Afterlife Department

Chapter 146 – Paradox

"So, you mean you're 'Liu Lingling' Huo Ling is looking for?!" Di San said as he looked at Yi Bing in shock.

Yi Bing calmly nodded. "En." He answered.

"Wha… wait, how?!" Di San asked. "Shouldn't we not to interfere in each world?" he said.

"I didn't." Yi Bing said. Seeing Di San's disbelieving look, he cleared his throat. "I believe there's a Soul Fragment in this world." He said.

"…" Di San's face turned black. "Don't you bluff – "

"I'm not bluffing." Yi Bing said and sighed. "Twenty-eight years ago, Hao Ning was kidnapped because of her brother, Hao Ming's, schemes." He started. "Then, she was smuggled out of the country. The Walter family bought her. However, in the end, she escaped." He said. "She sneaked in a ship, the destination is unknown. But – " he lowered his gaze. " – she was a breath away from her death." He said.

Di San's eyes widened. "What?!" he said.

Yi Bing looked at Di San in the eyes. "I saw her soul is about to leave her body. She'll die." He said. "If she died, Huo Ling who was supposed to be born, won't exist in this world. Thus, I revived her." he explained. "Her powers… also disappeared." He added in a low voice.

Di San gaped at Yi Bing in astonishment. "You really… dared…" he said as he pursed his lips.

"If I didn't, where will Huo Ling's soul go?" Yi Bing asked. "The time's paradox… however, if the change is significant, this paradox will cease to exist." He said. Each time a soul enters a world, the world will be a parallel world until it fulfills the world in a time paradox. In short, this time paradox is the basis of one's life trajectory. Thus, Yi Bing stopped this parallel world to diverge from its original track.

Di San froze when he finally realized it. "So, you mean, the reason Hao Ning died – well, almost if you had not stopped it, is because of the Soul Fragment?" he asked. The Soul Fragment not only can change a person – like what happened to Huo Ling in his second life, but the Soul Fragment can also change the surrounding… and now, the events. "Oh, my… fuck!" he cursed as he kicked the wall.

Yi Bing didn't answer, since Di San can guess it. The Soul Fragment is too powerful this time to alter the events of this world. "This world… is too special." He just said.

Di San immediately opened his communicator and frantically typed an encrypted message to Gu Shi. He still hasn't received a reply from Gu Shi regarding his previous message. Now, he does not know when his new message will reach Gu Shi. He hopes, both the reply (from the previous message) and his new message will reach soon.

S City Police Station, morning.

"I did not kill her." Madam Rong said as she frowned at Gu Xingfeng. It was the middle of the night when the police reached her home and knocked on her doors. Then, they told her that Yu Qi died. Whether she's lying or telling the truth, her answer will remain the same.

Gu Xingfeng also realized this. Thus, he did not pressure her again and just let Zhang Bao escort her, and also monitor her. The only 'evidence' that they have against Madam Rong is her conflict last night with Yu Qi, which was seen by the guests in Rong Ming's wake. Madam Rong's hostility to Yu Qi is also an open secret in the business circle. If not for Rong Ming's protection, the businesses under Yu Qi's name would be bankrupted by Madam Rong.

Madam Rong also has an alibi. During Yu Qi's time of death, she's having dinner in a restaurant. If she has witnesses against her during her slapping Yu Qi in Rong Ming's wake, then she also has witnesses to testify for her that she had dinner in the restaurant.

Of course, Madam Rong hiring someone to kill Yu Qi, this fact cannot be overlooked. However, they already had checked Madam Rong's phone and her record is clean. Madam Rong really didn't kill Yu Qi. 

Gu Xingfeng sighed and looked at the autopsy report of Yu Qi and his breath hitched when he saw that they found two rings on Yu Qi's throat. One engagement ring and one wedding ring. The diamonds on the rings scratched the insides of Yu Qi's throat, resulting to bleeding. The blood just acted as a catalyst for asphyxiation by clogging Yu Qi's throat together with the two rings.

Not only asphyxia, but also there was a result of Yu Qi's abnormal heartbeat before her death. Her head also bled, and her limbs were filled with marks as if she has been beaten. There was no sign of rape. However, her ribs and thigh bones were cracked.

But, what is confusing is that, there were no traces of blood on the walls, nor the stairs and the furniture. The only blood that was found is the pool of blood around Yu Qi's body, which is, undeniably, Yu Qi's blood. They didn't find any weapon for murder around the area.

Another thing that added to their confusion are the broken bulbs. The murderer can just switch off the lights or shutdown the power generator. However, the bulbs still broke. And, they didn't break due to high voltage. They just broke.

Gu Xingfeng's brows knit as his thoughts run towards the direction of Yu Qi's case becoming a cold case. Yu Qi's parents are already very old since they had her very late. They were sent to a nursing home and they have a dementia. She had no siblings, nor other relatives. Thus, no one will pursue this case unless an enthusiastic police officer who has lots of time to waste appears and picks up her case, or that Rong Ming who is deeply in love with her would resurrect.

"Whoever killed Yu Qi is a great schemer." He muttered as he tiredly leaned on the back of his seat. He threw the folder to the side. Not to mention the lack of people on Yu Qi's side, Madam Rong is also not a pushover. She cannot be offended. Thus, Yu Qi's case that had just started already died – like her and her husband.

Before he could close his eyes to rest, there was a knock on the door.

Meanwhile, in a restaurant.

Inside a private room, an old but elegant and beautiful woman was sitting on a chair and unhurriedly eating. A smile was on her face, making her stern face look gentler.

"Are you satisfied now?" Madam Rong asked and raised her head to look at the space in front of her. On the table, across her plate, is another plate filled with food her son, Rong Ming, likes.

"No." a voice belonging to Rong Ming answered, yet his figure can't be seen. "I had to crush Wang Lin!" he said, fury in his voice.

The tableware shook and the water on the goblet almost spilled. "Wasn't it because Wang Lin is also a poor, both he and that Yu Qi started from poor before their business rose, thus they empathized each other and fooled around?" Madam Rong asked.

Inside the private room, the grinding of teeth can be heard. "I'll leave their businesses to you. I will find them and tear their soul!" Rong Ming said.

A gust of cold wind blew. The guards outside heard the conversation and they shivered. They could feel their spine becoming cold. They wouldn't dare breathe a word of what had just happened.

 S City Amusement Park.

Huo Ling and Si Shui's laughter reached Feng Er, Liu Lin, Di San and Yi Bing.

"A pair of children, they are." Feng Er said as she chewed on a bubble gum before she inflated it.

"Says a childish one." Di San muttered before he looked away when Feng Er glared at him.

Liu Lin just ate a cotton candy that was shaped like a cloud. After seeing it earlier, the grim reapers remembered the Pathway of the Clouds and the Afterlife Department. Huo Ling, on the side, saw them in a daze so he asked them, "Are you hungry? Why don't you buy another one?" He received their glare.

Suddenly, Huo Ling saw a pair of children passed by the merry-go-round where he and Si Shui were riding on a horse. Well, a pair of children that are ghosts like him. He saw them giggling as they chased each other.

"Wait!" Huo Ling called as he followed them. He's afraid they might meet another yao.

He saw the two children ran towards the street. Even though they were already ghosts, but it still pained him to see them being run through by the cars.

Another car passed by and revealed the three men standing across the street. One of them wore a suit that perfectly hugged his body. That man has a fair skin and red lips. His nose is tall and his eyes are deep.

He is beautiful. Huo Ling thought as he stared at the man, forgetting where the two children had run. Maybe the man noticed his gaze, since the man turned to his direction. Their gazes met.