Chapter 644: Chef Abra's Restaurant
Yet Qin Ye’s carriage remained parked in the middle of the national highway without a single Emissary of Hell or Yin soldier standing around him. That said, he continued to lean back relaxedly in the luxurious carriage, gently stroking the Harken’s fur.
“Are you going to depart for Alkebulan immediately after locating Abra?” The Harken opened its mouth languidly, and Qin Ye tossed a snack into the dog’s mouth like a well-oiled machine.
Why does it feel like I’ve been conditioned to do this action on instinct…
Had he been born in Nippon or Daehan, would he find himself speaking with the same amount of clout right now? The response would’ve been more akin to this… “Ah, got it. You may be dismissed.” “Isn’t that under the purview of Hell? What are you doing looking to us for help?” “Kiddo, I’m not saying that circumventing the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Forbidden Arts is absolutely out of the question, but, as for the fees…”
Only one of the P4 underworlds would possess the latitude and clout to seek an audience with the Mythic Spirits of the Alkebulan Underworlds and get their attention of something of such importance.
However, all of that only extended as far as gaining an audience with the Mythic Spirits.
“No. The movements of an Abyssal Prefect would most certainly catch the eye of countless other underworlds. But, chances are, they would be far less guarded against one who straddles both the mortal realm and the netherworld.”
Knock, knock, knock. Just then, there were three soft and respectful knocks on the door to the carriage, followed by an old voice who immediately called out to them, “Did benefactor leave his carriage here because he intends to give this old monk a few minutes of his time?”
Master Chan Ming gazed Qin Ye deep in the eye for some time, before finally asking, “Master Qin? Yanluo Qin? Or would you prefer it if I addressed you as… Instructor Qin?”
“I was just thinking the same thing.” Master Chan Ming smiled and nodded. However, he consciously maintained half a pace behind Qin Ye.
At the beginning of this journey of his, he only joined the Special Investigations Department because of the threat of the daolord’s pursuit. Two years swept by in the blink of an eye, and yet how times have changed. For one, he’d gone from a nobody to one who had gained an audience with two of the strongest battle powers in the mortal realm, and… they didn’t even dare to walk side-by-side with him.
Rather, it was an attitude of respect that the mortal realm maintained towards him as an agent and representative of Hell!
They remained silent for the most part of their stroll of solitude. Then, after a few minutes, Master Chan Ming began to chant a Buddhist mantra, before finally addressing Qin Ye with a deep voice, “Master Qin, did you know that ever since the Hungry Ghost Festival, Cathay has unearthed a total of 12 archaeological finds containing reliefs and articles of poetry about you? And each and every one of these archaeological finds contains your name on it.”
“In fact, the museums, and even the Taoist and Buddhist temples containing artifacts or statues relating to the King Yanluo of Hell have all somehow been found to be... ‘updated’ with your name.”
Qin Ye listened silently, and a certain phrase appeared in his mind - Cui Jue’s Law of Yin-Yang Coaction. Anything seen in Hell will be seen in the mortal realm, and anything found in the mortal realm will likewise appear in some form in Hell.
“Whether history books, records, images or artifacts… It’s almost as though, overnight, the notion of mythology has been modified and updated such that everything points to you.”
“There are places unseen to you and I, where soldiers and cultivators with feeble and frail lives have been desperately tussling with hunting zones and predatory zones. There are places unseen to you and I that a mother and daughter, or a husband and wife, or a father and son, have no other option but to hold tightly to each other in the dark of the night… praying hard that they would be granted at least the mercy to die together. There are places not even marked on the map where countless villagers and even villages disappear without a trace.”
He clasped his palms together and bowed deeply.
Should he tell Master Chan Ming that Hell was only established two years ago?
He wanted to take the throne properly.
Certainly, he might once have been a selfish, ordinary person that only cares about his own survival, but… even an ordinary person could dream big and achieve something great one day.
“The three eastern provinces, Eastmount Province, and Insignia Province are already under our control. Next, we’ll be moving into the Pearl River District. From there, we plan to head up the river and reclaim the rest of our lost homeland!”
This was an indication that Hell would henceforth be actively participating in the rebalancing efforts to regain equilibrium between the Yin and the Yang. Hell would be striving towards regaining order and control. What Qin Ye feared wasn’t his own ability to see things through to the very end. Rather, he feared that the mortal realm would fall before the break of dawn on the broken lands.
N-no… What are you talking about?! How can you call the affairs of an Emissary of Hell taking advantage of the mortal realm?
He had come forward seeking an answer from Hell. And this answer… was completely different from the ones relayed by others in the past!
What the mortal realm required was a reliable, affirmative response that it could cling tightly to in hopes of a better time to come.
“Speaking of which… will I… also end up in Hell when I pass on?”
Chan Ming: ……
………………………………………………..
From potjieko to five-coloured pilau, ingira to muamba, they served everything that one could possibly ask for. Moreover, the prices were very fair.
And as with any other creature, Abra was also a creature of habit. For instance, he would have to turn in at 10.00 p.m. every night, especially in these times of spiritual unrest.
“Still no response… It’s almost as though something has isolated Cathay from the rest of the outside world…” He sighed, and then tossed the lipstick to the window in despair as he buried his face into his hands and plonked down onto a chair.
Rather… it was the bone of a human finger!
The cloakroom wasn’t large, and the isometric mirror in front of him appeared incredibly old. In fact, it wouldn’t even be an overstatement to say that it was probably easily over a century old. Abra sighed softly and let his arms hang loosely by his side for some time, before finally getting up to his feet again.
This was how he would console himself each time he gained no response. But this time, he froze as soon as he lifted his head.
A thick fog of Yin energy appeared out of nowhere, and the room temperature dipped abruptly. A split second later, he saw a pair of black shoes on the ground. He slowly looked up, only to see vermillion robes above those shoes…
Suddenly, a wave of terror surged into his mind, and he got down on his knees and kowtowed to the ground at once, “Greetings to the Emissary of Hell!!!”
“Tell me, which Mythic Spirit is your totemic master? What tribe do you belong to?”
“Did your ancestors tell you to befriend and get on the good side of the Zhu Clan of Cathay?”
“Speak!!!”
I’ve been discovered…
Is this the might accompanying the entity that sits at the top of the world?
“I… I’m sorry!!!” He gnashed his teeth, not daring to disclose anything more.
Maddening silence.
Qin Ye smiled, “Hell doesn’t have the intention to press any charges. But…”
“Right now.”
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