Eldritch Horror Theatre

”Jia Yi is dead. When did this happen?”

Taking in Lanaya’s deeply hostile expression, Fu Qian asked with perfect calm.

Barging in and aggressively demanding accountability like this—sure enough, something major had happened.

”Earlier today. Half an hour after we submitted the report from the hearing.”

Lanaya’s expression softened a fraction at the question, though her level tone still concealed a murderous edge.

”The Academy just received the notice. The Night Watchers are taking this extremely seriously and want us to cooperate with the investigation.”

”And right after getting that notice, you came straight to me.”

Fu Qian gave her a knowing look.

”I’m the prime suspect, aren’t I?”

”That goes without saying.”Lanaya rolled her eyes in exasperation.

”Jia Yi reported you last night, and today he turns up dead. Not to mention the bad blood already between you two. Who else would they suspect? You didn’t leave the Academy today, did you?”

”I did.”

Hm!

Lanaya froze for several seconds before it registered. When it did, her voice shot up.

”You went out?! Why would you run off at a time like this?”

”I was bored, so I took a stroll. I even conducted an observational study on flesh and spirit.”

An observational study...

Lanaya stared speechlessly at Fu Qian, her gaze filled with profound grievance.

”You aren’t about to tell me you actually killed him, are you?”

”You’re overthinking it. Why would I do something so boring?”

Fu Qian denied her guess with perfect composure.

”Boring? I thought you’d be someone who holds a serious grudge!”

”Quite the opposite. Strictly speaking, I’ve always been open-minded as an empty valley. I don’t have much of a vengeful streak.”

”Are you sure about that?”

Lanaya looked at him like she had just seen an alien.

”It’s self-evident. What’s there to doubt?”

Fu Qian looked incredibly candid.

”Most people just aren’t worth the effort of revenge. They don’t provide any emotional feedback.”

He wasn’t blowing his own horn. Plenty of heroes and elites had died by his hand, but he was a reasonable, confident man. Why would he resort to random slaughter just to feel a sense of presence?

...

Fu Qian’s answer silenced Lanaya for a full minute.

When she received the news earlier, her immediate reaction had been a spike of panic—this problematic individual had stirred up trouble again.

Yet sitting there right now, spouting nonsense with a straight face, Fu Qian possessed an inexplicable persuasiveness. He made people want to believe him in spite of themselves.

”As long as it wasn’t you. Jia Yi was a bit obnoxious, but he absolutely didn’t deserve to die. If it really was you—”

”You’d go strictly by the book, right? Don’t worry, I won’t drop that kind of dilemma in your lap.”

Fu Qian shot her a glance.

”As long as you know.”

Lanaya let out a long breath. She was just about to say something else when a phone rang on her.

She answered, listened for a few seconds, gave a curt acknowledgment, and hung up. Then she looked at Fu Qian.

”Let’s go. Innocent or not, you have to come with me.”

”Understood.”

Fu Qian offered no objections.

If it hadn’t been for the hearing that morning, Lanaya might have been able to mediate.

In the current situation, things were completely out of her hands.

...

”Professor Lanaya. You’re here.”

With Lanaya leading the way, the two soon arrived at their destination—an office in the Sword Comprehension Institute.

Seeing them enter, Li Weixuan, his face as dark as still water, offered a greeting.

”Professor Fu, thank you for making the trip.”

”No trouble.”

Fu Qian wasn’t surprised that Li Weixuan was personally intervening.

It might not have been his business originally, but since he had attended the morning’s hearing, stepping up to manage the situation now was completely normal.

This was exactly why leaders were so reluctant to casually sign off on things.

As he thought this over, Fu Qian took stock of the office.

As the saying goes, there’s nothing worse than a direct comparison. The office the Apocalypse Branch had assigned him was decent enough, but compared to the dean’s office here in the Sword Comprehension Institute, it instantly fell short.

Li Weixuan himself, however, kept a very low profile. The room was sparsely decorated, making it look incredibly spacious.

Sitting directly across from Li Weixuan was a man of roughly the same age.

Compared to Li Weixuan in his dark, formal robes, this man was dressed far more casually. He currently sat with his eyes narrowed, staring coldly in their direction.

”I am Yuan Fang.”

Seeing Fu Qian look over, the man spoke up directly without waiting for Li Weixuan to introduce him.

”Someone from the Yuan Clan?”

Fu Qian asked thoughtfully.

”No, a Night Watcher.”

Brother Yuan Fang shook his head, his tone extremely serious.

”I do hail from the Yuan Clan, but rest assured, as a Night Watcher, my actions won’t be mixed with any personal emotion.”

Understood!

Fu Qian nodded. He didn’t doubt the man’s claim.

It wasn’t that he had profound faith in the man’s character, but rather that before the situation was certain, the Yuan Clan wasn’t going to directly antagonize the Academy over a former employee.

”Yuan Fang is an old friend of mine. Because of this incident, he sought me out immediately,” Li Weixuan said, gesturing for Lanaya and Fu Qian to take a seat.

”Rest assured, Professor Fu, I’ve already spoken with him. I can guarantee that this matter will be handled with absolute fairness.”

Though he spoke in a calm, measured tone, Li Weixuan carried a natural, commanding authority.

An old acquaintance of Li Weixuan? Fu Qian mused. His strength is certainly decent—feels like he’s at Quasi-Tier 4. He shouldn’t be a nobody among the Night Watchers.

Fu Qian nodded and naturally sat down.

”Professor Fu, I trust Professor Lanaya has already briefed you on the general situation. I just have a few questions I need to confirm with you.”

Brother Yuan Fang was clearly a decisive man; he launched right in the moment Fu Qian took his seat.

”Ask away.”

”Did you leave the Academy today?”

”Yes.”

...

Yuan Fang and Li Weixuan exchanged a look.

”When?”

”Not too long ago.”

”That complicates things,” Yuan Fang mused.

”Though in my eyes, a clumsy framing attempt like this is riddled with holes, since you have no alibi, we’ll be forced to list you as a suspect.”

”But I also know that even if you took out your anger on Jia Yi over what he did and wanted him dead, there was no need to rush it. Being so impatient actually seems abnormal.”

”Not necessarily. I could have done the exact opposite to reduce suspicion.”

Surprisingly, Fu Qian offered this analysis with absolute seriousness.

...

Yuan Fang couldn’t help but take a deep look at Fu Qian.

”Before meeting you, I did entertain that theory. But now that I’ve seen you, I feel like you’d disdain doing something like that.”

”I’m flattered. But could it be possible that this was also part of my plan?”

...

”So you see, feelings are useless.”

Looking at the speechless Yuan Fang, Fu Qian smiled.

”Everything has to rely on evidence. Take me to the murder scene so I can have a look.”