Afterlife Department

Chapter 277 - Seal

Yi Bing looked at the chocolate drink he bought which is similar to what Jason Baurne bought for himself in the hospital. A vein popped in his forehead and his grip on the can tightened. The can slowly started to become out of shape until Yi Bing stopped when it is about to burst.

He was about to threw it in irritation, but he remembered that Huo Ling liked chocolate drinks. He can\'t help but be annoyed thinking about Jason Baurne\'s relationship with Huo Ling. He knew, from the memories of Huo Ling, the two were very close. Yi Bing\'s half soul possessing Jason Baurne got nothing to do with Jason Baurne\'s feelings towards Huo Ling. Although Yi Bing knows Huo Ling and Jason Baurne are blood-related cousin, but he still felt jealous. His jealousy is ungrounded, since Huo Ling and Jason Baurne looked more like lovers than cousins.

Thanks to Jonathan Baurne, though, to keep the two with a proper distance from each other. If Jonathan Baurne didn\'t, who knows if Huo Ling and Jason Baurne would end up the next Jonathan Baurne and Lu Si who have a very sweet like a honey relationship in the past.

Even if Lu Si, Lao Si and Jonathan Baurne got angry at Jason Baurne for indirectly causing Huo Ling\'s death, but their anger is because of Huo Ling\'s death, and not Jason Baurne wanting to kill Huo Ling.. Jason Baurne\'s and Huo Ling\'s antagonistic relationship is all but an act to lure Xi Zhengteng out of his hiding to revenge on him. And they succeeded, but at the cost of Huo Ling\'s life.

He sighed at Huo Ling\'s life that is always short-lived. He then walked up the hill where he saw a figure sitting on the ground and is staring at the city across the river beneath them. "Want to drink?" he asked Di San.

"Cold beer." Di San answered without looking back. He continued to gaze at the flickering lights from the skyscrapers afar that looked brighter than the stars.

"I only have chocolate drinks." Yi Bing told him as he sat beside him.

Di San gnashed his teeth. Then, why bother asking him? He wanted to ask, but he bit his tongue to not ask since he knows Yi Bing will just tick him more. "Give me one." He said.

Yi Bing threw a can to him. "Why sulk?" he asked and opened the canned drink before he took a big gulp. Di San stared at him. "What?" he asked.

"Looking at your scowl on your sour face, you looked like you are the one sulking." Di San said and opened his canned drink before he drank. "Ah!" he exclaimed, feeling refreshed.

Yi Bing just scoffed. "So?" he said.

"What \'so\'?" Di San asked. But, he isn\'t looking at Yi Bing.

"Don\'t try shifting the attention to me." Yi Bing said and raised his chin to Di San. "So?" he asked again.

"Tch." Di San clicked his tongue. He really can\'t fool Yi Bing. "Gu Shi died." He said and paused. "I mean, the Gu Shi of this world." He corrected.

"So? Humans are short-lived." Yi Bing said. Isn\'t the prime example of this is Huo Ling?

Di San shook his head, not saying anything more.

Yi Bing also didn\'t speak. He likes silence. Thus, the two continued drinking Huo Ling\'s favorite chocolate drink.

Afterlife Department.

Gu Shi was writing on the paper when suddenly, he felt a gust of wind. He raised his head, only to see there\'s nothing before him. His brows knitted, and he rose from his seat. Only for him to suddenly widen his eyes and felt his body fell back on his seat when something invisible hit him hard. "Ugh!" he groaned and turned to look around. However, he didn\'t see anything.

He doesn\'t believe something could pass the defenses of the Afterlife Department. But, it is an undeniable fact that something is weighing, holding him down and he could feel his body becoming immobile.

"What… the heck… is happening – " he said through his gritted teeth. Suddenly, he felt a pain on his chest. "ARH!" he cried and narrowed his eyes in pain. He clenched his fists. "This is…!" his eyes suddenly widened in shock when he felt his whole body is quivering. "My soul…" he muttered under his breath when he finally identified what that thing is.

Only a soul can pass through the Afterlife Department\'s barriers. And, it seems that, the soul that passed through is his soul.

"This can\'t be…" he muttered as his breathing turned rapid. He looked at his chest that is still hurting. However, after he identified that it was his soul, he could feel less pain. "How can this be…? My souls are all… they all should have gone back when I became a grim reaper…" he said. His eyes have a look of bewilderment. "Calm down, my soul." He said and patted the air above his chest, as if he could feel his soul. "Don\'t be so agitated. Take it slow – " he told it. As if it heard him, the pain on his chest decreased. "There\'s a seal on the body of each grim reaper." He said.

The seal is imprinted after the grim reaper becomes a full-fledged grim reaper. Meaning, all of his souls from the other worlds have returned to complete his soul. That is why Gu Shi, as well as Di San, Yi Bing, Feng Er, Liu Lin and Si Shui, were very confused. One can\'t become a grim reaper if his soul is complete. This hasn\'t happened before.

Gu Shi is the first. "I am sorry, but you have to return to where you came from." He told it. "You can\'t return to me anymore, or else you\'ll be discovered and be erased." He closed his eyes as he rubbed his soul. "I\'m sorry." He said when he felt his soul quivered. "Where did you come from?" he asked before he paused. "Could it be… you have met Di San and the others?" he said. Only a grim reaper can release one\'s soul. "Where are they?" he asked.

Sha Jiu said that they have lost contact with Di San\'s team.

"Wait." He called when he felt his soul is leaving. An idea formed in his mind. He called Sha Jiu. "9999. Do you have a device that could trace a soul?" he asked.

Sha Jiu. "…" why the hell are you all demanding for my baby Anji?! "No – " he answered.

Gu Shi cut him off. "It is very important." He said.

Sha Jiu fell silent.

"I might find Di San and his team."

Sha Jiu. "…" fck! My baby Anji\'s innocence!

Anji Li. "…" what \'innocence\'?!

Normal World.

Di San and Yi Bing have finished their drink. "We have to get the Life Note from the Ability Users Department." Di San suddenly said.

Yi Bing was about to throw the can when he heard what Di San said. "What?" he turned to him.

"I want to have the Life Note." Di San repeated and he turned to look at Yi Bing in the eye.

Yi Bing stared back at him. Compared to the Death Note which was owned by the grim reapers, there is only one Life Note. And since it concerns the living mortals, to avoid being inappropriate used by the grim reapers, the Heaven bestowed it on the humans to properly take care of it.

The Life Note records each human that was born, their life trajectory, their relationship with others, etc.. However, even if the Heaven gave it to the humans, the humans wouldn\'t see what is written on the Life Note. Even if they\'d open it, all they would see are blank pages like an unwritten notebook you newly bought from the department store. Even the Ability Users wouldn\'t see, despite having the abilities.

To be fair, only the grim reapers could see what is written in the Life Note, and only those grim reapers that possess the All-Seeing Eyes. In short, Yi Bing and the high-ranking grim reapers. Of course, the grim reapers were forbidden to step on the mortal world unless needed – when they have an assignment. This is to keep them from seeing the Life Note.

"Why…" Yi Bing was about to ask when he remembered something – someone. "Gu Shi?" he asked.

Di San didn\'t answer, since the answer is already obvious. Yi Bing was about to speak again when they saw something coming their way.

Yi Bing\'s eyes narrowed. "A soul?" he stared at the object flying towards them.

Di San\'s eyes widened and he rose from the ground. "Gu Shi?!" he exclaimed when he touched the soul. It was still warm. "Gu Shi…" he muttered, his eyes and the tip of his nose reddened.

"He… came back?" Yi Bing spoke when he remembered something. "No… he can\'t return." He said and looked at Di San and Gu Shi\'s soul. "He can\'t return to Gu Shi." He said.

"What?!" Di San turned to Yi Bing.

"San Di… there\'s a seal on Gu Shi\'s body, remember?" Yi Bing reminded him.

Di San was very emotional so his mind was confused. However, this time, he reacted. "You\'re right…" he said. "Then, what about Gu Shi?" he asked and looked at Gu Shi\'s soul in his hands.