The situation with two old-fashioned elders left Lu Luo in brief silence.

Truth be told, if Qi Xinzhu's parents were powerful Transcendents, that would have been somewhat better. Because Transcendents share common topics, such as cultivation, strength, and power, among others.

His talent was incredibly formidable. In just a little over a year, he had transformed from an ordinary person to the current leader of the Circular. To say his talent was stunning and exceptional would not be an exaggeration. Even among those in the Inner Ring, he was amongst the top tier.

If they were Transcendents, Lu Luo could rely on this talent and strength to have a great chance of convincing a Transcendent couple.

He and Qi Xinzhu had already reached this point. These were Qi Xinzhu's parents; as the saying goes, even fierce tigers don't eat their own cubs! Seeing his exceptional talent and his inevitable rise to greatness, and having already been intimate as a couple, ordinarily, they definitely would not trouble him further.

It was just like with the Luo Family. Luo Xuemin might not explicitly say he valued Lu Luo or wanted to groom him, but Lu Luo knew his potential had impressed Luo Xuemin. The Luo Family, whose own younger generation lacked strength, needed promising young individuals like him; Zhang Yifan was in a similar situation. Although he was a servant, Zhang Yifan wielded tremendous power within the Luo Family, to the extent even the Luo descendants had to give him some leeway.

Winning over Qi Xinzhu's parents with talent and ability—that was the ideal scenario.

But if they were just two old-fashioned elders without any talent for cultivation, that would be rather problematic. Ordinary people find it hard to understand Transcendents, and if handled poorly, could even become hostile. In the Inner Ring, being a Transcendent was seen as a superior status in itself. The divide in identity was very clear. This also meant that his greatest advantage, his talent, couldn't be displayed. Moreover, his identity as someone from the Fourth Ring would greatly limit him.

Such high-status elders from the Inner Ring would certainly hope for their daughter to marry someone from the Inner Ring; it was inevitable. Just like how people from the magic capital prefer their own kind or those from the Imperial Capital stick to each other; it's the same logic.

"If they're two rather old-fashioned ordinary elders, it would indeed be very troublesome!" Lu Luo felt a bit emotional; a son-in-law meeting his father-in-law often spelled a dreadful situation. Their well-raised cabbage had just been wrecked by Lu Luo, a Fourth Ring ruffian. How could they not be angry? Putting himself in their shoes, Lu Luo would have exploded with rage long ago.

"Lu Luo, do you also find it very troublesome?" Qi Xinzhu's mood seemed somewhat downcast. Although she was excellent and often confident, she was still extremely nervous about bringing a man home to meet her parents for the first time. If Lu Luo also felt it was troublesome, then her anticipation for this meeting would truly be filled with apprehension.

The observant Lu Luo immediately sensed Qi Xinzhu's dejected mood and quickly grabbed her fingers. "Don't worry, I'll handle everything! I'll sincerely and genuinely touch their hearts during this meeting."

Lu Luo's attitude comforted Qi Xinzhu a lot, and she quickly revealed her own stance as well. "Mm, rest assured, Lu Luo! No matter what, I will stand by your side."

There was a hint of resolve in Qi Xinzhu's words, and her gaze became more determined. But seeing her like this, Lu Luo suddenly felt scared.

"Hey, hey, hey, make sure not to talk like that in front of your parents, especially not with such a strong stance. It might indeed pressure your parents into conceding, but there's also a high probability that it could provoke a rebellious reaction from them. Although it sounds incredible, it is indeed true. Even at nearly fifty, when their children are of age to get married, some parents still exhibit a rebellious mindset. Especially those with more conservative personalities; they are more likely to react this way."

"Is that so? Now I understand. Lu Luo, have you met other parents before? How come you know so much?"

He'd learned all this from TV dramas in his past life; as for meeting parents, his experience was purely vicarious.

"Ah! You know, I have a lot of people under me, and most of them are young. As their leader, of course I need to understand some of these principles. Otherwise, when my brothers come to me with these questions, I can't be clueless."

"I see. Lu Luo, you really know a lot." Watching Qi Xinzhu's admiring gaze, Lu Luo hid his own embarrassment.

"Let's go. Let's go meet your uncle and aunt now."

"Okay!"

The two walked one after the other on the streets of the Inner Ring, as if experiencing the last moment of peace before a storm. Qi Xinzhu's hand, tightly gripping Lu Luo's, was already full of sweat, and even though her fingertips had turned white from the pressure, she had no intention of letting go.

Lu Luo felt Qi Xinzhu's nervousness but didn't have a good way to console her. He could only hold her hand tightly, trying to alleviate some of her stress.

Yet often, things go contrary to one's wishes.

"Priest Qi Xinzhu?"

A voice suddenly appeared behind Qi Xinzhu and Lu Luo, belonging to a well-dressed young man. At his call, Lu Luo distinctly felt Qi Xinzhu's fingers tighten unnaturally. At that moment, Qi Xinzhu was like a thief caught on the street—panicked and bewildered.

Lu Luo looked at the young man, whose eyes were filled with confusion and disbelief, as if Qi Xinzhu holding hands with him was an unthinkable matter.

The man directly ignored Lu Luo, focusing on Qi Xinzhu as he continued to ask, "Priest Qi Xinzhu, why are you so intimate with a man?"

Lu Luo frowned slightly, not from anger or anything like that. He felt he had underestimated the difficulty and obstacles in being together with Qi Xinzhu. The other person appeared to be just a bystander, an ordinary person without any power. Qi Xinzhu looked at him without any sign of recognition. Yet, even so, a mere bystander could still question her being together with him.

Is it because of her Church identity?

"Hello, sir, is there a problem with Qi Xinzhu being with me?"

It was only then that the man turned his attention to Lu Luo beside her, his eyes brimming with anger. "Don't you know that Priest Qi Xinzhu is a Believer of Light? She is a messenger of the Church, devoted to serving Li Ming her entire life. How could someone like her be defiled by someone like you?"

"Defiled?" That word is a bit much!

The young man's face was full of anger, but his anger quickly turned into surprise and disgust. "Wait, you're not from the Inner Ring?"

Lu Luo looked at Qi Xinzhu and only then realized that Qi Xinzhu, with her head bowed, was speaking with some plea, "Lu Luo, let's go. I don't want to argue with them here."

Lu Luo nodded slightly. "My apologies, sir, we have other matters to attend to, so we'll be leaving now."

"You defile the Saintess of the Church and now you're just running away?" The man's words became sharper as he obstructed Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu's path, preventing them from moving forward.

Lu Luo's frown deepened. At this moment, he began to ponder the consequences of causing trouble in the Inner Ring. No matter what, as a man, he shouldn't let his woman be bullied for no reason.

"Sir, you'd better..."

Before Lu Luo could finish his sentence, Qi Xinzhu stepped forward ahead of him. At this moment, she cast aside her previous gentleness and frailty and stared coldly at the man. She knew Lu Luo's temper and that he would protect her, but Lu Luo couldn't make a move in the Inner Ring. At least, not in this situation. Therefore, this matter needed to be handled by her.

"I, Qi Xinzhu, am indeed of the Church, and indeed a Believer of Light. But the Church has never dictated that a Believer of Light cannot marry, nor has it said that I cannot marry. Lu Luo is my husband, as well as my lover. Before you insult my husband, you had best consider the consequences you might have to bear."

Holy Radiance surged around Qi Xinzhu, clearly indicating that if he provoked her further, he shouldn't blame her for taking action.

Although her actions warmed Lu Luo's heart, Lu Luo was well aware that at this time, such actions would undeniably bring him more trouble. The fluctuations of the Holy Radiance naturally drew the attention of others nearby, and more and more people began to look in the direction of Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu.

The Church's rule in the Inner Ring was no weaker than in the outer rings; in fact, more than half of the people in the Inner Ring were Believers. In the Inner Ring, Qi Xinzhu's flagrant display of Holy Radiance was simply not permitted.

"Xinzhu, calm down!" Lu Luo had not expected that in the Inner Ring, it would not be himself who was losing composure but the typically gentle Qi Xinzhu.

The young man in front of them was clearly startled by Qi Xinzhu's actions. But quickly, his expression turned to one of grief and indignation.

Qi Xinzhu had significant influence in the Inner Ring because beauty itself is a trait that can attract many people. A young and beautiful prayer Priest, and a devout Believer of Light who serves Li Ming—such a status was inherently alluring. Indeed, many young people in the Inner Ring saw Qi Xinzhu as an incarnation of Li Ming. In their eyes, Qi Xinzhu, as the embodiment of the Dawn Church, was inviolable. She represented all that was beautiful in the hearts of the people of the Inner Ring. She was supposed to continue just like this, preserving that beauty. Moreover, a Believer of Light serving Li Ming their entire life was perfectly normal. Therefore, these people could continue their adoration and faith in Li Ming forever.

But now Qi Xinzhu was saying she had a lover and was already married. This was something that many young men from the Wasteland could not accept. It was as though their years of faith had been defiled, especially defiled by a lowly person from the Fourth Ring. This matter was intolerable, even unto death.

"Priest Qi Xinzhu, how can you degrade yourself so willingly? You, a Believer of Light, giving yourself to someone from the Fourth Ring! How many people will your actions sadden and anger? And now you actually threaten me for this person from the Fourth Ring. Have you forgotten your identity and beliefs?"

Qi Xinzhu gently closed her eyes, then opened them again. Battle-hardened from her time beyond the walls, she, for the first time, revealed her killing intent in front of ordinary people.

"Of course, I know my identity, and I have never abandoned my beliefs. My beliefs are in the Holy Light and Li Ming. My identity is a Believer of Light, but I am also Lu Luo's wife. No matter who it is, whatever the situation, whatever the matter, nothing can change this fact!"

Qi Xinzhu's resounding words caused a stir among the surrounding people, a large number of whom recognized Qi Xinzhu's identity.

"Isn't she the daughter of Grand Judge Qi Lin?"

"Yes, Qi Xinzhu. She used to be the pride of her father, but now, tsk tsk!"

"To get involved with someone from the Fourth Ring, she truly has fallen."

"She might even give up her status in the Church, what a pity."

The murmurs from the crowd grew louder, and Qi Xinzhu's expression also became somewhat conflicted and at a loss. However, she had no intention of backing down. Lu Luo was her chosen one, and nobody could change that.

I don't think we should stay here any longer. Let's retreat for now?

Lu Luo nodded slightly, his palm already tightly grasping Qi Xinzhu's. Any explanation now would be futile. They needed to put distance between themselves and this crowd.

Just when Lu Luo was about to lead Qi Xinzhu away, a voice that made her tremble slightly emerged. "Don't stay here any longer. Let's go home first!"

The newcomer was a handsome, older man; nearly fifty, but still dashing. He sported very neat hair and wore a pair of black-framed glasses; beneath his high nose was a well-groomed beard. The crisp suit made his figure appear particularly upright. Upon seeing this man, Qi Xinzhu's body visibly trembled.

"Dad... Daddy!" Qi Xinzhu stammered.

Lu Luo, who had already guessed the man's identity, only nodded slightly towards him after her words confirmed it.

"Daddy!"

Calling him 'Daddy' already!

Lu Luo was not someone who would call someone 'father' casually; his addressing the man as "Daddy" was rooted in solid logic. As of now, he and Qi Xinzhu had already held a wedding ceremony. Though they had not invited their parents or any guests, the wedding had indeed taken place, they had exchanged rings, and they had even consummated their marriage. In such a case, Qi Xinzhu's father naturally became Lu Luo's father-in-law, so calling his father-in-law "Daddy" was perfectly natural, wasn't it? He decided to call him 'Daddy' first; they could discuss any change-of-address formalities later.

When Lu Luo exclaimed "Daddy," both Qi Xinzhu and Qi Lin, who was standing beside her, were visibly taken aback. That 'Daddy' sounded far too natural!

At that moment, Qi Lin finally turned his gaze towards Lu Luo, examining him very seriously from head to toe. However, this scrutiny did not last long, as the current situation did not allow them to continue this standoff.

"Let's go. We're going home. We'll talk at home!"

"Okay!" Qi Xinzhu quickly nodded; she had been eager to leave this place for a while.

It was only then that Qi Lin turned his head to look at the surrounding crowd, offering a faint smile. Although he was dissatisfied with his daughter's actions, that was his own affair. His daughter was not to be bullied by these people.

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