Eldritch Horror Theatre

The ways of the world and the human heart were truly strange. He had put in so much effort earlier without drawing a reaction, yet they chose this exact moment to appear.

Walking through the night, Fu Qian felt a gaze on his back and marveled inwardly.

Jiang En's tragic encounter just now had been even worse than Taylor's, and Fu Qian had orchestrated it that way on purpose.

The same went for how he hadn't deliberately hidden his tracks from the start.

The main reason was that his discovery at the gathering earlier had felt far too orchestrated by fate.

In Fu Qian's estimation, regardless of their motives, a group capable of making arrangements to that degree for Jiang En was highly unlikely to leave him without real-time surveillance.

Yet, despite all of his deliberate actions just now, he hadn't drawn any particular reaction.

It seemed the fallen genius really was the only person inside that house.

Fu Qian had been somewhat surprised at the time.

It wasn't that no one was watching Jiang En, but rather that their surveillance methods were so advanced that even a Demigod like himself hadn't detected them.

It made sense. Anyone targeted by the Warehouse was bound to have something abnormal about them.

...

Highly satisfied with how things were developing, Fu Qian continued forward at a leisurely pace.

He chose increasingly remote routes, adopting the guise of someone operating in secret who wanted to avoid detection.

He walked like this for another few minutes. Then, at a certain moment, Fu Qian's foot stalled mid-step, freezing in the air before it could touch down.

Right where his foot had been about to land, a solid Black Arrow abruptly appeared.

Pierced into the ground, it radiated a dark mist into the surrounding air.

The entire attack had been completely silent—a truly excellent method for an ambush.

With a single glance, Fu Qian slammed his suspended foot backward.

But the moment he retreated a step, another Black Arrow pierced the night sky, aimed squarely at his waist.

The angle was so cunningly plotted that it looked as if Fu Qian had actively thrown himself into its path.

With his life hanging by a single hair, Fu Qian violently shifted his momentum again, narrowly dodging the strike.

"Who's there?"

Only then did he shout out the question, rooting himself in place and refusing to make any more rash movements.

"Dayun Mingwang truly has a well-deserved reputation."

As soon as his voice faded, a voice drifted from a corner.

A figure, wrapped tightly in layers of clothing, stepped out from the darkness.

...

Not bad. They appeared to be around Tier 5. Placed anywhere else, they would be considered a regional powerhouse.

And were they really dropping compliments already? It seemed mutual flattery was basic etiquette for those running in these circles.

Since the ambusher refused to show their face, Fu Qian dropped his gaze to their hands.

In stark contrast to the pitch-black bolts it had just fired, the weapon was actually a Hand Crossbow radiating a gentle Bright Light.

At a glance, it emanated an overwhelming sense of limpid holiness, making one feel as if they were bathing in the warm light of dawn.

And right now, another Black Arrow was rapidly condensing atop that Hand Crossbow.

This Transcendent weapon was rather convenient. If his own Mercy could automatically generate bullets, he wouldn't have to keep extorting Chief Yuan in his spare time.

"What kind of rat are you? Not only do you launch sneak attacks from the shadows, but you don't even have the courage to show your true face!"

After observing them for a few seconds, Fu Qian gave a cold snort, his voice dripping with contempt.

"...Aren't you wearing a mask yourself?"

The ambusher was somewhat dumbfounded by the hypocrisy.

"How is that the same? I wear this simply because petty scoundrels are unworthy of gazing upon my true face."

Naturally, a retort like that couldn't possibly stump Fu Qian.

"That works out well... The face of a dying man is meaningless anyway."

The newcomer nodded, clearly possessing zero interest in exchanging banter with Fu Qian. As they spoke, they fired another Black Arrow.

Unfortunately, since Fu Qian was already on guard, the bolt naturally missed its mark.

"If Your Excellency only possesses these kinds of sneak attacks from behind, I have no interest in entertaining you any longer."

Keeping his eyes locked on the ambusher, Fu Qian made as if to leave.

Curiously, after firing that third bolt, the dark light stopped condensing atop the Hand Crossbow.

"Don't be in such a rush... Cough, cough... You're definitely being buried here today... Cough."

Yet, even as they spat out the ruthless threat, the ambusher actually hung the Hand Crossbow back on their waist. They even coughed a few times, looking absolutely exhausted.

"Oh? Then I'd love to see what brilliant moves Your Excellency has in store!"

Fu Qian took a step forward, looking genuinely intrigued.

But right at that moment, a red light flashed in front of him. Something seemed to sweep through the air.

Choosing not to meet the attack head-on, Fu Qian nimbly dodged the strike. He realized it was actually a thick rope woven from countless fine threads, gleaming with a deep crimson luster in the night.

And anchored to the two ends of this rope were the first two Black Arrows.

"So those shots just now were for this?"

Fu Qian adopted a tone of sudden realization.

"You've got some skills. But shouldn't there be three of these—"

Before he could finish, two more long crimson ropes pierced through the air. Together with the first one, they formed a perfect triangle, trapping him squarely in the center.

"I told you not to rush."

The ambusher coughed twice more, finally seeming to catch their breath while putting on a thoroughly poised display.

The next moment, their fingers danced, and all three crimson ropes simultaneously whipped inward toward the center.

An immense oppressive force crashed down on him, making the very air feel thick and viscous.

Standing right in the middle, Fu Qian was undeniably the focal point of this crushing pressure.

The three ropes interwove with absolute precision, leaving him almost no openings to exploit.

"Good!"

Faced with this assault, Fu Qian clearly had no intention of looking for openings anymore.

Choosing to head straight for the ambusher, he violently charged forward. His hands shifted into a claw and a hammer as he met the thick ropes head-on.

A deafening crash rang out. The ropes violently trembled under the impact, even spraying out sparks.

Even so, the bindings remained stubbornly intact, showing no signs of tearing.

The construct this person had summoned in such exhaustion truly possessed a commensurate level of toughness.

Having failed to break through, the ropes' pincer attack rapidly caught up with him. Fu Qian was forced to execute a series of evasive maneuvers, retreating back to the center of the triangle.

"I told you that you would be buried here today. Why didn't you believe me?"

The ambusher's momentum was practically piercing the heavens now. With a low chuckle, their palm shifted again, causing countless fine threads to unspool from the three long ropes.

The threads fluttered through the air, converging in the blink of an eye into an overwhelming Silk Net.

"Impressive!"

Watching the crimson Silk Net inch ever closer, Fu Qian—trapped in a seemingly inescapable corner—suddenly let his hands fall to his sides. He stood perfectly still, as if he had accepted his doom.

Just as the Silk Net was about to wrap around him, a golden Bright Light erupted from his body, surging like a tidal wave in the blink of an eye.

The golden brilliance was blindingly radiant. It drove away every trace of gloom in the vicinity, inspiring an almost irresistible urge to fall to one's knees in worship.

Without a single sound, the dense Silk Net disintegrated into countless fragments.

"So this is the legendary Vajra Demon-Subduing Ring? Seeing it today, it truly has a well-deserved reputation!"

Fu Qian clasped his hands together, his dramatic lines completely unbearable to listen to.

"Also, I'd like to extend my deepest gratitude."

"I am enlightened!"

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