Afterlife Department

"So, you don't want to return Huo Ling to the Hao family?" Di San asked as soon as he entered the hotel room where Yi Bing will be staying. 

"Not yet." Yi Bing answered and looked at the wall where Huo Ling's room will be. Even though Huo Ling is a soul, but sometimes the soul is more valuable than the body. After all, the flesh and blood, after the integration to another person's body, might add to one's power, but the soul's integration to another person's soul, its effect is stronger. "Those who are solicitous are hiding evil intentions." He said when he remembered the doctor's enthusiasm towards him and Huo Ling.

"Huh?" Di San didn't understand as he just stared blankly at Yi Bing, calmly waiting for Yi Bing's explanation.

"I don't trust that doctor." Yi Bing said. "He might be saying he is Hao Baiyun's friend, but there is definitely more than that." He frowned when he remembered the unsettling feeling he had when he was in the doctor's presence..

"… maybe you're just overthinking it?" Di San said as he pondered. "If you're that uneasy, you can ask this Hao Baiyun." He suggested.

"No. I trust my instinct." Yi Bing shook his head. "What if that doctor can alter everyone's memories?" he asked. "Also…" his voice lowered.

"Hm?"

"Huo Ling has no connection with the Hao family before." Yi Bing said. His expression is solemn as he remembered Huo Ling's past lives.

In Huo Ling's first life in the Stable World, Huo Ling is a deliveryman. Huo Ling once mentioned, after Hao Baiyun's appearance in Fu Lingling's apartment unit, that he had once made a delivery to the Hao family. Thus, he had a meeting with Hao Baiyun, who had told Huo Ling he will die at the age of 23.

In Huo Ling's third life, just the previous one, Huo Ling hadn't crossed paths with Hao Baiyun, except after Huo Ling died and became a ghost. Hao Baiyun was involved with Huo Ling by lending a hand to Gu Xingfeng, his husband, who is solving Huo Ling's death case. However, many events happened after, and was found out Huo Ling's death is just the trigger.

Now, Huo Ling's fourth life, Huo Ling is a relative of Hao Baiyun as a kin of the fox clan.

Di San was also pondering the situation with Huo Ling. "Isn't this just normal?" he asked as he looked at Yi Bing.

Yi Bing also looked at him.

"One has nine 1cycles to live, and each cycle has nine lifetimes." Di San said. "Since each world one has to live in changes, of course, not only one's personality could change, but also his relationship with other people." He explained. "Thus, Huo Ling being related to Hao Baiyun in this lifetime isn't unusual." He finished.

Yi Bing fell silent. Was I being oversensitive to things? He thought. Ever since he had placed more importance to Huo Ling after learning Huo Ling's related to his past life, he became overcautious to everything surrounding Huo Ling. "I'm sorry." He said. "I'm just tense." He explained.

Di San smiled and patted his shoulder. "It's just right to raise your guard." He said. "After all, not only is this a Special World, but also, there's that matter…" his voice lowered.

Yi Bing's expression changed. The Soul Fragment. Since he is entangled with Huo Ling as his current task, he had never partaken in the Afterlife Department's secret mission of investigating the Soul Fragments. "How about it?" he asked, referring to the progress of Di San's team.

Di San grimaced as he withdrew his hand from Yi Bing's shoulder. "As you can see, we still haven't found a single clue." He sighed.

Yi Bing didn't speak more to pressure him.

"Oh, right." Di San said when he remembered something.

"What?"

"Didn't Huo Ling know about the Hao family?" Di San said. "Why is he obediently following you instead of going back to the Hao family?" he asked.

"Oh. That." Yi Bing said as he looked at the wall again. He already laid spells around Huo Ling's room for Huo Ling not to leave his room, and to know if someone came. "I told him some horror stories." He answered.

"'horror stories'?" Di San asked as he suspiciously looked at Yi Bing. His look as if saying, 'you can tell a horror story? Wait, no. You KNOW horror stories?!'.

Yi Bing just rolled his eyes at Di San. He was about to speak to explain when they suddenly heard a scream. Their eyes widened and they looked at each other. Yi Bing immediately went to Huo Ling's room. Di San followed behind him.

"Yi Bing?" Huo Ling called when he saw Yi Bing's figure suddenly appeared. "And Di San?" he added when he saw Di San. "What's wrong?" he asked when he saw their tense expression.

"Nothing." Yi Bing answered and cleared his throat. He glanced at Di San.

Di San nodded and left. He went to Feng Er, Liu Lin and Si Shui. He found them in the hotel's restaurant. "You heard it?" he asked when he approached them.

Feng Er elegantly wiped her lips while Liu Lin nodded heavily. Si Shui's back is hunched as he ate. "Yes." Liu Lin answered.

"Find where it is." Di San said. He's referring to the scream. Then, his wristwatch beeped. He tapped it and saw there's a message from Yi Bing.

0001: Have Si Shui and Feng Er look after Huo Ling. I'll go with you.

3257: ok.

After he sent a reply, he looked at the three and relayed Yi Bing's message to them. They are surprised, but since it is an order from their senior officer, they complied.

"Let's go back first." Di San said.

One hour earlier, not far from the hotel, in one of the villas in the subdivision area where a wake was happening.

"You bitch!" Madam Rong, Rong Ming's mother, slapped Yu Qing hard.

A vivid red handprint was seen in Yu Qing's fair cheek as she fell on the floor. Her elbow hit one of the chairs while the guests exclaimed because of the sudden commotion. "Mother…" she called as she held her swollen cheek while her tears fell.

"Madam Rong." One of the guests called. "No need to vent your sorrow and anger to your son's wife." He said as he tried to defend Yu Qing. "She's also grieving. Also, their supposed to be wedding anniversary turned to…" he said and looked at the deceased Rong Ming's black and white photograph.

Madam Rong cut him off. "Are you one of her men, too?" she sharply asked the guest, but her gaze remained on Yu Qing who's on the floor.

"What?" the guest said. He looked confused.

"Has she slept with you, too?" Madam Rong finally removed her gaze from Yu Qing and turned to the guest.

The guest's face paled in horror. "No! How could I?!" he said as he shivered. He felt goosebumps on his skin and he rubbed his arm. "I just…" he said.

"Oh. How she beguiled you." Madam Rong sarcastically smiled and she turned to Yu Qing. "Do you think I wouldn't know?" she asked as she pulled Yu Qing's hair. The guests gasped as they watched them. No one tried to defend Yu Qing again after seeing madam Rong's fury. This is not placing the blame of Rong Ming's death to Yu Qing.

How can Yu Qing kill Rong Ming who's on the cruise ship sailing in the sea while she's here in the mainland? Instead, madam Rong is angry for something else. Hearing her question from the man before, and her hostility towards Yu Qing, even a child can figure it out that Yu Qing was having an affair even though she's already married to Rong Ming. And now, Rong Ming died…

Madam Rong suddenly smiled as she looked at Yu Qing whose lip led after being scratched by madam Rong's ring earlier when she slapped her. "Do you think my son is a fool?" she asked.

"Mother…" Yu Qing feebly called.

"You have no right to call me mother." Madam Rong said as she threw Yu Qing back to the floor. Her bodyguard gave her a handkerchief and she wiped her hand. Her face is filled with disgust. "Do you think my son is a fool?" she asked as she turned to the lawyer silently standing on the side.

The lawyer immediately gave madam Rong a folder.

Madam Rong grinned and threw the folder next to Yu Qing. "Hours before my son died, he called me." she said.

Yu Qing's face paled when she glanced at the folder that opened before her eyes and revealed the documents inside.

Madam Rong ignored her as she continued. "He gave me his farewell, asking for my forgiveness and regretting his decision of marrying you." She said and looked at Yu Qing whose face as white as a paper. "You have no children. But, his wealth won't go to your filthy hands, vixen!"

nine is homophonic to long time or long duration of time, which can also be interpreted as eternal or forever.