Swallow Return

Saito Asanobu lowered his head in frustration and said, "Could you tell me the reason?"

Liu Yun shook his head and said, "It's a long story."

Saito Asahiko sighed deeply, "Then there's nothing we can do."

The words had barely left his lips.

Liu Yun suddenly felt a pain in his back.

It seems he was hit by a shuriken?

He immediately gripped the hilt of his sword, rolled around, and only then did he see a black-clad ninja standing behind him.

The black-clad ninja was silent and had no presence whatsoever; even someone as perceptive as Liu Yun failed to notice him.

The shuriken just now didn't make the slightest sound of cutting through the air, so much so that Liu Yun didn't even notice it after being hit.

The black-clad ninja moved with incredible speed, striking with a single blow before drawing his short sword and attacking without further probing from a distance.

There was still no sound of footsteps, not even a ripple in the air.

This is absolutely the most ingenious method of stealth.

Liu Yun became very wary and was about to draw his sword to fight when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him, and he dodged.

Sure enough, a purple, aggressive ray of light grazed past him.

The one who unleashed that ray of magic was none other than Saito Asanobu!

Liu Yun felt a chill run down his spine and sneered, "I had heard that the Uesugi family of Echigo were all brave and straightforward people, but now it seems that they are not as good as they seem!"

Saito Asanobu sighed softly and said, "Uesugi and Oda are ultimately only temporary allies, and they will inevitably become enemies again in the future. This matter... cough cough... everyone knows this matter."

Then the black-clad ninja didn't rush forward to attack. Instead, he said in a low voice, "Lord Sasaki Ryuun is indeed extraordinary, but after observing him for several days, we are actually evenly matched. Now that you have been hit by a shuriken coated with the most vicious poison in the world, do you still want to fight two against one?"

Liu Yun glanced at him and asked, "Your stealth skills are quite impressive. May I ask your name?"

The black-clad ninja said arrogantly, "Kato Danzo is from Echigo-genjo. Ever since you and Lord Saito left Echigo, I have been following you within a hundred paces. Except for the time when you entered the genjutsu, we have actually been traveling together the whole time."

Saito Asanobu continued, "It's not just poisoned shuriken... Lord Sasaki, do you remember the pills I gave you before you entered the poisonous fog... cough cough... the pills you took, the outer layer was indeed a miraculous medicine to protect against the poisonous fog, but the inner layer... cough cough... the inner layer was a demon core with a powerful curse. Judging by the time, it should have taken effect by now."

Kato Danzo, a ninja in black, twirled a short sword in his hand and approached step by step, saying, "Lord Sasaki, if you do not surrender on the spot, I'm afraid something regrettable will happen. Lord Kenshin is very lenient towards talented people. It's not too late to change your mind now."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly, "It seems you are not afraid of damaging the relationship between the Uesugi and Oda families."

Saito Asanobu's scarred face broke into a terrifying, sinister smile: "If something truly regrettable is to happen, then the outsiders... cough cough... the outsiders will hear that Lord Sasaki Ryuun sacrificed himself in the battle to destroy the Takeda clan's magic array. How could that... cough cough... how could that damage the relationship between the Uesugi and Oda clans?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun suddenly smiled and nodded: "That's a good excuse. I don't need to hold back anymore."

Chapter Ninety-One: The Girl Swordsman Who Came Back from the Dead

"That excuse works, so I don't need to hold back anymore."

After saying this, Liu Yun suddenly drew his sword and attacked Saito Asanobu with lightning speed.

Saito Asanobu and Kato Danzo, who were opposite him, both looked shocked.

They originally thought that since Liu Yun had been poisoned and cursed by the demon core, he was only putting on a brave front and would definitely be unable to fight anymore.

Unexpectedly, the momentum, speed, and power of this sword draw were no less than usual!

Actually, it was the "healing power" that Liu Yun obtained after absorbing the White Bottle at Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei that neutralized most of the toxins. Then, the "protective jade" on his body, which could be used three times, had just developed a slight crack, resisting the curse of the demon core.

So it is still in perfect condition!

Liu Yun could tell that the black-clad ninja, Kato Danzo, was exceptionally skilled and could not be defeated in a single move. However, Saito Asanobu was only proficient in magic, and his physical condition was weak with mediocre martial arts skills, making him easy to deal with once he got close.

It's like using a kitchen knife to counter a mage.

Liu Yun's horizontal slash, devoid of any skill, was as fast as lightning and unstoppable.

Kato Danzo was still a few steps away, too far to reach.

Saito Asanobu reacted slowly and was unable to make any parrying or dodging movements.

but--

Liu Yun swung his sword, only to find that he had only struck a piece of wood!

With a "bang," Saito Asanobu appeared ten steps away, looking extremely tired, even drowsy.

At the same time, a red light flashed on Liu Yun's body, and he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his waist and abdomen.

Kato Danzo exclaimed in shock: "A series of spells, an instant Substitution Jutsu followed by an instant Backlash Jutsu! Lord Saito, can your body withstand this?"

With a crisp sound, another crack appeared on the protective jade in Liu Yun's arms, negating the effect of the "backlash spell," and the dangerous red light immediately disappeared.

Ryuun gritted his teeth, his steps unwavering, his feet creating a gust of wind as he continued to attack Saito Asanobu with his sword.

As expected, spellcasters can pull off too many tricks. We must kill this guy before he can react!

Upon seeing this, Saito Asanobu pounded his chest, his eyes widened, and he opened his mouth, forcefully spitting out a large glob of blood. The blood, upon contact with the air, instantly transformed into a raging fire.

At the same time, Kato Danzo dodged to the side and attacked from the side with his short sword.

However, Liu Yun had no intention of changing his attack target.

He did not flinch at the oncoming flames, enduring them with his bare body.

The short blade coming from the side was ignored; it was best to pretend it didn't exist.

Even if it means getting injured, the right thing to do is to take care of the opponent before they can recover.

With a "hiss," Liu Yun's clothes were set ablaze and burned, his skin was charred black, and his hair was singed and smoking.

At the same time, Kato Danzo's short blade pierced his right ribs from the side.

But Ryuun's sword was already at Saito Asanobu's chest.

"what!"

Saito Asanobu let out a panicked roar, and suddenly his body grew scales of earth and stone more than an inch thick.

But it was no use. Liu Yun used all his strength, concentrating it on the tip of the blade, and pierced through the layer of soil and stone as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, sending the long sword into the opponent's heart.

A drop of blood spurted out a long distance.

Saito Asanobu's eyes were still wide open, but he had already died instantly.

Zhong Kui of Echigo died!

However, Liu Yun didn't have time to breathe a sigh of relief.

At the moment Saito Asanobu died, more than a dozen semi-transparent spirits immediately floated over his body.

These spirits are beings without physical bodies, so they cannot be blocked or dodged in time.

The spirits rushed towards Liu Yun's body, and his mind was instantly filled with countless new pieces of information, almost to the point of exploding.

Anger, resentment, jealousy, greed, anxiety, pain, sorrow, loneliness...

It seemed that each spirit represented a negative emotion, causing Liu Yun's mind to become a complete mess, and he didn't even know who he was.

Could this be Saito Asanobu's last counterattack before his death as "Echigo Zhong Kui"?

It has to be said, it was quite effective. Liu Yun was not afraid of any physical harm, but his mental resistance was still insufficient.

Fortunately, he had a magical artifact on him.

The red magatama's "bewitching power" activated on its own, allowing Liu Yun to temporarily maintain his own consciousness.

Then came another soft, crisp sound, and the protective jade in his arms activated for the third time.

A third crack was added to the surface, and then the jade turned into dust, scattering all over the ground.

Only then did Liu Yun truly regain his ability to move.

But immediately, I felt a sharp pain.

A deadly sharp pain shot through my shoulder and neck!

Kato Danzo's short blade, tainted with what is known as "the most evil poison in the world," is about to pierce Ryuun's neck from the side and behind!

Death may be just an inch away!

First he was poisoned, then burned, and then his right rib was slashed. It seemed that the "healing power" in Liu Yun's body could not keep up with the pace and could not repair the injuries all over his body in time.

Liu Yun wanted to avoid the fatal short blade and draw his spare katana to counterattack.

However, his hands and feet were somewhat weak and powerless, making it difficult for him to perform his duties.

Not only the earliest shuriken, but the terrifying ninja Kato Danzo coated all his weapons with various poisons.

As for Liu Yun, he is probably injured in too many places and too severely. The "healing power" he gained from consuming the White Clean Bottle is not enough to remedy all of them. Therefore, the effects of the poison have finally come into play to some extent!

Am I going to die?

The thought flashed through my mind.

Then, suddenly, an unexpected girl's voice rang out.

"Lord Sasaki, watch out!"

With that delicate shout, the red-clad swordswoman from the illusion suddenly appeared out of thin air and plunged her sword fiercely into Kato Danzo's back.

Nobody knows where she came from.

Not to mention being wary.

Kato Danzo was caught completely off guard and was pierced from back to front.

However, no bloodstains were found.

It just popped like a balloon, making two "poof" sounds, and a cloud of black smoke came out.

Then Kato Dan appeared five steps away, looking somewhat flustered.

But Kato Danzo didn't waste a single second. He didn't show any surprise at the stranger's sudden appearance, but immediately launched another attack.

The red-clad female swordsman swung her sword to meet him.

Having narrowly escaped death, Liu Yun had no time to ponder why the red-clad swordswoman had "resurrected," and could only catch his breath.

In just two breaths, the "healing power" within his body began to operate again, greatly alleviating the effects of various injuries and poisoning.

At this moment, the red-clad swordswoman was fighting Kato Danzo and was clearly at a disadvantage. After only three moves, her shoulder was already injured.

Without saying a word, Liu Yun immediately drew his spare small katana and stepped forward to help.