Afterlife Department

Chapter 67 - Violence

"0001!" Qi Shan called and was about to ran towards Yi Bing when Lei Shan pulled him back. "0001!" he called when he saw the cuffs of Yi Bing's clothes were burned. "Damn it! Let go of me, Lei Shan! That's 0001's mortal body! If he'd lose it, it'll take a long time before he can find a new one." He explained. "He'll be unable to perform his task in this world!" he told Lei Shan and pulled his hand. Finally, his hand slipped out of Lei Shan's hand and he immediately ran towards Yi Bing. "0001!" he called as he covered his head with his arm when the flames spread wider. "Stab him with your scythe!" he yelled.

"No!" Yi Bing said..

Qi Shan gritted his teeth and moved the soil beneath Huo Ling's feet. However, the soil melted. "What the hell's with him?!" he said. "How can his fire be this strong?!" he asked when he saw the roof was on fire. "0001! Do something!" he told Yi Bing. "Or else your mortal body will turn to ashes! We'll all turn to ashes!"

Yi Bing gritted his teeth as he grabbed Huo Ling's arm. He felt like he's holding a lava, and his hands are already burnt. This was like when he was in his mania. He thought, remembering what happened in Gu Xingfeng's office. "Huo Ling." He called and held Huo Ling's cheek. He can't stab him with his scythe.

"0001?!" Qi Shan exclaimed when he saw Yi Bing lowered his head. "Wah!" he closed his eyes and ran back to Lei Shan when the fire became stronger. Suddenly, a bright light flashed and everything was covered in ice. "… huh?" he muttered when he saw the flames were frozen. Inside the ice were the fire burning. However, surprisingly, the ice wasn't melted. "Beautiful…" he said and touched the smooth ice. "Ow - !" he exclaimed when he burned his hand. It was both very warm and very cold.

Suddenly, they heard a loud thud behind them. They saw Yi Bing and Huo Ling collapsed on the floor.

"0001!" Qi Shan called. Yi Bing's hands and face were burnt. "Wah… you looked scarier than your skeleton form." He told him when he saw Yi Bing is still breathing. "Wait. You… did you just give him your breath?" he asked. However, Yi Bing's energy was spent thus he can't answer. He closed his eyes to rest.

"He returned to normal." Lei Shan said as he looked at Huo Ling.

"That kid is really frightening." Qi Shan commented as he turned to the unconscious Huo Ling.

"It's clearly your fault. You provoked him." Lei Shan told Qi Shan. "Why did you do it?" he asked.

"I want to stimulate him and see how can he remember things." Qi Shan said. "I didn't expect for him to react strongly." He sighed.

Lei Shan almost rolled his eyes at him. "San Di… said…" Yi Bing's hoarse voice spoke. "There's something in this world…" he said. "He said... it affected… him…"

"Di San?" Qi Shan frowned. "He's bias to you." He told Yi Bing. He took out a bandage and wrapped Yi Bing's hands and face. He saw there are also burns on Yi Bing's neck. "… should I mummify you?" he asked.

"Get lost." Yi Bing sat up. "How's your end?" he asked.

"We've proposed to the government a cooperation. However, they lost their trust because of that Soul Eater." Qi Shan explained.

"There's no trust to begin with." Lei Shan said.

Qi Shan turned to him. "That's why I told you to take everything by force! Might is power!" he told him.

"Why do you do things so violently?" Lei Shan helplessly sighed.

Yi Bing ignored them and checked Huo Ling's condition. He felt Huo Ling's temperature returned to normal, aside from his head. It's very hot. "What's this…" he muttered.

Qi Shan and Lei Shan who were bickering turned when they heard Yi Bing. "What's wrong?" Qi Shan asked.

"There's… something – " Yi Bing said as he looked at Huo Ling's flushed face. He looked uncomfortable in his sleep. " – in his head." He said.

"Could he be having a wet dream – ow!" Qi Shan cried when Lei Shan hit him. "You're the one being violent here!" he told him. "What could it be?" he asked Yi Bing. A red bump was on his forehead.

"Could it be what San Di told me?" Yi Bing said.

"That something in this world?" Qi Shan asked. Yi Bing nodded. "Then, it's inside your assignment's head now?" he pointed Huo Ling. "Let's open his head – " he was about to reach Huo Ling when Yi Bing pointed his sword at his neck. "… I'm just joking." He immediately retreated.

"You've already done more than enough trouble." Yi Bing told him. Qi Shan pouted. He ignored him. "So that's why he can remember things from before..." he muttered. This thing… it can make Huo Ling remember. He thought.

"0001." Qi Shan called. "What are you thinking?" he asked, his expression serious as he looked at Yi Bing's vacant expression while he stared at Huo Ling. "If you'd continue your thoughts, I'll be forced to take your assignment in custody." He said.

Yi Bing sharply looked at Qi Shan. "I know my limitations. I haven't forgotten what I must do." He said and stood up. "I'm a grim reaper. My duty is to send the souls to their next life." His eyes finally returned to normal.

Qi Shan stared at him in confusion. You say that, 0001. But the look you had just earlier… he shook his head. He doesn't know anything about Yi Bing aside that he's a fellow co-worker. "The Soul Eater had gathered his own army." He said. "It's highly-intelligent in this world. It controlled the weaker zombies and devoured the stronger zombies." He explained.

"So, it's target are only the zombies?" Yi Bing asked and looked at Huo Ling.

"Technically, we can be considered as a zombie, too." Qi Shan said and raised his hands. "We're just a soul who borrowed a body in order to move. Our difference from them is that our body is in a better condition, and we're more powerful than them." he explained. "But, that makes us a bigger target of the Soul Eater." He told him.

"Our assignments have also the qualities of a grim reaper." Yi Bing said.

Qi Shan smiled. "That makes us all his prey." He said and leapt together with Lei Shan while Yi Bing picked up Huo Ling and jumped back when something broke the ceiling and fell towards them. "Geez. The roof became vulnerable after your assignment burned it." He said and looked at the wide hole in the ceiling after the Soul Eater broke it.

"Who stimulated him again?" Yi Bing sharply looked at Qi Shan.

Qi Shan made a gesture of zipping his mouth and looked around them. They are surrounded by zombies. Their eyes are glowering red. "What a nuisance." He muttered as he smirked at the Soul Eater who's emitting Foul and spreading it to the zombies under Lei Shan's leadership. They were easily affected and became under the control of the Soul Eater. "Say, Lei Shan. You still want to talk your way? Unfortunately, it doesn't seem it knows how to talk." He said and looked at the Soul Eater hissing and growling.

"I only talk human." Lei Shan said.

"Funny for someone not human to say that." Qi Shan said.

Lei Shan ignored him. "Those who aren't human, I resort to violence." He said and blasted the zombies near him with his wind.

Qi Shan rolled his eyes. "So that's why I was treated with violence." He muttered and raised his hand. the soil underneath the zombies' feet moved and buried them. "Those who are dead should just stay quietly below the ground!" he said and ran towards the Soul Eater.

"RAAAA!!!"