Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 470 - 469: Meeting

Qin Wanyu didn’t know if this was a test by Nightmare Demon to probe her or if she truly intended to have Han Shiyu become the head of the new hospital.

This hospital had consumed a vast amount of the Fourth Ring’s resources.

It could be said to be one of the symbols of the Fourth Ring stepping into a new era under Lu Xiaotian’s leadership.

In my opinion, such a place should not be controlled by Lu Luo’s people, no matter what, she thought.

"I still feel that such a place is too important; handing it over to someone from Circular doesn’t sit well with me."

"Wanyu, do you have quite an issue with Lu Luo now? Is it because he didn’t help you take revenge?"

"Oh? No, that’s not it. I’m just looking at it from a standpoint of interests."

Qin Wanyu denied Nightmare Demon’s statement, insisting she was indeed looking at it from a standpoint of interests.

However, from an outsider’s perspective, Han Shiyu was actually a very suitable candidate.

"Han Shiyu’s abilities are not limited to just being a member of the Church; when East Ring University still existed, she was already a professor there. A professor in both Medicine and Pharmacology. With such talent, even if Transcendent powers were to completely disappear from this moment, her status would not change at all. Now that we control the Fourth Ring, we need to absorb enough talented individuals. It doesn’t matter if she’s Lu Luo’s woman or belongs to other factions outside; as long as she has the ability to do the job, I am willing to give them a chance. Understand?"

"I understand."

"Take a good rest. You’ve been working too hard recently; don’t put so much pressure on yourself. It’s not your fault what happened with Tong Yuan; everyone makes their own choices. Tong Yuan was a very stubborn woman, unwilling to change, so her elimination was almost inevitable."

Nightmare Demon’s words were somewhat ruthless, but Qin Wanyu knew very well that she spoke the truth.

Tong Yuan was indeed too stubborn. She always insisted that she was an Exotic Species, always refusing to change.

When the Nightmare Group as a whole was evolving towards human forms, she still refused to adapt to the rhythm and life of humans.

In such a state, elimination was only a matter of time; it could even be considered inevitable.

"Then I’ll go notify Han Shiyu right now, and I’ll also inform her about the hospital’s related information."

Qin Wanyu rejected Nightmare Demon’s suggestion to rest. Perhaps only by continuously working could she numb her spirit a little, so she wouldn’t have to think about those things she didn’t want to remember anymore.

In my heart, perhaps everything that once belonged to me changed because of an interlude, Qin Wanyu thought. She had lost her lover, her family, and her best friend. Now, aside from work, she had no other options.

Watching Qin Wanyu leave, Lu Xiaotian shook her head slightly. This state of hers is unbreakable. Even though Qin Wanyu has reached the Sixth Tier, if she can’t change her mentality, her future achievements will likely be limited there. Lu Luo, oh Lu Luo, your influence on my subordinates is indeed significant.

After Qin Wanyu left, Yang Liya pushed the door and came in.

Several years had passed, and Yang Liya had become even more mature, her figure fuller than before. With the help of Nightmare Demon, she had broken through to the Seventh Tier, becoming the legitimate second-in-command of the Fourth Ring’s Nightmare Group.

"Auntie Yang is here. What would you like to drink?"

Lu Xiaotian rose politely. Yang Liya was an important subordinate and had substantial connections with both of her parents. As a significant controller of the Hunter squad, Nightmare Demon naturally had to be courteous to her.

Yang Liya smiled; her relationship with Lu Xiaotian was somewhat closer than others might realize.

"Alright, now that you’re here, must you still speak to me in that tone? Don’t you feel tired?"

"Oops, Auntie caught me! Am I going to be subjected to the duties of an acting mother now? Will I be beaten with the sole of a shoe?"

"Is there anyone in the Fourth Ring you still consider a rival?"

Upon hearing Yang Liya’s words, Nightmare Demon subconsciously thought of mentioning Noah, but after some contemplation, she shook her head. "Yeah, Noah is gone, and so is Lu Luo."

"Lu Luo..." Yang Liya’s gaze carried a hint of reminiscence.

That young man had left a profound impression on her—exceptionally talented, powerful, and quick-witted. To say he had a methodical approach was an understatement. On some level, Lu Luo was a true all-rounder, even more so than Nightmare Demon.

"Are they both outside the wall now?"

"Yeah, they’re both outside." Nightmare Demon’s gaze flickered slightly, betraying a trace of curiosity about what lay beyond the wall.

"Since they can go beyond the wall, why haven’t you ever gone?"

"Beyond the wall, ah, of course, one can go. But before that, I want to completely deal with the Wasteland Alliance. I need a fully intact Wasteland Alliance as my support and base. Only then will I be qualified to compete with the powerful individuals from those empires."

Yang Liya nodded. Nightmare Demon still harbors a lot of hatred. Although hatred often isn’t beneficial for mental well-being, it is indeed the best catalyst for increasing strength. Moreover, it was about time for a change of leadership in the Wasteland Alliance.

"The situation inside the wall has been basically figured out—they’ve been without their Holy Radiance abilities for over two years now, with no signs of recovery. Those Seventh Tier members of the Church who primarily cultivated Holy Radiance are now desperately trying to practice other energy systems. They still retain their realms, but their Seventh Tier energy is completely gone. The Dawn Church is now in its weakest state since the establishment of the Wasteland Alliance. So, are you preparing to make a move?"

They had spent a long time investigating the internal affairs of the Dawn Church. The Church had always kept things very secretive until a conflict arose between the Inner Ring Council and the Church not long ago. When everyone thought the Church would teach the Council a harsh lesson, the Church surprisingly backed down. This outcome left many dumbfounded.

The loss of Holy Radiance among the Church’s ordinary members was well known, but exactly how much the absence of Holy Radiance affected the higher-tiered Transcendents remained unclear. Prior conflicts with the Council had occurred, but during those times, Proxy Pope Luo Dan had intervened, saving the day. He not only deterred the Council but also completely subdued the disobedient voices within the Dawn Church at that time. After that, the voices questioning the Dawn Church significantly diminished. After all, the Church’s former power and influence were such that ordinary people wouldn’t dare, and couldn’t possibly, make light of the Church.

The number of Seventh Tier members within the Council had, in some respects, surpassed that of the Church, but the Council being suppressed by the Church for so many years wasn’t without reason. After Luo Dan stepped in, everything seemed to return to calm once again.

The Inner Ring no longer sought trouble with Nightmare Demon, who in turn took this opportunity to rest and recover, disseminate Cultivation Techniques, study Sequence Awakening, and stabilize and strengthen the Fourth Ring.

That was until a little over a month ago when the Inner Ring Council and the Church had another Outburst of conflict. This conflict was abrupt, and Yang Liya even suspected that it might have been a test by the Council against the Church.

They were in the Fourth Ring, separated by high walls, naturally unaware of the happenings within the Inner Ring. But for the Church and Council, both residing in the Inner Ring, it wasn’t so simple. Living under the same roof, can there truly be any eternal secrets? As long as the stakes are high enough, there are very few who can’t be bought—at least, that’s true for most people, Yang Liya mused.

This conflict stemmed from a leak within the Church itself. The Church, now devoid of Holy Radiance, could no longer control its followers.

With no Holy Radiance left, what is there for them to believe in? Listening to the Bishops boast? Without Holy Radiance, it’s not even certain if a Bishop could defeat a Believer, Yang Liya thought grimly.

In such an environment, a crisis in the Dawn Church was almost inevitable. And the Council’s probing this time had yielded fruitful results.

"Are you saying that the Church has completely lost Holy Radiance now?"

"That’s right. This isn’t just speculation anymore; it has become a fact. After losing the Dawn Disc, even if the Church’s experts could still retain some of their power, after two years, it should have been mostly depleted. So, they must be in an unprecedentedly weak state now."

As Yang Liya spoke, she became somewhat excited. She, much like Nightmare Demon, wanted to completely overthrow the rule of the Inner Ring. Although the Inner Ring hadn’t had much control over the Fourth Ring for some years now, she would never forget those memories, the history of the Fourth Ring, and their fallen comrades. She wanted to avenge Ludie, and her target was the Inner Ring.

"If the Church has truly weakened, then what do you think? Will the Council and the Church have an internal war?"

"I’m not sure about that. The existence of the high wall makes it hard for information to flow out. The news I just mentioned isn’t firsthand; it’s from over ten days ago. The Inner Ring is too closed off now; we have no way of getting firsthand information from inside. Maybe they’ve already started a civil war by now," Yang Liya joked.

However, Lu Xiaotian didn’t laugh; instead, she fell into deep thought, seemingly considering the possibility of launching an attack on the Inner Ring at this time.

Lacking information, they were like headless chickens. After pondering for a while, Lu Xiaotian still decided not to act rashly. Since she had an idea, she would first carry out reconnaissance operations.

"First, try to send people to monitor the Inner Ring. Send the reconnaissance-type Sequence Awakened. We’ve supported them for so long; it’s about time they were put to use."

"Yes." Yang Liya agreed, her eyes lighting up slightly. She knew Nightmare Demon’s order was a signal: if the Inner Ring really lost control of the situation, they would inevitably launch an attack on it.

Maybe... we aren’t far from true unification now. Ludie, I wonder if you can see this day coming from up in heaven, Yang Liya thought.

「...」

Meanwhile, Qin Wanyu had already arrived at Han Shiyu’s residence with Lu Xiaotian’s instructions and a pile of documents. Since Nightmare Demon had asked Han Shiyu to be the new director of the Fourth Ring Hospital, as her assistant, Qin Wanyu naturally had to wholeheartedly help Lu Xiaotian with this matter.

"Professor Han? Professor Han?"

Qin Wanyu called out a few times, but no one responded.

Not home? Or did she go out? she wondered. Just then, she suddenly heard some noises from inside the room, like the collision of desks and chairs, along with some muffled moans.

"Professor Han! Is something wrong?"

Qin Wanyu pushed the door and found that it wasn’t locked. She opened it and quickly walked inside.

The sounds grew clearer and stranger—the continuous AHHs and MMMs made Qin Wanyu blush.

Inside... what’s going on? Qin Wanyu roughly understood what was happening, but Han Shiyu was Lu Luo’s woman! Even though Han Shiyu hasn’t seen Lu Luo for a long time, they haven’t broken up... If Lu Luo found out about this, what then? No, I have to go in and see! No matter what, I should do something right now!

Even though she verbally appeared indifferent to Lu Luo’s affairs, Qin Wanyu’s actions suggested otherwise. She always had some inexplicable concern for Lu Luo and the people around him. Just like now.

「...」

"Someone’s coming from outside!" Han Shiyu exclaimed, draped over Lu Luo, her eyes sultry as silk.

More than two years had passed, and it was impossible for there to be no resentment in her heart. However, neither Han Shiyu nor Lu Luo said much about it. Lu Luo had indeed invited Han Shiyu to the Imperial, but she had refused. Her reason was much like that of Lu Luo’s older brother, Lu Yang: the Wasteland Alliance was their hometown. Staying in their hometown and contributing to its development was, after all, a very normal thing to do.

Han Shiyu was not like Qi Xinzhu, who clung to Lu Luo’s side at all times. Qi Xinzhu devoted herself wholeheartedly to Lu Luo; naturally, she had no change of heart and did not refuse to go to the Imperial with him. Han Shiyu, on the other hand, was different. Compared to Qi Xinzhu, she had been more opinionated from the beginning. She had her own dreams and ambitions and was working hard for them. Lu Luo was not so arrogant as to deny someone so positive and driven. Even though his strength had long surpassed Han Shiyu’s, he would not do that.

"Let them come. It’s a good opportunity to intimidate any riffraff." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Tch, as if anyone doesn’t know what you’re thinking."

BANG!

The door was slammed open, and Qin Wanyu burst in.

"Professor Han, whatever the situation, you should... Uh, Lu Luo?"

Seeing the two of them entwined, what am I supposed to feel? Should I be relieved? Relieved that Han Shiyu wasn’t cheating, that Lu Luo hadn’t been cuckolded? Or should I be sad? After more than two years, the first time I see Lu Luo, this is the scene? Him with another woman?

"You two... shouldn’t be doing this!"

After saying that, Qin Wanyu turned and left without looking back.

Han Shiyu raised her eyebrows and turned to look at Lu Luo. "She came to see me; she must have had a reason, maybe a request or an order from Nightmare Demon. Shouldn’t we receive her?"

"There’s no need. If it were really important, she wouldn’t go far. We can continue."

Lu Luo went for a kiss, and Han Shiyu responded passionately. Her slender waist and alluring hips created a stark contrast, providing Lu Luo with a great visual impact, much more intense than that of Qi Xinzhu and Dumb Hair.

It’s a shame I can’t see her front from this angle, Lu Luo thought. Forget it. We’ll continue tonight. It’s too inconvenient in the office during the day.

At the moment, Han Shiyu was still wearing the small suit she usually wore to work. She had intended to take it off, but Lu Luo wouldn’t allow it. Uniform seduction, after all, was a widely appreciated fantasy.