Qin Ye immediately surveyed his surroundings, only to discover that even though there were waiters outside, he couldnāt detect a single Yin spirit around at all!
Impossible!
This was his first reaction.
Only a Yama-class Yin spirit could conceal its presence from me. But here in Daehanā¦ so long as the Harken is sleeping, and the Second King Yanluo isnāt bored out of his mindā¦ thereās simply no way someone of that caliber could be here! Tsar Arturo wouldnāt come over for no reason, and Yamaraja from the Hindustani Underworld is unlikely to travel all the way down here just to ruffle the tigerās fur.
It doesnāt make any sense! What in the world is going on here?
Qin Ye retracted his gaze. Just then, he suddenly paused.
It was because he saw a line of words written on the table - āMidnight tonight, 99 Chestnut Valley Road, Jongno District.ā
This statement didnāt mean much, but Qin Ye immediately knew who the one who had left the message was.
Waiter Zu!
Itās actually him! Qin Ye hammered the table in joy and laughed uproariously.
The manager of La Yeon immediately rushed in and bowed respectfully once more, āSir, do you have any further instructions?ā
However, Qin Ye simply shook his head and laughed heartily as he left the restaurant.
As soon as he stepped out of the hotel, he immediately glanced at the streets with a gaze of anticipation.
Hanyang had never felt as lovely as this before. Even the air suddenly became fresh to his nose.
Heād almost forgotten the fact that Hell had sent out several agents into foreign lands to learn widely. These people were likely all eagerly anticipating the day that they could return to their homeland!
Cathayās borders had been sealed off completely, and Yin spirits were no longer able to enter or leave freely. That saidā¦ he was a man who straddled both the mortal realm and the nether world! Heās both dead and alive at the same time!
If Lee Jung-sook could sneak Crow Tengu and Black Yaksha through the Array of the Nine Gods, thereās no reason why he couldnāt do the same thing!
āThe thing that Hell lacks most right now is manpower - especially talents! The return of these elites would most certainly help tremendously in Hellās development. They would be more familiar with the previous polity, science and technology, andā¦ if Iām lucky enough, there may even be Yin talismanology experts hidden within! Perhaps Waiter Zu might even be one! And if thatās the caseā¦ā
His thoughts immediately began to spin out of control once more.
If thatās truly the caseā¦ then we might just be on the cusp of Fengduās revival, and that naturally meansā¦ the rebirth of Immortal Sanction!
If not for the efforts of our forefathers, would Cathay have the threat of nuclear weapons? And if Cathay didnāt have the threat of nuclear weapons, how could it possibly have been designated as one of the Permanent Five or the P5 of the United Nations?
The position of P5 wasnāt based on the size of oneās territory. It was based solely upon strength!
Smack! Qin Ye slapped his own face and forced himself to calm down. Then, he slowly began to analyze the things that were to be done in Hell moving forward. Admittedly, there was still much to be done. In fact, he wasnāt even close to embarking on crucial projects such as the re-establishment of the six paths of reincarnation, or the construction of the Eighteen Abysses of Punishment. Naturally, Hell was still nothing more than a fragment of its former glory.
Time was ticking down slowly but surely. If they werenāt able to get their nuclear weapons up and running by the time the Array of the Nine Gods dissipates, then needless to say, it wouldnāt take long before the other underworlds came knocking at his front door.
āDamn, I canāt wait for the upcoming meeting tonightā¦ā He shook his head and returned to the front of his hotel where he was staying the night, only to discover Wang Chenghao and the others already waiting for him at the entrance. They stood right in front of a long limousine that drew much attention from various passers-by.
āWhatās this?ā Qin Ye asked in bewilderment.
āGreetings, Mr Qin.ā Just then, the driver bowed respectfully and smiled courteously, āIām here under Miss Leeās instructions. Since youāve gone out of your way to come to the little country of Daehan, please allow Miss Lee to do her part as a good host to you.ā
Qin Ye naturally obliged.
He hadnāt had a moment of rest ever since entering Daehan. That said, he firmly believed that one should fully enjoy himself when it was time to relax.
After all, he was keenly aware that human beings couldnāt function like machines. If they remain fully wound up all the time, it would only be a matter of time before they finally break down.
Even though they were already mentally prepared to be showered with decent hospitality, nothing could possibly prepare them for what Lee Jung-sook had arranged for them. Even the prodigal son of the richest family of Clear Creek County was rendered speechless at the sight.
They were ferried straight to a private resort that was presumably one of Lee Jung-sookās holiday homes. The interior was entirely furnished like lavish buildings in the Cathayan countryside. There were villas and water pavilions within, as well as adornments of golden chrysanthemum everywhere. It exuded the feel of a Cathayan water town, while the buildings largely sported black tiles and white walls. A traipse through the hallways would send one straight back through the history books into the Han and Tang Dynasty eras.
There were even beautiful sculptures tastefully placed at every corner of the resort. Moreover, each room had its own separate courtyard with its own private hot spring to boot!
The fact that she owns such a massive plot of land in the heart of Hanyang speaks volumes of the sheer extent of her wealthā¦
āPlease make yourselves at home. Oh, and if you crave anything, please let us know through the phones located in every room. Just say the word, and weāll do our best to make it happen.ā The driver bowed courteously and motioned to take his leave. Just then, Qin Ye suddenly raised his brows quizzically and asked, āHang on, could I know what kind of place 99 Chestnut Valley Road of Jongno District is like?ā
āItās not too far from this place. Thatās where Changdeokgung is located, otherwise known as Changdeok Palace. [1] The rear garden is particularly famous, and it represents the epitome of all Daehan courtyards. In fact, it is so well known that it made it to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997. Would you like to make a trip there, sir? Ah, Iāve forgotten to mention that thereās a 24-hour on-call driver who will attend to your needs wherever you may wish to go, regardless of time.ā
I really donāt want to imagine how these filthy rich people have been living all this whileā¦ Qin Ye fervently suppressed his disdain for the wealthy - Bloody hellā¦ How can a mere queen of Daehan be living more comfortably than the King Yanluo of Hell? Everythingās gone awry!
As the driver left, Qin Ye immediately nodded towards Wang Chenghao and Oda Nobutada with eagerness, āIād like you to accompany me somewhere tonight.ā
āNo problem.ā Wang Chenghao paused for a moment, and then revealed a knowing expression on his face, āYou know, Brother Qin, Iād actually thought that Nobutada and I were going to have to do it without you.ā
Qin Ye glanced back at them in surprise, āHang onā¦ How did you know about it? Even I have only just learned about something like this. Could they haveā¦ already informed you beforehand?ā
Wang Chenghao also stared back at Qin Ye in bewilderment, āHang on a minuteā¦ why do you need to make any arrangements? Canāt we just go there and look for them? Could it be thatā¦ā
He stared intently at Qin Ye, āBrother Qin has a specific plan of attack?! As expected! Thatās the Brother Qin I know!ā
Qin Yeās expressions stiffened, āSo, where are we going?ā
āCheongnyangni! [2]ā Wang Chenghao exclaimed, beaming with excitement, āThatās where most of the massage parlors in Hanyang are located! Can you call yourself a man if you donāt sow some of your seeds here in a foreign land?ā
Qin Ye glared at Wang Chenghao. Rage instantly surge in his heart, and bile spewed from his lips, āWhat an immature propositionā¦ā
Wang Chenghao immediately leaned in closer with keen interest, āWhat if I tell you thatā¦ Iāve got an even better plan than that?ā
Stay calmā¦ stay calmā¦ Whatās the point of getting mad at a silly prodigal sonā¦ Qin Ye took several deep breaths, and then turned to Oda Nobutada, āHey Nobutada, help me out here. Just make sure he stays alive.ā
ā... Understoodā¦ā
āAh!! No! What are you doing! Iāve only asked for--... Hey, n-not the face! Thatās the most valuable part of my body!ā
ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦.
Midnight.
Hanyang was once again brightly lit with neon lights. The Changdeok Palace was already closed to the public by now. That said, the streets were still bustling with traffic, and youngsters would pass by from time to time, decked out in the latest fashion trends.
āWhy does it seem a little bit cold tonight?ā A woman wearing beautiful makeup walked past the Changdeok Palace and peeked into it with surprise. Apart from the street lights, not a single soul could be seen.
āMisook unnie, whatās wrong?ā Her friend asked curiously.
Misook shook her head dismissively. She couldāve sworn that she felt a gaze on her body earlier. It was a palpable, frigid sensation. And yet, when she took a closer look, she saw nothing at all.
Naturally, they couldnāt see that there were currently six old men standing right at the entrance of Changdeok Palace, dressed in their black official garments, pacing about anxiously as though they were waiting for something or someone. None of the passers-by could see them at all. The Changdeok Palace was located right behind them, brightly lit with scarlet lanterns swaying gently about. Meanwhile, the entire courtyard was filled with spots of netherflames that were invisible to the eyes of mortals.
āAre you sure the message was delivered?ā One of the old men suddenly stopped pacing about and turned back in dismay, āItās already 12.05 a.m! Why isnāt he here yet?!ā
āFellow Daoist Zhao, donāt be impatient.ā Another old man beside him responded placidly, āItās only been five minutes.ā
Even then, the old man who had just spoken couldnāt stop the tremors of excitement in his hands.
After all, itās been a hundred years since theyāve last been home. How was the country doing?
Nobody knew just how terrified and anxious they were when they suddenly lost contact with Fengdu Necropolis. Admittedly, they could easily have pledged their allegiance to a foreign underworld if they had wanted to, but nobody had ever spoken about it. Ever.
In fact, they hadnāt even mentioned to others that they were unable to contact Fengdu Necropolis. They had even maintained the cover story that they were still in contact with Hell from time to time all this while.
Unfortunately, without Hellās direction, they were like drifting flotsam on the vast riversā¦ at least until their roots found their anchor once more!
āItās already 10 minutes past midnight.ā Another old man chimed in, āMr Zu, are you sure youād successfully passed the message on to him?ā
āAre you suggesting that Iāve lost my edge?ā Mr Zu, formerly known as Waiter Zu, glanced back at the streets anxiously, āItās the Abyssal Prefect that weāve never met before! It should be the one who recently attained a breakthrough back in Gyeonggi Province just a few days ago--... Heās here!ā
As he spoke, a powerful stream of nethergale swept through the entrance of Changdeok Palace. At once, two golden spots of netherflames appeared amidst the swirling Yin energy, and a scarlet robe fluttered majestically in the wind. The familiar designs of the xiezhi unicorn, the Harken and the Eighteen Abysses of Punishment unravelled right in front of their very eyes. At once, every single one of the old men felt a lump swell up in their throats, and their minds went numb. All of them collapsed to their knees at once.
They wanted to speak.
There was so much that they had to say.
They wanted to ask about what happened to Fengdu Necropolis.
They wanted to tell the Emissary of Hell just how much theyād been through all this while, and how theyāve floundered about just to get by.
But in that instant, the only words that emerged from their lips were, āMy Lordā¦ Youāve come.ā
At once, an old man choked up and pounded heavily on the ground, āWeāveā¦ been waiting for a hundred years for this moment!ā
āEtiquette!ā The leader of the group glanced back and hissed at the old man, before drawing a deep breath and kowtowing to the Emissary of Hell, āShang Yang, president of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review, humbly greets Your Excellency!ā
āLi Chun, Chief Engineer of the Ministry of State Construction, humbly greets Your Excellency!ā āLu Ban, Chief Engineer of the Ministry of State Construction, humbly greets Your Excellency!ā
āWu Daozi, President of the Yellow Emperor Academy, humbly greets Your Excellency!ā āZhang Zhongjing, Vice President of the Yellow Emperor Academy, humbly greets Your Excellency!ā āZhang Heng, Director of the Geography Department, humbly greets Your Excellency!ā
Qin Ye gasped and sighed softly in his heart.
It wasnāt just oneā¦ Who wouldāve thought that there would be multiple people here?
Shang Yang, Wu Daozi, Zhang Heng, Zhang Zhongjing, Lu Ban, Li Chunā¦ Their expertise covered medicine, geology, engineering, art and arithmetic, a grand total of five major disciplines! This was a great surprise, even for Qin Ye who had come eagerly anticipating a windfall. At once, his heart leapt with joy.
āEveryone, letās spare the formalities.ā Qin Ye hurriedly walked forward and greeted them warmly, āPlease, get up, get up.ā
He helped everyone up and then immediately exclaimed with profound resignation, āEveryone, itās been hard on you this last hundred years. Butā¦ itās finally time to go home. I sincerely apologize for the tardiness.ā
āNo harm done.ā Lu Ban was an old man with strong, chiseled features. He wiped off the imaginary tears in his eyes as he went on, āMy Lordā¦ How should we address you?ā
Qin Ye smiled, āThird King Yanluo of Hell, Qin Ye. The Second King Yanluo has stepped down, and heās still in the new Hell.ā
Instant silence.
Everyoneās sadness immediately vanished without a trace, and they all stared intently at Qin Ye in horror. None even bothered concealing the shock in their hearts.
After all, Qin Yeās introduction completely blew them away.
Third King Yanluo of Hell?
Right in front of us?
And thereās even been a change of regime, and a new Hell to boot?
What the hell is going on?!
Are we evenā¦ going to go to the right home?
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changdeokgung
2. This is their red light district. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheongnyangni_588
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