Yama Rising

"As long as it's military gear, they'll purchase anything! Ever since their arrival, several hundred so-called 'blacksmith forges' have opened up in the Licchavi underworld one after another, and virtually all of their revenue comes from the orders of the two fleets. On top of that, they bring with them ore that's related to military gear every trip, and they either sell them in exchange for military gear, or get the local blacksmiths to forge the ore into military gear to take away with them. It seems that they have no intention of making a profit, which makes me almost certain that a death god is behind them. Unfortunately, they are extremely tight-lipped, and I haven't been able to find out exactly who is supporting them."

Qin Ye nodded in response. That was a very simple extrapolation to make.

The situation in the new continent was extremely volatile and unpredictable, and everyone was waiting for the two rulers of the continent to perish. Once that happened, war would undoubtedly sweep over the entire continent, and in order to fight a war, military gear was essential.

Aside from the death gods with the intent of fighting over the continent in the wake of Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa's passing, who would engage in such a risky practice for no monetary gain?

The unpredictable state of the new continent also gave some other underworld emissaries an opportunity, such as the three death gods of the Caribbean, who held a natural geographic advantage. They were constantly smuggling and taking sea tax, and they had finally built up enough of an empire to escape from the control of the new continent.

Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa didn't have the time to take care of them, and the other death gods had no interest in stepping in, either. The Caribbean Sea was only on the outskirts of the new continent, and this was an alliance formed by three Abyssal Prefects, so there was a chance that they could even have a military array at their disposal, which could make conquering them quite a difficult task. Even if they were to conquer, the side that defeated them wouldn't benefit in any way so long as Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa were still alive, and that was why the three death gods of the Caribbean had managed to secure independence and even feature in international conferences.

With that in mind, Qin Ye couldn't help but heave an internal sigh. This was a classic example of a butterfly effect leading to significant consequences on the world stage. No one knew how the death gods of the west were going to be affected by the things that were happening in the east.

"When do these fleets come around?"

"The Caribbean fleet comes once every five years, while the other two fleets come once every 10 years. There are currently no smuggling fleets that reach the other side, only individual smugglers. Over on the new continent, these types of smugglers are known as leather hats. Over here, we call them snakes, and not only do they smuggle some precious items, they also sell slaves."

Qin Ye rose to his feet, and with a flick of his wrist, his beaded bracelet fell into his palm, and he gently massaged it between his fingers. Only after a long while did he speak again. "You've served at the Felipinas for quite a long time already, I'm sure you have some understanding of the situation in the new continent. What exactly is it like over there?"

It would presumably be quite a simple task for him to secure the notes, all he had to do was track down Richardman. The First Usonian Bank was a massive lead, but he definitely didn't want to venture deep into the new continent without knowing anything about it.

The situation there was far too complex, and the slightest mistake could get him caught up in a battle between death gods. He was going there only for the notes, not to get swept up in its civil turmoil, so he had to exercise great caution.

Yang Jiye didn't immediately reply. Instead, he took close to 20 seconds to arrange his own thoughts before replying, "No one knows the exact situation there as no one wants to go to the new continent, and even I don't have much information about the place. However..."

He paused momentarily before continuing, "I have many refugees who escaped from the new continent here, and if you need information, you can speak to them. Would you like me to summon them for you, my Lord?"

Qin Ye thought about it for a moment before shaking his head in response.

"No, I'll go in person." He had no intention of keeping this a secret from Yang Jiye, and he rose to his feet as he said, "I need a ship that can ensure absolute secrecy and safety. I'm going to take a trip to the new continent in person."

Yang Jiye didn't ask any further questions. Judging from Qin Ye's questions, he had already guessed that Qin Ye was most likely going to be making a trip to the new continent.

Something that had to be attended to by the Cathayan Underworld's King Yanluo was definitely an extremely important matter that he wouldn't be able to get involved in.

"I suggest Rebis G. Angelista." He pulled out a piece of bamboo, upon which was burning a speck of netherfire, and her name, appearance, and date of birth were etched onto the piece of bamboo in Yin energy. "She is a witch that fled from the new continent and is the regional top dog of the Licchavi Underworld. 70% of the Yin spirits that came from the new continent passed through her hands, and it's said that she's very devout toward her tribe, making a trip back there once every 10 years."

………………………………………………..

Rebis was a witch.

Her original occupation was no longer important. At the very least, all of her neighbors were convinced that she was a witch.

She lived on Huaien Street, which was situated in one of the lowest-end parts of the city, and there were all types of people living here as this place was also home to the largest port in the entirety of the Felipinas. Most of the Yin spirits living nearby made a living out of the freight and transportation trade, so the area was quite rugged and housed many blue-collar laborers. There were bungalows built next to the sea all over the area, and their plinths were embedded straight into the seabed on the shallow parts of the shore so that the houses sat on the surface of the sea. All of the bungalows were constructed from wood, and it was quite an intriguing sight to behold.

There were densely packed bungalows stretching as far as the eyes could see, and the houses situated on the shore weren't very tall, either. There were convoluted streets running between all of the bungalows, and in order to facilitate fast and convenient travel to the port, most of the Yin spirits here chose to build slanted wooden ramps or staircases leading directly from their front doors. This made the area even more densely packed and convoluted, and of course, the religions that were popular in the area had also made their presence felt here in the form of the churches, mosques, and Buddhist temples, which were the tallest buildings here.

However, right at the edge of this complex area was a three-story ancient Europa-style mansion, and it stuck out like a sore thumb.

The mansion had an immaculate garden surrounded by two-meter-tall walls constructed purely from stone blocks. A type of plant similar to ivy was crawling all over the walls., and from these ivy-like plants, bright red leave were growings. This mansion already had a history of several centuries, and it gave off a sense of age and history. Every day, there were well-dressed male and female servants roaming the mansion, cleaning the courtyard and pruning the plants, presenting a sight that simply didn't belong in this area.

Night fell once again, but the mansion was brightly lit, and in a lavish room on the top floor, a headless woman was seated in front of the dressing table, carefully combing her own hair, which was attached to a head that was placed on the dressing table.

This was a native Usonian with a slightly dark complexion, and her hair was arranged in a series of small braids with simple white designs painted onto them. Just judging from her outward appearance alone, no one would be able to guess that she was the regional tyrant of this entire area, the leader of one of the two main gangs here, the Eagle Gang, and the vastly notorious "Shepherd of Souls", Rebis.

She was carefully combing her own hair while the clock nearby was slowly ticking toward 12 AM, and right on the stroke of midnight, a bell tolled to tell the time, upon which Rebis set down her comb, looking as if she had just completed a masterpiece.

However, right at this moment, all of the candle flames in the entire room flickered slightly before being snuffed out in unison!

Yin spirits weren't affected by changes in brightness, but the sudden change still caused her to falter slightly. At the same time, she was sharp enough to detect that a tall figure had appeared outside her window, standing in the moonlit night.

Enemy attack!

Those two words instantly flashed through her mind, and immediately thereafter, the back of her elegant dress was torn open to reveal a massive red gash on her back and countless deathly pale hands, which clawed rapidly toward the window amid a terrible shrieking noise.

However, they didn't manage to grab onto anything.

Who could this be? Is it a Soul Hunter or is it an Anitya Hellguard like me?

Her mind was racing, and her body hovered up into mid-air along with her ghostly hands.

Her head also rose up to levitate beside her, and she immediately rushed toward the door without any hesitation as she screeched, "We're being attacked! Where is everyone?! Hurry up and prepare for battle!"

The door instantly swung open, but the scene that greeted her made her feel as if she had been plunged into a glacial pit.

The moonlight filtering in through the window was shining down upon the corridor, reflecting off the armor worn by the statues on either side of the corridor. As for her bodyguards, they were lying on the ground in lopsided postures, moaning incessantly.

At the end of the corridor, two specks of netherfire abruptly lit up and stared directly at her.

Thump! She immediately swung the door shut, and her soul was jumping violently with fear. In the instant she caught sight of that pair of netherflames, she knew that her assailant was most likely an Infernal Judge level evil ghost!

Who could it be? Who is attacking me? The Yang Clan? No, I'm still useful to them. Who else could it be? Who would be bold enough to attack me in one of the colonies of the Cathayan Underworld? Do they have a death wish?

Right as these chaotic thoughts were racing through her mind, a deathly pale hand gently closed itself around her throat. Immediately thereafter, a burst of icy Yin energy erupted from behind her, and in the instant she detected this burst of Yin energy, Rebis's legs gave out from under her, and she fell to her knees. Her voice was trembling with fear and on the verge of sobs as she pleaded, "Please don't hurt me..."

This was the Yin energy of an Abyssal Prefect! She was being attacked by a high-grade underworld emissary!

"I'll ask some questions, you give me the answers. If you try to resist, I'm sure you know what's going to happen to you." A raspy female voice rang out from behind Rebis, and she nodded frantically in response, unable to utter even a single word.

"Tell me about the state of the new continent, I want to hear any details you can provide. First things first, introduce yourself, and make it quick, I don't have much time."

Rebis didn't even dare to turn around, and she continued to kneel on the ground as she leaned against the door for support. After a long while, she finally managed to collect herself enough to speak, and she said in a trembling voice, "My name is Rebis G. Angelista. Several centuries ago, I was the daughter of the chieftain of a small native Usonian tribe. I'm quite adept in black magic, specializing in communicating with spirits..."

Her voice was becoming steadier and steadier as she spoke. She knew that the fact that her assailant hadn't killed her meant that they had to want something from her, and if she could satisfy them, then perhaps she would be spared.

Otherwise, there were no more than 400 Abyssal Prefects even in the entire world, and the Cathayan Underworld certainly wasn't going to hunt one down just for killing her!

She gulped nervously before continuing, "I've been in the Cathayan Underworld for 400 years and slowly became a regional leader of the Licchavi Underworld. My main duties include helping large fleets contact clients and... selling some slaves, but I can ensure that you that I've never, ever touched the Yin spirits of the Cathayan Underworld!"

She received no response, and that allowed her to heave an internal sigh of relief before continuing, "The state of the new continent is extremely horrible. That place is a terrifying purgatory even for evil ghosts! Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa have gone insane, and they're devouring netherworldly citizens! One small village after another has inexplicably gone missing, and everyone in the entire underworld is living in constant fear. As a result of this, the mortal realm is also in a very tumultuous state. Usonia, Kanata, and the nations of Southern Usonia have some of the severest supernatural disasters in the entire world!"

Her attacker finally spoke. "Why is it that I've heard that Usonia is the place with the least supernatural activity as Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa aren't enforcing any restrictions?"

"It's exactly because they're not enforcing any restrictions that the supernatural disasters are becoming worse and worse! In fact, starting from last year, the entirety of Northern Usonia was already being affected!"