Eldritch Horror Theatre

As it turned out, the mission description had been entirely accurate.

His experience at the banquet had indeed caused him no small amount of trouble.

At the very least, launching any sort of operation tonight was out of the question.

Still, since the task lacked a strict time limit, there was no need to rush.

Thus, after a brief negotiation, Fu Qian ended up staying at Lanaya's residence.

Fortunately, the Academy treated its instructors quite well. Lanaya's home was far more luxurious on the inside than its exterior suggested.

True to her word, she settled Fu Qian into the upstairs guest room and went straight to rest downstairs.

...

Early the next morning, Lanaya woke Fu Qian and brought him to a conference room.

Even two of the three adjudicators seated on the dais—a man and a woman—were familiar faces from last time.

Likely to avoid any conflict of interest, Lanaya took a seat in the gallery.

Surprisingly, the third person taking her place was yet another familiar face: Li Weixuan.

The Peak Tier 4 expert who had recently failed his advancement showed no signs of dejection. He simply sat there, radiating a leisurely calm.

Compared to their last meeting, his aura seemed more restrained, his sharp edges drawn inward.

Still, his presence here was more than a little strange.

For one thing, it almost certainly wasn't because the matter was of grave importance.

If an incident well within the control of standard Night Watchers required someone of his caliber to personally attend a hearing, it would be making a mountain out of a molehill.

Was it because of their previous conflict?

Looking at his tranquil expression, that didn't seem likely either.

"Professor Fu, we called you here today regarding the incident last night."

As he pondered this, the woman seated in the middle broke the silence, her expression just as stern as it had been during the last hearing.

It was a pity. If she retained any memory of that first hearing, she would know this imposing act was completely pointless.

"It is my honor."

Fu Qian replied with perfect composure.

...

The moment those words left his mouth, the female adjudicator froze. Down in the gallery, Lanaya's expression went equally stiff.

Could he not keep a low profile for just one moment? Did he really have to draw hostility everywhere he went?

"Oh? Why don't you explain exactly why it is your honor?"

Recovering from her shock, the adjudicator's expression turned frigid as she planted a hand on the dossier resting on her desk.

"According to this file, you not only trespassed into a private gathering of ordinary citizens last night, but you also openly assaulted people in front of a crowd. Your actions have caused an extremely severe impact."

"That is exactly why it is my honor."

Fu Qian didn't show a shred of guilt.

"I'll even admit that your summary of events is fundamentally accurate."

...

"However, I must emphasize two points. First, I genuinely wandered in by mistake. I thought it was just a cocktail party, and I merely wanted to slip in, enjoy the lively atmosphere, and have a drink. You can verify that through whatever means you like; I didn't actively do anything to harm them."

"Second, when they discovered an uninvited guest in their midst, the methods they chose to employ were far from gentle. I was forced to take action."

"Could you not have simply left?"

The adjudicators were clearly not so easily fooled. The man seated beside the woman slammed a palm onto the table.

"They had transcendent bodyguards, and they attacked directly."

Fu Qian spoke eloquently, his tone perfectly level.

"At the time, I couldn't confirm whether my identity had been exposed, so I absolutely could not leave."

"Have you considered the implications? An Academy instructor appears at a private gathering of ordinary citizens, gets caught, and instantly flees for his life. What kind of suspicions would news like that spark?"

"Wouldn't ordinary citizens assume that transcendents rely on their strength to bully the weak? That they brazenly monitor their lives, leaving them with zero privacy?"

"If something like that got out, the damage wouldn't just be to the Academy's reputation. It could create a permanent rift between transcendents and ordinary people. That is something none of us want to see."

"Therefore, I made the decisive choice to stay. Using the least harmful methods I could think of, I controlled the situation and explained myself clearly, successfully preserving the Academy's reputation."

"That is exactly why I said it was my honor."

When it came to logical bulldozing, Fu Qian was simply far too skilled.

This was especially true because of one specific detail the two adjudicators would know just by reading the dossier—

Jia Yi, who had intended to borrow a knife to kill, had recognized him with unimaginably terrifying efficiency. The exact disastrous scenario Fu Qian just described genuinely could have happened.

...

By the end of his long-winded speech, the female adjudicator had gone from stiff to entirely dumbfounded.

"Are you saying you actually brought glory to transcendents?"

"It depends on how you look at it. Hurting people is obviously bad."

Fu Qian seemed completely oblivious to her sarcasm.

"But to risk one's own reputation to ensure everything is explained clearly, and to exercise such restraint even when faced with threats—doesn't that perfectly embody the candor and sincerity of transcendents? Shouldn't such principled behavior earn the trust of ordinary citizens?"

...

It was obvious that neither adjudicator had ever dealt with a situation quite like this.

Confronted with Fu Qian's shameless self-praise, the man and woman both turned their eyes to Li Weixuan, instinctively seeking his opinion on the matter.

Unfortunately, the latter merely maintained his smile, showing absolutely no intention of speaking.

Phew!

Down in the gallery, Lanaya let out a long breath.

The moment she had walked through the door and seen Li Weixuan sitting there, her heart had leapt into her throat.

She vividly remembered that Li Weixuan and Fu Qian had nearly come to blows during their last encounter.

For someone of his status to appear here, it was impossible not to overthink things.

Now, however, it seemed he wasn't here specifically to target Fu Qian after all.

"Regardless, trespassing into a gathering of ordinary people is always wrong," the female adjudicator said.

As she spoke, however, her momentum had clearly weakened.

"I will admit that was impolite of me."

Fu Qian looked perfectly sincere.

"But it was merely impolite. First of all, I entered quietly in disguise. I didn't use transcendent power to bully the weak; I acted purely like an ordinary person."

"Secondly, I had absolutely no way of predicting what I would see inside. If I could, I would gladly trade my eyes for a pair that never had to see those scenes."

...

Fu Qian's final statement undoubtedly put the last piece of the story into place.

Now, the entire sequence of events flowed completely naturally.

He had snuck into a gathering without using transcendent abilities, simply looking to freeload some food and drinks, only to see something he shouldn't have.

Upon discovering him, those people had attempted to use violent methods, and he had been forced to take emergency measures, acting with relative restraint throughout.

"Alright, Professor Fu. We have a general understanding of the situation now. We will communicate with the Night Watchers regarding this matter."

"If necessary, we may still require your cooperation."

After exchanging a glance, the female adjudicator finally delivered their verdict.

"Not a problem."

Fu Qian nodded. With that, the hearing concluded with extreme efficiency.

"Very well said, Professor Fu."

Just as the two adjudicators announced he could leave, the silent Li Weixuan suddenly spoke, instantly drawing every eye in the room.

"I have a student I am very fond of. Some time ago, she successfully comprehended sword intent. When I spoke with her, she mentioned that she had received your guidance."

"Given our past misunderstandings, I was somewhat skeptical. I happened to hear about this matter, so I thought I would come and see. Seeing you now, you truly live up to your well-deserved reputation."

"So, for your past assistance, I must express my gratitude on behalf of my student."

So that was what this was about?

"You really don't need to thank me. It was what I ought to do."

Fu Qian let out a long sigh, his expression that of a man who found the past too painful to recall.

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