Eldritch Horror Theatre

To veterans of the jianghu, controllable was an incredibly precious word.

The grander their schemes, the more precious it became.

Striking directly to kill the Black Doctor would certainly help test Ji Feng and the Unseen Hill, but eliminating a player capable of mass-producing the "antidote" was fundamentally a waste of resources.

With the current situation remaining unclear, the ability to freely enter and exit both the Unseen Hill and the Unseen Hill Without Fire was a highly advantageous condition.

But wouldn't that kind of Andiel pose far too high a threat to the Angel of Death, who remained in hiding?

Fu Qian had faced two choices when making that decision.

The first was to squeeze the Black Doctor for every last drop of value, use the convenience of the antidote to shuttle back and forth, and take his time investigating everything related to the Darkest Night single-handedly.

The second was to willingly abandon that advantage to test out Ji Feng, while bolstering his old acquaintances' confidence in the current situation to increase the odds of them sharing the secrets of the Darkest Night.

Although the Warehouse had yet to issue any warnings about a time limit, after evaluating the situation, Fu Qian still considered the latter to be the better choice.

And sure enough, it seemed the Darkest Night was taking place today.

Of course, if the first two options failed, there was theoretically still one way to complete the mission: run straight back through the door and slaughter everything in sight.

But for Fu Qian, that had always been a last resort.

And look, he was already reaping the rewards—

"Someone over there has been watching us this whole time."

Realizing her presence here was largely due to an intentional invitation, Akasha fell silent once again.

Fu Qian, however, looked like he was thoroughly enjoying the nightlife. Not only did he casually chat about classified matters, but he even started paying attention to the nightclub's clientele.

The process of driving away the other patrons moments ago had been incredibly smooth, barely causing a stir.

The problem was that Fu Qian and Akasha were simply too eye-catching; it was ultimately impossible to keep a low profile under the lights.

"Holler. He's an acquaintance of Crystal's, though we generally call him the Ash Emissary."

Prompted by his casual remark, Akasha broke her silence.

With a faint sigh, she didn't even bother scanning the room. She had evidently already noticed the situation Fu Qian mentioned, as well as the observer's identity.

Crystal's acquaintance? Did that mean he belonged to the faction leaning toward the Justice Faction?

Fu Qian marveled inwardly, openly sizing up a figure in the corner of the bar.

With his scruffy beard, tightly furrowed brows, melancholic eyes, and the way he downed bitter liquor glass by glass, he truly fit the classic superhero archetype. At the very least, he looked like protagonist material.

"But his temperament is rather eccentric, and he doesn't get along well with most people. The Prophet is practically the only one who can boss him around."

Akasha's timely background commentary felt incredibly fitting for the scene.

Especially since when Fu Qian looked over, the man stared back without any hesitation, his gaze both dead and ruthless.

What a pity... Ash Emissary?

Fu Qian decided he wasn't very fond of the title.

After all, the Containment Object for this mission was called the Grey Bed. It already sounded a bit ominous—Thump!

In fact, it seemed the bad luck was already starting.

The subject of their discussion had met their gaze, marched straight over, and slammed a half-empty bottle of liquor onto their table.

"It's impolite to talk about people behind their backs."

His attitude was indeed far from friendly. He plopped down into a seat without waiting for an invitation and poured himself another glass.

Even while aggressively demanding accountability, he stared off into the infinite distance, as if he couldn't be bothered to spare them a glance.

"Agreed. That's why we were talking about you right to your face."

Fu Qian strongly agreed with the sentiment, however, using himself and Akasha as an example.

...

Although his face was heavily lined and his hair and beard were streaked with gray, it was still easy to tell that he had been an imposing figure in his youth.

A brief silence settled over them. Fu Qian sized up the Ash Emissary who had invited himself to their table, reaffirming his opinion that the man possessed the true demeanor of a heroic character.

"You... look a bit unfamiliar."

Fu Qian's agreeable response seemed to briefly snap Holler out of his drunken stupor.

Turning to stare at Fu Qian at last, he offered an emotionless assessment.

"Is it possible your viewing angle is off? Take a closer look."

Fu Qian helpfully offered this suggestion, pointing out that peripheral vision wasn't always the most reliable.

"What a coincidence, running into you here."

The conversation had suddenly grown a bit lively. Sitting right next to Fu Qian, Akasha had naturally been caught in that peripheral glare, and she lazily offered a greeting of her own.

"It's no coincidence. I've been hanging around here lately. Try not to get your hair in my drink."

Unfortunately, it seemed Akasha's reputation was less than stellar. The expression on excellency Holler's face moved past a mere fake smile; he made no attempt to hide his disgust, as if he were looking at something filthy.

...

As a veteran of the jianghu, Akasha naturally wasn't going to lose her temper over a simple barb. Her smile never wavered, though she remained silent.

"That outsider. I remember now... you changed your clothes."

Without sparing a single glance for her careful expression management, Holler immediately shifted his gaze back to Fu Qian's face, a flicker of memory finally surfacing.

Just as Fu Qian had thought. Having an eccentric temperament was one thing, but since Akasha had mentioned that Yuan Fang could order him around, and considering how severe the previous incident had been, Holler shouldn't have missed the operation like the Lord did. It was highly likely they had crossed paths.

"Yeah. I figured wearing this out for a drink would be a bit more flashy."

Fu Qian glanced down at his outfit in response to Holler's comment, offering a smiling explanation.

He wasn't just talking nonsense. The way the Mirror Armor gleamed under the lights was lightyears beyond any so-called clubbing outfit. If he wasn't careful, he could easily end up stealing the show.

"But it's a shame that I don't seem to remember you. Were you hiding somewhere outside back then?"

But sometimes being too honest had its drawbacks. Transitioning seamlessly, Fu Qian continued by pointing out that Holler's face was entirely unfamiliar to him.

This was also the truth. They had fielded quite a large group during the last operation, and during the scattered ambush, there were definitely a few people whose faces he had never seen.

...

His phrasing had evidently been a bit too sharp. The gaze of excellency Holler instantly turned fierce, and it felt as if he might throw a punch at any moment.

"Right... just like I'm hiding here now."

The intensity didn't last long, however. Within a single breath, his eyes glazed over with drunkenness once more.

Without even bothering to question Fu Qian's motives for being here, Holler chugged another mouthful of liquor, casually mocking himself.

Excellent. That defeated attitude hit the nail right on the head.

Fu Qian didn't see any problem with this at all. In fact, he found the classic trope deeply satisfying.

"So, when is the Lord arriving?"

Then, looking naturally toward Akasha, he casually asked to confirm.

Come on, let's muddy the waters.

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