Yama Rising

Arthis stared at Qin Ye with great incredulity - You have an overactive imagination. Why would I even suggest coming all the way here to recruit Oda Nobunaga if that was possible?

Then, she verbalized, “Of course not. The soul of Yue Fei, also known posthumously as Yue Wumu, is currently in Nippon. I’m just naming him as an example… Why are you heaving a sigh of relief like that?!”

Qin Ye turned around and rolled his eyes.

Yue Fei was a man of such great initiative that it could even be overbearing at times. Given Qin Ye’s great ambition to ascend the throne, kick back and relax, Yue Fei’s personality would naturally be diametrically opposed to his, and might even end up being a sore thumb to Qin Ye. Who knows, Qin Ye might even have to resort to another twelve gold plaques…

Eh? You’re alive? It’s alright… I’ll issue you another twelve gold plaques to send you to the afterlife…

Arthis immediately understood Qin Ye’s thoughts, and she cursed under her breath. Forcefully shelving the thoughts to put Qin Ye to the task, she muttered coldly, “Even though Lord Yue Wumu’s soul might already have ascended into paradise together with Lord Ksitigarbha, we can still recall the troops under him with the aid of a special facility built upon the foundation of the Book of Life and Death. This will allow us to recall them back to join the ranks of Hell. Naturally, the recall function is only limited to the ordinary soldiers, to the exclusion of their commanders and generals.”

“The Yue army?” Qin Ye cocked his head, and his face instantly lit up.

“I’m talking about the Beiwei Cavalry to be exact.” Arthis explained, “There have only been five widely recognized unparalleled units across the history of Cathay. These are the Beifu Army, the Beiwei Cavalry, the Qiexue Army, the Black Armored Troops, and the Yiding Ambush Raiders. These five units were powerhouses that swept through Cathay in their times, and they were also known as the five unparalleled units in history. The names of each one of these troops are listed within this ancient book as well.”

Qin Ye gasped.

Most Cathayans would have heard of these five unparalleled units in some way or another. In fact, each of these units were so powerful in their times that they were practically synonymous with the conquests of the growth of the corresponding dynasty back then. They represented the glorious years of Cathayan history!

Thus, how great of a help would it be if they were to be able to recall these forces to protect the presently undefended Hell?!

On a micro level, Hell… would finally possess the requisite forces to send out an expedition to seize souls of talents!

Admittedly, most of the talents these days have been surfacing in Usonia. In the past, seizing the soul of a talent in Usonia was completely out of the question. But with the aid of these troops, sending an expedition force to the far reaches of Usonia was no longer an impossibility!

Compared with the ordinary Yin spirits that resided in Hell right now who knew nothing but eating, drinking and rebelling, these troops could practically be described as natural-born darkfeathers! They would at best require little training before they were ready to be mobilized!

And on a macro level…

He could even consider waging wars!

Not a large-scale war for territorial control, but smaller battles, such as… the kind that would lead to the lynching of the three remaining daolords!

Having witnessed the battle at the Strait of Tsushima, Qin Ye understood that it was still premature to be considering an inter-underworldly war right now. However, with these forces backing him, he would at least have some prospects of success against a daolord within Cathay.

“There’s still a year and a half left to the end of my stint at the First Academy of Cultivators. No, in fact, we’ll be jumping right into actual combat experience in no more than six months’ time. I don’t know where I’m going to be posted or assigned to. Given my abilities, there’s a high likelihood that I would be assigned to a place that is experiencing the worst of supernatural outbreaks. If that’s the case, I’m almost certain I would be walking straight into the den of one of the daolords.” He rubbed his chin with a bright gleam in his eyes.

It wouldn’t be long before he squares off against the first daolord…

This year of self-development had brought to him great benefits. At the very least, escape wasn’t the only option available to him anymore. If Cao Youdao and his forces appeared before him again right now, and even if he mobilized every single Yin spirit in the City of Salvation, Qin Ye would instantly be able to quell the uprising with the aid of the Beiwei Cavalry.

Laws required enforcement. It was only when he possessed the threat of exacting violence that he would be able to straighten his back and speak with authority.

All who disobeyed shall be punished!

He stood up with great excitement and pushed Arthis away as he began to flip through the Book of Life and Death on his own, “Then… how many can we recall at once? Fifty thousand? A hundred thousand? Do you think we’d be able to take down Singapura, Malaya and Siam with these newfound forces of ours? Didn’t you once mention that war was the best way to develop an underworld? Shall we… give it a shot?”

Arthis was naturally rather displeased with the way Qin Ye had shoved her aside, and she instantly retorted by raining on his parade, “You dare covet the lands of Singapura, Malaya and Siam with only Oda Nobunaga under your command right now? Get real. You should at least gather five such equivalents before you even think about farting on those nations. A single general would never be able to cope with the management and deployment of so many troops. Ah, that’s right, you don’t even have a properly appointed general right now. So… really? Are you really coveting Singapura, Malaya and Siam?”

Then, almost as though she remembered something important, Arthis suddenly rushed over to Qin Ye, shoved him aside, made a series of hand seals, and the Book of Life and Death promptly glowed with a black-and-white bicoloured light before vanishing before his eyes. Qin Ye stared at her with innocence in his eyes laced with some measure of accusation.

You’re cruel! Tyrannical! Unreasonable!

Arthis wiped off the non-existent cold sweat off her forehead, and her hands trembled slightly as she chucked dryly, “Well, that’s that. We’d better discuss the formation of our army in greater detail."

Qin Ye gave Arthis a suspicious glance - Her attempt at changing the topic is far too contrived. What other secret is there that’s hidden in the records of the Book of Life and Death?

Or… is there something that she doesn’t want me to see?

But that’s not right in any event! Shouldn’t King Yanluo be the custodian to the Book of Life and Death in the first place? I’m the future King Yanluo of Hell! If I don’t have this kind of thing in my possession, who is to say you won’t plot against me in future?

He blinked his eyes tentatively and then hooked his finger in the air at Arthis. Arthis immediately grabbed his finger, and Qin Ye stared at her like a confused Pikachu, “So, is it not possible to summon all five unparalleled units at the same time?”

“How could that be possible?” Arthis smiled as she gently brought Qin Ye’s hand back to his pocket and stuffed it in, “With the current level of Yin energy in Hell right now, we can at best sustain the existence of two thousand special forces soldiers. I would suggest disregarding the Beiwei Cavalry, the Yiding Ambush Raiders, as well as the Qiexue Army. If memory serves me well, these units are all mounted units. The new Hell isn’t developed enough to maintain the existence of Yin beasts as yet.”

Qin Ye felt like giving himself a tight slap across the face. He knew full well that he had allowed Arthis to lead him by the nose away from the main topic of his suspicions, and yet he couldn’t help but go on with the flow of their conversation, “So, the mounted units can only wait till Yin beasts appear in Hell? When will that be? When Hell is a Town? Or a County?”

“It’ll at least have to be County.” Arthis elegantly walked out of the room and shut the door behind her, “Anyhow, get some rest. I can smell your dear gay friend coming to visit you. See you?”

Click. The door shut.

Yet, before she could even heave a sigh of relief for having successfully averted the crisis of their discussions, she was instantly startled by the figure of a tall, imposing man.

“WTF?!!” She reflexively unleashed an outburst of expletives. And then, she saw Lin Han stare at her with a great look of astonishment, watching her wipe the sweat off her forehead, before turning to look at the door to Qin Ye’s room.

In that instant, his mind instinctively began to deliberate over suggestions of what he might call their child.

“Idiot.” Arthis couldn’t be bothered with the towering buffoon any longer, and she sashayed away, promptly leaving the hotel in a state of shock.

“Holy shit… Old Qin sure is remarkable…” Lin Han blinked vacantly and exclaimed to himself before entering Qin Ye’s room.

………………………………………………….

As soon as she left the hotel, Arthis immediately turned into the alley down the street and ducked behind a corner, where she finally placed her hand on her chest and heaved a great sigh of relief. Her voluptuous chest rose and fell with each breath she took.

“Are you an idiot?!” Ming Shiyin’s cried out with disdain, “How can you shift me about so abruptly when I just woke up? Can’t you allow a mirror some peace and quiet for once? Do you know how much energy I’ve expended at the great battle in the Strait of Tsushima earlier?!”

“I just spoke of Singapura, Malaya and Siam.” Arthis wiped off the sweat on her forehead as she glanced warily in the direction of Qin Ye’s hotel room. She spoke cautiously to herself, and her psychopathic demeanor instantly drew suspicious gazes from random passers-by.

Arthis rolled her eyes and waltzed deeper into the alley. It had to be said that even though Eastsea was the number one economic hub in Cathay, there were still several pockets of less-developed urban villages in the midst of the great city.

“What’s the big deal? That’s just like Silla or Baekje… these are but lesser nations. Do you think they would be able to rid themselves of their ancestry by a simple change of their names? Come, repeat after me - your father is… your father is… Hang on…”

Almost as though it recalled something important as well, Ming Shiyin instantly shot out from Arthis’ abdomen and spoke with a quiver in its voice, “Y-y-you… you spoke of Singapura, Malaya and Siam?! Did you mention Daehan as well?!”

Arthis’s mouth was filled with bitter taste, and she shook her head in exasperation, “No… but… I’m not sure we’ll be able to conceal it from him much longer.”

She took a deep breath and gently bit her lips as she gazed into the distant sky. The night sky was clear and beautiful, and yet her voice was incomparably cold, “After all… the battle had taken place right in the heart of the Strait of Tsushima. If we talk about the absolute proximity from that man, it’s simply too close for comfort…”

Ming Shiyin smacked the wall with a loud thud, “He would most definitely have detected our scent! Perhaps he might already be on the way here! Yes… he must be here! We can’t afford to cross paths with him!”

“This man… is taboo for us!! Who knows what plans he would have in mind for Hell as it stands right now!”

Arthis massaged her temple, before promptly waving her hands, and the entire alley instantly seemed to transform into a completely different realm. Then, she snapped her finger, and the Book of Life and Death appeared once more. It riffled through the pages, and then finally landed on yet another golden name!

The existence of golden names wasn’t an unusual thing. However, what was peculiar about this entry was that it occupied the entire page!

Not even famous historical figures like Yue Fei or Zhuge Liang got this kind of treatment!

“Liu Jinu… Liu Yu…” A Judge and a mirror both felt their eyelids twitch uncontrollably as soon as they noticed this name.

This was a name… that undoubtedly caused their heads to hurt more than any of the other Sixfold Ghost Kings around!

And this was despite the fact that this man’s cultivation wasn’t even at the realms of the Sixfold Ghost Kings!

This is… Even the Judges in the old Hell didn’t dare to speak much of this man. And yet, what was most important was the fact that this man… hadn’t perished! He was still alive and kicking! And he most certainly did not ascend into paradise with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva!

Not even Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva would’ve wanted him in paradise…

“I kept the Book of Life and Death instantly. We can’t afford to let Qin Ye see this man’s name. That kid is as cunning as a fox. If he sees this man’s name… he’ll probably be able to glean a thing or two about it. Given Hell’s current might, we definitely cannot afford to let Qin Ye get close to that old monster!” Arthis spoke with a fierce determination.

“Nicely done.” Ming Shiyin gritted its teeth, “We’ve got to react well to these exigencies. I think it’s high time we brought Qin Ye back to Hell. Liu Jinu… the only evil spirit that Emissaries of Hell of an equal cultivation level weren’t able to purge. In fact, he even possesses the ability to turn against us and kill us Emissaries! Fortunately… fortunately, he’s not a pernicious soul…”

“Let’s leave Eastsea behind us as soon as possible.” A wind swept across the sequestered realm, tousling Arthis’ hair as she continued, “I’ve got a feeling that something unimaginable will happen if we stay here any longer. The ripples of aftermath of the Strait of Tsushima battle… are only just beginning.”

Qin Ye wasn’t aware of this conversation that transpired.

To his mind, everything was over. Arthis was obviously hiding something from him, but having come so far along the redevelopment of Hell, he sincerely believed that Arthis would never do anything to harm him.

With that, he let himself loose and indulged in the reception of drinks with Lin Han and Su Feng, having so much that he grew inebriated and slurry. There were only five days left to this trip to Eastsea. They rested the next day. And then, attended the academic exchange on the day after that.

It had to be said that Arthis was incredibly useful and helpful over the course of the academic exchange. After possessing his body, she would shatter every inaccurate notion of the participating scholars with a great barrage of insights that overwhelmed them in an instant.

The only downside to this was that Qin Ye acted in a disproportionately effeminate manner - cf Arti’s last possession of his body. His effeminate demeanor made Lin Han and Su Feng feel incredibly awkward, in spite of the fact that they were revelling in the sweet fruit of their labour. In other words, their experience at the academic exchange could be described as a confluence of pain and pleasure.

How does one deal with the fact that their leader is a sissy?! Would he fall for me? Holy crap… I’ve got to be prepared for the worst case scenario…

The academic exchange lasted for two whole days. After that, Qin Ye finally had the time to get in touch with the Imperial Group.

Oda Nobunaga had been one of the main objectives of this present expedition. Naturally, the other main objective was the procurement of the materials and equipment that Hell desperately needed, especially construction materials and other amenities!

And tonight would be the night to finally receive them in Hell!

1. Yue Fei fought a long campaign in an effort to retake northern China. On the cusp of his success, Emperor Gaozong followed the advice of corrupt officials, sending 12 orders in the form of 12 gold plaques to Yue Fei, recalling him back to the capital. Recognizing that the success in his campaign might lead to internal strife, he submitted to the emperor’s orders and returned to the capital, where he was imprisoned and later ordered to be executed on false charges.

2. This was exactly what the author wrote.