Yama Rising

Chapter 521: Duty (5)

Damn it… Damn it!!!

He should have ended the night of the Hungry Ghost Festival with over a million new Yin spirits in Hell. Unfortunately, there were only several hundreds remaining that were waiting in front of Hell’s gate right now. He’d caught up with Black Yaksha, but only at the witching hour. There was no choice but to turn back to shut Hell’s gate before the break of dawn.

He wasn’t willing to let things end like this!

Unfortunately, Zhou Xianlong and Mo Changhao were the only Infernal Judges in sight. The others were mere Soul Hunters, no different from fodder before Black Yaksha.

He glanced at the lady in the eye, only to witness her scan her surroundings placidly. Just then, her lips parted slightly, and she revealed an expression of disbelief.

Her gaze was somewhat frail, and her lips trembled ceaselessly. A wisp of blood trickled down the corner of her lips.

Qin Ye was completely dumbfounded.

That’s right. They had momentarily forgotten about Lee Jung-sook’s existence as a result of their intense tussle earlier.

Qin Ye’s mind went completely blank in that instant.

“How dare you!!” At once, anger, regret and resentment erupted from his heart all at once. He roared at the top of his voice as he burst forward. Unfortunately, he was still a step too late.

Lee Jung-sook’s outstretched hand immediately flopped down limply, and her pupils began to go blurry and hazy.

Why…

Haven’t I worked hard enough?

I’ve assumed responsibility as the King Yanluo of Hell. I’ve done everything I could to discharge the duties I have. Yet the perfect occasion to open Hell’s gate was completely ruined by my moment of negligence. Everything in Hell is going so smoothly, so why didn’t I think about the fact that Yin and Yang are two sides of the same coin?!!

He wasn’t saddened by the prospects of losing Lee Jung-sook. Their relationship was hardly on such a deep level. This was simply the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Ever since midnight, a multitude of emotions had already begun to stir in the depths of his heart, churning and festering until it finally ignited with a great explosion.

“Leave!!!” The lady hissed wildly. Her clothes flapped wildly in the frightening eruption of Yin energy, while the ground began to crack and split in every direction. Qin Ye might have been despondent, but it was the lady who was incomparably anxious at this point in time.

Crack! The demonic lady tightened her grasp around Lee Jung-sook’s neck, causing Lee Jung-sook to grimace miserably.

He’d made up his mind.

This was his duty as the King Yanluo of Hell. He had to choose to sacrifice Lee Jung-sook at this turn of events.

He spoke softly, but clearly. Then, as he looked up once more, he saw the members of the Special Investigations Department staring directly at him in shock.

Lin Han and Su Feng were also staring at him with their mouths agape. They even subconsciously retreated several steps back, as though they were attempting to escape from the reality that had just presented itself to them. Their lips trembled as though they wanted to say something, but they forcibly repressed their remarks.

Qin Ye felt the urge to explain himself, but words eluded him.

Just then, the tense silence was shattered by the sound of a loud bang. Time seemed to pause in that very instant. Qin Ye froze, and then turned to the source of the sound abruptly.

The gun was pointed straight to her chest, and blood and gore splattered everywhere.

“To save… is… affection…” She spoke with great difficulty, “What you chose… was duty…”

“I’ve… lived… well--...”

Dead silence.

“How dare you die?!! How dare you die?!!”

Lee Jung-sook is dead… Black Yaksha is doomed!

She simply couldn’t accept it!

Just then, a spear immolating with flames thrusted straight into the demonic lady’s chest at supersonic speed.

The demonic lady looked down at her own chest, before revealing a gnarly smile on her face, “One day… I’ll make all of you… eat your words.”

Boom! As she spoke, a black Sanskrit seal branded itself into Qin Ye’s chest. Then, a grim, black sun formed entirely out of Yin energy appeared right behind her, consuming her altogether. Moments later, the body of Black Yaksha emerged from the heart of the black sun and fell straight to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.

Her face was pale and supple, and her hair fluttered softly with the wind. She was still as beautiful as ever, and yet she showed no semblance of life.

No response.

He wasn’t anguished by the death of Lee Jung-sook. Rather, it was the fact that her death… carried with it a multitude of implications.

If only I’d listened to Arthis and abandoned the mortal realm more decisively…

I mean… aren’t I already doing it?

Unfortunately, there was no use crying over spilt milk. Nothing could reverse what had already been done.

He wanted so much to return to that day when Arthis had sternly warned him against the dangers of doing too much. If he could have a do-over, he’d have done everything to ensure that the Hungry Ghost Festival went as smoothly as it could.

He reached out and attempted to grab one, only to have it slip right through his fingers and flutter off into the distant skies.

“I took pride in the fact that I’ve lived for a hundred years, and yet I don’t even know some of the simplest truths. It’s impossible to have your cake and eat it as well…”

Just then, a black lustre suddenly erupted from his chest, and then… the roaring Yin energy from his body slowly began to recede like the ebbing tide.

It was a process that took time. He saw his human hands, and even his camouflage uniform peek out from right underneath the billowing Yin energy.

A soft nethergale swept across the lands.

Just then, it suddenly occurred to him that the shard of King Yanluo’s Seal in his possession had once revealed these sights to him.

With a complex smile, Mo Changhao marched forward and patted Qin Ye’s back, affixing a talisman onto his body. It was ancient and yellowish, and yet the cursive writing on it appeared as striking as ever.

“Impossible…” Lin Han felt his throat go parched as he stared at the man he thought he knew well. It was the young man who had given him a terrible nickname. It was the same young man who had been competing with him, only to come out a head and shoulder above his competition to be touted as a genius among his contemporaries. And now… that same young man was covered with copious amounts of Yin energy.

He finally understood how this young man advanced so quickly.

He suddenly had answers to all the mysteries that appeared to be enshrouding this young man.

It was betrayal! It was deception!

Then… What about the friendship we once used to share?

“Instructor Qin.” Zhou Xianlong finally spoke with a deep sigh, “We meet again.” It sounded placid, but Qin Ye could tell that he was speaking with great despondence in his voice.

“When did you begin to harbour suspicions regarding my identity?”

“Right before Li Jixi died.”