Chapter 223 - Liar?

Huo Ling was waving his feet as he sat on the edge of the rooftop of a building. Di San had sent Yi Bing a message telling Yi Bing to meet him. 

"So, where are they?" he asked and turned to Yi Bing who was staring at his wristwatch, watching the red short hand of the clock move every second while they waited for Di San, Feng Er, Liu Lin and Si Shui to arrive. 

Yet, they still haven't. They are quarter of an hour late. This isn't how Di San works. He has always been punctual. 

BEEP – 

Suddenly, Yi Bing received a message and it was from Di San, telling him to meet them in a hotel. "The location changed." He told Huo Ling as he closed his communicator. 

"Hm?" Huo Ling obediently rose and walked towards him. Because of the rich spiritual energy in this world, his soul could take on a human form. 

Yi Bing didn't explain to him, since, from Di San's message that only contained the hotel's name and a room number, it sounded urgent. "Let's go." He told him as he grabbed Huo Ling's arm and they teleported. 

After a blink of an eye, they already stood in front of the hotel room. 

Yi Bing raised his hand to knock. "It's me." He said. 

They heard a hurried sound of footsteps and the door opened. "Come in." it was Feng Er. 

Yi Bing observed her expression and saw something grave happened and so he didn't waste a breath to ask Feng Er and directly entered the room, walking towards the bedroom where he felt Di San's and the others' aura. 

Di San turned when he heard footsteps and saw Yi Bing and Huo Ling entered. "Take a seat first." He told them before he turned to Liu Lin who was lying on the bed. 

Yi Bing nodded and took a seat. His seat still hasn't warmed when he heard Di San spoke. 

"We've found a Soul Fragment." Di San said. 

"What?!" Yi Bing abruptly rose from his seat after he heard what Di San said. He looked at Di San with his face filled in shock. 

"En. We have found a lead to a Soul Fragment." Di San said as he turned to Yi Bing. "Liu Lin was like this now is because of the Soul Fragment that we found. It was very hostile!" he told him. 

Yi Bing was stunned and his gaze fell on Liu Lin who looked pale and weak on the bed, before his gaze turned to Huo Ling who was seating on a single-seater sofa not far from him. 

"Hm?" Huo Ling picked up a pastry on the plate on the table when he felt a gaze on him. He raised his head and saw Yi Bing was staring at him. 

Yi Bing looked at Huo Ling in astonishment. All this while, he thought a Soul Fragment was on Huo Ling, since Huo Ling's personality changed and even his memories changed. He doesn't suspect him, since this has happened before. 

But, Di San just said they found a Soul Fragment. Di San wouldn't lie, since their task is grave and their lives are at stake. Just look at what happened to Liu Lin who obviously suffered a serious injury. 

If neither of them was lying… Yi Bing, before he confirmed from Di San that there was a Soul Fragment in this world, he was just guessing the change in Huo Ling's personality in this world. Yet, there really was a Soul Fragment that exists in this world. 

Di San could guess what is running through Yi Bing's mind right now. After they collected a Soul Fragment before and took it back to the Afterlife Department, they resumed their task. Their first collection of a Soul Fragment was treated by them as a fluke. When they resumed their task in collecting Soul Fragments, they didn't place much hope in it, and already set their heart in disappointment. 

Looking for a Soul Fragment is like a needle in a haystack. Worse, there might not be another Soul Fragment that will appear. And so, it was a pleasant surprise when Sha Jiu's instrument lent to them detected a Soul Fragment. However, they already suppressed their excitement since it was the creator himself, Sha Jiu, who told them it was a prototype and it might malfunction. 

However, it was another pleasant surprise when they heard from Yi Bing that there might be a Soul Fragment in the world he was currently in with Huo Ling. And, it might even be on Huo Ling! How 'lucky' is Huo Ling to be possessed by a Soul Fragment twice?!

If Yi Bing hadn't already told him about what happened to Huo Ling after he was possessed by a Soul Fragment in the apocalypse world, he, too, would think Huo Ling was lying to Yi Bing, and to them, putting up an act, assuming a role, or maybe created a role for himself to deceive Yi Bing. 

Yet, Yi Bing did. Yi Bing already told him that Huo Ling acted strange before, and the Fengshen Sect Master persona had already appeared before. Yi Bing can vow Huo Ling, at that time, was innocent and sincere. And so, Huo Ling, who's supposed to lose his memories after reincarnating to another world, shouldn't remember the identity, the Fengshen Sect Master. And yet, he did in this world. 

Also, Huo Ling doesn't have a reason to lie to Yi Bing. He wouldn't gain anything from lying to a grim reaper, and Yi Bing should know if Huo Ling was lying. And, basing from Yi Bing's poor expression right now, Huo Ling shouldn't be lying and so he didn't expect this situation. 

"Yi Bing." He called. "I need to talk to you." He told him and went to the living room, away from the others. 

Yi Bing immediately suppressed his shock and calmly followed Di San. 

"I'm not lying, and you definitely aren't, too, since I know you won't make a sick joke to me." Di San immediately said. "Since neither party is lying, there can only one possibility happening – " he raised his head and looked at Yi Bing in the eyes. " – there might be two Soul Fragments present in this world!"