Yama Rising

If he told Arthis that she was currently inhabiting a device of human convenience, she would probably fly into a fit of rage on the spot and dish out judgment upon him immediately.

It would probably be prudent to find a good opportunity to gently break the news to her… Generational gap is a scary thing…

That said, even transporting Arthis back to the hotel was a problem.

Qin Ye wasn’t shameless enough to hail a taxi while carrying an inflatable doll. What if Arthis was uncomfortable and shifted slightly in the back seat, only to be noticed by the driver? Wouldn’t he have to pat the doll and gently chide it, “Behave yourself”? Or should he just knock the driver unconscious?

Both options were undesirable, to say the least!

Therefore, he took a suitcase and put Arthis in without another word. She was obviously dissatisfied, and kept complaining, “What’s wrong with carrying me around? It’s your honour to do so!” “Or are you questioning my choice in selecting this host of mine?” “This beautiful body is more than a good match for you!”

God damn it!

That’s right… It’s more than a good match for any person. This is practically a promiscuous body!

When he finally arrived back at his room, he immediately saw the last person he wanted to see right now.

Wang Cheng Hao's trust in him bordered on fanaticism. He was seated on the bed, playing computer games right now. A pile of what remained of his KFC meal sat beside him.

“What’s this? Do you need any help?” As soon as he noticed Qin Ye carrying a large suitcase into the room, Wang Chenghao immediately jumped out of bed and ran over to him.

“No need.” Qin Ye calmly pushed his hands away, “Have you done your revision in accordance with my instructions? I want you to go take the enrollment examination as soon as the Academy of Cultivators is open… Hang on, can you stop making me worry about everything? It’s exhausting being a father!”

“Oh…” The tall and well-built Wang Chenghao scratched his hair and glanced at the box with some measure of suspicion, “Then, I’ll take my leave, I guess?”

“Scram!”

As soon as the door closed, he turned around and saw that the suitcase was already open, and its contents were missing. Qin Ye freaked out. Bloody hell! What’s going to happen if someone in the hotel sees a device of human convenience walking around on its own?

After taking a closer look, he noticed that Arthis was now sitting by the window sill and looking out with a look of melancholy.

“Come to think of it, it’s been hundreds of years since I’ve been to the mortal realm, let alone see and experience it with a physical body… What are you doing?!!”

Before she could even finish speaking, a blanket was suddenly thrown over her head, and she found herself thrown under the bed.

“Mr Qin… something tells me that you’re courting death! Don’t you dare think for a moment that I wouldn’t dare to kill you!!” Arthis gnashed her teeth as she sputtered in rage.

“Granny. Oh, dear granny!” Qin Ye felt as though he had just picked up a huge burden. His forehead was percolating with sweat as he desperately pleaded, “Do you know how startling your appearances are right now? If you don’t want the Special Investigations Department to come knocking on our door, please keep it down!”

Arthis was silent for a few seconds, before quipping, “Hasn’t the City of Salvation revealed the truth of cultivators to the public? You could say that I’m your puppet. You can say that you’re from the lineage of puppet masters!”

A puppet?!

A lineage that uses silicone dolls as puppets?!

Even if you don’t care about your face, I do! Don’t you know that I’m an instructor right now?! An instructor!!

Imagine this. Several years later, an instructor at the First Academy of Cultivators points towards the honour roll of past instructors, explaining to the students around, “This is the esteemed Mr Qin, one of the first generation of instructors we’ve had at the academy. He makes proficient use of silicone dolls…”

The shamefulness of such prospects was off the charts!

Yet, fraught with the considerations of preserving his own life, Qin Ye dared not explain the situation to Arthis. Instead, he anxiously held Arthis down and explained, “It’s like this… you’ve been out of touch with society for so long, and I feel it’s high time you got back in touch with the times.”

He wanted to praise himself for his quick-wittedness!

“So?” Arthis couldn’t understand what he was getting at, “Shouldn’t you be taking me around to expand my dated perspectives?”

Like hell I will!

“... Actually, there’s an even better, more comfortable way of doing so. For instance… for instance… for instance… that’s it!”

“I’m going to gather a few things. Stay right there, and don’t move a muscle.”

“......”

Qin Ye dashed out and scrambled about, and he quickly returned with Wang Cheng Hao's Apple phone. He tossed it to Arthis and breathed a sigh of relief, “Come, let me teach you how to use this… Firstly, I’ll teach you about the classic tool, Penguin Chat.”

Arthis suddenly perked up with interest.

“And this one is called Surprise Video Network. I’ll register you as a user right now…” “And on this website, you’ll be able to search for anything you want…”

Over the next two to three hours, he conscientiously explained everything to Arthis. By the time he was done and wiping the cold sweat off from his forehead, he discovered that Arthis was already indulging in the pleasures of surfing the web. She no longer even bothered to look up to acknowledge him. A mysterious, inexplicable smile crept up across his lips.

Hahaha… how dare an old granny like you butt heads with me?

Just wait till I introduce you to Paypal and WeChat later on. I don’t believe you’ll ever step out of this door ever again!

After all, the greatest distance in this world isn’t the distance between you and I. Rather, it’s the distance between the geek and the girl next door.

No… Hang on. This old monster possesses a perverted level of information retention, comprehension, understanding and logic. This isn’t enough to keep her addicted and obsessed…

After a moment of deliberation, Qin Ye revealed a smile on his face that was akin to the refreshing spring breeze, “Arti, what I’ve just shown you are simply the basics. Moving on, let me explain to you the more advanced stuff.”

Arthis, who had been immersed in surfing the internet, finally lifted her eyes from the screen for the very first time. Her eyelids were practically twitching.

Chanel Tmall branded store…[1]

Should I say… you’re appealing to a woman’s nature right now?

“Here, take a look at this…” He clocked on two links with a nebulous feeling in his heart, “These are called video games. These are the most popular online games right now. This one is called LOL, and this one is called PUBG. And this is the Blizzard games platform. I’ve downloaded everything for you. Go ahead and give them a shot… And let me know if you don’t have skins… no, call Wang Chenghao instead. He’ll purchase some for you.[2]”

Arthis glanced at him suspiciously, “Why do you seem particularly attentive and diligent today?”

“Nah… Hahaha, when do I not pay attention to your needs?”

When Arthis finally began to immerse herself in the treacherous depths of the internet for real, Qin Ye finally straightened up and rubbed his back.

Everything’s finally settled…

Unfortunately, he had no idea that this was just the beginning of his worst nightmare.

That night.

“Bloody hell! Why is his Lux[3] so different from mine? And it seems like his damage is much higher than mine too!”

The crackling sound of her keyboard made Qin Ye’s temples throb uncontrollably.

I’ve forgotten that this idiot doesn’t need sleep at all… This has been a major blunder!

“Huh? How dare you cuss at me… Get up! Hurry up and teach me how to type my response to them!” “How come this hero of mine can’t kill anybody?” “They’re all calling me a noob? What’s a noob? Did I use a skill wrongly?”

2 a.m. Qin Ye covered his ears and wrapped himself under the blanket like a cocoon.

3 a.m. Qin Ye stared at the ceiling, restless but helpless.

4 a.m. He picked up his blanket and began to make his way to Wang Chenghao’s room, only to be pulled back by Arthis, “What does this rune do?”

5 a.m. He looked at the dazzling screen with two deep, dark circles around his eyes, almost like that of a dead person.

6 a.m.

“What a rubbish game.” Arthis sighed. With a tap of her silicone fingers, she finally shut the computer down. And then, she glanced at Qin Ye, only to give him a double take as though she had just seen a ghost, “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Qin Ye: “......”

He rubbed his eyes despondently. The horrific experience tonight had etched in his very bones the true meaning of “you reap what you sow”.

“Get some rest. I’m going to watch some dramas now… Come to think of it, we’ve known each other for such a long time, and this is the first nice thing you’ve done for me.”

The next moment…

“In the cold nights, my thoughts for you run like the flowing rivers. Like the spring mud, you protect me… The shallow years wash away streams of lovers. Their gentle fragrance flows with the waters…“[4]

AHHHHHHH!!!

Qin Ye desperately slammed his head repeatedly into his pillow. I didn’t say anything when an Infernal Judge played games all night just like any other college student out there. But how can you be watching Eternal Love now?! How?!

Time passed quickly. Qin Ye didn’t dare to shift into Wang Chenghao’s room for fear that the horror in his room would cause him even more trouble. The next night, he learnt from his mistakes and passed Arthis some top-of-the-line noise-cancelling headphones, before putting on earplugs and an eye mask. Things were finally better.

On the third morning, just three hours into Qin Ye’s sleep, Qin Ye woke up and stared at the ceiling with his bloodshot eyes. Just then, there was a sudden knock on the door.

“Who is it?” He asked weakly.

“Mr Qin.” A calm but firm voice echoed from outside the door, “I’m the driver sent by the First Academy of Cultivators - the same one that has been driving you around. Do you still remember me?”

Qin Ye yawned and reached into his pants to relieve his itch. Then, as he began to wash his face, he responded, “Is something up?”

There was silence for approximately three seconds.

“Mr Qin… Did you forget that today is the day of the sparring competition between the instructors of the various faculties? And after the sparring competition, you’ll be heading over to Insignia University’s main campus located in Mount Tai City for further studies.”

Qin Ye was just scrubbing his face when his hands paused for a moment.

Ten seconds later, he appeared at the door with a refreshed look on his face, “Hope you haven’t been waiting too long. Shall we?”

The two soon boarded the car and zoomed off into the First Academy of Cultivators.

As for Arthis?

Hehehe… I’m afraid that only Professor Yang can awaken this young lady from the mires of the internet.[5]

The car soon arrived at the First Academy of Cultivators. Qin Ye’s gaze immediately turned heavy and solemn.

The present First Academy of Cultivators had already begun to look somewhat imposing. There were military personnel patrolling the grounds everywhere, filling the entire academy with a somber atmosphere.

The car drove straight into a large plaza. There were no banners or signs around. The cultivators present were all doing their own things and minding their own businesses. Apart from a fifty-meter large arena that had been set up in the middle of the plaza, nothing else was around.

It was a stone arena, akin to the ones used in ancient times. There were approximately one hundred people standing around, all of whom were stretching their bodies and warming up. The thick aura of Hunter-class experts filled the entire campus grounds. Qin Ye could even sense the watchful eyes of an expert that was stronger than the Soul Hunter level scanning the area and its surroundings.

Fifty percent of the country’s elite Hunter-class experts were all gathered at this place!

They were all bursting with fighting spirit and battle intent as they gathered in groups of three to five and made small talk with each other. If one just took a simple breath in this place, they would immediately be able to sense the burning passion in the air.

Qin Ye’s weariness slowly faded away, and he calmly surveyed his surroundings. Then, he shifted to the sides and began to warm up his muscles as well.

This competition was naturally of utmost importance.

The First Academy of Cultivators hadn’t mentioned anything explicitly. But they did say that it was a ranking competition.

And what did the ranking order relate to?

Resources and authority!

And this was what he had coveted when he had agreed to join the First Academy of Cultivators in the first place!

He had spent quite some time in Limbo with the Harken earlier. The fact that the sparring competition was today proved that he had already been unconscious for several days after being washed back up to the mortal realm. Since that was the case…

His eyes gleamed, “The new Hell… should already have completed its initial expansion!”

“When this competition is over, I’m going to redeem all of my merit points. And as for Hell… It’s time to make the Yin spirits remember our presence again!”

1. Tmall is an online shopping platform.

2. Skins are basically cosmetic changes to the characters and/or weapons that you have in game to make you look cooler.

3. A character from LOL.

4. This is lyrics of the opening song played at the start of the drama series entitled “Eternal Love”

5. Professor Yang would refer to a Song Dynasty poet.