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Chapter 479: A Heavy Blow

The first time they heard about the prospects of that was at the general assembly two weeks ago. However… nothing was quite like witnessing it with their own two eyes!

Their colleague, Zhang Zeguang, was about to be the first Yin spirit of Hell to return to the mortal realm!

Zhang Zeguang showed no reaction at all. If this had been any other day, he would have welcomed any awards he had been conferred and then sit down gracefully. However, he simply appeared stunned.

Return to the mortal realm… Can I really return to the mortal realm?!

Excellent… It seems to be that so long as the Book of Life and Death remains in my possession, nobody would be able to usurp my rule over Hell. I mean, just look at Minister Zhang! The fact that a former provincial governor of the mortal realm is so astounded means these benefits are clearly well beyond his expectations.

The excitement in his voice was palpable, and yet his voice sounded as harsh as a cat’s claw on a chalkboard. In an instant, everyone’s minds began to kick into high gear, contemplating what other needs Hell might need to address in the near future.

Zhang Zeguang couldn’t retract the bright smile on his face, “Can Your Excellency… truly send me back to the mortal realm?”

“This is only something that can be done by the orthodox Hell.” Qin Ye casually jumped at the chance to school his ministers on the ideological and political front. Rewarding Zhang Zeguang in this manner was also to set a precedent and goal for the rest of them to follow. It was akin to telling the ministers of Ashmound City that so long as they pledge their allegiance to Hell, then only good things lay in wait for them. It was also a clear message to them, stating that so long as they worked hard, Hell would never shortchange their efforts!

Would you like a tour of the primeval forest? I can assure you that these places are so scenic that they would completely blow your mind!

Just then, Arthis spoke up, “A point to note is that there’s always a certain amount of risk in returning to the mortal realm. So long as your soul has been tainted by the energies of Hell, you’d almost certainly become a target for the wandering spirits out there. That said, you will be escorted by your own personal bodyguards during your trip out to the mortal realm, so you can rest assured.”

Even though the meeting went on for some time thereafter, nothing registered in his mind.

The impact from Qin Ye’s bombshell had sent all of their minds reeling with shock. Qin Ye could tell that they were greatly distracted by what they had just witnessed, and it wouldn’t be too fruitful if he continued to force the issue. Thus, he decided to wrap up, “We’re 18 days away from the Hungry Ghost Festival. I want all departments to cooperate and work together leading up to that. Minister Zhang, I’d like you to form a committee that will take charge of the grand festivity, and then link up with me again. I’d like the list of people in this committee by tonight, and I’ll also want to see a detailed proposal of the itinerary for the festivity itself in three days’ time.”

“Meeting adjourned.”

Within moments, the entire hall was filled with silence. Qin Ye was just about to pack up his things and take his leave when Arthis suddenly quipped, “Can you handle the workload?”

“You’re the one who voluntarily assumed responsibility for the grand festivity.” Arthis continued, “It’s true that you’re the most suitable candidate for the job. You’ll need to walk the grounds and visit every part of Ashmound in the 18 days leading up to the Hungry Ghost Festival so that you know what to do, and where each part of the itinerary is going to pan out. You’ll need to decide on the main focal point, and the facilities and amenities that will have to be prepared. You’ll also have to decide the overall theme of the festivity. Once the committee is formed, how are you going to oversee their work? Are you still going to return at night to visit their plans, before leaving your suggestions behind and return to the mortal realm in the day?”

“That might not necessarily be the case.” Qin Ye turned to leave, “As a high-ranking Judge-class expert back in the mortal realm, I should have a little bit more latitude with what I want to do with the time that I have. Therefore, I should be able to make the necessary arrangements to be around more often than not.”

“Nobody has ever had such freedom with their own time.” She muttered faintly to herself, “What we do have… is our responsibilities and priorities.”

“You know what you should do, and you clearly know your limits. It’s about time for you to find closure to your mortal life.”

With that, Arthis vanished into thin air. When she appeared again, she was already standing in front of the Harken once more.

She bowed deeply, and then remained silent.

Arthis shook her head, “He says that… he’ll need a year’s time--… W-what’s this?!!”

“You’ve… activated Fate?” She turned to look at the Harken with a startled expression, only to notice it shake its head, “It wasn’t me.”

“The Second King Yanluo of Hell returned just a moment ago.”

The corner of the Harken’s lips twitched at the mention of the Second King Yanluo of Hell, but it went on to respond reluctantly, “He’s doing pretty fine I suppose…”

To think he’d even think of taking the divine molt for his own uses… I’m sure Lord Ksitigarbha would be horrified to learn of this…

She was just about to ask if the Second King Yanluo of Hell had ever thought about lending some help stir the development of the new Hell.

The First King Yanluo of Hell had forged the empire of Hell by slaying all of his competitors in an arena of blood. The Second King Yanluo of Hell had established Hell on a global footing by singlehandedly fending off the concerted siege of several major underworlds all at once.

There aren’t any other Yanluos vying for the same spot. Hell still has the Array of the Nine Gods, the Harken, Ashmound City and millions of Yin spirits to boot! It was in a far better place than Hell was in during the time of the First King Yanluo’s road to power. If Qin Ye still couldn’t succeed with a start like this, then perhaps he simply wasn’t the right person for the job.

She glanced at the golden words in the sky, and there was a soft flicker in her gaze.

“My Lord, why does Zhang Zeguang’s name appear to be incomplete?” She furrowed her brows.

“Fate works with a confluence of coincidences. A single person might not be involved with only one such coincidence. He could be directly involved in multiple coincidences, or he may be directly involved with one, and then indirectly involved with others. Zhang Zeguang might be involved in one of the opening coincidences, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the last of his involvement.”

Just then, Fate suddenly erupted with another dazzling display of light as it began to write once more.

Not only did Fate complete Zhang Zeguang’s name, it even wrote a second name afterwards… Oda Nobutada!

It was just like the notion of the butterfly effect, where a seemingly harmless butterfly flapping its wings on one side of the ocean could potentially cause a hurricane to blow on the other side.

And then, Fate wrote down two more words.

“Fate will continue to count down to the day of reckoning, and each and every name written will form a part of the whole mysterious picture.” The Harken sighed, “Anyone and anything can be implicated, so long as they reside within Cathay. No wonder it’s known as the most terrifying artifact apart from the three divine artifacts of Hell. It’s ranked even higher than the Mythic Palace of Reflections. If not for the fact that Fate can only be used once every hundred years, I’m afraid it would already have been listed as the fourth divine artifact of Hell.”

………………………………………….

Kong Mo didn’t build any fancy courtyard homes for his subjects, and everything was still as they had used to be in ancient times. Since Qin Ye hadn’t had the time to regulate the housing market, all of the high officials of Ashmound City lived along the same street for the time being. Zhang Zeguang naturally lived within a small home.

He picked up some of the keepsakes he had at home. There were some photographs and rings, all of which were burnt offerings directed to him. He was contemplating which of these to bring with him back up to the mortal realm to identify himself.

After a long time, he finally sighed and sat down by the side of his bed, “Forget it. Let’s shelve these thoughts for now. Yanluo Qin should be making the necessary arrangements. As for when I’ll go…”

“Tomorrow!’

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

“Good…” Zhang Zeguang took a deep breath and immediately picked up the document.

The first line read - “Return to the mortal realm at your own risk!”