Swallow Return

The bald, burly man remained fearless, ignoring the blade pressed against his neck, and glared angrily, saying, "Then kill this humble monk with one stroke! You still won't know what happened behind the scenes!"

At this moment, Lady Ningning suddenly spoke softly, "Lord Sasaki, I think this monk's words are sincere. If it's feasible, we might as well subdue him with martial arts, and the matter will be easily resolved."

The bald, burly man immediately smiled and nodded, saying, "This female benefactor is a kindred spirit of this humble monk."

Liu Yun knew that Ning Ning possessed strong spiritual power and a subtle understanding of people's hearts. After a moment's thought and a thorough assessment, he felt confident of victory and said with a sigh of relief, "Alright!" He then sheathed his longsword.

The bald, burly man quickly stepped back two paces, took out some medicine from his pocket, applied it to the wounds on his left and right shoulders to stop the bleeding, then bent over, clenched his fists, assumed a fighting stance, and solemnly said, "Just now, this humble monk was only focused on the matter of that female benefactor, which allowed you to gain the upper hand. But now it won't be so easy!"

Liu Yun glanced at him twice and sneered, "Since you monk have no weapon, I won't use my knife either, lest you complain about it later."

The bald, burly man frowned and asked, "I knew Sasaki Ryuun's swordsmanship was impressive, but I've never heard of him practicing fist techniques or judo."

Liu Yun calmly shook his head: "Indeed, he has never practiced; he just swings his arms around randomly."

Upon hearing this, the bald, burly man laughed loudly: "Haha! Perfect! This humble monk has never learned any martial arts from any school; I only rely on my innate superhuman strength!"

Liu Yun exclaimed in slight surprise, "This monk is even better at pretending than I am..."

Before he could finish speaking, the bald, burly man leaped forward, charging like a ferocious tiger, as fast as lightning. However, he didn't employ any proper techniques, simply using the long sleeves of his monk's robe as a weapon, slashing vertically downwards.

This is the kind of action that women and children would do when they're fighting and arguing; even a farmer carrying a hoe wouldn't be this amateurish.

However, when he slashed his sleeve vertically in the air, it generated a thunderous sound with the airflow.

Liu Yun took a step back to avoid the attack, and with a "bang," the stones on the ground were smashed by the monk's sleeve.

Saeko stood by and watched, initially without any pressure, but now she started to get a little nervous and subconsciously gripped the hilt of her sword, wanting to help.

Ningning, on the other hand, seemed full of confidence and not worried at all, even though it was the first time she had seen Liuyun make a move.

The bald, burly man, undeterred by his failed attempt, became even more excited, swinging his fists wildly with no rhyme or reason.

However, despite its seemingly chaotic nature, it is surprisingly powerful, capable of producing a loud bang when it hits the air, likely with a force of several thousand kilograms.

Liu Yun could have continued to avoid it.

However, seeing the opponent's brutal and violent fighting style, he was suddenly overcome with a surge of passion and abandoned his attempt to dodge. Ignoring the monk's fist, which was said to weigh thousands of pounds, he met the attack head-on with the same lack of skill.

The difference is that no matter how many punches you throw, I'll only throw one!

One punch is enough!

Liu Yun concentrated all his strength in an instant, and his whole body rose up like a rocket with its fuse lit, flying towards the enemy with the momentum of thunder and earth-shaking force.

The bald, burly man swung wildly, like rocks piercing the sky.

The swift cloud strike was like a meteor piercing the sun.

While jagged rocks piercing the sky are certainly terrifying, how can they compare to a shooting star?

The bald, burly man punched Liu Yun in the chest and abdomen several times, producing a loud clang like metal clashing against stone, but he could not stop the momentum.

Liu Yun's punch landed squarely on the opponent's forehead, sending the bald, burly man flying backward. He crashed into three large trees in succession before finally coming to a stop.

Saeko, who was standing nearby, stared wide-eyed in amazement. Suddenly, her face flushed red, and she instinctively squeezed her legs together.

Lady Ningning also looked surprised, muttering, "Lord Kinoshita's transformation into a monkey-faced samurai is nothing special. And he even loses his mind, and afterwards he's utterly exhausted..."

Liu Yun slowly withdrew his fist, placed it in front of his chest, blew on the back of his hand, shook his head and frowned, saying, "This monk is really unhygienic; he got my hands dirty."

As for the bald, strong man—if an ordinary person were to be sent flying backwards and crash into three trees, they would have been turned into mincemeat long ago, how could they possibly survive?

However, the man only lay on the ground blankly for a moment before struggling to his feet, clutching his forehead. He then revealed a very joyful expression and laughed loudly, "Well done, Sasaki Ryuun! This humble monk, Miyabe Zenshōbō, was once known as the 'Unparalleled Monk of Superhuman Strength.' Today is the first time I've encountered someone who has defeated me solely with the strength of a mortal body. I have to admit defeat! As agreed earlier, you may ask me anything you wish, and I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

Saeko's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed sincerely, "Truly worthy of my chosen master, so amazing!"

His admiration and affection were evident in his words.

Ningning glanced at Saeko, a complex expression on her face, then looked away, took two steps closer to the bald, burly man, and smiled, "In that case, Zen Master, please tell me about the recent disappearances of widows!"

Chapter 107 What is the "Heart Curse"? (Part 1)

Hearing the bald, burly man who called himself "Miyabe Zenshōbō" admit defeat so directly, Ryūyū became somewhat wary, frowning and asking in confusion, "You betrayed your original stance so quickly? You just said you would never yield, was that a joke?"

The bald, burly man showed a slight hint of embarrassment, but it quickly vanished as he said matter-of-factly, "I have always disliked the Asai family. I only work for them out of respect for my father's family. Anyway, it was agreed beforehand that I could quit whenever I felt like it, or even defect to the enemy!"

As expected, this guy is from the Asai family.

Upon hearing the other person's words, Liu Yun shook his head in disbelief: "You monk, how can you speak like that in front of your colleagues and superiors? Aren't you afraid of getting beaten to death?"

The bald, burly man who called himself "Miyabe Zenshōbō" said arrogantly, "You'd have to be able to beat this humble monk first! I've heard that the Asai family used to have the Three Generals of the Sea Red Rain, but they're either old or dead. Which general can stand against this humble monk now? A bunch of useless trash, occupying the position of elder of the family just because they were born into it, and they still have the nerve to pretend. If it's a matter of ability, this humble monk should be the head general!"

At this moment, Saeko clicked her tongue and commented with a disdainful tone: "This monk was knocked away by your punch, Master, and he's already bragging about himself as soon as he got up from the ground. I really don't know whether to say he's shameless or has a good attitude."

The bald, burly man was so embarrassed he couldn't speak. After a long pause, he weakly retorted, "Sasaki Ryuun is indeed as good as his reputation suggests; he's truly amazing. But I'm not weak either, and the difference isn't that great..."

At this moment, Lady Ningning stepped forward, revealing a graceful smile, and spoke softly, "Is the Zen Master named Miyabe Zenshōbō? I have already witnessed your innate superhuman strength. Although you are slightly inferior to Lord Sasaki, you are still a peerless hero. The Asai family is blind to not give you an important position."

The bald, burly man immediately laughed: "Madam, you seem to be a very reasonable person! I've heard that Sasaki Ryūun has a wife of noble birth, could it be you?"

Hearing this, Liu Yun felt a little embarrassed.

Ningning showed no embarrassment, but simply smiled, waved her hand, bowed slightly, and said softly, "I am the wife of Lord Kinoshita, the lord of Yokoyama Castle."

The bald, burly man—who now knew the monk's name was Miyabe Zenshōbō—widened his eyes in disbelief: "Kinoshita of Yokoyama Castle? He's got some nerve, sending his wife out as bait... Well, with Sasaki Ryūun protecting him, I'm not worried about anything going wrong. But... why do I feel like something's off here?"

Ignoring the irrelevant topic, Ningning took two steps closer to the other party and respectfully extended an invitation: "Zen Master Miyabe Zenshōbō, since you have no attachment to the Asai family, why not come and try your luck with our Lord Kinoshita? We will certainly treat such a formidable hero as you as an honored guest."

"Hmm..." Miyabe Zenshōbō thought for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "Is what you said true, Madam?"

Ningning, confident and composed, said, "I can vouch for Lord Kinoshita; he is certainly eager to find talented individuals."

“Very well!” Miyabe Zenshōbō nodded in agreement. “I have also heard about Lord Kinoshita’s affairs. It is indeed much better than the Asai family’s place. Since Madam has extended such a warm invitation, I will go back and resign as soon as possible to serve at Yokoyama Castle!”

"Then let's wait for good news." Ningning was overjoyed to hear this.

Liu Yun pondered the monk's words carefully and felt that although the bald, burly man seemed to do whatever he wanted, he was actually quite opinionated. He probably wasn't really brainless, but rather pretending to be crazy.

However, this matter is not worth considering for the time being. Liu Yun is currently concerned about the case of the missing widow.

So he went straight to the point and asked, "Monk, whether or not you will switch allegiance to Lord Kinoshita is another matter. You just said that as long as I defeat you fairly and squarely, I will speak my mind without reservation. Do you mean what you say?"

“Of course it counts!” Miyabe Zenshōbō immediately gave an affirmative answer, then awkwardly scratched his bald head: “I didn’t expect that you would actually put down your sword and fight again, and defeat me again… Sasaki Ryūun, you are indeed powerful, more powerful than me… well, slightly more powerful.”

Saeko chimed in, "Anyone who isn't blind can see that my master is much more capable than you!"

Miyabe Zenshōbō coughed twice, pretending not to hear.

Liu Yun didn't care about any of that and questioned, "Why did the widow disappear?"

Miyabe Zenshōbō honestly replied, "This humble monk was asked by the Asai family to summon the great demon 'Tora-gozen' hidden in the Toraga-gozen mountain. For this, I needed to capture twenty-four widows who missed their deceased husbands and refused to remarry. I had only captured thirteen when you caught them."

Liu Yun frowned and said, "You want to use human lives to summon monsters? So ruthless, it seems I can't let you live."

Miyabe Zenshōbō shook his head repeatedly: "Although I am not a good person, I am not that bad either! The twenty-four widows were only temporarily taken to the mountain for temporary use. They will be released afterward and will not be harmed. Moreover, I will give each of them two strings of cash as compensation."

Liu Yun expressed his doubts: "If you're so generous, why not just lure people in with money? Why resort to forcible arrests?"

Miyabe Zenshōbō said with a wry smile, "This matter cannot be made too public! People may not believe it if we tell them."

At this moment, Lady Ningning asked solemnly, "May I ask the Zen Master, is this 'Tiger Gozen' the same yokai that appeared a hundred years ago as a widow who missed her deceased husband? In the legends, she wasn't a terrifying yokai, was she? Could she really help the Asai family fight against Oda?"

Miyabe Zenshōbō shook his head and said, "Madam, you only know one side of the story. Torago-gozen didn't become a demon because she missed her deceased husband; she was a demon to begin with, but she fell in love and married an ordinary man. Her husband, seeking revenge, successfully assassinated a high-ranking retainer close to the Kamakura lord (Minamoto no Yoritomo), but failed to escape, which is why Torago-gozen became a widow. Overwhelmed with grief after becoming a widow, she sealed herself in a mountain in Ōmi Province, hence the name Torago-gozen Mountain."

After a pause, he continued, "The demon Toragozen has no intention of doing evil, so outsiders have no idea how powerful she is. However... her husband was originally just an ordinary mortal with average martial arts skills, yet he was able to assassinate a senior retainer close to the Kamakura lord (Minamoto no Yoritomo). There is a reason for this."

Liu Yun asked doubtfully, "Could it be that he suddenly became stronger because he married Tiger Queen?"

Miyabe Zenshōbō nodded and said, "That's right. Although Torago-gozen is a very powerful yokai, she is very sentimental. After getting married, she let her husband do whatever he wanted with her magical treasures and elixirs. That man was able to successfully carry out the assassination by relying on the power of a bunch of magical treasures and elixirs."

At this moment, Madam Ningning expressed her admiration: "The Zen Master knows so much about this secret; he truly deserves to be called a hermit."

Miyabe Zenshōbō sighed, "The temple where I reside was built because we were worried that Toraga-gozen might one day awaken and change drastically. The most important task of the temple is to prevent the sleeping Toraga-gozen from being disturbed by evil thoughts from the outside world."

Ryuun then raised another question: "Since you have no loyalty to the Asai family, why would you help them awaken the demon Toragozen? Doesn't that go against the temple's principles?"

“This is because…this is because…” Miyabe Zenshōbō suddenly fell into confusion, touching his bald head and lost in thought.

However, after pondering for a long time, he still couldn't figure it out. Instead, he became more and more confused and bewildered, to the point that he gradually became restless.

"Why? This humble monk has no reason to help the Asai family to this extent... No, no, there must be a reason. Deep down, I feel I absolutely have to do this... But why do I have to do it? This humble monk was already planning to flee at any moment... No, no, it's only after I finish this that I can flee... Hmm, after I finish this, I won't owe the Asai family any favors, and I can leave without any ties. But I can't leave without finishing it..."

As the monk descended into chaos, a faint yet eerie demonic aura gradually emerged from his body.

Liu Yun immediately became alert.

It seems that the monk's mind has been controlled!

Moreover, this was somewhat different from any method of controlling the mind that Liu Yun had known before.

Liu Yun himself possesses the "power of bewitching," an ability that, once successfully activated, can completely control the target. However, it can only be used on those with weak wills, and will render them dazed and incoherent.

If it's someone with a strong will, it will only increase their favorability slightly.

This "Miyabe Zenshōbō" is quite powerful and clearly has a very firm mind; Ryūyū's "bewitching power" had no effect on him.

The monk's current state is as if some instruction has been forcibly implanted in his brain, yet it does not affect his normal thinking.

Without triggering the keyword, you can't tell anything unusual about this person, and you can't detect any demonic aura.

The situation only changed when Ryuun asked, "Why did you help Asai with this?"

Clearly, this is a very sophisticated tactic behind the scenes!

Fortunately, it was triggered in advance; otherwise, if Madam Ningning had taken him back and the incident had occurred at some crucial moment, it might have led to a major disaster.

Chapter 108 What is the "Heart Curse"?

"Torō Gozen cannot be released. The existence of this temple is to seal Torō Gozen!"

"Wrong, wrong! We must summon Toragozen and have her attack the Oda clan. This is an order that cannot be disobeyed!"

"Ah—ah—we can't let it go! We have to let it go!"

It seemed as if two consciousnesses were fighting in Miyabe Zenshōbō's mind. This bald, burly man gradually descended into madness, losing his reason. Like an uncontrollable wild beast, he roared and ran amok, attacking the air indiscriminately.

Liu Yun tried to forcibly tie him up with the rope he carried with him.

However, this fellow was born with superhuman strength. The hemp rope, which was only half an inch thick, broke after being tied two or three times with the slightest struggle.

It seems that physical methods are useless; we must resort to supernatural means.

However, there was no one skilled in magic present at the moment.

Although Madam Ningning possesses powerful spiritual energy, she has not systematically studied Yin-Yang techniques and does not know how to use them.

She tried to appease Miyabe Zenshōbō with words, but to little avail and received no response.