Afterlife Department

Chapter 238 – Pull

"Ugh…" Huo Ling grunted as he tried to regain control of his body. 

"Huo Ling!" Yi Bing called as he tightened his hold more of Huo Ling. 

"… let go of my waist, bastard! You're suffocating me, making me lose consciousness!" Huo Ling said through his gritted teeth. "Are you trying to save me, or kill me?!" he asked as he moved his feet to touch the ground and stepped back himself. 

Either it was unintentional or intentional that Huo Linvg's elbow hit Yi Bing's abdomen, making Yi Bing grunt and sharply inhale a cold air. "O.O…" his face blanked. Then – "O.O!!!" he gritted his teeth as he glared at Huo Ling.. "You vengeful ghost with an elbow like a knife! You also almost killed me! And I am trying to save you! Are you blind?!" He yelled at Huo Ling. 

Di San, Feng Er and Liu Lin. "…" when will these two stop flirting?! We're so full already! 

Si Shui. "???" this child is as confused and clueless as ever. Let this child be clueless forever…

Huo Ling gnashed his teeth and almost stepped on Yi Bing's feet had he not held himself back. He knew when to collect debts! He resentfully glared at Yi Bing before he stomped his feet on the ground, as if anchoring himself, before he bent his knees and leaned his upper body forward in preparation. 

"Hey… what are you doing?!" Yi Bing asked when he saw Huo Ling's about to do something. "Huo Ling… hey! I don't feel good about this -… stop! Stop what you're about to do – !" he told him. He wanted to release his hold on Huo Ling, but since it'd endanger the other, he didn't. And this brat is still planning to harm him! And so, he just closed his eyes and braced himself. 

Di San, Feng Er and Liu Lin. "!!!" what the… what are they seeing?! Huo Ling is grinning widely… and evilly?! Uh-oh… this doesn't look good – 

However, before any of them could react, Huo Ling stretched his legs as he shot up from the ground… and flew back. 

Di San, Feng Er and Liu Lin. "…." to "???" then "!!!" they saw Huo Ling and Yi Bing fell from the air, into the ground behind the wall and – 

THUD! A loud sound can be heard followed by a loud grunt. 

"… brat!" Yi Bing sucked in a cold breath when he felt his back hit the hard ground. "Ha!" he gasped when he tried to move, only to hear his spine cracking. "…" Huo Ling's really dead. He'll kill him – ! his eyes narrowed as he glared at Huo Ling while lying motionlessly on the ground. 

Huo Ling just raised his brows in response. He was about to release himself from Yi Bing's grasp when he suddenly found the pair of arms around his waist are like made of iron. They can't be moved. "… bastard." He muttered through his gritted teeth. "Release me! Let go of me! Pervert! A pervert grim reaper! Help! Someone is molesting a poor soul! I'll report to your Afterlife Department! Release me!" he screamed as he tried to release himself from Yi Bing's arms again. 

He didn't know, as much as he wanted to leave those arms, he would definitely beg just to be held in those arms later. But for now – 

Di San, Feng Er and Liu Lin who saw how Yi Bing, their senior and the very first grim reaper, shamelessly trapped a poor soul, who is their responsibility to make them feel satisfied with their life and resolve their attachments to move on to their reincarnation, like an octopus. Yi Bing's arms are around Huo Ling's waist while Yi Bing's legs are wrapped around Huo Ling's legs. Meanwhile, his head was tilted on the side and his chin is on Huo Ling's neck. 

"…" is this the number one grim reaper of the Afterlife Department? Their three views were badly shaken tonight. 

"Let go of me! Bastard! You bastard! Pervert bastard!" Huo Ling continued screaming as he tried to escape Yi Bing's claws. 

Di San, Feng Er and Liu Lin. "…" they suddenly doubted themselves. The number one grim reaper is wearing a grin like that of a pervert's and his limbs are all around the poor soul who is screaming for life, freedom and dignity. 

Si Shui who silently followed behind like a ghost. "???" why are they all making a strange expression? 

"After using me as like a paperweight to keep you from being sucked in by the other Soul Fragment, you dared to harm me?" Yi Bing said. 

Di San, Feng Er and Liu Lin finally understood. A soul is weightless since they don't have a physical body unlike a grim reaper. If Huo Ling jumped alone earlier, he will definitely be like a piece of paper being pulled by a vacuum. However, Yi Bing was clinging to him. Yi Bing acted like a paperweight, pulling Huo Ling down to the ground to prevent him being pulled by the other Soul Fragment towards it. 

However, since Huo Ling was irritated by Yi Bing, and he really doesn't want to be pulled by the other Soul Fragment, he used Yi Bing as a paperweight, and as something – ehem, someone to cushion his fall (though he really doesn't need it since he has no physical body and just a soul, so falling wouldn't hurt him), so Yi Bing is expected to be hurt. 

"… how do we resolve this?" Liu Lin asked while Feng Er dumbfoundedly looked at the two still bickering on the ground. 

"Leave them be. Huo Ling's already out of the range of the other Soul Fragment, so he will be safe for now." Di San answered. "Also, Yi Bing's there to act as a paperweight for him since he's conveniently clinging to the other like an octopus. He's really heroic! He doesn't care about his face at all, sacrificing it for the soul's safety! Brilliant!" he added in a loud voice. 

Yi Bing and Huo Ling who naturally heard Di San intentionally speaking in a loud voice for them to hear him. "…" 

Liu Lin and Feng Er. "…" Di San had had enough of the two. They thought. 

Si Shui who was acting as a part of the background. "?" he shrugged. Don't know what they're talking about, so don't care. 

"Then, how about the other Soul Fragment?" Feng Er asked. 

"Subdue it." Di San answered as they leapt over the wall and returned to the heart of the maze. 

"Hey! Help me!" Huo Ling called from the other side of the wall, however he was ignored by the four literally heartless grim reapers. 

Yi Bing laughed like a perverted old man about to molest a young lady. "Huo Ling, you've made the greatest mistake of antagonizing me. Di San, Feng Er, Liu Lin and Si Shui, although they are grim reapers who have to resolve the soul's attachment, but their current, more important task is the Soul Fragment. While you, you are my assignment, and so you're stuck with me." He explained. "Since you've pissed me, I'll make you regret antagonizing me and make you suffer!" he said and evilly laughed. 

Huo Ling's face darkened. However, he suddenly grinned. "Really?" he said before he raised his head and moved it back with a great force. 

"OW!" Yi Bing cried when his nose was hit by the back of Huo Ling's head. Since pain engulfed him, his hold with Huo Ling loosened. 

Huo Ling immediately ran away. However, he's not stupid to ran to the direction of the heart of the maze where he can be pulled by the other Soul Fragment. And so, he ran to the opposite direction, away from Di San, Feng Er, Liu Lin and Si Shui. 

"You – !" Yi Bing muttered and pointed Huo Ling. "You wait for me!" he yelled and immediately ran after Huo Ling who just stuck out his tongue at him. 

Di San, Feng Er and Liu Lin who looked solemn as they stared at the other Soul Fragment, but their background is those two idiots' voices. "…" so much for the serious atmosphere. They thought and rolled their eyes. At least, they're gone now. They added as they sighed in relief. 

Si Shui who has been silently acting as a part of the background saw Di San's, Feng Er's and Liu Lin's serious expression. The time was now. He raised his hand and a gust of water burst out from the ground and became a towering wall before them. Suddenly, they felt the aura of the other Soul Fragment increased than earlier when it tried to pull Huo Ling. 

A light shot out from nowhere was seen from the other side of the wall of water and flew towards them. However, the wall of water blocked it and the attack hit it. 

Di San, Feng Er and Liu Lin. "…" we're just acting earlier to set the right atmosphere. How did it suddenly get very serious now?! They thought when they saw countless lights shot towards them. 

"Engage!" Di San ordered. 

"Yes!" they answered as they took out their weapon.