# 1575
Chapter 1575: Obstruction
"Qingyu, where are you taking me?" Jiang Er floated beside An Qingyu, asking in confusion.
An Qingyu stepped across the wet path, raindrops sliding down his cheeks, his eyes firmly fixed on the distant horizon, his expression resolute.
"To Erhai."
"Now? But……"
"There's no 'but'." An Qingyu wiped the tear from the corner of his eye and spoke earnestly, "The Queen Mother of the West said that the moment your brain was devoured by the demon, you were already dead. I was originally unwilling to believe it—if you're still standing in front of me, it means I might still have a chance to save you…
But now, I understand… The reason you're still here isn't because you hope I'll waste time trying to save you. Your existence is the last chance Jiang Er gave me……"
"What chance?"
"The chance to make things right."
An Qingyu turned to look at her. "No matter what the future holds, we shouldn't end in despair and torment… right?"
Jiang Er was stunned. He gazed at An Qingyu's determined expression and let out a soft hum of agreement.
An Qingyu carried the shattered black coffin on his back, sprinting through the Heavenly Court Avenue, his weakened body heaving with labored breaths, as if he might collapse at any moment. A towering, magnificent gate rapidly enlarged before his eyes.
Just as he was about to reach the gate, two figures suddenly materialized.
"Young friend Qingyu… where are you going?" Guangchengzi, draped in crimson robes, asked softly.
An Qingyu stopped in his tracks. "Erhai."
"You wish to descend to Great Xia?" Guangchengzi and Taibai Zhenren exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat awkward. "This……"
"两位金仙前辈, I'm pressed for time. Please step aside." An Qingyu clasped his hands and said.
"Young friend Qingyu, I'll be direct—you should not descend to the mortal realm right now."
"Why?"
Guangchengzi faltered, at a loss for how to answer, and turned to seek help from Taibai Zhenren.
Taibai Zhenren weighed his words carefully. "Because descending now may bring certain risks to Great Xia……"
"Are you worried I'll harm Great Xia?" An Qingyu's brow furrowed tightly. "Do you think I would hurt Great Xia?"
"We trust you, young friend Qingyu, but you may not be able to control your own power right now, is that not so?"
An Qingyu paused, then continued, "If you're concerned about the Migo, I can already control their movements to some extent. They won't descend like before.
Furthermore, the temporal disturbances around me can be controlled through my consciousness and won't harm others……"
"Young friend Qingyu." Taibai Zhenren shook his head. "We've lost you once already. Your current state is extremely unusual—neither Heavenly Court nor Great Xia can take this risk again… I truly apologize."
"So… you're not going to let me leave under any circumstances?"
"…Yes."
The two Golden Immortals' gazes were resolute and unwavering.
Upon seeing this, An Qingyu's brow creased tightly, and the atmosphere suddenly solidified into tension.
Several streaks of light flashed across the sky in succession. The Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West's forms materialized before the Southern Heavenly Gate. Zuo Qing and other Human Apex figures descended one after another, standing before the two Golden Immortals.
They had originally been conversing inside the palace. Upon hearing the commotion at the Southern Heavenly Gate, they rushed over immediately.
"What's happening?" Zuo Qing asked in confusion.
Guangchengzi explained the entire situation. Upon hearing it, everyone fell into silence.
The Gods of Great Xia and the Human Apex figures turned to look at An Qingyu. Sensing the Cthulhu Faction aura emanating from him, their expressions grew complicated.
As the Queen Mother of the West had said, the current An Qingyu was not truly human, but a Cthulhu Faction entity…
Allowing An Qingyu to go to Great Xia would definitely be a reckless move.
An Qingyu's gaze swept across each of them. These beings who had once given him immense comfort now regarded him with suspicion, blocking him within the Southern Heavenly Gate.
An Qingyu's heart clenched, and bitterness surfaced in his eyes.
"Elders, I am An Qingyu, deputy captain of the Night Watch squad. I am not an enemy of Great Xia…" An Qingyu drew a deep breath and spoke earnestly, "I only wish to return to Great Xia to see my beloved one last time… At most one hour, and I will return."
The crowd exchanged glances, at a loss for how to respond. As Zhou Ping was about to speak, the Jade Emperor's voice rang out heavily:
"Apologies, but Heavenly Court cannot take this risk."
With the Three Pure Ones absent, the Jade Emperor was Heavenly Court's representative. His decision was the decision of the Gods of Great Xia. Several Great Xia deities who had wanted to plead for An Qingyu fell silent.
"Qingyu, let's not go. Please?" Jiang Er reached out to grasp An Qingyu's hand, though he lacked physical form. "As long as you're by my side, it doesn't matter where we are."
An Qingyu stared at the numerous figures blocking the Southern Heavenly Gate. For the first time, a sense of disappointment toward Great Xia blossomed in his heart…
Yes, the world beyond the Gate of Truth did possess immense power—enough to drive ordinary people to madness and confusion. An Qingyu had witnessed it, but he had endured through his own willpower. He was certain he had not been affected in the slightest.
Even if his body was now stained with the stench of Cthulhu, even if he could no longer be considered human physiologically, he was still that An Qingyu.
Deep in his heart, An Qingyu knew they were right to act this way. They were protecting Great Xia.
But the feeling of being suspected, of being on guard against… it truly was unbearable.
An Qingyu looked at Jiang Er's increasingly faint, dissolving features. His lips pressed together tightly, and guilt, resentment, grievance, and anger surged through him one after another. He drew a deep breath, about to speak, when a voice suddenly echoed from behind him.
"Let him through."
An Qingyu froze. He turned to look and saw, within the misty drizzle, two figures draped in Crimson Cloaks walking slowly forward.
Lin Qiye walked past An Qingyu and went straight toward the numerous Great Xia deities and Human Apex figures before the Southern Heavenly Gate, his expression utterly calm.
"Lin Qiye, you should understand…" The Queen Mother of the West had not yet finished speaking when Lin Qiye's resolute voice cut through once more!
"I do not understand."
Lin Qiye stopped before the crowd, his damp hair hanging across his forehead. His composed eyes swept across everyone before him. "All I know is that An Qingyu is my deputy captain, and the fallen Jiang Er was my squad member…
The Night Watch's members gave their lives heroically fighting the Outer Gods. I fail to see what crime I've committed in wanting to return to Great Xia's lands to see her off…"
The Queen Mother of the West gazed at Lin Qiye and spoke slowly, "The current An Qingyu is far too dangerous……"
"I will go with him." Lin Qiye paused.
"If he shows any sign of anomaly during this process… as captain of the Night Watch, I will kill him with my own hands."