Qi Xinzhu was very worried about what Lu Luo might face next. She was a Priest of the Church, a Believer of Light, and to some, a Saintess, but Lu Luo was none of those. Under such circumstances, if Lu Luo were to be captured by the clergy of the Church, he would very likely face unfair treatment. This was not the outcome they wanted to see. Lu Luo's purpose in coming to the Inner Ring was to solve problems, not to create them. But now, the development of the situation was clearly heading toward creating problems.

"Don't worry, things may not be as bad as you imagine," Lu Luo said. "Indeed, a fight did occur between you and Wan Jing, but nothing really happened between Wan Jing and me. Wan Jing disappeared, not died. So, what does the disappearance of a Soxth Tier top expert have to do with me, an insignificant Fourth Ring person? They couldn't possibly think that I, a nobody from the Fourth Ring, could really kill a leader of one of the four great Knights Groups, could they? They must think too highly of me."

Qi Xinzhu stared at Lu Luo, dumbfounded. Just a moment ago, Lu Luo had claimed he killed Wan Jing, and now he'd turned around and denied it; his ability to change his tune was impressive. However, this wasn't the first time Lu Luo had blatantly denied something. Qi Xinzhu could, more or less, accept it.

"Have you arranged for what to do after Wan Jing's death?" she asked.

[Absolutely not!]

"Um, absolutely not," Lu Luo spread his hands, repeating the Observer's prompt.

"Then how will you deflect the blame for Wan Jing's death?" Qi Xinzhu didn't understand. At this point, how could Lu Luo be so nonchalant?

"Wan Jing has turned to dust, leaving no trace," Lu Luo explained. "The battle between her and me was brief and took place within the Sequence Space of the Observer. So the people nearby have no way of knowing what our fight was like. We also didn't damage the surroundings. With no body, no bloodstains, and no signs of a struggle—to sum up, Wan Jing isn't dead; she has merely disappeared."

Qi Xinzhu blinked. Although Lu Luo had rattled on for a while, making him sound quite impressive, she had been staring at his face the whole time. Her husband is still so handsome! As for what he'd just said... Sorry, didn't quite catch that.

However, Qi Xinzhu had been with Lu Luo for a long time and had developed her own ways of handling him. At this moment, she showed a hint of curiosity and posed a question, "Is that really okay?"

Perfect! Lu Luo, engrossed in his analysis, definitely won't notice that I didn't understand a word he said. Analyzing problems is too difficult; I just need to follow his lead.

Indeed, Lu Luo, wrapped up in his self-analysis, had no idea that Qi Xinzhu wasn't paying attention to his reasoning at all, but was solely focused on his handsome face. If he knew, he would certainly criticize Qi Xinzhu for not taking him seriously. He'd thought his intelligence was what drew people in, but unexpectedly, it was his looks. Women really are superficial creatures!

"Of course it's okay," Lu Luo continued. "Disappearance and death are two different concepts. As long as they can't be sure Wan Jing was killed by me, I can stall for a long time."

"I see, that's good then." Qi Xinzhu breathed a sigh of relief. If Lu Luo could avoid a crisis, that was the best possible outcome.

However, Lu Luo himself wasn't so certain he would be fine. The whole story was riddled with loopholes, and if the Church or the Inner Ring decided to investigate, they had ways to find out the truth. For instance, there were Sequences like Yuan Mian's—the Spirit of Manifestation! Through means like the Spirit of Manifestation or an ability like Touching Spirits, they could uncover what happened in the battle between him and Wan Jing. If the Church summoned Yuan Mian, or if they had individuals with similar Sequence abilities within their own ranks, the outcome would be the same: he would be captured by the Church and judged. All he could do now was stall, buying as much time as possible. As long as he could delay long enough, things might take a favorable turn.

"So what do we do now?" Qi Xinzhu asked.

"What we need to do now, of course, is to heal our wounds, to recover completely so that we have the energy to deal with whatever might happen next."

"What about the Dawn Star?" Qi Xinzhu presented the Dawn Star to Lu Luo once again.

Lu Luo's heart began to pound uncontrollably once more. Desire gnawed at him, an intense craving that felt like it was tearing him apart.

Lu Luo slowly closed his eyes. When it came to the Dawn Star, he opted for the most prudent approach: hand it over to the Judgment Chief. Giving up something he coveted so intensely was a choice born of necessity.

No matter how deep and complex the Pope's plans and schemes were, the Judgment Chief was the one currently controlling the situation. Even after waking, the Pope had intended for Qi Xinzhu to confront the Judgment Chief. This indicated that the Judgment Chief likely held an absolute advantage over the Pope. Since the Judgment Chief was clearly in the stronger position, according to Lu Luo's principle of siding with the strong rather than the weak, aligning himself with her was undoubtedly the wisest choice now.

As for whether the Judgment Chief would help him? Was there even a need to ask? A tigress doesn't eat her own cubs, and I just slept with Dumb Hair. Would the Judgment Chief really stand by and watch her daughter become a widow? Dumb Hair likes me so much, and we're so deeply in love. Isn't it good for us to live happily ever after? Why would the Judgment Chief want to break us up? Besides, I'm prepared to offer the Dawn Star; there's no reason she wouldn't help. And it's not like I've done anything to infuriate her... unless seducing Bai Yuetong, that precious little cabbage, counts! So, logically and emotionally, going to the Judgment Chief is the wisest choice right now.

"Now, we should go to the Judgment Chief and then hand over the Dawn Star to her," Lu Luo declared.

"Don't you want to study the Dawn Star?" Qi Xinzhu asked, holding it out towards him. "It can emit light, but aside from that, I don't know what other functions it has. You must be interested in this kind of curious object, right?"

As the Dawn Star came closer, Lu Luo's expression became even more pained. He looked like he desperately wanted to devour the object, yet Qi Xinzhu kept dangling it in front of him.

"Keep it away from me." Lu Luo frowned, his expression a mixture of anguish and something unsettling. Now that she was face-to-face with him, Qi Xinzhu also noticed that something was wrong.

"Lu Luo, what's wrong with you? Did I do something wrong?" At this moment, Qi Xinzhu quickly retracted the Dawn Star back into her body.

However, after she did that, the look in Lu Luo's eyes changed as he watched her.

"Why did you put that thing back inside your body?" he asked.

"It was inside me before. I can summon it anytime, anywhere." Seeing Lu Luo's somewhat harsh tone, Qi Xinhu felt a little upset. "Lu Luo, do you want this thing? If you want it, I can give it to you."

"No, no, no! Hey, you silly woman." At this moment, the craving in Lu Luo's heart was making him anxious and irritable.

In such a state, Lu Luo could only walk aside and take out some cold water to help him cool down a little. Stay calm. Only by staying calm can I make the right judgment. I must stay calm right now, calm!

Damn it, I can't stay calm anymore!

How did this woman end up hugging me? Oh, right, she's my wife. Never mind then.

"Lu Luo, do you want it now?" Qi Xinzhu whispered.

"I don't."

"I think this place is not bad. No one's around, and I feel... it's really thrilling."

Lu Luo knew that Qi Xinzhu, who seemed reserved, was quite adventurous in this respect. She always took the initiative in actions, poses, and behaviors that Lu Luo wanted to suggest but was too embarrassed to, wanted to do but felt too awkward about. How should I put it... this wife of mine is amazing!

Lu Luo tried to resist one last time, but Qi Xinzhu's fingers had already found their way in. As a normal man, Lu Luo really couldn't hold back anymore at this moment.

He turned his head, lifted Qi Xinzhu by her waist, and placed her on the small bed he had pulled out earlier.

"Keep it down!~~"

"Okay!"

And so, in the tense atmosphere of being on the run, the two began their shameless activities. One might wonder if this could be considered finding joy amid hardship.

...

「In the wooden cottage of Pope Fan Zhen in the Second Ring, Zemo's eyes flickered ceaselessly, and the Pope sat right opposite him.」

Zemo's will is already resisting my control. This means he'll likely break free from my influence soon, Fan Zhen thought.

Has my power weakened so much? I can't even control a mere guardian Believer like Zemo with Holy Radiance anymore. Am I still worthy of being called the Pope?

Of course, there's another possibility: Bai Qingshuang is approaching. Her will and power might have influenced Zemo, allowing him to break free from my control so quickly. But regardless of the reason, it all points to one thing: I, the Pope, am truly old. At 200, I no longer have the strength to face Bai Qingshuang directly.

"Heh, it seems I won't have the chance to meet Xinzhu," Fan Zhen suddenly spoke up. Zemo, sitting across from him, now had perfectly clear eyes.

Without sounding an alarm, or even giving another glance at the Pope, he turned toward the door and knelt on one knee.

"Judgment Chief, please forgive Zemo's dereliction of duty."

Bai Qingshuang, accompanied by Qi Gefei, entered through the door and glanced at Zemo, who was kneeling on the ground. Holy Radiance flowed from her hands, bathing Zemo's body in its warm power.

"It's alright, you've done very well," Bai Qingshuang said. "Pope Fan Zhen is, after all, the Pope. His power isn't something you, at your current level, can resist. The fact that you regained full clarity upon my arrival already demonstrates your excellent resolve. That's good enough."

"Thank you for your grace, Judgment Chief!"

"Go out. Qi Gefei, you stay."

"Yes!"

Bai Qingshuang walked past Zemo and slowly approached the Pope. She pulled out a chair and sat down beside Fan Zhen.

"Teacher Fan Zhen, it's been a while since we last caught up, hasn't it?" she said. "Time flies so fast—almost twenty years in the blink of an eye!"

The Pope looked at Bai Qingshuang, so close now. The events of the past seemed like only yesterday! Who could have imagined that the nearly dead woman he and the previous Judgment Chief had casually saved would reach such heights? She completely reshaped the Inner Ring of the Wasteland Alliance, thoroughly shaming us old veterans of the Alliance. Bai Qingshuang's rise was as if blessed by the heavens. From a humble, broken, and desperate existence, abandoned by the world and her lover, she climbed step by step to the very peak. No one knew how she achieved it, and no one could replicate her success. It all felt like a dream; the phrase 'as if in a dream, an illusion' was perfectly suited for Bai Qingshuang.

"Indeed, it has been many years," Fan Zhen said. "But are you here today to demonstrate your power to me? There's no need. You can see my current condition quite clearly."

"Teacher Fan Zhen, some things are not as simple as you imagine." Bai Qingshuang proactively picked up the water bottle on the table and poured a cup for the Pope. Her demeanor was respectful, her actions polite. Observing their interaction, it was hard to believe these were the two individuals whose conflict had caused the Church in the Inner Ring to completely fracture and then reconsolidate, internal struggles that had nearly reshuffled the Church's entire power structure.

Fan Zhen smiled faintly, unconcerned. Bai Qingshuang wouldn't kill him. Even if she had become so powerful that no one could stand in her way, she still couldn't kill him. She couldn't bear the consequences of assassinating a Pope! So, Bai Qingshuang had kept him alive, waiting, waiting for the day he would grow weak, the day he would be on his deathbed. And Fan Zhen knew that day was fast approaching.

This recent slumber of mine lasted a full three years. Three years without food or water, surviving solely by absorbing ambient Dark Energy and converting a portion of it to sustain my life. Such an ordeal has completely ravaged my body. I am going to die.

I could have died peacefully, but I'm not resigned to it. I am the Pope, the true leader of the Dawn Church! I still have a chance. I must fight to the bitter end!

"Can I still be considered your teacher nowadays?" Fan Zhen asked.

"My conviction has never wavered," Bai Qingshuang replied. "I still vaguely recall when Teacher Fan Zhen taught me Holy Radiance. In my heart, you have always been a teacher worthy of respect."

What Bai Qingshuang said was true; he himself had taught her Holy Radiance. Hearing her words, Fan Zhen felt even more conflicted. How clumsy Bai Qingshuang had been back then, yet so incredibly hardworking. Truly unimaginable!

"Your conviction has never changed?" Fan Zhen's expression turned somewhat angry. "The respect you speak of—is it the kind that involves personally killing the Church's Judgment Chief, killing your own teacher?"

Bai Qingshuang remained calm, simply shaking her head slightly. "The Church is ailing, the Alliance is ailing. This sickness must be cured. Teacher Fan Zhen, the very existence of some individuals is a blight upon the entire Church, even upon the Wasteland Alliance. And such blights, such sins, demand judgment! I exist to deliver that judgment."

At that moment, Bai Qingshuang once again shone with the exclusive radiance belonging to Sequence S-09, the Judge. The Giant of Light seemingly stood behind her, gazing down at Pope Fan Zhen before her. Just as Bai Qingshuang had said, she herself represented the Church's judgment.

"Bai Qingshuang," Fan Zhen said, "have you ever thought about what would happen if the Dawn Disc's constraints were lifted? Would humanity remain united?"

Bai Qingshuang slightly lifted her head. "They will."

"On what basis?"

"On the basis that I can become humanity's first Eighth Order!"

"What's wrong?"

Lu Luo.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.