Chapter 646: Sunbird

Emissary.

The two men shook hands. Cold and warm. Mayasu’s gaze instantly flickered wildly, and he gasped in unconcealed shock, “A living emissary?”

With that, he pulled out a small box and presented it with both hands, “Eritrean Underworld’s Sunbird Tribe humbly presents Hell with a humble token gift of a sundial. We wish you happiness always.”

His actions had already drawn the attention of the other crew on board the plane. However, Qin Ye had earlier already given them a soft wink, and they naturally acted as though nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Yes.” They continued with their seemingly trivial conversation. Mayasu had an impeccable smile on his face, “We weren’t expecting the sudden arrival of an Emissary of Hell either. Usually, there would be an exchange of diplomatic papers. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to prepare these either.”

And then, they grew silent. Qin Ye tapped his fingers on the armrest softly. They had only exchanged a few words of platitudes, and yet each statement had been undergirded with deeper intentions and hidden meaning.

I’m afraid that the Sunbird Tribe’s Mythic Spirit had probably already noticed me as soon as I’d landed earlier, and he had thus arranged for Mayasu to quietly get on the plane… It was a reminder to Qin Ye of sorts - You might have come and left without a word, but don’t you think for a moment that this little act of yours has gone unnoticed by us. But since you clearly don’t want the rest of the netherworld to know this, we won’t make it public either.

Qin Ye glanced at Mayasu as his mind continued to spin at full speed. He couldn’t care less about what the Mythic Spirit of the Sunbird Tribe did, but… this still represented a fantastic opportunity for Hell!

Granted, he could have a good, long conversation with Mayasu right here and now. However, he still had his reservations. He didn’t want them to be his first port of call. After all, they were located too close to the Aegyptian Underworld for comfort.

“Ahem…” Qin Ye coughed softly into his fist to conceal the smile that had somehow crept up the corner of his lips, “I’d made this sudden trip to Alkebulan because of the urgency of the situation.”

“Of course you can.” Qin Ye turned and gazed deeply out of the window and the deep blue skies, “After all, it’s something that pertains to Forbidden Arts… Speaking of which, Mr Mayasu, would it be appropriate for you to remain here? We’re about to leave the Eritrean airspace soon.”

Mayasu’s pupils narrowed as soon as these words were spoken, but he very quickly regained his composure once more.

He gazed intently at Qin Ye, and then promptly vanished from his seat, “If Hell requires any help, the Sunbird Tribe is always at your disposal.”

I’m getting closer…

…………………………………………………

This was an island that had been colonized multiple times. The architecture in this region was clearly influenced by the Europeans, and it looked no different from a simple European town. That said, one would from time to time spot authentic Alkebulan thatched huts interspersed among the European buildings. That said, the construction of these buildings were hardly crude or shoddy in the least. Additionally, there were also signs and traces of the presence of diverse faiths in the region.

And due to the importance of faith in their lives, most Alkebulans viewed with great importance the treatment of a corpse or a body. This was rather similar to the practices in Cathay, save that the Alkebulans treated corpses with even more reverence than Cathayans. This was primarily due to the notion promulgated by animism that one’s ancestors could no longer protect its descendants if their corpses were destroyed. Naturally, few families were accepting of practices such as cremation, and the corollary was that funerary stores were seen everywhere.

The taxi had already gone around the capital of Malagasy, Antananarivo, three times now. Whilst a famous tourist destination, Malagasy was still considered a developing nation, and its infrastructure and amenities were comparable to that of a regular town in Cathay. Moreover, the dry weather in Alkebulan made it feel no different from an oasis in the middle of a desert.

Qin Ye glanced at his watch, “I’ll give you 10 more minutes to consider.”

Abra bit down on his lips and remained silent. Meanwhile, Qin Ye simply leaned back languidly. Time passed quickly. Ten minutes later, the hotel where they were putting up at once again appeared in view.

Just then, Qin Ye finally shut his eyes and spoke up, “Stop the car.” He glanced at Abra, sighed softly, and then opened the car door.

He… was looking at me as though I was dead to him. Does this mean that… I’m about to die soon?

“I’ll tell you everything I know! Please, all I ask is that you let me live!”

There wasn’t any measure of hesitation in his voice.

Their surroundings of buildings of bustling activity were soon replaced with increasing desolation. Everything soon changed to farmlands and remote pathways, until eventually… even the farmlands vanished from sight. All that remained were the destitute mountains that surrounded them.

Rows of Alkebulans were dressed in white robes, carrying human-shaped objects wrapped up in white cloth, leading cattle and sheep as they continued to march into the distance. As they chugged along the road, they passed by at least a dozen such processions.

He glanced out of the window, “Do you know why the driver refused to come here?”

“Because… this is the Sanctuary of Ancestral Spirits.” Abra shut his eyes and continued with great trembling in his voice, “The dead are all sent to this place for burial. Every single procession of people dressed in white that we’ve passed by earlier… are all funerary processions.”

Interesting… Qin Ye listened with keen attention. These customs and traditions gave him a new perspective of things around the world.

“No…” As though a dreadful thought occurred to him, Abra shivered all over and gulped nervously as he continued, “There are three things here that are inexplicably bizarre. Incidentally… this is also the gateway to the underworld!”

His voice trembled, “Regardless of location or angle! It appears just like an eye in the sky, staring down at us from above as though it were seated on the throne of darkness!”

It was important to let Abra to lead the way. This intention of his had never changed from the onset.

This place wasn’t too far away from Aegyptus.

Besides, this was the only way to keep things as discreet as possible.

Qin Ye listened intently.

He turned and looked Qin Ye in the eye, “I know that these two peculiarities might not be sufficient to get your attention, but you absolutely have to bear the third point in mind.”

“Because… it pertains to the legend about the Sanctuary of Ancestral Spirits, the River Styx… and… seaming.”

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

1. France would be referred to as Frankish Empire; while Spain would be referred to as Spania.