Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 468 - 467: Sacrifice to the River God

「Half-Mountain Villa...」

"Xiaofang, this is Daddy, this is Mommy, and this one... consider her Second Mom," Qi Xinzhu said as she pointed at the family portrait hanging in the room. However, the corner of Sola’s mouth twitched upon hearing Qi Xinzhu’s reference to "Second Mom."

Second Mom? Would the child call Bai Yuetong that when she grew up? It sounded so strange!

Qi Xinzhu didn’t mind these things at all; she was completely focused on taking care of her daughter. This child was the fruit of her and Lu Luo’s love, a new bond in their emotions.

After soothing her daughter for a while, Qi Xinzhu finally turned to look at Sola, who had been waiting for some time. At that moment, her face radiated not just beauty, but also a maternal glow.

"Miss Sola, is there something you need?" she asked.

Sola bowed to Qi Xinzhu. With the birth of the child, Qi Xinzhu’s status in the Circular had been firmly established. She was undoubtedly the mistress of the Circular, and no one could change that.

"Lady Qi Xinzhu, the Inspection Department just called. The Imperial Capital has extended an invitation to Lord Lu Luo, though he said he would only be able to go after a month. He has some other matters to take care of during this month. Therefore, Minister Zhang said that, barring any accidents, Lord Lu Luo will return here this afternoon to stay."

"Is that so? I understand."

"Yes."

Qi Xinzhu then returned to rocking her child.

"Xiaofang, we’ll see Daddy in a little while. Don’t you want to see Daddy?"

Although Xiaofang couldn’t speak yet, the frequent interaction with her mother made her very happy. And a child would always feel secure as long as she could stay by her mother’s side.

Just as Qi Xinzhu was amusing her child, Bai Yuetong’s voice came from outside the door.

"Qi Xinzhu! I’m here to see Xiaofang."

Upon hearing Bai Yuetong’s voice, Qi Xinzhu furrowed her brows. "That woman, here again," she grumbled. "If she wants a child, can’t she have one herself instead of always pestering my daughter? It’s really too much."

Qi Xinzhu’s grumbling made Sola somewhat speechless. Such complaints were family matters of her master, not something a subordinate like her could get involved in. Being smart, Sola knew that it was best for her to keep quiet at this time.

"Xiaofang, I’m here!"

Bai Yuetong barged in, striding towards Qi Xinzhu and her child. However, before she could get close, Qi Xinzhu pulled her child tighter into her embrace.

"Lu Luo will be back soon. Don’t you need to prepare anything? He must have important matters, and you don’t have much opportunity or time!"

Qi Xinzhu’s eyebrows lifted slightly, and her words made Bai Yuetong pause.

Prepare? What did she need to prepare?

Wait a second... Lu Luo was suddenly coming back now? Shouldn’t she go and freshen up? Then get some tonics and figure out a way to get him for ten or eight times in a very short period... The chances were too slim, so she’d have to make up for it with frequency. She had no other choice.

While Bai Yuetong thought this, Lu Xiaofang, lying in Qi Xinzhu’s arms, suddenly giggled. It was evident that the eldest princess of the Circular was very fond of this "Second Mom."

Seeing Lu Xiaofang smile at her, Bai Yuetong’s heart softened.

"Forget it, the matter of having a child can wait; there’s plenty of time in the future. For now, let’s just enjoy playing with our Xiaofang!"

Bai Yuetong’s attitude left Qi Xinzhu exasperated, but she quickly came to terms with it. Dumb Hair really liked her and Lu Luo’s child.

This should... be a good thing, right?

As for any concern that Dumb Hair might harm the child, Qi Xinzhu had never even considered it because she knew Lu Luo would never allow such a thing to happen. Everyone intelligent in the Circular knew this. They understood Lu Luo’s personality and his bottom line. And Bai Yuetong, being the smartest among the smart, naturally grasped this point as well.

"Then you can take care of her for a bit. I’ll go prepare dinner."

Seeing Bai Yuetong had arrived, Qi Xinzhu simply handed the child over to her. Although Bai Yuetong often quarreled with her, and their personalities clashed significantly, if there was someone in the Circular who was trustworthy, Bai Yuetong was undoubtedly one of them. In this regard, neither Gu Fangyi, Zhou Kai, nor Sola could compare with Bai Yuetong.

"Are you cooking yourself?"

"Yes, he must have something important to do and might not be at home for a long time," Qi Xinzhu said very calmly.

After hearing this, Bai Yuetong also nodded silently. They had also wondered why they couldn’t find a secluded place to live a carefree life. But the answer Lu Luo gave was rather odd.

"Because I don’t want to rest my fate, my family, on someone else’s moods."

They didn’t quite understand who Lu Luo meant by "someone else." The Imperial government, perhaps? They had obtained their identification cards and could live a peaceful life in the Imperial Capital as long as they kept out of trouble. But if it wasn’t the Imperial government, then who could it be?

Bai Yuetong couldn’t figure this out. Since she couldn’t, she decided she might as well eat.

"Well, I hope one day we can lead a carefree life."

"Carefree? That’s easier said than done."

As a former Church’s Saintess, Qi Xinzhu was all too aware of society’s constraints and knew it wasn’t just a matter of wanting to escape. Besides, Lu Luo’s strength was not yet great enough to ignore Imperial laws. They still needed to develop, and do so stealthily!

"Whether it’s easy or not, that’s not my concern. After all, I’m not a fighter. Oh, right, could you cook me some pork trotters? I need to nourish my body."

"You’re not afraid of getting fat from eating something as greasy as that? Oh, sorry, I forgot that you’re really not afraid of getting fat."

Qi Xinzhu glanced at Bai Yuetong’s chest, intentionally or unintentionally. After years of Lu Luo’s massages, Bai Yuetong’s bust had grown, if only by a smidgen. But it was indeed just a smidgen. In that case, eating a bit of pork trotter should be fine.

"Qi Xinzhu, you’ve gone too far!"

"Yeah, yeah, I’m off to cook. Take good care of the kid."

Time flew, and by the time Qi Xinzhu had finished preparing a table full of home-cooked dishes, Lu Luo was already at the door waiting for her.

"When did you get back?"

"Just got back."

Lu Luo wrapped his arms around Qi Xinzhu and kissed her affectionately. Mature couples share not only love but also kinship. Qi Xinzhu and Bai Yuetong had become his family, everything he needed to protect dearly.

"You’re cooking here yourself? Don’t you need to look after the child?"

While holding Qi Xinzhu, Lu Luo’s hands began to wander.

Qi Xinzhu squirmed slightly and shook her head at Lu Luo. "Stop that, we’re about to eat. Dumb Hair is watching the kid."

"Dumb Hair? Is she reliable with kids?"

"She’s okay. She helps me when I’m busy."

Lu Luo nodded and withdrew his hand from inside Qi Xinzhu’s clothes. After giving birth, Qi Xinzhu’s figure had become even more voluptuous; the allure of a wife was quite intense. This was especially true since Lu Luo had endured watching Noah and the mute Yang fight continuously for dozens of hours in Disc World. It felt like being forced to watch hours of videos but not being able to jerk off. It’s hard to describe just how uncomfortable that was. He felt like he could explode at any moment!

Er, the explosion here refers to Niu Zi going off.

"Let’s go, time for dinner! Have Brother Gu and Brother Kai join us too."

"Sure! You go ahead. I’ll be done soon and will catch up in a bit."

Lu Luo nodded, kissed Qi Xinzhu goodbye, and then headed to her bedroom. Bai Yuetong was still there looking after the child, unaware that Lu Luo had quietly approached her from behind.

"Cute, isn’t she?"

"Cute, ah?" Bai Yuetong exclaimed in surprise as she realized Lu Luo had sneaked up behind her.

In front of the child, Lu Luo refrained from doing anything inappropriate. He took the child from Bai Yuetong’s arms and started to rock her tenderly. Because Lu Luo had been at home for quite some time before, Lu Xiaofang was relatively familiar with him. At the very least, she recognized him or could identify his scent. Although Lu Xiaofang wasn’t as cheerful as before, she didn’t struggle and let Lu Luo hold her.

"Xiaofang is such a good girl. Just wait for Daddy a little longer. Once Daddy has taken care of everything, he will definitely come back and spend quality time with you."

After picking up the child, Lu Luo never put her down. He enjoyed this feeling very much. Although Bai Yuetong also wanted to experience a world just for the two of them, she didn’t disturb Lu Luo as he cherished this paternal joy.

"Do you prefer boys or girls more?"

"I like both. Maybe girls a little more—they can inherit your excellent genes, after all," Lu Luo joked.

"Humph, when will you give me one?"

"Huh? What did you say?"

"I said, when will you give me a child?"

Could such things really happen just by talking about them?

Lu Luo was somewhat speechless, unsure if Bai Yuetong had recently gone crazy thinking about children. However, he could probably understand her mood at this moment. Was it because she was without him and needed an emotional anchor...?

"It’ll happen. We’ll work hard on it tonight."

"Okay!"

That evening, the high-ups of the Circular all gathered at the Half-Mountain Villa. As Qi Xinzhu’s assistant, secretary, and the housekeeper of the Half-Mountain Villa, Sola was fortunate to attend this family dinner.

At the dinner table, everyone ate comfortably. Qi Xinzhu’s cooking skills were excellent; satisfying the fussy taste buds of these people was not a problem.

After a satisfying meal, Lu Luo raised a serious matter. "After tonight, I plan to go back for a bit to deal with some things."

Qi Xinzhu and Bai Yuetong already knew about this, but Gu Fangyi and Zhou Kai didn’t. As for Sola, she quietly sipped her tea on the side, as such discussions didn’t involve her.

"Go back?" Zhou Kai frowned immediately.

Most of their businesses were left in the Imperial, and now, the Circular, operating out of the Wasteland Alliance, had become their main source of resources. They weren’t keen on going back either. Firstly, the Wasteland Alliance was too small; the environment was nowhere near as vast as the Imperial. Secondly, Lu Xiaotian was within the Wasteland Alliance. Her presence significantly interfered with the Circular’s development. And now, Lu Xiaotian had integrated the former Fourth Ring Hunters. She was the true Queen of the Fourth Ring. Even with Lu Luo, the Circular’s overall strength was still a notch below Lu Xiaotian’s. Not to mention that Lu Luo wasn’t regularly stationed in the Wasteland Alliance. In such a situation, it wasn’t suitable for the Circular to develop within the Alliance. Therefore, transferring their resources out was their best choice.

"Yes, I need to go back. The matter is quite important; I can’t avoid it. And after I go, I have to come back here within a month. The Imperial Family has invited me. I’m afraid my identity and strength can no longer be hidden."

Lu Luo briefly explained his situation, and Gu Fangyi and Zhou Kai fell silent. They were always ready to step onto the Imperial stage. But when the time actually came, it was debatable whether the Circular could withstand the test of exposure. Moreover, the Imperial Capital was full of hidden talents, with formidable Eighth Order warriors, even top-level War Gods, residing there. Lu Luo’s strength was exceptional, at least outside the Imperial Capital. But in the Imperial Capital, it probably wouldn’t be enough.

"Brother Luo, we’ve been preparing for a long time. We’re ready anytime," the usually silent Gu Fangyi was the first to speak up.

Lu Luo nodded; Gu Fangyi was reliable in getting things done. He was just one person after all, and one person couldn’t do everything. So a loyal team was essential. With Gu Fangyi leading the team, Lu Luo’s concerns about what lay behind him could be resolved.

"Brother Gu, come back with me this time."

"Ah? But what about things here?" Gu Fangyi was a bit surprised. Generally, when Lu Luo had urgent matters to attend to, he acted alone. Acting alone was faster, simpler, and involved no dead weight. This was Lu Luo’s normal mode of operation. But this time, he was actually asking to take people with him. Could something have happened?

"Brother Luo? What’s going on?"

"Indeed, there’s a bit of trouble, so... I need to bring some people back with me."

The ’trouble’ Lu Luo referred to was actually Meiqi. He didn’t want to have too much contact with Meiqi. After gaining a certain understanding of the Angel Envoys, he was well aware of the dangers they posed. They had been entrenched for a thousand years, and their resources and strength were incomparable to someone at Noah’s level. Even the rise of Nightmare Demon Lu Xiaotian had Meiqi’s shadow behind it. Such a monster was best avoided as much as possible. Moreover, Lu Luo didn’t want to expose too much of his situation to Meiqi’s scrutiny. It would be fine if she couldn’t tell that he had freed himself from the mark. However, if she did, that would inevitably bring trouble. He didn’t yet have the power to confront the Angel Envoys head-on. So, he had to rely on his trusted troops.

"I see!" Gu Fangyi, seeing that Lu Luo was not going into details, didn’t ask further.

"Alright, let’s leave it at that for today. We’ll set out early tomorrow morning."

"Brother Luo, how many people should we bring?"

"A whole team."

A team in the Circular consisted of 100 people; that number was already quite large.

"Will there be casualties?"

"There might be. Why? Is there an issue, Brother Gu?"

Lu Luo faced Gu Fangyi squarely. Gu Fangyi did not hesitate; the Circular’s troops belonged to Lu Luo.

"No problem."

The next day, after spending an entire night entwined with Bai Yuetong, Lu Luo coaxed Lu Xiaofang in the morning before saying goodbye to the others. There were too many in this world who could threaten him and his family. His journey couldn’t stop here. Neither the Angel Envoys nor the Imperial Family could make him stop.

As they progressed, upon reaching the Nether River, Lu Luo raised his hand at the riverbank.

"Stop. We need to offer a sacrifice to the river god here."

River god? Gu Fangyi was somewhat puzzled. They often traveled back and forth across this massive moat for transporting supplies. But a river god? That was something they had never encountered.

"Yes, we need to offer a sacrifice to the river god here as a sign of respect."