139: Chapter 139: Kyoto, the Land of the Northwest

Pei Se also noticed this.

She also realized how absurd Lord Qinling's ability to purify the evil qi within martial artists was.

In fact, Lord Qinling's previous abilities had already filled Pei Se and Qilianshan with shock.

One of these abilities was Lord Qinling's unexpected capacity to kill immortal and indestructible evil spirits.

Before Lord Qinling appeared, absolutely no human or demon could completely kill evil spirits.

Lord Qinling was the one who pulled it off, and he even killed a Five-Turn Evil Tree capable of unleashing an Evil Domain.

This had filled Qilianshan's eyes with excitement at the time.

There was another ability: Lord Qinling could actually use a kind of talisman to help nourish a martial artist's vital energy and blood.

Pei Se herself had enjoyed the benefits of this talisman.

The first talisman helped her recover from her wounds after the great battle with Huang Zu.

The second talisman helped her break through from the peak of the Third-Turn to a Fourth-Turn Martial Artist.

This showed that the talisman could not only nourish vital energy and blood, but even help martial artists advance.

Furthermore, upon learning that Qin Yin and Qin Mo previously had no aptitude to become martial artists at all, yet became martial artists with the help of Lord Qinling's talismans...

Pei Se's jaw almost dropped in shock.

Lord Qinling's talismans could actually change a person's vital energy and blood aptitude!

This simply subverted the foundation of the Martial Dao!

These two points alone were enough to make Qilianshan, the vice president of the Demon Slayer Association, view him as a heavenly being, feeling that Lord Qinling was the key to changing the State of Qian.

And he would completely open the door to a new era!

Then Qilianshan hurriedly ran back to report to the president of the Demon Slayer Association.

And the result?

Pei Se, who stayed behind, now discovered that Lord Qinling also had the ability to purify the evil qi within martial artists.

This was completely an ability that all high-turn martial artists would flock to!

Which high-turn martial artist wouldn't want to continuously cultivate the Martial Dao while ignoring the world's pollution?

This was simply a fantasy.

But it became a possibility after Lord Qinling appeared!

The look Pei Se gave Lord Qinling was filled with piety.

Perhaps Lord Qinling was a deity who would change the world?

It was truly a pity that Vice President Qi failed to report Lord Qinling's ability back.

But Vice President Qi should be there by now, right?

Pei Se thought to herself and tilted her head.

She had joined the Demon Slayer Association for some time, but she had never seen the president of the Demon Slayer Association.

Moreover, as far as she knew, the martial artists in the entire Demon Slayer Association who had seen its president could be counted on one hand.

Pei Se couldn't help but ponder.

What turn of strength was the president of the Demon Slayer Association?

To be able to make someone with Qilianshan's temper willingly serve as vice president, the president must surely be an ultra-powerful martial artist!

Furthermore, the president could even request an imperial decree from the gods; perhaps they were some powerful minister in the capital!

Thinking of this, Pei Se began to fantasize about what this unseen president of the Demon Slayer Association looked like.

At the same time.

An Ink-feather Stork burst out from the clouds with its wings spread, the dark golden flight feathers at the tips shimmering with fine light under the sunlight.

Qilianshan sat on the bird's back, his right sleeve hanging empty at his side, pressed tightly against his body by the high-altitude cold wind.

He looked down at the city below.

It was huge, so huge that he couldn't see its boundaries at a single glance.

The city walls were as towering as cliffs, made of cyan-grey bricks, each piece as big as a stone tablet.

Several city gates were opened on the walls with deep archways, where carriages, horses, and crowds of people surged in and out.

Right in the center of the city, the palace complex stood as majestic as a mountain, its golden glazed tiles dazzling under the sunlight, and the ridge beasts on the roofs crouching at the eaves, looking like real living creatures from afar.

That was the heart of the Qian Dynasty, the place where the emperor lived, where the officials discussed state affairs, and where the power of the world converged.

Qilianshan patted the Ink-feather Stork's neck.

The Ink-feather Stork let out a low cry, slightly folding its wings, and descended toward an open space outside the city.

The airflow whipped up the dust on the ground, and the Ink-feather Stork's claws grabbed the ground, digging deep into the soil to steady its stance.

Qilianshan jumped down from the bird's back, supporting himself with his single arm, bending his knees slightly upon landing to steady himself.

He patted the Ink-feather Stork's neck, and the Ink-feather Stork lowered its head, rubbing against his palm.

Qilianshan turned and walked toward the city gate.

The city gate was wide open, and the guards wearing armor and holding long spears had gazes as sharp as torches.

People entered and exited the city gate, but the soldiers did not interrogate them, merely standing there like two rows of stone statues.

Qilianshan walked past them and entered the city gate.

The streets were wide and straight, lined with shops on both sides—taverns, teahouses, fabric shops, grain shops, and jewelry stores, everything imaginable.

The streets were bustling with noise and excitement, crowded with people carrying shoulder poles, pushing carts, riding horses, and sitting in sedans, rubbing shoulders with one another.

Street performers were entertaining with monkeys by the roadside, the monkeys wearing red jackets and doing somersaults to the sound of gongs.

Spectators cheered and threw copper coins into the bronze plates, making a clinking sound.

Qilianshan crossed the most prosperous avenue and turned into a slightly narrower alley.

The shops in the alley were not as grandiose as those on the main street, but they felt more down-to-earth.

The owner of a noodle shop was rolling out noodles at the entrance, the noodles slapping loudly against the chopping board.

The steamer of a steamed bun shop emitted white steam, and the aroma of meat mixed with the fragrance of flour seeped out from the gaps of the bamboo steamer.

He continued walking forward; the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Association was in the east of the city, and he was going to see the president.

That golden light, that divine statue, that deity capable of slaying evil spirits—

Lord Qinling!

He must tell the president about Lord Qinling in person.

Qilianshan passed through that narrow alley and turned into a lane that could barely accommodate one person.

At the end of the lane was an unassuming wooden door, its panels old and paint peeling off, revealing the greyish-white wood underneath.

The bronze ring was rusted green, as if no one had been here for a long time.

Qilianshan grasped the bronze ring, knocked three times, paused for a moment, and then knocked twice more.

The door opened, and the person opening it was a maid wearing a cyan vest, her hair neatly combed.

When she saw Qilianshan, she showed no surprise and asked no questions, stepping aside to let him pass.

Qilianshan crossed the threshold and walked into the entryway.

The entryway was very narrow, with dusty walls on both sides and dusty wooden boards overhead.

He walked a few steps and turned a corner—

The view suddenly opened up.

In the center of the courtyard was a rockery with jagged rocks, and at the foot of the hill was a small pond with clear water, where a few koi fish swam slowly.

Verandas surrounded the area, featuring vermilion pillars and carved window lattices.

Lanterns hung under the veranda; they hadn't been lit yet, and their white paper covers swayed gently in the wind.

Deep within the courtyard stood a main hall with its doors wide open, revealing the sandalwood tables, chairs, and screens inside.

The maid walked in front, leading him across the courtyard, up the veranda, and into the hall.

The maid stopped in front of a chair, turned to look at him, and said,

"Vice President Qi, the president will be here shortly. Please wait here."

Qilianshan nodded and sat down on the chair.

His single arm rested on the armrest, and his right sleeve hung empty at his side.

The maid withdrew, her footsteps gradually fading away on the veranda.

The hall fell quiet, leaving only Qilianshan by himself, along with the sandalwood tables, chairs, and huanghuali screens.

He sat there, waiting.

Waiting for the person in charge of the entire Demon Slayer Association.

The president of the Demon Slayer Association.