Eldritch Horror Theatre

This thing really wasn't a simple illusion!

For one thing, he wasn't the only one who could see it.

As he processed this realization, Fu Qian turned to look at the new figure that had appeared beside him.

"What? Is Store Manager Sunny planning to open another branch right here?"

The person who had appeared so silently was none other than Madam Sunny, the proprietor of the Legendary Little Shop, who supposedly never entered the blessing.

At this moment, her blonde hair looked more radiant than ever.

And without a doubt, Fu Qian's greeting startled her.

She had been standing there, slowly reaching into the air to grab the bug that didn't seem to belong.

Because of Fu Qian's sudden movement, she grabbed nothing but air.

"Don't be nervous. Surprised that I can still move?"

Seeing this, Fu Qian let out a low chuckle.

"Have a seat. I can certainly answer that, just as I'm equally curious about why you broke your own rules."

"You're a Demigod? Otherwise you'd have no way to resist..."

Having abandoned her shopkeeper persona, Sunny had clearly lost the composure she maintained in the store. Instead of accepting the invitation to sit, she kept her furrowed brows locked onto Fu Qian before letting out a sudden gasp.

"I am, but since I don't care for empty fame, I always keep a low profile."

Fu Qian admitted it plainly, even tapping the mask on his face.

Sunny's logic was perfectly sound. The phantom of the giant dragon from earlier was vastly more bewildering than a single butterfly. Anyone else would have been at her mercy by now.

"That technique earlier was truly an eye-opener. May I know the meaning behind that action?"

...

Sunny clearly had no interest in answering him, merely scanning her surroundings with caution.

"Don't worry, this isn't some two-man trap."

Fu Qian shook his head, pointing at the faintly flickering lightning.

"In fact, this seat is quite happy that you came. Though it would have been better if you'd been a bit more polite when entering."

"Are you sure you don't want to take a seat? Offending a Demigod is dangerous, and there aren't many places left outside for you to go."

"What exactly... is your purpose for coming here?"

Fu Qian's last sentence struck a nerve. Sunny finally let out a sigh of defeat and carefully found a relatively intact seat.

While she had some grasp of the situation within the blessing, she couldn't hear their specific conversations. If she could, she most likely would have asked a different question.

Through Sunny's question, Fu Qian rapidly verified his earlier speculations and gave a straightforward reply.

"Didn't I tell you earlier? To maintain world peace."

"...Judging by your actions, I actually can't argue with that. For a Demigod, not only is your temper ridiculously good, but you don't even seem interested in hunting."

That really was the answer he had given in the shop. Sunny ground her teeth slightly.

"It's a pity that good people get bullied these days. Is that why you decided to make a move on me while hiding from Kelsen?"

"My apologies, I was indeed out of line just now. But why would I hide from Kelsen?"

Sunny wore a completely natural expression of confusion.

"Not to mention, I am nowhere near capable of hiding from a Demigod."

"No need to be modest. Sunny might not have the capability, but you do."

Fu Qian shook his head and pointed at the dragon fighting him for a seat.

"Are you going to maintain this state and draw Kelsen over as quickly as possible, or sit down and discuss world peace?"

...

For a split second, Sunny froze completely in place, like a soulless stone statue.

At the exact same time, the dragon-shaped silhouette beside Fu Qian soundlessly collapsed. The Soul Butterflies scattered in all directions, rapidly vanishing into the void.

Without them as a backdrop, the cluster of Soul Butterflies that continued to surge out to the side instantly became eye-catching.

"A pleasure to meet you. How should I address you?"

Such an iconic trail of flames was simply far too recognizable. Fu Qian casually offered a greeting.

"Don't you all call me the Ancient Giant Dragon?"

A moment later, a slightly androgynous voice rang out as a shadow emerged from the void.

It was about two meters tall, with a strikingly unusual bone structure, yet it possessed a distinct elegance.

It was indeed the entity Kelsen had cleaved out. He could even see the injuries on its body, as well as the Soul Butterflies constantly dissociating from it.

As for its facial features, they bore a striking resemblance to the Ancient Giant Dragon from a moment ago.

This form vanished in a flash.

"Then I'll just call you A Long."

Knowing that the other party was showing sincerity through this display but was absolutely unwilling to expose themselves further, Fu Qian didn't mind. His tone even carried a hint of concern.

"Pardon my bluntness, but you look like you're in a terrible state. You even dragged the proprietress over to help. Given her usual persona, this is a rather glaring move."

"Did you know all along that there was something wrong with her? Because of what you did in the shop?"

Without objecting to Fu Qian's crude form of address, A Long's voice sounded somewhat deep.

"It wasn't quite that dramatic. At the time, I just felt I should pay special attention to her. Now I finally know where her unaffected lucidity actually comes from."

"She is nothing more than a puppet on a string. As long as you—having fled after killing—didn't step into the area of effect, her performance would be flawless."

"So that's why you sought me out for a chat."

Sunny spoke up again, her tone of sudden realization betraying no abnormality.

From the sound of it, both she and A Long had tacitly admitted to the accusation of murder.

"Yes, but mainly out of curiosity. After all, as a store manager, you truly didn't have the time or the ability to kill anyone."

Even though she was proven to be merely a puppet, Fu Qian still had no qualms about conversing with Sunny as an independent individual.

"No matter how you look at it, Your Excellency truly is out of the ordinary. If these were normal times, I wouldn't mind chatting a bit longer, but the situation right now is rather tense..."

A Long's voice drifted out from the swarm of Soul Butterflies.

"If Mister Lu doesn't mind the offense from earlier, we will take our leave now."

"Understood. Then let's discuss world peace first."

Fu Qian sounded very understanding, yet his pivot in topic had absolutely nothing to do with what was just said.

...

Amidst the shady inn duo's unanimous silence, Fu Qian said no more. Instead, he simply snapped his fingers, activating the Decree of Return.

The next moment, under Sunny's bewildered gaze, the speed at which the cluster of butterflies was surging out from the void abruptly slowed down.

"It's plain to see that these things constantly popping out of you were originally supposed to be some sort of positive blessing. Unfortunately, they're now causing trouble for your escape."

"Fortunately, Lu Mou has always been good at severing people's fortuitous encounters. I can help you alleviate this distress a little.

"Being too tense isn't conducive to communication. The night is still very young."

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