Afterlife Department

Chapter 539 – Location

Huo Ling's eyes slowly widened as well as feeling his head also swelled when his mind finally finished processing Yi Bing's words. "… that bastard!" he spoke through his teeth gnashed in anger.

Because Yi Bing was deliberately messing with him earlier, he was angered and he lost himself in his emotions earlier. Now that his mind finally cleared up, he finally saw through the truth in Yi Bing's words!

The ghost is You Ri, but her resentment, in fact, because it also wasn't You Ri. If Yi Bing had met her, her location should have appeared in the Death Note since she is their assignment. But, it didn't. There was no location displayed. Thus, Yi Bing confirmed that the ghost isn't You Ri. And since it isn't her soul, neither was it her human form since she is already dead nor she has a twin, then, Huo Ling surmised in the end that it was her resentment, that isn't a soul but can be a ghost, and should appear like You Ri since it was hers, after all, albeit it separated from her.

"Your confirmation – " Huo Ling spoke when he ran down the stairs and stopped before them all while catching his breath. " – you met 'You Ri' in the Haoming Company but then didn't see her current location, which should have been in the Haoming Company, in the Death Note so you momentary left and then returned to confirm that was true." He said as he looked at Yi Bing.

"That's right." Yi Bing nodded as he suppressed the smile that is quirking up his lips.

"But, when you left, it wasn't certain if 'You Ri' would have remained in the company." Huo Ling continued as his eyes narrowed while he stared at Yi Bing. "Yet, you still left." He said.

Bai Liu, Wu Yi, Jiu Ye and Bai Wu remained silent while holding their breaths since they feel that they will hear something shocking.

"So, you left not because you wanted to confirm You Ri's location, because you have already confirmed it just by standing there beside her. No need to change for your location." Huo Ling spoke. "The real reason why you left is to confirm your guess. Your guess is really You Ri's location. But, the You Ri here is 'You Ri', her resentment, and not her soul at all." He explained.

Clap. Clap. Clap. Bai Liu, Wu Yi, Jiu Ye and Bai Wu started when they heard the claps. They turned and looked at Yi Bing who finally didn't suppress his smile while he looked at Huo Ling with mirth in his eyes.

"Yes. You're right." Yi Bing nodded. "What I want to confirm is the location of You Ri's resentment after I saw it." He admitted.

Bai Liu, Wu Yi, Jiu Ye and Bai Wu were shocked. "What?!" they exclaimed.

Huo Ling rolled his eyes at Yi Bing and marked down Yi Bing's name and 'deed' earlier in the imaginary note in his mind, and this is the nth page. "Since we can't find You Ri's soul, hence we can't find Lin Weng who is definitely with You Ri's soul, either, then we can only observe You Ri's resentment that appeared before us." he spoke. "This is already a big lead for us." he told them.

Bai Liu, Wu Yi, Jiu Ye and Bai Wu fell silent, then nodded in agreement when they thought about it.

"You're right." Bai Liu muttered. "We are like headless flies before. Now, even if it's just the resentment, but it is still a lead. This is better than nothing at all." He said.

"En." Huo Ling nodded. "Even though You Ri's resentment separated from her soul, but it was still her, after all." He paused. "We don't have any information about attachment separation since, as Yi Bing said, this is the first time this happened." He looked at them. "We can only blindly look for clues, in which to start with, observe it." He said and then turned to Yi Bing.

"Yes." they all agreed. What more can be said? They don't have any plan of their own. It's not that they are stupid or lazy, but that who can think this fast this way? It was just two days but they already have gathered this much information!

Yi Bing is already efficient, the most efficient grim reaper in fact, thus earning his title as the best grim reaper. But, who would have thought that his disciple Huo Ling would also be this efficient with his tasks? Not only is he very smart to think of many plans and fill in the gaps thus making conclusions as their temporary guesses, which are mostly right, but he also has the skills to implement his plan!

Just look at what happened this morning!

"Yi Bing." They suddenly heard Huo Ling called.

"Yes?" Yi Bing could already guess what Huo Ling will say, thus he didn't even bother hiding his smile and the mirth in his eyes.

"Earlier, what you confirmed is the location of You Ri's resentment." Huo Ling spoke. "'she' isn't haunting the company, but Li Yan, Li Li and Shi Nana. Am I right?" he asked.

Yi Bing nodded, confirming his thoughts.

"But, the reason why the haunting is happening is because her resentment is in the company." Huo Ling spoke. "Thus, her resentment became a bound ghost, and it is in the Haoming Company." He concluded.

"That's right." Yi Bing smiled. "That's the reason why I left to confirm that her ghost, her resentment, is really bound to the company." He explained.

Bai Liu, Wu Yi, Jiu Ye and Bai Wu finally felt enlightened.

"So, that's it… that's why you appeared before us earlier." Jiu Ye muttered. "I thought that it's just because…" he said, but his voice trailed off when he saw the smile on Yi Bing's face.

"You thought what?" Yi Bing asked.

"Nothing!" Jiu Ye immediately shook his head and hid behind Bai Wu who stupidly looked at Yi Bing.

Although Bai Wu's brain is stupid, but his muscles are well-developed and he has a good built. Obviously, he is a fighter. If he doesn't even have this left on him, how can the Inspection Department hire him to their team? So, although Bai Wu lacked much participation in brain-burning, but if there is a chance, he will definitely their best weapon in case a fight ensues in the future.

Jiu Ye is the opposite of him. Jiu Ye is smart, but he is timid. He lacks the boldness that Bai Wu has. He also looked weak, in contrast of the tall and well-built Bai Wu. Meanwhile, Bai Liu, who is smart, but also knows how to fight. Wu Yi also can fight, and also sensible. In short, the Inspection Department's people are very complementary.

Huo Ling, for some reason, suddenly smiled and everyone saw it. Yi Bing's heart skipped a beat. Not just because of seeing Huo Ling smiling, but also, for some other reason, he felt that Huo Ling got an ace up his sleeve.

"You Ri's resentment really is bound in the company, thus she can't leave." Huo Ling slowly spoke. "But, did you remember what Shi Nana told us earlier?" he asked them.

"Yes. She said that she has a family… children. She said that she can't make them suffer just because she was being haunted by a ghost." Wu Yi answered.

"That's right… but what does it have to do with this?" Bai Liu asked.

Jiu Ye and Bai Wu are also puzzled. But, Yi Bing, who had been working with Huo Ling, naturally knew that Huo Ling is implying something. And judging from Huo Ling's habits, Yi Bing knows that he should use his brain more than he usually does, and to also pay attention to every bit of his word.

"'company'… 'family and children'…" Yi Bing muttered before his ice-blue pupils shook. "It can't be… they are also haunted to their homes?!" he exclaimed as he looked at Huo Ling in shock.

Huo Ling nodded, feeling pleased from seeing the change in Yi Bing's expression. "Yes. Fortunately, the words that I have told earlier to Li Yan, Li Li and Shi Nana didn't contrast with what they are experiencing and sounded general." He spoke when he remembered what he told them this morning.

"'… it is our sect master who sent us here after he 'saw' that you are troubled.'" Bai Liu muttered.

Huo Ling nodded. "Also fortunately, I didn't speak too much and had backed up my words." He added.

"Ability to expel ghosts… and also to divine others' fates."

"But, although our master knows, yet he doesn't know the exact details. He is just a human like us, and not a god who is omnipotent. Thus, he doesn't know everything."

"The most fortunate thing is, these three people aren't familiar with the supernatural world and our 'profession' as Taoists. Or else, we would have already been exposed." Huo Ling said as he patted his chest and sighed in relief.

But, everyone. "…" wasn't these all because of your great acting to the point that we also almost have believed you had we not recalled the plan?! Yu could have bagged the trophy for the Film Emperor! What are you nervous for?!