones.

The two fake bodies immediately burst and disappeared like paper balloons.

No trace was left.

Igawa Asahi's true form was also struck, and she managed to let out a muffled groan.

Bright red blood spurted out.

One of the drops of blood splattered onto the wall of the lantern hanging from the roof, and the entire dilapidated temple was then shrouded in a dim, blood-red light.

However, it was not fatal.

Perhaps it was due to Liu Yun's momentary hesitation when drawing his sword, or perhaps it was because Jinghe Asagi had a strong enough vitality.

She had a deep wound a foot long cut between her chest and abdomen, yet she still had the strength to retreat quickly.

Then, the temple door was smashed open, and two women dressed in tight-fitting night clothes and carrying short knives rushed out.

One had her short hair pulled back in a bun, while the other had her hair styled in a single ponytail.

Both women were shorter than Igawa Asagi. At first glance, the former appeared voluptuous and mature, while the latter was pure and beautiful; both were stunning beauties.

I don't know if their organization selects people based on looks, or if they have some special beauty and skincare techniques.

This doesn't make sense... How come the man in black who I killed during the day had a strange appearance, neither male nor female?

These strange thoughts involuntarily arose in Liu Yun's mind, but they did not affect the actions he was taking.

He swung his knife forward, showing no mercy whatsoever, holding nothing back.

The woman with the short hair bun swung her arms frantically, each strike releasing a bolt of electricity, trying to cover up Ikawa Asagi's retreat.

But Liu Yun dodged easily by leaping left and right, then raised his knife and attacked, instantly aiming straight for the opponent's neck.

At this moment, the woman with a single ponytail grabbed her companion with a short bun with her left hand and pulled Ikawa Asagi with her right hand, muttering something that was hard to understand, like a mantra.

Then, under the dim red light, the three of them suddenly dimmed, first becoming transparent, and then disappearing completely.

The flowing clouds left only a shallow wound on the shoulder of the woman with the short hair bun.

Then I clearly felt that within a hundred paces, there was no longer any trace of the three female demon ninjas.

Clearly, they had used this amazing "escape technique" to travel to a very far place.

Liu Yun subconsciously looked out the window.

It was still pouring rain, and you couldn't see anything except the pattering of the rain.

It's impossible to search for and pursue them in this way.

Then Liu Yun looked at the cloth bag that had been struck by lightning and turned into a charred mess.

Whatever was inside, it must be completely ruined.