Swallow Return

Such strong mounted warriors, who were also able to obey orders and coordinate perfectly, were truly a rare sight among mirror soldiers of this era.

More than a hundred riders galloped from afar, slowing down as they came into view. They came to a stop neatly under the old cedar tree, forming a well-ordered square formation. They stood motionless, both riders and horses standing tall and silent, creating a stern and solemn atmosphere.

At first glance, Liu Yun felt that this army, in terms of quality alone, was no less formidable than Oda Nobunaga's Umawari Moi. Their fighting strength was probably far superior to that of Kinoshita Tokichiro's soldiers at Yokoyama Castle.

In contrast, his side only brought about a dozen retainers and servants, who stood sparsely and casually without any formation, making them seem much weaker.

Of course, this is the norm for samurai families.

There aren't many generals who can command a hundred well-trained elite cavalrymen and move freely within the Oda clan's territory.

After taking their positions, the cavalrymen in the center of the front row dismounted and spread out to the left and right, making way for each other.

Before them stood a samurai who was not tall but exceptionally muscular, with an extremely thick beard and body hair, to the point that one might suspect atavism. His head was bald from shaving his head, and his sides and chin were covered in dark forest hair.

The man was dressed in a Wu-style robe embroidered with blue-green patterns, and an orange-red haori. He had two gleaming katana, one long and one short, tucked into his waist.

Before he could even greet him, Liu Yun sensed that this guy also seemed to have a supernatural connection with his personal guards, just like Oda Nobunaga, only weaker.

This short, stocky warrior with thick hair must be of high status, as he has a prominent family crest on his chest: a circle with two wild geese inside.

Unfortunately, Liu Yun's historical knowledge was limited. He saw the other party from afar but could not be sure of their identity, only having a vague guess.

So, it was the guest who greeted them first, his voice booming and rough, like the roar of a giant beast: "I am Shibata Katsuie. I'm sure you know me, Ryuun, without needing an introduction."

Hey, I knew it! It really was this guy.

The wild, bushy fur and the bold, rugged aura are quite similar to the image depicted in later games.

His rude manner of speaking was also to be expected.

Of all the people I've met from different levels and fields, the only ones who, besides Nobunaga, address me by my first name right away are this guy today.

In response, Liu Yun replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "I've heard so much about you! My name is Sasaki Liu Yun, and I don't think I need to introduce myself."

Upon hearing this blunt reply, Shibata Katsuie, far from being angry, smiled slightly, showing a hint of appreciation—the kind of appreciation an elder would show to a younger person. Then, very naturally, he continued, "Since there's no need for introductions, let's get down to business! I have a good-for-nothing nephew named Sakuma Morimasa. A few days ago, he was instigated by some outsiders and actually came to challenge you to some kind of 'competition.' He's young and impetuous, utterly foolish. I only found out about it later and immediately brought men over to arrest him! You tell me, this muddle-headed brat, all he heard about is the title of 'Oda Clan's Number One Warrior,' what's there to argue about? Such a title is earned, not boasted about. Only young people are so easily swayed and prone to petty squabbles—by the way, that kid should be with you, right?"

Liu Yun could sense the hidden meaning in the other person's words, but he didn't care. He simply nodded and said, "A reputation is earned, not boasted about. That's absolutely right! The person you mentioned is indeed here with me."

Then he turned around and ordered Aotabo and Kurotabo to "invite" Sakuma Morimasa out.

Shibata Katsuie bowed slightly forward, trying to appear amiable by relaxing his brows, but it looked somewhat unnatural against his thick hair: "My nephew has been spoiled since he was a child and has a bad temper. If he has offended you in any way, I apologize on his behalf! Please don't take offense, haha!"

"What kind of apology is this..."

—Saeko muttered something to herself, clearly dissatisfied.

Eguchi Sukezaemon immediately stopped him in a panic, whispering, "Lord Shibata is an unparalleled hero, one of the top three chief retainers of the Oda clan! For him to speak so politely is already a great honor for our Sasaki clan."

Hayami Seibei glanced at it, seemingly unimpressed, but said nothing.

The old monk Xinghe stood to the side, feeling a little uncomfortable, and didn't seem to care much about the Oda family's affairs.

The young monk, Suifeng, secretly stared intently at the imposing Shibata Katsuie, his eyes unblinking, his expression quite strange. One could only wonder if he was thinking, "This is how a true man should be," or "He can be replaced."

A moment later, the unconscious Sakuma Morimasa was carried out on a stretcher.

Upon seeing this, Shibata Katsuie's smile vanished instantly, his face turning ashen. He demanded in a deep voice, "What does this mean? Children don't know any better, so there's no need to punish them so harshly!"

Liu Yun shook his head and said, "It's a misunderstanding! When this person came to challenge me yesterday, a water monster suddenly appeared on the shore of Biwa Lake. He tried to exorcise the monster, but he was no match for it and was seriously injured. I managed to stop the bleeding and heal his wounds, but I couldn't wake him up."

Shibata Katsuie stepped forward without a word, frowning, and placed his hand on Sakuma Morimasa's forehead to check him before his expression softened slightly. But his words remained icy: "Where is that water monster you mentioned?"

Liu Yun said, "I have already killed him. Half of his body was left on the west shore of the lake for half a day before I arranged for the people to dispose of it this morning."

Shibata Katsuie looked down at Sakuma Morimasa and continued to question him: "You mean you have the ability to deal with that monster, but you can't protect my nephew and can't do anything about watching him get seriously injured by the monster?"

Liu Yun remained unfazed and calmly replied, "At the time, he was eager to exorcise the demon and prove his martial arts skills, so he ran ahead, but he was defeated too quickly. I only had time to save his life."

Shibata Katsuie remained expressionless, lowered his eyes and pondered for a while. It was unclear whether he believed it or not. In the end, he waved his sleeve, signaling his personal guards to take Sakuma Morimasa away. Then he turned around and led more than a hundred cavalrymen away.

They didn't even leave a single polite word.

Another earthquake shook the ground, sending dust flying everywhere.

In an instant, the cavalry disappeared at the crossroads.

Upon seeing this, Eguchi Sukezaemon was dumbfounded: "What does Lord Shibata mean by this? Indeed, a monster appeared yesterday, and his nephew was indeed injured by a monster..."

Hayami Seibei said coldly, "He suspects that our lord deliberately stood by and watched Sakuma Morimasa get injured yesterday! With his nephew being such an annoying person, who wouldn't want to beat him up? It's normal for him to have this suspicion."

Saeko snorted and said disdainfully, "Not only his nephew, but isn't Shibata Katsuie also annoying? It's the same old story!"

The old monk Xinghe sighed, "Why do this?"

As the young monk Suifeng pondered, he said, "Just a few days ago, Senior Brother Liuyun suddenly became famous. Then, representatives of monks, nobles, and merchants came to visit. Then, a monster appeared in Lake Biwa, and Sakuma Morimasa came to provoke us... We can't be careless."

“That’s right!” Hayami Seibei said solemnly, “Things may not be so simple. It’s necessary to seek support from Lord Kinoshita at Yokoyama Castle!”

Liu Yun nodded and said, "Then, Qingbingwei, you go with Junior Brother Feng. I need to think about this matter."

Chapter 122 The Matter of Hiring Anti-Demon Ninjas (Part 1)

After instructing his retainers to conduct a thorough search, Ryuun went alone to the backyard of the Sasaki residence and carefully considered his current situation.

It seems that all the unusual events occurred after the rumors of him "slashing and injuring Takeda Shingen" started circulating.

The rumor itself wasn't particularly problematic. Although it wasn't the truth, it was quite similar to it. It's understandable that Oda Nobunaga would present it to the public in a different guise.

At the very least, the promised "grant of ten thousand bushels of grain" must be fulfilled, and there has to be a suitable reason, right? Giving it to some unknown person just won't do.

As a result, recently monks, merchants, and nobles have been visiting him, all believing that Sasaki Ryūun's reputation has soared and that he is about to gain power, so they are eager to curry favor with him—however, some people curry favor by offering their face, some by offering money, and some by exchanging their face for money...

Therefore, the troubles that followed can be seen as "if you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight".

Shibata Katsuie's nephew, the brat Sakuma Morimasa, came to provoke them.

And a half-human, half-fish monster suddenly appeared in the village.

If we were to say that one of these two events was accidental, then we certainly cannot rule out the possibility.

But to say that both events were coincidental, and just happened to happen to coincide?

That's just too much of a coincidence!

I'd rather believe it's a conspiracy.

If it's a conspiracy, there must be a mastermind behind it all.

who can that be?

When that brat Sakuma Morimasa came to provoke him, Ryuun suspected other factions within the Oda clan.

In the timeline of his previous life, there was a great philosopher who was a man of unparalleled wisdom and whose wisdom shook the ages. He famously said, "Without factions within the party, all sorts of strange things happen."

Within the Oda clan, there were naturally factions as well.

Because of his birth, Liu Yun naturally carries the label of "Kinoshita Tokichiro faction," which cannot be erased unless he is willing to completely say goodbye to the past and change sides.

This faction, I've heard, has a good relationship with Niwa Nagahide, but is not on good terms with Shibata Katsuie and Sakuma Nobumori, and remains neutral with other senior retainers.

Therefore, it's plausible to say that hostile factions sent people to provoke trouble, or that a third-party faction intended to use one force to devour another.

However, a half-human, half-fish monster emerged from the waters of Lake Biwa and began to wreak havoc, which seemed to change the nature of the situation.

Although it was baseless, Ryuun felt that the Oda clan was currently in a period of absolute rise and was under considerable external pressure. The infighting among the senior retainers should at most be a matter of personal feelings, not to the point of driving monsters to kill people.

Otherwise, how could it have developed so rapidly and swept across the world as it did in history?

After much deliberation, it seems more likely that external intervention will be the solution.

For example, the people from Takeda Shingen's side...

Besides them, there's probably no one else who would hate Liu Yun so much.

This is a bit troublesome.

The saying goes, "You can be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't guard against thieves for a thousand days." The ultimate solution must be to eradicate the enemy completely to prevent future troubles.

However, it can't be done in a short time!

What should we do now?

Liu Yun himself was indeed highly skilled in martial arts and unafraid of any attack. However, he couldn't possibly stay at home forever without going out.

Once we go out, our forces might not be enough.

……

Hayami Seibei and his junior brother Suifeng, who had been sent to Yokoyama Castle, returned in a little over two hours on fast horses. It was said that Kinoshita Tokichiro was also shocked by what had happened that day, and promised to do his best to coordinate internally and launch an investigation externally. He also specially arranged three patrol teams, each with one samurai and four foot soldiers, to strengthen the defenses around Sasaki Village.

This level of help, while not a quick fix, is well-intentioned and better than nothing.

Liu Yun felt grateful and a little relieved.

Two days later, a young man who claimed to be "Niwa Nagahide's nephew" came to visit. He was very humble and polite, saying that the "internal problem" had been resolved and that Shibata Katsuie and other senior retainers would restrain their subordinates and not cause any more trouble.

Liu Yun felt a little more at ease. At the same time, she also realized that the factional ties she carried were becoming more pronounced.

This is something that can't be helped.

As fate would have it, Niwa Nagahide's nephew stayed for two nights and left on the morning of the third day. Ryuun happened to be out seeing him off when a giant yokai, Tsuchigumo, emerged from the ground and nearly killed Iori!

Fortunately, the Sasaki family was prepared and handled the situation well. Aotabo, Kurotabo, Hayami Seibei, Eguchi Sukezaemon, Shishu Okikawa, Shiseido Suifu, Saeko, a dozen or so peasant soldiers, and the five little monsters entrusted to them by Toragozen before his death all rushed forward to gang up on them. They only suffered five minor injuries and one serious injury, and the problem was resolved.

When Liu Yun rushed back, the great demon Earth Spider had already died.

The situation looks rather tense.

Let alone going on a long trip, even seeing a customer off a few hundred steps away could lead to an accident?

Several days later, Maeno Nagayasu came from Yokoyama Castle with news from Takenaka Shigeharu: "An old friend who wishes to remain anonymous said that some reclusive demon bosses may be plotting against Sasaki Ryuun. But the reason is still unclear."

Liu Yun expressed his gratitude, but inwardly felt it was pointless.

This news isn't entirely nonsense, but it does contain very little useful information.

Liu Yun probably also knew that interpersonal networks existed among monsters.

Even the less intelligent little monsters can communicate with their kind in a wondrous way that humans can hardly understand.

The Aotabo and Kurotabo in the family were entrusted by a certain "yokai senior" to protect Iori.

It is said that due to the influence of Xu Fu, Jianzhen, and others, those powerful demons who were capable of affecting the stability of the human world were sealed away one by one, or forced into seclusion and out of the world's affairs, such as "King Ōtakemaru" whom I once encountered in Suzuka Mountain. However, they still possess great power and many powerful magical treasures, and still hold sway in the demon world.

Even if Liu Yun knew that some powerful demon was opposing him, he didn't have any good way to deal with it.

First, it's hard to find them; second, even if you do find them, you might not be able to beat them.