Chapter 105: Techniques of the Underworld

Qin Ye was lost in thought, whispering to the tap beside him, "Do you know what the perks of having a high Faculty Score are?"

He hadn't really expected Lin Han to know, just asking offhandedly. However, Lin Han nodded and whispered back, "I’ve heard that if your Faculty Score is above 90, you’re rated as an Outstanding Mentor. Each department only has one Professor, one Associate Professor, and one Senior Associate Professor. Only Outstanding Mentors are qualified to vie for a professorship."

"And every Professor gets a discount when exchanging Yin Spirit Stones. I’m not sure of the exact figures, but they say Outstanding Mentors get a ten percent discount."

Qin Ye took a deep breath.

Ten percent off... if that’s for an Associate or Senior Associate Professor... wouldn't it be thirty percent off? And a Professor gets an inhuman forty percent off?!

This... this is just tempting me to become the Alpha, isn't it? Is this really okay?

The husky glanced around the pack of wolves, secretly extending his claws.

Arsaces pecked viciously at his neck. "It’s a ten percent discount! Ten percent! Is there any other path for you besides becoming the God of Teaching? Try to empty out their treasure vaults before you leave the Special Investigations Bureau! You aren't using Yin Spirit Stones yet, but once the land is fully prepared, selling your ass wouldn't be enough to cover the costs!"

Qin "The Husky" Ye suppressed his turbulent emotions and carefully cleared his thoughts.

If he wanted to aim for Outstanding Mentor in the body of a husky, he not only had to clock in on time every day for the next two months, but he also had to secure those forty points hidden somewhere... He was already immensely looking forward to the trip to Daishan City.

While he was lost in contemplation, Lin Han, having finally seen him speak, persisted in leaning over. "...My treat tonight? I went to high school in Daishan. I know a place that sells Huimo cakes and Huangshan sesame cakes; the taste is simply incredible..."

Qin Ye shoved away the man’s big head. "Can’t you think about something with a bit more substance?"

Lin Han blinked, bewildered. "Isn't this just to thank you for helping me secure the top ranking in the Field Combat Department?"

Can you please, for the love of god, stop bringing that up?!

The freezing death ray in Qin Ye’s eyes could have reduced Lin Han to ashes. He gritted his teeth and said, "...Then I really must thank you, right?"

Another hour passed, and the car finally pulled up to the main gate of Anhui University. Students were bustling in and out of the magnificent entrance, and the street was lined with restaurants and hotels—a stark contrast to the quiet branch campus they had left behind.

The handover was smooth, and they were assigned decent dormitory rooms, one single room per person. Qin Ye dropped his luggage; he had no intention of sticking with the troublesome Su Feng squad, so he slipped away from the main group and wandered into the streets of Daishan.

He wasn't generous enough to give pointers to the competition while vying for the title of Outstanding Mentor. Even if the others could figure it out, they’d have to do it themselves. Why would he want to invite more rivals?

Compared to Bao'an City, Daishan City was much more prosperous. As a provincial capital, it was a hub of constant traffic and towering skyscrapers. Each shop told a story of worldly vitality, and every energetic face seemed to be singing praises of this paradise far removed from the supernatural. Qin Ye looked at the city, rising like the morning sun, and couldn't help but feel a sense of peace, almost as if he had found a sanctuary in the human world.

"How many years has it been..." He held a cup of milk tea, standing in a park, watching elderly people strolling leisurely, couples walking their dogs, and retired workers carrying birdcages while reading newspapers. He said with a touch of melancholy, "How many years has it been since I’ve seen a scene this tranquil?"

This was Daishan Central Park. The greenery was lush, with ancient trees casting deep shade. Walking along the leaf-strewn paths, there was a unique sense of quietude. Occasionally, he would see one or two young people with headphones, resting on benches with books in hand, and it felt as if time itself had stood still.

Arsaces stood on his shoulder, the paper crane no larger than a thumb, completely inconspicuous. Qin Ye stepped along the path covered in fallen leaves, the sound rustling underfoot.

"Tell me, when can I retire?"

"In your dreams," Arsaces whispered. "Scenes like this don't belong to you. You belong to blood-red leaves, the chilly winds of Fengdu, and a whole crowd of ghost-subjects who follow you for free meals while plotting how to overthrow you."

...Qin Ye’s pleasant mood vanished instantly.

"I’m asking... do you have some kind of sickness where you’ll die if I’m having a good time?" Qin Ye rubbed his temples in agony. Just thinking about facing that headache-inducing crowd of ghosts tonight made his brain throb.

"I am merely stating facts." Arsaces elegantly pecked at its wing. "In three or four days at most, the Yin spirits sensing the establishment of the Underworld will arrive in droves. If you haven't laid out a plan by then, leaving a group of sentient ghosts with nothing to do... well, they might just go ahead and stage a rebellion for lack of anything better to do."

Qin Ye plopped down onto a bench, his bright mood instantly overcast by dark clouds.

How could he not know this?

Even more frighteningly, if the Yin spirits could sense it, the Three Dao Sovereigns might have as well. For all he knew, there were Yin-Sting troops scouring the country for him right now. If he couldn't even manage his own base of operations, then... hunkering down in Bao'an for the rest of his life would be the best-case scenario. And he’d have to pray that in the future war between Yin and Yang, the Yang world would come out on top.

Oh, right, and there was also the Di Ting beneath his rear end.

Before that creature woke up, if the total Yin energy capacity of the Underworld didn't reach thirty million, he was at risk of being swatted to death at any moment.

Arsaces spoke slowly, "Actually, your coming to Daishan is an opportunity."

"The Underworld is in ruins and waiting to be rebuilt. You’ve thought about how important it is to choose who sits on the chairs, but more importantly, you need construction materials and machinery."

"Bao'an City is under a full lockdown; do you dare buy this equipment there? Where would you put it? How would you explain it? I bet that right now, every move in Bao'an is under the surveillance of the Special Investigations Bureau. How would you explain it to Zhou Xianlong? That man is a Judge, on the same level as me."

Qin Ye let out a long breath, casting aside his inner turmoil, and raised an eyebrow. "You mean..."

"Take advantage of these two months to find suppliers for construction machinery and materials here in Daishan. Establishing a cooperative relationship here is much safer than acting in Bao'an!" Arsaces said in a deep voice. "I remember you still have a million after resolving the issue at Anhui University? You could just ask the old principal while you're here. If that fails, just kill Comrade Wang... and we can compensate him with a chair instead? You'll have the money, and you'll have a Judge of the Dead. I’m sure he won’t blame us... right?"

Qin Ye’s gaze became unfocused as he imagined the beautiful prospects. He suppressed the malice rising in his heart and gulped. "I personally feel... he probably wouldn't be very willing..."

"Weak-willed!" Arsaces scoffed, then added softly, "Why don't you... seduce him? Win his heart and his wealth. It would be wonderful."

Qin Ye stared at Arsaces as if he were looking at a ghost. "Your way of thinking is very avant-garde."

"He’ll be yours sooner or later, even after he dies... I’m telling you, you’re just too indecisive! He’s not bad-looking, he’s tall enough, at least a Grass-rank, and he has a multi-million dollar inheritance. He’s more than enough for you!"

"...Dear, this is a matter of integrity... Don't you think the readers already feel that poor Comrade Wang hit the unluckiest streak in eight lifetimes by meeting me? I have a reputation to maintain too!"

Arsaces wanted to continue, but Qin Ye used his 'interrupt' skill. "Alright, this topic is too creepy. Let's change it... Suppose, just suppose, I had enough money to buy this equipment, how would I bring it back? Would I just incinerate it in Bao'an?"

Arsaces suddenly fell silent.

A few seconds later, it said gloomily, "The 'suppose' you’ve repeated twice... the more I think about it, the less likely that possibility seems... after all, you haven't successfully 'supposed' anything into reality in decades..."

Qin Ye felt his temples throbbing. "Get to the point!"

Arsaces thought for a moment, and then an ancient book appeared in Qin Ye’s hand with a 'poof'.

"This is?" Qin Ye looked at the yellowing ancient book. On it were several bold, flowing black characters.

*Techniques of the Underworld.*

Very simple, very easy to understand.

Qin Ye’s eyes lit up. As expected, the Underworld had its own techniques; otherwise, how could they suppress those Yin spirits? Looking at other web novels, the protagonists all had sets of supernatural powers—Great Wilderness Heaven-Caging Hands, Twelve Transformations of the Stirring Insect, Fighting Saint Techniques, Summoning Wind and Rain, Turning Beans into Soldiers, Shattering Mountains and Splitting Earth...

I ask you, isn't that badass?

I’ve finally reached the stage where I can enter the realm of fantasy...

He opened the first page, and written there were four large characters: *Yin Wind for a Hundred Miles.*

"This name is clearly not reassuring. What idiot came up with this?" Qin Ye was quite dissatisfied. Just by the name, he could tell it was a speed-based technique. It lacked that 'battle the heavens and earth' flair; it didn't look majestic at all.

Any technique that doesn't challenge the heavens or the emperors isn't a good technique!

Arsaces said indifferently, "The 'idiot' you’re talking about is me."

...

Qin Ye wisely chose not to continue that topic and kept reading.

The explanation was simple: Travel a hundred miles a day, as fast as a gust of wind.

Qin Ye turned the page with an expressionless face.

What does this mean?

I am currently facing an unruly army of Yin spirits, and the Di Ting that could wake up at any moment, and you’re telling me that 'running away is the best policy'?

How could someone as gutsy as me do something so humiliating!

Second page: *Heaven and Earth in a Sleeve.*

His eyes lit up again. This time, it was finally reliable.

*Heaven and Earth in a Sleeve*—the name still lacked intimidation, but its origin was definitely prestigious. The explanation was also consistent: anything could be contained within a sleeve. If one’s cultivation was high enough, even a city wouldn't be a problem.

He took a deep breath and continued reading.

*Yin-Slaughtering Sword, Seal of the Underworld Lord, Ten Thousand Ghosts Restraining Souls*... the following techniques were enough to level a region with a single palm. Just as he was reading with a flushed face, feeling incredibly excited, he turned to the last page.

"The above techniques must be performed based on the foundation of the Underworld, so right now, they are all bullshit."

The handwriting was crooked and messy; it was clearly Arsaces’ work.

Qin Ye froze instantly.

A few seconds later, he asked with a twitching lip, "Can you explain what this means?"

"Exactly what it says." The paper crane let out a yawning sound. "I’ve told you many times, the biggest boss in this world is the Heavenly Dao, then the Heavenly Court, and only then come the various rules of the mortal world and the Underworld. Just like cultivation in the mortal world, it relies on certain rules. The techniques of the Underworld are the same. Now that the Underworld doesn't even exist, what techniques are you talking about?"

"But I’ve already established it!"

The paper crane flew over and flipped to one of the pages. "You call that village an Underworld? Fine... let's say it is. Based on the degree of rules that the current Underworld can accommodate, you can probably perform this technique."

Qin Ye glanced at it, his eyes stinging.

Technique: *Telekinesis.*

Range: Three meters.

Limitation: Cannot move objects weighing more than twenty pounds.

What the hell am I supposed to do with this?!