Afterlife Department

Chapter 567 - Burned Down

Yi Bing and Huo Ling finally reached the gates of the Zhuo family mansion. Its walls were thick and has wide eaves for passersby to temporarily shelter themselves from the rain. Just by looking from the structure of the outside of the house, they can imagine how grandiose the Zhuo family was.

But, right now, the walls and the roofs were black, obviously was charred before. Yi Bing and Huo Ling pushed the doors open and felt their expressions turned heavier when they saw that everywhere, it was black. The empty central courtyard is the only place that wasn't scorched black. Yi Bing and Huo Ling doubted at first whether they had entered a black building or something.

"Not only were they massacred, but they were also burned?" Huo Ling frowned as he and Yi Bing walked around.

Yi Bing didn't answer and just continued to look around.

"Will we be able to find clues in this place?" Huo Ling asked as he entered a room and found that everything inside has turned to ashes… well, there wasn't even just a speck of ash left. It must have been blown by the wind for over many years.

"We should." Yi Bing answered as he appeared beside Huo Ling. "Although the Death Note didn't show the latter half of the nineteen years of life of Zhuo Xia, might be because it contained some deep secrets… we won't be given such a hard task that we can only solve blindly." He explained.

Huo Ling nodded in understanding. "Well, my brain hole might be able to solve this." He grinned and resumed looking around.

Yi Bing watched him walk away before he turned to walk to the opposite direction. "Hey! Yi Bing!" he heard Huo Ling loudly called from somewhere. "I found their genealogical record!" he said and laughed.

Yi Bing turned on his heel and followed the direction where Huo Ling's voice is coming from. He found him standing before a cabinet and is holding a book.

Huo Ling turned when he heard him arrived and he grinned at him. "Hehe. My time watching many ancient dramas – imperial palace, wuxia or xianxia, it is all worth it!" he said and proudly raised his chin as he waved the book that was burnt on some parts. "See this? Usually, the family's genealogical record will show up every time a big discovery will be shown in the series or movies. Usually, it will be a plot twist!" he explained as he carefully opened the book even though he is obviously excited.

Yi Bing heaved a sigh. This is what he likes about Huo Ling as a being, and as his subordinate. Although Huo Ling is about to explode due to his emotions, he now learned how to control his emotions now since he became more cool-headed.

Perhaps Huo Ling has now a responsibility thus he became more matured? He thought and shrugged. "What did you see?" he asked as he also looked at the genealogical record.

"Zhuo Xia is the youngest among them three brothers. He also has two younger sisters." Huo Ling answered and sighed in sympathy when he recalled that all of the Zhuo family were killed. If they remained alive after that, they would have been burnt or suffocated to death.

It was already a miracle for Zhuo Xia to be alive. But, in the end, he still can't avoid fate and he died later, without even reaching the age of twenty.

Yi Bing's expression also changed when he knew this. Earlier, the boatman dropped them to a nearby family that has the surname of 'Zhuo'. He and Huo Ling had to ask around to finally found the Zhuo family that they have been looking for. Some people whom they asked looked at them suspiciously since the Zhuo family has already died, even that one descendant that remained disappeared and very likely died, thus why would some people still ask about them?

But, they didn't expect for Yi Bing and Huo Ling to counter them with questions too since why can't they inquire something about the Zhuo family? Was there a secret that can't be known? Could it be that the Zhuo family's deaths suspicious, which is very likely is?

These people almost choked due to their anger and chased them away. Yi Bing and Huo Ling then continued to wander around, one Zhuo family after another until they have finally found this wealthy Zhuo family of the past that has now ruined that left none ash nor dust.

Huo Ling took a deep breath to calm his emotions. "Unfortunately, there is none here that we can use to find out who were their friends once before." He spoke before he suddenly made a pause. Then, he derisively smiled. "Of course, these friends are also useless since they can't even protect a child." He said and frowned before he marched out of the ruined house.

Yi Bing watched him left bringing the genealogical record with him. He heaved a sigh and then followed him. The two of them walked out of the gates and closed it just the way it was before and then disappeared.

Not long after they left, a figure appeared, walking until it finally stopped before the closed gates of the Zhuo mansion. Then, they opened the gates before they came in. The figure then moved room after room before it finally stopped in the master's bedroom. It opened the cabinets and drawers as if searching something before it finally stopped to the unopened cabinet left.

The figure slowly walked towards the cabinet and opened it, only to frown when it saw that it was empty. But, after a while, they smiled as if they thought of something. "Fortunately, it was already burnt. Or else… hehe." A man's voice sinisterly laughed before it crushed the cabinet with just a hand. Then, he left as silent as he came, with the doors of the gates unlocked.

…

"Why did you bring the genealogical record?" Yi Bing asked as they boarded a boat again. And it was the same boatman.

"Dunno… maybe I can find clues later?" Huo Ling shrugged as he tapped the book in his chest, hidden underneath his clothes. "It's not as if…" he said and stopped. He decided not to continue speaking and just gazed outside.

"We have to return it before we leave this world." Yi Bing spoke in a low voice.

"I know." Huo Ling answered.

Yi Bing stared at him and didn't speak again. He knows that Huo Ling just wants to give the genealogical record to Zhuo Xia when they find him.

'when they find him'. Yes. They can't find Zhuo Xia's soul. Like the previous world where they can't find You Ri's soul, they also can't find Zhuo Xia's soul right now. But, unlike You Ri's complicated case that was the product of an interrupted direct reincarnation, Zhuo Xia's case is due to the restriction of this world.

Fortunately, although You Ri's world also restricted them, it wasn't much and they still could resolve some cases with their power. But, in this world, there are just many variables that might affect them. For example is the natives' sharp senses as inborn skills due to the setting of this world – wuxia, where anyone can become a hero.

At first, Yi Bing suspected that Zhuo Xia's death, or Zhuo Xia himself, was related to some conspiracy, which is highly likely since his family's death is very suspicious. It was obvious that they were deliberately killed by someone as their home was also burnt after so that nothing left will be discovered that could point to the perpetrators.

But, they had yet to see if their guess was right since they had yet to find Zhuo Xia, who they don't know what happened after his family was massacred.

"Where do you think could he be?" Yi Bing asked Huo Ling, breaking the silence between them.

"Maybe he's in the streets." Huo Ling answered. Usually, orphaned children in ancient times would wander in the streets and became a beggar to resume living. Some noble people would adopt them, clothe them, feed them, and…

Huo Ling's mind stopped in a screech as his head that was muddled since earlier suddenly cleared. His eyes slowly widened in shock after that thought flashed in his mind. He sharply turned to Yi Bing.

"'name them…'" he muttered in a low voice.

"What?" Yi Bing asked since he didn't clearly hear what Huo Ling said.

"'clothe them when they are cold, feed them when they are hungry, and name them – '" Huo Ling spoke as he looked at Yi Bing. " – 'name them for them to forget their past that is filled with pain'! Yi Bing, this is what in the dramas that I watched! This is what happens after a noble picks up a child and adopt them!" he told Yi Bing with his bright eyes sparkling in excitement.

"'clothe, feed, and name'…" Yi Bing muttered. "This makes sense." He said.

Huo Ling nodded.. "Maybe Zhuo Xia's name has changed after a noble adopted him?" he asked.