Swallow Return

That "King of Suzuka Mountain, Ōtakemaru," lost a bet to Jianzhen and was forbidden from ever stepping outside the mountain again. But if he were to fight on someone else's home turf, that guy would be stronger than Ryūyū, perhaps even stronger.

Even though Liu Yun has now fused three magical treasures and received a gift from Tiger Emperor on his deathbed, gaining many new abilities, he still has more losses than wins.

And the most pressing issue now is—

Staying at home would only lead to being passively attacked, but Liu Yun himself couldn't get away to investigate.

so awkward.

Fortunately, good deeds are rewarded, and the good deeds that Liu Yun had sown in the past have received an unexpected response.

One night, Ms. Asahi Igawa, a female executive of the Anti-Demon Ninja, suddenly arrived at the Sasaki Mansion with her team members and shared some extremely important information.

They said they had recently captured a cat demon who stole things and played pranks everywhere. Considering that the crime was not very serious, they only interrogated and taught it a lesson, and did not execute it.

The cat demon was terrified and confessed everything it knew honestly, like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.

One of them caught the attention of Ms. Igawa Asagi, a female executive of the Demon Ninja.

That's roughly the idea:

In Kyoto, there is a powerful and well-hidden yokai (supernatural beings) known as "Lord One-Eyed," who has always been highly respected within the yokai community. Recently, this "Lord One-Eyed" revealed that he lost to Jianzhen hundreds of years ago and was forced into seclusion until now. He feels that his time to die is near and urgently needs to find a reliable successor to entrust his life's fortune to.

How can we prove it's reliable enough? It's simple. Recently, there's a very famous samurai named "Sasaki Ryuun," supposedly the "greatest warrior of the Oda clan," who are currently the de facto rulers of Kyoto. Therefore, whichever young yokai can defeat Ryuun can become the successor to "Lord One-Eyed."

After listening, Liu Yun suddenly realized who—or rather, what monster—was causing trouble behind the scenes.

However, the problem is that this so-called "One-Eyed Master" who lives in seclusion in Kyoto has absolutely no connection with me, so where does this hostility come from?

[Tip]: If you like this article, please recommend it to more friends! Sharing is a pleasure.

Chapter 123 The Matter of Hiring Anti-Demon Ninjas (Part 2)

Having finally understood the whole story, Liu Yun expressed her gratitude: "In short, thank you very much for Miss Jinghe's reminder."

Igawa Asagi looked very happy: "It would be great if I could be of help."

This is inside the living room of the Sasaki residence.

Liu Yun and Miss Jinghe sat facing each other, while the other members of the Demon Ninja Group rested outside.

After finishing the business, Liu Yun frowned and forced a smile, not trying to hide the negative emotions on his face.

Although we now have some clues about the mastermind behind the scenes, it will be difficult to solve the problem in the short term.

Who exactly is this so-called "One-Eyed Master" who lives in seclusion in Kyoto, and where is he hiding?

This is probably not information that can be easily obtained through investigation.

According to Miss Igawa Asagi, they had only heard about the little cat demon captured by the demon ninja, who was a junior among the demons. They had never actually seen "Lord One-Eyed" before, let alone knew anything about him.

If Liu Yun were to personally go to Kyoto to investigate—not to mention whether he had the skill, the defenses at home would be inadequate!

If we were to ask Yokoyama Castle for help, we would probably need to borrow a hundred elite soldiers, led by Hachisuka Masakatsu himself, before we could feel completely at ease.

Would Kinoshita Tokichiro agree to help with this?

Even if he agreed, Liu Yun was reluctant to owe such a huge favor.

It would be more reliable to ask them to help investigate the "One-Eyed Lord" hiding in Kyoto.

So how should we arrange things at home during this time...?

While pondering, Liu Yun casually asked, "Miss Jinghe, how have you been lately?"

Upon hearing this, Ikawa Asagi sighed softly, looking somewhat dejected: "As you know, we were invited to participate in the revival organization of the Tiantai sect of Buddhism these past few months, but the results were not satisfactory... Never mind, let's not talk about it. I'm sure you don't want to hear any more discouraging complaints, do you?"

Liu Yun shook his head and said, "It wouldn't hurt to talk about it! Maybe I can help? At least venting your pent-up frustration will make you feel better."

Miss Igawa hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, “Lord Sasaki is someone I can trust. So let’s get straight to the point—I originally thought that with the burning of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei, the Tendai sect of Buddhism might be able to get rid of its old problems and be revitalized. But now it seems that the so-called ‘Revival Party’ is just as full of people who act solely for personal gain and hatred. Some advocate taking revenge on the Oda clan through assassination, some advocate moving to the western provinces or Kanto to rebuild with the support of local daimyo, and of course, some say it would be better to completely surrender to the Oda clan in exchange for living space…”

Liu Yun couldn't help but ask, "So what are your thoughts?"

Without hesitation, Miss Jinghe firmly stated, "Several hundred years ago, the Venerable Monk Jianzhen's rise to prominence in Buddhism was not solely due to his personal strength and power, but more so because his benevolence earned the people's approval. However, now, the Tiantai sect, as the orthodox school of Buddhism, seems to have completely lost its original nature. It no longer has the patience to preach to the people, but instead is obsessed with currying favor with those in power, and only wants to maintain its superior status!"

Liu Yun immediately understood: "So, what you just said about people holding various views in the so-called 'Tiantai Sect Revival Party' are actually all bought off by various forces and have become puppet representatives, right?"

Miss Jinghe sighed deeply, her face downcast, and softly replied, "Yes."

Liu Yun smiled calmly and said, "Actually, it's only human nature. The Tiantai sect of Buddhism has held a high position for many years and has been used to a life of plenty. If they don't accept money from powerful figures from all sides, they probably won't be able to make a living."

Miss Igawa's mood darkened further upon hearing this. She said softly, "I've always felt that we shouldn't accept any money from outside sources with ulterior motives. I require my team members to only earn money by exorcising demons and making Yoshihide sticks. At the same time, I'm focused on rebuilding our reputation, and our attitude must be exceptionally kind. There should never be any forced demands for money. As a result... at best, I might earn thirty to fifty kan a month, but when luck is bad, I might earn nothing at all. Some of the people I've helped have even turned around and tried to take advantage of me. I can bear it myself, but I really feel sorry for my team members..."

Just then, Saeko walked in carrying a large wooden tray, her head bowed and eyes downcast. She gently and slowly served tea and snacks to the host and guests.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun had a sudden inspiration and suggested, "Right now, I'm being targeted by a powerful demon, and I desperately need strong guards! How about you accept my employment? I can give you a fixed salary... Hmm, how about thirty strings of cash a month? I can also provide basic food and lodging, which is definitely much better than what you're doing outside."

"This..." Miss Jinghe asked in confusion, "With your martial arts skills being so formidable, do you still need guards?"

Liu Yun explained, “I don’t really need it myself. But recently, monsters have been coming to attack my family and even innocent civilians, and I can’t take care of them all by myself. If your group of demon ninjas could help watch over the house while I’m away, that would be great.”

“But…” Miss Jinghe lowered her head and said softly, her voice weak, “This does solve the problem of making a living, but we still have to… we still have to work for the revival of the Tiantai school of Buddhism…”

After a moment's thought, Liu Yun had a sudden inspiration and said, "That's perfect. I had Uncle Xinghe and Junior Brother Suifeng set up a 'Shunshan Temple' nearby. It's just a simple little temple, so it doesn't matter what sect it belongs to, but it has been accepted by the local people. I allow you to use this as a base for your activities. If you can convert all one thousand people in the vicinity into believers of the Tiantai Sect, wouldn't that be a solid foundation for revival?"

"This...but..." Miss Jinghe seemed unable to give a reason to refuse. She remained head down, hesitant and indecisive, seemingly struggling with something, completely lacking her usual clean-cut and spirited demeanor, instead appearing like a timid little girl...

Liu Yun was a little confused and didn't know what to say.

At this moment, Saeko finally arranged the food on the table with the slowest possible movements, then bowed to Ryuun and said, "Master, there is something I'm really having to say that's been bothering me. May I ask you to say it?"

Seeing how well-behaved and obedient she was today, Liu Yun nodded in agreement.

Then Saeko straightened up, let out a long sigh, and said in a strange tone, "Master! I think Miss Igawa is unwilling to stay by your side as a guard, so she is hesitant. If we take another approach... um, I don't know if I should say what I'm about to say?"

Liu Yun frowned and pretended to be angry: "You've already spoken, so hurry up and explain yourself!"

"Yes!" Saeko bowed deeply, prostrating herself on the ground and said solemnly, "Master, if you were to propose to marry Miss Igawa as a concubine, she would surely agree without any hesitation and with great joy!"

Liu Yun was stunned and speechless upon hearing this.

Miss Jinghe immediately became restless, jumping up like a spring, her face flushed red, stammering and waving her hands repeatedly: "How...how could you...how could you say such...how could you say that...I...I...I...I...I..."

"Huh?" Saeko stood up, tilting her head with a bewildered expression, then immediately bowed down to apologize, "So, Miss Igawa doesn't have any intention of marrying Master? It seems I was just overthinking things and guessed wrong. I'm so sorry, please forgive me!"

Miss Jinghe, who had finally managed to calm herself down, became even more nervous after hearing these words. She stood there, unsure whether to agree or disagree, and her words became incoherent, consisting of a string of nonsensical phrases.

"no no……"

"Of course..."

"wrong……"

"However……"

"Actually, I..."

That's not what I meant...

"But……"

"No..."

She was like an overworked, poorly heated electronic device that had crashed.

Seeing this, Liu Yun was both amused and exasperated. He grabbed Saeko by the collar and shooed her into the corridor, scolding, "That's incredibly rude! You need to reflect on your behavior! You'll definitely need to be more disciplined in the future!"

Saeko immediately knelt down, trembling, not daring to make the slightest move, but at the same time muttering under her breath, "Does Master intend to personally discipline her tonight...?"

Liu Yun, annoyed, stuck out her finger and tapped her hard on the forehead, then shut the door on her.

At this moment, Miss Igawa finally regained her composure, coughed, adopted a serious diplomatic posture, and said in a deep voice, "Lord Sasaki, I understand your meaning. I will carefully consider whether to accept your employment. Please allow me to discuss it with my team members."

Then she tried to escape and quickly left the small living room.

Liu Yun slowly got up and followed her out. He saw that Saeko was still lying in the corridor, holding her forehead and burying her face in her hands.

Seeing this, Liu Yun was a little worried, so he squatted down and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with Saeko? Did it hurt too much just now?"

"No, no!" Saeko shook her head repeatedly, speaking with the fervor of a fanatic and a brainless admirer: "I was thinking that being disciplined by my master is such a blessing! A few months ago, I couldn't have imagined having such a life."

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a loud "thud" in front of her, as if Miss Ikawa Asagi had accidentally stepped on a section of the wooden floor in the corridor and it had caved in...

Chapter 124 The Matter of Hiring Anti-Demon Ninjas

Even though Liu Yun has always been a clueless straight man who knows nothing about romance or romantic affairs, he finally gained some insight after seeing today's scene.

—Could it be that Miss Igawa has some feelings for me in that regard?

If it really exists...

That's something to be proud of and happy about!

After all, Miss Igawa Asagi is an extremely charming woman in terms of appearance, figure, speech, and character.

Especially character.

Outward appearance is just a shell; inner beauty is true beauty.

As a transmigrator from civilized society, how could Liu Yun not understand this principle?

My appreciation for Miss Igawa stems primarily from her inner qualities, not merely from lust for her body.

Of course, it's impossible not to crave it at all; it's human nature...

But at the same time, one can't help but feel pressure and tension.

Despite having a wife and concubine and enjoying the blessings of multiple wives, Ryuun has never been skilled in womanizing or seeking pleasure. His marriage to Iori, who was once his "sister-in-law," was a forced choice, a passive acceptance. His taking in Saeko was because she was abandoned by her loved ones, homeless, and deeply traumatized; her background was pitiful.

He never figured out how to interact with normal women, even after two lifetimes combined!

Moreover, there's another problem I can't figure out.

That is: if Miss Jinghe really has fallen in love with him, what is the reason?

Liu Yun only remembered that when they first met, they were enemies on both sides, and he almost killed her with a knife.

Although they didn't become enemies later on due to various circumstances, they were at most just ordinary friends who could get along well, not that close.

—At least Liu Yun himself was unaware of it.

Could it be that the red magatama obtained from Suzuka Mountain Ōtakemaru has a bewitching effect that has been unconsciously cultivated over a long period of time, producing a subtle and gradual effect?

If that's really the case...

Liu Yun felt a little guilty.

Isn't this kind of practice of using supernatural powers to distort other people's minds the standard villain male protagonist in hypnotic hentai anime?