Afterlife Department

Chapter 331 – Chrysanthemum Room

They don't know how long was it when Di San and Gu Shi felt their backs hit something. 

"Oww…" Di San cried when the back of his head also hit. 

"Di San!" Gu Shi called in the darkness. Just like earlier when they entered the Rainbow Tower, they can't see a thing. He can only rely on his hand holding Di San's hand to know where Di San is. "Di San!" he called as he fumbled in the darkness. 

"… I'm fine. Stop groping me." Di San spoke. 

Gu Shi's hand froze. "… oh.." He muttered and immediately retracted his hand that touched a flat chest. "Sorry." He said before he changed the topic. "Did we enter the Chrysanthemum Room?" he asked. 

"I think so." Di San said as he sat up. He rubbed the back of his head with his other hand. "Did you bring a flashlight or a lighter?" he asked. 

"Lighter." Gu Shi answered and placed his other hand in his pocket. Then, he lit up the lighter. He saw Di San's face. He was about to move back when he felt his back hit something. A wall. "… f*ck." He cursed. 

"What's wrong? Ow!" Di San cried when he hit his head after he turned. "Sh*t! Who hit me?" he asked when, with the help of the light from Gu Shi's hand, he saw a flat wall in front of him. And the tip of his nose is only a few centimeters away from the wall. "… this can't be happening…" he said. 

"The Chrysanthemum Room shouldn't be like this." Gu Shi said. 

"Yeah. It is a gallery." Di San said. "A gallery of treasures." He touched the walls. "But, this looked real." He knocked on the wall. "I am sure that we entered the Chrysanthemum Room. But…" he frowned. 

"This small space can't be the Chrysanthemum Room." Gu Shi said. 

Di San nodded. "I'll try tearing the space." He said and adjusted the Space Gloves on his hands before he cracked his knuckles. Then, he scratched the wall. 

Nothing happened. 

"What's going on?" he asked and tried scratching the wall again. Still, nothing happened. 

"The nearer we are to the Soul Fragment that has a power of Void, the stronger will its effect on us." Gu Shi spoke. "So, either we're under the Void, or we are inside another room." He explained. 

"It also has a teleportation power?! How can that be?!" Di San exclaimed. 

"But, the walls around us are real is a fact." Gu Shi said. 

Di San fell silent. 

"Let's call Yi Bing." Gu Shi said as he opened his communicator. 

Normal World. 

"Peppers? Do you hate peppers?" Huo Ling asked as he raised the pack of peppers as he turned to ask Yi Bing. 

Yi Bing shook his head and looked at the colorful vegetables inside the wrapper. "No." he answered. "Do you?" he asked. 

"No." Huo Ling answered and placed the pack of peppers inside the shopping cart. 

Yi Bing pushed the cart when he saw Huo Ling's eyes darted to the other side. Just like that, they continued to choose foods. Their actions were in sync – one would choose the foods and the other would push the cart. If someone would ask if they have lived with each other for a long time to act like natural, they would be surprised, since they just known each other for a few days. 

Yi Bing naturally is secretly happy, for he and Huo Ling looked like a pair of husbands. Huo Ling is also secretly happy, since he has a crush on the other. But, their happy time was cut off when Yi Bing's communicator on his wrist rang. 

Yi Bing and Huo Ling. "…" time to wake up from this fantasy. 

Yi Bing's brows twitched. His communicator is like a phone, but a phone to the other world. The only ones who would call him are naturally the grim reapers. A call from a grim reaper is scary, unless you have already died, or also a fellow grim reaper. 

"… wait for me. I have allergy towards other foods." Yi Bing told Huo Ling. Actually, he doesn't have any allergy, and he could've just told Huo Ling that everything is fine for him to eat, since he even does not need to eat. 

But, he wanted to spend more time with Huo Ling, and under this atmosphere.

"Okay!" Huo Ling nodded and smiled. 

Yi Bing walked to the side to answer the call. It's from Gu Shi. "What?" he asked, obviously sound pissed. 

The other people who saw his handsome should have felt pleased seeing him, but paired with those ie-cold eyes, they avoided him instead. 

"… did I disturb you?" Gu Shi asked, sounding apologetic. 

"Yes." Yi Bing bluntly answered. 

"… I'm sorry. May I know how I disturbed you?" Gu Shi asked. Maybe he could compensate Yi Bing later – 

"You interrupted my date… my grocery shopping with Huo Ling." Yi Bing answered. 

Gu Shi. "…" looks like he can't compensate him. He said 'date', right? And the f*ck with grocery shopping! Di San and I are going to lose our lives here! He thought, but he is best with holding back his temper. "Di San and I were pulled inside the Chrysanthemum Room. But, we were trapped inside a narrow space, instead." He explained. "The Space Gloves are useless." He added. 

"Close your eyes." Yi Bing said. 

"Huh?" Gu Shi was confused. "What do you mean, close my eyes?" he asked. 

"You are definitely in the Chrysanthemum Room." Yi Bing said. "But, with the Soul Fragment's Void, you'll definitely be trapped forever there." he told Gu Shi. 

"So… we have to close our eyes?" Gu Shi asked. "Why?" 

"The Soul Fragment is using your mind to create the space you'll be trapped in. That's what the Void is." Yi Bing explained. 

"Oh." Gu Shi looked at Di San. 

"Everything you will see came from your mind. And, will become real. So, you have to close your eyes." Yi Bing told him. 

"I understand." Gu Shi said and then ended the call since Yi Bing sounds impatient. "Di San." He called. 

"Hm? What did Yi Bing say?" Di San asked as he leaned on the wall. 

"Close our eyes." Gu Shi answered. 

"Huh?" a question mark appeared on top of Di San's head. 

Gu Shi immediately told Di San what Yi Bing said. "So, we have to close our eyes." He finished. 

"Oh. Okay." Di San said and closed his eyes. 

Gu Shi stared at him, then tightened his hold on Di San's hand. He closed his eyes and felt the surroundings. "Let's take a step forward." He said. 

"En." Di San answered. 

"Another one." Gu Shi spoke. 

"Okay." Di San nodded. 

They took another step. They would have already hit the wall. But, they didn't hit anything. 

"Again." Gu Shi said. 

"Yes." Di San took a deep breath. 

They didn't hit anything again. They repeated their actions until they suddenly bumped into something. They both opened their eyes and they saw a curved surface. But, unlike earlier, there is a light from behind them, illuminating the wall. 

They gasped, then turned behind them. They were surprised to see countless shelves before them. "This is…" they said as they looked around and saw there were shelves behind them, too, as well as on the second floor. What they bumped into is a giant pillar. "… the Chrysanthemum Room." 

They looked at each other. "Look for the Soul Fragment!" Gu Shi said. 

"Yes!" Di San answered, and they split up. 

The reason why Yi Bing placed the Soul Fragment in the Chrysanthemum Room of the Rainbow Tower instead of submitting it to the Afterlife Department is because of the barrier placed on the shelves of the Chrysanthemum Room to prevent the treasures with consciousness from escaping. The barrier can also suppress their power. 

Yi Bing's decision is right, since the Soul Fragment, even if its power being suppressed, but can still affect the entire Rainbow Tower. The power in this Soul Fragment is too strong. 

Di San looked left and right and still didn't find the familiar Soul Fragment. "There are too many!" he exclaimed as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead. "Gu Shi! How is it on your end?" he asked. 

"Can't find it." Gu Shi answered. 

"Shall we ask Yi Bing where exactly did he place the Soul Fragment?" Di San asked. 

Gu Shi who was scared off from his recent call with Yi Bing. "…" how to answer? What should he answer? 'okay'? Or 'no'?" 

"Gu Shi?" Di San called when he saw Gu Shi was silent. 

"… okay." Gu Shi finally answered. He'll just bite the bullet. The more they stay here, the more dangerous it will be for him and Di San. "Yi Bing?" he called when the call finally connected. 

"Yes?" Yi Bing answered. 

Gu Shi was taken aback by Yi Bing's tone. He sounds very happy? He thought. How can Yi Bing not be happy? He and Huo Ling are finally going home… err, to his house!