# 1804
Chapter 1797: He Succeeded
After an unknown amount of time, Cao Sha spoke with a hoarse voice:
"I know... but Captain, I can't watch them starve to death right in front of me... They're also people! They didn't do anything wrong! They just wanted to enjoy a peaceful vacation by the seaside, just like us... Those children, they clearly don't understand anything!
If my Phoenix Blood can save these children, what's my life worth compared to that?"
Xia Simeng's brow furrowed tightly. "Even if you wanted to do this, why didn't you tell me? In your eyes, what kind of captain am I?"
Cao Sha forced a helpless smile. "Captain, I know you too well... If I had told you, would the blood-letting have been left to me? Either way, I'm Cao Sha, the only man on the Phoenix Squad. At a time like this, of course I have to step forward... just like Senior Kong Shang did back then."
At the mention of Kong Shang's name, Xia Simeng's pupils slightly contracted.
"You men... I really don't know where you get this sense of mission! You think women should hide behind men?" Xia Simeng fiercely pinched Cao Sha's shoulder, making him wince in pain.
After letting off steam, Xia Simeng sat up straight again. Her gaze swept across the ground nearby, and she picked up a dilapidated plastic bucket used for building sandcastles on the beach from somewhere.
She rolled up her sleeves, revealing arms covered in grotesque scars, and drew a finger forcefully across her wrist!
Crimson blood instantly gushed out.
"Captain! You—"
"What's with the shouting?" Xia Simeng glanced at him. "Lao Niang is the captain of the Phoenix Squad and the proxy of Athena, goddess of war. In terms of blood production capacity and Phoenix Blood concentration, I甩你们一百条街— Wait, in terms of blood production and Phoenix Blood concentration, I'm miles ahead of you!
You need several drops of blood to save one person, but I can save someone with just one drop. You nearly killed yourself feeding two hundred children... I can save ten times that number in one breath!"
Cao Sha stared blankly at the blood pouring into the bucket. After a long moment, he came back to his senses.
"No... that's not acceptable! Captain, you haven't recovered from your injuries sustained during the day, and now you're still losing blood— what will you do tomorrow?"
"Relax, my body is tough as nails. This much blood is nothing." Xia Simeng patted her chest and raised her chin. "Ever heard of indestructible steel?"
As blood continued to flow out, Xia Simeng's already pallid face grew increasingly ashen. Cao Sha immediately stopped the bleeding for her and kept saying:
"Enough! That's enough, Captain! We can't let you give any more!"
"It's fine, a bit more..."
"We can't take any more!"
"Tch, are you giving me face or not?"
"Are you pouring drinks here, Captain?!" Cao Sha firmly pressed down Xia Simeng's hand, picked up the plastic bucket filled with blood, and his expression turned grave.
The ashen-faced Xia Simeng smiled, withdrew her hand, and nodded at him:
"Alright, go distribute it to them... Give to the children first, then the elderly, then everyone else."
"Rest assured, Captain. Just take it easy."
Watching Cao Sha's retreating figure grow distant, the smile on Xia Simeng's face gradually faded. She glanced at the golden characters floating above her head that had settled into "two" and murmured to herself:
"Two days left. You all must come..."
As her words fell, her head drooped helplessly, as if she had fallen asleep.
One night passed. As daylight broke over the sea, the golden birdcage was opened from the outside. Several armored guards simply grabbed the unconscious Xia Simeng by her limbs and carried her toward the depths of the palace...
After an unknown duration, Xia Simeng's faint laughter echoed from within, followed by increasingly fierce flogging sounds.
...
Great Xia.
Lin Qiye, sitting behind his desk, suddenly stopped his pen and looked up at the rainy window outside.
He frowned.
"Strange... why do I feel so uneasy?"
Lin Qiye stood slowly, paced around the office for a moment, then picked up the telephone and dialed a number.
A few minutes later, Min Junliang hurried in.
"What's wrong, Commander?"
"Is there any news from the Master?"
"Nothing yet... but the sword intent near the Sword Pavilion has grown even denser. Our people simply can't get close. Judging by this momentum, he'll emerge from seclusion in just a day or two."
Lin Qiye nodded slightly. "Clear out the surveillance along the border. Notify all Human Apex and human deities to start gathering at the marked sea area..."
Min Junliang paused.
"Commander, isn't it a bit early to start?"
"It's already late. It takes time to travel from Great Xia to Olympus... Arriving near Olympus early to set up an ambush is the safer play."
Min Junliang nodded. "Alright, I'll notify them right away."
After Min Junliang left, Lin Qiye also pushed open the door and walked directly toward the ward where Yuzuri Takishiro was staying.
Outside the ward, Shen Qingzhu was standing by the window smoking a cigarette. When he saw Lin Qiye hurrying over, he raised an eyebrow:
"What? Time to move out?"
"Yeah. I keep having this ominous feeling..." Lin Qiye glanced at the ward. "How's Takishiro?"
"Guan Zai went in just a few minutes ago. As for the specifics, I'm not sure either."
Lin Qiye hummed acknowledgment and lightly knocked on the ward door before pushing it open and stepping inside.
Cold wind from the open window swept into the ward, setting the white curtains on both sides dancing gracefully. The code sphere that had been floating in the air was already gone. In the empty ward, only a figure wearing a baseball cap remained, back turned to the two men, silent.
Beep—
A sharp whine sounded from the vital signs monitoring equipment. On the pale hospital bed, Yuzuri Takishiro's eyes were closed; he had already lost all signs of life.
Lin Qiye's heart sank.
"Takishiro?!" Lin Qiye walked to the bedside and grabbed Yuzuri Takishiro's wrist. The ice-cold touch made his eyes narrow slightly.
Guan Zai turned around and spoke calmly:
"Don't call him. He's not waking up... The doctors pronounced him dead half an hour ago."
"Dead...?"
Lin Qiye and Shen Qingzhu stared at the white-haired boy's corpse on the bed, their eyes filled with disbelief... To them, they had just played a game with Yuzuri Takishiro not long ago, and now he was simply dead?
"Why? Did his godhood transformation fail??"
"Don't panic, don't panic..." Seeing the expressions on Lin Qiye and the others, Guan Zai sighed helplessly. "This body of his had congenital deficiencies. Of course it couldn't withstand the process. Besides, if he wanted to become a god, he certainly wasn't going to do it in this body."
From Guan Zai's tone, there didn't seem to be much sorrow. Lin Qiye frowned and asked:
"So did he succeed, or did he fail?"
Guan Zai smiled faintly. On that haggard face, a rare expression of pride appeared... He took a game cartridge with a blank label stuck on it from his chest and pressed it into Lin Qiye's hand.
"...He succeeded."