Yama Rising

The president’s eyes narrowed slightly.

They appeared to be asking a simple question, but the fact that they were all seated here, eagerly awaiting Qin Ye’s response meant that they didn’t have much choice.

No. It was more than that. It signified trust reposed in Hell.

What they wanted most was a promise, and Qin Ye had at least shown through his actions and words Hell’s intention to reclaim all the land that was lost to them. Apart from that, there was nothing more that they could prove right now.

“Perhaps, but not by much. After all… this isn’t the mortal realm’s fight.”

“In the upcoming war for unification, we will be reclaiming cities and provinces in a systematic fashion. And whenever we do so, we will establish a corresponding city god in the mortal realm to link up with the lord of the land. Once that is done, the wandering spirits will immediately feel Hell’s summons and instinctively drift towards Hell’s Gate. As for the evil ghosts in the vicinity…” Qin Ye’s eyes gleamed coldly, “Rest assured, we have our teams of specialists who will be taking care of them all. After all, most of them wouldn’t even be Hellguards to begin with. And from my short stint with the Special Investigations Department, I understand that even in the more urbanized areas, it’s only when a confluence of factors are present that we would see the emergence of Hellguard-class Yin spirits.”

Sigh… There was a series of sighs of relief. Qin Ye’s attitude was firm and resolute, and nobody could detect any falsity in his voice. It was an uplifting message that filled their hearts with hope and relief.

Qin Ye had already thought about what to ask for. Thus, he nodded and responded without any hesitation, “Before the unification is complete, I hope that… any deceased academicians, scholars and talents of the mortal realm, or even any calligraphers and artists and the like, can all have their remains transported to Martial City for a period of time before their burial or cremation.”

He didn’t explain why Hell needed these people, but it wasn’t difficult to guess why either.

This is where they state their main requests…

Silence.

The first line read: 100 million tons of steel!

It might not seem like a significant number, but in the grand scheme of things, the sudden fall in the amount of steel to go around could easily give rise to a shortage of building materials, leading to a surge in prices and thereby unduly influence the entire construction industry!

The second line: 2.5 billion tons of sand!

The third line: 7 million units of construction machinery and equipment, including excavators, booms, levellers, and so on.

Even the president couldn’t help but grow taciturn.

Qin Ye bowed deeply, “Hell isn’t asking for a price for its services, nor is this in any way a threat. Rather, Hell has just been formed, and we’re still developing the most basic of our industries. Given our production capabilities, it’s simply impossible to manufacture such sophisticated machines like the mortal realm. The construction of houses and buildings in Hell largely requires wood and stone, and it is for this reason that we’re asking for the raw materials. And then, there’s gravel and cement for infrastructural works, as well as other chemicals and materials that require precision technology to produce. These are all things we have no means of achieving right now.”

Silence.

“Sorry.” Qin Ye coughed gently, “Hell hopes that… you can provide these materials to us every year.”

Whoosh… Everyone’s eyes widened at the same time - Young fella, don’t you think you’re biting off more than you can chew?

Indeed. I may be asking for a lot, but I’m not asking for a price for my services… Qin Ye smiled faintly and waved his finger. At once, a map of Cathay appeared suspended in mid-air.

“And this is all the results of Hell’s hard effort over the last few months!”

The reverberations from his voice lingered in the grand hall.

This was a matter of great importance that not a single one of them apart from the president had the authority to say anything about.

The citizens of these cities knew full well that there were two sets of leaders that their livelihoods rested upon right now, the first being the city government, and the second being the Special Investigations Department. As a result of the supernatural outbreak, most citizens had decided to live as close to the governmental headquarters for safety and security. This was not a good thing.

Some of the images revealed the situation at Fengtian. Su Daji sat atop the city tower, purging the nest of ten thousand captive ghosts as she tore through the multitude of evil ghosts in the city.

There were even images showing the efforts of the Frontier Brigades exploring the Eastmount Province under the escort of elite Yin soldiers who had experienced the Battle of Qufu, slaying even monarch beasts as they ploughed through the lands. They appeared mighty and invincible.

This was the sight of the invisible war taking place in the background. This was the tussle between the netherworld and the rogue Yin spirits that had run rampant for far too long. But, little by little, their traces were slowly being erased from the world!

Nobody said a word.

These were experts in the political arena. Their silence, the gaze in their eyes, and even the posture with which they were seated put immense pressure on Qin Ye’s shoulders.

Just then, a voice suddenly echoed out in the hall, “This venerable one is late. Amitabha…”

This was a gathering of the three top experts of the mortal realm!

“Peace has returned to these provinces. I promise that I’ll set up a shrine for you so that incense may be offered up to you.”

“The supernatural disaster must absolutely be quelled. But in order to do that, we need to tackle the root of the problem. Our interests in the long run should never play second fiddle to our short-term interests. Therefore, please consider lending Hell a helping hand before they become self-sustaining. Otherwise, should the Yin spirits rebel from Hell due to their dissatisfaction with Hell’s conditions, they would most certainly turn back to the mortal realm. And that would naturally mean… the appearance of evil ghosts once again.”

Silence.

Agree to Hell’s requests, and the mortal realm would have to tighten their belts for another five years, and the nation would go through yet another period of hardship. It hadn’t been easy for them to rise up through poverty, so who would want to return to the 70’s and 80’s when they were constantly in want?

“Such as?” One of the vice presidents responded.

“That’s not necessary.” The president looked up abruptly and locked eyes with Qin Ye, “I agree.”

His response had come suddenly and out of the blue, but not a single soul objected to it, almost as though a perfectly logical and reasonable assent had been given. Qin Ye raised his brows slightly, but it was right then that he understood what an air of dignity meant.

He was determined to end this 10-year long nightmare once and for all.

He didn’t want to wait any longer. Cathay couldn’t afford to wait any longer!

“But, I have conditions.”