Eldritch Horror Theatre

As long as one accepted the premise of the Lantern, Fu Qian's story actually sounded somewhat reasonable.

At least it aligned much better with normal human understanding than the actual truth from the task summary.

The best part was that even if they didn't want to accept the premise, they had no way to verify it.

In a bustling metropolis of millions, no matter how unhinged someone might be, no one would dare test whether the phantom of a god could actually be summoned.

Of course, the story's plausibility was only a minor factor.

Yuan Shan's earlier attitude had already made the crux of the problem clear: this thing was a taboo, a piece of knowledge that should not exist.

As for her teacher, the true purpose of his visit was simply to assess whether it needed to be destroyed.

"So that's how it is..."

Before Henry could say anything, Chief Yuan was already muttering to herself, her expression slightly dazed.

"Do you just have a death wish every single day? Something this dangerous, and you actually dared to knock on it?"

It was obvious she didn't harbor much doubt about Fu Qian's explanation of the Lantern.

The reason for this mostly came down to personal experience.

Over their recent interactions, Fu Qian, this mysterious demigod, had not only repeatedly achieved extraordinary feats but had also desecrated the sun twice right under her nose.

In Yuan Shan's eyes, setting everything else aside, it was completely normal for this guy to possess a messy assortment of transcendent items.

"Do you realize that to a true higher entity, a mere name represents a great deal, let alone a projection that directly displays their image? Have you ever thought about what would happen if you were even slightly careless—"

"I specifically left Shangjing before I did it."

Fu Qian interrupted Yuan Shan's lecture, explaining in dead earnest.

"That's more like it—bah! Staying away from Shangjing is one thing, but didn't it ever cross your mind that you'd get yourself killed?"

"Never crossed my mind."

Fu Qian shook his head, answering without missing a beat.

"Teacher..."

Yuan Shan gritted her teeth and turned to look at Old Man Henry.

Of course, outward exasperation was one thing. To Fu Qian, she might not actually be that furious.

This apparent reprimand was actually a strong validation of his claim that the name Blazing Rainbow came from the Lantern.

She was essentially doing her utmost to frame him as an innocent victim to influence Henry's perspective.

"Assuming this thing is truly that miraculous and can summon a specific image..."

Henry, however, possessed immense composure. Meeting his student's gaze, his murderous aura lessened slightly, but he still didn't rush to state his stance. Instead, he raised a question.

"How are you so certain that the image belongs to an ancient god?"

As he spoke, he looked down and stroked the Lantern that Fu Qian had handed over. Ultimately, he didn't dare actually knock on it three times.

"That's simple. I've confronted the images of other ancient gods before, and they feel similar in certain respects."

Other ancient gods...

Neither of them had expected such an explanation from Fu Qian. For a moment, not only Yuan Shan, but even Henry looked a bit dumbfounded.

"So, who else have you seen?"

Quite a few...

Noticing Chief Yuan's worried gaze, Fu Qian made a gesture signaling her to relax while a series of big shots he had offended rapidly flashed through his mind.

"Annalise."

A moment later, he answered with straightforward certainty.

It wasn't that mighty beings like the Mother of Gospel or the Blasphemy Monarch lacked power; rather, they were so powerful that mentioning them could easily provoke an overreaction.

In comparison, a normal person would likely have an easier time accepting the Progenitor of the Blood Clan.

"The Progenitor of the Blood Clan? You saw her from the Lantern as well?"

He truly had the demeanor of a learned scholar. Unlike Chief Yuan, who had been completely clueless the first time she heard that name, Henry clearly knew who she was.

Naturally, his gaze remained sharp; he didn't seem to believe in such a coincidence.

"No."

However, to Henry's surprise, Fu Qian outright denied it.

"Through another item—the Gulade Family's Ancient Reminiscence."

"That thing can actually let you witness their so-called past glory?"

Henry was startled once again; he had clearly heard of it.

"Yeah. Want to give it a try?"

The next moment, with a sudden clatter, Fu Qian tossed another item onto the table.

...

He actually managed to get his hands on this thing too?

Staring at the murky, dim eyeball, Henry confirmed the item's authenticity almost instantly.

His immediate reaction was to look at his student.

"This has nothing to do with what happened with Gulade in Shangjing. He has a close relationship with Serana."

Yuan Shan clearly understood her teacher's implication and explained right away, clarifying that it hadn't been obtained through extortion.

"That makes sense. Given Serana's style, even if her family were wiped out, she probably wouldn't use this to bargain for anything."

Henry was evidently familiar with Serana and harbored no further doubts.

And encountering the image of Annalise through the Ancient Reminiscence—which was rumored to let one witness the Progenitor's Glory—suddenly made his story a whole lot more believable.

"There's no need to try it, though you certainly carry quite a few good things on you."

Henry politely declined Fu Qian's offer to test it, merely expressing his amazement at the man's collection.

At this point, he seemed to believe Fu Qian's story to some extent.

"Not at all. Serana entrusted me with a precious treasure, so naturally I have to ensure its safety."

Fu Qian spouted this nonsense as he picked up the Ancient Reminiscence, followed by the Lantern beside it.

"So, is it my turn to ask questions now? What exactly is the Blazing Rainbow?"

By the time he spoke again, the two items had already vanished from his hands, looking very much like the work of a legendary spatial pocket.

As for how he accomplished this, it was naturally by taking off his mask once again.

He showed absolutely no intention of handing the Lantern over for verification, seemingly completely indifferent to the consequences of having his claims doubted. Henry's gaze shifted several times before he finally nodded.

"Indeed. Thank you for your cooperation, Mister Fang, and for your previous assistance."

"A High-Tier Transcendent of unknown origin is never a welcome sight for the Night Watchers, but I've heard quite a bit from Yuan Shan about the help you provided in Shangjing."

"In fact, judging from the recent shift in her working style, she is probably hiding even more."

These words made Yuan Shan's gaze flicker, though in the end, she couldn't muster a retort.

"But—"

Just as Fu Qian expected, after dispensing this unearned praise, Henry shifted his tone.

"I can answer your question, provided you do something for me."

Hmm? What a side-quest-like development!

Fu Qian nodded impassively.

"Let's hear it."

"Help me find a rat."

Henry gave a low chuckle.

...

This request left Fu Qian with a bizarre expression as the heroic posture of a certain black-and-white cat once again surfaced in his mind.

"The rat's name?"

"Midas."

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