251: Undercurrent

Ryūsei Sword Sect, a renowned sword Dao sect with a Legacy of several hundred years in Japan, was completely razed to the ground in a single day by a young man from the Dragon Kingdom.

Grand Elder Ryūsei Sōshū was beheaded.

Several Elders were struck in the forehead, dying on the spot.

The entire Ryūsei manor was awash in blood.

When Lin Xiao swaggered out of the main gate, carrying Ryūsei Sōshū's head, the news spread like wildfire, instantly reaching all Qi Refiner factions and Onmyoji families in Japan.

Panic.

Extreme panic spread wildly through the supernatural world of Japan.

They had initially thought that the Kunlun Sword Immortal, who had slain the Great Tengu above Kyoto a few days prior, had come to help them clean house and eliminate those legendary Ancient Great Demons.

But now, it seemed they were terribly mistaken.

The Kunlun Sword Immortal's target was not demons at all.

Instead, it was them, the Qi Refiners who had wielded power and influence in Japan for centuries!

...Tokyo, Ginza.

Inside a top-tier restaurant not open to the public.

The private room was filled with people, each one a prominent figure in Japan whose stomp could cause an earthquake.

There were high-ranking government officials, as well as representatives from various Qi Refiner factions.

The table was laden with exquisite kaiseki cuisine, artfully arranged and exuding an enticing aroma.

But at this moment, no one touched their chopsticks.

Everyone's face was extremely grim, and the air in the private room was so oppressive it felt almost solidified.

"Bang!"

A middle-aged man in a advanced suit with slicked-back hair suddenly slammed the table and rose to his feet.

He was Koyasu Takehito, a rising star in the political arena.

"This is too much! It's simply going too far!"

Koyasu Takehito's face was flushed red as he roared indignantly.

"That Kunlun Cultivation Academy completely disregards our Japan! This is a serious provocation to our sovereignty!"

"I suggest we immediately propose a motion in the Diet to completely boycott Kunlun Cultivation Academy! Cut off all ties with them!"

He looked around, spitting as he spoke, passionate and eager for everyone's agreement.

However, his only response was a dead silence.

Among those present, some looked down at the table, some sipped tea, and many more looked at him with an expression as if he were an idiot.

A faint, cold smile played on their lips.

Everyone could see that Koyasu Takehito was trying to use this opportunity to curry favor with these Qi Refiner factions and pave the way for his political career.

What a naive fool.

Just as Koyasu Takehito stood there awkwardly, his face alternating between green and pale, an aged voice softly spoke.

"Zian-kun, have demons eaten your brain?"

The speaker was an old man in a black and white kariginu, the current successor of the Shinto Dao, who enjoyed extremely high prestige in the entire Qi Refiner world of Japan.

The Shinto Dao successor set down his teacup, his cloudy eyes sweeping over Koyasu Takehito, his tone cold.

"Boycott? What will you use to boycott them?"

"Did you not see the video of that battle? That person is capable of slaying the Great Tengu with his bare hands! That is a legendary Ancient Great Demon!"

"What we need to do now is not provoke him, but figure out what he truly intends to do!"

"Is it simply for that 'jingzhe' (waking of insects) sword, or... does he intend to uproot all of our factions!"

The last sentence sent a chill down everyone's spine, reaching from their soles to the top of their heads.

"I agree with Lord Shinto Dao."

"The most important thing now is to investigate the Kunlun Sword Immortal's intentions."

"Exactly, acting impulsively will only bring about our destruction."

Everyone echoed their agreement, their gazes at Koyasu Takehito filled with disdain.

Koyasu Takehito's face turned ashen, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.

Just then.

A hoarse, chilling voice came from the corner.

"I, however, think Zian-kun's words make a lot of sense."

Everyone looked towards the sound, only to see a withered old man sitting in the corner.

He wore a tattered kimono, was small in stature, and his aura was weak. He had kept his head down the entire time, and no one had noticed his presence.

But the moment he spoke, everyone's expressions instantly changed dramatically!

"Kishibe... Lord Kishibe!"

Someone couldn't help but gasp, their voice filled with fear.

Kishibe Rokuji!

This name was a taboo in the Qi Refiner world of Japan!

No one knew his origins, only that thirty years ago, he had single-handedly annihilated the then-flourishing Onmyoji family, the "Kamo clan."

That was a top-tier powerful family with several Ninth-Rank Great Onmyoji guarding it!

That night, blood flowed like rivers, and not a single soul survived.

Since then, the name Kishibe Rokuji had become a sharp sword hanging over everyone's heads.

The Shinto Dao successor watched Kishibe Rokuji slowly raise his head, the color instantly draining from his face.

He abruptly stood up and bowed deeply to Kishibe Rokuji.

"Since Lord Kishibe has a different opinion, then my Shinto Dao will not participate."

With that, he pulled open the private room door without looking back and hurried away, his figure appearing flustered.

With his lead, representatives from several other smaller factions also tried to slip away, but they were pinned to the spot by a chilling gaze from Kishibe Rokuji.

"If anyone dares to move again, the Kamo clan will be your fate."

The cold words caused the temperature in the entire private room to plummet to freezing.

Those people instantly froze, cold sweat soaking their backs, no longer daring to move an inch.

Kishibe Rokuji then withdrew his gaze with satisfaction. He walked over to the dumbfounded Koyasu Takehito, and his withered hand patted his shoulder.

"Zian-kun, do well."

"You have me behind you."

A chilling power flowed from his palm into Koyasu Takehito's body.

Koyasu Takehito trembled, a strange red light flashing in his eyes.

The man who had been terrified a second ago now had an expression of boundless excitement and fanaticism, as if he possessed infinite power.

"Hai! Please rest assured, Lord Kishibe! I will prepare the Materials tomorrow and make those people from the Dragon Kingdom pay the price!"

He bowed deeply, then turned and left the private room with a proud and confident stride.

Watching Koyasu Takehito's manipulated back, Kishibe Rokuji's lips curved into a cruel smile, as if enjoying a good show.

He certainly didn't genuinely admire this fool.

This withered old man's identity was far more complex than anyone present imagined.

He was none other than the general manager of the "Company's" Japan branch!

His strength was on par with that of the captured Xuan Xi and Xi Ci.

But unlike Xuan Xi and the others, Kishibe Rokuji was better at assessing the situation.

He had long ago formed an alliance with the Ancient Great Demons native to Japan, such as the legendary Shuten Doji.

The evil elixir that swept through the Dragon Kingdom, capable of transforming Qi Refiners into demons, was their collaborative masterpiece.

It was precisely because of these Ancient Great Demons secretly providing cover that the Japan branch was far stronger and more covert than the Dragon Kingdom branch.

Kishibe Rokuji slowly turned around, looking at the representatives of the factions in the private room, who were now silent with fear.

He licked his chapped lips and let out a hoarse laugh.

"Now, it's your turn."

"For the glory of our great Sakura Empire, someone always has to make a sacrifice, don't they?"