Afterlife Department

Chapter 150 – Truth

Then, not long ago, after Thomas' parents died, Jacqueline knew Thomas will annul her so she confronted him by inviting him to the cruise ship. How can he not sense her killing intent? Thus, that night when they were talking at the deck of the ship, she finally made her move. She tried to push him, but unexpectedly the ship rocked and she fell to the water – to her death.

When he woke up, he became a ghost. Fortunately, his soul was attached to his corpse thus he later was reunited with Thomas. But, he can't talk to him, and he can't see him. However, once when Thomas left, he tried to follow him, he was surprised to find he can finally detach his soul to his corpse. Thus, he became Thomas' little tail.

Following Thomas, he heard about the news of the other passengers of the Ascend Cruise Ship. Jamir Khan's wealth was donated by his legal wife – Janinah, to the government to protect the women and children. As to Jamir Khan's concubine he died with that night? Who cares about her? She was already forgotten.

He also had heard that Julius Pete will be resigning from his position after his daughter's funeral, and then live in peace.. Most people speculated that Julius was thinking the shipwreck is caused by Jury Pete's assassinators. He will disappear from the public since he is guilty.

One day, as Loui quietly watched Thomas work, Thomas received a call. Thomas only quietly listened to the caller and, after he made a hum of affirmation, the call ended. Thus, Loui didn't know that the call actually came from Pennsylvania, and the Walter family's butler.

When they arrived, only then did Loui realize what is Thomas planning to do. He became ecstatic and, when he finally resurrected, he immediately jumped on Thomas and kissed him. However, their kiss was forced to end since the head of the Walter family arrived.

He was a handsome man in his thirties, like them. He has a brown, wavy hair and brown eyes and his smile is kind. If Huo Ling and Yi Bing was there, they would recognize that the man is Harry Walter – Huo Ling's father.

China, S City.

Huo Ling felt both his eyelids and his body are heavy. It took a while before he lifted his eyelids and saw Yi Bing sitting on the chair beside his bed.

"You're awake now?" Yi Bing asked as he lowered the black and wide but thin notebook he was holding.

Huo Ling tried to open his mouth, but his lips won't move. He gave Yi Bing a helpless look.

"Blink once if your answer is 'yes'. Blink twice if your answer is 'no'." Yi Bing said and the black notebook on his hand disappeared. "Other than discomfort, do you feel pain?" he asked.

Huo Ling blinked once.

"Do you remember what happened earlier?" Yi Bing asked again.

Huo Ling was about to move his eyelids when he stopped. Then, feeling ashamed, he blinked once again.

Yi Bing stared at Huo Ling before he spoke. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

He was about to blink when he moved his gaze, casting a puzzled gaze to Yi Bing. What does being hungry relate to his previous two questions? Huo Ling thought.

Yi Bing saw his inquiring gaze and he answered. "After the power in your soul was evoked, your soul solidified until your power turned your soul to a phantom body." He explained.

'phantom body'?

"It is a 'body' but the flesh is absent, of course." Yi Bing said. "It just makes you look human. Even the ghosts can do this… well, technically, you are one now, so it doesn't change anything…" he said and observed Huo Ling's expression. After a while, he lowered his voice. "You take your time to rest. Don't wander around." He said with a soft voice. Then, he rose from his seat and headed to the door.

Huo Ling's eyes widened. Wait, Yi Bing! He called in his mind. Don't ignore me! I know you can hear my voice! Where are you going? He asked as he stared hard at Yi Bing's back. Suddenly, it's as if he had seen his father. Then, Liu Lingling. Each and every time, only their back he remembered. Each and every time, only their back he can see in his dreams.

When his father, Harry Walter, left him to Liu Lingling's welfare, it was only Harry's back Huo Ling saw as his father walked away and never come back. When he confessed to Liu Lingling, it was only Liu Lingling's back he confessed to, then last seen of the man when he left him.

Huo Ling stared at the now closed door, then moved his gaze to the ceiling. After a while, he felt the corner of his eyes became moist, then wet. Yi Bing said this is just a phantom body. Yet, why are the tears he shed felt real? Unlike those times before when he cried, his tears were only a gas that had the appearance of tears. Yet, now, the tears that streamed down from his eyes wet the pillow underneath his head.

It seemed as if something flashed in his mind. It was him who was crying, just like now, but on different occasions and place. 'those times before'? What does that mean?

He closed his eyes and just let his tears fall to calm his emotions. Mother… why didn't you tell me the truth? Father, why did you hide the truth? Liu Lingling… why did you protect me from the truth? Every one of them… all of them are liars… yet they lied for my sake, to protect me… from this truth.

Suburb villa.

"Who do you think are they?" Hao Baiyun asked as he sat beside the bed where Huo Ling's corpse lied.

Jing Yu shook his head. "I've never met a yao that can use ice." He said. "A powerful yao, with powerful ice." He added.

Fei Xuli also shook his head. "The network I made, their answer is negative." He said then looked at Huo Ling's corpse. "What does young master intend to do with that doctor?" he asked.

Earlier, on their way, they tried to call the doctor. However, as expected, the doctor didn't answer. The last time they conversed is when the doctor called them to take Huo Ling's corpse. Then… there was no then. When they met Yi Bing, that was the time they only remembered about the doctor.

"It really is strange, as what that ice user yao had said." Hao Baiyun's sharp brows knitted. "The last time I had seen him, it's with Jing Yu. When Jing Yu and I took xiao Ling's corpse, the doctor kept talking." He said and looked at Fei Xuli. "Xuli, you remember. That doctor before, he is a timid person. Yet, when Jing Yu and I met him, he looked animated." He said.

Fei Xuli nodded. Before, when the doctor called him and Jing Yu who were looking for Hao Baiyun, the doctor had stammered many times before he finally relayed Hao Baiyun's location for them to save Hao Baiyun. When they arrived, Hao Baiyun was entangled with Gu Xingfeng who was unconscious while the doctor's face flushed and his expression looked awkward. He became more intimidated with their presence when they arrived.

Yet, for the doctor to suddenly turn animated… don't mention the years that passed. Fei Xuli knows how to judge people, and that doctor's nature is being timid. There is no way for the doctor to drastically change. It's not that they underestimate the doctor, but –

"I just remembered." Jing Yu suddenly spoke and his nose twitched as he sniffed. Then, he slowly walked towards Huo Ling's corpse. He sniffed multiple times before he finally turned to them. "There are four scents on his body." He said. He's referring to Huo Ling. "One is the fox clan's scent, which is the strongest. Next is the Walter's scent. Then, there's another unfamiliar, yet also seemed familiar, which is the scent of coolness…" he muttered. "The last one is a strange scent." He finished.

"A strange scent?" Hao Baiyun asked.

"That scent…" Jing Yu said and he frowned as he tried to recall. Then, his eyes slowly widened. "Earlier…" he said.

"'earlier?" Fei Xuli frowned, feeling displeased when he remembered what happened earlier. How dare that gloomy-looking ice-user yao hurt Jing Yu. He thought. He clearly hates Yi Bing.

"I smelled it earlier." Jing Yu said and he looked at the two. "That cool scent… and the strange scent." He said as he looked back at Huo Ling. His gaze is complicated. "This strange scent… I remember now – " he took a sharp breath when realization finally dawned on him. " – it's one of the two scents I smelled earlier. And – " he looked at Hao Baiyun. " – that scent belonged to the doctor we met in the foreign land." He told them.