Chapter 606: Ancient Reception (1)

Impossible!

Only a Yama-class Yin spirit could conceal its presence from me. But here in Daehan… so long as the Harken is sleeping, and the Second King Yanluo isn’t bored out of his mind… there’s simply no way someone of that caliber could be here! Tsar Arturo wouldn’t come over for no reason, and Yamaraja from the Hindustani Underworld is unlikely to travel all the way down here just to ruffle the tiger’s fur.

Qin Ye retracted his gaze. Just then, he suddenly paused.

This statement didn’t mean much, but Qin Ye immediately knew who the one who had left the message was.

It’s actually him! Qin Ye hammered the table in joy and laughed uproariously.

However, Qin Ye simply shook his head and laughed heartily as he left the restaurant.

Hanyang had never felt as lovely as this before. Even the air suddenly became fresh to his nose.

Cathay’s borders had been sealed off completely, and Yin spirits were no longer able to enter or leave freely. That said… he was a man who straddled both the mortal realm and the nether world! He’s both dead and alive at the same time!

“The thing that Hell lacks most right now is manpower - especially talents! The return of these elites would most certainly help tremendously in Hell’s development. They would be more familiar with the previous polity, science and technology, and… if I’m lucky enough, there may even be Yin talismanology experts hidden within! Perhaps Waiter Zu might even be one! And if that’s the case…”

If that’s truly the case… then we might just be on the cusp of Fengdu’s revival, and that naturally means… the rebirth of Immortal Sanction!

The position of P5 wasn’t based on the size of one’s territory. It was based solely upon strength!

Time was ticking down slowly but surely. If they weren’t able to get their nuclear weapons up and running by the time the Array of the Nine Gods dissipates, then needless to say, it wouldn’t take long before the other underworlds came knocking at his front door.

“What’s this?” Qin Ye asked in bewilderment.

Qin Ye naturally obliged.

After all, he was keenly aware that human beings couldn’t function like machines. If they remain fully wound up all the time, it would only be a matter of time before they finally break down.

They were ferried straight to a private resort that was presumably one of Lee Jung-sook’s holiday homes. The interior was entirely furnished like lavish buildings in the Cathayan countryside. There were villas and water pavilions within, as well as adornments of golden chrysanthemum everywhere. It exuded the feel of a Cathayan water town, while the buildings largely sported black tiles and white walls. A traipse through the hallways would send one straight back through the history books into the Han and Tang Dynasty eras.

The fact that she owns such a massive plot of land in the heart of Hanyang speaks volumes of the sheer extent of her wealth…

“It’s not too far from this place. That’s where Changdeokgung is located, otherwise known as Changdeok Palace. The rear garden is particularly famous, and it represents the epitome of all Daehan courtyards. In fact, it is so well known that it made it to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997. Would you like to make a trip there, sir? Ah, I’ve forgotten to mention that there’s a 24-hour on-call driver who will attend to your needs wherever you may wish to go, regardless of time.”

As the driver left, Qin Ye immediately nodded towards Wang Chenghao and Oda Nobutada with eagerness, “I’d like you to accompany me somewhere tonight.”

Qin Ye glanced back at them in surprise, “Hang on… How did you know about it? Even I have only just learned about something like this. Could they have… already informed you beforehand?”

He stared intently at Qin Ye, “Brother Qin has a specific plan of attack?! As expected! That’s the Brother Qin I know!”

“Cheongnyangni! ” Wang Chenghao exclaimed, beaming with excitement, “That’s where most of the massage parlors in Hanyang are located! Can you call yourself a man if you don’t sow some of your seeds here in a foreign land?”

Wang Chenghao immediately leaned in closer with keen interest, “What if I tell you that… I’ve got an even better plan than that?”

“... Understood…”

………………………………………………….

Hanyang was once again brightly lit with neon lights. The Changdeok Palace was already closed to the public by now. That said, the streets were still bustling with traffic, and youngsters would pass by from time to time, decked out in the latest fashion trends.

“Misook unnie, what’s wrong?” Her friend asked curiously.

Naturally, they couldn’t see that there were currently six old men standing right at the entrance of Changdeok Palace, dressed in their black official garments, pacing about anxiously as though they were waiting for something or someone. None of the passers-by could see them at all. The Changdeok Palace was located right behind them, brightly lit with scarlet lanterns swaying gently about. Meanwhile, the entire courtyard was filled with spots of netherflames that were invisible to the eyes of mortals.

“Fellow Daoist Zhao, don’t be impatient.” Another old man beside him responded placidly, “It’s only been five minutes.”

After all, it’s been a hundred years since they’ve last been home. How was the country doing?

In fact, they hadn’t even mentioned to others that they were unable to contact Fengdu Necropolis. They had even maintained the cover story that they were still in contact with Hell from time to time all this while.

“It’s already 10 minutes past midnight.” Another old man chimed in, “Mr Zu, are you sure you’d successfully passed the message on to him?”

As he spoke, a powerful stream of nethergale swept through the entrance of Changdeok Palace. At once, two golden spots of netherflames appeared amidst the swirling Yin energy, and a scarlet robe fluttered majestically in the wind. The familiar designs of the xiezhi unicorn, the Harken and the Eighteen Abysses of Punishment unravelled right in front of their very eyes. At once, every single one of the old men felt a lump swell up in their throats, and their minds went numb. All of them collapsed to their knees at once.

There was so much that they had to say.

They wanted to tell the Emissary of Hell just how much they’d been through all this while, and how they’ve floundered about just to get by.

At once, an old man choked up and pounded heavily on the ground, “We’ve… been waiting for a hundred years for this moment!”

“Li Chun, Chief Engineer of the Ministry of State Construction, humbly greets Your Excellency!” “Lu Ban, Chief Engineer of the Ministry of State Construction, humbly greets Your Excellency!”

Qin Ye gasped and sighed softly in his heart.

Shang Yang, Wu Daozi, Zhang Heng, Zhang Zhongjing, Lu Ban, Li Chun… Their expertise covered medicine, geology, engineering, art and arithmetic, a grand total of five major disciplines! This was a great surprise, even for Qin Ye who had come eagerly anticipating a windfall. At once, his heart leapt with joy.

He helped everyone up and then immediately exclaimed with profound resignation, “Everyone, it’s been hard on you this last hundred years. But… it’s finally time to go home. I sincerely apologize for the tardiness.”

Qin Ye smiled, “Third King Yanluo of Hell, Qin Ye. The Second King Yanluo has stepped down, and he’s still in the new Hell.”

Everyone’s sadness immediately vanished without a trace, and they all stared intently at Qin Ye in horror. None even bothered concealing the shock in their hearts.

Third King Yanluo of Hell?

And there’s even been a change of regime, and a new Hell to boot?

Are we even… going to go to the right home?

1.

2. This is their red light district.