Eldritch Horror Theatre

A single cloud-piercing arrow summons ten thousand troops—it was no more than this, was it?

Amid a rather impolite closing routine, Fu Qian effortlessly finished shooing out the day's customers.

Considering one of them even looked like a tourist, that brief stay had probably left them with a profound impression of Shangjing's urban culture.

"Welcome."

The Bookstore Owner, taking no credit for this achievement, was already standing by the door, locking eyes with a pair of scarlet irises.

The word choice was glaringly out of place, prompting the two departing customers to glance back repeatedly.

"Long time no see, Mister Fang."

At that moment, even Excellency Serana hesitated.

Ultimately, though, she gathered her courage to return the greeting and answered his summons by stepping through the door.

She wasn't wrong. It really had been a while since Serana's last visit.

He still remembered that when they last collaborated to film a documentary and she helped him convey his divine decree to the Greed Worms, her complexion had been rather poor.

After this period of recuperation, she clearly looked much more spirited.

"Grab whatever you want to drink."

Fu Qian didn't stand on ceremony either, gesturing generously after inviting her to take a seat.

"No need, thank you."

What a pity. Compared to Chief Yuan, she still clung to a certain pointless pride.

Serana merely glanced at the drinks before shaking her head, showing absolutely no intention of helping herself, let alone pouring one for him while she was at it.

"So, regarding the Emblem Taylor saw in his dream, have there been any new developments?"

Not minding this minor breach of etiquette, Fu Qian was getting straight to the point.

"...No. Because of certain measures we took, Taylor Gulade hasn't entered a dream in a long time. Or, more accurately, he hasn't slept."

Serana seemed slightly taken aback by this efficiency, but she quickly shook her head and offered a flat explanation.

"It seems Taylor wasn't too deeply affected. And the power behind that incident hasn't tried to interfere again through other methods."

...

So, after being reprimanded by the family's higher-ups, the special mystical restriction placed on Brother Taylor wasn't some Dream-Severing Ring, but a much cruder, outright ban on sleeping?

What a pity. He had been hoping to find an opportunity to borrow such a miraculous artifact to help research dreams and the Mind World.

Furthermore, it sounded like that young talent was having a hard time lately.

Although sleep was often optional for a transcendent.

But without even the psychological buffer of sleeping to indulge his fantasies, Brother Taylor was likely being tortured by his recent string of humiliating blunders during his midnight reflections.

Imagining that predicament, Fu Qian couldn't help but sigh.

"So, if Mister Fang is in Shangjing today, you must have also seen that abnormal celestial phenomenon just now?"

Before he could offer any further commentary, Serana couldn't help but ask.

"Of course. I was just getting ready to open the shop when it happened."

Fu Qian wasn't surprised. While what they had just discussed was also serious business, what had truly prompted Serana to come here was undoubtedly the suddenly desecrated sun.

After all, the last time a similar situation occurred, Gulade had outright lost a candidate attempting to advance to Tier 2, and even the woman before him had been severely injured.

With so many anomalies still unexplained, it was impossible for her not to be nervous when such a commotion suddenly occurred again.

Fu Qian was fully aware that even before she walked through the door, she had been intentionally or unintentionally inspecting him.

Because of some of his past performances, Serana undoubtedly harbored a degree of suspicion that he was the one who did it.

Unfortunately for her, the effects of Mechanical Ascension were demonstrating themselves once again. Although his current Rank had been adjusted to Tier 2, the side effects of the colorless state brought on by that arrow just now had shown a significant decrease for the first time.

The exact reason was still uncertain, but with a little concealment, it was practically impossible for her to spot any obvious clues.

"Chief Yuan even came looking for me earlier to discuss this matter, checking in to see if you all were frightened."

Fu Qian continued in Serana's silence, heavily emphasizing the leader's deep care for the people.

...

Yuan Shan had already been here...

It was clear that Serana hadn't expected this concern from the Night Watchers, and she was equally shocked by the efficiency it demonstrated.

"Things seem fine for now. At least, I personally haven't felt any unusual effects, whether positive or negative."

But she quickly shook her head, indicating there was no need to worry.

"Different from the Red Moon?"

Fu Qian didn't question her, making a natural comparison instead.

"Different."

Evidently finding nothing wrong with the question, Serana shook her head again.

"Although I rarely pray to the Red Moon, judging by the situation of the rest of the Blood Clan, there have still been people who occasionally received a response over the years. It's just that the form is often so unpredictable that it can hardly be called a blessing."

Even regarding her forms of address, Serana's word choices were noticeably more awkward compared to the other members of the Blood Clan.

Fu Qian completely understood this. For one thing, she had once used the Abyss Notes to confirm that the Progenitor was dead; for another, she had even used Ancient Reminiscence to slip into the perspective of the First Apostle and gaze upon that divine glory up close.

So it was perfectly normal for her to have complicated feelings about a Red Moon of unknown origin.

But the Red Moon also seemed to genuinely be shouldering a certain lunar role, or the role of the Progenitor of the Blood Clan—it really could be called upon.

"And compared to the moon we usually see?"

Recalling the scene of all those unfolding limbs, Fu Qian continued to ask.

The usual moon...

"Other than being more mysterious, there doesn't seem to be much difference."

With him lining up all these concepts for comparison, Serana's already complicated feelings were struck by an even greater wave of confusion. She turned her head to look out the window as she spoke.

"As far as I know, even the most traditional members of the Blood Clan haven't received any response from the original moon in a very, very long time..."

Therefore, regarding Blue, White, and Red, blue and white had completely lost their religious significance in this world... Orthodoxy genuinely rested on the Red Moon instead, mired in distortions and curses as it was.

Although he had long harbored similar suspicions, having them confirmed by a senior member of the Blood Clan held an entirely different significance.

Fu Qian quickly summarized the moons he had encountered.

During his earliest time in the Full Moon Garden, he had clearly encountered the "white." Later, when he used Insight on the Ancient Reminiscence bearing Annalise's glory, the ancient majesty he ultimately faced was also "white."

Adding to the fact that Annalise was originally one of the Moon Believers, only inheriting the Divine Station after answering the call, he could trace a relatively clear line of logic—

The "white" was the original Moon God. Right up until the appearance of Blood Clan Progenitor Annalise, it had remained the symbol of that faith.

But the chosen Annalise "didn't make it to the Long Night."

Even though the Dark Moon emerged during the Long Night.

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