Eldritch Horror Theatre

"I'm not sure."

It had to be said that Chief Yuan possessed sharp instincts and was quick to reflect on her own actions.

Without much prompting, she realized there was something fishy hidden beneath the surface.

"You're right. Hearing you mention that he took the initiative to report to you did strike me as odd, which is why I suggested he make the trip over here."

Despite her perceptiveness, Fu Qian did not show much enthusiasm, merely shaking his head lazily.

"Still, there are far too many possibilities. Shangjing is complicated, and there were plenty of prying eyes at that banquet. It's hard to say exactly who might be scheming."

"Oh?"

Even so, Yuan Shan still received a flash of enlightenment, her eyes lighting up in that moment.

"Are you saying this all traces back to the stance you took at the banquet? Because you showed an interest in the Chen Clan, someone else became curious about their family's inherited cultivation method?"

"That actually makes sense. After all, an endorsement like that carries a lot of weight.

"And Chen Pingxian's uncharacteristically proactive attitude could be because he sensed some kind of threat, which is why he was in such a rush to push this matter forward.

"It even explains why he brought that item out just now. It wasn't safe in their hands to begin with..."

Having quickly pieced together a plausible scenario that resolved some of her lingering doubts, Yuan Shan frowned slightly, realizing the true implication of what Fu Qian had just done.

"But you rejected him. Partly because you aren't interested, but also because you have no intention of helping them solve this mess?"

Knowing this guy, it was hard to believe that tossing the item back without a second glance was simply a matter of principle.

"Right. That's their own problem."

Fu Qian nodded, confirming Yuan Shan's guess without finding anything improper about it.

"Isn't there a saying: to wear the crown, one must bear its weight? I can't just give them a gift and then act as their security detail, can I?"

...

"That's true..."

Although it sounded a bit cold at first, Yuan Shan was a pragmatic woman. After a brief silence, she agreed with Fu Qian's logic.

For the Chen Clan, catching the interest of someone of his caliber was essentially like winning the lottery.

And for him to offer such high praise in front of a crowd at the banquet could almost be quantified into tangible benefits.

If they couldn't even safeguard that much good fortune, they really had no right to blame anyone else.

Of course, they had to keep distinct matters separate. The core issue here was that they simply didn't have any real relationship with him.

If something similar had happened to Wen Li, this guy probably wouldn't have minded exerting a little extra effort.

Thinking of that young woman far away at the Academy who had skyrocketed to become a High-Tier Transcendent, Yuan Shan couldn't help but sigh.

"You could have completely ignored it... but you still wanted to join in on the fun."

She had also clearly grasped the arrogance and malice behind his recent actions.

"Mainly, it would have been impolite to ignore him when he was being so proactive. Besides, it doesn't really count as intentionally causing trouble, does it? Since I made it clear that this subject is closed and we won't be dealing with each other anymore, Chen Pingxian can go back and spin it however he wants."

Fu Qian poured more tea for the Chief, making no effort to hide his amusement at watching the drama unfold.

He had already marveled at the surging undercurrents in Shangjing during the banquet. With the rivalry of Southern Jiang En and Northern Taylor yet to settle, and the martial arts secret of the Mechanism Guiding Art now resurfacing, how could one not be fascinated?

"Actually, what I'm more curious about is why you're still here. Weren't you in a rush to head over to Old Man Henry's place earlier?"

"That's because I'm not in a rush anymore."

Sighing, Yuan Shan revealed that there was indeed a hidden reason.

"I managed to get in touch with my teacher a moment ago. He told me he was in the middle of something important and would come find me here once he was finished."

...

Old Man Henry had important business to attend to?

While it was certainly comforting to know the man was safe, such a statement from a retiree inevitably sparked the imagination. It was no wonder Yuan Shan looked a bit worried.

"Since he said that, he obviously doesn't want you getting involved. You might as well trust the old man's strength.

"Besides, you can just tell him straight out that all this started because of my interaction with that Excellency."

Fu Qian offered casual words of comfort, gesturing that there was no need for Yuan Shan to keep it a secret.

"...I actually already told him."

She responded with another pause, displaying a rare moment of bashfulness.

"That's perfectly normal. I'm just telling you there's no need to feel embarrassed. What did the old man say?"

Unsurprised, Fu Qian maintained his easygoing demeanor while pressing for Old Man Henry's opinion.

"My teacher said he understood... and told me not to worry too much, as he believes you have the situation under control."

Yuan Shan sighed again, sounding rather helpless by the end of her sentence.

"Sure enough, great minds think alike."

Fu Qian found this quite amusing.

Even though their last interaction hadn't been entirely pleasant, it seemed the old man still had a fairly good impression of him.

It had ended up in a situation where he was telling Yuan Shan to trust Henry, and Henry was telling Yuan Shan to trust him. It was no wonder she was reacting this way, caught right in the middle.

"As for the Meria Flower Ball, my teacher said he doesn't know much about the Academy, but if you're interested, he can share what little he does know when he comes over."

However, Yuan Shan's strong suit was her mental resilience. She quickly tossed aside the awkwardness and brought up another matter.

It was obvious that, despite the short duration, she had managed to discuss quite a bit with the old man.

"My thanks. I'll look forward to it, then."

She had asked that question purely on his behalf, and Fu Qian appreciated the favor.

"So, will you be staying here for the near future?"

Caught slightly off guard by his tone, Yuan Shan couldn't help but ask as she gestured around the room.

"Not exactly. For instance, I'm heading out for a stroll right now."

Fu Qian stood up, signaling that he had drunk his fill of tea and it was time for a walk.

...

She was clearly stunned by Fu Qian's leisurely attitude. However, given that Shangjing suddenly had two High-Tier Transcendents holding down the fort, Yuan Shan's demeanor also relaxed.

She didn't even ask what Fu Qian planned to do. She simply walked out the door with him before they went their separate ways.

Walking through Shangjing, where winds rise and clouds surge, Fu Qian watched the darkening sky while recalling a certain path he had taken before.

His memory proved to be quite reliable. It didn't take long for the surroundings to grow secluded, and a familiar courtyard soon appeared in his line of sight.

Once upon a time, a certain young talent of the Blood Clan had vaulted over this very wall.

That's right—Taylor Gulade. It was also the residence of a certain acquaintance.

As mentioned earlier, he wasn't interested in the Chen Clan's transcendent inheritance because, comparatively speaking, it held little research value.

After all, not far away lay the perfect case study for this exact subject—the Blood Clan.

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