Yama Rising

Chapter 332: Talking Your Way Out

The daolord of the asura wasn’t an exception to this either.

How does this man speak with such righteousness and dignity?

Who exactly is he? What position does he occupy in the new Hell? Could he be… an illegitimate son of the third King Yanluo? If I abduct him… how will the new Hell react?

The daolord knew that his existence sat on a divergent end of the spectrum from Hell’s purposes. This was almost an immutable truth that had already lasted for thousands of years, and yet someone was now telling him that the new Hell was even willing to confer a title upon him? All kingdoms and polity needed a purpose for their existence. And yet… the third King Yanluo of Hell was actually going to overturn and redefine the purpose of Hell’s existence that had stood for the last thousands of years? Were they actually going to turn traitorous and mix with someone like the daolord?

Qin Ye’s mind spun rapidly. He knew that it wasn’t possible to convince an old, crafty evil ghost with the few statements he had made earlier. However… he was still confident!

“I bear… the identity of the third King Yanluo of Hell.” His mind spun, and then he gritted his teeth before finally dropping the bombshell.

“Stay your hand.” Qin Ye raised his hand, “Daolord of the asura, has it ever occurred to you what languishing state the new Hell must be in if a scum like me can become a King Yanluo?”

It was as though he were on the verge of ‘release’, only to discover that the opening had suddenly been tied up…

Bloody hell… Can you please pay closer to your identity as the third King Yanluo of Hell?! Why can’t you speak with a little bit more dignity?!

To think that you would debase yourself to such an extent… Are you really willing to do that much just for your own survival…

The daolord of the asura immediately responded, “Punish the evil and reward the good. To deal with those that slip through the cracks of the law in the mortal realm and see that justice is done.”

“That’s right.”

“Of course!!” The Yin vortex erupted with a massive wave of Yin energy, and the daolord of the asura gritted his teeth as he suppressed the fear in his heart, “You can’t even begin to fathom what kind of punishment awaits a person under the path of the asura… To be devoured by hundreds or even thousands of asuras on a daily basis… Do you think I’ll ever forget the pain of having my flesh being torn from my body bit by bit?!”

The daolord of the asura froze.

In that instant, his mind began to explore a whole new world of possibilities. Can he do it? Can he really do it? No… no! How could he possibly do it! Hell isn’t governed by just King Yanluo alone. There are other Yin spirits around as well. Have they agreed? Back when I was sentenced to an eternity under the six paths of reincarnation, it was done by way of a vote before the cabinet ministers. This man… makes great promises, but I’m afraid they carry no weight.

He was truly afraid that he would be convinced by such an impossible suggestion.

Qin Ye was staring intently at the Yin vortex, analyzing the daolord’s thoughts from his micro-reactions.

Did I fail to convince him? Where did I go wrong?

“They don’t exist.” He chose his words cautiously, “Daolord of the asura, think about it - who… dares to oppose me?”

“Besides, even if they harbour any doubts, there simply isn’t time for them to act upon it. After all… the development of Hell is more important than anything else right now! You should know that Hellguards take charge of city level affairs. In other words, Hell could never be larger than a city right now, and we could never march against a faction with troops even if we so desired.”

“You should have already realized by now that the world has changed greatly, much more than any of the changes that had occurred in the last thousands of years. Thousands of years of feudal dynasties ended in the flash of an eye, and modern day Yin spirits are completely different from the Yin spirits of the past. The great changes incidentally coincides with the great collapse of Hell, and none of the modern day Yin spirits would find there to be anything wrong with the course of action I’m proposing, because… it doesn’t matter the means, as long as I achieve the same end.”

And this was no mere rhetoric - Qin Ye was speaking with such great conviction because he truly intended to make good on his word.

Besides… it’s only when they have secured some form of closure on the looming threat of Hell’s existence that they can finally wage war on the twelve envoys. Otherwise… who would I deal arms to?

Put differently, I’m scared. Life isn’t only about surviving in the present, it’s also planning for survival in the future. Do I really want to be at your mercy all the time?

He wasn’t a fool. Fools wouldn’t have been able to leave their mark in history after all, even if it were the mark of notoriety. Anyone who could achieve something like that was outstanding in his own right.

He had escaped from Hell with the sole intent of never being subject to the torment of the six paths ever again. He had even attempted to form his own underworld and gotten away with it thus far. Nevertheless, he knew that the ‘underworld’ he had created would never be recognized by the Heavenly Dao. As they grow larger and larger, so will the resistance he faces, be it from the mortal realm, Hell or the Heavenly Dao. Nobody would condone their existence. Conversely, his problems would be resolved once and for all if he could simply fall under the ranks of the new Hell.

His heart was filled with an amalgam of complex emotions. To think that a measly Emissary of Hell would casually rile up his thoughts and emotions from the time he made up his mind to escape from Hell, to the thoughts of everything he had achieved from sheer hard work. More than anything, he was reluctant… but the olive branch that had been extended to him would guarantee a future free from the torment he had suffered under the six paths of reincarnation over the last thousands of years. The fear of Hell had already been etched into the deepest parts of his marrows. This was an undeniable truth, whether he wanted to recognize it or not.

“Does Hell truly wish to make me a part of its ranks? Haha… this is something that the daolord of the beast and the daolord of the hungry ghost would find a complete joke.”

“You’re glib. You managed to broach a subject of conversation to throw me off and suppress my murderous intent. And then, you slowly but surely whittle away at it… Not bad… It’s truly praiseworthy… If you really are what you say you are, the next King Yanluo of Hell, then I truly look forward to what you might do with great expectations…”

Qin Ye’s suddenly tensed up his spirits, “What do you mean by that?”

Boom! An irresistible force surged forward like a tidal wave. Qin Ye felt as though he had been cast into the depths of an icy cellar in an instant, and he spat out a mouthful of blood as he slammed back heavily against the wall.

A palpable sense of fear emerged from the depths of his heart.

“Talisman of Life and Death. I’ve read a good book in the mortal realm, and I’ll be borrowing its name.” The Yin vortex began to shrink, “Only an Infernal Judge can dissolve its effects. If you’re truly the King Yanluo of Hell, then… it wouldn’t be too difficult to get an Infernal Judge to help you out, would it?”

“Remember this - the Talisman of Life and Death strikes three times, and each strike is stronger than the previous. If you aren’t able to lift its effects by then, then you’ll most certainly die.”

Dong… Qin Ye’s spirits remained incredibly tense for several minutes, until the last traces of Yin energy had vanished completely. Then, he finally heaved a sigh of relief and collapsed onto his bed.

The world of Yin spirits can never be taken lightly. Who would’ve thought that the daolord of the asura would actually leave a mark on his Heavenly Spirits and even appear in person? It looks like… their fear for Hell runs far deeper than I imagined.

But before he could even pursue this line of thinking, an intense pain suddenly spread violently from his chest!