Swallow Return

But after walking about twenty steps, I suddenly realized something was wrong.

Upon closer inspection, one can discern that a powerful, imposing, and malevolent demonic aura emanates from the shoreline of Lake Biwa.

Without even looking, I knew he was an extremely formidable character!

That brat Sakuma Morimasa probably can't handle him, right?

We can't let this brat die so easily.

Let alone Shibata Katsuie's nephew, even an ordinary person, given Ryuun's character, would not stand idly by and watch someone die.

The brat is just ignorant and lacks education; he doesn't deserve to die.

Therefore, Liu Yun rode away with the wind beneath his feet.

The entrance to the Sasaki Pavilion is not far from Lake Biwa, only about one kilometer away. Liuyun traveled at full speed and soon saw the shore.

Sure enough, there was a ferocious monster wreaking havoc!

The monster was neither human nor fish, but rather half-human and half-fish. It was over ten feet tall, with sharp claws on its hands and feet, and a mouth a foot wide filled with sharp teeth, like a row of daggers, constantly spewing out smoke with an aura of death.

Two small boats were overturned, the fish drying yard was turned into a mess, the nearby hut collapsed into ruins, and two or three fresh corpses were left nearby. Other men and women fled in all directions.

As for that guy Sakuma Morimasa...

Just moments ago, he was swaggering and arrogant in the Sasaki Mansion, but now he lies on the ground, barely alive and unable to make a sound. Long wounds are torn open on his body, and blood is flowing like a fountain. His back is twisted at an exaggerated angle, and it is estimated that many of his bones are broken.

His sword was being held by a monster, which was breaking it and devouring it.

I wonder if that brat is even still breathing...

Chapter 120 The Monster That Appeared Out of the Way

The half-human, half-fish monster wreaked havoc on the lake shore, attacking indiscriminately. It had just killed three villagers who made a living by fishing and knocked down that brat Sakuma Morimasa when it spotted Ryuun and pounced on him with its claws outstretched.

The speed wasn't very fast, nor was the force particularly strong, but the thick gray mist exhaled from the monster's mouth contained a very eerie aura.

There was no particularly foul smell, and it was unknown whether it was toxic or corrosive. However, as soon as Liu Yun saw it, he subconsciously felt that even if he encountered this thing, it would be a bit troublesome to deal with.

The thick gray fog spewed from the mouth of the half-human, half-fish monster, forming a cone shape that quickly spread and covered a wide area, leaving no one able to escape.

For a moment, Liu Yun felt that he could only retreat and could not launch a flanking attack.

This is a very new experience.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and Liu Yun remembered the gift Hu Yuqian had given him before his death. He concentrated his mind and energy, and a pair of white dove-like wings sprouted from his back, stretching to two zhang wide. He pushed off the ground with his feet and leaped upwards. With both wings flapping at the same time, he soared straight into the sky.

Ascend into the air, dodge the opponent's breath attack, then use the momentum to swoop down, draw your sword, and go straight for the enemy's head.

The half-human, half-fish monster opened its large, serrated mouth and let out a strange hissing sound, then rolled backward as if to dodge.

Their movements were quite agile and swift.

But the clouds only slightly adjusted their direction in the air and caught up in an instant.

Then came a flash of light from the blade.

The half-human, half-fish monster had been cut in half at the waist.

At the very moment the flesh tore open, a dark gray, cotton-like, semi-transparent substance burst forth, exploding into a gray cloud.

Liu Yun subconsciously took flight again, hovering in mid-air for a moment, watching as the mysterious malevolent energy gradually dissipated into the air.

Then, to his great surprise, he discovered that although the half-human, half-fish monster had been cut in half at the waist, only its lower body remained stationary, while its upper body had quickly crawled to the lakeside and then plunged into the water!

He was cut in two and bleeding profusely, yet he was still not quite dead?

If it gets to the bottom of the lake, that would be troublesome...

That's what I originally thought.

But then Liu Yun thought back to the day when he fused the three magical treasures into his body at Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei. In addition to the red magatama with "bewitching power" and the white bottle with "healing power", there was also "the life scale of the Kappa Elder", which could breathe underwater!

I almost forgot about it because I'd never actually used it.

Without any psychological pressure, it flapped its wings and swooped down from mid-air into the lake.

Sure enough, Liu Yun found that he could breathe very easily in the water, could see clearly in the dimly lit deep water, and could swim very nimbly without thinking, relying solely on his intuition.

The half-human, half-fish monster, with only its upper body remaining, frantically paddled and swam, while opening its mouth to devour any fish, insects, shrimp, or crabs it saw in the water. New flesh was rapidly growing from its lower body.

This appears to be a very peculiar superpower; simply by continuously consuming food, one can regenerate a damaged body.

It really is a monster with some background.

If it weren't for Liu Yun's unparalleled, all-out strike that could reach both the heavens and the water, anyone else would have truly been able to deal with this guy!

It's a pity that the timing wasn't right...

The half-human, half-fish monster was clearly aquatic, but lacking half a body, its swimming speed was much slower. Liu Yun quickly caught up and swung his sword again!

Then they swept through again!

Add a diagonal kasaya slash!

After several consecutive attacks, the monster was almost chopped into pieces. Finally, only thick blood mixed with dark gray mist could be seen spreading in the lake water, and the severed limbs could not regenerate.

The flowing clouds then swam upstream, surfaced, and then focused their energy to gather wings, took flight, and landed on the shore.

This is much more stylish and impressive than climbing onto the beach!

Upon closer inspection, the three fishermen who had been attacked on the riverbank were all dead, their bodies gnawed and mangled, clearly beyond saving.

He could only shake his head and sigh.

But that brat Sakuma Morimasa still seems to be alive.

Although this guy's behavior of picking a fight today was quite impolite, it didn't warrant death. Liu Yun, being a rather magnanimous person, didn't hold it against him and instead used his "healing power" to treat him.

In an instant, the exaggeratedly long wound on Sakuma Morimasa's body healed rapidly, leaving only an extremely long scar.

Perhaps due to excessive blood loss, or perhaps due to some kind of mental attack, although the bleeding has stopped, the guy hasn't woken up yet, though his breathing is gradually stabilizing.

Liu Yun thought that the "healing power" still had its limits. After all, they weren't family, so there was no need to worry too much; as long as they didn't die, that was enough.

So he grabbed the guy's belt, carried it in his hand, and went back the way he came, heading towards the Sasaki Mansion.

At this moment, the villagers who had scattered and fled when they saw the monster approaching poked their heads out again, curiously looking at it.

But no one dared to ask a question.

Liu Yun looked around and announced loudly, "The monster that was causing trouble in the lake has been eliminated by me, and there will be no further trouble for now. As for the three unfortunate people who were killed... well, their taxes for this year can be appropriately reduced."

As soon as these words were spoken, people from both sides stood up, their eyes filled with tears as they kowtowed in gratitude, calling out "Lord Liuyun's" full name.

Whether it was genuine or not, at least the atmosphere was right.

Liu Yun waved his hand, signaling everyone to calm down.

Then, with a smile, he carried the unconscious Sakuma Morimasa back to the Sasaki Mansion.

His smile vanished the moment he stepped inside.

The villagers were unaware of the danger, but Liu Yun himself knew. Today's monster was powerful and extremely dangerous; in a densely populated area like this, it should have already attracted attention and been wiped out.

The only reasonable explanation is that this half-human, half-fish monster is a newcomer and has not been entrenched here for a long time.

So here's the question—why did the monster come over?

Could it be because the name "Sasaki Ryuun" suddenly spread throughout the world that he received a "gift" from some unknown person?

If that's really the case, then once it's investigated and confirmed, we'll have to properly "thank" them!

Upon returning home, Liu Yun, ignoring the unconscious Sakuma Morimasa, urgently summoned his retainers, informed them of the demon-slaying event, and solemnly instructed them to take necessary precautions in the future.

If Liu Yun himself were present, he would naturally not be afraid and could handle any enemy that came his way.

If even Liu Yun can't handle it, then all the precautions will be in vain.

However, Liu Yun cannot guarantee that she will always stay at home.

So, the two yokai, Aotabo and Kurotabo, the two retainers, Hayami Seibei and Eguchi Sukezaemon, the two monks, Okikawa and Suifu, plus the skilled Saeko, some veterans from the neighborhood, and the little yokai entrusted to them by Toragozen on his deathbed.

If these forces can be organized, respond effectively, and unite as one, they are relatively reliable.

Even if we encounter this powerful half-human, half-fish monster, we can still fight it by relying on our numbers and equipment.

The real danger is that if we are unprepared and hastily engage in battle, fighting each other independently, then something terrible will happen.

Liu Yun gave orders to concentrate their attention, strengthen patrols, and not to act rashly if they encountered problems they could not handle. Instead, they were to run back to the Sasaki residence and use the wooden walls as cover for a counterattack. He also instructed that the people be mobilized to gather inside the walls in a timely manner to reduce casualties.

After these matters were explained, the retainers were fine; they were all used to swords and clubs and were not too nervous.

Some were even quite excited, including Saeko.

This terrified Iori. She maintained a dignified and gentle smile, trying her best to appear calm, composed, and fearless—the proper demeanor of a samurai wife—but her nervous and uneasy expression was impossible to conceal.

Aside from gently patting her back, Liu Yun didn't know how else to comfort her.

It seems I'll have to consult Kinoshita and Takenaka of Yokoyama Castle about this.

In terms of individual strength, Liu Yun is already strong enough. However, considering the need to protect his family when he is away, it seems he needs to recruit better subordinates.

This requires a higher status, more income... and ultimately, greater power.

There's a significant difference between a lone wolf and the head of a family.

As for that brat Sakuma Morimasa… he lay there unconscious, still in a coma. Since he wasn't dead yet, there was no need to worry about him for the time being. He simply instructed the servants to give him a little rice water with added maltose regularly to maintain his basic survival needs.

Chapter 121 The Parents Behind the Unruly Children

Liu Yun was so surprised by the appearance of a ferocious monster near his home that he forgot to consider why Sakuma Morimasa, that brat, had suddenly appeared.

The next day, another uninvited guest arrived.

This time, it wasn't some greenhorn coming to challenge us all alone.

Instead, it was a full hundred fully armed cavalrymen protecting a general of considerable status.

Even from hundreds of paces away, the sound of horses' hooves shook the ground, startling the villagers who stopped working and hid in their houses to watch, fearing that the approaching figures were ill-intentioned robbers.

Naturally, someone had already received the news and went into the city to report it.

Actually, there was no need to report it. Liu Yun was very sharp-eyed and could not ignore such a grand occasion. He made preparations in advance and led his retainers to greet them.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that coming along the main road to the east were over a hundred tall and robust warhorses—at least by Japanese standards, they were considered tall and robust—driven by their riders, marching in a fairly orderly formation, their footsteps creating a rhythmic thud that sent dust flying everywhere, even shaking an ancient cedar tree at the edge of the village.

The riders were all muscular men, dressed in close-fitting brown-red bellybands, wearing headbands, leg guards, and shoulder armor. They also carried high-end weapons that were not very practical, such as cross-shaped guns or large guns.