Yama Rising

Clatter, clatter… The telephone poles bent, and then twisted madly before finally transforming into innumerable pieces of rubble. The ground cracked and split open. Even the surrounding vehicles and broken trees began to drift off the ground and fly straight towards the infant’s mouth, where it was consumed whole as though it were a bottomless abyss!

Rumble… Within three seconds, a vortex hundreds of meters large formed right in front of the infant’s mouth.

“Damn it!!” Susa Boy screamed wildly as he mustered every bit of Yin energy in his body to escape as quickly as he could. Unfortunately, his speed only dwindled, almost as though he were being held back by innumerable hands of the dead. Within moments, he found himself struggling hard to even move a muscle.

“These… these damn things…” He gnashed his teeth with bloodshot eyes, fighting desperately against the invisible forces that appeared to be restraining him. But within ten seconds, and with a startled cry, his body fell from the sky like a falling meteorite, straight into the mouth of the daolord of the asura.

Is this the might of an advanced Prefect-class Emissary of Hell?

Susa Boy’s mind went blank in an instant. He couldn’t help but begin to doubt the strength of his own abilities.

We both exhibit might in the realms of an Abyssal Prefect, and yet… he can dispose of me with a single strike?

Riiiiip! The moment of distraction proved to be fatal. At once, his garments were torn apart, and the feathers in his back stood on end, as though they were desperately resisting the tug of the daolord’s mighty attack. A split second later, and with a miserably shriek, every single feather on his back was torn right off his back and consumed by the daolord.

“Hehe… Useless… Useless!” The daolord of the asura was thrilled with the results. This was arguably the first task entrusted to him by Yanluo Qin, and he knew full well that he had to perform up to expectations if he were to convince Yanluo Qin that there was value in keeping him around. One minute… No, I’ve got to end his life in 30 seconds! I’ll convince Yanluo Qin that his decision to spare my life wasn’t the wrong one!

Wheee!!! With a long whistle, the infant in the daolord’s chest instantly tightened his lips, causing the suction force to grow several times stronger. To Susa Boy’s great dismay, he soon realized that Yin energy had begun to pour right out of the pores where his feathers used to be! It was as though thousands of streams of Yin energy were all pouring out from his body and flowing straight to the infant’s lips!

And that wasn’t all. His skin had even begun to shrivel up as a result of the massive depletion of Yin energy. If things went on like this, he would become no different from a sponge extruding Yin energy!

No… I can’t let things go on like this… I cannot let myself get caught by the Emissaries of Hell… At once, he made the snap call to transform his entire body into a black ball of Yin energy that was a hundred meters large. A split second later… it exploded!

It was an earth-shattering explosion.

Countless shockwaves rippled out like tsunamis of Yin energy. With the terrifying explosion, Susa Boy had actually managed to wrestle free of the daolord’s grasp. Moments later, a figure rushed right out of the billowing clouds of Yin energy and dashed straight into the sky.

SMACK!

At once, a silver light flashed brightly, and the figure that was just dashing away instantly came hurtling down to the ground once more, just like a fly that had been swatted.

Nobody could tell what exactly did this.

In fact, nobody saw where it came from, or where it went afterwards.

The master of the Sword of the Yellow Emperor trembled as he remained suspended in the air. He didn’t dare look directly at the appearances of the King Yanluo of Hell. That said, the fact that he was suspended in the air meant that he had a good vantage of all that transpired, and what he saw sent chills running straight down his spine.

He didn’t see what caused it, but he could tell that the Harken had casually flicked its tail.

If my guess is right… it must have been the Harken who swatted that thing down. He gulped intently - Is this what a Yama-class Emissary of Hell is like?

It was impossible to fathom the depths of Hell’s might without witnessing it with one’s own eyes.

BOOM!! Like a meteor, the figure smashed straight into the ground with such immense force that it left a deep crater in the wake of his impact. At once, the Yin soldiers in the vicinity yelled at the top of their voices, “CHARGE!!!”

They poured towards Susa Boy like a swarm of hungry vultures.

Within moments, hundreds of spears plunged straight into the pits of the crater, eliciting miserable shrieks from its target as Yin energy spurted everywhere from the attacks.

“AAHHHHHHH--!!!” With an anguished roar, the figure clambered up to his feet in a desperate attempt to get away from the attacks.

It was Crow Tengu.

His golden eyes were completely bloodshot as he gave a maddened glance at the Yin soldiers around him. He swiped his claws around him in an intense frenzy, only to be greeted by yet another wave of ferocious strikes.

Clang clang clang! The attacks struck his arms and shoulders, but it ostensibly did no damage to him. At once, Crow Tengu retaliated by grabbing the two Yin soldiers closest to him. His golden pupils were filled with a maddened rage as he threw his head up and bellowed at the top of his voice, “Die!!!”

Crack! His knuckles cracked as he tightened his grip around their throats. Just then, two mighty slashes plummeted straight from the sky, slicing off Crow Tengu’s arms cleanly at the elbows.

“SSSSS!!!!” Crow Tengu screamed in agony. Boundless Yin energy spurted from the stumps of his hand. The pain was excruciating. Meanwhile, the daolord’s hands were once again gathered in his sleeves, while the infant emerging from his chest appeared somewhat strange, almost as though it were the puppet in a ventriloquism show, “To think you’d even set foot in Cathay with those meagre abilities of yours.”

Within moments, countless Yin soldiers rushed over and pinned Crow Tengu to the ground, restraining all further movements.

The daolord turned around with a flattering smile. He knelt to the ground respectfully and held up an exquisite bone sword to Qin Ye as he declared in a loud voice, “Please dish out the punishment as you deem fit, Your Excellency!”

Qin Ye leapt off the Harken’s back at once.

He picked up the bone sword with some trembling in his hand. Step by step, he walked over towards Crow Tengu, and then finally set the bone sword gently down onto Crow Tengu’s forehead.

“Trying to capture me?” Qin Ye quipped with a frigid voice as he plunged the sword softly into Crow Tengu’s head. At once, he screamed with great anguish.

“How dare you stir up trouble in the Cathayan underworld, hmm?” Qin Ye slashed downwards, causing a shallow wound to appear right across Crow Tengu’s forehead, from which Yin energy spurted out. Yet, Qin Ye didn’t stop there. The murderous intent in his heart had never been stronger.

The Hungry Ghost Festival. The preparatory work was aplenty, and the citizens of Hell were clearly enjoying themselves back in Hell. He’d wanted the festivities to have gone on without a hitch at all. He’d wanted the first Hungry Ghost Festival in a century to go down in history as one of the best celebrations in Hell’s history.

Yet his own painstaking masterpiece had been completely tainted by the tasteless graffiti sprayed on by two extraterritorial wretches.

“Kill me!” Crow Tengu gritted his teeth, “Hell was the one who said that emissaries may be killed, but never disgraced.”

“How dare you even call yourself an emissary?!” Qin Ye plunged the sword half an inch deeper into Crow Tengu’s skull, causing him to shriek once more with anguish.

“Have you ever thought about whose territory you were in when you wreaked havoc earlier?!”

Thump! He stamped his foot onto Crow Tengu’s head, pinning it down to the ground. Crow Tengu’s white hair was everywhere, and endless resentment filled the depths of his pupils as he struggled desperately and hissed menacingly back at Qin Ye.

“How dare you!!” The Yin soldiers standing around immediately pinned down Crow Tengu with all their might. At once, Crow Tengu was completely immobilized once more.

Qin Ye’s lips were trembling from rage, and he didn’t hold back in the slightest as he continued to step hard onto Crow Tengu’s head, “How dare you slaughter Cathayan Yin spirits during the Hungry Ghost Festival? And how dare you plot to kidnap an Emissary of Hell? What gall…”

“Because of your efforts, I’m going to give you the perfect gift to remember me by.”

“It’s going to be something… that you can savor till the ends of the earth.”

With that, an ancient book flew out of Qin Ye’s garments and drifted over to Crow Tengu, before slowly opening up.

At once, every single Yin spirit standing around fell straight to their knees in worship - including the daolord himself.

Nobody was holding down Crow Tengu anymore. But, even then, he continued to tremble violently as he stared at the book that had opened up in front of his very own eyes.

The words “Book of Life and Death” embossed on the front cover of the book caused his mind to tingle with fear. A striking sensation of fear surged through his entire being like an electric current, and he immediately screamed at the top of his voice, “No… you can’t do this! You can’t do this!!!”

“Oh, but I can.” Qin Ye aimed the book towards Crow Tengu, “Because I’m… none other than the Third King Yanluo of Hell.”

Whoosh!!! A pale light erupted from the pages of the book and engulfed Crow Tengu completely. The Yin energy of Crow Tengu’s body froze completely, and a faint, illusory figure appeared on the surface of Crow Tengu’s forehead.

It was a one-inch sized figure of Crow Tengu that was struggling frantically and screaming with fear.

“Don’t do this! I beg you… I’m begging you!!!” Crow Tengu shrieked with a trembling voice, “Don’t do this… My father is Susanoo-no-Mikoto! Release me, and he will most certainly reward you for your mercy!”

Qin Ye snickered contemptuously. The inch-sized figure of Crow Tengu was already half exposed, and he was clearly trying desperately to shrink back into his forehead, but to no avail.

“Is Susanoo-no-Mikoto… a Yama-King?”

The daolord of the asura stood beside Qin Ye and responded respectfully, “That’s impossible. Nippon’s strongest Yin spirit is none other than Izanami, a Peak Abyssal Prefect. Susanoo-no-Mikoto… is at best an intermediate Abyssal Prefect.”

Qin Ye nodded and turned back to Crow Tengu, “Are you really attempting to negotiate with the Cathayan underworld with just these terms?”

Crow Tengu trembled. In that instant, he recalled how he had once seen Izanami cower before the rulers of Hell. In fact, he recalled the moment when he witnessed all leaders of underworlds in the East Continent, save for the leaders of Hindustan, trembling in fear as they addressed the two powerhouses. Then, his mind subconsciously drifted to the days of glory when the Second King Yanluo was in charge of the old Hell.

At once, his heart was filled with regret. He regretted the fact that the Nipponese underworld wasn’t strong enough. He despised the fact that the Cathayan underworld was acting in such a tyrannical manner. Most of all, he hated his own damn luck! How could he have allowed Lee Jung-sook to escape at such a crucial juncture?!

He even felt desperate and helpless. How could a child of one of the strongest ghosts in the Nipponese underworld not even be qualified to negotiate with the Cathayan underworld?

Meanwhile, Qin Ye’s face was filled with palpable murderous intent, “You should’ve known the rules that Hell goes by - an instance of infraction, a life of requital; an instance of ignominy, an eternity of penance.”

With that, Qin Ye snapped shut the Book of Life and Death. At once, the inch-tall figure of Crow Tengu was dragged out from his forehead and flew straight into the Book of Life and Death itself.

What remained of Crow Tengu’s body soon lost colour and lustre, and his head drooped down softly as the entire body slumped to the ground.

From dust to dust.

Shk! Qin Ye raised his hand and swung his hand down, separating Crow Tengu’s head from the rest of his body. Then, he turned to the rest of the Yin soldiers, “Take it away.”

“Place it in front of the martyr’s cemetery to pay tribute to the Yin spirits that were lost today.”

“Yes!”

It was only then that Qin Ye finally heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he turned and glanced at the sky in the distance.

Dawn always came early in summer. It was only 4.30 a.m., and yet the skies were already starting to show signs of brightness.

This chaotic night… is finally nearly over.

But… there’s still more to be done!

Crow Tengu might have been dealt with, but Black Yaksha still remains at large! I refuse to let him see the dawn of another day!

“Give chase.” Qin Ye gnashed his teeth, “I don’t care if we have to chase him to the ends of the earth. I want his head!”

“Your will is my command.” The daolord of the asura responded respectfully.

Just then, Qin Ye’s consciousness suddenly drifted up and surged through the sky to the place that it usually went when people were praying to him.

One of the images in the sky was presently flickering wildly.

It was Lee Jung-sook.

She held her hands together in deep and desperate prayer, “Save me… save me!”

“He’s coming for me… He’s right outside the house that I’m hiding at!”

Qin Ye could see that she was currently located in a dilapidated temple. Lee Jung-sook was holding her gun tightly as she leaned fearfully against the back of the statue of Buddha.

A hoarse wail came from the other side of the statue. It was a terrifying voice that tore at the heart, just like the mournful cry of a ghost.

It was… Black Yaksha!

He had actually managed to stumble upon Lee Jung-sook in her hiding place!