Yama Rising
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
“June 2, Southcloud Province, Nanjiang City, Second High School. Three girls were dabbling with a ouija board in their classroom at 10 p.m. at night. Girl A was found dead in her classroom, while the other two girls were found dead in their own homes the next day. Just before she died, the family of the deceased Girl B received a phone call from their daughter, claiming that there was someone in their home. She didn’t know who it was; she had never opened the doors; and the windows were still tightly shut and locked. She had checked every single one of the doors and windows, and she couldn’t see any signs of a person at home. However, she could still clearly hear the sound of ragged breathing coming from behind her.”
“Two hours before the death of the deceased Girl C, her father received a phone call from his daughter as well, similarly claiming that there seemed to be someone at home. She was doing her homework beside her windowsill, and for some strange reason felt that there was someone looking at her from the other side of her window - almost as though that person were standing motionless, staring intently and silently at her. However, she lived on the sixth storey. Three hours later, she was found lifeless and limp on her table, and her face revealed an expression of extreme terror just before she died.”
Rows and rows of words gleamed in a pair of pristine clear eyes. The owner of these eyes possessed pleasant features and decent appearances. His complexion was smooth, and he touted an air of youthfulness about him. His thick eyebrows looked sharp - but not too sharp - and he had a reasonably ordinary hairstyle with bangs on the slightly longer side. This man stood at approximately 1.75m tall.
With a book standing tall on his desk, he continued to flip through the news articles on his phone as his slender fingers slid dexterously across the screen. His eyes were transfixed on the screen of his phone.
“July 8, Gan Province, Paulownia High School. A blackout struck only the second and third classrooms for exactly three minutes. No other location within the district faced any similar issues. Investigations revealed that there were no issues with the power lines. Later, within three minutes from the end of a period of self-study in the evening, nine students were found dead with smiles on their faces.”
“June 12, …”
Swish… The phone in his hand was snatched away before he could finish reading the next article. Qin Ye lifted his head slightly, taking in his surroundings for the first time in a while.
Westriver Province, Xiajiang City, Qingxi County. Qingxi High School was the only high school in the entire county. A blackboard stood stoically at the front of the brightly lit classroom. It was filled with several eye catching slogans, such as “365 days to the college entrance examinations”. Other messages sprawled glaringly across other parts of the blackboard, reminding students to work hard to improve themselves.
The tables in the classroom appeared somewhat old and dated. The old yellow paint was peeling slightly, revealing the dark brown wooden materials beneath.
The time now was 5 p.m. The last class had just ended for the day, and there were already few students remaining within Classroom 3-2. In fact, apart from him, there were only two other well-built students idling around on their desks to his right.
The student on the left sported a buzz cut. The top buttons of his uniform were undone, revealing a cheap silver chain within that had a slightly lacklustre sheen to them. The student on the right wore a premium-grade uniform. Yet, even though he appeared prim and proper, there was an obviously artificial ruthless and hostile expression on his face replete with a sneer on his lips. Both students were evidently crooked sprouts.
Qin Ye’s heart thumped heavily.
Zhang Yilong, Wang Chenghao - both of them were notorious problem kids in his class. They did everything you’d expect - from fighting to smoking, to even teasing girls. Qin Ye had never mixed with them, and he had consciously steered clear of their way as much as he could. Yet, in his moment of fascination by the news articles on his phone, he overlooked the time and failed to leave with his other classmates.
It was a ubiquitous problem that plagued all schools, regardless of class or status. These hooligans posing as students would make trouble out of nothing, yet the average student could do nothing more than gnash their teeth and curse at them under their breath. School violence was a blemish of the education industry that was a topic of taboo for many.
Click. A cheap plastic lighter lit up.
A stick of cheap, Red River brand cigarette. The pungent smell of smoke caused Qin Ye’s brows to furrow slightly before relaxing once again. Zhang Yilong took a puff pretentiously, before exhaling the greenish-blue smoke smugly. Then, he looked at the phone in his hands and mocked, “Aren’t you a stupid fool?”
“Ouija board… nine female students died tragically… tsk tsk tsk, whoever believes in these things are idiots. How can such news make headlines these days? Don’t the editors have anything better to do?”
“I hear you sell wreaths at home?” Zhang Yilong glanced at Qin Ye. Qin Ye genty pursed his lips, “Return me my phone.”
“Bloody hell...” “Return it to him.” Before Zhang Yilong could finish speaking, Wang Chenghao sat aggressively on the table, placing one foot on the chair and glared at Qin Ye with a slightly raised eyebrow, “This kid’s got a temper, doesn’t he? Do you think you’re like that fatty in our class? Can’t even let out a muffled fart even after a beating?”
“F**k!” Zhang Yilong blew out a breath of smoke onto Qin Ye and turned his head around. The phone flew through the air with a parabolic trajectory, and Qin Ye casually grabbed it in his hands.
“What’s up?” Qin Ye placed his phone into his pockets and asked as he forcibly suppressed the anxiety in his voice.
“Nothing… nothing much.” Wang Chenghao glared at Qin Ye for a few seconds before jumping off the table and placing his arm around Qin Ye’s shoulder, “Little Pasty White, there’s really nothing much. But you see… today, Zhang Yilong and I are on cleanup duty. However, we’ve got something urgent to attend to. You… aren't you willing to extend us a favour?”
Qin Ye’s gaze quivered as he surveyed the classroom. Everything was a mess, and even the blackboard had not been cleaned.
“What are you guys going to do?” He added, “Under the school’s regulations, everyone absolutely must leave the school before 6 p.m. Haven’t you heard the announcements that have been playing at half hour intervals over the last three days? Those found flouting the rules will immediately be expelled. I don’t have time for this nonsense.”
Before he finished speaking, Wang Chenghao’s arm tightened slightly, and his voice deepened to an imposing boom, “Hmm?”
Qin Ye was unable to finish his sentence.
Wang Chenghao leaned closer and spat some smoke directly at Qin Ye’s face, causing Qin Ye to cough several times. Wang Chenghao continued disdainfully, “What’s the meaning of this? Don’t you know that your brother’s already asking for your help nicely?”
“6 p.m…”
Before he could continue, Qin Ye felt the arm around his shoulder flex immediately, constricting his neck. Qin Ye’s disposition paled, and he forcibly suppressed what he was about to say. Zhang Yilong was already walking back with a broomstick in his arms, and he shoved it into Qin Ye’s arm as he bellowed imperatively, “Sweep!”
The command echoed in the still surroundings of the classroom. Qin Ye gnashed his teeth as he wrested free from Wang Chenghao’s grasp. Seething, he muttered, “I’ll… sweep. But you must all help out. Otherwise, we’d never finish by 6 p.m.”
“Are you seriously such an idiot?” Wang Chenghao spat out more smoke as he snuffed out the cigarette forcefully, “6 p.m. means 6 p.m.? So what if I don’t leave at 6 p.m.? They ask you to leave and you leave? Are you a fool?”
“Don’t be a bloody idiot. You’d better relish the face I’m giving you right now! I’m only asking you to sweep because I approve of you! How dare you continue to mumble and grumble there?! Sweep!!”
Qin Ye drew a deep breath, before continuing, “Don’t you find it strange?”
“The number of supernatural occurrences reported in the news has increased quite substantially since last week. But this kind of thing had previously been completely taboo in the entire country!”
“Furthermore, even the Ministry of Education has dictated that all classes must end at 4.30 p.m. School used to end at 5.30 p.m. in the past! And they’ve time and again reminded everyone to be home by 6 p.m. Even if you’re not home, you’ll have to be with others at all times!”
“Then, there’s still the school’s announcement that has been played on repeat day after day. Do you really think that the school is just pulling a prank on you?”
Overwhelming silence.
Zhang Yilong and Wang Chenghao stared at Qin Ye as though they had just seen a ghost. Then, several seconds later, they burst out into an uproarious laughter.
“Hahahahaha! Hahaha!!!” “This is too damn funny!”
“What time and age are we living in now? Are there still any fools who believe such things?” “I’ll be damned… I can’t take this anymore… I really can’t! I’m dying of laughter!” “The school’s rules were actually used to interpret today’s uninspiring headlines? I’ll be damned! This is pure genius!”
The two laughed like toads, gasping for breath as they leaned on the table. Qin Ye remained completely expressionless as he watched the two, before finally adding, “Today is the 15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar.”
“So, what are you trying to say?” Wang Chenghao wiped off the tear in his eyes as he responded.
Qin Ye shook his head and spoke solemnly, “Mid-seventh month, ghosts run amok. The gates of Hell open, and the ghosts are free to roam the streets at night. This happens to be one of the three major ghost festivals, the Hungry Ghost Festival.”
“Puhahahaha!!” “Hungry Ghost Festival, hahaha! Bloody hell, I’ve not heard that in such a long time! No wonder you run a wreath shop!” “Hahaha, Brother Wang, that’s not a wreath shop, it’s a funeral parlor! You don’t know shit… I really can’t take this anymore, I’m dying of laughter! Hahaha!!”
Qin Ye grimaced bitterly.
Regardless of whether others believed in the supernatural, it didn’t change the fact that he was one in this line of business, and he would much rather err on the side of caution and believe that they were real. But what about now?
How many people were there who still believed in such things?
He picked up the duster silently and began to clean the blackboard. Wang Chenghao and Zhang Yilong were still guffawing on their desks, and it was evident they had no intention to help out to begin with. Instead, they picked up another cigarette and continued to make fun of what Qin Ye had said earlier. Qin Ye vaguely overheard some derisory phrases such as “stupid idiot” “looks just like a ghost…” and the like.
Time trickled by. Qin Ye had no expectations that the two other students would help him out at all as he continued to sweat profusely from the menial work. They were drawing close to their graduation, so not only was the blackboard covered in all forms of scribbles and marks, there were also innumerable sheets of rough paper used for calculations and other tattered practice papers scattered all over the floor. There were even broken pencils, bits of erasers and other stationery strewn around. It was a complete mess.
“Whew…” He finally straightened his back after what seemed like a long time. Yet Zhang Yilong simply called out impatiently to him, “Can’t take it anymore? How long more are you going to take? Why is something so simple like sweeping the floor taking you such a long time?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the school’s speakers coincidentally began to blast its usual announcements.
"Fellow students, it's 6 p.m. again. Once again, the school solemnly reminds all students to leave the campus within ten minutes. This is the final warning. Any students who are caught flouting these rules will immediately be subject to expulsion. The school disclaims all liability and responsibility in the event of your breach of the school’s rules."
Qin Ye stood up. The announcement echoed throughout the cold corners of the school. Yet, Wang Chenghao and Zhang Yilong were simply indifferent.
“To all students who are still on campus right now, please leave the school by 6.10 p.m. Additionally, kindly avoid any locations with mirrors or rooms that have not been opened for a long time.”
“This is a further reminder that you should not approach the old school building either. Construction works are currently in progress, and these warnings are for your own safety.”
“All personnel on duty are reminded to be deployed in groups of five. The school guarantees that electricity will continue to be supplied to the school throughout the night until 5 a.m. All security personnel are to leave the school compound with immediate effect. There is no need for night patrol.”
What Qin Ye and the others didn’t know was the fact that the exact same announcements were being made across the entire country of Cathay, spanning 23 provinces, 661 cities, 1636 counties and 41636 towns and villages.
At this very moment, in a country with over one billion citizens, apart from exceptional areas that had no access to electricity, all taxis, cars, trains, televisions, radio channels were playing neither news nor music - even the hottest stars and artistes had to give way to the most important announcement. For the next five minutes, the same announcement would play over and over again on repeat.
“Attention, all citizens… kindly refrain from leaving your homes after 6.30 p.m. Please secure your homes…” “Attention, all members of the county, kindly ensure you have put up at a suitable lodging by 6.30 p.m. Those who are sharing rooms or premises are reminded to ascertain your roommate’s identity as well. Additionally, please ensure that you are not alone in your room after 6.30 p.m. You are to remain in groups of three at the very least…” “Attention, all villagers…”
For no apparent reason, Qin Ye suddenly felt chills go down his back.
Then, for some strange reason… as soon as the announcement began playing, they felt their surroundings suddenly become cold and chilly.
It was a peculiar chill. The coldness did not come from the air about them. Instead, it was a netherworldly chill. It felt as if the chill came from within, almost as though someone who had been dead for a long time were leaning in close to their necks, breathing out the stale, cold air from his nostrils, sending goosebumps creeping all over a person’s skin.
“Run!!” Without anything more, Qin Ye grabbed his schoolbag and motioned to leave.
Unfortunately, his schoolbag appeared to be caught by something - it remained completely motionless on the table.
Chapter 2
Wang Chenghao pressed his hand heavily on Qin Ye’s schoolbag and glanced at him, “What are you trying to do? Do you want the teacher to scold us tomorrow? You’ve still got the last two rows of tables. Clean them before you go!”
Zhang Yilong blew out another puff of smoke, “What’s the meaning of this? Have we been too nice to you lately? Don’t our words carry any weight at all?”
Yet, Qin Ye simply couldn’t appreciate what they were saying, because he could feel the chill around him intensifying… His hair stood on end, just like how a rabbit’s ears would perk up when it discovers a tiger approaching.
It was abject fear stemming from a primal instinct for survival.
That’s right - he believed in these things.
Regardless of whether it was a figment of his imagination, or… whether it was true, he sincerely believed that he was quite sensitive to these changes. Therefore, as the inexplicable sense of fear washed over him, he immediately thought to flee - as far as he could!
“Let go!” With one powerful tug, he managed to wrest his schoolbag free of their grasp. Wang Chenghao’s expressions immediately darkened, and he kicked ferociously.
Caught off guard, Qin Ye cried out in shock as he was knocked back a meter by the powerful kick, crashing into three desks behind him. Crash! The textbooks that had been placed neatly into each of the desks were instantly strewn all over the floor once again. All of his hard work had gone to waste.
“Bloody hell!” Wang Chenghao kicked again as his face contorted menacingly, “I gave you face, and you trampled on it!! I’ve been spoiling you too damn much! Go f**k yourself!”
Crash! Yet another desk tumbled to the ground. Just then, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky.
Rumble!
What was once clear skies had suddenly become overcast, like the underside of an urn, whilst greenish-white coloured lightning streaked across the sky like a dragon’s majestic dance. The shadows of the three students in the classroom extended ominously.
Bzzt...bzzt… As though suddenly plagued by an electrical surge, the lights in the classroom flickered several times. Wang Chenghao was unable to hold back his anger. His wrath was stirred by the sight of Qin Ye rubbing his back and catching his breath. His anger burgeoned, and he grabbed a nearby textbook and motioned to charge at Qin Ye once again.
Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound of a cell phone rang out.
Three kinds of sounds rang out three times each.
Wang Chenghao was taken aback. Zhang Yilong was stunned. Qin Ye also froze on the spot.
Bang bang bang! At the same time, windows and doors which were originally open were immediately slammed shut. Papapapapa… It was as though an invisible person were pushing against it.
In that moment, the classroom was engulfed with a pin drop silence.
An empty school; an empty classroom; windows and doors that suddenly shut on their own; overcast skies; and dim light within the classroom. All the works were present, save possibly for the sound of tolling bells that signified the end of a person’s life.
The silence was so oppressive that a person’s breath sounded almost deafening and harsh on the ears.
At that moment, Wang Chenghao and Zhang Yilong exchanged glances and gulped uneasily.
Gulp… The otherwise discreet sound of swallowing saliva was now so loud that they inadvertently jumped at it. Wang Chenghao immediately switched on his phone. In the next moment, he let out a shrill cry and almost dropped his phone.
Qin Ye switched on his phone and looked at the screen.
He owned an old-fashioned Nokia phone, the kind that could be used as a brick. At this moment, the black-and-white screen of his phone...was presently displaying 7 numbers - “4444444”!
Death, death, death, death, death, death, death! (TL: in mandarin, 4 sounds like death)
“This...this...what kind of a j-j-joke is this…” Zhang Yilong’s voice trembled. His grip loosened, and his phone fell straight to the ground.
“Run!!” Goosebumps emerged all over Wang Chenghao’s skin. Too weird...what the hell is going on?! Without any other thought on his mind, he turned around and motioned to leave.
However, just as he attempted to leave, Zhang Yilong grabbed tightly onto Wang Chenghao’s sleeves.
“W-w-wait for me, Brother Wang.” His earlier imposing disposition was completely gone, and his face was pale and drained of colour. Then, he turned his head stiffly and stared at Qin Ye, “You… you!! Go pick it up for me!!”
“Why don’t you do it yourself?!” Qin Ye continued to massage his waist as he clambered up from the ground, made a beeline for the door and grabbed the handle hastily. Unfortunately… He first shook it, and then began to hammer it. Yet, despite the loud, thudding sounds resulting from his efforts, the door remained firm and unyielding.
“Qin… Qin Ye, y-y-you’d best not be scaring me.” Wang Chenghao’s lips quivered. Even though he was already on his feet, he was still huddled close to Zhang Yilong at this moment.
“Who the hell is trying to scare you?!” Qin Ye turned around and bellowed with bloodshot eyes, “The door won’t budge!”
“What do we do?! What do we do?!!” Wang Chenghao’s voice grew shrill. He had never encountered something so bizarre in his entire life. The anger that plagued his heart just moments ago had also completely dissipated as a deeper, intense chill shot down his spine.
Terror?
Perhaps. But an overwhelming part of it was simply the fear of the unknown. Could… could there really be something like the supernatural?
“Don’t give me that bullshit!” Qin Ye clutched desperately at his hair as he wracked his mind. Three seconds later, he yelled, “Smash the windows!”
The other two were momentarily taken aback. Then, Wang Chenghao’s eyes brightened as he picked up the closest chair and motioned to smash it at the window. Just then--!
BZZT!! All of the lights went out.
Dead silence.
It was a deathly silence.
The entire school was completely engulfed in darkness. Nobody dared to make a single sound. It was as though someone had their fingers wrapped tensely around their hearts, and the only thing that could be heard was the faint breaths of the trio in the classroom.
“Smash it!!” Qin Ye gnashed his teeth as he bellowed once more, “Do you really want to spend the night in school?!”
Wang Chenghao’s lips were slightly agape and his teeth were chattering incessantly. He yelled loudly in an attempt to muster his strength to stand up. However, just as he picked up the chair once more, he screamed shrilly, before his legs gave way again.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!!” His crackling voice echoed throughout the entire classroom as he held his head with both hands. Qin Ye immediately grabbed him by his shirt, “What going on with you?! If not for the fact that I'm not as strong as you, I would have personally smashed the windows by now! Is breaking a window really something that difficult?!”
“There’s… there’s a ghost!!” Wang Chenghao croaked raspily - he was evidently on the verge of breaking down, “I saw it… I saw it! I really saw it!!”
“What the hell is going on?!” Qin Ye peeled Wang Chenghao’s hands away from his head.
Yet, there was no response - there was only the sound of whimpering. The towering, dominant student had been reduced to nothing more than a pile of snot and tears in just an instant. It took him two full minutes to pull himself together and chatter with a quivering voice once more, “I… when I stood up and picked up the chair… I-I-I saw from the window… a-a small child dressed in complete white j-j-just staring at me--ahhhhhhhhh!!”
Mid-seventh month, ghosts run amok.
Qin Ye released Wang Chenghao’s hands. He was now almost certain that this bizarre encounter was caused by something unclean.
Why else would the school have to keep repeating those announcements?
Bibibibibiibi!! Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound echoed through the darkness. Wang Chenghao and Zhang Yilong were so shaken that they even cried out in alarm. Simultaneously, a faint light shone from the ground.
It was Zhang Yilong’s phone that was still on the ground.
Nobody dared to pick it up.
His phone had fallen to a location that was four rows of table from where they were presently at. And right now, the only sense of security they had came from the mild heat that was emanating from each others’ bodies.
However--
The fact that nobody answered the phone didn’t mean that it would stop.
One minute… two minutes... three minutes!
Just like that, the phone continued to ring menacingly, intermittently cutting through the oppressive solitude within the classroom. The three teenagers who were huddled together, cowering in the corner of the classroom had an expressions that were nothing but fear.
This isn't normal.
This… can’t be a normal phone call at all.
No matter what model of phone this was, and regardless of who the caller was, the phone would most certainly have to stop for a moment before ringing once more. Yet… this phone had been continually ringing for three full minutes without pause.
“This… this isn’t my phone’s ringtone--ahhh...wuu-wu-wu!” Zhang Yilong exclaimed with much difficulty before he completely broke down and began to bawl.
Had they known that something like that was going to happen, they would most certainly have left the school at 5.30 p.m. without fail. But who could have expected something like this to happen?!
They were witnessing a well-kept mystery of the world.
They were experiencing something almost akin to a miracle - albeit much darker.
However, this was just the beginning. As soon as Zhang Yilong broke down into a pile of tears, Qin Ye and Wang Chenghao immediately held their hands over his mouth. Zhang Yilong’s eyes widened in surprise.
The ringtone plaguing them seemed to have dwindled slightly. Torrential rainfall was pouring outside. Yet, amidst the chaotic cacophony of sounds, a faint voice penetrated the darkness, sending a mind-numbing chill down their spines.
“Kekeke...hehehe…”
Laughter.
A child’s laughter.
Hollow and peculiar. The sound reverberated throughout the dank eeriness of the classroom. The trio couldn’t help but shudder in fear.
None of them uttered a single word at this point in time. Tears were already strewn all over Wang Chenghao’s face, and he had bitten down so hard on his lips that faint traces of blood could already be seen. He clutched desperately at his own hair. On the other hand, Zhang Yilong eyes were already glazed over. His body trembled uncontrollably, and his eyes were bloodshot. Both men held onto each other tightly. Qin Ye was the only one who was not out of sorts at this moment.
Thump… thump… It felt as though his heart were leaping out of his chest. Qin Ye’s palms were moist and damp, and his inner shirt was already soaked through by now. This… were they supposed to answer the call?
Bibibi! The shrill yet monotonous ringtone cut through the silence once more. Approximately ten seconds later, Qin Ye gnashed his teeth and bent down as he took a closer look under the desk. Yet, in the very next moment, his head recoiled, and he immediately covered his mouth.
Shock. He nearly gasped and exclaimed.
Just a moment ago...amidst the thunderous night, amidst the darkness that engulfed the entire classroom, and amidst the faint glow of the ringing phone, he had just seen a pair of pale, white legs belonging to a child - patpatpat - dashing straight towards the phone.
A ghost…
…
It was really a ghost!
It was in the classroom, together with the three of them!
And it was attempting to communicate with them at night.
Almost as though it was aware that Qin Ye had bent down, the phone rang with renewed vigor, so much so that it even began to vibrate slightly. Qin Ye held his chest and regulated his breathing. After steadying his mind, he crouched down once more and made his way down the aisle.
If nobody switched off this phone right now, they would most certainly go mad from all that ringing!
It was merely four rows of seats, yet he trudged along the aisle for what felt like tens of minutes on end. Qin Ye was completely drenched in sweat by the time he arrived beside the phone. Then, just as he picked up the phone, the screen went dark...
In that single moment, the reflection of the ink-black screen revealed for the first time a child’s face!
Long hair draped over the face, and the places where the eyes and mouth ought to have been were instead hollowed out, leaving three dark orifices that seemed to be widening in an exaggerated fashion as it shrieked at him.
His heart nearly stopped and sweat percolated his skin. He suddenly whipped his body around and switched on the light on the phone once more, illuminating the area behind him.
Nothing.
His hands were trembling as he opened the message on the phone with bated breath. The message consisted of only two words.
“Look up.”
Drip… Just then, a drop of water fell from the top of his head, sliding across his neck icily before landing on the ground.
At this moment, Qin Ye was still crouching in the aisle between the rows of desks and chairs.
That drop of water was red in colour.
And… it was thick.
Blood… Qin Ye’s body trembled. Something… something was just over his head!
Chapter 3
Qin Ye’s neck stiffened as the amount of blood dripping from above increased. Despite the darkness engulfing the classroom, he glanced up slightly, gently tilting the phone in his hands so that it illuminated the area over his head.
The dim glow of the light shifted slightly. In that split second, he saw a foot-long gaping wide mouth replete with pasty white skin hanging just overhead!
With a sharp hiss, the vicious teeth snapped ferociously at him!
From behind, it appeared as though a naked child with sickly skin was hugging Qin Ye’s head as it took a bite from it.
“Ahhhh!!!” Zhang Yilong and Wang Chenghao squealed at the same time. Their eyes rolled back, and both of them passed out in the very next moment.
Fortunately, the vicious teeth never got the chance to clamp down fully, nor did any grisly sound of crushing bones echo out.
With his back turned, Qin Ye held a silver staff with intricate lotus flowers etched on both ends right above his head, wedging it horizontally right between the little child’s mouth.
“Woooo….WOOOO!!” The bizarre child’s body contorted as it struggled to shut its massive mouth. Unfortunately, the silver magic staff lodged in its mouth easily thwarted its efforts.
Qin Ye’s expression was now starkly different, laced with both an intent to tease and some measure of indifference. Smiling faintly, Qin Ye remarked, “You’ve finally made your appearance, huh…”
“I’ve been searching for you for some time now. I’d even put on a show of weakness and cowardice. You’ve finally caved in to my efforts…”
Boom!
As soon as he finished speaking, a black wind visible to the naked eye erupted from Qin Ye’s body. At the same time, a majestic, domineering voice boomed through the darkness, “By Hell’s dictum, all rabble must disperse!”
Whoosh! A sudden storm swept up, picking up all of the dust particles on the ground and sending them flying out of the classroom with a powerful shockwave visible to the naked eye. Even the curtains were immediately swept aside.
As soon as the storm began billowing, the dark orifices on the bizarre child’s face where eyes would otherwise have been constricted immediately.
Did ghosts have physical bodies?
Perhaps. Because, right this moment, one could see with the naked eye innumerable strands of black qi twining around the child’s body. That said, this was nothing compared to the much thicker and denser Yin energy that had already enveloped Qin Ye, swirling intensely as it formed a pitch-black vortex.
Fearsome… The child’s body trembled. This feeling… was something that emanated from the deepest part of its soul - it was a manifestation of its primal instincts when faced with a qualitatively oppressive force.
That’s right… it had previously only heard of such qualitative levels of oppression… and this was...
Suddenly, the child shuddered and let out a shrill shriek as it frantically sought to rush outside, “Emissary of Hell! It’s an Emissary of Hell! Hell’s gates are open! An Emissary of Hell is here to arrest us!”
Swoosh! The child immediately ran like a dog with its tail between its legs, completely ignoring the fact that there was a magic staff lodged horizontally in its mouth. The only thing weighing in its mind was overwhelming fear - surpassing that experienced by Wang Chenghao and Zhang Yilong combined by a thousand times!
How could it be an Emissary of Hell?
Emissaries of Hell have not appeared for over one hundred years! No… this was nothing more than an incidental point. It was an undeniable truth that all Emissaries of Hell were clothed with authority as an official, and each Emissary of Hell wielded so much power that they would be able to deal with these wild ghosts almost effortlessly.
Thud thud thud! The previously tightly shut windows and doors were immediately slammed wide open as the wild ghost charged desperately out of the classroom. Just then, a long chain and hook sped straight after the ghost. The hook shot straight towards the magic staff as though it were intelligently tracking the staff.
This was a top-of-the-line ghost shackle formed entirely out of silver-white chains. As soon as it latched onto the magic staff, the shackle’s chains began to glow with complex, ancient writing, albeit only for a split second. With a devastating howl, the frantically running ghost child slammed onto the ground, knocking up a massive cloud of dirt.
“I bear the authority of Hell’s dictum. Do you really think you can escape?”
With a calm voice, Qin Ye tightened his grasp around the chain, and the little child was forcibly pulled back as it continued to choke and sputter. The door to the classroom slammed shut with a bang once more.
CRASH! The surrounding desks and chairs were smashed to pieces. With a clang, the hook flew back, bringing back with it the silver-coloured magic staff. At the same time, the little child's body exploded with a sickly hum, turning into nothing more than wisps of black qi that scattered in all directions. Just then, a hoarse voice laced with a thick trace of vengefulness hissed, “When Hell’s dictum arrives, the Anitya Hellguards seize spirits… It’s an Emissary of Hell… There are actually Emissaries of Hell still in existence!”
Right in the middle of the classroom, the outpouring of black qi formed a massive vortex before exploding powerfully. Qin Ye’s face sported a pale complexion. He wore an asymmetrical black robe embroidered with three round black-and-white patterns. The Soul Shackle was wrapped around his waist, and he donned a black fretwork chinese skullcap. Wisps of pure nether energy emerged from his sleeves and lapels, while his robe fluttered eerily without any wind. He looked awesome and imposing.
His hand wrapped gently around the scabbard on his waist as he exclaimed, “What ghostly existence speaks? Introduce yourself!”
There was no response. Several seconds later, the vengeful voice boomed aloud, “Hell has already washed its hands off the affairs of the mortal realm for a hundred years. What gives you the right to interfere?”
Whoosh… Qin Ye drew the saber from his scabbard and gently ran his finger across its edge, “Well then… today marks the first day of Hell’s governance once more.”
“You!!” The voice screeched, and the windows and doors slammed open at the same time once more. A powerful gale blew into the classroom.
“Hey, hey, hey… I’ve only just taken up my post here as one of Hell’s Emissaries after all… Wouldn’t leaving right now be far too disrespectful?”
Qin Ye spoke softly. Yet, as soon as he finished speaking, a soft swishing sound sliced through the air - his blade was light as snow.
Everything came to an abrupt halt.
A bloodcurdling scream echoed in the night. It was an incredibly deafening sound, yet it seemed to be drowned out by the torrential rainfall outside. The appearance of a child glowed faintly on the blade of his demonhead saber before turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating into the surroundings. Finally, it was swallowed by the ghastly head etched onto the hilt of the saber, igniting a bright green flame for a split second before flickering out.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Qin Ye furrowed his brows as he shut his eyes once more, almost as though he were attempting to sense something. Several moments later, he sighed with resignation, “It’s not it either…”
“I still can’t find it anywhere within this ‘hunting zone’. Is that old granny just messing with me? Notwithstanding the fact that I’ve already captured three vengeful apparitions this month, I’m still nowhere close to achieving the requirements for tenureship. Is she just using me as free labour?”
Just then, something caught his eye, and he glanced out the window into the distance.
He had a good vantage point. The classroom was pitch-black, so nobody from the outside could see anything on the inside. However, Qin Ye could clearly see what was outside. Amidst the torrential rain, a stooping man dressed in ink-black with a walking stick in hand was slowly hobbling towards him.
“It’s him again.” Qin Ye collected his thoughts and furrowed his brows. The black-coloured energy enveloping his body abruptly vanished, and his clothes transformed back into his usual uniform. He controlled his breath, shut his eyes, and laid on the ground quietly.
As the rain continued to pour down incessantly, the school returned to a state of complete stillness and silence.
After what felt like five to ten minutes, knocking sounds finally echoed from the door to the classroom.
The knocks were neither fast nor slow.
“Hello. I’m an investigator from the National Special Investigations Department, Qingxi County Branch. My registration number is AC-285. May I come in?”
Naturally, nobody responded.
After approximately ten seconds, the voice added, “Then… please pardon the intrusion.”
The door was gently pushed open. There were two coughs, followed by the light, rhythmic tapping of the walking stick on the ground. There were also faint traces of the clinking of chains muffled by the sound of thick clothing.
Then, the visitor crouched down. His clothes brushed gently against the ground and rustled gently. Several moments later, he switched on his phone, “It’s me.”
“Yes… there’s nothing here. It’s strange. This is the third supernatural incident within Qingxi County, each of which had been caused by an evil ghost powerful enough to necessitate my personal involvement… yet for some strange reason, each of these three evil ghosts had already been purged by someone else by the time I had arrived…”
“There’s no doubt - it’s the same person. His mark is very distinct. In particular, the remnant Yin energy is far thicker than the ordinary ghosts that we’ve seen… I’ve never seen such thick Yin energy either… I know, I’ll notify the city if necessary. But so far there’s no sign that this B-rated supernatural entity is out to hurt anyone. It’s almost as if… it's only targeting the evil ghosts themselves. I don’t think there’s a need to alert the city just yet…”
“Mm… got it. I’ll take care of the scene. Don’t worry…”
After the man hung up, Qin Ye heard a wistful sigh and the ignition mechanism of a lighter clicking softly. Shortly afterwards, a peculiar fragrance drifted through the air.
Qin Ye remained still and silent, like a tortoise playing dead. In fact, he waited for a full hour before taking a peek at his surroundings once more.
There was no longer anyone left in the classroom. The desks and chairs had been magically restored to their initial condition. The only difference was that there was a pile of burnt out ash that was still emitting some residual heat lying on the teacher’s podium.
Qin Ye picked up some of the ash and took a whiff of it, before sneering, “Incense of Paramnesia.”
“Anyone who smells this won’t be able to remember anything that happened the next day when he wakes up. If I recall correctly… something like this is extremely valuable. Even the old granny doesn’t have much of it. Yet, this person...had just expended an entire stick of it just to ‘take care of the scene’? Isn’t that far too extravagant?” Then, Qin Ye shifted his gaze and looked thoughtfully out the door, “He’s been pursuing me ever since the first evil ghost I’d cleansed and purged. It’s almost like a wild dog that doesn’t know how to give up… He’s really fortunate though. If not for the fact that it’s not his time yet, I would’ve given him rest a long time ago.”
Qin Ye walked over to Zhang Yilong and Wang Chenghao’s side, stretched out his arms and held their heads up gently. He then opened his eyes wide and glared disdainfully at them for several seconds more, before suddenly unleashing a barrage of fierce punches and kicks on their abdomen.
Thud! Both students were sent flying towards the blackboard by a powerful kick, where they landed with a muffled thud.
“The Incense of Paramnesia will prevent you from recalling exactly what happened here… Since your parents haven’t taught you properly, then let me teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents.” Qin Ye chuckled coldly as he grabbed Zhang Yilong and gave him a tight slap across the face. Before his face could recoil from the impact, Qin Ye’s chained a back-handed slap once more.
“Don’t you know the concept of unity among students? Friendship and fraternity? Students these days… face my wrath!”
Pak! Pak! Pak! Crisp smacking sounds reverberated throughout the otherwise silent classroom…
“Been hanging out with too many hooligans? You young sproutlings haven’t even learnt to fly yet. Have you ever seen what members of a true secret society are like?”
Pak! Pak! Pak!
“A good man doesn’t live long, but the misfortune one brings upon himself lasts a thousand years…”
Bursting with emotions, Qin Ye lifted the two other students and slammed them down over his shoulder with a loud thud as though he were tossing a deflated ball. Finally, he clapped the dust off his hands in satisfaction.
He was pleased.
The two students were completely bruised and swollen, and yet their eyes were still tightly shut. Qin Ye had beaten them up skillfully and methodically. It looked bad; it felt worse, yet they suffered no internal injuries at all. In other words, these were injuries that they would recover from in just a few days. They were merely students and classmates after all. There was no life-or-death feud between them - at least, there was no enmity that couldn’t be resolved by a good, violent beating.
Even if there were, he could just beat them up once more…
After leaving the room, Qin Ye walked to the bordering wall surrounding the school, leapt over a height of two meters with ease and somersaulted over the wall before landing on the other side. Incidentally, there was a bicycle parked right outside.
The rain had already stopped by now, yet not a single person could be seen on the streets. The former bustling night markets had ceased operations as soon as the national announcements had begun. In fact, there were hardly any traces of the living right now. The only thing that remained were the street lamps that were softly illuminating Qin Ye’s silhouette as he plodded on unhurriedly.
The rabble had dispersed around the Emissary of Hell, and the road Qin Ye took was unnaturally tranquil. As he plodded on, his mind began to churn and race, “I gather that that man must be from the government. He mentioned something about a B-rated supernatural entity… doesn’t this mean that Cathay has already begun to take notice of such matters on a national level?”
“No wonder things have seemed rather bizarre lately… given the customs and conventions these days, how could such news about the supernatural otherwise have made the headlines? The government must already be laying the foundation for the future, huh… And how could it already have developed to such an extent? They’ve even begun nation-wide announcements and establishing the relevant departments to handle these matters! Such incredible speed…”
“Then… I wonder just how many people know about these developments to date?”
Qin Ye knit his brows together even more tightly, mumbling as he continued to gaze blankly into the darkness of the night sky, “With so many people getting involved, I’m afraid it’s only going to be even more difficult locating ‘it’...”
As he continued to immerse himself in his thoughts, Qin Ye found himself arriving at the outskirts of the county. Qingxi County was hardly large by any means. Incidentally, all of the county members who had passed on over the last few decades had all been buried on the Green Dragon Mountain just behind the county. Naturally, it stood to reason that the present street Qin Ye was on had become ubiquitously known as the funerary street.
Some peddled paper dolls in the shape of humans and horses, while others sold firecrackers and paper money… The narrow street was lined with approximately twenty shops that all thrived on the business of the dead. Even though the number of shops could hardly be considered substantial, it was nevertheless considerable for a county whose population numbered only 30,000.
His family’s business was known as “The Afterlife”. The name was simple and easy to understand, and it was located at the very end of the street. Regardless, he was startled to find a large group of people surrounding his home at this very moment.
“Little Qin!” An old lady noticed him dismounting his bicycle and immediately skittled over, “You’ve finally returned! Quick! Something’s happened!”
1. The mandarin words used here are 无常, and it can mean a number of things, including a concept that is central to Buddhism which states that everything is constantly changing. In this context, the author is probably made in reference to the 黑白无常, who are the black guard and white guard in charge of escorting souls back to hell. That said, the author goes on to use the same word to refer to a class of Hell’s Emissaries later in the story, so I will use Anitya instead, a Sanskrit word for the term Impermanence. The class of Hell’s Emissaries will be referred to as the Anitya Hellguard class, Hellguard-class, or simply Hellguards
Chapter 4
What’s going on?
Qin Ye froze. As he returned to his home slowly, the crowd separated, making a path for him to enter. A middle-aged man in his forties was pacing about frantically in front of his house. As soon as the man noticed Qin Ye’s return, he immediately went forward and grabbed Qin Ye’s hand and sighed with resignation, “Little Qin… you’ve got to mentally prepare yourself.”
“What in the world is going on?”
The man grimaced as he continued to explain softly, “Earlier.. .your grandmother suddenly fainted and collapsed, and she’s no longer breathing…”
“That’s right, Little Qin, you’ve got to bring her to the hospital quickly! Let us know if you need money.” “Your grandmother is old, and you shouldn’t dally any longer. Hurry up! We’ve already dialed the emergency services on your behalf.”
Everyone along this street habitually kept their doors open and unlocked. This was vastly different from the coldness and distance between neighbours in the larger, more urbanized cities. Amidst all the care and concern showered upon him by his neighbours, Qin Ye’s eyes gleamed brightly as he dashed back into his home.
As soon as he opened the front door, he saw a gray-haired elderly lying on the bed with her arms folded primly. Qin Ye drew a deep breath. Trembling, he stretched out his hand to check for breath and pulse.
There isn’t any breathing!
He stood silently in front of the bed for almost two minutes, yet the old lady remained completely still. Then, he suddenly turned and walked back out of his house to address his neighbours once more, “Thank you, dear uncles and aunties. I’ve just fed some medicine to my grandmother. She’s fine now. It’s just a chronic problem that has been plaguing her. Now that she’s recovering, please excuse me as I attend to her. I’ll thank each of you properly tomorrow.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he shut the door once more, foreclosing any further discussion on the matter.
Leaning against the door, his head drooped low, and he lifted his hands weakly, almost as though he were going to cover his eyes. Finally, a chuckle escaped from his lips, cutting through the silence of his own room. The hands that were hovering over his eyes curled up tightly into fists.
“YEAH!!!”
Your time has finally come!
He dashed over to the bed once more and lifted his grandmother bunglingly. The elderly’s bones were light. Qin Ye looked about his home excitedly. Being in the funerary industry, there was simply no lack of coffins around the area. He immediately kicked open a coffin and shoved his grandmother in. Then, he picked up his tools like a well-oiled machine - nails between his lips and hammer in hand. Just as he was about to hammer down the lid on the coffin, the old granny in the coffin suddenly opened her eyes and stared straight back at Qin Ye soulfully.
Time appeared to freeze awkwardly right that moment.
“Pretty busy, huh?”
“Haha… not at all, not at all.” Qin Ye chuckled awkwardly as he retracted his hands, attempting feebly to conceal the tools of his trade.
“I recall that I was lying in bed earlier…”
“...the bed is too hard. I thought to shift you to a more comfortable place.”
“Don’t you think that the space here is too small?” The old granny sneered as she sat up with an erect posture. Speckled skin, dishevelled hair, replete with a face full of wrinkles. The old granny donned a black overcoat. She flicked her finger at Qin Ye casually, yet Qin Ye howled and immediately clutched at his forehead where she had struck as he crouched down in pain.
The old granny leisurely poured herself a cup of tea, took a sip of it and spat it out on the floor, “The tea in the mortal realm is still just as disgusting as ever.”
Then leave us!
How can you freeload off me like that? Doesn’t your conscience tug at your heartstrings a tiny bit?
“Grandmother...” Qin Ye moaned for several seconds, before finally standing up once more with a red and tender forehead. Gritting his teeth, he began to placate his grandmother with an artificial smile, “You...have you ‘gone down’ again?”
“Don’t call me grandmother. I can’t live up to such honorifics.” The old granny chuckled dryly as she looked at Qin Ye as though staring at a dead person, “Have you heard of a legend?”
“Legend has it that…a person who has consumed the taisui fungus, also known as the fungus of aeons can end up in two ways.”
“The first possibility is that he would transform into a monster completely devoid of all humanness. The second…” She tapped her ancient fingers on the table, “Is that he would live forever.”
She stretched her body and stared straight at Qin Ye once more. The wrinkles on her face appeared incomparably gloomy as she smiled genially, “You… have you heard of these things before?”
“No.” Qin Ye responded curtly and calmly.
After staring at each other for several more seconds, the old granny shifted her gaze and smiled grimly, “That’s strange, then… because your name isn’t in the Book of Life and Death. Furthermore, when I knocked on your door in the middle of the night a week ago, you could actually see me…”
Qin Ye plastered a look of utmost seriousness as he made up a bunch of tall tales, “Don’t be ridiculous. That’s just the result of the refraction of light. There’s a scientific basis for this. Canadian scientist Michael Paysinger has proven that exposing the temporal lobe of one’s brain to electromagnetic flux can increase a person’s propensity to report supernatural experiences… Furthermore, a toxicologist known as Albert Downey has hypothesized that protracted exposure to certain substances, such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, pesticides, etc, can produce an environment that is conducive for supernatural experiences…”
Before he could finish speaking, a muffled smack struck Qin Ye’s forehead once more, causing him to fly back two meters and crash into the bedframe.
“This old bag of bones hates smart-alecs the most.” The old granny took out a footlong pipe and lit it and puffed lightly. The surroundings were immediately filled with smoke, “Have you managed to find ‘it’?”
Grimacing, Qin Ye rubbed his back and stood up, “No.”
“That’s weird.” The granny tapped on the pipe as she added, “That doesn’t make any sense… it has to be in this county…”
Qin Ye glanced at the old granny’s expressions as he probed further, “Just what exactly is it? Shouldn’t you at least tell me that much?”
And you should leave as soon as you find it! Shouldn’t you limit the duration of your freeloading after all?
The old granny didn’t respond. Qin Ye swallowed his saliva, numbed his nerves and continued, “Even if you can’t tell me what it is, shouldn’t you at least tell me your name and why you’ve come to the mortal world? Look at the amount of Yin energy surrounding your body…”
He paused and blinked his eyes nervously.
If the amount of Yin energy surrounding his own body was likened to a bonfire, then the Yin energy emanating from this old granny could only be described as a beacon fire on the Great Wall of China!
The Yin energy was so strong that it was almost corporeal. Comparing himself with her was tantamount to comparing the light from a firefly and a moon that hung high in the sky. This was no longer an existence of a mere ghost - wasn’t this more akin to Yama on earth?
So....given your peerless existence, why do you have to freeload off me in my humble little shop here?! Might I therefore invite this majestic ghost pokemon to please return to your pokeball?
“Your Yin energy… suggests that your existence in Hell is more than that of an average Emissary of Hell, right?”
There was still no response.
The old granny squinted her eyes, as though pondering about the truths of life as she remained enveloped by the smoke from her pipe. Qin Ye attempted to probe even further, “It’s not as though I don’t welcome you here… after all, you’re considered a fellow sojourner from ‘down there’... However, there are expenditures required to live in the mortal realm. It’s those red-coloured notes on the table. Yet you’ve just showed up and lodged at my place without giving me a proper account... Don’t you think you should spare some thought for me and allow me to be mentally prepared at the very least?”
“I’ve already given you a week’s time to adjust, and you’ve still not gotten used to this arrangement?” The old granny finally set down her pipe and turned her wrinkled face towards Qin Ye.
Qin Ye shook his head adamantly.
“So, it’s like that…” The old granny sighed softly. With the hook of her finger, a black, ancient manuscript filled with Yin energy flew straight out of Qin Ye’s chest. The old granny flipped open the manuscript and opened a folding page at the front of the manuscript. The first page was Qin Ye’s picture.
However, this picture could hardly be considered a photograph at all. Rather...it was a black-and-white composite formed entirely out of black-and-white coloured energy!
There were a few lines written on the manuscript as well.
Name: Qin Ye (Nickname - Dogballs)
Place of Origin: Liu Er Mound Village, Gazi Gully, Tang An County, Qingguang City
Family Members: Grandfather (deceased), Parents (deceased)
Date of Birth: 1 October 1938
The old granny’s wrinkled hands paused slightly, and she stared at Qin Ye with a somewhat complicated gaze, “There’s nothing much you can hide from this old bag of bones… As long as you’ve once been born; as long as you’ve been a ‘human’, as long as you’re still living, then every single thing in your past is as clear as day to me.”
“To have kept such a cheerful and positive attitude despite having experienced decades of life on end… you’re not too shabby, not too shabby at all. I approve of you.”
Qin Ye dug his ears, “What are you talking about? I don’t really understand what you’re saying. It’s all so profound.”
The old granny ignored him and continued smoking her pipe, “Only a person who has experienced the vicissitudes of life would never lose himself among the tides of humanity, whether ugly or kind. This old bag of bones is well-assured in bestowing the seal of the Emissary of Hell upon you.”
“You should also know how important the status of an official is to you. The fact that you are neither considered the living nor the dead means you are an existence that is viewed with contempt by both sides.”
Several other words were imprinted on the manuscript just below his personal particulars.
Occupation: Probationary Emissary of Hell
Duration: 5 days, 13 hours, 27 minutes and 6 seconds
“But.”
The old granny ran her finger gently across his picture and sighed softly, “I turned my heart to the bright moon, yet the moon only shines on the canal...”
Her dry, wrinkled hands rested on his picture and Qin Ye’s monochromatic picture quivered for a second. Before she could go on, she discovered yet another hand pressing on hers, almost as though filled with determination.
“Buddha has once said this - If I don’t enter Hell, who will?” Qin Ye’s expression was filled with resolution, almost akin to that of a revolutionary martyr, “Chief, you must learn to give newcomers a chance. Jobs are hard to come by these days, you know. Perhaps youngsters may complain and mumble and grumble, but it still doesn’t change the fact that their hearts are filled with an immeasurable desire for promotion and career progression.”
“What they really need are opportunities! Opportunities to show their abilities!”
The old granny’s lips twitched slightly, “A ‘youngster’ born of the year 1938… It looks like the vicissitudes of life hasn’t merely increased the thickness of your skin. I can also see an undeniable thirst to stay alive.”
She casually threw the manuscript back to Qin Ye, who immediately received it with gratitude and chuckled lightheartedly, “If there’s anything you require of me, please let me know.”
“Dogballs...”
Qin Ye’s face instantly darkened.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
The old granny raised an eyebrow curiously, “Mm?”
“...”
“I await your instructions.”
The old granny’s smile faded. She set her pipe gently on the table and paused for a long while before continuing, “I know you’ve got many questions, including why I’ve come looking for you in the middle of the night one week ago and why I’m here in the first place. However…”
She drew a deep breath, “Tomorrow at midnight, this old bag of bones will explain everything.”
Qin Ye contemplated for a moment, before probing further, “When the moon hangs high in the sky and the living are heavily in slumber?”
Dead silence.
Inhale. Exhale. The old granny’s voice was once again filled with vigor, “Scram!!” It was a declaration that the discussion was over.
As Qin Ye slowly departed from the room, the old granny sighed as she watched his fading silhouette with an incomparably complex twinkle in her eyes. It wasn’t until the sound of showering could be heard that she solemnly pulled up the sleeve over her arm.
It was still her old speckled skin. However...from the left elbow up, her arm appeared somewhat transparent and ethereal. Furthermore, one could see that the bones and muscles were all glowing faintly with a mild golden hue!
The traces of golden light was a mark of the Bodhi. One could even vaguely make out several rootless golden lotuses slowly stirring and destroying its host from within. Innumerable tiny, faintly visible Sanskrit words flowed through her meridians. At the same time, the mark of the Bodhi caused the old granny immeasurable pain and suffering.
It had only been a few seconds, yet her forehead was already percolating with cold sweat.
“It’s not long now…”
She pulled up her sleeves yet even more as she gazed out the window into the distance, “The mortal realm has already discovered the upheaval in Hell… and I don’t have much time left either…”
“It’s a pity… this kid’s got a good heart, but he’s seen far too many things. He’s too cunning. He’s consumed the fungus of aeons… not only will he never die, he will never grow up either. He will live as though his age is forever locked in time. To live in such a cruel world with such an outrageous identity… Sigh, if it were possible, I would’ve liked to personally teach and guide him a little more. Unfortunately…”
She stood up slowly, and her white hair danced on its own without wind, “There’s no time left…”
“Where exactly is ‘it’? If I can’t find it, then everything is nothing more than empty talk… billions of evil ghosts are pouring into the mortal realm right now. The onset of these supernatural phenomena is merely a foreshadowing as to what is to come. This is just the prologue…”
1. The mandarin word used here is 太岁, which refers to a mythical fungus that is believed to bring about immortality.
Chapter 5
The next day, Qin Ye went to school as per normal despite the fact that it was a Saturday. After all, what was a “Saturday” to the seniors of the school? It was a concept that didn’t exist.
After the first class of the day, two well-built figures found their way before Qin Ye’s desk. The other students immediately made way for them as though there was a tacit understanding among all of them.
Zhang Yilong, Wang Chenghao.
The swelling on their faces still hadn’t gone down, yet they continued to stage fierce expressions on their face. It was ridiculous and hilarious.
As precedent would have it, the person these students stood in front of invariably determined their choice of target for “venting their frustrations”. However, this was an exception to the norm.
Both students looked at Qin Ye with a complicated look on their face. Qin Ye furrowed his brows, “What’s up?”
Given that the evil spirit had already been disposed of, Qin Ye no longer had any reason to put up with his pretences. Thus, if the two students were merely looking for trouble, Qin Ye had no qualms confronting it straight on. In fact, he would now naturally be unable to guarantee that the two students would return in one piece.
However, there was simply no response. Several moments later, Wang Chenghao raised his eyebrow and pointed out with his thumb, “Shall we go for a walk?”
“Wang Chenghao, what’s the meaning of this? We’ve still got lessons to attend.” A girl with a ponytail at Qin Ye’s table uttered nervously with a low voice, yet she didn’t dare to make eye contact with them.
After all, the phrase “taking a walk” was far too laden with hidden implications.
“Mind your own business!” Zhang Yilong’s cowardly disposition from last night had completely vanished. When he glared straight into the female student’s eyes, she immediately shut her mouth and grew taciturn.
“It’s fine.” Qin Ye stood up, smiled and nodded to the female student, “Thank you.”
The three of them made their way to the school’s rooftop. It was very windy there. Qingxi County belonged to the Xichuan Province. In this region, the sun rarely made an appearance in the sky, and the sky would invariably look as dark and overcast as the bottom of an urn - even in summer.
“Scram.” There were several students on the rooftop when they first arrived. Yet with one command from Wang Chenghao, the rooftop cleared out almost instantaneously.
He didn’t address his agenda immediately. Instead, he simply opened a pack of cigarettes and nodded at Qin Ye, “Want one?”
Masochist?
Qin Ye glanced at the two students suspiciously. These students were the archetypical brawny hooligans that partook in all types of vices, whether smoking or drinking. They were practically evildoers - thorns in the sight of all teachers in school. They were notorious in Qingxi High School for their errant ways. To make matters worse, there were rumours that Wang Chenghao’s family was rather influential, and that his father was the richest man in the county. Therefore, nobody dared to interfere with their affairs.
This… one night stand… no… after just one night of emotionally-charged interactions, were they now extending their invitation to him to join their intimate brotherhood?
Qin Ye casually picked up a cigarette and lit it up, and the three students smoked in sullenness and frustration. The bell for the next class soon rang, and Qin Ye got up and motioned to leave. Just then, Wang Chenghao finally spoke up, “Hang on.”
“It’s time for class.”
“It’s gym class!” Wang Chenghao took another deep drag on his cigarette. Then, almost as though he had matured a fair bit, he muttered, “Previously… there’s been some misunderstanding between us. From today onwards, I’ll look after you. Anyone who doesn’t see eye to eye with you doesn’t see eye to eye with me. As for me… I’ve only got one question…”
“Last night… What in the world happened last night?”
Qin Ye blinked at him, “What do you remember?”
Wang Chenghao’s body trembled, and he buried his head in his hands, voice quivering, “I only remember… the door and windows suddenly slamming shut.... Phone… that’s right! The phone kept ringing incessantly! Then, what happened next?”
As soon as he began recollecting the incidents of last night, he immediately became far more verbose than before. When he looked up once more, his eyes had already become red and bloodshot, “Then, what happened? What happened next? Last night… did we see…”
His voice softened to a whisper, and it took him several seconds to utter the rest of the sentence, “Did we see… something unclean?”
“How did the school find out about these things? And why didn’t they inform the students about it?! How dangerous is that?! F**k!” Zhang Yilong snuffed out his cigarette violently as he recalled to mind the horrific incident last night. His entire body was trembling ferociously as he took out his phone and added, “Look… I looked up the forums of several other cities, and I discovered that we’re not the only ones - these damned announcements are being played everywhere!”
“And it’s not just schools - it’s being played in factories, offices, shops, public streets, and even remote neighbourhoods!”
“Qin Ye, what in the world happened last night? You know it full well don’t you? You must know! Your family is in the funerary industry after all!”
What has being in the funerary industry got to do with all these?
Should a finance student naturally become a finance minister?
His heart was filled with grievances and complaints. Yet, when he noticed the frightened and bewildered expressions in the other students’ eyes, something came over him, and he finally relented. Sighing, he received Zhang Yilong’s phone and took a look.
“Shocking sighting at Westriver City’s First Public Hospital! Last night, all of the patients heard someone performing a Huangmei Opera at 2 a.m. in the morning in a completely empty corridor! This phenomenon went on until 5 a.m.! Some patients looked out of their window, yet not a single person could be spotted!”
“Absolutely bizarre! Everyone, look at this picture that my aunt took yesterday. Eight months’ pregnant, yet the fetus already possesses a fully grown man’s face! Tagged location - Third Hospital, Linshan City.”
“It’s the dead! It’s the dead! Last night at midnight, two luxury cars collided with each other on the bridge that crosses the Yellow River! Yet, just half an hour later, one of them actually turned into a paper car! My neighbour’s grandaunt’s third husband was there at the scene! I’ve seen the video footage!”
There were many similar news articles.
Perhaps the number of news articles couldn’t be considered substantial in the grand scheme of the sheer number of forum posts. Nevertheless… this was still Cathay after all!
Reports of superstitious matters or supernatural activities were hardly heard of these days. In the past, whenever these posts appeared, the videos, articles and the like would immediately be reported and censored without recourse. But now, it was almost as though such news were once again being condoned - even encouraged.
And this went beyond mere forums. As Qin Ye browsed through the various news site, he discovered that even several mainstream media such as the “Qiandu News”, “Tidal Wave News” and “Penguin News” had also been reporting similar events.
The world is changing…
He didn’t know why. But having lived for such a long time now, he was sensitive to such changes, and he knew that this was one of the first symptoms of a tidal wave of changes.
Even the media is starting to endorse such news… what in the world is happening to Cathay?
“Qin Ye… Qin Ye! Say something!” Wang Chenghao’s anxious and unsettled voice disrupted his train of thought. Qin Ye returned the phone and responded thoughtfully, “I don’t know either.”
“The only advice I can give you right now is to comply with the government’s instructions. There are some things in this world that just can’t be explained by science. I believe we’ve all experienced it… It's more prudent to believe in these things than otherwise.”
When all was said and done, the bullshit that Qin Ye spouted was neither useful nor helpful. However, the two students nevertheless nodded their heads obsequiously, almost as though they were offered a life buoy amidst tumultuous waters.
After all, there were many times when people weren’t really seeking the truth, and all they wanted to hear were words of consolation. They wanted to have conviction and be able to believe, regardless of what the truth might be.
“Then, I’ll take my leave first.” Qin Ye patted his buttocks as he stood up once more. However, Wang Chenghao suddenly added, “Qin Ye… do you know of a way to deal with these things?”
“You’re afraid that they’ll come after you again?” Upon closer inspection, Qin Ye noticed that Wang Chenghao truly appeared rather striking and imposing. Wang Chenghao stood at 1.8m tall. Even after last night’s frightful event, his complexion was still rosy, and he was still filled with vigor.
“No.” Wang Chenghao bit down on his teeth as he mumbled, “It’s not me… It’s… my family… has been a little bit off lately…”
“I don’t have any means to help you.” Qin Ye opened the door and walked out, “Such matters should be left to the professionals. An amateur like me might only cause more trouble.”
It was difficult to be a senior in school. Time flew by in the blink of an eye. At 5 p.m. sharp, yet another wave of announcements was made. Just as Qin Ye mounted his bike, he suddenly paused and listened more closely.
It’s different.
The announcements are different from yesterday.
“...If you are still on campus, please leave the school by 6.10 p.m. by hook or by crook. From today onwards, the school will be commencing renovation works in all of the unoccupied classrooms. Entry into classrooms which have been sealed off is strictly forbidden. Any trespassers will immediately be expelled.”
“All staff on duty are to return to their rooms by 7 p.m. and remain within their rooms. Anyone spotted outside by our CCTV cameras will summarily be dismissed…”
“The school shall not be held responsible for any losses incurred by persons failing to comply with the school’s regulations.”
He paused for a long time before mounting his bicycle and cycling home once more. However, his brows remained furrowed this whole time.
It’s really different…
Only those who had experienced it could tell that the renovations were a lie - it was a mere cover up!n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Something unpredictable was happening to the entire country of Cathay, and it was affecting every single county, and even every single village. Incidents like that which they experienced last night must be happening everywhere around the nation. The forum posts were nothing but starters. Cathay was presently giving their citizens a buffer period as they contemplated their next move. Were they going to subsequently make an announcement or take a stand on these issues?
It was important to maintain stability within their nation. Cathay was a superpower with over a billion citizens after all. The consequences of chaos would be absolutely unfathomable. That said, the Cathayan government had evidently started to compromise on some fronts as well. This naturally meant that the magnitude of the supernatural upheaval concealed behind the fog of bureaucracy… was probably hundreds or even thousands of times worse than he imagined!
Furthermore, the change in the content of today’s broadcasted announcement could only mean one thing--
Things were quickly escalating out of control! It was like a rabid horse that had broken loose of its yoke and was going on a rampage!
In just one week, from the initial schedule of one announcement per day, to the endless repetition of announcements after 6 p.m. three days ago, to now...the school had even begun to withdraw its employees and staff!
All of this pointed to the severity of the matter.
“I wonder if the other countries know about....just what’s going on in here?” As the wind whistled past his head, Qin Ye sighed wistfully, “I don’t know, but there must be someone who does!”
His gaze stretched into the distance, where the outskirts of the county was located, “The Haunter in the pokeball… no, that old granny ghost must know something about this!”
“Tonight at twelve, huh…”
He arrived home in no time. Yet as soon as he stepped into his own home, that frosty look in his eyes immediately melted. He even began to suspect that he was being oversensitive about the entire incident.
As soon as he opened the door, he noticed that the coffin in the center lay wide open, and a square piece had been cut right out of the coffin. Four old ladies were each seated on one side of the square piece of the coffin. The old granny’s hand was holding tightly onto something, and her expression was unimaginably frigid. Several seconds later, she pushed it onto the makeshift coffin table, “Two coins.”
Very well…
I’m out there painstakingly earning a living, yet you’re in here pretending to look pretty?
Excellent, you’ve even mastered the art of identifying those mahjong tiles by feel? And who are these other old ladies? Why haven’t I seen them before? Did you actually manage to hook up with ladies from the other neighbourhoods? By the way, is it really a good idea to play mahjong on a coffin in such an idyllic and innocent manner?
The begrudging spirit within him was roiling, and his heart was filled with displeasure. Finally, he managed to forcibly suppress the rage in his heart.
He had no choice. There were others around, and the old granny also appeared to be hiding a wealth of formidable abilities. It was therefore prudent to suppress his anxiety and endure for now… “Pong.” The lady on the other end of the table revealed three matching tiles, “I’m waiting on a single tile.” “How can you be so fast?!” “Are you cheating?” “If you have one bams or two bams, you’d better discard them now. I’m already waiting, but I’ll discard them if I have to. I can’t afford to mess with this fierce old lady. One bams.” The old granny took a drag on her cigarette before discarding a one bams tile. Unfortunately, her expression froze in the very next instant. “I’ve won. All Pong Hand, Clean Hand, and I was waiting for a single one bams tile. The dues for this round are thirty million.” The old lady seated opposite smiled widely, accentuating the wrinkles on her face as she revealed her mahjong tiles. Thirty million?! How could you play with such high stakes?! Hang on a minute...how are you going to even pay thirty million? Before Qin Ye could exclaim aloud, the old granny slapped a hundred million note onto the coffin board heroically as she exclaimed, “Go buy yourself a nice coffin.” This was paper money with one hundred million printed on it. Hang on… Qin Ye blinked several times. Then, as he took a closer examination of the four old ladies, he drew a deep breath, and took several steps back. Apart from the old granny, the other ladies...didn’t have legs at all! Everything from their calves down was completely illusory. Even their toes didn’t touch the ground! This was... a game of ghastly mahjong! 1. They’re playing mahjong, and coins is one of the simple suits in mahjong. 2. Bams is another one of the simple suits in mahjong. Waiting is a term to refer to a collection of tiles that is 1 tile away from winning. 3. All Pong Hand and Clean Hand are a collection of winning tiles that add a multiplier to her final score.
He had no choice. There were others around, and the old granny also appeared to be hiding a wealth of formidable abilities. It was therefore prudent to suppress his anxiety and endure for now… “Pong.” The lady on the other end of the table revealed three matching tiles, “I’m waiting on a single tile.” “How can you be so fast?!” “Are you cheating?” “If you have one bams or two bams, you’d better discard them now. I’m already waiting, but I’ll discard them if I have to. I can’t afford to mess with this fierce old lady. One bams.” The old granny took a drag on her cigarette before discarding a one bams tile. Unfortunately, her expression froze in the very next instant. “I’ve won. All Pong Hand, Clean Hand, and I was waiting for a single one bams tile. The dues for this round are thirty million.” The old lady seated opposite smiled widely, accentuating the wrinkles on her face as she revealed her mahjong tiles. Thirty million?! How could you play with such high stakes?! Hang on a minute...how are you going to even pay thirty million? Before Qin Ye could exclaim aloud, the old granny slapped a hundred million note onto the coffin board heroically as she exclaimed, “Go buy yourself a nice coffin.” This was paper money with one hundred million printed on it. Hang on… Qin Ye blinked several times. Then, as he took a closer examination of the four old ladies, he drew a deep breath, and took several steps back. Apart from the old granny, the other ladies...didn’t have legs at all! Everything from their calves down was completely illusory. Even their toes didn’t touch the ground! This was... a game of ghastly mahjong! 1. They’re playing mahjong, and coins is one of the simple suits in mahjong. 2. Bams is another one of the simple suits in mahjong. Waiting is a term to refer to a collection of tiles that is 1 tile away from winning. 3. All Pong Hand and Clean Hand are a collection of winning tiles that add a multiplier to her final score.
Chapter 6
Very well.
Qin Ye wondered in his heart whether it was time to change the signboard for his shop to read “Gloaming Ghouls Gambling Den”.
And then he would have the most epic ethnic song playing in the background.
Perfect.
No, wait… what kind of forcible conversion of property was this? Do you know just how much that coffin costs?
Qin Ye stared daggers, fired freeze rays, ice arrows, fireballs, and even death rays at the old granny, yet the old granny completely turned a blind eye to it. Instead, she looked straight at the other old grannies seated around her and chuckled, “How’s this grandson of mine?”
“Not bad. Fairly pale skin, so he wouldn’t need to purchase skin care products when he goes down under. Nine coins.” “He looks like one with a rather short life span. He’ll be able to enjoy his youth down under. Three coins.” “Kong! Five Wan...He runs a family business, and whether coffin, money, paper servants or horses, he’s got them all prepared. This kid is ready to head down under and enjoy life at any time, isn’t he?”
“Have you prepared the method to go down under, boy? Come here. Let me give you a piece of advice. Drowning is the worst way to go, and you won’t even look good at the point of death.” “Wait! I’ve won. I was waiting for one, four and seven Wan… Going back to the topic, hanging isn’t a good way to die either, since your tongue would hang out three feet long after death. It’s a pain to roll it back.” “I would suggest a car accident. Adjust the angle properly and don’t look back. If you do it properly, you won’t suffer any pain, and your looks won’t be affected either. You’ll spiral up to heaven spectacularly with an instant explosion.”
Bloody hell!
What happened to all the cultural norms and conventions?
Isn’t the usual response to a question like “how’s my grandson” would be “not bad, he’s well behaved”; or “how old is he”; or “has he learnt to write”?
What’s up with their bizarre response? Aren’t they being far too presumptuous here?
No…
In the first place, who’s your grandson?! Don’t identify yourself as my relative!
Qin Ye was so upset that he almost spat blood. His face had turned ashen by now. The old granny took another puff of her pipe as she added, “Take a closer look.”
The other gloomy grannies immediately turned their heads and scrutinized him further. The smiles on everyone’s faces vanished in the very next instant. They all set down the mahjong tiles in their hands as well.
The four old ladies exchanged glances with each other in silence. Then, several seconds later, one of the old ladies queried the old granny, “Is this… the fungus of the Aeons?”
The clattering sound of mahjong restarted once again. As eight hands mixed the mahjong tiles thoroughly, the old granny chuckled, “Whenever he’s in front of this old bag of bones, he insists that it isn’t… so we’ll just leave it at that... Hey, what’s-your-name, why don’t you bring some sky juice here? The water from the mortal realm is a little bit too spicy for our taste.”
Ahhhhh… that was quick. How has it already changed from grandson to “what’s-your-name”...
The sky juice that they were asking for was none other than rainwater - something that neither touches the sky nor the ground; something that was not contaminated by Yin nor Yang. This was the only thing that the old granny had consumed this entire week.
Qin Ye obsequiously brought over four cups, setting them down on the coffin board with loud thuds before turning to leave.
Don’t mess with me anymore. It’s annoying.
The game of ghastly mahjong went on till midnight. As soon as the clock struck twelve, the old granny immediately rose from her seat and sighed softly, “That’s the end of this session...and perhaps this might also be the last time we’re gathering for mahjong as well.”
Following suit, the three other old ladies stood up as well, bade farewell to the old granny, before transforming into wisps of green smoke that quickly vanished.
“What’s this?” Qin Ye asked curiously.
The old granny didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she laboriously retrieved an ancient oil lamp that was covered in dust from the coffin as she massaged her back, “The Five Wealth-Generating Ghosts.”
“You’d tapped on the powers of the Five Wealth-Generating Ghosts for mahjong?”
“What do you know! I’ve earned 1.2 billion today. Why shouldn’t I use the Five Wealth-Generating Ghosts?!”
She makes a good argument… Even Qin Ye was rendered speechless.
“Do you know what day today is?” Collecting her smile, the old granny sat on the bed and stared straight at Qin Ye. Without waiting for his response, she continued, “Mid-seventh month, the ghosts run amok. Today is the last day of the Hungry Ghosts Festival. It’s also the day that the gates of Hell will finally shut.”
“The day that a person’s mortal life is snuffed out is also the day when he first enters the gates of Hell. Unfortunately, Hell has far too many spirits and too few Emissaries of Hell in comparison. Therefore, there will always be some spirits who aren’t detected and detained in time, and these spirits will end up drifting about aimlessly within the mortal realm. Over time, these souls begin to lose consciousness, and are left with nothing more than their desire to enter Hell. These spirits are called drifting spirits. The purpose of the three major ghost festivals is for us to receive them in Hell.”
“Do you… understand now?”
When the old granny got serious, Qin Ye felt almost as though he had been drawn into the heart of a massive vortex. Having experienced the vicissitudes of life, he could tell that this was the power of her aura - when one’s extreme conviction was displayed through his or her actions, disposition and speech, thereby affecting others.
It was difficult to fathom how an elderly who appeared so frail and on the brink of death could actually manifest such a terrifying display of aura.
Qin Ye subconsciously collected his smile and responded solemnly, “Do you mean...that the person who has ‘it’ has died within the last seven days?”
The old granny nodded her head. Qin Ye furrowed his brows, adding, “I wasn’t able to find him. That said, you seem certain that this person will be heading towards the gates of Hell today?”
The old granny responded, “Mm.” Qin Ye observed her facial expressions closely as he continued to probe further, “So… the thing that you wanted to tell me was…”
At that moment, the old granny suddenly revealed a cunning smile on her face. Then, without waiting for him to finish, she suddenly grabbed tightly onto Qin Ye’s hand. Qin Ye wasn’t even able to scream before everything simply went black. When everything became clear again, he couldn’t help but draw a breath of cold air.
Black, white and green - a world comprising only three colours!
As far as the eye could see, most things were black and white in colour, whether the room or his bed. The only green he could see were the wisps of green smoke emanating between all the other elements. To make matters even more bizarre, he was astonished to see his own physical body frozen in a squatting posture, his eyes still shut, while the old granny was still grabbing onto his arm!
These physical bodies were akin to two statues - completely still and unmoving.
“This is… my soul?” Qin Ye glanced at his own hands in amazement. His assessment of the old granny’s abilities had risen once again.
He had personally witnessed innumerable monks or priests performing rites to separate a person’s soul from his or her own body. However, none of these experts had been able to pull out a person’s soul with such a simple tug on the wrist! Next to the old granny, all of the revered monks and priests could at best be described as mere infants!
“First rule, don’t look back.” The old granny hunched her back and lit an ancient lamp.
The lamp was incredibly unique. The ancient lamp was made of bronze, square in shape, and it was approximately the size of a palm. However, there were actually two carps painted on the back of the lamp - one black, and one white.
“Hammerstone?”
“Shut up… Second rule, don’t open your mouth.” The old granny began to move. As she took the first step, the three-coloured world trembled slightly. Qin Ye felt the temperature around him dip immensely, while the fog around him continued to grow thicker.
The green fog was everywhere, and it even seemed to be alive. After mere seconds, they found themselves surrounded by nothing more than a sea of fog replete with clouds in the sky. In this world, the ancient lamp was the only source of light.
He could even hear the wails and moans of countless people echoing through the sea of fog in the distance.
“Put this in your mouth and hang on to my clothes.” Qin Ye inspected the object as soon as he received it. It was a willow leaf.
As soon as he placed it within his mouth, a warm feeling immediately spread from the tip of his tongue. He grabbed on tightly to the old granny’s clothes, and they began to plod on.
“This path is not for the living.” Even though Qin Ye had many questions weighing on his mind, he remained completely silent. They walked on for approximately twenty more minutes before the old granny spoke hoarsely again, “The living call this road the Yellow Springs Road. That said, the Yellow Springs Road is in fact divided into three portions. The Ferryman’s Creek of Forgetfulness, Granny Meng’s Residence, and finally the Necropolis. We’re presently only on the first part of the Yellow Springs Road.”
She then pointed to the surroundings, “The green fog is in fact formed by the Yin energy diffusing from the spirits around. It’s supposed to be pure black in colour, but the Yang energy in this place is too strong right now. The green Yin energy is the result of the clash of both Yin and Yang energy.
“As soon as any living creature opens its mouth in this place, Yang energy would leak out from its body and act like a lighthouse or a beacon in tumultuous waters. The innumerable spirits around would begin to recall their lives in the mortal realm - some with attachments and some with regrets. These spirits that haven’t consumed Granny Meng’s soup of forgetfulness will tear the source of Yang energy to shreds. Therefore, please don’t open your mouth.”
Qin Ye blinked. It suddenly dawned on him that the sea of Yin energy… was in fact generated by the gates of Hell alone?
According to what the old granny had said before, the gates of Hell would shut tonight, so the innumerable drifting spirits in the mortal world would naturally swarm to the gates. But… just how many spirits did it take to form such an endless, overwhelming sea of Yin energy?
Were the Emissaries of Hell all malingering and neglecting their duties?
Just then, a ghastly sigh echoed from behind, “Don’t turn back. There are creatures called the Echoing Worm living on this road. As soon as you respond to it, it will begin to chat with you. The Echoing Worm has the face and body of a human, and it’s a creature formed by the convergence of innumerable lingering obsessions. As soon as you are hooked by its call, you will be forced to converse with it for a thousand centuries, forever losing the opportunity to reincarnate.”
Qin Ye tugged gently on the old granny’s sleeves. The old granny chuckled lightly, “You must be wondering why this old bag of bones talks so much, yet not a single Echoing Worm has attempted to approach me?”
“It’s simply because… they don’t dare.”
“Scatter.” With a single imperative command, her primly bundled white hair instantly loosened up and began to dance on its own without any wind. The sea of green fog in the surroundings suddenly began to roil and crash as they dissipated into the distance.
Their surroundings finally became clear. Qin Ye glanced around before drawing a deep breath as chills ran down his spine.
Where was the road under their feet?! What they had been treading on was in fact… the silver-white bones of a skeleton!
The skeleton was gargantuan, and the bone that they were walking on must have been at least a hundred meters wide, and so long that he could not see the end in sight. The bone was rather flat, and Qin Ye posited that it must be the cervical bone of a vertebrae. At the same time, there were two rows of people - too many to count - lined up on either side of them. Some were dressed in suits, some were dressed in t-shirts and jeans, while others were wearing maxi-dresses. These people were all lined up neatly, making their way towards the end of the road, just like Qin Ye and the old granny were!
These people presented themselves with appearances that were hazy and illusory, replete with a blank look on their faces. Yin energy continued to escape from their bodies from time to time. Yet the most frightening thing about these two lines of people… was that their appearances were snapshots of their exact appearances just before they died!
Some of them had long tongues sticking out of their mouths and disgusting, bulging eyes. Some had a contorted expression on their faces and broken limbs, and they were resigned to painstakingly crawling this entire journey across the bridge. Some had their skulls fractured, while others had their chests or abdomens slashed wide open… it was almost akin to a gallery of death and demise!
The museum of the living dead.
These living dead appeared to be floating in the air, and their feet never touched the ground, even when they moved.
The gates of Hell closed on the last day of the Hungry Ghost Festival. In the darkness of the night, all of these pale ghosts were presently trudging along this Yin-Yang road just beside a living person.
He was right there among them. He was right there beside them.
Unfortunately, Qin Ye couldn’t help but gasp in shock. In that single moment, everyone in their surroundings froze.
Hundreds, thousands, or even ten thousands of illusory spirits paused in unison. Then… without moving their bodies, their heads all turned stiffly like grotesque machines. There were those with long tongues hanging from their heads, and even some without heads at all. All of them fixed their gazes on Qin Ye at this very moment!
There were traces of greed, confusion and other emotions in their eyes… In that instant, Qin Ye’s body trembled as an intense wave of netherworldly chill washed across his heart. Then, in the very next moment, a frail, withered hand patted firmly on his back, and the chill that was permeating his entire body immediately vanished. All of the spirits around continued to stare at him for a full thirty seconds, before turning their heads back and plodding on.
Thump. Thump. Qin Ye placed his hand gingerly over his chest. His heart was beating wildly. That instant when innumerable spirits turned to look at him had caused his entire back to be drenched with sweat.
“Look over there.” The old granny pointed in another direction. Qin Ye glanced over, before covering his mouth in shock. His pupils constricted immediately.
He could see the silhouette of something akin to a hill in the distant where gloomy Yin energy filled the air. He was unable to see exactly what this was, but it appeared almost as though...there were innumerable stink bugs piling one on top of the other. Two green eyes burned brightly in the darkness as netherworldly flames flickered ceaselessly within them. And on its body… hung countless people!
They were living people - rather, living spirits!
Each one of these spirits appeared to be muttering something inaudible. The spirit that hung closest to his current location was no more than twenty meters away.
This was an Echoing Worm and its human pupae!
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