Afterlife Department

Chapter 125 – Howee Jackson

Huo Ling was named as Howee Jackson when he was born. His father raised him abroad and he used the name until his death. However, he is half-Chinese thus his father also told him of his Chinese name – Huo Ling. His mother's surname is Huo, and she gave him the name 'ling' for feathers, since he is white and soft like a feather when he was born.

However, his mother died for some cause. His father didn't remarry, so he didn't have a stepmother or stepsiblings. However, he didn't know if his mother and father has siblings. Thus, when his father also died, he was just fourteen. His father left him to his friend and he never came back. His father's friend told him his father was missing. From the moment he saw his father's back, Huo Ling knew that was the last image he'll have of his father. Thus, he wasn't surprised after his father was declared missing, and later dead.

His father's friend is good to him, and is a bachelor.. He raised him like he's his own son. When Huo Ling graduated in university, he confessed to him he's in love with him. Who wouldn't have his heart move after all the kindness given to you for five years? Added to the fact you lived in the same house, and only the two of you.

Although he had expected to be rejected, he still is afraid. Thus, he left the next day after he confessed and began working in cruise ships. His father's friend contacted him out of worry, and he only answered one out of his one hundred calls. He was tearful and apologized to him, and decided to break their contact. Which he regretted, since if he only knew he would die in this cruise ship, he would have never left him, or that he would have called him one last time and confessed to him again.

Huo Ling silently glanced at Yi Bing. He lied to him before. He has an obsession, which is that man. "Hey. Won't you tell me who you are?" he asked him. "You're acting familiar with me since earlier. Yet you're also acting mysterious." He said. Yi Bing didn't speak, which made Huo Ling frown. "Poser." He muttered and rolled his eyes at Yi Bing.

Yi Bing still didn't react since he felt strange since earlier after he and Huo Ling boarded the ship. It isn't dangerous, thus he had them both board the ship. More like, this strange thing is familiar to him. He should expect everything from a Special World.

"Wow… they really all died." Huo Ling said when they reached the upper deck and saw the 'important' people now become ghosts. The singer, the politician, the famous businessmen, and the politician's daughter he helped before. "That means…" he muttered as he looked at the kitchen then decided to go inside. He saw the ghosts of the sous chefs who are still slicing the vegetables, blanching the meat, washing the plates, baking pastries, etc. It's as if they were still alive. They must not have realized they are already dead. "Albert, Gerald, Ronald and Michel aren't here…" he said.

"There are some souls who still hasn't come to them that they died." Yi Bing spoke behind Huo Ling. "It was due to the great shock, the trauma they had when they died. All might have drowned the same, but it is different to each person." He said. "One might not resist their death since they already have accepted it. But, for some, they are unresolved of it. Thus, these people's soul will have their memories slowly return to them to not stimulate their emotion." He explained. "If their soul would not be monitored, they will become a mad ghost and enter Mania." He said. 

Huo Ling didn't pry Yi Bing what is a Mania. He isn't interested. However… "Why do you know so much?" he asked as he looked at him. "Are you a Taoist master?" he stared at his face.

Yi Bing didn't evade his gaze this time. "No." he answered.

Huo Ling stared at Yi Bing's eyes for a long time. Seeing the man's clear eyes, he knew he isn't lying to him. He decided not to ask more from him. As long as this guy doesn't have any evil intentions… well, even if he has, but what will Huo Ling has to lose? He already died. "I'm going to look for my friends." He said and drifted away.

Yi Bing didn't know what to feel. He wanted Huo Ling to ask him more. But, he also doesn't want to answer Huo Ling's queries since this isn't the time. Thus, he both feel relieved and conflicted when Huo Ling didn't ask and just left.

He's worried the guy might encounter something, thus he immediately and silently followed him.

China, S City.

Gu Xingfeng heavily breathed as he tiredly leaned on the sofa in his apartment. He looked at his coat he took off and the epaulette. He didn't correct Fei Xuli earlier for addressing him as an ordinary police officer despite him being the chief of police now. After all, when Fei Xuli had met him, he was still an ordinary police officer. And that, Fei Xuli addressing him as a low-ranking police officer, he knows he is insulting him.

He deserves it. After all, who would hurt the treasured young master of the Hao family. Much more, the highly valuable nine-tailed fox?

The Hao family is an influential yao family of long history. The government not only doesn't fear them, but also wanted the favor of the Hao family. The Hao family is a powerful family. Not only as yao, but also with their might be it in military, the politics, or the business. Added to the fact that nine-tailed foxes brings both wealth and power. Thus, Fei Xuli loathes him for hurting Hao Baiyun – the heir of the Hao family.

Even if the Hao family is powerful, but of course, there are people that fears, and also hates, them. More than twenty years ago, the generation before Hao Baiyun, a tragedy happened. The Hao family that time has twin daughters and one son. The son and one of the twins were kidnapped. They know only a yao can kidnap a yao, but an ordinary human, too, with the help of the yao. Thus, the whole country was mobilized to look for the two children. However, only the son came back and never the daughter. It was a relief, since the Hao surname can continue. But, the daughter is as precious as the son, since only the female foxes can give birth to nine-tailed foxes. Now, there's only one daughter left, and the fact that she isn't nine-tailed is grieving. There's only a small chance she can give birth to a nine-tailed child. The daughter that was missing is the one who is nine-tailed.

Children who were born with only their father as the fox can only have up to eight tails. However, the male-born foxes can continue the Hao family's surname, and can inherit the family's businesses. But, despite that, the male-born nine-tailed foxes are still more valued. In the family, the female foxes are highly valued. However, the male nine-tailed foxes are more valuable than the female foxes which has lesser tails. The female foxes with nine tails are the most valued.

That's why, the nine-tailed daughter is sought-after by everyone, and the Hao family knew that all people with different intentions were also looking for her. But, it was already more than twenty years that had passed. Most said that she was already eaten by a yao. Worse, by a human. Thus, they focused their search on powerful or influential human or yao.

The Hao family, on the other hand, hasn't given up. Despite Hao Baiyun has nine tails, they still continued to look for his missing nine-tailed aunt. But, of course, they also protected Hao Baiyun. Only that, they never found out that Hao Baiyun was hurt by Gu Xingfeng. If they knew, they would have already torn Gu Xingfeng in pieces.

"How can I ask for his forgiveness…" Gu Xingfeng muttered as he stared at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and covered his eyes with his arm.

"Chirp." The small male fox cried and nudged its head against Gu Xingfeng's leg.

"Tian Tian." He called and cuddled the baby fox on his hand. "Your mom is so cold…" he sighed. He is referring to Hao Baiyun. Something happened between them, and after six months Hao Baiyun came to him telling him to keep their child since there are many dangers in the Hao family. The nine-tailed foxes gives birth earlier than the normal human, thus Gu Xingfeng was assured their baby fox is very healthy.

"Chirp." Tian Tian cried.

Gu Xingfeng chuckled and kissed their son's forehead. When he's at work, his family's butler who raised him is watching over his son. The butler has no qualms, since he's already old and has seen the world. Thus, his son is safe with the butler. "What should I do… I can't keep up my pretense anymore, just to accommodate your mother's hate." He sighed and fell asleep on the sofa with his son.