Afterlife Department

Chapter 250 – Harm

Huo Ling slowly opened his eyes and what he first seen was darkness. His brain was muddled for a while before his memories slowly returned. I'm dead, was what his first thought upon wakening. However, if I am dead, then why am I still 'alive'? he thought before he blinked his eyes to try adjusting to the darkness. 

Fortunately, it wasn't fruitless. He slowly saw two tall figures are standing in the darkness. He narrowed his eyes to squint, trying to see the features of the two figures. They are wearing dark clothes, making it like they are blending, one with the darkness that's why he didn't notice them earlier. However, now that his eyes have finally adapted to his surroundings, he can finally see the vague profile of the two figures. 

"His soul was hit hard by the space waves. If not for his cultivation of his soul, he would've already dissipated." A cold and deep voice spoke. However, though his voice sounds cool, but Huo Ling could hear a faint distress in his voice, which is strange.. 

The owner of the pleasant voice has a very handsome face. He is tall, and is standing upright like a soldier. However, Huo Ling has met with many soldiers before and he could see that the man is different from a soldier. The soldier's aura, although fierce, but can make one feel safe under their presence. However, this man with red, thin lips, tall nose, and ice-blue eyes, which are cold as his voice, has a fiery dangerous aura. 

Huo Ling's heart skipped a beat and he instinctively retreated, only to feel his back hit the trunk of the tree. With his movement, his shoe brushed a broken twig and the twig made a snapping sound, attracting the attention of the two figures, and interrupting their serious conversation. 

Both men turned, and Huo Ling finally had a clear view of the second figure. He is a handsome man, but a different type of handsome. He has a dark brown hair, and his eyes are light brown. His lips are pulled up in the corners, making him look like he was always smiling, giving him a sunny disposition. 

"Di San." Yi Bing called when he saw Di San was about to speak to greet Huo Ling. "You go to Lao Xie's base. I'll handle the Baurne family's matters." He told him. 

Di San turned to him and nodded. "Alright." He said and patted Yi Bing's shoulder before disappearing. 

Among them five grim reapers, only he and Di San are the only ones who can teleport for a long distance. Liu Lin and Feng Er can teleport only for short distances, while Si Shui, the weakest, his teleportation skill was debilitated. In which he is very happy about, since he wasn't tasked to run for them and just tasked to stay in place and look for more information through the internet. 

Their invisibility was also affected during their space accident, thus, normal humans can see them. They could only make their presence low until null to avoid attracting others' attention. 

"'Baurne family'?" Huo Ling spoke after seeing Di San left. "What are you planning to do to the Baurne family? And Lao Xie?" he added as his hand reflexively reached the side of his waist, only to freeze when he didn't feel the familiar touch of his handgun. He recalled that he had already died. He stared wide-eyed at Yi Bing and reflexively took a step back from Yi Bing. "Who are you? What do you want with the Baurne family? Are you trying to harm Jonathan? What are your agenda?" he asked as he tried all he could to hide his panic. 

He glanced at the Baurne family's residence in the distance before he immediately looked back to Yi Bing, fearing that a moment of inattention, the other would disappear and he would lose him, losing the chance to prevent the other from harming Jonathan. 

"You can call me 'Yi Bing." Yi Bing spoke, pulling Huo Ling's attention away from the Baurne family and Jonathan and shifting it onto him. "I am going to investigate the Baurne family. As to harming Jonathan Baurne, that depends. My agenda is to – " he said and deliberately paused. 

As expected, Huo Ling waited with bated breath. An imperceptible smile appeared on Yi Bing's lips. It felt like it has been a very long time he last smiled. 

"What do you mean, 'investigating the Baurne family'?" Huo Ling asked with widened eyes. "You… you definitely have already heard, the Baurne family is connected to the mafia. In fact, they are one of the pillars of the mafia!" he told him. 

Yi Bing's brows raised, but he didn't speak. This one looked very energetic after a rest, huh. He thought as he made a soft hum. "I know. That's why I'm going to investigate." He said. 

"What for?!" Huo Ling said. "Were you and that friend of yours earlier sent by the police? No way – " he said as he took a deep breath. "Gu Xingfeng never mentioned anything to me…" he muttered as he lowered his head to ponder. 

Hearing another man's name from Huo Ling's lips, Yi Bing's eye twitched in annoyance. I must dispose of that Gu Xingfeng and Hao Baiyun! He thought as his eyes narrowed in killing intent. 

Huo Ling suddenly felt a chill ran down his spine and he instinctively turned to Yi Bing. "You…" he spoke. Such a killing intent! He thought. If he has a body right now, he would've already coldly sweated in fear. "You really want to harm Jonathan?!" he asked. 

"I already said, it depends." Yi Bing answered. 

"Depends on what?" Huo Ling asked. 

"Depends…" on your performance. Yi Bing thought as he glanced at Huo Ling. 

Huo Ling. "?" what are you looking at me for? Seeing that he can't extract any information from Yi Bing, he remembered Yi Bing's friend earlier: Di San. "What about your friend? Is he going to harm Lao Xie?" he asked as his eyes suddenly are filled with worry. "Don't kill Lao Xie. He's a kind old man. He only harms those who are the bad to help the good." He said. "Lao Xie's already old. It is meaningless to kill him. Let he and his friends live their remaining days peacefully." He told him before he lowered his eyelids as he suddenly felt nostalgic when he remembered his times with Lao Xie. His eyes watered when he recalled he hasn't said his farewell to the old man. 

Yi Bing saw Huo Ling's tearful eyes. "We're not killing anyone." He said. 

Huo Ling looked at him with the rim of his eyes red. 

Yi Bing looked away. "I and my friend are looking for something." He said. 

"What is it?" Huo Ling asked. 

"Something I lost." Yi Bing answered. 

"Very important?" Huo Ling asked again. 

Yi Bing nodded. "Very important." He said. 

Huo Ling turned to look at the sky. "I don't remember anything valuable that recently entered the black market." He said. "Jonathan hasn't bought anything expensive, nor did Lao Xie buy anything exquisite. Lu Si has no money, but he is a practical man. He won't buy anything grand but useless to him." He muttered. "Maybe Hao-ge and Feng-ge bought something? Hao-ge, it is possible. But Feng-ge is like Lu Si. They don't buy any unnecessary things…" he said. The 'Hao-ge' he is talking about is Hao Baiyun, and 'Feng-ge' is Gu Xingfeng. 

Yi Bing heard what Huo Ling said and turned to him. "You're pretty close to this 'Hao-ge' and 'Feng-ge'?" he asked. 

Huo Ling smiled. "It's just that they owe me." He said. 

"What do they owe you?" Yi Bing asked. 

"Their lives." Huo Ling answered as he gazed into the distance. 

Yi Bing fell silent, before speaking after some time. "You were tasked to kill them before? I thought Jonathan doesn't let you kill?" he asked. 

Huo Ling suddenly laughed. "No one who is currently alive in this dark world hasn't stained their hands." He said. 

This time, Yi Bing didn't speak. 

"I was tasked to assassinate them. However, it wasn't Jonathan that gave me the task. It was Jason." Huo Ling said. "The first task he gave me is to kill Hao Baiyun. The second task is to kill Gu Xingfeng." He said, his voice quiet as if what he is speaking aren't horrifying words. 

Yi Bing silently listened. 

"I don't know those people. They are strangers to me, thus I took the task." Huo Ling said. "Do you know how the task ended?" he asked as he turned to Yi Bing. 

Yi Bing shook his head. 

"Because I hesitated to take away their life, it was my life that was almost taken away." Huo Ling sighed. "I'm not the only one who wanted to kill Hao Baiyun. Gu Xingfeng was his police escort. Instead of killing them, I saved them instead." He said. 

The wind blew and a leaf was separated from its branch and fell on them. 

"I almost lost my life in the skirmish, and almost lost my life again when I returned. However, I felt I really died twice." Huo Ling said. "Not in those assassins' hands. Not in Jason Baurne's hands after I failed the task. It was because of myself. I swore to dutifully follow the task, yet I broke my oath twice."