Eldritch Horror Theatre

Thanks to Fu Qian's relentless efforts, Tan Ying's psychological defenses had finally crumbled, treating her to a potent dose of absolute terror.

Given the circumstances, her scream proved highly infectious. The rest of the group fell like dominoes, collapsing in a chorus of shrieks.

"You, you, you..."

Finished shrieking, Tan Ying pointed a trembling finger at Fu Qian, incoherent for a long moment.

"The same as you... what on earth did I turn into?"

Even Qin Mingze poked his head through the doorway, asking in a mix of bewilderment and panic.

"A real man, just like me."

Looking as though it were the most natural thing in the world, Fu Qian finished the sentence for him.

...

Faced with Fu Qian's rapid flip-flopping, her mind went completely blank.

"As a real man full of robust yang energy, a walking tank of formalin, this sort of thing naturally wouldn't affect me in the slightest."

Fu Qian merely strolled forward with casual ease, reaching out to stroke the surface of the Mirror.

...

Is this guy intentionally trying to scare me?

And the worst part is, I actually fell for it.

Taking in Fu Qian's tone and expression, Tan Ying instantly realized she had been played again. Her teeth ground together in intense irritation.

Before she could flare up, however, she watched Fu Qian reach out and effortlessly haul the Mirror right off the floor.

"...What are you doing?"

The sheer absurdity of the sight made her stare in disbelief, swallowing whatever she had been about to say.

"This thing has way too much yin energy. I need to take it back and purify it," Fu Qian replied at a leisurely pace.

"Hey, this joke is getting old!" Tan Ying sounded genuinely exasperated now, clearly thinking Fu Qian was still mocking her.

"And if you just grab people's things, the boss is going to come over and beat you up!"

"How could he? I'm the kind of master they could only dream of meeting."

Fu Qian snorted. Under the watchful eyes of the other six, he hoisted the Mirror and took the lead, striding toward the exit.

If nothing else, Xiao Qian has seriously packed on some strength!

Qin Mingze marveled inwardly as he subconsciously followed him.

While the Mirror might not look overly flashy, it was a full meter tall and partially framed in solid metal. A single glance was enough to tell it weighed a ton.

Yet Fu Qian carried it easily with one hand, proving that his muscular build wasn't just for show.

"Hello... what's this about?"

Spotting the object in Fu Qian's hand, the bald shop owner looked visibly shocked.

But as a veteran of the jianghu, the man reacted quickly, shooting a meaningful glance at his employees just in case this was a rival here to smash up the shop.

"This poor Daoist's dharma name is Fu Qian."

Fu Qian didn't so much as blink. He earnestly traced a cross over his chest and solemnly chanted, "Amitabha."

"I observed a heavy, baleful aura upon this place. After a grueling search, I finally located its source. The vile taint has now been purged. Rest assured, benefactor, you may safely resume your business."

...You might as well have just said you liked the thing and wanted to buy it!

All six of them, Tan Ying included, were so utterly stunned by his nonsense that they covered their faces, wishing they didn't know the man.

The bald owner's clerks were now thoroughly convinced this guy was here to cause trouble. They rolled up their sleeves, just waiting for their boss to give the word.

"Thank you for your hard work!"

Instead, to everyone's utter bewilderment, tears welled up in the shop owner's eyes as he offered a deep, reverent bow.

...Is there something seriously wrong with this world?

Neither side of the confrontation had expected such a bizarre turn of events.

Fu Qian merely offered a slight nod of acknowledgment. Toting the heavy Mirror, he strolled right out the door with an air of unbothered transcendence.

Still utterly lost, his six companions hurriedly chased after him, terrified that the shop owner might suddenly snap out of it and try to detain him.

The clerks were just as dumbfounded. Recalling Fu Qian's tone and demeanor, a sudden, eerie chill ran down their spines.

"Boss... is there really something unclean in the shop?"

"How is that possible?"

Wiping away his tears, the bald owner glared at the clerk who had asked.

"Everything in this shop has been consecrated by a master."

"Really? Which master?"

"Master Fu Qian, of course! Didn't he just leave?"

The bald owner pointed a respectful finger toward Fu Qian's retreating back.

...

"When did you switch careers to become a ghost hunter? And you actually know the owner?"

Qin Mingze was at the front of the pack. Hurrying his steps to catch up, he blurted out his question immediately.

"It was merely a trifling bit of work, nothing more."

Fu Qian tilted his head to gaze at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, practically radiating a detached, masterful aura.

"With great power comes great responsibility."

In truth, he hadn't done anything overly extreme. All he had done was state his name, subtly respond to the bald owner's inner distress, and then plant a mild mental suggestion, leaving the man utterly convinced of a fabricated reality.

Based on the owner's earlier behavior, the man already had a head full of bizarre, supernatural superstitions anyway. It wasn't as if Fu Qian had corrupted a pure, innocent mind.

...

While the two were talking, the rest of the group managed to catch up.

However, nearly all of them wore profound, meaningful expressions. No one said a word.

There was no helping it. Thanks to Fu Qian's endless antics along the way, their emotions had been on an exhausting roller-coaster ride. The constant spikes of adrenaline had left them thoroughly drained.

There was one exception. Tan Ying's face was flushed a deep red, and a murderous aura practically radiated from her eyes.

Without a doubt, he had profoundly offended her this time.

"This thing is a little heavy, so I'll be taking my leave now."

As an absolute expert in drawing aggro, Fu Qian merely offered a breezy smile in response, even tossing a cheerful farewell to Jiang Yuanliang nearby.

"Brother Jiang, come visit Lincheng whenever you're free. You're always welcome."

"Forget it."

Jiang Yuanliang instantly shook his head, all the color draining from his face.

Lincheng is a cursed place! Who would have thought I'd get dragged into a living urban legend? I'm never coming back here, no matter what anyone says!

Unfortunately, before he could voice his polite refusal, Fu Qian was already strolling off into the distance, completely uninterested in waiting for an answer.

...

Compared to the Bracelet from before, this object was undeniably even more suspicious.

Once back home, Fu Qian tossed the ancient Mirror onto the table and carefully examined the photo in his hand.

From his perspective, he had naturally confirmed long ago that there was something bizarre about these two items. Both contained a unique manifestation of Transcendent power.

Right now, what made him curious was the object's origin.

It was entirely possible that the Bracelet from before had formed through the natural condensation of some peculiar energy.

But these two items sitting in front of him? There was simply no way to explain them away like that.

Their effects were far too refined and ingenious. It was incredibly difficult to believe they hadn't been deliberately manufactured.

So, exactly who was making these things?

Regardless, the Bracelet and this new object practically confirmed that a cache of highly dangerous items existed in this world.

It was just that previously, as an ordinary mortal, he had been completely incapable of perceiving them—even while suffering under their influence.

Fu Qian recalled the job invitation he had received right at the beginning. It seemed he really wasn't the first person to get that offer, was he?

If that was the case, figuring out the fate of his predecessors would undoubtedly serve as an excellent reference point for his own future.

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