Eldritch Horror Theatre

It was visually striking. If carved from marble, the scene could have gone straight into an art museum.

Confirming that this was Linghui's ultimate discovery made the bloody scene undeniably more bizarre.

For Fu Qian, however, that didn't stop him from critiquing it from multiple angles—such as its artistic merit.

Despite the extreme gore and brutality of his actions, the victim seemed devoid of pain. He hadn't hesitated throughout the entire process, nor did he let out a single groan even now.

The face in his hands was already slipping slowly from his fingertips to join the pile on the floor.

The expressive scene even prompted Fu Qian to come up with a title—The Thinker seeking his true self in numbness?

Although he had never seen such a sight before, he hadn't forgotten the cause of it all.

Impermanence, Master Yuhun, or his own inner demon... If this was the ultimate corruption Linghui Courtyard had traced since the chandelier incident, it would inevitably involve themes like personal will, mental confinement, and enlightenment.

Weilong hadn't been exaggerating. The severity was visibly far worse than Silei's condition.

Fu Qian asked casually while closely studying the man.

"One day after Silei."

The old man, Weilong, answered. From the corner of his eye, Fu Qian noticed that although Wen Li looked distressed, she didn't look away.

"Why one day after?"

Fu Qian nodded slightly and pressed on without hesitation, sounding almost argumentative.

"...Because it took us an entire day to finally trap the entity and force it onto him... A significant number of people had already been affected."

After a brief silence, Professor Yang, who had maintained a scowl the entire time, took over.

However, his explanation was terrifying upon deeper reflection.

...

The entity—the ghost wandering through Linghui Courtyard, Impermanence, the suspected Yuhun... whatever one chose to call it—its greatest characteristic was its immaterial nature.

Finding an affliction of the mind, a malevolence drifting through willpower, was exactly as difficult as one might imagine, and driving it away was an even more abstract task.

Even so, Professor Yang's explanation painted a clear picture in Fu Qian's mind: a group of people connecting to the same neural network, the Khala, or something similar through special means... Then, through a unity of mind, they had left the sinister chill nowhere to run.

Perhaps they couldn't neutralize it, but they had ultimately managed to corner it together and sever the limb to save the body—

It was a highly vivid image. Obviously, the man in front of him was the severed limb.

"We had no choice. Starting with Silei, we quickly realized that everyone was affected to a different degree. The process involved dissecting and defining one's self-awareness, making it extremely dangerous and unpredictable."

Seemingly aware of how Professor Yang's words sounded, Weilong offered an immediate explanation before Fu Qian could respond.

"If I could, I would gladly serve as the vessel for the corruption. Unfortunately, the process is largely left to chance. It is impossible to direct it with such precision."

"Understood. So, the rest of you are fine now?"

Fu Qian didn't doubt Weilong's explanation.

For one, it would be pointless to argue. For another, he leaned toward believing the man was telling the truth.

The old man might not be easy to get along with, but he cared deeply for the younger generation. He had even fought Fu Qian over Yi'an back then.

Moreover, given his personality, if he had truly wanted to avoid the risk and force it on some unlucky scapegoat, he likely wouldn't have bothered explaining himself at all.

"Yes, but we haven't been able to cure his condition. We can only trap him here for now and monitor his progress... That entity is incredibly evil."

Professor Yang spoke up. It sounded like they were fairly confident in their own safety.

Yet, even a veteran like him couldn't hide his lingering fear of the entity they had temporarily fended off.

"So, is that thing really called Impermanence? To be honest, I feel like this young man's condition is slightly different from Silei's."

Given his current state as the Mechanical Tyrant, Fu Qian found it hard to relate to such matters anymore. Nevertheless, he tried his best to empathize and validate their feelings.

"Call it whatever you like. It doesn't matter. Even the concept of a name itself is meaningless..."

As expected of a High-Tier Transcendent, the old man Weilong provided a completely different answer, his voice deep.

"It is an incredibly unique perspective. Once you experience it, you will understand why Silei views communication as a pointless fallacy."

"As for why his condition differs from Silei's, the reason is simple. This sort of mental corruption is far more complex than just piling flesh and blood together. Its aggregation and division are exceedingly intricate..."

"The most we can do right now is help him keep his ego from collapsing, but the process is excruciating."

...

It sounded a bit like the tone of His Excellency Master Yuhun.

Weilong's description was somewhat abstract. Let alone his inner demon Yuhun, this time even the name Impermanence had vanished.

But Fu Qian noted that his phrasing still evoked memories of an old acquaintance.

It had been decided long ago that the problems plaguing the people of Linghui most likely stemmed from Master Yuhun's influence.

However, Weilong's description of the mental corruption was quite fascinating.

What it was called didn't matter, and even the concept of a name was meaningless... The relationship between Impermanence and Master Yuhun, and even Master Yuhun's current condition after his defeat, left increasing room for speculation.

Though how to confirm it seemed to be a tricky problem—

"So, does Professor Fu have a solution? Linghui is willing to pay any price."

The old man, Weilong, quickly brought it up again.

As a Psychic Type expert, admitting his own powerlessness while seeking advice from a flesh-and-blood brawler was, in a way, a form of acknowledgment.

It was a pity, however, that this seat was no longer a flesh-and-blood brawler, but a mechanical one.

Fu Qian sighed inwardly.

Aside from bluntly trying the Decree of Return, any delicate procedures would be fraught with difficulty.

"It's hard to say. What kind of price are you willing to pay? 'Any price' is far too vague."

Even so, his response remained crisp. While emphasizing the difficulty of the task, he directly inquired about the details of the compensation.

...

"What kind of compensation does Professor Fu want?"

Despite the question, it was clear that Weilong didn't hold much hope and was prepared for rejection.

Yet, without accepting or declining, he had immediately brought up payment?

Fu Qian's behavior left him stunned for quite some time before he and Professor Yang exchanged bewildered glances.

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