Swallow Return

It appears to be Hachisuka Masakatsu, a subordinate of Kinoshita Tokichiro, and a group of men he brought with him.

A thin woman dressed in white sat alone in the corridor, her face haggard and her steps unsteady, but her gaze was filled with hope and relief. It was none other than Lady Iori, the widow of the Sasaki family.

There was also a blue-clad samurai with a livid face, Hayami Seibei, who was also a retainer of the Sasaki family. He seemed to be arguing with Lady Iori about something.

Sensing something amiss, Eguchi Sukezaemon quietly informed Ryuun of the identities of the people inside before entering and saying, "Madam, the monk behind me, whose Buddhist name is 'Ryuun,' is the second son of the Sasaki family, whom they sent to the temple years ago. Now that he has been brought back, he is capable of inheriting the family business! I wonder what instructions Lord Hachisuka has for me today? I can be a witness to that."

Upon hearing this, Lady Iori's expression relaxed, she breathed a sigh of relief, and almost collapsed to the ground.

Hachisuka Masakatsu's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes darted around before he spoke rashly.

Only Hayami Kiyobei ​​reacted immediately, approaching with a suspicious look and asking, "What a coincidence? Can Lord Eguchi really confirm this? Don't be mistaken!"

"Hmm?" Eguchi Sukezaemon, puzzled by his colleague's words, felt a slight sense of unease. He glanced around cautiously and said, "Lord Hayami, please rest assured. I spent a month asking all the locals and going through many detours to find this place. Back then, didn't our Sasaki family send our second son to Enjo-ji Temple in Kyoto? After Enjo-ji Temple burned down, he went to Oshu with Zen Master Shunzan..."

“Since we’ve gone through so many detours, how can we guarantee it’s true? What if something went wrong at some point?” Hayami Seibei seized on the loophole in his words and suddenly interrupted, “Fifteen years ago, my late father accompanied the previous lord to the then young master’s place at Enjoji Temple, leaving behind three personal keepsakes. If he is truly the heir of the Sasaki family, he should be able to produce those three keepsakes.”

“Uh…” Eguchi Sukezaemon was speechless for a moment and could only turn to look at Ryuun.

Liu Yun didn't take it to heart and shook his head directly: "I'm sorry, I lost my memory due to an illness several years ago. I've forgotten everything from my childhood, so naturally I don't remember the token."

This isn't a lie. Since no memories were inherited during the time travel, the only explanation is amnesia.

He thought for a moment and remembered that all his clothes, shoes, and sword were new items he had acquired in recent years, so they couldn't possibly be any kind of token. He couldn't think of anything else for the moment, so he simply said, "I've forgotten everything," to avoid any trouble.

Otherwise, if the other party asks some detailed questions, you definitely won't be able to answer them.

"Amnesia due to illness?" Hayami Seibei frowned and shook his head, saying, "Lord Eguchi, it's not that I doubt you, but Master Ryuun's words are too suspicious. You should be careful not to be deceived!"

“Uh…” Having said that, Eguchi Suzaemon stepped back half a step and lowered his head to barely explain: “Why didn’t you mention those three tokens earlier… But at least there’s the seal, robe, wooden fish, and handwritten scriptures of Zen Master Shunzan, so they can’t be fake.”

“That only proves that this Master Liuyun is related to Zen Master Shunshan, but it is not enough to prove that he is the second son of the Sasaki family back then.” Hayami Seibei said solemnly, “As a retainer of the Sasaki family, we cannot allow someone with a questionable identity to inherit the family business.”

"This... to call it suspicious is going too far! I think there's at least a 90% chance that Master Ryuun is a descendant of the Sasaki family!" Eguchi Sukezaemon seemed a little embarrassed and angry: "But you, Hayami-dono, it seems you no longer consider yourself a member of the Sasaki family, do you?"

"Such arguments are a waste of breath." Hayami Seibei shook his head, ignoring Eguchi Sukezaemon, and pointed at Ryuun: "Let's not worry about whether it's true or not. Just look at this monk, does he look like someone who can take on the family business? As the heir of a samurai family, he has the obligation to gather soldiers in the village, follow Lord Kinoshita into battle, and then make contributions in the battle to bring glory to the family."

These words represent the mainstream values ​​of our time, and no one can refute them.

Eguchi Sukezaemon was speechless, subconsciously shrinking his shoulders, his confidence waning.

What the other party said was not wrong.

The authenticity of his identity is still up for debate, but there is no doubt that a monk who has not learned the ways of swords, spears, bows, and horses is certainly not suitable to be the heir of a samurai family.

Liu Yun, however, remained completely unmoved by these words, and even felt a little amused.

Hayami Kiyobei, having gained the upper hand, pressed his advantage. Seeing Ryuun's relaxed expression, he instantly flared up, pointing a finger at the sword at Ryuun's waist and saying disdainfully, "This monk of unknown origin, carrying a cheap sword forged by a village blacksmith, thinks he can become a samurai? He might learn a few tricks to deceive people in the temple, but he certainly won't learn the skills of swordsmanship, archery, and horsemanship! Forgive my bluntness, but I see no heroic spirit of a martial artist in you. Although you have a sword, do you even know how to draw it? I doubt you've ever even killed a pheasant or a rabbit!"

Hayami Seibei was aggressive and eloquent, his finger almost poking Ryuun's face.

Iori clutched her clothes tightly with both hands, her face turning pale again, almost bloodless.

Eguchi Sukezaemon blushed but remained speechless.

Hachisuka Masakatsu remained squinting, lost in thought, neither stopping nor interfering.

At this moment, Liu Yun showed neither anger nor fear, but simply smiled.

Indeed, as the other party said, the knife in his hand was just an ordinary product made by a blacksmith in the countryside, and it wasn't worth much money.

However, the power of a weapon is not solely determined by the craftsman and the materials used, but also by who holds it.

"What an arrogant monk! Laughing at a time like this! Don't underestimate the Wu family! We swordsmen risk our lives to protect..."

Faced with Hayami Seibei's incessant chatter, Ryuun's arm twitched.

Then, everyone present saw a flash of white light, which then disappeared in an instant.

Then a few strands of black hair floated leisurely in the air.

Hayami Seibei was instantly horrified, and hurriedly touched his head with both hands, dumbfounded and speechless.

He used to have a typical samurai hairstyle, with his forehead shaved and the rest of his hair tied up in a topknot.

But now both sides have been cut off at the root, leaving most of his head completely bald, with only a small tuft of hair remaining at the back of his head.

Just now, Liu Yun gave him a quick haircut at the temples with lightning speed.

Hayami Seibei's current hairstyle looks exactly like the monk he looked down on in his earlier words.

On the contrary, Liu Yun, having already decided to return to secular life, hasn't shaved his head these past few days, and his head is already covered with new black hairs, so he actually has more hair.

Hayami Seibei has become a wooden puppet.

He only saw a flash of white light, felt a cold sensation on his head, and then his hair was gone.

That move was as fast as lightning, and the precision with which it severed the root was incredible!

If the target isn't the hair, but the neck...

At this moment, Liu Yun calmly sheathed his sword and laughed, "This inferior sword made by the country blacksmith can probably still kill pheasants and rabbits in my hands."

Hayami Seibei was already dumbfounded and utterly terrified; how could he possibly answer?

Lady Iori and Eguchi Sukezaemon were also speechless.

The old monk Xinghe and the young monk Suifeng were used to it and not particularly surprised, but they didn't really stand out much as they stood to the side.

Hachisuka Masakatsu, who had been sitting upright, gradually changed his expression. He was no longer squinting and pretending to be lost in thought; instead, he became serious and solemn.

It even contained a sense of apprehension and fear.

His martial arts skills and eyesight were clearly superior to those of Hayami Seibei and Eguchi Sukezaemon. He probably saw more details and understood the attack more clearly just now.

"Lord Ryuun's martial arts are truly superb..." Hachisuka Masakatsu immediately stood up straight and spoke slowly, word by word, as if afraid of causing any ambiguity: "With Lord Ryuun's abilities, there is no need for him to impersonate a descendant of the Sasaki family to plot against the territory of this mere village. Therefore, he must be the true heir without a doubt, and there is no need to argue about this matter any further."

"Then thank you very much, Lord Hachisuka." Ryuun bowed slightly to show his politeness.

"No need, no need!" Hachisuka Masakatsu bowed deeply as a gesture of respect, then added respectfully, "I am here to inspect the land and military service. I request that Lord Ryuun, as the head of the Sasaki family, bring his soldiers to Yokoyama Castle within three days. Lord Kinoshita Tokichiro will surely be looking forward to meeting you."

"Understood." Liu Yun nodded.

"Well then, I still have a mission to complete, so I won't disturb you any longer!" After saying that, Hachisuka Masakatsu led twenty foot soldiers and quickly withdrew, his movements exceptionally swift.

Hayami Seibei stood there stunned for a long time, managing to squeeze out a few words: "I...I seem to have had a relapse of an old injury. Please forgive me...please forgive me for going home to recuperate for a few days..."

Chapter Four: The Second Son of the Sasaki Family

Liu Yun stood at the door and watched as the guest left, his back disappearing quickly from sight.

Then Hayami Seibei, looking dejected and crestfallen, slunk away.

Turning back, she saw Lady Iori gracefully approaching, curtsying and saying, "It's fortunate that Lord Ryuun was here today! Otherwise, who knows what might have happened. This is truly a blessing for the Sasaki family, and also... a blessing for me."

She was all smiles and poised demeanor, truly possessing the air of a matriarch. Yet, her voice and movements were exceptionally elegant and graceful, displaying the gentle and delicate charm of a well-bred young lady.

Upon seeing Yizhi's demeanor and smelling her faint fragrance, Liuyun felt a strange sensation arise in his heart and unconsciously wanted to back away.

He immediately realized it was inappropriate and stopped.

His martial arts skills were superb, and his control over his body was far superior to that of ordinary people, so this hesitation was quickly concealed.

Actually, for a man, receiving admiring and grateful glances from beautiful women is a pleasant thing.

But Iori is not a blind and ignorant young woman, but a mature and experienced woman. The admiration and gratitude in her eyes do not seem so simple, but carry the weight of a certain responsibility.

Moreover, theoretically speaking, the other party is the widow of his deceased elder brother, and he is the younger brother he has not seen for many years. Just thinking about this relationship makes him feel a bit sensitive, and Liu Yun subconsciously felt that it would be better to keep his distance.

At this moment, Eguchi Sukezaemon finally snapped out of his shock, rushed over and knelt on the ground, so excited that he was in tears: "So Lord Ryuun learned such advanced martial arts from Zen Master Shunzan? It seems that the Sasaki family is not only not extinct, but will soon be revived! That Hayami Seibei is truly laughable! Waaah... My lord... If my lord could know this, he would be gratified!"

"Lord Hachisuka is a man of great knowledge and experience. Since he has said so, I believe that Lord Ryuun will surely bring glory to the Sasaki family." Iori continued with a smile, "With Lord Ryuun's talent, he could have achieved great success even outside the Sasaki family. But without Lord Ryuun to inherit the family, the Sasaki family would probably have no hope of revitalization... In that case, it is truly our great fortune to welcome Lord Ryuun back."

"Yes! Yes! I think so too!" Eguchi Sukezaemon seemed to lack vocabulary, nodding repeatedly in agreement, eagerly tugging at Ryuun's sleeve, his eyes brimming with tears, extremely excited.

Liu Yun suddenly felt a little awkward.

Although he did indeed intend to earn fame and improve his life through martial arts, what Eguchi Sukezaemon said was exactly what he wanted to do.

But the problem is that the other person is a rough and uncouth man!

If the admiration of a beautiful woman is both comfortable and somewhat pressure-inducing, then the admiration of a middle-aged rough man is completely uncomfortable, only causing pressure and unease.

As a single, low-ranking samurai, Eguchi Sukezaemon's hygiene habits were clearly not very good. As he lunged forward and knelt, sweat and tears inevitably smeared onto Ryuun's body.

From the perspective of a time traveler, it is indeed very greasy and unsightly.

However, this fellow is commendable for his loyalty, diligence, and honesty; he is a good retainer. At this moment, he is moved to tears for the future of his master, so it is not appropriate to directly rebuke him.

Liu Yun coughed, subtly taking a step back, and changed the subject: "Let's get down to business! That Hachisuka just said he'd lead his troops to Yokoyama Castle within three days. What's the situation in Sasaki Village now? Are the population and land ownership clear? Are there enough soldiers? Are there enough funds and supplies?"

"Ah, right! What Lord Ryuun is talking about is important!" Although Eguchi Sukezaemon knew it was important, he couldn't answer the question. He stood up and took two steps back, making it seem as if Lady Iori would explain.

This reaction was somewhat expected.

Actually, during the few days on the way here, Liu Yun had nothing to do, so he kept looking for Eguchi Sukezaemon to learn about the situation in the territory.

However, this guy was a typical uncultured country samurai with terrible speaking skills. He was completely ignorant of arithmetic and could only say things like, "There are several hundred people in the village, most of them farm and a few fish." He would be dumbfounded when asked questions involving numbers.

Seeing this, Lady Iori did not refuse at all. She smiled gracefully and was about to speak.

Eguchi Sukezaemon glanced at the old monk Xinghe and the young monk Suifeng beside him, his eyes holding a somewhat indescribable meaning.

Iori noticed this, smiled gently, and said softly, "These two masters seem to be very close to Lord Ryuun, so they are members of the Sasaki family. Please join the discussion."

Eguchi Sukezaemon's face flushed red, and he lowered his head, remaining silent.

Liu Yun couldn't help but look at the woman with newfound respect.

Then Iori began to speak.

She appeared to be a delicate and frail young woman, but once she began to speak, she was very articulate. She was neither verbose nor did she miss any important information.

"The Sasaki family has been operating here for about two hundred years, and now it is a large village with nearly three hundred households. Two-thirds of them are farmers, with 706 paddy fields and 241 field fields; the rest are fishermen on Lake Biwa, who own a total of 130 boats of various sizes. By convention, they harvest about 600 koku of brown rice each year, and the aquatic products are worth a little over 100 kan. Previously, under the rule of the Asai clan, the military service was mandated to be one mounted samurai, ten foot samurai, and 120 foot soldiers. These are all recorded in previous documents."

Hearing this, Liu Yun nodded in satisfaction: "The data is very detailed! Lady Iori is truly skilled at managing her household. So, the Sasaki family can mobilize more than a hundred people?"

“This—” Iori hesitated for a moment, lowered his head and sighed softly, raised his arm to cover his mouth with his sleeve, and gave a bitter smile: “That’s how it is on paper. But our former master, the Asai clan, always set the military service quota very high, but in reality they were lax in their checks. They said 120 people, but most of the time only half, or even a third, went, and they could get away with it.”

So that's how it is. It seems that "ghost employees" have existed throughout history and across cultures. No wonder Asai couldn't defeat Oda.

—This thought crossed Liu Yun's mind, and then he asked, "According to Lady Iori, how many people can the Sasaki family actually mobilize?"

“In the past few years, mobilizing seventy or eighty people each time didn’t cause any trouble,” Iori said apologetically. “However, we suffered a crushing defeat in the battle at the beginning of the year, and then the village was ravaged by fleeing soldiers. I’m not sure how many able-bodied men we have left to use…”

"Hmm..." Liu Yun felt that these words matched what he had seen when he arrived, so he frowned slightly, but didn't take it too seriously.

“Actually, there’s no need to worry about the number of foot soldiers,” Iori continued. “The treasury and granaries are currently quite full, and the weapons are barely enough. After all, there are three hundred households in the village, so we can definitely spare about a hundred men. But we can’t do that with samurai. The Sasaki family originally had seven official retainers, but three of them died in the last battle, and two are missing… Several families either have young children or no children at all. Now, the only ones left are Eguchi Sukezaemon and Hayami Seibei. You’ve already met them, Lord Ryūun.”