Eldritch Horror Theatre

"What do you mean?"

Yuan Shan was undoubtedly taking Strategist Fu's advice very seriously now.

"It's nothing. Just keep driving. Everything will become clear once we get there," Fu Qian replied.

Unfortunately, Fu Qian had clearly contracted the bad habits of all strategists—speaking only in halves and offering absolutely no explanation.

...

Although she undoubtedly wanted to punch him, Yuan Shan clearly lacked the energy to press the issue. She snorted in dissatisfaction and turned back to focus on driving.

Since they had been driving in circles, their straight-line distance hadn't actually taken them very far. The three of them soon arrived at the Blood Clan Gathering Area once again.

However, compared to their previous visit, a startling scene now unfolded before them.

Scattered pedestrians had appeared on the previously deserted streets.

They shared one common trait: not a single person spoke. They marched forward in complete silence, with no communication between them.

But the most striking aspect was their astonishing demeanor.

Without exception, every single one of them walked just like Brother Elegant had—backs straight, their strides confident and elegant.

At a glance, it looked like a procession of zombies marching to imperial court.

Naturally, Chief Yuan's expression was just as stiff.

Witnessing this obviously unnatural scene, she gripped the delicate U-shaped steering wheel so tightly it squeaked, making one worry it might snap under the pressure at any moment.

That concern didn't last long. The screech of brakes rang out as the car skidded to a halt.

Looking out the window, Fu Qian recognized a very familiar sight. They were right outside Grantham Manor.

However, it looked vastly different from when they had left. The almost tangible darkness seemed to grow outward from every corner, wrapping the manor in a deep, quiet stillness.

And right there within The Deep, a cluster of darkness violently twisted and morphed, quickly taking the shape of a massive bat wing.

"Grantham, what is going on here?"

Chief Yuan had already stepped out of the car without another word, speaking coldly toward the pitch-black mass.

"Chief Yuan, I am deeply sorry."

The black bat wing unfurled in response, seemingly tearing a chunk out of the darkness. Grantham, whom they had just met, stepped leisurely out of the void and gently touched down on the ground.

"I was just on my way to find you. What a coincidence."

"What do you want with me?"

Though slightly surprised, Yuan Shan was naturally not easily fooled. She immediately pressed him.

"I came to surrender and beg for forgiveness. I apologize for hiding things from you earlier."

Grantham's tone was incredibly sincere.

"The Gulade Family has actually made a very grave mistake."

He looked over at the pedestrians on the street and let out a long sigh.

"Without my knowledge, a batch of Transcendent Potions was illicitly distributed."

"I had been trying to recover them, but I found that quite a few people had already consumed them. At the time, I still harbored a sliver of hope, thinking there wouldn't be any adverse effects."

"I never expected that once the night of the full moon arrived, an anomaly like this would still occur."

"Is that all you have to say?"

When she first heard him say he was turning himself in, Yuan Shan's expression had softened somewhat.

But hearing this, her face was now brimming with murderous intent.

"Yes. Having caused such an incident, our family wouldn't dare shirk responsibility any further. Once we ensure that these citizens suffer no substantial harm, we are willing to accept any punishment."

Seemingly fully aware of the shift in Yuan Shan's tone, Grantham made his solemn vow.

"Accept any punishment?"

Staring at Grantham, Yuan Shan let out a series of cold sneers.

This guy wasn't admitting to a mistake at all; he was completely dodging the main issue.

He was blaming everything on the non-compliant potions, not breathing a single word about a potential advancement ritual or anything of the sort.

The penalty for illicitly distributing Transcendent Potions might be severe, but it certainly wouldn't end in the execution of the entire Gulade Family.

At this thought, Yuan Shan couldn't help but glance at Fu Qian, finally realizing the meaning behind his earlier question.

'An anomaly caused by the potions'—this explanation could absolutely serve as an excuse.

And that was exactly what Grantham was doing right now, using this explanation to dodge the main issue.

Sure enough, he was preparing to risk it all, not hesitating to use the entire family as backing.

"Where is Ambor?"

Having no intention of tangling with Grantham, Chief Yuan cut straight to the point.

Even if he wasn't the one attempting the risky advancement, as Gulade's highest Combat Power in Shangjing, seeking him out was absolutely the right move.

"Ambor was supposed to be at Ambor's Residence, but when I notified our people to head out and maintain order just now, there was no response from his end, so I'm quite worried as well."

Grantham looked as though he had prepared this answer long in advance, and his expression was completely flawless.

"In addition to finding you, Chief Yuan, I was also planning to check on his situation. If you're looking for him too, we can go together."

Very meticulous planning indeed.

Watching Grantham respond so smoothly, Fu Qian sighed inwardly from the sidelines.

He wasn't surprised by the man's reaction at all.

After all, judging from the previous situation, this was practically Grantham's only choice. The only difference was the degree to which he took it.

In other words, it was a matter of what kind of pressure it would take for this backing to shatter.

And Fu Qian was certain that if they went to Ambor's Residence right this moment, they absolutely wouldn't find anyone.

It was obvious Yuan Shan had realized this too. Noting her increasingly grim expression, Fu Qian mused once again.

See? I told you to choose the worst option long ago.

"What is the condition of these people right now, and how do we dispel it?"

Regardless of whether she wanted to kill him, preventing harm was the top priority. Yuan Shan took a deep breath, pointed at their surroundings, and demanded an answer.

"The potions originally showed no issues during testing, and they wouldn't leave any Transcendent residue,"

"But for some unknown reason, once the full moon arrived, they seemed to gain something akin to the Innate Talent of the Blood Clan, creating a special cross-link with the full moon that led to this bizarre behavior."

Grantham looked relieved as he gestured around to explain.

"However, the only comforting thing right now is that they haven't taken any extreme actions. Their emotions are merely suppressed somewhat, and there is reason to believe they will recover once the full moon passes."

"The orders I gave them were to ensure that these individuals don't clash with one another and won't encounter any danger until the sun rises tomorrow."

"Where are they going?"

Yuan Shan merely sneered at Grantham's explanation.

He certainly calculated everything perfectly.

He had pushed all the blame onto the potions and hidden Ambor away. Once everything was over, if no irreversible damage was done, they would face a penalty at most.

But was he really so sure there were no risks?

Moreover, one thing was certain: this crowd was advancing in the exact same direction.

"Their movements do appear quite unified. I am also in the middle of confirming that."

Grantham nodded.

"For now, I think we should follow them and take a look."

"Alright, then we set off right now."

Yuan Shan didn't reject his addition to their group, stating directly.

Given the current situation, her plan was abundantly clear—no matter what, find the source of the anomaly and kill it!

The Night Watchers might be reasonable, but they never wasted time bickering.

In fact, considering the manhunt they were about to embark on, she was already faintly regretting why she hadn't just chosen the worst option to begin with.

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