Eldritch Horror Theatre

While her trust is certainly touching, it's hard not to harbor a few beautiful illusions, isn't it?

Chief Yuan's reaction came as no surprise to Fu Qian.

A meteor shower had smashed directly into the Academy; hadn't he been equally shocked when he witnessed it?

Perhaps she didn't doubt that he really had seen a crude cloth doll in West Plain, or that Kelin's attitude toward Wen Li was unusually specific.

But the one who had immediately rushed to Shangjing to probe them was another mysterious Tier 2.

And the subsequent tracking mark had landed in a location that seemed completely unrelated, no matter how one looked at it.

Given her psychological reluctance to see a major internal crisis within the Night Watchers, it was perfectly normal for Yuan Shan to harbor a few optimistic illusions.

For instance, Kelin might have indeed participated in the events in West Plain, but there could be hidden circumstances involved.

In fact, even as someone who had personally experienced almost all of those events, he couldn't currently produce absolute evidence to definitively rule out that speculation.

Fu Qian nodded without hesitation.

Why would he deny it?

Even if Chief Yuan harbored a few beautiful illusions, would they have any actual impact on her subsequent actions?

"...But you can't prove it either?"

"Do I need to?"

...

Between the question and the answer, Yuan Shan fell into a momentary silence.

"You're right. There's really no need."

But she soon tapped her forehead, shaking her head in genuine resignation.

"Until I can thoroughly prove she's innocent, my course of action remains exactly the same."

Despite her pained expression, Chief Yuan still showed her pragmatic side, summarizing her own situation with brutal honesty.

This was the benefit of dealing with smart people—there was no need to waste effort spelling out the stakes.

The reason why Chief Yuan's beautiful illusions didn't affect the situation was simple—

She hoped that the Needle Witch Kelin hadn't committed acts intolerable to the organization, but did she dare bet on it?

No matter the odds, as long as she couldn't definitively rule it out, the only thing Yuan Shan could do was act against her own wishes. She had to proceed with her investigation and maneuvering under the assumption that Kelin was behind it all.

Because if she didn't do so, the other party would.

If Kelin really was the culprit, the previous probe obviously wouldn't be the end of it. Every subsequent move would inevitably be monitored, such as their reaction to this meteor shower.

Once a chain of suspicion formed, it was never that easy to break.

Even if she hypnotized herself into playing the naive maiden, firmly believed her colleague was innocent, and genuinely acted on that assumption—would the other party believe her?

Would anyone willingly tolerate a pair of eyes constantly watching from the shadows, reading deeply into their every move, and remaining ready to deliver a fatal blow the moment they sensed a 'threat'?

The moment this matter started, their only possible response was to prove Kelin's innocence.

If they succeeded, everyone would be happy. If they failed, it would be a fight to the death.

"Sigh... I'll find a chance to ask my teacher about this Angel faith, to see if he knows anything."

"The Night Watchers are taking this incident very seriously. The assistance with the investigation should commence shortly."

Having accepted her fate, Yuan Shan was already planning her subsequent actions as she pointed at the Emblem and the Feather.

She gave the two items one last, careful look as she spoke. Blackness crept from where her fingertips touched them, spreading across both objects and reducing them to ash in the blink of an eye.

Once she confirmed her course of action, the woman's decisiveness was unmatched.

There was obviously no need to keep highly compromising items like these around after viewing them.

"Are you going to be involved in this process?"

Watching this scene, Fu Qian asked casually.

"Yes. After all, we were the ones who pressed the switch for the Meteor. Assuming the worst-case scenario, the Needle Witch must be paying attention to the aftermath. It would actually arouse suspicion if I didn't participate. However, the way I participate might be a bit special..."

Staring at Fu Qian, a sudden smile broke across Yuan Shan's perpetually frowning face.

"Do you know who the Night Watchers assigned to take charge of this matter?" Oh?

Yuan Shan's sudden change in expression inevitably gave him a bad feeling.

And her follow-up question was even more ambiguous.

This time, it was Fu Qian's turn to frown.

"Su Gao?"

...

"Smart."

Yuan Shan smiled radiantly, looking as if she wanted to hand Fu Qian an award.

"Let me state upfront: this was definitely not my suggestion. The decision had already been made by the time I found out."

"Mainly, that kid's efficiency has been simply too high lately. The higher-ups at headquarters might just be hoping to delay paying out her bonuses."

Her first priority was clearly to wash her hands of any involvement in the decision.

Even her excuse was credible. Given Demigod Su Gao's sheer dedication to her work, the various Transcendent Tier fugitives out there simply couldn't withstand the slaughter.

"To be honest, if it were up to me, I definitely wouldn't want it to be her."

Having had her fun startling Fu Qian, Yuan Shan sighed and put on a serious expression.

"It's no secret that Su Gao and I have a good relationship. Her getting involved will almost certainly be seen as carrying my will, even though I haven't revealed the true cause of the Meteor yet."

That was indeed true.

Chief Yuan's situational awareness was flawless.

Dispatching a powerful Demigod right off the bat undoubtedly showed how seriously the Night Watchers were taking this. There was nothing wrong with that.

But if a pair of eyes like Kelin's was truly watching them from the shadows, this particular personnel assignment would undoubtedly seem a bit too convenient.

Operating under the principle of rather killing the wrong person than letting an enemy slip away, Su Gao would undoubtedly be lumped right into their camp, subjecting her to the exact same treatment as Chief Yuan and himself.

While this essentially bolstered their side's strength, based on his understanding of Yuan Shan's character, she probably wasn't willing to drag someone onto their ship like this, putting Su Gao in danger.

"Don't worry, I completely believe in your innocence here. So, what's the plan?"

In the midst of his thoughts, Fu Qian waved a hand to show she didn't need to worry about being misunderstood, before pivoting to the details of the plan.

For Yuan Shan, finding out the origin of the Prison Archangel and its related background was undoubtedly necessary; she didn't even need to hide that intention.

But now that they suddenly had such a powerful "ally" entering the fray, it wasn't strange that she'd want to adjust her plans.

Hehe...

"Su Gao was still executing a mission when she received the summons, and she isn't even too far from Shangjing..."

Sure enough, a highly cunning smile crept onto Yuan Shan's face.

"Hmm?"

"I was just preparing to contact the Council to report that I was attacked recently by an opponent who displayed power characteristics similar to the Feather."

"Reasonable. Otherwise, you'd look guilty."

"But once I report it, I obviously have to participate in the investigation to some extent; otherwise, that would also look suspicious."

"Makes sense."

"But if I rushed over there in person, my reaction would look a bit too intense. The Council aren't fools—the details of the previous conflict likely wouldn't stay hidden."

"Understood. Including my contribution."

"Right."

Seeing that the consultant refused to play dumb, Chief Yuan smiled even more radiantly.

"So, is it possible for me to continue overseeing Shangjing, while simultaneously asking a professional consultant—who also happens to be an old acquaintance of Su Gao's—to help her investigate this matter?"

Sure enough, she had been holding back earlier.

Completely unsurprised by Yuan Shan's final idea, Fu Qian simply shook his head.

The Academy was going to be exceptionally lively this time.

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