Yama Rising

Chapter 631: Eight Great Clans

Qin Ye nodded, and departed at once. He knew he could entrust the administrative matters that followed to Oda Nobunaga. Henceforth, there would be no other force that could possibly threaten Everburn City’s existence.

“My god…” An elderly Yin spirit fanned himself as he craned his neck and peered over at the six monarch beasts, “Are these Yin beasts? What a colossal being… and to think that they would be kneeling in obedience, just like a docile house cat…”

“Do you know something? Yanluo Qin didn’t conceal from us the fact that Hell had undergone a massive upheaval. As things stand right now, Hell is but the size of two provinces if we take into account Ashmount City of Eastmount Province.” “That’s pretty bad, but I think we can count ourselves lucky. I wonder how many Yin spirits there are out there in the other provinces, wondering what to make of the lack of an underworld?” “They’d practically be homeless, drifting Yin spirits. I sincerely pray that Hell will regain all of its lost land soon.”

What the hell is this?

These are things that only appear in wuxia novels and films augmented with computer graphics! This is… indescribable!

“Is Hell still recruiting civil servants?!” A young Yin spirit turned excitedly and looked at his friend, “Did you see that? Holy crap! Awesome! How did he make such a colossal beast fall down on its knees?!”

Qin Ye was naturally unaware of the reactions of the Yin spirits out there.

As soon as he took his seat, Wang Chenghao immediately approached him with a pot of freshly brewed tea. This was what Qin Ye had brought along with him from Ashmound City. After all, Everburn didn’t have any agricultural produce or livestock in its possession. He gently lifted the lid to the teacup and then raised two fingers, “There are two things we need to do right now.”

“Mr Oda, after today, I’d like you to enhance our efforts at conscription for the army and recruitment of civil servants. I believe that with the allure of Qin Gardens Phase Two and my show of power today, this probably wouldn’t be too much to ask of you. From there, this group of new recruits should be sent out together with the existing civil servants to survey the new frontiers that have been unlocked to us. All are to head out unless their presence is for whatever reason required here in Hell.”

Gu Qing nodded, “That means that before the new year, I’ll only be able to work on the terrain that has already been explored. The design of a city, whether it be square or round, high-rise or low-rise, large or small, are all things that have to be adjusted in accordance with the conditions on site…”

He lowered his voice and whispered softly, “Remember, you’re the only ones who know of this thing.”

Oda Nobunaga’s eyes gleamed brightly, “Lord Qin, are you concerned about…”

After all, who can say what will happen after 148 years, when the Array of the Nine Gods finally falls?

And once both cities are fully developed, then all that’s missing from the trifecta of the coastal regions would be the Pearl River Province!

So long as the issue with the three daolords were resolved, then the warring states era of the netherworld would practically be over before it even began!

The more Qin Ye thought about these things, the more he felt that his taking of Ashmound City could be considered one of the greatest points of inflexion in Hell’s development to date.

“Yes.” Oda Nobunaga recorded Qin Ye’s instructions in a little book that he carried about with him, and then asked curiously, “Then… would Your Excellency be heading back right away?”

Qin Ye could’ve sworn that the Harken was wearing a look of slight excitement on its face.

Click… The door shut gently behind them. Gu Qing sighed softly, and then turned to Oda Nobunaga, “Did you sense that?”

Gu Qing sighed in exclamation and walked some ways beside Oda Nobunaga, before finally looking up once more, “Might and dignity.”

Gu Qing continued softly, “Furthermore, these two provinces are crucial regions that occupy the bulk of the coastal region in Cathay. The daolord residing in the Pearl River Province must be shaking in his boots right now. Our access inland is now secure through the rivers that run through our provinces… The unification of the Cathayan Underworld… will probably happen in no more than a few decades from now. All that remains is to rebuild and restore.”

“We would be pioneers of the new Hell. Don’t you think that… this is truly an honor for us?”

“Done already?” Qin Ye asked immediately as the door closed, “What was it?”

Qin Ye recounted his experiences at once. The Harken listened intently in silence, and then finally exclaimed when Qin Ye was done, “As expected… No wonder…”

As he spoke, he suddenly vanished from the room. When he reappeared again, he was already high above the ground, and still ascending into the sky. In fact, he could already see a vague trace of greenish Yin energy in sight - a clear sign of Limbo in the distance.

He went higher and higher. Then, at some point, he slowly began to see the warm glow from the mortal realm penetrating the greenish-white clouds of Yin energy above. He raised his brows in consternation, “It’s in the mortal realm?”

The Harken would never mention anything unrelated at a time like this… Qin Ye looked at the Harken deeply in the eyes, and then shook his head.

“Cathay’s top gentry is naturally the Confucian Family, or the Confucian Clan.”

“Zhang Clan?” Qin Ye frowned at the thought, and then immediately understood who the Harken was referring to, “Taoism? The Celestial Masters?”

Qin Ye could only imagine the kind of power these Eight Great Clans wielded in their hands. The fact that the Second King Yanluo of Hell was prepared to allow Hell to collapse before restoring order to it once more only went to show how terrifying the Eight Great Clans truly were.

Hang on…

The Harken responded placidly, “Their reign was too short, and their legacy was short-lived. Naturally, they didn’t have the requisite resources to found a powerful clan of their own after death. As for the Yuan Dynasty…”

Qin Ye nodded.

“It was for that reason that… the Eight Great Clans… were always prepared for the worst crises. Come to think of it, this might well have been the reason for which the First King Yanluo had beseeched the Second King Yanluo to assume the throne at all costs.”

“Had someone else taken over, then I’m afraid that there might well be blood on the throne of Hell by now!”