Eldritch Horror Theatre

"That takes courage."

After a drawn-out silence, the praise Fu Qian received neatly echoed her earlier words.

It was clear that the shock this captive had delivered to "Serana" still lingered.

Even though the current course of events seemed entirely to her advantage.

What do you do when your pawn proves a little too useful? Few people ever suffered from such a problem.

Still, for someone navigating the jianghu, dropping one's guard was never an option.

"Are you certain you still have the ability to sneak back onto the ship in your current state?"

After her icy praise, "Serana" didn't forget to point out that Fu Qian might just be all talk, lacking the actual capability to pull it off.

"Probably not."

Although the wounds had closed, the torture had still left its mark.

Such trauma was generally impossible for a Mid Tier to just brush off.

"Which is why I need your excellency's help. When the ship approaches again, reverse what you did earlier and send me aboard."

But simply pointing out a problem wasn't enough; there had to be a targeted solution.

Fu Qian followed up smoothly, clearly having planned this out from the start.

"Plus, there's an added benefit. If I lack the strength to sneak onto the ship myself, sneaking back off without Solundir noticing would be just as difficult. That place will act as a sealed prison, so you won't have to worry that I spun this story just to escape."

Not only that, he even laid out the strategic necessity of it.

"...If you weren't so pitifully weak, I would almost suspect your identity."

It seemed that showing too much brilliance came with its own risks. The interrogator wasn't overjoyed; instead, she stared at him for a long moment, a hint of hostility creeping into her voice as if she'd been reminded of something unpleasant.

...

He really had been a bit excessive during their past encounters. It seemed he had left some lingering trauma behind.

At that moment, Fu Qian actually had a pretty good idea of exactly what unpleasant memories she had just recalled.

"Pitifully weak" was naturally a relative term.

It was obvious that Excellency Serana had recently gone through more than one situation exactly like this—where everything was perfectly arranged to her apparent benefit—all of them revolving around a certain Bookstore Owner.

Not to mention that this very excursion involved a fair bit of guidance from that person. It was completely natural for her to be on high alert...

But this was the sheer brilliance of the Secret Technique of Master Jade Soul. No matter how you looked at it, this body was a genuine Mid Tier.

That ironclad fact stood right there, completely failing to match the Bookstore Owner.

As for whether it might be a disguise?

For someone as proud as Excellency Serana, admitting she was outmatched in skill was one thing, but admitting that a certain despicable bastard could disguise himself this perfectly right under her nose would be far too devastating a blow to her confidence.

Such a crushing disparity would probably still be subconsciously rejected.

Ultimately, Excellency Serana's next words only further verified her identity as a Blood Clan Demigod.

"I actually can't refute that. Wei has lived for far too long..."

Faced with her sharp critique, Fu Qian sighed softly, candidly acknowledging the "limited strength" narrative.

However, he didn't cast blame on the Dominator of Death behind him. Fu Qian leaned more toward the idea that his superior's original intentions were good, but a certain treacherous schemer had gotten in the way, causing the Reaper Familiars to progress so slowly.

"So he's dead now? I find that somewhat hard to believe for a figure like him."

"Serana" didn't state a clear opinion on his excuse, but since he had voluntarily brought up the mysterious figure, she didn't mind learning more.

Was he dead?

This question naturally brought up memories from yesterday, and the Angel of Death's final posture flashed through Fu Qian's mind.

"Probably not. Although he can't get in the way anymore, it feels more like he fell into a deep sleep at the very bottom of the human heart."

...

"Tidy yourself up. I'll send you to the ship."

Whether looking at his appearance or his actual circumstances, Fu Qian was outwardly and inwardly sincere, and the final effect was powerful.

After a moment of deep thought, "Serana" didn't even ask any further questions, issuing the command directly.

And the content of that command was undeniably an agreement to his cooperative plan.

"Thank you for your trust."

Fu Qian's gratitude was equally sincere. Meanwhile, his attention remained focused on his wounds as he carefully tended to them, checking for any missed spots and doing his "best" to stabilize his condition.

"Don't mention it. I don't trust you that much. It's just that you were right about one thing: if I don't do this, you have even less value in any other regard."

Unfortunately, she wasn't having any of it, laying out her naked intent to use him... and leaving him unable to refute it.

From Excellency Serana's perspective, now that the Dominator of Death's honorific name had been "verified," the nature of the incident went far beyond a few troublemakers acting up in Shangjing.

They might have seemed cunning, but they were just a bunch of low-grade, pathetic wretches.

She could capture or kill them whenever she wanted to vent her anger, but the most pressing matter right now was turning waste into treasure. If she had the chance to unearth even a sliver of information connected to that honorific name, the value would be infinitely higher.

Only then would there be a chance to maximally identify and prevent the hidden dangers that Gulade might be facing.

"Understood. So, if I get any results—"

"I'll find you."

Fu Qian's words were ruthlessly cut off the very next moment. "Serana" made it clear there was absolutely no need to arrange a rendezvous method.

Without another word spoken, Fu Qian realized he had lost his vision once again.

...

Still taking swift and resolute action, as ever.

A moment later, a vast expanse of sea and sky stretched out before him.

Fu Qian once again stood by the small window, assuming the exact same posture and staring at the exact same scene.

The only difference was the receding harbor, which now felt much more familiar than before, looking like a freshly plowed vegetable field.

And the sturdiest seedling in that field really had just thrown him back onto the ship using the exact same method she'd used to kidnap him.

It was incredibly dramatic. In theory, this could be considered the ultimate wasted effort.

But exploring the Transcendent Tier was never such a rigid process. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that their brief meeting just now had pushed the wheels of history forward.

He believed that, moving forward, Excellency Serana would scrutinize all of Moore with unprecedented caution.

As for himself, working out in the field, he certainly couldn't afford to slack off either. He needed to fulfill his share of the duties—like plowing the brand-new vegetable field right beneath his feet.

As for how to plow it?

Excellency Solundir's attention was clearly focused on some urgent matter.

He wasn't paying close attention to the movements in his immediate surroundings.

Despite hitching rides on the ship back and forth twice, he had yet to draw any unusual scrutiny.

By the time "Serana" sent him back, the ship had already set sail on another return trip. It looked even more like it was out "searching for something" now.

And without even docking, it was heading out into the sea once again.

As if it would never stop as long as the storm raged on—

At that moment, Fu Qian took a deep breath and activated the Resplendent Tyrant.

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