Eldritch Horror Theatre

'Did something happen with her family? She hasn't come back since the Ye Island trip?'

The information Lanaya brought regarding Ji Liushuang caught Fu Qian slightly off guard.

She had sought him out specifically to confirm whether he was returning to the Academy. He hadn't expected her to be the one who didn't come back.

It seemed his thanks would have to wait.

As for family matters, with a wealthy clan of that caliber, it was hard to say what that actually meant.

He still remembered his first meeting with Ji Liushuang; there had been an assassin glaring at her like a tiger watching its prey.

Of course, things were different now.

Back then, Ji Liushuang was just a young student with potential. Even if something really happened, as long as the family covered it up, it likely wouldn't cause any unmanageable waves.

But now, she was an elite student of the Academy, an Official Intermediate Stage transcendent wielding sword intent. The odds of similar methods being used on her again were drastically lower; otherwise, the Academy wouldn't let the matter drop.

Seeing Fu Qian deep in thought, Lanaya reminded him one last time, signaling the end of her hosting duties.

"Understood."

Knowing she wasn't just trying to scare him, Fu Qian didn't make things difficult for her. He made a gesture telling her to rest assured.

"Since I went out of my way to return like this, why would I do something so boring?"

That made sense... This single sentence instantly convinced Lanaya.

If he actually had a guilty conscience, he had far too many other options.

"Find me anytime if you need something."

Lanaya let out a breath and turned to leave.

Just before heading downstairs, however, she hesitated. Holding the door, she offered a heartfelt remark.

"Even though you cause trouble every single time... welcome back!"

He knew it. The eyes of the masses were sharp; being named one of the top ten most moving figures of the Academy wasn't just an empty boast.

Watching Lanaya head downstairs, Fu Qian briefly felt as though his reputation had finally hit the positive.

Of course, judging from the current situation, his reputation across the Academy was clearly tracked independently by each department.

...

"So, do you not have to work?"

Under the watchful guard of the head of the Academy Disciplinary Department, Fu Qian thoroughly enjoyed a good sleep, soothing the exhaustion of his journey.

Yet even when he finally woke up, Lanaya didn't seem to have any intention of leaving the house.

"My job today is playing jailer."

She didn't look to be in the best of moods either, shooting him a glance and muttering.

"Since they've been generous enough to put you under house arrest, they couldn't exactly leave you unguarded."

"Fair enough."

Fu Qian agreed with her reasoning while digging into his breakfast.

It was just a pity that a dignified Academy instructor, much like Eldest Miss Wen, favored dishes so entirely green they looked fit to feed a rabbit.

"So, when is the interrogation roughly scheduled for?"

"No later than tonight."

Lanaya answered swiftly.

"Then I'll buy you a drink after it's over."

"Take this seriously. Things might not go that easily."

Lanaya scoffed.

"Besides, my drinks are always expensive. Are you sure you're treating?"

...

Fu Qian was briefly struck by her words.

Given that Su Gao had previously taken his entire salary, he had already scraped together every bit of cash left in The Bookstore before heading out on this trip.

Theoretically speaking, even though he was a dignified demigod here and even held an official position at the Scientific Research Institute, he was actually poorer than a street bum from his original world.

Of course, such a minor issue naturally couldn't stump Fu Qian.

"No problem. I'll just expense it to my research budget."

"You even know how to do that?"

Lanaya gasped in shock.

"I know a little."

...

Realizing that Lanaya was genuinely going to stand guard dutifully downstairs, Fu Qian didn't disturb her work anymore. After finishing his meal, he headed upstairs to rest.

As one of the perks of being an Academy instructor, Lanaya's residence wasn't particularly large, but both its facilities and the view were quite excellent.

Standing by the window, he could even see a corner of a certain majestic, towering pavilion.

If he wasn't mistaken, that was exactly the Sword Comprehension Institute's Sacred Land—the Sword Pavilion he had loitered around twice before.

Looking at it from this angle gave it a uniquely domineering aura.

"It's still slightly obstructed. I feel like the view from that building up ahead would be a bit better?"

After gazing out for a while, Fu Qian casually turned his head and spoke to the empty air beside him, as if someone were sitting right there.

"That one is indeed vacant, but you might need to serve in your post for a few more years before you can even try applying for it."

A moment later, a voice genuinely rang out from that very spot.

Along with the response, the air in that spot suddenly blurred, and a figure slowly faded into view.

And this person's appearance was truly somewhat bizarre.

Although the proportions of its torso and limbs were similar to a human's, its mummified, withered body didn't wear a single shred of human clothing. Instead, it was completely enveloped in jagged, rock-like skin.

Across the surface of that skin, uneven shades of black and gray sketched out indescribable textures. At a glance, it looked as if it had endured the erosion of countless ages, exuding a profound sense of antiquity.

As for its head, it wore a black-and-white mask sculpted into a weeping face.

The object was clearly no ordinary item. Fu Qian merely glanced at it, and in that instant, despite the beautiful scenery outside the window, he was struck with the sudden urge to sigh over how quickly blossoms fade and how impermanent human life was.

Quite impressive!

Resisting the successive waves of mental impact washing over his will, Fu Qian nodded.

"I understand. Years of service, spouse, children, and so on—everything has to go by the rules eventually."

Haha...

The entity was visibly taken aback for a moment before bursting into raucous laughter, seemingly utterly unconcerned about being discovered by Lanaya downstairs.

Indeed, the head of the Disciplinary Department was still standing guard downstairs, yet she remained entirely oblivious to everything happening up here.

The being that had appeared before him was no longer something anyone below the Demigod Realm could contend with.

"Professor Fu truly is out of the ordinary. If I hadn't taken the initiative to come over today, who could have guessed that after the Four Colleges have competed for so many years, Apocalypse would actually be the one to produce the first new demigod."

Judging by that tone, was this really someone from Linghui? Their guts were far bigger than he had imagined!

Lanaya's speculations about them had been spot-on, though it was a pity she had underestimated the extent of their audacity.

"You flatter me. And how should I address you?"

Fu Qian offered a casual, modest reply, stepping back from the window and gesturing for the other party to take a seat.

"You don't know who I am?"

However, the entity's reaction to such a question was far greater than he had anticipated.

What was the big deal? As a newly appointed faculty member, it was perfectly normal for him not to recognize every face around here—especially since this guy hadn't even shown his real face.

Even so, Fu Qian could understand the visitor's astonishment.

Exhibiting such a stable Mythical Form, the being before him was an existence at the Demigod Level at the very least.

Even with the Academy's abundance of talent, it was hard to say just how many demigods the Linghui Courtyard could scrape together.

So normally speaking, this person should have already been accustomed to an illustrious career, able to demand total submission wherever he went just by showing his face—let alone now, having fully unleashed his Mythical Form.

"I don't. As a scientific researcher, interpersonal relationships have never been my strong suit."

Understanding aside, in the next moment, Fu Qian still unapologetically shook his head.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!