Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 525 - 523 New Cooperation

She didn't understand. Liu Ming, as the Minister of Finance, controlled too many of the Imperial resources. Before coming here tonight, he had already made thorough preparations.

Before the assassination attempt, Liu Ming had already ingested a vast amount of tonic drugs. These drugs all had potent side effects that could even cause his strength to decline.

But he no longer cared. The side effects would slowly manifest in the future, and he... no longer had a future.

Besides, the short blade in his hand was no ordinary weapon. This short blade was named Netherflame.

Beyond its sharpness, it also held a deadly poison capable of killing a Seventh Tier beast and injuring an Eighth Order beast.

Such a potent poison, even a Seventh Tier master could not resist.

At this moment, Wu Ye Ji had already been grievously poisoned.

CLANG! CLANG!

Another clash, and Wu Ye Ji staggered backward.

She panted heavily, sensing that something was amiss.

I seem to tire more easily today than usual! What's going on? Could it be that tonight's cultivation consumed too much of my stamina?

While Wu Ye Ji was puzzled, a strong sense of dizziness overwhelmed her. This dizziness was so severe that she couldn't see clearly or maintain her balance.

"Die!"

As Wu Ye Ji hesitated, Liu Ming's blade thrust towards her eye.

This strike was unavoidable and unblockable!

"Ugh!" Wu Ye Ji's body erupted with intense energy.

In this situation, only an energy Outburst could save her. Even if the Outburst would expose everything she had previously concealed, she had no other choice.

Exposure was always better than death.

Just at the last moment, Wu Ye Ji's body suddenly tensed. An unexpected figure had appeared in her line of sight—Lu Luo!

Her stunned gaze naturally caught Liu Ming's attention, but Liu Ming was already committed; it was too late to turn back.

He didn't think someone would come looking for Wu Ye Ji at this hour. In the middle of the night? For a secret rendezvous?

"Don't try to fool me!"

The blade halted millimeters from Wu Ye Ji's eye, but Liu Ming's body couldn't advance another inch.

"What?" A powerful arm grabbed his ankle. This strength...?

Liu Ming felt his body being yanked away, then thrown forcefully to the ground.

BOOM!

From that single blow, Liu Ming felt as if his body was about to shatter. The opponent's physical strength and power were likely several times his own!

"Come with me!"

Lu Luo grabbed Liu Ming and flew straight out of the city.

He had come today to discuss a potential collaboration with Wu Ye Ji. He hadn't anticipated this situation but ended up helping her out of a tight spot.

"Alright!" Wu Ye Ji didn't waste words.

Lu Luo's appearance at this critical moment was a huge shock to her. Naturally, she wouldn't refuse his offer to help.

Liu Ming was now completely entangled by Lu Luo's tentacles.

In a surprise attack, Lu Luo's formidable strength and Sequence were fully displayed. Even a Seventh Tier master couldn't break free at this moment.

But during the flight, Lu Luo kept frowning. Because... he was being attacked by a potent poison.

[A potent poison is corroding your body. Your Constitution has mitigated some of the poison damage. Your Poisonous Resistance has reduced some of the poison damage. Your Unbeliever has reduced some of the poison damage. You are immune to the toxin's effects.]

The potency of this poison shocked Lu Luo.

He already possessed extremely high Poisonous Resistance, but the opponent's toxic effects had managed to break through his Constitution and his general poison resistance. Only when the effects of Unbeliever kicked in was the poison finally stopped.

Given his Constitution, the intensity of this poison was beyond imagination.

Lu Luo glanced at Wu Ye Ji's still-bleeding thigh, feeling a growing sense of unease. "This is getting troublesome," he muttered.

Wu Ye Ji heard Lu Luo's words but didn't understand their meaning. "What's wrong?" she asked. "It's just a scratch. You don't need to worry; I can handle it."

"You're an absolute fool," Lu Luo said. "You have no idea what condition you're in."

"My condition?" Wu Ye Ji echoed, confused.

"You've been poisoned," Lu Luo stated. "A very potent poison."

"Poisoned? But I don't feel anything at all!"

"By the time you feel it," Lu Luo said grimly, "you'll likely be on death's door."

Lu Luo knew that against a Seventh Tier expert, any effective poison wouldn't be acutely intense or fast-acting. The power of a Seventh Tier master was too formidable; an overly rapid toxin would be intercepted by their energy, rendering it ineffective. However, a slow-acting poison could bypass their energy defenses and achieve a lethal effect. The poison Liu Ming carried was precisely this type.

His own body was already saturated with toxins. Whether he attacked Wu Ye Ji or she attacked him, the poisoning process was the same. His breath, his blood—everything about him was eroded by the deadly poison.

This time, he had come with the determination to die.

"Is it that bad?" Wu Ye Ji asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yes," Lu Luo confirmed. "Your current condition is... precarious."

"Then what should we do?" Wu Ye Ji pressed.

"First, let's get to a safe place," Lu Luo said.

Wu Ye Ji was about to nod when the intense dizziness struck again. This time, she truly couldn't stay on her feet. "What's happening?!" she cried out before the poison's effects overwhelmed her, and she collapsed unconscious.

Lu Luo, with no other choice, caught Wu Ye Ji and rushed back to the Inspection Department overnight! 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

「 」

Inside the Inspection Department, an operation was underway.

"What's going on?" Wu Yi, having just dressed, hurried to Lu Luo's room.

Lu Luo glanced at Wu Yi and gestured for her to put on a gas mask. "Put on the mask," he said. "The air in here isn't safe."

"Alright." Wu Yi complied immediately. She knew that when it came to power and expertise, Lu Luo was an undeniable authority.

Once her mask was on, she immediately spotted the woman on the operating table: Wu Ye Ji! The very person who had troubled her for days, a hidden Seventh Tier master, was now lying before her, looking to be in terrible shape—on the brink of death.

Lu Luo pointed to Liu Ming, bound by tentacles to one side. "That should be the Minister of Finance, Liu Ming. He's the one who did this."

"Liu Ming?" Wu Yi turned to look. Liu Ming's entire body had turned black, and he was gasping, exhaling a black mist.

The mist was entirely composed of potent toxins. Thankfully, most of it was being absorbed by Lu Luo's Devourer. Lu Luo could consume the deadly poison, but not all of it. Some toxins still dispersed into the air, which was why he'd told Wu Yi to wear a mask.

"This bastard tried to assassinate Wu Ye Ji. I just happened to stumble upon it," Lu Luo explained. "If I hadn't arrived when I did, I'm afraid our collaboration would have been off."

Lu Luo wasn't being entirely truthful. As a new "friend with benefits," he did care for Wu Ye Ji to some extent. The woman was undeniably hot. Though her ambition was considerable, as a casual partner, Lu Luo was quite satisfied. After all, his wife and children were at Half-Mountain Villa, too far away. Having his physical needs met was, naturally, a welcome development.

"So, what now?" Wu Yi asked.

"You haven't notified anyone else, have you?" Lu Luo asked.

"No. Only I know. Even Zhang Zhe isn't aware of this," Wu Yi replied.

"Good. Give me a hand. We still need to save this woman," Lu Luo said.

"Right!"

Then, Lu Luo began to let Wu Ye Ji's blood—a considerable amount. While tending to her wounds, he also inserted several thin tendrils into her body. The tendrils could absorb the deadly poison; it was the fastest and most effective method.

The following hours were primarily spent on blood transfusions, bloodletting, and detoxification. Though it sounded simple, Wu Yi and Lu Luo worked tirelessly until morning before they were finally, just barely, finished.

"Phew," Lu Luo sighed, wiping his brow. "She's finally stabilized."

"So, she's out of danger?" Wu Yi asked.

Although Wu Yi harbored some animosity towards Wu Ye Ji, the collaboration Lu Luo had mentioned greatly intrigued her. Now, with the added leverage of having saved Wu Ye Ji's life, the chances of successful cooperation were undoubtedly much higher. This was a positive development for her and her entire team.

"Yes, she's safe now," Lu Luo confirmed. "She should wake up in a couple of days."

Lu Luo tossed his gloves aside and turned to Liu Ming. The Minister of Finance had become a being of pure poison. The deadly toxins had corroded his brain, his body, and even his energy.

In this state, Lu Luo doubted he could get any information out of him. Besides, there was no need for questions. Liu Ming's motive was painfully simple: revenge.

So, Lu Luo swiftly and cleanly snapped his neck. CRACK!

Then, Lu Luo ignited a Netherflame and began to incinerate Liu Ming's corpse.

"Lu Luo, shouldn't we investigate further?" Wu Yi asked.

"The Minister of Finance is missing," Lu Luo stated. "Of course, we need to investigate. It's a major Imperial case, after all."

"Huh? Missing?" Wu Yi blinked.

"What's wrong?" Lu Luo asked innocently. "Isn't the Minister of Finance missing? We haven't seen him, so how would we know where he went?"

Seeing Lu Luo's nonchalant expression, Wu Yi eventually nodded. "Yes, he's missing. Now it's time for the Inspection Department to investigate and gather evidence."

「 」

The next few days were extremely busy for Lu Luo. He needed to quickly understand the situation with the Imperial Family and the political faction divisions within the court. Most importantly, he had to find out which Angel Envoy was hiding among them!

Unfortunately, he hadn't found a single clue.

The members of the Imperial Family seemed oblivious to the danger they were in. They remained consumed by their struggles for power, the throne, and their own futures.

Lu Luo didn't know what to say. He couldn't communicate effectively with these people, not even Wu Yi. Since Wu Yi herself was only Sixth Tier, telling her about the Angel Envoy would be pointless.

The only person he could truly discuss this with was Wu Ye Ji. Though she was just a "friend with benefits," she represented his best path to uncovering the truth.

"Lu Luo, Wu Ye Ji's awake," Wu Yi informed him.

"She is? Good. I'll head over in a bit," Lu Luo replied, setting down the book in his hands. He changed into his black Inspection Department uniform and headed towards Wu Ye Ji's private room.

「 」

"So, you're awake!" Lu Luo said, entering the room.

"Isn't that obvious?" Wu Ye Ji snapped. Her attitude was far from grateful, hardly what one would expect towards a savior.

"What's wrong? Why the bad mood?" Lu Luo asked, unperturbed. He took out an apple and began to peel it in front of her.

Wu Ye Ji assumed Lu Luo was preparing the apple for her, and her mood instantly lightened considerably.

"Actually, all of this is my own fault," Wu Ye Ji began, her voice heavy with regret. "If I'd controlled my emotions, I wouldn't have gone to the bar. If I hadn't gone to the bar, I wouldn't have run into Liu Qi. If I hadn't met Liu Qi, there wouldn't have been any conflict, and Liu Qi wouldn't have died. If Liu Qi hadn't died, it wouldn't have caused such a huge social ripple, nor would it have led to Liu Ming's assassination attempt. So, really, all of this... it's your fault, Lu Luo!"

"Wow," Lu Luo remarked. "Your logic is so impeccable, I was almost convinced."

"Hmph! If you hadn't slept with me and then just callously ghosted me, I wouldn't have been so upset!" she fumed. "And now, after I've been missing for so many days, people are definitely going to be suspicious."

Wu Ye Ji's expression was stern; it was clear she was genuinely furious. Even though Lu Luo had saved her life, that act of salvation wasn't enough to appease her current anger. That's women for you—they compartmentalize.

"You don't need to worry about that," Lu Luo said. "Wu Yi has already handled it. She told everyone you wanted to experience life in the Inspection Department for a few days. We even Photoshopped some pictures of you. They look pretty good, quite convincing at first glance."

Wu Ye Ji pouted but didn't say anything more. Although exhausted, her Seventh Tier physique allowed her to recover some energy relatively quickly.

By the time Lu Luo finished speaking, the apple was peeled. He then lifted it to his own mouth and took a large bite.

This action, however, made Wu Ye Ji's eyes widen in disbelief. "Lu Luo, you—?!"

"What about me?" Lu Luo took another bite of the apple. Hmm, not bad, the fruit here is quite fresh, he thought.

"You absolute bastard! Get out!" Wu Ye Ji shrieked.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Lu Luo retorted. "I have important matters to discuss with you. You can't just bail on me now. Oh, by the way, these apples are delicious. I'll take some with me when I go."

Lu Luo nonchalantly broke off half the apple. Wu Ye Ji, watching him, was practically seething. But she couldn't bring herself to say why. Was she supposed to admit she was angry because he hadn't peeled the apple *for her*? That would be far too embarrassing.

"Fine! What is it?" Wu Ye Ji snapped. "Say your piece and then get out!"

"Alright. There is indeed a very important matter," Lu Luo said, his tone becoming serious. "Wu Yi... wants to collaborate with you."

"Oh?" Wu Ye Ji's expression immediately turned serious. An invitation from Wu Yi... Now that's interesting!

She looked at Lu Luo, a slight smile playing on her lips. "It seems I hold some appeal for you after all!"

"Not really," Lu Luo deadpanned. "It's mainly because the two of you could genuinely complement each other. Your personal contribution to this collaboration? I'd say about two points."

"Out of ten?" Wu Ye Ji asked.

"Out of a hundred," Lu Luo stated flatly.

"Hmph!" Wu Ye Ji was clearly dissatisfied with his assessment, but Wu Yi's offer still piqued her interest. Such an invitation held considerable value, at least for her.