Yama Rising

“The Fenglai Hotel belongs to my dad, and there are surveillance cameras everywhere. I had previously connected the surveillance cameras to my computer just out of curiosity, since I had nothing better to do… If it still works now, and the monster in the hotel hasn’t left yet, then we should be able to see what’s come to it.”

“Was I supposed to bring them?” Wang Chenghao blinked his eyes. He was completely baffled by Qin Ye’s exclamation, almost as though he were saying - What else did I have to bring?

Qin Ye’s lips continued twitching, “Shouldn’t you at the very least have brought along a change of clothes?”

Damn these rich people…

Kid… you’re honest. Yet why does your honesty sting my heart so?

His heart was suddenly awash with melancholy as it dawned on him that he was already going deeper and deeper down the journey of living off somebody else…

The duo immediately turned their attention to the video that was playing on full-screen mode.

Qin Ye nodded slightly. He had been at the epicenter of Arthis’ display of authority. For as long as her display of authority lingered, all who were below the rank of Infernal Judges would never be able to get back on their feet. In other words, the puppet master wasn’t anywhere close to a Judge in terms of his abilities.

The outrageous outburst startled both Wang Chenghao and Qin Ye.

I mean… shouldn’t an expert who disposed of the puppet master step out of the darkness with a fairy-like existence, acting in a manner reflective of a boundless sovereign?

The Yin energy in the surroundings cleared up before the man finished speaking. Then, a round, puffy figure appeared for the first time in the video.

The man was estimated to be well above 200 kg in weight. His Taoist robes were already bursting at its seams, tattered in some parts, while covered in grease in others. He also wore a square headscarf. It was impossible to tell when he last washed up. Even his lapels were already turning black. To make matters worse, rather than holding onto a buddist whisk… he instead held… a feather duster.

And he even held onto a greasy leg of lamb in his other hand. No matter how one looked at it, this man resembled a beggar more than he did a Taoist priest.

However, the Taoist priest didn’t even pay any attention to him. He ravenously gnawed at the leg of lamb in his hands and finished it in just a few bites. Then, after wiping off the grease on his robes, he put his palms out in the shape of a lotus flower and continued, “Boundless… hiccup… Sovereign.”

“Hiccup… I’ve forgotten it. Grabbed something in a rush. As a true disciple, it’s part of my duty to remain presentable at all times. Unfortunately… hiccup… I grabbed the wrong item.”

“Do you really think that a mere Soul Hunter like you could take on the Assassins of the Underworld?” The puppet master burst out into a maniacal laughter. His body faded back into the depths of the roiling black fog, and the countless corpses around the Taoist priest began to stir immediately.

“Over the last thousands of years, not a single entity has dared to misbehave themselves in Westriver. Even now, the outbreak of supernatural activities within Westriver remains the lowest in the entire country. Can’t you use your damn pig brain and think about why this is the case?”

“Because… two of the three great Taoist Ancestral Courts are located within Westriver. This is where Celestial Master Zhang attained enlightenment and established the ghost expunging techniques… Don’t you think that your tortoise guts are far too big for your own good?”

He formed several hand seals in just an instant. Then, a radiant, silver-white circle blossomed from under his feet, and a nine-layered lotus seat appeared by his side. As each layer of the lotus bloomed, the entire event hall began to be filled with a radiant Yang light, clashing powerfully with the dark Yin energy in the room. All of the corpse puppets disintegrated in just an instant.

“Sanqing Taoist?! You’re the disciple of the great Celestial Master?!” A voice laden with immense fear echoed from the darkness. Just then, all of the fog in the room began to surge like a tidal wave and transform into a long dragon of Yin energy as it swept down the stairs in a hurry.

Whizz! The hairpin rode the winds and shot off like a bolt of lightning! In an instant, the hairpin transformed into an ancient-looking peachwood sword that even appeared to emit the whistling sounds of rushing wind and the rumbling of thunder. The peachwood sword caught up to the tide of Yin energy in the blink of an eye. With a miserable cry, the black fog dissipated immediately, and the peachwood sword plunged straight into the black box carried by Lin Chaosheng at all times.

He walked over to the sword and held its hilt firmly in his hand, “I’ve heard that puppet masters never personally engage in battles. I imagine that this policeman must also be one of your puppets, isn’t it? Just like the Westbrook corpse drivers, you guys are quite remarkable in your own right. It’s a pity that your expertise is going to be lost to the world forever…”

Squeeaaaaall!!! A heart-rending scream suddenly rang out from the box. The wooden sword had penetrated the box in its entirety, stabbing straight through the floorboards, leaving only the hilt outside!

A three-meter tall column of blood rushed into the air, completely incongruous with the small size of the box. The tragic cries continued endlessly. It was only tens of seconds later that everything grew silent and tranquil once more.

The video ended there.

For the third time, he increased his assessment of the government’s power once again.

Judging from his conversance, Qin Ye could tell that the puppet master was approximately equivalent to a Hunter-class Emissary of Hell. Yet the fact that he was completely and utterly obliterated by the disciple of the Celestial Master in just two moves meant that the fat priest… was probably a Hellguard-class expert in his own right!

After all, there was only one qualitative level of difference between the Hellguard-class experts and the Judge-class experts.

The fact that there was a formidable Hellguard-class ghost staring at him from afar truly made for tasteless meals and sleepless nights.

“Let’s go to the City of Salvation.”

Qin Ye shook his head. The fat priest was right. Westriver… was the birthplace of the state religion, Taoism. In the past, Daofather Zhang attained enlightenment on the Cranecall Mountain before making his way to the Qingcheng Mountain where he slaughtered 8 million evil ghosts. Both Ancestral Halls are located in Westriver. Whether disciples in name, lay disciples or true disciples, the fact remained that Taoist disciples abounded in Westriver. After what happened, remaining in this location would be far too dangerous.

“It’s in the Insignia Province.”

“We’ll be safe there.” Qin Ye pulled out his phone and dialed a number, “You can choose not to stay. All you have to do is to send me there. After all… I’ve got a friend over there.”

Friend?

Is he a human too?

After a long period of time, Qin Ye was the first to speak, “Old Zhang… the last time we’ve met was probably twenty years ago, wasn’t it?”

Qin Ye smiled, “I hear you’ve got promoted again? Should I be addressing you as Chief, now?”

Qin Ye didn’t hesitate, “I’m currently at Westriver. Something’s going on in my county. As you know, I simply cannot afford to disclose my true identity. Thus, I intend to move to Insignia Province for three to five years to tide things through. I’d like your help to enroll me in a non-provincial university, and furnish me with identification that won’t arouse any suspicions.”

After exchanging several more pleasantries with each other, both sides hung up at almost the same time. Wang Chenghao asked curiously, “Brother Qin, you mentioned that he’s your friend?”

Meanwhile, inside an ordinary looking home in the distant City of Salvation, Insignia Province, a pair of weather-beaten hands hung up the phone.

“Hey, Old Zhang, remember to wash the dishes! Why are you slacking off again?” A lady wearing an apron around her waist walked out and told off Old Zhang.

“This is Zhang Baoguo. Connect me to the Chief of Bureau, Zheng.”

“It’s just a favour.” Zhang Baoguo explained indifferently, “A relative of mine will be relocating to the City of Salvation for studies within fifteen days’ time. Old Zheng, do you have any good college recommendations from the education arm of your bureau? I don’t want the provincial one. And it would be ideal if the college is located in the vicinity of the City of Salvation.”