Afterlife Department

"How was it?" Yi Bing, who made Jing Qing felt frozen in fear, spoke as he looked at Huo Ling's face filled with 'consternation'.

Yes. Huo Ling was just acting. They saw that this Jing Qing sneak attacked Lei Wei. Truly a coward.

"What exactly happened?" Luo Zhilai asked as he approached them. Behind him, Qian San and Wu Ling are following silently while secretly watching this Jing Qing in case he would make another move again.

Although, they don't know how to fight. They are observing Jing Qing and if he makes a move, they… will report him to Yi Bing. En. This is right.

"This…" Shi Yi gasped as if in shock when they saw that the fan was soaked with soup. His face is so shocked as if this is such a large matter. He really has learned from Huo Ling very well.

Huo Ling squeezed some tears out, acting like he was really broken-hearted for his 'favorite' fan that he just actually randomly picked up and is very cheap but was sold to him ten times the price. "My fan…" he muttered as he carefully picked up his fan that is now very smelly due to the soup. But, he looked like he doesn't smell it… well, it is because he had already blocked his sense of smell. Instead, he acted like he is a husband mourning for his wife, the fan.

"Uh, this…" Mu Fan spoke. He glanced at the spot where Jing Qing was but, as he has expected, he was already gone. He clenched his fists. He saw that needle that is flying towards Lei Wei. He was about to intercept it but then this 'unfortunate' fan appeared very timely, saving Lei Wei.

Huo Ling turned to him. "Oh. You are…?" he asked, looking absent-minded. "I am sorry to waste your soup. It was my fault that I was too careless." He apologized. "Let me compensate you." He said and dug into his sleeve.

Mu Fan who was about to compensate Huo Ling since Huo Ling's fan saved Lei Wei. "… no need." He spoke. "I am Mu Fan, the eldest disciple of the Liulin Sect." he introduced himself and cupped his hands. "This is my junior brother, Lei Wei. Young sir, thank you for just now. If it wasn't for you, my junior brother should have suffered." He spoke.

"'suffered'?" Huo Ling muttered and tilted his head.

The onlookers murmured.

Mu Fan didn't waste their time and satisfied their curiosity by pointing to Huo Ling's fan. "If young sir may, you can check that there is a hole in your fan." He answered. "It was made by the needle, a weapon of the Green River Sect, and was used by one of its disciple just now, Jing Qing, to secretly attack my junior brother." He explained.

The crowd gasped in shock. "This Green River Sect is really dangerous!" they exclaimed.

"Yeah. Their minds are really as poisonous as their weapons and they are as disgusting as their methods!" someone said.

Qian San, Wu Ling, Shi Yi and Qi Bai. "…" the way the ancient people curse is very lengthy… just say that this Green or Yellow River Sect is the villain! They thought, but didn't voice it out since they are still acting.

Spending time with Huo Ling, they already learned how to go along with the flow. They can even participate in his acts, like what Shi Yi and Qi Bai just did. Qian San and Wu Ling don't have the confidence in acting, thus they chose to just stand by on the side. What surprised them is that Yi Bing is also participating!

For example – "Be careful." Yi Bing told Huo Ling as he took the fan away from Huo Ling. "They said that the weapon is poisonous. Let me handle this." He said and slowly unfolded the fan.

Then, everyone gasped when they saw that there was indeed some holes in the fan! The fan was folded when it flew earlier, so the hole penetrated the fan, but fortunately isn't completely. Thus, Lei Wei was saved, and there were some holes made after the fan was unfolded.

But, Qian San, Wu Ling, Shi Yi and Qi Bai. "…" wow… Yi Bing really deserves to be the number one grim reaper. His acting is also top-notch! They thought, feeling awe towards Yi Bing.

Luo Zhilai who saw that Huo Ling's grief for his fan and Yi Bing's worry towards Huo Ling being poisoned is authentic, thus he temporarily decided that this is just a coincidence.

"Da shixiong!" Lei Wei cried in alarm and immediately hid behind Mu Fan after he saw that he nearly escaped death due to a freaky 'coincidence'. "Damn that Jing Qing! He really followed us to harm us!" he said.

"Xiao Lei." Mu Fan warned.

Lei Wei immediately shut his mouth.

"Everyone. I apologize if you had a poor dining experience today." Luo Zhilai spoke as he walked to the front. "As a compensation, all the dishes and drinks today are free." He said.

"Boss Luo!" the guests exclaimed.

"Boss Luo is here today! It is fine! It isn't boss Luo's fault!" they said.

"No! We can't wrong you!" Huo Ling spoke, taking the limelight again. "Really. It was I who made this matter so big by making a trouble due to my carelessness… let me compensate you instead!" he said.

"Wow! What a considerate young man!" the crowd exclaimed.

"Really. This is the Green River Sect's fault. Why is it this young man be paying?" someone asked.

"Ai! We can't let this young man do it! He did nothing wrong! In fact, he even coincidentally saved someone's life!" somebody sighed.

"That's right! Also, it was all of us who ate and drink… why should we let him pay?" they asked.

"Boss Luo! We will pay! Really! We will go now and pay!" the guests said and raised each other to pay at the counter.

"What… hey! I said I will pay!" Huo Ling tried to stop them.

"Aiyo! Didn't you lose your favorite fan? And even saved someone! Young man, the heaven will definitely favor you!" a middle-aged woman kindly smiled at Huo Ling and patted his shoulder to comfort him before she went to line up to pay.

Huo Ling who died at twenty-three. "…" auntie, I really want to believe you but reality is crueler than the truth. He thought and heaved a sigh.

Luo Zhilai who saw that the guests not only paid, but also bought some items from his shops and pharmacy outside. In short, his business is blooming again. "…" this can be called a windfall? He thought and looked at Huo Ling who is 'lamenting' on the side.

Qian San, Wu Ling, Shi Yi and Qi Bai who saw Huo Ling's smooth flow of operations. "…" taking the blame and making Luo Zhilai's business bloom… Huo Ling will definitely gain Luo Zhilai's trust! They thought and looked at Huo Ling in awe.

Yi Bing smiled as he looked at Huo Ling. His eyes are filled with pride.

"Da shixiong." A Liulin Sect disciple whispered form behind them. "Sorry for being late. We just checked and these six people are asking around about the Snow Clouds Spring Blossoms Mountain." He said. "But, it was just for a miracle medicine since they also went to Lailai Pharmacy. We checked and they really brought a large number of medicine." He told him and gulped as he spoke the amount that Huo Ling's group paid.

Lei Wei's eyes almost popped out of their sockets while Mu Fan sharply inhaled. He suddenly hates the rich.

The 'hateful rich person' Huo Ling naturally didn't forget them. "Young heroes… how much should I compensate you? Is this enough?" he asked and handed to the stunned Lei Wei the money pouch that obviously looked heavy, making Lei Wei's hand tremble in fear and almost drop the money pouch.

"No need." Mu Fan spoke and politely returned the money pouch to Huo Ling. "Instead, we should compensate you since you saved my junior brother's life." He said again.

"This… it is just a coincidence!" Huo Ling comforted them. "I am so excited talking with boss Luo that I carelessly held my fan… really, such a coincidence!" he exclaimed in awe.

If Qian San, Wu Ling, Shi Yi and Qi Bai didn't know that Huo Ling is acting, even they would buy his act right now.

"T – thank you, young sir…" Lei Wei spoke as he looked fearfully at Huo Ling, as if it was Huo Ling who harmed him instead of Jing Qing who escaped to who knows where.

"Ai. Life is precious, so one should enjoy it! Don't think about such stressing matters! You only live once!" Huo Ling said. So far, among all of his lines, this one is what's only real.

Yi Bing. "…" I suddenly feel bad…

Qian San, Wu Ling, Shi Yi and Qi Bai. "…" what did Huo Ling go through for him to think so carefreely?

Lei Wei. "…" he has a point…?

Mu Fan. "…" why do I suddenly feel a sense of crisis? He thought and looked at his junior brother who looked convinced by Huo Ling.

Luo Zhilai.. "…" this Huo Ling is such a mysterious person… he thought.