Chapter 535 - Rally
"… your plan is for us to act as exorcists and lure Lin Weng out?" Bai Liu asked Huo Ling after Huo Ling proposed his plan to them while they had their breakfast.
"Yes." Huo Ling answered and nodded while he spread the butter on the bread.
After all, everyone is on the same boat right now that they know that their tasks coincide. You Ri, Yi Bing's and Huo Ling's target, should have directly reincarnated but her soul was captured by Lin Weng who is the target of Bai Liu and the rest of the Inspection Department, after they found out about his identity as an exorcist.
Yi Bing said that since he is training Huo Ling on ferrying a soul, then Huo Ling will be working with the Inspection Department while he would just watch on the sideline. Huo Ling has no objection to this since he knows that he can't rely on Yi Bing always. Thus, he proposed his plan on the Inspection Department, like this is a group project in college, which he actually never attended to before when he was still alive.
"Since we are fellow exorcists, then Lin Weng might feel sympathy and stop us from announcing to the world that we are exorcists since we will definitely be arrested if we did it." Huo Ling explained. "Superstition was banned as soon as science and technology have advanced. The supernatural world was forgotten, but thanks to the presence of the ghosts, it is about to surface again after the people finally accepted the existence of the ghosts." He said. "But, exorcists still aren't socially accepted, except by the aristocrats who wanted to save their lives, as per what Hao Baiyun said. Of course – " he looked at them. "- if you have your plan, then please tell me. I'll consider it." He told them.
"… currently, we have none." Bai Liu helplessly sighed. He still couldn't get over the fact that Lin Weng, their target, is an exorcist and that was the one who hid his presence, including You Ri, a ghost, who is Yi Bing's and Huo Ling's target!
Whichever angle you look, the situation is extremely unfriendly to them the Inspection Department! Not only do they have to fight against Lin Weng, an exorcist who is protected by this world's rules, but they also have to bear the ire of Yi Bing because they were impended by their (Inspection Department) target from saving their (Yi Bing and Huo Ling) target!
"We'll cooperate with you." Wu Yi spoke. "How will we do it?" he asked.
Jiu Ye and Bai Wu stood in attention. They are junior grim reapers and all they should do is to listen and follow to their seniors' advice and orders.
"Then, we'll do it this way…" Huo Ling spoke.
One hour later, downtown area.
"What the hell are they doing?" some of the passersby whispered when they passed by the park where a large group who wearing clothes that looked more like rags has gathered. They are also holding some 'weapons' like ladles and torn papers with weird symbols written.
"Everyone! We have gathered here today to unite…" someone spoke on a small platform which is just actually a box of Styrofoam that they overturned to step on.
"… this is what you have thought?" Bai Liu asked through his gritted teeth as he glared at Huo Ling while they stood behind the crowd.
"Yes." Huo Ling calmly answered without a change in his expression. "I have stumbled upon a private group yesterday when I was looking up some gossips about the Haoming Company." He explained.
"You are looking up some information about a company. Disregarding that it is a large company, how did this quacks relate on the company?!" Bai Liu asked as he pointed to the 'exorcists' at the front while listening to their leader.
"When Yi Bing and I have gone to the police station yesterday, I have heard a police officer said about the employees of the company calling them for a millionth time about a ghost in their company." Huo Ling answered. "When we arrived in the company, we didn't meet any ghost. After we came to the police station, that police officer said that there was no ghost. So, I believed that the employees hired some 'exorcists' to exorcise the ghost because they know that they can't rely on the police anymore for something supernatural." He explained.
"… fine." Bai Liu spoke as he finally accepted Huo Ling's reason. "But… this…" he pressed his lips tight.
"We might be able to meet the company's employees here." Huo Ling said as he looked around.
Bai Liu tried to speak again when Huo Ling spoke again.
"Yi Bing and I guessed that it might be You Ri's ghost who is haunting the company." Huo Ling said. "If You Ri is really there, then we will follow her to track down Lin Weng." He told him.
"… okay." Bai Liu sighed in defeat. "But then again, why should we wear these?!" he asked as he pointed their clothes that are made of 'rags'.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Huo Ling asked as he turned to him. "These aren't rags but called 'Taoists' clothes'. The natives of this world don't know about the cultivation world so they are ignorant of the Taoists. Similarly, they are also ignorant of what the exorcists wear." He explained. "Our clothes naturally look better than the other 'exorcists'." He pointed the people in front.
"… you're right." Bai Liu spoke as he forced out a smile.
"Pft." Wu Yi finally can't hold back his laughter while Jiu Ye's lips twitched from suppressing his smile. Meanwhile, Bai Wu tilted his head, looking like he doesn't get what they are laughing at.
As for Yi Bing, he went to the Haoming Company to look for You Ri. Although he said he would just watch on the sideline, but naturally he can't just stand by and watch You Ri loiter in front of him if You Ri would really be there in the company.
"Huh? If they are employees, why would they be present here in this 'exorcists' rally instead of working?" Jiu Ye asked.
"Leave." Wu Yi answered.
"Oh!" Jiu Ye exclaimed, finally understood it. 'leave' isn't familiar to them grim reapers who work non-stop, and don't even have holiday leaves.
It is because rest or holidays have no significance in death and afterlife, since time is infinite to them, and they aren't humans anymore to feel tiredness or exhaustion.
"Found them!" Huo Ling exclaimed when he caught sight of three people.
Bai Liu, Wu Yi, Bai Wu and Jiu Ye turned to follow his gaze and they saw a group of three people who should stand out among the crowd with their expensive and stylish clothes, handbags and shoes. But, because there are many people around them, they were covered up by them so no one noticed them three.
"They are really here!" Jiu Ye exclaimed in surprise when he saw those three wealthy-looking people.
"The rally today is not only composed of 'exorcists', but also of their clients." Huo Ling spoke. "Their clients naturally know of the law of karma so they also attended here despite their work or their busy schedules so that they can repay the exorcists for expelling the ghost for them." He explained.
"So that's why!" Bai Wu finally understood.
"What should we do now? Approach them?" Bai Liu asked.
"If the ghost in their company have already been expelled, then, You Ri should have disappeared!" Wu Yi seemed to realize something. "Huo Ling, you actually are planning to…?!" he looked at him with widened eyes.
"Naturally, You Ri still hasn't disappeared, since Yi Bing's Death Note didn't receive a notification of it." Huo Ling smiled. "So, I will tell them that the ones they hired are quacks and that the ghost should still be there." He explained.
"But, the ghost that those quacks have 'expelled' should have disappeared, since they are now here to thank those quacks?" Bai Wu asked.
Huo Ling looked at him. He is usually stupid but his questions aren't stupid. He thought. "If there is nothing, then we will create something!" he told Bai Wu and patted the other's shoulder.
Bai Liu's eyes flashed when he thought of something. "You couldn't have…" he looked at Huo Ling. "Yi Bing wasn't there to only check for You Ri, but actually to…" he muttered as the corners of his lips quirked up. "A pity that you are already Yi Bing's apprentice. If I had met you earlier, I would have already invited you to join the Inspection Department." He told Huo Ling.
"Yeah. It is really a pity, so don't you dare say these words again to him because I met him earlier and he is now mine…" Yi Bing, who suddenly appeared behind them, spoke. "… my disciple." He continued.
Bai Liu, Wu Yi and Jiu Ye. "…" why do we feel and think that you don't intend to add those words at the end?
Bai Wu. "?" something flashed in my mind but then it disappeared again… forget it.. I am idiot and supposed to not think of anything and just continue acting stupid.
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