Thud! 9.12 a.m. Qin Ye stood in front of a dilapidated house with a nethergale swirling around his body.
This was the outskirts of the city, Sunward Village.
It was surrounded by a small, high-rise neighbourhood, which was also one of the best neighbourhoods in Sunward Village.
This was the only place that was built with prefabricated boards and bricks.
It occupied a considerable area, with one bedroom and two living rooms.
The brick house was located in the deepest part of Sunward Village. He had long heard of it.
Eight years ago, a couple and their daughter lived here. They had already given up hope and were just muddling through life. Then, they were suddenly notified that this place was about to be demolished.
The overjoyed family immediately offered a price of 20 million RMB that the real estate company wouldn't even dare to dream of!
This wasn't Shanghai, nor was it the imperial capital. It was merely a third-tier city in Insignia Province.
Naturally, the real estate company wouldn't agree to it. Thus, the family remained rooted to the spot.
Half a year later, the real estate company failed to come to fruition, and in a fit of rage, they tore down everything in the vicinity, leaving only this family in place.
Hearing the rumbling of the construction site every day, the envious family immediately regretted their decision to move into a new house.
They began to apply for demolition.
But the real estate company had already revised their plans. How could they possibly be bothered with them?
Thus, a month later, the family of three sat at the entrance of the construction site with a bottle of pesticide in their hands.
After another unsuccessful application, they drank the pesticide.
They threatened the real estate company with death.
They didn't drink much, probably because they wanted to be sent to the hospital in time to preserve their lives. Unfortunately, they couldn't save them.
In the end, they couldn't save them.
This brick house with a seal stuck on it had been standing there for a long time.
"On what basis did you become vengeful apparitions?" Qin Ye sneered and kicked the door open.
Boom!!
The broken wooden door flew straight into the house, and the demonhead saber in Qin Ye's hand was already drawn.
The demonhead saber was already covered with green flames, and the edge of the blade was beginning to become uneven, almost as though a saw were about to emerge from it.
However, the ferocious ghost slamming on the door didn't appear. Or rather … nobody was looking at him at all.
The house was dark, and there was only an old oil lamp.
Three Yin spirits were squatting on the ground next to the oil lamp. They looked exactly the same as before, and they were dressed shabbily.
But there was a large pile of items right in the middle of them.
There were joss sticks and candles, human bones dug out from the ground, fragments of coffins, and burnt paper money …
The three Yin spirits stared at each other, clutching tightly onto a large stack of tattered underworld coins in their hands. They turned a deaf ear to the entrance of the Emissary of Hell.
Instead, he was incomparably wary of the other two Yin spirits.
A family.
A nest of ghosts.
He loved money as much as his life.
Qin Ye sighed wistfully, "Digging up the graves of the dead to be buried with you … You're so greedy that you can't even let go of your greed as a ghost … Allow me to send you on your way."
Before he could finish his words, he swung his saber.
The girl's spiritual body screamed as it dissipated.
However, her parents didn't even look at her. Instead, at the same time, both sides roared crazily and pounced at each other.
They bit and tore at each other as if they were enemies who had killed their father.
Qin Ye clicked his tongue and swung his saber a second time in disgust.
Shua!
Paper money flew all over the ground.
Like an alarm bell, the two vengeful spirits that were tearing at each other instantly quietened down.
A split second later, they turned their heads in unison and stared at Qin Ye. Their eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and with a shrill howl, they opened their mouths wide in disbelief and lunged straight at Qin Ye.
"My... money!!!"
… …
Beep beep beep … 9.20 p.m. Zhang Chenghai and the other men in white lab coats stared at the screen in front of the city hall, completely speechless.
The tenth hunting zone had been breached!
"This is … unbelievable!"
One of the men in white lab coats gasped and adjusted his glasses, "Is he … trying to breach all of the hunting zones?"
Zhang Chenghai's eyes gleamed brightly. Seconds later, he yelled at the top of his voice, "Where is he?
Has anyone managed to get in touch with him?! "
The nun shook her head, "No. He's moving very quickly, and he's even deliberately avoiding us.
That said, the number of hunting zones is growing smaller and smaller. If he's really trying to break through to the Soul Hunter realm tonight, all we have to do is wait for him in the last few hunting zones! "
"You go personally."
Zhang Chenghai drew a deep breath and suppressed the ecstasy in his heart as he continued, "You must invite him to join the Special Investigations Department. The speed at which he's killing seems to be almost non-stop.
He's definitely not far from attaining the Soul Hunter realm! "
"Furthermore …" He stared intently at the screen, "Pay attention to the movements of the Yin spirits … There must be a leader in the City of Salvation, and all of the Yin spirits are under his command.
I refuse to believe that he would remain indifferent after I've slain three vengeful apparitions in a row! "
The nun nodded and was just about to leave when a bell suddenly chimed.
Everyone froze. Following that, the map of the City of Salvation on the large screen in the center of the room rippled and vanished, only to be replaced by an old man dressed in a black cloak. His cheeks were sunken, and his eyes were purplish. He looked almost as though he had just crawled out of a coffin.
"Greetings, Lord Inspector." Zhang Chenghai bowed deeply.
The old man chuckled sinisterly, "Kid … there's no need … I've heard that there's some trouble in the City of Salvation?"
"That's right, Sir. There's a large-scale uprising of Yin spirits in the City of Salvation.
I've already given the order … to win this battle at all costs! "
"Good decision." The old man snorted coldly, "I'll be there within the hour.
I'd like to see … if this elusive leader dares to behave atrociously right under my nose!! "
If the Special Investigations Department was shocked, then the Orchid Clubhouse, Cao Youdao's lair, was a place beneath Insignia University.
He didn't drink anymore.
The red wine was right beside him, yet it didn't budge at all.
"How did he do it?!"
"That's impossible … The system of power used by Emissaries of Hell is completely different from that of the mortal realm!
Why did the mortal realm turn a blind eye to it?! "
He had always thought of himself as a lucky man.
The vast expanse of Hell, the billions of Yin spirits, and the high and mighty Abyssal Prefects had all followed Ksitigarbha to the heavens.
The Infernal Judges had also followed suit.
Naturally, Senior Hellguards had no grounds to refuse.
Needless to say, there were as many Soul Hunters as there were hairs on a cow's back.
He was the only one who had stayed behind.
He had always believed that this was the will of the heavens.
The will of the heavens had ordered him to rebuild Hell.
Therefore, he had always been searching for his own Emissaries of Hell, as well as civil servants of the new Hell.
These vengeful spirits, for instance, were all things that he had painstakingly nurtured.
He had started off by feeding them blood and flesh, and refraining from laying a hand on the citizens of the City of Salvation. In exchange, Zhang Chenghai had come to a tacit compromise, and the ten hunting zones had finally been established.
But now, three hunting zones had vanished in the span of three hours!
Decades of hard work had been reduced to ashes!
"You … you're courting death!"
Boom!!
A nethergale billowed around his body, and his Hell's Emissary roared as he transformed into a gust of nethergale and rushed out.
If I don't kill this little bastard with my own hands, I'll never be able to quell the hatred in my heart!
But halfway through his flight, he suddenly stopped abruptly, and then bellowed with rage, "Damn it!!!"
His sword swept backwards, and the entire Orchid Clubhouse roared. The expensive dance floor, the top-notch sound system, and the custom-made chairs were instantly shattered into pieces!
He suddenly thought of a problem.
"The fact that the mortal realm is turning a blind eye to this means that … that little bastard is wearing a treasure of Hell that's concealing his aura!"
I can't move …
If I were to personally go after him, not to mention that my opponent is an Emissary of Hell who has also survived the great collapse of Hell, and one who possesses a treasure of Hell …
If I can't kill him with a single strike, then the mortal realm will be able to record my appearance. My hundred years of hard work will go down the drain!
"As a civil servant of Hell … how dare you sneak into the ranks of the mortal realm and drag out an ignoble existence … What a disgrace!!"
His hands trembled as he gnashed his teeth, "Pass down my orders … all Yin spirits … immediately surround the remaining hunting zones!
As soon as they're discovered … "
He drew a deep breath and hissed through gritted teeth, "Kill them at all costs!!"
Qin Ye couldn't hear Cao Youdao's rage at all.
At 10.40 a.m., Qin Ye kicked open the door to the rooftop, which was covered with bloodstains and scratches, and was locked up by chains.
The demonhead saber strapped to his back was already more than a meter long.
The scabbard of the saber had turned dark and gloomy, and the seven stars of the Big Dipper were engraved on its surface.
The sky above the rooftop was bathed in moonlight.
The ground was covered with bloodstains that had been left behind for countless years.
The railings of the rooftop were covered with talismans.
They were hung by a series of red strings.
In this space that looked like a funeral hall, a small figure was curled up into a ball, squatting on the edge of the rooftop. Even when the door opened, it did not turn its head.
Clatter, clatter, clatter … Qin Ye tore off his Ultraman mask and dragged his scabbard across the ground like a butcher. The scabbard scraped against the ground with a harsh, metallic sound.
Then, the door slammed shut.
The child who had his back to Qin Ye finally moved.
Whoosh … The night breeze blew by, and the talismans on the rooftop fluttered softly, carrying with it the faint voice of a child, "Want to play with me?"
"Sure." Qin Ye smiled and pulled out his scabbard, "Let big brother play with you with some toys …"
"Want to play with me?" This was the only thing the child could say.
"What's the hurry?" Qin Ye dragged his scabbard and rushed forward, swinging it through the air with a whistling sound.
Just as he was about three meters away from the child, the child suddenly raised his head.
His mouth was already split open from ear to ear, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth that were at least half a meter wide. Then, he roared and rushed towards Qin Ye!
"Roar!!
... Ah … ha … a … a … a misunderstanding … it's all a misunderstanding … "
The vengeful apparition looked extremely terrifying.
However, what greeted him was an even more horrifying demonhead saber.
The blade of the saber was massive and deep. The blade had already turned serrated, and the back of the saber was inlaid with three rings.
But upon closer inspection, one would realize that the rings weren't physical objects at all.
They were … souls!
All of the vengeful apparitions that had been killed by the child had been transformed into rings and embedded into the blade of the saber. Under the roasting of Hell's netherflames, they howled in anguish.
Even those who stood close to Qin Ye would be able to hear the heart-wrenching screams.
Right now, the saber was flying straight towards the child's head.
"Hmm?"
Qin Ye raised his eyebrows and pressed the saber down a notch. Green flames immediately spread across the child's body, and the child screamed at the top of his lungs. However, he remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to get up.
He spoke with a hoarse voice, "M-my Lord … this is … a misunderstanding … I-I was just … too excited when I saw it …"
"You're a quick coward, aren't you?" Qin Ye smiled insincerely. A split second later, the saber came crashing down!
"How dare a support like you scare a carry like me?
Aren't you being a little too arrogant? "
SSS!!!
With a shrill scream, the child's spiritual body instantly dissipated. The Yin energy on the demonhead saber surged wildly, and the proof of Hell's Emissary flew out from his chest like a snake.
"Purged one vengeful apparition. Merit points awarded: 20."
"Current merit points: 100. 100 points away from becoming a Soul Hunter."