Afterlife Department

Gu Shi and Di San's jaw dropped, and almost fell off of their seats. 

"Are you okay?" Shen Sheng asked as he turned to them. 

"Yes. Mm. Yeah." Gu Shi and Di San answered, distracted. Their mind is blank right now. "Yes, Shen Taizi. We're alright." They immediately answered. 

Shen Sheng hummed a response before he turned to Yi Bing, who is staring at him, waiting for his explanation. "Would you like us to talk somewhere?" he asked.. 

Yi Bing didn't answer, but he rose from his seat. Then, he nodded at them before he left. Shen Sheng followed behind them. 

"Whew…!" Di San sighed in relief as he slumped on his seat. Even though they are curious as to what is happening to Huo Ling, but their value their life more. So, they didn't complain that Yi Bing and Shen Sheng are keeping a secret from them about Huo Ling's condition. 

Even if it will be a secret, but Yi Bing will definitely tell them the things that they needed to find out that would affect the Afterlife Department. So, he and Gu Shi remained on their seat, basking in happiness after Shen Sheng left. They don't want to feel that pressure again from Shen Sheng. They felt hundreds of mountains are crushing them. 

"What do you think is happening to Huo Ling?" Di San asked Gu Shi. "What did Shen Sheng deceive Yi Bing of? Why did he deceive him?" he added. 

Gu Shi didn't answer and just remained silent. Just when Di San thought he wouldn't answer, he spoke. "I think this got something to do with the Soul Fragments." He said. 

Di San froze. Although he spoke earlier about the Soul Fragments, but after Gu Shi said these words, his belief became stronger. "Yi Bing said that those Soul Fragments belonged to Huo Ling." He said. 

Gu Shi nodded. "And that Huo Ling is Lord Zero." He added. 

Silence fell. 

"The first archangel… the real first grim reaper…" Di San muttered in a daze. "0000… now, he became 9999 – the last grim reaper. How ironic." he said. 

Gu Shi didn't speak and just looked at Huo Ling who is now playing with Mo Shi in the billiard pool. "Di San." He called. 

"Hm?" 

"We still don't know how the first archangel died." Gu Shi said. "Nor how he died as the first grim reaper." he added.

Di San fell silent. 

"Qi Shan must know how the archangel Huo Ling died" Gu Shi said. Qi Shan, after all, was an archangel like Yi Bing. :And after we told Yi Bing that he sinned to the first archangel…" his voice trailed off. "Yi Bing has been searching for clues about Huo Ling. He already must have asked Qi Shan about what happened to the archangel Huo Ling – their history together, and how did the archangel Huo Ling died." He explained. 

Di San nodded. 

"Soul Fragments…" Gu Shi spoke as he stared at his drink. His thoughts have wandered far. "Shen Taizi… did he – " he looked at Di San. 

Di San also looked at him. Their gazes speaking. Only one thought is in their mind right now: it must be Shen Sheng who has turned Huo Ling's soul into fragments after Huo Ling died. The question is: when? When did this happen? Was it after Huo Ling died when he was an archangel? But, if that's so, how did Huo Ling become the first grim reaper, then? So, was it the time after Huo Ling died as a grim reaper did Shen Sheng turn Huo Ling's soul into fragments? But, why? To save his soul as being loyal before? If that's so, he could've kept Huo Ling's soul intact. 

Also… if Huo Ling has died, then why is Huo Ling still alive now? Before their eyes, Huo Ling looked vibrant. He doesn't look like someone who died – which is ironic to say, since they are all dead. 

"ARGH!" Di San grunted in frustration. 

Huo Ling and Mo Shi turned to them. "What's wrong?" Huo Ling asked as they walked towards them. 

Di San raised his head and saw Huo Ling's face. His expression immediately became bitter, which made Huo Ling more puzzled.

What did I do? Why is he looking at me like that? I don't remember I did something bad? Huo Ling thought, feeling bewildered by Di San's behavior. "I – " he spoke and was about to ask when Gu Shi suddenly pulled Di San. 

"I'm sorry. He's drunk." Gu Shi spoke as he rose from his seat, pulling Di San together with him. "You continue playing. We're going back alone." He said. He didn't wait for them to answer and pulled Di San towards the door to leave. 

Huo Ling and Mo Shi were left. 

Huo Ling watched as Di San and Gu Shi disappear when he suddenly remembered something. He turned, only to see the seats are empty. "Where's Yi Bing?" he asked. 

Mo Shi also turned. "Huh? You're right. Senior Yi is gone…" he said when his voice trailed off. He paused, then looked at Huo Ling. "You call your master by his name?" he asked, surprised. 

"Huh? You don't?" Huo Ling asked back. 

Mo Shi shook his head. "I don't." he answered. 

Huo Ling felt speechless. "Well… that's because…" his voice faded. 

"I am an ice ability user. Meanwhile, you are fire ability user. If one day, I would lose control, you can restrict me. So, just treat me as an equal from now on." Huo Ling remembered Yi Bing said when he decided to become a grim reaper and asked why would Yi Bing make him his apprentice. 

"He needs my ability to cancel out his ability in case an accident happens. So, we are equal." Huo Ling explained. 

"Oh." Mo Shi muttered. "My master said that he doesn't need someone to restrict him. Instead, he needs someone to amplify his power." He said. 

Huo Ling grimaced. Remembering Jin Wu as the Disciplinary Head, this is definitely something he would say. After all, metal is a good conductor of electricity. So, Mo Shi will be a great partner to Jin Wu. 

…

"So, Huo Ling is really Lord Zero – the first archangel, and the first grim reaper?" Yi Bing asked Shen Sheng. 

"Yes." Shen Sheng nodded, confirming it. 

"How did he die when he was a grim reaper, and became Soul Fragments?" Yi Bing asked. 

"Huo Ling died because his power almost became berserk." Shen Sheng answered. 

Yi Bing was about to speak again when he caught a word. "'almost'?" he asked. 

Shen Sheng nodded. "One of his powers, Zero." He spoke. "He used Zero, and implicated himself. In order to save him, I had to turn him to Soul Fragments to divide up the damage, thus lessening the impact on him." he explained. 

Yi Bing fell silent as he silently absorbed Shen Sheng's words. "How about his lost memories?" he asked. 

"There's only one soul of him with you now, right?" Shen Sheng asked. "His memories in this soul of his are divided to his remaining souls." He told him. 

"So… only his memories when he died here, in the Stable World, remained?" Yi Bing asked. 

"En." Shen Sheng answered. "His memories from his second world to the ninth world were divided to the other Fragments." He said. 

"Why this world?" Yi Bing subconsciously asked. 

Shen Sheng smiled. "This world is the Stable World." He answered. "So, his memories of this world would be the most stable. Thus, his memories of this world remained." He said before he paused. "You can think of it as a save point in a game." He told him. 

Yi Bing. "…" does he think this is a game? 

Shen Sheng saw his dark expression and he grimaced. He scratched his cheek. "The most important thing is that Huo Ling is now a grim reaper, right?" he asked. 

Yi Bing didn't answer. 

Shen Sheng sighed in helplessness. Towards Yi Bing, he felt like a father. That ice-cold face as cold as his pupils… geez. His job is really cut-out for him! "I already asked Ruan Yu if he could assemble the Soul Fragments." He told him. 

"Ruan Yu?" Yi Bing spoke before he fell silent. 

"Ruan Yu is the only one that could help us with the Soul Fragments." Shen Sheng told him. 

Yi Bing didn't answer. 

Shen Sheng. "…" is he throwing a tantrum? He thought as his face was covered with dark lines. "What do you want?" he asked. His tone filled with helplessness and defeat. 

Yi Bing raised his head to look at Shen Sheng and saw Shen Sheng was sincerely smiling at him. "I won't ask you anything else, aside from this one question." He spoke. He knows that Shen Sheng is keeping many secrets, and he won't tell him all of it. 

Shen Sheng knew that Yi Bing, although willful, but not unreasonable. Thus, he gives him a special privilege. "What?" he asked. 

"I won't ask who were we before, but – " Yi Bing spoke. " – are Huo Ling and I entangled on our lives before this?" he asked. 

"Yes." Shen Sheng answered. "Because you are Twin Souls of Fate." He told him.