Yama Rising

Time passed by very quickly, and if it weren't for his pocket watch informing him that it was already 12 AM, he wouldn't be able to tell any difference from the port during the daytime. This was one of the good things about the underworld; Yin spirits could work every single day, thereby resulting in a GDP far superior to that of the mortal realm. After all, Yin spirits didn't get tired like living humans did.

Right after the stroke of midnight, a massive splash erupted on the surface of the sea, following which a giant wooden ship emerged from the depths, causing the surface of the sea to bulge upward. Following its emergence, seawater came crashing down all around it like a waterfall.

Qin Ye sized up this ship in silence. It was a classic Spanish galleon that was most popular during the Age of Discovery, where lengthy voyages often lasting years were made on a regular basis. The ship was constructed from black timber, and the edges of the giant poop deck were coated in brass with the likeness of an evil ghost carved onto its surface. The galleon had three levels and was close to 15 meters tall, looking as extravagant as a castle. The ship's deck was glistening with a cold light, and it had a total of three masts, attached to which were 13 sails, as well as a figurehead of a beluga whale at the very front.

During the renowned Age of Discovery in the 16th and 17th centuries, the colonists of Spain employed a massive number of these types of ships to conquer the aboriginal inhabitants of Southern Usonia. This ship was different in that its surface was riddled with barnacles and seaweed, and its sails were so tattered that even the designs on them weren't visible anymore. It was clear that this ship had been voyaging for a very long time.

Qin Ye took a few glances at the galleon before withdrawing his gaze. He was very pleased with this ship.

Even though Spanish galleons were ships that arose in order to address the issues that plagued the carrack, namely how maladroit and cumbersome it was, it still had the flaw of not being very agile and responsive due to the large size of its body, and this flaw became especially apparent when turning or sailing against the wind. This was also why the Spanish navy had been comprehensively beaten by the Britannian Royal Navy during their war for dominance on the sea. However, its merits were also incomparable.

As a renowned large ship model during the Age of Discovery, a single galleon could carry over 150 crew members, and its heavy body made it a floating fortress. Qin Ye could already see that there were a total of over 30 cannons protruding out of the two sides of the ship. Having said that, this was the underworld, so the power of the cannons would only be roughly comparable with those from the Ming Dynasty in the mortal realm.

However, this was a sign of stability, which was very much a necessity during such a long voyage.

Initially, he had been quite hesitant about whether he wanted to travel in the underworld or the mortal realm. However, after hearing what Rebis had to say, he decided on the underworld route in the end. After all, the Northern Usonian continent in the mortal realm had already sensed something and was on high alert, so there was surveillance everywhere in airports and train stations. If he were to be discovered, it would be very difficult to explain his motives to humans, so he was better off traveling through the underworld.

Even if he were to be discovered here, he would be able to lash out without any inhibitions.

Once all of the seawater had cascaded down from the ship, the doors of the cabin finally swung open, following which a man in a long black coat with golden edges emerged. The man had a triangular pirate hat on his head, and his right hand was a metal hook.

He appeared to be in his forties, and his unkempt fiery red hair was dancing in the wind, revealing a set of facial features that were riddled with blade scars. Behind him were several dozen sailors, and they all adopted their designated positions, preparing to disembark from the ship.

Qin Ye was the only person standing on the entire dock, and the man in the pirate hat took a glance at him, following which his brows furrowed slightly.

He wore a top hat and a black coat, as well as a silver mask and a pair of white gloves. He was even holding a cane in his hand as he stood ramrod straight amid the buffeting wind of the sea, looking almost more like an inanimate statue than a human being. His entire body was covered from head to toe, making it impossible to even glean the color of his skin, and as the man in the pirate hat cast his gaze toward him, he gently squeezed the brim of his top hat with one of his gloved hands, then gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.

No matter who he is, this man smells like trouble.

The man in the pirate hat strode over to the bow of the ship, then rested a foot on the railing as he yelled, "Are you waiting for me?"

Qin Ye replied, "Rebis told me to wait here for you. Your name is Rick, right? You can call me Q."

Rick didn't immediately reply as he turned to the side, and a small lifeboat crashed down from the galleon straight onto the surface of the sea. However, right as he turned around, he instantly drew a sharp breath, and his entire body shuddered as he took a few involuntary backward steps before watching the man in the top hat with a wary expression.

Q had somehow appeared right in front of him, standing no more than three meters away!

This man is an Anitya Hellguard! Perhaps even an Infernal Judge! Did he fly just now? His speed is incredible!

"Please come with me." Rick took a wary glance at him before gesturing toward the ship's cabin.

Qin Ye strode onto the ship with him, casually inspecting the ship's cabin as he did so, and to his surprise, the cabin was completely different from what he would expect of a man with such a rugged appearance. There were no wine bottles strewn around all over the floor, no rubbish anywhere to be seen, nor any strange smells. Instead, a faint and elegant fragrance was wafting throughout the entire room.

Qin Ye followed Rick all the way to the end of the cabin, and a door was opened, upon which the helmsman's room was revealed.

There was nothing remarkable about the room, the only thing remotely attention-grabbing was a beautiful shield that resembled a work of art behind the timber table and chairs. An intricate lion's head was carved onto the surface of the shield, and its mane fanned out all around it, forming the patterns around the shield. Two rapiers were crossed behind the shield, and there was a line of small text engraved onto the shield's surface that read: "Awarded to Rick Arthur of the Red Eagle Navy's seventh fleet".

The room was surrounded by rows of bookshelves, giving it an air of sophistication that Qin Ye didn't expect to see here. After the two of them had taken a seat, neither one of them spoke, and only after several minutes did Rick smile as he said, "I didn't think that anyone would dare to travel to the new continent at a time like this. I must say, I greatly admire your courage."

He then raised three fingers and continued, "There are three rules on this ship. I know there's a very good chance that you're a Count, but I still have to lay down these rules for you. If you can't accept them, then I won't take you anywhere on my ship."

Qin Ye gave a slight nod, and only then did Rick elaborate, "Firstly, don't ask about the specific route we're taking, and don't try to intervene in any of the parts of the ship's operation. We are professionals, so please place your trust in us."

"Alright."

"Secondly, we won't ask about your identity, your desired destination, or your intentions. Similarly, please do not disclose this information to any of the people on this ship. Once you disembark, this ship will have nothing to do with you, and you are not permitted to vent your anger on us or hunt us down for any reason. Of course, this only applies under the condition that the first condition is met. We once encountered a Viscount who failed in his operation and was under the impression that it was because we gave away his secrets. Under circumstances like those, we are not liable to offer any compensation."

Qin Ye nodded once again.

"Thirdly, during the next few days, unless you receive notification from us, please remain strictly in the cabin." He leaned back in his chair, then picked up a bottle of wine beside him and flicked off the lid with his thumb before pouring some of the wine out into a wine glass as he continued, "Our identities are special, and you don't know what type of people are watching us from what type of places..."

Before he had a chance to finish, Qin Ye asked in a raspy voice, "Have you served in the navy in the past?"

Rick nodded in response before taking a sip of wine. "That's why I can pass through all of the ports of the new continent without having to undergo any examinations. Do you think this shield is awarded to all retired naval soldiers? I was once a colonel in the Red Eagle Navy, so the majority of naval branches treat me with respect."

That's great to hear!

Qin Ye didn't want to ask too many questions, but this still wasn't enough to make him feel completely secure, so he asked, "If I can't ask about the route we're taking, can I at least ask what our destination is?"

"Sure," Rick replied with a swirl of his glass. "Our destination is equivalent to the city of La Paz in the Baja California peninsula in the mortal realm."

In the instant that the destination was revealed, Qin Ye's heartbeat suddenly accelerated sharply for some reason.

This was a premonition of peril!

This type of premonition had struck him on two occasions in the past. As a cultivator of his caliber, he had a certain level of premonition toward danger, but some of the premonitions were almost unnoticeable, while other instances were very severe. The fact that he was having such a strong reaction to a location that was on the other side of the Pacific Ocean meant that it had to be an extremely perilous place!

"Are you alright?" Qin Ye had suddenly thrown a hand over his own chest, and a wary look immediately appeared on Rick's face upon seeing this. His hand had already crept onto a hidden button beneath on the underside of the table.

"That's a dangerous place," Qin Ye replied in an intentionally raspy voice. "It's extremely dangerous there. Don't ask me how I know, you can just treat it as a celestial premonition."

Rick seemed to be very amused by this, but he didn't say anything, and it was as if he were trying to gauge whether Qin Ye was telling the truth.

Celestial premonition? That's an ability that only Dukes possess! Does this mean this man is a Duke? But that's impossible! Why would such a high-ranking underworld emissary need to travel on my ship? They have set hidden routes that they can take!

However, the cautious nature he had developed over the years still convinced him not to completely scoff at Qin Ye's words. Instead, he picked up the globe on his table and pointed at another location on it. "How about Eureka Port?"

Another urgent sense of peril washed over Qin Ye at the sound of this name.

It was as if a voice was being carried across the Pacific Ocean by the wind, telling him that it was not safe to go there.

He suddenly realized something. There was a very good chance that it wasn't those two particular places that just so happened to be dangerous. Instead, the same applied to the entirety of Usonia, so it didn't matter where their destination on the continent was!

"Try someplace else," he instructed in a calm voice.

Rick wasn't bothered by this at all. He had seen far too many strange things during his years out on the sea, and he lit a cigar and took a long puff from it before pointing toward an even further location this time.

It was the island of Alaska, the northernmost part of Northern Usonia.

On this occasion, not only did the premonition of peril abate, it became even more severe!

I see... As expected, the problem doesn't lie with the city. Instead, the issue is that a massive crisis is about to sweep over the entirety of Northern Usonia! Are the barriers between life and death about to be shattered? Are Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa going to begin devouring Yin spirits without any further inhibitions? Is a full-blown war about to erupt between the church and the evil ghosts?

He didn't know which of those possibilities was going to eventuate, all he knew was that he had to be quick!

He had to get his hands on what he wanted and leave before the crisis began. Otherwise, he would most likely be swept up right in it.

"The issue doesn't lie in the city," he finally said. "The problem is that this entire continent is cursed. I'm fine with La Paz, everywhere else is much the same anyway."

He rose to his feet as he spoke. He hadn't had a chance to decide what he was going to do after arriving in Northern Usonia and whether he would travel through the underworld or the mortal realm, so these next few days were a great opportunity for him to make these decisions.

Right as he was about to leave the room, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and said, "To get to La Paz, don't we have to pass through the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico? Are you sure you won't be forced to undergo examination by the three death gods of the Caribbean? Aren't they natural enemies of yours seeing as you served in the navy?"

"Don't worry," Rich replied with a smile. "I haven't taken this route in two years, but the Gulf of California is where the stronghold of the Red Eagle Navy is located. I'm aware of the three death gods of the Caribbean. Their stronghold is in Panama City, and the entire Gulf of Mexico, the Great Antilles, the western part of Mexico, and Florida New Orleans on the southern part of Northern Usonia all fall under their scope of influence, as well as a part of Southern Usonia. It can be said that they've taken over the most important connective junction between the two continents of Usonia."

He blew out a cloud of cigar smoke with a cold smile as he continued, "But if they want to extend their influence into the Gulf of California, they're still 100 years too early!"