Yama Rising

However, he knew he had to suppress the excitement in his heart. After all, he was still on the plane right now, and he had to take every advantage of the situation to run through and carefully analyze his plans once more.

“Not enough… Hell still isn’t sufficient right now…”

“I’d oversimplified matters earlier. Things like armor require more than just the carapace of the blight vermin. I’ll still have to consider matters such as the cords to be used, and the skill of my craftsmen, and so on. I should suspend all other research and the less important construction works to focus on the development of the armor. That way… we’ll be able to produce something truly exquisite by the end of the year - something that will cause the eyes of the twelve envoys to burn with envy.”

He was going all out!

Life was filled with complexities and choices. A hundred years wasn’t a long time, but neither was it short.

Not only would it leave a lingering regret in the heart of his loved one, it would also leave an indelible mark in the deepest parts of his heart. The more of these there were, the more tender his heart would grow, and the more vulnerable he would be to the vicissitudes of life.

And yet, amidst these thoughts of resignation, he had finally found the one strand of hope for a relationship that stands the test of time. The world was only so large. Qin Ye refused to believe that someone ageless and immortal like himself would be unable to locate a single person!

“And this is especially the case if I want to assure the safety of the person I’m looking for. In other words, I’ll need them to treat me with the utmost respect, almost as though they’re looking at the god of wealth in their own lands. For that, it’s not going to be enough to be an ordinary arms dealer. I’ll have to bring out something that they absolutely cannot live without!”

Zhou Xianlong and his entourage of people were already waiting to receive them at the airport as soon as they arrived. They expressed their deepest condolences for the passing of Wang Chenghao. The academy held a memorial service for him, and every single student attended it.

This was his first true friend in the mortal realm after all.

Qin Ye was also given leave for a month, and told to rest in his own dorm room. Several members of the SRC even personally made the trip down to check on his wounds. After all, the multitude of instruments and devices while he was on the plane had picked up on the anomalous condition that his body was plagued with, and it was simply outrageous that they weren’t able to spot any traces of the injuries that were causing him such immense, excruciating pain. Unfortunately, no matter how hard they tried, none were able to discover anything amiss.

……………………………………………………..

The SRC had already withdrawn their medical facilities and personnel back in the mortal realm. To make matters worse, the Talisman of Life and Death had triggered a second time while Qin Ye was in Hell, afflicting him with pain that was worse than death itself. Fortunately, with suppressive effects of the Book of Life and Death, there was no threat to life and limb just yet.

Qin Ye put on a pair of glasses. He had been reading too much recently, so much so that his eyes were getting slightly dazed. He adjusted his glasses and responded softly, “Let’s begin.”

“Take a seat.” Qin Ye nodded, and everyone took their seats promptly. Arthis and Wang Chenghao glanced at Qin Ye, and they registered a slight measure of shock in their hearts.

Qin Ye had always been maintaining a noble and cold persona. And what exactly did that mean? It meant that it was the impression that others got from the way in which he carried himself. It wasn’t particularly reflective of his own personality.

Even Arthis could sense that Qin Ye exuded a far greater aura of dignity than before. It was still noble and cold, yet it was no longer a mere pretension. Instead, they had begun to tell that it was now part and parcel of his identity in Hell.

“I’ve read everyone’s reports.” Qin Ye picked up a document and signalled for the secretary beside him to pass it around, “This is the first diplomatic instrument of Hell that has been drawn up by our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Li Mohan, and it seeks to summon the twelve envoys back to Hell to participate in the imperial court meeting. Please take a look. If there are no strenuous objections to it, we’ll be sending it to the various envoys in early November.”

Thus, they looked through its contents very carefully, and they also raised points for discussion from time to time. Then, only when every crinkle had been ironed out, did they finally return the document to the front. Qin Ye knocked the table gently, “Any other objections?”

“Very well. Let’s finalize this version and have it printed. Agent Li Jixi shall be personally responsible for dispatching these documents.” He set the documents back in place, while the scribes around him quickly recorded the minutes of the meetings. Then, after a few moments of silence, he continued, “Twenty days ago, I asked everyone to suspend their works and direct the best craftsmen and workers to the design and development of the best style of armor and methods of production. I’d like an update on that.”

“Lord Qin, I’ve finished making the arrangements. We’ve got several professors who are adept in the field of research. We’ve also got several chemists and physicists who have been transferred to work under Mr Oda’s charge. That said, might I suggest undertaking a more holistic developmental work? It might appear as though there isn’t much progress right now, but… as soon as the construction work is done, and the engineering industry takes off proper, that’s when we’ll start to see things properly taking shape around Hell. Most of the issues faced by the other industries have been resolved by these key members of their respective industries. To have them suddenly transferred out might unduly hinder the progress of developmental works in other fields.”

That said, he was selfish. After all, who was to say that the King Yanluo of Hell couldn’t be selfish?

He paused and glanced at his ministers with an impassioned gaze, “They’re here to suss things out! They’re here to pry at our weaknesses! They’re here to see if we still possess the ability to suppress them and keep them in check!”

“In other words, we need to show off our military prowess!”

Wang Shu didn’t push her point. Given her extensive involvement in the political scene, she knew far better than anyone here the dangers of speaking out of place. After all, only the ones at the top of the organizations would know the full extent of considerations involved before they set their minds on a particular course of action.

“One. Such military armor and weapons can only be forged in a special building called the Hall of Tremors. This is Minister Arakshasa’s field of expertise. Otherwise, there’s simply no way to cut the blight vermin’s carapace into shape. Incidentally, the Hall of Tremors gives us access to a special forging process that is unique to Hell.”

Qin Ye frowned, “What’s the estimated speed?”

That’s a little on the low side… Qin Ye tapped his finger on the desk. All twelve envoys have at least five thousand Yin soldiers under their command. Even if only six of the twelve sought independence, that would still mean thirty thousand soldiers to equip with armor. That was an order that would easily take a year to fulfill. And this doesn’t even take into consideration the envoys that must have begun to assemble their own forces after hearing nothing from Hell over the last hundred or so years. Just like Liu Jinu.

Once doubled, the production would easily take two to three years. Such dismal speeds would spell an extended equipping process, a commensurately low rate of cash flow, and a poor reputation to start things off. It might even lead to complaints and grievances.

This was an idea that had just occurred to Qin Ye, and he immediately slammed the table with a bright glint in the depths of his eyes.

That’s right… we can go with the premium boutique route. I’ve been so fixated on the twelve possible trade routes that I’ve completely forgotten about… the Yin spirits that I’ve been trying to transact with.

They’ve got their own pride, so… they might even be slightly snobbish and snide about Cathay’s present lack of attention to their heritage and ancient culture. If that’s the case… we can use it to our great advantage!

For instance… the existence of luxury goods.

In other words, Qin Ye was thinking of branding himself as the LV of arms dealers!