Swallow Return

The metal rod, as thick as an adult man's finger, seemed no different from cork in front of this monster.

Then, a harsh, guttural sound emanated from the cow's mouth, like sharp instruments scraping against hardwood. Black mist and a chilling wind emanated from its torso, carrying a stench reminiscent of a slaughterhouse. Eight spider-like legs stretched out, like eight steel knives waving back and forth in the air.

This monster seemed to lack intelligence; after destroying the iron cage, it mindlessly charged towards the nearest flowing cloud.

These spider legs, as sharp as steel blades, shaved a metal rod as thick as an adult man's finger into a pile of fragments.

What would happen if it were to cut into human flesh and blood?

It seems the answer to this question will be available soon.

because--

At this moment, Ryuun remained calm and composed, smiling at Saito Asanobu, the "Echigo Zhong Kui".

In other words, they were facing away from the monster.

He even let his hands hang naturally at his sides, without any intention of touching the hilt of the knife.

Liu Yun seemed completely unaware of what had happened.

Saito Asanobu, known as "Echigo Zhong Kui," had already lowered his head and turned his attention back to calligraphy, seemingly completely unconcerned about the safety of the guest in front of him.

But while his right hand was splashing ink, his left hand reached under the table, as if he were grasping some kind of magical artifact.

It seems that he doesn't really not care at all.

Moreover, the brush was clearly suspended in mid-air, not writing at all.

Clearly, although he put on a show of indifference and apathy, he couldn't possibly let the Oda clan's envoy die like that.

In less than a breath, the monster leaped three zhang (approximately 10 meters) and charged in front of Liuyun. Enraged, it opened its blood-red maw and brandished its eight spider legs, which were as sharp as steel blades, as it slashed down mercilessly.

Saito Asanobu, the "Echigo Zhong Kui," could no longer sit still. He couldn't help but look up, revealing his scarred face, his eyes filled with contempt and doubt. At the same time, his left hand, which was holding the magic weapon, was raised, ready to unleash a move.

Right now—

The smile on Liu Yun's face suddenly disappeared. He gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist with his right hand, and without even glancing at it, he drew his sword and swung it backward.

It cannot be described as "lightning speed".

Even lightning might not be that fast!

At that moment, time seemed to slow down.

It was as if everyone else in the world had been frozen in place, and only Liu Yun was able to move freely.

A flash of white light appeared in the dimly lit basement.

Even Saito Asanobu, who was already used to this environment, felt that it was a bit too dazzling.

He couldn't help but cough a few more times and blink.

Then you see that the monster that broke free of its cage has been cut in two!

A black bull's head and a human's upper body are on one side, while eight spider legs and a human's lower body are on the other side.

Crimson pus and blood gushed out, splattering half the ground.

The air was immediately filled with a nauseating smell.

But for some reason, not a single drop of blood splattered onto Liu Yun.

Saito Asanobu, the "Echigo Zhong Kui," stared in disbelief, remaining frozen in place for a long time before solemnly standing up and asking seriously, "May I ask your esteemed name? Cough...cough...may I ask what great achievements you have made in the past that I may admire?"

Ryuun smiled faintly: "Omi Sasaki Ryuun is just a newly recruited retainer of the Oda clan, and has not yet had time to achieve any merits."

Saito Asanobu's expression suddenly dimmed slightly. He sighed softly and said, "I've always been skeptical of the idea that destiny lies in Oda, but today it seems... cough... cough... perhaps it really is true..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun chuckled, calmly sheathed his sword, and shook his head, saying, "You're overthinking it."

Saito Asanobu, however, continued to sigh deeply. His scarred face wore a solemn expression. He casually tossed aside his calligraphy work and said with an air of seriousness, "Sasaki Ryūun of Omi, is that it? It seems you know very little about demons and monsters. You easily defeated a mature Gyūoni with pure brute force without using any techniques... cough!"

Oh, so that monster with a bull's head and spider legs was called a bull demon.

In truth, Liu Yun considered himself an expert in the field, having encountered quite a few yokai during his years in Aoyu. But after hearing what the other person said, it seemed like his previous actions were rather unskilled?

After thinking for a moment, Liu Yun decided to show off a little and smiled, "There aren't many monsters that can't be dealt with in one strike. If that doesn't work, then two strikes will do."

Saito Asanobu gave a helpless, bitter smile on his scarred face, coughed a few times, and said, "If it were Shibata or Takikawa from your Oda clan, I wouldn't be particularly surprised if they had this ability, but for a mere new retainer to also... well, never mind, I can't think about things that are too far ahead. Let's get down to business."

Liu Yun shook his head: "Why are you in such a hurry to get down to business? You've prepared such a generous gift for me, I'm still thinking about how to reciprocate!"

These words were spoken very calmly, but there was clearly an aggressive edge to them.

Clearly, Liu Yun was quite unhappy that he had come from afar and received no welcome, only to be greeted by a menacing monster.

Judging from this condescending and probing attitude, one would think it's a superior giving a subordinate an assessment!

Saito Asanobu remained silent for a moment, then frankly said, "I received a letter the day before yesterday saying that the Oda clan had sent a young envoy with extremely high martial arts skills. At the time, I didn't think much of it, thinking that a young envoy couldn't possibly be that powerful. But coincidentally... cough! cough! I just happened to have captured a yukyu-oni, so I set up this arrangement. I originally thought that you would have a hard time dealing with this monster, and that when you were overwhelmed, I would step in to help you subdue the monster, thus giving the Oda clan a warning and letting them know how powerful the Uesugi clan is."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun showed a hint of disdain: "Can't you just say what you want to say honestly? Why do you have to play these kinds of tricks?"

Saito Asanobu's wrinkled, scarred old face rarely showed a look of guilt or embarrassment. He rose from the table, walked away, and solemnly bowed, saying respectfully, "Lord Sasaki Ryūun, I have indeed been thinking too much unnecessary things, and I apologize to you!"

Liu Yun looked him up and down, then shook his head and said, "Alright! Since an old man has apologized so sincerely, what more can I say? Besides, I've noticed you've been coughing a lot; you don't seem to be in very good health!"

Saito Asanobu let out a long sigh, slowly stood up, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. He asked, "So, can we get down to business now? Last time, the Oda clan inquired about twenty secret locations in Kanto in one go, and our Uesugi clan knows fourteen of them. I suspect that among those fourteen locations, there might be one or two that are particularly noteworthy?"

Liu Yun was not used to formalities and endless chatter, so he immediately got straight to the point: "I need someone from the Uesugi family to take me to 'Poison Island'. As for why I need to go there, we can talk about it on the way."

"Bullshima? It's actually Bustashima?" Saito Asanobu muttered to himself, repeating it twice. His expression turned extremely grim, and his scarred face looked even more ferocious and terrifying. He frowned and pondered for a moment before slowly explaining, "Of all the fourteen secret locations in Kanto that we know of... cough! cough! None of them are anything but extremely dangerous. But... Bustashima is definitely the most dangerous of them all!"

Liu Yun casually asked, "How dangerous is it?"

Saito Asanobu sighed and explained, "That place is in the eastern part of Ueno Province. It's a swamp surrounded by a thick, poisonous fog. Anyone with a slightly weaker constitution will faint if they come into contact with it, so we can't send a large force in. And there's a huge monster inside. Without a large force, it would be very difficult to deal with it."

Liu Yun frowned: "Then, Lord Saito, do you mean we shouldn't risk going?"

Saito Asanobu chuckled upon hearing this, then resolutely shook his head: "Lord Sasaki, there's no need for you to use provocation. I'm already fifty years old, and as long as my life can be exchanged for something of sufficient value, it won't be a loss."

Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Hateful Chapter-Breaking Dog

Ryuun didn't get any extra leisure time to explore Naotsu Port Town, the commercial center of the Hokuriku region.

After resting for only one night under the arrangement of the Uesugi family, they set off again the next day, following "Echigo Zhong Kui" Saito Asanobu to that mysterious place called "Poison Island".

The image changed from one wandering mercenary leading a small packhorse to two wandering mercenaries each leading a packhorse.

Liu Yun felt neither angry nor regretful about this; on the contrary, he was very satisfied.

I arrived in Echigo yesterday afternoon, and the Uesugi family made a decision and put it into action in just one night. They were efficient, talked a lot, and were clearly people who got things done. Isn't that great?

There's no need to rush into things like eating, drinking, and having fun; let's talk about that after we've finished the serious tasks.

However, the journey is a bit troublesome.

It is said that Ryuun traveled from Yokoyama Castle in Omi Province to Naoezu in Echigo Province, a journey of several hundred kilometers, in just one day by land and two days by water, because the coastal area of ​​the Hokuriku Road was convenient for transportation.

However, the route from Naotsu in Echigo to Busujima in Ueno is through underdeveloped inland areas, making it less easy.

There was naturally no waterway to travel by. As for the land route, according to Saito Asanobu, there was only a winding, rugged path that went over mountains and valleys. Although the straight-line distance was only 1,500 chō (about 150 kilometers), it would actually take ten days to half a month to travel.

Even for the most enduring and skilled travelers, it would take at least five or six days.

Unless you can fly.

Although Liu Yun had lost many of his skills, he truly couldn't fly. Even if he could fly, he wouldn't know where to go.

So they had no choice but to follow Saito Asanobu on foot.

This old fellow, despite his constant coughing and apparent serious illness, was surprisingly agile.

Leaving Naoezu Port Town, heading due south, we set off early in the morning. By 8 p.m., when it was completely dark, we arrived at a monastery called "Myoko-ji Temple," paid some incense money, and asked to stay the night.

Along the way, it was evident that trade was relatively developed under the jurisdiction of the Uesugi clan in Echigo, and the security situation seemed fairly good. There were many traveling merchants and traders on the road, and one could encounter them twenty or thirty times a day. Compared to the situation within the Oda clan's territory, it didn't seem to be much worse.

The next day, we set off early again, turned east, and arrived at a small town called "Yuzawa-cho" in just three or four hours before sunset, where we stayed.

While having dinner in a small private room at the inn, Saito Asanobu coughed as he told Ryuun, "If we go any further out, the territory will no longer be completely under the control of the Uesugi family. The roads will be very chaotic, so please be careful."

Since she had nothing better to do, Liu Yun inquired about the details.

Saito Asanobu explained, “If we travel south for half an hour tomorrow, we will leave the Echigo region and reach the territory of Kozuke Province. There are currently fifty or sixty independent local groups in Kozuke Province. Some are affiliated with our Uesugi, and... cough! cough! Some are affiliated with Takeda and Hojo. Most of them are not truly loyal, but rather opportunists, so the situation there is a complete mess.”

Liu Yun nodded and said, "There must be frequent wars there."

Saito Asanobu shook his head and said, "It's not just the war between people, but what's even more terrifying is that, because so many wronged souls have gathered there, many vicious monsters have appeared."

Hearing this, Liu Yun became curious and quickly asked him, "Is there any direct connection between vengeful spirits and demons?"

At this moment, a smug smile appeared on Saito Asanobu's scarred face: "You've come to the right person. I'm known as 'Echigo Zhong Kui' because I'm skilled at dealing with demons. Unlike you, who relies purely on brute force, I exorcise demons with knowledge and skill. Cough cough..."

Liu Yun nodded and bowed, saying, "I am all ears."

When learning, one should naturally be more respectful.

When dealing with elders, it's always good to learn from them and improve your posture to avoid making mistakes due to youth and naivety.

Saito Asanobu slowly explained, "It's a long story. Actually, thousands of years ago, the demons and monsters in Japan could survive normally with their physical bodies. But later, a great Onmyoji named Xu Fu, with... cough cough... with three thousand followers, came from Tang China and used his life's work to perform an unprecedented technique that severed the 'source' of all demons. From that time on, Japanese demons must attach themselves to 'thought' in order to continue, otherwise they will quickly perish."

Then Saito Asanobu gave a brief account of the story of Xu Fu's battles with the "Three Demon Kings" and the "Twelve Demon Generals".

Liu Yun found it quite interesting and treated it as a legendary story, not caring how much truth there was, so he chimed in, "So it was Xu Fu who came from the east and made humans the masters of Fusang."

Saito Asanobu nodded and said, "That's right. Then several hundred years passed, and in the Nara period, those monsters lay dormant for a hundred years and finally found a loophole in Xu Fu's magic, intending to make a comeback. Fortunately, the holy monk Jianzhen came across the sea and sealed all the demons with his supreme power."

Liu Yun asked curiously, "Why didn't Xu Fu receive any honorific titles, while Jianzhen was called a holy monk?"

Saito Asanobu said, “Both of these men possessed unparalleled magical power, and it’s hard to say who was superior. But in terms of virtue, they were worlds apart. Xu Fu’s slaying of demons wasn’t for the benefit of the people; it was merely to establish his own power. Although his magic was unmatched, he was cruel, suspicious, and bloodthirsty, sparing even his closest disciples. When he died, the whole world… cough cough… the whole world celebrated. On the other hand, the Holy Monk Jianzhen possessed great compassion and left the mountains purely to save all living beings. After sealing the demons, he didn’t covet any wealth or glory, and lived in seclusion at Toshodai-ji Temple. It is precisely because of the Holy Monk’s actions that Buddhism was able to flourish in Japan!”

Then, while coughing, Saito Asanobu recounted several anecdotes about Xu Fu's brutality and Jianzhen's acts of helping those in distress.

Liu Yun listened with great interest and commented, "In that case, the Japanese should really thank Tang China. They sent people eastward twice to help fight against demons. It's truly not easy!"

Upon hearing this, Saito Asanobu's scarred face showed a slightly embarrassed expression, and he continued, "Several hundred years later, the seal of Master Jianzhen gradually loosened. One of the demon kings, Ōtengu, allowed a wisp of his divine soul to possess a member of the royal family, intending to take advantage of the situation. This time... cough cough... without the help of guests from Tang China, it was the first shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, Tojiin-dono (Ashikaga Takauji), who used the 'power of the warrior god' to completely kill Ōtengu."

Liu Yun smiled and said, "The third time was finally the result of the Japanese people's own efforts—but I still have some doubts. Where did you learn about these ancient secrets? Also, how can knowing these things help in slaying demons and monsters?"

At this moment, Saito Asanobu touched the scar on his face, sighed, and said, "It all started with my scar and my cough... cough! cough! It's getting late, and we have to travel tomorrow, so let's talk about it another time!"

Just as he was getting into the story, the speaker suddenly said he was going to stop, which made Liu Yun very unhappy.

It's like when I was reading a web novel in my past life, and I was reading the climax, but the author shamelessly cut off the chapters.

Actually, it's only just past the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), the beginning of the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), which is equivalent to about 9:30 in later times.

Is this considered late?