Chapter 383

Arthis froze.

That’s right… where is the danger supposed to come from?

So long as he’s of the same rank as the evil ghost he’s facing, he’s technically supposed to be able to instakill them. So why would the Arya Sense still reveal the presence of a life-threatening danger? And… why would Lord Ksitigarbha personally appear to warn him about what lies ahead?

“First, tell me how you knew that only Yin spirits up to the rank of Infernal Judges would be banished to Limbo in the first place. I don’t recall ever telling you these things.” Arthis queried.

Qin Ye snorted, “It’s simple. It’s because I’m a coward who is filled with fear! What if I die out there? Who’s going to take care of all of these Yin spirits in Hell who are relying on me? Of course I would have to estimate the strength of what I might be facing up against. From there, I thought of the second King Yanluo of Hell.”

“... To think you could even make cowardice and fear sound so justifiable and outstanding. Just don’t get ahead of yourself… I’m already used to your antics by now. Go on, then… you were just saying something about the second King Yanluo of Hell.”

Qin Ye nodded, “Think about it, if I were the second King Yanluo of Hell, and an Abyssal Prefect transgresses against me, would I really think to banish him to Limbo? That would only make his life slightly harder than it normally is, wouldn’t it?”

“If I could have it my way, I would definitely ensure that they are afflicted with the sky lantern punishment until their entire soul crumbles. The harsher the punishment, the more it would achieve the effects of general deterrence. Given how decisive and merciless the second King Yanluo of Hell is, do you think he would be willing to allow these wrongdoers to get away with life that is just a little bit worse for wear?”

Arthis thought about it for a moment, before shuddering slightly, “That would be impossible.”

Qin Ye nodded gravely, “Exactly. An Abyssal Prefect is already among the upper grade Emissaries of Hell. Anything higher would already be a Yama-King. There were billions and billions of Yin spirits in old Hell, and only a few hundred Abyssal Prefects at that. You could even go so far as to say it would be irresponsible to the rest of the Yin spirits in Hell if one were to exile such powerful entities to Limbo. Thus… the exiles in Limbo are all Infernal Judges at best.”

With that, the two immediately grew silent.

Ksitigarbha’s warning and Arya Sense’s caution were undoubtedly both pointing towards the rift in Limbo. Unfortunately, it had just occurred to them that what they had deduced did nothing more than scratch the surface of this Pandora’s Box.

What remained hidden within Valley County was still shrouded in mystery.

“I have a feeling…” Qin Ye gazed deeply at the ceiling, “That when Lord Ksitigarbha told me that the answer holds the key to my next course of action, he might not have been referring specifically to the eastbound expedition, because…”

“He might have been referring to everything!”

“Including the restoration of Hell!”

“It’s pointless to speculate.” Arthis sighed wistfully, “We’d be none the wiser unless we take a look for ourselves. If something truly terrifying appears… then we might have no choice but to awaken the Harken.”

Qin Ye sighed. That’s right… speculations are useless. I’ll only know when we test these theories proper… But what the hell is the answer supposed to be?! I’m going out on a limb over here!

It involves the warning of Ksitigarbha and Arthis’ Arya Sense! How great is this danger supposed to be?

There’s a LeBlanc lying hidden in the fog of war, waiting to strike at this unsuspecting Teemo! [1]

It’s great that we’re putting our theories to the test, but the fact that I’m involved in the testing… makes it far more distasteful than it should be… Qin Ye’s expressions soured slightly, before he coughed lightly with a suggestion, “About that… is there any possibility that you might be willing--...”

“Nope. No way. Get lost!” Arthis immediately shut Qin Ye down, before sighing softly, “It’s not that it’s impossible, it’s just that the Arya Sense was used on your body specifically, meaning that the outcome would be different if others went instead of you. You can choose not to go, or even reroute to a different location. That way, you would almost certainly avert the dangers that lay ahead. But… it also means we’ll never uncover the answers that lay hidden within Valley County.”

“Have you ever thought about the implication if your hunch were true? If the answers are going to affect everything moving forward, including the restoration of Hell to its former glory, then it’s definitely worth investigating and uncovering these hidden clues! This is a huge door of opportunity! Are we going to skirt around it and only regret our decision when disaster strikes?”

Qin Ye sighed.

I’d thought that I only needed to play a supporting role, only to realize that fate has forced me to become a tank. I hate this kind of feeling the most… [2]

…………………………………………………

Valley County, county hall.

It was now 7.00 p.m., and the building was brightly lit.

Just like New Hale City, Valley County had also established their military encampments around their county hall. Notwithstanding the fact that it was well past the time of the public broadcasts of warnings about the supernatural, the county hall’s location ensured that everyone within was absolutely safe.

Zeng Shuai stared blankly at the darkening skies outside. Today was the day of the lantern festival. It was still spring, and the skies naturally darkened early in the day. It was only slightly over seven in the evening, and yet the entire place already had to be illuminated by electric lights.

“Old Zeng.” Just then, someone pushed on the doors, and a worn-out man emanating faint traces of true energy walked over and handed Zeng Shuai a warm thermos, “It’s chicken porridge. Have some food.”

Zeng Shuai chuckled bitterly as he glanced placidly at the thermos, “How can I eat--...”

“You have to eat even if you don’t want to.” The old man sat on the bed and lit up a cigarette,