Swallow Return

But at that very moment, the red glow of the magatama on the forehead of the dead mountain spirit intensified.

At the same time, the entire palace ruins suddenly began to shake violently.

A thunderous male voice rang out:

"Who dares to disturb me!"

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Take My Three Swords

Who is disturbing me?

With a thunderous roar, a long crack appeared in the ground, from which rose a towering male figure.

The person hovered in the air, over ten feet tall, entirely black, clean and spotless, with a pair of broad wings on his back, two long horns on his forehead, snow-white hair fluttering in the wind, pupils flashing intense red light in his eye sockets, holding a large sword surrounded by flames, and stepping on gray clouds.

Is this the legendary "Suzuka Mountain Ōtakemaru"?

Igawa Asahi and Takenaka Shigeharu were both immediately shocked.

Even Liu Yun, who is usually calm and composed, was under immense pressure and her breathing became somewhat disordered.

That guy over there is really strong!

He is stronger than any person or monster I have ever seen before!

Liu Yun didn't possess any special abilities or magical artifacts to detect the strength of others. He could sense obvious threats simply through his martial artist's intuition.

If I were to fight him one-on-one, I would most likely face a nine-out-of-ten chance of death.

I even had a vague feeling that even with the addition of Takenaka Shigeharu and Igawa Asagi, it would still be difficult to win.

In fact, the opponent hadn't even made a move yet; their mere aura alone was enough to put immense pressure on people.

Could it really be the legendary great monster that has lived for hundreds or thousands of years descending upon us?

Horror!

The monster, several meters tall and resembling "Suzuka Mountain Ōtakemaru," glanced at them, ignoring Ryūyun and the others, and instead fixed its gaze on the corpse of the green-haired mountain demon.

The great demon reached out and pulled the green-haired mountain demon's corpse close by. He pried the blood-red magatama from the demon's forehead, played with it for a moment, then tossed the corpse aside like trash. With a disinterested look, he muttered to himself, "So this is the traitor who stole my magatama. No wonder he could awaken me. This little fellow, a servant who stole from his master, dared to come back? It's better he's dead; it's too dirty to kill him."

Seeing this, Shigeharu Takenaka signaled to his teammates with his eyes, indicating that they should retreat quietly and there was no need for a conflict.

Liu Yun and Jinghe Asagi both expressed their agreement.

As martial arts practitioners, we are not afraid of death, but there is no need to take unnecessary risks.

But before he could take a step, the great demon spoke again:

"It's been centuries since my great Yue Maru has come out to receive guests. What bad luck! Who are you people, and what business do you have with this petty thief with his sly hands?"

Takenaka Shigeharu immediately replied, “Reporting to King Ōtakemaru, we are merely a few mortals chasing a murderer, unworthy of your concern, sir. That petty thief who stole your magatama, relying on the power of the magatama he stole from you, wreaked havoc in the mortal realm, and we tracked him down here and killed him…”

The great demon who called himself "Ōtakemaru" laughed loudly upon hearing this: "So that's how it is! This green-haired fool does have some self-awareness. His foundation is too weak. Even if he stole a piece of my magatama, he still won't be much stronger. Even in the mortal realm, he wouldn't be able to defeat a truly powerful person. But did he run back here hoping that I would help him? Ha, a mere traitor, what wishful thinking!"

Takenaka Shigeharu immediately chimed in, "Such an audacious thief deserves to be torn to pieces. Now that we've dealt with him, there's no need for you to lift a finger. The magatama has been returned to its rightful owner, and we should now gracefully retire and no longer disturb King Ōtakemaru's peaceful cultivation..."

"No, no!" Ōtakemaru shook his head, a look of reminiscence on his face. "Ever since I lost the bet with the bald monk Jianzhen, I have followed the agreement and retreated into the secret realm within my bedchamber, never venturing out again. I can count the number of times I've seen guests on two hands over the past few hundred years. It's been incredibly lonely and boring. Since you've come all this way, why not stay a few more days and tell me about the changing situation outside?"

Takenaka Shigeharu smiled and said cautiously, "I have other matters to attend to and cannot stay. I hope you understand. When I return, I will certainly send you countless drinks, books, actors, and geishas to help you pass the time."

Upon hearing this, Ōtakemaru frowned: "You, you speak in such roundabout ways, it's so annoying. I haven't eaten human flesh or drunk human blood for hundreds of years, and I won't do anything to you, I just want to stay and chat, and you won't even agree to that?"

Takenaka Shigeharu was taken aback and didn't know how to respond.

With a flick of its wings, Ōtakemaru appeared ten steps away from everyone with lightning speed.

That's incredibly fast, like lightning.

Then, Ōtakemaru, arrogant and domineering, said, "Since you don't want to stay, fine! According to my old rules, let's settle things with swords! I will only strike each of you three times. After the three strikes, those who can stand will be at your mercy, and those who can't will stay as servants to serve me in the secret realm of the inner world! Hmm, apart from the male swordsmen who aren't very good, the Onmyoji and the three female ninjas are all quite good-looking and worthy of my favor!"

The atmosphere immediately turned heavy upon hearing this.

When Takenaka Shigeharu heard that there was a danger of losing the chrysanthemums, he naturally widened his eyes and became extremely vigilant.

The three female demon ninjas, filled with resentment, drew their swords and pointed them at the arrogant rogue monster in front of them.

Liu Yun was both extremely annoyed and somewhat amused.

Being rejected by male monsters for her looks?!

Ōtakemaru glanced around, hesitated for a moment, and finally fixed his gaze on Takenaka Shigeharu. He smiled ambiguously, his face showing a hint of lust, and said, "Those three female ninjas are not bad, but they are still women after all. The fun of playing with them is ultimately not as great as with men. You go first! If you can't withstand this sword, then you'd better serve me obediently!"

As he spoke, Ōtakemaru flapped his wings and flew over, wielding his longsword wreathed in flames, and slashed through the air.

Shigeharu Takenaka, riding on the beast-shaped shikigami, was struck without any reaction.

Liu Yun, who was standing to the side, was too late to offer any assistance.

However, after being struck, Takenaka Shigeharu was not injured and fell to the ground. Instead, he exploded with a bang, releasing a large amount of white mist, and disappeared without a trace.

This is probably what I referred to earlier as the "Empty Cicada Technique".

"Hmm? He escaped dozens of miles away in an instant?" Ōtakemaru, having missed his attack, was not discouraged. Instead, he nodded and muttered to himself, "This technique is quite sophisticated, possessing thirty percent of the power of the bald monk Jianzhen. Such a person is certainly qualified to refuse to become my male concubine."

At the same time, the three anti-demon ninjas exchanged glances, seemingly discussing something in secret.

Liu Yun glanced to the side and saw the girl with a single ponytail and a short bun shaking her head anxiously, while Jinghe Asagi was giving her a firm look with her eyes.

Then, with a helpless bow of her head, she made a hand seal, chanted a secret incantation, and immediately, along with her short hair bun, became translucent before disappearing.

Igawa Asagi, however, remained where she was.

Liu Yun had already witnessed the escape technique once before, so it wasn't surprising.

But what I don't understand is why Igawa Asahi doesn't leave?

Upon receiving a questioning look, Igawa Asahi straightened her already proud chest and said righteously, "We were just saved by you, how can we leave you alone to cover our retreat now?"

Regarding this...

Liu Yun wasn't moved at all; he just thought this woman was a complete fool.

Although I'm not confident I can defeat that Ōtakemaru, I might be able to withstand just one sword strike.

Why should you stay? You won't be of any help and might even become a burden.

What an incurable saintly character!

If this kind of woman were in an adult anime, she would be easily subdued by the villain, and then he would do this and that, and that and that, a hundred times, a thousand times...

At this moment, Ōtakemaru noticed this, first frowning, then immediately chuckled confidently: "Not bad, but unfortunately not mastered. What's the use of a range of only a few hundred steps?"

With that, he spread his wings, gathered his strength, and took flight.

It was much faster than any bird Liuyun had ever seen.

A moment later, Ōtakemaru flew back, one hand holding a single ponytail, the other a short bun, and a long sword in his mouth.

The girl with the single ponytail, who had just used a stealth technique, seemed to be on cooldown and was somewhat weak, unable to resist.

The short-haired girl struggled desperately, constantly summoning lightning attacks, but when they struck Ootengu, it was like a tickle.

Ōtakemaru threw the two women to the ground, chanted an incantation, and summoned a rope that descended from the sky, binding them tightly.

Igawa Ashaji exclaimed: "Rinko, Shiranui!"

Ōtakemaru hovered in mid-air, arrogantly declaring, "Since these two beautiful young ladies cannot withstand my sword, they shall remain here as slaves! This is the rule of Suzuka Mountain!"

Igawa Asagi gritted her teeth, but there was nothing she could do.

She was acutely aware of the vast difference in strength between herself and her opponent.

At that moment, Liu Yun suddenly said, "May I ask for your guidance?"

Then he suddenly made his move.

He leaped up, swung his sword swiftly, and attacked Ōtakemaru's left wing.

This strike used all its power, leaving no room for retreat and no chance of changing tactics.

Ōtakemaru reacted even faster than Ryūun, and could have easily countered with a killing blow. However, doing so would have inevitably resulted in his wings being severed. After a moment's hesitation, he chose to parry with his sword, deflecting the incoming blade.

When Liu Yun's attack failed, he landed on the mountainside, kicked off with all his might, and used the momentum of the recoil to attack the enemy's right side again, without stopping at all.

This time, Ōtakemaru still had a chance to counterattack, but he still risked getting injured. So he continued to parry with his sword and create distance.

After two unsuccessful attempts, Liu Yun was like a spent arrow, his strength waning and he could no longer close in on the attack. But without hesitation, he used his last bit of strength to throw his nodachi at the opponent's chest.

Ōtakemaru easily raised his sword and slashed down the "flying knife".

At this moment, Liu Yun exhausted his strength and fell to the ground, almost losing his balance. But he immediately said, "Lord Ootakemaru, you have already swung your sword at me three times."

According to Ōtakemaru, since Ryūyū is still able to stand after three sword strikes, he can come and go freely.

After a brief observation, Liu Yun discovered that this Ōtakemaru was a demon who valued his status and kept his promises, and thus devised a plan.

Then he noticed that although Ōtakemaru's straight-line flight speed was fast, his starting, stopping, turning and moving were not very flexible, so he came up with this method to force the opponent to swing his sword to block.

Japanese martial arts have always emphasized the momentum of a single, fatal blow. If the opponent really makes the first move, then three sword strikes will definitely not be so easy to parry.

Upon hearing this, Ōtakemaru was slightly annoyed, but he quickly shook his head and said frankly, "Although you took advantage of a loophole in my words, you at least forced me to parry three times in a row. Ordinary people might not have that ability! Anyway, you're not exactly handsome as a male swordsman, so you might as well leave!"

Hearing this, Liu Yun finally felt relieved, but at the same time felt a little guilty. He looked up and promised, "Today I am not strong enough, so I have to resort to tricks. When I have improved in the future, I will come back here and learn from you in a fair and square manner."

Liu Yun thought to himself, "Although this guy keeps his promises, forcibly abducting beautiful men and women for his own pleasure is clearly not a righteous act. I can't beat him now, but if I can beat him later, I'll definitely give him a good talking-to about how to be a decent human being."

After all, winning people over with virtue is the foundation of happiness.

Ōtakemaru scoffed and shook his head: "Good ambition. But I'm afraid you won't be able to wake me up then. If it weren't for that little thief who stole the magatama, do you think I would have come out to see a guest?"

At this moment, Igawa Asahi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank goodness Lord Sasaki was able to escape. If it's convenient, please pass on a message to Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei..."

Hearing this, Liu Yun was in a bit of a dilemma.

Although the three anti-demon ninjas were enemies, they had cooperated all the way. It would be disheartening to watch them be kidnapped and humiliated by this "Suzuka Mountain Ōtakemaru".

But it seems like there's nothing I can do to help...

However, before Igawa Asahi could finish speaking, Ōtakemaru, with his keen hearing, overheard a few words and immediately showed a look of great interest: "What, Sasaki? Let me see your bloodline... Hey, you brat, so you're a descendant of that bastard Dōyō! No wonder you're so cunning, why didn't you say so earlier?"

Chapter Thirty: This is an ambiguous misunderstanding.

When Ōtakemaru uttered the name "Dōyō," a deep sense of nostalgia appeared on his face.

It seems he had some connection with the ancestors of the Sasaki family.

The problem is that Liu Yun has no knowledge of the Sasaki family's genealogy and has no topic to discuss.