Yama Rising

Chapter 524: Ascension?

The Second King Yanluo smiled, “Indeed, it’s true that there wasn’t such a place before, but… who knows? Perhaps things might be a little bit different now.”

What used to be an empty room containing the Mythic Palace of Reflections had apparently undergone a massive change. There was a glorious golden throne located right in the middle of the room, a meter and a half wide, and two meters tall in height. The dragon that adorned the back of the throne wasn’t the usual dragons of the mortal realm either - it was the Aurogon, or the Torch Dragon.

The beams in the hall were now decorated by luxurious soft veils. Huge pillars carved with an image of the Eighteen Abysses of Hell rose from the ground and right to the ceiling. A series of copper braziers shaped like Rakshasas brightly lit the imperial hall, while a series of tables and chairs were neatly arranged before the throne like an ancient imperial court. Seen together, everything appeared to exude an air of sepulchral opulence.

They seemed unaffected.

The revelry was slated to go on until midnight tonight. The night of the Hungry Ghost Festival was when their loved ones would burn paper offerings for them.

After some moments, he finally shut his eyes and sighed softly.

“You will die, together with all Yin spirits who have served you faithfully all this while.”

Perhaps an ordinary person might have the latitude to act willfully and with wanton disregard to his duties and responsibilities. For instance, students or the employees of regular jobs might throw caution to the wind and resign to play, or act on their whims and fancies with little to no implication to the rest of society. But as the King Yanluo of Hell, a single moment of abdication of his responsibility would cause the mountain of paperwork to collapse under its own weight.

He couldn’t afford to be the bottleneck causing the stoppage of the flow of information any longer. The one who wears the crown must bear its weight. It was a tall order, and anyone who answered this calling would have to first be able to deny himself.

Just then, Qin Ye asked softly as he continued to watch the revelry on Spider Lily Island, “What does it mean to be the King Yanluo of Hell?”

Qin Ye nodded, and then turned around.

Qin Ye glanced past the two, and allowed his gaze to follow the plush red carpet on the ground until it landed right on the golden throne at the end of the hall. Then, he slowly walked over.

He had started his journey from the tiny Clear Creek County. That was when he first encountered Granny Meng and the terrifying supernatural incidents. He’d even been scared witless at that time. And yet… to think that he would finally sit on the throne as the King Yanluo of Hell.

He once used to have only Arthis under his command. And now, he had an entire government of talents working like clockwork under his charge. Ksitigarbha had personally made the trip to see him, while the Second King Yanluo returned from afar to pass down his legacy. Even the daolord of the asura which he once feared intently was now waiting on him outside the Imperial Palace, cowering in fear and submission.

But he still sat down on it without any hesitation.

“The Third King Yanluo.” The Second King Yanluo stood right in front of the imperial throne and cupped his hands with great respect, “Henceforth, you are charged with the official functions of the King Yanluo of Hell. You hold the authority to all life and death in your hand, bear the burden of maintaining the balance between Yin and Yang. You shall be one of the signatories to the laws of the three realms. You are Hell. May you reign with boldness and decisiveness, and may your kingdom prosper for all eternity. Have you thought things through?”

“Yes.”

It was bound tightly by a red rope. Qin Ye tried tugging to it, but the rope appeared to be tightly bound, as though by a magical force. It appeared impossible to open.

King Yanluo’s Token!

The Second King Yanluo continued, “Henceforth, you live and die together with Hell. Hell is honoured by you. If you should betray Hell, I’ll personally see to it that your actions don’t go unpunished. But if you shall walk with your subjects and aim for the stars, Hell shall not be destroyed for all eternity. Do you understand?”

He should have known that it was impossible for Hell to have recognized him as the King Yanluo of Hell simply by virtue of the fact that he possessed a meagre shard of King Yanluo’s Seal. It came with a long, arduous trial, personally invigilated by the gods and deities unseen.

It was only when he finally passed the trial that everything would finally come to an end, and he would ascend the throne with an indispensable ceremony.

With his affirmative response, two scrolls suddenly appeared in the air before him, shining with a brilliant lustre. One of them flew to the table in front of him and slowly unfurled.

From there, a series of shocking names appeared!

And his name was followed by sixteen names, including Jiang Ziwen, Li Changde, Lu Shuwen, Bao Xiern, Xue Shengde, Zhao Zilong, Ran Yongzeng…

And there was an empty row right above all of these names, right underneath two other names that had previously been written.

I’ve only heard of these people in legends and myths… Who would’ve thought that I’d one day be given a chance to etch my name in a place higher than their names…

Qin Ye drew a deep breath and held Fate gingerly.

He wanted to know the names of his predecessors!

It’s him!

Bo Yikao… Born to Ji Chang, King Wen of Zhou, he was appointed one of the true gods. His name was… none other than the Great Arctic Emperor Ziwei!

Of course, these are all but myths and legends. And the truth… was written right in front of Qin Ye at that very moment!

However, to his great surprise, the name of the Second King Yanluo… was actually blurred out!

After several attempts, Qin Ye finally looked up, “Who exactly are you?”

Qin Ye sighed, and then began writing with Fate.

Is my name… truly considered in the same ranks as these legendary existences?

The Harken had already shrunk down to the size of a meter. At once, he lay prostrate on all fours and kowtowed to the ground with a mighty bellow.

Arthis gently lifted the hem of her skirt and spoke with unprecedented solemness, “Your humble servant, former Infernal Judge of the Province of the Great Heavens, witnesses the succession of the new King Yanluo of Hell. I live and die for the glory of Hell.”

It was the formal ascension of the new King Yanluo of Hell!

There weren’t many witnesses, but the identities of the witnesses more than made up for the lack of numbers!

So this is what it feels like to be the King Yanluo of Hell.

The earlier scroll was the Records of the Three Realms. So… I wonder what this is?

1. He’s apparently the son of King Wen of Zhou, who lived from 1112 BC to 1050 BC. I guess that makes Hell only approximately 3000 years old?

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