Every word that was spoken was like a thunderclap that cracked right above Su Dajiâs head. She was all too familiar with the air about high-ranking Emissaries of Hell, so much so that she didnât even need to verify his identity.
This isnât right!
She screamed in her heart - The new Hell has just been established. How can they have so many high-ranking Emissaries of Hell? And even if they did, why have they ignored us all this while? Iâve done nothing more than to suggest a peace offering on my part in that letter of mine to Hell, so why are they here?
Does Hell really not care about King Yanluoâs Seal any longer?
Are they not afraid that we would fight them to the death?
Wouldnât that give rise to dreadful casualties on both sides? Why canât they just live and let live?! Why are they hell bent on capturing me?
Is there something wrong with this script?
Unfortunately, the only words that she found were, âI am guilty as charged.â
Dead silence.
The thousands of cultivators watching this sight were absolutely floored by what they had just seen. Everyone had the exact same expression - lips slightly ajar, with widened eyes and a slight quiver in their pupils.
I canât believe it⊠This is simply unbelievable!
âIs that Hell?â A young cultivator spoke with great trembling in his voice, âWeâve been struggling and tussling with this incarnate revenant for such a long time, and yet she actually lies meek as a sheep before Hell, without the slightest intention in putting up any form of resistance?â
Qin Ye had spoken so softly that few heard what he said. That said, everyone who heard Su Dajiâs response couldnât help but tremble slightly.
It was because these seemingly placid words contained a far deeper meaning.
It meant that Pearl Riverâs liberation was imminent!
Hell had taken things into its own hands, and Su Daji had finally admitted to her crimes. And all it took was one Abyssal Prefect of Hell, as well as a thousand Yin soldiers.
âAmitabhaâŠâ Master Chan Ming sighed softly. His heart was swamped with a multitude of emotions right now.
My friends who have perished in this long struggle of ours, are you seeing this?
The torch of hope has finally been lit here in Pearl River!
Qin Ye gently rolled up the curtain and drifted out of the carriage with a dog in his hands.
Whoosh⊠All eyes were on him. Unfortunately, Qin Ye was currently in his Hellâs Emissary state, and nobody recognized his exact appearances.
That said, his Yin energy flourished like the majestic oceans, filling the entire vicinity with a stifling presence.
In full view of everyone around, he slowly walked up to Su Daji and then leaned over her slightly, âSu Daji.â
âHere!â Su Daji trembled as she shrieked back nervously.
Qin Yeâs voice wasnât loud, but he consciously spoke just loud enough such that every cultivator around could hear what he was saying, âDo you think that Hell will be that concerned about the King Yanluoâs Seal?â
âDo you think that just because Dong Zhuo holds eight shards of King Yanluoâs Seal, he has the right to summon Hell to do his bidding?â
âDo you think you can escape from Cathay to begin with? So long as the Array of the Nine Gods remains in place, only foreign emissaries weaker than Hellguards will be able to slip in and out of its borders. Evil ghosts like you would never be able to escape from the borders of Cathay. Or do you think you possess the ability to destroy the shards of King Yanluoâs Seal in Dong Zhuoâs hands right now?â
Su Dajiâs forehead was percolating with cold sweat.
She was wrong. She finally understood where things had gone wrong!
She should never have tested Hell. She had never anticipated Hell to possess such immense determination to unify the entire nation!
âI--...â
âSilence.â Qin Ye straightened his body, and then gently stroked Harkenâs fur, âI didnât even ask you a question. What gives you the right to answer me?â
The cultivators on site gasped in astonishment.
If any of them were to speak to a Prefect-class Yin spirit like that⊠the consequences would be unthinkable!
However, Su Daji actually complied.
With her head to the ground, she trembled as she maintained her posture of humility.
âDonât ever threaten Hell with King Yanluoâs Seal.â Qin Ye continued, âDo you really think that Hell would come crying and begging to you? Let me tell you something. Hell will be unifying the entire underworld in the years to come, and this is its final offer to you. Otherwise⊠one of me⊠will be enough to kill all of you a hundred times over.â
âDo you have military formations?â
âDo you have Yin spirit stones?â
âDo you have the support of the twelve envoys?â
âAnd most importantlyâŠâ Qin Ye smiled, âCan you enter the netherworld?â
âIâm afraid youâre only able to enter Limbo at best.â
Su Dajiâs clothes were completely soaked through with cold sweat by now. Each and every statement felt no different from peeling off a layer of resistance from her heart. His words were like incisive blades that stabbed straight through her heart, leaving it tattered and torn.
He was confronting her with the truth - the irrefutable truth.
âPlease forgive me.â For the umpteenth time, the ignoble incarnate revenant kowtowed to the ground in deep humility.
Qin Yeâs gaze grew cold and frigid.
âYou speak with humility, but unfortunately⊠you havenât shown the slightest intent of surrender at all.â The Harken snorted, âWhatâs the use in keeping trash like this around? Kill her.â
At once, Su Daji trembled violently and motioned to look up in astonishment.
But before she could complete her action, she found Qin Yeâs foot stomping down hard on her back, âWhatâs the matter? You wish to have a go at Lord Harken over here?â
âSssâŠâ Soft gasps echoed from all around them. These were the reactions of the cultivators who couldnât hide their astonishment.
The Harken!
Meanwhile, Su Daji nearly passed out - That voice earlier⊠was the Harkenâs voice?!
Is it really the Harken?!
The Harken has actually made a move, and is standing before me right now?!
She wanted to say something. She wanted to beg for mercy, or to scream at the top of her voice, but she only found herself shivering intensely from the primal fear that was welling up from the bottom of her heart.
âThink it over.â Qin Ye transformed into a stream of nethergale and rushed right back to his carriage. The curtains fell, âThe Qingming Festival next year is your final deadline.â
âYesâŠâ Su Daji watched in horror as the carriage slowly departed. Even as the clouds of Yin energy began to conceal the southern parts of the city once again, she couldnât help but bite down on her lips as she gazed into the distance.
As the carriage departed, one of the generals promptly looked up and protested, âMy Lady! Why do you have to bow down to that man? You need only ask--...â
But before he could even finish speaking, Su Daji turned around and gave him a tight slap across the face. Smack! Her eyes blazed with a vicious expression, âLet me say it again, shut up!!â
âItâs not in your place to tell me what to do!â
With that, she transformed into a nethergale and vanished from sight.
The wind whistled past her ears. She felt no different from a sojourner wandering the dank streets in the rain. The intense fear in her heart filled her soul with a frigid chill, and she couldnât help but hug herself with chattering teeth.
What a joke.
The leverage and bargaining chips that she thought she possessed were nothing of significance in the eyes of Hell.
King Yanluoâs Seal? Hell doesnât even care about it! Do you have the ability to destroy it? Not even Lord Ksitigarbha was able to achieve that, so what can you and another Prefect-class Yin spirit possibly do?
Leverage on that for an opportunity to leave Cathay?
Donât even think about it!
Hell holds the only key to unlocking the Array of the Nine Gods. If they donât agree, what other options do we have? Weâd have no choice but to perish here in the four corners of Cathay! Hell would never be provoked by these trivialities of ours!
They were trapped like turtles in a jar.
With fear and despair raging in her heart, she flew straight back to her own lair, located in the best five-star hotel in Pearl River Delta, the Twilight Cloud Hotel. She immediately collapsed into her sofa, and her chest heaved and fell with every breath that she took. Her hands tugged at her hair in a maddened frenzy, and she made a series of peculiar, guttural sounds in her throat.
What should I do?
What should I do next?
This question tumbled through her mind as she stared at the map on the table with gritted teeth, âHow could things happen so quickly?â
âWe havenât seen a single Emissary of Hell in a hundred years⊠This means that Hell had most certainly perished in the great collapse back then. The new Hell was only formed slightly over a year ago, and yet⊠there are already Abyssal Prefects among their Emissaries of Hell?â
They had personally sensed the formation of the new Hell just a year ago. Yet, she also personally witnessed the arrival of an Abyssal Prefect today. Furthermore, Hell didnât even seem to care about the shards of King Yanluoâs Seal. All they wanted was a sign of surrender on their part!
Are they crazy?!
How can a ruler act so superficially?!
Can you really afford to wage war against us now? Arenât you afraid that we might slaughter the humans in our territory in a fit of rage? Wouldnât that tarnish your name and taint your reputation for the years to come?
No⊠Nowâs not the time to be thinking about these things⊠She gnashed her teeth and collected herself. Then, a screen of light appeared in the air.
This screen of light revealed the image of dense clouds of Yin energy. Two jade-green clumps of netherflames flickered softly, while a colossal body appeared to stir within.
Su Daji took a deep breath, âIâve⊠just encountered an Emissary of Hell.â
âOh?â The entity on the other side of the screen appeared somewhat startled, âWell?â
Su Daji slowly rose to her feet. She ran her fingers through her jet-black hair, tugging tightly at it as yin energy continued to pour out of her seven apertures. Her otherwise beautiful features appeared more terrifying than an evil ghost right now. She gnashed her teeth in anguish, âIt was an Abyssal Prefect. Thereâs no doubt about it! And donât tell me that this is just some fluke! Tell me⊠what do you plan to do now?â
The Yin energy in the screen stirred softly, âTheyâre not willing to trade the shards of King Yanluoâs Seal in exchange for our permission to leave the country?â
âNO!!!â Su Daji crushed the handles of her chair and barked back, âDonât even talk about the shards of King Yanluoâs Seal right now. Prefect Qin has made it absolutely clear that we live as Cathayans, and die as Cathayan spirits. Hell would never lift the restrictions on the Array of the Nine Gods for us!â
âAnd if they refuse, weâd be no different from turtles in a jar! Do you understand? So long as they send an Abyssal Prefect after us, both you and I will most certainly perish! Even if we abandon our nests and refrain from consuming blood and flesh, we can at best be on the run for the rest of our lives!â
The entity at the other end of the screen grew taciturn for a time. It was evident that he hadnât expected the new King Yanluo of Hell to act so boldly. All that they had sought was to leave Hell and have nothing to do with each other anymore. But even then, Hell wasnât prepared to agree to something like this!
No matter the cost, those who refuse to submit will be returned from ashes to ashes and dust to dust!
Why⊠Why does he seem to be even more aggressive than the previous two King Yanluos of Hell?
Seconds later, the entity on the other end of the screen roared in fury, âWhy do these King Yanluoâs seem to be getting less and less virtuous as time goes by?! Doesnât he think about the number of Yin soldiers he has at his disposal now? Why do they have to force us into a corner? Is he really hell bent on duking it out against the millions of Yin spirits on our end? Doesnât he care about the potential costs involved?!â
âWeâve only got 700,000.â Su Daji combed her hair and sighed softly, before smiling bitterly, âQin Hui has already defected to Hell. When the time comes to face each other, he would most certainly be the one with the hardest bite.â
ââBut thatâs not important⊠Whatâs important is what weâre going to do now?â Her eyes gleamed as she stared deep into the screen, âSurrender? Iâve confirmed the presence of both an Abyssal Prefect and even the Harken. Thereâs no way we can win against them.â
âAre you mad?! How can you believe Hellâs words? Do you want to get banished to the six paths of reincarnation again?!â
Su Daji gazed back and responded with a voice just as chilling as ever, âItâs either that⊠or we become vegetarians for the rest of our lives.â
Speed was the key to everything.
The new Hell had managed to nurture an Abyssal Prefect in just a year and a half from its incipience. Even if it was a hasty and shoddy job, it was still an Abyssal Prefect no matter how one looked at it.
And it was precisely this breakneck cultivation speed that had completely disrupted their plans. Qin Huiâs betrayal was yet another spanner in the works. All this while, even though she had her suspicions, she had been hopeful that everything was just a lie. But it was only when she saw the march of the Yin soldiers of Hell that despondence crept into her heart. She never wanted to feel like that again, ever.
But, at the same time, she didnât want to be banished to the depths of the six paths of reincarnation. This was her bottom line.
After some time, the voice on the other end of the screen finally spoke up again, âWhatâs the time limit heâs given us?â
âThe Qingming Festival!â Su Daji screamed, causing all of the luxurious decors in her room to explode into smithereens.
Then, silence again.
After a long time, the voice on the other end of the screen chuckled coldly, âSu Daji⊠Let me ask you something - weâve enjoyed the luxuries and splendor of life for a hundred years. Donât you wish to revel in such a beautiful dream any longer?â
âOf course I do. But it all depends on whether the risks are worth taking!â Su Daji looked up at the ceiling inlaid with countless human bones with great despair, âAnd if youâre telling me that Iâve got to place my life on the line, then my answer is certainly a resounding no!â
The voice from the other end of the screen responded with some measure of lingering allure, âI wouldnât want that either.â
âSince time immemorial, thereâs not once when Iâd bowed my head in submission without even putting up a fight. 300,000 Western Liang Cavalrymen. I refuse to believe that Hell would stamp us out by force rather than inviting peace!â
âIf we want to continue indulging in luxury and splendor even after submitting to Hell, weâd definitely have to give them a good show of our might!â
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