Swallow Return

More than an hour later, Madam Ningning, Miss Oichi, and Iori returned.

The three men had different expressions.

After exchanging greetings, Lady Ningning gave Lady Guicho a wink, and the latter nodded and rose gracefully, saying, "Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Sasaki. We won't bother you any longer today. I will be staying at the Jingyuan Nunnery in the south with Oichi and Ningning, and we may come to visit again in the future."

Liu Yun nodded and respectfully saw him off.

Lady Guidie waved her sleeve and said there was no need, then walked away.

Outside the Sasaki residence, a total of two to three hundred guards and attendants also departed. Ryuun saw the yokai from the bathhouse among them, and remembering their past camaraderie in battle, they exchanged glances.

After seeing the guests off and returning home, with no one else around, Iori suddenly knelt down on the ground in sorrow and said in a mournful voice, "I am guilty, I am sorry, my lord."

Liu Yun was slightly taken aback and immediately felt regret. He had only thought of getting rid of the irrelevant people so that he could speak frankly with Lady Gui Die, but he hadn't expected that Yi Zhi would need to support Lady Ning Ning, who was no match for him.

So he quickly helped her up and asked, "Did Madam Ningning say something to you?"

"Madam Ningning didn't say anything..." Iori lowered her head deeply, her tone growing increasingly somber, "But I can guess the reason why the ladies have come to our home as guests..."

Liu Yun breathed a slight sigh of relief and waved her hand dismissively: "Since that's the case, these are all just guesses! No need to overthink it. They're probably just going out for a walk."

“But…” Iori cautiously glanced up, then quickly bowed again, her voice tinged with a hint of tears: “I can sense that they’ve actually come in place of Lady Oichi. Isn’t it Lord Oda (Nobunaga) who intends to arrange a marriage between you and me?”

"Hmm..." Liu Yun didn't want to lie, and for a moment she didn't know how to answer.

Iori collapsed to the ground, her forehead touching the earth, and cried out in anguish, "I can neither bear an heir for the Sasaki family nor bring any support to the clan... In comparison, Lady Oichi is not only the most beautiful woman in the land, but also a direct descendant of Prime Minister Oda, and has already been proven to be prolific... Perhaps she is the woman who is worthy of you, while I am a sinner who should abdicate and yield to a more worthy one..."

"Alright, alright!" Liu Yun couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted, saying seriously, "Since we've come this far, I won't hide it anymore. It's true that Prime Minister Oda has such an idea, and Lady Guicho came for this reason, but this matter ultimately requires my consent to proceed. And I have already clearly refused."

"This—" Iori looked up upon hearing this, but instead of feeling comforted, she was quite alarmed: "This has offended Prime Minister Oda... What if there are consequences? If what I've caused brings disaster to you and the Sasaki family... then I would truly deserve to die..."

"Sigh..." Liu Yun shook his head with feigned sorrow, then suddenly his expression turned serious, and he rebuked sharply, "Iori! Do you know what your greatest sin is?"

"Ah...this humble servant..." Iori was so frightened that she trembled, her face turned pale, and she lay on the ground, unable to speak.

“That is—” Liu Yun deliberately dragged out her words, then teased, “That is, as the wife of a samurai, you actually don’t trust your husband! So what if you incur the wrath of Prime Minister Oda? Do you think I can’t handle it?”

“But…” Iori looked up in surprise, her eyes blurry with tears, her face still showing worry.

"I'll punish her properly tonight." Liu Yun said righteously and sternly, without any hint of leniency, but he reached inside his wife's clothes, gently pinched and patted a certain spot, and whispered in her ear, "I need to let you know how powerful I am once again."

"My lord... there are maids watching over us..."

The flowing clouds are powerful and the technique is refined. After pinching and patting, there is a process of "lightly gathering, slowly twisting, wiping and picking", which is thorough and touches people's hearts.

Iori was caught off guard and immediately became so shy that she blushed and wanted to break free, but she was worried about attracting the attention of the servants, so she dared not make any big movements.

Although they were already very familiar with each other, she remained reserved as a well-educated and virtuous young lady who never overstepped her bounds.

The topic we just discussed is naturally out of the question.

Chapter 265 Princess Chacha and Uncle Sasaki

For the next few days, Lady Kicho would occasionally visit with Lady Nene and Miss Oichi, staying near the Sasaki residence for an hour or two.

He said he was taking his family out for a stroll and had Liu Yun, a local, act as their guide.

In fact—

It seems they really did come out to relax.

They just stroll around every day, enjoying the scenery and chatting, without discussing anything serious.

In Lady Kicho's words, "Since I have received such an important request from Lord Nobunaga, even if I cannot persuade Lord Sasaki, I should at least pretend that I am trying my best to persuade him, so that I can have an explanation when I return!"

His words seemed casual and relaxed, but his expression was very serious.

Ryuun knew that Lady Kicho was trying to buy time, and took the opportunity to remind her: "Nobunaga's anger may be about to erupt, so you'd better think of some ways to prepare for it in the next few days!"

She didn't need to remind him; Liu Yun had already realized this and was secretly making preparations.

There's no need to reveal the private preparations publicly. Just show a confident demeanor, indicating that everything is under control, and then reply, "It's indeed not easy to explain to Prime Minister Oda. I'll probably have to put in a lot of effort to get out of here unscathed this time!"

These words sound like a show of weakness, but in reality, they express confidence.

Lady Guidie didn't seem completely at ease; a gloomy look remained on her face. After hearing Liuyun's reply, she could only manage a weak smile.

……

Two days later, Lady Guidie requisitioned some boats as transportation and took Ningning and Ashi to play on Lake Biwa.

Liu Yun was also invited, but she didn't want to go.

However, considering Lady Guidie's kindness, it was not convenient to refuse, so he prepared a medium-sized boat, stocked it with enough food and various outdoor supplies, and followed behind.

The ladies had three or four hundred attendants and guards, using five boats, making for a considerable procession on the lake.

The three noble ladies were aboard the largest and most luxurious yacht, accompanied by their attendants. Four others surrounded them to provide protection and logistical support.

Out of courtesy, Ryuun went over to greet them, only to find out that it wasn't just Miss Oichi on her outing; her three daughters with her ex-husband, Asai Nagamasa, were also there. They just hadn't shown up before.

The eldest, named Chacha, is nine years old and developing very quickly, showing slight feminine characteristics. She looks like a teenager, and her appearance resembles her mother's. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes her exceptionally beautiful, but she just evokes a sense of fondness in people.

In the context of the entertainment industry in later generations, it would probably be called audience appeal.

The second daughter, Achu, is six years old, just beginning to learn manners and literacy. She is naive yet very well-behaved, though somewhat reserved and lacking in childlike liveliness. The third daughter, Xiaodu, is only three years old. Perhaps due to being spoiled, or perhaps because she is still too young to understand, she is a willful and mischievous little devil. She insists on holding onto anything she sets her sights on, or she will throw a tantrum.

They even brought the children along; it looked more like Madam Guidie and Madam Ningning were taking Miss Ashi out for a stroll. The matchmaker's role seemed more like a side benefit.

Liu Yun only glanced at the girls and didn't originally intend to get involved.

Unexpectedly, when she went up to greet him, nine-year-old Chacha blinked her big eyes and skipped over with a smile, saying, "Chacha remembers, this is Uncle Sasaki, the one who sent us out of Odani City. He's so amazing and can even fly! We were in such a rush back then that we didn't even get a chance to thank you."

After she finished speaking, her expression suddenly darkened, perhaps because she was thinking of her biological father. But she quickly raised her head again, her face now completely free of any gloom.

Liu Yun wasn't bothered that this adorable little girl remembered his face and name.

However, he did not have the habits of a philanderer, and considering the negative connotations of the name "Chacha" in its original history, he was not particularly happy.

So he smiled casually, greeted the little princess, and prepared to return to his own ship.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Chacha was a little disappointed and tilted her head to ask, "Uncle Sasaki, aren't you going to ride in the same boat as Chacha?"

Liu Yun casually replied, "I brought my own boat. It will remain nearby on guard."

Chacha said "Oh," her eyes darting around a few times, and tugged at Oichi's sleeve, saying, "Mother, can Uncle Sasaki stay on this ship too? Chacha wants to see him take her flying into the sky..."

Oichi, who had been keeping her head down and silent, panicked upon hearing this and felt extremely ashamed. She solemnly warned, "Don't be ridiculous! Lord Sasaki is an important person in the Oda family, not a courtier to play with you!"

Cha Cha pouted and muttered under her breath, "Cha Cha knows." She was clearly very disappointed, and her voice quickly turned to sobs, tears welling up in her eyes.

Although A-Shi is the mother of three girls, she doesn't seem to be good at taking care of children, and immediately looked to Nene for help.

Madam Ningning seemed to be quite adept at it, smiling as she stepped forward, hugged Chacha, and whispered a few words in her ear. The little girl immediately stopped crying and started laughing.

On this day, the ladies arrived at Lake Biwa to admire the famous uninhabited island scenic spot, "Take Island".

As its name suggests, this place is covered with lush bamboo and home to some rare flowers, plants, insects, and birds. For those who love natural scenery, it is probably a place worth visiting.

Living in the chaotic Warring States period, even high-ranking officials and nobles might not have the leisure to travel at will. The ladies and princesses seemed to have never been here before and lacked similar experiences, so they were quite satisfied.

Having experienced the information explosion of his previous life, Liu Yun didn't find the scenery of Bamboo Island particularly unique, but he didn't dislike it either. In order to help Lady Gui Die with her errands, he lingered there for half a day before returning in the evening.

The next day, the ladies planned to go to "White Stone Island" further west.

It is said that there is a small reef made of a special material, which looks like pure white jade under the setting sun, with a very beautiful luster.

White Stone Island is quite far away, and if you want to see the beautiful scenery at sunset, you can't make a day trip. You'll have to spend the night on a boat outside, so it's best to bring plenty of supplies.

Liu Yun continued to travel in his own boat.

This time, I also went to greet and pay my respects to the ladies.

Chacha, that cheerful and clever little girl, was still very interested in "Uncle Sasaki, who is especially powerful and can fly," and didn't want him to leave so soon.

But having learned from the previous day's lesson, Chacha didn't try to stop them herself, but instead secretly instigated her younger sister, Kotobuki.

The three-year-old toddler stumbled and crawled over, grabbing Liuyun's clothes and babbling incoherently, "Uncle, don't go, Feifei, I like..."

Liu Yun's martial arts skills could certainly have been avoided in advance, but who would have thought that this brat would suddenly become so persistent?

He could easily break free, but he was worried about hurting the baby.

Really can not laugh or cry.

Cha Cha also took the opportunity to come over and fan the flames, but fortunately, her second daughter, A Chu, hadn't joined in the chaos yet.

As expected, Oichi was an incompetent mother. At that moment, she was both ashamed and anxious, flustered and at a loss.

Fortunately, Ningning was nearby and quickly stepped forward to comfort the baby, taking quite a bit of effort to finally soothe him.

Lady Guidie initially frowned and remained silent, but later, perhaps having reached her limit, she spoke up, rebuking them with gentle yet stern words. Immediately, nine-year-old Chacha and three-year-old Xiaodu dared not make a sound.

This "domineering female CEO" aura is quite effective at dealing with children.

Liu Yun was finally able to leave without feeling embarrassed.

As the sun set that day, the fleet arrived near "White Stone Island" as planned, and was able to see the sunset shining on the rocks and reflecting a magnificent light.

The little princesses cheered with joy, and the ladies were amazed.

Liu Yun also thought that this thing would indeed be a wonderful sight in ancient times, but he wondered if it would be related to any supernatural forces in this world of strange and supernatural phenomena.

After watching this, it was already late at night, not a good time to travel by boat, so we stopped the boat to rest.

Of course, only the nobles could truly rest; the servants and guards slept in cramped, narrow bunkers and had to take turns keeping watch at night.

After all, these three ladies and three little princesses have very special identities and cannot afford to have any accidents happen to them. They need to be given special protection when they come to the wild.

Seeing that they had brought over a hundred skilled guards, and that Lady Guidie also had a formidable bathhouse demon by her side, Liu Yun thought that this should be enough.

Moreover, there was no premonition of any particular danger.

Then I felt at ease and went to sleep.

But something happened that very night.

Between the hours of Chou (1-3 AM) and Yin (3-5 AM), Liu Yun sensed something in his sleep and suddenly woke up.

Then I immediately felt myself enveloped by a strange power.

Meanwhile, the ship carrying the ladies was already making quite a commotion.

Liu Yun felt a chill run down his spine and, without saying a word, leaped over.

Upon landing, he saw that most of the soldiers on night watch on the deck were in a daze, like walking corpses, clearly having lost their minds. Several others lay in pools of blood.

Inside the cabin, the lights flickered, and faint sounds of fighting and crying could be heard. Separated only by a curtain, the sounds were extremely faint, as if some invisible barrier was blocking them.