Eldritch Horror Theatre

His ambitions really were grand.

Back when he was with Senior Lone King, Fu Qian could already tell that Brother Patches possessed a far greater vision than the likes of the Blasphemy Monarch. Now, he had finally caught a glimpse of it.

Not only did he know a Warehouse Manager's SAN Value was a weakness, but he even seemed to grasp the fundamental nature of that weakness?

Silence reigned amid the blooming flowers.

Here in the Abandoned Prison, where the King of the Abandoned Prison was now the sole occupant, Fu Qian recalled a highly recognizable voice.

Even the man's usual look was similar to Fu Qian's own—a completely bald, hairless head.

As expected, you could only empathize with certain things when you shared that same level of vision.

He was now even more curious about what Excellency Patches was busy with these days, especially after the havoc he had wreaked at the wedding hall.

Aside from that, today's research findings seemed to answer another question.

He had guessed back then that it was likely because, to this world, an outsider was the ultimate blasphemy.

But where did that blasphemy lie? That question finally seemed to have an answer.

Because the identity of an outsider was tied to something that existed even above places like the Abandoned Prison—the purest essence of this world.

And as had already been proven, even an ordinary higher entity was violently rejected by the sea of mind.

It was hardly surprising that a far more transcendent existence would be considered absolutely filthy to the sea of mind.

Then again, the closer one was to the essence of the world, the more fiercely they were rejected. This sea of mind truly was rebellious enough.

Besides, it was about time.

Amid his musings, a thoroughly satisfied Fu Qian stretched his arms—a lazy gesture entirely unsuited to his status—as if he had just woken from an afternoon nap.

Renovations weren't finished in a day. There was no need to rush, let alone the fact that if one didn't strictly require the occupants to be alive, the Abandoned Prison was already quite bustling.

His gaze swept across the six occupied circular platforms. Fu Qian was quite satisfied with the changes to the Abandoned Prison, and a moment later, he twisted the Ring.

...

Time truly did fly; it looked like it was already getting quite late.

Unsurprisingly, Fu Qian found himself sitting back behind the counter of the bookstore the very next moment.

Glancing outside, he saw that prime business hours were nearly over as the sky began to darken.

Fortunately, as a mature businessman, his eyes were always on the present. He would never fret over past regrets.

Not to mention that, in Fu Qian's eyes, even though the sky was growing dim, the atmosphere across Shangjing remained as fiery as ever.

Swish—

Stepping forward to open the closed blinds, Fu Qian enjoyed the slightly improved lighting.

Aside from his fruitful scientific research this time, he was confident that the competitive spirits of the two young men had been thoroughly stoked.

Northern Jiang En and South Taylor. Who knew how many waves these two brilliant young talents would stir up within the already turbulent Shangjing Martial Arts Community.

As the manufacturer of these undercurrents, Fu Qian didn't let the credit go to his head. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out at the Shangjing evening with an ineffable sense of melancholy.

Knock, knock—

Unfortunately, this demeanor didn't last long. Perhaps because the boss was standing right by the window, another passerby developed a misunderstanding about the shop's business hours.

A rather light sound rang out as someone carefully tapped on the glass of the door from the outside.

It was actually another young woman.

Not particularly annoyed, Fu Qian turned his head. His gaze fell upon a face that still carried a hint of youthful innocence.

A light blue dress and a matching soft hat.

Although she had tried her best to dress plainly, her unconcealable grace made it clear that this Ms. Gan shouldn't be traveling all by her lonesome.

Indeed, she wasn't just youthful, she was familiar. The visitor was none other than the magistrate's daughter he had seen at the banquet not long ago.

Although he had spent the entire banquet eating while Yuan Shan chatted with the young girl, they could at least be considered nodding acquaintances.

He might have just been musing over the Shangjing Martial Arts Community, but for the beloved daughter of the Martial Alliance Leader to suddenly show up at his door was still somewhat unexpected.

Click—

Just as the girl's expression grew a little hesitant, as if she were debating whether to wait a few more seconds or excuse herself and leave, Fu Qian swung the door open, affording this Ms. Gan... Baobao a very different level of treatment.

"Welcome!"

As he greeted her with a beaming smile, Fu Qian realized that he actually still didn't know her specific name.

...

"I'm sorry to intrude."

Seemingly a bit taken aback by the warm reception, Gan Baobao froze for a brief second before immediately apologizing.

"You are indeed intruding."

Fu Qian, however, was extremely easygoing. He readily agreed with her statement about intruding while stepping aside to invite her in.

Uh...

Gan Baobao looked like she was at a complete loss for words. However, she still possessed a bit of youthful pluck. After a moment's hesitation, she accepted his invitation and walked inside.

"It's a nice place. Not very big, but quite exquisite..."

Furthermore, she hadn't forgotten her social etiquette. After forcing herself to calmly take a few steps, she quickly tried to find something complimentary to say about the bookstore.

"Chief Yuan already said it herself—my place doesn't meet the threshold for paying taxes."

Unfortunately, the owner seemed to completely misinterpret her intentions. Looking thoughtful, Fu Qian's sharp business instincts were instantly triggered, and he decisively pulled out the endorsement of the Night Watchers' Chief.

"Huh? I wasn't—"

Young people generally couldn't stand being misunderstood.

Once she realized what he meant—that he had actually mistaken her for a tax inspector—Gan Baobao's cheeks instantly flushed red, and she hastily denied it.

"Pour yourself whatever you'd like to drink."

Unfortunately, the man simply skipped over the topic entirely. He was already sitting back behind the counter, gesturing to indicate that the bookstore even offered self-serve tea.

It was just a little too self-serve...

Glancing at the tea, which had clearly been cold for a long time, Gan Baobao hesitated.

However, after a brief internal struggle, she stepped forward and began to prepare it.

...

When people felt awkward, they subconsciously wanted to find something to do with their hands.

Why else would Fu Qian have gone through the effort of making her feel awkward in the first place?

Gan Baobao clearly lacked experience in this regard. After fumbling around clumsily for a while, she finally managed to brew the tea and pour a cup for the store manager.

"My father doesn't know I'm here. In fact, he strictly forbade me from coming. Please don't worry, I'm definitely not here to cause trouble for you.

"I was originally just passing by the area, but I couldn't suppress my curiosity about this place. I thought I'd just come in and take a look as a customer."

Now that she had finished all this, Gan Baobao had clearly calmed down quite a bit, and she immediately offered an explanation.

"It's fine. I regularly host brilliant young talents of all stripes here."

Fu Qian actually didn't doubt her words. He waved his hand, signaling her to relax.

"Besides, there's no need to stand on ceremony. Feel free to ask whatever questions you might have."

Of course, he didn't actually believe for a second that she was genuinely interested in the bookstore itself.

"...I'm curious. What do you think of my father?"

Sure enough, Gan Baobao hesitated for a moment before rising to the bait.

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