Yama Rising

Chapter 700: Onward

“That’s right. I’m done with the search through the archives. Thanks.” Then, without bothering to conceal his identity before Mi Gaozhu, Qin Ye transformed into a stream of nethergale and promptly vanished from Mi Gaozhu’s office.

“As we suspected, there’s truly something strange about the Yin Mountains. Unfortunately, not even the Special Investigations Department was able to assess what’s wrong with it. My guess is that they’ve rated it to be of maximum danger for this very reason.” Qin Ye poured himself a cup of coffee and sank into the sofa, “They must suspect the presence of a powerful ghost, but they can’t wrap their minds around why the ghost has remained there in the Yin Mountains all this while, devouring all trespassers without any signs of expanding its reach. In other words, they perceive the Yin spirit to be acting passively in defence, rather than actively seeking out flesh and blood. This is completely uncharacteristic of a Yin spirit.”

It jerked its head up, “Promotion!”

“... Can you not address him so intimately? You make it seem almost as though you’ve known him all along…” The Harken sighed softly, wondering what to make of the next King Yanluo of Hell.

It sighed, “Therefore, there are those who posit that there’s still room for improvement beyond the realms of Yama-King, and it simply remains unknown to us right now. What you see right now is no different from the symptoms of one searching for a promotion, or a breakthrough. As for what exactly it entails… We’ll have to personally look into it.”

Their trip to the Yin Mountains would easily take them another half a month or more, and there were still things to be done to close up this episode with the Russian Underworld. Naturally, he had to relay his instructions to Hell and issue his orders in the meantime.

“Bring this to Hell.” Qin Ye handed him a letter, “In addition, tell them that I’ll only return after another month and a half.”

Yet he maintained a posture of respect because Qin Ye had not issued him the orders to take his leave just yet. He knew the rules very well, and he also knew the punishment for breaking these rules. Furthermore, he knew more than anything that he had to tread carefully since this was the new Hell that he was now dealing with.

Du Wang paused for a moment, and then he gasped deeply and raised his head, “There is!”

“I’ve already reported the details to Ashmound City, but I haven’t heard anything to date. My Lord…” His body trembled as though in fear, “That place… devours everything! Let’s not even talk about ordinary human beings or experts for that matter. To date, five Walkers have been completely consumed by the Yin Mountains! We’ve only got approximately 15 Walkers here in the Northriver Province! I… don’t even dare to draw close to those regions myself!”

His wrinkles quivered slightly, and he revealed a look of intense fear in his eyes, “That’s no Hellguard. It’s not even an Infernal Judge. What lays within… is probably the most terrifying monster that the mortal realm has seen to date…”

Lord of the Land: ……

That’s more like it… Qin Ye sat back down onto the sofa, and then turned to the Harken with a whisper, “Walker?”

“Regardless of county or city, there would be Walkers in every part of the mortal realm once Hell regains its former glory. In exchange, they’ll live their lives free of any illness or accidents. Separately… how dare you call Zhao Zilong your brother again?!”

What? Did you also fall in love with Zhao Zilong just like a certain other silicon doll?

…………………………………………….

He was an optimistic young man that ran a joss stick store. He also got along well with the other merchants in the neighbourhood. He barely got by with his business, but he didn’t mind it too much. At the very least, he would never take it upon himself to actively solicit for business.

His shop was well-lit and filled with paper effigies, wreaths and other adornments used for coffins. The contents of his shop made the modest room feel somewhat stifling and depressing. Although he wasn’t afraid of these things, it didn’t change the fact that he wouldn’t remain here more than he had to. Thus, he opened the back door and headed back to his own room.

The design of his room was completely different from the shop space outside. It took on a minimalist style, and things were plain and simple with few pieces of furniture and decors. That said, there was a candle-lit shrine located right at the center of his room, dedicated entirely to the Lord of the Land. More bizarrely, the candle flame on this shrine was completely still and stable, and they didn’t even flicker in the slightest when he opened the door earlier.

“Esteemed Lord of the Land, thank you for the blessings of your kindness and mercy to me.” He knelt on the mat reverently, lit up a stick of incense, and began to chant some mantras inaudibly.

“Walker A7.” The Lord of the Land spoke with a grave voice, “I have a task to entrust to your hands.”

It had been three years since he was first appointed a Walker on earth, and yet he’d never received a single task because the Yin spirits in Northriver Province were simply far too lacking. Naturally, this was the first time he’d heard the Lord of the Land address him so sternly.

The Lord of the Land paused for a moment, and then continued, “An Emissary of Hell has arrived at Yan Capital, and will be travelling into the Yin Mountains tomorrow. Are you aware that the Yin Mountains are considered a forbidden zone of Kalgan City? I’ve personally instructed all Walkers not to even glance at it on the night of the full moon, for fear that your souls will depart from your bodies.”

“But now, I hope that you can act as this lordship’s guide. If you can gain his favour, then you can be sure that once you die… even if you’re not blessed with wealth and riches, you’ll at least be guaranteed a smooth-sailing afterlife.”

It was human to have ambition. Having once crept ever so close to the precipice of life and death, the draw of mortal careers naturally faded from the forefront of his mind. However, he still knew an opportunity when he saw one.

Silence. Three seconds later, the Lord of the Land responded, “I can’t say.”

With that, the lights in the room came on again, and the candles’ flames grew still once more. Cheng Jianfeng immediately noticed the words written on the ground with incense ash.

Cheng Jianfeng recorded the information and immediately booked a cab. Early the next morning, he arrived right at the doorstep of the Summer Tide Hotel on the second day.

A great Emissary of Hell?

A multitude of thoughts ran through his mind with every moment that passed. He would even look up from time to time, anxiously, wondering if the lordship of Hell had arrived before him. Then, after an inordinate amount of time, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

It was Yin energy that only Walkers like himself was able to detect. Furthermore, he could tell that the source of Yin energy was only growing stronger and more terrifying by the minute! At once, he felt as though he was thrown down into the depths of a bottomless abyss filled with evil ghosts. Not even the countless pedestrians walking about him could dispel the intense chill in his heart. He felt as helpless as a little boat swaying about in the roaring waves of the boundless oceans, ready to capsize at the moment’s notice.

Thud… He scrambled to get up, but his legs immediately gave way and he fell straight to the ground. He gasped in fear, wiping off the cold sweat beading up on his forehead.

Tap, tap… Just then, a pair of sneakers appeared in his field of vision, followed by a sprightly young voice, “What’s the matter? Have you Walkers not seen an Emissary of Hell before?”

In that instant, he felt as though he’d discovered the meaning of his existence.

It wasn’t the Lord of the Land.

At once, his heart was filled with worship.

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