Eldritch Horror Theatre

Death...

Seemingly catching Fu Qian's meaning, Qiao Yanchuan instantly shivered.

In response, Fu Qian offered him an amiable smile.

"If Jia Yi could die, what makes you think you're any different?"

"You're bluffing. If you try anything, the Night Watchers won't let you off."

Stunned for a few seconds, Qiao Yanchuan stared stiffly at Fu Qian. His words sounded more like an attempt to embolden himself.

Thanks to the existence of the Night Watchers, transcendents who harmed civilians without cause faced severe punishment.

So, very few people would do something so foolish, let alone right in front of another Academy instructor.

Unfortunately, the smile on Fu Qian's face only drew an uncontrollable fear from his heart, making him subconsciously look toward Lanaya.

Lanaya was already in a bad mood, and having been disgusted by his earlier posturing, she didn't even bat an eye.

Old Man Qiao's expression crumbled completely. He subconsciously leaned back, trying to distance himself from Fu Qian.

Unfortunately, his two transcendent bodyguards leaned back even further than he did.

These two clearly weren't stupid either. When making a living out here, combat power was one thing, but being well-informed was especially crucial.

They had acted rashly at the banquet earlier because they hadn't known their target's identity. Now that they knew a bit more about the man in front of them, they absolutely refused to make a move.

The man before them was an Academy instructor. Putting aside the consequences of offending the Academy, even the weakest instructor was at least a mid-tier transcendent—someone they couldn't possibly contend with.

If they decided to be fiercely dedicated to their jobs now and rushed up only to be instantly killed, what use would it be to them, even if the Night Watchers chopped the guy into eight pieces later?

"Are you ready?"

Observing the reactions of the three men in front of him, Fu Qian asked with a smile.

"Ready for what?"

When Old Man Qiao spoke again, he was visibly much more cautious.

"To answer the questions a second time."

Fu Qian said, glancing at the antique clock placed nearby.

"I hope you cherish this opportunity... and your remaining time."

The underlying threat wrapped in his calm tone made Old Man Qiao tremble once more.

Faced with the threat of death, his mind raced at unprecedented speed, recalling the two questions from earlier.

"The Masquerade has been around for a long time, but about four months ago, we started experimenting with a few new things."

It took him only half a minute to formulate his answer.

"The Invitation Letters, right?"

"Yes."

"Four months. That really is quite new!"

Fu Qian nodded, noncommittal.

"As for transcendents, I can say with absolute certainty that there are none."

Unable to make heads or tails of Fu Qian's reaction, Qiao Yanchuan didn't dare make wild guesses and continued to answer the second question.

"Given everyone's concerns regarding safety, we've never brought in any transcendents. This is a gathering exclusively for ordinary people."

"I see. Thank you for the answer. However, considering your passive performance earlier, there's now a bonus question."

Fu Qian stared directly at the man's face.

"Who was the person who first brought the Invitation Letters?"

"This..."

Faced with this question, Qiao Yanchuan seemed to find it difficult to answer for a moment.

After pondering for a long while, he slowly shook his head.

"Truthfully, I don't know who he is."

"You don't know?"

"It's a Masquerade. Everyone has to wear a mask."

"You mean those masks that provide about as much coverage as a thong?"

"...That person was different. From beginning to end, he wore a Silver Mask, making it impossible to see his true appearance."

Hmm?

A Silver Mask for a sex party.

That actually made perfect sense.

Fu Qian nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

"He merely touched me for a few seconds, and I immediately felt something unprecedented."

Old Man Qiao seemed deeply impressed by that moment, speaking as he reminisced.

"Later, he told me that if I wanted to experience this feeling all the time, I needed to learn how to guide it myself..."

"So you were the first person to receive an Invitation Letter?"

"Correct."

"What else did he say?"

"Nothing else."

Old Man Qiao shook his head firmly.

"Is that so? Do you want to think about it a bit more carefully? After all, your memory hasn't been very good lately."

Fu Qian, however, smiled meaningfully.

"Didn't he tell you that acquiring the Invitation Letter is the only way to achieve humanity's complete form? That you shouldn't suppress yourself, but rather let pleasure grow wildly?"

"How did you know—"

Old Man Qiao jerked his head up.

"Naturally, someone told me."

"...Honma, that self-righteous bastard!"

For a brief moment, Old Man Qiao recalled something, slapping his thigh as he cursed loudly.

"Did he think he was special? He's nothing but a self-righteous clown! I never should have let him join!"

"But the feeling that guy gave off was indeed quite different from the rest of you, wasn't it?"

Fu Qian recalled the impression the long-haired guy had given off.

"That was just the surface. In terms of how twisted he is, he's actually more extreme than any of us."

Old Man Qiao let out a long breath and looked up at Fu Qian.

"Professor Fu, are we done with the questions?"

Just about.

Fu Qian glanced at Lanaya beside him. Her expression made it clear she didn't want him asking any more questions, likely afraid that he might interrogate Old Man Qiao to death.

After all, he was old and lacked the enhancement of extraordinary power. It wouldn't be surprising if he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage out of sheer agitation.

If that happened, the situation would undoubtedly become even more chaotic.

In that case.

"I'm done asking. Thank you for your cooperation."

Fu Qian nodded, smiling as he got up and left.

"An Invitation Letter? What is that?"

"And what was the meaning behind those weird questions you just asked Qiao Yanchuan? It feels like you aren't investigating Jia Yi's matter at all."

As soon as they stepped out of the Qiao family courtyard, Lanaya, who had been playing the audience all along, could no longer hold back and fired off a string of questions.

"What we're doing right now is far more important than simply clearing someone's name."

In response, Fu Qian looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle and let out a faint sigh.

"Alas, lust ruins people!"

Lust?

Lanaya's brow furrowed even tighter.

"Are you referring to those indulgent parties? Aren't those common occurrences? At most, the level of debauchery is just a bit more extreme."

"Don't tell me you originally showed up at the Masquerade just for this?"

"Why not?"

Faced with her questioning, Fu Qian looked entirely matter-of-fact.

"Lust is like a raging fire, burning away one's vitality and spirit... Seeing this sight pained me deeply, so I decided to deliver them from their sins."

More like deliver them to the afterlife...

Hearing Fu Qian's nonsense, Lanaya's face twisted in conflict. She absolutely refused to believe he could be so kind-hearted.

However, she also understood that she clearly wasn't going to get anything more out of Fu Qian when he was acting like this, so she didn't press the issue any further.

"Where are we going next?"

"To consult our next target, of course."

Fu Qian answered almost instantly.

"That self-proclaimed twisted man."

It felt like, compared to the others, the long-haired guy knew a bit more.

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