Afterlife Department

The next day.

"The government said that they were aware of the cultivation world and regrets that they didn't pay much attention to the cultivators before, so this crisis has happened." Hu Feng spoke as the soldiers loaded the foods, clothes, weapons, tents, etc. to the two buses. "They also said that they have a contact with the cultivators before, due to some reasons – personal or public, so they know the locations of these sects." He explained. "But, since science and technology has continued to dominate the world and the cultivation world is now treated as feudal superstition…" the rest of his words turned to a sigh.

Qi Ming and Xi Kai nodded in understanding. Even them, until now, is still in disbelief after they found out about the cultivation world. They had treated it as a myth, but then with what is going with the world right now, they can only believe it, as the apocalypse is most probably linked with the cultivation world.

Today, they will split up and look for these sects to find a lead of Luo Ming's whereabouts. Xi Kai will be one group together with Jin Wu and Mo Shi will be accompanying them as 'cultivators' so they would 'understand' the situation if something happens. Jin Wu wanted to disagree, but since Yi Bing said that Huo Ling will be communicating with them in real time to tell them what they will say later, he finally feels reassured.

Yi Bing and Huo Ling will be another group with Qi Ming and Hu Feng. Hu Feng is also a soldier and has to report to the government everything that will happen later so he will be going with them. But since he doesn't have an ability, Qi Ming is there to protect him while Wen Yan will be staying in the base to oversee the operations in the base, together with some members of the Rolling Thunder Team who will be left. Qi Ying will be going with Xi Kai's group, though, since Xi Kai's group is lesser in number, and have lesser men with them, though the latter doesn't matter. They would also be looking for more supplies in this trip, so the Grim Reapers Team have split into two groups.

Qi Ming wanted to bring his younger brother with him, but then thought that Qi Ying has now grown up, he let him leave with Xi Kai's group, and he now trusts Xi Kai. He wanted to send another member of his Rolling Thunder Team to Xi Kai's group, but Xi Kai declined, saying that Jin Wu and Mo Shi is already with them.

Meanwhile, Huo Ling who was sitting on the roof of the bus glanced at Yi Bing. He remembered the words he has spoken last night before they slept.

"Do you resent me?" 

Huo Ling took a deep breath before he jumped down and entered the car and sat in the front seat and then wore the seat belt. He watched Yi Bing talk with Hu Feng, Qi Ming and Xi Kai outside. He actually doesn't hate him… well, initially. Before, he thought that it was because of Yi Bing that's why he died, because he bumped into him, who is actually a grim reaper. But, in the bottom of his heart, he knows that he is unreasonable. Life and death can't be controlled by anyone, aside by Fate. And this was proven right after he became a grim reaper.

So, to say, Huo Ling is very grateful to Yi Bing since Yi Bing opened a new world to him, which broadened his horizons. He is also enjoying going one world after another, albeit it is dangerous, since he never knew that there are other worlds aside from the world where he come from.

"Huo-ge is really smitten with Yi-ge." Huo Ling heard one of the members of the Rolling Thunder Team spoke when he saw him looking at Yi Bing outside and the others laughed, feeling happy for them.

Huo Ling stiffened on his seat before he relaxed. Fortunately, he already had gotten used with this setup that Yi Bing made for the two of them, and he 'practiced' when they were with the Fighting Wolves Team before. So, he can now smile at the Rolling Thunder Team. "En." He spoke.

The Rolling Thunder Team whistled and cheered before they resumed talking with their previous topic. Meanwhile, Huo Ling continued to watch Yi Bing, Qi Ming, Hu Feng and Xi Kai outside and saw that they have parted, indicating that they have finished finalizing the plan.

"Bored?" Yi Bing asked when he saw Huo Ling leaning on the dashboard with his elbow propped up, holding his chin.

"En." Huo Ling lazily answered.

Yi Bing sat on the driver's seat while Qi Ming and Hu Feng entered the bus and sat with the Rolling Thunder Team.

"Luo-ge. I read from somewhere that the cultivators can even not sleep or eat for a whole month?" Qi Ning asked Luo Ye.

That's right. They brought Luo Ye with them while Xiao Ru went with Xi Kai's team, leaving the two children with Xi Ke and Lu Lu to take care of. Jin Wu proposed this idea to Yi Bing since it was obvious that Luo Ye knows more about cultivation than Xiao Ru, so he asked Yi Bing to take Luo Ye with them while Xiao Ru will go with Xi Kai's team in case Luo Ye would talk about cultivation and Jin Wu and Mo Shi will be exposed. So, it's better for Luo Ye to go with where Huo Ling is, since Huo Ling is smarter than them with his head full of theories, which managed to dupe Qi Ming and Xi Kai, and even Hu Feng. Xiao Ru also looked timid so she definitely wouldn't talk about cultivation, which she even is less knowledgeable of, thus Jin Wu and Mo Shi won't be easily exposed.

"Yes. This is called 'inedia', and can be done only after the Foundation Establishment Stage." Luo Ye answered.

"Why?" Zuo Li curiously asked.

"Since our body was successfully refined by qi, thus building our foundation for cultivation for the qi to be easier to enter our body, we won't feel hunger or feel sleepy." Luo Ye explained. "But, since our body is still made of flesh, and we still haven't achieved immortality where our perfectly refined soul leaves our body to ascend, we still need to eat from time to time." He said.

"Oh! This is what you call 'nutrients'! Our body definitely still needs nutrients in order for it to function properly." Lin An said.

Luo Ye looked puzzled. It was then that Huo Ling spoke. "The reason why cultivators can do inedia is because the qi makes the blood flow smoother inside our body, so we don't feel hungry or sleepy. But, it doesn't mean that we don't need to eat or not sleep." He said. "This is where the 'nutrients' enter. No matter how the qi makes our blood flow smoother in our body, but our blood will 'wear out' and it needs nutrients to refuel it." He explained.

"Oooh! As expected of Huo-ge!" the Rolling Thunder Team exclaimed in awe. "Supernatural and science combined!" they said and clapped.

Huo Ling just smiled and looked outside while Yi Bing glanced at Huo Ling and inwardly chuckled. How cute. He thought and followed the other bus, going outside of the gates.

…

"Excluding the sect where Luo Ye resided, the sect nearest to us to the east is in the X District, in the downtown area." Hu Feng spoke as he held a map with some areas marked in red circles. The other similar map is with Xi Kai's group who will be going west.

"'downtown area'?!" the Rolling Thunder Team exclaimed in surprise. "There is a sect there?" they said.

"I once went there during a business meeting but I didn't see anything related to uhm… cultivation world…" Zuo Li said.

"It must have been concealed by them, then." Qi Ming spoke.

Zuo Li nodded in understanding. Like the mountain where Luo Ye was found, it was also concealed. It is understandable since cultivation and immortality are now directly linked to feudal superstition. And since the humans now believed deeply in science, the cultivators or even anyone believing in superstition, are now looked at with strange gazes and worse, even discriminated against or ridiculed.

What once a glorious path to immortality now became a road leading to becoming a myth.

"Ge! There are zombies!" Qi Ning exclaimed when she looked outside the window.

"Should we kill them?" Qi Ming asked.

"Kill them silently. We can't let them near the base." Hu Feng answered. "We have to eliminate more zombies as we could. One zombie can take one or two lives. If we ignore one, we will be indirectly killing the people they will kill for not killing the zombie and just leave them alone to roam." He explained.

Everyone solemnly nodded and immediately took out their gun.