Afterlife Department

Yi Bing froze. He turned to look at Qi Shan who is staring at him, waiting for his answer. "What did you say?" he asked. He felt like he had misheard him. 

Qi Shan knows that his question was really abrupt, so he repeated it. "How did I become a grim reaper?" he asked. "My code is 0007. I was an archangel, like you. And, an archangel becomes a grim reaper as their punishment after they sinned." He explained. "So, I want to know, what did I sin?" he asked him. 

Yi Bing stared at Qi Shan for a long time before the corners of his lips were pulled down. "Why are you asking this?" he asked. He didn't directly answer him. Not because he can't answer Qi Shan. He could answer him. But, he didn't because he is considering the consequence if he answered him. 

"I…" Qi Shan spoke. He took a deep breath before he raised his head and looked up at the starless night sky. "You already know that Lei Shan is chasing me." He started. 

Yi Bing nodded. "Yes." He spoke. 

He remembered that after Qi Shan and Lei Shan were done with their first world, Lei Shan told Qi Shan that he wants to chase him, in which Qi Shan just laughed off. After all, souls, after reincarnated, have their memories of their previous life washed away by Meng Po's soup. So, how can Lei Shan remember that he promised Qi Shan to chase Qi Shan? 

So, when Qi Shan appeared before Lei Shan, Qi Shan was very confident. So, he was caught off-guard after Lei Shan hugged him and kissed him when they met. Qi Shan was shocked speechless and it took him a long time before he finally reacted and pushed Lei Shan away. But, since Lei Shan is the protagonist, he can't hurt Lei Shan so he controlled his strength when he pushed Lei Shan away. 

Qi Shan was alarmed. How can Lei Shan remember his promise to him before? But, after he calmed down, he noticed that there is something wrong with Lei Shan – Lei Shan doesn't know him, but recognizes him for some reason. Qi Shan then bluffed his way through his and Lei Shan's second world before he returned to the Afterlife Department after sending Lei Shan to his third world. 

Qi Shan asked Yi Bing if Lei Shan's case is possible. Yi Bing answered 'yes'. Qi Shan asked how, and Yi Bing answered that this is due to the soul's strong feelings. Qi Shan said that he has already resolved Lei Shan's attachment. Yi Bing explained that it might be because Lei Shan is the protagonist, or that the soul accepted the unfruitful outcome of his feelings, but still kept his feelings. 

Qi Shan was convinced, thus he avoided Lei Shan the best he could. Until now. 

"Because of my actions concerning Huo Ling, you suspect your past life is connected to Lei Shan?" Yi Bing asked. The past life he is referring is Qi Shan's life as an archangel. 

"Yes." Qi Shan nodded. 

Yi Bing stared at Qi Shan. In some way, Qi Shan's and Lei Shan's case is similar to his and Huo Ling's case. But, there are still some differences. While he and Huo Ling are a grim reaper and a soul, respectively, that doesn't necessarily the case for Qi Shan and Lei Shan.

If Lei Shan, the protagonist, dies, how can the world continue moving? But, if Lei Shan doesn't die, how can a grim reaper – Qi Shan, take charge of him? This is where Qi Shan and the protagonist, Lei Shan, are special. 

Lei Shan did die. And Qi Shan meets him. But, what follows their meeting isn't immediately resolving Lei Shan's attachment. Lei Shan is the protagonist, so, Lei Shan's fate must life must go on. Although he is the protagonist, but death is inevitable, though, so the world can't forever keep Lei Shan's life even if Lei Shan is the protagonist. So, if Lei Shan dies, what will happen next? 

This is where Qi Shan comes in. Since Lei Shan died, he would meet a grim reaper. But, the grim reaper can't just take his soul after resolving his attachment. Instead, the grim reaper has to preserve Lei Shan's life until Lei Shan lived a full life, and the world would be then satisfied. 

But of course, if Lei Shan's death wasn't an accident or a natural death, and he was plotted, Lei Shan would retaliate against those villains and Qi Shan will help Lei Shan, until all of Lei Shan's enemies are dead or have suffered their retribution. This is why Qi Shan has the Life Record. 

In short, Qi Shan would keep Lei Shan's soul in Lei Shan's body, but Lei Shan is already dead. After Lei Shan lived a fulfilling life, only then would Qi Shan take away his soul and send it to reincarnation. This is the relationship between Qi Shan and Lei Shan. 

"What you proposed earlier made me enlightened." Qi Shan spoke, interrupting Yi Bing's thoughts. 

Yi Bing looked at him. 

"If you and Huo Ling could have a past life, then why don't Lei Shan and I have none?" Qi Shan asked and met Yi Bing's gaze. "A past life between him and me… this explains why he became attached to me after our first world." He explained. 

Yi Bing stared at Qi Shan for a long time before the corners of his lips raised. "You're too smart." He said with a sigh in his voice. "I can tell you, but I don't know how will it affect you." He said as his face became serious. "I almost destroyed the City of the Dead after I found out about Huo Ling and I… I don't know what will happen to you if I tell you your past with Lei Shan." He told him. 

Qi Shan's eyes widened. "The City of the Dead…" he held his breath before his attention was caught by Yi Bing's last sentence. "There really is… so, there really is… between me and Lei Shan…!" he exclaimed as he held his chest. 

"You already know you were once an archangel like me. Just from the fact that you were punished and became a grim reaper… how heavy do you think the crime that you committed?" Yi Bing asked Qi Shan. 

Qi Shan's usually pale face became paler than a sheet of paper. "I – " he opened his mouth to speak, but he doesn't know what to say. His breathing quickened. "Did I… kill him?" he asked in a low and trembling voice. 

Killing a mortal is the heaviest crime in Heaven. 

Hearing this, Yi Bing flinched. He remembered what happened between him and Huo Ling. He killed Huo Ling. "No." he answered. 

Qi Shan held his breath before he sighed in relief. As long as he didn't kill Lei Shan… "Then, what did I do?" he asked. 

"He died for you." Yi Bing answered. 

Qi Shan's pupils constricted. "WHAT?!" he sharply turned to Yi Bing, his neck almost snapped. "What did you say?! Who… who died for whom?!" he asked. 

Yi Bing calmly looked at Qi Shan. "You fell in love with him and wanted to change his fate for him. But, Lei Shan doesn't want it and knows you committed a crime for him, so he received the punishment for you." He explained, then told him all the details. 

The more Qi Shan heard, the more his expression twisted in pain, agony, and regret. "He…" he muttered. In the end, he still doesn't know what to say. 

"Qi Shan." Yi Bing called. 

Qi Shan took a deep breath. He knows. Yi Bing shouldn't tell him. Because the reason why their memories of their past life were erased is because they will be affected in the present. "I am fine." He said. "I can control my emotions now." He told him. He has tempered himself during the past hundreds of years. 

He isn't that immature and naïve archangel, Ling Qi. He is now a cool-headed and competent grim reaper, Qi Shan. 

"No. That's not what I mean." Yi Bing spoke. 

Qi Shan turned to him. "Huh?" he muttered. He thought Yi Bing wanted to tell him to not be obvious that he already knows his and Lei Shan's past. If not it, then what does he want? 

"Qi Shan." Yi Bing called. "I want to ask you – do you know Lord Zero?" he asked. 

It took a long while before Qi Shan reacted. "'Lord Zero'?" he asked as he pondered over the name. "Isn't he 0000, the first archangel?" he asked. 

Yi Bing nodded. "Then, do you know – " he said. " – that he is also the first grim reaper?" he asked. 

"… WHAT?!?!" Qi Shan was shocked. "What do you…. Aren't you… aren't you the first grim reaper?!" he asked. 

Yi Bing shook his head. "I'm not." He said. 

"Then, you mean… it's Lord Zero?" Qi Shan said. "But, how can that be…?" he is confused. 

"Qi Shan." Yi Bing called. "Do you know… how were I and Lord Zero before?" he asked.