Yama Rising

Time seemed to freeze in that instant.

“AHHHHHH--!!!” Following that, Songchae screamed at the top of her voice and frantically pushed the table away, “A ghost! A ghost!! There’s a ghost!!”

“What the hell are you screaming about?!” “Ghost? Where? Stop scaring us!” “Can you please stop shouting like that?!”

Just then, the windows to the classroom abruptly slammed shut. Songchae rushed straight to the door, desperately hammering on it as she cried at the top of her voice, “Open up… open the door! Ahhhhhhh! I don’t want to die! Help me! HELP!!!”

The students suddenly fell silent, leaving Songchae’s desperate wails reverberating endlessly throughout the classroom. Several students shot to their feet as terror spread like a contagion among them.

“My god…” “Dear heavens… is… is it really a ghost?” “Ahh shit…. AHHH SHIT!!” “ARRGGHHH--!!!”

Several students had turned back to look at the windows as soon as they slammed shut, and they naturally noticed Ahn Somi who was located right by the window.

Her entire body was floating in the air. She clung to the window like a giant spider. Her tongue lashed about wildly outside her mouth as though it were a two-meter long venomous viper, and her bloodshot eyes darted about various parts of the classroom, staring at them menacingly as though she were looking at her prey.

“Didn’t you guys ask where Seongho went?”

Her hoarse voice sounded like a cat’s claws on a chalkboard. At once, the curtains of the classroom fluttered wildly.

“AHHH--!!!” “My god!! Heavens!!!” “Shit!!”

Seongho’s dismembered body had been sewn right to the top of the curtains, with the blood dripping from each piece dyeing the curtain scarlet red. Yet, for some strange reason, not a single person had noticed this earlier!

“You guys… will soon be accompanying him in death… Hoo… Hehehe…”

A split second later… “AHHH!!!” “Ghost!!” “Help! Help!!!” Daddy! Please save me!”

The entire classroom of students screamed and wailed at the top of their voices as they rushed frantically to the front and back doors, knocking over several tables and chairs as they did. Even the students who had left their phones back on their desks in their haste didn’t think of returning for them. Terrified screams cut through the silence of the night. But just as they were about to rush right out of the room, countless black hair suddenly shot right over, grabbing hold of everyone and pulling them right up into the air!

Crack! There was the macabre sound of snapping bones. At once, the students hung limply from the ceiling by the hair that bound them.

Their necks had clearly been snapped in two so swiftly that they hadn’t even been able to let out a scream before perishing. Their faces were all filled with an amalgam of expressions of incredulity and terror. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning. Soon after, the strands of hair that bound the students slowly began to bore right into their flesh!

Pshk… At once, a river of blood began to pour out onto the ground, filling the entire classroom with a nauseating stench.

“Hehehe… delicious… truly delicious…” Ahn Somi climbed back onto the floor and began to greedily lap up the blood that was dripping from the ceiling. Countless corpses hung limply from the ceiling, swaying in the dark night. They’d all been living students just moments ago.

“You’ve gone nuts.” Just then, there was a knocking sound on the window. The silhouette of a young man showed up right outside. He shook his head with disapprobation, “I was still contemplating whether I should spare your life. Do you think you deserve it?”

“SSS!!!” At once, Ahn Somi turned back and roared loudly at the young man. Yin energy surged from her body and engulfed the entire city of Hanyang!

Crash! The glass windows shattered in an instant. The sudden eruption of Yin energy knocked the young man back several paces, but he soon hovered in the air placidly in front of the classroom. Meanwhile, Ahn Somi hung from the surface of the classroom wall like a giant spider.

“You forced me…”

“You were the one who forced me to do it… Grrrrr…. SSS!!!”

“Excuses.” The young man sighed softly as he shook his hand, and a small, exquisite brush appeared in the palm of his hand at once, “Unfortunately, there’s no room for excuses where I come from.”

“An eye for an eye, and a life for a life. Remember my name - Qin Ye.”

………………………………………………

Meanwhile, back in Hanyang, at the headquarters of the LSD. Beep, beep, beep! The instruments in their surveillance rooms blared with alarms and warning lights at once.

“Warning, warning, Hellguard-class Yin energy detected. Location - Saint Virtue High School. Danger level - Red. Repeat. Warning, warning…”

“Hellguard?!” One of the investigators stared at his monitor with his mouth agape, “How can it be an Anitya Hellguard? The last time something like this was detected was seven years ago! This is a second-tier alert...”

He took a deep breath and turned back at once, “Immediately notify the minister! A Hellguard-class evil ghost has appeared!”

He promptly ran outside, “Teams 7 and 8, follow me to Saint Virtue High School at once! Pronto!”

“Teams 1, 2, 3 and 4 are to head straight to the neighbourhood around Saint Virtue High School and evacuate the citizens immediately. Teams 5 and 6 are to notify the Usonian troops in Daehan and contact the Full Gospel Church. Notify the bishop, and tell him to be ready to make his move!”

Ding… Just then, the alarmed paused for a second. And then, it blared with even greater ferocity, “Warning, warning! Maximum alert! Apocalyptic danger detected! Location - Saint Virtue High School. Two Infernal Judges detected. Please evacuate all citizens immediately! This message will automatically be transmitted to the Blue House. Effective immediately, all Republic of Daehan troops in Hanyang are to move out and head to Saint Virtue High School right away. Repeat. Warning…”

Stunned.

He was absolutely stunned.

Infernal Judge… Daehan has only two Judge-class experts!

Yet we’re witnessing the emergence of two Judge-class Yin spirits tonight?!

Is the Republic of Daehan going to go up in smoke overnight?!

“What are you still doing here?!!” The investigator was the first one to return to his senses, and he immediately bellowed at the others who were equally flabbergasted, “Cancel last… Tell the bishop to make his move right away! Hurry!!!”

“Everyone… Please be prepared for the worst tonight!! Godspeed ahead. Team 1, immediately notify the Ministry of Transportation to clear the path for us! All civilian vehicles should be diverted away! Move! Move! Move!!!”

……………………………………………

Saint Virtue High School.

“SSS!!!” Ahn Somi screamed in anguish as she rolled on the ground in pain. Shockwaves rippled visibly through the clouds of Yin energy around her.

A gaping hole had appeared right through her chest. Swamped with fear, she rolled twice on the ground and madly crawled back up the wall of the building where she stared intently at Qin Ye.

Terrifying… so terrifying!

Is this the might of one of the top-tiered underworlds in the netherworld? Such a simple movement can even bend space itself! And the might of his attack… is comparable to that of a meteor strike!

Qin Ye transformed into a cloud of dense Yin energy right in front of her very eyes. The remaining teachers and students in the school had long since fainted. Frost grew around the ground lapped by Qin Ye’s dense Yin energy. The purity of the Yin energy at his disposal was already at the level where it could already affect the mortal realm. Moments later, the Yin energy formed a mighty bearded face that was tens of meters wide!

Zhong Kui’s Wrath!

Two massive spots of netherflames pulsated brightly in the eyes of Zhong Kui’s face. The trees in the vicinity would bend over in submission with every breath he took. Ahn Somi’s teeth chattered wildly as she dug her nails deep into the ground.

Her hair and her pride were both scattered everywhere as she screamed desperately at Qin Ye, “Cathay… You’re an emissary of the Cathayan underworld?! Why… are you making things difficult for this little one?”

“Hah…” There was a cold snort. Ahn Somi trembled profusely as the majestic head raised his voice, “I’ll give you another chance!”

“Where is the Tsar’s script located? Why were Ahn Jun-ho and Lee Jung-sook in contact with each other? Speak!!”

Boom!!

The sound waves from Qin Ye’s voice blasted Ahn Somi right off her feet, causing her to slam straight into the wall behind her. She spat out another mouthful of Yin energy, and the walls behind her cracked in several places at once. She screamed and writhed in pain, and her hair scattered everywhere as netherflames began to emerge from the deep wounds on her body.

“I…” She knew exactly what Qin Ye was asking, but she simply didn’t dare to answer him.

Because she knew that she would definitely die if she said it.

“Please spare me…” Her body was covered in wounds, almost as though it had been cut in numerous places with a sharp knife. She kowtowed desperately to the ground and pleaded with a tremor in her voice, “Let me join Hell, and I promise to tell you everything!”

Surrender?

Qin Ye snickered.

This classroom of over thirty was completely cleared out and transformed into a pool of blood in less than twenty seconds… and she’s actually pleading for her own life?

So long as an evil ghost has taken the life of a mortal in death, then no matter where they went, it was an underworld’s duty to ensure that justice was served!

“I can promise to sentence you to a quick death.” Qin Ye chortled coldly, and the illusory head opened its mouth promptly. A faint golden light appeared, “Last chance.”

“If your answer is still ‘no’, then… I’ll let you experience a fate that is worse than death…”

“Three.”

Time was tight. Qin Ye was certain that there were definitely powerful emissaries of the Rus Underworld here in Daehan, and they were probably rushing here right now.

Although they might not know the true function of a god of death, Tsar Arturo would most certainly have informed them that their task was to keep Ahn Somi safe at all costs!

A Yanluo’s function was a secret not to be disclosed to outsiders!

The Second King Yanluo of Hell didn’t say why, but it was clear that this was a well-kept secret among the various lords of the underworld.

“Two!”

The golden light in the mouth of the illusory head began to dazzle and shimmer. Ahn Somi dug her fingers deep into the ground, “Esteemed one… I beg you… I beg you, please!!! I don’t want to die!”

“Hmph…” Qin Ye snorted, and continued counting down.

“One!!”

“I…” Ahn Somi bit down on her lower lip, yet remained absolutely silent.

“Very well.”

A split second later, a dazzling golden light erupted from the mouth of the illusory face!

Whoosh!! A golden ripple of energy swept through the fields around like the blazing sun. Ahn Somi froze for a moment, and then immediately felt an excruciating pain course through her entire body.

“ARRRGGGHHH!!!” She screamed hoarsely and miserably. It felt reminiscent of the days when she was still an Operative-class Yin spirit, and had inadvertently been exposed to sunlight.

This is the feeling of being exposed to the bright sun… And… it’s not just the sun… it’s Samadhi Fire!

“No… NO!” The Yin energy in her body trembled, and her lips finally parted once more, “I… I…”

“You shut up.” Just then, a soft voice spoke from the void in the distance. At once, a figure shifted from the teacher’s office and transformed into a stream of nethergale.

Is it coming…?

Qin Ye’s eyes narrowed as he looked up, only to see a massive hole right in the middle of swirling dark clouds of Yin energy. The shadows in the vicinity were all drawn into the heart of the Yin energy. Moments later, a terrifying presence descended with a mighty bang!

Abyssal Prefect?

Qin Ye gasped, but simply remained where he was as he gazed at the sky.

“Hell’s Emissary?” A voice of scorn called out from the void. A split second later, a massive hand formed out of pitch-black Yin energy coalesced right before Qin Ye’s eyes, and swung straight down towards the illusory face on the ground!