Afterlife Department

Chapter 251 – Duty

"Dutifully performing your task isn't just about the doer, but also the giver." Huo Ling said. "The giver entrusts themselves to the doer. The giver should have a full trust to the doer. So, he should choose the doer wisely, if he could entrust his life to the doer. But, at that time, there's only me and Jason Baurne who hated each other. But what could Jonathan do?" he bitterly smiled. "Jason really loses too much on the task. I can betray him anytime, and I chose to betray him." He said. 

"Why did Jason want to kill Hao Baiyun and Gu Xingfeng.?" Yi Bing asked. 

"It's only Hao Baiyun who's he intended to kill.. Since Gu Xingfeng is protecting Hao Baiyun, he's just the icing on the cake." Huo Ling said. "Jason… he is suspecting the aristocrats got something to do with his parents' death. Hao Baiyun is left in the open, likewise Gu Xingfeng. They separated from their families, so their families can't protect them. He planned to start with them two." He explained. 

"Then, why did you protect Hao Baiyun and Gu Xingfeng?" Yi Bing asked. At first, when he found out Huo Ling got a relationship with Hao Baiyun and Gu Xingfeng who resurfaced in this world, he thought Huo Ling remembered his memories of the past worlds again and a Soul Fragment emerged in this world. 

However, it seems that it is not the case. It's just purely a coincidence… or fate?

"Hao Baiyun and Gu Xingfeng were too calm even when they were rained by bullets." Huo Ling answered, pulling Yi Bing from his thoughts. "I rarely seen people like those, most especially those who lives in the light." He smiled. Although the people in the underworld are heinous criminals, but they fear death the most. It was only those who fully accepted their fate, their death, that could remain calm when their death is already in front of them. 

Like him. He has long been prepared to die. 

"I think they are too interesting. That moment of interest made he hesitate to kill them, and it was already too late for me to retract my decision, as they were attacked by other assassins." Huo Ling said. "Since I already messed up, I thought I should do it big. And so, I saved them, and killed those who are on my side." He turned and looked at Yi Bing. "Too ironic, right?" he asked and smiled. 

"Too idiotic." Yi Bing straightforwardly said. 

Huo Ling was taken aback before he laughed out loud and rolled on the ground. After having a fit, his smile faded. "I spared two lives. I killed myself twice." He said. Gone is the cheerfulness on his voice and the laughter in his eyes.

"Have you found your answer, then? After dying thrice." Yi Bing said. 

"Mm." Huo Ling nodded as he stared at the dark sky filled with billions of stars. "I should decide my fate." He said. "No one should dictate me, even if it is Jonathan. My suicide is the very first, and the last, I defied Jonathan." He sighed. 

"Do you regret you died?" Yi Bing asked. 

"No. I only need to taste freedom once, and I tasted it in my death." Huo Ling closed his eyes and breathed. A smile was on his face. "That's why they said, 'you only live once'." He laughed. 

Liar. Yi Bing thought. If you didn't feel any regret, you won't be here talking with me right now. He thought, but didn't voice it out to not burst Huo Ling's bubble. What Huo Ling regretted isn't that he can't enjoy his freedom while alive since he died. What he regretted is that in the last moment of his life, he defied Jonathan, breaking his vow to Jonathan to follow Jonathan without fail. 

He broke his oath thrice. He died thrice. 

"What are you trying to find?" Huo Ling asked after a while. "Can't tell me?" he said when he didn't hear Yi Bing spoke. 

"Even if I tell you, it is useless." Yi Bing said. 

"Is there something like that?" Huo Ling asked. "How can you say it will be useless?" he opened his eyes and looked at Yi Bing's face. 

Yi Bing slowly turned to him. "Can you find something that can't be seen by the naked eye?" he asked back as he stared at Huo Ling's light brown eyes. 

Huo Ling stared back and saw himself alone reflected in those ice-blue pupils. He suddenly felt a chill, as if he was in the middle of a blizzard, completely frozen as he stared at Yi Bing's beautiful eyes like ice crystals. 

However, what he sees right now is not the freezing indifference. Instead, it's the burning passion. They said that the red color is the coolest while blue is the hottest. Huo Ling just realized that now, as he is feeling really hot being stared at those blue inferno eyes. "No." a word finally came out of his mouth after being captured by those eyes for who knows how long. When he came to, he realized Yi Bing was leaning down on him. "What are you doing?" he asked without moving his body from the ground. What's with this sudden sexual tension? Is this guy seducing me? Seriously? Me, a ghost? 

"Observing you." Yi Bing answered. 

"Hm?" 

"When I saw you before, you're the picture of elegance." Yi Bing said. "Graceful, even if you're running for your life. Stylish, despite you're all beaten down and your clothes are tattered from bullets and knife tears." He said. 

Huo Ling's eyes widened. "Pft!" he covered his mouth and laughed. "You're really funny!" he said as he looked at Yi Bing as if he was looking at a madman. "Are you serious?" he said as he sat up from the ground. "Where am I elegant?" he asked before he rose from the ground and patted off the grasses that stuck on his clothes. His movements are rough. "If you found yourself in a compromising situation, most especially in a life and death situation, who would still mind if you look beautiful?" he asked. 

"Those who desire a beautiful death." Yi Bing answered. 

Huo Ling laughed, full of ridicule. "You can't always get what you want. Sometimes, what you wanted the most is what you can get the least." He said before he looked at the Baurne family's residence. "Since you don't have any malice towards Jonathan, I'll take you with me inside the residence. However, if you still cannot find whatever it is that you are looking for, I hope you would leave them." He told him as he walked down the slope. However, before he could walk far, he heard Yi Bing spoke behind him. 

"What I am looking for is in a special circumstance." Yi Bing said. 

"'special circumstance'?" Huo Ling turned and doubtfully looked at him. 

Yi Bing ignored him. "It only appears in a certain condition." He answered. 

"What condition?" Huo Ling asked. 

"I don't know." Yi Bing said. When he saw Huo Ling's about to complain, he spoke. "That's why I said it is in a special circumstance." He told him. 

"… you're not spewing bullshit, are you?" Huo Ling asked. 

Yi Bing stiffened. Not because Huo Ling is doubting him, but because Huo Ling cussed. Huo Ling has cussed before, but it was out of anger. However, right now, Huo Ling cusses casually he can't help but be taken aback and doubt life. "No." he answered when he finally found his voice. 

Huo Ling's eyes narrowed as he stared at Yi Bing. "Are you fucking kidding me?" he asked and frowned. He finally can't hold back his temper. However, despite his angry expression, but his temperament can't be overlooked. 

His proud posture and his straight back and shoulders, paired with that neatly combed hair, Huo Ling looked elegant. 

"No." Yi Bing honestly answered despite wanting to tease Huo Ling right now. This elegant Huo Ling looked abstinent with his black suit perfectly hugging his slim body. Sexy. This elegant and full of abstinence look of Huo Ling is fucking sexy Yi Bing wanted to badly kiss him right now. 

If Yi Bing's current body has blood, he must be having nosebleed right now as he stared at Huo Ling with burning, dark eyes. And Huo Ling would immediately know what this outwardly abstinent, but inwardly pervert model of all the grim reapers Yi Bing is thinking, having lustful thoughts of Huo Ling. 

Unfortunately (for Huo Ling), Yi Bing doesn't have blood and so he can't see the evidence of Yi Bing thinking of lustful thoughts of him. "Then, what? What's that something so special?" he said. "What exactly are you looking for?" he asked. 

"A soul." Yi Bing answered. 

"Oh. It's just a – " Huo Ling said before he froze. He stiffly turned his head to Yi Bing, only to see Yi Bing's solemn expression. "Soul…" he muttered. 

"En." Yi Bing nodded. 

Huo Ling's eyes widened before he suddenly ran! 

Yi Bing who was shocked of what just happened and was left behind. "…" what the fuck had just happened?