Afterlife Department

"FCK!" Shi Jiu cursed after they saw a blank space. "They are messing with us!" he gnashed his teeth as he stabbed the steak on his plate with his fork. "Why is there no cause of death displayed for Wei Shi and Yu Yan, as well as the chief, in their previous life?!" he asked as he gnashed his teeth.

"… you didn't check this before?" Yi Bing asked.

Shi Jiu's eyes widened. "How can I?! I'm not interested! And this is the chief's world!" he defended himself. "And… naturally, the chief wouldn't look at their cause of death!" he added, defending Shou Ji.

"I apologize." Shou Ji lowered his head.

Yi Bing looked at Shou Ji and Shi Jiu coldly sweated for his chief. "This will be a lesson for you both.." He said. "And, don't let emotions affect you again. Now, we lost a clue." He told them.

"Sorry!" Shi Jiu apologized.

Huo Ling calmly sliced his steak. "Have you thought that this might not be their mistake?" he asked.

Yi Bing looked at him. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Shou Ji and Shi Jiu looked at him.

"Well… I am thinking something…" Huo Ling chewed before he swallowed. Then, he sipped his wine before he spoke with wet lips. "Since there was a rebirth that happened, Shou Ji can't remember his past life, and neither the people around him, including Wei Shi. But, Yu Yan could." He said. "If this is because of this world's rule, then, it is natural for the cause of deaths on the Record List to be empty." He explained.

"But, there are for others, and also their birth and death dates." Yi Bing spoke. "Also, if this is the world's rule, then, the births and deaths on the Record List during their previous life shouldn't exist, too." He said. "That way, Shou Ji wouldn't know that they have a first life." He looked at Shou Ji.

Shou Ji looked downcast. If this happened, then it is crueler.

"But, their previous lives appeared. Thus, the interstellar world, although a Special World, couldn't overrule the Stable World." Huo Ling said.

Everyone fell silent. Now, they realized how important the Stable World.

Huo Ling continued as if nothing happened. "But, that can't change the fact that Wei Shi's and Yu Yan's, as well as Shou Ji's, causes of deaths are blank." He spoke. "Something definitely must have happened. This can't be blamed on Shou Ji and Shi Jiu, since the blank spaces should have already been there. It's not that they forgot to check it." His eyes narrowed as he smiled. "Have you ever thought that, the rule of this world still reached Shou Ji and Shi Jiu, who are in the Stable World, thus it obscured their minds for checking the deaths, because – " he looked at the two sitting across him. " – you two are connected to that world." He told them.

A long silence fell as they all looked at Huo Ling.

"Shou Ji came from this world, so he is still affected by what's happening in this world as its native. Meanwhile, I wasn't, since I came from the Stable World, and only it can affect me." He continued. "But, in order to preserve order, I, from the Stable World, can't create chaos that would destroy this world, or greatly affect it." He explained.

Yi Bing nodded in agreement. This is why they need to be low profile, and their existences would be erased after they were done with their task in this world. Their traces also would be erased, and this world would replace its natives' memories, supply some memories to replace their memories of the outsiders. As to how this will happen, it is its problem.

"Meanwhile, Shi Jiu." Huo Ling turned. "Although you came from another world, but a part of your soul was still here. So, you can be considered its native." He smiled. "So, it is understandable that both of you shouldn't see your causes of deaths from your previous life, even if you are looking at it in the Stable World. You will just subconsciously overlook it since the rule prevents you from knowing." He explained.

"Huo Ling… why are you so good?! QAQ" Shi Jiu looked at Huo Ling as if he is a Buddha.

"But, what about Yu Yan's case?" Yi Bing asked.

Huo Ling fell silent as he contemplated.

Shi Jiu noticed it and wailed. "Is there nothing we can do?!" he asked. "Ah!" he gasped when he thought of something. "Since I and chief can't see it… how about you two?" he asked as he looked at Yi Bing and Huo Ling.

"We can't." Yi Bing answered.

"But you aren't natives!" Shi Jiu exclaimed.

Yi Bing tiredly closed his eyes. "First, we can't go against the rules since we are outsiders. The rules don't want you to see the causes of death on the Record List, and we naturally can't look at it for you. Second, only the ones from the Collection Department can see the Record List, and we aren't from your department. So, it is still useless." He explained.

"Wuwuwuwu… is there nothing else?!" Shi Jiu wailed.

Shou Ji helplessly smiled.

"This…" Huo Ling muttered and his face turned serious.

"… you thought of something?" Yi Bing's eyes narrowed. He has a bad feeling.

"Well…" Huo Ling looked at them before his gaze fell on Shou Ji and Shi Jiu.

Shou Ji's heart skipped a beat.

"Didn't Yu Yan remember his past?" Huo Ling slowly asked as if he is reorganizing his thoughts while he speak so he can word his thoughts carefully.

"Yes." Shi Jiu, the only one who didn't notice the strange atmosphere, nodded when he answered.

"But, we overlooked one person…" Huo Ling spoke in a low voice.

"Huh? Who?" Shi Jiu asked.

None of them speak.

"… hello?" Shi Jiu called as he looked at them.

Shou Ji took a deep breath. He glanced at Huo Ling, doesn't know what he is planning, but he trusts him. "It's Wei Shi." He answered and almost bit the tip of his tongue when he spoke the name.

"Huh? Wei Shi… that's right! He also can remember!" Shi Jiu exclaimed. "Although his memories were just triggered, but why can he remember?" he asked, puzzled.

"It's related to Yu Yan." Huo Ling answered.

Shi Jiu looked at him. "Yu Yan? What did he do?" he asked.

Huo Ling pursed his lips. "Remember, no one should be able to remember their past lives. Even the rule concealed the cause of the three's deaths." He spoke as his heart beat faster. "But, what if, it wasn't because of the rules that the causes of deaths were concealed?" he asked and raised his head. His expression is solemn. "What if, it was because someone remembered their past life? And, because that person is deeply entangled with two people, although one has died and only one is still alive, but… it might cause this world's destruction, so the rules concealed the causes of deaths. Because Yu Yan knows the causes of deaths. And he remembers." He told them.

A deafening silence fell as shock was seen on their faces.

"Our… causes of deaths… caused the world to be destroyed?" Shou Ji asked.

Huo Ling looked at him and clenched his fists. "To be precise… it must be only one person's death, and the other two's causes of deaths don't matter." He answered.

Yi Bing cold, even if his ability is ice. Shou Ji's face paled in horror when he realized what Huo Ling is implying.

"What? What happened? Why do you always speak in riddles?!" Shi Jiu asked and pouted.

Shou Ji's quivering lips forced a smile. "Don't worry… it's… it doesn't bother you." He said and cleared his throat because his voice was shaking.

Meanwhile, Yi Bing and Huo Ling are silent. Shou Ji's death must have triggered the world to collapse. And the world, doesn't want to collapse, self-repaired. Thus, everyone was reborn. But, there was an anomaly, and it was Yu Yan. Yu Yan remembered their past life, and so the rules of this world concealed Shou Ji's death even if Shou Ji should have been alive in the previous life and only should have died later based on the dates. But, because Yu Yan remembered everything, the rules were affected and it concealed Yu Yan's death, as well as Wei Shi's.

No… the world should have supplied their deaths when it self-repaired. But, Yu Yan remembered everything, and later, Wei Shi did, too. Plus, Shou Ji's death can cause this world's destruction again, so it also concealed Shou Ji's death, and Yu Yan's and Wei Shi's.

Or… Huo Ling looked at Yi Bing, then Shou Ji. The world's rules didn't conceal the two's deaths. Instead, they actually are just blank! Because Yu Yan and Wei Shi can remember their previous life, and they are still alive when the world self-repaired, so Yu Yan knows he was 'reborn', when it was only due to the world's self-repair. And Wei Shi, too, since his memories returned after Shou Ji whose soul returned triggered them!