Eldritch Horror Theatre

He had a yellow, hairless face without a beard. The saturation of his skin tone made it look as if he had been dipped in wax, yet it possessed a strange, grainy texture.

Sha Ming, who had been favored by the Saints from the very beginning, undoubtedly possessed the second most peculiar appearance of anyone they had encountered in this place so far.

At first glance, it looked as if the physical effects the Huang Clan could only achieve by actively channeling their Human Sovereign Qi had become a passive, permanent state on his body.

It was no wonder the latter felt an immediate affinity for him.

This was no exaggeration. Right now, the long-absent Old Man Huang Leji stood directly opposite him, so close they could practically be having a knee-to-knee chat.

It was obvious that the earlier exchange—asking whether this was their first time here—had taken place between the two of them.

"I am Sha Ming. And who might Your Excellency be?"

Brother Sha Ming's answer to that previous question had naturally been affirmative, just as his answer to Fu Qian was now.

Staring at Fu Qian, a figure who had appeared far too abruptly, Sha Ming hesitated for only a second before confirming his identity.

Though he tossed a question back in return, Fu Qian's entrance had been so undeniably imposing that Sha Ming used the most polite form of address he could muster.

"You may call me... the First Follower."

Fu Qian did not disappoint. Not only did he carelessly offer up his title, but he also strode straight forward and took a seat on a bench directly across from the group.

...

Though it was a simple action, the reaction it provoked was no less intense than his initial entrance.

Judging by the alarmed and uncertain faces before him, it was perfectly clear that this much larger team had a profound understanding of the dangers lurking within this Sacred Land.

Right before the door opened, Old Man Huang's group had clearly been taking a short break and venting their negative emotions. Yet, stubbornly, not a single one of them had sat down.

It was easy to guess the reason behind this rigid, standing rest: it was a hyper-allergic reaction to the rule that permitted going down but forbade going up.

Although sitting down and standing back up might not trigger an exaggerated Chastisement, the rescue team was clearly doing everything in their power to avoid any unnecessary shifts in their center of gravity.

Noting this, Fu Qian considerately gave them a moment to adjust their emotions. He simply sat there, observing them, in no rush to speak.

Huang Leji was clearly the core of this team. Apart from Sha Ming, everyone else shared a highly consistent style—it was obvious they were almost entirely members of the Huang Clan. There was even a white-haired old man with the distinct demeanor of a clan elder, proving just how much importance the clan placed on this operation.

Furthermore, compared to the Excavation Team from earlier, this double-digit team had reached much deeper into the structure. While their degree of "corruption" was significantly higher, they appeared much more organized and far less ragged.

The clan's elites were likely all gathered here. If Brother Blood Lion saw this, he would probably be moved to tears, wouldn't he?

"The First Follower?"

Even as Fu Qian mentally praised them, Old Man Huang Leji lived up to his demeanor as the family head. He was almost the very first to successfully adjust his mental state.

Repeating the title Fu Qian had just offered, he frowned in confirmation, evidently finding the name quite unfamiliar.

"Is this your first time coming to this place?"

Unfortunately, different people received different treatment. Fu Qian had absolutely no intention of answering that question. Instead, keeping his eyes fixed on Sha Ming, he smoothly picked up the thread of the conversation he had interrupted earlier.

...

Their relatively high spirits, their mostly intact body parts, and Old Man Huang's reaction to his current appearance all seemed to verify one of his earlier guesses.

Neither Brother Sanxun nor any of his colleagues had ever shown themselves to a single rescue team.

He, on the other hand, had practically received the treatment of the chosen one.

It wasn't a particularly surprising answer for Fu Qian, but the significance of the question went far beyond the answer itself.

Whether it was Miranda from the Excavation Team or Sha Ming standing right in front of him, their situations within their respective groups were remarkably similar.

There was no need for him to step in and catalyze the situation like he had with Miranda. Even before he revealed himself, the hostility directed at Sha Ming had been glaringly obvious.

While breaking the ice was his specialty, adding fuel to the fire came as naturally as breathing.

"...Yes."

Completely ignoring the person in charge's inquiry and staring straight at him to ask the question—it was a textbook move to throw someone onto the roasting spit. Sha Ming clearly recognized what was happening.

However, as far as he was concerned, the superficial harmony within the group was already so fragile that it could shatter at the slightest touch. There didn't seem to be any reason to preserve it.

After a moment's hesitation, he answered affirmatively once more, his voice sounding as if his throat were packed full of sand.

"Not bad. And what about yesterday?"

Fu Qian didn't question him; he simply let the natural flow of the interrogation continue.

...

As everyone knew, the difficulty of a third follow-up question usually skyrocketed.

At that moment, not only did Sha Ming's gaze instantly sharpen, but the shocked, ferocious glares from the other team members could only be described as murderous.

The Family-Visiting Trio had already sneaked inside once before midnight—Miranda had confessed this herself earlier.

And out of the entire group, the only person who didn't seem utterly shocked by this revelation was Old Man Huang Leji.

"We did... but everything was still perfectly normal back then. There was no bizarre structure, nor were there any of these strange rules."

Sha Ming proved exactly why the old man had chosen to keep him under personal surveillance. Without even turning around to check the reactions of the others, his eyes flickered briefly before he confessed without hesitation, successfully earning himself a wave of pure hostility.

"Bastard..."

"I knew it..."

It had to be said that, compared to their physical conditions, the team members' mental states were far more alarming. They looked even more frantic and manic than the Excavation Team.

As anger rippled through the crowd, they surged forward, looking as though they were ready to beat this man—who had plunged their group into such a dire predicament—to a bloody pulp at any second.

As the target of their wrath, however, Sha Ming had clearly anticipated this reaction before he even spoke. He merely kept his eyes glued to Fu Qian, completely ignoring the fury brewing around him.

"Quiet!"

Instead, it was Old Man Huang Leji who stepped forward to take control of the situation.

It was clear his usual authority commanded immense respect. With a single, cold shout, the surroundings instantly fell dead silent.

"So, Your Excellency 'Follower'..."

Seeming too exhausted to bother with this disorganized rabble, Huang Leji let out a sigh. He pushed aside the impulsive crowd blocking his path, his gaze similarly locked intensely on Fu Qian. He walked right up to him before slowly asking his next question.

"How did you know they were here yesterday?"

"Huang Leji?"

It wasn't until this very moment that Fu Qian finally seemed to acknowledge his existence, though he still showed absolutely no intention of answering the question.

"I know Your Excellency disdains to answer my question—but what about now?"

Faced with such blatant disrespect, Huang Leji's reaction was quite bizarre.

He showed neither anger nor surrender. Instead, he took another step forward and repeated his question.

And that wasn't even the strangest part. The entire team behind him—the same people who had just been screaming for blood a moment prior—stepped forward in perfect, eerie unison, staring at him with deeply unnatural smiles.

Including Sha Ming.

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