Swallow Return

The brute monk Miyabe Zenshōbō had already picked up a stone from the ground. He then swung it and threw it, hitting the Onmyoji squarely in the back and smashing his head into a pulp.

The battle ended almost immediately after it began, lasting only a few seconds.

Upon seeing this, Takenaka Shigeharu shook his head and sighed, "Soldiers are one thing. These Onmyoji have already entered the inner circle. No matter which daimyo they serve, it will not be difficult for them to gain knowledge and authority. Why must they become bandits? I think these few roadblockers seem to be somewhat crazy and irrational. There are probably other changes in Odani Castle."

This problem didn't seem urgent, so I didn't think about it further.

A moment later, they arrived at Mount Toragomae. Takenaka Shigeharu cast a spell to summon more than a dozen bamboo bird shikigami for reconnaissance, and sure enough, they discovered signs of a fight nearby.

Following the same route, we climbed up and arrived at the scene of the incident in less than fifteen minutes.

We can see a graceful and elegant noblewoman from the Heian period, using a ribbon she casually summons as a weapon, protecting several small, blue-faced, fanged demons as they fight and retreat, already quite badly injured. This is none other than Toragozen.

On the other side, half of the menacing group were women.

And coincidentally, Liu Yun knew him too.

Chapter 113 Merging with a Demon (Part 2)

As everyone knows, Liu Yun has always been of upright character and pure nature. He never indulges in promiscuity or seeks pleasure with women. He is a virtuous and self-disciplined young man, and by no means a dissolute and frivolous playboy.

Therefore, the only woman he met outside his home was Miss Igawa Asahi, a member of the "Anti-Demon Ninja".

It just so happens that we ran into each other again this time.

With her long, straight black hair, purple tight-fitting night clothes, tall and slender figure, beautiful yet heroic face, and agile and dashing posture, who else could it be but her?

Miss Jinghe, along with a few familiar subordinates and some other unidentified individuals, is launching a ruthless attack.

Some engaged in close combat, some fired shots from a distance, and others summoned lightning and flames to fight.

Meanwhile, Toragozen, dressed like a noblewoman from the Heian period, used two ribbons to protect several small, blue-faced, fanged demons as they fought and retreated. They could only parry and had no ability to fight back. She already had two wounds on her body that were bleeding, and her clothes had marks from being burned and electrocuted. She was clearly on the verge of collapse.

Those few little monsters weren't just trembling and relying on people for protection; they fought bravely, wielding their clubs, though their strength was limited and they couldn't offer much help.

Upon seeing her from afar, Takenaka Shigeharu did a quick divination and solemnly declared, "Indeed, the injury suffered by this female demon is related to Lady Nene. It seems we must intervene."

Liu Yun nodded and stepped forward first. Instead of drawing his sword to intervene, he greeted the acquaintance, "Miss Jinghe, it's been a long time. May I ask you to grant me a word and call a truce for now?"

"Lord Sasaki?" Miss Igawa turned her head and saw Ryuun, quite surprised. She glanced at the seriously injured Toragozen, hesitated for a moment, and then sheathed her short sword.

Her subordinates also stopped fighting.

Tiger Goden was finally able to catch his breath, but he was still surrounded and unable to escape.

However, their group was not the only one besieging Tiger Queen.

The others, all appearing to be men, were led by a short, stocky old man with white hair and wrinkled skin. Upon seeing this, he frowned and questioned in a sharp, unpleasant voice, "Miss Jinghe, may I ask who this person is? What is your relationship with him? Didn't we meticulously plan this for a long time? Why did you stop immediately after he said just one word?"

The style of this voice is somewhat like that of an old eunuch in an ancient costume drama.

"This... is Sasaki Ryuun from Omi." Miss Ikawa's voice was somewhat flustered and embarrassed. She only turned to the old man and answered this question before looking at Ryuun with a serious expression and saying, "Lord Sasaki, we are besieging a ferocious great demon. May I ask why you came out to stop us?"

Liu Yun glanced around and asked, "This Tiger Lady, although she is a demon, is gentle in nature and does not like to harm people, as far as I know. Why do you question whether to kill her?"

Miss Igawa was quite surprised to hear this, and asked in astonishment, "Lord Sasaki, do you know this monster very well?"

Liu Yun pointed and said, "This female demon is named 'Tiger Queen.' You should have seen her strength just now. But despite having such strength, she neither fled alone nor killed anyone. She only protected a few lesser demons and fought her way back... This already explains part of the problem."

At this moment, Takenaka Shigeharu and Miyabe Zenshōbō also came over and stood on the left and right sides.

Miyabe Zenshōbō immediately chimed in, "This humble monk knows that Lady Toraga has the ability to conjure wings from her demonic energy and fly. If she wanted to escape alone, she would have flown away long ago."

These words weren't particularly convincing to begin with. But perhaps because it was Liu Yun who started it, Miss Jinghe couldn't help but nod and frown in reflection, saying, "Indeed, this female demon doesn't seem like a fierce and evil spirit."

Upon hearing this, the short, stout old man with white hair and wrinkled skin gave a soft "humph" and said unhurriedly, "Miss Jinghe, don't forget, we came here to investigate the disappearance of the widow, and then we discovered that demonic energy was surging, and there were even many newly born little demons... It goes without saying that this female demon must have sacrificed the innocent widow to the demon race in exchange for this power."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun couldn't help but chuckle: "Heh, that's just nonsense. I resolved the case of the missing widow six days ago, sending the innocent victims home one by one. The mastermind behind it all is someone else. This Lady Tiger was simply awakened by someone. She not only didn't harm anyone, but also kindly offered protection. As for the surge of demonic energy and the rebirth of the little demons, it's likely due to Lady Tiger's awakening."

Miss Jinghe was stunned and speechless.

Shigeharu Takenaka chimed in, "What Lord Sasaki said is indeed the truth."

Miyabe Zenshōbō nodded quickly: "This humble monk lives on the mountain and witnessed it with his own eyes. I can testify to that."

The short, stocky old man with white hair and wrinkled skin chuckled twice, then slammed his knife hilt against the mountain wall. In a sharp, sarcastic voice, he said, "This is just one side of the story, without any evidence. How can it be believed? I have to make a wild guess that you might be people who have colluded with monsters to cause trouble..."

I have to say, when he gets excited, this guy looks even more like an old eunuch than before...

Liu Yun calmly shook his head and said, "But isn't your claim that this female demon has committed evil just baseless speculation without any evidence?"

Miyabe Zenshōbō asked in confusion, "This humble monk doesn't understand. If you go to the villages where widows have gone missing and ask around, you'll know whether the victims have returned or not. Isn't that solid evidence?"

Shigeharu Takenaka sighed, "It's no use. They'll just claim it's a delaying tactic."

The short, stout old man with white hair and wrinkled skin lowered his face and remained silent, clearly having been guessed by Takenaka Shigeharu. He could only respond in this way because he was unfamiliar with the situation.

At this moment, Miss Igawa's gaze swept over, ignoring Takenaka Shigeharu, whom she recognized, and Miyabe Zenshōbō, whom she didn't know, fixing on Ryūun. She lowered her head in thought for a moment, then suddenly looked up, as if having made a decision, and turned to the old man behind her, saying decisively, "I cannot doubt Lord Sasaki's words. Senior Yagyu, perhaps our investigation was flawed, or perhaps we were indeed wrong just now..."

"Hey! Miss Jinghe!" The short, stout, white-haired, wrinkled old man suddenly became agitated, his voice growing even sharper: "You need to think this through. If you trust outsiders so easily, how can we achieve our goal of rebuilding Buddhism's reputation and cleansing the world of its filth?"

Miss Igawa shook her head, unwavering: "Lord Sasaki is not an unrelated outsider. If even he cannot be trusted, then I think the so-called 'cleansing the world' is just empty talk."

The short, stocky old man with white hair and wrinkled skin twitched his eyelids a few times, seemingly on the verge of anger, but he ultimately restrained himself. Instead of getting angry, he revealed a kind smile: "Ah ha... Since Miss Jinghe thinks this person can be trusted, then I, Liusheng Suishinzai, should naturally trust your judgment as well. After all, we must be exceptionally united to rebuild the reputation of Buddhism."

Miss Igawa finally breathed a sigh of relief, then turned back and bowed to Ryuun, saying, "I believe what Lord Sasaki said is true; we must have chased the wrong target. However, just in case, I will continue to investigate afterward to see if the missing widow has truly returned home safely..."

Liu Yun nodded: "That's only right."

Then Miss Jinghe gave Liuyun a deep look and said goodbye.

She seemed quite reluctant to leave, but she turned around with great determination, striding away quickly without looking back.

There was one female team member with a single ponytail who walked at the back of the group and secretly turned around to take a few glances.

But when Liu Yun looked over and their eyes met, the female team member showed a mixture of fear and joy, and quickly looked away.

Liu Yun remembered that the person's name was Akiyama Rinko, but he couldn't recall having any dealings with her before, so he was a little confused.

As everyone knows, he has always been of upright character and pure nature. He never indulges in prostitution or seeks out women. He is a virtuous and self-disciplined young man, and by no means a dissolute playboy who is addicted to wine and women. He is quite oblivious in this regard.

The short, stocky old man with white hair and wrinkled skin, who called himself "Yagyu Suishinzai," left with a friendly smile and then departed with the other half of the group.

For some reason, Liu Yun always felt that this guy had ill intentions.

Perhaps it's because in the period dramas I watched in my past life, old eunuchs were mostly villains.

After these people left, Ryuun, Takenaka Shigeharu, and Miyabe Zenshōbō approached.

At this moment, the female demon, Toragozen, who resembled a noblewoman from the Heian period, was still clutching her wound and was very weak. She tried her best to put on a polite smile and said softly, "Thank you for your help, Lord Sasaki. Otherwise, I would probably have met with misfortune. You are probably not just passing by, but have something to visit me on?"

At this moment, several small demons with blue faces and fangs, though lacking intelligence, instinctively threw down their wooden weapons and gathered around Toragozen, letting out worried and concerned hissing sounds.

Liu Yun nodded: "There is indeed something I need to discuss. I'm afraid I can't explain it clearly, so I brought the best Onmyoji I could find. Also... I happen to know a peculiar healing technique. Would you like me to try treating you?"

Chapter 114 Merging with the Demon (Part 2)

Liu Yun originally intended to use the "healing power" within her body to treat Hu Yuqian.

But Toragozen calmly refused: "As a widow, I have no desire to live, so why waste your efforts?"

Liu Yun shook his head to show his insistence: "How can saving lives be considered a waste? Please forgive my offense."

After saying that, he gently grasped the other person's wrist and transferred the "healing power" to them.

Instantly, the bleeding from the two wounds on Tiger Goden's body decreased, and they gradually showed signs of healing.

Seeing this, Miyabe Zenshōbō muttered a complaint, "So Lord Sasaki has this skill. Why didn't he treat this humble monk last time..."

Liu Yun glared at him irritably and said, "That day, you monk, you would go berserk every now and then. After I cured you, you started attacking me again?"

Miyabe Zenshōbō shrank back, looking aggrieved and remaining silent.

Turning his head again, Liu Yun was suddenly shocked.

The wounds on Toragozen's body, which had begun to heal, suddenly burst open again, and blood gushed out.

The "healing power" output by Liuyun was like a stone sinking into the sea, only causing a slight ripple before gradually losing its effect.

Takenaka Shigeharu took two steps closer, examined the wound carefully, and his expression became serious. He said softly, "This wound was caused by a specially crafted anti-demon weapon... As far as I know, a magic array must be set up and a spell cast for seven days to remove the 'anti-demon' properties before it can be healed."

Liu Yun frowned and said, "Then we can't wait any longer, let's get moving!"

Upon hearing this, Toragozen gave a bitter smile, shook her head slightly, and said, "Thank you all for your help. However, I have long been weary of this life. If it weren't for my nature, I would have followed my late husband four hundred years ago. If I were to die at the hands of the exorcists today, I would have no regrets. If I hadn't been taking care of the children nearby, I wouldn't have resisted at all; I would have let them do it."

The "children" she was referring to were the few mindless, blue-faced, fanged little monsters standing nearby.

Liu Yun immediately advised, "How can you do this? If your husband knew this from beyond the grave, he wouldn't want to see you die for him, would he?"

Upon hearing this, Toragozen forced a smile but did not reply. Instead, she pointed to the left and right, saying to Ryuun, "Lord Sasaki, although we have only met a few times, I feel that you are a kindred spirit. These children beside me were born into this world because of the occasional leakage of my demonic energy; they have none of the wickedness of ordinary demons. Please let these children follow you from now on, and I will teach them to obey Lord Sasaki's words..."

Hearing these words, which sounded like a deathbed entrustment, Liu Yun was speechless.

Clearly, Toragozen had made up his mind and had no other thoughts; no outsider could sway him with words.

How can one save a person who is determined to die—or a monster?

“Excellent, excellent…” At this moment, Miyabe Zenshōbō recited a Buddhist verse and suddenly put on a solemn and dignified appearance: “Lady Toraga is so insightful and clear-headed that, according to the teachings of our sect, this humble monk should not advise her.”

Takenaka Shigeharu sighed softly and bowed, saying, "Lady Torago, I have no right to interfere with your decision. However, there is an innocent woman in Yokoyama Castle whose soul is intertwined with yours. If you were to pass away, she would likely also be forced to flee to the River of Three Crossings in the underworld. I implore you to consider this matter."

Upon hearing this, Tiger Lady was slightly taken aback, but quickly realized what was happening. She covered her mouth with her hand and exclaimed softly, "Ah! I see. I never imagined Lady Ningning's situation." She frowned and pondered for a while, then sighed slightly and nodded, saying, "In that case, we should first understand this predestined connection. Please allow me to accompany you all to Yokoyama Castle."

Liu Yun and his group finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that Ningning should be fine, and Toragozen's will to die will probably be temporarily dispelled.

Although Ningning had no direct relationship with them, she was, after all, a very approachable lady, and her popularity was even higher than that of Kinoshita Tokichiro. When they heard that something had happened to her, everyone in Yokoyama Castle was extremely worried.

……

Using the shikigami summoned by Takenaka Shigeharu as their mount, the group headed towards Yokoyama Castle.

Liu Yun still tried his best to treat Hu Yuqian's wounds. Although it was only a temporary solution and could not stop the wound from worsening, it was still better than nothing.

Several small, blue-faced, fanged monsters seemed very concerned and followed closely behind.

Tiger Goden asked Ryuun to take care of these "children," fearing they might be left outside and easily killed.

However, Shigeharu Takenaka only had a limited number of magical artifacts, so he couldn't summon more shikigami at the moment.

Liu Yun then grabbed two or three of them with each hand, picking up those little monsters with blue faces and fangs and placing them on the straw horse.

Although these demons couldn't speak, they seemed to understand Tiger God's instructions. They now regarded Ryuun as their clan leader and chief, and behaved themselves without making any rash moves.

Anyway, they're only the size of mountain monkeys, so they don't take up much space.

Tiger Lady was relieved to see this.