CHAPTER 429: CHAPTER 429: FINALLY MEETING THE PRINCESS

In the Northern Suburbs of GuiXi District, Lu Luo looked at the electronic map in his hand, his expression a bit strange.

"It’s not moving anymore. This place... It’s hard to say! I need to find some help!"

He took out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. The contact list was sparse to begin with; it seemed that apart from Zhang Changming, the only other person he knew was the district governor’s son, Yun Luo.

Yun Luo’s capabilities are best left out of it, Lu Luo thought. Although his father is the district governor, I know he’s about to retire. It wouldn’t be wise to trouble him at this time.

Looking through his options, Zhang Changming was the only one he could call.

RING RING RING!

The call connected, but nobody picked up.

"What’s with this guy? Why isn’t he answering his phone?"

Lu Luo knew this was Zhang Changming’s private number. Under normal circumstances, he shouldn’t be ignoring his calls.

Could he be taking a shit? If he knew I’d gotten such an important clue, would he get so excited he’d pinch it off mid-way?

[Why are your thoughts always so astonishing?]

Ugh!

「Inside the GuiXi District government building.」

Zhang Changming stared at his phone in silence, neither answering nor speaking.

Li Ji, sitting across from him, naturally noticed his odd behavior and raised her eyebrows slightly. "Why isn’t Minister Zhang answering the phone?"

"I’m in the middle of a conversation with Her Highness the Imperial Princess; it would be rude to just answer calls from outsiders," Zhang Changming said, though his excuse was rather clumsy, as he hadn’t hung up either.

Lu Luo is too important, he thought. His abilities, his identity—both are highly unique. In a sense, I’ve elevated Lu Luo to a very high status. For him to call at this time, I just can’t bring myself to hang up.

"Your Highness, please allow me to step out and take this call."

"Oh? What, I can’t take calls here? I am the Imperial Princess, after all. In the New Empire, even if it’s Inspection Department business, I believe I have the right to know, don’t I?"

Zhang Changming failed to notice Li Ji’s verbal trap and replied directly, "This is a personal matter."

"Personal matters? Even more reason not to avoid them, Minister Zhang. Treat this place like your own home. If you’re worried I might eavesdrop, I can cover my ears." As Wu Liji spoke, she even lifted her hands to cover her ears. It seemed she had no intention of letting Zhang Changming off the hook so easily.

The ringing stopped. Ultimately, Zhang Changming did not answer the call.

His expression was a bit unpleasant, and he was also somewhat puzzled. Has the Thirty-third Imperial Princess guessed Lu Luo’s identity? No, she can’t be certain. It’s precisely because she’s suspicious that she wants to inquire. She must have picked up on some clues from our meeting yesterday. She’s highly capable of mobilizing resources and has many channels for investigation. She must have sensed something special about Lu Luo but is unable to confirm his identity.

"Such actions from Your Highness may provoke the anger of certain honest folk," Zhang Changming said. "When honest people lose their temper, it can be quite frightening."

Hearing Zhang Changming refer to himself as an honest person, Wu Liji couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. "Weren’t we talking about answering calls? How did we get onto the subject of honest people? Heh. Surely Minister Zhang isn’t afraid to answer the phone in front of me, right? Let me guess who’s on the other end—that masked man? No way! It couldn’t really be such a coincidence, could it?"

Li Ji was somewhat aggressive, while Zhang Changming appeared quite helpless. My helplessness towards Lu Luo stems from being outmatched, but towards Wu Liji, it’s because of her status. I can disregard Wu Liji, but I have no way to influence the Imperial Family. If Wu Liji keeps her focus on Lu Luo, his identity will soon be exposed. Once Lu Luo’s identity is exposed, Bai Yuetong, even if not yet discovered, will have to become a wanderer again, leaving this place. I don’t want Bai Qingshuang’s daughter to be homeless again.

At this thought, Zhang Changming suddenly stood up. The oppressive aura of a Seventh Tier powerhouse instantly descended upon Li Ji!

"Such a strong presence! What’s the matter, Minister Zhang? Do you intend to strike me?"

"With Your Highness’s status and position, you should know what the Grey Robes do, right?"

"Of course, I know. What about it?"

"Since you know what the Grey Robes do, why would you still associate with them and risk being tarnished?"

"’Associate and be tarnished?’ I don’t care for that phrase. Compared to that, I prefer ’sharing common ideals.’ Well, what do you think?"

"The ideology of the Grey Robes is a sin in itself. Your Highness had better not continue to be deluded. Otherwise, the Inspection Department has the authority to capture members of the Grey Robes."

Zhang Changming’s words were somewhat vehement, but he was, in fact, still trying to divert the topic. He didn’t want to bring the conversation back to Lu Luo.

Unfortunately, his calculations weren’t deep enough, and Wu Liji easily saw through such maneuvers.

"Minister Zhang, you’ve changed the topic again. Although I could discuss this matter with you, before that, I still want to know who the masked man from last night was. Since you’re protecting him like this, you must have a very close relationship, right?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"You do know. So, are you covering for him? Shielding a criminal?"

"The Inspection Department never shields criminals."

Zhang Changming wanted to argue, but Wu Liji’s rhetoric was clearly superior. At that moment, Wu Liji paid no attention to what Zhang Changming was saying, continuing with her own line of thought, "The head of an Inspection Department branch shielding a criminal... If this news were to get out, it would surely be a shocking event."

"I’ve said it, I never shelter criminals."

"Really? Then do you know that the person from last night has a significant problem?"

Zhang Changming was slightly puzzled. A problem with Lu Luo? He was now unsure if Wu Liji was speaking the truth or not.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"It seems Minister Zhang genuinely doesn’t know! Last night, the masked man you fought had an issue. The problem I’m referring to isn’t about our conflict, nor about the Grey Robes or anything similar. It’s a very serious problem! Do you want to know what it is?"

"Speak!"

"The masked man from last night... he was highly contaminated. His Sequence possesses an extremely high level of dominance. As the Director of the Inspection Department, you should know what that means, right?"

Zhang Changming’s eyes narrowed. "Sequence contamination!"

This was because many things suddenly came to mind—not just Wu Liji’s threats and coercion, but also what had happened in the GuiXi church district before. If Lu Luo really has Sequence contamination, was the massacre in GuiXi his doing? If it truly was Lu Luo, should I let him go? If I let Lu Luo go, what about the sacrificed members of the Inspection Department? Zhang Changming asked himself these three "what if" questions, but none had an answer.

Human nature always has a selfish side, and I am no exception. Although the deaths of those Inspection Department members sadden me, right now, I feel a tinge of desire to shield Lu Luo. In fact, from the moment I realized how powerful Lu Luo was, I suspected he might be connected to the Western Suburbs case. But I deliberately ignored it, until Wu Liji mentioned Lu Luo having Sequence contamination!

There are only two types of beings with Sequence contamination: one is monsters corrupted and parasitized by the Bizarre King; the other is the Bizarre King itself. Whichever of these applied to Lu Luo, it was not something Zhang Changming wished to see.

"Minister Zhang, you’ve been unusually silent today. Have you forgotten the dangers of Sequence contamination? Their existence only leads to more innocent deaths. Sequence contaminators themselves are the product the Empire needs the most! Do you understand?"

Zhang Changming remained silent and repressed. He hadn’t restrained his aura since earlier, and by now, it was even stronger.

Wu Liji felt uncomfortable, but she still maintained a confident facade.

Just when she thought Zhang Changming would compromise and reveal some information about the masked man, Zhang Changming suddenly moved!

Before she could react, her neck was in his grasp. Immense strength bore down on Wu Liji’s neck, and at that moment, Zhang Changming’s killing intent was wholly unmasked.

What is he going to do? Kill an Imperial Princess?

"Huh? Zhang Changming, have you lost your mind? Do you even know what you’re doing?"

Wu Liji hadn’t expected the GuiXi District Director to be so bold. Many people knew she was inspecting GuiXi District. Although her position among the Imperial Princesses wasn’t prominent, and she had never revealed her Sixth Tier strength within the Imperial Family, an Imperial Princess was still an Imperial Princess. How could Zhang Changming not understand that?

Zhang Changming’s face was calm; in that instant, he had made certain decisions. He said placidly, "Her Highness the Imperial Princess and I joined forces to crack a major case involving the Grey Robe Cult. In the pursuit, Her Highness bravely confronted the enemy’s expert and unfortunately perished. Her sacrifice is a story worthy of song and remembrance. Her great spirit and unyielding will shall forever be remembered."

As Zhang Changming spoke, the force in his hand increased. Wu Liji couldn’t resist at all; the sensation of suffocation overwhelmed her brain.

What on earth has been happening these past two days? This is the second time I’ve been threatened with death!

Wu Liji slapped at Zhang Changming’s arm, seemingly hoping he would spare her. But Zhang Changming’s resolve was ironclad; his grip tightened, on the verge of snapping Li Ji’s neck.

Just then, Zhang Changming’s phone rang again. It was his private phone. He always carried it with him, and... only three people currently knew this number.

His fingers loosened slightly. Zhang Changming took out the phone. The caller ID showed a public number, but he had a feeling it was still Lu Luo.

"Hello?"

"That woman I asked you to look into—any news? I even gave you her measurements! With all your connections, don’t tell me you have no leads at all?"

Lu Luo’s somewhat exaggerated tone came through the phone, as if the fight from the previous day meant nothing.

Is this what men are like? Zhang Changming wondered.

However, the Western Suburbs case was still on his mind. Gazing at Wu Liji before him, he sighed softly. "I have a bit of a lead, but I still need more time."

"A lead is good! Let me tell you, I’ve also got some clues about those Grey Robe people. Among those they captured, I left a mark on one of them. Although they tried to erase it, just moments ago, I felt that mark flare up again. That’s hilarious!"

From the call, it was clear Lu Luo was in high spirits.

The Netherflame in Wang Jia’s body actually reignited! Could this be considered recovering something precious that was lost? Lu Luo mused.

Nevertheless, Lu Luo remained cautious. Although confident in his own strength, he was wary of the Grey Robe organization’s formidable power. He remained vigilant. The ability to launch simultaneous attacks on nine locations in such a short time indicated an organizational capacity far beyond ordinary people. Furthermore, a Sixth Tier expert had already appeared as the leader of a single operation. Thus, Lu Luo inferred that the Grey Robe headquarters very likely harbored a Seventh Tier expert.

Lu Luo wasn’t too concerned about a one-on-one fight against a Seventh Tier, but if it became a one-versus-many situation, especially with unfamiliar artifacts involved, the outcome of the battle would become unpredictable. Therefore, seeking external help was his best option. Zhang Changming, the Director of the Inspection Department, possessed formidable combat strength and was Lu Luo’s top choice.

However, Zhang Changming seemed a bit off at that moment.

"Hey, Director Zhang? What’s wrong? I’ve found such an important clue, why don’t you seem happy at all?"

"If you had called a few minutes earlier, perhaps I would have been happy!" Zhang Changming glanced at Wu Liji, his grip gradually relaxing. This allowed Wu Liji to finally catch her breath.

"HA... HA... HUFF! Ugh, I almost died." Wu Liji’s heavy panting was clearly audible to Lu Luo on the other end of the line.

"Well now, Director Zhang, you play rough, huh? No wonder you didn’t answer my call earlier. Turns out you have such peculiar tastes."

Zhang Changming ignored Lu Luo’s teasing. He had nearly killed an Imperial Princess. And the reason he’d almost killed her was, unbelievably, to protect Lu Luo, that scoundrel... Well, the deeper reason was still to protect Bai Yuetong.

"I have neither the time nor the interest to engage in such crude jokes with you. Where are you now? I need to see you. And by the way, I’m bringing someone to meet you."

Zhang Changming’s voice was frigid, but Lu Luo detected an underlying meaning.

"Bringing someone? Who?"

"You’ll know when you see them."

With that, Zhang Changming hung up.

Wu Liji, meanwhile, rubbed her neck and sat up a bit straighter. She looked up slightly, somewhat relieved that Zhang Changming had answered the call. If not for that phone call, she might already be dead. In that situation just now, she couldn’t even use her beacon!

"Zhang Changming, you’re truly insane!"

"Your Highness flatters me. Who the insane one is remains to be seen. Alright, Your Highness, please change your clothes. I’m taking you to meet someone."

"Meet someone? Who?"

"The person you want to meet!"