Afterlife Department

Chapter 524 - Lifetimes

Yep. 'floating'. The one before them is really floating. There's nothing wrong with Yi Bing's and Huo Ling's eyes, and they are actually very familiar with floating things, especially the transparent ones that can speak and has a face. They also heard the voice and confirmed that the young police officer in front of them can't hear the voice that is owned by Hao Baiyun.

Yes. That floating and transparent 'thing' is Hao Baiyun. He is a ghost. Before, when they met him in the Stable World, and also in the other worlds before this, Hao Baiyun is still alive. He was a human. But, right now, he is dead and had turned into a ghost.

"This…" Huo Ling muttered and turned to look at Yi Bing with a complicated gaze. Things suddenly felt awkward for them who are in the know.

Yi Bing doesn't want to answer. He remembered that the two of them also met Hao Baiyun and Gu Xingfeng in the previous world that they have just left, the interstellar ABO world. Why the hell did they meet them again? And just right after? He thought as his face darkened.

He remembered, excluding the Stable World, they have already met Hao Baiyun and Gu Xingfeng six times. The first time is in Huo Ling's second reincarnation (third world), where Huo Ling was a university student. Gu Xingfeng is the one handling the case while Hao Baiyun is helping him as his partner/husband. The second time they met the pair is in Huo Ling's third reincarnation (fourth world), which is a fantasy world and Huo Ling is a yao, as well as Hao Baiyun who is also Huo Ling's cousin, where they belong to the nine-tailed fox clan.

The third time that they met them is the world right after that, Huo Ling's fourth reincarnation (fifth world), where Huo Ling is an actor but also a prince and he was killed after his car exploded. Gu Xingfeng was the one that handled Huo Ling's case while Hao Baiyun is Huo Ling's relative. The fourth time was in Huo Ling's sixth reincarnation (seventh world) where, because of Huo Ling's soul combining with his aggressive Soul Fragment, they had a mishap with Di San's team and were sent to a mafia world. Hao Baiyun is one of the aristocrats and Gu Xingfeng is a police officer, and they became friends with Huo Ling when Huo Ling chose to save them instead of killing them. The fifth time, Huo Ling was a royal prince and is assassinated. This was Huo Ling's last life in his first reincarnation cycle, and Hao Baiyun is Huo Ling's relative again while Gu Xingfeng is someone from a security company. This was also the world where he and Huo Ling had a 'relationship', but… Huo Ling doesn't remember all of these, since he became a grim reaper.

The sixth time is the first time Huo Ling met the two in another world, aside from the Stable world. Since Huo Ling can't remember the previous five times they had met Hao Baiyun and Gu Xingfeng in the other worlds because Huo Ling was reincarnating, this is the second time Huo Ling will be meeting Hao Baiyun and Gu Xingfeng, instead of the sixth time.

"… why did he turn into a ghost?" he heard Huo Ling ask him.

Yi Bing still didn't answer. He remembered that Hao Baiyun and Gu Xingfeng are Twin Souls of Fate, a secret Shen Sheng shared to him as his 'compensation' after angering him when Shen Sheng held Huo Ling's hand, but just to give Huo Ling a 'gift' as a new, and the last, grim reaper.

Could it be that as long as one of them doesn't die, the other's soul won't leave the world? He thought, trying to guess some truths about the Twin Souls of Fate, since he and Huo Ling, as Shen Sheng has also divulged to him before, are Twin Souls of Fate. Then, what about him and Huo Ling? He thought as he fell into a deep contemplation.

"… Bing… Yi Bing!" he heard Huo Ling called and tapped his shoulder when he didn't hear him ask.

"Yes?" Yi Bing returned to his senses and he turned.

"Never mind about the matters of the ghosts in this world first, but… why is young master Hao here again?" Huo Ling asked.

Yi Bing stared at him. "… do you remember about the reincarnation cycles?" he asked.

"… oh!" Huo Ling exclaimed when he realized it. "That's right… for every one reincarnation cycle, there are nine lifetimes. After a reincarnation cycle, the soul will become stronger." He explained.

"And why is that?" Yi Bing asked.

"Because in a reincarnation cycle, the soul will be split into nine parts, and if the soul finishes living its nine lifetimes in this cycle, its other souls will return and merge into one." Huo Ling explained, then paused when he remembered something. "Of course, another reason is that the soul has gathered some energy from the other worlds it reincarnated to." He added.

Yi Bing nodded, indicating that his answered are all correct. "You have remembered all that I taught you well." He said and smiled.

Huo Ling grinned. "Then, young master Hao… this is one of his reincarnations?" he said and turned to Hao Baiyun who is floating behind the young police officer.

"Brrr… why do I suddenly feel cold?" the young police officer shivered as he rubbed his arms.

Huo Ling. "…" that's because there is a ghost behind you, mate… he thought, feeling pity to the young police officer.

Yi Bing ignored the scene. "Yes. This is one of Hao Baiyun's reincarnations." He answered.

Huo Ling turned to him. "… then, which reincarnation cycle this is of him?" he curiously asked.

Yi Bing declined to answer.

Huo Ling also understood so he didn't force him. Actually, the reason why he asked is because he is curious what happens to the second reincarnation cycle. Of course, since he is now a grim reaper, it means that he decided to end a reincarnation cycle of his. And since he has forgotten everything, he wouldn't know until which reincarnation cycle did he reach. He also could never reincarnate again, now that he is a grim reaper.

Damn it… why did I decide to become a grim reaper? He thought and frowned. Now, I am dying of curiosity! He clenched his fists, feeling frustrated because his curiosity would not be satiated. It's not that Yi Bing is deliberately hanging him so he didn't answer. Huo Ling is smart, so he could guess that there is a secret in the higher reincarnation cycles. Added to the fact that he is just a new grim reaper, naturally, he wouldn't learn of these secrets.

Yi Bing, as usual, could guess Huo Ling's thoughts just based from his question and the emotions on his face. Idiot. He thought. If your soul isn't strong, how will you be chosen as a grim reaper? He thought.

For instance, Shi Jiu. Although his soul attribute is weak unlike him, Yi Bing, or Huo Ling, Shi Jiu's soul is stronger than ordinary souls that have died. Or else, he wouldn't be recruited by the Afterlife Department, and he was assigned to the Collection Department which has lesser danger in the tasks unlike Yi Bing, Feng Er, Si Shui and Liu Lin who are Enforcers – meaning, they will be dispatched at any time, and the level of danger of their tasks is also unknown sometimes.

Shi Jiu's soul attribute is on the psychological area, mind-control. That was why his reincarnation Wei Shi had greatly mentally affected Yu Yan before. His soul attribute complements the Collection Department which collects soul and if a soul wouldn't comply, Shi Jiu can control their mind. If worse, they will ask the Enforcers to accompany them. Just like what happened to the 'reborn' Yu Yan. They deemed him as dangerous after killing Shou Ji in their 'second life', so Shou Ji and Shi Jiu asked Yi Bing and Huo Ling to accompany them.

"… Bing… Yi Bing! Hey!" he heard Huo Ling called and felt his shoulder was hit again.

Yi Bing turned, only to see that Huo Ling's hand was on his both sides. … it wasn't Huo Ling who touched him just now. He thought. That leaves… he turned, and before he could speak, a voice spoke.

"I could touch you, too!" Hao Baiyun exclaimed as he looked at Yi Bing in surprise.

Yi Bing. "…" well, you already did. He thought, but didn't speak.

"Are you ghosts, too?" Hao Baiyun continued to speak as he looked at Yi Bing and Huo Ling. "That officer doesn't seem to be able to see you like me, but, you have your bodies while I don't have mine…" he said. "So, what are you? Jiangshi?" he asked when he remembered a domestic horror film about their country's vampires.

"No." Yi Bing answered. "We are grim reapers.." He told him.

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