Swallow Return

Originally, travel was unimpeded.

Upon arriving at a small square, a staff member stopped her and asked what her purpose was. The nun simply lifted the curtain and replied, "This humble nun has come to visit her revered teacher."

Liu Yun already knew that her master was the head priest of the shrine. It was said that although he was the head priest, his power was not very stable, but she didn't have the patience to listen carefully to the details at the time.

As they walked along the bamboo path, three priests and four shrine maidens suddenly appeared, accompanied by dozens of armed "divine soldiers," surrounding the palanquin. The leading priest, a handsome man, shouted sternly, "Huizhen! You have already become a bhikkhuni (Buddhist nun), and should no longer concern yourself with the important affairs of the shrine. The chief priest is seriously ill, yet you barged into our hall without prior notice. What are your intentions?"

Chapter 286 Please make way; or be defeated.

The sedan chair carrying nun Huizhen and Liuyun was stopped.

Leading the group was a very handsome middle-aged priest, accompanied by six or seven subordinates and dozens of divine soldiers (shrine soldiers are called divine soldiers). They said that the "chief priest was seriously ill" and that outsiders were not allowed to approach the "main hall" at will.

Upon hearing this, the nun Huizhen's expression changed drastically. She lifted the curtain, stepped out of the sedan chair, glanced around, and solemnly questioned, "Twenty days ago, when I led the fleet out to sea, my master was clearly in excellent health. Why did he suddenly fall seriously ill in just a month? His cultivation is profound; he is not an ordinary old and weak person!"

This nun had always presented herself as licentious, shameless, and depraved in front of Liu Yun, even insisting on calling herself "Miaoju." Unexpectedly, she could also readily adopt a righteous and indignant demeanor, appearing quite respectable, truly a hypocrite.

She must have been a formidable figure in the Izumo Taisha Shrine. With just a glance and a question, she caused the priests, shrine maidens, and soldiers to retreat and avoid her gaze.

Only the handsome middle-aged priest leading the group confronted them head-on, smiling and speaking slowly in a gentle but firm tone: "Master Huizhen is right. We suspect that there may be some wicked people plotting against the Grand Master, which is why we have temporarily prohibited any outsiders from approaching this temple."

The nun frowned, then said decisively, "In that case, I should hurry to my master's side to protect him! Do you, Qianye Quan Gongsi, consider me an outsider?"

It turns out that the middle-aged priest's name was "Chiba" and his position was "Gon-guji".

Theoretically, he should be the second-in-command of Izumo Taisha.

Chiba Kyoji shook his head, still smiling, and said slowly, "That's right, Master Huizhen, you have now left Izumo Taisha and joined Ebisuji Temple, so you are an outsider."

Upon hearing this, the nun stared in astonishment and said, "Aren't Izumo Taisha and Ebisuji Temple one entity? Who dares to say that I am an outsider?"

Chiba Kōjō remained composed, refusing to budge an inch: "Even if we are one body, some things cannot be shared. Now that the Grand Kōjō is too ill to manage affairs, then naturally I, the Kōjō, will take over. Abbess Huizhen, please return! Otherwise, even if it is you, we can only proceed according to the rules!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the atmosphere gradually became tense.

Although the nun was a worldly person, she did not seem to have much experience in "armed struggle". Seeing that the other party was coming aggressively and aggressively, she subconsciously took two steps back.

As one thing diminishes while the other gains, Chiba Kōji simultaneously advances two steps.

The contrast between strength and weakness is particularly striking.

As a result, the priests, shrine maidens, and soldiers who were initially hesitant to act due to their nun status gradually grew bolder and followed the "Chiba Kōjō" around with great seriousness.

Meanwhile, nun Huizhen became increasingly nervous and wavering.

She stood at the door of the sedan chair, with nowhere to retreat, hesitating between going forward and retreating.

Clearly, a fierce political struggle is taking place at Izumo Taisha Shrine, and if they lose the initiative now, they may find themselves on the defensive in every way. However, they lack sufficient grounds to confront the "Chiba Gon-guji" (Chiba Grand Master).

What's even more troublesome is that there's no time to organize our forces!

The nun Huizhen remembered the "envoy" sitting in the sedan chair behind her and felt a glimmer of hope. She quickly turned around to ask for help: "Your Excellency, you have seen the situation."

……

Just as Liu Yun was feeling joy at the resonance that had grown from faint to slightly stronger, this inexplicable change came as a surprise and made her quite irritated.

What does this damned internal strife at Izumo Taisha have to do with me?

I just wanted to investigate what this "power of the same origin" was all about, in the main hall where the incense was most abundant!

Just when I felt we were getting close to the answer, this sudden turn of events was extremely disappointing.

It seems that there is no way to enter the main hall of Izumo Taisha Shrine peacefully at present.

Or why not just help Huizhen the nun get in?

Anyway, I've already decided to go back to the Kinki region to talk to Oda Nobunaga. My reclusive life is definitely over, so there's nothing wrong with showing off my skills here. I'll just leave after I've done my job.

I had already heard from the nun Huizhen, who insisted on calling herself "Myokiku," that Izumo Taisha mainly conducts business and doesn't deliberately expand its military. They only have a little over a thousand capable fighters. Moreover, this "Chiba Gon-guji" doesn't seem to have successfully seized power yet, and can probably only utilize a small portion of them.

Based on comprehensive analysis, we should be able to win.

Since we can win, there's nothing to worry about.

Liu Yun thought to himself that he was a civilized person and that it might not be good to resort to violence over a disagreement, so he decided to consult with the nun Huizhen to confirm the matter.

So he asked through the sedan chair curtain, "Is the problem resolved because we can't communicate?"

The nun Huizhen sighed helplessly in a low voice, "Alas, Your Excellency, please forgive my incompetence, I'm afraid it's not possible."

Liu Yun then asked, "If you beat up all these people in front of you, won't it cause you trouble later?"

Hearing this, the nun Huizhen's eyes lit up, and she said happily, "As long as I enter the main hall and see Master, nothing will happen..." Halfway through her sentence, she seemed to remember something and suddenly shook her head, changing her words: "Actually, you only need to reveal your identity, how could these people dare to attack you..."

However, she only got halfway through her sentence before Liu Yun lifted the curtain and leaned out.

The nun Huizhen did not dare to stop it.

Over there, several priestesses and shrine maidens, seeing the unfamiliar young man appear, probably assumed he was a nun's new gigolo, and all showed expressions of contempt.

However, the leading priest, Chiba Gon, immediately became wary. He quietly reached into his hunting robe and grasped his magical artifact, feigning composure as he asked, "Who are you, sir? What brings you to our Izumo Taisha Shrine? Today is not an auspicious day for worship..."

Liu Yun waved his hand to interrupt the other person, pointed in the direction of the main hall and said succinctly, "Please make way; or be defeated by me."

Chiba Kyotoshi paused, a hint of anger flashing across his brow, but he became even more cautious, smiling timidly as he said, "Could it be that you came here based on only Master Huizhen's one-sided account? Please allow me to explain..."

Liu Yun ignored the guy's words and continued pointing towards the main hall, repeating, "Make way; or be defeated by me."

Chiba Kyoji's smile froze, then his face darkened, and he said coldly, "I cannot comply!"

Liu Yun nodded, feeling that he had demonstrated enough civility, and then proceeded without any remorse.

Not wanting to cause any deaths easily, he didn't draw his sword. Instead, he quickly moved forward, grabbed a soldier's arm with each hand before the other could react, and threw them into the crowd like sandbags.

In an instant, dozens of people were knocked to the ground, huddled together, dizzy and seeing stars, unable to get up but not in mortal danger.

Upon seeing this, Chiba Kōji was terrified and immediately threw a talisman emitting purple light and heat from his sleeve.

The priests and priestesses were a little slower to react, and only then did they realize that they had encountered a formidable enemy. They immediately began to frantically cast spells or use magical artifacts to join the battle.

The other ordinary soldiers, armed with swords and spears, were immediately terrified and hesitated to advance—this was the kind of quality the shrine's army was all about.

Then Liu Yun discovered that the supernatural power within his body had once again automatically activated to protect its master.

Just like the day I first met Nun Huizhen.

A dazzling red light burst forth from Liu Yun's body, radiating outwards.

The colorful spells summoned by the enemy were all swallowed up, only making the red light even stronger.

Ordinary soldiers were not affected.

However, any priests or priestesses touched by the red light lost their focus, became weak all over, and collapsed to the ground, unable to move. The priests showed expressions of extreme pain, while the priestesses' faces flushed an unusual redness.

At this moment, the nun Huizhen, who called herself "Miaoju," said triumphantly, "Now you should know that this is the envoy who has a deep connection with the God of Kunitsu! This humble nun has already submitted to you in body and mind, so why don't you all come over and kneel down to worship!"

Chapter 287 Lord Liuyun, please come and save me!

After Ryuun and the nun Huizhen entered Izumo Taisha, they heard that the so-called "Grand Master was seriously ill." Then, the "Chiba Power Master" led six or seven priestesses and dozens of soldiers to block their way, preventing them from approaching the main hall.

Their attitude was resolute and their arrogance was overbearing, showing a completely uncompromising stance.

The nun Huizhen, who called herself "Miaoju," immediately lost her composure, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

Ryuun, who always hated trouble, was about to go to the main hall of Izumo Taisha to check, so how could he allow himself to be blocked? Seeing this, he decisively took action, intending to force his way through.

He roughly estimated the opponent's strength and believed that it would not be difficult for him to fight against a hundred people. He was very calm and confident and did not feel any ripples in his heart.

However, the actual combat process was much easier than he had imagined.

Led by "Chiba Kōji", the spells summoned by the priests and shrine maidens had not yet taken effect when they triggered the spontaneous activation of Ryūyū's supernatural power to protect its master; a red light shield flashed, and they all fell to the ground, dizzy and unconscious, losing the ability to resist.

On the contrary, it would take some effort to deal with those few dozen soldiers.

Although they managed to defeat a small portion of the enemy, the rest were routed and fled in disarray, but they still managed to break a sweat and catch their breath.

It is said that Liu Yun had mastered mental abilities a long time ago, but he had never learned a move that could knock out a large number of people in an instant. Today, he was passively triggered by this effect, and he himself was not quite sure what was going on.

It is probably true, as nun Huizhen said, that the power comes from the same source, and that she herself has gained higher authority.

Thinking about it this way, I felt even more eager to go to the main hall of Izumo Taisha Shrine as soon as possible to see what was going on.

That's where it truly resonates with people!

……

Seeing that Liu Yun had repelled the people blocking her way, the nun Huizhen immediately regained her usual calm and composed demeanor, and said proudly, "Now you should know that this is the envoy who has a deep connection with the God of the Nation! This humble nun has already submitted to you, so why don't you all come over and kneel down to pay your respects!"

Her words and actions were originally quite dignified; however, in the current environment, she seems to be a bully taking advantage of others' power.

The nun Huizhen probably didn't care about this.

Upon hearing her words, the priest and the witch lying on the ground were thrown into confusion and hesitation, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Only the "Chiba Palace Master," who had just led the charge, refused to back down despite the situation being reversed in an instant. He struggled to his feet, his eyes wide with rage, and shouted, "A complete stranger who has never shown his face claims to be an envoy representing the gods! How ridiculous! As the Palace Master, I absolutely cannot allow this..."

As he spoke, he gritted his teeth and mustered the last of his strength to forcefully swing his trembling hands in an attempt to use magic to attack Liu Yun.

A purple light gathered on the chest of the "Chiba Kōjōji".

It seems that only he still has the power to resist.

But just as the purple light obeyed the call and gathered together, it suddenly went out of control and became extremely unstable, bursting apart with a loud "whoosh" and making a huge noise.

The "Chiba Kōjō" was blasted more than ten feet away, landing on the ground as a charred corpse, his breathing and heartbeat immediately ceasing.

Throughout this process, Liu Yun didn't raise his hand at all.

Chiba Kōji was killed entirely by the magic he summoned himself.

The others didn't hesitate any longer.

He stood there without moving an inch, yet the power of the palace priest's magic backfired, causing him to explode and die. What other explanation could there be besides saying that he was a "high envoy" sent by the gods?

As a result, they all turned against him.

The male priests all knelt down, kowtowed, and tremblingly apologized for "offending the envoy" and begged for forgiveness.

The priestesses, on the other hand, were all smiles and their eyes were sparkling. They would rush forward to flatter and fawn over the priests, trying to use special methods to "atone for the sins of the lords."

How could Liu Yun have the leisure to accept their "atonement"?

With a wave of his hand, he said to the nun Huizhen, "I'm going to the main hall! You arrange the follow-up matters."

The nun quickly bowed deeply to receive the order, then stood up arrogantly and gave orders to the newly subdued people.

……