Afterlife Department

Janeu fell silent. The host also fell silent.

Meanwhile, the audience is puzzled. What does the red team's captain mean? Focus as ordinary students? But they are students! They thought.

Janeu clearly meant what Alexis meant and his fists clenched.

The host's expression turned solemn and he looked at the judges. "This request is valid." He spoke.

Janeu sharply inhaled and he raised his head to look at Alexis.

"What is team captain Janeu's answer?" The host asked.

"I agree." Janeu answered. His expression couldn't be any calmer than before. The blue team members behind him sighed in relief, and some of them even have red eyes preventing themselves from crying.

The audience who heard Janeu's answer cheered, didn't know that that answer decided the future of the blue team.

Alexis smiled, and Dwinn, Uly, and the red team members also sighed in relief. They won't ask excessive request, of course. The most that they could do, as students, is to save their fellow students. And since the judges approved it, that means that they will protect the students. The enemies also shouldn't have any thoughts towards the blue team.

Also... it looks like Wei Shi, and Emily, has succeeded. Now, the students like Janeu are free.

Stable World.

"The 'rebirth' is actually not a rebirth, but the world itself did a self-repair after an external soul unintentionally affected the world to collapse when it went berserk and its spiritual strength, as well as mental strength, affected the entire planet where all the important figures of the world resided. Thus, the world's consciousness did a self-repair." 

The lens of Huo Ling's eyeglasses flashed as his fingers tapped on the keyboard very fast.

"Due to excessive stress, a portion of the external soul went to a native soul's body who was near him that time while the world was in the middle of self-repair, making that native soul called 'Yu Yan' remember his past life and thought that he was rebirth while all the other natives, excluding the external soul, didn't remember their past life. But, due to another external soul who was formerly a native returned, and was spiritually entangled with the external soul in their 'past life', that is, before the world's consciousness made a self-repair, returned, it affected the external soul that caused the world's consciousness to do a self-repair, and the memories first external soul were triggered, thus, remembering his past life like Yu Yan. But, before he finally could exact his revenge, and obstruct the new external soul's task of retrieving Yu Yan's soul which they thought rebirthed, the first external soul called 'Wei Shi' found out, while he affected Yu Yan mentally due to discovering that he has a portion of his soul on Yu Yan, the cause of the 'rebirth' was him after he found out that his general has an illness, and, actually, his general also know that he has a terminal illness, so – " 

Reaching here, Huo Ling took a deep breath. "'– so, the general told Yu Yan to kill him before Wei Shi could discover his illness and prolong Wei Shi's agony." He muttered. "The general knew that Yu Yan likes Wei Shi, so he told Yu Yan that. Yu Yan, but, in his heart he admires and deeply respects the general so he naturally can't kill him, even if Wei Shi would be hurt. Thus, Yu Yan went to see Wei Shi while he pondered over the general's, his teacher, words. But, he didn't expect for Wei Shi to discover the general's illness on his own. Thus, the 'rebirth' happened.'" He said as he read the words on the screen.

There is only silence in the room after he made a pause. Suppressing the emotions that he felt, he resumed.

"They also didn't expect for the general's words, that left a strong impact on Yu Yan, before the 'rebirth' happened would affect Yu Yan's personality in this 'new life'. But, since only Wei Shi's last memories, that contains the general's illness, should he remember after accidentally containing a portion of Wei Shi's soul, Yu Yan didn't remember the general's words, but only the intent of those words. Thus, he killed the general in this life before the general could discover his illness. Wei Shi, however, although didn't see Yu Yan's memory of the general instructing him to kill him in their 'previous life', but Wei Shi is extremely familiar of his general's personality. So, after he found out that the general actually had an illness before, he knows that the general must have ordered Yu Yan, who he knew that likes him, to kill the general. Thus, Wei Shi could now understand why Yu Yan killed the general in this life, and affected his whole personality entirely, which made him more impulsive to kill."

Yi Bing who was reading the Lower Heaven's gossip forum didn't speak.

"How is Shou Ji now?" Huo Ling asked him, breaking the suffocating silence.

"Dunno…" Yi Bing answered while he scrolled the screen.

"… he won't leave the Afterlife Department, right?" Huo Ling nervously asked. "What will happen to Shi Jiu if he leaves?" he asked as he turned to Yi Bing.

"You don't need to worry about Shi Jiu. It's Shou Ji's job, not yours." Yi Bing said.

Huo Ling frowned and didn't move.

Yi Bing helplessly placed the tablet down on the table. "Get up. I'll take you somewhere." He told him.

Huo Ling, feeling stifled lately, immediately rose even without asking Yi Bing where he will take him. They left the office, while on the computer screen displayed the pop-up box with words in bold and capital letters that read: SENT.

…

"Wow… I didn't realize there could be something as dramatic as this!" Di San exclaimed after he read Huo Ling's report that he just received.

Gu Shi rubbed his temples. "I also didn't expect for something like this to happen." He frowned. "No wonder we didn't detect anything strange before in that world after we lost a reincarnation of Shi Jiu. Shi Jiu also isn't the type to haggle over things so he just let his soul be for the meantime and wait for Shou Ji to heal so they could go together to receive his reincarnation after Shou Ji was finished with his personal matter." He explained. "But, who could have thought that Shi Jiu's reincarnation is in that world where Shou Ji came from? It was also Shi Jiu's reincarnation that made that world self-repair, or what we thought of 'rebirth'. Then, it was actually Shou Ji's intent, and a portion of the soul of Shi Jiu's reincarnation that made Yu Yan remember their past life so he killed Shou Ji in this life." He heaved a sigh.

"… should I laugh, or cry?" Di San asked.

Gu Shi didn't answer.

"Well, anyway, it's good that Yu Yan's sentence was reduced." Di San spoke as he continued to read Huo Ling's report. "Although he should be pardoned because of his 'mental illness' after Wei Shi vouched for him, but Yu Yan, as a soldier, felt burdened of the lives in his hands, including the general's, so he chose to enter the prison himself. Even though there were some people who condemned him, but the royal family has finally forgiven him, including Wei Shi." He explained. "Fortunately for Yu Yan, he had a new person that is willing to do everything for him, including waiting for him, even if for a whole life." He said when he saw man's name. "Poor guy, this Lyner. As well as Yu Yan, though. He is actually really good, and as Emily said, Lyner wouldn't fall for Yu Yan if Yu Yan is bad." He shook his head in pity. "Gu Shi, won't they have another chance?" he asked since he isn't sure of Lyner's and Yu Yan's romantic fate in the interstellar world. So, he could only wish for them two to meet in their next reincarnation.

"How would I know?" Gu Shi asked. "I am not Fate." He told him. Then, he looked at the table and saw a document.

It was a contract, and it stated that Shou Ji would stay and continue to work for the Afterlife Department as the chief of the Collection Department and would wait until his soul be fully healed. Then, he will become an official grim reaper and continue as being the chief of the Collection Department for eternity, as long as Shi Jiu still is the vice-chief.

…

"This is the Pathway of the Clouds." Huo Ling said when they reached the sea of clouds.

Yi Bing nodded. "The Naihe Bridge was also gone after the underworld collapsed, so we could only construct this pathway." He explained. "The Pathway of the Clouds is between the Lower Heaven and the Middle Heaven." He added.

"'Middle Heaven'…" Huo Ling muttered. "Isn't that Shen Taizi's residence?" he said.

Yi Bing nodded. "So, these souls, after they would lose their memories because of Meng Po's soup that rained on them might have a chance to meet Shen Taizi." He said. "If they would, then they would think that they met a god… well, he really is. Then, they would continue to their next life." He explained.

"Oh." Huo Ling now understood. "Why did you bring me here, then?" he asked.

"Because after the soul was hit by the rain in the Pathway of Clouds, they would never remember their former life." Yi Bing answered. Before Huo Ling could ask, he continued. "Except if that soul has a Soul Fragment. Then, it would be possible.." He said.