Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 540 - 538: Going Home

Lu Luo returned to the ground, where Wu Yi, Wu Ye Ji, Zhang Changming, and others were already waiting for him. Seeing Lu Luo's distressed appearance, most of them had already guessed how the negotiations had gone.

Zhang Changming walked straight over. "Care for a drink?"

"Ah?" Lu Luo was somewhat surprised. He truly felt that the entire Imperial Capital was now under the shadow of the Angel Envoy. He was still completely clueless; going for a drink now would be utterly irresponsible.

However, Zhang Changming's next words struck a chord with him. "Feeling the pressure? There's really no need for that; the burden is never solely on you. You're not the savior of all mankind. Even if humanity truly needs a savior, there are many stronger than you. It's not your turn!"

Upon hearing these words, Lu Luo was momentarily stunned. These words... made so much sense; he found himself unable to refute them. For some reason, he had been taking on all sorts of responsibilities lately. He had even started to view himself as some sort of savior. It seemed like many things, if he didn't do them, no one else would. No one to be wary of the Angel Envoys, no one to save humanity. Why did he have such bizarre thoughts? Was it true that if he didn't act, no one else would? Of course not. Nolan was acting, Gu Tianfeng was acting, and so were the others from the Inspection Department. When a real crisis hit, Lu Luo knew without a doubt that the members of the Imperial Family would unite. So what exactly was he so anxious about?

Lu Luo stood there, pondering the reasons for his recent urgency. Family? Perhaps that was part of it. Ambitions? No, that wasn't it. Responsibility? Not that either. Then... the Angel Envoys? Or the fear of them? It seemed like that was indeed a factor! He didn't know when it started, but he had been living under the shadow of the Angel Envoys. Leviathan, Ototo, Meiqi – these three formidable Angel Envoys were all closely linked to him. Lu Luo had always been living in their shadow and under their control. He wanted to break free from these ties, which was why he felt so driven. He always felt that these three could destroy everything. But the reality was, even if these three could indeed destroy everything, they might not necessarily destroy him. His nature was very special. If he truly defected to the Angel Envoys, Meiqi would most likely spare him, and even spare his family, allowing him to live out the rest of his life comfortably. It could be said that from the very beginning, Lu Luo had been in an unbeatable position. All the tension and urgency were self-imposed. He refused to compromise, which led to urgency and fear.

"Minister Zhang's words have indeed cleared the fog and opened my eyes," Lu Luo said.

Zhang Changming hadn't expected his casual remark to elicit such a pronounced reaction from Lu Luo. "As long as you've figured it out for yourself, that's good. Many things aren't just your responsibility. No matter what you do, take care of yourself and your family."

"Minister Zhang is right; I have indeed been too impatient lately."

"So, would you like to go for that drink now?" Zhang Changming extended the invitation once more.

"Let's go, let's go! I'll just treat it as a chance to relax."

Lu Luo suddenly had an epiphany—or maybe it wasn't an epiphany, but he just didn't want to continue carrying so much responsibility on his own shoulders anymore. It wasn't necessary. Humanity wasn't his burden to bear alone, nor was the state. Many princes and princesses were just loafing around. What was he, an outsider, getting so worked up for? If no one else was in a hurry, then there was no reason for him to be!

The two men walked towards the city. At that time, the Imperial Capital maintained its serenity. They couldn't feel any threats concerning the Angel Envoy, the apocalypse, or anything of the sort. For ordinary people, these concerns were non-existent. They weren't feeling the anxiety; most were still worried about what to eat for lunch or fretting over their jobs that day.

Seeing this, Lu Luo felt a sense of relief wash over him. Yes, that was right. The affairs of the Angel Envoy seemed like they were the concern of the whole world. But in reality, they were only really the concern of a small group of people. He didn't need to be in such a rush when many others weren't. How ironic. What have I been rushing for these past few days?

"You don't need to feel too bad. Everyone has their own choices to make, their own positions in life," Zhang Changming said, pulling Lu Luo over to sit down with him at a small tavern.

They ordered twenty jin of beef and some drinks. This seemed like a lot of food, but for two Seventh Tier experts, it was barely enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.

Zhang Changming hadn't eaten for a long time. He was not the kind of person who cared much about his appetite like Lu Luo, so as long as he had enough energy, he didn't need to eat for extended periods.

Lu Luo, on the other hand, felt miserable if he didn't eat for a day!

"Let's drink!" Zhang Changming filled Lu Luo's cup. This was the first time he had ever taken the initiative to pour a drink for Lu Luo.

Though they had known each other for quite some time, this seemed to be their first time drinking together. Zhang Changming had never thought that the usually astute Lu Luo would one day need consolation.

"Yeah, today we won't go home until we're drunk," Lu Luo also said with a smile, and they downed one cup after another.

The atmosphere gradually warmed up.

"What do you plan to do about this matter?"

After three rounds of drinking, they inevitably returned to the discussion. Although Lu Luo said he could stay out of it, Zhang Changming knew that Lu Luo just needed some breathing space. Once he had enough space, ideas, and capabilities, he would still take care of the matter. That's why he asked at that moment.

Lu Luo didn't play it off; after pondering for a while, he shook his head slightly. "I don't know right now; the situation is worse than I imagined."

Lu Luo thought of the Imperial Palace at that moment and Lady Nolan's plea for help. He hadn't fulfilled any of the things he promised. Whether it was the help of the Bai Family or the resources of the Inspection Department, he had nothing. As for the method Gu Tianfeng suggested... using Lady Nolan as a sacrifice to seek the truth seemed to be something Lu Luo could only accept by default. Sacrificing an Eighth Order expert, along with her entire following. If sacrificing her could really eliminate an Angel Envoy, would it be worth it?

The moment Lu Luo had this thought, a voice immediately arose in his heart. It's worth it!

But he shook his head again immediately. It wasn't up to him to judge such things. He didn't know when he had become so cold-blooded. If one day he truly became like Gu Tianfeng, measuring human lives in terms of numbers and the value of goods, what difference would there be then, between him, the Angel Envoys, and Gu Tianfeng?

The Nightmare Demon had once said, "Once strength reaches a certain level, human nature begins to diminish." Lu Luo felt this issue, and the Nightmare Demon had also sensed the same problem.

In this negotiation, Lu Luo actually saw the same issue in several other experts as well. Bai Mo's approach was to strengthen human nature, exaggerating his own humanity. Nolan's method was to play with people's hearts, keeping herself immersed in the intricacies of human emotions. Gu Tianfeng, on the other hand, just let nature take its course; he disregarded human nature, yet, in truth, Gu Tianfeng's method was to follow the choices of his own heart. If Lu Luo were to follow his own heart, he would probably disregard human nature as well at this moment.

"It seems Lady Nolan's matter will have to wait," Lu Luo said, lowering his head. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"What do you mean?" Zhang Changming asked simply.

"Regarding Lady Nolan, Director-General Gu Tianfeng intends to sacrifice her. His idea is to use an Eighth Order expert to bait an Angel Envoy, exploiting Lady Nolan to draw out the Angel Envoy inside the Imperial Palace. After that, the Inspection Department would take action to completely eliminate the hidden danger there. Once the Angel Envoy is dealt with, the problems in the Imperial Palace will be readily solved, and the Emperor's investigation will also be much easier."

Lu Luo briefly relayed Gu Tianfeng's thoughts to Zhang Changming. This kind of information should have been confidential. But Lu Luo didn't conceal it, and Gu Tianfeng hadn't asked him to. Many perceptive people probably already sensed that something was off. The only one who didn't know, perhaps, was Lu Luo himself!

After listening to this, Zhang Changming nodded slightly. "Do you think this approach is correct?"

"I don't know. I previously felt it was wrong, but now that I think about it, it seems this is already the best approach. He said Lady Nolan's past was not honorable, that her rise to power was over a mountain of corpses. So, sacrificing her at this time not only solves the Angel Envoy problem in the Imperial Palace but could also be seen as delivering justice for those innocently slain. His words sound like twisted logic, but I can't find any reason to refute him. That's what's most damned aggravating!"

Lu Luo drank his wine sullenly. Sacrificing Lady Nolan seemed to be the best choice. But why did this choice make him so dejected? This was also a question Lu Luo himself could not figure out.

"It's because of responsibility, perhaps, or because of your own promise. You made an agreement with Lady Nolan, and you want to fulfill that promise. That's why you're troubled, because right now, you lack the capability to fulfill it. Am I right?"

Zhang Changming looked straight into Lu Luo's eyes, the meaning behind his words inducing a sense of shame in Lu Luo. He didn't understand where his shame stemmed from. Was what Zhang Changming said correct?

"I don't know either. Maybe it's because of responsibility. I indeed want to fulfill this promise. But now I feel that such a promise is a selfish act. Yet if I don't fulfill it, it's like denying many of my past actions. Not fulfilling it feels easier, yet I'm so confused. That's how it is."

By the end of his explanation, Lu Luo's words had become somewhat disjointed.

Zhang Changming frowned slightly; he had come to understand Lu Luo's situation to some extent. It couldn't be said that Lu Luo was wrong, nor could he be considered completely right. His issue now was that his worldview, the worldview of a normal person, and the worldview dictated by interests were clashing. The difference in cognition, the negation of cognition, made everything chaotic. Zhang Changming wanted to say something to guide Lu Luo, but he thought that whatever he said would be futile. Lu Luo's abilities far surpassed his own; this was a matter that only Lu Luo himself could judge!

"I don't know how to persuade you, but the only way I can think of is to urge you to relax a bit. You are not alone; you also have your friends, your lover—you have many things worth cherishing. Lu Luo, if you feel tired, you can go home for a visit."

"Go home for a visit?" Lu Luo was slightly taken aback. Did he have freedom in the Imperial Capital? Although he had alliances with Wu Ye Ji and Wu Yi, the Inspection Department and the Imperial Family had always been surveilling him, something he had never forgotten.

"The you from before probably couldn't have returned, but now the situation is different. You've met my teacher, Gu Tianfeng. His views and opinions are the city's judgment. In the absence of the Emperor, his choices represent your future. You walked out from the deepest part of the Inspection Department, which shows he has let you go. So, this is the time for you to choose to go home and see your wife and children, to have a good talk with them. Talk about your children's growth, talk about your future together. By the way, take some time to think about your own future as well."

Zhang Changming's suggestion stirred Lu Luo's heart. He indeed wanted to go home—his home at Half-Mountain Villa! He longed to see his children; this seemed like it could console his soul.

"Thanks, Old Zhang, your suggestion is really good. Even though you're a bit weak, you do have a knack for giving advice to others."

"Screw off! You never forget to tease me. I wonder how Bai Yuetong could ever like a beast like you."

The two of them began mocking each other again. Actually, the friendship between men is that simple; if their bond is strong enough, they might often playfully acknowledge each other in a father-son dynamic.

「The next day.」

Hungover, Lu Luo awoke in the tavern. Given his constitution, he really shouldn't have been able to get drunk, but he was indeed drunk—a result of his own indulgence, Zhang Changming's indulgence, the Observer's indulgence, and the Unbeliever's indulgence.

The Observer sensed Lu Luo's troubles, so he kept silent. The Unbeliever also sensed Lu Luo's troubles, so even its immunity effect did not manifest. The Sequence exists to serve its host!

Lu Luo looked at the note left by Zhang Changming next to him, which must have been left for him specifically:

[Take a good rest. When the sky falls, there'll be tall people to hold it up. You're not the tallest among them, so this isn't much of your business.]

Lu Luo smiled faintly and turned the note in his hand to ash.

"Yeah, when the sky falls, there'll be tall people to hold it up. There's no mistake about that. But if someday I become the tallest person in this world, would I still have the option to step back?"

The thought was somewhat crazy, and if he voiced it, many would laugh at his arrogance. But only Lu Luo himself knew that reaching the Eighth Order was a certainty, without any room for mishaps. Because now, he had already touched the threshold of the Eighth Order. When exactly this threshold had appeared, he wasn't entirely sure. It seemed to have arisen during his conversation with Gu Tianfeng, or perhaps it was from last night's drinking. In any event, once he felt it, he truly perceived it. He needed some accumulation, some breakthrough. Perhaps when he reached the Eighth Order, he would be able to distinctly understand the responsibilities the world had bestowed upon him, and the world's attitude toward him.

Sigh... Home!