"WHAT?!" Hao Baiyun abruptly rose from his seat when he heard what Lan Tian reported. His eyes are wide in shock and his mouth is agape.
"Director Hao, what is wrong?" a council member asked as they looked at Hao Baiyun.
Hao Baiyun ignored him as his body trembled in shock. "… I will immediately be there!" he said as he ended the call.
"Director Hao!" another council member called when they saw Hao Baiyun went to the door. "What's the matter? We are still in the middle of the meeting – " he said.
"Let him be." A cold voice spoke.
Everyone turned to the handsome man wearing a black suit with a blue necktie. His ice-cold blue pupils looked at each of them.
"But, Mr. Yi…" the council members spoke.
Yi Bing didn't answer.
Hao Baiyun looked at him. As soon as he met him, he felt that he has seen Yi Bing somewhere. But, he can't remember when or where, which is actually surprising. "Thank you." He said before he rushed outside and left.
"This…" the council members coldly sweated.
"Everyone knows that director Hao is a responsible person." Yi Bing said.
Nobody spoke.
"I will take responsibility if something happens." Yi Bing continued as he rose from his seat.
"Mr. Yi…" they nervously cried.
"Continue with how you operate in your investigations. The case of the Golden-Haired Monkey clan is alarming." Yi Bing said as he fixed his tie and adjusted his cuff links. "Everyone should be already aware the danger the yao world brings, for their abilities are beyond the scope of humans." He said.
They all lowered their heads.
"Fortunately, the yao committee cooperated, no?" Yi Bing looked at them.
"En, en…" they nodded.
"Then, you should know that the yao also have their own operation when investigating." Yi Bing told them. "The UnION of course will help. I am enough, so you can just email me if you have found something." He told them.
"Yes…" they answered.
"Then, this concludes the meeting." Yi Bing said and walked towards the door.
"Wait, Mr. Yi!" a council member called. He is the head of the council. "For the welcome party…" he said.
"No need. Let us have a feast after the case finishes, instead, to celebrate." Yi Bing answered and left. As soon as the door closed, his figure disappeared and reappeared on the rooftop.
He looked at the sky and saw a vague figure in the clouds going to the northwest direction. It was none other than Hao Baiyun in his fox form. Judging from Hao Baiyun's expression earlier, something important must have happened. So, he helped him out. After all, there was no grudge between them.
Yi Bing sighed as he tapped on his communicator disguised as a watch. Before he went here, he was itching to ask Huo Ling where his destination is. But, he didn't ask him since he might not be able to stop himself from sneaking away and secretly follow him like how he did during Huo Ling's first cycle of reincarnation.
But, now, Yi Bing is here and he has to finish his work first. However, it wouldn't hurt to check where Huo Ling is right now, right?
0001: which world is Xiao Hualing's next task?
0886: Which world is Xiao Hualing's next task? I thought you knew since Huo Ling's task is also there, thus Wu Yi and I sent here to follow Huo Ling.
0886: anyway, I was really surprised after Jiu Ye told my family – err, ehem, I mean, Wu Yi, Bai Wu and I, that Xiao Hualing is from Normal World 0342 and a victim…
0001: … hehe.
0886: okay, okay… Enough of my prattling. How impatient! Xiao Hualing's next task is in Special World 600, where Huo Ling currently is, too. Just why didn't you ask your apprentice yourself - … Yi Bing? Yi Bing?!
Yi Bing's mind turned blank as he stared at the words 'Special World 600' with a dumbfounded look on his face. "Special World… 600…" he muttered in a daze. "Huo Ling is here, too?!?!" he exclaimed in shock as he immediately closed his communicator.
Then, suddenly, his feet froze. He looked up at the sky. Suddenly, he felt a bad premonition. This should be impossible, but now, Yi Bing realized that nothing is impossible, especially if you are in a Special World, which is also a supernatural world.
"FCK!" he uttered a curse as he flew northwest where he has seen Hao Baiyun is heading at. "It can't be…" he frowned as his brows knit. He flew faster.
As soon as a soul becomes a grim reaper, its traces in any other world would be erased. Thus, he will be forgotten by his families and friends in the worlds he lived in before. Even if the grim reaper would appear before them, his family wouldn't recognize him, as he also wouldn't recognize them, for his memories have also been erased for this new 'life' of his.
But! This world is a Special World, and its rules overrules the rules acted upon the grim reapers by the Stable World where they came from. Thus, anything can happen, including Hao Baiyun sensing Huo Ling's presence. Not to mention that Huo Ling's soul in this world is that of a fox's!
"Damn it!" Yi Bing cursed because of his oversight.
Even though he is an exceptional grim reaper, but how can he expect for Huo Ling to return in this world, Special World 600? He should have just indulged in his emotions instead of restraining them!
"Hao Baiyun!" he called when he saw the figure of Hao Baiyun in the clouds.
"Mr. Yi?!" Hao Baiyun almost fell from the sky when he saw Yi Bing. "Wait… you are in your human form…" he said.
Yao are faster and stronger in their true forms, thus Hao Baiyun turned into a fox.
"No one can see the grim reapers' true form or they will die, unless they wanted to die?" Yi Bing looked at him.
Hao Baiyun. "…" what the fck! I am just asking! He thought as his lip twitched.
"Where are you going? It seems urgent?" Yi Bing asked and ignored Hao Baiyun's gaze.
Hao Baiyun resumed flying. "Thank you for earlier. I really owe you an explanation." He sighed. Fortunately, Yi Bing is a reasonable person… ehem, grim reaper. "My subordinate called me and told me that my sons sensed a scent similar to mine… but of course, it shouldn't be mine." He answered.
Yi Bing. "…" fck. As expected, it is Huo Ling! he thought as his face darkened.
"It should be a powerful fox, and I am afraid that it would be a nine-tailed fox like me…" Hao Baiyun continued. "They said that it doesn't seem to be an enemy since they aren't being chased and it was them who are chasing that person… ehem…" he awkwardly coughed.
Yi Bing's brow twitched. "…" it is really Huo Ling! He must be looking for his assignment! He thought as his face turned darker.
"But, right now, there is only me who is a nine-tailed fox. So, I am planning to see this person to know if he is dangerous." Hao Baiyun explained.
"… I see." Yi Bing finally said.
Hao Baiyun sighed in relief. "Thank you for your understanding." He said as he descended from the sky.
Yi Bing followed behind him.
Hao Baiyun didn't ask him and just ran to where his children are. "Tian Tian! Tang Tang!" he called when he saw his two sons as well as his four subordinates protecting his sons.
"Daddy!" Tian Tian and Tang Tang cried and ran towards him.
Hao Baiyun smiled and hugged them both. "Did something happen to you?" he asked them.
"No." they shook their heads.
"We followed the person who has a similar scent as you… and that flower spirit with him." Tian Tian smartly answered.
"'flower spirit'?" Hao Baiyun muttered.
Yi Bing. "…" it should be Xiao Hualing. So, she also was affected by this world's rules? He thought and sighed.
"Boss." Lan Tian called. "The fox yao and flower spirit are currently inside a coffee shop." He told Hao Baiyun. "This is…?" he asked when they noticed Yi Bing standing not far from them and listening.
"A representative from the UnION." Hao Baiyun answered. "He is from the Stable World." He added.
Lan Tian, Zheng Jian, Zi Chen and Jin Chulin were stunned. They are trusted subordinates of Hao Baiyun so Hao Baiyun also tells them this confidential information in case it would affect Tian Tian and Tang Tang. Thus, they also have known about the UnION and Stable World.
Lan Tian, Zheng Jian, Zi Chen and Jin Chulin. "…" FCK! What a bigshot! They thought and secretly looked at each other.
Then, suddenly, they saw Yi Bing entered the coffee shop.. Hao Baiyun and the others looked at each other before they followed behind Yi Bing, only to see Yi Bing approach two people – one young man and one woman.