Lu Luo had killed an Eighth Order entity on the premise that a grey-robed Pilgrim had summoned one.
Summoning an Eighth Order Bizarre in the GuiXi District—what exactly do these grey-robed figures intend to do?
Wu Liji remained silent for a long ti, Lu Luo beside her growing a bit impatient.
"Is there any expert who can tell how much this Mirror Lake water is actually worth? Maybe we can still dig a little more out of that pit underground."
Lu Luo sounded pitiful, but neither Wu Liji nor Zhang Changming paid him any mind.
Seeing Wu Liji being put on the spot by Zhang Changming, Lu Luo knew he couldn’t let Zhang Changming continue to pressure her. Although the relationship among the three of them was complicated, fundantally, none of them could allow another to completely collapse. This was the basic principle governing their interactions.
"Don’t be so serious; the issue has been resolved. There’s no need to discuss it further at this point. You know my strength—it’s formidable. So, don’t sweat the small stuff."
Lu Luo’s tone was confident, yet surprisingly, neither Wu Liji nor Zhang Changming refuted him.
Indeed! Lu Luo’s strength had actually reached such a level.
With Lu Luo having directly foiled the grey-robed Pilgrims’ conspiracy, didn’t that make him a hero of the entire GuiXi District? An unsung hero, at that?
Zhang Changming rubbed his fingers, a sense that sothing wasn’t quite right nagging at him. After a mont’s thought, however, he spoke, "Later on, I’ll get you a Good Citizen dal."
Huh? Lu Luo wondered. Is everyone at the Inspection Departnt this frank?
"Is there a cash prize?"
"The departnt is currently short on resources; cash bonuses are out of the question."
"If you’re broke, just say so. No need for all that fancy talk, alright? A Good Citizen dal? I can’t believe you guys ca up with that."
After this exchange, the atmosphere among the three eased slightly. Yet Wu Liji still remained silent, not uttering a word.
Zhang Changming then continued, "Your Highness Princess, I know you may harbor so lofty, grand ideals. But everyone sees the world differently. While pursuing your noble aspirations, it’s best to be aware of your surroundings. Otherwise, it’s easy to be deceived. Have you considered what would happen if the Eighth Order Bizarre Lu Luo ntioned were to truly go into hiding in GuiXi? With its ability to control treants for large-scale combat, if it were to attack GuiXi, the Coal Capital... how many people in the entire GuiXi District would perish?"
Wu Liji had no answer to Zhang Changming’s question. Previously, she had never doubted the intentions or purity of the Grey Robes. But this ti... it truly was different. Leaving aside the slaughter, the forest fire before her had already significantly changed her perception of the Inspection Departnt’s actions. This kind of organized, disciplined collective rescue... could beings like the Grey Robes truly carry it out? The Inspection Departnt was indeed the nightmare of many societies, but in the hearts of ordinary people, it was a great entity. They protected the order of the entire Empire, preventing ordinary people from being oppressed by Transcendent societies. If Transcendents were people, then weren’t ordinary people also people? And the Grey Robe Pilgrims’ actions this ti... as a core mber of the Grey Robes, I didn’t even know their objective. What exactly were they trying to do?
"SIGH!"
Wu Liji let out a deep sigh, seemingly reluctant to bring up the day’s events again.
But just then, Lu Luo suddenly asked, "Hey, what exactly was inside that container you gave them tonight?"
"Container?" Zhang Changming, previously unaware of this, also looked towards Wu Liji.
Wu Liji hadn’t wanted to answer, but by now, she had figured many things out.
"Inside that container were the souls of Imperial Family mbers."
"What?"
"My goodness, you actually brought our ancestors’ ashes? That’s taking it pretty far."
Lu Luo’s words left Wu Liji sowhat speechless. Though harsh, they weren’t entirely incorrect.
"Can you tell , is there anything special about the souls of the Imperial Family? What special purpose do the Grey Robes have for such things? Is that Eighth Order plant dumpling connected to the Imperial souls?"
"Sorry, I really don’t know anything about this."
Wu Liji couldn’t answer Lu Luo’s questions at all. As one of the Grey Robes’ officers, she had thought she knew a great deal and understood the true essence and realities of this world. But after today, she realized there was still so much she didn’t know. If Dan Kun and the Elder were still around, would they offer a reasonable explanation?
"Does Minister Zhang have any inside information?"
"Matters of the Imperial Family are always kept confidential." Zhang Changming shook his head.
"Well then, that’s probably the gist of today’s events. Minister Zhang, do you need to report this?"
Lu Luo wasn’t particularly concerned about the Grey Robes’ affairs. In fact, as his strength grew, powerful individuals posed less and less of a threat to him. What truly instilled fear in him, what warranted his caution, was the formidable machinery of the state. Like the Inspection Departnt!
"Such a significant event obviously needs to be reported."
"And my part in this..."
Lu Luo looked slyly at Zhang Changming, who rolled his eyes and nodded. "I know what to do; I’ll find a way to erase your information. Besides, you acted in service to the GuiXi District this ti. I can’t allow soone who genuinely works for the people to be treated unfairly."
The more Zhang Changming said this, the more uneasy Wu Liji felt.
"Minister Zhang, if there’s anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask."
"There’s no need, Your Highness. You should go back and get so proper rest. If possible, take so ti to think about what it is you truly want."
With that, their conversation ended. The Inspection Departnt, along with a large number of Transcendents, proceeded to clean up the area. Too many people had witnessed the traces of Lu Luo’s battle with Hei Tengxi; they definitely couldn’t be concealed.
Back in the Coal Capital, within the Inspection Departnt, Zhang Changming described Lu Luo as an unknown, reclusive expert. This explanation was acceptable to many mbers of the Inspection Departnt. Since they didn’t know who Lu Luo was, they just went along with the narrative.
After submitting the report, Zhang Changming began to seriously consider Lu Luo’s imnse strength for the first ti. He and Bai Yuetong are together, establishing themselves and growing in the GuiXi District. What are they really planning? Those two... they couldn’t possibly be thinking of rebelling, could they? Is that Lu Luo fellow really reliable?
It seed an incredulous idea. But after giving it so thought... perhaps there was a chance? Given Lu Luo’s age and talent, his future achievents were bound to be limitless. And Bai Yuetong, as an heir of a Royal Family Clan—if she harbored resentnt towards the Imperial Family, she was qualified to replace them. This had been an ancestral tenet since the founding of the new Empire. Although the four great Royal Family Clans had been mostly worn down by the Imperial Family by now, if a force like Lu Luo and Bai Yuetong were to develop quietly, then they...
Co to think of it, aren’t the two of them actually more dangerous than the grey-robed people?
Zhang Changming hesitated once more. If his speculations were correct, if Bai Yuetong truly intended to rebel, which side should he choose?
Sigh, I hope that day cos much later.
On the other side, Wu Liji also escorted Lu Luo back to the new residence arranged for them by the Inspection Departnt. By the ti they returned, dawn was breaking.
Wu Liji didn’t let Lu Luo leave, instead keeping him to ask so questions.
"Was everything you said last night true?"
"You still don’t believe ?"
"It’s not that I don’t believe you... but your strength shouldn’t be this great."
"You’re not . How would you know how strong I should or shouldn’t be?"
Wu Liji didn’t know how to explain, but she definitely had her reasons for saying so. The Imperial Family had conducted extensive research into human physiology. At the age of 22, no matter how talented one was, they shouldn’t have achieved the level of strength Lu Luo exhibited. This was an inherent limitation of human physical structure, fundantally unrelated to genius. Unless Lu Luo wasn’t human, a normal human definitely couldn’t reach such a level.
"Forget it; it’s pointless trying to explain it to you. Lu Luo, I think I’m a bit lost."
Wu Liji appeared sowhat vulnerable, but Lu Luo’s reaction was brutally honest.
"Scram. Don’t touch , and don’t try to act pitiful with . We’re not that close. Stay away from ."
"Are you even a man?"
"Whether I’m a man or not is none of your business. All that matters is that my wife is happy every day."
Wu Liji was speechless. She now didn’t know if she should continue contacting the Grey Robes. So she had wanted Lu Luo to help her investigate the Grey Robes, but this guy just wouldn’t take the bait. Damn him...
Wu Liji felt a surge of anger and sha. The events of the night had made her doubt her past actions. Now Lu Luo wasn’t even trying to comfort her or soothe her feelings; instead, he was deliberately irritating her. No matter how you looked at it, Wu Liji was an Imperial Princess. She had never been treated like this in her entire life.
"Lu Luo, you damn..."
"Hey, hey, you’re a princess. Watch your language. Be civil, show so manners, understand? Besides, what’s the use of getting angry with here? Can you even beat ?"
Hearing Lu Luo say this made Wu Liji’s expression even more wretched.
She definitely couldn’t beat him. So, what now? This business with the Grey Robes wasn’t over. If Dan Kun ca looking for again, should I refuse, or should I continue to agree?
"Lu Luo, help !" This ti, Wu Liji sounded quite sincere.
"How can I help?"
Wu Liji didn’t speak. She took out a phone, dialed a number, then hung up. After waiting a few seconds, she dialed it again.
"Hello, it’s !"
Watching Wu Liji’s expression, Lu Luo instantly guessed the identity of the person on the other end. He said nothing, nor did he show any surprise, rely shifting a little closer to Wu Liji, quietly listening to their conversation.
"Liji, are you alright?" Dan Kun’s voice held both worry and puzzlent.
He was genuinely concerned for Wu Liji’s safety and also perplexed as to why the commotion from Hei Tengxi had ceased. An Eighth Order Bizarre King shouldn’t have caused such a minor disturbance. Had it fallen asleep? Or found a place to hide and recover its strength? What was that big fire earlier all about? Dan Kun had many questions. He and the Elder had already moved far from this area, so at this mont, he could only seek answers from Wu Liji.
"I’m fine."
Wu Liji’s voice was sowhat cold. Dan Kun, on the other end, thought she was angry and began to explain, "Liji, we owe you a great deal for what happened this ti. Without you, we couldn’t have succeeded. I will report your contribution truthfully. You’ve really been put through a lot this ti."
Wronged? Contribution? Wu Liji found it rather laughable. She was an Imperial Princess; did she need recognition from the Grey Robes for her contributions? In this world, in this country, besides her father, who else could give her credit? Who could make her feel wronged?
Suddenly, Wu Liji caught sight of Lu Luo eavesdropping, his ears practically twitching.
Alright, that jerk Lu Luo was an exception.
"Dan Kun, stop with the useless talk. I never joined the Grey Robes for the sake of contributions. Also, can you tell now: what do you need the souls of the Imperial Family for?"
Hearing Wu Liji’s question, Dan Kun clearly fell silent. Should he tell her directly it was to undo Hei Tengxi’s seal? That was definitely not an option. Dan Kun’s original plan had been to wait until Wu Liji discovered Hei Tengxi attacking the Coal Capital, and then he would tell her the truth. By then, events would have already transpired, and Wu Liji naturally wouldn’t be able to object much. But now, Hei Tengxi’s whereabouts were unknown, and Wu Liji was asking directly. For a mont, Dan Kun truly didn’t know how to respond.
"Liji, this matter... it’s a long story."
"You can’t tell ?"
"It’s not that I can’t tell you, it’s just..."
"That plant dumpling, was it really summoned by all of you? What is it called?"
"Plant dumpling?" Dan Kun was clearly taken aback. He suddenly realized there was a problem—a problem concerning Hei Tengxi! "Liji, what plant dumpling are you referring to?"
"That Eighth Order plant dumpling, the one sealed in the waters of Mirror Lake." As Wu Liji said this, she was almost grinding her teeth. If she hadn’t wanted to find out Dan Kun’s current location, she would have already started cursing him.
"Liji, you already know about Hei Tengxi...?"
"Its na is Hei Tengxi?"
"Yes, but I didn’t know about this matter beforehand either; it was all orchestrated by the Elder. The Empire needs a reshuffle; it needs to experience pain. Hei Tengxi’s existence is intended to make this country feel that pain."
Dan Kun’s words left Wu Liji feeling hopeless. As an Imperial Princess, why should she want this country to feel pain? This country itself was her ho. She rely couldn’t agree with the Imperial Family; it wasn’t that she didn’t identify with this country.
"Do you intend to use it to destroy the GuiXi region? An Eighth Order Bizarre King? To gain a deserted city in exchange—is that your objective?"
"Liji, I didn’t intentionally hide it from you. Originally, our plan was to bring you into the open imdiately after Hei Tengxi attacked the Coal Capital. But now, events have unfolded beyond our expectations. Liji, can you tell the current situation in the Coal Capital?"
Wu Liji was just about to say that Hei Tengxi had already been killed when Lu Luo, beside her, quickly gestured to her.
[Ask, where, he, is!]
Wu Liji fell silent for a mont. If she complied with Lu Luo, he would undoubtedly rush over and either kill Dan Kun and the Elder or capture them. This would an a complete break between her and the Grey Robes.
But on second thought... it seed there wasn’t much left to discuss between her and the Grey Robes now anyway.
"Dan Kun, where are you?"
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