Eldritch Horror Theatre

Although the new Night Watcher leader had not agreed to it, he had already mentioned using this identity to issue a warning. He might as well follow through and settle the matter.

Walking silently down the narrow path, Fu Qian looked casual, but his eyes took in every detail of his surroundings, perfectly adopting the posture of someone secretly investigating deep behind enemy lines.

As he had noted earlier, he was not optimistic about this ancient clan's situation in the whole incident.

Even Qiu had unknowingly gained protection. Given that the clan occupied this prime location right at the foot of the giant tree, it was hard to imagine they could remain unaffected in such close contact with the source of the pollution.

Considering the bizarre nature of those protections—especially the Dispelling Halo he had encountered before—Fu Qian ultimately decided against using his Blood Crusade to charge straight into the heart of the estate. Instead, he changed his appearance and opted for a standard infiltration.

The former carried a much higher risk of triggering a supernatural accident. It was better to rely on this more sociological approach.

Events quickly proved that the second method was indeed the better choice.

"Please hold on."

Just as Fu Qian was marveling at how the Huang Manor was much quieter than usual, a voice suddenly rang out as he made his way toward the core area.

The voice even sounded a little familiar.

Unfortunately, Fu Qian chose to keep walking, acting as if he did not think the call was meant for him at all.

"Captain Qiao..."

This unusual reaction seemingly exceeded the speaker's expectations.

It took several seconds before the voice sounded again, this time naming its target directly.

Oh?

Although he had no choice but to acknowledge it now, Fu Qian clearly felt no awkwardness at being caught red-handed.

He did not flee, either. He calmly came to a halt and turned to look at a nearby pavilion.

...

Ornate carvings adorned the pavilion, bathed in the morning light reflecting off the bluestone.

Within this picturesque scene, mist seemed to gather in the shadows, instantly condensing into a petite figure.

Dressed in sleek black clothes, the young woman quickly stepped out and approached in the blink of an eye.

She had a seemingly familiar look and a seemingly familiar face. So much so that, even though she stood before him empty-handed, Fu Qian could naturally picture her gripping a black Dagger.

Speak of the devil. He had just been reminiscing about the little bug that had sneaked into his room, and now here was its handler—the Huang Clan guard he had stomped flat on the street.

If he remembered correctly, Old Man Huang called her Xiao Ying.

"What is it?"

Without even bothering to verify his memory, Fu Qian met her gaze and offered a nod of greeting, boldly asking what business she had with him.

"...It is nothing. How did Captain Qiao find the time to visit?"

It was a classic truth: as long as you did not feel guilty, the other person would.

Faced with Captain Qiao's naturally imposing authority, Xiao Ying actually faltered for a moment.

However, they were on her turf. She quickly steadied her resolve, forcing a smile to ask the question as if she were genuinely curious.

"And you have wandered into such a remote spot, too. Has it been so long since Captain Qiao's last visit that you have forgotten the way?"

She even glanced around as she spoke, her tone slightly exaggerated.

Quite the attitude, dropping a barrage of questions right off the bat.

Fu Qian praised her in his mind, not showing a trace of panic on his face.

"Indeed, it is exactly because I haven't had the time to visit."

Without batting an eye, he used one of her questions to answer the other.

Sadly, she was just too young. She did not understand the principle that two negatives make a positive.

"Also, there is no need to call me that anymore. West Plain already has a new person in charge."

...

"Force of habit... Shall I lead the way for you, then? Who is it you are here to see?"

Although days had passed since they last met, Xiao Ying had not improved. Two sentences were all it took for her to fall completely onto the back foot.

After a brief, speechless pause, she clearly decided not to dwell on his title. Instead, she gritted her teeth and launched a counterattack.

In her mind, she was absolutely certain that this sneaky Night Watcher had arrived uninvited and was merely putting up a brave front—

"Sure. Please take me to see Old Man Huang Leji, then."

Unfortunately for her, this supposedly amiable former person in charge proved unusually difficult to deal with, simply nodding with a bright smile.

"Is that difficult? Then the Blood Lion works too."

Seeing her momentarily lost for words, he even offered a secondary option.

"Huang Lezhan?"

And a tertiary option.

"I am... not entirely sure. Please come wait over here, sir, and I will go check."

With every name he dropped, Xiao Ying's face grew stiffer.

But ignoring him was not an option, and she definitely could not kick him out.

Though he had been caught red-handed, he was still a Night Watcher. Once he showed he did not care at all about his infiltration being exposed, he was essentially untouchable.

"Sure. Thank you."

Fu Qian did not object to Xiao Ying's carefully considered response. He thanked her and gestured for her to lead the way.

...

"Please wait here for a moment. Just let her know if you need anything."

For the rest of the walk, Madam Xiao Ying clearly had no desire to talk, leading the way in utter silence.

Fortunately, they did not have to walk far. She quickly found a place for Fu Qian to settle down and called over a maid to serve him.

And to watch him.

Fu Qian was well aware that this respectful young maid had been given a critical task: making sure he did not wander off again. But he did not mind. He took the tea she offered, using his perception to keep tabs on Xiao Ying's movements.

As expected, not only did the girl fail to find someone to report to, but her path actually grew more and more remote.

It seemed he had arrived at exactly the right time. There was a reason the manor was so deserted.

All their elites had been deployed, for instance. None of them were here.

With an inward sigh, Fu Qian took another sip of tea.

Seeing him settle in, the maid finally relaxed a fraction. But when she glanced away and then back again, she was horrified to find that only the teacup remained. The seat was completely empty.

...

A passage leading into the mountain?

It was not surprising, considering how many years the Huang Clan had been operating here.

A moment later, Fu Qian slipped around a hidden corner, passed through an even more concealed hidden door, and found himself standing in an ancient, weather-beaten tunnel.

Deep ahead, he could sense Xiao Ying's aura as she hurried along.

As for why she had run down here, the answer was simple—she was leading him to Old Man Huang Leji, just as she promised.

If anyone capable of taking charge had been in the manor, the clan guard would have already found a way to report to them instead of racking her brains out there.

For reasons yet unknown, it was highly likely that the three Huang Clan heavyweights he had just named were all currently deep inside this very tunnel.

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