Eldritch Horror Theatre

Recognizing Fu Qian, Yuan Shan was clearly caught off guard.

"It's been a while since we last saw each other."

She looked him up and down with keen interest.

"I thought you'd left Shangjing."

"The spiritual energy here is so concentrated it makes for a top-tier cultivation spot. Why would I leave so easily?"

Fu Qian smiled back at the Chief of the Night Watchers.

It was obvious she had plenty of free time lately if she was out shopping.

"Chief Yuan seems a bit disappointed?"

"I am. With a lawless character like you gone, my life would be a lot easier! Shangjing has only just started to enjoy a bit of peace."

A moment later, however, her smile froze, completely devoid of her previous composure.

The Demigod stared fixedly at Fu Qian, her red lips slightly parted as if she'd been frightened.

"You've... advanced?"

After sizing him up a few more times, Yuan Shan spoke in sheer disbelief.

She truly was a Demigod—her perception was incredibly sharp!

He and Yuan Shan had only met a few times and were far from familiar with each other.

Not to mention he was wearing the Emissary. The mask naturally concealed his aura, yet she had still noticed.

"...It hasn't even been two months!"

Yuan Shan shook her head subconsciously.

"You had some impressive methods before, but you clearly hadn't taken that step. I never expected you to do it so fast!"

"You haven't been around lately—were you setting up your ritual?"

"You could say that."

In truth, even now, Fu Qian wasn't entirely sure what ritual requirements he had actually fulfilled.

The only thing he could think of was killing Li Weixuan while the man was in his Demigod state.

In a sense, he had forcefully dragged a Demigod back down to the Mid Tier.

Furthermore, that particular feat had been completely omitted during the final settlement, which was more than a little strange.

"You actually had your advancement ritual figured out all along!"

Yuan Shan could hardly conceal the shock in her eyes.

"Unlike those with cultivation inheritances, people with innate abilities like us all cross that threshold in completely different ways.

"The main issue is that aside from a few conceptual principles, there's practically no set path to follow. Countless people have fallen at that step, or spent their entire lives unable to find the way.

"To complete your advancement this quickly, you must have known the correct ritual beforehand... You really carry more and more secrets by the day!

"And while I don't know your true age, you are visibly young. It's truly enviable!"

"You flatter me."

Fu Qian meant those humble words sincerely.

"I wonder, what ritual did Chief Yuan use to cross that step?"

Oh...

Hearing his question, Yuan Shan gave him a half-smile.

"That is a highly confidential matter!"

"That's fine. So is mine."

Fu Qian pointed at himself.

Hmm?

Yuan Shan paused for a moment before instantly catching his meaning, laughing uncontrollably and trembling like flower branches.

"You want me to keep your secret? You could have just asked directly. Besides, you only have your own carelessness to blame..."

"How could I have known the esteemed Chief of the Night Watchers would be out shopping during work hours?"

"That's the perk of being the Chief."

Yuan Shan winked at him.

"If you're a deputy, getting swamped with administrative work is unavoidable."

"Understandable."

Fu Qian nodded, looking as though he understood perfectly.

"Don't worry. As long as you behave yourself and don't stir up trouble, you won't have any problems.

No one lightly provokes a Demigod."

"But in exchange, remember to contribute to Shangjing's public security when necessary!"

Yuan Shan was beaming.

"A Demigod lurking in the shadows can definitely do me a lot of favors."

'Or cause a whole lot of chaos. You'd better be mentally prepared for that.'

"No problem. It's the duty of an upstanding citizen."

Fu Qian readily agreed.

"Such a good boy!"

Yuan Shan praised him in satisfaction.

"As for your earlier question, because my advancement ritual involved classified internal materials, I really can't tell you. Unless, of course, you're willing to join—"

"Understood. Thanks for sharing."

Fu Qian immediately cut her off. He truly had no intention of doing that right now.

After bidding farewell to a regretful-looking Yuan Shan, Fu Qian wandered around the area for a bit longer. He only took off his mask and headed back as evening approached.

His outing today had been much more peaceful. It seemed those people's obsessions were also tied to specific timeframes.

But less than a minute after he thought that, a new voice surfaced in his mind.

'Speak of the devil!'

Fu Qian muttered to himself, focusing his attention on the sound.

A scene flashed open. In a spacious office building, a suited-up Qin Mingze slouched sideways in his chair. He stared out the window lethargically, looking completely drained.

"It's finally almost done!"

Fu Qian could even hear him muttering to himself.

"I'm so jealous of Xiao Qian. He doesn't have to waste his life on these things.

Auntie, I don't want to try hard anymore..."

...

'Wasn't becoming a shyster your lifelong dream? Are you betraying your ideals this quickly?'

Seeing Qin Mingze suddenly enter sage mode, Fu Qian couldn't resist a silent jab.

Still, it was rare to see Young Master Qin in such a state.

A moment later, an idea struck Fu Qian. He went straight to his bedroom and dug out an item.

The Blasphemous Embrace. It was the special item he had obtained by forfeiting the Demigod Ritual last time, and he had yet to use it.

Holding it in his hand, Fu Qian walked over to the window and watched the setting sun.

'There wasn't even a user manual for this thing!'

Pressing his hand against the nearly transparent bowstring, Fu Qian assumed a standard archery stance. Through the window, he took aim at the distant sky.

As he slowly drew the bowstring, Fu Qian realized that dense, squirming, rust-colored tentacles had begun to manifest on the Blasphemous Embrace.

They quickly covered the entire bow. Some of the tentacles even fused and intertwined, eventually forming a single illusory arrow.

As the bow was drawn to its fullest extent, the arrow straightened perfectly.

Fu Qian released the string. The Blasphemous Arrow whistled through the air, phasing right through the window glass without leaving a scratch.

About three seconds later, a thick, rust-colored explosion erupted exactly where the sun hung, sending waves of shadow rippling outward.

In the blink of an eye, the once-bright sky was suffocated by a rust-colored smog. The sun was reduced to a mere ring of light, its center completely engulfed in dark red.

'It actually worked?'

After checking his surroundings to ensure there were no adverse side effects, Fu Qian relaxed and admired the spectacular sight.

The results were immediate.

Astronomy enthusiast Young Master Qin bolted upright in his chair, staring intently at the anomaly in the sky. His muttering stopped instantly, and the connection severed along with it.

'Now that's some peace and quiet!'

Fu Qian smiled in satisfaction and walked straight to the bathroom.

In the mirror, his face was so pale it was nearly transparent.

This was the side effect of the Blasphemous Embrace—entering a colorless state for twenty-four hours after each use.

Having experienced it once before, he didn't find it too difficult to endure.

Moreover, to Fu Qian's pleasant surprise, he didn't hear a single incoming plea for a long time afterward.

'I didn't expect a bonus like this!'

Fu Qian recalled the description of the colorless state. Did it essentially mean falling out of sync with the world?

Assuming there were no other side effects, it was actually a pretty good way to block out unwanted disturbances.

Fu Qian looked out at the sky—provided the citizens of Lincheng didn't have any objections, of course.

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