Afterlife Department

Chapter 306 – Artefact

"'his blood was sucked dry'…" Rourou muttered, face paling in horror. 

"'flesh was eaten'…" Lian Xiang's body was shaking in fear and she shuddered. 

"'only bones are left'…?" Peng Qian's jaw dropped, looking dazed. 

Zhou Cheng frowned in disgust. Suddenly, he remembered something. "If not even a corpse of the important official was left, then what's inside his tomb?" he asked. 

"The remaining foreigner led them to the chamber where the coffin of the important official was located." Huo Huainan said before he paused. "I don't know what happened after that." He told them. 

"Huh? You don't know what treasure it is?" Yang Jie asked. Obviously, he is interested with this kind of stuff. 

Huo Huainan shook his head. "My father didn't tell me." He answered. 

Yang Jie looked disappointed and Zhang Jun slapped the back of his head. Yang Jie cried, but he didn't curse him and just pouted, feeling wronged while he rubbed the back of his head. 

Meanwhile, Zhou Cheng, Peng Qian, Rourou and Lian Xiang looked pensive. "Where is this treasure now?" Zhou Cheng asked. 

"Our ancestors sold it." Huo Huainan answered. "They have seen carnage in that tomb. Naturally, they don't want to keep something that came from the tomb. And so, every time they robbed the graves, they would later sell the items they found." He explained. 

"Oh." So that's how their families became rich. Silence fell as they resumed eating. 

Meanwhile, the two protagonists Huo Ling and Yi Bing resumed the storytelling. "Yi Bing. Do you know what that treasure is?" he asked. "Do you know where is it now?" he added. 

"I know." Yi Bing answered. "The artefact is a soul furnace." He said. 

"'soul furnace'?" Huo Ling muttered. "So, that important official is really a descendant of an immortal?" he asked. Soul furnace is used by the immortals during the ancient times. 

"He is." Yi Bing nodded. "His body is." He said. 

"What do you mean?" Huo Ling asked. 

"The body is the immortal's descendant. However, the soul is the immortal himself." Yi Bing clarified. 

"What?!" Huo Ling was shocked. "He possessed his descendant?!" he asked. 

"No. He reincarnated to his descendant." Yi Bing said. 

"Holy – mm." Huo Ling closed his mouth when he saw Yi Bing stared at him. He almost forgot that Yi Bing is a grim reaper, who belongs to the Hell. So, saying the 'holy' word in Yi Bing's presence is inappropriate. He immediately returned the topic. "The artefact was inherited by his descendant. But, he reincarnated as his descendant. So, the artefact just returned to him?" he summarized. 

Yi Bing nodded. "That's right." He answered and patted Huo Ling's head. 

Huo Ling was preoccupied about the topic he was absent-minded to notice Yi Bing's action. "But, everyone coveted the artefact. And, he was skinned and eaten alive because of that." He said and sighed, lamenting the immortal's fate. "He suffered because of the greed of the other people coveting what isn't theirs." He said. 

Yi Bing nodded, completely agreeing to what Huo Ling said. "But, he got his revenge." He said. 

"Huh? How?" Huo Ling asked. 

"The artefact." Yi Bing answered. 

"The artefact? What's wrong with it?" Huo Ling is puzzled. 

"Have you forgotten what is it?" Yi Bing asked. 

"A soul furnace…" Huo Ling answered. 

Yi Bing smiled. "From its name, the soul furnace collects souls and use the souls to whatever the user desires." He said. "The immortal used his soul to activate the soul furnace and collect the souls of those who harmed him." He explained. 

Huo Ling's eyes widened in shock. "That's cool! And wicked…" he said.

Yi Bing just laughed. "One must be prepared to be harmed if he plans to harm others." He said. "In short, that is their retribution." He told Huo Ling. 

"Oh." Huo Ling nodded in understanding. "This artefact sure is nasty." He can't help but say. 

"'A knife can be used for protection, but also can be used for destruction'." Yi Bing said as he looked at Huo Ling. "In short, it depends on who has the weapon, and what is their intention." He told him. 

Huo Ling fell silent and he stared at Yi Bing. "How old are you?" he suddenly asked. 

"Huh?" Yi Bing was taken aback. 

"For you to spout such things… you must be really old?" Huo Ling smiled. 

Yi Bing's face was covered in black lines. "You guess." He just said. He suddenly feels disdain towards his age. 

"Pft – " Huo Ling laughed when he saw Yi Bing's face turned sour. "Hahahahaha!" he held his stomach when he doubled in laughter. 

Yi Bing just rolled his eyes at him. 

"Oh, right." Huo Ling said when he suddenly remembered something. "Where is the soul furnace now? Do you know?" he asked. 

Yi Bing paused before he slowly turned back to Huo Ling. He didn't immediately answer and instead just said. "Does these two words not ring a bell to you?" he asked. 

"Huh?" Huo Ling was taken aback and he looked at Yi Bing. His mind slowly digested Yi Bing's words, and, later, his eyes slowly widened in realization. "You don't mean… the Soul Society?!" he was shocked. 

"This is nothing to be shocked about, okay?" Yi Bing said. 

"No, no!" Huo Ling shook his head. "Wait… you mean, it was the Soul Society who bought that artefact?!" he asked. Then, as if he remembered something, he froze. "The vessels…" he muttered as he took a sharp breath. "The foreign souls…" he felt cold. "It was because of the artefact…?" he asked. 

Yi Bing nodded. "Yes." He answered.

Huo Ling felt a sharp pain in his soul. "So, I was…" he looked at Yi Bing. 

At the same time, Yi Bing looked at him in the eyes. "Yes." He answered. "Your soul is supposed to be 'eaten' by the soul furnace. However, I came." He smiled. "Shouldn't you be calling me as your savior?" he asked. 

Stable World, Middle Heaven. 

"Your Highness." Gu Shi called as he knelt before Shen Sheng. 

"I know." Shen Sheng spoke as he lazily leaned on the pillar while sitting on the floor. He played with his golden hair, looking languid. "The Special World 7321 committed misdeed. Have you sent the other worlds a message?" he asked Gu Shi. 

"Yes, Shen Taizi." Gu Shi nodded. 

"Good." Shen Sheng muttered. "Fortunately, Huo Ling's soul reincarnated to that world. Or else, we wouldn't notice the abnormality in that world." He said. 

Gu Shi coldly sweated when Huo Ling was mentioned. But, he felt more cold to Shen Sheng's latter sentence. "I've already sent the grim reapers 5555 with his apprentice 4626, 8888 and 9999 with their invention doll Anji Li, to the other worlds for inspection." He explained.

The inspection he meant is for Jun Wu, Mo Shi, Hai Bai and Sha Jiu to be envoys to the other worlds and investigate each world. Managing the other worlds is what they, the Stable World, is tasked to do. This is such a thankless task, but they are doing this because they need to balance the energy of their world. Even though the other worlds are separate dimensions from them, but the energy flowing to each and every world is the same. 

Them, the Stable World, was located at the center where it is the most balanced. 

"Mn…" Shen Sheng muttered. "I'll also send the angels to go." He said. "Ling Shiyi." He called. 

The frameless door opened and Ling Shiyi flew in. He landed, then knelt beside Gu Shi. "Your Highness." Ling Shiyi called, his voice deep and rich. His long, ash blond hair slipped down his shoulder when he lowered his head. 

"Call the angels for me. Relay my message." Shen Sheng said, not sparing Ling Shiyi a glance. 

Ling Shiyi didn't dare raise his head. "Yes, Your Highness." He answered. 

"Leave." Shen Sheng said as he braided his hair. 

"Yes, Your Highness." Ling Shiyi answered, flapped his wings, and flew away. 

The frameless door closed. Only Gu Shi and Shen Sheng were left. Gu Shi didn't dare move a millimeter from his spot. 

"Do you have something to ask me?" Shen Sheng asked. 

"N – " Gu Shi was about to answer, 'nothing', when he pressed his lips close. He doesn't dare to lie to Shen Sheng. 

How can Shen Sheng not notice it? But, he didn't press Gu Shi to answer. "The Heaven…" he said. "… it is a complicated organization. More complicated than Hell. But – " he slowly raised his gaze and looked at Gu Shi's figure. " – Hell is fortunate, to meet its destruction." 

Gu Shi's pupils shook. What does Shen Sheng mean? Shen Sheng answered when he spoke. 

"Hell doesn't have to continue suffering…" Shen Sheng said. 

'suffering'? What does he mean, 'suffering'? 

"Hell…" Shen Sheng spoke. "Don't you think it is pitiful, to contend with the Heaven?" he asked. 

Gu Shi didn't answer; he doesn't dare. 

Shen Sheng sighed. "In the end, the unfortunate souls bore the brunt." He shook his head in sympathy. "Gu Shi. The Afterlife Department has to save the souls as much as they could." He told him. 

Although Gu Shi doesn't know what Shen Sheng spoke earlier, but he immediately nodded. "Yes, Your Highness!" he answered. "The Afterlife Department is the home of the souls. We exist to relieve the souls from their suffering!"