Eldritch Horror Theatre

People these days were far too hot-tempered. They had barely scrambled to their feet and hadn't even assessed the situation, yet their first instinct was to exact bloody vengeance?

Having slipped away with ease, Fu Qian continued on his journey, sighing to himself over how human hearts were no longer pure.

The pungent mystical restriction woven by those Greed Worms was rather peculiar. Its boundaries even shifted in response to human movement.

Unfortunately, its Rank was simply too low. In the face of the Blood Crusade's brute-force dismantling, breaking out was easier than taking off his pants.

As for that second whistle blast, Fu Qian had known it would be entirely ineffective the moment he blew it.

Although there had been no explicit confirmation, he could sense that the Nightmare Worm was unresponsive. It seemed to have slinked off to digest.

That was not an issue, however. He knew the truth, but the others certainly did not.

Ultimately, this gap in information had successfully aided that group of survivors, saving them from the fate of throwing their lives away a second time.

His swift departure had dual motives. For one, it naturally eased Chief Yuan's burdens—an act of pure compassion.

Those survivors would adopt only one stance from here on out: spirits of vengeance. They would no longer be open to any sort of communication.

Since that was the case, he wouldn't force the issue. After all, this outing had already proven quite fruitful.

Now, he could go find the esteemed brother who was actually willing to exchange words with him.

...

This truly carried the air of an aristocratic family!

Looking at the estate before him—which, while not imposing, was distinctly antique and gracefully laid out—Fu Qian offered a silent critique.

He currently stood before the gates of the storied Jiang Clan.

The time-worn avenue beneath his feet easily brought to mind the West Plain Huang Clan and their extraordinary bone structures. Yet, compared to the constant stream of talent produced by the latter, the sight before him was far more desolate.

Brother Jiang En's sudden rise to fame was partly due to his innate talent, but the family had undoubtedly poured oceans of resources into him as well... both in the Transcendent realm and in pure public relations.

In the end, not only was Brother Jiang En a case of mourning the wasted prodigy, but after idling away a few years, he had outright adopted an attitude of complete detachment from worldly affairs. It was only natural that the clan found this unacceptable.

Standing outside the gates, one could almost feel the commotion within.

The tense atmosphere in the air had even infected the gate guards. Fu Qian had been standing there for a mere five seconds before their expressions turned exceedingly hostile.

Naturally, this might also have had something to do with the fact that Fu Qian's face was completely concealed.

"I have long heard that the Jiang Clan's reputation is entirely unearned. I, Dayun Mingwang, have come specifically to seek guidance."

Embracing the spirit of peace and harmony, Fu Qian introduced himself before the guard could lash out, displaying his utmost sincerity.

...

Initially, the suspicious figure speaking up first had somewhat eased the guard's tension. However, upon processing exactly what had just been said, the guard instantly looked as if he were doubting his own sanity, instinctively wondering where this absolute lunatic had come from.

Yet, after delivering that line, the man genuinely just stood there in silence, looking as though he were waiting for the guard to pass on the message.

This aura of absolute composure, combined with the Ferocious Mask on his face, somehow managed to suppress the guard's urge to chase him away.

"Don't move from this spot."

Two seconds later, the guard ultimately chose to add to his employers' headaches on this already special day.

...

"Dayun Mingwang?"

It didn't take long before a group of figures filed out from the distance. All of them bore an imposing demeanor as they marched straight toward the gates.

This reception party, arriving after receiving the report, appeared incredibly grandiose.

Before they had even drawn near, one of them let out a furious roar.

"That would be me."

Fu Qian offered a solemn nod, even giving a slight, courteous bow, as if they had genuinely come out to welcome him.

The speaker was a middle-aged man who bore a faint resemblance to Jiang En. Although he carried a formidable presence, he was barely at the Mid Tier at best.

Even the few elders holding the line behind him, despite their unfathomable posturing, were actually scarcely any stronger.

No wonder they had placed such heavy expectations on Jiang En. The clan had truly withered away to a pathetic state.

That wasn't to say there were no formidable figures present. There were a few legitimate Mid Tiers in the crowd, though their body language clearly showed they weren't on the same side, radiating the pure aura of bystanders.

In Fu Qian's assessment, they were ninety-nine percent likely to just be here for the show.

"I am Jiang Chengqing. I heard the Mingwang has openly arrived at our door to seek guidance?"

Fu Qian's polite demeanor seemed to thoroughly bewilder the shouting man. He shot a subconscious glance at the guard before carefully weighing his next words.

"Indeed."

Fu Qian remained completely forthright.

"There must be a reason for doing such a thing, right?"

Jiang Chengqing's eye twitched as he listened.

"Is it not obvious? Challenging frauds with unearned reputations is, naturally, to make a name for oneself."

Fu Qian's tone was incredibly matter-of-fact.

...

'Just where did this absolute lunatic come from!'

Faced with such a bizarre declaration, Jiang Chengqing was rendered speechless once again.

He obviously didn't believe such an outrageous excuse. The problem was that, true motives aside, the man had already thrown down the gauntlet. It was impossible not to respond.

With so many eyes watching, the man was pointing right at their faces and calling them frauds.

But things were chaotic enough today, and he couldn't grasp the true depths of the man standing before him. If he allowed this farce to escalate, they would be laughed to death anyway.

"How unfortunate. We already have arrangements today. The Mingwang might as well return another time, and I shall personally entertain you then."

After a moment of conflict, Jiang Chengqing finally spoke up. His tone was measured—neither humble nor overbearing—even if he was biting the bullet with the content.

"Jiang En, right? It's fine, I came looking for him anyway."

To his surprise, the man replied in an incredibly casual tone.

"Brother Jiang En and I made a prior agreement, and I heard he ran over here."

"You are here for Jiang En?"

Jiang Chengqing was clearly taken aback for a moment, his tone turning hesitant.

"I am. Can I go in now?"

...

A moment later, surrounded by the large procession, Fu Qian stepped into the ancient estate.

Hearing that Fu Qian had a standing appointment with Jiang En, Jiang Chengqing demonstrated a remarkably strong spirit of contractual obligation. He didn't even send anyone ahead to verify this claim with Jiang En; he simply marched Fu Qian straight through the gates.

Fu Qian was quite understanding of this reaction.

For a man in his position, figuring out how to handle an intruder like him was undoubtedly a massive headache. No matter what move he made, it seemed destined to end in humiliation for the Jiang Clan.

However, Fu Qian's claim of having an appointment with Jiang En had offered him a potential way out: let Jiang En, whose heart was like dead ashes, deal with the glory-hound lunatic. It was a classic case of using softness to overcome hardness.

Whatever stance Jiang En chose to adopt in this situation, interpretations would become suitably ambiguous, sparing the family from too great a loss of face.

It might even act as a reverse psychological stimulus.

Though the strategy remained highly volatile, one could clearly see the logic of hoping two negatives would make a positive!

One couldn't really blame the man for indulging in overly optimistic fantasies. Even the cleverest housewife couldn't cook a meal without rice, and steering a clan with a hollowed-out foundation was no easy task.

In truth, this was exactly the outcome Fu Qian had been aiming for. With both sides working toward the same goal, he effortlessly breached the sanctuary Jiang En had found.

"Dayun Mingwang."

A moment later, Jiang En—who sat in quiet stillness, exuding an aura of complete detachment from worldly existence—sized up Fu Qian as he entered the room and let out a long, weary sigh.

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