Afterlife Department

"The fox clan is one of the powerful clans in the yao, since they themselves, even just as individuals, are powerful." Yi Bing started as he sat across Huo Ling. "The reason why they are powerful is because they both have the strength and the charm to entice the human or another yao. In short – " he said. " – not only are they are strong – physically and mentally, but they are also strong with their magical abilities. They can control other beings." He explained. 

"I get this. This is just like what I read in those novels." Huo Ling said. He remembered that foxes can cultivate and transform to humans to charm the humans using their face, then mate with them to get essence they use for their cultivation. "What I don't understand is why can't I be resurrected?" he asked. 

"You want to?" Yi Bing sharply asked as he threw a glance at Huo Ling.. 

"... no, thank you." Huo Ling said. Why glare at me? I also don't want to be alive again! It'd be awkward! He thought and grimaced. He already died, not to mention it was already made it into news, so why should he go live again? He'd just scare people! 

(Yi Bing: so this is your point?) 

Yi Bing frowned. "It is connected to the fox clan's cultivation." He said. 

"Huh? What about their cultivation?" Huo Ling is confused. "Wait, Yi Bing. You're leaving the biggest information. Why does this sound like there is an unspeakable secret about the fox clan's cultivation? Yi Bing?!" he called. Erkanghand.jpg

However, Yi Bing just continued to speak as if he didn't hear him. 

(Huo Ling: bastard! Don't add more to the drama now that the mood became serious!) 

"Unlike the other clans of yao, for the fox clan, the younger you are, the more powerful you are." Yi Bing said. "Their cultivation level aside, the fox clan is just like the humans. The young ones are stronger than the old. And because of this advantage in the physical aspect, the fox clan believes that the younger ones will be more powerful than the old ones. After all, the physical aspect really matters. If your body cannot carry the burden of your cultivation, then your cultivation is all for naught." He explained. "But, if this is just the matter, then the fox clan will be a joke." He said. "What matters the most, the main point, is that the newborns suck their parent's power." His face turned solemn as he looked at the tallest building in the middle of the skyscrapers at the heart of the city across the wide river. 

That building is owned by the Hao family – the strongest family among the fox clans. 

Huo Ling finally found the chance to speak when Yi Bing made a pause in talking. "So, you mean, the children will be more powerful than the parents?" he said. 

Yi Bing nodded. "More especially, the eldest ones." He said and looked at Huo Ling. 

Huo Ling shivered from Yi Bing's gaze. "I don't know all these!" he defended himself. 

"But of course." Yi Bing said in a matter of fact tone, which pissed Huo Ling. "Every child born, not only through their blood, but also the power of their parents will be sucked by them the children." He said. "The amount of the powers the child steals from his parents depends on the child's tail when he was born." He glanced at Huo Ling's butt, in which Huo Ling immediately covered and gave Yi Bing a glare. It's as if Yi Bing sighed in regret, and Huo Ling almost exploded – in anger and shame, on the spot. "That's why that the fox clan, most of them will, only have one or two children. It depends on the parents, whether they let their power be stolen by their children or not." He said. 

Huo Ling frowned. He didn't like this children and their parents thing. Not only the children will be made a thief, but also this makes the parents unlove, or lessen, their affection to their children. After all, who likes to be harmed? "If they don't like it, then why still give birth?" he asked. 

"Dunno… I'm not a member of a fox clan." Yi Bing said. 

Huo Ling's brow twitched as he looked at Yi Bing in annoyance. 

Yi Bing ignored Huo Ling's gaze as he continued. "When that incident happened with your mother more than two decades ago, it was such a big matter." He looked at Huo Ling. "Your mother is a first born child, and she has nine tails." He told him. 

Huo Ling froze and he felt his blood had gone cold when he heard what Yi Bing said. "So…" he said. His voice trembled. 

"Many wants their hands on her." Yi Bing said. "Added to the fact that her younger twin sister – Hao Baiyun's mother, Hao Ying, is not nine-tailed. Hao Ying could at most cultivate up to only eight tails. If she had a god-tier talent, then she might break through and gain nine-tails. However, at that moment, their only focus is on their tails at birth." He explained. "So, Hao Ying only had stolen lesser power from their parents unlike your mother, Hao Ning." He looked at him. "Their younger brother, Hao Ming, is jealous to death so he schemed and had your mother and aunt kidnapped. But, your mother already guessed that would happen so she managed to save your aunt after luring Hao Ming away." He told Huo Ling. 

"You mean – " Huo Ling said as he held his breath. 

"Your mother's talent is the cause of her misfortunes." Yi Bing said. 

Huo Ling bit his lip in resentment. "Like my mother, I also never asked for this…" he said. His voice is hoarse as he held back his tears. The injustice of this world! 

"But, just like your mother, it was given to you." Yi Bing told him. 

Huo Ling clenched his fists. Meanwhile, Di San, Feng Er, Liu Lin and Si Shui secretly listened. 

Yi Bing knew the other grim reapers were listening, but he didn't care. His focus is only on Huo Ling right now. He watched as nine, fluffy tails blossomed behind Huo Ling. "Do you know why you shouldn't be resurrected?" he slowly asked as he watched the tails unfurled like the flower's petals opening. 

"Why?" Huo Ling asked. His voice shaking and almost inaudible from repressing his anger after Yi Bing provoked him. He knew it was a provocation, but he doesn't know why would Yi Bing do it. Whatever Yi Bing's objective is, his anger cannot be stopped now. It was like the water in the dam that overflowed, and finally, broke the dam. 

"Since you're the youngest from the direct bloodline of the main family of the fox clan, and the last born of the nine-tailed foxes, you're the most powerful." Yi Bing answered. "Hao Baiyun may be nine-tailed, but his mother isn't. It was only your mother who had continued the bloodline of the nine-tailed foxes. And, you are a male one at that." He looked at Huo Ling whose brown hair became longer and turned to orange color. His eyes followed, as well as his nails. His nine orange tails behind him is like a dancing, giant fire almost burning the surrounding. 

The temperature immediately rose. 

So beautiful… Yi Bing momentarily became dazed as he stared at Huo Ling's figure. However, he immediately snapped out of it. "The blood of the parents is inherited through the child's body. Meanwhile, the power they stolen, it's inherited through their soul." He said and looked at Huo Ling's soul solidified. "That's why, even if it's just a soul that remained after a nine-tailed fox died, their soul is as valuable as their body. Or, it may be more valuable. Huo Ling – " he called and took a deep breath when Huo Ling's eyes with orange slit pupils landed on him. " – you're the most powerful nine-tailed fox." He said as he took out his ice scythe and turned it into a sword to intercept Huo Ling's attack! 

"WHOA!" Di San and the other exclaimed when Huo Ling's body suddenly emitted flames to propel himself towards Yi Bing. He shot towards him like a rocket! 

Sparks fly! Yi Bing jumped out of the balcony and flew mid-air. Huo Ling flew after him. His orange hair looked like the tongue of a flame as it waved in the air. His nine, fluffy orange tails, each tip created balls of fire and shot towards Yi Bing!

"He's insane!" Liu Lin exclaimed as they hid behind the wall that they thought that would melt just from the heat of the flames. "Why is he attacking Yi Bing? Yi Bing did not do wrong to him! He just broke the news to him!" he said. The 'him' obviously refers to Huo Ling whose fangs now appeared. 

"That's precisely why Huo Ling is attacking him." Feng Er said. "He broke the news to Huo Ling, so he became the target of Huo Ling's resentment."