Eldritch Horror Theatre

Oh? It seemed the case had been cracked in an instant.

A "sudden sense of self" wasn't strange, especially during afternoon tea when crossing paths with someone Fated by chance.

Laywoman Tooth-Throat's final lament was a bit profound, but not entirely out of place—unless the listener was looking for hidden meaning.

"The form of the flesh cannot define a person"?

That concept sounded a little familiar.

At that moment, Fu Qian realized he finally knew why the Insect Swarm was acting with such determination—

Was it because of his current appearance? Did someone among the Greed Worms recognize Old Man Lu?

Come to think of it, the possibility was actually quite high. While their strength wasn't top-tier, this team was undoubtedly diverse.

It consisted of all sorts of people, many of whom had built modest careers for themselves.

Even if they had never officially dealt with him, the odds of them being able to match a name to his face were fairly high.

And after returning from the Ash Sea, for the convenience of greeting Excellency Serana, he was still wearing a youthful version of Old Man Lu's face.

A random Mid-Tier Transcendent off the street might not have been enough to make the Insect Swarm act so decisively, but adding the potential backing of the Rebirth Club undoubtedly carried some weight.

Furthermore, if that really was the case, it proved the Greed Worms were truly desperate.

The Rebirth Club was indeed a special organization, but one couldn't forget their recent surge in momentum.

He was sure that even at their level, they had heard a thing or two about it.

Under these circumstances, ordinary people might steer clear at the first sign of trouble, yet the Insect Swarm insisted on pulling chestnuts from the fire, risking the danger to extract some valuable information.

He couldn't blame them. Not only had they likely lost the clue they had worked so hard to find, but they also hadn't received the favor of their object of worship in days. It was inevitable that their faith would waver.

"Makes sense. It was inherently a creation full of flaws."

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Fu Qian let out a long sigh. He raised a hand, examining it repeatedly, and expressed his deep agreement with Laywoman Tooth-Throat's words.

It didn't matter. So what if prayers couldn't be answered? They just needed to look at the physical favor of the King of the Abandoned Prison.

...

"You don't seem to be a local?"

Sure enough, the listener had been paying attention.

He was merely taking his previous statement a step deeper, pursuing the exact same line of thought. At that moment, Laywoman Tooth-Throat still maintained a somewhat strange silence.

A moment later, faintly breaking the carefree detachment that strangers need not have met before to share a bond, she asked with feigned nonchalance.

"I'm not. A friend invited me over, though I have no idea where he ran off to."

Without pointing out her shift in tone, Fu Qian answered quite honestly.

"Also, the weather hasn't been great since I arrived. The sun finally came out, so I decided to take a stroll."

...

"Then this little shop is truly honored. I even got to hear an interesting story. I've already thought of what to name the sausage."

This time, Laywoman Tooth-Throat remained silent for even longer. It was ultimately the shop manager, the Old Lady, who broke the silence, chuckling in gratification that Fu Qian had chosen to have a drink there.

Judging by her words, she was genuinely considering accepting his business advice.

"Names, and even bodies, cannot represent the self. That is a very interesting thought, though for someone your age, such laments seem a bit premature... Regardless, it seems my choice to open for business today was correct."

Before Fu Qian could offer a polite reply, the Old Lady sighed in agreement, clearly moved by his earlier remarks.

Was her business operation really this casual?

Fu Qian nodded somewhat approvingly.

The Old Lady was, of course, an ordinary person, and she most likely lacked any knowledge of flesh and blood limb grafting.

She made those remarks purely because she had been infected by the afternoon tea atmosphere and felt a touch of resonance with it.

He could only conclude that, at this very moment, this counted as an alternative form of cross-channel communication.

While he and Laywoman Tooth-Throat were probing each other, the Old Lady had no idea what subtext lay behind their words, and was simply sharing her genuine reflections on life.

It was a bit strange, but he had to admit it made for an interesting scene.

"Therefore, a person's true growth is about completing the self step by step."

Besides, what did cross-channel communication matter? Expert Fu let out a long sigh of his own, effortlessly juggling both conversations.

"Makes sense..."

On the surface, he was following the shop owner's lead in reflecting on life, but to Laywoman Tooth-Throat, his subtext was practically naked.

When she finally opened her mouth to chime in, her face was visibly stiff.

"You are all still young. You have plenty of opportunities..."

In the eyes of the shop owner, the Old Lady clearly interpreted Laywoman Tooth-Throat's stiff reaction to mean the conversation had become too deep, leaving the one who started the topic profoundly shaken. She even chuckled in comfort.

"Another glass?"

At the same time, her merchant nature revealed itself. She didn't forget to take the opportunity to push her drinks, without even offering a half-price discount for the second glass.

"...No need. This glass was already plenty flavorful."

Laywoman Tooth-Throat's response remained suave. She downed the remaining liquor in one gulp, took a deep breath, and stood up.

"It's on me."

Not only that, she turned to look at Fu Qian and placed her money directly on the table.

"Thank you."

Since No Feast in the World Lasts Forever, Fu Qian acted just as carefree. Not only did he gladly accept, but he also called out to the Old Lady.

"Then I'll have another glass."

...

By the time Laywoman Tooth-Throat left, the setting sun had already dragged her shadow out long, leaving her looking somewhat desolate.

However, considering that she still paid for his second glass of pomegranate juice, Fu Qian chose to interpret this departure as her leaving fully satisfied.

This was life. Not only did the people in this scene walk different paths to get here, but many didn't even know why they were walking their path in the first place.

It was better to enjoy the moment and distract himself by focusing on the taste of the sweet wine.

"Are there any crowded places around here at night?"

When he finished his second glass of pomegranate juice, Fu Qian got up to take his leave, asking the question in passing.

"Of course. The weather looks pretty good right now, so I believe it'll still be quite lively."

Wandering around a strange place and asking such a question was perfectly normal. The Old Lady clearly didn't find anything odd about it, chuckling as she pointed him in a direction.

"I believe so too."

Nodding in agreement, Fu Qian accepted the suggestion and set off in the indicated direction.

...

"The Rebirth Club truly has a well-deserved reputation!"

The locals' guidance was reliable indeed. Just as Fu Qian crossed past that unusual slaughterhouse, someone was already waiting under a tree.

Not only were the newcomer's stats in the Vision Radar a clear cut above Laywoman Tooth-Throat's, but their sheer lack of inhibition was far superior as well.

Their gaze fell on Fu Qian immediately, and just as the distance between them closed, they offered a deep-voiced word of praise.

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