Eldritch Horror Theatre

”Herbert? The First Blood Clan?”

Chief Yuan visibly combed through her memory, an effort that finally paid off when her eyes lit up.

”I’d expect no less from the chief of the Night Watchers, remembering ancient history like that.”

Fu Qian sighed. He aimed his single eye at the ceiling, adopting the profound look of a man lost in past memories.

Before he had even finished the act, and before Yuan Shan could speak, he groped at his eye socket, using two fingers to slowly pry it wide.

Freed from its confines, Ancient Reminiscence tumbled out and rolled across the table.

”Thank you for looking after me lately, Chief Yuan... and for your cooperation.”

Having completed this gruesome display, Fu Qian looked up. He aimed his empty, black-and-red socket at Yuan Shan, expressing his gratitude with utmost sincerity.

”Cooperation...”

Yuan Shan’s expression had turned entirely cold, a chill that seemed to cool her furiously racing thoughts.”The incident with the Gulade Family... you were guiding it from behind the scenes the entire time...”

She rapidly arrived at a terrifying conclusion and ground her teeth.

”’I have quite a close relationship with the Red Moon.’”

Fu Qian remained entirely honest by completely avoiding a direct answer.

”So Ambor was guided by that strange influence... and you even proposed removing the root of the problem by killing Ambor directly...”

Unsurprisingly, Chief Yuan was using her rich imagination to rapidly piece the logic together.

”Even before Ambor died, that miraculous blessing vanished for reasons no one could understand.”

In an instant, all her various doubts seemed to find their answers.

”I did have a brief chat with the Red Moon at the time.”

Fu Qian merely nodded.

”But you didn’t seem inclined to wipe them all out, like Taylor and Serana.”

Chief Yuan wasn’t so easily fooled, swiftly zeroing in on the inconsistencies.

”Don’t think of me as so utterly ruthless. My return required a little blood from the Progenitor’s favored one, as well as another item. Neither could be obtained through violence; they required a bit of guidance.”

Fu Qian’s tone was peaceful as he glanced at his severed arm.

”That item required Serana’s help...”

Yuan Shan realized something, anger already lacing her voice.

”Under your coercion, she agreed to your demands and helped you complete the final step?”

”How could you call it coercion? No one could coerce a true member of the Blood Clan like her.”

Fu Qian flicked Ancient Reminiscence with a finger, sending it spinning wildly across the table.

”Fortunately, we had spent some time alone together, which gave me a better understanding of her. I merely presented a few things before her eyes.”

”That isn’t Ancient Reminiscence.”

Yuan Shan stared at the table and spoke coldly.

”There isn’t any transcendent aura left on it.”

”To be precise, it isn’t Ancient Reminiscence right now.”

”It has already fulfilled its mission.”

Cradling the sphere in his palm, Fu Qian let out a sigh that seemed to carry a thousand years of worldly weariness.

In truth, Yuan Shan was right. This was, of course, not Ancient Reminiscence.

That artifact was still sitting on a table in the Warehouse.

The one in his hand was simply something Fu Qian had shaped his own eyeball into.

It was just a convenient little ritual. He hadn’t considered making a special trip back to get the real one.

”Your will, as Herbert, has continued to exist inside Ancient Reminiscence all this time, searching for a chance to return...”

At this moment, Yuan Shan looked as though she had achieved complete enlightenment.

”And you orchestrated a play that dragged the entire Gulade Family into it. You chose to leave in a hurry after the matter with Ambor because some things weren’t suitable to be done in Shangjing...”

The chief of the Night Watchers was practically gnashing her teeth as she spoke.

”But what I don’t understand is, what was the point of all this? You were already a demigod of terrifying power. Was this so-called Blood Clan form really that important?”

”I’ve always been an easygoing person. How could I hold such an obsession?”

Fu Qian revealed a smile that practically begged for a beating.

”The current me has already touched upon the path to go a step further. As for leaving earlier, I did indeed go to Ye Island... I had a little chat with the Red Moon while I was there.”

”Very well... I understand everything now. So what is your goal right now? You couldn’t possibly have failed to guess that I would come.”

”Of course. I even gave special instructions to Wen Li.”

Fu Qian casually pointed at the host of the evening banquet.

”The purpose behind tonight’s hospitality and candor is very simple. I hope that all of this can gain Chief Yuan’s approval.”

”Recently, the Blood Clan stirred up some trouble in Shangjing, but fortunately, it didn’t blow out of proportion. The chief culprit was executed, and Gulade paid a massive price.”

”And through a coincidence of fate, a certain lucky fellow saw the opportunity to advance to a Divine Emissary.”

”This is exactly what they mean when they say worldly affairs are hard to predict!”

Fu Qian let out a sigh, looking at Yuan Shan with a serious expression.

”Both good and evil meet their just desserts, and this matter ends here. What do you think, Chief Yuan?”

”Everything is reasonably accounted for. That lucky fellow even took the initiative to report to the Night Watchers with a sincere attitude...”

Fu Qian only got halfway through his point before Yuan Shan was already sneering repeatedly, her tone incredibly hostile.

”I can guarantee that every word I just said is the absolute truth.”

Fu Qian narrowed his eyes, seemingly realizing that Chief Yuan was less than pleased, but he still made the solemn promise.

”What a brilliant plan. You could say it covers all the bases. Even considering the big picture, no matter how you look at it, agreeing with you would be the better choice...”

Sitting across from him, Yuan Shan was already clapping mockingly.

”I believe the Gulade Family has already been tamed by you as well, and won’t raise any objections...”

”I’m guessing you’re about to say ’what a pity’...”

Chief Yuan’s posture was visibly hostile. Fu Qian’s grip on his wine glass tightened slightly, entirely losing the mood to bring it to his lips.

”That’s right! What a pity that I’ve always been rather incompetent at my job, often doing things based entirely on my mood. So you’re going to die... because I am very pissed off!”

As she spoke, Yuan Shan stood up. Dozens of black bands stretched out behind her back like a halo of light, perfectly manifesting her seething murderous intent.

Smash!

Tossing his wine glass casually to the floor, the smile on Fu Qian’s face vanished without a trace.

”Isn’t Chief Yuan being a bit too selfish? Just for the sake of your own peace of mind, you’re willing to put everyone at risk? Or is it that, seeing I’m in poor condition, you’ve grown a bit too overconfident in yourself?”

”I have!”

Yuan Shan admitted it quite bluntly.

”I did a quick calculation, and killing you right now is the choice with the lowest risk to the entire world.”

While she tried her best to keep her voice even as she said this, thinking about everything he had done made Yuan Shan feel the flames of fury surging in her heart, completely impossible to suppress.

”Hmph, do you really not understand human speech at all? To think the Night Watchers actually have a chief as stupid as this!”

Unexpectedly, the other party actually looked even more furious than her, his face filled with indignation.

”It’s only called human speech when a human is the one speaking.”

Without delving into that slight hint of doubt, Yuan Shan’s killing intent blazed for all to see.

”Die!”

”Stop it, don’t fight anymore.”

And right at this moment of explosive tension, someone off to the side finally cried out.