Yama Rising

Chapter 323: Grappling with Life and Death

Qin Ye gently supported Wang Chenghao and used his Yin energy to temporarily keep Wang Chenghao alive, “Did you see that? I’ve avenged you, so go in peace. Besides, you don’t have any next of kin in this world any longer.”

Qin Ye held Wang Chenghao’s bloody hand and placed the spirit streamer in his hands, “Come, I’ll let you deal the final blow.”

The rooftop was silent once more. Wang Chenghao felt slightly better, but he knew that this was no more than a momentary reprieve.

Qin Ye promptly reverted back to his human form, and he continued holding Wang Chenghao in his hands. It was strange. He knew full well that he could simply end Wang Chenghao’s life right now, and it wouldn’t take long before they were reunited in the depths of Hell. That way, Wang Chenghao wouldn’t have to go through all this pain and suffering either. However, he simply couldn’t bring himself to do so.

“Am… I… cough cough… about to… die?” Wang Chenghao sputtered blood as he spoke intermittently. It was an ugly, laughable sight, yet Qin Ye couldn’t bring himself to even smile at this moment.

“You’re… cough… not lying?” Wang Chenghao’s eyes gleamed brightly.

“But… I want to live…” The second wind granted by Qin Ye had somehow ignited Wang Chenghao’s passion for life, and his spirits clearly brightened. Nonetheless, Qin Ye sighed softly and placed his hand gently on Wang Chenghao’s forehead, “I’m sorry. I was selfish.”

Wang Chenghao grinned, and his voice was no different from a drawl, “You were... torn between friendship… cough cough… and duty… I don’t blame you…”

“I didn’t expect it to come so soon… There are still so many things that I want to do… Yet, to think that I would die here…” He chuckled bitterly, “I haven’t even cleared that game yet.”

“When you open your eyes again, everything will be fine once more.”

Time to go.

You shouldn’t die with your eyes wide open like that… Qin Ye sighed, and tried to brush down his eyelids once more. But before he could do so, Wang Chenghao grumbled, “Brother Qin… I can still hold on… You’re blocking my view of the sky…”

Qin Ye gritted his teeth and set down his hand. Whatever happened to the fear of death?! Why do you seem so unafraid of what is supposed to come?

“I am…” Wang Chenghao coughed and smiled at the falling rain, “But, you wouldn’t lie to me… cough cough… I trust in you…”

“Truth be told… I feel like my entire life has been a complete failure…” Wang Chenghao muttered softly, “Come to think of it, I’ve lived off my parents assets my entire life… and I couldn’t even make a name for myself after their death… You know… there was a time when I fantasized about becoming as powerful as you…”

Blood continued to pour out of his wounds, while Wang Chenghao held tightly to Qin Ye’s hands, “Brother Qin… a man named Albatross approached me before…”

“I know.” Qin Ye patted his shoulder assuringly, “Speaking of which, your condition is getting dangerous. You’ll want to go in peace. I’m not lying to you - we’ll be reunited in Hell in just the blink of an eye. I’m going to confer you with a title, and you’ll be able to return to the mortal realm to purge all the Yin spirits you want. How does that sound?”

With a sputter of blood, his face began to grow more and more ashen by the minute.

“Take out your cell phone…” Wang Chenghao mustered the remaining strength in his body and continued weakly, “Open a voice recording app…”

“I… Wang Chenghao… dead by the hands of an evil ghost… hereby bequeaths all of my property…”

How could… you still be thinking of me at such a time like this?!

He tightened his grip around Qin Ye’s hand, and Qin Ye sighed wistfully, “Don’t worry, I’ll use it well…”

Ding!

You imbecile! Can’t you just die well for once?!

Do you believe it when I tell you that I’ll send you as a gift to Su Dongxue’s bedchambers? I’m perfectly certain that you’re just the type she would covet!

Nevertheless, Qin Ye responded softly with some measure of frustration, “Mm.” Then, Wang Chenghao’s eyes finally began to dilate, “Brother Qin… do you recall… the song that we heard when we were escaping from Clear Creek County?”

“Could you… sing… two lines of it?”

His nose was cold, and his lips were pale.

“Some people say that life isn’t worth it.” Qin Ye sighed and gently set Wang Chenghao down, “But this life of yours has undoubtedly been spent well.”

He slowly got to his feet. And then, with a flick of his wrist, his spirit streamer casually carved out a deep groove along the ground as he gazed into the corner of the rooftop, “Come out. You’ve been watching from the shadows from some time now. Did you enjoy the show?”

Qin Ye shook his head, and then flicked his finger, causing one of the talismans hanging from the spirit streamer to shoot straight through the door. A split second later, two shadows burst through the door and rushed onto the rooftop.

Qin Ye immediately understood the extent of their abilities in a single glance.

Her entire body appeared to be twisted beyond belief, almost as though she had suffered from some inhumane torture right before her death. She lay on the ground on all fours like a spider. Next to her, there was a child with dreadlocks dressed only in underwear. The child opened his mouth from time to time, revealing rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth laced with traces of grisly corpse fluid.

Ka… ka… The woman’s head began to swivel around stiffly in a horrific manner as she chuckled hoarsely, “How touching… To think that an Emissary of Hell would develop lingering feelings of attachment for the mortal realm… Kekeke… I nearly shed a tear for you back there…”

“In life, I was a shamaness of the seven underworldly craftsmen… Kekeke… Little Emissary of Hell, have you ever heard of the Assassins of the Underworld?” The shamaness cackled huskily. Then, she promptly added, “Oh, that’s right. I’ve got a gift for you.”

It was Li Jixi.

His limbs had already been chewed right off his body, yet he still managed to survive despite the excruciating pain of the ordeal he had been through.

“Shh…” Qin Ye raised his finger to his lips and searched through Li Jixi’s body before softly patting his face, “Do you know that you’ve murdered someone today?”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be accompanying him shortly. Even if these evil ghosts were to spare your life, I wouldn’t.” Qin Ye spoke emotionlessly, “You must still be wondering if I had anything to do with the incident back at the Strait of Tsushima back then, aren’t you?”

Li Jixi’s heart thumped wildly, and he struggled desperately, almost as though he had a multitude of things to say. Unfortunately, he couldn’t say a single word.

It was him… It really was him!

“I sincerely respect you. The Albatross certainly lives up to its name. To think that you were actually able to track me down all this way.” Qin Ye straightened his body, and continued with a cold voice, “Unfortunately, curiosity also killed the cat.”

“You wouldn’t be able to live even if I don’t kill you. Your body has sustained the incursion of copious amounts of Yin energy, and death is but an eventuality. So, let me… finally provide you with release. You should be grateful that I’m repaying your evil with good.”

“Aren’t you afraid of me?” Qin Ye turned to look at the female ghost.

“Dear, he won’t be laughing soon enough. It’s been fifty long years since we’ve been dead, and we’ve already killed far too many unsuspecting cultivators.” The female ghost responded huskily, “Even though the daolord had only instructed us to head over for reconnaissance work, it wouldn’t be bad if we could… capture the target alive either…”

When he was done, he slowly lowered his head back down and shook his spirit streamer in hand, “Things are truly as Arti had mentioned.”

“The ignorance of a fifty-year evil ghost truly knows no bounds.”

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1. First appeared in Chapter 36.