Afterlife Department

Chapter 210 - Schadenfreude

"Ehem. So, sect master Huo – " Di San cleared his throat as he faced Huo Ling. Seeing Huo Ling staring at him directly with those black as the night eyes as if observing him like a specimen made Di San's hairs stood in their end. He immediately turned to Yi Bing who was standing beside him, and staring back at Huo Ling, then he whispered. "Is there a Soul Fragment in him?" he asked.

"I don't know." Yi Bing answered, but his gaze was still on Huo Ling who was now staring back at Yi Bing.

Di San. "…" then why did you call me here?! His face darkened.

Feng Er and Liu Lin looked at Di San with their eyes full of sympathy. Di San is the one who always suffers from Yi Bing being poisonous. Is it right to let the other's hopes up? Yi Bing called Di San, telling him he might have a clue about the Soul Fragment, yet when they arrived, he said he isn't sure?! How heartless!

Well, grim reapers don't have a heart, so they are literally heartless, but… still…

Meanwhile, as the farce goes on, Si Shui was quietly sitting on the floor in the corner of the room with his legs crossed in a lotus position. An extra-large pack of chips on his hand and his mouth is full as he crunched the cheese flavored chips with his teeth. His face couldn't express any more than that he's a bystander just eating melon seeds as he watched them converse.

Yi Bing saw Di San's expression darkened and he retracted his attitude.

Huo Ling saw the newcomer Di San and his group. "Greetings. I am the Fengshen Sect master, Huo Ling. How may I address you, gentlemen and lady?" he asked and his gaze fell on Feng Er after he spoke the last word.

A smile bloomed on Feng Er's face, feeling flattered by the courteous attitude of this version of Huo Ling. "You can address this lady as 'Feng Er', daren." She answered with a gracious bow, her reply belonging to that of the Jianghu.

Yi Bing, Di San and Liu Lin shuddered in horror by Feng Er's behavior while Feng Er side-eyed them before she rolled her eyes at them. Compared to these rough men, Huo Ling is naturally a pleasing gentleman!

Huo Ling nodded at Feng Er before he turned to Di San and Liu Lin, as well as the silent while eating Si Shui on the side who couldn't be any more transparent they almost forgot him with his low presence.

Since Di San was still conversing with Yi Bing on another side, Liu Lin answered. "You can call me 'Liu Lin'. And that kid is Si Shui." He told Huo Ling. "This is our acting superior, Di San." He added and pointed to Di San.

"How is it? Do you feel a Soul Fragment on him?" Yi Bing asked Di San.

"No." Di San shook his head and raised a circular object. "Sha Jiu's Fragment detector isn't working. I guess it ran out of power, and since it was a prototype." He explained. Then, he glanced at Huo Ling who was sitting upright on a chair and is talking with Liu Lin and Feng Er while Si Shui shared his food with him. "But, you said there's a possibility that he is possessed by a Fragment?" he turned to Yi Bing.

Yi Bing nodded. "Before, in the apocalypse world, he was possessed by a Soul Fragment." He said. "He could remember some things we've talked about in the Stable World during our first meeting, but his personality didn't change." He explained.

Di San finally remembered what happened. "Yes. I remember, that was the first Soul Fragment that appeared over thousands of years." He said.

Yi Bing nodded. "En. However, among the things he remembered – " he said as he looked at Huo Ling who, for some reason, was actually looking at him. " – he introduced himself to me as the Fengshen Sect master." He told Di San as he retracted his gaze at the same time Huo Ling did.

Di San gaped at Yi Bing in shock. His thoughts are running wild in his mind.

"This is the second time he introduced himself to me as thus." Yi Bing confirmed Di San's thoughts.

"But… but – " Di San said as his eyes narrowed in bewilderment. "In your Death Note, you haven't gone to the xianxia world, since – " he said as he looked at Yi Bing in the eye. " –the xianxia world is our world, but the cultivation has long since been gone." He quietly said as his expression and voice calmed down.

Yi Bing nodded. "Qi Shan was with me at that time, and we surmised…" his voice lowered.

Di San didn't need for Yi Bing to tell him more, since he can already figure it out. "How did Huo Ling react?" he asked.

"In the apocalypse world, his brain was muddled after I froze him when he went berserk." Yi Bing's voice was quiet but deep. "In this world – " he took a deep breath as he gazed upon Huo Ling's upright back. " – he only said he wouldn't ask questions, since he hates asking." He told him.

Di San frowned at what he said.

Yi Bing noticed it. "What is it?" he asked.

"No, just…" Di San hemmed and hawed as he organized his words. "If Huo Ling wouldn't ask anything from you, then you can't ask anything from him." he said. "Doesn't this puts you at a disadvantage? How will you know something from him? You can't get some information from him if it is like this." He explained.

Yi Bing. "…" that makes sense…

Di San saw Yi Bing's silence and he thought Yi Bing didn't understand him. "I mean, there should be reciprocation. However, Huo Ling already barred you from the start. He won't ask you, thus you won't ask him since you'd think you would take advantage of him, knowing he won't ask you but you still asked him anyway." He explained. "Thus…" his voice sank when he saw Yi Bing's darkened face. For some reason, he felt schadenfreude.

Yi Bing had just realized that Huo Ling had tricked him.

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