Swallow Return

If you open your mouth, you'll only give yourself away.

He could only tell the truth: "A month ago I was still a monk in the temple. I was only brought back to succeed him because my family line died out, so I haven't had time to learn about the Sasaki family history. I heard that there is a very famous person in the group, known as 'Lord Daoyou', but whether it is true or not, or whether his descendants have claimed it, I dare not say."

Upon hearing this, Ōtakemaru clapped his hands and laughed, "There's no mistake. Although your bloodline is very thin, you do indeed have the inheritance of that guy, Ōyu. How could I be wrong?"

Liu Yun felt this topic wasn't important and casually said, "Since you put it that way, it seems I really do have a famous ancestor. However, he was probably from a collateral branch, right?"

Ōtakemaru was quite concerned about this, and said nostalgically, "That brat Sasaki Dōyō, what a bastard! Just like you, he took advantage of the loopholes in my words and tricked me into giving him three swords so that he could avoid being kept as a servant. Grandfather and grandson are equally cunning."

Despite saying that, Ōtakemaru showed a kind smile.

Clearly, despite calling him a "bastard" at every turn, he actually quite liked Sasaki Michiyo.

Liu Yun didn't answer—he didn't know how to reply.

Ōtakemaru didn't need any supporting characters, straight men, or sarcastic remarks; he simply continued speaking on his own: "Ever since I lost to the bald monk Jianzhen and swore to renounce the world, I've been utterly bored for hundreds of years. Although there are hundreds of beautiful women and men in the secret realm of the underworld, I've grown weary of them all over time. It wasn't until that fellow Daoyu came along and, with just a pair of dice and a few dozen dominoes, described many ways to play that I finally had something to amuse myself with. Alas! It's a pity that Daoyu is unwilling to submit to women; otherwise, with his looks, temperament, and taste, I would have treated him with the respect due to a principal wife."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun broke out in a cold sweat.

This monster's tastes are far too unrestrained. Is it really appropriate to openly admit to being bisexual?

And they keep referring to themselves as "this king" or something like that. Is this the elegant way of the ancient nobles?

Fortunately, Liu Yun himself was strong and tall with sharp features, and had nothing to do with the image of a delicate and beautiful young man.

Then Ōtakemaru stared expectantly at Ryūyū, with great interest: "Since you are a descendant of Ōyū, you must be someone who knows how to play! Do you have any new games to introduce? If you can satisfy me, in addition to letting you leave on your own, I will certainly reward you handsomely."

Liu Yun thought to himself, "This wretched place of yours has no consoles or handhelds, no access to Steam, not even TapTap. What fun games do I have to recommend?"

But upon reflection, remembering what the other person had mentioned about "dice" and "dominoes," I realized that I actually had quite a lot to share.

But why should I try to please Ōtakemaru? I've already tricked three swordsmen, which is enough for me to leave.

Turning around, she saw that the girl with the single ponytail and short bun was tied to the ground, unable to move, while Igawa Asagi looked gloomy, as if she had given up hope of escaping...

Seeing this, Liu Yun hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Ōtakemaru and said loudly, "There are indeed many fun things that I can introduce."

After saying that, he picked up a twig from the side and started gesturing on the ground.

"First, this... get fifty-four cards, divided into four suits, one of each of the numbers one through thirteen, then the big joker and the small joker..."

"The most popular way to play is called 'fighting... um, fighting the magistrate.' Two people play the poor peasants who participate in the uprising, and one person plays the evil magistrate who suppresses the uprising..."

"There's also a more complicated game called 'Double Up.' It requires two sets of cards and four players. The two players from East and West form one team, and the two players from North and South form the other. Hmm, this is to achieve the concept of alliances and counter-alliances..."

"You mean it's all about luck? Well, there are games that don't rely so much on luck, like 'bridge.' The rules are somewhat similar, but there are terms like 'contract' and 'doubling'..."

"Besides playing cards, there are also new games using only dominoes and dice, in addition to leaf games and Liubo, called 'Mahjong.' There are many ways to play Mahjong, but they are all similar. Let me explain in detail..."

As Liu Yun drew diagrams on the ground, he explained the various card and mahjong games he knew.

In his past life, he was a lazy bum who didn't do any proper work. As a child, he didn't have any electronic devices to enjoy, so he spent half his time at the card table. He spoke of these things with complete ease.

Ōtakemaru listened intently and had a strong ability to comprehend, so he quickly memorized it.

After a quick mental calculation, he exclaimed with great admiration: "Interesting! Even better than Dao Yu's methods back then! Although you're far less handsome than our ancestor, you're much more interesting, hahaha!"

Liu Yun remained silent, thinking that it didn't matter if his appearance was a little less than perfect, at least his chrysanthemum was safe and sound, which was more important than anything else.

Asahi Igawa watched as Ryuun solemnly explained the rules of playing cards and dominoes to Ōtakemaru, finding the scene extremely bizarre and nearly dropping her jaw in astonishment.

She immediately had the idea of ​​taking the opportunity to escape with her companions.

But every time he made a move, Ōtakemaru would glance over seemingly unintentionally, which appeared to be a coincidence but was actually a clear warning.

Therefore, Igawa Asahi dared not make any rash moves.

Liu Yun was clearly aware of this as well, glancing over indifferently and calmly from time to time, before turning his gaze back without any emotion.

……

Ōtakemaru mentally simulated the games that Ryūyun had introduced, nodded proudly in satisfaction, and after a moment of contemplation, said to Ryūyun, "You seem to care about these women. Do you also want to possess them? If so... since you've brought such interesting games, then I won't take what belongs to others. You can take them back!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun was speechless and didn't know how to respond.

I always feel like I want to defend something, but I'm not sure what exactly I should defend.

This silence was taken as tacit agreement by Ōtakemaru, who then waved his hand generously and said, "Then you can take them away! These women are not bad, but in my bedchamber, they are just ordinary goods. It's a pity that the inner realm is not easily entered or exited, otherwise I would definitely want you to broaden your horizons."

Liu Yun thought to himself that, at least tonight, Jinghe Asagi acted like a kind teammate (just a little silly).

Then I should help her out of this predicament, so I decided to play along and said calmly, "Then thank you for your help."

Ōtakemaru nodded, then gave a meaningful smile and teased, "In my opinion, you haven't succeeded with these three women yet, have you? Two of them are even virgins... I say, Sasaki boy, do you need me to give you some useful tools and techniques?"

Liu Yun calmly shook his head, pretending to be a seasoned veteran: "Thank you for your kind offer, but no need. It's like conquering a city; there's a beauty in speed and a pleasure in slowness. When things are in full swing and ripe, they taste especially delicious."

Ōtakemaru pondered for a moment, then nodded seriously, agreeing, "That makes sense, that makes sense! I've really been finding it hard to get interested in men and women lately, no matter how handsome or beautiful they are. I guess I need to try something different and experience more things."

Liu Yun didn't really understand any of this; he only felt envy, jealousy, and hatred. But he pretended to be very knowledgeable and gave a meaningful chuckle.

Hearing these offensive words, Ikawa Asagi blushed with shame and anger. However, having no other way to escape, she dared not retaliate rashly.

Midnight had long passed, and dawn was breaking. Ōtakemaru looked up, shook his head sullenly, and said, "I promised the bald monk Jianzhen I wouldn't appear during the day, so I have no choice but to return!"

After saying that, he flapped his wings, took flight, and moved toward the crack in the ruins.

Before Ōtakemaru disappeared, he seemed to remember something, flicked his wrist, and threw the red magatama he had taken from the green-haired mountain demon's forehead toward Ryūyū. At the same time, he said, "This thing is of mediocre power and is not much of a treasure in my palace. It has been occupied by that damned green-haired thief for many years. I am too lazy to take it back, so I will give it to you, you Sasaki brat!"

As soon as he spoke, he entered the crevice in the ground and disappeared completely.

Then the crack on the ground closed up again, as if it had never been cracked at all.

Liu Yun subconsciously reached out and took the red jade.

Suddenly, I felt countless chaotic emotions and thoughts that did not belong to me flowing into my heart like ten thousand rivers flowing into the sea.

In an instant, Liu Yun felt his consciousness becoming somewhat confused, and his original personality slightly wavering.

He was a man of strong will (otherwise he wouldn't have done something so "beastly"), but now he was caught off guard and hit by a barrage of shocks, leaving him unable to cope.

At this moment, Ikawa Asagi felt conflicted, unsure whether to be relieved to have escaped or angry at the crude words she had just spoken.

She subconsciously looked at Liu Yun, only to see him standing there blankly, holding the red jade pendant, looking slightly lost in thought.

Igawa Asahi asked doubtfully, "Lord Sasaki, are you alright?"

Upon hearing the soft, mature female voice, Liu Yun immediately realized her predicament, sobered up, suppressed the chaotic emotions and thoughts within the red jade, and roughly understood that this magical artifact was used to bewitch people's minds.

The green-haired mountain demon in front of us was able to control the victims it bit because it had this thing on its forehead.

It's a pretty good magical artifact, but we still need to study how to use it.

Liu Yun calmly put it away and smiled at Jinghe Asagi, who had woken her up: "I'm fine, I was just thinking about something."

Little did they know that this smile would lead to trouble.

After putting the red jade into her bosom, Liu Yun didn't feel any change.

But Igawa Asagi suddenly felt that he was much more handsome, his speech and manners were elegant, his voice was very magnetic, and his slight smile contained a strong sense of affability that was hard to resist.

They didn't even want to stop it.

She was first stunned, then blushed, and then hurriedly looked away, gesturing frantically and stammering incoherently.

Liu Yun, however, did not realize that something was wrong.

His only thought was—the next time they met, they would still be enemies, not friends; it would inevitably come to blows. It was a pity, but there was nothing he could do about it.

After all, the so-called ambiguous relationship was just a misunderstanding by Ōtakemaru.

Chapter Thirty-One: The Function of the Red Magatama

The great demon who calls himself "Ootakemaru, the Great King of Suzuka Mountain" has returned to the so-called "Secret Realm of the Underworld".

Takenaka Shigeharu had already escaped using that so-called "Empty Cicada Technique".

It was just getting light, and the sun had not yet risen.

Liu Yun secretly pondered the use of the red jade pendant he had obtained by chance.

Igawa Asagi rescued the one with the single ponytail and the one with the short bun who had been knocked down and tied up. The three of them cut off the head of the green-haired mountain demon and prepared to take it back to report.

Thus, the culprits of the Guangzheng Temple massacre were finally brought to justice.

The purpose of the temporary team formation was thus successfully achieved.

I don't know if we'll be friends or foes when we meet again.

Having considered this, Liu Yun felt no reluctance whatsoever. After saying "Farewell," he strode away quickly.

As a straight man, he only regarded the Demon Ninja as enemies. Although they cooperated temporarily, he had no intention of getting close to the pretty ladies.

Therefore, they did not notice that Igawa Asahi was staring at his back with a complex expression of loss and melancholy.

Even if it were discovered, it would probably only create more doubt.

Liu Yun only remembered that when they first met, he almost killed Jinghe Asagi with a knife. Judging from his own experience, he could never have imagined that she could have any positive feelings towards him.

……

After parting ways with the Demon Ninja, Liu Yun set off alone, walking swiftly through the mountains and forests. After walking for an hour or two and covering twenty or thirty kilometers, he finally arrived at the foot of the mountain.

By then it was already broad daylight. Liu Yun had been busy all night and was starting to feel a little tired and very hungry.

It's a bit like the state you feel after spending an entire night in an internet cafe in your past life.

The difference is that in the 21st century, there are many snack shops outside internet cafes, where you can fill your stomach anytime with just ten yuan.

The countryside of Japan in the 16th century was completely different.

When Liu Yun left Sasaki Village, he casually grabbed three or four silver coins and a dozen Yongle coins, which had the purchasing power of seven or eight hundred coins, equivalent to several months' living expenses for poor people.

This amount of money is enough to go to the most bustling town, enter the most upscale inn, eat, drink, have fun, and stay for a day. It's more than enough to buy a breakfast.

But first, you need to find a merchant.

Looking out from the foot of Mount Suzuka, Liu Yun could only see scattered villages, with no towns or cities in sight.

Originally, it wouldn't have been a problem to buy some mixed grain rice from farmers; the food we ate in the temple when we didn't have the means wasn't much better than that.

But recently, Liu Yun has gone from frugality to extravagance. Now that she has more money, she naturally wants to pursue a higher quality of life.

So he reviewed the geography he had just learned, used his sense of direction to determine the coordinates, and then continued north.

After another half hour, we arrived at the ancient national highway known as "Dongshan Road" and gradually saw traces of people coming and going.

Heading west along the national highway, you soon come across a temple called "Jinkenji". This temple is quite large and spacious, surrounded by defensive moats and walls. The nearby land has been rented out to merchants to open shops, forming a small town.