Afterlife Department

Di San turned. "Huo Ling!" he exclaimed. 

"What is going on?" Huo Ling asked again. "Why are you two looked like you are about to fight?" he asked and looked at Yi Bing. When he saw Yi Bing's scythe, he suddenly felt his soul became cold, but he also felt something familiar. 

"Training." Yi Bing answered and summoned back his scythe. He has lost his interest to fight. 

Di San saw Yi Bing's scythe disappeared and he sighed in relief. Then, he also summoned back his weapon. "We're done training." He told Huo Ling and smiled.. 

Huo Ling. "…" do you think I am a three-year old child?

Di San saw Huo Ling's expression and he laughed. "You suddenly appeared. Do you feel fine now?" he asked. 

Huo Ling nodded. "Yes." He answered and turned to Yi Bing. "I've… heard about what happened to the Xi family, Lin family… and the Lee family earlier." He said. 

Yi Bing didn't react and just asked. "When did you wake up?" he asked. 

"Half an hour ago." Huo Ling answered. "I heard from them about the Xi family, Lin family and the Lee family. They now have paid their crimes." He said. 

After they have dealt with Xi Zhengteng, Lao Xie released all the crimes the Xi Zhengteng did, including the Lin family's life debt they owed to him when Lin Yuxiu tried to kill him in the past. The unsolvable case between Lao Xie, Xi Zhengtian and Lin Yuxiu finally came to light. 

When Xi Zhengting saw the news about the Xi family and the Lin family, his face paled and he almost collapsed. But, the one who truly collapsed is Lin Yuxiu. She died on the spot after hearing the news. Meanwhile, Lin Yuran didn't care about the Lin family nor the Xi family. 

When she heard about Xi Zhengting's affairs happening under her nose, she was enraged on the spot and destroyed everything around her. She beaten up their servants, and she threw things and slapped Xi Zhengting. Xi Zhengting was fed up with her and he struck back. However, Lin Yuran's head hit the edge of the table when she fell and her head bled. She was immediately sent to the hospital, while outside, someone broke the news that Lin Yuran is mentally ill. 

The Xi family and Lin family finally collapsed. As for the Lee family, Lao Xie, Liu Lin anonymously sent the evidences of their crimes to Gu Xingfeng. However, when the police have arrived in the Lee family's residence, the Lee family disappeared without a trace. 

Gu Xingfeng ordered his subordinates to search the vicinity, but as expected, they found nothing. Helpless, he sent a report that the Lee family fled and their whereabouts are unknown. Three days later, he received a visitor. 

"The circle is chaotic." Hao Baiyun said. "Three families were destroyed in just a night. The mafia sure is very competent." He said. 

Gu Xingfeng raised his head from the document he is reading and looked at him. "You sure this is the work of the mafia?" he asked. 

"The stalemate will finally break." Hao Baiyun said. 

Gu Xingfeng fell silent. He looked at the document he is reading again. Suddenly, he felt that, among the government who is neutral, the aristocratic families and the mafia, there is another force that joined this game. However, this fourth force's traces can't be seen and, for some reason, he felt that this fourth force was suddenly gone. 

What is their purpose? Now that the aristocratic families fell into a disadvantage after losing the power of the Xi family, Lin family and Lee family that was destroyed, the mafia will rise. Was it to help the mafia? But, now that the mafia is on the rise, why did they stop? Shouldn't they share the fruit of their success with them? 

Suddenly, something came into his mind. "Gu Xingfeng? Gu Xingfeng?" he heard Hao Baiyun's voice calling him. 

Gu Xingfeng blinked, then looked at him. Before, although both of them are from aristocratic families, but they never crossed paths. The only thing in common between them is that they both veered from their families' path. 

But that was before. They crossed paths when he was tasked to protect Hao Baiyun from his enemies in the business trying to kill him. Gu Xingfeng never planned to continue interacting with Hao Baiyun after his task, even though they are from the aristocratic families, since they are different from each other. 

However, they didn't expect that something, or actually, someone, would make their worlds collide: Huo Ling. Starting from their meeting with him, he and Hao Baiyun's interactions increased until they became friends and met each other even without Huo Ling. 

Huo Ling… Gu Xingfeng thought as he lowered his gaze. From Huo Ling's death, the world has changed. The aristocratic families' fall, the mafia's rise… the events that led to these results, whether hidden or in the light, Gu Xingfeng had an inkling they all started from Huo Ling's death. 

"Gu Xingfeng!" Hao Baiyun called and raised his hand to hit Gu Xingfeng who started to daze off again. 

Gu Xingfeng felt the wind and he instinctively raised his hand. He captured Hao Baiyun's hand. He raised his gaze and met Hao Baiyun's shocked gaze. "What's wrong…" he was about to ask when he suddenly felt the heat coming from his hand holding Hao Baiyun's hand. 

He froze. This is the first time he had a skin contact with Hao Baiyun. Typically, one should immediately release the other. However, for some reason, it seems that today isn't a typical day. Many things have suddenly changed, and Gu Xingfeng has a feeling that his relationship with Hao Baiyun will also change when he saw that blushing face in front of him. 

He doesn't want to let go of Hao Baiyun's hand he is holding. 

…

"I've heard from your friends that you were trapped in this world." Huo Ling said as he sat beside Di San.

"En." Di San nodded. 

Huo Ling glanced at Yi Bing who was leaning on the wall in the terrace before he looked at Di San. "Your fight earlier is related to this." He said. 

Di San smiled. "We didn't fight." He said. Just about to. He sighed. 

Huo Ling stared at Di San for a while before he spoke. "Is your ticket to leave this world… lies on me?" he asked. 

Di San's eyes trembled before he calmed himself. He was about to speak when Huo Ling spoke again. 

"How?" Huo Ling asked. 

Di San fell silent. "We can't burden you. It is our problem, so you can't help us." He told him.

"But you helped my families." Huo Ling said. He is referring to Jonathan Baurne, Jason Baurne, Lao Xie and Lu Si. 

"We didn't." Di San said. "It is just a part of our plan." He said. 

This time, it was Huo Ling who fell silent. He absent-mindedly stared at Di San when suddenly, he noticed that Di San felt familiar. "You…" he said. "I have seen you before." He told him. 

"Hm?" Di San turned to him. 

Huo Ling saw Di San turning and his eyes widened in shock. "I know!" he rose from his seat. "I've really seen you before!" he said. 

Yi Bing turned to Huo Ling and Di San. Liu Lin, Feng Er and Si Shui have already gone to sleep to preserve their energy. 

"What do you mean?" Di San asked. Suddenly, he felt his heart skipped a beat. He felt that Huo Ling's words meant differently. 

As expected, Huo Ling spoke the words he and Yi Bing never expected to hear. "I saw you when I was young!" he said. "You were with Gu Shi when I was young. When I saw Lao Xie brought Gu Shi years later, I wondered why you weren't with him. I thought you two fought, so I didn't ask Gu Shi." He explained. Also, he isn't that close with Gu Shi for him to ask Gu Shi such private matters. 

Di San's pupils constricted. He reached out his hands to Huo Ling, but Yi Bing is faster and pulled Huo Ling back from him. "W-when… h-how …" he muttered, his body is trembling. His tears also fell. 

Huo Ling looked at Di San in shock. "W-what happened?!" he asked and looked at Yi Bing. 

Yi Bing saw Di San's unstable state. "When and where did you see Di San?" he asked. 

"Huh?" Huo Ling was puzzled, but he answered nonetheless. "When I was young, I bought snacks after I lost a bet. I saw him and Gu Shi. They left an impression to me, that's why I clearly remembered them." He said. 

"What impression?" Yi Bing asked. 

"They hugged and kissed." Huo Ling answered. 

Di San sharply gasped and he looked at Huo Ling. He was about to ask for more details when he saw Yi Bing's abnormal gaze as he looked at Huo Ling. Suddenly, it struck Di San. "You…" he called as he looked at Huo Ling. "How can you still remember me?" he asked as he looked at Huo Ling in disbelief. 

Gu Shi's case is unusual, but, usually, no one should remember someone who has already become a grim reaper!