Chapter 792
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Chapter 792: The Savior
“You will return to the capital and have two things to do.
First, go to headquarters to register the information of your Fifth Special Team, including the team name, captain, vice-captain, and other details. You will also need to customize your cloaks and communication devices, and if you need it, select your team’s exclusive aircraft…
Second, you will receive your honors.”
Zuo Qing continued, “The things you did in Japan have already spread to the higher-ups of the Night Watchers. A ‘Star Sea’ medal is already a done deal.
Moreover, this disaster-level beast tide was avoided thanks to your steadfast defense of the Shenlong Pass. This achievement is enough to earn you a second ‘Star Sea’ medal. However, since this just happened, the process may take some time. You will need to stay in the capital for a couple more days until both medals can be awarded together.”
Two ‘Star Sea’ medals at once?
The members of Team Phoenix turned to look at Lin Qiye, their eyes filled with envy.
Since its establishment, Team Phoenix has had plenty of ‘Starry’ medals, but they have yet to receive a single ‘Star Sea’ medal… It’s not that Team Phoenix is weak; it’s just that they haven’t had the opportunity to earn a ‘Star Sea’ medal.
To earn a ‘Star Sea,’ one must have corresponding achievements.
Opportunities to achieve such feats do not come often. For example, there was a beast tide six months ago, but it was averted by Wang Mian’s efforts. Although another one has appeared now, a team called ‘Nightfall’ has emerged and achieved great merit.
As for entering the ‘Human Circle’ and causing chaos, that is even less achievable for Team Phoenix.
It’s not that they lack the strength to earn a ‘Star Sea,’ but purely due to bad luck.
“Are we the only active special team with two ‘Star Sea’ medals?” Bai Li Pangpang asked excitedly.
Xia Simeng was taken aback, then smiled and said, “Not quite… During the disaster-level beast tide six months ago, Team Mask also earned a ‘Star Sea’ medal, and with the one from many years ago, Team Mask has two ‘Star Sea’ medals as well.”
Bai Li Pangpang’s expression dimmed a bit.
“By the way, I have a question…” Lin Qiye looked up at Zuo Qing, recalling how Xia Simeng had addressed him earlier. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Commander Ye… where did he go?”
A gentle breeze swept over the blood sea, and Zuo Qing’s gaze sharpened as he fell silent.
…
Half a day later.
Lin Qiye sat atop the shattered steel walls of Shenlong Pass, gazing at the distant horizon like a statue, unmoving.
The waves calmed, the night receded, and the sky returned to its original color. The dim yellow sunset spilled like broken gold over the pink sea, casting a long shadow of Lin Qiye.
Suddenly, someone patted him on the shoulder from behind and handed him a bottle of beer.
In the sunset, the orange-yellow liquid in the glass bottle swayed slightly, and fine bubbles surged from the bottom, rising, bursting, and vanishing without a trace.
Lin Qiye took the bottle, paused in silence, then took a deep swig.
Cao Yuan sat down beside Lin Qiye with another bottle of beer, letting out a helpless sigh.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Cao Yuan turned to him. “Exchanging lives was Commander Ye’s own choice. Although you brought back that heart, it doesn’t mean you are responsible for Commander Ye’s death.”
“…I know,” Lin Qiye replied hoarsely, holding the beer bottle. “But he really didn’t need to exchange his life. The Night Goddess’s seal has no time limit. Even if it takes hundreds of years, the Sword Saint’s heart would still beat on. In that long span of time, perhaps… there could have been another way to revive the Sword Saint without needing to exchange lives.
If I could have returned to the Great Xia in time to tell him this, maybe he wouldn’t have died.”
Cao Yuan looked at Lin Qiye’s profile, his eyes filled with complexity.
“You’ve already tried your best, Qiye,” Cao Yuan sighed. “If it weren’t for you leading us into the mist, the Sword Saint might not have been able to take that step. If it weren’t for you, the Sword Saint might have completely dissipated…
We are ultimately just mortals, unable to be all-knowing and all-powerful. As you said, we just need to protect those we can under this night.”
Lin Qiye remained silent, sitting on the wall, lifting the beer bottle to take another swig.
“Commander Ye’s sacrifice must be hardest on me,” Cao Yuan slowly spoke. “If it weren’t for him, I would still be locked in the deepest part of the fasting chamber, like a caged beast, let alone joining the Night Watchers and entering ‘Nightfall’…
I don’t want him to die like this. After all, he is my benefactor, the commander of the Great Xia Night Watchers, the one who sowed the seeds for this era.
But since this was his choice, we should respect it, rather than regret our inaction here.”
Lin Qiye was taken aback.
At that moment, a ship approached from the north, entering the shattered Shenlong Pass. Several figures carried a stretcher down from the ship, passing by Lin Qiye and Cao Yuan.
The stretcher was covered with a dark red cloak, concealing the lifeless body lying on it. Beside the body was a sheathed straight sword.
Lin Qiye’s spiritual energy swept over the stretcher, and he recognized the corpse beneath the cloak, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“This is…”
As the stretcher passed by them, Lin Qiye spoke up.
Among those carrying the stretcher, Fang Zuo’s eyes flashed with deep sorrow as he explained, “This is the temporary head of Shenlong Pass, the vice-captain of Team 066, Lu Qiu. He sacrificed himself at the Tuchao Pass to quickly relay information about the beast tide, using ‘Ghost God Induction’ to overdraw his life.
The Tuchao Pass sent his body back. We are preparing to handle his remains and belongings before transporting them back to the mainland… for burial.”
Lin Qiye and Cao Yuan exchanged glances, falling into silence.
They were certainly familiar with that face.
If it weren’t for Lu Qiu risking his life to relay information, Lin Qiye and the others wouldn’t have appeared at Shenlong Pass, and the reinforcements from Great Xia wouldn’t have arrived so quickly. This calamity might have already swept across the mainland, causing immeasurable damage…
In the eyes of most people, the ‘Nightfall’ team descending from the sky was the true savior, but very few knew that the one who truly saved this pass and averted a catastrophe was a Night Watcher named Lu Qiu.
