Eldritch Horror Theatre

No wonder they say harmony fosters wealth!

Fu Qian watched the reactions unfold before him, his face full of appreciation.

Although Siren's team lacked any overwhelmingly powerful figures, their sheer scale and organization allowed them to practically run unchecked through this crowd.

Not to mention that in a lawless place like this, the Night Watchers wouldn't care in the slightest if a person or two got hacked to death.

Yet, whether dealing with him or Nora—who hadn't minded buying him a drink—Gerald held back from ordering an attack, despite his decidedly hostile attitude.

Siren clearly intended to establish a business presence here in the Wasteland, and they seemed reluctant to ruin their image in the eyes of potential customers.

As for the innkeeper over there, it went without saying. Faced with a customer who could spark a tavern-destroying brawl at any moment, she hadn't unceremoniously kicked him out, either.

It was likely this fragile web of tacit agreements that gave Madam Nora's group the courage to try prying for information, maintaining a safe distance while dealing with such a troublesome figure.

They had been waiting for several days, after all; anyone would inevitably feel anxious.

...

"Thanks!"

Seeing that Nora hadn't even poured the drink directly, but had instead pushed both bottle and glass over for him to handle, Fu Qian silently praised her meticulousness.

It maintained a sense of distance while simultaneously proving she hadn't tampered with the liquor, showing her sincerity.

Truly a veteran who had navigated the jianghu of the Wasteland for years.

Fu Qian didn't stand on ceremony, immediately picking up the bottle and giving it a shake.

It was exactly the same as the one on Gerald's table; the innkeeper seemed to stock only this one type.

The seal was solid, and the ordinary-looking glass beside it had been wiped spotless.

Her business approach was at once casual and surprisingly earnest!

Amidst his silent appreciation, Fu Qian—once again embodying the persona of the One-Armed Madman—popped the bottle open with a single hand and poured himself a full glass.

"Does Mister Lu know me?"

Nora, who had been watching him the entire time, finally spoke up. Her choice of topic was plain and natural.

"I only know him."

Fu Qian smiled, gesturing with his chin toward Old Man Tyr.

"You know me?"

Tyr was visibly surprised.

"Who in the Wasteland doesn't know the name of the Hand of Justice?"

Fu Qian's expression turned serious, his tone brimming with long-held admiration.

"It's just a joke among old friends..."

Never expecting this madman to actually be a fan, Tyr suddenly found himself the center of attention. He maintained his composure, however, and offered a modest, casual reply.

"Has Mister Lu also come for the blessing?"

The very next moment, he cut straight to the chase, depriving Fu Qian of any opportunity to keep flattering him and change the subject.

"If that truly is the case, I can only say you've arrived at the perfect time. The blessing still hasn't appeared. If you wish to witness the past glory of these Ruins, I'm afraid you'll have to keep waiting."

So the unreal existence under the Bright Light mentioned in the mission briefing was an image of this place's past?

Then what were these people hoping to obtain from it?

Fu Qian recalled the stretch of ruins he had seen earlier and nodded.

"All things in this world have their own destined paths. Lu Mou never forces the issue."

With the old man asking so bluntly, denying his motives for coming would just drive the conversation into a dead end.

And it was obvious that his enlightened posturing had dealt quite a psychological blow to these profit-driven hunters.

That included Gerald, who had been staring in their direction the entire time.

The latter snorted, having seemingly lost interest in this man spouting constant nonsense. He stood up and headed straight for the back door, clearly going to inspect the murder scene.

"...So in Mister Lu's opinion, it's not even certain if the blessing will appear again this year?"

Nora, who had spent money to treat him only to be left out in the cold, now decisively posed a more difficult question.

"No."

Fu Qian shook his head flatly.

"It will definitely appear. In fact, I know for a certainty that something is going to happen."

So certain?

Fu Qian's overly confident tone noticeably worsened the already tense atmosphere.

The tavern patrons, who had just begun to chat idly again, fell silent once more.

How could...

Nora, the one who had asked the question, was even more deeply shocked.

She had originally just wanted to get a little value out of her sacrificed drink money. She never expected such an explosive response.

"How can you be so sure? Don't tell me the Ancient Giant Dragon will appear again this time?"

A moment later, unable to hold back, she gritted her teeth and pressed the issue.

Another interesting piece of information... These ruins were connected to the Ancient Giant Dragon faith?

Judging by Nora's tone, the giant dragon had actually shown up before.

The eavesdropping patrons didn't look surprised either, meaning the credibility of this claim was extremely high.

Sure enough, you had to push the boundaries of a conversation to reap bigger rewards!

Fu Qian grew even more satisfied. With an effortless flair, he pointed to his right hand.

"I can't say for sure about the Ancient Giant Dragon, but as long as I bring out my right hand, a bloody disaster is guaranteed."

...

For a split second, Nora looked like she desperately wanted to smash her liquor bottle into Fu Qian's face.

In fact, judging from the audience's reactions, she was far from the only one harboring that thought.

We wasted all those serious expressions on you, and you're just sitting here throwing out brain teasers!

But that foul mood was only momentary. With her rich experience in the jianghu, Madam Nora quickly caught onto another interpretation of this sheer nonsense.

No matter how crazy a person was, they wouldn't risk such immense danger to come all the way out here just to play the fool, right?

He knew something but found it inconvenient to say, so he had deliberately sat down over here to warn her group in this manner...

She subconsciously turned to glance at Tyr. Sure enough, the old man wore a solemn expression, showing not the slightest hint of anger at being toyed with.

She was still lacking a bit of refinement!

Nora sighed inwardly, feeling ashamed of her inferiority compared to Tyr's seasoned shrewdness.

"This is only the beginning..."

At that moment, Mister Lu picked up his glass and sniffed it. He didn't rush to drink, instead muttering softly to himself.

"Are you saying... more people will die?"

Seeing that he was still in the mood to speak, Nora asked cautiously, fighting back her excitement.

"Of course."

If that weren't the case, wouldn't my mission be completed without me having to lift a finger?

Fu Qian lamented inwardly.

What a pity. Accommodating things like the Blind Eye Holy Grail were simply too rare.

Looking around and seeing that morale was noticeably lower than when he had arrived, Fu Qian stood up in complete satisfaction.

"The resting place is free, right?"

He confirmed this once more with the innkeeper, who had been staring in his direction the entire time. Upon receiving an affirmative answer, he turned and walked right over.

However, before opening the door to leave, he intentionally or otherwise cast a glance toward a certain spot.

It was perhaps the darkest corner of the entire room, where three people were currently sitting.

All three wore heavy hooded robes. Each person simply drank their own liquor, without a single word exchanged between them.

This night sure is lively!

Amidst his silent sigh, Fu Qian slightly relaxed the suppression on his aura before opening the door and taking his leave.

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