Swallow Return

By morning, many shops had already opened for business.

Liu Yun knew that most shops that relied on the power of temples and shrines were monopolies, with high prices, low quality, and poor service.

Unfortunately, there was no other choice.

There's absolutely no one else doing business around here!

Liu Yun walked into the only inn and pub in the town and casually ordered some food to fill his stomach.

Originally, the female owner of the shop was indifferent, frowning as she looked at the thick layer of dust on Liu Yun's clothes.

Having just returned from deep in the mountains, I naturally couldn't get clean.

But the female boss walked over lazily, exchanged a glance with Liu Yun, and suddenly became very enthusiastic and extremely respectful, like a brainless fan meeting their idol, blinking her starry eyes and exuding charm.

He looked like he couldn't wait to get to his room and start learning a foreign language.

Liu Yun immediately realized something was wrong.

Whether it's a honey trap, a pillow scam, or infatuation, nothing is this outrageous.

He immediately thought of the red jade pendant in his arms.

Could it be that the effects were passively applied the entire way?

Quickly reach in and grab the red magatama, carefully feeling the mysterious power emanating from it.

It's a very mysterious feeling.

Liu Yun originally knew nothing about mysticism, but after tightly gripping the magatama, he gradually came to understand its mysteries without any formal instruction.

Just like the first time we met, we need the potential to resist the spiritual power transmitted from the magatama.

Having prepared myself mentally this time, I easily brought the situation under control.

Then, within one's divine sense, one can clearly "see" that the magatama contains an extremely strong light, which spreads outwards uncontrollably.

Anyone touched by it will be affected, developing an uncontrollable and inexplicable fondness for the holder of the magatama.

It's as if this magatama has its own independent consciousness.

Moreover, their self-awareness is unclear; it is a jumble of chaotic thoughts and emotions.

Liu Yun clenched his fists, concentrated his mind, and easily suppressed and cleaned up the chaotic mental energy.

The magatama seemed to have been tamed for the time being and no longer acted on its own.

Then, Liu Yun felt as if he could control the release and release of the intense red light within the jade pendant with his mind.

If you aim it at someone with weak mental strength, you can instantly hypnotize and brainwash them, turning them into a loyal servant.

However, it can also put enormous pressure on one's will, which may be harmful in the long run.

Another way to use it is like the green-haired mountain spirit who stole the magatama, trying to integrate the magatama into the body, and slowly influencing it so that one's bodily fluids have a bewitching power.

That green-haired monster, after all, had limited intelligence; it only knew how to kill with its claws and then exert control through blood. Humans, on the other hand, had far better ways of utilizing it.

However, this magatama is not very effective against people with strong mental strength and firm will.

Meanwhile, the bewitching effect can be countered by the Onmyoji's purification spell.

Moreover, manipulating other people's minds is such an evil thing that it should not be easily known to others.

Upon closer reflection, it seems to be of little use.

……

Liu Yun immediately withdrew the Jade's special ability, and the female owner of the tavern instantly returned to normal, becoming lazy and indifferent again.

The change that occurred just a moment ago seemed to have gone unnoticed by those around them.

That's fine.

Before long, the waiter from the pub brought out a "luxury set meal" consisting of white rice, pickled radish, stewed pickles, vinegared kelp, grilled dried fish, miso soup, and a small bottle of sake.

This is about the standard for roadside shops.

The seasoning and cooking were mediocre, offering no sense of deliciousness whatsoever. With the mindset of filling her stomach, Liu Yun quickly stuffed the food into her mouth.

After finishing his meal, he called the female owner over, took out a small piece of silver, and her attitude immediately became much more friendly. She smiled and said, "Please sit down, sir, I'll give you your change."

That's not surprising.

During times of war, there was no unified financial institution, and the currency in the private sector was chaotic. In terms of credit, gold and silver were superior to Yongle coins, and Yongle coins were superior to private coins.

Customers who pay directly with gold or silver are all highly sought-after clients.

Just then, on the main road ahead, a huge caravan of dozens of vehicles and hundreds of people was traveling from west to east.

The banner looks familiar, but I can't quite place it.

Liu Yun sat there for a while, took a handful of copper coins from the female boss, and was about to go out when he saw the huge caravan stop outside the tavern. A middle-aged man in fine clothes, who looked pampered, walked in surrounded by bodyguards and attendants.

Upon bumping into Liuyun, he remembered that this was Imai Munehisa, the wealthy merchant from Sakai Town, whom he had met some time ago.

The last time was probably on the way back to Omi from Gifu Castle, when we encountered their large caravan.

I never expected to run into him again.

Although this guy is a wealthy businessman, he is very low-key, shrewd, and meticulous in his dealings with people, never offending anyone, which leaves a deep impression on people.

The other party recognized him quickly.

Then Imai Munehisa showed surprise and nervousness. After hesitating for a while, he slowly approached, shook his head and said in a low voice, "It's Lord Sasaki Ryuun! A month ago, I heard that you had extraordinary martial arts skills and profound character, and that you would stand out sooner or later. But I didn't expect you to become famous so quickly... Last night when I stayed overnight in Hachiman Town, I saw monks from the Tendai sect inquiring about you."

The Tendai sect's mountain sect? Isn't that Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei?

Seeing this, Liu Yun didn't take it to heart: "Judging from your reaction, Mr. Imai, that monk definitely didn't ask anything nice. They probably already think of me as a great villain!"

Imai Munehisa smiled wryly and remained silent for a moment before continuing, "This morning I heard rumors that... that you massacred dozens of monks at Kosho-ji Temple in Omi yesterday. I knew something was amiss as soon as I heard it, because true news wouldn't spread that quickly; only deliberately fabricated rumors could spread so rapidly. However... ordinary people are ignorant and foolish after all, and I'm afraid most of them will blindly believe what Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei said. You should be careful these days!"

"That's it!"

Liu Yun was not surprised by this.

In fact, it was Koshoji Temple that obstructed Sasaki Village from building its own temple and shrine. Ryuun was dissatisfied with this, so he went to swagger around and give them a warning.

Then, the abbot of Guangzheng Temple wanted revenge and tried to control the demon sealed in the pagoda. However, his plan backfired, and all the monks in the temple were killed by the demon.

Now, Asahi Igawa should have already brought the green-haired monster's head back to Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei, and the monks must know the truth.

But since they've been able to stand strong in Japan for hundreds of years, they must be seasoned veterans. They must be incredibly skilled at framing others and fabricating charges.

Fortunately, he had planned ahead.

Others feared the power of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei, but Ryuun was not.

Conversely, the greater the opponent's power, the more certain one is of deduce that Oda Nobunaga will be unable to resist taking action.

In the end, offending Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei will not be a black mark, but rather a plus.

And even if you guess wrong, it doesn't really matter.

Based on current intelligence, Oda Nobunaga and Kinoshita Tokichiro are very pragmatic. As long as their martial arts skills remain, they are of great value and they are not afraid of being taken advantage of for the time being.

Therefore, in response to Imai Munehisa's advice, Ryuyun calmly said, "Thank you for the reminder, but there's no need. The innocent will clear themselves, and I believe intelligent people can see the truth. As for the other fools... since they're all fools, what's there to worry about?"

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Price of the Empty Cicada Technique

Inside the tavern, Ryuun controlled the red magatama in his arms, filled his stomach, bid farewell to Imai Munehisa, and headed north along the road. Instead of returning to Sasaki Village, he arrived at Yokoyama Castle first.

It wasn't that I was in a hurry to get any benefits from Kinoshita Tokichiro, but rather that I felt it necessary to check on Takenaka Shigeharu. That guy escaped with some kind of "Empty Cicada Technique," so graceful and elegant; I wonder how he is now.

On the other hand, it was also because it was on the way.

After a battle and a long journey through the mountains, when Liu Yun arrived at the gate of Hengshan City, he was covered in dust, and his Wu clothes had many small holes.

The haori worn over it was in terrible condition.

It seems I should try to avoid hiking in the future. My body can handle it, but my clothes can't!

This time, there was no need for an announcement, because the sallow-faced and lean Maeno Nagayasu was already waiting there. Upon seeing Ryuun, he immediately came forward, bowed, and said eagerly, "Have you finally returned from Suzuka Mountain? Lord Kinoshita instructed me to guard the castle gate and, upon seeing you, to immediately take you to the Honmaru Palace to meet you."

Liu Yun thought to himself that he was lucky to have come by on his way. If he had gone straight back to sleep and left them waiting for nothing, wouldn't that have been very awkward?

He quickly adopted a composed demeanor, smiled calmly, and followed them through the city gate.

Maeno Nagayasu added, "Lord Kinoshita is in a hurry, please hurry!"

Then he turned around and ran inside.

Liu Yun followed, completely puzzled.

After entering the gate, the route from the outer mausoleum to the third mausoleum, from the third mausoleum to the second mausoleum, and from the second mausoleum to the main mausoleum, was built with many twists and turns and ups and downs in order to cause trouble for the attacking side during wartime.

From the foot of the mountain to the palace halfway up the mountain, the straight-line distance is less than a thousand steps, but they managed to make it a journey of a quarter of an hour or two.

Normally it wouldn't seem like a problem, but today Maeno Nagayasu seemed unusually anxious, leaving in a very hurried manner.

But I don't know why.

When he encountered a colleague who wanted to exchange pleasantries along the way, Maeno Nagayasu waved his hand coldly and said, "I have urgent business to attend to with Sasaki Ryūun-dono to meet with Lord Kinoshita. I don't have time for further conversation, so please excuse me!"

They then sent the other party away.

Seeing this, Liu Yun couldn't help but ask, "Is this matter urgent?"

Maeno Nagayasu said with a wry smile, "It's hard to explain in a few words... You'll find out soon enough, sigh!"

Then he quickened his pace, running until he was panting heavily.

To be fair, Maeno Nagayasu was already quite skilled in martial arts, yet he was panting heavily as he ran, which shows how fast he was.

Liu Yun was able to keep up easily.

At the same time, she was also a little puzzled. Why was Kinoshita Tokichiro in such a hurry to find her? Didn't Takenaka Shigeharu escape using the Ethereal Cicada Technique? Didn't he return? Did something happen to him?

With questions in mind, we traversed the winding routes of Yokoyama Castle and arrived at the Honmaru Palace.

By 21st-century standards, what he just did was equivalent to an obstacle course run at the intensity of an Olympic athlete. Maeno Nagayasu was already out of breath, but he managed to shout in a strained voice, "Lord Kinoshita! Lord Sasaki Ryūun has arrived!"

Liu Yun, however, remained relatively calm.

After arriving in this world of supernatural beings, he possessed physical talents that seemed absurd in his previous life, with endurance far exceeding that of Olympic athletes.

After Maeno Nagayasu called out, Kinoshita Tokichiro, with his pointed mouth, monkey-like face, and short stature, instantly darted out of the palace. He was still dressed in brocade robes that did not match his appearance and temperament, giving people the impression of a monkey wearing a crown.

Kinoshita Tokichiro approached in his wooden clogs, his face a mixture of excitement and worry. He finally blurted out, "You're finally back from Suzuka Mountain! I wonder what you and Lord Takenaka went through together?"