Star Odyssey

Chapter 2451: Confrontation

"Father," Bai Qi protested. "I find this hard to believe. Everyone is well aware of the Lu family’s members’ natures, and they would never allow a Redback to live. Even if Lu Xiaoxuan were a Redback, the Lu family would have executed him without hesitation. Why would they spare his life?"

Bai Wangyuan also struggled to accept the accusation. The motivation behind the Lu family’s banishment was the desire to replace them, not because their methods were evil or unacceptable.

Strength was not the sole reason for the Lu family's past dominion over the Fifth Mainland.

Lu Gong bowed respectfully to Bai Wangyuan. "If you doubt my words, you may keep me imprisoned. Once you obtain evidence confirming that Nutjob Lu is truly a Redback, you can fulfill your side of our agreement."

"Why reveal this now?" Bai Wangyuan asked curiously.

Lu Gong sighed. "The Lu family is nothing more than a relic of the past. I want the Lu line to continue, not as rulers of the Fifth Mainland, but rather as loyal disciples of the Celestial Frost Sect."

The phrase "loyal disciples of the Celestial Frost Sect" struck a chord deep in Bai Wangyuan’s heart. If not for Lu Xiaoxuan, he would have instantly agreed to Lu Gong’s proposal. However, given the current situation…

Bai Wangyuan could not reveal everything that had recently happened to Lu Gong.

"I must verify your claims. While this is happening, you shall remain confined. As soon as the truth is confirmed, I will uphold my end of the bargain," Bai Wangyuan declared before instructing Bai Qi to escort Lu Gong back to his cage.

Bai Qi quickly returned. "Father, do you truly believe what he said?"

Bai Wangyuan’s brow furrowed. "Nutjob Lu is undoubtedly a very enigmatic figure, and none of us have ever confirmed any details regarding his origins. Lu Tianyi was always extremely cautious of the man. Until now, we have always believed that it was his hatred of the Lu family that formed the foundation of his alliance with us, but what if that’s not true? What if he is collaborating with us because he is a Redback?"

"But Nutjob Lu has vigilantly protected Planet Ominion for many years. He has never once cooperated with Aeternus," Bai Qi retorted, still very perplexed.

Bai Wangyuan shared her confusion. "Either this information is false, and Nutjob Lu's sole goal is the destruction of the Lu family, or…"

He hesitated, and his expression grew extremely grave. "He has a much grander scheme."

Progenitor Bai left the Celestial Frost Sect and went to discuss the matter with Wang Fan and others. If Nutjob Lu truly harbored ambitious plans, they needed to prepare for the worst.

When Wang Fan and the others heard that there was a possibility that Nutjob Lu might be a Redback, their first reaction was that of utter disbelief. They could point out numerous occasions that contradicted such a possibility. However, if the man was truly a Redback, then could they afford to bear the consequences?

"I never expected Nutjob Lu to be a Redback," Wang Fan confessed.

Bai Wangyuan looked at him in astonishment. "You knew about this already?"

Wang Fan explained, "About ten days ago, Humility's Gate interrogated a member of Realmless. Specifically, the Envoy that Lu Yin brought out of Realmless's headquarters in the Lower Realm mentioned the name 'Nutjob Lu.' He claims to have overheard it while cleaning.”

"Qing Chen, who performed the interrogation, promptly reported the matter to Mu Xie. Consequently, there are some members of Humility's Gate who speculate that Nutjob Lu might actually be a Redback."

Progenitor Long's curiosity was piqued. "And someone from your Wang family learned of this matter?"

"That’s correct," Wang Fan confirmed, "A member of my family learned of it through Qing Chen's disciple, Cai Shu."

Xia Shenji expressed confusion. "How can we suspect Nutjob Lu of being a Redback based solely on secondhand accusations?"

Wang Fan responded, "I can’t be certain, but we may have overlooked something."

Bai Wangyuan faced a dilemma. He could choose not to believe Lu Gong's accusations, but if Humility's Gate also harbored suspicions towards Nutjob Lu, then the likelihood of the man being a Redback rose drastically.

After a few moments of contemplation, Bai Wangyuan proposed, "Let’s consult with Mu Xie. We definitely have to investigate this matter thoroughly. If Nutjob Lu is truly a Redback, then he must be involved in an even greater plan. He remained inactive even when five of the Seven Skygods took action. Still, while the possibility seems highly unlikely, one can never be too careful."

The four ruling powers had banished the Lu family so that they could seize control of the Perennial World, not to let it fall to Aeternus’s clutches. Their primary objective had always been to eradicate all Redbacks, which was why Humility's Gate still enjoyed such great authority to this day.

If Nutjob Lu truly was a Redback, then he could be regarded as the greatest threat in the current Perennial World. He would be as dangerous as Wang Xiaoyu had been, and that person had instigated the war between Progenitor Chen and the Sixth Mainland.

The four Progenitors soon met with Mu Xie. Upon learning that Wang Fan had been investigating Humility's Gate, Mu Xie's eyes narrowed, but this was not the time to address such a matter. "I suspect Nutjob Lu based on the word of my junior brother."

"Lu Xiaoxuan?" Bai Wangyuan frowned.

Mu Xie explained, "When my junior brother traversed through time and space with the Origin Progenitor's sword, he witnessed a conversation that took place between Nutjob Lu and Ancient God. He informed me of this matter long ago. Thus, when Undying God was trapped and the Seven Skygods attacked us, I kept a very close eye on Nutjob Lu, as did Senior Smoke. You can confirm all this with her, if you doubt my word."

The matter with Undying God had taken place three years earlier, and it had indeed involved Progenitor Smoke. Bai Wangyuan felt many of his doubts dissipating. Lu Yin must have come to the conclusion that Nutjob Lu was a Redback long, long ago.

"Given this information, the probability of Nutjob Lu being a Redback has increased, but we still lack definitive proof. Mu Xie, have you gathered any evidence?" Xia Shenji inquired.

Mu Xie shook his head. "If we had evidence, we would have captured him long ago. By the way, how did all of you come to suspect him as a Redback?"

Bai Wangyuan remained silent. He had learned of the matter through Lu Gong, who should have been released years ago, according to the agreement with Lu Yin. Exposing such a violation of the truce would be a direct admittance of their guilt.

Mu Xie repeated his question, but no one offered any response.

"No matter how you all discovered this, I must verify what you have learned about Nutjob Lu with the information provided by that captive Envoy and my junior brother," Mu Xie declared.

Bai Wangyuan and the others exchanged glances. It was true that this was a necessary step for such an important matter. Regardless of any extenuating circumstances, it was vital that they ascertain whether Nutjob Lu was a Redback. After all, Nutjob Lu was a Progenitor from the Lu family, not some ordinary cultivator. The danger that he posed was potentially no less than that of a Skygod.

Wang Fan hesitated. "Interacting with Nutjob Lu is extremely unpleasant. Confronting him about this won't be easy."

Progenitor Long suggested, "Then let’s have Lu Xiaoxuan confront him instead. I believe that he'll be willing to do that."

Bai Wangyuan glanced at Wang Fan before agreeing. "That's true. Tell him that Lu Xiaoxuan wants to face him."

Mu Xie agreed, "I'll speak to my junior brother."

…

Planet Ominion was an intimidating place in the Perennial World, renowned as inescapable. If anyone entered the planet, they would never be able to leave, making many consider it a cursed planet.

Planet Ominion lacked usable stellular energy, as it was instead covered with ominion energy, which had the effect of constantly strengthening one's body. The entire planet was dyed red, making it look like a landscape out of hell.

Wang Fan arrived at Ominion Temple on the planet.

Liquor Hero was sitting in front of the temple, drinking wine from a gourd. Wang Fan's sudden appearance startled her. This was the first time that she had met any outsider over the course of the many years that she had spent on this planet.

"Are you from the outside?" she asked.

Wang Fan glanced at the woman and then vanished from her sight.

Liquor Hero's eyes went wide. This person was a true powerhouse. While she was unable to determine his exact cultivation, he was clearly formidable. He also seemed to be searching for her master.

Behind the temple lay a dilapidated courtyard. A Champions' Stage sat in it, though it was covered in a thick layer of dust. At the center of the courtyard lay two deep imprints, marking the spot as where someone had once knelt.

If Lu Yin were present, he would have recognized this place as one of the scenes that he had seen when he had triggered Destiny at the Stargazing Deck. It was the location where Lu Zhen had knelt.

Wang Fan entered the courtyard.

Suddenly, the dusty Champions' Stage crashed towards him.

Wang Fan swiftly stepped back and exited the courtyard. The Champions' Stage smashed onto the ground, blocking the entrance.

"Nutjob, are you attacking me?" Wang Fan shouted.

A deep voice resonated from within the courtyard. "So what if I am?"

Wang Fan's gaze turned cold. "We are allies."

"Heheh. Our alliance was only valid for as long as the Lu family existed. Now that they're gone, why would there still be an alliance?"

Wang Fan answered in a low voice, "Lu Xiaoxuan is still alive."

"I'll make sure to kill that brat. There's no need for your constant reminders. Ah, I get it now. He's become too much of a threat to you, so you've come here personally to beg for my help, right?"

Wang Fan truly loathed speaking with this person, but there was no choice. "I'm not here for myself. Lu Xiaoxuan wants to confront you. He has accused you of being a Redback and having a connection with Ancient God."

After a moment of silence, maniacal laughter erupted from the courtyard. "The Lu family claims to be righteous and honorable, and yet that brat has resorted to false accusations? Interesting, interesting, hahaha! He truly is Lu Qi's son. Fine, if he wants to confront me, then he shall do so. I'm only worried that he won't have the courage to show up."

Wang Fan quickly turned around and left. He could not stand to remain in the madman’s presence any longer.

Given Aeternus’s temporary retreat and the fact that the immediate threats against the Perennial World had subsided for the moment, the four ruling powers’ goal of gaining total control of the Perennial World had been set in motion. The Liu family, the Nong family, Specter Abyss, and even Nutjob Lu were all pawns in their grand scheme. Unfortunately, Lu Xiaoxuan had disrupted their plans three years ago.

Fortunately, this new situation had given them another opportunity to have Nutjob Lu deal with Lu Xiaoxuan.

The madman had already nearly succeeded twice before.

"Confrontation, hahaha! So, we’ll finally meet, little brat!" The courtyard trembled, and a cloud of dust filled the air.

Ten days later, Mu Xie led Lu Yin, Bai Wangyuan, and the other Progenitors of the four ruling powers to Planet Ominion.

Every time Lu Yin saw this planet, he felt a sense of impending danger. However, this was his first time actually setting foot on the planet.

In truth, Planet Ominion was not an unfamiliar place to Lu Yin. Rather, one could even say that he was quite knowledgeable on it. He had Possessed more than one native cultivator of Planet Ominion through his die.

First, he had Possessed Thysen, the guardian of the Ominion Temple. During the last three years, Lu Yin had rolled his die quite frequently, and he had managed to Possess another powerful cultivator who lived on Planet Ominion. This person owned a wireless jincan, which had allowed Lu Yin to establish contact with people on Planet Ominion. Through this connection, he had also successfully made contact with Liquor Hero.

"When we meet with Nutjob Lu, stay close to me. Ignore everything that he says. As a member of the Lu family, you should understand how terrifyingly powerful the family’s Progenitors can be," Mu Xie warned Lu Yin.

Lu Yin nodded, and the group soon landed on Planet Ominion. Right in front of them stood the massive temple.

"Whose sense of humor is so twisted that they would build a temple in a place like this?" Progenitor Smoke was also present. She was there as a witness, not to testify that Nutjob Lu was a Redback, but rather to confirm that Lu Yin had indeed informed people of Nutjob Lu's connection to Ancient God years before.

Progenitor Long interjected, "Madmen have their own unique way of thinking."

"Nutjob Lu is inside," Wang Fan informed the group.

Lu Yin's expression changed. He was finally going to meet Nutjob Lu. No one knew the man’s real name, not even Wan Zhiyi, Nong Yi, or Master Shan. Nutjob Lu had lived for as long as anyone could remember.

Lu Yin had asked Lu Buzheng, but even he did not know Nutjob Lu's true name.

According to Lu Xun, there was no record of anyone named "Nutjob Lu" in the Lu family’s genealogy. Thus, the person's name had either never been revealed or had been intentionally stricken from all family records.