Afterlife Department

"The prison cells for the fallen angels and defiant grim reapers are hidden." Yi Bing said. "Hidden inside the Rainbow Tower through a different space." He explained as he turned to Di San. "They were imprisoned in a different space to prevent the grim reapers, or even angels, that would come to the Rainbow Tower from seeing them and feeling sympathy towards them, resulting to helping them escape." He explained. "Even though their powers were removed, but they still can act human towards them to induce human emotions to the person or people who might see them, right?" he asked as he continued to descend the stairs. 

Di San followed behind him. "Shen Taizi is so lenient, to not kill them…" he said. 

Hearing this, Yi Bing stopped. Di San almost bumped on his back. 

"'lenient'…" Yi Bing muttered before he turned to Di San who was carrying the crystal where he placed Gu Shi inside.. "Shen Taizi was the one who proposed the creation of angels. Then, later, the grim reapers after the destruction of Hell." He said. "Heaven is already big enough for the emperor and those elders, as well as Shen Taizi. But, why did Shen Taizi propose the creation of angels?" he asked. 

"Uh…" Di San stammered as he tried to recall the lessons he learned after becoming a grim reaper. 

"If Zhang Jun was here, even if he just learned the lessons taught to grim reapers, he would be able to answer my question. Unlike you – " Yi Bing smirked. " – assistant director of the Afterlife Department." He said, his voice and face filled with irony. 

Di San puffed up his cheeks in anger. "Then, why? Help me to refresh my memories?" he asked. 

Yi Bing rolled his eyes at him before they resumed descending the long flight of stairs. "It is for the humans." He answered. "Shen Taizi proposed the creation of angels for the humans." He said. 

"Why?" Di San asked. 

"Where does the power of the Heaven come from?" Yi Bing asked back. 

"The mortal world…" Di San said and his voice faded. "Humans." He answered. 

Yi Bing nodded. "Humans, when they reached the limit of their abilities, they tend to rely on something else for them to continue their task, or to let that 'something else' to continue their task for them." He said. "That something else is the god, or gods. And their reliance is called 'faith'." He explained. 

Di San nodded in understanding. "So the Heaven's power is coming from the faith of the humans." He said. 

"Yes. This is the symbiotic relationship between the gods and the mortals." Yi Bing said. "But, Shen Taizi noticed that some gods lose power. It's because the faith of the humans on that god dwindled. Meanwhile, the other gods' power increased. There was a fight that almost broke out because of this." he sneered. 

"How was it resolved?" Di San asked. 

"Shen Taizi came and told them that the root of the matter is because there's a lack of dependency of the humans on the gods." Yi Bing answered. "The gods also realized this problem. It's not that they slack on their job of fulfilling the humans' wishes to increase their faith on them. It's because the more the number of their followers increase, the more the time they need to spend. Some followers of theirs will have their wish unfulfilled, thus, either that follower's faith will decrease, or that follower will not follow and pray to the god anymore." He explained. 

"Oh!" Di San finally realized. "So, this is how the angels were created?" he asked. 

Yi Bing nodded. "En. They were created to do the tasks of the gods in behalf of the gods." He answered. "In short, they are just servants." He smirked. 

Di San shut up. He doesn't want to comment on this. 

Yi Bing immediately fixed his expression. "Although Shen Taizi said it as it is, but his main concern are the humans, not the gods." He said.

"That's right." Di San said. "The humans are the ones who are losing here the most, not the gods. The gods are immortals, but the humans are not. So, the gods are just secondary!" he exclaimed. 

"Yes." Yi Bing chuckled. 

"So the angels were made for the humans…" Di San muttered. 

"And grim reapers were made for the souls." Yi Bing spoke. "To help them move on by resolving their resentment, or attachment, and then send them to reincarnate." He said. 

"Yes!" Di San happily laughed. "Unlike the angels, we work for free!" he said. 

"En." Yi Bing smiled. "The satisfaction we feel after helping the souls move on and reincarnate is our salary." He said. 

"Yes!" Di San answered. 

The two of them reached the ground floor and slowly walked outside. Before Di San could speak, they heard the once open doors of the Rainbow Tower loudly closed with a shake.

"Wah!" Di San exclaimed and almost dropped the crystal where Gu Shi was placed inside. "What… what – " he muttered and slowly turned. Just as he thought, they were the doors of the Rainbow Tower! "Yi Bing!" he cried and hid on the back of Yi Bing as he warily stared at the now closed doors of the Rainbow Tower. "Did… did you… did you…?" he asked if Yi Bing closed the doors of the Rainbow Tower.

"I didn't." Yi Bing answered after guessing what Di San is thinking, which is easy to do.

Di San's eyes widened. "What?!" he was shocked. "Then… then who closed them?" he asked.

"The Rainbow Tower itself." Yi Bing answered, as if what he spoke isn't horrifying.

Di San's jaw dropped.

"Come on. Let's get going." Yi Bing said as he generously closed Di San's gaping mouth. "Stay here, and the Rainbow Tower – which has a consciousness, would pull you back and trap you forever…" he said when Di San, as if there's a grease on his feet, ran without waiting for Yi Bing to speak.

Yi Bing smiled. "Don't forget to go to Ruan Yu!" he yelled.

"Okay!" Di San yelled back, his voice fading as he disappeared in the distance.

Yi Bing laughed before the smile on his face disappeared. "Shen Taizi." He called before he turned.

Shen Sheng stood in the entrance of the Rainbow Tower. As if a child seeking for attention, the Rainbow Tower opened its doors, inviting Shen Sheng to enter. But, Shen Sheng didn't turn and walked towards Yi Bing.

Yi Bing lowered his head and knelt.

"Rise." Shen Sheng spoke and yawned. His gaze is lowered, and his long eyelashes are fanning his eyes.

"Yes." Yi Bing answered and rose from the ground. "This is the Soul Fragment." He said and took out the special box containing the Soul Fragment.

As if feeling Shen Sheng's presence, the box shook – or was it the Soul Fragment?

Shen Sheng smiled. "It's so hostile towards me, while docile when in your hands." He chuckled.

Yi Bing didn't speak, nor reacted.

Shen Sheng grimaced. "How can a cute Soul Fragment so docile towards your iceberg face?" he sighed and took the box. "I've already told you before. You can keep the Soul Fragments. They are just mere pieces of someone's soul. Maybe, when all of the soul's pieces were combined, you might make friends with him?" he asked.

Yi Bing pursed his lips, seeming wanted to say something. But, in the end, he just shook his head. "The Soul Fragments are safer with you." He said.

Shen Sheng stared at Yi Bing for a while before he helplessly sighed. "Alright. I can nourish them with the Heaven's power. That way, they can heal faster." He said before he paused. "Who knows if they can call the other Fragments?" he smiled.

Yi Bing declined to comment.

Shen Sheng rolled his eyes at him, feeling exasperated. "Alright, alright." He said and placed the special box containing the Soul Fragment inside his sleeve. It disappeared. "Are you in a hurry?" he asked. "Accompany me to Pei Guang's restaurant? You can also accompany me to drink – " he said.

Yi Bing cut him off. "Yes. I'm in a hurry." He said, not even giving Shen Sheng a face.

Shen Sheng, instead of frowning in displeasure, pouted his lips instead, as if a child that is about to go on a tantrum. And, instead of forcing Yi Bing to say, he waved his hand, letting Yi Bing go. "Fine, fine. I don't want to see your cold face, anyway. You'll just ruin my mood." He said as he walked past Yi Bing. Suddenly, he stopped. "Oh, right." He muttered as if he remembered something. "Your soul friend is on his last world of first cycle, right?" he asked.

"En." Yi Bing nodded.

Shen Sheng smiled. "It'd be better if you can manage to invite him to become one of us." He said.

You're not one of us. We are grim reapers, while you are a god. Yi Bing thought, but didn't voice it out. "En." He just answered.

Shen Sheng then made a big grin, and happily left to go to Pei Guang's restaurant to drink. Yi Bing helplessly sighed and then returned to the Normal World – the ninth and last world of Huo Ling's first cycle of reincarnation.