Afterlife Department

"Wow…" Jiu Ye muttered under his breath after seeing the scene outside which ended with Pei Tingming leaving in anger and shame because of his defeat. 

"This family doesn't lack any drama." Shi Jiu laughed in schadenfreude. "Anywhere you look, a drama ensues." He said. 

"That girl… she hates Pei Tingming?" Huo Ling asked. "She also hates Pei Tinghe, but doesn't hate Pei Tingyi?" he was surprised. 

"Pei Tingyi is a silent person, after all. That made him looked behaved." Shi Jiu said and looked at Pei Tingyi who was sitting on his seat from the start until now of the funeral. "Such a patient person." he muttered.. 

"Pei Tinghe must have inherited his father's ill manners. But, Pei Tingyi didn't inherit their mother's headstrong attitude?" Huo Ling noticed. "In fact, it should be Pei Tingyi who would inherit their father's ill manners, but Pei Tinghe did." He said. 

"Sun Ri's headstrong attitude doesn't look like a recessive trait." Jiu Ye muttered.

Genetics is really weird. 

"We have to know the Pei family's dirt. This must be related to what's currently happening." Yi Bing spoke. 

The three of them immediately returned to their serious state. "Based from the people's comments… Pei Tinghe is notorious." Huo Ling said. 

"Can be seen from Pei Ru's expression." Yi Bing said. 

They turned and saw Pei Ru's face is indifferent as she sat on the front row with her husband, her younger sister, Sun Ri and Pei Tingye. 

"Could it be Pei Tinghe's death is related to his notorious deeds?" Jiu Ye asked. 

"… it must be." the three of them answered in agreement as they looked at the urn on top of the table in the front. 

"Then, we should…" Jiu Ye muttered and looked at them carefully. 

"The people who we heard talking bad about Pei Tinghe is that local tyrant who is so hostile towards Pei Tinghe; that official – " Huo Ling looked at the official sitting on the third row. "And – " he turned and looked at the first row. " – Pei Ru." He said. 

"Shi Jiu's going to deal with the official." Yi Bing spoke. "Huo Ling is going to deal with Pei Li. Although she's just a child, but we can't break our relationship with her yet. She's still useful." He explained. 

"Ge has a task, as well as senior Huo. So…" Jiu Ye muttered and then pointed himself. "How about me?" he asked. 

"Pei Ru or that local tyrant. Choose." Yi Bing told Jiu Ye. 

Jiu Ye's face scrunched up. "… Pei Ru." He answered. He is socially awkward, so he'd rather talk with an ordinary citizen than an official.

"But, Pei Ru has a husband. Won't he feel jealous if Pei Ru will talk to other men?" Shi Jiu asked, then paused as he looked at his younger brother. "Though, there is nothing to be jealous at with him." he added. 

Jiu Ye. "…" are you really my elder brother? Why are you dissing me?! 

Yi Bing felt stumped. "… it'd be worse if I'm the one who's gonna talk to her." He said. "I'd talk with the local tyrant." He told them. 

Jiu Ye's face fell in despair. 

"Actually, this isn't hard." Huo Ling spoke. 

They looked at him. 

"Jiu Ye looks very young, so he isn't threatening. And Pei Ru is already married, so Jiu Ye is less threatening." Huo Ling spoke, then made a pause when he recalled something. "Since Pei Ru is a doctor, he can use the excuse that he is ill and have her cure her. Money isn't a problem. What's important is the information we can derive from her." He explained. 

Jiu Ye's tears almost fell. "Thank you, senior Huo!" he exclaimed. His expression eased, but he still felt uneasy. After all, Pei Ru, like Sun Ri, is headstrong. On the other hand, he is timid. Pei Ru might swallow him whole instead of him getting some information from her. 

Huo Ling calmly nodded. "You're welcome." He spoke. 

Shi Jiu smiled. "As expected of Yi Bing's apprentice." He said and looked at Yi Bing, only for his smile to stiffen when he saw Yi Bing's proud expression. "…" what are you acting proud for?! Your expression is like a proud father! You aren't his father! 

Yi Bing recovered his expression when he saw Shi Jiu's gaze. "Then, it's settled." He said. 

"Wait." Huo Ling spoke. 

They looked at him again. 

"Actually… there's also another way." Huo Ling spoke. 

Jiu Ye who is secretly in a dilemma stared at Huo Ling, his eyes bright. "Really, senior Huo?!" he asked, excited. 

"En." Huo Ling nodded. "We switch targets." He spoke. 

Jiu Ye's eyes turned round like saucers. "Really?!" he asked, surprised. 

Huo Ling's target is Pei Li, a child. It'll be easier to deal with a girl than a married woman. 

"But, senior Huo… you…" Jiu Ye hesitated. 

"It'll be fine." Huo Ling spoke. "I'll use the excuse I gave to you earlier." He told him and smiled to reassure him. 

Jiu Ye almost cried. "Thank you, senior Huo!" he said, looking at Huo Ling as if he is his savior. 

Huo Ling smiled and scratched his cheek. "Actually, children are no better than the adults for me." He spoke. "They are too sensitive and will cry, worse, would throw a tantrum." He explained. 

But, Jiu Ye's expression is determined. "Leave it to me, senior!" he patted his chest, acting reliable. "This is a piece of cake to me!" he told him. 

Yi Bing and Shi Jiu stared at Jiu Ye while Huo Ling smiled. "…" that's because you are mentally and emotionally a child. They thought. 

"Okay. I'll leave it to you." Huo Ling said. 

Jiu Ye, who didn't know he was dissed again, foolishly grinned. 

The four of them were talking and didn't notice that the sun has already set. The Pei family's servants immediately led them to their rooms while telling them about the early curfew and the night rules on the way. Since most of the guest aren't locals but wealthy people from the other areas, no one knows them about the night rules of the Anchuan Town. 

This is also applied to Yi Bing, Huo Ling, Shi Jiu and Jiu Ye, even though they have already stayed in the Anchuan Town more than two days. It's because, although the people here fear the night rules, but they are very tight-lipped. Either they fear they'll be haunted if they leaked the information to outsiders, or that they don't care about their lives. 

Of course, they didn't forget that the people were reborn, although for a short time, and that, in their subconscious minds, they are withholding themselves to interact with these 'outsiders'. 

"Something has happened in the town lately, so the local government has sanctioned an order of early curfew to the citizens." The servant spoke. "This is called a 'night rule', since when the night falls, everyone should already be in their homes. No one is allowed to go outside, or even peek out of their windows. Their door and windows should be tightly shut." He said. 

"Why? Is this related to second young master Pei's death?" a guest asked, but someone immediately shushed him. 

But, the servant seems talkative so he answered. "Yes." He nodded. 

"What exactly happened to the second young master Pei?" another guest asked. After the initial question, it was followed by another. 

"I'm not very clear about it, but it sounds horrible. I don't dare to ask them of the full details!" the servant said and shuddered. 

But, this made the guests be more curious. Meanwhile, Yi Bing, Huo Ling, Shi Jiu and Jiu Ye, who were following them from behind, sneered. 

"This servant really knows how to talk his way." Shi Jiu spoke in a low voice. 

Clearly, the whole Anchuan Town knows about the appearance of Pei Tinghe's corpses, and this servant is working in the Pei family, so how can be so ignorant about it? He's just reeling them in! 

"Oh, right." the servant muttered when they have reached the annex building where the guests will be staying and in separate rooms. "Since the Anchuan Town has a rule, the Pei mansion, too, has one." He said. 

"What is it?" a guest asked. 

"That no liquid is allowed inside, unless they were covered tight." The servant spoke. 

"Why?" someone asked curiously. 

"Because the patriarch has become superstitious after two of his children have died." The servant answered and sighed in sadness. 

Yi Bing, Huo Ling, Shi Jiu and Jiu Ye rolled their eyes at the servant's nonsense. Because the servant said it in this way, naturally, the guests wouldn't believe the 'patriarch's nonsense and would ignore the 'patriarch's rule because they don't believe in supernatural things. And because they will ignore it, they will definitely fall into trouble. 

Humans, the more you restrain them, the more they will want to break free. It is in their nature to be defiant. So, because of their defiance, they will likely to encounter a trouble.