Yama Rising

Chapter 567: VIP Express of the Dead (1)

A man, a woman and a ghost were watching a flickering computer monitor in complete silence, while a wave of spine-tingling ghastly wails echoed from all around them.

Choi Tae-min was actually drawing closer and closer to them!

Click… Another frame passed, but… Choi Tae-min appeared to have completely vanished from sight!

“Has he left?” Lee Jung-sook frowned.

“No.” Qin Ye and Kwon Kyung-ho got up at the same time and leaned closer beside her with great vigilance, “He’s still around.”

Whoosh… The image displayed on the computer monitor began to move smoothly. It no longer flickered like a slideshow. At the same time, a terrifying white sphere rose from the bottom of the screen.

Click. Lee Jung-sook cocked the pistol in her hand. Anyone could tell that something was soon about to go down. In fact, something told her that the evil spirit residing in the depths of the terrifying photograph was soon about to crawl out from within!

His facial features were twisted beyond belief. His eyes were wide open, revealing empty sockets that appeared to contain an endless abyss within. It was a horrific sight.

His lips parted slightly, revealing dark, grisly teeth within. Streams of dark red blood appeared to flow out of the corner of his lips as he stared intently at the trio in the room, almost as though he were peering right into their souls.

Bzzt… A split second later, the entire screen went out, and the lights in the room came back on once more.

Where the hell did you hide your gun earlier?! Qin Ye sized up Lee Jung-sook several times, before finally clearing his throat in response, “A photograph of the paranormal. Ordinary human beings won’t be able to glean much from it, and even those with the highest affinity for the paranormal would be able to see nothing more than some moving shadows in the photograph. However, this photograph records the grievances and obsessions of Choi Tae-min, together with all who perished in the MV Sewol tragedy. To that end, you can say that it’s already gone well beyond the realms of an ordinary photograph of the paranormal.”

Qin Ye paused for a moment, and then tutted softly, “He should have detected my presence as well.”

Qin Ye frowned.

The Russain Underworld had initially reacted with a submissive attitude, but that was clearly on the condition that Hell wouldn’t overstep its boundaries and influence the script of death. Unfortunately, he had clearly just probed into the truth that lay at the core of the script of death, and even gotten himself detected by the Yin spirit designed to be the ultimate villain in the script of death. It was difficult to say exactly what reaction this would draw from the Russian Underworld.

“I hope you’ll lend me your strength. Lee--... How should I address you? Don’t you think it would feel too distant if we were to address each other by our full name?”

Qin Ye paused for a moment, and then coughed dryly, “How about just Xia?”

…………………………………………………

Deep, intense darkness.

The rest of the cavern was shrouded in complete darkness.

“Ah… Ahhhh--!!” A soft, hissing sound came from within the coffin. A moment later, a hand covered with grisly, black fingernails and purple livor mortis spots reached out from within and rested on the edge of the coffin.

Clack… At once, there was a sound of a cane striking the ground. It was rhythmic and unhurried. A dozen seconds or so later, a man dressed as an ancient marquis marched up to the side of the coffin and peered right in, “There are many cultivators who want you dead, and even more evil spirits who desire the same. You’re the root cause of Daehan’s current instability. The Tsar has searched far and wide before finally locating you. What have you to fear?”

The man in the coffin appeared to be on the verge of tears, “Lord Rumyantsev… I’m afraid…”

“Do you know something? Ah… Actually, you probably don’t. How can a third-rate underworld possibly be aware that there’s an internationally accepted ranking standard for special Yin spirits?”

“And you…” He patted the coffin, “Are the uncrowned king of Daehan, a land mass that sits across 220,000 square kilometers. In life, you were the head of a cult, and in death, your legacy continues to spread in the country in turmoil. The Church of Spirit World continues to grow from strength to strength…”

Silence.

“Number 7. Extreme evil. You’re known as the Spirit of Mutilated Corpses, or alternatively the Odious Spirit of Filth. Ignore the terrible name you’ve been given. The international rules are written by the ones in power. In particular, the list of 50 special Yin spirits are specifically published by the Cathayan Underworld, also known as Hell. You should feel honored that you’re ranked 7th on this list.”

Boom… A far more terrifying wave of Yin energy erupted like a crashing tidal wave, causing countless spots of netherflames to soar throughout the massive cavern like dancing swallows. The coffin rattled softly in the wake of the powerful blast.

Rather… they were the living dead!

“Besides, I’m here as well.” Copious amounts of Yin energy were now pouring out from every pore of his body, allowing Rumyantsev to slowly drift up into the sky. At once, the netherflames dancing in the sky began to swirl about him, transforming into a terrifying white flaming vortex.

“Furthermore, you’ve also got the support of our strongest darkfeathers, the souls of deceased KGB agents, one of the most prestigious spy organizations of modern day society! We have five ‘swallows’ and five ‘crows’. As far as the Cathayan Emissary is concerned… I’ve given him some latitude on account for his backing. But if he dares set foot in this place… then don’t blame me for erasing him off the surface of this world. Nobody would know what happened to him!”

He glanced at the coffin, “Then you can count yourself lucky…”

The entire cavern went silent instantly.

…………………………………………..

As far as they could see, everything had been abandoned. The desolate winds sent dust and debris scattering everywhere. They couldn’t see any of the living dead in sight, but wherever they went, they couldn’t help but sense countless gazes landing upon them, scrutinizing their every movement.

They were already at the edge of the Geumjeong District. According to Lee Jung-sook’s intelligence, the outbreak of the living dead was first spotted in Gijang County. There were two high speed rails in Pusan. One ran from Buk District into Gyeongsangnam Province, while the other one ran from Gijang County into Gyeongsangbuk Province. The Train to Pusan occurred on the latter line.

“Brother Qin.” Wang Chenghao asked as they continued speeding along the highway, “Why aren’t we going to Gonjiam Asylum instead? Didn’t you say ‘the faster, the better’?”

“Yes.” Oda Nobutada nodded, and then chose his words carefully, “One Tail--…”

Oda Nobutada coughed lightly, “Mr Wang, have you ever wondered how so many living dead have been transported to and from Pusan without alerting anyone?”

Wang Chenghao pondered for a moment, “Are you suggesting--...”

Oda Nobutada promptly cut him off, “Chances are that there’s another direct route that connects Pusan to the Gonjiam Asylum, and this line would only be accessible from Gijang County. In fact… it’s probably quicker to take this route than to go by rail!”