Afterlife Department

Chapter 287 – Priestess

"No way…!" they exclaimed, their eyes and mouth are wide, stunned by their conjecture. "That can't be… that can't be!" they said, wanting to deny the glaring fact in front of them. 

They all looked at the entrance of the mausoleum. Its wide doors ajar, as if welcoming them. Even if it is in broad daylight, and in the middle of the very hot desert, they suddenly felt a chill ran down their spine when they looked at the gaping open doors, as if a giant mouth wanting to swallow them. The usual ancient graphical designs they are currently gazing at suddenly turned eerie instead of mysterious, and ominous. 

"H-Huo Ling…" the women suddenly choked in tears and their eyes reddened as they looked at the mausoleum before them. "W-we should save Huo Ling…" they said, out of kindness. However, their voice is weak, as well as their will. "B-boys, y-y-you g-go help Huo Ling…" they said. 

"What?!" the men said and turned to look sharply at the women. "What the hell are you talking about?!" they asked.. 

One of the braver girls looked at them. "A-are you men?! W-why don't you want to go and help Huo Ling?!" she asked. 

A man with a bad temper spoke. "Why would I go? Is he even worth risking my life for?!" he asked. "It's because of him why we are here now!" he said. 

"You're so ungrateful!" another girl said. Her tears fell. "Wasn't it because we're always haggling at him that's why he finally relented to us to go travel?!" she asked. "He even defied his family's wishes to not go this time on a trip, just for our whims!" she said. 

Hearing Huo Ling's family, their expressions changed. Everyone of them has already known Huo Ling is a very wealthy young master, added to the fact he is very smart and has a good temper. He is also very obedient and filial to his family, and with that handsome face of his, everyone likes him. This leaves many men jealous towards him. But, what can they do? Huo Ling is that powerful. Even if he isn't as an individual, then, his family behind him is. 

The Huo family is a large family with a long history. Their stronghold is the A City, the capital. Thus, even though there are people that dislike Huo Ling, but no one dared to come upfront to declare his animosity with him that stemmed from jealousy. Even if there really is one that did, but with Huo Ling's temper, there wouldn't be that dispute since Huo Ling is smart so he will settle the dispute nicely. 

"T-this isn't good." One of them said. "I-I treat Huo Ling as my friend. I also don't want to get on the bad side of the Huo family!" he said, his face pale. 

The women's face brightened and they smiled favorably to the man. 

"Are you an idiot?!" the one with a bad temper said. "If you're dead, who will care about the Huo family?!" he asked. "We aren't here to babysit him!" he added. 

The smile on the women's face disappeared and was replaced by a frown. They glared at him. 

"I'll go." Ruoruo spoke. 

"Ruoruo!" the women cried and, finally, their tears fell. "W-we'll go, too!" some of them said as they braved themselves. 

The other women who are more afraid tearfully hugged them. "We'll go contact the police and ask for rescue. We'll also contact Huo Ling's family." They told them. 

"I'll go." Zhou Cheng said. 

"Zhou Cheng!" the man with a bad temper yelled. 

Zhou Cheng calmly looked at him. "Andy. I won't pick on you even though I knew you have hated Huo Ling. But, I don't like you since you disregard a life before you." He said. "And, as Lulu said, you're ungrateful. Going to Hargon is our dream, and Huo Ling, against his family's wishes, satisfied our wish. So, why would you forsake Huo Ling after you've sated your wish?" he asked before he walked to Ruoruo's and the other girls' side. 

"Zhou Cheng!" Andy shouted. "I know that you only want to look good in everyone's eyes!" he said. 

"Don't accuse me for your lack of spine." Zhou Cheng told him. A look of disgust in his eyes. "And, I decide what I do with my life." He didn't speak to Andy again. 

"I'll go." Another man said. Together with the other one that regarded Huo Ling as his friend, they walked to Zhou Cheng's side. 

A man looked at the new group that formed to rescue Huo Ling. "You will go inside and look for Huo Ling; bring him back if you can. If that suspicious man is there, then just go around him and find a way to rescue Huo Ling within your capabilities." He said. "Meanwhile, we'll stay here in case the suspicious man would sneak Huo Ling out to abduct him." This is also why they panicked because Huo Ling has been abducted many times before. 

Because of the Huo family's power, Huo Ling, their only descendant, became a treasure. Thus, Huo Ling is always a target of abduction. However, Huo Ling doesn't want for his private life to be disturbed, thus, he didn't have bodyguards with him. 

"We'll stay and contact the police." 

"This settles it, then?" 

"I'll go." Philip, who has been silent since earlier, suddenly spoke. 

"What?!" they exclaimed and turned to look at Philip in shock. 

"Philip, you…" 

"You, too?!" Andy exclaimed as he looked at Philip. "You've always been dull. Why take action now?" he asked. 

Philip dully looked at Andy. "I don't need to explain myself or my actions to you." He said and walked towards Zhou Cheng, Ruoruo and the others. "Let's go." He told them before he walked towards the mausoleum first. 

Zhou Cheng and Ruoruo nodded and they all followed him. Andy sneered and kicked the sand before he marched away with his both hands inside his pockets. "Hypocrites!" he said before he closed the car's door with a loud bang. 

The ones left outside looked at each other before they started calling everyone they know, including the police. They were stuck in the desert, and only a few amount of gas are left in their car. Remembering it was Huo Ling who bought it for them as a precaution if an accident happens, their eyes reddened again. 

They wiped away their tears and did their best to find the nearest contact they could with their phones. 

Inside the mausoleum. 

Huo Ling stepped on the hidden mechanism and Yi Bing immediately pulled him away when an arrow shot out of the wall. 

"Ow!" Huo Ling cried when he lost his balance and his leg ached. 

Yi Bing looked at him. "Shall I carry you?" he asked. 

"What?" Huo Ling was massaging his muscle and raised his head to look at Yi Bing. "I'm a grown-up. How can I ask you to carry me? That's embarrassing, and would look embarrassing if you really would carry me." He told him. 

Yi Bing didn't answer and just bent down to pick up Huo Ling. Huo Ling's face reddened when he realized Yi Bing carried him, bridal style. 

"Your leg aches too much, right?" Yi Bing said. 

Huo Ling fell silent. He decided to change the topic to relieve the awkwardness he felt. "You said, earlier on the upper floor, that the priestess of the temple is a goddess." He said. "Can a god give birth?" he asked. 

Yi Bing smiled. "Smart." He said. "Naturally, gods can't give birth. This is a restriction placed on them. It is to prevent the imbalance in this world." He explained. "However, the priestess of the temple is the goddess of creation." He said. 

Huo Ling thought about it. "That's not right." He said. "Gods can't reproduce, but then she's the goddess of creation. That neutralizes each other?" he muttered. 

"Yes. It will neutralize each other." Yi Bing said. 

Huo Ling's brows scrunched up. "Then, how did she conceive her children?" he asked. 

"This lies in which is stronger." Yi Bing said and stopped to look at Huo Ling. "Whether the restriction imposed on her, or, her conviction she can conceive herself." He explained. 

Huo Ling's eyes and mouth opened wide. "She won?!" he exclaimed. 

Yi Bing nodded before they stopped outside a door. He pressed something on the wall, and the door opened. 

Huo Ling stared shock at the sight that greeted him. "A well-preserved corpse?!" he was stunned when he saw a woman sleeping on top of a table. 

"Yes." Yi Bing nodded. 

The woman's body is undamaged, and her clothes and her hair, as well as the ornaments on her body and head, are neatly arranged. Her beauty looked ethereal, and she is smiling in peace. 

"Wasn't she burned?" Huo Ling asked as they walked towards the priestess' corpse. 

"Gods are immortals." Yi Bing said. 

"… self-regeneration?" Huo Ling said. 

Yi Bing nodded. 

"So…" Huo Ling stared at the priestess before he slowly turned to Yi Bing. "… she is still alive?"