Afterlife Department

Chapter 439 – Survive

"No one would inspect Xu Hongkai's corpse at that time since it's already night, and everyone are afraid of the night rules." Huo Ling spoke. "So, that gives Ke Hanying, who knows that there isn't a supernatural thing happening since it was just him acting, time to place the infant's corpse, heart and brain inside Xu Hongkai's belly. The blood of a corpse also has coagulated and wouldn't bleed if cut." He explained. 

"But, wasn't there something moving inside Xu Hongkai's belly?" Jiu Ye asked. Suddenly, he froze when he realized something. "… fck." He cursed. 

Shi Jiu's eyes widened. "That's right… the corpse shouldn't bleed when it was cut… but – " he sharply inhaled. " – it bled after the guards stabbed Xu Hongkai's belly. Could it be…?" he asked. 

"Ke Hanying also placed blood inside." Huo Ling said, then paused. "To prevent the blood from flowing out of the cut he made behind Xu Hongkai's corpse, he must have also stitched it." he added. 

"… FCK!" Shi Jiu loudly cursed while Jiu Ye felt all his views were broken. 

"So… that 'thing' that was moving inside the belly is… just those things that are floating?" Jiu Ye asked, though the answer is obvious. 

"Wait!" Shi Jiu spoke when he remembered something. "Then, what about that black, string-like thing?!" he asked. 

Huo Ling turned to him. "It's definitely Ke Hanying." He said. 

"How?" Shi Jiu asked. Then, he suddenly saw Yi Bing smiled. 

"It's not that 'thing' that's attacking, but Ke Hanying." Yi Bing said. 

"… huh?" Shi Jiu muttered. 

Yi Bing turned to him, ignoring Ji Qiuxin who was stabbed by Ke Hanying. "That time, all of us are thinking of supernatural. After seeing Xu Hongkai's belly moving, that increased our suspicion that something supernatural is really happening." He said. "And because we were convinced that there is an evil thing inside Xu Hongkai's belly, subconsciously, we want to avoid it. Because we fear it. And because we fear it, we don't want to see what monster does it look like, so we avoid our eyes from it. And that is our mistake." He told them. "And that's how we failed." He added. 

"You mean…" Shi Jiu spoke in a low voice. 

"Fear is what makes us commit mistakes." Yi Bing said. "That time, when the doctor was about to tear open Xu Hongkai's belly, we were all focused on Xu Hongkai's belly that we failed to see where did the attack come from. The doctor was also flustered so he couldn't think straight." He said. "That attack wasn't from Xu Hongkai's belly. It was from Ke Hanying." He told them. 

"So, he is using misdirection!" Jiu Ye exclaimed, feeling enlightened. 

"He first made a tear on Xu Hongkai's stomach before he attacked the doctor." Yi Bing spoke. 

"But, how did he do it? So fast!" Jiu Ye said. 

"It must be an original weapon." Yi Bing suddenly frowned. "To be able to cut a chunk of flesh…" he didn't continue. 

"A whip." Huo Ling spoke. 

They looked at him. 

"It must be a customized whip." Huo Ling said and turned to look at Ke Hanying and Ji Qiuxin. 

They saw Ji Qiuxin managed to shake Ke Hanying off of her and then ran away. 

Jiu Ye adjusted his emotions. "Can't we save her?" he asked as he anxiously watched Ji Qiuxin being chased by Ke Hanying, but still holding her ground even after she received some cuts and her legs are shaking as she ran. 

No one was able to answer since they saw Ji Qiuxin suddenly fell on the ground. 

"She tripped?!" Jiu Ye exclaimed. 

"No." Shi Jiu said when he saw Ke Hanying moved his hand. 

Jiu Ye's eyes suddenly widened. "A whip! It's really a whip!" he exclaimed when they saw a string-like object wound itself around Ji Qiuxin's ankle and Ke Hanying pulled her back. 

"AAAAHHH!!!" Ji Qiuxin screamed in both pain and panic. She can't die here! 

"Hey. We really won't help her?" Jiu Ye asked, feeling antsy. 

None of them answered and just watched. 

Life and death are decided by the humans. Whether they want to kill others, or they would give up and be killed. It's up to them. They, grim reapers, only acts after one's death, which is their afterlife. 

Jiu Ye clenched his fists when he didn't see them act. He was about to take a step when Shi Jiu grabbed him back. "Don't be impulsive." He heard his elder brother said. 

"'don't be impulsive'?!" Jiu Ye's voice raised. His emotions have been chaotic since earlier after finding out that Pei Tingsong was alive, but then still died. Then, the Pei mansion was burned, and Pei Li… 

Jiu Ye pulled his body back from Shi Jiu and turned, wanting to go to save Ji Qiuxin. But, before he could take a step, he felt a gust of wind passed by him and some people wearing white clothes appeared and rushed towards where Ke Hanying is! 

"Eliminate the evil!" those people said as they attacked Ke Hanying, forcing him away from Ji Qiuxin. Meanwhile, the others who arrived last went to help Ji Qiuxin and treated her wounds. 

"Who… are they?" Jiu Ye asked in a low voice. 

"The Anlin Tribe." Huo Ling answered. 

"Then…" Jiu Ye turned to them. 

Shi Jiu wore a pensive expression before he answered. "She must have called for them after noticing something suspicious in the events, and that felt that her life is threatened." He said as he looked at Ji Qiuxin afar. 

She was beaten in a bad state, but her eyes are filled with radiance. 

Jiu Ye started and then remembered that Ji Qiuxin has indeed when to a mailing office. "So, she…" he said and looked at Ji Qiuxin. 

"Her title as the priestess isn't for a show. Her instinct is spot on." Yi Bing spoke. 

Jiu Ye fell silent. Even though he was observing her, but he didn't notice anything in Ji Qiuxin. He sighed, and then lowered his head. He's such a failure. He thought as his eyes became moist. If he isn't, then Pei Li wouldn't die. 

"Don't just to conclusions." Yi Bing spoke as he patted his back. 

Jiu Ye raised his head and looked at him. "Huh?" he muttered. 

But, Yi Bing didn't speak. 

One month later. 

Li Huchong was imprisoned together with Pei Tingming. Their crimes were brought to light, together with Pei Tingsong's, Xu Hongkai's and Pei Tingting's. It was the Anlin Tribe's priestess who exposed everything after they taken Ke Hanying to custody to reform him before they imprison him in their territory. 

Everyone is very disgusted by Pei Tingsong and Xu Hongkai, and felt disdain at Pei Tingting. Pei Tingting was jealous of Xiao Hualing's beauty that's why she tore off her face and watched Xiao Hualing accidentally fall to the river, resulting to her death. 

A woman's jealousy is really very ugly, it can kill. The Pei mansion burning is the Pei family's retribution after killing an innocent woman. No one felt sympathy to them, and they even felt the successive deaths of their family members is their karma. They even blame them for implicating the others and spreading false and also malicious rumors, be it in the past with Xiao Hualing, or at present's recent events. 

A horse carriage suddenly stopped in front of the broken-down gate of the Pei mansion. Then, someone alighted. 

A passerby saw the person and then stopped. "Hey. Do you want to buy this piece of land?" he asked. "Forget it. This place isn't good. It's ominous!" he told them. 

"Why?" the person asked. 

"What? You didn't hear?" the passerby was surprised. "You must be new in Anchuan, then. This family is too evil to ruin an innocent woman's life and they all burned, like their house." He answered. "Many people have died because of them, including their servants who were burned together with the house. That's why I said you shouldn't buy this piece of land." He told them. 

"I see…" the person muttered. Then, he turned and threw a money pouch on the passerby. 

"Huh? Hey! I'm not asking for money! I'm just telling you that out of good will!" the passerby said and wanted to return the money pouch to the person, but the person already entered the horse carriage and they left. "What was that…?" the passerby asked as he scratched his head. He glanced at the ruins of the Pei mansion and then left. 

As he walked, he passed by a beggar and then gave him the money. The beggar didn't move to pick up the money pouch and just snored. The hungry children beside the beggar saw the money pouch and they took it, then ran away to buy some food. 

As they ran, they suddenly smelled a fragrant scent. They suddenly stopped by and turned, but then saw that the place is empty. They then resumed running. Meanwhile, inside the carriage, a child was curiously watching outside. 

"Don't poke your head out, xiao Li." A woman spoke. "You, too, xiao An, xiao Ji. Be good." She said and turned to smile at her husband.