Yama Rising

3.00 p.m. Guan Fengyue, the former director general of Fengyun Group, ranked 53rd among the wealthiest people in Cathay with a net worth of 43 billion RMB, registered his interest in the auction.

11 February. Hell’s Weekly released yet another special issue, but this time disclosing the loans taken out by the companies participating in the auction, as well as the personal wealth of their leaders during their lifetime. At once, the citizens flew into a frenzy!

“Brother Qin.” Wang Chenghao walked up to Qin Ye with a stack of documents back in the city tower, “We’ve consolidated the data that you’ve asked for.”

But the first thing that he saw was instead the caption: Inventory list of the Russian war reparations.

Second item: A variety of specialties from the Russian Underworld, including plants, young Yin beasts, grain, wine, tobacco, cloth, paintings, carvings, anthologies, and so on and so forth. They were all classified into 36 broad categories, to be stored in 644 warehouses, with a total weight of…

Wonderful… Qin Ye exclaimed with a soft sigh as he glanced out of the window.

Let all worries, doubts, questions and apprehension of the mortal realm be dispelled after this event. Let all who have eyes see for themselves. I, Third King Yanluo of Hell, will use everything within my means to declare to the mortal realm that this long decade full of blood, sweat and tears, will finally draw to a close in the near future!

“Yes!!!”

This was the final salvo launched by Hell. If the second salvo launched by Hell was intended to awaken the laggard businessmen, then the final salvo would jolt the rest of the citizens to their senses at once. Everyone, even the most reticent and reluctant of citizens, couldn’t help but stir with excitement after being bombarded relentlessly with the news of the Great Sale…

“Have you seen the news? The Great Sale on the 17th! Alkebulan cosmetics with never-seen-before lipstick colours! Top brand gold supplier from the netherworld. And then, there’s also Black Mamba eyeshadows!!! Ahhhh!!!”

………………………………………………

New year was coming, and most of the offices were already winding down in preparation for the holidays. However, back in an old room, three old men could be found staring intently at a scroll with their eyes wide open.

“The first official letter from Hell ever since the founding of modern day Cathay. And to think that they’re simply inviting us to enjoy the new year of the underworld together with them? What the hell is all this about?”

“Over the last ten days, we’ve seen a sharp decline in supernatural activity over the three eastern provinces and Pearlriver Province, so much so that their alert status is now downgraded from red to orange. What have we done? Nothing. These are all things that Hell has managed to achieve. And that’s not even to mention the fact that Insignia Province and Eastmount Province have both been downgraded to green by now. Hell has been putting in work, and a lot of work at that. So, the question right now is, what are they hoping to get in return by sending us this scroll right now?”

Nobody said a word.

“Over the last decade, our economic growth has practically come to a standstill because of these supernatural incidents. If there’s something that can enable us to resolve these supernatural outbreaks - even through the most unreliable of means - then there’s no reason for us not to grab hold of it tightly!”

“Sir.”

“Yes!!”

13 February. The total companies that had registered their interest in the auction increased to 58.

The tide of chatter swept about ceaselessly throughout Hell without any signs of dying down. The undercurrents were stirring, and the surface of the waters in Hell were even bubbling with excitement.

16 February, night.

Ashmound City appeared no different from an active volcano right now, ready to erupt with overflowing magma at the moment’s notice. As each minute passed, so did the enthusiasm of the citizens escalate to new heights.

Rumble… There was a soft tremor, and the citizens immediately stopped everything they were doing and gazed at the distant skies with an excited smile on their faces.

It had begun.

Everything was extinguished, almost as though paving the way for an oncoming tide.

Whoosh… When the last light of Ashmound City was finally extinguished, a massive clock formed out of Yin energy appeared in the sky, easily spanning 10,000 meters from end to end. The second hand of the clock was formed from blazing blue netherflames, while the face of the clock was formed out of the dense clouds of Yin energy in the skies.

“It’s coming… It’s coming!!” The younger Yin spirits were thrilled beyond measure, while the older Yin spirits couldn’t help but take deeper breaths as time went by.

And then, the clock revealed that there were but 10 seconds that remained until the fateful day.

“Nine…” “Eight!”

Their passion overflowed, and ebullience filled the city! Everyone roared at the top of their voices as though participating in the grandest of countdowns in a new year party!

“Six! FIVE! FOUR!”

“THREE!!!”

“ONE!!!”

Rows after rows of netherflames soared into the skies everywhere around them, before exploding into the form of various divine beasts of Hell, including the taotie beast, the Torch Dragon, the Harken, and others. Since they were in Hell, the fireworks blossomed with even greater vibrance and radiance than the ones back in the mortal realm!

“YEAAAAAAHHHH!!!” Countless Yin spirits cheered and hissed with great joy that spread like a contagion throughout the rest of the city. Tonight, work was a foreign concept to them. Tonight was a night of revelry and indulgence. It was the first spring festival that they were celebrating since death, and they couldn’t help but roar at the top of their voices with shouts of passion.

Many Yin spirits thought about their loved ones during this time as well. After all, the spring festival was when families gathered. Did the fact that they were reminded of their loved ones also mean that their loved ones were likewise thinking of them? Many Yin spirits shed tears silently.

At some point, dancers had made their way onto the city walls and begun an amazing display of artistic flair. They were tall - each one appeared to be well over 10 meters tall, and they were dressed in red palatial dresses that could be easily seen from anywhere in the city. But before the citizens could even react with surprise, a familiar tune resounded throughout the city.

“Wherever we go, I bear an anthem in my heart…”

“I’ll sing of the mountains, and I’ll sing of the rivers. Wisps of smoke from the little villages carry me through the roads.”

“My dearest motherland, I will cling to your heart. Speak to me with your words of comfort through the beats of your heart!!”

Millions of Yin spirits took to the chorus at the same time. It was a majestic sight that was unparalleled in any city. And then, at the end of the chorus, the clock suspended high in the sky erupted into a sky full of sparks that slowly drifted down. And then, three figures emerged from the shadows.

Qin Ye was already in his Hell’s Emissary State. He glanced around, relishing in the familiar tune as he took in the sight of his loyal subjects below. At once, he spoke, “This is Hell’s first new year celebration.”

“I’ve thought about it before.”

“And it was for that reason that I chose this song.”

It was the flag of Cathay!

Yet, even then, they suppressed the anxious cries in their hearts and listened to what their leader had to say.

“Therefore, from this day forward, this shall be the flag that represents Hell as well.”

In life, they were protected by their motherland, and in death, they continue to serve their country. Not a single Yin spirit had any doubts in their hearts right now.

That’s right. They loved their motherland.

The flag represented the subtle difference between the mortal realm and Hell. Sure, the road ahead might be bumpy, but it wasn’t as though they hadn’t overcome their hardships before.

“I hereby declare.” Qin Ye stood right atop the city tower in the middle of Ashmound City, “The Great Sale of the 17th henceforth begins!”

Release.

Rather than feeling low, the release caused them to feel more impassioned than ever. But, just then, a thunderous voice instantly silenced all the screams of the Yin spirits.

Zhou Yun slowly raised his hand, and the Yin spirits below seized up.

What the hell?!

Why didn’t you tell us anything about this?! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!

1. This is a song known as My Motherland and I, written in 1985.