Eldritch Horror Theatre

Surely no one could question this seat's virtue of respecting the aged and honoring the wise anymore, right?

It naturally wasn't that Jia Keke was playing the pig to eat the tiger—appearing to be of low rank and making a living with the Ji Clan, while having actually mastered supreme transcendent arts and peerless divine skills.

As expected, the Night Watchers were truly a den of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and the Conservative Faction's Excellency Needle Witch was indeed quite radical.

Fu Qian mused inwardly.

That was right. Who else could be before him but Kelin, someone he had known by reputation for a long time?

The one speaking to him was, of course, Jia Keke. She showed no flaws and displayed no abnormalities whatsoever.

Unless one had a premonition and scanned her with the Vision Radar—which he naturally did, since she was the very person this celebration banquet was meant for.

Wen Li's achievements were certainly gratifying, but Excellency Kelin's determination could not be underestimated.

Now that the Academy's affairs had concluded and Old Man Stoss's group had left, it was clearly time to give this Tier 2 Transcendent who had mastered the Parasitism Technique a chance to get close to him.

At the same time, her actions during this process absolutely could not feel deliberate.

Put simply, it was to achieve a state of "knowing that the other party didn't know he knew."

Taking everything into account, Jia Keke was undoubtedly a very suitable candidate.

Moreover, since she was outside the Academy, plenty of time and space had already been set aside for this operation.

Of course, despite putting in so much thought, Fu Qian still wasn't entirely certain if the other party would actually show up.

However, when it came to treating someone to a meal, whether they came or not was one thing, but the sentiment had to be delivered.

Ultimately, the moment this scene unfolded before him, it had already proved too much—

West Plain, Shangjing, the Prison Archangel, the Origin Council... sure enough, there were traitors among the Night Watchers.

Chief Yuan's beautiful imagination had shattered after all. The sword hanging over his head, hers, and even Su Gao's, had always been there.

...

The subtlety of execution lies in a single mind.

He had to admit, the Vision Radar had once again demonstrated its reliability.

To be singled out by Yuan Shan, Excellency Kelin's Parasitism Technique absolutely commanded respect.

Even if he were in a Tier 2 state with his Transcendent Perception still intact, he might not have been able to spot it easily.

However, the Calamity Eyes before him—though merely representing the force required to destroy the opponent—still left her hidden transcendent nature with nowhere to hide.

There was even reason to suspect that Excellency Kelin hadn't merely cast a projection like a certain former dean of the Benevolent Curse Institute; her true body was already here.

Don't forget, Chief Yuan had also mentioned that the Needle Witch was one of the few transcendents capable of spatial crossing. Fu Qian had always been very confident in her mobility.

Next, it all depended on whether Excellency Kelin considered this a Hongmen banquet.

Even though this seat's invitation was completely sincere, and the food actually tasted quite good.

Letting his gaze sweep past Jia Keke naturally, Fu Qian picked up a piece of fish with a serious expression and popped it into his mouth.

It was slightly cold, but after a bout of hard work, it remained a delicacy worth savoring.

He wondered if Excellency Kelin felt the same way.

...

"Thanks for your hard work. Let's postpone this week's affairs; I'll handle them together next week."

It seemed Excellency Kelin was quite satisfied.

When the night deepened and both guests and host had thoroughly enjoyed themselves, Jia Keke was practically the first to stand up and help clean up.

While expressing her thanks, Ji Liushuang also confirmed the Gospel Team's affairs with her.

"Alright."

Jia Keke raised no objections, and after finishing the tidying, she left with perfect manners.

They always said choices determined one's fate. He had even thought there might be a chance to directly trigger a Night Watchers dungeon right here and become the core of the purge.

Faced with such a quiet and peaceful night, while Fu Qian felt satisfied, he also harbored a hint of regret.

Although the probability was low, he had indeed considered the possibility of Kelin flipping the table in a rage.

If that happened, he would have had to deal with this Tier 2 Transcendent directly, detonating the powder keg within the Night Watchers ahead of schedule.

Occurring so hastily, the incident's level of bloodshed might have been higher. Still, how a Tier 2 master of curses, puppets, and parasitism felt to fight was quite intriguing.

Fu Qian certainly didn't think there was any possibility of reconciliation between him and her.

Unfortunately, Excellency Kelin had ultimately avoided a predetermined death condition. Instead, she received a precious piece of information—the Bookstore Owner in Shangjing and the Apocalypse professor in the Academy was indeed a Demigod Realm existence, completely separate from a certain someone in West Plain.

Verified up close for an entire evening, fair and square.

This was exactly the greatest significance of this meeting.

Assuming a pair of eyes had been watching him from the shadows ever since Shangjing, tonight's attendance at the banquet could be considered the final, concentrated eruption of Excellency Kelin's suspicions.

And unfortunately for her, he was currently a Demigod open to casual verification in all aspects—and throughout the entire process, he had "failed" to notice that he was being probed.

With this, the dark clouds looming over the West Plain incident were finally resolved.

Excellency Kelin could relax slightly and quietly await her time of death.

"I'll take you to where you're resting."

Even the atmosphere in this top-tier Academy Laboratory seemed to lighten.

Classmate Liushuang even abandoned her evening cultivation session, taking the initiative to act as a guide for the newly abducted victim.

...

"What? Yuan Fang asked if it's convenient for me to head over?"

Unfortunately, leisurely times were always fleeting. Early the next morning, Fu Qian—who had rarely enjoyed a full night's rest—was sought out by a certain department head named Lanaya.

The news she brought was also somewhat unexpected.

The local Night Watchers... had they developed a path dependency?

Based on Yuan Fang's words during his visit yesterday, Fu Qian had understood it as more of a precaution—coming to consult him just in case something unusual happened, rather than actually intending to drag him over to help solve problems.

Yet after just one night, there wasn't even time for a personal visit, and they had to find Lanaya to help call for him?

"Yes, over at the Night Watchers Base."

Confirming Fu Qian's doubts, Lanaya also seemed to use this tone to express her indignation at waking up early.

"Do you know what it's about?"

Emotions aside, the two were already walking outside the Laboratory as Fu Qian casually asked.

"I'm not sure of the specifics, but it should be related to Lily."

Lanaya was clearly quite pleased with this nominal subordinate who was always reliable during serious moments. She explained while gesturing for him to get in the car.

Lily?

"Professor Ian's lover?"

Fu Qian took a brief moment to recall a figure wearing a black-and-gold half-mask.

"I suppose there's no issue if you insist on putting it that way... During that incident, her condition was relatively severe. The Night Watchers specifically kept her under surveillance, and some of the previous tests didn't target her either."

Seeing that Professor Fu could actually remember such a name, Lanaya's level of relief seemed to increase.

"But according to Yuan Fang, she was found this morning with a crown on her head, one woven from real thorns..."

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