Afterlife Department

Huo Ling feels depressed. He felt his body couldn't move, but that's because he requested Yi Bing to bury him in the sand. Yi Bing, out of consideration of his feelings, did as he told. But, this just made Huo Ling feel even more depressed. 

He looked at his hand that was buried under the sand passed through the sand particles after he tried to raise it. "…" damn it. Now that he looked more carefully, his body seemed transparent. Not because his skin is very pale it's almost transparent when he was alive. But, it was really, literally, transparent right now that he's dead. "…" god, damn it! Why do I have to die?! What will happen to my father and grandfather?! I'm the only heir of the family!

If his father and grandfather would hear of his death, his father would faint and his grandfather would immediately ascend to heaven. Him being the only heir is the reason why his family is very against him taking up archaeology since he is going to travel to many places. Setting aside him being abducted, his eternal curiosity towards many things always leads him to troubles! 

"So, what are you, really?" he asked Yi Bing who was sitting beside him while playing with the sand.. He slowly sat up, and his face darkened when he saw the sand particles burying him underground didn't even move a bit when he sat up. 

He's really dead, literally. 

"A grim reaper." Yi Bing answered. 

"Philip knows you are one." Huo Ling said. "Is he a grim reaper, too?" he asked. 

Yi Bing sneered. "He doesn't have the talent." He said. "And, he needs to be dead first in order to become one." He added. 

"Then, how did he know of you?" Huo Ling asked. "What is his identity, then?" he added. 

"He's definitely a human." Yi Bing answered. "His identity… he is a member of the Soul Society. His identity is the reason why he can have the honor to know of my existence." He explained. 

"'honor'?" Huo Ling asked. 

Yi Bing turned to him. "I am not of this world, and a legitimate grim reaper. That's why the Soul Society is honored of my presence." He told him. 

Huo Ling's brows knitted. "You're not of this world…" he murmured. "Where did you come from?" he asked him. 

"The Stable World." Yi Bing answered. 

"'Stable World'?" Huo Ling is puzzled. His eyes brightened because of his curiosity. 

"A world that is in perfect balance." Yi Bing answered. 

"What do you mean by 'perfect balance'?" Huo Ling asked. "Is our world not in perfect balance?" his eyes widened. 

"'our world' for you, is OUR world." Yi Bing told Huo Ling and pointing Huo Ling, then himself. "Me and you. Not Philip nor the other humans in this world, and you." He said. 

"Huh?" Huo Ling is now totally confused. "What do you mean by this…?" 

"I mean, you are also not from this world." Yi Bing told him. "You came from my world – the Stable World." He said. 

"Wait, wait!" Huo Ling raised a hand. "What is the difference between this world and your world? What is this 'balance' you are talking about?" he asked. 

"A balance in a world refers to the yin and yang." Yi Bing said. "If there's a birth, there's definitely a death. A male and a female in equal ratio." He said and looked at Huo Ling. "This world, as one of the other worlds, where the birth rate and mortality rate isn't equal, as well as the number of male and female. Our world has the perfect balance of yin and yang, that's why it is the Stable World." He explained. "The only Stable World." He added. 

Huo Ling was aghast. "And I came from this world?" he said. 

Yi Bing nodded. "Yeah. That's why I came here to pick you up." He told him. 

"But… but, my family… my friends, my colleagues - " Huo Ling said. "Also, I'm already dead! How can you still pick me up?" he asked. 

"Did I say your body is included for the things I have to pick up?" Yi Bing asked. 

"… huh?" Huo Ling muttered as he stared at Yi Bing blankly. 

"You have heard what I said earlier to that Soul Society kid." Yi Bing said. "Your body is just your soul's vessel. What I'm picking up is only your soul." He told him. 

"Huh?!" Huo Ling exclaimed. "If my soul leaves, what would happen to my body?!" he asked. 

"Are you deaf?" Yi Bing said. "I told you, it's just your vessel. As to whether it is your body, it isn't yours." He told Huo Ling. 

"WHAT?!" Huo Ling yelled. 

Yi Bing covered both his ears. "I thought you are smart. Can't you guess from my words?" he asked and he looked at Huo Ling. His eyes are filled with disdain. "You are not from this world. Your body, that isn't yours to begin with, is just your vessel. In short – " he said. " – you are a foreign soul in this world." He told him. "Everything you had in this world, you just borrowed. They will return to their rightful owner." 

"Wait, wait… this is too much information!" Huo Ling was aghast. "So, you're saying, father and grandfather aren't my family?! No way!" he said. 

"This is the reason why this world is not a Balanced World." Yi Bing said. "There are foreign souls entering this world. But, the souls in this world doesn't leave. The souls in this world will just increase." He sighed, then glanced at Huo Ling. "That's why I specifically came to pick you up." He told him. 

"What… what…" Huo Ling, no matter how smart he is, can't immediately process Yi Bing's words so he failed to keep up. 

It's as if Yi Bing doesn't care whether Huo Ling would understand him or not as he continued. "Because of the increasing number of souls in this world, the Soul Society was created." He said. "The Soul Society is an organization of the humans who wield a special power that could touch, feel, see and hear a soul. In short, they can communicate them." He explained. 

"Soul Society… Philip is a member?" Huo Ling asked. 

"He's a junior official of theirs." Yi Bing answered. And, against his will, he still told Huo Ling the truth. "He's the top junior official. He only needs to complete another one task before he will be promoted to a senior official." He told him. 

"Wow…" Huo Ling muttered. "What is this task?" he asked before he paused. "Is it related to me?" he looked imploringly at Yi Bing. 

Yi Bing didn't bother to hide it from Huo Ling. "Yes." He answered. "His task is to send a foreign soul inside the vessel you vacated." He told him. 

"What?! Someone's going to use my body?!" Huo Ling almost screeched. "Does it mean 'I' will live again?! But, that won't be me anymore!" he said, his voice sounded wronged. "That someone will be deceiving father, grandfather, and my friends!" he stomped his foot on the sand. 

"So? 'you' are the only heir, right? It wouldn't make a difference whether it's you inside your body, or another soul." Yi Bing said. "As long as you are 'alive', right?" he asked. 

Huo Ling fell silent. "… but, my family's and friends' feelings…" he said. 

"What does it matter to you?" Yi Bing asked. "You're a foreign soul. You don't belong here." He told him. 

Huo Ling felt like he was stabbed in the chest when he heard the words 'don't belong'. It finally dawned on him what the word 'foreign' meant. He felt his breath hitched and his chest hurt. He lowered his head. 

Yi Bing saw Huo Ling's reaction, but he didn't speak. It's better to beat the dog early for it to be trained earlier, than regret you trained it later. This is to avoid future troubles. Huo Ling is just like this dog. His naivety is a liability. Yi Bing doesn't want this to happen, in any time. 

"Why me?" he heard Huo Ling speak. "Can't it be others? Why does it have to be me?" he asked as he raised his head, revealing his face filled with tears. 

Yi Bing saw Huo Ling's tears and he felt his heart throbbed in pain. He looked away. "You have to ask the Soul Society about this." he told him. 

"What?" Huo Ling said. 

"Only the Soul Society knows why it is your body that became the vessel." Yi Bing said, then paused. "There are other vessels." He added. 

Huo Ling fell silent. "So, the souls that occupied those vessels before suffered the same way as I did?" he asked. 

Yi Bing nodded. "Yes." He answered before he took a deep breath. "I only know until here. As for the rest, I don't. I doubt Philip knows about it – " he said when he saw Huo Ling's expression changed and guessed what Huo Ling is thinking. "Huo Ling." He called. "Are you planning to make your body not a vessel?"