Afterlife Department

Chapter 531 – Coaxing

After Huo Ling spoke, he immediately covered his mouth since he has spoken his thoughts out loud. Fortunate… really fortunate that Hao Baiyun was here or else Yi Bing would have frozen them all on the spot. He, who is sitting beside Yi Bing, could feel the cold air that Yi Bing's body is emitting. He could even see the condensed, cool air!

It was only his fear of making Yi Bing angrier that he did not move a single centimeter.

"I'm really sorry." Bai Liu finally spoke as he broke the silence. He forced himself not to shiver in fear and cold and mustered up all his courage to meet Yi Bing's ice-cold pupils that makes one feel cold from their heart and spread throughout their body.

"Yes…" Yi Bing nodded. "It wasn't your fault… it was your subordinate's fault. If it were you all who are working, and definitely wouldn't make a mistake, then what's the use of having subordinates, en?" he lifted his cup that cracked after it was frozen.

Bai Liu and Wu Yi didn't answer, since that's what they sincerely feel. They wouldn't dare lie to Yi Bing, especially now that he's furious and is about to explode at any second. "Yes." They answered.

The cracked cup crumbled and its pieces fell to the floor. Huo Ling took a sharp breath. "Yi Bing…" he called under his breath that condensed because of the freezing temperature in their area. "You're scaring me…" he spoke in a small voice and his voice is shaking in both fear and cold.

Yi Bing blinked and the freezing temperature around them four disappeared. Bai Liu and Wu Yi finally released the breaths they have been holding.

"I'm sorry." Yi Bing apologized, obviously towards Huo Ling.

Bai Liu and Wu Yi casted grateful gazes to Huo Ling.

Huo Ling nodded and pulled Yi Bing's sleeve, gathering all his courage to not tremble in fear. "You said so yourself just now. It wasn't their fault, but their subordinate's." he spoke and took a deep breath to continue. "Although I can't say that it got nothing to do with them since they are that grim reaper's superiors, it also wasn't their intention and they are even unaware of their subordinate's actions." He explained.

"Smart." Yi Bing spoke as he took Huo Ling's cup, melted the frozen tea inside, then drank it in one gulp albeit the liquid's cold temperature.

Huo Ling ignored it since he could still feel that Yi Bing is angry at Bai Liu and Wu Yi. "Look. They are also suffering right now by being directionless like us." he continued. "Although they are indispensable in the Afterlife Department, more specifically in the Inspection Department as its chief and vice-chief respectively, they will still be facing punishment when they return to the Stable World, right?" he asked. "I remember this rule you taught me before." He added, trying to coax Yi Bing.

"Mn." Yi Bing nodded.

Huo Ling. "…" 'mn'? What 'mn'? What's that supposed to mean?! Can you please elaborate it! I don't know if I am successful in coaxing you or not! He thought, feeling exasperated and is hesitating whether to continue or not. He dared not look at Yi Bing's face, though, in case Yi Bing would see through him.

Which was his mistake, since Yi Bing is currently smiling like the flowers blooming in spring because he was coaxing him.

Bai Liu and Wu Yi who saw Yi Bing's smile. "…" so he actually has this hobby… they thought and immediately lowered their gazes when they saw Yi Bing glared at them.

"Alright. Since this has already happened, I won't pursue it, and as Huo Ling said, it wasn't your fault." Yi Bing finally spoke. "This is also to give my disciple a face." He added.

Bai Liu and Wu Yi heaved a sigh of relief and uttered thanks, especially to Huo Ling.

"Now, since your subordinate was replaced, then definitely that native that escaped from him had done something irreversible." Yi Bing continued. "Obviously, it should be related to our task since only us are the other ones who are here in this world, aside from your family." He explained.

Bai Liu nodded in agreement and felt a headache. "I'm really sorry…" he told them. His tone and gaze are sincere.

Yi Bing didn't answer so Huo Ling awkwardly smiled to them. "I don't want to say perfunctory words like 'it's alright', since I am not the one who was harmed…" he shook his head. "But, as Yi Bing said that the accident has already happened. Right now, what should we do is to not let this mistake become bigger." He said.

"Well said." Yi Bing spoke and patted Huo Ling's head.

Huo Ling wanted to frown and remove Yi Bing's hand off of his head like the usual he does, but right now, he is trying to coax Yi Bing. Although Yi Bing says he won't pursue the matter with Bai Liu and Wu Yi, but he didn't say he wasn't angry anymore. So, Huo Ling has not successfully coaxed Yi Bing yet! Anytime, Yi Bing could still explode in anger and froze them all!

Ai… it's really hard to be one's disciple. You Have to look out for your master's mood!

How can Yi Bing not know what Huo Ling is trying to do? Since Huo Ling served himself to him in a silver platter (HL: did not!), why can't Yi Bing not take this golden opportunity to mess with… ehem. Tease… ehem, wrong. To enjoy Huo Ling's service?

"Right now – " Huo Ling spoke as they get down to business. " – we can't find both You Ri and…" he looked at Bai Liu and Wu Yi.

"Lin Weng. The native that our subordinate failed to catch." Bai Liu bitterly smiled.

Huo Ling nodded. "You Ri and Lin Weng. We can't find them both and also can't use the direct teleportation spell. Something is definitely blocking us from finding them." He said. "So, we have to find whatever it is that is hiding them, which we initially suspected as – " he looked at them. " – a Soul Eater." He said.

They all nodded.

"Why did you say 'initially suspected'?" Wu Yi asked.

Huo Ling turned to him. "Because when we were in Normal World 342, our other guess aside from the Soul Eater is that it was world-related the thing that is hiding the souls after we found out about the 'supernatural' events of missing people that is related to the missing souls." He answered.

"But, nothing supernatural was happening and, in the end, it was the Soul Eater's doing." Wu Yi spoke.

"Yes." Huo Ling nodded.

"So, you are saying that aside from the Soul Eater, there might be another thing that is hiding You Ri and Lin Weng from us." Bai Liu spoke. "And that might be related to this world." He added.

"Yes." Huo Ling answered.

"That's what we also suspected earlier since we don't believe that a Soul Eater can cross to another world." Wu Yi spoke. "Until you told us your story just now, of what happened in Normal World 342." He said as he looked at Huo Ling, then Yi Bing.

"I am inclined to believe that it must be a world-related thing and not a Soul Eater." Huo Ling said. "Strictly speaking, as what senior Wu said, a Soul Eater can't cross to another world. Thus, I believe it must be a world-related thing. There's no harm in trying to believe." He shrugged.

"What's your reason?" Bai Liu asked.

"Because this is a supernatural world, and the natives here believes in ghosts, and anything related to supernatural." Huo Ling answered. "For example, us, grim reapers, or they strictly call 'Soul Envoys'." He said.

Then, he fell silent. They all fell silent.

Bai Liu and Wu Yi. "…" can't you stop jabbing us where it hurts?! It's our fault, okay?! We already apologized! They thought with black lines covering their faces.

Huo Ling. "…" sorry… sincerely sorry. A slip of the tongue… he thought as he placed a hand on his face.

Meanwhile, Yi Bing. "^_^"

Huo Ling coughed to relieve the awkward atmosphere he created. "Anyway, to continue, since the natives believe in ghosts and other supernatural things, they must have devised some methods or created some devices to counter it so as for the ghosts and other supernatural things not harm them." He explained.

"So, what you are saying is…" Bai Liu and Wu Yi looked at each other.

Huo Ling nodded. "Yes." He spoke. "Exorcism." He answered.

Yi Bing nodded in agreement. "In our world, the Stable World, history told us that our ancestors are exorcists, or what we call 'Taoist priests'. In simpler terms, they are addressed as 'cultivators'." He spoke. Then, he paused and glanced at Huo Ling. He remembered that when a Soul Fragment possessed Huo Ling, he addressed himself as the Fengshen Sect master.

Which he found out later that it might be Huo Ling's life, prior to his first reincarnation cycle.. And he, Yi Bing, might be related to.