The house was very quiet. Time slowly passed by 2: 30.
Qin Ye didn't say a word. Instead, he simply furrowed his brows as he mulled over the matter.
Arthis didn't give him the slightest bit of face. Even now, his face was still burning with anger.
"Just wait until I'm done with Cao Youdao. If I don't hang you up and beat you up, I'll write my name backwards!!"
"Who is Cao Youdao?" Wang Chenghao asked cautiously.
Qin Ye's murderous gaze swept across Wang Chenghao, and Wang Chenghao immediately shrank back like a quail.
Qin Ye glanced at him several times, and the fury in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
His entire body was burning with the flames of humiliation … Should he vent his anger appropriately?
The man with the surname Wang was called Cheng Haozhe. Why did this height and short look so easy to handle …
"... Brother Qin … Why are your hands making noises?
Why are you standing up … Sit down … Let's talk properly … "
After taking several deep breaths, Qin Ye finally sat back down and gnashed his teeth, "Cao Youdao … he's a bastard who deserves to be sliced into a thousand pieces!!"
He lit a cigarette and took a deep puff. Amidst the lingering smoke, he began to think quickly.
It was useless to get angry at a weakness. That was a sign of not being able to control oneself.
Shortcomings are to be corrected, not to be escaped.
"Look down on me?
Sooner or later, I'll use you as my toilet! "The cigarette holder was almost flattened by his bite. His mind was rapidly analyzing the situation tonight.
If Arthis didn't say that tonight was a dead end, then there must be a solution!
But … how to solve it?
He tapped the space between his eyebrows with one hand and tapped the table in front of him with the other.
According to Arthis, Qin Ye would have to change his train of thought.
From ensuring his own safety to … how to kill Cao Youdao!
"The most basic requirement for me to kill him is that I have to reach the level of a Soul Hunter."
"No … merely attaining the Hunter-class isn't enough.
He had been in charge of the City of Salvation for nearly a hundred years. How many Yin spirits had there been over the past hundred years?
A few thousand?
Tens of thousands?
Or … a hundred thousand? "
"As long as we protect him, no one can get close to him."
He answered his own question, and a wisp of Yin energy emanated from his finger as he began to write, "The second condition … opportunity."
"I need a chance to get close to him when he's alone in his lair!"
His Yin energy had taken the form of words, and there were now several lines of words written on the table in front of him - Search the entire city. Opportunity. Strength.
Just as the last word left his mouth, he suddenly froze.
He stared at those words for a few seconds before he stood up with a slightly flushed face. His chest was heaving up and down.
"So that's how it is …" He took a deep breath, and his gaze burned brightly. "Contradictory … This is contradictory!
This opportunity … was right in front of us from the very beginning! "
Wang Chenghao couldn't help but ask, "Brother Qin, what opportunity?
I think I understand now. Someone very powerful is looking for you, right?
Does he still have many Yin spirits under his command? "
Qin Ye didn't respond. Instead, a flash of inspiration flashed across his mind, and he felt as though he were about to grasp onto something. Yet, he was still a hair's breadth away.
On the contrary … if Cao Youdao were to find him, he wouldn't let go of every nook and cranny of the City of Salvation!
How many Yin spirits would that require?
After all, he's already mobilized the hundred-year-old Yin spirits of the City of Salvation … How many people are left in his lair?
"If … if I possessed the strength of a Hunter-class expert …" His fingers paused, and his eyes flickered.
Danger always came hand in hand with opportunity. The moment Cao Youdao released all of his Yin spirits would be the moment he was at his weakest!
He had crossed swords with Qin Ye before, and he knew full well that as long as Qin Ye dared to come, he would never be able to return!
But this was an Emissary of Hell, Qin Ye.
What if … it was a Hunter-class Qin Ye?
Qin Ye clenched his fists tightly. Unfortunately, the problem was back to square one. He was still 180 merit points away from becoming a Hunter-class expert. Vengeful spirits were rare, and it would take him at least half a year to accumulate enough merit points.
"No …" He stared blankly at the ceiling. Then, he abruptly grabbed the soul sphere and gritted his teeth, "You've already thought of this, haven't you?!!"
No response.
"Play dead!"
Qin Ye placed the soul sphere back and sighed softly, "That's right … other times, it would take at least half a year. But tonight … the entire city is abuzz with supernatural incidents!
There's bound to be plenty of vengeful spirits! "
"As long as I dare … tonight … is truly the best opportunity to break through to the Soul Hunter realm!"
"Cough cough …" Arthis' feeble voice rang out once more, "That's more like an Emissary of Hell. But … cough cough … do you think that Cao Youdao wouldn't have thought of taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rack up merit points?"
Qin Ye paused for a moment and furrowed his brows.
That's right … Cao Youdao is also an Emissary of Hell. Wouldn't he have thought of this as well? As soon as he released a large number of Yin spirits, wouldn't he be allowing himself to rack up merit points to break through to the Soul Hunter realm?
"Newbie …" Arthis' voice softened somewhat, "You're really … too new … so new that I can't even bring myself to attack you any further …"
Qin Ye's expression darkened. I've already asked you with sincerity and sincerity, so can't you just be merciful and tell me?
I know that I'm new, but can't you at least give me some time to adapt?
Arthis was naturally unaware of his thoughts. She gasped for several seconds before finally responding, "Why didn't Cao Youdao think of this? Or rather … why isn't he afraid that you'll rack up merit points?
It's because you've missed a crucial point … "
"Cough cough … and that is … if the shard of King Yanluo's Seal was in Cao Youdao's possession, the two of you would have already … cough cough cough … seen each other …"
"But … why can't you see him?"
"Why … did he only discover you because he was monitoring Zhang Baoguo?"
Boom!
Qin Ye's mind exploded like a clap of thunder. He gasped in disbelief, "That pit … wasn't the shard of King Yanluo's Seal?"
"It wasn't!"
Arthis responded resolutely, "The treasures of Hell aren't limited to the three most precious treasures in Hell … cough cough … Some items have been in the possession of a Yama-class entity for a long period of time, and they've also reached a terrifying level of power …"
"Combined with his previous conversation with you, if my guess is correct … the shard of King Yanluo's Seal in that pit … isn't the shard of King Yanluo's Seal at all. Rather, it's the famous … cough cough … Hell's Records!"
"It's a record of all Hell's Emissaries!
Official position, place of duty, and merit points!
As long as you achieve the corresponding merit points, and then … cough cough … write your name on Hell's Records … you'll be promoted to the next official position! "
"Therefore … cough cough … in his eyes, he's the only one who can be promoted. It doesn't matter how many vengeful apparitions you kill!
This is also the reason why he dares to send out his Yin spirits to search for you.
Humans can't see him, and you're the only one who can see him, but you're far from being a match for him. He's confident that he's as safe as Mount Tai … but he would never have guessed that his confidence would be the only opportunity he's giving you! "
Hell's Records!
Qin Ye's eyes gleamed brightly, and he placed his hand on his chest and pulled gently. A proof of identity as an Emissary of Hell appeared in front of him, "So … he's never even dreamed that … I'm a genuine Emissary of Hell?"
"Therefore … he's always thought that … I'm just like him, and that I've only managed to survive because of the precious treasure of Hell.
Doesn't he know that I'm holding the last proof of identity as an Emissary of Hell?
That I can automatically be promoted? "
Arthis' voice was like a flickering candle in the wind, "Don't be fooled by his confidence … cough cough … he's not the genuine Emissary of Hell. All of the names in Hell's Records should have perished together with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's ascension … Emissaries of Hell aren't recorded in Hell's Records. Only Soul Hunters and above are qualified to record their names in Hell's Records. Hell's Records must be completely blank right now, and only you … are qualified to record your own name …"
"He … isn't an Emissary of Hell. He's an evil ghost filled with ambition!"
So that's how it is!
The door in Qin Ye's mind was finally fully opened!
I get it … there's a solution … there's a solution!
"I get it."
Qin Ye shut his eyes and drew a deep breath, "Now that I've got both the opportunity and the strength … there's only one problem left."
"Time!"
"As soon as he sees me, he'll have enough time to summon his Yin spirit back … Even if I become a Soul Hunter, there's no way I'll be able to deal with another Soul Hunter and thousands upon thousands of Yin spirits at once.
I'll need a helper to help me stall him.
This helper needs to be strong enough … to give him enough pressure, to be able to stall him until I become a Soul Hunter, and to create a window of time for me … No matter how I think about it … there's only one person who can do it … "
Wang Chenghao finally couldn't hold it in any longer and blinked, "Who?"
Qin Ye opened his eyes and enunciated each word clearly, "Special!
Don't!
Tweak!
Investigate!
Tweak! "
"What?!" Wang Chenghao nearly jumped up in fright, "Brother Qin!
Y-you're crazy!
W-given our identities, we're going to be subjected to all sorts of instruments as soon as we get in! "
"You're wrong."
Qin Ye stared at the words on the table with a complicated expression on his face. Sometimes, it's just a matter of escaping from your fixed instincts.
Rather, it's a dangerous single-log bridge.
Even though it's dangerous, it's the only way to cross the abyss.
"Truth be told, everything has already been revealed to us from the very beginning."
He sighed and continued, "Tonight, if Cao Youdao were to conduct a massive search of the entire city and mobilize the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of Yin spirits under his command … the backlash from the mortal realm would only be stronger than his!"
"Don't underestimate this department. I'd initially thought that I'd seen through them, but the more I look at them, the more unfathomable they seem … I'm not asking for their help. Rather … they're already helping us!"
"Yin and Yang are natural opposites.
But now … "He chuckled," I'm afraid that Cao Youdao would also like to take advantage of tonight's opportunity to probe the depths of the Special Investigations Department's abilities.
Killing two birds with one stone. Why not? "
Wang Chenghao more or less understood what was going on, "You're saying that tonight … the Special Investigations Department and that … Cao Youdao?
They're going to confront him head-on?
And the Special Investigations Department … is going to be our greatest helper? "
Qin Ye nodded his head deeply. This is the first time … The City of Salvation is probably going to be the first bridgehead for the confrontation between the mortal realm and the netherworld.
The rift between the mortal realm and the netherworld … could very well be opened here tonight!
What should the government do in the future?
As soon as Cao Youdao makes his move, the consequences would be far more severe than what happened in Clear Creek County!
Clear Creek County could still be attributed to the supernatural phenomenon. But the City of Salvation … could only be attributed to the remnants of Hell declaring their sovereignty over the mortal realm!
Who would be able to tolerate that?
Who would be able to tolerate that?
Afterwards … no, tonight, I'm afraid that reinforcements from the Insignia Province and other cities would converge on the City of Salvation. In fact … there might even be Hellguard-class investigators among them!
That said, now wasn't the time to be thinking about the aftermath.
"Cao Youdao … you're just taking advantage of the fact that nobody can see you and your ego is growing …" Qin Ye stood by the window and stared at the darkening sky as he chuckled coldly, "Then … tonight … I'll give you a huge gift …"
"A gift that you'll never forget."