Chapter 659: Truth Behind the Secret Memorial

“It’s done.” The two ghosts pulled out three thick paper bags and placed them on the table gingerly, before explaining their loot from the trip, “This here is the dossier documenting the supernatural phenomenon observed in Khuree when the Resentment Crystal Mine first appeared. They are the fruits of Lady Arakshasa’s investigative efforts.”

“The last dossier here contains a comprehensive deduction as to the relationship between the Russian Underworld and the Argosian Underworld, as well as an in depth analysis as to the changes that the Russian Underworld may bring to the international arena when it becomes the fifth underworld that possesses Forbidden Arts capabilities. This dossier is written by Lord Harken, in consultation with the group of scholars in Hell, as well as the various governmental agencies.”

What’s this… All it took was a simple glance at it, and Qin Ye immediately recalled this to be the very same secret memorial to the throne that was left behind by Kong Mo after his conquest of Ashmound City!

No… The Second King Yanluo had mentioned that if I later encounter any problems that I’m not able to resolve, then that would be the moment at which I should open this secret memorial to take a look… Could he have predicted that the Daehan incident would have led to these developments?

“Yes, sir!”

Success or failure - everything rested on these dossiers!

Even if he wished to pit the tiger against the wolf, he would first have to convince the tiger that the wolf was up to no good.

Incredibly detailed.

Furthermore, it was written with formal prose.

Neat.

He carefully pored through all the contents of the dossiers, ruminating over the information from time to time so as to ensure complete comprehension. This entire process took him well over ten hours. After that, he finally heaved a long sigh of relief as he shut the dossiers once more.

Credit where it was due, Hell’s new government was shaping up nicely. Kwon Kyung-ho and Ryu Changmin would have taken one full day to travel, which meant that the team involved in drafting up these dossiers of information had less than two days to sort through the information and present it in formal prose. Furthermore, they would have to analyze why Qin Ye wanted these things, peer into the intentions of the Russian underworld, decipher the clues disclosing the true perpetrator acting from the shadows behind the Russian Underworld, and then think about how to communicate these things to the Alkebulan Underworlds to achieve the best possible outcome. And despite the fact that they didn’t have the luxury of time to draft up these documents, Qin Ye wasn’t able to pick out any problems with the reports in his detailed run-through of the dossiers.

“Everything depends on me now.” He took a deep breath and set aside the dossiers. Tomorrow was a day reserved for adjusting his condition and further familiarization of the materials. And then, it would be showtime!

Had he been elsewhere but here, he would’ve been incredibly excited about the contents of the secret memorial. After all, it most certainly contained the crux of the Confucian Clan’s ploys. Unfortunately, his current circumstances meant that he wasn’t able to feel completely invested in Hell’s internal affairs right now.

Who knows, perhaps it might even be useful right now…

It was a sword.

A heavy sword was neither known for its sharp edges nor workmanship. As he unraveled the scroll, he saw the figure of a man drawn next to it, presumably for size comparison. The heavy sword was almost as tall as an average man’s height, and the width of the sword was almost as wide as the broadness of the man’s shoulder. Furthermore, the surface of the sword was carved with intricate patterns. Qin Ye knew that he’d never seen the sword nor the patterns before, but he couldn’t help but develop some sense of familiarity with it.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“This is a strand of consciousness that I’ve left behind in the scroll.” Without missing a beat, the Harken’s voice continued to boom in his mind, “Truth be told, the Second King Yanluo had already unlocked the seal of the secret memorial when you first returned from Daehan. What you see is none other than a drawing of the mold for our Forbidden Art.”

This secret memorial was something that had been hidden in the depths of Kong Mo’s treasury, and it was only natural to expect it to contain a shocking secret. However, no amount of groundwork could ever prepare Qin Ye for the astonishing news that was still to come!

“To this end, the molds used for Forbidden Arts would have to be tried and tested time and time again, until the most effective and suitable one can finally be selected. Therefore, there can only be one optimum mold for any Forbidden Art. And because of that, there can only be one explanation for the emergence of a different-looking mold.”

“And that is the trial for the development of a new Forbidden Art.”

“According to Hell’s research thus far into the second generation of Forbidden Arts, there are three materials that are most suitable for the initiation module, and that is none other than Resentment Crystals, Dark Riftstones, and Blacksoul Rebirth Crystals. THere is no possible fourth option.”

Thump, thump… His heart thumped wildly. It suddenly occurred to him that he… was actually holding onto the final piece of the puzzle he never even knew he needed! And it was a crucial piece of the puzzle for the purposes of the upcoming negotiations!

“Back then, Hell had already commenced work on the initiation module for the second generation Forbidden Arts. The arrangement of Yin Talismans engraved on the hilt of the sword should be of some help to you during this trip. Rest assured, nobody can possibly even begin to understand the intricacies of the arrangement of Yin Talismans without properly studying it - not even the brightest of Yama-Kings. Naturally, nobody would be able to remember the manner of arrangements of these Yin Talismans either. That’s all for now. This strand of consciousness that I’ve left with you shall soon dissipate on its own.”

With that, the Harken’s consciousness vanished completely.

And the thing that occurred to him was why the Second King Yanluo had to act as he did.

This was why the Second King Yanluo was prepared to act with passivity even as the ascension of Lord Ksitigarbha brought the old Hell to an end!

But that wasn’t important. At least, it wasn’t important as far as the current situation was concerned. After all, what was more important was what this piece of information signified.

And it would also explain why the Russian Underworld needed so much Resentment Crystals to begin with.

After all, seeing was believing.

By his estimates, he now had more than a 50% chance of success.

He continued unravelling it, only to realize that what came next didn’t seem to have anything to do with Forbidden Arts. Instead, it was an odd symbol.

A top-down view of a blossoming lotus flower at that.

There was a line of text hidden right underneath this drawing.

“However, it is also known to exhibit a high degree of hermeticity. Anything placed in these crystals will retain its form and properties for thousands of years without problems. Not even Yin energy can seep out from within. The formation of Resentment Crystals are contingent on the presence of countless souls who were willingly sent to their death.”

What does he mean by these statements?

“It seems as though I’ll have to adjust how I approach these negotiations…” He licked his lips greedily. It was peculiar. This was going to be his debut performance on the international arena, and yet the winds were already blowing in his favour. His heart was filled with inexplicable excitement!

Bit by bit, the splendid netherworld was unveiling right before his eyes. This was the mythical world of dark lustre, and the glorious Third King Yanluo of Hell was soon going to make his first brilliant mark in international history of the netherworld!

1. If you’ve forgotten what a secret memorial is, it was first mentioned in Chapter 452, when Qin Ye was looking through his spoils of war.