Swallow Return

It's not that I intentionally wanted to be obsessed with beautiful women.

That said, although Saeko's body was sculpted by supernatural forces and her abilities far surpassed those of ordinary humans, she was still somewhat inferior to the exceptionally gifted Ryuun. In two-person activities, she was not an evenly matched opponent and was often easily defeated.

However, she is highly motivated, responsible, and diligent in absorbing experience and learning. Such an attitude is truly admirable.

Therefore, Liu Yun felt greatly relieved.

……

The next day, around noon, Ryuun was summoned to the palace of Yokoyama Castle by someone sent by Kinoshita Tokichiro.

Upon entering, I found another stranger besides the monkey.

It was a woman dressed in a simple, light blue, floor-length dress, with several orange belts tied around her waist. She hadn't taken off her bamboo hat yet, so her face wasn't clearly visible. Her clothes, tabi socks, and straw sandals were quite dusty, indicating that she had just arrived from a journey.

Upon seeing Ryuyun, Kinoshita Tokichiro immediately gestured and introduced, "Brother, look, this is my wife, Ningning."

As soon as she finished speaking, the woman took off her straw hat, nodded and smiled slightly, curtsied, and said in a gentle and eloquent manner, "Greetings, Lord Sasaki. My husband has been frequently helped by you lately, and I am deeply grateful. Today I finally have the opportunity to thank you in person."

Liu Yun quickly returned the greeting, saying, "You flatter me, you are too kind."

Then he glanced at it briefly out of the corner of his eye, without looking at it much.

She's someone else's wife, after all.

It is said that this Lady Ningning was not particularly outstanding in appearance or figure, only barely above average, and slightly inferior to the wife and concubine in Liuyun's household. However, her graceful and dignified demeanor made people feel at ease, and her words and actions carried an inexplicable affability. A simple greeting from her made the listener feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

She's the kind of older sister who's worthy of respect and trust, but won't arouse too much desire for disrespect.

In some ways, he does resemble Kinoshita Tokichiro in temperament.

It can be said that people who are not from the same family will not enter the same door.

The only difference is that the husband is energetic and carefree, while the wife is dignified, composed, and kind.

After exchanging greetings and taking their seats, Kinoshita Tokichiro couldn't wait to say, "Let's put aside the small talk for now! We don't have much time, so the sooner we resolve this, the better."

Liu Yun replied "Yes," and listened intently, wanting to see what insightful opinions this guy had.

Madam Ningning, however, took the initiative from the start, calmly saying, "I saw the letter about the missing widow. I thought about it carefully along the way, and sending people out to search is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Perhaps it would be better to try to lure her out."

Kinoshita Tokichiro was interrupted, but he showed no displeasure. Instead, he politely gestured and smiled, "Please speak, Madam."

Ningning didn't refuse and asked directly, "Sir, do you know how many people live under the jurisdiction of Hengshan City?"

Kinoshita Tokichiro answered without hesitation, “That’s no problem for me. There are 12,200 men, women and children under the direct jurisdiction of Yokoyama Castle, plus fifty large and small local families, including our brother Ryuun, making a total of 17,300 people.”

Ningning smiled slightly and asked, "How many of them are widows?"

Kinoshita Tokichiro was stunned for a moment before shaking his head: "I don't know. But it shouldn't be too many, maybe one or two hundred?"

Ningning then turned to Liuyun and said, "Lord Sasaki, do you know the number of people under your jurisdiction?"

Liu Yun thought to himself, "I just asked that yesterday." He told her the truth: "There are about a thousand people under my jurisdiction, and there is only one widow, who went missing a few days ago."

Ningning looked satisfied and nodded, saying, "That's right. There's war everywhere now, and it's very difficult to make a living. Even young and strong men sometimes go hungry, let alone widows who are all alone and helpless. So, most women who lose their husbands remarry immediately, whether they like it or not."

Hearing this, Kinoshita Tokichiro's face fell, and he nodded, saying, "My mother remarried Takeami to support her children. Although I don't like that guy, I've never blamed my mother. I can only blame the world... If I unfortunately die in battle, Nene, you'd better hurry up and find a way out. Don't delay, otherwise..."

"What are you saying, sir!" Ningning scolded, then quickly came to her senses and continued with the important matter: "No matter what the people behind this are trying to do by capturing the widow, they actually have very few targets. If a widow from out of town were to pass by at this time, they would likely make a move, or at least send someone to investigate."

Kinoshita Tokichiro chuckled twice, forgetting his inappropriate remark, and continued with a serious expression: "So, Nene means you're going to pretend to be a widow from out of town and seduce the person behind it all?"

Ningning nodded slowly and said with a smile, "I guess the other party isn't stupid. They might not make a move easily, but they'll at least try to find out. If someone with ill intentions approaches, I can try my best to concentrate and maybe find out."

Kinoshita Tokichiro feigned realization: "At the same time, have Brother Ryuyun lie in wait nearby. As long as you find the suspicious person, with Brother Ryuyun's abilities, he certainly won't let anyone escape!"

Ningning smiled and said, "That's right."

Upon hearing this plan, Liu Yun hesitated and frowned, saying, "As far as I know, Madam Ningning was born with spiritual power, but she hasn't learned any martial arts or magic, has she?"

Ningning covered her mouth and laughed, "My father did teach me some things. But if we use you, Lord Sasaki, as the standard, then it can be said that I haven't learned anything."

Kinoshita Tokichiro nodded and said, "Yes. When we first met, I even trained with Nene at the Kiyosu Castle dojo. Even without the Monkey Mask transformation, I could win. Of course, it's not like beating a girl is anything special..."

Liu Yun's expression turned solemn as he asked earnestly, "In that case, isn't it inappropriate to use Madam as bait? What if something goes wrong..."

Hearing this, Ningning was somewhat surprised, then smiled slightly and said calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Sasaki. However, Lord Kinoshita and I have been through too many dangers along the way, and we are already used to this situation."

Kinoshita Tokichiro wasn't too worried, saying nonchalantly, "Isn't there Brother Ryuun? I believe you can protect Nene. Also, I'm going to have Nene wear the amulet that Lord Danjo (Oda Nobunaga) gave her before. With that, there's absolutely nothing to worry about."

Ningning shook her head and refused, saying, "My lord, if I wear the amulet that Lord Danjo (Oda Nobunaga) gave me, what if you are assassinated?"

Kinoshita Tokichiro looked relaxed and said with his head held high, "At worst, I'll just transform into a monkey! I've mastered this bloodline now, and I can use it whenever I want. I don't think anyone, no matter how powerful, can take on hundreds of guards in the city and kill me. It's just that I'm a little hard to control my temper when I transform. At most, I'll just demolish the house, but I can rebuild it."

Ningning shook her head again: "Over the years, I have valued your career more than my own life. If anything were to happen to you, I would be more distressed than if I were dead."

After several rounds of back-and-forth, a compromise was finally reached.

The supposedly incredibly powerful amulet that Oda Nobunaga gave him was still kept by Kinoshita Tokichiro. Then he gave Nene another magical artifact made by Takenaka Shigeharu for protection.

Liu Yun sat silently to the side, feeling a little uneasy.

Judging from their conversation alone, Kinoshita Tokichiro and Nene seem to be a loving couple who care for each other. However, their tone and demeanor make them seem more like like-minded comrades-in-arms, or close friends who would die for each other, with little sense of romance or tenderness.

Chapter 104 Luring the Snake Out of Its Hole (Part 1)

In the central-eastern part of Omi Province, there is a place called "Umehara," which was originally an unremarkable little village. Only in recent years, because it is located on a shortcut from Mino in Owari Province to Yokoyama Castle, has a few travelers and merchants gradually started to visit.

Several resourceful farmers, seeing this opportunity, pooled their money, obtained a business license from the Oda clan's magistrate, and opened a low-cost inn on the spot, providing simple meals and basic housing.

The only advantage is that it's cheap.

There's nothing inherently wrong with this business strategy.

Generous merchants, when transporting goods by horse-drawn cart, would naturally prefer to take the longer route along the main road. The ancient national highways were smooth and wide, allowing the carts to travel faster without worrying about wasting time.

Only those who rely on their own two legs to travel, and who don't mind getting muddy, would take shortcuts.

These kinds of customers obviously don't have much spending power.

The farmers who run the shops are not professional businessmen. During the busy farming season, they still farm as usual, leaving only the elderly, women, and children to keep an eye on things in the shops. They hope to have eight or ten customers a day, earning three or five coins from each person, which would be a small supplement.

……

On that day, the spring chill was still in the air, and a continuous drizzle made the path muddy in an instant. Although it was noon, there was no warmth to be seen.

A woman wearing a headscarf walked slowly from the east. She was soaked, her coarse clothes were patched and covered with thick mud, and she walked with uneven steps. She looked like she had been walking for a long time and was panting heavily, unable to stand up straight.

The woman walked with difficulty to the door of the inn. She glanced at the sign with the crooked words "Ume no Hara-ya" written on it, then looked at the price list with only three lines below it. She sighed, frowned, hesitated for a long time, and then walked closer and pushed open the wooden door.

Apart from the absence of bottles and jars, the shop was no different from any other farmhouse. In the center, an iron pot sat on a fire, and straw was laid out around it for seating, along with a few low tables.

There were no other customers at the time, only a thin, ragged old man sitting and minding the shop. Hearing the creaking of the wooden door, he subconsciously looked up and said in a mechanical tone, "Mixed grain rice is two coins, white rice with fish and miso soup is five coins, and lodging for one night is three coins."

The woman stepped inside, yanked off her wet headscarf to reveal a dusty face, but she was still quite young and had a passable appearance.

She rushed over to the fire and sat down, scoffing, "It's only half a day's journey from Hengshan City. Who would stay here? And what about white rice? Do you think anyone here can afford white rice?"

The old man seemed to have no temper at all. Hearing the sarcasm, he didn't retort, but just chuckled and said, "From what I'm saying, you want mixed grain rice?"

The woman wiped the sweat and mud from her face, clicked her tongue, and glared angrily, saying, "Two coins for a bowl of mixed grain porridge? You're heartless. Why don't you just rob us?"

The old man smiled at these words and pointed to the door, saying, "We only have these few items in our shop. If you don't like them, why come in?"

The woman sighed a few times, slapped her thigh, and cursed angrily, "Forget it, forget it. I'm just unlucky to have such bad weather. Consider it money for warming myself by the fire and sheltering from the rain. Give me some mixed grain rice!"

After saying that, he rummaged in his pocket for a long time and reluctantly pulled out two copper coins.

Upon seeing the money, the old man acted swiftly, leaping forward to snatch it. He examined it closely, then his face fell: "This isn't just bad money, it's so worn; it's probably cast iron, not bronze. It'll be hard to use in the future..."

Upon hearing this, the woman stood up angrily, stretched out her palm, and said, "Give it back! I won't eat your mixed grain rice anymore!"

The old man quickly clutched the two copper coins tightly, chuckled, and said, "Don't be angry, don't be angry, I'll accept it. The mixed grain rice will be served in a little while!"

The woman then snorted and slowly sat down.

After saying this, the old man took the iron pot, ran to the cloth bag in the corner, took out some buckwheat and millet, took out some dried wild vegetables from another bag, dug out pickled radishes from the earthenware jar, took a little salt from the small box, scooped a ladle of water from the water vat, poured them all into the pot, placed it on the fire in the middle of the room, covered it, and added two more pieces of firewood.

The aroma of the food gradually spread out.

A quarter of an hour or so later, the old man skillfully sprinkled some sand to reduce the fire, lifted the pot lid, scooped the mixed grain rice into a small wooden basin, and respectfully handed it over.

The woman feigned deep distress: "Normally, two coins can buy at least eight measures of mixed grains, but this mixed grain porridge of yours probably only used two measures."

The old man remained silent and smiled.

Despite her complaints, the woman immediately picked up her chopsticks and wolfed down the mixed grain rice, devouring it in no time, leaving only a bare wooden basin.

At this moment, the small inn finally welcomed a new guest.

This time it was a bald, burly man, very tall and imposing, wearing a dirty robe, completely soaked. He looked like a monk, but his posture was nothing like that of a monk.

He walked in barefoot, his feet covered in mud, yet he moved with the air of a whirlwind, swaggering in with an arrogant air. He casually tossed out a few copper coins and called out loudly, "Boss, this humble monk would like five coins' worth of white rice. Do you also have any wine?"

Based on his self-proclaimed identity, he is indeed a monk.

But as for his behavior and conduct...

The old man didn't care about anything else; he was overjoyed to see such a "distinguished guest." He bent down and said with a smile, "The food will be ready soon. As for the wine... we only have our own homemade wine, which is quite cloudy, so I'm sorry to sell it..."

The bald, burly man scoffed, then pulled out two copper coins inscribed with "Yongle Tongbao," and said arrogantly, "In a place like this, what good stuff do I expect to get? A little bit of wine will do!"

One Yongle coin could be exchanged for four inferior coins. A coin with clear lettering and in good condition could sometimes be exchanged for five or six.

The old man was overjoyed at the sight and quickly put the item into his bag, then diligently ran around serving it.

This bald, burly man, who looked like a wandering monk, spent a total of thirteen coins, so he ate white rice, two thin grilled fish, three pieces of tofu, a bowl of hot miso soup, a jar of local sake, and half a small dish of natto.

To ordinary people, it was practically a delicacy, a rare and exquisite dish.

Upon smelling the odor, the woman subconsciously sniffed, then turned her head away and sat a little further away.

The old man tending the shop was in high spirits. While preparing the food, he casually asked, "Sir, you're really generous. Have you struck it rich?"

The bald, burly man laughed triumphantly: "Haha! I went to Mugada last month and had good luck rolling the dice. I won six or seven kan in one go. Not to mention the white rice here, I've also eaten lobster and abalone from the city several times recently!"

Upon hearing this, the old man dared not inquire further, lowered his head, and forced a few laughs to conceal his expression.

The bald, burly man had no interest in chatting with the other men. His eyes darted around, and he spotted the still-attractive woman beside him. He walked up to her with a grin and teased, "This lady, why are you out alone in the rain? Not with your man..."

Before he could finish speaking, the woman rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "If my husband hadn't died, would I have needed to run out of the house to work and support three children?"

Upon hearing this, the bald, burly man became even more excited. He chuckled twice, rubbed his hands together, and said like a weasel eyeing a hen: "A man dies, but you can always find another one! I know this area very well. Would you like me to introduce you to someone? I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

"Alright!" The woman was not flustered at all, and said loudly with her head held high, "I'm not greedy. Twenty strings of cash are enough for my children to grow up. Whoever can come up with twenty strings of cash, I'll go to their house and sleep right away!"

Upon seeing the woman's strong demeanor, the bald, burly man immediately lost interest and snorted, "I don't lack twenty strings of cash, but you tomboy aren't worth that price!"