Yama Rising

But this was just the beginning.

3.00 p.m. Guan Fengyue, the former director general of Fengyun Group, ranked 53rd among the wealthiest people in Cathay with a net worth of 43 billion RMB, registered his interest in the auction.

5.00 p.m. Tang Kong, former chairman of the Tang Dynasty Group, ranked 82nd among the wealthiest people in Cathay with a net worth of 17 billion RMB, registered his interest in the auction.

11 February. Hell’s Weekly released yet another special issue, but this time disclosing the loans taken out by the companies participating in the auction, as well as the personal wealth of their leaders during their lifetime. At once, the citizens flew into a frenzy!

8 of the participating companies were led by Yin spirits who were once known as the top 100 billionaires in Cathay, while the rest were all either leaders from the Insignia Province and Eastmount Province, or from famous companies there. Everyone that was listed in the papers had net worth that was easily in the billions while they were still alive. This was an eye-opener to the citizens around.

“Brother Qin.” Wang Chenghao walked up to Qin Ye with a stack of documents back in the city tower, “We’ve consolidated the data that you’ve asked for.”

Qin Ye couldn’t resist the urge to scan through the numbers to see just what kind of flames he had managed to stoke with these actions of his.

But the first thing that he saw was instead the caption: Inventory list of the Russian war reparations.

First item: Secession of the Mongol Empire to Cathay to form part of Cathay’s national territory.

Second item: A variety of specialties from the Russian Underworld, including plants, young Yin beasts, grain, wine, tobacco, cloth, paintings, carvings, anthologies, and so on and so forth. They were all classified into 36 broad categories, to be stored in 644 warehouses, with a total weight of…

6,000,000 tons!

Wonderful… Qin Ye exclaimed with a soft sigh as he glanced out of the window.

Let this be the banquet to launch the new chapter of Hell.

Let all worries, doubts, questions and apprehension of the mortal realm be dispelled after this event. Let all who have eyes see for themselves. I, Third King Yanluo of Hell, will use everything within my means to declare to the mortal realm that this long decade full of blood, sweat and tears, will finally draw to a close in the near future!

“Notify the mortal realm that I’ll be giving them a huge gift on the night of the new year’s eve.”

“Yes!!!”

12 February. The list of war reparations from the Russian Underworld was announced to the citizens of Hell, together with the full details of the Great Sale, such as the location and other details.

This was the final salvo launched by Hell. If the second salvo launched by Hell was intended to awaken the laggard businessmen, then the final salvo would jolt the rest of the citizens to their senses at once. Everyone, even the most reticent and reluctant of citizens, couldn’t help but stir with excitement after being bombarded relentlessly with the news of the Great Sale…

And the ones most susceptible to these news were naturally women!

“Have you seen the news? The Great Sale on the 17th! Alkebulan cosmetics with never-seen-before lipstick colours! Top brand gold supplier from the netherworld. And then, there’s also Black Mamba eyeshadows!!! Ahhhh!!!”

“Of course I’m going!” “Do you even need to ask? Come, let’s go to the central bank to withdraw our money today!” “17th is going to be the day of great indulgences! I can’t wait for that day to come! My purse is already bursting at its seams!”

………………………………………………

Yan Capital, mortal realm.

New year was coming, and most of the offices were already winding down in preparation for the holidays. However, back in an old room, three old men could be found staring intently at a scroll with their eyes wide open.

Nobody said a word for ten full minutes. Then, finally, one old man set down the scroll and exclaimed in a deep voice, “This is a first.”

“The first official letter from Hell ever since the founding of modern day Cathay. And to think that they’re simply inviting us to enjoy the new year of the underworld together with them? What the hell is all this about?”

The slightly chubby old man on the left picked up his teacup and rubbed his temples lightly, “This is to show us the strength of the new Hell. This is a statement, telling us that they’re past the fledgling years, and are now finally ready to retake the entire nation for themselves.”

“Over the last ten days, we’ve seen a sharp decline in supernatural activity over the three eastern provinces and Pearlriver Province, so much so that their alert status is now downgraded from red to orange. What have we done? Nothing. These are all things that Hell has managed to achieve. And that’s not even to mention the fact that Insignia Province and Eastmount Province have both been downgraded to green by now. Hell has been putting in work, and a lot of work at that. So, the question right now is, what are they hoping to get in return by sending us this scroll right now?”

Nobody could tell what Hell was thinking. After a brief moment of deliberation, the plump old man looked up once more with a gleam in his eyes, “Can we trust them?”

Nobody said a word.

Seconds later, the man seated right in the middle of the group looked up at the ceiling, “Cathay has been through much over the last ten years.”

“Over the last decade, our economic growth has practically come to a standstill because of these supernatural incidents. If there’s something that can enable us to resolve these supernatural outbreaks - even through the most unreliable of means - then there’s no reason for us not to grab hold of it tightly!”

He stood up and continued with great determination, “Secretary Fang.”

“Sir.”

“Respond to the Emissary of Hell and tell them that everyone in the mortal realm, ranging from the highest of provincial ministers to the lowest of civil servants operating out of the suburban offices, eagerly await their good news.”

“Yes!!”

……………………………………………

13 February. The total companies that had registered their interest in the auction increased to 58.

14 February. This number saw a sharp increase to a grand total of 94! The central bank had disbursed a substantial amount of loan, amounting to a grand total of 450 billion HL over the last 3 days. To make matters worse, they had to operate at full capacity at the tills because an endless stream of citizens were rushing to the bank to withdraw their savings to be spent at the upcoming Great Sale!

The tide of chatter swept about ceaselessly throughout Hell without any signs of dying down. The undercurrents were stirring, and the surface of the waters in Hell were even bubbling with excitement.

15 February. The registration of interest for the auctions was finally closed, and Ashmound Port was closed to the public once more.

16 February, night.

Ashmound City didn’t have any plazas or public squares. After all, it was an exact replica of the Shanhai Pass, and they didn’t have any concept of common spaces back then. Dusk had just fallen, and it wasn’t even 9.00 p.m. yet, but countless citizens had already gathered about in the streets and alleys, glancing around with boiling excitement. The city was rife with eager anticipation.

Ashmound City appeared no different from an active volcano right now, ready to erupt with overflowing magma at the moment’s notice. As each minute passed, so did the enthusiasm of the citizens escalate to new heights.

11.00 p.m… 11.30 p.m… 11.50 p.m… Everyone was abuzz with great chatter. And then, when 11.59 p.m. arrived, everything suddenly fell silent.

Rumble… There was a soft tremor, and the citizens immediately stopped everything they were doing and gazed at the distant skies with an excited smile on their faces.

The tremor was soon followed by the convergence of Yin energy from the surroundings. Just like a dance of majestic dragons, the wisps of Yin energy soon swirled together to form a massive cloud in the skies, before erupting with a brilliant lustre.

It had begun.

Nobody said a word. Nobody even dared to take a breath, for fear that they would inadvertently disrupt this historic moment. It was also at that moment that every bit of light in Ashmound City went out at the same time, starting from the city walls outside and working its way to the heart of the city.

Everything was extinguished, almost as though paving the way for an oncoming tide.

“Holy crap…” Several Yin spirits gasped and exclaimed in horror as they witnessed the amazing sight.

Whoosh… When the last light of Ashmound City was finally extinguished, a massive clock formed out of Yin energy appeared in the sky, easily spanning 10,000 meters from end to end. The second hand of the clock was formed from blazing blue netherflames, while the face of the clock was formed out of the dense clouds of Yin energy in the skies.

There was no hour hand nor minute hand of the clock. The second hand ticked softly, advancing ceaselessly as though it was sprinting towards the end of a chapter and the start of a new one.

“It’s coming… It’s coming!!” The younger Yin spirits were thrilled beyond measure, while the older Yin spirits couldn’t help but take deeper breaths as time went by.

The massive clock looked like a heavenly lantern hanging high in the sky, casting a faint blue sheen over the darkened Ashmound City. Electricity crackled in the air as the hearts of all Yin spirits thumped in unison. Everyone watched with bated breaths.

And then, the clock revealed that there were but 10 seconds that remained until the fateful day.

Just then, someone subconsciously spoke up, “Ten…”

“Nine…” “Eight!”

It started out sporadic, but in just three seconds, the entire city was counting down together with great anticipation!

Their passion overflowed, and ebullience filled the city! Everyone roared at the top of their voices as though participating in the grandest of countdowns in a new year party!

“Seven!!”

“Six! FIVE! FOUR!”

Everyone cupped their hands over their mouths and bellowed at the top of their voices. Nobody knew whether it was because they were bidding farewell to the lethargy of the old Hell, or simply ushering in the new year. Either way, their enthusiasm soared through the roof!

“THREE!!!”

“TWO!!!”

“ONE!!!”

And as soon as the time ticked down to zero, an endless stream of netherflames instantly roared into the skies from the walls of Ashmound City like a dazzling display of fireworks!

Rows after rows of netherflames soared into the skies everywhere around them, before exploding into the form of various divine beasts of Hell, including the taotie beast, the Torch Dragon, the Harken, and others. Since they were in Hell, the fireworks blossomed with even greater vibrance and radiance than the ones back in the mortal realm!

This marked the commencement of their festivities!

“YEAAAAAAHHHH!!!” Countless Yin spirits cheered and hissed with great joy that spread like a contagion throughout the rest of the city. Tonight, work was a foreign concept to them. Tonight was a night of revelry and indulgence. It was the first spring festival that they were celebrating since death, and they couldn’t help but roar at the top of their voices with shouts of passion.

Boom, boom, boom! Endless fireworks erupted with a dazzling display overhead, filling the sky with vibrant colours, devoid of the usual bleakness of Hell. This was a sight comparable to the fireworks celebrations in the major provinces back in the mortal realm.

Many Yin spirits thought about their loved ones during this time as well. After all, the spring festival was when families gathered. Did the fact that they were reminded of their loved ones also mean that their loved ones were likewise thinking of them? Many Yin spirits shed tears silently.

It was a beautiful sight, yet it also invoked the deepest feelings of hurt and separation in the hearts of the Yin spirits. The sudden astringency in their hearts affected many YIn spirits, but they soon picked themselves up and revealed a brilliant smile on their faces once more. It wasn’t a farewell. It was just a brief moment of separation.

At some point, dancers had made their way onto the city walls and begun an amazing display of artistic flair. They were tall - each one appeared to be well over 10 meters tall, and they were dressed in red palatial dresses that could be easily seen from anywhere in the city. But before the citizens could even react with surprise, a familiar tune resounded throughout the city.

“My motherland and I, are inseparable at all times…” [1]

“Wherever we go, I bear an anthem in my heart…”

The song was light and soulful, and nobody could tell who was singing it. But under the dazzling display of fireworks that dyed the skies red, it felt incomparably appropriate to mark the glorious new chapter of Hell.

“I’ll sing of the mountains, and I’ll sing of the rivers. Wisps of smoke from the little villages carry me through the roads.”

The melody was rousing, tickling the vocal cords of many Yin spirits, especially those who lived during the time of creation of this song. It was sentimental and soulful, and yet so passionate that millions of Yin spirits soon began to sing along to the familiar tune.

“My dearest motherland, I will cling to your heart. Speak to me with your words of comfort through the beats of your heart!!”

“My dearest motherland…”

Millions of Yin spirits took to the chorus at the same time. It was a majestic sight that was unparalleled in any city. And then, at the end of the chorus, the clock suspended high in the sky erupted into a sky full of sparks that slowly drifted down. And then, three figures emerged from the shadows.

Qin Ye, the Harken, and Zhao Yun.

Qin Ye was already in his Hell’s Emissary State. He glanced around, relishing in the familiar tune as he took in the sight of his loyal subjects below. At once, he spoke, “This is Hell’s first new year celebration.”

“There exists no new year in Hell, but there’s no reason why we shouldn’t celebrate it either. Because… this is the new Hell - a different Hell. This is Hell that is largely composed of a century of young Yin spirits.”

“I’ve thought about it before.”

“I’ve thought about how to make everyone remember the new year, and how to join the hearts of the living and the deceased and departed beyond the walls of the three realms.”

“And it was for that reason that I chose this song.”

Whoosh… As he spoke, the clouds cleared up, revealing a scarlet patch of skies that appeared right behind them. And there, on that patch of sky were five golden stars dazzling with great brilliance.

It was the flag of Cathay!

The skies were stained in crimson red, yet it reminded the Yin spirits of their unyielding nature! The Yin spirits who were all staring intently at the sky felt their hearts thump wildly with passion, and the netherflames in their eyes pulsed intently!

Yet, even then, they suppressed the anxious cries in their hearts and listened to what their leader had to say.

“Like the mortal realm, this flag represents us. Born a Cathayan, we die as Yin spirits of Hell. The mortal realm and the netherworld are both two sides of the same coin.”

“Therefore, from this day forward, this shall be the flag that represents Hell as well.”

“My dearest motherland, I will cling to your heart…” As soon as he finished speaking, the song picked up from the chorus once more, and even more fireworks shot into the sky as though saluting this new declaration of their identity.

In life, they were protected by their motherland, and in death, they continue to serve their country. Not a single Yin spirit had any doubts in their hearts right now.

“My dearest motherland, you are the ocean that sends refreshing waves to the shores of my heart. The song in my heart…” The multitude of Yin spirits sang with all of their hearts, inspired by the flag that was flying high in the sky. This was the chorus of millions of Yin spirits in Hell.

That’s right. They loved their motherland.

They couldn’t help but be reminded of the times when they faced countless hardships, and yet rose up stronger than before.

The flag represented the subtle difference between the mortal realm and Hell. Sure, the road ahead might be bumpy, but it wasn’t as though they hadn’t overcome their hardships before.

Back on the city walls, countless dancers swirled about elegantly, amidst a shower of spider lily petals that continued to fall endlessly from the skies. Their chorus lasted for a full 15 minutes, before everything suddenly went silent.

“I hereby declare.” Qin Ye stood right atop the city tower in the middle of Ashmound City, “The Great Sale of the 17th henceforth begins!”

“OHHHH!!!!” “AHHHHH!!!” “Awesome!!! I can’t wait anymore! Hurry up, let’s head right to the shopping streets!!!” “I need more! Stop pushing me!!!”

Release.

Everything that had been done earlier was a form of subtle build-up, restraining the burgeoning enthusiasm in their hearts and shackling their actions until they were all bursting at the seams. And then, release them on their spree.

Rather than feeling low, the release caused them to feel more impassioned than ever. But, just then, a thunderous voice instantly silenced all the screams of the Yin spirits.

“Welcome to… Heaven’s End Pavilion.”

Zhou Yun slowly raised his hand, and the Yin spirits below seized up.

Heaven’s End Pavilion?

What the hell?!

Why didn’t you tell us anything about this?! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!

1. This is a song known as My Motherland and I, written in 1985.