Afterlife Department

Huo Ling clenched the doorknob tight after he heard what Hao Baiyun said. Then, he soundlessly returned to his bed and pulled the quilt over his head, attempting to sleep. Yet, who is he deceiving? Himself. He can't sleep, especially after he heard what Hao Baiyun said about Yi Bing becoming Liu Lingling to accompany him in this life before Yi Bing would take his soul away when the day of his death arrives.

From what Hao Baiyun said earlier, he learned that his mother became missing when she was young. She was likely abducted. And, no matter how much they search for her, they can't find her. So, they never knew that she had a child – Huo Ling. They didn't even know who was the father of her child.

From Yi Bing's narration earlier in the coffee shop, Huo Ling's biological father was Harry Walter – the last patriarch of the Walter family, the famous family of the hunters. But, due to marrying within the family to preserve the purity of blood of the descendants, the Walter family declined. And with so much blood in their hands, they contracted in incurable illness.

This was also the reason why Harry Walter and his lover, Jiang Ce, their love story ended in a tragedy, especially when Harry Walter deliberately provoked Jiang Ce and hurt him, so that the other would hate him forever, and would be less hurt when he dies due to his illness that he hid from him.

"Where is Jiang Ce now?" Huo Ling asked as he sat up on the bed.

Jiang Ce can be counted as his uncle, since Jiang Ce took care of Harry Jackson, Harry Walter's clone, which was the father that Huo Ling recognized in this life.

"Overseas." A deep voice answered. It was Yi Bing, who is currently standing before him.

Huo Ling didn't look at him and just maintained with him lowering his head. He doesn't want to look at Yi Bing right now.

"I will ask Hao Baiyun to take me to see my mother's grave tomorrow." He spoke. "As for my father's grave… I will go see Jiang Ce so that we can go together to see 'him'." he said. He is referring to his biological father, Harry Walter.

"En." Yi Bing answered. He didn't do or say anything else and just resumed staring at the top of Huo Ling's head.

Silence fell upon them.

"Do you hate me?" Yi Bing asked after a while. After all, it was him who made Huo Ling a grim reaper, thus being forgotten by his family in every world.

"Will you take me to see my family in the other worlds?" Huo Ling quietly asked.

"If that is what you wish, I will take you." Yi Bing answered as he knelt before Huo Ling.

"Then, I won't hate you." Huo Ling said as he lowered his head.

Liar. Yi Bing thought, but he didn't say anything and just stared at Huo Ling. Then, he raised his hand to touch Huo Ling's cheek. "… Huo Ling." he called as he took a deep breath.

Huo Ling's cheeks are wet.

"I am sorry." Yi Bing said with a hoarse voice. His fingers touching Huo Ling's cheeks and wiping his tears trembled as his hand froze. He doesn't dare touch Huo Ling, because he is afraid that he will loathe him.

For the first time, Yi Bing knows the feeling of fear. Because he started to care, and cared for that person's thoughts and feelings. So, he doesn't dare to be careless towards Huo Ling, even if, right now, he badly wanted to kill him to comfort him, and not make him cry again.

He feels remorse, and regret, because it was him who made Huo Ling end up like this – a grim reaper and being forgotten by his family.

Yi Bing heaved a sigh as he suppresses his impulse to kiss the other because he feels his heart aches as he looks at Huo Ling crying, or even just looking sad or disappointed. But, naturally, he can't kiss Huo Ling, no matter how he wanted to right now. Their relationship still hasn't progressed that far, not to mention that Huo Ling hates him right now. So, he can only hug Huo Ling to comfort him.

Huo Ling, on the other hand, finally can't hold back a sob. "It was you… it was you who said that grim reapers can't have emotions towards anyone or anything… towards everything!" he said and finally raised his head to look at Yi Bing.

Yi Bing's lips quivered and felt his heart being stabbed then twisted by a knife when he saw Huo Ling's eyes are red and tears, once again, streamed down his fair cheeks.

"Grim reapers can't have emotions, especially towards their assignments!" Huo Ling continued. "Because if they did, then their task would be in jeopardy… they might not be able to reap their assignment's soul and ferry them to their reincarnation." He said as he took deep breaths. "Because of their sympathy, they would let their assignment live longer, which would violate the rules!" he closed his eyes tight.

Yi Bing didn't say anything and just let him speak.

"Yes… you didn't change my death day." Huo Ling continued. "But, why did you have to act as my neighbor and lie to me!" he said as he pushed Yi Bing.

Even though Hao Baiyun didn't know anything about this 'Liu Lingling', but Huo Ling could feel his emotions being shaken every tim he heard this name. How can he not guess it? He knows himself well. He fell in love with Liu Lingling!

"You deceived me… you are a liar!" Huo Ling shouted as he pushed Yi Bing hard.

Yi Bing didn't fight back and just let Huo Ling push him. Thus, he fell on the floor on his back. "I…" he finally found his voice.

He heard his communicator beep-ed and a message popped out.

3257: Yi Bing! Sha Jiu went to complain… ehem, went to report to us, and then later to Shen Sheng, together with Gu Shi, that Huo Ling's emotions is unstable! This is the first time this happened! What the hell is wrong with him?! What did you do?!

With so many exclamation points, Yi Bing could guess how much Di San is panicking right now. But, Yi Bing doesn't care and he ignored the message.

"I… did that because you would have died earlier if I didn't do anything." Yi Bing said.

"What do you mean?" Huo Ling asked.

Yi Bing stared at the ceiling for a long time before he took a deep breath. "You should know that your mother, Hao Ning, is the strongest nine-tailed fox because she, like you are right now, was untainted and thus had the purest body and power." He said. "So, she was later successfully abducted. I thought that she wouldn't die, because she will have you later, yet, things didn't go the way I thought it would." He sighed.

Huo Ling is silent.

"You can ask San Di… I mean, Di San about this later." Yi Bing said and closed his eyes. "A Soul Fragment appeared in this world. It is unexpected, yet also expected, since this is a Special World after all." He said. "This world is rich in energy." He added.

"A Soul Fragment…" Huo Ling frowned as his brows knitted.

Yi Bing knows that Huo Ling already knows what a Soul Fragment is. "That Soul Fragment appeared, and it was slightly aggressive. It changed the environment." He continued. "Hao Ning, your mother, was about to die… I had to interfere and save her." He told him.

Huo Ling was shocked. If Hao Ning died, then Huo Ling wouldn't be able to reincarnate in this world. Not only Yi Bing's task will be disrupted, but Huo Ling's reincarnation cycle, too… he subconsciously shivered. "What will be the consequence if my reincarnation cycle was disrupted?" he quietly asked.

"If not serious, then you will just miss a lifetime and will be given another lifetime later to suffice your reincarnation cycle with nine lifetimes." Yi Bing answered.

"And if it was too serious?" Huo Ling asked as he held his breath.

"You will not be given a new lifetime to suffice this reincarnation cycle, and your reincarnation cycles would forever remain incomplete." Yi Bing answered.

Huo Ling sharply inhaled as his blood became cold. He has read in the library of the City of the Dead what would happen if someone has an incomplete reincarnation cycle. As to why it was in the library of the City of the Dead and not in the library of the Afterlife Department, he doesn't care since he isn't interested in intrigues.

If a soul would miss a lifetime, thus his reincarnation cycle would be incomplete, then, his lifetime after that lifetime he missed, he would have an illness or become crippled, making him an 'incomplete' person. Worse, he would have a serious or incurable illness, or that he would die.

In short, he would be short-lived in his next lifetime.

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