Eldritch Horror Theatre

Lost in thought, Fu Qian soon arrived near Jiang En's residence.

It was obvious the young genius had fallen on hard times. Compared to Taylor's manor, his living quarters looked downright shabby.

It wasn't even that late, but from a distance, there was no sign of life. Without a single light on, it looked like an abandoned house.

Why hadn't he chased after him immediately? What if the young man wasn't actually Jiang En, and he lost the trail?

His purpose here was just to persuade someone to turn back from the wrong path, not to murder them for their treasure.

If that person wasn't Jiang En, then he wasn't the target, so why chase him?

...

As it turned out, that person had indeed been Brother Jiang En.

Naturally, this building lacked the luxurious setup of the gathering place. As soon as he approached, a familiar aura became distinctly discernible.

Easily approaching the building, Fu Qian locked onto the location and activated his Blood Crusade once more.

He didn't head straight into the basement. After phasing through the wall, Fu Qian stopped in the living room and immediately dispelled his Blood Crusade.

Concealing his aura, Fu Qian took a look around.

The layout was quite simple, consisting of basically just the bare necessities. For a clan scion and former genius, it was more than a little pathetic.

In stark contrast, the doors and windows were rigged with multiple alarm systems. A single glance was enough to tell that this guy valued his privacy immensely.

If he had picked the lock to come through the front door, he absolutely would have triggered them.

Shaking his head, Fu Qian didn't linger any longer. He silently made his way down to the basement.

Compared to the ground floor, the basement was clearly heavily fortified. Even its black metal door looked much more secure than the front door.

He could sense Jiang En right behind the door. The space inside wasn't large, meaning that no matter how he opened it, he was guaranteed to be noticed.

Fortunately, Fu Qian didn't plan on hiding anymore.

Placing his hand against the door, he slowly exerted force. The metal groaned in protest before violently giving way, spilling a dim shaft of light into the hallway.

"Who goes there?"

A harsh shout accompanied the light.

Fu Qian didn't answer. He stood in the doorway, assessing the basement.

A tall young man in his early twenties grabbed a shirt to cover his bare torso, his icy gaze fixed on the entrance.

Even so, an unmistakable stench of blood still wafted out.

He really couldn't wait, could he?

Fu Qian nodded inwardly. The guy had obviously already put on the newly acquired Toothed Throat.

"Easy now. I am Dayun Mingwang!"

He gave a cold snort as he announced his title.

"Dayun Mingwang?"

This alias was clearly outside of Jiang En's knowledge. For a moment, he stared at the mask on Fu Qian's face in bewilderment.

"Sorry, never heard of you. Why did you break into my house?"

"This is your house, which means you're Jiang En?"

Fu Qian sounded rather indignant that this guy didn't recognize his great name.

"I am. What of it?"

Jiang En's tone grew harsher, though he was secretly alarmed.

This intruder really had come for him.

"Good."

Fu Qian laughed.

"I've long heard that Shangjing is teeming with talent. The names of the younger generation's Northern Jiang En and South Taylor are like thunder to the ear! Today, I have come to see your skills for myself!"

"I don't recall ever being mentioned in the same breath as some guy named Taylor. Where did a lunatic like you come from?"

Faced with Fu Qian's bizarre dialogue, Jiang En faltered again.

However, compared to Taylor, this young man was far less polite, immediately sneering in mockery.

Unfortunately for him, that weak insult didn't hit the mark.

"Interesting. Taylor said the exact same thing."

Being called a lunatic didn't anger Fu Qian in the slightest. His voice even carried a hint of amusement.

"He claimed he was completely unfamiliar with the so-called Jiang Clan genius, and had never paid you any mind."

...

It was obvious that Jiang En was trying his best to control his facial expressions, but he still couldn't hide his stiffness.

For a fallen genius, nothing was more infuriating than being ignored.

Especially when being ignored by a former rival.

"So you came from Taylor?"

Staring at Fu Qian, he took a full ten seconds to adjust his mindset before finally speaking.

"That's right. As it turned out, that guy's reputation was completely unearned. I revealed just a sliver of my strength, and he repeatedly made excuses to avoid fighting me. It was quite disappointing."

Fu Qian sneered repeatedly as he spoke.

"In the end, I decided to let him off for now and come meet the other young talent instead. Brother Jiang En wouldn't refuse to fight me as well, would he?"

Where did this Dayun Mingwang come from?

Jiang En was obviously displeased by his opponent's aggressive pushiness, but...

"As a member of the Blood Clan, Taylor Gulade is exceptionally talented. Naturally, I can't compare to him. If you wish to make a name for yourself, you should go find him."

A moment later, adopting the posture of one who must endure humiliation and shoulder heavy burdens, he practically spoke through gritted teeth.

The provocation wasn't enough, was it?

It seemed Jiang En had been in decline for so many years that he had developed some immunity to this kind of insult.

Fu Qian didn't say a word. Instead, he took two steps forward and eyed Jiang En up and down.

"It's so late. What is Brother Jiang En doing?"

"That's none of your business."

Jiang En shifted his body and inconspicuously put on his shirt, never exposing his left arm in the process.

"Before coming here, I heard that the young genius hadn't made an inch of progress in years and had lost his drive. But looking at Brother Jiang En now, could it be that you were engaged in bitter training just now?"

"If you don't leave right now, you might find yourself in trouble."

Jiang En had zero intention of answering Fu Qian's question.

"Interesting!"

Fu Qian nodded.

"You didn't need to tell me such a secret anyway. Honestly, your effort is quite pleasing to see. It's just a pity—"

He broke into loud laughter mid-sentence.

"Even with all that bitter training, I still have zero interest in fighting you! The Transcendents of Shangjing really are nothing but frauds!"

"You're courting death!"

Before his words even faded, a furious shout rang out.

A bulging, muscular fist shot straight toward his face.

"Good!"

Facing this furious strike, Fu Qian didn't retreat a single step. He shaped his hand into a claw, moving later but arriving first.

Seeing a flash of dark light unparalleled in sharpness, a sense of extreme danger washed over the furious Jiang En. He forcibly halted his momentum and changed his move mid-strike.

Even so, a sharp pain flared in his chest, and fresh blood splattered the air.

"This—you're a member of the Blood Clan too!"

Paying no mind to the minor injury, Jiang En put some distance between them, stared fixedly at the black claws on Fu Qian's right hand, and cried out in alarm.

He couldn't help it; that appearance was simply too iconic.

"Like a frog at the bottom of a well!"

Fu Qian offered a sneering critique, then beckoned with his left hand.

"What about this?"

What?

Hearing this, Jiang En looked over warily, only to find that there was no change whatsoever to Fu Qian's hand.

Just as he was wondering what this meant, Jiang En made a horrifying discovery: his body seemed caught by some invisible force, pulling him uncontrollably toward the terrifying claws.

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