# 1556
Chapter 1556: An Qingyu's Departure
Jiang Ziya had just taken a few steps when a figure merged with the night and swiftly arrived before him.
Lin Qiye, draped in a crimson cloak, clasped his hands in a formal bow. "Junior Lin Qiye pays respects to Lord Jiang."
Jiang Ziya halted.
His gaze shifted away from An Qingyu to Lin Qiye before him, his expression somewhat complicated.
"Rise."
"May I ask, Lord Jiang, why you are here?"
"...Lin Qiye, do you truly not know why老夫 am here?" Jiang Ziya didn't answer directly. Instead, he sighed and posed a question back to Lin Qiye.
Lin Qiye stood silent for a moment, then straightened up and slowly spoke:
"Your transformation technique is truly masterful, Lord Jiang. When we first met you that day, we never suspected anything unusual... However, I dare to guess that you assumed a mortal form and secretly stayed at Shangjing University—perhaps to monitor us?"
Jiang Ziya stared at Lin Qiye for a long while, then shook his head.
"Let老夫 be direct. Today, An Qingyu must return to the Heavenly Court with老夫."
"Return to the Heavenly Court?" Lin Qiye's brow rose slightly. "For what purpose?"
Jiang Ziya let out a long sigh. "Lin Qiye, this matter is not that老夫 is withholding information from you... You've surely guessed at An Qingyu's special nature. After observing him for this period, we can determine that he is no longer suitable to remain in the mortal realm. But as for how to handle him specifically, even老夫 has no authority to decide...
Everything depends on the will of the Heavenly Lord."
Lin Qiye stood frozen in place.
Jiang Ziya moved around Lin Qiye, walking directly toward An Qingyu. Before he could take several steps, Lin Qiye blocked his path once more.
"Lord Jiang, could we accompany you?"
"...No." Jiang Ziya shook his head. "Under normal circumstances, you could ascend to the Heavenly Court whenever you wished. But this is an extraordinary period, and the matter is of great significance. The 【Nightfall】 squad should avoid any appearance of impropriety."
Jiang Ziya no longer attempted to circumvent Lin Qiye. Instead, his form flashed, passing through space to appear before An Qingyu, who was surrounded by numerous attendants. An Qingyu raised his head to look at him. On his pale face, there wasn't much emotional fluctuation—only within those eyes was there a faint trace of bitterness.
"An Qingyu, come with老夫 back to the Heavenly Court," Jiang Ziya spoke slowly.
"I'm going with him!" Jiang Er floated up from beneath the ground, her voice emerging from the speaker, her gaze resolute.
An Qingyu hesitated for a moment, then pointed at Jiang Er and said:
"She must come with me. If she's separated from me for too long, she'll die."
Jiang Ziya gazed at Jiang Er for a moment, then nodded.
"Very well."
With a flick of Jiang Ziya's finger, a black coffin beneath the earth broke through the ground, floating at An Qingyu's side. Then, he used the God-Smiting Whip to slice through the void. A illusory portal of light and shadow appeared behind the two of them.
The portal emanated rich spatial fluctuations. Though the interwoven light and shadow made it impossible to see the scenery beyond, from the rippling spiritual energy that flowed out, it was clear that beyond the gate lay the Great Xia Heavenly Court.
Jiang Ziya, gripping the God-Smiting Whip, stepped into the portal first. An Qingyu's hands rested on the edges of his wheelchair, his eyes gazing at Lin Qiye in the distance, his expression infinitely complex.
Lin Qiye parted his lips, about to speak, but An Qingyu shook his head gently at him.
"Qiye, don't worry about me. Once I figure out what's going on, I'll come back."
An Qingyu pushed his wheelchair forward, his form merging into the portal of light and shadow. Jiang Er's black coffin floated beside him, following close behind.
Lin Qiye stood stunned, watching the figure disappear into the gate. Countless thoughts churned in his mind. Gritting his teeth, his form transformed into a streak of light, rushing toward that portal at maximum speed!
However, just as he was about to touch the gate, the light and shadow gradually faded from the air, and he ultimately grasped at nothing.
The empty hall fell into dead silence once more.
Lin Qiye stood茫然ly at the place where the portal had vanished. The cold wind brushed against his cheeks. For some unknown reason, with An Qingyu's disappearance, he felt an increasingly ominous premonition in his heart...
"Qiye..." Cao Yuan stepped forward, his brow furrowed with confusion. "What exactly happened? Why did Lord Jiang take Qingyu away?"
"Qingyu... is likely connected to the Cthulhu Faction."
"The Cthulhu Faction?" Cao Yuan愣了一下, his brow furrowing tightly. "You mean he's a traitor? How is that possible?"
"Of course Qingyu couldn't be a traitor—there must be some hidden circumstances we don't know about..." Lin Qiye's mind raced at lightning speed. After a moment, a firm light appeared in his eyes.
"Cao Yuan, let's go."
"Where to?"
"The Heavenly Court."
"Maybe things aren't as serious as you think... Qingyu just recently saved the Gods of Great Xia. They certainly won't harm him. Perhaps they just want to question him about something."
"I trust the gods of Great Xia, and I trust Qingyu. But on this matter, I have an inexplicable premonition of disaster... Perhaps it has to do with the vision I saw in hell." Lin Qiye's mind recalled that gray-robed figure walking through the mist—An Qingyu. He spoke in a low voice.
"Until I clarify what happened to Qingyu, I cannot rest easy. Since Lord Jiang won't take us to the Heavenly Court, we'll find our own way there."
Seeing Lin Qiye's determination, Cao Yuan nodded. "I'm with you."
Lin Qiye strode quickly toward the exit of the hall. Just as Cao Yuan was about to follow, a voice called out from behind them:
"Where are you going?"
Cao Yuan turned back. Lu Menglei's face was full of worry.
"Don't worry, we're not going anywhere dangerous." Cao Yuan stepped forward, gently stroking her head. "I need to find my brothers. When I get back, I'll come find you at the Kendo Club."
Having said this, Cao Yuan turned to leave. Then, as if remembering something, he looked back again:
"By the way, that request you made will have to wait too. When I get back, you can't go back on your word."
As his words fell, Cao Yuan picked up the black box and swiftly caught up to Lin Qiye.
In the still night, the slender lavender figure standing in the center of the hall gradually faded from Cao Yuan's view.
"Actually, you could have stayed with her." Lin Qiye spoke as they raced forward. "It's just going to the Heavenly Court. I could go alone."
"Didn't you say you had an ominous premonition? Besides... when has a squad leader ever gone into action while the team members stayed behind to handle romance?" Cao Yuan shook his head. "Qingyu is also my brother. I can't just stand by and do nothing."
Seeing Cao Yuan's resolve, Lin Qiye didn't press the issue further. Instead, he silently accelerated to his maximum speed.
Under the dim starlight, Cao Yuan gazed at Lin Qiye's anxious profile. After a moment of silence, he spoke again:
"Qiye."
"What is it?"
Cao Yuan spoke slowly. "We are 【Nightfall】. You're our squad leader. No matter what you plan to do in the future, we will support you...
Even if one day you have to stand against the entire world, we will be on your side."
With that, Lin Qiye nodded silently, his heart warmed by his friend's unwavering loyalty. The two figures vanished into the night, heading toward the Heavenly Court.
After an endless period of unconsciousness, Shi Yu suddenly sat up in bed.
He gasped deeply for fresh air, his chest heaving.
Confusion, bewilderment, various emotions surged through his heart.
Where was this?
Then, instinctively, Shi Yu surveyed his surroundings, only to become even more bewildered.
A single-person dormitory?
Even if he had been successfully rescued, he should be in a hospital ward right now.
And his body... why did it have not a single scratch?
With doubts piling up, Shi Yu's gaze swept rapidly across the room before finally landing on a mirror by the bedside.
The mirror reflected his current appearance—approximately seventeen or eighteen years old, handsome features.
But the problem was, this wasn't him!
The previous him was a handsome young man in his mid-twenties with dignified bearing, who had been working for some time.
Now, however, he looked like he was only in high school...
This change left Shi Yu stunned for a long time.
Please don't tell him the surgery was successful...
Both his body and appearance had changed—this was by no means a matter of whether the surgery succeeded or failed, but rather, sorcery.
He had completely become someone else!
Could it be... he had transmigrated?
Other than the mirror on the bedside table, whose placement was clearly poor feng shui, Shi Yu had also discovered three books beside it.
Shi Yu picked them up. The titles immediately left him speechless.
"Novice Keeper's Essential Beast-Raising Manual"
"Pet Beast Post-Natal Care"
"Ranking Guide for Different Species Beast-Girls"
Shi Yu: ???
The first two book titles were somewhat normal. But what was the deal with the last one?
"Cough."
Shi Yu's expression turned serious. He reached out his hand, but his arm quickly stiffened.
Just as he was about to flip open the third book to see what exactly this thing was, his mind was struck by a splitting pain. A flood of memories came crashing over him like a tide.
Ice Source City.
Pet Beast Breeding Base.
Intern Pet Beast Keeper.
御兽师？
(Dimensional Lord?)[/transension]