Yama Rising

"Everyone!" The doors of a conference hall were abruptly flung open, and a Soul Hunter level underworld emissary rushed into the hall, panting heavily as he said, "S... Something's just happened!"

The hall was filled with men and women dressed in professional attire, and everyone immediately erupted into a frenzy at the sight of the man.

"What happened? Tell us exactly what happened! Hurry!"

"It's something to do with the Cathayan Underworld, right? It has to be them! Hurry up and tell us what happened!"

This was an ordinary conference hall filled with modern wooden high-back chairs, yet at this moment, none of the chairs were occupied as all of the Yin spirits in the hall had risen to their feet. There were Yin spirits with all types of different complexions, and they were wearing rocks around the size of an infant's fist around their necks.

The rocks were near-transparent, but there was what appeared to be smoke and mist tumbling within them. Outside the hall was inscribed the words "Witness Hall" in large, free-flowing text.

This was the hall of journalists.

Journalism in the underworld was different from that of the mortal realm. Even though there were no cameras or computers, they could use Yin energy to power the image capture crystals hanging around their necks to achieve the same effect. However, this meant that journalists had to at least be Soul Hunters, and as a result, this wasn't something that could be implemented on a prevalent basis, nor was it possible for journalists in the underworld to take a bunch of photographs to choose from like the journalists in the mortal realm could.

They only had a set number of image capturing opportunities each, and they had to make those opportunities count.

All of these journalists were waiting for the outcome of the conference between the Cathayan Underworld and the five nations of Northern Europa.

The Soul Hunter who had rushed into the room was still panting heavily as he held onto his image capture crystal with an excited expression, and he said in a ragged voice, "Th... The... The Cathayan Underworld... Huff..."

The killing intent of his colleagues was mounting by the second!

What about the Cathayan Underworld?! Hurry up, goddamnit! Tell us what's happened to the Cathayan Underworld! We don't care if you drop dead, just make sure to tell us what happened before you do!

In the face of his colleagues' murderous eyes, the male journalist finally stood up straight as he elaborated, "The Cathayan Underworld has signed an agreement with the five nations of Northern Europa, making them exhaustive strategic collaborative partners. On top of that, I heard that there were around a dozen additional agreements signed between them as well..."

Before he even had a chance to finish, all of the Yin spirits were already rushing out of the conference hall in a frenzy, and black light was beginning to emanate from the image capture crystals hanging in front of their chests.

This was the massive scoop they had been waiting for!

………………………………………………….

No one could've anticipated this move from the Cathayan Underworld.

There had been no time-wasting or hesitation whatsoever. The five nations of Northern Europa had barely set foot in the city of Nara before this meeting was held between them. Not only was this the first agreement signed by the Cathayan Underworld following its re-emergence from seclusion, this was also the first agreement to be signed during this conference!

It was an extremely important scoop!

However, as the journalists frantically rushed to the scene, they were only greeted by the sight of Qin Ye and Hela shaking hands, thereby signifying the conclusion of the meeting. All of the journalists were struck by the urge to curse out loud upon seeing this, but they didn't have time to do that as they quickly activated their image capture crystals to record the scene unfolding before them.

It wasn't the time to be asking questions yet. There were still countless underworld emissaries waiting outside. These were the foreign exchange ministers, secretaries, assistants, and all types of other members from the representative teams of various underworlds. They were even more eager than the journalists to know exactly what type of agreement has been signed between the Cathayan Underworld and the five nations of Northern Europa.

After shaking hands with Hela, Qin Ye immediately departed.

On the international stage, one had to learn to afford different treatment to different nations.

If he were meeting with the Alkebulan Underworlds, then he would remain behind to accept interviews from journalists, but the five nations of Northern Europa weren't worthy of that honor.

Having said that, he still had to stoke the flames of controversy. He was putting on a display that said "I'm not targeting anyone, it's just that all of the other underworlds are trash in my eyes", and at the same time, he had to use these journalists to spread the information that he wanted everyone to hear.

The gust of Yin wind that Qin Ye had transformed into arrived in his room, and Zhao Yun and the panel of advisors were already waiting for him.

He wore a serious expression as he asked, "Which plan do the agreements that we just signed fall under?"

"C2, Your Excellency," Qian Duolai replied. "The plan we reserved for the Alkebulan Underworlds is A3, and if the representatives of the new continent arrive in Nara, then we'll have plan C4 waiting for them. If everything goes according to plan, then we'll be able to truly begin our counterattack."

He paused momentarily before continuing in a cautious voice, "Your Excellency, it's time to make a move."

All of the Emissaries of Hell present raised their heads upon hearing this, and the netherfire in their eyes was burning fiercely.

Indeed, it was time to make a move.

The five nations of Northern Europa were their first target. It had several death gods and a territory of a decent size, and recruiting them was only the first step of their retaliation. They had endured provocation and humiliation for several days already, once all of their potential allies arrived, it would be time for the Cathayan Underworld to make its voice heard!

Once it began its retaliation, it wouldn't be able to stop until the very end, by which time the ultimate victor would be decided.

Izanami was definitely going to report this situation to her masters, so the true masterminds behind this plot were definitely going to arrive soon. Prior to that, the Cathayan Underworld had to complete all of the required preparations.

They were all feeling extremely fortunate that Qin Ye had made the decision to arrive here seven days in advance.

"Your Excellency, I must remind you once again that everything that we are doing right now has most likely already been predicted by the opposition. The only thing that will catch them by surprise and have a decisive effect on the outcome will be the new continent! On top of that, a normal partnership won't be enough. Even if we don't establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with them, we have to at least establish a basic strategic partnership. It's all up to you now, Your Excellency."

Qian Duolai extended a deep bow as he spoke.

Qin Ye nodded firmly in agreement, even though he still couldn't think of exactly what the second King Yanluo had been alluding to.

"It's time to go out and explore the city, everyone," he said in a serious voice. "We'll meet back here tonight, and I want to know the reactions of all of the underworlds!"

He had fired his first shot, and it was now time to gauge everyone's reactions. Furthermore, there were definitely going to be countless underworlds visiting the Cathayan Underworld to assess what it was trying to do. All of those underworlds would potentially be allies that could be recruited, and each of them would represent a vote!

It was truly time to stir up this conference in Nara!

………………………………………………

Qin Changxin hadn't left the conference hall. He had stayed behind as the Cathayan Underworld's third speaker, and at this moment, he was being surrounded by several bodyguards, outside of which were dozens of image capture crystals being pointed directly at him.

"Mr. Qin, would you be able to tell us what agreements the Cathayan Underworld signed with the five-nation alliance of Northern Europa?"

"Mr. Qin, I am a journalist from The Union Weekly, may I ask why the Cathayan Underworld didn't notify the journalist team about its meeting? Is there some kind of secret it's trying to hide?"

"Mr. Qin, this is The Eastern Daily, may I ask why this specific time was chosen for the signing of the agreements? Why didn't the Cathayan Underworld wait for the arrival of the other three pillars? Is it afraid?"

"Mr. Qin, can you tell us what it has been like for the Cathayan Underworld to return to the world stage after an absence of over a century? What was it that made the Cathayan Underworld choose the Northern Europa Alliance as its first ally?"

"Mr. Qin, this is The Sunrise Weekly, what has the Cathayan Underworld's response been to the lack of respect it received on its first few days here?"

"Mr. Qin..."

Qin Changxin was feeling slightly paralyzed in the midst of this chaotic scene.

Never did he think that international journalists would be so aggressive and frenetic. However, at the same time, he was feeling a hint of pride.

This was a major international conference being held in the Nipponese Underworld, yet all eyes were still on the Cathayan Underworld.

Looks like I made the right decision back in the Strait of Tsushima after all!

"Please, one at a time!" As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, the surrounding commotion became even louder, and he was being blinded by the flashes from the image capture crystals in all directions.

He gave a cold harrumph upon seeing this, and his Yin energy erupted forth in a frenzy, constantly clearing the space around him.

"As one of the four pillars, the Cathayan Underworld has a duty to explain its own actions to the world. However, please make sure to maintain order at all times," he said in a cold voice. "Now then, please take a seat. All journalists who do not want to follow the rules and uphold order, please leave now."

All of the journalists fell silent before sitting down as they were told, and their image capture crystals were hovering in front of their foreheads, recording every single one of Qin Changxin's words and actions.

Is this what it feels like to represent a major nation?

Qin Changxin took a deep breath to repress the excitement in his heart, then said in a calm voice, "Firstly, allow me to answer a few of your questions. The Cathayan Underworld has held this meeting on such short notice as the terms of the agreements with the five nations of Northern Europa had already been finalized in advance, so this was the perfect opportunity for the agreements to be signed. Otherwise, things wouldn't have moved so quickly. The agreements don't have a lot to do with this conference, so we didn't think it would be necessary to alert the journalist team. Also, I recall a certain journalist asking why the Cathayan Underworld chose to sign the agreements before the arrival of the other three pillars, and they were asking whether the Cathayan Underworld was afraid."

He swept a sharp and piercing gaze across all of the journalists present, and several seconds later, a derisive look appeared on his face in front of all of the journalists' eager eyes. "Don't make me laugh! Our Cathayan Underworld has stood for over 3,000 years, we hold our meetings whenever we want! Why do we have to wait for other nations to arrive before we sign our agreements? I want everyone to remember this: the Cathayan Underworld has never left, it merely took a short nap. If anyone else dares to ask provocative questions of this nature, everyone will be asked to leave. Now then, it's time to enter the press conference segment of the proceedings."

He waved a hand through the air, and a scroll slowly began to move behind him. Even though it was moving at a snail's pace, it was impossible to see exactly what was written on it.

Agreements signed between nations consisted of not just the main agreement, but also many additional agreements. There were also all types of annotations and clauses, and a total of 10 agreements had been signed just now, each of which was recorded across three or four scrolls. Qin Changxin had only brought out one of those scrolls, and it was only just for show.

"Firstly, the Cathayan Underworld and the five nations of Northern Europa have established an exhaustive strategic collaborative partnership."

As soon as this announcement was made, all of the journalists present immediately erupted into a raucous frenzy!

This meant that the Cathayan Underworld was going to be interacting with the five nations of Northern Europa on an extremely intimate basis in areas such as construction, trade, immigration, and even military affairs!

It was an unspoken agreement between all nations that the five nations of Northern Europa were going to be left to the Argosian Underworld, yet the Cathayan Underworld had just flipped that preconceived notion on its head! Was this a declaration of war against the Argosian Underworld?

Even after lying dormant for over a century, it seemed that the Cathayan Underworld hadn't become any less aggressive and domineering!

"My god!" A journalist from the new continent clapped a hand over his own mouth as he drew a sharp breath. "As expected of the Cathayan Underworld, what an aggressive move! Even if this isn't a declaration of war, it will be the first olive branch extended to the five nations of Northern Europa by any of the major underworlds, let alone one of the four pillars!"

A middle-aged journalist beside him was also completely rooted to the spot, and only after a long while was he able to work up some saliva into his parched mouth as he said, "This isn't a declaration of war, but it's blatant provocation! Why are they provoking the Argosian Underworld? Could it be that the Argosian Underworld is one of the powers targeting the Cathayan Underworld during this conference? Is this a gesture of intimidation?"

One intense gaze after another was directed toward Qin Changxin, yet it was clear that he had no intention of offering any further explanation on the subject.

You think this is the climax? Well, you're dead wrong!

He licked his lips and narrowed his eyes slightly as he prepared to deliver the true bombshell.

Right in front of everyone's eager eyes, he continued, "The second thing I want to say, and this is the most important thing I have to say, is that the Cathayan Underworld will be including the Northern Europa Alliance into the Cathayan Underworld's Zhu Rong plan, making it a member of the Zhu Rong plan's construction circle. At this point, it's also the only western member of this construction circle."