# 280
**Chapter 280 – The Third Ward**
"Lin Qiye?"
The moment they heard that name, the expressions of the senior officials turned grave.
"He is the agent of the Archangel Michael and the Goddess of Night, Nyx. He possesses the Sequence 003 [Mortal Divine Realm]. Just based on talent and potential alone, he is absolutely qualified to be the captain of a special team."
"Not only that, his intelligence is extremely high, and his strategic thinking is top-tier. During training camp, he graduated first in his class. His scores in tactical theory, simulation exercises, and other theoretical courses broke historical records..."
Ye Fan analyzed Lin Qiye’s strengths from every angle. Some of the officials nodded in agreement, but others frowned even more deeply.
"From a potential standpoint, he does have the qualifications, but... his experience is still too shallow," an elderly man shook his head repeatedly. "He’s only been out of training camp for less than two years. His actual time working in the Night Watch hasn’t even reached six months. He simply doesn’t have enough case experience."
"Exactly, and his cultivation level is too low," another senior official chimed in. "When the [Phoenix] and [Mask] squads were first formed, Xia Simeng and Wang Mian were already at the peak of the Sea Realm. His level is too low—no matter how great his potential, it can’t make up for the gap in combat power."
"Also, didn’t he develop a mental illness a year ago?"
Ye Fan nodded. "We just received word that he’s awakened. Based on his behavior and speech, there don’t seem to be any major issues."
"‘No major issues’? That’s far too lax. The position of captain is too critical. If Lin Qiye has any mental instability and makes a wrong decision at a crucial moment, the entire special team could be wiped out..."
"But aside from Lin Qiye, do you have a better candidate?"
"I think..."
The conference room erupted in noise once again. By the time Ye Fan walked out, exhausted, two hours had passed.
He went up to the rooftop and sat down, watching the white clouds drift lazily across the sky, and let out a long sigh.
"I knew you’d be here." Deputy Commander Zuo Qing pushed open the rooftop door, raised an eyebrow, and walked over with a smile. "Still thinking about Lin Qiye?"
"Yeah."
"You really think highly of him?"
"If it were any other special team choosing a captain, I might not be so insistent. But if it’s the fifth special team... then it has to be him." Ye Fan said calmly.
"True, after all, the function of this team is too unique..." Zuo Qing nodded. "But if the others don’t agree, what can you do?"
"At the end of the day, their objections to Lin Qiye come down to three things: experience, cultivation level, and mental stability. These aren’t impossible to resolve..."
Zuo Qing looked at him in surprise. "So you already have a plan?"
"Yes, but it might be a bit risky." Ye Fan narrowed his eyes, gazing at the horizon. "Whether it works or not will depend on Lin Qiye himself..."
...
**Purification Chamber.**
Lin Qiye lay on the bed, flipping through TV channels with the remote, and let out a frustrated sigh.
His silver metal room had been completely renovated. The walls were now covered with warm-colored wallpaper, a TV hung on the opposite wall, and an air conditioner had been installed. The bed beneath him was a bit hard, but tolerable.
Overall, it now had a bit of a lived-in feel.
But a ward was still a ward. Lin Qiye couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable lying in it.
He slowly closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into the depths of his mind.
**Asylum of the Gods.**
Wearing a white lab coat, Lin Qiye walked into the asylum. Li Yifei, who was walking toward him, froze for a moment, then quickly stepped forward and asked:
"Qiye, are you okay now?"
"Don’t worry, I’m fine." Lin Qiye patted Li Yifei on the shoulder. "Did anything happen in the asylum this past year?"
"Uh..." Li Yifei scratched his head. "Aside from Nyx and Merlin fighting over you all the time, nothing much."
"Fighting?" Lin Qiye blinked. "Why?"
"Merlin wanted to wake you up, but Nyx wanted you to rest longer. Then they started fighting... Yesterday, it was their fight that triggered your response. But before you could open your eyes, you vanished again." Li Yifei explained honestly.
Lin Qiye nodded thoughtfully. It seemed the dark and deep blue skies he saw in the illusion world were caused by Merlin and Nyx clashing.
"I see. Thanks for your hard work this year." Lin Qiye patted Li Yifei’s shoulder again and walked toward the courtyard.
In the courtyard, a noblewoman in a starlight silk dress sat staring blankly at the spot where Lin Qiye had disappeared.
"Mother." Lin Qiye walked up to her and spoke softly.
Nyx looked up. Seeing Lin Qiye, she froze for a moment, then her eyes filled with joy as she gently embraced him.
"Thanatos, I knew you’d be alright..."
Lin Qiye gave a soft "Mm." "Thank you for staying by my side all year, Mother."
"It’s what I should do, my child." Nyx released him and looked into his eyes, her gaze full of longing.
At that moment, Merlin also approached from afar, speaking apologetically:
"Director, Lady Nyx, please forgive my earlier offense..."
Lin Qiye turned to Merlin and smiled. "Not at all. If it weren’t for you two, I’d probably still be trapped in that illusion..."
Merlin walked up to Lin Qiye, studied his face for a moment, and smiled. "Good. Your tribulation has passed. Your fate ahead looks smooth. You can rest easy now."
Nyx hesitated, then asked, "When Merlin returned, he told us what happened. Your divine kingdom is gone now... What do you plan to do next?"
Lin Qiye was silent for a long time before slowly saying, "I still have two enemies to kill."
Merlin and Nyx exchanged glances. "Do you need our help?"
"I’m still too weak. If I want revenge, I’ll have to wait a long time." Lin Qiye said calmly. He looked up at the ward building, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"For now, what I should do is welcome the asylum’s... next guest."
Merlin and Nyx followed Lin Qiye up the stairs to the corridor with the six wards. Two of the doors were already open. Lin Qiye walked straight to the third ward and stopped.
He looked up at the plaque above the door—it depicted a harp.
He took a deep breath and slowly opened the door to the third ward...