Swallow Return

Before Liu Yun could hear the key points, she quickly urged him to calm down.

After cursing a few times, the merchant let out a long sigh and continued, "That official in charge of the estate outwardly agreed to my marriage proposal and accepted a dowry of five hundred taels of gold and two thousand taels of silver. But in reality, he still looked down on my background and had long harbored malicious intentions! On the day of the wedding, I excitedly dressed up, prepared countless precious items, and brought twenty clever and sensible attendants to the agreed-upon shrine for the wedding banquet. Who knew that instead of seeing the beautiful bride, I was attacked by thieves!"

Liu Yun suddenly realized: "You were killed by the thieves."

The merchant nodded gravely and said, “I had quite a few skilled martial artists among my followers, but we were completely unprepared and got drunk by the wedding guests. So when the thieves came in, they had no chance to fight back and fell one after another. After I was slashed, I struggled desperately and knocked over the candles and lamp oil, causing a fire that scared away the enemy. But I didn’t have the strength to escape and was burned to death… Later, because of this incident, war broke out in the area, and our business went bankrupt.”

Liu Yun asked again, "Are you sure the thieves were led here by that village head or acting official?"

The merchant nodded vigorously without hesitation: "Absolutely! After the thief stormed in with a knife, he even exchanged a few words with the seemingly respectable official. It was clear they had a pre-arranged plan and were specifically targeting me... That official must have planned this all along. As soon as I die, he can have his daughter, as my widow, seize my assets. This will not only cover the losses in my business but also allow him to make a fortune... All of this must have been premeditated! The fortune I built up over a lifetime has been usurped by others. Even as a ghost, I cannot rest in peace! I must take revenge, I absolutely must take revenge!"

After listening, Liu Yun pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "If what you say is true, I will definitely consider avenging you so that you can rest in peace."

The businessman's expression was resolute as he pounded his chest and shouted, "Of course it's true! Every word is real; I saw it with my own eyes! Honesty is the most important thing in business; otherwise, we couldn't survive. The reason I can open more than a dozen branches is because I don't lie!"

Ryuun and Saito Asanobu exchanged a glance, then turned and walked out of the first shrine in perfect unison.

……

After leaving the house, looking at the lush cedar forest, Ryuun asked Saito Asanobu, "Did you figure it out? What kind of monster was that merchant? What kind of obsession caused him to transform into a monster?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Saito Asanobu's scarred face showed a troubled expression, and he shook his head somewhat awkwardly: "Judging from what this merchant-yokai said, it should be that the obsession of dying with his eyes open led to his transformation into a yokai. This is a... cough cough... a very common phenomenon. But I have carefully recalled for a long time, compared hundreds of... cough cough... hundreds of yokai created by this kind of obsession, but none of them match up."

Liu Yun was slightly surprised: "You mean, we discovered a completely new kind of monster in the illusion today?"

Saito Asanobu shook his head and said, "It doesn't seem like it. Actually, I don't think that merchant yokai's obsession is... cough cough... it's not that deep. It shouldn't be enough to transform into some kind of completely new yokai. And that heavy... cough cough... heavy yokai aura is also abnormal. Based on what we just heard, it should at most produce a mid-level yokai like a 'vengeful spirit.' It doesn't make sense..."

Liu Yun said, "Since we can't figure it out right now, let's continue to see what's going on with the remaining two shrines."

Saito Asanobu nodded: "That's the only way! I'm ashamed to say that I haven't been of much help along the way... cough cough... I don't think I've been of much help. Hmm... after investigating the other two shrines and making comparisons, perhaps we can... cough cough... figure out what's going on."

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Chapter 86 Three Layers of Illusion, Rashomon (Part 2)

Ryuun and Saito Asanobu quickly entered the second shrine in the cedar forest.

The house was still empty, with only the floor, walls, and roof remaining.

This scene is so familiar that it's not surprising at all.

There was still someone in the room, and the eerie atmosphere was still thick and intense.

This time, it was an old man dressed in hunting attire with a folding fan tucked into his waistband. He looked refined and cultured, and should be a nobleman or scholar.

As soon as the old man saw someone enter, he quickly looked up and bowed, saying, "Gentlemen, could you help me resolve my last regret before I die?"

The scene seems somewhat similar.

Liu Yun deliberately asked two more questions: "Where do you come from? Why have you come here?"

The old man, who looked like a high-ranking official, shook his head with a wry smile and said, "I am now just a wandering ghost. All the past events are insignificant, except for one last knot in my heart that I cannot let go of. Could you two military men help me?"

As expected, this is the same reaction.

Liu Yun then followed up by asking, "What is the knot in your heart?"

The old man breathed a sigh of relief and said quietly, "I actually died on the day my daughter got married!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun continued to press for answers.

The old man continued, “I am a collateral descendant of the Takatsukasa family of Kyoto. In my lifetime, I held the rank of Junior Fifth Rank, and was sent by my lord to Kanto to serve as the acting official of a certain manor. I originally thought that having been well-versed in literature since childhood and familiar with the affairs of Guan Zhong and Xiao He, managing a mere manor with a few hundred households of farmers should be as easy as taking candy from a baby. But alas… alas, it turns out that theory is no substitute for practice. I have served for ten years, managing the estate with great difficulty, without achieving anything, and instead accumulating debts of several thousand kan. With my term of office drawing to a close, I do not know how to face my lord. In my panic, a wealthy merchant proposed marriage to me, offering a generous gift. I had no choice but to accept.”

Liu Yun found this interesting.

This plot seems a bit familiar!

After a pause, the old official suddenly glared angrily and shouted, "Who would have thought that merchant would be so cunning and untrustworthy, a true scoundrel! He agreed to five hundred taels of gold and two thousand taels of silver, but after I agreed, he only offered five hundred taels of silver and two thousand bolts of cash (one bolt equals ten coins), claiming he would make up the difference after the wedding. That would have been fine. But what I never expected was… on the wedding day, that heartless scoundrel actually colluded with bandits to try and kill me!"

Liu Yun seemed to suddenly realize something, as if deep in thought.

As the old official spoke, his face turned red with anger. He paused for a long time before continuing, "Although I brought some of my family's soldiers and retainers, we were caught off guard and were all killed by the bandits in an instant. I was wounded several times, but in a moment of quick thinking, I poured out lamp oil, which caused a fire and managed to scare away the bandits. However... however, I also perished in the flames. After my death, war broke out, and the Takatsukasa family's estates scattered throughout the country fell out of control, eventually reducing them to impoverished nobles begging for food in Kyoto."

Liu Yun asked, "Are you sure the merchant and the thief are colluding?"

The old official nodded without hesitation: "I witnessed it with my own eyes. The two of them were whispering very closely. In my opinion, the merchant had always harbored the intention of making huge profits without any investment. He used money as bait to usurp the family name. It is a pity that I, as a commoner of the Takatsukasa family, was not careful and made a grave mistake, bringing shame to my ancestors. Even in the deepest hell, I will still regret it!"

Liu Yun nodded: "If things are really as you say, we will consider upholding justice."

Upon hearing this, the old magistrate smiled bitterly: "I am a descendant of the Fujiwara clan, a nobleman of the royal family. How could I possibly speak such nonsense? If I were to do so, it would be intolerable according to the law, intolerable to my ancestors, and intolerable to heaven and earth!"

Liu Yun and Saito Asanobu ignored him and turned to leave.

……

After going outside, Liu Yun said, "Don't tell me you can't tell what kind of monster this is."

Saito Asanobu smiled bitterly and remained silent, his scarred face deeply wrinkled. He changed the subject, saying, "The merchant and the old magistrate seem to be talking about the same thing, but the two... cough cough... their interpretations are completely different."

Liu Yun pointed and said, "Stop thinking about it! Go to the third shrine over there, maybe you'll hear a different explanation!"

So the two of them arrived at the last shrine.

Upon entering, as expected, the house was completely empty, with only the floor, walls, and roof remaining.

There was still only one person, and the demonic aura was intense.

This time, it was a burly man wearing rough animal skin clothing, with broad shoulders and a fierce face, and he was carrying a wild katana.

He looks like a thief.

Seeing this, both Ryuun and Saito Asanobu had an expression that said they had expected it.

The burly man, who resembled a thief, slapped his thigh and shouted, "Two good men, we're all from the same boat, can you lend me a hand?"

This time, Liu Yun didn't bother with pleasantries and simply asked, "What kind of help?"

The thug laughed heartily, "That's straightforward! Then I'll be frank! I was framed and died at my sweetheart's wedding. Even though I'm now a wandering ghost, I'm still not at peace!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun felt it was both reasonable and unexpected, and quickly pressed for details.

The thug recalled his past with a nostalgic look on his face, saying, "In my past life, I was a famous hero, roaming the martial world for over ten years, robbing the rich to help the poor, living a carefree and exhilarating life. Everyone in the vicinity, both the legitimate and criminal worlds, had to give me face! Life was so comfortable, you tell me? But one day, on the mountain, I met a young lady from an official family on an outing, and suddenly I was bewitched… bewitched and fell for her! That young lady seemed to like me too, and later we secretly met a few times…"

By this point, Liu Yun had a pretty good idea of ​​what would happen next, but she wasn't in a hurry to interrupt.

The thug continued his recollection, his face gradually revealing resentment. He gritted his teeth and said, "I met that official's daughter a few times like children, and we didn't do anything. Later, I heard she was getting married—I thought if she married a hero, that would be fine, but when I inquired, I found out the groom was just a businessman! Heh, it's not that I look down on businessmen, but if someone can really build a fortune from scratch, that's a talent. But that good-for-nothing businessman, his ancestors were rich, he didn't earn a single penny through his own abilities! My sweetheart's father, he said he was some learned big shot from the capital, but he's just a fool with no vision!"

Liu Yun suddenly realized: "I see."

The thug breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "I couldn't accept this at all. On the wedding day, I brought a dozen or so brothers and waited by the shrine, hoping that the guests on both sides would be drunk enough before rushing in to snatch the bride... But who knew that the guests on both sides were all pretending to be drunk, and they were all carrying knives! That's when I realized that some of my men had betrayed me and conspired with outsiders to set a trap, hoping to get my head for riches and glory! But I'm a chivalrous hero after all. Even though I was ambushed, I wasn't afraid at all. I fought those people for a hundred or so rounds, and finally, I was exhausted and took several knife wounds. So I threw down the candles and lamp oil and set a big fire, preferring to burn myself to death rather than have my head taken for a reward!"

Liu Yun asked again, "So what you're thinking now is..."

The thug snorted, patted his chest, and shouted, "We're all men! If you have a grudge, fight it out! I was ambushed and killed, and I'm not satisfied! I'll definitely get revenge on that old official and that fat merchant, or I'll die with this grievance!"

Liu Yun nodded calmly: "If what you said is true, I will consider it..."

The thug immediately frowned and interrupted, "What do you mean 'if'? I, a chivalrous man of the underworld, never stoop to lying!"

Liu Yun and Saito Asanobu ignored them and turned to leave.

……

So I visited all three shrines.

Saito Asanobu's scarred face now looked very puzzled. He shook his head and said, "Strange! Compared to the faceless samurai of the first layer of illusion, the second layer of illusion... cough cough... the flower-twirling monk and the white monk of the second layer of illusion, these three of the third layer don't seem very good. That obsession... cough cough... there's no reason for that obsession to transform into a powerful monster."

Liu Yun sighed, "It seems we should change our approach."

Saito Asanobu's expression grew even more serious upon hearing this: "You think so too?"

Liu Yun nodded and said, "In the first layer of illusion, that faceless samurai looked like he deserved to be beaten. In the second layer of illusion, the little monk who carries flowers was pitiful, and the white monk was annoying. But in the third layer, they all seem to be ordinary little people, neither likable nor inspiring enough to fight. So, I think we should change our approach."

Saito Asanobu couldn't tell if it was a joke or serious, and he didn't know how to respond, so he was speechless.

Liu Yun slowly said, "Actually, I've long felt that we've missed someone on each floor."

Chapter 87 Three Layers of Illusion, Rashomon (Part 2)

Saito Asanobu's expression was somewhat strange, as if he had thought of something but didn't say it aloud.

Ignoring him, Liu Yun continued summarizing, "In the first illusion, we only saw the 'Faceless Warrior,' but not the so-called 'His Highness' he wanted to protect in his previous life; in the second illusion, we saw the young monk and the old monk, but the flower seller was supposed to be an important figure, so why didn't she appear? As for the third illusion we're in now, it's even simpler. The merchant, the official, and the thief each have their own version of events, but they all claim to have been burned to death at the wedding. Since we're talking about a wedding, shouldn't the bride be the one to die?"

Saito Asanobu nodded: "What you said makes a lot of sense, I agree."

There was no surprise on his face; clearly, he wasn't surprised by what Liu Yun said.

Then Saito Asanobu continued, “The three illusions are different not only because the people inside—or rather, the monsters that are actually people—are different, but also because the outside… cough cough… the outside situation is different. First it was a palace in a courtyard, then a temple in a meadow, and now it’s a shrine in a forest… cough cough… but there is one thing that has never changed.”

Liu Yun smiled in agreement: "That's right, that's... the little white bird that's always flying above us!"

Following the words, a short blade was thrown, whistling through the air as it swiftly pierced the seemingly harmless little white bird.

However, the bloodshed did not occur.

The little white bird did not dodge at all and was struck by the short blade, but it was not injured or bled. Instead, it immediately turned into a pile of foamy, translucent liquid, dripped down from mid-air, and vanished instantly.

At the same time, a dwarf, whose identity as either human or ghost was unknown, suddenly emerged from underground.

The dwarf was only three and a half feet tall, but his limbs were as thick as an adult's. He also wore a ridiculous and outrageous mask, which subconsciously reminded people of the concept of a "clown".

Then, everything in the third layer of illusion on the island, including the cedar forest, small animals, and three shrines, simply vanished.

It's estimated that the merchants, officials, and thieves inside those three shrines probably disappeared along with them.

What appeared before me now was a vast expanse of gray and white mist, with nothing else in sight.

It seems as if we are in another dimension, far removed from the human world.

Then, the clown clapped his hands, letting out a strange, shrill laugh, and said in an exaggerated tone, "Interesting, interesting! It seems you two aren't too stupid after all. I thought you would keep trying to overcome the illusion by attacking head-on!"

Saito Asanobu chuckled coldly and said, "Your illusion is impressive, but your true form is nothing special." He then raised his hand and emitted a beam of purple light, which shot towards the clown.

However, when the purple light struck the opponent, it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, having no effect whatsoever.

Saito Asanobu's eyes widened in surprise.

Liu Yun, standing nearby, was also puzzled. Judging from appearances alone, the clown seemed to possess weak demonic power and no imposing aura, making him easy to deal with. However, Saito Asanobu's purple light was clearly a rather powerful demon-subduing technique.

Why isn't it working at all?

That's understandable, though. Someone who can set up such a powerful illusion must possess some kind of incredibly powerful secret skill, even if their true form seems weak.

Seeing that Saito Asanobu had returned empty-handed, Ryuun was a little unsure of himself, so he didn't rush to draw his sword and decided to wait and see.

At this point, the clown laughed heartily, bending over backward, and then said triumphantly, "If it were that easy to deal with me, would you even have a chance?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a clear female voice suddenly rang out: "That's right, this demon cannot be killed."