Eldritch Horror Theatre

"The Abyss Notes... Is the Wisdom King mistaken? How could I possibly have a treasure like that on me?"

It was obvious that Fu Qian's demand had struck a deep chord.

His scarlet eyes and the illusory eyeball above his head flickered in unison for quite some time before Taylor, now exuding a distinctly vampiric aura, finally responded.

His choice of address also made it clear: he still rejected the idea that Dayun Mingwang was actually Jiang En.

Realizing that an old rival he once held a massive psychological advantage over had already quietly overtaken him in the shadows was indeed a bitter pill to swallow.

"I am not."

Unfortunately, in the face of his defense, Dayun Mingwang merely shook his head.

"While I don't quite understand your family's line of thinking, I have no intention of wasting time on this sort of argument."

"What makes you think I'd go through all this trouble just to make a meaningless demand? But wait a moment..."

"You really don't have the aura of the Abyss Notes on you. You actually aren't carrying something so precious on your person?"

"You really have been plotting this for a long time... all of these incidents were for this exact purpose."

Now that certain suspicions were confirmed, his pride as a member of the Blood Clan clearly wouldn't allow him to resort to a shameless denial. Taylor gritted his teeth.

"This seat won't deny plotting for a long time, but don't think too highly of yourself either. Naturally, these matters serve other purposes as well."

Fu Qian pointed toward the bed once more.

"Otherwise, I would have chosen a much simpler method. After all, if my luck was bad and I got cornered by the Night Watchers while pulling something like this, it would be quite a hassle."

"Achieving multiple benefits with one move..."

Naturally, such a denial only made his supposed scheme for the Abyss Notes seem all the more credible.

This was evident as the doubts in Taylor's words faded even further, leaving behind nothing but pure frustration.

Of course, this was only the surface-level gain. From Fu Qian's perspective, the illusory eyeball above Taylor's head rapidly opened and closed again, successfully increasing his control over the dreamscape even further.

Just as he thought, the key to controlling the dreamscape and twisting a sweet reverie into a Nightmare was to expand perception, making the dreamwalker believe in more "truths."

For a brief moment, Fu Qian felt he understood even more of an evil deity's core principles.

...

"Indeed. After all, if Brother Taylor ended up disappointing me and failed to be so cooperative, I couldn't just walk away empty-handed, could I?"

Learning truly brought joy; Fu Qian sounded quite delighted.

"I admit, the Abyss Notes are currently in my custody... but just as you pointed out, I don't have them on me right now. Therefore—"

Taylor paused, seemingly finding his next words difficult to say.

"You want to substitute it with something else? The Gulade Household really has given you quite a few good things."

Fu Qian's comprehension was reliably sharp; he instantly grasped the implication.

"Yes... a cloak that can help conceal one's presence. Although its Rank is slightly lower, I don't think I need to elaborate on its practical value in combat."

Hearing the other party marvel at the Gulade Household's deep foundations felt incredibly grating right now, but Taylor bit the bullet and continued anyway.

And the substitute he mentioned was, sure enough, the very cloak that had helped him break out of prison only to hand himself over on a silver platter.

Earlier this very night in the real world, when Fu Qian had gone to visit, Taylor had been sprinting out while wrapped in that exact item. Its ability to conceal one's presence was undeniably excellent.

Compared to a notebook that wouldn't even hurt if you smashed it over someone's head, the practicality of such an item was vastly superior.

"I can certainly imagine that... but apologies, I don't need it."

A split second after acknowledging its practical combat value, Fu Qian decisively shot him down, causing Taylor's Dao heart to violently waver once again.

"For most people, the item you mentioned might hold more value. But many years ago, this seat had the privilege of viewing half of the Abyss Notes and benefited immensely from it. I am absolutely determined to obtain it."

"It doesn't matter if you don't have it on you. I can wait here while you go back and retrieve it."

Staring directly at the Iron Cage in the corner, Fu Qian's implication was crystal clear: with this thing here, I have no fear of you running away.

...

"Your ability to play the fool is truly impressive. No wonder no one discovered you for so long..."

Just as a brilliant melody requires a discerning ear to appreciate it, Fu Qian's words—so entirely different from Jiang En's usual style—only caused Taylor, determined not to be "deceived by the surface," to become even more convinced that this person really was Jiang En.

Even as he gritted his teeth to offer this grudging praise, Taylor's eyes flickered slightly as he continued.

"It's just a pity that even if I went back, I wouldn't be able to retrieve it. Someone else beat you to it..."

"...Are you joking?"

For the first time, Dayun Mingwang's voice turned grave.

"Is there any point in joking at a time like this?"

Taylor sneered coldly.

"I already lent the notes out some time ago, and it's not yet time for them to be returned. As a man of my word, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to break my promise and demand them back early."

"...Who snatched it away?"

Taylor had phrased it diplomatically, but unfortunately, Dayun Mingwang refused to play along. Briefly stunned, he bluntly asked for the truth.

"I lent it to a Bookstore Owner."

His facial features twitching in visible agitation, Taylor placed a heavy emphasis on the word "lent."

"A bookstore... you had better not be playing with me."

Putting the Abyss Notes and a bookstore together sounded rather incongruous. Fu Qian's tone was laced with skepticism.

"I can even take you there to see for yourself. Aren't you able to sense the presence of the notes?"

Taylor wore a "believe what you want" expression.

"But a word of warning: not only is that guy incredibly strong, he's also on quite good terms with the Night Watchers."

...

So it really was the strategy of driving a tiger to devour a wolf.

Marveling at Taylor's reaction, Fu Qian mused to himself.

The man was telling the truth, of course, but it was also an open scheme born of desperation.

He already had little hope of getting the Abyss Notes back, and now an extremely determined competitor had suddenly appeared.

Under these circumstances, directly pitting the two sides against each other and letting them slaughter one another was undoubtedly a good choice.

If the Bookstore Owner was taken down, Taylor's current predicament of being framed would basically be resolved.

If Dayun Mingwang was captured instead, given the Bookstore Owner's ties with the Night Watchers, the evidence provided by someone pulling a stunt like Dayun Mingwang would inevitably fall under suspicion, meaning Taylor's predicament would still be resolved.

He truly lived up to being the promising new generation of the Gulade Family, proving that he had never once neglected his all-around development.

"So what? You couldn't even begin to fathom the power standing behind me!"

The next moment, Fu Qian sneered, expressing complete disdain for the warning.

"So, shall we head out now?"

It was plain to see that Taylor was absolutely thrilled by this response.

"But did you really think a trick like that could fool me?"

Unfortunately for him, the very next words that echoed from beneath the mask sent him plummeting straight back down from Paradise into hell.

Along with it, the pattern on Dayun Mingwang's mask rapidly dissolved.

At the same time, a strange, crude pattern resembling a palm slowly surfaced. Right in the center was an oval shape, as if the hand were tightly gripping an eyeball.

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