Swallow Return

Now it was Liu Yun's turn to frown: "Aren't you just walking into a trap?"

Zixuezhai sneered and said resentfully, "There are still some grudges to be settled! Don't worry, I'm prepared too."

Liu Yun then bid him farewell and walked down the stairwell to a deeper floor.

He turned the corner silently, like a nimble cat, without making a sound.

Four drunken, dozing monks appeared before him, and Liu Yun knocked them unconscious one by one without saying a word.

It was clear that two of the monks present were registered, officially recognized monks protected by the barrier. Therefore, Liu Yun used even more force, resulting in his neck being broken...

However, there was no time to mourn for him at that moment.

In reality, most of the others who fainted and collapsed on the ground were also in grave danger. It's just that it wasn't as obvious, so they could deceive themselves a little.

Next, Liu Yun saw that in the fifth dungeon, there were no rooms or passages, only a three-foot square pool filled with water.

As mentioned earlier, special keys or tools are needed to pass through the water and reach deeper layers.

Of course, Liu Yun wouldn't have a key.

But he had the emerald scales that he had received from Kinoshita Tokichiro.

That thing is the "Kappa Elder's Life Scale," and once activated, it grants six hours of underwater breathing ability.

Liu Yun recited the command, then jumped in with the scales in his hand.

Then he had a very unique experience. Although he was submerged in the water, it was like he was carrying an oxygen tank. He didn't have to hold his breath at all and could move around very easily.

Moreover, his swimming skills and underwater vision seem to have improved considerably.

After sinking in, Liu Yun made a general observation.

It can be seen that the pool is more than ten feet deep, so it was probably not entirely man-made.

There were also some strange large fish and aquatic plants, which seemed to have a sense of being guards and would rush over to attack strangers as soon as they saw them.

With Liu Yun's martial arts skills, he was naturally not afraid. However, it was difficult to move his hands and feet in the water. He drew his sword and fought hard. It took him a quarter of an hour to kill seven or eight large fish and cut twenty or thirty water plants.

Only then can we move forward.

This is something that most people would have no way to handle. Putting aside everything else, who can hold their breath for a quarter of an hour or two without showing their face?

Then Liu Yun moved left and right to measure, estimating that he was in a pond at least five hundred paces in diameter.

The seabed is uneven and has many caves of unknown depth.

Does anyone know where the exit is?

Liu Yun had no choice but to use a thorough, exhaustive search method.

Fortunately, a radius of 500 steps is not particularly large.

The problem is that there are so many of those strange big fish and tangled aquatic plants, seemingly endless, which is clearly not the result of normal biological reproduction.

Fighting with a sword while searching for a way out is very difficult.

We also need to remember the direction we came in, just in case.

……

After an unknown amount of time, Liuyun finally leaped out of the water.

We found a flat and spacious exit.

The lights were still on.

I'm not sure if this is accurate, but it feels worth checking out. In a game, this would be the kind of location where you're almost guaranteed to encounter something unexpected!

I had only taken two steps when I saw a clever and handsome young novice monk.

The two men facing each other were both taken aback.

The young novice monk instinctively wanted to call out.

Liu Yun had some questions in his mind, so he didn't immediately knock her unconscious. Instead, he ran around to the front and used the power of the red hook in his arms to ask, "Who are you? Where is this? What are you doing here?"

The young novice was instantly subdued, and stammered, "I am a monk from Enryaku-ji Temple, a direct disciple of Master Kakukai. This is the deepest dungeon in the temple. I stole my master's key to come here to find out about my origins..."

Before he could finish speaking, a golden light flashed around the young novice, and he instantly regained his senses. He exclaimed in surprise, "What a powerful secret technique! It actually subdued me? What are you...?"

Seeing that the red jade pendant had failed, Liu Yun didn't know whether it was because the other party's mental power was too strong or because he was restricted within the barrier. Without saying a word, he grabbed the little novice's neck, intending to knock him unconscious.

But before he could exert any force, he suddenly felt a cold wind coming from the side, as if a master was attacking.

Three shuriken came hurtling through the air.

Liu Yun was not in a hurry. He held the little novice monk in one hand and used his other hand to parry the three shuriken one by one.

The attackers arrived swiftly.

At first glance, she was a tall and agile female ninja, dressed in a tight-fitting purple night outfit, with long, straight black hair. She looked vaguely familiar.

Isn't that Igawa Asahi?

It's not surprising that Liu Yun recognized her at a glance.

After all, this woman's face, figure, and attire are quite distinctive.

However, the other party immediately showed a surprised expression and tentatively asked, "Are you Lord Sasaki Ryūun?"

This is a bit puzzling.

Because Liu Yun had specially arranged for a skilled makeup artist to disguise her this time.

Even after soaking in water for a long time and ruining half of her makeup, she still looks very different from her original appearance.

However, Igawa Asagi recognized it at a glance.

Then the woman's face showed a complex mix of emotions, as if she were both happy and worried.

With that expression, Igawa Asahi sheathed her sword, indicating that she meant no harm, and said gently, "No matter why you came here, there's no need to argue with a child. Please let her go!"

Liu Yun thought about it and realized that since the Demon Ninja had already discovered it, there was no point in silencing the little novice monk, so he let go and pushed him away.

He didn't immediately notice the difference between "he" and "she".

He blurted out instinctively, "I heard that as the leader of the anti-demon ninja group, you offended your superiors and were detained. It seems the rumors were untrue!"

Unexpectedly, Igawa Asagi lowered her head and replied sadly, "That's right, I have indeed been punished with imprisonment. But the elders did not keep me under strict guard because everyone knows that I will obey orders and will never run away on my own. What binds me is not ropes and chains, but the precepts in my heart."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun couldn't help but roll her eyes, thinking to herself—I think it's your intelligence that's holding you back.

Chapter Forty-Eight: Effective Defection Schemes

Liu Yun was still carrying a knife.

Although it wasn't the five-foot-long nodachi I usually used, but a three-foot-long kodachi that I had temporarily taken from the monks, it was still usable.

In fact, the knife I used to have was just a crudely made, ordinary product with no special features worth mentioning.

Therefore, when he saw the familiar woman, Igawa Asagi, his first reaction was to grip the hilt of his knife.

But he did not rush to draw his sword and attack.

Judging solely from actual skill, if Liu Yun were to exert his full strength, he could take the opponent's head within five moves.

However, the problem is that they are now within the protective barrier of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei, and Asahi Igawa is clearly receiving a blessing, so it's hard to say whether she can achieve a quick victory.

In contrast, it might be better to first engage in some negotiations.

After all, this woman has always acted quite naive and easily fooled, and her current hostility isn't high.

Why did Lord Sasaki infiltrate Enryaku-ji Temple?

Igawa Asagi asked the question with a serious expression.

Liu Yun pondered for a moment, then spread his arms to indicate that he did not intend to fight, and teased, "If I said that I came in specifically to see you because I knew you were imprisoned, would you believe me?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of shyness flashed across Igawa Asahi's face, but it quickly disappeared. She coughed and said seriously, "Lord Sasaki, please have some self-respect."

Liu Yun feigned seriousness as he explained, "To be precise, I've heard that deep within the dungeons of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei, there are many innocent prisoners who have been unjustly imprisoned simply for offending scoundrels within the Buddhist community. I've come specifically to rescue these wronged individuals, and of course, that includes you!"

Upon hearing this, Igawa Asagi's expression changed, and she lowered her head without saying a word.

At that moment, the young novice monk beside her suddenly interjected curiously, "Sister Asagi, is this Sasaki Ryuun? Some people say that you betrayed Buddhism for a man... So this person really exists!"

Igawa Asahi turned her head away in embarrassment and raised her voice, saying, "This is all fabricated. I just didn't want to distort the truth and frame Lord Sasaki for the deaths of the fifty-three monks of Koshoji Temple. The murderer in that case was clearly a green-haired mountain demon who stole the red magatama."

Liu Yun understood immediately, but felt only disdain: "So that's how it is. It seems I should express my gratitude, but actually I want to say that even if these fifty-three lives are attributed to me, it doesn't matter. Those monks at Guangzheng Temple are not innocent civilians."

Upon hearing this, Igawa Asahi's eyes widened, revealing a look of disappointment, and she retorted, "Even if they have made mistakes, not everyone deserves the death penalty. Moreover, the punishment of evil should be handled by Enryakuji Temple, with clear and just executions, not through such brutal killings."

“That makes sense.” Liu Yun pretended to agree, then deliberately shook his head with a heavy heart: “However—I have personally witnessed these past two days who controls the rules and punishments of Enryaku-ji Temple. I think you should know more than I do about what I can understand.”

Igawa Asagi was speechless. After a moment of silence, she said, "It is the monk Juehui. I will definitely gather enough evidence to bring him to justice in the future."

Liu Yun sneered, "You can't even protect yourself, so don't talk about this. As far as I know, Jue Hui has been dismissed three times in the past twenty years due to scandals, but each time he was quickly promoted to a higher position. Think about it, you think you can be sentenced to imprisonment just because you didn't want to lie and frame me... I think Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei is doomed."

The information Liu Yun mentioned was something he'd only heard hastily from the tea master Zixuezhai, and its veracity was questionable. He himself wasn't sure how convincing it would be if he shared it now.

However, upon hearing this, Igawa Asagi sighed heavily, slumped against the wall, and looked utterly dejected.

At the same time, the young novice monk next to him nodded in agreement and said, "That's right, this dilapidated temple will be ruined sooner or later if things continue like this!"

Liu Yun was a little surprised, wondering why there was a pill-lover here who brought his own food.

Then the young novice monk said, "So many eminent monks and virtuous people have countless illegitimate children, and they take them back under the guise of disciples, trying every means to elevate them. It's truly filthy! My father is even more outrageous. He has no sons, so he had me, his only daughter, disguised and sent to the temple, hoping that I could inherit his power... He even planned to summon a sealed demon to forcibly turn me into a man... Shameful, shameful!"

Hearing this, Liu Yun understood a little more.

This refers to "a class that has no members who betray the class, but individuals who do."

Igawa Asahi's face grew even more grim. After sighing for a long time, she finally managed to draw her ninja sword from her waist, turned her face to the side to conceal her expression, and said to Ryuun, "No matter what, I am deeply grateful to the Buddhist community and have a deep-seated hatred for the Oda clan. Even if it is a ship about to capsize, I will not flee. If Lord Sasaki comes here today to harm Enryaku-ji, I will not let you succeed."

Liu Yun recalled the files she had seen at Zixuezhai and immediately pointed out several suspicious points: "Haven't you considered whether the kindness and hatred were real or fake? Was your father really cured by Buddhism and then died peacefully? Is it certain that your fiancé died at the hands of Oda's army? I have seen contradictory information..."

Just as I was about to embellish the story and stir things up, unexpectedly—

The young novice monk beside her nodded vigorously: "Sister Asagi, these things are indeed worth thinking about! There are many suspicious things about Enryakuji Temple. For example, my recent investigation revealed that my missing mother was very likely abandoned by my father and murdered to silence her. If I weren't his only child, I might have already met with misfortune. Remember your fiancé's name is Sawaki Kyosuke? Actually, when I was looking through old documents last time, I discovered something strange about the Sawaki family..."

"...What?" Igawa Asagi stared in disbelief, her ninja sword slipping from her hand and falling to the ground. She impulsively rushed forward and hugged the young novice's shoulders: "Hoshi...Hoshi, are you serious...?"

"Of course! Would I lie to Sister Asagi?" The little novice monk—or rather, the little girl dressed as a novice monk—gave a confident affirmative answer, then put on a pitiful expression and pleaded, "Sister, shall we cooperate? I'll help you find out the truth of what happened back then, and you help me find my mother's whereabouts..."

Igawa Asahi held the little girl named "Hoshi" in her arms, her face somber, and remained silent.

At that moment, the little girl secretly winked at Liuyun.