Chapter 73 - Youth Department

The Living Department, as what the Afterlife Department calls, have other names. In the mortal world. They call it 'the Young Ability Users' Department'. However, there was another name for it – the Youth Department. The Youth Department which is filled with vitality both in its name and its members who are ability users. Unlike the Afterlife Department, the Youth Department is comprised of young people. Its chief, Li Yuechu, is only 17 years old. Its vice chief, Zhu Qingqiu, is 18 years old. Guo Bingbing and An Feifei, the only female members, are both only 16 years old. Tang Jiming, the youngest of the group, is 15 years old. There's a reason for this.

As humans age, they started to care more about their life. Thus, they take up jobs that are less dangerous, any minute that may cost their life. The only ones who would take dangerous jobs are those people who are filled with passion..

On the other hand, the ones who cannot find a job - or the unemployed, joins the Living Department. Cui Shanxi is an example. He's a rich second generation that was kicked out by his family to make him work. However, he's very lazy. The only good thing about him is his face and his soul attribute – earth, the plant type. He's 23 years old and the oldest in the Living Department. Even if he had been told he can be a model or an actor due to his face value, but he refused. He doesn't want to be harassed, nor enter the deep waters of the entertainment industry. He uses his power to flirt with the women, but he never takes them seriously. Even life, he doesn't take it seriously.

"Cui-ge. Can you produce cherries?!" Tang Jiming asked as he stared at Cui Shanxi. His small and round eyes are sparkling.

"Why?" Cui Shanxi asked, his voice lazy, as he lifted his right hand. Vines crawled out of the ground and tied up the Soul Eaters.

"I am thinking maybe you can turn them to cherry bombs – " Tang Jiming answered, his voice sounds very excited as he continued to stare at Cui Shanxi, ignoring the Soul Eaters and the grim reapers around them.

"Shut up." Cui Shanxi told him and frowned. "I don't have any interest in your geeky stuff." He looked at him. Tang Jiming's eyes watered and he lowered his head, looking dejected. "Tch!" he just clicked his tongue. He placed his hands inside his jean's pockets, and the he left him.

Tang Jiming's eyes widened when he heard the leaving footsteps. "Wait, Cui-ge!" he called when he felt the surrounding became cold. He looked at the grim reapers cleaning up the Soul Eaters. "Brr!" he felt it's eerie and horrifying. He puleld up his jacket and wrapped it around his small body tightly before he immediately ran after Cui Shanxi. He's a timid kid.

The grim reapers saw Cui Shanxi and Tang Jiming left without even saying a word to them. "Kids are snobbish nowadays." One of them said and sighed.

"Even the humans." Someone said. "They selfishly try to save themselves, but they don't realize the weight of their actions." he looked at the direction Cui Shanxi and Tang Jiming left. "If they'll leave their fate and future on the young people's hands just to live a safe and peaceful life, what will they do if those young people fail? Wouldn't they jeopardize their lives?" he asked.

"That's why humans are foolish. We were foolish before." They shook their head in disappointment. "Now that we've reached the afterlife, we cannot make mistakes again, or we'll be gone for good." They looked at the Soul Eaters Cui Shanxi single-handedly subdued. "Let's take them to the R&D. Maybe Sha Jiu and Hai Ba can find something from them and create something." They said as they stood beside the Soul Eaters that took on their form. However, they ignored them. They can clearly distinguish themselves and their allies from the Soul Eaters that copied their appearance. They have the watch exclusive only for the grim reapers of the Afterlife Department.

They tapped on their watches and a holographic appeared above their wristwatch.

"Return to headquarters?"

"Yes." "No."

They tapped the 'yes' button. Light came out of their watch and covered them, including the Soul Eaters they caught. Then, they disappeared from where they stood.

"Ugh!" Feng Er cried after the Soul Eater that copied her appearance grabbed her whip and swung her. Her back hit the tree. "Damn it...!" she cursed when she felt her bones cracked.

"Feng Er!" Jin Wu called and he slammed his lance on the head of the Soul Eater which is his opponent. Like Feng Er, his and Li Yuechu's appearance were also copied. However, the Soul Eaters cannot copy their weapon, nor their ability. The Soul Eaters could only use the abilities of the souls they have eaten.

For example, the Soul Eater Feng Er was fighting against has a thick skin and scales, thus her wind lashes have a little damage against the Soul Eater. Also, it –

"Damn you, you son of a bitch! How dare you make me look ugly!" Feng Er cursed as she grabbed the tree branch and made a turn before she landed on it. "Tch! This makes it hard for me. This is like I'm injuring myself!" she murmured before she summoned a tornado. The tornado approached the Soul Eater that tried to escape. However, the vacuum effect of the tornado made it impossible for the Soul Eater to even take a step. Thus, the Soul Eater was sucked in the whirlwind. Not a second after and lumps of meat and splashes of blood came out of the tornado. Jin Wu and Li Yueran avoided it.

"You really killed yourself!" Li Yuechu madly laughed as he fired a lightning towards the Soul Eater that copied his appearance. "Tch!" he clicked his tongue when a hole appeared on the Soul Eater's stomach, and the lightning passed through the hole and hit the ground. "Damn you…" he smiled in irritation. His opponent has a jelly-like ability. "Don't make me look like a sissy!" he yelled as he raised his bat and rushed to the Soul Eater.

"Hey." Zhu Qingqiu called to Mo Shi as they sat inside the car. Souls can be mistaken as a living human, except for their transparent body and that they have a tail instead of feet.

"You… you – " Mo Shi said and retreated in panic. His body passed through the front seat and he fell on the floor of the backseat.

"Don't panic. They're already dealing with the Soul Eaters." Zhu Qingqiu told him. "The Soul Eaters had to kill them first to reach you." He said.

"Why… why would they go so far to protect me?" Mo Shi asked and looked at Jin Wu, Feng Er and Li Yuechu.

"Not only you, but all of the souls." Zhu Qingqiu said. "Protecting the souls – that's the second mission of the grim reapers, the Afterlife Department." He explained.

"And the first?"

"Sending them to reincarnate." Zhu Qingqiu answered.

"How about you? Are you a grim reaper, too?" Mo Shi asked and looked at Zhu Qingqiu's lifeless expression.

"Unfortunately, I am still alive." Zhu Qingqiu answered.

"You wanted to die?!"

"That's the reason I joined the Youth Department." Zhu Qingqiu said.

"'Youth Department'?"

"An organization of ability users." Zhu Qingqiu answered.

Mo Shi looked at Zhu Qingqiu before he looked at Jin Wu and the others outside. "The grim reapers are protecting me since I'm a soul. How about you? What is your organization's mission?" he asked.

"Eliminate the threat to humanity." Zhu Qingqiu answered.

"That's the Soul Eaters?"

Zhu Qingqiu nodded. "Initially, their target is only the souls. However, some of them are going wild and started to attack the humans. We are here to stop them." he explained.

Mo Shi was confused. "If the Soul Eaters' target are the souls, then why would they attack the humans?" he asked.

"That's what we're trying to find out."

S City.

"This is a horrible sight, chief." Xiao Xie said as they looked at the damaged public facility.

"Yeah." Gu Xingfeng said as he looked around the gym. His hands are on his hips and a cigarette is in between his lips.

"Some witnesses said that they saw shadows dancing here earlier. They said they are ghosts." Jiang Xinduo said, holding a paper.

"As if they exist!" Gu Xingfeng hit his head. "Do you think something that doesn't have a solid body could break something solid?" he asked.

"That's that group is for, right?" Song Mingfan said and they turned when they heard approaching footsteps.

"Strang… ehem." Hao Baiyun coughed when he saw Gu Xingfeng.

"Young master Hao." Gu Xingfeng called. "Fancy meeting you here. I don't remember calling your department for assistance?" he said.

"It's 'Director Hao'!" Hao Baiyun just coldly looked at Gu Xingfeng then ignored him.

"Why are you here?" Gu Xingfeng frowned as he stared at Hao Baiyun.