Yama Rising

Qin Ye didn't say anything as he made his way over to one of the glass grids. He gently laid a hand onto its surface, then slowly pulled out a letter as he said, "This is a letter sent by the round table of the Argosian Underworld. Do you know what's written on here?"

Zhao Yun was silent for a moment before replying, "What else can it be other than a reprimanding letter?"

"We're not just being reprimanded," Qin Ye said in a cold voice as he opened the letter. "We're being condemned! They're condemning us from the international moral high ground! This is a letter from the World Energy Resource Collaboration Organization."

"The World Energy Resource Collaboration Organization is the largest energy resource trade organization in the world." Zhao Yun sat down onto a chair, and his brows furrowed slightly as he said, "They have the most comprehensive records on all of the energy resources currently discovered in the world, including the likes of iron, copper, and coal. This also includes all of the major mines that have been discovered by all nations, as well as all of the mines that are currently being inspected. According to international regulations, all nations must report their energy resources upon discovery to the organization to be recorded. If they're going to condemn us through this organization, then there's no way that we can refute them on a moral basis. However, we don't have to play their game, the Cathayan Underworld has always made its own rules in the world!"

Zhao Yun was reminding Qin Ye to be more firm and assertive. There was no need for the Cathayan Underworld to endure this type of condemnation!

After a long while, Qin Ye sighed, "I understand all that, but I'm not the second King Yanluo, and the Cathayan Underworld isn't Usonia."

He also sat down and placed a hand onto Zhao Yun's arm as he looked into his eyes with an earnest expression. "I've thought long and hard about what attitude the Cathayan Underworld should adopt when facing the rest of the world, and my conclusion is that it's not appropriate for us to be too aggressive, at least not on certain things."

This was a difference in political styles, and Zhao Yun could understand that.

Qin Ye continued, "One of the biggest differences between the underworld and the mortal realm is that there's no clear supreme superpower here. The four pillars are all comparable with one another, but that's not the case in the mortal realm, where Usonia reigns supreme. The reason why Usonia was able to establish itself as the premier superpower in the world is its currency, which is universally used across the entire world, not its weapons. However, we are currently on the path to accomplishing the same thing with our dragon jade!"

The four pillars each had their own currency and exchange rates, but there was also seamless docking between them. The Cathayan Underworld's official international currency was called dragon jade, the Hindustani Underworld's currency was called the bodhi, the Argosian Underworld's currency was called the drachma, and the Aegyptian Underworld's currency was called the deben.

"Hence..." With a sly smile and a snap of his fingers, all of the surrounding letters were set alight, but the flames didn't damage the glass grids at all, and soon, the only letter left in the room was the one in his hand.

"I think it's time to adopt my shameless persona again."

He opened the letter as he read aloud, "To the esteemed King Yanluo of the Cathayan Underworld and the new energy resource research team. According to the 21st clause on the third page of the laws of the Coalition of Underworlds, all underworlds must report all discovered energy resources to the World Energy Resource Collaboration Organization. Your nation has already discovered a new energy resource and has begun to use it, so you're legally obligated to submit all information surrounding the new energy resource to the World Energy Resource Collaboration Organization! You should be taking the initiative to complete your international obligations, not avoid them! All of the world's major scientific research organizations and scientists are eagerly awaiting the birth of the new energy resource, yet your nation has completely ignored us! This is an extreme case of negligence, and it should not be seen from one of the pillars! I'm sure that letters from many scientists would've already reached your nation, and seeing as the new energy resource is already in use, you are obligated to submit all data pertaining to the energy resource as soon as possible! This is your duty as one of the world's leading nations! Allow me to issue you a friendly reminder that you've already failed to release eight monthly progress reports and two quarterly progress reports. The entire world is beginning to lose both faith and patience, and these actions are unbefitting of a nation of the Cathayan Underworld's lofty status. I'm sure you're already aware of this, but if you continue in this fashion, then you will be denied access to all of the world's patents! We will not be lending our support to a nation that refuses to obey the laws and fulfill its duties! Please carefully consider the contents of this letter."

Qin Ye placed the letter onto the table, and just as Zhao Yun was about to speak, he pulled out another letter. "I have another letter here, this one written by the World Energy Resource Research Organization. Take a look."

He tossed the letter over to Zhao Yun, who caught it with a cold smile as he said, "The president of the World Energy Resource Research Organization is Archimedes, so I can already tell what this letter is going to be. To the esteemed King Yanluo of the Cathayan Underworld and the new energy resource research team. Do you still remember your international obligations? You've already presented a prototype unit, so why hasn't any data been released? Are you planning to keep the entire underworld in the dark? The emergence of the prototype unit entails that the project has already entered the practical experimentation stage. As such, you should be setting an example for the entire world rather than keeping the rest of the world in the dark! If you continue to do this, our World Energy Resource Research Organization will have no choice but to suspect ulterior motives! As you've stated in the past, the new energy resource was discovered within the second-generation forbidden arts startup module. In that case, we have no choice but to suspect that the Cathayan Underworld could be conducting experiments on second-generation forbidden arts in secret! Please hold an academic press conference right away to assuage the world's concerns, or we'll reserve the right to sanction the Cathayan Underworld! Also, this is the most important project taking place in the world at the moment, and our organization has already notified your negligence to the GTO, the Underworld Forbidden Arts Research Organization, as well as other relevant major organizations. If you continue to do as you please, then you'll be sanctioned by the entire world, spearheaded by the three pillars! All energy resource supplies from foreign nations will be cut off to the Cathayan Underworld, and the dragon jade currency will be removed from international trade! Please carefully consider the contents of this letter and actively work with the international organizations for mutually beneficial outcomes!"

Zhao Yun looked up from the letter and was greeted by the sight of a stony look on Qin Ye's face. He gestured toward all of the empty glass cabinets around them and said, "We've received over 200 similar letters in the past eight months. There are some from official organizations, but most of them are from the world's leading scientists. Initially, they were quite polite, but they've steadily lost their patience and have even sent letters directly to me, letters filled with insults, calling us charlatans and international scam artists. I've stopped reading those letters at this point, it's just a waste of time and mental energy."

"What are you going to do?" Zhao Yun asked.

Qin Ye didn't give a direct reply. Instead, he smiled as he said, "We've reached the end of the year, and there's always an end-of-year wrap-up conference at this time every year, isn't there? If I recall correctly, the one being held by the World Energy Resource Collaboration Organization and the World Energy Resource Research Organization is being held in the Aegyptian Underworld."

"Are you planning to go?"

"Why not?" Qin Ye asked with a bright smile.

"What are you going to do there?"

Qin Ye's smile faded as he said in an implacable voice, "I'm going to tell them that these are the internal affairs of the Cathayan Underworld, and that if they want answers, then they'll just have to wait! The Cathayan Underworld takes orders from no one!"

A smile also appeared on Zhao Yun's face upon hearing this. "This type of aggression is very much unlike you, it's far more typical of the second King Yanluo."

"Before this, I didn't have the right to be aggressive, I had to survive first," Qin Ye said with a smile as he folded up the letter. "Also, like I just said, Usonia was able to become the premier superpower nation in the mortal realm initially because of its weapons, but what truly sealed their position is their currency. This new energy resource is an incredible trump card, and it would be a massive waste if we unveil it just like that. This is a brilliant opportunity for our Cathayan Underworld to become the premier superpower of the underworld! We have forbidden arts at our disposal, and if the entire world uses our energy resource, and this energy resource can only be purchased using dragon jade, what do you think will happen?"

Zhao Yun drew a sharp breath upon hearing this.

That would lead to a currency war, one that stemmed directly from the new energy resource, and all nations in the world would be forced to participate!

If an exclusive relationship could be formed between the new energy resource and dragon jade, then the Cathayan Underworld really did have a chance to become the world's premier superpower!

That would completely shatter the balance of the four pillars that had stood for the past three thousand years, and it was something that even the first King Yanluo and the second King Yanluo hadn't managed to achieve!

A sly smile appeared on Qin Ye's face as he continued, "First, we establish a foundation through the new energy resource, which will be most commonly used. After that, we'll establish exchange rates between the new energy resource and other energy resources. We'll expand step by step until we take over the entire energy sector! It's going to take a very long time, but energy is the lifeblood of a nation, and it would take them at least decades, if not centuries to develop new energy resources of their own! We have the ability to grasp the future in our hands, and that's why I want to be more aggressive from time to time and change my normal amicable political image. Is that not the right thing to do?"

The upcoming conference was going to be the perfect opportunity to enact this change!

Zhao Yun paused momentarily upon hearing this before giving a firm nod.

"Have you already begun to implement this plan?"

"I have," Qin Ye replied with a mysterious smile. "If you have some spare time, you can go and take a look. Zhaode, which corresponds with the city of Taian in the mortal realm, is where everything is happening. The top economists and currency experts that have come down from the mortal realm have also been hard at work for the past eight months. Just wait and see. When the new energy resource appears, not only will a new era be ushered into the underworld, our Cathayan Underworld will also rise to unprecedented heights!"

……………………………………

Archimedes set down his goose feather quill after reading over a document, then massaged his own glabella in a weary manner.

He had to spend one week out of each quarter reading through all of the documents from the World Energy Resource Research Organization. He strongly detested this time-consuming job, but for the sake of the nation's interests, he had no choice but to do this.

"Your Excellency, if you're tired, then why don't you take a rest?" a servant suggested in a gentle voice.

Archimedes shook his head in response.

Under normal circumstances, reading through these documents would be a waste of time, but all of the documents that were currently placed on his desk had been sent from all of the world's major research and development organizations, and all of them were condemning the Cathayan Underworld's actions!

They were disobeying international laws, refusing to hold academic press conferences, withholding data related to the new energy resource, and in light of these transgressions, they were determined to ensure the Cathayan Underworld's attendance at the end-of-year energy resource research and development conference.

"The battle for resources in this world is so cruel..." he sighed with a wry smile as he signed his name at the end of the document.

A nation that had already fallen couldn't be allowed to rise again!

Having been absent from the world stage for so long, what right did the Cathayan Underworld have to return to its former lofty status?