Afterlife Department

Chapter 5 - Abnormal Soul

After some time and the police finally arrived. They immediately saw Huo Ling's corpse on the ground. After the forensics arrived and picked up the corpse, the police opened the door.

There, they saw the room taken from hell. Blood splattered on the walls and the ceiling. The windows are closed and the curtains are hang down. The objects inside are broken and the bed is butchered – including the woman's corpse.

"Eh?" Huo Ling said when he and Yi Bing finally entered. Even though Yi Bing has a mortal body, but ordinary people cannot see him. Does this mean I am not an ordinary person? Huo Ling thought before he frowned. I shouldn't have died if I am not! Also – He looked at Yi Bing who was looking around the room like the policemen do. – if my death is in exchange of me seeing him, then my death is worthless! He cried in his heart. "Hey.. The woman wasn't there earlier." He told Yi Bing. "She was there on the wall. She 'greeted' me." He explained.

Yi Bing glanced at the woman's corpse who was lying on the bed. "Right." He said. "She must have sensed your soul earlier, thus she moved from where she was." He explained as if what he said isn't anything to be scared of.

Huo Ling's already transparent soul paled. "What?!" he said and glanced at the motionless corpse of the woman. It's as if he can see her head turn to him and she smiled at him. This is the disadvantage of having a rich imagination! You. Think. Too. Much! "Y-Yi Bing… you're lying again, right?" he asked as he floated towards Yi Bing and hid behind him. "Isn't she dead? Why didn't I see her soul?" he asked. He remembered that it was the woman's corpse that 'greeted' him earlier.

"She's another Abnormal Soul." Yi Bing answered.

"Eh?" Huo Ling said. "How?" he asked.

"Another reason why there's an Abnormal Soul is their soul was tied to their body – even after death." Yi Bing explained as he touched the woman's temple. Huo Ling saw something flashed on the woman's body. "That's her soul." He told him. "Her soul is struggling to get out of her body. But, something is preventing her soul from leaving her body." He said.

"What is it?" Huo Ling asked.

Yi Bing shook his head. "This is an Abnormal Soul. The cause of the irregularity of their soul is strange… ehem. Unknown." He said and looked away when Huo Ling glared at him. "I have found another Abnormal Soul. I have to report to the department." He muttered. He tapped his wristwatch and a holographic screen appeared above the face of the wristwatch. Then, a light flashed out of the wristwatch and covered the woman's body. This is happening under the eyes of the policemen. Yet, they didn't find anything strange.

Something appeared on the screen.

Name: Fu Ling

Gender: Female

Age: 23

Cause of death: Extreme sex.

Huo Ling, even though has no body now, felt his cheeks burned. Meanwhile, Yi Bing's face is just like his name – cold. "She… she – " he said and remembered the woman called him earlier. He told it to Yi Bing. "You don't think… she… that time – " he coughed and looked away.

"Or maybe that time when she called you, she's on her last breath." Yi Bing poured cold water on him.

The redness on his cheeks disappeared and he turned pale. "What?! Is that true?" Huo Ling said.

Yi Bing shrugged. "Maybe." He answered.

Huo Ling felt his strength left him. This guy… he'll be a good real estate agent! He sarcastically thought. He decided to return to the topic, or else he'll lose blood. Ah, no. Copying Yi Bing's tone – I'm already a soul so I don't have a drop of blood.

"Then, she…" he said. "How will you take her soul?" he asked.

Yi Bing looked at the light flashing on the woman's body. "I cannot immediately sever her soul from her body. Or else…" he said.

"Or else?" Huo Ling asked.

Yi Bing turned to him. "Her soul will disappear." He answered.

Huo Ling's eyes widened and he felt his heart jumped. "Disappear…" he said and looked at the woman. His eyes are full of pity.

"It is just like a tooth extraction. You cannot pull it out if it's still aching." Yi Bing made an example.

And this example is really horrible. Huo Ling tried not to nitpick on him. "When will you sever it, then?" he asked.

"… when her tooth is not hurting?" Yi Bing guessed. Huo Ling's face darkened. Yi Bing stopped playing1 with him. "Not now." He answered. "There are conditions needed to be met before we can sever her soul." He explained.

"What are those conditions?" Huo Ling asked.

"This…" Yi Bing said and looked away.

Huo Ling frowned. "Fine." He said. "I will not remember these things, anyway, so can't you tell me?" he asked.

Yi Bing looked at him. "Actually, if you're this curious of death matters…" he said. "You can work for us." He told him.

"Huh?" Huo Ling said. He didn't clearly hear what Yi Bing said.

"Nothing." Yi Bing said.

"So, what are those conditions?" Huo Ling asked.

Yi Bing sighed as he raised his three fingers. "First condition: the soul should be willing to be severed from the body." He said.

"Eh? How can they not be willing to be severed from their body?" Huo Ling asked. "They're dead." He said.

"Some souls aren't aware they died." Yi Bing said. "However, most still want to live even after they died." He looked at Huo Ling. "The unwillingness to die even if you know you're already dead… you're still clinging to life." He said, then looked away. "There are many reasons why one is unwilling to die. But most, their answer is – " he said and looked at the woman's body. " – they just wanted to continue to live." He said, his voice soft like a whisper.

"Eh? Is that something special?" Huo Ling asked.

"It is." Yi Bing answered. "You just want to live longer… just to be with the one you love." He said before he resumed. "Second condition: the soul shouldn't have any attachment on their body." He continued. "Those three attachments I told you – they should not have any of it." He said.

"Why?" Huo Ling asked. "Even I still have my attachments." He said.

Yi Bing stared at him before he moved his gaze. "She is an Abnormal Soul. She was trapped in her mortal body. Thus, she should let go of everything. Else, her severed soul will be affected if forcefully severed." He explained.

"Oh. So that's it…" Huo Ling said. "Then, the third condition?" he asked.

"The soul should be reincarnated as anything but a human." Yi Bing answered.

Huo Ling was stunned. "That's too harsh!" he said. "This might not be what the woman wanted." He pitifully looked at the woman.

"Even if so, but that's the condition." Yi Bing said. "Most of the humans say that life is unfair. Then, at least in death, things should be fair." He told him.