Yama Rising

Get out of here!

Qin Ye’s pupils shrank, and he turned to leave without any hesitation, because a foreboding sense of crisis and danger surged through his mind as soon as the Dragon Carp transformed into a sword! He was completely and utterly bewildered!

What the hell is that thing?!

Is it a cultivator? Or is it part of the netherworld? Which realm does it belong to? Does it even belong to the Three Realms?

His consciousness quickly receded back to where it came from. He was quick, but unfortunately, the golden sword was quicker! In the blink of an eye, it tore right through the clouds, hurtling straight towards Qin Ye’s consciousness with great ferocity!

“Shit.” He cursed and grabbed the shard of King Yanluo’s Seal at his waist - something he hadn’t needed to resort to for some time. But, just then…

BOOM!!!

There was suddenly an eruption of layers upon layers of golden energy, almost as though a divine golden spider lily were blooming in the skies. The golden light weaved through the sea of white clouds, stirring up a terrifying nine-layered shockwave. In that instant, Qin Ye felt a stabbing sensation in his eyes, while his entire body felt as though it were being crushed like a mountain. Without warning, his consciousness was forcibly expelled from where it was.

Whoosh… His consciousness faded away. Back in Hell, he slowly opened his eyes once more. His mind was abuzz with a numb sensation. A split second later, his eyes blanked out, and he collapsed right into the ground.

That’s… a Yama-class power… This was the last thought on his mind before he passed out.

“Lord Qin!” “Lord Qin, are you alright?” “Men! MEN!!!”

Speaking of which, Qin Ye wasn’t completely passed out. Rather, he was in a state of semi-consciousness that was between the realms of dreams and reality. His head was throbbing with a splitting pain, while his entire body was crushed. He was even aware that the surface of the ground around him was trembling softly, and that several Yin soldiers were rushing right over nervously.

Fortunately, he regained consciousness quickly - within the matter of seconds. He promptly opened his eyes, only to hear the ragged breaths of anxious Yin soldiers scrambling all about him.

To be more precise, 300 Yin soldiers had rushed right over. But just as they were about to help him up, they noticed their King Yanluo get up on his own, and then wave placidly at them, “Stand down.”

“Yes…” The Yin soldiers exchanged awkward glances as they responded. Meanwhile, Shang Yang took a step forward and asked with great concern, “My Lord, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Qin Ye smiled and placed his hands behind his back, “It’s just that I’ve seen something interesting. Personal Assistant Wang, come here.”

“Yes…” Wang Chenghao walked over with bewilderment, only to look up with great astonishment as Qin Ye suddenly grabbed hold of his arm.

What’s this?

Wang Chenghao blinked - Have you finally come out of the closet and begun to covet me for my good looks?

Hurry up and let go!

“Don’t move.” Although Qin Ye appeared to be holding onto his arm, Wang Chenghao soon discovered that… it didn’t quite feel as though he were being taken advantage of.

Rather… it felt almost as though a blind man were feeling his way around a stranger, before holding onto him tightly to stabilize himself. In fact, Wang Chenghao could sense that Qin Ye’s fingertips were even trembling slightly.

“Brother Qin…” Having finally recognized something amiss, he looked up, only to gasp in horror when he suddenly discovered that Qin Ye’s pupils had turned a peculiar golden colour!

He seized up for two seconds. Then, just as he was about to yell out in horror, Qin Ye suddenly whispered softly to him, “Don’t be surprised, and don’t get nervous. I’m going to give you some instructions now, so please remain calm.”

“Yes…” Wang Chenghao fervently repressed the tension in his nerves. He simply couldn’t believe his assessment of the situation - Is this… blindness?

Did it happen only earlier when he collapsed onto the ground?

And… despite the sudden onset of darkness, as well as the countless soldiers that had rushed over to assist him, how could he… possibly remain so calm now? Did he make the split-second decision not to shake the spirits and morale of the Yin soldiers around?

How formidable… Wang Chenghao was astounded by Qin Ye’s decisiveness. At the very least, he knew that he would never have been able to make such a call. He paused for a moment to consider what kind of stir it would have created if Qin Ye had collapsed right in front of Hell’s Gate, and he immediately shuddered at the thought.

Without missing a beat, Qin Ye immediately relayed his instructions, “Firstly, arrange a carriage for my transport and help me board it. Then, summon Oda Nobunaga and Gu Qing.”

Then, Qin Ye added, “Then, go back to the old Hell as quickly as you can and summon the Harken! Remember, it would be ideal to have it come in person. And if that’s not possible, you absolutely must obtain something that will allow me to regain my vision - even if for a day!”

“Lastly, turn away all visitors for now. Tell them that I’m in the process of gaining new enlightenment, and all are forbidden to enter.”

Wang Chenghao nearly rolled his eyes, “Do you think they’d believe such an excuse used by the cultivators back in the mortal realm?! Hell doesn’t function on that kind of cultivation!”

“There’s no choice! Now, go!” Qin Ye barked back coldly.

Wang Chenghao gnashed his teeth, turned around, and then still couldn’t help but ask, “What about your eyes? Can it be cured?”

“Yes.” Qin Ye spoke calmly, “I can sense that a foreign power has simply pervaded my body and sealed off one of my senses. Unfortunately… I’m unable to release this seal myself.”

Wang Chenghao nodded and departed at once to summon the carriage. Then, a split second later, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Hang on… did Brother Qin say that… he couldn’t release the seal?

But he’s an Abyssal Prefect!

Doesn’t that mean that the seal had come from… a Yama-class existence?

What the hell did he just see?

Shuddering softly, Wang Chenghao immediately shelved these thoughts, and decided that he wasn’t going to let any other Yin spirits discover anything amiss with Qin Ye. The carriage soon arrived, and Wang Chenghao carefully helped Qin Ye board the carriage. Both of them worked with seamless tacit cooperation. It was only when the curtain of the carriage was lowered that he nodded to the eunuch-like Yin spirit standing beside him.

“Make way for King Yanluo~~” The eunuch cried out with a shrill, grand voice, and the 300 Yin soldiers soon reorganized themselves and followed closely behind the carriage as they marched into the city with a grand procession.

……………………………………………..

Tap, tap, tap… The frantic sound of scrambling footsteps echoed throughout the grand hall. The Yin soldiers standing guard on both sides of the hall watched as two adults dashed towards the end of the corridor at top speed, causing the palace lanterns hanging on the sides of the walls to sway slightly.

“Guard this place. Nobody is to enter!” Oda Nobunaga’s voice echoed in the corridor as soon as the door slammed shut.

The Yin soldiers glanced at each other awkwardly for some time, until someone finally mustered the courage to ask the question that everybody had on their minds, “What’s going on? Didn’t Yanluo Qin just enter the grand hall? What’s up with these other two lords?”

“Could it be that there’s an urgent matter to be attended to?” “That’s probably the case… Do you think we might see a new decree being handed down in the next few days?” “Perhaps. In fact… don’t you think we might potentially even be receiving news of Qin Gardens Phase Two?”

Oda Nobunaga was naturally unaware of the contents of the discussions outside. Just a little while ago, he received an urgent missive from Personal Assistant Wang, stating that Yanluo Qin had suddenly lost his sight. At once, his mind went numb, and he immediately rushed over.

It’s a good thing that Lord Qin handled the situation well, and he managed to keep things under wraps. Otherwise… Hell might well be in chaos right now.

As soon as he entered, he saw Qin Ye calmly drinking tea with Wang Chenghao’s aid. At once, Oda Nobunaga fell to the ground and asked gravely, “Lord Qin… Wassup?”

Pfft! Qin Ye immediately spat his tea out all over Wang Chenghao’s face, drawing an incomparably upset glare from him.

“Nobunaga-kun…” Qin Ye set his teacup down helplessly, “Can I make a proposal here? Could you please stop talking to me until you change your manner of speech? I’m afraid that I might get led astray by you…”

Oda Nobunaga couldn’t help but pout in dismay.

“I’ll do it.” Gu Qing stepped forward and took a closer look at Qin Ye’s condition, before finally speaking, “What gives? Ya a‘right?”

Qin Ye: ……

Can I just say that this manner of speech you’ve picked up is like a toxic contagion?!

Meanwhile, Wang Chenghao’s shoulders quivered as he stifled his laughter.

“It’s fine.” Qin Ye shook his head helplessly, “There’s something strange in Insignia Province. My sense of sight was sealed by a higher power when I attempted to probe deeper into it. I’ve already notified the Harken, and it should be arriving soon.”

The Harken…

Oda Nobunaga’s heart trembled. This was the first time he had learnt of the Harken’s existence in the new Hell!

Truth be told, the Harken was a legendary figure whose name preceded it!

To think that I might actually be able to see it with my very own eyes…

Gu Qing was also slightly taken aback. However, he appeared more concerned than anything else, “How long will it take before Lord Harken arrives?”

“I don’t know.” Qin Ye leaned back into his bed as he responded, “There’s one other thing that needs to be done before it arrives, and I’d ask that you do this personally.”

“Go to Chuzhou.” Qin Ye continued, “Observe that place closely, and report back immediately if you notice anything peculiar.”

“There’s no need.” Just then, a voice cut Qin Ye off. A split second later, the Yin energy in the room madly coalesced at a specific location in the room. Moments later, two snow-white claws tore a rift through the space, and a small dog leapt out from out of nowhere.

Oda Nobunaga: ……

The Harken?

That has to be it. Its Yin energy is so dense and thick that I can’t even look directly at it.

That said… its appearance is a far cry from what I had imagined it to be…

“Gentlemen, there’s something I need to discuss with Yanluo Qin in private.” The Harken addressed the Emissaries in the rest of the hall. At once, Gu Qing and Oda Nobunaga gave each other a knowing look, before leaving the room together with Wang Chenghao.

A split second later, Qin Ye felt a dog leap right onto his shoulder.

“Holy crap! Can’t you have a little bit more respect for your superior?! Take a whiff at your fur! How many days has it been since you last showered?!” Qin Ye was just about to push the Harken off his shoulder when the Harken’s voice echoed authoritatively in his ears, “At ease.”

A moment later, it reached its paws out to Qin Ye’s eyes. Ten seconds later, Qin Ye sensed a cool sensation suddenly permeating his eyes.

It was almost as though he’d just gone through a cataract surgery. The obstruction caused by the thick layer of golden light that sealed off his vision was instantly breached by the thin wisp of Yin energy that pervaded his eyes. Within moments, he saw a glimmer of light peek through the darkness. Following that, the Harken helped Qin Ye to shut his eyes while it continued with the treatment.

Time trickled by slowly. After approximately 30 minutes, he finally felt the weight of the Harken remove itself from his shoulders, followed closely by the Harken’s slightly weary and worn-out voice, “It’s done.”

Qin Ye opened his eyes, and glanced around with his new-found appreciation for vision. His surroundings soon became clear to him once more, and then he turned his eyes to the ostensibly drained Harken that was resting on the table.

What the hell was that thing?

How could it drain the Harken of its energy?

Almost as though it could sense the queries in Qin Ye’s heart, the Harken responded placidly, “I’ll go scout it out first. You deal with the matters of Hell for now. I’ll let you know my findings once I ascertain what’s going on.”

Qin Ye raised his brows quizzically. Then, just as the Harken tore a rift open in space, he suddenly asked, “Why don’t I… come along with you?”

“No way.” The Harken turned back fiercely, before responding with a calm voice, “You’ve got what you need to do. Don’t bother me.”

With that, it vanished into thin air at once, almost as though it were afraid that Qin Ye would follow it. Qin Ye retracted his gaze and lay lazily on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling as he relished in his own thoughts. After some time, he suddenly smiled.

This thing had definitely piqued his interest.

At the very least, he could tell that what he had encountered wasn’t simple.

Given the Harken’s injuries, it wouldn’t even bother moving about if it could help it, much less volunteer for such investigative works. But not only had the Harken done that this time, it even forbade Qin Ye from following him.

“That’s fine with me. I’m not a combat-type Yin spirit to begin with after all.” With that, Qin Ye shelved these thoughts for now and took a deep breath.

He walked over to the window and looked out, taking in the sights of the bustle outside.

It was hard to imagine that the City of Salvation had grown this much over just a single year.

The City of Salvation was like a piece of jade, or a diamond in the rough. All he had to do was to refine it and carve it to further elevate its status.

He could see countless Yin spirits crowding around the circumference of Qin Gardens Phase One, peeking in curiously as they chattered amongst themselves. Qin Ye smiled faintly as he withdrew his gaze.

Since the precious diamond in the rough has already begun to reveal a little bit of its lustre, then… why don’t I make it shine even more brilliantly tomorrow?