Eldritch Horror Theatre

'Caught red-handed?'

'What did I tell you? Trying to prove your innocence during a sensitive period is risky. Look how quickly that caught up to him.'

Fu Qian blinked, instantly piecing together how the drama must have unfolded.

"At a hotel?"

It had little to do with him, but it was still quite an explosive piece of morning news.

Judging by Wen Li's expression, she was equally stunned.

"He didn't make it that far. Outside a bar," Wen Li said, shaking her head with a heavy sigh.

"To be honest, I'm still having a hard time believing it."

"But the sources are highly reliable. Word has it he sneaked out of the house last night and was recognized while creeping around hunting for prey. He tried to make a run for it but didn't get far..."

Fu Qian nodded, not surprised in the least.

"I'm guessing this news came straight from the good samaritans who stepped in?"

Whoever managed to pin down a fleeing Taylor—especially while he was carrying that transcendent item—couldn't possibly be ordinary citizens. More likely, it was a strike team from one of the major factions who decided to go with the flow and set up an ambush.

And Brother Taylor had blundered right into it.

"Yes. Given that the Night Watchers didn't have much grounds to suppress the news, quite a few people already know."

She clearly caught his underlying meaning and let out a soft sigh.

"In any case, Taylor is in deep trouble this time. Do you think he's innocent?"

"I do."

Fu Qian answered without a second of hesitation.

"Brother Taylor might not have the sharpest mind, but he still has his pride."

"Besides, fools have their own kind of luck. The situation looks completely hopeless right now, but who knows? He might just find a way out of a desperate situation."

After a full night's rest, Fu Qian had woken up with a ravenous appetite. Even as they chatted, he was clearing his plate like a wind sweeping away remnant clouds.

"Find a way out of a desperate situation?"

Watching him eat with such relish brought Wen Li a sense of comfort, though she clearly didn't follow his logic.

"Proving your innocence is never easy. But what if he gets locked up, and a new victim still appears?"

Fu Qian tossed the idea out casually.

If the new crime scene also contained traces of the Blood Clan, the stench of a frame-up would be blatantly obvious.

"If that actually happens, it really would be a blessing in disguise."

With that explanation, Wen Li instantly understood and nodded in agreement.

At the same time, however, a faint drumbeat of suspicion began to tap in the back of her mind.

'How did Mr. Fu think of that so quickly? He didn't come back very early last night, either...'

"Any other news?"

Unfortunately for her curiosity, Fu Qian clearly had no intention of elaborating.

"...Yes."

Wen Li's expression grew even more peculiar.

"Just this morning, Jiang En—the former genius of the Jiang Clan—suddenly made a highly publicized return home."

"A lot of people guessed that he had broken through his bottleneck and was making a triumphant return. To everyone's shock, it was the exact opposite. He declared that he had lost all hope of advancing and was utterly disillusioned. Starting today, he was abandoning the path of the Transcendent Tier, and even wants to sever ties with his family."

"Naturally, the Jiang Clan refused. Word has it the whole family is in an uproar over it."

"I see."

Fu Qian listened thoughtfully, but internally, he was giving the man a silent thumbs-up.

'Brother Jiang En must have stayed awake all night to come up with a stunt like this.'

Although Jiang En didn't need to worry about his secrets being exposed just yet, he had failed to finish his ritual and complete his transformation last night. That meant Dayun Mingwang's impending challenge today was bound to be a massive headache for him.

How exactly did one deal with a highly skilled lunatic coming without a shadow and leaving without a trace?

Sitting at home waiting for death wasn't an option. Even if he ran back to the clan for shelter, not only would he lack a justifiable reason to hide there, but the lunatic would probably just kick down the front doors anyway. The ensuing chaos would be even harder to clean up.

Faced with that reality, Jiang En had opted for a wildly unorthodox strategy: hiding within the clan under the guise of trying to leave it.

First of all, by playing this card, the Jiang Clan wouldn't simply let him walk away, keeping him securely grounded at the estate.

At the same time, he had publicly broadcast his utter lack of ambition. Now, everyone knew he had given up.

When Dayun Mingwang actually showed up to challenge him, whether Jiang En dodged the fight, threw the match, or simply dropped to his knees and surrendered, it could all be chalked up to the apathy of a broken man.

Hell, once his ritual was completed in a day or two and he officially broke through to the Mid Tier, he could even claim that letting go of his obsession had miraculously shattered his bottleneck. The public might even romanticize it as a legendary tale of enlightenment.

This tactic of a retreat in order to advance was genuinely brilliant.

Marveling at the sheer cleverness of it all, Fu Qian finished the last of his breakfast and rose effortlessly from the table.

"So, where exactly is the Jiang Clan's estate?"

...

Less than five hours remained on the mission countdown.

Having left Wen Li's residence, Fu Qian had already slipped back into the persona of Dayun Mingwang. He swaggered down the street, completely ignoring the scrutinizing stares of the passersby.

His getup was undoubtedly bizarre, but the citizens of a massive metropolis like Shangjing were highly tolerant of eccentricities.

As for those who actually knew the name Dayun Mingwang: Brother Taylor was likely still detained for questioning, and Jiang En had gone into hiding. That left only the rest—and the rest were exactly who Fu Qian was waiting for.

Jiang En's maneuvering may have been clever, but he was never the main focus.

What Fu Qian was about to face next was the truly interesting part.

After his grand performance last night, it would be a miracle if Danita and her faction of heavyweights didn't take immediate action against him.

Given how tense the situation had become, they likely wouldn't bother hiding much anymore. The odds were high that he was about to see a whole lot more of their true strength.

...

As it turned out, a 'portable grandpa' was highly reliable.

Without breaking his stride, Fu Qian noticed a sudden shift in his surroundings.

'What smells so bad?'

Sniffing the bizarre, inexplicable odor permeating the air, Fu Qian quickly realized the stench was radiating off the people around him.

Including himself.

The grotesque smell was hard to pin down. It smelled faintly like poorly preserved ham.

'Don't tell me this is the Carrion mentioned in the mission description?'

Fu Qian could clearly sense that the pedestrians around him were being tugged by an invisible force, causing them to rapidly clear out of the area.

Naturally, there was one person doing the exact opposite.

As he walked, Fu Qian noticed a familiar presence striding directly toward him.

Although his attire had changed, Fu Qian recognized him at a glance. It was the host of last night's secret trade fair.

They truly were sending out their elites. By Fu Qian's reckoning, this man held the highest Rank among that group.

Fu Qian came to a halt, sizing up the Old Man walking straight toward him.

With his snow-white hair and beard, and a kindly, benevolent face, his every movement carried the transcendent aura of a profound sage.

In fact, the man didn't carry the slightest trace of the bizarre stench. Standing in the middle of this zone of putrefaction, he radiated an ethereal, unblemished grace.

"I have long admired the Wisdom King's great name. Might I ask where you are heading?"

Even his actions were free and graceful. Stepping right up to Fu Qian, the Old Man didn't pause for a single second before fluidly, seamlessly throwing a punch.

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