Swallow Return

So this is the legendary, incredibly powerful, yet harmless, great demon, Toragozen.

Liu Yun thought to himself: No wonder there is such a profound yet peaceful demonic aura. If we were to fight over a disagreement, I might not be able to win.

Then Miyabe Zenshōbō gradually lost consciousness, shouting blankly, "We must make Toragagozen attack the Oda clan..."

Looks like he's had another episode.

Without saying a word, Liu Yun punched the monk unconscious and threw him to the ground.

The noblewoman wearing a short kimono and long trousers—that is, Torago-gozen—shaked her head and frowned upon seeing this, saying, "Why be so violent? You've already seriously injured this monk."

Liu Yun said, "This monk has been cursed with a spell, and there's no way to break it. Can you break it?"

Tiger King shook his head and said, "I don't understand this kind of magic, so I'm helpless."

Liu Yun said matter-of-factly, "Then we can only do it this way for now."

Tiger King looked reluctant, sighed, and asked, "Could it be that you sent over a dozen widows in an attempt to awaken me?"

Liu Yun explained, "Originally, it was this monk who tried to wake you up. But he didn't do it on purpose; he was under a spell."

Tiger Goden nodded in realization, then asked, "What is the purpose of the person behind this, who is trying to awaken me?"

Liu Yun replied, "It seems they want you to help the Asai family deal with the Oda army."

Upon hearing this, Toragozen frowned: "The Asai family is probably a force from the Asai district of Omi province. Who is Oda?"

Upon seeing that this noblewoman-like female demon was clearly from the Peach Blossom Spring, someone who was oblivious to the worldly affairs of the past, Liu Yun was too lazy to explain and simply shook his head, saying, "These are all trivial disputes of the world, and we shouldn't disturb your peace. Let's not talk about them!"

Tiger Goden chuckled lightly: "It is fate that you and I have met for the first time, yet you can speak as if you are old friends."

However, even when she smiled, her brows still held a melancholy and resentment.

Liu Yun added, "The spell to summon you is not yet complete, yet you have already appeared. It seems the trick of the person behind the scenes is about to fail."

Tiger Goden shook his head and sighed, "I was not sealed by Buddhism or Onmyoji, but fell asleep on my own and can wake up at any time. There is no magic to summon me, let alone drive me to fight... It's probably just a misunderstanding. I just came out to take a look because I saw a dozen or so widows locked in a cave."

Liu Yun felt it was inappropriate to interfere in other people's private affairs, so he explained the reason for his visit: "I have come to resolve the issue of the kidnapped widow."

Toragozen forced a weak laugh and said, "Of course. The barrier has already been dismantled. Please escort these innocent people back!"

Liu Yun bowed slightly in acknowledgment: "That would be perfect."

Toragozen nodded silently, then turned his gaze to Saeko, revealing an expression of appreciation. He said, "A girl who trusts the man she has chosen without reservation, and even rebuilds her body out of love, is very much to my liking. I wish you well! As long as your feelings remain unchanged, my blessings will endure."

Then, a flash of light appeared.

Saeko's face lit up with delight, and she bowed, saying, "Thank you! My trust and affection for my master will never change!"

Ryuun glanced to the side and felt that Saeko seemed to have suddenly become much stronger, while Toragozen's demonic aura had weakened slightly.

It must have been something similar to "transferring skills".

This habit of giving gifts at the slightest disagreement seems a bit too friendly...

Then, Toragozen looked at Nene.

Coincidentally, ever since Tiger Goddess appeared, Lady Ningning has remained silent, as if deep in thought or somewhat dazed.

Eyes facing each other.

Toragozen instantly showed curiosity and surprise, and said with emotion, "Eh? A soul from the same origin as mine did not become a monster, but was reincarnated as a human! How amazing."

At this moment, Ningning cried out in surprise, waking up from her daze. Her expression was very complicated, as if she had recalled something that was difficult to talk about.

Liu Yun looked closely and noticed again that Tiger Goddess and Ning Ning, one a noblewoman-like demon and the other a dignified and elegant samurai wife, did not have much in common in appearance, but their temperaments were extremely similar.

No... to be precise, it's not just similar, it's identical.

It's like they're different incarnations of the same person.

There must be some connection between these things.

Even Saeko realized this at that moment, muttering to herself, "It's so similar..."

Liu Yun felt that today might not be as simple as just rescuing the widow.

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Chapter 110 The Connection Between Tiger Goddess and Ningning (Part 1)

Elegant and graceful, dressed in a long kimono like a noblewoman from the Heian period, the legendary yokai, Toragozen.

Despite deliberately changing into coarse cloth clothes and a bamboo hat, Ningning, the wife of a military family, still exudes a dignified, generous, and virtuous demeanor.

Their eyes met, and they both fell silent in thought.

It was as if they had suddenly reunited with old friends they hadn't seen for years, and were reminiscing about the complicated grudges and affections of the past.

But if you think about it rationally, it's highly unlikely that they have any connection whatsoever.

Unless the relationship between the two is not in the secular sense, but on a supernatural level.

For example, what Toragozen just said about "a soul that comes from the same source as me"—I don't understand exactly what that means, but it's probably similar to the concept of "you are my past life" in those cheesy soap operas, right?

Anyway, Liu Yun will just assume that's how it is.

The two—or rather, the human and the demon—stared at each other for a long time. Torago-gozen, dressed in a long hakama (traditional Japanese robe) like a lady of the court in the Heian period, suddenly shook her head and sighed softly, saying, "Even though we are of the same origin, you seem to have chosen a different life from mine."

At this moment, Lady Ningning emerged from her state of confusion and shock, breathed a sigh of relief, bowed and said, "It is an honor to meet Lord Toraga. I am the wife of Lord Kinoshita Tokichiro, the lord of Yokoyama Castle of the Oda clan. You may call me Ningning."

“I see…” Toragozen was silent for a moment, then asked in a low voice, “So, what kind of person is this Kinoshita Tokichiro-sama you mentioned?”

Ningning smiled and replied without hesitation, "Although Lord Kinoshita comes from a humble background, he possesses an unparalleled fighting spirit and undeniable potential. He is destined for great success in the future. I have no doubt about this."

“I see…” Toragozen lowered her head again, a hint of disappointment flashing across her brows. She said softly, “My husband’s name is Soga Yusei. He comes from the Gokenin family and is the eldest son of the head of the estate. He could be considered a descendant of a high-ranking family. He is completely ignorant of human relationships and worldly affairs, and his martial arts skills are only mediocre. He is a very enthusiastic and honest person, without any scheming, to the point that he is considered a ‘fool.’ But it is precisely in this respect that he is completely different from others.”

Standing to the side, Liu Yun noticed that although the human and the demon had the same temperament, their conversation just now revealed completely different ideas.

When Ningning introduced Kinoshita Tokichiro, her tone was full of pride. However, upon closer examination, it felt like she was affirming the abilities of a family member, a close friend, or a business partner, without containing much of an ambiguous or romantic connotation.

In contrast, Toragozen's evaluation of her husband, Soga Yusei, focuses not on his worldly abilities or skills, but on his character and conduct. Her tone certainly aligns with that of a loving couple.

Upon hearing this, Madam Ningning seemed to realize this as well. Her smile faltered, her expression became somewhat complicated, and she lowered her head without saying a word.

Liu Yun, of course, couldn't say anything in this situation.

Saeko, standing beside him, suddenly spoke up in great surprise: "Is the Soga Yunari you just mentioned the protagonist of the 'Soga Brothers' Revenge Incident'? That's a very famous anecdote in our Kanto region! Just two brothers, to avenge their deceased father, assassinated a general under Kamakura-dono (Minamoto no Yoritomo) amidst thousands of troops. Although they didn't escape unscathed, they successfully killed their enemy. We've always thought of such people as resolute, decisive, and highly skilled warriors. How could they be just ordinary samurai?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun also found it a bit strange.

Tiger King's face was still desolate and lonely. He forced a smile and said, "My husband has already made such a name for himself in Kanto? That's not bad."

However, he did not answer Saeko's question.

At this moment, Miyabe Zenshōbō, who had been knocked unconscious and thrown to the ground by Ryūyū, seemed to wake up and weakly interjected, "This humble monk knows that it was this Lady Toragami who, knowing her husband's eagerness for revenge, gave him forty percent of the demonic energy, which is why he was able to successfully assassinate the shogunate general."

Liu Yun looked down at him, slightly surprised: "Monk, you're alright again?"

Miyabe Zenshōbō said weakly, "For now, it seems I can still control my mind."

Liu Yun nodded, expressing his helpfulness: "If things get out of control, I'll be happy to help. As the old saying goes, a good beating can cure all ills, and that's certainly true."

“Where would you find such an ancient person…” Miyabe Zenshōbō was about to complain, but after glancing at Ryūun, he swallowed his words and changed his tune, saying, “Thank you, thank you, but it’s not necessary now.”

Then he tucked his hands and feet in and stopped talking.

At this moment, Lady Ningning was very surprised: "So, Lord Toragozen has lost forty percent of his demon power forever because of this?"

Toragozen seemed unconcerned, lowering her eyes and saying calmly, "It's just a pity that my husband's body can't bear any more. If I could share seventy percent of my demonic power, perhaps he would have had a chance to escape unscathed. He said at the time that he wanted to serve in the shogunate and obtain a high position, which is why he wanted to obtain demonic power. How could he hide this from me? I know he was going to risk his life to assassinate me... However, as his wife, how could I refuse my husband's sincere request? Since he is unwilling to tell the truth, I will simply pretend I don't know..."

Ningning fell silent again, her expression seemingly a little depressed and sad.

Saeko, standing to the side, hesitated for a moment, then murmured to herself, "If my master ever needs my strength, I should do so without hesitation, just like this Lady Torago."

Out of curiosity, Liu Yun casually said, "If Lady Torago went to assist in person, wouldn't Lord Soga Yusei have a better chance of surviving?" As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately realized and answered himself, "Lady Torago looked reluctant when she saw me about to kill two little monsters. It seems that she must hate things involving swords and bloodshed."

Tiger Lady managed a wry smile and nodded, saying, "I didn't expect that this sir would understand my feelings on our first meeting. May I ask your name?"

Liu Yun said, "My name is Sasaki Liu Yun, and I am an ordinary samurai."

Toragozen bowed slightly and said, "Lord Sasaki, a man who understands women's feelings so well must make your wives and concubines happy."

Liu Yun felt a little embarrassed by the situation, coughed, and remained silent.

Saeko, standing beside her, wore an expression of extreme pride and even fanaticism, puffing out her chest as she said, "Lady Torago, you are absolutely right. Before I met my master, I could not have imagined that such a blissful time could exist in the world."

Liu Yun, not wanting to participate in women's gossip, changed the subject and said seriously, "Lady Tiger, this is the situation. Apparently, someone from the Asai family in Odani Castle cast a curse on Miyabe Zenshōbō, trying to drive you to fight against the Oda army, but fortunately, it didn't succeed. However, given your nature, you probably know the other party's hostility but are unwilling to retaliate, only seeking to avoid and protect yourself, right?"

Toragozen let out a long sigh of relief, nodded, and said, "Lord Sasaki is indeed my confidant."

Liu Yun looked up and saw that it was getting late, and made a decision: "It's probably too late to travel now. It seems we need to stay here for the night and escort the widows back tomorrow."

Then he looked down at Miyabe Zenshōbō on the ground and asked, "Is the monk still holding on? When I was 'treating' you, I didn't stop."

Despite his bruised and battered face and bleeding head, Miyabe Zenshōbō hummed softly, "This humble monk can still hold on."

Tiger Queen nodded and said, “That’s very good. I can assure you that this mountain is safe for the time being, and you can set up camp without worry.” Then she gave Ningning a meaningful look and said quietly, “Perfect timing, I have some questions I would like to ask this Lady Ningning.”

Ningning subconsciously turned her head away, avoiding his gaze, and controlled her tone, replying calmly, "I dare not accept such praise. I am but an ordinary woman; how could I dare to 'ask for your advice'?"

Chapter 111 The Connection Between Tiger Goddess and Nene (Part 2)

Liu Yun entered the cave and indeed found more than ten terrified widows.

He himself was not good at dealing with female comrades, but fortunately, the very approachable Mrs. Ningning was good at negotiation and used gentle words to appease them one by one, quickly calming the situation down.

It was already dusk, and the group had no choice but to camp out in the open.

Fortunately, the cave was originally built for imprisonment and had enough supplies.

However, Liu Yun still couldn't sleep peacefully.

After all, the conditions in the middle of nowhere are quite terrible, and there are a bunch of widows nearby, which makes people feel rather awkward.

Besides, we don't know if that reckless monk Miyabe Zenshōbō might suddenly go crazy at night, so we have to keep an eye on him.

He figured he was young and strong and wouldn't have any problem staying up all night, so he just leaned against a rock at the cave entrance, closed his eyes, and pretended to sleep.

In the middle of the night, she could vaguely hear the female demon, Tiger Goden, dressed like a noblewoman, talking to Nene.

"...So that's how you chose it. I'd like to ask, do you have any regrets...?"

"...I have no regrets whatsoever..."

"...I see. Although there's a connection, I can't easily guess. Perhaps every woman's definition of happiness is different..."

"...Thank you for your understanding. I admire your actions, but I'm afraid I cannot emulate them..."