Eldritch Horror Theatre

So they weren't even willing to offer something a little shady? Charging meat prices for vegetarian dishes was a major taboo in honest business.

Though in a tourist city, this approach actually made it less likely for things to go wrong.

Faced with this sudden turn of events, Fu Qian looked down at the heavy glass pendant around his neck and mentally offered a brief critique.

Such a development wasn't surprising, of course. The tour guide's warning "not to talk to strangers" hadn't been for nothing.

When he followed Brother Zhang here, he had already anticipated their potential business model and pricing structure.

Unfortunately, businessmen these days were cutting costs to the point of qi deviation.

Despite hiring someone with Brother Zhang's classic look, they stubbornly refused to spend a bit more on the actual consumer experience.

The cost didn't matter, but if things had always been run this way, it was hard to deduce just how effective the Emblem on the Dancer's belly actually was.

"Sure, can I have that too?"

"Bestowing the veil means you have won the Dancer's favor. Next, you can meet in private—"

The three men who emerged from the shadows looked quite imposing. They now surrounded him from different directions.

The one who spoke wasn't particularly burly, and he even wore real prescription glasses, yet his brow carried a natural ferocity. He offered a fake smile as he spoke.

Unfortunately for him, Fu Qian's reaction didn't quite line up with his jianghu experience. Squinting as he sized Fu Qian up, the man continued his explanation of the local customs.

"I mean that ring."

Fu Qian clearly had no interest in listening and interrupted him.

For a guy reduced to keeping watch over a joint like this, regardless of how intimidating he looked, expecting him to have brains was asking too much.

Faced with a situation he didn't quite grasp, laughing it off and reciting his script was the most natural reaction.

Of course, if a VIP genuinely believed in the so-called private meeting, they really could end up at the same table.

"Ah? That's not allowed..."

As expected, confronted by such a bizarre request, Glasses Bro temporarily ran out of lines.

Without his signal, the Dancer was left to improvise. She instinctively covered her belly and shook her head.

"So, is the effect any good?"

Fu Qian didn't force the issue. He merely nodded slightly, as if asking for a product review.

"It's okay..."

The Dancer's mind seemed to have stalled as well, and she answered instinctively.

Such a low rating? That clearly meant it couldn't be relied on as a standard security measure.

Without another word, Fu Qian looked as though his own product had just received a bad review.

'Hmph, since that's the case, such a dishonest user...'

With a thought in the next moment, the breakpoint on the Dancer ceased to exist.

...

It truly was effortless control.

Having stripped the boon of the Third Cause from the Dancer, Fu Qian was very satisfied with the result.

Even though the ornament on her belly hadn't been removed, she was now no different from anyone else.

Not only that, a special Imprint had even been stamped upon her according to his will.

To be specific, she was now a rejecter of the Third Cause.

From now on, even if she draped herself in Blue Eyes, they wouldn't have the slightest effect.

Heavenly majesty is hard to fathom—this was exactly what that meant.

Given this test result, theoretically, even without figuring everything out, as long as he marked everyone as the forsaken, wouldn't the task be complete?

It was just that, on one hand, as part of Lanphilai Culture, the total number of people who needed processing seemed a bit too high.

On the other hand, because he couldn't use Transcendent Perception, there was no way to operate from a distance.

Otherwise, the task would probably be done before he even walked out of here.

"You must leave a thank-you gift, or it will be seen as an insult to our traditions."

While Fu Qian analyzed the mission, Glasses Bro seemed to recover his wits. Unimaginatively, he chose to lay his cards on the table.

"So, do you have one?"

Fu Qian had no intention of being demanding. He turned his head to look at his female teammate.

"What?"

She didn't seem to have encountered this kind of situation often and appeared somewhat flustered.

"A thank-you gift."

"...But aren't you the VIP?"

Only realizing his meaning after the prompt, she froze for a moment before voicing her question.

"That's why I'm asking if you want to be one."

Fu Qian's expression remained unchanged as he pointed to his neck.

"Sorry, I don't really want to."

Fortunately, the female teammate's brain still seemed to work normally. After a brief silence, she tactfully declined.

"What a pity."

Fu Qian didn't force the issue. Sighing, he simply pulled a thick stack of banknotes from his pocket and casually tossed them aside.

"Here, take it yourself."

...

In the face of this reaction, however, Glasses Bro wasn't in a rush to count the cash. Instead, he gave Fu Qian another scrutinizing look with the same gaze from earlier.

He seemed to want to confirm whether there was something fishy going on, or if Fu Qian was just posturing.

"Thank you for your patronage. It's exactly enough."

Human limitations were once again put on display. While the group held their breath and watched, he chose to stick to his original judgment, concluding that the man in front of him was just putting up a brave front to avoid showing weakness.

He then dragged the entire stack of bills in front of himself.

"That's too much. That money is enough to buy this whole place."

Before Fu Qian could say anything, the Woman in White Dress—who had watched the entire exchange—finally couldn't hold back. She spoke coldly, demanding he return the money, and simultaneously pulled out two banknotes and slapped them onto the table.

"Also, I'm suddenly interested in being a VIP. I'll give you a chance—I'll pay."

Although she looked somewhat delicate, her statement was domineering. Using the word 'chance' even carried a hidden threat.

As she said this, her gaze drifted toward him, intentionally or otherwise.

Did she have a different judgment from Glasses Bro? Was she worried he wasn't just posturing?

Faced with this sudden reversal, Fu Qian could somewhat understand the meaning in her eyes.

She was overthinking it, however. Keep distinct matters separate; the same item held a different value in everyone's eyes.

For him, the harvest from this trip was far greater than a folk dance.

Even though that truly was all the cash he had on him.

"Hmm... thank you for the chance. This is exactly enough too."

Besides, this young woman might have had some observational skills, but she clearly lacked jianghu experience.

Unsurprisingly, after his initial shock, Glasses Bro quickly broke into a smile. Reaching out, he snatched the two high-denomination banknotes and pressed them under his hand along with the rest.

"Bring another piece for this lady."

With absolutely no intention of refunding the first sum, he signaled the Dancer.

"You..."

When the Dancer actually followed his order, the Woman in White Dress's face flushed.

"So, are we done?"

Amidst the delicate atmosphere, Fu Qian asked casually.

"Please come again."

Glasses Bro was visibly satisfied, even switching to professional customer service phrasing.

"Good."

Fu Qian stood up and knocked on the table.

"This is a robbery."

Just as he had said earlier: keep distinct matters separate.

Earn what you should earn, spend what you should spend.

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