Eldritch Horror Theatre

Who the hell are you, buddy?

Even through the mask, Fu Qian could feel Taylor's overwhelming shock.

Clearly, despite his own bizarre phrasing, Taylor had caught the gist of it.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Who exactly are you?"

Taylor had come prepared, however, so the shock didn't paralyze him for long. He snapped back to his senses quickly, his tone turning severe.

Realizing the stranger already knew his identity, Taylor dropped all pretense. Darkness condensed over his hands, morphing into jagged, razor-sharp claws.

"You want to know my name? Let's see if your reputation is entirely unearned first."

Fu Qian scoffed at the display, adopting the lofty posture of a master dealing with a petty scoundrel unworthy of knowing his great name.

Before his words even faded, a sharp gust of wind tore through the air.

The physical strength of the Blood Clan was no joke. In the blink of an eye, claws capable of rending steel and shattering stone arrived inches from Fu Qian's face.

Given that his target's feet were immobilized, leaving no room to dodge, Brother Taylor didn't hold back in the slightest.

He didn't go for a fatal, head-crushing blow, however. Instead, he targeted Fu Qian's chest, clearly intending to inflict a heavy wound and take him alive.

Unfortunately for him, this surefire strike was abruptly halted.

An even more grotesque claw met his attack head-on, firmly parrying the blow.

"You..."

Taylor was utterly stunned.

Having his attack blocked was one thing, but the stranger's current form was another matter entirely...

"You're Blood Clan too?"

Barking in alarm, Taylor abandoned his assault, quickly yanking his hand back and retreating.

"Kicking me while I'm down—you set me up on purpose!"

He ground his teeth in sudden fury, his mind instantly concocting a conspiracy where rival vampire factions were seizing the chance to frame him.

"Relax. Yours truly has merely mastered a wide array of ultimate techniques. Catching a glimpse of the Blood Clan's Darkness Claw just now left my hands itching for a spar."

Fu Qian let out a hearty laugh, unhurriedly extending his other hand.

Unlike the grotesque claw, this hand had morphed into a massive Heavy Hammer. Its surface was scored with rough, ferocious textures, radiating sheer destructive power.

...

Brother Taylor stared in dumbfounded silence. This dual-wielded combination of hammer and claw completely exceeded his imagination.

It instantly made him doubt his own judgment.

Setting aside the fact that it radiated an entirely different form of power, even if such a transformation were possible, he couldn't imagine any member of the elegant Blood Clan choosing such a brutally unesthetic form.

So this guy really isn't a vampire? Then what's his motive for framing me?

"Your claw strike just now was exquisitely executed. Now, it is my turn to show off my meager skills."

Fu Qian didn't give him any more time to ponder. His muscles bulged and his clothes whipped around him as his aura surged unceasingly.

At the same time, a Crimson Long Whip flashed out of nowhere.

The squirming, formless shadows entangling his legs were instantly shredded the moment the whip swept past, allowing Fu Qian to easily break free from his restraints.

"Wait."

Watching this heart-stopping display, Taylor hastily called for a halt.

"What's this? Is the illustrious Taylor Gulade planning to surrender without a fight?"

Fu Qian scoffed once more, his tone dripping with absolute contempt.

...

Stung by the taunt, Taylor felt his blood boil. His refined composure as a member of the Blood Clan teetered on the brink of collapse.

He couldn't afford to let his temper get the better of him right now, however.

He drew a deep breath, forcing his roiling emotions back down.

To show his sincerity, he even retracted his razor-sharp claws, letting his hands return to normal.

"I don't know who you are, but if you truly came here just to challenge me, I can only tell you to pick another time. I have much more important matters to attend to right now."

"Oh? What could possibly be more important than crossing blows with me?"

Fu Qian sounded entirely unconvinced, but he at least temporarily lowered his combat stance.

Why does this lunatic seem even more narcissistic than I am?

Taylor ground his teeth.

"An incredibly urgent matter regarding the honor of the Blood Clan. I must deal with it immediately."

"So vague you can't even give a specific reason?"

Fu Qian flicked his wrist. His fingers thrust forward like a spear, narrowly skimming right past Taylor's scalp.

"Are you trying to make a fool out of me?"

This freak actually possesses a terrifying mishmash of different abilities. How on earth did he pull that off?

Startled by this brand-new trick, Brother Taylor still refused to fight back, making sure to maintain his arrogant facade despite his internal shock.

"Knowing too much isn't always a good thing."

"...So there really is something happening in Shangjing right now?"

At last, the masked eccentric seemed swayed by his solemn attitude, asking the question with a hint of genuine curiosity.

"Use the same methods you used to track me down. A little digging, and you'll find out easily enough."

Taylor replied coldly. From the looks of it, this guy was just a battle-crazed lunatic obsessed with power; the chances of him plotting to frame Taylor were quite low.

"Regardless, I have no time to tangle with you. If there's nothing else, I'm getting back to my business."

He took a slow step backward as he spoke, gesturing for Fu Qian to go first.

"Hold on!"

Unexpectedly, his gesture of goodwill was halted once again.

"Are you going to pester me endlessly?"

Clenching his fists, Taylor ground his teeth once more.

"Don't worry. Since Brother Taylor refuses to fight, I'll go test my mettle against the legendary young genius of the Jiang Clan first. Let's just hope I don't discover that the so-called Transcendents in Shangjing are nothing but frauds coasting on false reputations!"

Which backward mountain village did this freak crawl out of? Are Jiang En and I the only two people he's ever heard of?

If you're so tough, why don't you go pick a fight with the Night Watchers?

"Fine. Do you want me to give you Jiang En's address?"

A little impatience ruins great plans, however. He couldn't let his grand schemes be derailed by this idiot.

Swallowing his anger, Taylor asked in a low voice.

"Rest assured, I've already investigated his address thoroughly. I just hope he won't cower and avoid battle like you. Once he's lying defeated at my feet, I'll be coming back for you."

If I weren't so damn busy with important matters, I would fucking...

Amidst Fu Qian's roaring laughter, Taylor felt an uncontrollable surge of fury welling up in his chest.

"Do you honestly think you'll find him just by showing up at his house?"

Unable to stomach being treated like common dirt, he frantically sought an opportunity to throw a barb of his own.

"What do you mean?"

Hearing Taylor's words, the battle-crazed lunatic opposite him finally quieted down, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"I'm saying you're being naive. If you go to that address right now, you'll most likely come up empty-handed... That Jiang En isn't the type to just sit around and accept fate."

"Oh? Then where should I go looking?"

The lunatic's tone finally grew solemn.

Hmph!

Even with the majority of his face obscured, Brother Taylor's smugness at clawing back a sliver of the upper hand was palpable.

"Not long ago, I happened to overhear that he's been sneaking out quite frequently at night to attend a certain underground gathering. It seems he's desperately searching for a way to break through his cultivation bottleneck."

After savoring the suspense for a few seconds, Taylor spoke coolly, heavily emphasizing the phrase 'happened to overhear'.

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