Eldritch Horror Theatre

Amid the blaring alarms, Fu Qian sensed people rushing in from all directions. They quickly surrounded the small courtyard, packing it tight.

Given the circumstances, there was absolutely no way to talk his way out of this.

Fortunately, Fu Qian never liked explaining anyway.

He didn’t even turn his head. He simply stood with his hands clasped behind his back, pretending to gaze up at the starry sky.

”Who are you? Why did you commit such a vicious murder?”

Huang Leji’s furious roar came from behind, and one could easily imagine his eyes splitting with rage.

’Pretty impressive. The timing was absolutely perfect.’

’He killed the man right before I got here and slipped away just in time. Then the Huang family noticed the disturbance, surrounded me, and left me to take the fall.’

’If the timing had been off by even a fraction, the whole thing would have blown up in his face.’

’Truly pulling chestnuts from the fire. Did this Ill Omen start out running honey traps?’’With things as they are, there is no way the Huang Family will just let this go.’

’The one shouting just now was Huang Leji. Judging by the auras, Huang Lezhan, Huang Jianyuan, and the others are all here.’

’We are deep inside the manor. Slaughtering my way out would be a bit difficult, not to mention a huge waste of time.’

’And whether I start a massacre or get bogged down here, it is exactly what Ill Omen wants to see.’

’The situation is looking pretty grim! Good thing I have a backup plan.’

”You ask who I am?”

Fu Qian scoffed and slowly turned around.

In those brief moments just now, his facial features had already rapidly shifted back to his original appearance.

”Fu Qian, Night Watchers Special Operations Consultant.”

Night Watchers?

The moment he spoke, the crowd looked at his unfamiliar face with a mix of shock and suspicion.

”How come I’ve never heard of a Special Operations Consultant title within the Night Watchers?”

Naturally, Huang Leji wasn’t so easily fooled. He immediately furrowed his brow and voiced his doubts.

”And how exactly did you get inside the Huang Family estate?”

”What makes you think... you have any right to know the inner workings of the Night Watchers?”

Fu Qian didn’t even bother answering his second question. He didn’t spare the man a single glance, turning his gaze back to the room.

”Ill Omen...”

”You’re saying Ill Omen did this?”

Huang Leji was taken aback, staring at the bloody scene inside the room.

”Who else? Me?”

Fu Qian sneered.

”So the Huang Family knows about Ill Omen after all. I thought the number one clan in West Plain was completely deaf to the outside world!”

...

Huang Leji’s old face flushed red.

”We only just learned about Ill Omen ourselves. We hadn’t had the time to contact the Night Watchers yet.”

”There’s no need to trouble yourselves. We came knocking on our own.”

Fu Qian looked at the gruesome sight inside the room.

”Executive Yama Su and I split up to track down Ill Omen. The moment I received word that your Sixth Uncle might be the next target, I rushed over as fast as I could. I never expected I would still be a step too late...”

Executive Yama Su...

Huang Leji pondered for a moment, shot a look to the people beside him, and took a step forward.

”Mr. Fu... to think Ill Omen was this ruthless, slipping into the Huang Family to commit such a vicious murder... I have already sent someone to invite Executive Yama Su. How about we wait here for her to arrive?”

As Huang Leji spoke, he carefully observed Fu Qian’s reaction.

”Fine. We will talk once Su Gao gets here.”

Fu Qian gave a slight nod and pointed toward the courtyard.

”Secure this area. No one is to touch anything inside. Also, compile the travel records of every transcendent in the Huang Clan over the past month and hand them over to me.”

’What is the meaning of this?’

Huang Leji’s eyes narrowed. Before he could speak, Huang Jianyuan, who stood behind him, lost his patience.

”Why do you need to investigate that, Mr. Fu? Are you suspecting the Huang Family?”

’I don’t suspect you. I am certain.’

Fu Qian shot him a cold glance but said nothing.

Startled by Fu Qian’s intense gaze, Huang Jianyuan instinctively took a step back. Once he realized what he had done, his face instantly flushed crimson, a flash of hatred crossing his eyes.

”Jianyuan! Go prepare what Mr. Fu requested.”

Huang Leji pressed a hand onto his son’s shoulder, stopping him with a stern look.

’This guy isn’t going anywhere. Whatever he wants, give it to him!’

’If the Night Watchers prove later that this bastard is just bluffing, there will be plenty of opportunities to grind his bones to dust.’

...

’Just as I thought, he also just returned to West Plain!’

Fu Qian flipped through the documents Huang Jianyuan handed over, which contained the recent travel logs of everyone in the Huang Family.

Unsurprisingly, when he turned to Huang Yuanchang’s section, Fu Qian discovered that he too had only returned to West Plain within the last week.

’The suspicion is growing heavier. But why does he look so familiar?’

As requested, a photograph of each person was attached to their itinerary.

Looking at Huang Yuanchang’s face, Fu Qian had a vague feeling he had seen it somewhere before.

It was a feeling both familiar and foreign, as if the memory were sitting perfectly in a cognitive blind spot.

’There aren’t many transcendents in West Plain City. Logically, it shouldn’t be like this.’

Fu Qian’s brain raced, every scene since he entered West Plain City flashing through his mind.

’Wait a minute, this is it!’

Fu Qian’s memories suddenly froze on a specific scene.

It was right after he had disguised himself as Huang Jianyuan to infiltrate the Huang Manor.

To avoid anyone noticing anomalies, he had moved quickly, adopting an arrogant, dismissive attitude and ignoring everyone.

During that walk, he had brushed past a few people, and now that he thought back on it, one person’s face was extremely blurry in his memory.

’This isn’t normal.’

’Could this also be an effect of survival instinct?’

’Huang Yuanchang really did run away already.’

’Impressive. He isn’t sparing a single blind spot to mislead and lure me in.’

’But it doesn’t matter.’

Fu Qian squeezed his memory cells, forcing that blurry scene to clear up bit by bit.

’Excellent. I have memorized the aura.’

Su Gao arrived even faster than expected.

She was dressed in her usual black clothes and narrow hat, her sword by her side.

Her expressionless face, combined with the fragmented scars on it, made her look like a ruined doll.

Yet the moment she appeared, almost everyone’s breathing grew a fraction shallower.

”This is definitely Ill Omen’s style.”

Stepping into the blood-drenched room, Su Gao took only ten seconds to make her judgment and state it to Huang Leji.

The next moment, she sensed something. She looked up at Fu Qian sitting off to the side, and her body abruptly froze.

In that instant, dozens of gazes darted back and forth between the two of them.

Fu Qian blinked at her.

It was obvious without asking. Su Gao’s reaction clearly indicated that Huang Leji hadn’t mentioned a word about her ”colleague.”

Unfortunately for Old Man Huang, he didn’t understand that none of that mattered.

”Mr. Fu is here as well.”

After locking eyes with Fu Qian for a few seconds, Su Gao bowed slightly in greeting, a momentary flash of liveliness in her gaze.

”It has been a while. I’m truly glad to see that you are alright!”

”Thank you for your concern. Just call me Fu Qian.”

”Mhm.”

Su Gao nodded.

”Did you come to West Plain this time for Ill Omen as well?”

”Yes.”

”That’s wonderful!”

The corners of Su Gao’s lips curled up slightly, as if attempting a smile.

’I knew there was a problem! From the sound of it, these two haven’t seen each other in a long time. That guy surnamed Fu was spouting complete nonsense earlier.’

”Executive Yama Su, this Mr. Fu claims he is a Night Watchers Special Operations Consultant...”

His face livid, Huang Leji interrupted their conversation, which they were carrying on as if no one else were around.

”Is that what Mr. Fu said?”

”Exactly. And when we arrived just now, Mr. Fu was the only one present. It is highly suspicious—”

”He is correct. Mr. Fu is a Night Watchers Special Operations Consultant.”

Su Gao’s eyes remained fixed on Fu Qian as she spoke in a flat tone.

(End of Chapter)