Eldritch Horror Theatre

A blessing in disguise—mature figures of the jianghu generally never expected this sort of plot development.

Therefore, the silent Greed Worms still took some time to steady themselves, verifying the reality of what they were feeling.

As a result, once they confirmed the helpless drain on their vitality had truly ceased—and that their overall condition had even surged in return—most of them could no longer control their emotions.

The small gathering place instantly erupted into a clamor of voices.

"That guy stopped... His state is a bit strange, but he really isn't committing suicide—it's a ritual!"

Amid the clamor, the first slightly meaningful observation came from Laywoman Tooth-Throat, her voice thick with unconcealed excitement.

"It's different from what we guided him toward before, but it's a genuinely effective ritual! Where did he get it?"

"It certainly looks like it!"

The room full of joyous people instantly had their attention drawn, and murmurs of agreement quickly rang out.

"I can't understand it at all, but it seems our initial choice was correct..."

"My gains are massive as well..."

"Unbelievable..."

"Strange how?"

As the saying goes, happy occasions lift the spirit. Amid the chorus of agreement, someone eagerly pressed Laywoman Tooth-Throat on her earlier remark.

"The howling. It sounds like a bizarre kind of agony."

However, it was not Laywoman Tooth-Throat who answered, but another enthusiastic member.

"...I heard it faintly, but it was too muffled."

The questioner hummed in agreement, though their eyes remained fixed on Laywoman Tooth-Throat.

"Can you see what else he's doing?"

...

Sure enough, just like damage, the transmission of perception had an order to it.

Taking in the joyous atmosphere, Fu Qian, acting as a spectator, immediately understood why Laywoman Tooth-Throat's opinion was so highly valued.

He remembered when Dayun Mingwang had first tracked down Jiang En. Right after calling on him for advice and leaving, he had been intercepted by Daneta.

It was later proven that he was Jiang En's superior—just as Laywoman Tooth-Throat was now.

Judging by how everyone else was acting, this was highly unlikely to be a mere coincidence.

The sharing of perception among the Greed Worms likely followed the principle of proximity.

Laywoman Tooth-Throat likely had the clearest view of Jiang En's situation.

"The location is rather dark, but his state has clearly recovered a bit..."

Sitting in the figurative "front row," she began giving a live commentary.

"He is excited, but not overly surprised. It seems this was indeed a deliberately planned ritual. I just have no idea where he got it..."

"The bottle that held the liquid is empty, but he still put it away with great care. That thing really seems to be the key... Laurie, it's just like you said!"

The next moment, Laywoman Tooth-Throat turned her head, looking toward the Old Man sitting alone in the corner who hadn't said a word.

Although his earlier remarks had been a heavy blow to their morale, the facts proved that his insight was indeed unique.

However, due to the Death Shadow shrouding him, he had consciously kept his distance from everyone else. Even with such dramatic changes unfolding before their eyes, he hadn't joined the discussion.

Even now, when directly addressed...

Despite his earlier judgment being validated, the Old Man remained seated, not making a single sound.

"Laurie..."

The previously elated crowd was finally dampened by his demeanor, recalling the other terror that had been dominating them.

The joyous atmosphere ground to a halt as someone called his name again in a low voice.

"It's fine... I'm alright."

This time, the Old Man finally showed a reaction. He looked up at the crowd in a slight daze, then took a deep breath.

"That thing... it's been lifted..."

...

Huh?

It was a concise statement, but once the team members grasped its meaning, they erupted into even more exaggerated gasps of shock.

That death threat, which was practically divine punishment, had disappeared?

Just now, without anyone noticing?

These turnarounds were happening far too quickly and all at once!

With the gloom completely dispelled in such a short amount of time, everything felt somewhat surreal. The crowd stared at Laurie, hoping he would provide more details.

"It happened just now, not long after we received the boost."

Although he was trying his hardest to control himself, the sheer contrast of surviving after a catastrophe meant Laurie wasn't entirely composed. He spoke a bit faster than usual.

"Without any warning, it just vanished in an instant—exactly like how it appeared."

Looking up involuntarily, he made no effort to hide his bewilderment.

"I didn't do anything, but it doesn't feel like direct feedback from the ritual, either."

...

Given his earlier performance, the group naturally didn't doubt Laurie's judgment as the one directly experiencing it.

But it was a bit too hard to believe that two massive crises had been resolved almost simultaneously with absolutely no connection between them.

"But when it first appeared, it wasn't like you had done nothing..."

Even as Laywoman Tooth-Throat was frowning in deep thought, someone nearby suddenly offered a new line of reasoning.

"What?"

Startled, Laurie looked at the team member who had just been calling out to him.

"At the time, the two of you were arguing about... the King of the Abandoned Prison."

Instantly becoming the center of attention, the member didn't string them along, pointing straight at Laurie and Laywoman Tooth-Throat.

"Immediately after that, everyone felt terror."

This...

The implication was incredibly blunt. Exchanging a glance with Laywoman Tooth-Throat, Laurie frowned, pondering this new angle of interpretation.

"Are you saying my doubts caused offense? But if that's true, wasn't Jiang En's attitude far more blasphemous?"

"Why did I receive Chastisement while he was granted a promotion?"

"We were granted a promotion."

The speaker shook their head, emphasizing the point in a serious tone.

"Just like you said earlier, the origins of the bottle in Jiang En's hand are entirely a mystery, and this ritual... With the entire group benefiting, we still have no idea what kind of price he had to pay."

Was that really the case...?

For a moment, not only did Old Man Laurie fall back into silence, but even Laywoman Tooth-Throat—whose opinion had just been validated—seemed a little unsure of herself.

"We really might need to find a chance to head back to Shangjing."

Ignoring the swirling emotions in the room, the speaker sighed and offered a final conclusion.

...

That was about enough. The necessary messages had been successfully conveyed.

Having observed the entire process, Fu Qian was quite satisfied. He withdrew his gaze from the connection, uncaring about the ensuing back-and-forth arguments.

The foundational groundwork for the entire team—their core philosophies and objectives—had already been laid.

The timing for lifting the Typhoid Terror wasn't deliberately manipulated; he had simply judged that it was nearing its absolute limit.

Yet such perfectly synchronized results once again echoed the theme: the painstaking person is not failed by heaven.

"This doesn't look like the way back to The Bookstore?"

Amid his reflections, a timely reminder came through.

Turning his head to glance at Wen Li's smiling face, Fu Qian gave a slight nod.

"It isn't. This is your way home from work."

"Starting right now, you are on vacation."

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