Yama Rising

Kkkkrrrr… As he spoke, the sarcophagi slowly began to rumble and tremble, almost as though something were struggling to break free from within.

“You’re already dead. Act more discreetly.” The vortex of Yin energy contracted slightly and boomed with an authoritative voice. At once, the three sarcophagi grew silent without a single word.

Then, the two clumps of scarlet netherflame turned around and looked at the black-cloaked clergyman, and he remained completely silent for some time, before slowly speaking, “Not only do you have to be there to receive the train, I would like you to… take on the assignment that has been given to No. 3 as well.”

It was a delegation of work, but the eyes of the black-cloaked man immediately narrowed at once, and he kowtowed with great respect, “Esteemed Lord Marquis… Would I… have other assistants?”

He wasn’t a fool.

No. 3 is dead. How did she die? Who was the one who purged her soul? Wouldn’t I end up in the same fate if I take on No. 3’s responsibilities as well? Lord Marquis hasn’t mentioned this, but… I don’t want to end up like No. 3.

The room went silent at once.

Dead silence, just like in a morgue where all of the corpses suddenly sat up at the same time.

“Huhu…” Rumyantsev chuckled softly, and then erupted into an uproarious laughter, “Hahahaha!”

Every bit of nethergale concealed by the four walls of the age-old cathedral converged into a mighty vortex in the crypt, from which a hand formed right out of Yin energy emerged. A chorus of grievous ghosts wailed from all directions. A split second later, the hand grabbed the black-cloaked man tightly and lifted him right up to the face that had just emerged on the surface of the swirling vortex.

“A mere Viscount of a third-rate underworld is actually negotiating terms and conditions with a first-rate underworld?!” The menacing voice boomed throughout the entire crypt, causing the statues of the Virgin Mary to rattle unendingly. The black-cloaked man shuddered wildly and screamed in terror, “No… No! My Lord! I’m just…”

“Silence!” Rumyantsev’s voice was like a bolt of thunder. Even the lids of the sarcophagi shook and rattled, “I make the orders, and you execute them. Any questions?”

“No… No! Not at all!”

Whoosh… At once, the dense, swirling Yin energy dissipated into the surroundings, and the wildly flickering candles reverted back to their original colour and form. Rumyantsev’s voice lingered on softly in the distance, “That’s good. The Russian Underworld will keep its word and make you Infernal Judges once all of these operations are over. But the precondition is that you have to give your best for us right now.”

………………………………………………………….

A cab crossed the Mapo Bridge and drove straight into Yeouido Island.

If one were to say that there are two places that can be considered city centres in Hanyang, then these would most certainly have to be Myeongdong and Yeouido.

Ever since the construction of the Mapo Bridge in the ‘70s, Yeouido has become one of the most coveted locations in Hanyang and even South Daehan. A good number of businesses have now situated their headquarters in Yeouido, a place known to be the old headquarters to two of the three main broadcasting stations, MBC and KBS. Then, there is still the South Daehan National Assembly Hall, as well as the unmistakable landmarks of Hanyang International Financial Center, Daehan Life 63 Building and the world’s largest Christian church, the Yeouido Full Gospel Church.

The trio got out of the car and marveled in the glory of the business and entertainment hub that was thriving about them. The fact that KBS was still located here meant that countless other film and music companies had gathered in the vicinity as well. A girl group was performing some distance ahead of them, while good-looking men and women decked out in the latest fashion trends abounded around them.

It was exactly noon. Qin Ye glanced at his watch and then smiled radiantly, “Shall we go try out some traditional Daehan fanfare?”

“What are we talking about?” One Tail responded disdainfully, “Army stew? Grilled meat? Kimchi fried chicken? Sorry, I’ll pass. Do you know that Daehan has the highest rate of intestinal cancer in the world?”

Although Oda Nobutada didn’t overtly indicate his preferences, his stance was likewise clear from his response as well, “I personally am of the view that since Your Excellency is thinking of snatching the meat from right underneath the tiger’s nose, we should make haste to the Yeouido Full Gospel Church as soon as possible.”

“Friends… It’s 12 noon! Don’t you think it would be far too conspicuous moving about in front of a bunch of mortals in broad daylight? Are you trying to let the Hanyang Underworld know that we’ve arrived earlier than expected? Look, there’s always a time for everything, including a time to relax and take things easy.” Qin Ye placed his arm around Wang Chenghao’s shoulder and dragged him towards a nearby grilled meat restaurant, “Besides, you might not get another chance at rest and relaxation like this once night falls tonight.”

“... But--...”

“But what? Look, we’ve always gotten along fine with me taking the lead and you following closely behind in worship. What room is there for ‘buts’?”

Excellent… Just like that, Wang Chenghao followed closely behind in ‘forced worship’. But as they walked, Wang Chenghao soon noticed that there was an increasing number of pedestrians staring at them. At once, he turned to look ahead where they appeared to be heading, and the corners of his lips twitched uncontrollably, “Boss… are you looking to… debut?”

One really couldn’t blame Qin Ye for thinking this way. After all, the further he went along the road, the more he saw billboards and advertisements of popular artists. There were even booths erected by the path on which a number of people were singing and performing. The air was filled with an atmosphere of glitz and showmanship.

There are many cherry blossom trees located on the island of Yeouido. Unfortunately, it wasn’t springtime right now, and the trees naturally weren’t flowering. Three letters were displayed prominently on the building situated at the end of the road - KBS.

“Are you suggesting that it would be difficult to debut with my looks?” Qin Ye glared at Wang Chenghao, “I mean, we all happen to be gathered here today, so why not? We can form a trio. Let’s call ourselves… S.H.E.?” [1]

What the hell?! S.H.E.?!

If Arthis is here, are you going to say that we should debut as F4?! [2]

Besides, is it really that good to be ignoring the composition of members, including our age and gender?

Just as Wang One Tail was organizing the string swear words that were about to emerge from his lips, Qin Ye suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, “Hey… how about this place?”

There was a shopping mall right in front of them. Amidst the dense forest of billboards, advertisements and idol training institutions, Qin Ye had spotted a simple restaurant called “Dalang Classic Daehan Food”.

… What the hell is this… It feels almost like entering a shopping mall, only to discover a quaint old fried chicken store that reeks of KFC…

Rather than describing this place as classic Daehan food, wouldn’t it be more accurate to say that this is classic Daehan fast food?! Stop messing with my mind like that!

“No…” Wang Chenghao closed his eyes and tugged at Qin Ye’s arm as he murmured, “What kind of a joint is this? People like us should have soju with an elegant meal in a quiet restaurant, and not fried chicken from a stall that looks like it was ported right over from a night bazaar! Can I please register my objections?!”

Objection overruled.

Dalang Classic Daehan Food wasn’t terrible. Rather, it simply felt petty - not the kind of places that Wang Chenghao would have patronized back when he was still alive. His status as the only child of a rich family was standing out right now.

Surprisingly, it was relatively quiet on the inside. The eatery was filled with many men and women in suits who were speaking softly to each other. The trio picked out a seat, called the waiter, and then ordered food in broken English.

Naturally, one simply must try out the grilled meat in Daehan.

Grilled meat around these parts aren’t quite the same as the kind that they had back in Cathay. The dipping sauce was built upon a sesame sauce base, and far less spicy than the ones back home. Furthermore, the table would even be filled with countless small dishes of appetizers and palate cleansers called banchan before the main dishes were even served up.

Oda Nobutada didn’t even bother lifting his chopsticks. On the other hand, Wang One Tail tried some of the food, before setting down his bowl and utensils, only to notice that Qin Ye had remained still all this while, “Boss, what are you looking at?”

Qin Ye finally retracted his gaze, picked up his plum juice and took a sip, “Have you guys noticed--...”

Just then, a man interrupted them with a faint smile on his face, “[in English] Excuse me, are you Cathayan tourists?”

“[in English]Yes.” Wang Chenghao responded. It was a tall balding man who appeared to be in his forties. His eyes gleamed brightly as he stared at Qin Ye, “At the risk of asking… do you happen to know anything about the Daeian entertainment industry? At present our entertainment industry can certainly be considered the best in the East Continent. Sir, I’d like to ask if… you have any intentions to debut?”

Is this really happening?!

Wang Chenghao nearly spat out the food inside his mouth. Both he and Oda Nobutada stared at each other as though they had just seen a ghost.

Qin Ye smiled and turned back victoriously - Hahaha… Do you see this? There are people out there who value my looks for what they are…

“Who’s your supervisor?”

Are you actually assenting?

The bald man’s eyes flickered wildly, and he immediately pulled out a business card with great excitement, “I’m a talent scout in charge of the Yeouido region, and I come from Daehan’s largest entertainment company, SM Entertainment. Sir, I’m aware that Cathayan tourists who come over to Daehan are generally quite well to do, but have you ever thought of what it feels like to stand on stage at the center of all attention, with countless fans of all ages screaming out your name--…”

But before he could even go on, Qin Ye made a shushing gesture and beckoned to him. The man leaned in closer with some measure of confusion.

Qin Ye gently pulled the man’s ear closer to him and whispered to him, “What I’m asking is… which underworld are you from?”

His voice wasn’t loud, but nevertheless sufficiently loud that both Wang Chenghao and Oda Nobutada heard it. Both men instantly lowered their chopsticks and stared at the man.

The man was still smiling.

However, his smile had obviously stiffened.

Before he could go on, Qin Ye promptly flicked the man’s ear, causing a wisp of Yin energy to flow straight into the man’s ear. At once, a centipede-like creature with a sharp head formed out of Yin energy screamed and crawled out of the ear.

Whoosh! Wang One Tail and Oda Nobutada stood up at once. Oda Nobutada even raised his hand to his waist reflexively, only to swiftly set down his hand again.

No…

This isn’t the place to do it…

“Sss… SSS!!!” The worm struggled to extricate it from the man’s brain. Its shrieks were soft and low, but the part that had crawled out of the ear was already rapidly swelling up. Scarlet vessels bulged on its body. A split second later, Qin Ye gently pinched his fingers together, and the worm’s entire body froze with a dazzling green flash, before disintegrating into flying ash.

Thud… The bald man collapsed right to the ground. At once, dozens of customers within the eatery looked over with a shocked gasp.

Dead silence.

“This is--...” Oda Nobutada finally understood what was going on, and he turned to Qin Ye, “My Lord, you’ve picked out this place because you noticed that it has the best vantage point in Yeouido?”

“That’s right.” Qin Ye glanced at the banchan in front of him and explained, “If we’re going to succeed at taking a chunk of meat from right underneath the tiger’s nose, we’re first going to have to understand the attitude of the Russian Underworld. Their unknown emissary has seen me twice now. If he’s really intent on protecting Liu Yu, then… Yeouido should undoubtedly be covered with emissaries! Who knows, Liu Yu himself might even be here to eagerly welcome my arrival.”

“But… that’s not the case.” Qin Ye glanced around and licked his lips excitedly, “I’ve read about this kind of Yin beasts from the records of the old Hell. It’s called a Brain Mite, a parasitic Yin spirit that burrows deep into the human brain and manipulates it from within. Then, at the demonic hour, it will revert back into a discreet shadow and return to its master, the Mite Overlord, and report back everything it has seen and heard. In other words, it’s main function is to survey the mortal realm. Furthermore… this is something that a third-rate underworld would never have access to!”

“He was searching for me…” Qin Ye chuckled as he glanced at the patrons that were still stunned by the sudden collapse of a man, “Interesting, isn’t it? Instead of alerting Liu Yu to my presence, he’d chosen to search for my whereabouts through the Mite Overlord.”

Wang Chenghao blinked vacantly, “What does that mean?”

Oda Nobutada chuckled coldly, “Simple.”

“Lesser nations aren’t qualified to speak up in a discussion between greater nations. Furthermore, there is bound to be collateral damage in a tussle between greater nations.”

“In other words, the notorious nameless god of death of the Eastern Orthodox Church is prepared to give up the Hanyang Underworld in order to curry favour with Hell!”

1. S.H.E. is a C-pop girl group from Taiwan with 3 members.

2. Another C-pop group boy band from Taiwan with 4 members.