Afterlife Department

Chapter 544 - Yours

"Twenty-fourth floor…" Huo Ling muttered as he and Yi Bing walked up the stairs.

Where are Bai Liu, Wu Yi, Bai Wu and Jiu Ye? They separated from them earlier to further investigate Lin Weng after they found out that he, who is supposed to live with his uncle in the same community with the You family, Li Yan, Li Li and Shi Nana, actually has left his uncle and his family years ago!

How can they know this change in Lin Weng's life? Although they are the Inspection Department, they only know the general information in a world. It is their job to do further investigation. Thus, the four of them hurriedly left when they found out this information.

All of them have a long way to go.

"Your purpose of coming to You Ri's apartment is?" Yi Bing asked, breaking the silence in the stairwell. Even though two men are walking upstairs in shining black leather shoes, there are no footsteps that can be heard.

In short, they are also ghosts. Anyone who would see them right now would feel that the scene is strange and their hairs would stood on their ends if they only will hear the silence where their footsteps should be heard instead. In short, it is creepy.

But, neither Huo Ling nor Yi Bing are afraid since it was both of them who are making creepy scene. After all, grim reapers aren't angels to make one feel safe and help them realize their dream. They are there to harvest (no. Ferry) souls. So, why should they be afraid of the supernatural since they are supernatural beings themselves?

(Yi Bing: *goes back to the first arc. As if he hasn't been scared of the ghost when he was still a soul…)

Not to mention no one can see them, how will the humans know there are two men walking upstairs that should have the sound of footsteps?

"I am thinking that maybe we can find a clue there why You Ri moved out of her family." Huo Ling answered. "Aside from removing distractions for her work, I think that she also is keeping something that she can't tell or show her family thus she moved out." He explained.

"For example?" Yi Bing spoke when they reached the twentieth floor.

"A diary." Huo Ling answered.

Yi Bing looked at his back. "… I thought you'd say a child or a lover…" he muttered.

Huo Ling stopped and turned back to him with his brows raised. "With how she lived her life, she could have just gone straight to the convent! Obviously, she has no romantic life." He shrugged. "But, a diary is needed to be kept from her family. Everyone has their own secrets, after all. Naturally, she has her own share. And maybe she has written a diary and wrote it there." He explained as he resumed climbing the stairs.

"What if she doesn't have a diary?" Yi Bing asked.

"Then, we'll look for other clues that can tell us the reason she left her family." Huo Ling answered. "Aside from being a distraction for her work due to their noise or bothering you, I think it is convenient to stay with your family, instead." He spoke. "You can have someone to accompany you. You can also have them cook for you or clean your room, even do some task for you like buy some materials." He turned back to Yi Bing. "This is on the premise that they are good ones. There's also the bad ones." He said.

"As in?" Yi Bing asked.

"As in, the ones who causes you psychological issues." Huo Ling answered. "Nagging, asking for money… then they would insult you for not giving them some…" he heaved a sigh. "And many other things." He said.

Yi Bing nodded in agreement. "Yes. It would be really stressful staying in that kind of environment." He spoke. "It will add to the stress you are having in your work. So, it's better to move out." He said.

"Won't you ask me why I suddenly know these things?" Huo Ling asked while opening the door for the twenty-second floor. "Or, won't ask me if I had experienced these situations?" he added as they walked towards he stairs leading to the twenty-third floor.

"No." Yi Bing answered. "I have seen all your lives before you became a grim reaper. Thus, I know you had never experienced any of these situations." He told him.

"Oh. You're right." Huo Ling muttered as they climbed up the stairs.

Yi Bing was the grim reaper assigned to him to assist him in his reincarnation cycle.

"How was I like before?" Huo Ling asked, referring to the reincarnated lives he had. He only remembered his life in the Stable World.

"Why do you ask?" Yi Bing asked back.

"Because I have read one time, when I was alive, that grim reapers were sinners when they were alive." Huo Ling answered. "When they died, their soul was punished to roam for eternity, never to reincarnate. The ones who have heavier sins became grim reapers for them to repent their sins." He explained. "As to why they became grim reapers, it's because sins execute their victim. Thus, grim reapers are executioners." He said.

"You have a point." Yi Bing nodded in agreement.

"Everyone has sinned. No one is innocent." Huo Ling spoke. "That's why I am curious how was I like in my other lives." He explained. "If you can't tell me, then that's fine, too." He said.

"En." Yi Bing muttered and stopped.

They have reached the twenty-fourth floor while talking. Huo Ling opened the door and they walked down the hallway, looking for You Ri's apartment unit.

Yi Bing walked behind Huo Ling, following him. He is looking at his bushy brown hair while he recalled Huo Ling's words earlier.

"Grim reapers were sinners when they were alive."

But, you aren't (a sinner). Yi Bing thought as he watched Huo Ling stopped in front of a door.

"Everyone has sinned. No one is innocent."

You are (innocent). Yi Bing thought and watched Huo Ling skillfully opened You Ri's door with his pick-locking skills. Fortunately, this apartment's security isn't that advanced.

"Huo Ling." Yi Bing called when Huo Ling was about to enter You Ri's apartment.

"Yes?" Huo Ling turned.

"Do you know why our world is called the Stable World?" Yi Bing asked.

"Because everything is balanced, thus it is stable?" Huo Ling answered. "The number of men and women, old and young, sick and healthy, etc." he said. "And so is the ratio of the supernatural beings like ghosts and the humans." He added when he recalled.

"That's some of the reasons." Yi Bing spoke. "I will tell you another one." He said as he walked towards Huo Ling.

Suddenly, Huo Ling took a step back and his figure entered You Ri's apartment. But, Yi Bing continued to advance so Huo Ling continued retreating inside.

Click. The door closed behind Yi Bing. "Another reason why our world is a Stable World because – " he spoke as his ice-blue pupils met Huo Ling's amber eyes. " – the innocents and sinners are also balanced." He said.

Huo Ling's pupils shook. "What?!" he gasped.

"So can be said for the souls." Yi Bing spoke as he looked at Huo Ling's eyes.

There is no reflection of himself there, as well as there is no reflection of Huo Ling in his eyes.

"And so for the grim reapers." Yi Bing said as he retracted his gaze. "There are sinners and there are also innocent ones." He told him. "Huo Ling. Not everyone are sinners, thus there are innocents. But, innocents can be sinners, and sinners can't be innocent again." He said.

Huo Ling felt his head became dizzy.

"Huo Ling." Yi Bing called as he looked at the other's confused face. "You are one of the innocent grim reapers." He told him.

Huo Ling didn't speak as he tried to digest the words that Yi Bing said.

"The Stable World can remain stable because the grim reapers are also balanced – half are innocent and half are sinners." Yi Bing said.

"But… but, there are 9999 grim reapers." Huo Ling finally found his voice. He raised his head and looked at Yi Bing. "What about the remaining one?" he asked.

Yi Bing fell silent and stared at Huo Ling for a long while that Huo Ling thought he wouldn't answer his question again like earlier. Just when he was about to speak, he heard the other spoke.

"There is no odd number in the Stable World." Yi Bing spoke. "Not even the grim reapers." He said.

"Huh? But – " Huo Ling muttered.

"The codes of the grim reapers don't start from 0001." Yi Bing said.

Huo Ling stared at him.

"Huo Ling. It starts from 0000." Yi Bing looked in his eyes and saw how his pupils shrank. "Yes. There is a grim reaper whose code is 0000, which is you are using right now. Or else, where did it come from?" he asked.

It can only be from you, since it has always been yours. Be it when you were still an archangel, or now a grim reaper.. It has always been yours.