Eldritch Horror Theatre

As the saying goes, language is an art, the wisdom of communication.

At this exact moment, that truth was perfectly embodied.

Fu Qian's single word brought about a full five seconds of collective silence.

Both the Academy experts and the Tombkeepers were frantically trying to guess whether he meant yes or no.

His behavior thus far had been truly obnoxious.

But just as Casi had said, he was a genuine Demigod, and a Sword Dao Demigod at that.

Theoretically, when it came to the sword path, absolutely no one present had more authority to speak on the matter than he did.

...

"Mister Yun, so you disagree with this lady's perspective?"

He had no choice. Excessive concern clouds judgment, after all.

"No, I agree."

Unfortunately, Fu Qian had no intention of keeping up the malicious amusement, firmly crushing the man's hopes.

"Divine Seal, curse, gift—I don't care what you call it. But without a doubt, this is absolutely nothing like the sword path as I understand it."

Ignoring the Kamakura Family's rapidly dimming eyes, Fu Qian continued to speak freely.

"I don't know how the Kamakura Family has understood it over these past few centuries, but I am incredibly surprised you never realized one thing—a gift and the sword path are fundamentally opposed concepts."

"The reason cultivation is called cultivation is, in my view, because its ultimate trait is the pursuit of the Dao. It is about using an indomitable resilience to push one's comprehension to the absolute limit."

"Doing something completely unrelated and expecting a bestowed gift—honestly, I see no difference between that and knocking on a wooden fish in a temple."

...

Language was an art, and who said art had no superior and inferior forms?

Although his core point was virtually identical to Ji Liushuang's, Fu Qian's delivery made even the experienced and prudent Kamakura Ki's face cycle through colors like a traffic light.

It was obvious that countless rebuttals were warring inside his head.

Yet the ironclad reality kept any of them from ever passing his lips.

The man standing before him was a Demigod—an existence who had achieved divinity through the sword path.

No matter how indignant he felt, or even if he believed the man had simply lucked into it, any rebuttal would be pale and powerless before achieving the Demigod realm himself.

And while the Kamakura Family had possessed a fearsome reputation over the centuries, they had indeed never produced a single Demigod.

"All I can say is that I will reserve my opinion on this matter for now."

Kamakura Ki finally spoke after a long silence, his voice hoarse.

"I wonder, does Mister Yun have any thoughts regarding the Kamakura Family's current predicament?"

The underlying implication was clear: if he was only here to mock them without offering a solution, there was nothing left to discuss.

"Actually, you don't need to reserve your opinion."

Unexpectedly, Fu Qian offered no solution, choosing instead to continue his mockery.

"For example, you could let me—a Sword Dao Demigod—experience the sword intent the Kamakura Family has honed for centuries."

Facing a shocked and uncertain Kamakura Ki, Fu Qian offered this suggestion with a beaming smile.

Was this guy insane?

The Kamakura Family was already in such a desperate state, yet he wanted them to fight him over a petty squabble?

Even if they were in peak condition, would they stand any chance against a Demigod?

At Fu Qian's words, not only did the Kamakura Family subconsciously shrink back, but the Academy's investigation team members also wore bizarre expressions.

"Dean Casi..."

Kamakura Ki furrowed his brows deeply, deciding not to entangle himself further with this madman, and looked toward Casi instead.

Casi was the one who brought this man here, and had even guaranteed his reliability. The very least he could do now was rein the situation in.

"I won't fight back."

However, before Casi could offer a single word, Fu Qian continued.

Hm?

That clearly took the Kamakura Family by surprise.

Not fighting back and simply taking the hit? Surely this guy knew the effects of the cursed sword intent?

"Like I said, I want to experience your Severing Divine Seal."

Fu Qian spread his empty hands.

"Don't worry. None of you are worthy of making me draw my sword anyway."

Mainly because he didn't know how to use one anyway.

...

Though it was a naked insult, the underlying intent in Fu Qian's words made Kamakura Ki realize something.

This arrogant bastard wasn't just fishing for an excuse to murder them. He was completely serious. But...

"Or could it be that even a handicap like this isn't enough to give you the courage to defend your family's honor?"

While he hesitated, Fu Qian's mockery continued.

"Demigod Yun, please enlighten me."

Kamakura Ki said nothing, but a hot-blooded young man finally stepped out.

A single glance confirmed it was Kamakura Keiji, the man they had run into earlier.

Right now, his face was dead serious, radiating an almost martyr-like solemnity.

Keiji...

Kamakura Ki subconsciously wanted to call out and stop him.

His hesitation just a moment ago hadn't been without reason.

If the lethal mutations plaguing their clan members were indeed triggered by the Divine Seal, then even if this man stood there without fighting back, recklessly drawing a sword right now would most likely end with Keiji sharing Kamakura Shinji's fate.

However, the hand he had half-raised ultimately fell back to his side.

No matter the cost, if they didn't dare to draw their blades even under these circumstances, the Kamakura Family truly had no right to ever speak of the sword path again.

...

'You're welcome.'

Fu Qian thought to himself, shooting a glance at the Academy group.

Led by Kamakura Ki, the group soon arrived at a dimly lit dojo.

The members of the Academy all wore different expressions in the face of this sudden farce.

But without exception, every single one of them was watching the situation very closely.

Given the bizarre mutations affecting their sword path, having a member of the Kamakura Family demonstrate their techniques live was obviously the best way to figure out what was going wrong.

However, given the highly probable fatal consequences, the Kamakura Family had already universally sealed their blades in a bid for self-preservation.

Under those circumstances, forcing them to put on a demonstration—even in the name of an official investigation—would have been crossing a line.

Fu Qian's stunt had undoubtedly provided them with the perfect live observation material. It was exactly what they needed.

The fact that not a single person from the Academy had stepped forward to stop him was proof enough of that.

...

Given the pressing time, there was no pre-battle preparation or ceremony.

Kamakura Keiji had returned to his room to retrieve his blade, and he now stood in the center of the dojo. His expression was dead serious, his unblinking eyes locked onto Fu Qian.

His opponent was a Demigod. The sheer intimidation carried by that title wasn't something that could be diluted just because the man promised not to fight back.

Fu Qian, however, paid no mind to the younger man's grave caution. Instead, he simply continued to survey his surroundings.

Whether it was just the natural style of the Tombkeepers or not, the aesthetic of this place was noticeably gloomier than most dojos. Half of it was even built underground.

Lining the walls of the dojo were uniquely shaped long blades, presumably belonging to past seniors of the Kamakura Family.

Even with their immaculate maintenance, the marks of age upon them were clear.

Glancing down the line chronologically, the earliest batch possessed relatively normal designs, boasting at most some crack-patterned sheaths or similar embellishments.

The more recent the blade, however, the more flamboyant the design became, gradually approaching the exaggerated style of the weapon he had seen earlier.

Why did tracing that lineage feel like watching the evolutionary path of a pure, innocent maiden turning into a Nightclub Queen?

While he was silently marveling at the thought, Kamakura Keiji had already raised his own Nightclub Queen into position.

"Please."

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