Yama Rising

Silence.

Which one of them didn’t know the hollow words and empty talk that filled such governmental speeches?

There was no nonsense. He immediately dove straight into his promise to his people. It was a refreshing approach, to say the least.

Their invigorated cry was like a powerful tidal wave that crashed onto the shore, and it resonated strongly with the citizens around.

But he was just a drop in the ocean. There were ten thousand others who had done just the same, and all of them pumped their hands into the air at the same time. Everything was spontaneous and unplanned, and yet the sight of thousands of people pumping their fists into the air, coupled with a thousand Umamawari horse guards kneeling in front of Qin Ye and pledging their loyalty to him stirred the emotions of all in attendance to a new high.

The declarations of loyalty were endless and resounding.

The Cathayan Yin spirits sincerely desired that their beloved King Yanluo reign supreme, both internally as well as externally!

They desired revenge for the injustice done to them back in the mortal realm! They wanted to rule the netherworld!

“Very well.” Qin Ye nodded in satisfaction, “I’m glad that you have such a burning passion for Hell’s success. Hell’s government shall never fail you.”

“Today, we formally induct one of these three major divine artifacts, the Book of Life and Death, to the new Hell. Mirror of Eminence!”

A second later, the foot-sized book unfolded in the sky and spread out like an omnipresent entity, and the pages began to riffle on its own. Then, golden name after golden name began to rise from the book in the form of butterflies that fluttered into the sky, before soon transforming into lotus flowers that faded away into the darkness. It was obviously a top-grade Yin artifact, and yet there appeared to be an unfathomable aura of heavenly splendour about it.

“My… heavens…” Yin Xiangnan exclaimed with trembling as he stared at the sky vacantly. Everyone else around him had the exact same expression of shock and awe written all over their faces. The sight unfolding before their eyes right now was no different from the stuff of legends and myths!

Nobody harboured a single trace of doubt.

But there wasn’t any sense of fear either.

Qin Ye’s voice continued, “Legend has it that the world is governed by three books - the book of the heavens, the Investiture of the Gods; the book of the earth, the Classic of Mountain and Sea; and the book of Man, the Book of Life and Death. I assure you that the Book of Life and Death contains unimaginable power. Whether it be flora, fauna, man, divine beings, demons, ghosts, or even those who have become extinct as a result of the effluxion of time - all continue to exist in the annals of records in the Book of Life and Death.”

He took a deep breath and continued with a bright gleam in his eyes, “And now, the new Hell shall demonstrate its power by summoning one of the five unparalleled units that have existed across the history of Cathay - the Black Armored Troops. It shall henceforth be one of the strongest pillars of Hell’s defenses… Arakshasa!”

Rumble… Countless wisps of Yin energy began to converge together in the sky, forming a majestic, swirling vortex of Yin energy, illuminated only by the innumerable spots of netherflames that lingered within. The Book of Life and Death also riffled through its pages in tandem with the hand seals that were being made. As time went on, the names and silhouettes drifting out of the Book of Life and Death gradually became clearer, more material… and more different.

Next up… was the Ming Dynasty, and then the Yuan Dynasty. Moments later, the silhouettes of galloping horses crumbled into sand, bringing back the Song Dynasty with its golden swords, war horses, and countless troops that added to the theatrics. And then finally… it paused on the pages of the Tang Dynasty.

Whoosh! The pages of the Book of Life and Death suddenly stopped flipping, and the void in front of it suddenly trembled. Then, countless names began to fade in and out on the surface of the Book of Life and Death, while the entire book began to glow with a golden lustre that slowly but surely grew more and more dazzling. A few seconds later, the entire book erupted with a brilliant dazzle of golden light that filled the entire Hell!

Every single Yin spirit below subconsciously covered their eyes and shielded their faces as a massive gust of wind swept through the lands. The Book of Life and Death hung high in the sky like the sun, dazzling every corner of Hell with the warm illumination of light. As time passed, the glow of light grew more and more intense, until finally… even the Book of Life and Death was completely consumed by it.

“Hell… has finally taken its first step to restoring its full functions. Hell lords over the cycle of life and death, and acts as the gateway to the reincarnation…”

The crowd was still the same, and the canopy of the skies was still the same as ever before. However, when he glanced down to Hell’s Gate, he nearly cried out in shock.

“My god! W-w-what’s this?!” “Yin soldiers… Are these Yin soldiers?! Is this the appearance of Yin soldiers like the stuff we’ve seen on television?!” “My god… I-i-isn’t this just crazy?!”

Golden streams of light scattered across the dark sky, gently illuminating the thousands of shocked expressions of the Yin spirits below.

These great armors were by no means ordinary. They appeared tattered, but it was evident that they weren’t defects resulting from poor workmanship. Rather, it was simply the damage sustained from participating in hundreds of battles.

None spoke a word.

However, they weren’t even given the chance to reel in astonishment, because as soon as the great armors materialized and formed up in ranks, they saw two spots of netherflames light up under the helmet of each set of armor.

Black Armored Troops… It’s actually the Black Armored troops!

Cathayans were also called the Tang Cathayans, or Han Cathayans.

Was there anyone who didn’t know the Black Armored Troops of the great Tang Dynasty? Was there anyone oblivious to the fact that this unit comprised the most elite forces at the disposal of the Tang Dynasty? It wouldn’t even be an understatement to call the Black Armored Troops one of the most powerful forces of all time!

And they were even pledging to defend the new Hell with their lives!

What else did they have to fear?

“Long live King Yanluo!” “Long live Your Majesty!” “Hell forever!!” “Awesome! With such a powerful force protecting us, let’s see if anyone else dares to mess with us from now on!” “This is the Black Armored Troops of the Tang Dynasty! How is this possible?! Holy shit, I’m getting goosebumps right now!”

This was a meeting that transcended time and space.

After all, a kingdom would never feel safe without the backing of a great army.

Even the flames in Oda Nobunaga’s eyes flickered wildly as he saw how the Yin soldiers materialized before his very eyes. He nearly broke out into song and dance to give praise to the heavens.

Each of them stood at approximately two meters tall, clothed in black armor with red lining, carrying a giant saber on their waists. This… was the most elite force that existed at the peak of the Tang Dynasty!

Would an opportunity like this ever have arisen had I decided to pledge allegiance to the Nipponese underworld?

“Izanami… In life, I sought the lands of Nippon, and in death, I seek the Yin spirits of Yomi-no-Kuni. Wait for me… I’m confident that it won’t take more than a few decades before I personally lead the charge for your head!”

“Nippon can only have one emperor, and that would be me, the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven!”

1. This probably refers to how China has suffered from the 2 opium wars, amongst other things.