Soul Lock

The House of Reincarnation II

 Wen Lan

Ox-Head and Horse-Face brought Wen Lan into a circular room which consisted of five red doors and a golden ornate red throne in the middle of the doors. Brimming with all the negative emotions in the world, Wen Lan didn't even raise his head.

"Look who is here again!" the Master of Life-and-death welcomed him excitedly.

"Have we met, Her Majesty?" Wen Lan asked, frowning. If he had met an eyeless goddess, he would remember her, right?

Ox-Head and Horse-Face coughed a few times. They would surely roll their eyes in the face of Her Majesty's carelessness if they could. Indeed, she was a young goddess who was only one thousand-year old, but it was in her nature to drop a brick all the time.

"Oh right, my mistake little Wen," she smiled, showing her pitch black teeth.

Ash coloured skin with black holes and black teeth... It was such a creepy scene that Wen Lan felt his heart stop beating. Well, he was already dead thanks to Ju Xin's blade which penetrated through his heart, but still...

"I-It is alright," he managed to utter in the end. Although he didn't buy it, he wouldn't want to make her angry.

"Did you find that person?" She suddenly asked, pointing her looonngg finger to the knot on Wen Lan's pinky.

Now, Wen Lan was sure he was in that room before although he had no recollection. As it was his second life and he remembered everything from his first life, the only explanation was that this part of the memories was erased on purpose.

"Well?"

The irritated voice of the Master of Life-and-death snapped him out of his thoughts.

"I did, but it wasn't useful at all," he answered with a hint of resentment in his voice.

"Too bad," she pouted, "but not everyone wants to remember their previous life, you see."

Wen Lan gave out a bitter chuckle. So, Ju Xin didn't even bother to remember him. He just got rid of his old memories and got a brand new life while Wen Lan stuck in the past and chased him for thirty damn years!

"Now tell me, do you still want to keep Soul Lock or not," she said just as a red light appeared above her head before a thick red notebook fell to her lap. Sighing, she grabbed the book and raised it to her eye level, well, to the black holes level and said "I don't need you right now, I know this soul, so please go back."

The red book fidgeted in her hand angrily, opened itself and bit her fingers by closing back. Yelping, she slapped the red book with her free hand and it fell back to her lap, shaking like a small child who got reprimanded.

Seeing the situation was going out of hand, the goddess rubbed the red cover to soothe it, "I will feed you with Yin souls later if you go now."

Suddenly, the red book disappeared, only leaving a subtle red light behind.

Wen Lan kept staring at the red light with his eyes wide open while the Master of Life-and-death leaned back on her throne as if she was tired. Her sailing transparent hair followed her lead and spread all over the red throne, reaching the floor.

"Where was I?" she drummed her ghastly fingers on her lips, "Aha, I remember now! I was asking you about your Soul Lock. So, tell me if you want to remove it."

"No," Wen Lan said with determination, "I want to keep it." Probably, it was the most stupid decision he had ever given, but his pride wasn't listening to his brain. He was killed twice by Ju Xin and he needed answers, if not, then revenge.

"Such a stubborn soul!" she exclaimed while clapping. Souls like him were the reason why she showed up at work everyday.

After she enjoyed herself enough, she clapped her hands one more time and a red cloud slid in before landing on her open hand before it transformed into a clay cup with a red liquid in it. She showed the cup to Wen Lan, "this is the Tea of Oblivion, in case you choose to drink it, you will start your new life anew without remembering a single thing from your previous life. But as you insist on keeping your Soul Lock, I believe you won't drink it, right?"

"Yes Majesty, I won't drink it," Wen Lan replied firmly for the second time although he didn't remember his first time.

"Very well, then let's see your door," she threw the cup behind and the cup disappeared in her hair as usual. Then she ran her hand through her hair and five red cards appeared on her grip. She threw them into the air and the cards disappeared. A second later, the door whose plate was HUMAN illuminated with a red light.

"Congrats little Lan, your accumulated good deeds enabled you to be reincarnated as Human again. Work hard and become a Deity next time," she gestured to him to go to the Human Door.

Wen Lan bowed his head respectfully and opened the door. A bright light enveloped him completely and he entered the Mortal Realm again as a new person but the same old soul.