"No one." Minglan looked sideways averting her eyes and coughed. The ambiguous atmosphere circulating had reached the peak. Her face had an abnormal flush. She really wanted to find a hole and jump. Who knew she was a pervert! What will Xiao Hei think afterwards? She quickly scanned the room of the ghosts after remembering she was not alone anymore and there were uninvited tenants. After sweeping the surroundings, she was relieved, it seemed that they had dispersed already and even Little Loli was nowhere in sight.
The ghosts with the exception of Little Loli who witnessed Minglan's shameless acts huddled together in one corner and discussed Minglan's atrocious behavior with great fervor. Still, they lowered their voices so that the Grim Repear will not hear. Though for some reason, a huge black shadow loomed over their heads and joined their chat. They lifted their ghostly heads at the same time and three big grinning heads with their salivas splashing on their figures met their sight. All the ghosts was horrified and scattered, returning to their respective resting spots losing their interest in gossiping.
The Grim Repear stretched his lips into a small smile and unclasped her wrist. He was already satisfied with her reaction and didn't press her further. His plan was to take small steps in achieving his goals. He patted her head and also reminded her to wash and sleep early and leave the mess to him before walking back towards the direction of the bathroom. He submerged himself under the cold water a little longer to calm the fire down.
Minglan let out a deep breath after escaping the ordeal. She patted her cheeks to regain its normal color. Calming down, she busied herself in cleaning up the mess Little Loli made. She knew Xiao Hei was already tired from work and cooking. Finishing, she went to her bedroom and dipped her body in the tub.
Xiao Hei listened to the sound of the tap water running. Grim Reapers have clairvoyance, it's one of the privileges working in the Underworld, so Xiao Hei could see what Minglan was doing if he wish to, but invading her privacy was disrespectful, Xiao Hei only dulled his senses at the moment and thrust himself into barrage of memories particularly their encounter a week ago.
The scene in front of him changed and replaced with the dark isolated palace. The Mortal World is divided into many areas and the Underworld had assigned Grim Reapers in each. Although the dead in the small areas are only a handful each day, an easy work, the Grim Reapers still find it difficult to manage. This is due to the disorder that happened a thousand years ago. Xiao Hei had only been working roughly for a hundred years and compared to other Grim Reapers he was quite young, but none of them look down on him because of that. Grim Reapers are guides, and as the guide of the souls to the Underworld, one needs sufficient ability to navigate the dangerous paths. It is inenvitable to encounter malicious ghosts on the way, and Grim Reapers are expected to eliminate them and ensure the soul being guided safely arrives the Samsara River. When Xiao Hei took the first task, he almost spent a month escorting the soul. It was quite good already compared to other's performance but his internal injuries were severe. Malicious ghosts would attack anyone they sense, tearing the target and devouring them until not a speck was left. Countless Grim Reapers already fell under their claws.
Xiao Hei spent a couple of days to recuperate. It was fortunate that their bodies could regenerate and heal quickly. Xiao Hei resumed work and assisted another soul, this time though he was injured again, he spent less time treading the path.
He persevered each time until he became a veteran and can finish escorting souls in a few hours.
With so much free time on hand, he started travelling and picked up some hobbies along the way. This kept him busy for short time but after awhile he felt something was missing, as if something important was forgotten. After finishing his daily tasks, he would find himself having hallucinations and while immersed, silhouette of a woman kept disturbing him creating ripples in his calm lake, sending him into a spiral ride of emotions and it even followed him to the Underworld affecting his work. The glowing silhouette would popped out of nowhere and glide along the darkness, it was only the light in the dreary dark Underworld. However, only Xiao Hei could noticed this light and none of the executors or the guided soul could see it. It was so strange yet so comforting that Xiao Hei became acostumed to it presence. The glowing silhouette would always appear when he reached the barren land filled with miasma and disappeared whenever he arrived at the threshold of Samsara River.
Perplexed, he asked a colleague about the matter. To his bafflement, the latter answered that it was related to his past. Grim Reapers weren't born naturally, they were mortals in their past lives and it was only under a contract after their death that they become such beings.
Xiao Hei asked another Grim Reaper and got the same reply.
Xiao Hei, from then on, always looked forward to the time he spent being accompanied by the silhouette. He would even intentionally prolong the journey to the destined Samsara River.
He continued the same routine until a more than year ago. The one he kept expecting didn't appear. He waited for days, until days turned to months and then a full year gone by. It didn't appear anymore. He became very upset. He roamed the void even after work is done but it was in vain. There was no more light.
Xiao Hei could only returned without results. Listless and gloomy, he asked again the same colleagues if they knew something but they only shook their heads unable to give him any information.
The after a month passed, a recurring nightmare kept visiting him every night in his isolated home in the mortal world and he saw the silhouette again but this time the face was very clear. He finally got to know her but the scene inside his dreams couldn't keep her for too long as every ending was her death. Xiao Hei would wake up everytime the scene ended and he became crazy to the point he wanted to take control of the dreams and reverse the situation saving her out of the endless quagmire.
Things didn't go to his plan, the scenes kept repeating and her death kept flashing in his mind. He suffered heartbreak and loss each time and could only watch and do nothing. He once again asked his colleagues' advise but they only gave him pitiful looks. It was at that moment, he knew what they meant, his past was related to the girl and in that life, she died young and tragic, that's why he couldn't change anything because it already happened.
Xiao Hei once again roamed the mortal grounds distracting himself from the sorrow. He resumed his hobbies and collected interesting things. As to finding the girl, Xiao Hei didn't try, because he was warned not to indulge to much in the past or those events might repeat. Thus, he endured the torture every night until one fateful morning. He never expected he would encounter her alive, breathing and still beautiful as ever. His heart beat and the missing part was being filled.