Afterlife Department

Chapter 343 - Injury

"Huh? You and Lord Zero?" Qi Shan asked.

"Yes." Yi Bing nodded.

"Why? What's wrong with Lord Zero?" Qi Shan asked, confused.

"I… might have done something wrong to him." Yi Bing answered.

"Huh?" Qi Shan stared at Yi Bing.

"Just tell me what he is like." Yi Bing said. "As a being.." He added. He also wanted to know what sin did he do to Huo Ling. But, since Qi Shan doesn't know that Huo Ling is Lord Zero, and he still isn't prepared to hear what sin did he do, then he didn't ask yet.

"Lord Zero… as far as I can remember… is an amazing angel." Qi Shan started.

Although Qi Shan was punished and became a grim reaper, but since he is involved with protagonists, the Heaven decided to restore his memories when he was an archangel so that he could use his experiences when he was an archangel to his tasks as a grim reaper.

This is his difference with Yi Bing, since Yi Bing's memories when he was an archangel were erased. Considering that Yi Bing also told him about his past with Lei Shan, thus he answered Yi Bing's question.

"Even though he is the oldest angel, but he didn't use his seniority to act haughty. He isn't arrogant." Qi Shan started. "On the contrary, he is very helpful, especially to the newbies. He is very caring." He smiled.

"Then…" Yi Bing spoke. "How did he and I interact?" he asked.

Qi Shan turned to him. "You're the exact opposites." He said.

Yi Bing's eyes widened. "How so?" he asked.

Qi Shan's eyes narrowed and he looked at him in disdain. "Are you deaf?" he asked.

"Huh?" Yi Bing muttered.

"Based from what I said, what can you infer?" Qi Shan asked.

"… Lord Zero is kind?" Yi Bing asked.

"And?" Qi Shan asked.

"… warm?" Yi Bing added.

Qi Shan nodded and smiled, satisfied with his answer. "How about you?" he asked him.

"I…" Yi Bing pondered. "… am not kind?" he asked.

Qi Shan nodded. "And?" he asked.

"… cold." Yi Bing spoke.

Qi Shan grinned and looked at Yi Bing, his eyes now are filled with pride. "Congratulations!" he said and patted his shoulder. "You are very honest!" he added.

Yi Bing's face darkened and Qi Shan immediately withdrew his hand. Yi Bing could guess that he and Lord Zero are total opposites.

Qi Shan could guess what he is thinking. "You both are the opposite of the other. Can't you guess how you two would be like when you two are placed inside one space?" he asked. "Fire ice… sun and moon… we, the bystanders, are lucky enough to not be both burned and frozen at the same time by you two." He said.

"So, you're saying…" Yi Bing said. "… we are rivals?" he asked.

"Exactly!" Qi Shan said. "But, Lord Zero doesn't care about seniority, as I have said. So, he wouldn't take seriously your rivalry." He told him. "In fact, he likes to take care of his juniors. Naturally, he wanted to care about you, too." He pointed him. Yi Bing, after all, is the angel after Lord Zero.

"Then, I…" Yi Bing muttered.

Qi Shan's expression changed. "You were young, after all." He said and stared at the night sky. "You misunderstood Lord Zero's intentions and actions. You were jealous of him." he looked at Yi Bing whose face paled. "Only you took the rivalry seriously." He told him.

Yi Bing felt like he was punched in the gut. "I…" he spoke with difficulty.

"Hey. Don't worry. That's youth!" Qi Shan said. "Weren't I like that before?" he asked.

Yi Bing didn't speak.

Qi Shan sighed. "Why are you asking about Lord Zero, anyway?" he asked, puzzled.

"I want to know how did he become a grim reaper." Yi Bing answered.

Qi Shan froze. "Hey, you…" he looked at Yi Bing, wide-eyed. "You really aren't…?" he asked. He thought Yi Bing was joking earlier. But, deep in his heart, this thing isn't something to be joked about.

"You don't know?" Yi Bing's brows knitted.

Qi Shan shook his head.

Yi Bing frowned as he pondered. Qi Shan has his memories when he was an archangel, except his memories of Lei Shan and his sin. If Lord Zero has sinned and became a grim reaper, what was Lord Zero's sin? And how can Qi Shan not know that?

Suddenly, Yi Bing realized something. His eyes widened and his pupils constricted. Everyone thought that he is the first grim reaper, but in fact, he's not. But, the truth is that Lord Zero was the first grim reaper. If his sin is killing Huo Ling, and then he became a grim reaper as a punishment, how did he sin to Huo Ling? Could it be…?

"Yi Bing? Yi Bing? Are you alright?" Qi Shan asked when he saw Yi Bing's complexion changed and his expression is ugly.

"Everything…" Yi Bing muttered. "Everything is inconsistent!" he said and rose from his seat. He gazed at the skyscrapers. His icy-blue eyes are as dark as the night.

"Y-Yi Bing…" Qi Shan called and he took a step back when he felt the ominous aura coming from Yi Bing. "C-Calm down first…" he told him.

"Qi Shan." Yi Bing called.

"Yes?" Qi Shan immediately responded.

"How much do you know?" Yi Bing asked.

"Huh?" Qi Shan was puzzled.

"How did Lord Zero disappear?" Yi Bing asked.

Qi Shan's eyes widened.

"Did he die?" Yi Bing turned to him.

Qi Shan felt a chill ran down his spine. "I… I – " he stammered.

"Answer." Yi Bing coldly said.

"I only know that Lord Zero suffered a grave injury!" Qi Shan answered.

"What injury?" Yi Bing asked. "Was it… I did?" he spoke in a low voice.

"No, no!" Qi Shan immediately answered. "The… the injury is Foul. Lord Zero… he was contaminated by the Foul." He told him.

Yi Bing's pupils shook. 'contaminated'… he thought. Then, he remembered what Di San said – that he sinned to Huo Ling. "Qi Shan." He called, his voice is a few degrees lower this time.

Qi Shan shuddered in fear.

"Are you sure his injury wasn't done by me?" Yi Bing asked with a dark face.

Qi Shan's pupils constricted. "It really isn't!" he answered. "After all… after all – " he muttered.

Yi Bing stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

Qi Shan gnashed his teeth. "After all… it was him who wanted to save you." He finally said.

Yi Bing's heart skipped a beat.

"That time… during the last war against the Soul Eaters and the Hell fell…" Qi Shan spoke. "You were contaminated by the Foul. Lord Zero used his Pure Flame to purify the Foul in your body. But, to do that, he has to hurt your soul." He explained. "Lord Zero, being compassionate as he was, didn't want to hurt you. So, the only way to help you is to combine your souls." He looked at Yi Bing. His eyes are red. "Time is tight. He forcefully sucked the Foul out of your soul after your souls combined. You were still resisting, but your resistance, in the end, helped him separate your souls since he has weakened after the Foul was transferred to his soul." His tears fell. "He was possessed by the Foul and used his Flames of Destruction, resulting to a lot of casualties." He shook his head. He didn't care about that, though, as one of the injured. "He can't bear to see everyone die, so he burned his soul along with the Foul in his body. Lord Zero, he – " he sobbed. " – he is dead…" he told him.

Yi Bing stared at Qi Shan, shocked.

"I hated you…" Qi Shan said. It was obvious he likes Lord Zero very much. "But, now, I can only feel sadness. I have long accepted Lord Zero's death, despite it still painful to remember." He said. "Don't feel guilty. It wasn't your fault." He told him and sighed.

It took a long while for Yi Bing to react. "… Qi Shan." He called.

"What?" Qi Shan asked.

"… are you sure I didn't kill him?" Yi Bing asked.

Qi Shan nodded. "Aren't you listening? Or are you saying I am a liar?" he asked and frowned.

Yi Bing shook his head. "That's not it." He said. "My sin to Lord Zero… I killed him, right?" he asked.

"Oh. There's this, too…" Qi Shan muttered when he suddenly froze. His eyes widened and he looked at Yi Bing in shock. "How did you know that?!" he asked.

Yi Bing's eyes narrowed and he looked at him. "What do you mean by that?" he asked. "I shouldn't know the truth? That I didn't kill Lord Zero?" he walked towards Qi Shan and pulled Qi Shan by the collar. "What's with that crime of mine? If I didn't kill Lord Zero, then why was I condemned like that?" he gnashed his teeth. "If I'm really not innocent, then what is my real crime?!"

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