Afterlife Department

Chapter 30 - Dead

Afterlife Department, director's office.

Gu Shi's face is serious as he read Yi Bing's message.

0001: An Abnormal Soul might be highly susceptible to Foul. I already purified its soul twice. After the first time, it behaved normally – just like it usually did before it was contaminated by Foul. However, after of the second purification, its mentality changed.

Gu Shi immediately sent a reply.

1001: pay close attention to it. Do as you see fit and be very careful if it shows sudden changes.

0001: affirmative..

Gu Shi sighed and leaned on his chair. More problems seemed to crop up lately. He looked outside and saw the storm came back. It is darker and stronger. The atmosphere also became colder.

He suddenly had a sense of foreboding.

S City, 6 P.M.

"You are in a mortal body. Don't you need to eat?" Huo Ling suddenly remembered Yi Bing hasn't eaten anything since afternoon.

Yi Bing stopped, then looked at his flat stomach. Suddenly, they both heard a soft growl. "… indeed, I need to eat." He said.

Huo Ling covered his mouth and laughed after he heard Yi Bing's stomach complained. Currently, they are standing under the waiting shed, taking shelter from the rain while waiting for a bus to take them to the S City Police Station. Earlier, Yi Bing entered before the doors of the bus closed and they took a free ride since no one can see them aside from those people who had a 'natural' talent. "There's a cheap but good restaurant near the police station. I ate there sometimes when I pass by there." He told Yi Bing.

Yi Bing nodded. "Okay." He said. Silence fell between them and only the sound of the raindrops hitting the ground can be heard. People ran past them, covering their head with their jacket while some had brought their umbrella. The cars pass by the road, something splashing water on them as their car tires hit the puddle on the ground. Huo Ling can't be hit by the water, and Yi Bing can't, either, because there's something transparent covering his body and it acted as a barrier. However, even if so, but it isn't good to be splashed by water. Fortunately, they both had a good temper, and that were afraid to cause accidents if they would scare the drivers who, intentionally or unintentionally, splashed them water.

Finally, a bus stopped in front of them. Yi Bing waited for the people to go down the bus before he swiftly boarded the bus. Huo Ling passed through the window and looked for a seat for Yi Bing. "Over here!" he said when he saw an empty seat on the back, just beside the window.

Yi Bing walked towards him and sat on the seat while Huo Ling floated behind him. Just as the bus moved, an expensive car drove past and stopped in front of the apartment building.

Gu Xingfeng went out of the car, not bothered by the rain wetting his hair and clothes. Meanwhile, Hao Baiyun's servant went out with an umbrella and covered for Hao Baiyun as Hao Baiyun went out of the car.

"Sir." Someone called and approached Gu Xingfeng. He was wearing civilian clothes.

"Report." Gu Xingfeng spoke.

The civilian-clothed police officer saluted. "No one went out of their units." He said.

"No one tried to escape?" Gu Xingfeng asked, surprised. Currently, only Su Rong, Li Lingling and Xu Wenrong were allowed to come back.

"None, sir." The police officer answered.

Hao Baiyun, on the other side, scanned the apartment building with his gaze. Gu Xingfeng noticed his silence. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Hao Baiyun turned his gaze to Gu Xingfeng. "Something's wrong." He said.

Gu Xingfeng was suddenly alert. The police officer on his side became puzzled. "What is it?" Gu Xingfeng asked.

Hao Baiyun turned back his gaze to the apartment building. "Xu Wenrong, Su Rong. And Li Lingling – " he said. " – they will die tonight." He answered.

The two were shocked. "What?!" Gu Xingfeng said and turned to the police officer on his side. "Check what are the three doing!" he told him.

"Yes, sir!" the police officer nodded and immediately called his colleagues secretly watching outside of the three's apartment units.

Meanwhile, Gu Xingfeng turned to Hao Baiyun. "What do you mean they will die?" he asked.

"Li Lingling will take her life." Hao Baiyun answered as his fingers moved. "Su Rong will die out of fear. While Xu Wenrong – " he said, then his pupils shrank.

Gu Xingfeng saw his expression. "What is it?" he asked again.

Hao Baiyun turned his head to the direction of the thirteenth floor. "Get him out of his room, quick! Get him out of this apartment building!" he said.

Gu Xingfeng immediately ordered his subordinate standing on the side, and his subordinate immediately relayed his message to his colleagues. "What's going to happen?" he asked Hao Baiyun.

Suddenly, they heard shouts from above the apartment building and echoed in the area, which gradually was swallowed by the rain. "Xu Wenrong…" Hao Baiyun said. "He's dead." He told him.

Gu Xingfeng was stunned. He grabbed Hao Baiyun's arm and pulled him. "What happened? Why did he suddenly die?" he asked.

"Young master!" Hao Baiyun's servant called and immediately covered Hao Baiyun with the umbrella. However, Hao Baiyun already became wet.

Before Hao Baiyun could answer, Gu Xingfeng's subordinate spoke. "Sir…" he called, a shocked expression on his face that suddenly looked pale. No one knows whether he was shivering in cold or fear.

"Speak!" Gu Xingfeng turned to his subordinate and he let go of Hao Baiyun who immediately was caught by his servant.

The police officer looked at Gu Xingfeng. "Xu Wenrong…" he said. "He was killed by an unknown thing." He told him.

Suddenly, a voice spoke from the cellphone. "My god! It's too bloody inside! Flesh and the ripped organs were pasted in the walls and the ceiling. There were also chopped pieces of fingers in the kitchen counter. A foot was being boiled." It was a police officer. "A head was inside the television, and a tongue was wrapped in the doorknob." He said.

Gu Xingfeng felt a chill ran down his spine when he heard his subordinate's report. He grabbed the cellphone. "Who killed him?!" he asked, mad.

"Sir!" the subordinate on the other line cried. "We were closely watching him. We didn't hear someone screamed inside, not any activities happening in the unit." He explained. "When we heard your order to see Xu Wenrong – " he said they heard a sound of gulping. " – e-everything… it looked like hell!" he said.

Gu Xingfeng's face was dark and he turned to the silent Hao Baiyun. "How did he die?" he asked.

Hao Baiyun steadied his body as he spoke. "The resentment around him increased when he came back." He answered.

Gu Xingfeng snickered. "So I shouldn't have brought him back?" he sarcastically said. The police officer on the side shuddered when he saw their superior was mad.

Hao Baiyun shook his head. He looked at Gu Xingfeng, his gaze calm. "Even if he won't come back, he will still die." He said.

"You knew this will happen?!" Gu Xingfeng said.

To their surprise, Hao Baiyun shook his head. "Even if the souls of the deceased, their strength would increase when it's sundown, but they can't kill a living being." He explained.

"Then, who killed him?" Gu Xingfeng asked.

"Ask your subordinates." Hao Baiyun answered.

Gu Xingfeng and his subordinate on the side were shocked, including the police officers on the other line who heard Hao Baiyun's voice. "S-sir! How can we kill him?!" they reacted.

Gu Xingfeng took a deep breath before he spoke. "Before you opened Xu Wenrong's door, did you notice something strange?" he asked.

Hearing their superior's voice, everyone froze. They looked at each other before they tried to recall what happened earlier. Finally, someone spoke. "Sir." He called. "When I touched the doorknob, it's too cold. However, that might have been due to the decrease in the temperature." He said as he thinks. "Then, when I finally opened the door…" his voice slowed down and became quieter.

"What is it?" Gu Xingfeng asked.

"I've noticed something passed through me." The police officer answered, then added. "Not once, but four times."