Afterlife Department

Chapter 118 – Entanglement

Huo Ling and Yi Bing found Ye Ting crouching under the bench while Jack was staring at him. "Why is Jack here?!" Huo Ling cried in alarm. He was about to run to Ye Ting when Yi Bing stopped him.

"Calm down." Yi Bing said, grabbing the tail of Huo Ling's soul. He can't help but remember for a moment how he also held Huo Ling like a kite. "Both cannot remember their death." He told Huo Ling. "This is common." He said.

"Really?!" Huo Ling said.

Yi Bing stared at Jack and Ye Ting before he took out his Death Note.. Then, his eyes widened in surprise. "Jack and Ye Ting's karma to each other ends here." He said as they watched Jack looked at Ye Ting with a confused gaze while Ye Ting was crying like a child underneath the bench.

"What?!" Huo Ling said in shock. "How did that happen?!" he asked.

"Jack has avenged his younger sister and paid his crime towards Ye Ting by taking his own life. Ye Ting has now paid for his sins by experiencing his sin." Yi Bing explained.

"What about their next life?" Huo Ling asked.

"If their karma to one another wasn't settled in this life, it will be continued in their next life." Yi Bing answered. "However, since it was settled, then they will have nothing to do with each other anymore in their next lives. Their path may or may not cross each other. If it did, then they might start a new connection." he explained.

"However, this life…" Huo Ling said as he looked at Jack who was now curiously looking at Ye Ting while Ye Ting turned his back on him and is shivering like he was scared.

"Since a part of their soul remained here that will serve as their memories of this life, then, what happened to them in this world will happen again." Yi Bing answered. "Their karma will start, but also end, in this life." he explained.

"But, that's just…" Huo Ling said and bit his lip.

"Jack and Ye Ting may have been enemies in this life, but they might… can become friends in another life." Yi Bing said. "This may look bad, but the Afterlife Department's main objective is the fairness towards the souls." he explained. "We won't let them be enemies all throughout their reincarnation cycle. We will give them a chance to change their relationship, since their relationship in this world has started in a wrong foot." He sighed. "As I've said, life may be unfair but in death, everything should be fair. Since you will be given a new life after death." he told Huo Ling.

"Can't everything be good?" Huo Ling asked as he watched Ye Ting and Jack. "Can everything just be at peace? Can everyone just be kind?!" he asked and cried.

"If it's just all good and no bad, then there's already an imbalance." Yi Bing said. "If everything is unbalanced, nothing will happen. To make everything move, there should be a balance. If everything will just lean on one side, life will become stagnant." he looked at Huo Ling. "Life is full of inconsistencies, since change is the only permanent thing in this world. Time changes, people change, feelings fade, memories are forgotten. Huo Ling, you can't have the best, since you have to make yourself be someone better." He told him.

Huo Ling's face is filled with tears as he stared at Yi Bing.

"Huo Ling." Yi Bing called. "You already knew this, right?" he asked. "Since you've been good all your life, your life has become monotonous." He said.

Huo Ling's sore spot was hit.

"That's why you were mad when I provoked you. No one has ever tried to anger you." Yi Bing continued. "However, you are happy, right?" he asked. "Since, finally, your feelings repressed started to be released." He told him.

Huo Ling's tears streamed down his cheeks. "Yi Bing…" he called.

"What?"

"… you're such a busybody." Huo Ling said and laughed.

Yi Bing's brows raised but he didn't speak.

"What will happen to Jack and Ah Ting now?" Huo Ling asked as he wiped his tears.

"Since this is their first life – like Rong Zhe and Zhu Min, a grim reaper will fetch them." Yi Bing answered.

"Oh." Huo Ling said and looked at Jack and Ye Ting once again. "Let's wait for them to arrive, then." He told Yi Bing.

Yi Bing nodded.

S City General Hospital.

Jiang Xinduo walked inside the ward and saw Xiao Xie looking after Song Mingfan and Gu Xingfeng. "Chief." He called.

"Xiao Jiang. How is it?" Gu Xingfeng asked. Jiang Xinduo checked the security room of the hospital.

Jiang Xinduo's face fell and he shook his head. "He's ahead of us." He said, referring to Shang Bucui. They already heard from Xiao Xie about Shang Bucui. "I've found this on Rong Zhe's room." He said and gave Gu Xingfeng his phone showing a photo.

Gu Xingfeng took it and Xiao Xie also leaned over to look. "A witness that has eyes and ears but didn't use his mouth to speak.' This…" Xiao Xie said as he looked at Gu Xingfeng. "Rong Zhe is another witness?" he asked.

"Maybe." Gu Xingfeng said as he returned the phone to Jiang Xinduo. "There are three witnesses: Zhang Su and Lu Ming, whom both are on the train." He said. "If Rong Zhe is another witness, he must be on the train along with Zhang Su and Lu Ming. Zhang Su should recognize him, and Lu Ming must, too. After all, Lu Ming and Rong Zhe are friends." He explained.

"But, Zhang Su has an eye problem. He might not have seen Rong Zhe." Jiang Xinduo said.

"Chief." Xiao Xie called. His brows are knit. "If Rong Zhe is on the train, he must have seen Shang Mi being dragged. Judging on his romanticist attitude, and considering his age at that time before he could be influenced by Ye Ting, Rong Zhe should have stood as a witness or testified Zhang Su's claims." He said. "But, Rong Zhe didn't. Is this why he was killed?" he asked.

"It must be. We can't ask Rong Zhe about this anymore since he's already dead." Gu Xingfeng said. "Xiao Jiang. You stay here and handle everything, including Rong Si. Xiao Xie, you watch over Xiao Zhang and Song Mingfan. Immediately ask them what they have found." He said.

"Yes!" both answered.

"I'm going back to the station and personally ask those three what secrets are they still hiding." He said and went down his bed. "The secret that costs their life." He added.

S City Police Station.

"I can't stand this anymore! This is driving me crazy!" Su Lin said as he rose from his seat. They've been inside the room for five hours straight.

"Go outside, then die." Xue Liping said coolly said as he leaned on his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. His legs are also crossed as he coldly looked at Su Lin.

Su Lin gritted his teeth. "You don't care I will die?! Aren't you ordered to keep me alive?!" he asked.

"Who said I was told to keep you alive?" Xue Liping said as his brows raised in surprise. "I was only told to watch over you and to not let you out. However, whether you live or not, I don't care." He explained. "What can I do if you want to go out? You want to seek for your death, so leave me out of it." He shrugged.

Xu Ke and Lu Ming shrank back on their seat and warily looked at Su Lin who paled. "Why are we being killed, too?!" he asked. "We're not the ones who killed Huo Ling, okay?!" he said.

"That's not the only case here. Not anymore." Xue Liping said.

"Then, what is it?! What more crimes are you going to pin on us?!" Su Lin asked.

Xue Liping looked at Su Lin before he turned to Xu Ke and Lu Ming. "Do you know about the X City train station?" he asked. Hearing his question, the three young men froze. I knew it. Xue Liping thought as his eyes narrowed and he secretly called Ke Congyi. "If we didn't stumble upon this case, you wouldn't know how you die." He told them and smiled. "Tell me – " he turned to Su Lin who looked deathly pale as he stood by the door. " – what more crimes did you commit?"

Su Lin's hand holding the doorknob trembled as he stared at Xue Liping. "I… I… I didn't – " he said, his lips turned pale.

"You wouldn't confess, of course." Xue Liping patiently smiled and turned to Xu Ke and Lu Ming. "Let's ask the good boys, then." He said. "Won't you confess your crimes?" he asked them.

As expected, Lu Ming was the first to answer. "I… I only saw a girl being dragged. That's all." He said.

Xue Liping knows since he already has heard the story from Ke Congyi. "How about the other good boy?" he asked, emphasizing the word 'good'.

Xu Ke was startled by the word, and he pursed his lips but he didn't answer.