Eldritch Horror Theatre

Clip-clop!

Unlike last time, he didn't have to wait for Aike and her companion to strike before the sound of hooves rang out.

Old Man Stoss drove a sleek carriage through the mist, his eyes a vivid red and his beard thick.

The carriage didn't stop until it was right in front of him. Stoss kept his eyes fixed on Fu Qian the entire time.

Chaumont, sitting inside the carriage, was surely doing the same.

Fu Qian completely understood their mood.

Compared to his previous claim that "everyone was waiting," directly exposing the matter of the flames undoubtedly delivered a much stronger shock.

Fu Qian didn't have some twisted desire to scare the old man into a heart attack.

But it couldn't be helped. They were the ones who had locked onto him as prey the moment the mission began.

After all, if nothing else, this group's Combat Power was quite decent. He had tested it himself.

Of course, as heavyweights in the transcendent realm, these individuals would absolutely loathe being used. This would require some special techniques.

...

"Mister Andil, a pleasure."

A moment later, it was actually Chaumont who spoke up, his voice drifting out from the carriage.

This shift alone proved just how massive a shock Fu Qian had delivered.

"I must say, your perception exceeds expectations... Did you just say you know where the flames are?"

To Fu Qian's relief, Chaumont chose to cut straight to the chase after offering his brief praise.

"That's right. Isn't that exactly what you outsiders are looking for?"

Fu Qian sneered, highly satisfied with this development.

"That is what I wanted to ask. Why are you so certain we are searching for the flames?"

Chaumont didn't even try to deny his identity as an outsider.

"I hate explaining myself, but I suppose I can answer that."

Fu Qian stared off into the distance, his face unreadable.

"It's simple. Because I am a product of Death itself."

When it came to missions, Fu Qian's memory was always impeccable.

The flames were the condensation of Death's trajectory—Chaumont had said so himself.

...

Following those words, complete silence reigned inside the carriage for several long seconds.

"False life might be brilliant, but it has trapped everyone."

Fu Qian ignored the silence, his tone growing even more profound.

"No one knows better than I do just how laughable fate is within Unseen Hill."

"Honestly, compared to Ballard and his ilk, I actually appreciate that clown from just now a bit more. At least he was struggling in his own way."

Even with the clown's corpse—which he had personally created—lying right beside him, it didn't stop Fu Qian from singing his praises.

"Are you trying to tell us that you are Ballard's dark side?"

Only then did Chaumont finally speak again.

It was obvious that he had heard every word of Fu Qian's earlier conversation with the clown.

Combined with Fu Qian's current self-description, it was an easy conclusion to draw.

"How could I be so boring?"

Fu Qian rejected the notion with a cold snort.

"I am who I am. I do not exist as a concept attached to anyone else. Ballard doesn't even have the right to be mentioned in the same breath!"

Regardless of whether Chaumont had ever met Ballard, Fu Qian had never intended to operate under the concept of being a dark side.

Even the face he was showing right now was his own true appearance.

Feigning substance when empty—striking the right balance was crucial.

When dealing with someone like Chaumont, even the slightest hint of artificiality would easily trigger his suspicion.

And if he became suspicious, a fight would almost certainly be unavoidable.

...

"All you need to know is that I understand what you've done to yourselves."

Fu Qian pointed at Aike.

"As outsiders, you could be considered perceptive. You are far better than those fools."

"Relying on the blessing of the flames to maintain your independence—a rather brilliant idea."

"It's a pity this method only works for outsiders."

His voice carried a hint of regret.

"And you said earlier that you know where to find more..."

Their core secret had been exposed once again. Fortunately, thanks to the prior buildup, Chaumont adjusted much faster this time.

"Of course. The moment I saw you, I confirmed certain things, and I knew exactly what you were looking for."

Fu Qian smiled mysteriously.

"The death sparks of Divine Beings are still too weak."

"And trust me, the connections between Divine Beings in this world are far tighter than you realize. You won't be able to pull off this kind of secret hunting many more times before drawing attention."

"In contrast, there is a lake in this city. Inside it is the convergence of all Death, filled entirely with these flames."

"Oh... you've been inside?"

Chaumont's voice revealed no emotion.

"In fact, I came out of there not long ago."

Fu Qian answered with utmost honesty.

"I originally thought I was the only one capable of witnessing the truth of this world, but you gave me quite a surprise just now... I imagine you are different from an idiot like Ballard. After all, you even know how to utilize the flames."

"That does sound very interesting."

As he spoke, Chaumont leaned his face out of the carriage, his lifeless eyes locked onto Fu Qian.

"But a lake isn't exactly hard to find. By revealing so much, aren't you afraid we'll just kill you to silence you?"

"That would be a good thing. It would mean you actually believed my words."

Fu Qian's tone took on a fanatical edge.

"Death is not worth mentioning compared to the destruction of that place."

...

"Mister Andil, thank you for this valuable information."

Fu Qian's response caused the Night Watchers to exchange glances.

After a brief exchange of looks, Chaumont spoke directly, without even consulting the other two.

"If it is convenient, we will need your help leading the way."

"I'd be delighted to."

Fu Qian's eyes "lit up" as he accepted instantly.

"Actually, the place is very easy to find. The Lake is a perfect circle."

"We are outsiders, after all."

Aike stepped forward at that moment, smiling warmly.

"We aren't too familiar with this place, so we'll have to trouble you."

"Fine."

Fu Qian looked at her and nodded, completely unbothered by her slightly suspicious attitude.

Fu Qian understood exactly what was causing Aike's suspicion—Chaumont had agreed a little too readily.

He also understood why Chaumont had agreed so readily—because he had mentioned that The Lake was full of flames.

To Chaumont, this was obviously a false statement.

Judging from Chaumont's reaction upon seeing the Saint last time, he had never even considered that the flames could exist in a directly manifested form.

Therefore, from Chaumont's perspective, making such a claim was a glaring flaw. Chaumont thought Fu Qian was lying to him.

But in reality, this was a flaw Fu Qian had left intentionally.

As previously noted, when dealing with these old veterans of the jianghu, sincerity was the most meaningless thing you could offer. They only trusted their own judgment.

Coupling this flaw with his current posture, Chaumont would easily reach a conclusion: Fu Qian did know something about the flames, but was exaggerating the situation over at The Lake.

And his purpose in doing so was to lure them to The Lake and borrow a knife to kill, manipulating them into destroying an entity vital to this world in order to shatter the cage.

For a sociopath, this could be considered standard procedure.

And after "seeing through" this point, Chaumont was put at ease, believing he had enough control over the situation to use Fu Qian in turn.

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