Eldritch Horror Theatre

These people really knew how to play!

Fu Qian wasn't particularly surprised by the information revealed in Ben's words.

When people were too well-fed, they always developed bizarre hobbies.

What Fu Qian cared about was the timing. It was a bit too coincidental.

As for the man in the Silver Mask, Fu Qian didn't think he was a fabrication.

But Old Man Qiao was clearly covering up the existence of his newlywed wife, along with her role in this matter.

Good. This trip hadn't been a waste after all.

"Thanks for your cooperation."

Smiling, Fu Qian stepped forward and patted Ben on the shoulder.

It seemed that after failing to push his limits, his mental state had completely collapsed.

"Just now, at the final moment—did you feel a deep sense of contradiction?"

Fu Qian asked, watching him.

"You wanted to scramble up out of fear, yet you were so immersed in extreme euphoria that you couldn't help but continue? And as a result, your body fell into intermittent chaos, making it hard to control?"

"How did you know?"

Ben's gaze had been a bit evasive at first, but his eyes went wide at the second half of the question.

That's naturally because I've seen something similar before.

Fu Qian shook his head inwardly.

Judging by the way he was acting, it was obvious that at the final moment—just like Betty and her partner—his animated desires and his mind had split apart.

When his body couldn't withstand the pressure and wanted to give up, those animated desires had frantically built up, spiraling entirely out of control.

"The unbridled growth of pleasure probably isn't something your frail physique can withstand."

Fu Qian naturally kept those judgments to himself. He merely shot Ben a meaningful look and walked away.

...

"Where to?"

Lanaya, having followed him out, took the initiative to ask.

"To find Old Man Qiao, of course."

"Why are you so obsessed with this matter? And what exactly is that Invitation Letter?"

By now, Lanaya naturally no longer believed it was just a simple, degenerate ball, so she looked at Fu Qian and asked in all seriousness.

"I'm still not entirely sure. As for the Invitation Letter, good children are better off not knowing."

Unfortunately, Fu Qian was as obnoxious as ever and had no intention of satisfying her curiosity.

...

A surge of irritation rose in Lanaya's chest, but there was nothing she could do about him.

However, judging by his behavior along the way, she had almost entirely ruled out the possibility that Fu Qian was the murderer. That, at least, was a small gain.

"It seems you really weren't bragging. You've improved quite a bit."

She changed the subject, clearly harboring a deep impression of Fu Qian's strike from earlier.

As a mentor at the Academy, she was quite confident in her own judgment.

Although he had only executed a single move, she was fairly certain that even if she went all out against him, her chances of winning would be extremely slim.

"It seems I need to go out and explore more, too. Always building a chariot behind closed doors at the Academy is far too limiting."

Sighing, Lanaya shook her head in lament.

"Think about it. How long has it been since the Academy produced someone in the Demigod Realm?"

Actually, it has. You guys just don't know it.

Hearing her say this, Fu Qian naturally recalled the heroic bearing of Li Weixuan in the Demigod Realm, and refrained from commenting.

"...Professor Lanaya!"

Facing the two who had returned, Old Man Qiao was clearly quite uneasy.

"You two have returned. Is there something else you need from me?"

"Actually, we aren't here for you."

This time, before Lanaya could speak, Fu Qian answered directly, glancing behind Old Man Qiao.

"Is your wife at home?"

...

"She's not here."

The silence lasted for less than three seconds before Old Man Qiao spoke up rapidly.

"She left after the banquet, and I haven't seen her since."

"Moreover, marrying her wasn't my intention. Someone demanded that I do so."

Look at this—this was what you called an old veteran of the jianghu!

From a single simple question, he instantly realized his tricks had been exposed and that continuing to hide the truth would lead to a dire outcome, choosing to come clean immediately.

Fu Qian felt a wave of admiration.

"A demand from that gentleman in the Silver Mask?"

"Yes."

Old Man Qiao answered almost instantly.

"Who is he? Where is he?"

"I really don't know. I've only seen him a few times, and he was wearing a mask every time..."

Hmm...

Fu Qian didn't make a sound, merely staring at him.

"I once heard Lily call him 'Ian'."

Holding out for less than five seconds, Old Man Qiao surrendered, gritting his teeth as he spoke.

"Ian?"

This time, it was Lanaya who was taken aback.

"You know him?"

Seeing her unusual reaction, Fu Qian asked naturally.

"That shouldn't be possible..."

Lanaya murmured to herself.

"A mentor at the Academy's Linghui Courtyard is also named Yi'an. He's a genius-level figure no weaker than Li Weixuan, and one of the candidates at the Academy expected to advance to the Demigod Realm."

As she spoke, Lanaya shook her head.

"So I really can't imagine any reason why he would do something like this."

"But don't worry. I will still report this to the Academy and have them conduct a thorough investigation."

"That approach might be a bit too late."

Unexpectedly, Fu Qian shook his head and turned to Qiao Yanchuan.

"Is it him?"

"This..."

Qiao Yanchuan cast a complicated look at Lanaya.

"No need to look to her. I refuse to believe you wouldn't investigate after learning a name."

...

"You investigated?"

As Qiao Yanchuan fell silent, Lanaya finally realized what Fu Qian meant.

"Did you find anything? Even if you aren't certain, you can say it."

"Well... I compared some photos, and they indeed look very similar."

Qiao Yanchuan gritted his teeth.

"If this involves a transcendent, why didn't you seek out the Night Watchers earlier?"

Lanaya asked with a frown.

"Isn't that completely obvious?"

Before Qiao Yanchuan could offer an excuse, Fu Qian spoke up from the side.

"Just look at that intoxicated expression on Old Man Qiao's face. Clearly, there's something he simply couldn't give up."

As he spoke, Fu Qian flicked his hand, and the Tyrant's Fist brushed past Old Man Qiao's face.

The next moment, as the old man's face turned deathly pale from fright, the thick robes on his body were ripped completely apart.

Beneath the robes, a shocking scene was revealed.

His old, withered body was covered in dense, horrifying gashes. There was barely an intact patch of skin across his entire upper body.

And looking closely, it was obvious that he had carved these gashes himself.

Furthermore, one could even see clusters of patterns engraved deep into his flesh and blood.

"Your craftsmanship really isn't bad. You cleverly avoided all the blood vessels and tendons."

Fu Qian scrutinized the wounds meticulously and finally gave a nod of approval.

...

Is now really the time for you to be evaluating that?!

The shocking scene before her caused even Lanaya to lose her focus for a moment.

But just as she recovered her senses, she heard Fu Qian's evaluation, rendering her even more speechless.

At the same time, what made her heart pound with horror was the look of pure intoxication on Qiao Yanchuan's face.

Having his body full of gashes suddenly exposed, the man was only shocked for a split second. Then, with an almost greedy gesture, he began to caress his bare flesh.

"You don't understand."

Old Man Qiao's voice was a dreamlike murmur.

"Pleasure itself takes on a myriad of forms. It is absolutely not simple bestial satisfaction."

"And obtaining that Invitation Letter to liberate one's restraints is merely the First Step."

"It is a fruit borne from the human heart. The mind is the true source of desire, not the physical body."

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