Swallow Return

"...It's alright. I wish your wish will come true soon..."

"...Lady Toraga, what is your wish...?"

"...My wish has already been fulfilled..."

In short, it sounds like typical conversations between women.

Since Liu Yun had no intention of eavesdropping, he didn't bother to discern the details, only overhearing a few incoherent sentences.

……

Early the next morning, the female demon, Tiger Goddess, said she would continue to sleep in the mountains. Ryuun and his group bid her farewell, escorted the released widows, and carried Miyabe Zenshōbō, whose head was bleeding and whose face was bruised and swollen, back to Yokoyama Castle.

Kinoshita Tokichiro was naturally overjoyed to see the matter resolved and all the victims found unharmed.

Now he can confidently insist on the "retainers living together" policy.

In his words, even if all the people of the country moved to the city, the security of the local villages could still be guaranteed!

In reality, not many people here truly care about the safety of ordinary citizens; it's just a power struggle between centralization and decentralization, using the issue of public security as a pretext.

Then, upon learning that Lady Ningning's words had brought in Miyabe Zenshōbō as a powerful ally, Kinoshita Tokichirō was even more delighted.

Although this brute monk's skills are not as good as Liu Yun's, they are still quite commendable.

Upon hearing this, Kinoshita Tokichiro immediately adopted a show of eagerness to recruit talent, demonstrating great respect and importance, without exhibiting any arrogance befitting a superior.

Miyabe Zenshōbō was previously ostracized by the hereditary retainers of the Asai family.

Now that the treatment was far better than before, he readily agreed to switch sides and become an official. His only concern was the "mental curse" placed on him, which caused him to occasionally descend into a state of madness.

It may be necessary to wait for Takenaka Shigeharu to return and resolve this.

Beating him up would only alleviate the symptoms, since it's not a cure.

……

He didn't need to worry about the subsequent political matters, so Liu Yun returned to his hideout in Sasaki Village.

He continued his life, which, while he enjoyed the blessings of having two women on each side, was dull, tasteless, and soulless.

Looking back on this mission, the process was actually quite simple. The only unique aspect was that I was partnered with Kinoshita Tokichiro's wife, which made it a bit awkward.

After a few days, I got used to it, and the awkwardness gradually dissipated, so I didn't feel anything anymore.

After arriving home, in front of Ryuun, Saeko recounted her experiences on the trip to Iori.

Iori felt relieved that the lady of the Kinoshita family shouldn't be a threat, and that female monster dressed like a noblewoman from the Heian period was even less likely to be one.

I thought this was just a minor incident...

As a result, another incident occurred a few days later.

Maeno Nagayasu rode a fast horse to Sasaki Village, saying that Lady Nene had suddenly fainted for several hours, and even Takenaka Shigeharu could not figure out the cause. Kinoshita Tokichiro was eager to know what had happened in the past few days.

Liu Yun realized this was no small matter and set off immediately. This time, however, Saeko didn't have time to be a burden.

Upon arriving at Yokoyama Castle, they found that Takenaka Shigeharu and Hachisuka Masakatsu had probably returned from the south with their men, and were looking worried and distressed with Kinoshita Tokichiro.

As for Miyabe Zenshōbō, whom we brought back last time, his "heart curse" is said to have been temporarily suppressed and will gradually improve over time. However, the injuries he sustained from being beaten up by Ryūyū have not yet fully healed.

Liu Yun recounted the entire story of how she and Madam Ningning went out.

Kinoshita Tokichiro, Hachisuka Masakatsu, and Maeno Nagayasu were still completely confused after hearing this.

Only Takenaka Shigeharu, who was well-versed in Yin-Yang arts, seemed to have an epiphany. He immediately summoned Miyabe Zenshōbō and questioned him carefully.

Ultimately, Takenaka Shigeharu concluded: "Lady Nene is born with spiritual power and has a very deep connection with the female demon, Tiger Goddess. I suspect that when the two met, an extremely rare phenomenon of their souls becoming entangled occurred. Originally, if the two had simply kept their distance, this invisible entanglement would have gradually weakened and disappeared. But unexpectedly, something happened within six days."

Liu Yun asked doubtfully, "Could it be that the female demon Tiger Queen was attacked, and that's why Lady Ningning was also implicated?"

Takenaka Shigeharu said with a solemn expression, "That's right. According to what was said earlier, the female demon, Toragozen, possesses considerable power, so she might not be seriously injured by some attacks. But Lady Nene is an ordinary person, and even the slightest injury would be too much for her to bear."

Liu Yun solemnly said, "Then we need to go to Tiger Imperial Mountain to investigate immediately."

Kinoshita Tokichiro's face darkened. He slapped his thigh hard and roared, "I can't stay at home this time! Even if something goes wrong, even if Lord Danjo (Oda Nobunaga) blames me later, I have to go and see for myself today!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a messenger reported that the Asai family had sent about a thousand men out of the city two hours ago. Their intentions were unclear, but they were suspected to be to break through the blockade set up by the Oda family so that they could break out later.

The area around Odani Castle is now surrounded by five or six temporary fortresses belonging to the Oda clan, cutting off all communication with the outside world. This is the so-called "survival castle" tactic.

Kinoshita Tokichiro was sent to Yokoyama Castle specifically to oversee this matter.

The Asai family was certainly not willing to be trapped, but they had too few troops and dared not move out easily. They could only send small groups of elite troops to probe from time to time, always trying to burn down the five or six temporary fortresses when no one was paying attention.

Even if one or two are burned down, at least there will be much more tactical flexibility.

Previously, with Kinoshita Tokichiro diligently guarding the area, they had never been able to get what they wanted.

However, the timing was really unfortunate this time.

Just now we were saying we were going to Tiger Emperor Mountain to resolve Lady Ningning's problem...

Kinoshita Tokichiro clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, hesitated for a moment, and then made a decisive statement: "Let my younger brother Koichiro stay behind with two hundred men to defend the castle. The rest of you will come with me to stop the Asai family's army! As for Nene's matter, I'll leave it to Lord Takenaka and Brother Ryuun. Just let me know if you need any help! Once I've dealt with the enemy, I'll immediately lead my men to Toragozen Mountain to meet up with you!"

It seems that he prioritized his career over his wife.

Of course, being able to allocate extra manpower to pay attention to his wife's affairs and promising "just ask if you need any help" is not exactly cold-blooded.

Takenaka Shigeharu was not surprised by this. He nodded silently to indicate that he understood, and only said, "Bring Lord Miyabe Zenshōbō along. Since this is related to Toraga-gozen, he may be able to play a significant role."

Liu Yun originally wanted to say something polite and comforting.

But thinking about it, how should I put it?

"Don't worry about handing your wife over to me!"

Does this sound like human language?

So in the end, nothing was said.

Chapter 112 Merging with a Demon (Part 1)

Kinoshita Tokichiro's belief that leading troops into battle was more important than his wife's safety was in line with the values ​​of the time and would not be subject to any criticism.

On the contrary, Hachisuka Masakatsu thought, "At the critical moment when the Asai family launched the surprise attack, having Lord Takenaka and Lord Sasaki in charge of this matter will surely comfort the lady when she wakes up."

In short, Takenaka Shigeharu and Sasaki Ryuun, along with the only known brute monk, Miyabe Zenshōbō, headed towards Toragozen Mountain.

The distance of about fifteen kilometers is not very long, but at this crucial moment, it feels far.

Seeing that Lady Ningning was in trouble, Takenaka Shigeharu spared no expense, tearing apart a magical artifact to summon three grass horses. It was said that their performance was far superior to ordinary mounts, and they did not need to eat or drink and were tireless. However, the cost was relatively high, with each horse costing about one hundred kan to maintain for a few hours.

Liu Yun tried it out, and indeed, it was incredibly fast, like lightning. Moreover, it was very easy to ride, as if walking on flat ground, and there was no problem of it being wild and untamed.

I estimate it will take less than half an hour to get there.

This is undoubtedly much more convenient.

Of course, even if it's less than half an hour, traveling is still very tedious.

As they sped along the country roads, Ryuun couldn't help but ask Takenaka Shigeharu beside him, "You just said that the female demon, Tiger Goddess, has a very deep connection with Lady Ningning, which is why their souls are entangled. Could you tell me exactly where that connection lies?"

Because his mount was running so fast, the wind was whistling past his ears, and he unconsciously spoke louder.

Upon hearing this, Takenaka Shigeharu pondered for a moment before replying, "Lord Sasaki, do you know that most of the monsters in the world are formed from 'obsession'?"

Liu Yun nodded and said, "I have heard of it."

Takenaka Shigeharu readily agreed, “Then it’s not hard to explain. Although I haven’t seen it myself, I can guess that the female demon, Toragozen, is most likely a physical manifestation of the obsession with the concept of ‘Yamato Nadeshiko’.”

Yamato Nadeshiko?

This word isn't used much in everyday life, but Liu Yun had seen it in her past life and understood its meaning very well.

This is a term of endearment used in traditional Japanese culture to describe an ideal, outstanding woman.

A "Yamato Nadeshiko" should possess a whole host of characteristics, such as being dignified and generous, gentle and quiet, loyal and devoted, good at managing a household, respecting her husband, and loving her children. In short, she is the image of a healing and virtuous wife and loving mother.

In literary and artistic works, it is often combined with cute elements such as long black hair, kimono, lap pillow, the bride's three questions, and the three-finger salute.

Lady Iori of the Ryuun family could probably be classified into this category, although she is not a particularly outstanding example.

Upon hearing this, Miyabe Zenshōbō, who had been brought in to help, immediately agreed: "From what I understand, this female demon, Torago-gozen, is indeed a typical 'Yamato Nadeshiko.' She is selfless and devoted to her husband without reservation, and firmly supports him."

Liu Yun has a better understanding of this part.

In Japan, the vast majority of parents expect their daughters to become quintessential "Yamato Nadeshiko" (ideal Yamato woman), and most women also aspire to become "Yamato Nadeshiko" to fulfill their parents' wishes. This obsession is so widespread and deeply ingrained that it gave birth to a powerful yokai like "Tora-gozen" (Tiger Goden).

However, despite its power, due to this obsessive nature, it is extremely gentle and kind, without any desire to fight, and incapable of doing anything evil. Therefore, it does not spread a fearsome reputation like other great demons.

Takenaka Shigeharu paused for a moment, then said, "If we're talking about 'Yamato Nadeshiko' in the human world, then there's probably no one more suitable than Lady Nene."

Miyabe Zenshōbō immediately nodded in agreement, saying, "This humble monk believes that Lord Takenaka is absolutely right! Lady Nene can be regarded as a model of a samurai wife!"

Takenaka Shigeharu smiled and continued, "I once suspected that Lady Nene, though human, possessed characteristics that ordinary people did not have, which was why she had innate spiritual power. Now it seems that she was also born from the obsession of the 'Yamato Nadeshiko,' but she did not become a demon. Instead, she was born as an ordinary human... I cannot yet comprehend the mystery behind this."

Miyabe Zenshōbō interjected, "This humble monk believes that such a complex problem probably requires the personal presence of Master Xu Fu or the Holy Monk Jianzhen to understand it!"

Liu Yun was still puzzled: "If it's just like that, will our souls become entangled after we meet?"

Takenaka Shigeharu frowned and shook his head, saying, "It shouldn't be just a simple meeting, but rather a deep conversation that leads to this connection! Perhaps we'll understand once we meet that female demon, Toragozen."

Seeing that Zhu Zhong also didn't know, Liu Yun didn't ask any further questions.

After continuing on my way for a while, I was stopped halfway through.

Three foot soldiers dressed in Okegawa robes and carrying long spears, one of whom had the Asai family crest painted on his back, openly stood on the road robbing people, saying, "We no longer serve anyone. Passersby, please lend us some travel expenses!"

It appears that the garrison of Odani Castle, seeing the situation was not good, took advantage of the opportunity to go out of the city to fight and secretly deserted, intending to escape and become ronin, or rather, to become outlaws.

In these chaotic times, a wandering ronin without a master is no different from a band of wicked mountain bandits. How can one survive without engaging in businesses that require no capital?

These guys just had really bad judgment and bad luck today.

Since he had something to do, Liu Yun didn't bother with any more words and brandished his knife to finish off the three people blocking his way.

Unexpectedly, an uninvited guest dressed as an Onmyoji suddenly emerged from the bushes, chanting incantations and summoning a flame.

Caught off guard, Liu Yun had no time to dodge.

However, possessing "healing power," he was not worried about the flames summoned by ordinary Onmyoji and charged forward without paying any attention.

Takenaka Shigeharu could not stand idly by. He quickly reined in his horse and made a simple gesture with one hand, pointing a water curtain that appeared out of thin air and neutralized the flames.

At this moment, Liu Yun had easily swung his sword and killed all three soldiers blocking his way.

The yin-yang master who set the fire realized he had met his match. He chanted another spell, and a green light flashed beneath his feet, creating a gentle breeze. He was about to flee at top speed.