Swallow Return

Ryuun looked around and saw that his other teammate, Hashiba Hideyoshi, was dazed and powerless, like a defeated bald rat, completely unreliable.

Obviously, I still need to take matters into my own hands.

Judging from the fact that Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Hashiba Hideyoshi all fell victim to this illusion, the illusion caused by "Ranshatai" seems to be quite terrifying.

However, Liu Yun did not find it difficult.

So he took two steps forward without hesitation, grabbed Oda Nobunaga's arm, and shook it.

The following scene is exactly the same as before.

A blinding flash of light made it difficult to see, and when you opened your eyes again, it was an illusion.

The time before that was Mount Fuji, and the time before that was the Golden Castle.

And this time...

Mountains of corpses, rivers of blood, shattered banners, swords, armor, and severed limbs piled up, obscuring the original appearance of the landscape. The whole world was stained a deep crimson, and the air was filled with a nauseating, pungent stench.

It's the battlefield.

The battle was clearly very intense.

And it's not over yet.

Liu Yun could hear the sounds of conch shells, drums, shouts of battle, and the clash of weapons coming from not far away.

Following the sound, the volume grew louder and louder. After walking several hundred steps and crossing a ravaged hill, the sound was deafening.

Sure enough, there were two armies fighting right in front of them.

On the right is a typical 16th-century Japanese army, estimated to number around 10,000. The main force consists of long-spear foot soldiers wearing straw hats, supplemented by a considerable number of arquebusiers, with fully armed samurai serving as the core officers, cavalry and archers as support, and a very small number of monks and Onmyoji accompanying the army.

The commander appears to be Nobunaga himself, using various banners of the Oda clan. Elements such as the papaya pattern, Yongle Tongbao coins, and the unification of the realm by force are all present.

But the left side... looks very strange.

They resemble mercenaries from Western Europe during the Renaissance, but with many indescribable and awkward details. The soldiers' physiques and appearances are unlike normal humans, they ride not warhorses but strange beasts, and their weapons are completely unseen and unheard of. The art style is as if they stepped out of a two-dimensional game or animation, and their banners are also a jumbled mess with no discernible pattern.

After a moment's thought, Liu Yun understood.

This is Oda Nobunaga's dream, where everything is based on fantasy. Nobunaga was naturally very familiar with the Japanese army and could clearly reconstruct the facts, but he could only hear some explanations about the European army from missionaries, so his understanding of it was inevitably distorted.

The battle in the dream was not evenly matched.

The Japanese troops on the right advanced steadily, maintaining a dense formation and advancing through long spear formations and volleys of arquebus fire, maintaining a slow but unstoppable momentum.

The reaction of the European army on the left was somewhat puzzling. Despite having the numerical advantage and fighting quite bravely, they suffered a complete rout.

Of course, this feeling of "not understanding" is just Liu Yun's subjective feeling.

It could be because he lacked military knowledge, or it could be that Nobunaga's dream itself contained absurd elements.

In short, it didn't take much effort before we saw the Japanese army on the right utterly crush the European army on the left.

Then, as was customary, the soldiers gave a loud shout.

Oda Nobunaga, clad in black armor, rode out on a tall horse, looking around arrogantly, and laughing loudly and unrestrainedly.

Seeing this, Liu Yun didn't bother to think much and leaped over, calling out, "Does Your Highness still recognize this old friend?"

Upon hearing the sound, the nearby soldiers immediately became alert and bravely stood in front of their lord, brandishing their weapons.

Some even couldn't contain themselves and started firing their bows, arrows, and cannons.

However, this did not harm Liu Yun. He easily dodged it by using his strength to move left and right in mid-air.

Oda Nobunaga squinted at him for a while, frowned thoughtfully, then suddenly smiled and said, "Isn't this Sasaki Ryuun? I remember there was no warning for you this time!"

The surrounding samurai and soldiers seemed not to recognize Ryuun's identity, and only lowered their guard after hearing Nobunaga's words.

"I met you by chance," Liu Yun replied casually, while quickly scanning the crowd. He noticed that there wasn't a single familiar face among the warriors, and a thought vaguely crossed his mind. However, he suppressed it and maintained his carefree and uninhibited image, boldly asking, "Who is Your Highness fighting?"

Oda Nobunaga scoffed at this, saying disdainfully, "You bastard, how could you forget this? After I unified Japan and took over Korea and Tang China, the next step was naturally to cross the ocean and conquer the territories of the southern barbarians!"

"I see..." Liu Yun nodded seriously and asked curiously, "I heard that Japan and the Southern Barbarians are separated by thousands of miles of sea. It must be very difficult to transport troops! The situation in the war must not be too optimistic."

Oda Nobunaga raised an eyebrow, his face showing obvious impatience.

If he were questioned like this in real life, he would have been furious long ago, or at least stormed off. But for some reason, Nobunaga in the dream was unusually kind. Although his tone was impatient, he still patiently explained: "It is precisely because there is a vast sea that I only brought 10,000 men as the vanguard to advance first, and then let my son Nobutada lead the main army across the sea to meet us."

Liu Yun looked around and said, "I have heard that the Southern Barbarians have a thousand miles of fertile land and a population of hundreds of millions. You have managed to gain a foothold with only ten thousand people. This is truly an unparalleled achievement."

Oda Nobunaga stroked his beard, chuckled lightly, and remained silent, a hint of smugness on his face.

But Liu Yun quickly adopted a curious attitude: "Your Highness, you are indeed an unparalleled hero, but you can't conquer the Southern Barbarians all by yourself, can you? You must have quite a few capable retainers at your beck and call!"

Oda Nobunaga finally lost his patience, rolled his eyes, and snapped, "Is that even a question? Don't you recognize people like Gonroku (Shibata Katsuie) and the Monkey (Hashiba Hideyoshi) around me?"

Liu Yun remained unyielding and continued to speak eloquently: "But I don't see those people around you now! Instead, they are all unfamiliar faces... Shouldn't you introduce them?"

Upon hearing this, Oda Nobunaga's face immediately darkened, his eyes flashing with anxiety. He pursed his lips and remained silent for a moment before shaking his head and saying in a muffled voice, "No need!"

"Please, please do introduce them!" Liu Yun insisted. "Actually, I find it very strange! According to what you just said, the Oda clan first unified Japan, and then invaded Korea and Tang China... A person of such talent must have already achieved fame and fortune. So who is left who would be willing to follow you across thousands of miles of ocean to continue the journey of conquering the southern barbarians and pursuing military glory?"

"Nonsense!" Oda Nobunaga roared, his face flushed red with rage, as he slapped his black tunic and shouted, "As a samurai, one should naturally pursue military achievements throughout one's life. How can one lose one's ambition simply because of success, fame, wealth, and glory!"

"Perhaps you are indeed that kind of person, however—" Liu Yun deliberately dragged out the last syllable, "However, others may not be like that. I've heard that Lord Hashiba Hideyoshi built a golden castle for his own enjoyment, and Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu occupied the entire Mount Fuji as his garden, and so on..."

"Such a person should naturally be expelled and dismissed!" Oda Nobunaga interrupted before Ryuun could finish speaking, "The military might of the Oda clan will advance bravely and never stop. If any retainer stops and becomes complacent, no matter what merits he has made in the past, he will be punished!"

Liu Yun shook his head and sighed, "It is easy to find a thousand soldiers, but difficult to find a general... It is easy to dismiss and release your retainers, but it is not so easy to acquire talented people."

Oda Nobunaga raised his head and snorted coldly, his face showing disdain: "Ridiculous! I possess the whole world and govern tens of millions of people. Do I have to worry about a lack of talent? If the old people neglect their duties, new people will take their place."

Liu Yun carefully examined the unfamiliar faces around him and slowly posed his final question: "However... after seeing the fate of their predecessors, will those newcomers still be willing to serve you?"

"..."

Oda Nobunaga was speechless, and then flew into a rage, decisively drawing his sword: "Sasaki Ryuun, you are spreading heresy and misleading the people, you shall be executed!"

Chapter 260 The Battle of Lanshedai was commanded by me.

The moment Oda Nobunaga drew his long sword, the generals and soldiers around him suddenly scattered and turned to dust, like sand piles blown away by a strong wind.

Liu Yun was slightly surprised by this.

Initially, in my dreams, I regained my senses through sudden moments of enlightenment.

Next, they found Tokugawa Ieyasu and discovered that he wasn't trapped at all; he was just too relaxed and comfortable to move, so they dragged him out by force.

Then came Hideyoshi's "Golden Castle." After much persuasion, he pointed out the illogical aspects of the situation, leaving Monkey King speechless and dispelling the illusion.

No force was used along the way.

Therefore, when it came to Oda Nobunaga, Ryuun believed that it was still a test of wisdom.

But to his surprise, Nobunaga was a tyrannical and unreasonable fellow who would become enraged at the slightest provocation and draw his sword to strike.

However, the thousands of soldiers and generals beside them disappeared.

This shows that Ryuun's words must have struck a nerve with Nobunaga.

So now it's a one-on-one duel.

Fortunately, although Liu Yun was surprised, he was not panicked.

In fact, he is much better at wielding a knife than at talking.

If we had known that we could resolve this with force, why go through all that trouble?

Liu Yun shook his head, having no time for regret, and drew his "Long Ship Long Light" to meet the attack.

With a whooshing sound, the flashes of swords and blades clashed and sparked, creating blinding sparks.

Oda Nobunaga was by no means a weakling.

His footwork was disciplined and orderly, his moves were skillful and swift, and when he drew his sword, it had the momentum of an overwhelming force. He also carried an indescribable yet subconsciously fearful aura, which may or may not be related to the so-called "Demon King".

This aura, clinging to his body, took on an abnormal deep red color, greatly increasing his strength, making him like a prehistoric beast; when condensed on the blade, it was a faint black flame, making it clear that being struck by it would not be pleasant.

Liu Yun had imagined fighting Oda Nobunaga before, and based on his observations, he thought it would be an extremely dangerous and fierce battle.

In any case, since we live in a world full of supernatural beings and strange phenomena, this "Demon King," as a powerful and domineering figure who rules the world, should possess top-tier personal martial arts skills.

But now that they've actually started, Liu Yun doesn't feel any pressure.

Although the other party was furious, with wide-open eyes, moved like a tiger or leopard, and had the momentum of thunder, making him appear extremely terrifying.

But Ryuun could vaguely see hesitation, anxiety and fear in Nobunaga's eyes.

An opponent who is already terrified before even making a move is not worth fearing.

The rabbit's soul entered the lion's body, but it remained just a rabbit.

Perhaps because we are in an illusion, everything does not strictly follow the laws of the real world.

Liu Yun swung "Nagafune Nagamitsu" with greater speed and force than expected, using a horizontal slash without any technique to easily cut the enraged Oda Nobunaga in two.

……

The multicolored light rapidly converged, and after a rainbow-like array passed before my eyes, I finally returned to reality.

This is the Shosoin Repository of Todai-ji Temple in Nara. On the table in front of you is a five-foot-long piece of fragrant wood shaped like a biwa (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument), known as "Ranshatai," the finest incense in the land.

The ethereal form of the nine-tailed fox floated above, now extremely faint and almost completely transparent, as if it might disappear at any moment.

The tanuki Tokugawa Ieyasu lay on the ground, half asleep and half awake, his eyes hazy, as if he were drunk and unconscious, showing little reaction to the outside world—Liu Yun felt that this was somewhat of a deliberate attempt to hide his abilities, but unfortunately there was no evidence.

The short, stocky Hideyoshi, with his pointed snout and monkey-like face, was still listless and weak, slumped against a nearby pillar. However, he seemed to have regained some consciousness. Hearing the noise, he managed to lift his head and, with all his might, bowed to the pillar, saying weakly, "My lord! You... indeed, only you could defeat the sorcery of Ransha! Congratulations, my lord!"

What he said makes absolutely no sense.

It was clearly only Liu Yun who survived on his own and then revived the other three.

Hideyoshi Hashiba said, "As expected, only you, sir, can defeat this sorcery of Ranshadai." Wasn't this a complete distortion of the truth and a blatant attempt to flatter him?

He's always been one to flatter, but he's never been this shameless.

Moreover, Hideyoshi Hashiba looked very anxious while speaking, as if he couldn't wait to be the first to flatter him.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun was immediately displeased.

However, he was not from a legitimate "martial family" and didn't care much about this vague "honor." Considering the many favors "Brother Monkey" had shown him in the past, he decided to tolerate it and didn't make a fuss.

On the other side, Oda Nobunaga had just been pulled out of the illusion by Ryuun and hadn't even reacted when he heard Hashiba Hideyoshi's shameless flattery, which made him slightly taken aback.

After a moment, he realized what had happened. His face twitched a few times, and he nodded solemnly, humming in agreement with Hideyoshi's twisted truth.