Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 522 - 520: Perfect

Lu Luo nodded, and Wu Ye Ji pouted.

"Although it might sound like I’m looking down on you, my Master, I am a princess after all. And I’m not just any princess without talents or knowledge; since I was young, I’ve always been studying and cultivating. If we are talking about understanding the world, who could possibly have a deeper understanding than our Imperial Family?"

Lu Luo shook his head again. "You don’t understand because you haven’t come into contact with those things yet."

"Those things?" Wu Ye Ji asked.

Damn, this woman is really too much, Lu Luo thought.

Wu Ye Ji laughed. "Hahahaha!"

What exactly were he and she to each other? Lovers? Enemies? Or perhaps, as he joked, a maid? Lu Luo couldn’t possibly treat Wu Ye Ji truly as his maid, but he also didn’t really want to let her go. Keep her as a lover? Like he did with Han Shiyu? Once this crazy thought emerged, it simply wouldn’t go away. But the difference between the two was huge, as Han Shiyu was a woman worthy of trust. Wu Ye Ji, on the other hand, was not there yet, at least not now. Her ambition was vast, extremely so; she aspired to become the Emperor. This meant she was far more dangerous than the other princes and princesses and faced more setbacks as well.

Lu Luo had seen many assertive princes and princesses, but the most powerful ones, the Eldest Prince and the Sixth Prince, he had not yet met. In the legends of the Imperial Capital, these two were the strongest contenders for the throne. They themselves had already reached the Seventh Tier. With years of accumulated influence and the backing of various Ministers, they had formed two terrifying behemoths, enormous political factions. If Wu Ye Ji wanted to ascend the throne, she would have to vie not only with people like Wu Yi but also dismantle those two highest political groups, utterly obliterate them. The difficulty of this was self-evident.

She understood all too well how to manipulate a person’s mindset; be they male or female, in some ways, it was difficult to escape Wu Ye Ji’s control. Lu Luo’s own resistance was already quite strong.

Wu Ye Ji smiled sweetly.

However, Lu Luo didn’t really want to continue this topic with her. Wu Ye Ji herself could indeed become a lever for him. This woman is dangerous, but certainly capable. And such capability is suitable to be used by me.

"Wu Ye Ji, what do you think is the essence of the world?" Lu Luo asked.

"My view of the world’s essence?" she replied.

"Yes, you can just talk off the cuff, as if you were telling me a story."

"The essence of this world is power and strength," Wu Ye Ji stated. "Strength brings us power, but with enough power, we can make up for a lack of strength."

Lu Luo nodded. Her view isn’t wrong, and it’s an issue viewed from the perspective of the Imperial government. However, my view is somewhat different from this.

"And you, Master?" Wu Ye Ji asked. "What, in your understanding, is the essence of the world?"

"In my understanding, the essence of the world is struggle—the struggle between humans and the Bizarre. You die, or I perish."

"Hmm? Is Master feverish?" Wu Ye Ji tilted her head. "How could those Bizarre things ever compete with us humans? Their Monarchs and Overlords have been sealed by us for a thousand years. In recent years, dealing with the Bizarre was nothing more than a matter of how many troops to dispatch. They don’t even pose a threat comparable to a rebellious legion."

Seeing Wu Ye Ji’s nonchalant attitude, Lu Luo knew she was someone who didn’t care about anything outside of politics. He took out a sphere from his bosom. This sphere was the Heart of the Machine.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked.

"A device? The Imperial Family probably has many similar things, right?" Wu Ye Ji said with some uncertainty.

"This thing can overturn the basic structure of the Imperial common populace overnight," Lu Luo said calmly to Wu Ye Ji. "In one night, everything that the common people have built could be utterly shattered. Even low-tier Transcendents could be greatly affected and could die because of it."

"Are you joking, Master?" Wu Ye Ji looked at the Heart of the Machine and then at Lu Luo. The words spoken by Lu Luo seemed like an utter fantasy to her. But seeing Lu Luo’s serious expression, she felt as though he wasn’t joking.

"Starting to believe a bit now?" Lu Luo pressed.

"No!" said Wu Ye Ji plainly.

"Then do you know about the Mechanism Crisis?" Lu Luo asked again.

Next, I’m going to guide Wu Ye Ji step by step in the direction I need her to go. To transform her into the sort of person I require. To turn her into a qualified servant! The idea of making such a princess into a qualified servant sounds thrilling!

"The Mechanism Crisis? What’s that?" Wu Ye Ji looked puzzled; clearly, she hadn’t heard the term before.

"You should be able to find this term in the Imperial archives and the reports of the Inspection Department," Lu Luo explained. "You should do some research when you go back today; perhaps you’ll find an answer."

Lu Luo played coy, and Wu Ye Ji, seeing his manner, knew he wouldn’t continue. So she directly asked, "Alright, I will look up the information after I go back, but what does this sphere have to do with the Mechanism Crisis?"

"This thing is called the Heart of the Machine," Lu Luo stated. "It’s the direct key to starting the crisis, the source of all mechanism calamities. Understand?"

Lu Luo generously told Wu Ye Ji the effects of the Heart of the Machine. I’ve actually been looking for an opportunity to reveal that I hold something like the Heart of the Machine. If I could spread it through Wu Ye Ji’s mouth, that would be ideal. However, Wu Ye Ji seems somewhat attached to me now; she’ll probably keep this matter confidential.

As expected, after hearing what Lu Luo said, Wu Ye Ji hurriedly stated, "Is it that important? Don’t worry, Master, I will definitely keep this secret to avoid betraying your trust."

"Ye Ji," Lu Luo began, "do you know who the person is that leaked the information to you before?"

"The person who leaked information to me? What information?" she asked.

"Regarding the news about Wu Yi, your actions targeting Wu Yi were sparked by that news, weren’t they? And the issues concerning Liu Qi were due to your emotional instability. I think these matters are connected, so think carefully, what is the source of that intelligence?"

"The source of the intelligence?" Wu Ye Ji fell into deep thought. After a moment, she replied, "The incident last time was tipped off by an Imperial Palace servant, who has been an old informant of ours. He has been a channel for information for many years with a high accuracy rate. That’s why we all like buying information from him."

"Did you buy the information?" Lu Luo inquired.

"Yes!"

"So, whose subordinate is this informant now?"

"I’m not very clear on that. Such an informant should be a free agent, right?" Wu Ye Ji mused.

Lu Luo shook his head. That’s unlikely. An Imperial Palace servant who can provide a wealth of accurate and effective information over a long period? This would be impossible without the backing of powerful forces and an intelligence network. At least, it’s not something a common servant could achieve. There must be someone behind him.

"Do you have a way to smoke him out?" Lu Luo asked.

"Is this person that important?" Wu Ye Ji, seeing Lu Luo was serious, became serious herself.

"Yes, this person is extremely important," Lu Luo stated insinuatingly. "You want to understand the true essence of the world as I perceive it, right? If we can draw this person out, perhaps I can give you a glimpse into the true nature of this world."

Wu Ye Ji nodded slightly. "Continue!"

"Alright!" Lu Luo agreed.

「Forty-eight hours.」

It seems very long, yet indeed feels so short. Lu Luo’s interrogation work proceeded methodically.

Meanwhile, Wu Yi had already managed most situations. Now, they were just waiting for news from Lu Luo’s side.

"Zhang Zhe, any news from Lu Luo yet?" Wu Yi asked.

"Your Highness, not yet. Do you need me to check?" Zhang Zhe replied.

"No need," Wu Yi said. "You aren’t aware of that woman’s threat. That day at the tea party, if it weren’t for Lu Luo, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have made it back. This incident has made me see a reflection of the last one. Unless necessary, it’s best not to disturb Lu Luo. I know his capabilities. He can handle it."

Zhang Zhe’s gaze contracted slightly; he was unaware of what abilities Wu Ye Ji possessed. He didn’t quite understand Wu Yi’s approach, but since Wu Yi herself had said so, he naturally wouldn’t question it any further. He would just follow orders.

"But Your Highness," Zhang Zhe pressed, "it’s almost exceeded forty-eight hours now. Don’t you need to urge him a bit?"

"No need," Wu Yi reiterated. "Under no circumstances should you disturb Lu Luo. You don’t understand what’s at stake."

"Understood." Zhang Zhe nodded, and Wu Yi continued to wait patiently.

Wu Ye Ji still retained her pitiable state, yet Wu Yi subconsciously avoided her. Having learned of Wu Ye Ji’s capabilities, I don’t want to fall prey again, Wu Yi thought. However, I feel that Wu Ye Ji seems particularly charming right now, even more so than usual. Does the secret interrogation have such an effect? A kind of beauty treatment?

Just as Wu Yi was pondering, the sight of Lu Luo confounded her even more. At this moment, Lu Luo’s complexion appeared pallid, as if he was slightly malnourished. Wu Yi initially hesitated, then her expression turned to one of admiration and sincerity. He bragged quite impressively before, but if Ye Ji truly is a Seventh Tier expert, the outcome of their confrontation would have been uncertain. He must have gone through a lot.

By this time, Wu Ye Ji had already approached them. As a princess, she always had some privileges, such as making reasonable requests at appropriate times.

"Twelfth Imperial Sister," Wu Ye Ji said with a smile, "it’s a small world, isn’t it? We just met, and now we meet again."

"It’s not that much of a coincidence," Wu Yi replied coolly. "After all, I am a member of the Inspection Department. If you hadn’t committed any crimes, it’s very likely we wouldn’t have met."

"You jest, Imperial Sister. After all, we both live in the Imperial Capital. It’s hard not to run into each other. Perhaps I will need to trouble you more in the future."

"Heh, better not," Wu Yi retorted. "I’m very busy."

"Then I’ll take my leave. Mr. Lu Luo, goodbye." Wu Ye Ji playfully winked at Lu Luo. Her coquettish behavior drew the surrounding guards’ attention; as they looked at Wu Ye Ji, their eyes continually darted towards Lu Luo.

"She seems to have quite a special feeling for you, Lu Luo," Wu Yi observed, looking at him with a touch of curiosity. "What happened between you two?"

Lu Luo was inwardly shocked. A woman’s intuition is perhaps sharper than that of a Transcendent. I thought I disguised myself well, but Wu Yi still sensed something.

"The interrogation reports are pretty much ready," Lu Luo said, changing the subject. "There are two of them; I’ll give them to you later."

"Two of them?" Wu Yi was puzzled. She didn’t quite understand why Lu Luo needed to prepare two interrogation reports; it seemed a bit redundant.

"Yes, you’ll understand when you see them."

Without going into detail, Lu Luo merely watched as Wu Ye Ji departed. It was only after they returned to their own office that he handed the reports to Wu Yi.

"Is this why you wrote two reports?" Wu Yi questioned with slight contemplation after reading them.

"That’s right," Lu Luo affirmed. "The truth is indeed worth digging into, but often the final outcome is hard to accept."

Lu Luo’s reports were very forthright. One detailed the truth: Wu Ye Ji had used her Sequence Power to forcefully warp the minds of the surrounding officials’ children. While driving these people mad, she also seduced Liu Qi, sparking conflict between the two parties. In the end, Liu Qi was killed by these frenzied officials’ offspring. This incident could be described as a perfect crime, as no one could fault Wu Ye Ji. Aside from Lu Luo, no one knew the specifics of Wu Ye Ji’s abilities.