# 1599
Chapter 1599: Zhuai Ge...
"On the other side." Zuo Qing led the two men up the stairs and stopped in front of the other side of the stone tablet.
"001—【Black Dragon】 (1981-1985), Captain: Li Kengqiang; Vice-Captain: Shi Jian; Members: Kong Zongyong, Zuo Songliang, Lu Peilong...
002—【Fenghua】 (1984-1986), Captain: Leng Jiangping; Vice-Captain...
003—【Zixun】 (1985-1990), Captain: Zi Huang...
001—【Heroic Spirit】 (1986-?), Captain: Huo Qubing; Vice-Captain: Gongyang Wan; Members: Nie Jinshan, Li Kengqiang...
...
003—【Phoenix】 (2009-?), Captains: Zhong Qian, Ou Changhong, Ma Huijun, Feng Chan, Zhao Simeng; Vice-Captains: Jiang Guoming, Ge Deqing, Ning Liang, Cao Sha...
005—【Blue Rain】 (2010-2012), Captain: Luan Ping; Vice-Captain: Wu Xiangnan; Members:...
002—【Spirit Medium】 (2015-?), Captain: Bu Li, Wu Tongxuan; Vice-Captains...
004—【Mask】 (2017-2023), Captain: Wang Mian; Vice-Captain: Sun Tianping; Members: Li Xuan, Zhao Weiwei...
005—【Nightfall】 (2022-?), Captain: Lin Qiye; Vice-Captain: An Qingyu; Members: Cao Yuan, Baili Pangpang, Shen Qingzhu, Jialan, Jiang Er."
Lin Qiye's gaze swept across these names, finally landing on the last line, his eyes once again filled with confusion and struggle.
After seeing these lists, Wu Quan frowned with confusion:
"Besides 【Heroic Spirit】 and 【Phoenix】... is there really no special squad that can exist for more than five years?"
"...No." Zuo Qing shook his head, speaking bitterly. "【Heroic Spirit】 exceeding five years is normal—as long as the dragon's vein of Great Xia doesn't die, they will continue to exist. And 【Phoenix】 has been able to persist until now because they constantly change and reorganize their members.
Most special squad captains don't like drastically changing their team members, but the first-generation 【Phoenix】 captain, Zhong Qian, was a very special woman. Her philosophy was: as long as Great Xia doesn't perish, 【Phoenix】 will not die!
She shared part of her phoenix bloodline with her teammates. Once someone died, she would introduce a new member and grant them phoenix blood, giving them extremely powerful healing abilities.
After she herself died in battle, she transplanted all her organs to the next captain, including the phoenix blood-generating function... and so on, in this cycle, 【Phoenix】 has already gone through five captains, and the members have been replaced batch after batch."
"Each generation of 【Phoenix】 captains shares one set of organs?" Wu Quan frowned tightly. "Isn't this desecrating the dead?"
"This was the first-generation Captain Zhong Qian's own choice. The reason she did this was hoping that Great Xia would have a special squad that was eternally stable and possessed 【Phoenix】 power.
They are like a heart that beats forever—no matter how fatal the blow, they can rise from the ashes. As long as 【Phoenix】 exists for even one day, the Night Watch will always have special squads available... This is the will of her and every generation of 【Phoenix】 captains."
Wu Quan gazed at the magnificent tablet before him, utterly shaken.
"If Fang Mo and the others' special squad gets officially recognized, which designation number would they inherit?" Lin Qiye, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.
Zuo Qing opened his mouth, but still said: "This hasn't been decided yet, but... Wang Mian traveled through time over a month ago and saved the souls of the other 【Mask】 members. Currently, the Heavenly Court is大规模的播种能够给魂体当做肉身承载的黑茶花，也许用不了多久，他们便会复活。
But 【Mask】's designation has already been ended by Wang Mian's own hand. Even if they return, they will no longer be the old 004 【Mask】, but a brand new team... However, 【Nightfall】's situation is different..."
Zuo Qing didn't continue, but Lin Qiye understood clearly that 【Nightfall】 and 【Mask】 were entirely different matters.
【Mask】 had been completely annihilated, but there was still a chance of resurrection. However, for 【Nightfall】 to continue existing, it would require An Qingyu, who betrayed Great Xia, to return voluntarily; Jiang Er, whose soul died and body perished, to revive; Cao Yuan, who was swallowed by the Black King, to resurrect and counter the Black King; and Zhuai Ge to completely absorb the Hell Origin and still return with his sanity intact...
Any one of these conditions was a fantasy, and doing all of them... was simply impossible.
Perhaps 【Nightfall】 was destined never to return to its former state.
"In the 'Human Enclosure,' Wang Mian once said that the fate of special squads is destined to be tragic... The meaning of our existence is to unleash all our energy before the end of tragedy arrives, and after everything ends, pass on our duties to the more hopeful younger generation." Lin Qiye's voice was hoarse.
He stared at the information belonging to the 【Nightfall】 squad for a long while, then slowly closed his eyes, trying to hide his grief and pain.
In his mind, images of Fang Mo, Lu Baoyou, Su Yuan, Su Zhe, and others flashed—their faces full of confidence and hope... just like their own once were.
He took a deep breath.
"【Nightfall】's era has ended... let us entrust our glory and duties to the younger generation."
Hearing these words, Zuo Qing was slightly stunned. "You're going to voluntarily give the designation to the Sixth Reserve Team? Lin Qiye, have you thought this through?"
Lin Qiye didn't answer. He only opened those quiet eyes and slowly said:
"Commander Zuo, can you give me a pen? I want to... personally draw a period at the end of our story."
Zuo Qing looked into his eyes. After a moment, he sighed and waved for someone to bring a carving knife pen, handing it to Lin Qiye.
Lin Qiye gripped the pen, walked to the line with the 【Nightfall】 roster, slowly raised his arm, reaching toward the end of "(2022-?)"...
At that moment, a mysterious aura emanated from within Lin Qiye.
"This is..." Zuo Qing was stunned, his gaze complicated. "The Heart's Gate?"
Lin Qiye's Heart's Gate was about to break.
He came to this tablet to bid farewell to the former 【Nightfall】, leaving everything to the more hopeful juniors... just as all special squads had done before, passing the torch forward.
Similarly, the moment he truly drew a period at the end of their story meant he would sever ties with the past, beginning a new journey accompanied by sorrow and pain...
The extreme pain and sorrow brought by letting go—this was the "gate" he chose to breakthrough.
After taking this step, he would formally step into the Human Apex, becoming the pinnacle of humanity.
Having guessed Lin Qiye's intentions, Zuo Qing could only sigh helplessly... For Lin Qiye, this was indeed the only choice.
But just as the carving pen was about to touch the tablet, a figure surging with divine power swept across the stone tablet, and a strong hand grabbed Lin Qiye's wrist!
"This isn't our ending yet, Captain." That gentle and familiar voice rang by Lin Qiye's ear. "At least... as long as I'm here, it isn't."
The moment he heard this voice, Lin Qiye's body shuddered violently!
He turned to look beside him, and when that long-missed face came into view, he was like a dying man abandoned by the world who had finally found the only anchor in his despair.
Endless bitterness and sorrow, grievances, surged forth from his lifeless heart, transforming into brimming tears that slid down from the corners of his eyes...
He embraced that man, his lips trembling as he spoke the long-untouched name:
"Zhu... Zhuai Ge..."
The next moment,
The aura of the Human Apex descended.
...
...
I'm back from my business trip. Three chapters daily will resume tomorrow~