Yama Rising

Old Man Yu and Tao Ran both grew taciturn, and the colour of their faces turned red.

They were both awash with a similarly complex sensation right now. Both had spent the better part of their lives accumulating experience in the pursuit of knowledge, and yet they had just been instakilled by an eighteen year old. I might find it easier to believe if you tell me that you’re 18-cm long. After all, we’re both getting old… but can you really believe what kind of waves this kid is going to make? Is he an incarnation of Nezha’s spirit?

On the other end of the call, Tao Ran was experiencing the very same emotional upheaval, and he stiffly responded, “Yes… and Instructor Qin is the first author…”

“I sincerely congratulate the First Academy of Cultivators. These three instructors would most certainly become the pillars of the SRC in future!”

Hang on… Professor Yu, don’t you think that’s a little bit presumptuous…

They haven’t even resigned from their duties just yet. And even if they cease to be instructors, do you really think the First Academy of Cultivators isn’t going to offer them a better role? What do you take us for? Fine, you might be someone who can go toe to toe against our principals, but… I don’t think we would be willing to cede these talents to you either…

Nevertheless, Tao Ran wasn’t prepared to engage on this front with Professor Yu, and he simply glossed over the implications of Professor Yu’s gratulatory words with a dry cough, “Then, Professor Yu, about this research paper… do you think…”

“Wait for my message.”

“To think that you actually found the key to unlocking the secrets to the research topic I’ve been working on all this while. I appreciate the immense favour. Well then… shall we open this door together?”

“Chief Editor Yao. Is he around?”

But the other end of the call was silent for a second, and then the call was redirected to a person whose display picture was a piece of poop with a smiley face on it. Editor-in-Chief Yao’s voice rang out from the other end of the call, “Academician Yu, how do you do? Sorry to keep you waiting. Is there anything I can help out with?”

It was because there was no point in engaging in platitudes in the first place. Even if Chief Editor Yao were busy, he would claim to be free to Professor Yu.

“It’s already finalized…” “I’ll trouble you to retract it.”

Do you think I’m very free to be playing games with you?! Or is my phone transmitting the wrong message to me?!

He had just picked up the call, only to be slammed so hard that he was beginning to question life. It took him three full seconds to gather himself and smile genially as he clarified, “Professor Yu, are you… going to publish a paper?”

Yan Capital, at the headquarters of Cultivators Weekly. Chief Editor Yao opened the word document. If Professor Yu claims that he wanted to publish a research paper, few people were in a position to say anything about it at all - even if an entire page were to be dedicated to the publication. However, he quickly adjusted his glasses in shock as soon as he scanned the cover page of the research paper.

First author: Instructor Qin Ye, First Academy of Cultivators.

“It’s not Professor Yu’s guys?” He was taken aback, “Qin Ye? I’ve never heard of this guy before, and yet you’re asking me to dedicate a full page to his paper? I wonder if Academician Yu is trying to promote his own protege. But even if that were the case, wouldn’t this be going a little too far?”

But Qin Ye was a name which was completely foreign to him. What basis was there to dedicate a full page to his research paper?

One minute into the paper, and his furrowed brows eased up and loosened itself.

Eight minutes in. Chief Editor Yao subconsciously shot to his feet and smacked his desk. He abruptly glanced at the symbol at the top of his phone representing an ongoing call with Professor Yu, but then immediately looked down at the paper and read on.

He was mulling over what he had just read.

“What a professionally written paper… Poignant substantiation, cogent, novel, incisive in its arguments, and logically watertight… Why haven’t I heard of someone like him before? Is he truly a newbie? An instructor from the First Academy of Cultivators? Not a professor?”

“Academician Yu.” He took several deep breaths and finally addressed Professor Yu once more, “Which esteemed academic was responsible for this? The writing style, logic and substantiation don’t look like they’ve come from a novice at all!”

Kid… that comment cuts deep…

“What do you think?” Professor Yu sensibly glossed over the elephant in the room and responded.

Chief Editor Yao didn’t respond right away. The seemingly innocent question had triggered a massive tidal wave of emotions in his heart once again.

There were no doubts in his mind. There was no desire for any form of refutation. And this was the case from start to finish. In fact, as soon as he finished reading the research paper, he was immediately filled with a sense of concurrence, as though the paper had merely stated facts, principles and universal truths.

All thesis papers are an invitation for discourse! Discourse! It’s not meant to be taken at face-value, as though the author was merely stating facts. It’s meant to be disputed by the major research institutions around! Yet there isn’t a single sense of controversy in anything he’s written!

“Incredible.” He sighed, “It’s truly incredible. This paper… will probably send waves rippling throughout the cultivation world. It might even be the key to tackling zones of supernatural incidents that are ranked higher than the usual hunting zones. Such a flawless paper more than justifies dedicating an entire page to its publication. In fact… this paper is undoubtedly far more exciting than what some of the older academicians and professors can bring to the table!”

Chief Editor Yao sat at his desk, staring at Professor Yu’s dimmed display picture. He sighed and furrowed his brows. Some moments later, he sighed again and picked up the phone on his desk, “Dr Luo.”

Chief Editor Yao rubbed his temples as he promptly interjected, “It’s like this - there’s going to be an important paper that will be published in the upcoming edition of Cultivators Weekly, so your research paper is going to have to wait in line.”

Seconds later, Dr Luo responded with disbelief, “How is that--... Chief Editor Yao, didn’t we have an agreement? What’s with the sudden--...”

And with that, Chief Editor Yao hung up the phone before Dr Luo could even respond. Then, for some reason, his hand gravitated towards Qin Ye’s paper, and he picked it up to read it again.

“Hello, how are you? Is this Principal Xu?”

This was a friendship forged through a bitter struggle against an academic paper until they finally conquered it. After an arduous journey spanning twenty whole days, they finally felt the shackles come off their bodies, and they let their hair down in a night of revelry.

“To the thesis!” “To the damned thesis paper!” “Cheers to the paper I never want to see again!” “Here’s to all of the brothers and sisters who have left their marks on the paper!” “Thank you instructors for extending such an opportunity to us!”

“Cheers!!” With an uproarious cry, everyone downed the glass of their preferred alcohol. Qin Ye also smiled and drank everything with a large gulp. As he set down his wine glass, he glanced about at the other empty glasses on the table with great satisfaction. In that instant, his heart was filled with fullness and relief.

1. Nezha is a protection deity in chinese folk religion.

2. I suppose this would be akin to a yakitori bar that sells food on skewers and alcohol.