# 1600
Chapter 1596: Appointment Letter
Lin Qiye had broken through.
Witnessing Jiang Er's disappearance, An Qingyu's betrayal, brothers killing each other, Cao Yuan's death… Lin Qiye's heart had long been dead and silent. He was like a drowning man submerged in despair and pain, sinking alone in the darkness.
To outsiders, he merely appeared to be trapped by the "Heart's Gate," like a sluggish patient, but there was no second person in the world who could feel the profound sorrow hidden beneath that lonely, silent gaze.
Lin Qiye knew he had to take that step. As long as he didn't break through the "Heart's Gate," he would forever be a useless person… And the only thing he could do was to cast aside everything from his past, bury those pains and despairs forever in his heart, and use them to take one step into the Human Apex.
But the moment Shen Qingzhu appeared, everything changed.
Lin Qiye had thought he had nothing left… But now, he had his "Zhua Ge." When Zhua Ge stood by his side, it melted all the pain he had been suppressing in his heart, like the only ray of light in a dark, desperate world, pulling Lin Qiye back from the abyss of self-denial and struggle.
As Wu Quan had said, Zhua Ge had been his salvation before… Now, he was Lin Qiye's salvation too.
That was a sliver of hope in despair, that was the unexpected turning point when all seemed lost. With this unprecedented emotional upheaval, the "Heart's Gate" that had been weighing on Lin Qiye's heart became as fragile as paper.
Breaking through the Heart's Gate might only require one person, one sentence—simple, yet unattainable.
"…Qingzhu-ge?"
Wu Quan stood nearby, looking at that familiar yet unfamiliar back, murmuring to himself in a daze.
Shen Qingzhu turned around, seeming equally surprised to see Wu Quan there. He was愣 for a moment before patting the latter's shoulder. "Mm, you've grown taller."
"QINGZHU-GE!!!" When Wu Quan saw his face, he stood frozen for a long while before coming to his senses. This youth who usually wore a perpetual scowl on his face rushed over to Shen Qingzhu like a madman and hugged him tightly.
"Zhua Ge! I've been looking for you ever since I left the orphanage… Where have you been all this time?"
"We can talk about that later… You two, let go of me first. Tears and snot are getting all over me…" Shen Qingzhu watched this scene helplessly, wanting to laugh but unconsciously maintaining a straight face. His expression was quite rigid.
He turned to look at Zuo Qing, his eyes pleading for help, but Zuo Qing just watched them with a chuckle, showing no intention of intervening.
Amid Wu Quan's heart-wrenching wails, Zuo Qing's peripheral vision caught something. He walked to the side, picked up the brush that had fallen to the ground, and gently blew the dust off it…
Zuo Qing glanced at Lin Qiye, whose face was covered in tears, and smiled silently. He tucked the brush into his pocket and walked out alone.
"So, the person who killed Lucifer was actually you?"
After hearing Shen Qingzhu's account, Lin Qiye's mouth hung open in shock, but thinking carefully, it made sense.
Lin Qiye had been present when the Gods of Great Xia encircled and attacked Lucifer. Under that level of assault, Lucifer surviving at all would have been a miracle. Then encountering Zhua Ge in Hell right after absorbing his true essence, there was no way he could have escaped… With that, Shen Qingzhu became the biggest beneficiary.
"If I hadn't swallowed him, I wouldn't have been able to fully control the Hell's Origin so quickly. With my own strength alone, it would have taken me at least another half year to emerge." Shen Qingzhu nodded.
Lin Qiye smiled, then seemed to think of something and fell into contemplation.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just feel that your return was simply too coincidental… No, I should say everything was too coincidental." Lin Qiye said half-jokingly. "Think about it—if An Qingyu and Jiang Er hadn't suddenly disappeared from Heavenly Court and been targeted by Lucifer, the Gods of Great Xia wouldn't have had the chance to severely injure him. If Lucifer hadn't been injured, your return would have been delayed by half a year… In that case, 【Nightfall】 might truly have been wiped out.
All of this was as if it was perfectly timed, precisely calculated."
"Maybe that's just fate." Shen Qingzhu paused, his expression gradually growing grave. "By the way, about An Qingyu—I only heard a brief version from Guan Guan on the road. What exactly happened during the time I was away?"
Lin Qiye's eyes dimmed. He recounted all the events that had transpired during that period.
Shen Qingzhu's brow furrowed tighter and tighter.
"Can the power of 'Truth' really change a person so completely?"
Lin Qiye was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "I… don't know."
"But I've figured it out now." Lin Qiye took a deep breath and continued. "Since these things have already happened, I shouldn't immerse myself in the past. No amount of regret would help… I'd better find An Qingyu in person and ask him directly…"
"And if he really joined the Cthulhu Faction?"
"Then I'll kill him with my own hands." Lin Qiye said calmly. "【Nightfall】 can have sacrifices, but it cannot have traitors… Any individual's betrayal is an insult to all the others who sacrificed."
Shen Qingzhu nodded and said nothing more.
Just as the two were speaking, a figure draped in a dark crimson cloak strode in from outside.
"Captain Lin, Commander Zuo is waiting for you in his office." It was Commander Zuo Qing's secretary. He extended a hand, making a "please" gesture.
Lin Qiye was slightly taken aback. "Commander Zuo wants to see me? Wasn't he just…"
Lin Qiye looked around and only then realized Zuo Qing had long disappeared.
"Commander Zuo has an important matter to discuss with you, so he specially waited in his office." The secretary spoke again.
Seeing this, Lin Qiye said no more. He only agreed on a meeting place with Shen Qingzhu, then strode toward the Supreme Commander's office.
Knock knock knock—
"Enter."
Lin Qiye pushed open the door and walked into the office. Zuo Qing was sitting in the office chair, with a document placed before him, looking at Lin Qiye with a smile.
"What's so important that it has to be said here?" Lin Qiye sat down across from him, puzzled.
Zuo Qing didn't answer. Instead, he asked:
"Have you completely shattered your 'Heart's Gate'?"
"Yes."
"Any confusion left in your heart? Anywhere still uncomfortable?"
"No… I feel like my entire being is unprecedentedly clear." Lin Qiye shook his head.
The state after breaking through the Heart's Gate was completely different from before. Before, Lin Qiye's spiritual power had been approaching the ceiling of Infinity, but he hadn't yet broken through that layer of paper. Now, he had completely taken that step. Whether it was total spiritual power or the agility of his thoughts, both had increased substantially.
He was now officially one of the few Human Apex.
Seeing this, Zuo Qing nodded in satisfaction, pushed the document before him toward Lin Qiye, and spoke slowly:
"Then, I think it's time for you to accept a new identity…"