Eldritch Horror Theatre

Taking the initiative to ask for the exact details of that dark secret naturally meant Chief Yuan had taken up the heavy burden of cleaning house.

Given her personality, however, she likely wasn’t very close to the core of power, and Old Man Henry had retired long ago.

Unless the Night Watchers were the sort of theoretically flawless righteous organization that only existed as a spherical chicken in a vacuum, this process would be hard to accomplish overnight—not given their opponent’s identity, assuming no major incidents broke out in West Plain.

Under these circumstances, figuring out how to handle the probing right in front of him required a delicate touch.

Even with full confidence that Kelin couldn’t possibly recognize him, he still had to be extremely cautious about the stance he presented to the Night Watchers.

People with guilty consciences usually overthought things; pushing too hard or acting too passive could easily trigger suspicion.

Even if they found nothing, there was no telling if that veteran of the Conservative Faction might just try something radical anyway.

Given the sheer gravity of the matter, even if he made a half-hearted, fleeting appearance, Excellency Kelin’s probing likely wouldn’t end there. She would make another move.

In this situation, leaving Wen Li under protection at the Night Watchers Base was undoubtedly a reasonable choice—and the most convenient way for him to slack off.

He could simply show his face and then slip into a state of showing the head but not the tail like a divine dragon, dumping the entire mess onto the Night Watchers.Considering his track record, it was highly likely Yuan Shan was worried he might do exactly that.

While this conservative approach was unlikely to strike the grass to startle the snake, it clearly wouldn’t satisfy Chief Yuan either.

...

No matter how much she trusted him, it was still just his side of the story.

Investigating secretly later was one thing, but Yuan Shan would definitely be unwilling to let this encounter pass without reaping some kind of counter-intelligence.

Thus, her requirements for the next step were crystal clear: they had to be proactive, but proactive in a way that wouldn’t arouse suspicion.

Mastering that delicate balance without a professional like him around would easily end in failure.

To his relief, he had already volunteered another solution: moving into the victim’s house together. It was a blatant setup of waiting by the stump for a hare.

This relatively more proactive strategy undoubtedly meant he wouldn’t just wash his hands of the matter, truly fulfilling his duty as a good citizen.

As for Yuan Shan’s brief hesitation, she was likely worried that taking such a proactive stance might be inappropriate for someone in her position. Still, given her close personal ties to Wen Li, it was justifiable enough.

”Once we step out of this room, I won’t be able to guarantee our conversation isn’t being overheard.”

Yuan Shan was always one for swift and resolute action. Once the plan was confirmed, she didn’t intend to wait around, delivering the warning directly to Fu Qian.

Her meaning was simple enough: they could discuss whatever they wanted in here, so they needed to finish exchanging the key points now.

Once outside, they would immediately slip into character, and anything detrimental to unity was off the table.

...

”Understood.”

Fu Qian cheerfully agreed, not doubting her in the slightest.

It would be downright embarrassing if the dignified office of a Chief lacked basic countermeasures like this.

In fact, this was one of the reasons he had determined Wen Li was clean earlier.

Of course, there was the minuscule chance that Needle Witch Kelin possessed heaven-defying abilities beyond common sense and was already eavesdropping on their conspiracy with perfect clarity. If that were true, things were about to get a lot more interesting.

”So, mind if I borrow the washroom here?”

Rising smoothly to his feet and prompting Yuan Shan to follow, Fu Qian gestured toward a corner of the office.

Er...

”I drank a bit too much tea,” Fu Qian offered as an extra explanation, noticing Yuan Shan’s visibly stiffening expression.

”...Be my guest.”

Waving him off, Yuan Shan had already lifted the teapot to pour a mouthful directly down her throat, drowning her sorrows in tea.

...

Chief Yuan’s private washroom wasn’t absurdly large, but it still possessed an air of luxury.

Activating the Decree of Return the moment he entered, Fu Qian took his time washing his hands. Politely keeping his eyes to himself, he took off the Emissary.

”I wonder if this will work.”

Re-entering the Warehouse, he muttered to himself while stroking his own face, and with a sigh, he activated another reward reaped from Insight—the Dazzling Visage.

His features and facial contours rapidly morphed.

Ever since digesting the mask, he hadn’t used this ability much.

But he had theorized a specific application for it early on.

If it worked, it would be perfectly suited for this operation.

Without needing a mirror, Fu Qian knew he was wearing the Witch’s face once again, his transcendent aura thoroughly concealed along with it.

Next, he picked up the Emissary—its bloodstains scrubbed mostly clean—and placed it directly on his face.

It seemed it really did work.

Returning to the washroom the next moment, Fu Qian inspected the face of Fang Xun in the mirror, noting that his transcendent aura remained completely hidden. He was deeply satisfied.

...

Praising the Pope really was the right move.

He had previously wondered if he might need to reshape his features again even if the Dazzling Visage maintained its effect. As it turned out, the result was absolutely ideal.

Even as he marveled at it, Fu Qian still made a slight adjustment in front of the mirror.

The result was that the effects of the Dazzling Visage vanished almost simultaneously.

Sure enough, the Emissary’s effect wasn’t a pure physical reshaping of his face. It functioned more like adding a special effect over it.

It wouldn’t disrupt the Dazzling Visage, but it didn’t support any secondary editing, either.

After casually running one more minor test, Fu Qian re-entered the Warehouse and ran through the sequence from the top. Fully satisfied, he finally stepped out of the washroom.

”How did you do that?”

He was met with Yuan Shan’s shocked stare almost instantly.

”Just a low-profile little trick. I figured this suited my persona better. Remember to keep it a secret for me.”

Fu Qian merely explained with a smile.

”Rest assured.”

Her initial shock fading, Yuan Shan agreed straightforwardly.

In their current situation, her biggest fear had been that her strategist wouldn’t pull his weight.

Now that he was showing off this ”little trick,” she couldn’t say a word against his enthusiasm.

Besides, his reasoning was perfectly sound.

He was, after all, playing a persona where the great recluse hides in the market. Facing such an abnormal incident, acting too openly without any concealment would seem far too casual.

Of course, that was just Yuan Shan’s interpretation. She couldn’t possibly guess that Fu Qian’s main purpose for this maneuver was because he had already demonstrated a Tier 2 standard back in West Plain.

Just as he had told Yuan Shan earlier, compared to the Demigod Realm, Tier 2 transcendents were drastically fewer in number, making them far easier to inventory.

No matter how vast the fundamental difference in their powers, two Tier 2 beings suddenly popping up was still too anomalous. It was better for his Bookstore Owner identity to keep a low profile for now.

...

”You haven’t swapped out your chef, have you? That fish from last time was fantastic. It’s left quite an impression on me.”

With the preparations complete, a deeply comforted Yuan Shan wasted no more time. She took Fu Qian straight out the door and found Wen Li waiting outside.

”I haven’t... If you’re interested, I can have them prepare it right now.”

Clearly catching her meaning instantly, Wen Li nodded earnestly, flattered by the unexpected favor.

”Wonderful. I can hardly wait.”

Yuan Shan turned directly and led the way, demonstrating an astonishing consistency between her words and her actions.