Afterlife Department

Chapter 430 – Organs

Jiu Ye looked at Yi Bing and Huo Ling, waiting for Huo Ling to finish speaking while Yi Bing to confirm it. But, before Huo Ling could speak, the doors of the shed opened. The Pei family's guards have arrived. They brought weapons with them, and they looked imposing. The Pei family's doctors must have scared witless as they didn't return with the guards they called. 

"Our lord, where is the monster that we're taking out?" the captain of the guards asked and looked around, before his gaze fell on Xu Hongkai's corpse. His thick brows knitted and he frowned. "Did the corpse come back to life?" he asked and looked at Pei Tingming. 

Pei Tinghe's death has already been known as related to the supernatural. Although Pei Tingting died normally by hanging herself, but with Pei Tinghe's death as the preceding, and Xu Hongkai's death as the succeeding, with both deaths related to supernatural, naturally, Pei Tingting's death will become suspicious. 

If it was only Pei Tingting who died, which in a normal way, after Pei Tinghe, then Pei Tinghe's death will be treated as only unusual, despite the supernatural thing that happened during when he was missing and that informed everyone of his death. People might be cautious at first, but later, they will forget this fact and would treat it as just a false alarm. 

But, Xu Hongkai has died. This became a wake-up call to everyone and confirmed that something supernatural has happened after finding out that Xu Hongkai died in a mysterious way, because he broke the night rule. This confirmed their suspicion that there is something supernatural that is killing people. 

But, what is it? Could it be this thing? It has finally appeared? The captain of the guards thought as he looked at the moving belly of Xu Hongkai's corpse. He took out his sword and approached it. 

"Be careful! It attacks!" Pei Tingming warned. 

"I know, our lord." The captain of the guard spoke and turned to his subordinates, then raised his chin at them, signaling them to surround it. 

Ji Qiuxin didn't say anything, but she felt that something is very weird. 

"Do you think there's something weird?" Jiu Ye asked, voicing out Ji Qiuxin's thoughts, but to Yi Bing and Huo Ling. He pinched his chin as he carefully thought. His eyes narrowing as he looked at Xu Hongkai's corpse, Pei Tingming, the guards, Ji Qiuxin and Ke Hanying, then back to Xu Hongkai's corpse on the ground. "I don't know why… I just can't put a finger on it… but, there's definitely something strange in this situation…!" he said. 

"Say." Huo Ling softly spoke as the guards surrounded Xu Hongkai's corpse. "Earlier… what do you think of that black, string-like thing that attacked?" he asked Jiu Ye. 

"Huh? It was too fast, but I saw it… though just for a short time…" Jiu Ye spoke as he scratched his head. "That thing is very dark in color, but under the light – " he looked at the oil lamps hanging around. " – it seemed to be of dark red color." He said. 

"En." Huo Ling nodded in agreement as they watched the guards' swords descended on Xu Hongkai's belly. 

Jiu Ye didn't think much of Huo Ling's question and just watched. "Ah!" he suddenly exclaimed when he realized something. "I know what is strange now!" he said and turned to Yi Bing and Huo Ling. "That monster didn't attack!" he said. 

At the same time, just as Jiu Ye's voice fell, an ear-piercing cry was heard followed by the opening of the doors of the shed. 

"NOOO!!! Don't kill it!!!" Li Hua screamed. Her face is tear-stained as she entered, just in time to see all the swords pierced Xu Hongkai's belly. 

Blood splattered and she watched, horror-stricken, the blood flowing out of Xu Hongkai's belly. The moving belly of Xu Hongkai slowed down its movements as more blood flowed out of the belly. 

Pei Tingming and Ji Qiuxin turned. 

"What?" Pei Tingming frowned as he looked at her stunned, pale face that looked at Xu Hongkai's belly in horror. "You're too noisy. What if that evil thing was startled and jumped out again to kill us?" he asked, looking at her with his gaze filled in displeasure. 

He was already irked by Pei Ru earlier. Fortunately, after the doctors left, Wu Deguang followed with Pei Ru in his arms to let Pei Ru rest. The nuisance was then gone. 

"No…" Li Hua muttered as she fell on her knees. 

The guards were stunned by her. But, since the monster is very dangerous, they didn't let go of their swords and kept their guard up in case of any sudden attacks. To suppress it, they stabbed their swords deeper in Xu Hongkai's stomach. 

More blood flowed out and, after a while, the movements inside Xu Hongkai's belly finally stopped. 

But, who would expect for Li Hua's face became paler than a piece of paper and her tears fell? "NOO!!!" she cried as she buried her face in her hands. 

"What's with you?!" Pei Tingming asked, irritated by Li Hua's behavior. 

Ji Qiuxin started. "The evil presence was gone." She spoke. 

Pei Tingming turned to her. "Oh. Then, that's good." He said. 

Li Hua's cries became louder, as she must have wanted to say something but, because the earlier scene frightened her, she can't speak. Meanwhile, Ke Hanying's expression looked calm. But, one could see there was a faint smile on his lips. 

"… do you think he was possessed?" Jiu Ye asked and shivered in fright as he hid behind Huo Ling even though he knows Ke Hanying can't see him. 

"He didn't show any sign of possession." Yi Bing answered. 

"Then, he's having a mood swing?" Jiu Ye asked, although he knows this isn't possible. 

Yi Bing declined to answer. Meanwhile, Huo Ling remained silent and his expression is calm as he looked at the scene before them. 

Jiu Ye returned to the topic. "Hey. Wasn't that monster attacking them earlier? Why didn't it attack them just now?" he asked and pointed the guards. 

Neither Yi Bing nor Huo Ling answered, as the door of the shed opened once again. This time, it was the Pei family doctors who arrived, and they are all catching their breath. Their gaze immediately landed on Xu Hongkai's belly. Seeing that it was bloody after it was pierced by swords, their faces turned pale like Li Hua's. 

"What? Dared to return now after the evil thing was killed?" Pei Tingming sneered when he saw them. "You're just in time, though. Dig out whatever's inside the corpse's belly." He told them. "Don't worry. It's already killed. It's not moving anymore." He added. 

But, who would expect that their faces will turn paler in horror. 

"What? Still won't move?" Pei Tingming is very angry this time. 

"L-Lord Pei…" one of the doctors finally returned to his senses and spoke with much difficulty after he found his voice from the shock. 

"What?" Pei Tingming frowned. "Are you still saying you can't do it?! I'm paying you all, so can't you do your jobs?!" he asked. 

"T-that's not it, lord Pei…" the doctor answered. 

"Then, what?!" Pei Tingming asked. 

"T-the… the third young master is… is…" the doctor stammered. 

"What? What happened to Tingsong?" Pei Tingming asked. 

Although Pei Tingsong was born right after Pei Tingyi, but he was called 'third young master' and then third-born son Pei Tinghe was called 'second young master' because Pei Tingsong is a concubine's son. Furthermore, Pei Tingsong was addressed after Pei Tinghe was born, and after Sun Ri wasn't able to bear a child anymore. 

Thus, Pei Tinghe was the second young master and Pei Tingsong became the third young master, albeit Pei Tingsong is older than Pei Tinghe. It's because he was a concubine's child. This is one of his resentments towards the Pei family. 

"What happened to Tingsong?!" Pei Tingming asked. His voice is filled with urgency. 

Pei Tingsong is his most favorite son. Even his heir, Pei Tingyi, is his least favorite son. 

"Th – the… the third young master is… is dead…" the doctor answered in a low voice. 

"WHAT?!" Pei Tingming's voice rose.

"WHAT?!" Jiu Ye exclaimed the same time as Pei Tingming. "How can he be dead?!" he asked, shocked. 

"How… how did he die?!" Pei Tingming asked. "Wasn't he fine a while ago?! Wasn't it just a fever?!" he glared t them as he clenched his fists. 

"T-that's because…" the doctor stammered once again. Seeing Pei Tingming's murderous gaze, his words flowed out of his mouth fluently. "He has no pulse and he lost his senses and not responding when we arrived. We figured there must be something wrong with both his heart and brain." He explained. 

"Then, didn't you check it?! How can he suddenly die like that?!" Pei Tingming asked. 

"L – lord Pei… it's because… because the third young master's heart and brain are…" the doctor spoke and his gaze fell on Xu Hongkai's belly. 

As if on cue, from the tear, which is small earlier and now became bigger because of the large amount of blood flowing out, slipped out two organs that are covered in blood.