"Humph!"

Two jets of Netherflame burst from the Nightmare Demon's nostrils. It stamped its hooves and then sized up Qi Xinzhu standing before it.

"You truly are beautiful! It's a pity you're not in a wedding dress, hehehe," it said.

The Nightmare Demon's voice was indescribable, and with every sentence it spoke, Qi Xinzhu felt her spirit assaulted by some force.

"What do you want to do to me?" Qi Xinzhu clutched her head, struggling to speak.

"You wouldn't think a horse would do anything to you, right? Besides, I am… forget it. Lu Luo likes you so much; of course, you should be the bride. I've been preparing for this wedding ceremony for a long time!"

Although hearing the words 'Lu Luo likes you' from someone else was gratifying, Qi Xinzhu still made her stance clear.

"I won't let you use me to threaten Lu Luo."

"Why would I need to threaten Lu Luo? You people always have your minds on fighting and killing. So boring!"

The Nightmare Demon gave Qi Xinzhu a disdainful pout, but even that speechless look nearly made Qi Xinzhu unable to stand.

Looking at the monster before her, Qi Xinzhu began to feel a strong sense of dizziness, and she didn't last long before collapsing.

"Why put on a tough front before me?"

After Qi Xinzhu fell, the Nightmare Demon slowly walked over to her and nuzzled her forehead a few times.

"All of you, get out!"

Upon hearing the Nightmare Demon's command, Qin Wanyu, Da Tian, and two unnamed creatures in the shadows walked out naturally.

The room was left with only the Nightmare Demon, Qiu Guling, and Qi Xinzhu lying on the ground.

After everyone had left, Qiu Guling looked deeply at the Nightmare Demon.

"If you want to initiate the Wave of Darkness, there are already enough Exotic Species below. What exactly are you trying to do?"

The Nightmare Demon, unperturbed, tapped its hooves while Netherflame raged in the room, carefully avoiding Qi Xinzhu.

"As a mother, you don't understand your own child at all. Shouldn't you reflect on yourself, Qiu Guling?"

After the Nightmare Demon spoke these words, the Exotic Species prostrating on the ground around the Red and White Castle erupted into a fervent uproar.

At a glance, it was a sea of Exotic Species with no end in sight.

The number of Exotic Species here, even if not quite as many as during a Wave of Darkness, was likely not far off.

If they were to launch an attack on the East Ring now, it would undoubtedly bring a great catastrophe to the entire East Ring.

The current East Ring didn't have a single Seventh Tier fighter; it was incredibly weak.

These Exotic Species had been prostrating around the Red and White Castle, continually calling out the Nightmare Demon's name in their own language.

Their eyes had completely turned the purple characteristic of Exotic Species, a clear sign they were dominated by the Nightmare Demon's power.

At this moment, the Nightmare Demon's control over other Exotic Species already showed signs of surpassing that of several other Eighth Order Calamities.

The power of nightmares could not only warp human minds and control them, but it also affected Exotic Species, which were even easier to control.

These Exotic Species had become fervent devotees of the Nightmare Demon.

If a true Wave of Darkness were to occur, these Exotic Species prostrating around the Red and White Castle would be the Nightmare Demon's vanguard.

Looking at the overwhelming number of Exotic Species below, Qiu Guling felt an intense sense of unfamiliarity towards the Nightmare Demon's behavior.

She gently stroked the Nightmare Demon's back.

"I know I can no longer restrain you, but I still hope nothing happens to you."

Towards the Nightmare Demon, Qiu Guling still retained some motherly affection, one of the few remnants of her humanity.

But even so, Qiu Guling could no longer comprehend what the Nightmare Demon wanted to do.

If it only wanted to launch the Wave of Darkness, there was no need for it to go through such trouble.

Qin Wanyu had also informed her about the wedding ceremony.

But the matter involving Qin Wanyu had happened a year ago.

Has the Nightmare Demon been plotting all this year? What on earth does it want?

"My dear mother, you needn't worry so much. In fact, you just have to quietly wait for me to arrange the wedding ceremony. Very soon, very soon, he will come to find you. When that time comes, won't it be great for our family to reunite?"

The Nightmare Demon's voice was full of temptation—an energy potent enough to interfere with the mind.

Even Qi Xinzhu, already unconscious and lying on the ground, was affected by the Nightmare Demon's mental interference.

Qiu Guling, who bore the brunt of it, was naturally the one most severely disturbed by the Nightmare Demon.

The eyes beneath her mask were somewhat hazy; it seemed that even a Seventh Tier Specter Species could not escape the Nightmare Demon's control.

"Will you kill him?"

"Of course not. I don't like such violent acts."

The Nightmare Demon chuckled, returning to Qi Xinzhu's side, and began rhythmically tapping its hooves.

CLACK! CLACK! CLACK!

After a few moments of tapping, Da Tian's figure suddenly appeared before it and Qiu Guling, snatched up Qi Xinzhu, and then vanished once more.

Watching Da Tian leave, Qiu Guling looked doubtfully at the Nightmare Demon.

"If I'm not mistaken, this little girl is human, right? How did she end up here?"

The Nightmare Demon rubbed its head against Qiu Guling.

"You could take a guess, my dear mother."

「...」

Within the walls, Lu Luo was giving his statement to the Security Bureau. After all, he was a person from the Fourth Ring, and these most basic procedures still needed to be attended to.

The one taking his statement was Yang Liya. Her condition was far from great; her body was wrapped in bandages, some of which bore bloodstains. She presented the image of someone gravely injured yet still tirelessly working on the front lines. So diligent!

"How did Zhuang Yanshan die?"

This was the sixth time she had asked this question.

"I've said it many times already—she just suddenly died on her own. It really has nothing to do with me. That pool is so sinister; what could a noob like me possibly know? Wait, no way! Surely nobody believes that I killed Zhuang Yanshan, right?"

Lu Luo's expression was exaggerated. Yang Liya had already asked the same question six times. Each time, she would abruptly insert it midway through other questions.

Yang Liya was also frustrated. This Lu Luo was slippery, leaving no openings, and his answers lacked any substantial content. After questioning for so long, she had no choice but to give up.

"Fine, you've passed this time. We still have to thank you for the matter with the contaminants. If it weren't for you, those wealthy old men would be crying by now."

Lu Luo curled his lip.

"They'd cry even if they turned into Exotic Species? How about some tangible rewards? Instead of this meaningless thanks, why not give me something substantial? Like, say I saved 300 tycoons, and each gave me 30,000. That would be 9 million—a tidy sum."

Yang Liya was silent for two seconds.

"Your math isn't bad!"

"I didn't miscalculate. Round up 9 million, and that's 10 million!"

"Actually, the substantial reward you're seeking isn't out of the question."

Lu Luo was startled.

"How much?"

"The Security Bureau is prepared to award you a Good Citizen Medal, which will provide you with many conveniences in life."

Damn it, I really became a good citizen.

"A Good Citizen, huh! Then I really should thank the Security Bureau, heh heh heh."

Yang Liya didn't mind Lu Luo's insincere smile; she still had high hopes for his abilities.

"Lu Luo, what about that matter I asked you before? You must have realized your own shortcomings by now, right? Identity is the biggest obstacle in your development. Joining our Hunter Team 2 will help you overcome your biggest weakness in terms of identity."

Lu Luo tapped the table lightly. Yang Liya was right, in fact, but he still had other thoughts.

"The grand plans Captain Yang describes don't really interest me. If I were to join an organization, the Church or the Constitution Guard Corps would actually suit me better. My abilities and strength are pretty decent now. If I joined them, they should welcome me with open arms, shouldn't they?"

Actually, Lu Luo had seriously considered the Constitution Guard Corps and the Church recently.

For the Church, he had connections through Qi Xinzhu, Han Shiyu, and Qiao Xing. Han Shiyu, in particular, had invited him to join multiple times, so that went without saying.

As for the Constitution Guard Corps, he now had Luo Shan looking out for him—joining would be no difficulty at all.

So the Hunters were not his only option.

He had been close with the Hunters previously only because Ludie was one of them. Ludie worked for the Hunters, and they had provided him with significant intelligence advantages in the Fourth Ring. That was why he had been leaning towards them.

But now Ludie was gone and was even wanted by both the Hunters and the Security Bureau.

For Lu Luo, the Hunters no longer held an emotional advantage.

Moreover, with the current changes in the Dark Energy Level and the stirring of two Eighth Order Exotic Species, the future of the Fourth Ring remained unknown.

So, without a sufficiently compelling reason and significant benefits, he wouldn't join the Hunters rashly.

"Although the Hunters may fall short of the Church and the Constitution Guard Corps in many aspects, they can give you the one thing you desire most: freedom."

"Freedom?"

"The freedom to come and go, both within and beyond the wall—isn't that the Hunters' advantage?"

Yang Liya's words made Lu Luo narrow his eyes. He even wondered if this woman knew what his Sequence was. But after a brief thought, he was sure it wasn't possible.

Perhaps many had seen Lu Luo use his Sequence, but he had never openly revealed what it was. So those people were only guessing; they couldn't possibly know his specific abilities.

"While I do like freedom, I'm not sure how long this freedom to move inside and outside the wall will last."

"What do you mean?" Yang Liya was a bit puzzled.

Lu Luo's gaze swept towards the direction outside the East Ring wall.

"Imagine if, one day, the Fourth Ring became as chaotic as the lands beyond the wall. If parts of the Fourth Ring were then dominated by Eighth Order Calamities, would there still be any difference between inside and outside the wall?"

"How could that be?"

"Captain Yang Liya, you're in a high position. You should know about the incident at the Southern Ring's amusement park, right? Now the Southern Ring can do nothing about that amusement park; they don't even dare to wage war directly. Don't you find it ridiculous?"

Yang Liya paused.

"No war has been waged simply because no Wave of Darkness has occurred. The Alliance doesn't want to see large-scale casualties."

"Not wanting large-scale casualties? That's the kind of line used to deceive children. I doubt anyone over fifteen would believe it."

Yang Liya herself didn't understand some of the Alliance's actions. Has the Alliance lost its preparedness to wage war against two Eighth Order entities simultaneously?

"The Alliance must have its own reasons."

"When a frog is slowly boiled in warming water, it also believes it won't die."

"What do you mean?"

"My point is, the bigwigs in the Alliance can be mediocre, unambitious, unintelligent, and even downright stupid. But I can't afford to be!"

"???"

Yang Liya clearly hadn't adapted to Lu Luo's sarcastic way of speaking. She still held hope for the Alliance.

"Lu Luo, you seem to have a deep prejudice against the Alliance, don't you?"

"It's not prejudice; it's based on what I've seen and heard. I'm just a nobody, so I can only care about my own feelings. The Nightmare Demon will arrive on December 19th. Captain Yang, you and your people should be careful then."

"What did you say? The Nightmare Demon is coming on December 19th? How do you know that?"

Since Lu Luo had entered the Security Bureau, he had only discussed inconsequential topics. But now that he was about to leave, he suddenly dropped a bombshell. What was this about?

"Zhuang Yanshan told me with her dying breath. I guess you could call it a deathbed realization."

Lu Luo lied again, and Yang Liya had no way to expose his lie.

"Can this information be trusted? What's your judgment?"

"Whether it's credible is your concern. I've given you the warning. Alright, I've said almost everything I need to. When can I leave?"

Lu Luo looked utterly listless and uncooperative, leaving Yang Liya frowning.

"I will report your intelligence as is, but the specific arrangements will have to wait for the decision from above. You can leave now, but you'd better keep your phone accessible; we may contact you at any time."

Would reporting this even result in a Seventh Tier being dispatched? Who would dare bet on that!

"I understand. Then, goodbye, Captain Yang."

Lu Luo stood up, but Yang Liya followed him out.

"Why is Captain Yang following me?"

Yang Liya hesitated slightly but eventually asked what she wanted to know.

"Lu Luo, has Ludie contacted you? I know the two of you are close."

"Ludie? No. Why would I risk my peaceful life? Why would a good citizen like me contact a wanted criminal?"

Be more direct when speaking. This woman probably cares a lot about Ludie.

Yang Liya looked somewhat disheartened. Lu Luo's tone wasn't kind, but she couldn't do anything about it. Even though she was already the captain of Hunter Team 2, there were still things beyond her decision-making power.

"Lu Luo, after Ludie left, Hunter Squad 13 had no one in charge. Although many people were planted in his Squad 13, there were also many that Ludie had trained himself."

"Oh, and then what?"

"The former Squad 13 was Ludie's life's work. I was once a member too, and I don't want to see Squad 13 disbanded and reformed just like that. Lu Luo, have you ever considered becoming the captain of Hunter Squad 13, taking Ludie's place?"

Yang Liya's proposal was bold, even somewhat beyond Lu Luo's expectations.

In fact, Yang Liya herself hadn't reported this matter; she just didn't want Hunter Squad 13 to disappear.

However, in Lu Luo's view, Yang Liya's actions were purely self-satisfying and wouldn't actually move Ludie.

Upon hearing her words, Lu Luo, who had been walking briskly, finally stopped.

Yang Liya's request wasn't excessive; it even had a touch of human sentiment. But in the end, Lu Luo still shook his head.

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