Yama Rising

Bzzt… The electric lights went out at the same time. Somi stood in front of the mirror. Her reflection in the mirror had already begun to distort, almost as though the other end of the mirror was a portal that led straight into a bottomless abyss.

It started out small and dainty, but her smile soon grew wider and wider, until the sides of her lips suddenly parted and split open until she was practically smiling from ear to ear, revealing a series of razor-sharp teeth from within! Her scarlet tongue lashed out like a vicious snake and began writing a few words on the surface of the mirror.

The surface of the mirror appeared no different from still waters that rippled to her touch. Slowly, but surely, she plunged her head deeper and deeper through the surface of the mirror, almost as though she were being drawn in by the mirror itself. Her hands were propped up against the frame of the mirror, revealing countless horrific spots of livor mortis on the surface of her skin. These spots emanated a rancid smell. In fact, there were even countless maggots squirming about underneath her decomposing skin. Copious amounts of Yin energy poured out of the pores of her body.

“Damn that cautious old hag…” She pulled her head out of the mirror, only to reveal a slight scorched mark on her forehead. She gritted her teeth in chagrin and retracted all sources of Yin energy pouring out from her body. At once, she transformed right back into the image of a pure high school student that was innocently staring at her own reflection in the mirror.

This man looked thin and frail. He wore the black robes of a pastor, and even hung a cross around his chest. There was a calm and affectionate gaze in his eyes. In some ways, there was an uncanny semblance between his appearance and that of Ahn Somi.

That was the name of her nominal father.

No response.

Naturally, she hadn’t considered the possibility of a ballsy man playing dress up before her right now.

“Are you thinking of asking me for assistance to help rid you of the Crow Tengu and Black Yaksha following you?” Ahn Jun-ho smiled faintly, “It’s too late… Their father is the renowned Susanoo, father of over eight million kunitsukami, or the gods of the land. Their true form is that of the Susa Boy. Unfortunately, the Hanyang Underworld isn’t strong enough to keep them in check.”

Qin Ye’s acting skills were on point. ‘Lee Jung-sook’ placed her hands around her arms with a slightly defensive posture, almost as though the fear in her heart were causing her to feel cold and exposed.

“Why did you refuse the proposal of Lord Rumyantsev, the king of the Danube? He’d even informed you that the Tsar is personally involved and invested in the Hanyang Underworld. He’s the only one who can save you from your ordeals. Sure, you might not die, but that doesn’t mean you’re impervious to all pain.”

“Who do you think you are?”

Ahn Jun-ho spoke in fluent Cathayan. Yet, it was only after he said all that he did that he slowly began to find something slightly amiss with Lee Jung-sook tonight.

The hair in the mirror appeared absolutely disheveled, and it concealed Lee Jung-sook’s facial features altogether.

Suddenly, Somi’s heart was filled with an ominous feeling, almost as though she were traipsing through the forest, only to discover that she had just been targeted by a giant beast!

Sure, she could be likened to a powerful Yin spirit having charge over city level affairs, but the predator lurking in the shadows was a Yin spirit in charge of national affairs! It was the lord of over a billion Yin spirits! It was the monarch of the dead!

This isn’t Lee Jung-sook!

She promptly sought to wrap up the seance. At once, she mustered her Yin energy and channeled everything she had in order to get a better glimpse of the other party’s appearances as she barked through gritted teeth, “Who the hell are you?!!”

It was obviously a man’s voice.

“I am… Luo Tianyi.”

Somi nearly cursed under her breath - Are you trying to mess with me?!

Damn it… he’s… an Infernal Judge!!!

She could tell that the quality of Yin energy emanating from the other side of the mirror was even more terrifying than that which was at Lord Rumyantsev’s disposal! To make matters worse, her moment of complacency had allowed the Infernal Judge on the other side to jam the portal with his true energy, causing her to be unable to close off all connections at once!

One of the last things she’d expected was the fact that the Infernal Judge on the other side was in fact a man!

As she spoke, the surroundings suddenly went silent.

In that instant, she felt as though she’d just been isolated from the world.

Somi gasped and retreated from the mirror as she stared at it in shock.

The Infernal Judge had been able to close the channel of communication at all times, but had clearly elected not to do so because, just as she was locating the Infernal Judge, the Infernal Judge was likewise also locating her.

If you gaze deep into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

Unfortunately, the Infernal Judge was quicker than she was.

Is this… one of the four major underworlds in the netherworld?!

Somi’s heart practically stopped altogether.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t given the luxury of time to delve any deeper into these thoughts. With a soft buzz, the mirror in front of her eyes cracked apart, revealing a scarlet eye that stared directly at her with a deadly gaze. At once, a young man’s voice broke the silence.

Whoosh! Ahn Jun-ho’s appearances vanished, revealing Ahn Somi’s true form. A frigid sensation washed over Somi and she squealed as she transformed into a black shadow and ran straight out of the windows. She didn’t dare remain in this place any longer!

But just as she was about to head out the windows, the eye in the mirror suddenly vanished, only to be replaced by a huge black hand formed out of Yin energy and glistening with the glow of a silvery talisman. To her great surprise, the ostensibly material hand rushed right out of the mirror like a bolt of lightning and made a grab at Somi!

Just then, the shadows in the surroundings suddenly converged like a tsunami, forming a hazy, ghastly shadow that promptly struck out and parried Qin Ye’s attempt at capturing Somi.

A visible shockwave erupted from the epicentre of contact. The hazy, ghostly shadow dissipated at once with a muffled grunt. But, at the same time, the crack in the mirror finally closed up altogether.

“This is terrible…” She leaned against the lamp post and huffed anxiously, “I have to report this to Lord Liu immediately… One of the four major underworlds in the netherworld is currently eyeing Hanyang…”

Daelim One Apartments, Building 6B, 25th floor.

It was slightly red.

The makeup and accessories box was already lying open in front of him, and he continued to pick out an eyebrow pencil to shade his brows masterfully, “Fortunately, I’ve learnt a lot from the other side this time. ‘Nameless Sacrifice’ and ‘Terminus of Terror’... What are these? Are they some form of steps or rituals that are necessary for fabricating miracles?”

His hands finally stopped. At some point in time, he’d already picked up the lipstick and carefully traced it around his lips three times.

Qin Ye was completely creeped out by his subconscious mind. At once, he tossed down the lipsticks, pulled up his skirt and rushed right back out of the room.

“You--...” She stared at the ‘young lady’ in front of her with a complex gaze in her eyes.

Kiddo, I’m surprised you don’t have a boyfriend just yet. You’re practically bending the boundaries of all norms right now…

After clearing his voice, he forcibly spoke with the voice of a young man, “Do you know who this lady is? If not, I’d like you to locate her at once. I want answers within a day.”

“Isn’t she… Ahn Jun-ho’s daughter… Ahn Somi? She’s a student of Saint Virtue High School.”

1. Luo Tianyi is the name of a virtual singer built from voice synthesizing technology called Vocaloid. It is also the first Vocaloid Chinese singer.