Swallow Return

At this moment, Liu Yun had no time to analyze the details; all he could do was draw his sword and charge in.

Chapter 266 Madam, you flatter me. It's my duty.

Without hesitation, Liu Yun rushed into the cabin, and what he saw before him was indeed a chaotic scene of monsters attacking.

Under the dim moonlight and lamplight, one could see many ghastly green monsters with heads like crocodiles, limbs like frogs, turtle shells on their backs, and fish fins on their tails. They were about the same size as an adult male, and their bodies were covered in wet droplets. It was clear at a glance that they had crawled up from the bottom of the river.

And they must be very good at hiding and ambushing.

Otherwise, given Liu Yun's perception abilities, how could he have only reacted after the guards were attacked and many died?

They finally reacted in time.

At this moment, a dozen or so monsters were attacking like a pack of wolves. A leader holding a long staff stood at the edge of the stern, closest to the water, seemingly in charge of command.

Aichi, barefoot and wearing loose pajamas, huddled deep inside the cabin with her three daughters, trembling and afraid to show their faces, seemingly curled up and weeping.

Madam Ningning was dressed similarly, but her expression remained calm, though she looked somewhat tired. She held her dress with one hand to prevent any accidental exposure, and in the other hand she held a strangely shaped jade object, emitting a faint white light around her, as if she were using it to perform some kind of magic.

The most martial and virtuous of them all is undoubtedly the domineering female CEO, Lady Guidie. Calm and collected, she drew her sword and led several attendants, some human and some demon, to fight in front of her. Her movements were bold and unrestrained, and although she was at a disadvantage, she was fearless.

As Liu Yun entered the cabin, she witnessed her personally slashing an enemy's arm.

To be honest, these green aquatic monsters only attack like wild beasts, using their claws to swing and their teeth to bite. Their strength doesn't seem to be great, their speed isn't very fast, and their skin and shells can't stop swords. Their combat power is at most slightly higher than that of an ordinary samurai.

The ladies were protected by hundreds of elite guards.

Therefore, these monsters must have had some other means of attack to climb onto the deck, kill many guards, and rush into the cabin to besiege the ship.

Putting everything else aside, just looking at Lady Guidie and the few "bathhouse monsters" around her, they seem much weaker than before—though it's hard to pinpoint exactly where they've weakened.

Liu Yun could sense that this body of water had become unusual, but he didn't yet know what the monsters were relying on. Seeing that the situation was extremely urgent, he didn't have time to think carefully and drew his "Nagafune Nagamitsu" from his waist to join the battle.

At the same time, he shouted, "Please be patient, everyone, Sasaki Ryuun is here!"

He said that simply to use his fame to encourage his teammates.

Unexpectedly, the ladies and princesses had no time to pay attention to this matter, and instead alerted the monsters first.

"Sasaki Ryuun? What's this guy doing here?" The tall, thin aquatic monster, carrying a long staff and presumably the leader, looked over in surprise. His crocodile-like head was full of vigilance. He complained in a strange, hoarse voice, then suddenly became impatient, slamming his fist on the floor twice and issuing the order: "Hurry up and grab the target! We can't delay any longer! Agu, you four, hold him off!"

Judging from the tone of the attack, tonight's attack was not an accidental one, but rather a premeditated one?

Liu Yun couldn't understand it for a moment, and couldn't figure out which lady or princess had become the target of the monster's covetousness.

As soon as the old monster gave the command, the monsters responded in unison.

Four identical monsters emerged to block Liu Yun, while the rest rallied and launched a fierce attack on the ladies.

At the same time, a huge wave suddenly blew in, and the cabin and deck shook violently. The ladies and the remaining guards were all a little unsteady on their feet.

The monsters, which combined the characteristics of crocodiles, turtles, frogs, and fish, moved about as if on flat ground, with ease.

They even became more energetic and lively.

Liu Yun was startled; he instantly realized that what he had just felt was not ordinary wind, but a powerful gust of air emanating from the reef called "White Stone Island."

The blast wave not only capsized ships, but also produced an effect that caused palpitations, chest tightness, weakness, and numbness in the hands and feet.

The monsters, however, seemed to have taken stimulants and healing medicine, their spirits soaring, becoming even more savage, letting out ferocious cries, and charging forward with reckless abandon.

This reef, as white as jade, is indeed no ordinary object!

Liu Yun possesses extraordinary abilities, allowing him to overcome the attack with just a blink of an eye. However, apart from him, no one else can easily escape the shockwave.

Lady Guidie was fighting fiercely when suddenly her movements stopped, her body went limp, and she was almost bitten by the monster.

Madam Ningning, who was wielding a magical artifact for support, let out a muffled groan, lost her footing, stumbled and fell, unable to stand upright, and could only kneel on the ground. Liu Yun couldn't tell what magical artifact she was using or what spell she was casting, but judging from the faint white light, it was probably a support-type artifact.

The two wives, who were leaders, suffered a loss, and the guards around them were immediately put in an awkward and dangerous situation.

Aichi and the three little girls huddled together in a corner, where they were initially under tight protection, but now they were in grave danger.

The monsters were trying their best to break through the defenses, and it seemed that their target was among the mother and her three daughters.

In the chaos, a strong and agile monster rushed forward, opened its huge mouth, and swung its claws toward Oichi's arms.

Lady Guidie was greatly alarmed upon seeing this and immediately turned around, brandishing her sword to fiercely attack and restrain the enemy, intending to protect Oichi and her daughters. Thus, she disregarded the enemy in front of her and received a heavy slap on the back.

Lady Ningning immediately drew another magical artifact and hurled it, summoning a bolt of lightning to help. Unexpectedly, a small demon darted forward and bit her shoulder.

In times of crisis, the only one who can save the day is, of course, Liuyun.

Faced with four monsters blocking his way, he didn't say a word and went up to deliver a sweeping horizontal slash from left to right.

Although the demon was extremely ferocious after being empowered, Liu Yun's strength remained unaffected. In terms of power, agility, and reaction time, he was far superior. Such an unreasonable attack was simply unstoppable.

The monster at the front, caught off guard, was struck in the abdomen, blood gushing out as it collapsed, lifeless. Another, close behind, also suffered a gruesome wound, bleeding profusely, rolling on the floor screaming in agony, unable to rise. The remaining two, having moved slower, escaped fatal injuries and quickly retreated, clutching their abdominal wounds.

Liu Yun didn't rush to finish off the enemy; he immediately took several large steps forward to provide support.

He moved with lightning speed, wielding the "Long Ship Long Light" sword with pinpoint accuracy, piercing the head of the monster that was biting Madam Ningning's shoulder.

Then, sheathing her sword, she leaped to the right and slashed downwards, severing the monster's arm at the root at the blade's maximum range.

Then, with another turn and a horizontal movement, he arrived in front of Miss Oichi and the little princesses, stopping yet another monster trying to take advantage of the chaos.

Lady Guicho's pressure suddenly eased, and she finally had a moment to glance over, smiling happily, "Lord Sasaki has arrived, there's no need to worry anymore!"

Liu Yun smiled at her in response and said calmly, "Fortunately, it's not too late."

Without pausing, he deftly parried the attacking monster, and with a swift backhand flick, took off another head.

With Madam Ningning out of trouble, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Disregarding her image, she sat down on the ground and quickly applied medicine to the wound on her shoulder.

Her chest heaved violently, and her face showed great pain, but while trying to save herself, she tried her best to maintain a graceful smile and said softly, "I knew long ago that the greatest warrior in the world, Lord Sasaki, was by my side, so I had no worries at all."

"Ah, you flatter me, madam."

Liu Yun casually made a modest remark, and his men then killed another enemy.

At this point, he realized that the situation had completely reversed; most of the monsters had been killed or wounded and were no longer able to launch a full-scale attack. So he went straight for the monster elder.

Miss Oichi, realizing the situation had eased, nervously looked up, glanced around, and finally calmed down. She hugged the three children tightly, her voice trembling as she thanked them, "Thanks... thank you so much, Lord Sasaki..."

Nine-year-old Chacha was a bit bolder. She stood on tiptoe and peered over, her bright eyes sparkling as she exclaimed with delight, "It's Uncle Sasaki! Wow, Uncle Sasaki is so amazing! So awesome!"

"It's my duty."

While he could joke around with Madam Guidie and Madam Ningning, Liuyun instinctively became serious when facing Miss Ashi and Princess Chacha. He nodded and spoke respectfully but distantly.

At this moment, the tallest and thinnest of the monster elders, who was holding a wooden staff, saw that the situation was not good. He didn't care about the "target" anymore. He gritted his teeth and said helplessly in a strange, hoarse voice, "Retreat!" Then he turned around and jumped into the water without hesitation.

Because that guy was standing in the corner, in the most convenient position to retreat, Liuyun was at least a dozen steps away from him—or rather, from it.

It looked as if the demon elder could easily leap back into the lake.

however--

Just now, when Liu Yun swung his sword to kill the enemy in succession, his speed was as fast as lightning and as swift as thunder. Now, seeing the enemy about to escape, he immediately unleashed his full power, and his speed suddenly increased many times over, covering a distance of more than ten steps in an instant. He still held the incomparably sharp Long Ship Long Light in his hand, but he was in no hurry to kill the enemy. Instead, he swung the scabbard with his left hand and smashed it towards the enemy's head.

Moreover, the impact came from the outside towards the inside of the cabin.

That's right, we want to capture him alive and interrogate him.

Although the demon elder could summon mysterious energy waves from the reefs of White Stone Island, he was not very strong and was immediately struck down.

However, Liu Yun did not achieve his goal.

After the demon elder was defeated, his face immediately contorted in a grotesque expression. He vomited a mouthful of blood, his limbs twitched twice, and he showed no signs of life.

He... just died like that?

Liu Yun frowned, vaguely sensing that things might not be so simple.

Before I could think about it, I suddenly saw a little girl skipping over and looking up at me with admiration.

That was the lively and adorable—almost too lively and adorable, bordering on being a little devil—Princess Chacha, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she exclaimed sincerely, "Uncle Sasaki is truly the best!"

Three-year-old Xiao Du probably didn't understand, but he also imitated his older sister, enthusiastically waddling over and babbling things like "Uncle! Awesome!"

The six-year-old second daughter, Achu, was originally the most well-mannered of Miss Ashi's three daughters. However, after standing there in a daze for a while, she burst into loud sobs in her mother's arms.

Chapter 267 Oichi's Resolve

These monsters, glowing with a pale green light and with crocodile heads, fish tails, frog paws, and turtle backs, are hardly anything special.

After Liu Yun made his move, they—or rather, it—were easily driven back in the blink of an eye.

Most of them perished under the blade, and only a very few escaped back into the water.

But Liu Yun did not relax.

On the contrary, the questions in his mind grew stronger.

Because what happened tonight is really suspicious.

First of all, since the Oda clan pacified the Kinki region, the transportation industry in Lake Biwa has been very developed, with cargo ships frequently sailing there. Yet, there have been almost no reports of encounters with thieves, let alone monsters causing trouble.

Moreover, judging from the monsters' previous words and actions, they were not attacking randomly on the water, but were specifically targeting a particular individual.

The target should be Miss Oichi and one or more of her three daughters. But what secrets do they carry, and why have they become the targets of the monster's attack?

This is something I don't understand.

Secondly, ladies of such status should be protected by one or two hundred elite guards when they go out. Even if they encounter an expected sudden attack, they should not be able to let the enemy get close so easily.

Just now, it was actually the demon elder who used the white jade-like reef on Biwa Lake to release a strange spell, which allowed him to deal with a large number of guards and break into the cabin.

When the shockwave struck, not only did the ships rock violently, but all of humanity was deeply affected; only Liuyun was able to withstand it.

If the monster itself isn't very powerful, how could it master such powerful supernatural magic? Is it because some powerful figure is instigating it?

These two are incomprehensible.

Furthermore, there's the location of the crime.

The demon elder's magic could only be released by relying on the reefs in the water, and it was only by acting under the cover of darkness that he almost succeeded.

Meanwhile, the ladies specifically requested to visit a scenic spot called "White Stone Island" during their trip, and since they departed from Liu Yun's home on the east coast, they needed to stay there for one night.

Actually, this place isn't a particularly famous scenic spot; at least, Liuyun, who has lived around Lake Biwa for several years, hadn't heard of it much.

Why did the ladies come here?

Is this a coincidence?

Or is someone harboring malicious intentions and secretly making arrangements?