Afterlife Department

Yi Bing hasn't thought of the Life Record before, since he is disinterested in everything. Even the position of being the director of the Afterlife Department doesn't interest him. It's like he has no needs, nor even a want. He even felt his existence is disinteresting. His gray life only started to have a color when he was given a soul assignment. 

But, Huo Ling's appearance erased all the remaining grayness in his life. This is how significant and important Huo Ling is to him. He started to have an interest, and later, started to have a need – Huo Ling. This feeling intensified when he learned that Huo Ling is connected to his past life. Thus, he wanted to know how, and what is his exact relationship to Huo Ling.

Yi Bing opened the Life Record and saw the first world Lei Shan was in is the Zombie Apocalypse World. 

Great.. Huo Ling was in this world, too, before. He thought and searched on the search tab Huo Ling's name. Yi Bing felt his heart beating loudly, thumping against his chest. He never felt this nervous before. His gaze froze on the loading icon in the center of the page. His eyes are filled with expectation.

Suddenly, Yi Bing's eyes brightened. He saw Huo Ling's name was really there! He immediately tapped on Huo Ling's name and held his breath when he saw Huo Ling's picture. Huo Ling's picture displayed his appearance in that world – both before he died, and when he became a zombie. 

Yi Bing read the details shown on the page. Then, he stopped. "I knew it." He muttered. 

"What is it?" Qi Shan asked. 

"It wasn't stated here that Huo Ling was possessed by a Soul Fragment." Yi Bing frowned. 

Qi Shan's brows shot up. "Really?!" he asked before he snatched the Life Record. 

Yi Bing let him have it since he has finished confirming his guess. 

"This can't be…" Qi Shan muttered. "Huo Ling was possessed by a Soul Fragment in that world. I also have seen it." He said. 

"The Life Record's details must be limited only to the things related to the events that happened in that world." Yi Bing spoke. "Soul Fragments, even though are found in those worlds, but they are all beyond all the worlds." He explained. 

Hearing this, Qi Shan stopped speaking. He stared at Yi Bing for a while before he spoke. "Everyone's past life is also not written here." He said and looked at the Life Record. 

The information displayed is only related to the world involved. Other than that, there's nothing else. 

"What are you going to do now?" Qi Shan asked. 

"As is." Yi Bing answered. What he means, to continue distancing himself from Huo Ling until Huo Ling dies in this world so that he won't have, or have less, attachments in this world when he dies. 

Before, he planned to influence Huo Ling's mind by sticking with Huo Ling so that it'll be easier for him to convince Huo Ling later to become a grim reaper. How wrong his approach was. Not only did he fell into the pit he dug by himself, he also made the situation worse. 

Even though Yi Bing is cold, but he started to have emotions. So, how can Huo Ling's sneaking gazes escape him? He naturally noticed that Huo Ling likes him. But, Yi Bing realized that the more their current situation continues, the more they couldn't extricate themselves. Yi Bing is a grim reaper, so, naturally, he has to die in the end. But, Huo Ling isn't a grim reaper. He is an ordinary human and when he dies, he would feel sad. Not only for himself – for his fate, but also for the people around him that he left. 

Yes, including Yi Bing whom he thought is an ordinary human. With this, Huo Ling's regret of his death would just grow as time passed. This is also unsolvable, since Yi Bing is a grim reaper – someone Huo Ling shouldn't have fallen in love, albeit unknowingly. This is also one of the reasons why grim reapers can't intervene with the matters of life, and also can't have relationships or emotions towards the humans. 

Yi Bing realized this all too late. He realized how foolish he had been. He has lived for a long, long time, and it made him overconfident. He should have known. For a long, long time, he has never fallen in love. How can he act and think like he is an expert on it? Now, he can only push himself away from Huo Ling, causing heartbreak for both of them. All because of his one, stupid mistake. 

"Won't Huo Ling notice?" Qi Shan asked. 

"He already noticed." Yi Bing answered.

"Then, won't he have some misunderstandings regarding your actions?" Qi Shan stared at him. 

Yi Bing fell silent. He just stared at the passing cars on the bright street beneath them. "He already did." He spoke. 

Qi Shan's eyes widened. "So, he… Huo Ling…" he muttered. "He is now thinking that you led him on?!" he asked, shocked. 

Yi Bing closed his eyes. "I shouldn't have done this since the beginning." He said. "The Rules are never wrong. In fact – " he took a deep breath. " – rules are created in order for the accidents to be prevented." He sadly smiled. 

But, he didn't listen to the rules. He broke it, since he thought he could handle the situation. How wrong he is. He is was overconfident to himself. Not only did things spiral out of his control, he himself also fell on it. It would've been good if it was just him. But, he just had to drag Huo Ling in it. 

"Let's not talk about this anymore." Yi Bing spoke. He glanced at the Life Record on Qi Shan's hand. "Qi Shan. I've got an idea for the Life Record. Do you want to hear it?" he asked. 

Qi Shan's eyes widened. "Yes!" he nodded, his expression eager. 

Yi Bing smiled. "Good." He said. "Today, we've found out that we can't see the record of the past life of a soul in your Life Record." He started. 

Qi Shan nodded, listening very carefully. 

"But, what if you'll encounter a reborn or transmigrated soul?" Yi Bing asked. 

Qi Shan's pupils constricted. "This…" he muttered. 

Yi Bing nodded. "If it is a reborn soul, then they might know the fate of the world in advance." He said. "If it is a transmigrated soul, then, its actions might have a butterfly effect in the world. Whichever case, the world will surely change." He explained. 

Qi Shan fell into a deep thought. "So, you mean to say…" he said after pondering. 

Yi Bing nodded. "You must upgrade the Life Record." He told Qi Shan. 

Qi Shan stared at him for a long while. "Won't this be very similar to the Life Note?" he asked. 

Yi Bing shook his head. "The Life Note stores records of billions of souls. Meanwhile, the Life Record can only store a limited number of souls – to which are involved in a certain world you are in." he explained. 

"You have a point." Qi Shan spoke. "Although you have an ulterior motive." He added. 

Yi Bing just gave him a smile. 

Qi Shan helplessly sighed and looked at the Life Record. "I can't beat you in an argument." He said. "Fortunately, though, you found a blind spot in the Life Record." He looked at Yi Bing. "You have planned this, didn't you?" he asked. 

Yi Bing chuckled, and the depression he feels was alleviated. "I did." He honestly answered. 

Qi Shan wryly smiled. "You plan to look into Huo Ling's past life?" he asked. 

He was there in the Zombie Apocalypse World, so he knows that Huo Ling introduced himself before as the sect master of the Fengshen Sect. But, Yi Bing has never been to a xianxia world after Huo Ling became his assignment. This can only mean that Huo Ling has another life before his reincarnation cycle. And, with Yi Bing's actions, he guesses that Yi Bing got to do with Huo Ling's past life. That's why he let Yi Bing look into the Life Record, albeit it is forbidden. 

"Yes." Yi Bing didn't even deny it. He knows Qi Shan is smart and, as expected, Qi Shan has guessed his plan. 

"Life Record…" Qi Shan muttered. "Your objective is the Life Note." He looked at Yi Bing. 

Yi Bing smiled. He's too smart. He thought. But, even though Qi Shan is too smart, he doesn't plan to do anything to Qi Shan. Qi Shan is useful to him, and Qi Shan also knows this fact, thus he tells him whatever he thinks, including his guesses to Yi Bing's plan. 

"Yi Bing." Qi Shan called. 

"Hm?" Yi Bing answered. He thought that Qi Shan would speak about the Life Record and Life Note. He didn't expect what Qi Shan spoke next. 

"How did I become a grim reaper?"