Eldritch Horror Theatre

That was right. Fu Qian recognized that sword—it was the exact reward the Night Watchers had given out earlier.

Classmate Liushuang had merely tied a cloth over her face. She hadn't bothered to alter her appearance or her voice, and even the weapon she carried was anything but subtle.

But that didn't mean she was being careless. Whatever her motives, one couldn't forget that for someone relatively weaker like her, a weapon of this caliber bridged a massive gap in strength.

Besides, considering it had always been part of the Night Watchers' collection, very few people could genuinely recognize it at a glance—unless it was drawn and tested.

After all, its core trait was that its weight increased rapidly the longer it remained unsheathed. Anyone who had heard the rumors would eventually make the connection—

"A fine sword. Thank you for cooperating."

Yet the next moment brought a startling sight. After casually inspecting the weapon, Wen Li hesitated, then surprisingly handed it right back without drawing the blade.

She was acting with extreme caution.

Backing down when the victim was entirely willing to cooperate—that behavior was more than a little abnormal.

Was Classmate Liushuang suspicious?

Every single person sitting here was suspicious. A slightly cooperative posture or a noticeably youthful voice was nowhere near enough to dispel that doubt.

But that was the crux of the problem—with so much suspicion around, could she really eliminate it all?

Eldest Miss Wen appeared dominant, but on closer thought, her situation was far from optimistic.

Regardless of how this group inside the Dark Sanctuary presented themselves, it was practically guaranteed they harbored ill intent.

And it was hard to say if the others who had tagged along for the ride were any more reliable.

Faced with this situation, was she really planning on arbitrating across eternity alone on her own strength?

This was a true test of her ability to control the board.

And whether she relied on the threat of force or intricate strategic maneuvering, the absolute core rule remained: as the one directing the situation, it was best not to reveal her Health Bar.

The sword was definitely peculiar, but simply knowing that was enough. Drawing it might have revealed more, but would that extra information actually be useful?

Furthermore, was it really safe to draw a bizarre weapon so generously offered by the other party? What if the simple act of unsheathing it tainted her with some strange karma?

So she wasn't being arrogant, nor was she being cowardly. On the contrary, Eldest Miss Wen's actions conveyed a seasoned steadiness.

It showed a mind that remained perfectly clear, backed by the resolve to not slacken for a second until her goal was met.

"You're welcome."

At least on the surface, Classmate Liushuang seemed to have sensed that intent.

Giving Wen Li a deep look, she reached out to take her sword back, not forgetting to offer a polite reply.

"So, do you know why the people at the checkpoint aren't around?"

Naturally, she wasn't about to just let it go. Wen Li kept her eyes locked on that masked face and tossed out a sudden question.

...

A good question.

The topic had jumped quite a bit, but in that moment, Fu Qian silently praised her.

One shouldn't lose sight of the main goal. Wen Li clearly hadn't forgotten what she was here to do.

Maintaining control of the situation was only ever a means to an end; they still had a job to finish.

In their current situation, that meant finding a way out and escaping with their captive while maintaining this dynamic balance.

Considering the blocked checkpoint was their only way forward, finding out exactly why it was sealed off was definitely a question worth probing.

Out of the Dark Sanctuary's original trio, they had already spoken with Professor Lisa, and Madam Number Seven had been thoroughly exposed. Unsurprisingly, both of them were acting perfectly innocent.

That made chatting with Classmate Liushuang the natural next step.

Even though Lisa should theoretically know more about the checkpoint.

After all, according to Lisa, she was the one who had driven the other car, while Classmate Liushuang's duo hadn't even been passengers.

But precisely because of that, Classmate Liushuang's answer to the question was highly anticipated.

Would such a forthright young woman simply say she didn't know? Would her words perfectly corroborate Lisa's claims, or would there be discrepancies?

Regardless of how she answered, her response would carry a wealth of information. Wen Li's train of thought remained incredibly sharp.

And from the looks of it, her question genuinely wasn't easy to answer.

"...I'm not sure."

Ji Liushuang frowned in thought for a moment before shaking her head. Her answer lacked confidence but showed independent thought; she hadn't bothered to check Lisa's expression for cues.

"Logically speaking, unless it was completely dark, that road wouldn't just be cut off on a whim. I came here to investigate why it happened."

It was obvious she had a solid understanding of this place's nature, and her answer conveniently explained why she had come to the Dark Sanctuary.

"That makes sense. So, how did you plan to investigate?"

Wen Li nodded in approval, but continued to press for the truth.

"People."

This time, Classmate Liushuang answered without hesitation.

"Rather than assuming some strange mutation occurred here, I lean more toward the idea that someone is orchestrating it."

...

Not bad. After following this professor for so long, Classmate Liushuang had finally picked up some real skill.

With that simple exchange, the air inside the Dark Sanctuary seemed to grow a fraction thicker.

Yet Fu Qian was deeply satisfied with Classmate Liushuang's performance.

Between Eldest Miss Wen's core group of five and the three warriors of the Dark Sanctuary, the situation had been shrouded in suspicion, but they could still barely be divided into two distinct camps.

But with that single sentence, Classmate Liushuang practically plastered the phrase 'the human heart is hard to fathom' in flashing lights before everyone's eyes.

Even if no one knew exactly what went wrong, it was absolutely caused by a person.

That meant there were only two things left to figure out—who did it, and how?

And since none of them knew each other well, it was impossible to clear anyone of suspicion. In just a few short sentences, the waters had been muddied beyond belief.

"That sounds logical. So, have you reached a conclusion?"

Even Wen Li seemed slightly moved as she pressed on with a far more sensitive question.

A conclusion...

This time, Classmate Liushuang finally hesitated, struggling to find an answer.

Meanwhile, everyone her gaze swept across exhibited a slight stress reaction.

"It's fine. Don't be afraid to speak your mind."

Fortunately, a heartwarming scene played out. When her gaze landed on Fu Qian, the old professor offered a kindly smile of encouragement, silently urging the youth not to fear making a mistake.

"For instance, what if I set up a failsafe so that the moment I was caught, the exit would be instantly sealed, buying me a chance to escape?"

Not only that, but in the next second, Fu Qian even used himself as an example, speculating on one of the possibilities.

"That also makes sense... but if you were already caught, how exactly did you pull that off?"

It was hard to tell if he was exposing himself or just muddying his own name. Wen Li turned to look at him; rather than outright denying his theory, she merely pointed out a flaw.

"That's easy. I have a mole hidden among all of you."

The phrasing was a bit sharp, but nothing could ever stump Fu Qian.

Without even blinking, he casually tossed the flames of suspicion right back onto the group.

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