Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 433: Lu Luo Kills Another Gray Robe

"Her Highness, the princess? Impossible. How could someone like me, such a minor figure, be noticed by Her Highness, the princess?"

Lu Luo’s response perfectly matched that of a destitute Transcendent who had just been chosen by Her Highness, the princess.

The maid was very satisfied.

It should be this way, after all, she thought. An uninfluential Transcendent suddenly favored by the princess—it’s like a stroke of luck that propels him to the heavens, isn’t it? As for talents and potential, the Imperial has many young people with those qualities. But how many can catch the eye of a princess?

"Mr. Lu Luo, you shouldn’t belittle yourself. The moment Her Highness, the princess took notice of you, you were no longer ordinary," she said.

"Yes, yes, yes, my superior is right," he agreed.

Lu Luo seemed very restrained and somewhat humble. This filled the maid with a sense of superiority when facing Lu Luo. Consequently, her attitude towards him also became kinder.

"Mr. Lu Luo, you don’t need to be too nervous. Her Highness, the princess is a very approachable person. When you meet with her, you don’t need to be that stiff. Just maintain a normal state," she advised.

"Alright, thank you for the reminder... Sis," he replied.

Hearing Lu Luo call her "Sis," the maid smiled.

If Lu Luo could join Wu Liji’s ranks, then the relationship between him and myself, ahem... Now is not the time to think about those things. The most pressing matter is to take Lu Luo to see the princess.

"Alright, you performed very well today. Don’t belittle yourself. Go take a bath, change into some clothes, and then follow me," she instructed.

"Okay," he responded.

At the moment, Lu Luo’s behavior was one of complete compliance. He was very smart, and that much was always apparent.

The maid’s attitude seemed a bit strange to him. Although Lu Luo wasn’t sure whether this was a test from Wu Liji or something else, he guessed that there must be a reason for her demeanor. I’ll have to play along, he resolved.

After a bath and a change of clothes, Lu Luo appeared even more elegant and otherworldly than before. He seldom dressed up, but today was different. After all, he was going to meet the princess—appropriate attire was necessary.

Seeing Lu Luo, the maid’s eyes shone brightly. Handsome men always received extra attention from women.

"It’s truly the clothes that make the man!" she exclaimed.

"You flatter me. I rarely dress like this and am quite unaccustomed to it," he said modestly.

"Don’t worry, once you become a disciple under Her Highness, you will wear this attire often," she told him.

"Understood!" he acknowledged.

Escorted by the maid and with the Inspection Shadow Department’s staff watching, Lu Luo boarded the princess’s exclusive car.

After Lu Luo’s departure, the Inspection Shadow Department staff began whispering amongst themselves.

"He’s been taken away by the princess. Now what? Do we keep following him?" one asked.

"No point. He’s likely going to be cleansed thoroughly," another speculated.

"So was our previous work all for nothing?" a third inquired.

"I wouldn’t say it was for nothing. Our role was always to do reconnaissance. If someone is of use, the Imperial Family will make them clean. It’s a way for the family to recruit talent," another pointed out.

The whispers among the Inspection Shadow Department staff didn’t last long. After some brief exchanges, Lu Luo’s file was temporarily closed. If Lu Luo truly became Wu Liji’s disciple, the chances were high that the file would never be opened again.

「...」

Sitting in the car, Lu Luo sat up straight and looked ahead.

His own restrained appearance caused the maid beside him to burst into light laughter,

"I told you, there’s no need to be so tense," she chided gently.

"Ah... okay," he acknowledged.

Even though he said that, Lu Luo shifted positions and continued to be nervous. This state of his caused the maid to frown slightly.

"Mr. Lu Luo, what did you do before?"

"Me? I used to do... some special business."

Lu Luo’s response was somewhat vague.

However, at this point, he was even more certain that the maid before him might be from the Imperial Family, but not necessarily from Wu Liji’s camp. Although he had not reached an agreement with Wu Liji last night, many things had still become known to Wu Liji, for instance, his contact with the Bizarre King and his own Sequence contamination.

With Wu Liji’s astuteness, she shouldn’t send someone who knows nothing to contact me again. Unless... this person isn’t hers.

"Special business? How special?"

The maid continued to inquire. But this time, Lu Luo only fell silent, showing no intention of continuing to answer.

The atmosphere inside the car became somewhat oppressive. Lu Luo reined in his aura to avoid letting his oppressive presence descend upon the maid.

After a while, it seemed the maid was sure Lu Luo would not answer her question.

She suddenly laughed,

"Hahaha, Mr. Lu Luo, don’t panic; it’s just a routine question. If you cannot answer, it actually doesn’t matter. However, I still have another question for you, and this one is very important."

"Hmm, I’m listening. What’s the question?"

"Will Mr. Lu Luo pledge loyalty to the Imperial Family?"

"Eh? Isn’t being loyal to the Imperial Family expected?"

"Oh, perhaps Mr. Lu Luo did not understand my meaning. My question is, which clubs were you a part of before?"

"I haven’t joined any clubs, I swear... I really never joined any of those clubs."

Lu Luo’s expression grew somewhat agitated, as if he felt unjustly accused. However, this attitude somewhat reassured the maid.

Clearly a guy who hasn’t seen much of the world, gets scared at the slightest intimidation. As for Lu Luo claiming he had never joined any clubs... Heh, I’ll just listen for now; it’s mainly about his attitude.

"Your identity card has been washed, right? What were the charges before?"

"I... I... I..."

Lu Luo became incoherent but stubbornly refused to speak.

"Alright, I won’t continue with these questions. Prepare yourself, we’re almost there."

The maid could delegate others to investigate Lu Luo’s dark past; such things could not be figured out by mere questioning. Even if something did come out, it wouldn’t necessarily be as reliable as a thorough investigation.

After arriving at the administration building, Lu Luo followed the maid out of the car. They made their way to the rooftop indirectly, where the maid gestured to Lu Luo.

"Go ahead, Her Highness the princess is inside waiting for you. Also, mind your manners."

"Oh, I know."

Lu Luo maintained his panicked demeanor; even in the absence of cameras, he kept up this facade. Not until he entered the princess’s room did Observer issue a prompt.

[That’s about it, there are no surveillance cameras, nor spies.]

Lu Luo dropped his slightly exaggerated expression, returning to a normal state. However, he did not see Wu Liji in the room.

[Inside.]

Lu Luo pushed the door open and moved deeper into the room to a much larger viewing platform. From here, one could directly see the club tournament arena.

At that moment, Wu Liji was sitting comfortably in a lounge chair, enjoying fruit while watching Qi Xinzhu’s competition.

"You’re here!"

Wu Liji’s tone was like that of someone seeing an old friend, showing no surprise at Lu Luo’s arrival. And Lu Luo was pretty much the same, both knowing without saying a word. Yet neither was willing to make further concessions, so negotiations had to enter a second round.

"What do you want with me? Out with it."

"Isn’t that a little disingenuous of you to ask? What else would I be here for if not to talk about cooperation?"

"Couldn’t you have said so yesterday, why wait until today?"

Wu Liji smiled and pushed a plate of fruit in front of Lu Luo.

"Care for some?"

"No thanks, my mom told me not to eat things from strangers’ houses."

Lu Luo answered very sincerely.

"Can’t you have a serious conversation?"

"Haven’t I been?"

"Alright, Zhang Changming was here yesterday, and there were many things we couldn’t say openly. Regard it as a sort of concession and compromise on my part by asking you to come here today. I come with sincere intentions, Lu Luo."

Lu Luo blinked. Trying to get something for nothing? I’m quite the expert at that.

"Hmm, what have you conceded? What have you compromised? Let’s see this sincerity of yours."

Wu Liji: ...

This man before her was really a tough nut to crack. His strength at such a young age was impressive enough, plus, he was so slippery in conversation. It was just too much.

"What kind of concession do you want? Money, power, or is it me you’re after?"

"No, no, no, I’m a married man. Don’t come at me with all that fancy stuff. My request is simple. Don’t get involved with the Grayrobes, and our cooperation can proceed. That’s not too much to ask, is it?"

Wu Liji narrowed her eyes.

"Why are you so hostile towards the Grayrobes? You haven’t had much contact with them, have you?"

"In your words, the Imperial capturing Sequence members is unforgivable. And the Grayrobes? Aren’t they doing the same thing as the Imperial Inspection Department? How come they’ve suddenly become the idealistic reformers when you talk about them? Let’s not have double standards, although women seem to like them. But your double standard is a bit too much."

Lu Luo’s words left Wu Liji with little to rebut. Feeling slightly stifled yet unwilling to let go of Lu Luo’s potential as a combat ally, she said,

"Fine, if you don’t want to work with the Grayrobes, I’ll handle it. However, I still want the resource point, and it should be registered under my own name. Think of it as your letter of intent."

Lu Luo understood what Wu Liji meant. Next, it would be the details of the cooperation.

"That could work, I agree."

Seeing Lu Luo agree, Wu Liji also nodded. Lu Luo was straightforward, and she didn’t want to complicate their cooperation. Both were young, and young people have their way of doing things.

"Oh right, do you think you can win against Qi Xinzhu in the competition?"

"Probably... not going to happen."

After exchanging smiles, they concluded the conversation on a relatively pleasant note.

After Lu Luo left, the maid, holding a report, glanced at him, her expression a bit strange. It seemed she was puzzled by her inability to find any past information on Lu Luo.

"You’ve hidden yourself quite well, haven’t you?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind, let’s leave it at that for now. After the competition is over, you’ll probably have to take the stage again as the challenger group’s victor."

"I know,"

The maid didn’t ask how Lu Luo’s talk with the princess had gone. If Wu Liji couldn’t handle even a member of the challenger group, she would be way too weak.

Evening had come, and the club convention’s competitions were nearing their end. Winning-bracket contestants like Qi Xinzhu wouldn’t encounter underdogs like Lu Luo, who had fought his way up from the challenger group.

When the two reached the center of the plaza, they exchanged glances and then walked away from each other.

Next was the speech by the GuiXi District Director, along with some reports on the development of the clubs. Lu Luo wasn’t too fond of such events, but he had no way to refuse them either.

"Alright, then I wish all contestants a good result in tomorrow’s competition, and a bright future!"

After the leaders had spoken, the club elites dispersed. Tomorrow, the club convention would officially begin. However, for Lu Luo, when it started or ended made no difference. Lu Luo’s own strength made him an oppressive presence in such circumstances. Naturally, he had nothing to worry about.

That night, he didn’t contact Qi Xinzhu or anyone else. He just sat quietly alone on the rooftop.

The flow of people near the administration building was quite heavy. Among the bustling crowd, Lu Luo noticed something amiss. 393 people had entered the administration building. But only about 370 had left. It was after work hours, and even with the club convention as a reason, the fact that there were more people entering than leaving was very strange indeed.

Looks like something’s going to happen!

Lu Luo picked up his phone and called Qi Xinzhu.

"Don’t go out tonight."

"Understood."

The conversation between the two was very brief. After notifying Qi Xinzhu, Lu Luo put away the phone. This was the administration building, the place where the Inspection Department’s personnel were most abundant. Even with Zhang Changming covering for him, he couldn’t blatantly use Observer’s Eye here. So he had to be more discreet.

"Compare pedestrian conditions, collect information, and start screening."

[Collecting... Please wait. There is a large number of unidentified personnel in disguise at the administration building’s resting area. Their strength varies widely, with the highest being Fifth Tier and the lowest Third Tier.]

The resting area?

Lu Luo abruptly turned his head toward the place he had visited that afternoon.

Wu Liji’s room! So many unidentified people approaching her, could it be a plot to capture the princess? Wu Liji’s strength was decent, I know that, but if there was a large group of people lurking to assassinate or capture her, could she hold out?

[Will you go?]

Should I go? Lu Luo asked himself. He had just reached a cooperation agreement with Wu Liji, and their relationship was still unclear. They hadn’t even initiated the actual content of the cooperation yet. Wu Liji had merely shared some information with him, some of it useful, and some not. They couldn’t even call each other familiar, as they had fought before. In this situation, was it necessary to intervene on behalf of Wu Liji?

But if I don’t intervene, then the partner I just managed to connect with... is she just going to be gone?

[In the end, you still want to go and see.]

"I’m mainly going for the loot," Lu Luo said with a grin, taking a mask from his ring and putting it on his face.

Just as he was about to leave, Observer suddenly prompted.

[Wait a moment, take a look at your mask.]

My mask?

Lu Luo was somewhat puzzled as he took off the mask and found a flower petal on it.

A flower petal? Such a thing was certainly not rare in the Imperial; it was everywhere, too many to count. But the problem was, I’ve never encountered such petals in the regions I’ve traveled through.

"Is there something wrong with this petal?"

[The area you have stepped in has no such petals.]

Lu Luo frowned slightly. Did the meaning behind this imply that it appeared suddenly?

"This mask, unlike the one from last time... it has a crying face."

[I know, you have never used this mask.]

Lu Luo fell silent once more. The Observer’s information was unlikely to be wrong, although it was not one hundred percent infallible. But compared to my own memory, the likelihood of the Observer making a mistake was very small.

"Did it come with the petal when it was bought?"

[There are no flowers in the Fourth Ring of the Wasteland Alliance, only green plants. You bought this mask in the Fourth Ring. Even in the Fifth Ring, there are no similar plants. This type of petal is unique to the Church.]

Reading this, Lu Luo already understood the Observer’s implication.

This petal, unique to the Church... did it appear out of thin air?

He suddenly looked at his ring, Noah’s Star, an item that could be considered a Divine Artifact. If not for Noah’s Star, his convenience would not have reached today’s level. Neither would his way of fighting be as free and easy. Carrying a large sword would definitely be a common practice.

So the question arose, could there be an issue with Noah’s Star?

Lu Luo immersed his consciousness in the space of the ring. The space inside the ring was not particularly huge; with a slight maneuver of his consciousness, Lu Luo reached its boundary. However, he found no useful clues here. Everything seemed normal.

So why then did the Church’s unique petal appear in the ring?

"Is there a way to analyze it?"

[Information insufficient.]

"Then let’s put this matter on hold for now."

Lu Luo nodded. Since there are no clues, it’s better to wait until today’s work is completed. After that, I’ll take everything out of the ring and sort through it one by one, and the situation should become much clearer.

「...」

Within the First Ring of the Wasteland Alliance, Luo Dan was staring at a pile of iron scraps before her.

"Where did this come from?"

Luo Dan’s voice was strange, deep and hoarse, no longer as vibrant and full of life as before. And what she questioned was not a person, but a mechanical bird with insect wings.

"I do not know, my master."

"Hmph. Ash."

Luo Dan suddenly twisted the iron piece in her hand, injecting her powerful force into the scraps and then pulverizing them into powder.

Meanwhile, Lu Luo, who was about to take action, visibly shook. He felt some discomfort but couldn’t pinpoint exactly where the discomfort was.

[What’s wrong with you?]

I feel like something of mine has been destroyed, a very strange sensation.

[At the moment, there are no abnormalities in your physical condition.]

Lu Luo frowned slightly; he also felt there were no issues with his body, but that sensation from before was indeed too pronounced.

Strange events are becoming more and more frequent.

Putting aside this matter for the time being, Lu Luo had already moved to the foot of the administration building. The silent march had begun. On the rooftop of the administration building, something seemed to have already happened.

When Lu Luo arrived at the second highest floor, he found that the princess’s maid had already fainted beside the elevator. Lu Luo wanted to awaken her, but after some thought, he decided against it.

Even if I woke the maid up, I wouldn’t have an appropriate identity to handle the situation. After thinking it through, I’d better handle it myself.

Just as he reached the top floor’s stairwell entrance, an alert guard had already spotted Lu Luo. He was briefly taken aback, seemingly surprised by Lu Luo’s sudden appearance there. But his professionalism didn’t let him hesitate for too long.

The man immediately sounded the alarm and shouted in a low voice,

"Enemy attack!"

Lu Luo responded with a fruit knife—not a particularly sharp one, the kind found on a coffee table downstairs for cutting fruit. Such a weapon would seem laughable in front of a Transcendent. But in Lu Luo’s hands, it was different. The spiraling Qi He turned the little knife into an invincible divine weapon in a short time. It easily penetrated the guard’s protective energy, pierced straight through his heart, and embedded itself in the wall, shattering in the process. Ordinary knives couldn’t withstand Lu Luo’s power.

After unleashing that strike, Lu Luo quickly stepped forward, twisted his hand, turning another person’s neck four full revolutions until his head was nearly off.

After he killed two men in one encounter, the assassins here began to emerge one after another. They watched Lu Luo with heightened caution while sending men to charge towards him.

"We can’t expose what’s happening tonight, kill him first."

Sure enough! These people are after Wu Liji. But kill me? Lu Luo thought.

"Haha, you want to kill me? You can try."

Lu Luo drew the war blade from a dead man’s side, his fingers trembling lightly. Because of Fenrir’s damage, he hadn’t focused on using his swordsmanship for a long time. But this time, he felt a sudden burst of inspiration, an urgent desire to kill all the enemies before him with his swordsmanship.

Thunder Breath, a flash.

The grand Sword Qi swept through the corridor, shattering walls and glass, and slicing off the entire outer wall on one side of the corridor. The Transcendents who were caught in the path of the Thunder Sword Qi were cleanly bisected by Lu Luo, dead beyond doubt.

Unlike his previous stealthy state, Lu Luo’s combat fluctuations had already alerted many personnel in the administration building. Members of the Inspection Department were already making their way here.

The unknown assassins in front of him were clearly getting panicky. But they didn’t retreat, which to Lu Luo meant that they were stubbornly clinging to their nefarious intentions.

"Since none of you are planning to leave, then stay forever."

With a shake of the blade, Lu Luo charged forward again. The erratically flickering light from the blade was like a dance without rhythm, but anyone who drew near him would immediately have an arm and a leg sliced off and fall stiffly to the ground.

This incident was very peculiar, so Lu Luo decided to leave many of them alive. He might not have the chance to interrogate them, but the Inspection Department would surely handle this matter well for him.

Later on, I can just ask Zhang Changming about it. Heh, old Zhang, he really is the perfect tool.

"For the ideal, kill!"

Lu Luo was suddenly startled. Their slogan seemed a bit off, didn’t it?

Although he was somewhat puzzled in his mind, his hands didn’t hesitate in the slightest. The slaughter continued, with Lu Luo efficiently dispatching foes, relentlessly cutting them down at the entrance of the stairwell. Since these people showed no intention of running, he cut down all who approached without hesitation.

Until a Fifth Tier Transcendent appeared before Lu Luo!

Sequence?

Indeed, Lu Luo felt the vibrations of a Sequence from the person before him. Such individuals were indeed a rare species within the Imperial.

"Intruder, you will not take another step forward!"

Intruder?

This title made Lu Luo feel even more strange inside.

[Are you ...]

"No."

How could I possibly admit to something like that? Lu Luo thought. Even if there was a mistake, I wouldn’t admit it. Even if my identity were exposed, I’m currently the recruiter for Her Highness the Princess and have certain protective responsibilities. Isn’t it normal for a bodyguard to kill people with unclear origins? Plus, considering what those people had just said, something about ideals and the like, it must be the work of a cult. It was very likely those Grayrobes. What problem could there be with killing a group of Grayrobes?

So after Lu Luo figured out the key to the situation, the chopping knife in his hand became even sharper. Although it was a knife, Lu Luo’s skills were no longer much limited by the shape of the weapon.

Sword Heart second form - Overturning Rain.

Multiple points of Thunder Sword Qi fell like raindrops on the face and body of this Fifth Tier Transcendent. If there had been spectators to this battle, they would probably understand the meaning of a brutal slaughter! Every fine thread of thunderous Sword Qi burst into a cloud of blood mist upon this person’s body. The swirling Qi He, coupled with the slicing of thunder, were like a series of miniature meat grinders, ravaging the body of this Fifth Tier expert.

After Sword Qi shattered the whole corridor, Wu Liji and another person walked out from the deepest part of the room. Seeing this shocking scene, Wu Liji was speechless.

The meeting today was for Wu Liji to hand over something extremely important to the Grayrobe members. Then for a short time afterwards, she wouldn’t contact the Grayrobe members again. Because, during the following period, she needed to focus and cooperate with Lu Luo, accumulating power. While borrowing Lu Luo’s power, she also had to develop her own.

But she hadn’t expected such an incident during this exchange. The Grayrobe Pilgrims were prepared to die in battle. No matter what, they had to deliver this item. But they had not anticipated encountering such a powerful enemy!

Could it be Zhang Changming himself? Something was off, Zhang Changming should be dining with the district mayor now, according to the intel they received. If it wasn’t Zhang Changming, who could this person be?

Lu Luo, watching the Grayrobe person standing shoulder to shoulder with Wu Liji, stuck out his tongue internally.

Now that it had come to this point, what else could I do but pretend not to recognize her! Besides, there seemed to be no other option.

He raised the chopping knife in his hand, pointing it at Wu Liji and the other Sixth Tier Grayrobe person, his eyes icy.

Wu Liji looked at Lu Luo and felt there was something familiar about the man wearing the mask with a crying face. But she couldn’t confirm that it was Lu Luo. And even if she did confirm it, she couldn’t say so at this time. Their relationship, their cooperation, was far too chaotic. No matter what, she now had to ensure the item was delivered.

"You go first, I’ll hold him off."

"You... be careful."

The Grayrobe person clearly knew that Wu Liji’s status made it very likely she would not be killed. But what the future held was uncertain.

Lu Luo didn’t attempt to stop the Grayrobe person’s departure, but he watched his retreating figure for a while, as if he wanted to remember the man. Only after the Grayrobe person had left his line of sight did Lu Luo turn his head back towards Wu Liji.

"Lu Luo!"

"Ah?" Lu Luo still wanted to play dumb, but Wu Liji no longer gave him the chance.

"You’ve killed many people; they were all my companions, my brothers! We are only here today for a final transaction, a conclusion. Why did you do it?"

"Hey, you there, I’m your recruiter now, after all. Near Her Highness the Princess, a group of unidentified Transcendents has appeared. As a recruiter, isn’t it only natural to rescue the Princess and drive those people out?"

"Did you do it on purpose?"

Wu Liji gritted her teeth, the fragile alliance between them seeming to show signs of shattering once again. But at this moment, Lu Luo really didn’t want to deal with any more complications. He had already killed so many people; he indeed should give some face to Wu Liji.

"Alright, alright, I’m wrong, don’t be angry. I truly didn’t do it on purpose. When I first discovered them, I really thought they were here to assassinate you. So I sneaked over. Who knew the moment they saw me, they chose to attack, and I was worried about your safety, so that’s why I acted and killed them all."

Lu Luo’s explanation was reasonable and made Wu Liji feel somewhat helpless.

If it was really because he was concerned about her safety that such a misunderstanding occurred, what could she say to that?

"You..."

Before Wu Liji could continue, Lu Luo interrupted again.

"In fact, it’s all your fault for not telling me in advance about your meeting here. And for not informing me, your ally, about the specifics. If you had, none of this would have happened. In the end, it’s still because there’s not enough trust between us. Wouldn’t you agree?"

Watching Lu Luo’s brazen rationalizing, Wu Liji’s chest heaved with intense rage. She was angry, but anger did no good. She wanted to vent her frustration but couldn’t beat Lu Luo.

At this moment, she had almost no better way to vent her helplessness,

"Get out!"

"People from the Inspection Department are about to arrive, and there are still some here."

"I’m telling you to get out."

"Alright, alright, don’t be mad, I’m going, bye."

Lu Luo casually glanced at the Transcendents whose limbs he had chopped off and managed to suppress his killing intent. He did not finish them off for good. The matters hereafter should be left to the Inspection Department and Zhang Changming to handle. As for himself, he had a better place to be.

Hehe!

「...」

Standing on the rooftop of a building at the edge of a city, Lu Luo looked in the direction of a forest, silent.

[Not going to pursue?]

Lu Luo took out his watch and checked the time. 12:41 AM, it wasn’t late enough yet.

I’ll wait a bit longer, there might be bigger gains to be had.

He continued to wait until about 1:30 AM when his eyes suddenly opened.

It’s about time.

At the same moment, in the forest, the Grayrobe leader held the jar given to him by Wu Liji and approached a huge ancient tree. After checking his surroundings to confirm no one else was there,

the Grayrobe figure began to quietly recite the incantation,

"Gluttony, waste, indulgence, drunkenness, hoarding, all that should not be, should not exist in this world. Only with a sincere heart, can one obtain tranquility."

After the incantation was completed, the old tree suddenly came to life,

"Welcome back, Your Excellency in Grey."

A door slowly opened in the tree. After the Grayrobe figure walked through the tree door, crimson eyes unexpectedly appeared on another tree. The blood-red pupils always gave an eerie and tingling sensation.