Afterlife Department

Chapter 471 – Return

"Welcome to the Northern Military Base." Hu Feng greeted Xi Ke and Lu Lu as he shook Xi Ke's hand and then nodded at Lu Lu, before he turned to face Xi Kai, Yi Bing, Huo Ling, Qi Ying, Jenny, Chichi, Lan and Rei with a big smile on his face. "And welcome back to all of you. I am very happy to see you all came back safely." He said.

Xi Kai nodded. "Brother!" he heard Qi Ying called and then he saw him ran towards Qi Ming who was walking out with Qi Ning and the rest of the Rolling Thunder Team.

"Qi Ying!" Qi Ning cried and ran to meet Qi Ying halfway before she hugged her younger twin brother tight. The rims of her eyes are red because she was very worried of him. "I am glad you are safe!" she said and her tears finally fell as she cried on Qi Ying's shoulder.

Although Yi Bing and Huo Ling promised them to protect Qi Ying, but they know that in the apocalypse, what are promises? Can they be as important as their lives? Even if she trusts them two, but she knows the most that promises aren't enough. Even families can push each other to the zombies just to save their own lives. This is the selfishness of the humans.

Qi Ming smiled and patted Qi Ying's head when he saw him smiled and hugged Qi Ning back. "I'm home, jie. Ge." He told them.

"I am glad you aren't hurt." Qi Ming spoke before he turned to face Xi Kai, Yi Bing, Huo Ling, and the rest of the Fighting Wolves Team. "Welcome back." He told them.

Xi Kai nodded.

Qi Ming was about to say something when he saw a man, a girl and two children behind them. "Who are they?" he asked.

Hu Feng, who have already noticed the presence of the four people behind Xi Kai's team, didn't speak. Basing from Xi Kai's expression, and action – in which he didn't introduce them aside from his parents whom they brought here from the Capital, he knows that there is something with those four people. But, it's not bad, since if it is, then Xi Kai definitely wouldn't bring them here with them.

But, who are they? Qi Ming who finally noticed that the atmosphere wasn't right fell silent.

"Huo-geeee!!!" Mo Shi called and ran towards Huo Ling and hugged him, breaking the sudden tension in the air.

Huo Ling was caught off-guard when Mo Shi suddenly jumped on him. He almost fell had Yi Bing not supported him from behind. "Mo Shi…" he muttered and patted the young man's head.

"Jin Wu." Yi Bing nodded at Jin Wu while Jin Wu grinned.

"Everyone must be tired." Hu Feng spoke seeing that everyone was finally reunited with their own people. "Let's go eat first and then you rest. We'll talk at nine in the evening." He said.

"Okay!" they all answered.

…

"The cultivation world? Isn't that just a myth?" Qi Ming spoke after he heard what Xi Kai said. "The ones from the novels and also dramas and movies?" he looked at Xi Kai and then frowned. "Have you lost your mind? Though, I didn't expect that you are this kind of person, reading fantasy novels and such." He grinned. 

Xi Kai just smiled. I won't argue with you for the sake of Qi Ying. He thought and glanced at Qi Ying who looked at his elder brother while wearing a worried expression. Yi Bing, Huo Ling, Jin Wu and Mo Shi are just silently listening to the side, acting soysauce. Meanwhile Hu Feng was silent.

After a while, Xi Kai spoke. "But, you already met two cultivators." He told him.

"Who?" Qi Ming asked.

Xi Kai didn't answer. Since he knows that Hu Feng and Qi Ming would definitely ask him about Luo Ye, Xiao Ru and those two children, he had his parents lead the four of them away while under the watch of Hu Feng's and Qi Ming's people.

Suddenly, someone spoke. "Yi-ge and Huo-ge!" it was Qi Ying who answered.

"… huh?" Qi Ming's expression turned blank. "… you mean Yi Bing and Huo Ling?" he asked and looked at Yi Bing and Huo Ling who are silently sitting on the side with indifferent expressions as if everything isn't related to them.

"Yes." Qi Ying nodded. Suddenly, he remembered something. "Jin-ge and Mo-ge is with them… maybe they are also cultivators like Yi-ge and Huo-ge, that's why they are also very strong!" he said and glanced at Jin Wu and Mo Shi who are sitting beside Yi Bing and Huo Ling.

"… wait, wait, Qi Ying." Qi Ming called as he raised his hand. "You mean, cultivators are real?" he asked as his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Yes." Qi Ying nodded.

"… aren't they all baldies who were robes and are carrying beaded necklace and chanting mantras?" Qi Ming asked with a deadpan expression

"But Yi-ge and Huo-ge are very handsome and looked elite." Qi Ying told his elder brother and then smiled at the Grim Reapers Team.

Qi Ming suddenly felt coughing up blood. His younger brother praised other men in front of his own elder brother. He really didn't give him face. Meanwhile, Xi Kai is calm since he admits that Yi Bing and Huo Ling are really handsome, not to mention Jin Wu and Mo Shi. The four of them are in a different league from them, in terms of both strength and appearance. This makes them sigh.

But, Qi Ying shouldn't be thinking of other thoughts towards them since Yi Bing and Huo Ling are a pair, and Jin Wu and Mo Shi might be, too. So, Xi Kai is confident that he has a higher chance to capture Qi Ying's heart. And he is confident that he can capture Qi Ying's heart.

Qi Ming coughed and looked at the silent Grim Reapers Team. Hu Feng helplessly glanced at Qi Ming whose face is flushed in embarrassment. Unlike Qi Ming, he believes in cultivators, albeit a soldier. There are more to this world than what you already have known.

Hu Feng turned to the Grim Reapers Team. "Are you really cultivators?" he asked.

"You can say that." Yi Bing answered.

Hu Feng's brows knitted. "'you can say that'?" he muttered. What kind of answer is this? He thought and dismissed it. "Why didn't you say anything?" he asked them.

"The reason why we didn't say anything is because we don't know that we are cultivators." Yi Bing said.

"… huh?" everyone was surprised.

Huo Ling inwardly sighed. He knows that Yi Bing wouldn't give them a straight answer. He threw a despising gaze at him before he turned to Hu Feng, Qi Ming and the others. "We don't know that there are cultivators in this world, and that we are considered one." He spoke. "So, when we met Xiao Ru, and then Luo Ye after, we were also surprised." He explained.

Xi Kai and Qi Ying nodded in agreement. They can testify. Luo Ye even attacked Yi Bing and Huo Ling, and Luo Ye's familiarity towards Yi Bing and Huo Ling can't be faked.

Qi Ming felt speechless. "But aren't you two ability users like us?" he asked. "Does this make us as cultivators, too?" he felt confused.

"Cultivation refers to making yourself stronger with the help of the nature." Huo Ling spoke. "And since you become stronger, it makes you different from the ordinary humans. The ability users can be considered as cultivators." He explained.

Everyone felt enlightened. Jin Wu and Mo Shi looked at Huo Ling and admire him. He is really smart to be able to organize the information that they have gathered this much and in just a short time! They thought. As expected from Yi Bing's disciple. They added.

(Huo Ling: I beg to differ! My smartness got nothing to do with him!)

"Wait." Wen Yan suddenly spoke. "'can be considered'?" he asked as he looked at Huo Ling.

Huo Ling nodded. "The cultivators' power is slightly different from the ability users." He spoke.

"In which way?" Hu Feng asked.

"The cultivators' power is a natural type. They have made it their own way, thus is called 'cultivation'." Huo Ling answered.

Hearing his answer, everyone fell silent. After a while, Qi Ming spoke. "So… you mean to say, our powers – the ability users, isn't our own?" he asked as he stared at Huo Ling.

Huo Ling didn't answer, because the answer is already obvious. They have awakened, gained powers. But, where did it come from? If it was given to them, then who gave it? The answer, they don't know. Thus, they didn't refute what Huo Ling said.

Hu Feng regained his calm. "Do you already have an idea about the abilities?" he asked.

Huo Ling calmly nodded. "Yes." He answered.

Everyone immediately tensed up. "What is it?" they asked, urgency in their voice.

"It was due to mutation." Huo Ling answered.