Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 490 - 488 He Only Wants Fairness

They arrived at a rather upscale hotel, and the group couldn’t help but feel shocked by the decor. It was hard to believe that in just a few short years, the Fourth Ring had developed places with such a level of consumerism.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you may enter. My master is inside waiting for you."

Master...

In the Inner Ring, this term was rarely used. Hearing Tong Meng say this, these people began to realize that the master of this Great Lord before them was the most terrifying entity in the entire Fourth Ring.

Shi Tingyu and Luo Xuemin also felt a bit nervous. After all, this meeting could almost be said to be the one that would decide the future of the Inner Ring. Their presence here already indicated something about the Nightmare Demon’s stance.

However, none of them were members of the Church, which also spoke volumes.

The Church... it wouldn’t be forgiven by the Nightmare Demon. This means the Church is truly finished.

Pushing open the doors to the banquet hall, Lu Xiaotian was already seated inside, waiting for them.

What surprised Shi Tingyu and Luo Xuemin was that Lu Luo was not present.

Actually, the Nightmare Demon had invited Lu Luo earlier, but Lu Luo had declined. His reason was simple: his presence would affect the meeting’s fairness. His relationship with Luo Xuemin was too close, and he also had additional dealings with Shi Tingyu. Moreover, his relationship with the Nightmare Demon had improved dramatically due to the battle. While the Nightmare Demon didn’t necessarily hang on his every word, Lu Xiaotian was at least willing to consider Lu Luo’s feelings on many details. Besides, Lu Xiaotian herself liked Lu Luo, and doing things for someone she liked wasn’t strange at all.

But this was something Lu Luo didn’t want. He wanted a reasonably fair outcome and didn’t want his presence to affect Lu Xiaotian’s judgment. If he stayed, there would undoubtedly be an impact.

Therefore, he didn’t attend the meeting. Instead, he found a place to drink with Gu Fangyi, leaving the entire negotiation stage to Lu Xiaotian.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we finally meet," Lu Xiaotian said, getting straight to the point.

Today, Lu Xiaotian wore her favorite purple-black dress—the same one she wore when she first met Lu Luo, only this one was much larger. At this moment, she was still wrapped in bandages, and scars were clearly visible on her exposed arms and thighs. These were from the battle in the Inner Ring two days ago.

The people from the Inner Ring couldn’t imagine the ferocity of that battle, as no recording equipment had captured it. However, judging from the remaining ruins, its scale had far surpassed the concept of the Seventh Tier. The strength of the Nightmare Demon, Lu Xiaotian, was unquestionable.

In many eyes, the Nightmare Demon was the embodiment of evil, but today, she appeared remarkably sweet, delicate, and even a little cute. A girl’s age, a girl’s appearance, a girl’s voice. A girl was the type of person people were least wary of in this world. This appearance of the Nightmare Demon substantially reduced the fear and hostility in their hearts.

"Lord Nightmare Demon, hello," Shi Tingyu spoke first. She was poised and had composed herself. After all, she was here for negotiations; regardless of anything else, she had to fulfill her duties as a representative.

"Hello, Miss Shi Tingyu."

After the two exchanged greetings, the others chimed in.

Lu Xiaotian then waved her hand, signaling Qin Wanyu, who stood nearby, to distribute a document to everyone present.

Then she said, "All of you are well-informed. You should know what has happened in the Wasteland Alliance in recent days and what is about to happen next."

"Lord Nightmare Demon is right... Whatever Lord Nightmare Demon says, goes. We’ll be relying on Lord Nightmare Demon for the Inner Ring’s affairs from now on!"

Some had already begun to humbly agree, but Lu Xiaotian found such behavior meaningless.

What a bunch of fools, already trying to sell out their own kind for personal gain. It’s terrible that such people could become representatives of the Inner Ring humans.

"Ladies and gentlemen, is there nothing you wish to say to me?"

Lu Xiaotian surveyed the crowd, hoping for some impressive responses. But after a long pause, no one spoke. Whenever her gaze landed on someone, that person’s eyes would inevitably shift downwards. They were afraid to meet her gaze, until she looked at Luo Xuemin. Only Luo Xuemin dared to meet her eyes at this moment.

"Mr. Luo, if you have any thoughts, please feel free to share them. I will give your opinions due consideration."

If it had been anyone else, they wouldn’t have dared to voice any opinions at this moment. They would only nod or shake their heads; after all, at a time like this, their own lives were more important than anything. But Luo Xuemin was different. He was someone genuinely willing to work for the Inner Ring.

Therefore, after the Nightmare Demon spoke, he slowly stood up and finally said, "Thank you, Lord Nightmare Demon, for this opportunity. Since you are willing to listen to the opinions of the Inner Ring’s people, then I will venture to speak."

"Mr. Luo, please speak freely."

"The Inner Ring has been defeated; this is something we all understand. The families of the Inner Ring and the Church are the prime culprits behind all of this..."

As he said this, some people began to glare at Luo Xuemin with hostility.

"Luo Xuemin, what are you saying? If you want to die, don’t drag us down with you!"

These voices only annoyed Lu Xiaotian. She glanced at the speaker, seemingly casually, and the person immediately lowered their head, not daring to speak further. Their legs even trembled, as they saw a cold, murderous intent in Lu Xiaotian’s eyes.

This young girl would actually kill.

"Mr. Luo, don’t be too concerned," Lu Xiaotian said. "Continue to say what’s on your mind. You can speak freely here."

Luo Xuemin nodded; Lu Xiaotian’s composure surprised him.

Such composure indicated emotional stability, which is crucial for the leader of a group. If Lu Xiaotian were frantic, the future Wasteland Alliance would pay the price for her madness. But if she remained calm, then the future Wasteland Alliance would find a strong and reliable pillar of support in her.

"Very well, then I will continue," he said. "The Inner Ring still has many ordinary citizens. While they might have made certain mistakes, such as their hostility towards the Fourth Ring, those were all results of our political indoctrination. The common people are often misguided; they are largely innocent. Therefore, I hope that after Lord Nightmare Demon unifies the Inner Ring, they will be treated fairly."

The Nightmare Demon’s eyebrows rose slightly. She had finally encountered someone who piqued her interest.

This Luo Xuemin... he really has something! To be able to voice such sentiments at a time like this, both his courage and insight are remarkable. If the future Wasteland Alliance truly became a nation, people like Luo Xuemin would naturally be vital assets.

Of course, these thoughts merely flickered through Lu Xiaotian’s mind. At that moment, she simply nodded calmly.

"Fairness, you say...? In times of peace, fairness is indeed quite simple. But in times of war, fairness is a luxury. What do you think, Mr. Luo?"

Lu Xiaotian neither denied nor agreed to Luo Xuemin’s request, which gave him a glimmer of hope.

Perhaps he really could sway Lu Xiaotian.

"Lord Nightmare Demon will become the King of the Wasteland," Luo Xuemin continued. "After you become King, you will certainly need a great deal of talent. Although resources have been scarce in the Inner Ring in recent years, its centuries of heritage remain. A large number of high-level talents still reside in the Inner Ring. Offering them fairness would be the best way for you to recruit them. Lord Nightmare Demon’s ambitions are surely vast, and this request would also be highly beneficial to you."

"Heh, a rather shrewd argument," Lu Xiaotian remarked. "Alright, I’ve noted it. Is there more?"

Lu Xiaotian’s eyes filled with anticipation; Luo Xuemin had successfully piqued her interest further.

Regarding the transformation of the Inner Ring, she too was rather clueless. Perhaps Luo Xuemin could offer some inspiration or useful suggestions.

Hearing Lu Xiaotian’s question, Luo Xuemin nodded. He had prepared a great deal for this meeting.

"Indeed, there is more. My second point concerns the Inner Ring’s resources. These have been largely monopolized by the eleven council families for hundreds of years. The families continuously drain the Inner Ring’s lifeblood; they are practically a malignant tumor on the Wasteland Alliance. I hope that after consolidating the Inner Ring, Lord Nightmare Demon can abolish these families and reorganize the Inner Ring’s resources."

"What are you talking about, Luo Xuemin? Have you gone mad?"

Another person spoke up to berate him, but this time, Lu Xiaotian wouldn’t tolerate it.

PFFT!

A green feather instantly embedded itself in the man’s forehead. Killing someone like this wasn’t something Lu Xiaotian needed to do personally.

Someone quickly dragged the corpse away. Lu Xiaotian casually picked up a piece of fruit from the table, popped it into her mouth, and said, watching Luo Xuemin with amusement, "Still can’t grasp their own situation at a time like this. So stupid and dense. They might as well be dead."

She then turned back to Luo Xuemin. "Alright, the annoying one is gone. Mr. Luo, please continue."

"The Inner Ring needs reform, and the Wasteland Alliance needs new planning! My suggestions are as follows..."

The meeting continued for a very long time. From the outset, however, it had become Luo Xuemin’s personal stage. He did his utmost to present every suggestion he could conceive, voicing them all regardless of whether Lu Xiaotian would adopt them.

Just as Lu Xiaotian had said, the Inner Ring had no right to negotiate. This meeting was essentially a plea. They had only one chance, so Luo Xuemin held nothing back.

"Lu, you know I don’t usually drink! GLUG GLUG GLUG... Why isn’t Tong Meng paying attention to me anymore? GLUG GLUG GLUG!"

Heartbreak is sometimes inevitable. Lu Luo hadn’t expected Gu Fangyi, who was always so calm, to show such a side. He didn’t quite know what to say.

"Bitter wine burns the throat and pains the heart. Drink up, Gu."

GLUG GLUG GLUG!

Normally, Gu Fangyi, who was Fifth Tier and close to reaching Sixth Tier, would find it very difficult to get drunk. But today, he just wanted to get wasted, so he drank a lot. Without using any energy to resist the alcohol’s effects, Gu Fangyi finally succumbed.

Although being drunk was a significant handicap for a sniper, well, everyone has moments when they’re down, and sometimes it’s necessary to unwind. If you keep yourself wound too tight, you’re liable to snap.

"Get some good rest, Gu," Lu Luo said, draining his own drink. "The battles ahead will likely be even tougher!"

He took out the Mechanical Heart he had obtained. This item would only display its greatest power within the Imperial.

However, after the Wasteland Alliance’s affairs were settled, he would have to return to the Imperial. Inevitably, he would have to meet Meiqi. No one could be sure what would happen at that meeting. Lu Luo felt apprehensive, but he couldn’t avoid it, because the Wasteland Alliance itself was an entity enveloped by Meiqi’s Nether River.

By now, their discussion should be over, right?

Lu Luo looked towards the hotel. A decision should have been reached between Lu Xiaotian and Luo Xuemin.

Inside the hotel, the Inner Ring representatives were stiffly eating the delicious meal. Although the food before them was exquisite, their current mood hardly allowed them to eat and drink with gusto. Only Luo Xuemin and Shi Tingyu seemed relatively composed, eating with some ease.

"Mr. Luo, your proposals were excellent; many of them gave me inspiration," Lu Xiaotian said. "My team is in great need of talent like yours. What do you say, Mr. Luo? Are you interested in joining us? You shouldn’t limit yourself to a small place like the Inner Ring. The Fourth Ring, the Fifth Ring, even the Imperial—there are far grander stages where your talents can be showcased."

The Imperial?

Many of them had heard the term. A place beyond the Fifth Ring? Another power called the Imperial actually exists? This was information these Inner Ring denizens had never encountered.

Shi Tingyu felt a surge of excitement. She had only heard of the Imperial’s existence from Lu Luo. Now that the Nightmare Demon had confirmed it, she yearned even more for the future, for the Imperial.

Luo Xuemin, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. He recalled the words Lu Luo had shared with him previously.

On a grander stage, Bai Yuetong would be one of the main protagonists. She would need more support and help, and as her father, he, Luo Xuemin, would be her greatest supporter!

That place... is called the Imperial? And Bai Qingshuang... was she originally from the Imperial?

Lost in these thoughts, Luo Xuemin clenched his fists. He nodded to the Nightmare Demon. "I am willing to join."

"Very good. Excellent." The Nightmare Demon smiled. "Mr. Luo, your attitude and understanding have truly impressed me. With a talent like you assisting, the integration of the Wasteland Alliance will proceed much more rapidly. To our cooperation—cheers!"

The Nightmare Demon raised her glass, and the others naturally followed suit.

The meeting, with Luo Xuemin as the protagonist and Lu Xiaotian as the guide, finally concluded successfully. However, the future development of the Wasteland Alliance would still depend on implementers like Luo Xuemin, as well as the leadership of its helmswoman, Lu Xiaotian.