Afterlife Department

The cup Yi Bing is holding cracked, and its broken pieces fell on the floor with a loud crash. Meanwhile, the coffee spilled into his hands. 

The waiter that just passed was startled and panicked when he saw that the expensive-looking suit was soaked. "S-sir!" he cried. "A-are you alright?" he nervously asked and immediately took out a clean handkerchief from his breast pocket. 

"I'm alright." Yi Bing answered and didn't take the waiter's handkerchief. Instead, he took out his own and slowly wiped his hand. 

The waiter sighed in relief when he saw that the customer's face, although looked cold, but didn't look irritated. "Y-yes…" that's a relief. That's a relief… he thought and immediately walked away. 

Hao Baiyun's body immediately tensed when he heard the noise and he reflexively looked back, his eyes sharp and alert. "What was that?" he asked. "Could it be…?" he held his breath and clenched his fists. 

Huo Ling raised his gaze and saw the broad back of a man. "No." he said. "He looked like a businessman." He saw a pitch-black suitcase seated on a seat beside the man. 

"Oh." Hao Baiyun muttered, feling relieved. "As long as it's not…" he said. 

Huo Ling smiled. "Who is this Gu Xingfeng?" he asked, resuming their conversation. 

"Oh. A police officer." Hao Baiyun answered. 

A vein popped in Yi Bing's forehead. Because he didn't have the Life Note, he doesn't know where Huo Ling went to. And so, he flew to China, hoping to see Huo Ling. One must go back to their roots, after all. But, he didn't expect to receive a message from Di San. 

Three days ago – 

3257: Yi Bing. The Heavenly Court has given the authority to Shen Taizi to deal with the Soul Society in the Special World #7312. 

0001: Good. The Soul Society members reaped what they have sown. This case is closed. The Soul Furnace is sitting on one of the display shelves in the Chrysanthemum Room of the Rainbow Tower. 

3257: no! No! No! I didn't say that I am going to pick it up there! Shen Taizi didn't say anything about the Soul Furnace either. 

0001: then what do you want? 

3257: … are you pissed? 

0001: what do you think?

3257: … boss Yi, don't kill me! Why are you pissed?

0001: I've met two pests again! 

3257: … for you to type an exclamation mark… is it about Huo Ling again? 

0001: yes. Hao Baiyun and Gu Xingfeng appeared again. 

3257: …

3257: f*ck! How many worlds has it been?!

3257: should I petition for the possession of Life Note now?! 

0001: no. Tell Gu Shi about this, first, and see what he can suggest. Also, this isn't the right time to petition for it. 

3257: why? 

0001: Shen Taizi just stole the opportunity from the Council of Elders, and under the eyes of the Crown of Judges. He's in the red now. We should be low-key for the meantime. 

3257: I understand. 

3257: how about Hao Baiyun and Gu Xingfeng? 

0001: I'll stare at them. 

0001: also, San Di. 

3257: yes? 

0001: I want you to pick up something for me. 

3257: !!! I already said I'm not eyeing that Soul Furnace! 

0001: not the Soul Furnace. 

3257: oh. 

3257: ???

3257: !!! 'not the Soul Furnace', but I am still going to the Rainbow Tower?! In the Chrysanthemum Room?!?! 

0001: yes. 

0001: it's something you will like. 

3257: ???

0001: after picking it up, immediately have Gu Shi take it to Shen Taizi. 

0001: it's only Shen Taizi that we can trust. 

3257: Yi Bing, why are you… is it something dangerous? More dangerous than the Soul Furnace? 

0001: yes. 

0001: it is an active Soul Fragment. 

0001: it has a power. The power that was long since forgotten and buried: Void. 

3257: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3257: Yi Bing! What… what the hell – VOID?!?!?! 

3257: it sounds very dangerous, indeed. Even though I don't know what it is, but you saying it is very dangerous… Yi Bing, I still want my life. QAQ 

0001: I didn't say you can't take someone with you. 

0001: if you want, you can ask Shen Taizi to pick it up for you. 

3257: …

3257: … you're asking for me to die! How can I ask His Highness?! 

3257: I know. I'll ask Gu Shi to go with me. 

0001: good. 

3257: oh, right, Yi Bing. 

3257: isn't this the last lifetime in Huo Ling's first cycle? 

3257: what are you going to do after this? 

0001: it will depend on his answer. 

Yi Bing closed the holographic screen and looked outside the hotel window. How can he see Huo Ling? The country is so vast, and looking for Huo Ling is like looking for a needle in a haystack. 

Suddenly, something came to his mind. If he can't find Huo Ling, then why don't he find the people that is looking for Huo Ling? His eyes narrowed and the corners of his lips curled up as he looked for the soul of an assassin that pounced behind him after he found the corpse of Huo Ling's secret guard in the Salt Flats. Of course, he wasn't harmed. How can he not know that there was another person around? So, it was the other person who was killed – courtesy by him. 

Fortunately, he killed him so he can look up the assassin's biography in the Death Note. Hm? Grim reapers can't harm, much more, kill humans? They can, if they would identify themselves as a human. Of course, after they have identified themselves as a human, then, naturally, they should harm, or kill, their target within a human's abilities. This is what he and Di San did in the Mafia World. 

A grim reaper identifying their self as a human naturally has a process. They have to apply for a permission form to the Afterlife Department. They couldn't proceed as long as the Afterlife Department didn't approve their permission form. If approved, then they have to shed off their body and create an avatar for their self. But, even though they have become a 'human', they wouldn't appear on the Life Note. Then, could they kill whoever and however they want to? Of course not. 

Because they won't appear on the Life Note, but will be recognized as a fellow human by the humans, they would appear on their memories. So, before they would leave the world after they have finished their task, they have to erase the humans' memories of them. As for those that they will harm or kill? Naturally, their death will appear on the Death Note. But, since their death have been inflicted by the grim reapers wearing a human skin, their cause of death will remain the same. However, their memories of their death will become vague. So, to not cause future accidents, the grim reapers should make their target's death as simpler as it should be. 

"A mafia organization?" he muttered when he saw the occupation of the deceased assassin. He can't help but remember the Mafia World. 

He thought this mafia organization just wants to kill the royalties when he read something and his expression changed. 

"'sent to retrieve some confidential documents that was mistakenly sent to a pre-school teacher's address'." He read and his expression became blank. "… what the f*ck!" he cursed as his brow twitched. "How unlucky a person be?" he asked, didn't know whether to laugh or cry. 

One party thinks that another party wanted to kill them because they are a royalty. Meanwhile, the other party actually thinks that the first party is just a pre-school teacher. The real reason why they wanted to kill the first party is because of the trick of fate! 

"Never mind, never mind…" Yi Bing muttered as he massaged his temples when he felt they ached. "I know that Huo Ling has always been an unlucky person. I just didn't expect for this misfortune of his to last for several lifetimes…" his smile sardonic, but also bitter for Huo Ling. "How can he be this unlucky…?" he sighed while shaking his head, lamenting for Huo Ling. 

Then, he set out and flew to Hong Kong the next day where the mafia organization that is targeting Huo Ling is located. Yi Bing isn't like Si Shui who can hack computers and locate a person. Thus, he will be borrowing this mafia organization to locate Huo Ling for him. 

Only for his face to turn green when he saw on the computer screen the information about Huo Ling's flight. 

"Let's go and kidnap him as soon as he leaved the airport!" one of them suggested. "Then, ask him about the confidential documents!" he said. 

No, you won't! Yi Bing thought as he followed behind them. He erased their memories, as well as the information they have found out regarding Huo Ling's flight before he flew back to the China the next day. Only to see Huo Ling meet with Hao Baiyun as soon as Huo Ling arrived in the country! He felt what he's wearing isn't a black suit, but green1 instead! 

'green' means 'being cheated on'. This originated to a Chinese story about a man who has a cheater wife. One time, the wife and her paramour were almost caught by the husband. The wife suggested for her husband to wear a green hat whenever he leaves. That is the signal of the wife to her paramour that her husband isn't home, and her paramour could come to her house then; 'green' is more commonly known as 'green hat'.