Yama Rising

Chapter 478: The Grand Festivity of the Hungry Ghost Festival

There were a great number of things in Hell that needed to be addressed and aligned, but now clearly wasn’t the right time to broach these issues.

Why did the Qin Dynasty require everything to be unified and streamlined?

The odd ones out were what others viewed as a deviant of social norms.

Having personally experienced the effects of reform since Cathay opened up its borders, Qin Ye resolved in his heart - I can’t ignore the construction of spiritual civilization. Otherwise, people might lose their sense of community and responsibility to each other… and the entire fabric of society would completely fall apart.

“Give me the specifics.” Qin Ye responded curtly.

“Your Excellency’s portrait is printed on the front of Hell’s notes, while the images of the two predecessor King Yanluos are printed on the back. These notes are separated into denominations of 1 yuan, 5 yuan, 10 yuan, 20 yuan, 50 yuan, 100 yuan, 500 yuan, and 1,000 yuan. We have adopted the same denominations as that found in the mortal realm to facilitate familiarity with the use of these notes. We’ve also regulated the market such that the value of Hell’s notes qua a fixed basket of goods would also be pegged to a rate that is similar to that of the mortal realm.”

“Very high.” Zhang Zeguang chuckled, “After all, the population explosion in Cathay had only occurred after the founding of modern day Cathay. 70% of the citizens in Ashmound are Yin spirits born in the last 50 years, while the Yin spirits born in the preceding 50 years account for the remaining 30% or so. There’s no impediment to implementation at all. And this leads me to my point about the upcoming Hungry Ghost Festival. Having considered these things, I’ve taken the liberty to draft up a plan for a great celebration during the Hungry Ghost Festival.”

Arthis pointed her finger at the stack of papers lazily. At once, the stack of proposals distributed themselves and flew into the hands of each minister around. Qin Ye and Arthis naturally had a copy of the document each as well.

The Department of Ghost Resources’ plan was simple, and that was to hold a great celebration during the Hungry Ghost Festival itself. It would be a grand festival celebrating the Hungry Ghost Festival!

Firstly, it would officially mark the closure of Kong Mo’s reign. Broadly speaking, it was a form of ideological and political education that informed the citizens that Hell could do everything that Kong Mo could, and then some!

Secondly, and most crucially, it would give rise to an inflow of funds!

But the genius of it lay in the fact that everything could only be traded with the new currency of Hell. Not even barter trade was allowed!

Finally, it would be the creation of a landmark.

In the past, these streets would generally be located near the homes of high-ranking officials. Likewise, they would be located in the most built up and accessible areas in modern cities and towns.

Rustle, rustle, rustle… All of the Yin spirits scanned through the contents of the written proposal, before glancing up at Zhang Zeguang with a look of approbation.

This was the might of a provincial governor of the mortal realm! Sure, the proposal might not be watertight, and one might even argue that it still reeks of predisposition to a certain perspective, but these minor drawbacks were absolutely insignificant next to the benefits to be reaped with such a proposal! It was well-balanced, judicious and even logical when an incremental developmental approach was to be considered! He was obviously the real deal through and through!

Qin Ye suppressed the great excitement in his heart and glanced around at the ministers around who were all either whispering excitedly to each other or immersed in their own thoughts. This was a gathering of talents, all of whom were at least as competent as Zhang Zeguang, if not more! Qin Ye was almost certain that Hell’s progress was only going to skyrocket from now on.

“But I’ve got a few queries. Firstly, Ashmound has 17 industries, most of which pertain to the provision of basic necessities for our citizenry. Do we have sufficient inventory for your plan to work?”

“We’ve got sufficient inventory of goods.” Zhang Zeguang cupped his hands respectfully, “But barely enough. I’ve already touched base with the other ministers around as soon as the proposal was firmed up. If we keep the industries fully operational and run productions through day and night, we'd be able to produce sufficient goods to meet the needs of the upcoming grand festival.”

“We’ve already reached out to them and put our ears to the ground. To this end, we were thinking that if Lord Qin could satisfy their deepest desires to listen to the voice of their loved ones once more, they would be more than willing to cooperate. Most if not all of the merchants were in support of the plans. They were even willing to offer discounts on their goods.”

The best incentive he could provide in the underworld were still things of the mortal realm. The ability to relay dreams to loved ones or return to the mortal realm was one exclusive to Hell alone. This privilege alone already sets him miles apart from his nearest competitor!

Zhang Zeguang nodded and sat back down with a bright smile on his face.

Tension?

I’ll just watch silently from the sidelines. Then, when the tension gets red hot, I’ll douse it all out with my cool proposal that’s impossible to reject. Sure, you may have your eyes on the horizon, but what I’m proposing is something that Hell needs right now.

Every Yin spirit instantly perked up their spirits and looked up at the main stage with a bright gleam in their eyes.

“And to that end, Yin virtue will be directly linked to the privileges of returning to the mortal realm or relaying a dream to a loved one. Only those who make direct contributions to Hell will be attributed these Yin virtues.”

The Book of Life and Death allows one to return to the mortal realm, relay dreams and even check on when a loved one will pass, and the cause of death itself. No wonder it’s known as one of the three divine artifacts of Hell! No wonder Liu Yu’s face instantly turned sour as soon as I threatened to withdraw all privileges of using the Book of Life and Death back then!

So what if you’ve gained independence? You don’t even know when a living person is going to die! Qin Ye clearly bore a grudge with a certain Mr Liu.

“Minister Zhang’s proposal was excellent. According to the current reward system, he is hereby awarded with 5,000 merit points.”

Qin Ye smiled, “Incidentally, 5,000 merit points is just enough to be traded in for a three hours return trip to the mortal realm.”

The ministers immediately reeled back from the impact of this bombshell!

“Return trip to the mortal realm?” One of the ministers couldn’t help but remark aloud.

Qin Ye added, “The location is entirely up to one’s own preferences. If you’re not aware of where the person you wish to see is currently located, Hell can even provide complimentary GPS services.”

Several ministers' faces were completely flushed by now. It was obvious how stirring these news were!

To think that someone has just earned himself a trip back to the mortal realm right in front of our very eyes!

Who could possibly be unmoved by the prospects of seeing their loved ones, their former homes, and their descendants back in the mortal realm?

In an instant, everyone’s hearts were filled with the desire to contribute and identify with Hell!

Why wasn’t I the one who came up with that?

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