Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 499 - 497: A Scare But No Danger

After finishing all this, Meiqi casually idly stroked her snake-like hair.

Ah, I just hope my little Lu Luo can survive this ordeal, she mused. I really do like him, even more than the little Nightmare Demon. Unfortunately, the Nightmare Demon already has her own plans and probably won’t come to see her stepmother again!

HEE HEE HEE HEE!

From the Upside-Down Sea, Meiqi’s somewhat horrific laughter echoed continuously.

Upon hearing this sound, all the schools of fish immediately turned belly-up, their white undersides flashing as they floated towards the surface. Some merely fainted, becoming food for other fish. But others died instantly, struck down by the sound.

Reckless, illogical slaughter—this was the true nature of the Angel Envoys. Meiqi was no exception.

Lu Luo stood on a hill, revealing his presence only after a long while. He had sensed Leviathan’s appearance earlier but hadn’t moved far, so he’d had to conceal himself. Being this close carried the risk of discovery, but Lu Luo had no choice but to wait.

Fortunately, Leviathan didn’t linger. It soon departed.

And Lu Luo hadn’t come away empty-handed. All Exotic Species had heard the final words Leviathan uttered in its true form. Lu Luo, possessing traits of the Exotic Species, was naturally no exception. He heard Leviathan’s voice, its warning—a warning to Meiqi, telling her to be wary of him.

This is really annoying, Lu Luo thought. After all the trouble of getting through, now this happens.

He didn’t know whether to consider himself lucky or unfortunate. He was fortunate to have passed through Meiqi’s trial smoothly and without any mishaps. His misfortune was that, shortly after he left, Leviathan had exposed him.

Forget it, let’s go back, he decided. Thinking about these things now is pointless.

Lu Luo rose to leave. A month was a very tight schedule, and the deadline was the day after tomorrow. This meant he had less than three days to prepare.

Although he could reveal his identity now and report to Zhang Changming in advance, But doing this would be highly inappropriate, Lu Luo had always felt. It felt like a provocation, testing the Imperial Family’s limits.

In their eyes, he was merely a nobody; at least, that’s how the Imperial Family currently viewed him. A nobody, perhaps a slightly more significant one at best, but a nobody nonetheless. A Seventh Tier shouldn’t repeatedly provoke the Imperial Family; that would only invite their wrath.

So Lu Luo’s plan was simple: go back to see his wife and children, then head straight for the Imperial Capital.

"Let’s go. Head to Half-Mountain Villa first."

Lu Luo flew rapidly toward Coal Capital, toward his base, Half-Mountain Villa.

Bai Yuetong was helping Qi Xinzhu with the children, while Qi Xinzhu was cooking. Such harmonious family life between two women who often clashed was indeed a strange sight.

Suddenly, Qi Xinzhu felt a power fluctuating within her brow. She stood up in surprise.

"This feeling... could it be the Dawn Disc?"

"The Dawn Disc? Wasn’t that thing broken? How could it appear now?" Bai Yuetong asked with a perplexed look, holding Lu Xiaofang.

But her eyes soon lit up as Lu Luo walked right in through the door.

"Missed me?"

"Not at all," Bai Yuetong retorted.

"I did," Qi Xinzhu confessed.

Their two responses were quite interesting: one an honest confession, the other a statement clearly contrary to her true feelings. The one in denial was, of course, Dumb Hair, ever the stubborn one.

Lu Luo hugged each of them in turn, then picked up Lu Xiaofang. "Xiaofang, Daddy’s back. Did you miss Daddy?"

After teasing the child a bit, Lu Luo sat down, taking a moment to catch his breath. Truthfully, the past month’s journey had been incredibly intense, leaving him quite tense. Though the number of battles hadn’t been high, the constant activity had still worn him out. Being able to return to his own home, his true haven, brought Lu Luo a measure of comfort.

"When I went back this time, I saw Dad, Mom, and Luo Dad."

At this moment, Lu Luo wouldn’t show favoritism. Even when referring to Luo Xuemin, he used the term "Luo Dad." Although Bai Yuetong didn’t say anything, this address at least made her feel a bit better. The implication was that Bai Yuetong, like Qi Xinzhu, was his—Lu Luo’s—wife, and that her father was also a father to him.

Qi Xinzhu interrupted Bai Yuetong, who was about to speak. Having not returned home for several years, her yearning for her parents had always been hidden deep in her heart. But she didn’t dare interrupt Lu Luo, knowing that what he was doing was far more important. If he couldn’t grow stronger, they might very well perish with the fall of the Empire. Lu Luo was short on time; she couldn’t disturb him.

"Mom and Dad, they’re doing well, right?"

"They’re doing very well. Dad’s health is great; he reads the newspapers every day, no problems at all. However, I didn’t see Mom. The situation was quite special at the time, and my actions carried certain risks. I couldn’t drag them into it."

"I know, I know. As long as they’re all right, that’s all that matters. Thank you, husband."

Qi Xinzhu was a very traditional woman, at least in most respects. Only after learning her parents were safe did she finally relax.

Bai Yuetong, on the other hand, merely pouted and didn’t ask about Luo Xuemin. But Even if she doesn’t ask, I know she wants to know, Lu Luo thought, understanding Bai Yuetong’s personality.

"As for Luo Dad, the affairs in the Inner Ring have more or less concluded. As a representative of the Inner Ring, Luo Dad has entered the liaison process with the Nightmare Demon. If all goes smoothly, he will become an important assistant to the Nightmare Demon, helping to integrate the relations between the Inner Ring and the Outer Ring. In the future, his power could become vastly greater than what he wielded in the Inner Ring, many times over."

Hearing Lu Luo describe Luo Xuemin’s situation thus, Bai Yuetong grew even more upset. "Typical! After all these years, he hasn’t changed a bit. He’s still just a slave to power."

Lu Luo heard the discontent in Bai Yuetong’s tone. Normally, he would just wait for her to cool down. This time, however, he decided to explain on Luo Xuemin’s behalf. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"It’s not like that. Luo Dad isn’t how you imagine. These negotiations weren’t as easy as you think. Even when facing the Nightmare Demon’s absolute advantage, Luo Dad still managed to argue his case effectively. To secure the ultimate authority for the people of the Inner Ring—that is, fairness—was already an incredibly difficult achievement. In my eyes, he’s not a slave to power. From beginning to end, Luo Dad has been a public servant of the Inner Ring. Everything he did was for the family, for the Inner Ring. Now, he’s been freed and has a larger stage. We should be happy for him."

After hearing Lu Luo’s re-explanation, Bai Yuetong’s expression softened. Bai Yuetong considered this. Whether Lu Luo is just trying to humor me or not, a father like that is far better than a slave to power.

"Thank you, Lu Luo."

"Hey, we’re an old married couple. No need for thanks."

"Scram!"

Qi Xinzhu touched her brow and looked at Lu Luo. "Lu Luo," she asked, "my Dawn Disc fragment is pulsating. Have you brought back something related to the Dawn Disc?"

"This... it seems I really have." As he spoke, Lu Luo took out two fragments of the Dawn Disc and placed them before Qi Xinzhu.

Qi Xinzhu looked at the fragments. Before she could utter a word, a Holy Radiance naturally emanated from her body, connecting with the two Dawn Disc fragments. The pieces and the radiance attracted each other, linked, and soon, Qi Xinzhu absorbed the fragments into the space between her eyebrows.

Qi Xinzhu closed her eyes to meditate, seemingly experiencing the sublimation and enhancement of some power. Lu Luo didn’t disturb her, quietly soothing the child while waiting for Qi Xinzhu to awaken.

After a long while, Qi Xinzhu slowly opened her eyes. She looked at Lu Luo with some anticipation. "Do you have more of these?"

"Nope, not a single drop left."

Qi Xinzhu huffed. Lu Luo was always like this.

"All right, all right. If there’s no more, then there’s no more. Let’s eat together!"

What followed was a period of harmonious family time. Such moments were rare, and Lu Luo cherished them greatly.

That evening, Qi Xinzhu and Bai Yuetong even agreed to Lu Luo’s request for the three of them to share a large bed. As for the child? They just put her to sleep in the small hut. Isn’t this what adult life is like?

The next day, Bai Yuetong rarely did something a typical wife would do. For instance, she cooked porridge for Lu Luo and made some pancakes. The pancakes looked a bit odd, but Lu Luo ate them happily, thinking Dumb Hair had made them.

"Not bad, your cooking skills have improved."

"It’s terribly unappetizing. You always say such insincere things."

Though Bai Yuetong said this, she was still very happy inside. Women are like that. The truth is the truth, but if you voice it, they genuinely won’t be happy. Young people might insist on the unvarnished truth, but an experienced husband like Lu Luo would surely heap on the praise. What’s wrong with praising one’s own wife? It’s absolutely the right thing to do.

"No insincerity at all. Every word I say is true. Really, it’s delicious!"

Seeing Lu Luo’s somewhat playful expression, Bai Yuetong also smiled. "Take care on your trip this time."

Qi Xinzhu didn’t speak; she just buried her head in Lu Luo’s embrace.

"You too," Lu Luo’s expression was very tender, and his voice softened. "Don’t worry. I, Lu Luo, will definitely not fall in a place like this. This trip to the Imperial Capital might seem perilous, but it’s also our chance to turn the tables!"

The agreed-upon time was the morning of the day after tomorrow. Given Lu Luo’s flying speed, reaching the Imperial Capital by then was simply impossible. So, he had to run.

Treading on air, running by leveraging impact force, was much faster than simple energy-based flight. Although this would attract a lot of attention, he had no other choice.

"Destination, Imperial Capital!"

At the same moment, Zhang Changming, who was in the Imperial Capital handing over his duties, received a phone call.

"Lu Luo has arrived."

"Ah? What did Teacher say?" Zhang Changming was somewhat confused.

"Someone saw Lu Luo running on the pipes. He’s a really energetic young fellow, eh."

"Running? Why isn’t he flying?"

"Because there isn’t enough time, so he can’t fly."

Hearing the amusement in the old voice, Zhang Changming nodded thoughtfully. "Then, Teacher," he asked, "are there any new instructions? Is there anything I need to do regarding Lu Luo?"

"That won’t be necessary. You’ve performed very well recently. Although your strength hasn’t improved much over these years, your work efficiency is still very proficient."

Hearing these words, uncertain whether they were praise or criticism, Zhang Changming fell silent.

He actually wanted to distance himself from the deep waters of the Imperial Capital. His return this time was mainly because of Lu Luo. He didn’t want Lu Luo to be without any support. While he might not be able to become Lu Luo’s pillar, At least I can offer some basic guidance, he thought. After all, I’m far more familiar with the Imperial Capital than he is.

"Do I need to go and meet him? Regarding the artificial intelligence crisis, I heard that the higher-ups are taking it very seriously."

"The higher-ups do indeed take the artificial intelligence crisis very seriously. Changming, have you always felt that we’ve been too indifferent about this matter? That we’ve underestimated the danger of the artificial intelligence crisis?"

"Er, isn’t that the case?" Zhang Changming asked uncertainly.

"You take us for fools."

"I meant no offense, Teacher."

"Heh, I know you didn’t mean that, but that’s how things are. We’re not as foolish as you imagine. We certainly know what will happen when the artificial intelligence crisis breaks out. The spread of the artificial intelligence crisis would proceed at the same devastating pace as the Empire’s own collapse. Even Transcendents wouldn’t be able to stop a large number of artificial intelligence beings from causing destruction. Nor could Transcendents bring themselves to kill vast numbers of ordinary people. By then, the Empire will completely collapse, and no one will be able to escape such a catastrophe."

The old man’s voice sent a shiver down Zhang Changming’s spine, yet he still didn’t understand. If the Empire’s upper echelons knew this would happen, why did they still not seem to give it enough importance?

"Teacher... why?"

"Are you asking why, knowing what will happen, we don’t attach importance to this matter?"

"Yes."

"You’re wrong, Changming. The Empire actually takes this matter very seriously. That’s why you were assigned, and that’s why Lu Luo was brought in. Otherwise, someone with his unclear origins as a Sequence user would have been dealt with long ago. Even a Seventh Tier can be dealt with."

Although the old man’s voice was gentle, the chilling undertone in his words made Zhang Changming very uncomfortable.

"So, this is the Empire’s choice?"

"Not a choice, but a blessing!"

Hearing this, Zhang Changming silently nodded.

"I understand, Teacher."

He hung up the phone, then gripped it tightly in his hand.

The Empire... it has never changed! Zhang Changming thought, his grip tightening on the phone. They are still just as arrogant, just as repulsive. Leaving the Imperial Capital back then was the right decision. And returning this time is also the right choice. Though all of you are utterly repulsive, I believe now is the time to change everything!