Yama Rising

Emissary of Hell?

Fengdu?

Resolve the issue of Yin spirits in Valley County?

How… is this possible?! They had already resigned themselves to perishing within the building as soon as they entered it earlier. After all, reinforcements were only arriving in half an hour, and they knew all too well how vicious and ruthless Yin spirits could be. They had expected it to become a bloodbath and a massacre. They had also anticipated that the Yin spirit would put forward some unreasonable demands and conditions, such as a tribute of human blood and flesh. Whatever it was, they hadn’t expected…

Their uninvited guest to actually be a genuine Emissary of Hell!

“A genuine Emissary of Hell of Fengdu Necropolis?!” The county secretary was the first one to come back to his senses. But even then, he was completely frazzled, “That’s impossible! We’ve never heard of a genuine Emissary of Hell reaching out to the mortal realm of their own volition!”

Qin Ye was just about to respond, when he suddenly caught himself, almost as though he’d recalled something of utmost importance. Then, he murmured softly, “Earth Bat of the Girl Mansion.” [1]

Wang Chenghao glared back coldly at Qin Ye - What the hell do you mean by Earth Bat of the Girl Mansion? Why does it sound so much worse than the Kui Wood Wolf? How dare you call me slow and effeminate in a single breath? Do you have something against me?[2]

“Ahem.” Qin Ye cleared his throat, “Defender Crane.”

Don’t you realize that supporting casts only exist to make the protagonist look good? Can you please have some sense of self-awareness?!

Wang Chenghao finally responded with great reluctance and half-knelt to the ground, “Here.”

As soon as he appeared, everyone around them subconsciously took a step back.

Most leaders would have in their possession a meter used to detect and measure the concentration of Yin energy.

However… it hadn’t responded earlier.

Nobody had noticed Wang Chenghao’s existence until he first revealed his presence to them!

Is this really someone from Hell?

“Introduce yourself to everyone.”

“Yes.” Wang Chenghao stood up and opened his mouth, only to soon discover that he was completely unable to make a single peep of sound!

“Alright, stand down.” Qin Ye waved his hand casually. As expected… it isn’t so much the fact that Hell has never attempted to reach out to the mortal realm before; it’s just that something like that is practically impossible! Because the Heavenly Dao wouldn’t allow Yin and Yang to mix in the first place!

At best, one could only make a single sweeping statement, or a declaration of sorts, like Arthis had done a little while ago. But anything more specific than that was completely prohibited under the laws of the Heavenly Dao.

It looks like… I’m the only one who could bridge the gap between the mortal realm and the netherworld.

“Unfortunately, we have no means of proving our identity to you.”

“Then how do you expect us to believe you?” Su Defang responded boldly.

Qin Ye’s response was simple and indifferent, “The fact that you’re still alive, and that not a single person has yet perished in Valley County is the best proof of our identity.”

Everyone grew silent. Such evidence was tenuous at best, yet… there still seemed to be some force in what he was saying.

Regardless of what they thought, Qin Ye continued explaining, “A Hellguard-class cultivator stumbled into the netherworld a few days ago. This is how we first learnt of the rift between the Yin and the Yang within Valley County. By our investigations, we’ve learnt that the rift hides sixty thousand Yin spirit insurgents, as well as thirteen Judge-class evil ghosts. Therefore…”

He paused for a moment, and then declared with a cold voice, “Hell has decided that we shall purge Valley County of all Yin spirits tonight. There’s a possibility that the army of Yin spirit insurgents have already departed from Valley County, but… there is an equally likely possibility that a great battle of the netherworld will unfold tonight as well.”

“Unfortunately, due to the urgency of the matter, I’ve had no choice but to travel by day, and hijack your announcement to the citizens in order to warn them all.”

Buzz… The bombshell was like a massive rock that had been cast into a lake, shattering the facade of peace and setting off ripples that numbed everyone’s minds!

A rift between realms, and a netherworldly battle… Everything was completely outside of the ambit of their imaginations!

This accounted for Qin Ye’s whereabouts. However, it wasn’t a situation that the leaders could rejoice in. The county secretary gulped nervously, “You’re… not pulling our legs, are you?”

“The march of Yin soldiers is taking place at midnight tonight. You’ll see then. Make sure nobody takes a single step outside after 8.00 p.m. sharp, including all county government and the military alike. I can’t guarantee the lives of any living beings that remain outside on the streets after 8.00 p.m.”

Dead silence.

Their minds were all buzzing with an electrifying sensation from what they had just learnt, and it took them all several minutes before they finally pulled themselves together again. These news had come crashing into their minds far too suddenly, leaving them with little to no room for mental preparation at all. After a long, protracted pause, Su Defang finally probed further, “What should we do?”

“Nothing. Just take care of your people. Beyond that… don’t interrupt us.” Qin Ye’s figure slowly vanished into the deep, dark night, “This isn’t a battle that the living can participate in.”

Whoosh… With that, the last bits of Yin energy in the room dissipated completely. Everyone exchanged glances with each other, completely lost for words and actions alike.

“Do you believe him?” The county secretary asked softly.

“I don’t know.” Su Defang massaged his temples. Whether the march of the Yin soldiers, or a netherworldly battle… neither are incidents that have ever been recorded in the annals of history! I’m afraid that Valley County… is going to make history soon!

Granted, it was any and every leader’s aspirations and dreams to see their own precinct become the center of the nation’s attention. That said, such means were hardly desirable at all.

They were playing with fire.

“But… we don’t lose out in any way.” After much deliberation, Su Defang finally gnashed his teeth, “There was supposed to be a curfew after 7.00 p.m. anyway, so all we have to do now is simply to cancel the patrols and… disseminate these messages! As for what exactly needs to be done…”

He turned and gazed deep into the distant skies, “I believe that the high-ranking investigators who are arriving soon will be far more well-placed to call the shots.”

……………………………………………………..

11.40 p.m.

Valley County was adjacent to a river. The two men were seated atop the riverbank in their Hell’s Emissary state, playing games on the cell phones that they haven’t touched for the longest time. Wang Chenghao appeared somewhat distracted. On the other hand, Qin Ye’s eyes darted about his screen as he tapped rapidly, “Look, you’re dead again. I’ve told you that Zhuang Zhou is now a tank with high killing potential. You should just support me well with your Cai Wenji. I’ve told you to get back, so what are you still doing up on the frontlines treading on thin ice?”[3]

“That’s not it, Brother Qin!” Wang Chenghao switched off his cellphone in an instant, “We’ve been here for several hours now! Do you really not care about what’s going on back in Valley County? Even I could sense the arrival of two Judge-class experts arriving in Valley County almost three hours ago, and they’re not any weaker than you to boot. How are you still in the mood to be playing Glory of Kings right now?!”

Unfortunately, it was impossible to defeat their opponents with only four players. Qin Ye swiftly reported Cai Wenji, before switching off his phone and turning away from Wang Chenghao in a fit of annoyance, “What’s the hurry?”

“... Did you really have to turn away from me when asking me that? Besides, don’t you want to use this opportunity to speak with the mortal realms and pave the way to our future cooperation? I can’t wait to see how they react to that!” Wang Chenghao was bursting with anxiety. This is Hell’s first battle that we’re talking about… Word has gone out, and we’ve even seen the swift arrival of two Infernal Judges. It’s anyone’s guess how many others are watching us right now! We’re the first ever Emissaries of Hell to have been documented proper after all! How can I not be anxious about this?!

“... Not bad, you’re finally growing some wings…” Qin Ye coughed dryly, before crossing his legs in a prim and proper fashion, “Defender Crane… you cannot just look at what is in front of your eyes right now. You’ve got to broaden your horizon, and look at the bigger picture.”

Wang Chenghao knew full well that these were matters that were right up Qin Ye’s field of expertise, so he suppressed all of his emotions and listened on intently.

“Hell has been silent for a hundred years now, so we can only expect the mortal realm to have lost confidence in us. In fact, this can even be seen through the mannerisms of Zhou Xianlong and the other high-ranking cultivators. If we want to establish a good foundation for our relationship, we first have to rebuild confidence. It’s a long process.”

“Secondly, the mortal realm and the netherworld are ultimately two different realms. If nations can’t get along with each other, how do you expect realms to do so? To build a lasting and strong relationship, we first have to show them how we can benefit them. So… what benefits do you think Hell can bring to the table right now?”

Wang Chenghao blinked vacantly, “Isn’t purging Yin spirits from the mortal realm the greatest benefit to them?”

Qin Ye replied, “That’s what I used to think as well, until I realized that it was no more than our duty. And can our duty truly be considered bringing benefit to the table?” Qin Ye explained with great patience, “Trade is the only way to bring about mutual benefits to each other. This is where our interests lie. Unfortunately, Hell has absolutely nothing to offer right now. Or are you saying you’re willing to sell your ass to them?”

He gently ran a finger across Wang Chenghao’s ass.

Wang One Tail immediately rolled his eyes back as far as he could.

“But the crux of the matter is that there might not be a demand for that at all.”

Wang One Tail covered his chest with a paroxysm of pain.

“And even if I sold you to some poor, blind soul… what does that make me? An old pimp? I don’t want to disgrace myself that way.”

Wang One Tail began to squirm on the ground, completely defeated by the merciless onslaught of verbal abuse. Aren’t you afraid of losing your beloved child over here?! You’re breaking his heart into a million pieces!

I’d really like to kill someone… is that illegal? Really? Please, someone, tell me already!!

“Pay attention to me. What kind of listening attitude is that anyway?” Qin Ye prodded the still and motionless body on the ground, “Thirdly, it’s me. Having consumed the taisui fungus, I now have the privilege of traversing both realms. But I’m only a single person, and my time is still limited. Do you expect me to be present at every transaction, and have oversight of everything? That’s just impossible.”

“Given that both parties are starting off on a foot of mistrust, someone has to make the first move. So… what harm is there if I reach out first?” Qin Ye glanced softly at the surface of the waters, “And while I’m at it, there’s no harm improving my own standing in their eyes either.”

Dong… Just then, the clock struck twelve.

The moon was swallowed up by thick, dark clouds. Qin Ye switched off his alarm clock, retracted his smile, and then flicked his finger. Shk! The Harken’s scale shot out from his fingertips and hovered in mid-air. A split second later, a massive spell array abruptly unraveled itself in the middle of the sky.

Wang Chenghao froze as he stared at the majestic sight. And then, he subconsciously gasped deeply and retreated several steps.

The waters… The river’s waters instantly began to tremble with a multitude of ripples, right in front of their very eyes! Within moments, a wisp of jet-black Yin energy erupted from the surface of the waters like a black spider lily.

Then, more and more, and thicker and denser. Seconds later, the entire river turned completely black in colour! Back in the sky, the spell array glowed brightly and shone down onto the surface of the river… where it revealed countless silhouettes creeping out from the darkness!

One silhouette… ten silhouettes… fifty silhouettes… a hundred silhouettes… a thousand silhouettes… ten thousand silhouettes!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The eyes of the Yin soldiers flickered wildly as they exploded with murderous intent. All of them had been waiting impatiently for their moment of glory!

The army of Hell had been waiting for a long time, and they couldn’t wait any longer!

Boom! The center of the array flared up with a thick pillar of light that appeared to connect heaven and earth. Simultaneously, the entire river sloshed about wildly, sending massive waves lapping against the shore with great ferocity. Just then, a massive skeletal war horse leapt straight out of the curtain of waters, carrying a valiant figure wearing a billowing cloak behind!

Kiku-ichimonji gleamed coldly and menacingly in the dark of the night, while flares of menacing scarlet netherflames burst out all around. The valiant figure unleashed a declaratory whistle, “Oda Nobunaga, Chief of the First Battalion, greets King Yanluo of Hell!”

It was at that exact moment that the curtain of water finally fell, revealing… ten thousand Yin soldiers lined up neatly behind him. “HOO-AH!” They echoed in unison. Every single one of them were wearing blight vermin armor and blight vermin spears forged from the Hall of Tremors. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the luxury of time to arm everyone with Tigerform Battle Armors, so these sets of armor were naturally of somewhat inferior quality. Nevertheless, they stood tall and imposing like an indomitable force.

A tidal wave of Yin energy instantly swept through the entire Valley County, battering against the trees around, and causing the temperatures to dip instantly. Qin Ye turned around to Wang Chenghao and grinned brightly at him, “I’m in no hurry, because… they’ve arrived.”

Meanwhile, every single sentient Yin spirit in Valley County immediately turned towards the location of the river and balked in horror. Even the Yin spirits who had no spiritual awareness of their surroundings could feel an innate, primal fear surge from the depths of their hearts as they turned to look at the river as well.

It’s time!

Every single Yin spirit in the vicinity could feel the tremor of Hell’s arrival. Oda Nobunaga drew a deep breath and pointed Kiku-ichimonji at the sky with valor, “First Battalion, heed my command!”

“Yes!!” A dozen or so commanders responded in unison.

“Tonight… we shall purge the Valley County! Leave not a single stone unturned! Whether hunting zone, predatory zone, or mere wandering spirits, every Yin spirit must be rounded up!!”

“Let Valley County tremble for their crimes of attempted assassination of the King Yanluo of Hell.”

“CHARGE!!!”

1. This is a reference to a star called Earth Bat among the Girl Mansion constellation, one of the 28 mansions of the chinese constellations.

2. The word 土 can mean earth, but it can also be a derogatory term which referring to a slow/retarded person.

3. They’re playing a MOBA called Glory of Kings that is popular in China.