Afterlife Department

"So, you mean to say, he was the one who wanted to go along with you?" Bai Liu asked as he looked at Yi Bing and Huo Ling while they sat down.

Wu Yi is sitting beside Bai Liu while Jiu Ye and Bai Wu are talking to Hao Baiyun as they toured him around the house.

"Hey. No matter where you look at it, even if this house has become clean, but isn't this the exact image of a haunted house?!" they heard Hao Baiyun said to Jiu Ye and Bai Wu upstairs.

Yi Bing and Huo Ling. "…" well, sorry for that, young master Hao. They thought.

Bai Liu and Wu Yi. "…" as we've thought, we couldn't interact with any NPCs. They thought and looked at Yi Bing and Huo Ling.

"NPCS… ehem, that is, the natives of this world shouldn't know of our existence." Bai Liu spoke. "Isn't that why our Inspection Department exist and why is our family… ehem, why are we here?" he asked as he sharply looked at the two.

"But that's because one of your people let his target escape. We won't let Hao Baiyun escape from our hands." Yi Bing said.

Bai Liu shut up and felt stifled with anger. But, Yi Bing has a point. It was their dereliction of duty while Yi Bing's case still hasn't even ended. "Fine." He spoke. "So, you wanted to make him help you?" he said.

Yi Bing nodded. "His brother is the CEO of the company where our target works. He also has met our target before." He explained.

Bai Liu nodded in understanding. "As long as you erase his memories of us after your case, then I will let this slide." He said and received the tea that Wu Yi poured for him.

"How about your end?" Yi Bing asked.

"We think that that native is using something to hide his presence from us, since he must have already expected for us to come for him after he found out about our existence." Bai Liu answered as he gnashed his teeth in anger.

Yi Bing's and Huo Ling's faces changed. "We also have noticed." Yi Bing spoke. "We can't use the direct teleportation spell to our target." He said as the corners of his lips are pulled down into a frown. "There really should be something in this world that can hide one's presence – whether the dead or the living." He said.

Their faces turned grim.

"This was like in that ancient world, Normal World 341." Huo Ling spoke.

They looked at him.

"That's right…" Yi Bing muttered when he remembered. "Shi Jiu was also looking for a soul that had escaped from him through so many worlds and ended up in Normal World 341. He then suddenly noticed that it disappeared. He was carrying Anji Li that time to track down the soul but then even Anji Li couldn't find where it was. She also noticed that there were missing souls in that world, that's supposed to have an internal reincarnation." He explained. "So, Gu Shi sent us along with Shi Jiu." He finished.

"How did your case turn out?" Wu Yi asked.

"To solve the case, we investigated the missing people and found out that something supernatural has happened." Yi Bing answered. "But, in the end, we found out that it was just a serial murder and revenge case and the 'supernatural' thing was just mere coincidences due to topographical reason. Shi Jiu also found out in the end the soul he was looking for." He explained.

"… Yi Bing, do you take me for a fool?" Bai Liu asked as he narrowed his eyes.

Huo Ling tensed on his seat.

Yi Bing patted his shoulder to reassure him before he turned to Bai Liu. "Of course you're not an idiot, except when you are with your family." He answered.

Bai Liu snorted while Wu Yi smiled.

"I still haven't finished speaking." Yi Bing calmly sipped his drink. "Indeed, although the 'missing people' were actually murdered and the 'supernatural' events were just due to topographical location, the souls are missing. That's for real." He spoke. "After the serial murder case was finished, Shi Jiu also helped us locate the missing souls. But, in the end, we found nothing. It was beyond Anji Li's, and ours, power." He told him.

"What about Shi Jiu's target?" Bai Liu asked.

"Between that strange thing that is calling it and Shi Jiu, naturally it would choose Shi Jiu to go with than it be eaten by that strange thing." Yi Bing answered. "That strange thing… I don't need to explain it to you, right?" he asked.

They nodded and tacitly didn't answer. It was a Soul Eater.

"If even Anji Li can't locate it, nor us… what would have become of that Soul Eater?" Bai Liu asked. "That world?" he added.

"I already reported it to Gu Shi, and Shen Taizi." Yi Bing answered. "Since it was beyond the Afterlife Department's power, Shen Taizi will take care of it." He told them.

They all were rendered speechless. That's right… Shen Sheng is omnipotent. What a mere Soul Eater can do against him? They thought, didn't know that right now, in the Normal World, the man, or god, that they are talking about was speaking with the Soul Eater who has developed its own consciousness.

Normal World 342.

"Your 'friend' has avenged you. You should learn to let go now." Shen Sheng told Xiao Hualing. "You also have eaten their souls." He added and looked at the distorted faces that appeared on the surface of Xiao Hualing's now large lump of body.

"I could have… I could have - !" Xiao Hualing cried. She could have had a brighter future if not for the Pei family.

"I know." Shen Sheng softly spoke. "But if you want to live a new life, you should forget. Also – " he looked at her as he placed the tip of his index finger on her forehead. " – even if they have wronged you, but in exchange to satisfy your anger, you have eaten their souls. The new life that I will give you, it will be for eternity, but you have to work for me." He told her.

Xiao Hualing nodded in understanding. Everything has its corresponding price.

Suddenly, Shen Sheng smiled. "This new life wouldn't be bad." He assured her as light came out of the tip of his finger. "Do you remember two children whom you fed for a day?" he asked, referring to Qian Jiu and Qian Shi, who are now Jiu Ye and Shi Jiu.

Xiao Hualing looked at him in a daze.

"Oh. Silly me." Shen Sheng slapped his forehead with his other hand. "You will forget everything now, so what's the use of remembering the both of them?" he asked and heaved a sigh. "But, it's because of this momentary kindness, I will use in exchange of your entire sin to give you a new life." He said as the body of the Soul Eater was enveloped by a light.

Then, the light scattered into pieces after the large body disappeared.

"Another grim reaper will be imprisoned after committing an irreversible mistake." Shen Sheng sighed as he stood. Then, he waved his hands and the lights all scattered, leaving a single bright light that floated towards him. "You will be replacing that grim reaper, code 342, just like your world's code. Truly a coincidence." He spoke and shook his head as he placed the soul inside his large sleeves.

It was Xiao Hualing's soul, who will become the new grim reaper, code 342.

Normal World, 112.

Bai Liu's and Wu Yi's communicators rang, breaking the silence among them.

Bai Liu tapped his communicator and saw that he received a message. "'Grim reaper, code 342, will be sent to the prison and be replaced by a new grim reaper'." He read.

Silence fell upon them.

"… what does that supposed to mean?" Huo Ling whispered to Yi Bing when he saw Bai Liu's and Wu Yi's grim expressions. "Yi Bing…?" he called and was stunned when he saw that Yi Bing's expression was frosty as he looked at Bai Liu and Wu Yi.

"Coincidence?" Yi Bing spoke only one word, but it made Bai Liu's and Wu Yi's expressions turned ugly. "Consider yourselves lucky that there is an outsider present." He said as he glared at them.

Huo Ling was shocked. The 'outsider' he meant is Hao Baiyun. But, what does Yi Bing meant by 'consider yourselves lucky'? Does he want to hit Bai Liu and Wu Yi? Why? What did they do? He thought, feeling puzzled. Then, he recalled what had transpired today, until just now.

Then, he froze on his seat when he finally realized it. He sharply turned to Bai Liu and Wu Yi whose expressions looked grave. "… it can't be… that subordinate of yours… really committed a heinous crime…" he muttered under his breath. "And that crime is… related to You Ri – " his eyes slowly widened.. " – our tasks really were connected!" he said.