Afterlife Department

Chapter 175 - Knot

Yi Bing suddenly felt something thumping wildly inside his chest. Ah… it's his body's heart. He thought. Is this what the humans call 'spark'? He thought when he met Huo Ling's gaze. "What?" he asked with a softened voice. His usually cold eyes and expressionless face showed a gentle expression.

Having been with Huo Ling for five worlds, it is inevitable he would feel affection towards his assignment. This is the reason why grim reapers aren't allowed to fall in love. It's not because they aren't capable of such emotion, but because after dying once, they would feel more strongly facing such kind of emotion.

Like a traveler in the desert searching for oasis… grim reapers are thirsty of human emotions, for they aren't humans anymore even if they look like one.

"You stopped making icicles." Huo Ling said..

…? Yi Bing froze when he heard what Huo Ling said. He stared at him for a long time. … did you pick up the wrong script? He thought. This isn't what Huo Ling is supposed to say. However, what was said has been said, and the ambiguous atmosphere (only Yi Bing felt it) earlier was broken.

"You're dazing off again." Huo Ling said when he noticed Yi Bing's inattentive gaze. "Are you tired already? Has your magic ran out?" he asked. "… is that possible?" he added.

"… yes. I am tired, and my magic is running out." Yi Bing answered.

"Oh." Huo Ling just said.

Yi Bing. "…" what a bland response. "I was just thinking." He explained.

"About what?" Huo Ling asked as he touched the water.

"About what your attachment is." Yi Bing said. Huo Ling didn't respond and just continued to play with the water.

One other reason why Yi Bing decided to stay in the water park is because he noticed Huo Ling's childishness. It's reasonable, considering the fact that Huo Ling is a royal prince, whom was groomed to be a noble individual since young. Added to the fact that Huo Ling is also a scion of a wealthy family, he is destined to have a dull childhood since he is trained as an heir.

Thus, when Yi Bing saw Huo Ling was having fun in the water park, he was relieved. This is the first time Huo Ling has been free, unrestrained, and relaxed. His death served as a liberation of his soul, literally and figuratively.

"Being just a soul has its own advantages." Huo Ling said.

"Hm?" Yi Bing turned to him.

"I can never get bored since I have many things to do. I can never get tired since I don't have a physical body." Huo Ling said. "Furthermore, I will never be judged again… since no one will see me anymore." He muttered.

Even though the last sentence was spoke in a whisper, but Yi Bing heard it. The last sentence might be ironic, but he knew Huo Ling meant it in a positive way.

Huo Ling might have a great life in the eyes of the people, but was it really great? There are so many things restraining him, most especially his freedom. He can't laugh boisterously when he saw a funny scene. He can't run so fast since he has servants to serve him. He can't talk with a stranger since they'd be deemed a threat or someone with malicious intent approaching Huo Ling. Even his friends, they would be screened by the people around him based on their interests. Even just watching a movie, he has to be a few meters away from other people.

Life as a prince isn't great. Life as an heir isn't great. At the end of the day, you'll find yourself alone. That's why Huo Ling is grateful that he died. His death regained… no, granted him freedom.

Yi Bing opened his communicator and sent a message to Di San.

0001: do you know which places are good to go for one to relax?

He waited for a few seconds until it lasted for a few minutes. He didn't receive a reply from Di San. Then, he remembered that Di San was sent on a mission with Feng Er, Liu Lin and Si Shui by Shen Sheng to search for the Soul Fragments. They must have continued with their mission.

He glanced at Huo Ling on his side. He saw him sleeping. It's not entirely true that souls wouldn't feel tired just because they do not have a physical body. Instead, it's the opposite. Because they do not have a physical body, they would feel even more tired. Some who are weaker may be at risk of dissipating. Only some souls who are strong, or stronger, dared to busy around, like Huo Ling earlier.

Suddenly, Yi Bing heard his communicator 'beep'-ed. He opened it and saw a message.

4626: senior Yi, how are you?

It was Mo Shi, the junior grim reaper who was sent to him before to train. However, since he is a lone wolf, and Jin Wu – the ohe who 'found' Mo Shi, has designs towards Mo Shi, Mo Shi was taken away by Jin Wu and is now training under Jin Wu's 'guidance'.

0001: I'm doing fine. How are the things in the Afterlife Department?

4626: currently, everything is under control. The grim reapers are managing on their own in fetching the souls, then sending them to their reincarnation.

0001: good.

Yi Bing sighed in relief. In fact, as the first grim reaper, he should be the one managing all the grim reapers instead of Gu Shi. But… huh? He suddenly paused, and his fingers hovering above his communicator that were about to type a message froze. What was it again? Why wasn't it him who is the director of the Afterlife Department but Gu Shi?

His brows knitted as he frowned. He held his head when he suddenly fell into confusion. Wait… it seems that because he is a lone wolf, Shen Sheng didn't assign him to be a director? Yes. That's right. That was it. He doesn't like to work in groups, nor managing other 'people', thus the position of director fell into Gu Shi's hands.

Actually, he doesn't like to be the leader. It's too tiring. He can see it from the bags under Gu Shi's eyes, though the eye bags are normal for the grim reapers, since they added to their gloomy and ominous temperament.

4626: senior, may I ask how is senior Huo?

When Mo Shi met Huo Ling in a Normal World, Mo Shi had just become a grim reaper. Then, he had a heart to heart talk with Huo Ling. Both were unfortunate with their life – his former life for him, and Huo Ling in his life in that world, thus he developed a sympathy towards Huo Ling.

0001: he is currently in his fifth world.

4626: wow! So fast?!

0001: time flows differently from each world due to the unstable space.

4646: how long does each world takes before you go to the next one?

0001: that depends on both the grim reaper and his assignment. The grim reaper has to find the source of the attachment of his assignment. However, he might fail because of his assignment if an accident occurred, like his assignment completely forgetting his memories when he was alive, thus never finding out his assignment's attachment.

0001: This may take the grim reaper a long time, since he has to exhaust all his means in that world, until he finally confirmed his assignment's lifetime in that world is a hopeless case. Then, he had to take his assignment to the Afterlife Department, and the department responsible for evoking the soul's memories would step forward. However, this is a dangerous process since it might hurt, or worse, damage the soul, so they mostly just probe before they'd send the soul to its reincarnation.

4626: this is sad. The knot in their heart… I mean, the attachment in their soul… it will remain unresolved forever?

0001: for us, grim reapers, and the gods who are our neighbors, there's no such thing as 'forever'

0001: 'forever' only applies to those who values time, which is fleeting for them, but it isn't for us who are living in the afterlife. Time has never been a problem to us, since the afterlife never ends – unlike the time, in addition, their life, for them.

Mo Shi, after reading the messages Yi Bing sent, doesn't know what to react, nor what to say. He already learned that one can only be a grim reaper after he had completed one cycle of reincarnation. However, he hasn't. Nonetheless, he still became a grim reaper. It was because of his soul attribute – lightning, which is one of the most powerful among the soul attributes. From being an intern grim reaper, he became a junior grim reaper in a short time. Every time, he learns new things.

What Yi Bing have said are also new things he has learned. Each of them, though, hits him right in his soul. He never knew there were things like unresolved attachments, which caused by the souls forgetting their past.

"Mo Shi! Where are you?!" Jin Wu's voice called.

He was woken up from his thoughts.

4626: thank you, senior.

He was about to answer and leave when he received a new message from Yi Bing.

0001: do you know which places are good to go for one to relax?