Lu Luo left the hospital, took out his mobile phone, and dialed Ludie's number. By this time, they should have finished the mission at the reservoir.

However, after several attempts that only resulted in busy signals, Lu Luo simply gave up.

"What's going on with this guy?"

He didn't go to the Security Bureau. Instead, he went directly to the medical room at East Ring University, wanting to get some information from Han Shiyu.

In the medical room, Han Shiyu was busy treating the wounded.

Due to the riot in the East Ring, the hospital was severely understaffed, and all the Church's Priests had been called over.

The support from the North Ring had already arrived, and as both a doctor and a Priest, Han Shiyu naturally had to fulfill her duty.

The wounded included students and Transcendents, but most were security personnel who had participated in the battle.

Even though the reputation of many guards was poor, they were still the first to act when facing real danger.

All those who joined the battle were people deserving of respect.

Therefore, in the process of healing the wounded, Han Shiyu spared no effort with her Holy Radiance, trying her best to treat the injured and save their lives.

Lu Luo didn't disturb her, and she didn't pay attention to him. The tacit silence between them lasted until nearly 2:00 a.m.

After removing her blood-soaked white coat, Han Shiyu wiped her sweat and wearily pointed at Lu Luo.

"Come with me!"

Lu Luo followed, silently trailing Han Shiyu back to her private quarters.

Back in the dorm, Han Shiyu stripped off her outer clothes and trousers right in front of Lu Luo, leaving only her sweat-soaked underwear.

She took out a fresh set of underwear and went into the bathroom. She started to wash herself with the school-provided, less-than-luxurious water for washing.

Throughout the process, Lu Luo barely felt like a man!

Listening to the murmuring sound of running water, Lu Luo was slightly distracted, but Han Shiyu in the bathroom quickly interrupted his thoughts.

"What's with your hair and skin color?"

As the washing continued, Lu Luo sat on the bed, feeling on pins and needles, and honestly replied.

"The change in hair and skin color is due to my extensive contact with Netherflame, which has repeatedly drained and restored my life force."

"Life force being repeatedly drained and strained? Will it affect your future?"

"No, this process actually happens inside me, so it's all contained. The details are difficult to explain, but the final result is good. The change in skin and hair color is just a side effect."

Lu Luo sounded casual, but Han Shiyu in the bathroom was still very worried. She quickly finished her bath, changed into new underwear, and came out.

It had to be said, facing Han Shiyu fresh from her bath, Lu Luo felt a bit shocked, and his body stiffened slightly.

Get a grip!

Han Shiyu walked up to Lu Luo, the close distance making his heartbeat accelerate.

However, Han Shiyu made no extra moves, just tenderly touched Lu Luo's white hair with a touch of heartache.

"You've suffered quite a bit again, haven't you."

"Actually, it's not too bad."

"Why did you come looking for me? Did something happen?"

"Qi Xinzhu was captured."

The topic returned to serious matters, and Lu Luo's expression remained indifferent.

But it was this indifferent expression that was the most heart-wrenching because the Lu Luo of the past would definitely not have shown such an indifferent demeanor.

If it really wasn't a big deal, he would certainly have exaggerated, saying, "I've suffered a great loss! You owe me!"

Han Shiyu wanted to do something for Lu Luo, but she quickly contained that emotion.

Besides, Qi Xinzhu was a factor between them.

Moreover, hearing that Qi Xinzhu had been captured, Han Shiyu also felt a profound sense of helplessness.

Her chest rose and fell slightly. The intense fatigue from overusing Holy Radiance earlier had left the Fifth Tier expert feeling dizzy and light-headed.

She supported herself on the table and rubbed the spot between her eyebrows.

"Tell me specifically what has happened these past two days."

The last time, because of the Doomsday Disc and many hidden reasons, Lu Luo had not fully disclosed everything to Han Shiyu.

But things were different now. Lu Luo needed information; he needed to know what was really going on.

What was the deal with the Dawn Disc, the Seventh Tier, and the Church?

So now, he and Han Shiyu needed to be completely open with each other.

"This matter... it's a long story..."

Lu Luo told Han Shiyu everything about the Church, Wu En's situation, Zhuang Yanshan's circumstances, and the matters regarding the Nightmare Demon.

"That's pretty much the situation."

As Han Shiyu listened to some of the more convoluted parts of the story, she couldn't help but frown. After Lu Luo finished, she finally asked,

"So, what exactly do you want to know now?"

"First, I want to know about Seventh Tier Transcendents. Are there any special restrictions on the Seventh Tier? Since only Seventh Tier human experts can contend with Eighth Order calamities, why doesn't the Fourth Ring have any Seventh Tier experts?

"Second, what is the current organizational structure of the Church? Why has it become corrupt, and who is the real power behind it?

"Third, why have you and Qi Xinzhu been following me all this time? What's the deal with the Dawn Disc? Why does it release the Doomsday Factor?"

Han Shiyu looked hesitant. Some of Lu Luo's questions were ones she didn't really want to answer.

She felt it was too early; knowing these things wouldn't serve any practical purpose for Lu Luo and would only add to his stress.

Moreover, for Believers of Light, sacrifice was something they were already prepared for.

Whether the one sacrificed was Qi Xinzhu or herself, as Believers of Light, they had long been psychologically prepared.

"Lu Luo, you actually don't need to know these things. If Qi were here, she definitely wouldn't let you take any risks."

Lu Luo narrowed his eyes. The Lu Luo of the past certainly would not have argued with Han Shiyu here, but this time was different.

"Do you think these words, this persuasion, will have any effect on me?"

Stubborn men, she thought. If only they could be less chauvinistic.

Nevertheless, Han Shiyu still prepared to try and persuade Lu Luo further.

"So even if you know all this, will it be useful for saving Qi? Saving someone requires strength."

Han Shiyu hadn't finished speaking when Lu Luo interrupted her.

"It's useful! Extremely useful. Don't try to understand my thoughts with your mindset; everyone is different. Since I'm asking about it here, these things are naturally very important intelligence to me—extremely important. So, please, Professor Han, tell me the truth."

Lu Luo stood up, leaning in a bit too close, his body almost touching Han Shiyu's chest.

Faced with Lu Luo's assertiveness, Han Shiyu could only sigh softly and choose to compromise.

"Alright, it seems you and Qi have a good relationship. Using 'please' and 'Professor Han,' so I'm an outsider now? That's right, if you attend the Nightmare Demon's murky ceremony next month, Qi will become your wife, and I'll be an outsider, won't I?"

Lu Luo was startled. What kind of twisted logic was that?

"Professor Han, shouldn't we be discussing serious matters now?"

"Mhm, Qi Xinzhu's matters are serious matters. Are our issues just trivialities that can be disregarded? Is that how I should understand it?"

"Ah? This..."

Lu Luo gave up on the idea of continuing to reason with a woman; it was foolish, and besides, he wasn't in the mood to discuss this with Han Shiyu right now.

Seeing Lu Luo lower his head in silence, Han Shiyu sensed his dejection and somewhat regretted her earlier words.

This kid... he might really be exhausted this time.

"Alright, if you don't want to talk about it, never mind, although it's a bit early to tell you these things. But since you think it's useful, I'll tell you. As for why there are no Seventh Tiers in the Fourth Ring, I truly don't know, because I haven't reached the Sixth or Seventh Tier. You'd better ask Qiao Xing about the thoughts of such top-tier experts; he's stronger and should know the reason. I can, however, explain the Church's power structure to you in detail. The current power structure of the Church has become somewhat vague, and this also involves the faction Qi Xinzhu and I belong to."

Lu Luo immediately sat upright, an attentive expression on his face.

"Qi Xinzhu and I are both disciples of His Holiness the Pope, Fan Zhen, so Qi Xinzhu usually calls me Senior Sister. Normally, the Church's supreme authority should be in the Pope's hands."

"Normally?"

Hearing this, Lu Luo immediately sensed something amiss. If the Pope still had power, Han Shiyu probably wouldn't have had to come to the Fourth Ring for further study.

"That's right, the current state of the Church isn't normal because the Pope is too old. However, a Pope cannot simply be deposed; according to Church law, a new Pope is selected only after the old one dies. Our teacher, Pope Fan Zhen, is very powerful and has a long lifespan, so some people can't wait that long. But he's ultimately too old; he has lived for more than 200 years, and his bodily functions have long since reached their limits. He can hardly manage daily life, let alone battle. So, most of the time, the Pope is akin to a mascot, teaching new Believers of Light, and has long ceased to partake in the Church's power struggles. The Pope delegated his authority to the three Archbishops of the Inner Ring, allowing them to exercise his power. But after an incident more than a decade ago, the Pope's authority was gradually hollowed out. Not only the Pope's power, but even the Apocalypse Riders gradually deviated from their original trajectory and came under the control of another of the Church's highest authorities."

Lu Luo had read many books about the Church and had some understanding of its personnel structure. If there was another figure of supreme power in the Church besides the Pope, it had to be the Judgment Chief.

"Another of the Church's highest authorities? The Judgment Chief?"

"Yes, the Judgment Chief, the Church's Scythe of Judgment—Bai Qingshuang."

Bai Qingshuang? That name…

Han Shiyu looked at Lu Luo's hesitant gaze and nodded with some resignation.

"The Church's authority is divided into light and dark aspects. What is normally presented to everyone is, naturally, His Holiness the Pope. But the Church always needs to deal with certain dark matters, which is why the Tribunal exists. Bai Qingshuang is the Judgment Chief of the Tribunal, and besides the Pope, she holds the highest authority in the Church. And yes, as you guessed, she was also the former lover of Parliamentarian Luo Xuemin and the mother of your company's machinist, Bai Yuetong—her identity is indeed complex."

Hearing this, Lu Luo's face twisted in dismay.

"I initially thought Bai Yuetong's dad would be tough to deal with; I didn't expect her mom to be ten times more outrageous. This person, why is she such a handful! So now, the situation is that Bai Qingshuang has already taken over most of the Church's authority, and your faction has been entirely usurped by her? A woman has annihilated your faction? She's even pulled down the Church's leader and taken over herself?"

Lu Luo's blunt way of putting it made Han Shiyu's expression a bit strained.

However, she still nodded, tacitly admitting the truth in Lu Luo's words.

"You're not wrong in what you say, but the reasons behind it are simply too complex. To go into detail, I'm afraid we'd have to delve into the grievances of the previous generation."

Han Shiyu didn't really want to talk about it, but Lu Luo looked intensely curious.

He even took out the invitation from the Nightmare Demon and pointed to the date on it.

"There are still more than 40 days until the Nightmare Demon's murky ceremony, so I'm quite free right now and have plenty of time to listen to your story. So, please do tell me in detail, Han… Shiyu."

The way Lu Luo changed his address made Han Shiyu feel slightly better. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, organized her words, and then began to speak slowly:

"The life of Bai Qingshuang was very tumultuous and extraordinary; in some aspects, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it outrageous. In the beginning, she was just an ordinary woman from the Fourth Ring. Therefore, many of her experiences and her past were not accepted by the people of the Inner Ring. When she was in her teens, her excessive beauty led to her recruitment by Luo Xuemin's housekeeper, and she became a servant in the Luo Family. Then, there were the family affairs of Luo Xuemin, the specifics of which I'm not clear on, but it was basically a melodramatic family drama.

"Later on, Bai Qingshuang bore Luo Xuemin a daughter; at that time, their daughter was still called Luo Tiantian, now known as Bai Yuetong. However, after Bai Qingshuang gave birth to Luo Xuemin's daughter, Luo Xuemin's wife was extremely dissatisfied. She had someone break Bai Qingshuang's limbs and spine, turning her into a cripple, and then threw her outside the wall into a dangerous area, leaving her to be devoured by Exotic Species. Luckily, Bai Qingshuang was fortunate and was found by the previous Judgment Chief of the Tribunal, who saved her. At just 18 years old, Bai Qingshuang became an official Believer."

Given the current situation in the Wasteland Alliance, getting married and having children at 18 isn't considered too outrageous if one doesn't attend university. People like Lu Luo, who were almost 21 and still childless, were considered old bachelors or spinsters by those standards. One could only say that Bai Qingshuang's experiences before the age of 18 were too tumultuous.

"What happened after she became a Believer?"

"After she became a Believer, her life became even more unbelievable. She lay dormant for about four years, gradually recovering from her injuries by continually basking in Holy Radiance. She didn't start her cultivation until she was 22, but she grew quickly within the Tribunal, and in just two years, she became a Judge. Then, in another two years..."

At this point, Han Shiyu hesitated.

"What happened in those two years? Is it something you can't say?"

"It's not that I can't say it, but that many people wouldn't understand or believe it. In her fourth year after joining the Tribunal, Bai Qingshuang gathered all the evidence of the former Judgment Chief's crimes and then killed him with her own hands. From there, Bai Qingshuang rose swiftly to become the new Judgment Chief."

Is this woman that ruthless?

What the hell! Wasn't that Judgment Chief her lifesaver?

Lu Luo was also shocked upon hearing this. In just four years, she had gone from a crippled woman of the Fourth Ring to personally slaying the former Judgment Chief, leaping to the highest echelon of power within the entire Wasteland Alliance.

Holy smokes, not even novels would dare to write a plot like this!

"She was only 26 when she became the Judgment Chief?"

"Yes, she was 26," Han Shiyu said, her tone reflecting awe.

"What happened after that?"

"After that, Bai Qingshuang, in a very high-profile manner, announced that she once had a daughter with Luo Xuemin. This bold declaration was essentially a way to show the world that there was nothing shameful about her past. Body like the white moon, heart like a clear pupil. The name Bai Yuetong is derived from that."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.