Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 513 - 511: Seventh Tier Gamble

People around would subconsciously ignore anything within the region of the invisibility effect.

But if Wu Ye Ji wanted to maintain her covert state, her physical movements couldn’t be too significant, nor could her emotions produce intense fluctuations.

The act of Lu Luo pinching her breast was undoubtedly what completely shattered her composure, and that was the key to breaking the deadlock.

"Your Highness Wu Ye Ji, Her Highness Wu Yi was merely impulsive just now."

"She meant no harm. I am here to apologize on behalf of Her Highness Wu Yi."

"I am truly sorry."

Lu Luo bowed deeply to Wu Ye Ji, his apology appearing sincere. However, the direction of his bow was pointedly toward where he had pinched her breast.

Wu Ye Ji’s expression flickered through several emotions. She had never encountered a man like Lu Luo before!

Before he could speak, Wu Ye Ji’s supporters began to denounce Lu Luo.

They wouldn’t dare offend the Twelfth Imperial Princess, but a mere bodyguard like Lu Luo? They felt free to rebuke him as they pleased.

"Who the hell are you? Your apology is worthless! Let Her Highness Wu Yi come out and apologize herself, then we can consider this matter closed."

"Exactly! What’s a bodyguard like you doing, putting on airs? How dare you lay a hand on an Imperial Highness?"

Lu Luo smiled faintly, his gaze turning sharp as he looked at these few people, his eyes becoming intense for the first time.

Although he didn’t release his aura, it made people feel as if they were teetering on the edge of an abyss.

"It doesn’t matter if you don’t recognize me. After all, this is my first time here, and I haven’t been in the Imperial Capital for long."

"But you needn’t worry. Soon enough, you will all know me—know my past, know my deeds."

"Because my name is Lu Luo!"

The crowd murmured. "Lu Luo! That name... it sounded familiar."

The people present all held certain statuses and had access to their family’s intelligence channels.

Some of the more powerful Princes and Princesses immediately recognized Lu Luo’s identity.

Regardless of whether Lu Luo’s combat record was genuine, his Seventh Tier strength had been confirmed by several Seventh Tier experts from the Inspection Department.

There was no doubt about this.

A Seventh Tier at twenty-six years old—that status alone ensured no one dared to underestimate him.

Even the most talented members of the Imperial Family hadn’t broken through to the Seventh Tier by the age of twenty-six.

Of course, this was mainly because they didn’t fully understand the true strength of certain Imperial Family members, like Wu Handing and Wu Ye Ji, who had actually reached the Seventh Tier before twenty-six.

These were secrets unknown to the uninitiated.

Therefore, Lu Luo, as the youngest known Seventh Tier, now carried significant weight in their minds.

"Lu Luo, huh..."

"Who is Lu Luo?"

"It’s *that* Lu Luo, the one who was the talk of the town over a month ago."

"Oh, it’s him!"

"Damn, he’s really Seventh Tier...?"

"You can boast about other things, but strength? That’s certified by the Inspection Department."

The discussions about Lu Luo continued for nearly five minutes before subsiding.

The expressions of those looking at Lu Luo gradually became embarrassed.

No one would want to provoke a Seventh Tier expert, least of all this group, who were merely scions of various families.

Even if their own families had a Seventh Tier expert as a patron—or even more than one—they still wouldn’t risk it.

The reason was simple: Seventh Tier experts possessed extremely strong combat abilities. They could fly and fight regardless of terrain.

When offending a Seventh Tier expert, one had to consider their capacity for retaliation.

Perhaps a family’s Seventh Tier expert could contend with such an individual, but those they protected couldn’t live under constant guard forever.

Furthermore, a family’s Seventh Tier expert couldn’t dedicate themselves to protecting just one or a few individuals indefinitely.

Therefore, being a Seventh Tier expert was, in itself, an extremely powerful deterrent.

This level of deterrence was comparable to that of a medium-sized family.

In a smaller city, a Seventh Tier expert would be the top combat power of the entire region or city, much like Zhang Changming, the de facto overlord of Coal Capital.

Lu Luo now possessed similar power.

Moreover, Lu Luo was younger than Zhang Changming, and youth implied limitless potential.

Offending Lu Luo, it could be said, was even more ill-advised than offending Zhang Changming.

These individuals were all intelligent; fools generally weren’t invited to such tea parties.

So, upon realizing something was amiss, someone immediately spoke up.

"Hehe, a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! Mr. Lu Luo’s apology is certainly valid! Since Mr. Lu Luo has spoken, I naturally have no further objections."

Once someone took the lead in backing down, followers quickly emerged.

"Yes, yes! An apology from an expert like Mr. Lu Luo? Of course, there’s no problem!"

"Indeed! The moment I saw Mr. Lu Luo, I sensed he was extraordinary."

"What a sycophant!"

"Get lost!"

Lu Luo smiled and nodded at them. As the saying goes, one doesn’t strike a smiling face. His only wish at this moment was to escort Wu Yi away safely.

Even though it looked like he held the advantage in the exchange with Wu Ye Ji, Lu Luo was, at this moment, still without substantial backing. The deterrent effect he had created stemmed merely from their unfamiliarity with him, his youth, and his strength. Truly powerful factions and major families wouldn’t concern themselves with a relative unknown like him.

"Since none of you are pursuing this matter further, I shall take my leave."

"Lastly, Your Highness Wu Ye Ji, I apologize to you once more."

Wu Ye Ji looked at Lu Luo, her chest rising and falling.

Her figure drew admiring glances from everyone. Among the many Imperial Princesses, her charm and allure were undoubtedly exceptional.

Under her gaze, the surrounding crowd once again began to show hostility towards Lu Luo. He could feel it all acutely.

This woman is truly outrageous!

Her Grade S Sequence might very well be related to this.

Lu Luo nodded. Time was of the essence; they couldn’t afford to delay any longer.

"Farewell."

Lu Luo took Wu Yi’s hand and started towards the exit, but Wu Ye Ji, behind him, unexpectedly spoke, "Wait."

Lu Luo instantly felt countless gazes fixated on him.

He turned his head, somewhat helplessly. "Is there something else, Your Highness Wu Ye Ji?"

"Not at all. I simply find Mr. Lu Luo exceptionally handsome and wished to look at you a moment longer. Furthermore, I accept your apology. I wonder, would Mr. Lu Luo be willing to give Ye Ji an opportunity? Allow Ye Ji to treat you to a meal so we might get to know each other better?"

Such a simple dinner invitation made Lu Luo feel a multitude of hostile stares.

He even sensed the gazes of Second Prince Wu Qi and other silent yet seemingly influential figures.

Even these individuals are influenced by Wu Ye Ji. This woman’s ability is truly terrifying!

"Your Highness jests," Lu Luo replied respectfully. "I am merely Her Highness Wu Yi’s bodyguard, bound by the duty to protect her at all times. An invitation to dine is a great honor, one that leaves me quite overwhelmed. However, I must decline. My responsibilities are paramount, and I cannot shirk them. My apologies."

Lu Luo finished speaking and strode briskly towards the exit, leaving Wu Ye Ji with only the sight of his departing back.

However, his explanation had somewhat placated the others present.

A diligent and responsible guard, especially a high-tier one, was something everyone desired.

Thinking this, they couldn’t help but feel envious of Wu Yi.

Some thought Wu Yi was lucky. Although Wu Yi’s own standing was respectable, recruiting someone with Lu Luo’s potential was still quite a coup.

Others suspected an unspeakable secret between Lu Luo and Wu Yi, some sort of clandestine arrangement.

Finally, there was Wu Ye Ji herself.

Originally, all eyes had been on Wu Ye Ji. But after Lu Luo left, her body was once again enveloped by Sequence particles. The others at the venue paused momentarily, as if they had completely forgotten her, then turned back to their food and drink.

Only a few powerful experts furrowed their brows slightly, glancing in Wu Ye Ji’s direction.

This woman is unfathomable!

Even Seventh Tier masters couldn’t gauge her true strength through perception alone. Lu Luo could only sense Wu Ye Ji’s actual power thanks to his Observer Sequence.

Concealed within the crowd, Wu Ye Ji picked up a glass of orange juice from the table.

She swirled the orange juice in her glass a few times, then set it down, picking up a glass of wine instead. She downed the strong spirit in a single gulp.

Wu Ye Ji began to ponder—about Lu Luo, Wu Yi, and...

Suddenly, she recalled Lu Luo’s earlier action. Such an outrageous act had truly left her at a loss.

Yet, surprisingly, she didn’t feel any discomfort.

This was a situation she had never anticipated.

I actually didn’t resist that man... How utterly... No, forget it. I won’t stoop to demeaning myself like that.

After two more glasses of strong spirits, Wu Ye Ji reached out and touched her chest.

If I’m not mistaken, that spot on my chest should be bruised by now.

Although she was powerful, possessing Seventh Tier strength, her body remained extremely sensitive.

The force Lu Luo had used was genuine Seventh Tier strength. An ordinary woman’s breast would have been crushed by his grip. Fortunately, her own power was considerable, allowing her to endure it.

This guy is so outrageous... and he’s protecting Wu Yi. This is really tricky!

As Wu Ye Ji was deep in thought, a princess suddenly approached her.

"What are you thinking about, Ye Ji?"

"Ah, Fourth Sister!" Facing the Fourth Princess, Wu Ye Ji instantly changed her demeanor, reverting to her pitifully charming facade.

The Fourth Princess looked momentarily dazed as she stared at Wu Ye Ji, mumbling, "Although I know you’re ambitious, Ye Ji, I just can’t bring myself to hate you. Honestly, why must you, a woman, be so adorable?"

As she spoke, the Fourth Princess reached out to touch Wu Ye Ji’s cheek.

However, Wu Ye Ji easily dodged her advance.

"Don’t do that, Fourth Sister. It wouldn’t look good if others saw. Besides, we are both Imperial Princesses; we should maintain the decorum befitting our station."

Wu Ye Ji’s words made the Fourth Princess pause.

"Indeed, an Imperial Princess should maintain her decorum. Ye Ji, if things proceed as expected, Wu Yi will likely compete with me for the position of Queen."

The title of ’Queen’ hadn’t existed previously. However, in recent years, the noble rank of ’Monarch’ had been reintroduced, giving a significant boost of confidence to the many Princes and Princesses.

According to the plan for the Princedom, there would be four in total.

Four Imperial Princes (Qinwang) were to replace the original Royal Family Clans.

Each generation of Imperial Princes could pass down their title for one generation.

They would possess power comparable to top Ministers and must swear undying loyalty to the Emperor.

It was common knowledge that this ’Imperial Prince’ policy was the Emperor’s stratagem to phase out the old Royal Family Clans.

It was an overt plan, yet no one dared to oppose it.

Firstly, the Emperor’s current strength and power were far too immense.

Secondly, the Imperial Prince policy also offered opportunities to many Princes and Princesses, providing them with alternative paths.

If anyone dared to oppose the Imperial Prince policy at this juncture, they would truly be making enemies of all the Princes and Princesses, especially the most powerful among them.

Among the four great Imperial Princes, there was guaranteed to be at least one female Imperial Prince.

This was the Emperor’s requirement and also the best option for all the Imperial Princesses.

After all, for a woman to become Emperor was several, even dozens, of times more difficult than for a Prince.

The innate disadvantages women faced, along with emotional and physiological factors, always posed significant weaknesses.

Becoming an Imperial Prince was undoubtedly a much safer and more attainable goal than becoming Emperor.

"Yes. Since Twelfth Sister gained Lu Luo’s support, her actual power has significantly increased. After Wu Handing’s death, she also took over many members of the Inspection Department. Her resources and strength are far beyond what they once were. If not for her personal strength still being insufficient, she might already harbor ambitions for the throne by now."

Wu Ye Ji spoke slowly, her enunciation precise. Each word seemed to stamp itself onto Fourth Princess Wu Yue’s heart like cold steel.

"Ye Ji, you truly see things clearly. Without your reminder, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have grasped all this. But, if I truly end up fighting with the Twelfth, Ye Ji... would you really not take advantage of the situation?"

Wu Yue looked at Wu Ye Ji, her dazed eyes like those of a man lost in a world of feminine charm.

Yet they were both women, making this dazed atmosphere all too ambiguous.

Wu Yue wanted to move closer to Wu Ye Ji, but Wu Ye Ji gently pushed the Fourth Princess away at the opportune moment.

She glanced at the crow’s feet at the corners of Wu Yue’s eyes. Although the Fourth Princess was only thirty-five, she was clearly a woman who neglected her figure and appearance.

As an Imperial Princess, Wu Yue was already showing signs of becoming stout.

Even a beautiful gown couldn’t hide the flesh around her abdomen.

There was no emotional fluctuation in Wu Ye Ji’s eyes, only calmness, and an indifference concealed within that calm.

"Please don’t joke, Elder Sister. Ye Ji is merely adrift, without backing or connections. From beginning to end, I’ve lived alone. With what could I possibly contend against you?"

Wu Ye Ji gave a wry smile, while Wu Yue stared at her, as if trying to discern the truth in her words, or perhaps simply admiring Wu Ye Ji’s captivating profile.

"I see. It seems I’ve misunderstood you, Ye Ji."

"Elder Sister, I’m a bit tired. I think I’ll take my leave for today. But before I go, I wish to say one more thing: Elder Sister, even if there is conflict between us sisters, let’s not resort to fatal blows."