Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 497 - 495: Seeing the Angel Envoy Again

Looking at her defiant expression, Lu Luo felt she must have already composed herself. So he became serious.

"Yes, many men must be pursuing you. Why hang all your hopes on me? Besides, I have a family now. This trip back, we must pass through the Nether River, and whether we live or die is uncertain. I might not even return, so... you shouldn’t invest too much of yourself in me."

Lu Luo spoke very earnestly, but Lu Xiaotian frowned. "What are you talking about? Lu Luo, stop joking. You won’t fall at a time like this. Meiqi’s power might be very strong, but it’s definitely not as strong as you imagine. Don’t be scared by her. She may control the seal, but the seal itself still exists. Remember that, and don’t be afraid of her!"

Suddenly, Lu Xiaotian stepped forward, hugged Lu Luo, and then reiterated, "Don’t be afraid of her!"

Hearing Lu Xiaotian’s admonishment, Lu Luo nodded heavily. "Thank you for the reminder. I’ll keep this in mind."

"Take care."

The two finally parted, and not much else happened between them. Perhaps Lu Xiaotian genuinely liked Lu Luo; otherwise, with her proud nature, she wouldn’t have made such gestures. But Lu Luo still felt they weren’t suited for each other. And just as he himself had said, facing Meiqi this time, even he wasn’t sure he could survive. Why drag a young woman into his troubles?

...

With this thought, Lu Luo once again arrived at the Fifth High Wall. He calmly looked at the river beneath him—the city’s protective moat, the very Nether River where Meiqi resided. If he went down, Meiqi would inevitably discover him.

He had two choices.

The first was to cross the Nether River as quickly as possible and find a way to evade Meiqi. The advantage of this method was not having to confront Meiqi directly. The disadvantage, however, was also clear: it would completely alert Meiqi, letting her know he had realized he’d broken free from her and Convex’s mental control. They would then be at a complete impasse, and his people would no longer be able to enter Imperial territory for smuggling and trade.

The second option was to enter the Nether River’s Upside-Down Sea normally and meet with Meiqi. This approach carried certain risks because Lu Luo couldn’t be sure what Meiqi would do to him next. If Meiqi decided to flip the table at this moment, whether he could oppose her was also a serious question. The crux of the second choice hinged on whether Meiqi would detect anything amiss about him. If she did, he had to be able to deal with her.

Lu Luo fell silent for a while, recalling what Lu Xiaotian had told him. Don’t be afraid! The Angel Envoy isn’t actually that frightening! Although Lu Xiaotian’s legs would turn to jelly before an Angel Envoy, her words weren’t very persuasive. But Lu Luo still felt she wouldn’t say this without reason.

Is this sentence just to encourage me, or did she really discover something? If she really found something, why didn’t she explain it to me in detail? Could it be that if she spoke of it, Meiqi would sense something?

Lu Luo seriously considered this possibility but ultimately shook his head. There are too many possibilities. No matter what, it’s not a wise choice to break with Meiqi at this time, because I also don’t know the relationship between Convex, the Angel Envoy staying in the Imperial, and Meiqi.

Lu Luo wouldn’t naively assume that Angel Envoys were necessarily hostile to each other. After his visit to the Floating City, he was even more convinced of this. Each Angel Envoy likely had some special connection, enabling them to sense one another. While they might not actively cooperate, they certainly weren’t oblivious to each other’s presence. So, rashly escaping into the Imperial was not a foolproof plan.

Therefore... Lu Luo still took a dive into the water.

SPLASH!

The Nether River’s currents seemed to welcome their master’s return, purple flames igniting cheerfully around Lu Luo. They seemed not to notice Lu Luo’s abnormality; it was just unclear whether it was the Netherflame that hadn’t noticed, or Meiqi, who was behind the Netherflame.

When Lu Luo passed through the Netherflame and reached the deep sea, schools of fish naturally scattered as if they had seen some terrifying creature. Lu Luo hadn’t dived far when the deep-sea behemoth appeared in his field of view.

SWISH!

The water currents before Lu Luo began to twist; the behemoth’s way of expressing excitement still made him a bit uncomfortable. Every time this creature sees me, it gets excessively excited. What exactly is it so excited about? Did Meiqi give it some promise, or can it sense the Devourer’s power within my body?

ROAR!

The behemoth roared at Lu Luo, seemingly questioning why Lu Luo was ignoring it, signifying its displeasure. But Lu Luo had no intention of paying it any attention; he was generally very good at controlling his emotions. But this behemoth before him... well. From the very beginning, Lu Luo had felt a strong aversion to this creature.

"Get lost!" Lu Luo snapped.

The behemoth could only obediently move aside. When Lu Luo was angry with it, it dared not touch him.

Arriving at the Upside-Down Sea, Meiqi was already waiting. She was like a mother awaiting her child’s return, waiting for Lu Luo.

"Little Lu Luo, you’ve finally come. Last time you bypassed this place, it really upset me."

"Er, sorry, Lady Meiqi. Last time, I was truly pressed for time. I only managed to squeeze in some time for this visit as well."

"Oh, are Imperial matters keeping you busy?"

Meiqi bringing up the Imperial unprompted made Lu Luo somewhat vigilant. He briefly considered how to respond. Lie? There’s no need. My knowledge of the Imperial might not even match Meiqi’s. So, such meaningless lying would only be foolish. Rather than lying, responding naturally is the best choice.

"Yes, one thing after another in the Imperial has left me quite overwhelmed. This time... the Imperial Family has actually summoned me. Over in the Imperial, it’s something I cannot refuse."

Meiqi looked at Lu Luo with profound eyes, as if trying to see through his thoughts. She stared at him for over a minute without speaking. After a while, she finally smiled and nodded, saying, "The Imperial summons must indeed be troublesome for you. So, what are you planning to do now?"

"Of course, I have to go; they’ve given me a month. I wasn’t confident I could face the Imperial Family without giving myself away, so I hurried back to gather the weapons and equipment I’d left in the Inner Ring to prepare to deal with them."

"Gather the weapons and equipment you left behind? If that were truly your only goal, there’d be no need to turn the Inner Ring upside down! Little Lu Luo, you’ve been a bit naughty lately. If you keep mixing with the Nightmare Demon, you might be confused by her chaotic will."

Hearing Meiqi say this, Lu Luo felt a knot of tension in his chest. Has she discovered something? Or did she know all along but kept silent because she wasn’t sure about my current state? Regarding the Nightmare Demon...

"Don’t worry, Lady Meiqi, I know what I need to do. All these are but stepping stones for me."

When Lu Luo said this, he deliberately turned and looked into the depths of the Upside-Down Sea. The way he clenched his fist perhaps gave him an air of burgeoning authority. This also made Meiqi’s beautiful eyes, watching from behind him, sparkle with a peculiar light.

"It’s good you think this way," she said. "No matter what, remember that time has no meaning for us. In any situation, your own safety is paramount. This is absolutely crucial; with this in mind, everything else can be set aside. Do you understand?"

Hearing Meiqi say this, Lu Luo breathed a slight sigh of relief. It seemed he had passed her test, and it had been easier than he imagined.

"Thank you for the reminder, Lady Meiqi. I’ll be careful. But I’m not too worried. After all, this time I’m going back with the Mechanical Heart; it’s a trump card. Humans wouldn’t dare try anything against me."

In front of Meiqi, Lu Luo took out the Mechanical Heart that Noah had left behind. Meiqi’s eyes clearly flickered when she saw it, and soon after, an excited expression appeared on her face.

"This thing... Lu Luo, you’re truly a genius! To think of using Noah’s creation to threaten humans—truly brilliant."

"Heh," Lu Luo chuckled. "Lady Meiqi, there’s no need for such praise. I’m just trying to protect myself. If those foolish humans really want to try something, I don’t mind letting them experience the price of a robotic crisis."

Meiqi looked satisfied by Lu Luo’s resolute demeanor. It seemed only this kind of Lu Luo matched the image she had in mind.

"There’s no need to sound so final; things are not as bad as you imagine. The Imperial Family, after all, is just a collection of decaying roots. Power and profit have made these humans lose their way; they’re not as formidable as you think. And even within the Imperial, there will be people who offer you additional help. Do not fear, the Imperial is not so frightening!"

Meiqi finally shared some information about the Imperial Capital. As Lu Luo had expected, Meiqi had certain channels within the Imperial. Or rather, she possessed methods to influence some decisions of the Imperial Family—a fact as outrageous as it was true. The Angel Envoys had been silent for a millennium, but they certainly hadn’t been idle.

"Does Lady Meiqi have arrangements in the Imperial Capital too? If so, I can rest assured."

"Heh, you don’t need to worry about the specific arrangements," Meiqi replied. "Just focus on your tasks. When it’s time to meet, you will meet."

"Yes, I understand."

Lu Luo then went on to embellish his recent experiences. He spoke at length, his stories mostly true with only a sprinkle of falsehood—sometimes, even less than that. Only the truth is easily believed—Lu Luo had always believed this.

Meiqi listened to his recounting and nodded repeatedly. She never commented on Lu Luo’s various judgments, nor did she care if they were right or wrong. Only when Lu Luo had finished speaking did she slowly comment, "Hmm, very good. You said quite a lot, but you’re also hiding some things."

"Uh..." Lu Luo was startled, not knowing what Meiqi meant.

"Don’t be so nervous, little Lu Luo. Everyone has secrets; that’s perfectly normal. Those without secrets are weak. Only by guarding your own secrets can you be called truly strong. What do you think?"

"I... I agree. Thank you for your guidance, Lady Meiqi." Lu Luo nodded to Meiqi again, his demeanor respectful.

But Meiqi seemed not to favor such deference; she shook her head and said, "Don’t always nod to me, Lu Luo. You are growing quickly. In the future, we will be equals. Perhaps you will even surpass me. You have your own mission. Grasp it, and you won’t need to bow to anyone."

Meiqi said some things Lu Luo didn’t quite understand, leaving him somewhat confused. What exactly were the Angel Envoys’ expectations of him? Was it not to restore the Second Angel Envoy, the World Devourer? If it wasn’t to become the Second Angel Envoy, then what was the point of his existence, or rather, what was Meiqi and the others’ purpose in nurturing him? And what was his mission?

Lu Luo really wanted to gloss over the topic, but seeing Meiqi’s serious expression, he understood one thing: Meiqi might let other things slide or be muddled through, but this matter was different. He needed to show a clear stance; he needed to get closer to the truth.

"Lady Meiqi, what do you mean by my mission?"

"Your mission? It’s too early to tell you now. You are still far from the day you fulfill your mission. For now, focus on your development. When all this is over, you will likely understand your mission."

Lu Luo disliked such vague words, but his own power was too weak. He couldn’t press Meiqi for answers at this moment. So all he could do was nod. "I understand."

"Well, since you’re busy, I won’t take up too much more of your time. Is there anything else? If there is, feel free to speak up. You don’t have to suppress yourself."

Meiqi’s words were like a lure. Lu Luo didn’t even notice that as she spoke, the Netherflame within his body began to burn in sync with her tone. Facing such a strange enticement, Lu Luo nodded involuntarily, "Lady Meiqi, if I must say, there is indeed something I want to tell you."

"Heh, go ahead. We’re at this point; what is there that can’t be said?"

"This matter concerns me and the deep-sea behemoth."

"Mhm, go on, I’m listening."

Lu Luo’s vision started to blur, but his Non-Believer trait activated, quickly freeing him from the dazed state. But by then, there was no turning back.

To be ensnared so silently! Do I really have to speak?

After hesitating for some time, Lu Luo finally spoke, "Lady Meiqi, I truly detest that behemoth. Every time I see it, I’m overcome with an uncontrollable loathing. This loathing even makes it impossible for me to control my emotions. I don’t know what this is all about, so I hope to get an answer from you."