CHAPTER 421: CHAPTER 421: IT’S REALLY YOU

Well, after all that talking, it was as if nothing had been said.

Wang Jia looked at Lu Luo, her expression somewhat pained, but she dared not anger Lu Luo. This man...

Forget it, I should still thank him.

"Then, thank you very much, Mr. Lu Luo."

"HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

Lu Luo’s expression was a bit strange, his smile more of a grimace, which sent shivers down the spines of the three Wang Family members.

After Luo Muqing had fainted, the meal had been left unresolved.

After sending Qi Xinzhu back to her room and spending a tender moment together, Lu Luo left the place.

His Qi He was now extremely powerful, and with the help of the Jet Belt, he could easily float in the sky for extended periods.

Lu Luo went to the rooftop and allowed himself to quickly ascend into the sky.

Then, he began floating and surveying the land from above.

Coal Capital had become the central city of GuiXi.

Its size was comparable to that of some smaller provincial capitals of his previous life.

The only difference was that Exotic Species in this world made it rare for rural areas to be found around large cities.

Isolated humans could easily be killed by Exotic Species.

Therefore, cities here were considerably more concentrated than in his previous life.

And the suburban areas were truly wilderness; apart from exploration teams of Transcendents, they were deserted.

When Lu Luo reached a sufficient height, the Observer’s Eye slowly opened in the sky.

The red eyeball had, at some point, replaced the white moon in the sky.

The white moon now had red blood threads running through it.

This was an eye capable of peering into the world; as long as the Observer existed for a period, everything in Coal Capital would fall within Lu Luo’s view.

Ordinary people couldn’t feel this change, and even Transcendents would only wonder why the moon was redder than usual today.

The only place that might sense something amiss was likely the Imperial Inspection Department.

The use of the Observer’s Eye would inevitably release an enormous amount of Sequence Force.

Lu Luo knew that the Inspection Department would definitely discover him, but what he needed to consider was how long it would take them to find him.

And whether the Inspection Department had equipment to fly into the sky.

Lu Luo had also considered the possibility of a Seventh Tier expert taking action, but these were all speculations.

How the Inspection Department would react could only be determined through practice.

「...」

At a division of the Inspection Department, Zhang Changming looked at the almost flawless moon and furrowed his brows slightly.

"Using illusion to replace reality, huh? Such power of Sequence is comparable to the Imperial Family. Just what kind of Awakener would possess such power?"

"Director, the Sequence Disc is fluctuating intensely; the direction sensed is towards the sky."

The sudden intrusion of his subordinate didn’t surprise Zhang Changming.

With the Association’s grand meeting about to start, someone dared to be so blind at this time. Brazenly carrying out such actions right above the Inspection Department’s head—truly asking for death.

It was a good opportunity to kill one to warn the others, especially since the elite of the GuiXi region’s associations were all in Coal Capital.

"Dispatch."

"Yes."

Zhang Changming was decisive in his actions, but as he gave the order, the image of Lu Luo flashed through his mind.

It wouldn’t be that kid, would it?

At this time, he should have also arrived in Coal Capital.

The scale of this Sequence activity! It should be somewhat similar to the one produced in the Western Suburbs last time.

Could it be the same person?

If it indeed was the same person, then would he apprehend Lu Luo and even send him to the Imperial Capital?

Zhang Changming hesitated for a moment but quickly composed himself.

He was Zhang Changming, the division head of the Inspection Department in the GuiXi District.

He had a duty to protect the Imperial, and perhaps the Imperial Family did not represent the entirety of the empire.

But the threat of Sequence Users was a conviction passed down since ancient times.

Capturing Sequence Users was the responsibility of his Inspection Department. Whether the person was Lu Luo or not, he had to carry out his duties.

I have already let him off several times; I hope he won’t be so ungrateful this time.

After muttering to himself, Zhang Changming put on his coat and followed the team, moving toward the center of the city.

He truly hoped that this matter would not involve Lu Luo.

If so, Bai Yuetong would inevitably be affected.

But hope was just hope.

Zhang Changming did not know that Lu Luo did this precisely to test the actual response of their Inspection Department.

Moreover, Wang Jia wasn’t the only Sequence User appearing at this association gathering.

Lu Luo was becoming more and more expectant of the Inspection Department’s reaction.

「...」

The black-clothed figures silently progressed toward the center of the city.

They shuttled across the rooftops of various tall buildings, moving much faster than an average car.

Some Transcendents from the associations had noticed these people’s movements, but no one dared to say anything or raise questions at this time.

Anyone who mingled in the Imperial associations knew the terror of the Inspection Department.

They didn’t want to ask for trouble at this time.

Only some powerful Transcendents thoughtfully looked up at the sky:

"The moon in the sky is especially round tonight!"

The number of personnel from the Inspection Department was increasing. Grouped in pairs, holding somewhat rudimentary Sequence Discs, they drew ever closer to Lu Luo’s location.

But this time was different from the situation at Half-Mountain Villa. Lu Luo consistently maintained his Sequence Force high above in the sky.

And at a very high altitude at that.

Ordinary Transcendents, without reaching the Seventh Tier, lacked the ability to fly.

Even top-tier Soxth Tier experts could only manage large leaps or gliding at best.

This ensured one thing: even if someone could come here to collect Sequence Force, their numbers would be few.

The rest would remain on the ground, to be recorded and observed by the Observer’s Eye.

Lu Luo hid within the clouds, quietly observing the ground.

Under the Observer’s Eye, some members of the Inspection Department had arrived.

They looked up at the sky, confirming the location of the Sequence Fluctuation.

"Up there?"

"Up there!"

The members of the Inspection Department quickly confirmed the location of the Sequence Fluctuation.

As the most operationally efficient department, snipers and spotters were already scanning the sky, trying to find the person who initiated the Sequence.

However, it was clear that they had failed.

With Lu Luo’s current level of strength, unless a Seventh Tier expert came in person, there was no way he would be found by a Soxth Tier Transcendent.

What Lu Luo was anticipating was whether the Imperial Inspection Department had any flying devices.

The Mechas of the Wasteland Alliance, while some models could fly, their sustained flight time was too short, and the energy consumption was enormous.

Furthermore, due to the Exotic Species in the sky, the concept of airplanes had barely emerged.

Therefore, Lu Luo was very interested in whether the Imperial beyond the high walls possessed any flying devices.

Could there be something like helicopters?

Soon, Lu Luo got his answer.

Several Transcendents wearing gear resembling exoskeletons began gathering below.

Unlike the flying devices Lu Luo had envisioned, the flight method of these devices seemed somewhat similar to his Jet Belt.

They were all propelled by jet-like thrust for flight.

After some thought, Lu Luo generally understood the situation within the Imperial airspace.

There shouldn’t be any large flying devices here either.

Although with the Imperial’s technological reserves, creating airplanes shouldn’t be too difficult.

But dealing with the Exotic Species in the sky would be exceedingly challenging.

Exotic Species are inherently very aggressive; upon detecting humans, they would most likely initiate an attack.

As a result, the safety of airplanes themselves would be greatly compromised.

Because an airplane, being such a precise machine, would face a substantial threat even from a collision with a small bird.

Not to mention the size of Exotic Species.

If it were a propeller-driven flying device, damage to the propeller blades from an attack would, in all likelihood, result in the aircraft’s destruction and the occupants’ deaths.

Under such environmental conditions, it indeed wasn’t suitable to develop things like airplanes.

In contrast, trains were a more appropriate form of large-scale transportation.

I’m being watched! What’s the time?

[19 minutes, 11 seconds.]

Hearing this, Lu Luo was slightly surprised. That was quick!

From detection, sensing, assembly, searching, to pinpointing the location, it only took 19 minutes.

And this was only the GuiXi District’s Inspection Department; their strength and efficacy were probably a notch below the Imperial’s strongest Inspection Department.

Yet even so, their operational efficiency far exceeded the 30 minutes Lu Luo had initially estimated.

So fast! Truly worthy of being the state machinery!

Lu Luo quietly put on a black trench coat and then donned a mask.

The Imperial had many surveillance devices; escaping required some disguise.

It’s about time to go.

The information on the Inspection Department’s Transcendents had been fully collected by the Observer’s Eye in the sky. This information might not be very useful, but recording it in advance was certainly not a bad thing.

Lu Luo, hidden among the clouds, began to gradually distance himself from the area.

While most of the Inspection Department’s Transcendents were still focused on his Observer’s Eye, he had quietly increased the distance between them and, seizing an opportunity, landed on the ground.

Does this count as wasting police resources?

Lu Luo mocked himself.

The Inspection Department was more capable than he had imagined, increasing both the likelihood of finding Sequence Users like Wang Jia and shortening the time it would take.

As a result, the plan to track Sequence Users wasn’t as far-fetched as he’d thought.

Lu Luo walked into an alley, preparing to take off his clothes and put them in his ring, when he suddenly sensed something was amiss.

Hmm?

[Unknown energy approaching at high speed! Dodge quickly!]

BOOM!

Lu Luo didn’t dodge. The explosion’s impact force tore through his coat, but he covered his mask with his fingers.

The spiral form of his Qi He prevented the impact of the explosion and the flying debris from shattering the mask as well.

Though the explosion was intense, Lu Luo, not far from its epicenter, remained completely still.

For a Grade S Unbeliever, an attack of this level was already insignificant.

But it wasn’t over yet; a red energy blast suddenly shot out from the still-settling dust.

Lu Luo frowned slightly as he raised his hand to block the attack.

BANG!

His mask trembled slightly; the assailant’s attack had a resonance effect.

This resonance was enough to shatter most materials in a short period.

However, the Qi He in Lu Luo’s hand continued to rotate, dissipating the attacker’s power.

"Whew, that’s impressive!"

Lu Luo spoke in a metallic voice, making it impossible for the other party to determine his age.

Stepping back a few paces, Lu Luo finally got a clear view of the other’s figure. Indeed, the person before him was one of the few in the entire GuiXi District who piqued Lu Luo’s interest: the Head of the Inspection Department, Zhang Changming!

"Who are you?"

Zhang Changming sized up the masked Lu Luo. The other’s strength was formidable; even when ambushed, he had managed to continuously block Zhang Changming’s stacked force. Moreover, in the initial explosion, the other’s body hadn’t budged an inch.

Such combat strength... a genuine Seventh Tier!

Looking at the other’s figure, the possibility that it might be Lu Luo had crossed his mind.

But Lu Luo’s age, coupled with his Fifth Tier strength, made it difficult for Zhang Changming to believe that the person before him was Lu Luo.

"How could I casually tell someone my name? If you want a title for me,"

"you may call me... Hunter!"

"Hunter?"

While Zhang Changming was slightly confused, Lu Luo had already turned tail and fled.

Nonsense! If I don’t run now, am I supposed to actually fight him?

He clearly has some connection with Bai Yuetong, and in a sense, he’s protecting her.

While Lu Luo wouldn’t go as far as to use Zhang Changming at this moment, any extra protection for Bai Yuetong is naturally for the better.

With a few rebounding leaps, he disappeared at the end of the alley, moving extremely fast.

But Zhang Changming was clearly unwilling to let Lu Luo get away so easily.

"Thinking of running? Chains!"

Suddenly, a long chain extended from Zhang Changming’s sleeve.

This chain began to move on its own, chasing after Lu Luo at a speed far exceeding Zhang Changming’s own.

Lu Luo, darting between alley entrances, sensed something behind him.

Glancing back, he saw the animated chain already very close!

This kind of thing? Another device from the Imperial Inspection Department?

The Imperial’s Transcendent equipment was clearly generations ahead of the Wasteland Alliance.

This was evident from their Godless Armors, Sequence Discs, and other weapons and equipment.

Lu Luo was still unclear about the specific effects of this rapidly approaching chain.

However, I imagine it’s for binding or restraining, and I certainly don’t want to test it here.

What a hassle! Too bad I don’t have a suitable weapon.

[Consider buying one!]

That’s the only option.

Just as Lu Luo was thinking this, he suddenly felt a warmth in his palm.

This surge of warmth made Lu Luo pause for a moment. What was that just now?

[Who are you asking?]

Well then, if the Observer doesn’t know, Lu Luo is out of options.

CLANG!

A blade emerged, its thin edge imbued with Qi He, instantly slashing at the fast-flying chain.

Sword Heart Style—Duankong.

The Slash Strike flew along the chain’s surface.

The sound of metal clashing rang out continually.

When the chain clattered to the ground, Lu Luo was somewhat puzzled.

I clearly felt I’d cut it, so why does it seem unbroken now?

[It’s constantly reattaching and repairing itself.]

Is that so?

Suddenly, the chain on the ground moved again.

Quick-eyed and deft-handed, Lu Luo stabbed with his blade, pinning the chain to the ground through one of its links.

"Phew, this thing is really freaky!"

HMPH! The cold snort from behind made Lu Luo’s scalp tingle. What incredible speed!

Powerful physical strength, disgusting tools, and such extremely fast pursuit speed and methods.

The Inspection Department was truly the most detestable department he had ever encountered.

These fellows might not have the raw strength of the Dawn Church, but in terms of how difficult they were to deal with, and their group cohesion, they were definitely several levels above the Dawn Church.

"Director Zhang, you’re quite the pursuer, arriving in such a short time."

Zhang Changming completely ignored Lu Luo’s attempt to interrupt. As a member of the Inspection Department, his task was to capture the Sequence User before him.

Then, take him back to the Inspection Department and treat him to a ’drink’.

The Inspection Department had everything: beer, soft drinks, mineral water—they could certainly offer a host’s hospitality.

Zhang Changming’s fingertips were about to touch Lu Luo, but Lu Luo still didn’t give him the chance to make contact.

Slightly clenching his fist, a thick tendril appeared beneath Zhang Changming’s feet, seizing the tenacious pursuer.

Lu Luo turned to flee once more, while Zhang Changming, with a swift slash of his hand as if wielding a blade, cut the tendril at his feet and followed.

The two, one chasing the other, were locked in pursuit with no clear winner emerging.

Lu Luo felt somewhat helpless; Zhang Changming’s tenacity exceeded his expectations.

It wasn’t that he lacked confidence in fighting Zhang Changming; he just truly didn’t want to fight.

Meanwhile, Zhang Changming, pursuing him from behind, was also inwardly shocked. The strength of this masked man was truly terrifying!

He’s also a Sequence User. Letting such a person run loose in the GuiXi District would undoubtedly be a huge threat.

He must be apprehended.

BOOM!

Having caught up to Lu Luo, Zhang Changming threw a fierce punch, which Lu Luo suddenly turned to meet.

But their fists still didn’t connect.

At such close range, the Qi He in Lu Luo’s hand had already produced an explosion.

The blast pushed the two apart once more, giving Lu Luo a brief respite and a chance to speak.

"Hey, hey, can you stop chasing me?"

"No!"

The dialogue between them was extremely stiff.

During their exchange, Zhang Changming attacked Lu Luo again.

Every move he made was aimed at making contact with Lu Luo, even if it was just a single strand of hair or a flake of skin.

As long as he obtained it, with the Imperial’s current technological level, he would have a very high probability of tracking down the other party’s identity.

Lu Luo had guessed this, which made this fight exceedingly uncomfortable for him.

He had to constantly guard against Zhang Changming’s fierce attacks while also trying his utmost to avoid being touched—it was incredibly difficult.

Lu Luo looked at Zhang Changming, knowing that if he didn’t resort to some tricks, his pursuer was unlikely to stop.

"Director Zhang, if you keep chasing like this, it might lead to some rather unfavorable consequences."

"Letting you go would be the most unfavorable consequence."

"If you insist on this, I’ll have to resort to some methods myself, Director Zhang."

"You’d better not regret it."

Hearing the other’s words, Zhang Changming suddenly had an unsettling premonition.

Lu Luo took out a black bean-like object and casually threw it.

BOOM!

The explosion blasted an empty alleyway to smithereens.

"What are you doing?" Zhang Changming was somewhat angered.

In the Imperial, Transcendents rarely attacked ordinary people.

Although ordinary people were weak, their population was the most important resource of the entire Imperial.

Thus, not attacking ordinary people was practically an unspoken rule throughout the Imperial.

And Lu Luo’s actions had clearly broken this rule.

"Who told you to keep chasing me? This is self-preservation, understand?"

"You just wait!"

"Sure, I’ll wait."

Just as Zhang Changming’s chains were about to catch Lu Luo, Lu Luo suddenly threw a dark object towards a very large apartment building.

Zhang Changming paused for a moment, then immediately asked,

"What did you throw?"

Lu Luo feigned surprise.

"A bomb that I threw! Aren’t you going to try and save them? Are you still a public servant?"

"Do you realize how many people will die if that thing explodes?"

Watching Lu Luo’s matter-of-fact demeanor, Zhang Changming was both conflicted and furious.

"Despicable and shameless scoundrel!"

"Thanks for the compliment."

Resigned, Zhang Changming had no choice but to turn and leap towards the apartment building, searching for the object Lu Luo had just thrown.

Meanwhile, Lu Luo seized this opportunity to draw a steel sword again, pin the chains, and then slip into Coal Capital’s night market.

On the other side, Zhang Changming’s face turned ashen as he looked at the black ball in his hands.

By this time, other members of the Inspection Department had caught up. Seeing the black ball in Zhang Changming’s hands, they looked astonished.

"Director, what is that?"

Zhang Changming didn’t speak but suddenly tossed the black ball over, and it landed in someone’s hands.

The others jumped in fright, thinking it might be some dangerous explosive.

But upon closer examination, they discovered that it was actually a burnt meatball.

"Director, this..."

"A burnt meatball. Take it back and analyze it thoroughly."

"We might find some clues on it."

"Uh, yes, sir!"

Zhang Changming’s eyebrows were tightly knit. That masked man dared to fool me?

It’s too late to chase him now!

However, he also breathed a sigh of relief; at least the other party hadn’t actually thrown a real bomb to coerce him.

This showed that the other party’s attitude was still relatively cautious.

At least he doesn’t want to escalate things too much with the Inspection Department. That means there’s still room for maneuver.

Zhang Changming looked up at the night sky; the silhouette of the masked man once again overlapped with Lu Luo’s image.

Previously, he hadn’t been so suspicious of Lu Luo, even though the man’s height was very similar to Lu Luo’s.

But the figure had always been hidden under that oversized trench coat.

Making a definite judgment isn’t that easy.

Since I can’t judge based on physique, perhaps I can infer from his behavior?

Using a burnt meatball to scare him, along with the other person’s tone, led Zhang Changming to speculate.

The other party is a young man, and a somewhat mischievous one at that.

Powerful, mischievous, a bit of a rascal, yet still operates with certain bottom lines—this profile really matches Lu Luo.

So, could he really be Lu Luo?

Zhang Changming’s gaze suddenly sharpened.

He took out his phone and directly dialed a number—Lu Luo’s number.

"Hello!"

"Hey, what’s up?"

Lu Luo’s voice on the other end was lazy and sounded a bit irritated, as if Zhang Changming’s call had displeased him.

However, Zhang Changming didn’t pay much mind; these behaviors could all be part of Lu Luo’s disguise.

"Where are you now?"

"Me? Where I am is none of your damn business!"

On the other end of the line, Lu Luo had already taken out another backup phone and sent a message to Bai Yuetong.

[Where are you? Urgent.]

[Dongxing Hotel. What’s up?]

[I’m coming to you now.]

[Okay.]

Their text exchange was brief. As they were confirming the location via messages, Zhang Changming had already said to his subordinate beside him,

"Track this number’s location for me. Quickly."

"Yes."

Lu Luo pushed his speed to the limit while speaking nonchalantly on the phone,

"Director Zhang, what is it exactly? If there’s something, say it quickly. I’m with Dumb Hair right now."

Dumb Hair? Zhang Changming thought of the tuft of hair on Bai Yuetong’s head and roughly understood what ’Dumb Hair’ meant.

However, he still doubted Lu Luo’s claimed location.

I don’t need to do anything else; I just have to stall Lu Luo during this time and wait for my subordinate’s investigation results.

"Are you really with her?"

"Of course. It wasn’t easy coming to Coal Capital; naturally, I wanted to show her around and stroll through the night market."

"Don’t worry, I’ll look after her and make sure she’s well disguised. I definitely won’t let her be exposed to anyone’s sight, alright?"

"Alright then. You two... have fun!"

Zhang Changming was lying, and Lu Luo was bluffing; not a single word of truth passed between them.

However, at that moment, a member of the Inspection Department had already determined Lu Luo’s phone location.

"Director, we’ve located him, but the number is moving at high speed."

"Where is he now?"

"He’s already near the Dongxing Hotel."

"Understood."

Zhang Changming suddenly took off, heading straight for the Dongxing Hotel.

As he rushed towards Lu Luo’s direction, Bai Yuetong had already gotten dressed and was hurrying downstairs.

Soon, the two met at the entrance of the Dongxing Hotel.

"What’s going on?"

"That Zhang Changming is looking for me."

"Did you cause trouble again?"

"Not really trouble, just some routine testing."

"Testing?"

"Yeah, testing the Inspection Department’s response, testing Zhang Changming’s strength, and incidentally, testing my own strength as well."

Through this chase and escape with Zhang Changming, Lu Luo had gained a clear assessment of his own strength.

He now truly possessed the power to rival a Seventh-Tier.

If the conditions were right, in a one-on-one confrontation, he was confident he could face Zhang Changming head-on, even without using a Sequence Disc.

Moreover, his attributes still had tremendous room for growth. Once he reached his full potential, ordinary Seventh-Tiers would definitely be no match for him.

[He’s here!]

Heh! This guy is indeed quite cautious, but luckily, I’m a step ahead.

Lu Luo pulled Bai Yuetong into his arms and began to kiss her passionately.

This scene unfolded just as the arriving Zhang Changming witnessed it.

He slowly walked up to Lu Luo and Bai Yuetong and patted Lu Luo on the shoulder.

"Lu Luo, what a coincidence!"

The feigned expression made Lu Luo want to laugh, but he also responded in the most convincing way.

"You didn’t come looking for me specifically, did you?"

Zhang Changming smiled.

"Where did you go just now?"

"Just now? I went to buy her some milk tea. What, is that not allowed?"

Lu Luo lifted the bag in his hand, which indeed contained a cup of milk tea. This made Zhang Changming suspicious.

Could I have really been mistaken about him?

"Lu Luo, who is he?"

Bai Yuetong, playing dumb at this moment, was very sensible.

"He’s a high-ranking official from the Inspection Department. We need to cooperate and not cause trouble."

"Oh, then I’ll behave."

Seeing Bai Yuetong’s aggrieved appearance, Zhang Changming felt a bit helpless.

It seems there’s no way to confirm the masked person’s identity today.

"Well, you two have fun. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll leave first."

"Take care!"

Zhang Changming turned to leave. After taking a couple of steps, he suddenly stopped.

"Miss, do you happen to know how to make meatballs?"

Lu Luo’s heart tightened. Those meatballs were indeed made by Dumb Hair. We won’t be exposed now, will we?

Bai Yuetong was also taken aback and momentarily annoyed, but she quickly calmed down and said,

"I’m so busy, when would I have time to cook?"

Zhang Changming looked at Bai Yuetong but couldn’t spot any flaws in her response, so he nodded.

"Alright. Coal Capital has been a bit unsettled lately, so you two should be careful at night."

Zhang Changming turned to leave a second time, and this time, he did not look back.

But would the cautious Director Zhang give up so easily?

Of course not.

He had noted the name on Lu Luo’s milk tea cup.

Mixue Bingcheng!

There’s only one Mixue Bingcheng shop in this area.

At Zhang Changming’s speed, it would take only about a minute to reach that milk tea shop.

Though it was quite late, the shop was still bustling with business; buying a milk tea there would undoubtedly require a long wait in line.

He discreetly showed his badge to a staff member.

"Let me see the surveillance footage."

"Oh, alright."

The staff member, clearly nervous, quickly pulled up the surveillance footage.

Zhang Changming casually browsed through the footage from a few minutes prior and quickly found Lu Luo on the monitors.

By then, Lu Luo had already changed his clothes.

But he had still left a flaw in his alibi.

The milk tea wasn’t purchased.

He just walked over and took it, so quickly that neither the staff nor the customers had time to react.

Zhang Changming pursed his lips, his expression triumphant.

HMPH! So it was you after all!